Meridian Source - March 7, 2024

Aalbers joins call to halt crime index

Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers is one of several elected officials in Western Canada claiming the release of annual Crime Severity Index (CSI) rankings is harmful.

He and leaders from 11 cities in the four western provinces held a conference in Saskatoon last Thursday to formally request Statistics Canada immediately halt publishing CSI rankings until they consult with smaller communities and Indigenous leaders.

The bone of contention is the belief CSI rankings are misleading, scare away business investment and recruitment, promote racial bias and create the misconception of high crime rates by the public and media.

In a joint news statement, delegates said by driving away investment and recruitment and creating fear and division, this CSI statistic perpetuates the very trends it reports on.

“Theses reports published by Statistics Canada are detrimental to communities, First Nations communities— many communities throughout Western Canada represented here today as well as many others,” said Aalbers, who addressed the media on behalf of delegates.

“The Crime Severity Index challenges us on many fronts.”

The delegates, however; consented to the release of weighted CSI data only to its initially-intended recipients – police services of jurisdiction, which will use and properly interpret the data for police matters and resource deployment.

“We learned what the CSI was intended for and the unintended consequences today,” said Aalbers.

Under Statistics Canada’s current reporting system, North Battleford has the highest CSI in Canada, but delegates argue if the 10,000 population threshold is removed, that city would be ranked as number 16 on a list of RCMP detachment areas in Saskatchewan only.

This does not include other smaller communities across Canada in other provinces.

North Battleford Mayor David Gillan, who led the conference, said part of the issues plaguing his community is the general lack of understanding by the public and the media as it relates to the statistical calculations.

Gillan questions why smaller communities are pitted directly against other larger metropolitan centres when the population number is part of the statistical equation.

“This arbitrary number of reporting data at 10,000 peo -

ple or more is not an indicator of a community’s overall safety,” he said in a statement.

Aalbers noted on an average day, the population of some smaller communities can almost double or triple due to their hub effect.

He says compared to larger centres like Toronto, smaller communities out west are not getting a fair shake with the numbers across the country.

Sweetgrass First Nation Chief, Lori Whitecalf, said the annual release of the Crime Severity Index results in its

own victimization of First Nations peoples.

“The outcome of the CSI causes racism and hateful statements to be directed at First Nations people,” she said.

Whitecalf also challenged the federal government regarding the use of data from her community, which is protected, explaining there is a duty to consult First Nations to include their data in federal statistics, which has not been done.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

Supplied Photo

L-R: Front Row: Prince George City Counc. Trudy Klassen, Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook, North Battleford Mayor David Gillan, Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley, Sweetgrass First Nation Chief Lori Whitecalf, Wetaskiwin Mayor Tyler Granam. L-R, Back Row: Langley Counc. Paul Albrecht, Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, Langley Counc. Delaney Mack, North Battleford Counc. Thomas “Bill” Ironstand, Portage La Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox, Portage La Prairie Counc. Colin Doyle, North Battleford Counc. Kelli Hawtin, Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland.

Male in stolen motorhome arrested in Mannville

On Feb. 26 at 9 a.m., Kitscoty RCMP received a report of a break and enter to a business on Auto Road in Kitscoty. Upon investigation, it was determined at some point between Feb. 23 to Feb. 25, an Ambassador Motorhome valued at $220,000 was stolen.

On Feb. 27, 2024, the motorhome was observed driving between Vermilion, Kitscoty and Lloydminster. Police attempted to pull over the motorhome on multiple occasions but were unsuccessful as it failed to stop and continued driving to avoid police apprehension.

Vermillion RCMP were conducting patrols in attempts to locate the motorhome when a tip was received from the public it was in Mannville.

At 9:30 p.m. coordination of the Lloydminster General Investigations Section, Lloydminster Police Dog Services, Eastern Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit and Lloydminster, Kitscoty and Vermilion RCMP led to the motorhome being recovered and the arrest of the driver.

As a result of this investigation, Baily Devon Paranteau, 25, resident of Heinsburg, has been charged with Flight from a Peace officer, Possession of stolen property over $5,000 and Failure to comply x3.

Whitecalf says this CSI indexing undermines reconciliation and is a step backward.

Aalbers says the next step for the group is to form a working group with that task in progress.

“The City of Thompson Manitoba will be leading that group to start with and we will be working on some strategies moving forward to ensure our message is presented very clearly to Ottawa,” he said.

At the time of his arrest, Paranteau was also charged with multiple criminal code offences out of Lloydminster for failing to comply, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and flight from a peace officer. These offences occurred between Feb. 22, to Feb. 28 in the Lloydminster area.

Paranteau was also charged with multiple criminal code offences out of Kitscoty from Feb. 23 in relation to a break and enter to the Islay Fire Hall and theft of a fire truck. The truck has since been recovered and returned to the Fire Hall. Charges are as follows:

- Fail to comply x5;

- Theft of motor vehicle out; and

- Break and enter.

A Judicial Interim release hearing was held for Parenteau where he was remanded in custody. He is to appear next on Mar. 4 at the Albert Court of Justice in Vermillion.

“Offenders such as these cause repeated harm to the rural communities across Alberta, tie up significant police resources and repeatedly victimize the public,” said Sgt. Corey Buckingham, Commanding Officer of the Vermilion RCMP Detachment. “Great work to the multiple detachments and sections that aided in the arrest of this offender.”

Aalbers noted the group will also be reaching out to fellow communities that are on that CSI list in the top 20 (rankings) to ask for their support.

“There was a lot of support—some were not able to be here today in Saskatoon in person, but we want to restore their confidence someone is listening and we are going to work collaboratively together to make this move forward,” added Aalbers.

Delegates acknowl -

edged Statistics Canada recognized the current ranking of CSI statistics is unintentionally harming the communities on the list.

Statistics Canada officials in attendance were able to present and outline how statistics are calculated to the attendees but were not authorized to provide an official comment on the group’s assertions that the publication of this list is systemically biased against Indigenous peoples.

CSI FROM PAGE 1

Local students get mail

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

A Facebook post has started a ripple effect of kindness, and a unique learning opportunity at Father Gorman School.

