Moose Jaw Express February 8th, 2023

New exhibitions now open at

Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery

The Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) opened two new exhibitions in the Norma Lang Art Gallery on Friday, Feb. 3, along with a new lobby exhibit and oodles of new art classes in all kinds of mediums.

Norma Lang gallery exhibitions

They didn’t know we were seeds, by Saskatoon-based portrait artist Carol Wylie, presents a series of portraits of survivors of genocide. Wylie’s exhibition grew from an experience at the Saskatoon Holocaust Memorial in 2016. She met Holocaust survivors who speak with Indian Residential School survivors to help them heal.

The portraits call to mind the similarities between the two genocides, while also noting that direct comparison does no one any favours and does not further the welfare of survivors. Nevertheless, the deliberate destruction of a culture and people regarded by those in power as inferior — or even harmful — tends to share characteristics such as the separation of families, dehumanization, and othering.

On Saturday, Feb. 4th the MJMAG hosted an in-person and virtual conversation series event with Wylie and two survivors of the Holocaust and of Residential Schools — Kayla Hock and Eugene Arcand.

One Thing Leads to Another, by Jonathan Forrest, also comes to the Norma Lang Gallery on Feb. 3. One Thing Leads to Another is a survey exhibition of Forrest’s contribution to modernist abstraction in Saskatchewan and Canada.

The exhibition will feature selections of Forrest’s paintings from 1985 to the present on paper and canvas and will include holdings from the MJMAG Permanent Collection.

The In Conversation series interview with Forrest will take place on Saturday,

April 1 at 1 p.m. both online and in-person. Exhibition curators Kim Houghtaling and Jennifer McRorie will join Forrest to discuss his art practice and Saskatchewan art history.

Visit www.mjmag.ca/current for more information. The livestreams of the artist In Conversation events will be at youtube. com/@mjmag.

Lobby Exhibition

The MJMAG’s latest lobby exhibition is called Plains of Abstraction: Works on Paper, curated by MJMAG director Jennifer McRorie.

McRorie designed Plains of Abstraction with works from the Permanent Collection to compliment Forrest’s One Thing Leads to Another. Modernist abstract painting has a long history in Saskatchewan and Plains of Abstraction will lend an extra layer of depth to the understanding and appreciation visitors stand to gain.

Park Art and current art classes

Park Art takes place every year on Canada Day, July 1. It is the MJMAG’s most important annual fundraiser and features an incredible selection of artisanal goods from across the province — and often even farther.

Vendor applications for one of Saskatchewan’s largest arts and crafts festivals open soon, with an application deadline of June 2.

Art education at the MJMAG is heating up, with innovative local artist Erin Zimmerman, Ukrainian artist Alina Zimohliad, and Indigenous bead artist Jazenta Saultier offering new classes in addition to recognized local instructors Christy Schweiger, Ward Schell, Mark Gilliland, Bhupindar Singh, and Beth Crabb.

Classes sell out quickly, so visit mjmag. ca/artclasses soon to see what’s on offer and reserve your spot.

Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery. (staff file photo)

are ‘critical’

The Moose Jaw and District Food Bank wouldn’t function without support from a dedicated group of volunteers, a couple of whom have been helping the organization since 1998.

“It’s been a good 25 years. I’ve really enjoyed my time there. I’ve seen a lot and I’ve done a lot (and) been through a lot,” Sonia Smith said recently.

Helping others has kept Smith attached to the food bank for nearly three decades. She enjoys being part of an organization that gives back, while it is an enjoyable environment with various tasks.

She particularly likes unpacking pallets of food, opening boxes to discover their contents and then shelving items knowing they will reach people who need them.

Smith started volunteering with the food bank in 1998 after receiving a speed ticket. Instead of paying it off, she chose to work off the penalty.

She did her time and, in the process, fell in love with the organization and its mission. She asked if she could continue volunteering and the staff gladly welcomed her on board.

Smith’s favourite memory has been working with others.

“It’s been phenomenal. We’ve laughed over a lot of things. We’ve really worked hard. We’ve ran into problems that we’ve all faced and figured out,” she said. “… it keeps me going. And it’s been a wonderful time in my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Chuckling, Smith said it’s great to work with Deann Little, the development, volunteer and warehouse manager, even if the latter talks — a lot. Volunteers sometimes joke that they want the short version of her stories since they’re only there for three hours per day.

“We hold it against her and we kid her about it all the time,” Smith added, “but

we wouldn’t have it any other way … because we love her.”

Praising volunteers

Little recently posted a picture to the food bank’s social media page highlighting some volunteers and praising the entire group.

The food bank could never do its work without its vital volunteers putting in countless hours each week, Little told the Express.

Volunteer numbers have tripled in the past year to 30 after the organization moved into its more spacious building on Fairford Street West. Only four volunteers could help in the former building at one time, while 10 can now be present.

Volunteers normally work three-hour shifts from about 9 a.m. to noon.

“The jobs our volunteers do here (are) critical to our daily operations,” Little said.

Some tasks volunteers do include taking donated fruits and vegetables from

grocery stores and residents and bagging them for clients; delivering extra produce to seniors’ residences; and bagging excess garden tomatoes for use as pasta sauce and other dishes.

Little singled out some volunteers, including Smith, Jeanette Stewart, Deb Hill and Karen Dolan. Stewart is another 25year volunteer, while Hill and Dolan have been around for 10 years.

“The longer they’re here, I don’t need to give them guidance. They just know what to do,” Little said.

However, more volunteers are needed for events such as food drives and to help over the summer, she continued. This past summer was “insane” because of all the vegetables residents donated from their gardens.

“They’re not just volunteers, but they have totally become family to us … . I

says

consider them dear friends now, more so than before,” Little remarked. “Love each one.”

With a chuckle, Little added that the volunteers put up with her constant talking — “I’m not known to be too quiet” — while they share many good laughs. They also take on extra tasks paid staff could not accomplish alone.

A desire to help

For Dolan, she began volunteering a decade ago because she was retired and looking for something to do. The food bank was the first place she called because she knew it needed help.

Helping people and giving back have become the most enjoyable parts for Dolan. She normally sorts fruits and vegetables, while she has learned how generous stores are with food because they give so much instead of throwing it away.

Lately, the food bank has been putting extra produce in the lobby that’s “not quite up to par” and letting clients have their pick.

“I don’t give them anything I wouldn’t eat. If I don’t think it’s good enough for my family, it’s not good enough for theirs (and to the trash it goes),” Dolan said.

Dolan added that she also appreciates working with other joy-filled people focused on the same goal.

Caring for others

Fred Kaita is one of the few male volunteers at the food bank. He is a retired teacher and moved to Moose Jaw in 2010 with his wife “for the good life.”

He decided to volunteer in 2015 after his wife died the year before. Staff and other volunteers provided him with much support, allowing him to focus on helping others.

Kaita enjoys the other volunteers because they care about each other. Meanwhile, he knows enough about almost everything that he can step in wherever there’s a need — including with administrative duties — without much direction from Little.

“I like to fundraise. I can talk to people out there and tell them about how important the food bank is. And I like to think I’m helping in the community to raise awareness about what goes on here … ,” he added. “This facility is wonderful. And the community has supported the

Deann Little, the food bank’s development, volunteer and warehouse manager (right), poses with a group of volunteers during a recent shift. Photo courtesy Facebook

Volunteer Fred Kaita helps sort through food and moves boxes to the lobby. Pho

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Additional Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals awarded at City Hall

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty and his wife, Her Honour Donna Mirasty, visited Moose Jaw City Hall for the first time on Feb. 1 to present eight additional Moose Jaw residents with Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals.

Also present for the investiture ceremony representing the City of Moose Jaw was Mayor Clive Tolley and Councillor Jamey Logan

“Coming here to your council chambers for the first time is a real honour, we’re glad to share this space with you today for this very special occasion,” Mirasty said. “It’s important to reward and encourage those who make our province a better place to live. Receiving a medal in honour of our late sovereign is wonderful, and certainly a wonderful way of doing just that.”

There were 10 awardees for this investiture, but Wayne Cameron and Carolyn Scidmore were unable to attend and will be presented their medals at a later date.

Included in the photos for this article are Col. Jonathan Bouchard, Commander of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, and Wing Chief Warrant Officer Neil Thorne. Bouchard and Thorne were awarded their medals in Swift Current on Jan. 18.

Today’s medal recipients were:

• Shant Kahvedjian

• Renee Wilkinson

• Andre Bouvier

• Arthur Watson

• Marv Macauley

• Ted Moir

• Rion White

• Lucille Gilliland

“I’m happy we’re having (the ceremony) here in city council chambers, and I just can’t say enough of how honoured we are to have (the Mirastys) come to Moose Jaw,” Tolley said. Addressing the recipients of the award, he said that “each of you has been recognized because (you’ve made) a significant contribution to your community.

“As we look through the accomplishments of the people that are here and being honoured today ... (it’s) certainly appreciated by myself and the city.”

Saskatchewan will award a total of 7,000 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals. The front of the medal depicts a crowned Queen Elizabeth II with her Canadian style and title, while the reverse side of the medal depicts the Saskatchewan Shield of Arms with the dates of the late queen’s reign at the top.

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(Back row, l-r) Rion White, Andre Bouvier, Lucille Gilliland, Arthur Watson, Shant Kahvedjian, Renee Wilkinson, Marv Macauley, and Ted Moir. (Front row, l-r) Donna Mirasty, Russ Mirasty, Clive Tolley (photo by Gordon Edgar)

Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant-Governor, His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, presents Col. Jonathan Bouchard with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (courtesy Government of Saskatchewan Protocol Office)

Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant-Governor, His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, presents WCWO Neil Thorne with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (courtesy Government of Saskatchewan Protocol Office)

Air force veteran celebrates 100th birthday thanks

to good family genes

Phone: 306.694.1322 Fax: 888.241.5291

468 High St. W., Moose Jaw SK S6H 1T3 www.mjvexpress.com

Publisher: Robert Ritchie - rob@mjvexpress.com

Editor: Joan Ritchie - jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

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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: jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

Joan Ritchie

Joyce Walter

Ron Walter John Kreutzwieser

In 1923, eggs were seven cents per dozen, coffee was six cents per pound, a matinee movie ticket was 22 cents and hockey icon Foster Hewitt broadcast his first game.

Gordon Edgar Randy Palmer Jason G. Antonio Saddman Zaman

In light of literacy, I am glad that our community is still proactive in promoting reading and writing through numerous initiatives held annually.

Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27th to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family.

This year, Moose Jaw actively took part in making sure that families continue to engage in spending time with their kids through all kinds of events hosted at the Moose Jaw Public Library and Early Years Family Resource Centre.

Reading and writing are just as important to language learning as speaking.

It is imperative to give children a good foundation in reading and writing as this establishes a lifelong passion for reading and usually continues throughout one’s lifetime. It is not uncommon to see mature adults still enjoying a book on holidays, while many make it a ritual to read every night before bed.

Many parents make time to read to their children who are not yet able to read on their own. Our grandkids could read us one of their books before they could read themselves; their parents reread their favourite books and over the course of time and with the illustrations on each page, the little guys basically could read the book word for word by the time they could speak.

Dr. Seuss loved to promote reading. He is the most quoted author of all time. He says:

The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.”

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”

“Reading can take you places you have never been before.” “Read. Travel. Read. Ask. Read. Learn. Read. Connect. Read.”

I believe that educating your children isn’t just for the education system. Education is a lifelong adventure. Parents should be highly involved in making sure their kids have literary comprehension so they have the tools necessary to excel in whatever endeavor they choose.

And as for the adults, Moose Jaw’s annual Festival of Words held every July continues to cater to the ‘bookies’ and feeds their passion for reading. It is no doubt one of Moose Jaw’s finest annual events and continues to thrive and expand.

Upcoming, the Festival of Words is hosting LitCon 2023, an annual conference that offers local writers and enthusiasts the chance to hear from industry experts, authors, publishers, etc. This event is taking place on March 18th with in-person workshops, as well as some online workshops taking place from March 1 – 9. You can learn more about this event in this edition of the Moose Jaw Express.

The event itself is working towards building a local community network of like-minds so that they can learn from each other and get knowledgeable first-hand information on the how-to’s for all things necessary in the literary world.

And to all, Dr. Seuss says, “Be awesome! Be a book nut!”

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: jritchie@moosejawtoday.com or 888-241-5291

That was also the year Florence (Flo) Huttala came into the world, born to parents Cummins and Alice Mathieson in Scotland on Feb. 6. Six years later, she and her family moved to a farm near Rockglen with just a horse and cow.

After serving in the air force during the Second World War, she married Harry and they came to Moose Jaw, where they had three daughters. He died in 1973 after roughly 25 years of marriage, leaving her to raise the three girls.

The family later grew to include nine grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

That extended family celebrated her centennial with a party on Feb. 5 at Chateau St. Michael’s.

“It’s just a day going by,” Huttala told the Express about her birthday. “I know (it’s important) … I just kind of can’t believe it. Well, I guess I feel 100.”

Huttala wasn’t sure why she had lived so long, noting she smoked at one point but quit years ago. She also enjoyed the occasional adult beverage — “I like Kalua,” she said — but hasn’t had many opportunities these days to imbibe.

Having a dedicated group of companions may have contributed to her longevity. She made many friends while serving in the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force. A group of them remained close afterward and participated in eight reunions over the decades, which took them from Vancouver to

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

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.

Louise said with a chuckle. However, Flo’s longevity is likely hereditary because her mother lived to almost 102 and her younger sister is 82.

“So, I think maybe some of us women will have a long life to follow with, but yeah, it’s amazing that mom (reached 100),” she continued. “If she hadn’t broke her hip (six years), I’m sure she still would have been on her own in her apartment.”

Florence used to live in Victoria Towers and was quite active, Louise noted. She was still busy even after she acquired a walker — “her wheels” — and rumbled to different places to complete several tasks, including Shoppers Drug Mart, the Coop grocery store, Pharmasave, Giant Tiger and Crescent Park.

Florence was “one hell of a mother,” and it’s great that she’s still alive, her daughter added.

Charlottetown and everywhere in between.

“We would go to some city and take bus tours and they would show us all the interesting parts. I liked that. I wouldn’t mind doing that here,” Huttala said. “They (the care home) did take us on a bus trip to see the Wakamow Valley Christmas lights (last year). Of course, I was feeling younger then.”

The veteran took numerous pictures on those trips, which ended up in albums that one of Huttala’s daughters, Leona Froehlich, now possesses. Leona sometimes brings an album so her mother can relive those memories.

Based on everything that’s occurred during Florence’s life, it’s amazing she’s still alive, daughter

Some of the centenarian’s favourite memories include growing beautiful flowers in big flower beds, working evenings for roughly 20 years as a nurse’s aide at Providence Hospital and serving in the air force.

“A different life started (after joining the military) and you were always busy doing something,” she said. “We always enjoyed ourselves. It was all with good friends. We (also) wore a uniform, so we didn’t have to worry about buying fancy clothes.”

One big accomplishment for Huttala was “just living,” while some of her preferred hobbies include bingo and card games, especially “Crazy 8s.”

“Even my sister made me a deck that said, ‘Flo’s Crazy 8s!’ I thought was pretty nice,” she added with a chuckle. “I still got them somewhere.”

Optimist Club’s baseball-themed music fundraiser hit all the right notes

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

If the first few bars of the songs “Bad Boy Leroy Brown,” “Crocodile Rock,” or “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” were played on a piano, do you think you could identify them?

That was the challenge six teams faced while participating in The Friendly City Optimist Club’s recent fundraiser, “Fix the Field, Name that Tune,” held on Jan. 24 at the Moose Jaw Public Library theatre.

The club’s goal was to raise money to support upgrades to the Optimist Minor Girls’ fastball field complex.

Two groups of three teams faced off against each other as musician Greg Gower played nearly 50 songs, such as “Smoke on the water” and “House of the rising sun.” Teams had to guess the tune and answer trivia about it. They also had to figure out a few movie songs, such as “My heart will go on” from “Titanic.”

Even the crowd was encouraged to participate at times, whether in

guessing the song or singing along.

Guests Mayor Clive Tolley, Coun. Crystal Froese and Rev. Doug Shephard also contributed to the baseball-themed evening, with the council members reciting “Casey at the bat” and the latter leading “Take me out to the ball game.”

Two teams eventually faced off in the final, with Leigh Patterson and Valerie Brennan from Prairie South School Division capturing first and Cam Forer and Derek Hassen from Investment Planning Council placing second.

Other teams included The Optimist Club, Wakamow Rotary Club, minor girls’ fastball, and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.

The club also met its fundraising goal for the evening. That amount will go toward the overall $7,000 cost to upgrade the ball diamond complex in partnership with the City of Moose Jaw.

“Everybody had a great time.

They were really into it. It was just a real fun evening,” said Optimist Club member Gayle Jones. “It was very successful, so we’re planning on having another one at another date. And who knows, maybe annually … .

“Nobody had any bad comments. They all had a good time.”

Many songs the club chose were marketed toward the age of the participants, which is why most of the songs were decades old, she added with a chuckle.

With the vocal cords rested, The Optimist Club’s next activity will be running the concession stand at the Western Development Museum on March 18 and 19 during the Thunder Creek Model Train Show.

It also plans to hold a ladies’ night event in either April or May.

For more information about The Optimist Club, visit its Facebook page or moosejawoptimistclub. wordpress.com/about/.

Joan Ritchie EDITOR

Some of the teams that participated in The Friendly City Optimist Club’s fundraiser included Holy Trinity School Division, Wakamow Rotary Club and Prairie South School Division. Photo courtesy Gayle Jones

Leigh Patterson and Valerie Brennan with Prairie South School Division placed first during the fundraiser. Photo courtesy Gayle Jones

Florence (Flo) Huttala holds a picture of her three daughters while sitting in her room at Chateau St. Michael’s. She celebrated her 100th birthday on Feb. 5. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

By Leon Retief

Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Forest

Suzanne Simard Allen Lane

364 pages

I have been looking for a good book on tree and forest physiology for some time. During a hurried visit to a bookshop in Saskatoon I noticed Suzanne Simard’s book, and after a very cursory examination it landed on my shelf.

The first four chapters describe Simard’s childhood, her studies, eventual employment by a forestry company and marriage. The remainder of the book is in part devoted to her research as professor of forest ecology, the rest describes how she experiences forests and accounts of her personal life, which neither my wife nor I found particularly interesting.

In the 1980’s David Reid discovered that gigantic

subterranean networks of fungi connect trees in a forest and that they exchange essential chemicals by means of this “wood wide web.” (What a wonderfully imaginative phrase!)

Simard’s research focused on just this phenomenon and she describes a number of really beautiful experiments in moderate and easy-to-understand detail.

Her other research is also very interesting and it was actually saddening to read how difficult it was for a woman’s research and opinions to be taken seriously in the world of Canadian forestry.

When her investigations showed that the standard practice in Canadian silviculture, namely the so-called “free to grow” policy wasn’t really advantageous it didn’t make things easier for her. This policy involves that parts of a forest are cleared of indigenous growth, removing, among others, birch trees and the subsequent planting of Douglas firs and economically advantageous trees so that they can grow freely, without competition from other trees.

The problem was that many of the seedlings die, wasting valuable time and money before an area became economically productive. Simard discovered that clearing the area did indeed confer an advantage to the new seedlings, but that this was temporary and in fact made them more vulnerable.

She suspected that the network of fungi may have something to do with it and found that this wood wide web allows the trees to exchange carbon and nitrogen in a mutually advantageous system. Another discovery – and a really surprising one – was that older and younger trees can send “alarm signals” using this network, recognize “family” and that dying trees can benefit survivors by transmitting nutrients to them.

So far so good, this is really very interesting stuff, but this is also where I began to have problems with this book.

“Mother tree” as an abstract metaphor may perhaps be useful in some situations, but Simard’s writings seem to suggest that the mother trees act purely out of compassion or a mother instinct. In fact, words such as ancient, wisdom and healing are already to be found in this book’s introduction. New Agers may like this, but a book on popular science is not a place for it. Interestingly enough, she writes about “hub trees” in her scientific publications instead of mother trees and in my opinion this gives a far better indication of the characteristics of the network.

Other examples abound: “…since each Douglas-fir tree has male pollen cones and female seed cones. But… it felt like mothering to me” and “…birch was detecting and staying attuned to the needs of fir”

The sentence above refers to the transfer of carbon from birch trees to pines, but according to Simard this happens when the shadows of birches fall on pines. Given such phenomena as turgor pressure, pressure flow and source-sink gradients, such events can be explained by physics – arboreal maternal concern should not be part of the picture.

