Meridian Source - December 7, 2023

Thursday, December 7, 2023

VOLUME 6 I ISSUE 24

MERIDIANSOURCE.CA

Santa brings smiles to Border City Claus Day, and Henka Divorce Law and Mediation and The Tent Guys, who have been with us every year, were looking for something they could sponsor, and

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

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The arrival of Santa lit up Lloydminster youngsters as the 16th annual Here Comes Santa Claus Day filled the downtown core with Christmas cheer.

Held last Saturday, Santa Day kicked off at 7 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast at Royal Canadian Legion Branch #39 Lloydminster before free mati-

nee screenings of The Grinch started at 9 a.m.

The real show, however, started at 11 a.m. with the arrival of Santa and a handcuff-free Grinch.

Kids were elated to see Santa and pleased to see the Grinch tightly gripped by Const. Melanie Flynn of the Lloydminster RCMP. The Lloydminster Fire Department and Fire Fighters Associa-

tion had everyone’s hunger taken care of with the annual weiner roast, and for those feeling a little daring, Santa’s cookies and milk eating contest offered 20 brave Lloydminsterites a real challenge.

“Every year we want to add something different to Here Comes Santa

we came up with this milk and cookie eating contest,” said organizer and emcee Kurt Price.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

These two youngsters wasted no time giving Santa a big hug on Saturday morning as he and the Grinch, who was accompanied by Const. Melanie Flynn of the Lloydminster RCMP, arrived at the Atrium Centre for the 16th annual Here Comes Santa Claus Day. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Photos

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

New elements of fun at Santa Day

FROM PAGE 1

“I think my brother said ‘Santa eats milk and cookies, let’s do it.’”

To win the prized gift cards, competitors had to finish an entire pack of Chips Ahoy Chewy cookies and down a litre of milk.

The first to finish was Marty Raspirem, who said he was extra hungry Saturday afternoon

after his son, Johnathan, ate all his lunch.

“It feels good (to win), and it’s a nice chunk of change for Christmas spending,” he said, with his son by his side.

“Johnathan was the one who said I could win, so I entered, and here we are.”

Ten-year-old Johnathan thought his dad had what it took to win

because he’s his idol, as well as a really good eater.

“He’s really good at fixing his truck and stuff, and he built himself his own shed,” said Johnathan, adding he likes to help dad with his projects.

Raspirem explained the contest was much harder than originally anticipated, but the

key was to just power through it.

“Once I saw what kind of cookie s t he y were it made it a little easier … I thought they were going to be Oreos, which would have been pretty easy. The soft ones get stuck in your mouth a bit, so I powered through it.”

Price was pleased with the success of the cookies and milk contest and said he’s already been asked if they’ll bring it back next year.

“It was great, and a

lot of people are asking if we’ll be doing it again next year, and that’s what we’re looking for, that’s what we want.”

The contest was held in the newly-developed urban park, situated in the parking lot beside Legacy DIY across from the Atrium Centre.

“The Downtown Area Redevelopment Committee (DARC) actually did this park up, this is going to be an urban park, and it fits well because we were thinking of things we could do in the park, as well.”

Other new features at this year’s Santa Day included cotton candy and popcorn at Brighter Horizon Financial Services with First Baptist Church, which Price said were also a hit.

Since its inception 16 years ago, Here Comes Santa Claus Day has been about a day of free fun for families.

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Marty Raspirem won the first-ever Here Comes Santa Claus Day milk and cookie eating contest after taking down an entire pack of Chips Ahoy chewy cookies and a litre of milk in record time. Raspirem won $350 in Sobey’s gift cards for his efforts and said he’d give the contest another whirl next year.

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Rotary parties for food banks Some of the auction items were gift baskets, a crib board and a cou-

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Rotary Club of Lloydminster president, Mike Sidoryk, left, and member Anita Schmidt, were excited to raise $3,555 for The Olive Tree and the Salvation Army food bank at a Lloydminster Rotary silent auction dinner at Spiro’s Restuarant on Monday night. The total was split with the Border City Rotary Club.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

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Eat, drink and be merry, while raising funds for charity with a silent auction.

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Anytime we can donate to The Olive Tree and the Salvation Army to help support, it’s a great night.

That was the basic agenda at this year’s Rotary Christmas social and auction at Spiro’s Restaurant on Monday night.

“Tonight’s event is a fun evening together to celebrate Christmas,” said Rotary Club of Lloydminster president

SANTA DAY FROM PAGE 2

The event remains free to this day thanks to the many sponsors who continue to support it.

“What can I say to sponsors? Those that have come every year for the last 10 years, this doesn’t happen without our sponsors, it’s not free without our spon-

and master of ceremonies, Mike Sidoryk.

“We’ve done this now for quite a few years.

It’s an exciting evening; we have an auction and we raise some funds to disperse for Christmas.”

The event raised $3,555 with the Rotary Club of Lloydminster and Border City Rotary splitting the proceeds donated to The Olive Tree and the Salvation Army.

“It’s just a tough time out there for everybody and of course, Christmas is coming and everybody’s just watching those pennies,” said Sidoryk.

“Anytime we can donate to The Olive Tree and the Salvation Army to help support, it’s a great night.”

sors,” said Price.

“I was watching the news last night and they were talking about inflation, and I thought to myself, ‘Here Comes Santa Claus is still free, no matter what,’ and that’s because we have great support from our sponsors, the City, and the DARC, we can still keep it free.”

The social brought together about 60 members and guests from both clubs to enjoy a turkey dinner with all the fixings.

Sidoryk noted since Maria Kokonas is president of the Border City Rotary Club and owner of Spiro’s, the choice of host restaurants was a no-brainer.

“We thought we would change it up a

little bit and have our Christmas social and auction at Spiro’s who is also a great community supporter,” he explained.

Spiro’s brought in pianist Daryl Amundrud to play some festive tunes over dinner before local auctioneer Russel Copeland took over the microphone for his high-energy routine.

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

New Co-op cardlock sun powered

The new Lloydminster and District Co-op Cardlock on Highway 21 south of Maidstone is now open for business, offering a diverse range of fuel options.

The facility is fully powered by solar energy. Supplied Photo GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

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The Lloydminster and District Co-op is turning heads in all directions with the recent opening of its new solar-powered Maidstone Cardlock.

The cardlock is located on Highway 21 South in Maidstone and provides a wide

range of fuel options, including premium gasoline, regular gasoline, dyed diesel, regular diesel, and DEF (diesel exhaust fluid).

“This comprehensive selection ensures that the needs of our members and customers are not just met but exceeded,” said the Co-op in a news release.

“What makes the Maidstone Cardlock truly stand out is its innovative approach to sustainability.”

The cardlock is the first Co-op facility entirely powered by cutting-edge solar panels from project partner Paragon Solar Energy in Lloydminster, while providing diverse fuel solutions to customers.

“This initiative aligns seamlessly with our broader commitment to environmental responsibility and reducing our carbon footprint,” said the Coop’s petroleum manager, Brandy Nelson.

“Paragon was great to w o r k w i th o n th i s project and are truly experts in the solar industry. They were able to design and install a system that meets our power consumption needs.”

Nelson says the Co-op is currently not looking at any new cardlock locations,

but future plans may include some solar additions at its existing locations.

The Co-op notes the new Maidstone cardlock extends its reach, providing efficient and accessible fuel solutions, not only to its customer community in Maidstone but to travellers along a busy highway corridor.

In addition, it says the expansion reinforces Lloydminster and District Co-op’s position in Western Canada’s largest cardlock network.

Nelson says construction is progressing well at Southview Liquor and Carwash in Lloydminster with an estimated opening date of spring 2024.

Once completed, the site will include a 2-bay automatic wash, 10-bay barn-style wash, pet wash, and a liquor store including a third-floor tasting room with patio access.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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Warm winter weather causes delay

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

Cautionary signs are posted around the Bud Miller Lake warning people to stay off the ice until further notice.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

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The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow is a welcome change for some Border City residents, but a hinderance for those who enjoy participating in various outdoor winter activities.

City of Lloydminster senior manager of parks and green spaces Jordan Newton says safety is also a concern, as the temperature fluctuates above and below zero daily.

