Moose Jaw Express, December 20th, 2023

Half Season Ticket package Adult - $292.75

starts with

+ Fees and Tax

December 29th game!

Student - $160 + Fees and Tax Child - $99 + Fees and Tax

110 1st ave | moose jaw events centre | 306-694-5711

tickets at

MOOSE JAW’S MOST TRUSTED LOCAL MEDIA

IJ L

16 game package

306.694.1322

“WELCOME TO THE REAL NEWS”

FREE SPEECH! SINCE 2008

Volume 16, Issue 51 | Wed., December 20, 2023

WE WISH YOU A VERY

LOCALLY DESIGNED HOODIES FOR PET LOVERS ARE POPULAR FUNDRAISER FOR HUMANE SOCIETY Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

The Moose Jaw Humane Society (MJHS) is extending its gratitude to the community following much-better-than-expected sales of locally designed and printed hoodies (‘bunnyhugs’ in Saskatchewanian) that have seriously helped the shelter out this year.

“The first order we did was only a prepaid pre-order, in two different colours,

Ltd

HEATING • PLUMBING COOLING • BOILERS

SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION

HIRING Looking for Full time HVAC Technicians

and we sold 70 hoodies, just like that,” explained Donna Fritzke. Fritzke is the fundraising co-ordinator at the MJHS and was interviewed alongside an adorable (and adoptable, by the way) three-monthold Huskie mix named Akita. “From there, we went to all the colours, and then people were saying, ‘Well, why don’t you have children’s hoodies?’ So, we started carrying those, and it’s just been an incredible year, because we’ve sold something like 500 hoodies.”

The pet art design on the hoodies was created by local artist Skye Mercier, who does custom pet portraits. The hoodies are ordered and printed by the Moose Jaw Express. A limited-edition pre-order Christmas run earlier this year offered a version of the hoodie where the pets are wearing Santa hats. Mercier’s design will also be incorporated into the MJHS’ new wrap for their mobile services cube van.

“Skye Mercier did a great job for us, she just knocked it out of the park. It’s been a lot of fun, we take the hoodies everywhere with us, they’re so popular I actually sell them out of my car sometimes,” Fritzke explained, laughing as she dodged Akita’s enthusiastic affection. “We also

Donna Fritzke and Akita at the Moose Jaw Humane Society

The Humane Society did a special limited Christmas run of hoodies with a Santa twist have them for sale now at Tourism Moose Jaw, who have really supported us with this, and at the Starlight Handmade Market, so you can buy them at three places.

“Tourism Moose Jaw was also selling books for us, and they had visitors stopping in who just thought it was so wonderful that they were working with the local animal shelter, and to see how the community works together.”

The MJHS is now carrying the hoodies in pretty much every size and colour, plus crew necks and t-shirts both shortand long-sleeved. They have had families buy one for each member, and businesses (shout out to Valley Farm and Ranch) buying hoodies in bulk for clients and employees.

It’s all part of crucial community support for the Humane Society, which cares for over 1,000 animals every year. They have affordable spay/neuter programs, provide shelter, care, and adoption for strays, and reunite lost pets with their families, among many other purposes. They are supported by the City of Moose Jaw,

generous volunteers, passionate employees, and local businesses.

Hoodie prices are: • Hoodies - $60 • Kid’s hoodies - $40 • Crew necks - $55 • Short sleeved t-shirts - $35 • Long sleeved t-shirts - $45 Other fundraisers include the annual $10,000 ‘4 Paws’ Lottery, sales from the onsite MJHS bookstore (books, puzzles, colouring books, and snuffle mats), and an animal behaviour class for children that started just this year.

There is also a ‘Paws for the Season’ Holiday Gift Giving Catalogue, which gives the option to buy sponsorships as Christmas presents. Options include sponsoring the adoption of a dog or cat; a $500 emergency medical care gift; a week’s shelter stay for a dog or cat; or the sponsorship of food, beds, toys, vaccinations, and more.

Learn more about how to support the MJHS at mjhs.ca, and at facebook.com/ moosejawhumanesociety.

The MJHS hoodies have proven to be super popular, which has really helped the shelter fulfill its mission this year

Looking to Renew your Saskatchewan Licence Plates?

Goal $5000

Two Convenient Ways To Renew: ONLINE OR PHONE Your SGI Motor Licence Issuer Quickly & Conveniently Renew Your Plates Online.

No Hassle-click www.mjplates.ca or

CALL 306-694-4747

and we can renew your licence plates with SGI

Help Support the Salvation Army Stocking Fund.

Donations can be dropped off at the Moose Jaw Express 468 High St W, Moose Jaw, SK

$4500 $4000 $3500 $3000 $2500 $2000 $1500 $1000 $500

PAGE A2 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Oh Clark’s

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

• pressure washers • rentals • grasshoppers

water requirements: farm and sewer • cabin water • waterbowls

Clark’s

Stadacona St. W. Moose Jaw 306-693-4334 CLARK’S SUPPLY & SERVICE LTD. 1650 Hwy #1 North Service Rd. Emerald Park 306-359-1964

www.clarks-supply.com

521 South Railway St W. Warman

306-934-3880

Vanier students paint ‘Winter Wonderland’ mural to brighten Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Student volunteers from Renee Kammer’s Art 20 class finished a new temporary mural at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital recently, after John Paul Hickie with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) reached out to Vanier Collegiate with the request.

The project was a collaboration of eight of Vanier’s students: Annique, Chevina, Emma, Gabrielle, Luke, Rhyza, Sarah, and Sean.

Featuring a water-based acrylic paint in white, the mural followed the theme of ‘A Winter Wonderland’ and Vanier’s students had the freedom to work without any guidelines imposed by the SHA. The white mural also reminds visitors what Saskatchewan’s typical snow-covered scenery should look like this time of year, although this is purely coincidental.

“It was a freestyle mural. We wanted it to be a wonderThe mural is located in the dining winter area at the Dr. F. H. Wigmore Re- land rather than a gional Hospital. Photo by: Renee Christmas theme, Kammer so it could stay up

Sean, a student volunteer from Mrs. Kammer’s Art 20 class, works on some finishing touches at the hospital’s new mural on or around Dec. 6. Photo by: Renee Kammer longer than Christmas,” Kammer said.

Starting Dec. 4, the students worked after school for a few hours each day during a three-day period. The effort was purely extracurricular and wasn’t part of the school’s regular curriculum. “The main goal was to volunteer some time to share their talents in art,” she said.

The mural currently adorns the windows surrounding the hospital’s cafeteria. “We didn’t expect there to be that many windows to paint. We could have kept going for the next week if we kept going,” said Kammer.

“It was my idea to do it all in white, just to give it a winter wonderland feel, rather than using coloured paint,” she said. “It especially looks nice at night. When it’s nighttime, the background is black so the white pops off the black beautifully.”

“We were trying to brighten the hospital through creative expression,” Kammer explained. “It’s aesthetically pleasing and brings happiness to (everyone) in the hospital.” She noted that several individuals stopped during the project to give their positive feedback as the mural progressed.

“The only downfall about window painting is that it’s only temporary. It’s a lot of time (spent), and then (the mural) is gone,” she added.

Kammer said her students had fun during the project, and that’s one thing that mattered most. One additional perk was the hot chocolate and Western Development Museum passes that were handed out to the young artists.

These were provided courtesy of Hickie, the SHA volunteer co-ordinator at the hospital.

The mural should remain at the hospital until around early spring in 2024.

Phoenix Academy’s adopt a student program ensures all students get a Christmas dinner Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

The Phoenix Academy is a unique organization where students between the ages of 16 and 21 can catch up, complete any credits required to graduate, or update their education before applying for university. The school is defined by its flexibility, and each student is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

“Everybody deserves to come to a place where they feel welcome, cared for, and to enjoy their time in school,” said Shawn Kohl, the school’s administrative assistant.

“We genuinely care about (our students). That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “If there’s a student in need, even if we can’t help them initially, we try to find a way. We look for whatever resources they need (in order) to help them out.”

This vision has resulted in the school’s adopt-a-student program.

The adopt-a-student program is designed to help the academy’s students in a time of need. “Maybe the students were lacking (a good pair of) shoes or winter attire… or even just (a way) to get to school,” Kohl said.

This can include meals such as breakfast, better nutrition,

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF MOOSE JAW All Departments in City Hall will be closed on: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2023 (1/2 Stat in Lieu of Christmas Eve: closed 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2023 (Christmas Day: All Day) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2023 (Boxing Day: All Day) In addition, there will be no transit service

December 25th or 26th

The Phoenix Academy is located at 278 Fourth Avenue Northeast. Photo by: Aaron Walker or almost any other necessity.

After a charitable campaign starting in October, Phoenix Academy is now able to provide a banquet to ensure all students experience a Christmas dinner. The adopt-a-student program continues throughout the school year, and this meal is the largest part of the program.

“The adopt-a-student program is a way for us to connect to the public and for the public to connect with our students,” Kohl said. “From there, (the public can) make donations to the school.

DR. GEYER’S OFFICE is moving Effective Jan 2nd, 2024 New location #5- 825 Thatcher Dr E (located in strip mall near Swan Pizza/Subway)

Phone: (306) 693-5955

“We use (donations) to better serve the students and their needs to help them further their education,” he said.

“Everybody deserves an opportunity at education.”

Most of the school’s programming covers material from Grades 10 to 12. Students come from all over Saskatchewan to complete almost any classes required to graduate.

Learning is done through modules. As opposed to traditional schools, students have access to a binder containing a lesson module and can complete that module anywhere in the building at their own pace. Before moving to the next module, each student must complete the current lesson so the material can build on previous lessons.

The school’s flexible approach enables students to learn at their own pace and on their own, varied schedules. This helps new parents, young students who work full time jobs, and students who are either just transferring to Moose Jaw or who may be undergoing any number of distractions at home.

“We can register a student in June, where many schools struggle to do that,” Kohl said, noting that the school also provides breakfast and a lunch.

“If they move here and are a bit behind, we can… catch them back up. We have that flexibility.

“Sometimes they’ve gone though school, graduated, and they’ve done well. Now they’re looking at their next stage of life and they want to go to university, but they say, ‘oh, I don’t have Bio 30.’ We do that as well,” Kohl explained. Students can attend university and Phoenix at the same time.

Kohl said any student under the age of 22 is welcome to drop by and see what the academy can offer, including the creation of a tailored educational plan. “(A student) may think they need seven (credits to graduate), but they may only need one or two,” he said.

“You should see the smile on their face when they see that they only need one or two classes to graduate.

“We’re always here for you, and the door’s always open,” Kohl said.

For more information or to donate to the adopt-a-student program, call 306-694-1289 or visit phoenix.htcsd. ca. Guests are always welcome to stop by the school to learn more.

The Phoenix Academy is located at 278 Fourth Avenue Northeast and is open Monday to Friday from 8:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A3

‘Nashville Christmas’ concert another impactful success for youth mental wellness

By Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Five internationally successful singer/ songwriters brought ‘A Nashville Christmas’ to the Mae Wilson Theatre on Dec. 7 and 8, and Jared Mathieson, co-founder of non-profit entertainment group River Street Promotions (RSP) and the event’s main organizer, said it was their best production yet.

The concert, which raised money for youth mental wellness in south Saskatchewan, featured Emily Shackelton, Sarah Darling, Jenn Bostic, Jonny Mo, and Lindsay Ell. Music industry veteran Joel Stewart was the host, and led audiences through stories, hit songs, songs that didn’t chart but that are still special, secrets of the industry — and, of course, how the singer/

(l-r) Jared Mathieson, Emily Shackelton, Jenn Bostic, Sarah Darling, Jonny Mo, Lindsay Ell, and Joel Stewart (courtesy Jared Mathieson)

Photos from A Nashville Christmas at the Mae Wilson, organized by River Street Promotions (photo by Josh Barbarin, courtesy Jared Mathieson)

songwriters themselves have coped with mental health challenges in their lives.

Each artist accompanied each of the others, with multi-instrumentalist Jonny Mo’s violin adding a lauded new layer.

In keeping with RSP’s mission, high school students from in and around Moose Jaw were treated to two exclusive shows at the Mae Wilson on Dec. 7, before the main concert event on Friday evening.

(Except for Lindsay Ell, who did not arrive until the Friday show.)

“So, Thursday morning, we had, I believe, 11 (rural) schools come in, from the Prairie South School Board and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division,” Mathieson said. “A lot of logistics, but the school boards were awesome and got them all here on time for a 90-minute show.

“The girls would play a round of songs, then Joel came out and asked (the artists) pre-submitted student questions.

And then a second round, and Jonny jumped in for a solo, followed by the girls, then another round of Joel Stewart questions, another round of songs, and it finished with a song that the girls wrote last spring when they knew they were coming to do this, and that was called, ‘Don’t Let

This World Break Your Heart’, which was kind of the theme for the week. ... And then they did the same show in the afternoon for local high schools.”

Many questions for the artists had to do with Nashville and the music industry in general, but most concerned the mental health journey every human being has to go through. It was an emotional experience as Shackelton, Darling, Bostic, and Mo shared personal stories and inspirations with the teens. Mathieson noted how impressed he was by the respect the high schoolers showed — they were quiet for the stories, enthusiastic for the songs, and asked good questions — and how power-

ful the event turned out to be.

‘Don’t Let This World Break Your Heart’ was an awesome custom surprise for the students, and was followed by another one: Nine local high school choir students came out the following afternoon and learned the song.

“The girls taught the choir ‘Don’t Let This World Break Your Heart’ and then we surprised the crowd with it right before intermission in the Friday night show,” Mathieson said. “It was a pretty special moment for the kids.”

This is the third year of this particular show. Since its founding, RSP has raised hundreds of thousands to establish the RSP Fund, which enables school in and around Moose Jaw to hold events, host resources, and work on infrastructure to build the mental wellness of staff, students, and families.

The Friday night included a live auction featuring some exclusive items.

“We had a Chicago Blackhawks jersey, so like a team-issued Conor Bedard jersey, and that sold for $6,000,” Mathieson said. “And then, Emily offered a home concert, and that went for $10,000, so she’ll be flying back thanks to WestJet, and we might even have two of those depending on logistics. That was pretty awesome.”

A complete total of funds raised will be announced in the New Year, probably coinciding with the release of the date and artist line-up for Homestand ‘24.

Learn more about the cause, the artists, and upcoming events at www.riverstreetpromotions.com.

Family Services’ Christmas hamper drive supported with $7,360 donation For Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Moose Jaw Family Services Inc. received a $7,360 cheque to support its Christmas Hamper Drive Dec. 15. The cheque came as the result of the Passport to Wellness fundraising initiative led

by WellnessNews Choices for Healthy Living Moose Jaw. The funds were donated through a collaboration between the two organizations and demonstrates the powerful impact of community engagement.

The donation helps ensure that families in need or facing challenges are supported during the holiday season.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the community of Moose Jaw for their generous support,” said Tara Jones, the executive director at Moose Jaw Family Services.

“We also want to acknowledge WellnessNews and their remarkable efforts. Your generosity makes a meaningful impact and empowers Moose Jaw Family Services to offer Christmas hampers that provide both physical nourishment and emotional support throughout the holiday season,” she said.

“We are genuinely moved by the generosity and compassion within our community.”

“It’s inspiring to witness the community rallying together to make a meaningful impact,” said Mark Tustin, the local publisher of WellnessNews. “We are honoured to support the community and give back through this initiative.”

Moose Jaw Family Services is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering individuals and families through the challenges some may face in life.

Moose Jaw Family Services Inc. is located at 200 Main Street South and can be reached at 306-694-8133.

Artwork by Kaylee Rees - Grade 7

Rejoicing in the miracle of Christ's birth, may your home be filled with love, your heart with faith, and your life with God's endless blessings.

Merry Christmas from the Board and Staff of Holy Trinity Catholic School Division “GOD HOLDS ALL CREATION IN HIS HANDS” – JOB 12:7-10

PAGE A4 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Editor’s Note

Well, this is it…the last week before the ‘Fat Man’ comes to town!

I hope everyone is as ready as they want to be, and I also hope commercialism hasn’t made every soul captive.

The most important and wonderful part of the holidays is getting togethJoan Ritchie er with family and reconEDITOR necting with friends who we don’t always have as much time to see as we would like to.

For those that have to spend a quieter Christmas because of isolation or being alone, I hope that someone in your life kindly remembers you and drops by to brighten up your day. Even a phone call would be gladly received, I’m sure.

This Christmas at the Ritchie house will be one of family festivities, as we will all be together in one place at one time – ten of us in total but four out of ten are seven or younger, so you can image the chaos. Throw in about four more extended family and the celebration begins.

Well, this year we already received a retro game of RISK in hopes of some interactive ‘world conquering’ board play. For those that don’t know; this game can ignite even the demurest person to become ruthless and aggressive, battling in the fight to conquer the world. It reminds me of the real world and all the fighting for control going on.

It’s not for the faint of heart! I know; more than 20 years ago dad was in the game with his two sons. At the time, in the wee hours of the morning after playing for most of the night, temperatures were rising and we decided then that it was time to cool off…no more RISK! I am hoping now, the years and cooler temperaments will ensue as the players use skill and tactics to overcome their adversaries. If not, the game will have to be tucked away again for another 20 years.

From our house to yours, wishing you times for treasured memories, lots of laughs to make your heart glad, joy to fill your soul and peace to reign above all.

Merry Christmas and all good wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

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

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

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

There shall be no reproduction without the express written consent of the publisher. All ads in the Moose Jaw Express are published in good faith without verification. The Moose Jaw Express reserves the right to refuse, classify, revise or censor any ads for any reason in its sole discretion. This paper may include inaccuracies or errors.

The Moose Jaw Express does not under any circumstances accept responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of any ads or messages in any of the publications editions. The Moose Jaw Express specifically disclaims all and any liability to advertisers and readers of any kind for loss or damage of any nature whatso-ever and however arising, whether due to inaccuracy, error, omission or any other cause.

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

Local businesses seeing ‘shop local’ support, slight uptick in average sales Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

As the Christmas season unfolds, Moose Jaw Express/ MooseJawToday.com has asked several small local businesses about the amount of support they’ve received this year.

Jessica Watson is the owner of With Intent Bodypiercing. “It’s a slow start, but things are picking up,” she said. “I think it’s because of the weather though. It doesn’t seem like Christmas – it’s gorgeous.”

“We’re very lucky to have the support of the community. We always brag about how good our customers are,” said Watson. “We support local, and we ask people to support local.” Some of her local recommendations include Mitny Refillery, 4 Plants Indoor Gardening Supply, and DDK Pets.

Laurie Hysuick is the owner of Mitny Refillery. She’s been in business for around six months and doesn’t have a year over year comparison. “I find (business) has been going good… I do have a great group of regulars that come in for the refills.”

“Even Purolator, those drivers (who I’ve spoken with), are saying that, for a couple years while there was COVID… it was online, online. (The drivers I spoke with) said this year volumes are down, and people are shopping more locally,” Hysuick said.

Danielle Mercer is a sales representative at Rings & Things. She said that, in her experience, business has remained steady from throughout the summer with a bit of a drop in the fall.

“Especially as Rings & Things features non-tar- the Christmas seanishing jewelry and many other son has picked up, options at 111 Main Street North. I’ve noticed a lot of Photo by: Aaron Walker people, even in my family… try and stay local before they head off to the malls in Regina and that,” said Mercer. “People try local first. That’s what I’ve found.”

John Iatridis is the owner of The Mad Greek restaurant. “(Business has) been good. We’re probably right around the same (volume), maybe even a little better (than this time last year),” he said. Starting in November, many local businesses reach out to The Mad Greek for catering, and this hasn’t changed.

Iatridis said he shops local to buy Christmas gifts for his staff. “If it can be bought in the city, we’ll buy it in the city,” he said. “I say it all the time – these are the same people you go and ask to sponsor your kid’s ball team, or whatever it might be.”

Rick Klein is the owner of Clothes Encounter. “Compared to most years, (this year) is a lot quieter than normal. We’re not sure if it’s the economy, weather, or whatever,” he said. “This A selection of merchandise has probably been… available at Clothes Encounter, the quietest I’ve seen including the trendy UGG foot- it in probably 40 years wear. Clothes Encounter is lo- of business.”

Klein said traffic cated at 237 Main Street North. picks up during downPhoto by: Aaron Walker

John Iatridis (left) with Melina Bathgate-Fulton (right) at The Mad Greek, located at 925 Main Street North. Photo by: Aaron Walker town events, but the trend is moving toward tourist shoppers. “We’ve seen a lot of traffic from that. I would rather see a few more locals in the mix.”

Several small, local businesses have reported a trend towards mutual support.

“A lot of the small businesses this year have seemed to be working together.

We’re having little contests (and) promoting each other. This is amazing because Laurie Hysuick is the owner of it hasn’t always been Mitny Refillery, located at 5 Man- that way,” said Gayitoba Street East. Photo by: Aaron le McNicol, Jessica Walker Watson’s mother. “…

You buy here, and you’ll save 10 per cent there, that sort of thing.”

A few local gift ideas include bath bombs and salts from With Intent Bodypiercing, custom bath soaks made in-house at Mitny Refillery, and non-tarnishing jewelry from Rings & Things.

“Anything that’s a pamper yourself gift is perfect, in my opinion,” Watson said.

Rings & Things stocks an assortment of clothing. “(Our) socks are super popular, super funny, and make great gifts,” Mercer said. UGGs Jessica Watson (left) with Gayle are a hot commodity McNicol (right) and Ella (centhis year, and Clothes tre) at With Intent BodypiercEncounter has been ing, located at 252 High Street proactive in keeping West. Photo by: Aaron Walker the hard-to-find product on the shelf. “It’s the hottest thing on the planet,” Klein said about the popular footwear.

A meal, gift certificate, or staff party is another great idea. Iatridis said some of the best-selling items on The Mad Greek’s menu include boneless dry ribs, pizzas, and chicken souvlaki.

“All these places (employ) people we know…,” Iatridis said. “I know it’s easy to get on your computer, but honestly that kills the Christmas spirit for me. Half the fun is going out and looking for stuff…”

Legendary country music artist Clint Black to perform in Moose Jaw Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Phone: 306.694.1322 Fax: 888.241.5291 468 High St. W., Moose Jaw SK S6H 1T3 www.mjvexpress.com

Publisher: Robert Ritchie - rob@mjvexpress.com Editor: Joan Ritchie - jritchie@moosejawtoday.com Sales: Wanda Hallborg - mjexpress7@sasktel.net Gladys Baigent-Therens - gbaigenttherens@moosejawtoday.com Kevin Ogle - kogle@moosejawtoday.com Thank you to all the contributing writers, without your time and support, the paper would not look the same.

Send your stories, events and pictures to: jritchie@moosejawtoday.com

Joan Ritchie Jason G. Antonio Joyce Walter Aaron Walker Ron Walter John Kreutzwieser

Gordon Edgar Randy Palmer

One of the most successful singer/songwriters of the modern era is going to be stopping at the Moose Jaw Events Centre next year.

Legendary country music artist Clint Black will perform for one day only on June 26, 2024, during his upcoming ‘Killin’ Time – The 35th Anniversary World Tour.’

For the first time ever, Black will perform his landmark debut album, Killin’ Time, live from start to finish in concert.

Rolling Stone magazine has named Killin’ Time one of the most important albums in the history of the country music genre.

Following the release of his debut album, Black’s second album, Put Yourself in My Shoes, went triple platinum. Throughout the 90s, Black won several gold and platinum albums and co-wrote every one of his chart hits, including ‘A Better Man’ and ‘Where are You Now.’

Several classic hits from across Black’s discography will also be included in the concert.

During his career, Black has sold more than 20 million records, landed almost two dozen major awards and nominations, and produced 22 number one singles.

Starting at $35 plus tax, tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., and can be purchased online at SaskTix.ca.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A5

Proudly Independent.

Locally Owned and Operated.

268 Mulberry Lane, Moose Jaw SK 306-693-4550

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season

Never lose hope: Gus Carrasco’s Street Gospel is helping the homeless find purpose Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Issues of addictions and homelessness remain in Moose Jaw. Sometimes it takes the right person with firsthand knowledge on both sides of the issue to find solutions.

Gus Carrasco could be that person.

He went from a life of drug addiction to this being his third consecutive year staying clean.

Carrasco found a support system he calls his pillars, and he found his calling – to pay it forward and help others find hope as he has. By providing a living example of what someone on the street can achieve and mentoring those who are ready, Carrasco is starting a movement.

He calls his movement ‘Gus’s Street Gospel.’

Before moving to Moose Jaw, Carrasco started to experience lower back pain and involuntary shaking. In November 2020, with all the walk-in clinics in Saskatoon closed, he was admitted to the hospital.

“That was God’s intervention man,” he said, “because I ended up in the hospital and I never left for three weeks. If I had gone to a walk-in clinic, they would have just given me something for the pain.

I would have been gone,” Carrasco said.

Carrasco found himself in the cardiac unit and almost suffered a heart attack.

The doctor’s prognosis on the following day gave him a fifty-fifty chance of sur-

vival.

“All I said was, ‘God, this is not my time. Please don’t take me now.’”

Now in his 50s, Carrasco can’t work for more than a few consecutive hours due to cardio myopathy, a heart condition resulting from his former crack cocaine use.

His medication limits his options further.

Still, each morning he runs as far as he can to build the strength in his heart back. “…I made a commitment,” he said.

Carrasco said many on the streets are trapped and reinforced by a daily routine involving the same people, the same environment, and the same negative habits.

