The Observer August 25, 2023

Southeast family knows benefits of organ donation

By Stephanie Zoer

Cara McConnell was born and raised by her parents Gary and Heather McConnell on a PMU farm near Carlyle.

The farm housed 160 mares, stallions, foals and yearlings, with a barn holding 101 tie stalls for the mares where they collected the urine.

They also had a few Percherons that Gary would team up and offer sleigh rides in the winter while attending the odd parade. he family has had a great deal of stress as a genetic kidney disease called polycystic runs in the family.

Heather’s mom had the disease, three of Heather’s five siblings had it, Heather has the disease and so does Cara.

There was a 50/50 chance of Cara being born with the illness, which leads to fluid cysts on the kidneys, causing the kidney to get larger and slowly stop working.

Cara now lives in Kamloops, B.C. and has two daughters. Grayce Kennedy is 15 years old, and she has been tested and does not have the disease, but Layne Crawford is only four years old and still needs the testing.

Cara knew at a young age she

had the genetic disease, because she is an only child. Her parents could not bear to have more children with the chance of them all having the illness.

At some point in her life, she would need a kidney transplant, as hers would slowly break down.

In her 30s, her blood pressure began to elevate, and after each child her kidney would get worse.

Cara’s kidney was at 10 per cent function; at seven per cent she would need dialysis, so her search began for a donor.

Her quest would begin with reaching out to family on social media, asking who had type Opositive blood, and this is when her cousin Tara Bryant replied, “I have O positive”.

Bryant had earlier found out what blood type she was.

“I just needed to know my blood type and now I know why,” said Bryant, who lives in White Bear and did not hesitate when her cousin asked her the big question.

She needed a kidney, and Bryant jumped right in to save her cousin’s life.

Many tests are needed, such as blood work, chest x-rays, CT scans and more, as a donor needs

to be in good health and Bryant was.

Now the pairing of their blood would be needed to see if Cara would accept it, and it was devastating to learn that her body rejected Bryant’s blood, so the match would not work.

Bryant already had the support of her partner Ray and two children Hannah and Halen to go ahead with the living kidney, and so she went ahead with being a donor, but this time her kidney would go to a stranger.

A2 » HEATHER

RCMP investigation underway after missing White Bear woman located deceased

The Saskatchewan RCMP says Caitlin Maxie, age 29, has been found deceased.

She was located near the White Bear First Nation on Aug. 20. Her family has been notified.

“Carlyle RCMP thanks the volunteer searchers and community members for their assistance locating her. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time,” the RCMP said in a news

release. The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service. According to the RCMP, Maxie was last seen Aug. 18 at approximately 1 p.m. on the

White Bear First Nations. After she was reported missing, the Carlyle RCMP was checking places Maxie is known to visit and following up on information received. A missing person advisory was initially

issued Saturday afternoon. An updated report was released Saturday evening.

Any further updates on this story can be found on our provincial news hub at SaskToday. ca.

From left, Cara and Heather McConnell, Tara Bryant and Layne Crawford are all tied together through family. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

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Your first stop to find events happening in our community!

August

Sun, August 27 - Red Market Barn - Old Habits

Fri, August 25 - Arcola Rodeo

September

Fri - Sun, September 8 to 10 - Wildhogs Bike Rally - Arcola Prairie Place

Sat, Sept 2 - Wilson Old Tyme Harvest

Sat, Sept 16 - Arcola Craft & Tradeshow

Sat & Sun, Sept 16 & 17 - Homespun & Quilt Show

Wed, Sept 20 - Carlyle Library - Women Supporting Women

*Do you have a community event you want listed above?

Send us the name of the event, date, and what community it’s being held by emailing: observer@sasktel.net OR calling: (306) 4532525.

If you would like to include more information than that listed here contact our sales people to see how we can help.

Youths enjoy summer camp in Benson

The community of Benson held a successful summer camp during the week of July 31-Aug. 4, ending with a water gun battle and pizza party. Many games were played at the Benson Hall, such as waiting for Kaylee, British bulldog, octopus, four corners, green light/red light, tag, dodgeball and capture the flag. The youths enjoyed indoor crafts by making paper snakes and flowers, and wooden airplanes with clothespins and popsicle sticks. They also had fun

making their own ice cream sundaes.

Wooden signs were supplied by Out-of-the Woods with Vanessa. The attendees enjoyed painting the wooden signs and creating a sign with their name on it and a suncatcher.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders were asked to attend for a sports day but had other commitments, so they sent footballs and sunglasses, which were appreciated by the kids.

Also, the youths managed to sneak over

to the playground a couple of times despite the excessive heat. They had lots of fun at the playground equipment, the outdoor kitchen, caterpillar, swings and the sandbox, and they played basketball and outdoor hockey

The Benson Culture and Recreation Board thanks the Community Initiatives Fund and Sask. Lotteries for funding, which provided the opportunity for the children of Benson to enjoy a summer camp-like experience.

Heather McConnell is in desperate need of a kidney

« A1 This would ensure that her cousin would receive the muchneeded kidney from another stranger.

In April and May 2023, the surgeries took place in B.C. The operations took about four hours, a short stay in the

hospital, and a four-tosix week recovery time. Today both women are doing well. Cara’s kidney, once at 10 per cent, is now at 64 per cent and climbing.

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A person’s body can easily live with one kidney, but if Bryant ever would run into trouble with her one kidney, she is moved to the top of the list, because she was so selfless and helped someone else.

