The Observer December 27, 2024 by Carlyle Observer

OBSERVER

Arcola man builds replica grain elevators from the past

By Stephanie Zoer

Being raised across the road from a grain elevator and train track, Ivan Paradis fell in love with the old buildings.

As a child in Manitoba, he had the opportunity to go inside the elevators as he knew the manager well and also had an uncle who managed one.

Paradis was very intrigued with the buildings and the trains, and began to build them from scratch in 1990, but they were on a larger scale. He has seen the models downsized.

Approximately 3 1/2 years ago, Paradis and his wife Sheryl and three sons moved to Arcola, as there was more opportunity for work in the community.

Sheryl works at the Arcola Co-op gas station and his sons are also working, but Paradis is on disability, and he needed something to do. He now makes tiny elevators and train-related buildings, but it is a lot of work to prepare to make one.

Painting is another time-consuming task, and Paradis has hundreds of colours to match up with the original grain elevator. Every piece is cut out of styrene plastic and meticulously placed, and every feature on the big elevator is placed on the small one.

In Saskatchewan, he has seen and photographed one-third of the elevators, including those in Arcola and Stoughton. Paradis attended the Farm Toy Show in Arcola, and he was pleased with the outcome. He hopes to attend more in the future.

He also plans to make larger ones for lawn displays and he takes custom orders.

Paradis and his wife have travelled all over Manitoba, and he has built every elevator in the province. It begins with pictures, and they take around 30-40 photos, changing angles by ﬁve degrees. These photos are loaded onto his computer and the selection starts there.

where the windows and doors are placed. This process takes four to ﬁve hours, as he wants the buildings to be small replicas of the big ones.

He will make a blueprint of the project, determining the height and

Most decals he can make on his computer, but at times Paradis needs to order them in,

and this can be costly. These little buildings are done at the smallest scale and aren’t over eight inches high, so they need small tools to work with them.

It takes several diﬀerent ﬁles, knives, pliers, nippers, rulers and

tweezers to get the job done, and he has to create multiple templates.

Some elevators take longer than others, but he easily puts 40-60 hours in a piece, as the glue needs time to cure, and there are several glues he works with.

To him it is considered a hobby, and he is hoping to keep it this way, but in the meantime, there is a plan to visit Stockholm, Alta., in the future to check out the four to ﬁve-foot elevators created there. There are also some near Yellow Grass. Since his house is ﬁlled with models, and he is running out of room, right now he will slow down a little until the next shows in the new year.

From left, Sheryl and Ivan Paradis attended the Arcola Toy Show with their replica grain elevators. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

AT THE RINK

Sat, Dec 28All Carlyle Tournament - all day

Sun, Dec 29- Public Skating @ 8am-9:30am - Shinny @ 9:30am-11:30am

Mon, Dec 30- Public Skating @ 9am-11am - Shinny @ 11am-3:30pm

By Stephanie Zoer

For the eighth year, the Stoughton Community Players hosted theatrical productions at the Stoughton branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

This year, they performed in front of soldout crowds on Dec. 6, 7, 13 and 14.

Danielle Hoﬀman, one of the directors and treasurer for the nonproﬁt group, said that they have raised over $140,000 in the past seven years, returning the funds back into the community.

Each year they receive sponsorships from local and area businesses. They also received a sponsorship from Jonathon Lake’s Estate, as he had a passion for theatre.

“It is important to

December

keep theatre alive,” said Hoﬀman.

In the summer, they oﬀer free movies in the curling rink, as well as popcorn and drinks.

For the first time, they hosted a film camp, with 10 children attending. This group did everything from the writing, editing, filming, making the costumes and props, and then showing the crowd what the end result was.

Hoﬀman said this is all in the eﬀorts to keep theatre alive among young people.

This event is not possible without all the volunteers, and it takes an army to pull it oﬀ.

Organizations are asked to come and help work or serve, and through their help, they

Estevan

Estevan -Pharmasave -1239 5th Street

Weyburn -Pharmasave -30-3rdStreet

Oxbow -SouthernPlains Co-op -405 ProspectAve

Your rst stop to nd events happening in our community!

Tues, Dec 31- Public Skating @ 8am-11 am - Shinny @ 11am-6pm

January

Wed, Jan 1- Public Skating @ 8am-11am - Shinny @ 11am-8pm

Thurs, Jan 2- Shinny @ 11:30am-3:30pm

Sat, Jan 4- U7 McLean vs Carndu @ 9am

- U7 Rasmussen vs Oxbow @ 9am - U11 Fritz vs Carievale @ 10:30am

- U18 Wildcats vs Milestone @1pm

- U15 Cougars vs Milestone @5pm - U18 Cougars vs Carndu @8pm

Sun, Jan 5- U11 David vs Carievale@11:30am - U13 cougars vs Estevan @2pm

Stoughton Community Players sold out four shows

beneﬁt from the proceeds. A meal is prepared by everyone, as a list is sent out and people oﬀer up which salads they will bring.

Roast beef and chicken were on the menu, with piles of diﬀerent homemade salads, and the dessert table was ﬁlled with treats.

