Moose Jaw Express May 20th, 2020

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A1

“WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!!�

Phone: (306) 693.3673

and we have taken extra precautions for the safety of all our staff and customers.

661 Thatcher Drive East, Moose Jaw, SK

Sales: 8am-6pm | Service: 7:30am-4:30pm | Parts: 8am-4:30pm

Call for an appointment • Stay Strong Moose Jaw! MOOSE JAW’S MOST TRUSTED LOCAL MEDIA

306.694.1322

FĂ•

Brya Matt Ponto

Brya Lawton Wong

SAL General Manager

SAL Sales Manager General

306.693-3673

306.681.8088

FREE OF FAKE NEWS

SINCE 2008

“WELCOME TO THE REAL NEWS�

Volume 13, Issue 21 | Wed., May 20, 2020 OVER 225,000 VISITORS LAST MONTH

VISIT:

Chief of Moose Jaw EMS named president of provincial paramedic college

Ltd

HEATING • PLUMBING COOLING • BOILERS

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION Specialized in

Energy Efficient Furnaces Custom Sheet Metal Work We Service ALL Makes and Models

OPERATION INSPIRATION Page 6

The Saskatchewan College of Paramedics has named Kyle Sereda, the chief of Moose Jaw and District EMS, as its new president.

Sereda, 44, has sat on the college’s council for the past nine years, while the membership voted him in as vice-president in 2018. Sereda was excited to be named to the position but explained it wasn’t unexpected since the organization has a clear succession plan in place. Since he was vice-president for the past two years, he knew he would eventually ascend to the top position, but jokingly said he didn’t think it would happen during a pandemic.

The mandate of the college is to protect the public, and since Sereda is a front-line paramedic and head of Moose Jaw’s EMS organization, he doesn’t expect his roles to change.

Sereda has always wanted to support his profession and where it is going. He pointed out the paramedic profession is actually one of the younger emergency services in Saskatchewan, having been introduced about 60 years ago. “(I’m) excited to move forward with the college at this time because there is some good things that are happening from a practitioner level,� he said.

This includes using personal protective equipment (PPE) more comprehensively during the coronavirus situation or giving paramedics more responsibilities, such as going into people’s homes to test for the virus. “So we’re excited to see how our practice changes in relation to the pandemic, to practise safer and to bring more options to patients in their home,� added Sereda.

The role of the president is to work with the council to ensure the paramedic profession grows with the organization’s strategic plan. The role of a paramedic also continues to evolve, especially in light of its mandate to protect the public, keep people safe and use sound science, he explained. “Since the college became a (licensed-body) college 11 years ago ‌ that’s always been where we saw paramedics to make sure they were incorporated more into the healthcare system,â€? said Sereda. “They’re health professionals; they’re regulated; they’re trained very well. So incorporating them into health-care teams or networks is where we see paramedics contributing to patients’ outcomes.â€?

Para-medicine is a new concept that has slowly gained trac-

Kyle Sereda is the chief of Moose Jaw and District EMS. He was recently named president of the Saskatchewan College of Paramedics. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw and District EMS

tion in the last few years, he continued. The idea is to have a paramedic come to your home to offer services, especially if the rural areas don’t offer those services or if areas have more vulnerable populations. Significant improvements have been made in paramedic delivery, such as the creation of STARS Air Ambulance and fixed-wing paramedics.

Sereda became a paramedic in 1997 since his twin brother was an EMT at the time. Sereda saw how satisfied his brother was with the work and wanted to experience the SPECIALIZIN same thing.

PRODUCTS. “I always wanted to work in a public service in relation to police, fire or paramedics, and paramedicsYARD had a littleSHOP! more contact with patients,� he continued, “so I thought I’d try that first and (haven’t) looked back 23 years later.�

What Sereda enjoys most about his job, he explained, is the contact he has with patients, the support he can offer, the ability to treat life-threatening injuries, and the overall desire to help his fellow neighbours and friends. He likes that every day is different, while he added humourously that being able to drive fast in an ambulance with lights flashing and sirens blaring is also a joy.

Spring Sale

BACKYARD LIVING Page 14-15

BACK YARD LIV We’re Here to Help You ODLAW PROJECTS Call Brent Waldo

NEW HOURS Handyman Services Monday - Friday 8am-5pm Engineering | Construction Saturday 8am-2pm Project Management

Lumsden-Morse Constituency

After Hours Call 306-631-5899 316 Manitoba St W Residential Projects Welcome

“For All Your Tire, Battery & Automotive Needs�

306-693-3511

Brent Waldo P.Eng

Windmill MLA Gre

A piece of Moose Jaw’s History...Mo

lumsdenmorse.mla@sasktel.net

East on Manitoba Expressway & Coste

PAGE A2 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

We Are Still Open To Serve You Through Phone And Email At This Time • Health & Travel • Recreational Vehicle • Auto • Farm • Home, Tenant, Condo • Business • Payment Plans Protecting You and Your Family Since 1976 • Mobile Home

ON SITE PARKING

Moose Jaw grads joining nationwide virtual prom to support Kids Help Phone Larissa Kurz

Sarah Gutek is graduating from Cornerstone Christian School this June and while she’s disappointed her class won’t get to attend the usual spring banquet and ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments, she is looking forward to a different kind of celebration.

Gutek is one of 36 graduates across the country who are working to bring together fellow students for a virtual prom, which is set to take place on May 22 at 6p.m. via YouTube live stream.

“We’re going to just basically connect teens, get them listening to music, wearing some fancy clothes, all the stuff that a lot of people are missing out on,” said Gutek. “It’s a good way for teens to kind of have their special nights.”

Organized by Student Life Network and a handful of other sponsors, the live stream prom is simultaneously a fun event to connect Canadian grads and a charity event.

For every prom attendee who RSVPs to the virtual event, CIBC will make a donation to Kids Help Phone to support mental health in youth.

The prom itself will feature a live performance from Juno-winning artist Loud Luxury, as well as some shoutouts from Canadian role models — and a chance to meet and mingle with grads from across Canada.

The aim of the event is really to give grads a chance to celebrate together even while they are apart, as so many proms and grad ceremonies are being cancelled thanks to the ongoing pandemic.

There are already lots of teens from Saskatchewan involved with the upcoming #PromIsOn2020 event, including a number of grads from here in Moose Jaw. (supplied) Organizers are even working to put together a whole prom experience, right down to the pre-party events and the fun promposal tradition.

Leading up to the actual prom live stream, attendees are invited to take part in the Spirit Week events, challenges, and social media contests to put themselves in party mood.

The Prom Wave Challenge asks teens to share a TikTok video of themselves dancing or showing off tricks in their prom attire, while the Promposal Challenge asks teens to get creative with this year’s promposal videos and photos on Instagram — asking their family, or pets, or whatever else they can imagine to be their virtual date this year.

Organizers are asking everyone to tag

their social media activity with #PromIsOn2020, to share the good vibes with all attendees, and for Canadian teens to register as soon as possible to get in on the sponsored giveaways that are lined up.

In addition, #PromIsOn2020 isn’t just limited to Canadian grads, said Gutek.

Teens from all over the world are welcome to join the live stream event, and Canadian grads can RSVP even if they don’t know if they can make it.

“Even if people don’t really want to commit to doing Spirit Week or maybe the virtual prom time doesn’t work for them, we still want them to RSVP because it really helps Kids Help Phone out,” said Gutek.

Personally, Gutek is looking forward to the event, especially as she doesn’t really have any other place to wear her grad

dress.

“I bought it back in December, [and] I’ve been itching to wear it. It’s beautiful and I love it,” laughed Gutek. “I’m super excited to FaceTime with some friends and get ready for prom and all of that too.”

It’s also about more than just the party for Gutek, however. The idea of connecting Canadian grads through something fun and uplifting that also supports an important cause was all she needed to get involved.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of prom and planning prom and stuff,” said Gutek.

“And connecting with other teens during this time is so important, and I’ve seen just how amazing it is and how easy it is to connect with people across the world.”

She’s heard plenty of enthusiasm about the event from her fellow CCS grads, and she hopes more of Moose Jaw’s graduates will consider joining in, no matter what high school they call home — or if they have another virtual event of their own already planned.

“We never want to step on any toes, but in the same breath, virtual events are so easy to engage in,” said Gutek. “And I feel like the more proms you can go to, the better, and the more fun you’ll have.”

To RSVP to #PromIsOn2020, head over to promison2020.com to get started. Registration is open until the virtual event begins on May 22. The details for all social media challenges are also available there, as well as on Student Life Network’s TikTok and Instagram accounts.

Even during pandemic, paramedics are still as busy as ever Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

While members of Moose Jaw and District EMS Paramedic Services have had to adapt how they respond to calls during the coronavirus pandemic, they are still as busy as ever.

The paramedics are doing well under the circumstances and have changed how they approach situations to ensure they stay healthy while attending to patients’ needs, explained paramedic Chief Kyle Sereda. It was stressful in the beginning since there were many changes they had to make, such as performing additional screening of patients.

The paramedic services organization has maintained a full complement of ambulances and paramedics during the pandemic so it can continue to respond to calls. It has also ensured those vehicles are well maintained.

“We’ve done a lot of things differently, but we haven’t changed our operations to the public as far as 911 calls.

You call, we respond,” Sereda said. “That’s a good thing we’ve strived to maintain throughout this … .”

While members are questioned daily about how their physical health is, they also go through daily debriefings before and after their shifts to check on their men-

tal health, he continued. There have been more mental health checks, since the stresses have mounted during the past two months with call volumes and types of calls to which they are responding.

Many residents have been apprehensive about going to the hospital for their health issues since they’re uncertain about whether they even should go into the building, concerns that aren’t uncommon, Sereda explained. So peo-

STILL OPEN • CALL FOR APPOINTMENT MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8AM - 5PM PICK UP & DROP OFF SERVICES AVAILABLE

FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS • MUFFLERS • BRAKES • FRONT ENDS • SHOCKS/STRUTS • OIL CHANGES • WHEEL ALIGNMENTS • CUSTOM EXHAUST • DIESEL PERFORMANCE • DIAGNOSTIC SCANS • TIRES like us on ! @mjminutemuffler

303 Coteau St W Check us out online www.kitchenwareplus.ca Call for assistance

1-306-581-8999

ple continue to call 911 and Moose Jaw and District EMS paramedics continue to respond.

“Nothing has changed for us from that perspective. We certainly take a bit more precaution when we’re going to some of these calls due to COVID-19,” he said.

Paramedics continue to respond to the usual calls for service, such as heart attacks and strokes, but they are seeing an increase in calls around mental health and drug activity. Sereda was unsure if there was a correlation between the latter two issues and the pandemic, but pointed out mental illness can increase when people are confined at home.

While the organization keeps track of calls for drug activity and overdoses, Sereda was unsure if paramedics were seeing more of those calls. The past eight weeks of lockdown haven’t provided enough time to determine if there is a connection to any possible increases in drug overdoses.

Sereda added that he would have to speak with the Moose Jaw Police Service to review the data to determine if more drug overdoses and activity were occurring in the community.

&

Crestview Cabinets Kitchen Design Ltd.

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CABINETS

New Kitchen, Bath and Bedroom Cabinets!

Or refinishing your old cabinets to look like New! Custom Counter Tops! Free Estimates!

Call or text today 306-630-4375

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A3

Extend Support for Saskatchewan Small Business The Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment has been extended for businesses required to remain closed or substantially curtail operations after May 19, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information visit www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-businesses.

Warren Michelson Saskatchewan Party MLA for Moose Jaw North 306-692-8884 • 326-B High St. W. • moosejawnorthmla@shaw.ca

Scrappin’ with T turns the page on business by closing its doors Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Residents who like to put together scrapbooks will have one less physical location from which to shop, as the pandemic and future construction projects have forced Scrappin’ with T to close.

While the pandemic was one reason owner Teresa Fellinger closed her storefront, the forthcoming street construction was going to be an even bigger headache.

The City of Moose Jaw plans to shut down High Street West from Second to Fifth avenues for three months, for phase 5 of the cast iron water main replacement program.

Fellinger’s business — which opened almost nine years ago — was on Manitoba Street in 2015 when, without any prior notification, city hall closed the street for eight months for construction work and she lost $30,000 in business, she said. She later moved to High Street West, but then two years ago, the municipality closed that street and she lost further business.

City hall closed her street for nearly two months last year for work, so when she received a letter three months ago saying her street would be closed again for construction, she knew her business would sink and she decided now was the time to close.

Fellinger opened another storefront in Dalmeny last year and recently began selling online. Her rent in Dalmeny is $1,000 less than in Moose Jaw, and after crunching the numbers, she realized she wasn’t making money here.

Fellinger will continue with her Dalmeny and online stores and plans to continue to hold pop-up events around Moose Jaw. She noted she made more money

Teresa Fellinger, owner of Scrappin’ with T, poses for a picture on High Street West in front of her business.

Fellinger decided to close her storefront shop due to the pandemic and forthcoming street construction.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio during those events than she did with her storefront. By eliminating $4,000 in rent and staff — dismissing her employees was a difficult decision — Fellinger believes her business can survive.

Scrappin’ with T will have a permanent pop-up location at Past Times Old Photography at 26 Main Street North.

She also thought now was a good time to step back since she has grandchildren and works two other jobs.

“So I need a break. I need a mental break … I think

(closing the store is) what’s best for me now,” she added.

“COVID-19 has been icing on the cake.”

Fellinger was devastated to close her store, saying it had been a tough year already. With emotion in her voice, she said that’s how it goes when one is a small business owner. It’s difficult to thrive when residents shop at big box stores, tourism generates most of the business, and people think business owners are wealthy.

“I’m not loaded. I’m in a lot of debt,” she continued. “It is what it is. So I just spent the last month selling 90 per cent of the product out of my store. We did it all through Facebook … . That was the toughest three weeks of business.”

Scrappin’ with T will now operate out of the Fellingers’ garage while selling products online. Fellinger explained she never wanted to sell online since she is not technologically savvy and doesn’t like shopping digitally. However, she has no choice since many people now shop online.

With the shape the economy is in, scrapbooking is not an essential activity in most people’s lives, she continued.

The scrapbook community here used to be healthy, but with oil prices so weak during the last 18 months, customers whose husbands worked in the oil patch were no longer able to buy scrapbook materials since they had less income.

“People can justify cigarettes … alcohol … (and) eating out, but they can’t justify scrapbooking,” Fellinger added. “That is just how people are.”

REFLECTIVE MOMENTS

Virtual school virtually difficult in the olden days

We were sitting around watching television re-runs and then the national and local newscasts one evening during which one of the topics was school closures.

It was announced that in Saskatchewan and elsewhere, schools Joyce Walter would remain closed For Moose Jaw Express until September and that distance learning ronjoy@sasktel.net via the Internet would continue, allowing teachers, students and parents to be involved in this unusual method of educational delivery.

Some students thought the idea of staying home was just fine but missed their friends and the time on the playgrounds and on the sports fields. Others weren’t so sure if at-home learning would be their ticket to the next grade.

Housemate turned to me and asked if I would have been happy to stay at home during a pandemic.

“Dad would have made sure I went to school regardless of the rules,” I immediately responded. My Father drove the school bus for many years and I can count on one hand the number of times that bus didn’t get his passengers to and from school. Snow Days did not exist in his vocabulary and I can see him disregarding the rule of the

education director or school bus fleet supervisor.

So, let’s imagine how students would have learned at home during a pandemic in say 1965. For those who haven’t done historical research into the 1960s, here’s some information: we didn’t have home computers, there wasn’t a thing called the Internet, there was no WiFi, Google was only a gleam in someone’s eye and we didn’t have cellphones.

We did have party-line telephones, typewriters, mimeograph machines, textbooks, encyclopedia sets and teachers who would have stepped up and worked ahead to prepare assignments in their subjects to be mailed to students or taken home by students who actually lived in the community.

Under the watchful eye of the parents, the assignments would have been completed via pen and paper and maybe a typewriter and mailed back to the school to be graded and commented upon by the teachers. Return mail would have sent new assignments to be returned and so on. In those days the mail from the school community didn’t have to head to Regina to be sent back several days later to the home community. No siree, the mail from the school would have gone directly to the next town via the mail truck driver, for delivery the very next day. Ditto for return mail.

Over and above the official assignments the parents would have added their own life’s lessons: Math: figuring out how many 1/4 cup containers would be needed for one cup of flour for the cake; or measuring the levels in the underground tanks and using the for-

mula to determine how many gallons of gas remained in storage.

Biology: seeing how the body of a duck was put together after it was plucked and cleaned and before being cut up for the roasting pan.

Chemistry: learning that large amounts of baking soda will cause other items to sizzle before exploding.

Literature: figuring out who did it in the new Nancy Drew mystery book.

Economics: preparing a budget and profit and loss statement for the incredible amount of $18 received monthly from the federal government, payment for being born and hanging around with the parents until turning 18 or finishing high school, whichever came first.

Musical education: singing along to songs on the radio; watching Tommy Hunter and Lawrence Welk. And playing my accordion even though lessons would likely have been cancelled because of social distancing.

Back in that day, we didn’t have the ability to make videos for YouTube or FaceBook. Imagine, if you will, a video from our living room of me playing a rousing accordion version of Cattle Call or Under the Double Eagle March.

Yes, just imagine.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

INVESTING DURING A BEAR MARKET COULD PAY OFF IN THE END! Please call for your personal face-to-face appointment to review your investment plan today.

Gale Toews, Financial Advisor Gale Toews Private Wealth Management of Raymond James Ltd. 602 – 1st Ave NW, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 3M6 306-693-4430 gale.toews@raymondjames.ca

Raymond James Ltd., Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

www.raymondjames.ca/GaleToewsPrivateWealthManagement

PAGE A4 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Phone: 306.694.1322 Fax: 888.241.5291 32 Manitoba St. West, Moose Jaw SK S6H 1P7 www.mjvexpress.com

Publisher: Robert Ritchie - rob@mjvexpress.com Editor: Joan Ritchie - editor@mjvexpress.com Sales: Wanda Hallborg - sales@mjvexpress.com Bob Calvert - sales@mjvexpress.com Gladys Baigent-Therens - Sales2@mjvexpress.com Steve Seida - Special Sales Thank you to all the contributing writers, without your time and support, the paper would not look the same.

Send your stories, events and pictures to; Joan Ritchie Ron Walter Joyce Walter

editor@mjvexpress.com

Jason Antonio Larissa Kurz

Randy Palmer Dr. Steven Heidinger Wanda Smith

This editorial is in reference to the article in this edition in the city council section, ‘City hall redeploys permanent staff to road projects as job-saving measure.’

Honestly, the brilliance of City Hall to keep higher-paid employees employed during this pandemic at their fixed salary to fix potholes is absolutely absurd by any normal standards, rather than hiring temporary workers who are skilled to do the job.

Later on in the article, Mr. Puffalt Joan Ritchie states, “Corporate knowledge is imEDITOR portant to most cities and this skeleton staff has kept things running the past eight weeks; without permanent employees, we would be hard-pressed to do so.”

The question comes to mind, ‘If the city is retaining permanent staff, then how could it be a skeleton staff?’… with no loss of permanent employees.

I can see it now, displaced city workers, some possibly white-collar, standing side-by-side watching the whole ordeal, while one or two workers attempt to do the grunt work, as seems often the case anyways. City of Moose Jaw, you have to know that people take notice of how many city vehicles are driving around the city looking like they have a purpose and how many workers are actually doing the work, while many stand around enjoying the fresh air.

And of course, I say very facetiously, we see everyday the absolutely impeccable work the street crews do to fix the roads in Moose Jaw; God only knows, we know by experience; we drive the streets, especially 9th Ave. W to and from work.

Take for example the recent work done on the corner of 9th Ave. and Athabasca W. It was only a few weeks ago that this busy intersection was dug up and refilled, bringing to mind the joke, “How many city workers does it take to fill a pothole?” Apparently 11 reported by a Moose Jaw resident who called the office requesting us to drive by and take a photo. Within a couple of weeks, the intersection was in worse repair than before, so grooved-in that it was almost impassible.

And then recently…again at that intersection, another layer of incompetence has been temporarily applied to what avail?

Reminds me of what Obama said years ago, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

If you put another layer of temporary fill to a hole on a poorly maintained city street in Moose Jaw and have paid workers fill that hole numerous times, what benefit is it to the people who drive those streets or the people who pay the taxes so that these workers can have a job?

The business logic in the decision-making at city hall certainly seems to be lacking, and then all we get during aired council meetings is a bunch of fluff from bureaucrats that never seems to bring any positive results or benefits to the residents of Moose Jaw. Another example: After 11+ years coming to the office on Manitoba St. W, the lines on 1st Ave. have been re-painted at least two, three or more times a year with city-acknowledged crappaint, paying crews to do the same job over and over, year after year to no avail. The paint lasts for a couple of weeks and then markings disappear. Where is the logic?

During last week’s council meeting, Mr. Puffalt stated that the lines on 1st Ave. W would again be painted by the end of last week, expecting to use better paint.

Brilliant decision, but the proof will be in the painting!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Send your letters to the editor to: letters@mjvexpress.com or 888-241-5291 All columns, letters to the editor and editorials are solely the personal opinions of the writers themselves and not necessarily the opinions of The Moose Jaw Express.

The contents of this publication are the property of the Moose Jaw Express.

Reproduction of any of the contents of this publication, including, but without limiting the generality of the following: photographs, artwork and graphic designs, is strictly prohibited.

There shall be no reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher.

All ads in the Moose Jaw Express are published in good faith without verification.

The Moose Jaw Express reserves the right to refuse, classify, revise or censor any ads for any reason in its sole discretion. This paper may include inaccuracies or errors.

The Moose Jaw Express does not under any circumstances accept responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of any ads or messages in any of the publications editions.

The Moose Jaw Express specifically disclaims all and any liability to advertisers and readers of any kind for loss or damage of any nature what-so-ever and however arising, whether due to inaccuracy, error, omission or any other cause.

All users are advised to check ad and message details carefully before entering into any agreement of any kind and before disclosing personal information. If in doubt, please take legal advice.

Homegrown Farmer’s Market set to make return

Plenty of restrictions and changes, but weekly fresh produce sale on Langdon Crescent begins on May 30

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express Normally at this time of year, Diane Kramski with the Moose Jaw Farmer’s Market would be putting the final touches on a new season, letting the vendors know what was up and getting things ready to go like any other spring opening.

Only a little more than a week ago, Kramski received final word as to whether or not a Farmer’s Market would even be possible – and with the number of restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic; she’s been working steadily since to let everyone know just what’s up when things officially kick off.

“With this virus and the guidelines and restrictions, it’s a lot to go through, then they keep adding on to them and changing things, so there are questions that have to be answered about that,” said Kramski. “It’s been hectic.”