“Our goal is to get high, and just to be around the same people who are the same as us… and that’s why we are where we are. But how do we get out of that rut?” “(The homeless) already think they’re losers, and society keeps pushing them down,” said Carrasco. “They say… you’re never going to make it. But somebody told me once, I believe in you, Gus. I remember crying…”

With a support system in place, Carrasco now has food to prepare meals and a van to deliver them. This created what Pastor Larry Gerow from Victory Church described as a prosperity test, as Carrasco was under no obligation to continue helping others.

“The Bible says, ‘the tempter is go-

routine sandwiches. He can’t explain why, but he announced, “You can get your sandwiches from me this afternoon.

“That’s when I said I need to do something with my life; I need to have a purpose and meaning. I knew I was on fire – I had to go out there and do something and be proactive.

“The Gospel is just good news. The good news is you don’t have to suffer unnecessarily,” said Carrasco. “We’re building a healthier, stronger community. We’re helping people get better, get stronger, and they become fruitful, useful.

“I see the potential in you,” he will say to people who likely haven’t heard the words before. “You get them to think.

“Once they start to see good, they want it. But put two toxic people together – where’s the hope there?”

His advice is to take up new habits: start exercising, seek education, or volunteer your time. “The best part… is how you start liking yourself and who you are,” he said. “Just pause, stand in front of the mirror, and look at yourself. Do you think you deserve that, or do you think you deserve better?”

The best way to help Carrasco is by donating gas money so he can continue his work. His number is 306-370-0260 and his Facebook page is ‘Gus’s street gospel.’

“That’s when I said I need to do something with my life; I need to have a purpose and meaning. I knew I was on fire – I had to go out there and do something and be proactive,” Carrasco said. Photo by: Facebook/Gus’s street gospel ing to try’,” said Carrasco. “The Scripture (also) says to take up the cross and deny yourself. That morning, I said, ‘what do I do?’”

He then walked to St. Aiden Anglican Church and found people waiting for their

Prairie Skies Integration Network helps facilitate newcomer inclusion Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Multicultural week in Saskatchewan ran Nov. 16 – 24 this year, and one local organization deserving of recognition is the Prairie Skies Integration Network.

“We operate in the whole region around Moose Jaw. We work by bringing everyone together to support our region and get communities to be more welcoming and responsive toward the needs of newcomers,” said Dalise Hector, the network’s project manager.

As one of around 80 Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP) across Canada, Prairie Skies brings several individual organizations together to form a partnership and to work in unison for common goals.

To ensure newcomer voices are heard, the organization partners directly with these new members of the community.

“By placing newcomer voices front and centre, we know what the actual challenges are, so we’re not addressing the wrong things. We hear what’s really needed, and we hear that with more granular detail. When change is made, hopefully it’s a more targeted change,” she said.

The value of the organization’s work is in the co-ordination effort. “If every organization is working in a silo, and the left hand doesn’t really know what the right hand is doing, it’s really hard to make that kind of policy or systemic change, but it’s needed,” said Hector.

One important element at Prairie Skies is the newcomer advisory council.

“This is a group of newcomers who provide insight into the work that we’re doing and should be doing,” Hector said.

“We’re here to impact their lives… so it’s critical to know what their experiences are like in our communities and in our region,” she said.

“Our vision is a vibrant community through co-ordinated community newcomer integration,” said Dalise Hector.

Photo by: Facebook/Prairie Skies Integration Network The advisory council has around 15 members, but these numbers do fluctuate. Several open-house events take place throughout the year, allowing anyone new to the community a chance to address the challenges and opportunities they are facing.

Working within the community, Prairie Skies has a few groups operating from the bottom up, which compliments the organization’s primary focus – addressing policy from the top down.

These groups include MJ RADAR (Moose Jaw Residents Against Discrimination and Racism), a regional co-operation working group, a group focused on employment and economic inclusivity, and a research group.

“These groups will change and grow over time as we focus on different priorities,” Hector explained.

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, Prairie Skies will be planning a march against racism, with March 21, 2024 to be the second such event.

Hector said the organization’s work is well-received, although there’s some frustration with how slow systemic change can be to implement.

“With things like the housing situation, (policy) doesn’t change overnight, and people’s lives are being impacted by that throughout the whole community.

“There’s a lot of gratitude to be working together, and to be heard and understood,” she added.

Starting in July 2018 and officially launched in Moose Jaw on Aug. 25, 2021, Prairie Skies is overseen by a partnership council comprising several organizations including the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the City of Moose Jaw. Moose Jaw Multicultural Council is

a contribution agreement holder, meaning they have fiscal responsibility for Prairie Skies’ projects, but only share a limited role in co-designing projects.

Prairie Skies’ top-down strategic planning looks at housing, employment, access to information, and community support, among other areas.

“Our vision is a vibrant community through co-ordinated community newcomer integration,” said Hector.

For more information, visit psinetwork.ca, or the Facebook page at ‘Prairie Skies Integration Network - Moose Jaw Region’s LIP.’ Prairie Skies Integration Network is located at 432 Main Street North and can be reached at 306-690-2324.

E-Z-TECH

COMPUTERS INC.

368 High ST W

LAPTOPS • SYSTEM UPGRADES CUSTOM SYSTEMS

CHRISTMAS

cOMPUTER clean up

special

75

$

full system clean up with 1 year of kaspersky av

plus taxes

Call 306.692.8324 to book your unit in.

PAGE A6 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

That big bird moves aside for turkey parts

If a full turkey is too large for a small gathering, one could purchase a variety of turkey parts or ask for a turkey breast, with the bone in and start a new tradition for the Christmas meal. Turkey parts work well when cooking for two or three diners.

This week’s recipes offer ideas for preparing a less-traditional but still tasty Christmas dinner. Add a favourite dessert and have some sugar cookies, shortbread and Christmas oranges available for after-dinner snacking.

••• ROAST TURKEY BREAST 1 skinless turkey breast, bone in, about 3 lbs.

2 garlic cloves, cut in slivers 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 3 tbsps. honey 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. pepper salt to taste Make small slits in top of turkey breast and insert garlic slivers.

In small bowl, combine honey, mustard, oil, lemon juice, rosemary and pepper. Brush mixture

over turkey breast. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Place turkey breast in a baking dish, meaty side up. Roast in preheated 350 degrees F for 4560 minutes. Baste every 10-15 minutes until done.

Remove from oven, let sit 10 minutes and then carve meat off the bone on the diagonal.

Store leftovers in refrigerator. Use in sandwiches with cranberry-ginger sauce, in soups, casseroles or in a stir-fry.

••• CRANBERRY-GINGER SAUCE 3/4 lb. fresh cranberries 1 cup orange juice 1 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger root Place all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cranberries will pop open and mixture will thicken. Makes about 2 cups. Cool and store in refrigerator.

••• OUTSIDE STUFFING 10 cups dry bread cubes 2-3 medium onions, chopped into small pieces

3 celery stalks, diced into small pieces 1 pkg. white button mushrooms, chopped into small pieces 1 tbsp. dried thyme 1 tbsp. dried sage 1 tbsp. dried rosemary 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 cups, more or less, chicken broth salt and pepper to taste Melt butter in a saucepan, then cook onion, celery, mushrooms and herbs on medium low, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, but not browned. This takes about 10 minutes.

Place bread in a large casserole or roaster.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked vegetables and then broth. Mix just until bread cubes are moist.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and taste as it cooks. Adjust spices to taste. Be careful the mixture doesn’t burn or stick to bottom of pan.

Keep warm until time to serve. Store leftovers in refrigerator or freeze for future use.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel. net

CEBA loan holders should be aware of repayment and forgiveness deadlines MooseJawToday.com Staff - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Businesses that received the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan of to $60,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits across the country to help them get weather the pandemic — Those loans are coming due, and deadline awareness is essential.

According to the official Government of Canada CEBA website at ceba-cuec.ca, all program eligibility determinations, application outcomes, and repayment deadlines are now final and cannot be changed.

There are no exceptions and no institutions authorized to make exceptions.

Nearly $30,000 Saskatchewan small businesses and not-for-profits received CEBA loans, totaling about $1.6 billion.

When is the CEBA loan due?

Dec. 31, 2023 is the deadline for full loan repayment for businesses which are not eligible for loan forgiveness, which would have been confirmed with the lending body.

However, as of September 14, 2023, the repayment deadline for eligible CEBA loan holders to qualify for partial loan forgiveness was extended to January 18, 2024. For eligible CEBA loan holders in good standing, repaying the balance of the loan on or before January 18, 2024 will result in loan forgiveness of up to 33 percent (up to $20,000).

CEBA loan holders that submit a refinancing loan application to the financial

This chart from the official Government of Canada CEBA website shows nearly 30,000 Saskatchewan businesses received CEBA loans, about $1.6 billion in total (https://ceba-cuec.ca/)

institution that provided their CEBA loan

by January 18, 2024, but require a grace period in order to finalize the payout of their CEBA loan, can still qualify for partial loan forgiveness if the outstanding principal of their CEBA loan, other than the amount of potential debt forgiveness, is repaid by March 28, 2024.

Full details are available on the Government of Canada’s CEBA page, including a complete FAQ page with detailed answers and examples for specific questions.

Nearly 900,000 organizations across the country received the loan — total funding including subsequent expansions was $49.2 billion.

Provincial Court Report Convicted drug trafficker to spend nearly two years in jail Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

A judge has sentenced Wyatt Dickson to nearly five years in jail for possessing and trafficking drugs, but he’ll spend less than half that behind bars because of his time already served.

Wyatt, 26, from Swift Current, appeared by phone recently in Moose Jaw Provincial Court and pleaded guilty to: · Possessing meth for trafficking purposes (twice) · Possession of fentanyl · Carrying a concealed weapon (switchblade) · Possessing a prohibited weapon (ammunition) · Possessing a firearm while prohibited from doing so The Crown stayed several other charges.

As part of a joint submission, Dickson received 24

­

months of jail for the Moose Jaw charge of possessing meth for trafficking purposes and 30 months on top of that for the same charge from Swift Current, for 1,620 total days of jail, or 4.5 years.

However, because he spent 275 actual days on remand for the Moose Jaw charges, the court gave him enhanced credit of 412 days, and because he spent 358 actual days on remand for the Swift Current offences, the court credited him with 537 days served, for a total of 949 enhanced days.

Therefore, this leaves him with 671 actual days left to serve, or just under two years.

The court put Dickson on a firearms-related prohibition order in April 2017, but on Jan. 3, 2022, he broke that restriction, explained Suzanne Young, the federal Crown prosecutor.

Moose Jaw police found Dickson and a friend passed out in a running vehicle in the Pizza Hut parking lot, she continued. Officers arrested him for breaching the firearms prohibition order after finding the switchblade knife on him.

Officers also discovered methamphetamine totalling 134 grams, fentanyl totalling 3.9 grams and another substance weighing 2.9 grams. Other items included weigh scales, seven cellphones, a box of .22-calibre ammunition, a box of shotgun shells and a machete.

His Swift Current charges occurred in 2022 after police there opened an investigation into him possibly trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and meth, the prosecutor continued. They surveilled him three times in December at his motel room and noticed people visiting him often.

Police acquired a search warrant and arrested Dick-

son and another person in the motel room. There they discovered small bags of crack cocaine, knives, brass knuckles, weigh scales ammunition, money, bags and vials of meth, and small rubber containers with fentanyl, crack and unknown pills.

In total, there were 7.56 grams of meth, 1.15 grams of fentanyl, 1.79 grams of crack cocaine, and $1,325 in cash. Officers also found government-issued safer crystal meth smoking kits.

There are several aggravating factors to this case, including Dickson’s criminal record, the presence of weapons, the fact he was on a release order and that he possessed controlled substances, said Young. The courts have recognized that fentanyl poses a big problem to every Canadian community.

Dickson is homeless and was living out of his vehicle when Moose Jaw police found him under the influence — he’s had an addiction since age 15 — and arrested him, said defence lawyer Estes Fonkalsrud.

He has spent all his pandemic benefits on illegal substances, while he even sold most of his possessions to purchase drugs. He had planned to sell his car in Swift Current to buy more since he had run out.

In some of these trafficking situations, Dickson was providing his friends with small amounts so they could use drugs together.

“He was living a very unfortunate life at the time … with a drug addiction that was out of control,” Fonksalrud said, adding his client plans to pursue addiction programming and learn a trade when he’s released.

Judge David Chow accepted the joint submission and agreed to waive the victim surcharge.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A7

By Patricia Hanbidge

Ode to the Poinsettia – Part I As the holiday season approaches, the garden centres and other retail outlets are ablaze with holiday plants.

The most traditional holiday plant is of course the poinsettia. It is simply amazing to see these plants we associate with Christmas merrily blooming in climates known for their sand and sun. In their natural form they are a large, leggy shrub that is adorned with the lovely red “blooms” on the ends of the branches.

The Christmas poinsettia is a member of the large group of plants known as Euphorbias. The group displays extreme variability in growth habit, from succulent types so cactus-like in appearance that one member of the group was given the botanical name Euphorbia pseudocactus to leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) which is considered a noxious weed. However, the Christmas poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is the most famous member of this diverse group of relatives. The species name pulcherrima means “most beautiful” and market

sales support that we as consumers agree. Poinsettias say Christmas everywhere and 70% of the poinsettias grown are sold in regions that never get snow.

Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America. Although red is still the best-selling poinsettia, plant breeders have produced many different cultivars that are a variety of shapes and colours. Joel R. Poinsett is the man given credit for introducing this plant into the United States when he was the first ambassador to Mexico from 1825 to 1829. As he was a scientist and a botanist, he noticed these shrubs growing wild in the hills around Taxco and sent a few of these plants home to South Carolina for his personal collection. He began propagating them in his greenhouse and giving them to friends and to botanical gardens. It was only a few years later that poinsettias were being sold at Christmas time in and around New York and Philadelphia. It is the Ecke family whose name is most often associated with growing poinsettias as they did much selection and breeding work to produce smaller plants that were longer-lasting and vigorous in growth. The ‘Oak Leaf’ cultivar was the first of the poinsettias to retain some of its leaves while

in bloom as earlier cultivars would have colourful bracts on leggy, leafless stems. Since the 1960’s most of our poinsettias are hybrids and the result of even more improved selections.

The common feature linking all these plants together is their very distinct flowers. The red “flowers” of a poinsettia plant are not actually flowers at all, but merely bright red leaves arranged in star-like clusters at the ends of the branches. The bright bracts are designed to draw pollinating insects toward the inconspicuous but true flowers of yellowish hue in their centre. The word “bract” is a botanical term for any leaf that has lost its normal photosynthetic role to take on a more specialised role. If you observe any poinsettia “flower” carefully, you’ll find at least a couple of leaves that are partially green and partially coloured. These were caught midway when the plant switched into “flowering mode” and began changing new developing leaves into coloured bracts. A short-day plant, poinsettias initiate flowering after exposure to an eight-week period where nights are at least 14 hours long. Commercial growers bringing them into flower for Christmas are therefore careful to assure the plants experience nights of at least this length.

This Ode to the Poinsettia will continue for two more pieces that are devoted to this amazing plant. We hope that you are enjoying a poinsettia in your home and that perhaps you will gift a plant to some of the special people in your life.

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?

Central students donate $600 in support of Free to Be Me Animal Sanctuary Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Free to Be Me Animal Sanctuary is located just west of Moose Jaw and provides a safe, loving home for over 50 animals who have been abused, rescued, or surrendered to the shelter. The sanctuary operates on volunteer assistance and donations. On Dec. 8, a $600 cheque was donated by students at Central Collegiate under the guidance of Ray Rawlyk, a teacher at the school.

“This is really important, because these guys don’t get any funding other than what we’re doing. Especially for something like Free to Be Me, they make minimal amounts for their chores. It’s nice to raise the awareness so maybe some other groups can help the donation process for them,” Rawlyk said.

To raise funds, Rawlyk has an unconventional approach. “I get on the school intercom, and I plead,” he said.

The method has proven successful over the past nine or so years, and Rawlyk said he usually raises around $2,000 each year. These funds come in as students bring small cash donations to his office, and tips raised by the school’s canteen are included in the total thanks to the help of Cori Hill at the school’s concession.

“The kids get to hear their name if they donate anything over the school

intercom, and the kids get a kick out of that,” he said.

The first donation in this year’s campaign was Free to Be Me. Following this, SCRAPS and then Running Wild Rescue will receive donations after each respective campaign has taken place. If possible, Rawlyk said the Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre could be next on the list.

“We try to raise money for all of the animal rescues that aren’t subsidized,” explained Rawlyk.

Louanne Shropshire, the owner of Free to Be Me, said she’s very happy to re-

One of the ostriches currently residing at Free to Be Me Animal Sanctuary.

Photo by: Facebook/Central Collegiate Institute

KIDS HELP PHONE All Ages Welcomed

year it seems the bails are going up and up (in cost).”

Rawlyk said he’s impressed by the work done at the sanctuary. “I have no idea how they do what they do. I’m in utter awe,” he said. “It’s like their whole life is utterly devoted to these animals that haven’t been cared for and they just take them in. I mean, two ostriches in Saskatchewan – come on.

“If I won the lottery, they would be in my top five list to pay,” he said.

“A lot of this isn’t so much the money… but what we’re trying to do is raise an awareness in the young people… so they’re aware that these places exist and that they’re all run by volunteers. They The $600 donation was received by have no other means of supporting what Louanne Shropshire (left) on Dec. 8. they do, except for donations,” Rawlyk Ray Rawlyk is on the right. Photo by: explained.

Ray Rawlyk “I’ve done this for about 10 years now, so hopefully the word has gotten ceive the support. “It means a lot. It means around Moose Jaw as (these students) get everything to us.” older. That’s a priority and a mission for She has to make sure she can provide me. for the animals currently residing in the “(Students learn to) become a part shelter. “Oh, my goodness. It has been a of the fabric of the community in a good rough couple of years,” Shropshire said. way,” Rawlyk said.

“We’re going to put (the proceeds) toFree to Be Me Animal Sanctuary can wards hay we’re buying for the animals. be reached at 306-684-2231.

The bails are so expensive now. Every

SPECIALS

Call a counsellor 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868

Kids Help Phone is always there for you. No matter what you want to talk about, we’re here to listen. No judgment, totally private, 24/7.

SAVE up to $10 Kiwi Kitchens Freeze Dried Raw and Gently Air Dried Dog Food SAVE $5 on 15oz or 17.5 oz bags SAVE $10 on 2lb-2.2 lb bags

SAVE $1.50 Inaba Juicy Bites Cat Treats

• Fri, Dec 22 • Mon, Dec 25 • Fri, Dec 29 • Mon, Jan 1 • Sat, Jan 13

- Dispersals, Bred Heifers/Cows - Merry Christmas - Dispersals, Bred Heifers/Cows - Happy New Year - Claffy Dispersals (300 head)

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

Sale $4.69 12 oz bags

Sale starts December 25th ends January 24th, 2024

1251 Main Street

(306) 691-0495

In Business since 1968!

PAGE A8 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

YOUNG & YOUNG AUTOMOTIVE

CE N T R E Moose Jaw

Expanded to 10 bays

OLLISION SENT US ANOTHER THANK YOU CARD!

Don’t let Wild Life get your ride bent out of shape...

Call 693-DENT to get it looking like new again!

COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE & MAINTENANCE

All Workmanship Guaranteed!

Journeyman Staffed!

All Makes and Models!

• MUFFLERS • BRAKES • FRONT ENDS • SHOCKS/STRUTS • OIL CHANGES • WHEEL ALIGNMENTS • CUSTOM EXHAUST • DIESEL & GAS • TIRES • ENGINE & ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSTICS • PERFORMANCE PARTS • ENGINE REBUILDING • AIR CONDITIONING

BOOK ONLINE MJMINUTE.CA OR TEXT 306-691-0667/306-631-4376

175 & 180 2nd Ave NW 306-693-1288

48-5TH AVE NE

Just off Manitoba Expressway 306-693-DENT (3368) • mjcollision@sasktel.net

Reflective Moments

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

By Joyce Walter - Moose Jaw Express

James the Grinchy scammer loses Christmas battle It was a month before Christmas and all through the house computers were quiet, not even moved by a hard-working mouse.

The laptop screen said to call James to get me back and working online, I grumbled, called him some names, wishing the police could give him a fine.

To make matters worse, a few days later, the friendly credit card man called to tell me that all my plans for Christmas shopping were suddenly stalled.

But determined that this Grinchy James would not keep us in a funk I went to the Christmas boxes and sorted through stuff some would call junk.

I found boxes of cards that said “Christmas,” some ribbons and bows, Gifts bought last year, now I wonder to whom those were supposed to go?

Gradually the Christmas season began to permeate this old house as we vowed and swore not to give in to James, the festive-stealing louse.

To get the computers working, all it took was a call to our IT man Brett who worked his magic, all foreign to us, but when he left we were all re-set.

Housemate could now produce our annual cheery Christmas letter, in it expressing the hope that next year our tech-savviness would be better.

As November ended and December took over the calendar page it became evident there were too many events for people our age.

But somehow we attended quite a few and the days seemed to fly by bringing us to a few days before anticipated visits from the family’s small fry.

There will be singing and laughter and maybe a slice of turkey or ham, all sorts of frivolity to take our minds off that pre-Christmas computer scam.

We will think good thoughts, sending Christmas wishes there and here, Merry Christmas to one and all, wishing dear readers, a day of good cheer.

••• With only a few days remaining until Christmas Day, there is still much to do and think about before that day arrives: Will everyone be satisfied with this year’s choices of presents and how will they hide their disappointment if we missed the mark in our selections? Should we rush out and try to find something different and then second guess ourselves about the alternative choice?

Will there be enough baking to share among family members, bearing in mind most don’t like Christmas cake so cookies and slices will have to be substituted to make the plates look equal.

Did shaking the dust out of last year’s Christmas wreath make it look just like brand new or should I make a run to the store to buy a new one? And will anyone really notice the difference, or care?

The Christmas CDs have been brought out and at intervals are played again and again, and once more just in case a favourite song was missed in the sequence.

It is such fun waiting for Housemate

to return from his trips to the postal box around the corner. Did so-and-so send us a card this year or did one more of our friends reduce their list, knocking us to the dust. There’s still a bit of room on the card lines strung across the back of the cupboards. Maybe I should have saved some from last year to fill in the empty spots! It is so nice to receive cards and letters from friends and family we don’t see very often. And we appreciate the cards from everyone we see regularly as well.

The Christmas nativity scene at the church across the street is in its regular place, awaiting the placement of the doll representing the Christ Child. The star shines brightly atop the stable and gives a warm feeling when we look out the window and see it glowing in the darkness of the late evening and early morning.

And so, the days will pass and it will be time to join with others in expressing the very best wishes for a Merry Christmas.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

Community ‘changemakers’ gather at Events Centre to discuss poverty, crime, housing Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

More than 70 local changemakers and stakeholders gathered at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on Dec. 15 for a full morning’s discussion on addressing critical issues such as poverty, substance abuse, crime, violence, homelessness, and more.

Attendees included Clive Tolley, mayor of Moose Jaw; Maryse Carmichael, the city manager; Tim McLeod, MLA for Moose Jaw North and the provincial cabinet minister for Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors, and Rural and Remote Health; Rick Johns, deputy chief of the Moose Jaw Police Service; Corey McNeice, operations manager for Moose Jaw and District EMS; Jody Oakes, director of the Moose Jaw John Howard Society.

Many more groups attended, representing social services, the Moose Jaw Public Library, Wakamow Aboriginal Community Association, numerous downtown businesses and not-for-profits, and several individuals with lived experience.

The event, named the ‘Community Caring Strategy, was jointly facilitated by Geoff Anderson from the Moose Jaw Co-op and Cheantelle Fisher from the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank. Anderson and Fisher wanted the meeting to result in tangible, specific goals, and led group discussions to brainstorm solutions, identify barriers, and raise awareness of the root causes of social issues.

“Change is needed in Moose Jaw; we have a lot of people suffering, and I think the entire community is suffering,” Anderson said after the meeting. In addition to his role at the Co-op, Anderson serves on the Transition House board, and as chair of the Downtown Moose Jaw Association. He’s hoping his example will encourage other business leaders to step out of their bubbles and become involved in driving positive change in the city.

“I was very excited to meet with everybody in the community who considers this an extremely important cause,” he said. “I felt we had real changemakers in the room here today, I thought that everyone spoke with empathy, and we explored ideas to change.

“This is just the first step, we have now developed an advisory committee that will be working to help support this community through tangible actions with quarterly

meetings, and reporting back to the individuals in this room on progress. That’s a key first step, but now we have to execute a strategic plan to help our community heal.”

“I think it’s amazing that we have over 70 people here today, and that shows how amazing this community is. We all came together with a common goal to do something to help,” said Jody Oakes.

Oakes, through her role at the John Howard Society, spends every day helping the least-fortunate of Moose Jaw’s residents. She noted that she and her staff are expecting around 100 or more individuals at their upcoming Christmas lunch for the unhoused, and said many Moose Javians just don’t know how many people are on the street struggling with food, shelter, and general poverty.

“I don’t think this is a Moose Jaw thing. Everybody is struggling, we just have such a passionate community and such a caring community, that these things get talked about more and aren’t as hidden. ... Really, I’m hearing people talk about awareness. Cannot have enough awareness, there were things talked about that some people just didn’t know, and people weren’t aware of some of the things in our community, but the more conversations like these we can have, the better.”

Asked about the Sask Party government’s work to address social issues, Minister McLeod told the Moose Jaw Express that social assistance programs are systems

of last resort. He said his government’s priority is to move people off of those systems so they can be productive and healthy on their own.