She is forever grateful to Tara for giving her

life, and her Aunt Velda and Uncle Brent Peach for all their help after the surgery. To her friends and the village, she lives in, thank you for your emotional, mental and financial support.

“It will never be forgotten,” said Cara, who believes she has so many people to thank.

The two have another quest and this one is very urgent. Cara’s mother Heather is in desperate need of a kidney as well.

Heather has been on dialysis for 17 years. The first seven years she was able to do peritoneal dialysis. This was done at home during the night for nine hours, allowing Heather to work from home. A clear solution was used, but after awhile this no longer worked.

For the past 10 years, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Heather is driven to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan by Gary or a friend to have her life-saving dialysis. The drive is an hour, the procedure is four hours and then another hour drive home. By the end, Heather is exhausted.

Cara came back to Carlyle to heal and also to help with the drives to the hospital and to give her father a break.

When Heather was 57, she also suffered a stroke, leaving her unable to speak. Now only 66 years old, she still has hope for a kidney.

Family did try to help, as three members stepped forward to donate. Out of the three, one would work and when she

began the final testing, she found out she had cancer.

Without a kidney transplant, Heather’s future is not bright.

A person does not need to match Heather’s blood. It is called a pairing group. A person donates their living kidney to a stranger, stating they wish to help Heather. This will ensure Heather gets the kidney she needs so badly, and two people’s lives are saved.

According to Bryant, it is easy to access the donor site at blood. ca. The site is simple to go through and answers many of the questions and there is also a program that helps with expenses while going through the procedure.

Amid the testing and finally the surgery, a person is given a support nurse and counsellor. They check up on the person regularly and answer any questions that might need answering.

Bryant and Cara will always remain close, due to their experience and now a life-long bond.

Young people who attended the summer camp in Benson gather for a group photo. Photo courtesy of Laureen Keating

Harmonizing communities: the Kenosee Lake

Kitchen Party’s musical tapestry of connection

By Sydni Sproule

The Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party (KLKP) is a gathering that infuses Saskatchewan with the joy of music, community and co-operation.

This event, which was founded on the principles of inclusion and collaboration, is more than simply a music festival; it’s a celebration of the value of fostering musical talent through generations and the strength of shared experiences.

The event sang its way into the community when Michele Amy created it 20 years ago.

Amy is a professional teacher and created this organization as a response to what she saw happening in local communities and schools.

“There was a crisis for audiences and fiddle culture,” Michele explained, with “not a lot of traditional culture vibrant in the community.”

Children, especially ones who often felt marginalized, “needed a place to belong to find people.”

The past year, Amy explained that the KLKP received a grant which allowed it to offer programming to children no matter their financial situation. Using collaborations with local communities in southeast Saskatchewan, Kitchen Party Music Inc. hopes to forge enduring links

that bolster the area’s cultural landscape.

Regardless of age or ability level, KLKP is dedicated to building a co-operative environment where each member is valued and considered an essential contribution. This dedication is at the heart of every endeavor the company undertakes. There was a large positive response to the camp this year, Amy said, with the participants joining “workshops together throughout the year [where] lone wolves formed their own community at the facility.”

The program “gives them musical opportunities to work together with a dynamic and accessible form of music.”

The KLKP’s emphasis on family engagement is one of its pillars of success. Since caring family contexts are where music thrives the most, the camp promotes family and group attendance.

This innovative method not only promotes musical communication across generations, but also offers a nurturing environment for aspiring artists to grow.

Children are taken into consideration. The program provides young participants with specific instruction and activities. The camp provides an environment where kids may discover and grow their musical abilities in a

playful and interesting way. Participants may immerse themselves in

five hours of teaching, free concerts, vibrant jams and optional ac-

Kati Van Winkoop is excited to go to university

By Stephanie Zoer

Kati Van Winkoop graduated from the Wawota Parkland School with 16 other students on June 23.

Van Winkoop is the daughter of Kelvin and Elly Van Winkoop and was raised with her older sister Anna.

During her school years, she always enjoyed math and science, but chemistry was her favourite.

At the age of four, Van Winkoop began to figure skate. As she got older and wanted to be more competitive, she began to figure skate in Carlyle.

Find

She not only took skating but began to dance at the age of six. By the time she was 14 years old, she hung up her dancing shoes to pursue skating instead.

Van Winkoop lived in Kenosee Lake her entire life, and is excited to see the changes that her next phase in life has to offer when she attends the University of Saskatchewan. She will have a roommate that she has never met and feels this will be a great way to make a new friend.

Being on the honour roll in Wawota, she was also the co-valedictorian.

Van Winkoop re-

ceived several awards and scholarships, including the Senior Science Award and the Division IV RBC Math Award, but also was awarded the South East Cornerstone Teachers' Association Award.

The Access Communications Scholarship was also presented to Van Winkoop, along with an entrance scholarship to the University of Saskatchewan.

Van Winkoop has been working hard all summer at Club 19, where she has worked for five years, but gained a job at the Kenosee Minimart.

She feels her pro-

gramming will be demanding and she will not have time to get a job during school.

Entering an engineering program, it will take her four years to complete her degree. When this is completed, she will enter for her master's for pharmaceutical.

It is her desire to develop and test medications that will be approved for use.

She said the degrees are a lot of work and will require her full attention while going to school.

“There will be a lot of studying and homework,” she said.

Back to School Supplies

tivities like yoga and dance classes – all included in the tuition

cost – during the two five-day sessions offered each August.

