Moose Jaw Express May 17th, 2023

Cuddly blue bear mascot Willy Winmar was ‘born’ right here in Moose Jaw, and his second birthday bash in Crescent Park will be another great party with food trucks, live music, bouncy castles, a magician, and more.

The event will be in Crescent Park at the amphitheatre/waterfall on Saturday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last year was Willy’s first birthday, and it was a great success, said Pete Iatridis at Winmar Moose Jaw.

“We did it last year and it was very successful, everyone seemed to be having a great time, so we thought we’d do it again,” Iatridis explained. “It’s something for the

community, for the kids, for families to come out to the park and have some fun.”

Live music will be provided by Moose Jaw’s Ray Rawlyk, magician Sitruc James will be on hand performing his marvelous illusions, and there will be food trucks including Smokin’ Outlaws BBQ, Hot Diggity Moose Jaw, and Kona Ice. Face painting, balloon tying, obstacle courses, and birthday cake and cupcakes are also included.

Winmar is a disaster restoration and renovation company with franchises across Canada. The company’s mascot Willy Winmar was launched July 1, 2021, by Anna Tzortzis. Tzortzis and her husband, Kyle Jacques, own four Winmar locations in the province — beginning with Regina and Moose Jaw in 2010. The couple added a location in Estevan in 2016 and in Yorkton in 2020.

Last year’s inaugural Willy Winmar birthday party was attended by hundreds of people. Willy was even joined by Moose Jaw Warriors mascot Morty the Moose.

This year, Winmar has invited all local

Society.

“Willy is super excited for his 2nd birthday,” said Anna Tzortzis. “It’s nice to go back to [his] stomping grounds — he really misses his family and friends there … We’re also thrilled he wants to partner up with the Moose Jaw Health Foundation.”

“We try to do as much as we can in the community and for the community,” Iatridis added. “We do lots of sponsorships and connect with different groups and organizations. We want to give people a fun, beautiful day in Crescent Park.”

businesses with mascots to join in as a way of elevating the celebration even further.

“We’ve invited any business that has a mascot, and we even reached out to some people in Regina to see if they wanted to send their mascots,” Iatridis said. “Just to have them come walk around and take some pictures and enjoy the festivities.”

This year’s charitable group is the Moose Jaw Health Foundation. Winmar will be collecting monetary donations for the Health Foundation during the party. After last year’s birthday party, the company was pleased to make a donation to the Moose Jaw Humane

A view of the birthday party festivities in Crescent Park last year (photo by Randy Palmer)

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17th Family First Radiothon raises a staggering $592,533 for MJ hospital

Community groups, corporations, local businesses, and individuals came together once again for the Moose Jaw Health Foundation’s (MJHF) Family First Radiothon, raising a staggering total of $592,533 for state-of-the-art equipment at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.

Titled Life Can Change in a Moment, the MJHF had set a goal of just $150,000 — meaning that in 36 hours, the radiothon raised nearly four times what its organizers hoped.

This 17th edition of the event, hosted on 800 CHAB, brings the total over the Radiothon’s lifetime to more than $5.4 million.

The equipment on the list in 2023 includes a critical care bed, ultrasound probe, patient beds, and a quickthaw plasma system.

The Radiothon is always widely supported and promoted. City of Moose Jaw Mayor Clive Tolley and city councillors Crystal Froese and Doug Blanc were first on the phones at the Town n’ Country Mall, and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad company donated the first

$20,000.

Other groups volunteering to take calls included the Moose Jaw Fire Department, Canadian Forces members from 15 Wing, and the Royal Canadian Legion — which also donated $5,000 from its Poppy Fund.

Other large donations came from Gibson Energy ($15,000), the MJHF’s inaugural Healthcare Rocks tribute concert, hosted by Leroy and Leroy ($40,000), Brandt Construction ($2,000), and the RBC Foundation ($10,000).

An anonymous donor matched donations to $50,000 on the second day, and just before it all ended, the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital Auxiliary volunteers announced a jaw-dropping $400,000 contribution from the estate of Jack and Ruby Radu.

The money raised will all stay in Moose Jaw and continue to support the world-class services offered by the city’s hospital.

Meant to donate and missed it? Donations can still be made through the MJHF website at www.mjhf.org.

15 Wing commandant says farewell during command change ceremony

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

It was a bittersweet day for Lt.-Col. Riel (Guns) Erickson, as the commandant of 15 Wing Air Base said farewell to fellow officers and trainees as she prepared to move to Ottawa.

Erickson was celebrated during a change of command ceremony at 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (2CFFTS) — “The Big 2” — on May 12, while she thanked many people who had supported her during her nearly three-year command tour — which began in August 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing.

The Alberta-born pilot is moving with her husband — an air force major — and two sons to work as the executive assistant to the vice-chief of the defence staff. Taking over for her at 15 Wing is Quebec-born Lt.-Col. Philippe Turcotte.

Erickson received her wings from 15 Wing in 2003 and was an instructor in 2014, while Turcotte received his wings in 2006 and was an instructor in 2013.

“Bittersweet definitely defines it. It’s a tough job coming here and leading; it’s a big responsibility. But … the biggest thing I’m going to miss the most about this place is the people,” she said, describing many as family.

Erickson felt blessed to have a great team around her, especially during the pandemic. It was tough to build an effective group, but people took on the challenge and helped the team grow, which made her proud. She also felt less lonely as a leader with a team around her.

In Ottawa, Erickson expects to be less of a decision-maker and more of a support for others. She believes this move will give her more strategic opportunities to help the military — finding resources for air bases — compared to the tactical role of guiding a training base.

One challenge Erickson faced during her time in Moose Jaw — besides the pandemic — was around personnel. The organization changed how it trained people and constructed teams to ensure decisions reached lower levels.

Changes also focused on addressing the challenges that students and instructors can expect in the future.

“We also have changed just how we’re managing each of our staff in terms of what they’re instructing … so people become more focused and better experts (in) what areas they know well,” she added. “So, I think we gained a lot of efficiencies in that sense.”

Gifted new students are arriving more motivated and with plenty of life experience, Erickson said. Twenty years ago, most trainees were fresh from high school or university and had few life experiences. Now people come with many job experiences, knowledge, different backgrounds, and families.

“I’ve seen here that it makes a better team … . We can teach them to fly an airplane, but what they bring (in life skills) that we don’t know is really what counts — and

we’re seeing lots of that … ,” she continued. Despite the challenges, Erickson said this was likely the best command tour of her career.

Col. Jonathan Bouchard, 15 Wing’s commander, said very few people in the military would experience a command position. However, he thought Erickson had risen to the challenge as commandant. Not only was the base losing a great leader and mentor, but also someone who inspired people, was humorous and offered positive vibes.

Turcotte was excited to become commandant since it’s a big unit with plenty of activity. He was also emotional since he had received his wings here and was an instructor.

“It’s making sure this unit continues to evolve and continuing the work of Lt.-Col. Erickson. She did (a) great thing for this unit,” he said. “And it’s taking the ball while it’s still in the air (and) making sure that we continue to work towards making this place inclusive and a super interesting training environment for the students.”

Moose Jaw holds a special place in Turcotte’s heart because of his time as an instructor. After arriving in The Friendly City after a 26-hour drive from Quebec, he felt like he was home upon seeing the city’s welcome sign.

“The warmth and generosity of the people in this community is their (strength),” he said. “Our military members are lucky to begin their journey here in Moose Jaw.”

Turcotte added that he was “extremely proud and humbled” to have been selected for the position and was eager to share the skies with everyone while pursuing the base’s mission.

The 17th annual 800 CHAB Family First Radiothon (Photo by Jason G. Antonio)

The change of command ceremony included the signing of documents. In front are new commandant Lt.Col. Philippe Turcotte, base commander Col. Jonathan Bouchard and outgoing commandant Lt.-Col. Riel Erickson. In the back are CWO Erik Keur and CWO Neil Thorne. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Incoming base commandant Lt.-Col. Philippe Turcotte presents a painting entitled “Tuxford Hack” by artist Yvette Moore to outgoing commandant Lt.-Col. Riel Erickson. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

CWO Erik Keur, artist Erin Zimmerman and Lt.Col. Riel Erickson pose with the painting that Erickson received as outgoing base commandant. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

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Rockbamboo Photo & Film to be featured in British Vogue, Vanity Fair

Moose Jaw-based married wedding photographers Joey and Shannon Holoien will have their work featured in British Vogue’s “Match Made in Vogue” and Vanity Fair this summer, news they say was a welcome, exciting surprise.

Their photos appear in British Vogue in May, June, and July, and Vanity Fair in June, July/August, and September.

The couple have traveled across Canada for wedding shoots, but it was a recent wedding they photographed in the Northwest Territories that caught publisher Conde Nast’s attention.

“The wedding that we shot in Inuvik was for an Inuit slash Saskatchewan-y kind of wedding,” Joey explained. “The groom is from Saskatchewan, and the bride comes from Inuvik, and we went to high school with her for a little bit, so that’s how she found out about us, and then she’s been on the cover of Elle Magazine.”

The shoot put a spotlight on the Holoiens’ work that has increased their profile and given them a chance to show off their skill and unique style.

“We decided to feature her for the July issue, and we featured a couple people for May and June already, and coming up we have Vanity Fair for three months,” Shan-

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Joey and Shannon have been together since high school — in fact, they met in a high school photography class. They shot their first wedding together in 2016 and carried on from there, both as a couple and as business partners.

Their talents mesh nicely, they said, with the only problem being occasionally having too many ideas and having to narrow things down and compromise.

Joey leans more toward the video side of things, and Shannon is chief editor.

“We try to make everything feel as natural as possible. We work a lot on our posing,” Joey said. “We try and make couples feel like they’re just having a good time. They don’t even feel like they’ve been posed for the whole session, and yet

we’ve touched on every detail.

“We focus on warm tones, true to colour but very vibrant and bright.”

The Holoiens love capturing other people’s wedding days and said in some ways they get to relive their own wedding again and again.

“We’re just so grateful to have had Vogue and Vanity Fair reach out, because we live in a pretty small community, I would say, here in Saskatchewan,” Shannon added. “And these magazines are worldwide — it’s pretty crazy that they even found us and we’re really grateful for that.”

Check out Rockbamboo Photo & Film on their website at www.rockbamboophotofilm.ca.

non said. “We’ve been featured in Confetti Magazine, which is a pretty popular Canadian wedding and bridal magazine, and that was our first feature, but yeah, Vogue and Vanity Fair are pretty big for us.”

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Joey and Shannon Holoien are the owners and artists behind Rockbamboo Photo & Film (Joey Holoien/Facebook)

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Very few people, if any, go through life without having stress in their lives. Most of us probably experience stress on a daily basis working on deadlines or having to deal with situations that arise that might cause us some internal anxiety. I’m not sure many would consider any stress in their lives as a positive, but factually, there are generally two kinds of stress and one of them ‘eustress’ is actually good for us.

Joan Ritchie EDITOR

Eustress is the type of stress that we feel when we are excited. Our pulse quickens and we may have other physiological responses but when we have it, there is no threat or fear that accompanies the stress. It is healthy and can improve the quality of life we experience; it inspires and motivates us, helps us focus our energy and enhances our performance.

In an article read, ‘Good Stress vs. Bad Stress: How Can You Tell the Difference,’ found online at https://www. bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/bad-stress-vsgood-stress-how-can-i-tell-the-difference it says, “Stress is a natural, adaptive, built-in response that prepares us for action, both physically and mentally, Dr. Menchola said. That stress response is there to temporarily increase our energy and focus — so we can tackle whatever challenge is there in front of us.

“Positive, healthy stress should feel like, ‘OK, this is going to be hard, but I can do this, here we go…

“Generally, stress is good when it meets two basic criteria: What’s being asked of us feels doable and we know the stress is temporary.” He goes on to say, “Remember, positive stress may make you feel nervous or tense, but it should also make you focused, energized and invested.”

Another type of stress is acute stress that comes from quick surprises that need a response. It triggers our body’s response but doesn’t always cause happiness or excitement. If we can find ways to relax quickly, the affects won’t cause physiological changes once the stressor has been dealt with.

Chronic stress is another form of bad stress that occurs when we repeatedly face stressors. Examples are a stressful job or an unhappy life. Because our bodies aren’t designed for chronic stress for an extended period of time, our emotional and physical body experiences negative health effects.

“Our minds live in our bodies, and our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical functioning are intertwined,” Dr. Menchola said. “We cannot impact one without impacting the other.”

He shares a number of ways that we can tell if our stress is harmful:

“It interferes with your functioning: You start making mistakes on things that are routine — like accidentally putting your keys in the fridge or forgetting to feed your dog.

“It affects your health: You stop taking care of yourself — maybe you start relying on substances every night to “take the edge off”

“You’re spending tons of time and energy on small things: “We often do this when we are trying to regain a sense of control, because we are stressed over things we cannot control

“You feel paralyzed: This is when small things seem impossible

“You isolate: You’re so stressed that you don’t want to see or talk to loved ones, you don’t ask for help, or you answer “fine” and change the subject when a friend asks how you’re doing”

Now that we know stress can either improve our lives or steal our health from us, let’s be aware of our personal stress. We can do a lot to help ourselves to deal with bad stress by taking walks or talking to someone, but if we need more support or counselling, Mental Health Support is available.

On Thursday May 11 Canadians from coast to coast gathered in many locations to March for Life. Ottawa held the largest march with thousands attending.

In Saskatchewan several pro-life communities organize by Sask Pro Life gathered in Regina. A number of people in attendance represented Moose Jaw.

The day began at Holy Rosary Cathedral with prayers and a mass for the unborn.

The group then peacefully walked from the Cathedral along Albert Street to the Legislative Building, several people carrying sign and banners.

At the Legislature the President of Sask Pro-Life addressed the crowd stating that not only are we bringing awareness to the plight of the unborn but also asking our politicians in Saskatchewan to allow for conscience rights for our doctors and health care workers when it comes to euthanasia or MAID issues.

Pro Lifers were encouraged to gather as one voice reflecting the values of the pro-life movement, sharing the message to Respect life at all stages from conception to natural death.

Industrial, commercial projects spur construction

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Two developments started last month spurred construction values in Moose Jaw past $6 million for April.

A $3.95 million commercial building at 52 Highland Road in Grayson Business Park will house the new SARCAN recycling centre.

The Moose Jaw Refinery on Manitoba Street East will perform $2 million in improvements to the site. In all, city hall issued building permits worth $6.76

Cosmo seniors spring trade show conducted

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

The Cosmo Seniors Center Spring Trade featured a range of vendors from signs, baking, clothes to household products from vendors

The concession served apple, cherry, coconut cream and amazing lemon meringue pies.

million — just $159,000 shy of April last year. A slow start to construction this year means permit values year to date of $7.85 million are about 30 per cent lower than last year.

The first two single-family homes of the year were permitted for $560,000. That compares with five worth just over $2 million to the end of April last year.

One demolition permit was issued in April.

TSS announces tire processing industry changing in Saskatchewan

The Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS) has announced changes in their manufacturing process in the province, as the result of an expired contract with Shercom Industries Inc. in Saskatoon.

Going forward, the TSS has announced a new approach: one single facility in Saskatoon will now be superseded by two processor facilities in the province, one in the north and one in the south.

The southern processor is located in Moose Jaw and the local scope is the southern half of the province. “We’ve… just slightly tweaked the zone boundaries,” CEO Stevyn Arnt explains. This is “in order to reduce costs both from a transportation standpoint... but also to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” He further explains: “now you’re not hauling tires from, say, Weyburn all the way up to Saskatoon.”

ing emergent technologies with a greater chance of displacing carbon through output. Arnt affirms: “we know that if you displace more carbon-intensive activities, then you’ll reduce the total overall impact of our program on the environment.”

es needed funds and contributes to climate goals by helping people responsibly recycle their tires. “And we’ve just added our 114th retailer to the mix last week.” These revenue streams with savings

from more efficient emergent technologies provide the organization new opportunities without passing on additional costs to consumers. “These increased funds allow us to go find more legacy tires that may be laying around the province,” says Arnt.

Since its inception in 2017, the TSS grew tire recycling rates across the province from 70% “and this year we’re about 79%, for 2022,” confirms Arnt. “So, we’re trending in the right direction, but we know we’ve got more work to do.”

“We look forward to increasing the number of tires that we recycle and ensure we’re doing things in a more environmentally responsible manner,” Arnt concludes.

Look for the Moose Jaw facility located at the old Lynco building on High St. to open in May of this year, although no exact date can be confirmed at this time.

The Moose Jaw Crumb Rubber Manufacturing (CRM) facility is slated to produce two key products: rubber modified asphalt and synthetic rubber for athletic fields. We are more familiar with their products than we may be aware: “at Mosaic stadium, the turf that is used by the Riders… that material originated from crumb rubber manufacturers,” Arnt remarks.

Moose Javians can expect a long-term involvement in the community, although no exact contract terms are confirmed at this time. “I’ll just say it’s a multi-year contract,” Arnt says.

The new TSS strategy is on task to help the province meet its climate change target in a multi-faceted approach. In addition to a second facility, requests for proposals with the new facilities are explor-

So far, the TSS is responsible for cleaning up legacy tires at a large Assiniboia site in 2021, and in the RM of Eldon alone 2500 tonnes of old tires were cleaned up. The RM of Mervin and surrounding communities were also included last year.

If you’ve ever wondered where the environmental levy on new tires goes, this program is the answer. “All our revenue for the tire stewardship is paid for by the environmental levy… when a new tire is purchased.” “That is the only level of funding we have. We use these funds to pay for both the collection of the tire and the processing of that tire” in order “to make it into a more environmentally friendly product at the end of the day,” Arnt explains.

Additional future revenue is slated to come from the return to retailer (RTR) program. “It’s not the number of facilities,” Arnt clarifies. “It’s the number of retailers that we’ve actually added to our return to retailer mix.” The RTR program both rais-

The Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan announces the new Crumb Rubber Manufacturing plant will open in Moose Jaw this May, after an expired contract sees new changes in the tire processing industry. Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

File photo cutline: The Moose Jaw Crumb Rubber Manufacturing center will be located at the old Lynco building on High Street.

CEO Stevyn Arnt of the TSS

Police, Square One talk downtown safety at community conversation event

The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) recently collaborated with Square One Community, Inc. on another community conversation — this time on the safety of the downtown core, and what is being done to address local concerns.

The conversation was held in the Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL) Theatre on May 10. It was endorsed by local organizations representing businesses in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas, including Tourism Moose Jaw, the Downtown Moose Jaw Association (DMJA), and the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce.

“Anybody who was concerned could come and participate, and that’s really what Square One is trying to do, is build collaboration and education with everyone who’s working on these issues in our city,” explained Crystal Froese, the vicechair for Square One and a member of city council.

“I thought it went very well, the people who came were very engaged. Some people had some difficult questions to be answered, and I thought our presenters did a terrific job. … It’s definitely not a perfect situation. There are gaps in services, there are gaps in funding, and there are myths out there, and the only way to find

that kind of information out is to attend an event where you have the opportunity to ask questions.”

Froese said it is clear that people want and need more information, and dialogues will continue in the name of transparency and openness.

Square One recently took possession of William Milne Place on Fairford for the purpose of developing a warming/cooling space during the day, and a women’s shelter overnight. It’s a major step in addressing Moose Jaw’s social issues, but has raised eyebrows from some organizations in the area who have sought reassurance

on what safety policies the shelter might have.

“Any discussion like this, where we can open up dialogue between our business owners, the [MJPS], Square One, us at the DMJA, Tourism Moose Jaw, and the Chamber, this is something we fully support, and we think will really help to ensure the success of all these initiatives,” said Geoff Anderson, general manager of the Moose Jaw Co-op and current chair of the DMJA.

“The intent behind these discussions is safety and trying to mitigate some of the challenges that are facing all members of the community of Moose Jaw and district. We need to continue these conversations moving forward.”

Moose Jaw Police Service presentation

MJPS Chief Rick Bourassa and Superintendent Taylor Mickleborough were the first presenters. They outlined steps Moose Jaw’s police have taken to address concerns, including increasing foot and bike patrol presence downtown and in Crescent Park, opening their lobby as a shelter of last resort during extreme winter weather, and increasing training in de-escalation techniques and effective communication with people in distress.

Bourassa noted that unlike other agencies, the police are available 24/7, which makes them the only resort in some situations. It means they have to get better at being communicators, knowing the community, and helping people in need find appropriate resources.

“We spent a lot of time training our people on interrogating suspects, and what happened for years is that we just used that model for everybody — victims, people reporting things, and someone finally pointed out, you know, that’s absolutely wrong,” Bourassa said. “Stop looking for deception, and start listening to truth. … We police chiefs in the province are always pushing for more and more mandatory training on that.”

