February 7 Lamont Leader

Your news this week: Apology and rehiring at Andrew - 2 Changes at Beaverhill Lodge - 7 County concerned with crime - 8 OPINION: Premier’s policy just fine - 4

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Vol. 19, No. 11, Wednesday, February 7, 2024 www.LamontLeader.com

Lamont landowner preserves land through Nature Conservancy of Canada

BY JOHN MATHER A landowner in Lamont County has entered into an agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to have 65 hectares of land put under their protection.

Heather Proctor grew up in the St. Albert area and often spent her formative years west of Edmonton near Onoway exploring sloughs and lakes.

She went on to become a biology professor at the University of Alberta specializing in mites.

She said the land which she has had protected has no road access but is located just to the west of Range Road 195 near Twp. Road 544.

“It’s a full quarter section,” she said, and she had a friend who lived near the land and “he knew I was looking to purchase a more natural piece of property. ”He had heard the owner of four quarters had passed away and one of his nieces or nephews didn’t want the property and was interested in selling,” she said. “So I bought it in 2006.”

She had done some research and prior to her ownership there were only two European owners, one being the Hudson Bay Company and the second was Sam Dolynchuk, whose family Proctor purchased the land from.

He had purchased the land in 1937 for $1,134.50 and he was listed as a Chipman area farmer.

Proctor did initially consider building a cabin on the property.

“When I bought it you could walk to it from the nearest road,” she said. “But over the years the beavers had their way and over time it became only accessible by canoe or kayak.”

She said you couldn’t get building materials to the land and she couldn’t get insurance on the property.

One winter she did put a tent trailer on the property, but admits it had become neglected and mice took it over.

“In the early 2000s, I witnessed rapid

A young bull moose was spotted in Lamont County on the weekend, checking out the scenery in an unusually dry and warm Crystal Moren photo.

El Niño winter in Alberta.

development in the Edmonton area, with farmland and woodland disappearing before my eyes,” said Proctor, further explaining her decision.

“Feeling a need to take action, I searched for ecologically important land to preserve. By partnering with NCC, I now feel it is secure; it's like life

insurance for this property. I know that no matter what, it will still be protected, and that is a great feeling.”

Proctor will still own the land and pay taxes on it, but under the agreement no further development will be allowed.

She said she could replace the tent

trailer and trim the brush around it, but that’s the extent of upgrades she could make.

And those rules will remain if the land should be sold to new owners in the future.

Continued on Page 3

2 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Andrew apologizes, rehires auditor

BY JANA SEMENIUK The Village of Andrew Mayor Barry Goertz has given a letter of apology, dated Jan. 20, to former auditor Barb McCarthy who resigned last March after several accusations were made by former Chief Administrative Officer Tim Melnyk.

McCarthy said the apology letter was a condition for her return to work for the Village.

“The apology was a requirement. I was not coming back here without it,” she said. “It was a necessity.”

In Goertz’ apology letter, he stated that ‘We recognized that JMD Group LLP was wrongfully maligned verbally and in the local media by our Chief Administrative Officer at the time. The negative statements and criticisms around JMD Group’s audit services

that called into question your firm’s work were entirely unfounded and unprofessional. Council greatly regrets all that transpired.’

McCarthy said an article that appeared in a neighbouring Vegreville media caused her office ‘considerable grief’ after allegations were detailed.

Melnyk was terminated four months later.

Meanwhile, McCarthy said she was happy to be back working for the Village, whose audits were behind by a year.

“I'm glad to be back. I felt sorry for the Village and that they were so far behind and going through the issues that they went through,” she said.

“But I couldn't come back until that (apology was received).”

In her report during

the Jan. 31 Andrew public information session, she broke down the finances for the Village for 2022, which she said ended in a deficit of $186,000.

“A large part of that deficit is because of amortization expense.

So, your amortization

expense was $216,000 last year,” she said. “So, if we take the amortization out of the expenses, you would have actually had a surplus.

Amortization is a noncash expenditure.”

Interim CAO Ken Glover said he was very happy with McCarthy’s

work on the audit and said it gives a ‘much clearer picture’ for the Village.

“This is a clearer picture than where we were three months ago or more,” said Glover.

“We know there is content that was still hard to find and verify but this is

a much clearer picture heading into 2023 which will be a little similar work to clean up but at least we've got a great foundation from my perspective.”

Andrew’s next council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.

TOWN OF BRUDERHEIM PUBLIC NOTICE Please be advised that on January 10, 2024, Town Council gave first reading to Bylaw 01-2024 a bylaw that authorizes the Council of the Municipality to incur Indebtedness by the issuance of debenture(s) in an amount up to $1,856,233.00 for the 2023 Water Reservoir and Pumping Station Upgrade.

Town of Bruderheim Council has decided to issue a bylaw pursuant to Section 258 of the Municipal Government Act to authorize the financing, undertaking and completion of the 2023 Water Reservoir and Pumping Station Upgrade.

In order to complete the 2023 Water Reservoir and Pumping Station Upgrade it will be necessary for the Municipality to borrow a sum upto $1,856,233.00 for a period not to exceed 30 years, from the Province of Alberta or another authorized financial institution, by the issuance of debentures and on the terms and conditions referred to in bylaw 012024.

Town Council will consider giving the 2nd reading to this bylaw on February 7th, 2024.

A copy of the bylaw is available for viewing at the Town office at 5017 Queen Street, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding Statutory holidays.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this bylaw, please feel free to call the Town Office at 780-796-3731

Andrew Mayor Barry Goertz

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The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 3

Land preserved Continued from Front “It’s an absolutely beautiful area,” Proctor said. “I can still maintain a trail in the area and still use the land for low impact scientific research.”

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has been actively involved in the Beaver Hills region since 2002, having conserved over 1,500 hectares to date.

The “Keep the Beaver Hills Wild” campaign, launched in 2017, aims to expand the network of conserved lands by collaborating with landowners and local communities. This effort contributes to the broader conservation history of the Beaver Hills, which was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2016.

Proctor added she’s seen moose and elk roaming on the property.

She added while she had agreed to make the arrangement with NCC several months ago, it was decided to wait so the Conservancy could make the official announcement on World Wetland Day which along with Ground Hog Day was Feb. 2.

An aerial shot of the Moose Pasture, 65 hectares of land, U of A biologist Heather Proctor has entered into an agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect. It is adjacent to Elk Island National Park in Lamont County.

