Meridian Source - February 29, 2024

VOLUME 6 I ISSUE 36

Thursday, February 29, 2024 MERIDIANSOURCE.CA

Coldest night warms hearts

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

The Lloydminster Men’s Shelter held their biggest fundraiser of the year Saturday evening; an event called The Coldest Night of the Year.

The walk, held at the Bud Miller All Seasons Park, was meant to simulate the hardships of those living with housing insecurity in Lloydminster.

“Everyone does runs and things like that, but to do one in the winter-typically it’s very cold in mid-late February,” said Michael Davison, executive director Lloydminster Men’s Shelter.

“It just really allows us to reflect on the hardship that’s going on with those experiencing housing insecurity who have no place to rest their head for the night,” said Davison.

“It just provides a level of appreciation for the services, and the importance of the things that we do.”

Mayor Gerald Aalbers showed up to wish the walkers well before heading out from the PSM Park Centre build-

ing, where they met up following the walk to enjoy a hot bowl of chili and other delicious treats.

“City council is certainly going to continue to work with the men’s shelter, and other organizations in our city that help those that are less fortunate,” said Aalbers.

“So thanks so much for being here. Enjoy the evening, enjoy the fellowship, stay warm.”

This year’s funds will go toward ‘seed’ capital so they can expand the shelter’s capacity and move to a location that better suits their needs.

“As part of our core programming we can actually only shelter 28 people under our current contracts and restrictions,” said Davison, adding that the demand for their services far exceeds what they are able to currently provide.

That was made clear by a housing needs assessment conducted by the City of Lloydminster, in which they identified at least 193 individuals experiencing some form of housing insecurity in the city.

“We’re hoping to earmark this money for a capital project, start seriously looking at things we can do with the money and looking for a different location,” said Davison.

“There are so many factors that go into it. One thing that would be ignorant would be for us not to acknowledge that being our neighbour is difficult, and we’ve certainly learned that as we try to engage with the city … getting a few zoning changes, just tweaked, so we could handle our services.”

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Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

Lloydminster Men’s Shelter supporters gathered in front of the PSM Park Centre building at Bud Miller All Seasons Park before hitting the trails for a walk Saturday evening. They surpassed their $20,000 goal for the event.

$3.1M shed loan a hot potato

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

City councillors weighed in on the city’s plan to borrow $3.1 million to construct a maintenance shed at the Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre following the receipt of a citizens’ petition opposing the borrowing bylaw.

At Monday’s council meeting, it was noted a petition with 406 signatures was presented to the city by Lloydminster resident Kurt Hutchings on Feb. 14, but it fell short of the 3,158 names required under the city’s charter for 10 per cent of qualified electors.

He says another issue is that the further they move out of the downtown core, the more fundraising they’ll have to do to keep providing

“As the petition did not meet the requirements set forth in the charter, it has no binding effect on council, and is presented as information only,” city manager Dion Pollard told council.

“It should be acknowledged that even though the petition did not meet the requirements outlined in the charter, those who initiated and signed the petition should be recognized for their engagement in the governance process,” he said.

The borrowing bylaw is expected to be back on the agenda of council’s March 11 meeting with second thoughts

their services.

“While we provide shelter and food and basic outreach services for our clients, more enhanced, comprehensive outreach ser -

expressed by some councillors.

Councillor David Lopez who was sworn into office last week following his recent by-election win told council the $3.1 million cost is being talked about everywhere he goes.

“Everywhere you go people are like ‘how are we spending this kind of money’,” he said.

“I even had a phone call today from a small business owner who was sitting there going ‘I’m going to have to close down. My taxes are going up, my triple net (lease) is going up, and I have a $1,800 bill that I have to go through. I have to talk to my landlord—how do I pay this off over five months because I don’t have the money to pay for it.’”

Lopez thinks the $3.1 M borrowing amount for a shed is too much for some taxpay-

vices still remain in the downtown core,” Davison explained. “So, we will need a way to get them from our location to the downtown core if we

ers to bear.

“I think it’s excessive. Administration calls it modest. I think as council, we need to sit down and say ‘Is this a need or a want?’ Now it looks like a want to me, not a need,” said Lopez.

“We’ve got to look at other golf courses. If you talk to Rolling Green they don’t have this, if you talk to Sandy Beach, they don’t have this.”

Counc. Jason Whiting was a little more conciliatory, noting he appreciates the petition coming forth to council as information and that it’s tough to sign up 10 percent of qualified electors.

“What this does do, in my mind, is show some concern by citizens for the borrowing bylaw and the Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre maintenance shop,” he said.

“It shows a great example

move out of the downtown area. Those are some of the realities we’re looking at. Very achievable goals, we really look forward to success in this.”

of people paying attention to what’s going on in our city.

The issue left Counc. Jonathan Torresan pondering what’s next, while not jumping to any conclusions.

“It’s definitely an issue that’s got some hair on it for me. It’s not a slam dunk; I’m struggling with this borrowing bylaw a little bit,” said Torresan.

He thinks the petition demonstrates a little more work needs to be done before anything is official, but he’s not sure if the 406 signatures are enough to change anyone’s decision.

“The fact there’s that much effort going into it (petition) really is a symptom of a potential issue,” he cautioned.

“More than anything, we as council have to take a serious look at this project and how we’re funding it.”

And successful they were in their Coldest Night of the Year fundraising efforts.

excited. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so hitting 100 per cent is always our goal and then anything over that is just great,” said Davison.

Shooting to play it forward, again

This year’s Play it

Forward 12-hour charity hockey game promises to be another show of puckmanship, sportsmanship and citizenship.

The third annual event will take place on April 19 at the Servus Sports Centre to raise $70,000 for a new CareAvan for Border City Connects.

The game will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with 48 hockey players as well as two refs involved.

“The roster is all full and we’re all set to go,” said event founder and lead organizer Aaron Buckingham on Monday.

“No one takes themselves too seriously out there, but it’s still good hockey to watch.”

Fans should also expect to see a few outstanding dekes, or dirty dangles as they are called.

Buckingham says each of these players has to raise a minimum $500 donation to play in the game, but in practice, everybody goes way over that.

“Last year our top individual fundraiser was over $5,000. These guys have really got into it. It makes all the difference for Border City Connects,” said Buckingham.

“We will be live streaming this event all day with the ability for people to watch

and donate as well as attend the Servus Sports Centre and watch live for a donation at the door.”

The Play it Forward hockey funder helps the non-profit organization update its fleet of passenger vans that take people to out-of-town medical appointments.

Border City Express buses transport persons with special needs or mobility issues around the city.

Buckingham says he got the idea for Play it Forward knowing Lloydminster loves hockey and community with the event combining both passions.

“I don’t like to take credit for any of this, but it’s the people and the players and the community that goes over the finish line here and they’ve never let us down yet,” said Buckingham.

He is also able to use his connections as Lloydminster Fire Department chief to rally support.

Funds from the first two charity hockey games helped pay for a new Express bus and a CareAvan.

The goal this year is to replace another high-use CareAvan.

“The last thing I want to see is somebody stuck on the side of the road on the way to a medical appointment,” said Buckingham.

“We want to make sure these units are up to snuff and everybody

one is in the 300,000 km range.

“We did get one from the Hospital Foundation in 2023 and that one’s at 80 k already,” said Fagnan.

“If you take a bus, you’re going to spend at least 24 hours. There are lots of people who are very thankful for the service.”

Fagnan says the drivers are all volunteers who develop good relationships with users.

any player on the list and get an instant tax receipt.

“It’s quick and easy to donate, that’s for sure,” said Buckingham.

gets to where they need to go.”

Border City Connects executive director, Glenn Fagnan estimates the CareAvan fleet made 500 trips to Saskatoon and Edmonton in 2023.

