Meridian Source - February 27, 2020 by Meridian Source

Thursday, February 27, 2020

VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 35

MERIDIANSOURCE.CA

SEE INSIDE FOR Best on the border - Readers’ Choice Awards Pull Out Feature

Premier Moe tours local infrastructure GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe gave a thumbs up to the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) process the City of Lloydminster is using to build its new wastewater treatment facility. The premier toured the plant and met with the IPD project team during a day-long tour of infrastructure projects the province has partly funded in the region. “It’s very innovative and I think it’s the first time it’s been used in this type of a project,” said Moe following a project briefing at the city’s Operations Centre on Wednesday. He said he wants to ensure it will be a good qu a l i t y - b u il t p r o j e c t that will last for years. He said “a great group of people” is working here on a very important piece of infrastructure for the city. Moe kicked off the day in Paradise Hill with a tour of a lagoon Saskatchewan invested in. He also announced

the province and the RM of Frenchman Butte are partnering to upgrade nine kilometres of the Frenchman Butte Access and 26 kilometres of Highway 21. The project is scheduled to begin this construction season. The tour stops were set up by Lloydminster MLA C o lleen Yo ung , who invited the premier during the second week of his tour across Saskatchewan. “We were looking at the investments the province has made in infrastructure, particularly within my constituency,” said Young, noting Saskatchewan was the first government to invest in Lloyd’s wastewater upgrade. She said the premier was interested in seeing what the new Lloydminster wastewater facility would look like with the province’s investment in it. “This is a very unique community, and Saskatchewan and Alberta share in the funding of every service and

every facility we have in this community,” said Young. “So, I think it is very important for the premiers to come to this community and see the investment that has been made by the government and what services are here.” Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers says the tour was an opportunity for the premier to see first hand where the dollars his government, the federal government and the taxpayers of Lloydminster, are investing in wastewater. “He saw the design work to build the most effective facility for the least amount of dollars. He was very impressed with that, he took a lot of notes and had a lot of questions,” said Aalbers. Aalbers says city councillors and staff talked about health care and police funding during a closed lunch meeting. He says the topics were EMS and the need to renew a new Memorandum of Agreement

and rectifying changes made years ago to police funding in the Border City. “We’ve asked the premier to restore that funding to keep us equal and whole with the rest of Saskatchewan,” said Aalbers. Moe also took time to talk with media about a possible teachers’ strike and his opposition to the carbon tax among other subjects before heading out for a visit at College Park School. Moe says it’s his hope teachers won’t go on strike or disrupt the school year, following a vote by the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) for possible job action. “We understand there’s been a strike vote that’s taken place and we respect the results of that vote,” said Moe. “We have been bargaining at the table in good faith and been bargaining collaboratively and we hope to continue that. We hope the STF would come back to the table to

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe checks the notes he took during a briefing on the city’s new wastewater treatment plant at the Operations Centre Wednesday with Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers on his left.

continue to bargain to ensure that is not the case.” Moe also thinks the federal carbon tax is unconstitutional, while stressing his government and industry are doing a lot to cut carbon emissions. “When it comes to the carbon tax, there is

no more ineffective way to try to reduce carbon emissions,” he said. Moe says the tax will cause investments to leave this jurisdiction along with our jobs. “It needs to be removed because it’s unconstitutional,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Recovery Centre thanks saviours GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Residents in Recovery Society director, Tyler Lorenz, is high-fiving the community for answering a call for help to keep their addictions treatment centre open.

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Fundraising went very well. The doors will stay open.

Lorenz appealed for donations in late January, fearing the doors to the downtown recovery centre would have to close on Feb. 28 if they couldn’t pay outstanding bills and operational costs. Closure of the centre, located at 4804 50 Ave., would have cut pretreatment sober living programs in the community despite a waiting list of more than 70 people. “The response has been incredible and I want to thank everybody that supported us to help us out and continues to do so,” he said on Monday. “It’s been very remarkable to see. We were at almost 50 per cent of our goal in the first week.” The feel-good money moment came earlier than expected from supporters. “To keep the doors open, we needed to raise $35,000. They managed to do that this weekend to fund us right through until May until our big golf tour-

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Residents in Recovery Society director, Tyler Lorenz, was thrilled to announce the community answered the call for help to keep the addictions treatment centre open.

nament,” said Lorenz. “Fundraising went very well. The doors will stay open.” The Recovery Society also operates three sober-living homes in the community. Lorenz says thanks to donations, everything will “continue as normal” at the centre. They raised enough money to retain one full-time and one parttime employee and their full suite of life skills, addiction and peer support programs. Lorenz says they need $55,000 in total to get through May, but they are working on that. “The doors will stay open regardless and we can stretch it out a couple of months if we have to,” he said. He notes their biggest fundraiser of the year will be a golf tournament on May 28. For information on how to register, contact

the downtown office. The Recovery Society has also applied for two grants with the Saskatchewan government. “Hopefully, something comes through this year,” he said. Lorenz says the fundraising results show the community definitely sees a need for the services they provide. “Our waiting list hasn’t gone down for sure,” he said. Lorenz says Residents in Recovery programs have saved governments well over $200,000 since its inception through the reduction of shelter costs, jail time and firstresponder and health care costs. The Lloydminster Region Health Foundation (LRHF) is thrilled to hear the recovery centre got the funding it needed to keep operating. “We’ve always had

the opinion it’s a fantastic program. It’s great for the community; it’s important to many residents here,” said LRHF CEO Malcolm Radke. “To see the community agree and respond with the donations to keep the doors open is just absolutely fantastic news.” Radke says now they can stay afloat through the summer months until more serious funding kicks in. “The way I understand it, is they’re awaiting some cash to arrive with some of the grants they’ve applied for,” he said. Radke says a certain portion of their operating expenses will always need to be covered through community fundraising, so LRHF will receive donations for them year-round. Donations can be made anytime via the LRHF website.

Moe gives thumbs up to Integrated Project Delivery FROM PAGE 1

The Supreme Court of Canada will hear Saskatchewan’s appeal to the carbon tax in March. Meanwhile, Premier Moe says Sas-

katchewan has a great record when it comes to not only enhancing emissions reduction but also to enhancing opportunities to sequester carbon. He points to invest-

ments in the Lloydminster made by companies like Husky Energy and Serafina Energy. Moe says companies like these are investing billions of dollars in taking carbon

out of each and every barrel of oil and taking methane out of the atmosphere. “It’s providing some of the highest quality Canadian energy,” he said.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Summer Games calling for volunteers TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Want to be a part of the 2020 Saskatchewan Summer Games (2020 SSG) action as a volunteer? Well, good news, it’s just a click away. With only six months to go until opening ceremonies, the volunteer program for the 2020 SSG was officially launched last Thursday morning at Synergy Credit Union, and it was a battle between Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers and Synergy CEO, Glenn Stang, to see who could be first on the list. Synergy is the official Games’ volunteer sponsor and is excited to get as many area residents involved in the fun. “We need 1,200 volunteers to welcome our Saskatchewan athletes so we’re launching that program today,” said Wendy Plandowski – chair, Volunteer Committee, 2020 SSG Host Society. “For people new to the community and didn’t experience previous games in ’97, ’82, ’08, it’s just a magical time, and to be involved as a volunteer is just a tremendous opportunity. “The partnership 20024KK0 20024KK1

with Synergy Credit Union is no surprise to our community. In fact, when we were looking at bidding on the Saskatchewan Summer Games we knew there were going to be key companies involved in our ability to succeed, and Synergy Credit Union was at the top of the list.” Plandowski noted volunteers can expect the opportunity to make new friendships and feel like they’re a part of something bigger, while also feeling a sense of reward throughout the process. “This is probably the best part of putting on an amateur games like this, is we literally need volunteers in every realm of volunteer spectrum. From working helping with the athlete’s village, to driving buses, to computer entry, you name it. We have something for everyone,” she said. Stang was also excited to announce the local organization’s involvement in the Games as well as pen his name on the volunteer digital sign-up sheet. “Right from the getgo we were asked to

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Mayor Gerald Aalbers, Wendy Plandowski, chair, volunteer committee, 2020 SSG Host Society, Glenn Stang, Synergy Credit Union CEO, and SSG 2020 mascots Tansi and Ravi, were excited to launch the Games’ volunteer program last Thursday.

get involved, and the opportunity to be the key sponsor on the volunteer piece was right up our alley,” he said. “We encourage our staff to volunteer their time to support the community, so when the ask came forward it was a no-brainer. We’re going to get behind this in a big way and I’m very proud of our team. “Events like this unite communities. Especially right now with the tougher economic times we’re facing, but when you get together like this it’s almost a time to celebrate. You can have a lot of fun and it picks up spirits.” One of the aspects

incorporated into the 2008 Games was family volunteering, allowing younger Lloydminsterites to jump in with both feet. “We will be providing more details as to how youth, seniors, families, can get involved, as well as corporate volunteers,” said Plandowski. “If organizations want to donate some of their employees for four hours for the week or something like that. “We’re building a volunteer network and it’s good for all ages.” For more information on getting involved in the 2020 SSG and to register as a volunteer, visit saskgames.ca.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Irish Pub Night funds to help youth TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Everyone is Irish on Patty’s Day, so why not celebrate your new heritage while supporting a great cause. Border City Rotary is once again excited to present Irish Pub Night (IPN) on Mar. 21, with proceeds from the event going to Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services’ (LSAS) Project Little Bear. With the funds, LSAS will be able to purchase bears and bags to give to children and teens who come through their centre. The bears provide comfort and help start the healing process, and the bags give them something special to carry their personal belongings. “Our group absolutely loves the project that has been brought forward to us and we’re looking forward to working alongside LSAS, bringing more awareness to what they can offer within our community, as well as the Teddy Bear Project, which is a great init i a t iv e a n d w e s t a n d behind it 100 per cent,” said Karla Ehalt, Border City Rotary presidentelect and fundraiser chair. “(IPN) is our biggest and one of the only fundraisers we do. It’s where we pull in the most funding and it

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Evan Stephens, Tammy Lynn Adamson and Karla Ehalt are looking forward to Mar. 21 to celebrate Irish Pub Night in support of Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services.

allows us to do projects like the teddy bear project, but also other projects within our community such as our exchange program.” Ehalt explained the dec isio n w asn’t easy as Border City Rotary received a number of applications for funding, but at the end of the day, the vote went to LSAS, a decision the club was very happy with. “Our mandate is youth-based and that has been our focus for a lot of years.” Tammy Lynn Adamson, Little Bear advocacy and engagement director, expressed LSAS’ appreciation for the support and how thankful they are to be a part of the excitement as it’s a way to spread

awareness, but in a fun way. “This Project Little Bear is about getting teddy bears and bags to children and youth that have experienced any type of abuse; that could be physical, sexual, neglect, anything like that, so if they’ve gone through that, these bears are a way to ground and to support them through whatever they’re going through,” said Adamson. “We have three bears that were designed, because quite often when it happens, it affects more than one child in the family, one teen in the family, so they can pick their bear that resonates with them because everybody’s journey is different. This is their choice,

and this is a way go empowering them too, so if they come in for an interview or go to the hospital to be assessed by medical staff, they can pick their own bear, or they have a bear brought to them full of fidgets, snacks, could be extra clothes.” Adamson also noted that studies show the bears help with social development, language, which is why LSAS chose teddy bears. “We wouldn’t be where we are as a centre and (see) the growth in the last 35 years without the support of community partners, and it’s really about education and awareness, and it doesn’t just end when you close the doors as LSAS.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Home Depot now hiring MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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The Home Depot store in Lloydminster has one more in-store career fair left to go as part of a spring hiring blitz for stores in Alberta. The company is looking to hire 34 associates in Lloydminster, including more than 850 province-wide to support the busy upcoming spring season. A second job fair for sales associates will take place at 7705-44 Street in Brentwood Commons on March 11 FROM PAGE 5

This year’s Irish Pub Night title sponsor is Lloydminster’s Integra Engineering, something Evan Stephens is greatly looking forward to. “Integra’s been in business now going on 23 years. We live in Lloydminster, work around Lloydminster, and give back around

File Photo from 4-8 p.m. following a job fair for night positions on Feb. 26. Home Depot locations are hiring for full-time, part-time and seasonal positions

including overnight associates, sales associates, cashiers, lot associates, specialty associates and department supervisors. Interested candidates

can simply text “Home Depot Jobs” to 97211 to apply, visit upcoming job fairs being held at stores across the country, or visit careershomedepot.ca.