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4 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Opinion Smith’s transgender policy not unreasonable

BY JOHN MATHER Well, here I go off the deep end.

I’m going to wade into the transgender controversy.

I agree with Premier Danielle Smith’s reasoned approach to dealing with this.

It is not as strict as several European countries such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the United Kingdom, yet is more stringent than other provinces in Canada.

In short, it upholds parental rights.

The proposed policies would include a prohibition on gender reassignment surgeries for minors 17-years-old and under. For minors 15-years-old and under, she said puberty blockers and hormone therapies will be prohibited, except for those who have commenced them.

For 16-and-17-year-old minors who wish to start hormone therapies, this will be permitted with parental permission and psychological approval and consent.

The Alberta government is working to attract specialists in transgender healthcare to the province to assist those who wish to transition.

In the classrooms, Smith suggested that discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation and human sexuality will happen at the right time and with parental involvement. This will include a parental opt-in requirement if teachers want to discuss these subjects.

Additionally, she acknowledged minors 15-andunder will require parental consent before their names and pronouns are changed at schools. For 16-and-17year-old minors, parental consent will not be required, but parents will have to be notified.

The Alberta government will launch a pilot project to offer counselling services to families with transgender children. In the rare circumstances they experience abusive environments, child protection laws will be enforced.

She consulted with others including some individuals who have gone through gender altering surgery prior to making the decisions which everyone had been asking for.

“Gender identity can be a very emotional issue, especially in the context of children,” Smith stated.

CONTINUED “As we move forward developing and implementing these policies into law, I hope we can depoliticize the issue as much as possible and focus on the well being of the children involved.”

Of course politics couldn’t stay out of this.

Rachel Notley quickly weighed in. Justin Trudeau weighed in. Political scientists, doctors, to the left and right, unions, teachers… just about any media pundit, including myself, weighed in all with opinions.

Trudeau was horrified but even he couldn’t outdo his Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault who claimed, “This is our NATO moment as an LGBTQ community.

An attack on one of our communities is an attack on us all and I need allies and champions to stand up. We already have the Social Workers Association of Alberta, the Alberta Teachers Association, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association... they will start a court challenge.”

I always thought NATO was mostly concerned with protection of life and liberty in Europe as Russian bombs away at Ukraine and other countries struggle to keep warm without Russian natural gas. Yet, lo and behold, some transgender policy in small Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is Randy Boissonnault’s NATO moment?

I did check into NATO’s gender commitment and it

appears to indicate that “gender equality must be considered as an integral part of NATO policies, programmes, and projects which are guided by effective mainstreaming practices. Examples include conducting gender analysis to ensure operations and missions take account of the different perspectives of women and men; considering how to design defence capabilities that work for all those who serve – women and men alike; and two others which specify women as the gender.

Well Boissonnault’s credibility just dropped off the charts!.

Really, how and why do people in Edmonton elect these bozos?

So a fact or two.

The transgender community in Canada, 15-andolder, is about 60,000 and another 40,000 are nonbinary. This is out of a total population of 38.3 million or 0.26 per cent!

In Alberta, of those aged 15-and-older, 99.63 per cent are cisgender meaning they identify the same as their sex at birth. The remaining 7,305 are transgender Albertans with 3,420 transgender men and 3,880 transgender women as of April 27, 2022.

Is Smith really doing anything more than providing protections for children and asking that parents be informed and exercise their responsibilities?

After all, we have age limits on voting and there’s no major push to change

those. Why?, because society has determined voters need to be at least 18 to make an informed decision.

We have standards on the books that are available in our public libraries.

The best sellers of the 1950s are now possibly banned because society objects to them.

We have age limits on when you can purchase and use tobacco. You must be 18 and it took time to get to these rules. Why? Because it was popular to smoke many years ago and it took legislation to determine 18 was the age where you could safely make the choice on your own whether to smoke or not.

While Alberta has no such rules on vaping purchases and use, some provinces also regulate it to age at 18.

Why?, because then society has deemed the user to be responsible!

So why shouldn’t we regulate the age that a person can alter their gender.

I concede, some youth may go through questioning changes regarding their sexuality as they mature through their youth and early teens, but are they informed enough and mature enough to make life altering changes regarding their sexual identity on their own?

Since last Wednesday I’ve been asking people during my travels what they think of Smith’s policy.

To date, while not all completely agree with her, I haven’t heard any vehemently disagreeing.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

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The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 5

FROM WHERE I SIT: One Person at a Time

BY HAZEL ANAKA On Saturday we went to Edmonton to return Gertie to Ash; Hilary’s still in Mexico helping her long-time buddy celebrate his 40th birthday.

Because Roy has a swollen wrist/arm, I had to drive. Because Gertie sometimes suffers anxiety when in the car, her car seat was in the copilot position. When she started hyper-ventilating, I pulled over on Highway 16 and put her in Roy’s lap. But, when I hit play on my audio book, she seemed to really calm down. Must be the power of a good story well told.

After a couple errands, we needed a bite of lunch so I suggested the Kingsway Mall food court. Between the closing of Sears and the appearance of Covid, I can practically count the number of times I’ve been to the mall. It took a minute to figure out why the mall was so busy.

There was a stage set up

along with rows of chairs for an audience. Many, many people were standing. There was a fullblown celebration of the Lunar New Year in progress. We caught snippets of a man doing an interpretative dance with a sabre and a female vocalist singing a contemporary song in English. There were tiny knots of beautiful young Asian girls in ornate costumes awaiting their turn on stage.

The food court was a nightmare with nary a vacant table in sight. For a minute I was on a stool facing strangers an arm’s length away. It’s unnerving to be so close to people you don’t know--unless your face is buried in your phone and you don’t know they exist. Naturally, I had to speak to the couple. I made them promise they’d tell me if I had broccoli in my teeth which would have been a miracle since I was eating Greek. Before long Roy called to say he scored a table so I said my goodbyes and relocated.

Most of the tables were filled with Asian families. And because I love talking to people

and learning something in the process, I asked the young woman at the next table if all Asians celebrate the Lunar New Year or just the Chinese.

And she was off---giving me an animated and only slightly abridged tutorial on the subject.

She rattled off all the Asian countries that celebrate. I asked about the Philippines. She said yes.

She also said, more than once, that Japan is the one hold out. They do their own thing on another day. The actual date of the celebration changes from year to year based on the lunar cycle. This year, the year of the dragon, some of those Asian countries will celebrate on the 10th; the others on the 11th.