Grade 2 teacher Lori Bender said she’s ‘ecstatic’ with the response and kindness shown by people near and far.

Earlier this year, she made the post asking families, friends and fellow teachers to help out the class with the ‘Hearts Around the World’ program.

The post included the school address and the goal was to get valentines from each of the provinces and territories and maybe even some other countries.

“The kids love it. Every single day, opening the mail. They’re so excited to go down, check the mail, bring the mail back and then see where all of our messages are from,” said Bender.

“I’m actually in awe about all the places that have sent mail and have shown so much kindness to us.”

The class has received mail from as far away as

Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and New Zealand.

“They’ve taken the time to sit down, and they’ve written full-on letters to us telling our class about their community. They’ve sent us USBs with things about their culture,” said Bender, adding her students are now reciprocating the kindness by making their own postcards and sending them out to different schools.

“It just warms my heart to know this is happening in my classroom but also all around; we’re trying to spread that kindness, too.”

Bender said when she made the post she didn’t know what kind of reception she’d get, but it’s obvious the reception was great. The class is still receiving letters nearly a month after Valentine’s Day.

“I had over 400 shares and then I sent it out to my families who shared with their families and the cards started to flood in, kind of before Valentine’s Day, and they just keep coming,” said Bender.

“Our class is just overwhelmed with all of the support we’ve gotten.

We probably get 20ish letters a day. It is awesome. They’re still coming in.”

Some of the letters also came from places close to Lloydminster as well, and she says the class appreciates every letter they get.

“Even people in places close to Lloydminster have taken the time to send out messages to us and our class,” said Bender.

“I’m very overwhelmed with the amount of people that have taken the time to just write cards, write a letter, also go to the post office and mail it.”

Bender said students will continue to check the mail every day and she’ll continue to have the students mark the origin of the mail on their map, teaching them about the various locations and cultures.

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

Father Gorman Grade 2 students Kezina George and Jinclirub Lin take their turn to check the school mailbox for letters addresses to their class. Mail has been pouring in since the beginning of February, with an average of 20 letters per day.

Collectors to mine Border City exhibits

There could be some valuable finds at this year’s Border City Collectors 30th show and sale.

The show is set to go ahead at the WLS Convention Centre March 8-9 with more reasons than ever for collectors of all ages to show up.

Collectors are still

buzzing over the recent news a Regina family discovered and sold a case of unopened boxes of 1979 O-Pee-Che hockey cards for more than $5 million with an unknown number of Wayne Gretzky rookie cards in the mix.

Some Gretzky NHL rookie cards have sold for $3.75 million, prompting Border City

show chair, Brad Bogucky, to declare that’s half the joy of attending the collectors show.

“You never know what something may be worth someday. If you get a find like that, it’s once-in-a-lifetime,” he said.

“There’s probably some people ripping their houses apart. I’m a coin collector. I don’t

think I’ll have to worry about hitting anything that big.”

Bogucky says he doesn’t have any exhibitors who dabble only in cards lined up, but notes the toy market is really strong in Canada and the United States.

Farm toys, construction toys, dolls and coins will be among the mix at the Lloyd show.

“There’s lots of expensive toys; there’s probably some expensive currency coins,” said Bogucky.

“There’s new collectors coming to the hobby and old ones that are still kicking around. Things should be great—as long as the weather cooperates, we should be fine.”

In fact, there will be more exhibitors than normal this year with more than 100 tables booked.

Bogucky chalks up a strong interest in collectables to nostalgia and the business of collecting.

“We’ve got a guy from Edmonton that’s coming now. He’s quit his regular job and he does collecting full time.

“There seems to be a bit of rekindled interest in collecting and there’s a few guys that are actually going to retire and get rid of their stuff.”

Committee member, Don Whiting, says last year’s show was put on right after a fire at the WLS centre and it still pulled in a lot of exhibitors and visitors.

“The hobby is still active, I can tell you that much,” said Whiting.

Admission is just $5 with children 12 and under free and a family rate of $15, with proceeds going to the Barr Colony Museum Foundation and other charities, including Pleasantview Bible Camp.

The doors will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

“My guess is, there

will be lineups,” said Whiting.

“With these kinds of shows, you never know what to expect until you get there. That’s what makes them interesting.”

With the O-Pee-Chee brand hockey card sale in mind, Whiting says it’s just the builtin nature of people to be curious about what something is worth that they’ve found at home.

“You just never know. That would make it exciting to say we had a package of Gretzky hockey cards,” he said.

Whiting says from his experience, what’s hot one year might not be the same next year.

“It’s just the way it’s always been. What was hot one time may not be hot next year. What was hot last year, you might not even be able to find this year,” he said.

“I’ve been in the hobby for quite a few years and you sure see the changes come and go.”

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

This year’s Border City Collectors Show is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. Source File Photo

Online survey asks important questions

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Lloydminster Sexual Assault Services (LSAS) recently launched a survey.

The goal of the online community assessment is to find out what Lloydminster teens and parents need in terms of support, in these highly tech-oriented times.

“What we’re noticing over the past couple of years, especially with COVID, is an increase in online harassment. Lots of hours focused on tech and social media. Increase in pornography usage at younger ages, showing pornography to friends—those kinds of things,” said LSAS community initiatives director Heather Sinfield.

“We first wanted to hear what kids and parents needed or what they felt could be helpful, or what are some of the barriers to having these conversations.”

The survey will support future funding for program development that will be free and accessible for families.

“Our goal is to find out what Lloydminster families need ... and how our team can support them in the future by showing up effectively or having a website or resources or programs that people can access,” said Sinfield.

The project has been in the making for over

a year. LSAS found out they received the funding last spring and they began by putting together an advisory committee of 18 people.

“That advisory committee consists of community members, parents themselves, folks that front-line work with youth—so the sexual assault centre, the youth centre, mental health and addictions, we’ve got both the public and Catholic school divisions on board with us,” said Sinfield, adding those on the committee put together the survey questions.

“We reviewed those and went through them over and over again to make sure we were correcting what we wanted to and wording it in a way that was really accessible. We went through ethics board approval in the

fall, once all that was finalized and got our approval in December.”

The survey launched on Feb. 1st, and is divided into two categories. One for youth aged 10-21, and one for parents. It is anonymous, and takes an average of 5-7 minutes to complete.