Experience the transformative power of music and community at the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party, where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to create co-operative relationships through interaction and common interests. Photo courtesy of Michele Amy

The Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party offered lots of great music once again this year. Photo courtesy of Michele Amy

Kati Van Winkoop will be attending the University of Saskatchewan in the fall. Photo by Taigan Fowler

SaskPower emphasizes safety around power lines

SaskPower is reminding farmers to exercise caution around power lines now that harvest is underway in many areas of the southeast.

Scott McGregor, a consultant for media relations and issues management with the Crown corporation, said they have a similar message as spring seeding: plan a route ahead of time, utilizie a spotter on the ground whenever possible, protect equipment and be aware of surroundings.

As of July 25, SaskPower has received 186 reports of farm implements coming into contact with power lines this year, which is up from the same time a year ago. Last year there were 248 contacts with power lines in total.

“We’ll have a better idea of the full scope of how many contacts we had in September,” McGregor said.

There is a lull in power line contacts during the summer months, although McGregor said they still receive some due to spraying.

“Every year is a little different. Obviously, different areas of the province will start at different times,” said McGregor. “Sometimes if it’s a later start, you’ll have some

more people rushing out there, which could increase the number of incidents. Likewise with harvest, if there’s a frost in the forecast, a lot of producers are getting out there to get their crops off before the frost hits.”

Contact with a power line can pose a risk to the equipment operator’s well-being since power lines and power poles carry a high level of electricity.

“That really is our key message, in the interest of personal safety, to avoid hitting power infrastructure as much as you can, in addition to the personal well-being and safety aspect. There could be damage to equipment, there could be the potential for a wildfire to start up, depending on the conditions in the area.”

There is also damage that could be caused to power transmission infrastructure and equipment.

“There are a number of reasons why everybody should take extreme caution when working around power infrastructure,” said McGregor.

Contact with farm equipment could knock out power for a considerable amount of time, he said, depending on the nature of the incident. If it’s a power

pole, repair work might take longer because the pole might have to be replaced. A power line might have to be spliced or restrung. If the contact is in a more isolated area, it might take SaskPower more time to reach the incident.

“If a fire were to start from the contact, that will slow down repairs as well,” said McGregor.

Some contacts won’t result in power outages. He noted most will report a contact even if it doesn’t knock out electricity.

McGregor believes SaskPower is succeeding in getting the message out. The company respects the fact that agriculture brings a lot of stress and long hours, and farmers are utilizing larger implements all of the time, which they only operate for a few weeks each year.

“We’re seeing a plateau in terms of the numbers year of year. Typically, there has been a slight decrease in the past few years, which is really encouraging. It’s something nobody sets out to do, which is to come into contact with power lines. It’s always helpful to give people a reminder in the event they do hit a power line. That message is very important and something

Wawota athlete sets a new Canadian waterski record

By Myrna Olson

Congratulations to Blake Lamontagne, who recently participated in the Canadian Championship Water Skiing event.

He achieved the MP3 Men’s Trick Canadian record with 1,340 points. That is one trick short of the world record. He and his teammates will attend the world championships at Elk Grove, Fla., from Oct. 8-15.

Kate and Sarah Heffernan of Regina spent the last two weeks with family in Wawota. This included time with grandpa and grandma Olson, the Lamoureauxs, Craig Olson and Mikey and the Kenton Olsons at Kenosee Lake.

Visiting with Shirley Corkish last week were Jeff and Laura Corkish, Owen, Addie and Mason of Cottage Grove, Minn. They spent a week in Wawota.

Keith Olson attended a graveside

service at the Corning Cemetery on Aug. 15. This was a farewell to his good friend Bruce McCarthy, who passed away earlier this year.

Heather Petterson and her father Ross spent Aug. 14-17 in Toronto where they en -

that everyone should be aware of.”

McGregor noted he

has in-laws who farm in the Estevan area, so he has a close connec-

tion when it comes to the importance of farm safety.

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joyed some Blue Jays baseball games. This is part of the celebration for Ross’ upcoming 85th birthday.

Heather, who is from Cranbrook, B.C., has spent several weeks this summer in Wawota.

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Rig Report

SaskPower is reminding producers to be safe during harvest this year. File photo

Tribute held for Lampman’s Loretta Threinen at national event

By Stephanie Zoer

At the Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alta., 435 purebred and partbred Arabian horses and 300 riders took part in the Canadian Arabian National Championship horse show.

The event took place from Aug. 9-17 with many locals attending.

Channie Rutledge of Oxbow attended the show for the first time in over 15 years, not to be a spectator but to ride in the show and make a special tribute to her mother Loretta Threinen of Lampman.

Her six-year-old gelding named Rogue One LE, known as Finn, was trained by Sharon and Rena McLean from Shaunavon.

Rutledge purchased Finn when he was only two days old, and he came home to the farm at the age of four months. There he would grow and be given time to mature before going into training.

The pair did quite well for their first time showing, and Finn even took some reserve championships in classes with Rena.

Rutledge was raised on a farm near Lamp-

man with her parents Bernie and Loretta Threinen.

Loretta Threinen had a passion for horses but fell in love with the Arabian breed. She felt they were beautiful, loyal and smart.

In the 1980s, Threinen purchased her first Arabian and joined the Canadian Arabian Association.

The Threinens herd would begin to grow as they had a special eye, kind touch and patience for horses.

Threinen spent many hours on the farm working, while being a stay-at-home mom, but her horse passion came through.

Soon her daughter Channie and some local girls got involved in the show circuit.

