Moose Jaw Express April 19th, 2023

Drama students from the Moose Jaw area will attempt to channel their inner Laurence Olivier or Judi Dench during an upcoming festival that could see them win awards and provincial accolades.

Schools in the 12 regions under the Saskatchewan Drama Association (SDA) have been competing for a month to determine who will attend provincials in May in Regina.

In region 2, students in grades 7 to 12 from around Moose Jaw will perform one-act plays from Thursday, April 20 to Saturday, April 22 at the Centennial Auditorium in A.E. Peacock Collegiate, with Cornerstone Christian School the event host.

The doors open at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and the plays start at 7 p.m., while the doors open at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday and the plays start at 1 p.m. There will be two plays each day, with each performance lasting roughly an hour.

Tickets are $15 per day or $30 for the entire festival

The six regional schools include Cornerstone, Riverview Collegiate, Vanier Collegiate, Peacock, Central Butte and Caronport’s Briercrest Christian Academy.

Cornerstone and Riverview perform Thursday night, Vanier and Peacock perform Friday night and Central Butte and Briercrest perform Saturday afternoon.

Adjudicators will judge each performance and give each team points for their on-stage acting and how well the team functions backstage with technical aspects such as stage management, costumes, makeup and lighting, explained Tanya Johnson, host organizer, Cornerstone teacher and SDA board volunteer.

“They also give feedback to each of the groups, so it’s a learning opportunity for the teacher-directors as well as the students,” she continued. “So things that they liked, things that they had questions about (and) things we could maybe do better.”

Judges will give awards for best overall production and runner-up, with those two teams then participating at the provincial drama festival at the University of Regina’s Riddell Centre from May 4 to 6.

Johnson attended Peacock as a student and competed in the drama festivals there. Once she became a teacher, she began entering groups of students into the competitions.

She has also been the regional host co-ordinator many times for more than a decade, while she rotates through the position with

other local teacher-directors, including Riverview’s Janice Lamb. “I’ve been involved with the Saskatchewan Drama Association for more years than I can count now,” Johnson laughed.

Moose Jaw is blessed to have strong theatre programs because teacher-directors work hard with their students, Johnson said. It’s great to see the youths shine on stage and incredible to see them improve every year.

“People won’t be disappointed if they come out; it’s excellent theatre,” she continued. “And so it’s always enjoyable; there’s always such a variety.

“And then for those of us who have been around for many years, we get to see students kind of grow up on stage … with a different character or in a different role from year to year. It’s pretty cool.”

It’s exciting to have the drama festivals back — they were sorely missed — after the pandemic cancelled them for several years, Johnson said. Youths can now freely display their gifts and talents, which is rewarding as a teacher and audience member.

“Come out and see kids do really cool things on stage. (Come) to support our local students, to celebrate the arts and even just to celebrate the fact we can come back together and be in theatres and enjoy live theatre,” she added.

“It’s just a great event. People won’t be disappointed. These students work really, really hard on their production and they just put on quality, quality shows.”

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Vanier Collegiate actors on stage during their showing of the dramedy ‘HINT,’ during a regional drama festival in 2019. File photo

Baby boomer, Gen Xer, millennial, Gen Zeder discuss city’s future during panel talk

Four residents from different generations have expressed how well Moose Jaw is — or isn’t — equipped to deliver a solid quality of life for them and their cohorts now and in the future.

Baby boomer Kelly Carty, Gen Xer Geoff Anderson, millennial Christine Keck and Gen Zed Avery Seman gathered in the Mae Wilson Theatre on April 6 as part of a panel discussion — entitled “Generations fuel the future” — about their needs and desires for what the community offers.

The talk was part of the City of Moose Jaw’s efforts to promote the creation of its new Official Community Plan (OPC) and zoning bylaw.

Each panellist spoke about his or her past, how long they had lived here, what kept them here, and their hopes and dreams for Moose Jaw.

Baby boomer

Carty was born and raised in Moose Jaw and is the business development officer for the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. She sits on many boards because she believes volunteering makes Moose Jaw a better place.

“Most of my generation appreciate the quality of life that Moose Jaw has to offer … ,” she continued. “I tell myself that I’m not quite at that stage (of being a senior), but it is great to know all ages have a place to socialize and places where they can find and feel they are safe and cared for.”

Gen Xer

Anderson lived in Iqaluit, Nunavut and was impressed with the people there. That experience shaped him and how he leads people today, while he also became passionate about wanting to help develop others.

He visited Moose Jaw several times while working with Federated Co-operative Limited and was impressed with the amenities, culture, “the gem of a downtown” and the opportunities for his family.

As general manager of Moose Jaw Co-op, he looks for ways to strengthen the company, but also believes “you have to look outward to strengthen inward.” So, he joined the boards of the downtown business association and Moose Jaw Transition House to contribute to the community.

Millenial

Keck worked in Calgary for 12 years before moving here in 2019 and opening Cranberry Collective.

“I really love my job and I’m happy to be here,” she said.

She and her husband have no kids, which is different since many millennials have children. Meanwhile, it has been difficult to make friends because the pandemic stole two years from them to meet people.

“Since (the pandemic’s height), my husband has joined pickleball, so he’s loving that and made some connections through that sport,” Keck chuckled. “… But it is a challenge in adulthood to make friends, as silly as that sounds.”

Gen Z

Semans, 18, in Grade 12 at Vanier, lives with her parents and is on the youth advisory committee. She volunteers heavily and listed the many activities, groups and teams on which she participates.

She plans to attend the University of Calgary this fall to study human rights law. She noted that many youths her age plan to move away because they feel their towns “are stifling” and they desire to escape. Yet, for her, Moose Jaw is an amazing place and she is “so wonderfully proud” of it.

ASSESSMENT NOTICE

R.M. OF TERRELL NO. 101

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the R.M. of Terrell No. 101 for the year 2023 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor, during open office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the following days: Monday to Thursday, April 13 to May 22, 2023.

A bylaw pursuant to section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person who wishes to appeal against his or her assessment is required to file his or her notice of appeal with: The Secretary, Board of Revision, Kristen Tokaryk of Western Municipal Consulting Ltd. Box 149, Meota, SK S0M 1X0, by the 22nd day of May, 2023, accompanied by a $30 fee for each property or parcel of land being appealed, which will be returned if the appeal is successful.

Dated this 13th day of April, 2023.

Kimberly Sippola Assessor

Living in Moose Jaw

Carty said her parents left her/their Palliser-area home — her dad built it — after they died, so she stayed even though she has lived all over the world. Also, she thought the city was a great place to raise kids, has great history and has a vibrant theatre scene.

The Andersons moved to West Park because they liked the lot sizes and now enjoy their 1,500-square-foot, five-bedroom home because they can host relatives. Also, there are plenty of activities, many walking trails and an “outdoorsy feel” to the area.

Keck and her husband live on South Hill in a five-bedroom home, a step up from their two-bedroom home in Calgary. However, compared to Cowtown, The Friendly City is more affordable. Also, they love the walking trails behind their home and they can travel anywhere in 10 minutes.

Semans lives with her parents in the Sunningdale area. She has enjoyed watching a new generation of children grow up in her neighbourhood.

Walking in Moose Jaw

When asked what activities are within walking distance, Carty said she takes her dogs to Spring Creek; Anderson can access West Park trails; the Kecks must drive to reach downtown or Thatcher, while she was unsure if they would ever use the bus; and Semans said she can access a nearby outdoor rink and walking paths.

Meeting priorities

Semans said school is her priority, so the community is meeting her needs just fine.

Keck said while her husband works from home, it would be great to see more job opportunities and economic development.

Anderson said Moose Jaw has many amenities, but he wanted more options for men’s clothing. He also wanted new industries, especially since the community’s stagnant population growth is concerning and the future is troubling with deaths exceeding births.

Increasing the population by 10,000 people would offset rising taxes, while it would ensure the city can continue to offer services, he added. Having more amenities would also keep people here.

Improving health care was one priority Carty thought needed addressing. While Moose Jaw has a great hospital, more family doctors are required, especially with an aging population and the fact walk-in clinics now require appointments.

“At some point people are not going to be able to drive. We need a way for them to get (around town),” she continued. “And the city is expanding. We have people

NOTICE OF CLOSURE OF ORTHOPEDIC PRACTICE

After serving the community of Moose Jaw for nearly 22 years as an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Nico de Jager will be closing his rooms e ective immediately and will stop practicing orthopedic surgery at the end of April 2023. He wishes to thank the community of Moose Jaw and surrounding areas for their support. All patients les will be forwarded to Drs Pugh and Ghaida at Alliance Health 890A Lillooet St. W., Moose Jaw, Sk. S6H 8B4 . Telephone 306- 624- 2271

way on the outskirts that they can’t get to a doctor (or) they can’t get to a grocery store.

“… It (transit) is never going to make money; I get that. But it needs to have an assist.”

Reasons to leave

For most of Semans’ friends, they were born and raised here, but they aspire to pursue opportunities in bigger cities.

“… they have these picturesque dreams of what these big cities are going to be, and it’s kind of just thinking that they’ll have all the answers in the big cities,” she added. Health care is important to Keck, especially since her husband had issues recently. They do not have a family doctor — they’re still relatively new to Moose Jaw — and were unable to find one, so they visited a rural physician for her husband’s diagnosis.

“If that’s showing up now and we have an aging population, it’s just going to get worse,” she said. “So I think that’s definitely something that needs to be addressed.”

Population increase

When asked whether Moose Jaw could lose its charm if it grew too big, Keck said Calgary has over one million people, so Moose Jaw could double in size and she wouldn’t leave. Also, as a business owner, “growth is great.”

Anderson — who lived in Calgary — said he likes Moose Jaw’s small-town, it is safe, and he can pop into downtown businesses to speak with owners. He noted that sustainable growth is needed to support services, otherwise, Moose Jaw could lose its “culture and flavour.”

Carty loved living in Tokyo — the world’s largest metropolitan city at 37.4 million people — but wants Moose Jaw to keep its small-town feel so her grandchildren feel safe. While big cities offer many new experiences, she thought doubling the community’s size might have drawbacks.

Fixing Moose Jaw

Carty wanted to see Main Street revitalized and become as busy as it was in the early 1900s.

Anderson wanted some of the community’s unique properties enhanced, another tourist destination location, and a bigger focus on heritage, which could attract millions of visitors and boost the tax base.

Keck wanted to see another brewery, while she also wanted to see Moose Jaw’s downtown revitalized. She thought the community could be like Banff, Alta., since it has many historic buildings and “so much untapped potential.”

Semans said if she could find a human rights law-related job here after university, she would return to live.

ASSESSMENT NOTICE VILLAGE OF MARQUIS

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Village of Marquis for the year 2023 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the following days: Monday to Friday inclusive, April 21, 2023 – May 22, 2023.

A Bylaw pursuant to Section 214 of The Municipalities Act has been passed and the assessment notices have been sent as required.

Any person wishing to discuss the notice of assessment or potential appeal may contact the assessor at the Village of Marquis, Box 40 Marquis SK S0H 2X0. A notice of appeal, accompanied by a $50.00 appeal fee which will be returned if the appeal is successful, must be filed with the Secretary of the Board of Revision, Kristen Tokaryk, Western Municipal Consulting Ltd., Box 149, Meota SK, S0M 1X0, by the 22nd day of May, 2023.

Dated at Marquis, Saskatchewan this 21st day of April, 2023.

Gwen Johnston, Assessor

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Craig Hemingway, city hall’s communications manager (left), leads a panel discussion with Avery Semans, Christine Keck, Geoff Anderson and Kelly Carty, while sociologist Dr. Laura Wright (right) listens. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

CAN YOUR TAX REFUND HELP YOUR FINANCIAL

Please call for your personal appointment to review your investment plan today.

Pop-country Moose Jaw singer/songwriter up for international awards

Shawn Adams is a Moose Jaw singer/ songwriter up for three awards at this year’s International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) Awards, and he’s asking locals for support to help him win his categories.

“There’s artists from over 30 countries that have been nominated, so I’m just grateful to be on the list,” Adams said. “I need all the local support I can get. Gotta represent Canada.”

Adams has been nominated for:

International Male Rising Star

· International Male Single of the Year for “Take Your Halo Off”

· International Male Music Video of the Year for “Take Your Halo Off”

The ISSA is an organization that supports, promotes, and recognizes independent singer/songwriters from around the world. It provides resources and networking, and guidance to help independent artists succeed in the industry. This year’s ISSA Awards will take place August 4 and 5 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fans wishing to support Adams can vote for him on the ISSA poll site until midnight on April 30. The rule is one vote per day per device, so make sure to vote every chance you can get by going to is-

sasongwriters.com/2023vote/, clicking on “INTL NOMINEES VOTE HERE” and clicking Adams’ name on each voting page.

“I was nominated for one of my singles, ‘Take Your Halo Off,’ which was recorded at Aspen Beveridge’s Skullcreek Studios in Watrous. And we did a music video for that, and that was done by Prehistoric Productions in Saskatoon,” Adams explained.

“‘Take Your Halo Off’ was also featured on Sirius XM satellite radio on the Indigenous Artist’s Spotlight this past year and I had over 850 international radio ads for it.”

Adams is a proud member of the Métis nation and is happy to be a voice for his

ancestry and to raise awareness of Indigenous heritage through his music.

Originally from Penticton, B.C., Adams has called Moose Jaw home for about 15 years. His mother was born and raised in Moose Jaw and he has plenty of family here — enough to consider himself a true Prairie boy and native Moose Javian.

He was previously nominated at the ISSA Awards in 2020 for his single “Please Remember Me,” which was featured on the Grand Ol’ Opry Facebook page, and in 2021 he played for the Kinsmen TeleMiracle 45 charity telethon.

“It makes me feel overwhelmed to be nominated for these awards,” Adams said.

“I’m just grateful, as a small-town boy,

to be getting where I am with my music.

I’m also a member of the Canadian Country Music Association and Saskatchewan Country Music Association, and through just meeting all the right people it’s all kind of snowballed and put me in the right spot at the right time.”

Adams said he’s received a lot of support from the community of Moose Jaw and from his manager Celina Simms at Black Mountain Music & Media.

Follow Shawn Adams at: https://www.facebook.com/ShawnAdamsMusicCanada

https://shawnadamsmusic.com/ https://www.instagram.com/shawnadams_muzic/

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

Shawn Adams has been nominated for three awards by the 2023 International Singer/Songwriter Association awards committee (supplied)

Vivid Fun Run: Roots School presents full day of fun at Battle Creek

Phone: 306.694.1322 Fax: 888.241.5291

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

Gordon Edgar Randy Palmer Jason G. Antonio Saddman Zaman

It’s rather unfortunate that it seems many issues seem to come to light in regards to our streets, etc. here on the prairies in the spring. Winters can be harsh and the permafrost can wreak havoc on our local streets as it unthaws. Unfortunately, Moose Jaw is getting an extremely bad reputation for the streets – not just from our residents but visitors from all over making comments. We have lived here fourteen years and the roads continue to get worse, not better, even though this is an ongoing problem. We look like a war-torn city.

The workload all falls on city maintenance’ shoulders and city management, and I am sure it’s always a big pill to swallow when it does. I sympathize with them in that the finger is always pointed their way, but nevertheless, a better solution to dealing with these kinds of maintenance issues like our roads needs to be implemented so that the taxpayer at least feels they are getting something in return for the always increasing city taxes.

I was quite taken aback by the letter to the editor in this edition regarding the old gentleman who hit a pothole in a puddle with his motorized scooter and could have drown or been run over. He was unable to get up in the deep puddle/mire on his own and his oxygen tank had fallen off. The older gentleman said the sidewalks are never cleared so he had no choice to drive but on the street. Thank God for the good Samaritan’s who made an effort to help him up and on his way.

I am very familiar with the street and the pothole; we need to dodge around our streets coming and going to work too and it’s a detriment to our vehicles, personal finances, and possibly our lives as reported here.

It seems the city always has money for show, like sculptures and things that are not necessary but only a ‘nicety’, and all of these things run through the budget almost without a blink of an eye as the bureaucrats think this will bring more tourists and residents to the city.

I think a large majority of city residents and visitors are fed-up with the Band-Aid solutions implemented as a solution. I certainly could point out a few things I have witnessed recently, even on our residential street (regarding the interesting patch-up job done on a bus route with the city vehicle backing over a number of potholes a couple times to pack them down after the fill was put in – and there were a lot). Another complaint by many has been the hole that was on 9th Ave NW at the intersection with Caribou; the street was closed a number of times to redo the same problem over the course of a couple years. Another example has been the paint used to paint the lines on 1st St NW downtown and probably other streets, too. When it’s done, it only takes a few weeks and probably no more than a couple or three months where the lines need to be repainted again and the workers need to get on it again, and the taxpayer fits the bill again. I know I’m not the only one that sees and experiences our notorious streets.

I sure hope the city bites the bullet and starts to do city street work right the first time so it lasts longer and the taxpayer doesn’t have to pay for the same work to be redone over and over.

I don’t have all the answers but I can see how much more we pay for taxes, how much less we are getting in services year after year, and where we are today. This is a growing issue…

Gordon

The Roots School is organizing a full day of vibrant, spectacular colours on June 3 at Battle Creek Adventure Park, including a BBQ, raffles, activities and games, a demo from Saskatchewan’s Strongest Man and, of course, kaleidoscopic explosions of vivid, eco-friendly powders.

“This is a fundraiser for Roots School and the building of our permanent outdoor classroom location,” explained Jacqueline Geoffrion, Roots School’s fundraising administrator. “It’s going to be a whole lot of fun. You can walk, dance, stroll, or even run your way through the race course, there’s no timing, it’s a family-friendly event for everyone.

“It’s going to be a whole day of events, it’s not just the run, either. We’re gonna have best costume contests, there’ll be a BBQ, we have some free mini workshops on wellness, activities such as tie-dye scrunchies, and splatter paint and pie in the face, things like that.”

Geoffrion said that Roots School has confirmed that Saskatchewan competitive strongman James Jeffers will be doing a demonstration. They haven’t figured out what that might be yet, she said, but he’s probably going to be pulling something very heavy and it will be spectacular.

Fundraising opportunities will include a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. The Roots School needs community support for its first two years of operation, after which they are eligible for provincial money. The Ministry of

Education is monitoring the organization and if they can meet their operating goals and educational milestones, they will qualify for independent school funding up to 80 per cent.

The Roots School was founded last year by Amy Cojocar, whose dream is to help students satisfy all their needs at school — not just meeting educational guidelines, but learning how to learn, developing resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, and becoming emotionally self-regulated.

Sign up for the Roots School Vivid Fun Run at raceroster.com/events/2023/71475/vivid-fun-run. Early bird pricing on tickets for the run is available until April 20.

“Actually, hang on,” Geoffrion laughed, “I haven’t even finished my list — it’s going to be such a great day —, we’re going to have a live DJ, and some dance fitness, and samplers of other music fitness as well. Some of these will have a cost, like the run itself, but lots of things are totally free, so if you only have one person running, the whole family can still come out and have a good time.

“Battle Creek Adventure Park will have their mini golf open, and paintball target practice, and stuff like that. We start at 9:30 a.m. and officially end at 3:30 p.m. There’s something for everyone.”

Learn more about Roots School on their website at www.rootsschool.ca.

Bobby’s once again welcoming Blues artist Michael Charles on May 6

Gordon

The date is Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. for another set at Bobby’s Place Olde World Tavern by Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Michael Charles, an originally Australian product now living in Chicago and regularly touring North America.

Charles’s latest tour takes him and his band west-to-east starting in Penticton on April 22. He’ll make his way back and forth between B.C. and Alberta for a few stops before hitting Saskatchewan in May. Saskatoon, Eston, Moose Jaw, and Weyburn are on his list before he makes his way through the States and even further south — he’s got a couple of weeks in Aussie homeland at the start of June.

His full tour schedule is on his website at michaelcharles.us/tour.

He’s a familiar face in Moose Jaw, and always looks forward to catching up with olde friends and fans in the Notorious City. Charles has called the fan base he’s built over the last 16 years of touring in Canada a “beautiful” thing.

He is known for his non-stop sets, drawing on an incredible collection of material — he’s released nearly

40 albums over his career. His sound is alternatively energetic and soulful, his performances known for his infectious, powerful stage presence, improvisation, and guitar solos.

A veteran of the blues circuit, Charles has shared the stage with legends like Buddy Guy, James Cotton, and Eddy Clearwater.

Charles recently released a single paying homage to guitar great Glen Campbell. The single is a cover of “Wichita Lineman” by Jimmy Webb, recorded by Campbell in 1968. Charles decided to do the song following an invitation in Minnesota to play a tribute show to the guitar greats.

He has since been booked to perform “Wichita Lineman” at the Glen Campbell Museum and The Rhinestone Stage in Nashville on May 18.

Charles will also be performing concerts on Lake Michigan this summer as part of tours on the Tall Ship Windy — Chicago’s official flagship.

Don’t miss Michael Charles and His Band in Moose Jaw on May 6 at Bobby’s Place — no cover.

Joan Ritchie EDITOR

Edgar- Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Register for Roots School’s Vivid Fun Run at https:// raceroster.com/events/2023/71475/vivid-fun-run

Amy Cojocar, founder and director of The Roots School, poses in the classroom at 52 High Street West (Photo by Jason G. Antonio)

Michael Charles on stage (supplied)

Square One AGM hears 2022 reports, elects board, reaffirms need for more data

The Square One Community, Inc. Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 12 presented an outline of an incredibly significant year as the organization looks to transition from shelter advocacy to shelter operation at William Milne Place.

“2022 (was) a monumental year for Square One Community,” said Square One president Della Ferguson in her report. “This year has been a testament to the immense efforts of the Square One Community committees through grant applications, advocacy meeting, partnership discoveries, fundraising efforts, cold weather and food strategy implementation, and communications through all mediums.

“This team was recently called ‘tenacious’ by (Mayor Clive Tolley), and that describes the people and efforts perfectly.”

Square One Community, Inc. governing officers elected for the 2023-2024 year are:

• President — Della Ferguson

• Vice-President — Crystal Froese

• Treasurer — Paul Wilder

• Secretary — Mary-Lee Booth

• Member-at-large — Susan Karner

• Member-at-large — Anne-Marie Ursan

• Member-at-large — Lori Deets

• Member-at-large — Crystal Lockyer

• Member-at-large — Christine Boyczuk

“The year began with a discernment process in determining the gaps in service in our community regarding out unhoused and housing-insecure kin,” Ferguson said. She explained that anecdotal evidence showed the need for a warming space and emergency women’s shelter, but noted that anecdotal evidence is not enough to secure sustainable funding.