The long list of official guidelines, rules and recommendations can be found at the end of this article, but it’s going to make for a much different experience when folks The Moose Jaw Homegrown Market will be returnstop by at the Market – which is located on Langdon ing at the end of May. Facebook photo Crescent between Cordova and Athabasca Street, across from the library and art gallery. properly and everything has to be done a certain way.

Firstly, no handling items, unless you want to create a It’s crazy, but it’s what we have to do to be safe.” bunch of work for the vendors.

The current list of guidelines includes: “If you have a bulk sale and someone touches a potato, • Table coverings are NOT ALLOWED; you have to remove it right away and wash it,” Kramski • Craft vendors have to have a sign on their table DO said. “So I’ve messaged produce sellers and asked to NOT TOUCH. If a product that is not packaged is have things pre-packaged just to be safe. It’s the same touched it has to be removed from your table. It is not if you’re a crafter; if you sell aprons and you have them mandatory but the government would like crafters to hanging up, if someone touches the apron, you have to package their products; remove it off your table immediately and sanitize it.

• Customers can not bring in their own bags; “So that’s why we’re asking for everything to be • Veggie vendors should pre package their products; pre-packaged. Have a sample out, but keep everything • Practice safe distancing minimum of 2 meters; else packaged, that way it’s safe and convenient for ev- • Provide hand washing and hand sanitizer (MANATOeryone.”

RY). Vendors supply their own sanitizer and soap and There will also be arrows in place to guide traffic safe- water; ly, all booths must be two metres apart with distancing • All food has to be prepackaged and labeled properly, marked off for line-ups, all booths must have hand san- even single items like cookies, tarts, muffins etc. VERY itizer along with a bucket of soap and water and a cloth. IMPORTANT NO EXCEPTIONS; The streets will be blocked off, with sanitizer at booths • Food samples are NOT ALLOWED; at both ends.

• Vendors selling food must post signs advising customMost importantly, all rules must be followed to the let- er they are not allowed to eat food in the market area; ter, simply to keep the market open, • Vendors must increase the frequency of cleaning and “We going to be very harsh on our vendors this year,” disinfect of high touch surfaces; Kramski said. “I’m saying if you don’t have hand sani- • Vendors who are sick or symptomatic will not be altizer or a wash bucket, or your signs, you cannot come lowed to attend; in. If you’re sick, don’t bother showing up. Barricades • Where possible create a cashless payment systems will be up, rope will be out… we want to make sure we through point of sale devices square or e-transfer; follow all the rules.”

• Live entertainment is NOT ALLOWED; Kramski hopes everyone will be understanding and • Picnic Tables are NOT ALLOWED; continue to support the Homegrown Market.

• Customers must not use or provide their own contain“It depends on the people that come, how many will ers including reusable cups, containers and bags. show up,” she said. “We just have to use our common For more information and guidelines as they become sense and people have to understand that if we don’t available, keep in touch with the Farmer’s Market Facefollow these guidelines from the government, they can book page or check out their website at mjhomegrowncome and shut us down. Everything has to be labelled market.com.

Government releases new suicide prevention plan Education, research, and awareness of the high suicide rate among indigenous youth are all part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s new suicide prevention plan.

The plan, known as Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan, aims to coordinate activities to promote life and reduce risk factors related to suicide in Saskatchewan. It aligns with recommendations found within Saskatchewan’s Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan.

“Mental health continues to be a high priority for our government, our health system and our communities,” Rural and Remote Health Minister Warren Kaeding said in a press release. “This plan will guide activities specific to suicide prevention based on Saskatchewan’s context. It was informed by careful consideration of approaches across the country and international best practice.”

Specific actions outlined in the plan include expanded use and monitoring of suicide protocols, along with enhancement of research, data, and surveillance for local suicide prevention.

According to the government, approximately 144 people die by suicide each year in Saskatchewan. Suicide is the leading cause of death for people age 10 to 49 in northern Saskatchewan.

“As psychiatrists, we have of course been very concerned by the high suicide rate in Saskatchewan,” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Interim Head, Provincial Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan Dr. Malin Clark said. “A comprehensive plan that includes not only delivery of enhanced mental health services but also addresses social factors that contribute to hopelessness and increased suicide risk is necessary as we move forward in efforts to change this statistic.”

In need of help? Residents can still use HealthLine 811 for free, confidential, mental health advice, education, and support.

Pillars for Life: The Saskatchewan Suicide Prevention Plan is available at www.saskatchewan.ca.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A5

Western Development Museum cancels all summer activities, camps Larissa Kurz

The Western Development Museum has announced that all summer activities will not be taking place, due to the ongoing restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic.

All WDM locations will be cancelling scheduled activities, such as Pion-Era in Saskatoon, Those Were The Days in North Battleford, and the Threshman’s Show & Seniors’ Festival in Yorkton.

Brickspo, meant to be held in Moose Jaw on July 25-26, will be postponed until a later date.

Opening day of the K+S Potash Short Line 101 has also been postponed from May 16 to a later date.

The all in-person summer camps at all WDM locations will also be cancelled, and instead moved to a virtual format.

The WDM will be announcing more details about the virtual summer camp programs soon.

The decision to suspend all activities through the summer was done to protect staff, volunteers, and visitors to the museums, said the WDM in a press release.

“These events are important community gatherings and not being able to go ahead with them this year is difficult. However, the safety of our staff, volunteer and visitors is of primary importance,” said Joan Kanigan, CEO. As the WDM is included in Phase 4 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, the organization is unsure of when WDM locations will be able to reopen to the public.

BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter For Moose Jaw Express

Province needs to get with it; develop Qu’Appelle Conveyance/Irrigation

A plan by the Saskatchewan Government to add $2 billion to the $5.5 billion capital spending in the March budget is good news for the province.

The economic booster shot, as Premier Scott Moe called it, will restore investor confidence in the province and develop much needed infrastructure. Who knows, the province might even fix the still unresolved highways mess left by the Devine Conservative government in the 1980s.

Most importantly the spending will create 10,000 jobs, restoring some of the jobs lost from the pandemic lockdown. Saskatchewan had already lost 13,000 construction jobs since 2016, so this will help.

Large infrastructure will take the lion’s share, $1.37 billion of the new spending with $110 million for education and $103 million for health care while highways gets $300 million.

Municipal airports and roadways get $40 million.

The money will add to the province’s debt, causing future generations to help pay for the infrastructure they are using — a fair enough exchange.

The announcement does raise the question of when the Legislature will meet to debate and approve this spending and the March budget — a budget that did not include revenue estimates.

The people of Saskatchewan have been patient as the pandemic unfolded and most everyone co-operated in the lockdown.

Time has come for a recall of the Legislature with a debate to hold the government accountable. We do not live in a dictatorship and need to prove that.

Other provinces are recalling their Legislatures even with the pandemic difficulties.

A new legislative session would allow the opportunity to discuss other beneficial capital projects.

One immensely beneficial to this region

is the Qu’Appelle Conveyance/Irrigation project.

Tagged at $3 billion in today’s money, the 10-year-old plan would build an open channel from Lake Diefenbaker down to Buffalo Pound Lake. The increased water would supply consumers and industry in Southern Saskatchewan for the next 50 years.

The conveyance channel part of the project would take two years to build.

A parallel irrigation project would place 110,000 acres from Marquis to Tugaske under irrigation over five years.

The two projects would create 425,000 person years of jobs. (Note: a person year is one person working for one year.) Over a 30-year period they would create $130 billion income, with $36 billion in taxes to the three levels of government.

That’s a healthy return of 12 times the original investment by governments on the project.

The project will take agreement by the federal and provincial governments. The feds have been keen on starting this project for two years now. The province has been stalling in the remote hope of finding a private investment partner (read China).

Now is the time to start this history making project to create jobs and production for the next 100 years.

For those concerned about the debt: we need the tax revenue and we might as well get major permanent benefits for this region from all that debt.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Construction is just days away from completion We’re back to work with modified hours - STAY SAFE Sales Monday to Saturday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Service Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

1743 Main Street North • Moose Jaw, SK

(306) 694 -1355

Toll Free: (866) 495-9787 • www.moosejawtoyota.ca

PAGE A6 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Moose Jaw's Affordable Printer

From concept to completion, we are your ONE-STOP business printing solution

30 Super B units to haul your grain, liquid or granular fertilizer.

Pilot truck for machinery hauling.

• Brochures • Cheques • Multi-Part Forms • Flyers • Posters • Business cards • & Much More!

Call Kelly (306) 693-1284 or (306) 631-1202 email ckdispatch@sasktel.net Box 1388 Moose Jaw Sask. S6H-4R3

Powered by

EXPRESS

sales @skpromo.com

306.694.1322

Snowbirds return home as part of Operation Inspiration Fly-over of Moose Jaw leads to short break before continuing cross-Canada tour Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Even though we here in Moose Jaw get a chance to see them far more often than most, it’s always an event when the Snowbirds perform a flyover of Canada’s Most Notorious City.

That’s why on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 12, there were plenty of folks looking to the skies to catch the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron’s latest flyover as they returned home for a short break from their Operation Inspiration cross-Canada tour.

The tour – which began on May 3 in Saint John, N.B. and continued through the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba since – is aimed at boosting spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic and has drawn rave reviews on social media from communities that rarely, if ever, get a chance to see the Snowbirds in person.

The team arrived over Moose Jaw around 1:45 p.m. and perform a handful of passes over the city in their signature nine-jet formation before landing at 15 Wing.

After day and a half with their families, the team was back in the air on May 14, flying to Regina before heading north to Saskatoon and then to Cold Lake, Alta. as their tour took them through northern Alberta and B.C. After swinging down the west coast, the Snowbirds will make the return home through southern communities before bringing Operation Inspiration to a close.

Be sure to follow the Snowbirds on Twitter at @CFSnowbirds for the latest information on the tour and everything happening with the team.

The Snowbirds were back home as part of their cross-Canada Operation Inspiration tour last Tuesday. Photos by Larissa Kurz.

Emergency support program for province’s small businesses extended Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment will now run through the month of May as COVID-19 crisis continues Moose Jaw Express Staff

The Government of Saskatchewan’s lifeline to small business in the province during the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended.

The Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment program has moved into the month of May for businesses that are required to remain closed or substantially curtail operations after May 19, 2020.

“While the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan is now underway, we are still very much dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic, so we need to be methodical in how we implement each phase of the plan in our province,” said Trade and Export Development minister Jeremy Harrison in a press release.

“We want to be flexible and responsive with the program and make sure we provide timely support for businesses so they can utilize this funding where it will provide the most benefit for them. We will continue working closely with our business community on this, and other measures, right through each critical

• pressure washers • rentals

• grasshoppers

phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan.”

Launched on April 12, the SSBEP is a $50 million program providing financial support to small and medium businesses affected by COVID-19.

Businesses will not need to re-apply if they have previously been accepted, and those that qualify will automatically receive a second payment after May 19.

Payments are based on 15 per cent of a business’s monthly sales revenue in either April 2019 or February 2020, with businesses able to select either month to calculate their payment.

The maximum payment is $5,000 per business per eligibility period.

Payments can be used for any purpose, including paying fixed costs or expenditures related to re-opening the business following the pandemic.

For more information and the SSBEP application, visit www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-businesses.

Oh Clark’s

you are always there whenever i call...

Clark’s

you meet all my needs!

• water requirements: • farm and sewer • cabin water • waterbowls

CLARK’S SUPPLY & SERVICE LTD. www.clarks-supply.com

1650 Stadacona St. W. Moose Jaw 306-693-4334 Hwy #1 North Service Rd. Emerald Park 306-359-1964 521 South Railway St W. Warman 306-934-3880

legacy

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A7

 �� � �

 ­  €

‚

What legacy will you leave

behind

BEHIND?

Please include the Moose Jaw Health Foundation in your estate plan.

(306) 692-1012 341 Stadacona St E Moose Jaw, SK www.saharaspa.ca

(306) 694-0373

www.mjhf.org

Some residents can still recall brutal effects of the Spanish Flu Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Only a few residents alive today can recall anything about the Spanish Flu that hit Canada over 100 years ago, while others can remember family discussions about the devastating effects of that pandemic.

Recalling the flu’s brutal effects Centenarian Verna Zimmerman was born on Nov. 29, 1919 on a farm near Tuxford, about 24 kilometres from Moose Jaw, just as the Spanish Flu — which began in May 1918 — was coming to a close in Saskatchewan. As a young girl, she remembers her parents telling her of the precautions they took to protect against the influenza. “My mother said we had to be very careful. If we were around other people, other than family, we had to keep clean, especially with the hands,� Zimmerman said recently. “But I don’t remember having to wear a mask.�

She believes the effects of the Spanish Flu — which killed 50 million people worldwide — resulted in her having many colds

Verna Zimmerman and her husband, Hank, pose for a picture on June 6, 1944 just after their wedding. Photo courtesy Verna Zimmerman

as a child. When Zimmerman’s mother put her to bed, she would rub a “mustard plaster� mixture onto her chest to help her breathe; it usually worked. This plaster is a combination of mustard powder and flour that, when mixed, creates a paste that becomes hot when applied to cotton.

Zimmerman never expected to see or experience another pandemic in her lifetime. She pointed out that she also lived through the tough times of the Great Depression and Dirty Thirties. While her family had a good home life, they had very little money on which to spend anything. She recalls that during those years, dust was everywhere night and day. “I remember we used to grow beautiful wheat crops. We only got about $1 per bushel. But I learned to love life,� she added. “To this day, I have that same feeling to people.�

Another resident who lived through the Spanish Flu is Violet England, 105, who was born on May 18, 1914 — even before the First World War began — and was a young girl when the influenza finished in 1920. She grew up on a farm with her family near Mossbank and milked and herded cows.

England was five years old when the influenza pandemic began its rampage across Canada. “I do (remember) a little bit (of it). My mother was rather fussy about it and us getting it,� she recalled.

England doesn’t think she’s special even though she has lived through two pandemics. She doesn’t have any secret to her longevity but simply says to “just behave yourself� and follow the rules.

A family legacy Resident Gladys Baigent-Therens recalls how her mother, Mary, would tell stories of how Spanish Flu affected their family and the heartbreak it caused.

Born on Jan. 13, 1918 on a farm in the Billimun district near Mankota, Mary Folk was one of 12 children born to Mar-

Verna Zimmerman, 4, (right) and her sister Norma, 7, (left) pose for a picture around 1923. Zimmerman survived the Spanish Flu but had many colds as a child that could be attributed to the influenza. She now lives at Chez Nous Senior Citizens Home. Photo courtesy Verna Zimmerman garet and Mathias. Mary would never get to know two older sisters and a younger brother since the influenza would claim all three of them.

Barbara was born on Nov. 18, 1903, while Madalena was born on Sept. 10, 1906.

Barbara caught the influenza in the fall of 1918 and somehow knew she was going to die, so she began saying goodbye to her family. When she came to Madalena, she told her younger sister that she would “see her next week.�

Barbara died on Oc. 27, 1918; a week later, on Nov. 3, Madalena also died from the pandemic.

Brother Mathias was later born on March 9, 1919, but on March 27, as a two-weekold infant, he caught the flu and died. “They were all devastated,â€? said Baigent-Therens. “It was very hard times for Margaret and Mathias, losing three of 12 children to the flu. (However), they always kept the faith and felt that God had plans for the three children He took home, and that he had plans for Mary (on Earth) as she survived being a baby at the time. “Mary always felt that she knew her three siblings, as the family never stopped the stories ‌ .â€?

A picture collage of Violet England’s family and friends. Photo courtesy Chez Nous Baigent-Therens added that the family has handed down those stories over the decades. Now, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren also know how the Spanish Flu took their late aunts and uncle.

Violet England, 105, grew up on a farm near Mossbank and survived the Spanish Flu of 1918-20. She now hangs her at at Chez Nous Senior Citizens Home.

Photo courtesy Chez Nous

Some Fast Facts about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic in Moose Jaw

By Richard Dowson

Spanish Flu emerged in the United States in late 1917. Its existence was covered up. Spanish Newspapers reported it – hence the name. Waves were 1917 – then early 1918 – and the fall and winter 1918-19 which is when it struck Moose Jaw. Population of Moose Jaw and District in October, 1918 was about 40,000.

There were 3 hospitals – the General, Providence and Ross (Military) – Moose Jaw and District Medical Officer of Health was Dr. Turnbull – he lived in what is now the Jones Funeral Home.

Wednesday, October 2, 1918 – Spanish Flu was in Winnipeg – Dr. Turnbull said he and his staff were, â€œâ€Ś taking all necessary steps to deal with an outbreak should it occur.â€?

Tuesday, October 8, 1918: Eleven soldiers and the Spanish Flu arrived by train in Moose Jaw. On October 8, 1918, a Saskatchewan Order-in-Council required mandatory reporting of people sick with Spanish Flu and that sick people â€œâ€Śmust be isolated for a week or until all symptoms have disappeared.â€?

The ‘Official Day’ of Spanish Flu Pandemic arriving in Moose Jaw – Sunday, October 13, 1918.

Tuesday, October 15, 1918: First death in Moose Jaw and

District – Robert John Brown who died at the General Hospital after only 3 days of sickness.

Thursday, October 17, 1918: Number sick: 25 soldiers at Armoury – 32 at the General; 28 at the Providence hospital – Places of worship and entertainment closed – public meetings suspended – public places closed – schools closed – all for at least one week.

Saturday, October 19, 1918: 56 new cases – Providence experiencing overcrowding – placing “couches and cots� in the corridors. The Moose Hotel on the South Hill converted to a hospital.

Monday, October 21, 1918: 208 new cases – difficult to count and treat people – “Businesses Badly Crippled� – Hospitals short of linen – ask for donations Saturday, October 26, 1918 161 New Cases – Monday, October 28, 1918 – Medical Advice: “First thing to do is isolate�. Towns of Foam Lake and Morse closed to incoming passenger trains. More than a 1,000 people sick in Moose Jaw Wednesday, October 30, 1918: Prince Arthur School is designated a hospital.

Thursday, October 31, 1918: Prohibition Changed – Clause 10 of the Temperance Act amended – Doctors can prescribe ‘Booze’ for medical treatment, of course

– bought at Drug Stores Curve is flattened – Saturday, November 2, 1918 – 11 deaths – a decrease in new cases – Mon., Nov. 4th only 7 deaths –Tuesday, November 5th only 10 deaths – fewer fresh cases.

Saturday, Nov. 9: Moose Hospital closing – patients transferred to Prince Arthur (school) Hospital – Tuesday, November 12, 1918: only 4 deaths per day over last 4 days Schools, theatres, dance halls, pool rooms to open next Monday, November 18, 1918.

Thursday, November 14, 1918: The News declares the “Epidemic is Beaten�

Saturday, Nov. 30: No deaths in 3 days – 3 new cases – still a shortage of nurses.

The Pandemic settled in and was tolerated. Most of the deaths occurred in the same families. The Pandemic continued to kill people through the winter. By late spring 1919 it had left the Moose Jaw area.

Spanish Flu Pandemic killed 6.6% of the population of Saskatchewan.

Odd Fact: Mostly the young died. People 45 and older had a low mortality rate. This was probably because they had survived the “Russian Flu Pandemic of 1889-90� and had developed immunity (antibodies).

PAGE A8 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

TRADING THOUGHTS

Competition caused obituary for another Canadian retail chain - Army and Navy The Army and Navy store on Main Street used to be the place to go for low prices and selection and fun. It had everything and at low, low prices.

This Scribbler bought his last pair of toe rubbers there when no one else sold them.

I’ve kept them as a sort of colby Ron Walter lectible.

With all the merchandise bought at cents on the dollar and founder Sam Cohen’s motto: “Buy Cheap. Sell cheap. Pass the saving on,” the small chain grew, operating for 101 years.

In the depths of the Great Depression in 1933, Army and Navy expanded with a Moose Jaw store, located on the north side of the cultural centre.

Store merchandise bought from overstocked stores, excess manufacturers’ inventory, closeout and bankruptcy sales also included many odd items.

We all have our top Army and Navy stories. Mine relates to the day my partner/wife and I went into the local store after work one day.

Those shiny blue suits just jumped out at us. The price jumped at us too: a whole $69 for this cool material.

As city editor of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, Yours Truly was in the market for a new suit. In those days we were expected to dress like businesspeople, not like panhandlers.

Anyway, we agreed I had to try on the jacket. I pulled the jacket off the hangar, noticing the arms seemed rather bent at the elbow.

Covering my back with the jacket, I awkwardly slipped my right arm into the sleeve.

My arm went halfway down and stuck in the elbow like a bone in your throat. I wriggled the arm to pull out. No matter what I did I was stuck.

There I was in the middle of the clothing aisle with the shiny blue suit jacket hanging on my arm.

Through considerable writhing and gentle pulling by my partner/wife we finally removed the suit from my arm.

Checking the label, I noticed the suit was made in Bulgaria, leading to the conclusion that Bulgarians had short arms and wide shoulders. Or, more likely, this batch of suits was sewn by tailors on a drunken binge.

“Now I know why the price is $69,” I commented.

The Army and Navy was a staple of almost every shopping trip. Some people made fun of the place; those same people were red-faced when found shopping in the store.

The Moose Jaw Army and Navy closed in 2000, about a year after the owner, Sam Cohen’s granddaughter “cleaned up” the store by removing all the merchandise clogging the aisles.

With less merchandise, sales fell and the store lost money.

Actually, the days of small family chain discount stores were coming to an end as competition from larger discount chains pushed up prices of distressed merchandise.

Army and Navy hung in with five stores — Langley.

B.C., New Westminster, B.C., Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. The stores were closed for the pandemic lockdown, then permanently with the pandemic cited as the reason.

The pandemic was a good excuse, but the fate of the Army and Navy was sealed years ago by the online retailer Amazon, whose retail partners sell distressed merchandise, and by online sites like overstock.com.

What was Canada’s first discount retail chain is now just a memory.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Seeding process advances well across the province

By Ron Walter - For Agri-Mart Express

AGRIMART

EXPRESS Seeding has advanced well with good weather except for some snow and rain in the southeast and north, according to the weekly Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture crop report.

For the period ended May 11, farmers

had almost doubled seeded acres to 18 percent of the total compared to 16 percent average in the last 10 years.

In the Moose Jaw/Regina/Weyburn crop district seeding was 28 percent done.

The highest seeding completion in this region was the Gravelbourg/Mossbank/

20054pm0

Mortlach/Central Butte area at 44 percent seeded.

The Ogema/Coronach/Assiniboia district was 23 percent completed.

Cropland moisture in this region is five percent surplus, 80 percent adequate and 15 percent short.

Hay and pasture land isn’t quite as moist

with five percent surplus, 68 percent adequate 25 percent short and two percent very short.

Seeding progress was slow on other regions with 14 percent done in the west-central region, seven percent in the east-central and only three percent in the northeast.

