Meridian Source - December 21, 2023 by Meridian Source

Thursday, December 21 2023

VOLUME 6 I ISSUE 26

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Mayor Aalbers reflects on 2023 city news

t’s that time of the year again for a brief yearend review of city highlights with Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, including a couple of current events—the weather and Westjet ending service to Lloyd. How much money is the city saving on its snow clearing budget? We believe there’s going to a couple of hundred thousand-plus dollars saved. We put $350,000 back into the budget to get us through to the end of December. That money will be put back into reserve if there’s no need for it. The money is from the 2023 budget. What is the highlight of the year for the city? There are so many highlights. We saw the city come back to as basically as normal as we could recall. We had just an excellent turn-

out at so many different events, be it public events, fundraising events, community gatherings. It was just tremendous to see. Aalbers also mentioned the Lloyd Ex Fair, the CPCA chuckwagon finals, good turnouts for the Bobcats and Bandits hockey games and the Vic Juba theatre celebrating 20 years. What is the biggest disappointment of the year for the city? The late breaking news (Dec. 14) that Westjet is going to discontinue service to Lloydminster. I don’t think we’ve heard the end of that, but at this point, I felt there was no more bad news in 2023. It’s really disappointing to hear that news and we’ll be following up with Westjet in the very near future. He says they are trying to get a handle on the rationale. The company posted

a notice in the Meridian Source on Dec. 14 stating it proposes to discontinue its year-round non-stop service from Calgary to Lloydminster on April 15, 2024. What is the status and impact of capital projects such as Cenovus Energy Hub? When the facility is finished and operational, it will be a major drawing card to our community for hockey, sporting events, gatherings concerts. I think that will be huge. As for the excavation dirt, Aalbers says they have a use for it, but he didn’t say what that is. We haven’t moved it yet. You’ll see that pile slowly disappear over the next two years. The wastewater treatment plant is also done.

The construction team that built the plant is gone. We’re still doing some landscaping work out there. The fencing is just being finished up. It’s a major accomplishment for our city. That project came in on budget, on time. Aalbers expects a grand opening in May. He says that’s truly a project that brought four governments together including the City of Lloydminster, the two provincial governments, and the federal government. Aalbers says people are also commenting on the updating of the Bioclean Aquatic Centre with the outside skin. That building is sound; it’s going to serve the city for a long time. It is extremely busy.

We’ve just completed the Bud Miller master plan to move forward for the future. There’s a lot of items that have been identified that need rejuvenation - trails in particular, the sun dial, paving stones around the PSM building. It’s a gem in the city that we are very proud of and we’re going to continue to maintain. Aalbers also noted the Central Business District Rehabilitation Program. We’ve had great comments and we’ve had negative comments. I can appreciate that perspective from both sides, he said. We had to do the underground. I think that’s the first part people don’t really understand. We replaced 60-year-old infrastruc-

ture downtown (sewer and stormwater). We want to make it more attractive for people to spend time downtown. We want to see the opportunity of that enhancement to do events downtown. We’ll wrap it up in the spring. Was is a challenge to keep tax increase at 5 per cent? It was. I know everyone’s under financial pressure. There’s so many costs we have no control over, yet people continuously want that service. The services the city provides are numerous, yet people ask us to cut costs. The way we can cut costs is to cut services. No one wants a service they currently have cut.

Mount Joy hops to snowmaking

ount Joy Snow Resort is making snow when it can as some late-season mountain bikers and hikers attempt to squeeze in as many open trail days as possible. “We have absolutely zero natural snow on our hill,” said resort president Chris Bogue a few days after firing the snow canons for the first time on Dec. 9 with cyclists and hikers on site. “We’re making snow when we can make snow, but even when we can, it’s marginal.” Bogue says they are targeting a Jan. 6 or 13 opening to the 58th season, but he cautions there will likely be limited

access with everything weather-dependent. The plan is to get the bunny hill operational first and go from there. “We’ll get some people out there in some capacity, then the snowmakers will be hard at work to open up the rest of the hill, then work our way down and fill in the gaps,” said Bogue. “Our efforts this year will probably be the most snowmaking in the history of the hill.” Bogue thinks this warm spell is just an anomaly, knowing there’s a lot of winter left. “We live in northern Canada. If we don’t have a ski season at the beginning of January,

maybe we have it from May to June,” he joked. Despite the lack of snow so far, there seems to be plenty of pent-up demand with a lot of bookings for the ski and snowboard school. “More people around Lloyd are learning about Mount Joy and what we have to offer,” said Bogue. “Once people get out they are pretty amazed at the terrain. People are really catching on.” Volunteer crews are putting the finishing touches on a new 1,300 sq. ft. outdoor deck on the chalet that will be ideal for year-round use. “It’s really nice to sit outside on a really nice

skiing day through the winter,” said Bogue. “Hopefully, it attracts more people and interest out there in the summer months to come out and have a drink on the deck and hit the trails and come back and chill.” Mount Joy is coming off its first year of summer operations and the sale of day and season trail passes to create a four-season resort. Some of the off-season improvements to the ski experience include a readjustment of the ski area boundaries with the installation of more than a mile of fencing to cordon off the 204-acre facility. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Songs and smiles for Santa JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

.................................. Santa and his elves were busy last week, bringing joy to hearts and treats to tiny hands. They visited every elementary school in Lloydminster for the 40th Lloydminster Kiwanis Santa Project. “Every child from pre-K to Grade 2 will receive a bag with a toy and chocolates and a candy cane, a Christmas orange, chips, cheezies and some candy,” said Vera Gallant, Lloydminster Kiwanis Club secretary and Santa’s righthand elf. “For some children, that is the only gift that they will receive, so that is why we so passionately support the project—to make the best of Christmas for every little child.”

Something that always stands out in Gallant’s mind is something that was said by a child a few years ago.

“

It brings me to tears when families are struggling like that.

“A little girl was sitting on Santa’s knee and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she asked for groceries. So we picked up on that, followed through and that family had one of the best Christmases they said they’d ever had,” said Gallant. “We bought them tons of groceries, we bought them presents for the whole family. And we’ve done several of those throughout the years. It

MOUNT JOY FROM PAGE 2

“We also put in a wind fence. The wind fence is 700 metres long. It’s to capture as much snow as we can on the Highroad and Strawberry runs,” said Bogue. Volunteers also put a new door on the PistenBully snow groomer shed and completed upgrades

brings me to tears when families are struggling like that.” She said they’ve also heard similar stories, where young children say something that really tugs on the heartstrings. “Other kids have told Santa, ‘we don’t want anything, but can you bring my little sister or brother something?’ So that’s what keeps us going,” said Gallant. “I love the smiles and the hugs that we receive, and just knowing that we do change lives … which is our focus.” Gallant recalls the project got started 40 years ago when some families who were struggling came to the Lloyd Kiwanis Club looking for a hand, and the tradition continues to this day. “If we can continue doing what we’re doing,

to the snowmaking system and electrical systems. “We’ve been busy using the revenue responsibly,” said Bogue. “We’re not increasing our passes. We feel skiing and snowboarding should be accessible to everybody.” Bogue says they will decrease the rates if the opportu-

40 years ago I think it was 12 families that we gave the bags to. Now we’re doing 2,000 bags,” said Gallant, adding they used to pass out the treat bags to Grade 3 students as well, but the numbers were getting too high to sustain. Gallant says the support of the community means a lot to the club. “Safeway helps us out, Superstore helps us out. Once again, if it wasn’t for community support we would be struggling—so thank you Lloydminster.” Another way to support the Santa Project and other initiatives is to become a Kiwanis member. They are always looking for like-minded individuals to join the club. If you are interested, check them out on Facebook or call Gallant at 780-871-1298.

nity arises with more funding. “We’re a non-profit and seeking charity status,” he said. Anybody who buys a season’s pass at Mount Joy can enjoy a reciprocal lift ticket discount with more than 50 ski areas. “Supporting our non-profit ski hill saves families money when they ski elsewhere,” said Bogue.