Mickleborough wanted to reassure participants that Moose Jaw is safe, despite slight upticks in crime during the pandemic.

“The reality is, nowadays, you go on the internet, you see somebody type something into a chat group, and then it kind of takes on a life of its own,” Mickleborough said. He presented data to the audience showing that about 75 per cent of their calls are disturbance- or disruption-related rather than criminal.

“We definitely were hearing a lot [on social media] that there were problems that were out of control downtown, that there were people scaring other people, that it wasn’t as safe as it used to be.” Mickleborough explained. He said he did not want to trivialize anyone’s concerns, but “I can tell you that … things have remained fairly consistent over the last five and ten years downtown. We’re not seeing a major uptick in violent offences.”

Bourassa and Mickleborough reiterated many times during their presentation that the MJPS are public employees and should be called when needed, whether it’s a potentially harmful situation or a just an uncertain, confusing one.

“We might not be the best resource for a certain situation, but we should be able to connect people with the best resource

when you call us. … That’s what we’re here for, is to increase community safety,” Mickleborough added. “I realize that’s not always the case, so not everyone feels safe when they see us. … We’re never going to be perfect, but we’ll try our best for sure.”

Cheantelle Fisher and Lori Deets

Cheantelle Fisher and Lori Deets were the event’s final presenters. Fisher is the newly hired general manager for Square One’s new shelter, and presented her vision so far for how the location will evolve.

“We are creating a warming or cooling space, depending on the season, which is also a centre for success … whatever that looks like for our clients, and we’re a safe place to rest.” Fisher explained. “Folks can come and access services like programming from different partner organizations, assistance in writing a resume, applying for work, looking for housing, using computers … The goal there is to allow folks to feel like they have some control over their lives and allow them the dignity that they deserve as human beings.”

At night, William Milne Place will be Moose Jaw’s first and only dedicated women’s shelter.

“We can’t be successful if we don’t have a safe place to put our heads at night and wake up in the morning knowing that we’re OK, and we get to start the next day at our best,” Fisher added.

Deets is a newly elected member of the Square One board and the chair of the Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association (WACA), which has been ramping up its activities and connections with other community organizations. WACA now has its office in the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, where it is leading the way to develop a Community Safety Host program.

Community Safety Hosts are fully trained and licensed security guards with additional qualifications in effectively communicating with people in crisis.

“They will have their standard 40-hour commissioner services and then as well they would be trained in trauma-informed care and non-violent crisis intervention,” Deets explained. “They’d know the community, they’d know the resources, they’d know how to work with people, and they’d be able to help people one-on-one. A lot of the time people have a specific need [to be taken care of] and sometimes they end up having crisis around that.”

The program is based on a Winnipeg approach and on recent work at the MJPL meant to increase the safety of both library staff and library clients experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders.

Moose

Stephanie & Chris Lainton ofMooseJaw

Muskan Muskan & Harpreet Singh ofMooseJaw

Samantha Jeworski & Sheldon Demeria ofBushellPark

Michelle & Steve Christie ofMooseJaw

Cayley McKenzie & Jordon Beauchamp ofWilkie,SK May13,2023

Sarah Waldner & Kyle Kwan ofMooseJaw May13,2023

Cheantelle Fisher and Lori Deets

Rick Bourassa, Chief of the Moose Jaw Police Service, and Superintendent Taylor Mickleborough

Cosmo Centre hosts drop-in info session on city’s 55+ community living options

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

An information session on Moose Jaw’s community living options for people 55+ was held at the Cosmo Senior Citizens’ Centre on May 11, complete with coffee, snacks, and knowledgeable staff answering any and all questions.

“There’s always a need in Moose Jaw for senior living options, but sometimes to go from place to place is a lot of work,” explained Tricia Oblander, who organized the event and was there representing Atria Mulberry Estates. “I was trying to think of a common space where everyone could come together to share information, and other people in the community could come and learn.”

The information session is the first one in the city that Oblander is aware of, and she’s hoping it will be a biannual event — one in the spring, one in the fall.

The other community living businesses at the event were:

Aspira West Park Crossing

Revera The Bentley Points West Living Moose Jaw

Marcie’s Private Care Home

Aspira Riverbend Crossing Memory Care in Regina

Capilano Court Retirement Villa

Chateau St. Michael’s

Crescent Park Villa

“A lot of the time, it’s a real emergency crunch-type situation,” said Shelley Watson with Chateau St. Michael’s. “So, all of a sudden, your elderly loved one is in a crisis situation and they’re in the hospital, and you have to figure out where to place your loved one.”

Bonita Allen, Watson’s co-worker, agreed, saying that emergency calls looking for information and placement are an almost daily occurrence for community living sites.

“It just happened to me again,” she said. “Someone

called me on Tuesday for a tour, called back on Wednesday to say their relative was being released from the hospital on Thursday, and we rushed everything to get them in.”

Allen and Watson said they hope people take advantage of information sessions before the crisis comes. It’s very stressful to have to figure everything out while also dealing with an emotional situation at the hospital, they agreed, so being ready and having a plan is essential.

There are five levels of care at senior community living facilities. Levels 1 and 2 are considered Independent Living, levels 3 and 4 are Assisted Living, and level five is palliative, and the priority at that point is to make the client as comfortable as possible.

It is important to find facilities that have the right level of care — Chateau St. Michael’s, for example, can

care for residents at any level, while Mulberry Estates and Points West Living are strictly level 1 and 2 independent living.

When asked why people might choose independent living facilities over staying in their homes, Jen Montgomery with Points West explained the social and safety aspects are a big draw.

“You get to come down and socialize, there’s live music twice a month, you can visit and make friends, and then it’s peace of mind for their children, too. They know their parents are in a place where somebody’s there 24/7, if they need anything it’s at the push of a button on their security pendant.”

Oblander advises potential clients to check out their options thoroughly before making a decision. Some homes, like Aspira Riverbend Crossing in Regina, have care programs especially for residents suffering from forms of dementia. For those looking for smaller communities, Marcie Private Care Home is a community living option run out of two Moose Jaw houses, for more of an intimate bed-and-breakfast feel.

“Try to gather all the information you can from each community, tour each community, go and visit, check out things like the food and activities,” Oblander said. “Make sure you know what they have to offer, and make your decision from there.”

[The Moose Jaw Express publishes a widely read 55+ lifestyle magazine with a complete guide to products, services, and activities for seniors in the Moose Jaw area, including details on community living arrangements. Read the Mature Lifestyles publication online at moosejawexpress.com/mature-lifestyles-55-guide-2023, or drop in to our office at 468 High St. W to pick up a free copy.]

Local activist-scholar wins prestigious award to study at McGill University

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Isabella Grajczyk is one of 30 students from 10 countries forming the first global cohort of McCall MacBain scholars at McGill University in Montreal — the award will cover all tuition and fees for her master’s degree in political science.

“I’m really grateful for all of the people who have supported me,” Grajczyk told MooseJawToday.com. “My family and friends have been instrumental in getting me to where I am today, and I really couldn’t have done it without them.”

Family and community support is essential, but Grajczyk has also proven she has the discipline to succeed.

The 24-year-old has already earned three undergraduate degrees from the University of Regina — at the same time.

“It took me five years … it was a bit excessive, really,” she laughed. “The one I graduated from most recently was an Honours degree in International Studies.”

That is in addition to the education degree and English degree that her hard work had already qualified her for.

The McCall MacBain Scholarship is the result of the second-largest single donation in Canadian history: A landmark $200 million gift in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain.

Marcy McCall MacBain explained that the scholarship is to encourage purposeful leadership.

“We want to encourage positive leadership for today

and the future,” McCall MacBain said. “We aim to support curious, compassionate individuals who are excited to continue building their capacity to make meaningful contributions to society.”

The scholarship covers all tuition and fees for a master’s or professional degree at McGill and grants a living stipend of $2,000 per month during academic terms. In addition, McCall MacBain scholars are enrolled into an active mentorship, coaching, and leadership development program for the duration of their studies.

This is the third year of the McCall MacBain Scholarship, but the first year for the global cohort. Students and graduates applied from more than 1,200 universities around the world. Over 280 community leaders volunteered their time to review applications and interview 242 students regionally. From this group, 88 were invited to a final round of interviews which took place in Montreal in March.

“This is the first time they’ve opened it up to inter-

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Applications for the 2023 Larry Wilson Scholarships are now available for students furthering their studies in the performing and literary arts.

These scholarships are available annually for individuals studying in the elds of Drama, Musical Theatre, Traditional Dance, Contemporary Dance, Instrumentals, Vocals and Literature Writing.

Applicants must be 17 years of age or older who have permanent residence in Moose Jaw or the South Saskatchewan Economic Region. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2023.

Applications are available on the website at: www.artsinmotion.ca For more information contact Regina Sagal-Hendry at 306-692-3705.

national students, so for the past few years they’ve had 20 Canadian students who got it, but this year they added 10 spots for international scholars,” Grajczyk said. “At the final interviews, we got to meet people from all these amazing places, doing incredible things, which was really, really cool.”

Scholars are chosen based on their character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.

Grajczyk earned her place with a list of accomplishments that goes well beyond her academic achievements, including receiving the Duke of Edinburgh International Award when she graduated from Vanier Collegiate; founding Sask Girls United, where she is still the executive director and for which she received the Diana Award last year; working with the United Nations Development Program on gender equity projects; serving on the board of the Regina Public Interest Research Group, and a lot more.

Her graduate degree will focus on development studies issues, specifically how crises such as war, disease, and climate change affect gender development and equity in affected regions.

“I feel very lucky to be able to pursue my master’s stress-free without any financial barriers,” she added. “It’s really a blessing.”

Isabella Grajczyk (supplied)

Cosmo Senior Citizens’ Centre (staff file photo)

National Film Board restores 1919 documentary filmed at Old Wives Lake

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The National Film Board of Canada has digitized and released a 1919 silent black-and-white film titled “A Bird City”, filmed at what is now the Old Wives Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Mossbank, SK.

The film is a 5-minute relic of the early motion picture era, shot on 16mm film for the benefit of conservationists, bird watchers, and other enthusiasts.

Thousands of birds fill the skies above the lake, and “A Bird City” also features closeup footage of nesting sites, herds of pelicans, and the life cycles of birds like the Great Blue Heron, terns, gulls, pipers, and more.

At the time, the lake was officially named Johnstone Lake, after Sir Frederick Johnstone, who visited the area to hunt in 1861 with fellow British politician Henry Chaplin. Nearby Chaplin Lake, also an important migratory bird site, has kept Henry Chaplin’s name ever since.

However, local First Nations people, settlers, and other residents never stopped referring to the lake as Old Wives Lake, and in 1953 the government officially restored its traditional name. There are various accounts of how the body of water got that traditional name, but most agree that a group of older Cree women died there de-

fending their tribespeople against a Blackfoot war party.

The interconnected lakes of Chaplin, Old Wives, and Reed received a designation of hemispheric importance in 1997 — one of only three such designations in Canada. Part of the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network, the lakes are recognized as vitally important to

many species, including Sanderlings, the Baird’s Sandpiper, and the endangered Piping Plover.

That designation is slightly at odds with the historical treatment of the site. Despite recognizing the area as environmentally significant, including a Migratory Bird Sanctuary established there in 1925, the primary use of the lakes is the mining of sodium sulphate. In World War II, a nearby gunnery air training school used the lake as a range — thousands of Canadian, British, and Australian aviators dropped bombs on floating targets, and the craters remain.

Saskatchewan still lacks a wetlands protection policy, and the area continues to suffer from agricultural and industrial encroachment. The Nature Conservancy of Canada recently purchased land on the shore of Chaplin Lake to help protect the area, noting that since 1970, bird species dependent on native grasslands have declined by up to 87 per cent.

“A Bird City” is an interesting watch and a reminder of the importance of being curious about, interested in, and protective of the natural wonders of the prairies.

Vanier, Cornerstone win awards at provincial drama competition

Drama students from Vanier Collegiate and Cornerstone Christian School entertained audiences with their respective performances of “Radium Girls” during this year’s provincials and took home several team and individual awards.

The Saskatchewan Drama Association’s provincial festival occurred May 4 to 6 at the University of Regina, with 12 Saskatchewan high school drama troupes performing.

Vanier won the best overall technical production and was runner-up for best visual production — two major awards. Students also won nine individual awards.

Cornerstone placed second provincially after being named runner-up for best overall production. Students also won eight individual awards.

Cornerstone Christian School

It was “pretty good” and exciting to place second provincially while the students did well and performed “their hearts out,” said director Tanya Johnson.

The judges thought the performance was strong, with the backstage judge loving the set and technical elements and the front-end judge appreciating the acting since it was a tough play for young people to perform, she con-

tinued.

Both judges were present during last year’s provincials, so they commended the students’ courage for choosing a different type of play and lauded their work to improve themselves.

“So it was very, very rewarding to hear that from them,” said Johnson. “(Frankly), I really don’t know how they could have performed better. Every time we’ve performed the show in front of an audience, they’ve done so well.”

Esterhazy placed first overall this year, while it was second last year. Johnson noted that that school and Cornerstone cheered for each other when they received their awards.

Johnson added that it was an honour to represent Moose Jaw since the community has a strong theatre scene and history.

Vanier Collegiate

“We did very well. We were proud of our show,” said Grade 12 student Avery Seman.

“It’s always nice to be in an environment with so much theatre and so much creativity and so much passion

for what you’re doing because it’s all these people who worked so hard to get there,” she continued. “It’s so nice to talk to people and interact and (I) made a whole bunch of new friends. It was wonderful.”

After regionals in late April, Vanier had two weeks to make small changes to its performance before provincials. With a chuckle, Seman said it was somewhat chaotic, but “that’s how drama works.”

One criticism the provincial judges had was how some students finished their lines quietly instead of loudly. However, the adjudicators applauded the troupe for a great performance and how well students had improved from last year.

“It (the positive compliment) was wonderful, especially being a part of that team last year and seeing their critiques … ,” Seman said, pointing out that judges also complimented them for memorizing their lines this year. “It definitely justified all the work we put into it.”

Co-drama teachers Gillian Muench and Ben Sackville were proud of their students and appreciated their adaptability and perseverance. They saw their students’ passion for theatre shine during their performances.

The students were told that while “Radium Girls” would be a different play because of its 1920s’ setting, there would be contemporary elements such as UV lighting and projections to complement the story, said Sackville.

Students were initially hesitant because they didn’t share their drama teachers’ vision, but during rehearsals, they became more excited about the show’s potential.

“That challenge brought the group together in a pretty complete way,” he added.

Vanier liked performing the same play as Cornerstone — an occurrence unlikely to happen again — because each presented the story differently, said Muench.

“Cornerstone’s production played to their strengths and our production played to our strengths,” she remarked. “And that was really evident.”

Muench added that there were also many learning opportunities for students, including workshops and feedback from judges.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

A Bird City - Cormorant chicks nesting on the shore of Old Wives Lake (screen capture)

Cornerstone: Cornerstone Christian School’s drama team at the U of R. Photo courtesy Facebook

Vanier Collegiate’s drama team at the U of R after provincials. Photo courtesy Facebook

Reflective Moments

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

Early explorers would have been confused by map

As soon as one of the fall, winter and spring snowfalls began to melt, the other person in the household began plotting.

He drew lines on sheets of paper and made markings that any seasoned explorer of centuries gone by would not have been able to navigate. Who knows where Christopher Columbus might have landed if his map had had such markings.

But to Housemate, those lines and marks meant exactly where the potatoes would be planted, how many tomato plants could be accommodated in the space allotted for them, and even how many pea seeds per row he would have to soak before poking them in the ground.

Naturally, there were some adjustments made to the initials drawings, but one thing about the plan was clear: the annual vegetable garden would be planted again this year in the back yard.

Our first garden back there was planted in 1978, the year we moved to our current address. That garden was planted in

mid-June based on the occupation date of our purchase. Amazingly, that garden yielded vegetables that kept three households fed up for winter and was the benchmark year for abundance.

The tomato plants, found at an East side corner store, were full grown, with stalks like mini trees when they went into the garden soil. No wonder a neighbour lady, one early morning, told us with excitement that we had a large, ripe tomato on one of the vines. She was indeed the neighbourhood watch while she lived on our block.

When our crop-sharing friends moved away and the Parents couldn’t handle the chores that went along with a full-sized back yard garden, we down-sized to a more manageable space and still we were able to eat fresh and frozen home-grown vegetables for several months following the gardening season.

After Housemate’s official retirement, he had more time to devote to his horticul-

tural pursuits and a bit of the grass once again was appropriated for garden space. And then a few more inches seemed to be added each year as ambitions grew.

A sour cherry tree took up residence a few years back and the harvest has grown each year, despite the birds’ discovery of the fruit. A dwarf apple tree joined the orchard this spring. Four stand-up garden boxes for vegetables and another for flowers now have a place in the garden.

With my consistent black thumb and back problems, I have become a mere bystander in most of the agricultural activities in our yard. That’s absolutely fine with me and I am happy to pick the beans and enjoy the vine-ripened tomatoes. I collect the peas but can’t enjoy them raw because of allergies but wow, do they taste better than wonderful when cooked and served with tiny potatoes from our own patch.

We’ve gone away from corn and pumpkins but I think a home-grown watermelon would be the icing on the cake

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

for Housemate’s harvest.

In just a few days, the seeds and bedding out plants will be in the ground and in the boxes. My contribution thus far has been in providing transportation for the bags of dirt and potting soil.

I have been diligent in ensuring the bags are removed within minutes of purchase. Last year, several bags were loaded on a hot day and left in my vehicle overnight. I’m sure pedestrians could smell my vehicle’s approach from several blocks away.

A coconut-based mosquito repellant sprinkled generously throughout the vehicle eventually removed the feedlot odour. The mosquitoes stayed out of the SUV too. Now let the growing begin, and may the strawberry plants bear fruit this year and beyond.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

Vanier business students compete against top teams during provincial event

Business students from Vanier Collegiate put their critical thinking skills to the test during a provincial competition that saw them go up against some of the brightest students in the province.

The eight Grade 12 students attended the Saskatchewan Business Teachers’ Association’s annual case competition on May 4 and 5 at the University of Regina. Ninety-five youths from Saskatchewan and Alberta competed and honed their business case analysis skills in the categories of entrepreneurship and personal finance.

Teams of three had three hours to analyze a situation and make recommendations in a strategic and organized manner. Meanwhile, more than 30 judges — university professors, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and college students — adjudicated the competition.

This was the first post-pandemic event the association held since 2019.

Vanier’s teams — both competed in the entrepreneurship category — included Rising Stars Consulting, composed of Ashton Glova, Eric Meili and Kate Waldenberger, and Summit Consulting Firm, composed of Feona Tolentino, Alexa Gungob and Chealsea Cruz.

Waverely Demassi and Olga Tolentino also attended as volunteers.

“It was a very fun experience. It was a great opportunity to be there. It really

taught us some good skills, such as networking,” said Cruz.

It was great to meet other students also interested in business or entrepreneurship since they will likely be in the same university classes next year, said Meili.

It was a positive experience since students attended several presentations and heard from businesspeople about how they became successful, said Glova.

Neither team placed in the top 5, but that was OK since their goal was to learn, help their younger classmates and build future skills, he added.

This type of inquiry- and experiential-based learning using case studies is the norm in college, so the event gave students a preview of post-secondary life, said teacher Christa Lapointe. While only four students plan to pursue business in university, the others are entering industries where this experience — public speaking, problem-solving and collaboration — will help them.

Cruz, Glova and Meili agreed that they faced major pressure having to speak with little preparation when answering judges’ questions.

Competing in the entrepreneurship category gave them the freedom to develop any solution to the problem, said Meili. That was fun because they could be creative with their answer.

Eight students from Vanier Collegiate’s Entrepreneurship 30 class participated in a recent business competition in Regina. Those who attended — in no particular order — include Ashton Glova, Eric Meili, Kate Waldenberger, Feona Tolentino, Alexa Gungob, Chealsea Cruz, Waverely Demassi and Olga Tolentino. Photo courtesy Christa Lapointe

“And we were also at an advantage because most of us did entrepreneurship as a class, so we got to apply what we learned from that class into the case competition,” said Cruz

The case study asked students to help a new ethnic food business find a market in Canada.

One team decided the business would

sell its products at farmers’ markets in the Toronto/Hamilton region before expanding across Canada, with the long-term goal of opening a brick-and-mortar store. The judges liked most of this solution.

