Meridian Source - June 10, 2021 by Meridian Source

Thursday, June 10, 2021

VOLUME 3 I ISSUE 50

GREAT JOB TEAM!

MERIDIANSOURCE.CA

Members of the Bike For Breakfast YLL team were all smiles as they crossed the finish line after their 42-hour journey to Tuffnell Sask. and back to raise money for Lloydminster and area school breakfast programs. See Page 3 for the full story. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Lloyd to lose Provincial Court effective Sept.1 GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. The City of Lloydminster will be without a Saskatchewan Provincial Court effective Sept. 1. Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Chief Judge, Shannon Metivier, has determined the Provincial Court at Lloydminster will be converted into a circuit location served from North Battleford on that date. The news came as a big surprise to lawyers like Harvey Neufeld, with PSM Law-

yers, who told the Meridian Source the fallout includes all seven Court staff in the city who have lost their jobs. “This move was made without any consultation. It came down yesterday as a big surprise to everybody,” he said on Tuesday. Metivier’s decision came in a June 7 memo she sent to legal representatives in the province, with a copy obtained by the Meridian Source. “While not an easy decision, this move will

strengthen the Court’s capacity to better serve communities throughout the Midwest region,” explained Metivier. “Centralizing judicial resources allows for a shared workload and streamlined scheduling, both of which will improve the Court’s ability to respond to community needs and to decide cases in a timely manner.” Neufeld says the decision means staff and the judges required to run the court will be travelling from North Battleford to Lloydminster.

“I don’t think everyone’s going to be happy about that with the additional three hours of travel to get their job done,” he said. Metivier’s memo noted Court sittings will continue in Lloyd, but there will no longer be a resident judge or Provincial Court Office in Lloydminster. “The hours that the office is open will be reduced. There just won’t be the counter staff to deal with people that come in for inquiries and pay fines,” said Neufeld.

Court proceedings in Lloydminster including, Onion Lake sittings, will continue to be held at 4815-50th Street. No changes are being made to the Lloydminster, St. Walburg or Onion Lake schedules at present. These changes can be found on the Provincial Court page of the sasklawcourts.ca website. Notice will be provided in the normal course if scheduling adjustments are made. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Lloyd to lose Provincial Court

Meridian Source File Photo FROM PAGE 1

Meanwhile, an email offensive is underway within the Battlefords Bar Association to plan a strategic response. “We’re contacting MLAs and other politicians and getting the word out there to see whether something can’t be done,” said Neufeld. “We’re looking to see what we can do and put some pressure on them to look at this a little more closely.” Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers also provided a statement in regards to the news. “The City of Lloydminster is aware of

the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan’s decision to transition Lloydminster’s Saskatchewan Provincial Court to a circuit court system, and we will monitor how this may affect court services in Lloydminster,” said Aalbers. Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young says she can’t weigh in on the decision, citing the court system is autonomous from the government. Neufeld says the region is in danger of losing a pretty basic service that’s been here for more than 50 years. He suspects Lloydminster is going to be one of the largest pop-

ulation centres that will be treated as a circuit court. “I can’t think of another place this size that is being dealt with this way,” he said. Neufeld notes the type of court cases dealt with in Lloydminster won’t change with the decision. “A circuit court means we are sort of a satellite of North Battleford,” he said. Neufeld thinks one of the reasons that led to the closure was a decision not to move another judge from North Battleford to substitute for Lloydminster Judge, Kim Young, who retired after 30 years of service. “That was the first step and then they decided they were just going to close the office here and get rid of all the staff and run everything out of North Battleford and travel here,” he said. Neufeld says he’s not sure how much money is going to be saved by the plan, given the additional travel that’s going to be required.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

B4BYLL team beats odds and weather to finish line

It was all hugs and handshakes after the Bike For Breakfast YLL returned to the Border City after completing their 1,045 km ride to Tuffnell Sask. and back. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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It was going to take more than the wrath of Mother Nature to keep the Bike For Breakfast YLL team from completing their 1,045 km ride to Tuffnell Sask. and back. The team of nine riders included Shaun Newman, Brad Hoffman, Nekky Jamal, Nigel Dube, Becky Reiber Grassl, Ken Rutherford, Jim Taylor, Natalie Wiebe, Tracy Matthews, departed Lloyd on June 4. The team was also very well supported by Pea Brokoff and Tricia Hunter, who took care of anything from social media to driving duties. Bike For Breakfast YLL set out at the beginning of May to raise money for student breakfast programs in the Lloydminster Public School Division, Lloydminster Catholic School Division, Northwest School Division No. 203, Buffalo Trail School Division and Onion Lake Cree Nation. Once the Bike For Breakfast YLL team smashed their goal of $200,000, team member and man-with-theplan, Shaun Newman, said the ride itself was going to be “the fun part.” Although it was indeed an amazing experience for all who took part, there were unexpected hurdles to tackle once out on the road.

“It was a ton of fun,” said Newman, “but how can you predict what the weather is going to do? We got everything from rain, thunder and lightning, extreme wind, tornado warnings, a bus breaking down; all of that. Having to deal with that as a team and finding ways around it (was a challenge), and here we are. It’s been a whirlwind, and it hasn’t even been 48 hours since we left. It feels like we never left, but we’ve seen it all in that time.” As of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the team’s GoFundMe page was sitting at $271,370 and still climbing. “One of the toughest things about this was the sleep deprivation,” said Newman. “You didn’t have the ability to go to a hotel at night and get a good night’s sleep, so you’re trying to sleep on the bus. Then there’s the stress of a breakdown and everything else. A lot of us (were functioning) on not a lot of sleep, and that was extremely difficult. Dealing with the wind, the rain, and the plus 32 (degrees) on the way to Tuffnell, you just didn’t have time to recuperate, you adjust on the fly.” Team member Ken, Rutherford, who was all smiles on Sunday upon pedalling into the parking lot of 4th Meridian Brewing Company, used one word

to describe the experience– amazing. “It was extremely challenging and extremely satisfying all at the same time,” he said. “It was really hard, but we were doing something with good people, overcoming challenges, and helping community and area kids; it’s wonderful. “I was new to road cycling, as in, I first got on a road bike seven days ago. I’m not afraid of challenges, but I have to say it was scary at times. This isn’t just biking two blocks to the ice cream shack, the team is depending on you and you have to cover some miles so the team can get through it. I’ve also never been clipped in and the longest I’ve probably ever ridden a bike was a few kilome-

tres, now we’re doing 1,100 km as a team. Scary might be overselling it, but it was challenging and daunting; sometimes the scariest things in life are the most rewarding.” Rider, team mechanic and owner of Grindin Gears Bikes ‘N Boards, Jim Taylor, also noted the weather saying they had everything but snow, as well as the work he had to complete on the bikes to keep the team rolling. “It’s absolutely unreal,” said Taylor. “When we started this, nobody thought we would hit the first goal of raising money, and nobody thought we’d hit the second goal of going there and coming back, so, how do you do both? “We had a flat tire right off the bat, but that’s what I was there for. I got that one fixed and back on the road. We had a second flat tire not too much further down the road … we almost lost a bike off the back (of one of the support vehicles) and a few more blown tires. I think I repaired four flats and a blown tire, as well as a bunch of tubes, so it was good, and I’m glad I was there to help.” Rutherford was also not the only rider to point out it was in fact the community that raised the money, as the team was simply the “spark.”