Lloydminster, so this is just another example of an awesome organization to support,” said Stephens, who is the current Border City Rotary president and Integra Engineering president. “I grew up in this community so I have roots that run very deep here, as do many of the

employees that work for us, and again, I think it’s so important to support the community you live in, and we give where we can to charitable organizations throughout the year.” Tickets for Irish Pub Night are $50 and includes supper and a dance, and entertainment for the evening is

being provided by The Prairie Dogs. There will be a silent auction, work and leisure raffle, 50/50 (with a $500 guaranteed prize thanks to Spiro’s) and a toy wagon of fun raffle. For more information on IPN and to get your tickets, visit the Irish Pub Night page on eventbrite.ca.

Benefiting from Made In Sask technology MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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Virtual reality is being tested as a way to improve both medical diagnostics and patient care, in a collaborative project led by Innovation Saskatchewan. The software is among four new tools being evaluated through the agency’s Made in Saskatchewan Technology Program (MIST), an initiative which aims to improve go v ern m e nt s e r vi c e s with privately-developed technology. “MIST connects Saskatchewan tech companies with provincial government partners who can use their innovation, provide feedback on the experience and help grow the technology,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Tina Beaudry-

Mellor said. An advisory panel of industry experts recommended four companies from the inaugural round of MIST applicants, which have been approved by Innovation Saskatchewan for real-world testing of their tech solutions in government departments and agencies: • Luxsonic Technologies’ all-in-one virtual reality radiology suite SieVRt (pronounced see-vert) is designed to increase collaboration among physicians and is being assessed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority as an opportunity to improve patient care. • SkillsShark is working with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (MHI) and the Public Service Commission to determine the ability

of its software to help streamline the government’s Management and Executive Talent Inventory process. • RiverCity Innovations’ asset tracking device BeeSecure is being used by MHI to help prevent thefts and recover stolen goods. • Todai (pronounced two-day) uses artificial intelligence to determine the tone of digital communications and its software is being tested by MHI to improve interactions with the public. Launched in January, 2019, MIST provides Saskatchewan tech companies $10,000 in development funding and the opportunity to have their innovation piloted by a provincial ministry or government agency for up to six months.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Historic $4M gift to bring bison to Lakeland College MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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Armin and Rita Mueller, owners of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk, are donating $4 million to Lakeland College to purchase land and establish a bison herd at the college. The gift will strengthen Lakeland’s

two-year animal science technology program at the Vermilion campus and provide more student-managed learning opportunities for people in the program’s livestock major. With the addition of a bison herd, Lakeland will become the only post-secondary institu-

tion in Canada where students, with mentorship from faculty, manage commercial-sized bison, beef, crop, dairy, and sheep enterprises. The donation also opens doors for Lakeland to participate in bison research projects with organizations such as the Canadian Bison Association, as well as other post-secondary institutions and industry partners. Originally from Switzerland, Armin and Rita have lived near Bentley, Alta., for 40 years. They ran a successful dairy for 20 years and then transitioned to the bison industry in 2000. “I’ve had a lifelong fascination with bison. I love everything about them,” says Armin. The Muellers’ belief in the importance of post-secondary education, combined with their interest in investing in the bison industry, resulted in their donation to Lakeland.

Armin hopes having a herd and a bison production course at Lakeland will encourage more students to raise bison. “For the students to learn more about bison and gain handson experience is going to be fascinating for them,” he says. “It would be great if 10, 20 or 30 years down the road, we see a lot more bison in the fields again.” Dr. Alice WainwrightStewart, Lakeland College’s president and CEO, thanked the Muellers for their historic gift. “We’re honoured that Armin and Rita have chosen to support Lakeland College and our students with this donation to Leading. Learning. The Lakeland Campaign. It’s the largest single gift Lakeland has ever received,” says Wainwright-Stewart. “I admire Armin’s passion for the bison

Supplied Photo

Armin and Rita Mueller have donated $4 million to establish a bison herd at the college.

industry and dedication to sustainable agricultural practices.” In addition to providing animal science technology students with exposure to another livestock species, the Muellers’ donation allows Lakeland to expand its training in sustainable range and forage management. Lakeland is currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Student-Managed Farm (SMF). Because of the support from the Muellers, a new unit will be created that will incorporate bison into the SMF model.

“We’re thrilled to announce during our SMF 30th anniversary the addition of a bison herd and the development of another SMF unit,” says WainwrightStewart. “During the past five years, enrolment in our animal science technology program has increased from 73 students to 163. Work-integrated learning is what makes the SMF learning model so valuable.” Lakeland is in the process of purchasing land to establish a bison herd with the goal of offering the bison production course by September 2021.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Celebrating 100 years of Kin Canada

TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Helping others helps you. That was the mindset last Thursday morning as members of the local Kinsman and Kinette Club celebrated the 100th anniversary of Kin Canada with a flag-raising at the Kinsman Hall. The ceremony was part of a Canada-wide flag-raising celebration for the all-Canadian service organization’s centennial. Flags were raised at sunrise all across Canada, starting on the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and spanning to the West coast of

Vancouver Island. The celebration will continue throughout the year with Kin across the country participating in National Day of KINdness, planting trees, supporting school milk programs, and engaging youth in the Kin 100 Community Challenge; all aspects of the various parts of the association’s long history of giving back. The origins of Kin Canada date back to 1920 when Harold Rogers came back from the war and wanted to get involved serving people and wanted to join Rotary. At that time, there was a mandate in

place that would prevent him from joining the service club because his father was already a member and the two shared the same profession. “We’ve been in existence since 1920, we have roughly 400 clubs across Canada, 78 in Saskatchewan and we just keep growing,” said Michelle Miller, a local club member who takes care of a variety of duties within Lloydminster and surrounding zones. “We wanted to have all of our flags going up at 7:30 a.m., and in the east, they’ve been going for a couple of hours now.” Well-known landmarks across the country such as Niagara Falls and the Calgary Tower were also lit up in a red and white colour scheme to acknowledge the accomplishment. In Lloydminster alone, the Kinsmen and Kinette Club have been the driving force behind

many parks, outdoor fitness equipment, and so much more. Since the association’s founding in 1920, members have collectively raised over $1 billion for Canadian communities.

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We’ve been in existence since 1920, we have roughly 400 clubs across Canada, 78 in Saskatchewan and we just keep growing.

Funds raised help local families, support community programs/ services, and assist in the development/maintenance of community infrastructure. Clubs have also contributed over $47 million to cystic fibrosis research and been advocates for blood, organ, and tissue donation.

Kin Canada is proud to award $1,000 bursaries each year to postsecondary students with financial need through

the Hal Rogers Endowment Fund Kin Canada Bursaries program. CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

PAGE 10 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Viewpoint

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

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2017

Letter to the editor ... Premier Kenney and Alberta need your help! Premier Jason Kenney was elected in April 2019 and immediately set about fulfilling his campaign promise to make Alberta ‘Open for Business Again’. He has assembled an amazing team and they are focused on addressing a seemingly endless number of challenges and challengers that are shackling our energy industry while resisting our finance minister’s efforts to get our provincial spending under control. Despite our province having sent more than $600 Billion dollars Net to eastern Canada over the past 30 years, many of the largest roadblocks to recovery continue to be sponsored or at least condoned by our federal government. Including the ‘Blockade crisis’ and the potential delay or worse yet denial of the Teck Frontier oilsands mega project. In an effort to raise Albertans awareness of the problems and the challenges facing Alberta, Premier Kenney created the Fair

Deal Panel that has been travelling the province and seeking input and advice from concerned citizens and taxpayers. Recently, I presented my recommendations to the Fair Deal Panel in Lloydminster and to Albertans in a Letter to the Editor. I suggested that we needed Less Talk and More Action from our government. BUT THEY CANNOT DO IT ALONE! Alberta did not become an economic superpower by accident. It was from the combined effort of hundreds of thousands of hard working, forward thinking entrepreneurs and the folks that they hired. Together, many of them figured out how to get Tar out of Sand and they turned what our detractors mockingly call ‘TarSands’ into what we proudly call ‘Oil Sands’! Alberta’s ‘Oil Sands’ are indeed one of the miracles of the modern world, the engine of the Canadian Economy, and will be for generations to come the foundation of our provinces economy. Our Oil-Sands-based energy-

dependent economy was not created by accident. It was not destroyed by accident and it will not be resurrected by accident. No one knows that better than the majority of our First Nations leaders who endeavour to work with our energy industries as ‘Partners in Prosperity’. Many of the ‘Blockade Activists’ do not represent First Nations. Many are foreignfunded activists who are unwittingly, or maybe not, helping Justin Trudeau and his United Nations mentors destroy our Canadian economy in general and our fossil fuel based western economy in particular. As our country and our province spiral into economic ruin, domestic lawlessness and civil unrest Justin Trudeau claims that: ‘We are creating a space for peaceful, honest dialogue with willing partners.’ Really? And Andrew Scheer who clearly speaks on this issue for the majority of Westerners is not even invited to the meeting. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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

Opinion

PAGE 11 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Leeway from Lloyd: Teck fly on the wall STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

The timing of Teck Resources Ltd.’s decision to withdraw its application for its $20.6 billion Frontier oilsands project on Sunday seems suspect to me, given the federal government was set to decide on the project before the end of this week. Why didn’t the company wait to leave the decision to the federal government? If the feds said no, the federal

government would take all the blame. If the feds said yes followed by a no thanks by Teck, then Teck would look like a company that lacked integrity after years of building approvals and promising thousands of jobs etc. My guess is the feds were going to announce they were going delay their decision as they have with other oil and gas projects and pipelines. A delay decision would let the feds off the hook and appease environmentalists

while costing Teck a lot more money than the $1.13 billion write-down they took. I surmise Teck probably got wind of that and also came to the conclusion without a government policy framework they couldn’t reconcile resource development with climate change as their CEO explained. The project would emit about 4.1 million tonnes of CO2 every year. Given the project was also not economic at current oil price levels, the prospect of

a lengthy delay likely convinced Teck to pull the plug. Why they didn’t wait for the government to decide for them has not been clearly answered. It suggests someone made a phone call to someone etc. Only the fly on the wall knows the answer. Whatever the case, it seems pointless for Alberta premier Jason Kenney to continuing to fight the federal carbon tax, given Teck says they can’t develop oilsands resources without a policy framework that

squares development with climate change goals. If Kenney is arguing purely on provincial rights, that’s okay, but if it’s because he doesn’t want to do anything to cut emissions, then Al be rta is ne ve r go ing to attract much oil and gas investment. Teck made that clear themselves, but why didn’t they make this decision a year ago or six months ago if they knew it wasn’t going to fly? Where is that fly reporter?

