Meridian Source - October 5, 2023

Sirens and Sapphires shine at gala

Dubbed the “crown jewel” of fundraisers for the Lloydminster Rescue Squad, the 8th annual installment of the Sirens and Sapphires Gala was nothing short of a success with support coming in from across the community.

The event took place this past Saturday at the WLS Convention Centre and included dinner and entertainment followed by a live auction and a band. Tickets to the popular gala sold out well in advance.

“We had Black Board Jungle—this was our fifth year with them, so we were happy to have them back. We also had Steve Shannon (CEO, Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation) as our emcee,” said Lloydminster Rescue Squad deputy chief Ryan LeBlanc.

“The event went really well. We were pleased with the attendance and all of the sponsors this year. It was really good.”

Final numbers haven’t come in yet, but LeBlanc is optimistic about the fundraising effort due to the commitment of local businesses and those in attendance.

The event went really well. We were pleased with the attendance and all of the sponsors this year. It was really good.

“Lots of local support. It was one of our best years as far as company engagement for sponsorships, and we were just so thankful for the support from local businesses here from in and around Lloydminster,” said LeBlanc.

“We had our bubbles and bling fundraiser this year, which Richardson’s Jewellery sponsored, and they provided a sapphire necklace valued at $6,500. That was a great success. Then

we had Chris Eskelson and his family provide a toonie drop, and City Furniture donated the dinette set that was drawn for that night.”

LeBlanc says any funds raised will be put to good use by the rescue squad.

“It’s going to be put back into the organization, for training and our ongoing programs and services that we’re

able to provide.”

The Lloydminster Rescue Squad continues to maintain and acquire lifesaving equipment that aids in many life-saving tasks in and around the Border City, and beyond.

LeBlanc said there were five calls of service for drownings this summer alone.

“We were called for, as far as drownings go,

five times in Alberta and Saskatchewan. We deployed to each one of those and utilized our underwater scanning and recovery equipment to assist,” said LeBlanc.

The Lloydminster Rescue Squad has been providing emergency and technical rescue services in both provinces for nearly 40 years.

Lloydminster Rescue Squad gala committee

This past Saturday’s Sirens and Sapphires Gala attendees had the chance to get dressed up and have some fun while supporting a life-saving organization: The Lloydminster Rescue Squad.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Kitscoty RCMP investigate dangerous driving

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

SEPT. 29 – On Aug. 19, Kitscoty RCMP, along with Lloydminster RCMP, received multiple complaints of a female driving dangerously on Highway 16.

Kitscoty RCMP located the vehicle, which fled from police, and continued driving

dangerously over 13km before it was stopped. The female driver was arrested.

As a result of the investigation, Ashley Nicole Alexander, 35, resident of Streamstown, Alta., was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and flight from police.

Alexander’s first

court appearance took place at the Alberta Court of Justice in Lloydminster, on Sept. 2, and she will return to court on Oct. 17.

Alberta RCMP would like to thank the public for its assistance in this incident, which allowed Kitscoty and Lloydminster RCMP to better track and locate the vehicle.

Trafficking investigation leads to charges

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

OCT. 3 – On Sept. 27, Bonnyville RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) with assistance from Lloydminster’s Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), Cold Lake GIS and Lakeland/ Eastern Alberta District

Crime Reduction Unit (CRU,) completed a months-long investigation into drug trafficking within the Town of Bonnyville.

A search warrant was executed at a residence within the Town of Bonnyville. As a result of the investigation, police located

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and seized: - $2,500 in Canadian Currency - 11.5 ounces of cocaine - A vehicle - and other drug trafficking paraphernalia

Layne Nadeau, 26, a resident of Bonnyville, was arrested and charged with: - Possession for the purpose of trafficking

Nadeau was taken before a justice of the peace and was released with his next court date on Oct. 17 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Bonnyville.

“The street value of this seizure is valued at $30,000; Bonnyville RCMP continue to remain vigilant in the face of crime and focus our efforts on these drug trafficker,” said Cpl. Pedro Rodrigues of the Bonnyville RCMP.

Kindopp wins Prime Minister’s teaching award

sparked elementary for me; I’ll never forget it,” she said.

“I really relied on

teaching just like she did and making an impact just like she did.”

icing, 10 lbs of sprinkles and resulted in a total of 5,476 individual donuts sold and $3,422.50 being donated to local organizations.

“We started the donut campaign in January, which is such a stressful time, and I see that in my students,” she said. “It’s just after Christmas, money’s tight, people’s spirits were down and we just went through a pandemic, so I wanted to lift up spirits.”

will be Kindopp’s sixth year with the LCSD; she cherishes every day in the classroom.