“We just want to get early notification out to the community, as we are quickly approaching the holiday season and generally, we already do have our skating surfaces open—both our made outdoor rinks in our various locations throughout the community as well as our naturalized ice surface at Bud Miller All Seasons Park.”

Newton wants to remind residents to be aware of the stormwater retention ponds located around the city as well.

“The standing water in all of our neighbourhoods, it may look thick enough and may seem safe, but we have to remember … there are warm currents that flow through there and

that will create thin ice in certain spots in any type of weather condition,” said Newton, adding rinks aren’t allowed to be made on them and people should be extra careful to ensure children and pets don’t go near the retention ponds.

The Bud Miller ice surface isn’t safe for skating or ice fishing yet either, but the hope is that it will be ready for the holiday season.

“We are monitoring conditions and re-flooding the ice and there is a hope that we can have that one skating surface open for the Christmas season. When it is ready there will be signage and notices to the community,” said Newton, adding the ice thickness is checked regularly.

Before the 10 out-

door rinks throughout the City can be flooded the temperatures must remain low enough for the ice to set properly.

“We want to make sure before we put the resources into that we can see consistent cold temperatures,” said Newton.

“It’s something our team is monitoring daily, when to begin building that ice and we do ask the community while we are building it to stay off those ice surfaces as we do flood daily.”

In the meantime, there are indoor options for skating.

“We do have the leisure ice at the Servus Sports Centre that is open along with the facility for free skating along that smaller ice surface,” said Newton.

“But all of our neighbourhood rinks do offer sporadic free skates and family skates and I just encourage the community to check the city’s website for dates and times.”

The City of Lloydminster will continue to update the community on the status of outdoor amenities. Citizens are encouraged to regularly visit Lloydminster. ca/News and follow the City on Facebook and Instagram.

Cross-country skiers are going to have to wait for mother nature to provide snow as well, before they can hit the trails.

Brian Stevenson, an avid cross-country skier says he’s impatiently awaiting snow.

“I know I’m probably greatly in the minority in my household, of wanting to have snow.

Everybody else seems to think this is great but it’s not fun.”

He regularly rollerskis, runs and bikes to train for skiing, but it isn’t quite like the real thing.

“We have had years like this in the past, for sure. You get really tired of just the dry land training and not being able to actually get on snow.”

Stevenson is on the board of the Lloydminster Cross-country Ski Club, and he says they have an excellent set up when the weather cooperates.

“We set trail at the Lloydminster Golf and Country Club, we set trail there during the winter, but we also have trails that are just

Submitted photo

Normally, at this time of year, the Jack Kemp outdoor rink is bustling with activity, but the warm temps have made it impossible to flood the rink this season. Cautionary signs are posted around Bud Miller Lake warning people to stay off the ice until further notice.

to the east of town.

Just to the north of big gully, out on 303. It’s called poplar bluff,” said Stevenson, adding they also have a clubhouse in that area where people can rent equipment.

“It’s pretty hilly … It’s quite treed, it’s a super nice area to go ski.

We’ve upgraded all our trail equipment in the last couple of years, so the trails that we’re setting here are fantastic— when we have snow.”

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

HRHS drama club wows crowd

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

Members of the HRHS drama club presented a play called 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview on the school stage to a large crowd. The cast and crew had been rehearsing for the performance since the end of September, and it prompted a lot of laughs from the audience.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

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The Holy Rosary High School (HRHS) drama club sparked a lot of laughs with their recent performance of a play called 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview.

Director Steven Tian says the play was a good choice because it hit home to many members of the club who have their sights set on postsecondary education.

“This play—the humour was good for a high school, the content was good because a lot of students are going for their college interviews, and it’s split into a bunch of little scenes, so most of the charac-

ters—if they aren’t there for a day we can practise everything else,” said Tian, adding there are 14 students acting in the production, with a crew behind the scenes of about 10-12.

He says since they began rehearsing in late September, he has noticed a change in many of the participants leading up to the show on Nov. 30.

“Studying theatre helps you analyze—how does speech work, how do people end up in situations. How do you respond? I think that for our students this semester—the thing they’ve gained the most is probably confidence.

“They are a lot more comfortable speaking

about themselves. Their voices are louder. That’s probably the best thing I’ve seen.”

Grade 12 student Zoe Klarenbach took on one of the main roles, playing interviewer number two. She says being involved in the production has been a bright spot for her.

“One of my favourite things also, is that when you’re on stage … usually in life you don’t have control over how people can see you and you have to do it on somebody else’s terms, but when you are on stage and you’re playing a character, that is you,” said Klarenbach.

“You have full control over everything and you get to decide. And

I really like to be able to reclaim that part of myself, and step into it.”

Klarenbach has been quite comfortable performing on stage since she began training as a dancer at the age of four.

“I got into drama in the eighth grade and I found I liked it a lot more than dance because I got to portray a side of me nobody got to see.

“It helped me discover a lot of things about myself because you can’t play a character if you don’t know yourself first. You have to be able to understand how you work and translate that into how you think your character works because

nobody plays the same character the same way.”

She also enjoys the camaraderie the drama club offers, not only with the other actors but the entire crew.

“You don’t always have to be on stage to be in drama. You can work in crew, which is amazing. I love the crew workers, they’re delightful.

“But also it helps you come to terms with a lot of things in your life and it’s a great place to work out, even if you don’t perform. I think it’s an amazing community.”

Tian says drama club attracts a unique group of people, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and when

they work together they are able to create something wonderful.

“There’s a job for everyone. Tech people who run the lights and everything—everyone likes playing with the shiny things. And then you have people who are organizational, they want to help manage everyone—make sure props aren’t lost.”

“There’s those that wanna play with costumes and make-up.

You have the ones who are basically taking care of all the actors—they tend to be a wild bunch.

Someone has to organize them. Those are the team moms. We call them stage managers,” he laughed.

Tian said his path to drama was somewhat unexpected, as his father had his master’s degree in computer engineering, and he thought he would likely pursue a career in science as well.

“I went to an academic high school in Edmonton … and I had never taken a theatre course in my life. I went in there wanting to be a chemist, and then I took Chem 20 and realized I hated chemistry.

I thought, well this is going to be a problem,” he joked.

“Coincidentally you have to take one PA option and they only offered four options— art, drama, music and computer science. So I took drama, and I just really enjoyed it and I just continued to take it.

So I’ve done it now for 10 years.”

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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How to protect property in winter GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure to avoid weatherrelated property damage from snow storms, extreme freezing and high winds this winter.

That’s the belief of First Onsite Property Restoration in Lloydminster, which is sharing some cost-saving tips with readers on how to protect their property from common winter damage such as frozen pipes, ice damming and fires.

“For businesses, one of these insurance claims can cost you money both in building damage and business interruption,” said Travis Stieb, director of commercial operations for Western Canada.

First Onsite is a fullservice disaster recovery and property restoration enterprise providing end-to-end support to its clients across North America.

According to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc., Canada has seen insured losses exceeding $3 billion for weather-related events in 2023 with the potential destruction of winter set to start.

Stieb recommends local property owners check their eavestroughs on all types of buildings to make sure they are not obstructed.

“That can help with any possibility of ice damming. If it’s obstructed, that can actually make it worse,” he said.

He also advises

homeowners and property managers to make sure their furnaces and boilers and anything that creates heat for their buildings are in good repair.

“Sometimes you don’t really rely on them too heavily until it gets really cold and then you find out something isn’t working. That’s not really a good time to figure that out because then pipes freeze and stuff,” cautioned Stieb.

Fires in the winter are also an issue whether they are caused by a heating system or space heaters and devices like that.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada recommends homeowners install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on each level of their home and regularly test them and make sure wood stoves are in good working order.

They also recommend cleaning or replacing furnace air filters each month and keeping snow away from gas meters, gas appliance vents, exhaust vents and basement windows.

Stieb says renovations can be another potential problem in winter and things have changed.

“You just need to make sure there’s isn’t a place for wind to get in then freeze a pipe,” he said.

In other words, it’s good practice to check and inspect building insulation and routinely check property during cold spells.

Another tip says Stieb is to check where there’s plumbing on exterior walls — to make sure that there isn’t the ability for them to freeze.

“That’s where we see a lot of the claims caused by frozen pipes then flooding a building,” he said.

In a national 2023 survey conducted for First Onsite about weather-related events, Albertans led the country in terms of winter worries, closely mirrored by Saskatchewan residents.