Seventeen kids took part in the Stoughton Community Players show this year. Hoﬀman said the kids were similar to herding cats – they go in every direction, yet their young minds are like sponges, and they soaked everything up to be ready to perform for the crowd. She asked everyone

to be incredibly quiet as some of the children were young and had soft voices.

The Ever After setting was in a talk show that invited guests who had been estranged for 20 years. The show is punctuated by questions from obnoxious studio audience members and hilarious infomercials for fairy tale-related products.

The twists and turns from the fairy tale characters had the audience laughing, as the prince was slowly turning into a frog and needed to be kissed to stay a prince.

The plays were all one-act performances, so when The Ever After show was over, a short break was held for stage setup.

thickened when the sister was supposedly murdered.

For the last play called My Narrator, a young artist makes bad decisions, so she hires a narrator to help her not make bad choices. Lacy and Miles fall in love with hilarious results. Lacy is a starving artist that Miles questions, and Miles cannot hold down a job. The narrators struggle to keep these two love birds in line.

A 50/50 draw was held through all four shows and the winning ticket was pulled on Dec. 17. It will be posted at the town oﬃce and on their Facebook page.

Next up was Café Murder. Set in a restaurant to celebrate the birthday of an annoying hypochondriac who was allergic to water and celebrating with her sisters. The plot

If it is not claimed by Dec. 24, another ticket will be drawn and held until Dec. 31. At that time if no winner comes forward, the money will be added to the proceeds of the play.

Seventeen youths took part in play The Ever After, held at the Stoughton legion. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

By Stephanie Zoer

Support for the challenge

E. Bourassa and Sons began last year has gone above and beyond what they had expected.

It initially began with the Weyburn branch and now the Carlyle location has taken on the challenge.

Starting last year on Dec. 6, the company challenged businesses to take part in a 24-in24 Challenge. Although the event did well with 63 businesses helping, they felt it did not give them enough time to get other businesses involved.

This year the challenge started on Nov. 18 and ran for a full month. This has made the event go through the roof.

E. Bourassa starts with the

‘Twas

By Stephanie Zoer

Arcola’s Mac Murray Theatre came alive with a play from the Arcola School Junior Drama Club on Dec. 12.

The cast, consisting of students from Grades 5-8, presented a comedy, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas by Arthur M. Jolly.

Performing in front of a large crowd of parents and friends, these students worked on this play for 2 1/2 months to get the production correct.

Director Korinn Lawrence said the students did a fantastic job and exceeded her expectations.

“There is certainly some budding talent, and I look forward to seeing how their skills grow as they get older,” said Lawrence.

The students were very dedicated for the 10 weeks, coming to practices faithfully and staying after school to paint props, learn how to run the lights and sound at the theatre, and set up the stage.

Student intern Asia Temple had approached Lawrence at the beginning of the year and offered to help, which Law-

EXTRA EXTRA

E. Bourassa and Sons’ 24 in 24 Challenge well supported

nomination, and from there each day the nominee has 24 hours to bring in 24 items or more. In turn they nominate another business or two to accept the challenge.

Not only were Carlyle businesses nominated, but area companies got involved, including Arcola and even Redvers.

The company had always hosted a toy drive, but they felt they could do more for the community.

More than 160 businesses have taken the challenge, bringing in over 3,800 items of food, hygiene products, toys and more for the people who need an extra boost this year.

To load the items, a fork lift and a cube van are needed,

and it takes several trips to the foodbank.

The challenge ended on Dec. 16, with the remaining donations needing to be in the following day. The items are delivered on Dec. 18.

Tina Renner, administrator for Carlyle, said they have three large boxes filled with items they had to move to the back.

“We cannot believe how good it has gone over; we have an amazing community,” said Renner.

The Carlyle and District Food Bank covers a fairly large area, and this will help them immensely to help those who have struggles.

This is one event that will continue with the huge success that it has brought.

the Night Before Christmas presented in Arcola

rence said made it easier to run a drama club for younger students.

Although Jolly created the play, the school added many details to create a special true theatrical experience. This included a shared meal between the cast and crew before they headed to the theatre.

They also had personalized tickets and reserved seating for their special guests, making the experience a family affair.

Upon entering the theatre, a silver donation was taken and roses were sold to present to the cast at the end of the show.

Guests were escorted to their seats by a student.

The play was based around a poem, An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, which people often know as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

As the poem is read by narrators Damion Gordon and Mikaiah Kulyk, the students jumped into action.

Papa, played by Braylen Burman, runs to the window regurgitates a long scarf, when the poem states, “I ran to the window and threw up the sash.”

Mama, cast by Heidi

Heidinger panics when she hears something on the roof, while Santa, played by Kyaan Horri, takes offence to the description of his body.

There was a chorus line of dancing plums, portrayed by Meiyah Moore, Teagan Workman and Connor Metz, to the children excited about Christmas played by Jilyan Akachuk and Rory Gordon.

This short play had the crowd chuckling and giving the students a big round of applause.

Indra Bohnert and

Kenton Maitland took care of the lights and sound, and prop set up was handled by Kylin Hoffman, Teagan Workman, and Gray Klahm. Media print was the responsibilities of Habiba Ami and Maddy Hengen.

“I have a passion for theatre and felt energized each time I met with the students,” said Lawrence. “We had a lot of fun and I am very proud of how well they did with their production.”