Aalbers to reveal election plans GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

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Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers is resolving to make his municipal election plans clear in January. Aalbers says he and his family are set to reveal their plans in a few weeks. The next general election for mayor, councillors, and the public and Catholic school divisions will held on Nov. 13, 2024. “I would ask you to stay tuned for January. There will be an announcement made by myself and my family about my plans going into 2024,” said Aalbers on Friday. Aalbers said he is planning to hold a news conference likely by the third week of January based on meetings and sched-

ules in the new year. “It will likely be the third week of January that I’ll likely have this conference here at City Hall and invite the media and others in to join and hear our thoughts and aspirations,” he said. The announcement will precede a civic byelection on Feb. 13 to fill the seat of former councillor, Aaron Buckingham, who accepted the position of Lloydminster Fire Department Chief. All nominations for the council seat will be accepted before 4 p.m. on Jan 9. Aalbers is currently serving his second term following his re-election by acclamation on Nov. 9, 2020. He was first elected as mayor in 2016, defeating mayoral candidates Counc. Jason

Whiting and returning candidate, Cheryl Ross. Mayor Aalbers and

his family have called Lloydminster home since 2005.

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Mount Joy to open under a cloud

ount Joy Snow Resort was putting on a happy face for last year’s season opener, but the long-term picture was glum with soaring insurance and operational costs. The start of a fresh season, however, was worry-free for skiers and snowboards with tons of natural and

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – January

Thursday, December 21, 2023

t was a packed house at the Legacy Centre as 51 members of the community and surrounding area were honoured

man-made snow on the slopes. “It is going to be excellent conditions on the first day,” said resort president Chris Bogue. Bogue says volunteers completed a first run of snowmaking without a hitch with plans for another as the season rolls along. In addition, the cha-

let was painted inside and out, along with some renovations and the lift Ts were rebuilt and serviced. “All off-season improvements we’re done on a shoestring budget, knowing our insurance was going to be that much higher this year,” said Bogue. Insurance costs had more than tripled

from about $7,000 to $33,000 as a result of RMA Insurance cancelling coverage for at least eight resorts in Alberta. “Our power went up a couple of hundred dollars a month,” added Bogue, while operating costs are currently close to $50,000 a year. “So, everything has gone up. We’re hoping

to lower it down if we could offset that burden with a major grant or a donation. “We need a good year this year so we can continue to open next year.” Bogue says if they don’t have the community coming out and enjoying the facility, it will close, noting that’s the harsh reality of

being a non-profit organization. “This is a not-forprofit, but there is real business that has to go into it and there’s real work that has to go into it,” he said. Bogue says the resort is asking when people are thinking of skiing, they think of Lloydminster first and choose Mount Joy.

Lloyd celebrates Jubilee Medal recipients by the Government of Saskatchewan with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. Local recipients were among 7,000 residents

from across the province to be honoured and receive medals from Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young and Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers. Young explained recipients were nominated in different categories, including healthcare, education, community volunteer services, and philanthropy work. Aalbers presented medals to Dick Arie, Glenn Fagnan, Kay Hauer, Vic Juba, Spiro Kokonas, Vera Koster,

Kevin Kusch, Tyler Lorenz, Kurt Price and Ross Ulmer. Ulmer’s medal was accepted by his daughter, Jasmin, as he could not attend. Young presented medals to Malik Ahmed, Dawson Antonio, Kathy Bloch-Hansen, Stephanie Munro, Mariwyn Carter, Dwayne Davison, Shaun Donald, Glen Dow, Walter Dutchak, Haiden Dyck, Leanne Fink, Heather Gray, Larry Harland, Jennifer Hauberg, Marilyn Hougham, Tom Hougham, Muhamad

Afzal Khawaja, Wayne King, Richard Klinger, Valerie Lazicki, Kevin Lewis, John Littlewolf, Naurin Mangla, Morgan Mann, Aurora Cruz Meneses, Norm Namur, Fred North, Randy Novlan, Dean Peters, Darlene Puckey,

Brenda Robinson, Angela Rooks-Trotzuk, Cheryl Ross, Dr. Raffath Sayeed, Jaqueline Weed, and Jean Whitford. Sherjeel Butt and Doug Novlan were also awarded medals but could not attend the ceremony.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – January

Thursday, December 21, 2023

4th Meridian buys Ribstone Creek, restores brand

h e n i t comes to craft beer, the Hoffmans have the hops. The 4th Meridian Brewing Company family just got a whole lot bigger as the locallyowned and operated brewers recently purchased Ribstone Creek Brewery and will bring the brand’s line of award-winning beer back online after the company ceased operations last November. The 4th Meridian Brewing Company was started by Brad and Helen Hoffman as a family-owned shop outside of Lloydminster in 2016.

Their current location/taproom, located at Unit 6 2626 50 Ave., opened in August of 2017 and the rest, as they say, is history. “Ribstone Creek was one of the early breweries to start in Alberta, so they’re quite well established and had some award-winning products,” said Helen. “When we heard they were down a brewer and eventually looking to close, we thought we could figure something out and find a way to keep them going.” Not only have the Hoffmans been growing their business over the years, but they’ve

also been growing their family. When the business first opened in 2016 the couple was still riding the wedding wave, and since then, they’ve had two kids, three-yearold Julia and 16-monthold Eric, who quickly became a part of the

taproom’s charm. “It’s been a ride,” said Helen with a laugh. “It’s been fun to grow here. We’ve met so many people who knew us before we had kids and seen us through the early stages of having kids, and now here we are today.”

Buzz the Bobcats brings in over $32K for mental health goes on behind closed doors. I just want to get people help when they’re younger, (something) the older generation didn’t get.”

ast October, the Lloydminster Bobcats teamed up with the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation (LRHF) and started a fundraising campaign to support mental health initiatives and resources throughout the LPSD and LCSD. A $25,000 goal was set, and if met, the entire team would shave their heads. Well, that goal was met, and after a victory over the Canmore Eagles, the boys each waited their turn to get the lettuce clipped. “This is unbelievable, I’m just so happy right now,” said Bobcats forward Jayven Leslie, who spearheaded the initiative. “This community just keeps coming through for all of us, and we’re thankful for everyone that’s supported us throughout this, and will continue to support us through it all.” “One’s mental health, no one really sees what

Church Directory

MERIDIAN SOURCE

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – January

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Lloyd Upgrader recovers from cold

n mid-January, Cenovus Energy reported the Lloydminster Upgrader and U.S. refineries were in recovery mode following the impact of extreme winter storms and severely cold temperatures on throughput.