Plants, in comparison to animals, are the GREAT OTHER. I disagree with Rupert Sheldrake about many things, but wholeheartedly agree with this: “Are we able to stand back, look at the system, and let the polyphonic swarms of plants and fungi and bacteria… be themselves, and quite unlike anything else?”

Or, in the words of David Read: “… utopian visions of the soil are a shameless projection of human values onto a non-human system.”

Simard’s descriptions of her science are interesting, but I found her personal life less so and the anthropomorphisms annoying. On the whole I found the book somewhat disappointing but anyone who wants to know more about her research can use the link below.

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1111/1365-2745.12387

LitCon 2023 offers conference lead-up interviews with industry experts

LitCon is a one-day annual conference by the Saskatchewan Festival of Words that offers local writers and enthusiasts the chance to hear from industry experts, established writers, publishers, editors, and more.

LitCon 2023 is coming up on Saturday, March 18 with in-person workshops in the North Studio of the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.

Registration is open at www.festivalofwords.com/litcon.

This year the Festival of Words, with help from the Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild (SWG), has arranged for four online workshops from March 1 to 9. These lead-up events will go into depth on the different stages of book publishing.

“This year, we’re adding in some online programming, starting with our industry interviews,” explained admin assistant Sara Grimes, who is heading up the programming for LitCon 2023. “We’re bringing in industry experts to talk about the process of editing and publishing. … Basically, what you should think about once you finish writing your draft.”

Participants in the industry interviews who opt in during registration have a chance to win a free manuscript evaluation from Friesen Press, typically valued at $500.

The industry experts to be interviewed are:

• Editing – Genevieve Clovis – March 1 at 7 p.m.

Clovis is a speculative fiction novel editor and writing coach who owns a secondhand bookstore in Toronto

• Sensitivity Readers – Kai Cheng Thom – March 2 at 7 p.m.

Kai Cheng is an award-winning author and performer based in Toronto. She will explain what a sensitivity reader is and why writers should consider using one

• Marketing – Ted Barris – March 7 at 7 p.m.

Barris is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster who recently retired after 18 years as a full-time professor of journalism

• Publishing – Elizabeth Philips and Diane Cameron – March 8 at 7 p.m. Philips and Cameron will speak to two different sides of publishing, namely

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw

Express/MooseJawToday.com

Bell from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Ten writers will get to pick a 15-minute time slot for a oneon-one conversation with Bell.

Bell is a writer and freelance editor living in the Qu’Appelle Valley. She works for SaskBooks on behalf Saskatchewan book publishers. Bell writes across a

spectrum of genres and has had her writing and blog content published nationally and internationally.

The Festival of Words itself — one of Saskatchewan’s largest literary festivals — is gearing up for July 13 to 16 for their annual event.

self-publishing versus traditional publishing. Philips is the acquisitions editor and editorial director of Thistledown Press, and Cameron is a self-publishing expert with more than 15 years of industry experience LitCon’s main event on March 18 will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. featuring the following workshops:

• Neil Aitken – 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Into the Mirror-Verse: The Possibilities of Sci-Fi Poetry

• Heather O’Watch – 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.

– Weaving Teachings Through Children’s Literature

• Mark Allard-Will – 1 to 2 p.m. – Comic Book Writing

• Helen Power – 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. – The Science Behind the Supernatural: Incorporating Paranormal Elements into Your Mystery/Thriller

The Saskatchewan Festival of Words works throughout the year to build the local writing community, focusing always on writers from Saskatchewan and Canada.

“We want to help bring in Saskatchewan writers to perform these workshops, to help local Saskatchewanians and people in the Moose Jaw area … to build that local community,” Grimes said. “My own personal experience with writing, and everything else really, is that having that community is your best support. It’s the best place to go for advice and help.”

As a bonus following in-person events on March 18, Grimes added, there will be an additional online workshop with Jillian

The 2022 Festival of Words bookstore at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (photo by Gordon Edgar)

Leon Retief is a retired physician with clinical and research experience. He likes drinking wine, listening to music and reading.

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

Peanuts described as one of world’s oldest foods

Historians contend that peanuts are one of the world’s oldest foods, being in the Americas long before Columbus discovered the New World.

It is suspected that peanuts first grew in Peru where peanut-shaped pottery and peanut designs have been found in ancient Peruvian tombs.

And over time, more than 300 uses have been found for the peanut, shell and plant foliage.

This week’s recipes offer three ideas for today’s peanuts and by-products.

• • •

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA BREAD

2 pkgs. dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large bananas, mashed

1 egg

1 cup scalded milk, cooled

1 1/2 tsps. salt

6-7 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until it is bubbly.

Beat peanut butter and sugar together in large bowl. Beat until creamy. Stir in mashed banana, egg, cooled milk, dissolved yeast and salt. Blend well.

Add 2 cups of flour and beat well. Stir in enough

additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.

When dough is smooth and elastic, place in a large greased bowl. Turn dough to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and divide dough in half. Shape each half and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled again.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 4045 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.

• • •

PEANUT BUTTER GLAZED CARROTS

1 lb. carrots, pared and sliced

2 tbsps. butter

2 tbsps. creamy peanut butter

1 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 cup orange juice

Cook carrots in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain well.

Melt butter and peanut butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Blend in flour, salt and ginger then gradually stir in orange juice.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly

until sauce thickens and boils, about one minute. Stir in drained carrots. Heat and serve. Makes 6 servings. May also be served cold as a side salad.

• • •

BOYFRIEND PEANUT COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 1/2 cups rolled oats, quick or old fashioned

1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

1-6 oz. pkg. chocolate bits

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Slowly beat in sugars, unbeaten eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.

Sift flour with soda and add oats. Mix then stir into butter mixture. Stir in chopped peanuts and chocolate bits.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F oven for 12 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen cookies. Note: be sure the boyfriend doesn’t have a peanut allergy! Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

The Government of Saskatchewan freezes 2023 rate for leasing Crown grazing land

Saddman Zaman - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The Government of Saskatchewan is freezing the 2023 rate for leasing Crown grazing land to producers. Additionally, for 2023, due to dry conditions, rent reduction is eligible to a maximum of 50 percent for producers who are leased on Crown land and must reduce their stocking rates.

The Saskatchewan’s livestock sector is facing increasing costs to production, in addition to successive years of low precipitation in many areas of the province.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit

said, “Keeping this year’s grazing rate at 2022 levels and implementing reductions for Crown grazing lands hardest hit by drought, will assist producers through the current challenges while supporting the continued stewardship and productivity of the land.”

Saskatchewan’s Crown grazing rates are established annually using a formula based on fall cattle prices and the long-term stocking rate of each parcel of land. Across the province, this year’s rate will apply to all grazing leases.

A 2023 rent reduction will also apply to individuals who leased out Crown lands or a reduction in the number of animals grazing on those lands by 20 percent, compared to the long-term approved carrying capacity of that land. The 2023 rate reduction will match the reduction in carrying capacity, ranging from a reduction rate of 20 percent to a maximum of 50 percent.

Saskatchewan has about six million acres of Crown land under grazing leases.

Fatty pig spleens suggest ‘highly variable’ weather this year, prognosticator predicts

G.

Making weather predictions is never easy, but many groups attempt to do it anyway, including meteorologists, groundhogs and — perhaps the most unique and interesting — pig spleen prognosticators.

Jeff Woodward, one of the more well-known pig spleen prognosticators, has been predicting the weather by analyzing pig spleens for 14 years. He took over from his late uncle Gus Wickstrom, well-known as the pig spleen weather forecaster for decades.

Surrounded by family and friends, Woodward conducted his 2023 prognostications late last year in Moose Jaw by looking at spleens from Cobler Farm near Gull Lake and the Earview Hutterite Colony.

“Several spleens were thoroughly examined to provide an ensemble forecast, similar to predictions put forth by Environment and Climate Change Canada,” he joked in a message posted to Facebook on Feb. 2.

To maintain tradition and ensure accuracy, the group made several toasts with alcohol — Aquavit — in the traditional Scandinavian fashion.

To perform a prediction, a spleen is divided into six equal parts representing January to June. When interpreted properly, prognosticators can tell what the temperature and weather might be based on the spleens’ fat, Woodward explained. Meanwhile, any abnormalities like bumps or scars signify cold weather or a major event occurring within that time.

“Any forecast outside of this time frame is not possible, and any charlatans that claim otherwise are therefore breaking the guidelines (and tradition),” he said.

2023

predictions

This year the spleens contained more fat than average, while there were no major abnormalities that would indicate a noteworthy event, Woodward reported.

The larger amount of fat suggests the weather “will be highly variable,” which means the pig was likely preparing for big swings in temperature and higher-than-average precipitation, both of which take their toll on the animal’s metabolism, he continued.

February

February starts cold, but that ends by mid-month, although there “is a strange reversal” that could happen after the first seven to 10 days and return to cold temperatures for a short time. However, average to above-average temperatures occur later in the month.

Winter’s peak likely occurs around Feb. 25, when the temperature moves toward a general warming trend until the spring.

“While there will be snow and rain events scattered throughout … February bringing lots of snow, there are no really significant events or exceptional storms,” Woodward predicted.

March/April

March will be warm until about the 12th, when it becomes colder than normal, which will be typical of spring — cooler and wetter than normal. There could be major snow and rain around the 15th that bring exceptional winds.

April will be similar to March until about the 12th when it cools off again. This will be abrupt and persist with a gradual warming trend during the last week of the month. Also, there could be major precipitation from April 8 to 10.

May/June

May will see average temperatures and general warming compared to what the province normally sees, Woodward speculated. There will be plenty of wind and precipitation around the 10th, which should be bigger than normal. This could provide much-needed moisture for seeded crops and crops seeded after this date.

June will be cool, gradually warming toward normal temperatures by the last week of the month. In particular, the 3rd and 20th should see rain.

“And remember, wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine,” Woodward added. “And, a case of beer in case the weather really sucks.”

Jason

Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

An example of a pig spleen that weather prognosticator Jeff Woodward uses to predict the weather from February to June. Photo courtesy Facebook

By Patricia Hanbidge

African Violets

African Violets are a great houseplant that can help you to get through the long, cold days of winter. These hardy and well-behaved houseplants are native to the higher elevations of Tanzania and get their original Latin name from a 19th Century colonial official and amateur botanist, Baron Walker von Saint Paul-Illaire, who was stationed in east Africa. He sent some specimens of these violets home to Germany and in a very short time, these plants were available throughout Europe.

These plants are known as friendship plants and are often used as a symbol of loyalty, devotion and faithful

ness. With the proper care, they can provide almost continuous blooms in a rainbow of colours and leaf shapes. The flower, petal and colours will vary widely, but plants are generally quite small ranging from four inches (10 cm) to seven inches (18cm) in height.

They thrive in low-light locations in the home and because of their sheer popularity, we are seeing hundreds of new varieties that have been developed for their unique colours and shapes including the development of half-sized miniatures. They are small perennial herbs with thick, hairy, ovate leaves. They generally have long petioles (the leaf stem) and the stems are arranged in a basal cluster at the base of the plant. The violet-like flowers have five petals and are generally violet, white or pink in colour. The tiny seeds are produced in a capsule after bloom.

African Violets are often considered the almost perfect houseplant as they have no specific flowering season. They tolerate our low humidity, heated homes in the winter as they have thick, hairy leaves that protect them against water loss. They also prefer the lower light levels of winter and do very well when it is dark and cold outside.

They prefer a regular soilless growing mix, in which added perlite has been added. Let the soil surface become dry to the touch before watering as the easiest way to kill and African Violet is by overwatering. Water from the bottom or carefully from the top with lukewarm wa-

ter as the leaves are easily damaged if cold water drops upon them. A dilute mixture of high phosphorus fertilizer can be used in spring to help keep them thriving. They do prefer a nighttime temperature that is cooler than the daytime temperature.

If you find that your African Violets are not blooming they likely need a bit brighter light but never do, they like to be in direct sunlight. An east or north facing window is best and for those homes that are really dark, rotating these plants under a grow light to entice the bloom is a good option. If the plants are too close to the grow lights, the growth will be very dense and compact and can even be bleached out. Alternatively, if the stems become very long with the leaves stretching towards the light source, there is not enough light to support good growth.

One of the best characteristics of African Violets is they do not attract many pest or disease problems. Sometimes mealy bugs will appear on the underside of the leaves but if caught promptly, they are easily removed by touching them with a q-tip dipped in isopropyl alcohol.

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?

Saskatchewan municipalities encouraged to apply for Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative

15 new municipal projects will receive a combined provincial investment of $500,000 under Targeted Sector Support (TSS) initiative.

Government Relations Minister Don McMorris said, “Together, we will help communities better serve their citizens by strengthening local governments across this great province.”

These projects include developing a land use plan manual for municipal officials in various west-central communities, RM of Paddockwood north of Prince Albert, and creating a regional emergency plan in the Lanigan area in central Saskatchewan.

TSS Initiative provides cost-shared

Saddman Zaman - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

grants to support municipalities partnering to develop regional cooperation, and capacity building and enhance their core responsibilities through projects focused on good governance.

TSS projects are funded under one of the following streams: dispute resolution and relationship building, capacity building, regional cooperation, and municipal transition.

TSS Steering Committee reviews and approves these projects and consists of representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), the Saskatchewan Association of Northern Com-

munities (New Nirth), and the Ministry of Government Relations.

“By investing in projects that foster good governance and encourage inter-community collaborations, the TSS Initiative is helping to strengthen Saskatchewan’s hometowns and improve the lives of our residents,” SUMA President Randy Goulden said. “SUMA is proud to be a partner of this important initiative and we look forward to the benefits these new projects will have in our communities now and in the future.”

“SARM couldn’t be more pleased with the impact the TSS initiative is having in our communities,” SARM President Ray Orb said. “We have experienced RMs

using their grand to provide municipal governance training to not only their own elected officials but officials from surrounding municipalities as well.”

This is the fourth round of projects which is funded by the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program and approved under the TSS Initiative. On behalf of the TSS Steering Committee, SUMA is administering these projects.

All Saskatchewan municipalities are encouraged to apply for TSS funding with applications expected to open in early March.

All these findings from TSS will cover up to seventy-five percent of all eligible project costs.

National research firm ranks Sask. Polytech first for completed projects

Research Infosource Inc., Canada’s leading research, consulting and publishing firm, has ranked Saskatchewan Polytechnic first in its latest top 50 research colleges for the number of completed projects — 350 finished — in 2020-21.

Sask. Polytech also ranked second for the number of research partnerships, with 208 collaborations.

Furthermore, the Saskatchewan-based college placed second for industry research income as a percentage of total research income and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) research income as a percentage of total research income.

“These rankings are significant because it demonstrates that Sask. Polytech applied research projects are successful at obtaining financial support from industry and government to turn ideas into practical solutions,” the college said. “

Meanwhile, Sask. Polytech ranked 17th overall in Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list for 2022, down from 12th place in 2021.

These results are impressive institutional milestones for the school’s applied research team, considering the team worked hard during the past year to increase the number of applied research projects completed to 350 from 245, said Dr. Susan Blum, applied research and innovation associate vice-president.

More projects lead to more successful partnerships with industry and communities, while applied research is important because it helps identify and solve real-world problems and leads to the creation

By Moose Jaw Express staff

of innovative new products and services, she added. This creates new and exciting opportunities for students and faculty.

Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask. Polytech’s president and CEO, congratulated the school’s office of applied research and innovation for its continued success.

“Our performance being recognized on the Top 50 Research Colleges 2022 rankings provides direct evidence that we are growing our applied research capacity, which supports industry and communities and drives economic growth in Saskatchewan and beyond,” he said.

“Sask. Polytech will continue to expand our research activities and collaborations that further enhance the exceptional value we deliver to our partners.”

Applied research is an established area of strength for the educational institution as employers continue to seek out Sask. Polytech as a provider of real-world solutions to market challenges, the school said. It will continue to assist companies in developing products, enhancing technologies and commercializing the innovations needed for the province to be a global economic leader.

Industry partners retain the intellectual property for applied research projects that they develop with Saskatchewan Polytechnic, creating more incentive for future creative engagement and ongoing collaboration, the institution continued.

The polytechnic worked on several notable projects during 2020-21.

For example, Sask. Polytech’s digital integration centre of excellence created a prototype that uses a system similar to

GPS technology to identify the positions of people and equipment in underground mines within 30 centimetres of their actual location. This technology enables companies to operate more efficiently by improving mine safety, process optimization and automation.

Furthermore, the institution launched the Farmer and Rancher Mental Health initiative. The initiative — a patient-oriented research project — is designed to study important features of a farm culture-friendly mental health support system for farmers and ranchers.

This project continues to receive

funding and continues to support the agriculture community.

Meanwhile, Sask. Polytech also worked on a project to better understand and protect Lake Sturgeon fish. An applied research team examined spawning cycles and generated demographic data on Lake Sturgeon in the North Saskatchewan River without using invasive sampling procedures. This project collected data to influence fish species management and how to better approach habitat conservation.

For more information, visit saskpolytech.ca/research.

Moose Jaw Wildlife Federation Youth & Family Ice Fishing Tournament March

11th - fun for whole family

This year’s annual Youth & Family Ice Fishing Tournament put on by Moose Jaw Wildlife Federation is a special time for families to experience the great outdoors together and a chance to fish. The event will take place at Buffalo Pound Park on March 11th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The goal is to get more families out exploring a winter sport like ice fishing and get them engaged with their kids to have a positive experience,” Todd Smith president of MJ Wildlife Federation said.

He says the tournament is focused on encouraging youths and families to fish together and enjoy the event together. Children from two to fifteen years are considered youths, while anyone sixteen yearsof age or older is considered an adult for this tournament.

To participate on tournament day, adults must show their proof of Angling license. Alll those under sixteen years do not require a license to fish in Saskatchewan.

“We consider sixteen years as adults because you need to have and pay for a license,” Smith said.

Smith who is part of the mandate of

Land, Mineral, Wildlife, and Forest Conservation – OSHA says, “We’re the local branch under the Saskatchewan Federation and our mandate [includes encouraging] more participation in angling and taking advantage of fishing opportunities.”

He says many people simply assume fishing is a summer sport like sitting on the beach and fishing. He wants the public to know that ice fishing can also be fun in the winter. The good thing is it can be enjoyed by the entire family, and not a lot of special equipment is needed.

Participants are required to bring their fishing equipment to the tournament. It’s a live-bait release so individuals need to also bring a five-gallon bucket to keep the fish in after they are caught so they can carry them to the waystation for measuring.

The Saskatchewan Sportfish Research group from the University of Regina’s Somers lab will send their crew for tagging the fish as part of the program for the catch and release study. They have been working with the Wildlife Federation and have been doing this for quite some time. They will also educate the people who are participating in this tournament about their

studies.

Registrations for the tournament are open now. To register please contact Todd Smith via e-mail at MJWildlife.Federation@gmail.com. Participants must sub-

mit their names, ages and contact information within the email body.

Pre-registration will end on February 28 at 7 p.m.

You may also register at the time of the tournament.

Registration price is $5 per child, $25 per adult (and they must accompany a youth), and $50 per family.

A BBQ lunch will be provided for all pre-registered participants.

The kid’s prize category has two varieties – Perch fish and other fish species. The Biggest Catch of the Day will be awarded to each category - one adult and one youth, as well.

The MJ Wildlife Federation is happy to announce Cabela’s, Hub Meat Market, 360 Dustless Blasting, Sparkle & Shine, and Curly’s Bait MJ are sponsors for this tournament.

Smith advises participants to dress appropriately for the weather and try to have a nice shack or a fishing tent. “It’s always nice to bring a heater and we can drill holes, or they can drill their own holes wherever they want to over their favourite spot,” he said.

Sask Aboriginal Storytelling Month at the Moose Jaw Public Library

February is Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month and the Moose Jaw Public Library has prepared programs for the occasion in collaboration with the Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association (WACA).

Another exciting piece of news for the Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL) is their acquisition of an Ultimaker S3 3D printer. Printing jobs are open to the public by submitting an .STL file through an online digital request form.

No library card is needed. Clients will receive an email when their build is complete and pay for the materials (cash only) on pick-up.

A complete FAQ for the MJPL 3D printer is at www.moosejawlibrary.ca/3dprinting.

Aboriginal Storytelling Month

The MJPL’s Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month programs take place on February 24 and 25 in two locations:

the MJPL and the new WACA office in the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.

There will be three programs, each led by poet Tenille Campbell and Elder Barb Frazier.