“The best part of my day is the kids,” she said. “Seeing their light bulbs go off, greeting them in the morning, having them greet me in the morning and ask how I’m doing; that’s the best part of my day.

“Their kindness and compassion amazes me.”

Whether she’s in the classroom or out in the community, Mother Teresa Early Childhood Learning Centre’s Paige Kindopp is the epitome of a 24/7 teacher and always takes the opportunity to be kind.

ideas to get the green light from admin was her “Go Nuts For Donuts” campaign, which consisted of 263 lbs of donut icing, 60 lbs of chocolate fudge

Sobeys jumped on board as the producers the first year, which snowballed into a second year and brought in over $11K for local non-profits.

Now in her eighth year of teaching, this

Kindopp was inspired to become a teacher in Grade 2 while in BettyAnne Namur’s class at Martin Browne School and still credits this experience with passion today.

“I had such an influential teacher in my childhood and she just

Kindopp, who currently teaches Grade 1 at Mother Teresa, started this school year on the right foot when she found out she was a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

“I’m overjoyed about it, I was in shock about it, and I wouldn’t be here without the support from everyone around me,” she said.

“My colleagues, the community members, the support I’ve had from admin to take my ideas and run with them … the trust people have put into me is just so impactful and meaningful to me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it if nobody trusted me.”

One of Kindopp’s

Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Paige Kindopp, who currently teaches Grade 1 at Mother Teresa Early Childhood Learning Centre, was speechless after finding out she was a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR

I really relied on teaching just like she did and making an impact just like she did.

Students ‘Shine’ at fall festival

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

A Lloydminster area private school held a fun family fundraiser just outside of the city, with something for everyone—from pickleball to puppies.

Shine Christian Academy is a privately run school located North of Lloydminster at the Streamstown Community Hall.

“This is our first fall festival. We did another big fundraiser last fall and it was a comedy night,” said Shine president Deanna Franklin.

The fall festival, held on Sept. 30 at an acreage just west of the City, offered something for all ages. There were a ton of fun activities going on including pie bingo, kids’ games, a petting zoo, chili cookoff, and a silent auction

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to name a few.

Approximately 200 people attended the event, with funds raised going toward field trips, extra supplies, and

helping pay the teachers—since the school is almost completely privately funded.

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source Friends Talia (right) and Danika took part in the Shine Christian Academy’s fall fest fundraiser by helping out at the petting zoo, which featured bunnies, kittens, miniature ponies and a litter of Blue Healer puppies.

Summit reveals Indigenous innovation

The 11th annual Economic Partnership Summit checked off a lot of boxes for a threeperson panel on Indigenous Innovation at the WLS Convention Centre.

It gave high-profile Lloydminster residents Justina Sather and Beau Gadwa, and James Ouellette from Saskatoon, the opportunity to relate how they bring innovation into their different organizations.

They also took advantage of the summit opportunity last Wednesday to develop Indigenous partnerships with industry.

“It’s bringing people together,” said Sather, the general manager at Lloyd’s Gold Horse Casino and an employee of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).

“It’s a privilege to be here and speak on how SIGA looks to innovation and looks to incorporate that with our culture in the gaming industry. We use innovation in different ways,” said Sather.

She noted, for example, SIGA launched playnow.com in November 2022 as the first legal online gambling site in the province.

Sather says to support innovation, they recently appointed a new executive position for the department of digital strategy and i-gaming with the role of unifying the player experience between SIGA casinos and i-gaming channels.

“We will be looking at ways to build the singular player experience and ease of use between land-based casinos and playnow. com for existing and joining club members,” she explained.

Innovation was also top of mind for Ouellette, a senior director of employment with the Saskatchewan Indian

Institute of Technologies (SIIT).

“People often gravitate to technology when you talk about innovation. But innovation really means taking something you’ve used in the past and you want to improve upon it,” explained Ouellette.

Ouellette says he

came to speak about how SIIT uses innovation to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new business arising, and what students will need when they leave the school.

“How do you create that environment where students and others in your staff can generally say ‘hey I have a good

idea let’s explore it and see if it works better,” he said.