Members of the community filled the parking lot at 4th Meridian Brewing Company to welcome the riders back to town on Sunday afternoon. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

“It’s the community that puts their hard-

earned dollars into this,” he humbly said.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

School bands can now rehearse in tents GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. A generous donation of tents to the Lloydminster Catholic School Division (LCSD) is allowing band students from various schools to safely practice together outdoors. Three large tents have been set up on the Holy Rosary High School football field for the entire Grade 5 to 12 music program, thanks to the generosity of The Tent Guys. “We donated most of the value to help the band actually gather all together in practice,” said Pamela Becotte, owner of the tent rental business during an onsite media field event earlier this week. “Before they were having to break into smaller groups inside and this enabled the whole band to practice together.” Becotte says COVID19 restrictions were

limiting the size of band practices that can now take place safely in group settings under the tents. “I know I was a band student; it was an important part of my high school experience and I was excited to give back to so many kids,” said Becotte. “It was just a way to give back to the community.” Nigel McCarthy, LCSD director of education, says the tents represent an in-kind donation of about $25,000 to their band program to keep the music playing. “I think it’s just been extraordinary support in our community and our music programs all the way from Grade 5 to 12,” said McCarthy. “We’ve been able to offer more music, and what’s made this possible is this kind of partnership from The Tent Guys and with our school division.”

Vince Orieux, principal at Holy Rosary, says having the tents feeds into a commitment by LCSD to keep their school programs running all year and give kids as normal a school year as possible. He says performing arts are a big part of the daily program at Holy Rosary. “When we got word that we were encouraged to move the band program outside, we were really excited that these tents could be installed, so we could maintain our programs and not have to skip a beat,” said Orieux. He notes the decision to partner with The Tent Guys was made at the division level because the band runs from Grade 5 to Grade 12. “It’s more than just Holy Rosary, so kids from 10 years old and up are benefiting from this,” said Orieux. “There are buses

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

This Grade 7 Father Gorman School student named Dianne enjoyed practising her trumpet outdoors on Monday under one of three tents set up at Holy Rosary High School and donated by The Tent Guys.

coming over every day. Typically, students will come twice a week if they are in band program to participate in band.” The tents mean band practice can take

place during any kind of weather with some interesting distractions going on sometimes. “Some days you’ll have three groups of band out here and a track team compet-

ing outside at the same time,” added McCarthy. “And other days when there’s a little bit of rain, when you walk out in the parking lot, you still hear the music.”

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Become an Interval Home Society Seed of Hope TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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The Lloydminster Interval Home Society is hoping a new fundraising initiative will help them continue to grow to meet the needs of the community while planning for the future. The initiative, aptly named Seeds of Hope, allows donors to make a monthly donation, in whichever denomination they would like, and funds are being used for direct programming costs across the organization. “We at the Lloydminster Interval Home Society still have lots of need in the community,” said Interval Home CEO Angela Rooks-Trotzuk. “The community we serve still has lots of need, but we do realize times are still tough around here and people are still recovering from economic issues and COVID issues, but our need, unfortunately, still remains the same. “We wanted to come up with an idea that would meet our needs for financial support, but also hopefully make it a bit easier to support our initiative.” The campaign’s intuitively designed website makes it easy for donors to choose the amount they would like

to donate and also gives examples as to exactly what those funds are going to be used for. Rooks-Trotzuk added $15 a month will help put gas in vehicles to help transport clients around the community to appointments or getting them to programming. “There’s also an example for a $25/ month donation which provides the basic necessities for a night at the shelter. Another easy link is $41 per month, which is in honour of our 41 years serving the community. There’s also an option to fill out whatever denomination the individual feels is something they can maintain and support.” She explained a fundraising campaign such as this is very beneficial to the organization as it gives them a better idea as to what kind of revenue will be coming in. “This enables us to plan a little bit better when we know what kinds of funds are coming into the organization, and that just helps us create sustainability in programming, but also plan for longer-term solutions,” she said. “We think the team came up with a great idea and we hope the

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File Photo community agrees and finds it easier to specifically support the Lloydminster Interval Home Society.” Aside from supporting your community, as a monthly donor, you will be the first to hear about upcoming events throughout the organization. “They’ll get exclusive updates on the funds and how their funds are actually making an impact on the clients we serve, and we’re actually going to attach client stories in regards to their

monthly donation. They’re going to hear directly from the client about what their monthly donation has done for them, which is very exciting as well. Anyone who gives back like this knows the impact it has on us personally.” Anyone who signed up to be a monthly donor before May 31 also had their first donation matched by the campaign’s community partner, Creative Glass. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Jewelry for shelter on sale GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Home is where the heart is. Sheltering agencies in Lloy d minst er will benefit from a charitable Give me Shelter fundraising campaign at Home Hardware Building Centre in Lloydminster in June.

“

I was thinking how grateful I was for my house and my studio and at that moment I thought I need to do something.

Lloydminster’s Interval Home, Men’s Shelter, Community Youth Centre and Drop-in Centre will share the proceeds from the sale of jewelry made by local artist Dawn Lawrence Floen. Home Hardware is the exclusive seller of Floen’s handcrafted, one-of-a-kind bracelets, necklaces and charms made from silver, with 100 per cent of the sales to be donated to the shelter providers. Prices are $40 for charms, $60 for bracelets and $85 for an 18-inch necklace or $150 for 26-inches with SEED OF HOPE FROM PAGE 5

“That was really exciting for us to be able to bring them on board, and it was a nice validation that this program is something they thought was great and they wanted to support, which in turn encouraged the rest of the community to support.”

