March 6 Lamont Leader

Andrew municipal inspection report presented at council meeting Council already taking action on results - inspector says no indication of any fraud or criminal behaviour

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Results from the Village of Andrew Municipal Inspection, which included 42 findings, were shared with approximately 40 people who gathered at the Village multi-purpose room on Feb. 28.

Along with members of the Village Council, and newly hired Chief Administrative Officer Kylie Rude, were members from the office of municipal affairs including moderator Kevin Miller, Ruth McQuaig, assistant deputy minister Gary Sandberg and municipal accountability advisor Nnamdi Njorku.

Sandberg made a speech before Inspector Shari-Anne Doolaege presented her findings, explaining the process. He said that municipal affairs conducts a preliminary review prior to an inspection to confirm whether there are issues that would justify a formal inspection.

“We need to see that there are clear signs that the legislation is not being followed,” he said.

Among Doolaege’s inspection report were questions around the validity of Andrew’s five-member council, as the municipal government act states that a village consists of only three members unless council passes a

bylaw specifying an odd number of five or more. Doolaege said a bylaw increasing Andrew’s council to five members could not be located. As a result, Sandberg said the council must pass a bylaw allowing for five members or inform the minister in writing that the council will comprise of only three members, by Dec. 31.

Appointed inspector for Andrew's municipal inspection Shari-Anne Doolaege, president of Sage Analytics, presents the findings from the inspection report during the Feb. 28 village council meeting.

Doolaege noted that eight different CAO appointments since 2021 contributed to the Village’s instability after the retirement of former CAO Pat Skoreyko who held the role for 24 years.

She said further instability occurred with the resignations of three councilors at different times since 2021 and the resignation of their lead-hand 10year employee with public works.

Infractions noted were byelection

Photo: Jana Semeniuk

procedures not properly followed, passing resolutions in closed session and in obscure manners (by resolution number only when returning to open session), in addition to not ensuring a fair and unbiased process when handling council code of conduct complaints.

One positive mention by Dooleage was that legislatively required bylaws were in place for the Village, although others were outdated and one was not in compliance.

Once Dooleage’s reporting was complete, Sandberg took the podium to explain the next steps including a list of 11 directives for the council to take corrective action on issued by the minister. Sandberg said the list will be posted on the Village’s website where resi-

dents can see the progress council is making on them. Sandberg also praised the Village council for the positive actions they have already undertaken.

“Council has already embraced the findings of the inspection report and started to take action on many of those items,” he said. “They have indicated no opposition to any of the directives that have been provided, so on that basis, we are very optimistic that council will in fact move forward in a positive way that no further directives will be necessary.”

One member of the gallery wanted to know if any fraudulent activity was uncovered during the inspection process.

“There’s a lot of rumours. Is there money missing, or gone astray?” he asked, prompting Sandberg to reply.

“There was no indication that there was any fraud or anything of that nature, there was nothing criminal,” he said. “Nothing in that regard. We saw instances that appear to be inadvertent, and errors.”

A full copy of the inspection report is available on the provincial government’s website.

Moose on the loose

Nine moose were seen together in Lamont County last week, an unusual sight as they tend to be solitary animals. Even calves tend to leave their mothers within two years. But when there is a herd of moose, they can be called a crash, gang or mob of moose.

Submitted photo.

Andrew councillor deemed ineligible for nomination remains on council

Oversight by former mayor dismissed by council as accidental, but municipal inspection says improper

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Andrew councillor, and former Andrew mayor, Merwin Haight, will most likely remain on council despite being deemed ineligible for nomination in the 2021 election by appointed municipal inspector, Shari-Anne Dooleage.

The information on Haight’s eligibility was part of the municipal inspection report shared publicly at the Feb. 28 Andrew village council meeting. Doolaege said that Haight was deemed ineligible due to owing more than $50 in property taxes at the time of nomination.

Additionally, Dooleage said the village council acted in an improper manner when they passed a motion to refuse Haight’s resignation in June 2022. Council’s reasoning was there was ‘no malicious intent or deliberate refusal to make full payment of the remaining balance (and) it was paid in full as soon as the admin forwarded him the remaining balance’.

Dooleage said councils do not have the authority to make decisions on eligibility.

“Legislation does not permit a council to venture into an adjudication role to rule on candidate eligibility,” stated

Dooleage’s report. “When this eligibility was challenged, former Deputy Mayor Merwin Haight appeared willing to step down from council. The remaining council intervened to refuse his pending resignation.”

Although Haight is currently on the council and was not eligible for his nomination, Assistant Deputy Minister Gary Sandberg said Haight will likely keep his seat until the next election in 2025.

“The minister does not have the authority to take action. The legislation specifies that if someone believes that any council member is not eligible and should

be disqualified, they can apply for an order from the court to remove that person from council,” he said, clarifying that he is not a lawyer and is not giving legal advice.

“Our perspective on this is that the inspector found it appears to have been an inadvertent mistake, and that the individual paid the amount owing as soon as it was brought to his attention. It's not at all clear that a court would believe that the individual should be removed from council.”

Sandberg further explained that previous court rulings have not been in favour of removing elected officials.

“We believe based on previous court decisions,

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that a likely outcome is that it was an honest mistake, it was addressed as soon as he became aware of it, and that courts are historically very leery about overturning the results of an election where the public have made their choice,” he said.

Councillor Haight declined to comment on the matter.

The Village of Andrew requested the municipal inspection in 2023 hoping it would put them in a better place to govern the village.

3

Leader

Andrew village councillor Merwin Haight, while serving as deputy mayor in 2022, watches as the rest of the council vote to refuse his resignation during the June 1, 2022 council meeting. The council's decision was deemed improper in a recent municipal inspection report. Photo: Jana Semeniuk

Municipal expert George Cuff weighs in on council procedures and sanctions

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Municipal expert George Cuff, who has worked with municipal government since the 70s, spoke recently with the Lamont Leader and gave his views on the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP) and proper council meeting procedures, in addition to guidelines around code of conduct sanctions for municipal councillors.

Cuff said more councils are bringing in third parties to investigate code of conduct complaints, rather than investigate the issue themselves, to ensure fairness. He also explained the proper council procedure for an in-camera (closed) session and the way councils are mandated to make their decisions.

“(Council) goes incamera to talk (and) they still have to come out of in-camera and vote publicly on what they're going to do,” said Cuff.

“In my view, (council) should use (in-camera session) as a last resort

and should only go in camera when they have to, as opposed to escaping the public glare (by) going in-camera, which unfortunately happens all too often.”

He added that he believes any reports generated as a result of a code of conduct investigation should be made public.

“I think those reports should be made public because it's dealing with a public issue called Code of Conduct. Obviously, that has to be constrained by whatever your legal counsel says relative to identifying individuals,” he said. “And you want to determine if (the process has) been fair.”

Cuff, also weighed in on the recent Bruderheim town council meeting where Town Chief Administrative Officer Phyllis Forsyth delivered an emotional speech disclosing her condition of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) she said was aggravated by the bullying behaviour of council

Zenon Cossey scores 5 in U11 Wild win at Redwater

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 (9-13-3) beat Redwater 65 on Friday on the road. Wild had a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but Redwater came back to tie the contest and then take the lead 5-4 late in the third. Elk Island’s Zenon Cossey scored with 6:53 remaining and then with 58 seconds left for the winner. Zenon scored five goals in the game, while Magnolia Moonen also scored (1g 1a). Assists went to; Mary Sobkow, Hunter Kobylka and Jaxon Calder. Clark Wilson got the win in goal. On Sunday, Wild downed Viking 7-1 at

Municipal expert says too much council in-camera, not enough medical or hostility disclosures

member George Campbell. The resulting councillor sanctions for Campbell included being removed from committee appointments for seven months among several others.

Cuff said that poor behaviour by a council member should be sanctioned but cautioned against ‘going past the post’.

“The question really becomes one of what's the sanction and is it applicable with the ‘crime’ that has been perpetrated. So if a council member has been verbally abusive to individuals on staff, then you would imagine that the sanctions would include a public letter of apology, a commitment to not proceed with such language in the future, and perhaps the suspension of that person's committee privileges for a couple of months,” he said.

“According to the act, you're not allowed to

Bruderheim. Mary Sobkow scored a hat trick and Ebenezer Dlugosz had a 4-point game (1g 3a). Christian McLeod, Zenon Cossey and Ellie Poirier each scored. Assists went to; Sawyer Wytrykush, Quinn Dickinson and Magnolia Moonen.