Premier Kenney and Alberta need your help cont. How many times is the West prepared to be given ‘the finger’ by a Trudeau PM? So, what can you do to help Premier Kenney and his team to reinvigorate our Alberta economy and secure our provinces future prosperity? During most of our history, Albertans have worked hard for our country, paid our share or more and

asked no more than a ‘Fair Deal’ from the ROC. However, as we are all painfully aware despite our best efforts, we are further from a Fair Deal than we have ever been in our history. We have tried ALMOST everything. Premier Kenney is not inclined to suggest that we SEPARATE from Canada, nor do

I think that he should be. He was elected to represent us in Canada. However, his best efforts are also being thwarted by Justin Trudeau and his supporters in the East. Here is my suggestion to help Jason Kenney and Andrew Scheer to have a place ‘at the table’ as Justin and team meet to “create space for peaceful,

honest dialogue with willing partners”. Each one of us should call our elected representatives and Jason Kenney and tell them that we want Alberta’s current government to set a date for voting on Independence for Alberta pursuant to the Clarity Act on January 25, 2021. Alberta is facing an economic crisis the

likes of which we have not seen before. Canada and Canadians can help us ‘fix it’ if they so choose. Whe the r you truly want to leave or whether you want our Federation ‘fixed’, demand that our Alberta government set a date for voting on separation. Give our government a nd th e f e d e r alists a deadline for

Beautiful Downtown Lloydminster

‘doing the fixing’. Alberta has been on the doorstep of Confederation with our hat in ou r hand and the Easts hands in our pockets for too long. Do your part and ask your friends to do the same. Demand a deadline. Demand a vote. January 25, 2021 Future generations will thank you! - Danny Hozack

MERIDIAN SOURCE

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.

BINGO EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY Bingo is held every Monday and Wednesday at the Moose Lodge, at 5213-57 Street, with a 7 p.m. start. EVERY MONDAY EXCEPT LONG WEEKENDS There will be Square Dancing from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Legacy Centre, 5101 - 46 Street, BACK Door (West door). Singles & Couples: inexpensive FUN & ACTION in a Co-operative, Brain Active, Mildly Aerobic Environment. Your first evening is free. No experience needed. Call Kendall, 306825-3770, or email Esther, moment101@hotmail.com for more info. EVERY TUESDAY — VOLLEYBALL Drop in volleyball from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Takes place at the Servus Sports Centre and everyone is welcome, noncompetitive and no experience is necessary. Come for fun and exercise and meet some great people. EVERY TUESDAY — ADAPTED YOGA From 10 – 11 a.m. at the Community Service Centre. For more information please contact Ann-Dee at 780-871-0513. EVERY TUESDAY — DIABETES 102 The new schedule for PNRHA Diabetes Education Classes is ready! Everyone starts with Diabetes 101 and then follows up with Diabetes 102 (people on diabetes pills) or Diabetes 103 (people on insulin). All classes are scheduled on a Tuesday morning from 8:15 a.m. to noon. Please contact Nancy Johnston at 306-820-6096 or H e l e n R o g e r s a t 306-820-6291 to pre-register.

Passport to YLL

Thursday, February 27, 2020

EVERY TUESDAY — SENIORS MEET The Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society meets at the Legacy Centre from noon 1:30 p.m. Lunch is available for $8. Please reserve before Tuesday morning at 780-8754584. Everyone welcome. EVERY TUESDAY Join the LABIS Walking Group at the Servus Sports Center Tuesdays 1-2:30pm and Thursdays 4-5pm. FREE of CHARGE EVERY WEDNESDAY — CRAFTERNOON Join Midwest Family Connections at the lower level of Prairie North Plaza and bring your budding artist to explore and create with materials in the craft centre. EVERY SATURDAY — FARMER’S MARKET Downtown Farmer’s Market at the Fred North Community Centre (5002 - 51 Avenue, Lloydminster) from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Sat) We’re on Facebook. FEB. 27 – CRIBBAGE TOURNEY The Legacy Centre is hosting a cribbage tournament on Feb. 27. Play begins at 10 a.m., cost is $10 to play and $10 for lunch. Everyone welcome! Call the Legacy Centre at 780-8754584 for more details. FEB. 29 – OVERNIGHT TRIP TO CAMROSE The Legacy Centre is off for an overnight trip to Camrose from Feb. 29 to March 1 with shopping in downtown Camrose upon arrival. Hotel stay, supper and show at the Camrose Casino Resort plus breakfast the next morning included. The Show is a Tribute to “Dolly & Reba,” should be a good one! A great “ONE-

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

NIGHT GET-AWAY”! Call Legacy office for more info and cost at 780-875-4584 MARCH 3 – QUIT SMOKING Have you thought about quitting smoking? The Saskatchewan Health Authority is here to help with a support group help at PNHC, Suite 115, 4910-to Street. Support group starts on March 3 from 6-8 p.m. for six weeks. To register please call 306-820-6243. MARCH 3 – OPEN HOUSE/ PREREGISTRATION Southridge Playschool and Kindergym is having their Open house and Preregistration from the 2020-2021 fall classes on March 3 from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Classes are open to 3-5 years old. For more information please call Mrs.P at 780-872-9523. MARCH 13 – BEER SURVIVOR The Islay Curling Club is hosting a Beer Survivor on March 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Islay Community Hall. Tickets are $10/ each. Adults only. Cash bar, concession, door prizes, 50/50. For tickets/more information Call or text Shaunna: 780-581-3357 MARCH 22 – PANCAKE SUPPER & PIE BINGO Pancake Supper & Pie Bingo hosted by the Hillmond 4-H Club, March 22 at the Hillmond Hall. Pancake Supper at 4:30 p.m. Pie Bingo & Cake Auction to follow at 5:30 p.m. Every Bingo wins a pie! Silent Auction items available to bid on. APRIL 25 – TRANSPLANT TROT Please save the date! The Lloydminster Branch of the Canadian Transplant Association is hosting TRANSPLANT

Kindness Wins at the Meridian Source

Were you sporting your favourite Kindness Wins gear yesterday to celebrate the Lloydminster and District Co-op’s Kindness Wins campaign? We sure were! Stay tuned for future Kindness Wins coverage and totals from this year’s campaign.

TROT 2020 on Saturday April 25, to coincide with National Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness Week. The event will again take place on the indoor walking track at Servus Sports Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration is now open on the Running Room website (https:// www.events.runningroom. com/site/?raceId=16694) See you there! LLOYDMINSTER LEARNING COUNCIL - Registration Night for English Language Programs, Monday Jan. 21, 2020, 6:307:30 p.m., Community Services Building, Workshop Room, 4419 - 52 Ave. Fee: No Charge, Call 780-8755763 for any questions - Technology Series for Adults, 5 Wednesdays, March 6, to April 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Fee: $125.00, Call 780-8755763 to register - English Language Classes being offered: Beginner, Advanced, Intermediate, 10 weeks, Tuesdays & Thursdays, Jan. 29 - April 4, 2020, 7-9 p.m., Fee: No Charge, Call 780-875-5763 to register

- English Language Classes for Women, 10 weeks, Wednesdays, Jan. 30 - April 3, 2020, 1-3 p.m., Learn day to day conversational English, pronunciation, reading and writing for everyday activities (work, doctor appointments, children’s school), Fee: No Charge, Call 780-875-5763 to register - Registration Night for English Language Programs, Tuesday January 21, 2020 6:30-7:30pm, Community Services Building, Workshop Room, 4419 - 52 Ave. Fee: No Charge, Call 780-8755763 for any questions - English Language Classes for Women, 10 weeks, Wednesdays, January 29 April 1, 2020, 1-3 p.m., Learn day to day conversational English, pronunciation, reading and writing for everyday activities (work, doctor appointments, children’s school), Fee: No Charge, Call 780-875-5763 to register - Technology Series for Seniors, 5 Wednesdays, Feb 5 - Mar 4, 2020 6:30-8:30pm, Fee: $125.00, Call 780-8755763 to register

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Clarke Lake SAGD to reuse water GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Husky Energy is planning to build its first Lloydminster thermal project in Alberta at an estimated cost of about $250-300 million.

“

What’s different about this one is using wastewater from the Lloydminster Husky Upgrader. That’s kind of an innovative thing that we’re doing with this one.

The company is proposing to build a new central processing facility (CPF) and associated infrastructure using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to produce heavy oil at Clarke Lake.

FROM PAGE 9

“We do lots of different things. This week our Kinette Club has been doing lots of service projects just to celebrate KinKindness Week, so we’ve been taking donuts to the emergency room, the RCMP station, last night the girls were at the mall handing out tea, and Kinsmen Club also sell Christmas trees at Christmas time,” said Miller.

The project site is located in the County of Vermilion River, south of Kitscoty on the east side Highway 897 between highways 16 and 619. “This is our first Lloydminster thermal project that we’re doing in Alberta,” said Husky spokesperson, Kim Guttormson, during an open house at the Kitscoty Community Hall on Feb. 20. “What’s different about this one is using wastewater from the Lloydminster Husky Upgrader. That’s kind of an innovative thing that we’re doing with this one.” A pipeline from the Lloydminster upgrader will transport a blend of treated wastewater generated by upgrader operations with raw water sourced from the North Saskatchewan River to the develop-

“We do a lot of service things, and in Saskatchewan we do Telemiracle, and that’s been in existence for 44 years and we’ll be celebrating that in Regina this year. “We also have a national partnership with Cystic Fibrosis and have raised over $40 million in our 50-year partnership with them.” Miller also noted the Lloydminster Kinsmen

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Sam Murphy, right, a Husky Energy hydrogeologist, explains some of the physical components of the company’s planned steam-assisted gravity drainage project at Clarke Lake to Wainwright-Vermilion-Lloydminster MLA Garth Rowswell at an open house at the Kitsoty Community Hall on Feb. 20.

ment site. “There is no new water allocation. We are conserving water,” said Guttormson. Oil produced from the CPF will be tied into Husky’s sales oil network to the south via a pipeline about 10 kilometres in length. Husky says having water transported into the plant and sales oil shipped out by pipe-

lines will minimize truck traffic. The project features include above-ground flowlines between well p ad s a nd t h e C PF t o transport produced oil and water, produced gas, steam and fuel gas. Underground flowlines between CPF and water disposal well will carry produced water.

first started their club 92 years ago and the Kinette Club rechartered 16 years ago. “We just did our Telemiracle Steak Night and that’s our big fundraiser for Telemiracle so both of our clubs partner together for that one and it usually creates a large donation to Telemiracle. “Every service group is very very important, and it’s great to celebrate an organization

like Kin Canada for 100 years in Canada. They add so much value to our community and there’s so many groups that continue to add to that value to our community just like the Kinsman and Kinettes. Every chance we get to celebrate their achievements its a wonderful thing,” said Mayor Gerald Aalbers. To learn more about Kin Canada, visit www. kincanada.ca.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Church Directory

MERIDIAN SOURCE

PRAIRIE WOOL HELEN ROW TOEWS

Running a homebased business is a tough job. Of course, sales and marketing seem to come naturally to some folks. They’re the sort of people that could sell water to a drowning man, and I’m the sort that couldn’t sell water to a man whose house was on fire. This truth was recently evidenced at a local farmers market where I sat with books FROM PAGE 13

The open house introduces the project to the public as part of the approvals process with the Alberta Energy Regulator. “We’re doing the open house, we’re getting community feedback with any questions or concerns people have and then we will complete the application,”

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Business blunder

for sale. To pass time, I decided to search up my website on the Internet and found, for some obscure reason, that a company has analyzed its value. After tallying the profits and running the numbers, it turns out I have an estimated net worth of—hang on to your hat—$8.95 and apparently rake in a whopping 15 cents per day. Step aside, Bill Gates. Of course, that’s when book sales are brisk, I can’t expect that kind

of big money to roll in every day. When I was younger I tried my hand at several home-based businesses, none of them successful. Th e f i rs t w a s f o r a popular cosmetics company. I like makeup well enough; I have even been accused of singlehandedly increasing the sale of ruby red lipstick worldwide, but liking it and selling it are totally different beasts. Mostly I urged people to save their money rather than spend it, which is a bit counter-

productive. Plus, there was the whole demonstration component, where I applied makeup to naive participants. Sadly, after a party later referred to as the “clown-face incident”, women got a bit reluctant. (News travels fast on the home-partypipeline.) Then came the crazy day I was talked into selling lingerie by a lady promising easy money and a lifetime supply of fuzzy pants. Whatever made me think I could do that? Showing large groups of

women flannel pyjamas, cozy fleece or cotton nighties was one thing, but when I found out I’d have to personally fit them with heavy-duty, corrective brassieres, I was done. This introvert collected her personal space, yanked on some steel-toed work boots and learned to drive trucks. The grand finale was my leap into the world of vitamins and healthy cosmetics, so good for you they were actually edible. Of course, that wasn’t

recommended, but still. These were worthy products to be sure, but again, selling them demanded a skill set I didn’t possess. Nonetheless, I tried my best, held a few parties and filled a few orders. However ill-advised, my husband supported me in this venture and wished me well as, late for work one day, he grabbed his lunch and dashed from the house. Later that morning I stood at a customer’s door, happily handing over her order.

said Guttormson. Lloydminster Mayor, G e rald Aalb e rs, said the open house is an opportunity for people to see first-hand what’s going to be potentially changing in their neighbourhood. “This is a process they have to go through,” he said, noting he likes the conservation of water aspect.