Weather-related issues as well as unplanned operational issues and third-party pipeline outages significantly reduced the company’s North American downstream throughput in December. Cenovus provided an update on Jan. 8, noting the

Lloydminster Upgrader and U.S. Borger Refinery in Texas are each expected to return to full rates by about the middle of January. Cenovus’s vice president of Canadian downstream manufacturing and technical services, Kerry Margetts, spoke

Co-op to build corner car wash Work on a new Co-op car wash at the corner of 12 Street and 50 Ave. is already underway with space for future retail development. Co-op CEO, Peter Brown, says the developer, Musgrave Developments Ltd., is currently cleaning up the property it owns and burying power lines. “Obviously, there’s older buildings that need to be removed from the site,” said Brown, who noted the design and planning of the project are also underway. The Co-op issued a news release on Tuesday outlining plans for a 10-bay barn-style wand wash with vacuum systems along with a 2-bay touchless automatic wash similar to the one at their Ironwells Gas Bar at 4301 44 St. The plan also calls for a small convenience store and self-serve pet wash units with a separate entrance from the car wash. “We wanted to look at a premium

car wash offering to our members. This was just one of the pieces we wanted to add,” said Brown. “We just wanted to add that little added touch. We know furry friends are pretty important in our families, too.” The project will officially break ground in the coming weeks and is set to open sometime in 2024.

about the situation to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster. “Most of that announcement was about the U.S. We have a lot of refineries in the U.S. that aren’t used to that very cold weather so we do prepare for it and do the best we can,” said Margetts.

“We did get through it safely and our units are back up and operational.” The update noted the Lloyd Refinery has continued to run well through December and into January and the U.S. Lima Refinery in Ohio is now operating at full rates.

Treaty 6 priest rises to archbishop

ishop Chris Harper of the Diocese of Saskatoon has been appointed Canada’s new Nat ional Ind igenou s Anglican archbishop and presiding elder of the Sacred Circle. As Bishop of the diocese of Saskatoon since 2018, Harper had roughly 32 churches from the Manitoba border on the east to the Alberta border on the west, including St. John’s Anglican in Lloydminster. Originally from Onion Lake Cree Nation, Harper has been in ministry most of his life, and starting in 1995, was a Lay Minister in charge of churches in Onion Lake, Fort Pitt, Paradise Hill, Frog Lake, and Frenchman Butte. “Now, as an archbishop, I will be, as a National body, representing, speaking for, addressing to the needs of, and seeking out, all the voices of all the Indigenous ministries from coast-to-coast-tocoast,” he said. “I have a lot of upcoming responsibilities, but I foresee a great journey of hope, and hopefully my ministry will be one of heal-

ing, of hope building, and at the same time, of trying to rebuild the church. This way the Indigenous People can have their own voice, their own way of recognizing this is their church, and their church they support and work with.” For Harper, day-one responsibilities include bringing better communication to the table, while also being a conduit of healing. “There is a huge undercurrent of individuals in our Canadian society that have not fully heard or embraced

the truth-telling,” said Harper. “As the Indigenous People have been telling their stories to bring a better understanding of what has happened, and the legacy that all of us inherit as Canadians, it’s hard sometimes to fully acknowledge and accept honesty and truth. Right now, I think the challenge before all of us, all across Canada, is to recognize the honest truth that there is open racism, inequality and injustice and that all of us need to work to be better Canadians.”

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – February

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Chamber’s food trade pilot a first step

ed tape, be gone. That’s the rallying cry of the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce that is leading a two-year pilot to make interprovincial food trade seamless throughout the city. “We had a round table and this issue came out,” explained TeriLynn MacKie, executive director of the chamber. “We should be able to sell our products in all of Lloydminster, not just one side or the other without it being inter-provincial trade.” The CFIA published a notice of intent on Jan. 16 to amend the Safe

Food for Canadians Regulations to address Lloydminster’s unique situation. The goal of the pilot is for safe food to move into and within the city as if there were no provincial border. Natasha Richard, manager of food safety requirements and guidance with CFIA in Ottawa, called the pilot a great milestone for Lloydminster. “The food pilot is open to all types of food, but there are certain types of eligibility the provinces have set,” she explained. Diamond 7 Meats coowner, Aron Lundquist,

was buoyed by what he learned at the meeting. “Having the freedom to move within our own city trade region is going to be an enormous step and it will be the first step of hopefully many, to improve the quality of trade within Lloydminster,” said Lundquist. He says the amendment will provide clarity to allow for the resale of their products to other businesses within the city of Lloydminster. “It’s a great day. Anytime we can improve our relations inter-provincially and have it recognized federally as well, it’s a huge step,” he said.

Bonspiel toots horn for Fred North

his year started with lots of surprises for wellknown Lloydminster oil patch personality and philanthropist Fred North. The 76-year-old workhorse continues to operate TNT Tank and Trailer in semi-retirement on a farm south of Blackfoot with his wife, Lilly, and recently got a phone call that threw him for a loop. It was from Ryan Rowan, president of the Lloydminster Oil and Gas Open Bonspiel committee, naming North as this year’s Oilman of the Year. “I never expected to be getting anything like that. It’s really something for an old truck driver who’s not good

for anything,” said North with a laugh. North has been in oilfield trucking for more than 45 years with his business career highlight being the purchase of TNT that sells, services and rents trailers. It has allowed him to give back to the community with the launch of the Fred North Charitable Foundation with his associates in Ventures North Financial Group Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to help communities, charitable organizations and individuals in need to achieve their goals of helping others to make the world a better place. In recent years, the Foundation has donated $100,000 toward the

purchase of a para-transit van for Border City Connects and just over $41,000 for a transit bus for Lloydminster Big Brothers Big Sisters. North’s Foundation also purchased the naming rights for the Fred North Community Centre housing The Olive Tree for $150,000 among many other bigticket donations in the region.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – February

Gala funds to fix sexual assault centre

othing lasts forever, and that includes the footing of the nearly 100-year-old Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services (LSAS) building, located downtown. LSAS is hosting a special 40th-anniversary gala at the WLS Convention Centre this Saturday to raise $450,000 to fix the crumbling foundation. The gala theme is a Night Under the Stars and all proceeds go towards repairing the base of the 1927 community building. Th e de t a i l s b e h i nd the repair project were revealed by Heather Sinfield, LSAS community initiatives director during a presentation to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster. “I am speaking at Rotary today to bring awareness of that need and how we need to sustain that foundation for another 100 years and keep our services going for our community and surrounding area.” Sinfield says a new building would likely cost significantly more

to move into and create the same type of safe space they have for their clients and partners. “The soundproofing in the walls and the standards that need to be met with our partnership with the RCMP—there are just a lot of hoops and hurdles to make that happen,” she explained. “There has been so much love and compassion put into this building already with donations from our community and surrounding area that we want to honour that space.” LSAS provided sexual assault recovery services to more than 800 individuals in 2022 and half of those were under 18 years of age. “Sexual violence is so stigmatized and lives in secrecy and shame, so the more we talk about it the better,” said Sinfield. She says the upcoming fundraising gala for the building repair is not business as usual for them, although they did mark their 35 anniversary with a little Italy gala.