“It’s a fantastic service. It’s pretty unique in terms of what the costs are,” he said.

“If you can get picked up at the door of your house and driven to the Royal Alex in Edmonton, waited for, then driven back to your front door for $130, that’s pretty good.”

He says one van has logged 400,000 kilometres and needs replacing and another

“A lot of times, it’s the same driver taking the same people and they stop in Vegreville at Tim’s for a coffee and donut and sometimes passengers buy them lunch.”

Fagnan says he gives kudos to those players who come out to support the Play it Forward cause.

“It’s the players that have proven over the last two years that they are great community members and are contributing. These are people going over and above,” he said.

The top three players raising the most donations will be entered into a draw to win a cash prize of $500.

To donate, visit the Border City Connects website and click on the Play it Forward link to add funds to

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER ..................................

Border City Connects’ third annual Play it Forward charity hockey game will be held at Servus Sports Centre on April 19. File Photo

Rally marks two years of war

Ukraine about nine years ago.

Although we see less coverage of it in the media than at the outset, the war in Ukraine still rages on.

Supporters of the Ukrainian cause gathered outside City Hall Saturday morning with flags and signs while many who passed by honked to show approval.

Some of the flags being flown were actually signed by Ukrainian soldiers.

“We’re here today because it’s the second year since the war started in Ukraine,” said Liliia Savchuk, who moved to Canada from

“We’re here to remind people that the war is not over, and Ukraine still needs support.”

Savchuk and her friend Alisa Oliinyk held a sign that said ‘Free Azovstal defenders’. On it, there were photos of two men before and after being held captive by Russian forces.

“He was like this before and when he came back to Ukraine in October, he looked like this,” said Savchuk.

“They were so tired and sick after being in Russian captivity. The world needs to know about what Russia is doing to the Ukrainian people.”

The Azovstal defenders were a group of Ukrainian patriots who led the resistance against the Russians at the siege of Mariupol at the beginning of the war. They held out for 86 days before being taken captive.

Recent reports from the UN say there have been upwards of 10,500 civilian casualties since the war started, and about 31,000 Ukrainian troops have died.

Savchuk and Oliinyk came to Canada about eight years ago, but they still have family there.

“My cousin was killed. He was just a farmer, and he went to fight for his home and his land,” said Oliinyk.

“He was just 35 years old with two kids; 10 and 12. Now they will grow up without their dad. It was so terrible.”

She said his widow and two children remain in Ukraine to be with her aunt and uncle who are seniors.

“She stayed with her mother and father-inlaw. They are 65-plus. My aunty, she cries every day.”

Savchuk and Oliinyk say they are very grateful for everything Canadians and the Canadian government have done to help in war efforts and aid.

“Don’t stop because it’s worse and worse every day. On the news, there’s less and less information. Please don’t stop supporting Ukraine. We need this war to end because it will spread. I know,” said Oliinyk.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source photos

Top left: Liliia Savchuk and Alisa Oliinyk hold a sign with a powerful message. Above: Ukrainian and Canadian flags danced together in the strong winds on an otherwise mild winter morning. Below: Katherina sports a Ukrainian flag while waving a Canadian one.

Hemstock renos done

Dr. Hemstock residents, their families, staff members and community leaders were on hand Saturday afternoon to celebrate the completion of renovations on the interior of the building.

Changes were made in three of the mostused common areas: the dining room, multipurpose (MP) room, and the lobby.

“In the dining room, we added a privacy wall just to give it a more intimate feeling in there. Some new lighting, new dining room tables and chairs,” said Dr. Hemstock Residence general manager, Amber Fisher.

“In our MP room, we

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

dents before cutting the ribbon.

“It’s community members like yourselves that

adding residents were very patient throughout the six-month renovation process.

“As the residents will tell you, it wasn’t always easy getting to this point and we asked time and time again for their patience as we worked from room to room.”

Mayor Gerald Aalbers and his wife, Christine, were there for the grand re-opening and Aalbers said a few words to resi-

was a little dust. I got out with no fresh paint on my clothes, which I appreciated,” he joked.

“Going through a renovation can be a little bit challenging … it is a challenge but it’s just an absolutely beautiful facility you have here, and it’s just great to have it in our community.”

emony, but Fisher says anyone who is interested can call and book a time and they’d be happy to give them a tour.

“It’s our pleasure

to help, not only residents but family members make the transition moving from their home to Dr. Hemstock Residence or Hearthstone Place.” 3”

Tours of the building were held following the ribbon-cutting cer -

Dr. Hemstock Residence general manager Amber Fisher assists Mayor Gerald Aalbers in cutting the ribbon after the completion of some major renovations to the interior of the building, which began in the summer of 2023.

War bride receives Jubilee Award

war bride Jean Fells, who recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, presented to her by Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young. Fell’s family members made it out to the presentation as well.

“Every province got these medals to give out to special people like you. It also recognizes Saskatchewan citizens of all ages and from all walks of life, who have made contributions to our country, our province, and particularly to their community,” said Young, before making the presentation on Feb. 14.

done to make Saskatchewan a better place for all of us,” said Young.

Fells, now 96, fell in love with a Canadian man named Bob Fells during the Second World War. He worked for the Canadian Army as a military engineer.

“I was sitting on Bob’s knee in the kitchen, and he said don’t you think it’s time we got married? That was his proposal,” said Fells.

“There were lots of love letters,” she said, adding they didn’t have phones to keep in contact like we do now.

U.K. where Jean had grown up. She said it was a small congregation of about 12 people since only her immediate family could be there.

“I bought material, and I designed my own wedding outfit,” she recalled.

“After we married, we spent our honeymoon in London. It was my first time in London.”

They were able to spend about a month together in England before they boarded separate ships for Canada.

bride and her husband, and that war bride, Vi and George Findlay, became like our family because neither I nor Vi had family here. We became very close,” said Fells.

The family home had no electricity or running water when they moved in, and they would often heat rocks to put under the mattresses for warmth.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Imagine, as a young person, leaving your

home, your family and the only way of life you know and starting over in a far-away land. This was a reality for

It is the last of its kind to be given out in Saskatchewan, since they were issued by Queen Elizabeth II in Feb. 2022 in honour of the 70th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.

“This medal that I’m going to present to you today recognizes what you, personally, have

One of the letters, she recalls, came for Bob from his father back in Grivin, Sask.

“His dad had written to him and said there was some land that was going to become vacant. He said it was a half section, and it was a pretty good price,” said Fells.

The couple was married on Nov. 3, 1945, in Yorkshire County in the

Fells says she feels fortunate she didn’t have to make that trip with any children as many of the other over 48,000 war brides did.

After reuniting in Regina, Jean and Bob made the trek out to the family homestead just outside of Girvin, Sask. where some visitors were waiting for them.

“Mom and dad (Bob’s parents) had invited another war

Despite these inconveniences, the young couple raised three children on that farm, and always took time to help in the community.

“We raised them on the farm and they went to school in Gervin, and then eventually into Davidson,” said Fells.

“We had a wonderful life. We retired from the farm in 1993 and moved to Saskatoon.”

Bob has since passed away, but Jean still has many fond memories of him and their life together. She currently resides in Lloyd at the Pioneer Lodge.

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young presents war bride, Jean Fells, with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at her constituency office earlier this month.

Each month, the Source highlights one member of the community as a fun way to bring us all closer together! This month, we featured Maz Entertainment’s fearless leader, Cody Maz!

If you didn’t do what you do for a living, what would you be doing?