“It’s a very green environmental project from that perspective to be able to reuse water,” he said. There will likely be little or no construction activity taking place at Clarke Lake for a few years, however, there are several Saskatchewan thermals on Husky’s priority development list.

“Right now, it’s not sitting on our five-year plan. Once we receive regu lat ory approval, then we would see where it would fit into the wider thermal plan that we have,” said Guttormson. “We do have five progressing in Saskatchewan right now.” Guttormson estimates the Clarke Lake

project will generate 200-250 jobs during the construction phase and about 30 full-time workers to operate the facility. “There’s taxes through the municipality and services from local businesses, so we really try to be part of the communities where we operate,” said Guttormson.

Aalbers is also confident the project will deliver some economic benefits for the Border City. “It will create construction jobs, so the jobs could be local. There could be people using our hotels and restaurants,” he said. “Any activity, especially economic activity is good.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Olive Tree to “Reclaim” Lloyd

Geoff Lee Meridian Source The Olive Tree is opening a used furniture and hardware supply store in early March to be called the Reclaim store, which will help fund a new employment construction program in part of the building. GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. The Olive Tree is branching out into a new building to house a used furniture and building supplies store and a basic job-based carpentry program. The Lloydminster charity, based in the Fred North Community Centre, will open the doors to a new Reclaim store at 630650 Avenue in early March. “We’re hoping the donations come in

quickly, but we’ll open as soon as we have things to sell,” said Becky Schille, executive director of The Olive Tree. Schille says the dualpurpose store will fill a service gap left by the closure of the Restore operated by Habitat for Humanity. “After the Restore closed, there’s not a big space for used furniture or building supplies or space for more recycling services,” said Schille.

“We see that as being a definite need in our community, so we decided to have this new offering.” Schille says they have taken out a lease in what was the old Weatherford building with 8,900 sq. ft. of space. “We want to see if our new programs are useful to the community and supported by the community,” she explained. The Reclaim store will provide financial support to the carpentry program, similar to the revenue stream generated by Olive Tree’s Thrift Store. The front half of the Reclaim store will stock household goods for sale with the back half reserved for carpentry classes in keeping with their other educational programs. “It’s a new opportunity for a lot of people with a different skill set to come and sup-

port us and build some things and have some fun. Hopefully, we’ll build some kind of a new community,” said Schille.

“We’re definitely going to build some cool things.” The Reclaim store will be accepting everything from furni-

ture and appliances to building supplies such as tools, flooring and possibly lumber—for home renovations. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

20024JJ0

MERIDIAN SOURCE

FROM PAGE 14

Unfortunately, any thanks died on her lips as she slowly pulled a poorly wrapped bologna sandwich from the bag and squinted at it in the sunlight. I stammered out an apology, fully realizing this was not the worst of it. Right about now my husband would be taking a well-earned break. He would fling himself onto a hard

Thursday, February 27, 2020

bench in the doghouse, open his lunch bag and stare in horror at two pink lipsticks, a jar of cold cream and a lovely palette of earth-tone eyeshadow. Edible? I think not. And that was where I threw in the towel. Until now of course. All you who run a home business have earned my respect. Find Helen at myprairiewool.com

Emergency response exercise builds resiliency MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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Emergency management exercises are critical to building relationships, clarifying roles and processes and strengthening our province’s response during times of disaster. This year’s exercise – known as Emergency Management Exercise 2020 or EMX 20 – is a realistic simulation of multiple tornadoes affecting the Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary areas. When one or more devastating tornadoes FROM PAGE 15

“The only thing we can’t take is stuff that is significantly stained, broken or ripped. Other than that, there is not a lot we won’t take,” said Schille.

occur, a ‘whole of society’ response is needed. All levels of government, municipalities, emergency manag e me nt p r of e ssionals, Indigenous groups, industry and non-government organizations are involved. “As leaders in emergency management, we regularly practise and prepare for emergencies and disasters,” said Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “EMX 20 is an opportunity for us to bring government staff and emergency management partners together

over a three-day period to strengthen our emergency response efforts. During real disasters and emergencies, these dedicated individuals are there 24-7 to help keep us safe and upto-date with the latest information.” During EMX 20, emergency management professionals have the opportunity to simulate responses to various challenges that arise during and after a major emergency. They will practise working together, confirm their organizations’ roles and respon-

sibilities, and test their response procedures. Exercise participants will be at the Provincial Operations Centre Feb. 26-28. Disasters in Alberta have increased over the years. Emergency management exercises are vital to ensuring the Government of Alberta and its community partners respond effectively when emergencies and disasters occur. Albertans are encouraged to practise their own emergency preparation, as disasters can occur with little to no warning.

“We’re also offering free pickup service. We already have the staff and volunteers in place and the vans for that—I am sure we will refine that as we go, but right now, we’re taking just about

everything.” Schille says they tossed around possible names for the store and settled on Reclaim as a reflection of how they support the community and people while they “reclaim”

their own lives. “So it’s kind of a fun play on that because y o u c a n r e c l ai m f u r niture and things that might have been meant for the landfill, so it’s kind of both,” said Schille.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Money Matters Think twice before borrowing against your home equity

n estimated t h r e e m i l l i on Canadians have one, and they have emerged as the single largest contributor to the growth of household debt in Canada. Yet many consumers do not appear to fully understand how they work. No, we’re not talking about credit cards or car loans. We’re talking about home equity lines of credit or HELOCs. According to a 2019 survey by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, many people appear to lack awareness of the terms and conditions of this widely sold financial product, exposing them to the risk of over-borrowing, carrying debt

for extended periods and uninformed decision-making. HELOCs are a secured form of revolving credit. The lender uses your home as a guarantee that you’ll pay back the money you borrow. And, as you pay your HELOC down, you can borrow it again, up to a maximum credit limit. Most major financial institutions offer them with a mortgage as a combined product, which is sometimes called a readvanceable mortgage. Many use them for renovations, debt consolidation, vehicle purchases and day-to-day expenses. When used responsibly, HELOCs can benefit consumers through

low interest rates, convenient access to funds and flexible repayment terms. Unfortunately, the convenient features of HELOCs can encourage consumers to add too much to their debt load. In fact, 27 per cent of those who responded to FCAC’s survey said they make mainly interest-only payments on their HELOCs. Considering that, on average, Canadians owe about $65,000 on their HELOCs, this means many homeowners end up carrying debt for long periods. So, if you have a home equity line of credit or are considering getting one, you need to ask yourself: - Would a HELOC

tempt you to use your home like an ATM? - Could you still afford HELOC payments if you

lose your job or interest rates go up? - Are you prepared to stick to a plan to pay

it off fully, and avoid continually borrowing against your home equity?

MERIDIAN SOURCE

WHISPERS OF THE PAST SANDRA L. BROWN

As parents, we ceremoniously record our child’s first smile, first steps and other significant milestones. Many of us also snip a piece of their baby hair as a keepsake. On the flip side, when you’re younger everything seems so much bigger, exciting and more special. These include birthdays, the first day of school, getting our driver’s licence and job anniversaries. Lloydminster has experienced many firsts in its history and these have shaped our community’s progress. The Anglican Church building was home to

Thursday, February 27, 2020

For the record ...

the first school (1904) until classes were moved to the Medical Hall building. Under the instruction of Mr. Hartley, 35 pupils received their schooling. 1905 was a busy year of progress. The first bank, Canadian Bank of Commerce opened for business. The first actual hospital was built. Crowds of curious folks came out to witness the arrival of the first train on the newly completed Canadian Northern Railway. When the amazing news of Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone hit Lloydminster, a group of local businessmen organized a local phone service in 1906 but only for the Saskatchewan folks.

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Those on the Alberta side waited until 1907 to receive this communication service when the Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) bought and expanded the business.

“

The first actual hospital was built. Crowds of curious folks came out to witness the arrival of the first train on the newly completed Canadian Northern Railway.

Originally operating as a Winnipeg based mail-order business, the

MacLeods firm opened up a retail store in 1931. This MacLeods Family Shopping Centre was a Lloydminster tradition and provided a variety of items. The store’s first manager was Mat McFadyen. Skinner Motors was owned by two brothers, Bill and John. They proudly displayed the first load of Mercury trucks after being appointed as a Mercury Dealer by the Ford Motor Company in 1946. The first airplane landed in 1919 and the first airport officially opened in 1950. CKSA radio began broadcasting in 1957 and later launched its television service in 1960. Lloydminster offi-

cially became a city on Jan. 1, 1958 after reaching a population of 5,000. The first royal visit was from Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their young son Prince Edward on July 31, 1978. Introduced by Les Rendell, some of the original Barr Colonists had the privilege of visiting with the Royals at the Hallshome Apartments. Appropriately, after a brief visit to the first church established in Lloydminster (Log Church) at Weaver Park where they signed a guest book, the Royal Family dedicated three trees. As a teenager, it was quite an honour to watch these proceed-

ings and be a part of this historic first; even though the shovels w e re me re l y p ai nte d with gold paint and not pure gold as us youth imagined. Ever wonder why our early pioneers straddled the Fourth Meridian splitting our community into two sides? The settlement of Lloydminster was established in 1903 which was well before the provincial border of Alberta and Saskatchewan became official in 1905. Imagine the surprise of the land surveyors when they saw a town in their sights! For the record, progress is a given and there’s no doubt we’ll experience many more “firsts!”

Protecting infrastructure from illegal activity MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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The Government of Alberta has introduced legislation to protect critical infrastructure from blockades, protests and illegal activities. If passed, Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure

Defence Act, would designate infrastructure such as railways, highways and pipelines as critical and create offences for trespassing, interfering with operations and construction, and causing damage. “The right to protest

does not include being abl e to p re ve nt y o u r neighbours from getting to work and putting food on the table, or threatening their security,” said Premier Jason Kenney. Penalties for offences will increase similar to

the increases made to the Trespass to Premises Act and the Petty Trespass Act. Individuals could face fines of up to $10,000 and $25,000 for first and subsequent offences, as well as possible prison time of up to six months.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Congratulations from Mayor Gerald Aalbers “What can I say to those local businesses who keep working as hard as they do to keep our community going? I say thank you. It hasn’t been the easiest stretch down the road for businesses in our community, and I can say our businesses have certainly stepped up from the perspective of being more creative, being in the community and continuing to support the community even though it’s been a little tougher than we’d like economically.

They continue to persevere. We have new businesses opening up, which are great as entrepreneurs see the opportunity in our community. I definitely want to congratulate all of the winners that were selected by individuals in the community. That speaks to the service they provide, and for the runners up, just keep doing what you’re doing. Keep polishing and you may be in that front-row seat next year if this continues because I think customers do vote, and when people come

in and do business every day, that speaks highly of their business. It’s great to have people like that in our community because they’re the backbone of our community. We do business every day, and they support us each and every day. Local businesses provide jobs and the items that we need on a daily basis. You can walk into businesses and be able to procure what you need to fix something, to buy something new, and that’s terrific and that’s what businesses are there for. They support the community when they’re asked for donations, big or small, and they support the great organizations that support the entire community, not ju st a particular club or organization, they support the big

events they have on a regular basis and we thank them.”