Students soak in new HRHS wing

he wait is finally over, and for Lloydminster Catholic School Division students of all ages, the future is looking bright. The new wing at Holy Rosary High School (HRHS) officially opened to students on Feb. 9 with a special presentation and ribbon cutting. In attendance were staff and students from HRHS, community partners and sponsors who helped make the expansion possible, government representatives, as well as student representatives from each of HRHS’ feeder schools. “We’re very excited

about the new expansion opening,” said HRHS’ principal Jeremy Blais. The expansion wing is almost three years in the making and was necessary with the growing population at HRHS. “We found our population has been growing quite a bit, and with that, our student areas were becoming a little bit crowded,” said Blais. The new wing includes newly designed classrooms and features a new art centre, science labs, a kinesiology centre, an innovation centre, a Truth and Reconciliation Centre and more.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

PAGE 10 Thursday, December 21, 2023 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Viewpoint Border Banter with Benoit-Leipert:

5921-50 Avenue, Lloydminster, SK S9V 2A4 Phone: 306-825-5111 Toll Free: 1-800-327-3899 | Fax: 306-825-5147 meridiansource.ca Mail: Box 2454, Lloydminster, SK S9V 1W5 Hours: 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday The MERIDIAN SOURCE is published once a week, on Thursday. All material printed in the Meridian Source is copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. The Meridian Source reserves the right to refuse publication of any advertising or editorial material at its discretion. Columns and letters are the expressed view of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Meridian Source. Editor Taylor Weaver taylor@meridiansource.ca Staff Writer Geoff Lee geoff@meridiansource.ca Staff Writer Jeannette Benoit Leipert jeannette@meridiansource.ca Marketing Consultant Cory Harvie cory@meridiansource.ca Marketing Consultant Andrea Allen andrea@meridiansource.ca Marketing Consultant Bailey Keebaugh bailey@meridiansource.ca Publisher: Reid Keebaugh Production Manager: Amanda Richard Distribution: distribution@meridiansource.ca CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING admin@meridiansource.ca NEWSPAPER DELIVERY If you’ve missed a paper, to start or stop delivery, or for carrier applications, please call 306-825-5111 for information. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We welcome letters to the editor. Letters should be 500 words or less. A name and daytime phone number is required for verification. 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

Focus on what’s important A dear friend of mine always knows how to put things into perspective for me when it comes to Christmas and other holidays. Her husband works away on the drilling rigs and has ever since they got together in 2005. For her and their children, it’s never really known when dad is going to be home. She always jokes she doesn’t get her hopes up until he is pulling into the driveway. But when you work on the rigs, that’s the nature of the beast. Things can change on a dime, especially when you’re the boss. Our middle boy, who just turned 20, is learning about that beast, too. He is now on the same rig, and his schedule won’t

allow him to be home for Christmas this year, which is sad for all of us. We’ve always been able to see him during the holidays, and will sure miss those hugs! But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my friend over the years—it’s just a day. We can still include him in the celebration when he returns on New Year’s Day. For my friend and her family this year, they’ve decided to do the opposite and celebrate when her husband comes home before Christmas—namely, Dec. 16. She works full-time as well, so when they decided to celebrate early I could sense the panic in her voice. Try moving your holiday plans up by 10 days. Ten fewer days for cleaning, shopping, wrapping, meal planning etc. Yikes. She always manages to pull it off beautifully though (because she’s a very talented woman),

and their time spent together as a family is cherished no matter what day they choose to celebrate. Like I told her, with the holiday formalities out of the way she can spend the 25th relaxing and remembering what a great Christmas they enjoyed together. I’ve always admired the way they make it work so that everyone can be together. After all, it isn’t what’s under the tree, but who’s around it that counts! I would like to wish all of you Source readers a safe and happy Christmas, no matter when or how you choose to celebrate!

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YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – March

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Lloyd Ukrainians rally for freedom

small group of Ukrainians and supporters waved their country’s flags in front of City Hall in the bitter cold to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was an emotional and meaningful day on Friday for Lilia Savchuk who escaped the war in her homeland

five years ago to start a new life in Canada with her husband. “It’s one year of war in Ukraine and nine years of small wars. It was started nine years ago,” said Savchuk, as if speaking to her countrymen and all Canadians. “I want to say thank you to every fighter, every warrior in Ukraine. Thank you

so much for your support and standing for Ukraine and fighting for Ukraine.” Russia invaded and annexed the Crimea Peninsula in 2014 to trigger Ukraine’s long fight for freedom. Savchuk comes from the western part of Ukraine, not occupied by Russia, but says her dad, Bohdan, who is

LCHS hosts tour of renovations

loydminster Comprehensive High School (LCHS) hosted a media tour of its estimated $28.8 million expansion in early February, with a focus on a completed renovated area for student services. The tour was led by school principal Dwayne Marciniw in the context of needing space to accommodate about 330 Grade 9 students starting in the fall of 2024. “It was important for us when we designed the space to create a central hub for student support services,” said Marciniw. “Those supports come in terms of social and emotional supports and counselling services.” Marciniw thinks the space will benefit the Grade 9s by allowing them to

look at career options down the road, maybe a little bit earlier, along with a greater selectivity of courses at LCHS than at middle schools. “It’s planning ahead for when the Grade 9s get here,” he said. Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD) chair, David Thompson, said the dream of changing the grade configuration and bringing Grade 9s to LCHS started about seven years ago. “To do that, they needed to renovate the main area,” said Thompson, who expects enrolment to total up to 1,200 students with the added Grade 9s. He also notes the concerns for student mental wellness that arose during the pandemic are reflected in the student services space.

on a two-month family visit in Lloydminster, has a dangerous mission in the war effort. “He volunteers to deliver medical and military gear to hot spots to our fighters. He’s done it for nine years,” she said. Savchuk admits it’s a high-risk activity with many YouTube videos conveying the danger. “It’s crazy,” she said.

Coldest Night supports community need

ith homelessness in Lloydminster on the rise, the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser couldn’t have come at a better time. That was the message from the walk’s organizer, Valerie Lazicki, as Border City residents gathered at Bud Miller All Seasons Park on Saturday night to face the cold and raise funds for the Lloydminster Social Action Coalition Society, which operates the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter.

“We’re seeing greater numbers this year than we’ve seen in the past, summer and winter,” said Lazicki. “I’ve been with the organization for five years and I’m not sure what’s happening, but homelessness is increasing in Lloydminster; it’s astonishing to me. I don’t know whether people are losing their stability or whether they’re coming from other communities because the shelters in other communities are overwhelmed.”

This year’s walk featured seven teams with 35 walkers and raised just under $16K. Lazicki explained the goal of the annual walk, which first took place in 2016, is not only to gain financial support, but it’s also “a stark recognition of what life is like for people who aren’t housed or aren’t accessing meals regularly.” “The great thing about this event is everyone comes back year after year, so it’s like welcoming old friends,” she said.

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YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – March

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Rustlers win second national v-ball title

fter winning their second national collegiate volleyball title since the 2016-17 season, the best way to describe the team as a whole is humble.