It is their hope to continue with tradition in the future.

This is one of the smaller boxes that has been lled for the Carlyle and District Foodbank and it needed to be moved with a forklift. Photo by Tina Renner

Students in Grades 5-8 from Arcola School worked hard to present ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

“May

your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

Why should summer have all the fun?

Don’t shoot the messenger for this one, but winter is oﬃcially here.

Christmas vacation is underway for local schools. Government oﬃces, some professional services and others are closed until 2025. A lot of people will be oﬀ for part of or all of the holidays, but a lot of businesses are still open.

Regardless of whether you have to work, you can still ﬁnd fun things to do during the Christmas holidays.

Winter can be what you make of it. You might not ﬁnd the bevy of outdoor activities, festivals and other fun things that you have in the summer months. You’re not going to get those glorious nights around the campﬁre when it is 20 C at sunset at 8:30 p.m.

But winter can still be a pretty good season. There’s more to winter than sitting around your house with the heat on, waiting for the snow to melt and spring to arrive. And you can do more outside than just clear snow from your driveway and your sidewalk.

Recent snowfall did more than frustrate motorists and guarantee a white Christmas. It gave us more activities to enjoy. There might not be enough snow on the ground for snowmobile enthusiasts to break out their sleds just yet, but there are other fun potential activities.

We’ve seen more people snowshoeing and crosscountry skiing in recent years. Snowshoes have come a long way from those big, wooden, ﬂoppy things of years past. We have a lot of really nice parks in the southeast, from Moose Mountain Provincial Park near Carlyle to Woodlawn Regional Park south of Estevan, and they have great trails for us to enjoy throughout the year, including the winter months.

And you can go for a walk with only your boots as your winter footwear.

You can go tobogganing down one of the hills in your community, make use of an outdoor rink once it’s open or just go for a walk. If temperatures warm up, as was the forecast, then it gives even more incentive to spend time outdoors.

Go for a drive out in the country and enjoy the scenery with the snow covering the ﬁelds in the area.

Other activities will resume once school is back in session and people are back in town. The Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins will be back on the ice as they make a push for a playoﬀ spot. Senior hockey will be back with the second half of the Big Six Hockey League’s regular season. Minor hockey will return as well. And there will be lots of action at the local curling rink, too.

We’re blessed to have a lot of great cultural facilities in the southeast as well, and they’ll be oﬀering programs for the next few months.

And there are other events that will be happening in the next few months, activities that will be lots of fun for people to enjoy. Some of them will be indoors.

Now, we do have to exercise common sense. If there’s an extreme cold warning in eﬀect, it’s probably not a good time to take up cross-country skiing. If heavy snow is in the forecast, it’s probably best not to take that long country drive. And it’s probably not a good idea to be outside at 8:30 p.m. on a normal night, unless you’re dressed for the conditions.

But still, the fun doesn’t stop just because winter is here. There’s still a lot for you to do. And with the shortest day of the year in the rear-view mirror, we get to look forward to a little more daylight with every passing day.

How sweet the chocolate can be

On tables at this time of year might be some favourite goodies, traditional baking and likely several sweet treats. Chocolate will be a featured ingredient in some of it.

Chocolate has been with us for centuries, tracing back to the ancient Mayan people and perhaps even earlier to the Olmecs of southern Mexico.

As chocolate made its way into Europe, it was a luxury that truly only the rich could aﬀord. In fact, it was considered a ‘royal’ treat since it was popular in royal courts among those who had money. But then a Dutch chemist discovered more inexpensive ways to work with the beans. We have Coenraad Van Houten to thank for making chocolate accessible to the rest of us.

I’ve been to Las Vegas several times and have a favorite among all the activities there: touring the Ethel M Chocolate

Factory, of course.

Located just outside Vegas is an unexpected oasis of freshly-crafted gourmet chocolates, handmade on site. Using family recipes dating back to 1910, the company specializes in smallbatch, premium chocolates.

Behind walls of windows are chocolatiers who go to extraordinary lengths to create the perfect selection of confections, packing each box by hand. They are dressed like surgeons, covered head to toe so as not to contaminate any step of the process.

As you progress through the tour, you learn that they make their own caramel in original copper kettles, mix their own ﬂavourings and grind nuts on site. The result of all this is premium chocolate that is very, very tasty.

When I was a teenager, I began learning how to make chocolates. My parents bought molds and a recipe book, and I read and practised. I gradually learned a bit about the process, and enjoyed eating my mistakes along the way.

I started out making pretty rudimentary solid ones, but then began experimenting with a variety of centres – nuts, cherry and my favourite, caramel, which was the toughest one because you

have to boil the confection for the exact right amount of time at the exact right temperature. If you miss, the texture is all wrong and it can become grainy or hard.

One Christmas, a batch I was making was going fine until I got overly ambitious and tried making too many different kinds at the same time. The biggest problem was the finicky caramel, which needed more attention than I was giving it.

When I started pouring it into the molds, I knew something was not quite right but decided to pretend there wasn’t a problem. I ﬁnished them up—paying careful attention to decorate the tops as prettily as possible. The lovelier they looked on the outside, the better it would cover up what might be happening on the inside.

