BY JANA SEMENIUK
The newly created Elk Island Minor Hockey Association held their first ever Free Community Hockey Day at the Lamont Arena Dec. 30.
More than 65 children came to try their hand at skating and puck handling while also enjoying free pizza.
EIMHA is an amalgamation this year of both the Lamont Hawks and the Bruderheim Bruins community hockey teams which are now called Elk Island Wild.
Ashley Strumelak, EIMHA grant and sponsorship coordinator, said the free event was a way for children to try out the
game and also a way for the association to give back.
“This year minor hockey received a $15,000 grant from the Edmonton Oilers Community Hockey Foundation so we're trying to give back to the community now and encourage young ones to join minor hockey,” she said.
In addition to the free ice time, Strumelak said the association provided free pizza and pop for guests in addition to the opportunity to take home a piece of the association’s history.
“Because we merged Lamont and Bruderheim, all the old jerseys are up
for grabs for a small donation,” she said. “Gondolas also donated a good portion of the 50 pizzas we have for the kids.”
Meanwhile, Strumelak said the association registered 88 children from pre-kindergarten to 18 years old in hockey teams this year.
“Things are very successful. We've had a good turnout with minor hockey this year,” she said.
Strumelak added that registration for next year’s hockey teams will begin in early summer with an early registration savings of $100.
BY JANA SEMENIUK
Alberta’s former Premier, Ed Stelmach, had a busy day Dec. 19, first visiting the Lamont New Horizons Seniors Drop-In Centre, where he received a check for $1,000 to his charity The Ed Stelmach Community Foundation, followed by a visit to the Sharun family farm where he received another check, on behalf of the Mundare Easter Basket, for over $7,000.
Stelmach said the senior’s donation was a pleasant surprise.
“It’s a very pleasant surprise, and it's a sizable donation. A thousand dollars for a small club, that's reaching deep, and it will go to a good cause,” he said.
Stelmach added that
the donation will help support families who have relocated to Lamont County from their war-ravaged country of Ukraine.
“The issue we're facing, (is) they're not regarded by the federal government as refugees. They're regarded as displaced people or evacuees,” he said.
“If they were regarded and recognized by the federal government, as refugees, then they would have accommodation support (and) health support.”
Stelmach estimated that currently, Lamont County has at least 20 evacuees from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Rudy Warawa, Chair of the Mundare Easter Basket, was emotional as he
spoke of the beginnings of the local organization which was created earlier this year to support those coming to Mundare from Ukraine.
“It’s heritage. Most of our families are from Ukraine. And the stories that we heard from our grandparents (and) our great grandparents, if we were lucky enough to be alive when they were alive, the stories that they told of the hardships they went through to settle in this area, (now) it’s payback,” he said.
Warawa said the eight-member committee have, since its inception in March, collected nearly $90,000 to support evacuees in Mundare.
It is with a heavy heart we share with you that on December 21, 2022 Betty Sheptycki of Lamont passed away aged 69.
Betty is survived by Ken, her husband of 51 years; daughter, Melanie (Paul); son, TJ (Jodi); grandchildren, Ariana, Evan, and Alexa; sisters, Diane (John) Mills and Sheila Boyle; sister-in-law, Diane Howes; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents, Jim and Olive Howes; and brother, Don.
Betty courageously confronted and battled Multiple System Atrophy and did everything in her power to keep the symptoms at bay. Know
that she went peacefully, sound of mind, with a smile on her face surrounded by loved ones and with memories and thoughts of all that had touched her heart.
At Betty’s request, there will not be a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Lamont Food Bank (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ dn/51825?v1=true) will be greatly appreciated.
For a more complete story and to leave a message for the family, please visit: www.parkmemorial.com/obituaries Park Memorial Lamont 780-895-2157
Family Owned Funeral Home Crematorium, Reception Centre
Wow what a couple of weeks between the start of the Christmas season through to New Year’s.
First here in our area we have to endure super freezing temperatures.
Cars had to be idled to get up to running speed, and home furnaces and fireplaces were going full-out to keep us warm.
In fact, it got so bad we were warned by the Alberta Electric System Operator the extreme cold temperatures led to two grid alerts on Dec. 20 and 21. The energy grid was at its maximum and we may have had to face rolling blackouts throughout Alberta if the temperatures hadn’t eased - somewhat easing the pressure on the energy system.
The cold weather that lasted for a week was the result of what former weatherman Bill Matheson would call, “that most dreaded of all meteorological phenomena, the Siberian High.”
For years we listened enthralled as Matheson put his own unique spin on presenting the daily forecast to Edmonton television audiences.
Following our burst of cold weather, all of North America got hit with what weather people now call a “bomb cyclone.”
The term was first coined back in the 1940s and apparently came into more prominence as a weather term in the 1980s.