McLeod pointed out that as part of his government’s new approach to homelessness, they will create 155 new supportive housing spaces, 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces, and 30 new complex needs emergency shelter spaces, as well as five hundred new addictions treatment spaces across the province.

McLeod also recalled last year’s affordability payments, when the provincial government sent $500 cheques to approximately 900,000 residents 18 and older who had filed a tax return in 2021, around $450 million in total.

“I was happy to be here to participate, to listen to the concerns of the community as the representative for Moose Jaw North, and certainly a crucial part of my role is hearing from the community members,” McLeod said.

“It was also a great opportunity to listen to the ideas that come from a grassroots level and take those back to my colleagues in Regina, and compare those to the information that they’re receiving across the province, and see what we can do from a provincial approach to address these issues.”

Steven Krupski is a Food Bank user who heard about the meeting while he was there and offered to attend to share lived experience. More than anything, Krupski said, he wants to see more awareness of how many people in Moose Jaw are hungry all the time, but also in the other direction — he thinks people on the front lines should also know that there are people trying to help them.

“The numbers don’t lie and there are a lot of people suffering,” he said. “I thought everybody worked together very well today, and the questions were on topic. I thought the whole meeting was well prepared. ... I would like to see more community awareness, like on the individual and household level, I think that’s very important.

“They’ve got good ideas, and there’s a committee they’re going to be starting, so we’re gonna see some action. I would just like to see some results, you know?

Don’t just talk about it, be about it.”

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A9

SERVICES • • • •

ANY YEAR, ANY MAKE, ANY MODEL WE CAN HELP! 470 River Street West, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 6J6 Phone: 306-692-1115 | Fax: 306-691-5122

www.ricsradiator.com REPORT from the Legislature

Moose Jaw North MLA

Tim McLeod The fall sitting of the Legislature is now complete and our government was able to move forward on several efforts to build and protect Saskatchewan’s families, economy, industries and interests.

Saskatchewan is growing at its fastest pace in more than a century, and our government is committed to building and protecting it for generations to come. With nation-leading economic growth, strong job creation and maintaining our reputation as the most affordable place to live in Canada, Saskatchewan is showing no signs of slowing down.

During this fall sitting, the Legislative Assembly unanimously passed The SaskEnergy (Carbon Tax Fairness for Families) Amendment Act. This legislation builds on our government’s previous announcement that SaskEnergy will stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas bills for residential customers. To ensure fairness for families, our government also recently announced SaskPower will stop collecting the federal carbon tax on electrical home heating.

These decisions come in response to the federal government’s removal of the carbon tax from home heating oil earlier this fall. Our government’s policies will help protect Saskatchewan families from the harmful impacts of the federal government’s unfair and unaffordable carbon tax. While we continue to call on the federal government to remove the carbon tax on everything for every-

• • • • •

Sales and Repairs Recores of Radiators Charge Air Coolers Custom Radiator and Charge Air Cooler Builds Heater Cores Repaired or Recored Hydraulics and Transmission Oil Coolers Repaired or Recored Fuel Tanks and Accessories Cleaning and Lining of Fuel Tanks Sales and Repairs of Condensers Fuel Tank Steam Out and Repair or Custom Build Welding of Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel

one, Saskatchewan now have measures in place to ensure affordability for families to heat their homes this winter.

To further assist families with affordability, a new employment incentive introduced by our government will make life more affordable for working families with low incomes. To assist with the affordability and availability of housing, a new Provincial Sales Tax Rebate for New Home Construction and Secondary Suite Incentive were created. These programs will provide up to 42 per cent of PST paid on a newly constructed home, and 35 per cent of the cost to build a secondary suite within the owners’ primary residence.

During this session, our government also focused on assisting Saskatchewan’s most vulnerable. A new provincial approach to homelessness will create 155 new supportive housing spaces, 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces, and 30 new complex needs emergency shelter spaces. Five hundred new addictions treatment spaces, along with a new central intake system, were allocated to help those struggling with addictions to be able to access treatment.

In our health care system, significant progress is being made to address staffing challenges and ensure people have access to the health care they need. The Saskatchewan Health Authority has hired 877 new nursing graduates since December 2022 and nearly 80 applications have been approved for the enhanced Rural Physician Incentive Program. From April 1 to September 30, Saskatchewan’s surgical system performed 47,748 procedures, the most ever recorded for the first six months of the year.

To ensure patients have access to urgent breast cancer diagnostic procedures, while ongoing work continues to improve current service levels closer to home, patients on an urgent wait list will now be able to receive procedures out-of-province at a private medical facility in Calgary.

Our government continues to support students pursuing careers in health care with several programs and initiatives. The Student Loan Forgiveness Program for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners for rural and remote communities is being expanded to five additional mid-sized

INSTOCK

IN CAB FUEL TANKS AND FUEL SENDING UNITS FOR: 1949-1972 CHEVY TRUCKS 1948-1977 FORD TRUCKS

communities to help retain graduates to stay and work in Saskatchewan, and a new physician assistant training program was announced to train physician assistants. These investments in our health care system are key to not only strengthening the system, but also ensuring that Saskatchewan people can receive the care they need.

In education, a new Provincial Education Plan was released to guide the sector’s work. Mandatory holocaust education was announced and will become a provincial graduation requirement. A new K-12 school was opened in Blaine Lake, a new joint-use school was opened in Regina, and ground was officially broken on another new joint-use school in Regina, as well as several other ongoing renovations and new school projects across the province.

These investments are made possible by our strong and growing provincial economy. Saskatchewan has recently seen nation-leading GDP growth of 6.0 per cent, retail trade up 3.0 per cent year-over-year, the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 5.1 per cent, and an increase of 19,300 jobs over last year. Mining world leader BHP recently announced a $6.4 billion investment in stage two of the Jansen potash project; with a total investment of nearly $15 billion, this project is the largest private sector investment in Saskatchewan’s history.

To maintain this momentum, Premier Scott Moe has led a delegation to the Council of Parties COP28 conference in Dubai. Joined by over 55 companies and organizations, the delegation is sharing Saskatchewan’s story on sustainability, innovations in environmental stewardship, and most importantly, how Saskatchewan has the food, fuel, fertilizer, and critical minerals to supply a growing world.

With the fall session now complete, I will be back at events and gatherings in the constituency and look forward to connecting with constituents. As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, you are welcome to reach out to my constituency office at 306-6928884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.

Targeted grazing can lower costs, reduce herbicide use for agriculture producers Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Targeted grazing is a practice where select livestock species are used to control the spread of unwanted vegetation such as noxious weeds or woody plants. With animal species such as sheep and goats, farmers can control vegetation while reducing the need for chemical herbicides, and government assistance may be available for some producers.

Targeted grazing adds another tool to the weed control toolbox that includes mechanical, chemical, and biological measures, along with controlled burns. The practice gives the option to implement a chemical-free approach to control vegetation when herbicide applications are environmentally unfeasible, a large infestation is too expensive to treat, or the area is inaccessible.

The aim is to reduce the competitive advantage of targeted plant species. Small ruminants such as sheep and goats can effectively suppress wide infestations, while at the same time being selective in their grazing choices.

Recently, there has been a reported increase in the number of Saskatchewan-based producers expressing an interest in using targeted grazing to control weed species and the encroachment of shrubs in select areas.

“Targeted grazing may not be suited to every situation, making an annual plan for management and returning to the location for monitoring very important,” noted Kaitlin Burns, an agri-environmental specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Suitable livestock species are divided into three categories: bulk feeders, selective feeders, and intermediate feeders.

Bulk feeders such as cattle, horses, and bison prefer grass-based diets, flatter terrain close to water, and are less selective in their diet. Selective feeders such as goats prefer broad-leaved plants and shrubs, steeper terrain, and are less susceptible to toxins. Intermediate feeders such as sheep will eat grass, broad-leaved plants, and shrubs.

All managerial actions come with associated costs.

These expenses are influenced by the approach being

Targeted grazing can help reduce the need for chemical weed-control measures, and government funding may be available for producers. Photo by: Saskatchewan Agriculture used, specific products in use, the scale of the infestation, and relevant post-application considerations.

Targeted grazing programs will have additional costs associated with the provision of supplemental feed for the animals, as well as costs for water and shelter. Addition-

ally, there may be costs associated with the movement or protection of these animals, which includes fencing, hiring an outside herder, or costs associated with guardian dogs.

Under the Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program (RALP), funding options are available to assist producers who opt for targeted grazing practices to manage large-scale invasive plant infestations.

The Targeted Grazing Beneficial Management Practice (BMP) is a cost-sharing program for 50 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum of $50,000 per year. Multiyear applications are available through the program.

“This is a pre-approval application, so applicants should discuss their project with their local agri-environmental specialist prior to starting the work,” wrote Burns.

The Targeted Grazing BMP is under RALP and has the same eligibility requirements as other Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) programs.

For more information on the Targeted Grazing BMP, visit the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 45 Thatcher Drive East or call 1-866-457-2377.

Nature Moose Jaw AGM and board elections scheduled for January Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com

Nature Moose Jaw’s annual general meeting is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. At the meeting, members can suggest projects they would like to see in the upcoming year. There are no talking points yet and members are free to make suggestions. “At this point I’m open to almost anything,” Pickering said.

Nature Moose Jaw’s board of directors changes each year, and in January 2024 a new board will be elected. To quality for a position on the board, one must be a paid member of the organization. For any ques-

tions, reach out to Rich Pickering.

Nature Moose Jaw is a local non-profit meant for outdoor enthusiasts and anybody with a love of nature. Anyone interested in nature-based projects in the Moose Jaw area is welcome to join as a member or partake in the organization’s events as a guest.

To contact Nature Moose Jaw to inquire about upcoming events or about becoming a member, Rich Pickering can be reached at r.pickering@shaw.ca.

PAGE A10 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter For Moose Jaw Express

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

Long-term investment potential in former gold mine properties

To start the next Year, the Bizworld column will review two investment opportunities in gold mining.

The companies are risky long-term opportunities still in development stages.

Long-term involves a four to five year horizon before expecting major rewards .

The strategy is risky, looking at companies that still need financing, building a mine and mill and operating them.

The new production in these cases should be profitable even if gold prices slide from current levels.

First on the list is Skeena Resources with properties in the Golden Triangle of Northwestern B.C. Skeena owns the former Eskay Mine operated by Barrick.

The November feasibility study indicates a 12-year mine life with average production of 370,000 ounces gold per year.

Total operating costs will be $684US an ounce — an exceedingly low cost. The cost is reduced as this is an open pit operation with silver byproduct.

Cost of building the project is estimated at $713 million, with funding to be obtained.

The CEO said in an interview that lenders want 60 per cent equity from Skeena.

Skeena has several options to fund its $427 million share of cost. It can sell a stream of future silver and some gold production royalties. It can sell more shares as the outstanding 88.4 million shares are relatively low for most gold companies at this stage of development.

Or it can sell the nearby 3.3 million ounce Snip gold mine. The CEO says he won’t take on debt until production is near.

Once funding is in place the open pit

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MON, DEC. 18.

The Events Centre and Yara Centre are over a decade old and require regular upgrades, but city hall suggests it would be “very difficult financially” to create a fully funded building reserve to support their needs.

To create such an account would require the city to contribute roughly $780,000 annually for 10 years — for a total of $7.8 million — to address maintenance issues at both places, a budget report explained.

To fund this, however, would require the parks and recreation infrastructure levy to increase to $112 a year from $65 a year, the document continued. Or, city council could increase the municipal mill rate by roughly 2.2 per cent annually and dedicate that to the reserve.

It cost Moose Jaw roughly $61 million to construct both buildings, with the Events Centre opening in 2010 and the Yara Centre in 2011. The city had roughly $500,000 in leftover construction money that it put into a reserve for future building needs.

The downtown venue’s initial operations were so successful that city hall was

mine will take about two year to get operating.

All infrastructure — power, power lines, roads — are in place.

At a recent $5.34 a share Skeena is closer to the year’s low of $4.20 than the $10.38 high.

Second on the list is I-80 Gold Corp., a northern Nevada company with four former mines under various stages of re-development both as open pit and underground operations.

The goal is to produce 400,000 ounces of gold a year within five years in stages Most advanced is the McCoy-Cove underground property with an estimated $949 US per ounce costs and planned production of 102,000 ounces gold a year.

Reserves at all four properties must still be evaluated to the proven category.

The Ruby Hill property leach pad pro-

duced 4,000 ounces gold this year.

I-80, named for the interstate highway running through the property, has the advantages of processing facilities at two of the mines and silver byproduct that can be sold to finance mine building and a 17 per cent interest owned by miner Equinox Gold.

Trading around $1.93 a share, I-80 is closer to the year’s low of $1.73 than the high of $4.22.

Both opportunities involve high risk with potential for high rewards in four to five years.

CAUTION: Remember when investing, consult your adviser and do your homework before buying any security. Bizworld does not recommend investments.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

Budget ’24: Creating reserve fund for Events Centre and Yara Centre could cost $8M Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

able to fund some capital reserves there, the report said. However, “when circumstances changed in later years,” the city used that money to maintain operations.

City administration expects to use up that original 2011 reserve “in the near future” to support several capital projects at both sites.

Council received this report during its Dec. 11 budget meeting and voted to receive and file the document — essentially, to move on from the topic.

Finance director Brian Acker told council that parks and recreation has estimated that the yearly funding required to maintain the Yara Centre is $150,000 annually, with turf replacement every 15 years.

However, a reserve generating these investment earnings would need to be roughly $2.5 million. Therefore, annual contributions of about $180,000 for 10 years would be required to fund this reserve.

Acker noted that a similar reserve fund estimate for the Events Centre is unavailable since the city does not operate the building. However, administration

estimates that the contribution would be about three times that of Yara Centre, or about $500,000 annually.

A reserve generating these investment earnings would need to be roughly $8.3 million. Therefore, annual contributions of about $600,000 for 10 years would be required to fund this reserve.

City hall could consider a “lesser reserve system” where only major repairs and replacements — like turf or roof and refrigeration systems — are covered, while other repairs and maintenance would come from the operating budget, Acker said.

If the city had started a reserve when it constructed these buildings, it would have had many years to build up that account and enjoy the benefits, but that time has passed, he added. Meanwhile, other city-owned buildings face similar underfunding challenges, such as the fire department and police service.

Coun. Crystal Froese agreed that the city should have created a reserve fund when it opened those buildings since that’s “wise advice.” Meanwhile, she thought there was still some remaining

leftover money for a new fund and asked Acker to prepare a report about doing that.

Acker replied that city administration is directing the remaining money to turf replacement at Yara Centre in 2025. Also, it wasn’t feasible to create a new fund now unless council created a dedicated municipal tax hike or increased the parks and rec levy.

However, he suggested that when the city renovates a building or constructs a new venue, administration could start a reserve account using the leftover project revenues.

Coun. Heather Eby thought Acker’s report shone a spotlight on how useful the municipality’s investment reserve system is in supporting the budget. She noted that many people tell councillors to spend all the reserves so they don’t have to raise taxes.

“I say, read this report if we do that.

You can sell the farm once, but it will never make you money ever again,” Eby added. “… the reserves are beneficial, not just now but into perpetuity.”

Budget ’24: Approved police budget will add 2.09% to overall municipal tax hike Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

City council has approved the Moose Jaw Police Service’s 2024 capital and operating budget requests, with the latter expected to add 2.09 percentage points to the proposed municipal tax hike of 4.13 per cent.

Council voted unanimously to support the request during the Dec. 13 budget meeting, which will see the city provide $12,245,903 in net operating funding next year — an increase of 6.4 per cent from this year.

The municipality will also provide $80,000 in capital funding in 2024 and $450,000 over the next five years.

This was actually an amended budget request because council sent back the original report to the Board of Police Commissioners after city hall identified an alternative funding source for one proposed project.

The police service wanted to spend in its operating budget $445,000 on in-car reporting software and computer-assisted dispatch technology, which senior leadership said would keep officers in the com-

munity when writing reports.

However, city administration informed the agency that $450,514 existed in a major equipment control account that was unassigned, which meant it could use that surplus and reduce its budget request.

The police board approved this change, which meant the agency’s original request for a net operating increase of $1,181,355 was reduced to $736,355.

The board also removed the police service’s request for $1 million in capital funding for next year and $4 million over the next five years because commissioners learned the city is responsible for upgrades to the agency’s headquarters.

Council discussion Coun. Doug Blanc, a commissioner on the police board, said the agency’s budget request is status quo — inflation is the reason for increasing costs — since it does not ask for any new officers.

The organization is authorized to have 64 members but will likely be down two positions in the new year due to retirements, he added. Yet, two recruits are

expected to be sent for training in January and they should join the force this summer.

“The police service has always been important for the City of Moose Jaw, but in this time and place, it’s been more important than ever,” said Coun. Heather Eby. “I know our citizens expect us to have a robust police department.”

Coun. Dawn Luhning agreed, saying the community has experienced some negative changes of late and residents want officers who can be there when incidents occur.

It’s not too often that council sends back the police service’s budget request for revisions, but it occurred this time and the agency has made the necessary adjustments, said Coun. Crystal Froese. Also, an extra 2.09 percentage points of municipal taxation is really a cost-of-living adjustment and the overall request is status quo.

Council did have the police service resubmit its budget request last year because members thought the initial application was too high.

Public library budget Council also voted 6-1 to approve the Moose Jaw Public Library’s 2024 budget request of $1,289,460, which is a 2.4-percent increase over this year. Since this amount is already included in the budget, it does not affect the proposed municipal taxation increase.

Coun. Kim Robinson was opposed.

“It’s (the request) barely covering inflation nowadays, so it’s a very low amount considering the costs,” said Froese.

Mayor Clive Tolley commended the library for its “wonderful work in the community” and for helping council by sticking to a tight budget request.

While there are concerns about security there, staff have been dealing with those problems effectively and have formed a reliable partnership with the police service, he added. He hoped both entities could produce better safety results next year through their relationship.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A11

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS ARE MON. DEC. 11, WED. DEC. 13 AND MON. DEC. 18.

The Moose Jaw Events Centre wants $1,483,000 for six capital projects next year, compared to this year’s request of $802,039 for four projects.

Dean Clarke, regional vice-president of OVG360, presented the proposals during council’s Dec. 11 budget meeting.

Council later voted to table the requests for future discussion.

Presented below is a summary of the capital projects that the venue wants to pursue in 2024.

Software upgrades The building automation system that controls the HVAC and mechanical equipment is original from 2010, and with two failing controllers, the venue needs a full upgrade to current generation hardware and software for better efficiency and control, a budget report said.

The project includes a full upgrade to the HTML5-based Metasys User Interface.

Heating coil A glycol leak in September was traced

Budget ’24: Proposed capital projects at Events Centre could cost $1.4M Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

to the Zamboni ice melting pit, forcing staff to dump snow/ice outside and in the pit, the report said. The coil is original and made of mid-grade steel that is heavily rusted and pitted, which means there is a high risk another leak could occur if welding repairs were attempted.

The new coil would be made of stainless steel and should have a longer lifespan.

Sound system Phase 2 of the sound system upgrades will focus on the conference centre, curling centre and all the corridors, the report said. The venue wants to use Sapphire Sound as the sole source contractor again to finish the project since it installed the original equipment.

LED lighting retrofit The lighting retrofit has occurred during the past two years, with next year’s upgrades to include the replacement of 36 fixtures in the conference room and 19 fixtures and six ceiling fans on the grand staircase, which should lead to savings in

electricity usage and better energy efficiencies, the report said.

Structural beam coating The original fire coating on some structural beams has broken off or been damaged, while the coating is a building code requirement to ensure public safety and asset preservation, said the report.

An interior beam near the east side entrance doors and four beams near the box office lobby area require new coating, while a fireproofing product is needed on maintenance beams in the back, dressing rooms and main floor hallway.

Exterior work under the west exterior stair sections will be extensive since a reactive fire barrier coating is required, while major sandblasting of existing fireproof materials and prepping of existing beams must occur.

“There are concerns that the metal is showing some signs of decay and delamination,” the report said, noting a structural engineer may have to investigate to ensure the beams still maintain their integrity be-

fore contractors apply the fire coating.

“If the structural assessment comes back not favourable, a further request for capital will be required,” the document added.

Rigging steel The Multiplex was designed to have rigging steel, but it was cut to save money, while it is one of the last centres in Saskatchewan and Western Canada without this equipment, the report said.

Proper rigging would ensure a show can be set up within two to four hours and torn down within 1.5 to three hours, the report said. Without the steel, it takes six to eight hours to set up, while the venue must rent multiple 80-foot boom lifts to support shows.

It costs about $2,500 per boom lift over two days. On average, a show needs three boom lifts, which equals $7,500 per show or $60,000 per year with an average of eight shows.

The report added that installing the steel could take 14 weeks.

Budget ’24: Council to use one-time landfill revenue to reduce expected capital budget deficit Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Using one-time funding from landfill revenues and potentially creating a revenue-generating storm sewer-based drainage utility are two solutions that city council believes could address next year’s capital budget deficit.

During its 2024 budget meeting on Dec. 13, council approved eight motions worth $9,063,738 to address the $8,959,764 shortfall in the general capital reserve budget, leaving a surplus of $103,974.

Solid waste utility Council voted unanimously to have city administration make a one-time contribution of $2.5 million from the solid waste utility to the general capital reserve for next year.

This is possible because of the extra

revenues the city received this year from Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant’s disposal of pond sludge in the landfill.

“I know it’s only one time, but we definitely need the money this year. It’s a significant amount,” said Coun. Crystal Froese.

Coun. Heather Eby said she has concerns about using one-time funding to fill the shortfall because it offered a false sense of security. However, she thought it was appropriate to use it here.

She then asked city administration whether they could take $1 million of that and deposit it into the accumulated surplus to top up the depleted account.

Finance director Brian Acker acknowledged that that surplus is lower than where it should be, while administration

plans to use that existing money to address an anticipated deficit this year.

He noted that there are other revenue sources administration can bring to council to refill the accumulated surplus, while he recommended that council use all the one-time money to address the capital budget shortfall.

Drainage utility Council voted unanimously to have city administration review and research the possibility of creating a drainage utility for the City of Moose Jaw and bring back a report with recommendations that council could consider later next year.

“I’m really interested to see what the report will come back with. Establishing a utility needs to somehow reduce the taxation portion … ,” said Froese. “A utility

needs to stand on its own two legs without increasing taxes every year.”

Administration said during a previous meeting that establishing a drainage utility for storm sewers would lead to city hall charging homeowners and businesses a monthly fee for the service, similar to garbage and recycling fees.

This could remove $7 million from the capital reserve budget over five years.

Furthermore, this could eliminate operating budget costs and free up $344,321.

Administration also said that a new utility — should council want it — would likely come into effect in 2025 after directors conduct research first.

The Express will have a fourth story featuring the other two motions.

Cellist, Duncan Blackman, will entertain in the showroom at Panda Tire with Christmas tunes.

888 Main Street N. “In the heart of Downtown Moose Jaw” 306-691-0080

PAGE A12 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS ARE MON. DEC. 11, WED. DEC. 13 AND MON. DEC. 18.

City hall hopes that hiring someone to search for grant funding to support various projects will be a successful move that contributes to reducing an expected budget deficit next year.

During its 2024 budget meeting on Dec. 13, city council voted 6-1 to have city administration hire a grant writer and partnership co-ordinator to be funded from capital projects that could benefit from this position. Furthermore, council mandated that the position generate $1 million annually in additional funding from grants, sponsorships and partnerships.

Coun. Dawn Luhning was opposed.

This was one of eight motions council approved to help reduce the capital reserve’s $8.9 million deficit.

City administration told council during a previous meeting that directors had not done a good job of finding financial sponsorships and partnerships over the years, as they had been performing those tasks off the corner of their desks rather

Budget ’24: City hopes new grant writer can generate $1M annually to support capital projects Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

than focusing directly on it.

Administration also said that while finding large grants is important, bringing in smaller ones — $25,000 or $100,000 — is also vital.

Council discussion It is a great idea to hire someone specifically to look for grant funding because directors are too busy maintaining current programs and infrastructure to look themselves, said Mayor Clive Tolley.

He also liked how the position would create some much-needed extra capital revenues and the person would pay his or her own salary from that money.

City manager Maryse Carmichael said nothing has been finalized yet in terms of the department in which the person would work or how the salary would look. Yet, she knew that since the person would support every department, he or she would likely serve in her office so she could oversee and prioritize the work.

Meanwhile, the $1 million figure is

an estimate that city administration developed after reviewing all possible available grants.

“It’s a bit conservative. Certainly … we don’t want to set expectations too high in the first year,” she said.

Carmichael added that this person would hopefully start in the new year, while city administration would provide council with regular reports of the grants acquired.

Coun. Crystal Froese agreed, saying the municipality has been leaving plenty of money behind and missing out on many funding opportunities. Moreover, grant writing is a specialty that requires someone dedicated and knowledgeable.

Luhning expressed concern about the motion because she didn’t think it accurately reflected council’s intent of paying for this position using money generated from grant acquisitions.

Finance director Brian Acker explained that the motion was worded as is

because there would be no initial grant funding to pay for the position, which means the startup money must come from somewhere — hence, the capital projects budget. Also, whatever future grants the person acquired would be refunded back to that account.

“So that clarifies it even further for me, that we’re actually going to fund this person ahead of time,” said Luhning. “(In) some of those contracts, there’s that incentive that they get the grant money (and) then they get paid when the money comes in … . That’s kind of how I was hoping this would work.”