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Message from the editor EDITOR Taylor Weaver

Thank you Lloydminster, thank you for making our first Best On The Border Reader’s Choice Awards a success. Throughout the year, we like to print special sections similar to the one you’re currently reading to keep things fresh while offering readers something different from the paper they’re used to picking up. Putting this section together was a lot of fun, and of course a lot of work, for the team here at the Meridian Source, and for me, it was a lot of fun getting out and interviewing businesses and community members I had yet to meet. I have written editorials in the past about how much I enjoy meeting new people in the community and sharing their stories with readers, and it’s work like this that inspires those editorials. With categories such as Best Place to Shop (Home Hardware Building Centre), Best Grocery Store (Lloydminster and District Co-op), Best Charitable Organization (Big Brothers Big Sisters) and Best Flower

Shop (Abbey Road) to name a few, I got to interview some new as well as familiar faces throughout the process, and my verdict is, Lloydminster residents are proud of the city they call home. This was meant to be a fun way to get readers involved in what we at the paper do on a weekly basis, while also giving a nod to some local businesses and citizens for the continued work they do. Congratulations to all of our winners and runners up! We’ve learned a great deal about you and the amount of passion that goes into the work you do day in and day out. The interesting thing about the interviews Geoff and I conducted for this supplement was the praise WE got from these local businesses for recognizing them. Another common comment I heard from businesses throughout the interview process was the fact they plan to use these results to find areas to work on and improve where it’s needed. There are many spokes on the wheel that keeps this community rolling, and having great business partners and active members of society is the glue that keeps that wheel together. See you next year!

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Home Hardware, a multitude of options, close to home TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Home Hardware Building Centre has something to celebrate as they were voted Best Home Building Centre, Best Paint Shop, Best Place to Shop and Best Gardening Centre in Lloydminster. “We were very shocked and very humbled. It’s always great to see that kind of support from our community,” said David Rurka, who owns and operates the Lloydminster location with his family. The first generation owners of Home Hardware in the Border City were Richard and Donna Rurka, but the business is now owned and operated by their son David, his wife Jolene, daughter Tasha and her husband Jeff Hilderman, and daughter Sarah. Some might not think

a hardware store would be voted Best Place to Shop, but Rurka explained there have been some changes over the years to offer customers a more wellrounded shopping experience. “We’ve often struggled with that because our name doesn’t really showcase what we

offer and what we do, and that’s something we’re always striving to improve upon,” he said. “I want to give credit to our talented staff and my other co-owners for their ability to bring in unique product lines that cater to our community and make us more unique.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Home Hardware on a hot streak FROM PAGE 22

“A lot of the unique categories or options in our store come from inspiration from our staff or things that we’ve done in our past,” he said. “The Cafe, for example, started because my sister worked as a barista when she was in university and she w a n te d t o b r i n g e l e ments of that to the store, and eventually over time it became very popular and grew to the point where it’s become a full-blown cafe.” Rurka also explained their new baby department also came to fruition through inspiration from his sister Tasha. “When my sister started to enter the family-planning stage of her life she noticed there were options in

Lloyd but there were other areas where the city was lacking,” he said.

“

A lot of the unique categories or options in our store come from inspiration from our staff or things that we’ve done in our past.

“She started off very small and through the support of all of our customers it grew quite rapidly and is now a very large part of our store.” After many successful years in business in the Border City, the entire team at Home Hardware Building Centre wishes to thank the

community for the continued support. When it comes to good business, it’s all about customer service, something the Rurka family is very familiar with. “With customer service, we always try to be number one. It’s what I believe sets us apart from the other stores and I believe we can continue to improve upon,” he said. “Winning these awards is great, but it also shows us where we have room for improvement.” For more information on Home Hardware, visit them at hhlloyd.ca or call 780875-7762. “We’re very excited and grateful to receive this recognition and we continue to strive every d ay t o d o somet hing better,” he said.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Willow Creek voted Best New Business TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Willow Creek Clothing and Collectibles has been voted the Border City’s Best New Business. The home decor and clothing business first officially opened its doors of July of 2018 and has really seen community support since then. “They’ve been great. Of course, opening a new business when the economic situation was the way it was, we were wondering how it would all go, but we have a ton of clients from Lloyd and surrounding area that come and shop local with us, which has been really great,” said Willow Creek owner Brenda Gower. “We’d just like to thank everyone that voted for us and sup-

Supplied Photo ported our small, locally-owned business. It can definitely be challenging opening a store with big box stores around, but we really appreciate them thinking of us and voting us best new business.” Willow Creek is excited to bring in some new clothing lines in the near future

as well as continue expanding their selection of gift wear. “We just try to bring in unique items that you might not be able to find at every store in Lloydminster.” Willow Creek is located at 3804 50 Ave and can be found on Facebook or reached at 780-808-0886.

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Good things come in threes for Synergy

Glenn Stang, CEO, Synergy Credit Union TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Fresh off the heels of announcing they will be the 2020 Saskatchewan Summer Games volunteer program sponsor, Synergy Credit Union was elated to find out they had been voted the Best Financial Institution, Best Mortgage Company and Best Customer Service/Friendliest Staff in Lloydminster. “I was really surprised and honoured to hear the news,” said Synergy’s CEO Glenn Stang. “Especially when it’s unsolicited accolades like this. It really

hits home and tells us we’re doing something right. “You’re never perfect, but you’re still doing something right.” Synergy Credit Union celebrated its 75th anniversary in the Border City in 2018, something Stang noted was a great accomplishment for the institution. “I think we owe a lot of credit to our staff for this,” he said. “We’ve been on a cultural journey since 2005 and every year make subtle changes to the way we do business.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Financial literacy and stability with Synergy FROM PAGE 25

“One of the quotes I’m regularly saying to our staff is ‘service, it’s defined as ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinarily well,” he said. “When you start to think of what that means, when you walk into a business, are you greeted and made to feel welcome? Those are the things we try to impress upon our staff, and all of the interactions they have with our clients, we’re seeing them doing those things extraordinarily well.” When it comes to building relationships with clients, Stang explained the process can take time, but it’s time well spent. “When it comes to money it can be slow. It’s something you

don’t play with and it’s near and dear to everyone,” he said.

“

One of the quotes I’m regularly saying to our staff is ‘service, it’s defined as ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

“It’s through conversation and getting to know people and doing those little things that they want ... sometimes it’s even having those tough conversations where you have to tell a client maybe this particular option isn’t in their best inter-

est and here’s why. “At the end of the day, we’re only successful when our members and our community is successful, and right now, many institutions are talking about the financial wellbeing of individuals, and how do we play a part in that.” To the community, Stang would like to thank everyone who voted and for thinking of Synergy. “We really appreciate the accolade; it means a lot,” he said. “It puts a skip in our step and makes us think ‘what more can we do to raise the bar.’” Fo r mo r e i nf o r ma tion on Synergy Credit Union, visit synergycu. ca, call them directly at 306-825-3301, or pay them a visit at 1014908 42 Street.

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Not letting oral hygiene fall by the wayside TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Wayside Dental’s Dr. Nekky Jamal may have been trying to relax after returning from a dental brigade in India on Tuesday night, but the calm, cool and collected dentist was over the moon after hearing he was voted Best Dentist and Best Corporate Citizen, while Wayside Dental won Best Dental Office, in the Meridian Source’s Best on the Border contest. “I just try to treat people just like I’d want to be treated, and I work on every tooth like it was my own, and I guess people like that,” Jamal said with a laugh. “I don’t even know what to say to that about this recognition. That’s amazing and I’m speechless. “You go to work every day and never expect to

Photo courtesy of Dr. Nekky Jamal

Dr. Nekky Jamal was all smiles during a very recent dental brigade to India.

get acknowledged like that.” Jamal originally decided to get into dentistry because he wanted to help those who were afraid to visit the dentist. “We see a lot of the anxious patients who are scared because they haven’t seen a dentist in years, and I became

a dentist to help change that,” he said. “Why does dentistry have to be so scary? We don’t need to hurt people or give people bad experiences. “That’s why I was also so surprised with this acknowledgement, I thought everyone was like this.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

“No matter what language you speak, nobody likes going to the dentist” FROM PAGE 30

After graduating from dental school in 2009, Jamal moved straight to the Border City and started working. “I’ve only been a dentist in Lloydminster,” he said. “I’ve gotten job offers from different areas around the country, and for me, it’s just not the same, Lloydminster is home and I love the community and the spirit. “I’m proud to call Lloyd home and I’m so honoured that people let me work on them and help their dental care.” Jamal also had to give a huge thanks to his staff at Wayside for going above and beyond in everything they do, while also making the clinic a great place to work. “I truly feel like I have the best staff around and they work so hard to keep everyone com-

fortable and calm and I’m thankful they want to come to work with me every day.”

“

Even though Lloydminster is home, my community is the world.

Jamal is also active in the community as a member of the Border City Rotary Club, but his passion for giving back and using his skills to help others has taken him all over the world on dental brigades. “Even though Lloydminster is home, my community is the world, and I feel when people around the world don’t have the opportunity to see a dentist or even know what they do; if I can share my ability with anyone, I’m more than will-

ing to,” said Jamal, who just returned from trip to India and explained he was helping locals with their teeth but they didn’t have a clue who he was or what he was doing there. “They were questioning what a dentist does, and to me that’s crazy,” he said. “I’m so grateful that Lloydminster has championed our water projects and as a community as a whole we’ve provided 13 water wells to areas in Nicaragua that never had water before.” Jamal has been on roughly 19 dental brigades over the years and can’t wait to see what the future holds. “Even though our physical borders are present, it seems our emotional border travel, and I’m so excited I can represent Lloydminster across the world providing dental care and water wells.”

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

RE/MAX voted Best Realty Company

Michael Dewing, broker and office manager, RE/MAX Lloydminster. TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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In the market for a new place to hang your hat? Give RE/MAX a call to get the ball rolling as they celebrate being voted Lloydminster’s Best Realty Company. RE/MAX has been in the Border City for 28

years and continues to provide residents with the customer service they’ve grown to love. “RE/MAX has been i n to w n f o r 28 y e ars and has a 30 per cent market share right now,” said Michael Dewing, broker and office manager at RE/ MAX.

“Hard work and dedication to the brand and the clients make a successful real estate company these days. Listening to the clients’ needs and staying on top of all of the trends and technology is also very important,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work from the agents here to remain competitive as the consumer has many choices with roughly 65 Realtors in town. “We have to attract them to our company and our Realtors based on technology and a proven track record.” Dewing also noted how after a five-year struggle with the economy, things seem to be turning around and the agents at RE/MAX are ready for anything. CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

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Making their mark on Border City realty FROM PAGE 32

“We’re well set up for things to come back up and we’re embracing it,” he said. “We’re onboarding three new agents this week to our office alone, which shows that everyone is a little more confident in the real estate market, and we’re glad for that.” Like many other local businesses in Lloydminster, RE/MAX consider their team to be a family, something Dewing noted can go a long way. “You have to be a family, and we always pride ourselves on being a family,” he said. “We are competitors, but we work together as team players to help people get through any kind of a situation.” To the Lloydminster community, Dewing and the entire team at

RE/MAX would like to thank you for your continued support over the years.

“

We are competitors but we work together as team players to help people get through any kind of a situation.

“By voting us the top real estate company in the city, we’re proud of that, and we do give back to the city wherever we can,” he said. “We have major donations every year at the Servus Sports Centre for a field house, we support the local handivan you see driving around with our name

on it, as well as a number of other charitable events that take place throughout the year.” When it comes to what makes a successful Realtor, Dewing said there are a few things RE/MAX looks for to stay true to the company’s mission. “I think first and foremost, it comes down to the ethics of a Realtor; you can’ teach that,” he said. “You can’t teach e t h i c s , i nt e g ri t y a nd morals, and those are things we look for.” For more inf ormation on RE/MAX and the services they can provide for you, visit them at remaxlloydminster.ca or call 780808-2700. “Again, we’d like to thank the community for the continued support over the years as well as this recognition.”