Programs are free to attend and do not require registration. The goal of Aboriginal Storytelling Month is to promote Indigenous cultural traditions and cross-cultural relationships. Storytelling is the oldest history-keeping custom there is, passing down family tales, essential survival skills, spiritual traditions, and more — creating a living archive for future generations.

On Friday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in the South Meeting Room, in a session directed at youths aged 13 to 17, Campbell will share poetry and poetry-writing tips on positive self-expression, positive sexuality, and self-actualization.

On Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. in the South Meeting Room, Campbell and Frazier will present an afternoon of poetry,

supported by the Library Services to Saskatchewan Aboriginal Peoples (LSSAP) committee.

On Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., at the Cultural Centre WACA office, Campbell will share poems of love and celebratory self-care.

Learn more about Aboriginal Storytelling Month at lssap.ca/storytelling. Learn more about poet Tenille Campbell at tenillecampbell.com.

Adult programming

Tech Time

We are a Christian based assisted living community with a welcoming home town feel. We strive to keep our prices a ordable, providing home cooked meals, while maintaining the safest 24/7 care for our residents.

We are located at: 1329 Herbert Ave, Herbert, Saskatchewan.

CALL 306-784-3167

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

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

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

MJPL Movie Club

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) by Wes Anderson will show in the MJPL theatre on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.

Avid Knitters Club

Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in the South Meeting Room Night Stitchers

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

MJPL Book Club

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (2008) by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A story of the small island of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel, during the five years of German occupation in WWII

Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.

Youth programming

New Adult Digital D&D

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

Teen Gamers – Games Night

Wednesday, Feb. 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 – Spy x Family

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

Teen Writers Circle

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

Teen “I Made This” Art Program

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

This month’s project is origami, with snacks provided Movie Matinee – Thor: Love and Thunder

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

Moose Jaw Public Library (staff file photo)

Reflective Moments

It was a bright, sunny, non-windy day recently when we travelled on the highway a short distance to give some life to a car battery that had languished in the frigid temperatures of a previous week.

We ventured as far as the pioneer museum, turned around and headed back to the city, checking out the scenery going and returning and admiring the snow still covering some of the hills.

“Wouldn’t this be a perfect day to go skating or tobogganing,” I said, with some longing, to Housemate.

He smirked, as I knew he would, and I immediately read his mind: “How would I get her up off the toboggan?” he asked himself as he grinned some more.

“How would she ever get down low enough to actually sit on the toboggan? And if she did make it down the hill safely, would she be able to walk back up or would I have to call the fire department for assistance?”

Of course, I couldn’t be angry at

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

knowing what he was thinking when I, too, wondered the same things.

But with wishful thinking, I merely said it would be a great day indeed if only we could turn back the clock and make those historic moments come true: both of us cuddled up on the toboggan, zooming down the hill and coming to a safe stop at the bottom. I didn’t say anything sarcastic about Housemate having the doubtful agility even years before to be able to push us to a sliding start and then hopping on without face-planting in the snow. I did laugh to myself at the thought but remained silent in amusement.

It was fortuitous that we had our nostalgic moment when we did, for soon the news hit the headlines that around Oshawa, the winter activity of tobogganing would be limited to only two parks because of safety concerns expressed by the city council. Indeed, they were worried that someone might sue if a toboggan ride ended in tears instead of laughter.

One of the arguments for favouring only two parks was that harm-related obstacles like tree stumps and boulders could be removed from those hills.

Oshawa wasn’t breaking new tracks: other cities in other provinces had previously latched restrictions onto the sport and did not back down despite outrage at having Big Brother/Sister ruining one of the games of winter.

After two hours of debate at a Jan. 30 meeting, those councillors in Oshawa decided to let toboggans slide where they may, allowing parents and other responsible adults to be accountable for their own safety. And then turned their attention to more worthy civic matters.

As far as memory serves me, no one in my hometown ever tried to limit our access to the school hill as the best toboggan spot in the hamlet. There was only one obstacle at the top of the hill: a power pole in the direct path of a straight-away run. So toboggans were steered around it.

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

The only dangers of a two-fast ride could have been failure to stop in time for traffic on the road and then ending up in the steep ditch on the other side on the road.

That ditch was usually filled with plenty of deep snow so the landing was wet but soft. Smacking into the power pole was less of a good time. That only happened once when the steering person failed her job. She and her two passengers lay in the snow gasping for breath and unanimously agreed someone else would steer the toboggan on all future trips.

Even though our mishap was soon common knowledge, the local government did not produce a restrictive bylaw to ruin our winter fun.

Hot chocolate with marshmallows helped ease the pain in our backs and warmed our hearts.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

New MJMAG portrait exhibition of genocide survivors opens with panel

They didn’t know we were seeds by Saskatoon-based portrait artist Carol Wylie is an exhibition of 18 portraits of Holocaust and Indian Residential School survivors that opened Feb. 4 with a panel in the Moose Jaw Public Library Theatre.

The panel featured portrait subjects Elder Eugene Arcand, a survivor of Canada’s Indian Residential School system, and Kayla Hock, a survivor of the Holocaust, alongside Wylie. The panel was moderated by Jennifer McRorie, executive director and curator of the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG).

Indigenous Elder Barb Frazier opened the panel with a prayer ceremony.

Technical difficulties prevented Hock, who joined the panel over Zoom, from participating.

They didn’t know we were seeds grew from Wylie’s experience at the 2016 Saskatoon Holocaust Memorial service, which she attends every year.

“I’m always moved incredibly by the stories that the survivors tell, and I got thinking about the age of Holocaust survivors, and how important it is to have these firsthand stories and experiences expressed to us,” Wylie explained. She noted that recent political events have stirred fresh activity from Holocaust deniers.

“I wanted to find some way to capture those stories and that sense of what they had been through,” she went on. “If you observe carefully and spend time with a person and understand a little bit about them, and have an experience together … then you can create a portrait that is inhabited, to some extent, by that person.”

After Wylie’s initial idea for the project was born, a series of events pointed her to include survivors of Canada’s Indian Residential School System.

On October 27, 2022, Canada’s House of Commons unanimously and historically recognized the Indian Residential School System as a genocide — the attempted erasure of an entire people.

“(We received) Indigenous sensitivity training at work,” Wylie said, “and (I learned) that (Indian Affairs Superintendent Duncan Campbell Scott, in 1910, called residential schools) ‘The Final Solution’. The only time I’ve ever heard that term was in reference to the Holocaust, so that just blew me away.”

Saskatchewan had one of the largest concentrations of residential schools, and Wylie realized that as a settler in the province, that was also a story she should tell.

Gordon

As she learned more about the residential school system, Wylie saw more and more parallels, such as head-shaving, not being allowed to speak their language, separating families by force, assigning numbers rather than names, and teaching children that was happening to them was their fault. We cannot, and should not, compare sufferings

It is important for both Wylie and her subjects that the exhibition is not considered a comparison. She shared a quote from Holocaust survivor Robert Waisman, who meets with survivors of the residential school system.

“We cannot, and we should not, compare sufferings,” Waisman said. “Each suffering is unique… I don’t compare my sufferings or the Holocaust to what happened in residential schools. We (survived) – so can you.”

“People say things like, ‘How can you even compare the experience of what happened to the Jewish people with (residential schools?)’” said Elder Eugene Arcand.

Arcand clarified that they are not comparing the experiences, but rather uniting as survivors to recognize that both communities have had to learn how to heal from deep wounds.

Shared healing is a central part of Truth and Reconciliation, a process that is immediate, real, and painful for the Indig enous peoples of Canada, he pointed out.

Arcand shared an experience he had at a University of Saskatchewan lecture where the presenter talked about ‘blame less shame.’

“Blameless shame is when you un derstand that as a child, you did nothing wrong,” Arcand explained. “It’s not only us. In this case, it’s focused on us as those that survived the residential school era … But it’s important that every society un derstand blameless shame.

“If you’ve ever experienced that type of negative activity in your life, and are carrying it, and you’re still wounded from it — understand that you did nothing wrong. That was my turning point.”

Arcand said that after his realization, he talked about his residential school ex perience with his wife for the first time in their then-35 years of marriage. Since then, he has worked to talk about what happened to himself and his classmates to try and help other survivors understand that what happened to them was not their fault.

They didn’t know we were seeds

“The title of the exhibition — They didn’t know we were seeds — is the second half of a poem by Dinos Christianopoulos,” Wylie explained. “And the first part starts out, ‘They buried us… They didn’t know we were seeds.

“And I thought, Well, that’s it, that exactly describes the experience of the survivors, because they were buried in the darkness of oppression. And what they made of it was not just survival, but … so many of them took their experience and talked to people, educated them about it, in the hope that the truth would come out and not be hidden anymore, and maybe that will have some impact on people in the building of

way, starting from a dark background and bringing her subject’s faces gradually into the light.

Elder Arcand said that, in his experience, deniers of what happened in the Indian Residential School System are motivated to protect their ancestors who were involved and to defend their legacy. But, he pointed out, that urge does not help anyone.

“It’s my duty, as a living residential school survivor, to make sure the truth is known,” he said. “I don’t want pity. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me; that’s not what this is about. This is about understanding that the First Peoples of this country were persecuted.

“Let’s deal with the truth. The truth is not there to hurt. I don’t want to share the truth to hurt anyone — I’m not in that business … I am in the business of telling the truth so that we get the story straight.”

They didn’t know we were seeds is presented alongside the work of abstract artist Jonathan Forrest in the Norma Lang Gallery of the MJMAG.

The exhibitions will be open until April 30. An In Conversation event with Forrest and curators Jennifer McRorie and Kim Houghtaling will take place in-person and online at the Moose Jaw Public Library Theatre on Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m.

Learn more about the Moose Jaw Mu

Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

(l-r) Jennifer McRorie, Carol Wylie, and Elder Eugene Arcand sit on a panel for the opening of Wylie’s exhibition. The portrait in the background is of Arcand (photo by Gordon Edgar)

Province’s $4M pledge to fix St. Margaret School inadequate, Holy Trinity says

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

It will cost Holy Trinity Catholic School Division more than $5 million to upgrade École St. Margaret School, but the Ministry of Education has only committed $4 million to the project.

The school division’s original financial request to the province for this initiative was $5.2 million based on 2021 construction costs, a board report explained. However, this project — similar to other capital projects like the joint-use school initiative — is facing budget challenges because of the ongoing pandemic and the war in Ukraine’s effects on material availability, costs and labour shortages.

In recognition of those challenges, division administration modified the project to avoid the pitfalls similar initiatives have faced, the report continued. However, even with modifications, the project’s revised estimate is now $5.48 million, which is within five per cent of the original request.

That $4 million allocation “will likely not cut it” because of what’s required to upgrade École St. Margaret, said CFO Curt Van Parys during the recent Holy Trinity board meeting. The division office has asked the ministry to re-think its original funding contribution, considering it provided a 25-per-cent funding increase — an extra $9 million — to the joint-use school project because of inflation.

“To date, we have not been successful in procuring the additional funds,” he stated.

Both parties have discussed ways to fund the shortfall, including having Holy Trinity tap into its preventative maintenance and renewal (PMR) budget or looking at other resources, Van Parys added. However, division administration will continue emphasizing how the challenges this project faces are no different from other initiatives.

The single-track French immersion school serves 187 students from kindergarten to Grade 8 and was con-

HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DIVISION

THE NEXT HOLY TRINITY BOARD MEETING IS MONDAY, FEB. 13.

structed in 1956. About 60 per cent of the school is being used and needs major structural repairs, particularly to its portables and the building exterior.

The money that the ministry is providing comes from a newly created minor capital renewal program to support school divisions with small projects. One component of the project is to “right-size” the building because about 40 per cent of the school is not being fully used due to low student enrolment. The division has been working with the ministry to reduce the amount of floor space equivalent to three portable classrooms.

Catholic division could see 70 fewer students enrolled by 2032, report suggests

Holy Trinity Catholic School Division expects student enrolment to decrease by 13 pupils by 2027 compared to today’s numbers, although its provincial grants — tied to enrolment — will likely continue to increase.

There were 2,345 students enrolled as of Sept. 30, 2022, while a new five-year projection predicts that number will be 2,346 by September 2023, 2,355 by September 2024, 2,360 by September 2025, 2,344 by September 2026 and 2,332 by September 2027.

Moreover, from 2022 to 2032, the division expects 70 fewer students in its schools.

Meanwhile, the division’s total revenues as of Sept. 30, 2022, were $27.05 million, while a five-year financial projection predicts revenues will increase to $31 million in 2027.

Provincial grants are based on enrolment figures and are the division’s largest revenue source. That money is expected to increase to $24.5 million in 2027-28 from $21.3 million in 2022-23.

Division administration presented the five-year enrolment and financial projections during the recent board meeting.

Holy Trinity has used a “pretty reliable” software program since 2018 called Baragar Demographics to assist with enrolment projections, explained CFO Curt Van Parys.

The division shares the information with principals and asks for feedback because there could be issues in

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

those communities that the software doesn’t capture, such as immigration or housing developments.

Once the division office receives that feedback, it will review the data to determine whether tweaks are required to future enrolment projections, said Van Parys.

There was an average of 623 births per year within the school division’s boundaries from 2005 to 2018, but during the last three years, that average was 563 births per year, he continued. This is a decrease of 60 births or a drop of 9.63 per cent.

The data shows that there were 546 births in 2020 and 592 births in 2021, an increase of 46 or 8.42 per cent.

Saskatchewan’s population cracked 1.2 million in December, while the provincial government’s goal is to increase that number to 1.4 million by 2030, which means enrolment projections will be important, he continued. Baragar is a “very reliable tool” that will provide annual updates during the next 15 years.

“Enrolment drives revenues. There’s no other way to put it … ,” Van Parys added.

Holy Trinity will need a 2.91-per-cent increase in provincial funding in 2023-24 to have a balanced budget, Van Parys’ report said. It will also need increases of 2.49 per cent to 3.63 per cent during the next five years to ensure a balanced budget.

The division’s operating budget during the past seven fiscal years spent $155.8 million on salaries and benefits

and $38.2 million in goods and services, the report continued.

Post-pandemic bargaining could be a challenge, based on the experiences of CUPE in Ontario last year, the document noted. That union acquired a new four-year agreement with average wage increases of 3.59 per cent per year. How that affects Saskatchewan bargaining remains to be seen.

Van Parys noted that he was concerned about expenses considering 80 per cent is tied to salaries and benefits. That means the division’s projections must consider public sector settlements since the province funds teachers’ renewed contracts but not support staff contracts.

His calculations showed that teacher salaries are projected to increase between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent during the next five years, while support staff salaries are likely to increase between 2.25 per cent and 3.5 per cent during the same period.

Meanwhile, building maintenance costs are expected to increase by 6.75 per cent and 6.25 per cent during the next two years because of the joint-use school project and renovations to École St. Margaret School, he said. Those numbers should decline to two per cent by 2027-28.

“That’s my best look at a crystal ball (prediction), and some of that crystal ball is a little opaque,” Van Parys added. “ … it’s my best estimate in terms of what the financial future of our school division holds.”

Cyberattacks, job strikes, poor funding some risks facing Holy Trinity, document says

Cyberattacks, labour disruptions, inadequate provincial funding and poor mental health supports are some risks that face Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, a new report suggests.

As part of the organization’s enterprise resource management (ERM) program, division administration created a risk register of the top 49 threats that could affect the division.

Executive council rated those risks, while administration collected and ranked the data. It then created a document — presented during the recent board meeting — with the top 10 risks and mitigation or management strategies.

Executive council is expected to focus on the top three to five risks during the next few months and review the strategies to ensure they are appropriate.

“So this is our initial kick at it … . Once again, a very perhaps myopic CFO view in terms of mitigation strate-

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

gies,” CFO Curt Vay Parys said during the board meeting. “All the mitigation strategies need to be (fleshed) out in greater detail.”

When asked if staff will need to take courses to prevent cyberattacks, Van Parys said one main mitigation measure —initiated last year — is dual-factor authentication of accounts. Such actions should prevent 99.9 per cent of attacks.

However, some cyberattackers can be successful with even a 0.1 per cent chance, he continued. He thought it was “quite scary” but also “quite fascinating” to learn about the threats in the digital world; however, the division has significantly reduced those risks with its current actions.

“This should make a board member feel … good that those risks, there’s something being done to mitigate them,” said trustee Christine Boyczuk.

Top 10 risks

A cybersecurity breach or internal leak resulting in the loss of private or confidential information was the top risk, with a score of 14.4 out of 25. The likelihood of this happening was rated 3.6 out of five, while the negative effect is four out of five.

The second-highest risk was that the Ministry of Education would compromise or take the division’s surplus/ reserve money due to economic or political pressure, with a score of 13.68, a likelihood of 3.8 and an effect of 3.6.

The third risk was the Roman Catholic Church “may challenge the ethos” of Holy Trinity, leaving many families to believe that the division shares the same beliefs and “does not have an inclusive environment.” Families could also believe that the Church’s response to truth and

reconciliation is insufficient and would deter them from enrolling their kids in the division.

This risk score is 13.6, has a likelihood of four and an effect of 3.4.

The fourth-highest risk was that Holy Trinity might not adequately support students and families around mental health, with the risk being 12.24, the likelihood being 3.6 and the effect being 3.4.

The fifth risk was the division may not be able to deliver a quality education because of factors such as enrolment decline or a change in student population. The risk score was 12.16, the likelihood is 3.2 and the effect is 3.8.

The sixth-highest risk is Holy Trinity may not be able to hire or retain well-trained and high-quality staff or administrative personnel. The risk score is 11.52, the likelihood is 3.2 and the effect is 3.6.

The seventh risk is a bus or vehicle collision because of various factors, with a risk score of 11.52, a likelihood of 3.2 and an effect of 3.6.

The eighth-highest risk is the federal, provincial or local economy could become unstable, resulting in reduced staffing or programming. The risk score is 11.4, the likelihood is three and the effect is 3.8.

The ninth risk is the province’s funding formula fails to provide enough predictable and sufficient funding. The risk score is 10.88, the likelihood is 3.4 and the effect is 3.2.

The 10th risk is bargaining agreements can’t be reached and labour disputes/strikes/job action occur. The risk score is 10.88, the likelihood is 3.2 and the effect is 3.4.

’S

Catholic division to use extra $479,000 to address eight areas of budget

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Holy Trinity Catholic School Division will address eight areas of its budget using the nearly $500,000 the provincial government provided recently because of higher-than-expected enrolment this year.

In December, the Ministry of Education notified the school division that it would adjust the organization’s 2022-23 grant funding and provide an extra $478,874 because of the division’s Sept. 30 enrolment of 2,345, which was higher than anticipated.

Division administration reviewed the budget and found eight areas that the extra funding could address.

According to a recent board report, those areas include:

$372,950 to hire an extra 4.36 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers to accommodate the enrolment increase

$176,880 toward busing contract services with the Chinook School Division in southwest Saskatchewan because the latter is retiring its debt for its bus fleet this fiscal year

A reduction in the existing budget of $175,690 in bus lease costs as the lease is a capital item and not operating

$31,010 toward extra busing contract services with Prairie South School Division due to higher operating costs

$30,280 to meet the division’s obligation for French immersion teacher recruitment from the prior fiscal year

$16,650 to retain a software program

$13,970 for school-based budgets to reflect actual — rather than projected — enrolment $8,824 for capital loan interest costs resulting from designating the bus lease as capital rather than operating

The ministry also provided the division with $215,000 in 2021-22 for the Family Early Resource Centre Program in Swift Current, with the division setting up the funds as a restricted external reserve for that fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2022, the report said.

That money was designated for start-up costs, which will now be allocated during this fiscal year to address those expenses that the division incurred.

The province also provided $9,000 for mental health training opportunities and $52,120 for French as a Second Language Intervention program.

Meanwhile, this year’s budget has $174,485 in unassigned funds, so division administration proposed that: $109,285 go toward eliminating operating transfers from reserves that were intended to partially offset bus lease costs, while these funds can be directed to the budget’s capital section

HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DIVISION

THE NEXT HOLY TRINITY BOARD MEETING IS MONDAY, FEB. 13.

$11,000 for additional advertising expenses

$3,500 for tuition fee costs to support home-based students

$1,000 toward the elementary school functional program

There is $49,701 in leftover money, so division administration suggested there could be other projects that would benefit from this funding.

Some projects include truth and reconciliation initiatives, travel costs, extra waves of COVID-19, substitute teacher costs, collective bargaining settlements, carbon tax effects on utilities, math resources and vehicle renewal.