“We are currently working with provincial and national organizations to perform an official Point in Time (PiT) Count using national standards and protocols.”

Square One has secured shelter space at William Milne Place as of April 2. They have concluded a job search for a general manager for the new shelter and will soon make an announcement on that position.

The non-profit faces a steep learning curve in 2023 as they establish their brick-and-mortar location. The opportunity comes with a thick layer of bureaucratic reporting and standards requirements.

During the grant committee report from Christine Boyczuk, she acknowledged that while they had some notable successes in 2022, a lack of solid observational data was the greatest barrier to Square One’s funding applications.

“A lot of the grants (we investigated) required certain information which we did not have,” she explained. “That’s why the PiT Count is so important, that we will hold in the near future. Those numbers are

really important.”

The PiT Count is a nationally standardized method for counting unhoused or housing insecure individuals in a given area. It requires many volunteers and careful planning around safety, proper reporting, and more. It is worth the effort because the results are submitted to a national database and will make Moose Jaw eligible for much more support.

Only 61 communities across Canada have official PiT Count data — Moose Jaw would only be the fourth municipality in Saskatchewan to conduct one, after Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert.

Other reports submitted during the AGM included an itemized fundraising report from Ferguson; a report from communications co-ordinator Crystal Lockyer on website and social media engagement progress; a partnerships report from Crys-

tal Froese; and financial reporting from former treasurer Ashley Florent.

Square One’s financial report illustrated the dramatic momentum the board is supervising. At the last AGM, Square One’s total income was $12,778 as of Dec. 31, 2021. Expenses for 2021 totalled $3,450.65, leaving a balance as of Dec. 31, 2021, of $9,327.35.

As of Dec. 31, 2022, by contrast, Square One’s revenue was $51,221.46. Expenses were $29,790.84, for a net income of $21,430.62. Combined with retained earnings, the Square One balance sheet on Dec. 31, 2022 was $30,757.97. That amount does not include any activities in 2023. For example, Square One’s Walk for Warmth on March 9, 2023 raised $37,451.81, making it their largest ever fundraiser.

Paul Wilder, Square One’s new treasurer, presented an engagement review from local accounting firm S.N. Roy & Associates that confirmed all accounts had been balanced. If a future audit is required, it will be conducted by Benson Trithardt Noren Professional Accountants.

“Nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the financial statements do not present fairly in all material respects the financial position of Square One Community, Inc. as of Dec. 31, 2022,” Wilder reported. “And that’s exactly how it should read for a gold-star review.”

Keep an eye on Square One at the following links to stay up to day with what promises to be their most dynamic year yet:

www.squareonehousingmoosejaw.com/

www.facebook.com/SquareOneCommunityMJ

www.instagram.com/communitysquareone/

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Participants gather outside of Zion United Church on March 9 for Square One’s inaugural Walk for Warmth (photo by Gordon Edgar)

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

Chicken on the menu comes in variety of formats

It can be baked, roasted, broiled, boiled, fried, added to casseroles, served with broth and noodles, or enjoyed as appetizers with special sauces.

The simple chicken is a versatile addition to any freezer and often the salvation of homemakers faced with unexpected guests or other challenges.

This week’s recipes turn the spotlight onto a variety of ways to enjoy chicken.

• • •

CHICKEN CASSEROLE

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of water

1 small can mushroom pieces, with liquid

1 1/2 cups instant rice

parmesan cheese

Brown chicken then place in a buttered casserole. Combine soup mix, water, mushrooms and rice. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes longer.

• • •

GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place chicken in a shallow glass dish. Combine other ingredients in a jar and shake well. Pour over chicken. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and grill on a preheated barbecue for 25 minutes, or cook in the oven at 350 degrees F until juices run clear.

• • •

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI QUICHE

3 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into pieces

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 1/3 cups milk

3 eggs

3/4 cup biscuit mix

salt and pepper and other seasonings to taste 300 gram pkg. frozen broccoli, chopped, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix 2 cups cheese, chicken, onion and broccoli in a greased, round pan.

Beat milk and eggs and seasonings and

gradually add biscuit mix and beat until smooth. Pour over chicken.

Bake 45-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Top with remaining cheese and bake until all the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes then slice into pieces.

• • •

CHICKEN WINGS

3-4 lbs. chicken wings and drumettes

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsps. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup soya sauce

Coat wings in flour and brown in butter in a frying pan. Mix dry ingredients in small saucepan. Add liquids and stir. Cook until thickened. Stir frequently.

Pour over wings and bake for 45 minutes in a moderate oven.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel. net

Humane Society adding kid’s animal behavior classes to program lineup

Express/MooseJawToday.com

The Moose Jaw Humane Society (MJHS) is excited to announce the addition of animal behavior classes for children ages 7 to 12 to their fundraising programs, which are vital to supporting the shelter’s work in the community.

“It’s a brand-new program to teach children all about animal behavior,” explained Donna Fritzke, the MJHS fundraising co-ordinator. “Because we want to educate children in our community to be

responsible toward their pets, and also just safer and more confident in general with animals.

“I think we often take for granted that kids just understand when an animal is in distress, and often even adults don’t know that, or what to look for. So, this is an entire program that’s been developed to help children increase their abilities to communicate with and care for animals.”

The program will be held at the MJHS

WISH LIST

Pet Valu Gift Cards

Canned Dog Food

Canned Cat Food Cat Treats

Dog Treats (Dental Chews, Milk Bones)

Hot Dogs (chicken, beef, turkey)

Peanut Butter (must not contain xyitol) Cat Toys

Dog Toys (Kongs)

Collars and Leashes

Non Clumping Cat Litter

Wood Pellet Cat Litter

Dog & Cat Carriers

Dog & Cat Beds

Cat Scratching Post

Laundry detergent

Drop o your donation at our o ce 468 High Street West. With every donation you will receive an entry into the draw for an original Moose Jaw Humane Society clothing.

Let’s all help our Furry Friends!

Humane Society Donation Draw Date May 1, 2023

Name: Phone:

from 6 to 8 p.m., once a week for four weeks. The cost is $100 per child. The program includes games, activities, and crafts, and each child will receive a book on how to take care of animals.

The dates for children aged 7 to 9 are May 8, 15, 22, and 29.

For children aged 10 to 12, the program will run June 5, 12, 19, 26.

Registration for the May program is now open and will close April 24 or when capacity is reached. A minimum of seven children are needed, and the classes can handle up to a maximum of 15. Depending on interest, the Humane Society may add classes in the summer.

Register by calling the shelter at 306692-1517.

Children will learn:

• Animal body language

• How to behave around animals, including strange dogs

• The needs of animals

• How to play safely and respectfully with animals

• How to be a responsible pet owner

• What the Moose Jaw Humane Society does

The shelter is also continuing with their traditional fundraisers, including the $10,000 4 Paws Lottery, their bookstore, and selling colouring books, hoodies, and shirts. Businesses around the community help the MJHS to fundraise, including DDK Pets, which sells snuffle mats, and books sold at:

• Starlight Handmade Market

• Monkeybars Indoor Playcentre

• With These Hands

• The Wandering Market

“Last year, we look after over 1,000 animals,” Fritzke said. “And that’s not only, you know, taking in strays and caring for them and finding them homes, it’s about the people in the community and the families in our community.

“Reuniting pets with their families is one of the most amazing experiences, because people come in or call and they’re so anxious because their pet is missing. And we can help them, especially if they’re microchipped, to go home right away and to bring that family back together.”

4 Paws Lottery

The lottery began April 10 and will draw four $500 prizes on July 10, 11, 12, and 13. The Grand Prize of $10,000 will be drawn July 14.

Tickets are 1 for $20, 3 for $50, and 5 for $75.

Purchase by e-transfer to giving@ mjhs.ca, by calling the MJHS at 306-6921517, or stop in at the shelter. The $500 cash prizes are sponsored by Ashdown’s Furniture & Interiors, Devo’s Carwash, Starlight Handmade Market, and Leipert Financial.

The $10,000 cash prize sponsors are Cypress Paving, Remax Moose Jaw, Pet Valu Moose Jaw, Family Pizza, Farm Valley & Ranch Supplies, Nissan Moose Jaw, Knight Hyundai, Knight Ford, and Knight Honda.

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw

Members of the Moose Jaw Humane Society march in 2019’s Hometown Fair parade (staff file photo)

Note: the following column was first published in 2011 in memory of the event that took over Moose Jaw on a warm, sunny day in mid-April. Those memories are triggered nearly every year as the winter snow begins a quick melt.

The column is reprised this week as those memories live on:

• • • • • • • • •

With one eye on the frozen tips of the tulip crop that emerged too soon to be safe, another eye on the snow melting in the yard, and both ears on the reports of potential flooding for this area, it is impossible to forget the events of years ago in Moose Jaw.

While everyone remembers where they were on a particular day in their lives — the Kennedy assassination, the Royal wedding, the Quebec crisis, for instance — I especially remember the events of April 18, 1974.

It had been a hard winter that year, with oldtimers suggesting it was the most aggressive winter in their memory, piling snow higher than it had in decades and for as far as the eye could see. And it was cold

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

and stayed cold longer than the calendar demanded.

But then it got hot, quickly, without much warning, and the snow melted and the rivers and streams rose, and wham, just like that, the flood waters began their journeys where previously no water had been before.

That April 18 offered me the opportunity to view the rapid melt from the birdseye perch of a Canadian Armed Forces helicopter. No one in that helicopter really knew just how quickly the flood waters would take over the city but it didn’t take us long to find out.

The call from my aunt came just a few hours later — Grandma’s apartment had water in it and could we go and give her a hand. She lived on the 300 block of Fairford Street West. After a quick call to the parents on South Hill, we aimed our car at Grandma’s building, shocked to see how much water had accumulated on her street. We carefully found a higher spot in the backyard of her building and waded through the water to her front door.

Meanwhile, the parents arrived in the

front, swirling waters not stopping dad from reaching his destination.

Inside the apartment, Grandma sat, her feet on the rungs of the chair, just barely out of the water. My cousin was there trying to salvage some of her belongings, including family photos. Dad was more worried about getting Grandma out of the water. With no help whatsoever from the “youngsters,” he lifted her off the chair and deposited her in the car, ordering us to grab a few things for her. We barely had time to throw in her purse and a change of clothes before he was roaring through the water to higher ground.

I don’t recall where our cousin went after we locked her apartment, but we went to work, spending the next 24 hours watching the city go under water in the downtown and in the parks and the flats. Sparking power lines in the water kept Housemate and others from boating on High Street beyond Fourth Avenue Northwest.

There would be no concert in the Crescent Park amphitheatre that evening as water reached the top of the stage’s backdrop. South Hill was cut off from North Hill, and

publication.

lights burned late at city hall as municipal officials wept at the destruction, and tried to figure out what to do first, emergency planning never quite living up to the reality of such an event.

Volunteers were out in force, filling sandbags and helping their neighbours. Mom prepared sandwiches and dad delivered them to the workers nearby at the main waterway. He then stayed on to fill sandbags and help where possible, and continued to help, as did hundreds of others, for several days after the initial rush of water.

Fast forward through the years, and never since 1974 has Moose Jaw experienced such levels of water. But each year as the melt begins, there is careful attention paid to the potential for flooding when warmer weather arrives.

Moose Jaw and area families know exactly where they were on that April 18 and keenly remember the aftermath. I still wonder where my cousin slept that night.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

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

By Leon Retief

The Mind Fixers: Psychiatry’s Troubled Search for the Biology of Mental Illness

Anne Harrington

WW Norton & Company. 366 pages

All branches of medicine have had high and low points aplenty (with more on the way), psychiatry probably more than most.

The conflict between biological and nonbiological paradigms in the description, classifying and treatment of psychiatric conditions is a very interesting tale with no end in sight.

There are numerous cross-references to this between the two parts of the book – unavoidable given the nature of the subject – but it in fact enriches the flow of the narrative.

The first part, “Doctors’ Stories,” deals largely but not exclusively with the founders of biological psychiatry, those researchers (often neurologists or neuropathologists) who wanted to find an organic, anatomical locus for psychiatric illness as well as to establish a scientific system for behavioral pathology.

The efforts of these psychiatrists, such as Emil Kraepelin, Theodor Meynert and others, while often insightful, were nevertheless in vain and the supporters of nonbiological psychiatry, eg Freudian psychoanalysis, used this opportunity to occupy center stage.

This treatment modality, however, wasn’t exactly a roaring success, to put it mildly.

The effects (now known as PTSD) of two world wars on soldiers’ psyches, together with efforts to prevent and/ or treat it, had a profound influence on psychiatry and Harrinton’s description, although brief, is accurate. Unfortunately, neither prevention, cure, or psychoanalysis were successful.

The discovery of psycho-active drugs after WW 2 opened new doors and quickly gained popularity, despite opposition by psychoanalysts. Harrington describes the development of some of these agents, the claims made, the hopes it fostered in patients and families, as well as the inevitable disappointment when the realization dawned that they don’t work for everybody and that some side-effects were intolerable.

The marketing methods of pharmaceutical companies are also discussed, and it is not a good story.

Other treatments were also developed, such as electroconvulsive therapy (also known as shock therapy, a nonsurgical intervention) and prefrontal lobotomy, where nerve tracts from the brain’s prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain were cut, usually with catastrophic results for the patient – undoubtedly one of the most barbaric episodes in the history of medicine. That the inventor of this method was honored by a Nobel prize certainly isn’t something the Nobel Committee should be proud of.

Part 2, “Disease Stories,” deals with the history of schizophrenia, depression and manic depression (Harrinton’s term), better known as bipolar disease.

Part 3, “Unfinished Stories” has only one chapter, titled “False Dawn.” This chapter essentially deals with what one may call the walking wounded of psychiatric or psychological ailments.

I am not sure that I entirely agree with all Harrington’s thoughts on this matter, but they certainly deserve consideration.

The book is well written and interesting. The author maintains an even, objective tone throughout, although a little bit more sympathy towards psychiatrists would not be amiss – after all, they are mostly trying their best to help. Errors of judgement and inapplicable paradigms are inevitable. Naturally, the harm done to patients must always be kept in mind.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is unfortunately mentioned only in passing, it merits at least a short description, if not more. Also, the various psychiatric ailments should have been described in more detail.

Harrington mentions an objection frequently raised against psychiatry, namely that there are no radiological or blood investigations confirming a diagnosis. Psychiatrists are totally dependent on what the patient and/or the family have to tell.

This situation can cause confusion and misdiagnosis, but Harrington’s argument is not even nearly as clear as she thinks: pain, fatigue, nausea and so on frequently present in doctors’ consulting rooms, are not confirmed by radiology or blood tests, but are nevertheless treated, as they should be.

My main objection to this book is Harrington’s description of a research paper by David Rosenhan, published in 1973 in the influential scientific journal Science.

The title reads: “On being Sane in Insane Places” and goes on to say: “We cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals,” and also “If sanity and insanity exist, how shall we know them?”

In spite of the eye-catching title and profound question, this was in fact one of the most misleading papers in the history of psychiatry, and it took many years to untangle the confusion it caused.

Rosenhan’s thesis was that psychiatric diseases possibly do not exist.

His experiment consisted of having eight healthy people (pseudopatients, in fact) admitted to psychiatric institutions, faking their symptoms during their stay.

According to Rosenhan, none of the psychiatrists twigged what was going on, and as one can expect, this paper made waves for decades afterwards and caused great harm to psychiatry.

The problem, however, is that this “study” was almost certainly a hoax.

Susannah Cahalan published a book about Rosenhan’s study in the same year as Harrington’s book hit the stores: “The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission that Changed our Understanding of Madness.”

Cahalan initially believed Rosenhan’s claims, but could only find two of the eight people (in fact there were nine) who supposedly took part in the study. Rosenhan was one. A ninth person, who described his experiences in a positive light, was omitted from the results.

The study was almost certainly pure thumbsuck and Cahalan’s conclusion was that Rosenhan was a liar.

Interested readers can consult the two links at the end, the last one written by Cahalan herself.

One cannot blame Harrington for not incorporating Cahalan’s findings in her own book – after all both books were published in the same year and Harrington could not have been aware of Cahalan’s work.

This is a well-written and very interesting book. Readers do not need a knowledge of psychiatry or psychology and, notwithstanding its shortcomings, it should bring the development and problems of this very interesting and essential branch of medicine to a wider audience. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/great-pretender-undercover-mission-changed-our-understanding-madness

https://nypost.com/2019/11/02/stanford-professor-whochanged-america-with-just-one-study-was-also-a-liar/

Police seized knives, CO2 pistol and meth during arrest of two men

The Moose Jaw Police Service has provided an update about an incident that occurred near the legion on April 6 that led to the arrest of two individuals.

At 4:08 p.m. that day, a resident called the police to report that two people on bicycles were underneath the Fourth Avenue bridge and one of them pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the other. The caller then said the subjects biked across the bridge and out of sight.

Officers located the males on bikes crossing High Street West at Third Avenue Northwest near the legion and initiated contact. One subject had a handgun visible in his waistband and was quickly arrested.

The second subject possessed knives and would not follow the commands of police negotiators and personnel with the Police and Crisis Team (PACT). The male resisted arrest, so several officers were required to take him into police custody safely; this occurred without injury.

Police laid charges, including possession of weap-

By Moose Jaw Express staff

A CO2 pistol that police seized during an arrest near Third Avenue Northwest and High Street West on April 6. Photo courtesy Facebook

ons, drugs and resisting arrest. The two men will appear in court at a later date.

Officers also seized the weapons involved, the knives, a CO2 pistol and 11.5 grams of methamphetamine.

Police thanked the public for the information leading to these arrests and asked that people report any suspicious activity to ensure community safety. Citizens can contact the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600 or call 911.

Knives that police seized during an arrest near Third Avenue Northwest and High Street West on April 6. Photo courtesy Facebook

Southey RCMP seeks public assistance to locate missing man

Last Update at 2023-04-14 - 3:10 p.m.

Southey RCMP have received new information via video surveillance from a local business which depicts a male, matching the description of Joel Campbell, who may have been seen walking south on Highway 6 south of Southey, SK, toward Regina, on April 5th, 2023.

At approximately 7:20 p.m., a black Dodge Charger was seen stopping next to the male, who then appeared to enter the vehicle before continuing to travel south.

The 35-year-old Joel Campbell is from Standing Buffalo First Nation.

Joel has not been in contact with family since the evening of Wednesday, April 5 when he advised he was in the Southey area. It is uncommon for him to be out of

contact with family for so long.

Joel is described as being 5’ 8” tall, 170 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what he was last wearing.

Joel also has connections to Fort Qu’appelle, but it is unknown if he is in the community.

Joel is wanted for being unlawfully at large, but the purpose of this news release is to locate him and confirm his wellbeing, particularly given he has not been seen/ spoken to for several days. We ask the public not to approach him and contact police if you see him or know of his whereabouts.

Southey RCMP are looking for any information from

the public who may have seen this interaction to report it to Southey RCMP by calling 306-726-5230 or their local police service.

Southey RCMP are also looking to speak to the driver or the occupants of the black Dodge Charger for information on Joel’s whereabouts.

Southey RCMP continue to work diligently to follow-up on all information provided to police which may help in locating Joel.

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

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

Book Cover Image: Amazon.ca

Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners Notes

Officers with Moose Jaw’s Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) team can drive 1,500 kilometres daily while supporting projects in other communities, while their presence also encourages motorists to slow down.

Several policing agencies created an advisory committee in 2014 to explore ways to reduce collision-related property damage and injuries, which resulted in CTSS’s creation, explained Supt. Rick McKenna.

This partnership between SGI and the Ministry of Justice sees each organization fund 60 positions for 120 total positions provincewide. The CTSS partners include Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Prince Albert, Weyburn and Estevan, and the RCMP.

The partnership funds four officers in Moose Jaw. Those members spend 70 per cent of their time outside the community and 30 per cent inside.

“They’ve noticed that there’s been a significant decrease in property damage and personal injuries in relation to traffic collisions since (CTSS’s) inception,”

McKenna said during the Board of Police Commissioners’ recent meeting.

Many motorists believe the risk of

police catching them for speeding or distracted driving is low, especially when they don’t see cops on the road or in their community, he pointed out. But because CTSS’s officers are highly visible, they reduce that mindset in motorists when out conducting operations.

“This is one of those events where we’re not only helping our own community, but we’re actually helping our province as a whole because we’re increasing the visibility in a jurisdiction that isn’t necessarily ours … ,” said McKenna.

“In particular … many (municipalities) welcome our members into their community pretty openly because they appreciate that police presence because they haven’t been seen,” he added.

That presence includes stopping for gas or simply driving through, said Const. Ryan Lundquist, one of Moose Jaw’s CTSS members. Lundquist has been with the MJPS for seven years and with the CTSS since January 2021.

CTSS members often participate in selective two-day traffic enforcement programs (STEP) in various communities, Lundquist said. He has organized a STEP initiative in Moose Jaw with SGI, while members regularly establish a presence

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

in Chamberlain during Saskatchewan Roughriders’ games.

Officers from places such as Regina, Weyburn and Saskatoon also usually spend time here.

Moose Jaw CTSS officers focus on highways 1 and 2, while in the summer, they can travel 1,500 kilometres a day. That is equivalent to driving to Watrous and back, Lundquist said.

CTSS members also focus on handling in-progress crime — if they are nearby — in rural areas until RCMP arrives, he continued. However, collisions are the most frequent incidents to which CTSS members respond.

“I’ve been to way too many, but there are just so many out there,” Lundquist said. “A lot of times they’re (RCMP) just a long ways away or (are) working with no members on duty or one.

“It’s a great partnership; I love this unit. I would love to stay in it for a very long time … ,” he added.

The RCMP’s six motorcycle officers are responsible for nearly 20 per cent of all provincial tickets handed out annually, with 28 per cent of those tickets for distracted driving, said McKenna. Meanwhile, on average, motorcycle officers

have 18-per-cent more contact with motorists than car-based police.

In Moose Jaw, the data shows that in 2021, car-based members issued 31 tickets, while by June 2022, that number jumped to 51 because of the motorcycle officers.

While motorists watch for car-based officers, they don’t usually consider motorcycle cops, who can better see drivers using their phones, said Police Chief Rick Bourassa. Meanwhile, the MJPS’s motorcycle is roughly 20 years old and needs replacing.

“It spent the winter in the hospital, let’s put it that way,” he smiled. “… There is a pretty positive effect they do have.”