just 26 pieces of each piece available for sale. “People are really excited about it. We sold nine pieces the first day,” said Tasha Hilderman, co-owner of the hardware store. She says the charm is designed to look like a home with a heart representing a door. “It’s a nice piece of jewelry for anybody to have or to give as a housewarming or a grad present or something like that,” added Hilderman. She says so far, the bracelet is the hottest seller with copper in it. “The price of copper has also gone up, so it’s quite a valuable piece for what it’s being sold for,” said Hilderman. She gives full marks to Floen for pitching the idea of the charity sale to Home Hardware. “She approached us and asked if we’d be willing to be the exclusive store to sell the jewelry and participate with her to market it and get the word out,” said Hilderman. Floen says the inspiration behind her creations for charity came to her on one of the coldest days of the year. “It was -40 out and I was trying to stay warm and I just thought there are people out there

who may not have a place to go to be warm,” said Floen. “I was thinking how grateful I was for my house and my studio, and at that moment I thought I need to do something.” She says she could have given a shelter some money, before realizing her talent lies in making jewelry. “So I put that money into jewelry supplies, so I could get more for the shelters,” explained Floen. People who aren’t into jewelry or find it’s sold out can still help out by making a monetary donation at the store. Donations can be made towards priority needs at the sheltering agencies, like grooming packages, clothes

for a job interview, taxi vouchers, housing, meals and more. The values range from $25 to $1,300 and donations of any amount can be made at the tills. “Lots of people are just feeling good about trying to support the community. Lloyd’s always been good that way. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback on it so far,” said Hilderman, who knows some people experiencing homelessness in the community. “It’s always a heartwrenching thing to imagine not having a home,” she said. Hilderman says having shelter is a basic need, so people can look forward to things in the future.

Times have been tough for most as of late, but for a nonprofit that’s responsible for fundraising half of its annual budget, it’s been very tough. “That umbrella grows every year as expenses increase, how much our reach increases and the number of people that

are accessing our services increases, which is a double-edged sword,” she said. “We want to reach more people and we want to help as many people as we can, but we can’t do that without support from funders as well as the community. “Initiatives like

these, and all initiatives we do to try to get supports to the society is extremely important, and we’re so thankful we are supported by the community.” Haven’t signed up to become a Seed of Hope yet? Visit intervalhome. org/seedsofhope for more information.

Supplied Photo

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Students chew gum for hospitals

Supplied Phot

Andrew Beaton, left, the organizer of Collin’s Carventure that raises money for the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, accepted a Stollery cheque for $1021.25 from Queen Elizabeth School vice-president Les Korn from the school’s sale of bubble gum to students. Another cheque for $708.15 will go to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon this month. GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Queen Elizabeth School is hoping to expand their bubble

gum fundraiser next year to benefit the Lloydminster Hospital. This year’s initial campaign netted

$1,021.25 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and $708.15 for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. Students raise money for the two children’s hospitals by purchasing a piece of wrapped gum once a month for 50 cents. “We want students to feel connected with their community, so we’re looking to hopefully include the Lloyd hospital next year as well, “ said Les Korn, vice-principal of QE. “We’d like to keep it at Lloyd hospital with something to do with children.” Korn first came up with the idea for a Gum for Stollery event by taking his family to the third annual Collin’s Carventure scavenger hunts in Edmonton to raise money for the Stollery. The Carventure is the name for an Alberta

boy named Collin who was born without a connection between his heart and lungs and was given a chance at life by surgeons at the Stollery.

“

We’d like to keep it at Lloyd hospital with something to do with children.

“We brought it to our School Community Council. They reminded us we have families on both sides of the city. They don’t just use the Stollery Hospital, but they also use the Jim Pattison Hospital in Saskatoon,” said Korn. “We decided to embrace this and develop a simple fundraiser for the two hospitals this year.” Korn ran with the idea of alternating

monthly sales of Double Bubble gum to support both hospitals. Korn presented the cheque to the Stollery at this year’s Carventure on May 8 and is getting set to present a cheque to the Pattison hospital, while not taking the Lloyd hospital for granted. “In Lloydminster, we have a fabulous hospital, and realistically, we should all be blessed with the staff and services,” said Korn, who doesn’t want anyone to think they are overlooking the local facility. “Unfortunately, some families require extra support that the small city cannot support.” The school fundraiser started in October and wrapped up at the end of May with Korn noting no gum has been found stuck to desks yet. “Gum is exciting to the students. They also like to get involved,”

he said. “We want students to grow up to be involved in the community. By doing these kinds of events, students grow into great community citizens.” JEWELRY FROM PAGE 6

“By helping to cover those basic needs, we’re putting them in a much better place to have a brighter future,” she said. Hilderman also notes shelter can mean so much more than a roof over your head and can also represent shelter from hardship, pain, and difficult life circumstances. “The jewelry perfectly represents how important our homes are, and the love held inside and with all the funds supporting such valuable, integral community support agencies, it’s a win-win-win all the way around,” she said.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Kindness rocks!!

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Rock Snake beautifies community and supports our furry friends

Rocks painted by Ms. Brunea’s Grade 3 class from St. Joe’s Elementary School are seen in line with over 1,000 other rocks. Supplied Photo TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a community to come together and beautify our neighbourhoods, while also raising money for a local animal rescue shelter. The Border City’s Rock Snake, located on 59 Ave - second Lakes i de en t r a nc e by t h e

bridge, was the brainchild of Wanda WalshLiebelt, who initially started the community project as a way to get families outside exercising and making the world a better place. This initiative caught the eye of Colena Baker, owner of Sheepskin Loft, who decided that for every rock placed by the community, she

would donate $1, up to $1,000. Not to her surprise, the goal was easily met. After some collaboration, Baker and WalshLiebelt decided Furbabies Furever Home was a worthy recipient of the funds. “I live around that area and last year I was walking and saw t he colourful rocks, and

loved the idea,” said Baker. “She had 237 last year, and this year I was amazed at how many more rocks there were. That’s when I got the idea to bring the community together and raise some funding, so everyone benefits.” Baker explained the window for rocks to be placed to go towards the fundraiser was between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and with the community actively participating in the snake, she was pleased to write a cheque before the deadline. “So many people got involved,” said Baker. “The schools, the RCMP, individuals, young people, older people, all using their

Rustlers to ice women’s hockey team in fall MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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The vision of offering a women’s collegiate hockey team at Lakeland College is becoming a reality thanks to the hard work of many. The team’s head coach, Morgan Mann, has been hired and the college is preparing to hit the ice this fall with the team. “We’ve always stated the next logical league program to add at Lakeland College is women’s hockey,” said Alan Rogan, Lakeland Rustlers’ athletic director. “When a very motivated group from the community came forward about a year ago, we started to look at the opportunity more seriously.” Both groups knew that operating and funding a women’s hockey program at the collegiate level would not be something they could do alone with the current challenges facing the community and provinces. After several meetings, both parties believed that a women’s hockey team could

become a reality by collaborating and utilizing each other’s strengths. “By working together, we believe we will be able to offer a competitive student-athlete experience for 18 to 22 female hockey players at Lakeland College,” said Mann, who led the community delegation before being hired as head coach. “Lloydminster has had a strong female elite hockey program. As one of six designated communities to have a U18 AAA program in Alberta, Lakeland is positioned to offer a natural progression for female hockey players in Lloydminster and area (who are) hoping to make it to the next level.” The commitment to work together does not immediately mean the team will be accepted into the ACAC Women’s Hockey League. As part of the ACAC governance procedures, Lakeland is required to apply to the conference. The application will be reviewed and hopefully approved for acceptance into the league for the

fall of 2022. The t e am w ill play this season in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League and will run as a club program under the Rustlers banner for the first year. One of the unique components of the agreement is that the women’s hockey program will raise the majority of its operational funding from the community. “This is a very unique model to fund a college sports program but in discussions with the community group, we are optimistic that the community will support a women’s hockey program,” said Michael Crowe, Lakeland’s vice president, academic and research. “We are so fortunate to have such great communities in Lloydminster and Vermilion that support initiatives like this.” While attending university, Mann won a CIS national championship with the Acadia Axemen. He also played on the Allan Cup-winning senior men’s hockey team in Lloydminster.