City administration is open to that and had envisioned that an existing employee could take on the role because that would be money better spent, said Acker. Moreover, an existing employee would receive a better rate than having to pay someone a commission.

Budget ’24: Install of Events Centre’s rigging steel deferred as cost-saving measure Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Big-time musicians will likely continue avoiding Moose Jaw for the foreseeable future after city council deferred the installation of infrastructure upgrades at the Events Centre to help tame the capital budget shortfall.

Council voted 6-1 during its Dec. 13 budget meeting to remove from the 2024 general capital budget reserve the Multiplex’s $1-million request for rigging steel.

This was one of eight motions council approved to help reduce the capital reserve’s $8.9 million deficit.

Coun. Kim Robinson was opposed.

City administration had suggested not proceeding with the installation next year to save over $1.5 million. Meanwhile, it said that $449,839 already allocated to the project should be left in the reserve account for when the project proceeds sometime in the future.

Dean Clarke, regional vice-president of OVG360, which manages the Multiplex, told council during a previous meet-

ing that installing the rigging steel would save the venue time and money when setting up for concerts.

He also noted that larger concerts and artistic performances purposely avoid The Friendly City because the Events Centre lacks rigging steel to hang equipment.

Council discussion Robinson thought that having this infrastructure was critical to the venue’s success. He acknowledged that $1 million was “a big chunk of change” and the city should have installed it when constructing the building but thought it could be “a game-changer” for the Events Centre and the downtown.

“I think we are missing out on what this could generate in revenues. Sometimes you have to spend a few dollars to get a few dollars,” he added.

Coun. Doug Blanc thought the infrastructure should have been installed in the beginning as well but noted that that decision is now 13 years in the past. While he

was concerned about deferring the project, he thought council should leave the existing reserve money untouched.

He added that it’s a shame there is no rigging steel since Moose Jaw is missing out on big shows like Cirque du Soleil.

Mayor Clive Tolley said supporting the motion was appropriate because council didn’t have enough money for the project to proceed. He noted that the Events Centre’s management team plans to announce some exciting news soon, which means Moose Jaw could see several big events next year.

The mayor also pointed out that council agreed to remove nearly $800,000 from the parks and recreation department capital budget, which means many community projects won’t occur next year. His preference would be to spend money in that area than on rigging steel, “which is more of a want than a need.”

Council could consider this initiative in April so that OVG360 has more lead

time on acquiring the money and supplies, said Coun. Crystal Froese. Meanwhile, she said the municipality owns a ticketing system and, similar to airport improvement fees, could apply a facilities fee to each ticket to support the Events Centre’s budget.

Coun. Heather Eby said she would love to keep this project in the budget, but that would mean finding $1 million somewhere else to remove because the province mandates that municipalities balance their budgets.

“I don’t know where we’d find another $1 million for projects that are less important than the rigging steel,” she added. “… just because we’re not approving this here and now doesn’t mean it can’t be brought forward in the future. I hope it comes back across our table before the end of 2024.”

The Express will have one final story about the remaining motion.

Budget ’24: Events Centre wants nearly $3M in total for all activities Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Events Centre wants nearly $3 million from city council for operations and capital projects next year, including an operating subsidy that is $360,000 higher than in 2023.

The sports and entertainment venue wants an operating subsidy — including the management fees for OVG360 — of $1,261,016, representing a subsidy rate of 35 per cent. In comparison, the subsidy this year was $897,001, which was a subsidization rate of 30 per cent.

Therefore, the year-over-year subsidy increase is $364,015 or 29 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Events Centre wants $1,483,000 for six capital projects, compared to this year’s request of $802,039 for four projects.

Next year’s proposed projects include: An HVAC/mechanical equipment automation system for $125,000 A new heating pit coil that melts ice for $58,000 Phase 2 of sound system upgrades for $55,000 Phase 3 of LED lighting retrofits for $70,000 Fire coating for structural beams for

$175,000 Indoor rigging steel for $1 million Therefore, the total funding that the Events Centre wants is $2,744,016 as compared to $1,699,040 this year.

Dean Clarke, regional vice-president of OVG360, presented the proposal during council’s Dec. 11 budget meeting.

Council later voted to table the requests for future discussion.

Operating funding The venue’s budget is based on expected paid attendance of 103,170 people, expected drop attendance of 105,830 people and 167 projected events, a budget report said.

Total income could be $2,294,815, which would be a two-per-cent decrease compared to this year. Also, total expenses are expected to be $3,339,860, which is a projected nine-per-cent increase.

Therefore, the total net operating loss is expected to be $1,045,045, or roughly 34-per-cent more than this year.

However, with a venue management fee of $147,811, a food management fee of $45,427 and a management incentive of $22,732, the total net operating loss is expected to be $1,261,106, or a 29-per-cent

increase.

Next year’s budget does not include $112,500 in revenue for building and curling centre naming rights, while there is a revenue shortfall of $175,000 because of the new terms of the tentative major tenant lease with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, the report said.

The budget also expects to see higher expenses in areas like CPP and EI contributions, employee benefits and cost of living adjustments, vendors’ materials and supplies, preventative equipment and plant maintenance, more staff in the food and beverage department, and increased revenues for ice rentals, ticketing fees and food and beverage.

Council discussion Coun. Crystal Froese asked how the Events Centre was doing compared to other venues OVG360 manages and whether the organization had seen a bounce-back since the pandemic.

“It’s a bit shocking regarding how much things have increased. All facilities’ expenses have gone up,” said Clarke.

However, Moose Jaw is doing well, considering the venue is seeing higher operational expenses and missing some

revenue pieces, he continued. Moreover, many events are coming here, including an exciting act next year that management will announce in January.

Coun. Heather Eby praised some initiatives the Events Centre has pursued, such as creating a new Crown Royal Lounge above the curling rink and providing more arena beverages from community businesses.

“People have been asking for that (more drink options) for years and really appreciate that that’s there now,” she said.

Eby acknowledged that while the total budget request of $2.7 million was high, that was the amount council initially expected when the building opened in 2010. Meanwhile, next year’s budget lacks income from building naming rights and lower revenue from the tenant agreement, so those are negative factors.

She added that a cost-recovery rate of 65 per cent is good, considering a 50-percent cost recovery rate for any recreation venue is decent.

The Express will have a second story with the proposed capital projects for 2024.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A13

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS ARE MON. DEC. 11, WED. DEC. 13 AND MON. DEC. 18.

Delaying upgrades to traffic control measures and increasing land sales in 2025 are just two strategies city council plans to pursue to tame a $9-million capital budget shortfall.

During its Dec. 13 budget meeting, council approved eight motions — city administration had initially presented 12 during a previous meeting — worth $9,063,738 to address the $8,959,764 deficit in the general capital reserve budget, leaving a surplus of $103,974.

This budget area is responsible for addressing core infrastructure initiatives such as sidewalks, pavement rehabilitation, bridges, building improvements and park upgrades.

Operations department Council voted 5-2 to have the operations department — which oversees public works and engineering activities — cut $1,258,000 from its capital request, leaving $2,174,195 for next year.

In favour were Mayor Clive Tolley and councillors Jamey Logan, Doug Blanc, Heather Eby and Dawn Luhning.

Opposed were councillors Crystal Froese and Kim Robinson.

Budget ’24: Selling more land, delaying traffic upgrades some solutions to taming deficit, council says Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

The projects affected include a slope slump monitoring and remediation program (reduced), upgrades to traffic control measures (reduced), contributions to the demolition of the Coteau Street East bridge (deferred), storm sewer remediation near Hillcrest Golf Course and Sunningdale Creek and replacing, repairing or relining storm sewers (reduced) and carry-forward money for other projects (deferred).

Froese said she spent plenty of time reading this file and had concerns about reducing the slumping strategy because she thought it was an essential initiative that the city hadn’t done before. In particular, she didn’t think council had enough information to proceed with this project or insert it into the department’s five-year capital plan as an $8-million commitment.

Bevan Harlton, director of operations, said his department would create a slope monitoring program early next year and provide an in-depth report with more details.

Land development Council voted unanimously to have city administration develop and imple-

ment a land development strategy that could produce an extra $1 million in annual revenues that administration could direct to the general capital reserve account.

“It’s definitely a key focus and I look forward to seeing what administration brings back for a strategy and to identify the areas that could be put up for sale,” said Froese.

Pursuing this initiative would force city hall to market and sell existing land more actively and acquire and develop land for future sales, finance director Brian Acker said during a previous meeting.

Land sales have fallen off over the past few years — revenues usually ranged from $1 million to $1.5 million — so city hall must refocus on this area, he added.

It’s realistic to think that the city can generate this revenue next year and in subsequent years.

Sanitary sewers Council voted unanimously to have city hall reduce the sanitary sewers budget by $800,000 and the feeder mains budget by $715,738 and direct that $1,515,738 in federal Gas Tax funding to the paved roads budget, leaving $4,134,262 for next

year’s projects.

Council also directed administration to designate $660,000 in extra Gas Tax funding for the water main replacement program.

Eby said she supported the reductions only because administration had suggested them as options and they wouldn’t affect city hall’s ability to pursue those initiatives in 2024.

Reducing the two budgets will limit the size of the infrastructure renewal projects, which means the feeder main project will decrease by 400 metres, administration said during a previous meeting.

However, this would not affect the water/wastewater buildings the city manages and maintains, nor would it affect the Crescent View Lift Station project, a planned power backup generator on High Street, the renewal of sewage ponds, software program upgrades, the final decommissioning of a Buffalo Pound water transmission line or a condition assessment of the wastewater treatment plant.

The Express will have a third story featuring the other four motions.

Budget ’24: Council defers $800K in parks and rec projects to balance capital budget Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Deferring Crescent Park projects and delaying maintenance initiatives at the Cultural Centre are just two decisions city council has made to address a nearly $9-million shortfall in the 2024 budget.

During its Dec. 13 budget meeting, council approved eight motions — city administration had initially presented 12 during a previous meeting — worth $9,063,738 to address the $8,959,764 shortfall in the general capital reserve budget, leaving a surplus of $103,974.

This budget area is responsible for addressing core infrastructure initiatives such as sidewalks, pavement rehabilitation, bridges, building improvements and park upgrades.

Parks and recreation Council voted 4-3 to reduce the parks and recreation department’s capital budget by $790,000, leaving $933,600 left for next year.

In favour were councillors Jamey Logan, Doug Blanc, Heather Eby and Dawn Luhning. Opposed were Mayor Clive Tolley and councillors Crystal Froese and Kim Robinson.

The deferred or reduced projects include Crescent Park upgrades, the play-

ground renewal program, removing the Parkhill Park paddling pool, demolishing the Scouts Hall in West End Park, upgrading irrigation at the Old Cemetery, pathway connection improvements, accessibility upgrades, new Kinsmen Sportsplex arena air handling units, and restoring the city hall bell.

Also, there is the community capital grant program, LED lighting upgrades at Pla-Mor Palace, renovations to the Kinsmen pool lifeguard room, ceiling repairs and painting at Mae Wilson Theatre and structural repairs to the Cultural Centre basement.

Froese was concerned about deferring some initiatives because they were focused on maintaining existing buildings, such as the Mae Wilson Theatre. She thought that the venue’s ceiling would grow only worse without repairs while its appearance would negatively affect events.

Meanwhile, she said that council regularly discusses demolishing derelict buildings, but they have chosen to keep the Scouts Hall building for another year. She also thought that deferring some projects would only lead to bigger problems later, while she believed the city should quick-

Wilson’s Watch, Clock & Jewelery Repair & Coins

RETIREMENT SALE I will be retiring and closing my store The last day open will be December 31st, 2023 Retirement sale starts now All items must be gone by Dec. 31st Basement of the City Square Mall 361 Main ST 306-691-0646

ly change to LED lights to see immediate electrical savings.

“I really think we can’t turn to LEDs fast enough in this city,” Froese added.

Eby said she had similar feelings about deferring initiatives but believed she needed to trust the directors since they had made the recommendations. While there were risks with projects not proceeding, she was comfortable leaving out some items.

These projects need to be done, but council needs funding for them and there isn’t any, said Luhning.

Meanwhile, she appreciated how administration had provided a deferment list, which likely hadn’t happened since her first time on council nearly two decades ago. Usually, council members had to “get into the weeds” during budget meetings to find initiatives to reduce or cut.

While some recommendations eliminated projects, Luhning said hiring a grant writer could help generate money for the capital budget. However, she wanted city administration to monitor this position to see whether the person was being productive and whether the position should be kept or cut.

“The (parks and recreation) department is a very important aspect of our city, but I’m torn because there are (projects) I’d like to see done,” said Coun. Doug Blanc. Yet, he agreed that they must rely on the parks and rec director’s suggestions of what to defer or cut to reduce the deficit.

Froese agreed that the directors made these recommendations but thought it was council’s job and in its power to decide where to allocate funds and how projects would benefit the community. That’s why the list of options was presented to them.

“I really do think we’re literally nickeling and diming things that will turn into bigger issues. So we may have to spend this money further down the road,” she added.

Eby agreed that some projects would have to be pursued in the future, but thought if council started cherry-picking items to keep, then they would have to find other projects in the budget to remove and she wasn’t sure which ones they could live without. That was why she was putting her faith in the directors’ suggestions.

The Express will have a second story featuring the other seven motions.

Central Butte Royal Canadian Legion Legion #213 Recently held their 65th Annual Turkey Shoot and Raffle.

We would like to thank our sponsors

For helping make these fundraisers a success.

Also a thanks to

For storing Turkeys ahead of the event.

PAGE A14 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS ARE MON. DEC. 11, WED. DEC. 13 AND MON. DEC. 18.

The Events Centre wants to pursue six capital projects next year, but it’s the proposed new sound system and rigging steel on which city council focused the most recently.

Dean Clarke, regional vice-president of OVG360, presented the proposals during council’s Dec. 11 budget meeting.

Council later voted to table the requests for future discussion.

Sound system Phase 2 of the sound system upgrades will focus on the conference centre, curling centre and all the corridors while the arena bowl sound system is finished, Clarke said. The venue wants to use Sapphire Sound as the sole source contractor again to finish the project since it installed the original equipment.

Mayor Clive Tolley expressed concern about the sound in the bowl, saying he attends many events and finds the public address system to be too loud and muffled. He also receives many complaints from people who also can’t understand the in-house announcer.

Budget ’24: Multiplex’s proposed sound system, rigging steel cause concern on council Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

In comparison, the mayor said he could hear the announcer clearly during the Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11.

If council agrees to use Sapphire Sound to install the new equipment, he wants the company to audit the entire system to ensure it’s working properly.

Rigging steel Proper rigging steel — Moose Jaw is at a “significant disadvantage” without it — would ensure a show can be set up within two to four hours and torn down within 1.5 to three hours, said Clarke.

However, it takes six to eight hours — or even a full day — to set up without the steel, while the venue must rent multiple “cumbersome” 80-foot boom lifts to support shows, which can cost about $60,000 annually based on roughly eight shows per year.

Installing the steel will take roughly 14 weeks, which means proper timing is required because management must consider the various hockey seasons and work to mitigate the displacement of those

teams, he said.

Clarke added that the entire cost to install the rigging steel is $1.58 million.

The city declined to install the rigging steel when it built the Events Centre, Tolley said. He wondered whether it was still possible to hang the equipment and whether the building was still structurally capable. He also wondered whether the 14-week timeline was firm or an estimate.

Clarke didn’t think the rigging steel would affect the structural integrity, saying the venue was designed to withstand the maximum weight of a show.

“The capacity is there,” he said.

As for installation, the schedule has constantly changed, and OVG360 believes it needs to plan eight months out because of how many events and activities it has booked already, Clarke continued. He reiterated that management didn’t want to interfere with the WHL or AAA games.

The parks and recreation department has worked with venue management to run summer ice successfully during the past couple of years, said Tolley. Howev-

er, the municipality may have to reduce that to accommodate the installation.

“I think it will be inevitable. But (it will be) short-term pain for long-term gain,” he added.

Coun. Crystal Froese asked what shows Moose Jaw has missed for lack of rigging steel. Clarke replied that it’s usually B-plus to A-plus acts — such as Cirque de Soleil — that tour with six to seven trucks and could generate a massive economic benefit for Moose Jaw. One issue OVG360 has faced with booking shows in Western and Central Canada is that U.S. artists are now touring for fewer weeks because they want to return home quickly, he continued. For example, instead of travelling for 23 to 25 days in Canada, those musicians are staying for 13 to 15 days.

While the installation cost rises daily, Clarke acknowledged that many communities are struggling financially and can’t install the steel or won’t because it’s not a safety issue.

Budget ’24: City to use $6M from investment earnings to fund roads, parks, sewage projects Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

City administration intends to draw down $6,070,895 next year from the city’s investment portfolios to help fund capital projects that focus on areas such as roads and green spaces.

During its Dec. 11 budget meeting, council unanimously agreed to have administration drawdown from the longterm portfolio $1,170,853 from the capital expenditure fund equity, $3,426,692 from the land development fund, $449 from the Snowbirds’ scholarship fund and $96,900 from the perpetual care fund for cemetery maintenance.

In particular, $3 million from the land development fund will go toward partially funding the $66.7 million Crescent View Lift Station project.

The total drawdown from the longterm portfolio is $4,694,894.

Furthermore, from the moderate-term portfolio, city hall will withdraw $125,000 from the housing reserve, $165,216 from the police accumulated surplus, $653,453 from the city accumulated surplus, $679,890 from the land development funds and $11,095 from other funds held in trust.

The total drawdown from the moderate-term portfolio is $1,634,654.

City administration also plans to reinvest into the moderate-term portfolio $13,449 for the supplemental pension reserve and $245,204 for the contaminated site reserve.

Adding the long-term and moder-

ate-term drawdowns together and subtracting the reinvested money equals $6,070,895.

City hall will direct $1,737,435 of earnings to the general capital budget to support capital projects in transportation and parks and recreation, a budget report said.

If any shortfalls arise from next year’s drawdowns, city administration will adjust the portfolios by reducing future years’ drawdown requests to maintain the original principal investment over the long term, the report added.

As of Sept. 30, RBC Dominion Securities managed $95,576,492 in municipal investments, including $71,009,836 in the long-term portfolio and $24,566,656 in

the moderate-term portfolio.

The expected return on the long-term portfolio should be six per cent, but yearto-date, it has been 2.73 per cent. Meanwhile, the expected return on the moderate-term portfolio should be 4.25 per cent, but year-to-date, it’s been 2.4 per cent.

Looking at how much money council has drawn down from investments between 2020 and 2023 — $21,865,334 in total — shows how wise it was for the City of Moose Jaw to invest this money and have an investment committee manage it, said Coun. Heather Eby. Coun. Crystal Froese agreed, saying the $6-million drawdown was “a reasonable amount.”

Budget ’24: Waste collection and landfill fees to increase by three per cent Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

Most homeowners can expect to pay a total of $123.48 next year for their residential waste collection, while people who use the landfill should also expect a hit to their wallets.

During its Dec. 11 budget meeting, council voted 4-3 to increase the residential waste collection rate to $30.87 per quarterly billing, with that amount to increase to $31.80 per quarterly billing in 2025 and $32.75 quarterly billing in 2026.

In favour were Mayor Clive Tolley and councillors Jamey Logan, Doug Blanc and Heather Eby. Opposed were councillors Kim Robinson, Crystal Froese and Dawn Luhning.

Furthermore, council voted 6-1 to set the landfill rates at $90 per tonne for residential standard waste, $12 for half-ton or small vehicle residential standard waste, $18 for half-ton or small vehicle non-resident standard waste and a flat fee of $350 for special handled waste.

Robinson was opposed.

These new rates — both increase by three per cent — take effect on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.

The increase in residential waste collection is expected to generate an extra $42,193 for the utility, while the increase in landfill rates should generate an extra

$254,178.44 annually, a budget report said.

The current quarterly collection rate is $29.97; next year’s increase will be 90 cents more per quarter, or an extra $3.60 per year. Therefore, the total amount that most homeowners will pay on their waste collection is $123.48.

The proposed increases for the next few years will apply only to the existing landfill, as the city will create revised rates once the new dump is operational.

Furthermore, commercial landfill rates and standard landfill rates must increase because the city has not changed either of them during the past three and six years, respectively, the report said. Meanwhile, the current residential waste collection schedule will not change.

In general, landfill rates for residents this year versus next year show: - Standard per tonne: $80 / $90 - Standard per half-ton or small vehicle: $10 / $12 - Separated glass and concrete: $69 / Standard - Special handled wastes, such as asbestos or medical: $339 flat fee plus $80 per tonne / $350 flat fee and $90 per tonne - Decontaminated medical waste plus

fee per tonne: $339 and $69 / Special - Car wash waste per tonne: $69 / Standard The non-residential rates this year versus next will be: - Standard per tonne: $100 / $100 - Standard per half-ton or small vehicle: $16 / $18 - Separated glass and concrete: $89 / Standard - Special handled wastes: $368 flat fee and $100 per tonne / $400 flat fee and $100 per tonne - Decontaminated medical waste plus fee per tonne: $368 and $89 / Special - Car wash waste per tonne: $89 / Standard Bevan Harlton, director of operations, said the increase in the standard rate keeps Moose Jaw “loosely competitive” with Regina, which has a rate of $95 per tonne.

Moreover, city administration based its decision to increase these fees on wanting to remain current with its municipal neighbours.

Finance director Brian Acker said the city charges homeowners with garbage and recycling fees on a cost-recovery basis and does not make a profit from this utility. However, the city makes money from the landfill, as any excess revenue is

directed into the replacement reserve.

“We generate right now $1.6 million a year that is going to pay for that landfill … ,” he stated. “We want to be competitive with other centres. We don’t want to become a dumping ground for waste … .”

Tolley agreed with increasing the landfill rates, pointing out that inflation is about three per cent anyway.

“We’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to do the things that are painful. … if people are coming from other jurisdictions and dumping at our landfill, they should be paying a higher rate,” he said. “Local citizens should get a break.”

Luhning said that many people have called her over the years and were not happy with the extra waste collection charges.

She understood the financial pressures the community was facing but also knew that council had to make tough budgetary decisions.

Robinson thought raising landfill tipping fees to remain current with Regina only punished residents and local businesses.

Logan said it was important to raise tipping fees because not only would it cost money to build a new dump, but it would also cost substantial money to close the current landfill responsibly.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A15

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT BUDGET MEETINGS ARE MON. DEC. 11, WED. DEC. 13 AND MON. DEC. 18.

City hall plans to upgrade its insurance coverage by spending nearly $350,000 to ensure its physical and digital assets are protected from threats like fire or cyber hackers.

During its recent budget meeting, city council voted unanimously to authorize the finance department to hire a consultant for $180,000 for property valuation services to appraise buildings to ensure the appropriate insurance coverage is applied to those venues.

This is a one-time expense; there will then be an annual update expense of $6,000.

Council also authorized the department to obtain cyber insurance for $169,600, which would provide $3 million in coverage.

These two items total $349,600 and will add 0.99 percentage points to the proposed municipal taxation increase for 2024.

Building insurance Property insurance values require updating so claims on buildings under coverage types other than guaranteed replacement cost have sufficient coverage, a budget report said. Professional valuation

Budget ’24: City’s $350K insurance purchase will add 0.99 per cent to tax hike Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

services would mitigate risks on structures with insufficient values.

The city carries property insurance on 163 buildings, with the venues falling under three categories, the report continued.

This includes guaranteed replacement cost (GRC), of which there are 26 buildings; replacement cost (RC), of which there are 108 venues; and actual cash value (ACV), of which there are 29 structures.

Under GRC — the highest coverage — insured buildings would be replaced exactly as before at full funding if a disaster destroyed them.

Under RC — medium coverage — these buildings would be replaced up to the amount of the liability limit. The city must insure up to 90 per cent of the venue’s value, otherwise, it becomes a co-insurer and shares in the loss.

Under ACV — lowest coverage — the payout on a destroyed building would see a deduction for depreciation.

City hall is concerned that should it make a claim on a non-GRC-protected building, it may be vulnerable to risks that affect its ability to repair or replace, the report added. The highest-priority buildings to revalue are those under the RC category

that are being reclassified soon.

“A guaranteed replacement cost building will be valued, but if it drops off the list, the insurer no longer values it and hikes rates,” finance director Brian Acker told council. “We do have a significant number of buildings that are undervalued and thus underinsured. We may have a significant issue there.”

It’s the provider that moves the buildings into lower categories because as structures age, providers don’t want them in the GRC level due to the risks they carry, he continued. Yet, updating the valuations on older buildings should protect them for five to seven years.

The city receives comprehensive insurance coverage for that $3 million value, although that’s a cap because insurers want to limit their losses, the finance director added. Also, city hall pays $600,000 annually on its insurance premiums.

Cyber insurance City hall does not possess cyber insurance, which is concerning since there are daily reports of organizations — including municipalities — suffering a virtual attack or breach, said Acker.

Administration was unable to ac-

quire such insurance during the last few years because the requirements changed so much, he continued. However, if they purchased coverage, not only would they have financial protection, but a professional team would remedy the breach.

“It’s only a matter of time before it happens to us,” Acker added.

IT director Wade McKay said all city staff are trained to watch for phishing emails and scams, while education is the top area of focus. Providers require such training before they will even provide coverage.

Another protective method the department promotes is using multifactor authentication when accessing online accounts.

Coun. Crystal Froese agreed with the cyber insurance, pointing to world events and, closer to home, the virtual attack on Saskatchewan Polytechnic a few years ago. She noted that that institution is tightlipped about how the situation happened and how much money it cost to rectify.