20054bs0

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A9

Thank You to Our Early Childhood Educators MLA’s Column

Warren Michelson Moose Jaw North

Warren Michelson, MLA

May is Early Childhood Education Month and May 13th was Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. The importance of Early Childhood Educators cannot be understated. Studies show that up to 90 per cent of a child’s brain is developed by age five. While inclass learning for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students has been suspended due to COVID-19, many Early Childhood Educators are on the front lines in childcare centres, nurturing the children of those we appreciate as our essential workers.

It probably doesn’t surprise constituents that I consider early childhood supports a priority. Debbie and I have pre-school age grandchildren and before the COVID-19 isolation, they were often with us at family-friendly events around Moose Jaw. It’s a tremendous privilege to be able to be part of the lives of our

grandchildren.

It was also a privilege to attend the grand re-opening of the Northwest Child Development Centre in early March. The centre expanded from a 39-space facility to a larger 75-space newly renovated building, providing additional early learning and childcare services for young families. The Ministry of Education provided a total of $282,000 to assist with this expansion.

Early Learning in Saskatchewan falls under the mandate of the Ministry of Education and includes childcare and pre-school support programs. The 202021 spending estimates provide $98 million for childcare and early learning. The government has increased the number of childcare spaces by 76 per cent since 2007 and intends to establish childcare centres in new school builds in the prov-

ince where appropriate.

Early Childhood Educators make literacy an essential part of their work. Helping a child learn in their early years prepares them for future achievements like high school graduation and a fulfilling career.

Primary caregivers are the first teachers in a child’s life and everyday activities like talking, reading, playing games, picking up toys or cooking can be opportunities to grow together. The “Play.

Learn. Grow Together” program was developed as a public education program which provides parents and guardians of newborn to Kindergarten-aged children with easy-to-use tips and information to help enhance family learning at home.

The webpage and family-friendly videos can be found online at www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/education-and-learning/prek-12-education-early-learningand-schools/early-years-learning.

These days, when many parents are spending more time at home with their children, it is a good time to get into the habit of reading and literacy development. Making reading a scheduled part of everyday helps to develop that habit. Literacy development can happen

anytime, anywhere with games such as “I Spy”. Our local library is physically closed at present but continues to offer online programming and many digital literacy options.

Literacy includes exploring new places, ideas and activities together. A friend mentioned to me one day of being on a walk, and seeing a toddler, closely supervised by the parent, exploring a culvert and the structures around it. He immediately thought, “Now there’s a budding civil engineer.” This child’s opportunity to explore now will make a difference in his adult life.

Our government is committed to helping all Saskatchewan children get a good start in life. Early Childhood Educators are essential to make that happen. Please join me in thanking Early Childhood Educators who make such a tremendous difference in the lives of families; and work so diligently to support our youngest citizens.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Public Library returns with new online programming while closed for pandemic Larissa Kurz

The Moose Jaw Public Library had to close its doors to the public due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped program directors from finding a way to stay connected with library patrons.

The Public Library has a number of new, virtual versions of beloved programs scheduled for the month of May, all delivered through accessible online platforms that are available to anyone.

“We realized we were probably going to be closed for a while, and so we decided that we still wanted to have a presence in the community,” said acting assistant head librarian Carolyn Graham. “We know that a lot of people are pretty tech-savvy these days, so we decided to try virtual programming.”

Naturally, the Library has chosen to adapt some reading-focused programming to fill in the calendar while the building’s doors are closed.

The idea began with offering Virtual Storytime with Miss Wendy on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., as a continuation of the children’s program usually hosted at the library.

As the interactive storytime videos proved popular, the Library added a weekly kids craft program on their YouTube called Art with Haley, and then just kept brainstorming ideas.

On May 28, the Library will bring back its monthly Book Club, with the in-person discussion now offered virtually. This month, book club members are reading Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan, available for free in eBook and audiobook format on Hoopla.

The Public Library is also hosting a Teen Book Club on May 26 at 2:30 p.m., for a discussion about this month’s title Sunshine by Robin McKinley, available on Hoopla as an eBook and audiobook.

Teens are also invited to register for digital Dungeons

Although you can’t peruse the stacks in the Moose Jaw Public Library, you can take part in the virtual book club and other online programming launching this week. & Dragons sessions on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., as a continuation of the MJPL’s previous program, and the Teen Digital Discord Hangout on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. to catch up with friends and join a group discussion.

The long-running Death Cafe will also be returning with a virtual format on May 21 at 2:30 p.m., as a safe place to discuss the difficult subject of death.

And in the same strain, the Library is also offering COVID-19 Cafe beginning May 27 at 2:30 p.m., as a platform to connect with others in the community and share any concerns or anxieties about the pandemic.

“It was kind of a spin-off from the Death Cafe, because we know people are being affected by the pandemic,” said Graham. “[Lots of people are feeling] anxiety, or

stress, or sadness, or even anger, so we just thought this would be a forum for people who aren't able to connect in other ways.”

All of the programs are provided through live video, meaning that although patrons are joining in from home, they still get to interact with each other as if they were gathering in the library meeting rooms just like normal.

Adult programs will be delivered using Zoom, while teen programs are being hosted on the Public Library’s Discord server, and children’s programs require registration in order to participate for security reasons.

All of the programs launching this month were chosen because they were popular before the library’s forced closure, said Graham.

“We thought we would start with those tried-and-true programs virtually, and then gradually we're adding in a few other things,” said Graham. “We’re already in the planning stages for June.”

Staff are working hard to develop more distance programs in the coming weeks, and Graham feels as though moving to virtual platforms could be good for the Library’s long-term future, in terms of accessibility.

The Moose Jaw Public Library is sharing information about all of the virtual programs and how to join them on their Facebook page. Details are also available on their website at moosejawlibrary.ca.

Staff are working from home for the most part, but encourage people to call the Library’s Help Desk at 1 (306) 692-2787 with any questions they might have — including questions about getting or renewing a library card, how to use any of the digital resources offered by the Library, tech help requests, or inquiries for the Archives Department.

M&M Hair & Body Salon

We are Back to Business!

There is new COVID 19 Restrictions: You will be required to wear a face mask and if you do not have one they will be available for purchase at the salon. You will be required to use hand sanitizer when you arrive and we ask that you do not arrive early.

We have missed you all and are happy to get your hair summer ready!

306-692-3443 • 301 4th Ave SW

PAGE A10 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Puzzles

D.&D. Quality Care YOUR HOME HEALTHCARE STORE We are remaining open our regular hours!

Due to the COVID-19 we are willing to provide home deliveries to those who may be at risk.

We are taking pre-cautionary measures to ensure both our safety and yours.

Call to book a house call 306-691-0300

“We remember you and we... ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

!�

ACROSS 1. Briefly shut the eyes 6. Move furtively 11. A radioactive gaseous element 12. Discover 15. Benni 16. Fable 17. Cap 18. Be uncomfortably hot 20. Take in slowly 21. Analogous 23. French for “State�

24. Vitality 25. Gambling game 26. Small songbird 27. Jail (British) 28. Therefore 29. Atmosphere 30. 1000 kilograms 31. A person of no influence 34. Gulleys 36. Biblical boat 37. Austrian peaks 41. By mouth 42. Anagram of “Ties�

43. Anger 44. Prying

C

D

J

K

L

M

S

T

U

V

N

45. Leave out 46. One who accomplishes 47. Lyric poem 48. Chauffeurs 51. Henpeck 52. Revere 54. Cut 56. Quicken 57. A type of bandage 58. Blocks 59. Velocity

F

G

H

I

O

P

Q

R

X

Y

Z

W

22. Midday 24. A cord worn around the neck 26. Sickens 27. Snagged 30. Kid 32. Petroleum 33. Hackneyed 34. Stiff 35. Insecticide 38. Exalt 39. Delighted 40. Twilled fabric 42. Hits 44. Exploded star 45. Give a speech 48. Blah 49. Trailer trucks 50. Break 53. Large Australian flightless bird 55. Prompt

DOWN 1. Surf 2. Enduring 3. Actress Lupino 4. French for “Names�

5. Was cognizant 6. Ruler 7. Arm of the sea 8. Doe 9. Delay 10. Ablation 13. Triviality 14. Hoopla 15. Vibrate 16. Choice 19. Creepy

Daily Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, May 13, 202

S U D O K U Sudoku #5 - Challenging

2 4

Sudoku #8 - Super Tough 1 3 6 9 5 7 2 4 8 2 5 7 8 4 1 9 3 6 8 4 9 6 3 2 7 5 1 7 9 3 5 1 6 4 8 2 6 2 8 7 9 4 5 1 3 5 1 4 3 2 8 6 9 7 3 6 5 1 7 9 8 2 4 4 7 1 2 8 5 3 6 9 9 8 2 4 6 3 1 7 5

1

6 7

5

6 8

1

6 1

5

4

3 1

9

3

7 8

9

7

2

5

8

8

Š 2020 KrazyDad.com

Sudoku #5 - Challenging 7 2 8 9 5 4 3 6 4 6 3 2 7 1 5 8 5 9 1 8 3 6 7 4 9 3 7 1 6 2 8 5 8 5 2 4 9 3 1 7 1 4 6 5 8 7 2 9 2 1 9 7 4 8 6 3 3 8 5 6 2 9 4 1 6 7 4 3 1 5 9 2

7 4 9

Sudoku #6 - Challenging 4 8 5 9 3 6 7 1 9 3 7 5 1 2 4 6 6 2 1 4 8 7 9 3 Puzzle 7 4 6 2 9 5 1 8 2 1 9 8 7 3 5 4 Solutions 3 5 8 6 4 1 2 9 8 9 2 3 5 4 6 7 1 6 3 7 2 9 8 5 5 7 4 1 6 8 3 2

9 4

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9.

5 3

1 7

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork.

9 2 4 6

3 6

Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle.

Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page if you really get stuck.

6 8 4 9 3 7

2 9

1

1 3 7 2 5 5 4 1 6 8

5 8

2

2 3 6 7 5 9 4 8 1 5 1 7 4 8 3 9 6 2

ANGLE, CLING, CLONE, CONCERN, CRUSH, DICTATOR, FALSE, FASHION, GLISTEN, GLOVE, GRASP, GUIDE, HARVEST, HERE, HONOR, IMPRESSION, LURID, MAINSTREAM, MANIPULATE, MARBLE, MODEL, NOISE NOTHING, NULLIFY, POLLUTE, POWER, REEL, RULES, SMILE SWITCH, TEACH, TRAIN, TRICK, URGES, VETO

E

7 3 8 5 2 6 4 2 3 1 9 8 5 7

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

B

4

WORDSEARCH

A

9

___ ___ ___

Newspaper Fun! Created by Annimills LLC Š 2020

Each of these flags stands for a letter of the alphabet. Study them to fill in the blanks:

1 6

- Lyndon B. Johnson

Signal Flags

When we gather to listen to a bugler sounding

Taps, or when we watch the wreath being laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns (soldiers and other service people) in Arlington National Cemetery, we are saying,

Sudoku #7 - Tough 9 8 4 6 5 2 1 6 2 1 7 3 4 9 7 5 9 1 8 4 1 9 8 6 3 5 5 2 4 9 7 6 3 6 1 2 5 7 6 3 2 4 9 8 9 7 5 8 6 3 4 8 3 7 1 2

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.�

Respectful Signals

3 7 8 4 1 2 5

306-691-0300

&

428 Main St N. www.ddqualitycare.ca

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A11

WE ARE HERE TO HELP! Call Brent Waldo

ODLAW PROJECTS 23 High St E 306-692-6066 Pick up | Delivery | Curbside Now Offer -Tap & E-Transfer Monday- Saturday 11am-8pm Sunday 12pm-6pm

We are Here for You!

Handyman Services Engineering | Construction Project Management

Residential Projects Welcome Brent Waldo P.Eng

306-631-0672

FOR EVERYTHING PRINTED MOOSE JAW’S MOST AFFORDABLE PRINTING COMPANY

Monday to Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm

32 Manitoba St W, Moose Jaw, SK sales@mjvexpress.com

306-694-1322

WE ARE OPEN!

Mon to Fri 8:30 - 5:30

Call 306-691-0080

To make an appointment 888 Main St N Moose Jaw

ADVERTISE HERE COVID-SPECIAL

123 High St W Moose Jaw

Ph: 306-972-4769 Open 12 - 6 Tues - Sat Instore Shopping Now Available As Per COVID-19 Allowable Business Regulations 1 Shopper At A Time, Please Be Patient Curb Side Pickup and Delivery Available.

ONLY $25 PER WEEK

The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 59 Moose Jaw is temporarily closed, as we are trying to keep everyone safe.

Any veteran needing assistance please call our Service Officer, Chris Simpson at (306) 681-3835.

OR FOUR WEEKS

$75

32 Manitoba St W, Moose Jaw, SK sales@mjvexpress.com

306-694-1322

HOURS: MON-FRI 9AM-5:30PM SAT 10AM-4PM We also offer: • A Quick Drop Off Box OR • Send us your taxes online at www.taxteam.ca

306.694.4829

Johnston & Sons Yard Care

Moose Jaw’s Source for News

Now Taking Bookings for:

MOOSE JAW YARD CARE

YOUR HEALTH & SAFETY IS OUR #1 PRIORITY

Education and Sanitation Protocol: Have always been a high level of importance to us and we are working diligently by upgrading ourselves with courses on infection control as well as changing up the spa to keep you safe. We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Fullllies Be Breakfast Burgers & Fries

Find us on Facebook for our daily locations!

ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN UP SUMMER WEEKLY YARD CARE SERVICE

Finally...Professional Digital Marketing Services!

32 Manitoba St W, Moose Jaw, SK sales@mjvexpress.com

CALL 306-631-4664

306-694-1322

TIP TOP ROOFING

Moose Jaw’s Source for News

Fibreglass Shingles Laminate Shingles 3 Tab Shingles Flat RooďŹ ng Metal RooďŹ ng Work Guaranteed Free Estimates

32 Manitoba St W, Moose Jaw, SK

Government Grants

sales@mjvexpress.com

City & Country

306.313.6701

COLLIN SCHOFFER 306.694.6336 • (C) 306.631.5975

For your media campaigns!

For your media campaigns!

306-694-1322

sales@mjvexpress.com or rritchie@moosejawtoday.com

PRINT ADS Connect with your audience with some of the most trusted newspapers!

For your

306-694-1322

!

mpaigns

media ca

UNIT Y COMM Y ADS DISPLAmessage l Put your of loya nt in fro every day! visitors

-1322

4 or 306-6jve9xpress.com.co m sales@m oosejawtoday m ritchie@

306-694-1322

sales@mjvexpress.com or rritchie@moosejawtoday.com

For your media campaigns!

306-631-8527 HeartlandFirstAid.com

Stay Strong and Positive

Grass Cutting Power Raking Roto-Tilling Summer Cleanup

Weekly & Monthly Contracts

306-631-8279

Heated & Cold Storage 5x10, 10x10, 10x20, 10x30 Boxes, Moving Supplies,Uhaul Trucks 1403 Caribou St E Moose Jaw SK

306-690-5263

Open Monday - Friday 9-5pm

For your media campaigns!

SOCIAL MEDIA ADS Creatives presented through your trusted social media channels

sales@mjvexpress.com or rritchie@moosejawtoday.com

sales@mjvexpress.com or rritchie@moosejawtoday.com

306-694-1322

From concept to completion, we are your ONE-STOP business printing solution

Powered by

ALL MONTHLY LAWN CARE PACKAGES TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS

PROGRAMMATIC ADS Real-time digital advertising branded specifically for your business!

Moose Jaw's Affordable Printer

• Brochures • Cheques • Multi-Part Forms • Flyers • Posters • Business cards • & Much More!

Krista Olafson - Instructor Trainer krista@heartlandfirstaid.com

A+

Insurance Claims

COMMUNITY DISPLAY ADS Put your message in front of loyal visitors every day!

victorymj.com

EXPRESS

sales @skpromo.com

306.694.1322

306-694-1322

306-690-8750

For your media campaigns!

SPONSORED CONTENT Premium content in a journalistic style that builds brand trust & credibility

306-694-1322

sales@mjvexpress.com or rritchie@moosejawtoday.com

PAGE A12 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Quilt Guild planning special spring quilt show for Moose Jaw Larissa Kurz

Thanks to the Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild, a leisurely Sunday drive on May 24 will be a bit more exciting than usual — as local quilters prepare to display their workmanship in a totally new way this year.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day, members of the quilt guild will have their quilts and other handiwork display outside their homes for a Drive-By Quilt Show.

With about 25 members taking part, around 100 quilts will be featured in the unique show, hanging outside for Moose Jaw motorists to view from the street.

“They’ll be hanging in windows, on balconies, railings, and draped over lawn furniture, wherever they want to put it outside,” said guild president Lizanne Knox-Beam. “I know most people will hang out two or three, so that will add up.

It’s going to be fun.”

The guild has a list of addresses that will be taking part in the drive-by display, which will be made available in the Moose Jaw Express, on DiscoverMooseJaw.com, and on the guild’s Facebook page.

All of the displays will be made to view from the vehicle as people drive by, in order to maintain proper social distancing techniques while still letting Moose Jaw enjoy the view.

Knox-Beam even shared that an apartment building on Athabasca Street East is planning on hanging a quilt from every window of the building, which is sure to be a sight to see.

Members of the Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild will be showing off their work during a pandemic-inspired drive-by quilt show, all throughout Moose Jaw. (supplied) Spring is usually a time when quilters are travelling around the province to view and participate in quilt shows, but the pandemic has cancelled the usual events and left Moose Jaw quilters stuck at home.

Although this year was not meant to be the year the guild hosts their own quilt show, some members decided that they’d like to do something anyway — to lift not only their own spirits but also the spirits of the rest of the city.

“Lots of places had to cancel their quilt shows and it was very disappointing, so we thought why don’t we do this and give people something to do?” said KnoxBeam. “It’s just something that we can do to give back to our community and let

people know there’s an appreciation for what we do, and we do it for fun and the love of quilting.”

The guild’s monthly meetings were suspended back in March, leaving quilters to stay in touch mostly through the guild’s Facebook, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been quilting.

Guild members have been very busy during the self-quarantine orders, said Knox-Beam, and most are excited to show off the projects they’ve been working on lately.

The impromptu drive-by quilt show is really just a precursor to the spring show the guild is planning for next year, which will fill the Ford Curling Centre on May

7-8, 2021.

“Because everybody is on lockdown right now, everybody is quilting like mad, so we should have lots of quilts for our quilt show then,” said Knox-Beam.

Below is the list of addresses participating in the Prairie Hearts Quilt Guild Drive-By Quilt Show that will be taking place on Sunday, May 24th between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm: 22 Belmont Cres; 937 4th Ave. SW; 1197 Currie Cres.; 1462 Sioux Cres.; 1250 Iroquois Dr.; 1278 Iroquois Dr.; 1214 Iroquois Dr.; 81 Lillooet St. W; 88 Dahlia Cres; 24 Thorn Cres.; 29 Daisy Cres.; 27 Buttercup Cres; 338 Athabasca St. W; 606 Athabasca St. W.; 1034 Chestnut Ave.; 1053 Redland Ave.; 1084 Redland Ave.; 1140 4th Ave. NW; 1349 7th Ave. NW; 1022 5th Ave. NW; 939 Hall St. W.; 1801 Meier Dr.; 1623 Rutherford; 250 Athabasca St. E.; 1031 Ross St. E.

Stock Grower’s Association Offering Directory For Consumers

By Robert Thomas

It is a growing concern for cattle ranchEXPRESS ers and farmers and that is putting beef on the plates of consumers.

Beef prices have been increasing in the grocery store due to “shortages” while cattle in feedlots are losing money because of the COVID - 19 pandemic.

With a drop in processing at meat packing plants due to outbreaks of COVID - 19 the Saskatchewan Stock Grower’s Association (SSGA) is helping to bridge the bottleneck in the beef industry by assembling a directory of its members offering direct beef sales to consumers.

“On the cow-calf side of the industry, we haven’t had as great of an impact as we have seen on the feedlot side of the industry,” Chad MacPherson general manager with the SSGA said. “They are losing about $500 to $700 per head. There are about 10,000 cattle per week not being processed it is working out to be about $400,000 per day loss to the industry. They are predicting losses of $500 million by the end of June.”

When cattle reach a certain optimum weight, they are taken to packing plants for processing. Feeding what are called “fat cattle” past this optimum processing day is seen as an added expense and takes away from the final

AGRIMART

profit margin, if any, from the animal.

The $400,000 per day cost is from feeding cattle which should have been processed. With each new 10,000 animals not processed, the costs go up.

The size of the Canadian cattle herd remains stable compared to other years with the supply chain bottleneck being at the meat processing facilities. Typically, 50 percent of the Canadian cattle herd is exported as Canada is self-sufficient in beef.

MacPherson said with media reports and actual limits on how much beef consumers can buy in some United States stores has caused many consumers to worry they will not be able to buy beef.

This has led to consumers calling the SSGA to ask about buying direct from producers, MacPherson said. In response a directory of producers offering direct to consumer sales is being produced and being made available to consumers.

“There is a growing interest in buying direct and guaranteeing supply. I have been getting calls from consumers,” he said.

“We know there’s absolutely no shortage of beef cattle,” says Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association President Bill Huber said in a statement. “But there is a downturn in processing capacity which could have an effect on retail prices and availability.”

Many producers sell beef directly from their farms, but consumers might not know how to find them. The SSGA directory will make it easy to connect buyers to sellers it’s a win for everybody, Huber said in a statement.

“The loss of packing capacity creates uncertainty for producers with cattle to sell. When consumers buy their beef from the farm gate, they’re getting great value while helping out their local farmers and ranchers.”

MacPherson said direct marketing has been around for awhile but there is growing interest from consumers at the present time which could be good news for local producers if the interest translates into higher farmgate sales.

“More of the food dollar goes into the producer’s pocket.

It is just a way for producers of adding value to animals,” MacPherson said. “Rather than losing money on fat cattle this is a way to capture that money from the marketplace.”

“People like to know where their food comes from,” Huber said, and this is a great opportunity for consumers to meet the people who produce the top-quality beef Saskatchewan is famous for.

Producers can register online through the SSGA. There is no cost for SSGA members.

Consumers can find the directory at skstockgrowers.com and SSGA’s social media channels.

Staying at HOME for that SPECIAL OCCASION? • BIRTHDAYS ONLY • ANNIVERSARIES .00 $15 /ea • THANK YOU’S ALL CUSTOM SIGNS & BANNERS

Includes design & Layout Printed one side full color Lawn Pegs & Delivery

“Moose Jaw’s affordable printer”

6’x30” Only $75 FULL COLOR WITH GROMMETS

306-694-1322 rob@mjvexpress.com

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A13

306.694.4747 • 324 Main St N

IF GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING...

EVIL TRIUMPHS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EDITOR@MJVEXPRESS.COM

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

• Quality properties for quiet tenants • All Areas and Price Ranges Available Call for details • Some with heated parking, elevators, pets moosejawrealestate.net or call 306-694-4747

New walking bridge in Wakamow Valley open for the long weekend Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express A new bridge in the Wakamow Valley to connect the main pathway and allow outdoor enthusiasts to traverse the valley from one end to the other is now open.