“There were just some things we missed that they were looking to see,” said Glova. “Our implementation plan … was a little too broad and wasn’t right down to the point and super specific.”

The second team decided to sell at trade shows and build out from there. Cruz noted that the judges liked her team’s suggestion but urged them to consider franchises and online sales.

Student Olga Tolentino thought volunteering was a good experience. Some of her duties included bringing reports to judges, counting the scores from each adjudicator, bringing food to rooms, arranging rooms, collecting other documents and being a role model for younger Vanier students who also attended.

“It was stressful but fun. I loved it … ,” she added.

The students said they were awed by how good the top teams — Regina’s Campbell Collegiate and Weyburn Comprehensive — were and learned plenty from them. Lapointe noted that some schools compete at several events yearly, which is why they are so strong.

The students also thanked Lapointe for the direction and help she provided.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

Long weekend recipes could become anytime favourites

Two favourite cookbooks provide this week’s recipes that will become favourites at long weekend family gatherings in the back yard or at the campsite.

• • • RIBS AND SAUCE

4 lbs. or more pork side ribs

2 tbsps. vegetable oil

1-12 oz. can chili sauce

1/2 cup water

3 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. prepared mustard, any flavour

1/2 cup brown sugar

Heat oil and cook ribs for 8-10 minutes before transferring them to a large roasting pan.

Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over the ribs, being sure sauce envelopes all the ribs.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours or longer at 350 degrees

F, stirring occasionally. Meat should be tender and quickly fall off the bones. Serve over a bed of rice

or with a side of baked beans.

• • •

CROCKPOT BEANS

1/2 lb. ground chuck

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce, any flavour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained

1-15 oz. can butter beans, drained

1-15 oz. can spicy pork and beans, not drained

1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup crushed pineapple

Combine all ingredients and place in a crockpot. Cook on high for four hours or on low for six hours. Beans may also be cooked in a 350 degrees F oven for 1 1/2-2 hours. Stir often.

• • •

JAM-FILLED JELLY ROLL

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup boiling water

any flavour of jam or lemon spread

Mix sugar and beaten egg yolks. Add in half the flour and half the beaten egg whites, then the other half of the flour and the remainder of the egg whites. Add the boiling water and combine.

Pour the mixture into a large shallow pan and bake at a moderate heat for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle some sugar onto a damp cloth and set on a flat surface. Turn cake out of pan and immediately spread with a choice of jam or lemon spread. Roll lengthwise at once. If edges of cake are crisp, cut off before rolling. Let rolled cake cool before slicing.

The cuttings may be used as a separate dessert, served with fruit and whipped cream.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel. net

Museum ready for annual Spring Fling Show and Shine event

Sukanen events

Show and Shine - June 3

Outdoor flea market - June 25

IHC show - July 8-9

Family day - July 16

Threshing bee - Sept. 9-10

The 14th annual Spring Fling Show and Shine will be held at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum on Saturday, June 3.

Show spokesperson Rob Downton said he expects plenty of cars from all over to at end the show on the museum village streets.

Last year’s show drew 147 cars that registered.

Vehicles from before 1980 and special interest vehicles are invited to come. The first 100 cars will receive dash plaques.

This year’s event will again feature a trivia walk to encourage visitors to view the buildings and artifacts. Persons interested in the trivia walk can pick up an information sheet when they pay admission.

The sheet highlights some of the places and things they can see, aside from cars at the show.

“We wanted them to look around and see stuff. Last

year we didn’t get much response. But we’re trying again.’’

The show starts at 10 a.m.and winds up by 4 p.m..

Participants with vehicles and one other person in the car get in free. Everyone else pays regular admission.

Food concessions will be available as will a 50-50 draw.

Over the years the show has grown from a few cars.

He expects some museum members will show their cars. The rest of the 200 cars are in the museum buildings.

President Gord Ross said the museum is looking for another successful year.

Getting the grounds in shape for the opening last week was challenging.

“It was a little slow getting prepared for opening because of the weather,’’ he said. “The wet snow we had did damage.

“Our excellent volunteers showed up to get things done.

“We had storm damage from the storm in October. We had significant damage in the old shop. About a 30 x 16 foot section of the roof collapsed and had to be rebuilt.

“The old tractor shed suffered a lot of damage. A lot of it is going to have to be torn down and rebuilt.”

The museum “already had a full slate of projects.

“The Mortlach Hall needs work. The fascia on the front is rotted out. We thought we’d just paint the rest but it looks now like we might have to re-side it.”

Major projects include “getting the kitchen in the railway station done where the plaster is out so we can re-open it..”

“Right now they are moving the old wooden outhouse away for storage. What we’ll do is use porta potties for our major events along with the main bathroom.

“We can always use volunteers — carpenter skills, mechanical skills, any skills and we’ll find them something to do.”

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

306-693-1288

Artificial Intelligence no longer science fiction — amazing and scary TRADING THOUGHTS

A couple years back while visiting a friend, she showed me her new technology gadget.

Without warning me, she said: “Alexa what time is it?’’

From a black spherical object on a side table came a response in a woman’s voice: “4:46 p.m.’’

I was caught by surprise.

Alexa was, said my friend, an Amazon technology that can do a lot of tasks for the owner — things like tell a joke on command, look up the meaning of words and my friend’s main use — play in her favourite music.

Alexa removed the need for doing lots of tasks. Although vacuuming is not among them.

I learned later that Alexa presents a horrific invasion of privacy.

Anything said or done that reaches her “ears’’is picked up by her memory and stored in a data bank.

Alexa was one of the first applications of what became artificial intelligence. That technology made headlines around the world as a new ChatGT app has emerged among others.

This new artificial intelligence (AI) —not to be be confused with cattle producers’ AI — has tremendous capability.

It can write essays, books, reports, songs anything. By some estimates AI can replace one in three jobs world wide.

The computing power of AI allows the application to scour all the Internet pages in the world, distill them and produce whatever the user wants.

The benefits are awe-inspiring. It can shorten time to build, to invent medicine. It can write essays for students and do homework.

And it can mimic real life. Someone wrote a song and recorded it in the artist Drake’s voice. All they needed was a few seconds clip of his voice.

That mimic ability is scary. We will never know what to believe in the world of AI.

Watch the next U.S. presidential election. AI gives opponents the ability to make videos of other candidates saying outlandish things and fooling people.

AI isn’t perfect.

A study by the Washington Post of hundreds of AI tasks discovered about two-thirds of the AI work was very accurate. One in 10 was horribly inaccurate and the rest were so-so for accuracy and truth.

AI is so scary that the professor who invented it just quit his job at Google’s AI division so he can freely warn

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.

the world how terrible the technology is in the wrong hands.

Geoffrey Hinton, 75, who invented AI at the University of Toronto, has warned that AI will flood the Internet with fake photos, videos and texts. These fakes will be of such a standard most people won’t be able to figure out they are incorrect.

He consoles himself by saying if he hadn’t invented AI someone else would have.

And he says Google is not “a proper steward’’ of this technology.

Welcome to Alice In Wonderland in real time.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Provincial Court Report:

Man gets nine months of jail for possessing child porn

Most people use social media to communicate with friends or watch cat videos, but for others, they use these online platforms to send or receive sexually explicit materials involving children.

Moose Jaw’s Zachary Micheal German is one such person who possessed child sexual abuse materials and 11 related videos to the social media platform Kik Messenger on Dec. 28, 2021, using his Samsung smartphone.

In mid-January 2022, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children discovered the material and forwarded the information to the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, which contacted Moose Jaw police, said Crown prosecutor Monique Paquin in provincial court on May 9.

Officers acquired a search warrant on Jan. 20, 2022, and executed it against the home of German’s grandmother with whom he was then living, where they seized his devices, Paquin continued. A forensic analysis revealed one phone had eight videos and 32 pics of child sexual abuse materials.

German later visited the police station on Dec. 13, 2022, so the police could officially charge him with possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

“German provided a statement saying he was addicted to pornography and it crossed the line into child pornography,” the Crown prosecutor added.

He pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in

court on May 9 and, as part of a joint submission, received nine months in jail followed by 12 months of probation.

The Crown stayed the charge of distribution of child pron.

While the size of his video and picture collection was not large compared to other collections with thousands of images, it was not small either, said Paquin.

“From the Crown’s perspective, this is a borderline case. It’s why where we’re asking for the increased sentence from the (mandatory) minimum (of six months) … ” she stated. “All child porn is horrible; this is not the worst, but it’s wrong to exploit children.”

German must forfeit his phone, provide a DNA sample to police and have his name listed on the national Sex Offender Information Registry Act for 10 years.

Moreover, he is prohibited for five years from attending any public place — such as a park, pool, daycare, school grounds or community centre — where he might encounter youths under age 16. He cannot acquire a job or volunteer position where he would have power over someone under age 16, while he cannot contact anyone under that age with supervision.

However, he can have “incidental contact” with

2023

TOWN OF ROULEAU

ASSESSMENT ROLL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the Town of Rouleau for the year 2023 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 8:30pm-4:00pm on the following days:

Monday to Friday, May 19th to June 20th, 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 their assessment is required to file their notice of appeal in writing, accompanied by a $75.00 fee for each assessment being appealed which will be returned if the appeal is successful, with: The Assessor, Town of Rouleau, Box 250, Rouleau, SK S0G 4H0 by June 20th, 2023.

Dated this 17th, day of May 2023

Guy Lagrandeur, Assessor

youths at a public venue such as a mall, restaurant, grocery store or business.

With his probation, German must keep the peace and be of good behaviour, live at an approved residence, take sex offender programming, take personal programming, and face similar prohibitions of being around youths under age 16 as above.

Also, he cannot live at a residence with internet access unless the device is protected with a fingerprint sensor, nor can he use a device with digital storage. However, he can use a phone, TV or gaming system if they don’t have internet access or if his job or education requires that access.

German was co-operative with police and pleaded guilty, while he has expressed remorse, said legal aid lawyer Tyne Hagey. He is grateful for this sentence since the distribution charge could have led to 12 months in jail.

Judge Brian Hendrickson accepted the joint submission and agreed to waive the victim surcharge.

“We are talking about images of real victims … real children,” the judge added. “This (was) not a victimless crime.”

RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF REDBURN NO.130

2023 ASSESSMENT ROLL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the assessment roll for the RM of Redburn No. 130 for the year 2023 has been prepared and is open to inspection in the office of the assessor from 8:30pm-4:00pm on the following days:

Monday to Friday, May 19th to June 20th, 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 their assessment is required to file their notice of appeal in writing, accompanied by a $75.00 fee for each assessment being appealed which will be returned if the appeal is successful, with: The Assessor, RM of Redburn No. 130, Box 250, Rouleau, SK S0G 4H0 by June 20th, 2023.

Dated this 17th, day of May 2023

Guy Lagrandeur, Assessor

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS TUESDAY, MAY 23.

The Moose Jaw Lacrosse Association will be able to sell alcohol at the Kinsmen Arena during games that feature junior-age — under 22 — players after receiving permission from city council.

During its May 8 regular meeting, council voted 5-1 to let the association operate licensed events in the southwest corner of the arena during the next few months. The area will be fenced off up to the penalty box so fans can drink in one section of the bleachers while association board members will act as security.

Furthermore, minors cannot access the fenced area without an accompanying adult, while the Sportsplex’s concession will operate during games.

This approval is subject to the organization obeying the conditions outlined in the City of Moose Jaw’s alcohol use events policy.

Coun. Kim Robinson was opposed, while Coun. Jamey Logan recused himself from the vote because of a conflict of interest.

The specific dates include Wednesday, May 10, from 7 to 11 p.m., Sunday, May 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday,

Lacrosse group can sell alcohol at Sportsplex during Junior games, council says

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June 5, from 7 to 10 p.m., Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25, from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. for playoffs, Tuesday, July 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Wednesday, July 5 to Sunday, July 9 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. for provincials.

The team will use the money for buses, hotels and meals when on the road. It expects about 40 people to attend the home games and access the licensed areas.

The policy says the Kinsmen Arena is a discretionary use site for alcohol-related activities, so the event operator must submit a written request to city hall, which reviews the application and sends it to council for approval, a council report explained.

This is the first year Moose Jaw will have a junior lacrosse team in the provincial league after a 10-year absence, while players’ ages are similar to the Miller Express baseball team, which receives an annual liquor permit for sales at Ross Wells Park, the report continued.

There are five teams in the league — Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, Swift Current and Saskatoon — with P.A. and Swift Current selling alcohol during games and Regina choosing not to. Saskatoon did not provide

city hall with an answer.

The Sportsplex pool will be open for regular hours during the games — which many minors and families will attend — while the adjacent pickleball courts, ball diamond and skate park draw patrons into the building to use the lobby and washrooms, the report said.

City hall recommended that alcohol sales and consumption be limited to the southwest corner so they were out of sight of patrons and young families using the pool and other building amenities, the document continued. Moreover, washroom access will be shared between the public and fans at the games.

The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association (SLGA) will also evaluate the request as part of the permitting process to determine whether the event is appropriate and can have a permit.

The lacrosse association informed city hall that it is prepared to meet or exceed all conditions that the city and SLGA have, the report added. Moreover, all volunteers will complete responsible alcohol service training for special occasions, as SLGA requires.

Council opens the door to letting residents legally use e-scooters here

Electronic scooters — e-scooters — have become a popular method of travel, but the provincial government has let municipalities set their own rules regarding the devices and whether they can even be used.

Moose Jaw’s city council has zoomed into this issue by directing city administration to change The Traffic Bylaw to allow e-scooter usage here. City hall must return with an amended bylaw soon.

Council voted 4-3 during its May 8 regular meeting to have city administration amend the bylaw. Opposed were councillors Jamey Logan, Doug Blanc and Heather Eby, while in favour were Mayor Clive Tolley and councillors Kim Robinson, Crystal Froese and Dawn Luhning.

City administration had initially recommended that the report about e-scooter use be received and filed — an action that would have ended the possibility of allowing the use of those devices here.

This issue came to council because last fall, former city manager Jim Puffalt directed the department of legislative and enforcement services to review The Traffic Bylaw and provide advice on possible changes to let people operate e-scooters, a council report explained.

In Moose Jaw, walking and mobility aids are allowed on sidewalks and shared pathways but not on roads, the report pointed out.

Further, bicycles are not allowed on sidewalks but

are allowed on roads and shared paths; segways and other motorized mobility devices are allowed on sidewalks and shared paths but not streets; and e-scooters are not allowed anywhere.

Residents are already using e-scooters around the city, while the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) has said it’s difficult to charge anyone with offences for using them, said Coun. Dawn Luhning. She wanted the bylaw updated so people could use the devices legally.

The MJPS informed city hall that regardless of bylaws, it will be a problem to apprehend offenders because of e-scooters’ portability and capability to evade law enforcement, the council report said. The agency has already experienced issues dealing with offenders using motorized skateboards.

Furthermore, few adult e-scooters are limited to the provincially established maximum speed of 24 km/h, the report added.

Andrew Svenson, city solicitor and director of legislative and enforcement services, encouraged council to think about the rules it wanted to put around the use of e-scooters and how to regulate them.

He explained that Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) consulted with stakeholders in 2021 to determine whether to allow e-scooters on the streets. This led to changes in provincial laws in 2022, where the province

gave municipalities the power to decide whether to approve the devices and the guidelines for their use.

Svenson added that Regina and Saskatoon are trialling e-scooter use by working with private-sector vendors to rent the devices. They will determine whether to allow them permanently once the project is over.

There were 223 people who provided feedback by email to SGI, with 60.5 per cent of people in favour of allowing e-scooters on public roads, SGI’s report said. The most common positive reason was that the devices were an eco-friendly alternative; conversely, safety was the respondents’ main concern.

Other benefits included cost-savings, tourism-boosting potential and user enjoyment. Some concerns included insurance premiums, additional need for law enforcement, rider behaviour, and lack of equipment standards.

Stakeholders also recommended that the operation of e-scooters be restricted to roads with a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour; that the minimum age be around 14 or 16; that helmets be mandatory; that the maximum speed be 20 to 32 km/h; and that there be zero tolerance for alcohol or drug use.

SGI noted that between 1988 and 2020, there were 199 collisions involving mopeds or powered bicycles and vehicles. Of those incidents, 106 people were injured and four died.

City to change OCP, zoning bylaw to accommodate Valley View project

Carpere Canada’s proposed Valley View Centre project has taken another step forward after city council agreed to amend the Official Community Plan (OCP) and zoning bylaw to allow for further site redevelopment.

The entire site will be rezoned as a direct control district (DCD) — the first within the city — because it will take nearly a decade to build everything in the concept plan and because of changing market demands and various proposed uses.

The OCP says the city may create DCDs to deal more effectively with larger developments that face unique situations and do not fit traditional zoning requirements.

During its May 8 meeting, council voted unanimously to have city administration proceed with public notices to amend the OCP to accommodate a DCD, change the OCP future land use map of the Valley View site to DCD1 from community service (CS), and amend the OCP’s development constraints map to remove the environmental conservation easement from the site to address a mapping error.

City hall will then proceed with public notices to add DCD1 to the zoning bylaw and rezone the Valley View site to DCD1 from CS.

City administration will also post large signs in the area announcing the proposed amendments. Council specifically asked for this because of how frequently residents access that area.

Once these changes occur — the province must officially approve them — Carpere Canada can apply to council to subdivide the land, have affected streets and lanes closed and enter into service agreements.

“I really appreciate that we’re moving toward a direct

control district because that gives a very distinct communication … . This is a big project with a lot of moving parts,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. “… we’ve never had this before because we’ve never had a neighbourhood quite like this come before us.”

Valley View was initially zoned as a community service/institutional district because of its past operations, a council report explained. Meanwhile, the OCP development constraints map inaccurately identified areas near the site — but not Valley View proper — as part of an environmental conservation easement.

Some DCD regulations include:

- Added land use definitions, including pop-up retail, live work units, urban farming and business incubators

- Regulations for pop-up retail spaces and to encourage active and pedestrian-oriented development

- Requirements for landscaping plans

- Flexible parking regulations

- Bicycle parking standards

- Council must approve all development proposals, excluding one-dwelling and pop-up retail spaces Furthermore, the DCD1 development proposals must include:

The conceptual design of the proposed buildings

The colour, texture and type of materials and window detail and architectural details of the exteriors of the proposed buildings

The relationship of the proposed buildings to adjacent accessible buildings

Details of interior walkways, stairs and escalators to which residents have access from streets, open spaces and

walkways in nearby buildings

The Richmond, British Columbia-based company held an open house at Grant Hall on April 13 as part of this process, which saw only seven residents — plus consultant Wallace Insights, Carpere owner Terry Tian, and two city staff — attend, the report continued.

The event featured four display boards, an OCP amendment map, the zoning bylaw amendment map and the DCD1 zoning provisions. There was also a continuously running PowerPoint presentation, the concept plan and a project fact sheet.

There was no opposition to the proposed rezoning, although most people wanted clarification about how far the development would be from the valley’s edge. They learned the development is away from the edge — Carpere must obey the city’s slumping regulations — and that area will be left as parkland.

There was also talk about Aboriginals’ historic use of the area.

“Former unmarked graves … may exist on the periphery of Valley View, but do not appear to be near the development sites,” the meeting summary said.

Attendees also had questions about what would happen if Carpere did something that went against the concept plan, the council report said.

Municipal officials said the city would not issue development permits if the plan did not conform to the OCP or zoning bylaw. Any major changes would have to occur as an amendment to the concept plan or zoning bylaw.

“Overall, most people did not appear to have concerns with the proposed DCD1 zoning district,” the report added.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS TUESDAY, MAY 23.

The development appeals board (DAB) heard from two property owners recently who wanted to pursue building projects that contravened the zoning bylaw, and after reviewing the requests, it approved one project and rejected the other.

The board met on April 18 and heard from Greg Thul at 1053 Normandy Drive and Lisa Lowry at 45 High Street West.

After reviewing the variance requests, the board submitted a report with its decisions to city council, which received and filed the document during its May 8 regular meeting.

1053 Normandy Drive

Thul wanted to build an accessory building that was 111.48 square metres (1,200 square feet) in size that he could use for storage and as a workshop. He noted that the building would take up a small percentage of the overall property considering the lot is 1,953 square metres (21,700 square feet) in size.

However, according to the zoning bylaw, no garage, carport or similar accessory structure in any residential district can have a combined floor area greater than 83.61 square metres (900 square feet).

Appeals board approves one project that contravenes zoning bylaw,

rejects a second request

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Thul pointed out that other properties in the neighbourhood have large accessory buildings and have been granted similar variances.