Threinen would spend countless hours preparing the horses and girls, pack them all up and hit the road for a show. The girls always respected Threinen for her knowledge and drive to get things done. They also knew she meant business when the time came, but she still liked to have fun.

Regan Clark is Channie’s daughter. She too, got involved

with Arabian horses at a young age, showing often at the Arabian shows held in Moose Jaw and taking home many titles.

With the family involved, Threinen would continue to teach and train her girls, but also work countlessly behind the scenes.

She has organized many shows, including the schooling shows in Estevan, but always offers a helping hand, a word of advice and praise for a job well done.

Threinen was always heard from the sideline, yelling advice to shorten the reins, fix a wrong lead or take other matters and it did not matter who the person was.

On July 7, Threinen passed away in her sleep at the age of 68, shocking the Arabian horse world where she was a life-long member, as she had joined over 45 years ago. Not only did the Arabian world feel the loss, but so did all those she had taught and touched with her endless guidance through the love of horses.

At nationals in Red Deer a tribute was held for Threinen Aug. 19.

“If a crowd of people were asked what they remember about Threinen, it would be her smile, her jokes and her pure laughter,” said Clark.

Tex Cam, the Canadian Arabian Horse Registry president, presented Clark and Rutledge a plaque in honour of Threinen’s dedication to the horse world.

Rutledge rode her horse Finn and carried

her mom’s ashes for her last ride around the arena.

“It was very emotional,” said Rutledge. “I kept thinking she would text me, asking me to send her photos and videos of my ride.”

“As we move forward in this new world without her, let’s sit back and fondly remember all the good times,” said Clark. “Even if the ride did not go as planned,

pick something good from it.”

Threinen sat in many stands and cheered on everyone as her voice was heard above everyone’s.

“If you are on the wrong lead, Loretta will still be echoing in your mind, yelling from the bleachers, wrong lead,” said Clark. “As a rider we will all remember this and she will be missed by many.”

Channie Rutledge and her Arabian horse, Rogue One LE, paid tribute to Rutledge's mother Loretta Threinen at the Canadian Arabian Nationals Championship horse show in Red Deer, Alta. Photo by Regan Clark

Mistik Park Greenspace in Kenosee holds grand opening that was eight years in the making

By Stephanie Zoer

Mistak Park Green

Space started in 2015 and now eight years later, this beautiful place was ready to be unveiled.

At the northeast corner of Kenosee Lake, the park began with the support of the Moose Mountain Lions Club, the Village of Kenosee and the Kenosee Recreation Committee.

The committee is a newly-formed board and has only been up

and running for a year. It includes the rink and beautification committees.

On Aug. 19, the official opening was held but it has been enjoyed for several years already.

It began as a dream amongst the organizers and now it is a reality.

The park hosts many green areas, but also has a large outdoor skating rink with lights so it can be used at night.

A change room was

built which is heated and has bathrooms.

A play area was made for youngsters and a court is for pickleball. It also has room for street hockey.

The picnic area has a sheltered area which houses the barbecue for family and friends’ gatherings.

Ainsely Sauter, secretary of the 12-member Moose Mountain Lions Club, said the three groups worked closely together to make the best possible park.

The grand opening day began with the opening ceremony, with Mayor Ed Plumb giving a short speech. Beautification committee member Velda Weatherald and recreation director Kent Sauter said a few words.

Once the ribbon cutting had been completed, the beautification committee unveiled their proposed plan for a boardwalk project.

During happy hour and the meal, Micah

Walbaum of Forget performed. She plays many different instruments and writes a lot of her songs.

The meal was courtesy of Weir’s Catering and the silent auction had a lot of response for donations.

As the crowd continued to grow. Bros Chester kicked off the cabaret to complete the evening. This local band was formed in 2019 and they play country rock music.

The Lions Club

would like to thank everyone who volunteered, donated and attended fundraisers over the years. A special thank you to the Bear Claw Community Development Corporation for the many grants over the years and C and M homes for their many hours of volunteer labour and knowledge. Funds raised from this event will help maintain the park and support possible future additions.

23092GE2

The official cutting of the ribbon was performed by, from left, Moose Mountain Lions Club member Brent Ruthven, Resort Village of Kenosee Lake Mayor Ed Plumb, Kenosee recreation director and Lions member Kent Sauter, and Lions president Jillian Armstrong. Photo by Ainsely Sauter.

The Kenosee Lake Beautification Committee unveiled a proposed boardwalk. From left, Council member Velda Weatherald, and beautification members Chelsey Ast, Deb Kennett Russell and Leanne Sorenson. Photo by Ainsely Sauter.

Carlyle Fun Dayz packed Main Street with activities

By Stephanie Zoer

Excitement began early on Aug. 19 and continued throughout the day during the annual Carlyle Fun Dayz.

Work started weeks before to organize the big day. Main Street in the town was cleared out the night before the festivities for setup. Barricades were put into place at each end of the street and the main stage was rolled in. Grandstand benches were placed for visitors to enjoy the music and picnic tables were added for those that wanted to enjoy a sit down meal.

The work carried on into the early morning hours Saturday, only for the volunteers to return bright and early hours later to welcome trades people and food vendors.

It started with a pancake breakfast served by the Carlyle District Lions Club at the Memorial Hall. Also in the hall, a trade and craft show attracted over 20 vendors. It was a great place to check out for baking, jewelry, oils, lotion, nail products, art, sewing, birdhouses, specialty coffee, stones and so much more.