Because Asians don’t celebrate Christmas or New Years, this is their one big annual celebration with some countries celebrating for as long as a week. Those bright red envelopes you’ve probably seen typically hold a cash gift for the recipient along with best wishes for a prosperous and healthy year. Little kids get envelopes, the elders get envelopes. So, you don’t get one? I ask. Oh,

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we’ll probably get $10, she said. I thought, that’s a far cry from what most of us spend at Christmas alone.

What struck me about the whole mall scene was how we are all alike.

Watching parents hover near their little dancers as they waited to perform is no different than every parent I’ve seen at similar events. Whether at Ukrainian dance concerts or festivals, figure skating performances or piano recitals, Christmas concerts or while entertaining at a seniors’ lodge, parents want their little darling to look great, remember their

steps or lines, and to shine. Grandparents and extended family will swell with pride as they show up to cheer the performers on.

As with my friend at the next table, the adults sit together and the little pipsqueaks cluster at an adjacent table---independent but still close by.

Parents try to get the food order straight and tend to any bathroom trips or kerfuffles.

Just like us they are smart or not, kind or rude, friendly or sullen, successful or just getting by. They have all the same worries we do plus a couple more not of

their own making. They have experienced an uptick in violence and hate crimes. Ethnic movers and shakers have spoken openly of the need for more security in China town and the inner city.

My biggest hope is that we begin to see each other in our own image and to walk a mile in that person’s shoes. That is empathy writ large. That is celebrating the joys, grieving the losses, and making the effort to educate ourselves so we can understand. It’s incredibly hard to hate someone we know and understand warts. And, it starts with us, one person at a time, from where I sit.

From the files of The Lamont Leader

The Hewko home, formerly located between Mundare and Hilliard, was moved to the Ukrainian Heritage Village. Here, spotted on 182 by the Leader photographer.

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6 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Summer Student Labourer Positions

16 WEEK POSITION STARTING ON MAY 1, 2024

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Visit https//www.lamont.ca/townhall/career-opportunities for more information

Official Notice of Annual Meeting ________________________ Tuesday, February 20, 2024 7:30 pm Lamont Curling Rink Upstairs ________________________________ • Hear and discuss report of 2023 operations • Distribution of dividend cheques to members • Reading of Financial Statement • Election of Two Directors • Coffee & Doughnuts

VILLAGE OF CHIPMAN

Lamont County got a good dump of snow on Sunday night to early Monday morning, so work crews (above in Lamont) were piling the white stuff in berms for removal by crews through the area.

Public Works Employment Opportunity PUBLIC WORKS FOREMAN

PWHL Ottawa suffers OT loss against New York

BY JOHN MATHER A quick turnaround after the All Star break in Toronto saw Bruderheim’s Emerance Maschmeyer and her Ottawa teammates host New York, Feb. 4 in Professional Women’s Hockey League action.

By the time the game had ended, Ottawa was on the short end of a 4-3 score with New York picking up the win in

overtime.

Ottawa opened the scoring in the first period when Aneta Tejralova scored her first of the season.

After a scoreless second frame, Ottawa added two more to take a 3-0 lead midway through the third Fram.

But New York roared back with three unanswered goals to force overtime.

Alex Carpenter scored the game winner at 2:12 of overtime.

Maschmeyer faced 31 shots making 27 saves in the loss while Ottawa fired 42 shots at New York goalie Corinne Schroeder.

Ottawa will now have a break before playing their next game against Minnesota Feb. 17.

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The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 7

Manager, dietary supervisor gone at Beaverhill Lodge

BY JANA SEMENIUK The manager of Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge in Lamont, in addition to the dietary supervisor, are no longer employed at the lodge as confirmed

by Chief Administrative Officer Shahad Bharmal by email on Feb. 6.

Bharmal would not provide details into the reasons why.

“I would not share any internal and private information with a third party unless legally required,” he said. “The manager from Mundare, Amber Gregg and Lamont staff are fully capable to provide support for now.”

Beaverhill Lodge came under fire last month after it was revealed that

senior Sue Robinson was evicted just before Christmas after posting a negative review of the lodge on social media.

Bharmal responded that Robinson was evicted for posting lies about the lodge, although Robinson disputes this.

It was further revealed that several complaints over the past year have

been logged by Standards and Licensing Alberta as shown on their website. All, including broken emergency pull cords and non- compliance for menu infractions, are listed as having been rectified with the exception of the most recent complaint from Jan. 4. where two noncompliances were issued

around the handling of resident complaints by the lodge. Those two are still listed as outstanding.

Meanwhile, Bharmal did not share when the new manager position would be advertised or when the position is expected to be filled.

CAO Shahad Bharmal

Premier Smith’s new parental rights policy both applauded and criticized

BY JANA SEMENIUK A new Parental Rights Policy announced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith brought out both support and criticism after she made the announcement by online video Jan. 31.

Smith’s policy outlined a parent’s right to know if their child is transitioning their gender at school by stating that minors 15 years old and under will require parental notification and consent for a school to alter their name and pronouns, while children 16 and 17 who choose to do so won’t need consent but parent’s must be notified.

In terms of gender affirming health care, Smith said hormone therapy and puberty blockers for children ages 15 and under won’t be permitted, as well as top and bottom gender reassignment surgery for children under the age of 17 also won’t be permitted. She said the gender affirming treatments can have irreversible affects that a child would have to live with for the rest of their lives.

“Making permanent and irreversible decisions regarding one’s biological sex while still a youth can severely limit that child’s choices in the future,” she said during her announcement. In addition, during a press conference Feb. 1, she said health implications for gender transition treatments include infertility, sexual dysfunction and a higher risk of osteoporosis.

“When we start down this pathway, we want to

make sure that kids know the consequences that it’s going to have on their life and that they’re mature enough to be able to make those decisions and live with the consequences,” she said.

“They’re adult decisions so we want to make sure that (they) are made as adults.”

Smith said she was moved by experiences of those who regretted their surgeries such as indigenous Albertan Lois Cardinal, who was denied a request for MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) after regretting gender surgery that caused major complications.

Additionally, Smith announced policy portions that will not permit biological males, who have transitioned to female, to compete in sports with women and girls as they have a ‘massive competitive advantage’. She said the government is working with sporting organizations to expand co-ed options for transgender individuals.