This is a tough one as I really enjoy the work I do, but I think if I had to choose an alternative career it would have to be something sports related. I’ve always been a big baseball and hockey fan so being able to train or deal with athletes in anyway would be a lot of fun. You’d probably see a lot choppier skating youth if I was involved in training, so I’ll probably stick to the AV side of things.

It’s Sunday morning, what are you having for breakfast?

I’m pretty simple when it comes to breakfast, usually something quick to make is the play. The go-to lately has been vanilla yogurt with blueberries and granola, specifically Costco’s coconut and cashew granola. Top that off with an iced coffee and you’re set for the day.

If you could see one concert, what would it be?

I’ve already seen him twice, but the answer is Elton John, Always been a huge fan of his music. For artists I’ve yet to see it’s a toss up between Alan Jackson and George Strait, hoping to see them both before they stop playing.

Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

Gotta be Jennifer Aniston. Was always a fan of Friends and I don’t think I’m not alone in having her as a childhood crush. She defies aging and still looks phenomenal.

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

I’ve never been a fan of long drives or travel, so teleportation would be nice.

What is your favourite TV show?

I don’t think a show has had me as hooked as Suits did in its earlier seasons. My wife and I are also currently re-watching One Tree Hill, which is a nice throwback to the mid-2000s.

What’s your dream car?

Always been more of a truck guy, especially with work it’s nice to have a big truck for towing. I’ve never really been one to look for the fancy side of things as long as its reliable and gets me A to B that’s all I need. However, if I was going to splurge on a vehicle, I would look at an old single cab step side chevy to just bomb around in.

What’s your fast-food guilty pleasure?

Arby’s Cordon Bleu and curly fries are always a treat, mix that with some DQ ice cream, likely a Blizzard and that makes for the perfect 2,000 calorie guilty pleasure meal.

Last book you couldn’t put down?

Embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t do a ton of reading other than for work. Jackie Tomayer does send me some good picks for books that I will have to snag from her when she’s done. You quite often hear

about successful people and how much they read, so I will need to dive into more books.

Which person, alive or dead, would you like to have dinner with?

This is something I’ve never really thought about. I would have to revert back to something sports related. Gretzky, Jordan, Woods, anyone who has reached the absolute peak of their sport. I feel like rock stars would be the next obvious pick. Sitting down with Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Ozzy Osbourne, anyone who’s lived that wild rock star life would have endless stories to tell.

What’s the one thing you haven’t done that you’d love to do?

Skydiving has always been the one thing that I’ve wanted to do but could just never find the opportunity.

What’s the best thing about Lloydminster?

Me and my wife, Steph, were just talking about this last night as we were leaving the Vic Juba from another fantastic concert. I brought up how I could never live in a bigger city. We get top notch talent in a smaller center and on top of that, I bet I chatted with 10 people I knew during the intermission of the show. It’s my favourite thing about Lloyd. You get to know so many great

people when you’re in a smaller community. I think were the perfect size of still having all the amenities we need but don’t have the headache of 30-40 minute commutes or being surrounded by strangers when you go out to an event. Truly blessed to be a part of this great city.

If we’re buying you’re having....

Oh man, Lloyd has so many great options. Three Trees, Spiros or The Proper for a bite to eat! 4th Meridian or OJ’s for a drink!

What’s your favourite vacation destination?

We did Vietnam and Thailand back in 2019 which was incredible, I think next on the list has got to be Nashville for some country music therapy.

What’s your weirdest habit?

I’ve got two, you can decide which is more strange:

1) I rarely reheat anything, almost exclusively eat leftovers cold. Or 2) When setting an alarm or typing numbers into a microwave I go out of my way to use weird numbers. For example, I sent alarms for say 7:22am or if it says to microwave something for 3 minutes ill put it in for 3:02. If you read this and you also do this, please let me know so don’t feel like I’m alone!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Cody Maz and wife, Steph.

Thursday,

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Border Banter with Benoit-Leipert: War in Ukraine strikes a chord

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Hours: 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday 2017

I’ve told all kinds of stories, since my journalism career began 20 years ago.

Happy stories, sad stories, inspiring stories, funny stories (those are my favourite!).

I’ve told some about families, entrepreneurs, politics, education, health, farmers, and the occasional one about sports.

Anyone who knows me well knows I will give you the facts, but I always lead with my heart.

I headed out to my first of four events around the city on Saturday, which was a rally in support of those battling in the war in Ukraine. Marking two years since Russia invaded in 2022.

My heart got more than it bargained for that morning. After speaking with a couple of amazingly brave young women who are originally from Ukraine, I had to take a minute out in my car to dab away a few tears and reflect.

Their stories really hit me in a way I had never felt before while out on assignment.

I could feel a lump in my throat as Alisa told me about her cousin who was killed by a mortar, leaving two school-aged children fatherless.

Liliia showed me some photos on the sign they were holding. They were before and after shots of two men who were once in the prime of their lives, some of the Azovstal defenders. The after photos were just brutal.

‘Where had I seen photos like these before?’ I thought to myself.

In a history book about the Holocaust.

That’s a terrifying comparison. That level

of hate and discrimination is happening right now, in 2024.

One thing that was said during our conversation really stuck with me. I believe it was Alisa who said, something to the effect of: ‘I know people think it’s so far away, but if we don’t stop this war, it will spread.’

It’s true. Our ancestors have seen what happens when it spreads, and in my opinion, we should do all we can as a nation or group of nations (UN) to ensure that doesn’t happen again.

Unfortunately, history often repeats itself. Lest we forget.

Lloyd schools pull lunch monitors

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

All schools in the Lloydminster public and Catholic school divisions are taking part in a one-day withdrawal of noon-hour supervision on Thursday.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) says the withdrawal of noon-hour supervi -

sion means its members will not be available to supervise students who are eating lunch at school or taking part in noon-hour activities. The STF notes although teachers, including principals and vice-principals, often provide lunch break supervision, it is done voluntarily.

Student supervision is the

responsibility of the school division and supervisors are not required to be teachers.

The one-day withdrawal of noon-hour monitoring is also in effect at four other school divisions in Saskatchewan in a bid to get the government bargaining committee back to the table with a new mandate.

Leeway from Lloyd: One awe-inspiring marathoner

The world of athletics was shocked to hear about the death of marathon world record holder, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum and his coach earlier this month.

The two died in a car crash in Kenya on Feb. 11.

The 24 year-old Kiptum set the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October 2023 in 2:00:35 to became the first man to run the 42.195 kilometre distance in under 2 hours.

He beat the previous record of 2 hours, 1 minute set by fellow Kenyan, Eliud Kipchoge.

Kiptum’s record was rati -

fied by international track federation World Athletics just five days before his death.

Back in 1993, when I ran the Chicago Marathon, the winning time was a comparatively slow 2:13:15 by Brazil’s Luíz Antônio dos Santos.Canadian Bruce Deacon came fifth in 2:15.22.

I crossed the line in 3:32 after walking and running the last five miles on a very muggy day.

That means Kiptum was only about 90 minutes faster in his race than slowerfooted 42 year-old me back in 1993. If only I started my finishing kick earlier!!

The Kenyan was the prohibitive favourite to win the gold medal in the men’s

What’s currently playing in your car or on your smartphone right now?

Both are currently locked in on country. The truck is usually The Highway or Real Country and the phone has got the New Boots playlist on Spotify, Good N ews Sold by Jordan Davis was the last song that was played. A great new track of his.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Bad driving would have to be at the top of the list, indecisive drivers can be tough to deal with at times.

What are your words to live by?

The Golden Rule tends to stick out, treat others as you would want to be treated.

Who’s your hero?

My parents got me to where I

marathon at the Paris Olympics this summer.

The unique thing about Kiptum was his young age. Most marathoners are former 5,000 and 10,000 metre track runners who turn to the long distance when they age out over the shorter distances.