“As the fiscal year progresses, a review will be conducted to identify those areas that may be over or under budget,” the report added. “This could result in reallocating the $49,701 identified above to address these items in whole or in part.”

Province presents possible options to address safety on Highway 1 through Moose Jaw

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The Ministry of Highways is planning a corridor study for Highway 1 through Moose Jaw that will focus on four main intersections and wants public feedback about the proposed upgrades.

The study will address safety concerns along the Trans-Canada Highway where it intersects with 32nd Avenue Northwest, Ninth Avenue Northwest, Highway 2 and Thatcher Drive East.

“Highway 1 through Moose Jaw is an important part of the national highway system, (however), increasing traffic is straining the capacity of several key intersections,” the ministry said. “Changes are needed to improve safety and capacity. Any improvements must consider safety, limited space and maintaining access to local businesses.”

The project’s goals include developing a plan to improve safety and traffic flow, identifying solutions at the main intersections and determining how to reconfigure the Highway 2 interchange.

Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/Highway1MooseJaw to complete the survey.

Visit www.saskatchewan.ca/government/public-consultations/moose-jaw-corridor-study#complete-the-survey to see the preliminary options.

32nd Avenue Northwest

A long-term solution is required to address future development near the intersection of 32nd Avenue Northwest, the study says. In the last five years, there has been one property damage incident and one non-fatal injury collision; the intersection sees roughly 6,350 vehicles per day.

One option is a partial cloverleaf that would use ramps to avoid existing developments and have the avenue cross the highway with an overpass, with traffic entering and exiting Highway 1 using ramps.

This option would cost $45 million to $55 million.

Ninth Avenue Northwest

There are safety concerns with traffic crossing Highway 1 and the proximity of the North Service Road, the ministry said. In the last five years, there have been nine property damage incidents and 10 non-fatal collisions; the intersection averages 5,650 vehicles per day.

One option is to have a right-in, right-out intersection, eliminating left turns in any direction and preventing traffic on Ninth Avenue NW from crossing the highway. This would improve safety by erasing conflict points and preventing severe T-bone collisions.

This option would cost less than $1 million.

Option 2 would install traffic signals, which would eliminate the free flow of traffic on Highway 1 and require speeds lowered to 70 km/h from 80 km/h. Furthermore, Highway 1 would have to shift further south to provide more space between that road and the North Service Road.

“Traffic signals reduce left turn and T-bone crashes, but increase rear-end collisions,” the ministry said.

The option could cost $8 million to $12 million.

Option 3 would install a two-lane roundabout, which would require speeds to be reduced to 60 km/h from 80 km/h on the approach and then 30 km/h through the roundabout.

This option would cost $2 million to $4 million.

Option 4 is to build a partial cloverleaf over the highway, with traffic entering and exiting using ramps and a bridge over the rail crossing to the west, keeping Highway 1 traffic free-flowing.

This option could cost $45 million to $55 million.

Highway 2/Main Street

The Highway 2/Main Street bridge does not provide enough clearance for large trucks and the interchange needs to be reconfigured, the ministry said.

In the last five years, there has been one property damage incident and 11 non-fatal injury collisions; the interchange averages 7,750 vehicles per day on Highway 1 and 6,050 vehicles per day on Highway 2.

Option 1 is to install a diamond interchange, which

would minimize property damage to the bridge. It would have appropriate clearance for large trucks, while traffic would enter and exit Highway 1 using ramps.

This could cost $45 million to $55 million.

Thatcher Drive East

The ministry has heard of safety concerns with traffic crossing Highway 1 at Thatcher Drive East. It noted that in the last five years, there have been six property damage incidents and one non-fatal injury collision; the intersection averages 9,000 vehicles per day.

Option 1 is to install traffic signals, although they would eliminate the free flow of traffic through Moose Jaw. Traffic signals would require speeds lowered to 70 km/h from 100 km/h.

“Traffic signals reduce left turn and T-bone collisions but increase rear-end collisions,” the ministry said.

This option could cost $750,000 to $1.5 million.

Option 2 is to install a two-lane roundabout that would require a speed reduction to 60 km/h from 100 km/h on the approach and a recommended speed through the roundabout of 30 km/h.

This option could cost $2 million to $4 million.

Option 3 would install a diamond interchange that requires an overpass, with traffic entering and exiting using ramps.

This option could cost $45 million to $55 million.

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF CARON NO. 162

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that nomination of candidates for the office of:

Councillor for Division No. 1

will be received by the undersigned at the municipal office during normal office hours and on Wednesday March 1, 2023, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm local time.

Nomination forms may be obtained from the municipal office.

Dated this 7th day of February, 2023.

you are always there whenever i call... you meet all my needs!

A map of the affected intersections, including from left, 32nd Avenue NW, Ninth Avenue NW, Highway 2/Main Street and Thatcher Drive East. Photo courtesy Ministry of Highways

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

The next regular council meeting is MONDAY, FEB. 13. The City of Moose Jaw has unveiled a new housing incentive policy to help address housing needs and is urging developers to take advantage of the new enticements.

City council approved the new policy during its 2023 budget deliberations in December.

“Moose Jaw has experienced a surge in economic growth over the last few years and that is starting to put pressure on our housing market,” said Mayor Clive Tolley. “We need new housing to keep up with the rising demand and we believe this new policy will help spur new construction.”

Developers can pursue two policy incentives: property tax exemptions and capital grants.

With property tax exemptions, housing projects may be eligible to receive a five-year tax phase-in — 100 per cent, 80 per cent, 60 per cent, 40 per cent, 20 per cent — or a five-year, 100-per-cent exemption, the policy says.

With capital grants, housing projects may be eligible to receive a base grant of $3,000 per housing unit. City administration may approve a capital grant of up to $5,000 per housing unit if the project uses multiple municipal housing objectives, to a maximum of $25,000. Capital grants are provided as funding sufficiency allows.

Property developers urged to take advantage of city’s new housing incentive policy

By Moose Jaw Express staff

There are three eligible project categories: secondary suites, infill and replacing housing, and approved federal and provincial projects.

The installation of new secondary suites or the legalization of existing suites in infill areas are eligible for a capital grant to a maximum of $3,000.

Replacement and infill housing must be located within existing and previously developed infill areas, the policy says. The city has some of these lots for sale, so property developers should contact city hall’s planning and development department at 306-694-4443 or planning@ moosejaw.ca for more information.

Meanwhile, any project that creates new housing units or beds and has been approved for financial or other support under a federal or provincial housing-related program may be eligible for incentives at council’s discretion.

Mixed housing projects that include a minimum of 50-per-cent affordable or supportive housing units may be eligible for the capital grant or a five-year, 100-per-cent tax exemption.

To apply, developers should review the municipality’s housing incentive policy to understand if their project is eligible for a tax exemption and/or capital grant. If

applicable, developers should complete their application and submit it simultaneously with their development and building permit.

The planning and development department will review the application, and if approved, developers will receive a housing incentive pre-approval letter with the approved permit. Developers can then commence construction of their project.

If the building permit for the subject project expires, the pre-approved housing incentive becomes null and void.

Once the city’s building official deems the project substantially complete — occupancy granted — the municipality will enter into a tax exemption and/or capital grant agreement with the property owner.

Registered non-profit organizations may request to have the capital grant provided before construction to assist with land purchases.

“Priority will be given to projects that incorporate multiple housing and municipal objectives, are inclusive and integrated with the surrounding community, and align with priorities under the national housing strategy and are eligible for funding through this strategy,” the policy adds.

City wants public feed on possible changes to Official Community Plan

City hall is encouraging residents to provide feedback about changes to the Official Community Plan, a document designed to reflect a community’s values and desires for the future.

The provincial government recognizes the plan (OCP) as a statement about the City of Moose Jaw’s longterm vision — 10 to 20 years out — for growth and development.

Residents of all ages are also encouraged to offer input into the zoning bylaw, which implements the OCP’s policies. The bylaw aims to establish permitted, prohibited or discretionary land uses by assigning zoning districts, outline development standards, and identify permit requirements.

Moose Javians will have plenty of time to provide input since this will be a year-long process.

The initial steps include background research and collection of data and insights from stakeholders. This is followed by an interim report about the issues and analyses, a review of preliminary policies, and a project wrapup that includes recommendations and the new OCP and zoning bylaw.

The official approvals will include a public hearing, council’s adoption and then the province’s approval.

City administration started working in 2022 on renewing the OCP and zoning bylaw — adopted in 2011 — by looking for a contractor who could pursue the project, explained Michelle Sanson, director of planning and development.

City hall eventually hired Wallace Insights to acquire public feedback and Crosby Hanna and Associates to update the OCP and zoning bylaw.

“It’s (OCP) definitely outdated, it has older language, and the future land-use map is outdated and needs to be updated,” she said. “We’re excited to get going on this project and this is the starting point.”

The main idea with updating the OCP is determining what residents want to see in their community, which means engaging with as many people as possible to determine a clear vision, Sanson continued.

The original goal was to have council adopt the new OCP and zoning bylaw by December 2023, however, that will likely happen in January 2024 because of city hall’s desire to hear from as many stakeholders as possible, she added.

There are many ways residents can give feedback.

There will be interactive project displays at Sas-

katchewan Polytechnic on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and at the Wakamow Winter Festival on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m.

There will also be six stakeholder workshops focusing on different aspects of the OCP.

A housing workshop occurs in the Macoun Room at Sask. Polytech on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

A workshop about shops, services, and tourism happens on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Grant Hall Hotel.

A green infrastructure workshop occurs Thursday, Feb. 9, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in city council chambers.

A workshop about employment happens Thursday, Feb. 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Grant Hall Hotel.

A workshop about community connections and quality of life occurs on Friday, Feb. 10, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the library’s south room.

A virtual open topic session happens Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Pre-registration is encouraged.

One large comprehensive session will be on Wednesday, April 5, at the Cultural Centre.

The project webpage — www.moosejaw.ca/OCP — also provides videos to explain the project, a list of the workshops, an online survey and monthly project updates. The first survey asks the community to help establish or confirm the vision for Moose Jaw.

Residents can also contact city hall’s planning and development department at 306-694-4443 or planning@ moosejaw.ca, or planning@wallaceinsights.com to offer comments.

Council rewind: Viterra buys almost 90 acres worth $255K from city for expansion project

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Agriculture company Viterra Inc. has purchased nearly 90 acres of land for over $255,000 from the City of Moose Jaw as part of future expansions and upgrades to its grain elevator.

During a recent executive committee meeting, city council authorized a direct sale with the business for roughly 35.56 hectares (88.92 acres) for $2,876.86 per acre — or $255,810.39 in total before GST — for land near the company’s venue on 2575 Britannia Road.

and city clerk to execute the option to purchase agreement between the municipality and company.

Council also authorized city administration to proceed with a street and lane closure bylaw for several parcels of land. Once the bylaw is completed, administration will proceed with the subdivision and consolidation of the adjacent properties.

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With an Antique Photo!

A legal survey will determine the exact amount of land changing hands, as long as: the property is free and clear of all encumbrances, Viterra covers any costs — added to the purchase price — that the city incurs for issues such as legal surveys, subdivision costs or transfer registrations, and the company covers any costs for remedial work related to environmental site assessments.

Furthermore, council agreed to authorize the mayor

Viterra can proceed with its expansion upgrades once the street and lane closures occur to some “very minor, undeveloped roadways,” city hall said in an email. This process can typically take a few months, and once it happens, the city would turn over title to the company.

During a follow-up council meeting, council approved the minutes from this executive committee gathering, which means the motion is now in effect and the process for the street and lane closure bylaw can proceed.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter For Moose Jaw Express

Another long shot explorer/developer of critical minerals reviewed

One of the lesser known critical minerals needed for modern industrial applications is tellurium.

The rare metal is used in solar cells, semi-conductors, metallurgy and electricity production.

Two-thirds of global production comes from China and Russia, making North American sources important. The United States imports 95 per cent of the tellurium it uses. Demand is increasing.

The price has ranged from $38US a pound in 2017 to $68 a pound in 2021. Current price is $82.83US a pound.

Generally, tellurium is a byproduct of copper mining. A small Canadian explorer is in the process of developing a tellurium, gold and silver mine southeast of Denver, Colorado.

The Klondike property, once under exploration for First Solar to use tellurium on solar panels, was dropped in 2011 when solar hit a few obstacles.

First Tellurium picked up the 83,000 acre property

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

The next regular council meeting is MONDAY, FEB. 13. City hall hopes to officially clear up confusion about the number of northbound driving lanes on First Avenue Northwest by installing parking stalls during a year-long pilot project.

The initiative will see the municipality install 22 posts with numbered signs — there will not be actual mechanical heads — on the east side of the road from Manitoba Street to Oxford Street, indicating where stalls are.

This will clarify that there is only one northbound driving lane, improve traffic safety and generate additional revenue for city coffers.

Motorists will have to use the HotSpot app at those spots, similar to parking at other stalls downtown. Meanwhile, there will be some stalls dedicated to handicapped parking.

City hall plans to take $4,000 from the parking reserve account — which has $2,078,000 in it — and direct it to the operating budget to support the pilot program. City council unanimously approved this initiative during its 2023 budget discussions.

City administration had initially recommended that actual parking meter heads be installed for $36,000. However, it suggested the pilot program to save money in this year’s budget.

This is the second time city hall has proposed in-

and has done some drilling. The work outlined resources in the lowest confidence level of indicated and inferred. More drilling will be required to upgrade the open pit orebody to proven and probable resources.

The preliminary economic assessment by an independent consultant envisions a 74,000 ton per year mine with a nine year life and operating costs at $100US per ton.

The silver content alone will pay for operating costs, leaving the revenues from gold and tellurium free.

Cost of the mine and mill is estimated at $28.3 million US with a payback of 1.6 years.

The company has only explored a small part of the two kilometre by one kilometre trend hosting the ore body.

Management wants to start small and grow as the orebody can be expanded.

CEO Tyrone Docherty, owner of 16.3 per cent of

Tellurium shares, has taken a small operation, built it and sold it for millions before. A $4 million iron ore find was sold for $175 million. His team has experience in the region and industry.

The company seeks other tellurium orebodies for development and has a promising silver gold tellurium polymetallic deposit in northern B.C.

Tellurium share price moved this past two months from 10 cents a share to 19 cents on release of a report suggesting electric batteries using tellurium have a much longer life.

This stock is a speculation offering great rewards if everything clicks and great losses of it doesn’t achieve goals.

CAUTION: Remember when investing, consult your adviser and do your homework before buying any security. Bizworld does not recommend investments. Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Budget rewind: Pilot project will see parking stalls added to east side of First Ave. NW

stalling parking meters there. It suggested the same thing during 2021 budget discussions — council rejected the idea — after that street changed in 2019 from two northbound/southbound lanes to one northbound/southbound lane and a common centre turning lane.

If actual metered heads are installed after the pilot project ends, city administration believes each of the 22 stalls could net $320 per year, or $7,040, leading to a repayment in five years. Council discussion

“We certainly have to do something there. I brought it up a while back that it was really confusing,” said Coun. Doug Blanc. “There are people — and I still see it today — going up two lanes. … People don’t know if there’s two lanes or one lane.

“It has helped with the moving of the (overhead) signs a bit, but it’s still a bit confusing … ,” he added. “Whatever we do, whether it’s the parking meters or the parking app, I think we need to do something there to clarify it.”

The city did reasonably well with phasing in changes to the driving lanes, said Coun. Heather Eby. However, she has noticed that some people are already parking on the east side of First Avenue Northwest, which makes it confusing for other motorists and dangerous throughout

the day.

Eby has considered parking there but hesitated because she didn’t know if that was legal or whether she would be towed. However, she thought motorists would be fully aware of the parking situation there once the signs were installed.

“I will be a little hesitant to use the parking app, but I do think it will be a good pilot project,” she added. “And we can always put in metered heads later.”

Coun. Dawn Luhning was concerned that city hall would have to adjust the turning lanes because she thought vehicles would be parked too close to the corners.

In response, Bevan Harlton, director of engineering, said the stalls would stop just before the corners, thereby preventing that problem.

The city has had a “fairly low uptake” on the parking app, so this pilot project will be a good way to push it into people’s minds, said Darrin Stephanson, director of public works. About 10 per cent of motorists use the app while 90 per cent use coins.

“Running this trial in this manner would drive more traffic to that app in the downtown core,” he added. “I expect to see a trickle effect across the city as users park across the city and become comfortable with the app.”

Budget rewind: Fixing pedestrian safety on Thatcher halted until after transportation plan updated

Enhancing pedestrian safety at two intersections along Thatcher Drive will have to wait until after city hall updates the community’s transportation master plan later this year.

City administration presented two reports during the 2023 budget discussions that reviewed upgrading the intersections of Ninth Avenue Northeast and Fourth Avenue Northwest along Thatcher Drive. Both recommendations urged council to receive and file the documents — which members agreed to do — so city hall could update the master plan.

Ninth Avenue Northeast

The preliminary cost to install a signalized pedestrian crossing at Ninth Avenue Northeast is $43,900, including contingency funding, engineering fees and taxes, a report said.

An aerial view of the area shows the network of pathways is incomplete, with no trails connecting to the intersection itself, the document continued. Therefore, investing in a signalized pedestrian crossing now would not serve an existing network.

Meanwhile, a high-level review of Thatcher Drive shows that the Ministry of Highways needs to first invest in the Highway 1 intersection, that Thatcher needs a lane alignment and changes to road width and that pathways need to be connected and integrated.

The 2012 transportation master plan suggested that the city should install signalized lights or a roundabout once the community reaches 45,000 people, the report

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

added.

The engineering and parks and recreation departments will provide recommendations about possible costs to upgrade this intersection once they complete their respective transportation and trails master plans later this fall.

Coun. Crystal Froese said she understood wanting to wait for the updated master plan but was concerned about the number of pedestrians accessing the area and their safety. She acknowledged that while the trails don’t match up, people still use them to reach the intersection and from there, two busy fast-food restaurants and several hotels.

She hoped there might be less expensive solutions, such as more signs or painted walkways.

The east-west trail is about 25 to 40 metres away from the intersection, so it would have to be pulled forward to connect, while there is no connecting path for the north-south trail because it ends before the Co-op gas bar, explained Bevan Harlton, director of engineering.

It would also be costly to change the intersection’s geometry while investing in signalized lights or other physical adjustments should wait until the province has completed its highway corridor study for Thatcher Drive East, he added.

City manager Jim Puffalt indicated that public works could paint crosswalk lines and install signs but would first come to council with proposed measures. He added that there is enough funding in the crosswalk painting

budget to add one more intersection.

Fourth Avenue Northwest

The preliminary cost to install a signalized pedestrian crossing at Fourth Avenue Northwest is $43,900, including contingency funding, engineering fees and taxes, a second report said.

This issue arose after a community organization contacted city hall in December 2020 about the desire for overhead pedestrian lights and/or a three-way stop. The correspondence related to safety concerns about pedestrians and vehicles passing through the intersection on Thatcher Drive.

This intersection has no lights but has signs and a marked pedestrian crossing, while the crossing connects to other regularly maintained city trails, the document said.

A future lane re-alignment might make sense because the east- and westbound driving lanes decrease to one from two lanes near this intersection, while south of Thatcher on Fourth Avenue Northwest is a low clearance (3.8-metre) bridge vehicles hit annually, the report added. However, the transportation master plan does not consider this intersection suitable for improvements.

Coun. Heather Eby agreed with the report and with waiting for city hall to complete the transportation and trails master plans since they would help council make more informed decisions.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw’s 2022 Citizen of the Year announced – Eric Campbell

Eric Campbell is the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for 2022. The awards luncheon, held on Jan. 31 at the Heritage Inn, honoured efforts made during the time period of Jan. 1 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022.

Campbell was nominated for for his work giving back to the community and specifically for his coaching. In 2022, he volunteered as head or assistant coach for eight different athletic teams in Moose Jaw. He developed the Mavericks Fall Festival and the Campbell Female Hockey Camp, participated in the Men’s Night Out in the Cold fundraiser for Transition House, and volunteered more of his time to care for a local ice rink.

Each nominee for the 2022 Citizen of the Year award was given a certificate honouring their work. Scott Greenough, representing sponsor CAE, noted that being nominated is an honour in itself and added that each nominee was setting an example for others to follow.

Ryan Hrechka, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Moose Jaw Mayor Clive Tolley also spoke, thanking nominees for their contribution to the city. Jay-Douglas Haughton was the event’s MC.