As you might expect, the caramel batch was awful. They looked perfectly lovely, but the insides were gritty and inedible. The outside covering tried to hide what was going on inside, but once through the outer layer, all was exposed.

Think of how often we do that in our lives. We have struggles, hurts and pain that we don’t want to show so we cover and dress it up, hoping others won’t see the truth. Sorrow, depression, grief, anxiety, fear, insecur-

ity, loneliness, isolation, the list goes on. They are hard things to talk about. So we dress it up, try to make it all look pretty on the outside, hoping it will be a good cover for what is on the inside. At the end of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory tour, there are samples to taste, followed by a visit to the gift shop where you can shop for your favourites. The packaging was stunning, but honestly no amount of ribbons and bows could make the chocolate any tastier.

I’ve read that some premium chocolatiers discard ‘rejects’ because they wouldn’t dare let an inferior-looking product go to market. How sad that something that would taste delicious doesn’t get consumed simply because it doesn’t look perfect.

The world tempts us to chase after what looks pretty on the outside –money, success, status, inﬂuence, luxury. Yet what looks appealing externally too often turns negative and leaves a bad taste in our mouths. We should focus on the inside – character, integrity, compassion, kindness and generosity. Things that don’t sour.

When it comes to the fancy chocolate on our table and the people in our lives, what’s inside is where you ﬁnd the sweetness. That’s my outlook.

- Nelson Mandela

Shelley Luedtke

Wildlife federation’s sh fry enjoyed by many in Arcola

By Stephanie Zoer

The Moose Mountain Wildlife Federation (MMWF) decided this year to try something new for the people in the area by holding its first annual community fish fry Dec. 9 in Arcola at the MMWF hall on Main Street.

The event snowballed into happening before the Christmas season and donating the funds raised to the food banks in Carlyle and Lampman.

Close to 100 people enjoyed the fried fish, which was sourced through a commercial fishing operation. They

needed to obtain a permit for the 100 pounds of walleye. Along with the fried walleye, homemade fries cut from fresh potatoes, as well as coleslaw, homemade dipping sauce and baked beans from Weir’s Catering filled peoples stomachs. Dessert was also served.

The frying was done outside in three large fryers in an ice fishing shack to keep warm, but guests could go inside the MMWF hall to sit and enjoy their meal.

People from Redvers, Lampman, Carlyle, Arcola, Stoughton, Wawota,

Manor and Kenosee Lake were present at the event.

Raffles were held with door prizes consisting of fishing rods, filleting knives, camping chairs and hats.

When the meal was completed, the leftover cooked and uncooked foods were auctioned off to the highest bidders.

The $10 meal ticket and raffle money were then donated to the food banks.

Mitchell Martel said the event was well attended and they are planning to hold this event annually in December, as they were pleased with how it turned out this year.

Oxbow looking to gain hospital status for health facility

By John Cairns SaskToday.ca and David Willberg

The latest effort to improve health-care services in Oxbow involves trying to upgrade the Galloway Health Centre to hospital status.

A group in the community has been formed to lobby the Ministry of Health about becoming a hospital. RM of Enniskillen chief administrative officer Pamela Bartlett said they want to be able to provide acute care services.

Citing the health centre’s website, Bartlett said the health centre has a “robust” emergency room, eight temporary care beds and 12 longterm care beds.

“Those eight temporary care beds mean that they are unable to provide care for somebody longer than 24 hours,” Bartlett said in an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday. “When somebody goes in there … if that person needs IV or antibiotics, they can stay under observation for 24 hours. If they still need those IV or antibiotics longer than that, they need to be transferred to another facility.”

St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, the Arcola Health Centre and the Redvers Health Centre are the nearest facilities.

Palliative, respite, overnight, convalescent and rehabilitative care, along with an adult day program, are covered under the temporary care beds. Any type of acute care has to be transferred to another facility with a hospital distinction.

As recently as a few weeks ago, the Oxbow group had been told there would be no changes to the health centre’s status, as the ministry believed the facility was meeting the needs of the community in its present form. But since that time, the Oxbow area group has been told the ministry would look into the matter. They also had a phone call with Estevan

MLA Lori Carr, whose cabinet minister duties include Rural and Remote Health.

“What they have asked is for SHA to provide all the options that are required and needed to be able to provide acute care services, and what it would take to move that forward, whether it’s going to be a change of designation, whether it’s going to be an increase of staff – what that looks like, they’re hoping to have all of this information in January,” said Bartlett.

A meeting is expected to take place in January with community representatives to relay a plan.

“No promises have been made at this time, but we’re very hopeful that a resolution will soon be reached,” said Bartlett.

Carr said the Oxbow group had asked to meet with her in person to discuss their concerns.

“What I had already done earlier in the week was I had asked the SHA to gather the information for me to understand why it’s not the designation of a hospital like they would like [in Oxbow], what is outstanding and what may need to be done so I can understand,” said Carr.

She wants to know if it’s a matter of staffing, equipment or another issue.

“I think they have a very fair request as to what they’re looking for, and something as to what rural Saskatchewan is looking for, and to try to find a way to make it work, that’s going to be my goal,” she said.

Staffing has been a much-discussed topic at the Galloway Health Centre the past couple of years. Numerous service disruptions have occurred. Bartlett said this is a different matter, as the focus is to land acute care services.