Smith also focused on how to support transgender children by creating a pilot project that she said will provide appropriate counselling services to support parents and youth identifying as transgender.

She also said that to support transgender adults, the province is working to attract one or more medical professionals who specialize in transgender surgery to ensure those individuals have access to an expert in Alberta. She said they currently have to go to Quebec.

An Angus Reid poll from this past Aug. showed 78 percent of Albertans supported the idea a parent must be informed if their child wants to identify differently, while 14 percent said parents should never be informed and the decision should be left up to the child.

Despite these statistics, organizations, including the Alberta Teachers’ Association, have spoken up against the new policy.

Alberta Teachers Association President Jason Schilling issued a statement on their website heavily criticizing the move as ‘impacting the safety of some of our most vulnerable students’.

“We are concerned about the chilling effect placed on classrooms and schools, impacting our ability to provide safe, caring and inclusive spaces for all students,” he stated. “We are concerned about how students may feel forced to suppress their identities and to be afraid of reaching out to teachers as an avenue for support.”

Schilling was also critical of the ‘opt-in’ model for teaching sexual education and said in reports that replacing the current ‘opt-out’ model with this one would place an extra burden on teachers and schools.

Elk Island Public School division communications director Laura McNabb said the division will be issuing a statement in response to Smith’s newly announced policies, but one was not received

before press time.

Meanwhile, Alberta Parents’ Union Executive Director Jeff Park said he was pleased with the policy and parent members of his organization have been asking for the policy for the past two years. He said more organizations should take parent concerns seriously.

“This policy reflects very closely the range of issues regarding gender identity education that we have been hearing from our members for

the past two years,” he said.

“The Alberta Teachers' Association and their allies, especially those who claim to represent parents, should take parent concerns about gender identity education seriously. Those concerns were reaching a breaking point - to the utter disinterest of many so-called representatives of parents."

While the policy was announced last week, Premier Smith said implementation is not

expected to take place until the fall.

Premier Danielle Smith speaking at an event in Camrose Jan. 27.

Photo: Jana Semeniuk

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Health Care Workers Ad deadline: February 12 @ noon

in The Lamont Leaders TRIBUTE TO

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THANK THEM for their hard work in our February 14, 2024 sa l u te .

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8 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Rising rural crime concerning to Lamont County councillors

BY JOHN MATHER At the regular Jan. 30 Lamont Council meeting during committee of the whole, Reeve David Diduck raised his concerns about rural crime on the rise in the county.

“There’s a vast amount of crime going on in the areas south of Chipman,” Diduck said.

“I’ve had ratepayers phone me about the amount of crime in the area and the perceived lack of response, and the people responsible for the property crime being dealt with very lightly or not at all in most cases.

“Quite honestly the people in the area are getting very concerned for their personal safety and they’re very concerned that when they’ve worked hard all their lives for what they have, someone can just move into the area and then just steal from them or destroy their property.”

He said the latest reports he had received included cutting barbed wire fences and allowing livestock to roam free.

He added some of the alleged perpetrators of these acts were living in the area and were well known to the RCMP and also known somewhat to the justice system.

Diduck said the people were armed, some with machetes and they tended to get braver every time they ventured out.

He pointed to damage to the Esso location in Lamont which had a truck rammed into it recently and thefts from local liquor stores as problems in the area.

He added the criminals were wise to the fact that there were no RCMP detachments in the county and response times from one of the three detachments covering the county could be a half an hour or more.

“Residents are literally getting frustrated that nothing is happening to these people,” he declared. He admitted the problem wasn’t iso-

lated to just Lamont County but was an ongoing issue across the province.

“The residents know about it, the municipal politicians know about it, the provincial politicians know about it, but nothing seems to be done about it.”

“There’s property crime and personal crime and the lack of prosecutors is forcing a concentration on personal crime and not doing anything about property crime.”

Diduck said he wondered what the County could do to help the citizens out knowing they had one rural crime watch in the area (Willingdon-St. Michael) but it was limited.

“The justice system isn’t dealing with these issues and it's frustrating for the residents, the RCMP and our municipality.”

He said the County in the past year had paid the best part of $200,000 for police services but felt they weren’t getting anything back for it and the costs had been on the rise.

“It’s a big issue and our residents are very concerned and upset,” he said.

Division two councillor Aaron Wick said he has walked into people’s houses to chat with them and he can see firearms resting “right near the door.”

“Some of these people have been broken into four or five times,” he said. “People know where these perpetrators live but if innocent people start making rash decisions then we have a bigger problem.”

“We never hear of the judges or lawyers getting broken into,” he said.

“It’s very hard for these residents who are struggling to make a living.”

Lamont County Peace Officer Derek Wright told council he understood their frustration and that of the residents,

but stated taking matters into their own hands was not a good course of action.

“We do have to rely on our RCMP to do their jobs,” he said.

He admitted most of the people committing the crime were habitual offenders who had been caught multiple times.

He added rural crime watches were only as good as the people manning it. And he applauded those who have set up networking systems to report suspicious activity.

He added if people see suspicious vehicles on neighbour’s properties or travelling up and down rural roads phone it in to the RCMP. “My best advice is to contact the RCMP,” he reiterated.

When Diduck asked why they can’t find the people who are buying the property being stolen from farms, Wright replied probably because most people don’t know the serial number of their chainsaw or pump.

“You lose these smaller tools but have you written down or recorded their serial numbers,” he asked. “Without those the police can’t really do much.”

He said you have to know the brands and serial numbers so when it gets stolen the police can then list it nationwide.

“You have to have a running list of all your property and proper identification and let police know as soon as it is stolen.”

Diduck wondered if he could get a motion to write a letter to the Premier, Justice Minister and local MLA to inform them of his concern.

Division four Councillor Roy Anaka moved the Reeve write a letter to the Premier, Justice Minister, MLA and MP Shannon Stubbs stating the County’s concerns about rural crime in the area.

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The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 9

Farm Safety program a great refresher for local farmers

BY JOHN MATHER Though only a small group turned out to take part in the Farm Safety program put on by the Lamont Agricultural Services and AgSafe Alberta at Bruderheim’s Fire Hall Jan. 29, the participants did have some specific concerns.

Maria Champagne, from AgSafe Alberta presented the program. She began by asking participants what they hoped to achieve through the program.

The first couple were mixed farmers from northeast of Bruderheim.