“We do have a research team of four individuals, and they will be teaming up to review all of the data in April and writing a community recommendations report,

and that will be used to secure future funding for project development,” explained Sinfield.

“The hope is we’ll publish that report and put it on the website so people can actually go and read it if they’re interested in knowing more.”

The online survey, funded by the Community Services Recovery Fund and the Lloydminster & District United Way, is available at lloydyouth.com until March 31. 24032KK0

File Photo

Casino donation benefits the hungry

The non-profit is over the moon after receiving a timely $10,000 donation last Thursday from the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) and Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster.

“We’re very excited. This time of the year is always a bit of a struggle. Our donations are down in between seasons and we are just very grateful for their support,” said The Olive Tree’s chief operations officer, Jana Thompson.

The funds with be used to buy food and go toward general operations.

support before for it, but now they are asking for it,” said Thompson.

The Olive Tree distributed 7,528 hampers in 2023 to help feed families and individuals in need. They also had more than 23,600 program visits last year.

“With the uptick and the actual decrease in food donations coming in, this cheque for $10,000 will go toward the food bank being able to distribute that,” said Thompson.

really exciting.”

Pat Cook, who is SIGA’s vice-president of corporate affairs, drove in from Saskatoon to explain how the donation to The Olive Tree came about.

“As a non-profit, 100 per cent of our profit goes back to the communities where we live and work in Saskatchewan,” said Cook.

wondering how to meet the demand for food at this time of the year when supplies run

Thompson says The Olive Tree has seen an increase in the past six months for food requests, hampers, or bulk food distribution to other programming in the city as money is tight.

“The cost of living is higher now. You see families that may not have needed

Gold Horse and SIGA also recognize the demand for food in Lloydminster as another opportunity to give back to the communities they serve with casinos.

“There’s such a need right now with the rising costs for everybody,” said Gold Horse general manager, Justina Sather.

“This opportunity to give back to The Olive Tree is

“The donation today is part of SIGA’s Community Investments Food Security Strategy with SIGA donating $225,000 to food banks and food programming across Saskatchewan this year. So we are really pleased with that.”

Cook noted 25 per cent of all casino net revenue from SIGA casino operations flows to Community Development Corporations.

“We reinvest that back into the local community,” said Cook.

The Body Shop files for bankruptcy, Lloyd shop closing

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

The Body Shop in the LloydMall will be clos -

ing its doors shortly. A sign posted at the Lloydminster store reads, “Goodbye for

now, thank you for shopping with us today. The last day to shop: March 23, 2024. We do ask to be kind.”

The local retail outlet is one of 33 stores in Canada that will close after the global beauty

brand, The Body Shop Canada Ltd., filed for bankruptcy protection.

The Body Shop and the Lloyd Mall did not respond to our request for comment.

The Body Shop announced Friday it

will start liquidating nearly a third of its 105 stores, with roughly half of them in Ontario. All of the Canadian stores remain open, but online sales via Canada’s ecommerce stores have stopped.

The closures in Canada follow the commencement of administration proceedings in the United Kingdom by its parent company.

The Body Shop US Ltd. ceased operations on March 1.

City awarded for wastewater plant

The City of Lloydminster is flush with pride.

Lloyd is one of four winners of the 17th annual Saskatchewan Municipal Awards for its new wastewater treatment facility.

Lloydminster won the award for top municipal initiative demonstrating excellence in municipal infrastructure, cooperation, and addressing community needs.

The winning projects

were selected by the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards Committee which reviewed 20 nominations, submitted on behalf of 28 municipalities.

The committee chose Lloyd’s project for creating a new multijurisdictional, bi-provincial wastewater treatment plant requiring collaboration from leaders in all levels of government.

The committee notes the treatment plant

results in improved quality of treated effluent entering the North Saskatchewan River and achieved a fair agreement that benefited residents of both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Each year, the awards committee includes partners from the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA)

among others.

Other project awards went to the Town of Outlook and RM of Rudy, the Town of Assiniboia, and the RM of Prince Albert.

This year’s award winners will be highlighted in ceremonies at the upcoming SARM and SUMA Conventions in Regina on March 13 and April 16 respectively.

Winner videos will be available on April 17 at www.youtube.com/@ SaskMunicipalAwards.

The Olive Tree is no longer walking on eggshells

low.

Geoff Lee Meridian Source Gold Horse Casino general manager, Justina Sather, left, shakes hands with The Olive Tree, COO, Jana Thompson, following a joint presentation of a $10,000 donation from SIGA and the casino to the Lloyd nonprofit on Thursday. Pat Cook, SIGA’s vice president of corporate affairs, explained their food security program in Saskatchewan.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

Rowswell updates Rotary on files

The Rotary Club of Lloydminster topped up on the Alberta hydrogen file this week.

That was the mission of Vermilion-LloydminsterWainwright MLA, Garth Rowswell, in his presentation at the club’s Monday luncheon.

“I’m going to focus on hydrogen and our opportunities in the States,” said Rowswell as a member of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region.

PNWER brings reps together from the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho, the three most western provinces, two territories and the Yukon in Canada.

One of its goals is to find ways to provide sustainable energy for North America to fuel economic recovery and create a low-carbon future.

“We meet once a month and talk about joint policies and concerns and it’s been a blast. As part of that is the hydrogen file,” said Rowswell.

Alberta is the largest hydrogen producer in Canada with about 2.5 million tonnes of hydrogen a year from various production methods.

“We’re way ahead of everybody else on this hydrogen file. The message we took down was, if you want to go to hydrogen, we can supply it,” said Rowswell.

He said Washington, in particular, is focused on green hydrogen produced by wind and solar, but the fourmember Alberta contingent is hoping they will consider blue hydrogen from Alberta.

Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas with carbon dioxide as a byproduct, but both types currently carry a hefty price tag.

Garth says hydrogen requires high-pressure pipelines that could cost up to $40 billion to build.

“It’s a ways away, this kind of stuff,” he said.

The $1.6 billion Air Products Hydrogen Production and Liquefaction Facility under construction near Edmonton will use hydrogen from captured carbon dioxide for industrial purposes, but not for transportation, electricity and heat.