Throughout three days of championship play, the Rustlers went 3-0 against the Rouges de Saint-Boniface, 3-1 against the Humber Hawks, and 3-0 on champi-

onship Saturday against the Camosun Chargers. “Going into the final, the only thing I was a little worried about was how aggressive they served,” said head coach Austin Dyer. “If they were able to have a match where they didn’t miss, they could have beaten anybody with the style of serving they have.” For Rustlers captain and veteran middle, Kaylie Lueck, Saturday’s match was one she and the team were waiting for. “It was a day we had been waiting for since last year, so there were some jitters going into it, but as soon as we got

Fullarton floored by surprise teaching award

out there and started doing our thing, everything came naturally,” she said. In Lueck’s opinion, a big aspect of the win came down to volleyball IQ. “The way Austin gets us ready for the games, the way we prepare, we’re sitting watching other teams play and we’re picking apart their play … we know we’re smart players, and our volleyball IQ is a lot higher than some teams.” Fifth-year outside hitter Jenay Varga not only had a phenomenal tournament, but she also had a great season and led the ACAC in kills

with 229, averaging 4.09 per set. Varga also led the league in aces-per-set with 0.80 and had the third-highest hitting percentage with .491. “It was very different than what we’ve done so far, just that higher level of play, so it was a cool experience,” said Varga. “A national title is a pretty cool little brag to have … a humble brag,” she added with a laugh. Coach Dyer was honoured with the ACAC women’s volleyball Coach of the Year award as well as the CCAA Coach of the Year, something he chalks up to his team.

Strong oil sector boosts bonspiel

hen Holy Rosary High School’s (HRHS) athletic director, Ashley Fullarton, returned to school after the February break, she wasn’t expecting the surprise she received. Fullarton was this year’s Lloydminster Catholic School Division recipient of the Excellence in Catholic Education Award, presented by the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta. “She doesn’t know we’re here this morning doing this award, so you’re part

of the surprise,” said LCSD director of education, Nigel McCarthy, prior to the event. “Ashley is a mentor, and that word really means something in Catholic education because it’s about walking together with children throughout the experience of their high school years and having them understand not only their potential but what their responsibilities are to the future.” Fullarton has been with the LCSD for the past nine years and started out as

many educators do, teaching physical education. For Fullarton, the shock of receiving this prestigious award left her a bit speechless. “I love our school division, I love our school, and I’m so happy to get to represent our school in such a great way. I always say I bleed burgundy. I eat, sleep and breathe Holy Rosary Raiders and I absolutely love everything our school has to offer. I think everyone who works here is so lucky to get to come to school every day and get to do this as a job.”

he stars aligned to make the 54th Lloydminster Oil and Gas Open Bonspiel a notable one, thanks to a strong energy sector and a revitalized organizing committee. It will go into the history books as the eighth A-Event title for Monte Armstrong’s rink and the second with his current crew of Colby Benoit, Mike Welygan and Tyson Armstrong since 2018. They beat the Brett Rowan rink 7-2 in the final, called after six ends. Bonspiel president, Ryan Rowan, was clearly stoked about having 28 teams take part, up from 24 a year ago. “It’s a little bit healthier in the oil industry right now. Sponsorship is up, and curlers seem to be coming out a bit better,” explained Rowan during the event banquet at the WLS Convention Centre Friday night. “We’re up this year for the banquet too. This place is full right now.” Rowan also thinks having a new, younger organizing committee helps the cause. “Lots of people stepped up this year. We had some long-time committee mem-

bers retire last year,” added Rowan. Those long-time volunteers were Monte Armstrong, Jeff Latos and Mikey Armstrong, who were presented with recognition plaques for their combined 104 years of service. The profile of this year’s bonspiel was raised by having Lloydminster-trained curlers Mike Armstrong and Evan Latos play on their respective Saskatchewan and Yukon teams in the recent 2023 Brier. “A couple of Lloydminster boys in the Brier always helps,” said Rowan. Evan showed up for the oilmen’s with his dad, Jeff, on the Brian Robinson rink. “I haven’t played him yet, but I’m looking forward to giving it a shot,” said Rowan.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

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YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – April

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Farm woman reaps Alberta Ag Award

“Terra is the epitome of a successful female farmer. Her passion for her work and her mission to educate

and inform the public about her life, agriculture, and food industries is a major contribution in making agri-

culture a better place for women.” That’s how local farmer/wife/entrepreneur/mother Terra Weaver was described by the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) after becoming one of seven recipients of this year’s Women in Ag Award, presented at the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference in Calgary from March 12-14.

The AFSC Women in Ag Award acknowledges and honours the passion and commitment of women in agriculture and agribusiness in Alberta. It also celebrates the growing presence of women in this industry. This award showcases the women who are making a difference in agriculture and helping preserve, nurture and transform this everchanging sector.

She plays a very hands-on role in the family farm and is directly involved in all aspects of the operation. “Women have always been equal partners in

their farming operation, doing equal jobs. They might be cooking meals to take to the field, that is a partnership in your agricultural business.”

Kid earns money as drone pilot

The buck drops at Lloydminster Place

decision by Lloydminster council to build the proposed $101.5 million Lloydminster Place event arena and put it out to tender could come quickly. The project has received more than $33 million in grants from Saskatchewan and the federal government. The joint arena funding was announced Tuesday by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Saskatchewan’s Government Relations Minister, Don McMorris, as part of $42.1 million of joint investments in 21 building projects in the province.

“I’m extremely excited as members of council are as well that are with me here at the SUMA convention in Saskatoon,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers in a Zoom call. The funding includes $16,463,508 from the federal government, $16,665,000 from Saskatchewan and $16,871,492 from the City of Lloydminster to secure those dollars. Aalbers says he’s really excited to see the grant funding application come to fruition. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. The joint funding leaves the city with more than $50 million left to raise.

Aalbers says council approved a borrowing bylaw for $33 million in 2022 with additional dollars to come from sponsorships and revenue from the development of the lots around the arena complex.

Kitscoty rolls out rec project update

lanning for the estimated $2.05 million Kitscoty Sports and Event Centre is turning into a communitybuilding exercise as well as a much-need multirecreational facility. The Kitscoty Senior Centre was packed with supporters and individuals voicing their concerns during a town hall update from building committee members on the evening of April 4. Committee president, Dustin Newman, noted the facility will be located at Kits-

coty Regional Park and include a three-sheet c u r l i n g r i n k , a c l u bhouse for golfers, a concession for ball players and outdoor stalls and wash racks for 4-H members. “There’s been a bunch of ideas and comments coming from the community, so we are just updating them on where we are at and on comments from the community,” said Newman, who also invited questions and input from the audience. One attendee suggested adding a new

hockey rink to the proposed project, but Newman said that wouldn’t fit into the footprint, including a parking lot. The meeting was also an opportunity for Vermilion-LloydminsterWainwright MLA Garth Rowswell to officially announce a $100,000 project grant he secured from Municipal Affairs. “ T h e g r o u p approached me in the summer of ‘22. I always look to towns to give me projects to try to help them with and this just came out of the blue,” said Rowswell.