Maintenance workers with the Wakamow Valley Authority (WVA) put the finishing touches on a low-level crossing bridge at the bottom of Fourth Avenue South on May 14. They completed the installation of the bridge’s wooden decking and spread crusher dust at either end of the span to create a path.

This project began more than three years ago when planners created designs for a new walking bridge across the Moose Jaw River to replace an older metal bridge, explained Todd Johnson, general manager of WVA. The WVA brought in a crane last October to remove that metal bridge span, while it then installed several cement culverts downstream in preparation for the new bridge just before winter arrived.

A small portion of the new bridge had to be rebuilt during the winter since some of the culverts had tilted downward, so Johnson believes the new design should work.

“I’m very excited for (the new bridge) because it joins the park so well. You can go from Ninth Avenue (West) all the way down to … Kiwanis Park (the skating oval).

The usage now, it gives people the opportunity to explore our park.”

For reference, Johnson pointed out that the old Valley View Centre property is south of the new bridge, while to the west is the Seventh Avenue West bridge and the path that leads from the former Wild Animal Park. This means users can start at the valley entrance at Ninth Av-

Todd Johnson, general manager of Wakamow Valley Authority, talks about the project to install a new walking bridge near Fourth Avenue South. Photo by Jason G. Antonio enue West and move east until they reach the suspension bridge in the park.

The Wakamow Valley has become a popular place to walk during the coronavirus since the area allows users to get a breath of fresh air, said Johnson. But while there are 20 kilometres of pathways, users might not see anyone during a walk or run.

The WVA can usually estimate how many people use the park based on rentals and events. However, it can’t say how many people have used the area during the coronavirus, especially since there are so many entrances, he continued. However, its best guess is that the volume of people using the trails and kayaking on the river has increased four-fold.

One thing Johnson has noticed is, even with the increased use, people are still practising physical distancing. They have been mindful of the two-metre distance rule and have worked to keep others safe. Also, the WVA office has not received any complaints of off-leash dogs causing trouble.

“It’s a pretty great area. The flow is not too high,” he added. “There are some beavers in the area (as well), so that is a little bit of Mother Nature.”

The construction of a new walking bridge was a big project, which means the WVA used some of the $329,612 in municipal funding it receives to complete this initiative, said Johnson. While the authority attempts to generate revenue, he pointed out the City of Moose Jaw has been fantastic in supporting the organization and they have had a great relationship.

Another project the authority plans to pursue this fall is the addition of nine more disc golf holes to provide a full 18 holes. The game is free to play and the authority intends to run how-to-play seminars in the fall.

“We just want everyone to be safe and social distancing,” Johnson added. “Come out and enjoy the park, get your fresh air, just be mindful of each other.”

WE’RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US We’re just a phone call away

1801 Meier Dr, Moose Jaw 306-694-4744 @espritlifestyle www.espritlifestyle.com

PAGE A14 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Spring Sale

1625 CARIBOU ST. W. 306-692-2355

SPECIALIZING IN RAINBIRD SPINKLER PRODUCTS. WE ARE YOUR ONE-STOP YARD SHOP!

BACK YARD LIVING Call Brent Waldo

ODLAW PROJECTS Handyman Services Engineering | Construction Project Management

Residential Projects Welcome Brent Waldo P.Eng

Windmill Greenhouses

A piece of Moose Jaw’s History...Moose Jaw’s Oldest Heritage Greenhouse

East on Manitoba Expressway & Costerphine Avenue

306.692.1663 I

Your DIY Guide to a Backyard Makeover on a Budget Build a DIY Deck or Patio If you’re not sure where to begin with your backyard remodel, why not start with a deck or patio? This feature will instantly give your yard major appeal, and it adds resale value to your home. Lay down a concrete patio or build a wooden deck that you can adorn with cute chairs.

Lay Down an Outdoor Rug Need something to jazz up your patio space without big renovations? Consider a large outdoor rug! Not only is this a good way to include a pop of color in your backyard, but it’s also an inexpensive way to change up a space without having to go through the process of painting or staining a deck.

Create a Stone Path A garden isn’t necessary for this DIY backyard transformation idea!

Put down materials like Available the week of May 3rd to Moose Jaw mulch, bricks, or stones to create a clear path from 5-6’ trees $300 or 7-9’ trees $350 your house to the pool or playhouse in your backCAN BE DELIVERED AS EARLY yard. You can also inAS THIS WEEKEND!! clude a little flair to your pathway by adding yard decorations like glow-inthe-dark rocks or garden stakes.

Construct a Tree Bench Utilize that big tree in your backyard makeover by building a tree bench!

Some protective eye gear, wood pallets, and a saw are just a few of the SEABORG HAULING & EXCAVATING items you’ll need for this MOOSE JAW, SK crafty outdoor bench idea.

CALL OR TEXT 306-630-5253 When you’re finished, paint it your favorite color

Are you ready to give your outdoor living space an upgrade? A backyard makeover doesn’t have to be costly to be luxurious. Sometimes, the right nighttime lighting, patio furniture, and DIY magic are all you need to create your dream yard. Check out our list of backyard design ideas to help you transform your green space into a beautiful oasis on a budget!

and add some decorative pillows for a shaded reading spot!

Set Up a Trellis A trellis is an excellent idea for adding a little charm to your yard. Create your own trellis out of metal poles or wooden boards, and plant climbing roses on either side to grow a garden to new heights.

Create Shade with a Pergola A pergola is a fantastic idea for your dream backyard.

Clear out an area on a deck or in your yard and build your own pergola. Planning to spend a lot of time outside with your backyard remodel? Add curtains for extra shade to create the ultimate outdoor living space.

Invest in a Fountain Need some ideas for a small yard? Invest in a fountain! These backyard items are great for adding a water feature to your outdoor space without costing too much or taking up lots of room. Tuck the fountain away in a small garden or place it on an end table to show off your decor.

Special Purchase

String Up Some Mood Lighting If you’re looking to have one of the most beautiful backyards on the block, invest in outdoor lighting.

Drape string lights down from a pergola or across your outdoor living space to give it a starry-night feel.

You can also line any patio or garden path with torches and lanterns for soft lighting.

Get Crafty with Your Fence Cool backyard ideas don’t have to be expensive to

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A15

ALL MONTHLY LAWN CARE PACKAGES TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS!

SPRING CLEAN UP WEED CONTROL MAINTENANCE

MONTHLY LAWN CARE PACKAGES include:

We Offer Year Round Commercial and Residential Services

POWER RAKING

Weekly Cut Fertilize Weed Control Spring/Fall Cleanups

AERATION

CALL NOW!

IRRIGATION TREE REMOVAL

306-690-5263

BOBCAT WORK

306-631-4664 or

306-631-0672

BACK YARD LIVING have that “wow� factor. All you need is a drill, several different sizes of multi-colored marbles, and a rubber mallet for this cute DIY project. Your backyard will be illuminated with color when the sun hits just right!

Paint a Fence Mural Designing a unique mural on your fence is another great way to make over your backyard on a budget.

Just be sure to determine what paints you’ll use and the scale of the mural first in order to properly prepare the fence for your masterpiece.

Grow Your Garden Vertically Whether you’re looking to expand your garden without taking up horizontal space or searching for small backyard ideas, wall planters are terrific for changing your outdoor area on a budget. The experienced carpenter will love a custom DIY vertical planter. But if you’re looking for something simpler, drill plastic planter boxes or pots into a wooden pallet to place against your house.

Make a Space for Outdoor Dining If you love entertaining guests, having family barbe-

SCREEN ROOMS & THREE SEASON ROOMS

LOUVERED ROOFS

cues, or working outside, then a table is a must for your green space! Buy a patio set that comes complete with table and chairs, or build your own outdoor table out of a few wine barrels and wooden boards for DIY yard decor.

Flip Burgers in an Outdoor Kitchen Let your backyard be the supreme spot for entertain-

MOTORIZED SCREEN & VINYL

ing guests with a kitchen! There are plenty of ways to build an outdoor kitchen that fit within your budget.

Add a charcoal grill and table on a patio for a simple look. Or install a kitchen kit under a pergola, which includes an island, grill, storage, and refrigerator.

Invest in a Portable Bar Say goodbye to making multiple trips inside with a bar cart! Load your cart up with glasses, small appetizer plates, a pitcher for lemonade or water, and an array of snacks to have a convenient fueling station right in your backyard. And if it starts to rain, you can easily transport it inside to keep the party going!

Whether you want to upgrade your yard with fun water features or create the perfect area to chill out, there are tons of cheap backyard ideas to make your outdoor living space a hangout spot everyone will love! * https://www.extraspace.com/blog/home-organization/diy-projects/diy-guide-to-a-backyard-makeoveron-a-budget/

35 Years Experience in Moose Jaw & Area Home Renovations Kitchens & Bathrooms Tile, Drywall and Painting, Decks & Fences Exterior Finishing including Windows & Doors Insurance Claims Welcome Licenced, Bonded & Guaranteed No Texts Phone Calls Only

306.692.1215 or 306.631.6925

MOOSE JAW’S FULL SERVICE TREE SPECIALISTS!

STILL OPEN!

Frďż˝ Estimates

WIND PROTECTION SOLAR SHADE

SCREENS BLOCK UP TO

90% OF WIND

FULL SUNSHINE WHEN IT’S COOL

SHADE WHEN IT’S HOT

BUG FREE

DRY WHEN IT’S RAINING

PRIVACY CLIMATE CONTROL

SU NR OOM S

PATI O COV ER S

OUR PRODUCTS ARE

Engineered & Guaranteed

CALL FOR SPRING DEALS

SCR EEN R OOMS

— Made and manufactured in Alberta for over 25 years —

WI ND SCR EENS LOU V ER ED R OOF S R ETR ACTABLE SCR EENS

• FULLY INSURED • BUCKET TRUCK

TO STA N D UP TO TH E SAS KATC H EWA N WEATH ER

Call for a FREE quote!

306.761.1801

suncoastenclosures.com

V I S I T O U R N E W S H O W R O O M L O C AT E D AT

21 South Service Rd Hwy #1 W Regina

www. suncoastenclosures.com

• CLIMBING ARBORIST • STUMP GRINDING

306.684.1590

PAGE A16 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

BEST Rooter Service

Complete Sewer & Drain Service

24/7

Serving Moose Jaw & Area Residential | Commercial | Farm Your Tree Root Specialist!

Congratulations New Parents!

Rene & Jay Steinhauer of Moose Jaw May 14, 2020, 1:22 am Male 7lbs, 6oz

Kristin & Brett Butler of Moose Jaw May 12, 2020, 1:41 am Male 6lbs, 10oz

From The Kitchen

T h i n k i n g-a h e a d- re c i p e s fo r f r ie n d l y g at h e r i n g s

By Joyce Walter For Moose Jaw Express

A yellowed piece of paper fell from an equally old cookbook that had been left to me by the late Bea Lett, a favourite reader and long-time friend.

The three recipes typed on the paper caught my attention because each one carried a check mark which indicated to me the trio had been baked and enjoyed by the Lett household.

•••

Deluxe Cherry Slice Base: 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup butter Filling: 2 eggs, well beaten 1 cup brown sugar 2 tsps. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup flaked coconut 1 cup maraschino cherries, quartered 1/2 cup walnuts

Mix the flour and butter together for the base, using a pastry blender to blend.

Press into a 9x9 inch greased pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, cream the eggs and brown sugar, add the flour, baking powder and coconut. Mix in cherries and walnuts.

Pour over base and bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes until set. Do not overbake.

Frost with a butter icing to which one drop of red food colouring has been added for a pink colour. Decorate with more pieces of maraschino cherries.

•••

Snow-Capped Brownies 2 eggs 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/8 tsp. salt 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 6 large marshmallows

Beat eggs then add brown sugar and beat

until very light.

Melt chocolate and butter together over boiling water and add to egg mixture and beat.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and nuts.

Spread into a greased cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes but do not overcook.

While brownies are cooking, quarter the marshmallows. Spread on top of hot brownie cake. Return to warm oven until marshmallows are soft and can be spread from corner to corner, but not browned.

Remove from oven and cool. Top with chocolate frosting.

•••

Dream Cake Base: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar Filling:

2 eggs, beaten 1 cup brown sugar 2 tsps. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder pinch salt 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1 tsp. vanilla

Use a pastry blender to blend base ingredients. When coarse, pat into a greased 8x8 cake pan and bake at 450 degrees F until lightly browned. Cool.

Mix the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and mix into the egg mixture. Mix in coconut and walnuts.

Pour onto top of cooled base and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until set but not overbaked. Cool and cover with a plain icing.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU STARTS TO CARE, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE Letters to the editor

editor@mjvexpress.com jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

LARGE FARM & LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT AUCTION

is still open for operation HOURS OF OPERATION Monday to Saturday 9am–8pm Sunday Closed For Deliveries Call 306-692-1516

FOR: Douglas (Doug) Mackie Estate Chaplin, Sk. (403) 650-2170

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 - Starting at 10:00 a.m. C.S.T.

Switzer Auction

Location: 3 1/2 miles East of Chaplin on #1 Hwy., 4 miles South on Range Road 3050 (West Side) (GPS: N50.24.24; W106.33.16)

www.switzerauction.ca

The following Farm Equipment Auction will be conducted as planned. We encourage pre-viewing before the auction. You will be able to bid online, so register and be approved to bid. There will be no online registrations sale day. If you come to the auction, please come by yourself and you can participate in the auction as usual. Due to Covid-19 pandemic ANYONE PRESENTING WITH THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: FEVER, TROUBLE BREATHING, SORE THROAT OR COUGHING, we ask you to stay home and bid online. Those of you who come for socializing, we welcome you back when the Emergency Order is over, but for now, please stay home. NOTE: Everyone must stay 6 feet apart. You will also be able to bid from your vehicle. There will be no lunch available.

TRACTORS -1996 JD 7700 MFWA Diesel Tractor w/JD QD FEL, bucket, grapple fork *1995 JD 7800 MFWA Diesel Tractor *1990 JD 8760 4WD Diesel Tractor *1986 JD 4250 Diesel Tractor w/JD FEL *1964 Case 430 Gas Tractor *1961 Case 830 Diesel Tractor *Case D Gas Tractor *1955 Case 400 Gas Tractor *1977 Case 970 diesel Tractor *7’ Schulte Snowblower TRUCKS *1991 F800 Ford 4-Ton Grain Truck *1986 Ford F250 XL 3/4 Ton Truck *1970 Ford F350 1-Ton Truck *1990 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Reg. Cab Truck (Frame is bent) CRAWLER, SCRAPER & GRADER *Case 450 Diesel Crawler *Midland MD6 Scraper *10’ Richardson Pull Type Grader SEEDING & TILLAGE -40’ Flexicoil 5000 Air Drill w/Flexicoil Tow Behind Tank *36’ MF 360 Discers w/Packers *12’ IH 6200 Disc Drill *100’ Flexicoil 65 Field Sprayer *14’ Kello-Bilt Series 210 Breaking Disc *12’ IH Tandem Disc *45’ Valmar 240 Granular App. on own trailer *50’ JD 1650 Cult. *36’ Morris B3 Rodweeder *48’ Flexicoil Harrow Packer Drawbar *14’ JD Cult. HAYING & LIVESTOCK *JD 568 Rd. Baler *16’ NH 116 Hydroswing Haybine *HayBuster 2655 Shortcut Bale Processor *NH 195 Manure Spreader *Trailtech Bale Wagon *Friggstad Bale Wagon *NH Side Delivery Rake *Hay Spear for FEL *McCoyren Post Pounder HARVEST *30’ Case IH 8820 SP Diesel Swather *24’ IH 4000 SP Swather *JD 7721 pto Combine *30’ JD 730 pto Swather *36’ Case IH 736 pto Swather *45’ x 7” Brandt Grain Auger *35’ x 6” Brandt Grain Auger *28’ x 6” Brandt Grain Auger BINS *2 - 2250 bu. Westeel Rosco H/B Bins *2250 bu. Westeel Rosco H/B Bin *4 - 2000 bu. Westeel Rosco 6-ring F/B Bins *3 1600 bu. Westeel Rosco 5-ring F/B Bins *Approx. 800 bu. smooth wall H/B Bin Bins to be removed by August 1, 2020 ATV *Suzuki 300 King Quad 4x4 ATV SHOP & YARD *1000 gal. poly Water Tank *8’ Case 3 Pt. Ht. Blade *Fuel Tanks/Stands *32” Craftsman Snowblower *400 gal. Stainless Steel Sprayer Tank on own trailer *Tools *40 Ton Hyd. Press *2 Ton Shop Crane *Drill Press/Stand *Acetylene Welder w/cart. Plus Other Items.

Please Note: There will be a household & garage sale of household effects, ornaments, some furniture, plus other articles too numerous to mention. This is a partial listing.

For Further Info Call Norm at (403) 650-2170. All machinery will be started and demonstrated 1 hour before machinery sale time.

Terms: Cash or Cheque w/Letter of Guarantee. Machinery & Vehicles Sell at: 1:00 p.m. No Lunch Available

MORE INFO ON FACEBOOK & OUR WEBSITE: www.switzerauction.ca

SWITZER AUCTION

(306) 773-4200 Swift Current, Sk. SK. LIC. 914494

Bruce Switzer

AB. LIC. 313086

Website: www.switzerauction.ca

Glenn Switzer

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A17

City Hall Council Notes MAKE A COMPLAINT

As it seems that Moose Jaw City Hall does not seem to acknowledge citizen complaints, if you are disgruntled about the lack of communication at City Hall or feel you have a viable complaint with how the City of Moose Jaw is conducting their affairs and spending our taxpayers’ money, please make your voices known to the Ombudsman’s office in Saskatchewan.

Ombudsman Saskatchewan promotes and protects fairness and integrity in the design and delivery of government services. They take complaints about provincial government ministries, agencies, Crown corporations and many health entities. They also take complaints about municipal entities.

Ombudsman Saskatchewan offices are located at 150 – 2401 Saskatchewan Drive Regina Sask. S4P 4H8. Back in July the Ombudsman was Mary McFadyen; she can be reached by phone at the Regina office at (306)787-6211, Fax 306.787-9090 or e-mail ombreg@ombudsman.sk.ca. Let them know how you feel and get them to investigate.

City wrote off $1M in multiplex pledges after deeming them uncollectable Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The City of Moose Jaw wrote off nearly $1 million in multiplex pledges as bad debt after it deemed it impossible to collect the money that community groups promised to pay.

Residents, businesses and community groups promised to give $10.3 million to support the construction of the $61.2-million Mosaic Place project. A group of interested residents established the Multiplex Builders Inc. as the designated group that would collect the funds, according to a city council report.

The Multiplex Builders group eventually received commitments of $10.1 million, of which it provided $8.7 million to the municipality, leaving $1.3 million in outstanding pledges.

In 2015 the municipality’s auditors reviewed the situation and determined that only the amount of pledges due from the Moose Jaw Warriors was collectable. So, the city wrote off $1.07 million as a bad debt expense that year, the report continued. Since then, the Multiplex Builders Inc. provided another $149,050 in pledges, leaving $930,355.90 as uncollectable. Meanwhile, the Warriors owe $400,000 — $200,000 per year in 2021 and 2022 — as a receivable for money pledged.

“The bulk of the outstanding amount due relates to Moose Jaw Soccer ($585,950), which they were unable to

contribute due to significant drops in their membership,” the council report said.

The soccer organization’s initial pledge was $750,000, of which it provided $164,050. Moose Jaw Soccer later told city council it had to reduce its pledge to $25 per player, or $5,625 per year at current player levels. However, the organization has not provided any funds.

The City of Moose Jaw is unable to take any collection actions for three reasons, the report said, including: • The pledges were to the Multiplex Builders Inc. and not to the City of Moose Jaw, which is what the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires; • The details on the pledges such as amount, name and address, and amount paid so far all reside with the Multiplex Builders Inc. as is normal practice; • The Multiplex Builders Inc. has ceased to exist.

The pledges that Moose Jaw Soccer has made are the subject of discussions with the sports organization and could be recoverable in the lowered pledge amount in the future, the report added.

“I found (the report) concerning that we don’t have any recourse on any of those uncollectable amounts … ,” Coun. Scott McMann said on May 11. “Certainly the council of the day made decisions based on those pledge amounts, and it’s unfortunate they’re not all going to be

fulfilled.”

McMann wondered if future fundraising agreements could be structured differently so council or the municipality had some way to collect those outstanding pledges.

Big fundraising projects such as the multiplex are challenging since it’s common for some pledges to drop off, explained city manager Jim Puffalt. It was a separate, non-municipal committee that looked after collecting the pledges and not the municipality itself. Sometimes setting up such committees can lead to these types of problems.

The CRA is stringent on the structure of how pledges are collected and it has to be upon the organization to do the collecting, echoed finance director Brian Acker. That means there is no legal recourse that city council could take to collect the remaining outstanding pledges.

The next regular council meeting is Monday, May 25.

Future land agreements should include non-refundable deposit, councillor says

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express All future land sale agreements between the municipality learn, he added, is that they should include a non-refundand a purchaser should include a non-refundable deposit able deposit in future land contracts. to avoid situations similar to the Canadian Tire deal, a In the report, city manager Jim Puffalt indicated one city councillor believes. lesson the municipality has learned in recent land develDuring city council’s May 11 regular meeting, city ad- opment projects is it needs to have fully serviced comministration presented a report that indicated the City of mercial and/or industrial land ready for sale. That would Moose Jaw spent $111,267.17 on third-party expenses to require an advance of funds from the land development prepare property on the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds fund to ensure properties are fully serviced and servicing for sale to Canadian Tire Real Estate Limited. Specifical- costs are known. ly, those costs were for land surveys and studies related “That advance is recouped when the property sells, as to environmental, geotechnical, biophysical and engi- will be done in this circumstance (with the Canadian Tire neering designs. deal),” he wrote.

There were no external legal fees related to this part of Substantial delays could affect sales when foundational the project. work such as surveys and This land was not for sale at the time since the exhibition studies are not completed, company had a long-term lease with the municipality Puffalt continued. The mufor that property, said Coun. Brian Swanson, who didn’t nicipality needs to establish share city administration’s confidence that this property sale prices for municipal “will” sell as the report indicated. Instead, Canadian Tire land, but shouldn’t overlook made an unsolicited bid for those lots. To have serviced economic development opthat land beforehand would have been impossible without portunities if they allow knowing the desired configuration of the lots. the municipality to present Anyone who drives through the Grayson Industrial Park itself as a place to do busiwill find lots that are already serviced and have been ness. available for years, he continued. However, the munici- “When that opportunity pality has not recouped any costs for all the inputs it in- happens, the previous destalled. scribed work must occur so “I don’t believe any legitimate developer expects to be that sales can be completed able to come in and say, ‘I need 2.97 acres and it has to in a timely and expedient be fully serviced in two weeks,’” Swanson said. “I would manner,” he added. hope the one lesson that we learned is at the time of con- When an opportunity prestract acceptance by both parties, there should be a com- ents itself, sometimes “we ponent of a non-refundable deposit.” have to do what we have to At that point, Coun. Chris Warren attempted to call a do” to make it work, Puffalt point of order and accused Swanson of re-fighting an old said in response to Swanbattle by talking about non-refundable deposits. Warren son’s remarks. Delays at interrupted Swanson a couple more times before the lat- the start of a project can be ter continued speaking. a hindrance, so the munici“I can appreciate the lack of desire to hear this, but the pality should complete sertwo most recent land deals, we are out $170,000 in costs vice work ahead of time to that would have been part of a non-refundable deposit,” eliminate those delays.