“There’s some real challenges there just from a cost perspective,” said Rowswell.

“This is not a cakewalk, you need a special engine to burn it and infrastructure like filling stations. There’s some weaknesses, but if hydrogen is the way people want to go we can help them.”

He noted there has been some interest in Alberta’s natural gas from Germany, where Rowswell and fel -

low MLA Shane Getson visited last summer to look at their energy transition plans focused on wind, solar and hydrogen.

In 2022, Canada signed a non-binding agreement to sell wind-generated green

hydrogen from the east coast to Germany with exports starting in 2025.

That’s since been delayed as customers need more time to develop special infrastructure to handle the product.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

Geoff Lee Meridian Source Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright MLA Garth Rowswell touched on many subjects, notably Alberta’s hydrogen market, at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch.

Gym team California dreamin’

Six local competitive gymnasts returned from the California Grand Invitational with some new hardware.

Explosion Gymnastics competitive gymnastics coach Siiri Miller said she was impressed with the

way the girls performed at the international competition.

“It was a very big competition, you had clubs coming from Canada and all over the States and Mexico,” explained Miller.

“So, the girls had the chance to be competing in a very big competition against a lot of other athletes. They had a lot of fun,” she said, adding they had a chance to check out

Disneyland while they were in Anaheim, as well.

“I thought they did very well, it was our first meet of the year and it was earlier than usual. Usually, our meets start in mid-February, and this was in January,” said Miller.

The competition took place from Jan. 14 to 16, to be exact.

“They did really well, they held their own. They all came home with some medals, and we had one girl place first on vault. So overall it was a really really good competition,” said Miller, adding one of the event organizers is Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden.

“So that was pretty cool, I got to chat with her a bit,” she said.

For one of the athletes, it was her first time in a level-five competition. For some of the others, it was their second year at level five, and some of

them were competing at level six or seven.

“It was a little bit different than our normal ones (competitions) … there was like four different things going on at the same time,” said gymnast Araeya Stephan.

“I don’t remember all of them (what she placed in), but I got first on vault, fifth on bars.”

Stephan’s teammate Noelle Chan also did well at the event.

“It was good. It was super big and it was pretty fun. I got third all around,” said Chan, adding her favourite part of gymnastics is spending time with her teammates.

The team will be back on the road this winter and into the spring with competitions throughout Alberta.

“We’re hoping to do another travel competition possibly next year,” said Miller.

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

The Explosion Gymnastics competitive team recently took a trip south to attend the California Grand Invitational. From left: Abigail Frazer, Alexia Reece, Noelle Chan, Jordyn Look, Annabelle Falk and Araeya Stephan.

Investor watchdog on the job

Residents looking to invest during tax season can take comfort in knowing the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) has their backs to protect them from fraud.

CIRO is the national self-regulatory organization that oversees all investment dealers, mutual fund dealers and trading activity on Canada’s debt and equity marketplaces.

One of its roles is to investigate possible misconduct by its member firms and individual registrants.

The Source previously reported the investment watchdog penalized Guy Edward Dudding, a former Lloydminster Investors Group branch manager for several proven vio -

ROWSWELL FROM PAGE 7

Rowswell says Germany has expressed interest in Alberta’s (liquified) natural gas, but it may be too expensive to fly.

“We need to get a pipeline somewhere,” said Rowswell.

Anther issue of interest to Alberta, that popped up at PNWER is the possible spread of quagga mussels found in the Columbia river basin in Idaho.

This invasive species native to Russia and Ukraine could end up in Alberta waters with devastating impacts to fisheries.

Tourism spinoffs from the 2026 FIFA World Cup have also been

lations after a disciplinary hearing in December 2021.

CIRO also provides tips to investors on its website to prevent similar violations including three things you should never do with your own investment advisor.

These include never lending money to your advisor, as CIRO noted was one of the allegations of misconduct in its Lloydminster investigation.

CIRO rules prevent advisors from asking for or accepting a loan from a client. If an advisor ever asks you for a loan, or if you have lent money to an advisor in the past, you should report this fact to the advisor’s firm immediately says CIRO.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

looked at by PWNER members.

“With FIFA coming in to Seattle and Vancouver, they’re talking about how to take advantage of that,” said Rowswell.

“We’ve got a person that sits on the tourism council to try to get some secondary trips to Alberta.”

On Alberta’s new 2024 budget, Rowswell said despite a projected surplus of $367 million this fiscal year, the province still has to borrow $2.4 billion money to meet budgetary requirements.

“We haven’t been able to fund a contribution to the (Lloydminster) Cenovus Energy Hub,” he said.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

File Photo

Thursday, March 7, 2024

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

Border Banter with Benoit-Leipert: The evolution of modern dating

The MERIDIAN SOURCE is published once a week, on Thursday.

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

Editor

Taylor Weaver taylor@meridiansource.ca

Staff Writer

Geoff Lee geoff@meridiansource.ca

Staff Writer Jeannette Benoit Leipert jeannette@meridiansource.ca

Marketing Consultant

Cory Harvie cory@meridiansource.ca

Marketing Consultant

Andrea Allen andrea@meridiansource.ca

Marketing Consultant

Bailey Keebaugh bailey@meridiansource.ca

Publisher: Reid Keebaugh

Production Manager: Amanda Richard

Distribution: distribution@meridiansource.ca

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING admin@meridiansource.ca

NEWSPAPER DELIVERY

If you’ve missed a paper, to start or stop delivery, or for carrier applications, please call 306-825-5111 for information.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We welcome letters to the editor. Letters should be 500 words or less. A name and daytime phone number is required for verification. Priority will be given to letters exclusively written for the Meridian Source. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, spelling, grammar, punctuation and libel. Unsigned letters will not be published. Use of pseudonyms will only be allowed in special circumstances, at the discretion of the editor and the publisher, and only if the author’s identity is known to the editor. Publication of a letter does not imply endorsement by the Meridian Source. Send to taylor@meridiansource.ca

Hours: 8AM to 5PM Monday to Friday 2017

When I met my husband roughly 18 years ago, it was a simpler time in the dating scene.