Ryan Carstairs scored a goal in his Fort Sask Rangers U15AA team’s 3-2 loss against the Vikings on Thursday. He also scored and assisted on a goal on Friday in his team’s 2-2 tie with the Panthers.

Kaylum Roberts got a goal in his Fort Sask. U18 AA Rangers 6-2 loss on Saturday to the Saints.

Bruderheim’s Emerance Maschmeyer let in three goals on Saturday in a part-game as PWHL Ottawa dropped a 5-2 game to Toronto. Ottawa is now 4-6-4 and tied for last place in the league.

take somebody off of Council, as a result of a code of conduct complaint, so you can impose other sanctions. But by and large, they should be commensurate with whatever the behaviour was that you're trying to eradicate. And I think there is a danger in going past the post (beyond a reasonable sanction), because then it almost loses its impact. And it almost puts the perpetrator in a position of looking like the victim.”

Cuff further went on to describe the correct procedure for a council member to disagree with the CAO.

“If you want to say something negative toward administration, you go in camera, and you express it to the CAO, and you expect the CAO to look into the matter,” he said. “We don't tackle the CAO in public or in an open council meeting.”

While it’s unknown if

Forsyth’s mental health condition of PTSD was disclosed to the council during the hiring process, Cuff said council should have been made aware.

“Council members should be aware of the fact that this is a very sensitive topic for the CAO,” he said. “The day when the person was hired, (council) should have been aware that this has been a background issue for a candidate if in fact that was the case. We need to make sure that whatever we're doing doesn't instigate the kind of reaction that she's saying has happened as a result of the verbal assault.”

In terms of the council themselves, Cuff said that councillors are regular people elected into their positions often with no prior experience and sometimes with their own issues. He said every potential candidate for office should consider what they will be experiencing if elected.

“One of the problems is that you elect people to local public office, who, in most cases, have never been in local public elect-

ed office before. And secondly, you're electing people that may have, in their background, difficulties with anger or with insubordination so they're not far away from blowing up. That's not to excuse anybody's behaviour, it simply means that every member of council needs to be advised, what are the rules that surround this? What behavior do we expect and what are the consequences of bad behavior? And all members of council should be advised of that right out of the gate, (such as) in October of an election year,” he said.

“I would argue that you should be advised that before you get elected, so that you know that if you've got a hate on for the CAO, don't get yourself elected, because you're going to be running into the CAO, over the next 48 months, at least two or three or four times a month. Ask yourself if you're going to handle that. And the answer is for some people, is no, I couldn't handle that I can’t stand the person. Then don't run for office.”

Opinion

NDP leadership race a snoozefest or exciting?

By John Mather

With all the noise going on about the Alberta budget, one almost forgets there is a leadership race going on to replace Alberta’s NDP leader Rachel Notley.

Now, Rachel did offer her words of wisdom following the presentation of the budget last week, but as a now lame duck leader did anybody really listen.

“What the UCP delivered today amounts to massive cuts that leave Albertans behind. Instead of hiring more nurses and front-line health-care workers or building hospitals, Danielle Smith chose to fund private surgeries,” said Notley.

Leadership hopeful Kathleen Ganley stated, “Danielle Smith broke her promise to cut taxes. She broke her promise to fix healthcare.

“You don’t matter to the UCP. But you matter to me.

“We are putting forward bold ideas every day. We’re going to cuts your costs and hike your wages. We’re going to ensure you’re not hit with a bill for an orphan-well mess you didn’t make.

“We’re going to give you a voice in our party and the future of our province.”

Candidate Sarah Hoffman offered up a short video essentially saying, “My response to today’s budget: the UCP is moving backwards on Health, Climate and Housing.”

Leadership  hopeful Rakhi Pancholi offered up these wise words, “The UCP government’s budget is a deliberate decision to hold Albertans back.

“We used to lead the country in healthcare and education. Now, because of Danielle Smith’s choices, we will continue falling behind.

“More is possible. Let’s not settle for less.”

I was unable to find anything on the budget from the fourth declared leadership candidate Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse.

So far these four haven’t made any outstanding proclamations about how they will change Alberta for the better, but all do seem tied to the NDP mantra of spend, spend, spend. I was always taught that if you're going to spend, spend spend, you should have the finances and wherewithal to be able to spend wisely and cautiously.

That’s not the NDP way.

Two other names bandied about to possibly want to fill the void left by Notley’s departure are former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan.

CONTINUED

Having these two in the race would certainly add some sizzle, but as one news scribe described them - the one thing they have in common is “they both have thin skins and inflated egos.”

For Nenshi, serving 11 years as the mayor of Calgary would be the historic platform he would use to springboard into provincial politics.

During his tenure, Calgary council made the largest investments in transit in the city’s history. Calgary also invested in “an enormous amount of social infrastructure.” The city also created permanent funding for community and social infrastructure.

Speaking with Municipal World prior to his departure from the mayor’s chair he offered this insight for people seeking public office.

“Set aside partisanship.”

The goal of politics, he explained, should be about seeking to unite more than divide. In federal politics today, that has too often not been the case. It would be “a real pity,” he added, if municipal politics went that way.

Nenshi was always independent.

So it would be very interesting to see how he would fit into a party political system. A system where one has to share ideas and rule with consensus from party members.

There would be no room for individual thought such as Nenshi has been used to wielding.

As for Gil McGowan, he has said he is going to run for the leadership but hasn’t officially announced it.

That might be a trial balloon and he would be wise to give a great deal of thought to seeking the brass ring of NDP leadership.

McGowan offered up his opinion of the Alberta budget.

“This year, tens of thousands of these workers are in collective bargaining with the UCP Government. In many cases, the opening offers that workers have received have been described as ‘insulting’ and ‘insufficient’.

“Today’s budget has done nothing to fix this.

“Investment in workers that lags behind the high 13 per cent Consumer Price Index

rates of the last three years is a cut. The Premier cannot spin her way out of this fact.

“Furthermore, the UCP Government’s unwillingness to embrace programs that can ease the cost of living, such as the Pharmacare program introduced by the federal government, shows that the UCP are disinterested in helping Alberta workers with their household budgets.

“Today’s budget showed that the UCP government isn’t on the side of Alberta workers,” he rambled on. “Instead, they’ve chosen to make reaching a fair deal for workers in bargaining nearly impossible.”

Now really, is this the guy you want to be Premier of Alberta?

I guess if you're a civil servant represented by McGown’s union you would.

He will offer up huge wage increases not giving a damn that these types of settlement just contribute to the inflationary spiral.

For every additional wage increased, the price of goods and services has to be raised to cover the wage and benefits costs. And McGowan would certainly spend.

And it would be interesting to see him in serious talks with other leaders given his penchant for offering up the single digit to those he doesn’t agree or get along with.

McGowan was elected president of the Alberta Federation of Labour in 2005.

He is an experienced political organizer and strategist having worked dozens of political campaigns. He worked on the provincial election campaigns of the Alberta NDP in 1997 and 2000.

“I think it’s time we have a worker leader leading the workers’ party,” he has stated in his  message to potential supporters.

McGowan ran as a candidate in 2015 in Edmonton Centre, finishing third.

Really McGowan would better serve the party remaining in the background as an organizer.

So everything could be set for an exciting NDP leadership race or a real borefest.

Nominations close on March 15 so in another week we’ll know. And as the soothsayer said in Julius Caesar, “Beware the Ides of March.”

I do have a favourite among the four declared candidates, but adding two renegade males to the mix would certainly spice up the contest.

And neither would get my vote.

BY HAZEL ANAKA

This week’s column will be shorter than usual because I’ve been feeling under the weather since Wednesday. It’s pretty hard to think clearly or frankly care too deeply about anything other than when I’ll feel better.

Traditionally, I have a high pain threshold and am more likely to power through than take to my bed. That attitude probably prolongs the situation. After averaging about six hours of sleep a night I finally had a snooze Saturday afternoon. I’d forgotten how lovely a mid-day nap could be.

And let’s be clear, this is simply a cold. It began with a sore throat and an occasional rattling cough starting in my chest. If I had been able to have a look see down my throat, I imagine it to be raw and red. The sort of sore throat that makes you dread swallowing

FROM WHERE I SIT: Sick All Over Again

because it hurts so much.

I even revisited a home remedy from my youth: the old sock around your neck after slathering it with Vicks VapoRub. Drinking tea with honey also provided some short-lived relief. Luckily, I had several YouTube videos already scheduled so I didn’t have to further strain my voice and irritate my throat.

Now that that part is feeling better, the snotty nose phrase has begun as has the headache. Make no mistake, I will live.