“A service disruption can come from a number of different factors,” said Bartlett. “Staffing is one of them. When the doctors are on holidays or at

training, that can trigger service disruptions. However, we have seen fewer service disruptions since Oxbow was added to be able to have the RNs receive extra [graduate] funding.”

During the Christmas break, Oxbow will have access to the virtual physician model, which Bartlett said would alleviate service disruptions.

“The current and new manager is working very hard to ensure staffing rates are at capacity to alleviate as many service disruptions as possible,” she said.

Bartlett noted that although Galloway was not designated a hospital, it had acute care services until less than a year ago, when there was a change in how beds were allocated.

The Oxbow situation was addressed in the

Saskatchewan legislature on Dec. 9, when the opposition NDP squared off with the government on health-care issues impacting smaller communities. NDP Leader Carla Beck pointed out Oxbow’s health facility has the necessary staff needed to deliver care at home.

“But Oxbow residents, the mayor, and healthcare workers report that they have to transport patients to Estevan, Arcola, Regina, sometimes even Swift Current, and often by ambulance. Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a simple fix. Why won’t the premier listen to the local people of Oxbow and ensure they can get the care that they need at home?” Beck said in the legislature.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill did not rule out the possibility of expanding health services

in Oxbow because of the staffing available.

“We will absolutely be working with the community of Oxbow to understand what their current services are. But I would just say that whenever we expand services, we want to make sure that that’s sustainable into the future,” said Cockrill.

He said that “if there is an opportunity to have some predictability around staffing over the long run in that community, we’d look at expanding services.”

Bartlett sent a letter saying that since December 2023, Galloway Health Centre has filled four permanent RN positions and three licensed practical nurse (LPN) roles, and has increased

the casual pool. Through the rural stabilization program, there have been extra shift lines granted to have overlapping shifts which these lines are slowly being filled. There is a draw to Galloway Health Centre for LPNs throughout the area as LPNs at Galloway Health Centre are working to their full scope of practice with emergency patients, which has occurred as a result of the reintegration.

“Both SHA and the ministry have allocated many resources to rural sites such as Oxbow to stabilize the services, i.e., the additional nursing positions through the ER stabilization plan, the rural health professional incentives.”

From left, Paul Delalleau from the Moose Mountain Wildlife Federation presented a cheque to Sandy Handreider from Lampman’s Food Bank. Photos courtesy of Mitchell Martel

From left, Theresa Luedtke from the Carlyle and District Foodbank received a cheque from Paul Delalleau from the Moose Mountain Wildlife Federation.

JANUARY & FEBRUARY

Editor’s note: We are proud to present this look back through 2024 with photos that appeared in the Carlyle Observer. We hope you enjoy it. Photos are based on the month of the event as much as possible.

in Carlyle.

Ray Boutin speaks over the phone with artist Liubov Kuptsova in Ukraine during the Art Helping Art grand

Krystle Zoer met professional wrestling legend Shane Douglas during CWE’s debut

A group of women in the Wawota area gathered to celebrate 10 years of making little dresses.

The Storthoaks Wings won the annual recreation hockey tournament in Alida.

From left, coach Chelsie Shier, Dane Tober, Damion Seymour, Declynn Allum, Fallyn Shier, Bryler Franken and coach Denise Allum were part of the Carndu and Area Beef 4-H Club’s championship-winning team.

Employees for the Town of Redvers who gathered after winning a national award included, back row, Dayna Germain, Dwight Jorgensen and Zach Lees. Front row, Jade Kovach, Tricia Pickard, Sandy Russell, Raylene Gordon and Jena Cowan.

opening.

Alida’s Act One Productions performed a Fine Monster You Are.

Lampman School won provincial high school curling title for the second straight year. Team members were, back row, from left, coaches Trevor and Dawn Willock. Front row, from left, Tye Farnsworth, Mathias Fornwald, Sydney Willock, Jamie Johnson and Jayden Fleck.

The Carlyle Figure Skating Club had a Welcome to the Jungle theme for its ice show.

Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nations held a Day

Honouring ceremony to remember their ancestors, who were forced from their land at gunpoint in 1901.

The Carlyle Area Lions Club held their annual fundraising dinner.

From left, Lorna and Brian Kennett with the wall plaque that was signed by everyone who attended a mental health awareness fundraiser in Carlyle.

Michael Lonechild of the White Bear First Nations was an early recipient of a King Charles III Coronation Medal by Saskatchewan Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty.

The northern lights made spectacular appearances in southeast Saskatchewan.

From left, Carlyle Mayor Jen Sedor, Ken King, and Jade and Travis Moore cut the ribbon at King’s Department Store during the grand reopening.

july

& august

The Carlyle Cardinals won their fth straight Jack Harbourne title as the Saskota Baseball League champions.

The Southeast Steelers captured a national women’s fast-pitch title for the second straight year.

Premier Scott Moe, right, joined Cannington MLA Daryl Harrison for a tour of the constituency. Rough stock

of the Arcola Rodeo.

Kenosee Lake Show and Shine

OXBOW, HALBRITE & CARLYLE, SK PIPESTONE, MB

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

Producers were busy with harvest in September.

annual Homespun Craft Show and Sale – known as the Biggest Little Craft Sale in Saskatchewan – attracted many people.