Since 2016, he has worked in a coaching capacity with the Lloydminster Steelers women’s hockey program and was most recently the head coach of the U18 women’s hockey team for the 2020-2021 season. He is a teacher and counsellor in the Lloydminster Public School Division and is working on his masters in coaching studies. “I like to use sport as an opportunity to make a young athlete a better person, character and citizen through the life lessons gained there,” said Mann. “As a school counsellor, I’m well-versed in the challenges today’s youth face. My best work as a counsellor has been connecting to individuals and helping them become more resilient through sport.” Recruitment of student-athletes has already started, with 14 people signed to wear the Rustlers green and gold this fall. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, please phone Mann at 306-307-4411.

The Rock Snakes 1,000 rock marker, painted and placed by Colena Baker.Supplied Photo creative juices and making some colourful, encouraging, kindness rocks; that’s how I wanted to promote it.” Ashlee Foster’s Grade 7 class from St. Joe’s Elementary School was one of many school groups to get in on the community fun, and were able to raise $50 themselves doing so.

“I love animals and I love suppporting local organizations like this,” said Foster. “Furbabies is where we got our family dog from, and we love the group of people who run the animal rescue. My students loved the idea and had a great time painting therocks and helping the community.”

PAGE 10 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE

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

Viewpoint Leave it to Weaver: Good karma is coming to town EDITOR Taylor Weaver

THE MERIDIAN SOURCE is published once a week, on Thursday. All material printed in the Meridian Source is copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. The Meridian Source reserves the right to refuse publication of any advertising or editorial material at its discretion. Columns and letters are the expressed view of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Meridian Source.

Editor Taylor Weaver taylor@meridiansource.ca

Staff Writer Geoff Lee geoff@meridiansource.ca

Marketing Manager Deanna Wandler deanna@meridiansource.ca

Marketing Consultant Ashley Miazga ashley@meridiansource.ca

After the random acts of kindness I had the pleasure of witnessing last Friday, I’d say there’s a whole lot of good karma coming to the Border City. Now, the acts of kindness I am speaking of are not earthshattering by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe it’s the simple things that make life worth living, so, here we go! The first act of kindness is one for which I was the recipient. My iPhone is a wee bit past its prime. (It’s an 8 Plus, so it’s ancient when the speed at which technology evolves is factored in.) The charger port hasn’t been holding the cable well enough to maintain charging, and since I’m no expert I figured something had to be tightened. So off to Ufone I go. It turned out the inside of the charger port was just in need of some cleaning. The owner cleaned it out,

handed my phone back to me, and didn’t ask for anything in return. Sure, it took all of three minutes, but he could have charged me. Thanks mate! The second act of kindness involved an RCMP SUV making a U-turn, with its lights on, at the intersection of 36 St and 57 Ave to head west. It pu lle d u p onto th e c u r b where there was a bunch of young kids, one of whom was on the ground. Hopefully, it was just a scuffed knee, and I know this RCMP member was simply doing her job, but I couldn’t help but shed a smile after witnessing this. Now we’re in the Superstore parking lot, walking past rows of cars heading into the busy grocery at 5:15 p.m. on a Friday. It’s busy. There’s a car backing up out of a parking space and there’s a man helping guide the driver out of his spot. The circumstances that led to this particular scenario are unknown to me, but I’m chalk-

ing it up to a stranger helping out a fellow motorist. Again, I smile, and a sense of pride rolls over as I remember I call the Border City home. On top of all these examples of a community looking out for their fellow human, the Bike For Breakfast YLL team set off on its 1,000 km-plus ride to raise money for area school breakfast programs. I’ve been covering this group for the past month and am amazed at how much money they were able to raise. And it’s because of the extraordinary folks here in Lloyd that helped raise over $270,000 in a month to make sure our future generations are well fed at school. Thank you for being you, Lloydminster! I’d also like to thank all those who took the time to write positive messages regarding my column about Joe and his mission to keep the grounds at the Legion needle-free. Until next time, Taylor

Bee Club buzzing after donation

Publisher: Reid Keebaugh Production Manager: Amanda Richard CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING admin@meridiansource.ca NEWSPAPER DELIVERY If you’ve missed a paper, to start or stop delivery, or for carrier applications, please call 306-825-5111 for information. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We welcome letters to the editor. Letters should be 500 words or less. A name and daytime phone number is required for verification. Priority will be given to letters exclusively written for the Meridian Source. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, spelling, grammar, punctuation and libel. Unsigned letters will not be published. Use of pseudonyms will only be allowed in special circumstances, at the discretion of the editor and the publisher, and only if the author’s identity is known to the editor. Publication of a letter does not imply endorsement by the Meridian Source. Send to taylor@meridiansource.ca

Submitted to the Meridian Source 2017

Laurie Makichuk (back row, yellow shirt) and members of The Buzz Club recently completed their first community connection project by painting cans and planting flowers in the decorated cans. The cans were donated to Lloydminster’s Points West Living for seniors to help bring a smile to all.

PAGE 11 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Opinion

Leeway from Lloyd: Elks fumble as reconciliation STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

Last week the Edmonton football team formally changed its name from Eskimos to the Elks. The Canadian Football League club held a video news conference patting themselves on the back for changing what was perceived by some to be a racist moniker. Personally, I fail to see how this does anything to right the wrongs endured by Canada’s Indigenous people any more than the team’s two-minute silence for the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were discovered on the grounds of a resi-

dential school in Kamloops, B.C. did. Changing a name of a team or expressing condolences really only makes the people doing it feel good, in my opinion. It’s one step up from public relations, but it also annoys people like myself who feel this is just petty, politically correct stuff sidestepping actual reconciliation. First Nations deserve a serious full national criminal investigation into the cause of death of these children, more exhaustive than the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. The Elks’ name change and two minutes of silence don’t move the yardsticks forward.