We met at a Lloydminster ‘night club’ that many people will remember—The

Kooler. A romantic story from the get-go, right?

I went there on a frigid February night with a group of my best buds to celebrate my friend’s 22nd birthday, and after some dancing and a few shots, a cute man approached me and asked if he could buy me a drink.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Letter to the editor ...

Listening to our teacher’s plight in the classrooms these days, I think back to witnessing a school “shooting.”

Two children were hit. It was talked about for days. The student suspect was grabbed and made to pick up the paper wad, and his rubber-band was confiscated! And he probably got a spanking from his dad when he got home. Imagine being caught chewing bubble gum or something!

Well, times have changed, haven’t they? Teachers today are afraid of the kids AND their mothers instead

of the other way around.

Kids today don’t have to learn if they don’t want to. Can’t fail them, that might hurt their feelings. They don’t have to obey rules if they don’t want to. And if they don’t get their own way they have temper-tantrums.

But they can’t read. They can’t write. And they couldn’t subtract two from four. I walked into a Tim’s a while back and the computers were down.

I ordered a large coffee, $1.95 then, and gave the young lady a $5 bill. Well, she played with her fair for a

while, and her earring.

Finally, I had to tell her what change to give me!

But this isn’t the kid’s fault. Look at some of these mothers out there … no clue how to raise a child. But, their mothers had no clue, either!

At a rally in Saskatoon one young woman held a sign that read “Parents do NOT own their kids.” That just happens to be number four on the Marxist list of ideology (agenda).

“It’s the teachers’ responsibility to raise my kids, not mine,” say the Marxist mothers these days. You say ‘where are the fathers

in this?’ Are you kidding? Fathers?

On well, let’s just throw more money at it. That will fix everything! No it won’t. I know what should be done, but that would be deemed ‘radical.’ Interesting that the problems in our schools seemed to have started the day they outlawed the Lord’s Prayer, and the crosses of Christ. Just a coincidence I guess. Or, is it?

- Ross Hingston, Landis, Sask

Rotary Dream Vacation winners

Draw # 1 – Wisconsin Dells, Family Trip – Tammy Shopland, Draw # 2 – Los Cabo, Mexico Adults Getaway – Cory Edwards, Draw # 3 – Park City, Utah – Ski Trip – Robin Ross, Draw # 4 – Montego Bay, Jamaica –Neal Beznoska, Draw # 5 – Victoria Romantic Getaway – Lisa Miller, Draw # 6 – Nashville, Tennessee – Erin Rommel, Draw # 7 – Napa Valley, California – Carolyn Gawalko, Draw # 8 – Niagara-on-the-Lake – Mindy Savage, Draw # 9 - Jasper – Kelly Mykyt

Leeway from Lloyd: Puck charity game a win-win

STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

The 12-hour Play it Forward charity game, to be played at the Servus Sports Centre, is shaping up to be one of the best community fundraising events on the spring calendar.

The puck drops at 9 a.m. on April 19 with the game ending at 9 p.m.

The charity game is the brainchild of Aaron Buckingham who knows what makes Lloydminster tick is the love for hockey and supporting the community.

In a eureka moment three years ago, he envisioned a charity hockey game that would combine both passions for a great cause to raise funds for Border City Connects.

The non-profit organization buys and operates a fleet of Border City Express buses that provide transportation services to the resi -

We talked until the lights came on. He lent me his coat, and I gave him my number so he could get his coat back.

The rest is history.

We now have five kids, some who are looking for the same connection we found that fateful winter night.

dents of Lloydminster and area who have special needs or mobility issues.

They also take residents to out-of-town medical appointments in Saskatoon, Edmonton and points in between with a fleet of CareAvans.

This year’s Play it Forward game aims to raise $70,000 to replace a high-use CareAvan with over 400,000 kilometres on it.

A tip of the hat also goes to Border City’s executive director, Glenn Fagnan for teaming up with Play it Forward as a main funder to keep this unique service rolling.

I have taken the van ride myself for two return trips to North Battleford and nothing beats it for cost and convenience.

The volunteer drivers pick you up at your door and bring you back for a suggested donation of $130 for trips to the two big cities and smaller donations for shorter-distance rides.

Our oldest boy (22) met his long-time girlfriend in high school. They were friends at first and it blossomed into something more.

Our second oldest (also 22) met his fiancé online a few years ago and they are currently planning their wedding!

So, twin brothers

Those who use the service regularly get to know the drivers well and they will often stop for a coffee break or lunch.

When you mention the service to other communities, they are amazed it exists. It is partly funded by

met their matches in two totally different ways. Our middle son is 20 and working his butt off on the drilling rigs, so he doesn’t have a lot of time for dating online or in person. He has so much potential, and so much time to find the right girl! Who even really knows who

Lloydminster users and supporters including those who lace up for the Play it Forward game. Each player is required to raise a minimum of $500 to register, but most go well beyond that and have come to learn the value of volun -

they are at 20, right?

Our only daughter is 16 and recently announced that she’s been ‘talking’ (which really means snapchatting) with a friend from school for awhile and he asked her out. Her father had a different reaction to this than I did, as you can probably imagine.

teerism to make Lloyd a better place. Fans can do their part by donating to any player listed on the Border City Connects website or donating at the game itself. This is one of those win-win situations that benefit a lot of people.

So, they met in person first, went to school together for years and an online app drew them closer.

Our youngest son is 14 and is probably learning a lot about dating from his siblings. At this point, he might be a bit confused. Hell, I’m pretty confused myself.

There’s no right way to meet your person, but there sure are a lot of options these days.

I’m grateful I met mine in 2006, face-toface, even if it was at a bar.

If you’re dating in 2024 I wish you luck. Keep your phone on, but keep your head up, too!

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, meetings and live music

Legacy Supper/Dance

The Legacy Centre is hosting a supper and dance tomorrow night. Doors open and dancin’ at 5 p.m., supper is at 6 p.m., then dance to the tunes of “Memory Lane.” Cost is $25/person. Advanced tickets only! Please purchase tickets by noon, today. Contact the Legacy office at 780-875-4584 for more details.

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 six-hour 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 780-581-0570.

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).