Having a flu shot and Covid boosters up-todate has protected me

from anything worse. Not having any comorbidities like heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure also makes anything that does sideline me less serious or complex to deal with.

I kept somewhat busy watching Netflix and tackling mindless, lowenergy-requiring tasks in my craft room/studio. I’ve rediscovered that with my obsessive personality even mindless tasks requiring little energy can be overdone. It’s always breath-taking to discover things about yourself regardless of your age. Self-awareness

never ends. Or gets old. I managed to watch a bit of news. Brian Mulroney’s death is being met with genuine praise, across the board, for his accomplishments while holding the country’s highest office. Some of things (GST, the Free Trade Agreement, the push to eliminate apartheid in Africa) can only be truly measured by looking in the rearview mirror. Apparently, he called himself an activist prime minister. He called people on the phone including the media. He offered advice to politicians of all parties and stayed relevant

until his death. Apparently, he could tell jokes that turned the air blue. His death likely marks the end of an era.

Instead, we have Trudeau who’s given the NDP just enough of the promised pharma care program, er, framework to keep the Liberals in power another year or so. We’ve established that I’ll survive my cold but I’m not as confident I’ll live long enough to see a single prescription covered by this plan. The complexity of the issue, the cost of the plan, the need to get provinces onside, the effect on the free-market insurance

From the files of The Lamont Leader

industry are just a few of the start-up issues. But perhaps the geniuses behind the ArriveCan app will save the day! Only they could turn a $80 thousand plan into a $60 million debacle for something that never worked right in the first place.

Poor old Justin also got a public shaming in the media for the lack of military spending. But the promise to NATO to bring spending up to 2% of GDP is only 10 tenyears-old so what’s the big hurry? It’s not as though Putin has gone insane and world peace hangs in the balance. Or that Russia is closer to Canada than Edmonton is to Winnipeg. Or that we’re surrounded by seas on 3 sides. Or that Russia has 37 icebreakers compared to our 19. Or that the Canadian military is short 16,500 personnel. Trudeau’s ability to sneer while virtue signaling, to make announcements and reannouncements, to study issues to death, to talk rather than walk the job of prime minister is coming home to roost. Shame on him; shame on us for letting it get to this. Suddenly, I feel sick all over again, from where I sit.

November 23, 2010: Cody Calvert assists Chipman Fire Department in lifting Dana off the flat deck truck as the group of heroes, on the morning of Nov. 19, helped owner Randy Holler rescue the four year old Belgium brood mare from a slough south of the village after she plummeted through inch-thick ice.

County renamed section of road for long-time homesteaders

BY JOHN MATHER

Lamont County council renamed a section of Range Road 162 (from Highway 16 north to Range Road 534), Moroziuk Road after a request was received from the family of one of the original homesteaders in the area.

In speaking to council, Feb. 13, Cliff Moroziuk, the great grandson of Petro and Christina Moroziuk, said his family had farmed the same piece of land along the road since 1903.

“Members of the

Moroziuk family have been involved in the Lamont County and Mundare area since this time.

“My great grandparents and grandparents were involved with the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Parish (SpasaMoskalyk) on Range Road 160 in Lamont County,” Moroziuk told council.

“I have continued my involvement with this parish and successfully petitioned parishioners to prevent the church

from being destroyed.”

He said he had served in the roles of president, vice-president, treasurer and director. During this tenure, donations and fundraising projects I have led have raised over $40,000.”

He is currently secretary of the parish council and project leader on the renovation of the church.

“My great grandparents, grandparents, and parents are all resting at this cemetery,”  he added. “Renovations to the church are almost complete and we are

planning a 100th anniversary celebration of the building of the church in August 2024.”

He said his father had served on the Lamont School Board from 1960 until 1986. His mother had taught at Mundare School.

“I have chosen to undertake the naming of this road in recognition of our family's history and contribution to county life over the years,” he concluded. “I have included in my application, photocopies of my family’s history in

regards to their immigration to Canada as well as other support documentation.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet with the four neighbours who live along this portion of Range Rd. 162.

“I requested their support for the renaming of Range Rd.162 from Highway 16 to Township Road 534 and they were all in favour.”

He added if council approved the renaming he would absorb costs associated with signage.

Reeve David Diduck

thanked Moroziuk for his presentation and comments from council were all in favour of this.

He said the only concern he had was if the province would have an issue with signing of the road at Highway 16, but staff said it shouldn’t be an issue.

Division One

Councillor Daniel Warawa moved that council rename the section of road requested as Moroziuk Road, and it was carried unanimously.

Provincial budget will continue to grow province - says MLA

This week, our government presented Budget 2024: a responsible plan for a growing province.

As Finance Minister and President of the Treasury Board Nate Horner mentioned, Budget 2024 focuses on fiscal responsibility and wise spending.

Through this budget, Alberta’s government will continue to meet the needs of today and tomorrow.

A key priority of Budget 2024 is healthcare while simultaneously looking at a refocused health care system that ensures all Albertans have access to the care they need, when and where they need it.

This includes $1 billion in funding over the next three years to trans-

form the continuing care system in response to a Facility-Based Continuing Care Review.

Budget 2024 also focuses on improving service delivery around the province. A total of $475 million will be allocated to support the continued implementation of the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System, including $200 million over two years to improve access to family physicians and $15 million to further develop a compensation model for nurse practitioners.

By investing in education, we are investing in the future wellbeing of Alberta and Albertans.

This is why we have allocated $1.9 billion over the next three years to support 98 school

projects.

Funding in the amount of $681 million will support priority school projects, including 43 new projects announced in Budget 2024 that will create 35,000 new or modernized student spaces for children around the province.

Budget 2024 also lays the groundwork for

increased funding in Alberta's skilled trades schools, this includes the allocation of $102 million over the next three years to support 3,200 additional seats and curriculum updates to apprenticeship programs, $43 million to NAIT for the planning of their new trades and technology learning facility, $12.9 million to expand the

Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing-Technology at Red Deer Polytechnic.

I am hopeful this increase in funding will help address skilled labour shortages experienced throughout Alberta, helping us get more boots on the ground and helping increase our economic potential.

Alberta’s government is also ready to respond to extreme natural events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires.

Through Budget 2024, $251 million will be committed to flood and drought mitigation projects, such as berms, dams, reservoirs, and flood walls...

Continued on Page 18

Town of Lamont COUNCIL RESOLUTION – 2024 TAX SALE

Be it resolved that the Council of the Town of Lamont, having considered the report of the Chief Administrative Officer regarding unpaid tax arrears, hereby approves proceeding with the Tax Sale pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Government Act for the following property subject to the conditions described below:

1.The tax sale shall proceed by auction at the Town of Lamont Council Chambers, 5307 - 50 Avenue, Lamont, Alberta on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

2.The properties shall be offered for sale on an “as is, where is” basis and the Town of Lamont makes no representation and gives no warranty whatsoever including as to the adequacy of services, soil conditions, land use districting, building and development conditions, absence or presence of environmental contamination, or the developability of the subject land for any intended use by the Purchaser. No bid will be accepted where the bidder attempts to attach conditions precedent to the sale of any parcel. No terms and conditions of sale will be considered other than those specified by the Town of Lamont.

3.The property listed above shall be subject to the tax sale if the total outstanding property tax arrears remain outstanding prior to tax sale.

4.The property will be offered for sale by auction, subject to a reserve bid and to certain registrations shown on the existing certificate of title as described in section 423(1) of the Municipal Government Act.

5.Payments by certified cheque or bank draft only. The successful bidder must, at the time of the sale, make a non-refundable ten percent (10%) deposit payable to the Town of Lamont, with the balance of the purchase price due within 30 days of the public auction.

6.Successful bidders agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Town of Lamont’s standard Tax Sale Agreement, a copy of which shall be made available to prospective bidders at the Town of Lamont Office prior to the tax sale. Prospective bidders will be required to register in advance of the public auction.

7.Prior to closing, successful bidders must prove to the satisfaction of the Town that their acquisition of the property complies with the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by NonCanadians Act.

8.Successful bidders are responsible for obtaining vacant possession.

BABY OF 2023 LEADER CONTEST WINNER

The

, and a laminated keepsake of the newspaper finale. The contest is hosted annually by The Lamont Leader, in which Lamont County residents are welcome to enter their Babies photos of the past year, in which a winner is chosen by random draw.

Tough night for Maschmeyer

BY JOHN MATHER

It was a night of let down for Bruderheim’s Emerance Maschmeyer in a game against Toronto Mar. 2 in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Maschmeyer started in net for her Ottawa teammates but had allowed three goals on 13 shots by the time she was pulled at 4:43 of the second frame, as Ottawa ended up on the short end of a 5-2 decision..