After reviewing the situation, the appeals board granted Thul’s variance request for three reasons:

It would not be a special privilege because the board would grant a similar appeal to other property owners in similar neighbourhoods

It would not be a relaxation of the zoning bylaw because granting the appeal would not hinder the health, safety or general welfare of the surrounding community but could enhance the variety and efficient use of land

It would not injuriously affect the neighbourhood since there were no objections from area property owners 45 High Street West Lowry owns properties at 41 and 45 High Street West and the business owner at 45 High Street West wants to install a projecting sign to increase the business’ visibility.

The proposed sign would be the second one on the same site, which has a frontage of 15.24 metres.

Lowry argued that this proposal should be considered

considering the commercial spaces at those addresses are, in essence, separate sites but technically on the same land title.

According to the zoning bylaw, a maximum of one projecting sign is permitted in the C2 district except where the site frontage along any street exceeds 90 metres, in which case two projecting signs would be permitted.

After reviewing the situation, the appeals board denied Lowry’s variance request for three reasons:

Granting the appeal would give Lowry a special privilege inconsistent with the zoning bylaw’s restrictions, especially since these are historic downtown buildings with a historic aesthetic and no similar variances in the C2 district had been granted recently

It would defeat the zoning bylaw’s provisions because the two proposed signs might not maintain the neighbourhood’s historic look, while this could set a negative precedent that other downtown businesses could follow

· It would injuriously affect the neighbourhood since it could result in unreasonable interference in the use and enjoyment of existing properties

SaskPower gets OK to build transmission line in industrial park

Construction continues on SaskPower’s Great Plains Power Station, but to power the plant, the Crown corporation needs to build a transmission line near city boundaries.

SaskPower recently submitted a subdivision application to city hall to install a power transmission line in the agri-food industrial park. According to The Planning and Development Act, an easement for a transmission line within five kilometres of city limits is considered a subdividing instrument and requires council approval.

Council received the subdivision application during its May 8 regular meeting and unanimously voted to approve SaskPower’s plan for a right of way/easement in

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

the industrial park.

The proposed transmission line will mostly be located within the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw. On behalf of the RM, the Ministry of Government Relations’ community planning branch approved the proposal in September 2021.

According to a council report, the transmission easement is located on city lands that currently maintain the RM of Moose Jaw’s zoning of agricultural resource district. The City of Moose Jaw’s future land use map identifies the long-term land use of this area as heavy industrial.

City hall has no concerns with this proposed project since it won’t affect any municipal services, a coun-

cil report said. Instead, it will come within 700 metres of the sewage lagoon, be adjacent to the power station, cut through undeveloped residential lots, and come within 500 metres of the Moose Jaw Creek.

The transmission line will also cross Corsterphine Avenue and affect a small portion of city property on the east side.

Furthermore, the municipality has referred the proposed transmission line easement to relevant utility companies for comment, but none have been received to date, the report said. SaskPower has paid the $450 application fee and will cover all costs associated with the subdivision.

Contractors demolishing several buildings destroyed by fire

Clean-up efforts have begun to demolish and remove several buildings in Moose Jaw that fires destroyed during the past few months and that killed two occupants of a multi-unit apartment building.

A blaze tore through the Empire Apartments on Dec. 21, 2022 around 3:17 a.m. — displacing 10 people and damaging an adjacent home — and required 24 firefighters to extinguish the fire, with four requiring medical attention afterward. Investigators later said the fire was an accident and was likely caused by a tenant’s space heater.

A fence has been around the charred building — located at the corner of Caribou Street West and Fourth Avenue Northwest — for the past five months.

Coun. Heather Eby inquired about the structure during the May 8 regular city council meeting and wondered when it would be removed.

Michelle Sanson, director of planning and develop-

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ment, said contractors would clean up the debris soon.

“We have a demolition permit. They are working with their insurance company to close up their (claim). They’re very close (to cleaning it up, so we’re) just receiving the final OK from them,” Sanson added.

Meanwhile, contractors have cleaned up and removed all the debris from the fire that tore through the strip mall on Thatcher Drive East on March 9. Investigators believe the fire started in an aisle at the Dollar Tree and spread to the Bulk Barn and nearby pizza business.

Three fire trucks and 18 firefighters responded, with a tower truck positioned on the east side to cover the entire strip mall and “surround and drown” the blaze. Other units also monitored the scene and several firefighters used handlines to spray areas.

The Dollar Tree and Bulk Barn were total write-offs, while the pizza shop sustained some damage. Howev-

er, for safety reasons, contractors demolished the entire structure sometime in early May.

Left behind were an orange fence and the cement pad on which the businesses once sat.

Contractors are also demolishing the remains of a multi-unit apartment dwelling on the 200 block of Athabasca Street West.

A fire ripped through the building on Feb. 23 around 1:30 a.m., displacing several tenants and killing two of them. The fire department has said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Contractors began demolishing the house with an excavator during the first week of May, but because the building’s floor was compromised, the machine fell through and had to be pulled out. As of May 10, workers had removed the apartment building and were cleaning up the site.

Students’ mural project to help combat graffiti in Crescent Park

City hall and a high school art group plan to install several murals in Crescent Park that not helps only combat graffiti but highlight seven historic bridges that once filled the area.

Project 104 High School Arts Collective and its graffiti team approached the public art committee recently about installing the panels on the Old Public Comfort Station building adjacent to the splash park. The Moose Jaw Police Service will fund the mural materials and supplies, while city employees will install the artwork once completed.

Each four-foot by two-foot mural image is based on research about Crescent Park that the University of Saskatchewan’s history department conducted. Each panel is a different scene, providing a historical look at the bridges that once adorned the park’s early history.

The wood-composite, stained glass-looking Crezon panels — covered with anti-graffiti coating and designed for 25 years — will replace the current wood window coverings that vandals tag with graffiti, the group said.

Panel one will feature a long curved path along the creek from the 1930s and ’40s.

Panel two will feature an intricately carved wood-

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

en-branch bridge adorned with flower buds and swans from the 1930s.

Panel three will feature the original wading pool with a fountain from the 1920s.

Panel four will be the exterior southeast façade of the new library with a rock staircase from the 1930s.

Panel five will feature a tall wooden bridge with a wooden crescent moon and rocks on the side from the 1930s.

Panel six will feature a rock river retaining wall and a wooden fence with a bench from the 1930s.

Panel seven will feature a rock waterfall by the amphitheatre from the 1930s.

Emma Rowlinson is the project’s lead artist, while the group expects the murals to be ready by June 15.

During its May 8 regular meeting, city council approved the proposed project, authorized city administration to draft and execute an installation and maintenance agreement and authorized the mayor and city clerk to sign the agreement.

Coun. Heather Eby, council’s rep on the public art committee, praised Project 104’s presentation and the great package it put together.

“Any concerns the committee had about that project were completely laid to rest that day,” she added. Committee activities

The public arts committee has talked about several noteworthy items during its past two meetings, according to its meeting minutes.

Consultations continue about where to put the bison sculpture and what the accompanying plaque should say. City administration will soon update the group about a possible new spot for the Stormin’ Main Street mural at 44 Fairford Street West.

The committee wants to see a mural created to acknowledge the history of Robin Hood Mills.

The location for the Ukrainian sculpture could be the flower bed at the Cordova Street entrance to Crescent Park.

The committee toured the downtown recently looking for locations to display several sculptures that the art gallery has donated to the city, said Eby. The group also took an amazing tour of the art museum’s vault.

“We do have some good pieces … if we can ever find a spot for them and we could drag ourselves away from the vault,” she added.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS TUESDAY, MAY 23.

The heritage advisory committee has two projects that are close to completion, with one initiative designed to honour the community’s veterans and another to celebrate Moose Jaw’s heritage buildings.

During its recent meeting, the committee reviewed 19 applications it received from residents for its veterans’ banner initiative.

The banners will feature faces of soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought — and in many cases died — during previous wars, along with when they served. The pennants will hang from streetlights on Main Street throughout November and be visual reminders to promote remembrance and educate students and citizens.

The committee’s meeting minutes show that several members plan to research war dates and contact applicants to confirm the correct service dates, while another member will confirm shipping charges for the banners with the Ontario manufacturer.

The committee submitted its minutes for the May 8 regular council meeting. Coun. Crystal Froese, council’s rep on the committee, indicated that an announcement about the banners would occur soon.

Heritage group’s banner project, digital plaque initiative close

to completion

G.

Meanwhile, she noted that the committee is working hard to complete a project that will see QR codes placed on plaques of historical buildings. When visitors and residents want to know more about a venue, they can scan the code with their phone and it will take them to the city’s website with information about that site.

Other projects

Another project on which the heritage advisory committee is working is creating a new plaque for the Public Comfort Station building near the splash park in Crescent Park, according to its minutes.

Members want to use this new plaque as an example to show businesses that work out of heritage or historic buildings to encourage them or the property owners to purchase or sponsor a heritage plaque to display at their venues.

Meanwhile, Henderson Insurance has contacted the department of planning and development and the committee with a concern about high heritage property insurance premiums, the minutes show.

Some historic property owners and insurance companies are concerned that if there is a total loss of a heritage

property, the committee or municipality might require that the heritage building be rebuilt according to the Heritage Property Act.

One church in Moose Jaw is facing a 600-per-cent increase in its insurance premiums, the Express has learned.

City administration has contacted the province about this concern and will continue to research the issue and provide the committee with an update, the minutes added. Personnel committee

During its April 24 personnel committee, council appointed finance director Brian Acker as acting city manager effective May 1 until new city manager Maryse Carmichael arrives on May 16.

During his two weeks, Acker will be compensated with acting pay of 20 per cent of his current salary under the city’s out-of-scope temporary assignment policy.

During its May 3 personnel committee, council officially formalized Carmichael’s appointment as city manager, with the mayor and city clerk authorized to execute the $205,000 employment contract.

Council officially approved the motions during the May 8 meeting.

Federal grant could make local housing more affordable, inclusive, equitable

City hall hopes that a grant application will help the municipality acquire federal funding to remove barriers to housing and develop an “affordable, inclusive, equitable and climate-resilient” community.

During its May 8 regular meeting, city council unanimously voted to transfer $10,500 from the innovative housing fund to the ongoing Official Community Plan (OCP) and zoning bylaw update project so a consultant can prepare an application for the federal housing accelerator fund and update the city’s housing business plan.

The federal government announced it would provide $4 billion for the housing accelerator fund (HAF) program. Communities applying must have populations of over 10,000 people.

Municipalities can use the money to create HAF action plans; on affordable housing initiatives such as construction, repair or modernization, or acquiring land or buildings; on housing-related infrastructure such as drinking water, wastewater, disaster mitigation or public transit; or community-related infrastructure that supports housing such as roads and bridges, sidewalks, bike lanes, fire halls or landscaping.

“Infrastructure costs have been a hindrance to develop new residential areas, and this could be a good oppor-

tunity to address capacity issues,” a city council report said.

City hall’s planning and development department will work with the departments of engineering, parks and recreation, and public works and utilities to identify projects that could increase new housing capacity.

City council allocated $125,000 in this year’s budget to the innovative housing fund for new projects, while the cost to develop a HAF-related housing business plan and the grant application is $10,500, the report said. While removing this money could affect community grant funding for two dwelling units this year — a maximum of $5,000 per unit — the potential for federal funding could allow for more unit development in the future, the report continued.

To be eligible for the federal incentive funding, applicants must:

Develop an action plan — including seven initiatives — that outlines a housing supply growth target and specific initiatives the applicant will undertake to grow housing supply and speed up housing approvals Commit to a housing supply growth target that increases the average annual rate of growth by at least 10 per cent

Residential taxpayers to see tax

Homeowners will pay almost a full percentage point extra in municipal taxation this year than first thought because of city council’s desire to narrow the tax gap between residential and commercial properties.

City council approved a municipal tax hike of 4.62 per cent in December, which was expected to generate $1,541,977 in additional taxes, with $1,195,822 coming from the residential sector and $339,742 from commercial.

However, since 2018, council has wanted the property tax gap narrowed between residential and commercial properties so residential taxpayers share the financial burden with the commercial sector.

According to the 2023 tax policy report presented during the May 8 executive committee meeting, by sharing the tax hike, residential properties will see an increase equal to 5.44 per cent — a jump of 0.82 per cent from December — and commercial will see an increase equal to 3.01 per cent.

In 2017 the property tax gap was 2.43 times, which meant if a residential property assessed at $200,000 paid $1,000 in taxes, for example, then a similarly assessed commercial property would pay 2.43 times that amount.

This year, the tax gap is 1.86 times, compared to 1.87 times last year.

“It’s slowly getting smaller,” said finance director Brian Acker.

Acker pointed out the city saw commercial property appeal losses last year of $8.67 million, equalling $135,379 or 1.2 per cent in lost municipal tax revenue.

Complete or update a housing needs assessment report and include a regularly scheduled review date to ensure the needs assessment is kept current; this requirement can be waived if the applicant recently completed or updated its housing needs assessment report

While the City of Moose Jaw’s current housing business plan fits the assessment requirement — it was adopted in 2018 — it has been more than two years since it was last updated and would not qualify, the report said. However, the HAF program does not require an update at application time but by the third reporting period.

This is a great plan since if the city updates its housing business plan, it will have two more years to apply for similar funding, said Coun. Crystal Froese. Also, since city hall will learn by the end of 2023 whether its application is successful, the municipality could begin related projects next spring.

“I think we need to always be prepared to take advantage … of any grants that would become available,” said Coun. Heather Eby. “Especially when you look at the list (of permitted HAF funding projects), there’s many things that really tick the boxes for us — all of them.”

increase

of 5.44 per cent this year

These are annual permanent losses, so city hall must make up for that lost revenue.

The city is seeing “modest growth” in commercial assessment values in 2023, which means it can absorb this year’s expected commercial appeal loss of a similar amount by increasing the commercial/industrial mill rate factor to 1.4062 times from 1.3895, he continued.

Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency’s (SAMA) decision to change its market capitalization (cap) rates for commercial and industrial assessments will affect 660 properties here. The changes will generate an extra $88,977 in municipal taxation.

“(We) are seeing some of the retail areas going down as we had hoped. Also, some of the higher-quality office areas are going up to make up for some of that,” added Acker. “Overall, the changes are revenue-neutral; there’s really no gain for the city or loss, but it is a reallocation.”

The finance department has had difficulty analyzing SAMA’s changes because it’s never before quantified all the different properties of concern, Acker said in response to a council question. While the adjustments have addressed some concerns, they have also created new ones.

“As far as whether it (the changes) have hit it (concerns) on the head, I’m sure it hasn’t totally, but I certainly think it’s a step in the right direction,” he continued, adding it would be unrealistic to expect perfect assessments.

Coun. Kim Robinson was frustrated that the changes didn’t fully hit the concerns on the head.

“It seems to me that they just spread some things around hoping that they’ve quelled a few fires and (in-

stead) just (created) as many bigger ones,” he stated. Coun. Crystal Froese appreciated the information SAMA provided and how the cap rate changes have affected businesses. While she thought more work could be done with this issue, it was a good start.

“It would be wonderful if we could hit the nail on the head … . Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen … ,” said Coun. Heather Eby. “There (will) never be 100 per cent of people happy, but we’re making strides in addressing some of these things.”

Council later voted 6-1 — Robinson was opposed — to approve several recommendations for this year’s tax policy.

Council authorized city administration to set the mill rate factor for agricultural lands (other and non-arable) so they pay the same rate of taxation as if they were in the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw.

Secondly, council wants this year’s municipal tax increase to be shared between residential and commercial property classes by adjusting the mill rate factors in each class. Those numbers are 0.7810 and 1.4112, respectively.

Thirdly, council wants to use this year’s commercial and industrial assessment growth funding to offset the property appeal losses from 2022. Further, it wants the allowance for assessment appeals to be set at 1.2 per cent this year and be funded from those property classes.

Lastly, council directed city administration to bring forward a bylaw to extend the 2023 property tax notice payment due date to July 31 instead of June 30.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Jason

Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Proposed plan aims to connect together every trail, pathway in city

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

There are over 40 kilometres of partially connected trails and pathways throughout Moose Jaw, but a new master plan aims to attach them together while upgrading old ones and installing new ones.

The City of Moose Jaw held an open house at the Kinsmen Sportsplex on May 11 during its second round of public engagement on the proposed trails and pathways master plan. Consulting firm Lees+Associates was present to answer residents’ questions about the proposed plan and related map.

Resident Genelle Payant attended because she uses the paths daily to walk her daughter to school, while she is concerned about the trails’ condition in the Sunningdale area because of flooding and disrepair.

“I really wanted to come tonight to see what the plans were and have my concerns heard — and I have,” she said. “And it sounds like some of this stuff will be addressed with this plan, so that makes me really excited.”

A paved pathway/trail system that connects the entire city intrigued Payant since she thought it was smart and not something she had previously thought was an issue.

“I think that’s a really nice improvement and enhancement for our city,” she added.

Patrick Beech, a landscape designer with Lees+Associates, explained the firm took input from the first round of public consultations and created a draft plan, recommendations and principles.

It also identified gaps in the current trail/pathway system, such as places where the materials were inconsistent or in poor condition and areas where amenities are poorly connected, such as the Sportsplex to the nearby trail

“We’ve heard that residents really value the trails, but they want the system to be better connected,” he said. “There are currently spots where the trail ends (and) they have to use the road before getting back on the trail.”

Beech added that Lees+Associates will incorporate any further public feedback before finalizing the plan and

presenting it to city hall, which will give the report to city council in June.

The first round of public consultations featured a stakeholder survey with nine responses, a public survey with 472 responses, three stakeholder workshops and two city staff workshops.

Those results showed 89 per cent of people used the trails daily or weekly, 25 per cent used the trails to reach work and 49 per cent used the trails regularly in the winter.

Furthermore, the top three areas for improvement included upgrading existing trails, adding new trail connections and enhancing ongoing maintenance. Meanwhile, the top three barriers included poor weather/winter weather (54 per cent), trail maintenance issues (45 per cent) and safety concerns (28 per cent).

Using this data, Lees+Associates created 16 principles and recommendations, including:

· Addressing gaps in the trail/pathway network

Providing better connections for cyclists

Creating one long continuous asphalt loop

· Improving crossings

Installing curb ramps on sidewalks

· Establishing and applying a trail classification system and standards

Optimizing priority routes for snow clearing

Collaborating with city departments to create a cohesive transportation network

Providing trail amenities consistently around the network

· Installing labelled distances to facilitate training and races

Providing more opportunities for winter activities where possible

· Updating print and web-based trail maps and information

Adding interpretive signs in main locations that celebrate heritage, ecology and environment

Creating a consistent trail wayfinding sign strategy

Establishing a trail code of conduct with etiquette and safety info

Establishing a monitoring/reporting process for the system

Derek Blais, director of parks and recreation, believes the master plan will help the department prioritize upgrades while addressing safety.

“It’s an important project that’s really going to help with our long-term planning,” he said, adding the response to the initial survey was one of the highest ever for a city questionnaire, which he thought showed how passionate residents are about this issue. Visit moosejaw.ca for more information.

Unusual, but safe: Water Treatment Plant says tap water still good

Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant (BPWTP) has issued a notice reassuring any residents of Moose Jaw or Regina who have noticed differences in the taste and smell of their tap water — it might be unusual, but it is safe to drink and meets all regulatory requirements.

The BPWTP has a Q&A posted on their website explaining the twice-a-year phenomenon, but has also issued an advisory this spring because of a significant early season algae bloom in Buffalo Pound Lake.

Buffalo Pound Lake is the source water for Regina’s and Moose Jaw’s drinking water. From May to November, the BPWTP uses granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration to remove taste and odour from the water. During the winter, when taste and odour are less of a concern, the GAC is removed from the treatment process and regenerated.

Twice a year, after the changeovers in November and May, there are a number of customers who notice the difference. Fortunately, while there might be a period of adjustment, the water continues to be safe to use and drink.

The plant’s GAC filters have completed their regeneration process as of May 1, and staff at the BPWTP are currently preparing to reactivate the GAC system during the week of May 15.

Normally, the plant noted in its release, the GAC filters go into operation in late May — typically well before

THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL

algae blooms start. This year is an exception.

Because of the unusual early algae bloom, staff at the BPWTP have been adding powdered activated carbon to the water for the past week. However, this measure is temporary and not as effective as the GAC filters.

The BPWTP is currently undergoing a $325 million renewal. Construction is expected to be complete by 2025. One of the improvements the finished renewal project will add is the ability for the plant to effectively

control taste and odour year-round.

