Edgerton’s ‘Winds of Change’ Volume Two now available following book launch

In February 2000, members of the Edgerton & District Historical Society realized the Edgerton community needed to update its history.

Volume One was printed in 1975 and 25 years had passed. However, after an ad was placed in the Edgerton Eye Opener and no one responded, the project was dismissed.

The idea of Winds of Change, Volume Two, was meant to commemorate the upcoming centennial year –2017. After applying for grants, advertising in local papers, doing an extensive mailout and encouraging people by word of mouth, stories began to arrive.

Unfortunately, we did not anticipate the arrival of Covid.

In order to follow restrictions, we were unable to complete our project sooner. After several extensions to the deadline, we began to organize – but still allowed late submissions. Finally, after several months of proofreading, the final draft was sent to the printer.

Our graphic designer and printer/binding company was from Edmonton.

The new book has a dark brown cover embossed with gold printing and a windblown tree drawing by Lynne Jensen.

It has 804 pages which include chapters on churches, cemeteries, businesses, the Agricultural Society, celebrations, community groups, sports, the Edgerton School, the Museum, Still Standing, pioneers, family stories and more with many colour photos.

On March 19, the Society held a book launch in the Senior’s Room of the Agricul - tural Hall. Instead of auctioning off the first book, it was decided to present it to Vern Sjoquist, Edgerton’s oldest citizen. Sjoquist will turn 100 years later this summer.

M.C., Kari Bergerud welcomed those present and after a few messages by Society President, Alvin Gordon, Counc. Richard Waddell and Book Committee member, Louise Bergerud, books were sold. Lunch was served and visiting continued. The cost of the book is $135 and it is available at the Edgerton Village Office during regular hours and at the museum when the season starts after the May Long weekend. Payment is by cash or cheque.

The History Book Committee would like to thank all who helped in any way to make Volume Two of ‘Winds of Change’ a reality.

Better access to CT and MRI scans for Albertans

Albertans are waiting too long for the medical care they need, including having to wait for non-emergency CTs and MRIs.

Overall, patient wait times for both CT and MRI scans have dropped despite a sharp increase in demand, but Alberta’s government is committed to making sure those wait times continue to decrease.

To continue to cut those wait times, Budget 2023 provides a $12-million funding increase to provide more medical imaging services throughout the province. This increase means that AHS will be able to perform 41,000 more CT scans, for an annual total of 540,000, and 12,000 more MRI scans, for an annual total of 255,000.

“Albertans deserve appropriate access to scans when they need them, and government has made this a priority,” said Minister of Health Jason Copping.

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Born around 484 B.C., Herodotus was a Greek writer, philosopher, and perhaps the first historian. He is remembered for his written accounts of historical events and human achievements.

However important that is, one of his most famous quotes concerns friendship, and I couldn’t agree more. “Of all the wealth we may acquire or the belongings we may own, the companionship of one true friend exceeds it all.”

I’ve been blessed to have several close, treasured friends. I met two of them today outside a cemetery. No, I wasn’t there to choose a plot for my final resting place (thanks for asking). I had merely pulled my bus over to the gates, on the side of the road because I saw Gwen driving toward me. Then, another bus pulled in behind, and

Donna hopped out. We had a lovely visit near the graveyard.

Of course, as often happens when a bus is stopped at the side of the road, people stop.

Unsure of what’s happening, they lean anxiously over the wheel, squinting through the window, waiting for small children to scamper across the road on their way home to…what? The cemetery? Sheesh, people, surely not that.

Friends call when you’re going through hard times and offer encouragement when you feel at the end of your rope.

They console, caution, counsel, and tell you when ketchup is stuck to your cheek. They eat fattening treats with you (often entire coconut cream pies) and accompany you on road trips and shopping excursions.

Sometimes they even wear crash helmets with you and hunch in the passenger seat of your old car when you’re both young and stupid and decide on a whim to roll a vehicle for the insurance money.

*Disclaimer: I hereby issue a blanket statement of apology to all law enforcement members. However, this particular incident occurred over 40 years ago, and the statute of limitations has long since passed. Therefore, I refuse to be held morally or ethically responsible for my foolish 17-year-old self. (Besides, it didn’t work.)

Sometimes, beloved friends can, by mere association, get you in trouble. Over the Easter break, I drove to Manitoba to see my friend Esther.

Upon exiting a business, three large dogs from next door began a frenzied barking.

Ferociously, they flung themselves at the flimsy fence that contained them, their deep, resonant woofs ricocheting off buildings, drowning out every other sound in a quarter-mile radius.

They acted as one in their single-minded determination to rid the neighbourhood of our loathsome kind.

BARK! BARK! BARK!

“Oh shut up, you stupid idiots!” Esther shouted back at them as she navigated a set of stairs on her way to the car.

Little did she know the owner stood proudly among the slavering beasts. He took a threatening step forward, waving a fist in our general direction. Hastily, we hopped into the vehicle and sped away.

Friends accept you unconditionally, love you despite your flaws, and commiserate with you when you whine about advancing age and the debilitating ills of lumbago.

Actually, I don’t even know what lumbago is, but it sounded fancier than saying I have a plain old bad back.

To sum it up, rich is a person who has a friend. I hope you have many.

To contact Helen or learn more about her books including her two new sweet romances, go to helentoews.com.