Surely, no expense should be spared to search for more bodies at every single residential school in Canada and identify who these people are and identify who was responsible for this genocide. That’s just step one if the entire nation wants to heal itself. I think it

takes more than a name change in the CFL to make that happen. What about all the First Nations that don’t even have basic drinking water while Canada chastises other countries for their perceived lack of human rights? They can’t even raise a glass of water to toast

the Elks. It’s also time to start thinking about resource revenue sharing with First Nations who were actually living here first before being robbed of their land, their way of life and even their children and names. Maybe it’s time to

change the name of Canada to Adanac, which is Canada spelled backwards. That’s the direction the entire country has been going since colonization in regards to our own First Nations citizens. Maybe the Elks can help that part happen.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

LRHF skilled at shaking money trees GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. In a perfect world, health ministries in Alberta and Saskatchewan would agree to fund all healthcare needs in the Border City, but the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation (LRHF) usually has to rattle some cages to get an audience. That’s certainly been the experience of LRHF CEO, Malcolm Radke, leading the nonprofit organization as it strives to support and improve healthcare in the region. “The biggest challenge for Lloydminster is getting provincial alignment for what the need actually is in Lloydminster,” said Radke during a virtual report to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster on Monday.

He says the challenge isn’t even fundraising, but coming up with worthy projects and getting them approved by both provinces with the fundraising following in short order. “It’s a generous entrepreneurial community that’s there to support us,” said Radke. That story is repeated over and over again to fund key projects Radke talked about from Pioneer House and the CT Scanner and helipad for the Lloydminster Hospital to medical scholarships and Residents in Recovery addictions treatment programs. “The big one right now is mental health,” said Radke, referring to Project Sunrise initiatives in response to a LRHF needs assessment. “We’re really building

a plane as we fly. Established medical healthcare doesn’t even know how to respond to mental health.” Radke says being a foundation, they are able to take a few more risks than the provincial health ministries. He is stoked, however, by the recent $4.25 million commitment by the Alberta government’s Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program to build and operate a new dialysis unit at Prairie North Plaza. “The nice thing about Alberta approving some of these major spends is, now we can put the pressure on the other guy in Saskatchewan and say ‘what have you done for me lately,’” said Radke. CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Proactive approach works in LRHF’s favour

File Photo FROM PAGE 12

He says the LRHF is also working on a palliative care project they are hoping to announce next year depending on ministry approval. LRHF’s healthcare funding needs list includes improvements to diagnostic imaging equipment at the hospi-

tal and the five-year-old CT Scanner. “That fancy equip ment needs to be updated all the time,” said Radke. He says the hospital also needs a portable ultrasound and a portable diagnostic imaging machine so nurses can attend to patients

in their room instead of hauling them to the imaging department. “We also want to revisit the MRI discussion with both provinces and see what’s possible there. It’s a bit of a touchy one right now, but we certainly know the demand is there for it,” said Radke. He notes a bi-provincial health facilities report from 2013 cited more than 72,000 people in the region rely on the Lloydminster Hospital. “We’re here to reduce out-of-town medical travel and keep as many services local as feasible,” said Radke. He says currently, LRHF is shifting gears to diagnostic imaging in terms of money needed, while helping to spread the word about vaccines in the tail-end of COVID. Radke sees a trend toward more remote

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healthcare services, established during the pandemic, continuing to evolve. “COVID forced the system to respond very quickly and now the codes are set up, so the doctor gets compensated the same, whether he sees you in person

or virtually or over the phone,” said Radke. He says the provinces are also learning that even just a phone call with someone in an immediate mental crisis can help to improve their state of mind a little bit. “That’s something

that can be done from scale at a centralized spot in Saskatoon or Edmonton for relatively cheaper than paying all these people on the ground,” said Radke. He says those are a couple of different developments in remote healthcare delivery.

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Lloyd Ex set for Fair as restrictions loosen Permitting provincial health restrictions, the

Lloyd Ex is set to host Fair 2021 from July

14-17. “In conjunction with

our nine-day chuckwagon show, the North American Chuckwagon Championships (NACC), which we’re hoping will start on July 9, pending the government’s approval and what’s going on with the pandemic, we are still planning four days of Fair,” said Lloyd Ex assistant general manager Jackie Tomayer on Tuesday. Although the midway will not be a part of this year’s Fair due to the rides not being able to leave B.C., Tomayer is super excited to bring back some events that were a part of last year’s food-based fair. “We are doing a modified fair this year, and we’re really excited to be hosting the Ag shows again,” she said. “Steer show, heifer show, pen show, team roping, gymkhana, all those things, and we’re super excited to bring the ag elements to the fair for the community.”

Al Harlow of Prism performs at the Lloyd Ex Fair in 2019. File Photo The hope is to have even more fair-food trucks in attendance this year, and a trade show/farmer’s market is also in the works as an outdoor activity. “We’re also going to have a couple of different beer tents going, and, hopefully, there’s live music to go with the beer tents.” Of course, these

plans are still dependent on government regulations, but the hope is to go ahead as planned and provide the community with some much-needed fun. “We’ve gone from plan A to Z and everywhere in between, so right now we’re really hoping to bring something cool to town.”

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Thursday, June 10, 2021

The rather remarkable rat

PRAIRIE WOOL HELEN ROW TOEWS

“Ask not what your vermin can do for you …,” quipped my cousin, Cindy, as we deliberated, through texts, the merits of this muchmaligned beast. Prior to our unusual discussion, she’d sent me a news article from Vice World News. It featured the headline, “A Hero’s Retirement Party Awaits This World Famous, MedalWinning Rat.” So, here’s the burning question: What do rats mean to you? “Filthy, nasty creatures!” you might respond. “Carriers of pestilence and disease!” you could rightly declare. Yet, this story tells a different tale. Magawa, a sevenyear-old giant African pouched rat, (try saying that five times fast) is one of many

rats trained to sniff out landmines and even detect certain diseases such as tuberculosis. Born in Tanzania, he was trained for this dangerous work in Belgium, but after a busy five-year stint in Cambodia where he worked tirelessly each day to uncover 71 mines and 38 unexploded bombs, he is retiring this month. His efforts in this field have saved the lives of many innocent people. What an achievement! In recognition of his “dedication, skill and bravery” he was recently awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, which is the animal equivalent of the British George Cross. As you can well imagine, Magawa became the first rat in history to merit such an esteemed tribute and it immediately shot him to international fame. It was further reported that Magawa was in fine

health, apart from a “minor paw injury” and, after a brief period in which he would “mentor” 20 new recruits, he would be attending a lavish retirement party prepared in his honour. Then, his plans include living out his final, golden years in a kennel, resting comfortably, and enjoying a favoured diet of bananas and peanuts. In a final observation, his handler was quoted as saying she, “…would miss working with him very, very much.” Let us consider this eye-opening news for a moment. After all, it’s not often rats are the hero of the story. Never have we heard of rats meriting prestigious awards for their outstanding courage and service to mankind. I mean, have you ever read of a rat saving someone’s life by dragging them from a burning building? Or how about a rat scampering