Swanson said.

The main lesson council and city administration should

20054MM0 20054MM1

PAGE A18 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

City Hall Council Notes

UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU STARTS TO CARE, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE Letters to the editor: editor@mjvexpress.com or jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

Library sees biggest funding cut among all third-party groups Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The City of Moose Jaw will reduce its funding to third-party groups by $159,100 this year to save money during the pandemic, with the public library seeing the biggest reduction.

During its May 11 regular meeting, city council discussed ways to reduce the 2020 tax increase in its operating budget to zero per cent from 2.3 per cent, as a way to alleviate financial pressures that residents and businesses have faced during the coronavirus pandemic. Reducing funding given to third-party groups was one area city council discussed.

Council eventually reached a zero-percent tax increase for 2020 — by eliminating or deferring $703,636 in spending — after nearly two hours of discussion.

Third-party groups City administration has spoken with the municipality’s third-party groups that it funds and has estimated that council could reduce funding to these groups by $159,100 due to building closures and staff layoffs, a report to council explained.

These numbers indicate how much funding each group receives and how much in

reductions each faces: • Moose Jaw Public Library: $1.2 million / $150,000; • Museum and art gallery: $137,496 / $3,200; • Moose Jaw Cultural Centre: $160,679 / $3,700; • Wakamow Valley Authority: $329,612 / $0; • Tourism Moose Jaw/Canada Day: $95,509 / $2,200; • Festival of Words: $7,867 / $0; • Burrowing owls: $6,428 / $0; • Cosmo Senior Centre: $15,000 / $0; • Moose Jaw and District Seniors: $35,000 / $0.

Council voted unanimously to reduce third-party funding by $159,100 for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Moose Jaw Public Library Sarah Simison, library board chair, attend the meeting by video link and told council that while the library building is closed, services continue at a steady pace.

Library employees have focused on programming, digital collections, and general, technical and administrative support

during the past two months.

The general, technical and administrative support occurs via a virtual help desk that staff operate remotely. The help desk answers questions, offers support and training to use the digital collection, and administers library cards. Through this latter activity, people can continue to receive help and access library resources, ask archival questions and even receive a new library card.

The library has also offered live programs for storytime, a COVID-19 conversation group, book clubs, recordings of Saturday morning craft clubs, Dungeons and Dragons activities, and youth programming using a digital platform called Discord.

“The digital library collection continues to be available, (while) there has been an increase in usage of Liby — or Library2Go — Kanopy, Tumble Books and Hoopla,” Simison said. “The library proudly offers these resources and connections to the community during this time.”

While this service is robust, it is not at the same level as if the building was open, she continued. The library does not need

more money for operations, while it does not expect to need all of the estimated funds for 2020. However, the proposed reductions are based on the library being physically closed for four months, while service levels could not be maintained if council made similar cuts in the future.

Moose Jaw Public Library does not hold reserves for operational expenses and attempts to be good stewards of the public’s money, Simison said. It attempts to provide an essential role to bring people together during this time and attempts to provide efficient and effective services and programs.

“Our community will certainly face challenges going forward and we believe our library can share a role in supporting the well-being and recovery ahead,” she added.

Gwen Fisher, head librarian, also participating online, added that the funding reduction is manageable this year as long as the library reopens by Aug. 31. It might be possible to have curbside pickup of books, but that’s difficult to predict.

Wakamow Valley keeps its full grant funding while other groups see theirs reduced Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The Wakamow Valley Authority will retain all of its municipal grant funding this year since it has seen an increase in users during the pandemic began and needs to maintain the park.

Meanwhile, city council’s travel budget has been reduced to zero, while the mayor’s travel budget has been reduced by 50 per cent.

These were just two decisions council made during its May 11 regular meeting as it attempted to reduce the 2020 tax increase to zero per cent from 2.3 per cent, as a way to alleviate any financial suffering residents and businesses have experienced during the pandemic.

Council eventually reached a zero-per-cent tax increase for 2020 — by eliminating or deferring $703,636 in spending — after 90 minutes of discussion.

Wakamow Valley Authority Wakamow Valley Authority (WVA) was one of nine third-party groups that faced a reduction in municipal funding for 2020. The municipality had agreed to give the WVA $329,612 this year; city administration proposed reducing the authority’s grant by $7,600, as part of overall reductions of $166,700.

(Since the WVA kept its full grant, the overall reduction in third-party funding decreased to $159,100).

The reduction did not sit well with Coun. Heather Eby, who pointed out while the amount seems insignificant, it matters to the organization since it is still operating. She has heard that activity in the valley has increased nearly 14-fold since more people have been using the area.

“I know everyone needs to do their fair share, but Wakamow Valley deserves it more than ever with the amount of traffic it has on a daily basis,” she said.

Eby wondered if council’s travel budget could be eliminated for the rest of 2020 as there was doubt they would be travelling anywhere for the remainder of the year.

Council’s travel budget is $41,635 and councillors have used little of it, said finance director Brian Acker. It is an option to cut this expense to reach the zero-per-cent tax increase. Each councillor’s travel budget is roughly $4,600, while the mayor’s is about $13,000.

Eby then introduced a motion to cut council’s travel expenses to $0 for the rest of this year, while the mayor’s travel budget would be reduced by 50 per cent. Council voted unanimously in favour of the resolution.

DOG WASH • Sat, May 23 - Cows/Calf Pairs - 50+ booked now • Tues, May 26 - Last Chance All-Breeds Bull Sale - online bidding available • Thu, June 4 - Regular Horse Sale (tentative) • Sun, June 7 - Bethune Consignment Machinery/Vehicles • Sat, June 13 - Consignment Machinery/Vehicles at our yard

Check our website or call for updates, postponements or cancellations.

We will resume regular sales as soon as possible.

Coun. Dawn Luhning also agreed that WVA should keep its full municipal funding, as it has faced budget challenges the last few years since the provincial government has not provided stable funding. While the valley is busy with more people walking, the organization is losing money since large-scale events can’t be held.

For example, Luhning’s annual Moose Jawg typically pays $1,500 a year to hold the run there. She pointed out if other events paid similar fees, then the WVA will lose plenty of money this year.

While it’s a great thought to support the WVA financially, that organization has a healthy reserve of more than $1 million, said Coun. Chris Warren. He thought if the WVA faced any financial shortcomings, it should dip into its reserves the same way city council uses its accumulated surplus.

Contrary to how some councillors think, those reserves were created; the WVA built up that money through fundraisers and contributions and donations from companies and individuals, said Coun. Brian Swanson. That funding is for its operations and is its sole source of reserves.

After further discussion, council voted 6-1 in favour of the Wakamow Valley Authority keeping its $7,600 grant.

Warren was opposed.

NEW COVID-19 RULES Dog Wash will open May 19th

By Appointment Only 1 dog per person per half hour appointment Must call to make an appointment

In Business since 1968!

for a 30 minute wash 1251 Main Street (306) 691-0495

To book, visit your professional travel agent:

80 CARIBOU ST. W. MOOSE JAW • PHONE: 306.693.5117

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A19

City Hall Council Notes Council reduces 2020 tax Jason increase to zero amid pandemic measures G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool will remain closed this year as part of city council’s cost-saving measures to reduce property taxes to help anyone whom the pandemic has affected.

Shutting the outdoor pool was just one action city council took during its May 11 regular meeting to reduce this year’s tax increase to zero per cent from its original 2.3 per cent. After 90 minutes of discussion, council wiped out the original tax increase by eliminating or deferring $703,636.

Highlights include: • Postponement of $295,426 to fund projects in the parks and recreation department until the 2021 budget. Council unanimously approved this motion; • Funding to third parties is reduced by $159,100 for the remainder of this fiscal year. Council unanimously approved this motion; • Budgets in the financial services and human resource services departments are reduced by $51,060. Council unanimously approved this motion; • Closure of the outdoor pool for $166,176. Council unanimously approved this motion.

Council also voted 6-1 to approve the 2020 operating budget as amended — Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed — while council unanimously approved the property tax increase of zero per cent for the remainder of this year.

By the numbers The pandemic will negatively affect the City of Moose Jaw’s revenues and expenses depending upon how long the coronavirus continues, city manager Jim Puffalt explained. The finance department prepared two sets of numbers based on whether the pandemic lasts until Aug. 31 or until Dec. 31. Those numbers, respectively, show: • Reduction in revenues: $1.6 million / $3.04 million; • Reduction in expenses: $1.8 million / $3.04 million;

The pandemic will also affect revenues and expenses in the utility department based on whether the pandemic lasts until Aug. 31 or until Dec. 31. Those numbers, respectively, show: • Reduction in revenues: $569,436 / $1.1 million; • Reduction in expenses: $462,706 / $861,156.

The volume of water and sewer usage is expected to decrease by 10 per cent each month as long as the pandemic measures continue. The deferral of utility capital programs would partially mitigate the lost revenues.

One project that city administration recommends continue in full is the cast iron water main replacement program, Puffalt continued. Administration also recommends that the $30 infrastructure levy that council approved during the 2020 budget deliberations remain, as the funds collected would be directed to the cast iron program.

In approving the zero-per-cent tax increase, council should understand that the 2021 budget will be more challenging to create since expectations are that this is a one-time budget to combat the coronavirus and that services would be re-instated in 2021, said Puffalt. Moreover, 2021 will see cost of living increases for wages and increased costs for goods and services.

Council discussion Coun. Crystal Froese was concerned with the changes made to funding third-party groups, especially since retail stores could open in phase 2 or 3 of the province’s reopen strategy. Instead of reducing third-party funding until the end of the year, she wanted to see a monthly adjustment to keep up with changes in the province.

“If everything keeps going as it seems to be in our city and the southern part of the province, the phasing might be ramped up quicker here than in other areas with challenges,” she added.

The province plans to move slowly and says it will allow

more people to gather in phases 3 and 4, which is in August, Puffalt said. If the situation changes sooner, then municipal revenues would start to come back — since recreational buildings would reopen — and that would provide flexibility to adjust funding to those groups.

Changes to expenses The list of proposed expense reductions presented during the meeting didn’t seem to match a similar list from the April 8 meeting, said Swanson. There appeared to be almost $100,000 more in expense reductions than was previously listed. He wondered what the differences were.

The outdoor pool was recommended for closure this year and taken from monthly cash flows, while the sewer flushing program has been moved to the utilities department from the operating budget, explained finance director Brian Acker. There is simply less money budgeted for water main breaks since there have been fewer of them.

Also, the municipality will save an extra $100,000 — for a total of $400,000 — by not filling vacant positions, including city administration jobs.

Swanson questioned why city council was voting to close the outdoor pool when he was certain council did that during its April meeting. However, several councillors and the city manager indicated council only talked about closing the outdoor pool in April and didn’t make a decision about it.

To show leadership and solidarity in reducing the budget, Swanson attempted to introduce a motion to reduce council’s salaries by 20 per cent until September. However, the city clerk/solicitor determined that motion was out of order since the remuneration bylaw sets council’s pay, and city hall would have to issue a public notice letting the community know council wanted to change its salary.

Updated tax programs give residents until 2022 to pay arrears Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Residents who fall behind in their taxes or utility bills could have an additional 12 months — or more — to pay those arrears if they join one of two municipal programs before January.

The City of Moose Jaw has a water instalment payment plan (WIPPs) program and a tax instalment payment plan (TIPPs) program that allows participating homeowners and property owners to make monthly payments for teach type of billing.

City hall designed WIPPs to reduce the quarterly utility billing to a monthly payment plan for homeowners and businesses struggling with larger quarterly bills. TIPPs is for property owners to pay back their taxes in monthly instalments without incurring penalties for the outstanding balance past the annual due date.

During its April meeting, city council directed city administration to review both programs and bring revisions to make them more flexible. This was part of overall financial efforts to alleviate any problems residents or businesses have faced with larger balances during the pandemic.

City administration returned with recommendations for both policies during the May 11 regular meeting. Council voted 6-1 to approve the changes to each program; Coun.

Brian Swanson was opposed.

Explanation of programs There are 1,860 customers who use the WIPPs program and there is room for more customers to join, finance director Brian Acker explained.

For example, customers with an annual utility bill of $1,200 would typically pay $100 a month. If they ran into hardships during the pandemic and couldn’t pay $600 and fell into arrears, they could join the program penalty-free. Throughout 2021, they would be able to pay off the outstanding amounts, but instead of $100 per month, it would be $150.

Entry into the WIPPs program typically requires a utility account to have a zero balance before it’s accepted. As a one-time special provision, any utility account holders who choose to use the program to make smaller, manageable monthly payments will have a zero-balance requirement waived if they apply by Thursday, Dec. 31.

If property owners pay $2,400 a year in taxes, they would typically pay $200 a month, said Acker. If they fall into arrears by Sept. 30, they can join the TIPPs program and have their payments spread out over the next 12 to 15 months. They would repay $200 a month for the remainder of this year and then pay $350 per month in 2021.

20 OFF

$

d i o v A y” y Da

“Ma

Usually, penalties on properties in arrears are 1.1 per cent compounded monthly and would start Jan. 1, 2021. With the pandemic provision, all property taxes for 2020 and 2021 would have to be paid by Dec. 31, 2021. If they’re not, city hall would remove the account from the program and subject it to penalties under the bylaw.

“We will work with our customers to explain how the program works. Our experience with customers is once people understand the process, there is a benefit to them and knowing what the regular amounts will be,” Acker said, adding customers who join the program also provide regular cash flow to the municipality.

The municipality would lose $273,407 in property tax interest revenue if every customer enrolled in TIPPs, while it would lose $70,044 in penalty revenue from its water utility budget and $55,200 from its sewer utility budget — all losses in 2021 — if every customer enrolled in WIPPs. There would also be additional costs to manually manipulate some of the properties in the TIPPs program, as the computer program is not advanced enough to allow for these changes, added Acker.

We sell thousands of different tires, each one suited for different vehicles and for driving styles.

Save on your total purchase of automotive service work of $150 or more. Till May 27th 2020 * Not to be combined with another offer on same product or service.

PROBLEMS

8:30 - 5:30 Mon - Fri

306-691-0080 Text 306-631-4609 PandaAutoService.ca Book Online

Thank you for trusting us to serve you during this time, We are here to Help!

PAGE A20 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

City Hall Council Notes

Get even more local news and opinions online at:

Revenues down, expenses up for city during the first quarter Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Revenues were down and expenses up for the City of Moose Jaw during the first quarter of this year, according to a city council report.

City administration provided a report of the municipality’s expenses and revenues from Jan. 1 to March 31 during council’s May 11 regular meeting. With little discussion, council unanimously received and filed the report.

One item of interest, said finance director Brian Acker, is the municipality could see a surplus of about $184,000 from its 2019 actual budget results. On the other hand, the reason council has a budget statement for Mosaic Place for only January is because Spectra Venue Management Services is “having some challenges in terms of producing statements.”

Revenues As of March 31, the municipality reported revenues of $2.6 million, which is slightly behind the 2019 budget figure of $3.3 million, the report said.

The municipality expects to receive $50.1 million in revenue this year; it received $48.5 million last year.

Recreation services had revenues of $732,450 during this year’s first quarter, which is a decrease of about $100,000 compared to the same time last year.

Revenue from interest and tax penalties was $70,571, compared to $161,975 during the same time last year.

Revenues are down, the report explained, due to the reduction in interest rates and a reduction in funds in the general revenue fund bank account. The municipality had invested the latter money during the third quarter last year.

The municipality collected $128,772 in fines and penalties during Q1 of this year, compared to $446,578 in Q1 last year. This is due to the municipality not having

received as much funding from the photo speed enforcement (PSE) cameras. Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) deducted $305,000 in PSE-related costs from the revenues generated in the first quarter.

Other areas this past quarter that saw a decrease in revenue compared to the same period last year were: • Municipal taxation: $30,520 / $139,533; • Other levies: $600,425 / $633/491; • Licences and permits: $401,043 / $428,252; • Rents and concessions: $393,771 / $492,985.

Expenditures Expenses under the protection of persons category were $4.9 million during this year’s first quarter, compared to $4.5 million in Q1 2019. This increase, the report explained, is within budget and is mostly related to salary costs.

The parks and recreation department had expenses of $2.4 million, compared to $2.1 million during the same time last year. The report explained that these increases are within budget and relate to increased budget provisions for this year.

There was $4.1 million in expenses in the miscellaneous category since there was a transfer of tax funding to the capital and utility budgets, the report said. This transfer was completed earlier than in past years due to council passing the 2020 budget in December. In comparison, there was only $265,462 in expenses in Q1 2019.

Other expenses this past quarter compared to the same period last year were: • General government: $1.7 million / $1.8 million; • Public works: $860,581 / $1.2 million; • Sanitation and waste removal: $40,404 / $14,278; • Social services: $76,988 / $119,492;

Overall expenses in Q1 2020 were $14.2 million, compared to $10.2 million in Q1 2019.

Tax arrears The amount of tax arrears that property owners owe continues to increase year over year. As of March 31, property owners owed $2.5 million in arrears, with $1.4 million of that in liens and $1.07 million already on payment plans.

In comparison, in the first quarter of past years, property owners owed $2.4 million in 2019 and $2.1 million two years ago; in 2015 it was $1.3 million.

Borrowing As of March 31, the municipality still owed money on the following loans: • Multiplex long-term: $14.2 million; • Multiplex interim financing: $204,807.16; • Sanitary sewer: $4.5 million; • Waterworks capital: $27.8 million; • Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corp.: $11 million.

Capital projects Almost all capital projects during the first quarter were on track for completion, although city hall deemed the schedules of two projects to be in jeopardy, the report said.

The upgrading of storm sewers for $500,000 began last June, but only $31,730 had been spent as of the first quarter. The coronavirus has delayed the project until the fall.

The replacement of the pumphouse at the High Street water reservoir is supposed to start in August for $16.4 million and finished by May 2022; the municipality has spent $634,632 so far. While city administration gave no official reason for its delay, it’s reasonable to presume the pandemic is the cause.

Council to pay nearly $300,000 for extra work at water treatment plant Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The City of Moose Jaw will spend nearly $300,000 for additional engineering work as part of the construction at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant.

The municipality will pay Stantec Consulting Ltd. $275,866.37 plus taxes for four changes for pumps and electrical upgrades in phase 2 of the water supply transmission line project, a city council report explained. Work not included in the original project that city hall has added now includes: • Replacement of existing pumps and con-

trols, including associated electrical components at the water treatment plant; • Replacement of the influent line for the northeast reservoir; • Replacement of the fluoridation system at the plant; • The creation of a bypass line for flow control valves and flow control meters on influent lines at the High Street and northeast reservoirs The change order was necessary due to the schedule of Westridge, the general contractor, which spans two construction

seasons and expects to complete the project by June 30, 2021.

These additions provide the optimal capacity of the new supply line and further enhance the reliability of the entire system, the report explained. Stantec has provided engineering services for this project since its inception in 2010 and is committed to providing the necessary services to ensure the general contractor completes the project successfully.

City administration expects the project to cost $26.8 million.

While the project commenced in 2010, it halted briefly before restarting in 2017, Bevan Harlton, manager of engineering services, explained during city council’s May 11 regular meeting. Since the project restarted, there have been 11 change orders that Stantec has requested.

After a brief discussion, council unanimously approved the change order and its accompanying payment.

Mosaic Place expects a deficit this year of nearly $600,000 Spectra Venue Management Services, which oversees operations at Mosaic Place, provided city council with a one-month summary of income and expenses that has nearly as many red numbers as in the black.

The statement for January was part of a more extensive financial report that city administration presented at the May 11 regular council meeting about the municipality’s first-quarter results. The only comment finance director Brian Acker made about Mosaic Place was Spectra was “having some challenges in terms of producing statements.”

The Moose Jaw Express has reviewed the statement and has attempted to present a clear financial picture.

Operating at a loss Spectra expects to operate Mosaic Place this year at a deficit of $582,738 based on expenses over revenues.

The management organization expects to hold 133 events this year in the building; 18 were held in January, includ-

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express ing seven WHL Moose Jaw Warriors games and five Moose Jaw AAA Warriors games. It budgeted $353,500 in gross ticket revenue from those events, but only brought in $34,076. Budgeted gross revenue had been set at $367,029, but actual gross revenue was $74,986.

Spectra had budgeted to pay $336,665 in promoter fees for its events but actually paid out $40,258.

Total ancillary income — including concessions, suites, and catering — was $17,338, compared to a budgeted projection of $15,028.

Overall event operating income was $49,984 compared to a budgeted projection of $45,039.

Indirect expenses — such as general and administration, finance, marketing, operations, and overhead — were $189,210, compared to a budgeted projection of $220,566. This means Spectra saved $31,356 in expenses in these areas.

The overall gross building operating income was a deficit

of $139,225, compared to a projected deficit of $175,527.

Spectra received $117,060 in other income, compared to a budgeted figure of $134,898. Some categories in this area, based on actual versus budgeted, include: • Sponsorship: $25,076 / $33,414; • Naming rights: $23,542 / $24,791; • Suite leases: $12,292 / $11,625; • Rink programs: $17,521 / $29,671; • Curling leagues: $28,903 / $25,952.

A deficit of $40,629 had been budgeted for adjusted operating losses, but the actual figure was a deficit of $22,165. Meanwhile, Spectra received $11,000 as part of its monthly operating fee; it expects to receive $152,000 for the year.

So for January, Spectra had budgeted to operate at a deficit of $51,629, but actually operated at a deficit of $33,165.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A21

City Hall Council Notes Municipal advisory committees likely won’t restart until the fall Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

With the pandemic creating uncertainty about when large groups can reconvene again, it will likely be September before any of Moose Jaw’s advisory committees hold a face-to-face meeting.

The provincial government declared a state of emergency in mid-March when the coronavirus began spreading worldwide. Once restriction it put in place was public and private gatherings had to be limited to 10 or fewer people and people had to remain two metres of physical distancing.

City administration closed city hall on March 17 in response to the pandemic and

the province’s instructions. This not only affected the public’s ability to conduct business at city hall but also negatively affected city hall’s ability to host meetings, a city council report explained. As a result, the city clerk’s office cancelled all meetings for March and April.