Ouellette says SIIT has a ‘maker lodge’ where entrepreneurial students can use different technologies like 3D printers or any of the digital tools they need to start exploring their ideas.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Geoff Lee Meridian Source

The 11th annual Economic Partnership Summit, presented by the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce, featured an Indigenous Innovation panel moderated by Wendy Plandowski from StartUp Lloydminster. From left are James Ouellette, senior director of employment and strategic initiatives at SIIT, Justina Sather, GM of the Gold Horse Casino and Beau Gadwa, an apprenticeship consultant with TeamsAlberta. The event took place last Wednesday at the WLS Convention Centre.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

“Because we’re a homeschool co-op we don’t get government funding, we only receive the minimum that a homeschool child would get. So we charge a small tuition fee per student and then everything else is fundraising,” explained Franklin.

“So, families work really hard to keep the school going.”

The school opened its doors in 2022 with 14 students. This year, enrolment has nearly doubled with 26 students between grades 1 and 10 now attending.

“Student-to-teacher ratio is different than a public system, but everybody is working toward their own grade

more activities, more hands-on learning, lots of life skills involved. We had a guy out teaching survival skills last year. We taught them canning—how to can some pears. They made ice cream, pies, and candles. There’s always something new,” said Franklin.

“We’re looking at teaching them gardening again this spring. We’re just trying to do things a little bit differently. There’s always some new ideas—of course, we ask the kids what their interests are too.”

One common interest that Shine students have is agriculture.

“We have an upcoming trip to the Farm Fair in Edmonton. We

field trip for them.”

Beyond that, Franklin and Noble said many of the children are looking forward to getting back on the ice at their arena.

“There’s lots of outdoor activities. We have an arena that was donated by L&L Oilfield and Mike’s Oilfield last year, and so we’ll have the outdoor arena up and running again,” said Franklin.

“We’ll have some hockey and skating for gym class and lunch hours, and we can never make the kids leave after school because they all want to stay,” laughed Franklin.

Franklin and Noble say the interest in Shine Christian Academy has been growing steadily,

“We’re always trying to make sure when students leave the institution, they have the ability to grow with their career—part of that growth is seeing the bigger picture,” he said.

The third panel member, Gadwa, is an apprenticeship consultant with TeamsAlberta who also values the networking opportunities at the annual summit.

“Oh, it’s good,” said Gadwa. I’m able to form partnerships around the area here. There’s a few people I’ve been meaning to talk to and I’ve been able to find them here.”

Gadwa’s role with the company is to guide apprentices through their trades training.

“So I mentor them, guide them and I tutor them if I have to. Then we have employment liaison workers and career counsellors on

staff as well,” he said. TeamsAlberta bills itself as the future of employment services with innovative services for job seekers and employers including pre-employment assessments and cultural competency training.

He also shared some innovation tips during the panel discussion about how to hire for diversity, using the analogy of putting ducks and wolves together in a workforce.

“When you are talking about innovation and bringing diversity in the workforce, you need to ensure when they are sitting around the table, it’s not all the ducks sitting at one table and talking because they’re going to talk duck talk,” said Gadwa.

“You actually have to have the wolf and the duck talking together, so creating those types of environments is important.”

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SUMMIT FROM PAGE 5

Geoff Lee Meridian Source Keynote speaker at the Economic Partnership Summit, Ashley Callingbull from the Enoch Cree Nation, is flanked on the left by Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce executive director Teri-Lynn MacKie and on the right by Milton Tootoosis from Poundmaker First Nation at the WLS Convention Centre last Wednesday.

Life Chain members stand together

child and there are so many mitigating factors in her life, or the life of the father but at the end of the day the child, who has no voice, and has no ability to protect itself needs somebody to be their voice, and to be their advocate.”

A large group of likeminded people gathered in front of City Hall on Oct. 1 to pray together before setting out with signs to march along Highway 16, where they walked for about an hour.

“We live in a culture of death now … I see your heads nodding,” Alford said to the protest attendees.

On the first Sunday of October, in over 300 communities across Canada, “Life Chains” were formed to peacefully protest legalized abortion.

Lloydminster is one of those communities, but instead of forming a chain they choose to

walk together to raise awareness.

“There is sanctity in every life, even the life of a child who is unborn. And we’ve been given the gift of life, so it is our responsibility to protect that life,” said Lloydminster Life Chain coordinator, Deanna Alford.

“I understand that a woman’s body is the home of an unborn

“It seems as though we’re a throw-away culture—not only with material things, but with our own children. And for whatever reason a woman and her partner, or a woman on her own decides to have an abortion. You can be certain she doesn’t make that decision too lightly.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source Lloydminster Life Chain supporters march in front of City Hall on Oct. 1 as part of a peaceful protest against legalized abortion.