Winter storms, extreme freezing, adequacy of insurance coverage and personal and family safety are what concern property owners the most in the two provinces.

While the Weather Network is forecasting a mild winter in Alberta and Saskatchewan with El Niño being a major contributing factor, no one knows for sure what this winter will look like.

“With El Niño that they’re forecasting; that can cause its own ups and downs too,” said Stieb.

“Even though they say it’s going to be warmer, it could also have a lot of storms.

You don’t what’s going to happen.”

The Farmers’ Almanac Winter, 2024, however, is calling for a traditional winter with very cold temperatures in Alberta.

When disaster strikes in winter, First Onsite deals with insurers directly with property

Supplied Photo

First Onsite is a full-service disaster recovery and property restoration compnay providing end-to-end support to its clients including responding to property damage caused by winter-related weather. Lloydminster branch owner Travis Stieb offers some preventative tips for residential and commercial property owners in the area with the approach of colder temperatures.

managers and direct to clients.

“On the residential end, we also deal with a lot of insurers,” said Stieb.

First Onsite will be ready to respond locally and across Western Canada with Stieb leading a dedicated team for large commercial and business losses as well.

“Typically, a large

loss is not a house, it’s a hospital that’s had a huge chunk flooded or a retail store like Canadian Tire or Walmart that’s had a fire throughout,” explained Stieb.

“My team is specialized in mobilizing across Western Canada to those large losses.

We have a huge team in the U.S. and Puerto

Rica, basically worldwide.”

The Lloydminster First Onsite branch is currently running a team of about 25 employees with Stieb describing business as steady.

“It’s been a relatively moderate year as far as weather—no major weather events yet,” he said.

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Synergy gives back for xmas MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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`Tis the season for giving.

Synergy Credit Union based in Lloydminster has donated $1 million in support of six worthy organizations in Saskatoon with the approach of Christmas.

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We are thrilled to provide financial support to these outstanding organizations that are making a significant impact in our community and beyond.

“Synergy Credit Union is deeply rooted in the communities we serve, and our commitment to the wellbeing of our members extends to our broader community,” said Glenn Stang, CEO of Synergy Credit Union in a statement.

“We are thrilled to provide financial support to these outstanding organizations that are making a significant impact in our community and beyond.”

The contribution includes $400,000 to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Saskatchewan chapter to aid their work promoting Ukrainian culture, heritage, and community engagement.

Co-operative Development Fund

Canada received $100,000 to support their cooperative development projects worldwide, contributing to sustainable communities and empowering marginalized populations.

Synergy has also donated $200,000 to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre in recognition of the crucial role the charity plays in addressing food security and education in the community.

A donation $125,000 was made to Saskatoon Interval House to recognize the commitment that organization makes to helping survivors of domestic violence and creating a haven for women and children in need.

Riversdale Business Improvement District received $125,000. Synergy says the improvement district’s efforts to revitalize and enhance the Riversdale community align with their own vision for stronger, more vibrant neighbourhoods.

Synergy’s latest donation of $1million resulted from its amalgamation with New Community Credit Union in Riversdale to start off 2023.

Stang says the total $1 million donation is a testament to Synergy’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the lives of individuals and families while promoting positive change at both the local and global levels He notes Synergy continues to explore new ways to support and uplift the communities it serves.

Sask international merchandise exports soar

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esterday, Statistics Canada reported growth in Saskatchewan’s international merchandise exports, increasing 26.3 per cent in October 2023 compared to September 2023, the highest increase among provinces.

“Today’s numbers show Saskatchewan continues to be the reliable, sustainable supplier the world needs,” said Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison.

“As our merchandise exports grow the economy, we create jobs, strengthen businesses and protect communities across the province.

It’s clear we have the food, fuel, fertilizer and

critical minerals needed for generations to come, and Saskatchewan is open for business.”

Saskatchewan’s merchandise exports were $4.7 billion in October 2023.

Saskatchewan has been leading the nation in many other key economic indicators.

Recently, Saskatchewan recorded the highest GDP growth out of all the provinces and territories at 6.0 per cent.

Last week’s Labour Force Survey showed Saskatchewan has the second-lowest unemployment rate in Canada, with 19,300 new jobs year-over-year compared to November 2022.

File Photo In September, the province saw a 14.8 per cent increase in year-over-year housing starts, record population growth, and huge investments including BHP’s $6.4 billion phase two expansion at its Jansen potash project.

Merchandise exports are the dollar value of goods being sold to other countries from Saskatchewan (services excluded).

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

9

Student goes to school on schools GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

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Emry Marchand, a Grade 12 student at Lloydminster Comprehe n s ive Hi g h S c h oo l (LCHS) is out to change her corner of the world as a member of the new Provincial Youth Council.

The teen is one of 12 youth council members who will provide advice and insights that contribute to the delivery of education in Saskatchewan during the 2023-24 school year.

“I hope to implement some plans and design some programs that will increase the accessibility of schools like the different ways people can take tests and provide different and more accessible ways of alternative assignments and hopefully, broaden students’ perspectives of success in and out of school,” said Marchand.

The group held its first in-person meeting in Saskatoon on Nov. 25 that Marchand described as being a high energy gettogether.

“It was lovely, it was a bunch of students like me, very involved, very excited to get to work and start making a change,” she said.

The youth council will meet virtually from now on until March when they will hold two more in-person meetings in Saskatoon and Regina.

The students will provide feedback and insights on education policies, curriculum or priorities in response to requests made by the Minister of Education, staff and sector partners.

“In the future, I will be working closely with my school and school division on ways we can start slowly implementing these programs that we design, to test them out and hopefully improve our school system and our education,” said Marchand.

LCHS held a student pep rally on Wednesday to celebrate Marchand’s membership on the youth council and

Supplied Photo

Lloydminster Comprehensive High School held a pep rally Wednesday to congratulate Grade 12 student Emry Marchand for being selected as a member of the Provincial Youth Council. Principal Dwayne Marciniw presented Marchand with the Baron Of The Month recognition certificate.

present her with a recognition certificate.

Principal Dwayne Marciniw says the addition of Marchand on the council is a no brainer and means a lot to the school and the student body.

“We were very excited. We know how much Emry Marchand gives to our school community and how involved she is,” said Marciniw a few days before the pep rally.

“She’s a tremendous ambassador to our students at LCHS and we’re extremely excited she gets the opportunity to be part of the Provincial Youth Council.”

Marciniw thinks Marchand’s participation on the council is something LCHS students can get behind and engage with her as she works with stakeholders and the Ministry of Education on the council’s mandate.

Marchand is an advocate of inclusion and is involved in Kindness is Power at LCHS. “She’s an ambassador for treating people well and acceptance of everyone at the high school level,” said Marciniw.

The teen was nominated for the youth council based on her outstanding academic record and involvement in the school’s leadership class, Indigenous mentorship, anti-bullying presentations, drama department and rugby team among other activities.

Marchand sees the nearly completed addition at LCHS as benefiting all students at LCHS. “It will be really good for our students here especially to bring them more opportunities and make things accessible because I know we are a big trades school,” she said.

“I find that very valuable as not everyone fits into the academics or the way academics are gone about with school so we provide trades.”

She thinks trades are another successful and popular educational path.

“I think the extension to the school will help that,” she said.

Marchand plans to begin a university transfer program at Lakeland College next fall in a Bachelor of Science program and com-

plete her degree at the University of Alberta.

Then, she aims to enrol in medical school

at U of A and specialize in plastic surgery.

PAGE 10 Thursday, December 7, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Viewpoint Through the reader’s lens

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Staff Writer Geoff Lee geoff@meridiansource.ca

Staff Writer Jeannette Benoit Leipert jeannette@meridiansource.ca

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Priority will be given to letters exclusively written for the Meridian Source. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, spelling, grammar, punctuation and libel. Unsigned letters will not be published. Use of pseudonyms will only be allowed in special circumstances, at the discretion of the editor and the publisher, and only if the author’s identity is known to the editor. Publication of a letter does not imply endorsement by the Meridian Source. Send to taylor@meridiansource.ca

2017

Oh man, was last Tuesday a blast!

Dodge, dip, dive, donate! What a great event, for a great cause! Kudos to the organizers, donors, and everyone involved.