That’s because mainstream media can’t offer up simple easy terms like “it’s really cold outside.” Now media toss “bomb cyclone” or “weather bomb” or “explosive cyclogenesisiis” to demonstrate to viewers and listeners just how much education our weather prognosticators have.
But because this cold weather occurred during the Christmas holiday period it became mainstream news and people were urged not to travel and to curb their electrical usage.
And of course, people didn’t listen.
In Buffalo, New York massive amounts of snow were dumped into the region resulting in, to date, 39 deaths.
The bulk of the North American continent experiences cold and snowy weather during the winter months. It’s been this way for a long time and even the climate fear mongers have to admit it’s not going away anytime soon.
And so what does our Federal government want to do?
Let’s have everybody forced to buy expensive electric cars that aren’t efficient in cold weather and force them to regularly drive them, even though neither this country nor the U.S. has the power grid ability to sustain them.
Just as our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shows his business acumen stating there’s no business case for our natural gas industry, he certainly knows there’s a business case for electric cars.
Have you ever seen him being chauffeured around in an electric limo?
One-fifth of all passenger cars, SUVs and trucks sold in Canada in 2026 will need to run on electricity under new regulations Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault proposed Dec. 21.
By 2030, the mandate will hit 60 per cent of all sales and by 2035, every passenger vehicle sold in Canada will need to be electric.
Guilbeault's parliamentary secretary Julie Dabrusin said during the announcement that the
new target is “about making sure that Canadians have access to the vehicles they want.”
Ho! Ho! Ho!
Sure it is Julie. We can buy any vehicles we want as long as it falls within Federal Government guidelines.
What rubbish!
Obviously in Ottawa there’s a lack of blockheaters for Liberal brains!
Manufacturers or importers who don’t meet the sales targets could face penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act through a phased-in approach.
Welcome to our government’s form of democracy. Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, said the federal government should be building necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles before regulating sales.
He suggested that Canada’s infrastructure is not on track to support a growing fleet – and those who will be driving the new cars.
“The vehicles are coming, but we need a supercharged effort to help marketing, and actually make that purchase and make it easy, convenient and accessible,” he said.
We have difficulty maintaining our heated homes during cold weather, as proven just before Christmas, and cool during the hot summer months.
Add thousands of highpriced electric vehicles, which have to be charged, to the mix and see how long the grid lasts.
Our government’s uneducated charge to go green and damn the torpedoes, will leave the vast amount of Canadians living outside urban areas seeing red.
Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2023. Hopefully, you had a pleasant if not joyous Christmas. Felt more healthy than unwell. Had more fun than fights with relatives. Inserted a veggie or three into a holiday diet of sweet, salty, and overly rich foods. Didn’t over consume certain beverages. If that is the case, you did okay and came out virtually unscathed from the 2022 Christmas/New Year’s challenge.
But what now? When I was young, I religiously made a list of resolutions. I have no idea where psychologists and behavioural scientists sit on the issue, but this kid knows from experience that they don’t work--long-term. For me. If you’ve had success stopping bad habits or starting new beneficial ones as a result of setting resolutions, yahoo! Congrats.
In this space I’ve often written that every day above ground is a new beginning and a chance to do better. There is nothing magical about one specific day on the calendar. It’s common knowledge that dedicated gym rats look down their fine straight noses at all those shmucks who buy a membership and show up all bright-eyed and enthusiastic at the beginning of January only to be missing in action before the groundhog sees his shadow.
You could just as easily decide that you smoked your last cigarette on April 15th or November 3rd as December 31st. Rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater diet-wise, small more doable changes are more likely to be longlasting. Less sugar, more fibre, more water, fewer starches adjustments done in a non-punitive way are more likely to be sustainable. If the amount you drink or time you spend watching TV trash is concerning, quitting cold turkey may be more than you can handle. None of us need the weight of another resolution bro-
ken added to the knapsack of guilt and failure we carry through life.
Maybe you’ve been worried about your lack of savings or the fact that the current economy is eroding your investments. There is help out there. Depending on the gravity of the situation, the solutions are different. Considering bankruptcy is a far cry from thinking you need to top up your TFSA. Or even learning what TFSA stands for. No-fee debt counsellors exist. Getting help consolidating debt into manageable payments is possible by talking to creditors or getting a pro’s help. Or if you’ve simply strayed a bit, recognizing and admitting that fact is the beginning of change. Maybe it means fewer meals out, buying less extravagant gifts, delaying self-gratification, switching to cash only purchases.
Covid-19 turned many of us into online shoppers. The appeal is great and the convenience is deceptively seductive. The world and its contents are literally at our fingertips. If the thrilling sight of an Amazon bag or box floods your body
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).
With Christmas break and several websites down, there wasn’t much to report.
