One Book, One Province selection is ‘Five Little Indians’: Public Library in March

2023’s One Book, One Province reading selection is Michelle Good’s Five Little Indians (2020), a Canadian literary phenomenon that has won a long list of respected awards since its release in April 2020, including the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the 2022 Canada Reads competition.

‘One Book, One Province’ is a program joining together libraries, book clubs, and bookworms across Saskatchewan.

Five Little Indians is a deeply emotional and affecting book that answers a traumatizing question which residential school survivors face too often: Why can’t you just get over it?

Good is the daughter and granddaughter of residential school survivors and a member of Saskatchewan’s Red Pheasant Cree Nation. She earned a law degree in her 40s, a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in her 50s and published her debut novel in her 60s – after nine years of writing and editing.

Moose Jaw Public Library adult programming in March

• Tech Time

By appointment only, call 306-6922787 to book a personalized one-on-one session with a tech wizard who can help clients learn how to use their devices and apps

• Local Writers’ Readout

“Luck o’ the Irish” readout for all ages — material should be appropriate

Presented by the MJPL and the Saskatchewan Festival of Words

Saturday, Mar. 4 at 2:30 p.m.

• Magic the Gathering

All experience levels welcome, come and learn how to play one of the most popular and intricate deck-building games of all time

Saturdays, Mar. 11 and 25 from 2 to 5 p.m.

• MJPL Movie Club

Nope (2022) by renowned comedian and horror aficionado Jordan Peele will show in the MJPL theatre on Monday, Mar. 13 at 6 p.m.

A pair of rancher siblings try to gather evidence of an apparent UFO abducting horses from their ranch

• Avid Knitters Club

Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in the South Meeting Room

• Night Stitchers

Tuesday, Mar. 28 at 7 p.m. in the South Meeting Room

• MJPL Book Club

The Housekeeper and the Professor (2003) by Yoko Ogawa

A brilliant mathematician suffering from short-term memory loss after a traumatic brain injury develops a relationship with a housekeeper hired to care for him

Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw Public Library youth programming in March

• New Adult Digital D&D

Every Friday, online, from 4 to 6 p.m., for ages 15 to 22 Register by emailing youth@moose jawlibrary.ca

• Teen D&D Thursdays in the MJPL Archives, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., for ages 12 to 16

Register by email at youth@moosejawlibrary.ca

• Teen Maker Space

Wednesday, Mar. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19

Learn to build, explore, and create with LEGO Mindstorms EV3. Snacks provided ª Teen Gamers – Games Night

Wednesday, Mar. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19

Featuring card games, board games, and video games in various formats. No registration required, snacks provided

• Teen Anime Club – The Daily Life of the Immortal King (2020

Saturday, Mar. 11 at 2:30 p.m. in the MJPL theatre, for ages 13 to 19

• Teen Writers Circle

Wednesday, Mar . 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19

• Teen “I Made This” Art Program

Wednesday, Mar. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19

This month’s project is duck tape pencil cases, wallets, and bags, with snacks provided

• Movie Matinee – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Saturday, Mar. 25 at 2:30 p.m. in the MJPL theatre, all ages welcome

• Movie Night: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

Wednesday, Mar 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the MJPL theatre, all ages welcome

By Patricia Hanbidge

Growing Orchids –Part III – Cattleyas

The last two articles were about orchids. This week, the orchid we are featuring is the Cattleya orchid. This is the orchid that comes to mind for most people when they envision an orchid. They are large orchids that come in many vibrant colours, are often scented and are not too difficult to grow. As with any plant, it is important to give the plant the best possible chance to thrive by providing the best cultural conditions.

Cattleyas or Catts need abundant though not intense light in order to grow and flower well. They need 2000 to 3000-foot candles of light and the early morning sun is significant. Never put orchids in direct, strong sunlight as they will very quickly show their dissatisfaction. If you are growing under grow lights, then T-5 fluorescents or L.E.D. lights are the best choice for providing artificial light.

A day-time temperature between 70- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) will keep them happy and for the night, there should be at least a 10 degree drop in the temperature. This lower nighttime temperature will help to initiate flower buds and provide stronger growth. This mimics what they would experience in their natural surroundings which are the tropical regions of Central and South America, largely from Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia. Panama is the northern limit of the South American species.

Thinking of where these orchids come from, humidity is important. They prefer to have a relative humidity between 45 and 60%, which is much higher than what we generally experience here! Filling a saucer with crushed rock and some water beneath your Catts will help to elevate the humidity right around the plant. However, ensure that the pot is not sitting in water.

If you grow a variety of orchid types, then you will see that your Catts require less water than the Phals and Paphs. In fact, only water your Catts when the media is dry almost to the bottom of the pot.

Generally, this means watering around once a week. If you are unsure if your Catts need water then do NOT water but wait a couple more days before watering. Water that is distilled or free of a lot of additives as much of our water is treated to ensure it meets potable safety standards.

When your Catts bloom, they will grace your home for a period of 3 to 6 weeks. If you are lucky enough to have a fragrant Catt, then that sweet scent will remind you of another aspect of their beauty and just another reason to grow orchids! When your Catt is getting ready to bloom, give it a bit more frequent watering than usual.

As far as feeding your orchids, they do need to be given a dilute solution of fertilizer that is complete – or contains all the micronutrients every 2 to 3 weeks. You can purchase specialty fertilizers for orchids but if you are a thriftier grower then using what you have on hand might be just as suitable but needs to be in a more dilute form.