“We run about 35 commercial and 70 purebred cattle,” said Larry. “We farm with our son and daughter-in-law and three granddaughters all under the age of five.”

He said farm safety was especially important with the grandchildren around the farm. He and his wife wanted to absorb the information presented and then share it with the family.

Another farmer from northeast of Bruderheim said he wanted to learn a few new things about farm safety so he could better watch out for his grandkids around the farmstead.

A couple from Andrew said they wanted to learn about farm safety, especially with their grandchildren around, but also wanted to learn what they could do to make their farm more secure.

“I want to see what we can do around the farm to make it more secure against theft,” said Connie.

Another couple brought their young son with them. They operate a horse and hay operation between Mundare and Tofield.

“I wanted a refresher on farm safety,” said Cam. Champagne explained who AgSafe Alberta was and then touched on the many areas of safety on the farm.

“We have to see things through the eyes of youth,” said Champagne. “We look at

RCMP should be the first call if that situation occurred.

She said they had developed the Farmers Care for safety on the farm.

It identifies risk zones on the farm, suggests routines that may be hazardous, and shows what can result.

The brochure dealt with falls from heights, roll overs, motor vehicles, energy isolation, remote work and working alone, secure loads, chemical exposure, animal handling, restricted and confined space issues, and electrocution.

Champagne spent time discussing each of these topics.

The Emergency Services personnel also commented on what procedures to follow if an emergency exists on the farmstead and they are called. Someone should be there to open any locked gates and indicate where power boxes might be needed in the event electricity must be shut down, or in some cases not shut down.

They also said that

the farm as a work enterprise, but kids see it as an oversized jungle gym so we do have to watch out for them.”

She explained AgSafe Alberta’s vision was to create safer farms and ranches across Alberta.

Participants were given goodie bags at the start of the presentation featuring a variety of stickers for their equipment along with brochures on life saving opportunities and health and safety on farms and ranches.

AgSafe Alberta, she added, offers a variety of programs through webinars, online courses, newsletter and through a multitude of resources links available via their website www.AgSafeAB. ca.

A concern about fencing being cut and livestock being let loose, from a participant wondered whether the AgSafe hotline should be called.

Champagne said that wouldn’t be the case but a member from Lamont Emergency Services in attendance said the

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who did attend came away with a much better understanding of the safety issues on the farm than when they went in.

Lamont Ag. Services will present an additional seminar tonight (Feb.7) at Lamont Arena Meeting Room on “It’s Dry - Now What?”

Beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Maria Champagne, from AgSafe Alberta, gestures as she uses a powerpoint presentation to assist her during her 90-minute Safety on the Farm presentation at Bruderheim Fire Jan. 29.

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10 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Pickleball program popular in Bruderheim

BY JOHN MATHER It started back at the beginning of the year and has grown every week.

Bruderheim residents are really getting into pickleball.

Established by the Town, councillor Arlie Young said on the first night they had 16 people show up.

“The second night we only had four, but I expect that was because it was about 40 below outside,” said Young.

He added there were about 11 people for week three. And then last week they had about 30 people show up Thursday night at Bruderheim School where the games are played.

The program is the brainchild of the Town’s recreation department and various councillors from the Town volunteer to oversee the program every Thursday evening.

Young has been in charge since its inception, coming out early to set up the nets and greet players as they show up.

Next week, he said

Mayor Karl Hauch will take over those duties.

“I wanted to do it because I’ve never played pickleball in this format,” said Young.

“Back home we call it floor hockey, so this is something totally different.”

He said people approached the Town and then Lamont County FCSS was approached.

Through an agreement with Elk Island Public Schools on the shared use of the school during off hours, it was decided to give the fast growing sport a try.

He said after a full month the success of the program will be evaluated, “but I think it will keep going based on the numbers I’ve seen.”

Young said they do need to advertise the program in order to keep the numbers coming out.

“People want to play but they’re so busy they get caught up with other things and forget. But if they know it’s going on they’ll make a point of coming out. They just need to be reminded.”

He said people are

flocking to play at the school and the numbers are growing.

There is no cost to play.

Young said last week a couple came out from Lamont and “they were good.”

He added that pair said they played in Ardrossan, but came to Bruderheim because it was closer.

Young said every skill level and age group is represented on Thursday evenings.

Young spent much of his time giving some basic instruction on how to play the game to the people that came out.

He said the players generally divided themselves up into groups and then try to play to each other's skill level.

If there is a large group they’ll play in teams of two or four per side. If the group is smaller, they may just play singles or doubles,” he added.

Young said the Town would probably put out a survey at the conclusion of the pilot program to determine if the program will be kept.

Bruderheim councillor Arlie Young returns a ball to a couple of beginners during Thursday evening pickleball at the Bruderheim School. The new recreational program for all ages has been running at the school weekly since the new year. Fair sized crowds have been coming out to play and Young said the program will be evaluated in coming months to see if it will be continued.

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SHAKE OFF WINTER TRAIN EXCURSION Sunday, March 17

U13 Wild have two win weekend KERRY ANDERSON These are some of the results from Minor Hockey League games held recently. (Please note that scores and scoring is taken from the websites, and some game scores and scoring is dependent on proper league entries).

Elk Island U11 Wild (79-3) dropped a 9-6 game against Tofield on Sunday at Bruderheim.

Wyatt Klita had two goals and an assist to lead Wild. Magnolia Moonen also scored, as did Zenon Cossey (1g 1a), Ebenezer Dlugosz (1g), and Sawyer Wytrykush (1g), while Quinn Dickinson and Hunter Kobylka got assists.

Elk Island U13 Wild (7-

18-1) won two games over the weekend. On Friday at Lamont, Wild won a 6-4 game against Boyle. Boyle scored late to tie the game at 4-4 but Wild’s Madden Cossey got the winner with only 2:01 remaining. Sawyer Hanson got an assurance goal with 1:39 remaining.

The winner was Madden’s fourth of the game. Sawyer had four points (2g 2a). Other scorers were; Denton Holowach (2a), Jonas Wytrykush (1a), Ethan Mehlenbacher (1a), and Bryson Lewis (1a).

Addison Almeida got the win in goal. On Sunday at Bruderheim, Wild beat Cold Lake 13-3. Madden Cossey had five goals in a 6-point game. Other scorers were; Jonas

Wytrykush (2g 2a), Denton Holowach (1g 3a), Sawyer Hanson (2g 1a), Emmett Moonen (1g 2a), Jace Zanatta (3a), Ethan Mehlenbacher (1g 1a), Bryson Lewis (1g 1a), and Tyson Jonker (2a). Zachary Vandelannoite made 42 saves for the win.