Commissioner Doug Blanc wondered if CTSS members continued investigations in rural areas — or handed them over to RCMP — after responding to collisions and break-ins.

The closest police help calm a situation and the agency with jurisdiction handles everything from there, said Bourassa. Lundquist said he remains at the scene if the collision involves impaired driving, while McKenna said if it’s a significant collision, RCMP has two teams in southern Saskatchewan it can send.

City’s software problems preventing police board from receiving budget reports

City hall’s continued challenges with its new financial software program mean the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) has been unable to provide monthly operating budget updates to the police board since February.

The financial services department has advised the policing agency that a monthly financial report will not be available “until further notice,” said Police Chief Rick Bourassa during the recent meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners.

However, the agency did have information about its accumulated surplus account, he added, after board members inquired about that in March and whether any surpluses remained with the police service or flowed back into city coffers.

Lisa Renwick, MJPS finance officer, explained that she contacted city finance director Brian Acker recently, who confirmed that the agency has been able to retain its accumulated surpluses since 2001.

A city council motion at that time confirmed that any budget surpluses automatically went into that account. The police service could also take money from that account to cover any deficits.

“Every once in a while, there’s been a specific purchase made from it, but that’s only under board approval,” said Renwick.

Quoting Acker, she noted, “And coun-

cil could — if they decided at some point in the future — to discontinue the practice, but it would be something we (city administration) recommend against given the mutual benefit.”

The MJPS’s accumulated surplus account currently holds $395,135.69, based on numbers presented during the March police board meeting.

The agency is on track financially with its 2023-operating budget even though it can’t provide monthly updates, said Renwick.

However, she still finds it difficult to verify finances accurately because the system is new, while city officials only taught her how to use it in January. She could print off reports in the old system but can’t do that with the new software.

Acker has promised that before the May police board meeting, the city’s finance department will print off templates that could provide some information.

“I don’t see any red flags right now, so I think we’re tracking pretty good,” Renwick added.

“That’s good news that we’re on track,” said board chair Mary Lee Booth.

During a media scrum afterward, Booth said she would like to receive regular budget updates but trusts Renwick to remain aware of the agency’s finances.

“I just want to know, are we on target?

That’s the most important question, that we’re not over-expending our revenue,” she added. “… we’re looking forward to receiving them (budget reports) again.”

Renwick has a “keen eye” for financials and has been working in this role for years, said Police Chief Rick Bourassa.

While she has not seen any red flags with the budget, the agency would still like to see those numbers in black and white to gauge its spending and properly forecast its year.

“And we’re hoping for next month (for the monthly reports) — we’re hoping,” he added with a chuckle.

*Full Circulation means every home & paper should have this yer. If you are missing call us @306-694-1322.

*Selected Areas means only selected areas were chosen by the business or agency (please call the business).

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

By Patricia Hanbidge

Apples for the Prairies

Did you know that right here on the prairies we can grow apples that are as good as those that are grown anywhere in the world? Believe it or not but we can compare our quality of apples to those grown in the Okanagan, the Annapolis Valley and other places around the world. In 2019, Asia produced 56 million tons, followed by Europe with 17 million tons. Next was the Americas with 9 million tons, Africa with 3 million tons and Oceania with 818 thousand tons.

In order to appreciate what it takes to grow delicious apples it is important to realize that all of the cultivars of apples that we see in the grocery store are not grown from seed but instead are propagated asexually or also commonly called produced by clones. The reason this is necessary is that in order for an apple tree to produce apples it needs to be cross-pollinated with another apple tree. What this means from a genetics perspective is that there is huge diversity of genetic data contained within that apple seed and each seed will grow into something that is unique from every other seed within that apple. It may produce fruit that is completely unique or it may not produce any fruit at all.

Another interesting fact is that the apple industry

worldwide has been undergoing change. As stated earlier each apple tree is produced asexually so a graft from the desired type of apple is grafted onto a compatible rootstock. This rootstock began as a complete tree with a root system and a single stem. In the apple industry most often this rootstock is a dwarf rootstock which will have an effect on the apple tree itself to keep it smaller in stature and will also have an effect on when fruit is produced. The apple industry has been utilizing dwarf rootstock for many years as the trees themselves are smaller, require less maintenance, pruning is easier as they are shorter trees and the production has proven to result in larger fruit and in fact more fruit can be produced on the same size of land base.

As mentioned above, the rootstock will affect the age when the tree begins to bear fruit. Generally speaking, dwarf apples will produce two to three years after planting while semi-dwarf apples will usually begin to bear fruit at four to five years after planting. Standard apples may take seven to ten years to reach maturity and begin to bear fruit. Please note that dwarf trees will need staking or a trellis to support themselves and stay upright when fruiting. The top part of the tree which has the newest growth is referred to as scion wood. This scion wood is collected during the winter while the tree is dormant and should be one quarter to three eighth of an inch in diameter. Store the scion wood in a cool, moist location with tempera-

tures close to 34 F. Do not freeze but keep the humidity high and very close to freezing.

Grafting during late summer should occur when there is sufficient movement within the tree that the bark slips or in other words when the bark of the stock easily separates from the wood and buds are fully developed. Budding and specifically T-budding is the chosen grafting method where a single bud is taken from the scion wood onto the root stock. This method is faster than other grafting techniques and the success rate is generally quite high as a stronger union is formed between the scion wood and the root stock. Even for a novice grafter, this method has proven to be one of the best options. The bud will remain dormant until spring and once the graft site has healed the wood above the graft will be removed.

Please note that in order to do this grafting a sharp, good quality knife is essential. The graft should be wrapped with grafting tape which is a specialized tape used for grafting. Over the years many other tapes and methods have been used. When I first learned to graft, we wrapped the graft site with rubber bands and paraffin. It took a fine hand to ensure the wrapping was tight but not too tight to keep the graft site from desiccating but not so tight that the graft site would be strangled and not allow the sap to flow.

Watch for more upcoming articles on fruits we can successfully grow on the prairies – giving us a bountiful and diverse choice when stocking our larder for the long winter months.

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?

Pet Valu making smooth transition to much larger new space

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Pet Valu Moose Jaw owners Steve and Michelle Erdahl are moving their store across the parking lot to a much larger space and have organized the transition so smoothly that there will be no retail downtime.

“The store is doing very well, hence the move,” Michelle Erdahl told the Moose Jaw Express. “We’ve been planning to move since about January … and we’re excited to see all our familiar customers in our new space.”

Erdahl said the change would expand the Moose Jaw Pet Valu by over 1000 square feet, giving them more room for existing stock and enabling them to more easily add new products. For now, they will keep everything the same, although she said they will probably need to hire more staff at some point in the future.

Pet Valu is a Canadian retailer of pet food and pet-related products that was founded in 1976. They carry a wide range of products, including raw, premium, and holistic pet foods, and just about every pet accessory, toy, chewing op-

tion, and enclosure imaginable.

Moose Jaw’s Pet Valu is also known for its support of local animal charities such as the Moose Jaw Humane Society, Lucky Paws Dog Rescue, Running Wild Rescue, and the Stray Cat Rescue and Protection Society (SCRAPS).

SCRAPS regularly restocks batches of adorable, adoptable kittens at Pet Valu. The staff are trained on how to assist customers with adopting the kittens, and the relationship is one of SCRAPS’ most important sponsorships.

The previous Pet Valu location remained open until April 13th when the transition to the new location opened immediately following.

Clients making regular use of the Pet Valu dog wash will also be excited to hear that another bay is being added. That will bring the total to three, with the third dog wash isolated.

“There’s quite a few dogs who like to be on their own when they’re getting washed,” Erdahl noted. “That is the easiest way to say that, and I have a couple of dogs who feel that way, so I know there will be quite a few customers happy to have that third dog wash that will be separate.”

The new address of Pet Valu Moose Jaw is 2D-1251 Main St N.

Pet Valu owners Steve and Michelle Erdahl in their much larger new space (photo by Gordon Edgar)

love your range of rental equipment!

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

Clark’s and more!!

The Pet Valu move will be complete by Friday, April 14 (photo by Gordon Edgar)

BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter For Moose Jaw Express

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

Local short-term rental units competing with accommodation sector

The tragic fire in Montreal involving a heritage building with illegal Air BnB rental sites has raised awareness among some municipal leaders of these rentals and the risks.

Except in large cites these short-term rental sites are not regulated. In Saskatchewan, Regina and Saskatoon require an annual licence.

That way the city and public know where rentals are and presumably can do inspections for fire safety measures.

The City of Moose Jaw has no mention of these rental units in the zoning or licensing bylaw. The zoning bylaw sets minimum and maximum sizes for secondary suites.

Perhaps the units may fall under the home occupation bylaw but that is doubtful.

Many local residents know nothing about these rental locations.

Air BnB lists more than 40 places for rent in Moose Jaw with a map showing locations.

VRBO, another short-term rental operation, has 15 places in Moose Jaw where one can book for the night or week. This site doesn’t list locations until one starts looking for a place.

The Air BnB rentals are all over the city with a large number in the downtown, and others from South Hill to the north end. A few are on local farms and some are bed and breakfast homes.

Nightly rates range from $40 to $248.

These two short-term rental operations amount to another hotel in Moose Jaw. The licensed hotels in Moose Jaw spend time and money to meet fire, safety and public health standards.

Without regulations, no one knows what the short term rental units have for fire safety measures. One would expect them to be in good standing. Only people

renting know.

Operators of local hotels and motels are facing unfair competition from them.

A tragic event such as the New Year’s Day fire of 2004 in Moose Jaw seemed to put a black mark on local tourism, given the absence of regulations.

The NewYear’s Day fire destroyed three downtown heritage buildings but the nation-wide media coverage left many potential visitors believing the fire took out the entire heritage area and there was no reason to visit — as the tourism director of the time told me.

A fire in a short-term rental could impact our tourism image.

The variety of units for rent in Moose Jaw is amazing: all the way from one-bedroom units to entire condos and apartment units. One is a gorgeous looking loft in the downtown for $248 a night – or $1,239 a week. Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Cultural Centre to host all-day community education event on housing struggles

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

A group of prominent Moose Javians has organized a full day of Collaborative Community Conversation at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre (MJCC) on April 27, with the discussion centred around understanding the stigmas that make ending homelessness, poverty, addiction, and the mental health crisis that much more difficult.

The cost to attend is $25, with all proceeds going toward establishing a Safety Host Program at the Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association (WACA).

The Safety Host Program is based on a model being implemented in Winnipeg that qualifies security guards. The program is Indigenous-led and community-based, and gives graduates training in essential and often-ignored skills like de-escalation, psychological first air, trauma-informed care, and harm reduction principles.

The doors will open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 27, with a welcome at 10:30. Elder Eugene Arcand will speak from 11 a.m. to noon. From noon to 1:30 p.m. participants can either take lunch or take advantage of a Stay and Learn option. Amanda Gebhard and her team will speak from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., and the final speaker, Michael Redhead Champagne, will speak from 3 to 4 p.m. Guests can stay for the entire day, or come and go at their convenience.

“The conversation will include some of our own struggles on the street here in Moose Jaw,” a press release announcing the event says. “We are seeing the effects inadequate, unaffordable, and unsafe housing has on our community. It’s time we come to understand it and work towards the solutions together.”

Register for the conversation at https://sites.google. com/moosejawlibrary.ca/mjcollaboration/home.

The event is chiefly organized by Lori Deets, chairperson of WACA, who has lived experience and extensive front-line work experience navigating colonial systems. She has worked with the MJPL and Saskatchewan Festival of Words to build a framework of relationships.

Deets’ collaborators include Sarah Simison, the executive director of the MJCC, vice-chair of the Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL) board, and managing artistic director of the Saskatchewan Festival of Words; Gwen Fisher, head librarian at the MJPL, whose staff have taken innovative training courses similar to the Safety Host Program; and Della Ferguson, chairperson for Journey to Hope Moose Jaw and Square One Community, Inc., known for her tireless advocacy for disadvantaged people in Moose Jaw.

Elder Eugene Arcand

Cree Elder Eugene Arcand is from the Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. He spent nine years at the St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Duck Lake and two years at the St. Paul’s Lebret Students Residence. In

the residential schools, his name was taken away and he was given the number 781.

He told his story to TSN.ca. Links to that story are included on his speaker page on the Collaborative Community Conversation page.

Arcand is an inductee of the First Nation Sports Hall of Fame and has dedicated much of his time to organiz-

ing regional and national events — First Nations sports events, cultural events, tourism events, and events geared to the advancement of First Nations youth. He has worked extensively with the Indian Residential Schools Survivor Committee at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Governing Circle.

Arcand credits his success to the support and love of his wife Lorna Arcand, to whom he has been married for 50 years, and to his family. Eugene and Lorna have three children and seven grandchildren.

Amanda Gebhard & Team

Dr. Amanda Gebhard is a white settler scholar and assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Regina. She has more than fifteen years’ experience in anti-racism education as a student, researcher, and instructor in education and social work faculties. Dr. Gebhard’s interdisciplinary research investigates racism and educational exclusions, the school/prison nexus, and anti-racist pedagogy and practice. She has published widely on racism and whiteness in education in the Canadian prairies.

Gebhard is the co-author of White Benevolence (2022), a book about racism and colonial violence in the helping professions.

Her co-authors are Dr. Sheelah McLean and Dr. Verna St. Denis.

Dr. McLean is an educator with thirty years of experience teaching high school, adult education, and graduate and undergraduate courses in anti-racism at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. McLean is an organizer with the Idle No More network, a scholar and community organizer, and a curriculum developer for San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program.

Dr. St. Denis is a professor of education and special advisor to the president on anti-racism/anti-oppression at the University of Saskatchewan, where she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in integrated anti-racist education for many years. She is both Cree and Métis, and a member of the Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nations. Dr. St. Denis is a widely sought-after speaker on the topic of racism in education.

Michael Redhead Champagne

Michael Redhead Champagne is an Ininew public speaker, writer, community advocate and on-screen personality. His commitment to action and solutions comes from his experiences growing up in Winnipeg’s North End, his identity as a member of Shamattawa First Nation, and his connection to the child welfare system. He aims to walk his talk, revolutionize harmful systems, and ensure that any initiative affecting those with lived experience is designed, delivered and evaluated by them.

Moise of Moose Jaw

Heather Jebson & Kyle Waldenburger of Marquis

Justine & Corbin Golding of Moose Jaw

Allison Hall & Aaron Crosbie of Moose Jaw

Deandra & Tyler Peterson of Central Butte

The Moose Jaw Cultural Centre has a new marquee that gives it a historic retro look (Photo by Jason G. Antonio)

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

Last hurdles removed for warming shelter after city, MJ Housing sign final agreements

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, APRIL 24. THE

The proposed warming centre at William Milne Place likely faces no further hurdles to opening after city hall and the Moose Jaw Non-Profit Housing Corporation (MJNPHC) dealt with two outstanding issues.

City administration and the corporation — also known as Moose Jaw Housing — met recently to negotiate and finalize the mutual termination of lease agreement and the right of first refusal agreement concerning the building, a city council report explained.

Furthermore, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) confirmed that the municipality is absolved from all terms and conditions of the operating agreements that both parties signed on March 6, 1989, and that the city later gave to the MJNPHC on Nov. 3, 1989.

On April 1, Square One Community Inc. will take over the building at 138 Fairford Street West and develop a warming space and dedicated women’s shelter. Square One is a non-profit dedicated to advocating for and supporting people in the city who do not have access to safe, reliable shelter.

Square One began collaborating last October with MJNPHC while searching for a suitable shelter location to develop.

MJNPHC has owned William Milne Place since 1990, when it signed a lease agreement with the city and created a men’s low-income housing project, taking

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

ownership of the property shortly afterwards. A 2013 sublease with the municipality granted offices in the building to Global Direct Realty Inc.

During its regular meeting on Feb. 27, city council voted 5-2 to transfer its sub-lease with Global Direct to the MJNPHC, which then dissolved the firm’s lease agreement with the contractually obligated notice of 30 days.

Global Direct Realty’s new location is 150 – 361 Main Street North, in the City Square Mall.

City administration presented an update about the finalized agreements during the April 10 regular council meeting.

Council learned during its previous meeting that Square One planned to meet with the Downtown Business Association because that organization had concerns with the warming shelter, Coun. Doug Blanc said. He wondered what the outcome was of that meeting and whether those concerns had been resolved.

Square One met with 10 business owners and exchanged plenty of good information while opening the lines of communication, said Coun. Crystal Froese, also the board vice-chair of Square One.

“A good relationship has formed between the two groups, so I think it will move forward that way,” she added.

Coun. Heather Eby, council’s rep on the Downtown Business Association, agreed that it was a good meeting. The organization was hesitant going in since it was unsure what to expect. However, Square One answered every question, which was positive.

Eby commended Gwen Fisher, the Moose Jaw Public Library’s head librarian, for attending because she has become involved in the community’s homeless situation due to what’s been happening at the library.

“It was her comments and her input that really put the downtown businesses — not at ease but brought them into a new understanding of what is really happening,” said Eby.

“She made that meeting really, really good. And everyone around that table was just so impressed with her,” the councillor added. “So we have a great asset in Gwen Fisher, not only as the head librarian but as a community person.”

Mayor Clive Tolley singled out Vicki Pantelopoulos, owner of Global Direct Realty, for how she reacted to the situation at William Milne Place. He thought she was generous by agreeing to move out on short notice, while he commended her for being a good community organization.

Council then voted unanimously to receive the update about the warming centre.

Council to financially help Hillcrest, Lynbrook golf clubs with water pump repair

City council will financially support the Hillcrest and Lynbrook golf courses by helping them replace a pump that provides the water they need to irrigate their greens.

During the April 10 executive committee meeting, council unanimously approved a recommendation that the City of Moose Jaw sign an agreement to replace the Snowdy Springs pump and split the cost three ways. This pact is for this issue only and will not affect their existing agreements.

The recommendation will become official once council approves it as a motion during a future regular meeting.

The pump’s replacement cost is $68,104, and based on the three-way split, each party will pay $22,701. The city will buy the pump, while the golf clubs will pay the city $4,540 annually over five years.

The city expects its financing costs over five years to be an extra $6,000, so its total contribution expense is $28,701, a council report said.

Jasmine Cameron, general manager at Hillcrest, and Deb Higgins, board president at Lynbrook, spoke to council about this issue.

Past concerns

City administration originally brought this issue to the March 27 executive committee meeting and suggested it be received and filed — forcing the two golf clubs to pay for the pump — but council tabled the issue because it wanted more information about past agreements and the city’s water use from Snowdy Springs.

An April 10 report provided some answers, including:

· There was no three-way cost-sharing agreement because the city maintained the infrastructure in exchange for a flat annual fee

· Council’s direction from 2016-17 was that the users should pay the costs to maintain the system

· Rosedale Cemetery was disconnected from Snowdy Springs in the 1980s and hasn’t used that water since

· The city does not use the spring’s water in Crescent Park because the clubs could run out of liquid late in the season — that occurred three years ago — and lose irrigation capacity; the city only pumps enough to fill their reservoirs

Presentations

The clubs put most of their revenues into irrigating and maintaining large green spaces while attempting to remain competitive with other sporting activities, which is why they wanted the three-way cost split, said Cameron.

“As non-profit organizations as well, we’re always trying to make ends meet … and something like this (three-way agreement) sounded like a good thing to have,” she added.

When asked what effect the province’s imposition of PST has had, Cameron said Hillcrest sets its rates annual

ly and attempts to address unforeseen circumstances. Pay

ing half the cost would be a two-steps-back situation since

the club has other projects on its priority list.

The pandemic was good for golf — players could physically separate — and Hillcrest had two good years, but with the pandemic ending, participation is declining, she added.

Many people assumed that past agreements were three-way partnerships, but it was surprising to see the two-way cost split for the pump in the most recent agreements, said Higgins. She assumed the city paid for repairs and maintenance, while she didn’t realize the clubs were billed for that.

“… when you look at the Hillcrest and the Lynbrook, we operate and maintain — quite well, I think — the largest green spaces in Moose Jaw,” she stated.

Golfers played 25,000 rounds last year at Lynbrook, while Hillcrest is hosting mixed provincials this August, which will generate plenty of economic activity, Higgins added. Both courses already operate on “pretty slim” annual margins, so post-pandemic, they are forced to plan while dealing with fewer members. Council discussion

The current pump is decades old, so these devices have a long lifespan if they are maintained well, said Darrin Stephanson, director of public works. Other system components are in similar condition and will need to be replaced, but this pump could last for many more years.

The clubs’ green spaces were important to Coun. Heather Eby, who pointed out that both courses are in visible, high-traffic areas.

“If the golf courses were not watering and irrigating, it would look terrible. If the City of Moose Jaw had to look after them on our own, it would be expensive,” she added.

Mayor Clive Tolley urged city administration to give the clubs as much future warning as possible about potential infrastructure costs. He thought that would eliminate any 11th-hour requests for help.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, APRIL 24.

Disc golf has been growing in popularity over the past few years, and while Moose Jaw has only one course, a group of residents plans to install a second course soon.

During its April 10 executive committee meeting, city council unanimously approved a recommendation to authorize city administration to prepare a licensing agreement with the Sunningdale VLA Community Association for the construction, maintenance and operation of an 18hole disc golf course in the Sunningdale Nature Park. Once finalized, city administration must bring the agreement to an upcoming council meeting for official approval.

Leslie Campbell, association chairwoman, presented the proposal to council.

Presentation

“Ensuring this disc golf course is a safe environment for everyone using Sunningdale Park was the No. 1 priority when the course was designed. As each hole was repeatedly tested, tweaked and modifications were made until any safety concerns were removed,” Campbell said, noting installation and removal of equipment is easy.

The association hired local expert Zach Renwick to design the course, while he believes the current level of maintenance at Sunningdale Park is “totally fine,” she continued. Disc golfers should easily find their discs if the

Sunningdale group plans to install 18-hole disc golf course near school

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

grass is cut often.

The association will add more garbage bins, while it will install the wood tee boxes flush to the ground so special mowing equipment is not needed.

People can walk to the course, but those who drive can park in the Sunningdale School lot — school administrators wrote a letter supporting the project — or along Wood Lily Drive.

Some signage the organization will install — costing roughly $15,000 — includes a welcome sign with the course layout and disc golf etiquette at holes 1, 8 and 10, hole signs at each tee box, and awareness/warning signs.

The SVLACA will purchase and install the 18 holes, the wood railroad-tie tee boxes, and course signs, upload the course to the UDisc app, and co-ordinate a grand opening media event, Campbell said.