There’s not much doubt he had the best shot to be the first person to run a marathon under 2 hours in an official race.

This guy was super human and is still an inspiration for local runners who can only imagine themselves in his shoes.

It’s really hard for any lay person like myself to understand how someone could run that fast or be so good.

am today, they are the perfect combination of selfless, kind and hardworking and I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done and continue to do to make my life better.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Oh, it’s hard to pick just one, I can’t really recall the most embarrassing off the top of my head, but I will frequently trip over my own feet at noon-hour hockey with the boys, and I hear it from both benches when I do.

Back when I ran, the secret formula was “eat pasta run fasta” but that only gets you a full stomach these days.

Kiptum was obviously genetically gifted and worked his butt off. He ran up to 280 kilometres per

week, including track workouts and 30 to 40km runs twice a week at close to marathon race pace to reach his potential.

He won’t be easily forgotten by the running community for his accomplishments.

Dream vacations start at Rotary

Dreams come true at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster for $100 a pop.

They will be for nine people who purchased a lucky Dream Vacations ticket from Rotary members if their ticket is drawn at 1 p.m. on March 4 at Lloyd Ex. A few tickets were still available at the club’s Monday lunch meeting when committee chair, Tara Shirtliffe, noted they were close to selling out all of the 700 tickets printed, and will be any minute.

“We sell out every year,” said Shirtliffe, noting the tickets are an easy sell.

“Probably 80 per cent of the people are repeat customers. Some are previous winners. They know it’s a good charity,” she said.

“Rotary is a good charity. It’s a donation to Rotary and if they win, that’s an extra bonus.”

Annual Dream Vacations tickets are sold and purchased on the Saskatchewan side of the city.

Dream Vacations and Lobsterfest are Rotary’s two biggest fundraisers of the year that go towards general club donation programs in the community.

The top draw prize is a fivenight family trip to Wisconsin Dells Waterpark Capital of America, valued at $5,590, but there’s no one mega trip to be won.

“We didn’t do one big trip this year. We balanced it out with nine trips with a bit of variety to hit everybody,” explained Shirtliffe.

There’s vacations to places like Jasper, Alberta, Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Montego Bay in Jamaica and Los Cabo, Mexico in the mix.

“If they win a trip, they have the option of taking 80 per cent cash or taking the trip itself.”

The total of all prizes to be won is $33,134.

ASIRT investigates officer-involved shooting in Vegreville

On Feb. 15, officers from the Vegreville RCMP detachment received a 911 call stating that a mother had been stabbed by her son at a residence in the community.

RCMP then received a second call indicat -

ing that a male was attempting to break into residences in the area. A third 911 call stated that a male had kicked in the front window of a residence and was inside, armed with a knife.

RCMP officers attended the residence and an interaction with the male occurred

inside. Officers discharged their service firearms, striking the male and causing serious injuries. Officers provided emergency medical care until emergency medical services arrived to transport the male to hospital via STARS air ambulance, where

he remains in critical condition. A female was also treated for her injuries and has been discharged from hospital.

A knife was found at the scene of the shooting. Investigation determined that the same male was the subject of all three 911 calls.

ASIRT’s investigation will examine the use of force by officers. No additional information will be released. As part of its ongoing investigation, ASIRT is asking anyone who may have information about the incident to contact investigators at 780644-1483.

ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

File Photo

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.

Passport to YLL

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

Cards, games, food and live music

FunnyFest Comedy Tour

Come out to The Sticks tonight for the FunnyFest Comedy Tour at 7:30 p.m.

The evening will feature two headline comedians from the 24th annual comedy tour, including Stu Hughes. Tickets are $34.95 at the door.

Tomahawk Steak night

The Canadian Brewhouse is excited for another Tomahawk Steak Night, this Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $49.99 plus tax and includes a 32 oz on-the-bone Tomahawk rib steak with cheese curd mashed potatoes, seasoned veg, cheese toast, and steak sauce. Plus, you can enter to win a $1,000 gift card to the CBH!

Lashburn Crib Tourney

The Lashburn Senior’s Centre is hosting a 19 crib tournament on March 4. When you get a “19” hand or crib, you get to peg 19 points. Teams and singles welcome. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

and the tournament starts at 11 a.m. Cost is $10–snacks and beverages available for $5. The Lashburn Senior’s Centre is located on Main Street beside the post office. For more information, call 306-821-2457.

Tight and Bright Party at Cheers Live

Come out for an unforgettable experience with DJ Power on March 9! Bring your tights and keep ‘em bright as Cheers Live has some fun under the neon lights. This roughly sixhour event starts at 8 p.m. and general admission is $27.96.

Islay Crib Tourney

The Islay Community Association is hosting a crib tournament on March 9 in the Islay Hall. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., registration cutoff is 10:15 and play commences at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $25 per person, which includes noon lunch. Please pre-register by calling Linda

at 780-580-0570.

Irish Pub Night Carnival

Come support the Border City Rotary Club’s largest fundraiser of the year, Irish Pub Night Carnival, being held at the Lloyd Ex on March 16 starting at 7 p.m. General admission is $50 at the door, see you there!

Crib Doubles Tourney

The Lloydminster Moose Lodge is hosting a doubles crib tournament on

March 10. Registration is from 9-9:45 a.m. and play begins at 10 a.m. Twelve games guaranteed. The cost to play is $25/player, which includes hot lunch. Enter as a team or as an individual (they will team you up).

FUBAR Live in Lloyd

Just give’r as Terry, Trish and Shank from FUBAR Live makes a stop in the double L on March 30. Presented by The Diamond Mine Agency, the show is being held at Cheers Live from 8-10:30

p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32.21 and available on Eventbrite.

D12 & Obie Trice at Cheers Live

D12 with Obie Trice will be performing live in Lloydminster April 5 at Cheers Live with Robbie G. Tickets are $42.46 and available on Eventbrite. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

- Have something you’d like listed? Email it to taylor@meridiansource.ca

Fun for the whole family

Dewberry Hall Jamboree

There will be a jamboree at the Dewberry Hall on Saturday, March 2 starting at 2 p.m. A beef supper will be served at 5 p.m. with music to follow. Tickets are $20 each.

Anne of Green Gables – The Ballet

The Lloydminster Concert Series Association is excited to host Anne of Green Gables– The Ballet at the Vic Juba Community Theatre on Thursday, March 7 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $55 for adults and $5 for students. Contact the theatre’s box office at 780-872-7400 for more info.

Dewberry Cutter Rally

The Dewberry Chuckwagon Racing Heritage Society is excited to host the 6th annual Cutter Rally on March 16. Register at the Dewberry Community Hall from 10 a.m. to noon. Chili supper and halfwaypoint hot dog roast included with driver, rider and ghost hands. Lots of silent auction items as well as extra prizes.

Contact Buddy Bensmiller 780-871-1016.

Hillmond 4-H Pancake Supper/Dessert Bingo

The Hillmond 4-H Pancake Supper/Dessert Bingo is being held on March 16 at the Hillmond Hall. Pancake supper is at 4:30 p.m., dessert bingo starts at 5:30 p.m. Every bingo wins a choice of dessert item! There will be pies, cakes, cupcakes, tarts and more to choose from. Fun for the whole family!

The Bellamy Brothers

The Vic Juba Community Theatre will be hosting country music legends The Bellamy Brothers (yes, it’s really the original brothers) on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 and available online or at the Vic Juba box office. Call 780872-7400 for more info.

Hotel California

at The Vic Juba

VaughnCo Entertainment is excited to bring the original Eagles tribute, Hotel California, to the Vic Juba Community Theatre on Sept.

20 for a 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 each and available online or at the theatre’s box office. Call 780-872-7400 for more info.