“I think it’s really important that we’re properly insured. If a building goes down, we’re in big trouble insurance-wise,” she added.

Budget ’24: Hiring two employees to trim trees will add 0.4% to municipal tax hike Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

It takes city hall roughly 30 years to complete one full pruning cycle of the community’s roughly 15,000 trees, but city council hopes extra employees can help improve overall forest management.

During its recent budget meeting, council voted 6-1 to let the parks and recreation department hire two permanent urban forestry crew employees for $139,850, with funding to come from the operating budget.

Coun. Dawn Luhning was opposed.

This addition will add 0.4 percentage points to the proposed municipal taxation increase for 2024.

These two employees will address emergent service requests and improve the pruning cycle, which should improve tree health and protect this roughly $100 million investment, said director Derek Blais.

The department has only a two-person crew, which causes challenges in maintaining proper trimming cycles and addressing hundreds of annual service calls, so four people — two two-person teams with certain responsibilities — should enhance response capabilities, reduce trimming times, enhance public safety and mitigate legal liabilities, he continued.

Year-to-date, the department has received 510 maintenance requests and addressed 373 — 73 per cent — of them.

“Proper maintenance of our urban forest involves activities such as tree planting, pruning, pest control and regular assessments to ensure the health and vitality of the trees,” Blais stated.

Parks and rec is completing a digital inventory that will provide data on the health, species, size, number and maintenance history of all city-owned trees, the director said.

The department currently has 6,661 trees inventoried, of which 522 — or eight per cent — are in poor health with a lifespan of under 10 years and will require removal and replacement. Meanwhile, 2,128 trees are in fair health with a lifespan of over 10 years but require maintenance to prevent further decline.

Blais noted his department aims to plant a new tree for each one it removes to sustain the urban forest. Ideally, the department would prune those new trees three

years after planting and about four years later to reduce the risk of failure.

Dutch Elm Diseases (DED) is the most damaging problem, as cases have increased over the past five years. However, he noted that staff contains cases to roughly one per cent annually through a yearly basal spraying program. Unfortunately, Health Canada is phasing out this chemical and there are no available alternatives.

“This will put more pressure on us for pruning cycles and care for the trees,” Blais said.

The department regularly hires contractors to support its block pruning program and to trim boulevard trees on a block-by-block basis. With current resources, in-house pruning is primarily complaint-driven and prioritized based on risks to people and property.

Blais noted that this was a record year for complaints about trees covering stop signs, traffic signals and other important infrastructure.

Over the last three years, parks and rec has spent an average of $56,290 annually on its contracted pruning program, enabling the trimming of 301 trees a year, data shows. During the same period, city staff have pruned an average of 205 trees, for a total of 506 — and a pruning cycle of 30 years.

The department has projected that those numbers this year will be 200, 356, 556 and 27, respectively.

A pruning schedule of roughly seven years is the minimum arboriculturally acceptable cycle length since any longer and tree conditions decline, said Blais. Therefore, the second two-person crew should reduce the trimming cycle by seven years to 20 years.

Mayor Clive Tolley said Moose Jaw has a “wonderful urban forest” that makes it unique. Meanwhile, he has advocated for years for better maintenance and repair of trees — especially along boulevards —and for more plantings.

Even with two extra people, he noted that the trimming cycle would still be too long, leading to higher expenses — mostly due to storm damage — to maintain the existing forest. He thought it was worth trimming many trees to avoid further expenses.

Coun. Heather Eby thought this was a difficult project to approve but knew the department wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything without more people. She also expressed surprise at the 46 pages of requests the department accumulated this year.

“This is obviously something important to our citizens,” she added.

Coun. Crystal Froese said having only two employees means the city is reacting to complaints, cannot maintain the urban forest’s overall health and is not addressing safety concerns. That’s also why the department has accumulated so many pages

of complaints.

Trees are something residents see regularly, compared to non-visible infrastructure items like cast iron pipes, said Coun.

Doug Blanc. While he was also troubled about approving this, he believed many trees needed trimming after driving around the community.

No one likes tax increases, but council can only defer this problem for so long, said Coun. Jamey Logan. He pointed to the many safety complaints and wondered when the municipality became liable for trees blocking important signs.

THIS WEEKS

FLYERS Flyer

Full Circulation

Moose Jaw Co-op Shoppers Cabelas Safeway Walmart M & M Foods Giant Tiger Peavey Mart South Hill Fine Foods Route

Selected Areas

  

Location

      Homes

Pays

3

Woodlily Dr, Flax Rd, Goldenglow Dr

95

Pays - $23.75/wk

10

800-1100 Monk Ave, Elgin Ave, 8th Ave

150

Pays - $37.50/wk

Works out to 25¢ per home - EARN EXTRA CASH Fine details.....Must be an adult or if under age, have adult supervision.

Delivery must be completed by Wednesday night each week.

Call 306-694-1322 for an appointment or visit us at 468 High St W

*Full Circulation means every home & paper should have this flyer. If you are missing call us @306-694-1322. *Selected Areas means only selected areas were chosen by the business or agency (please call the business).

THANKS FOR READING

The Moose Jaw Express

PAGE A16 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Share your team’s news, pictures and results with us! email: editor@mjvexpress.com

Warriors Mateychuk, Yager named to Team Canada for World Junior Hockey Championship

First Warriors duo to be named to team together since Sutherby, Paetsch named in 2002; Firkus returning to Moose Jaw Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk and forward Brayden Yager will be playing for gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The duo were among 22 players named to Canada’s roster for the 12-team event beginning Dec. 26 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

It’s the first time two Warriors have been named to Team Canada at the same time since defenceman Nathan Paetsch and forward Brian Sutherby were given the honour for the 2002 tournament.

The news wasn’t all good for Warrior hopefuls, though, as forward Jagger Firkus was among the half-dozen players returned to their respective clubs after the final USports exhibition game Wednesday.

Mateychuk was considered a virtual lock to make the team after getting off to

Denton Mateychuk and Brayden Yager were named to Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship on Wednesday afternoon.

a stellar start to the season, with six goals and 35 points in 24 games heading into selection camp.

The Columbus Blue Jackets first-rounder previously won gold with Canada at the 2021 World U18 Hockey Championship.

Yager will be the only Saskatchewan-born player on Canada’s roster, with the Saskatoon product having put up 17 goals and 41 points in 28 games thus far.

A first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins this past summer, Yager was one of Canada’s learning scorers at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he had five goals and nine points in five games on way to winning gold.

Firkus had been considered a solid choice to land a spot by the vast majority of onlookers, but Hockey Canada decided

to overlook his skill and compete level as well as his 27 goals and 53 points in 29 games this season.

There will be little rest going forward for Mateychuk and Yager now that they’re members of Team Canada.

Canada’s National Junior Team will travel to Malmo, Sweden on Dec. 14 for a pre-tournament camp ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. As part of its preparations, Canada will open its pre-tournament schedule against a U25 team from Denmark on Dec. 19 before facing Switzerland on Dec. 22 and the United States on Dec. 23.

The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Finland at 7:30 a.m. Moose Jaw time.

Warriors’ Tomasec, Slovakia finish without win at World Junior A Hockey Challenge Slovakia closes out event with 0-4 record after 6-2 loss in final round robin game Friday Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw Warriors forward Andrej Tomasec and Team Slovakia were unable to pick up a win at the World Junior A Hockey Championship in Truro, N.S. this past week.

Slovakia posted an 0-4 record through the round robin at the five-team tournament, which features the top players from Canada’s nine Junior A leagues broken into Team West and Team East taking on teams from the United States, Sweden and Slovakia.

Two players from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League are playing for Team West in Humboldt Broncos forward Matthew Van Blaricom and Nipawin Hawks defenceman Ronan Buckberger.

Tomasec and Slovakia opened the

tournament with a 7-2 loss to Canada East on Sunday, Dec. 10 before dropping a 6-1 decision to the U.S. the following day.

Slovakia then had their closest game of the tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 13 when they came out of the first period tied 2-2 with Canada West before eventually dropping a 7-3 decision.

Tomasec picked up his lone point of the tournament in that contest and it was a pretty one at that. The former KooKoo U18 standout sent a pass from the corner to the front of the net for Andrej Paricka, who put a perfect redirection top shelf to tie the game 1-1 with 4:49 to play in the first.

The goal was nice enough to come in at number five in the WJAC’s Plays of the

Andrej Tomasec suited up with Team Slovakia at the World Junior A Challenge this past week.

Day. Slovakia then closed out their appearance on Friday with a 6-2 loss to Sweden.

The top four teams made the playoffs, with Canada West taking on the U.S. and Canada East battling Sweden in the semifinals.

The international assignment is the second for Tomasec, who also suited up for Slovakia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup U18 world championship in the Czech Republic this past summer. Tomaec played four games in that tournament and was held without a point.

The Zilina, Slov. product has played in 12 games with the Warriors this season and continues to seek his first Western Hockey League point.

Warriors settle into stretch without pair of top players after duo named to Team Canada After Mateychuk, Yager crack World Junior line-up, Warriors’ coach O’Leary looks what’s ahead in Moose Jaw for the next six games Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Warriors are hoping the Ewing Theory will become a thing for the local Western Hockey League crew in the coming weeks.

The theory revolves around former New York Knicks star Patrick Ewing and how when he left the NBA team, the Knicks immediately improved in the standings -- a product of overall team play compensating for missing his presence.

With two of the Warriors’ elite players having landed spots on Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship, there’s a possibility Moose Jaw will need to put the Ewing Theory into practice for the next six games -- and ideally see some success in the process.

“I like the sound of that, but certainly a big part of it will be how our guys step up in the line-up,” Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said after a recent practice.

“The good thing is we’ve been seeing consistency from up and down the line-up.

Atley’s line has been really playing well, we’ve been getting offence from Schuurman’s line and our fourth line the last few games has been really good. So the fact we’re going along with our depth in scoring is really promising.”

The Warriors got their first test on Dec. 12 and looked like they did enough

to win, only for a late unlucky goal to lead to a 2-1 victory for the Kelowna Rockets.

It was more of the same against Kamloops Friday night, where chances and opportunities pointed to what should have been a far better result in a 5-3 loss to Kamloops.

Meanwhile, team captain Denton Mateychuk and forward Brayden Yager will turn their attention to the games ahead with Team Canada. Fellow Warrior forward Jagger Firkus was considered extremely likely to make the team, but was one of the final cuts out of selection camp late last week.

Seeing the trio taking their shot at Team Canada is naturally heartening for their head coach, especially given their long and fruitful time in Moose Jaw. “I think it’s a proud moment for the orgainzatoin and we’re certainly proud of all three.” O’Leary said. “The first thing that comes to mind is all three of them have been here a long time, they were here in the tough times when we weren’t winning a lot of games and they deserve this opportunity. They’re a big part of our organization and I think they’d be a real great addition to Team Canada.”

All three players were projected to crack Canada’s line-up -- with Firkus even featured in a TSN interview prior to camp

The Moose Jaw Warrriors will be without captain Denton Mateychuk and forward Brayden Yager until after the New Year after the duo cracked Team Canada’s line-up.

-- but as is always the case with the World Juniors, there are always ultra elite players who don’t make the final cut.

“You see every season there are really good players who don’t even get invited and that’s a testament to these guys and their versatility,” O’Leary said. “ At the end of the day, as much as they’re our best players here, you go into that camp and there are a lot of best players, so the more boxes you can check in terms of how you play, the better opportunity you’ll have.”

The major drawback, of course, is losing Mateycuk and Yager at least until

Dec. 10 when Victoria is in town, with six games between now and then.

That’s something the Warriors have been preparing for since day one of the campaign and are now ready to deal with.

“You have to look at it as nothing but a positive,” O’Leary said. “We’ve been carrying seven or eight defencemen all year and 15 forwards and it’s hard to get any consistency with some players and real minutes and consistent minutes. This is their chance, you can show you have developed and that you have progressed.”

Canada’s National Junior Team are currently in Malmo, Sweden for a pre-tournament camp, having left for Europe on Dec. 14. As part of its preparations, Canada opened it’ts pre-tournament against a U25 team from Denmark on Dec. 19 before facing Switzerland on Dec. 22 and the United States on Dec. 23.

The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Finland at 7:30 a.m. Moose Jaw time. All games will be broadcast on TSN. The Warriors are now into their holiday break and return to action on Friday, Dec. 29 when the Regina Pats make the trip to the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Game time is 7 p.m.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A17

Share your team’s news, pictures and results with us! email: editor@mjvexpress.com

Warriors head into Christmas break on winning note after victory in Brandon

After tough 5-3 loss to Kamloops at home Friday night, Moose Jaw snaps five-game skid with 4-3 victory in Brandon Saturday Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Of their 18 wins thus far in the Western Hockey League season, few meant more to the Moose Jaw Warriors than their victory in Brandon on Saturday night.

When you’ve been going through the kind of stretch the Warriors were -- losses despite dominating games, scoring chance after scoring chance that would go awry and opponents catching every break imaginable -- you start to wonder if you’ll ever win a game again.

But the Warriors finally had things turn in their favour against the Wheat Kings, and it led to 4-3 victory in the final game for Moose Jaw before the Christmas break.

Only 24 hours earlier, the Warriors had endured their toughest loss of the season when they fell 5-3 to the last-place Kamloops Blazers on home ice, a defeat that extended their season-high losing streak to five games.

Moose Jaw is now 18-14-0-2 and hold down sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference, six points back of the second-place Medicine Hat Tigers.

Warriors 4, Brandon 3 Brayden Schuurman came through with the game-winning goal with 2:55 remaining in the third period, capping a back-and-forth contest that saw the Warriors finally catch a few breaks along the way.

Dakota MacIntosh got one of those on the Warriors’ first goal, a deflection off a Brandon defender in front of the net. He’d go on to have one of his best games of the season, scoring twice and generating an absolute slew of chances.

“I think he lifted the monkey off the back for the guys and got things started, then for him to get two is great and gave us a lot of momentum.” Warriors assistant

Atley Calvert (23) scores the Warriors first goal… coach Curtis Pereverzoff said on the UFZ post-game show. “To eak out a win like that is really nice, especially heading into the break.”

Martin Rysavy also scored in the first as the two teams were tied after 20 minutes.

Rylen Roersma scored for Brandon 1:20 into the game, and seeing as it was Teddy Bear Toss Night, the game was delayed for about 20 minutes as things were cleared up.

“It’s an emotional game and a different kind of game when you have a long break like that, especially when it happens early,” Pereverzoff said. “But at the same time, we got it out of the way early and just got back to our game pretty quickly, and I liked it for the most part with the exception of some breakdowns here and there.”

The win -- and vindication for a run of decent hockey with no results -- made things that much sweeter.

“This last stretch over the last two weeks we’ve played some really good hockey and just been on the wrong side of

Warriors battle to tie with Prairie Storm in U13 AA action Teams settle for 3-3 draw in league action in Balgonie after back-and-forth second period Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

For the Moose Jaw U13 AA son Dodd once again tied Warriors in Sask AA Hockthings up for the Warriors. ey League action on SaturThe goal was Dodd’s first of day afternoon, the Warriors the campaign. settled for a 3-3 tie against Andrusiak then scored the Prairie Storm in Balgowith 3:12 gone in the period nie, improving to 4-5-1 on to restore the Prairie Storm the campaign and moving lead and quiet things down a point ahead of the Regifor a bit. That marker was na Mustangs. They’ll have his 27th of the campaign some work to do in the new -- an absurd number in 12 year if they’re to get into games in any league, but not the top seven in the South the best in the SFHL, as the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Division and have a shot at Regina Blues’ Jagger Korol logo the league title, as they’re continues his ridiculous start currently five points back of Lumsden for to the season with 29 goals and 59 points seventh. in that same span.

The top seven teams at the end of the The lead wouldn’t last the period, regular season in March play for the cham- though, as Rylan Deichert potted his 10th pionship, the bottom six for the consola- of the season with one second remaining tion title. to send the two teams into the break tied There’s a lot of hockey to go before 3-3. then, though, and the Warriors were in a After all that action, there was no close one from start to finish Saturday. scoring in the final period and the teams After Landen Andrusiak scored for had their sister-kisser in the books.

Lumsden and had the lone goal of the first Trip Kuntz had a stellar game in goal period, things were all over the place in the for the Warriors, facing 48 shots, including second -- especially in a wild opening five 20 in the first period. Moose Jaw had 27 minutes. shots on Balgonie’s Brody Ayotte.

Carter Pilipow scored his eighth of Moose Jaw has one more game before the season to tie the game 36 seconds into Christmas, that coming on Thursday, Dec. the frame, but Kingston Dickie got that 21 when the Regina Royals are in town. one right back for Balgonie only 38 sec- Game time is 7:45 p.m. at the Bert Hunt. onds later, and 44 seconds after that Ma-

…and celebrates with teammate Martin Rysavy. some unfortunate bounces, so it was nice to see the puck go our way tonight.”

MacIntosh scored his second 19 seconds into the final period, setting up Schuurman’s late-game heroics.

Carter Klippentein and Brett Hyland had Brandon’s other goals.

Jackson Unger had to be sharp in the Warriors goal and he was, stopping 27 shots, while the Warriors had 30 on Brandon’s Carson Bjarnason.

Kamloops 5, Warriors 3 The Warriors ran into a stellar goaltending performance from former WINMAR Warriors netminder Dylan Ernst, who would make a host of near-impossible saves on his way to picking up the win.

It was as frustrating as could be for forward Atley Calvert, who was visibly disappointed with the loss.

“It seems like a lot of games have been going that way recently, and all we

can do is learn from it and move forward,” said Calvert, who scored the first two goals for the Warriors.

“It’s the same things all year, one night it’s one thing and the next night it’s another thing. So at the end of the day we’re going to have to figure it out here, eventually put all the details together for a night and that should result in a win.”

Turns out, that night was 24 hours later.

Pavel McKenzie scored the Warriors’ other goal in the third as the game was tied 1-1 after the first and the Blazers led 3-1 through two.

Ashton Ferster scored twice for Kamloops, Kai Matthew, Jordan Keller and Shea Van Olm had their other goals.

Ernst finished with 39 saves and Dmitri Fortin had a solid night of his own for the Warriors, facing 43 shots.

The Warriors return to action Friday, Dec. 29 when the Regina Pats are in town.

Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Warriors forward Ethan Hughes digs for the puck in a pile of Blazers defenders.

Moose Jaw hockey community in mourning after sudden death of Brady Grasdal Former AAA Generals, Notre Dame defenceman dies at age 21 Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Brady Grasdal in action with the Nipawin Hawks last season. Richard Petersen Photography.

The Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Association and community in general are mourning after the sudden passing of Brady Grasdal.

The 21-year-old was memorialised by the Nipawin Hawks on social media on Sunday evening and members of the Moose Jaw community joined in posting tributes to their fallen friend throughout the day.

Grasdal suited up for the Moose Jaw U15 AA Warriors and Moose Jaw Generals U18 AAA team during his minor hockey days, in addition to two seasons spent with the Notre Dame Hounds.

Grasdal also played for the Portage Terriers in the MJHL and most recently the Hawks, where he suited up for his 20-year-old campaign.

PAGE A18 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Share your team’s news, pictures and results with us! email: editor@mjvexpress.com

Prairie Hockey Academy battles through tough weekend during Showcase tournament

Facing top teams in CSSHL U15 Prep division, Cougars post 0-3 record after 9-0 loss to Northern Alberta, 15-1 defeat at hands of Edge School Heading into their Showcase tournament at the Barkman Arena this past weekend, the Prairie Hockey Academy U15 Prep Cougars knew they would be in for some tough competition.

Facing three teams with a combined nine losses over 48 games, the Cougars were going to need an incredible effort to come away with a win against a trio of crews with serious league-title aspirations.

And while their opening game on Friday afternoon against 13-3-0-0 Rink Hockey Academy was relatively close in a 6-1 loss, things were far more difficult

PHA forward Luke Pratte aims to knock the puck away from Rink’s Cohen Lewko.

Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express Rink Hockey 6, Prairie Hockey 1 Ethan Grant scored the lone goal for PHA with 2:02 gone in the third period.

Drayden Uhrina scored twice and had four points for Winnipeg-based Rink, while Jake Ritson potted two goals and had three points. Isaac Sousa and Cohen Lewko had a goal and an assist to round out their scoring.

Brady Robert stopped 43 shots for the Cougars, including 22 in the third period, while Tate Barnaby had 12 stops for RHA. Northern Alberta 9, Prairie Hockey 0 The Xtreme looked every part the first-place club they are, scoring four times in the first and five in second on their way to the shutout win.

Prairie Hockey Academy defender Luke Ratzlaff went the distance in Ason Apesis lays a hit on Rink Acadegoal and faced 48 shots, stopping 19 in my’s Spencer Kuntz behind the net. the second period when the Cougars were the rest of the weekend, as they fell 9-0 outshot 24-0.

Blake Chorney had three goals and to the 14-3-0-1 Northern Alberta Xtreme Saturday night and lost 15-2 to 12-3-0-0 five points to lead a remarkably balanced attack. Jagger John, Ben Harvey, Aidan Edge School on Sunday morning.

Prairie Hockey Academy now holds a Poulin, Trey Bohlken, Aiden Wagner and 6-7-0-0 record to sit in 11th place in 17- Memphis Adeniken all had single markteam league. Northern Alberta took over ers.

Cam Hoose had 13 saves to earn the top spot thanks to their showing this weekend, with Rink in third place and Edge in shutout.

Edge School 15, Prairie Hockey 2 fifth, all within four points of one another.

Edge scored five goals in a span of just over six minutes to close out the first period and never looked back, taking a 7-0 lead out of the frame and building a 10-1 lead through two.

Roberts faced 27 shots in the first period alone before giving way to Ratzlaff after the seventh goal, and he’d stop 39 the rest of the way. All told, Edge would pour 74 shots at the PHA net.

Van Huebner scored for Edge in the second period and Soren Hayden had their third period marker. Brady Vipond and Ramsey Thompson each had two assists.

Matthew Hilderman had a hat trick for Edge, with Jack Bisson, Mirko Dufour and James Mattheos scoring two each.

Ben Oliverio, Aden Bouchard, Brock England, Adam Halat, Reeve Waugh and Declan Cardiff scored single goals; Dufour and Cardiff each had five points.

Delano Pockar had 20 saves in the win.

Other scores from the Showcase saw OHA Edmonton defeat Pilot Mound 7-3, Edge defeat Northern Alberta 8-3, Rink roll past Pilot Mound 13-1, Edge defeat Edmonton 14-4 and Northern Alberta sneak past Edmonton 3-2.

Peacock, Central remain unbeaten to start high school boys basketball season Toilers take win over Lumsden, Cyclones defeat Swift Current in league action Tuesday night Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Peacock Toilers are off and aiming to defend their Moose Jaw High Schools Athletic Association high school boys basketball championship.

Peacock improved to 2-0 through the first few weeks of the season thanks to a 78-42 victory over the Lumsden Devils at Peacock on Tuesday night -- a victory that wasn’t without its share of drama early on.

The two teams ended up in a defensive battle to get things going, with the result a 10-10 draw though the opening 10 minutes. The Toilers got things going after the break, though, outscoring Lumsden 22-10 in the second quarter to take a 32-20 lead.

The Devils didn’t go quietly and clawed their way back to within 12 heading into the final quarter, but a 28-4 surge

to close out the game gave Peacock their relatively comfortable win.

Kai Houghton led all scorers with 19 points, while Owen Varjassy had 12 and Teagan Gagnon knocked down 11. Ben Pollack had 15 points to pace Lumsden, Jake Flichel added eight.

The Central Cyclones kept pace with Peacock and also improved to 2-0 thanks to a 78-42 victory over the Colts in Swift Current.

Chase Seaborn led Central with 26 points, while Max Simmons put back 13.

Duncan Gevana led Swift Current with 20, Nafyad Eticha dropped eight.

In girls league action, the Peacock Toilers kept pace with the league leaders thanks to an 82-46 win over the Assiniboia Rockets at Peacock.

High school basketball file Mattaya Coupland led the Toilers with 18 points, all in the first half, while Devlynn McClung contributed 16 to go along with 12 from Taylor Craik and 11 from Jakson McAuley.

Peacock got off to a fantastic start with 30 points in the first quarter and a 14-point lead before holding a 44-30 lead at halftime.

Madeleine Simonson led Assiniboia with 17 points.

The girls game between the Vanier Spirits and Lumsden Angels in Lumsden was postponed, and no score was reported from the game between the Swift Current and Central girls.

The final games of the pre-Christmas schedule will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 19 and will see Peacock at Central (girls 6:20 p.m., boys 8 p.m.) along with the Swift Current girls at Vanier (5:50 p.m.), Assinboia girls at Lumsden (6:40 p.m.) and Vanier boys at Lumsden (5 p.m.).

Moose Jaw wrestlers bring home hardware from Kelly Dumont Memorial

High school competitors claim five elite division titles, four novice championships at early-season event Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

In the first meet of the high school wrestling season, a total of 18 competitors from the MJKWC picked up top-three finishes at the Kelly Dumont Memorial meet in Regina on Dec. 8, with local wrestlers winning five elite division and four novice division championships.

Reigning provincial champion Evelyn Eros from Peacock picked up right where she left off last spring with a pair of wins in the female 81 kg division. Eros needed 16 seconds to defeat Regina O’Neill’s Annika Morris-Blackbur before pinning Regina Campbell’s Robyn Wilkins in her second match.