It will also offer learn-to-play sessions for families, youths and adults, purchase free-use discs to store at the Kinsmen Sportsplex and sign an agreement with city hall that clarifies the association’s role after it builds the course.

Mayor Clive Tolley thought it was “heartening” that the volunteer association was bringing forward this proposal — he applauded their efforts — considering council declared April 16 to 22 as National Volunteer Week.

Coun. Crystal Froese thought the project was exciting

and, as a board member with Wakamow Valley, knew its disc golf course was heavily used year-round. She was also pleased that the association would install warning signs since the course crosses nearby pathways.

“Disc golfers are very polite people, so I can’t see that this (wouldn’t) be a harmonious relationship with people on the pathways,” she added. “And it is a four-season sport, which in this province is a tough one to find.” Facts about the sport

Disc golf is played in over 40 countries, while 62 per cent of Canadians have a disc golf course within eight kilometres of their homes, a council report explained.

The sport is inexpensive since a Frisbee-type disc costs $7 to $10, while it’s accessible and can be played by people of all ages and abilities, the report continued. Moreover, the game is fun, easy to learn, relaxing, and a great way to exercise, meet people, and spend time with friends.

Moose Jaw’s lone disc golf venue is the 16-hole course at Wakamow Valley. Meanwhile, there is a 9-hole course at 15 Wing Air Base, in Caronport, and at Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, while Regina has an 18-hole course.

“Adding a disc golf course to the park can also serve as a safety measure, as unlawful activities are less likely to happen when people are around (who) may witness or report suspicious activity,” the report added.

City hall highlights recent successes with strategic plan initiatives

It’s been two years since city council and city hall developed initiatives for their strategic plan, and since then, administration has been promoting some of the plan’s recent successes.

Council and administration met with author Doug Griffiths during a strategic planning session on March 3, 2021, to update, revise and enhance the plan’s objectives. Some strategic initiatives developed at that meeting included:

Creating a climate action plan

Making a downtown enhancement plan to address the area’s heritage and history

Marketing Moose Jaw better and hiring a marketing firm or person to push that campaign

Developing a list of businesses that fit the vision for the agri-food industrial park and proactively encouraging them to move here

Most initiatives have been underway since that meeting or are now completed, a city council report said. Some highlights from the past year include:

· Having the second-highest year of building permits in 2022

· Attracting nearly $1.3 billion in investments during the past four years

· Implementing the climate action plan, leading to a 14-per-cent reduction in emissions and $200,000 in annual electricity savings

· Starting Gazelle artificial intelligence to develop a list of agri-food processing companies to locate to the industrial park

· Holding a branding exercise in August 2022 with Gair Maxwell, who helped develop the “Notorious” brand and subsequent “Get A Life” campaign

Implementing the “Get A Life” campaign

· Starting updates to downtown heritage signs and enhancing the relationship with downtown businesses

· Implementing — after several years of problems — Enterprise Resource Planning (EPR) software

City administration presented an update about the strategic plan and its initiatives during the April 10 regular council meeting. Included was a report about the city’s economic development strategic focus for 2023 and a summary of the parks and recreation department’s 2022 activities.

The main areas in the economic development strategic report include investment attraction and marketing; skilled workforce attraction; business retention and expansion; cluster strategies and building on existing strengths; tourism; regional collaboration; downtown development; and Aboriginal engagement.

Some highlights from the parks and rec report include:

· Attendance at Kinsmen Sportsplex Pool was 106,908 people, versus 78,111 two years ago and 51,441 three years; 2019’s attendance was 125,146

· Attendance at the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool was 16,340 people, versus 9,765 two years ago and zero three years ago; 2017’s attendance was 19,489 The total hours booked at the three hockey arenas was 4,363 hours

· Last year there were 1,081 Yara Centre memberships, 864 recreation pass memberships and 343 aquatic memberships; in 2019, those numbers were, respectively, 1,441, 682 and 140

· Total drop-in attendance at Yara Centre last year — fitness centre, turf, track, classes/programs — was 52,095 people; in 2019, that number was 13,269

· Total turf hours booked was 4,253, compared to 2,782 hours in 2019

· Total attendance at community association programs (youths and adults) was 630 people versus 692 in 2019

· Total attendance during the playground program was 4,661 people versus 8,082 in 2019

· Total cremation burials were 173 versus 59 regular burials, versus 125 and 52, respectively, in 2019

· The department resolved 1,066 total service call requests, with forestry (647) and parks and green spaces (194) as the top categories; in 2020, those numbers were 549, 335 and 100, respectively

Coun. Crystal Froese pointed out that many attendance numbers have reached pre-pandemic levels, so she commended staff for working to raise those figures. Meanwhile, she thought the total service request chart was interesting, especially the number of calls about forestry issues. She wondered if that was due to the twoday blizzard last October.

Derek Blais, director of parks and rec, acknowledged that that snowstorm led to a substantial increase in calls to address downed trees.

Heritage committee to soon announce candidates for veterans’ banner project

City hall’s heritage advisory committee is sifting through the applications it received for its veterans’ banner program and expects to announce the potential candidates in the coming months.

The committee met in mid-March and learned from city administration that the City of Moose Jaw had dedicated a page on its website promoting the banner project, according to its meeting minutes presented during the April 10 regular city council meeting. That page allows residents to access more information about the project and apply for veteran banners.

City hall had received eight applications by midMarch, although it was unknown how many more it received by the April 6 deadline.

The committee will review the applications from April 10 to 19 and follow up with applicants from April 20 to 28 about whether they’ve been approved, denied or need to provide more information.

Meanwhile, the members have decided on a general banner template as a mock-up that they will provide to the manager of the Ontario-based Memorial Banner Program,

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

the minutes showed. The group also plans to post full details of the approved veterans’ profiles on the webpage since all the information may not fit on the banners.

The committee will submit the approved applications to the banner production company by June 1 and expects to receive the banners back by Aug. 31. The city will install the banners between Oct. 26 and 31, leave them up for November, and remove them in early December.

Visit moosejaw.ca/veteranbanners for more information.

Heritage plaque project

A group of retired Moose Jaw teachers is assisting the heritage advisory committee with creating write-ups for updated plaques that will be placed on or near heritage buildings, the meeting minutes said.

Youth advisory committee members are also interested in helping with the video/QR code project and will reach out to heritage member Dave Wentworth for further instructions. Meanwhile, the committee is looking at creating plaques for historic sites, events or groups that are not confined to one building.

Specifically, the committee will fund a heritage plaque for the public comfort station in Crescent Park and a replacement plaque at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church on High Street East.

Also, committee members and other volunteers involved in the QR code project will share a Dropbox link so they can save all media in one accessible place.

Outstanding items

The minutes noted that the committee also received updates on three outstanding items:

· The city will continue to assess the condition of the Coteau Street East bridge regularly and — for now — keep the bridge open to the public

· Member Janie Fries will contact Tourism Moose Jaw to discuss the future of the Old Cemetery Chapel

· The design is complete for the rehabilitation project for the Thunderbird (Fourth Avenue) Viaduct bridge, but the city needs approval from Canadian Pacific Railway’s engineering department. Communications with CP Rail are ongoing as the project is — or is supposed to be — an equal cost-sharing arrangement

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw Firefighters receive Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medals

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Six members of the Moose Jaw Fire Department received Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals last week from Saskatchewan’s Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty, in a ceremony at #4 Fire Station in Regina to honour Saskatchewan Fire Service members in the southern half of the province.

The Moose Jaw Fire Department (MJFD) members who received medals on April 4 were:

• Paul Busse

• Cathie Bassett

• Rod Klippenstein

• Robert Halsall

• Ryan Hopkinson

• Levi Watkinson

Halsall, Hopkinson, and Watkinson were unable to attend.

“It was pretty awesome to be able to share that honour with 59 other Fire Service members that day,” said Cathie Bassett, the MJFD’s Public Education Officer. “It was awesome, and of course we thank the Regina Fire Depart-

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, APRIL 24.

The spring thaw has turned Moose Jaw’s streets into a hazardous minefield for motorists, a problem that city council acknowledges needs to be addressed with more capital funding.

Coun. Dawn Luhning raised the issue of the city’s perennial pothole problem during the April 10 regular meeting, during a discussion about the municipality’s strategic plan.

Council voted 6-1 to accept that report, with Luhning opposed.

‘Game of frogger’

She wondered what city administration’s plan was to address the situation once the snow and water had evaporated, considering every year the community’s roads turned into “pothole heaven.”

“I honestly don’t know if I want to hear (the answer of), ‘Well, it’s just where we live and it’s just what we have to deal with.’ But honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen the roads as bad as they are this year … ,” Luhning said.

“It’s a little bit of a game of frogger to drive around the streets,” she chuckled. “We’ve got to come up with some ways as council in the next budget to attack these problems a little bit better.”

While everything in the strategic plan update is great, Luhning thought residents were more interested in hearing how city hall would fix streets and address the detrimental spring thaw.

Temporary repairs

ment for hosting it, and the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs for initiating the nominations.”

The occasion was particularly memorable for Bassett because her mother was a Royalist and a collector of royal memorabilia.

“My mom has passed 20 years ago now, as of March. It would have been awesome to have her at the ceremony, but I was thinking of her,” she said. “She would have been over the moon. Honestly, it’s funny because of all the little bits and bobs and things that I inherited from her and through my grandma as well.

“The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal probably would have taken the top spot in her collection. I was her only daughter, so it would have been way up there. That was the queen’s last medal that she commissioned. So, it meant a lot to me and for all the Canadians across the country who have received it.”

Bassett added that she was grateful to receive the medal alongside her co-workers, whom she described as wonderful men and great firefighters.

Councillor admits more money needed to address city’s ‘pothole heaven’ roads

Moose Jaw is not the only city dealing with this problem, considering it is a climate issue, said Darrin Stephanson, director of public works and utilities. Some roads have deteriorated more than others, while using hot mix asphalt — available in early May — to fill potholes is not permanent.

“Once those road structures start coming apart, we’re putting more and more pothole repairs in. (So), the road needs to be replaced,” he continued. “There’s only so much the public works department can do to keep those roads driveable at that point.”

Some roads like Coteau Street West need full rehabilitation, Stephanson said. However, the replacement of cast iron and feeder water mains along those stretches must first occur.

Given the number of potholes that have increased season over season, Stephanson believed the municipality was falling behind on funding roadway renewal at a reasonable pace.

“We need to own some of that decision … ,” he added. Installing large patches

The public works department will send out several teams to fill potholes once hot mix asphalt is available. It will also flag areas with multiple potholes so it can shave those locations and install larger patches to hold until the roads are resurfaced.

The department is using cold mix to

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

fill some potholes, but the water washes out that material, Stephanson said. Staff have brought in other material that’s better but not as good as hot mix.

“But again, it’s all temporary and until we get through the thaw … we’re just back to locations multiple times. That’s the unfortunate reality,” he added. More capital money needed

Luhning acknowledged that council had not provided city administration with enough funding to perform the necessary work to keep roads driveable.

“… I think the spring thaw is showing us that we need to put a little bit more focus on this part of our city because driving the roadways hits everybody’s day-to-day,” she added.

Council provides enough funding for the operational, day-to-day budgets, allowing the department to make regular annual repairs to roads, but it’s the capital — project-focused — budget that needs more money, said Stephanson. Operational funding maintains infrastructure and ensures roads last 20 years, but operational funding cannot handle road renewal.

Transportation needs

City hall has put more focus on renewing the Thunderbird (Fourth Avenue) Viaduct bridge and ensuring that replacement happens, said Bevan Harlton, director of engineering, who noted that the five-year transportation budget contains roughly $45 million.

However, as that project expands and city hall fails to resolve issues with Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR), the municipality puts more of that transportation funding into the bridge project, he continued.

In 2023, the engineering department reduced road repair funding from $18 million to $13 million even though it admits that infrastructure needs work, Harlton said.

The department is also limiting the work it performs on some roads until the underground infrastructure can be replaced, which is good engineering and sound fiscal management, he added.

Business relationship

When asked whether it was advantageous for city hall to have its own hot mix plant, Stephanson said no. He explained that the city has a great relationship with a local contractor who provides suitable quantities.

While having an in-house plant could extend the repair season, it would be a “pretty expensive proposition” to have such a venue for the little work the city can do, he continued. The equipment is expensive, which is why the local contractor has numerous customers to pay for that gear.

The public works department is investigating whether it could purchase machinery to make permanent road repairs in the winter, but it needs to develop a business case before it comes to council with a purchase request, Stephanson added.

Council honours former rodeo clown Lee Bellows while announcing Nat’l Volunteer Week

The City of Moose Jaw has proclaimed April 16 to 22 as National Volunteer Week to honour all residents who contribute to the community and help build it up.

This year’s theme is “Volunteering Weaves Us Together” and reveals the importance of volunteering to the strength and vibrancy of the community through the interconnected actions people take to support others, Mayor Clive Tolley said during the April 10 regular council meeting.

These forms of sharing time, talent and energy strengthen the fabric of the community, while volunteering reinforces residents’ ability to grow, thrive and create change in the city, province and country, he continued.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers in our community who give so generously of their time and talents to help improve the lives of others. Your dedication is very much appreciated,” Tolley remarked.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

If residents are sitting at home with nothing to do, now is a great time to step forward and join one of the many volunteer groups that serve the community, the mayor added.

Coun. Doug Blanc singled out former resident Lee Bellows as one person who was a dedicated and committed volunteer in Moose Jaw.

Bellows died on March 23 after an extended illness, leaving behind his wife, three children, six grandchildren and other relatives.

Bellows was a livestock inspector with the Ministry of Agriculture during the day, but in the evenings, he was heavily involved in rodeos as a bull rider and rodeo clown, Blanc said. The self-declared “rodeo addict” was known — and performed — all over Western Canada and the United States.

In his obituary, Bellows’ family said he performed at the Calgary Stampede

twice, which he greatly appreciated since being brought back a second time wasn’t just a “fluke.” Besides North America, he also performed in Melbourne, Australia, during a once-in-a-lifetime show.

“When he wasn’t in the arena, he was promoting rodeo one way or another. He was an accomplished cowboy poet and he made TV appearances on Sesame Street, Makin’ 8, One in a Million, Mobile MD, and his cheeky poem on gun control was read in the House of Commons,” the obituary said.

Bellows’ accomplishments are just too many to list, Blanc said. What’s notable about him, though, is he spent thousands of hours volunteering at the exhibition grounds with the board, supporting the burrowing owls, building corrals, and working at the events.

His obituary indicated he was also involved with Ducks Unlimited and the Moose Jaw Rodeo School.

In early March, the Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitions awarded Bellows an honorary lifetime membership in recognition of his tremendous contributions and many years of service in Saskatchewan, said Blanc. However, he was unable to attend because of poor health.

Meanwhile, the Moose Jaw Exhibition Association held its annual general meeting on March 29 — six days after Bellows’ death — and acknowledged the former rodeo clown’s many contributions to the organization. It also recognized seven other members who had died in the past year.

“If I were to repeat them (contributions) all now, we’d be here for almost two hours with everything he did for the City of Moose Jaw,” added Blanc. “So it’s with great sorrow that I announce the passing of Lee Bellows.”

The next regular council meeting is Monday, April 24.

Paul Busse, Cathie Bassett, and Rod Klippenstein at the ceremony in Regina (MJFD/Facebook)

Rodeo clown/cowboy poet Lee Bellows was an all-round person TRADING THOUGHTS

Rodeo clown/cowboy poet Lee Bellows touched every one he met over his 70 plus years.

His loss brought tough macho cowboys to tears at the celebration of Lee’s life. The cowboy code is “don’t cry, suck it up, don’t let anybody see weakness.”

Choked voices - near sobbing cowboys at this event fondly remembered Lee as they broke the unwritten code to grieve this universally beloved, respected and trusted member of the tightly knit rodeo fraternity.

A self-confessed rodeo addict Bellows promoted rodeo wherever he went.

Life for Lee started on the Matador Ranch where his father worked. When school time came they moved to Moose Jaw.

That wasn’t the end of his cowboy career. From age 12 Lee spent summers riding the range at the Valjean community pasture. By age 19 he had become a full-time range rider.

While learning the cowboy trade Lee hung around a rodeo clown, eventually becoming part of his act.

A bullfighter for 15 years Lee turned to the safer job of rodeo clown.

During these times, he juggled being a single father with his demanding brand inspector job and rodeo clown gigs.

Wherever Lee went, he brightened your day with his impish grin and his enthusiastic frank personality.

He bore an uncanny resemblance to Hollywood actor Wilford Brimley —something he used as a prank. When

being introduced he would often identify as Wilford Brimley

Once I caught a ride with Lee to Saskatoon for a Western Canada Fairs convention.

I think he thought I was another smart-ass city slicker. I thought he was a wannabe-cowboy.

He didn’t know I grew up in the antelope country of southern Alberta. I didn’t know his past. We learned a thing or two.

The truck was nearing Saskatoon when Lee said: “This has been interesting. You know we ain’t all that different.”

Always there to volunteer without being asked, Lee was the auctioneer for a pie auction fund-raiser.

Standing on a chair, he encouraged bidding as only Lee could.

“20 here, come 30, 20 come 30. Come on. biddy biddy biddy!’’

The crowd roared. Bids flew in and over $1,000 was raised in a few minutes.

On some of those long drives home from rodeo gigs Lee put together phrases and words for his poems. He once told me: “I’m just one wreck away from retiring.”

The cowboy poetry was to be his next gig when he hung up the baggy overalls.

Lee’s former postman attended the celebration of life saying: “He let me come in and warm up when it was really cold.” That was Lee.

Seeing the ranks of bronc riders thinning out, Lee

By Ron Walter For Moose Jaw Express

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

founded the Moose Jaw Rodeo School. Running every May for 16 years the school gives new riders a learning opportunity, old ones get refresher hints and it produced a number of circuit riders.

Lee never forgot the clown who took him under his wing. Many of today’s rodeo clowns and bullfighters apprenticed under his encouraging ways.

Somewhere in that big Rodeo Arena up there, Lee is entertaining folks and sporting a big belt buckle inscribed: “All-Around Person.”

Long time friend and exhibition volunteer Ross Smith put it aptly. “Lee was as good as it gets.”

Thanks to those attending my surprise 80th birthday event. Special thanks to organizers/helpers: Joyce, Denise, Wanda, Tammy, Deanne, George and Marlene, and nieces and nephews.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Downtown group touts its successes, highlights its future goals at AGM

From painting benches and garbage cans to hosting car shows, the Downtown Moose Jaw Association (DMJA) continues to make that area one of the best locations to visit again and again.

The organization held its 2022 annual general meeting on April 13, where it highlighted its successes from last year, featured its strategic plan and objectives for this year, discussed its finances, summarized the results of a recent survey and nominated new directors.

The Downtown Moose Jaw Association was created in 2019; its predecessor was the business improvement district, which shuttered in 1988.

The downtown voice

“We’re really here to be the local voice for our business owners to try and beautify our city. Our objectives are 100-per-cent aligned with the local area plan that the city developed back in 2017,” said board chair Geoff Anderson.

Those objectives or pillars included visibility and awareness, communication, economic stimulation and downtown vitality/beautification.

2022 successes

The association was “out and about” several times last year promoting events, said Anderson.

It hosted the first Greek Night — the “brainchild” of The Mad Greek business owner John Iatridis — last June and sold all 250 tickets.

This year’s second annual event occurs Saturday, May 13, while 350 tickets are available.

The association organized the Little Chicago Show and Shine last September, which attracted 220 vehicles and spurred plenty of economic activity downtown.

This year’s event occurs Saturday, Sept. 16.

Christmas in Moose Jaw has been around for years — it was the brainchild of businesswoman Yvette Moore — and is always a success, said Anderson.

The organization gave the city $25,000 so the latter could install new Christmas lights to help “knock our Christmas season out of the park, to get people really excited about this gem of a downtown that we have,” he continued.

“We have one of the most beautiful downtowns at Christmas. I think a lot of it has to do with her vision.”

The inaugural Snowtorious Family Day winter car-

nival this past February was successful and had a great turnout despite the cold weather that froze the condiments, Anderson said. The group will determine how to keep the mustard and ketchup from freezing next year.

The former St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Church gave the DMJA a donation several years ago, which it will use to commission a sculpture to honour Ukraine, he continued.

Community artist Bill Keen has been working with the Ukrainian community to determine a suitable sculpture, while the public art committee will secure the location.

New directors

Current board members Gabrielle Belanger, Alex

Carleton, Kelly Carty and John Iatridis were acclaimed for two more years, while Sunni Padfield — owner of With These Hands — was nominated for a one-year term. Also, Sarah Simison, executive director of the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre and managing artistic director with the Festival of Words, was named an ex-officio member to represent the downtown’s non-profit sector. 2023 objectives

Some of the association’s promotional activities this year include:

· Second quarter: Communities in Bloom, flower pot program, pop-up patio program, community clean up on May 7, Greek Night

· Third quarter: Sidewalk Days, Little Chicago Show and Shine, Prohibition Days cross-promotion campaign, Ukrainian art installation

The DMJA’s objectives for 2024-27 are similar to this year’s, while new features include promoting: the winter festival, new downtown street signs, a walking art/ history program that’s enhanced with augmented reality or videos, and a World Whiskey Festival.

By 2025, the association wants to become a fullfledged business improvement district, allowing it to impose a tax levy on downtown shops with the city matching funding of roughly $55,000, Anderson said. However, that levy is still just an idea.

“I can’t stress enough how many people I talk to who aren’t from Moose Jaw, that when they come to our downtown, they’re blown away … ,” he added. “But really, we want to keep that momentum going, and through those four pillars I discussed, we’ll be able to do that.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Geoff Anderson, board chair of the Downtown Moose Jaw Association, speaks during the group’s AGM.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Panda Tire’s ‘Worst Pothole Contest’ seeking city’s most-notorious crater

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The arrival of spring following Canada’s harsh winters tends to produce the same predicament across the country, but Moose Javians might feel singled out this April as some notoriously grim road conditions begin to be addressed.

That’s why Panda Tire & Auto are inviting Moose Jaw residents to submit photos and locations of the gnarliest potholes in the city.

“It’s pothole season everywhere, of course, and our city is no exception,” said Curtis Moggey, who owns Panda with his wife Rosemarie. “We’ve decided to put on a pothole contest, not to poke fun at the City of Moose Jaw or anything, just to have a friendly competition and have people send in their worst pothole picture.