Lashburn Crib Tourney

The Lashburn Senior’s Centre is hosting a 19 crib tournament on March 11. 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 306821-2457.

Lions Club Membership Drive

The Lloydminster Lions Club is hosting a membership drive on March 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Legacy Centre’s boardroom. Find out what it means to be a Lion. This is an invitation to embark on that journey of innovation and inspiration with being a part of the Lloydminster Lions Club. Drop by for refreshments and conversation on how to feel like a million bucks by being a part of a community-minded service club.

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!

Islay Jamboree

There will be a Jamboree on March 17 at 1 p.m. in the Islay Community Hall. Admission $15, participants free. Everyone welcome. Lunch served. For more info call Dixie at 780-744-2204.

Moose Breakfast

The Lloydminster Moose Lodge, located at 5213 - 57 Street, is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast on March 17. Members eat for $10, non-members for $13. Kids ages six-12 eat for $5, and six

and under eat for free.

Spades Tourney

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

Walking Through Grief Society AGM

The Walking Through Grief Society is hosting

their AGM on March 25 at 7 p.m. in the Kitscoty Community Church (lower hall north door), located at 5014–51 Ave. Everyone is welcome to come and learn what the Society has done in 2023.

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

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 halfway-point 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.

69th Annual Lea Park Rodeo

The 69th Annual Lea Park Rodeo will be held on June 7 at 6:30 p.m. and June 8-9 at 1 p.m. with the dance in the Marwayne Arena to follow at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Win a 2024 Dodge 3/4 Ton – Truck tickets are $100. Call 780205-9010 or 306-821-6352 for more details.

Hotel California

at The Vic Juba

VaughnCo Entertainment is excited to bring the original Eagles tribute, Hotel California, to the Vic Juba Commu -

nity 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 780-872-7400 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!

TURN THOSE CLOCKS BACK!

Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 10 at 2 a.m. local time this year. Observers will set their clocks forward, or “spring ahead,” by one hour. March 19 marks the first day of spring.

Hidden Creek 4-H club report

JENNA McCONNELL CLUB REPORTER

Last September, Hidden Creek 4-H met at Lakeland College for our first monthly meeting. This year we have sheep, canine, light horse, archery, exploring 4-H and food projects.

In November, we held our annual dog walkathon to raise money for “The Gift of Christmas“ in Lloydminster. We raised over $2,000 and had a lot of fun shopping. We took the gifts to Willow Creek for wrapping and distribution to kids in need.

WATCHDOG FROM PAGE 9

We ended 2023 with our Christmas party at the Holiday Inn. We enjoyed a potluck supper, swimming and crafts.

On Feb. 11, we had our annual public speaking day at Lakeland College. We are

They also warn investors never to name their advisor as their power of attorney or an executor in their will because it is contrary to CIRO rules and may place your advisor in a significant conflict of interest.

You should also never name your advisor as a beneficiary of your will as this may also put your advisor in a significant conflict of interest.

When selecting a person to act under a power of attorney or as an executor, or naming a beneficiary of your will, it is best to consult with a lawyer or another professional who deals in estate matters.

working on our projects to display on Achievement Day on May 11. Hidden Creek will also be participating in the 4-H Expo at the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds from June 1-3. Hope to see you there!

CIRO also advises investors to never sign a blank or incomplete form.

Signing a blank form can pose similar risks to signing a blank cheque, which is something most Canadians would never do.

There are instances where blank signed forms have been used for unauthorized trading and fraud.

The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) has also produced a series of videos on protecting yourself from investment frauds and scams, several of which involve seniors and retirement.

Visit their YouTube page to watch the videos.

Supplied Photo

WISEST women mentor students

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Science was the subject at École Sans-Frontière, as female Grade 6 students had the opportunity to learn from University of Alberta (U of A) female scientists.

They connected virtu-

ally during an interactive session via the U of A’s WISEST (women in scholarship, engineering, science, and technology) initiative.

“This is an activity for Grade 6 girls and it’s to get them interested in a career in science, technology, and engineer -

ing,” said teacher Sylvie Bertrand, who led the science activities at the school.

“Just this morning we built a prosthetic hand, and we had someone who works at the U of A building prosthetic hands, talk about her work,” said Ber -

“They took us through the different steps of how to make it and the one presenter did have a real prosthetic hand and showed us when you pull on things, how it moves.”

Grade 6 student Abigail Butt said she enjoyed the presentation.

“Some people use hooks instead of actual hand-like prosthetics, I thought that was pretty interesting.”

She said if she were to pursue a career in science, she’d like to study ‘animals, plants, and space’.

for a draw for a pizza lunch,” said Bertrand, adding the deadline to send in the project was March 1.

École Sans-Frontière, was originally opened under the francophone board in Saskatchewan but was transferred to the Alberta francophone board in 2015. They have 15 students enrolled from both sides of the border, in Grades K-12.

trand, adding it was a great interactive activity, where the students could ask questions.

The hands the girls made weren’t made of the same materials as a real prosthetic, but they were engineered similarly, using straws, yarn and other craft supplies.

Following the presentation in the morning, the young scientists along with other Grade 6 girls who registered across Alberta, were tasked with building a mini cooler out of specific supplies with the final project being looked at by a WISEST rep.

“And so everyone is going to send in their best design and somebody will be entered

“This is the only French language school here in Lloydminster. The rest is immersion, and what we see for sure is that the level of French that kids come out with is significantly more fluent, significantly stronger than kids that go through immersion,” said principal Miles Muri.

“And beyond that, there’s also the cultural aspect. We make sure that Christian-Francophone identity is part of what we’re teaching in school.”

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source

Grade 6 students Emaurie, Liviane, and Abigail demonstrate how their crafty prosthetic hands work during a full day of science-based learning and activities, hosted virtually by U of A scientists.

Rustlers hockey on to round two

There’s a first time for everything.

That was the case for the Apex Automation Lakeland College Rustlers women’s ice hockey team as they continued to make program history last weekend, defeating the SAIT Trojans in the first round of Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) playoffs.

It was standingroom-only at the Russ Robertson as the Rustlers hosted the best-ofthree series, with everything coming down to the wire on Sunday afternoon for Game 3.