Elk Island U15 (6-3-1) lost a 5-1 game at Lamont Arena on Dec. 16 against Vermilion. Nicklas Mehlenbacher scored the only EI goal with William Furey collecting an assist. The next day at Tofield Arena, Elk Island skated away with an 8-6 road win. EI overcame an early 2-1 deficit to take a comfortable lead most of
the way. William Furey (3g 2a) and Kayden Winslow both had hat tricks for EI, while Cameron Olechow (2g 1a) scored the other two goals. Assists went to; Sydney Cossey (2a), Ashton Strickland (2a), Kyran Belcourt (2a), and Nicklas Mehlenbacher (1a). Liam Ellis got the win in goal.
with dopamine (the feelgood hormone), online shopping may be an issue. Maybe a coping strategy could be imagining yourself getting dressed, driving to a retailer in your car, fighting the crowds and lack of “sales associates,” standing in line, and paying with cash. Do you still want product X? Maybe it’s time to admit you were simply bored with your life and believed that trolling the internet with your credit card was a harmless pastime that would fill some indefinable hole inside
you. Who among us hasn’t done recreational shopping to make ourselves feel better? I know my answer; what’s yours?
I don’t mean to be a wet blanket. I do know that some of the world’s most successful people take inventory of their lives weekly, monthly, and most definitely at year end. They’re constantly checking the instrument panel to see if they’re still on course with their life and financial goals. They tweak beliefs and behaviours as required. They under-
stand that sometimes starting new habits is just as important as dropping old destructive, counterproductive ones.
Maybe the best thing us normal mortals can do is ask ourselves some tough questions and answer with brutal, unvarnished honesty. Is this fill-in-the-blank habit/behaviour/belief helping or hurting me?
Am I better off with or without it? And then act accordingly out of selflove as opposed to another harsh critic chastising our every move. In 2023, that’s the new path I’m going to walk, from where I sit.
Emerging from the Covid pandemic restrictions, it was a very satisfying year in 2022 for Lamont County, according to Reeve David Diduck, and he’s looking forward to going full speed ahead into 2023.
“Overall I thought the year went pretty well,” said Diduck. “We developed a business plan and then developed a budget off of that business plan.
“I think 2022 is the first time the County executed on our business plan. Most of the stuff we said we’d get done we did and that hasn’t happened before.
“Before that we’d have big gaps and we’d end up with a year end surplus. But that wasn’t because we were necessarily prudent… it was because we didn’t get everything done. This year that changed.”
Projects, Diduck said, were completed including gravelling of 235 miles of roads, installation of more than 60 culverts and the replacement of a bridge.
“We did our regular road maintenance, and the other thing that will make a significant difference to us is we worked on a lot of the drainage channels and cleaned many of those up.”
The Reeve added that this year’s snow cover is a good amount but the ground beneath hasn’t frozen solid because it was so dry in the fall.
“That’s evidenced by when you plow your driveway you are tearing up some sod. If we get a slow snow melt in the spring, that will melt right into the ground which will help the farmers.”
He added if it was a quick melt, then there was a chance there could be some flooding, but nothing like the years of 2018 and 2020 when the County was hit with serious flooding issues which washed out several roads.
He was also pleased with the progress made on getting a water licence from the province which would allow the County to construct a pipeline from the North Saskatchewan River, where they have sourced
a draw point into the Industrial Heartland area where it will make it easier to attract industrial development to the County.
“We’re at the stage where we’re doing some consulting work with the different provincial departments but we’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
He expects the approval may happen in the first or second quarter of this year.
He added the County made good progress on negotiating with industry for future development in 2022 and that will be ongoing this year.
supply chain issues so it's harder to get new equipment.”
Looking into a crystal ball for 2023, Diduck is excited about receiving final approval for the water licence.
“If and when that goes ahead, it will transform Lamont County,” he states.
“It’ll give us a big advantage there because most industry that want to locate here need processed water. To be able to provide that water will make a big difference for Lamont County.”
He hopes one or two industries do take the
everyone.
He added the Reeve’s Golf Tournament will be held again in 2023 after a successful one last year.
“We hope to maintain our existing service levels in our new budget,” he said. “But we will put a lot of focus on the Industrial Heartland this year.
“We will be spending more money in that regard to make the heartland more attractive to locate here. To that end we’ve designated the area as an industrial zone and hopefully that helps reduce the red tape in having industry located here.
“All municipalities are now dealing on an equal footing.”
He said if there’s anything that disappointed him in 2022, it’s the perception that the County doesn’t meet the needs of the ratepayers.
“In some ways I suppose that’s true, but
we’re trying our best to deal with the conditions as they are presented to us.”
He said sometimes not being able to meet the
service level expectations is frustrating for elected officials.
“We certainly try our best to do so.”
“While we don’t have any final decisions yet, we’re working on several active files,” he said.
He hopes to see a few announcements in the first quarter.
