Wednesday, October 18, 2023 Vol. 46, No. 42
Your LOCAL Paper
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Holden annual pie social turns into all-day event Kari Janzen
Staff Reporter
The Holden Post Office held their autumn pie social on Friday October 6, but added many new features to the day. “We hold the annual pie social to raise funds through the Children's Charities Foundation, and this year we added in a scarecrow festival. We partnered with the Viking FCSS who helped us with the children’s games and colouring contest, the Village of Holden, the Paragon Theatre, and the fire department. The fire department did free hot dogs and the theatre did a free movie. It became a whole day thing, not just our pie social. We also partnered with the Ag Society because they supplied the tables and chairs for us to use out front. Everybody kind of helped out in town here,” said Holden Postmistress Lynn Laskoski. The scarecrow festival was an idea that Laskoski is passionate about, and decided the pie social was a great opportunity to hold the contest. “The businesses and organizations in Holden, anybody that wanted to participate, were asked to call in to enter the contest. “It was awesome seeing our community decorated for fall. First place went to Rock a Billy Blues Garage, second went to the Village of Holden, and third went to Patti’s Place,” Laskoski said. Twenty-five pies were baked for the event, and Laskoski said there was not much leftover.
“Our lovely Holden Colony donated the pies. They made 20 pies for us and then there were a few local ladies who like to make pie that helped out,” she said. While there weren’t as many people who sat at the tables on main street in front of the post office to eat pie and visit, there were many who came and went, and some who delivered pieces of pie to those out harvesting in the fields. “A lot of people took takeout to the fields because there's a lot of that happening. We didn't have as many sitting down, but people were coming and going,” said Laskoski. There was also a fall scene complete with straw bales, pumpkins, and sunflowers where people had the opportunity to take photos. “Lyle Albrecht donated straw bales to us so that we could do a photo op area for anybody that wanted to take family photos,” Laskoski said. The 50/50 draw raised $77 for the Children’s Charities Foundation, and the funds for those are received through grant application. “All the money raised for the Children's Charities Foundation through Canada Post stays in Alberta. At a certain time in the year, they open up for grant application. Anyone who deals with children in any capacity can apply for this grant money. Our local area manager was going to do a cheque presentation from last year to the girls and boys club in Camrose. The year before the Daysland school got one, so it is coming close to us,” Laskoski said.
Cannabis bylaw revision proposed after vendor wants to set up shop in Viking Patricia Harcourt Editor
Where a cannabis dispensing store can be located is under consideration by Viking Council. First and second reading was given to a new bylaw that would change the rules on where a cannabis store can operate. A public hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 1 at the Viking Carena Complex to get public input on this potential change. The original bylaw in 2018 read that cannabis retail sales could not be located within 200 metres of a provincial care facility, school or school reserve land, and land used for public assembly, a daycare or after
school site. The town wishes to change that to: “Cannabis retail sales shall not be located within 20 metres,” of the above listed spaces. Mayor Jamie Buttner explained that the existing 200 metre distance excludes such stores from operating out of the downtown area. “All the buildings are close together,” he said, noting “we do have a high rate of vacancies” in the downtown core. The change would accommodate the coming in of a cannabis store operator who wishes to set up in the downtown. However, with a distance of 200 metres that wouldn’t be possible. Although the situation in 2018 made this necessary,
Butter said: “Now we find we can go this route,” regarding lowering the distance to 20 metres. He aid it would “make it easier” for anyone wishing to set up shop here. Chief Administrative Officer Doug Lefsrud added: that the cannabis industry is “well regulated now.” He acknowledged that the town has been approached by a vendor who wants to come and open up another store. He already has several up and running in other communities in the province. People are being invited to give their opinions and concerns to the town by Friday, Oct. 27, prior to the Wednesday, Nov. 1, public hearing which starts at 9 a.m.