Ryan Carstairs picked up an assist in his Fort Sask. U15 AA Rangers 41 loss to Blues on Sunday.

Emerance Maschmeyer allowed four goals on 31 shots as her PWHL Ottawa squad lost a 4-3 game to New York on Sunday. On Saturday, Montreal beat Ottawa 2-1 with Emerance stopping 22 of 24 shots. Ottawa is 2-1-4 on the season.

Hop on the train to enjoy Curtain Call Theatre’s Sunday Matinee of "The Play that Goes Wrong" in Forestburg by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields & Jonathan Sayer.

Sunday March 17 @ 2pm. Play directed by Rob Nichols.

Tickets $75 includes round trip train ride, bag lunch (on train) and matinee ticket with coffee/tea and one dessert (with option to purchase more).

Train Schedule: Depart Kelsey at 12 noon.

Arrive in Forestburg by 1:30 pm. Play starts at 2 pm Return (allow 2 hours for play etc.): Depart Forestburg 4:30 pm. Arrive Rosalind at 5:30 pm, Depart at 5:45 pm. Arrive back in Kelsey 6:15 pm

For more information about private charters, renting the station, or any of our train excursions, visit:

www.battlerivertrain.com Email friendsbattleriverrail@gmail.com 780-781-9260 www.facebook.com/battleriverrail

The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 11

BOBCAT SERVICES

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12 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

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ADVERTISE TODAY. CALL 780.895.2780 OR EMAIL lmtleader@gmail.com

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The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 13

The

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COMING EVENTS COMING EVENTS Caregiver’s Drop-In Group Viking Seniors Centre (5024 53 Ave Viking) Fall Dates: Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27 10 a.m. to Noon Free of Charge!

•If you are, were, or will soon be a caregiver for a loved one, please join us for a morning of information, discussion, support, and activities •Care recipients welcome to attend with their caregiver •For more information, please contact VBFCSS at 780-336-4024 Brought to you in partnership by Viking/Beaver FCSS, Government of Canada, and The Town of Viking

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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Viking United Church Tuesday, February 13 from 5-7 p.m.

Cost - $ donation Everyone Welcome ____________________________ Valentines Day Tea Wednesday, February 14 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Tofield Golden Club, 5004 - 54 Ave $5 at the oor, Everyone is Welcome. ____________________________ Shrove Tuesday, Join us for Pancake and Sausage Supper, February 13 5 pm - 7 pm.

Tofield United Church Lower Hall, 4832-53 Ave, Tofield, AB. Come as you are, by donation cash or e-transfer. ____________________________

Townhouse for Rent in Viking 3 bedroom 1.5 bath. Call for more info 780-385-5287 ____________________________ For Rent in Viking: 3 bedroom house; 2 bathrooms; washer/dryer.

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Flooring, Trim work, basement finishing, decks, fences, kitchen cabinet installs and carpentry work.

Call 780-232-3097 ____________________________ Come see our beautiful, well maintained country Cemetery located at 21338 Twp. Rd 550 in Josephburg.

We offer burial and cremation plots as well as columbarium niches for sale. Please contact the Josephburg Community Church @ 780-9989331 for more information. ____________________________ CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer employment/licensing loss?

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CARDOF OF THANKS CARD THANKS The Family of Sonja Skori would like to thank everyone for thinking of us during the time that led to her passing on January 13, 2024. Your expressions of support and condolences made through calls and texts, flowers, cards, visits, and food that was delivered both to us at the Hospital and to our Homes meant a great deal to us.

We would also like to thank the Hospital Staff at Red Deer and Wainwright for the exceptional care that was provided for Mum. Everyone was so kind and supportive throughout her hospitalization.

Thank you, too, to Creech's Funeral Home for the kindness, compassion, and professional service that was given while planning Mum's Celebration of her Life.

‘Sincerely, Beret, Shawna, Darla, Krista, and their Families. _______________________ I would like to thank my family and friends for all they did to make my 88th Birthday so special.

Godbless, Claire.

FOR RENT RENT FOR For Rent in Viking: Four bedroom home. $1100/month. Detached garage also available. Ph/Text: (403) 461-4350

FOR SALE SALE FOR Swath Grazing, Green Feed, Silage, Oats & Barley variety seed available.

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MEMORIAL MEMORIAL In Loving Memory of LOUIS SUTTER who passed away on February 10, 2005 The rolling stream of life rolls on, But still the vacant chair, Recalls you, the voice, the smile, Of the one who once sat there.

In Quietness, In Confidence, and In Our Faith, We Remember You, Louie, Dad, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa ~The Family

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WEEKLY REVIEW 780-336-3422 vikingreview@gmail.com TOFIELD MERCURY 780-662-4046 adsmercury@gmail.com LAMONT LEADER 780-895-2780 lmtleader@gmail.com WANTED WANTED

SERVICES SERVICES RJM Electrical. Ron Malowany, Mundare. ronmalowany@yahoo.com. 780888-1130 ____________________________ Painting Quality Residential and Commercial Interior Painting Betty Tkaczyk 780-632-8749 ____________________________ Carpet and Upholstery cleaning residential and commercial.

Truck mount unit, sewer backup, and flood cleaning. Auto and RV Cleaning. Call John and Sheri at Fancy Shine Auto and Carpet Care at 780-384-3087

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14 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Village of Andrew hires bylaw officer after two years without

Wildfire smoke caused soaring air quality measures in 2023

New responsible pet owners bylaw also created

BY JANA SEMENIUK The Village of Andrew will finally have a bylaw officer again with services being contracted from the Town of Vegreville.

Andrew has not had bylaw enforcement since the pandemic interrupted services over two years ago.

Contract negotiations were initiated during the Nov. 15 village council meeting after a presentation by Vegreville manager of protective services Mitch Newton, however Andrew interim Chief Administrative Officer Ken Glover said a bylaw had to first be drafted and passed allowing their bylaw officer, Gurpreet Dhanju, to work in the village.

“Until we pass the Bylaw Enforcement Officer bylaw, they have no jurisdiction here or at least unable to act on our behalf,” said Glover. He said he was hoping for the bylaw to pass with all three readings in the Jan. 31 council meeting, however councillors John Van Vyfeyken, Merwin Haight and Deputy Mayor Tammy Pickett were absent which left them without quorum, and unable to pass any motions or bylaws. Only Mayor Barry Goertz and councillor Chris Lupul were present.