In the agriculture sector, Diduck feels the Federal government is “overstepping their bounds” in the way they’re proposing fertilizer restrictions and with their increases in carbon taxes.
“To heat your homes, put fuel in your tractors or to use a grain dryer there's a carbon tax involved and it just adds to the overall cost to farmers input costs,” he said. “Farmers have done a lot over the years to change their techniques and technologies,” Diduck stated.
He said with GPS tracking and precision seeding, farmers have done a lot to eliminate carbon but rather than getting any credit they’re being hit with additional costs.
“The input costs have gone up significantly so the bottom line hasn’t changed. The other factors are inflation and the cost of machinery.
“It has gone through the roof when you can get machinery. The are
final step to locate in the County because of the impact it would have not only on growth but on population and taxation.
He notes the County population has been holding steady for several years but if new plants could come in it would help growth not only for the County but for the urban municipalities within the County.
Diduck said the County has a strong relationship with those municipalities.
“We have regular meetings with the CEOs and CAOs,” he said. “When there’s opportunity for Lamont County there’s opportunity for them as well.”
He feels the County does well supplying transportation grants within the County for seniors programs and the FCSS budget hasn’t been cut back.
“I think those departments (FCSS and CALC) are run really efficiently and they deliver on the programming they offer. I’m not sure everyone is quite aware of the amount of programming they do offer.”
With a variety of programming for young families he says FCSS offers something for
“Our administration and council has been successfully able to navigate Covid and continue to put our community on the path for a bright future,” said Bruderheim Mayor Karl Hauch, reflecting on the year 2022.
“We will successfully continue on this journey and build on the past successes in 2023.”
He pointed out one of the bright spots for the community last year was the Canadian Rockies Hemp Company finally getting up and running after several setbacks.
“They are now successfully operating in their new facility and they will be coming off the tax-free for three program in 2023, meaning they will be paying full taxes due to Bruderheim. I’m sure our administration is looking forward to that.”
Hauch said the hemp company was able to build its facility during those tax free years and it is now the largest hemp facility in the country. He added there are provisions on the land for an expansion for a second phase of the facility.
“They are very much looking forward to the future and there are provisions on their land where they could develop a second phase.
“Where that is exactly I’m not sure,” added Hauch. “But they are very forward-looking and they are working closely with European outfits because Europe is much further advanced than Canada when it comes to developing hemp markets.”
He said the second highlight of 2022 in the town was the development of the first new home in some time.
“I don’t think the home is completely finished, but I know the developer is looking forward to completing more homes in the Woodlands area,” said Hauch.
He said Bruderheim companies had had it tough during the pandemic and were looking forward to coming back to a normal state.
“But now we’re hit with inflation and supply chain shortages and
things like that,” added Hauch. “Everything seems to be going up and the inflation is causing grief for industries and municipalities alike.
“I don’t think there is a municipality in Canada that can avoid having
He said fun activities such as the Model T races were getting ready to rev up again in 2023. He added the agricultural society was busy developing activities for the community to participate in.
“We have some grant monies still on the books to help out with some of these projects,” he added. He said the community park expansion will have some applications for grants for further funding.
He said a recreation agreement with Lamont County should be signed in 2023.
“We look forward to working with the County on this. Support from Lamont County is huge for all the municipalities within the County,” he added.
“Our capital projects touched just about every area of town,” he said.. “Some were left over from other projects but it brought everything to completion.”
He said the Town took out a large debenture for about 50 per cent of the funding, but the Town fortuitously did this just before the inflationary cycle hit, allowing them to secure low interest rates and some of the best tender prices before everything started rising in price. And, he said, all the pricing was locked in.
“I don’t think we’ll see interest rates that low again in another ten years,” he said. “We were so fortunate to get in when we did.”
nomic development document for the Town that allows us to be very intentional on how we see economic development moving ahead in our community.”
He said many of the projects will be micro
members and we’ve laid the groundwork for some projects to move ahead in 2023. There’s a lot of potential to do some things this year.”
He said council is looking at possibly amalgamating the parkettes in the Edna and Campbell subdivision. He added, they could be looking at an accessibility playground if a grant is available, but at the same time they don’t want to duplicate anything being done by the parents group at the Lamont Elementary School.
“Working together we can develop a complementary experience in these play areas,” he said.
some sort of increase after having gone through Covid and then facing this inflation. Holding tax increases during the pandemic was tough but now with the price of fuel going up, carbon taxes… they present difficulties going forward,” he said.
He feels forces at the provincial and federal level need to do everything they can to bring it under control.
“The carbon tax is not just on fuel, but on gas and electricity. Everywhere along the supply chain whether you’re buying equipment or just screws and nails, suppliers are charged carbon tax and they’re going to pass that along to the final consumer.”
He said that adds to inflation which is already high because of Canada’s federal deficit.