Potting media is generally a mixture of larger diameter fir bark, leica pellets and sphagnum moss. The media should reflect the cultural customs and watering schedule. I repot all my orchids after they flower.

Hanbidge is the Lead Horticulturist with Orchid Horticulture. Find us at www.orchidhort.com; by email at info@orchidhort.com; on facebook @orchidhort and on instagram at #orchidhort. Tune into GROW Live on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/orchidhort or check out the Youtube channel GROW https:// www.youtube.com/channel/UCzkiUpkvyv2e2HCQlFl0JyQ?

How to visit Saskatchewan’s famous sand dunes from Moose Jaw

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Saskatchewan is an enormous province, twice the size of Germany and only just smaller than Texas, and it includes boreal forest in the north, transitional parklands in the middle, grasslands in the south — and, scattered all over, some of the world’s most prominent sand dunes.

Saskatchewan’s dunes are thousands of years old, dating to the end of the planet’s last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago. Continent-sized glaciers nearly two kilometres thick were forced into movement as they melted, creating enormous temporary rivers, carving out floodpaths, and grinding rock into fine powder, called ‘rock flour’ by geologists and ‘sand’ by the rest of us.

The process of sand deposition and erosion continues to this day and combines with prevailing winds to create an evolving scenery that can change dramatically between visits. Rolling dunes, constantly shifting sand patterns, and clear blue skies create a surreal and otherworldly landscape that is a photographer’s dream — and a must-see for those seeking the full Saskatchewan experience.

There are four active sand dune locations in Saskatchewan:

1. The Athabasca Sand Dunes

2. The Great Sandhills

3. The Douglas Sand Dunes

4. The Good Spirit Lake Sand Dunes

The easiest to reach from Moose Jaw are the Douglas Sand Dunes in Douglas Provincial Park, and the Great Sandhills, south of the village of Sceptre in southwestern Saskatchewan.

Douglas Provincial Park is on the shores of Lake Diefenbaker and includes a relatively easy hiking trail to

Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, 1997, Notice is hereby given that

102072960 Saskatchewan Ltd has applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) for a Special Use - General Salon/Spa permit to sell alcohol in the premises known as Tommy Guns Original Barbershop

Unit #50 - 450 B Thatcher Dr E

Moose Jaw SK S6H 6M3

Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this notice.

Every person filing a written objection with SLGA shall state their name, address and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objection(s). Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds and be legible. Each signatory to the petition and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious or competition-based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing.

Write to: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Box 5054

Regina Sk S4P 3M3 the dunes. Travel time from Moose Jaw is about an hour and 15 minutes. As a provincial park in a popular area, there are plenty of amenities including restrooms, campgrounds, and cell service.

To see larger dunes, the Great Sandhills to the west are second in Canada only to the Athabasca Sand Dunes, which are nigh-inaccessible in the province’s far north. Reaching the Great Sandhills from Moose Jaw takes about three and a half hours. Visitors will take the Trans-Canada west for an hour and 45 minutes, then take SK-32 W exit just past Swift Current. Another hour on SK-32 W will bring you to Township Road 214 heading south. Half an hour on the township road will bring you to the Great Sandhills.

There are no amenities at the Great Sandhills, and camping is prohibited.

The area is home to a variety of interesting flora and fauna, including native grasses and shrubs, deer, fox, badgers, peregrine falcons, burrowing owls, and sandhill cranes. Visitors can bring a ‘crazy carpet’ plastic sheet or even an actual sandboard to ride down the dunes.

Before visiting any of Saskatchewan’s parks, including sand dune areas, it’s important to remember to respect the unique, fragile ecosystems that are part of what makes such spaces special. Visitors should stay on designated trails and avoid damaging vegetation or disturbing wildlife. It’s also important to pack out any trash and leave the area as pristine as possible.

Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

Xpert Rail Consulting Acquires

Railcar Repair and Maintenance Services from Standard Rail

Submitted

Recently, Xpert Rail Consulting (XRC), a privately-owned company providing railway solutions, announced the acquisition of Standard Rail Corporation’s Railcar Repair and Maintenance operations. The acquisition is expected to be completed by March 31, 2023. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Following the integration of Railcar Repairs, XRC will offer a complete suite of railway services including Track Services, Short Line & Terminal Operations, Railcar & Locomotive Repairs, and Training & Crew Supply to Rail Shippers, Suppliers, and Railroads in Western Canada.

“We are thrilled to be adding a talented group of railroaders to our operations.” Said Glenn Pohl, representative for Xpert Rail. “We can help our customers with everything from their track to switching & loading rail- cars, to repairing locomotives & railcars, to training their staff. In the case of a derailment, we can re-rail and repair track and equipment and get them up and running.”

“We have worked closely with Xpert since their inception and are excited to continue to be part of their growth story.” Said Robert Skarzynski, CEO of Standard Rail. “The combined service offering is a win-win for companies that ship on or interact with rail in Western Canada.”

Xpert Rail Consulting was founded in 2018 by Glenn Pohl, Sean Watson and Dale Tuplin and is an industry-leading provider of rail services throughout Western Canada. The company provides a wide range of rail services including crew supply, track services, short line & terminal operations, mechanical services, and more.

Visit XpertRail.com for more information.