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

COBS eyes fresh start to sales

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Sarah Beaunoyer co-owner of the COBS Bread store in Lloydminster is kicking off a donations bin campaign for the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter on Feb. 27. GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. The COBS Bread store in Lloydminster is sharing some fresh news with area customers following their first full year in business. The COBS franchise, owned by Sarah and Richard Beaunoyer, is the bronze winner as one of three best new businesses in a Best on the Border Reader’s Choice online con-

test by the Meridian Source. “We didn’t even know about this until we got an email letter from the Source. I’m like ‘oh my God, damn, if we had known, we would have made sure we won’,” joked Richard. The news broke in time for the Beaunoyers to quietly mark their first business anniversary on Feb. 17 with a Facebook post thank-

ing their loyal customers and staff. COBS is a fast-growing company that offers a range of fresh-baked bread and sweet treats with everything baked on site. The Lloydminster store was touted as the likely 113th store in the chain when the doors opened at unit 2037803 44th Street in Brentwood Commons in 2019. “It’s been an amazing experience, obviously a learning experience,” said Sarah. “I’ve been baking all year mostly and now I finally able to move to sales and get to know who are customers are and what they want.” The Beaunoyers have come to define their business as a community bakery that’s here to help out. The store is inviting money donations for the Lloydminster Men’s Shelter in a new instore charity campaign starting Feb. 27. CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020 FROM PAGE 34

The fundraiser will wrap up on April 4 when $2 from the sale of every six-pack of hot cross buns sold that day will be donated to the shelter. “We’re going to be launching four different lines of hot cross buns. We’re going to be doing traditional, orange, cranberry, chocolate chip and apple cinnamon,” said Richard. “At the end of the day, we will present a cheque to the men’s shelter.” The Beaunoyers are also extending the company’s commitment to making free end-ofday-donations of all daily baked goods to local charities. The current beneficiaries include The Olive Tree, Residents in Recovery, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Lloydminster Gospel Fellowship. Schools are also getting a chance to benefit from a new “dough raiser” event with schools. Students at partic-

ipating schools get a coupon offering a free loaf of COBS bread with the purchase of a sixpack of mini cinnamon buns credited to the name of their school. It’s part of the Beaunoyers’ “what goes around, comes around” marketing philosophy. COBS will donate five per cent of the total sales to respective schools at the end of the school year. “It’s awesome for the schools. They don’t have to do anything. There is no work on their part. Anyone can put their purchase to support a school,” said Sarah. The program fits the Beaunoyers’ secondyear business strategy to generate new customers and an even higher profile in the community to bounce back from a baffling drop in sales that started in October. “We’ve got really good service and our product is still the same—it’s a really good product. We don’t have any telltale signs that are explaining this to

Thursday, February 27, 2020

us,” said Sarah, who says it’s not a morale issue either. “We get a secret shopper every month and I just got a report today and my sales girl got 100 per cent,” said Sarah last Wednesday. As for prices, Sarah says the price for the healthy grain bread at COBS is in the same range as t he grocery store. Richard says it seems like they are chiselling their way back since January with more business and he thinks there is nowhere to go but up. “I think we have to continue to climb and get out to the community and working with charities and donations to get us out more in the public eye,” he said. “People will start understanding what we are and what we’re all about.” Richard says where COBS stands out is the quality of their products all the way from their bread to their pastries. “It’s nothing but awesomeness,” he said with a laugh.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Dark Hour voted Best Tattoo Shop on border

Photo courtesy of Warne Noyce TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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Looking to get some fresh ink but not sure where to go? Why not check out Dark Hour Ink as they were voted the Best Tattoo Shop in Lloydminster. “I got an email saying we had been voted the best tattoo shop in Lloydminster and had to read it a few times because I thought it was spam,” said Desiree CornetWile, who owns Dark Hour with her husband Scott.

“The funny thing is, we’ve been wanted to make up some best on the border T-shirt, and now we can,” she said. “We’re also planning our 10-year party to celebrate being a local business pretty soon, and working through those past 10 years has been great, and everything is coming full circle.” For someone who’s never been inside a tattoo shop, there can be a bit of intimidation, but Dark Hour wants to make sure clients are left feeling at ease

and ready for their art. “It can come down to something as simple as a smell,” she said. “In this industry, you have to feel comfortable the moment you walk through the door. “If you’re not comfortable, walk out and go to the next shop and ask questions.” The motto at Dark Hour since opening the doors has always been “one step forward, five steps back,” something Cornet-Wile says rings true today. CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

BEST ON THE BORDER 2020

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Get inked with Dark Hour

Supplied Photo FROM PAGE 36

“If you have one thing you need to get done, you always have four or five steps you have to take to get to that done,” she said. “That’s just the way it’s always been for us. From day one it’s always been about making sure people are walking out smiling.” Dark Hour also prides itself on giving back to the community and has taken part in a variety of different charitable tattoo initiatives, including semicolon (mental health) and Alberta Strong (Fort McMurray fire) projects. “For the semicolon tattoos we donated the funds to the Lloydminster Hospital, and for the Alberta Strong tattoos we took 30 $100 gift cards into

The Olive Tree,” she said. “We’re all about the community. Whatever we can do.” Ask any staff member at Dark Hour and they’ll be quick to tell you they feel like a family. “We have Madeline Dell who’s been here for just over a year now. We have Katt Rothschild and she just celebrated being with us for five years, and then there’s Scott and me who started everything,” she said. “It’s not a job if you’re doing what you love.” For more information on Dark Hour Ink, they can be found online, or contact them at 780-875-1884. “We try to keep it fun and comfortable, and we always have an opendoor policy.”

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Munro voted Best City Councillor TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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

It’s never an easy job, but someone has to do it.

“

I congratulate Coun. Munro and I think we have six excellent councillors and I’ve been very fortunate to work with these excellent councillors.

Coun. Stephanie Munro was voted the Best City Councillor in the Border City, followed by Coun. Ken Baker and Coun. Jonathan Torresan. “I congratulate Coun. Munro and I think we have six excellent coun-

File Photo cillors, and I’ve been very fortunate to work with these excellent councillors, and I know they carry the City in their heart and on their heart. They speak about it each and every day, and go out and do what they do,” said Mayor Gerald Aalbers. “Congratulations to Coun. Munro, but you

have some pretty stiff competition behind you,” he said with a laugh. “If you want experience, Coun. Baker has us beat, and it’s fabulous working with all of the councillors. I think each councillor brings a unique gift and a set of tools to the table and we get great input from everybody at that table.”

PAGE 39 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Sports Rustlers prep for last home contest JAMIE HARKINS WRITER

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The Lakeland College Rustlers welcomed the Canadian men’s sitting volleyball team to Lloydminster this past weekend.

Jamie Harkins Meridian Source

Team Canada pays the Rustlers a visit JAMIE HARKINS WRITER

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

A rewarding experience can be had when players are given the chance to study and play the game under new conditions. The Lakeland College Rustlers men’s volleyball team prepped for this weekend’s Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) playoffs by learning how to play the sitting game. The Canadian men’s Paralympic team stood in as the Rustlers coaches for the Thursday and Friday sessions as well as their opponents during an exhibition match at E.S. Laird

Middle School on Saturday evening. “It’s a big team bonding thing for us and a huge fundraiser for both teams,” said Rustlers third-year right side Tyson Deschene. “I think it was good for everyone. It showed us that we can wear a ball. Matt (Peck) did that in the fourth or fifth set when he took the ball off his chest. We ended up getting that point. It’s a whole different perspective there how we have to stay forward more. I think it was really beneficial to us.” Deschene noted the Team Canada play-

ers gave them a basic run-through on how to approach the sitting game last Thursday before engaging them in a couple of scrimmages the next morning and afternoon. He said the biggest adjustment was learning how to sit properly during the game, but repeatedly sliding around the closedin court to get in front of the lightning-quick shots coming over the lowered net also proved a challenge. “I really enjoyed it and I think everyone did,” added Deschene. “This is a lot more hard work than we’re used to,

but it was super fun.” Jose Rebelo, a veteran hitter for the Canadian men’s sitting volleyball team, said they flew in from across the country to take in the weekend action versus the Rustlers. He said they’re trying to get ready for a last-chance 2020 Tokyo Paralympics qualifier at Oklahoma this March and the time on court training and playing the Rustlers is hoped to help carry them through. “For us, it’s great because they’re big blocks,” said Rebelo. “That’s the kind of teams we play against. It’s great training with

those guys who are able to force our offence.” Deschene said his club volleyball team enjoyed a few training sessions with the Edmonton-based members of Team Canada in years past. He said that didn’t translate into a Rustlers advantage during the game, but it was still fun to play. “It’s a really cool experience,” said Deschene. “It’s a whole different perspective when you’re down on the floor. You’re limited with your movements. You can’t lift up off the floor. Everything is different in how you swing and how you sit.”

The Lakeland College Rustlers men’s basketball team will be leaving everything they have on the court this weekend. “I’m just going to play my heart out,” said Rustlers guard Akeem Phillip. “Hopefully we’ll get two wins, but if we don’t it is what it is. In our minds, though, it’s get the wins.” Phillip is one of four fifth-year athletes on the Rustlers (9-13) who will be playing their final college games during a home-and-home against the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder (12-10) this weekend. The second game a t th e Lake l a nd Co l lege gym on Saturday night will also mark the final post-secondary contest of Rustlers guards Ricardo Joseph and Terrell Murdaugh as well as forward Paul Smith-Profit. Murdaugh, a Saskatoon-native, said they’ve tried to provide leadership in the room and on the court to help their young group of players adjust to the post-secondary game this season. CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Clubs benefit from Rustlers expertise JAMIE HARKINS WRITER

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Completing full-time post-secondary studies while playing Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) volleyball hasn’t stopped a few Lakeland College Rustlers from giving back to the community that’s supported them. The Rustlers Green and Rustlers Gold, a couple of Lloydminster’s 16-and-under girls club volleyball

teams, entered Sunday play in the Saskatchewan Cup No. 2 at the Servus Sports Centre vying for a tournament win. The competition marked the Green’s best performance of the season thanks to the coaching of Rustlers college volleyball players Matt Peck and Hannah Pek, while the Gold continued to show their upward trajectory due in part to the teachings

of volunteer assistant coach and fifth-year Rustler Avery Maginel. “We had some really good moments and then we had moments where we didn’t play our best,” said Maginel, whose Gold team captured Sask Cup Division 2 silver. “I definitely think we can move up to Division 1 with the girls we have. They’re very talented. It’s just about making them more confident.” Maginel noted her start in coaching came through the college team’s development camp. With that experience proving so beneficial, she added, the opportunity to serve as head coach of the 15U Rustlers for two years and then follow them up to 16U as an assistant this season couldn’t be turned down. “It definitely gets to be a bit much with my course load, but I find it’s also like a relief where I can just focus

on volleyball,” she said. “And, the girls are so much fun. They really look up to you. It’s like a little study break and I really enjoy it.” The Rustlers Green took silver in the Division 2 Tier 2 championship providing the club their best finish of the season thus far. The girls’ upward swing comes after two-anda-half months of working hard in practices and games under the tutelage of their college athlete coaches. “We’re playing together as a team and getting everyone involved,” said Rustlers Green setter Krezhanna Delima. “We’ve improved a lot and they’ve really helped. They’re good coaches.” Peck said the girls are here to play volleyball for fun, so their main task is to make sure everyone enjoys themselves. The first-year girls volleyball coach said keeping the players’ spirits up and get-

Jamie Harkins Meridian Source

Rustlers Green player Laura Wenger hits the ball past a couple of High Impact blocks.

ting them to use each other on the court is the goal during practices and games. “We’ve got an awesome group of girls who are really positive,” said Peck. “For us, it’s a real feel-good experience. I’ve had some

amazing coaches growing up and feel it’s sort of my duty to give back as much as I can. If I can inspire a young girl or a young boy to make the step to try and play college volleyball then I’m going to try and do that.”