Hauch is very hopeful to see more industries locating in the region.
“While they may not be in Bruderheim, although we sort of hope so, we know Lamont County is working on plans for the future,” he said. “By the near future I’m talking up to six years. I expect Cenovus will move forward with the diluent recovery unit and when they do that, it will be a huge boost to Bruderheim.
“There are a lot of pipelines getting worked on in our region right now.”
In the Town of Lamont, Mayor Kirk Perrin is very proud of the town’s achievements in 2022, his first full term as the Mayor.
“It was a huge year for me as my first full term, but it was also a huge year for the town.”
He said the town took a large step at the start of 2022 to take on the largest capital works projects in the town’s history.
“More was spent in 2022 on capital projects than ever before,” he said. “And they were all completed on time and on budget.”
They included road work in the Campbell subdivision Phase Two stage: one costing almost a million dollars, the second half of 57 Ave in Edna subdivision; a section of 49 St., and 51 Ave. behind Lamont Foods; and another section of 51 Ave. by the United Church.
He said now some municipalities are being held at the mercy of contractors tendering projects because of inflation and a lot of prices aren’t locked in.
“We were ready to go with our projects and we received a lot of bids,” he added. “It was great to be fully prepared to move ahead with these projects very early in the year.”
He added council approved a strategic plan during the year which they are very proud of.
“I absolutely love the plan and we’ve already started working towards it,” he said. “In addition, we established a fully functioning economic development board.”
He said it is comprised of some council members, members of the business community, financial sector and post secondary institutions.
“They have all joined this board and we’ve put together a private eco-
investments, such as putting $10,000 into new arena lighting.
“That was needed in the rink, but we’re aware that with the new lighting some additional events may be coming to the area.”
He said there had been some bad shadow areas in the arena, and the new lighting brightens up the ice surface. The additional lighting could even attract a trade show to the community.
“We took the initiative to invest in the project,” he said. He said the lighting was installed late in December.
“It makes the experience better for user groups and also creates some spin off opportunities.”
He said while it was a quiet year for the parks in town in 2022, they had more funding and projects done in 2021.
“We have a new parks committee with new
He said 2023 will be a year of uncertainty because of supply issues and the fact a provincial election is looming on the horizon which could affect grants.
“We’ll finish our budgeting process in the next couple of months as the various requisitions come in and we sort of see what the future may hold.”
“We did do a lot in 2022, but right now the responsible thing to do is look at the landscape before looking at buying any big ticket items for 2023,” he said. “I do think we’re on the right track, but we have to move forward cautiously.”
Perrin was also proud of some of the community events the town was able to host such as the Ukrainian Pancake Breakfast fundraiser in the spring, welcoming the Lieutenant Governor during the Baba’s and Borscht event, and having a very successful parade during the summer.
The Town of Bruderheim will spend part of the new year in search of a new Chief Administrative Officer after Patty Podoborozny gave notice of her resignation at a special closed meeting of council Jan. 3.
Podoborozny has filled the role of CAO in Bruderheim for the past eight years as an employee of Strathcona County for almost 30 years.
Bruderheim Mayor Karl Hauch said no plans for an Interim have been made yet, as Podoborozny's resignation is not effective until Feb. 3. He added that the loss of podoborozny will be felt by the town which was lucky to have her.
"We were lucky to keep her as long as we did," he said by text.
"Most CAO's do not stay past five years."
Meanwhile, Hauch said the arrangement with Strathcona County providing the services of a CAO will continue with the new CAO.
"Our town has a con-
tract with Strathcona County whereby we receive support from a professional person from Strathcona County to supply services as our town CAO," he said. "We are involved with Strathcona County in the candidate selection process."
He added that the arrangement was made over 20 years ago by a previous council.
"A good well-qualified CAO is difficult to come by for a small municipality and expensive," he said. "The unique relationship forged with Strathcona County allows the town to always have access to a professional, hard-working, trained individual that can step in and manage our town admin."
Hauch added that podoborozny has taken a position in her hometown of Vegreville and will assume the CAO position for the County of Minburn No. 27 effective Feb. 6.
Podoborozny could not be reached for comment by press time.
The Village of Andrew named their new Chief Administrative Officer, Tim Melnyk, during a special meeting of council Jan 3.
Mayor Merwin Haight said nine applicants vied for the position including two from Saskatchewan and one from Calgary.
“There was a fair amount of interest,” Haight said. “More applicants came from afar than local.”
Melnyk’s contract is for two years effective Jan. 1, 2023 at $75 000 per year.
The position of Andrew CAO has gone through many changes since the retirement of
long time CAO Pat Skoreyko in early 2022, starting with former village councillor Sheila Lupul, who filled the position from March 1 to May 11 when her contract was terminated.
Former Reeve of St. Paul County, Steve Upham, came in as Interim CAO May 15 until Adam
Kozakiewicz, was hired effective July 27.