The other nominees for Citizen of the Year were:

·

Darlene Geib

Jared Mathieson

Jody Oakes

Laurie Kosior

Maguire Jackman

Darlene Geib was nominated for the abundance of charitable work she does for unhoused people in Moose Jaw. Geib spends hundreds of hours of her time giving rides, making phone calls, and co-ordinating with friends, family, and strangers to help people with nowhere to go. She helped to provide 271 nights of warm, safe accomodation in 2022. She volunteers at John Howard Society, the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, the Snowbirds Alumni, and was adopted as an honorary Snowbird last year.

Jared Mathieson is well-known in Moose Jaw as one of the masterminds behind events like the Men’s Night Out in the Cold and the group River Street Promo-

tions, which was nominated for Group of the Year. He also previously worked with the Moose Jaw Health Foundation to put on Concerts of Hope at the Mae Wilson.

Jody Oakes is the director of John Howard Society in Moose Jaw. She is one of the city’s most passionate advocates for the unhoused and works endlessly to help the most vulnerable. She’s grown the My Place program at John Howard Society, helping hundreds of people while also raising awareness of their needs and of the systemic failures that contribute to their misery. On the coldest nights of the year, at all hours, she can be found on Moose Jaw’s streets making sure everyone is ac-

counted for.

Laurie Kosior has been the chair of the Moose Jaw Health Foundation’s Festival of Trees fundraiser for 11 years, helping to raise over $2.9 million for medical equipment at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital. Kosior helped establish a permanent nursing scholarship at Sask Polytech for a student from Moose Jaw and surrounding area. She is also on the volunteer committee of River Street Promotions.

Maguire Jackman raised over

$1,600 this year by selling her own homemade sparkly bags at various events and venues around the city. The 10-year-old began her efforts after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The money she’s raised will go toward breast cancer research and buying socks to keep the feet of cancer patients at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina warm.

Eric Campbell accepts his plaque for 2022 Citizen of the Year

Jared Mathieson accepts his nomination certificate for Citizen of the Year from Chamber of Commerce president Ryan Hrechka and CAE director Scott Greenough

Maguire Jackman accepts her nomination certificate for Citizen of the Year from Chamber of Commerce president Ryan Hrechka and CAE director Scott Greenough

Darlene Geib accepts her nomination certificate for Citizen of the Year from Chamber of Commerce president Ryan Hrechka and CAE director Scott Greenough. MC JD Haughton is at the podium

Laurie Kosior accepts her nomination certificate for Citizen of the Year from Chamber of Commerce president Ryan Hrechka and CAE director Scott Greenough

Jody Oakes accepts her nomination certificate for Citizen of the Year from Chamber of Commerce president Ryan Hrechka and CAE director Scott Greenough

Moose Jaw’s 2022 Group of the Year is River Street Promotions

River Street Promotions has been announced as the 2022 Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce Group of the Year at an awards luncheon on Jan. 31 at the Heritage Inn.

JD Haughton was the event’s MC. Moose Jaw Mayor Clive Tolley spoke, praising the Group of the Year nominees for their service to the community. Scott Greenough, director of event co-sponsor CAE, Inc, and Ryan Hrechka, president of the Chamber of Commerce, also spoke.

River Street Promotions is a non-profit group that brings musical talent to Moose Jaw in order to raise money for youth mental wellness in south Saskatchewan, with their second annual Homestand ‘22 concert raising $100,000 last September.

That money is split into two parts, with $15,000 going to maintain and beautify the concert’s venue, Ross Wells Ballpark, and $85,000 going to the River Street Promotions fund. The RSP fund is administered by Prairie South School Division and shared with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.

Numerous events and activities supporting youth mental wellness have been the result.

“It’s an honour, thank you very much,” said Andy Hamilton of RSP, who noted that he had no warning he would be

giving the acceptance speech. “We have a really solid group of people ... who are all in it for the right reasons. And that is to benefit the youth of our communities in southern Saskatchewan and their mental health, and specifically to help youth before they get to a point of crisis.”

The event’s other nominees were:

• U15 A Moose Jaw Warriors

• Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw

• Square One Community Inc.

• Moose Jaw & District Seniors Association

The U15 A Moose Jaw Warriors were nominated for their efforts to make their sport more inclusive and open to newcomers to Canada. They were finalists for the 2022 Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup. The team rented ice, supplied equipment, and gave their time to instruct dozens of newcomers curious about the game.

Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw is an

organization devoted to establishing and expanding hospice care in the city. They have succeeded in partnering with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to create a hospice wing at Pioneer Lodge, fundraised endlessly, and given their time and expertise to ease the final days of many. They hope to complete renovations at Pioneer Lodge this year.

Square One Community, Inc. is working towards the goal of a dedicated low-barrier women’s shelter for Moose Jaw, along with a permanent warming shelter. They work with groups like John Howard Society and Riverside Mission to help the unhoused, and partnered with the City of Moose Jaw and almost every agency and charitable organization in it to create the Moose Jaw Cold Weather Strategy — a continually-updated list of resources for the unhoused.

The Moose Jaw and District Seniors Association is a community of individuals dedicated to making the lives of seniors active, fulfilling, and stimulating. They offer an inclusive and friendly environment that is the main social outlet for many, including activities such as shuffleboard, line dancing, pickleball, and more. They also put efforts toward charitable initiatives such as a collection drive for warm clothing for newcomers.

people are making it a priority to look after their own arrangements. Find out how to control costs, provide peace of mind for your family and executor, and fund those costs in advance (with a convenient monthly payment or a lump sum). Purple Shield Plans are totally customized to your wishes.

Tuesday, February 7 th

~ Rodo’s Pizza Event Room 9th Avenue South & Grandview Street 6:30pm (from the menu)

Saturday, February 11 th

~ Grant Hall Ranchers Room 401 Main Street North 11:30am (from the menu)

Thursday, February 16 th

~ Houston Pizza Event Room

117 Main Street North 6:30pm (from the menu)

Wednesday, February 22 nd

~ Rodo’s Pizza Event Room 9th Avenue South & Grandview Street 6:30pm (from the menu)

Thursday, March 2 nd

~ Houston Pizza Event Room 117 Main Street North 6:30pm (from the menu)

Crystal Froese, Susan Karner, and Christine Boyczuk accept the nomination certificate on behalf of Square One

River Street Promotions is the 2022 Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce Group of the Year

The U15 A Warriors accept their nomination certificate for Group of the Year

Sara Bryan and Angela Sereda accept their nomination certificate on behalf of Heartland Hospice

A representative of the Moose Jaw and District Seniors Association accepts the group’s nomination certificate

Warriors win two of three on Central Division road swing

Moose Jaw opens trip with 4-1 loss in Lethbridge on Feb. 1 before taking 4-1 victory over Edmonton Friday and 2-1 win in Calgary on Sunday afternoon

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Warriors wrapped up their recent Central Division road swing by dropping a 4-1 decision to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday, Feb. 1 but were able to rebound in style, taking a 4-1 win of their own over the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday and following up with a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday afternoon.

Moose Jaw is now 32-16-0-3 on the season and remains a point back of the Saskatoon Blades for third place in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, eight points up on fifth-place Lethbridge.

The Warriors couldn’t catch a break in their opening game of the trip, as bad bounces and redirections played a part in all four of the Hurricanes’ goals. Lethbridge took a 2-0 lead out of the first period and led 3-1 through two.

Atley Calvert scored Moose Jaw’s only goal at the 5:48 mark of the second period, but that would be the only spot of good news for the Warriors on the night.

Hayden Smith, Blake Swetlikoff, An-

ton Astashevich scored for Lethbridge in the first two periods, while Joe Arntsen added an empty netter to salt things away in the third.

Connor Ungar had 29 saves in the

loss, while Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product Bryan Thomson had 35 saves for the Hurricanes.

It was a much different affair 48 hours later, as facing the last-place Oil Kings, the Warriors would take a 3-0 lead out of the opening 20 minutes and would never look back on their way to a comfortable win.

Robert Baco, Jagger Firkus and Eric Alarie all scored in the first period before Ben Riche made it a 4-0 game minutes into the second. Rilen Kovacevic got one back for Edmonton before the period was out, and that would be as close as Edmonton would get.

Denton Mateychuk picked up assists on the first two goals and now has 45 helpers on the campaign, moving into a tie for second among WHL defenceman with Winnipeg’s Ben Zloty. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick is also third among defenceman scoring with 51 points.

Jackson Unger finished the night with one of his best games of the season, turning aside 42 shots. The Warriors had 27 shots on Edmonton’s Kolby Hay.

The Warriors closed out the trip with yet another close-checking battle in Calgary, with a late goal from Calvert proving to be the difference.

The 19-year-old Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product scored the winner with 3:43 remaining in the game, scoring his team-leading and career-high 30th of the season in the process. The goal also moved Calvert into a tie for sixth in that category in the WHL.

Ryder Korczak scored the Warriors’ other goal 4:55 into the second, with his marker coming only 41 seconds after Grayden Siepmann had given Calgary the lead.

The victory gave Ungar his league-leading 26th win of the season. The overage netminder finished the game with 35 saves and saw his save percentage improve to .925, tops in the WHL among eligible goaltenders.

The Warriors are back in action Wednesday when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.

Winmar Warriors continue winning ways with weekend victories

Moose Jaw battles to 4-3 overtime victory over Swift Current Friday before taking 6-2 victory against Contacts Sunday

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

In the middle of January, the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors were battling for their playoff lives and struggling to pick up wins even against teams behind them in the standings.

Now, they’re one of the hottest teams in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League, thanks to wins in seven of their last eight games, and have their eyes on continuing to climb up the standings as the postseason nears.

The Warriors picked up a pair of victories in SMAAAHL action this past weekend, battling to a 4-3 overtime win against the Swift Current Legionnaires on Friday at the Moose Jaw Events Centre before scoring six straight on their way to a 6-2 win over the Saskatoon Contacts on Sunday.

The Warriors now hold an 18-16-0-4 record and have moved within four points of Notre Dame for sixth place in the 12team league.

Caleb Potter scored the game-winner 3:29 into overtime against the Legionnaires, with the victory continuing a string of close wins for Moose Jaw -- six of their

victories heading into Friday were by two goals or less and four by a single goal, two in overtime.

Parker Robinson opened scoring for the Legionnaires with a power play goal a minute into the proceedings, but Wyatt LaCoste would get that one back for Moose Jaw 46 seconds later.

Three minutes after that marker, Cobe Perlinger scored for Swift Current to give the visitors a 2-1 lead out of the opening 20 minutes.

Potter scored his first of the game 2:18 into the second before the Legionnaires’ Rylan Williams restored his team’s one-goal lead with a power play marker at the 8:23 mark.

That set the stage for Connor Miller, who scored his 20th of the season with 5:17 remaining in the second to tie the game and eventually send things into overtime.

There, Potter finished things off, with team scoring leader Liam Fitzpatrick and Jake Briltz drawing assists.

Ryan Bain enjoyed one of his best games of the season in the Moose Jaw net, turning aside 40 shots, while Jacob Morris had 31 saves for Swift Current.

For the first 10 minutes on Sunday, it looked as if it was going to be a long afternoon for the home team -- Spencer Chestolowski and Jackson Fox scored for Saskatoon in the opening 9:19, giving the Contacts a quick two-goal edge.

Drew Fleger scored his first of the season for Moose Jaw with 5:36 remaining to get his crew back within one, though, and that would be a sign of things to come

from there on.

Austin Woodley tied the game 3:05 into the second; Jonah Pinel gave the Warriors their first lead with 5:36 to play and Fitzpatrick scored his first of the game two minutes later to give Moose Jaw a 4-2 edge through two.

Fitzpatrick then scored his league-leading 28th and 29th goals of the season in the third period, recording his third hat trick of the season. The goals also extended Fitzpatrick’s point streak to 14 games and saw him move into second in SMAAAHL scoring with 59 points, one back of Raiden Zacharias of the Saskatoon Blazers.

Grady Hoffman added three assists and now has 17 goals and 48 points to sit tied for sixth overall in league scoring, Ryan Bain had another solid showing in goal with 21 saves, while Moose Jaw had 34 shots on Saskatoon’s Logan Edmonstone.

The Winmar Warriors are back in action on Thursday night when they host the Regina Pat Canadians. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Warriors’ Ungar named WHL Goaltender of the Month

Overage netminder’s ongoing stellar play earns top marks after picking up points in 12 of 13 games

Moose Jaw Warriors goaltender Connor Ungar has put together a great season so far this year, so it was no surprise that last week the Western Hockey League took notice.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the WHL announced that Ungar has been named the Goaltender of the Month for January, capping another stellar run of games for the overage netminder.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Ungar saw action in 12 of the Warriors’ 13 games over the past month, picking up points in 11 of those and posting a 2.37 goals against average and .933 save percentage to go along with an 8-1-0-3 record over that span.

It didn’t matter how busy the Calgary native was, either, as regardless of how many shots Ungar faced, he was able to find a way to keep the Warriors in the

season, and last

shootout loss to Red Deer on Jan. 11 and 42 stops in their 4-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks on Jan. 13.

Ungar has found himself near the top of a few goaltending categories all season, and with his string of impressive performances, heads into February as the WHL leader in wins with 25 -- part of a 25-6-03 record overall -- and the league’s best save percentage at .924. Ungar’s 2.61 goals against average is seventh best in the WHL, and he has one shutout, that coming back on Nov. 19 in a 6-0 win over Swift

Ungar holds a career 52-19-2-3 record, 2.57 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and three shutouts in 85 career regular season games with Bran-

The Warriors are back in action this week on Wednesday night when they travel to Lethbridge to take on the Hurricanes.

Moose Jaw Warriors goaltender Connor Ungar has been rock solid in the Warriors net all

Wednesday, the WHL acknowledged his stellar play.

Atley Calvert scored the game-winner with less than four minutes remaining in Calgary on Sunday afternoon.

Winmar Warriors logo

Clippers volleyball teams post sweeps over SAIT, women’s basketball also wins pair

Men’s hockey drop two one-goal games to first-place Red Deer, men’s basketball lose two to Trojans

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The wins just keep adding up for the Briercrest College Clippers women’s basketball team, and after another successful weekend in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference action, they find themselves within striking distance of the South Division leaders.

The Clippers picked up a 70-60 win over the SAIT Trojans on Friday and followed up with a 68-55 victory in Saturday’s rematch to extend their winning streak to six games. That gives Briercrest an 11-7 record overall, good enough to sit two points back of Red Deer and Lethbridge for second place in the division.

The Clippers only led by a pair 34-32 at halftime in their opener, but outscored SAIT 23-13 in the third quarter and never looked back.

Brooklyn Martens led the way with 18 points and 13 rebounds for BC, while Amber Fichtner had 16 points and nine rebounds to go along with 12 points each from Dori Sunderland and Maddison Beattie.

Briercrest got off to a great start Saturday at Margaret P. Reimer gymnasium, leading 20-8 after the first 10 minutes, but SAIT clawed their way back to within four at the half. That lead was two points much of the third quarter, but the Clippers would pull away for their comfortable win.

Fichtner had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Martens 14 points and eight rebounds and Beattie 11 points.

**** The Clippers women’s volleyball team also find themselves on a six-match winning streak after back-toback wins over SAIT in Calgary.

Briercrest rolled to a 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20) win Friday’s opener and followed up with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-19) victory in the rematch. That’s good enough for a 10-7 record and a three-way tie with Lethbridge and Red Deer for second in the South Division.

Rachel Stead and Julia Beer each had 12 kills in the opening win, while Kelsey Simes put down 10. Brynn Hardy led the defence with nine digs, setter Jess Zacharias had 36 assists and eight digs. Moose Jaw’s Summer Okerstrom had five kills and three digs.

Simes led Briercrest with 10 kills Saturday, Beer added nine and Okerstrom four. Zacharias had 29 assists.

Briercrest returned to their winning ways in men’s volleyball with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-18) win over SAIT in their opener and 3-2 (25-17, 19-25, 18-25, 2521, 15-12) victory on Saturday.

The Clippers are now 10-7 and sit in fourth place in the South, two points back of Olds College.

Karym Coleman had a stellar outing Friday despite the short match, putting down 23 kills. Jackson Anderson added 12 kills, Jeremy Martens had 24 assists.

Coleman picked up 22 kills and eight digs on Saturday, while Tyson Nachtigall had nine kills. Cole Johnson led the defence with 12 digs, Martens had 45 assists.

****

It was a tough weekend for the Clippers men’s hockey team, as they lost a pair of heartbreakers to first-place Red Deer, dropping a 3-2 decision Friday and following up with a 4-3 loss Saturday.

Colton Aikens opened scoring for Briercrest 4:28 into the weekend’s first game, but Red Deer would score three straight through the remainder of the contest to take a 3-1 lead into the final minute. Jacob Arsenault got one back for the Clippers as time ran down, but they’d be unable to find the tying goal.

Dominik Tmej made 33 saves in taking the loss.

The Clippers got off to an even better start on Saturday at the Barkman Arena, as Zachary Thususka and Trey Doell scored in the game’s first seven minutes for a 2-0 lead. Red Deer got one back before the period was out, though, and outscored the Clippers 3-1 in the second before going on to their 4-3 win.

Halen Cordoni scored Briercrest’s other goal, Tmej turned aside 36 shots.

****

Briercrest took a couple of tough losses in men’s basketball, losing 94-81 in their opener against SAIT and falling 90-69 in the rematch.

The Clippers are now 2-16 and in eighth place in the South Division.

Zach Martens led Briercrest with 14 points and seven rebounds in game one, with Central grad Kaedyn Banilevic joining Matthew Bryant in putting up 13 points each. Brolin Simes added 12 and Lual Piok 10.

Piok put together his best game of the season Saturday, scoring 18 points with five rebounds, while Moose Jaw product Riley Seaborn picked up 18 points and seven rebounds. Simes had a 16-point outing, Martens hauled in 11 rebounds.

***

All five teams are back in action this coming weekend, with men’s and women’s basketball hosting Keyano College Friday and SAIT on Saturday. Men’s hockey makes the trip to Edmonton to face NAIT for a two-game set, while men’s and women’s volleyball are at Keyano Friday and Lakeland Saturday to close out their regular season.

Moose Jaw’s Ackerman joining Silvernagle rink as fifth for Scotties Tournament of Hearts

First-year women’s curling excited for opportunity to be part of national curling championship in Kamloops

When her rink fell in the first round of the playoffs at the Viterra Scotties provincial women’s curling championship, Moose Jaw’s Skylar Ackerman thought her quest to reach the highest level of curling in Canada had come to an end for this season.

A day later, that all changed.

The 21-year-old Saskatoon Nutana skip received a text from provincial champion Robyn Silvernagle asking if she’d be interested in serving as the team’s fifth for the upcoming Scotties Tournament in Kamloops, and it’s safe to say it wasn’t a difficult decision.

“It was pretty easy to say yes,” Ackerman said with a laugh. “They said they thought I had the ability to play any position that they needed me to and that it would be a neat experience for me, and I’m just really, really grateful.”

Ackerman had naturally hoped to make the trip with her team -- which includes third Kya Kennedy, second Taylor Stremick and lead Kaylin Skinner -- but playing as a fifth alongside a two-time provincial champion in Silvernagle was most certainly a nice consolation prize.

“At first I was definitely in shock for a bit, really surprised and really, really excited,’ Ackerman said. “It’s kind of a dream come true to go to my first Scotties with Team Saskatchewan and I could never thank them enough for this… I haven’t even really slept the last couple of days, but that’s alright.”

The opportunity was well earned, to say the least. Playing her first season on the women’s tour after a successful junior career that saw her rinks contend for provincial titles year in and year out, Ackerman put together a great campaign and landed an automatic berth in the provincial Scotties.

There, she’d post a 3-3 record, reaching the first round of the Page Playoffs before falling in an extra end to Sask curling legend Sherry Anderson.

“It was our first year together in women’s and we had a really good run, I’m really happy with how this season went,” Ackerman said. “We had a really good start to the season and really clicked, we get along really well, we’re good friends on and off the ice and I think that really helps.”

Now the goal will be to stay as sharp as possible heading into the national Scotties, which begin on Friday, Feb, 17 from the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.

“I just want to enjoy the moment, soak it all in and gain some experience,” Ackerman said. “I’m hoping to learn a lot from them and I know that I will. Then it’s just supporting them as much as I can so they can be successful on the ice and do well.”