JEANNETTE BENOIT-LEIPERT STAFF WRITER

Thursday, October 5, 2023

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Border Banter with Benoit-Leipert: Opinions are encouraged, but be kind

Now, anyone with a smartphone can post their opinion in seconds, without giving it a second thought.

ful comments can be ignored, trolls can still take a toll on someone’s mental health.

sation lottery!

2017

These days, it is much easier to make your opinion known than it was in the past. Social media is the invention that changed it all!

Back in the day, you’d really have to put in the work if you wanted to make your opinion known.

Sit down, come up with an argument, write a letter, mail it.

Alford says she got involved, not to persecute mothers faced with the difficult decision, but to support them because it’s something that can affect them for years to come.

“I became involved because I always felt we needed to stand up for life and I always pray for the unborn, and certainly pray for young mothers and young parents who are struggling. The first thing I would do is demonstrate compassion and love to the mother,” said Alford.

“Anybody who is contemplating an abortion is not in a good place. I fear for her, in that—in the short term if she felt that aborting this child would make my life easier, she may believe that, but research has shown that mothers who abort children are often haunted by their actions for the rest of their lives. I would hate for a woman to have such deep regret.”

Alford decided to get involved with Life Chain in 2019 because it is an issue that is close to her heart.

“I just decided that I needed to put into action where my heart was on the issue. And

And some folks should REALLY give it a second thought.

I’m all about free speech, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some lines shouldn’t be crossed.

Adult humans should be able to express their opinions without being slanderous or hateful. Although these spite -

I could see that Life Chain certainly needed more people to kind of help it out, and get the message out there,”

I’m open to hearing anyone out who wants to argue their point on any issue, in fact, I encourage debate.

One of the best parts of expressing your opinion is the conversation that it sparks.

If you’re dealing with someone who can back up their opinion with proven facts and will listen to your argument as well, you’ve hit the productive conver -

explained Alford.

Life Chain started in 1987 with a small pro-life group in Yuba California and for the

It’s interesting to hear different points of view, and even better if you can exchange ideas without offending anyone.

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and as long as they aren’t being harmful or rude, they are free to state it.

After all, if nobody had an opinion what a sad, strange, apathetic world we would be living in.

last 20 years, groups in Canada have been organizing Life Chain events on the first Sunday in October.

PROTEST FROM PAGE 8

Leeway from Lloyd: YouTube good for a laugh

you get bored watching other lone campers in England!

authorities to check for layabouts in these hideaways?

Six months ago I rarely, if ever, watched a YouTube video on TV. Recently though, I have found myself watching a lot of YouTube stuff as there hasn’t been much on mainstream TV to grab my attention.

However, Dragons

Den is back on each week and NHL hockey will be on TV, so I will be flipping channels.

There is a lot of goofy fun stuff on YouTube, including a few episodes of The Bloke in the Woods. The bloke is a British guy with holes in his earlobes who videotapes himself setting up a tent—in the woods.

It is strange, but oddly compelling if

Last week, I watched another bloke showing viewers how to make a fire in boggy terrain.

There’s a weird guy from Vancouver Island who gets his wife to drop him off at a roadside sign or near a roundabout, then he makes an allnight video about stealth camping. When he wakes up, his wife picks him up in the morning. His trick for sleeping in the shrubbery on a roundabout is to dress up in a high-vis vest with gloves and pretend he is picking up litter, then he scouts out a place to sleep, etc. It’s kind of like where to sleep if you’re homeless, but by making these videos, isn’t he alerting

I have also watched a few missing-persons videos, but somehow the stories all seem to be narrated by the same sounding monotone speaker.

I’ll take Bloke in the Woods any day. I recently watched the U.S. gravel bike nationals on YouTube.

The odd thing was when the first two guys crossed the finish line, including the YouTuber, I only saw three or four people in the street.

They raced for five and a half hours in Nebraska and nobody cared!

That’s the whole point of this week’s column—most of these YouTube videos are pointless, but they are good for a laugh!

NOTICE OF NOMINATION DAY

Local Authorities Election Act (Section 26)

Notice is hereby given that Nomination Day is October 16th, 2023 and that nominations for the election of candidates for the following offices will be received at the location of the local jurisdiction office set out below beginning at 10:00 AM (on September 27th, 2023) and ending at 12:00 PM (noon) on Nomination Day.

LOCAL JURISDICTION: Village of Marwayne in the Province of Alberta 210 2nd Avenue South Marwayne AB T0B 2X0

Dated at the Village of Marwayne in the Province of Alberta this 27th day of September, 2023.

RETURNING OFFICER: Shannon Harrower

STAFF WRITER GEOFF LEE

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

BINGO IS BACK!