Kozakiewicz was terminated nine weeks later on Sept. 28, when Upham stepped back in as Interim CAO.
Melnyk was unable to attend the special meeting and could not be reached for comment before press time.
Because if I want The Leader to cover my event or provide space for my event, I know they need revenue to pay for it! One hand washes the other. I never take without giving back.
I like the idea of having an independent news agency in our area, because I don’t want to just be fed propaganda from municipalities, police and school boards just to appease me!
For years there was no media in the Lamont County area, just leaching media from other areas covering events here only for advertising dollars and no vested interest.
I don’t just advertise with The Leader to make sales but also to fend off competition from other businesses in the area and from other towns and cities in the area too.
I know if I don’t advertise with The Leader, that my event will not be covered when it happens mostly because they don’t know about it, but also because I didn’t support them so why would I expect them to support me.
The Leader is a local business, employing local people, donating to local charities, and involved with local causes. Tech giants do nothing for my family, my neighbours or my community.
The Leader covers all of Lamont County. These are my friends and neighbours and we support one another.
I try to buy all my printing from The Leader, or at least get a quote. They are honest and good to deal with. When I have a problem they look after it for me from printing to advertising.
I budget a portion of my revenue to advertising with The Leader. It’s smart business to re-invest in promoting my business.
It was a big year for Lamont resident Mason Brown in 2022.
He not only graduated high school and turned 18 years old on Dec. 14, he also officially turned
in his junior firefighting recruit title with the Lamont Fire Department for a fully responding member one. The LFD offered congratulations to Brown on their social media page.
“Congratulations Mason Brown on becoming a responding member for station 4! Mason has been a student member with us for the last two years and worked hard to complete his recruit training,” said the post. “It’s also his 18th Birthday today!”
Brown said he was inspired from a very young age to follow his father Steve’s footsteps into fire fighting.
“When I was a kid, we used to live in New Zealand in a place called Te Puke, and my dad used to be on the fire department there. Every Friday night, they had a (family) get together and he'd always bring me down and (it) started to pique my interest,” said Brown.
Brown said the family moved to Lamont 10 years ago where his dad once more joined the
department. Although he left the LFD after a few years due to other commitments, Brown never forgot about the fire department. When he turned 16, he was inspired by his friend Cole Hanson to join the Lamont team as a junior firefighter.
“Cole was on the fire department at that time and told me about it,” he said. “Once I hit 16 I thought why don’t I go ahead and try for the fire department?”
Brown said that although the junior firefighters do not respond to calls, they do get to complete the same training as the regular fire fighters do in addition to other special tasks.
“If (they came back from) a really big grass fire, or structure fire, they would call us down as a junior and say, ‘Hey, can you come help us clean some of this hose, put new hose back on the trucks and make sure everything's back in working order for the next call’,” he said.
Brown said he hasn’t been called out on any
serious calls yet but feels prepared for when it happens. He added that his time with the fire department is enjoyable, and he is happy to help where he can.
“It (feels) really good to do because I know that I (am) helping. This is a passion. Firefighting itself is a passion of mine, (and) I don't see it
as work,” he said. “I enjoy helping all of them down there, the fire department, my fellow firefighters, my lieutenants everything else. And I enjoy helping people. Because eventually we all need help. Right?” Brown said he hopes to become a professional firefighter in the future.
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Viking Seniors Centre 1/2c
You're Invited to Listen to the Gospel Story told simply and without obligation
Starting Thursday, January 12, 19, 26, and February 2. 7:30 p.m. at the Viking Legion Hall call 403-815-9045 for more info
CERTIFIED SEED.WHEAT – AAC Goodwin, CDC Go, Go Early, Pintail.
OATS - AC Juniper, AC Morgan, AC Mustang, Derby, CDC SO1 Super Oat. BARLEY – Cerveza, CDC Austenson, CDC Maverick, Sundre. Very Early Yellow Pea, Forage Peas. Polish Canola, Spring Triticale. mastinseeds.com; 403-5562609.
ALBERTA FEED GRAIN: Buying Oats, Barley, Wheat, Canola, Peas, Screenings, Mixed Grains. Dry, Wet, Heated, or Spring Thresh. Prompt Payment. In House Trucks, In House Excreta Cleaning. Vac Rental. 1-888483-8789.
WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN - Heated, Mixed, Tough, Light, Bugs, Spring Thrashed....Barley, Wheat, Oats, Peas, Flax, Canola. "On Farm Pickup". Westcan Feed & Grain 1-877-250-5252.