“They have a chance to win a Monroe shock absorber stool, which is kind of a cool-looking, unique stool, perfect for the rec room or garage.”

Contest submissions must be made on the Panda Tire & Auto website at pan-

daautoservice.ca/moose-jaw-worst-pothole-contest.

To be considered for the prize, participants must be at least 18 and submit their name, email, and phone number along with the location of the pothole and a photo.

The contest is open until April 30. Moggey said he and his team are be-

ginning to deal with the aftermath of vehicles hitting potholes. Alignments, new tires and rims, suspension damage, and more will force drivers to turn to their local repair shop.

“It’s impossible to avoid potholes altogether, but there’s a few things you can do to minimize damage,” Moggey added.

“Keep your tires properly inflated, that will help absorb some of the shock of hitting a pothole. An under-inflated tire can result in damage to sidewall or rim, as well.

“Beware of puddles, of course, they could be hiding deep holes. If you have to hit a pothole, slow down. High speeds can cause significantly more damage to your vehicle’s suspension or your tires. But, remember to release the brake at the last moment, because when you’re braking the weight of the vehicle shifts to the front, making the car heavier in the front and potentially causing more damage.”

Moggey said one contest entry so far was just a Google Maps screenshot of the city — with the whole of Moose Jaw circled. Another submitted photo is from a treacherous stretch of Coteau St. There are so many potholes in the picture it’s impossible to tell which one is largest.

“There’s some pretty rough areas out there, for sure,” he concluded. “You’ve got to be careful.”

Coteau Street West in seventh spot onCAA’s Worst Roads Campaign list

CAA Saskatchewan has launched its annual Worst Roads Campaign, and wouldn’t you know it, Moose Jaw’s Coteau Street West is on the list in seventh place.

CAA kicked off its annual campaign on April 4, and since then, cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, transit riders, and motorists have identified their favourite — despised? — worst and unsafe roads.

As of April 11, the top 10 roads on the campaign list included Highway 44 near Eston, Highway 13 near Redvers, Butte Street in Pilot Butte, Highway 9 near Whitewood, Highway 123 near Petaigan/Ravendale/ Pemmican Portage, Coteau Street West, Highway 9 near Hudson Bay, Old Highway 35 near White Fox and Highway 918 from Beauval to Patuanak.

In 2022, Moose Jaw’s Fourth Avenue (Thunderbird Viaduct) Bridge placed seventh and Ninth Avenue Southwest placed 10th.

“As you know, we don’t want to be on that list. It’s not the best list in the world,” city manager Jim Puffalt said after the campaign concluded last May.

The city has worked hard to maintain streets and infrastructure, including replac-

ing 20 kilometres of cast iron pipes and related roads during the past six years, he added. The problem with these two streets is the municipality can’t put heavy equipment on them, so it does what it can with them.

“It certainly has been a challenging winter, but it’s time for the ice and snow to melt and make way for spring and the return of the popular CAA Worst Roads

campaign,” the company said.

“This major advocacy and safety campaign for CAA Saskatchewan invites all road users … to nominate and vote for their worst, unsafe roads from April 4 to April 25, 2023, at caask.ca/worstroads,” it continued.

“Road users can vote for more than one type of road user every 24 hours. The 2023 CAA Top 10 Worst Roads will be announced on April 26, 2023.”

New this year is Angel Blair, the CAA Worst Roads’ roving reporter. Blair’s interview with Kim Onrait, executive director of Citizen Services with the City of Regina, kicked off this year’s campaign. The interview focuses on three Regina roads that made the 2022 CAA Worst Roads Top 10 list: Mayfair Crescent at No. 1, Grant Drive at No. 8 and Ingersoll Crescent in the ninth spot.

Shantel Lipp, president and Chief Operating Officer with the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association, will also speak with Blair about the upcoming road construction season and why the association supports CAA’s campaign.

“The work that it (the campaign) does

and the attention it draws to some of the roads in Saskatchewan is really important,” Lipp said.

“We hear from folks in rural Saskatchewan talking about roads maybe the Ministry of Highways hasn’t identified as a potential hazard,” she added. “But, the local folks know that there are safety issues along that road, or they know where the roads are that are being utilized to haul heavy loads of material whether it’s farming or mining.”

The CAA Worst Roads site includes a Google Map Locator that visualizes vote distribution across the province. It will pinpoint the locations of the nominated roads receiving votes.

Potholes and crumbling pavement have been the most prominent safety issues during the CAA Worst Roads campaigns. However, road users have also identified cracks, general disrepair, poor signage, congestion, and unsafe infrastructure as issues.

Saskatchewan is a land-locked province with over 250,000 km of roads, more than any other province.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The intersection of Ninth Avenue Southwest and Coteau Street West.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Hochelaga St. W

5th Ave NW and Athabasca W

Stadacona St. W and 9th Ave NW

11th Ave NW and Hochelaga St. W

Fairford St. E and 6th Ave NE

13th Ave NW between Grace and Caribou

Ave NW and Hochelaga

Located in the Heart of Downtown Moose Jaw ” 888 Main Street North

Province confirms it will fix ‘roller coaster’ Ninth Avenue SW this year

City hall has been waiting for nearly two years for the Ministry of Highways to fix the “roller coaster” road that is Ninth Avenue Southwest — and those repairs are coming this year.

During its regular meeting in July 2021, city council submitted an expression of interest to the Ministry of Highways through the Urban Highway Connector Program (UHCP) to address Highway 363/ Ninth Avenue Southwest from city limits to Warner Street and Valley View Drive.

Based on the agreement that the municipality and ministry signed in 2015, the province agreed to make annual payments of $99,841 to help maintain urban connector roads. Since then, rehabilitation of the North Service Road and Main Street North has been completed.

In 2016, Associated Engineering assessed Highway 363/Ninth Avenue Southwest from Brenda Street to Vaughan Street and rated the southbound road a five or fair condition, a council report said.

In 2020, city hall assessed that road to

the Warner Street/Valley View Drive intersection and rated it a two or very poor.

Research into the Highway 363/Ninth Avenue Southwest location confirmed that the ministry had been aware of the slope instability and slumping issues, with structural repairs and slope monitoring going back to 1997, the report added. The ministry later hired a consultant in 2017 to provide geohazard remediation of the area.

Coun. Jamey Logan raised the issue of Ninth Avenue Southwest during council’s April 10 regular meeting and wondered if there was new information with its repairs.

The ministry is obligated to fix the road under the UHCP agreement, while city administration has been lobbying the province for years to include that street on

its list of capital projects, said Bevan Harlton, director of engineering.

“They are planning to remediate the slope failures this year, with paving to follow next year. We received 90 per cent of the design in February this year, which we reviewed with them and passed comments back,” he continued.

“We anticipate they will have the design finalized soon and will hopefully get the tender out sooner rather than later.”

The ministry told the Express by email that it is finalizing the design for the slope stabilization project and plans to tender the project this spring or early summer for completion this year. The contractor will determine when the work begins but must complete the initiative this year.

“Ideally, slope stabilization will correct issues in a timely manner, but it can take some time,” the ministry said. “If repaving occurred immediately and issues arose, it would have the potential to negatively impact paving and likely need to be redone.

“As a result, the ministry waits enough time after the slope stabilization project is completed to allow for testing and analysis to ensure the ground is stable.”

Repaving could occur after these actions, but the ministry may need to adjust the work’s design and tender based on ground movement or issues resulting from the stabilization project, the email said.

The earliest the paving could be completed is summer 2024 because of the time to design and tender the construction work. Yet, all this could change based on the findings from the analyses.

The ministry added that the tender process would determine the final cost of the slope stabilization and paving projects.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Moose Jaw “Prairie Hearts” Quilters’ Guild –

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Motorists had an easier time driving on the road on April 13 after city crews filled the large potholes with gravel.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Motorists had to drive slowly around massive potholes on Ninth Avenue Southwest on April 12.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Water Security Agency warns of possible ice jams on Moose Jaw River

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is advising the public of the potential for ice jams on Swift Current Creek, the Moose Jaw River, the Qu’Appelle River, and the Wood River following recent rapid melting and runoff.

Ice jams increase the risk of potential flooding as they disrupt normal flows and can cause water to breach embankments.

While ice jams are not uncommon this time of year, higher than previously predicted water flows have been recorded or are expected on Swift Current Creek, the Moose Jaw River, the Qu’Appelle River, and the Wood River, the WSA said. Ice is still present on these watercourses.

WSA will divert water on the Swift Current Main Canal to reduce flows through the City of Swift Current and temporarily cease outflows at Duncairn Dam.

Runoff within the headwater areas of the Moose Jaw River basin is higher than

By Moose Jaw Express staff

expected. Flows on the Moose Jaw River are expected to be similar to March 2022, when the channel through Moose Jaw was at capacity.

WSA is also undertaking preparations and operations along the Qu’Appelle River system to manage flows; however, this will not reduce the risk of ice jamming.

Residents are advised to be aware of the potential for ice jamming and possible flooding upstream where it occurs.

The public should exercise caution as ice jams can be highly dynamic, resulting in rapid changes in water levels, the WSA said. Under no circumstances should anyone venture out onto an ice jam.

Warmer temperatures and higher flow rates may weaken the integrity of ice and reduce the potential for ice jamming.

WSA will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates on the p

Flooding submerges sports fields, road, car near Vanier Collegiate

Two baseball diamonds, a soccer pitch, a football field and a road in northwest Moose Jaw were all inaccessible on April 12 because a nearby creek had overflowed its channel due to melting snow.

The City of Moose Jaw redirected motorists away from Fourth Avenue Northwest between Thatcher Drive and Macdonald Street and the public works department monitored the situation because Spring Creek had overflowed into nearby fields and residential properties.

The department closed that road, al-

— the water was roughly two feet high based on the fence height — and adjacent McCullough Field. The massive volume of water also inundated portions of Vanier Collegiate’s parking lots, soccer pitch and football field.

Water appears to have also affected at least one nearby residential garage, while a white, four-door car — parked on the north side of the Jim Dayton diamond — was partially submerged.

Portions of other roads in the city were

A motorist attempted to drive through this flooded road near Fourth Avenue Northwest, but clearly was unsuccessful.

partially submerged by water, including Thatcher Drive near the Iron Bridge entrance. Thatcher Drive was still passable by vehicles, but the city encouraged motorists to slow down and exercise caution where water was present.

Residents are urged to report flooding or other infrastructure issues with the city’s free Request For Service (RFS) app or with the Report an Issue link on the city website at www.moosejaw.ca.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw River is near peak levels with the spring thaw. There is still plenty of ice upstream that could affect embankments, so the province is warning people to stay away from those areas. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

McCullough Field and the nearby Leo Heisler and Jim Dayton baseball diamonds were flooded.

Photo by Jason G.

Spring Creek overflowed into Vanier Collegiate’s parking lot, soccer pitch and football field.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

A close-up of flooded Fourth Avenue Northwest. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Warriors split first two games of Eastern Conference Final with Winnipeg

Moose Jaw drops 5-3 decision in Game 1 despite second-period comeback, build 4-0 lead before going on to 5-3 win in Game 2

Randy

You won’t find many games as completely polar opposite as what the Moose Jaw Warriors and Winnipeg Ice put together to open their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal.

Regardless of the final scores, though, one thing is for certain -- the Warriors managed to find a way to earn the split in Winnipeg and as a result have stolen home ice advantage.

Winnipeg won the opening game 5-3 on Friday night before the Warriors responded with a 5-3 win of their own in Game 2 Saturday, with the series now reverting to the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It was a rough start to the series for the Warriors in Game 1, as the Ice scored three goals in the first period -- including the opening marker from Owen Pederson only 1:04 into the proceedings -- and looked to have things in hand early.

But Brayden Yager would get one back for Moose Jaw with 22 seconds remaining in the opening frame, and that would be a sign of things to come.

Max Wanner made it a one-goal game 4:09 into the second and Jagger Firkus would complete the comeback with a power play marker with 6:39 to play in the frame.

It was all eerily similar to the final regular season meeting between the two teams, where the Ice took an early threegoal lead, saw the Warriors come all the way back in the second before things eventually ended with a Moose Jaw win.

Winnipeg didn’t spend the majority of the regular season atop the Canadian

Hockey League rankings without a reason, though, and they’d show it in the final period.

Connor McClennon restored the lead for the Ice at 2:59 and Graham Sward added an insurance marker three minutes later, giving the Ice their two-goal win.

Connor Ungar kept the Warriors in the hunt with a solid 32-save performance,

while Daniel Hauser had 26 saves for Winnipeg.

One night later, the shoe was decidedly on the other foot.

Ryder Korczak got things going for Moose Jaw only 1:02 into the game, and a Winnipeg major penalty would see the Warriors essentially put things away before the period was 10 minutes old.

Yager scored back-to-back goals 1:04 apart early on the man advantage, and Martin Rysavy would score again 20 seconds after Yager’s second goal, giving the Warriors a massive 4-0 lead only 9:31 into the game.

It was the Connor Ungar Show from there, as the overage goaltender picked up right where he left off against Lethbridge with a host of huge saves through the second period and especially in the third as Winnipeg pressed for the tying goal.

Zack Ostapchuk, McClennon and Carson Latimer all scored for the Ice to get them back into the game, but Josh Hoekstra would finish things off with an empty net goal with three seconds remaining.

Special teams were the major story of the game, even beyond the Warriors’ power play success. Winnipeg would have no less than nine opportunities with the man advantage through the night -- including five power plays in the second period alone -- but would only manage a single goal.

That moved the Warriors up to fourth overall in the WHL on the penalty kill in the playoffs at 85.7 percent.

Ungar would finish his night with 33 saves, including 15 in the third period. Hauser had seven stops in a period of work, Mason Beaupit stopped all eight shots he saw the rest of the way.

Now, the series moves on to Moose Jaw, with Game 3 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Tuesday night and Game 4 on Wednesday. Puck drop for both contests is 7 p.m. and tickets are available at www. sasktix.ca.

Coach O’Leary looks back on first two games of Eastern Conference semifinal

After tough loss in opening game, Warriors earn split with impressive performance in Game 2 against Winnipeg

The Moose Jaw Warriors knew they were going to have to be a better team in Game 2 of their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal with the Winnipeg Ice, and as it turns out, that’s exactly what happened.

It all started with a wildly successful power play in the first 10 minutes of the game, leading to a quick 4-0 lead, and continued as the Warriors’ penalty kill would hold Winnipeg to a single goal on nine -yes, nine -- power plays through the night.

As a result, the Warriors have stolen home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series and looked to keep the ball rolling when things moved to Moose Jaw on Tuesday night.

“I think we kind of backed into that one in the third period a little bit, but we’ll certainly take the win,” said Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary. “We deserved to win the game, we gave them a bit of juice with too many power plays, obviously, and had to dig in to finish ‘er off, but I’m real proud of the group tonight with how they bounced back.”

The most important part of the process early on was getting off to a good start, especially after going through some early-game struggles the previous night.

“We wanted to have a better start tonight, I think we were the second-best team in the first 10 minutes of Game 1, we wanted to flip the script and I thought we did that,” O’Leary said. “I think we were just a little bit quicker to get to pucks and to move pucks and that really worked out to our advantage.”

Getting off to that kind of a start was always a hope, and it was just a matter of doing things the right way and letting the opportunities open up through that kind of play -- essentially the same thing that’s worked for the team from the start of the season.

“It’s about doing something really well early on,” O’Leary explained. “We talk about the same things over and over, it’s hockey and a game of reminders and not every night you’re going to be at your best. But there were certain areas we need-

ed to clean up, we did those early on.”

It certainly didn’t hurt to have their special teams going as well as they were, with the penalty kill even more impressive than the three power play goals.

“One-for-nine is a heck of a job for the guys and certainly not a habit we want to get into, but at the same time there are going to be different games during a series, and tonight it was a special teams battle,” O’Leary said. “We knew coming in that was one of the bullet points that was going to be key in this series, and while I

didn’t like all the penalties we took, I really liked our response.”

The key was just good old-fashioned hard work and determination, as the Warriors were able to limit Winnipeg’s looks and opportunities, and when they did have chances, Connor Ungar was there to make the save.

“We needed everybody, we needed the killers, we needed our defenceman and we certainly needed our goaltender.” O’Leary said. “The guys dug in and I thought we were real detailed in our penalty kill, we were hard and heavy when we had to be.”

The Warriors lost defenceman Matthew Gallant to injury on the play that led to the five-minute major and later lost overage rearguard Logan Dowhaniuk to a hit-from-behind. Both players were up and around after the game and were to be reevaluated in advance of Game 3.

Eric Alarie remains out with injury, and Robert Baco served the second game of a three-game suspension for a goaltender interference major in Game 4 against Lethbridge.

Now, the series is back home, and the Warriors weren’t expecting things to get any easier.

“We know we’ll have to be ready, they’re going to come out hard wanting to get a win in Game 3 and we’ll have to make sure we’re ready to go right from the start like we were tonight,” O’Leary said.

Puck drop for Game 3 on Tuesday and Game 4 on Wednesday is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, with tickets available at www.sasktix.ca.

Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Brayden Yager had a goal and three points as the Moose Jaw Warriors took a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Ice in Game 2.

The Moose Jaw Warriors are coming home all tied up in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Zachary Peters / Winnipeg Ice

Miller Express look to build on incredible Western Canadian Baseball League season

After reaching WCBL championship series with one of best seasons in recent history, Miller Express aim to go one step further

Randy

Palmer - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The 2022 Western Canadian Baseball League season was an incredible one for the Moose Jaw Miller Express, to the point it came within a single win of becoming a banner one.

And that has fans looking forward to what the upcoming campaign might hold.

The Miller Express went all the way to the championship final in the 11team league last summer and took the eventual champion Okotoks Dawgs to a third-and-deciding game before falling just short of their first title in WCBL history.

The Express -- who play in the fiveteam East Division with the Regina Red Sox, Swift Current 57’s, Medicine Hat Mavericks and Weyburn Beavers -- posted a 33-23 record in 2022, leading the division from the second week of the season until the final day when they were caught by the Red Sox.

The post-season saw Moose Jaw roll to a two-game sweep against Swift Current before taking a three-game win over Medicine Hat in the division final to set up their meeting with Okotoks -- who play in the West Division with the Brooks Bombers, Fort McMurray Giants, Edmonton Prospects, Lethbridge Bulls and Sylvan Lake Gulls.

The Miller Express got there thanks to an absolutely lethal offence that at one point featured an entire starting line-up batting over .300.

Team MVP Nate Mensik led the way with a .314 average, 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in, with the outfielder joining seven Moose Jaw players in the WCBL

All-Star Game, including infielder Zach Campbell, catcher Bryan Reyes, reliever Jesse Scholtz, starter Tim Carlson, starter Kellan Voggesser and closer Reece Helland. Campbell ended up putting together a record-setting effort as the team’s leadoff hitter, setting a new WCBL mark with

69 runs scored. He capped the campaign with a stellar .339 average that included a stretch where he had at least a hit in 27 of 28 games.

Reyes joined Mensik in having an amazing rookie campaign, hitting a teambest .356 with four home runs and 45 RBIs.

Of course, you don’t send four pitchers to the All-Star Game with the best in the league without having a scary mound presence, and the Express had just that -Carlson led the way with a 4-2 record that included a 2.73 earned run average and 48 strikeouts against only nine walks, while Voggesser was 4-5 with a 3.90 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 21 walks. Scholtz was a lights-out workhorse, with a league-leading 37 appearances, including a run of 18 games where he allowed only two runs over 21 innings. His five saves finished tied for the league lead. Hometown product Helland joined the team mid-season and immediately emerged as an elite closer, finishing with a 2.25 ERA and four saves while striking out 38 in 19 appearances.

The Miller Express open the 58-game 2023 WCBL season on Saturday, May 27 when they host the Weyburn Beavers at Ross Wells Park.

DelaCruz putting together incredible senior season in lead-up to Miller Express return

Outfielder hitting over .500 through 26 games for NCAA Division III Mitchell College, to return to Moose Jaw after playing in 2019 season

The last time Dougie DelaCruz played for the Moose Jaw Miller Express, head coach Eric Marriott and pitching coach Jeff Nicolosi were both among his teammates.

Then a freshman at Mitchell College, DelaCruz would go on to hit .339 with two home runs and 18 runs batted in for the Express while suiting up in 39 games during the 2019 season.

Now, four years later, DelaCruz will be looking to do a whole lot more damage at the plate for the Western Canadian

Baseball League club when he makes his return this summer -- and based on how things are going in his final year at Mitchell, it’s safe to say that will almost certainly be the case.

His most recent stat line will give you an idea of just how things are going with the NCAA Division III school.

Five at-bats, five runs scored, four hits, one double, one triple, one home run and eight runs batted in during an 18-3 win over Massachusetts Maritime. And with

the way the rest of the season has played out, it should almost come as a surprise that this was the first time DelaCruz has hit for the cycle.

Only once has the Uncasville, Conn. product been held without a hit through the Mariner’s first 26 games, and only six times has DelaCruz been held to a single hit. His current hitting streak is at 20 games, a run that included 11 straight with at least a pair of hits.

You don’t put up production like that without some gaudy numbers, and DelaCruz has them.

As of Thursday, Apr. 13, DelaCruz is hitting .510 with five home runs, 43 RBI and 45 runs scored -- again, in only 26 games. His on-base-plus-slugging percentage is at 1.502, the kind of number you only see in video games on easy mode.

This isn’t the first season DelaCruz has put together these kinds of numbers, either. After hitting .430 with eight home

runs and 58 RBIs in 2021, he was named a Division III Second Team All-American on top of being the repeat winner of the New England Collegiate Conference Player of the Year.

DelaCruz will also be bringing a winning pedigree up north. Mitchell College won the NECC championship in both 2021 and 2022 and advanced to the NCAA Division III national tournament before seeing their season come to an end.

Odds are the winning isn’t done there, either -- Mitchell is currently 22-4 overall, including 6-0 in the NECC, where they’ve outscored their opponents 63-7 in the process.

You can follow along with DelaCruz and the Mariners at www.mitchellathletics.com.

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

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Dougie DelaCruz is having an almost unbelievable college season and will be looking to bring that offence back to the Moose Jaw Miller Express this summer. Mitchell College

Moose Jaw Miller Express closer Reece Helland celebrates after shutting down the Medicine Hat Mavericks in the third and deciding game of the East Division Final.

Miller Express seeking billets for upcoming Western Canadian Baseball League campaign

Life-long friendships among many highlights of hosting player during two-month season

With the Western Canadian Baseball League season a little over a month away, the Moose Jaw Miller Express are looking for a few families interested in hosting a player or two for the upcoming campaign.