The grant will go toward the design, lease and assessment of the building site and could lead to some bigger grants down the road. Kitscoty Mayor Joy Bell is thrilled to see residents getting together to move the project forward. “We are extremely fortunate in this community to have an active group of individuals who certainly see the potential of our regional park and what a new event centre would do for curling in our area,” said Bell.

oung Jake Tremmel is flying by the seat of his pants with a bird’s eye view of the world. The 12-year-old Grade 7 student at Bishop Lloyd Middle School is practising to be a better drone camera pilot while earning a few bucks taking aerial photos and videos. The youngster recently took some video of a cardboard sled derby at Mount Joy Snow Resort where he talked about his passion for drones. “It’s something I really enjoy,” he said while holding a portable drone in one hand. He was invited to use it to record the derby by his elementary school principal, Sheldon Gallagher, who is on the Mount Joy board. “That will be fun having Jake taking pictures of the event,” said Gallagher on derby day. Jake bought himself an updated DJI Mini 3 Pro portable drone that weighs just 249 grams. The larger propellers, an aerodynamic body tilt, and a pow-

erful obstacle-sensing system contribute to its increased flight time and safety. The gimbal has a large tilt range for lowangle and vertical shots for endless creative possibilities. “It’s pretty good,” said Jake, who is turning it into a paying hobby. “I take aerial photos of properties. I check on livestock, I do gutter checks and roof checks and special events. It’s a real good money-making thing.” He has landed a summer job as a drone camera pilot with the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA). “I will follow them around this summer with their tour,” he said. “It will be a good time because I actually did it for the finals last year. If you saw the drone up there, that was me.” He teamed up with Videre Images’ Jason Whiting, who he is quick to credit for helping him capture the drone video footage at Halstead Downs for live-streaming.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – May

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Inclusion breakfast brings in big bucks

“

We all belong, and that’s what this is all about, it’s about belonging, equal opportunities and ensuring people understand we should all be included in typical life experiences.” That was the message from Cathy Laycock, president of Inclusion Lloydminster, during the organization’s 12th fundraising breakfast, held at the Lloyd Ex last Thursday morning. This year’s breakfast brought in a total of $141,000 as well as six new dream makers, something the organization is quite proud of. “When you see a room like this,

filled with almost 400 people, it’s great to see the community support,” said Laycock, noting the breakfast has raised almost $1M over 12 years. Those in attendance had the opportunity to hear more about who Inclusion Lloydminster is and the services it provides. “The breakfast is about creating awareness in our community so people with developmental disabilities don’t go unnoticed,” she said. “We’re all humans, we’re all the same, and we all deserve opportunities to contribute. We belong as citizens in our community and it’s really crucial there’s an awareness of that.” Attendees also had the privilege of hearing numerous success stories from guest speakers who have received support from the organization over the years. “Hearing those success stories gives me goosebumps,” she said. “It rejuvenates their hope and their belief that the community does come together and is there to support everyone. “I’m a parent of a child with developmental disabilities, so this whole event really hits home for me.”

Ribfest funder to pull wheelie

loydminster is shaping up to be the capital of Father’s Day celebrations. The fourth annual Ribfest will be held in conjunction with the Just Kruzin Show and Shine at the Servus Sports Centre on Father’s Day weekend June 16-18. The more the merrier concept could also involve the Lloydminster Flying Club, which hopes to bring back its fly-in breakfast that weekend. The good news was shared by Aaron Buckingham at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch, speak-

ing as a volunteer for Border City Connects transportation service that raises funds at Ribfest. “Border City Connects is always trying to find synergies of how we can benefit others and so many mutually beneficial things,” said Buckingham. “We tried last year and weren’t successful. This year we were successful.” Buckingham says if the fly-in breakfast is a go, Border City Connects shuttle vans will bring passengers from the Lloydminster Municipal Airport to the car show and Ribfest. Border City Connects

provides transportation services to the residents of Lloydminster and area that have special needs or mobility issues and provides rides to out-of-town medical appointments. “Making Lloydminster the place to be on Father’s Day in the midwest is the idea. We’ll try to get all that happening that weekend,” said Buckingham. He also thanked Rotary for supporting Border City Connects while giving a personal shout-out to their Lobsterfest fundraiser at the Lloyd Ex this Saturday when the Dream Vacations draw will take place.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – May

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Martial artist sets sights on Worlds

ucas Feeley is having a heck of a year on two fronts. Fresh off his first national Taekwon-Do championship title in sparring, the 18-yearold is competing in Winnipeg

this week at Skills Canada nationals in video production, while also preparing for the International TaekwonDo Federation (ITF) World Championships in Finland from Sept. 4-10. Feeley was in Vernon, B.C. from May 6-7 for ITF national championships where he went up against the best 18-35-year-olds in the country in three different competitions. Feeley competed in specialty technique, patterns, and sparring. It’s also worth noting this was Feeley’s first national competition in the

New Canadian Tire officially opened

18-35 adult category, having turned 18 in December. “Luckily in sparring I got gold, so I’m the national champ in sparring,” he humbly stated. “In specialty technique, which is my favourite … I came up short and got second, but this one is super cool because they put boards eight and a half feet in the air and you have to jump and kick them with your feet. It’s super awesome.” To win his national sparring title, Feeley had to take down a 10-year reigning nation champ, all while in

his first outing in the adult division. “Legend has it he was reigning for around 10 years. He was an awesome competitor, super fierce, I love the guy and think he’s awesome,” said Feeley, noting this mystery competitor trains out of Lethbridge and is in his mid-20s. With a national title in the books, Feeley is putting everything he has into preparation for Worlds in Finland. “There’s still one roadblock in the way (with) a selection camp in June, so I’m preparing for that,” he said.

“Now, it’s no days off. Every morning, every night, I’m stretching and training, no matter what, and I put in about two hours three to four days per week here. “A world title has been the dream for a while; first it was just a national title, and now that I’ve gotten there I’ve broadened my horizons a bit and worlds seems to be the number one thing I’m going for right now.” Feeley first took to martial arts at a very young age and has been training out of Torrent TKD for the past 14 years.

Thumbs up again for Try A Trade

he first bi-provincial Try A Trade since 2019 fulfilled its mission to promote the trades as a career option to high school students. This year’s event, held at Lloyd Ex, introduced students to 51 designated

trades in seven industries with lots of trades demonstrations from exhibitors. “We’ve had full support from all our schools once again,” said Dorothy Carson, executive director of the Lloydminster Construction Association that orga-

nizes the event. “We’re expecting just over 1,600 high school students from the region to come through.” The annual drill is for students to see and try trades in action, and chat with tradespeople.

Dunn lays down election cards

anadian Tire store owner, Dave Jewell, with his wife, Marilyn at this side and staff cheering in the background, cel-

arrell Dunn is keeping his eyes on the prize running for the Alberta Party ebrated the grand opening of the store during an official ribbon in the provincial election. The Lloydminster resicutting with Lloydminster Mayor dent says electing him and Gerald Aalbers on May 11. the party in the VermilionLloydminster-Wainwright riding on May 29 will end what he calls the dysfunctional two-party system in Alberta. He says he joined the party two and a half years ago frustrated by an entrenched left-wing and right-wing political system with no room in the middle for constructive compromise. “Subsequent events have proven the pervasive dysfunction of our two-party reality to be good for the party leaders, but disastrous for the people of this province,” said Dunn. He says the basic structure of our system of elected government was

OUR SPECIALTY IS SPORTS

designed for MLAs to act in their role as the voice of the people who elected them—noting that no longer happens. “ Wit h th e gr o w th and evolution of the party system, the focus has shifted from the contribution of MLAs to a cult of leadership,” said Dunn. He says that means the party leader declares what is going to happen; what is expected from each ministry; what their MLAs will say in question period and finally, how those MLAs will vote. “That is not the Alberta Party,” said Dunn, who says the role of an MLA is to represent the riding and raise your voice in committee, in meetings and in the Legislature for your constituency. Dunn’s community involvement spans the Snowflake House Respite Foundation, the Lloyd-

n i a r t e m o C ! s u th i w

minster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society and a run for City Council in 2020. He’s the current corporate secretary of the Alberta Party and a former party vice president. Dunn’s resume includes careers in agriculture and law enforcement, and he’s been an elected official, bureaucrat, consultant and advocate with an education background in law, political science, history and economics.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – June

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Rowswell helps paint Alberta blue A

majority of area voters were happy feeling Conservative blue in the wake of the Alberta general election. The United Conservative Party (UCP), headed by Premier Danielle Smith, will form a majority government winning 49 seats to 38 for the NDP. No other party elected a member.