Bingo at the Moose Lodge, located at 5213 57 Street, is back every Monday and Wednesday starting Sept. 6. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and play starts at 7 p.m. Must be 18 to play.

Playschool

Pre-registration

Southridge Playschool & Kindergym has opened up their registration for the fall 20232024 classes. They offer one-day a week for threeyear-olds and one or two days a week for four/fiveyear-olds. They have also qualified for the Affordability Grant. For more information please call 780-872-9523.

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 acccessible; everyone welcome!

Annual Fall Tea/ Bake Sale

The Jubilee Jems annual fall tea and bake sale is being held at the Jubilee Home (3902 45 Ave.) on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 2-4 p.m. Everyone welcome.

Oktoberfest

The Lloydminster German Heritage Society’s Oktoberfest is back on Oct. 14 at the WLS Convention Centre. Dance to the music of the Prairie Dogs. Entertainment by Saskatoon’s Concordia Alpenrose Dancers. Tickets are $45 in advance,

$50 at the door, or $380 for a table of eight. Tickets are available from Society members, at the Lloydminster Animal Hospital, Cliff Rose for Clothes, and Southside Vet Clinic. For more info call Mo at 780-875-7171, Rosemarie at 780-8722266 or 306-825-3177, Martin at 306-825-9848 or 306-821-6666. More info out closer to the date.

MILLETON HALL ANNUAL SWEDISH SMORGASBORD

The Milleton Hall’s annual Swedish Smorg is being held on Oct. 15 from 4-7 p.m. The traditional Swedish feast features roast pork, meatballs, thin bread, pickled herring, all-you-caneat sweets, and more. Adults, $20, children 6-12, $15, five and under are free. The hall is located 17 miles north of Maidstone on Hwy. 21.

JAMBOREE

There will be a jamboree on Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. in the Islay Community Hall. Admission is $15/ person, participants free. Everyone welcome. Lunch served. For more info, call Dixie at 780744-2204.

Lashburn Crib Tourney

The Lashburn Senior Centre, located on Main Street beside the post office, is hosting a crib tournament on Monday, Oct. 16. Teams and singles both welcome. Doors open at noon; tournament starts at 12:30 p.m. Cost to play is $10 –Snacks/beverages available for $5. For more information, please call 306-821-2457.

Rotary governor tours local clubs

all around the world,” noted Collingwood.

He describes the activity level of the two local Rotary clubs as amazing.

“They’re both incredible clubs. We’re just so proud of all the work that they do,” he said.

He also invites members from both clubs to attend the 2024 Create Hope Convention in Edmonton on May 3 and 4.

ships is really a key for us.”

Collingwood says Rotary is the oldest service organization in the world dating back to 1905 and is the largest too.

“If you want to help the world, let Rotary help the world. We recommend and suggest that people look to Rotary as that way to give back to their community,” he said.

The Guvmobile turned some heads this week at Rotary Club meetings in Lloyd.

The VIP vehicle was driven by Rotary District 5370 governor Brent Collingwood to a presentation at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch meeting. He told the media in attendance he and his wife Adele also planned to take the SUV to the Border City Rotary breakfast meeting on Tuesday.

“We have over 60 clubs to visit. I’ve done about 18, so I’m about a third of the way through, I’m trying to do the rural clubs in the fall, so I’m not driving in the wintertime,” he explained.

Collingwood is a retiree from the Edmonton Riverview Rotary

Club with a mission in mind on tour.

“We have a common message and a theme we like to bring,” said Collingwood.

“The theme this year is to create hope in the world. So we talk about how can Rotary clubs in their own communities create more hope in the world.”

Collingwood says they also talk about the Rotary Foundation and ask members to contribute to that.

He applauded Rotarians on hand for contributing $2,874.07 to the annual fund and $2,501.54 to Polio Plus for a total of $5,375.61.

“That (Foundation) does what we call local grants through what we call district funds and we also have so many global projects where we help smaller developing countries

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“One of the focuses of Rotary this year is mental health and trying to break down the stigma of speaking out about mental health,” said Collingwood.

“I’m going to touch on that and touch on our conference and touch on our Foundation.”

He showed local Rotarians the Don’t Bottle It Up slogan for mental health and provided some tips for members to advance that cause.

In the big picture, Rotary aims to regrow memberships after they dropped off during the pandemic.

“We’re trying to rebuild our numbers because the more we have, the more work we can do and the more we can serve local communities and global communities,” said Collingwood.

“Growth of member -

Geoff Lee Meridian Source Brent Collingwood, Rotary 5370 district governor, spoke to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster on Monday and Border City Rotary on Tuesday during his tour of all 63 clubs in the district.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

LPSD kids run lickety-split

the track. It’s wonderful to see all these young kids,” she said.