The meeting then turned into a public information session.

Glover added that a special meeting may need to be called before the next scheduled council meeting Feb. 14. “We would like to pass that enforcement officer bylaw, in all three readings.”

Meanwhile, Andrew resident Christine Johnson appeared as a delegate along with her two large Mastiff dogs; Jack, a fully trained service dog, and Nova, a service dog in training.

Johnson said she has concerns with stray dogs wandering around the village and said one attacked Nova last

March causing $5,000 in vet bills and a huge setback in her training. She wants to see an animal bylaw that will address issues such as dangerous dogs in addition to allowing for the use of ECollars (electronic leash) for dogs.

“Nova is a 90-pound dog. So you can imagine the force that that other dog had to use in order to break her orbital bone, fracture of her skull and fracture her nasal bone,” said Johnson.

“An ongoing thing I've been hearing from people as I'm walking dogs, (is they are) afraid (of) my dogs, because Jack is unleashed, and I don't always put a vest on him. He doesn’t need to be leashed.”

Johnson said she was considering doing a public demonstration of how e-collars (electronic leash) work to ease the minds of residents when they see her walking her large dogs.

Interim CAO Glover assured Johnson the new animal bylaw, the ‘Responsible Pet Owners Bylaw’ will encompass several aspects including the use of collars.

“I don't have the details to share with you at this point. We will, after first reading get it out to the public. But I can assure you that there will be elements in there in this new one, relevant to collars relevant to guide dogs or service dogs. But the intent is not to be restricted, the intent is to be flexible,” he said, adding that the new animal bylaw will be discussed at the next council meeting provided there are enough council members, at least three, present to achieve quorum.

“We need a discussion.

Council does not want to push that through without some understanding.

And then maybe there's some modifications, but you will have that opportunity to review,” he said.

Andrew resident Christine Johnson, along with her service dog Jack and service dog in training Nova, spoke at the Jan. 31 council meeting around her concerns about stray dangerous dogs roaming in the village and a new animal control bylaw. Photo: Jana Semeniuk

BY JOHN MATHER Smoke from wildfire caused the Fort Air Partnership’s Air Quality Health Index to set recent highs in 2023.

The smoke from wildfires caused the 2023 AQHI to exceed the high and very high AQHI hours in 2022 by 16 times and those of 2021 by six times.

The poor air quality prompted the release of Special Air Quality Statements for much of Alberta, including the FAP Airshed, on August 25 and September 18.

In 2023, there were 1,517 hours of high-risk and 614 hours of very high-risk AQHI ratings.

These hours were spread relatively evenly across

FAP’s continuous monitoring stations, illustrating the regional effect of wildfire smoke across the Airshed from May to September.

By comparison, in 2022, there were only 119 hours of high-risk and 14 hours of very high-risk AQHI ratings.

In 2023, there were 2,125 occurrences across FAP’s 10 monitoring stations where air quality measurements exceeded Alberta’s Ambient Air Quality Objectives.

This is compared to 194 exceedances in 2022.

Ninety-six per cent of the exceedances that occurred in 2023 were due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke.

Andrew village prepares to take over former school building

BY JANA SEMENIUK Village of Andrew Interim Chief Administrative Officer Ken Glover said Elk Island Public Schools have notified the Village that a letter of approval (for the one-dollar sale of the building to the Village) from the minister is expected very soon.

He shared the news during the Jan. 31 council meeting.

“It’s finally happening,” said Glover. “We have approved a further extension of the reciprocal agreement to midFebruary, and they have asked us to commence transition and transfer of utilities, security, etc.

We're going to commence all the logistics of transitioning this entire building to the Village. A notification (was received Jan. 31) from

(EIPS) that they expect a letter of approval from the minister next week.”

The Village unanimously voted in favour of purchasing the school during a special council meeting on Nov. 15 where members of the newly formed Andrew Rural Academy Charter School Society applauded the move.

The society formed hoping to create a charter

school option for local families after Elk Island Public Schools closed the k-6 Andrew School due to declining enrollment in June.

The former Andrew School houses not only the school itself, but also the Village Offices, a bowling alley, public library, and weight room.

21033AA6

The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - 15

Community Services: Serving Lamont County, Lamont, Bruderheim, Mundare, Andrew & Chipman

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View a larger menu at lamontcounty.ca/ community-programming.

Access current monthly services & programs information scan the QR code or for FCSS, CALC and KFRN on each of the services’ Facebook pages: |FCSSlamontcountyregion|KFRN: groups/1922602184662497 | CALC: LamontCountyAdultLearns|

For more information, scan the QR code or visit lamontcounty.ca/communityprogramming. | Contact CALC/FCSS/KFRN: 1-877-895-2233 | 5303-50 Ave. Lamont, AB T0B 2R0 | .

(VISIT: lamontcounty.ca/community-programming or call 780-895-2233 for info. or registration). Some of the current CALC, FCSS & KFRN include: 1. Parents and Tots (Andrew: Thurs. & Lamont: Wed.).

2. CALC: Canadian Firearms Safety Course (Bruderheim Mar. 9) – contact Dan at 825439-5208 to register.

3. CALC: Digital Skills Workshops (Andrew and Mundare); Creating Family Connections; Kitchens; and English-Language Learner programs, contact Cheryl B. at 780-895-233 x233 or Cheryl.B@lamontcounty.ca for more information.

4. FLEX for Boys and True2U for Girls (weekly).

5. Youth Centre: Bruderheim & Chipman (weekly).

6. Connecting Generations: Feb. 13 (Valentine’s) signup.com/go/MuRXuZO. 7. Family Fun (Activity) Night in Mundare (Feb. 22, 7 p.m.).

8. Grief Support Group (weekly).

9. Grace in Progress (Lamont, Feb. 28) signup.com/go/OHogmMS. 10. Let’s Get…Creative (Feb. 8, Lamont): Programs for ages 7-11 & 12-18 signup.com/go/FVkhjJc. 11. Cooking With Your Littles (Andrew Feb. 7 & Bruderheim Feb. 12) signup.com/go/BQbzRUj. 12. Fitness Fun for Older Adults (Mundare, 8 wk. program) contact michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca or 780-895-2233 x223 for info.