Taylor Swift Tribute

The Vic Juba Community Theatre is excited to bring a Taylor Swift Tribute featuring Katy Ellis to the Border City on Wednesday, Nov. 13 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $39 each and are available online or at the theatre’s box office. Call 780-8727400 for more info.

North Bend Jam

The North Bend Musical Jam is the second Sunday of each month from 1-4:30 p.m. It will feature musicians and dancers; all music lovers welcome. Jams will be held on Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10. The Hall is wheelchair accessible; everyone welcome!

BINGO IS BACK!

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

Agrifac sprayer recreates Mona Lisa

The accuracy of the Agrifac Condor V selfpropelled sprayer was recently put to the test to create a likeness of the Mona Lisa on a snow-covered field in the Netherlands.

That’s what Shaun Leipert, territory manager for application equipment at Tingley’s Harvest Centre, learned firsthand during a trip to Agrifac’s assembly factory in Holland.

He used that amazing experience as part of his sales pitch at this year’s Agri-Visions event at the Lloyd Ex.

“Over in Holland, they had a day when they had some snow. They filled the machine with beet juice and they painted the Mona Lisa. You could see an overhead version of the Mona Lisa,” said Leipert.

He says what made it work was the Condor V’s PWFM system that provides targeted modulation spraying

with nozzles continually coming on and off.

“They took one of these units and had a PWFM unit on it with task map spraying. They were able to paint a perfect Mona Lisa on the ground by spraying back and forth,” he explained.

“Once you’ve mapped out your land you can turn around and do task map spraying and only hit the spots where the weeds are coming up or what that program allows you to hit,” he said.

Another key selling point of the Condor V is its HighTechAir (HTA) technology for drift reduction.

“In the Netherlands, it’s huge and it’s here already,” said Leipert.

HTA is a combination of traditional spraying, air assistance and mixing in the nozzle holders. It creates a constant and easily set droplet size that can be adjusted to changing conditions from the cab.

“It also has a special spraying system to spray vertical crops like asparagus, vertically,” said Leipert.

The sprayer’s VertiPlus system is attached to the Condor J-boom, which is available from 24 to 54 metre widths.

The Condor V is compatible with all GPS systems on the market for precision farming all season long.

“Most of these units will do anywhere between six and eight passes a year on a regular farm,” said Leipert.

Some application purposes include a burnoff, an in-crop, a fungicide or fertilizer treatment or for desiccation.

Leipert has driven the Condor V himself and says it’s operatorfriendly with a control system consisting of an armrest with buttons, a touchpad, a numeric keypad and a joystick.

The sprayer also comes with 4-wheel, 2-wheel and crab steering.

Tingley’s goal at AgriVisions said Leipert was “to let our customers know we’re here to support them and have solutions for them coming into the new season.”

Leipert is Tingley’s only application specialist who sells Agrifac and Agri-Spread farm products.

“Farming is challenging so we’re here to help

these customers with these challenges,” he said.

“There’s no pressure to buy. The producer can come and look, and farmers and customers can come and look at the machine,” said Leipert.

“We’re able to tell them what’s new with it and what they do with it and it there is interest in it we can line up demos

and go from there.”

Looking back on his trip to Holland Leipert learned the Agrifac assembly factory there employs around 300 people.

“They take care of them really well and feed them every day,” he said.

“Agrifac seems to be a really good company to work for at this point.”

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

It was all smiles for a photo op with Dennis Kowalchuk, left, from Exceed Grain Marketing in Edmonton, chatting about Agrifac’s new Condor V sprayer with Shaun Leipert, territory manager for application equipment with Tingley’s Harvest Centre, during the recent Agri-Visions show at Lloyd Ex.

A tale of two farmers; part two

The gray-haired farm-

ers, my age and older, appear to be still dealing with “the push from the past.”

Having grown up hearing stories from

our parents and grandparents of homesteading, the Depression era, and years of struggle after the Second World War, most of us were

told never to sell the land once the title was achieved.

This generation of retired, or soon-to-beretired, landowners have worked hard too and have been largely successful despite drought, significant interest rate spikes, commodity price fluctuations, rapid technological change, and unsupportive government policy (Remember: “Why should I sell your wheat?”).

It comes down to a determination to persevere despite the odds and a fundamental belief in the correctness of their own decisions.

Usually, when a farmer retires, he or she typically will rent their land out to a neighbour for a three-to-fiveyear period generating a semi-annual payment.

It provides cash flow and supports the transition in lifestyle.

What they don’t realize is they have now actually become an investor and not the person who is taking the direct risk of weather, inflationary pressures, and commodity prices.

If you are a depositor shopping around for the best interest rate on a multiyear term certificate, and there were a 25 per cent to 40 per cent difference in return between two financial institutions located across the street from each other, where would you place your capital to generate the best return?

This is where it becomes sticky. Once a

farmer, always a farmer it seems. Independent thought and decisionmaking have always served them well, why not now?

The choice of who to rent to is often justified by a) previous relationships, b) the tenant’s agronomic skills, or c) their farm’s proximity to the subject property.

Hardly ever does the former farmer/landowner explore the open market. This is in direct contradiction to how an owner of commercial property of the same value will behave.

The difference? Emotion? Stubbornness?

Lack of knowledge of current values because there is no public database for land rental rates to compare to.

According to several industry sources, a full 50 per cent of productive land in western Canada is owned by people who don’t farm it themselves. And no, I am not talking about the mythical Chinese.

A former farmer can drive by and tell if their land is being abused or not. However, those who have simply inherited it from the generation before rarely have the skills to make such a determination.

I hate to say it but combined with liv -

ing at a significant distance, and not having been involved in family farms since they were children, too often creates a naivety in the landowner which can be exploited by tenants.

The same applies to the decision to sell.

Too often, we see absentee landowners taken advantage of in the order of tens, sometimes, hundreds of thousands of dollars by what the current tenant will offer.

I guess we can’t blame them, everyone likes a bargain.

But let’s be clear. I am not suggesting achieving a top price should be the primary principle.

What I am saying is if you are going to sell or rent your capital assets at a discount, then please do so with your eyes wide open.

Someone worked hard to create the option you now have.

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

MIDWEST MINUTE VERN McCLELLAND

File Photo

Craft cannabis putting Stacks 306 on map

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Growing up around the family business, Tayt Novlan always knew he wanted to do something different, and his longtime dream recently became a reality as Stacks 306 Craft Cannabis Corp.s’ first products hit the shelves.

“I’m trying to build a family atmosphere with the team here; I’m trying to find people who are as passionate about it as I am.

Stacks 306, grown right here in Lloydminster, is now available at retail stores throughout Saskatchewan, including the local Delta 9 location, starting with their first strain, Border City Cake.

“Border City Cake was our first product to come out in December, and

for a first grow, a lot of people were impressed by the numbers,” said Novlan, adding the smoke totes 3.4 terps at 25 per cent THC.

Like note profiles in

scotch or a nice glass of wine, terps are flavour profiles found in various strains of cannabis.

“It was pretty good, especially for our first time, ever. It’s a medium

to small bud, it’s not the biggest bud strain. It’s a nice product, it’s very frosty, it’s got some purple hues to it, and it actually smells like a bakery making cakes.”

“The genetics we have, it’s insane. We’re now popping our own genetics and our own seeds,” he said.

“We have some strains that are a 4.1 in

terps. Usually they’re around 2.4-2.7. Three and above is big news, but no one looks at the terps, they look at the THC.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Tayt Novlan and his business partner/mother, Coresa, took the Source on a tour of the Stacks 306 facility prior to bringing their product to market in December.