As is the case with teams throughout the league, players are hosted by billet families during the two-and-a-half month season, which sees games beginning at the end of May and running through to mid-August, depending on how deep they go in the playoffs.

Fans who take advantage of the opportunity will not only be helping out the team, there’s a good chance they’ll develop lifelong friendships and even gain an unofficial member of the family.

For example, Lindsey and Ryan Stephenson, who enjoyed the experience of hosting players last season so much, they took on the role of billet coordinators for the 2023 campaign.

“Our billets have become part of our extended family; we’ve been in touch all year long. We have a seven-year-old daughter and she considers them her big brothers,” said Lindsey, whose family hosted infielder Luke LaChance and outfielder Michael Speck last summer.

“They’re always really busy with their schedules, but they take the time to

bond with the family, and we heard a lot of the same experiences with other families as well, how close they’d become.”

That’s never more apparent than the annual Billet Family Night prior to a late-season game, when the players present gifts to their families during a special onfield ceremony -- there are always plenty of hugs and even a few tears, a sure sign of how close the players and families become.

“They would take our daughter to her own ball practices and she just thought she

Moose Jaw’s Thomson signs professional contract with AHL Texas

Lethbriidge Hurricanes goaltender joins Dallas Stars affiliate for remainder of season

Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Bryan Thomson might have seen his Western Hockey League campaign come to an end at the hands of the Moose Jaw Warriors, but he isn’t finished playing hockey this season just yet.

The American Hockey League’s Texas Stars announced last Tuesday that the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product had signed an amateur tryout with the club and was joining the team immediately for the remainder of the season.

Thomson, 21, spent all five seasons of his WHL career with the Hurricanes, appearing in 117 games and posting a record of 59-42-4-2 with a 3.06 goals against average and .901 save percentage to go along with five shutouts.

His 59 wins are second all-time for the Hurricanes franchise, and Thomson is also fifth all-time in games played with 117.

Both those numbers could have been substantially higher with a bit of luck on his side -- a hip injury required surgery after the 2021-22 season, coming on the heels of a campaign that saw Thomson play 54 of the Hurricanes’ 72 games through the regular season and playoffs.

That injury saw him return to the team in late November this season, All told, Thomson would appear in 24 games during the 2022-23 campaign, going 13-8-1-1 with a 2.64 goals against average, .919 save percentage and three shutouts.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that after battling to return to the line-up, Thomson won the Hurricanes’ Joan Kobal Memorial Award for perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship for the 2022-23 campaign. Thomson was also the co-winner of the Herman Elfring Community Relations Award in 2021-22.

Texas is currently in first place in the AHL Central Division with a 38-19-9-3 record and three games remaining in the regular season, which is set to wrap up on Sunday. Apr. 16.

Visit www.theahl.com for updates on Thomson and the Stars’ playoff push.

was the coolest kid in town,” Stephenson said. “It’s just such an awesome experience.”

Since the players are for the most part in their early-20s, it’s a different situation compared to hosting a young 16or 17-year-old hockey player. As college students, some on the verge of graduation, Miller Express players can deal with a lot of day-to-day life on their own.

“They’re very independent, and we kind of gave the guys the option where they’re always invited and never obligated.

If there were family events and things like that, they were always welcome to hang out,” Stephenson said. “We’ve even had a family who was away for a bit, and as long as you’re comfortable having a player at the house, they’re pretty independent and responsible. Most of them have been billeted the majority of their summer ball, so this is nothing new to them.”

The process of becoming a billet is relatively easy. Simply reach out to Lindsey or Ryan or any board member and things will be put in motion, beginning with an interview explaining the expectations and such, followed by a home visit before finally being accepted.

Billet families receive season tickets for the Miller Express as well as a $ 400-a-month stipend per player.

Players for the most part will begin to arrive in the last week of May, with first home game for the Miller Express on Saturday, May 27 at Ross Wells Park.

For more information on the Miller Express and the WCBL, visit their website at www.millerexpress.ca and to start the process of becoming a billet family, contact Lindsey Stephenson at (306) 2099492 or lindseystephenson@hotmail.com or Ryan Stephenson at (306) 209-5867 or ryan_m_stephenson@hotmail.com.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product and Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Bryan Thomson in action during the first round of the WHL playoffs.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Miller Express honour their billet families prior to a game last season.

Pickleball continues to grow in Moose Jaw with brand-new outdoor courts

First full summer with new facility expected to be a busy one for rapidly growing sport

It wasn’t all that long ago that the sport of pickleball was a bit of a novelty in Moose Jaw, a new game that only a few people played in a couple of gyms in the city.

Those days have most certainly come and gone.

Moose Jaw officially joined the wave of the fastest-growing sport in North America this past summer with the opening of a brand-new six-court outdoor facility next to the Kinsmen Sportsplex, and it’s expected things are only going to take off from here.

Close to 100 players are currently playing the sport all year round, with Timothy Eaton Garden and the Cosmo Centre two of the busiest facilities during the winter months. That’s on top of the school gyms that also see plenty of use as players aim to get some exercise while playing the low-impact badminton and tennis hybrid.

That’s what helps make the sport so attractive -- played on a surface about half the size of a tennis court and with lower velocity paddles and balls, the game involves far less movement and impact than badminton or tennis, offering a great solution for those looking for a less physically intense sport that’s easy on the joints while

still offering plenty of exercise.

You can play for fun with friends, ramp things up with provincial and national tournament play, and if things get seri-

ous enough, even join one of the high-profile professional leagues growing all over Canada and the U.S. Pickleball Moose Jaw serves as the

major organizing body locally, with other facilities putting together their own league- and drop-in nights throughout the year.

With the new outdoor courts, Pickleball Moose Jaw aims to offer a host of programming this coming summer, including morning, afternoon and evening sessions throughout the week for players of all ages and skills. Plans are also in place to create the first-ever competitive leagues, offering the next step in the development of the sport.

Outdoor court passes for Pickleball Moose Jaw are $125 for the season, and offer access to all the PMJ exclusive playing times in addition league- and member-exclusive events on top of private court booking and loaner equipment if you want to introduce someone to the sport.

Folks are also welcome to drop by the courts and try the game for themselves outside of PMJ exclusive hours.

For more on Pickleball Moose Jaw and what they have to offer and to sign on for the upcoming season, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pickleballmoosejaw or send them an e-mail at pickleballmoosejaw@gmail.com.

Moose Jaw Tennis Club gearing up for another busy season on the courts

Pick any nice summer night during any day of the week, and odds are you’ll find all sorts of action taking place at the Moose Jaw Tennis Club on the east end of Crescent Park.

With around 80 members currently signed up with the local organization, folks of all ages can be found at the fivecourt outdoor facility, taking lessons, playing matches and just in general having a good time getting exercise and plenty of fresh air.

Club organizers are hoping to see even more folks taking up the game in the coming months, and with that in mind are holding a special in-person registration session at the indoor court in the Golden Ticket Sports Centre on Saturday, Apr. 22.

“It’ll be a chance for people to come and find out more about the club and sign up and get ready for another fun season,” said Tammy Kleisinger with the MJTC.

The upcoming season will mark the first full summer with the brand-new resurfaced courts in play, with the work having been completed last June. The Australian Open-blue surface received rave reviews in the first few months of operation, offering a huge improvement over the old and worn surface.

“There are no cracks and the ball bounces better, that’s for sure, and the nice vibrant blue is really nice,” Kleisinger said. “They’re also more even and level, we used to have lots of bumps and humps and cracks, and now they’re very, very nice to play on.”

Members have the option of playing at any time, with special round robin

events taking place every weekday morning to give players a chance to meet other potential playing partners.

“It’s a nice social and friendly event, and it’s a great chance to come out and meet other members of the club and may-

be someone you might want to play with,” Kleisinger said.

The club will also begin offering lessons for youth and adults beginning in May, giving players a chance to learn the basics and intricacies of the sport for even more enjoyment on the courts.

And once you’ve picked up the game, you’ll find no shortage of places to play given the continuing growth of the sport.

“I’ve found that tennis is a great sport for families, too,” Kleisinger said. “When you go on vacation to Mexico or Florida or wherever, there’s usually a tennis court around. And if your kids know how to play a bit of tennis and the parents know how to play, it’s a really nice activity. Then even some of the campgrounds in Saskatchewan have tennis courts, so there are a lot of places to play if you just want to get in a game or get some exercise…Once you know the basics, you just need a racket and ball and some running shoes and you’re good to go.”

The competitive side of things will see a pair of events this summer, with the Provincial Senior Open July 7-9 and the Club Championships from Aug. 25-27. There are also regular Ladies and Men’s League Nights for those looking for a bit more competition.

The Moose Jaw Tennis Club is also planning on holding free-to-play nights early in the season to give folks a chance to come out and try the game. Be sure to keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more news on those events, Memberships for the 2023 season -which is expected to being the first week of May -- are now available on their website at www.moosejawtennisclub.com, and you can find about all their other programs up for offer there as well. For regular updates, visit their new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/moosejawtennis and if you have any questions, send along an e-mail to moosejawtennisclub1@gmail. com.

The brand new outdoor pickleball courts next to the Kinsmen Sportsplex are entering their first full summer of operation.

Moose Jaw’s Harry Lin is one of the top junior players in Saskatchewan and recently competed at the Canada Summer Games.

The brand new re-surfaced courts were a hit in their first season of operation

Workers put in the new tennis surface at the Moose Jaw Tennis Club courts last summer.

Ice might still be on the Moose Jaw River, but it won’t be long before residents can slip on a lifejacket, grab a paddle and kayak or canoe on the water.

“Right now, we’ve got two feet of ice on the river, so when the ice goes, I’m open,” laughed Tim Metka, manager of Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours in Kiwanis River Park. “When there’s no flows jamming near the bridges or stuck anywhere, then we’re open … .

“Last year, we couldn’t get on the river on Mother’s Day, but this year we should be able to.”

Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours rents canoes or kayaks for a few hours, half a day or a full day. It costs $22 per hour, $44 per half-day or $66 for a full day to rent a watercraft.

The business is open by appointment only in April, May and June, while it is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in July and August. It is open again by appointment in September and October.

If people want to hit the river at 5 or 6 a.m., they must call Metka and he can meet them at the park.

To book, call Tim Metka at 306-3132212.

The company also offers canoe and kayak lessons for $44 per hour, while anyone who wants to become a certified paddle instructor should contact Bryan (Boh) VanTassel, former owner of Boh’s Cycle and Sports.

Metka enjoys everything about kayaking, including how “it’s a very, very

quiet” activity that can be done solo or with friends. It’s much easier than canoeing, while it’s also good exercise that uses more upper-body muscles.

There are several differences between kayaking and canoeing, he continued.

With kayaks, operators sit lower in the water and within the watercraft’s narrow-beamed enclosed shell and use a double-bladed paddle. With canoes, operators sit on an elevated bench in a wider-beamed open half-shell watercraft and use a single-bladed paddle.

“But they’re both good activities … ,”

added Metka.

Metka became interested in kayaking because he lived in the Caribbean twice and sea-kayaked for 35 years. He moved back to Moose Jaw — his hometown — years ago, and since he and VanTassel were roommates in the 1970s, worked for the businessman.

VanTassel retired in 2021 and sold his downtown business — including the Kiwanis River Park operations — to brothers Brittan and Jordan Calibaba.

During the season, Metka enjoys paddling on the river once a week. There are

times when he must jump into his kayak and tow in paddlers because they are usually physically unfit. However, he noted that Wakamow Valley staff are helpful and can pick up people with a truck and drive them back to the boathouse.

“The Moose River is very accessible, so it’s very easy to do that,” he said. People can challenge themselves while navigating the river considering the water body is roughly 144 kilometres long and starts near Weyburn, meanders to Moose Jaw and heads to Fort Qu’Appelle, Metka continued.

Paddlers must portage several times if they want to ride the entire river. Some portage-related areas in Moose Jaw include the weir at Seventh Avenue Southwest, low spots around the former Valley View Centre and northeast of the city, and the spillway near the Old Union Hospital site.

However, users can enjoy many parts of Wakamow Valley without portaging, he said. If they rise early or stay up late, they can see the region’s many animals, including raccoons, foxes, turtles, deer, muskrats, beavers and about 40 bird species. There is a healthy beaver population in the area, including roughly 14 pairs of mated animals, Metka added. There is also a 15-year-old, 60-pound male beaver — “He’s the biggest beaver I’ve ever seen in my life” — that is stealthy and smart and only seen in the early mornings or late evenings.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Tim Metka, supervisor of Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours, demonstrates how to use a kayak during a hot afternoon in Kiwanis River Park. Photo by Jason

G. Antonio

If you would like your notice or event added to this list, contact us at: jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

Minto United Church and Alliance Church 13-week Grief Recovery Support Groups in Moose Jaw – in person or online - using the GriefShare program which can be viewed at GriefShare.org. Leone Townend has been leading the Grief support ministry at Minto United for several years/Ralph Magnus recently moved to Moose Jaw and brings to the Alliance Church his experience of leading a Griefshare ministry from the Edmonton area. Anyone is welcome from any faith background as well as those who have no religious affiliation. GriefShare provides three opportunities for participants; 1. video teaching by pastors and counsellors, 2. a weekly group discussion and 3. individual workbooks with self reflection exercises for participants to complete during between meetings. Anyone continuing to struggle with grief weeks, months or even years after the death of a significant loved one could benefit from participating in a GriefShare group. Please contact either or both for more information. Minto United Church Online group - Leone Townend, Co-ordinator @ 306631-9044 or Moose Jaw Alliance Church (MJAC) In-person group meetings at MJAC- Ralph Magnus, GriefShare coordinator @ 780-4566487 (cell). Meetings have already started and are 13-week groups, but new participants are welcome to join at any time until May 24th (last meeting).

Living Springs Church Moose Jaw Offering Griefshare Meetings– 303 Coteau Street invites anyone interested to attend Griefshare groups starting on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 7:00 pm. GriefShare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone. It hurts to lose someone. Find help at GriefShare. To register, go to www.giefshare.org or contact Isaac Nadarajah at isaac@livingsprings. life and attend as many meetings as you like.

Moose Jaw Prairie Hearts Quilters Next Meeting April 20/May 04 & 18 (last mtg until Sept) in the Masonic Temple at 1775 Main Street North. Membership Fee is $50 per year. For more information write Moose Jaw Prairie Hearts Quilters’ Guild Inc., Box 484, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 4P1 or email prairieheartsquilters@yahoo.ca

The 21st Moose Jaw Business Excellence (MJBEX) Awards Banquet will be held on Wednesday, April 19 at the Heritage Inn. Tickets to the banquet, which starts at 5 p.m., are available at mjcc.awardify. io/events. Both table and individual tickets can be purchased. Tables for eight people are $683.76, with individual seats going for $85.47 (taxes included).

Lynbrook Women’s League Spring Meeting will be held at the Lynbrook Club House on April 19 at 7:00. To all those joining, please remember to bring your membership fee of $25.00 - as per the motion at the Fall Meeting about having fees paid by the first day of golf. We would like as many members to attend this meeting so that payments can be made ahead of our May 3rd start date (weather permitting). A Sign Up Sheet will be on the bulletin board to sign up for your chosen T-time. Allowed to book two weeks at a time.

The 16th biennial Prairie Hearts Quilters’ Guild Quilt Show will take place over two days at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Friday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s show is titled Sew Full of Whimsy. The Sew Full of Whimsy show will feature around 250 brand-new quilt displays, demonstrations and workshops by experienced artisans, a penny parade, a raffle quilt, a Guild table, and several craft vendors, with concessions available on the upper floor of the Events Centre. Admission to the show is $25 for a two-day pass, or $15 per day. Tickets are available at

Upcoming Events in Moose Jaw

the Moose Jaw Events Centre box office or online at Sasktix.ca

Deb Barlow Trunk Show will be held at the Events Centre on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. She is a nationally certified quilt show judge and a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council. The Trunk Show is not included in the Sew Full of Whimsy show passes and costs an additional $25 to attend.

Town and Country Singles Dance will take place on Saturday April 22, 2023 at Church of Our Lady Community Center, 566 Vaughan St. W. from 7:30 to 11:00 PM. Band is Len Gadica . Come on out for an evening of fun! Married couples welcome! Cost is $15 per person. For more information call 306-6916634.

South Saskatchewan Wildlife Association Annual Awards Night Banquet will be held at the Sportsman Center located at 276 Home St E on April 22. Cost is $25/person, cocktails at 5:00pm and dinner at 6:00.

Contact Gregg for tickets 306-6316600.

Minto United Church Auction & Ham Supper will be held on Saturday, April 22nd in the upper auditorium at Minto United Church – 1036 7th Ave. NW Doors open at 4:30 pm; Supper at 5pm. Tickets – Adults $20pp/Children 12 and under - $10. For tickets call Linda @306.694.1209 or tickets can be purchased at church office Mon-Fri from 12:30pm-4:30pm.

Dr F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital Auxiliary Used Book Sale, including Jigsaw Puzzles, Penny parade, and Raffle will be held on Monday, April 24 until Friday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hospital Lobby. Proceeds will go toward new hospital equipment. Books and Puzzles in good shape may be dropped off at the hospital Gift Shop or call the Gift Shop to arrange pickup. Thanks for your support!!

N.A.F.R. Branch 23 ( Nat. Association of Federal Retirees) General Meeting will be held on April 26 ( Wed) 2023 at 2:30 pm in the lounge in Tim.Eaton’s building ( beside the lunch room) Main Floor, 510 Main St.North Moose Jaw. This is an all-inclusive accessible building. Topics: Ideas for guest speakers, Upcoming Sidewalk Days in July. Members and those interested in becoming a member Welcome !

Email: mcwall@sasktel.net for info.

Conversation event about Connection, Reconciliation and Community Safety on April 27th at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, 217 Main St. N. Doors open at 10am. Welcome at 10:30am. Closing 4pm

The event speakers include Elder Eugene Arcand, Amanda Gebhard and Michael Redhead Champagne. We are bringing in a series of speakers whose stories are powerful, personal testaments to growth and healing in their communities. Their work in the fields of Social Work, Truth and Reconciliation and Community Safety are commendable. The conversation will include some of our own struggles on the street here in Moose Jaw.

We are seeing the effects inadequate, unaffordable and unsafe housing has on our community. It’s time we come to understand it and work towards the solutions together.

SPRING FLING at the Lynbrook Golf Clubhouse on April 29th.

Everyone is welcome. Cocktails at 7:00pm. Nacho Bar (included). Music by Runaway Train 8:00 - 12:00pm. There will be a 50/50 draw. Tickets are available at the Pro Shop $30.00 per person. For more information call the Pro Shop 306-692-2838 or Bev 306-6904240.

“Evening of Music” Fundraiser in support of MJ Christian Counselling Centre on Sunday, April 30th at 6:30 pm at the Hillcrest Church located at 1550 Main St. North. Music features are: Cornerstone Christian School Choir; Dr. V Rininsland; The Eros Family; and worship music led by COG worship band for all to join in! If your company would like to help sponsor the evening: please contact us at mjccc@shaw.

ca for more information on how you will be advertised. Hope to see you there.

Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival will take place May 15-18. The city will be filled with music at 5 downtown locations. Follow on Facebook and go to our website for all the details at: https://www.mjbandandchoral.org/ schedule will give you times and locations to these free events.

Lawn Bowls at Yara Centre for the winter. Lawn Bowling is an activity for everyone from age 5 to 105. It has fiercely competitive elements for the competitive athlete, yet is an inclusive activity for the strictly recreation players. It has been described as a cross between curling and billiards. Admission to Yara centre & no outdoor footwear are the only requirements. Join in Monday night@7:00, Tues am@9:30, Wed. & Thurs @1:30. For more info call or text 306 690 8739. Drop in EVERYONE WELCOME. www. moosejawlawnbowling.com

Nar-Anon Meetings every Monday 7—8pm (Moose Jaw Nar-Anon Family Group) is a twelve-step program for relatives and friends affected by someone else’s drug use and is in-person at Moose Jaw Alliance Church, 14 Neslia Place. Come in Main Doors – Meeting in Rm 103. You Are Not Alone! Your anonymity and what you say at meetings will be carefully guarded.

Toastmasters clubs utilize communication skill components to create the smorgasbord of benefits

Toastmasters have potential to provide.

Big Country Toastmasters club meets on Wednesdays at 7pm. Regular training opportunities have resumed with in-person @saskpolytech in addition to virtual experience.

For more information text 306-6908739 or email officers-3418@toastmastersclubs.org

TAP Toastmasters (TAP) meet every Tuesday at 7 pm. Email cathymorrell@gmail.com

Church of Our Lady Bingo tales place at the Church of Our Lady Community Centre, 566 Vaughan Street on Tuesday evenings. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Bingo begins at 7:00 p.m.

TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) weight loss support group meets every Wednesday evening at the Alliance Church, 14 Neslia Place. (Corner of Thatcher Drive W. & 9th Ave.W.) Please enter through the west-facing door, turn right and go to end of the hallway by the library, to room 105. Weigh-in takes place from 6:30-7:00 pm. Meeting to follow. TOPS can help you reach your weight loss goal by providing you with tools, information and support to be successful. The group shares friendship, weight loss tips and offers encouragement to one another. New members are very welcome. Our scale weighs up to 500 lbs. The Moose Jaw Stamp Club Meetings are the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 6:30pm at the Lindale School staff room, 1322 11th Ave. NW (north entrance). Call 306-693-5705 for information.

Moose Jaw Camera Club - Interested photographers are welcome and invited to join and Be Focused With Us! For more information: Wanda - 306-693-7440 or Len306-693-7685. themoosejawcameraclub.com

Line Dancing every Tuesday from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. at St. Andrews Church. Call 306.692.7365 for more information.

Moose Jaw Public Library, 461 Langdon Cres. Phone 306.692.2787; visit their website at https://www.moosejawlibrary.ca/

The MJPL will be closed on April 7, 9, and 10.

Moose Jaw Public Library adult programming in April Tech Time by appointment only, call 306-692-2787 to book a personalized one-on-one session with a tech wizard who can help clients learn how to use their devices and apps.

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

games of all time on Saturdays, April 22 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Moose Jaw Public Library youth programming in April 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 on 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 Writers Circle on Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19.

Movie Matinee – Strange World (2022) on Saturday, April 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the MJPL theatre, all ages welcome. Strange World stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, and Jaboukie Young-White as members of the legendary Clade family of explorers attempting to navigate an uncharted new land.