The Fun Dayz parade hit the street with both sides of the road lined with people and eager

kids looking for candy. The parade was led by the Carlyle RCMP, followed by the familiar sound of the bagpipes. Many floats followed.

The street filled with people and a large crowd remained all day.

The Southern Plains Co-op in Carlyle held a family fun zone with bouncy castles spreading from Souris Avenue to Coteau Avenue. A climbing wall was a popular attraction with the young-

sters as well and had a steady lineup.

A petting zoo ran behind the Carlyle Public Library, while Pharmasave hosted Joe the Ventriloquist, a laser shoot, a candy cannon and a foam party.

All the stores remained open along Main Street during the festivities, giving visitors time to shop and look around.

There was no shortage of food and drinks along Main Street, as vendors lined up along the centre of the road.

There was a great variety of food with Moxy Tailz, Get in my Belly, Filipino Pride, Smokin’ Okies BBQ, Fluff and Slush, Booster Juice, Bake and Cook by Shao, Buzz’s Spiral Spuds, Asian food and ice cream.

An old-time dance was done by Lorne Frape and Ryan Bender on the main stage, and high tea was served at the Rusty Relics Museum.

The main stage had plenty of entertainment, and many people took the time to sit and relax, and listen to and watch the performers.

Once the Bromantics came on stage, this changed as many people hit the street to dance to the oldies.

As the crowds continued to flock the streets, Brody Siebert took to the stage, and the evening ended with Switch performing tunes until midnight.

Throughout the day, the wind caused a lot of dust and dirt to blow around, but by late after-

noon the winds slowly diminished, and a beautiful evening was had, bring-

When the Bromantics took the stage in the afternoon, dancers quickly went to the dance floor to enjoy the oldies.

ing smiles to everyone who enjoyed another year at the Carlyle Fun Dayz.

Escorted by the Carlyle RCMP, the familiar sound of the bagpipes soon followed. Photoby Stephanie Zoer

Photo by Stephanie Zoer

Southern Plains Co-op mascot Cooper was in attendance. Photo by Stephanie Zoer Carlyle Fun Dayz crowd. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

Photos by Stephanie Zoer

Entrepreneurship for trades coming to college

The Southeast College has created a new program that will encourage entrepreneurship among those in the trades.

According to Sheena Onrait, the college’s executive director of communications and strategic development, this new online program is the first of its kind that she knows of, and only available through the college.

“This was a custom program that Southeast College developed, in response to what we saw was a bit of a gap in the market for entrepreneurship training for tradespeople,” Onrait told the Mercury. “We took that opportunity, and came up with this really great micro-credential program that can be delivered virtually anywhere.”

Onrait credited Southeast College president and CEO Vicky Roy for coming up with the idea for the program.

Roy has also been lining up the instructors for the courses, and Onrait said

Roy has a “vast network” of professionals and instructors to draw from through the post-secondary institutions where Roy has worked.

“She has an extensive experience in postsecondary institutions basically across our country and across Western Canada,” said Onrait. “She saw that there was a major gap that we could develop something that could help fulfill the needs in that trade sector.”

The southeast region is filled with successful business owners and an entrepreneurial spirit, she said, which allows the college to provide a service they view as needed.

As it is an online program with Synchronous Live Sessions, the entrepreneurship for trades program will utilize live online technology with an instructor. It can be taken by anyone anywhere, and not just at one of the college’s five campus locations.

The four-course pro-

gram stretches out over two semesters. The first runs from Sept. 27-Oct. 25 and focuses on marketing skills for trades. There will be three online sessions, taught by an instructor, along with selfstudy and assignment work.

The other courses focus on operations and management skills for trades, finance and understanding how things work in business. These are courses that might not be taught in a trade school.

“The information that they’re going to learn is definitely transferable across trades and across sectors,” said Onrait.

Even if they’re not looking to start their business anytime soon, Onrait said these are great skills for any tradesperson to have. Existing entrepreneurs could also benefit from the classes.

“Even if you’re at a company, and you’re looking to, at some point, aspire into a supervisor or a management or fore-

man position, these are really great skills,” she said.

The more students they have, the better, Onrait said.

Students who complete the full program will receive a professional micro-credential crest that can be used on LinkedIn pages, professional portfolios and resumés.

“Micro-credentials are little snippets of programs that allow a student to up-skill or reskill in a short period of time,” said Onrait. “So instead of taking a program that lasts a full semester … these ones are short courses that are delivered in a compact timeframe that gives the students the skills and

abilities to be able to achieve the goals that are set out in that individual micro-credential.”

These classes have become more prevalent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, as people who are working and have established careers might not have a lot of free time available, but they still want to further their education and training.

“The work of today’s trade entrepreneurs goes beyond starting a business,” said Roy. “To advance in the trades career, it is essential to learn how to think and act like an entrepreneur. Developing entrepreneurial thinking, behaviours and sustain-

able innovative business practices are the key to future career success.”

Onrait said the college is really looking forward to getting out into the community and promoting the program. They have an extensive marketing campaign as well.

“With anything that’s new, there’s always a little bit of jitters, but we are super excited just because we know there is no program like this in Saskatchewan and likely no program like this in Western Canada as well.” Prospective students are invited to find out more and register for this program on the college’s website at southeastcollege.org.

The Southeast College has announced the creation of a new program that will encourage entrepreneurship in the trades. File photo

Southeast Steelers win national women’s title

By David Willberg

The Southeast Steelers, a women’s fast-pitch team based out of Carnduff, have captured their first-ever Softball Canada national title.