Toronto/s Natalie Spooner opened the scoring midway through

the first period with Ottawa’s Fanni GaratGasparics off for interference.

Toronto pounced at 2:46 in the second with Brittany Howard potting her second of the season and Hannah Miller picked up her fourth goal two minutes later leading to Maschmeyer being pulled in favour of Sandra Abstreiter.

Gabbie Hughes scored her sixth of the year midway through the second to bring the score to 4-1.

Ashton Bell added Ottawa’s second goal in

the third period before Maggie Connors scored into an empty net to put the game away for Toronto.

There were 8,447 fans in the TD Centre in Ottawa for the game.

Ottawa played in Minnesota Mar.5 and will travel to Montreal for a game on Mar.10.

With 10 games left on the schedule up to Mar. 4, Ottawa is tied for last place in the league with New York with 16 points.

AGRICULTURE LAND FOR SALE BY TENDER

The following land is offered for sale by tender subject to restrictions on the existing Certificate of Title:

MERIDIAN 4 RANGE 16 TOWNSHIP 47

SECTION 23

QUARTER NORTH EAST

EXCEPTING THEREOUT ALL MINES AND MINERALS AND THE RIGHT TO WORK THE SAME

AREA: 64.7 HECTARES (160 ACRES) MORE OR LESS

Title Number: 232 18 0888

Land is comprised of 160 acres, more or less, of No. 2 soil with approximately 138 acres under cultivation and approximately 22 acres native non-agriculture land located in Beaver County. No fences. No outbuildings.

TERMS OF TENDER:

(1) The purchase price submitted shall be subject to payment of GST;

(2) Sale of the land is “as is – where is”.

(3) Tenders are to be accompanied by a certified cheque or bank draft made payable to “Insight for Life – LAW Services, in trust” representing 10% of the tendered amount;

(4) No conditional or subject to financing tenders will be accepted;

(5) Decision on tenders is to be made on or before Friday March 8, 2024, at which time deposits of unsuccessful tenders will be returned via registered mail.

(6) Highest or any tender not necessarily accepted and the registered owner reserves the right to reject any or all tenders.

(7) Subject to (1) above, upon acceptance of a successful tender, the purchaser shall be obligated to complete the purchase, subject to normal closing adjustments, on or before close of business Thursday March 28, 2024 or sooner as agreed between the parties. The 10% deposit shall constitute a deposit towards the purchase price. If the successful tenderer fails to complete the purchase, the deposit shall be forfeited.

Tenders will close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2024

Tenders are to be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “TENDER #13655” to:

Insight for Life – LAW Services

Attention: William N. Bohdan Zadworny

Barrister & Solicitor

5131 – 50th Street, PO Box 250

Vegreville, AB T9C 1R2

Ph: 780-632-7779

Babies of 2023 Photo Contest winner, Murphy Pilatzke of Bruderheim, AB., brought her mom, Shelby, in to collect her prizes at The Lamont Leader office; a gift basket overflowing with baby supplies and toys, donated by Lamont Value Drug Mart

The U13 Elk Island

in the Ronald McDonald

Winterland tournament in Cold Lake over the Family Day weekend. Although they didn’t win any medals they did raise $2,633 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The team had also raised $300 for the food bank at their home tournament in December.

Get tattoo, win one sausage a year for life

BY JOHN MATHER

It’s a contest that will last a lifetime. Both because of the entry and the prize.

Stawnichy’s Meats, from Mundare, has started a contest where winners will receive one link of Mundare sausage a year for the rest of their lives.

And to win they have to get a tattoo of a Mundare sausage somewhere on their body and submit a photo of it to the food processor.

Edmonton but the tattoo can be inked by any tattoo parlour.

The contest will run forever, said Patrick.

“It was never intended to be a big competi-

to us about it first.”

She said one woman had tattooed the company’s sausage mobile but had added a wild rose to the design as well.

“That was great … it's a beautiful tattoo.”

The tattoo must be four inches by four inches.

Three

The contest came about rather indirectly, said Jessie Patrick, marketing manager for Mundare Sausage.

“One of my supervisors bet a friend who was interested in getting a tattoo that if he got a Mundare Sausage logo he would pay for it.

“Well that happened and we put it out over social media and the contest was born.”

She said the meat processor has teamed up with Easy Tattoo in

tion," said Patrick. “It sort of started as a fun bet and it took off when we put it on social media so we decided to run with it.”

“Winner will receive one free sausage once a year for life and they’ll be added to our tattoo hall of fame.”

Since they started the contest in late January, she said five people have entered and she is aware of three more that are pending.

“The tattoo can be any form of Mundare Sausage as long as it uses one of our logos.

“They can modify it a little as long as they talk

Patrick said they have partnered with several tattoo artists in Edmonton to produce the tattoos, but the main one is Easy Tattoo.

“If someone gets their tattoo done there, Easy Tattoo donates half the costs to the Boyle Street Co-op.”

She added Mundare Sausage has decided to match that donation to Boyle St. Also it becomes a donation to a good cause as well as a fun contest.

People can get a tattoo of the sausage statue or any other logo from Stawnichy’s but it must say Mundare Sausage somewhere.

Tom’s

place in the Wild

at Lamont Arena Feb. 25. The tournament featured ten teams, including two Wild teams,  in two divisions. Because of the ages of the players, scores weren’t kept but players were awarded an MVP and a Heart and Hustle award after each game, win or lose.

A herd of U-7 Elk Island Wild (in black) and Fort Saskatchewan ( in red) players chase the puck as they hope to score on each other during the Mar.3 action in the Wild U7 tournament. Goals aren’t kept in this tournament and the key is on passing and skating and having fun.

Wild team played

House

members of the Elk Island Wild U9B squad try to prevent a Lloydminster Blazer player from moving the puck out from behind the Wild netminder to set up a scoring chance. The action took

tournament held

The Chipman Players launch their new season March 9 with the production of “The Vile Veterinarian” at Chipman National Hall. In this file photo actors perform their roles in last year’s production of “Million Dollar Meatballs.” Each performance, March 9, 10, 16, and 17 are accompanied by a Ukrainian meal prepared by

Catering.

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Basketball teams from Lamont and Bruderhiem elementary participated in the Ted Tchir Elementary Basketball tournament at Rudolph Hennig Jr High in Fort Saskatchewan on Mar. 2.

In all, 12 girls teams and 12 boys teams from across Elk Island Public Schools participated in the tournament.

Bruderheim School Principal Dave Armbruster said the Bruderheim Tigers, made up of students in grades four to six, gave it their all and he was very proud of their grit.

“We're all very proud of our student athletes for their hard work, determination, and for demonstrating the Tiger Traits so well! Our boys’ team finished fifth in their pool, and really battled hard in each game! We lost two games by just one basket, and each game the boys showed improvement and never

gave up,” he said by email.

“Our girls’ team had a fantastic tournament and played very well together as a team with only six players, winning third place in the tournament!

Thank you to our coaches and parents for your support, and again, we're proud of our Bruderheim Tiger athletes for a job well done!”

Lamont school Principal Paul McKay said their Lamont Lions teams were two teams made up of 20 grade five and six students. He said he was also very proud of the team work they demonstrated.

“The students battled hard and learned a lot about competition and sportsmanship. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams improved with every game,” he said by email.

“This was a first for many of our Lion’s as they have never played basketball competitively before. Although the

wins were hard to come by, I am very proud of these kids and hope that many of them go on to play basketball at Junior high and beyond.”

Bruderheim Elementary grade six player Cassandra Renneberg heads down the court followed by players from Fort Saskatchewan Southpointe Sharks and fellow player Brooklyn Prairie, grade five, on the left. The Bruderheim Tigers girls team placed third among 12 teams in the tournament. Photo: Jana Semeniuk

BY JOHN MATHER

Lamont County council echoed concerns expressed by the Rural Municipalities Association (RMA) over the huge amount of unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies.

Lamont Chief Financial Officer Rodney Boyko told council Feb, 27, he was concerned that there are still unpaid oil and gas taxes from companies following a 2018 court decision which halted municipalities from enforcing the collection of those debts.

“It’s been an ongoing matter for the past few years,” he said.

The RMA sent a survey to its member municipalities to seek information on the current unpaid taxes for its members by oil and gas companies.

In its newsletter the RMA said the survey has been conducted for the past four years and in each year the response has been 100 per cent “which speaks volumes to the extent of this issue.”

In completing the survey for Lamont County, Boyko told council the unpaid non residential taxes, not including those subject to a repayment agreement, totalled $2,189,236.55.