Teen “I Made This” Art Program on Wednesday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19. This month’s project is scratch art — snacks provided.

The Royal Canadian Legion –Branch 59 Moose Jaw, 268 High St W Moose Jaw; Contact: 306-6925453. Facebook @ ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION-Branch 59 Moose Jaw. Instagram: @Royalcanadianlegion59. SHA restrictions in effect at all Legion events.

Bingo every Monday evening in the Lounge. Play starts at 6pm, Paper goes on sale at 5pm. Playing ten regular games with 2 parts each and 3 extra games, all games are cash prizes. Please invite your friends for a fun night out.

Dart League every Thursday starting at 6pm. $25 to enter for the season. No membership required.

Cribbage every Tuesday at 1:30pm. Registration at 1pm. Cost $2 and please pre-register your team by calling 306.693.9688.

Drop-in Shuffleboard league every Friday at 7:00pm.

Chase the Ace/Meat Draw every Saturday. To see the total check out Facebook page on Wednesday and Fridays for the upcoming Saturdays numbers.

For current listing of events online visit: Monthly Calendar | Royal Canadian Legion Branch 59Moose Jaw (royalcanadianlegionbranch59moosejaw.ca)

Moose Jaw and District Seniors:

For more information Call: 306-6944223 or Email: mjsenior@shaw.ca .

The centre is now open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8am – 8pm.

Fitness Level & Indoor Walking

Track open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday’s 8am4pm

Wood working area – Monday to Friday 8 am – 4 pm

Timothy Eaton Cafe open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Cinnamon Buns are on Thursday’s. Tuesday is pie day. Kitchen is open Monday to Friday. Everyone is welcomed.

Billiards open daily from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. as well as Monday & Thursday evenings from 4:30 – 8 p.m.

Pickle Ball – Monday & Thursday mornings @ 10 a.m.

- Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday afternoons @ 1 p.m.

- Monday & Thursday evenings @ 7 p.m.

- Wednesday @ 6pm

Fitness- Chair/Low Impact Fitness

Mondays & Thursdays @ 1:00 p.m.

Cribbage – Wednesdays @ 1 p.m.

Hand & Foot Card Game for Beginners – Thursday @9:30 am.

Mah Jong – Wednesday @1 p.m.

500 Cards – Thursdays @ 1 p.m.

New – Full Body Work Out Monday at 9:30am and Wednesday at 9:30 am

Scrabble – Monday’s at 1pm

New – Spades Tuesday and Friday at 1pm

Line Dancing – Tuesdays @ 10 a.m.

Intro to Line Dancing – Wednesday’s @ 11am

Table Tennis – Monday Afternoon

1pm

Art & Crafts – Monday, Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ 1 p.m.

Floor Shuffleboard – Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 1 p.m.

Paper Tole – Tuesdays @ 1 p.m.

Nickle Bingo – Fridays @ 1 p.m.

Quilting – Every Friday 9am to 4pm Lounge – Friday’s from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Jam and dancing (New Name Change) – Friday’s 9 a.m. Texas Hold’em - Thursday @ 6:30pm

Old Fashion Country Music Fundraiser - $8 entry fee. Sunday April 23 at 1:30pm Tickets at front desk. Cosmo Senior Citizens’ Centre Weekly Activities – 235 3rd Ave. N.E. Phone 306.692.6072 or email cosmo@sasktel.net. Check them out on Facebook.

Weekly Activities for March

Monday: 9:30 Pickleball/1:00 Floor Shuffleboard/7:00 Camera Club – only on the 1st Monday of each month

Tuesday: 9:30 Jam Session/1:00 Pickleball/7:00 Friendship

Bridge/7:00 Beginners Only – Pickleball

Wednesday: 8:30 TOPS/9:30 Pickleball/1:00 PONYTAIL Canasta/ 1:00 Floor Shuffleboard/7:00 Lessons Only for Pickleball

Thursday: 10:00 Line Dance/1:00 Pickleball

Friday: 10:00 Beginner Pickleball/1:00 Regular Pickleball

April 19,26 Soup and Sandwich

Lunch from 11am-12:30. Cost $10pp includes soup, sandwich, coffee or tea and Dessert. April 29 – Craft and Trade Fair 9am3pm. Free Admission. Lots of vendors – come and see.

Moose Jaw ANAVETS: Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Unit #252 – 279 High St. W, Moose Jaw. 306.692.4412 or anaf252@sasktel. net

Thursday at 1:30 pm Crib

Friday at 1:30 is Fun Shuffleboard

Friday Evening Fun Pool and Darts at 7pm

Saturday At 4:30 pm is our Meat Draw, 50/50, Gift Card Everyone is welcome to join the fun!

Saturday meat draw @ 4:30pm50/50, Gift Card Everyone is welcome to join the fun! For More Information on anything Happening at the ANAVETS #252 Call or Text 306-681-5998 or 306692-4412 email anaf252@sasktel. net

Everyone Including Non- Members are Welcome to all our events!!

FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES #3395

MONDAY EVENINGS: (to April, 2023): Drop in Cribbage – registration 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – play starts at 7:00 pm. $2.00 per person – two person teams. Bring a partner or spare. Prizes depend on number of persons registered. Everyone Welcome.

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS: (to April 2023) - Drop in Darts – play starts at 7:00 pm – draw for partners. $2.00 per person, per night. Everyone Welcome

EVERY THURSDAY: Ladies Auxiliary “Meat Draw” – ticket sales start at 5:30 pm, draws start at 6:00 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, “Chase the Ace”

EVERY SUNDAY: Aerie “Meat Draw” – ticket sales start at 2:30 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, Mystery Draw, “Chase the Ace”

MONDAY THRU SATURDAY –DROP IN POOL – 1:00 pm to 1:30 start time. Singles and Doubles. Partners draw from those attending to play.

FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY – Aerie meeting – 11:30 am

APRIL 21 & 22, 2023 – Live Band – Brandon & Company – playing in the lounge at 8:00 pm Friday – Jam on Saturday at 4:pm to 6:00 pm –then again at 8:00 pm. Come out and enjoy some really great music and dance your socks off. Western Development Museum; 50 Diefenbaker Drive, Moose Jaw. Please call for more information (306) 693-5989.

You can read more about the upcoming sessions and how to sign up for the free Virtual Coffee Club talks at: https://wdm.ca/coffeeclub/ FLU & VACCINE CLINICS AT Location: Moose Jaw Family Wellness Centre, 1000B Albert St. East, Moose Jaw, SK. Contact Phone: 1-833-727-5829. Website Link: 4flu.ca

A story of a life-time of devotion to RAF Aircrew of all nations

Over many years, there has been a gentleman, who with his pal Sam visited RAF personnel war graves across the county, throughout the year and places flowers on the graves.

He comes from far away and eventually Sam became too old to make the regular trips, but he summoned his strength to come with him last December, as Sam had an important appointment at Selby Abbey

Submitted by Bryan Wilcockson from Selby, North Yorkshire, England

to be presented with the Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for duties served…………

Unfortunately, it proved to be Sam’s last mission and Sam passed away early one morning in the arms of his life-long pal.

Sam was cremated on Saturday morning and his ashes taken to Pocklington Airfield via Clifford’s Tower in York by

vintage RAF jeep and escort.

The ‘Gate Guardian’ of our commonwealth war graves will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

And before you ask, the answer is ‘yes’ we British are all slightly eccentric, giving medals to a terrier is what we do, but tell me the story doesn’t bring a lump to your throat……….

[The first occupants of RAF Pocklington in

1941 were the Royal Canadian Air Force unit of 405 squadron, operating Wellington bombers for 84 raids in eleven months, during which 20 aircraft failed to return.]

[Photographs are courtesy of Darren Mark Walker}

[Selby Abbey was built in 1069 by William the Conqueror , it is like Westminster Abbey but better]

party 30. Mats of grass 31. Boast 32. Noble

Brooder

Advisor

Swiped

In place of

Immediately

Got uptight

Escape

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

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

4 7 8 5 2 6

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

ALLOW, ALONG, BEGAN, CAUSE, CHILD, CINEMA, CLICK, CREAM, DEATH, DESTRUCTION, DIET, DISAPPOINT, DRAGGED, ESSENCE, GATHER, GEAR, INTRICATE, KNOWS, LIGHT, LINE, NIGHT, PLAIN, REVEAL, RIGHT, SIGHT, SINGLE, SISTER, SMALL, SOMETHING, SORRY, SPEED, SURFING, SUSPECT, TOWEL, TRANSGRESS, WAFT, WATER

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guesswork. Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to so Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use th if you really get stuck.

“The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.”

-- George Carlin --

Moose Jaw

AUTOS

For Sale- 2014 load trailer 7 x 16 dump box- tri axle. 10,000 lb capacity, low klm.1979 bluebird school bus

IHC. 446 engine 5 speed trans (no seats), runs on propane tires are all good 900x20”. Heavy duty snowmobile sleigh all metal construction (good shape).1942-43 N2

Ford tractor restored lots of new parts, good tires changed over from 6 to 112 volt factory hitch.1982 450 Honda motorcycle has only 1006 original miles been in storage for over 40 years, new battery- runs great. Call 306-513-8586

For Sale or Trade 2015 Cadillac Platinum, Senior driven. Has approximately 40,000 miles, excellent shape. Looking for a SUV. Call 306-690-6002

AUTO PARTS

Good condition tires-Nitto Trail Grappler, 6/32 tread, 285/75/16 mounted on Dodge Ram 1500 rims. $400 OBO, Call 306631-9853

FARMS, SUPPLIES & LIVESTOCK

For Sale- WD5 Ellis Chamber Tractor. Perfect shape asking $4500.00 or OBO. Call 306-690-9433 or 306-990-0808

FOR RENT

For Rent- 1 bedroom suite, close to downtown, partly furnished. Available April 1st. Call Bob 306-692-0000

MISCELLANEOUS

For Sale- 4 ton electric log splitter $349.99 new sale used $149.00. Bossons heads 6 each in good condition $50.00 for

all. 5” vice with locking swivel base $62.99 new sale used $30.00.

Router, case, table & stand all $50.00.

Framed petite point 6 pieces $50.00 for all.

2 rifle cases $5.00.

Krupp’s electric meat slicer $ 10.00. I crate for large dogs $50.00.

Corner curio cabinet, 4 glass shelves & light oak wood $500.00.All priced OBO, moving must sell. Call George 306- 693- 7935

Junk to the dump in & around Moose Jaw $50. & up. Will pickup, move haul & deliver appliances & furniture in & around Moose Jaw $45. & up. Will pick up move, haul & deliver TV’s & BBQ’s in & around Moose Jaw $25. & up. For Sale 45 gallon plastic barrels great for rain water

$20. Each. Looking for vintage Christmas bubble lights (must work), Canadian Tire money (paying up to face value), factory tail lights for 2017 Ford F250. Call 306-681-8749

For Sale Shoprider Scooter: Approx. 5 years old. One previous owner. New batteries 3 years ago. Durable and reliable. Asking $1200 but will consider all reasonable offers. Contact Lynne at 306-6309698.

For Sale- 1- 500 galvanized water tank.8 tractor rear 18.4 x 30” tires some new, some used, some on rims.5 snap on large wrenches box ends sizes vary from 15/16 to 1 5/8 also open end 11/4- 1 3/8.4 filing cabinets

4 drawer heavy duty older style. 2 saddles

1 western roping 1 English equestrian jumping saddle. 1 cylinder head and valve grind-

ing machine (snap on) complete with all tooling for cat, Cummins and all large and small engines. Semi truck and trailer 5th wheel inspection gauge. Call 306-513-8586

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

don’t want to miss this amazing home sale available for a limited time till May 1st. For more information contact Bev at sangster. bev@gmail.com or call 306-692-3104

SERVICES

Need work done?

do minor radio repair. Ph. 306-693-2761

Wanted to buy a large 16-20 cu ft. older deep freeze. Clean and in good running condition. Call Elaine 306475-2640

HELP WANTED

Huge Household Sale; everything must go! Get unique items such as beds, couches, dishes, stereo systems, clothing and much more! Make your best cash offer (cash only) and delight in the various household treasures that need a new home. You

Contact Bill at 306630-2268. Interior/ exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, finishing, tiling, painting and all construction, roofing/ siding- no job too big or small. Reasonable rates, 30 years experience.

WANTED

Wanted: - experienced seamstress - experienced tech person to

Seeking Born - Again Christian Business partner with potential ownership in Second Hand and Flea- Market business. Male, Female or Family must be interested in Salvation, Healing and Deliverance Outreach Ministry. Serious enquiries only please. 306-684-1084, 5 pm8pm ONLY (because of scam calls)

Obituaries / Memorials

LLOYD, BERNICE

Oct 22, 1934Apr 4, 2023

With great sadness, we announce that our loving Mother and Nana, Bernice Lloyd (nee Bell) passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 4th 2023, surrounded by family.

Bernice lived a long and full life. She was born in Regina, SK and married Grant, the love of her life, in Moose Jaw. Grant, Bernice and extended family later settled in Calgary, AB where they prospered and raised their family. Bernice was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and will be remembered by all who knew her for her kindness, fun-loving spirit and generosity. She will be deeply missed. The Family extends our heartfelt gratitude to the many caregivers Bernice was so fortunate to have had at Cambridge Manor. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Brenda Strafford Foundation or charity of your choice.

ANDERSON, EMMA

The Family of Emma Edna Isabel Anderson is saddened to announce her passing on December 7, 2022. A Celebration Of Life will be held on April 21, 2023 at 1:30 PM at W.J. Jones & Son Funeral Home (Parkview) 474 Hochelaga St W. Moose Jaw, SK, S6H 2G9. Those unable to attend can view a livestream of the service by clicking on the link provided. Please be in the waiting room prior to 1:20 PM Saskatchewan time. https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/9827558167 In living memory of Emma, a memorial planting will be made by W.J. Jones & Son Ltd. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.jonesparkview.com (Obituaries).

Chrystine Dacey- Funeral Director

TRINITY UNITED CHURCH

277 Iroquois St W Moose Jaw, SK

Next Service: April 23rd, 2023 10:30am Rev. Walter Engel

WOODS, BRENT

Robert Brent Woods, 67 of Moose Jaw, passed away on April 7, 2023.

Brent was born on May 30, 1955, to Robert and Edith in Moose Jaw. He had many hobbies and interests throughout his life. He greatly enjoyed gardening, with a particular passion for peppers. He was also a faithful Riders fan, taking over his father’s longtime season tickets near the 50-yard line.

Most of all, Brent loved his family. He married Cathy Leverton in 1976, and they lived in Estevan for the next 25 years. He was a great father to his two daughters, Jessica and Christine. His greatest joy was spending time with them and being involved in all their activities.

As the girls grew up, he looked forward to every family gathering and being with his extended families. Brent was a hard worker and he had a long list of jobs growing up. One of the first was riding his bicycle all over town as a delivery boy for the family business, Woods Pharmacy. He was proud to work for SaskPower, starting as a cleaner in Estevan. Through SaskPower, he received his 3rd Class Power Engineer, Journeyman Electrician, and eventually became Electrical Inspections Supervisor. He retired in Moose Jaw in 2020.

Brent was a friendly man and he thoroughly enjoyed chatting with neighbors and friends. He would never hesitate to offer a helping hand or piece of advice. His big smile and hearty laugh will be dearly missed.

Brent was predeceased by his parents, sister Barbara, and father-in-law Lewis Leverton. He is survived by his wife Cathy, daughters Jessica and Christine, brother Brad (Kathy), sister Brenda (Scott), sister-in-law Lois Saunders, brother-in-law Mark Leverton (Tamara), brother-in-law Patrick Morris, mother-in-law Adeline Leverton, and numerous much-loved nieces and nephews.

The family would like to recognize the exceptional care that Brent received from Dr. Geyer, Dr. Ramadan, Dr. Rodwan, and everyone at the Regina General Cardiac Care Unit. A time of Celebrating Brent’s life was held Thursday April 13, 2023 at 1:00PM at the W. J. Jones & Son Reception Center, 474 Hochelaga St W., Moose Jaw, Sk. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the hospital foundation of your choice. In living memory of Brent, a memorial planting will be made by W.J. Jones & Son Ltd. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.jonesparkview.com (Obituaries).

Cerys Doan - Funeral Director Intern/Dayna Chamberlain – Funeral Director

George Holman

Please join us for a COME-and-GO COFFEE and Dessert in celebration of the memory

GEORGE HOLMAN on Saturday April 22, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 PM at Western Development Museum 50 Diefenbaker

STRICKLAND, ANITA

Anita Cool Strickland passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at age 69 years, surrounded by her loving husband Tom and children Tara and Adam, after a brave and courageous battle with leukemia. In addition to her husband and two kids, Anita is survived by her brothers, Don (Gloria) and Louis (Margaret) Cool; brother-in-law, Terry Fisher; as well as their extended families; various aunts and uncles, as well as many in-laws from Tom’s side. She was predeceased by her father, Gerard Cool; mother, Adeline (née: Koza); and sister, Marlene Fisher.

Anita was born in Imperial, SK in 1953 to Adeline and Gerard Cool. She lived in Simpson, SK until 1964 when the family moved to a farm near Davidson, SK. She graduated from high school in Davidson and continued her education at STI (now Saskatchewan Polytechnic) in Moose Jaw. Anita had a successful career as a Co-op Education Coordinator at SIAST from 1987 until she retired in 2018. She was very proud of the strong work ethic she developed from growing up on the farm. The prairies and farm life always held a special place in her heart.

Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Anita, knew that she was a kind, thoughtful and loyal friend who found great joy in bringing happiness to others. She was always up for fun and never said no to a new adventure. Anita enjoyed all things plants and spent many hours in her backyard tending to bird houses and feeders. She brought a sparkle to the lives of all who knew her, and she will be greatly missed by many. Throughout her life, Anita had a close walk with the Lord and found great strength and comfort in her faith. Anita wanted to give a special thank you to the staff on 3B at the Pasqua Hospital, and the staff at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre in Regina, SK, as well as all caregivers at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Moose Jaw.

The Funeral Service will be held on Friday, April 28th, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in Moose Jaw Funeral Home with Celebrant Dave Foley officiating. Those not able to attend may view the service virtually by going to www.moosejawfuneralhome.com/webcast/. In lieu of flowers, Anita wished for those who remember her to consider a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1910 McIntyre St, Regina, SK S4P 2R3 or The Moose Jaw Humane Society, Box 1658 Station Main, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 7K7. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Cara Ashworth – Intern Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

Ann Laura Marie St. Pierre

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.

Eighty-Six

During the ongoing bathroom renovation there were a few minor glitches with the flooring. One small piece that went under the door casing was accidently cut the wrong way. Oops! Usually, we are thrifty with excess scrap pieces that might be used but, in this case, to avoid any accidental usage of the piece, I said, “Eighty-six this one.” Eighty-six means to eliminate or throw out. As a verb, the word started in the food industry. Restaurants, running out of a menu item, eighty-sixed it. In other words, servers informed customers that the particular item was no longer available. Many small restaurants or pubs may run into issues with their inventory. When there

are not enough ingredients left to make a popular dish or drink, they’ll have to eighty-six it. This prevents customers from ordering it and then getting upset.

In another situation, if a patron was drinking too much alcohol the establishment might eighty-six them, meaning they should no longer be served, they should be cut off. A club’s bouncer might eighty-six a customer, in other words eject or ban them. Eighty-six, as a code word, is still used in restaurants and bars, but it has entered the general language now. If you want to get rid of something, you can eighty-six it.

There is no sure explanation for the origin of the use of eighty-six. It is probable that the word was created as a rhyming slang for nix Nix means to reject or veto something. We nixed the plan to change the vanity in the bathroom and just install a new sink and facet, as the vanity was still in good shape and well built. Nix is derived from the German word for nothing, nichts. In the late 1700s people would complain, “That was a whole day’s work for nix.” In the early 1900s nix was used as a verb to refuse to allow something. The courts nixed the merger between the two companies.

Eighty-six first appeared in English as a noun in the 1930s. It referred to an item at a soda fountain, or lunch counter, that had been sold out. Soda fountain slang includes shoot one, referring to a coke, draw one, referring

to a coffee, shoot one in the red, meaning a cherry coke, and eighty-six, meaning all out of it. When the proprietor says the coffee is eighty-six, he means there isn’t anymore.

It was in the 1950s that the word shifted from a noun to a verb, especially used to refuse further bar service to inebriates. Among the more recent uses, eighty-six has acquired the sense of ‘to kill,’ both literally and figuratively. In military terms, a group of soldiers being ambushed and killed in action, have been eighty-sixed. It was a sad day when the bus crashed and some of the passengers were eighty-sixed from this world. In political terms, an amendment to a version of a legislative bill can be eighty-sixed by leaders of the party.

People have commented that Donald Trump was eighty-sixed from Twitter until Elon Musk took over ownership of the app. Sports team’s coaches are often eighty-sixed as a casualty of a long losing streak. Grocery chains often eighty-six specific items from their shelves if they do not sell well. Sometimes a Zoom meeting gets eighty-sixed because some of the participants have poor internet connections.

Hopefully, as the bathroom renovations continue and we move into replacing the flooring in the master bedroom, there won’t be too many wrong cuts with a need to eighty-six costly laminate.

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.

Rare triplets delivered by cow on ranch near Central Butte

On the afternoon of April 13, during spring calving, cattle ranchers Bobie and Mark Dean were shocked to discover one of their cows was carrying three calves — a rare event estimated to occur approximately 1 in every 100,000 pregnancies.

“We had to help her, because she wasn’t progressing,” explained Bobie Dean. The level of assistance a cow needs when giving birth can vary from simply guiding the calf out into the world to using specialized equipment to reposition the calf or even help the mother by hauling the infant out.

“I got one out, and it had quite small feet, so we assumed there was a second one,” Dean continued. “So we pulled the

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

second one, and the rule of thumb is that when you’re already helping, you always check, just in case. And when I reached back in, I could just feel a nose at the end of my fingers.”

The Deans run a cow/calf operation near Central Butte with just over 400 cows. Amazingly, they have seen triplets before: A decade ago, they had another odds-defying triple delivery — unassisted that time.

So far, all of the triplets on the Deans’ farm have survived birth and done well, including these latest calves.

“They’re all doing good,” Dean was happy to say. “It was pretty shocking, we were not expecting triplets, that’s for sure.”

Visit Moose Jaw: Leading the charge to make Moose Jaw an event-full destination

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Visit Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw’s event and hospitality organization works to find, attract, and help fund big events including the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Mosaic Concert Series, Snowbirds Golden Anniversary, and many more.