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Junior Steelers ready for playoff hockey JAMIE HARKINS WRITER

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The drive toward a Hockey Alberta championship is starting in earnest for the Lloydminster Junior Steelers. The Steelers (14-111) are looking to build upon a great postChristmas rush when they welcome the St. Albert Chargers (3-203) to the Servus Sports Centre for a best-ofthree opening-round playoff series this Friday to Sunday. A dominant 2-0 shutout against the Chargers marked the Steelers’ final regular season contest at the Servus on Feb. 23, but the knowledge remains that the heavy lifting is still at hand. “When we do make plays to each other and use each other we need to get more shots on net,” said Steelers captain Rayna Franklin. “ We ’re ma ki ng g o o d plays, but we’re just not utilizing them. We’re

not putting the puck on the net to get the best out of it that we possibly can.” Franklin earned the primary assist on the game’s opening goal by Isabel Pratte 10:45 into the second period. Following a Caybri DeJong point shot, Franklin jumped on the rebound pushing it across the crease to Pratte for an open-side tap in. Steelers centre Talyn Kapfhamer scored her first of the season, and the insurance marker, on a greasy effort in close with Paige Webb halfway through the third. Shaye Thompson stood strong when called upon to earn the goose egg between the pipes. Mervin Mann, head coach of the Steelers, said a touch of adversity around Christmas, the benefit of a holiday hockey break and a return to health has

helped the girls turn things around during the past two months. He said they’ve also enjoyed a home-heavy schedule in the New Year, which always proves an advantage.

Mann noted there are a couple of playoff hockey weekends left, if the team gets by the Chargers, as well as a bye week before the March 19 to 22 provincial championships that

Jamie Harkins Meridian Source

Steelers right wing Kalli Mannix gets ready to take a shot on the Chargers net.

take place at the Centennial Civic Centre. He said they intend to play their way to the event through postseason contests as opposed to using any exhibition games. “You don’t want to

go into provincials on a low,” added Franklin. “We do have that wildcard in. But, you don’t want to think going into playoffs that you’re in anyways. We want to show that we’re here to play.”

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Local boys lead Team Alberta to gold SUBMITTED

.................................. Two forwards and a defenceman who play with the Lloydminster peewee AA boys hockey team were privileged to

be selected to Zone 7 for participation in the 2020 Alberta Winter Games. The boys boarded an Alberta Winter Games bus to Airdrie to step

on the ice with teammates they had never met before. Since Zone 7 spans from Grande Prairie to Lloydminster, a sevenhour drive, the only commu nicat ion wit h their team prior to play together came through texts, video chats and maybe a few lip syncs too. Having a little difficulty meshing in the first game, the weekend started out a bit bumpy with a loss, but they were able to battle back and win the second game. Game three proved to be a nail-biter due to the team being down 4-0 af t er t he second period. But, with the direction and encouragement from three of Albertaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest coaches, Kyle Weegar, TJ Millar and Darryl Rosser, they were able to turn things around in the third and ended up tying the game 5-5. This put them on the

road to the semifinals. With skill and determination they pulled off a 7-6 win against Zone 4. Excited, the Zone 7 boys went back to their school dorm, reviewed game strategy and got some much-needed shut eye for the upcoming gold medal game. On Sunday morning as the zamboni rounded the boards, hockey fans packed an Airdrie arena to watch their favourite players. As the boys stepped on the ice, the excitement magnified. The boys came to play, and play they did. With support from their coaches, parents, manager, family and friends, Aiden Foster, Jace Schmidt and Brady Gamble along with their new-found friends and teammates of Team Dark Blue (Zone 7) were victorious against the strong Team Red (Zone 3) proudly bringing home the gold with a 6-4 win. Winning the gold medal was truly an

Submitted

Aiden Foster, Jace Schmidt and Brady Gamble won Alberta Winter Games gold playing for Zone 7.

amazing moment for these 12 and 13 year olds, but surpassing that was the priceless experiences, memories and lifelong friendships

that were made. The boys built a brotherhood that spans across Northern Alberta and will share this connection for a liftime.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Seniors leave a legacy of hard work FROM PAGE 39

The one-time Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojan said moving from high school ball to the college ranks can prove a big change for a lot of players who may be used to carrying their team but now have to work as part of a unit to achieve success. “It’s been a good experience to help the young guys know what to do,” said Joseph, a business major who has played all of his five college-eligible years with the Rustlers. “We look out for each other, pick each other up and keep it positive all the time.” Phillip, Joseph, Murdaugh and SmithProfit have all experienced the highs and lows of college basketball during their careers. They’ve competed at a national championship, been recognized for their efforts to be named the host of an Alberta Col-

leges Athletic Conference playoff and come up short this year of earning a postseason berth. “Honestly, it’s been our play on the defensive end,” said Phillip, a career Rustler currently taking University Transfer classes. “We’re letting guys score at will and not getting our stops. On our team all of us can score, but it’s the defensive end where we have to be more locked in.” Staying in Canada and having an opportunity to attend college on a scholarship attracted Phillip, a Toronto product, to Lakeland College, while hometown connections with Rustlers coach Sheray Thomas made the difference for Montreal’s Joseph. Murdaugh moved to Lakeland College in an effort to find a better fit, which was also the case for Smith-Profit. “I originally played

Jamie Harkins Meridian Source

Fifth-year Rustlers athletes, from left, Paul Smith-Profit, Terrell Murdaugh, Akeem Phillip and Ricardo Joseph will lead their team onto home court this Saturday night.

at Concordia, but I didn’t really like the situation I was in,” said Smith-Profit, a University Transfer student who hails from Sacramento, CA, and is completing his second season as a Rustler. “Sheray gave me a chance and I just ran with it. Obviously, this year wasn’t our best. But, it’s been a fun experience.” The four senior Rustlers noted it’s an unknown how they’ll be feeling when they step onto home court

for a final time this Saturday. But, they’ll all leave with their heads held high. “We came out, played hard every night and tried to be the best we could be,” said Murdaugh, who is aiming to transfer his University Transfer studies to a career in social work. “I’m not saying we’re perfect. We just did our best. That’s what I’d like remembered. That we worked hard every time we stepped out on the court.”

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

PAGE 45 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Agriculture

Lakeland College named a 2020 Top Employer MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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Lakeland College is honoured to be named one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers. The 2020 announcement marks the fourth consecutive top employer accolade for Lakeland. “We’re grateful to receive this recognition. It’s a testament to the culture we’ve created and our exceptional Lakeland team,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “Our team members dedicate their time, expertise and enthusiasm to this college, and they put student success at the forefront of all they do. Each day at Lakeland, I see our employees do more than the tasks they are assigned – they cheer on students, they help them overcome adversity, and they celebrate their accomplishments. Because of our

employees, students know that attending Lakeland is more than just taking classes – it’s belonging to a family and a history that goes back more than 100 years.” Building a respectful, inclusive work environment has been a top priority for Lakeland. Recent initiatives include the creation of cross-functional teams to establish a new mission, vision and values for the college, as well as a guarding minds committee that’s focused on mental health in the workplace training. Safe Space training is also offered regularly to all Lakeland staff. Lakeland has also made strides in building capacity in intercultural understanding and diversity through initiatives such as the Elder in Residence program, Blanket Exercises and the Indigenous Awareness Week activities,

File Photo and by hosting cultural diversity workshops each year for staff. Judges of Alberta’s Top Employers also noted several reasons for selecting Lakeland: • Individuals working at Lakeland can take advantage of a variety of on-campus amenities, from a number of onsite food options to quiet rooms for meditation and religious observance.

Employees can also make use of fitness facilities and the Equine Centre. • Lakeland cultivates a family-friendly culture with maternity leave top-up payments for new mothers (to 95 per cent of salary for up to 12 weeks) and the option for employees to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence. Lakeland also has onsite child care and paid personal days off to help bal-

ance family commitments (up to 12 days annually). • Lakeland employees plan securely for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance, as well as phased-in work options for those nearing retirement. Lakeland is one of only five Alberta post-secondary institutions to receive this accolade for 2020.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Governments announce crop insurance enhancements MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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On Tuesday, Federal Agriculture and AgriFood Minister MarieClaude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit announced enhancements to the 2020 Crop Insurance Program. This year, Saskatchewan producers will continue to access high coverage while seeing a decrease in premiums. The Crop Insurance Program continues to

adapt to the changing agricultural landscape in the province. “Our hardworking farmers have faced difficult weather througho u t 2 0 1 9 a n d w e a re committed to help them manage these risks,” Bibeau said. “Through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Program, we are helping give Saskatchewan farmers the tools needed to deal with unpredictable weather, so they can continue

producing high quality food for the world, while supporting our communities and livelihoods.” “We are dedicated to maintaining a strong, growing agricultural economy,” Marit said. “That is why we invest in business risk management programs to provide producers with protection against the unexpected. In these times of market uncertainty and adverse weather condi-

tions, support through a comprehensive suite of programs is important for Saskatchewan producers.” The success of Saskatchewan’s crop production allows the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to keep premiums low and average coverage strong for producers. On average, Crop Insurance coverage holds steady at $224 per acre, only slightly decreasing from $230 per acre in 2019. Premiums will see a decrease to an average of $7.40 per acre, down from $8.61 in 2019. For 2020, the insurable region for soybeans is expanding to the entire province. Coverage is based on a soybean producer’s individual insured

history instead of the regional average. Their experience discount or surcharge will be applied to premiums for soybean crops. Irrigation coverage is also now available. “We are pleased with this year’s improvements and the ongoing commitment toward Saskatchewan agriculture,” Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities Division 2 Director Norm Nordgulen said. “As we continue to see diversification throughout the industry, this year’s changes to soybean coverage, along with last year’s forage and weatherbased enhancements, speaks to the relevancy of SCIC’s programs.” For those customers looking to return to the Crop Insurance

Program, SCIC is making an administrative change. Producers now have up to seven years to rejoin the program to continue with their previous premium discount/surcharge and yields. Working with the Saskatchewan Vegetable Growers’ Association, SCIC is enhancing the Vegetable Acreage Loss Insurance Program. The insured value of vegetable crops is updated to better reflect production costs. To allow for a longer growing season before harvest begins, SCIC is extending the fall cutoff dates. For 2020, asparagus is added as an eligible crop. CONTINUED ON PAGE 47

20024SS3

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Crop insurance premium decrease to assist farmers

FROM PAGE 46

For 2020, SCIC has a new approach to the Organic Option to ensure it remains relevant to Saskatchewan producers. Premiums and coverage are updated using information from organic customers. Previously, the Organic Option was based on a combination of conventional and organic crop experience. With this change, organic insured prices are higher and premium rates are lower. Average coverage is also lower; realigning to current organic risk. The impact of this change will depend upon each producer’s production experience. Organic customers are encouraged to contact their local SCIC office to review the impacts to their individual coverage. “We have been working with SCIC to ensure the program meets the

needs of organic producers,” SaskOrganics president Will Oddie said. “This is an important insurance program for our organic growers and it is now more relevant with SCIC using historical organic information.” Producers faced a variety of challenges throughout the 2019 growing season. Dry conditions challenged summer growing and wet conditions, coupled with early snowfall, delayed harvest. With approximately 1.3 million insured acres left out over winter, compensation for producers is estimated to reach $350 million in claims. Crops left out over winter are covered under SCIC’s Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. This program is available to all Saskatchewan producers; Crop Insurance partic-

ipation is not required. If producers notice any wildlife damage, they should contact SCIC as soon as possible. Producers with unharvested acres must contact SCIC prior to harvest, feeding or grazing any damaged crop so it can be assessed. Federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture met in December 2019 and committed to making targeted improvements to the AgriStability program. Ministers also asked officials to review the treatment of private insurance for the 2020 program year. Ministers asked officials to change the treatment of private insurance for the 2020 program year. Private insurance revenue will be excluded when calculating a producer’s program year margin. This increases the potential for an AgriSta-

bility benefit as private insurance revenue is not factored into the producer’s allowable income. Premiums for private insurance will remain included as allowable expenses. Minister Marit reminded livestock producers, under the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program, calf price insurance policies are now available for purchase. Producers can choose from a range of coverage options every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. While Feeder and Feed price insurance policies are available year-round, the deadline to purchase a calf price insurance policy is May 28. SCIC encourages producers to review their business risk management plans annually. SCIC has 21 local customer service offices across the province with

File Photo knowledgeable staff available to discuss the insurance options best suited for each farming operation. March 31, is the deadline to select insured

crops and coverage levels or make additional changes to their Crop Insurance contract. Producers need to also apply, reinstate or cancel by this date.