In a second question it was noted that $1,940,204.48 of unpaid taxes were specific to the oil and gas industry including those written off and not including any subject to a repayment agreements.

Those taxes went back over a five-year period, indicated Boyko. He said the total amount of unpaid oil and gas taxes written off by the County since 2015 totalled $3,254,350.80 for a total of $5,194,555.28 for the value of all unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies including those that had been written off.

Non operational oil and gas companies had a total balance of $28,401.32 owing the County while an additional $158,848.57 was subject to repayment

agreements.

Across the province the RMA said at least $251.8 million of municipal property taxes have gone unpaid by oil and gas companies, according to its survey.

While the Government of Alberta has taken some steps to close loopholes and empower municipalities to enforce payment of taxes, the RMA stated in a release, the survey results indicate that their impact has been minimal.

Boyko quoted RMA president Paul McLaughlin stating, “Property taxes are not collected for fun. They are needed to pay for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges for the oil and gas industry to access resources, as well as to provide everything from water to waste collection

to recreation and many other services to rural residents, many of whom work in the oil and gas industry.

“Ignoring property taxes doesn’t just hurt the municipality, it hurts rural communities as a whole and places an unfair burden on other rural businesses and residents.”

Boyko said administration and council agreed advocacy efforts were working hard to address this issue.

Reeve David Diduck said he had attended a recent RMA webinar where the topic had been discussed.

Division two Councillor Aaron Wick said he hoped that the ratepayers watching online could appreciate when councillors attended RMA conferences this topic is a major one dis-

cussed.

“I hope they can understand just what more than $5-million could provide for this county,” he said. “It’s huge amount. What it could do for just our roads alone is immense.

“When the government gives tax holidays and breaks for years, we’re the ones (RMA) going in and saying “whoa whoa by allowing this you’re hurting local municipalities.”

Diduck said the webinar he attended had been held in a closed session; he felt the Alberta Energy Regulator was letting Albertans down.

“They control the development of energy projects in the province,” he said “And historically they have allowed a wide range of leniency on what those companies can do.”

“We as a municipality have taken a hit on County revenues,” he said. “That’s a huge amount of money for a municipality of 3,800 taxpayers to have to bear on behalf of the province.”

He felt more advocacy towards the provincial government had to happen and the local MLA would have to ask what is going on.

“The problem with these unpaid taxes originally started in southern Alberta but it has now creeped into the north.”

He added while the oil and gas companies hadn’t paid their taxes they continued to use the roads in the County forcing the County to maintain those roads.

“It’s the taxpayer who pays for this,” he said. “At some point the provincial government has to open their eyes to

the fact they are taxing the rural residents to support the oil and gas industry and that is totally, totally wrong.”

He pointed out the province can shut down oil and gas companies if they don’t make their royalty payments.

So the province is still getting their royalties or they’ll be shut down pretty quick,” he said. “But the government allows them to get away without paying their municipal taxes.

“So I’m not sure what the solution is, but I feel the energy regulator has totally failed us as Albertans in regulating the oil and gas industry.”

He felt the next time they meet with the Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIvor they should bring this topic up.

B44’(W)x100’(L) Cover-All Building w/ 16’x16’ Overhead Door & Double Truss

Altec

& Extends to 80’

Neils 803J T/A Jeep

TJ410 T/A Jeep

1998 Booster

Gerrys Booster

E

Cat IT62G Wheel Loader w/ Quick Attach, Bucket, Forks, Jib

Case H450 Crawler Dozer w/ 766 Hrs

JD 5075E FWA Tractor w/ Only 180 Hrs, 540 PTO, Dual Hyd, 3 pth, JD 520M Loader

Frontier RC2072 3 pth Mower

Frontier 3 pth Rake

Frontier 3 pth Rototiller

Frontier PC1072 3 pth Cultivator

Frontier DH1180 Disc w/ Serrated Blades

HLA Grapple Bucket

JD Bucket

JD 3 pth Blade

McFarlane 3 pth Harrows

3 pth Bale Spear

Case 7’ Sickle Mower

Ameco Diesel Light Tower

JD D160 Riding Lawn Mower w/ Only 235 Hrs

M

Large Assortment of Sea Can’s

Sea Can w/ Diesel Generator

Rig Mats

Top Deck For Trailer

Catwalks

Wooden Fir Loading Ramp

Fir Decking & Timbers

500 Gallon Slip Tank on Skid

Scrap Bin

Tubs of Grease

Wide Load Signs

Large Assort. of Shop Tools

Tool Boxes

Tow Straps

Brand New Slings

Rolls of Replacement

Winch Line

Generator

Propane Tank

Boiler Shack

Bull Pen

2- Pce Ramps

Battery Charger

Tire Chains

Hubs & Brake Pods

Brake Drums & Pads

Barrels of 5/16”, 1 /2”, 3/8” 7/16” Chain

Pallet Racking

Wet Kit’s

PTO Pump

Fire Extinguishers

Welding Rods

Lights & Oils

Plus Much Much More

Rural crime concerns County officials and RCMP

BY JOHN MATHER

Lamont County council listened to presentations from the Two Hills, Vegreville and Fort Saskatchewan RCMP detachments on Feb. 27 where local crime stats from each detachment, as they pertain to the County, were presented.

Two Hills Sergeant David Henry and Vegreville Sergeant Colin Folk presented first.

Both reported they were pulling resources from any sources within the RCMP as most were seeing staff shortages.

They mentioned they had done town hall meetings, school meetings and attended events across the region.

Fort Saskatchewan Inspector Barry Laroque spoke to council about rural crime.

“With regards to the detachment in the final three months of 2023 we conducted a number of town halls,” he reported. “We also had other meeting informing people in rural areas on how to protect their property.”

He said one community member criticized the writing of traffic tickets while another supported ticketing of speeders, pointing out the different viewpoints officers encountered at the town halls..

He added, the detachment was “getting crucified” with fraud crimes that seemed to particularly target seniors so a workshop had been hosted in Lamont dealing with this issue. He added they planned to continue doing these seminars.

Laroque told council that in some areas people were concerned with some residents doing illegal things on their property, but he pointed out investigations had shown the people had the legal right to be on the property.

“We have made arrests of people out there,” he said. “But when we arrest them, they are home the next day.”

He added one person, recently arrested, would have been released

Canada’s catch and release of criminals a frustration to RCMP members; County residents no longer feel safe

except they had other court issues which allowed police to hold them in jail.

He said police standing up and saying there is a problem with allowing the quick release of people facing charges doesn’t get “a lot of airplay.”

“What it will take is a movement from the constituents, elected officials saying you can’t continue going after the same people all the time.”

He noted after previously meeting with officials a letter of support was going to be sent to the premier of the province outlining concerns.

He then said while that was appreciated, he also wanted them to ask government to look into the release conditions of people committing property offences in the area.

He said he could quote stats and numbers, “but the bottom line is there are citizens and constituents of Lamont County that don’t get served and that’s what it all boils down to.”

He said police are working to fix the problems, but he said residents had to now realize that living the rural lifestyle of helping your neighbours, “there are people coming into the area that don’t subscribe to this philosophy.

“Rather than helping their neighbours, they are helping themselves to their neighbour’s things.”

He said they work with the crime reduction units and do patrols and are try to find a solution, even though the issue isn’t unique to Lamont County.

He added many of the crimes committed in the area are done by travelling criminals, people who travel the province committing crimes.

Laroque said the use of stolen vehicles as a weapon was an increasing occurrence.

“Offenders use it as a ploy to get away,” he said. “We had an issue earlier in the year where an offender used a stolen vehicle where we chased the vehicle on Highway 16 before it ended crashing in the Lamont area.

“Unfortunately over the weekend there was an incident in Edmonton where a female was killed. Again it was someone running from the police and I hope the courts start treating this more seriously.”

He said the suspect driving the vehicles on Highway 16 was driving down the wrong lanes at speeds of up to 160 KPH. “It was just by the grace of whoever you believe in that nothing happened,” he stated.

“Those vehicles are being used as weapons against the public and the police and until it is curbed it will be a major problem.:

Reeve David Diduck thanked the members for coming to the council meeting and said their information was “truly appreciated.”

“Obviously your service is very valuable to the general public.”

Division four Councillor Roy Anaka asked if their was an increase is drugs usage and driving.

He was told the RCMP hadn’t seen any increase in driving under the influence of drugs, but there was a test where drivers could be tested for marijuana.

Councillor Daniel Warawa from Division one asked if they could do anything about drug usage in the Mundare area and he was told the biggest problem the RCMP had was the drugs are dealt from private residences for the most part.