Local growers leaving mark on industry

For Novlan, the family business was the agricultural side of Novlan Bros Sales in Paradise Hill, run by his dad, but Tayt always felt he was cut out for something different.

“Dad built up the agricultural side of Novlan Bros., but you only live once, so do what you love and see what happens,” he said, adding Stacks 306 is currently all tissue-culture based and has seven different strains in its facility.

Novlan’s original idea always centred around high-quality craft cannabis, something he brought to his business partner and mom, Coresa, roughly three years ago.

“Working with my son on this has been great,” she said. “We’re a pretty knit family and he and I get along really well.

“Through this, I’ve seen a side of him that’s really stepped up and matured with running the business, which is pretty cool for me to see watch. And I see him extremely happy here, and that makes me happy.”

Roughly a year ago, Novlan had his facility built and all necessary documentation with signatures from the higher-ups at Health Canada. It was now time to grow, and Novlan stuck to his guns when it came to producing the best product he could.

“We’re very craft.

I want to make sure I have a really good quality product,” he said.

“

When you’re the one starting these plants from scratch, you put everything into it, and they end up almost like being your kids.

“The market right now isn’t the best; I’m sure there’s lots out there, but the quality isn’t always there, to a point. I want to produce the best product I can, but I’m also not just trying to get people to spend money to try my stuff, I want to be fair so everybody

has a chance to try it.”

When it comes to craft cannabis, Coresa said she and Tayt have seen a shift in the market with consumers looking for higherquality products.

“It’s changing a little bit where there’s also the guys that want the better product, the higher THC, does it have good terps, things like that,” she said.

With many generations of farmers in the family, Coresa explained the business approach Tayt took in this endeavour was new age and exciting.

“I think it’s new-age farming; we’re farmers,” she said. “This is almost like a new way of farming. When you’re the one starting these plants from

scratch, you put everything into it, and they end up almost like being your kids. You’re nurturing them and you watch them grow.”

The facility, located on the south side of Lloydminster, is also something the pair takes great pride in.

“We take a lot of pride in the facility and it being spotless clean, very tidy,” said Coresa. “We run a very tight ship and we’ve handselected our employees, and we currently have nine.”

The two-level stateof-the-art facility may appear unadorned from the outside, but take two steps in the door and it’s abundantly clear you’re not in your buddy’s base -

ment grow-op.

“We have 11 growing rooms and one nursery where we pop all our seeds,” said Novlan.

“There’s six rooms upstairs and six rooms downstairs, and we also have dry and cure rooms.”

Since starting production roughly a year ago, Novlan explained, although lucrative, this isn’t a business you get into for the sake of making money.

“You have to physically want to do it,” he said.

“That’s what I do with my employees, too, I’m trying to build a family atmosphere with the team here; I’m trying to find people who are as passionate about it as I am.”

We stand up against bullying!

24031SS1

Cutter Rally marks 20th year

People came out in droves to celebrate the 20th year of the Cutter Rally for Cancer on Feb. 24. Highlights from this year’s event included a trail dedication to Ron C. MacDonald. The event also made history with a three-way tie, resulting in a roll-off at the end. See page 18 for more.

Jim Metherell Photos

Cutters create cancer awareness

Photos by Jeannette Benoit-Leipert and Jim Metherell.

Hogue stoked for nationals and mentoring

Lakeland College

Rustlers women’s volleyball player Sarah Hogue leads by example on and off the court.

Her skillset as a player and a mentor for young girls earned a round of applause as a special guest at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch.

The 22-year-old is poised to help her team defend their Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women’s Volleyball Championship in Red Deer March 6-9.

Rotary celebrated her role in helping the Rustlers reclaim their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) title in Lethbridge last Saturday with a 3-0 sweep over the Ambrose Lions, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18.

They went 9-1 in sets played over the weekend with Hogue playing middle blocker for the victorious Rustlers and captain Kaylie Lueck named player of the game.

“In just over one week, we head to nationals in Red Deer, which is extremely exciting for us,” said Hogue.

“We get to head back for the second year in a row to try to do what we did last year and defend our title.”

Hogue is also in the limelight as the founder of Girls Beyond Borders programs, sponsored by Rotary to empower young girls to become the best version of themselves.

The fifth-year Lakeland student-athlete is looking forward to her next workshop on March 14 at Startup Lloydminster, hopefully after hoisting another national trophy.

Hogue offered her take on how the Rustlers plan to prep for Red Deer.

“I think it’s just sticking to our training that we’ve been working through the entire year,” said Hogue.

“We know what we’re capable of as a group and it’s taken a long time for us to get to this point, but we’re really excited with where we’re at right now.”

Copy that, says team coach, Austin Dyer, who is stoked to get the chance to defend their national title with the key being sticking with what’s got them this far.

“I think we just gotta keep doing what we do. Once we have our opponent matchups and video to review on who we’re going to be facing, we’ll prepare the same way for the nationals we do every week for our league in the ACAC,” said Dyer.

The Rustlers expect to be game-ready

when they square off against the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers in their first quarter-final game on March 6 with the rest of the matchups to be determined.

“For us, it’s about ensuring we remain consistent and ensure we’re playing at the highest level possible that weekend,” said Dyer.

“If we do all those things we’re going in as the favourite, we should have a pretty good opportunity to win the whole thing.”

Hogue says as a student-athlete, it’s really important to her to talk with groups of young athletes as well.

That means she provides information for youth sports programs that contact her at Girls Beyond Borders.

She started the program last May as a personal development initiative.

“As for right now, it’s just me. I built the program just from my own knowledge, through my own stuff I had going on in my own life in leadership and goal setting—all those things,” said Hogue.

“I’ve been putting on workshops in the community of Lloydminster for girls age nine to 14 in different topic areas, so some are confidence, self-esteem,

goal setting and leadership just to name a few and it’s been going really well.”

The upcoming workshop in March will focus on writing and journaling with a few more workshops planned for the summer.

Rotary was a title sponsor for 2023-24 programming with a donation of $2,500 that Hogue calls amazing to get the program off the ground.

“We’ve done four workshops and they’ve all been delivered at

Startup in Lloydminster, which is an awesome facility to use, but I think with our growth and the number of girls we are continually adding, I think we’ll have to move to a bigger location right away,” said Hogue.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

Rustlers volleyball player Sarah Hogue became a celebrated guest at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch for helping her team win the ACAC title on the weekend to punch their ticket to the national championships in Red Deer from March 6-9. Hogue was also introduced as the founder of Girls Beyond Borders sponsored by Rotary.

Rustlers earn playoff home ice advantage

For such a small community, the calibre of athletes competing out of Lakeland College is awe-inspiring.

Similar to their court-dominant counterparts, the Lakeland College Rustlers women’s ice hockey team is set for post-season action as they host a best-of-three series against the SAIT Trojans at the Russ Robertson this weekend.

The Rustlers secured home-ice advantage last weekend after back-toback home wins over the NAIT Ooks, with a 4-3 double OT win on Feb. 23 and a 3-2 final on Feb. 24.

The Rustlers’ bestof-three series starts at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Russ with Game 2 scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday. If needed, Game 3 will be played at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

For head coach, Morgan Mann, playoff home-ice advantage was something he’s been hoping for, and the team delivered.

“For our players, our home games are that much more fun than being on the road,” said Mann.

“I was also proud of the team for stepping up and playing the type of hockey we’re going to need to play in the playoffs, and that’s competing and having that

will to win. This group has had that all year, which is why they’ve had success, but it goes to another level in playoffs when you want to be successful.”

Since entering the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) last season, the Rustlers have proven they deserve to be at the top of the league’s standings, something Mann hopes to see continue.

“This is our second year in the league and our first year finishing first; we finished third our first year in the ACAC,” said Mann.