Creative Tables fundraiser in Arcola supported worthy causes.

The annual Wild Hogs motorcycle rally was held in Arcola. The Riders on the Road tour stopped in Lampman.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre returned to Carlyle, giving kids a theatre experience.

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

Jesse Twietmeyer played the bugle at Carlyle’s Remembrance Day service.

Everything is Groovy was performed at Kenosee Lake, showcasing the talents of many people.

The Southern Plains Co-op celebrated their grand opening of its new Carlyle food store.

The Estevan Bruins faced the Notre Dame Hounds in an SJHL hockey game in Carlyle.

The annual Frosty Fest was held in Stoughton.

Bev Thompson proudly displayed the Victorian hats that Irene Doty gave her before Doty died to keep the Dickens tradition going.

The annual Redvers Winterfest had lots of activities for families.

From left, Taysen and Kaelan Holt suited up alongside their father Todd during a Carlyle Cougars’ regular season game.

A ordability main topic during Legislature’s fall sitting

By John Cairns SaskToday.ca

The abbreviated fall sitting of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly has come to an end and the MLAs have headed home for the winter break.

The sitting, which began Nov. 25 and lasted a little over two weeks, saw the Saskatchewan Party government introduce several bills that will return in the spring, as well as pass their two key affordability bills.

The first was the Saskatchewan Affordability Act with its income tax reductions, while the other was the Carbon Tax Fairness for Families Act extending the carbon tax removal from SaskEnergy home heating. Both bills passed with no opposition and they received royal assent.

While the Saskatchewan Party got their affordability measures through the house, it was a different story for opposition New Democrats, whose attempts at emergency motions have been stymied throughout the sitting.

They tried again to bring an emergency motion on one of their signature affordability pledges, with Regina Rochdale MLA Joan Pratchler proposing removal of the PST on children’s clothing in time for Christmas.

It was the sixth time in the session that the NDP had attempted an emergency motion, and it met the same fate as the previous five. It failed to get the needed unanimous consent as Sask. Party MLAs shouted no, stopping the motion from being introduced.

In speaking to reporters after question period, Premier Scott Moe was satisfied with how the sitting went. He pointed to the Sask. Party government keeping its pledges on affordability, pointed to a renewed focus on health

Tips

New Year ’s Eve is one of the most festive nights of the year Despite its reputation for revelr y, New Year ’s Eve also can be dangerous, which underscores the need to celebrate responsibly when ringing in a new year

Amer ican Addiction Centers surveyed 1,000 Amer icans regarding their alcohol consumption habits on cer tain holidays The sur vey found that the average person consumes 4.4 alcoholic dr inks on New Year ’s Eve, making the holiday second only to Mardi Gras in terms of dr inks consumed. Alcohol lowers individuals’ inhibitions and adversely affects their judgment, which could make them vulnerable to cr iminals and more likely to make bad decisions, including dr iving after a few dr inks In fact, the National Safety Council estimates that 427 people

care and a commitment that everyone has access to a primary health-care provider, and to education commitments including specialized support classrooms. He also pointed to the measures towards safer communities.

“People voted in the last election for the platform that we put forward, but they also voted for change. This session was largely about setting the foundation for both enacting our platform, but providing the change that Saskatchewan people have asked for, and we feel that we have done that, and we’re going to continue to deliver on just those metrics as we look forward,” Moe said.

Observers have noticed a more toned-down atmosphere in the legislature during the two weeks, especially from the government side. Premier

Moe spoke about what he believed was a changed demeanour this sitting.

Moe said what his caucus had discussed going into the session is that the “people of Saskatchewan have certain expectations of their government.

“We’re not the opposition. We are the Government of Saskatchewan. We should conduct ourselves accordingly. And I would hope throughout this abbreviated session this fall that … the people of Saskatchewan can be proud of the individuals, and I’ll speak for the government caucus, how they conducted themselves in the Legislative Assembly, but also how they conducted themselves in putting forward the legislation and policies on behalf of the people that they represent.”

As for Opposition Leader Carla Beck, she was pleased with the work of the

may die on U.S. roads dur ing the 2022 New Year ’s holiday per iod.

A new year is worthy of celebration, and the festivities can be even more enjoyable when individuals take these safet y tips to hear t.

• Recognize the risks. Recognition of the potentially ser ious threats that can be lur king on New Year ’s Eve is vital to celebrating safely. In 2016, leaked documents indicated that more than 1,200 women were sexually assaulted on New Year ’s Eve in various Ger man cities A 2011 repor t from the Bureau of Cr ime Statistics and Research in the United States noted a significant spike in the rate of assaults, murders, sexual assaults, and robber ies on New Year ’s Eve, linking that increase to higher levels of alcohol consumption. Individuals who rec-

NDP’s expanded caucus in the legislature.

“We’re really proud of the session that we’ve had here, a chance to showcase the fantastic new MLAs that we have on our side,” said Beck. “A chance to continue to focus on the issues that Saskatchewan people tell us are most important to them.”

Beck spoke some more of why there was such a focus on affordability during this sitting. She said the concerns that were raised on doorsteps during the campaign “were often focused around cost-of-living issues.”