While the province has announced a reopen plan composed of five phases, people are still required to maintain physical distancing rules, remain at home if they have coronavirus symptoms, and should maintain clean workspaces.

Since the restrictions still prohibit more than 10 people in one room and still en-

force two metres of distancing, city hall determined it was impractical to restart advisory committee meetings any time soon, city clerk Myron Gulka-Tiecho told city council during its May 11 regular meeting.

While electronic meetings could be held, city administration is focused on providing critical services areas and reducing costs. Most advisory committee meetings don’t meet over the summer anyway.

The municipality has been diligent to maintain safe work zones for its employees to ensure staff can respond to emergencies, so allowing the public into city

hall could jeopardize the safe-work zones concept, Gulka-Tiecho continued. The city manager has determined only one city hall in Saskatchewan would reopen to the public during phase 1 of the reopening plan, while most city halls plan to wait until phase 3 or 4, which is late August.

Since there is still uncertainty of lifting the restrictions due to the coronavirus, city administration will continue to monitor the situation and could restart advisory committee meetings in September, he added.

Council gives 315 non-essential businesses one-time tax credit of $500 Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express City council will spend $157,500 to help 315 businesses that may have fallen through the cracks and haven’t been able to access provincial or federal coronavirus-related financial support programs.

City hall reviewed a list of more than 2,000 businesses and determined 315 would qualify based on their average monthly property taxes, explained Jim Dixon, economic development officer. These businesses fall into A and B business licence categories, have been most affected by the current situation, and have been deemed non-essential.

These 315 businesses would be eligible for a one-time property tax credit of $500. The tax credit would primarily target those businesses that own or rent their property and pay property taxes. The surplus reserve account — which contains $1.4 million — would fund this initiative, while the credit could only be applied to the outstanding municipal taxes.

Not every business owns its building, so this is where business owners could fall through the cracks, city manager Jim Puffalt said during city council’s regular meeting on May 11. If businesses operate downtown, their landlord might not take advantage of federal lease programs and they wouldn’t receive relief.

“We need some discretion to look at those examples that don’t fit any programs,” he added, so as long as they fit the “broad philosophies” that city hall is after, then city administration would want discretion to distribute the

funding. This means businesses should apply for funding by Aug. 30.

Some businesses have been left out since the Downtown Moose Jaw Association Inc. has said some business owners are confused about whether they qualify for programs, said Coun. Dawn Luhning. Approving this financial measure would be a vote of confidence from council to indicate it believes businesses deserve help.

While Coun. Heather Eby agreed with helping the business community, she didn’t like this idea since she thought council was developing a program “on the fly” and thought they could finish with a mess. Giving a business that makes $450,000 a year a $500 one-time grant wouldn’t make a difference to its bottom line.

“These are the businesses that get hit up to support minor hockey and volleyball and (out-of-town) trips. Maybe it is the right thing to do to support these businesses in this time,” she added. “I don’t think it will be a cakewalk for city administration to administer this and figure it out.

But I think it’s more the gesture than the dollars that’s key.”

An important question to ponder is how council plans to support residential property owners, since many families risk losing their homes during the pandemic, said Coun.

Chris Warren. He wondered if this proposed program could be fair and equitable in light of the difficulties just to define its parameters.

City council has already reduced services to save money,

eliminated this year’s tax increase, and deferred projects, all of which will help residents and commercial owners, he added. He leaned toward relying on those initiatives instead of this project.

Unlike other communities, Moose Jaw can provide relief since it has a surplus, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. Council should want to save businesses now instead of watching them close and then attempting to attract new ones. This initiative sees the full community give support to these smaller businesses.

The program confused Coun. Brian Swanson, since he thought city administration’s report was unclear in whether a business had to own its building fully, be the primary owner, or simply lease the space. He didn’t think council should spend taxpayers’ money on this or get involved in other businesses’ business.

“It’s too loosey-goosey … ,” he said. “We are best to leave those (support programs) to senior levels of government. It’s hard for us to pick winners and losers.”

Luhning chastised her colleagues who were against the idea, saying it’s something they should do to help “a little bit.”

Council then voted 4-3 to give a one-time payment of $500 to the 315 identified businesses, with the accumulated surplus to fund the project. Tolmie, Eby, Froese and Luhning were in favour, while Swanson, McMann and Warren were opposed.

City hall redeploys permanent staff to road projects as job-saving measure Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

City hall will rehire a few experienced temporary staff this summer to help with street repairs, while it will redeploy permanent employees from other departments to handle the rest of those duties.

It is this decision, along with the decision to cut in half the street sealing and capping budget this year, which bothered Coun. Brian Swanson during city council’s May 11 regular meeting. Council had discussed ways to reduce this year’s tax increase to zero per cent to help anyone whom the pandemic had affected. City administration had indicated that reducing specific programs and projects would mitigate revenue losses.

One recommendation included reducing the budget for the sealing and capping program to $92,055 from $184,107.

Council eventually approved an amended 2020 operating budget that eliminated or deferred $703,636 in spending.

Full-time versus part-time jobs “Job loss attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately hit lower-income temporary part-time people. I would think that that would be modelled in the City of Moose Jaw’s reductions here,” Swanson said.

He was concerned that city hall did not plan to rehire temporary employees with experience in pothole repair and instead planned to redeploy other permanent employees from other departments as a way to save their jobs.

He would have liked to have reviewed the hiring of the last five out-of-scope employees since those positions were not under consideration. He pointed out city hall is disproportionately going after temporary part-time jobs that he believed were critical to the work of the engineering department.

“Cutting the sealing and capping program in half is not what I want to do given the state of our roads,” Swanson said. “I look at the 16-per-cent reduction in the engineering department, and I appreciate the library coming forward with a reduction that’s about 13 per cent … and our other departments at city hall with no impact.

“I think it’s a paradigm issue. Is the function of the City of Moose Jaw to provide employment or service? I fall on the second one. The engineering area is where we do not want to reduce service, or reduce it to less than other areas … .

“The bottom line is, we don’t lose one full-time position even though businesses are looking to close.”

Swanson added that council eliminated capping and sealing — a preventative measure, especially to seal newly paved roads —about 15 years ago and it took him a while to get it back in. Council then dropped it from the budget about seven years ago. It’s back again, but he thought it was unfortunate that city administration wanted to reduce its budget.

City administration talked about cutting

the capping and sealing program budget in half, while the acting director of the engineering department said funding for that program had not been entirely spent during the last four years, while capping and sealing has not been done effectively during that same time, said city manager Jim Puffalt. There is a new focus to pursue that program this year and city administration believes it can spend that budget in 2020.

With the redeployment of permanent municipal staff, most employees had worked

on roads and drainage and were added to the second utility crew, so they are still skilled and capable, he continued. Furthermore, city administration believes this will be a short-term process.

“We spend a lot of money to train and retain employees. Corporate knowledge is important to most cities and this skeleton staff has kept things running the past eight weeks,” Puffalt added. “Without permanent employees, we would be hardpressed to do so.”

13 oz premium matte banners in sizes up to 16’ x 50’ without seams

32 Manitoba St W • 306-694-1322 • sales@saskpromo.com

PAGE A22 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

FREE PERSONAL CLASSIFIEDS AT:

AUTOS For sale 2004 Toyota Camry Solaria, immaculate condition, 4 cylinder engine tan colour low Kim 60,000 $7900. hamiltonb@shaw.ca For sale: 1983 Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham silver grey, original paint & top. Excellent condition & mileage. Ph 306693-3129 lv message if no answer.

AUTO PARTS 4 tires 2756R20 call 306-6317698 FARMS, SUPPLIES & LIVESTOCK Massey Ferguson 850 combine with straight cut and pickup header in good condition 306693-1380 or 306-631-1454 FOR RENT Adults Only. Self-contained 2 bedroom apt available now off street parking, private entrance with stove, fridge and

microwave, all utilities included except power. Carpets in bedrooms, hallway and front room.

Damage deposit of $790.00 required, rent $790.00 per month. No pets, smoking, or parties. More info call 306693-3727 Top floor house, laundry, full kitchen 1 to 2 bedrooms. Athabasca east. $400 damage deposit. $600 month with no utilities paid or $800 month paid utilities. Available May 15 306-990-0333 2 BEDROOM, LOWER LEVEL SUITE ASKING $900.00/ MONTH PLUS DAMAGE DEPOSIT OF $500.00 WASHER, DRYER, FRIDGE, STOVE, DISHWASHER, MICROWAVE. UTILITIES PROVIDED, SEPARATE ENTRANCE, GARAGE PARKING, ADULTS ONLY, NO PETS, NO SMOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JO

ANN (306) 692 8737 OR EMAIL jelybn@live.ca MISCELLANEOUS Saddles and tack. 1 western pleasure saddle, 1 roping saddle, 1 English saddle. Western and English bridles, halters, spurs, boots, hats, shirts, and jeans. Horse blanket. Call (306) 692-8517 please leave message HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Queen size mattress. Very clean in good condition $100. Phone 692-1365 “My pillow” Queen size mattress topper like new in very good condition $150. Phone 6921365 Kenmore 8 cu F upright freezer 24”x27”. $250 firm. 306-6924592 FARM PRODUCE BISON MEAT. 30 years experience. Moose Jaw delivery available. 306-475-2232

LAWN & GARDEN For sale: Northern Ferns $3 each. Phone 692-1365 For sale: Black rubber landscape edging approx. 80 feet. $20. 693-3393 WANTED Guns Wanted, I’m a licensed gun buyer paying cash for guns, parts and ammunition, as well as from estates. Moose Jaw, Regina, and surrounding area. Call or text 306-641-4447 Wanted a Stihl Chainsaw running or not. Call or text with model number to 306-6414447 Free pickup of your unwanted snowblowers, tillers, generators, ice augers, chainsaws, or any other yard and garden equipment, in Moose Jaw and area. Call or text 1-306-6414447 I am looking for a John Deere LA tractor or parts, in any condi-

tion, Call or text 306-641-4447 Tractors. I pay cash for tractors up to 50 HP running or not, and 3 point hitch equipment. Call or text 1-306-641-4447 I am looking for a lever or pump 22 rifle, and a smaller 22 bolt action rifle in either 22LR or Magnum. Call or text 1-306641-4447 Wanted: 12ft Alum boat, prefer Lund, 9 HP - 15HP outboard motor & trailer in decent shape.

Ph 306-630-1579.

Carpentry tools wanted clamps, small bench vice, sawhorse, and router. Phone 9722257 Moose Jaw HELP WANTED Seeking committed, evangelizing Christian business partner.

To open up and operate a second-hand/flea market store in Moose Jaw, SK. Male, female or family. Computer/internet knowledge helpful. 684-1084

WANTED

Looking for someone who has worked for a sunroom screen enclosure company before, to do repairs to my screened in deck.

Sliders for window need to be adjusted on my 3 season sunroom Call Bob 306-631-8082

City Hall Council Notes Council’s market investments fell $8 million in first quarter of 2020 Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The City of Moose Jaw lost nearly $8 million from its investment portfolios during the first quarter of 2020, according to a report from investment manager RBC Dominion Securities.

RBC manages two portfolios for the municipality: a long-term account and a moderate account that have a combined value of roughly $100 million. The banking institution has managed these funds since last July.

City council discussed RBC’s report during its May 11 regular meeting, later voting 6-1 to receive and file the report. Coun. Brian Swanson was opposed.

Report information The long-term portfolio started January at $72.2 million, but by March 31, it had declined to $64.8 million. This is because the municipality withdrew $979,366, while the market value of the portfolio declined by $6.4 million, or 8.87 per cent.

Since its inception last July, the portfolio has had an overall decline of 5.92 per cent, or a loss of $4.3 million.

The moderate-term portfolio started January at $30.5 million, but by March 31, it had declined to $28.3 million.

This is because the municipality withdrew $771,995, while the market value of the portfolio declined by $1.4 million, or 4.77 per cent.

Since its inception last July, the portfolio has seen an overall decline of 2.57 per cent, or a loss of $729,757.

Council discussion The municipality has roughly $30 million in mutual

funds, while it pays about 0.95 per cent in yearly management fees, said Swanson. This means the city pays RBC about $270,000 every year for those mutual funds and roughly $330,000 for the overall management of both portfolios, for $600,000. “$600,000 is more than our sidewalk budget,” he remarked.

In RBC’s report, the organization wrote that investors have flocked to safe-haven government bonds during the pandemic, Swanson continued. What he found interesting is while the world has focused on bonds now, a year ago the municipality sold off its high-quality bonds that were yielding 3.5 per cent in returns, right before the market declined.

While the investments might have declined during the first quarter, the markets have rebounded since the end of March, said Coun. Chris Warren.

“It’s probably worthy to note because we are hearing some fear-type language there. It would be interesting to see how they have rebounded even further than that,” he added.

As of May 8, the long-term portfolio was worth $68.6 million and had lost 1.3 per cent, while the moderate-term portfolio had a value of $29.1 million and experienced a small gain of 0.6 per cent, said finance director Brian Acker. The value of both portfolios is $97 million, although it could be $99 million had the municipality not withdrawn $1.74 million this year.

Better Water Solutions for your entire home.

LAWN CARE & WINDOW CLEANING

Better water for better living High quality water delivered to your home or office Better water brings out the best in your family

306.693.0606

270 Caribou St. W. www.culligan.com

FAST, RELIABLE REASONABLE

City council initially withdrew $3 million from the portfolio for projects and has used $1.74 million so far, he continued. Council approved the withdrawal of an additional $2.7 million for the Southeast Industrial Park and SaskPower, along with the withdrawal of $372,000 for the West Park playground upgrade, for a total of $6 million.

After hearing the results, Swanson pushed back against Warren’s comment about a “language of fear,” He pointed out he simply stated the facts that the municipality pays $600,000 in management fees, while he was quoting RBC’s report.

“It reminds me of the cliché … , ‘They think I’m giving them hell. I’m just statin’ the truth, and to them, it sounds like hell,’” Swanson said.

There is a cost to have RBC administer the portfolio and council knew that, said Coun. Scott McMann, who sits on the investment committee. The only reason council had RBC manage its money is because it believes the long-term returns will exceed the management costs.

“In hindsight, if we knew the markets would go down, maybe we would not make that decision (to sell off the bonds). But in the long-term, we are correct,” he continued.

Coun. Dawn Luhning refuted Swanson’s claim about not paying management fees before, pointing out council had someone manage its investments before RBC took over.

UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU STARTS TO CARE NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE

306-631-8014

MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EDITOR@MJVEXPRESS.COM

13portS oz premium matte banners in sizes up to 16’ x 50’ without seams S HigHligHtS h

AUTO RACING Sunday

4:00 p.m. TSN NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600.

Monday 5:30 p.m. TSN NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series Alsco 300. (Taped)

Wednesday 6:00 p.m. TSN NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series Race at Charlotte.

32 Manitoba St W • 306-694-1322 • sales@saskpromo.com THURSDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

7:00

7:30

7:00

7:30

8:30

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

MOVIES

8:00

8:30

SPORTS

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

100 génies ››› “Room : le monde de Jack” (2015, Drame) Le téléjournal (N) MacGyver Nurses “Incoming” Border Border Global News at 10 (N) Shark Tank Carter Blue Bloods Big Bang etalk (N) Evenings on TWN Captured! Evenings on The Weather Network Overnight on TWN Dateline NBC (N) News News Tonight Show-J. Fallon Fridge Wars Back in Time for Dinner Baking Show The National (N) Magnum P.I. Blue Bloods Two Men Late Show-Colbert Corden (:01) 20/20 (N) News J. Kimmel Nightline (N) J. Kimmel “Flip That Romance” (2019, Romance) Julie Gonzalo. Dead Still “Development” Dirt Farmers Dirt Farmers (5:00) CFL Football SportsCent. CFL Football World Cup of Hockey NHL Classics World Cup of Hockey Big Bang etalk (N) ››› “The Other Guys” (2010) Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg.

Corner Gas “Love in Winterland” (2020) Chad Michael Murray. ›› “How to Be Single” (2016) Dakota Johnson.

(6:45) ››› “X-Men: First Class” (2011, Action) Black Sails “XXIV.” Spartacus: Vengeance Raymond Raymond Creek Creek Frasier Frasier black-ish black-ish 90 Day Fiancé 90 Day Self-Quarantined 90 Day 90 Day Fiancé Body Cam “Flight Risk” Aussie Gold Hunters (N) Jade Fever Jade Fever Body Cam “Flight Risk” Goldbergs Fresh-Boat Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Big Bang Big Bang “Mad Monster Party?” ›› “The Daydreamer” (1966) Paul O’Keefe.

“Goose-Gander” (5:00) ››› “G.I. Jane” Friday Night ››› “Ghost” (1990, Fantasy) Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore.

(5:00) Greatest Races Drag Racing ABB Formula E Dangerous Drives “Driven” (2018) Jason Sudeikis, Lee Pace.

“Come to Daddy” (2019) Elijah Wood. Predator (6:50) ››› “Blockers” (2018) (:35) RuPaul’s Drag Race (:45) › “The Hustle” (2019, Comedy) (:15) “Restless River” (2019, Drama) ›› “Stuber” (2019) Dave Bautista.

Blockers Henchmen (:25) “The Scheme” (2020, Documentary) Last Week Real Time With Bill Maher

SATURDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

8:00

SPORTS

Rétroviseur Infoman (N) Prière de ne pas envoyer Bonsoir bonsoir! (N) Le téléjournal (N) Superstore Man-Plan Single Broke (N) Tommy “19 Hour Day” Global News at 10 (N) Who Wants to Be David Foster Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang etalk (N) Evenings on TWN Viral Weather Evenings on TWN Viral Weather (:01) The Red Nose Day Special (N) News News Tonight Show-J. Fallon Family Feud Family Feud “Influence” (2020, Documentary) The National (N) (:01) Mom Broke (N) S.W.A.T. “Funny Money” Two Men Late Show-Colbert Corden Holey Moley To Tell the Truth News J. Kimmel Nightline (N) J. Kimmel Mom Mom Labor of Love Mom Mom Mobile MD Mobile MD (5:30) Hockey SportsCent. Hockey Gold Medal game from May 17, 2015.

World Cup of Hockey NHL Classics Game 5.

World Cup of Hockey Big Bang etalk (N) Goldbergs Seinfeld Flashpoint Seinfeld Goldbergs “Winter Love Story” (2019) Jen Lilley, Kevin McGarry. New Amsterdam “I Love You, Man” (2009) (:10) ›› “Hall Pass” (2011, Comedy) Owen Wilson. ››› “Thirst” (2009) Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-vin.

Raymond Raymond Creek Creek Frasier Frasier black-ish black-ish (6:00) My 600-Lb. Life (N) Dr. Pimple Popper My Feet Are Killing Me My 600-Lb. Life Driven “Brubaker Box” Fast N’ Loud (N) Goblin Works Garage (N) Street Outlaws: Memphis Goldbergs Fresh-Boat Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Big Bang Big Bang (6:00) “Kid Galahad” ›› “Smart Money” (1931, Drama) ›››› “Double Indemnity” (1944) (6:00) ››› “Fury” (2014) Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf. ›› “Hitman” (2007, Action) Timothy Olyphant.

NASCAR Truck Series ARCA Racing Series Phoenix.

NASCAR Race Hub (:15) › “The Intruder” (2019) Michael Ealy.

“Frankie” (2019) Isabelle Huppert. (:45) Climax “James vs. His” ››› “Ready or Not” (2019, Horror) (:40) ››› “Western Stars” (2019) Dead Don’t (:20) “The Domestics” (2018, Action) ›› “The Meg” (2018) Jason Statham, Li Bingbing.

Hemingway “Thought Crimes” We’re Here (N) I Know This Much Is True

FRIDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

MOVIES

7:00

7:30

MOVIES

8:00

8:30

SPORTS

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

Les enfants de la télé Anne avec un E (N) Ici on chante Téléjour.

Humanité Crime Beat (N) Border Sec. Border Sec. Private Eyes News Ransom W5 (N) “Amber Alert” (2015) Alaina Huffman, Barry Flatman. Trevor Noah at JFL Evenings on TWN Captured! Evenings on The Weather Network Overnight on TWN “The Secret Life of Pets” Saturday Night Live (N) News (:29) Saturday Night Live “Milton’s Secret” (2016, Drama) Donald Sutherland. ›› “Remember” (2015) Christopher Plummer.

Magnum P.I. 48 Hours (N) Two Men Two Men NCIS: New Orleans American Idol News Immortals Castle “Suicide Squeeze” The Wedding Planners “The College Admissions Scandal” (2019, Drama) (5:00) UFC Replay (N) SportsCent. Boxing (N) Boxing (N) SportsCent.

World Cup of Hockey From Sept. 29, 2016.

NHL Classics World Cu Holmes on Homes Mighty Trains “AVE 103” Flashpoint “Shockwave” W5 (N) (6:00) “The Perfect Bride” “The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells” (2018, Romance) Ruby Herring Mysteries (:10) ›› “Aquamarine” (2006) Sara Paxton. ›› “Prime” (2005) Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman.

Frasier Frasier Engagement Engagement Engagement Engagement 3’s Comp. 3’s Comp. sMothered sMothered sMothered (N) sMothered North Woods Law North Woods Law North Woods Law North Woods Law Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang (6:00) “Casablanca” ››› “Waterloo Bridge” (1940) Vivien Leigh. ››› “Cornered” (1945) (6:30) ›› “Con Air” (1997, Action) Nicolas Cage.

Line of Duty (:25) Con Air MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind (:15) “Cross: Rise of the Villains” (2019, Action) ››› “Joker” (2019) Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz.

“Truth or Dare” ›› “Tomb Raider” (2018) Alicia Vikander.

“Hobbs & Shaw” ›› “Yesterday” (2019) Himesh Patel, Lily James.

“Killers Anonymous” (2019, Action) Fantastic Kareem “Mommy Dead and Dearest” (2017) Run “Run” Run “Kiss” Run “F...” Run

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A23

SUNDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

7:00

7:30

7:00

7:30

7:00

7:30

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

MOVIES

8:00

8:30

SPORTS

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

MOVIES

8:00

8:30

SPORTS

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

Rétroviseur Vies Beautés meurtrières (N) Bonsoir bonsoir! (N) Le téléjournal (N) NCIS “Blarney” FBI “Studio Gangster” FBI: Most Wanted Global News at 10 (N) Unforgettable Match Game (:01) World of Dance Big Bang etalk (N) (5:00) Evenings on The Weather Network Evenings on TWN Overnight on TWN America’s Got Talent (:01) World of Dance News Tonight Show-J. Fallon Seth Meyers Coronation Family Feud Kim Creek Moms Baroness The National (N) FBI “Studio Gangster” FBI: Most Wanted Two Men Late Show-Colbert Corden Mod Fam Mod Fam The Genetic Detective News J. Kimmel Nightline (N) J. Kimmel America’s Got Talent “Auditions 1” (:01) Mom Mom Dirt Farmers Dirt Farmers (5:30) 30 for 30 (N) 30 for 30 30 for 30 NHL Rewind NHL Classics NHL Rewind Big Bang etalk (N) Goldbergs Seinfeld To Be Announced Seinfeld Goldbergs Mystery 101 Someone tries to kill an actress. ›› “Get Smart” (2008, Comedy) Steve Carell.