“We know who the drug dealers are,” said Folk, from Vegreville. “But in a small community such as Mundare, while we patrol regular-

ly, we can’t really blend in to do any long term surveillance.”

“Having said that we do watch for them (dealers), we have made arrests and then they are released.”

Councillor Aaron Wick from Division two said rural crime is bad in his area southeast of Chipman.

“Everyone keeps a good eye out on each other,” he said. “Everyone knows who the criminals are.”

He stated one of the people the RCMP had mentioned in the presentation earlier that morning had been seen driving in a truck that didn’t belong to her, “so you’ll probably be getting a call pretty soon.”

Laroque said he was hearing that people were considering “taking the law into their own hands” and he strongly urged they don’t do that.

“Nobody wins when that happens.”

He then related the story of one ratepayer who had told him he was worried about thieves coming on to his property and stealing his boat and trailer.

“I told him to put the trailer on blocks and remove the wheels,” said Laroque. “The ratepayer thought that was the best idea he had ever heard.”

“Thieves want in and out quickly,” he added. “If a trailer or motorhome is on blocks it’s a lot safer than if it’s on wheels.”

He reiterated it will take pressure from local officials to get more staffing for police, even though he added recruitment would be a problem right now.

“I think there has to be an increase in the province if for no other reason than our population is growing,” he said.

Diduck said he would redraft his letter to the premier to seek additional staffing, more stringent rules in release conditions and the use of stolen motor vehicles being used as weapons.

“I can tell you,” said Diduck. “In the south part of Lamont County residents don’t necessarily feel safe anymore.”

“They are losing thousands of dollars through thefts and vandalism and they are frustrated with it.”

Bruderheim Minor Sports Association saved with new board members

BY JANA SEMENIUK

The Bruderheim Minor Sports Association (BMSA) were saved from disbanding by the election of an almost entirely new executive board during their annual general meeting on Feb. 29.

The AGM attracted 14 attendees which former treasurer Amanda Purdy said ‘was the largest meeting we’ve have ever had’.

New president of BMSA is John Muir, Vice president is Alicia Cook, Treasurer is Diana Shandro, Secretary Brooklyn Torresia (who was also the only returning board member), Soccer director is Fiona Macdonald-Tipton, assistant Soccer Director

is Carla Kwiatkowski and fundraising coordinator is Andy Styles.

As President, Muir said he is hoping to expand BMSA and give residents more sporting options for their kids.

“I want to bring more options and more fundraising and do what we can,” he said.

Former president Tara Wilson said last week that unless new members stepped forward to take over the board positions, the group would have had no choice but to fold.

“The current members have all served for a number of years, some almost a decade. Their children are becoming older, and beginning to

age out of the currently offered sports,” she said, adding that the soccer program has become increasingly more popular over the past few years but has struggled with attracting enough volunteers to run it.

“We saw our soccer program grow exponentially with over 120 families. We had lots of children who wanted to participate and we struggled a bit finding volunteers to coach and assist with our programming,” she said.

Meanwhile, questions were raised about the possibility of adding a baseball team to BMSA which Wilson said wasn’t done before now because the town of

Lamont County ready for spring wildfire season, says chief

BY JOHN MATHER Lamont County Emergency Services

Chief Bo Moore briefed Mundare council on the department’s preparations for the spring wildfire season which is rapidly approaching.

It was a horrible fire season for the province in 2023,” said Moore. “So we have taken extra steps to prepare for the 2024 spring wildfire season.”

He said they put a new brush truck in service for a total of four countywide, moved an ATV to a more central location, and applied for four public works staff from the County to take dozer boss class with Alberta Wildfire.

“We were unable to get them into the Hinton class at the beginning of March but hopefully will have them in the Salve Lake class at the end of March.”

He said the operator will learn to use radio communications with Alberta Fire Services and Alberta wildfire and prepare them for building fire lines and dozer guards for the wildfire season.

He added vendor agreements had been signed with helicopter

services and ground crews to be on stand-by duty and created a preferred vendor list for water hauling companies and were working to get a fire behaviour analyst who could predict the directions a fire may take given certain conditions.

He said this was a service that the province had supplied but had been the victim of cutbacks by the province.

He added there were six extra weeks of duty crew working Monday to Friday during the day. In addition a drone had been purchased for thermal imaging to overfly brush piles to make sure there were no residual smouldering fire left from the winter burning season.

Meanwhile, Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said his department is asking for enough extra funding in the budget to hire an extra 100 firefighters. If that request is approved, they will be in the field by May 15, he said.

That’s in addition to the 900 firefighters the province fielded in 2023, who are expected to be ready by April 15, said Loewen.

The new firefighters, if

Lamont had a baseball program.

BMSA currently offers soccer and last year hosted scooter and skateboard lessons. Secretary

Brooklyn Torresia said she is also looking into the possibility of including a martial arts class. An official date for soccer registration has

not been announced yet, but the groups’ social media page said they are currently working on it.

approved, won’t be dedicated to any particular area.

“We move them around to areas we need them the most,” said Loewen.

Loewen also said a permit is now required for any burning in the forest protection area.

Fire bans are likely to follow.

“We’re going to be more proactive (on fire bans) than we were last year. I think we’re going to be more prepared than we were last year,” he said.

Loewen said Feb. 20 the season is now underway 10 days earlier than the usual start of March 1.

Loewen repeated earlier promises of new equipment allowing crews to fight fires at night, when flames and temperatures are lower.  Volunteer programs will be expanded, he added.

“There will be some online training and some testing on-site,” he said.

“Anybody that’s brought in to help will work with experienced wildfire staff.

“We want to be sure we keep everybody as safe as possible.

Estate of Mark Laczo

April 11th to 15th

Wayne & Jeanette Faupel

April 12th to 16th

Don & Joan Mattila

April 19th to 23rd Elmer Berg

April 26th to 29th

Baba’s Best Cooking

April 26th to 30th

Terry & Janice Sorenson

May 3rd to 7th

Rusty Bucket Hunting Lodge

May 10th to 14th

Estate of Darcy Leibel

June 14th to 17th

Reg & Louis Moiser

June 21st to 25th

Joe Gluckie

July 12th to 15th

100%

Bruderheim Minor Sports Association's newly elected board members (L-R) Soccer Director Fiona Macdonald-Tipton, Fundraising Coordinator Andy Styles, Assistant Soccer Director Carla Kwiatkowski, Secretary Brooklyn Torresia, Treasurer Diana Shandro, Vice President Alicia Cook, and kneeling in front is President John Muir. Photo: Jana Semeniuk

$14

Classifieds

COMING EVENTS

FIREARMS WANTED FOR OUR 2024 AUCTION

PICTURE

LAMONT

Ph.

Email: lmtleader @gmail.com

AUCTIONS

Ward’s & Bud Haynes

FIREARMS AUCTION, Edmonton. Rifles, shotguns, handguns, antiques, ammo, accessories. Call Brad Ward 780-940-8378 to consign your items or collection. FirearmsAuction.ca.

COMING EVENTS

Caregiver’s Drop-In Group

Viking Seniors Centre (5024 53 Ave Viking)

Spring Dates: March 12, 19, 26 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

________________________ Soup, Sandwich & Sweets. Friday, March 15, 2024: 11am to 1pm.

Everyone welcome, $10 at the door, take out & gluten free options available, Tofield Golden Club, 5004 - 54 Ave, Tofield, Ab.

PROGRAM: Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Antiques, Militaria, Collections, Estates, Single Items. For Auction, or Possible Purchase: Toll-Free 1-800-694-2609, Email Us at sales@switzersauction.com or Visit Us www.switzersauction.com.

FOR REN

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

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. Available immediately. Call 403-4614350

FOR SALE

Swath Grazing, Green Feed, Silage, Oats & Barley variety seed available. Call Bill at 780-764-3966

________________________

Anybody who is still wanting any kind of trees, such as fruit trees, fruit bushes, willows, poplars from Brian’s U-pick Berries, Fruits, and Veggies, the sale has been extended from Feb. 23 to March 25. Downpayment is required for all orders, due by March 25. All orders will be done on site at Brian’s U-pick - 45529 RR172.

4 miles east of Bawlf on Hwy 13, 1. 5 miles North on Range Road 172

Call Brian for appointments at 780-678-0053.

LIVESTOCK FOR SALE

Registered Red & Black Angus bulls for sale. Call 780-986-9088

________________________

Coming 2 year old registered Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls for sale. Call Drew, with MacDonell Farms for info, pictures and videos. 780-6862716

seed FOR SALE

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.