Beck pointed out that two-thirds of people in the province — “the highest proportion in the entire country,” she said — were reporting they were “struggling just to pay their bills.”

“We hear from people who are saying they’re not able to put their kids in hockey, they’re struggling to put food on the table, and that they can’t wait until 2026 for some relief,” Beck said.

She also once again repeated her belief that the NDP measures would bring that relief right away, unlike the Sask Party measures.

“We continue to believe Saskatchewan people… need relief, but also that they need relief immediately. The measures that we’ve been putting forward, the government could enact. We’ve seen other jurisdictions enact measures such as the the gas tax rebate. It’s something that we still believe the Saskatchewan people need and we will continue to focus on the things that Saskatchewan people tell us are most important to them.”

While the session is over for now, Beck said the work for her party continues and “we look forward to continuing that right up until Christmas and into the new year.”

ognize how vulnerable overconsumption of alcohol can make them may be less inclined to overdo it this year

• Avoid the roads. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that 68 percent of dr unk dr iving traffic fatalities on New Year ’s 2016 involved dr ivers with a high blood alcohol concentration. One of the safest things individuals can do on New Year ’s Eve is to avoid the roads Consider celebrating at home or staying in a hotel or the home of a loved one If you must be on the road, call a cab or book an Uber when you need to get to and from a par ty

• Be careful even if you’re hosting. New Year ’s Eve celebrants also must be vigilant if they’re hosting a gather ing at home. Laws vary, but social host liabilit y laws generally hold

hosts who ser ve alcohol responsible for the actions of their guests after they leave their homes So hosts could conceivably be vulnerable to cr iminal or civil proceedings if they ser ve alcohol to guests who are then involved in traffic accidents or other incidents after they leave hosts’ homes

New Year ’s Eve is a time for celebration. Taking steps to ensure celebrations are safe can make the night even more fun.

The Saskatchewan Legislature. Photo by Brett Mayson on Unsplash

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Conditions drier than normal in Saskatchewan at freeze up

The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) has released the

Conditions at Freeze-up Report. This document sum-

Brenda Johnston 1960 - 2024

Brenda's family broken-heartedly announces her passing at the Southeast Integrated Care Centre Moosomin Sask on December 15 2024 at the age of 64

Brenda will be forever loved and remembered by her husband of 44 years, Harold Johnston; daughter Megan (Brad) Dempsey and grandchildren: Emersyn and Gradyn; son Jay Johnston and grandchildren: Lucas and Beckett; fur babies: Sky, Jemma and Pandy; aunt & uncle: Marg & Richard Fornwald; brother-in-law Dan O’Connor; in-laws: Jim & Joanne Johnston, and special friends: Sandy Stewart & Allan Williamson, Christy & Doug Goudy and Josie Easton She was predeceased by her parents: Bev & Colleen Bryce; sister Sue O'Connor; brother Jack Bryce; niece Emily Bryce; special friends: Oh & Ken Woods and Tom Urban; grandparents: Phyllis & Vic Brown and Nora & Stan Brooks; parents-in-law: Murray & Sally Johnston; brother-in-law Rae Johnston and niece Danni Johnston

A service to celebrate Brenda's life will be held at the Kisbey Recreation Centre Kisbey Sask on Saturday December 28 2024 at 2:00 p m Brenda s niece, Holly Galbraith will be the Celebrant A private family interment will take place at the Arcola Cemetery, earlier in the day Those wishing to pay tribute to Brenda via a donation in her memory may do so directly to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan (please designate to the Regina Cancer Patient Lodge), 200 - 4545 Parliament Ave , Regina, SK S4W 0G3 or online at https://www cancerfoundationsask ca/donate/ Hall Funeral Services in Estevan is caring for Brenda's familyDustin Hall, Funeral Director

marizes conditions during the late fall/early winter period. Current conditions, in combination with the winter snowpack, become the initial conditions for the spring snowmelt runoﬀ report.

This document gives an early indication of areas that are more vulnerable to potentially above or below normal runoff during the spring period. It is important to note that this report is not a spring runoff report. Conditions can change quickly with timely spring rains or significant amounts of snow throughout the season.

“Even though conditions are somewhat drier than normal, this year is still an improvement from last year when moderate to extreme drought conditions were being observed across the province in October 2023,” said Daryl Harrison, the Minister responsible for the Water Security Agency.

Despite the general low snowmelt runoﬀ in spring 2024, May and June rains resulted in most large water supply reservoirs being near or at normal levels through-

out the year and they remain this way moving into the winter.

With the dry two months leading up to freeze-up, most of central, northern and southeast Saskatchewan went into freeze-up with drier than normal soil moisture conditions. Two snowstorms occurred in mid-November that brought 10-80 centimetres of snow to Saskatchewan, with eastcentral regions receiving the most snow. This snow could result in insulating the soil and reducing frost penetration, increasing infiltration in the spring, which may reduce runoff; or creating frozen topsoil due to partial melting and refreezing, reducing infiltration and increasing runoff.

At this time, there are no areas where WSA believes that there is a heightened risk of above normal spring runoﬀ in 2024.

The WSA will continue to monitor conditions throughout the 202425 winter. Beginning in early February, spring runoﬀ outlooks will be released.