Magawa, the giant African pouched rat. Google Image for help when the owner of the granary they lurk beneath, is attacked by wolves? Seldom do we speak to someone who misses having a rat about the place. I can’t think of one, although I hear of people who keep both rats and snakes as pets, so I suppose those folks are out there—somewhere. However, my eyes have now been opened

and I shall view the lowly rat, at least the giant African pouched variety, with new respect. I even felt a small amount of guilt when Nemo the cat threw up a hairball yesterday and I yelled, “RATS!” Maybe rats deserve better. Perhaps I should find a new expletive like, “Aww slugs!” or “Gully dirt!” which really can’t get

much lower on the list of low. In any case, if you have access to the Internet, the story of Magawa is sure to brighten your day and lead you into some scintillating conversations. It sure did for Cindy and me. Order books or write Helen at PO Box 55 Marshall, SK. S0M1R0 or go to myprairiewool.com

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

Exemptions to aid rural business GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Financial help is on the way for small business owners and startups, especially in rural Alberta and Saskatchewan, where new capital investment is hard to source. The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) and the Financial Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) have adopted the first of three prospectus exemptions to enable businesses to raise money without going public, while protecting investors. “Access to capital can be more challenging outside of the bigger urban areas,” said Denise Weeres, director, New Economy at the ASC. ASC and FCAA are the regulatory agencies responsible for administering the two province’s securities laws. Weeres says the

ASC has heard from small businesses that smaller communities may not have dealers that would raise money or even local credit unions and bank branches. “Another challenge is they have lawyers and accountants in their local community, but they’re not familiar with the security laws,” she said. “So that can also be a barrier to raising money and understanding what the requirements are.” In securities law, a business trying to raise money from the general public needs to file a prospectus and provide information about its business. Weeres says the exemption initiatives are intended to provide small rural businesses and startups with another alternative to capital, while balancing the risk for

investors who usually rely on a prospectus to make well-informed decisions. The most popular exemption is the Self Cer t if ied Pr ospect u s Exemption that went into effect in both provinces on March 31. It allows investors who aren’t accredited investors, but who have certain financial or investment designations or education and experience, to invest alongside accredited investors like banks. “So we look at things such as a CPA designation or they’ve got a business or commerce degree or a lawyer with at least a third of the practice focused on financing,” explained Weeres. It includes anyone who completes the Canadian Securities Course and who has at least $75,000 net income or $125,000 with their spouse.

FOR RENT

LEASEHOLDS BUILT TO SUIT Call Reid at (306) 821-0530

To mitigate the risks of investing, self-certified investors are limited, in a calendar y ear , t o invest ment s of $10,000 in any one issuer and $30,000 across multiple private businesses. The ASC and FCAA are also proposing a Small Business Financing Exemption to allow a business to raise money from the general public up to $5 million. “Some of the types of companies that might be having challenges are a meat packing plant or a restaurant or a granary that is looking to raise money,” said Weeres. She says this type of business is not something that would attract venture capital funding or a company that is likely to go public with no huge growth prospects. “We’re trying to find something that would

allow them to raise money from their communities in an easier way that would otherwise be possible, with a streamlined offering document, and question and answer formats to make it easier to complete,” said Weeres. If the company raises less than $1.5 million a year, there would be no requirement for a financial statement, but if they raise more than that, a financial statement would be required in the offering document to investors. However, the proposal would allow the document to be prepared using accounting standards for private businesses rather t han p u bl i c l y tr ad e d companies. The ASC is also proposing a Small Business Finder’s Exemption limited to Alberta, to help small business owners and start-ups

find individual investors in their own communities. “We’re hearing that companies trying to raise a small amount of money can’t find a dealer to help them find an investor,” said Weeres. This finder’s exemption is aimed at those companies who have raised less than $5 million and it includes protection for investors too. The individual investor couldn’t have been sanctioned by a regulator or charged with fraud or theft, for example. “It’s trying to address what we’ve heard about the challenge for smaller financing, and in particular, in smaller communities,” said Weeres. Weeres expects the two proposed exemptions will go into effect by July or August.

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Thursday, June 10, 2021

Eighth column stuff, in six

WHISPERS OF THE PAST SANDRA L. BROWN

Lloydminster’s first semi-pro baseball team (1954) was named the Lloydminster Meridians. Games were played in the Saskatchewan Baseball League and Western Canada Baseball League. The Meridians folded

in 1961 before the team had the distinguished opportunity to represent Canada in the Global World Baseball Tournament. As a contributor to the Lloydminster Times newspaper, “Scotty” McNeill wrote the frontpage “Eighth Column Stuff” about the Meridians in July 1955. Incidentally, the newspaper was eight

columns wide. Barney Brown, lost his first game wearing a Meridians uniform against Regina on Monday. His team had fielding issues in the second inning which saw Regina bring in four runs across the plate to win 7-4 at the local Legion Sportsman’s Park. Brown pitched a great game but,

“some loose fielding accounted for the defeat which may prove a costly one for the Meridians playoff hopes.” Stationed in the Air Force at Cold Lake, Al Beaugrand played a stellar game against the Saskatoon Gems in Sunday’s twilight game. The Meridians hoped to make use of his baseball talents when he was able to obtain leave. Home runs happened regularly. The grand slam by Collins Jones against the North Battleford Beavers on Friday night couldn’t have come at a better time. This feat placed the Meridians ahead for the remainder of the game. Saturday night on Cairn’s Field in Saskatoon saw the Meridians struggling with no less than 11 errors in what some described “as a feeble effort by a club

that seemed to be able to do everything the wrong way.” Curly Williams hit a home run in what ended up as a 16-4 debacle for the opposition. The team played a double-header on Sunday against the visiting Gems. Losing the first game, they played much better and went on to win the second game 6-5. The starting pitcher for the Gems was relieved in the seventh inning by their “ace in the hole” Sergio Fabre. A baseline hit brought Curly Williams home from second for the winning run. Williams also had his second home run of the weekend by hitting one over the right-field fence. An inside field homerun excited the fans as Zayas quickly ran the bases. Sergio, pitcher for the Gems had won 10 games in the previ-

ous season. Currently, he was unbeaten this season until the Meridians put an end to this record. For the young Cuban it was his first defeat since coming to Canada. McNeill was very excited about the Edmonton Eskimos te am c o mi ng to p l a y against the Meridians. The Eskimos were trying to keep abreast of the Gems and the Meridians needed victory in order to clinch a playoff spot. He encouraged everyone to come out and boost the team. In closing his column, McNeill congratulated the newspaper for reaching its milestone of 50 years of service. He thanked the late editor J. G. Willard and his successor George Baynton for their coverage and support of sporting events as it was a tremendous boost for the various clubs.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