The Trojans got the W on Friday with a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 1 before the Rustlers redeemed themselves on Saturday night with a 3-1 win. It was do-or-die for Sunday afternoon’s Game 3 with the Rustlers closing out the series with a big 4-2 win over the Trojans.

The Rustlers start their gold-medal series against the NAIT Ooks this Friday at the Russ for a 7 p.m. puck drop.

Despite the excitement following Sunday’s win, the Rustlers had a tough start to the series, one head coach Morgan Mann explained could have been devastating.

“Not to sound cliché, but Friday night’s game

was a tough one for us,” said Mann. “We had two goals called back that we thought were good goals … and when a team ties it up with .06 seconds left in the game, those ones can set you back.”

Mann was, however, proud of how the girls responded to the loss to come back and win Game 2.

“That speaks to the resiliency of our group and the character in that room. They stuck together and kept a good energy about themselves, and that’s what you have to do. That’s playoff hockey, and even in this game, it was tense all the way through,” he said.

This may only be the Rustlers’ second season in the ACAC after completing their first year in the Alberta Female Junior Hockey League, but they’ve quickly become one of the most formidable teams in the ACAC.

For second-year forward, Hailey Carothers, who scored one goal on Saturday and two on Sunday, getting past the first round of playoffs was a year in the making.

“We’re pumped. After losing out in the first round last year, this was our redemption season, so we’re really happy to get past that first round,” she said, adding anger fuelled her

throughout Game 3 to help get the win.

For linemate Darby Robertson, the work is just beginning.

“It’s our first time playing and winning in the playoffs as a program, now in its second year, so it’s pretty amazing,” she said. “Everyone’s pretty hyped up, but we still have to keep our focus and get ready for the next series.”

After Friday’s loss, Robertson noted the team’s focus and love for each other played a big factor in the win.

“We really lift each other up, and in between periods and on the bench, our positivity and efforts keep everybody up,” said Robertson. “We also have to dedicate the win to the fans; we have a packed

barn all the time, they’re hyping us up every chance they get, so we gotta dedicate it to our teammates and fans.”

On the subject of fans, Mann explained the energy in the Russ is unbeatable when it’s packed to the brim.

“It makes it so special for the players, such

a fun environment,” he said.

“That’s the one thing we get from our home rink here, when the fans are right on top of the play, or greeting players coming off the ice, that’s pretty special, and those are the parts of the game our players will remember 15 years from now. It makes

playing in this rink really cool.”

Game 2 will be played at NAIT on Saturday night before the series returns to the Border City next Friday for a 7 p.m. puck drop. If necessary, Game 4 is scheduled for March 16 at NAIT with Game 5 scheduled for March 17 in Lloyd.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Photos

U15 Steelers/Pandas Gold to meet in second round

The U15 AA Richardson Jewellery Steelers are ready for round two.

Playing out of the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL), the Steelers continued their strong season last weekend, besting the North Central Impact in two games to advance to the second round of AFHL playoff action.

Both games were played at the Servus Sports Centre with a 2-0 win on Friday and a 4-0 win on Saturday.

Steelers’ goaltenders Mhairi MacDonald and Jordan Cornet also each recorded a shutout over the weekend, with MacDonald stopping 14 pucks on Friday and Cornet recording 20 stops on Saturday.

The best-of-three second-round of AFHL playoffs will be played at the Servus Sports Centre this weekend with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop on Friday, an 11:30 a.m. start on Saturday, and if needed, a 2 p.m. series-decider on Sunday.

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Top: Steelers forward Addison Moore fights for possession on Saturday at the Servus Sports Centre as the U15 AA Richardson Jewellery Steelers beat the North Central Impact 4-0 in a best-of-three series to close out round one of U15 AA Alberta Female Hockey League playoff action. Bottom: Steelers forward Calla Schlosser moves the puck up ice on Saturday.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

Bandits lead Bisons in second round

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

Bandits goaltender Shae Stewart makes one of 22 saves at the Centennial Civic Centre on Tuesday night as the Bandits hosted the Wainwright Bisons for Game 3 of NEAJBHL playoff action. The Bandits currently lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 being played tonight at the Civic.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

It was an absolute nail-biter as the Lloydminster Bandits took a 2-1 series lead over the Wainwright Bisons in the second round of North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League playoff action (NEAJBHL).

Game 3 was played Tuesday night at the

Centennial Civic Centre with Lloyd’s Jayden Plamondon scoring first at 8:17 in the first. Wainwright was quick to answer with goals from Mason Ganser and Rylan Wieler before the end of the first.

After a scoreless second, Bandits’ captain Joel Webb was able to tie it up at 14:03 in the third.

With the clock winding down, both benches had overtime success in mind, but Bandits defenceman Kade Dennett had other plans and got the game-winning goal with 45 seconds left on the clock.

Despite their efforts, the Bisons wouldn’t equalize, with the win going to the Bandits.

The best-of-seven

wright for Game 5 on Saturday.

Games 6 and 7 are

series kicked off on March 1 with the Bandits taking Game 1 with a 4-3 win. Game 2 was played the following night with the Bisons tying the series with a 3-2 win.

The series remains in the Border City with Game 4 being played tonight at the Civic Centre before heading back to Wain -

scheduled for March 10 in Lloyd and March 12 in Wainwright.

‘Cats complete best run in nearly decade

Wolverines (34-18-4-1).

With a 33-24 record after 57 games, the Lloydminster Junior A Bobcats just completed their best regular season in roughly a decade, finishing second in Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) standings seven points behind the Whitecourt

The ‘Cats wrapped regular season play at the Civic Centre on Saturday night, beating the first-place Wolverines 6-3 in front of a packed barn of roughly 1,300 after besting the Drayton Valley Thunder (1935-2-1) 5-2 the night prior.

According to AJHL

archives, the Bobcats haven’t had this strong a season is almost a decade, something head coach Brad Rihela and general manager Nigel Dube are very pleased with.

“I think the RBC Cup year was the last time the team finished this high in the rankings,” said Rihela.

“It feels really good, and it’s all credit to our players. We had a tough start to the season, but they stuck with it, show up to practice every day, and they’re ready to keep getting better.”

“This is by far the best team we’ve put on the ice in my six seasons being here,” added Dube.