Silvernagle and her North Battleford team of third Kelly Shafer, second Sherry Just and lead

Kara Thevenot open their round robin on Feb. 17 against Nova Scotia’s Christina Black before taking on

Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik in their lone game Feb. 18 and B.C.’s Clancy Grandy on Feb. 19. They begin the new week against Quebec’s Laurie St. George on Feb, 20 before taking on Wild Card #1 Kaitlyn Lawes and Team Canada’s Kerri Einarson in their two games on Feb. 21. Silvernagle’s lone game on Feb. 22 is against Nunavut’s Brigitte McPhail and they close out the preliminary round on Feb. 23 against P.E.I’s Suzanne Birt.

The top three teams from each round-robin pool advance to the playoff round on Feb. 24, followed by the Page Playoffs first two rounds on Feb. 25 and the semifinal and final on Feb, 26.

Facing some of the top teams in the world will be a different experience for Ackerman, but it’s one she’s getting more and more used to as time goes on.

“It’s still a little starstruck when you step out on the ice and they’re there or you see their names on a draw, but we’ve had the opportunity to play some of those teams in World Curling Tour events when we travel around, so we’re getting a little more used to it,” Ackerman said. “But I imagine the heart will still be pumping a bit for sure.”

While Ackerman will likely only see the ice if a game is a blowout or someone gets sick or injured, she still plans to do what she can to help Silvernagle and crew perform at their best.

“It’s going to be different, but I’m looking forward to experiencing it firsthand and the behind-the-scenes action of everything,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll be there myself as a Scotties winner one day, so I’ll just soak it all in and pick up as much as I can.”

Ackerman won’t be the only Moose Jaw connection to the team, as CurlSask Director of High Performance Pat Simmons will serve as Silvernagle’s coach.

You can follow along with all the scores from the event on TSN and at www.curling.ca/2023scotties/.

Clippers hitter Rachel Stead led Briercrest with 12 kills in their weekend opening win over SAIT on Friday.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw’s Skylar Ackerman will be joining the Robyn Silvernagle rink as their fifth player.

LaChance returning to Miller Express for upcoming season

Doane Unversity product to take field with WCBL squad after solid campaign in 2022

For the Miller Express, things are looking like this upcoming season there will be a number of veterans returning when the Western Canadian Baseball League season opens at the end of May.

The team recently announced that Luke LaChance will be making his return to the Miller Express for the upcoming campaign, bringing a solid bat and steady play in the infield to the local squad.

LaChance suited up in 40 games for Moose Jaw last season, including 32 in the regular season as he hit .283 with 18 runs batted in, three doubles and 15 runs scored. The Littleton, Col. product was one of a host of Millers hitters who flirted with a .300 average much of the season, especially when he started to swing a hot bat late in the campaign.

In fact, LaChance saved some of his best work at the plate for the playoffs. After putting together hits in five of six

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

games leading into the post-season, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound utility infielder went on a tear once the games really started to matter, recording at least a base hit in seven of Moose Jaw’s eight playoff contests.

That included a 3-for-4, one RBI outing in the Express’ 2-1 loss to Medicine Hat to open the East semifinal and a pair of hits one night later when Moose Jaw picked up a 7-2 win to force the series to a deciding game.

All told, LaChance would hit .357 in the playoffs, knocking in three runs and crossing the plate twice himself.

LaChance is one of four players who took the field with Moose Jaw from Doane University last season, including WCBL all-stars Kellan Voggesser and Nate Mensik along with outfielder Joe Osborn. Of that crew, Voggesser joins LaChance in having been announced as a returning player for the Miller Express this season.

LaChance is heading into his junior season with the Crete, Neb.-based Tigers, who play in the NAIA Great Plains

Athletic Conference. He hit .290 with 17 RBI and 21 runs scored last spring, with the Tigers putting together a 24-4 record in conference and eventually reaching the first round of the NAIA World Series.

Doane opens their 2023 campaign on Friday, Feb. 10 when they host Kansas Wesleyan for a three game set. The following weekend will see the Miller Express’ crew running into a familiar face, as they take on Moose Jaw product Reece Helland and MidAmerica Nazerene on Friday, Feb, 17.

The Doane Tigers’ schedule runs through Apr. 28, followed by the GPAC and NAIA post-seasons. You can follow them at www.doaneathletics.com.

The Moose Jaw Miller Express open their 2023 Western Canadian Baseball League season on Saturday, May 27 when they host the Weyburn Beavers at Ross Wells Park.

Miller Express MVP Mensik to return to team this summer

Hard-hitting outfielder was a WCBL All-Star and led the league in home runs much of the 2022 season

Right from the moment Nate Mensik stepped on the field with the Moose Jaw Miller Express last season, he had an immediate impact.

Home runs in his first two games set the tone for the Western Canadian Baseball League campaign, and by the time things wrapped up in the league final two months later, Mensik had team Most Valuable Player honours and an appearance in the WCBL All-Star Game to his credit.

The Miller Express announced recently that the Doane University junior will be making his return to the team for the upcoming WCBL season, adding another tremendously potent bat to what’s already shaping up to be a dangerous line-up.

Anyone who followed the Express at Ross Wells Park last season will be plenty aware of what Mensik is capable of -- in addition to his power at the start of the season, the Pleasant Dale , Neb. product

showed an affinity for getting on base and driving in runs. In fact, his batting average would never dip below .300 after the opening weekend and he’d spend much of the season hitting .350 or higher. All told, Mensik capped the campaign with a .314

average to go along with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in 54 games.

That included a month-long 24-game hitting streak from June 1 through July 5, with a 4-for-4, two-run outing against Medicine Hat on June 3 and a 4-for-5, three-run, three RBI performance against Swift Current on Jul. 16 among his single-game highlights.

As one might imagine, Mensik’s totals put him among the league leaders -he’d finished tied for the WCBL lead in home runs and 10th in RBI, only four back the league lead.

Mensik also had a solid showing in the post-season, hitting .387 with four doubles, a home run, six runs scored and six RBI over their eight-game run to the WCBL final.

Mensik is one of four players from Doane who suited up in Moose Jaw last season, with all-star pitcher Kellan Vog-

gesser and infielder Luke LaChance having been announced as returnees for 2023. Heading into his junior season with Tigers, Mensik will be one of the players to watch in the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference after hitting .298 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles and 44 RBI in 50 games last season.

Doane opens their 2023 campaign on Friday, Feb. 10 when they host Kansas Wesleyan for a three-game set. The Miller Express crew will run into a familiar face the following weekend, as they take on Moose Jaw product Reece Helland and MidAmerica Nazerene on Friday, Feb, 17. The Doane Tigers’ schedule runs through Apr. 28, followed by the GPAC and NAIA post-seasons. You can follow them at www.doaneathletics.com.

The Moose Jaw Miller Express open the 2023 season on Saturday, May 27 when they host the Weyburn Beavers.

High School Athletes of the Month January

For Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Winners of the Babich Farms Moose Jaw High School Athletic Assocoation Athletes of the Month for January include Oscar Ng (back left, Briercrest Christian basketball), Keyana Thiessen (Briercrest Christian basketball), Matt Artavia (Cornerstone Christian basketball and volleyball), Anna Thorn (Cornerstone Christian basketball), Kendall Ebbett (front left, Vanier curling), Kiara Benson (Vanier curling), Elias Yuke (Riverview archery), Hannah Hipfner (Riverview curling). Missing are Lance Geddes (Peacock basketball), Tegan Tollefson (Peacock

Luke LaChance will be returning to the Moose Jaw Miller Express this summer

basketball), Ryan Skardal (Central wrestling), Eisa Tondevold (Central wrestling), Submitted.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Nate Mensik did all sorts of damage to WCBL pitching last season, and he’ll be back to do more of the same this summer.

Central, Vanier wins create logjam at top of boys and girls senior basketball standings

Peacock and Vanier tied for top spot in girls league, Central and Peacock share top spot in boys standings

With the Moose Jaw High School Athletic Association senior boys and girls basketball seasons entering the final month of the regular season, whoever gets hot at just the right time will likely come away with their respective league championships, and based on how things played out on Tuesday, Jan, 31, who those teams will be is anybody’s guess.

The Central Cyclones battled to an 81-61 victory over the Peacock Toilers in boys league action, while the Vanier Spirits took a 70-47 win over Peacock and Central defeated Assiniboia 59-25 in girls league play.

The lone boys league game offered another example of how back-and-forth things have been in the early going between the two 3-1 teams, not only in the overall results but within the games themselves.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Central wasted little time getting things going, roaring out to a 20-8 lead in the opening 10 minutes. The Toilers -who handed the Cyclones their lone loss of the season back on Dec. 13 -- didn’t go quietly, though, outscoring Central 25-21 in the third quarter and 16-14 in the third to head into the final frame trailing by six. There would be no comeback, though, as the Cyclones poured on the pressure in the fourth quarter and would go on to their 20-point win.

Gerritt Gulutzan led Central with 23 points, while Tommy Vincent put up 20 and Earl Lamsen 17. Kai Houghton was Peacock’s top scorer with 22 points, Mac Simpson had 16 and Nathan McDougall 13.

In girls league action, the Spirits put together one of their best games of the season to hand the Toilers their first loss and

move into a tie for first place at 3-1. Vanier only led by a pair after the first quarter, but had extended their edge to 11 by halftime and led by nine heading into the fourth.

Kate Waldenbeger led the Spirits with 21 points, while Waverley Demassi had 19 points and Ava Kindiak added 10. Devlynn McClung continued her solid Grade 10 season with 21 points, while

Hannah Miller put up 20 for the Toilers. Peacock got right back on track two nights later, as they’d roar out to a 23-10 lead in the first quarter and go on to a 7768 victory over the Lumsden Angels. McClung had 17 points, including four three-pointers, as the Toilers were lethal from long range all night. Miller and Micah Coupland had 16 points each for Peacock, who led 43-32 at the half. Kaitlin Kidd led Lumsden with 16, while Kiera Winquist scored 14 and Jordi Exner added 11.

The Cyclones win over Assiniboia was their second of the season and saw Central improve to 2-3 while the Rockets fell to 0-4. Ava Nichols put up 16 points to lead the Cyclones, while Molly McLean scored 13 and Addy Simpson added 10. Kayley Beaubien and Jenna Gronsdahl scored seven each for Assiniboia.

Central And Vanier Defeat Opponents in Junior Basketball Action on Wednesday, February 1st - a wrapup story

It was the best of times for Central Collegiate junior boys and junior girls basketball teams as they were victorious in the Wednesday evening league play.

It was also a good outing for the Vanier Spirits junior girls team as they defeated the visiting Cornerstone Christian School junior varsity team avenging a triple overtime loss from the last time the two teams met.

Here is a rundown of the game reports received - the photo feature game is the matchup between the Cyclones Gold team versus the Vikings Red team.

Central Gold 125 - Vanier Red 21

The Vanier Red team were up against a faster, larger and skill- based Central Gold team and found themselves out matched.

The Vikings were shortbenched a couple of players during the game due to illness.

The end of the First Quarter saw Central with a 32 - 3 lead.

The score at Half Time was Central 64 and Vanier 10.

The Third Quarter score was Central 95 and Vanier 16.

The Final Score was Central 125 and Vanier 21.

Despite being over matched in the game, the Vikings continued to press forward with their fans erupting in applause when they scored a perfect two points - to move to 16 points - on a breaking play and then out rebounding the Cyclones to make the third quarter hoop.

The Cyclones, for their part, managed on many occasions to break up Vanier’s drive down the court often deep on Vanier’s end.

Fast breaks, positional play, as well as using their size advantage to win the rebound matchup were keys to Central’s victory.

Pair of upsets highlight most recent night of action in Original 16 Cash League

KalTire, Pro-Tec Electric post wins over league leaders; BTN Accountants remain undefeated

It was a night for upsets in Original 16 Cash League action on Wednesday, as two of the top teams in the standings were handed losses at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.

With only two nights remaining in the regular season and six teams within two wins of second place, things will be interesting coming down the stretch as playoff positions start to get settled.

KalTire (Dustin Woloschuk, 8-8) kept his hopes for a top-six finish alive with a 4-3 victory over KMS Construction (Ben Gamble, 9-3), and as the score would indicate, it was a close one throughout. In fact, Gamble had the only multiple-point end in the third, with his deuce taking a 2-1 lead at the time. Woloschuk got on a roll from there, though, taking a single point in the fourth and stealing one the next two ends to lead 4-2. Gamble got one back in the seventh but would get no closer, and Woloschuk had his one-point win.

Pro-Tec Electric (Stan Barnsley, 7-7) used a run of steals of their own to upset Protec Studios (Tyler Krupski, 10-5). The teams were tied 2-2 through three ends when Barnsley scored one in the fourth and then proceeded to reel off single points the next three ends, taking a 6-2 win.

BTN Chartered Accountants (Penny

Barker, 14-0) narrowly avoided an upset of their own in their match-up with Matt Froehlich (9-6). Froehlich got off to a great start, scoring single points in each of the first three ends and leading 4-2 through five ends. Barker got all that back and then some with three in the sixth, though, and a steal of two in the seventh would secure their 7-4 victory.

John’s Music (Ryan Wenarchuk, 8-8) also had a run of success without the hammer in their 6-3 win over R.K. Sunview Farms (Dayne Heisler, 0-15). The teams exchanged deuces the first two ends before Heisler took a 3-2 lead out of the third. They’d be unable to hold on for their first win, though, as Wenarchuk tied the game in the fourth and would put together three straight steals to take their three-point win.

Pup’s Parlour (Jaedon Miller, 8-7) kept pace with the leaders by taking a 6-2 win over EMJ Marketing (Joe Gunnis, 4-12). Like every game on the night, things were close early: neither team scored more than a single point in the first four ends, and things were all tied up at two. It all changed in the fifth, though, as Miller scored three to take control of the game, followed by a steal in the sixth to bring things to an early end.

The contest between Rod Montgom-

ery (7-9) and Fountain Tire (Barry Silk, 6-10) was the only one to go the distance, with Silk using a three-ender in the fifth to eventually take a 7-4 win. The teams were tied 2-2 through four ends and Montgomery picked up single points in the sixth and seventh to get back within striking dis-

Despite the challenges, the Vikings morale - both on court and on the benchwas good throughout the game. A short bench also added some fatigue.

Top Scorers For Central

Chase Seabourne - 25 points

Max Simmons - 17 points

Rhett Prior - 17 points

Ben Ansell - 11 points

Top Scorers For Vanier

Raphael Ferrin - 6 points

Brody Rogers - 6 points

Dane Warren - 5 points

https://www.mjindependent.com/ sports/2023/2/1/ioeuqi5m06j68m517vx0irdldk4kah

tance, but Silk would put the hammer to good use and get his deuce in the final end. Original 16 Cash League action takes place every Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.

Photos and Story by Robert Thomas

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Curling File

Basketball file

Kidventure Korner offering unique pre-school program with fine arts as part of curriculum

Preparation for kindergarten combined with dance, music and visual arts as part of Dance Images by BJ offering Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

A unique offering from Dance Images by BJ aims to do things a bit differently when it comes to preschool programs.

Kidventure Korner PreSchool recently launched its second semester for the 2022-23 school year, combining preparation for kindergarten with some of the programs the local studio has become well known for, with dance, music, theatre and visual arts all working together to offer youngsters 2 ½ through five years old a positive learning environment.

“We develop all of the kindergarten-readiness skills, but we also have a focus on the fine arts, so every day we’re incorporating some dance, some drama, definitely some art and a lot of other activities like that,” said Shauna Bzdel, program director with Kidventure Korner.

“So we’re not only developing the cognitive development kids need to be successful in kindergarten, but we’re also happy to develop their imagination and creativity, their whole being as opposed to just the academic skills.”

The goal is to make the whole program as fun as possible while still offering youngsters educational elements, something that has worked well in the year-anda-half Kidventure has been in existence.

“We think our program is really engaging for kids, and they’re having lots of fun without even realizing that they’re learning as they go,” said Bzdel, who works with the youngsters alongside early years elementary teacher Chantal Leaman and studio owner Barb Jackman.

The format sees the preschool running Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with the current semester recently launched on Feb, 1 and running until Jun. 7. Kidventure has a different theme each month, with the curriculum using that theme as a launching point for their various activities.

“This month, our theme is dinosaurs, and kids love learning about that,” Bzdel said. “We’ll take the dance component and look at how dinosaurs move, what they would sound like. It’s a lot of fun and the kids really enjoy learning in these programs.”

The school runs out of the Dance Images studio at 177 Iroquois St. W., with the space transformed into a preschool and back again each school day.

“You go into our main learning room and we have individual tables set up, also a lot of interactive centres set up there, like a music centre and different creativity

Moose Jaw Firefighters’ 20th

Saddman

Kidventure Korner PreSchool celebrated the opening of their second semester on Wednesday, with a full class of youngsters taking part in the Dance Images by BJ kindergarten readiness program. Kidventure Korner Facebook

centres,” Bzdel explained. “Then upstairs, we have movement rooms for gross motor development.

“So they get to come to preschool and there are all sort of activities and lots of time for the kids to explore, it’s a really neat transformation when you see the studio dance space and then Monday and Wednesday mornings you see it as a preschool space.”

The good news is there’s still plenty

of time to join up if folks are interested -- Kidventure Korner is designed to have youngsters essentially step in at any time and still find a warm and welcoming learning environment.

“Wednesday was the first day with us for some of them, and by the time they left, they already were settled in and happy and all the rest of the kids had welcomed them in,” Bzdel said. “That’s important to us, that we’re supporting their social and emotional development as well. So having our new kids join today and fitting right end by the end of the day, that’s what we really want to see.”

And if you’re wondering how children do at the next level, Kidventure has already received positive feedback when it comes to their students from last year moving on to kindergarten

“We’ve heard they’re doing so well and are thriving, so it’s nice to have gotten feedback that they’re successful in the school atmosphere,” Bzdel said.

For more information and to make an in-person appointment to check things out, give Kidventure Korner a shout at (306) 631-0584 and visit Kidventure Korner on Facebook for a look at what they’re about and have to offer.

Moose Jaw Firefighters hosted their annual fundraiser ‘The 2023 Magic Variety Show’ at the Mae Wilson Theater on Wednesday, Feb. 1st to support their MJ Burn & Charity fund.

“Our show has been going on in Moose Jaw for the last 20 years and magic show performers Trevor and Lorena Watters have been coming pretty well from the start,” MJ Firefighter Ryan Hopkins said. “Our fire department has a charity fund; throughout the year, we give back to the community through different organizations.”

He says the charity fund has been in place for about 25 years in the department. All the funds from the fundraiser are used for the community of MJ and most of it goes to professional firefighters and paramedic burn funds.

Hopkins said, “There’s no goal and we usually raise anywhere from around

five to eight thousand dollars, so anything above five thousand would be great.”

The Watters said, “We love it! We love the Mae Wilson Theater; it’s beautiful. There’s always such a great crowd even though it’s really cold. We’re from Vancouver and we’re not used to this type of weather but we love coming here.”

Trevor says he and Lorena travel all over North America and they always look forward to coming back to this theatre.

“It’s just the history of it.”

He said the Moose Jaw firefighters are “literally local heroes” and anytime they can help them out they do because the firefighters are helping people and they are great people.

Lorena says that it has been an honour to have the chance to come out for the last 20 years and perform in this fundraiser.

Magician and comedian performer Michael Dardant says, “I’m crazy for

coming in the middle of winter to Saskatchewan but it’s so much fun.”

He grew up in Southern Louisiana and said that from someone who lives in New Orleans, he has never seen snow and it is such a treat and so much fun to see it now. He jokingly said on stage, “I don’t know why this town needs a fire de-

partment when it’s covered in ice, I don’t even know how I would start a fire in this weather.”

He says his father was a volunteer fireman and for him to show support to the fire department feels wonderful.

The MJ Fire department mascot Sparky greeted everyone, while the firefighters gave out tattoos to every child who came to enjoy the show. Trevor and Lorena performed the opening act, followed by Dardant, also known as Magic Mike #notthatmagicmike, who carried the show with his card tricks. The show ended with a magic trick and the introduction of their newest member Valentine (Watters’ pet dog)

Everyone seemed to love the performance, especially the kids. Trevor said, “I love how the look of astonishment on a six-year-old’s face is the same as that on a sixty-year-old’s face.”

A boy from the audience gives a highfive to Trevor Watters.

Usher & Kolby Nant of Moose Jaw

3.

4.

6.

7.

8.

I take a simple view of life. It is keep your eyes open and get on with it.