High water and barrier block beach MIDWEST MINUTE VERN McCLELLAND

There is a small body of water southeast of Maidstone called Birch Lake that used to be the favoured place for locals to go on a hot sunny day. Not only was there a half-mile-long white sand beach to relax on, but the slope into the leech-free water was also so gentle it was a perfect place for toddlers to play, older children to splash and swim, and their parents or grandparents to wade. You had to go a long way out to get into water over your head; about the only risk was someone being blown out too deep an air mattress while daydreaming in the sunshine (don’t ask me how I know this!). Any summer week-

end would find a dozen or so RVs camped along the shore, and a couple of boats towing skiers out in deeper water. Best of all, no entry fees. No concession. Just people from the surrounding communities enjoying life, having a picnic, bothering no one. Yes, from time to time, a group of partyers would show up and disrupt the peacefulness, but usually, the site would be selfcontrolled, although it seems there is always some idiot who does not respect social boundaries. Peer pressure to behave appropriately and not ruin it for others is still the best enforcement. There is a large community pasture on three sides and when my sons lived at home, we would occasionally take a half-day ride on

our horses around the lake as we had permission to enter from the manager. There are two high hills on the south edge, one of which is so prominent of a feature in the area it has a survey benchmark on it from the late 1800s. Bet ween t hose t wo points is a marshy area very tricky to cross on horseback and impossible by vehicle. My late father-in-law, who grew up on a ranch just north of there, told me once the water from the lake went underground at that location and eventually would resurface as a creek draining into the Battle River only two miles farther south. Today, the water in the lake has risen to the point there is no visible beach, and the local municipal government has felt it prudent to close the road to prevent damage to

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF BRITANNIA NO. 502

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE The RM of Britannia No. 502 is holding a public open house to outline key provisions proposed for a new Official Community Plan for the municipality. When finalized, this bylaw will provide direction to guide land use and development decisions within the RM of Britannia. Members of the consulting team will be in attendance to discuss and explain what is being proposed and to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to speaking with anyone interested in reviewing and providing comment on the preliminary policies at the open house: June 21st, 2021 Hillmond Hall (Britannia United Services Memorial Hall) #1 Main Street Hillmond, Saskatchewan Come and go anytime between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respecting and observing all applicable COVID-19 Public Health Measures. Alan Parkin Chief Administrative Officer, R.M. of Britannia Phone: 306-825-2610

the adjacent lands. Personally, I believe there must be something blocking the outgoing water from escaping as it has for centuries. The cause should be investigated and reported on. We have a Water Security Agency in Saskatchewan that employs professionals for just this type of challenge. A long-term solution could be a prop-

erly engineered drainage system to control water levels and provide a balance between recreational use of the lake and its shoreline while still maintaining access for the pasturing livestock. In my opinion, it would be a much better strategy than a road barrier as the lake has been a popular destination for generations of settlers and Indigenous peoples.

Heaven only knows how sorely open space free for public enjoyment is needed, particularly in this time of pandemic restrictions. Vern McClelland is an associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster and an active partner in his family’s livestock operation. Comments on this article are welcome either by emailing vernmcclelland@remax.net or calling 306-821-0611.

PAGE 20 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Sports

Teeing off in honour of Troup TAYLOR WEAVER

EDITOR

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

What’s a community

to do after the passing of one of its truly beautiful souls? Hit the links

while raising money for the Lloydminster Junior A Bobcats, of course. The Border City stood still on May 20 as a final goodbye was said to the legend himself, Bob Troup.

“

21062CC1

I think everyone you speak to knew Bob, how much fun he was and how much joy and the smiles he brought, no matter the day, and everybody always had such great things to say about him.

Troup passed away on May 15 at the age of 71, leaving many, many heavy hearts behind. To honour Troup, who spent over 30 years volunteering with the Bobcat s associat ion, the team is hosting the inaugural Bob Troup Memorial Golf Tournament at Rolling Green Fairways on June 18. “Originally, we were going to start up a golf tournament this year as it’s been done for quite a few years with the Bobcats, so we were back to doing the ‘Four Club Golf Tournament,’ which is four clubs and a putter, and then with the series of events

and the passing of Bob Troup, we thought this was a great way to pay tribute to Bob who has done so much for our organization, and make it an annual event starting this year,” said Bobcats GM and head coach Nigel Dube. “Bob was a big community man. He was the man. I think everyone you speak to knew Bob, how much fun he was and how much joy and the smiles he brought, no matter the day, and everybody always had such great things to say about him.” Dube went on to explain how much love Troup had for his hockey, his family, his community, and his golf. “This is a very fitting way to pay tribute to him and remember him every year,” he said. “He loved his golf and there wasn’t much he enjoyed more than a warm day on the links.” As of Tuesday morning, there were already almost 30 teams confirmed to play, with a few spots still available. Registering for the tournament is as easy as visiting rollinggreen.ca/ bob-troup-memorialgolf-tournament/. “We’re going to have a nice tribute to Bob the day of the tournament, and speaking to the family, it’s going to be a fun tournament,”

Videre Images by Jason Whiting

The Lloydminster Bobcats are hosting the inaugural Bob Troup Memorial Golf Tournament at Rolling Green Fairways on June 18.

said Dube. “So it’s going to be a four clubs and a putter tournament, but we’re also going to have things like the pink ball going on, where teams try not to lose the ball the whole day and get their name put in on that. “We’re just going to have some fun, some laughs, smiles, remember Bob, and enjoy a great day of golf out on the course.” All funds raised

through the tournament will go directly into the Bobcats’ operating costs, something Dube noted was a decision the Junior A hockey club and the Troup family made together. Golfers can enjoy their day for $125 per player or $500 for a foursome. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the action kicks off at 10 a.m. with a shotgun start. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

MERIDIAN SOURCE

PAGE 22 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Agriculture

Last week in the field: Sask crop report MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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