13. February Crafternoon (55+ - $10, in Bruderheim on Feb. 21) for info and to register, contact michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca or 780-895-2233 x223.

14. Talent Show: April 5 (Chipman) for more info and to register. contact Dayna.J@lamontcounty.ca 15. Meals in Motion: February Menu. Call Chrissy to order at 780-975-9592.

16. Snow Angels (volunteers needed): Contact FCSS at 780-895-2233 x226 or darlene.o@lamontcounty.ca.

Community Events – Family Day See the Town of Mundare, Village of Andrew and other surrounding communities Family Day activities*: Mundare – (Mundare.ca); Andrew – (Andrewab.com); Lamont – (Lamont.ca); Chipman – (Chipmanab.ca); Bruderheim – (Bruderheim.ca). *If events are planned/added.

Registration Renewal Reminder If your last name or company begins with the letters Q and M; remember to get your registration renewed before the end of February! alberta.ca/vehicle-registration-expiry-date-chart.aspx This message is brought to you by the Elk Island Traffic Safety Partners.

Please Note – inFocus is also available for viewing online at: www.lamontcounty.ca/communications (for those wanting to view the weeklyy submission as full-sized PDF and to access hyperlinks). yp )

16 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Community Programming

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Next Agricultural Service Board (ASB) Meeting

The next ASB meeting is scheduled for February 14, at 9:00 a.m. The public is welcome to attend at the Lamont County Administration Building or virtually through Microsoft Teams (link): lamontcounty.ca/departments/agricultural-services/agendas-minutes-asb. To present or speak at a meeting, please contact Agricultural Services.

#Lamont County Cares Learn more about this initiative at lamontcounty.ca/lamontcountycares. Fridge magnets have been sent to all rural addresses and should arrive in the next few days (if you haven’t received them yet). Extras are available at the Administration Building while supplies last.

Upcoming Agricultural Services Workshops 1. The Original Grazing School for Women – March 2 (Moscow Hall) https://GSFW.eventbrite.com/ or 780-699-8176.

LAMONT COUNTY - PUBLIC NOTIFICATION ADVERTISING BYLAW 870.24 TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Municipal Government Act, S.A., 2000, as amended, the Council of Lamont County proposes to adopt a new Public Notification Advertising Bylaw.

Bylaw 870.24: A bylaw to establish alternate methods of advertising statutory notices. Pursuant to Section 606 of the Municipal Government Act, a Council must give notice of certain bylaws, resolutions, meetings, public hearings, or other things by advertising in a newspaper or other publication circulating in the area, by mailing, or delivering a notice to every residence in the affected area, or by another method provided for in a bylaw under Section 606.1.

Copies of proposed Bylaw 870.24 may be viewed by the public at the Administrative Building, in Lamont during the hours of 8:30 a.m.

Feed Monday Quality, through Testing and Analysis to 4:00 p.m., Friday.

Copies of these documents are also available on our website at – Alternative Feed Supplies https://www.lamontcounty.ca/public-tenders/public-hearings When looking at all alternatives for feed A Publicsupplies, Hearing is held toisprovide opportunity for members of the public to speak to Council on the proposed bylaw commencing feed testing always aan good at 10:00option a.m. Tuesday, 27, 2024, at the Lamont County Administrative Building, 5303-50 Avenue, Lamont, AB, T0B 2R0, and to explore February to ensure animal virtuallyhealth via TEAMS Meeting.

Written submissions are highly encouraged and may be provided to Council during the Public Hearing; and welfare.

A visual assessment may not be accurate enough to assess however, it is requested that a copy of the written submission be delivered to the Administrative Building, attention to the Legislative & may lead to costly Servicesquality Officer, by 4:00 p.m. on alternatives Monday, February 26, 2024, to ensure that each to maintain health. member of Council has a copy of the written submission for the Public Hearing. Roadside Mulching – continues to March Visit Feed Quality, Testing & Analysis for CAUTION: Roadside Mulching. Agricultural Services is Speaking atCattle the Public Hearing: Members of the public who wish to address Beef BeefResearch.ca for details Grain Producer Survey working on roadside mulching to the end of March.

Councilon aretesting encouraged & tools. to register in advance. This helps ensure you will be Signs are posted to enforce temporary road closures heard atThe a specific time. do not register to speak in advance will be University of People Alberta who is asking heard when permits eitherthe during the meeting or at the end of the meeting. while they work. Watch for flying debris and obey signs. graintime producers across Prairies If you enter a closed area, the County will NOT be at Presentation Time: presenter to assist withEach a survey on the will be allotted 10 minutes to speak. fault for any damage to vehicles.

Deadlineadoption to register is 4:00wheat p.m., February 26, 2024. The names of persons of winter and providingultra-early comments will become part of the public record. seeding of spring wheat.

Contact: legislativeservices@lamontcounty.ca or 780-895-2233 ext. 231. more and participate at: 2024.

Dated atLearn Lamont, Alberta, January 30, https://forms.gle.LkN0QwSBMjehAWezx8, or see lamontcounty.ca/agservices for more details about the study.

Assessment Inspections Lamont County’s assessor (Accurate Assessment Group Ltd.) is starting inspections during September in Range 18 and TWP58 in Range 19.

He (Kris) will be driving a white GMC truck with Lamont County branding.

Lamont County is now eligible for 2023 Livestock Drought Recovery Support as updated by the Government of Canada, Government of Alberta and Agricultural Financial Service Corporation.

See more details and deadlines at lamontcounty.ca/news.

Deadline to apply is Feb. 22.

Producers not eligible for this assistance are encouraged by the Government of Alberta to enrol for Moisture Deficiency Insurance (for the upcoming year) by Feb. 29.

Next Lamont County Council Meeting (February 13) Next Council Meetings 12)is welcome to attend at the Lamont County The next Regular Council Meeting is on Tuesday, February 13, starting at 9:00(September a.m. The public Administration or virtually through Microsoft Teams lamontcounty.ca/governance/agendas-minutes.

The next RegularBuilding Council Meeting is on Tuesday, September 12,(link): starting at 9:00 a.m. The public is welcome to attend at the Lamont County Administration Building or virtually through Microsoft Teams (link): lamontcounty.ca/governance/agendas-minutes (accessible via the Lamont County website—or sign up for meeting notifications and to receive the meeting agendas). If you would like to present or speak at a meeting, please contact Legislative Services.