UCP incumbent Garth Rowswell is rolling up his sleeves, being re-elected by a landslide in VermilionLloydminster-Wainwright with 13,071 votes with New Democratic Party candidate, Dawn Flaata, a distant second at 3,097. “It’s nice. Now I get to continue some of the work I was work-

ing on and go on from here,” said an elated Rowswell. He says the results don’t surprise him, despite capturing a whopping 74.3 per cent of the 17,602 votes reported in the riding. “The polls were kind of headed in that direction,” he said. “You never take anything for granted, but

it’s nice to get re-elected and now I’ve got to earn the trust that’s been given to me.” In third place was the Alberta Party’s Darrell Dunn with 475 votes followed by Danny Hozack, Wildrose Loyalty Party at 459, Independent, Matthew Powell, 354 and Green candidate Tigra-Lee Campbell, 146.

Rescue Squad upgrades ROV

he Lloydminster Rescue Squad (LRS) will have a better chance of bringing closure to those missing loved ones in a timely manner with a major upgrade to its underwater exploration equipment. The squad is now the owner of a VideoRay Pro 5, which is manufactured in Pennsylvania and designed to handle missions with size, space, weight, and deployment speed constraints, such as infrastructure inspections beyond the reach of divers, search and recovery, exploring at depths of up to 305m, and various others. The ROV (remotely-operated

vehicle) features three thrusters, roughly 1,000 ft. of tether line, and a rotating manipulating jaw designed to retrieve items in confined or hazardous locations. The ROV’s camera can also be tilted down to focus on the jaw to provide a close view of the operation, an improvement over the squad’s ROV from the ‘90s. The new ROV cost just shy of $140K and was purchased using funds raised through the squad’s 2022 Sirens and Sapphires Gala. Chief Norm Namur and deputy chief Ryan LeBlanc were like two kids on Christmas morning as they unveiled the new ROV to media at the Border Inn and

Suites prior to a 2023 Sirens and Sapphires committee meeting. The squad will be receiving specialized training from an expert from the U.S. for members of its seven-person water team in the coming weeks.

Barons back on gridiron

he Lloydminster Comprehensive High School Barons football team was back on the gridiron as they prepared for their upcoming season in a new league. Playing out of the Wheatland Football League for some time now, the Barons will make the switch to the North Saskatchewan Football League and will compete in the 5A classification provincially, something head

coach Kieran Link is looking forward to. “Most of our sports actually play out of Saskatchewan. This opportunity came up for north Saskatchewan teams to get a rural league going and we jumped on it,” he said. Link explained the Barons will be playing teams from Prince Albert Carlton, Prince Albert St. Mary’s, Warman and Martensville will combine to make a team, as well as North Battleford.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023 – June

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Powwow partygoers clap for culture T

h e H e a r t of Treaty 6 was beating strongly during the second annual Interschool Powwow, which attracted roughly 2,500 people inside the Centennial Civic Centre. The sponsored event went ahead with all the makings of a traditional powwow. “The powwow is a celebration for everyone coming together,

having fun, cheering, sharing stories as well as making new friends and providing that understanding,” said lead organizer Clint Chocan. “It’s a traditional powwow.” He said all dancers and singers will receive an honorarium of sorts – a meal and a gift in the traditional format. About 50 students from the Lloydminster

Public and Lloydminster Catholic School Division, Onion Lake, Northwest and Buffalo Trail danced as well as 15 adults from the area. Chocan added this powwow means a lot to the Indigenous community to share their culture, so other nations and non-Indigenous people will learn about their beliefs, their protocols and create a better understanding.

The cultural part of the powwow was on the mind of dancer Richard Tootoosis from Poundmaker Cree Nation, who was set to go after his daughter Keeley painted his face. “It’s about time white students see what we do in our powwows. These outfits I am wearing mean a lot to us,” he said while pointing to various parts of his regalia.

Archivists celebrate city’s wrinkles

here was history in the making during the 120th anniversary of the City of Lloydminster. Roughly 156 people took part in a lunch celebration sponsored by the Friends of the Lloydminster Regional Archives and Lloydminster and District Co-op. “We have a program and some singing and some musical drama and we have the story of the founding of Lloydminster, and hopefully, a really good lunch,”

said the group’s president Lynne Smith. The display of old photographs and memorabilia at the lunch will be added to some new ongoing projects by the volunteer archivists. “We are doing businesses of Lloydminster, which, of course, is huge over 120 years. We’re also doing history of cultural organizations,” reported Smith. The historical collection on hand also inspired long-time residents like Smith, who has

been in the area for 78 years, to reminisce about her heydays in the city. “In the early days, I lived on the farm where I still live and we only came to town so mom could buy groceries on Saturday mornings,” recalled Smith. “I was in the first graduating class from what is now E.S. Laird and then I started to see the city more than I used to.” Smith thinks saving the history of Lloydminster is so important, although she

didn’t feel that way when she was younger. “The older I get the more important I think it is,” she said. That was music to the ears of Don Duncan, a former perennial chair of the volunteer board that owned and operated the archives for many years before the city recently took it over with funding. “Without the founding of Lloydminster, we’d have nothing to celebrate whatso-

ever,” said Duncan. He thinks the anniversary was an opportunity to recognize the initiative and the spirit that motivated the first British settlers here, while recognizing the First Nations as the original inhabitants. “The community as we know it started in 1903,” he said. The history books tell us Rev Isaac Montgomery Barr led the Barr Colony to settle here while Rev. George Exton Lloyd is the founder of Lloydminster.

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

June Wilma McGarry passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at Lloydminster Hospital on October 28, 2023 at the age of 86 years. June will be forever loved and remembered by her children. Jerry (Myrna) and their children Dustin (Brittney) and Poppy; Jordan (Karli); Amanda (Brendan); Laurie and her children Christopher (Jim); Kristen (Jonathan) and Grace, Jack; Jimmy’s children

Melissa and Summer, Leah, Everleigh; Cody (Kristina) and Ryan, Alyda, Hannah, Nicholas, Colton, Rylan, James, Kinsleigh; Kevin (Shawna). June was predeceased by husband Bill and son Jimmy. A celebration of June’s life was held at the Kinsmen Hall on December 7, 2023 at 1:00 pm with Sherry Henderson officiating. Donations may be made in memory of June to the Pioneer Lodge. The family of June McGarry would like to thank our friends and family for all their support, prayers, phone calls, texts, visits, food, flowers, cards and donations. A special thank you to all the staff over the years at Pioneer Lodge and Pioneer House. Thank you to Creech’s Funeral Home for administering the funeral arrangements and their professionalism.