For now, to keep construction on schedule, the water treatment plant has had to shorten the duration in which GAC filtration can be used. The GACs were removed from service in November 2022 just prior to another unusual taste and odour event resulting from the decay of large amounts of algae and weeds that grew in Buffalo Pound Lake the previous summer season. That odour event lasted about 6 weeks, although relatively few customers noticed enough of a difference to complain.

The BPWTP reassured customers that complaints about water quality are always investigated to ensure the water meets regulatory standards. Staff are eagerly anticipating the 2025 upgrade completion date that will allow year-round taste and odour consistency.

Genelle Payant and project consultant Patrick Beech talk about the proposed trails/pathways map that will connect everything throughout the city. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

The entrance to Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant (photo by Jason G. Antonio)

BACK YARD LIVING

By Patricia Hanbidge

Landscaping for Colour in Early Spring

After a long winter, spring is so much appreciated. Gardeners venture out looking for any sign of life in the garden as soon as the snow recedes. This winter was a long one – especially when we recall that last year, the beginning of April was very warm. So warm that many who might not be familiar with life on the prairies, put out annuals in their containers in early April. Needless to say, they did not make it through the growing season. For all of us who have lived here long-term, one of the biggest challenges is ensuring you have colour in the garden for as long as possible. This challenge is often the greatest in the early spring when winter is losing its hold. Spring is a time of rebirth, a time to rejoice that green will again become the predominant colour in our landscape. It is however those early spring blooms that bring a happy smile to us all.

Some of the earliest spring bloomers are spring flowering bulbs. As these must be planted in the fall, we can only use the spring to see what we like, to appreciate their bloom and hope we remember to plant them come September. Spring flowering bulbs need a period

of stratification or cold period in order for the blooms to be able to form. In our climate, September is the very best time to plant as our temperatures outside are still pleasant and there is some time for the bulbs to grow some roots before winter comes. Some of the earliest bloomers are Siberian squill, crocus and tarda tulips.

Other early bloomers in the prairie landscape include early blooming perennials. Our native crocus (Anemone patens) is in bloom in the early spring. They are actually not true crocus as they are not bulb forming plants. However, to anyone that grew up in the prairies – they will forever be the “real” crocus. Where I live, we have yet to see any colour in our native prairie lands. The flowers are light mauve on stems about 4 inches high. The seed stage is also attractive as it is a billowy mass of seeds on long feathery stalks.

Other early blooming perennials that I particularly enjoy and which blooms in early spring is rockcress (Arabis caucasica). It will bloom along with the early tulips and is a welcome sight each and every spring. Although it is not showy for the rest of the season, it is worth growing just for the spring blooms. Almost as ear-

ly are the primroses (Primula veris and Primula auricala) which add a variety of colour as spring progresses. They like an area that is rich in organic matter in order to be happy year after year so ensure you do a good job of amending the soil prior to planting. One last perennial that is in bloom in later spring that always brings a smile to my face is the Trollius or globeflower. They are a bit taller and hence will bloom a little later and are a sunny yellow perennial which is truly a joy to grow.

As far as early blooming shrubs the Muckle plum (Prunus x nigrella ‘Muckle’ which is a medium sized shrub that is simply stunning in early spring. The buds are a deep cherry colour and when the blooms open up they are a delicious hot pink. It is non-fruit bearing, has glossy green colour during the growing season and in the fall has a beautiful deep orange colour. This shrub really should be planted more often as it is very hardy and spectacular in early spring.

Following the above favourite spring bloomers are the Rosybloom crabs. These are mostly fruit bearing but do not really produce usable fruit which is often the most common complaint about these stunning spring blooming trees. There is a flowering crab which has white blooms and is sterile (does not produce fruit) which is another great addition to the landscape. Malus ‘Spring Snow’ is a cultivar that was likely first hybridized at Honeywood Heritage Nursery by Bert Porter.

Spring is a wonderful season and is only made better by growing and enjoying some selections which grace our landscapes in the early spring! Enjoy your time this spring in the garden!

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?

2023 TRENDS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN Natural all the way

There is an increased interest in having a natural way of the garden. It creates a very calm, serene space with natural materials. Handscaping with natural stones has interested a lot of people in recent times. The natural and rustic stone paths in the garden are taking over other ways, giving an organic touch to your gardens.

Going Vertical

There are not many options to have a wonderful garden with restricted space and increasing housing prices. Vertical gardening is now quite the trend for several years. With an increasing focus on maximizing smaller spaces, vertical gardening keeps finding its way to top the trends. Some of the ways to try out planting vertically are to go for fence shelving, walls for training plants, arbor, pergola, plant boxes, hanging baskets, etc.

Swapping Lawns

For the past few years, gardeners have increasingly swapped lawns with other types. The promising trend has been swapping these lawns with meadow gardens. Such types are drought-tolerant and also help grow pollinator-friendly plants. Meadow gardens are now the most popular trend as they also don’t require harmful chemicals or mowing and do not require you to go by the book for maintenance or others.

Backdoor revolution

Gardens have become smaller, and there are many varieties attached to the housing units to make the backdoor gardening trend easier and better. So, if you have a small space, backdoor gardening with vertical plantings, privacy hedges, climbing plants, trellises, container plants, and others is a perfect choice. This trend is fashionably and popularly known as the backdoor revolution.

Accessible gardening

The accessible gardening style refers to the style of boomers that are taking over the trend. With the concept of tropical plants, mid-century modern design, and reboots, this is also one of the most anticipated popular trends in 2023.

Terra Cotta

According to reports, terra cotta is branded as the color of Garden Trends 2023. It is a warm palette consisting of subtle shades like sage greens, creams, and beige browns. So you can also paint terracotta planters, which adds a warm feeling to the garden. Terra cotta is said to signify an optimistic future. A bright tomorrow; here we come!

Other trends in 2023

Several ideas and concepts interest gardeners; they are not really trending trends, but the methods are quite trending nowadays. These include methods like drought-tolerant gardening and consciously choosing what they put in their gardens. Some practices focus on climate awareness and wildlife consideration. You can also opt for low-maintenance gardening that will help you enjoy your garden but also focus on other things. The vegetable gardening trend has also picked up, with homegrown veggies and fruits earning many fans.

You can read the full article online at: https://mylandscaping.ca/2023-trends-in-landscape-design/

Leslie Cornell, owner of Cornell Design & Landscaping

Cornell Design & Landscaping features the Carolina Reaper, a pepper so hot it comes wrapped in plastic for your protection

BACK YARD LIVING

1625 CARIBOU ST. W. 306-692-2355

PERFECTLY GRILLED STEAK

· Level: Easy

· Total: 30 min

· Prep: 15 min

· Cook: 15 min

· Yield: 4 servings

· Nutrition Info

INGREDIENTS

4 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch-thick boneless rib-eye or New York strip steaks (about 12 ounces each) or filets mignons (8 to 10 ounces each), trimmed 2 tablespoons canola or extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONs

1. About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room

temperature.

2. Heat your grill to high. Brush the steaks on both sides with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).

3. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Photographs by Steve Giralt https://www.foodnetwork.com/ recipes/bobby-flay/perfectly-grilled-steak-recipe-1973350

One of the topics Muriel Stuart (1885-1967) liked to write about was nature. She even stopped writing poetry to pursue writing about gardening. In this poem, she shares about the hidden potential of seeds. In their current state, they look like lifeless stones, but an entire garden and forest rests inside of them when they are planted. The same could be said about people. When we don’t embrace our purpose and contribute to society, we are no better than unplanted seeds. But once we allow our gifts and talents to be used, we create beauty for others to enjoy.

The Seed-Shop

By

Muriel Stuart

HERE in a quiet and dusty room they lie, Faded as crumbled stone and shifting sand, Forlorn as ashes, shrivelled, scentless, dryMeadows and gardens running through my hand.

Dead that shall quicken at the voice of spring, Sleepers to wake beneath June’s tempest kiss; Though birds pass over, unremembering, And no bee find here roses that were his.

In this brown husk a dale of hawthorn dreams; A cedar in this narrow cell is thrust That shall drink deeply at a century’s streams; These lilies shall make summer on my dust.

Here in their safe and simple house of death, Sealed in their shells, a million roses leap; Here I can stir a garden with my breath, And in my hand a forest lies asleep.

Windmill Greenhouses

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

Our Agro Centre has everything you need to be the envy of your neighborhood!

Pick by pick: A look at the Moose Jaw Warriors selections in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft

General manager Jason Ripplinger looks at each of the 10 selections made by the Warriors

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

It might have been a rather unusual Western Hockey League Prospects Draft for the Moose Jaw Warriors, given their lack of middle-round picks, but general manager Jason Ripplinger is still confident he and his scouting staff were able to find some solid future players for the club.

The Warriors made 10 selections throughout the day Thursday, adding five forwards and five defencemen to their protected roster.

It all began with the team picking a pair of defencemen -- Didsbury’s Aaron Sawatzky 16th overall and Saskatoon’s William Degagne 38th overall -- as Ripplinger continued the strategy of putting together a solid blueline corps.

“With the first two picks you’d like to get a defenceman and a forward, and we took a defenceman with our first pick, but Degagne, we had him in the first round, too, and I wasn’t going to leap over him to get a forward,” Ripplinger said. “So we were really happy with how that worked out. I’ve always been taught and my knowledge is to build from the back end, and the better the D, the more pucks that are out of your end in a hurry.”

A 5-foot-10, 168-pound product of Didsbury, Alta., Sawatzky saw action in 33 games with the Airdrie Xtreme of the Alberta Elite Hockey League last season, putting up 10 goals and 38 points in that span. He then added another goal and eight points in nine playoff games.

The season prior, Sawatzky had six

goals and 19 points in 33 games.

“He has lots of upside,” Ripplinger said. “His ability to skate, to carry the puck up ice and move pucks is great, and his ability and hockey sense make him a good all-around player. I wouldn’t say he’s exceptional at all the things he does, but he’s good at most of the things, and as he gets older a mature he’s going to be a hard player to play against.”

Degagne played for the Saskatoon Generals of the Sask AA Hockey League,

and as a 5-foot-10, 150-pound rear-guard, he put up 13 goals and 35 points in 30 games and then added another two goals and five points in three playoff games.

“We go off our list, that ‘s how it happens, and we were surprised to see him still around,” Ripplinger said. “He’s improved a lot from the beginning of the season and I believe he has a really high ceiling, a lot of growth in his game and that he could be a solid defenceman. He’s smart, he’s skilled and he can skate.”

The Warriors didn’t have to look very far for their third-round pick, as they added Carson Deichert from the Moose Jaw 15U AA Warriors. The 5-foot-7, 135-pound centre had a stellar campaign in the SAAHL, putting up 21 goals and 58 points in 28 games. He was also a point-agame player at the 18U AAA level, with a goal and four points in four games.

Deichert joins overage forward and 40-goal scorer Atley Calvert as the only Moose Jaw Minor Hockey products on the team.

“He’s a really good player with a lot of skill,” Ripplinger said. “It’s good in a small community when you get a chance to draft a quality player like himself, and it shows that Minor Hockey in Moose Jaw is going in the right direction to develop a player like Carson.”

Moose Jaw went way out west for their fourth-round pick, as they selected North Saanich, B.C. forward Tyson Schamehorn. A 5-foot-11, 155-pound left-winger, Schamehorn played for Okanagan Hockey Academy and had 11 goals and 28 points in 26 games.

“He’s a big power forward who has some skill and come playoff time as he gets older, he’ll be even harder to play against,” Rippllinger said.

That was it for Warriors selections until the eighth round, with Ripplinger estimating it was a two-hour wait before they selected again, where they picked up forward Ben Dnes from the Winnipeg Bruins Gold U15 AAA. At 5-foot-10 and 148 pounds, Dnes had 16 goals and 43 points in 33 games for the Bruins to go along with another three points in three postseason games.

“He’s another two-way, 200-foot player,” Ripplinger said. “He plays hard at both ends of the ice, he’s a dangerous guy to play against and he has some skill around the net. There again, that’s the identity that we want to build, we want

some grit but they have to play the game.”

The Warriors stayed in Manitoba for their ninth-round selection, picking up Lac du Bonnet product Benson Hirst. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound defenceman suited up for Pilot Mound Hockey Academy was a point-a-game player, with eight goals and 28 points in 27 games in the regular season before ramping it up with four goals and seven points in four playoff games.

“Benson’s a big solid defenceman, a good puck-moving player who skates pretty good,” Ripplinger said. “He has good ability and is smart and plays with some grit. We have him ranked higher than he went so it was good to see him still there.”

With their second pick in the ninth round, the Warriors added Saskatoon’s Davey Fisher. A teammate of Degagne on the Saskatoon Generals, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound centre had no problem putting up points in the SAAHL with 28 goals and 58 points in 30 games. He also had two goals and three points in three post-season contests.

“He’s an up-and-down winger with some skill,” Ripplinger described. “He has a nose for the net and plays hard with some grit and has decent hands around the net, too, scoring nearly 30 goals last season.”

Moose Jaw made their fourth Saskatchewan-based pick of the draft in the 10th round, taking Nipawin defenceman William Chabot. The 5-foot-9, 168-pound rear-guard suited up for Notre Dame U15 Prep and had four goals and 14 points in 26 games before adding another three points in the playoffs.

“He’s really poised and hard to play against, a really good puck mover,” Ripplinger said. “He has some skill and does a lot of things right.”

The Warriors’ final two picks both came out of Alberta, beginning with Riley Thorpe in the 11th round. The St. Albert product played for his hometown Sabres in the U15 AAA loop, and the 5-foot-8, 140-pound centre had 27 goals and 49 points in 33 games. He was just as effective in the playoffs with four goals and eight points in six games and also suited up for three U17 AAA games, picking up a pair of points.

“Probably a player I can honestly say we had no idea why he was still around that late,” Ripplinger said of one of the potential steals of the draft. “We like him, he has good hands, he can score and he can be gamebreaker. He’s going to be a really intriguing player for us, for sure.”

With their final selection in the 12th round, Moose Jaw selected defenceman Dylan Deets from Edge School U15 Prep. A 5-foot-8, 159-pound Calgary product, Deets had four goals and 26 points in 29 games and three points in four playoff games.

“He’s a smaller offensive defenceman who’s really smart and moves the puck and is a great skater,” Ripplinger said. “He’s a very interesting player as well, he could probably play at his size, but if he gets bigger and stronger he could be a really good player in this league.”

Now, it’s just a matter of seeing how the players develop in the coming years.

“Sometimes it’s not even if they grow and get stronger,” Ripplinger said. “It’s whether their hockey sense can adapt to the speed of the game, and we’ll see how that goes with the guys we picked today.”

The Moose Jaw Warriors made Saskatoon’s Aaron Sawatzky their first pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft on Thursday morning. Moose Jaw Warriors.

Moose Jaw Warriors make pair of selections in WHL U.S. Priority Draft

Warriors add Colorado’s Schmidt, Texas’ Hill in annual selection of U.S.-born prospects

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Warriors are hoping a Saskatchewan connection will help see at least one of their selections in the 2023 Western Hockey League U.S. Priority Draft land on the team in the near future.

The Warriors selected defenceman Zachary Schmidt from Highland Ranch, Col. with the 16th overall pick in the first round, with the just-turned 15-year-old bringing a bit of size to the equation at 6-foot-0, 168-pounds.

Interestingly, Schmidt was born in Regina, which Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger hopes will play a factor in the youngster making the trip north.

“They’re familiar with the Western Hockey League and what it’s all about, he grew up watching it, so that could make it easier to recruit,” Ripplinger said on www. mjwarriors.ca.

Schmidt played just 12 games in 2022-23, put up two goals and five points in eight regular-season contests before adding another goal and three points in four playoff games.

“He’s a defenceman that skates pretty good; he’s got a lot of upside,” Ripplinger said.

The Warriors then continued their interest in Texas hockey players, adding forward Trevor Hill from San Antonio with

the 38th overall pick in the second round. In the four years the WHL U.S. Priority Draft has existed, the Warriors have selected at least one player from the Lone Star State each year.

Hill, 5-foot-10 and 134 pounds, had 30 goals and 51 points in 21 games playing for the 14U AA San Antonio Jr. Rampage.

“He’s a skilled player, skates really well and he could potentially put some

pucks in the net for us,” Ripplinger said. “When you’re drafting these Americans, you want to get skill, guys that can score — we can find the third-line checkers in Canada.”

As one might expect, the U.S. Priority Draft is a bit of crapshoot, with players outside of the top handful of picks more often than not opting to play closer to home. The Warriors haven’t had a selection crack their line-up since the Draft

began in 2020.

Their first-round pick that season, forward Cameron McEwan of Austin, Tex., played two seasons at Shattuck St. Mary’s before suiting up for three clubs in 202223 and putting up 10 goals and 23 points in 51 games. Their second-round pick, forward Josh Holliday, has played three seasons of high school hockey out of Santa Clarita, Cal.

Dallas-based defenceman Austin Doyle was Moose Jaw’s first-round pick in 2021, and he played for the Dallas Stars Elite 16U AAA and Tier 1 Elite Hockey League teams last season, putting up six goals and 19 points in 69 games.

Moose Jaw’s second-round pick in 2021, forward Tyler Chiovetti from the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, suited up for St. Andrew’s College last season and had eight goals and 25 points in 58 games. The Warriors’ selections in 2022 are heading into their 16-year-old seasons, with defenceman Carter Murphy from the Dallas Stars AAA having put up two goals and 24 points in 53 games last season, while Los Angeles Jr. Kings goaltender Kyle Jones had a 1.38 goals against average and .936 save percentage for the 15U AAA team.

Work to retrofit Moose Jaw Events Centre for Para Hockey Worlds well underway

Board installation completed, ice painting finishing up as crews hard at work to welcome world to Moose Jaw Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Now it’s starting to feel even more real.

Moose Jaw Events Centre staff were hard at work last week continuing the massive retrofit of the arena for the World Para Hockey Championship, with work quickly transforming the arena into something far different looking than even a week ago.

The see-through boards along both players’ benches have been installed, with plexiglass inserts allowing players in sledges to still see the ice despite their head level being below the top of the boards.

Similar boards have been installed at the penalty boxes and timekeepers bench.

With the heavy lifting out of the way, it was time to begin work on the ice. The surface will be repainted white to remove the Warriors logo and WHL sponsor ads, after which the International Ice Hockey Federation and World Para Hockey logos along with the local and national tournament sponsors.

The ice will then be built up to match the synthetic ice surface that will be laid down from dressing rooms to the benches, allowing players to reach the ice

surface while belted into the sledges.

Ticket sales are also well underway, with a special deal recently announced for the first day of competition -- fans can pick up two tickets to any of the games on Sunday, May 28 for $20.

The games will feature Korea vs. Czechia at 11 a.m., China vs. Italy at 3 p.m. and Norway vs. Germany at 7 p.m. Canada plays their first game on Monday. May 29 at 7 p.m.

Tournament ticket package and single game tickets are also on sale and can be picked up at www.hockeycanada.ca/paraworlds.

Here are a few scenes from the work underway earlier this week!

Win tickets to the World Para Ice Hockey Championship May 28-June 4

Enter your name, and daytime phone number.

Draw will be made May 25th at 5 pm winners will be notified with a phone call. Enter either online or at 468 High St W.

Enter to Win Tickets to World Para Ice Hockey

Name: Daytime Phone Number:

The Moose Jaw Warriors selected Colorado defenceman Zachary Schmidt in the first round of the WHL U.S. Priority Draft before adding forward Texas’ Trevor Hill in the second.

The boards at the Moose Jaw Warriors bench have been replaced with the plexiglass version allowing players on the bench to see the ice.

New access to the ice surface is being installed at each of the player entraces.

Plastic ice will be laid down from the dressing rooms to the ice surface and on the benches in order to allow players movement around the arena while in their sledges.

Moose Jaw Events Centre workers lift a section of boards into place at the timekeepers bench.

The board might be mostly ready to drop in, but there’s always some extra work that needs to be done to get things finished and in place.

Local players fall short in quest for high school provincial badminton berths

South Central competitors see handful of close calls at regional playdowns but miss opportunity to play for provincial medals

South Central competitors made things interesting at the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association regional badminton playoffs in Regina over the weekend, but ended up falling short of qualifying for provincials.

There were some successes on the weekend, though, with both singles competitors and the girls doubles team bringing home bronze medals from the event.

Cornerstone Christian School girls singles city champion Kiana Hrechka posted a 2-1 record in the round robin to finish second in her pool but would be unable to keep the roll going, falling 21-7, 21-13 to Regina Campbell’s Sophie O’Neill in the regional semifinal.

She rebounded nicely in the thirdplace game, though, emerging with the bronze medal from an absolute battle with Maple Creek’s Tealyn Whitefish and tak-

Randy

Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

ing a 19-21, 21-18, 24-22 victory.