The Steelers posted a perfect 8-0 record and won the national title with a 1-0 victory over Ontario’s Oakville Angels. The tournament ran from Aug. 16-20 and was held at Île-Perrot, Que.

“It feels pretty surreal right now,” said coach Darren Hubbard in an email to the Observer and SaskToday.ca. “I feel great for these ladies that put so much of their time and effort into the game and this team. I couldn’t be more proud of the way they carry themselves on and off the field.

“They play hard, respect the game, and have a lot of fun while doing it. They are a really tightknit group. it’s a special group. They really did deserve the gold.”

The Steelers have

been competing at the national level since 2018. They made the jump to nationals after winning back-to-back Western Canadian championships in 2016 and 2017.

In their first two years at nationals, they finished fourth. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tournament returned in 2022. The Steelers finished second, thanks to a 2-1 loss to an Alberta team in the final.

As for this year, the Steelers punched their ticket to nationals after defeating teams from Saskatoon and Regina in provincials.

“We knew we had a team that was very capable of winning it right from the beginning of summer,” said Hubbard. “We had come up just short last year, and felt we had improved enough that we had a real good chance to make that next step this year.

“Our bench was ex-

traordinarily deep. The toughest part of the whole week was knowing you could only put nine players on the field. We had four ladies on the bench who would have started every game for all the other teams there.”

The Steelers went 6-0 in the round-robin portion of the tournament. They had a team batting average of just over .400 and an earned-run average (ERA) of 0.58. And they outscored their opponents 44-4.

In their first playoff game, the Steelers faced Team Quebec in the battle of the top two teams in the round robin, and the southeast entry won 3-2 to advance to the final. The Steelers won the game on a double play in which centre-fielder Karmen Twordik caught a long fly ball and then fired the ball to the third baseman, who applied the tag to an advancing runner for the final out.

In the final, the only run came in the bot-

tom of the first in which Twordik scored on a single by Alexis Lucyshyn.

Lucyshyn pitched all seven innings for the Steelers and shut down Oakville, allowing just three hits over seven innings for the win. She was also named top player of the playoff round, as she gave up one earned run over 14 innings with nine strikeouts and an ERA of 0.29.

“Our entire pitch-

ing staff was excellent,” said Hubbard. “Carmen Hughes, Alexis Lucyshyn and Brook Melnychuk dominated hitters all week long. In the eight games played, they gave up a total of four earned runs.”

The defence was terrific, too, Hubbard said. It was led by Lyndsay Koscielski, who Hubbard said made some amazing plays at shortstop all week long. Twordik and

Kim Vibert were strong in the outfield. Deanna Gerrard caught seven of eight games. Michelle Kukurudza and Katie Hengen had a platoon at second base. Lucyshyn was named to the tournament all-star team as a pitcher. Twordik was selected as a top outfield, Gerrard was picked as top hitter and Kim Vibert was named tournament MVP.

Great turnout for Wade Roberston tournament

By Stephanie Zoer

The Carlyle Golf Course had 108 golfers brave the wind on Aug. 19 for the second annual Wade Robertson Memorial Golf Tournament.

The 27 teams of four players had four chances to win the hole-in-one prizes.

Three $25,000 cash prizes were offered by 306 Ag and Lonestar, and an extra prize of a new vehicle was sponsored by Merit Ford. All a golfer had to do was get an ace.

Golfers said the wind created some interesting shots, but they carried on and enjoyed the day regardless.

The 18-hole game slowed down at hole five, where Ty Currie, the chairman of the event, and his team barbecued steaks for some steak sandwiches.

This meal was sponsored by Tomahawk Energy Services, 448 Capital Partners and Canadian Casing Accessories Incorporated.

“The tournament is in honour of a great guy,” said Currie.

Robertson spent over 20 years coaching in the minor hockey league. He had planned to take some time off to be a spectator when the Carlyle Pure Chem Cougars senior hockey team approached

Wilson Old Tyme Harvest Sept 2nd 2023

him to be head coach of the team.

He could not say no and coached them for one year. He passed away suddenly last year, leaving the town of Carlyle in shock.

The tournament was organized in memory of Robertson to be a fundraiser for the team and bring people together for a happy event.

As the day went on, the wind slowly settled down, with the lowest score going to the team of Lorne Rose, Grace Rose, Dakota Rose and Gerhard Groenewald.

The barrow of booze went to Tyler Colpits. There were many other

raffle prizes throughout the day.

Nobody managed to get a hole in one, but everyone had an enjoyable day.

Steven Bonk, MLA for Moosomin Constituency

Steven Bonk, MLA for Moosomin Constituency

622 Main St., Moosomin, SK

622 Main St. Moosomin, SK

Phone: 306-435-4005

Phone: 306-435-4005

Email: stevenbonkmla@sasktel.net

Email: stevenbonkmla@sasktel.net

Ofce Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 12 noon; 1 pm - 4 pm

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday

The Southeast Steelers, based out of Carnduff, have captured their first-ever national title at the Softball Canada women’s championship Ile-Perrot, Que.

Photo courtesy of the Southeast Steelers

Left, Ty Currie, chairman of the tournament, barbecued steak sandwiches for all the golfers at hole five. Photo by Stephanie Zoer

Cardinals finish third at Western Canadians

The Carlyle Cardinals went 2-2 at the Western Canadian Baseball Championships that were held in Oak River, Man., from Aug. 18-20.

The Cardinals had an auspicious start, as they opened with a 13-1 loss to the host

Oak River Dodgers on Aug. 18. Carlyle's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth, when Oak River already held a 10-0 advantage.