Dry conditions this week have allowed farmers to nearly complete seeding in all regions of the province. Ninety-seven per cent of the crop is seeded, which is ahead the fiveyear average (20162020) for this time of year of 92 per cent. Ninety-eight per cent of the crop is seeded in the southeast, westcentral, northeast and northwest regions, 96 per cent in the southwest and 94 per cent in the east-central. Provincially, ninetynine per cent of the field peas, canary seed and chickpeas, 98 per cent

of the durum and spring wheat, 96 per cent of the barley, flax, canola and soybeans, 95 percent of lentils and 92 percent of the oats have been seeded to date. There were small precipitation events throughout the province this week. The Cando area reported the most with 23 mm of precipitation, the Kindersley area reported 20 mm, the Spruce Home area reported 15 mm, the Earl Grey area reported 12 mm and the Rhein area reported 10 mm. This rain was very welcome but more will be needed soon. Minimal precipitation

and strong winds have reduced topsoil moisture conditions in all regions of the province. Rainfall received two weeks ago has helped with pasture conditions in the province, but more is needed. Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as zero per cent surplus, 72 per cent adequate, 20 per cent short and eight per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as zero per cent surplus, 58 per cent adequate, 29 per cent short and 13 per cent very short. The majority of crop conditions this week are good. Smaller seed

File Photo crops, such as canola and mustard, are rated as fair to good. This is mainly due to reduced germination caused by winds and lack of moisture as well as flea beetle pressure. The moisture received over the pre-

vious two weeks has allowed later seeded crops to emerge more evenly and earlier seeded crops are now able to develop further. Most crop damage this week was due to strong dry winds, dry soil conditions, flea bee-

tles and gophers. Now that seeding is almost wrapped up, farmers are busying spraying herbicides, assessing possible frost damage, scouting for early season pests and moving cattle to pasture.

PAGE 23 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE

Careers

Minimum wage change announced for October MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

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

Saskatchewan’s minimum wage will increase to $11.81. The change will take effect on Oct. 1. “Dealing with COVID-19 over the

past year and a half has been a difficult tim e fo r everyo ne in Saskatchewan,” Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. “The provincial government has a strong

framework in place to ensure that we are supporting both businesses and workers as we move into recovery after the pandemic. As life returns to normal, sustainable and predictable increases to our minimum wage help ensure everyone will be able to benefit from a strong and growing Saskatchewan in the future.”

“

Dealing with COVID-19 over the past year and a half has been a difficult time for everyone in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan’s minimum wage is reviewed annually and is calcu-

File Photo lated using an indexation formula. The formula gives equal weight to changes to the Consumer Price Index and Average Hourly Wage for Saskatchewan. The current minimum wage is $11.45. There have been 13 increases to the minimum wage, for a total increase of over 48 per cent, since 2007.

PAGE 24 Thursday, June 10, 2021 MERIDIAN SOURCE 306-825-5111 admin@meridansource.ca

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Obituaries & Memoriams

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Thursday, June 10, 2021

Obituaries & Memoriams

ANTHONY CASPER CLENDENING Beloved Nephew, we miss you Love Uncle & Aunt

LAVERTY: Doris Elaine Laverty passed away at Lloydminster Continuing Care Centre, Lloydminster, Alberta, May 30, 2021, at the age of 97 years. Doris was born to Peter and Anna Powers on the family farm near Marsden, Saskatchewan on December 8, 1923. As the sixth of seven children, she had many fond memories of her early years, learning the value of hard work and the enjoyment of living a simple life on the farm with a close and loving family. In 1943, while teaching school in Senlac, Saskatchewan, she met and married Wesley Laverty. They resided in Chauvin, Alberta for many years where they had their three children, Gary, Karen and Dennis. In 1963, the family moved to Lloydminster to start a new business venture which was Lloydminster Car Sales. For many years, Doris worked part-time at Lloydminster Co-op Ladies Wear and was also a very active member in her church, The Community of Christ, where she met many lifelong friends.

Doris spent much of her life giving and volunteering in many different capacities, such as cook in the kitchen at Church camps and Kid's Cancer camps; playing piano and organ for Church for 50 years; leading Kid's Choir; assisting children with reading skills at different elementary schools; tutoring for ESL students; cooking for Loaves and Fishes community meal; as well as helping in any way she could with any cause that was near and dear to her. Her greatest passion in life was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was Grandmother to many as she had a love for all children and had special connections with so many kids throughout her years. After Wes was diagnosed with Kidney failure and traveling to Edmonton and Saskatoon 156 times per year for Dialysis, she realized that fighting for a Dialysis machine was a necessity for this area and worked tirelessly to make it a reality. Today the Lloydminster Hospital can boast a very successful Dialysis program and Doris was immensely proud to have played a part in that achievement. Wes passed away after 51 years of marriage, and in 2002 Doris married her long-time friend, Morris Johnstone. They were happily married for 17 years until Morris passed on in 2019.

Doris suffered her later years from Parkinson's Disease and was not able to carry on with the things she valued most, which was tirelessly working and doing for herself and others. Sitting idly by while others worked and did things for her was extremely hard for her to accept as her mind was still so sharp up to the very end. She waited patiently for the day when she would be greeted and ushered to the place that God had prepared for her, and that she was worthy of. Doris is survived by: her children, Karen Passmore and Dennis (Bernice) Laverty; her grandchildren, Shannon (Kevin) Eger and their children, Kyla (Shawn) Van Meter, (Cash and Mya), and Kelsey Eger (Brett Chambers), (Macy); Dana (Lori) Passmore and their children, Kayla and Sarah; Darlis (Avery) Letwinetz and their children, Emma and Georgia; Shawn (Nancy) Laverty and their children, Costello and Adrain; her great granddaughter, Karlee Laverty (Chris DuPont) and their children, Peyton and Laine; her stepsons, Dan (Eileen) Johnstone and Ray Johnstone and their families; her brother-in-law, Frank (Trudy) Laverty; and many nieces and nephews. Doris was predeceased by her husbands, Wes Laverty and Morris Johnstone; her parents, Peter and Anna Powers; her mother and father-in-law, Frank and Lillian Laverty; her son, Gary Laverty; grandson,

Dean Laverty; great granddaughter, Bailey Passmore; sisters Luella Roys, Ruth Graham and Grace Williams; brothers, Louis, Art and Duane Powers; son-in-law, Bernie Passmore; and daughter-in-law, Dianne Laverty. Doris' family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Lloydminster Continuing Care and Pioneer House for the care and love they have shown for the past several years. She was so very fond of many of the staff and cared about them like her family. We all know she had her "favorites" who reciprocated the love right back to her and we are eternally grateful that during this past year when her family could not be by her side, that she had those people in her life every day. Thank You: Karen Passmore, Dennis & Bernice Laverty, Shannon & Kevin Eger, Dana & Lori Passmore, Darlis & Avery Letwinetz, Shawn & Nancy Laverty and families. A public viewing was held on Thursday, June 3, 2021 from 11:00 AM until 12:00 PM at McCaw Funeral Chapel, Lloydminster, Alberta. A Private Family Service in memory of Doris followed. Donations in memory of Doris may be made to Lloydminster Regional Health Foundation-Dialysis Unit or donor's charity of choice.

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June 3 Answers

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June 3 Answers

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