Peacock’s Kingston Usher also began defence of his provincial gold medal with a sweep of the competition in the male 81kg class. That included pinfall wins over Regina Johnson’s Curtis Lafontaine and Regina Campbell’s Muhammad Musa to

Members of the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Wrestling Club pause for a photo while promoting the club at a recent Warrior game. go along with a 12-1 victory over Regina Winston Knoll’s Noah Panchuk.

Provincial silver medalist Brady Ross from Peacock won the male 79-kg division with three straight technical fall wins

over Johnson’s Abeer Ahmed, Campbell’s Carter Nelson and Regina Thom’s Evan Zwolinski.

It was a similar run for Kruz Babich in the male 62-kg class, as the provincial silver medalist claimed pins against Regina Miller’s Eldon Li and Thom’s Porter Tondevold while also getting an 11-1 win over O’Neill’s Aubrey Galenzoski.

Peacock’s Akela Sand won both her matches to claim the female 66 kg class.

The reigning bronze medalist defeated Regina Sheldon Williams’ Prisha Limbachiya in 12 seconds and ended up in a battle in her other match before pinning Regina Balfour’s Angelina Singh at the four-minute mark.

Central’s Eisa Tondevold was third in the female 53-kg class while Peacock’s Tanner Kivol took third in the male 57-kg division and Vanier’s Wyatt Behiel fin-

ished third in the male 119 kg class.

In the Novice division, Central’s Pailsey Patrosh (46 kg), Macey Binsfeld (53 kg) and Hailey Newans (72 kg) won their respective female classes, while Peacock’s Mason Rushak topped the male 88kg division.

Central’s Jasmyn Hrynyk was second in the female 67-kg class and Peacock’s Jordyn Tressel third in the same division.

Central’s Carson Mack (64 kg) and Liam Palmer (67 kg) had second places in their male division classes, Vanier’s Owen Cherney (63 kg) and Central’s Daniel Cowan (71 kg) claimed third.

A total of 255 wrestlers from 15 high schools took part in the tournament.

Next up on the Sask Wrestling calendar is the O’Neill Titans Wrestling Classic during the Jan. 19 weekend in Regina.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A19 Share your team’s news, pictures and results with us! email: editor@mjvexpress.com

WINMAR Warriors split final two games before Christmas break

Notre Dame takes 2-1 victory Thursday, Warriors roll to 6-3 win over Contacts Saturday for points in three of last four games Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors head into their Christmas break with points in three of their last four games after taking a 6-3 victory over the Saskatoon Contacts on Saturday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

The Warriors didn’t have as much luck earlier in the week, as they fell 2-1 to the Notre Dame Hounds at home on Thursday.

Moose Jaw improved to 14-11-1-0 with Saturday’s win and are currently in sixth place in the 12-team league, a point back of Warman and three back of the third-place Saskatoon Blazers and Prince Albert Mintos.

The Warriors got off to a great start against the Contacts, with Noah Thul opening scoring only 1:43 into the proceedings and Jake Brilz making it a 2-0 game with a power play goal at the 9:39 mark.

Three goals in the final 10 minutes of the second period gave the Warriors a commanding lead heading into the final frame.

Max Threinen scored on the power play at 9:06 and was followed by Bryce

Boughen with 3:44 remaining and Dylan Duzan with 48 seconds to play.

Duzan’s goal gave him four points on the night, good enough for 15 goals and 33 points on the season and a four-way tie with Swift Current’s Jace Egland, Prince Albert’s Owen Nelson and Estevan’s Carter Onrait for third in league scoring.

Saskatoon had some pushback to start the third period, with early goals from Rylan Hue and Davey Fisher getting their crew back within three, but Caleb Potter would make it a 6-2 Warrior lead with 12:41 to play, Fisher then closed out scoring just over a minute later.

Potter also picked up two assists while Briltz and Thul had two points apiece.

Ryan Bain turned aside 32 shots to earn the win, Logan Edmonstone had 28 stops for Saskatoon.

Against the Hounds, Moose Jaw had their openings in the first period, with Notre Dame goaltender Mariko Bercier stopping both Briltz and Boughen on breakaways and making a handful of other big saves to keep the Warriors off the board.

Luke McKechnie was equally as sharp

Bryce Boughen nearly scored for the Warriors in the first period, but Notre Dame’s Mariko Bercier would get the shaft of his stick on the puck to make the save. at the other end of the ice, but a power play shot through a screen by Alexis Lavigne with 19 seconds left in the first would give Notre Dame a 1-0 lead.

After taking two double minors in the opening 20 minutes, the Warriors cleaned things up a bit in the second and were rewarded with a power play goal of their

own when Duzan tied the game with 6:05 remaining, That would be the last good news on the night for the Warriors, though, as Aleksandr Skuratov scored with 4:19 gone in the third and Moose Jaw was unable to take advantage of two power plays as the period progressed, taking the one-goal loss.

Bercier capped his night with 38 saves, while McKechnie turned aside 22 shots for the Warriors.

The WINMAR Warriors are now off until the new year and return to the ice on Saturday, Jan, 6 when the Saskatoon Blazers are in town, Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

WINMAR Warriors forward Jake Briltz couldn’t finish off this first-period breakaway.

Three rinks with Moose Jaw connections qualify directly for Viterra Scotties Moose Jaw rinks Orsted, Barker joined by Saskatoon Nutana’s Ackerman in landing Canadian Team Ranking System and Sask CRTS berths for provincial tournament Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw curling fans will once again have a host of teams to cheer for at the Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts next month in Tisdale.

Three rinks from the Moose Jaw Curling Centre or with direct connections to Moose Jaw earned berths into the 12team tournament through the Canadian Team Ranking System or through the Sask Curling Team Ranking System, with the top four point-getters from each advancing to the Scotties.

Leading the way is the Saskatoon Nutana foursome of Skylar Ackerman, third Ashley Thevenot, second Taylor Stremick and lead Kaylin Skinner, who earned the second Scotties berth through the CTRS standings.

Ackerman is currently 16th overall in the Canadian rankings and behind only Saskatoon’s Nancy Martin provincially.

Wins in the Moose Jaw and Saskatoon Nutana spiels provided the bulk of the Ackerman’s points provincially, while a fifthplace showing at the Pumps and Pressure Red Deer Curling Classic and third-place finish at the U25 NextGen Classic rounded out their point total.

Skylar Ackerman and her Saskatoon Nutana rink of third Ashley Thevenot, second Taylor Stremick, lead Kaylin Skinner and coach Patrick Ackerman are the second-ranked rink on the CTRS heading into the Viterra Scotties.

Penny Barker and her Moose Jaw Curling Centre rink of third Christie Gamble, second Jenna Enge and lead Danielle Sicinski qualified for the Viterra Scotties as the fourth team from the Saskatchewan Women’s Curling Tour.

The Moose Jaw Curling Centre foursome of Sheilee Orsted, third Candace Newkirk, second Shalon Fleming and lead Jasmine Kerr claimed the fourth CTRS Viterra Scotties berth.

Sherilee Orsted and her Moose Jaw Curling Centre foursome of third Candace Newkirk, second Shalon Fleming and lead Jasmine Kerr turned their solid start to the season into the fourth CRTS Scotties berth.

Currently the 28th-ranked rink in Canada, Orsted finished second at the Saskatoon Nutana spiel and third in the Great Western Brewing Bonspiel to go along with finishing fifth in the Ladies Alberta Open and Regina Highland Rocktoberfest.

Regina Highland’s Michelle Englot claimed the other CTRS berth.

Penny Barker and her two-time Viterra Scotties champion rink of third Christie Gamble, second Jenna Enge and lead Danielle Sicinski claimed the final Sask CRTS spot thanks to a third-place showing at the MCT Challenge and fifth-place finishes at the Great Western Brewing Bonspiel, S3 Group Curling Stadium Series and the Nutana spiel.

Saskatoon Nutana’s Sherry Anderson and Jessica Mitchell took the top two Sask CRTS spots, with North Battleford’s Robyn Silvernagle finishing third in the standings.

The final four teams were decided during the Viterra Last Chance Event Dec. 15-17 in Assniboia.

The Viterra Scottiies Tournament of Hearts runs Jan 17-21 in Tisdale and will features two six-team round robin pools from which the top four will advance to the Page playoffs.

The Viterra Scotties champion advances to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Feb. 16-25 in Calgary.

Top trio continue to pull away in Original 16 Cash League BTN Chartered Accountants, Fountain Tire, KMS Construction all pick up wins as league play continues at Moose Jaw Curling Centre Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

Another night, another series of wins for the top three teams in the Original 16 Cash League.

BTN Chartered Accountants (Penny Barker), Fountain Tire (Barry Silk) and KMS Construction (Ben Gamble) all came away with solid wins in league play at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre on Wednesday night, pulling further away from the pack in the process.

Barker improved to 10-1 but needed an extra end to do so during a backand-forth battle against Ryder Helmeczi (3-7). Barker led 3-1 after two ends, but Helmeczi picked up a deuce in the third and stole two more in the fourth for a 5-3

edge. Barker got all that back with another three in the fifth, only to see Helmeczi tie the game in the sixth and steal two in the seventh to take the lead coming home.

True to form, Barker would find a way to get things done, scoring two in the eighth to tie the game and then picking up the win with a steal of two in the extra end.

Things were just as interesting midway through the game between Silk (9-2) and EMJ Marketing (Joe Gunnis, 3-8). A five-ender in the third put Silk ahead 6-3, but Gunnis rallied with one in the fourth and steal of two in the fifth to tie the game 6-6 at the break. Silk took over from

there, though, scoring singles in the sixth and seventh and stealing two more in the eighth for the 10-6 win.

A late-game rally also played a role in Gamble improving to 8-3 on the season against John’s Music (Ryan Wenarchuk, 6-5). Things were all tied at two through four ends, but a deuce in the fifth, steal in the sixth and four-spot in the seventh would be enough to give Gamble a 9-2 win.

Young and Young Automotive (Stan Barnsley, 5-6) moved a game closer to .500 thanks to an 8-4 win offer Leeville Construction (Curtis Woloschuk, 4-6).

Woloschuk took a quick 2-0 lead through

two ends, but a Barnsley deuce tied things up in the third and a four-spot the next end gave them control. Woloschuk got back within a pair with single points in the fifth and sixth, but Barnsley responded in kind the final two ends for the four-point win.

A series of steals were the difference for Wade Gray (5-6) in his game against R.K. Sunview Farms (Dayne Heisler 1-10). Leading 2-1 through two, Gray stole single points in four straight ends and went on to a 6-1 victory.

Original 16 Cash League action takes place every Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.

PAGE A20 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Winners announced for 2023 ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ lighting contest

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com The winners of this year’s ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ light contest hosted by The Knights of Columbus Father Gilpin Council 9760 have just been announced, after an open contest was held to commemorate the Christian connection to the season.

On Dec. 16, starting at 6:30 p.m., judges went out to review each entrant’s display and mark each one based on pre-set criteria and adherence to the contest’s theme.

“Christ was born and died for us, for the repentance of sins, so therefore we commemorate the date He came into the world. With the commercialization of Christmas and the secularization of it, we want to remember that it is the first and foremost religious holiday for Christ’s birth,” said the organization’s financial secretary, Pat Meuse, in an earlier statement.

The winners of the contest are as follows: • First place: 1258 Mayberry Crescent • Second place: 1272 Pascoe Drive West • Third place: 815 Main Street South Each winning contestant will receive a cash prize based on their standing. For first place, a $75 award is given, along with $50 for second and $25 for third place. The first-place winner for this year’s contest, located at 1258 Mayberry Crescent. Photo by: Pat Meuse

Upcoming Events in Moose Jaw

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

contact Nature Moose Jaw, Rich Pickering can be reached at r.pickering@shaw.ca.

Lawn Bowls (on turf): Lawn Bowling has been described as a cross between Curling and Pool.

Lawn Bowls can be played in a solely recreational style or highly competitive form. The flexibility makes it a game for everyone from 6 to 106. The Yara Centre offers everyone an opportunity to participate in this fun sport during inclement weather. It provide athletes with maintenance of skills & recreational players with a fun alternative to typical gym exercises. Drop in welcomed every Tuesday &Thursday at 9:30am &/or Wednesday at 1:30pm. For more info www.moosejawlawnbowling. com or text 306 690-8739

Line Dancing every Wednesday from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. at St. Andrews Church. Call 306.692.7365 for more information.

New Youth Pipe Band in Moose Jaw “The White Heather” for youth aged 8 to 12. Further information may be obtained by contacting Michelle Carline at mcarline@hotmail.com Scottish Country Dance Classes for all ages on Thursdays at 7pm at 510 Main St. N (T. Eaton Bldg). No partner required. Call Val @306.630.5790.

Town and Country Square Dancing will be held at St. Mary’s School for 2023-2024 season; 7pm to 9pm Monday nights.

The Moose Jaw Stamp Club has resumed meeting the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 6:30 pm at the Lindale School staff room (north door). For information call 306693-5705.

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.

Moose Jaw Town and Country Square Dance Association Winter 2024 dance program on Monday Nights starting January 8, 2024; 7 pm to 9 pm at St. Mary’s School – 720 - 5th Ave SW. Dance in a Square with a Circle of Friends. For information contact: Valerie Wright 306-691-0579.

Moose Jaw Camera Club meets at the Cosmo Centre- 235 Third Ave NE on the second Monday of each month from 7-9p.m. For more information call Wanda at 306-631-7440 or Leonard Ber at 306-693-7865. Member photos and can be viewed at TheMooseJawCameraClub.com. Membership open to those with an interest in photography; one-time annual payment $50. Additional members in family from same household pay discounted $25 pp/student rate $30.

Nature Moose Jaw will hold their meetings on a once-a-month basis to take place on the third Friday of each month. Next Meeting will be held on Jan. 19, 2024. To

Griefshare support group for those grieving the death of a loved one on Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:15, until Dec. 6 at Moose Jaw Alliance Church, corner of Thatcher and 9th Ave. W. To register see Griefshare.org/findagroup. For more information email Ralph Magnus, rjmagnuor alls57@gmail.com Are you struggling with addictions? Do you know someone who is? Or do you want to learn more about overcoming addiction to help others? Pastor Cory Havanka and his wife Brenda will be offering an in-person, smallgroup, course that will explore how to overcome addiction that is based on Biblical foundations.

For questions - Call or text Cory at 306-684-1464 or email firmfoundationministries.inc@ gmail.com. Firm Foundation Ministries provides other services as well:-Bible study - Monday evenings at 630 p.m/Prayer meetings - Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m/Pastoral counselling. Check Facebook or Instagram for updates on services, events, bible study notes and words from the Lord.

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 Rm 103. Your anonymity and what you say at meetings will be carefully guarded.

Toastmasters provides a learning environment to develop communication & leadership skills which foster self-confidence as well as personal &. professional development. There are 2 clubs in Moose jaw: Tuesdays: TAP club meets on zoom@7pm Soon will offer an 8 week class ‘Speechcraft’ which provides instruction and experiential learning of the basic skills in public speaking. Guests are welcome at all meetings. Phone Cathy 306-630-7015 for more information & zoom link.

Wednesday: Big Country club @7pmCST is in person@Saskpolytechnic & (Hybrid) online.

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. Weighin 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 success-

ful. 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.

Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL), 461 Langdon Cres. Phone 306.692.2787; visit their website at https://www.moosejawlibrary. ca/ The schedule for children’s programs and links to register are available at MooseJawLibrary.ca/ childrens-programs, and at the MJPL front desk.

The Elf on the Library Shelf is back once again. ‘Elfie’ will hide in a different location each day — kids who find him can enter a draw for an end-of-month prize. There is also an ugly sweater contest: Kids 4 to 12 can pick up a colouring sheet at the circulation desk, colour it in, and submit it to enter a draw for an actual ugly sweater prize.

MJPL Adult programs in December Tech Time (ongoing) By appointment only, call 306-692-2787 to book personalized one-on-one session on how to use their devices and apps.

MJPL Youth programs in December New Adult Digital D&D, for ages 15 to 22, takes place Fridays at 4 p.m. on the library’s Discord channel.

Registration is required for all library D&D programs by emailing youth@moosejawlibrary.ca.

The Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 59 Moose Jaw, 268 High St W Moose Jaw; Contact: 306692-5453. 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 at 6pm, Paper goes on sale at 5pm. Playing ten regular games with 2 parts each and 3 extra games, all games cash prizes. · 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 $5; 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: 306-694-4223 or Email: mjsenior@shaw.ca . The centre is now open Mon-Thurs 8am – 8pm.

Fitness Level & Indoor Walking Track open M-T and Friday’s 8am4pm/ Lounge – Friday’s from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Wood working area – Mon- Fri 8am – 4pm/Timothy Eaton Cafe open Mon-Fri, 8am – 4pm.

Billiards open daily 8am – 4pm, and Mon & Thurs 4:30 – 8 p.m.

Pickle Ball – Mon & Thurs 10 a.m./ Tues, Wed & Fri 1 p.m./Mon & Thurs 7 p.m./Wed 6pm Fitness- Chair/Low Impact Fitness Mondays & Thursdays @ 1:00 p.m.

Cribbage – Wed 1 p.m/Hand & Foot Card Game for Beginners – Thurs9:30 am/Mah Jong – Weds 1 p.m./500 Cards – Thurs @ 1 p.m.

Full Body Work Out Mon 9:30am/ Wed 9:30 am Scrabble – Mon 1pm/Spades Tues & Fri 1pm Line Dancing Tues 10 a.m./Intro to Line Dancing – Wed 11am Table Tennis Mon 1pm/Art & Crafts Mon/Tues/Wed 1 p.m./Floor Shuffleboard Tues/Thurs 1 p.m.

Paper Tole Tues 1 p.m./Nickle Bingo Fri 1 p.m./Quilting Fri 9am-4pm Jam and dancing (New Name Change) Fri 9 a.m./Texas Hold’em Thurs 6:30pm 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.

Monday: 9:30 am - Pickleball / 1pm - Floor Shuffleboard / 7pm-Camera Club – only on the 2nd Monday of the month Tuesday: 9:30 am - Jam Session / 1pm-Pickleball / 7pm-Friendship Bridge / 7pm-Beginners Only Pickleball Wednesday: 8:30 am-TOPS/ 8:30am-Pickleball/1pm-Floor Shuffleboard Thursday: 10 am - Line Dance/ 1pm-Pickleball Friday: 9:00am-Beginner Pickleball/1pm-Regular Pickleball Moose Jaw ANAVETS: Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Unit #252 – 279 High St. W, Moose Jaw. 306.692.4412 or anaf252@ sasktel.net Open on Wednesdays 12-6pm.

Every Wed. 10 card crib and smear.

Every Thursday 12–7pm – crib 1:30pm/Bring a partner or sign up for a spare.

Every Friday 1-10pm. Shuffleboard 1:30pm, pool and darts 7pm. Bring a partner.

Every Saturday 1-7pm. 4:30 pm Meat Draw;50/50;gift card. Everyone welcome.

Last Thursday of every month “Veteran’s Coffee Break” 9:3011am. All Veterans welcome for coffee and donuts provided by local businesses.

FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES #3395 MON - Drop in Cribbage – registration 6pm/play 7pm. $2pp – two person teams. Bring a partner or be a spare. Prizes depend on number of persons registered.

Everyone Welcome.

WED- Drop in Darts –7pm – draw for partners. $2pp/per night.

Everyone Welcome THURS - Ladies Auxiliary “Meat Draw” – tickets 5:30pm/draws 6pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, “Chase

the Ace” SUN - Aerie “Meat Draw” – tickets 2:30pm; Meat Draw, 50/50, Mystery Draw, “Chase the Ace” MON-SAT – DROP IN POOL 1-1:30pm. Singles & Doubles.

Partners draw from those attending to play.

FIRST AND THIRD SUN – Aerie meeting 11:30am FIRST AND THIRD TUES – Ladies Auxiliary meeting 7pm NEW YEAR’S EVE - “ORIGINAL COVERS” music playing in the Eagles Hall – More details to follow – watch for club posters.

Seniors’ Centre Without Walls FREE telephone-based program for seniors 55+ in activities, education, and conversation. No internet or computer needed, only a phone. To register for programs, phone 306-631-4357 or email scwwsask2019@gmail.com PIANO FAVOURITES with Lorne Jackson 10 – 11am Fridays through December. To register for this program, phone 306-6314357 or email scwwsask2019@ gmail.com Seniors Art Program Over the Phone: Thursday bi-monthly sessions 10-11am - 8 session program running until December 21. All supplies mailed to you at no cost. December 14 - Winter silhouette Cool and Warm scene study (Oil pastels); For individuals over 60 yrs: Join in to share on the oral history of the farm– Celebrate common stories through farm reminiscing.

Free weekly phone sessions Wed Jan. 17 – March 6 at 10am-11am OR 1:30-2:30 for 8 weeks. No computer or internet required. All supplies necessary will be mailed free to you. Registration required – Phone or Email by December 15.

306.631.4357 (No texts please).

Email scwwsask2019@gmail.com 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/ Virtual Coffee Club for a time of visiting and learning through zoom sessions once a month consisting of a presentation and time for questions afterwards. No cost but pre-registration is required on website: Virtual Coffee Club Western Development Museum (wdm.ca). For more information or to set up an interview call 306693-5989 or email me at ajones@ wdm.ca A Christmas Long Ago public program on Saturday December 16th at 10am and 2pm. Museum-led program, which provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about 1910 settler life and, in particular, abo providing family traditions during the holiday season. Explore holiday traditions - Pre-registration required; tickets available at WDM or call 306-693-5989.

Ticket prices regular admission.

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A21

SRC president says province is positioned to lead the world on nuclear batteries Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

Mike Crabtree, president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), said the province’s new $80 million commitment to nuclear microreactors, in partnership with Westinghouse Electric, could position Saskatchewan as a world leader in nuclear energy.

“This project will, eventually, be the first of its kind in the world,” Crabtree told MooseJawToday.com, “so there is a very significant partnership between SRC and Westinghouse in developing particularly the applications of how this (microreactor) will be used, but also in developing the processes that will take us through the licensing, regulatory, and siting requirements, which together form the longest lead time item in this five-year process between now and hopefully bringing the reactor into the province.”

On November 27, the Government of Saskatchewan announced $80 million in funding to the SRC to pursue a working, contributing demonstration microreactor, expected to be online in 2029.

The development is the result of more than three years of co-operation between Westinghouse Electric Company and the SRC, including signing a Memorandum of Understanding last year. The SRC has a long history of safe nuclear research. It was one of the first companies in Canada to become a licensed reactor operator with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), and operated a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor for 38 years before decommissioning it in 2021.

An artist rendering of the eVinci™ Microreactor being developed by Westinghouse Electric Company (Westinghouse Electric Company, used by permission)

Mike Crabtree, president and CEO of the SRC, answers questions during a media scrum on Nov. 27, 2023 (courtesy Saskatchewan Research Council) “We’ve been a safe pair of hands in of producing five megawatts of electricithe nuclear sector for a considerable peri- ty, over 13 megawatts of high temperature od of time, now,” Crabtree said. “This is heat, or operating in combined heat and a really big step forward, though, because power mode.

“Westinghouse is proud to be workthe microreactor, although it is ‘micro’, is essentially a nearly 15-megawatt nuclear ing with the team at SRC on this vital projbattery. To put it in context, that is suffi- ect, and for the support from Premier Moe and the Government of Saskatchewan,” cient to power about 3,000 homes.”

Crabtree said that once the reactor said Patrick Fragman, Westinghouse’s is operating, it will be put into use and president and CEO. “The eVinci™ battery is expected to pay for itself over time by technology is the perfect fit for Saskatchsupplying industrial heat and power. There ewan since it is fully transportable. It also is potential in Saskatchewan for at least provides carbon-free electricity and heat, 10-15 of these batteries, he noted, which uses no water, and can be completely rewould have major implications for spin- moved from site after operating continuoff industries to support them. The biggest ously for eight years or more.”

Saskatchewan could be positioned potential is in providing remote communities, industry sites, research outposts, as a global leader in nuclear energy Cameco, a Saskatoon-based compaand more with continuous, clean energy through a combination of wind, solar, and ny and the world’s largest publicly traded uranium producer, owns 49 per cent nuclear.

The eVinci™ microreactor will be of Westinghouse as of Nov. 2023. That built by Westinghouse, with the location means that, while manufacture of eVinci of the reactor to be determined as the reactors will remain in the US, there is poproject progresses through the regulatory tential for Saskatchewan to be the location processes. The required surrounding in- of the maintenance of those reactors, first frastructure is less than two thirds the size to fellow Canadian jurisdictions, and from of a hockey rink. The eVinci™ is capable there to clients around the world.

OPINION/EDITORIAL

LETTERS

TO THE

EDITOR

Guidelines for Submitting Letters to the Editor:

Due to space allotment in Moose Jaw Express for free letters to the editor, we find it necessary to establish some guidelines in submissions that will be in effect as of March 15, 2021.

• All letters to the editor submitted to the Moose Jaw Express newspaper should not exceed 800 words, although they can be much longer to be included in our online daily MooseJawToday.com . In this case, we reserve the right to edit them accordingly.

• A full name and contact information will need to be included with each submission for verification.

“I think the really compelling opportunity that we want to pursue for Saskatchewan, particularly with Cameco now owning 49 per cent of Westinghouse, is that Saskatchewan will become a staging area ... for the rest of Canada,” Crabtree said.

“We can see that the reactors will come fueled from the factory, but they could be re-fueled here in the future.”