But Carlyle recovered and dished out a convincing 11-0 victory over Alberta's Parkland Twins later in the day.

Rural Municipality of Reciprocity No. 32 Public Notice

Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the R.M. of Reciprocity No. 32 intends to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 6-22 to clarify as follows:

Intent The Zoning Bylaw is being amended to:

• Update the definition of the term “site”

• Clarify that the advertising costs for development applications are the responsibility of the applicant;

• Add a new section that provides direction for different types of municipal agreements; and

• Reduce the minimum setbacks from mineral resource operations to residential uses to align with those in The Oil and Gas Conservation Regulations, 2012.

Affected Land

All land within the R.M. boundaries.

Public Inspection

Any person may inspect the bylaws at the R.M. office during regular office hours Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to Noon and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Public Hearing Council will hold a public hearing on September 14th, 2023 at 9:00am at the R.M. of Reciprocity No. 32 office, to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed bylaws. Council will also consider any comments that are received in writing at the office or emailed to rm.of.reciprocity@sasktel.net in advance of the hearing.

Issued in the Rural Municipality of Reciprocity No. 32 this 11th day of August, 2023.

Marilyn J. Larsen

Chief Administrative Officer, R.M. #32

Phone: 306-443-2212

Email: rm.of.reciprocity@sasktel.net

NOTICE

Public notice is hereby given that the Council of the Rural Municipality of Wawken No. 93 intends to adopt a bylaw under The Planning and Development Act, 2007 to amend Bylaw No. 3/80, known as the Zoning Bylaw.

INTENT

The proposed bylaw will rezone a specific property from C – Commercial to A – Agriculture.

AFFECTED LAND

The affected land shown with an “X” is legally described as Parcel C Plan 77R31028 Ext 0 SW 14-11-01 W2.The land is approximately 1/4 mile west of the Town of Wawota on Provincial Highway 48 as shown on the following map.

REASON

The reason for the amendment is to allow for the housing of agricultural animals in a non ILO.

PUBLIC INSPECTION

Any person may inspect the bylaw at the Municipal Office between the hours of 8:00am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm – 4:00pm Monday to Friday excluding statutory holidays. Copies are available at cost.

The Cardinals noted in a post on their Twitter feed that Daniel Rasmussen pitched a gem of a game on the mound, and the bats came alive in the game.

The lone game on Aug. 19 was a 4-0 shutout over B.C.'s South Delta Brewers. A tweet noted Kody Rock delivered as both a pitcher and as a hitter.

The Cardinals wrapped up the round robin with a game against Manitoba's Border West Allstars, with the winner of that game advancing to the

final to face the host Dodgers. The Allstars won 14-0.

(Further details from the Cardinals' final three games were not available).

"Very proud of this crew and how they competed at one of the highest levels of baseball for senior ball," the Cardinals said in a post on Twitter.

The Cardinals qualified for Western Canadians after they finished second at the Saskatchewan Senior AA Tier 1 championships in 2022.

Village of Kisbey

Notice of Abandonment of Poll

Whereas a poll is not required pursuant to The Local Government Election Act, 2015 for the office of:

Councillor: Village of Kisbey (1)

No voting for the said offices will take place and that the following persons are declared elected by acclamation:

John Dayman- Councillor

Dated at Kisbey, Saskatchewan, this 20th day of August, 2023

Nathalie Neal Returning Officer

FORM 2 (Section 4)

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST

TOWN OF ALAMEDA

It was their first-ever appearance at Westerns.

It was another great year for the Cardinals. They went 11-12 in the regular season to finish with the best record in the Saskota Baseball League, and

then they won their fourth straight Kim Harbourne Memorial Trophy as Saskota champions in July. Then they brought home the Senior AA Tier 2 provincial title the weekend before Western Canadians.

PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number(s) described in the following list are fully paid before the 31st day of October, 2023, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel

PUBLIC HEARING

Council will hold a public hearing on September 14, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in the Municipal Council Chambers to hear any person or group that wants to comment on the proposed bylaw. Council will also consider written comments received at the hearing (or delivered to the undersigned at the municipal office before the hearing).

Issued at The Rural Municipality of Wawken No. 93 this August 25, 2023.

Administrator Katelyn Ethier

W. Service Schedule: Sunday morning Service 10:30 a.m.

Jesus Still Heals Today Wed. evening Bible Study 7:30 p.m. 306-453-2512

Ph: 306-453-6136

Pastor Rodney & Gail Cox

Church of Our Lady, Carlyle

Father Chris Carlyle:

Saturday at 7 p.m.

Sunday at 11 a.m.

Kenosee: Sunday at 9 a.m.

Forget: Sunday at 9 a.m. 306-453-6200

Arcola-Kisbey

United Church Worship Times: 10a.m.

KISBEY: 1st & 3rd Sunday

ARCOLA: 2nd & 4th Sunday 5th Sunday to be announced at church 306-455-0011

Please join us for worship

Free Methodist Church Hwy 48 • Wawota

Worship - 11:00 a.m.

Pastors Kevin & Bev Kay Church: 306-739-2313

The Carlyle Cardinals had a strong showing at the recent Western Canadian senior baseball championships. File photo

You’re going to lose access to local news on Facebook and Google.

Dear readers,

Your access to local, provincial and national news is going to be revoked on Google, Facebook and Instagram.

And it’s not because of anything we’ve done.

Recently, Canada passed the Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, which has led to a standoff between the government, Google and Meta — the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram.