Steveson was not surprised to see one of her students known on a first name basis as Chester, win the first 2 km race for Grade 3 boys.

“He doesn’t even break a sweat. He just turns it on and he goes. He’s a natural, absolutely a 100 per cent natural,” gushed Steveson.

under nine minutes.”

When Chester was ready to speak about how his race went he said, “I gained the lead half way through.”

The all-round athlete also plays soccer, hockey and baseball.

Chester was handed a popsicle stick that the first 10 finishers can exchange for a ribbon in keeping with the character of the meet.

“It’s a fun event

because students from the first week of school get to begin practising with coaches and getting outside and enjoying the fresh air and getting exercise and meeting new people,” said Blythe.

“It all culminates with the race and some friendly competition.”

Blythe says they’ve got a ton of parents who come out and cheer the kids on and

an amazing staff of volunteers.

Jason Neville, director of education at LPSD pitched in with registration and popsicle stick duties.

“There should be a ton of kids here from schools all across LPSD, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said with the race about to start under sunny skies and no wind.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Run like a rabbit. That’s what all 275 runners from grades 3 to 9 had in mind at the start line of this year’s Lloydminster Public School Division (LPSD) cross country meet.

Clocking fast times in the 10 different heats would pay off according to race director Craig Blythe at Bud Miller All Seasons Park last Wednesday.

“For us, this is the finale. There’s also the districts coming up, so runners with fast times at this race will get to move on to race (Oct. 5) at Silver Lake,” he explained.

Blythe set the prerace scene as LPSD staff volunteers helped parents to register their kids.

“Today, grades 3 to 5 students will run 2 kilometres and grades 6 to 9 students will run 3 km,” he said.

“We also have some runners from St. Walburg, Maidstone, Neil -

burg and Hillmond joining us today, so it will be a huge event.”

Candice Steveson, a Grade 3 teacher at Neilburg Composite brought eight runners with her ready to compete.

“We practise Mondays after school and they do six laps around

Chester crossed the finish line out of breath and got a welcome hug from his mom Krystyna.

“I’m very very proud. You never know what it’s going to turn out like,” she said.

“He’s always been fairly athletic, but he really pushed himself in this race. He was a minute faster than his other ones. He was just

Geoff Lee Meridian Source They’re off. This is the start of the Grade 3 girls race in the Lloydminster Public School Division cross country meet at Bud Miller All Seasons Park last Wednesday with 275 kids taking part.

GEOFF LEE STAFF WRITER

RUNNERS FROM PAGE 15

Some of Blythe stud ents soaked up a few of his r unning tips and self confidence from running a fast time at the Edmonton Marathon this summer.

O ne of his young Grade 6 runners, Blake, for example, laced up hoping to finish first by wearing bib #1 by following Blythe’s tactics. “ Y ou have to focus on where you’re going or else you’re going to bump into someone,” he said.

“Always stay running, but sometimes take a little break cause you need to slow down your blood from flowing too much.”

The youngster did well finishing 4th in the 3 km.

Another Grade 4 runner taught by Blythe, n am ed Gurscheen was brimming with confidence from lessons learned by coach Blythe.

“I thi nk I’ll do great, but I’m a little nervous,” she said with her par ents look ing on.

The key Blythe told her was not to go real fast when you first start.

“You jog and then run because some people when they are spent at the first, the y stop in the middle,” she said.

Sports in brief ...

ON THE ICE

The Lloydminster Bobcats have a busy October with six home and six road games. The ‘Cats started the month last night on home ice as they hosted the Spruce Grove Saints.

The Olds Grizzlys are in town on Friday night before the ‘Cats host the Canmore Eagles on Saturday night. The Bonnyville Pontiacs will be in town next Wednesday before the Bobcats travel to Brooks to do battle with the Bandits. The ‘Cats return to home ice on Oct. 20 when Bonnyville returns to town.

The Lloydminster

Bandits started their season with a 6-3 road win over the Cold Lake Ice on Sept. 29 before a 9-4 home-opener loss to the St. Paul Canadiens the following night. The Bandits’ next home game is on Oct. 15 against the Killam Wheat Kings.

The Apex Automation Lakeland College Rustlers female hockey club is on the road this weekend but returns to the Russ Robertson for ACAC action against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14 for 7 p.m. games.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

MERIDIAN SOURCE

IS HIRING!

WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD TO OUR TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS IN LLOYDMINSTER, AB

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

CLASS 1 & 5 CITY P&D DRIVERS

We offer:

• Well maintained modern fleet, and facilities!

• Comprehensive benefit program & employee assistant plan!

• 100% employer paid RSP Plan (after 1 year)!

• Yearly work apparel and boot allowance!

• Paid orientation & training; paid time off!

• Driver safety incentive - PAID ON EVERY CHEQUE!

• Year round consistent work!

• Lots of opportunities for career advancement!

Please respond to this ad with a copy of your resume and abstract, fax them to Mike Brousseau at 780-808-5350 or email mike.brousseau@rosenau.ca. For more information call Mike at 780-808-5219. You can also drop them off in person, we are located at County Energy Park

PO Box 10515 Rpo 10, Lloydminster, AB T9V 3A6

Due to high volume of responses only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

You can learn more about us at rosenau.ca

Careers

Celebrating Saskatchewan foster families

rently providing Saskatchewan children and youth a safe, loving home.

Photo

The Government of Saskatchewan prioritizes family-based care to support the best outcomes for children and youth who cannot remain safely at home.

The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed October as Foster Families Month to celebrate the many contributions of foster families across the province.

“Children and youth in care need a place to call home - no matter how short or long their stay,” said Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky.

“Foster families help strengthen families by opening their homes and hearts to children and youth in times when their families are in cri-

sis. I want to thank all foster families providing essential family-based care, supporting children and helping other Saskatchewan families in need.”

The Saskatchewan Foster Families Association (SFFA) manages recruitment, training and support for foster families, in partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan.

They are currently running several recruitment initiatives across the province to educate and provide information to those interested in

becoming foster parents.

“Foster families in Saskatchewan open their homes to children and youth requiring out of home care,” SFFA Executive Director Deb Davies said.

“The month of October gives us the honour to celebrate the love, compassion and commitment that foster families make each and every day to children and their families who need support. It’s about families helping families.”

There are more than 415 foster families cur -

The SFFA’s work to recruit and retain foster families is an important component in government’s effort to increase the number of approved foster homes in our province.

Anyone interested in learning more about how they can help vulnerable children, youth and their families, or what is required to become a foster parent, is encouraged to call the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association at 1-800-667-7002 or visit www.saskfosterfamilies.ca.

File

As parents, we spent the better part of two decades running our kids to practice, watching their games, and helping wherever we could.

I coached baseball, managed local and regional minor hockey teams, and even sat on the boards of several sport organizations.

Of course, with that involvement came the need to work fundraising events alongside other parents so the team could pay its way during the season.

Few of us in those

Small town/big town

days could have afforded to give our children the opportunity to play sports without the generous support of the wider community.

Today, there is a prevalence for specialized sports academies, some located within the larger school systems, and others independently owned and operated.

Parents of these elite athletes spend thousands of dollars in support of the skill development of their child; I suspect secretly hoping it will turn into something meaningful like a scholarship to a postsecondary institution

or a draft by a junior or professional club.

Whether or not a student athlete goes further with the sport they love, it does provide a healthy alternative to a potentially riskier lifestyle.

As one of my colleagues liked to say, “it’s either fees or fines!”

I have four granddaughters, all of whom love their sport of choice and do their best to excel at it.

In smaller centers, the fan base for student athletics draws in not only the immediate family, but members of the community as well to cheer them on.

We notice the same support is not as prevalent at “big city” events.

In fact, some fans in larger centres can be downright mean to young athletes when they are on the playing field.

Like the trolls on social media who think they can hide behind their keyboards, I guess they perceive anonymity as a defense.

Try that in a small town where everybody knows everybody.

Small town or big town, these athletes are still young people who hear and see how adults behave around them.

Sure, overcoming adversity teaches char -

Feel grateful this Thanksgiving

MERIDIAN SOURCE STAFF

We all know how Thanksgiving is supposed to be: smiling family around a table loaded with food. Yet the reality can be different.

Family squabbles, logistical challenges or money issues can make holidays more stressful than uplifting.

You’ve likely read about the power of gratitude to change a person’s perspective and increase happiness. But gratitude doesn’t just show up on Thanksgiving unannounced.

You have to invite it into your home and life. A good way to start is by noticing all the things you do have – things other people may be missing.

Consider these five

ways to grow gratitude this Thanksgiving: Volunteer

Contact your local food bank or drop-in centre for the homeless, to see how you can help.

Visit someone: Take the time to visit someone who is elderly, sick, lonely or even in prison.

Strike up a conversation

Instead of ignoring that homeless person, ask them a bit about themselves. Maybe ask their name, and where they hail from. You’d be surprised how easily a conversation can unfold.