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

bigwig

Wine maker

Discourage

ABILITY, ANYMORE, ARGOSY, ATONE, AUTHENTIC CASH, CASTLE, CIVIL, CLEAN, CLOTH, COMMUNICATION DANCE, DISPOSITION, EFFICIENT, ENDING, GARISH GRUNT, HONEST, ISLAND, KINGDOM, LOIN, MANNERS MARKET, MODERN, NIECE, OBESE, PILLAGE, PLANT SCADS, SKIDS, SOCIAL, SOFTLY, THORN

a logical order to so Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use th if you really get stuck.

-- Laurence Sterne --

& GAMES

AUTOS

Wanted, an older truck running or not with little to no rust. Also whatever you might have from an old John Deere LA tractor that was manufactured in the 30’s or 40’s. Call or text

306-641-4447

AUTO PARTS

Set of 4 Safari ATR tires on dodge rims, P245/70R17, hold air good, close to new 8/32 - $500. Call 306-681-8749

MISCELLANEOUS

Bike repairs starting at $10, Kids bikes tune ups

20in and smaller $25-

$35, Adult bikes 24in and larger regular tune up $55, Premium tune up $90. Pick up and delivery available in Moose Jaw.

I have 35+ years experience with all makes and models. Please call or text

306 690 2611

Wanted John Deere LA tractor, John Deere

316,317, or 318 or equivalent lawn tractor, and older truck with no rust. Call or text 306-641-4447

For Sale: Bryant Natural Gas Furnace. Input 125,000 BTU Output 95,000 BTU. For more info call 306-690-7227

Looking for the vintage bubble lights in working condition (Christmas lights) 306-681-8749

camping etc. $6.00. 12 double sided drape/shower curtain hooks, chrome color, new in pkg. $5.00.

11 egg cartoons .25cents all.    Drapes, dk. brown pleated drape, 96” x 84”, blackout, polyester, pocket rod with back tab panel, new $22.00.   Solid grommet panel drapes, polyester, mushroom color, 50” x 63”, new, 2 for $15.00. Brown grommet panel drape, polyester, 52” x 84” – $10.00.     Dk. brown pleated drapes, polyester with back tab panel, insulated foam back 48” x 45” – $14.00. 3 hallmark candle sticks- new $2.00all.

6’”h, hallmark pillar candle & black candle holder$5.00 all. Call 306-5869263

Good condition tires- Nitto Trail Grappler, 6/32 tread, 285/75/16 mounted on Dodge Ram 1500 rims. $400 obo, 306-6319853

Looking for any vehicle non working batteries

306-681-8749

Looking for a set of tail lights and front bumper deflector for a 2017 Ford F-250. Call 306-681-8749

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

1” Irwin drill bit, $1.00.  Glass cutter (diameter)-made in Germany $1.00.  T-square$3.00.

Utility work light (bulb included), with 30” cord, $4.00. Austin craft, 4 size socket tool, $1.00. Fuller long nose pliers, with cushion grip handles, $2.00. 306-586-9263

FOR RENT

Looking for 2 bedroom apt that takes pets call 306.690.5326

For Rent- 1 bedroom suite, close to downtown, partly furnished. Available Feb 1st. Call Bob 306-6920000

Assorted electronic cables, selling all together$2. 306-681-8749

Large assortment of clean containers including ice cream pails with lids - $3 for all. 306-681-8749

Firearms, I am paying cash for in the Moose Jaw and surrounding area. Any condition, parts, ammunition or anything pertaining to firearms. Call or text 306-641-4447

18” necklace from Hawaii, shell/beads- $4.00.   Firewood – 5 boxes of firewood for stove camping, fireplace/pit etc. $16.00 all.   26 bath towels & 2 face cloths, $20.00 all.

Framed mirror (like new)

371/4” x 44” x 11/1” d. $25.00.  Photo albumnew $4.00.   COMFORTER, BEDSKIRT & 2 pillow covers, double/queen size, multi-colored, $20.00.

Double size fitted & flat sheets (mushroom color) & 2 pillow covers, $12.00.   1 chocolate brown toss cushion (new), $7.00.

Navy polar fleece blanket 50” x 60” for household,

6 room purple Martin birdhouse, easy to clean out - $25.00. Call 306-6818749

Kid’s hoola-hoop also makes a dog tire for agility - $2. Call 306-681-8749

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Red leather look arm chair (like new), at brick is $1600.00, plus taxes, sell for $399.00. Bedroom – brass headboard (double/full size) has been lacquered, so no need to polish $125.00. Steel bedframe on 4 roller casters, adjusts from twin/double or queen size. &17.00. White melamine shelving unit – top & 2 bottom shelves (has backing in). Multi-use, office, shoes, pantry, closet, garage, books etc. 32”w x 32” H x 12” d. $15.00. Pinewood (med .color) shellacked dresser/buffet, (from meubles gutto Inc. in Quebec), multi-use, bedroom, hall, office, etc. 64”w x 18”d x 31”h.has 4 drawers, 3 with brass handles & 1 with porcelain knobs. And 2 doors with porcelain knobs and inside shelf. $350.00. Pinewood (med. color) shellacked night table or

for office etc. with 3 drawers, 2 with brass handles & 1 with porcelain knobs. (From meubles gutto inc. in Quebec) 24”w x 16”d x 25” h. $125.00 or both dresser & night stand for $399.00. Call 306-5869263

LAWN & GARDEN

45 gallon blue plastic barrels, food grade great for rainwater save water rather than pay for it, or raised garden beds - $20 each.

306-681-8749

and all construction, roofing/ siding- no job too big or small. Reasonable rates, 30 years experience. Will pick up, move, haul and deliver furniture anywhere in and around Moose Jaw - $40 and up. 306-681-8749

Will pick up, move, haul and deliver any size of TVs in and around Moose Jaw - $30 and up. 306681-8749

For sale: Glass topped coffee table with two endtables Two foot rests 400$ CALL pp306 692-3401 CLOTHING

Male beige London fog coat (new tags still on), zip-out lining, size 42/44. never worn $24.00.  Male, rubber/water /mud boots, size 10 (Vulcan), like new, 13”h- $10.00. Male Wayne Gretsky top/sweater, #99, navy, 1/2 zip at front neck, l sleeve, size 2xl, new $15.00.  Male hagaar, top shirt/sweater, wine color, l. sleeve, poly/cotton, size XXL new $12.00. Black male dress slacks, 36w, 34l and can be longer is extra hem, like new$17.00. Female navy dress, cotton/spandex, sleeveless, crochet at front yolk, size med. $5.00. Female dk. green poly coat /rain, size XL, back pleat, attached hood, like new $7.00.   female pantyhose, assorted sizes & colors, navy, white, black, blue, spice etc. new in pkgs. price range from .50cents to $3.50 pr. female poly spandex navy coat, mesh lined, attached hood, size xl, washable, $12.00.  Female navy cotton/spandex slacks, size medium .wider leg, $6.00.  Female aqua color dress, with collar, sleeveless, V-neck, polyester, size 1x, $7.00.   306-586-9263

Newly built raised garden beds can send picture - $40.00. Call 306-6818749

Concrete back splash (for under eaves), so water drains away from. Bldg. 29”l x 11”w x 31/2”h. like new $7.00.    2 –20kg. Bags of rocks (natural stone color), for yard garden, etc. $2.00 all. 6 smaller plant pots, includes 1 with drain tray, and pkg. miracle grow, plant food spikes $1.00 all.   5 ft. vinyl scalloped edging, for trees, flower beds, garden etc. includes spikes and connector. $2.00.  Bulbar/ digger garden tool with wood handle, for flowers, garden, plants etc. $1.00.

306-586-9263

PETS

Newly built dog house, (XL) 36”x48”, insulated with Styrofoam - $150.

306-681-8749

WANTED

Wanted: Carpentry Course materials from SIAST/ Polytechnic. - Books, measured drawings, project plans, hand-outs. Phone 972-2257

ANTIQUES Wanted: signs, toys, sports cards, gold & silver coins & jewellery, firearms, single items to full estates. Call 1-306539-8363

SERVICES

Need work done? Contact Bill at 306-630-2268. Interior/exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, finishing, tiling, painting

Will pick up, move, haul and deliver appliances in and around Moose Jaw - $45 and up. 306-6818749

Moving jobs done reasonably: appliances, furniture, dump runs. Call to do it all. $45.00 a load. 306-6302268

Will pick up, deliver or haul away BBQ’s in and around Moose Jaw- $40 and up. 306-681-8749

Junk to the dump in and around Moose Jaw - $60/ load and up. 306-6818749

Semi-Retired Contractor – 47 years in business, residential and commercial. Enjoys small or large projects involving plaster, drywall, concrete, painting, taping, texturing, stucco repair, tile and T bar. I work for the Heritage Society and enjoy beautification projects. Quality work. Free estimates. Discount for seniors. Phone Bob Huston 1-587-8891000. Small Home Repairs. Plumbing, decks, windows, kitchens, bathrooms etc. No job too small. Phone 306-313-5151 Free pickup of unwanted snow blowers, garden tillers, generators, chainsaws, atv’s, lawn tractors, etc., in Moose Jaw and surrounding area. Call or text 306-641-4447

PERSONAL

CONNECTIONS

Wanted: Ice Fishing Partner, contact Shawn 306692- 0800

HOLMAN, GEORGE

George Wilmot James Holman, aged 93 years of Moose Jaw, SK, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 27th, 2023. He was predeceased by his parents, Wilmot and Agnes Holman; wife, Lillian; sister, Margaret Rosso; as well as several brothers-in-law: Victor Rosso, Russel Boyle, Howard Boyle, Edgar Boyle, Sam Didluck and Ernie Stefanyshyn. George is survived by his son, Gordon (Lydia) Holman, John (Jen) Schilling, April Schilling, and their families; son, Bob (Darcey) Holman, Kevin (Payton), Amy; daughter, Carol (Darcy) Meier, Kaitlyn (Durston) McKenna, Kagan; Lillian’s surviving brothers, sisters and their families; and special friend, Fern Dowse and her family. George was born on August 7, 1929, at Pasqua, Saskatchewan, and later farmed in the Eastview District. He married Lillian Boyle in 1958. George was a hardworking, dedicated farmer and was very proud to be awarded the Farmer of the Year award. He was an avid curler, enjoyed fishing, camping in the summers, and visiting and having coffee with neighbors and friends. George and Lill enjoyed square dancing and Odd Fellow dances for many years. They moved to Moose Jaw in 1980, and George kept busy with his woodworking, train collection, gardening and continued curling in the afternoon and evening leagues for many years. George and Lill travelled for many years around the world to the Brier and World Curling Championships, spent most of the summers at the cabin at Buffalo Pound Lake, and had many winter trips to Sidney, BC with friends until Lill’s passing in 2002. George continued to take great pride in his yards at the lake and in town, and was known for his tomatoes and cucumbers, and sharing with everyone. Later, he and Fern took many bus trips-to casinos, to Churchill, Manitoba, and on a tour of the Maritimes. They enjoyed playing cards (especially cribbage), coffee outings and visiting, and were involved with Nature Moose Jaw, bird watching and Wakamow Valley, volunteering at many family days and bbqs. George always had a special fondness for the Western Development Museum. In 2020, due to declining health, he moved into WestPark Retirement Home. He missed his home, garden and independence, especially driving over to Fern’s for coffee every morning, so he learned to FaceTime on his iPad with her instead. Special thanks to everyone at WestPark Retirement Home during these last few years, but especially for all the love, special care and compassion during the last month.

At George’s request, there will be no funeral service. Flowers are gratefully declined. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to: Wakamow Valley Moose Jaw, P.O. Box 1266 Moose Jaw, SK S6H 4P9 or to the Moose Jaw Western Development Museum https://wdm.ca/donation-form/. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Gary McDowell, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

BAKKEN, OLE HENRY

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Ole Henry Bakken, who passed away on December 28, 2022. He was predeceased by his wife Darlene, his parents Ole and Mildred, his brother Orvis, and his sister Ingrid. Ole was very proud of his large family, and had remarked that on the day he got married he became a husband, a father and a grandfather all in one day. He is survived by his daughters Le-anna (Tom), Dianna (Rod), Angela (John), and Gwendolan; son Jason (Peggy); grandchildren Jennifer (Scott), Zackery (Amber), Andrew, Rae-Anne, Matthew, Allison, Jasmin (Jerico), Kendra, Sarah, Emma-Leigh, Lucas, and Jackson; and great-grandchildren Rayne, Ryder, Cali, Patience, Kaleb, Issac, and Carolyn. Ole is also survived by his sisters Carol (David), Verna (Ian), Linda (Robert) and Brenda (Darryl), and numerous nieces and nephews. A come and go gathering of family and friends will occur at a later date.

BEKAR, CORINNE

We sadly announce the passing of Corinne May Bekar (née: Field) aged 78 years of Moose Jaw, SK, after a sudden and difficult struggle with pneumonia. She slipped away restfully on Monday, January 30th, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.

Corinne will be missed by her loving husband of 58 years, Edwin Karl Bekar; sons: Vaughn, Kevin (wife Cathy, grandchildren Sofia Corinne, Anastasia Michelle and Panayioti Edwin Odin), Jay (wife Tamara, granddaughters Cadence Ellen Janae and Ronni Jessalyn), and Lane (wife Kai, grandson Aiden). Corinne is also survived by her beloved siblings, Glenda Field and Kevin Field and their families; as well as many more family and friends-too many to list, though loved nonetheless.

A Celebration of Corinne’s Life will be held on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. in the Harvey Room at Moose Jaw Funeral Home with Reverend Doug Shepherd officiating. Those not able to attend may view the service virtually by going to www. moosejawfuneralhome.com/webcast/. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Michelle Ellis, Funeral Director 306693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

ELLINGSON, OLLIE

Ollie Ellingson was born May 6, 1936, to parents Rudolph and Caroline (Corrine) Ellingson on a farm near Bracken, Saskatchewan. He was raised on a farm near Consul, Saskatchewan, with his brothers; Alby, Ira, Ralph, Kermith, Guy, Barry, and Laurence, and sisters; Josephine, Laura, and Bernice. His family moved to Vidora in 1940, where Ollie attended school. He was active in 4H and sports such as hockey and baseball in his earlier years. Ollie was a hired hand for multiple families in the Consul area. In 1963, he moved to Ravenscrag and worked as a grain buyer at the elevator. As a Pioneer agent, he went on to other elevators in Saskatchewan, including Rush Lake and Marsden. From there, he was employed by the PFRA for 15 years in Saskatchewan and also served in the army for some time. During his middle-aged years, he farmed with his brother in Mortlach, Saskatchewan, until he bought a house and retired in Maple Creek in 2012 to be closer to his roots.

During his retirement, he spent many days helping and spending time at his friends’ farm, Moreen (Cecil) and Leonard Koenig. Ollie had a natural green thumb, always growing an impressive garden. During the warmer months, he spent time outside remodeling his yard and house and working on projects in his garage. He canned, pickled, and built puzzles in the cooler months to keep busy. Some would say his knowledge of people’s family history in the area was better than any history book. Ollie never missed an Ellingson or Brown family reunion, regardless of where they took place. He enjoyed spending time at family gatherings and playing cards with his cousin, Edith Reamer, and her family.

Ollie passed away peacefully at home January 8th, 2023 at the age of 86. He is survived by his sister, Bernice Weber in BC, and many nieces and nephews in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, BC, and the Yukon. Ollie’s kindness, helping hands, and humor will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Donations may be made in Ollie’s memory to the Consul Community Hall, Box 43, Consul, SK S0N 0P0. Condolences may be offered to the family at www. binkleysfuneralservice.com

TO THE EDITOR LETTERS

RE: UPCOMING MEETINGS ON THE CITY OF MOOSE JAW OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN

Hello to All of you.

I have noticed on the internet, there is information about our City Hall project in regards to collecting feedback from citizens on possible changes to the official community plan of our city.

As you know, there will be lots of meetings starting February 8 at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic and so on.

Some meetings are shorter, others are longer, and they will be held at many different places and times.

I am sure many are interested, like myself, about all those meetings in regards to this project,

RE: HOSPITALITY IN MOOSE JAW

“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression” and Moose Jaw capitalized on this expression in the most favorable way!

My friends Andy, Aaron and myself visited Moose Jaw for the first time Jan 25-29, 2023 and were blown away by its hospitality and charm. While completing our obligatory tours of the Moose Jaw Tunnels, taking in Warriors hockey games, and visiting Mac the Moose, we engaged the local pub and restaurant scenes to sample their offerings (cue the applause).

The bar and foody scene warrant highlighting a few of the most memorable hospitality experiences,

RE: COMMENTS REGARDING NATIONAL NEWS ARTICLE REGARDING DELAY OF MEDICALLY ASSISTED DYING

In regards to a national news article ‘Liberals table bill delaying medically assisted dying expansion to March 2024’ found on MooseJawToday.com at

Re: WHAT IF MR. JAN RADWANSKI WAS RIGHT ABOUT NOT BUILDING A JOINT SCHOOL IN WESTHEATH

What if this idea of closing four of our existing schools to build a new joint school in the field in South Hill close to 15 Wing was truly a bad idea.

What if our community would be much better off to keep those four schools that we already have and renovate them according to our needs instead of destroying them. By changing the life of those neighbourhoods, it could be eliminating all the good things that those schools and their playgrounds bring to our children and community. (If large renovations are needed to be done, maybe students could be moved to a temporarily location.)

I don’t believe that the greatest idea for the wellbeing of our students and our city is to build a big joint school out there in an empty field, thinking this is what our children need and hoping that by having it, it will help attract people into a new residential development, like the building of the Sunningdale school did for the community in the early 1980s.

Many want us to believe that this is the recipe for success, and that this new joint school will be the envy of everyone in the province. I truly question the validity of those statements.

I was at that Prairie South School Division (PSSD) board meeting in September 2019 when trustees voted to accept the suggestion of the location of this proposed joint school that was brought to them behind closed doors by an outside accounting firm KPMG just a few hours before the public board meeting took place. All trustees only had a few hours to go through the information they received before being asked to vote on it.

I am still sad to see that some people chose to pay an outside firm to tell us what we should do when we already pay politicians and bureaucrats on provincial and municipal levels, as well as board trustees, to do that job. It feel like no one wants to

Guidelines for Submitting Letters to the Editor:

Due to space allotment in Moose Jaw Express for free letters to the editor, we find it necessary to establish some guidelines in submissions that will be in effect as of March 15, 2021.

• All letters to the editor submitted to the Moose Jaw Express newspaper should not exceed 800 words, although they can be much longer to be included in our online daily MooseJawToday.com . In this case, we reserve the right to edit them accordingly.

• A full name and contact information will need to be included with each submission for verification.

but we know it will be impossible for many, including myself, to be there for different reasons at all those gatherings.

I am hoping that our Communication Manager, in coordination with our Director of Planning and Development, will be able to provide us (the Citizens of Moose Jaw) with a way that we could see all those planned meetings so that we could learn about what was presented and then have the opportunity to provide feedback later on, if we wish to do so.

Direct video presentation or pre-recorded video of all those meetings could be downloaded and available to all on the city web site. Perhaps they could also be offered on Moose

particularly provided by: Lauren at Rosie’s on River Street (thank you for keeping our pints full, our plates cleared and graciously receiving our Illinois license plate and Train Wreck Endings rock band sticker to festoon the pub’s walls); and Tara & Emily @ Bobby’s Place (thanks to you both for your engaging conversations, enlightening assessment of haggis, and not allowing us to “tell you what to do!”); and last but not least is Sam (a.k.a “Emily”) at Veroba’s Family Restaurant, she was there not only to lend her pen so I could jot down notes for this letter, but also offered excellent hosting service coupled with a charming personality and an infectious laugh. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see that second pair of Zenni

https://www.moosejawtoday.com/national-news/liberals-table-bill-delaying-medically-assisted-dying-expansion-to-march-2024-6474068 it says, “Experts are clear that irremediability [meaning impossible to remedy or cure] cannot be determined for mental illness,” Cooper said. That flies in the face of history and witnessing

do the work themselves and be accountable. They prefer to just vote yes or no to an ‘outside idea’ we have paid for.

Most trustees who spoke at that meeting were all pumped-up about this concept, that building a new school on South Hill would create the perfect scenario for recreating the residential development that happened after building Sunningdale school 40 years ago. No one except Mr.Jan.Radwanski talked about what kind of negative impact this new joint school would have on our children and on our existing neighbourhood and community.