“Our very first year was played out of the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League, and we finished first in our division.”

For Mann, the growth of the program came quicker than expected, but he’s definitely not complaining.

“We have a really good group of hockey players and people,” said Mann.

“Every team goes through ups and downs and this doesn’t last forever. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you think you are as a coach. We know we’re fortunate to have a great group of individuals who are team minded. That’s the difference. They play for each other, and in a team sport, you need that to be successful.”

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Source File Photo

Rustlers women’s hoopsters off to final four

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Rustlers forward Veda Gottselig does work in enemy territory last Saturday night at the Lakeland gym as the Rustlers hosted the Keyano College Huskies in playoff action. The Rustlers advanced to the final four and will take on Briercrest Christian Academy tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. at the Glenmore Christian Academy. ACAC finals take place Saturday.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

The Lakeland College Rustlers women’s basketball team continued its undefeated run over the weekend with a 71-54 win over the Keyano College Huskies, sending them to this weekend’s Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) final four. Championship action will be played at Calgary’s Glenmore Christian Academy, with the Rustlers playing their semi-final game tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. against Briercrest Academy.

Head coach Chris King was pleased with the way his team executed on Saturday, especially rookie forward Veda Gottselig, the night’s player of the game.

“(It was definitely a) playoff game, super physical, very loud in our barn,” said King after the win.

“Credit to Keyano, they played really tough, came back in the

third and really pushed us. These are games we need to play in to get ready for nationals and tonight was one of those nights; we didn’t know who was going to step up.

“

(It was definitely a) playoff game, super physical, very loud in our barn.

“We had a major injury with Kayleena Garda breaking her foot on Wednesday, but Veda stepped up tonight in a massive way. She hasn’t played in months, literally, and was one of our best players,” said King, adding Garda will be out for quite some time.

Gottselig agreed with King when it came to the game’s physicality and added it was ‘super tough.’

“We were close with them before the last five

minutes of the fourth, then we pulled away quite a bit and got some really good plays after that,” she said.

This was also Gottselig’s first ‘player of the game’ during her rookie season, an achievement she won’t soon forget.

“It’s unbelievable, I’m super excited and it’s really good to have your hard work recognized. I felt my hard work showed during the game, which is awesome. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Going forward, Gottselig noted King has been upping practice to get the team ready for what’s ahead.

“We have a really high compete level in practice; running all our stuff in practice, working out, and doing all the little extra things,” she said.

As for King’s expectations, Gottselig explained they’re higher than ever.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Rustlers ready for final four

FROM PAGE 21

“They’re definitely really high,” said Gottselig. “He knows how good we can be and definitely puts pressure on us. But tonight showed how good we can be, how physical we can be; yeah, it showed.”

“For our girls, it’s all about playing our style for 40 minutes,” added

King. “We know the pace is usually going to wear teams down, and that’s what it did in the fourth.”

On top of this weekend’s ACAC finals, the Rustlers are also preparing to host the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association finals from March 13-16.

“It’s a weird thing knowing we’re playing at nationals whether we win or lose (this weekend), but our goal remains the same, we want to win ACAC and come in (to nationals) as the ACAC champ,” said King.

With nationals right around the corner, King explained he and the

team would love to see a packed gym throughout the championship.

“We know we’ll be playing March 13 at 6 p.m., that’ll be our quarter-final game, and hopefully things go well the next night at 8 p.m.,” he said. “Hopefully everyone comes out, but tickets are selling fast.”

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Left: Rustlers guard Susan Ayaa applies pressure to Keyano’s Lameez Khan on Saturday night in the Lakeland gym. The Rustlers beat the Huskies 71-54, advancing them to the ACAC final four, which is being played this weekend at the Glenmore Christian Academy. Above: Rustlers guard Hailey Somers drives the net with pressure from Keyano’s Danika Cadieux.

Rustlers men’s squad advance to final four

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

A major win is always better on home-court hardwood.

It was all cheers for the Lakeland College Rustlers men’s basketball team after a tight 74-70 win over the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves on Saturday night, advancing them to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference

(ACAC) final four.

The ACAC finals will be played this weekend at Keyano College with the Rustlers first facing the St. Mary’s University Lightning tomorrow at 6 p.m.

The gold medal game will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday with the bronze-medal game being played at 3 p.m. Currently sitting second in the ACAC stand -

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

ings with a 12-8 record, the Rustlers have 24 points for the season, have scored 1,651 points and allowing 1,593.

Saturday’s team effort saw Rustlers guard/forward Andre McFadden rack up 22 points, making three of four three-point attempts in 31 minutes on the court.

Chance Samuel played 21 minutes and made seven of eight field-goal attempts, earning himself 13 points for the night.

Samuel was closely followed in points by teammate Bahaeddin Salma, who totalled 12 points in 36 minutes of play.

“It was do or die on Saturday, and we’ve had a few close games like that,” said head coach Sheray Thomas.

“Credit to NWP, they made some tough shots and made it really close at the end.”

With St. Mary’s being the overall number-one seed in the ACAC and third in the country, Thomas knows the boys have their work cut out for them this Friday, but he’s confident in their ability.

“St. Mary’s is a senior-led team and I believe they have the two leading scorers in the ACAC,” he said. “We have a tall task ahead of us, especially on the defensive end.”

Top: Rustlers guard/forward Andre McFadden shows some grit on Saturday night at the Lakeland gym as the Rustlers defeated the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves 74-70, advancing them to the ACAC final four at Keyano College this weekend. Bottom: Rustlers guard Bahaeddin Salma drives the net on Saturday as the Rustlers beat the Wolves 74-70 in ACAC playoff action.

Sask leads nation in capital investment

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada released data showing Saskatchewan ranks second among the provinces for growth in capital investment in 2023, and expected capital investment for 2024.

Saskatchewan is also second among the provinces for private capital investment in

2023 and expected to rank first for 2024.

“The massive influx of investment into the province we are seeing is further proof of Saskatchewan’s strong economic position,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said.

“Our efforts to attract capital investment demonstrate our commitment to build -

ing opportunities, creating jobs and providing a high quality of life for Saskatchewan people. These positive numbers also put us closer to reaching our Growth Plan goal of growing private capital investment in Saskatchewan to $16 billion annually. This growth helps us ensure the provincial economy remains strong.”

“The massive influx of investment into the province we are seeing is further proof of Saskatchewan’s strong economic position.

Total capital investment in Saskatchewan last year increased by 25.9 per cent, totaling $17.1 billion. This figure is expected to increase to $19.6 billion this year, up another 14.4 per cent. These are the secondhighest growth rates in Canada.

The province also saw $12.4 billion in private sector capital

investment last year, up 24.6 per cent, with an expected increase of 14.4 per cent to $14.2 billion this year. Saskatchewan is expected to be first among provinces in terms of growth in this category for 2024.

Today’s announcement builds on further encouraging news for the province on the economic front.

In 2023, Saskatchewan posted a fourth consecutive year of record-breaking agrifood exports valued at $20.2 billion. Saskatchewan’s real GDP grew by a nation-leading 6.0 per cent from 2021 to 2022.

The total dollar value of the province’s 2022 GDP is $76.7 billion.

Capital investment refers to the expendi -

tures on fixed assets intended to produce goods and services. Fixed assets include dwellings, structures, machinery, and equipment. This is an important economic indicator as it showcases businesses’ outlook on the current, and future state of the economy, as well as a firm’s ability to earn a return on their investment.

File Photo

Sask snubs proposed emissions regulations

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

The Government of Saskatchewan has voiced its opposition to the federal government’s proposed oil and gas emissions cap and draft methane regulations.