________________________

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.

HEALTH

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.

HELP WANTED

Looking for part-time help weekends and holidays from noon to 8pm. Drop off resume at the Tofield Car, RV & Truck Wash, located at 4927 51 Ave, or call 780.913.5318.

StraightVac Services Ltd is hiring - OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR for our new Lamont Location. Requirements: Knowledge of Microsoft Word & Excel, Strong daily communication with Manager, Dispatch, Office Personnel & Drivers, Data Entry & Filing, Customer Service, must work well with others. Full Time Employment. StraightVac Services offers competitive wages and paid benefits. Email resume to operationsmanager@ straightvac.ca.

________________________

JP’s Country Daycare in Daysland is hiring for a part time ECE worker, 2 days a week to start and casual ECE workers. Email resume to jpcountrydaycare@gmail.com

HELP WANTED

Affordable Advertising with L

StraightVac Services Ltd is hiring - HEAVY DUTY TRUCK AND TRAILER

MECHANICS for our new Lamont Location.

Requirements: CVIP License

Preferred, Knowledge of Super B Oil Trailers and Heavy Trucks, Work Order Entry, Customer Service, Must work well with others. Full Time Employment.

StraightVac Services offers competitive wages and paid benefits. Email resume to operationsmanager@ straightvac.ca.

SERVICES

LS Construction

Specializing in Small Home & Office Renovations

Inter-Provincial Carpenter "No job too smallwe'll do what the big companies won't!"

780-385-4455

________________________ RJM Electrical. Ron Malowany, Mundare. ronmalowany@yahoo.com. 780-888-1130

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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.

Town & Country Guardian Drugs - Killam

We have:

•a Kodak picture maker.

•a colour/b&w photocopier.

•cold pop and fresh snacks.

•a great selection of candles, giftware, and fragrances. toys, games,and plush animals.

•a huge selection of Hallmark cards. •plastic gift cards

•vitamins, minerals, and herbals.

•free gift wrapping.

•prescription service

Open 6 days a week.

SERVICE

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

________________________ Roy's Handyman Services. Flooring, Trim work, basement finishing, decks, fences, kitchen cabinet installs and carpentry work. Call 780-2323097

________________________ Need to re-order:

•Company Forms?

•Invoices? •Envelopes?

•Business Cards?

•Bookmarks? •Magnets?

•Stamps? •Score Cards?

•Certificates? •Invitations?

•Menus? •Receipts?

•Posters? •Calendars? Call your local paper with your print order today!

WEEKLY REVIEW

780-336-3422

vikingreview@gmail.com

TOFIELD MERCURY

780-662-4046

adsmercury@gmail.com

LAMONT

780-895-2780

lmtleader@gmail.com

Lamont County gravel haulers frustrated with ongoing under and overpayments

for a wrongful re-audit?”

BY JANA SEMENIUK

Long time Lamont County gravel haulers

Michael Hrycyk and Brian Scraba came before the county council as delegates at the Feb. 27 council meeting demanding action on the continual under and overpayments to truck drivers due to incorrect milage calculations.

The issue has been brought to the council before. It was discussed during the Sept. 26 council meeting with public works director Darby Dietz stating that a thorough council-requested review was done of all 1,230 haul cards revealing a substantial overpayment of $14,000. He said the final payments at that time were issued along with a summary of each haulers’ ticket, however councillor Neil Woitas said a gravel hauler told him the tickets were still wrong.

Meanwhile, during

BY JOHN MATHER

The passing of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at age 84, Feb. 29, brought an outpouring of condolences from across the country.

“Many Canadians will be reflecting on the life of the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney,” said Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs. “His memory will be etched in history as a lawyer, businessman and politician having served as Canada’s 18th Prime Minister.

“His legacy will be marked with many economic reforms such as concluding one of the greatest free trade agree-

the Feb. 27 meeting, Scraba gave a brief history of the issue, including the gravel-haul audit initiated by Dietz in the fall.

“This past summer, I noticed inaccurate kilometers, mileage as being wrong. I notified the county foreman on this issue being told I was incorrect. Mike Hrycyk notified the county and an audit was done and approximately 1,230 scale tickets were checked through and approximately $14,000 or better was overpaid to the contract gravel haulers,” he said, adding that although it was noted that ‘three sets of eyes’ were on the audit, they were still wrong and the audit would need to be re-done.

“Besides those county employees doing their regular work, they had to do this one more time.

“Now the ratepayers are on the hook for another $3,000 to $4,000

ments the world has ever seen, which remains largely in place today.

“He will be remembered for a strong presence on the world stage, when he was seen to champion the cause of Nelson Mandela.

“Along with Canadians, I am sending thoughts and condolences to his beloved wife Mila and his children Ben, Caroline, Mark and Nicolas.”

Former Alberta Premier and Lamont County resident Ed Stelmach said he had never had any interaction with the former Prime Minister as he

Scraba listed more overcharges to the county including charges for days the county did not even haul gravel and rainy days where the water truck was not required but still got paid for six hours. Scraba said he was also disappointed in the response from the foreman who he said would not look into the problem.

“There were days the gravel haulers average on the haul-road was eight hours, yet the water truck received 11 hours,” he said.

“Also, there should not be much travel time involved (due to the fact) that the water truck owner lives five miles off the haul road. Now that the ratepayers are on the hook for a minimum of another $4,000 and maybe even up to $6,000 in overpayment to the water truck, who is going to refund us that?

“It boils down to making wrong decisions at our expense. Councillors, is it your policy to keep an employee that is continuously carelessly wasting taxpayer’s dollars?”

Hrycyk spoke up and said he was also short 50 kilometers after recently reviewing his paperwork.

“I just don’t under-

held office before Stelmach got involved in politics at the provincial level.

Mulroney became Prime Minister in 1984 when his Progressive Conservatives won 211 seats in the House of Commons – the largest margin of victory for a political party in Canadian history and a feat that has never been repeated.

By the time he resigned in 1993, the consensus he’d built between Western populists and Quebec nationalists had collapsed, and the goods and services tax his gov-

stand how this can be wrong all the time,” he said. “You’ve spent thousands of dollars on some kind of program that’s supposed to be able to read mileage. We still have a mess.”

Lamont County Reeve David Diduck told the two men that he thought the problem had been fixed from the summer.

He said he depends on the employees to do their jobs properly.

“We were told that the situation has been corrected (we) assumed that it’s been corrected,” he said.

“When I'm presented with an invoice to sign a cheque I won’t audit it line for line whether the mileage is working or not. You got to depend on employees to do their job, right. So, you trust when you get that cheque that the correction would have been made on that particular cheque.”

Hrycyk told Diduck that he just proved to him that the calculations were wrong and expressed frustration at why it hadn’t been corrected.

“If you're having so much difficulty with these employees not correcting things correctly, why are they still here? How much else is going wrong in this county?”

ernment introduced was so wildly unpopular that it led to the near-annihilation of the PC party in the subsequent election.

Born on March 20, 1939, the third of six children. He was the first of them to be born in Baie Comeau, a town set up in the 1930s to house a paper mill.

He left Baie Comeau for high school in New Brunswick, and from there went on to St. Francis Xavier University in N.S.

His undergraduate years laid the groundwork for his life in politics, as he became active in a Progressive Conservative campus

he said.

Chief Administrative Officer Peter Tarnawsky agreed the issue is ongoing and said the first tracking system used last year was not working properly. He added that there was no cost to reaudit the paperwork.

“There was no incremental cost to re-audit. We distracted people away from other duties during the day to do that, but there was no additional cost to reaudit the tickets,” he said.

Scraba asked Tarnawsky if his employees were working for free.

Diduck said he was very concerned with the problem and did not want to wait to discuss it with council. He told Scraba and Hrycyk he appreciated their honesty.

“(I) appreciate the honesty and goodwill on your part because, you're right, there's probably a few local truckers out there that would have just shrugged their shoulders,” he said.

“I understand that there was actual mileage taken with odometers and stuff to verify that your figures are correct, so I think council maybe needs some extra questions answered on what was so difficult in calcu-

club and started working on regional political campaigns.

At Laval University law school, his political network grew to include Lucien Bouchard, who would later double-cross Mulroney during negotiations over changes to the Constitution known as the Meech Lake accord - siding with Quebec separatists.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also reflected on the insights Mulroney shared with him over the years.

“He never stopped working for Canadians, and he always sought to make this country an even better place to call

lating the mileage this year and also some answers regarding the utilization of the water truck.”