I was asked to join the office dodgeball team (The Untouchaballz) in late September or early October.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

The Wednesday morning after the dodgeball tournament, my body informed me it had been a ridiculous idea. I could barely walk!

News flash, Jeannette—you’re pushing 40 and haven’t played an organized sport in 15 years.

Back in the day, I used to play soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

I also enjoyed snowboarding and kickboxing, and still have that competitive spirit– which is probably why I was hurting so much

Photo courtesy of the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation after the tourney.

I also realized even though I was feeling the burn, the tournament was a huge boost for my mental health.

I got to know some of my co-workers better, had lots of laughs, and just knowing it’s all for a great cause … that’s the cherry on top.

Even though it was a bit hectic going back and forth to and from the office all day, I felt a sort of mental clarity while working in between dodgeball

games, something I hadn’t felt in a while.

Sometime during my 20s, I stopped playing soccer, which is my favourite sport.

There’s not a whole lot of extra time when you’re raising kids, working, and so on.

Life gets busy and things that take extra time or money often get tossed aside. It becomes all about the kids, which it should be … to a point.

Something I definitely forgot though,

which I’m now relearning, is your overall health is very important to the health of the family you’re raising. You can’t pour from an empty cup. I’m sure many parents can relate—especially those with younger children.

As the leader of a household, it’s very important to take time for yourself or you may wind up burnt out, or even ill.

I think it may be time to dust off the old soccer cleats!

PAGE 11 Thursday, December 7, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Opinion

Leeway from Lloyd: Phone turned me into a teen STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

I got to experience being a techie teenager last week with a senior’s brain and grey hair.

The morphing took place right after I bought a new cellphone and had to figure it out.

I went from an iPhone to a Google Pixel 7 which was like having to learn Chinese with a whole new operating system.

Like many teens, I was tethered to my phone nearly 24/7 for the first few days entering new passwords, watching how-to YouTube videos and learning by trial and error.

However, I wasn’t doing any teen-like social media junk or texting anyone, so I can never pass as a textsavvy 17-year-old.

There are still a lot of features I haven’t tried out yet, like speaking to my phone assistant to do stuff.

Sure, as a senior I sometimes shout at clouds, but talking to an invisible entity on my phone seems downright silly.

I thought I was teenage-cool though, finding a solution to mirroring my cycling app from my phone to my TV. The online experts claim you need Chro-

File Photo mecast to mirror or pay for an app that does that.

I can cast music to my soundbar and stuff like that on my TV. Since I can control my LG oven with an LG ThinQ app, I discovered my year-old LG TV features ThinQ too and I can mirror my cycling app on the TV and control everything on my phone.

Fist pumps and high fives as it’s the little victories that count eh?

I don’t want to get too teen techie, although I am amazed

at how many people around my age don’t even have internet or know how to use it.

Life was a lot simpler when we were young kids playing in the sandbox and the cloud was just a puffy cumulous thing in the sky.

Sometimes, I wish the artificial intelligence behind Thin Q would cast me back to the time when even a toddler intuitively knew how to use a party line phone.

I’ll try dialling the year 1956 to see if that works.

What’s the password?!

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Passport to YLL

Thursday, December 7, 2023

CALENDAR OF EVENTS The Meridian Source Calendar of Events is a free service provided for non-profit organizations located within our coverage area. All events are in chronological order, as space permits and at the editor’s discretion.

Brayden King at@ Cheers Live!

G

et ready to experience the ultimate party with Brayden King, where good vibes, epic music, and unforgettable

memories await you! King will be taking the stage at Cheers Live tomorrow night for a 9 p.m. show. Whether you’re a fan of his music or just looking for a great night out, this event is perfect for you. Grab your friends and head over to Cheers Live for an unforgettable evening with Brayden King. Tickets are $27.96 and are available on EventBrite or at Cheers.

Fun for the whole family Moose Breakfast The Moose Lodge, located at 5213 - 57 St., Lloydminster, Atla., will be hosting a breakfast at the lodge on Dec. 17 from 8:30-11 a.m. Adults are $13/plate, youth six-12, $5, and kids five and under are free.

CakeNight at the Brewhouse Join the Canadian Brewhouse on Dec. 12 for CakeNight, an enchanted evening of sweet delights and winter wonerland magic. Come out from 7-9 p.m. and indulge while decorating cakes.

Tickets cost $59.91 and are available at EventBrite or in-person at the Lloydminster location.

Astec Safety Challenge Almost Sold Out! The Astec Safety Challenge will be in the Border City from Jan. 10-14, 2024 and tickets are almost sold out! Tickets for the event were available in late October, and as of Wednesday, only 24 tickets remain. For ticket information, please contact Astec Safety at 780875-0331.

Moose Breakfasts The Moose Lodge is hosting breakfasts on Dec. 10, Jan. 21 and Feb. 18, hosted

by the Moose Legion. Adults members are $10, adult nonmembers are $13, 6-12 $5, under 5, free.

BINGO IS BACK! Bingo is back at the Moose Lodge every Monday and Wednesday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and play starts at 7 p.m. Must be 18 to play.

Playschool Pre-registration Southridge Playschool & Kindergym has opened up their registration for 20232024 classes. They offer oneday a week for three-yearolds and one or two days a week for four/five-year-olds.

They have also qualified for the Affordability Grant. For more information please call 780-872-9523.

North Bend Jam The North Bend Musical Jam is the second Sunday of each month from 1-4:30 p.m.

It will feature musicians and dancers; all music lovers welcome. Jams will be held on Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10.

The Hall is wheelchair acccessible; everyone welcome!

- Do you have something you’d like listed in our community calendar? Email the information to taylor@ meridiansource.ca

To place an event, email taylor@meridiansource.ca or fax 306-825-5147

Cards, games and live music Kaiser Tourney The Legacy Centre is hosting a Kaiser Tournament on Dec. 7. Play begins at 10 a.m., cost is $10/person to play and $12 for lunch. Everyone welcome! Call the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more info.

Christmas Supper/Dance The Legacy Centre is hosting a Christmas supper/ dance on Dec. 8. Doors open and dancin’ at 5 p.m., supper served at 6 p.m. then dance the evening away to the tunes of “Memory Lane.” Cost is $25/person (ADVANCED TICKETS ONLY), please purchase or reserve your tickets before noon on Dec. 7.

All members and guests welcome! Call the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more info.

Senior Citizen Society AGM The Lloydminster Senior Citizen Society’s annual general meeting will be held on Dec. 11 at 10:30 a.m. in the main hall of the Legacy Centre. All members are encouraged to attend; call the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more info.

Christmas with the LloydMinstrels The Legacy Centre will be hosting Christmas With The LloydMinstrels concert on Dec. 13. The performance begins at 1:30 p.m. with coffee and cookies after the show.

Admission is by donation at the door. Everyone welcome!

Call the Legacy office at 780875-4584 for more info.

Mary Liv @ 4th Meridian Mary Liv, the stage name of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Olivia Morelli, is an emerging artist from Saskatoon who will be playing at the 4th Meridian Brewing Company on Dec. 17 from 7-9

p.m. Come out for an electrifying night of music as Liv celebrates the release of her debut CD, Fiddlin’ Around.

Tickets are $17.31 and available at EventBrite.

Spades Tourney The Legacy Centre will be hosting a Spades tournament on Dec. 21. Play begins at 10 a.m., cost is $10/person to play and $12 for lunch. Everyone welcome! Call the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more info.

New Years Eve Dance The Legacy Centre is hosting a New Year’s Eve dance on Dec. 31. Doors open and cocktails at 7:30 p.m., lunch served at 10:30 p.m. Dance into 2024 to the tunes of “SUGAR-TOP” (Dianne Humble-One person Band). Tickets are $35 for members, advance tickets only! Please purchase tickets before noon on Dec. 29. Call the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more info.

New Year’s Eve Family Party The Moose Lodge is hosting a New Year’s Eve Family Party on Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $25 for adults 18 and over, $10 for 15-17 years old, and free for anyone 14 and under. Midnight lunch included. Tickets MUST be purchased in ADVANCE. Tickets can be purchased at the Moose Lodge on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-10 p.m. until Dec. 20, or contact Rick Wawchuck.