Both Google and Meta have said they plan to cut ties with the news industry in Canada as a result.

This means Meta will block the posting and sharing of our news articles on Facebook and Instagram. Google will also remove links to our sites and articles in Google News, Discover and search results. They’ll also cancel significant content licensing agreements already in place with our parent company, Glacier Media.

Undoubtedly, this will have a huge impact not solely on us but, more importantly, on people like yourself who may use these platforms to discover what’s happening in your community and to get context to events happening in your own backyard.

We’re not planning on going anywhere, but here’s how you can help:

1. Sign up for our free daily newsletter by scanning the QR code. (And encourage your family and friends to do the same.)

2. Follow us on Twitter.

3. Bookmark our website as the homepage on your devices.

4. If you own/operate a local business, consider supporting local by placing ads with 100% Canadian-owned media outlets, like us.

With your help, more people will be able to get their local news from a trusted source. In today’s age of misinformation, that’s more important than ever.

Thank you. We appreciate you.

Sincerely,

The Carlyle Observer team

2024 Keystone Crossfire

Faber Family Reunion brought people to Carlyle

Submitted by Cheryl Parker

In early 2023, Monica Foord – Frank and Elsie Faber’s oldest daughter – was thinking it would be a great idea to hold a Faber family reunion this summer.

After several months of planning and preparation, the reunion was held the weekend of July 28-30 with 100 people in attendance. All of the activities were held at Carlyle’s Lions Park at the pavilion that is a wonderful place to host such an event.

The Friday night started off with a barbecue and meet and greet with everyone so happy to see each other. Lots of “I haven’t seen you for ages” with hugs and handshakes.

Saturday activities started with a light lunch served at noon and a bocce ball tournament with 24 teams of two players each. Teams were drawn up out of the hat so everyone mixed with others and it was a great success. In the end Jolene Faber and Mercedes Irwin were victorious, beating out Devin Faber and Kirstin Lucus in the final.

The youngsters enjoyed a bouncy castle for

Product Specialist

the afternoon provided by Cory and Michelle Irwin.

We were fortunate to have three of our second cousins and their husbands make the trip to Carlyle all the way from Iowa. Their father was also John Faber and Henry Faber was their grandfather who was a brother to Louis Faber. (Lou Faber was father of Matt, John and Melvin Faber).

Frank kept them busy touring the area and set up a picture display

Redhead Equipment has an exciting career opportunity for an Agricultural Equipment Product Specialist, based out of our Estevan branch.

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Our Redhead Equipment Estevan branch has an opportunity available for a Parts Person. This person will specialize in assisting our customers with all of their parts needs. This will include recommending and sourcing parts for a variety of our robust product lines. Education or industry experience is considered a definite asset.

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with old pictures of relatives and the old homesteads. Amazing how some of our offspring look like our ancestors.

We had a delicious catered supper on the Saturday evening with birthday cake for Lorraine Pho, celebrating her 81st birthday.

A silent auction was held to raise some funds for reunion expenses.

All donations were to be handmade items. It was a great success with over 35 items donated and purchased by various family members. We have many talented people in our family making a variety of beautiful things. After supper, the silent auction winners were announced. Several other prizes and gifts were giv-

en out for furthest away, oldest, youngest, etc., and thank-you gifts were presented to Monica and Shelley for their work organizing the event.

On the Sunday morning, a pancake breakfast was served that was enjoyed by approximately 80 people. The Pie Man Dennis Feduk donated a beautiful lemon pie to our reunion that

was drawn for and won by Sandi Routley, Reg Faber’s daughter. Thank you Dennis for the pie as well as your help with the grill on the weekend. The reunion drew to a close about noon on Sunday with people packing up to head home after a fun-filled weekend and lots of questions about when we will be having the next one.

Alida benefits from grads’ generosity

By Edel Cowan

The Oxbow Prairie Horizons School 2023 graduates wanted to leave a mark, a legacy.

They have chosen to donate their excess funds from their graduation fundraising to the following: the Oxbow Fire Department as a gesture of appreciation for the use of the fire trucks in the parade; the ambulance fund through the R.M. of Enniskillen as it is a required necessity that will benefit all the communities in the area;

and the Alida Lions Club in appreciation for using their picnic tables.

The OPHS Grads of 2023 appreciate all those who helped them raise funds and everyone who helped participate in celebrating their accomplishments. We received word that Gray’s cousin Kay Robertson had passed away Aug. 14 at the age of 81 in North Battleford. Condolences are extended to all members of her family.

Michael Lemieux and his sons in Lloydminster visited with his

mother Dianne Lemieux from Aug. 11-21. Michael’s wife Lynsey and her parents from Colonsay arrived for supper on Aug. 15 to be with the family, and then the following day a graveside interment service was held for Ernest Lemieux at Dannevirke Cemetery. There were 33 family members and close friends were in attendance.

Visiting for the weekend with Shelly and Ainsley Cowan at the Cowan camper in Moose Creek Regional Park were her parents

Myron and Orlys Nilsen and her sister Diane, all of Minot. Lacie Nilsen of Regina and Kelsey Rydberg of Estevan joined the family on Sunday to spend some time visiting with everyone. Harvest is well underway in the area now. Let’s hope they can keep going and that any rain can hold off until harvest is completed, although we can still use the moisture. The dust from the combine and the smoky air make it feel and smell like fall is here. Do take care when out in the fields.

Families gathered for the Faber family reunion. Courtesy of Greg LeClair