(6:55) ›› “21” (2008) Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey. ›› “The Rite” (2011, Horror) Anthony Hopkins.

Raymond Raymond Creek Creek Frasier Frasier black-ish black-ish Little People, Big World 7 Little Johnstons (N) Sweet Home Sextuplets Little People, Big World Deadliest Catch Deadliest Catch (N) Deadliest Catch (N) Deadliest Catch: On Deck Goldbergs Fresh-Boat Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang “Incendiary Blonde” (:15) ››› “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972) Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams.

(6:00) ››› “Mission: Impossible II” (2000, Action) (:05) ››› “Star Trek” (2009) Chris Pine.

MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind The 10 The 10 Patient Zero (:20) “Come to Daddy” (2019, Comedy) ››› “Joker” (2019) Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz.

(6:00) “Driven” (2018) ›› “It: Chapter Two” (2019, Horror) Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy.

Teen Titans ››› “Western Stars” (2019) Billions Penny Dreadful: City ›› “Lansky” (1999) Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Roberts. Run “Trick” Insecure Black Lady Hello Ladies

WEDNESDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

SPORTS

9:00

Rétroviseur Lâcher prise Les chefs! (N) Bonsoir bonsoir! (N) Le téléjournal (N) The Titan Games (N) Bull “Missing” Global News at 10 (N) 5th Annual All-Star Comedy Gala Big Bang Criminal Minds Big Bang etalk (N) (5:00) Evenings on The Weather Network Evenings on TWN Overnight on TWN (6:00) The Titan Games Songland “Boyz II Men” News Tonight Show-J. Fallon Seth Meyers Coronation Family Feud Jackie Robinson Fortitude (N) The National (N) All Rise Bull “Missing” Two Men Late Show-Colbert Corden Celebrity Family Feud Baker-Beauty News J. Kimmel Nightline (N) J. Kimmel Mom Mom Mod Fam Mod Fam Baker-Beauty Mobile MD Mobile MD NASCAR Xfinity SportsCent. Curling Final. (N) (6:00) NHL Rewind NHL Rewind Game 1 of the Adams Division Final.

Big Bang etalk (N) Goldbergs Seinfeld Movie “Eat, Drink and Be Married” (2019) Jocelyn Hudon. ››› “Pitch Perfect” (2012) Anna Kendrick.

(6:00) ››› “Dogville” (2003) Nicole Kidman.

Vida (:35) Weeds (:10) Hightown Raymond Raymond Creek Creek Frasier Frasier black-ish black-ish Self-Quarantined 90 Day Fiancé 90 Day Fiancé Self-Quarantined Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail Homestead Rescue (N) Homestead Rescue Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail Goldbergs Fresh-Boat Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang (6:00) ›››› “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) ›› “Till the End of Time” (1946) Dorothy McGuire.

(5:30) ››› “Top Gun” Creepshow (N) Creepshow › “Legion” (2010) NASCAR Gander RV ARCA Racing Series The 10 The 10 Abominable (:20) “The Domestics” (2018, Action) “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” (2019) Mads Brügger.

(6:20) “Ready or Not” “Frankie” (2019) Isabelle Huppert. (:45) ›› “Superfly” (2018, Suspense) ›› “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (2019) James McAvoy. ››› “Blockers” (2018) Leslie Mann.

The Hustle (6:20) ›› “Hemingway & Gellhorn” (2012) We’re Here Betty Insecure

TUESDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

8:30

Découverte Les poilus Tout le monde en parle (N) Téléjour.

Coronavirus: New Reality The Wall (N) The Wall “Peter and Bob” News Block “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and” Shark Tank I Do, Redo Kitchen Evenings on TWN Storm Overnight on The Weather Network Overnight on TWN The Wall (N) The Wall “Peter and Bob” News The Spirit of Detroit Paid Prog.

Heartland What’re You At?-T. Power Standing Standing The National (N) (5:00) ›››› “Titanic” (1997) Leonardo DiCaprio.

Joel Osteen The World’s NCIS: New Orleans Press Your Luck “102” Match Game “Code Blue” News Coronavirus Bensinger Castle Little Big Shots (N) Simpsons Simpsons Vagrant Queen (N) Dirt Farmers Dirt Farmers NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600. (N) SportsCent. SportsCenter (N) SportsCent. SportsCent.

(6:30) World Cup of Hockey NHL Classics Game 3.

Hockey 24 Question Period Motive “Interference” Movie “Perfect Bride” “Forever in My Heart” (2019) Blake Berris.

Good Witch “The Chili” (6:50) ›››› “Vertigo” (1958) James Stewart. ››› “Sexy Beast” (2000) The Shining Raymond Raymond Man-Plan Man-Plan Man-Plan Man-Plan 8, Rules 8, Rules 90 Day Fiancé sMothered (:02) Find Love LIVE 90 Day Fiancé Naked and Afraid An earthquake in the jungle. (N) Lone Star Law Lone Star Law Jeff Dunham Jeff Dunham JFL Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity Jeff Dunham: Minding (6:00) “Hell to Eternity” (:15) ››› “Pride of the Marines” (1945) John Garfield.

Wings, War A Discovery of Witches A Discovery of Witches ›››› “The Godfather, Part II” (1974) Al Pacino.

NHRA Drag Racing From Virginia Motorsports Park, May 19, 2019.

Greatest Races: NASCAR “Magic Garden” VICE (N) Work- Pro. Billions (N) Penny Dreadful: City “Hotel Transylvania 3” ››› “Blinded by the Light” (2019) Viveik Kalra.

“Human Nature” (2019) (6:55) ››› “Downton Abbey” (2019) Jim Carter “James vs. His Future Self” (2019) The Meg (:15) ›› “Paterno” (2018) Al Pacino, Riley Keough.

I Know This Much Is True Insecure (N) Run “Trick”

MONDAY EVENING 3 CBKFT 5 CFRE 6 CKCK 7 WEATH 8 WDIV 9 CBKT 11 WWJ 12 WXYZ 13 CTYS 19 TSN 20 NET 25 EDACC 26 W 29 ENCAV2 33 CMT 35 TLC 38 DISC 41 COM 42 TCM 47 AMC 48 FSR 55 CRV1 56 CRV2 57 CRV3 58 HBO

MOVIES

8:00

7:00

7:30

MOVIES

8:00

8:30

SPORTS

9:00

9:30

SPECIALS

10:00

10:30

Rétroviseur L’épicerie Dans l’oeil du dragon (N) Bonsoir bonsoir! (N) Le téléjournal (N) Game On! SEAL Team S.W.A.T. “Immunity” Global News at 10 (N) Ultimate Tag (N) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Transplant Big Bang etalk (N) (5:00) Evenings on The Weather Network Evenings on TWN Overnight on TWN Chicago Fire “Buckle Up” Chicago P.D. News Tonight Show-J. Fallon Seth Meyers Coronation Family Feud The ABC Murders (N) Ordeal by Innocence The National (N) SEAL Team S.W.A.T. “Immunity” Two Men Late Show-Colbert Corden “Thor: The Dark World” Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. News J. Kimmel Nightline (N) J. Kimmel Mom Mom Labor of Love Catch-22 “Episode 4” (N) Godfather of Harlem (N) NASCAR Cup Series SportsCent. SportsCenter (N) SC With Jay SportsCent.

Blue Jays NHL Rewind NHL Rewind Big Bang etalk (N) Goldbergs Seinfeld Goldbergs Big Bang Seinfeld Goldbergs “October Kiss” (2015) Ashley Williams, Sam Jaeger. ›› “Failure to Launch” (2006, Romance-Comedy) (:15) ››› “The Hangover” (2009) Bradley Cooper. ›› “The Hangover Part II” (2011) Incendies Raymond Raymond Creek Creek Frasier Frasier black-ish black-ish (6:00) My 600-Lb. Life My 600-Lb. Life Shantel and her brother Carlton.

My 600-Lb. Life Expedition X (N) Mighty Trains Disasters at Sea Expedition Unknown Goldbergs Fresh-Boat Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang “The Horse Soldiers” (:15) ››› “The Comancheros” (1961) John Wayne. (:15) ››› “McLintock!”

(6:00) ›› “Con Air” (1997, Action) (:35) ››› “The Rock” (1996) Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage.

Formula E Racing Formula E Racing Formula E Racing The 10 The 10 (:10) ›› “Annabelle Comes Home” (2019, Horror) ›› “Climax” (2018) Sofia Boutella.

Killers (6:00) ›› “Yesterday” Billions Penny Dreadful: City ›› “Isn’t It Romantic” (:15) “Cross: Rise of the Villains” (2019, Action) ›› “Halloween” (2018, Horror) Jamie Lee Curtis.

Alternate “Thought Crimes” Barry Barry (:05) Betty I Know This

PAGE A24 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

On the Front Porch

by Wanda Smith

First week of play underway at Hillcrest Golf Course Busy week as local courses open for the season

Vision

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

It is hard to believe we’ve been in this lockdown for over two months. What started as two weeks has gone much longer than was initially stated. The days slip into each other and we find ourselves wondering what day it really is... it feels we skipped right from March into May and missed April altogether! Without any outside responsibilities aside from work (if you have work), it has been difficult to keep track of time. I am thankful spring has sprung so that we can spend time outdoors: the farmers are seeding, the ranchers are calving, the road crews are working and we are preparing our gardens and yards for the summer months. I am truly thankful we have more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors during this awful situation. We were never made to be holed up in our homes without the ability to join others in fellowship over food, celebrating and playing sports, joining in communion with people of faith or educating students in large groups.

There are many dangers that come out of a lockdown such as we are experiencing that can be seen as increased mental health issues, suicides, increase in domestic violence, outbursts of wrath, criminal activity and so on.

Even for those who have led a fairly quiet and peaceable life, many are struggling with depression, anxiety, frustration and angst. As I observe this, I see one way (among several ways) we can help to manage these debilitating emotional lash outs. The Word of God says “without a vision people perish.� We need to look for a positive perspective. I see this playing out in all our lives, presently. I see that there is a temptation to live with a lack of motivation, apathy, procrastination, laziness or an attitude of not caring. But, if we can shift our perspective... and gain a heavenly perspective, we will be able to wake up, get up and show up in life! “Arise, Shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.� Dear readers, let’s ask God for fresh vision!

You may ask... vision for what? To that I say, we need to ask for vision for our days ahead. First of all, for each day... and then for the season we are in... and then for the future. I have started a to-do list for our home, tackling one project at a time. The list has become quite long and somewhat overwhelming but if I attempt one job at a time, it doesn’t take long to see some improvement.

Paint goes a long way to make something look better.

Change your furniture placement. Purge your closets or drawers. Clean out your garage. Think of others around you in your neighborhood that may need their lawn raked or their bushes trimmed. Offer to help in a way that is simple for you. Make some phone calls. A distant friend contacted me through text message this morning and it was just nice to connect and update each other on our families and lives. Start writing that book you’ve thought about many times. Organize your photos and document them. What do you have in your hand to do? Whatever it is may seem small and insignificant but you will begin to see those small changes cultivate a desire to keep moving forward. It brings a synergy and you’ll find yourself building on what you have begun. Take one step forward. Find new fresh vision for your house, your yard, your heart and your family. See God take the little and multiply it!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Lorem ipsum

The Hillcrest Golf Course is open for business.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to limit public activities, a wide variety of measures are in place in order to keep things safe as possible on the local course. “It’s going to be a learning process for everyone,â€? said Hillcrest general manager Jasmine Cameron while preparing for the new season last week. “We’ve been dealt these regulations and it’s ongoing every day to figure out how we can make them work best. “We understand there’s going to be frustration about the rules and regulations, but we just want everyone to understand that it’s not us making the calls; we’re just doing the best we can with this situation‌ we’re just happy to offer a service to the community so people can just get out of the house and doing something.â€?

It all starts with tee-time booking, which began May 10 both online and by phone. With no walk-ons allowed, all players must book tee-times and are encouraged to create foursomes if possible. Non-members now are able to book three days in advance.

Tee times can be booked online through www.hillcrestgolf.ca and paid for online or by phone, with any payments at the course going through debit machines, as cash is not allowed due to provincial guidelines.

Cameron recommends calling in as early as possible, as with 12-minute staggered tee-times, there will be far fewer spots available on the course. And if you’re wondering what kind of an effect that has on the course’s bottom line, well, it’s better than the original 20-minute stagger that was originally in place -- a level of restriction that had the Hillcrest running at 30 per cent of normal revenue.

Regulations are especially strict when it comes to group sizes, with queries in regards to fivesomes being quickly shot down by government officials. “That’s not allowed at all, and if they find out we’re doing that they’ll close our doors,� Cameron said. “We’ve had a lot of questions about that, and if they see five out there in a group they’ll be coming in to shut us down instantly.�

The good news is, when it comes to the course itself, things are rapidly rounding into shape. “The greens are gorgeous, they’re looking great,â€? Cameron said. “Overall‌ we just need a little bit of rain and we’re good to go.â€?

Lynbrook Golf Club ready for first week of season Plenty of changes and restrictions in place as course opens for play in era of COVID-19 Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The sprinklers are spraying, the mowers are mowing and things have quickly come together at the Lynbrook Golf Course as play began for the season on Friday morning.

Golfers can now book tee-times at the local 18-hole layout, but like every course in the city and province, things are going to be very different.

And for manager Dwight Bearchell, that’s all fine and well if they at least have a chance to finally swing the clubs. “We’re looking forward to it,� he said. “I think everyone is aware of what the situation is; we just want everyone to manage their social distancing and that kind of stuff, as well as follow all the rules that will be in place.�

The Lynbrook opened tee-times to all players, both members and non-members. All players must book ahead, seeing as no walk-ons are allowed, and tee times must be booked three days in advance. “As more tee-times become available, we’ll alter that for members,� Bearchell said. “Right now, members and non-members have the same opportunity because they both support the club, so we thought we’d give everyone the same chance to get on the course. That’s fair to everybody.�

The first groups will go off at the aforementioned 6 a.m. tee time, with an 18-hole foursome on the front nine and nine hole group on the back. Groups will be separated by 60 Athabasca Street 12 minutes on the front nine –East an improvement over the 306-692-0533 original 20 minute break -- as per government regulaMinister: Rev. Jim Tenford tions in the Re-Open Saskatchewan Phase 1 plan.

Music Director: Karen Purdy And before you ask, that format is strict as can be.

Sunday, 14th, 2017 “We’re hoping May they reduce that as time goes on, but we Worship Service 10:30am don’t want to mess that up,� Bearchell said. “We’ll have & Sunday School

St. Andrew’s United Church

Things were quiet at the Lynbrook early last week, but golfers were on the course as if Friday morning. marshalls out there on a full-time basis to make sure we don’t mess it up, because there would be some heavy duty fines involved and if it’s bad enough they’ll shut down the course. “But I think it’s fair, people just have to follow the rules and we have signs all over the place out there saying just that.�

Tee-times can be booked through Chronogolf.ca or by calling the pro-shop, with payment available over the phone, online and by debit at the course. Cash can not be accepted, as per government guidelines. “The course is looking great,� Bearchell said. “The other day you could almost sit back and watch the course change colour, then if we get this rain they’re talking about this weekend, that’ll improve it even more.�

For more information, check the Lynbrook website at www.lynbrookgolf.org or find them on Facebook for the latest up-to-date information.

NEW LOCATION

St. Barnabas

Traditional Anglican Parish Now worshipping at

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 2:00pm For details and to register: www.gosouthwest.ca

60 Athabasca Street East 306-692-0533 Minister: Rev. Jim Tenford

Music Director: Karen Purdy • Choir Director: Jenna Nash

Sundays during May 2020

Rev. Jim will be presenting his message on Youtube/Facebook.

Sanctuary Services and Sunday School at St. Andrew’s United have been cancelled until further notice.

E-mail: st.andrews.mj@sasktel.net Facebook: www.facebook.com/StAndrewsUnitedChurchMooseJaw Website: http://standrewsmoosejaw.ca

27 Hochelaga St. W., Moose Jaw

The beautiful home of Central Lutheran Church Holy Communion Book of Common Prayer Sunday 11:30 am (new time) Coffee & fellowship after the service For more information contact: Fr. Glenn Galenkamp, Rector 306-691-2715

All Are Welcome!

www.saintbarnabasmoosejaw.ca

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A25

Esther Viola Petrescu November 1, 1924 – May 9, 2020 Esther Viola Petrescu (nee:Aasen) passed away peacefully on Saturday May 9th, 2020 in Regina, Saskatchewan at the age of 95. She was born in the fall of 1924 on November 1st in Scotsguard, Saskatchewan to parents Ole and Lise Aasen. Esther was one of six children, four brothers and one sister. Esther was married the summer of 1946 to Simon (Sam) Petrescu into a Romanian Orthodox family. Together they had two amazing children Betty and Donald (Doc) who gave her so much enjoyment.

Esther had lived in Moose Jaw since 1953 and made so many great memories. Throughout her life she worked as a teacher for six and a half years around rural Saskatchewan. She then went on to work at Simpsons-Sears-Clark where she spent 17 years. Esther retired from her formal working career as a manager of Francine’s Ladies Wear after eight memorable years.

In that time she made friends that would stay with her for her life-time, they still shared coffee time together.

With free time on her hands she could spend more time with her love of crocheting until she couldn’t anymore. Esther also loved to bowl and play bingo in the afternoons and enjoy coffee with friends. No sport could compare to her love of baseball. She followed the Toronto Blue Jays in almost a religious fashion, tried never to miss a game, she even kept track during training camps. Esther’s mother Lise was her greatest inspiration in life. “She was always helping anyone who was in need. She never complained of pain or when things were tough. She was the most wonderful mother.” Esther was so much like her mother in a lot of ways. Esther always said her greatest accomplishment in life was her daughter and son. It was so clear to see her greatest love was her family. She was always proudly talking about her family, especially how she got to see five generations in her lifetime. At the age of 95 she was still proudly living independently in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She did all her own shopping and was still making home cooked meals. Always had to provide a snack to those who came for a visit.

Esther truly had the kindest, most loving heart. She was loved and will be deeply missed by family and friends. She will live on forever in our hearts and fond memories. Esther was predeceased by her husband, Simon (Sam) Petrescu; parents, Ole and Lise Aasen; siblings, Melvin Aasen, Orville Aasen, Gilman Aasen, Alfred Aasen, and Luella Island; son, Donald “Doc” Petrescu; daughter Betty Petrescu; and grandson Jerry Pottruff. Esther is survived by daughter-in-law June Petrescu; son-in-law Randy Wadsworth; grandchildren Diana Pottruff, Tammy Taylor, David Pottruff (Lisa), Peter Petrescu (Cherie), Melissa Petrescu (Allan), and Lorie Boulanger; great-grandchildren Alex, Dakota, Stephanie, Kari, Jesse, Chris, Desiree, Veronica, Joey, Austin, Brooke, Emily, Dominic, Blake, and Kimberly; great-great-grandchildren Echo, Henry, Deo and Luther; as well as many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society (55 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario M4V 2Y7) or the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada (20 Eglinton Ave. W., 16th Floor, Toronto, ON M4R 1K8). In living memory of Esther, a memorial planting will be made by JonesParkview Funeral Services. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.wjjonesandson.com or www. parkviewfuneralchapel.ca (Obituaries).

Stephanie Lowe - Funeral Director

LOHR Harry Conrad Lohr, aged 89 years of Moose Jaw, SK passed away on Saturday, May 9th, 2020.

Harry, Dad, Papa will be sadly missed by his son, Dwaine; daughter-in-law, Karen; granddaughters, Daina and Daityn; as well as his special friend, Dorothy.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Anne Lohr (Oparyk) and his second wife, Fran Lohr (Schulties).

Harry was born in Moose Jaw on August 8, 1930.

He often spoke of his years at Moose Jaw Tech High School and specifically of his sports jersey, #13.

Because 13 was considered an unlucky number, he put a white piece of tape between the 1 and the 3 and whenever he drew a penalty, the referee would call his number as 1/3rd. In the early 1950’s, Harry was asked to join the Saskatchewan Roughriders coaching team.

Unfortunately that was the same year he caught polio and was never expected to walk again. He walked out of the hospital several months later.

Harry was a member of the Kinsmen (K40’s), the Elks Club, The Vets and the Legion where he enjoyed playing shuffleboard, rummy and cribbage, and the occasional rye and water with lots of ice. He refereed Minor Hockey and coached Elks Minor Football for several years. Harry worked at the CPR in Moose Jaw for close to 40 years, his first job was shoveling coal into the boiler of the old steam engines. In his last years with the CPR before he retired as an engineer, he held the Moose Jaw to Swift Current passenger train run. Harry enjoyed his retirement years being out at the lake, living at his cabin during the summer months.

Sincere thanks to the nursing staff at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital. Your attentive care and kindness to my father was greatly appreciated. To the staff at the Chateau St. Michael’s, thank you for caring for my Dad for the past 3 years.

Due to the current situation with Covid 19, A Private Family Service will be held. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Harry’s memory may be made to the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, 55 Diefenbaker Drive, Moose Jaw, SK S6J 0C2. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Todd Sjoberg, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

RAMONA LAVINIA (PELL) SANDVOLD. May 16, 1930 – May 2, 2020 Just 2 weeks short of her 90th birthday.

Born in Pence on the farm, Ramona was the eldest daughter of the late Nellie (Ferneyhough) Pell and Arthur Thomas Pell.

She grew up in Brownlee Saskatchewan and excelled in school activities, loved playing ball, skating and

dancing.

She had a passion for music and teaching. She acquired her ATCM, taught music lessons and was the church pianist. Taking music lessons was a challenge & for several years she and her sister took the passenger train to Moose Jaw, stayed overnight at the YWCA and arrived back by train missing the morning classes at school. When her father became very ill and was unable to do the seeding and harvesting 1948-50, driving the tractor, seeder, combine and doing whatever other farming duties needed, Ramona was a knowledgeable farm worker.

After attending “Normal School” in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan her first assigned school was just East of MJ where she lived in a teacherage, and each morning in the winter months she stocked the school furnace to warm up the classroom before the students arrived.

Another teaching position was at Bethune where she met and later married DeVone Sandvold, her loving husband of 64 years. Over the years she taught at Moose Jaw, Kindersley, Marengo and eventually moved back to Brownlee where she raised her family & continued her teaching career.

One year during summer holidays, she so enjoyed taking her mother on a trip to England, visiting relatives in Wales and Lincolnshire.

Ramona was someone who could always put a smile on your face with her easy going, pleasant personality and was loved dearly by so many.