Large, quiet, non-smoking 2 bedroom apartment in Killam. For viewing, call Chuck at 780-263-7290
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4 bedroom suite close to Tofield. Call 780-662-2595
FARMLAND AND PASTURE LAND BY SASKATCHEWAN RIVER. 160 acres. Best hunting in Saskatchewan. Excellent fishing. Thick pine & poplar bluffs, by water coulee. Old yard site with power and water. Revenue Potential. East of Prince Albert, SK. $248,000. Call Doug 306-7162671.
3 QUARTERS OF CROPLAND South of Weyburn, SK. Distressed sale. Priced below market at 1.27 x assessment, with a 4% return with lease. $594,800.00. Call Doug at 306-716-2671.
HIP/KNEE REPLACEMENT. Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $3,000 yearly tax credit and $30,000 lump sum refund. Take advantage of this offer. Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide: Expert help. 1844-453-5372.
APIARIES OF ALBERTA are looking for Five Apiary Technicians $17-$20/hr depending on experience for full time (40+hrs/wk) employment March thru October 2023. Must have a min of 3 years (seasons) working fulltime on Canadian style commercial apiary in the minimum capacity of Apiary Assistant. Also required, two positions for Apiary Worker (NOC8431) $15-$17/hr, experience required. Work includes assisting Apiary Technician with all duties in the bees and honey harvesting. Gerard 780-6624449 RR4 Tofield, AB. gsieben@mcsnet.ca TM1p
Puppies for sale. American Cocker Spaniel male & female. $1000 and up, will hold with a deposit until Christmas. 780-662-3196, 780-662-0410
Drywall Taping/Texturing 35+ Years. No Job too small
Experienced drywall taper/texturer here to help you with any job big or small. Don't want to do it yourself, give me a call! Based in Killam but willing to travel.
Hand taper by trade but have experience with boxes, roller/flusher, taping tube. No bazooka exp. Have own tools (10-12" boxes, pump, angle box, roller, flusher, hand tools, etc.) Also do ceiling texture. Non- drinker, just want to work. Willing to work with existing taping crew. Call 780-385- 2106 or 780-3851251.
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CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer employment/licensing loss? Travel/business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: Criminal Pardon. US entry waiver. Record purge. File destruction. Free consultation. 1-800-347-2540. www.accesslegalmjf.com.
Shane’s Stucco & Drywall Service Shane Hollar Stucco (Traditional & Acrylic), Drywall, Stone, Textured Ceilings, Tile and Spray Painting 780-336-4832 shanes.stucco@gmail.com tfnp
Quality Residential and Commercial Painting Betty Tkaczyk 780-632-8749 or 780-688-3564
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Roy's Handyman Services. Flooring, Trim work, basement finishing, decks, fences, kitchen cabinet installs and carpentry work. Call 780232-3097
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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WANTED SASQUATCH SKULL - Also purchasing SILVER & GOLD coins, bars, jewelry, scrap, nuggets, sterling, 999+ BULLION, maple leafs, bulk silver, pre-1969 coins. Coin collector BUYING ENTIRE COIN COLLECTIONS, old $ & Royal Canadian Mint coins. TODD 250-864-3521.
BY JOHN MATHER
The Northeast Mayors, Reeves, and Indigenous Leaders’ Caucus has written to the province asking for improvements to the Highway 28 corridor between Edmonton and Cold Lake.
Penned following a Nov. 8 meeting the caucus wrote to Premier Danielle Smith and Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen stating they were concerned about the deterioration of the corridor as one of the most significant issues facing the region.
Bruderheim Mayor Karl Hauch, Lamont Mayor Kirk Perrin, Mundare Mayor Cheryl Caliniou, and Mayor Maurice Langevin from Chipman were among 34 of the leaders from the region signing the letter.
“On Highway 28, one can travel almost 300 kilometres in significant traffic with only a few opportunities to safely pass using a second lane,” the caucus stated in its letter.
“This highway is an important commercial and social link for our residents, businesses, and industry. Everyday, the highway is used by many people from Northeast Alberta to access life-saving healthcare services in Edmonton that are unavailable in our local hospitals. At the same time, goods and services travel this highway, farmers make use of it to access fields and, with a significant increase in our area's tourism sector, more campers and trailers can be seen travelling Highway 28’s single lane of traffic on their way to the beautiful lakes and parks that Northeast Alberta has to offer. “
They pointed out 30 per cent of the oil royalties that the province receives come from the region served by Highway 28.
“As elected officials, we are perplexed at the overall neglect when it comes to the capital and operational spend in our region, despite the fact that our area is a huge economic driver for this province.
“We are asking you to have a serious look at investing in Highway 28 in the upcoming capital budget. The cosmetic investment that has occurred in 2022 provided little of value in terms of lasting improvement. Over the past years municipal officials have noted that secondary highways that feed off of Highway 28 have seen increased traffic as travellers are reluctant to stay on Highway 28. This has added pressure to more road networks that are themselves in need of upgrades.