Except for Mr. Radwanski and our past trustee Mr. Swanson, everybody else was very anxious to vote in favour of accepting this proposed location for the joint school and they were also very anxious to bring this choice of location to City Council ASAP. (We could smell the Provincial Election coming soon…)

Mr Swanson brought to the attention of all trustees that this proposed location for the new joint school that they just found out about a few hours earlier should be brought to the public for feedback before moving ahead with it. He stated that, as trustees who get pay $ 1300.00 a month, it was the trustees’ duty to first let the community know about the choice presented to them so that the community would have the chance to express their points of view about this proposed location. His motion was defeated.

I do believe that Mr Radwanski is right about not building this new school on South Hill for all the good reasons he stated. I also understand that some school divisions, for instance, may not have been very good at investing in maintaining their property over time and some may be very pleased about this new deal of building a new school so they wouldn’t have to care for the old one even though this new school is still not very ecologically designed.

My point is, doing things to keep the economy

• Only the name will be included in publication with the

Send

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

Jaw Express and MooseJawToday.com medias.

I do believe that we all wish that those gatherings could be available to as many citizens as possible so we can get a better idea of what people wish for our city.

I am hoping and looking forward, for myself and for many others citizens, to have the opportunity to follow those meetings via the internet on our City web site and have the opportunity to give our feed back if we choose to.

Thank you all for considering my request very Seriously and very Notoriously.

Michel Labonte

optical frames!

If you visit Rosie’s, Bobby’s or Veroba’s and are fortunate to be served by Lauren, Tara & Emily, or Sam respectively- please tell them that Matt, Andy & Aaron sent you to bring a smile to their faces. We can all use a bit more of that these days!

I understand that Moose Jaw has been re-branded as “Canada’s Most Notorious City,” but for me it still embodies its former moniker as “The Friendly City” and left us with a most favorable first and lasting impression- thank you Moose Jaw, SA!

Matthew Kovatch (Chicago)

the irremediability for centuries.

Like any other illnesses, cancers, heart diseases, a host thereof, there are instances of irremediability.

Harold A Maio, retired mental health editor

going is good, but we truly have to be very wise in regard to what we choose to do and when we choose to do it. Doing things for the wrong reason can cause some long-term very unpleasant negative side effects that a community and city have to live with.

Paying to bring all the infrastructure necessary to build this new school, hoping that it will attract new development, doesn’t seem right to me at all at this point in time. I am also not a believer that this new big school with an expected thousand people in it is what our very young children and older students truly need, let alone our community as a whole.

When one truly looks at the design of this new school, there seems to be no place for children to play outside and they are stuck in a not well-ventilated building, surrounded by a residential development full of small lots where streets will be filled with school buses, parked vehicles, big plastic containers and where our big block apartments may have balconies that can’t even fit two chairs with no gardens, no garages or workshops for families to use. One may wonder if this is really the kind of place someone would like to live and raise a family. Unfortunately, it seems, maybe only those with no other alternative would have to end up there.

I wonder who truly cares about our existing schools and neighbourhoods, and who truly cares about the real needs of our children? We all should listen carefully to what Mr. Radwanski shared, and my hope is that many will have the courage to change their point of view on this very important situation.

I do believe that for the well-being of our community and our children’s future, we should appreciate, keep, renovate and expand what we already have and let go of this idea of a new joint school in Westheath.

Thanks for taking the time to hear me out.

Michel Labonte

Police bust man for drugs, weapons after responding to call about vehicle rollover

By

h AUTO RACING

Wednesday

7:00 p.m. FSR NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 At DAYTONA, Qualifying.

d BASKETBALL

Thursday

6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Bulls at Nets. 9:00 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Bucks at Lakers.

Saturday

7:30 p.m. WXYZ TSN NBA Basketball Lakers at Golden State Warriors.

Monday

6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Nets at Knicks.

Tuesday

THURSDAY EVENING

6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Celtics at Bucks.

Wednesday 6:00 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Cavaliers at 76ers.

9:00 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Mavericks at Nuggets.

e FOOTBALL

Sunday

5:30 p.m. CKCK TSN Super Bowl LVII Chiefs vs Eagles.

k HOCKEY

Thursday

6:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Oilers at Flyers.

Friday

6:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Kraken at Rangers.

9:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Penguins at Ducks.

Saturday

6:00 p.m. CBKT CTYS NET NHL Hockey Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs. 9:00 p.m. CBKT NET NHL Hockey Blackhawks at Jets.

Monday

6:30 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Flames at Senators.

10:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Sabres at Kings.

Tuesday

8:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Lightning at Avalanche.

Wednesday

6:00 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Blackhawks at Maple Leafs.

8:45 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Red Wings at Oilers.

3 CBKFT Stat (N) Infoman (N) Zénith (N) Enquête (N) Le téléjournal (N)

5 CFRE Neighbor (:31) Ghosts (:01) So Help Me Todd (N) CSI: Vegas “Boned” (N) Global News at 10 (N)

6 CKCK ››› “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) Constance Wu, Henry Golding. Big Bang Sheldon etalk (N)

7 WEATH Nature History History History History History History History

8 WDIV Law & Order NFL Honors (N) News J. Fallon

9 CBKT Coronation Family Feud Bollywed (N) Bollywed The Fifth Estate (N) The National (N)

11 WWJ Sheldon (:31) Ghosts (:01) So Help Me Todd (N) CSI: Vegas “Boned” (N) News Late-Colbert

12 WXYZ The Parent Test (N) The Parent Test (N) The Chase (N) News J. Kimmel

13 CTYS Law & Order Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: Organized Brainfood Brainfood

19 TSN NBA Basketball Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets. (N) NBA Basketball: Bucks at Lakers

20 NET NHL Hockey: Oilers at Flyers Sportsnet Sportsnet Central (N) NHL Hockey

25 EDACC Primetime Cash Cab Big Bang etalk (N) Criminal Minds The Parent Test (N)

26 W Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Will & Grace Will & Grace Fire Country

29 ENCAV2 (:10) ››› “Scenes From a Marriage” (1973) Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson. Nurse Jack Nurse Jack

33 CMT Cheers Cheers Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier

35 TLC My 600-Lb. Life With bonus scenes. (N) 1000-Lb. Best Friends (N) Too Large

38 DISC BattleBots Ripperoni faces off against End Game. (N) Lego Masters Australia Homestead Rescue

41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Sheldon ’Til Death Friends Friends Friends Friends

42 TCM ››› “The King and I” (1956) Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner. ›› “The Vagabond King” (1956)

47 AMC ››› “True Lies” (1994, Action) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis. ›› “U.S. Marshals”

48 FSR NHRA Drag Racing Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. NHRA Sportsman Series

55 CRV1 (6:00) ››› “King Richard” (2021) ››› “The Truffle Hunters” (2020) Robby Hoffman

56 CRV2 Fantastic (:20) “Black Ice” (2022) P.K. Subban. Finding Magic Mike (9:50) › “Firestarter”

57 CRV3 (6:20) ››› “News of the World” Doyle (:10) Friday Night Lights Bosch “Clear Shot”

HBO (6:45) “Peace by Chocolate” (2021) Black Art: In the Absence of Light Lovecraft Country “I Am.”

Bang etalk (N) ›› “Maid in Manhattan” (2002) Jennifer Lopez.

W Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Will & Grace Will & Grace The Love Club: Nicole (N) 29 ENCAV2 Bruce Lee (:20) ››› “Superman Returns” (2006) Brandon Routh. “Tyler Perry’s Madea”

33 CMT Cheers Cheers Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier

35 TLC 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way (N) Darcey & Stacey 90 Days 90 Days

38 DISC Street Outlaws Race night against J-Rod wraps up. Diesel Brothers (N) Homestead Rescue

41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Sheldon ’Til Death Wipeout Goldbergs Sheldon

42 TCM ›› “Dick Tracy” (1945) (:15) ›› “Dick Tracy vs. Cueball” Dick Tracy “D.Tracy-Gruesome”

47 AMC ››› “Moneyball” (2011, Drama) Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman. ›› “Major League”

48 FSR Greatest Races: NASCAR From June 22, 1996. Greatest Races: NASCAR From Oct. 30, 1999.

55 CRV1 (6:30) “Underplayed” (:05) “The Munsters” (2022) Sheri Moon Zombie. “The Swearing Jar”

56 CRV2 A.rtificial ›› “Spirit Untamed” (2021) Gordita Gordita RuPaul’s Drag Race (N)

57 CRV3 (6:50) “Aliens Stole My Body” (2020) Doyle (:10) Friday Night Lights Bosch “The Sea King”

58 HBO (:05) “A Big Fat Family Christmas” (:35) Fake Famous (:05) The Last of Us

SATURDAY EVENING 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30

3 CBKFT En direct de l’univers (N) Hôtel Portofino Le porteur (N) Téléjrnl. Humanité

5 CFRE New Reality Our War (N) Border Nurses “Chrysalis” News Salvage

6 CKCK W5 (N) Auntie Jillian - Oshawa “All of My Heart: The Wedding” (2018, Drama)

7 WEATH Nature Candid Heading Out Candid Heading Out Candid Heading Out Candid

8 WDIV Dateline NBC Saturday Night Live News SNL

9 CBKT NHL Hockey: Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs

NHL Hockey Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets.

11 WWJ NCIS: Hawai’i “Pirates” 48 Hours 48 Hours SEAL Team

12 WXYZ NBA NBA Basketball Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors. (N) News The Rookie

13 CTYS NHL Hockey: Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs Brainfood Brainfood Brainfood

19 TSN NBA NBA Basketball Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors. (N) SportsCentre (N)

20 NET NHL Hockey: Blue Jackets at Maple Leafs NHL Hockey Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets.

25 EDACC Corner Gas Vintage Underground Railroad Highway Thru Hell Fear Thy Neighbor

26 W “Wedding Veil” “Winter Love Story” (2019) Jen Lilley, Kevin McGarry. “A Paris Proposal” (2023)

29 ENCAV2 “Robin Hood-of Thieves” (:15) ›› “Uncle Buck” (1989, Comedy) John Candy. “A Madea Christmas”

33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Neighbor Neighbor Neighbor Neighbor

35 TLC Dr. Pimple Popper Dr. Pimple Popper Dr. Pimple Popper Dr. Pimple Popper

38 DISC BattleBots The qualifying rounds wrap up. BattleBots A fresh group of bots look to dominate.

41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends

42 TCM ››› “A Soldier’s Story” (1984) Adolph Caesar ››› “Sergeant Rutledge” (1960) Jeffrey Hunter.

47 AMC (6:00) ›››› “The Godfather, Part II” (1974, Crime Drama) Al Pacino, Robert Duvall. Departed

48 FSR ARCA ARCA Racing Series Charlotte. ARCA Racing Series Daytona.

55 CRV1 (5:50) “Spider-Man 3” (:15) ››› “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (2022) “Downton Abbey”

56 CRV2 (6:10) ››› “No Time to Die” (2021) Daniel Craig. “The Trip to Greece” (2020, Comedy) Swearing

57 CRV3 (6:20) ›› “Come Play” ›› “Reminiscence” (2021) Hugh Jackman. “Many Saints”

58 HBO Immortal (:40) ›››

401 (N) Homestead Rescue

41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Sheldon ’Til Death Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang

42 TCM ››› “Cleo From 5 to 7” (1961) (:45) ››› “Le Bonheur” (1965) (:15) “Black Panthers”

47 AMC (6:00) ››› “The Hunger Games” (2012) ››› “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013)

48 FSR Motorcycle Race Motorcycle Race Motorcycle Race Motorcycle Race

55 CRV1 “Space Jam: Leg” (7:55) “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” Mr. A & Mr. M

56 CRV2 Christmas “Curious George: Go West, Go Wild” “Benediction” (2021) Jack Lowden, Peter Capaldi.

57 CRV3 (6:45) ›› “Land” (2021) Robin Wright. Doyle (:10) Friday Night Lights Bosch “Ask the Dust”

58

Extreme Sisters

38 DISC Gold Rush Gold Rush (N) Gold, Lies & Videotape Homestead Rescue

41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Sheldon ’Til Death Bob Heart Bob Heart Bob Heart Bob Heart

42 TCM ››› “My Man Godfrey” (1936) (:45) ››› “Hands Across the Table” (1935) Awful Truth

47 AMC (6:00) ››› “Casino” (1995, Crime Drama) Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone. That Dirty Black Bag (N)

48 FSR Greatest Races: NASCAR From June 22, 1996. Untold Stories: Daytona NASCAR Race Hub

55 CRV1 (6:10) ››› “Dune” (2021) Timothée Chalamet. (8:50) ››› “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (2022)

56 CRV2 (6:40) ›› “Midway” (2019, War) Ed Skrein. ››› “Lady Bird” (2017) Many Saints

57 CRV3 “Fantastic Beasts: Secrets” Doyle (:10) Friday Night Lights Bosch

58 HBO (:05) What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali (:35) What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali Magic Mike Magic Mike

WEDNESDAY EVENING

3 CBKFT Stat (N) L’épicerie Les enfants de la télé (N) Sans rendez Les mecs Le téléjournal (N)

5 CFRE

Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is a retired pastor from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Moose Jaw, SK. He graduated with a doctorate degree in 2006 from the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Florida.

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

Espouse

Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw was one of 5 organizations nominated for the 2022 Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce Group of the Year. If you are unfamiliar with them, the association is dedicated to establishing and expanding hospice care in the city to ease the final days of people in palliative care. I espouse this group and their work.

To espouse something is to take up and support a cause. And yes, there is a connect to the word “spouse.” The English word derives from the Latin verb spondere, meaning to promise. Sponsors promise to help a person or a cause. The concept naturally developed into the so-

cial realm of relationships. The Latin sponsare means to betroth, a promise to marry. Marriage was the basis for family structure, a promise to care for one another in all aspects of life, including bringing forth children for the next generation of humanity, and caring for them. A betrothed man was called a sponsus because a promise was made. A sponsa was an engaged woman.

The use of espouse, an adaptation of the Latin words, began in the 15th century as a verb meaning to marry. Then espouse was used as a noun to imply a newly married person or simply a husband or wife. Eventually the word was shortened to spouse.

Espouse evolved to include other long-term commitments, such as support for a principle or a cause. This developed the idea that strong support for a group or belief system is that you have chosen to wed yourself to it, making promises of sponsorship.

Espouse describes the actions of a person who lives according to specific beliefs. You may espouse environmentalism and as a result walk or use public transportation whenever possible instead of taking a car. Some teachers espouse the benefits to be gained from educational software, while others remain unconvinced of having it assume a primary place in the school system.

There are some subtle differences in synonyms used for espouse. When you accept something, sometimes created by another, and practice or use it, you adopt it. An organization may adopt new policies. To embrace a belief is to readily accept it. People embrace customs and religious tenets. Giving support to, and often against opposition, is to uphold. To champion a cause is to act as a militant supporter.

Espouse implies a close attachment to and a shar-

ing of its purposes. I personally have utilized the work of Heartland Hospice when visiting the dying at Pioneer Lodge and experienced the benefits of a dedicated space for palliative people. Many families have greatly appreciated the fruits of this organization.

It is beneficial for our community when residents espouse community groups and faith-based organizations. The Canadian government has recognized the benefits of such personal espousal and rewards those individuals with tax breaks, and the groups with charitable status. Many Canadians donate their time, money, energy, and skills to a cause that they espouse. There are more than 150,000 charities and non-profits that support our communities’ social fabric and quality of life. Over $10 billion dollars are donated each year by Canadians. There is so much more to espousing a charitable organization than a tax break. There are great benefits to the cause or organization, plus personal gains with involvement. What groups or organizations will you espouse this year?

Columnist John Kreutzwieser loves to research words and writes this weekly Word Wisdom column for Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com. He has an interest in the usage, origin, and relevance of words for society today. Greek and Latin form the basis of many words, with ancient Hebrew shedding light on word usage.

John would like to know if anyone has a sincere interest in a relevant word that he could possibly research for an upcoming column. If so, please send your requests to wordwisdom2021@gmail.com . Words will be selected according to relevance and research criteria. We cannot confirm that all words will be used.

AGRIMART EXPRESS Farm costs exploding with no end in sight

Farm commodity prices, while less than last year, still look better than the long-term average, according to farm analysts.

But the bottom line for farmers comes from much higher costs of inputs and resulting lower profitability.

Prices for the main types of fertilizers last year were between 72.6 per cent and 121 per cent higher across Canada than the five-year average.

No end of price increases is in sight for these necessary farm inputs, according to Farm Credit Canada.

Urea fertilizer prices will jump from $550 per tonne last year to $1,100 this year with another $90 the following year.

Anhydrous ammonia fertilizer, priced at $780 a tonne last year, will be $1,255 this year with another

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

$965 next crop year.

Other farm input prices have spiked as well in Alberta and elsewhere.

Diesel fuel in Alberta increased 13.6 per cent to $1.66 a gallon Roundup Ready canola seed was up 6.5 per cent to $706.55 a tonne.

Farm machinery price changes exceeded consumer inflation. A three-quarter ton pickup truck jumped 14.3 per cent to $75,400. An air drill jumped 17.9 per cent to $436,000 and a self-propelled combine jumped 15.2 per cent to $652,000.

A 325 horse power tractor went up 18.3 per cent to $526,000 while the lighter horsepower unit was up 10 per cent to $176,000.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Gamers group changing gaming expos to yearly event from biannual activity

The Moose Jaw Gamers Association normally holds two gaming expos a year that attract hundreds of people but has decided to hold only one annual event because of volunteer and attendance issues.

The association (MJGA) usually holds a gaming expo (GAX) in February and July at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, filling the building with various activities from board games to Dungeons & Dragons to console games to card games.

However, the organization recently changed its gaming model.

“We’re going to be focusing on just our winter GAX going forward. We found that summer GAX didn’t have as big of a turnout, and when we’re trying to make it a really good event like this, we rely on volunteers (who) are in shorter supply in the summer (because of vacation or work),” explained Talon Regent, MJGA vice-president.

Instead, MJGA plans to hold GAX once a year in February, which should ignite people’s excitement for when the event comes around and enable the association to make it as big as possible, he continued.

This is the first year the MJGA will hold just a winter GAX, which occurs from Friday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 12. However, the organization doesn’t plan to give up its time at the Cultural Centre.

“This summer, we’re going to have a big Dungeons & Dragons special event,” Regent said. “Over the years, GAX has changed primarily from a LAN (local area network) party for video gamers … (to) board games, and now we’re seeing a shift where people are most interested in Dungeons & Dragons.

“So, for the upcoming event in the summer, focusing on Dungeons & Dragons will allow us to make that more spe-

cialized event especially fun.”

Winter GAX

GAX is one of the longest-running gaming expos in Saskatchewan, with most of the proceeds going to a local charity every year.

This year’s charity is Hunger in Moose Jaw.

The doors open at 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 and close at midnight, reopen on Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. and close at midnight and reopen one last time on Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

Throughout those 30 hours, players can play LAN games, board games, console games, Dungeons and Dragons, Flames of War, Pokémon, Battletech, Magic: The Gathering, Super Smash Bros., virtual reality, and much more.

GAX will also feature vendors selling nerdy memorabilia, the well-loved Satur-

day night pizza party and door prizes distributed throughout the weekend.

General admission is $20, although the association encourages people to register at www.mjga.ca/gax.

This year’s expo will also host a Settlers of Catan national qualifier tournament. The winner will earn a spot at the 2024 Canada national CATAN championship. Entry is free with a GAX ticket, but participants must be 18 years or older to play.

“I am very excited that it (GAX) is returning once again to spark the passion of gaming in the hearts of Moose Javians and other Saskatchewanians,” said Regent. “In particular, I am excited about the Settlers of Catan tournament coming up.”

The MJGA hosted a national qualifying tournament once before in February 2020, right before the pandemic was declared, he continued. The organization contacted the game maker and received

permission to host another qualifier, while it also convinced Saskatoon’s Dragon’s Den Games to provide several copies of the game and prize packs for winners.

Regent noted that he plans to participate in the qualifying tournament and has been practising regularly in hopes of making the top 4.

Seeing large crowds of people passionate about gaming — from board games to table-top to role-playing — coming together to share that joy with others is one of Regent’s favourite aspects about GAX.

“This is a major event. There are a ton of volunteer hours that get put into this … to make sure this is a success for our community,” he added.

Since 2010, the Moose Jaw Gamers Association has put in thousands of volunteer hours and raised more than $16,000 for causes benefiting children in Moose Jaw.

Shuffle board winners

Al Klassen and Gerry Meili of Crestview Co-Op Housing organized a shuffle board tournament for the residents for 10 days January 16-26. With 16 teams playing. Winners are gold, Inez White and Ken Christie; silver, Sandy Christie and Kathy Smith; bronze Ann Greggersen and Doris Woit.

Ken Christie and Inez White

Photo by Frances Frischke