Compare situations

Learn about parts of the world where kids don’t survive into school age, let alone into the age where our teens give us so much

trouble. Insights on the topic of child and maternal health are available at worldvision.ca.

Give back

Donate a bag of outgrown clothes to the local women’s shelter, help collect canned goods for your children’s school food drive or bake for the neighbour who has just lost a job.

By reaching out and

increasing gratitude, you may make a new friend at the same time – and that’s something to really be grateful for.

acter, but it is a painful lesson none the less, no matter how old you are.

So, folks, let’s try to be encouraging about the effort being made, and not use your comments to tear someone down.

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.

In anticipation of the opening of the Lloydminster Social Action Coalition Society’s Community Support Centre we are currently accepting resumes for the position of Direct Service Worker

This position includes meal prep/service, housekeeping and supervision. Shiftwork is required. Starting wage is $22/hr and a shift differential of $2/hr is paid for overnight shifts.

Email resumes to hfalloydminster@gmail.com or drop off at the Men’s Shelter.

Thursday, October 5, 2023

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

Classifieds

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR SALE AUCTIONS

Sara Mirza and Irfan Wahla would like to announce the arrival of their daughter, Sophia Sabah Wahla born on August 17, 2023.

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UPPRO NEW INVENTORY ONLINE AUCTION Oct

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HOUSE TO BE MOVED: Updated bungalow in Lougheed AB. Must be moved by 2025. Includes triple car garage. Ritchie Bros Auction Oct 25-27. https://rb.gy/7u7au.

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GET BACK ON TRACK! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need Money? We Lend! If you own your own homeyou qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877-987-1420. www.pioneerwest.com.

Wanted old advertising: Dealership signs, service station, gas pumps, globes, oil cans, Red Indian, White Rose, Buffalo, Husky, Ford, GM, Dodge, Tire signs, Coke, Pepsi etc. Call 306-221-5908

COMING EVENTS

FIREARMS WANTED FOR OUR 2023 AUCTION PROGRAM: Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Antiques, Militaria, Collections, Estates, Single Items. For Auction, or Possible Purchase: TollFree 1-800-694-2609, Email Us @ sales@ switzersauction.com or Visit Us @ www.switzersauction.com.

WHITE SPRUCE TREES: 5’ average $50. Installation ONLY $19. Includes: hole augered, Wurzel Dip enzyme injection, bark mulch application, staking. Minimum order 20. One-time fuel charge: $125-150. Crystal Springs. 403-820-0961. Quality guaranteed.

NOTICES

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our family to yours

Our offices will be closed Monday, October 9th

FEED AND SEED

WE BUY DAMAGED GRAIN HEATED... LIGHT BUGS... TOUGH MIXED GRAIN SPRING THRASHED WHEAT... OATS PEAS... BARLEY CANOLA... FLAX “ON FARM PICKUP” WESTCAN FEED & GRAIN

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

Private mortgage lender. All real estate types considered. No credit checks done. Deal direct with lender and get quick approval. Toll free 1-866-405-1228 www.firstandsecondmortgages.ca

BLANKET THE PROVINCE with a classified ad. Only $269/wk (based on 25 words or less). Reach almost 90 weekly newspapers. Call NOW for details. 1-800-282-6903 Ext 225; www.awna.com.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS & LABOURERS

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For all heavy equipment: ie. dozers, excavators, scrapers etc. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d. Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca

www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

ARIES

You are likely to nd mixed feelings about life in general and a few people in particular.

TAURUS

Taurus, this week, you will awaken your inner pumpkin Goddess.

GEMINI

You may be in a re ective mood, pondering your long-term goals.

CANCER

You'll nd yourself navigating a blend of emotional depth and practicality.

LEO

You have tremendous untapped potential waiting to be unleashed.

VIRGO

The stars suggest it’s the perfect week to chase your dreams, but also warn that your snooze button will be particularly alluring in the morning.

LIBRA

This is your week to shine, you may

encounter a few setbacks, the outcome will be positive if you focus on a goal.

SCORPIO

Patience, this week will consist of shoppers taking up the whole isle with shopping carts.

SAGITTARIUS

The stars are aligning in your favour! It's like the universe decided to throw a cosmic party just for you.

CAPRICORN

This week, work will feel like a never-ending episode of "The O ce."

AQUARIUS

Now is the time to embrace your true self and let your light shine bright.

PISCES

Embrace the 'laundry day chic' trend, where mismatched socks and inside-out shirts magically transform into the hottest look of the season!