Vanier’s Feona Tolentino went 0-3 in her round-robin pool.

The situation was much the same for Briercrest Christian Academy’s Ike Wong, as after also going 2-1 in the round robin, he’d fall in two straight in the semifinal, dropping a 21-14, 21-11 decision to Regina Balfour’s Junhao Yuen.

Wong would then go to three sets in his bronze medal match before prevailing 21-15, 18-21, 21-10 over Fox Valley’s Kesler Hellman.

Central’s Nigel Fang was 1-2 and failed to advance out of his pool.

The Gravelbourg girls doubles team of Miyah Tucker-Bellaire and Sophie Simonson followed the same pattern as the singles competitors, going 2-1 in the round robin, falling in the semifinal and winning bronze.

They lost 21-18, 21-19 to Maple Creek’s Khali and Kahlen Delorme to drop to the third-place game, where the duo would win 21-16, 21-8 over Rosetown’s Hannah Weber and Ceanna Fischer.

Central Butte’s Fanny Beinecke and

Eszter Szalacsi-Toth were 0-3.

The boys doubles division saw Briercrest Christian’s Cayden Tsoi and Bosco Yiu reach the semifinal before falling 21-19, 21-12 to Regina Campbell’s Daniel Xu and Jackson Lai. They then lost 21-10, 21-19 to Swift Current’s Hasit Desai and Harit Desai in the bronze medal game. Lafleche’s Easton Lee and Jack Starke went winless in the same division.

The Rouleau mixed doubles team of Chase Faris and Cara Faris reached the semifinal and lost 21-16, 21-15 to Regina O’Neill’s Duane Sicat and Althea Pesquera before falling 21-19, 21-10 to Fox Valley’s Lexi Schneider and Domic Ehnisz. Kincaid’s Matthew Thibault and Ava Sayers posted an 0-3 record.

Be sure to check out www.shsaa.ca for all the scores from the regional badminton championship.

Mustangs drop pair in Prince Albert in Prairie Gold Lacrosse League action

Moose Jaw drops 21-8 and 15-4 decisions to Predators, fall to 0-5 on season

The Moose Jaw Junior Mustangs got off to the start they wanted to open their Prairie Gold Lacrosse League doubleheader with the Prince Albert Predators on Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the local squad, that was the last good news on the day.

After Moose Jaw’s Braxton Mac Angus opened scoring only 1:27 into the proceedings, the Predators would score six straight goals, taking a 7-3 lead out of the opening frame, and go on to a 21-8 victory in the opening contest.

The rematch was just as tough for the Mustangs, with Prince Albert rolling to a 15-4 win.

Moose Jaw is now 0-5 on the season

while the Predators improved to 5-1.

As the score would indicate, Prince Albert didn’t let up as the opening game

progressed, building a 16-7 lead through two periods and tacking on another five in the final frame.

Mac Angus finished the game with seven goals, while Jacob Gyman put up a goal and three points. Lucas Saikin added three assists.

Brayden Rieger led Prince Albert with five goals and 13 points, Matthew Cudmore had six goals and 10 points.

Bryden Kerr was exceptionally busy in goal, facing 67 shots, while the Mustangs had 30 at the other end of the floor.

Things were far closer in the early going of the rematch, as Prince Albert took a 5-2 lead out of the first and led 8-3 through two.

Mac Angus had a hat trick to finish with 10 goals over the two games. Ty Farnsworth had their other marker. Gyman, Salkin and Ryder Farnsworth all had two assists each.

Cudmore led Prince Albert with six goals and eight points.

Kerr had 24 stops in the Moose Jaw goal, the Mustangs had 24 shots of their own.

The Mustangs are now off until Saturday, May 27 when they travel to Swift Current for the first of a home-and-home. The return match goes Sunday, May 28 at the Kinsmen Arena, with action getting underway at 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw Canucks Black put on offensive clinic in 13U AAA win over Padres

The last time local baseball fans saw the majority of the Moose Jaw 13U AAA Canucks Black in action, they were on the field in Calgary taking on Team B.C. in the final of the Canadian Little League Championship.

The offensive success they showed in that tournament has carried over nicely into the new season.

The Canucks pounded out eight runs in the third inning and would go on to a 17-6 victory over the Regina Padres in Baseball Regina action on Wednesday night at Andrie Diamond.

It’s also not a coincidence that players who looked great at Little League Canadians also played a large role in their success Thursday.

Leading the way was outfielder Zaid Guillaume, who hit home runs in his first two at-bats and would cap his day with a 4-for-4 performance that included three runs scored and four runs batted in.

The top of the Canucks order was merciless all night, as their top five hitters pounded out 13 hits and scored 12 runs. Their entire line-up would figure into the scoring, too, with every player crossing the plate at least once.

Things were close in the early going, as Moose Jaw only led by one after the second inning and trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the third. The aforementioned eight-spot would give Moose Jaw complete control of the game, though, and they’d invoke the mercy rule with six runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Emery Schoenroth batted clean-up and was 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, while three-hitter Jackson Boyle was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.

Trey Stanhope also crossed the plate twice while hitting second, and lead-off hitter Van Glasser was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs.

Dillon Flanagan and Lucas Lind each knocked in a pair, while Lind also scored a pair of runs.

Boyle got the start and allowed a run on three hits in two innings of work, with

Kohl allowing two runs on two hits and striking out five over the next two frames. Guillaume closed things out, allowing three runs and striking out three.

It’ll be an all Moose Jaw battle in the next Baseball Regina 13U AAA contest at Andrie Diamond, as the Canucks Black take on the Canucks Red on Wednesday night. Game time is 6 p.m.

Badminton file

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Mustangs logo

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Members of the Canucks swarm Zaid Guillaume after he crosses home plate with his first home run of the game.

Canucks hitter Van Glasser absolutely squared up this pitch and would send a base hit through the infield.

Canucks pitcher Neal Kohl delivers in the third inning.

Canucks drop pair to Saskatoon in 15U AAA Sask Premier Baseball League action

The opening game of the Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks in the Sask Premier Baseball League doubleheader against the Saskatoon Astros took place on Saturday afternoon.

As it stands, Saskatoon would put up a pair of eight-run innings and go on to a 21-6 victory to open the twinbill and then rolled to a 10-0 win in the rematch.

The two losses were the first of the season for the Canucks, who now have a 2-2 record.

With the first game tied 1-1 heading into the third inning, the Astros would send 12 batters to the plate, taking advantage of a double, triple, four singles, walk

Astros roll to 21-6 win in opener Saturday, take 10-0 victory in rematch

and a pair of errors to key their big inning.

Moose Jaw got right back into it the very next frame, though, putting up a fivespot of their own and closing to within three.

Saskatoon added another run in the fourth and tagged on three more in the sixth before cracking the 20-run mark with another eight runs in the final inning.

Kyren Ernest had a 2-for-4 game at the plate that included a run and an RBI, while Tyson Ross was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Luke Pratte also had a pair of hits.

Ryan Gibbs, Marcus Capili, Max Craig and Brettin Hutchinson all saw action on the mound for Moose Jaw.

The first five innings of the rematch quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel, as the Canucks’ Hunter Scott and Saskatoon’s

Chris Rauckman kept the bats largely in check.

The Astros got on the board with a run in the first and two more in the second, but that would be it until the top of the sixth, when Saskatoon put another seven across the plate to invoke the mercy rule.

Scott would allow six runs, four earned, on five hits while striking out seven in five innings of work. Ernest closed out the contest.

The Canucks are back in action on Wednesday, May 24 when they host the Regina Wolfpack. Game time is 6 p.m. from Blackwell Diamond.

East Central takes twinbill sweep over Canucks to open SPBL 18U AAA season

Moose Jaw loses big lead, drop 10-7 decision in opener, fall 8-3 in rematch Sunday at Ross Wells

The Moose Jaw Canucks lost against the East Central Red Sox in Sask Premier Baseball League 18U AAA action on Sunday afternoon, but the potential for future success can already be seen.

The Canucks built a 6-1 lead through four innings in the doubleheader opener at Ross Wells Park, but the Red Sox would catch up and then pull away over the final three innings on their way to a 10-7 victory.

East Central then didn’t waste any time in the rematch, scoring three in the first inning, building a 7-2 lead through four and going on to an 8-3 win.

It all looked good early in the day, though, as the Canucks opened game one with a run in the first and another in the third before putting up four in the fourth to build their 6-1 lead.

The Red Sox clawed back four runs of their own in the fifth and a three-spot the next inning would give them the lead for good. The Canucks pulled back within one in the bottom of the sixth, but a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh would put things away for good.

Caleb Newkirk had a solid game at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four runs batted in. Gerritt Gulutzan and Keaton Hillmer scored a pair of runs each, Ty Reid had a pair of hits.

Newkirk got the start on the mound and turned in a solid showing, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits while striking out a pair in four innings of work. Cam Beisal pitched the fifth and allowed

an earned run, with Owen Csada tossing the final two innings and giving up five runs, two earned, striking out three and walking four.

It was East Central’s turn to get a quick lead in the rematch, and once they were ahead, Adam Korte saw to it the lead stuck.

The Red Sox starter held Moose Jaw scoreless through three innings and ended up allowing only two runs on four hits while striking out nine in four innings of work. Cam Marshak was just effective in relief, allowing a run on three hits over the

final three innings.

Beisal was the only Canuck with more than a single hit, going 2-for-4 out of the lead-off spot.

Nathan Pisio got the start for Moose Jaw and allowed four runs on five hits over 2 ⅓ innings of work, with only two of those runs earned, Hillmer tossed an inning and allowed a pair of runs, Gulutzan pitched a scoreless fifth and Nathan McDougall closed things out, allowing a run on three hits over the final two innings. The Canucks are back in action Tuesday when they host the Regina Wolfpack. Game time is 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Canucks logo

Nathan Pisio (26) receives congratulations from Keaton Hillmer after scoring the Canucks’ third run.

Canucks hitter Grier Peterson squares up an East Central offering.

Caleb Newkirk delivers for the Moose Jaw Canucks in the third inning.

Rodeo School teaches basic skills and safety to new riders

The need to produce more riders at rodeos led to the creation of the Moose Jaw Roughstock Rodeo School about 15 years ago by the late Lee Bellows.

Here are some photos from the recent event held at the Moose Jaw Exhibition’s Gommersal Arena.

Recently on Sunday, May 7th, the Moose Jaw Exhibition hosted the longest running rough stock, rodeo school in Canada.

A creation of the late Lee Bellows, the school is designed to teach the basics right up to the actual bareback riding, saddlebronc, and ranchbronc riding in a safe manner.

“Lee (Bellows) came up with the idea to teach the basics from the ground up to actual riding after people noticed the number of entries in rodeo riding events was dropping,” Ross Smith one of the co-organizers of the school said.

With the recent passing of Lee Bellows, a major part of the school’s organization fell on a group of individuals - Lee Sinclair, Theresa Bellows, Kelly Bryce, Shaun Francis and Ross Smith.

cess was due to the volunteers and their enthusiasm for the school.

“The reason it continues to be successful is because the volunteers want to be here and truly want to help the kids learn…none of us are getting paid to do this.”

This year’s school had about 25 participants from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, as well as one student originally from Prince Edward Island, who came out to learn the ropes.

In the past, the school has had participants from as far away as Australia and England.

The school accepts students from both rural and urban backgrounds. You don’t have to live on a ranch in order to take part.

up training as well as safety orientation.

“Our school is very safety oriented. For a couple days prior, fundamentals, as well as safety, are instructed. Nobody gets on a horse until all of that is taught.”

“We try to make things as safe as you possibly can,” Smith said.

Smith is proud that in the many years the school has operated there has yet to be a serious injury. He admits though in the past there has been a few broken bones.

This year the school did have some minor injuries that could be best described as road rash and sore muscles.

Smith said running the school is very important, not just that it produces the next generation of rodeo riders, but at the same time it allows the passing down of knowledge from riders no longer on the circuit.

“Students learn from people that have been there, and they learn the proper way of doing things,” he said.

One of the key components to safety for the riders and horses are the pick up men. Pick up men are the riders who follow and assist cowboys in various ways, such

our scrapes, sprains, bruises, and a few minor broken bones,” he said.

“Stuff that is part of being a bronc rider.”

For female participants in this year’s school, they were able to take part in ranch bronc riding.

Ranch bronc riding differs from regular saddlebronc riding in that the sport makes use of an ordinary traditional saddle with a saddle horn and there’s differences in how the horse is ridden.

Smith said it was a privilege to be part of the school and throughout the event this year the school’s original organizer - the late Lee Bellows - was missed and remembered.

As part of that remembrance, a special belt buckle was presented to a long time volunteer at the school in Bellows memory. The award is planned to be a part of the rodeo school on an annual basis. https://www.mjindependent.com/ sports/2023/5/7/y09j74dlp9el7golsisbuvv8qlvw0c

“We were the ones who took over a lot of the stuff Lee Bellows was in charge of,” Smith said, pointing out that there are “too many people to list who come to help out.”

He said volunteers are the core of the school and the reason for its continued success.

“There are many many volunteers in many aspects to create the longest running roughstock rodeo school in Canada,” he said, adding the reason for the school suc-

“This is something that you do not have to be a ranch kid in order to come out to,” Smith said.

For at least one student this year, they had to go out and buy a cowboy hat and boots before they could participate.

The reason why the school can allow students with no ranch experience to participate is because of it’s from the ground-

as getting them off horses once they’ve ridden the required eight seconds or directing horses away from riders in the rodeo ring.

Pick up men also direct the rodeo stock out of the arena and into safer holding pens.

“Pick up men are the lifeline and saviours,as well to the cowboy,” Smith said.

Despite many of the riders being bucked off, Smith pointed to the fact that the training they receive helps to prevent serious injuries.

“The way we stress safety at the school has given us a track record where we’ve have run hundreds and hundreds of horses through the ring and all we’ve had

Rodeo school helps prepare bronc riders for circuit

Bronc riders, young and older, recently gathered at the Moose Jaw Exhibition rodeo arena for two days of training. Riders received hints on preparing to ride, handling in the chute, riding and then proceeded to ride broncs at the school started by the late Lee Bellows 16 years ago. Volunteers provide advice and run the chutes and arena. Ron Walter Photos

Photos and Story by Robert Thomas

Heading out of the chute

A future year’s student sits out of harms way

A cowboy’s ride goes a little bit sideways

One of the female cowboys get on a horse as part of ranch bronc riding

A cowboy leans back on what turned out to be a highly successful saddlebronc ride

Hands down first

Riding high

Side saddle? Company departed

It was still thumbs up after a bit of road rash and a swollen lip after a horse stepped on a female student

A ranch bronc rider busts out of the chute

Resident achieves rare feat of drawing royal flush during Texas Hold’em

The odds of drawing a royal flush in Texas Hold’em are roughly 650,000 to 1, which means you have a better chance of hitting a hole-in-one or matching five numbers in the lottery.

A royal flush is an ace, king, queen, jack and 10. Achieving that is tough, but it’s incredibly difficult to achieve with all hearts — as Hugh Millar did. With his luck, he should consider buying a handful of lottery tickets or competing against professional golfers.

Millar was one of several people competing in the weekly Texas Hold’em activity at the Timothy Eaton Senior Centre on May 4. It was near the end of the night and Millar and Bill Clark were the final two competitors on the hand.

“And Bill — would you believe it? — he had a full house. He had three kings and a pair of aces. And would you believe the only hand that’s going to beat it is a

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

royal flush?” said organizer Earl Burrard. “So the boys were betting pretty heavily.”

Most game nights are casual events since the entry fee to Timothy Eaton’s is $2 and buy-ins are $5, which means people can socialize in a fun environment for $7, he continued.

Millar’s accomplishment was amazing considering some people might experience this achievement once in a lifetime if they play cards regularly, said Burrard, while a tiny handful of players may experience a royal flush twice before they die.

Burrard has seen three royal flushes achieved in Moose Jaw over the years. Besides Millar, he saw a man and a woman achieve that feat during a Friday night event.

“It’s like getting a hole-in-one or scoring an eight-end in curling. It’s that calibre of accomplishment,” he added. “And it’s exciting to watch it.”

“It’s exciting because it’ll never happen again probably,” said Millar, who has never achieved this before.

Millar only knew he had a royal flush and would win the hand when “the river” happened, which is when the last card is turned face up on the table. He had to maintain his composure — “I was excited” — because he knew Clark was going all in on the last hand. If he showed emotion, Clark could have changed his bet.

The royal flush helped Millar take home the most chips — their technical value was $160,000 — and made him the evening’s winner, while he won $25.

Millar added that he participates in Texas Hold’em every week and enjoys socializing with people, playing cards and having fun — win or lose. Despite achieving the highest hand in the game, he has no plans to retire and will continue playing.

an entry.

The

ton and Gord Ness. Thank you to everyone for

Fritzke from the Humane Society with Blair Buckmaster from the Moose Jaw Express unloading the donations.

Hugh Millar celebrates after winning a game of Texas Hold’em with a royal flush at the Timothy Eaton Gardens. A royal flush is the highest hand a player can achieve. Photo courtesy Earl Burrard

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

Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival will take place from 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.

Moose Jaw Lawn Bowling Club on the Lawn Bowl Greens in Crescent Park (3rd Ave NE)

Regular Season play for May: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur @6:30pm and Tues & Sat @10am Bowls Canada Day on June 3. Drop In 9:30am -2:30 pm

Everyone Welcome . For more info call 306 690 8739

Moose Jaw Superannuated Teachers’ Luncheon will be held on May 17/23 at 10:30 a.m. Program: Kellly

Carty: Tunnels of Moose Jaw. Luncheon Roast Beef Dinner by Charlotte’s Catering. Cost: $10 per STS member and partner. $20.00 non-members. Please RSVP to Rosealie by Friday, May 12/23 at 306-691-0696 or email: marcilr@sasktel.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

June 7/23 - 50th ANNIVERSARY

Wine and Cheese Evening (no cost) from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM at the Masonic Hall. For STS members & partners MJ Branch, plus Prairie South and Holy Trinity Teachers Superannuating this school year are invited to join the celebration. Register with Rosalie by Wednesday, May 31/23 306-691-0696 or email: marcilr@sasktel.net. Back by popular demand - The HELL WITH THE BELL breakfast: Wednesday, September 6/23

The Moose Jaw Art Guild will meet Thursday, May 18, 3:00 pm at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery. The Guild is having an art exhibition “A Collection of Creativity “ at the Cultural Centre, May 24 to July 5. The opening reception is June 10, 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The public is invited. For information call 306692-6667.

Moose Jaw Prairie Hearts Quilters

Next Meeting May 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

Mulberry Estates Open House on May 18th from 10am - 4pm. Join for a BBQ, live entertainment, agility dog training show, shopping and games!! There will be something for everyone, located at 220 Mulberry Lane, Moose Jaw. Call Tricia at 306.684.0202 for more information.

Souls Harbour RESCUE Mission

6th Annual Love Your Neighbour Fundraising Banquet takes place Wed, May 24th, 2023 at Grant Hall Hotel. Looking for sponsors to help underwrite the cost of the banquet. You can also join the banquet if you buy a ticket at $50 each or a table of 8 for $350. Please respond by May 23th to Taeryong No: tno@shrmsk. com or 306-543-2475. To mail: P. O. Box 3356 Stn. Main, Regina SK S4P 3H1 or visit facebook at http://www. facebook.com/SoulsHarbourRescuemission

Join for a FREE community screening and Q&A – A PASSAGE BEYOND FORTUNE will take place on Wednesday, May 24th at 7 pm at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre. Registration link to RSVP: https:// www.moosejawculture.ca/event-details-registration/a-passage-beyond-fortune .

This is a 16-min short which follows members of the Chinese Canadian community of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. This will mark the film’s in-person world premiere! A Passage Beyond Fortune follows the Chow family as they reflect on the popular but untrue myth surrounding Moose Jaw’s underground tunnels. Filmmaker Weiye Su offers an homage to the culturally significant but buried history of Chinese-Canadian communities in Moose Jaw. The Moose Jaw Community Choir “Second Annual Spring Sing” on May 26th at 7PM at St. Andrew’s United Church (60 Athabasca St. E).

Upcoming Events in Moose Jaw

Everyone is welcome to attend for what’s bound to be a fun and entertaining evening. Tickets are $10 and are available in advance between now and May 22. They may be purchased from any choir member, or making arrangements to pick-up by calling/texting 306-640-8098. They will also be available at the door. Children 12 and under are free with an accompanying adult and there will be a reception to follow with refreshments and treats for all!!