“I think that speaks to what the players have done all year, and they’re being recognized for their capabilities.”

On top of their strong regular-season finish, ‘Cats’ captain, Caden Cabana, recently received the Ernie Love Trophy as this year’s Scoring Champion with 69 points this season.

Cabana averaged 1.3 points per game and has played 140 AJHL regular season games and recorded 117 points in four season. Cabby is also the first Bobcat in franchise history to win the award.

Cabby is also up for Most Valuable Player

and

the Top

Forward Award.

Jack Solomon is up for Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, assistant captain, Blake Setter, is up for Most Dedicated Player, and Rihela is up for Coach of the Year.

Winners of these awards will be announced in the com -

ing weeks, but simply being nominated was a nice feather in the cap to end the regular season.

“Cabby’s leadership ability is amazing, and everyone is pulling on the rope at the right time; it’s really fun to see,” said Dube of Cabana’s scoring champion award.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Left: ‘Cats forward Blake Setter creates traffic for Thunder goaltender Cameron Doucette on Friday night at the Civic Centre. Above: Ben Aucoin salutes the Thunder bench after scoring his 30th goal of the season at 14:55 in the first on Friday night.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

AFHL – U18 AA (North) Musgrave Agencies Steelers

AFHL – U15 AA (North) Richardson Jewellery Steelers

AFHL – U13 AA (North) Western Financial Steelers

SaskAlta Senior Hockey League

BOBCATS FROM PAGE 18

“T hat award is really great for him, and I’m sure when you interviewed him, he probably thanked everybody else for helping him get there,” said Dube.

“It just speaks to the players we have in that dressing room ... they’re

here for each other and I think that’s a big part of this second half.”

“The boys deserve all the accolades,” added Rihela.

“Jeff and I are really proud of them; they’ve put in a ton of hard work.

“Having Jack (Solo -

mon) up for Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year speaks to his ability to play at an elite level,” said Rihela.

“He’s got a bright future in the game, and I may be biased, but I’d have him up there for both of those awards.”

Dube was spot-on

when it came to Cabana being a humble award recipient.

“Obviously, I was really pumped, but I gotta give it up for my teammates and coaches,” said Cabby when asked how it felt to receive the award.

“They made it so easy

on me, so it was awesome, but we also have other high-scorers on the team with Coiner (Ben Aucoin), (Blake) Setter, and (Brody) Juck’s up there, too.”

Having two teammates and a coach up for awards is a great feeling for the captain,

but it’s also great for the organization as they head into playoffs.

“We’re waiting for the play-in-series to finish, and we’ve got our first game on March 15,” said Cabana.

“Let’s pack the Civic on March 15, we want it to be loud in here.”

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.

Alberta ready for wildfire season

As Alberta heads into wildfire season, many areas of the province are experiencing heightened wildfire risk.

The Alberta government continues to prioritize new technologies and tactics to enhance front-line response and suppression efforts, and Budget 2024 will invest an additional $151 million over the next three years for wildfire preparedness, prevention, response and mitigation.

This additional funding will enhance wildland firefighting capacity with increased wildfire resources such as personnel, aircraft, drones, artificial intelligence (AI) and nightvision technology.

“Alberta’s government is well prepared for the 2024 wildfire season,” said Minister

of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen.

“We have emerging technologies that will enable us to better protect forests and communities while continuing to prioritize proactive measures that build wildfire resilience throughout the province.”

Aerial operations are integral to firefighting efforts and increased funding will enable the province to add two additional long-term helicopter contracts, two new air tanker contracts and additional drones for aerial wildfire surveillance.

Budget 2024 will also support the renewal of 130 helicopter contracts by April 1.

“We live in a time where we have access to incredible technologies and last year, we

recognized some great successes from various firefighting technology pilot programs,” said Bernie Schmitte, executive director, Alberta Wildfire.

“I can say with confidence that the additional night-vision equipped helicopters and drones will make a big difference in our wildfire mitigation and response efforts this year.”

Alberta Wildfire will

continue to explore, research and test new developments in wildfire prevention, mitigation, smoke detection and suppression to assess how innovative technologies can support a rapid response and help extinguish wildfires. Wildfire management best practices are always evolving, and Alberta’s government is working to stay ahead of the curve.

File Photo

Thursday, March 7, 2024

MERIDIAN SOURCE 306-825-5111 admin@meridansource.ca

Classifieds

NOTICES

NOTICE

Pattison Holdings Ltd. has ceased all gravel operations and would like to thank all its loyal customers over the past fifteen years.

Anyone wishing to purchase the remaining stock of

• 3225 cubic meters of 2”

• 2535 cubic meters of 1¼”

• 1535 cubic meters of 7/8”

• All meet 106 specs

• 7645 cubic meters of 3/8” minus

Please contact Pattison Holdings Ltd. at 306-387-6877 or Cell 306-821-1311

EMPLOYMENT  OPPORTUNITIES

GET YOUR MESSAGE

SEEN ACROSS Alberta. 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.

LAND FOR SALE

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS

Saskatchewan born and raised, I know farming and farmland and can help you every step of the way.

Doug Rue, for further information

306-716-2671 saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com

SERVICES

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.

FEED AND SEED

COMING EVENTS

MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE

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 BUSINESS DIRECTORY ESTHETICS HOME EYE CARE Advertise in our BUSINESS DIRECTORY for as little as $15 HEALTH AUCTION

Ward’s & Bud Haynes FIREARMS AUCTION, Edmonton. Rifles, shotguns, handguns, antiques, ammo, accessories. Call Brad Ward 780-940-8378 to consign your items or collection. FirearmsAuction.ca.

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.

FIREARMS WANTED FOR OUR 2024 AUCTION PROGRAM: Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Antiques, Militaria, Collections, Estates, Single Items. For Auction, or Possible Purchase: Toll-Free 1-800-6942609, Email Us at sales@switzersauction.com or Visit Us @ www.switzersauction.com.

PROVINCE-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS. 49 local community newspapers, distributing to over 450 communities, including 14 cities. Reach over 550,000 readers weekly. Call 306649.1405 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!

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.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

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. 1-800-282-6903 Ext 225; www.awna.com.