Visit Moose Jaw plays a pivotal role in promoting Canada’s Most Notorious City as an attractive destination for tourists and event planners alike. By making the planners of major events aware of the city’s potential and offering funding support, the organization has an important and continual positive impact on the local economy.

Some of the events being sponsored by Visit Moose Jaw in 2023 include the 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championship in May and June, the Saskatchewan Festival of Words in July, the Saskatchewan Barrel Racing Association Finals in August, and the Homestand ’23 concert in September.

They also sponsor dozens of smaller tournaments and championships for basketball, canine agility, hockey, curling, powerlifting, rodeo — the variety is surprising, and the volume adds up.

Visit Moose Jaw is comprised of six entertainment and hospitality businesses:

• Comfort Inn & Suites Moose Jaw

• Grant Hall Hotel

• Moose Jaw Exhibition Company

• Moose Jaw Events Centre

• Quality Inn & Suites

• Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa

Event funding from Visit Moose Jaw is based on increasing the number of hotel bookings. When that metric is increased, the entire city benefits because event attendees also shop, eat, and explore while they’re here.

Visit Moose Jaw is essentially a grant program. Anyone planning an event or considering planning an event should apply for funding to see if they qualify.

One of the event categories Visit Moose Jaw would like to see more of is professional conferences. While industry conferences in Saskatchewan try to use different venues each year, that often just means alternating back and forth between Regina and Saskatoon.

The organization believes that Moose Jaw can com

pete with Saskatchewan’s two larger cities for its share of the conference pie — it’s simply a matter of getting the word out.

If you or someone you know is considering bringing an event to Moose Jaw, Visit Moose Jaw’s funding application is easily accessed through their website at visitmoosejaw.ca/take-action. By contacting Visit Moose Jaw, clients can also learn more about the city and its facilities and attractions, and can access networking resources to find the right people at the right time to bring their event to fruition.

Slow local construction sector in first quarter

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Building in Moose Jaw declined dramatically in the first three months of this year.

Permits issued by city hall amounted to a mere $1.08 million — a 74 per cent drop from last year’s $4.17 million.

Lack of new residential housing is a major factor in the decline. No permits for new houses have been granted this year, compared with four worth $1.71 million last

year in the first quarter.

In March the city issued 11 permits valued at $188,000 — a drop from $1.71 million the previous year.

Major permits included $50,000 for a garage and carport on Valley View Drive, and $55,000 for the same structures on South Hill.

Two demolition permits were issued. Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

The calves, a black female and two red males, recovering on some comfy bedding (Bobie Dean/Facebook)

The triplets having a rest after the most important event of their lives so far (Bobie Dean/Facebook)

BASEBALL Thursday

BASKETBALL

(:35) Corden

WXYZ Grey's Anatomy (N) The Good Doctor News (N) (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (:35) Nightline

CTYS Law & Order "Camouflage" Law & Order: SVU Law-Crime "Last Christmas" Brainfood Brainfood

TSN (5:30) MLB Baseball SportsCentre (N) (Live) Jay Onrait (N) (Live)

NET NHL in 30 Stanley Cup Playoffs (N) (Live) Sportsnet (N) (Live)

EDACC Big Bang etalk (N) Wipeout "OMFG Girl Run!" Next Level Chef (N) Rookie Blue

26 W Law-SVU "Complicated" Will & Grace Will & Grace Fire "A Fair to Remember" Best Man: The (N)

29 ENCAV (6:25) <+++ Contact ('97) Jodie Foster. Nurse JackieNurse JackieWeeds (:35) Weeds

33 CMT Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier Cheers Cheers

35 TLC Dr. Pimple Popper (N) Hoarding: Buried Alive Hoard-Buried "Full of Rats" Dr. Pimple "The Ex orcyst"

38 DISC (6:00) BattleBots (N) Lego Masters Australia (N) Homestead Rescue Homestead "Trapped"

41 COM Sheldon 'Til Death Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang

42 TCM (6:00) < Alice Doesn't Liv (:15) <++++ Mean Streets ('73) Robert De Niro. (:15) <+++ Kings Row ('42)

47 AMC (6:00) <+++ Gran Torino ('08) <+++ The Rock ('96) Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris,Sean Conner y

FSR (6:00) NASCAR ARCA Racing Series Talladega Dangerous Iraq Convoy

CRV1 (:15) < Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson & Th Fired on (P) Fired on (N) < The Fallout ('21)

CRV2 (6:10) <++ The Marksman < 752 Is Not a Number ('22) (:40) <+++ Nope ('22) Daniel Kaluuya.

CRV3 (:20) Way Over Me (:10) Way Over Me Billions Your Honor "Part Nine"

(6:00) < Shine On, Harves <+++ San Antonio ('45) Alexis Smith, Errol Fl ynn. < The Time, the Place &

47 AMC (6:00) < Ace Ventura: Pet <++ Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls ('95) Jim Carrey <+++ Beetlejuice ('88)

48 FSR NASCAR Presents NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 Dangerous Log Hauling

55 CRV1 (6:50) <+++ Downton Abbey: A New Era ('22) < Gunda ('20) (P) (:35) Yellow

56 CRV2 (6:20) < After Yang ('21) <++ Flag Day ('21) Sean Penn, Josh Bro lin,Dy an Penn (:55) < The Woman King

57 CRV3 (6:15) < The Grizzlie Truth Women Who Rock "Truth" Billions "Magical Thinking" Your Honor "Part Eleven"

58 HBO Movie (:35) < Liberty: Mother of Exiles ('19) Perry Mason (N) Rain Dogs Saving

7 PM 7:30 8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30

Harold Ramis,Bill Murray Corner Gas

26 W Law & Order: SVU "Intent" Will & Grace Will & Grace < The Cases of Mystery Lane ('23) Aimee Garcia. (P)

29 ENCAV Movie (:35) <++ Spy Kids 3: Game Over ('03) <++ The Craft ('96) Robin Tunney (P) Movie

33 CMT Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier Cheers Cheers

35 TLC (6:00) 90 Day: Other (N) 90 Day (N) Seeking Brother Husband 90 Day 90 Day: Other

38 DISC (6:00) Outlaws: Fast "Throwi ng Shade and P unches" (N) Homestead Rescue Homestead "Grizz y Bait"

41 COM Sheldon 'Til Death Sheldon Sheldon Sheldon GoldbergsBig Bang Big Bang

42 TCM (6:00) < Bonnie and Clyde <+++ Rachel, Rachel ('68) Joanne Woodw ard. <++ Firecreek ('68)

47 AMC (6:00) <++ The Expendables ('10) <++ The Expendables 2 ('12) Sylvester Stallone. Movie

48 FSR NASCAR Race Hub NASCAR Beyond the Wheel Unrivaled: Earnhardt Dangerous Drives

55 CRV1 Movie <++ Spirit Untamed ('21) < Summer With Hope ('22) (P) Movie

56 CRV2 (6:20) < Final Account ('20) <++ Marry Me ('22) Owen Wilson, Jennifer Lopez <++ Flag Day ('21)

57 CRV3 (:20) Way Over "The Truth" (:10) Way Over Me Billions "Quality of Life" Your Honor "Part Ten" 58 HBO (:15) Icahn: The Restless Billionaire Succession Real, Bill Maher (N)

Movie < Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The <+++ Being John Malkovich ('99) John Cusack.

CMT Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier Cheers Cheers

TLC 7 Little Johnstons (N) Return to Amish (N) You, Me & My Ex 7 Little Johnstons 38 DISC Parker's Trail (N) Gold Rush WW (N) Homestead Rescue Homestead Rescue 41 COM Sheldon 'Til Death Bob Heart Bob Heart Bob Heart Bob Heart Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM (6:00) < Romance on the <+++

< Undercover Gra < Charm City Kings ('20) Meek Mill, Jahi Di'Allo Winston. (:05) < Terror Train ('22)

57 CRV3 (6:25) < Gunda ('20) Women-Rock "Defiance" Billions "The Conversa tion" Your Honor "Part Twelve"

58 HBO Movie < Reopening Night ('21) The Last "Left Behind" The Last of Us

WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIES SPORTS SPECIALS

3 CBKFT

7 PM 7:30 8 PM

PM 9:30

PM 10:30

(P) <+++ Jerry Maguire ('96) Tom Cruise. (P)

33 CMT Cheers Cheers Man-Plan Man-Plan Man-Plan Man-Plan Frasier Frasier

35 TLC 90 Day: Other 90 Day: Other 90 Day Fiancé 90 Day: Other

38 DISC CSI: New York CSI: New York CSI: New York CSI: New York "On the Job"

41 COM Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang

42 TCM (6:00) <++++ All the President's Men <++ Satan Met a Lady ('36) Warren William,Bette Davis. Movie

47 AMC (4:30) <+++ Avatar ('09) <++ Jumanji ('95) Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Duns t, Robin Williams. < Hancock

48 FSR (6:30) ARCA Racing Series Talladega MotoAmerica Rewind MotoAmerica Rewind NHRA

55 CRV1 (:15) <+++ Belfast ('21) Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe. <+++ The Banshees of Inisherin ('22) Colin Farrell (P)

56 CRV2 (6:20) < Happy Together < Julia ('21)

James Dean (:15) <++++ Giant ('56)

47 AMC (6:00) <+++ Tombstone ('93) Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell. <+++ Gran Torino ('08) Clint Eastwood.

48 FSR (5:00) NHRA Drag Racing NHRA Pro NHRA in 30 NHRA in 30 NHRA in 30 Dangerous Drives

55 CRV1 Movie (:25) < Gulliver Returns ('21) Gåsmamman Threesome (:20) < The Grizzlie Truth

56 CRV2 (:20) < The Middle Man ('21) Don McKellar. Yellowjackets < Marry F... Kill ('23)

57 CRV3 (6:15) < A Cinderella Sto Women Who Rock "Power" Billions "Risk Management" Your Honor "Part Thirteen"

58 HBO (6:20) < Transhood ('20) 100-Foot Wave Succession Barry Somebody

Moose Jaw’s history is notoriously interesting, from the Spanish Flu to the River Park Flood to a multi-plane crash — and a theatre group plans to highlight many of them.

The Moose Jaw Community Players is presenting “Notoriously Moose Jaw,” a fictionalized version of Moose Jaw’s very real history crafted by two notoriously unknown writers. The performances occur at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22, at 7 p.m. each night.

Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased through SaskTix or at the box office.

There are 14 stories the organization will tell, with each scene looking at some aspect of Moose Jaw’s past, explained Debbie Burgher, who co-wrote the script with Joan Stumborg and directs the play.

Burgher pointed to all the banners that city hall has flying downtown with phrases such as “Notoriously Clever,” “Notoriously Creative,” and “Notoriously Helpful,” noting that “notoriously” is a great adverb since it accurately describes the community’s history.

The play’s co-writer gave some examples of what residents will see during the performance, including the pioneers’ arrival, the 1918 Spanish Flu, Al Capone’s alleged presence here, a mid-air airplane crash in 1954, Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 1959, the River Park Flood in 1974 and the recent Mooseorandum of Understanding with Norway.

“It was notoriously beautiful how the community rallied together (during the 1918 pandemic) … ,” Burgher said.

Residents decided — in agreement with parents — that they would remove from homes children whose parents were sick and place them with non-ill families. Furthermore, people donated linens to the hospital and erected field hospitals in schools.

“It was just crazy. And it came to be two months of hell. I don’t know how many people died,” Burgher continued.

Meanwhile, the flood wiped out River Park Bridge

play

and a small house where a feisty Ukrainian baba lived. In the air disaster, a passenger jet smashed into a Harvard trainer, and they fell 10,000 feet before crashing 600 metres from Ross School.

“Just little moments within the (stories) that are fact, that’s just wrapped in the bow of a fictional story theatre,” added Burgher.

Stumborg approached Burgher in 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck about writing a play. They conducted research using archives, books and the internet, shared ideas and began turning them into scenes and lines.

They also approached Theatre Saskatchewan for assistance, which connected them to dramaturge Gordon Portman, a former University of Brandon professor now in Regina. He reviewed their play three times and made plenty of cuts, edits, re-writes and shifts in scenes.

“Joan Stumborg … is really genius. I’m more of an ideas gal,” said Burgher. “I was really good about coming up with ideas and coming up with dialogue, but Joan … finessed it beautifully. And she’s also the one building the set.”

Creating the play helped the club grow its membership since it had dwindled, she continued. The club held an open house last December, attracting many people, while 40 auditioned for this play in January. Now 28 cast members and 10 crew members are working on the performance.

“And they’re such beautiful people. So dedicated, and they really, really want to put on a good show for the community,” Burgher said. “It’s beautiful.”

The director added that residents should attend for a good laugh and to appreciate Moose Jaw’s “notoriously interesting” history.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

OPINION/EDITORIAL TO THE EDITOR LETTERS

RE: POTHOLES ON MOOSE JAW STREETS DANGEROUS

I was in Moose Jaw for this past weekend for hockey.

I put this on the City of Moose Jaws Facebook but doubt many will see it there.

Looks like the City of Moose Jaw forgot to mention to beware of all the major potholes throughout the city!

I was driving down 9th street and could see an elderly gentleman on his scooter go through a large puddle! Hence a huge pothole!! His scooter

RE: ELECTION FINANCING POLICY

The Chretien government solved the corruption problem with election financing. They brought into law that the taxpayer would be financing our elections.

Each party would receive $2.00 per vote.

Harper’s government canceled this act his the reasoning was the taxpayer should not be financing the election.

Well, when someone is given a 50%-75% tax receipt or refund on their contributions and then include what corporations, unions and lobby groups that buy tables to events and make political donations for the tax write-offs, at the end of the day the Canadian taxpayer is financing our elections anyways.

Only difference between Chretien’s election financing policy and [the previous Prime Minister] Harper’s is that

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.

completely tipped over and his oxygen tank fell off his scooter!!

A man and his wife and I lifted him upright, the man helping him got his oxygen tank back on the scooter and put back on his face! He said he was ok to keep going! He must have been cold lying on his side in that water!!

This should not happen!

What does the mayor get paid? He should take a few years no pay and get these potholes fixed!

By June Daku

an elected government under Chretien’s model doesn’t owe anything to the lobby groups unions or corporations therefore an elected MP can work for the people that elected him or her.

For me when someone says China and Russia are influencing North American elections in reality the only influence they have would be how much money they are willing to donate to your party and who do they funnel the money through that’s it.

They don’t need an inquiry to tell me that China donated 3 million to a party through corporation ABC. Did Chretiens policy on election financing favor the Liberal party? Absolutely…100%, [I believe]…

But at least his government didn’t owe any political favors to anyone.

Thanks Darrin Lamoureux

RE: “BOOKING SYSTEM AT HOSPITAL NOT AN IMPROVEMENT?”

Oh, I don’t know – it worked well for me!

I certainly concur with Dr. Retief with a few observations: Yes, the online system could use some user interface improvements. And yes, you could get your bookings done by telephone in under 5 minutes (by very courteous and helpful staff) – IF you were actually able to connect with them (and not get the answering machine)!

But for people who may have to find a moment to call in while they are at work or school, I often caught the

RE: LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON FRANKLIN D. CRISTENSEN; LAST KNOWN LOCATION MOOSE JAW APPROX.

25 YEARS AGO

My name is Moise Ralph Canada Cristensen. I left there [Moose Jaw] when I was 12 because I was gay and native. I went to Albert.E.Peacock Collegiate.

In 1998, I was part of the Steering Committee that started the Grinning Lizard Teen Center. Now I’m doing fine. I am the First Client based Researcher to Imple-

RE: BEWARE OF THE SUN AND MELANOMA

In 2001 I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. I had a mole on my left arm top of my shoulder so I thought it was a beauty mark. I was very wrong! My private physician said to me, ‘Julia, this has to come off!’

Well, then everything was very rushy, no time can be wasted, as this type of melanoma really spreads fast. So my private doctor was very fast in getting me in hospital, Pasqua (Regina). So, after my private doctor took off the initial mole and walked it in to the cancer clinic, that evening I was told yes, Julia, this is malignant melanoma.

Into the hospital I went, to X-Ray and had large needles injected around the hole and Dr. Hunter (surgeon) did all the needles and told me with my left hand to massage the area. This was done to see how far the melanoma had spread, then up to surgical floor, got me ready for the operating room for Dr. Hunter to do the wider incision. Apparently, Dr. Hunter put the stick in from top of my arm, right down to my wrist. She had to do that until she got a clear margin. I was in the operating room for almost 5 hours. Came out, went to day hospital with the hole left open, until she was satisfied and then Dr. Lee to do the skin graft to cover the hole. Dr. Hunter is not in Regina anymore. She took a top surgeon job in Philadelphia. I sure missed her as she was

RE: CHANGES TO NEW BOOKING SYSTEM AT HOSPITAL NOT AN IMPROVEMENT

I just had the misfortune to attempt a booking for blood work at Fred Wigmore Hospital.

The previous system worked well from a patient’s perspective, I could and did make a booking in less than five minutes, done and dusted.

I don’t know which genius thought that the new system would be an improvement but it very definitely is not. It is tedious, cumbersome and certainly in

RE: DEMOLITION OF BUILDING STRUCTURES ON RIVER STREET

I’m reaching out as a concerned citizen wondering if you will be doing a story on the discovery of the remnants, rubble, and garbage on the site of the former Royal Hotel and possibly other sites on River St.

These buildings were demolished not long ago in 2010 with the cities oversite and approval but it seems a city with an already shakey track record for waste disposal has done it again.

The recent demolition of the building with the “merchant” sign revealed a large amount of waste in the adjacent site that the city had not properly disposed of in years prior and instead elected to bury the evidence.

Now, according to the city’s own bylaw “The Building Bylaw No.5524 section 8.5 “ Disposal Site for Demoli-

answering machine vs the human. Or frankly, suddenly found I didn’t have a moment to call until after the end of the hospital work day. This past week, I had to book two appointments for lab work for family members, had them both booked online in less than five minutes (combined), and was able to do it at 9 pm (and I booked another appointment on Saturday)! And waiting over 45 minutes for a return call? I suspect you would be waiting forever – the system acknowledges the appointments via text/ email. My appointment confirmations arrived (literally) half a second after I finalized the booking online. I certainly hope the phone line does stay operation-

ment the Very first Successful First Nations Study Program Grad 2017-18, UBC First Successful client mentionable honor Co Author, into the HIV Movement and Hep C movement, as well, and Non Profit Sector in 40 years. I lost touch with my brother 25 years ago. His name is Franklin D. Cristensen. His DOB is 09/09/79. Last known location was Moose Jaw. I’m his younger Successful Brother Moise. I now live in Vancouver BC.

very professional to me and kind to my family.

Then I had to report to the cancer clinic for my treatment, had the treatment done and then I was given half an hour to make my mind up for treatment to be done at home. So I had to give my needles in my abdomen and Bill gave my needles in my back, this was done… chemotherapy for one year. I was on 33 million units of interferona for 1 year. I filled three Hilroy scribblers to keep track. Then after my one year, I had to see Dr. Change and he said Julia, I have to cut behind your left ear to the middle of your throat, and take out what looks suspicious and leave the rest. I said, “Dr. Change what do you call that surgery?”He said, ‘a left ear dissection.’

So in I go to the operating room for that over 6 hours surgery. When I woke up, standing by my bedside - my daughter Rhonda, and my son, Neil; both from British Columbia. Lots of hugs, smiles and kisses were going on.

I was treated like a queen in the Pasqua Hospital and General Hospital, I am so blessed to be alive, because I had stage four melanoma. I must say, my private physician was right on the mark and got everything going, I am very sad to say I have lost him to a massive heart attack. I am so blessed and proud of my doctors who kept me alive: Dr. Hunter (surgeon), Dr. Lee (skin graft), Dr. Peter Change (surgeon – neck/throat), Can-

no way at all easy to navigate. In the past, less than five minutes was all it took. Now, more than 45 minutes and I am still waiting for a return call.

Once again, something which wasn’t broken was “fixed.”

Reading between the lines, it appears to me as if this change was brought about by Saskatchewan Health. Why am I not surprised?

Dr. Leon Retief

tion Material and Refuse” Except as per 8.6, pursuant to the Municipal Refuse Management Regulations, the Waste Management Regulations and the City’s Waste Collection and Disposal Bylaw, all Demolition material and other refuse generated from the Demolition of any building or Structure within the City shall be disposed of at the City’s Landfill Site.

Those sites are thus all contaminated with garbage and were sold without the purchasers being aware, and I can only assume a city that wishes to push the development of its downtown core would like to dispose of their “little” mistake themselves and not put this onto the developers. I also assume they would very much like for this to not be widely known to the public.

Marshall Shenner

al – I have had times where there were some special situations that I needed to navigate and there would be no way to do this with the computer interface. But if the online system frees up the demand on the phone line so that it would be less likely to get the answering machine, that would be a service improvement for those who really do need the TLC of the booking clerks. But for simple routine bookings, the new system sure makes it easier for me.

Regards, R. Grant Rowson, CPA, CGA, CITP, CISA, CRISC, CDPSE, PMP

I turned my life and so many others around by being a voice for the Indigenous population throughout North America.

If you have any information on Franklin D. Cristensen, please contact moise canada youthfulnative@ gmail.com

Moise Ralph Canada Cristensen

cer Clinic doctors, Dr. Chal-Chal and so many more under the supervision of Dr. Chal-Chal. My nurses who are all my angels. Dr. Linda Nilson (retired), Dr. Kreshi, Dr. Ibrahim, and my cousin Gary Semenchuck – a lawyer who did a lot for cancer patients. He is very special to me and my family. I would recommend the Cancer Clinic (Regina) to all cancer patients. This is why I hope all the sunworshippers are very careful and watch the sun.

In closing, I am so happy my daughter Rhonda from British Columbia could be there to help me. My son Neil, who now is in Moose Jaw has been a continuous help after me being in bed for 1 year and only getting up for meals or to go to the washroom,

I was so happy when I could start get-going and enjoying my life again. So I had and always will have my main staple places I like to go, and they are all very kind and caring to me: Yvette Moore Gallery (Sarah and Andrew), Gallery Café, Pharmasave Drugs (all staff), Johan, Boutique (Jillian’s – Lana, Jill & Marcie), Clothes Encounter (Rick, Andrea, Denise & Jill), Evans Florist (Tina & Trisha), Studio 21 (Pat, Nancy, Cooper) and of course Starbucks, Safeway (all staff).

Julia Wasylyshyn