Careers

PAGE 48 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Federal carbon tax: Premier Kenney Kenney issued the following statement on the Alberta Court of Appeal’s 4-1 ruling that the federal carbon tax is unconstitutional:

“

Today is a great victory for Alberta and for Canadian federalism. We promised Albertans we would fight for them, and today we succeeded,” Kenney said in a statement on Feb. 24. “We will not tolerate Ottawa determining the future of Alberta’s economy. This consumer carbon tax is now illegal, therefore we expect the Government of Canada to comply with the order of the court today, remove the federal carbon tax on Albertans

and immediately refund any and all tax collected to date. “The provinces are best situated to make policy decisions for their own citizens. The ‘Ottawa-knows-best’ attitude of the federal government disrupts the constitutional balance of our federation and undermines our right to manage our own affairs. “In their decision, the Court of Appeal called the effort to impose this punishing tax on families filling up their gas

tanks and heating their homes a ‘constitutional Trojan horse.’ “Furthermore, paragraph 349 of the decision notes ‘if the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act is a valid law, the constitutional foundation for provincial governments is badly damaged and their future as an important level of government is in jeopardy. Federalism, as we have known it for over 150 years, is over.’ “Alberta argued that the Constitution does

not permit the federal government to put a provincial minimum price on carbon, and, by imposing a one-size-fitsall carbon tax, Ottawa ignored constitutional provincial authority to legislate in ways that reflect local conditions and circumstances. “We are defending our province’s interests. Albertans expect us to promote jobs and champion our economy. This is what we are doing by fighting the federal carbon tax, which punishes people for heating their

File Photo homes and driving to work but does nothing to reduce emissions. “In March, Alberta will continue to advance its position in the

Supreme Court of Canada in the Saskatchewan and Ontario appeals of those provinces’ rulings on this issue.”

The Lone Spruce MIDWEST MINUTE VERN McCLELLAND

It may have been a mature blue spruce, but it wasn’t, at least in my opinion, the nicest looking tree as it had long been robbed of soil moisture by encroaching

maples and caragana. As we stood together in the old farmyard looking at it, I wondered why she suddenly had tears in her eyes. I had been asked to meet at the family homestead to provide a value on two quarters of farmland she was considering listing for sale.

She had driven out that morning from her home in a city two hours away. My client broke the silence by quietly telling me she had brought the seedling home from school one Arbor Day in Grade 2, and with the assistance of her older sister, proudly planted

it where the driveway entered the house yard. She had faithfully watered it through the hot, dry summers of her childhood and kept competing grass at bay. Her sister was gone now; taken too young by cancer. Her dad had passed years before, but her mom had lived into

her mid-90s, although senile dementia had stolen her mind in the last decade. She felt guilty at being the one who would let the land go as it had been in her family for over 100 years but deep down, she knew it was time. The house had been sold years before to a young couple and relocated to a yardsite 20 miles away. Those outbuildings that were still on site were barely standing, home to pigeons, owls, and skunks. All these years she had refused to cancel the power supply, as it would have meant the yard would have gone dark. In my experience, the two most emotional properties for people to sell are the family cabin at the lake and the home quarter. Both are packed full of memories; most good, some sad. So, I asked if she, her children, and grandchildren liked to camp? The look I received back was

first one of annoyance, then questioning. I told her of the three families in my district who had subdivided off their home yards and turned the resulting acreage into a family retreat. The stories shared around the campfire on summer nights with visiting friends and neighbours ensured the young ones would know their heritage. They too could explore the magical habitat of a shelter belt and adjacent sloughs, building tree houses and rafts. It provided all with a refuge in a challenging world and keep the family connected to their roots. As we walked toward our vehicles, she asked me to email her the name of a good surveyor. Vern McClelland is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster and can be reached at (780) 808-2700 or through www.vernmcclelland.remax.ca

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

PAGE 50 Thursday, February 27, 2020 MERIDIAN SOURCE 306-825-5111 admin@meridiansource.ca

employment opportunities

Miscellaneous

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AUCTIONS are our business! Contact Copeland Auctions Ltd. located in Lloydminster, AB for all your auction needs. Call Russ 780-870-1181 or visit our website: www.copelandauctions.co m UPCOMING MEIER GUN AUCTION. Saturday, March 7 10AM 4740-57 St Wetaskiwin. Selling Handguns, rifles, shotguns, hunting and sporting equipment. Free pick up Edmonton surrounding area to consign. Call 780440-1860.

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21st Annual KuntzMcIntosh-SAJ Simmental Bull Sale Tuesday March 17, 1:00 pm CST, Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds. Selling 70 yearling red, black Fullblood & full Fleckvieh Simmental bulls. For info contact Trevor Kuntz 306441-1308, Blair McIntosh 306-441-7755, Stuart Jamieson 306-397-2708 or T Bar C Cattle Co. 306220-5006. Watch and bid online at www.DLMS.ca and view the catalogue o n l i n e a t www.BuyAgro.com. (PL#116061)

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Health / Fitness

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Feed & Seed HIP/KNEE REPLACEMENT. Other medical conditions causing TROUBLE WALKING or DRESSING? The Disability Tax Credit allows for $3,000 yearly tax credit and $30, 000 lump sum refund. Take advantage of this offer. Apply NOW; quickest refund Nationwide: Expert help. 1844-453-5372.

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For Sale METAL ROOFING & SIDING. 37+ colours available at over 55 Distributors. 40 year warranty. 24-48 hour Express Service available at supporting Distributors. Call 1-888-263-8254.

Personals WIDOW 60's in NORTHERN ALBERTA. If you are a MAN of faith, integrity, kind, hardworking, 62-72; good physical, mental health, respond to: Box 35 c/o AWNA, 3228 Parsons Road, Edmonton, AB T6N 1M2.

manufactured homes

FARM LAND WANTED

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

Obituaries & Memoriams

To ensure efficient newspaper delivery, please make sure of the following: • Sidewalks are cleared and clean • Mailbox is visible • Mailbox is emptied on a regular basis

What is lovely never dies, but passes into other loveliness.

• Pets are tied or in a fenced yard

- Thomas Bailey Aldrich

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

Obituaries & Memoriams

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Obituaries & Memoriams

Celebrations

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Thursday, February 27, 2020

Local Business Directory

Advertise your services in our Business Directory! Call our sales team today!

306.825.5111 ADVERTISE THE BIRTH OF YOUR NEW BABY IN THE MERIDIAN SOURCE.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT FORM

Please print all information neatly. E: admin@meridiansource.ca F: 306.825.5147 or drop off at our office 5921-50 Ave., Lloydminster, SK

If you wish to have your baby’s birth announcement published in our newspaper, free of charge, (Mother’s Name) please complete the form and return it back to us by Tuesday at would like to announce the arrival of their (Son/Daughter) noon for the Thursday edition. Born on:

(Month)

(Day)

(Father’s Name) (Baby’s Name) Phone:

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MERIDIAN SOURCE

HOROSCOPES CAPRICORN

December 22 – January 19 You cross paths with some inspiring people who expand your social circle. A great opportunity has you taking steps to move.

AQUARIUS

January 20 – February 18 There’s a fine line between harmony and discord; sensitivity and affection are important in any relationship. Proper communication will make things better between the two of you.

PISCES

February 19 – March 20 There will be lots of action around you this week. If you like to travel, you’ll treat yourself to an adventure of a lifetime. A short jaunt away could also be memorable, even if you head off on your own.

ARIES

March 21– April 19 A disconcerting image will allow you to create a masterpiece. You’ll make a lifestyle change in order to achieve your aspirations. Everything will be fine as long as you don’t swim against the current.

TAURUS

April 20 – May 20 You’ll appreciate having some time to recharge your batteries. You’ll be more tired than usual, so you may need to spend a few days resting. You may also develop your artistic or esoteric talents.

GEMINI

May 21 – June 21 With a more active social calendar than usual, you’ll expand your circle of acquaintances. You’ll join a group of friends in signing up to learn a new sport.

CANCER

June 22 – July 22 Some friends will invite you to join them on a tropical vacation. Pleasure is on the menu and your optimism will be contagious.

LEO July 23 – August 22 You may decide to go back to school in order to improve your career options. A sudden burst of inspiration will put you on the right track, but you’ll still need to make a considerable effort in order to succeed.

VIRGO

August 23 – September 22 You’ll obtain the financing you need for a project that’s close to your heart. Don’t hesitate to consult with someone at your financial institution about consolidating your debts so that you can live more comfortably.

LIBRA

September 23 – October 22 In order to keep your melancholy at bay, you’ll throw yourself into a cleaning frenzy at home. You’ll make some things clear with your partner before you consider separating.

CROSSWORD

SCORPIO

October 23 – November 21 In order to successfully finalize an agreement at work, you’ll need to fine-tune several documents before presenting them. You may also decide to update your wardrobe.

SAGITTARIUS

February 20 Answers

November 22 – December 21 You’ll make some suggestions that your friends find interesting. Your accomplishments will bring you a lot of pride. Take the time to develop a talent that taps into your considerable creativity.

SUDOKU February 20 Answers

Gary & Willeke Amundrud

are proud to announce the arrival of their

daughter, Laramie Sage Amundrud born February 12, 2020 in Lloydminster

ACROSS 1. Likewise 4. Word of lament 8. Sharp hit 12. Chinese sauce 13. Not early 14. Auto for hire 15. Climbing flower 17. Give out 18. Rules to follow 19. Elegant 21. Nonsupporters 24. Aim 25. Run into 26. Conduct, as business 30. Ruin 31. Get up

32. Hem’s partner 33. Decoration 35. Mediocre 36. Auto’s path 37. Eye ailments 38. Piles 41. Take legal action 42. Country singer Johnny ____ 43. Last 48. Feel a dull pain 49. Public brawl 50. Flight record 51. Lads 52. Evergreen plants 53. Chair support

DOWN 1. Beast of burden 2. Pronto! 3. Hue 4. Singing voices 5. Race units 6. Had lunch 7. Shore 8. Swipes 9. Flees 10. Pivot point 11. Compassion 16. Prepare for print 20. Highway section 21. Bullets, e.g. 22. Far’s mate 23. Gull-like bird

24. Pulverize 26. Government funds locale 27. Sailor’s greeting 28. Brief follower 29. Duos 31. Berserk 34. Bows 35. Flower stalk 37. Hearts, clubs, etc. 38. Wound cover 39. Tex-Mex treat 40. Pale 41. Stash 44. Fib 45. Everything 46. Finger’s opposite 47. Easter ____ hunt

Meridian Source’s Birth Announcements If you wish to have your baby’s birth announcement published in our Thursday edition of the Meridian Source FREE OF CHARGE, please come in and fill out a form or email admin@meridiansource.ca Deadline is Tuesday at noon for the Thursday edition.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Rentals

Real Estate NEW LISTING

Property Management

NEW PRICE

4818 - 40

STREET

• Cute starter home with plenty of upgrades. • Newer windows, doors, siding and weeping tile. • Double detached garage. $

Thank you for the overwhelming response for our recent job posting! We are pleased to announce that we have filled the accounting position in our office.

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Rick Schesnuk Realtor®

TRAILER LOTS HOUSE LOTS

Judy Bexson Realtor®

Each office is independently owned & operated.

3812 - 51 Avenue, Lloydminster, AB T9V 3M7 Pattie Todd Associate Broker

Sandy Hardy Realtor®

www.coldwellbankercitysiderealty.com

780-875-3343

facebook.com/coldwellbankercitysiderealty

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