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In Memoriam

Tari s a big issue for Moe at premiers’ convention

By John Cairns SaskToday.ca

Premier Scott Moe joined his counterparts for the Council of the Federation meetings in Toronto, where the threat of American tariffs was expected to be a prime topic.

The threat from president-elect Donald Trump of imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods has met a swift negative reaction from politicians across the country. The provincial premiers have already had discussions on the issue and it was set to come up again.

In speaking to reporters in Toronto, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the focus would be “securing our border and making sure we hit our two per cent NATO (commitment).” He also pointed to clean and reliant energy and ensuring lifesaving drugs are approved a lot quicker.

But the premiers’ conference may have been upstaged by news at the federal level of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from cabinet, on a day when she was set to deliver her fall economic statement. In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Freeland had pointed for a need to answer Trump’s tariff threats by “working in good faith with the premiers of the provinces and territories of our diverse country, and building a true Team Canada approach.”

Last week in advance of the Council of the Federation meetings, the premiers held a conference call with Trudeau, and the indication was that the tariff threat was a major discussion point.

Moe sat down with SaskToday immediately following that conference

call for the annual yearend interview. He was asked at that time if he had an update on where things stood.

Moe indicated the issues at the centre of discussion going forward will be “first, border security as it pertains to drugs and … illegal migrants,” and the second would be “trade discussion, market access, trade deficits that may or may not exist across the border.

“And then, three, will be Canada’s investment to the, with respect to their two per cent NATO spending target. I think all three of those are fair discussion for the Canada, U.S. and Canadians and Americans. And so how do we support that from a provincial level.”

Moe said he had been in “multiple calls” with not only Trudeau but with the other premiers, “working collectively to advocate as Canadians on the broader trade relationship. We’re also making another, a number of other video calls at this point. And well, those will be in-person visits very shortly in the new year.”

Moe also pointed to the province’s “extensive” contact list in the U.S. government.

“This past week, I’ve been on video calls with multiple governors and starting to line up some of our other contacts in Washington as well,” Moe said.

“As a province, we’ve worked hard at this over the last decade or even longer. And now we’re going to need to use those contacts to reach out and to talk about the importance of Saskatchewan and Canada being involved in, alongside the United States in providing energy security and food security, not only for

our continent, but providing that same energy and food security for our allied nations around the world. It’s an important conversation.”

Moe pointed to the need towards “visibly and demonstrably increasing border security, not only at our 49th parallel, but possibly in our airports, and as well at our port points of entry as well.

“Because it is drugs, and it is people that we need to stop, not only going into the U.S., but stop coming into Canada as

well, as we have our own epidemic when it comes to the availability of fentanyl and opioids and such in our communities. And we’re not immune to that in Saskatchewan. It is a Canadian, North American challenge, but it’s also here in our province.”

Moe also said you can expect to see significant investments in the future at the border.

“What I think you are seeing, and what I’ve learned through our conversations with the prime

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minister, is that they are going to step into increasing the border security that we have in a substantial way. We may have to take additional steps in the years ahead. And the provinces, including Saskatchewan, are looking for ways that we can participate and enhance some of the border security steps that the federal government is making. And so I think there will be more to come in the weeks ahead on what this all looks like.

“But I think you’re going to see fairly significant investments. I would say significant investment increasing our border security. And the provinces are going to play a role in enhancing what the federal government is going to attempt to do.”

When asked if the tariff situation could be resolved Moe expressed his concern Trump will carry out his threats of tariffs.

“I’m concerned that it’s going to happen, as president Trump finds his way to office on Jan. 20th. In fact, he’s been fairly clear that it’s going to happen.”

Moe pointed to Saskatchewan’s current trade with the U.S., exporting close to $30 billion including potash, uranium, oil and agricultural products. The province also imports heavy farm equipment including tractors and combines. If the tariffs do happen, “that level best of preventing it to happen turns into how quickly can we get them removed and make our case as to this isn’t advancing, in any way, the energy and food security of Americans or Canadians,” said Moe.

“It isn’t helping us build our collective economy. And it’s hurting people on both sides of the border. And so that is really the conversation that we’re having with the governors and other incoming elected members as well as existing elected members in the U.S. And that’s a conversation that you’re really going to see intensify between now and January the 20th. And should the tariffs arrive, you’d see it intensify even more after that point.”

Councillor: Rural Municipality of Reciprocity No 32 Division No 2

KISBEY: 1st & 3rd Sunday

W1M. Nomination forms may be obtained at the following location: R.M. of Reciprocity No 32, Municipal Oﬃce located at Pt SW 22 05 33 W1M.

Dated this 18th day of December, 2024 M.J. Larsen Returning Oﬃcer

ARCOLA: 2nd, 4th & 5th Sunday Please join us for worship Roman Catholic Oxbow/Cantal/ Carnduﬀ Father Leonardo Tamayo Oxbow St Joseph’s - 9:00 a.m Cantal St.

Premier Scott Moe. File photo

32. Win out 37. Beret, e.g.

38. Aggravated 39. Scorches 40. Entanglements

ACROSS

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4. Came out on top

8. Rooster, e.g.

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13. Scorch

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DOWN

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