Kelly Taylor plays Marwayne Comedy Night Join Kelly Taylor at the Marwayne Community Hall on Feb. 10 for a night of comedy. This in-person event promises to be a rib-tickling experience for everyone in attendance. Funds raised go

towards upgrading the playground equipment at our school! Tickets are $70.56 and available at EventBrite.

Aaron Pritchett at the Vic Country music star Aaron Pritchett brings The Liquored Up Tour to the Border City with special guests Cory Marks and Matt Lang on Monday, Feb. 12 for a 7:30 p.m. show. General admission tickets are $68 and available at the Vic Juba website or box office.

Jake Vaadeland and The Sturgeon River Boys Jake Vaadeland and The Sturgeon River Boys return to the Vic Juba Community Theatre on Jan. 18 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Presented by BAR Engineering, tickets are $36 for adults and $5 for students.

This is a show you won’t want to miss!

The Great Canadian Roadtrip The Vic Juba Community Theatre is pleased to present The Great Canadian Roadtrip with Doc Walker, Michelle Wright and Jason McCoy on Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss three legends of Canadian Country music come back to their roots this winter!

Tickets are $71 and are available on the theatre’s website and in-person at the box office Snowed In Comedy Tour The Snowed In Comedy Tour returns to the Vic Juba Community Theatre on Feb. 26 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $56.75 for adults, $35.75 for high school and post-secondary students, and $46.75 for seniors. Celebrating its 15th year, the Snowed In Comedy Tour has grown to become the biggest comedy tour in Canada. Get your tickets now!

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Motley Troupe rocks Kitscoty JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

..................................

It was an exciting weekend for The Motley Troupe, formerly know as House of Paws, as they presented a unique dinner theatre experience featuring Lagooned!, a play about a group of eccentric castaways stranded on an island in the South Pacific.

“

We got a standing ovation from the entire audience on Friday night, and what an incredible feeling!

The group performed at the Kitscoty hall three times in three nights and were thrilled with the reaction from the audience.

“We were able to unveil and sing for everyone our new theme song, which was an AC/ DC song that we rewrote. It was all just an incredible experience.

We’rxe never quite sure who we’re going to get each night, in terms of crowds and the crowd vibes,” said director Christa Mullaly.

“We got a stand-

ing ovation from the entire audience on Friday night, and what an incredible feeling!

I know that we’ve got cast members that are still feeling the warmth and the love from the audience that night.”

Although it was a year of firsts, Mullaly said things ran smoothly—thanks to a lot of behind the scenes effort.

“I think the process that we had and the structure that we had on the backend with our cast and crew really supported all the work

and the heavy lifting that needed to occur.

It was really supported differently this year,” said Mullaly.

“I also look forward to next year because … we had to do our name change and we had to do some other, more administrative, type things this year that we won’t need to do next year, so that will lighten the load for sure.”

She’s definitely not the only one looking forward to next year’s performance though.

The way she measures the success of the pro-

duction is whether those who are new to the group want to come back again.

“Across the boards, both the new crew members that we had, as well as new cast members—everybody has said ‘Oh my goodness. I need to be involved with this next year!” Mullaly exclaimed.

The performance got a lot of laughs, and good feedback.

“At intermission I always go out and mix and mingle with the crowd and our guests that are in attendance, and I had a lot of people say ‘this is the funniest play yet Christa!’

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Submitted photos

The Motley Troupe performed Lagooned! for an enthusiastic audience at the Kitscoty hall.

Proceeds from the performance go to local school breakfast programs, the Lori Craven Memorial Tournament, and the Lloydminster Legion.

13

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

15

Sask passes Carbon Tax Fairness for Families Act MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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On Monday, the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan unanimously passed The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act.

“

The passage of this legislation will enable our government to protect Saskatchewan families’ ability to afford to heat their homes this winter.

“These legislative amendments will give our government, and me as minister, the sole authority and responsibility for decisions regarding the collection and remittance of the federal carbon tax on SaskEnergy bills while also providing protection for SaskEnergy employees and board members,” said Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy Dustin Duncan.

“The passage of this legislation will enable our government to protect Saskatchewan families’ ability to afford to heat their homes this winter by removing the federal carbon tax from the natural gas bills of residential customers.”

The bill amends The SaskEnergy Act to designate the Crown as the sole registered distributor of natural gas in Saskatchewan, and invests all powers, rights, authorities, responsibilTMT FROM PAGE 13

“So that is always a good endorsement as well, because honestly picking the play is really difficult. That’s something I’m already thinking about for next year.”

Another change to the event was the food served. This year’s dinner was catered by Lloydminster restaurant Flavours and Rolls by chef Melvin.

“He was outstand-

Minister Dustin Duncan. File Photo ities and obligations for the purposes of Part 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (Canada), to the Government of Saskatchewan.

These authorities include providing the minister with the sole decision-making authority with respect to payment of any charge, tax, levy, remittance or other payment required by Part 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (Canada).

Under this legislation, the Crown will indemnify SaskEnergy and all current and former directors, officers, employees, agents, members, affiliates and other representatives from all damages, costs, charges and expenses,

including legal fees, which the corporation or individual incurs with respect to any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other matter in which the corporation or individual is implicated in relation to the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (Canada).

On Oct. 30, Premier Scott Moe announced SaskEnergy will stop collecting the carbon tax on Jan. 1, 2024, in response to the federal government’s decision to stop charging the carbon tax on home heating oil, which primarily benefits families in Atlantic Canada.

Moe said the federal government should extend the exemption to all forms of home heat-

ing to work with. From night to night to night … I think he really knocked it out of the park in terms of being able to feed all of our people, including backstage. And everybody really enjoyed what he had to offer on his menu,” said Mullaly.

The grand total raised has not been tallied quite yet, but Mullaly said as soon as it is and they figure out how

much is going to each cause it will be posted on their social media pages.

The organizations that they raised funds for this year are as follows: Lori Craven Memorial Fund, the breakfast programs for Lloydminster public and catholic school divisions, Hillmond Community School, and Kitscoty School, and the Lloydminster Legion.

ing, but if they refused to do that, the province would stop collecting the carbon tax on SaskEnergy bills.

The removal of the federal carbon tax from SaskEnergy bills, effective Jan. 1, 2024, will save the average Sas-

katchewan family approximately $400 in 2024. The bill will receive Royal Assent on Dec. 6.

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

17

One final duty after the passing of a loved one MIDWEST MINUTE VERN McCLELLAND

Our group works a lot with estate executors, consulting on the value of houses and land, and if necessary, taking the properties to market.

Letters Probate is a formal recognition by the Court that a will is valid, and the appointed Executor is thus entitled to represent the estate.

If there is any real property left by the deceased, then Letters of Probate will be needed.

Frankly, the role of the executor is often a thankless one.

Not only must he or she look after paying the deceased party’s debts, and other expenses out of the estate, but they are also responsible for distributing the assets and chattels as set out in the will.

If there is no will, or if the executor does not wish to act, someone else, usually a family member, may seek authorization from the court to settle the estate by requesting a Grant of Administration.

Sometimes, a family member or other person will challenge the will and the named executor, making the job even more challenging.

If minor beneficiaries are involved, or someone who was a dependent of the deceased, the Provincial Guardian may step in to protect their legal, finan-

File Photo cial, personal and health care interests.

Rightfully so, but yet another stakeholder in the administration of the estate.

I had one executor say to me, “I didn’t know it cost so much to die!”

Two sisters, acting in accordance with their father’s wishes to act as executors, were sued by their brother and tied the estate up in court for three years before they could begin.

Those who have enduring powers of attorney while a person is alive may be surprised to find they may not be the executor named in the will.

I think, in an effort to divide the workload, my parents named me their power of attorney, but designated my brother as executor.

Ron and I teased

each ot her, “ I wou ld look after them while they were alive, and he would care for them when they had passed.”

Of course, we shared all major decisions, before and after; thankfully he and I have always had a good relationship.

As people live longer, we are increasingly seeing more proactive attempts by elders and their supporters to plan for the inevitable.

In one recent case, I was directed by a family council of four, two aged owners and their executors-to-be, plus their lawyer, to convert their farmland holdings into cash.

We first established the current market value for the subject properties, and then offered it to the three long-term and loyal

tenants at a slight discount.