The batteries are essentially rechargeable — once the initial fuel has been exhausted, they can be swapped out for another fully fueled microreactor. The exhausted reactor is removed to a staging point where the old fuel is safely extracted and replaced, whereupon the eVinci is sent back out for another 8-10 years of use. It only takes about a month to power an eVinci up, or back down, from a completely inert state, making it safe to transport — and they are so small they can fit in a seacan.

What about the waste, and the cost?

“The math on this is changing and will continue to change as we move forward ... but they are going to be highly competitive with the diesel power these remote sites currently depend on,” Crabtree said. “And again, part of the attractiveness of these is that there’s never any exposed fuel at the location. The battery is sent fully charged and withdrawn fully discharged. In terms of actual waste, from the 10 years of operation, supplying power equivalent to 3,000 homes, that will result in about three 200-litre drums of nuclear waste.

“A lot of the work we’ll be doing over the next five years will involve ... what happens to the spent fuel, but if you look at the stark math ... those three drums of spent nuclear fuel are replacing the equivalent of a million drums of diesel. That’s 1.3 million barrels, by the way, because of course a drum is bigger than a barrel. And that avoids half a million tonnes of CO2. It really is staggering.”

Learn more and follow along with SRC public engagement events at www. src.sk.ca/srcnuclear.

• Only the name will be included in publication with the letter as the contributor.

Send your letters to the editor to:

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

RE: CANADA POST FUEL SURCHARGE I, like everyone else who uses Canada Post to Mail Parcels at Christmas, was shocked at the shipping cost. So, as my old friend Elizabeth DuSomme would have done, I looked into it.

Did you know that for the week of December 11 to 17, 2023, Canada Post applies a Domestic Fuel Surcharge of 28% to the price of shipping a parcel?

Did you know the Fuel Surcharge is adjusted weekly?

Did you know the GST is applied to the Surcharge, thus making it higher?

Here is what Canada Post says: “Canada Post applies a fuel sur- charge on its parcel services based on whether the service is Domestic, USA or International. The surcharge is adjusted weekly based on the average price of diesel as measured by Kalibrate Technologies Ltd.” The USA and International Parcel Services Surcharge 17.25%.

(Maybe I should get the Grandkids to move to North Dakota.)

So, when Grandpa and Grandma want to mail a gift they pay an extra (GST added) 30%.

The Future:

Politicians are wandering around aimlessly – flying to Dubai for a Climate Conference – complaining about Trudeau’s Carbon Tax – closing coal fired power plants and all sides are telling us how they will make changes.

That’s like the World War Two joke where the General tells the soldiers, “You will be changing your underwear three times a week. You will be changing with him – he will change with that guy and so on.”

Nothing really changes.

Don’t blame the Postal Workers. It is Politicians who come up with this nonsense. The Postal Workers just do their job and tolerate the smart ass comments.

Richard Dowson, Moose Jaw

RE: BIG RETAILER NOT ALLOWING CHRISTMAS KETTLES IN STORE ON THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS OR SATURDAYS Every year, around this time, I am heartened by the number and variety of good causes that receive approval and support from the people of our city. It is good to know that ours is a community of caring people.

However, I was disappointed, on a recent shopping day, to learn that one of the largest retailers in Moose Jaw has decided not to allow The Salva-

tion Army to have a Christmas Kettle in their store on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, contrary to many years of doing so. Yes, the Army is permitted to have the location on Monday to Wednesday, but the reality is that the majority of donations come from weekend shoppers, and this means the Salvation Army will have significantly fewer dollars to support its programming throughout the year. I have been associated with the Christmas Kettle appeal since I was 14 years old - so 61 years and counting. Though not an integral part now, I can say that the need is be-

coming greater year by year, and this is not the time to put obstacles in the way of its fundraising! For over 130 years, the Army has served this community sacrificially and quietly wherever need is identified.

Come on, business giant, let the Kettles be filled in your location. Please.

I’m just a grumpy old curmudgeon, but I really do care about this.

Sincerely, Dave Foley

PAGE A22 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

D.&D. Quality Care Inc. YOUR AIDS FOR ACTIVE LIVING

Seniors 10% OFF on select dates & items

WCB, SGI, DVA, and Supplementary Health Approved

& GAM ES

428 Main St N. 306-691-0300 ddqualitycare@gmail.com

“Each day provides its own gifts.”

-- Marcus Aurelius --

ACROSS 1. Large number 5. Impressive display 10. Memorization method 14. Story 15. Two 16. Nights before 17. Respites 19. College bigwig 20. French for “Word” 21. Stream 22. To the point 23. Make ready 25. Aromatic solvent 27. Employ 28. Taking for granted 31. Oversight 34. Writing tables 35. Expected 36. Ukeleles 37. Cables 38. Anagram of “Eked” 39. What we breathe 40. Abominable snowmen 41. Public transit vehicles 42. Disrobe 44. Prohibit

S #5 U D- O KU Sudoku Challenging

WORDSEARCH

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

5

3 4

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

5 2

5

3

9 3 7 4

© 2023 KrazyDad.com

1

8

6

5

3

6 2

8 9 1 7 4

4

7 3

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

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

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

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

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

Puzzle Solutions

9

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

AMPLE, ANSWER, AMUSING, AWAY, BATHE, BEAT, CHARGE CHORTLE, COVER, CULL, DERIDE, DEWLAP, DRAG, EMBARRASS, EXTENT, FLINT, GENTLE, GIVEN, LARIAT, LASH, LEER, LOOSE, MISSTEP, NOOSE, OBEY, OTHER, PANTRY, REACT, REAL, REBELLIOUS, REPEATED, SEAM, SEAWEED, SHAME SINFUL, TARDY, TEEN, WATTLE, WEARY

18. Delete 45. Equine 22. Therefore 46. Protective eyewear 24. Kitty-cat 50. Phase 26. Sounds of disapproval 52. Employ again 28. Eagle’s home 54. Evil spirit 29. Microwave (slang) 55. Yearn 30. G G G 56. Lawmaker 31. Outdoor party 58. One single time 32. Similar 59. Wear away 33. Possibly 60. Bristle 34. Procrastinators 61. Noxious plant 37. Anagram of “Stew” 62. Donkeys 38. Fecal matter of animals 63. Quarry 40. Bygone era DOWN 41. Doughnut-shaped roll 1. Unit of postage 43. Recorded 2. Work hard 44. Supervisors 3. Fill with joy 46. Manual 4. Damp 47. Metric unit of capacity 5. Esteem 48. Overact 6. Pass a rope through 7. Ancient alphabetic character 49. Aerosol 50. At low speed 8. Female actors 51. Pitch 9. “I agree” Daily Sudoku Puzzles

by KrazyDad, December 13, 202 53. Freudian topics 10. Ransom 11. Countermands 56. Grassland 12. Earl Grey and orange pekoe 57. Viper 13. Anagram of “Seen”

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A23

Moose Jaw Truck Shop

22 Lancaster RD 306.694.4644

we fix everything

MooseJawTruckShop.com or text 306-900-4179

CLASSIFIED ADS AUTOS

For Sale- 2014 Chev 1500. One owner, 4 x 4 crew cab, 172,300 kms, 5.3 engine. Excellent condition, asking $18,500. Call 306 -631-7698 AUTO PARTS For Sale Yokohama winter tires mounted on rims, 5-hole pattern 215/ 60R17. asking $350.00. Call 306-692-3401 For Sale; 4 Cooper Weather Master Snow Tires on 5-hole rims (off Ford Taurus) 235/55R18.

Asking $450.00. Call 306-692-3282

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT For Sale- 12” metal lathe. Needs a little shim work. Offers accepted. Phone 306-694-4999 WANTED Wanted storage or garage space. Prefer close to downtown near High St West. Will consider other locations. Call 306-684-1084 Looking for stereo cabinet, radio and record player. Must be in working order. 306- 972-7174 Seeking Born Again Christian Business partner with potential ownership in Second Hand and Flea- Market business. Male, Female or Family must be interested in Salvation, Healing and Deliverance Outreach Ministry. Serious enquiries only please. 306-684-1084, 5 pm- 8pm ONLY (because of scam calls) SERVICES Junk to the dump in and around Moose Jaw$50. and up. Will pick up, move, haul and deliver any appliances and furniture anywhere in and around Moose Jaw-$45.00 and up, 45-gallon plastic barrels great for rainwater $20. each.

Will pick up, move haul and deliver TV’S and BBQ’s $25. and up. Looking for body parts for 2017 F250. Call 306-681- 8749 Need work done? Contact Bill at 306-6302268. Interior/exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, fin-ishing, tiling, painting and all construction, roofing/ siding- no 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 HELP WANTED Start your way to becoming a Survey Evaluator and earn from $150. for every survey you do weekly. Contact ad.hr@adexec.com

FREE PALLETS

RCMP issues warning of naloxoneresistant fentanyl strain now in circulation Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com staff

A public warning has been issued by the Saskatchewan RCMP after the discovery of a dangerous strain of fentanyl that has been found circulating in the south of the province, including Moose Jaw. This dangerous strain of fentanyl appears the same as other strains of the drug currently in circulation. The difference is that the new strain may be resistant to naloxone, which is a fast-acting drug used to treat the drug effects of opioid overdoses.

Information on the drug has been determined by the Saskatchewan RMCP’s Crime Reduction Team and the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team.

The Saskatchewan RCMP has confirmed that a number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses have occurred in the region during the past few months, but it is unknown how many overdoses have been caused by this new strain.

It should be noted that police don’t respond to every overdose that occurs in any given area. The only way to confirm a death has been the result of an overdose is to confirm this with the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

“The source and composition of this potentially lethal drug is under active investigation, but it was important for us to immediately alert the public of the danger present in our communities. This fentanyl strain is particularly alarming because it doesn’t look any different than others circulating. But if you take it and experience an overdose, it may be irreversible,” said Insp. Jeff Smoliak with Saskatchewan RCMP’s Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team.

“Using illicit drugs is always dangerous, but there is extra risk for fentanyl users in southern Saskatchewan right now. If you or someone you love uses fentanyl, you need to know what to do in the case of an overdose,” he said.

The RCMP has issued the following advice: • Have a safe plan in place. Tell someone you trust about your plan to use drugs and don’t use alone.

• Know the signs of someone experiencing an overdose: slow, weak, or no breathing; blue lips or fingernails; dizziness and confusion; an inability to be woken up; choking, gurgling, or snoring sounds; drowsiness or difficulty staying awake.

• Know what to do when an overdose occurs. An overdose is a medical emergency and if witnessed, call 911 immediately.

• Use naloxone. Even with naloxone-resistant fentanyl in circulation, the recommendation is still to administer naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose.

• You have some legal protection if you call for help.

Outlined in the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, individuals who seek emergency assistance during an overdose are provided some legal protection, and this includes the user.

• There is help available. If you want to quit using drugs, there are services available to support you. You can access these services by visiting Saskatchewan.ca/addictions, or by calling the Healthline 811.

Two in police custody after methamphetamine, prohibited weapons found during search

Moose Jaw Express / MooseJawToday.com staff On Dec. 12, at approximately 3:44 p.m., a search warrant Carey is additionally facing one count each of Poswas executed at a residence in an undisclosed Moose Jaw session of Weapons Dangerous to the Public Peace, Postrailer court. session of Firearms Contrary to a Prohibition Order, and The search was conducted by the Criminal Investiga- Possession of Prohibited Weapons. The weapon in question Section (CIS) and Community Policing Division of tion has been identified as bear spray. the Moose Jaw Police Service, along with members of the Both Carey and Trew-Gawley remain in police cusMoose Jaw RCMP Crime Reduction Team. tody and are scheduled to appear in Moose Jaw ProvinDuring the search, police discovered and seized an cial Court on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 14, at 9:20 undisclosed amount of methamphetamine along with a.m. This will be their first court appearance. drug trafficking paraphernalia and a number of replica If you have information about this or any other crime, firearms. please contact the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306As a result of the investigation, the Moose Jaw Po- 694-7600 or make an anonymous tip by calling CRIME lice Service has arrested and charged Jason Carey, 42, and STOPPERS at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). An anonymous Teanika Trew-Gawley, 28, with Possession of Metham- tip can also be submitted online at SaskCrimeStoppers. phetamine for the Purpose of Trafficking. com.

High quality, barely used pallets.

FREE for the taking!

Located by the garbage bins at: 468 High St W HURRY! Limited supply available!

YOUR Name

Blood

­

­ ­

DON’T WAIT Stripes

For Tomorrow may be too late...

DON’T HESITATE

­ ­

Word

PAGE A24 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Congrats New Parents!

Maegan Nestman & Davin Holo Moose Jaw Dec 11, 2023 6:28 am Male 7lbs, 12oz

Corinne Fowler & Dave Slinn Ogema Dec 11, 2023 12:13 pm Female 7lbs, 15oz

Hannah Lee & Shae Lougheed Craik Dec 13, 2023 12:17 am Female 7lbs, 11oz

Memorials Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is a retired pastor from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Moose Jaw, SK. He graduated with a doctorate degree in 2006 from the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Florida.

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

Nativity

Please include the Moose Jaw Health Foundation in your estate plan to help your community for generations to come.

Please contact us for more information.

Moose Jaw Health Foundation 55 Diefenbaker Drive Moose Jaw, SK S6J 0C2 Phone (306) 694-0373

www.mjhf.org

TRINITY UNITED CHURCH

One film that has become a Christmas favourite of Patti’s is Angela’s Christmas. It is an animation film of 2017 directed by Damien O’Connor and written by Will Collins and Damien O’Connor. The original story comes from Irish author Frank McCourt. It is set in Limerick, Ireland in 1914. Angela goes to Mass in their local church with her mother, two older brothers Pat and Tim, and her younger sister Aggie. During the service Angela spies Baby Jesus in the Nativity scene in the church. She thinks Jesus must be cold as he is only wearing a diaper. After Mass Angela convinces her mother to let her go back into the sanctuary to light a candle. However, Angela has a plan to kidnap Baby Jesus and smuggles him out of the church. The priest eventually notices the lack of a baby in the Nativity scene. Angela is found out and Baby Jesus is returned, but now wearing a Christmas sweater.

A Nativity can be a picture, carving, or model representing Jesus Christ’s birth. We have several stainedglass Nativity scenes set up around our house during the Christmas season.

Nativity can be used as an alternate word for Christmas, referring to the birth of Jesus. The Nativity often begins with services on December 24 to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, marking the beginning of Christmastide.

Many churches, and some schools, perform a Nativity play to commemorate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

Nativity derives from the Latin verb nasci, which means to be born. In late Latin nativitas meant birth.

Anglo-French used nativite to refer to the birth of Jesus Christ. It became nativity in English in the 1300s.

Apart from the religious use of nativity it can also refer to the place of origin. Thus, in delineating my per-

NO READERS LEFT BEHIND

Obituaries

Published in the newspaper .55¢ per word, includes a photo.

Email: classifieds@mjvexpress.com To place online (no charge) Email: help@moosejawtoday.com

EFFECTIVE MARCH 1ST, 2023

Memorials, Birthdays & Thank Yous

3”x3” $60.00 (photo included) 3”x4” $70.00 (photo included) Email: mjexpress2@sasktel.net

468 High St W | Moose Jaw, SK | 306-694-1322

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.

Motorist ticketed after running over Santa Claus Parade volunteer

277 Iroquois St W Moose Jaw, SK Next Service: December 24th, 2023 Christmas Eve Service Only 7:00pm Rev. Doug Shepherd

sonal history, I sometimes refer to my Southern Ontario nativity in Kitchener.

In a more obscure meaning, nativity is connected to a horoscope at or of the time of one’s birth. A person’s nativity is the forecast of their future based on the position of stars and planets when they were born.

Nativity plays and scenes (creches) usually include baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, some shepherds with sheep, magi or wise men (usually three) carrying gifts, an angel, and some animals (often a donkey, an ox, a cow, and/or a dog). Often in Nativity plays featuring young children, the sheep steal the show.

Our daughter-in-law, Ayako, sent us a video of a Nativity play her preschool performed a few years ago in Osaka, Japan. It is interesting that a non-Christian country connects the nativity of Jesus to the celebrations of Christmas, while in Canada our schools are moving away from Nativity plays to perform celebrations of Winter holidays, effectively removing the story of Jesus from Christmas.

Edgy Productions has promoted a Christmas song for kids, written by Daisy Bond and Ian Faraday, called A Happy-Clappy Nativity.

Now we’re together and Christmas is near, we want to have some fun!

Celebrate Christmas, the best time of year! Hey! Wake up, everyone!

Chorus: Here’s a Happy-Clappy Nativity, stop your napping and let’s start clapping!

A Happy-Clappy Nativity, join in our song and clap along!

Now we’re together, the girls and the boys, we want to have some fun!

Celebrate Christmas and make lots of noise! Hey! Wake up, everyone! Chorus Now we’re together, we’ll dance, and we’ll sing, we want to have some fun!

Celebrate Christmas with Jesus the King! Hey! Wake up, everyone! Chorus Have a blessed Christmas!

By Moose Jaw Express staff

It was not a holly, jolly start to the Christmas season for one resident volunteering at the Santa Claus Parade after a vehicle conducting an illegal turn hit him and broke his leg.

The Moose Jaw Police Service received a call around 5:58 p.m. on Dec. 3 about a vehicle versus pedestrian collision on the 100 block of High Street West during the Santa Claus Parade. After arriving on the scene, officers found a 45-year-old man whom a vehicle had struck.

Police learned that the motorist had attempted to illegally turn east onto the 100 block of High Street West from a business, even though the street was closed in both directions for the parade.

The victim, who was a parade volunteer and wear-

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season from our Families to Yours’

ing a high visibility jacket, attempted to stop the motorist from completing the turn and then was struck by the vehicle, which ran over his leg.

EMS later transported the victim to the hospital, where hospital staff diagnosed him as suffering from extensive injuries to his left leg.

Police have ticketed the motorist for disobeying a traffic control device, illegal left turn, driving without due care and attention, and failing to obey the direction of a flag person.

Anyone with further information should contact CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-222-8477 or the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600.

Going ABOVE and BEYOND expectations is what sets us apart

legacy

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A25

December Specials: MON:

TUES:

$20 Off 60/80 Minute Pedicure

$20 Off 60/80 Minute Pedicure

WED:

$20 Off 60/80 Minute Pedicure

FRI:

$99 - 60 Minute Facials

THURS:

$100 Mani/Pedi Combo

No Specials from December 27th to December 30th.

Sahara Spa Gift Cards can be used for all spa treatments and retail including lululemon. Purchase $100. or more and receive additional $15.

What legacy will you leave

behind

BEHIND?

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

(306) 694-0373

www.mjhf.org

341 Stadacona St E | 306-692-1012 | www.saharaspa.ca

Hundreds attend Sunningdale Christmas concert; Playground fundraising announced Gordon Edgar - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com

will need to raise at least $100,000, in addition to an already-secured grant of $35,000 from Prairie South School Division.

Principal Osberg showed an artist’s rendering of what the playground might look like and asked children in the choir whether it looked like something they would want. He was immediately overwhelmed by a spontaneous chant of “YES” from the students — it took several humorous moments to calm the children back down.

“Thank you all again for being here,” Osberg concluded, “and a very happy holidays to all our Sunningdale families.”

The worship hall of Alliance Church on Thatcher Dr. was filled close to capacity on the evening of Dec. 14, with hundreds of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and more cheering on their little ones for the Sunningdale Elementary School holiday concert.

Dave Osberg, principal of Sunningdale, welcomed attendees and thanked them for supporting the staff and students. Students and teachers worked hard on putting the concert together, he said, and it was great to see the results of that in the sea of smiling faces at the event.

“I love the enthusiasm and the spirit and the warmth, and the fun the kids are having on stage,” said Suzanne Vance, a fifth-grade teacher at Sunningdale. “I’ve been

Alliance Church’s worship hall was filled almost to capacity for the Sunningdale Elementary School’s Christmas Concert. (Photo by Gordon Edgar)

Children at Sunningdale Elementary’s holiday concert sang and danced enthusiastically for gathered families and caretakers. (Photo by Gordon Edgar)

teaching 32 years, and I’ve probably been to a concert for every single one of those years.”

The children represented a diverse range of backgrounds and beliefs, and sang a selection of religiously neutral holiday hits, belting them out to accompanying pop music such as Sia’s 2017 hit “Candy Cane Lane”.

“It’s awesome coming here for these concerts,” said Aaron Halvorson, whose granddaughter Shylynn had just finished performing. “I’ve enjoyed it every year, every year. It’s a lot of fun.”

The even concluded with the announcement of a fundraising campaign to build a new, fully accessible playground structure at Sunningdale. The campaign

Sunningdale principal Dave Osberg announces the start of a fundraising campaign for a new, fully accessible playground structure, (Photo by Gordon Edgar)

OPINION/COMMENTARY

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

This Holiday Season Be Nice to Hospitality Workers Dear consumers,

The holiday season is upon us. Therefore, sadly predictable, even with hyperinflation and an uncertain economy, our Western consumerism has begun its annual shift into high gear, resulting in our interacting with front-line hospitality workers (retail sales associates, baristas, restaurant servers) more than usual.

You can tell a lot about someone by how they treat the person serving them; hence, the value of kindness cannot be overstated.

Throughout December and to support extended Boxing Week sales, well into January, hospitality workers will be working long hours, often eating on their feet or in the stockroom, missing out on festivities with friends and family and exhausting themselves.

Crippling staffing shortages, coupled with stock shortages, have created stressful retail and eating establishment environments for both employees and customers.

God forbid Barbie Dreamhouse is not in stock, the barista added the wrong flavoured syrup to your coffee, the Subway counter clerk forgot to swap your salad for chips, or you asked for no ice, and your drink came with ice.

Breathe! You have food, a roof over your head, work to go to, and a sense of safety, as opposed to the millions worldwide who currently live in unimaginable poverty or, through no fault of their own, find themselves living in a war zone.

Humans, especially in stressful, busy work environments, are bound to make mistakes. You gain nothing by not treating the person serving you with the respect they deserve other than adding stress to an already stressful situation and, as I have often seen, making a public scene because your Kansas City Striploin was done, according to you, medium-well, not well-done as you asked for.

As much as everyone bemoans the economy and

how hard it is to make “ends meet” (READ: “I have to rethink my wants.”) our society has somehow evolved to where consumers have the privilege of prioritizing getting stressed over a toy, not being in stock, over putting food on the table.

I assure you that the person serving you did not purposefully run out of stock or intentionally make whatever mistake you are upset over. Do not take it personally—it is not the end of the world. As an understanding and empathetic human being, which I hope we all are, give the person the benefit of the doubt and politely point out the mistake... or better yet, let it go!

(The salad is better for you.)

Now is the ideal time to put aside our 1st world privileges. If the person serving makes a mistake, which I repeat was unintentional, be understanding, nice and forgiving. Remember, especially when dining out, that the person serving you is working hard, while juggling factors out of their control (e.g., the chef called in sick, an item is out of stock, the cappuccino machine is broken), trying to make your experience as pleasant as possible.

Who is not angry about today’s prices? When making purchases which your cashier ringing them up likely cannot afford, be nice! Hospitality workers have no control over prices. If something is expensive, rethink if you really need to make the purchase and why you are making it. Is it to impress? To look rich? An attempt to buy acceptance or love?

Evaluating your reasons for making a purchase is much more financially savvy than berating a sales associate that the Jordan Retro 7 sneakers you want to gift to your nephew in Regina, whom you have not spoken to in three years, but you want your brother to perceive you as “financially successful,” cost $245.

The sales associate or your server did not set the price. How you spend your money, what you are willing to pay, is entirely on you, not the person serving you. If you are angry at how much something costs, be angry at yourself for believing you “must have it.”

Hospitality workers are people with real feelings.

Shouting at a McDonald’s counter server, which I had seen on several occasions because they gave you sweet and sour dipping sauce when you asked for barbecue, will likely result in that person going in the back to cry.

Was it worth making someone earning minimum wage feel bad for making an unintentional mistake over dipping sauce?

The holidays are about celebrating the values that bind us and coming together. Despite all our self-identifying differences and how the media and politicians go to great lengths to create divisiveness, I like to think we can all agree, even though we do not always act accordingly—everyone is allowed a few bad days—that being nice to each other is a critical part of our social contract. Is not the heart of humanity human kindness?

Smiling costs nothing. Saying “Please” and “Thank you” costs nothing. It costs nothing to treat bar, retail, and restaurant staff with patience.

There is no better place to start than with hospitality workers to live by the simple golden rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated,” not just during the holiday season but throughout the year.

As I mentioned initially, how you treat the person serving you tells a lot about you. ___________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a self-described connoisseur of human psychology, writes about what’s on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on X/Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.

PAGE A26 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023

7:15 p.m. CKCK TSN NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers.

SportS HigHligHtS BASKETBALL Friday 10 p.m. NET NBA Basketball Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors.

Saturday 3 p.m. WWJ College Basketball Vanderbilt at Memphis.

Monday 7 p.m. NET NBA Basketball Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat.

9:30 p.m. NET NBA Basketball Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns.

Tuesday 7 p.m. NET NBA Basketball Indiana Pacers at Houston Rockets.

9:30 p.m. NET NBA Basketball Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Clippers.

FOOTBALL

7:30

Thursday

Thursday

7:15 p.m. EDACC TSN NFL Football New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams.

Saturday 6:30 p.m. WXYZ College Football SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Northwestern.

7 p.m. EDACC TSN NFL Football Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers.

Sunday 3 p.m. WWJ NFL Football Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

7:20 p.m. TSN NFL Football New England Patriots at Denver Broncos.