“Our group, at a minimum, is asking for passing lanes every 10 to 20 kilometres along Highway 28, as well as plans for the twinning of important sections in communities the highway travels through. These include Redwater, Waskatenau, Smoky Lake, Spedden, Vilna, Ashmont, and Bonnyville. All major intersections that cross Highway 28 should be upgraded and the province should also consider twinning the highway between Bonnyville and Cold Lake – especially when one considers the massive investment the federal government will be undertaking on 4 Wing Cold Lake.
“With preparations for the arrival of a new fighter jet, we will see over $500 million in investment that will bring 500 to 700 construction workers, utilizing the highway as the primary means of travel for workers and material over an extended period of time.”
The province did respond to the group in early December pointing out the province had conducted a study in 2018 on the Edmonton to Cold Lake corridor. Transportation Minister Dreeshen, in the reply letter, added the study recommended several improvements to the highway to be implemented as part of future rehabilitation projects.
Those improvements would include intersection upgrades, grade widening, curve reconstruction, passing lanes, and safety rest areas, the reply stated.
It noted that while parts of the highway closer to Edmonton was twinned the Bonnyville to Cold Lake section was nearing the threshold for twinning. It added the section between Smoky Lake and Bonnyville was approaching consideration for passing/climbing lanes and that the province was planning accordingly for all these improvements.
See all current monthly programs using the QR code below or visit: lamontcounty.ca/departments/communityservices/fcss/monthly-programs (including Cooking with your Littles, Infant Massage, Connecting Generations, Family Activity Nights, Snow Angels and CALC Creating Family Connections, CALC Kitchens and Technology Information/Digital Skills Workshop programs, AHS healthy living program workshops and Kalyna Family Resource Network Newsletter (see the QR codes for full posters and additional details).
CALC Kitchens and Creating Family Connections: to register for either program and to learn more, email Cheryl.b@lamontcounty.ca or lamontcountyadultlearns.com
Alberta 511 Weather
As we enter the winter season, a valuable tool for road safety is now available at 511.alberta.ca Click “Message Signs” and “Cameras” on the map to view live updates and weather conditions on key County roads.
alberta.ca/vehicle-registration-expiry-date-chart.aspx
This message is brought to you by the Elk Island Traffic Safety Partners.
As part of consultations on a Sustainable Agriculture Sector, a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy: Discussion Document is now available for comment until March 31, 2023. See: lamontcounty.ca/agservices
Please Note – inFocus is also available for viewing online at: www.lamontcounty.ca/communications (for those wanting to view the weekly submission as full-sized PDF and to access hyperlinks)
foore re the he end nd also availableforviewingonlineat www.lamontco t
Lamont County offers taxpayers the ability to pay their property taxes in monthly installments by pre-authorized withdrawals from their bank account, rather than in one single payment. Applications must be received before Dec. 31 for the next tax year.
See lamontcounty.ca/ financial-services/property-taxes to sign up for the tax installment payment plan for 2023.
An additional 10% penalty was applied for Lamont County taxes not paid by December 31. Please contact us to arrange payment before this deadline
Business License Renewals: If you have a Lamont County Business License, this also needs to be renewed for 2022 (lamontcounty.ca/ departments/planning-development/business-licence).
Take notice that the following permits for proposed development as described below has been issued in accordance with the Lamont County Land Use Bylaw No. 675/07: Appeal by January 6, 2023
1. Legal Description: Lots 6 & 7, Block 10, Plan 1804EO Land Use: Agricultural Proposal: Installing a network pole for extending internet services to Rural Communities Permit No.: DP 045/22
Appeal by January 19, 2023
1. Legal Description: SE 29-55-19-W4 Land Use: Heartland Light Medium Industrial/Highway Commercial (HLMI/HC) Proposal: for a 60 m x 30 m x 8 ft borrow pit and equipment storage Permit No.: DP 038/22
2. Legal Description: SE 29-56-18-W4 Land Use: Agricultural (A) Proposal: for a Natural Resource Extraction Class II Gravel Pit consisting of 1.62 ha (4 acres) Permit No.: DP 046-22
Additional Information: For additional information regarding these permits, please contact the Planning and Development Department at (780) 895-2233.
Appeal: The Land Use Bylaw provides that the person applying for the permit or affected by the order, or any other person affected by an order, decision or development permit of a Development Authority may appeal to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal within twenty-one (21) days after the date of notice. See: lamontcounty.ca/public-tenders for additional info.
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Residents are reminded when plowing snow out of your driveway, please do not push the snow onto the public road or across the road into the ditch. Pushing snow across the road creates packed areas and slippery patches that are difficult top remove. Push snow to the right side of your driveway to ensure it does not get pushed back when the local road is plowed. Also, as a reminder, please keep kids off snow piles near roadways for additional safety.
The next Regular Council Meeting is on Tuesday, January 10, 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.
16 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Thursday, January 5, 2023