Both sides came away satisfied with the fairness of the strategy, and with the monitoring of the family lawyer, if necessary, it could be substantiated as a logical pathway to making the estate eas-

ier to distribute when the time comes.

So don’t wait. If you want to do a big favour to your loved ones, get in gear now, do some planning, and if necessary, take action.

Your executor will thank you, believe me!

Vern McClelland

is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster and an active partner in his family’s livestock operation. Comments on this article are welcome either by emailing vernmcclelland@ remax.net or calling 306-821-0611.

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

Dodge, dive, defend, donate!

Photos courtesy of Sierrah Bennett Media JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

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Some fierce dodgeball was played in the Border City on Nov. 28, and it was all for a great cause.

Stephanie Munro CEO, Lloydminster Region Health Foundation (LRHF), said

the event was nothing short of a huge success.

“We are so overwhelmed by the continued generosity of our community and region,” said Munro.

“Our 5th annual ‘Lloydminster’s Gift to Health Livestream’ was a tremendous success, raising over

$250,000 (and counting) towards our greatest needs fund including an enhanced air filtration system for the Pioneer House and Pioneer Lodge, as well as increased mental health resources for our community.”

The battle continued into the evening,

but the final dodgeball game featured the BAR Engineering Blackout vs. The Sitting Ducks, with the Ducks taking home this year’s trophy.

But in the end, the entire community will benefit from the fundraising event.

“Everyone needs

healthcare at some point in their lives and to know that the equipment and resources you need will be there when you need them is something you can never attach a price tag to,” said Munro.

“If you missed tuning in, you can rewatch the events of

the day on our Facebook and YouTube channels.”

The LRHF would like to thank Cenovus Energy, all their sponsors, volunteers, The Hoop Factory, players and everyone who donated their time or funds to make the day memorable.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Sask breaks new surgical record

File Photo MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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Saskatchewan’s surgical system achieved the highest volumes ever recorded in the first six months of the fiscal year from April 1 to Sept. 30.

“

We are really pleased with this successful path forward due to their hard-work and efforts to improve quality of life for thousands of patients.

As of Sept. 30, 47,748 procedures have been performed, which is an increase of 4,487 procedures or 10.4 per cent over September 2022.

“I want to thank Saskatchewan’s surgeons and their teams for performing the highestever number of patients receiving surgeries,” said Health inister Everett Hindley.

“We are really pleased with this successful path forward due to their hard-work and efforts to improve quality of life for thousands of patients.

Our government will continue to provide needed supports so the health system can maximize capacity and

keep wait times trending downward.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is responsible for delivering surgical services to meet the needs of Saskatchewan people.

“I’d like to thank the many dedicated health care providers and physicians who continue to help us improve access to surgical care,” said Provincial Department Head of Surgery Dr. Mike Kelly.

“As we build on this achievement, we aim to redesign the way surgical care is delivered in this province ensuring high quality surgical care is accessible to the people of Sask.”

Additional investment into publicly funded and privately delivered surgical services has allowed a further expansion of provincial capacity.

Approximately 19 per cent of all surgeries performed since 2020 have taken place in private surgical centres helping to reduce COVID-19 pandemic related backlogs and increase overall volumes.

Further expansion of resources will be possible through the work of the Sask government’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

Govt. invests in emissions reduction tech

of Petroleum Producers President and CEO Lisa Baiton.

“The funding program, an important compliance option, supports market-ready technology, innovation, and improvement projects that have been proven to be effective means for the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The province’s flexible approach, combined with the use of a competitive application process to provide funds for qualified technology projects, helps maintain competitiveness and prevent carbon leakage. We will continue to work collaboratively with the provincial government of Saskatchewan on additional emissions reduction opportunities.”

Through a competi-

tive, multi-stage application process, regulated emitters under the provincial OBPS Program can apply to the fund to help finance the adoption of technologies that reduce their emissions intensity.

“There are few places on earth with more potential for innovation than Saskatchewan,” said Tell.

“That’s why we’ve partnered with industry to create a technology fund that can match the ambitions of our industry and grow our competitive advantage.

“We will continue to build a strong province and economy and protect what we have built together from the risk of global uncertainty and destructive federal policies that cost our provincial economy.”

The Technology Fund will be administered by Innovation Saskatchewan, which announced the first intake in September 2023.

In total, the fund saw 20 expressions of interest. Successful applicants will be invited to submit full project proposals that will be reviewed by a team of experts within the Sask government.

For information on the Saskatchewan Technology Fund, visit Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) Program and the Saskatchewan Technology Fund | Climate Resilience in Saskatchewan | Government of Saskatchewan.

appropriate surgical care to patients,” said Provincial Surgical Services Executive Director Cindy Graham.

“Carrying on the momentum achieved in 2023, we are focused on a patient-centred care approach to build a more sustainable surgical program.”

Aggressive surgical targets are in place to surpass last year’s highest surgical volume of over 90,000, ensure 90 per cent of surgeries

are performed within 10 months and that no patients are on the waitlist longer than 18 months.

In 2023-24, the annual investment for the surgical program is nearly $670 million, that is $144 million, or 27 per cent, more than 2007. The Government of Saskatchewan continues to support all partner organizations in the historic delivery of services for Saskatchewan residents.

File Photo MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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The Government of Saskatchewan recently launched the first-ever Saskatchewan Technology Fund, which will make approximately $25 million available to fund industry-driven projects that reduce, sequester or capture emissions.

“Our government is committed to a longterm plan to transition our province’s power grid to net-zero,” said Environment Minister Christine Tell.

“However, this transition cannot sacrifice the affordability and reliability of our power grid. The changes

announced today support Saskatchewan’s clean electricity transition priorities while maintaining affordability and competitiveness for families, businesses and industries.”

The fund is a flexible compliance option for regulated emitters under the province’s

Output-Based Performance Standards (OBPS) Program and Prairie Resilience climate change strategy.

It was designed in collaboration with industry partners to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies and improve competitiveness by lowering industry emissions and costs.

“

This transition cannot sacrifice the affordability and reliability of our power grid.

“The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers applauds today’s announcement by the Government of Saskatchewan regarding the Saskatchewan Technology Fund,” said Canadian Association

SURGERY FROM PAGE 19

Ensuring key staffing complements on surgical teams by improving recruitment and retention of nurses and many associated professionals will allow the SHA to reach aggressive surgical targets.

“Our goal is to continue to work on system improvements along with recruitment as we transform how we’re delivering services province-wide to better provide safe, timely and

PAGE 21 Thursday, December 7, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Sports

BANDITS BAMBOOZLED BY CANADIENS Battle for third starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Civic TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

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Coming off a 7-6 OT win over the Onion Lake Border Chiefs on Nov. 30, the Lloydminster Classic Oilfield Junior B Bandits had a hard time swallowing Sunday’s 7-1 beatdown by the St. Paul Canadiens, but there’s still plenty of hockey to play this season.

The Bandits, playing out of the North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League, are currently tied for third

with the Vermilion Tigers, right behind the Wainwright Bisons and the first-place Canadiens.

“Sunday was an eyeopener for the boys,” said head coach Jason Ross. “We didn’t play up to our capabilities by any means. It was one of those games you just have to write-off.”

Sunday was the Bandits’ third meeting with the Canadiens, beating them once and losing twice.

“When we do show

“

This last week, it was proven the two teams at the bottom of the standings are just as capable of beating anyone as well, with Onion Lake taking us to OT and Vegreville beating Vermilion.

up, we do compete with them, for sure,” said Ross.

Third place will be decided tonight at the Centennial Civic Centre as the Bandits host the Tigers at 7:30 p.m.

Looking across the

board, things are starting to heat up in the league with roughly 15 games left to play, something Ross is excited to see.

“The top five or six teams in the league can beat anyone on

any given day, really,” said Ross.

“This last week, it was proven the two teams at the bottom of the standings are just as capable of beating anyone as well, with Onion Lake taking us to OT and Vegreville beating Vermilion ... all in all, it’s a pretty wellrounded league with good competition top to bottom. This is good to see as competition only makes us better.”

Ross also explained the league itself has

seen growth over recent years.

“It’s a competitive league and it’s only getting better every year,” he said.

“There’s a few kids in the league this year that have WHL and Junior A experience.