Ramona was predeceased by her lovely daughter Heather in 2004. She leaves to cherish her memory, her husband DeVone, her son DeVone (Delaine), daughter Nola, sisters Eileen (Don) Jewitt, and Patricia (George) Siemens. Her in-laws Vi (Ernie) Millar, Loretta Morton, Opal (Ron) Hein, Alvin (Marj) Sandvold, Roald (Mary) Draycott, and Karen Smith. She will be deeply missed by her grandchildren Amber (Gaege), Kelci (Dallas), Chantel, Gavin, Trelee (James), Nolan(Paige) and great grandchildren whom she adored, Harper, Rhyder, Drake, Linzy, Ameera, and Foster, as well as many extended family members.

MOOSE JAW

EXPRESS.COM NO READERS LEFT BEHIND

Thank-you all for the kindness and thoughtfulness at this difficult time.

The messages, cards, gift cards, flowers, snacks, a star and phone calls were appreciated.

With Love, Shirley Bradley & Family

Obituaries & Memorials

Please include the Moose Jaw Health Foundation in your estate plan to help your community for generations to come.

Please contact us for more information.

Moose Jaw Health Foundation 55 Diefenbaker Drive Moose Jaw, SK S6J 0C2 Phone (306) 694-0373

www.mjhf.org

3.3" X 4" in Full Color

Picture included Approx. 200 words – $100 Additional Inch – $25/inch Email: mjexpress@sasktel.net

Going ABOVE and BEYOND expectations

Tradename for W. J. Jones & Son Ltd & Parkview Funeral Chapel

Jones Funeral Home 106 Athabasca St E 306.693.4644

Parkview Funeral Chapel 474 Hochelaga St W 306.694.5500

(306) 694-1322

Dayna Chamberlain General Manager

Blake Seebach Funeral Director

We are here for you throughout these tumultuous times

is what sets us apart

PAGE A26 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020

COVID-19: What’s cancelled and closed in Moose Jaw

The following is a running list of groups, businesses, and organizations that have been closed or have cancelled upcoming events due to concerns about COVID-19.

Moose Jaw Express staff will be updating this list as needed.

If you would like your notice added to this list, contact us at editor@mjvexpress.com For information about the status of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, or for more information on symptoms and preventative measures, check saskatchewan.ca/ coronavirus.

Education: All schools in Saskatchewan, from pre-kindergarten to high school will not be reopening until fall. Distance learning resources are now available.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has cancelled all programming and classes on campus but online courses and alternative delivery options are available. All nonessential events are also cancelled. Campuses remain open but with limited services.

The University of Regina is providing instruction from a distance for the remainder of the semester. A decision about how final exams will be conducted is yet to be made.

Organizations:

SARCAN is closed until further notice.

SGI is no longer offering road tests until further notice.

Those who have already booked an appointment will be notified to reschedule. SGI offices are currently closed to the public, but appointments to complete transactions in person can be made by calling the Moose Jaw branch at 1 (306) 691-4570.

Riverside Mission has suspended its daily lunch program until further notice, save for a but is still providing supper service with increased safety protocols. The shelter is also not taking leftover food donations or clothing donations at this time, and men’s emergency shelter capacity has been reduced from 10 beds to 4 beds only available to Saskatchewan residents at this time.

The Western Development Museum is now closed to the public, with all upcoming events cancelled until further notice.

The Wakamow Valley Authority office is closed to the public, with staff available to contact by phone at 1 (306) 692-2717 or email at wakamow.events@sasktel.net.

The Moose Jaw Police Service has suspended some services such as criminal record checks, inspection tickets and civilian fingerprinting until further notice. The building on Fairford St. is now closed to the public without an appointment, which can be made by calling 1 (306) 694-7600.

City Hall is closed to the public until further notice.

Payment can be deposited in the mail slot on the front of the building or processed online.

The Festival of Words office is closed to the public but can be contacted by phone at 1 (306) 691-0557 or by email.

Tourism Moose Jaw is closed until further notice but executive director Jacki L’Heureux-Mason can be contacted by phone at 1 (306) 692-0555 or by email at director@tourismmoosejaw.com.

Cadet activities with the #1856 Moose Jaw Schools Cadet Corps Royal Canadian Army Cadets, the #40 Snowbird Royal Canadian Air Cadets, and the #99 Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps Assiniboine have been cancelled until August 31.

The Moose Jaw Elks Lodge No. 7 has cancelled its Friday meat draws and Wednesday night dart league until further notice.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59 is now closed to the public. Veterans in need of assistance can contact the Legion service officer at 1 (306) 681-3835.

All churches in the city are closed to the public, with most still available to contact by phoning their individuals offices.

TOPS Chapters across Canada cancelled weigh-ins and meetings. Please check with TOPS to see when they will resume activities.

The Moose Jaw Multicultural Council office and the Newcomer Centre is closed to the public until further notice. Staff and settlement workers are still available to contact through phone or other digital communication by calling the MJMCC at 1 (306) 693-4677 or the Newcomer Centre at 1 (306) 692-6892.

The Moose Jaw & District Senior Association has closed Timothy Eaton Gardens and Timothy Eaton Cafe until further notice.

The Cosmo Centre is closed until further notice.

The Moose Jaw Public Library is closed until further notice. Book deadlines will be extended to accommodate, and overdue fines will be waived for the time being.

Moose Jaw Public Library is offering an exciting range of services while the library is closed. These services include a Virtual Help Desk; virtual programs for children, youth and adults on Zoom and Facebook; and a variety of online, e-library and streaming resources, all free with your library card. Anyone can phone the Help Desk at 306-6892-2787 and leave a message desk. Help Desk staff will return your call promptly. Staff can help you with locating information, registering for a digital library card; troubleshooting problems you are having with your current library card; helping set up with your phone, tablet or other device so you can access our digital resources; and providing information about digital services and how to access them.

You can also follow us on Facebook or check our website to keep up with library events. For further information please contact: Carolyn Graham 306631-1651 (not for public distribution) OR Moose Jaw

Public Library Help Desk 692-2787 OR Private Message on Facebook OR Email ask@moosejawlibrary.ca .

The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery is closed. All events and programs during this time will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.

Grief Support Groups from Jones-Parkview Funeral Home are cancelled until further notice.

South Central ECIP has indefinitely suspended all home visits and has cancelled all Learn and Playu and Zumbini groups effective immediately.

Hunger in Moose Jaw is closed to the public, but is available through phone, email, and social media messages. The Good Food Box will be cancelled until further notice, and families taking part in the children’s lunch program are to contact Hunger in Moose Jaw directly at 1 (306) 692-1916. Hunger in Moose Jaw staff are checking messages from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.

Yara Community Garden’s registration night for returning members will be rescheduled at a later date.

Prairie Hearts Quilters Guild has cancelled meetings until the end of May, and the General Meeting will be postponed until a later date. They will be holding a Drive

By Quilt Show May 24 from 10am-4pm. Members will be hanging quilts in windows, on balconies and railings for viewing.

Bel Coro has cancelled meetings until further notice.

Girl Guides meetings and events have been cancelled until further notice. Girl Guide cookies are available for purchase from Canadian Tire, both online and in-store for pick-up.

The Moose Jaw Humane Society is suspending all volunteer activities and opportunities at the shelter until further notice and will be closed to the public for the next two weeks. Adoptions, cremations, and emergency services are still available by appointment by contacting the shelter at 1 (306) 692-1517.

SCRAPS has closed its 9 Lives Boutique at the Town ‘n’ Country Mall until further notice.

The Moose Jaw Genealogical Society has cancelled their monthly meetings at the Moose Jaw Public Library until further notice.

Joe’s Place Youth Centre is closed to the public and is only offering online programs until further notice.

Moose Jaw Families for Change has cancelled all upcoming community events and has postponed regular programming. Questions can be directed to MJFFC at 1 (306) 693-2271.

Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers Raffle Draw on May 8 is postponed until Aug. 17, and a COVID-19 relief fund through the Stephen Lewis Foundation is now open to take donations. More information can be found online or by calling 1 (888) 203-9990.

Sports and Recreation

Gyms and Fitness Centres are closed by mandate of the provincial government and will re-open as part of Phase Three of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan at an undetermined date.

Golf courses in Moose Jaw – Lynbrook Golf Course and Hillcrest Golf Course are now taking bookings both online and by phone and have started golfing as of May 15th.

Please call the Golf Clubs for any additional information.

The Western Hockey League has cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

The Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League has been cancelled.

Moose Jaw Minor Hockey office is closed to the public and can be reached via admin@mjhockey.com.

Gymtastiks has cancelled pre-school drop-in gymnastics until further notice; classes are suspended until further notice.

Cheer Infinity Athletics continues to offer Virtual classes in May: classes for the whole family and with over 15 hours of unlimited class time each week, there is something for everyone. Classes are open to members and non-members! Classes in Beginner and Advanced Dance, tumbling drills, stretch, flexibility, conditioning and Ninja training! Email info@cheerinfinity.ca today for more information on how to register!!

Martial arts classes, including programs at Empire School, are cancelled.

Moose Jaw Special Olympics has cancelled all programming until May 1, including bowling, floor hockey, curling, bocce ball, and the Active Start and FUNdamentals youth programming. The board meeting will also be rescheduled for May 7.

The Moose Jaw Kinsmen Flying Fins has cancelled all training until further notice.

The Moose Jaw Wildlife Federation has cancelled its Walleye Challenge, which was scheduled for June 12 and 13.

The Moose Jaw Soccer Association has postponed all programming and will be announcing a plan for the outdoor season as Phase 4 and Phase 5 details of the ReOpen Saskatchewan Plan are confirmed.

Lawn Bowling has resumed for 2020 season. Play is limited to ten players on the greens at one time. Social distancing precautions will be strictly enforced. Thursday May 14 there will be 2 game times available. 5:30 and 7 pm To reserve your time on a rink call 306 313 4434.

The Moose Jaw Tennis Club is now shut down until further notice, including both indoors and outdoors.

The Lynbrook Golf Club is closed until May 15 when it is set to re-open, but members are currently able to purchase their 2020 memberships or any golf-related items from the clubhouse by phone, from the Pro-Shop at 1 (306) 6922838. Credit card payments and E-transfers are accepted.

The Hillcrest Golf Course will reopen on May 15, with tee-time available to book beginning May 10 for members and May 12 for non-members. Memberships are available to purchase by visiting the proshop or calling 1 (306) 6931921.

The 2020 Saskatchewan Summer Games, set to be hosted in Lloydminster, have been postponed until July 2021.

The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame Scholarship Award is presented annually to a baseball player under 18 years of age, that plans to further pursue his/her baseball career. For information, email <saskbaseballmuseum @ sasktel.net> for an application form.”

Events The Moose Jaw Homegrown Farmers Market will be back on Langdon Cres for opening day Saturday May 30 from 8am - 1pm. Precautions are in place for enter & exit as well as hand sanitizer and plenty of room for social distancing. Shop local - it can’t get anymore local than this. Fresh veggies, fresh flowers, fresh baking local artisans showing their very best.

All recreational and entertainment venues including Yara Centre and the Kinsmen Sportsplex are closed by mandate of the provincial government and will be allowed to re-open at an undetermined date as Phase Four of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan.

Arts and Culture: The Moose Jaw Humane Society has cancelled all inperson fundraising activities but is still holding the 2020 4 Paws Lottery. Tickets are available by calling the shelter at 1 (306) 692-1517.

The Saskatchewan Country Music Awards will host a Virtual Awards Show on May 16 at 8 p.m., airing on Access7 Cable TV and streaming on their website.

The Moose Jaw Music Festival has been cancelled.

The Cultural Centre events/concerts have been rescheduled. The Cultural Centre is closed to the public with all events rescheduled. The Box Office can be contacted during regular operating hours by phone at 1 (306) 693-4700 or by email at info@moosejawculture.ca The Moose Jaw Shriners annual gourmet windup banquet has been postponed. A new date is to be determined, with the May long weekend a possibility.

The Early Childhood Intervention Program’s Mother’s Day Craft and Trade Show on May 9 has been cancelled.

The Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival on May 11-14 has been cancelled.

The Moose Jaw Royal Canadian Legion has cancelled its annual Decoration Day Memorial on June 7.

Sidewalk Days on July 2-4 has been cancelled.

The Moose Jaw Hometown Fair and Parade on June 18-21 has been cancelled.

The Gravelbourg Summer Solstice Festival on June 1821 has been postponed to June 18-20, 2021.

The Moose Jaw Gamers Association has cancelled the 2020 Summer GAX on July 11-13.

The Saskatchewan Festival of Words will no longer be taking place in-person, but will instead be moving to a virtual platform on July 13-19. Attendance will also be free, but organizers encourage donations to help keep the festival running.

Businesses/Facilities Some retail businesses will be allowed to re-open beginning May 19 during Phase Two of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, in addition to some personal services such as hairdressers, massage therapists, and acupuncturists.

Visitors are no longer allowed in any hospitals, clinics, or continuing care facilities operated by the Saskatchewan Health Region. Some exceptions may be made for compassionate reasons, such as family visiting a patient at end of life care, or family of patients prior to major surgery. All community gatherings at SHA-operated facilities are on hold, as are volunteer services from those over the age of 65.

Points West Living condos are restricted to essential visitors only. Essential visitors are defined as those who provide care necessary for the well-being of a resident and visitors attending to a resident who is at an end of life situation. Visitors are restricted to one or two persons at a time and must be immediate family or designated support persons. Visitors will be required to go through a screening process.

Dance Images by BJ has closed the studio for the time being, and classes are available by video.

Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital Gift Shop and Canteen Cart are closed until further notice.

Casinos Moose Jaw and Regina have suspended operations.

The Moose Jaw Warriors office is closed.

Leisure Time Bingo is closed until further notice.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw is closed, but can be contacted by phone at 1 (306) 693-5261 or email at info@ tunnelsofmoosejaw.com.

Wrapture Spa & Boutique has suspended its spa and massage services but the boutique remains open for deliveries at this time. Staff can be reached Tuesday through Saturday by phone at 1 (306) 692-4341.

Restaurants:

Restaurants, lounges, bars, and nightclubs are closed to the public by mandate of the provincial government, as part of the state of emergency declaration on March 18. Deliver, take-out, and drive-through services are still operating. Restaurants will be allowed to re-open at an undetermined date as part of Phase Three of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, and will be limited to 50 per cent capacity at that time.

!

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, May 20, 2020 • PAGE A27

Contact us for more information and appointments to view!

of moose jaw

Beth Vance REALTOR® 631-0886

140 Main St N | 306-694-5766

Carefree living at it’s finest! Large welcoming foyer, bright and open floor plan, 9’ ceilings. Ample kitchen cabinets, granite counter tops, pantry and s/s appliances. Garden doors off living room to deck. 2 bedrooms. Main floor laundry. Basement. Double attached garage!

Unique 3 level split, open floor plan living room opens to dining/kitchen newer white cabinets. Mudroom with storage and access to utility, basement and back yard. 3 bedrooms. Detached double garage.

Popular Palliser Heights area. Enjoy this spacious 4 level split home. Great living spaces including formal dining, family room with bar area. Private yard. Pride of ownership shows! A must to see! REDUCED to $249,900.

Sonya Bitz REALTOR® 631-8471

Lori Keeler REALTOR® 631-8069

Katie Keeler REALTOR® 690-4333

Character & charm of an older home combined with modern style. Updated kitchen, marble tile floors, granite counter tops, formal dining, entertaining size living room.

Main floor master bedroom, 3 large bedrooms upstairs.

Finished basement.

WOW! 1680sqft on the main floor and full basement!!

Warm and welcoming, bright living room, huge eat in kitchen with tons of oak cabinets, walk in pantry, large island with eat up breakfast bar. Family room with patio doors. Lower level developed! Seeing is believing!

Spacious bi-level in SW neighbourhood. Family friendly home! Kitchen with adjoining dining area overlooks back yard. 3 bedrooms on main floor. Lower level developed with family room, games room, bath, bedroom and utility.

Detached 2 car garage plus carport. Quality upgrades!

Market Place REAL ESTATE

Carmen Davey Dave Low REALTOR® REALTOR® 306-631- 9201 306-631-9217

Brownlee Acreage MLS # SK805069

RM Caron 162 MLS # SK800897

$459,900

RM #130 Redburn MLS # SK798418

MJ

$4,950,000

into your LOCAL UPDATES AND NEWS 24/7

$449,000

life!

Your connection to the world

Windy Acres Orchard & Ranch MLS # SK778536

$489,000

Avenue Living just one of recentLarissa donations to Moose Jaw Food Bank Kurz Moose Jaw Avenue Living staff presented a donation of $2,500 to the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank near the end of April, which was only the most recent giant cheque presentation in a string of large and much-appreciated financial donations from the local area.

As part of a total $100,000 donation to food banks in communities where the Alberta-based housing company operates, Avenue Living’s donation joined a long list of local businesses and organizations offering support to the local food bank during these trying times.

“We’re certainly grateful for all of those businesses, and we’re equally grateful for every single person in Moose Jaw that has been giving to us financially, whether it’s $20 or $500,” said development manager Deann Little.

Moose Jaw Toyota also made a donation of $2,000, and SaskTel employees donated $500 that was meant to fund a summer employee party that had been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Both of the local A&W locations pledged to donate $1 from all their Teen Burger sales near the end of the month to the Food Bank. The Thunder Creek Pork Plant also made a large donation of $10,000, and K+S Potash employees gave $1,800 of

their volunteer program wages in support.

The Food Bank has also received donations from EECOL Electric, the Kinsmen Club of Moose Jaw, the Friendly City Optimist Club, Cargill, and local realtor Wally Meili, as well as many personal donations from local residents.

The financial donations have been wonderful to receive, said Little, especially as the Food Bank had to stop taking food donations for a time due to the ongoing pandemic concerns.

The Food Bank has been keeping up with demand lately but remain short-staffed and working hard to continue providing service to clients as usual. Little is always grateful for every donation that reaches

1053 Laurier St

1140 4th Ave NW

the organization’s doors, as they are always in need of help to stock their shelves.

“It’s just amazing to see the financial donations that we’ve had coming in. It makes such an incredible difference to us and what we can do here to help those in our community,” said Little.

Currently, the Food Bank is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for hamper pickups, and clients are asked to call ahead to arrange a time for them to drop by.

Little also encourages people to reach out to the Food Bank if they have any questions about their food security program, or if they feel unsure of their eligibility.

“A lot of people feel that maybe even if

54 Mustang Trail

106 Athabasca St E

306-694-4747 324 Main Street N. Moose Jaw, SK

$359,900

Derek McRitchie

REALTOR ®

Amber Tangjerd

REALTOR ®

E.G. (Bub) Hill

REALTOR ®

Bill McLean

REALTOR ®

(306) 631-1161 (306) 681-9424 (306) 631-9966 (306) 630-5409

1241 Sq Ft of Family Sized Living, main floor features, Vaulted Ceilings. Updated Kitchen and Baths, Flooring, Fixtures and PVC Windows, 3 ample sized bedrooms, full 4pc Bath as well as a 2pc Master Bedroom En-Suite. Lower Level is Fully Developed with an additional bedroom, Family Rm with Wood Fireplace and a 3pc bath. Large fully landscaped, Double Attached Garage, Tin Lined, Insulated and Heated.

Great Curb Appeal, Stucco with Stacked Stone Finishing!

$179,900

2+1 Bedroom Home with 2 and a Half Baths, Kitchen Area with separate Dining Rm. Spacious Foyer / Entry Upper Level features 2 bedrooms, good sized Master Bedroom and 3 piece Bath. Addition on Main Floor, back Family Rm Area with Gas Fireplace and Full 4 piece bath. Deck Leading off back patio doors and family room addition.

$849,900 2.27 reasonable taxes of the RM. Professionally landscaped yard, large deck and brick fire pit patio, vaulted ceilings, large kitchen with island, 3 + 2 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, main floor laundry, master bedroom with en-suite and walk-in closet, basement family room with gas fireplace garage is heated with radiant heat newer shop with full bathroom, office area, in-floor heat.

they’re working a little bit, or if they’re working period, that they can’t access our resources here and by all means, they can,” said Little. “So if anybody has questions, we definitely want them to reach out so that we can help them get the help they need.”

Food donations have also resumed, for those who would like to once again donate food items at any of the Food Bank bins located in the local grocery stores in Moose Jaw. Staff are collecting from those bins twice a week.

The Food Bank is also still encouraging the community to consider donating financially, as it leaves them able to purchase the food items they need in bulk — making every dollar donated stretch as far as it can go.

Those interested in providing a donation to the Food Bank can do so online through their website at mjfoodbank.org, by mailing a cheque to the Food Bank at 305 Fairford Street West, or via eTransfer to endhunger@mjfoodbank.org.

The Moose Jaw Food Bank can be contacted by phone during business hours at 1 (306) 692-2911, or by messaging the organization on their Facebook page.

$985,000

Exquisite hardwood and huge staircase greets you as enter this unique property, floors have been hardwood under most of the carpet. There are far too many features to this property to list here. Zoned as R4 the property offers limitless possibilities. The property includes the parking lot located across the alley. There are living quarters on the second and third floors.

Birthdays, Anniversaries, & More!

Place an ad celebrating your special event in the Moose Jaw Express!

- As low as $50 a week.

Call 306-694-1322 or Stop by our office at 32 Manitoba St. W. Today to book your space!

www.moosejawrealestate.net Mike Botterill 306-631-9663 | Brenda McLash 306-630-5700 | Dave Low 306-631-9201 | Jim Low 306-631-7340 | Jennifer Patterson 306-684-9267 Ken McDowell 306-631-4624 | Marlene Williamson 306-631-7508 | Patricia McDowell 306-631-4188 | Shauna Audette 306-631-0960 | Carmen Davey 306-631-9217 Julie Davidson 306-631-5099 | Larry Mathieson 306-631-1493 | Greg Boyle 306-631-1374 | Twyla Tondevold 306-631-6895 | Chris Harden 306-630-6570

761 Elizabeth St - $304,900

8 Kalmia Cres - $394,900

REALTY EXECUTIVES MJ www.RealtyExecutivesMJ.com

1225 Wolfe Ave E - $219,900

1691 Pascoe Cres - $259,900

70 Athabasca St. W. 306-692-7700 (Locally Owned & Operated)

#205, 851 Chester Rd - $234,900

the advantages of working with an

PAGE A28 â&#x20AC;¢ MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM â&#x20AC;¢ Wednesday, May 20, 2020

MOOSE JAW CO-OP

2019 Allocation

$5,161,281

00

Fuel Food Lubricants Non-Food (tobacco, hardware etc.)

Pharmacy Seed & Crop Inputs Fertilizer

7.25% 6% 8% 5% 7% 2% 1%

Members will receive 50% of their allocation in cash!

Thank You for Your Support!

Cheques have been mailed out to our members and are not available for pick up.

Pump Gas Customers Receive

8.1 cents/litre

in Equity & Cash Back (Based on average pump price of $1.111/litre)

12,929 Co-op Members

will receive a General Repayment Cheque

$2,930,78100

to be paid out