The Government’s submissions to Environment and Climate Change Canada on the Oil and Gas Emissions Cap and Methane 75 regulations highlight the negative impacts both policies will have on the province and the energy sector.

Initial analysis suggests compliance with the emissions cap would cost Saskatchewan’s oil and gas sector between $7-9 billion by 2030.

“These two policies have the potential to be devastating for our economy,” Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter said.

“Both amount to a production cap by default, and represent further instances of the federal government infringing on

Saskatchewan’s constitutionally protected right to develop our natural resources.”

According to Saskatchewan’s own preliminary economic analysis, the impact of the emissions cap, alongside Methane 75, suggests that 20 to 30 per cent of Saskatchewan’s total production is at risk by 2030.

This would negatively impact communities across the province and significantly reduce employment, gross domestic product, and royalties and other tax revenues that fund critical public services.

The federal government has also indicated that there are no plans to apply similar treatment to imported energy products.

The result will be increased reliance on oil and gas imported from countries that do not have strong environmental records, at the expense of domestic production and the associated economic benefits.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The R.M. of Senlac No. 411

FULL-TIME EQUIPMENT OPERATOR/ LABOURER

The R.M. of Senlac is accepting applications for a full time Equipment Operator/Labourer. This is a full-time position with the start date being negotiable. Class IA or Class 3A driver's license would be an asset. Duties will include, but not limited to the operation of grader, maintenance and repair of roads, as well as other day to day duties of the municipality.

The R.M. of Senlac offers competitive wages with an extensive bene ts package.

Applications stating experience, wages, and three work related references, along with a valid driver’s license, current driver’s abstract and criminal records check must be received by March 12th, 2024.

For further information please contact:

Paulina Herle, Administrator

R.M. of Senlac No. 411

Box 130

SENLAC, SK S0L 2Y0

Phone: 1-306-228-3339

Fax: 1-306-228-2264

Email: rm411@sasktel.net

We thank all applicants, however, only those individuals with interviews will be contacted.

“We urge the federal government to scrap both policies and instead focus on practical solutions that reduce emissions while supporting the oil and gas sector,” Reiter said.

Sask’s upstream oil and gas industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions and, guided by policies and programs already in place, will continue to achieve results.

From 2015 to 2022, greenhouse gas emissions in Saskatchewan from venting and flaring at upstream oil facilities are down 64 per cent and methane emissions are down 70 per cent.

File Photo

Thursday, February 29, 2024

MERIDIAN SOURCE 306-825-5111

admin@meridansource.ca

AUCTIONS

MEIER FIREARM AND SPORTSMAN AUCTION, Saturday, March

9, 10AM. Rifles, Shotguns, Ammo., Hunting Supplies.  4740 57 ST Wetaskiwin. Consignments accepted up to sale time, Free Pickup.  Visit www.meierauction.com PH 780 440-1860.

BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classified ad. Only $269/wk (based on 25 words or less). Reach almost 80 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details.

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GET YOUR MESSAGE

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The Blanket Classifieds or Value Ads reach over 600,000 Alberta readers weekly. Two options starting at $269 or $799 to get your message out! Business changes, hiring, items for sale, cancellations, tenders, etc. People are increasingly staying home and rely on their local newspapers for information. KEEP people in the loop with our 90 Weekly Community Newspapers. Call THIS NEWSPAPER now or email classifieds@ awna.com for details.

1-800-282-6903, 780434-8746 X225. www. awna.com.

WANTED

COMING EVENTS

EDMONTON COIN SHOW & SALE - March 9/10 2024, 10 am4:30 pm. Lions Centre 11113 - 113 Street, Edmonton. Free market evaluations. Dealers from across Canada * Auctions * Displays * WATCHES * Family friendly! www.edmontoncoinclub.com/ shows.

62nd DRAGGINS CAR SHOW - March 29 & 30 at Prairieland Park, Saskatoon. Check out the “Battle of the Automotive Technicians”!. Draggins Rod & Custom Car Club. Visit our website; Draggins.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness truthfulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna. com.

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 49 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306-649.1405 or visit www.swna.com for details.

Find QUALIFIED, LOCAL EMPLOYEES, using the strength of community newspapers! Visit www.swna.com or call 306-649-1405 to find out how!

HEALTH SERVICES

FEED AND SEED

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN

HEATED... LIGHT

BUGS... TOUGH

MIXED GRAIN

SPRING THRASHED

WHEAT... OATS

PEAS... BARLEY

CANOLA... FLAX

“ON FARM PICKUP”

WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN

1-877-250-5252

CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer employment/licensing loss? Travel/business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: Criminal Pardon. US entry waiver. Record purge. File destruction. Free consultation. 1-800347-2540. www.accesslegalmjf.com.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

DIGITAL PRINTING EDMONTON. Over 25 years commercial printing/community publications. Selling due to retirement. No building; equipment, inventory, printing/advertising accounts involving large/ medium businesses/ organizations. Seriously interested? Inquiries: classifieds@awna.com.

ALBERTA FEED GRAIN: Buying Oats, Barley, Wheat, Canola, Peas, Screenings, Mixed Grains. Dry, Wet, Heated, or Spring Thresh. Prompt Payment. In House Trucks, In House Excreta Cleaning. Vac Rental. 1-888-4838789.

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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

• Pets are tied or in a fenced yard

Please call 306.825.5111 if you have any questions or concerns.

Doug leaves to mourn his wife of 52 years, Penney; son, Brady (Leanne) and grandchildren, Ava and Liam; daughter, Kacey (Daley) and grandchildren, Haiden, Carson, and Bodhi; niece, Dani (Travis) and great nephews, Hayes, Asher, and Sawyer; brother, Rob (Melva) and their family; sister, Pat (Danny) and their family; Audrey (Ted) and their family; his brother-in-law, Lyle and his family; brother-in-law, Brant; and his brother-in-law, Rodney’s family.

Doug was predeceased by his parents, Jim and Helen; sister, Audrey; brother-in-law, Rodney; and Penney’s parents, Ted and Betty Carson.

The Funeral Service for Doug was conducted from Marwayne Community Hall, Marwayne, AB, on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 11:00 AM.

Donations in memory of Doug may be made to Marwayne Cemetery, Vermilion Health Centre or donor's charity of choice.

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

CARD OF THANKS

Penney Ford, along with Brady, Leanne and family and Kacey, Daley and family; thanks to all who helped in any way during

Doug’s illness. We cannot ever thank Rob and Melva Ford enough for their support over the last six months, staying with Doug and I. Special thanks to Carol Joy Hancock, his loving, caring and encouraging Home Care Nurse; Tim Hines, Joel Lapointe and Kaley Ziegler from Lakeside Pharmacy and Kim Thompson, Nurse Practitioner; who all worked hard on keeping Doug’s pain under control. Ron Miske, you hold a special place in our hearts for your help. We would like to thank the Vermilion Hospital Nurses and Dr. Louw for their compassion and care during Doug’s hospital stay.

Many thanks to those who took over and did various tasks to help our family at the time of the funeral. We would like to thank everyone for their texts, phone calls, cards, flowers, food brought to the house, donations received in Doug’s name as well as rides to the Airport for family members.

Thank you to Colleen’s Catering for supplying a very lovely lunch and supper. Thank you to Pastor Kevin Nelson who visited Doug several times and presided over the service and Yvette Barnett for singing with her beautiful voice.

We thank Glenn and Joel McCaw and McCaw Funeral Service for their caring professionalism and especially to Joel for involving and helping the little ones understand at the Graveside.

We are overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends and community. In lieu of individual thank you cards, the family has decided to donate to a community organization.

Sincerely,

Penney Ford Brady, Leanne Ford; Ava and Liam Kacey, Daley Brochu; Haiden, Carson and Bodhi