“It’s becoming a much more wellrounded league and gives kids options to play and move on with school or work lives if they’re not chasing that dream anymore.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

Bandits ready to battle for third

Bandits defenceman Ethan Webber moves the puck through the nuetral zone on Sunday afternoon as Bandits hosted the St. Paul Canadiens at the Civic Centre. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Photos FROM PAGE 21

When it comes to goal scoring, four Bandits are among the league’s top 25 scoring leaders

with Joel Webb fifth overall with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points, Jayden Plamondon sits sixth with 11 goals and

13 assists for 24 points, defenceman Kade Dennett is 17th with 12 goals and six assists for 28 points, and Kosten

Eaton sits 24th overall with nine goals and seven assists for 16 points.

“We got some good goaltending and a really good group of ‘04s we brought in last year that are now a year older and more experienced; they’re enjoying hockey and our record shows it,” said Ross.

“This is also the organization’s first winning season in a long time for this point in the season, so hopefully we can get some people out to cheer the boys on and make our way through playoffs.”

One big improvement Ross and fellow coaching staff have seen in recent weeks is the

boys’ ability to work as a team.

“We’ve got a great room,” said Ross.

“All the guys like each other, they all go to bat for each other, and that’s throughout the

entire 25-man roster.

“It’s a great room and it shows on the ice.”

The puck drops at the Civic at 7:30 p.m. tonight as the Bandits battle the Tigers for third place.

Introducing...

A new way to swim Private lessons are available as an alternative to the Swim for Life Program.

Private lessons allow the participant to have one-on-one time with the instructor to achieve their personal swim goals.

Private lessons are available for ages 5+ on a first come first served basis.

Learn more or book by visiting lloydminster.ca/privateswim 780-875-4497

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

23

‘Cats split weekend, move up standings

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Lloydminster Bobcats goaltender Sebastian Resar really uses his head on Friday night at the Centennial Civic Centre as the ‘Cats hosted the Sherwood Park Crusaders in AJHL action.

The Crusaders took a 6-2 win on Friday before the ‘Cats defeated the Camrose Kodiaks on Saturday for the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss game. Ben Aucion scored this year’s teddy bear goal.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

..................................

It’s been a busy December for the Lloydminster Bobcats with three games in five days as the boys tacked a win and two losses to the abacus.

The ‘Cats started the weekend on home ice as they hosted the Sherwood Park Crusaders for a crowd of roughly 640.

Lloydminster forward Remy Spooner opened up the scoring with his fifth goal of the season two minutes into the first frame, but Ethan Merner answered back with just over five minutes to go in the first frame.

The second and third didn’t look much better for the ‘Cats as the Crusaders snuck two past ‘Cats netminder Sebastian Resar in the second, and three more in the third.

‘Cats forward and league-leading scorer Dalton MacGillivray was able to get one more past Crusader’s goaltender Daniel Heroux for a 6-2 final in favour of the Crusaders.

The boys were back at the Civic Centre on Saturday night as they hosted the Camrose Kodiaks. This game,

however, resulted in a 2-1 win for the home team.

Camrose forward Garrett Thom was first to light the lamp at 9:56 in the opening frame before ‘Cats forward Ben Aucoin got the equalizer halfway through the second frame. Aucoin’s goal was also this year’s

Teddy Bear Toss goal.

Aucoin’s goal was quickly followed by a second ‘Cats goal off the tape of Jamie Weller, marking his first goal as a Bobcat.

Jack Solomon got the start on Saturday, stopping 23 of 24 shots.

The Bobcats are on the road for the

remainder of the week but return to home ice this Sunday as they host the Drumheller Dragons at 2:30 p.m.

The ‘Cats are back on the road after Sunday’s homer for games against the Blackfalds Bulldogs and Olds

Grizzlys before hosting Whitecourt on Dec. 29 and Drayton Valley on Dec. 30. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

24

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

YOUR SOURCE FOR SPORTS STATS AFHL – U18 AAA PWM Steelers

GP

Fire 14 Oilers 15 Slash 13 Steelers (5) 15 Raiders 14

AJHL – Lloydminster Bobcats

W

L

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

GP

W

L

OTL

SOL

PTS

GF

GA

10 9 7 3 2

4 4 6 11 11

0 2 0 0 0

0 0 0 1 1

29 29 20 9 6

49 53 33 22 13

19 25 28 60 82

Dragons Pontiacs Bobcats (9) Saints Storm

31 32 33 34 30

15 16 16 14 13

11 13 17 17 13

3 3 0 2 3

2 1 0 1 1

35 35 32 31 30

107 109 106 85 97

99 98 137 96 108

AFHL – U18 AA (North) Musgrave Agencies Steelers

GP

Impact 13 Steelers (2) 14 Pandas 11 Sharks 13 Fury 14

NEAJBHL – Lloydminster Bandits

W

L

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

10 9 8 7 5

0 5 3 4 6

1 0 0 1 0

2 0 0 0 3

32 24 23 20 13

41 48 38 28 39

17 38 18 28 36

Canadiens 17 Bisons 14 Bandits (3) 16 Tigers 18 Wheat Kings 17

GP

Steelers (1) 11 Pandas Black 13 Pandas Gold 14 Chargers 11 Royals 12

GP

Steelers (1) 11 Bolts 12 Monarchs 11 Wildcats 11 Storm 12

L

OTL

SOL

PTS

GF

GA

15 12 11 10 9

2 2 5 6 7

0 0 0 1 1

0 0 0 1 0

30 24 22 22 19

111 91 75 93 81

30 33 60 43 65

W

L

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

GP

W

L-T

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

10 9 7 4 4

1 3 6 5 8

0 0 1 2 0

0 1 0 0 0

28 28 21 13 11

58 58 33 33 37

28 34 45 44 56

Oilers Blue Oilers Orange Rangers Lancers (6) Oil Kings

17 18 19 18 18

10 9 8 6 6

5-2 6-2 7-1 9-1 10

0 0 0 0 0

0 1 3 2 2

22 21 20 15 14

65 66 69 56 48

47 60 73 80 64

AFHL – U13 AA (North) Western Financial Steelers

W

AEHL – U18 AAA (North) Green Mile Lancers

AFHL – U15 AA (North) Richardson Jewellery Steelers

GP

W

L-T

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

11 10 8 7 6

0 2 3 4 6

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

22 20 16 14 12

105 73 53 48 42

21 37 15 27 38

AEHL – U17 AAA (North) Rohan Lancers

GP

Storm 15 Bulldogs 14 Saints 15 Rangers 13 Lancers (11) 16

RUSTLERS ATHLETICS

W

L-T

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

5 4 3 1 2

8-1 7-3 10-2 9-2 13-1

0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 1 0

12 11 8 5 5

47 43 27 23 21

77 77 61 60 78

AEHL – U15 AAA (North) Lancers

Women’s GP Hockey

W-L-T PTS

GF

GA

STRK

GP

W

L-T

SOL

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

RDP 15 NAIT 15 LAKE (3) 13

12-3 10-5 10-3

36 31 30

49 52 51

20 23 24

Lost 1 Lost 2 Won 3

Men’s MP Volleyball

W-L

PTS

SW

SL

STRK

CAC Volvo Saints Oil Kings Lancers Maple Leafs

15 15 17 16 14

5 4 4 3 3

9 9 11 12-1 10

0 0 0 0 0

1 2 2 0 1

11 10 10 7 7

44 38 36 46 32

69 57 66 88 90

KC 12 LAKE (2) 10 NAIT 11

10-2 8-2 6-5

20 16 12

32 25 23

13 13 29

Lost 1 Won 2 Won 2

Women’s MP Volleyball

W-L

PTS

SW

SL

STRK

GP

W

L

T

OTL

PTS

GF

GA

TKU 11 LAKE (2) 10 UAA 10

10-1 9-1 7-3

20 18 14

30 28 24

9 5 12

Won 6 Won 6 Lost 2

Women’s GP Basketball

W-L

PTS

PF

PA

STRK

LAKE (1) 11 TKU 10 UAA 10

11-0 7-3 5-5

22 14 10

876 742 653

604 569 632

Won 11 Won 2 Lost 2

KC 10 LAKE (2) 11 NWP 10

9-1 8-3 5-5

19 16 10

942 944 823

754 874 829

Won 6 Lost 1 Won 2

Wainwright Paradise Hill Hillmond Lashburn Dewberry Meadow Lake St. Walburg Vermilion Kitscoty Elk Point

9 8 5 6 7 7 3 8 9 8

9 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 0 0

0 2 1 2 3 3 0 5 8 7

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

18 12 8 8 7 7 6 6 1 0

76 56 35 40 35 30 25 22 8 17

20 16 19 32 29 41 10 50 68 59

Men’s GP Basketball

W-L

PTS

PF

OUR SPECIALTY IS SPORTS

PA

STRK

SaskAlta Senior Hockey League

*All stats as of noon on Wednesday

n i a r t e Com ! s u th i w

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

25

Sask reacts to methane regulations MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

..................................