While CAO

Tarnawsky suggested bringing the issue forward over the next few meetings, Diduck said he didn’t want to wait and instead wanted to go immediately into an incamera session to discuss the problem.

“I prefer to do that when Mr. Dietz is here,“ said Tarnawasky.

Regardless, Diduck asked for a motion to be made to go into a closed session which was carried.

Coming out of the closed session, councillor Aaron Wick made a motion for council to direct administration to review the 2023 water truck invoicing and contract supplier in consideration of information provided by the delegation presented by Brian Scraba and Michael Hrycyk which was carried. A second motion was made by councillor Neil Woitas to provide a written response to Scraba and Hrycyk regarding their concerns around the 2023 gravel haul which was also carried.

home,” Trudeau said in a written statement, calling him generous, tireless and incredibly passionate.

“As we mourn his passing and keep his family and friends in our thoughts, let us also acknowledge – and celebrate – Mr. Mulroney’s role in building the modern, dynamic, and prosperous country we all know today.”

Lamont County gravel haulers Michael Hrycyk (L) and Brian Scraba (R) appeared as delegates at the Feb. 27 county council meeting bringing attention to continual under and overpayments made to the county contracted water and gravel truckers since last year. Photo: Jana Semeniuk

Former PM Mulroney

18 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Administrator named to examine Lamont County petition

BY JOHN MATHER

Alberta Municipal Affairs has named Nnamdi Njoku  to carry out the duties of administrator with respect to the petition received by the department requesting an inspection of Lamont County.

When the petition is received Municipal Affairs must appoint

Alberta budget

Continued from Page 6

... while an additional $206 million to enhance Alberta’s wildfire response, readiness, and planning.

While it is important to invest in all of Alberta’s sectors, maintaining fiscal responsibility is a key priority of our government to ensure that Alberta can grow and thrive in the future.

This is why we not only balanced Budget 2024 but will be using half of the 2023-24 fiscal year’s estimated $6.4 billion surplus to pay off maturing debt. Of the remaining $3.2 billion surplus cash, a forecasted $2 billion will go to the Alberta Fund, and the other $1.2 billion will be allocated to debt repayment to limit new borrowing required in 2024-25.

Budget 2024 ensures that we can meet today’s needs and pave the way for an economically stable future so Alberta will continue to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Please contact my constituency office at fortsaskatchewan.vegreville@assembly.ab.ca if you have any questions or concerns.

Jackie ArmstrongHomeniuk, Parliamentary Secretary for Settlement Services and Ukrainian Evacuees MLA Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville

Lamont man arrested for stolen property, other charges

JANA SEMENIUK

A five-month investigation by RCMP has resulted in charges and the arrest of a Lamont resident for possessing stolen property.

someone to determine the sufficiency of the petition.

Njoku will have 45 days from receipt of the petition to make the determination as to whether an investigation is warranted.

Priscilla Sorochan was named as the Chief Administration Officer in the event Njoku can’t carry out his duties.

Phillip Aaron Garand, 34, has been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, possession of a firearm while unauthorized, possession of a firearm knowing you are unauthorized, careless use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm obtained by crime.

In Oct., Fort Sask-

atchewan RCMP Traffic /Crime Reduction Unit (TCRU) located a stolen vehicle with a stolen firearm inside on 48th avenue in Bruderheim.

As rural crime was increased in the area, RCMP launched a lengthy investigation resulting in Garand’s arrest on Feb. 22.

Fort Sask. RCMP held Garand for a Judicial Interim Release Hearing, where he was released from custody by a justice of the peace. Garand is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort Sask. on March 14th.

Truth be told.

One young boy slides down the hill and two other youngsters climb up at Chipman Agricultural Grounds, recently. Spring temperatures predicted this weekend will start putting an end to winter fun.

Wheat:

CWRS - AAC Brandon - Improved Rated MR for FHB resistance

- Most widely grown CWRS variety in Western Canada for 5 years

CWRS - AAC Wheatland VB

-Wheat Midge tolerant

- Very good lodging resistance

CWSWS - AC Andrew - Great silage option

-In demand by milling and ethanol industries

Yellow Peas:

CDC Canary - Improved standability

-Early maturity

-Higher Yielding

Faba Beans:

CDC 219-16 - Zero Tannin

- Seed is smaller than Snowbird, larger than CDC Snowdrop

6-Row Feed Barley:

AB Advantage - Improved plump and bushel weight

- Smooth awned

-High grain and forage yield

2-Row Malt Barley:

CDC Copeland - Strong demand by malting companies

Brush Pile/ Demolished Building permit end date AMENDED (March 1)

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

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|

To assist with fire prevention, Lamont County has shortened the brush burning season and it has ended March 1, 2024 (prev. was Mar. 31) lamontcounty.ca/ emergencyservices

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).

Come to Andrew for a fish fry on Friday, March 8 from 5-7 p.m., at the Andrew Lions Building. $25 per person (under 6 are free). Tickets can be purchased through Rita (780365-2160), Laura (780-365-2238) or Ron (780-3652069).

5. Youth Centre: Bruderheim, Chipman and Mundare (weekly).

6. Connecting Generations: Mar, 15 (Leprechaun and the Bunny) signup.com/go/LDuiNKL

7. Family Fun (Activity) Night in Lamont (Mar. 13, 5:30 p.m.).

8. Grief Support Group (weekly).

9. Cooking With Your Littles (Chipman and Lamont) signup.com/go/saqOMuZ

10. Yoga for Older Adults (Lamont, 8 wk. program starting March 19) contact michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca or 780-895-2233 x223 for info.

11. Talent Show: April 5 (Chipman) for more info and to register. contact Dayna.J@lamontcounty.ca

12. Meals in Motion: March Menu. Call Chrissy to order at 780-975-9592.

13. Canada Revenue Agency Information Session for Seniors (Lamont, Apr. 3).

14. Benefits and Supports for Older Adults – Mundare (michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca).

15. FCSS Volunteer Income Tax Program – Contact FCSS at 780-895-2233 x226.

16. Volunteer Appreciation Week 2024 (April 15-18)

17. Connecting Generations: Leprechaun & the Bunny https://signup.com/go/LDuiNKL

18. Conflict Resolution - Mundare: Mar. 27, 10 a.m. to noon, (erin.b@lamontcounty.ca)

If your last name or company begins with the letters B and Y; remember to get your registration renewed before the end of March! alberta.ca/vehicle-registration-expiry-date-chart.aspx

This message is brought to you by the Elk Island Traffic Safety Partners. y yp)

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).

Fish Fry – Andrew Lions Club

20 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Brush Pile/ Demolished Building permit end date AMENDED (March 1)

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

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|

To assist with fire prevention, Lamont County has shortened the brush burning season and it has ended March 1, 2024 (prev. was Mar. 31) lamontcounty.ca/ emergencyservices

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).

Come to Andrew for a fish fry on Friday, March 8 from 5-7 p.m., at the Andrew Lions Building. $25 per person (under 6 are free). Tickets can be purchased through Rita (780365-2160), Laura (780-365-2238) or Ron (780-3652069).

5. Youth Centre: Bruderheim, Chipman and Mundare (weekly).

6. Connecting Generations: Mar, 15 (Leprechaun and the Bunny) signup.com/go/LDuiNKL

7. Family Fun (Activity) Night in Lamont (Mar. 13, 5:30 p.m.).

8. Grief Support Group (weekly).

9. Cooking With Your Littles (Chipman and Lamont) signup.com/go/saqOMuZ

10. Yoga for Older Adults (Lamont, 8 wk. program starting March 19) contact michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca or 780-895-2233 x223 for info.

11. Talent Show: April 5 (Chipman) for more info and to register. contact Dayna.J@lamontcounty.ca

12. Meals in Motion: March Menu. Call Chrissy to order at 780-975-9592.

13. Canada Revenue Agency Information Session for Seniors (Lamont, Apr. 3).

14. Benefits and Supports for Older Adults – Mundare (michelle.a@lamontcounty.ca).

15. FCSS Volunteer Income Tax Program – Contact FCSS at 780-895-2233 x226.

16. Volunteer Appreciation Week 2024 (April 15-18)

17. Connecting Generations: Leprechaun & the Bunny https://signup.com/go/LDuiNKL

18. Conflict Resolution - Mundare: Mar. 27, 10 a.m. to noon, (erin.b@lamontcounty.ca)

If your last name or company begins with the letters B and Y; remember to get your registration renewed before the end of March! alberta.ca/vehicle-registration-expiry-date-chart.aspx

This message is brought to you by the Elk Island Traffic Safety Partners. y yp)

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).

Fish Fry – Andrew Lions Club