6:30 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Edmonton Oilers at New Jersey Devils.

Friday 6:30 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers.

Saturday 6 p.m. CBKT NET NHL Hockey Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets.

9 p.m. CBKT NET NHL Hockey Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings.

Tuesday 3:30 p.m. TSN 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship Slovakia vs. Czechia.

Monday

Wednesday

7 p.m. WXYZ NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers.

THURSDAY EVENING 7 PM

HOCKEY

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

6 p.m. NET NHL Hockey Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

SUNDAY EVENING 7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

3 CBKFT (6:30) Découv.. Bébéatrice < Félix et le trésor de Morgäa ('21) (P) Mr. Bean TJSask/ TJ Messe De L 5 CFRE Private Eyes Lotería Loca (N) < Laughing All the Way ('23) Paniz Zade. (P) 6 CKCK <+++ Home Alone ('90) Joe Pesci, Macaulay Culkin.

Lingo (N) How I Met How I Met 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV <++++ It's a Wonderful Life ('46) Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart.

News (N) Christmas 9 CBKT Movie The National (N) <++++ White Christmas ('54) Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby.

11 WWJ Lingo (N) Lotería Loca (N) CSI: Vegas News (N) (:35) J. Osteen 12 WXYZ <+++ Home Alone ('90) Joe Pesci, Macaulay Culkin.

Celebrity Family Feud News (N) Game Time 13 CTYS < Under the Christmas Sky ('23) Celebrity Family Feud Food Guardians 19 TSN (:20) NFL Football New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (N) (Live) IIHF (N) 20 NET Plays of the Year Misplays of the Year Plays of the Month Countdown Marathon 25 EDACC Football (N) /(:20) NFL Football Teams TBA (N) (Live) Corner Gas 26 W (6:00) < Mystic Christmas < Dial S for Santa ('23) Julian Haig, Sarah Dugdale. < Flipping for Christmas 29 ENCAV (6:40) < Austin Powers: Spy ... (:20) <++ Austin Powers in Goldmember ('02) < Willy Wonka & the Choco...

33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC 90 Day Fiancé (N) Sister Wives (N) Sister Wives 38 DISC Naked and Afraid Naked "Brawl Out" Naked and Afraid Naked and Afraid 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <++ Christmas in Connecticut ('45) Barbara Stanwyck. <+++ Holiday Affair ('49) Movie 47 AMC (6:00) < A Boy Named Charli... <+++ Snoopy, Come Home ('72) <++ Prancer ('89) 48 FSR NHRA Drag Racing NHRA in 30 NHRA in 30 Nitrocross Nitrocross 55 CRV1 (6:25) < Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle < Swan Princess: A Fairytale Is Born Julia (N) (:50) DragRace 56 CRV2 (6:30) <+++ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ('23) <++ 65 ('23) Adam Driver.

Movie 57 CRV3 (6:35) < A Christmas Story C... (:20) < 8-Bit Christmas ('21) Neil Patrick Harris. <+++ John Wick ('14) 58 HBO (6:50) Craftopia (:25) Craftopia Craftopia House of the Dragon < The Christmas Retreat ('22)

MONDAY EVENING 7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

3 CBKFT Un gars Téléjrnl. (N) TJ Sask < Bon Cop Bad Cop 2 ('17) Erik Knudsen, Colm Feore.

5 CFRE Big Bro. (N) (SF) Neighbor Neighbor SEAL Team Global News at 10 (N) 6 CKCK <+++ Elf ('03) James Caan, Bob Newhart, Will Ferrell. Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang etalk (N) 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV Christmas at Graceland < Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas ('22) News (N) (:35) J. Fallon 9 CBKT Coronation Feud (N) The National (N) <+++ Scrooge ('51) Kathleen Harrison, Alastair Sim. 11 WWJ Big Bro. (N) (SF) Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic (N) News (N) (:35) Colbert 12 WXYZ iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2023 (N) Shark Tank News (N) (:35) J. Kimmel 13 CTYS (6:00) < My Favorite Christm... < Under the Christmas Sky ('23) (P) Paramedics: Paramedics: 19 TSN (:15) NFL Football New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (N) (Live) Jay Onrait 20 NET (6:30) NHL Hockey Edmonton Oilers at New Jersey Devils NHL Hockey Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks (N) 25 EDACC (:15) NFL Football New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (N) (Live) Seinfeld Seinfeld 26 W (6:00) < Christmas at Gracel... < Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays ('19) < Miracle in Bethlehem, PA 29 ENCAV (6:20) < Kicking & Screaming <++ Green Lantern ('11) Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds. Heels "Swerve" 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Raymond Raymond The Office The Office Frasier Frasier 35 TLC Dr. Pimple Popper Dr. Pimple Popper (N) Dr. Pimple Popper Dr. Pimple Popper 38 DISC Mayday "Crash Course" People Magazine People Magazine NUMB3RS "Two Daughters" 41 COM < Movie < Movie 42 TCM <+++ Meet Me in St. Louis ('44) Judy Garland. <+++ The Man Who Came to Dinner ('41) 47 AMC Movie (:15) <++ National Lampoon's Vacation ('83) <+++ Happy Christmas ('14) 48 FSR (5:00) Motorcycle Racing Ultima. Karting 2023 Indikarts 55 CRV1 (:20) <++ Sing 2 ('21) Matthew McConaughey. (:15) Selena (N) (SF) Canada's Drag Race (N) 56 CRV2 (:15) < The Trip to Greece ('20) Kareem Alkabbani, <+++ Barbie ('23) Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie.

57 CRV3 (5:50) < Julia Friday (:20) Parks (:45) Parks (:15) < Paseo CornerGas Billions "Redemption" 58 HBO (:55) < 752 Is Not a Number ('22) (:40) Loudmouth The Last Movie

3 CBKFT Les poilus Ouvrez Les pays d'en haut Les pays d'en haut Téléjrnl. (N) Les mecs 5 CFRE < Holiday Hotline ('23) Niall Matter, Emily Tennant.

Private Eyes Cutting (N) Stories (N) 6 CKCK (:15) NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers (N) (Live) etalk (N) 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV Grinch Stole <++ Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Jim Carrey.

News (N) (:35) J. Fallon 9 CBKT Coronation <+++ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ('05) Johnny Depp.

The National (N) 11 WWJ The Price Is Right at Night Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All! News (N) (:35) Colbert 12 WXYZ NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers (N) (Live) (:15) Postgame News (N) 13 CTYS (6:00) < Under the Christma... < Planes, Trains, and Christmas Trees ('22) Staying Wild Staying Wild 19 TSN (:15) NFL Football Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers (N) (Live) Top Plays 20 NET NBA Basketball Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat (N) (Live) NBA Basketball 25 EDACC How/Made How/Made Big Bang etalk (N) < Designing Christmas ('22) Jessica Szohr. (P) 26 W (6:00) < Mystery on Mistleto... < Christmas Island ('23) Rachel Skarsten. < Everything Christmas 29 ENCAV (:55) <+++ Shrek 2 ('04) Mike Myers. <++ Shrek the Third ('07) Mike Myers. <+++ Love Actually ('03) 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC 90 Day Fiancé (N) (:05) 90 Day Fiancé 38 DISC Naked and Afraid "Class Three Warfare" Naked and Afraid "Legendary Showdown" 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <++++ Vertigo ('58) Kim Novak, James Stewart. (:15) <++++ Rear Window ('54) James Stewart.

47 AMC (6:30) <++ The Karate Kid Part II ('86) Ralph Macchio. <++ The Karate Kid Part III ('89) Ralph Macchio.

48 FSR (6:00) NASCAR XPEL 225 Greatest Races: NASCAR NASCAR Race Hub 55 CRV1 (6:40) < Legally Blonde 2: Re... (:20) <+++ Elf ('03) James Caan, Will Ferrell. (P) < Are You There God? It's ...

56 CRV2 Movie < Swan Princess: A Fairytale Is Born < The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 57 CRV3 (5:40) < Jurassic World Dom... (:10) <++ DC League of Super-Pets ('22) < John Wick: Chapter 3 -- P...

58 HBO (6:45) Selena Selena (:15) < Paseo < Merry Swissmas ('22) Jodie Sweetin. The White Lotus "Ciao"

FRIDAY EVENING

TUESDAY EVENING

7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

3 CBKFT La revue culturelle (N) TJ (N) TJ Sask < Menteur ('19) Antoine Bertrand, Louis-José Houde.

5 CFRE Private "The Life of Riley" < Fit for Christmas ('22) Paul Greene, Amanda Kloots. Global News at 10 (N) 6 CKCK <++ The Holiday ('06) Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz.

Big Bang etalk 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV < Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love Dateline NBC (N) News (N) (:35) J. Fallon 9 CBKT <++ The Holiday ('06) Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz.

The National (N) 11 WWJ Home-Holiday (N) (:35) Colbert < Fit for Christmas ('22) Paul Greene, Amanda Kloots. News (N) 12 WXYZ Santa Claus, Town 20/20 (N) News (N) (:35) J. Kimmel 13 CTYS < Under the Christmas Sky ('23) Dateline NBC (N) Paramedics: Guardians 19 TSN (6:30) Basketball Denver Nuggets at Brooklyn Nets (N) SportsCentre (N) (Live) SportsCentre (N) (Live) 20 NET (6:30) NHL Hockey Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers Sportsnet (N) (Live) NBA Basketball 25 EDACC Primetime How/Made Big Bang etalk <+++ A Christmas Carol ('51) Alastair Sim. 26 W (6:00) < Christmas in Toyland < Miracle in Bethlehem, PA ('23) Laura Vandervoort. < The Holiday Sitter ('22) 29 ENCAV (6:45) <+++ Chicken Run (:15) <+++ How to Train Your Dragon 2 ('14) <+++ The Goonies (P) 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC Sister "One on One: Part 4" Sister Wives (N) 90 Day "More to Love: For Richer or for Poorer" (N) 38 DISC Mayday "Falling Fast" Forensic "Hair of the Dog" People Magazine NUMB3RS "The Mole" 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <+++ The Bishop's Wife ('47) Cary Grant. <+++ An Affair to Remember ('57) Cary Grant.

47 AMC (6:00) < Snoopy, Come Home <+++ A Boy Named Charlie Brown ('69) < Christmas With the Kranks 48 FSR NASCAR Race Hub NHRA Drag Racing Texas NHRA FallNationals From Ennis, Tex. 55 CRV1 (6:25) < Unpregnant ('20) (:10) Friends: The Reunion < Somewhere in Queens 56 CRV2 (6:50) <++ Black Adam ('22) Dwayne Johnson. <+++ The Fabelmans ('22) Michelle Williams.

57 CRV3 Movie Friday (:20) Parks (:45) Parks (:10) Times Presents Billions "Kompenso" 58 HBO (6:30) < 8-Bit Christmas (:10) His Dark Materials His Dark "The Cave" The Last of Us

3 CBKFT Les poilus Ouvrez Les pays d'en haut Les pays d'en haut Téléjrnl. (N) Les mecs 5 CFRE Family Law Family Law Family Law News (N) Wild 6 CKCK Children Children Transplant Transplant Big Bang etalk (N) 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV Night Court Extended Weakest Link Found "Pilot" News (N) (:35) J. Fallon 9 CBKT Coronation Feud Best in Miniature (N) (SP) Best in Miniature (N) The National (N) 11 WWJ NCIS "Gone Fission" NCIS "Snakes in the Grass" NCIS "Brothers in Arms" News (N) (:35) Colbert 12 WXYZ Celebrity Jeopardy!

Celebrity Jeopardy!

Celebrity Jeopardy!

News (N) (:35) J. Kimmel 13 CTYS < A Christmas Masquerade ('22) Erin Agostino.

Found "Pilot" Guardians Guardians 19 TSN (6:30) IIHF World Jr. Finland vs. Canada SportsCentre (N) (Live) SportsCentre 20 NET NBA Basketball Indiana Pacers at Houston Rockets (N) (Live) NBA Basketball 25 EDACC How/Made How/Made Big Bang etalk (N) < Merry Kiss Cam ('22) Katie Lowes, Angela Ko. (P) 26 W (6:00) < Our Christmas Mural < A Biltmore Christmas ('23) Bethany Joy Lenz. < Holiday Road ('23) 29 ENCAV (6:10) <+++ Pitch Perfect (:05) <+++ Florence Foster Jenkins ('16) Meryl Streep. < Bohemian Rhapsody 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC 1000-Lb. Sisters (N) 1000-Lb. Sisters (N) sMothered (N) (:05) 90 Day: Single Life 38 DISC Highway "Less Is More" Highway "Suicide Creek" Highway "Bridge Out" Highway "Wind Storm" 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <++++ It Happened One Night ('34) Claudette Colbert. <+++ Breakfast at Tiffany's ('61) Audrey Hepburn.

47 AMC <++ Christmas With the Kranks ('04) Tim Allen. <++ Christmas With the Kranks ('04) Tim Allen.

48 FSR Off Road Racing Off Road Racing 55 CRV1 (5:50) <++++ Rocky ('76) (:55) <+++ Rocky II ('79) Talia Shire, Sylvester Stallone. < One Year Off ('23) (P) 56 CRV2 (:10) <+++ Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. ('23) <+++ The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ('02) 57 CRV3 (5:55) <+++ Barbie ('23) (:55) <+++ Spider-Man ('02) Tobey Maguire. < Zack Snyder's Justice Le...

58 HBO (:05) I Am Jackie O (:35) < The Truth About Killer Robots White "Italian Dream"

SATURDAY EVENING

WEDNESDAY EVENING

7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

3 CBKFT La grande veillée (N) Fred Pellerin (N) Rire TJSask/ TJ Cinéma 5 CFRE The New (N) Border News (N) Private Eyes (:05) SNL A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special 6 CKCK (:05) Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Night (SP) < Christmas on Windmill Way ('23) (P) 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV (:05) Extended (:35) Night (:05) SNL A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special News (N) SNL 9 CBKT (6:00) NHL Hockey NHL Hockey Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings (N) 11 WWJ < When Christmas Was Young ('22) Karen David.

48 Hours (N) News (N) (:35) Paid 12 WXYZ (6:30) Football SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. Northwestern (N) (Live) News (N) The Rookie 13 CTYS (6:00) NHL Hockey Hudson "Lost and Found" Food Food 19 TSN NFL Football Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers (N) (Live) SportsCentre (N) (Live) 20 NET (6:00) NHL Hockey NHL Hockey Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings (N) 25 EDACC NFL Football Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers (N) (Live) Mary Ma. Listing 26 W (6:00) < Checkin' It Twice < Joyeux Noel ('23) Brant Daugherty, Jaicy Elliot. < Dial S for Santa ('23) (P) 29 ENCAV (6:10) <++ Fred Claus ('07) (:10) <+++ Gremlins ('84) Phoebe Cates, Zach Galligan. < The Neverending Story 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC 90 Day Fiancé: Other Way 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way (N) sMothered 38 DISC Highway "Crazy Horse" Highway Thru Hell Highway "Over the Edge" Highway Thru Hell 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <+++ The Shop Around the Corner ('40) <+++ In the Good Old Summertime ('49) Judy Garland.

47 AMC (6:45) <++++ West Side Story ('61) Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Natalie Wood. (:15) < Christmas With the K...

48 FSR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 Greatest Races: NASCAR 55 CRV1 (5:45) < Spider-Man: Homec... <+++ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ('18) < Spider-Man: Across the S...

56 CRV2 (:55) <+++ Zack Snyder's Justice League ('21) Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck.

57 CRV3 (6:15) <+++ Minari ('20) (:15) < December 23 ('22) François Arnaud. (P) <+++ Oldboy ('03) 58 HBO (6:40) < Mystery of D.B. Coo... (:10) His Dark "Theft" (:05) His Dark Materials Selena (N) Starstruck

7 PM

7:30

MOVIES

8 PM

8:30

9 PM

SPORTS

9:30

SPECIALS

10 PM

10:30

3 CBKFT Les poilus Ouvrez Les pays d'en haut Les pays d'en haut Téléjrnl. (N) TJ Sask 5 CFRE Family Law Family Law Family Law Global News at 10 (N) 6 CKCK Children Children Transplant Transplant Big Bang etalk (N) 7 WEATH Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature Nature 8 WDIV Chicago Med Magnum "Three Bridges" Chicago Med News (N) (:35) J. Fallon 9 CBKT Coronation Feud Best in Miniature (N) Best in Miniature (N) The National (N) 11 WWJ The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors (N) Neighbor News (N) (:35) Colbert 12 WXYZ Celebrity Wheel of Fortune The Year: 2023 (N) News (N) (:35) J. Kimmel 13 CTYS Hudson "Rexit, Stage Left" Chicago Med Chicago P.D. "New Life" Food Food 19 TSN 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship Latvia vs. Canada SportsCentre (N) (Live) 20 NET (6:00) NHL Hockey NHL Hockey Seattle Kraken at Calgary Flames (N) (Live) 25 EDACC Primetime How/Made Big Bang etalk (N) < Holiday Heritage ('22) Lyndie Greenwood. (P) 26 W (6:00) < Secret Gifts of Chris... < Sealed With a List ('23) Evan Roderick, Katie Findlay. < Friends & Family Christm...

29 ENCAV (5:50) <+++ Life of Pi ('12) <+++ Peter Pan ('03) Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs. Heels "Ten-Bell Salute" 33 CMT Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers Cheers 35 TLC My 600-Lb. Life "Larry's Journey" My 600-Lb. Life "David's Journey" 38 DISC Highway "Bumpy Ride" Highway "Trapped" Highway "No Man's Land" Highway "Hooked" 41 COM Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang Big Bang 42 TCM <++++ The Invisible Man ('33) < Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man <++ The Body Disappears 47 AMC <+++ Die Hard With a Vengeance ('95) Jeremy Irons, Bruce Willis. <+++ The Rock ('96) 48 FSR (6:00) NHRA Drag Racing DENSO Sonoma Nationals NHRA Las Vegas NHRA in 30 NHRA in 30 55 CRV1 (6:40) <+++ Rocky III ('82) (:25) <++ Rocky IV ('85) < The Weapon ('23) (P) 56 CRV2 (:15) <+++ The Bob's Burgers Movie ('22) <+++ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 57 CRV3 Movie (:50) <+++ Spider-Man 2 ('04) Kirsten Dunst, Tobey Maguire. <++ Black Adam ('22) 58 HBO (6:30) < Tina ('21) White "Bull Elephants" < The Mystery of D.B. Cooper ('20)

MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023 • PAGE A27

of moose jaw

We Wish You A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

140 Main St N | 306-694-5766

Briercrest, meticulously maintained property. 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Spacious open concept design. Newer cabinetry, custom counter tops in kitchen. Single car garage. Listed at $164,900.

Inviting 2 bedroom, 3 bath condo. Direct entry attached single garage. Open concept main floor, beautiful hardwood floors. White kitchen with ample cabinetry and workspace, island. Back deck off dining area to BBQ. Low maintenance yard.

Wendy Hicke REALTOR® 681-7820

Brandon Roy REALTOR® 684-5999

Kerry Hicke REALTOR® 684-0730

Palliser Heights School area. Renovated open concept kitchen with large island. Spacious living room connecting to kitchen/dining area. 3 bedrooms on main floor. Lower level features family room, storage, 2 bedrooms, laundry/utility room and bath.

Beth Vance REALTOR® 631-0886

Cozy 1 bedroom home on south hill. Eat in kitchen features updated white cabinets and counter tops, fridge, stove included. Large pantry. Fenced back yard, small studio guest house in back yard. Affordable living! REDUCED!!

530 Saskatchewan St W #504-205 Fairford St E 301-11 Highway, Chamberlain

Katie Keeler REALTOR® 690-4333

Lori Keeler BROKER REALTOR® 631-8069

Katie Gadd REALTOR® 313-1394

Caron, log home over 1700 sqft situated on 3 lots with 50x60 RM of Marquis, 21 acres. 1800 sqft bungalow, 5 bedrooms, 3 heated shop. Home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. bathrooms. Open concept spacious living, dining and Kitchen with island and pantry, dining area, large living room kitchen areas. 2 family rooms. Main floor laundry. 30x30 space. Need more space? Room to grow here! attached garage. Quonset 50x100 with cement floor.

Heated workshop. Room for boys with lots of toys!!!

115 Coronation Dr

306-694-4747 324 Main Street N. Moose Jaw, SK

Derek McRitchie (306) 631-1161 E.G. (Bub) Hill (306) 631-9966 Bill McLean (306) 630-5409 Tanya Minchin (306) 630-6231 Cassie Nichol (306) 631-0691

REALTOR® REALTOR® REALTOR® REALTOR® REALTOR®

$269,900

CALLING ALL INVESTORS!! Off street parking electric car plug in, some major work completed. From newer windows to the newer basement suite. Main floor suite, large foyer with spacious living and dining areas, kitchen with ample cupboard/counter space. 2pc powder room. Upstairs 3 bedrooms, laundry room and 3pc bath. Loft area has another bedroom and 3pc bath! And More.....

$399,900

Luxury condo located across from Crescent Park. Spacious unit has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, includes 5 appliances, custom cabinets with soft close hardware, granite counters, speakers and volume controls, gas fireplace, gas hookup for BBQ, large concrete covered deck, central vacuum & security entrance! Building features shared Library, Gym, Board Room, Guest Suite, heated parking and heated storage!

www.moosejawrealestate.net

$379,900

Highway 11 at the crossroads between Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. Shotz on Eleven is a hotel and tavern with excellent exposure to traffic. 94 seat licensed restaurant, VLTs and off-sale, six renovated rooms that come equipped with a fridge, microwave, coffee maker and sink. There’s a manager’s suite, three car garage and hotel shingles replaced.

Upgrades and new equipment.

$1,499,000

PRIME COMMERCIAL BUILDING! Located on 3.68 Beautiful Acres along the Moose Jaw River! This well kept property is home to a clothing manufacturing business and is included in the sale! Included are machinery, material, finished clothing including approximately commercial 150 sewing machines, 19,000 units of pants and 25,000 yards of material.

Possibilities are unlimited!

Market Place REAL ESTATE

into your life!

SaskTel partners with Amazon’s ‘eero’ for next-generation home Wi-Fi connectivity On Dec. 11, SaskTel announced a partnership with Amazon brand ‘eero’ to bring next-generation Wi-Fi connectivity options to Saskatchewan homes, including Wi-Fi mesh technology, the new WiFi 6e standard, and better security and control for home networks.

“Our government understands how important a reliable broadband connection has become, and I’m pleased with SaskTel’s work to enhance their customers’ ability to take advantage of all the opportunities the digital world has to offer,” said Dustin Duncan, the provincial cabinet minister responsible for SaskTel. Powered by eero Pro 6E, SaskTel Whole Home Wi-Fi service comes with features and benefits including: Wi-Fi that works smarter with TrueMesh With TrueMesh technology, eero dynamically finds the ideal path for data to pass through a network, limiting interference and helping ensure customers have a fast, reliable internet experience.

Wi-Fi 6e devices support fast connectivity for more devices Wi-Fi 6 is the 6th generation stan-

MooseJawToday.com Staff - Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com dard of Wi-Fi technology. It supports to deliver an unparalleled Wi-Fi experi- we’re thrilled to work with SaskTel to faster speeds and is more efficient than ence to our broadband customers across bring simple, fast, and reliable connecprevious generations. Wi-Fi 6e-enabled the province,” said Charlene Gavel, tivity to customers in Saskatchewan,” routers can support a larger number of SaskTel President and CEO. “Whether said Mark Sieglock, eero’s executive devices without much loss in internet you’re in a virtual meeting, gaming with vice-president of software and services. speed or quality as compared to previous friends online, or learning remotely, our SaskTel Whole Home W-Fi is now generations.

Whole Home Wi-Fi service will deliver available to SaskTel Internet customers Advanced online security comes fast and reliable connectivity throughout in more than 460 communities across standard with eero and SaskTel your home.”

Saskatchewan.

Every eero device comes with world“At eero, we’ve had the privilege of To learn more, visit www.sasktel. class encryption and security protocols. bringing fast, reliable, and secure wifi to com.

And for more advanced security, eero customers around the world. That’s why Secure (included with your eero device through SaskTel) protects your growing online life, helping to keep your family’s personal information, connected devicSubmitted es, and network protected from online Mizpah Chapter #1, Order of the Eastern Star, held their Installation of the 2024 Offithreats. cers on December 4, 2023 at the Masonic Temple. They will continue their support to Next level control of your home a variety of provincial and local charities. network With the eero app, you can monitor and control every aspect of your home network, see what devices are connected, and how that connection is performing.

Customers can set activity limits for children’s devices and set content filters to block certain apps or sites.

“We’re excited to team up with eero

Eastern Star Installation

Pictured in the photo above are: Back (l-r) - Amy Moffatt; Margaret Tatarinoff; Cathy Forester; Shirley Doherty; Barbara Webb; Elain Lucas; Dianne Sanborn; Lynne Moffatt; Andrea Klassen; Lynann Pethick; Front (l-r) - Gillian Moffatt; Chery Svab; Sue Butz (Worthy Matron); Paul Tysdal (Worthy Patron); Stuart Dohertry; Lloyd Pethick; Missing - Maxine Olmstead

Pediatric Ward Donation

Submitted The Friendly City Optimist Club did their annual donation of toys and games to the Pediatric Ward at the Dr. F. H. Wigmore Regional Hospital. This project is done every year in December.

(l-r) Bill Heath (Club President); Lynann Pethick (Project Chairperson); Bonnie Nelson (RN); Mom and patient

PAGE A28 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, December 20, 2023