MCCORMACK: Robert Arthur McCormack passed away peacefully in the Lloydminster Hospital on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 at the age of 87. Robert was born April 10, 1936 at Lashbum, Sask. to Albert and Constance McCormack of the Artland district. Robert grew up on the family farm with his sister, Barbara and brother, Raymond and, later, his youngest sister, Sheila. He took his schooling at Fram School. Following his schooling, he worked for some of the local farmers. He then worked for a grain farmer at Eatonia for three years and decided that he wanted to be a straight grain farmer, which he did for many years, buying a number of acres and then farming his father's farm as well. During his farming years, he met Anna Lakusta and they were married Nov. 30, 1983. Robert split his married life of nearly 40 yrs between living in Lloydminster and his farm. They

had a good life and made many car trips. A favorite pastime of Robert's was going to the Marsden coffee shop as he loved visiting and talking. There he heard of all the goings on in the community. That's what he missed most was when he couldn't drive anymore and couldn't come to the cafe. Robert leaves to mourn: his sister, Sheila Graham; sister-in-law, Viola McCormack; nieces, Regina Graham and Lucinda McCormack; nephews, Richard Graham, Steven McCormack, Pat (Marilyn) Ponech and Dan Ponech; great niece, Randi Ponech and son Kayden, great nephew, Mackenzie Ponech, and the Owen Lakusta family. Robert is predeceased by: his loving wife, Anna; his parents, Albert and Connie, sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and Matt Ponech; brother, Raymond and brother-in-law, Arthur Graham. As to Robert's wishes there will be no service. A private burial of his ashes will be held at the Brady Cemetery in 2024. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. CARD OF THANKS The McCormack family thanks all those for their support during this time of sorrow.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

OBITUARIES TWO FORMER LASHBURN RESIDENTS - SEARLE SISTERS

Helen and Mildred Laid to Rest Helen joyfully and triumphantly spent at the Lucas farmstead, passed into the arms of her Lord south of Marshall; later homes and Saviour, Jesus Christ at the would be Quesnel, British ColumEdmonton General Hospital, her bia and Edmonton, Alberta. home for the past 24 years. She Helen was predeceased by her was supported with her favorite mother, Mable in 1959, daughter gospel music and by her niece and Jeanette (Kim) in 1976; grandson Daniel Toby in 1980; father Trustee, Barbara Wychopen. Helen was born February 18, Stanley (Stan) Searle in 1998, 1938, in Lashburn, Saskatchewan, former husband and forever the youngest of three daughters, friend, Danny Lucas in 2022. to Mable and Stanley (Stan) Searle. She leaves treasured memories She married Daniel (Danny) in the hearts of her daughters and Lucas of Marshall, Saskatchewan their families: Linda Limer (Erin, in 1954, and together they raised Heather); Deana and Tom Clark four daughters. Early years were (Jennifer, Crystal, Daniel, Jamie,

Helen Mable (Searle) Lucas February 18, 1938 – September 20, 2023

Photo Credit: Jim Metherell

Mildred Evelyn Joan (Searle) Waldron Reinhart December 18, 1932 – October 14, 2023 Mildred (Milly) passed away at Aspen Ridge Lodge, Didsbury, Alberta on October 14. She was supported and surrounded by her family. Her funeral service was conducted October 21,

2023, from St. John’s Anglican Church, Olds Alberta by Rev. Dr. Robert Sears, assisted by Milly’s granddaughter, Divinity Student, Holly Hirschfield. Milly was born and raised in Lashburn, Saskatchewan. She exceled in schoolwork, Girl Guide activities, played the piano for school dances and the organ at All Saints Anglican church. But her favorite job of all was helping her grandfather (Arthur Brodie Searle), and later, her father (Stanley Searle) in the Post Office. She married Russell Waldron in October 1951 and together they raised three daughters. They farmed alongside and with George, Hazel and Charlie Waldron and Cyril (Squibb) and Francis

“I think 90 is old enough” -Milly, 2021 (Fran) Shearman families for 45 years. In 1957, Milly returned to part time work in the Lashburn Post office – a very bold, and unusual move for a farmwife of that era. Milly continued to work part time until 1971, when she was awarded the position of Postmaster. She was very proud to have been one of the first female Postmasters in western Canada; however, she was especially proud to be the third generation Postmaster in the Searle family. She retired in 1995. In 1997, a year after Russell’s death, Milly moved off the farm into Lashburn. She took up golfing and returned to casual work in the Post Office for the next ten years – until age 75.

Rick, Tiffany); Lori Campbell (Geneva, Tully, Caley) And in the hearts of her sisters: Mildred (Searle) (Waldron) Reinhart; Norma (Eric) Squair; brothers -in-law Bert (Lilian) and Neil (June) Lucas; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Helen was severely injured and blinded in July 1984. She spent the next 39+ years in care at the University of Alberta Hospital Burn Unit, Good Samaritan Care Centre, and Edmonton General Hospital. She became a powerful, positive

image maker under the most difficult of circumstances. Helen’s faith was steadfast; acceptance of her circumstances was grace personified; her outreach was gracious and kind. A remarkable woman, indeed. At Helen’s request, no formal funeral service was held. Her cremated remains will be interred in June 2024 with her mother (Mable Searle) in the Lashburn Cemetery, “I’ll be at peace with the Lord” -Helen, 2015

Searle Family 1951: Standing: L-R Norma, Stan (postmaster 1946 – 1971), Mable, Seated: Helen, Mildred (Postmaster 1971 – 1995)

Milly was involved in many community and volunteer initiatives, including Chairperson of the Lashburn Home Coming Committee; founding member of the Lloydminster Academy of Performing Arts; Saskatchewan Commissioner for Girl Guides of Canada. She married Arthur (Art) Reinhart in May 1999, and for the next fifteen years they followed the chuckwagon circuit, enjoyed daily crib games, warm winter travels, fishing, boating and campfires at the Reinhart Family Turtle Lake cabin. In 2015, Milly moved to Seasons Encore Retirement home in Olds, Alberta when Art was admitted to Points West in Wainwright, Alberta. She visited him as often as

possible; however, the separation was heartbreaking for them both. She moved to her final home - Aspen Ridge Lodge, Didsbury Alberta in April, 2022. Milly was predeceased by her mother Mable in 1959, niece Jeanette (Kim) Lucas in 1976; husband Russell in 1996; father Stanley (Stan) in 1998; husband Arthur (Art) in 2017 and sister Helen in 2023. She will be treasured forever in the hearts of her daughters Barbara Wychopen (Ed); Brenda Waldron (Walter) and Jean (Jim) Bergen And by her grandchildren Holly (Marcus) Hirschfield, Justin (Kara) Lacelle, Brian (Shantel) Bergen, Zachary (Landon) Penner, Sherry Bergen;

Cody (Tamara) Bergen, Kyron (Andrea) Lacelle, Robin (Erika) Lacelle, Alexandra (Derrick) Wychopen, Darcy (Keith) Bergen, twenty-two great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Milly’s life will be remembered, and her passing mourned by her sister Norma (Eric) Squair, and daughter of her heart, Gloria Jean (Shearman) McConnell. And also by the Reinhart families: Shane (Roxy) Reinhart, Inez (Eric) Weighill, Michael (Jennifer) Reinhart, Frank (Sheila) Reinhart. Cremation has taken place, and internment will be held “on the hill” in the Waldron Family Cemetery, RM of Britannia, in June 2024.

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

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Celebrations

Thursday, December 21, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, December 21, 2023