On Monday, the federal government released draft regulations that would force a 75 per cent reduction in methane emissions in Saskatchewan’s oil and gas sector.

“

These continually changing rules lead to investor uncertainty and allow countries with far less stable regulatory regimes to dominate the energy space.

This amounts to a production cap by default and is another instance of federal overreach and changing goalposts.

It also violates the current equivalency agreement, which Saskatchewan signed with the federal govern-

ment in 2020.

Between 2019 and 2022, Saskatchewan achieved a more than 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases, including methane, from upstream oil facilities under its Methane Action Plan (MAP).

This plan, which was previously accepted by the federal government in 2020, aims to reduce methane emissions by 40 to 45 per cent from 2015 levels by 2025.

“These continually changing rules lead to investor uncertainty and allow countries with far less stable regulatory regimes to dominate the energy space,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre.

“This latest unilateral federal action on methane targets specific provincial industries and infringes on our exclusive provincial jurisdiction over natural resources.

In response, we will consider all possible options, including a referral to the Saskatchewan First Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal.”

“This change will result in lower production, reduced provincial revenues, and a lower standard of living for all people in Saskatchewan,”

addded Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter.

“This is another example of federal overreach into areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction.”

This latest federal proposal comes amid growing momentum in favour of provincial rights, including the Supreme Court’s recent decision on the federal Impact Assessment Act (Bill C-69) and the Federal Court’s recent decision on plastics.

In addition, in the Greenhouse Gas Pollu-

tion Pricing Act, 2021 SCC 11 case, at paragraph 175, Chief Justice Wagner clearly stated that Parliament does not have the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions generally or emissions from specific sectors.

As confirmed in The Saskatchewan First Act, which came into force on September 15, 2023, Saskatchewan has exclusive legislative jurisdiction, under Section 92A of the Constitution Act, 1867, over the exploration

of non-renewable natural resources, which includes the exclusive authority to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector.

In a paper published in 2018, Dr. Joule Bergerson of the University of Calgary reported that if other oil and gas-producing nations regulated their energy sectors like Saskatchewan, particularly around methane, global, energy-produced greenhouse gas emissions would fall by 25 per cent.

Sask govt. funds emergency shelter in Meadow Lake MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

..................................

The Meadow Lake Homeplate Shelter Coalition Corp. Emergency Shelter opened its doors on Dec. 1 to support individuals experiencing homelessness in the community.

The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $48,800 to fund five permanent emergency shelter spaces.

In total, up to 20 emergency shelter spaces will be supported through March 2024 through operational funding provided by the province, City of Meadow Lake and private donations.

“The province is pleased to support the Meadow Lake Homeplate Shelter Coali-

tion Corp. through the recently announced Provincial Approach to Homelessness,” said Trade and Export Development Minister and Meadow Lake MLA Jeremy Harrison on behalf of Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky.

“I have appreciated their passion and community-minded determination. It has been a pleasure working collaboratively to get to this outcome. I’m very hopeful that these beds will provide a hand up for those who need it.”

The facility provides emergency shelter services between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. and provides clients with referrals to programs and services provided

by government and other community agencies. The shelter is run

by Meadow Lake Homeplate Shelter Coalition Corp., a grassroots charitable organization with a goal of preventing and addressing homelessness in Meadow Lake.

The funding is part of the recently announced Provincial Approach to Homelessness. The $40.2 million investment in new funding over the next two years will create 155 new supportive housing spaces, 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces, and enhance community safety and outreach responses that include 30 new complex needs emergency shelter spaces.

PAGE 26 Thursday, December 7, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Careers

More training options for Sask students

S

tudents in Saskatchewan have more opportunities to access specialized training in highdemand health sciences

File Photo programs through new and updated interprovincial agreements.

This year, the Saskatchewan government is investing $5 million

to reserve up to 149 seats in nine programs offered outside the province.

“Our government is committed to ensur-

ing we have skilled health professionals in place to provide essential health services for patients across the province,” Advanced

Education Minister Gordon Wyant said.

“These agreements allow Saskatchewan students to complete their clinical placements here at home, connecting students to jobs in the province and helping meet critical health care system needs.”

Interprovincial agreements support the ‘train’ pillar of Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources Action Plan by helping provide a steady supply of specialized health care professionals to reduce labour shortages and help meet growing demand for services.

“My time studying at the University of Alberta helped prepare me for a meaningful career right here in Saskatchewan,” said a recent graduate of the Speech-Language Pathology program Katelin Peters.

“Having seats reserved in specialized health care programs means more students will have the opportunity that I did to train for a career that supports patients across Saskatchewan and the health care system as a whole.”

The renewed agreements include seats in Cardiovascular Perfusion, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Electroneurophysiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, and Respiratory Therapy. Saskatchewan has also added a new agreement for Speech-Language Pathology that reserves up to 15 seats for students starting this fall.

“Due to current and future shortages, our members are not adequately able to meet the needs of the population, in particular the growing aging population. Speech-Language Pathologists deliver care

across the lifespan and play a vital role in the healthcare system, in both public and private settings in schools, hospitals, early years and long-term care,” said Speech-Language and Audiology Canada CEO Dawn Wilson.

“

These agreements allow Saskatchewan students to complete their clinical placements here at home, connecting students to jobs in the province and helping meet critical health care system needs.

Saskatchewan offers 23 in-province health training programs to approximately 8,900 students annually.

Interprovincial agreements provide Saskatchewan students with access to additional specialized health programs not available in the province.

As demand for these programs increases, the province is exploring the potential to offer more health sciences programs in the province.

Students enrolled in interprovincial agreement programs may be eligible for various financial supports to help fund their education and connect them to careers in the Saskatchewan health system. Supports include Clinical Placement Bursaries, Return-inService Bursaries, the Graduate Retention Program and Saskatchewan Student Aid. Applications for fall 2024 are still being accepted by certain programs. To learn more about each program, please visit saskatchewan.ca/hhr-train.

PAGE 27 Thursday, December 7, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE 306-825-5111 admin@meridiansource.ca

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COMING EVENTS

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28

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Local Business Directory

KOZORIZ: Marie “Cindy” Thelma Kozoriz passed away at the Lloydminster Hospital on November 27, 2023 at the age of 62 years.

Cindy is lovingly remembered by: her husband, Brian “KZ” Kozoriz; children, Rosey (Kirt) Rogers and Zane (Sarah) Kozoriz; grandchildren, Haylee and Emilee Rogers; brothers, Jim (Sandi) Luberda, Walter (Charlene) Luberda and John (Sheila) Luberda; sisters, Lillian

(Dave) Gardiner, Katie (Dennis) Lockhart, Vivian (Keith) Sereres and Michelle Robinson; mother-in-law, Dorothy Kozoriz; sister-in-law, Barb (Clay) Christiansen; brother-in-law, Bobbi (Donna) Kozoriz; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, extended family and friends.

Cindy was predeceased by: her parents, Frank and Beatrice Luberda; father-in-law, Bill Kozoriz; nephew, Christopher Christiansen; niece, Sherri LeGassie.

The Celebration of Life for Cindy was held on Wednesday, December 6 at 2:00 PM M.S.T., conducted from the Maidstone Legion Hall, Maidstone, Saskatchewan.

Donations in memory of Cindy may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

McCaw Funeral Service Ltd. of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Obituaries & Memoriams

MERIDIAN SOURCE

29

30

Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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Thursday, December 7, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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Brad Gilbert Jennifer Gilbert Broker (SK) Broker (AB)

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3812 - 51 Avenue, Lloydminster, AB T9V 3M7 Sandy Hardy Realtor®

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