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 @ 306-6319044 or Moose Jaw Alliance Church (MJAC) In-person group meetings at MJAC- Ralph Magnus, GriefShare coordinator @ 780-456-6487 (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. The meetings take place on Thursdays 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.

Briercrest Heritage Day, Saturday, June 10, 2023, 10:00 AM. Lots of events for a fun family day! Optional 50’s theme costumes. Show & Shine (cars, trucks, tractors, semi’s, etc.) contact Merv Gadd (306) 6317932. Parade at 2:00 PM. Slow Pitch Tournament contact Justin Hill (306) 513-7985. Beer Gardens, Concession on the grounds, Credit & Debit Available. Lots of museum happenings: Dusty Old Farmers, Blacksmith Larry Paysen, Cowboy Poetry Fred Cockburn, Pie & Ice Cream, museum tours, Bouncy Castles for the kids. Dry Camping available contact: Merv Gadd (306) 631-7932. Organized by Briercrest Museum, Community Centre, Rink & Firefighters.

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 Len - 306693-7685. themoosejawcameraclub.com

Line Dancing every Wednesday 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/

Special Events:

May 22 at 1:00 pm - Books & Bikes

Bike Parade! Participants will meet on the corner of Cordova St. and Langdon Crescent at 1:00 pm. All supplies will be provided for everyone to decorate their bikes. Then, at 1:30 they will proceed in parade fashion up Langdon Crescent towards the Library. Once at the Library, there will be a children’s storytime with local author Megan Nelson.

There will be treats and book giveaways as well. It’s a great way to enjoy an afternoon on the long weekend. Families with children of all ages are invited to attend and there is no cost. Registration is encouraged so we can ensure enough supplies.

Contact: Gwen Fisher or Aislinn Lawreniuk 306-692-2787. For more information visit https://www.moosejawlibrary.ca/childrens-programs/ books-%26-bikes-bike-parade!

June 3 at 10:00 to 5:00 pm - Zine Workshop in Celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month

This workshop is open to participants ages 13 and up. Create your own zine and have it added to the Library collection if you wish. Learn about the history of zines including the use of zines in various historical (and present!) LGBTQ+ and other activist movements.

The workshop is drop-in, come and go (you don’t need to stay the whole day) and will also provide some other fun activities such as button making and stamp carving. All supplies provided and of course, no cost to attend. Refreshments will be provided.

Contact: Shevaun Ruby 306-6922787

For more information visit: https:// www.moosejawlibrary.ca/adult-programs/zine-workshop

Regular Programming for May: MJPL Overdrive users need to switch to the Libby app to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and e-magazines. It’s free, easy, and makes intuitive sense for current Overdrive users, so there’s no need to fear a brand-new learning curve — the transition should be smooth.

One-time learning events in May include ‘How to be a Game Master’ on Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. This is an all-ages drop-in program that will teach participants how to run any tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) as the game or dungeon master.

On Saturday, May 27 at 2 p.m., Jenna Drinnan will teach a class on ‘Urban Backyard Composting,’ including choosing a bin, what materials to use, and how to maintain the habit. The class will be drop-in for adults

only.

Adult Programming in May 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. Saturday, May 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Reading Room

Cyberpunk RED TTRPG - The influential TTRPG game, now in its fourth edition. It is set in a dystopian future 2045 and serves as a prequel to the hit video game by CD Projekt Red. Ages 15 and up unless accompanied by an adult guardian. Sundays, May 21, 28 at 2 p.m. in the Reading Room

MJPL Movie Club: Vertigo (1958) Monday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the MJPL Theatre.

Youth Programming in May

New Adult Digital D&D Every Friday, online, from 4 to 6 p.m., for ages 15 to 22. Register by emailing youth@moosejawlibrary.ca.

Teen D&D Thursdays in the MJPL Archives, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., for ages 12 to 16. Register by email at youth@moosejawlibrary.ca. Teen Writers Circle Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19.

Family Movie Night –Treasure Planet (2002) Wednesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the MJPL theatre, all ages welcome. A sci-fi retelling of the classic novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jim Hawkins sets out to find the treasure trove of legendary pirate captain Flint aboard a masted ship sailing the spaces between the stars.

Teen “I Made This” Art Program Wednesday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Taylor Room, for ages 12 to 19. More information on MJPL programs and the schedule of Children’s Programs in May is at www. moosejawlibrary.ca.

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 59- Moose 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

June 10th A Bugsy’s fundraiser Bacon cheeseburger with fries and salad. $25 tickets at the 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 May

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

Thursday: 10:00 Line Dance/1:00 Pickleball

Friday: 10:00 Beginner Pickleball/1:00 Regular Pickleball

Social Dance on MAY 20 at 7:30 p.m. Band: THE GOOD TIMERS. Cost $15pp includes lunch. BBQ Season Starts on MAY 25 from 5-6pm. Cost $15pp.

Military Whist Tournament on MAY 26. Register @9:30 am/Games @10:00am

$20pp includes coffee/muffins/lunch

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

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.

June 9 & 10 , 2023 - BRANDON & COMPANY – Sat. Jam 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm to closing Jun 16 & 17, 2023 – BADLANDS COUNTY BAND - – Sat. Jam 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm to closing 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/

and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

For What It Is Worth, My Advice to the Graduating Class of 2023

Dear Class of 2023:

Had my priorities been in order when I graduated, my career compass would have been:

Love what you do.

Love the people you do it with.

Love what you leave behind.

We live in a complicated world, especially when it comes to work. There are usually established, but not hard and fast rules, prerequisites to meet, such as obtaining an education, to begin moving towards your career aspirations. However, even when the prerequisite is met, success is not guaranteed.

Do not expect your degree to be enough.

After graduating from college, I stumbled through my twenties, unsure of myself and my place in the world. At the time, I did not fully grasp who I was or how my Social Science diploma would contribute to my career. Ultimately, I had to figure out the world and the workplace on my own.

Undeniably, the past three years have been tough. The pandemic redesigned student experiences, and social media became more “social” than it was pre-pandemic. You are not the first graduating class to face a world full of turmoil and uncertainty. Imagine graduating in 1942 and months later finding yourself fighting somewhere in Europe or graduating in 2008 amid what is known as The Great Recession.

You have challenges; a tight labour

By Nick Kossovan

market, widespread layoffs, rapid technological advancement, particularly in artificial intelligence, technology that has the appearance of not being designed to enhance productivity but has an end goal of employee replacement, and hyperinflation making employers rethink how they do business.

Like every graduating class before you, you, and only you, are responsible for your career trajectory, so take full responsibility for it.

Talk to everybody.

Opportunities are all around you; there is just one caveat: they are attached to people.

The adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is more relevant today than it ever was. Networking is the key to attaining a successful career. American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Jim Rohan summed up the importance of cultivating and maintaining a professional network, “Your network is your net worth.”

Recently I came across a troubling headline, Americans More Than Ever Have No Friends. The article’s author, Elizabeth Gilbert, states that Americans are experiencing a “friendship recession.”

Today, many people participate in digital communities but have few real-life relationships. Instead of talking to people, texting has become the norm. Many employees advocate working from home so they can work in isolation. As an escape, binge-watching has become a trend.

Human contact is decreasing as more people use technology to communicate or

Friendship Bridge Winners

- 7 pm Tuesday Nights, Cosmo Senior Centre

Ron & Linda McGinnis

2nd – Bryce Warren & Jeff Walpole

3rd – Don & June Ferguson

Hidden Score – Vivian Brailean & Bob

Cobbe

March 14

1st – Debbie Firth & Linda Sempel

2nd – Anita Duncan & Linda Griffin

3rd – Bob Busse & Cam Coghill

Hidden Score – Bryce Warren & Jeff

Walpole

March 21

1st – Ron & Linda McGinnis

2nd – Bryce Warren & Jeff Walpole

3rd – Vivian Brailean & Bob Cobbe

Hidden Score – Lawrence & Faye John-

stone

March 28

1st – Ron & Linda McGinnis

2nd – Joe & Norma Campbell

3rd – Linda Sempel & Debbie Firth

Hidden Score – Yvette Storozuk & Di-

ane Bruck

April 4

1st – Anita Duncan & Linda Griffin

2nd – Walter Hawkins & Eunice Reader

3rd – Anne Kraus & Lorne Jackson

Hidden Score – Lawrence & Faye Johnstone

April 11

1st – Walter Hawkins & Eunice Reader

2nd – Debbie Firth & Linda Sempel

3rd – Anita Duncan & Linda Griffin

Hidden Score – Don & June Ferguson

April 18

1st – Ron & Linda McGinnis

2nd – Judy Bender & Yvette Storozuk

3rd – Linda Griffin & Anita Duncan

Hidden Score – Carol Andrejcin & Gwen Venn

April 25

1st – Marie Spencer & Sharon Knittel

2nd – Carol Andrejcin & Gwen Venn

3rd – Clayton Sjoberg & Frank Van

Breugel

Hidden Score – Vivian Brailean & Bob Cobbe

All bridge players are welcome to join our club at the Cosmo Senior Centre at 7 pm on Tuesdays. If interested call Deb @ 306-690-4690.

avoid dealing with their surroundings. As a species, we are rapidly becoming unsociable. Do not be part of this decline!

Do not think you are above anybody. Give someone your undivided attention, and you will be amazed at what you learn. As much as possible, talk to people who have been there and done that. The best conversations I have ever had have been with people who had already travelled the path I was on or were where I wanted to be.

Back to the job search and career thing, I can tell you from experience that opportunities pop up from the most random conversations.

When meeting new people, remember that showing interest is a massive gesture. Place your attention on the other person by asking open-ended questions.

TIP: When meeting someone for the first time, ask yourself, “How can I help this person?”

Do not feel entitled to anything.

Getting rid of any sense of entitlement is imperative; otherwise, you will be holding yourself back trying to fight the fundamental universal truth that the world does not owe you anything, not even to make a living.

PERIOD!

Having a sense of entitlement is a turnoff. Not expecting anything from anyone is how you become an independent adult and earn respect. When you stop feeling entitled, your self-esteem will soar, and you will start upping your game. Become a person who adds value.

Make “Always add value” your per-

sonal mantra.

Employees who contribute measurable (keyword) value are highly regarded and likely to enjoy job security. Read these books.

1. How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

2. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, by Carmine Gallo

3. 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power, by Gary Provost

Regarding how rapidly AI is emerging, keep a close eye on it! Nobody, not even the Internet talking heads who are suddenly “AI experts,” knows where AI is heading. One thing is certain: Many jobs will be eliminated as employers identify which jobs they can delegate to AI. Hence, avoid positions that AI is likely to be able to do in the future.

Volatile economic conditions coupled with rapid technological advancements have created a job market in flux like never before; hence, my last piece of advice: Never lose sight of your career goals. Despite all the job market volatility, building a career you love is still possible by focusing on what you are good at while embracing lifelong learning.

Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan

306-691-0300 (instore)

306-681-3411 (home visit)

428 Main St. N.

WORDSEARCH

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

46. Liked by many 50. Agitated 52. Christmas song 54. 3 in Roman numerals 55. Clothed 56. Civility 58. Wife of Zeus 59. Geologic period 60. Look at flirtatiously 61. Countercurrent

62. Periods of 7 days

63. Adolescent DOWN

1. Chops into cubes

2. Cut short

3. Countdown clock

4. Viper

5. Deposited

6. Assumed name

7. Violent disturbance

8. Family tree

9. N N N

10. Serengeti trek

11. Full of humorous stories

12. He built the ark

13. Act presumptuously

18. Poplar variety

22. An abandoned calf or

lamb

24. Footnote note 26. Gesture of farewell 28. Broil 29. Nonclerical 30. Parental sister 31. Cigarfish

32. Diva’s solo

33. Wave rider’s platform

34. Submarine viewing tool

37. Chums

38. Expert

40. Anthracite

41. A tree, leaf or syrup

43. Day before the weekend

44. Kiosks 46. Puncture 47. Feudal lord 48. A long narrow passage 49. Above the horizon 50. Dull pain 51. Hemorrhaged 53. Balm ingredient

Church bench

Sudoku #5 - Challenging

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

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.

BECOME, CANNOT, CROSS, DIFFERENT, DRIVE, ENJOY, FOND, HONE, HOTEL, INVESTMENT, JEWEL, LAIR, LEST, LINGER, MOTION, OTHER, PEOPLE, PRISONER, PULSE, REALLY, RESTAURANT, SERVICE, SEVERAL, SONS, STALL, STRAIT, TARGET TEAT, THEME, THERE, TOURIST, TRAVEL, VACATION VEHICLE, WHERE, WONDER, WRITE, WRONG

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.

“If you can’t be in awe of Mother Nature, there’s something wrong with you.”

-- Alex Trebek --

& GAMES

Moose

AUTOS

Wanted- Smaller car. Must be in good condition. Call 306-693-3757

Wanted Toyota 4 x 41/4 ton, running or not. Call 306-692-0800

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

extensions, torque bar, tool box, $50 or best offer. Brico Combination wrench set - 25/32, 3/4; 7/16, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 13/16, 1 inch, $20. 15 piece Indestro chrome alloy 1/2 inch drive socket set; with ratchet, torque arm, & extension, $25. Two chef’s stainless steel kitchen knives, $10; Trouble light with 25 ft. cord $5. Phone 9722257 Moose Jaw

MISCELLANEOUS

Treadmill $100.00 Proform 770EGK. Call 306630-8747

dition, parts, ammunition or anything pertaining to firearms. Free pickup of unwanted, gas operated lawn, garden, snow blowers, recreational, chainsaws, generators, boat engines, etc., as well as smaller farm equipment, Moose Jaw and surrounding area. Call or text 306-6414447

For Sale- 20 ft. extension ladder $65.00. Kenmore sewing machine in cabinet $40.00. 2 fans 17in $15.00 each. Collection of dolls from different countries, approx. 75 dolls $150.00. Call 306-693-3129

WANTED

Wanted Deer Antler

Sheds call 306- 6920800

LOST & FOUND REWARD for information leading to the recovery of stolen 45ft. Degelman Land Roller. Taken last fall from a farm north of Moose Jaw. Call 306631-9535

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Tools for sale: Craftsman Socket set 1/2 inch drive, chrome vanadium steel - 7/16, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 13/16, 1 inch; 12 and 6 point sockets,

For Sale- STIHL gas trimmer, sliding mitre saw on stand, table saw on wheels, B & D blower/ vac, archer power washer, garden tools. Electric bug zapper, lawn chairs, 750 watt inverter, 2 speakers Sansui, Hummel plates some framed some still in boxes, table lamps, bossom heads. Call 306-93-7935

Firearms, I am paying cash for guns in the Moose Jaw and surrounding area. Any con-

LAWN & GARDEN

For Sale 9 varieties of Tomato Plants (can pot for extra charge), and Pumpkin Pie plants. All plants starting at $4.00. Call 306-526-0016 (do not leave voice message)

SPORTS

Clearance Sale- NASCAR 1-24 scale die cast replicas, also 1-24 scale funny cars & hockey figurines by MacFarlane. By Appointment Only call 306-631-7698

For Sale- Walnut China Cabinet with glass shelves. 47” tall x 23” wide by 11” deep. Asking $225.00. Call 306-6939304 or 306-630- 9304 Panasonic cordless phones x 3 with answering machine. One phone needs new batteries. $50.00. Please call 306630-8192

Futon, like futon $50.00. Call 306-630-8747

SERVICES

Semi-Retired Contractor – 47 years in business, residential and commercial. Enjoys small or

Late snowstorm delayed seeding helped moisture situation

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

As expected, cold weather and a late spring snowfall put seeding in the province is behind the usual state.

Seeding across the province is nine percent complete compared with 23 per cent for the five year average.

The southwest, west central and northwest regions are most advanced, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture crop report.

The southwest at 17 per cent done is still only at 40 per cent of the average, while the west central and northeast are at 14 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

Seeding in the east central and southeast, which includes Moose Jaw, was only three per cent complete by May 8 compared with a 22 per cent average.

Cropland topsoil moisture in the province is good with only five per cent short, 72 per cent adequate, 21 per cent short and two per cent very short.

Moisture is better in the Moose Jaw region with 19 per cent in surplus, 78 per cent adequate, 16 per cent short and only one per cent very short.

Topsoil moisture is one percent surplus, 83 per cent adequate, 14 per cent short and two per cent very short.

During the week, Rockglen had 10 mm rain with five mm at Moose Jaw.

large projects involving plaster, drywall, concrete, painting, taping, texturing, stucco repair, tile and T bar. I work for the Heritage Society and enjoy beautification projects. Quality work. Free estimates. Discount for seniors. Phone Bob Huston 1-587-889-1000. Need work done? Contact Bill at 306-6302268. Interior/exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, finishing, tiling, painting and all con-

struction, roofing/ sidingno job too big or small. Reasonable rates, 30 years experience. Moving jobs done reasonably: appliances, furniture, dump runs. Call to do it all. $45.00 a load. 306-630-2268 GARAGE SALES YARD SALE - Weather permitting 915 Hawthorne Cres. Friday May 26th- 5pm- 8pm, Saturday May 27th 9am3pm. NO EARLY BIRDS PLEASE

In the southwest, which takes in the Central Butte to Assiniboia area, seeding is 13 per cent done while the average is 32 per cent.

/

CAMPBELL, ALBERT GEORGE

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Albert George Campbell on May 5, 2023, at the age of 86. If you were lucky enough to have known Albert, you know that he lived life to the fullest, was the life of the party and left his mark on this world like no other!

He was a father, husband, papa, great papa, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, daycare dad, and friend. Albert put family above all else.

Albert was born on March 17, 1937, in Cardross, Saskatchewan and grew up on the family farm. Albert later moved to Moose Jaw and was a dairy farmer, breadman and milkman, singer sewing machine salesman and owned and operated Town and Country Upholstery, Custom Cover Upholstery and Campbell’s Spirit Brewing.

Albert was predeceased by his parents Agnes and Roy, first wife Frances, infant grand daughter Ashley, siblings Colin, Charlie, and Ruth, mother-in law Ida, and brothers-in-law Maurice and Lacy.

He is survived by wife of 36 years Sandi, children Darrell and Diane, grandchildren Amanda (James), Kyle, Katelyn (Tyson), and great grandchildren Landon, Hayden, Hudson, Brandon (Jessica), Logan, sister Mary, sistersin law, Elaine, Carol, and Shirley (Leo) and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Albert was heavily involved in the business community and served as President of the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the Jaycees, South Saskatchewan Wildlife Association, and played an integral role in bringing the Ladies World Curling Championship to Moose Jaw in 1983.

Albert’s many talents included singing, playing the banjo, guitar, and fiddle. He was an avid horseman, bowler, and square dancer. He was known for his boisterous sense of humour, quick wit and always had a joke to tell. He loved nothing more than to spend time with family and friends, was an excellent cook and went on many a trail rides with the Bowery Boys. We are grateful that his family was able to be with him near the end and were able to say their final goodbyes. The family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the kind and compassionate care Dad received from all the home care nurses over the past few years, and the doctors and nurses at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital during his final days. Particularly, Dr. Pilon who showed tremendous care and compassion. A come and go celebration of Albert’s life will take place on Saturday May 27, 2023, at the Shriners Masonic Temple 1755 Main St. N. from 1:00 – 4:00 pm.

In living memory of Albert, a memorial planting will be made by W.J. Jones & Son Ltd. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.wjjonesandson.com (Obituaries). Dayna Chamberlain - Funeral Director

BURBANK, EVELYN

Evelyn Louise Burbank aged 97 years of Moose Jaw, SK, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, April 23rd, 2023, while in hospital with pneumonia and other complications. She was predeceased by her parents, Allen and Pearl Murray; sister, Donna Fryklund; brother, Bruce Murray; her first husband, James Seed; and later her second husband, William Burbank. Evelyn is survived and lovingly remembered by her daughters, Barbara (Dean) Tollefson and Catherine Seed; brother-in-law, Jack Fryklund; sisterin-law, Margaret Murray; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Ev had a great love for dogs, horses, golf, travelling and playing cards (especially bridge & cribbage). She enjoyed watching curling, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays and Saskatchewan Roughrider games. In her younger years she was active with the K-ettes and K-40 clubs. She always loved tending her garden flowers, and baking and cooking many a holiday celebration meal.

Ev was a wonderful lady with a long, full life, and will be deeply missed by all who knew her. The family is very grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital for their dedication and compassionate care. Also special thanks to her friends and the staff of West Park Crossing for their daily support and companionship.

A Graveside Service will be held on Thursday, June 15th, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Rosedale Cemetery (but if it rains, will be held indoors at Moose Jaw Funeral Home) with a Celebration of Ev’s Life to follow at Moose Jaw Funeral Home. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Ev’s name may be made to The Moose Jaw Humane Society, Box 1658 Station Main, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 7K7 or Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan, Unit 26 - 1738 Quebec Ave, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1V9. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Cara Ashworth - Intern Funeral Director 306693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com

HAUBRICH, LORIE

Our beloved wife and mom, Lorie Mae Haubrich passed away on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022 after a long battle with kidney disease, at the age of 62 years. Lorie was born on February 25th, 1960. She grew up on a farm in Duval, SK and attended Strasbourg school. After high school, Lorie moved to Regina, SK where she met and married her husband, Aubrey in August 1985. They then moved to Moose Jaw, SK where they started their family. She was predeceased by her parents, Louie and Meta Erhardt; brother, Allan Erhardt (Doreen); step-daughterin-law, Terry Haubrich; and nephew, Gordon Hunt. Lorie is survived by her husband, Aubrey; daughters, Amber Francis (Clifton) and Ashley Monchamp (Zac); stepsons, David Haubrich and Craig Haubrich (Lisa); sister, Deloris Hunt (John); niece, Boni Eggers (Bret); nephews, Kevin Erhardt (Sue) and Patrick Hunt (Jennifer); as well as her many grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, and cousins.

A Graveside Service will be held on Friday, June 2nd, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at Sunset Cemetery with Pastor Marvin Seaborg officiating. A Time of Fellowship will follow in the Harvey Room at Moose Jaw Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lorie’s name may be made to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, #1 – 2217 Hanselman Court, Saskatoon, SK S7L 9Z9 or The Canadian Diabetes Association, 919B Albert St, Regina, SK S4R 2P6. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Gary McDowell, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www. moosejawfuneralhome.com

DEANS, RUSSELL

The family of Russell

William Deans is sad to announce his passing on May 4, 2023, at the age of 73. Russell is survived by his loving wife Marie Deans; six daughters; brothers Kennth Deans and Rick Deans; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews’, cousins, extended family, and friends. In living memory of Russell, 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

SMITH, GAIL (née: Stephanson)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gail Smith (née: Stephanson) on Sunday, February 26th, 2023 at the age of 82 years.

Gail Harriet Natalie was born in Frontier, SK on September 19, 1940, the 11th of 14 children. Despite being big, the family was close as shown by the frequent family reunions over the years.

At 18 years old Gail’s life changed forever. Her brothers, Roy and Gary introduced her to their friend and coworker, Herbert Smith. Love soon followed and the two married on December 12th, 1959. Her true calling in life, which was second only to being a grandmother, was shortly revealed when she became a mother. She exemplified what it meant to be a mother by working tirelessly to support her 3 boys: Kelly born in 1960, Kevin in 1962, and Kent in 1966. Gail supported her boys with everything, including their jobs, schoolwork, and sporting activities. Sports was a very important and significant part of their lives. She spent countless hours volunteering, driving to baseball and hockey, and cooking endless pre-game and post-game meals in between washing and mending uniforms. She enjoyed every minute of it.

While Gail supported the boys in every sport they played, baseball was her favourite. She became one of the most skilled scorekeepers in not only the city but the province as well. A baseball diamond in Moose Jaw was named after her in recognition of her love, devotion and support for her sons’ participation in the game. A diamond at Park Hill Little League Diamonds proudly displays the sign “Gail Smith”. One of Gail’s favourite pastimes was to sit with Herb and watch the Blue Jays. Being a grandma and ultimately a great-grandma would have been something Gail may have been better at than being a mom. Her 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren absolutely adored her. She was a very loving and completely non-judgmental Mom and Grandma, which formed such a deep and loving bond with her family. Her selfless dedication and devotion to her entire family really was something amazing. All her grandkids would make special trips to visit her, including the ones who regularly visited Moose Jaw to see her.

Herb and Gail have been a team for 63 years and you hardly ever heard of or spoke of one without the other.

It was always “Herb and Gail or Dad and Mom or Grampy and Grammy”. Through thick and thin, on numerous rinks, diamonds, and football fields all over North America, they stood by each other’s sides and built a beautiful life together. Herb was beside Gail during her passing, holding her hand and talking to her. As everyone knows, she was much more the listener than the talker.

Gail was well loved and thankfully knew that without question. Words cannot even begin to express how much she will be missed.

Gail leaves behind three sisters who were very special to her: Sylvia Stephanson, Sharon Grant, and Karen (Larry) Ireland. Gail will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her devoted husband, Herb; son, Kelly (Nancy) and his children with Debbie: Denny (Teresa), Lily and Amelia, Chrystal (Michael), Emma, Blake and Taylor, and JoLee (Mac), Hannah, Austin, Ava and Chloee; son, Kevin (Anna-Marie) and their children Taylor (Chelsea) Takeo, Veiko, Poppy, Rapha and Titus, Zoe (Dustin), Callie, Peyton, Emma and Colton, Zebulon (Alanda); and Xyrus (Katie); son, Kent (Joanne) and their children Josiah (Chelsea), Zachary (Megan), Levi (Tori) and Benjamin (Andrea); as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The family expresses their thanks and appreciation to the doctors and staff at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital for their support and compassionate care given to Gail during her illness.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, May 19th, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in Moose Jaw Funeral Home. A private family interment will take place in Sunset Cemetery. Those not able to attend may view the service virtually by going to www. moosejawfuneralhome.com/webcast/. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gail’s honour may be made to the Moose Jaw Little League, Box 324 325 4th Ave SW, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 5V2. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Andrew Pratt Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www. moosejawfuneralhome.com

GIBSON, JOHN

Our much beloved husband, father, papa, and brother, John Gibson passed away on Thursday, May 11th, 2023, at the age of 71 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Jack and Mim (Garrett) Gibson. John is survived by his wife, Deb Gibson (Hiller); daughter, Sara (Chris) and son, Kyle (Kara); grandchildren: Sirocco, Isabeau, Edison, John, and Llewyn; stepson, Mick (Kelsey); stepdaughter, Mandy (Mark); grandchildren: Eli, Macy, and Maverick; and sister, Linda Gibson.

John was born in Moose Jaw, SK on July 12th, 1951, where he lived and spent his childhood until he moved to Prince Albert, Edmonton, and Saskatoon before returning to Moose Jaw to raise his children and ultimately stay. John was a prominent small business owner in the city and was known for two local businesses in particular: Western Electric Motor and Challenger Graphics Trophy World. John’s preretirement job, which was also his favourite, was with Moose Jaw Express. By virtue of his personality, he excelled in this role because he was able to connect with his beloved community members. Anyone who interacted with John or visited his businesses knew that they would be treated well and with a laugh. John was known for having terrible jokes and whether you got his humour or not, he could always make you laugh. Another community connection that John was so proud of was watching the Warriors play. John has been a season ticket holder for as long as anyone can remember.

John and Deb met 20 years ago, and Deb chose him because of her mother’s advice. She advised that if a man loves his mother and you can see this in him, he will make a wonderful husband. One month after John proposed to Deb, he was thrust into the role of caregiver when he helped Deb overcome breast cancer. John was dependable, caring, accountable, and always present. His reliability and kind nature made him such a strength and offered peace of mind to everyone that was around him. Together, Deb and John have traveled extensively with friends, enjoy Moose Jaw’s social scene, and are active members at their church. Additionally, they visit the local athletic facilities, attend Warrior and Miller Games, and are active as community and service members.

A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Victory Church, 637 Main St N, Moose Jaw, SK. A Time of Fellowship will follow immediately at Victory Church. The family invites everyone to further celebrate John’s life at the Crushed Can Rec. Room and Bar (all ages welcome), 82 Manitoba St W, Moose Jaw, SK from 2:00-4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, you may honour John’s memory by donating to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan, Unit 26 - 1738 Quebec Ave, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1V9 or the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, 200-4545 Parliament Ave, Regina, SK S4W 0G3. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Gary McDowell, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome. com

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.

Nature

Nature has been kind to golfers since the beginning of May. Temperatures have warmed up and golf courses are now open. The word nature has always had close ties to the material world and the planet earth. Nature describes the immediate cause of all the world’s phenomena, be it weather, plants, animals, or human beings. Mother Nature is a personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of all things on earth.

The word nature is derived from the Latin natura. Natura is the Latin term for the Greek word physis, connected to concepts of growing, developing, and becoming. In Greek mythology Physis is the goddess of the origin and ordering of all things in the world.

When first used in the English language in the early 1300s, nature meant essential qualities and innate disposition of a thing or person. Human beings have a physical as well as a spiritual nature. It is the nature of a lion to hunt prey for food. Nature was the hereditary circumstances and conditions of a person. The nature of a controversy would be the crucial issue of the dispute.

By the mid-14th century nature began to refer to the forces or processes of the world that produce living things and maintain order. People began to talk about things happening naturally, without interference from humans, divine intervention, or anything outside what is considered normal for the natural things being considered. Nature is the process by which an apple tree produces apples with no help from humans or gods. It is also the nature of an apple tree to produce apples, not other things.

At the end of the 1300s English speakers started referring to creation, the universe, the world, as Nature, the personification of existing things. Nature was the world in its entirety. Looking at scenery or a sunset was to enjoy the beauties of Nature Nature is the restorative powers in the body and bodily processes that provide healing and recovery.

The term ‘second nature’ means to ‘follow nature,’ describing human personality traits. The word supernatural has existed since 1450 and originally meant, ‘above nature, belonging to a higher realm’. This was used with a more religious sense, but after 1799 it was predominantly used to talk about ghosts and other phenomena.

The meaning of nature expanded throughout the centuries to mean an assortment of specific qualities of a person, including their physical strength, their sexual drive, and their physical appetite. Nature also described the will of the body which was believed not to be controllable, ‘T’was nature, sir, whose strong behest impelled me to the deed’ (from The Diserted Village, and The Traveller by Oliver Goldsmith in 1881).

From the early 19th century nature was used to describe the fidelity or close adherence to the natural state of planet earth. The modern environmental movement desires to limit human intervention in nature, and have the earth go back to the way it used to be without humanity. A hundred years later this idea was adopted by Naturists who became part of the movement for communal nudity. When sharing important, sensitive, and ‘for your eyes only’ information people talk about documents of a confidential nature. These are the fundamental characteristics of classified material.

Nature implies inherent, essential resemblances rather than obvious or superficial likenesses. Thus, we speak of problems of a similar nature

I can categorically state that it is in my nature to enjoy Nature on the golf course, even though it is not a natural environment.

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.

Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser

AUTO RACING

Friday 5 p.m. FSR NHRA Drag Racing Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Qualifying.

Saturday

5 p.m. FSR NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR All-Star Open, Qualifying.

BASEBALL

Saturday

5 p.m. TSN MLB Baseball Seattle Mariners at Atlanta Braves.

BASKETBALL

Friday

6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Conference Final: Teams TBA.

Saturday

6:30 p.m. WXYZ NBA Basketball Conference Final: Teams TBA.

Sunday 6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Conference Final: Teams TBA.

Tuesday 6:30 p.m. TSN NBA Basketball Conference Final: Teams TBA.

HOCKEY

Thursday

5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Western Conference Final, Game 2: Teams TBA.

5:30 p.m. TSN QMJHL Hockey Playoffs: Teams TBA.

Friday

5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Eastern Conference Final, Game 3: Teams TBA.

Saturday 5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Conference Final: Teams TBA.

Sunday 5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Conference Final: Teams TBA.

Monday

5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Conference Final: Teams TBA.

6:30 p.m. TSN WHL Hockey Teams TBA.

Tuesday

5 p.m. CBKT NHL Hockey Conference Final: Teams TBA.

5 p.m.

Wednesday

(SF) Law & Order: SVU (N) (SF) Law & Order (N) (SF) Brainfood Brainfood

19 TSN (5:30) QMJHL Hockey SportsCentre (N) (Live) SportsCentre (N) (Live) Jay Onrait (N) (Live)

20 NET (6:00) Stanley Cup Live Coverage (N) (Live) Sportsnet (N) (Live) Blue Jays NHL in 30

25 EDACC Big Bang etalk (N) Rookie "A Good Shoot" Walker "Past Is Prologue" Rookie "Girls' Night Out"

26 W Law & Order: SVU Will & Grace Will & Grace Fire Country "Off the Rails" Funny Woman (N)

29 ENCAV (:55) <+++ William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet ('96) Nurse JackieNurse JackieWeeds Weeds

33 CMT Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier Cheers Cheers

35 TLC Dr. Pimple Popper (N) Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed "Welcome Home" Dr. Pimple "Hard Knot Life"

38 DISC (6:00) BattleBots (N) How Do It? Homestead Rescue Homestead Rescue

41 COM Sheldon 'Til Death Friends Friends Friends Friends Big Bang Big Bang

42 TCM Movie (:45) <+++ Doctor Zhivago ('65) Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Omar Sharif.

47 AMC (6:00) <+++ Pitch Perfect ('12) <++ Pitch Perfect 2 ('15) Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick.

48 FSR NHRA Pro NHRA in 30 NHRA Las Vegas NHRA Drag Racing Dangerous Heavy Haulers

55 CRV1 (6:30) <+++ King Richard ('21) Will Smith. Love & "The Big Top" (N) Chelsea Handler

56 CRV2 (6:10) < This Is the Night <+++ The Father ('20) Anthony Hopkins. (:40) < Rogue Agent ('22) James Norton.

57 CRV3 (:20) The Office (:45) The Office (:10) Law "A Losing Season" Billions Flatbush Mis Flatbush Mis

58 HBO < Tina ('21) Angel City (N) White House Plumbers

FRIDAY EVENING

MOVIES SPORTS SPECIALS 7 PM 7:30 8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30

Movie (:45) <+++ Cool Hand Luke ('67) George Kennedy, Paul Newman. <+++ Hoosiers ('86)

47 AMC (6:00) <++ Uncle Buck ('89) (:15) <++ The Great Outdoors ('88) Dan Aykroyd. (:15) Fear the Walking Dead

48 FSR (6:30) Horse Racing America's Day At the Races (N) (Live) NASCAR Hub Dangerous Drives

55 CRV1 (6:30) <++ F9 The Fast Saga ('21) Vin Diesel. < Bullet Proof ('22) Vinnie Jones (P) Movie

56 CRV2 (6:15) <+++ Navalny ('22) Women Who Rock "Power" RuPaul Drag Race (N) (:10) < Cosmic Dawn ('22)

57 CRV3 (:20) The Office (:45) The Office (:10) Law & Order Billions "The Third Ortolan" Flatbush Mis Flatbush Mis

58 HBO (:05) COVID (:50) < The Truth About Killer Robots (:15) Barry (:50) Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark

SATURDAY EVENING

MOVIES SPORTS SPECIALS

('64) Elvis Presle y (:45) <++++ Coming Home ('78)

47 AMC (6:00) <++ Jumanji ('95) Robin Williams. <++ The Great Outdoors ('88) Dan Aykroyd. <+++ Big

48 FSR (6:00) NASCAR Tyson 250 Dirt Slide or Die NASCAR 75: Dangerous Drives

55 CRV1 (6:30) < Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Some < Bullet Proof ('22) Vinnie Jones Movie

56 CRV2 (6:05) <+++ Dream Horse <++ Dear Evan Hansen ('21) Amy Adams, Ben Platt. (:20) < Let Them All Talk

57 CRV3 (:20) The Office (:45) The Office (:10) Law & Order "Ego" Billions "All the Wilburys" The First "Voices Carry"

58 HBO (:05) < Foster ('18) < Transhood ('20) Somebody

WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIES SPORTS SPECIALS

7 PM 7:30

8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30

3 CBKFT Question (N) L'épicerie Dans l'oeil

10 PM 10:30

Thousands Of Band Students Set To Invade City For 71st Band Festival

By Robert Thomas

“I could talk about this forever,” an ecstatic Janie Fries chair of the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival said about the festival’s return.

“Everybody is so excited to getting back to doing it. You have no idea how excited we are,” Fries said.

It’s something that has not only created a major buzz for organizers but downtown businesses as well. It’s an event which will bring 3500 band students to the downtown over the course of four days.

The festival, which runs from Monday, May 15th to Thursday, May 18th will feature dozens of high schools bands from across the prairie provinces performing and being adjudicated.

“If we spread the bands’ performances out it would equal 11 and a half days of concert band performances,” Fries said.

The majority of performances are free to attend at one of the six venues the festival is being held at.

The six venues are the Crescent Park Amphitheatre, Moose Jaw Cultural Centre, Peacock Collegiate’s Centennial Theatre, Zion United Church, St Andrew Church and St Aidan Church.

Fries said the festival attempts to keep the majority of performances and events in the downtown core.

She said the safety and friendliness of Moose Jaw’s downtown is a major reason for the festivals success.

“You couldn’t hold this in Regina or Saskatoon their downtowns are different. You couldn’t have hundreds of band students walking from venue to venue in their downtowns like you can in Moose Jaw.”

“It’s safe place for parents to send their kids. It’s walkable,” Fries said.

The festival has evolved over the decades to be more relevant and to survive.

The move to an adjudicated festival geared towards high school band programs instead of the competitive festival of the past saved the festival of today, Fries said.

“We realized years ago if we hadn’t changed things we wouldn’t be around.”

The change in the direction of the festival moved it “more in tune with the schools’ music program,” Fries said.

The change worked with the festival, coming back on what many see as being on life-support, to almost doubling in size over the last 20 years.

This year the festival will feature 73 concert bands,

The banner is out across Main Street, announcing the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival is a go for next week - Photo credit Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival facebook

11 jazz bands, and 16 choirs.

Fries said you can compare this year’s festival with 100 groups to 1977’s festival where the Kinsmen were hoping to field 77 bands.

“We tend to fly under the radar. But if you look at it we are as big as in the past,” Fries said.

Another reason for the festival’s success is that they work hard to lower costs than other competing festivals in the market.

A major sponsor for the event is the Saskatchewan Band Association as well as local support.

“It’s nice to get sponsorships. The support is amazing,” Fries said.

Public Is Welcome - Free Outdoor Concert

Not only is a public welcome to drop in to the adjudicated sessions there will also be two free concerts at the Crescent Park Amphitheatre.

On Tuesday, May 16th and on Wednesday, May 17th from 11 am - 2 pm there will be a free concert ‘Moosic In The Park’ at the amphitheatre in Crescent park.

“We do it over the lunch hour. It is specifically for people in the downtown area to come down, enjoy lunch and listen to the music,” Fries said.

Although the band festival has not held its signature parade since 1993 the organizers are cognizant to make the opportunity for the general public to come out and watch the bands.

All adjudicated sessions are free and open to the public to come and listen.

To see the schedule of performances visit https:// www.mjbandandchoral.org/schedule

The festival is no longer a competitive festival but rather has turned into a festival geared towards hi school music programs.

Bands and groups appearing receive a one hour adjudicated performance as a means to improve their music. Evening Concerts

The festival is also having a pair of evening concerts at the Mae Wilson Theatre.

The evening concerts are $15 to attend.

On Monday evening (May 15th) Carter Powley and the Chop Shop will perform at 6:30 p.m. and 8 pm at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.

Carter Powley and the Chop Shop is jazz/rock band out of Regina.

Visit https://www.ticketmaster.ca/ for tickets.

On Wednesday evening (May 16th) West Of Mabou will perform at 6:30 PM and 8 PM. at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.

West Of Mabou is a Celtic fiddling group.

For tickets visit https://www.ticketmaster.ca/

The group is one Fries is excited to see performing at the band festival pointing out the $15 tickets for the performances is much lower than the usual $50 admission fee for the group.

Not The Band Festival From Yesteryear

The Moose Jaw International Band and Choral Festival has a deep emotional tie to Moose Jaw’s past.

Suggested by the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce in 1949 the band festival was picked up by the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Club in 1950 who ran it until 1993.

The band festival was best known for its Saturday parade that went down Main Street. The parade in its heyday would often last close to three hours and drew thousands spectators.

“The Kinsmen had the rule that in order to compete in the band festival every entrant had to also participate in the parade,” she said.

The festival also led to a Moose Jaw being called the “Band City” as well as “The Band Capital of North America.”

Today’s festival has changed, and no longer has the parade but at the same time there are opportunities for the public to come out and enjoy the music.

For more information on the history of the Moose Jaw International Band and Choral Festival visit https:// www.mjbandandchoral.org/history. https://www.mjindependent.com/home/2023/5/12/ rucuqadw0ashkie3dhuq36ltsefuxw

Morgan Gallant REALTOR®

After a three year absence - due to the COVID - 19 pandemic- thousands of band students are set to descend on Moose Jaw’s downtown starting Monday, May 15th and running through to May 18th.