Moose Jaw Express, May 22nd, 2024

The Moose Jaw Warriors have won the Western Hockey League championship for the first time in team history.

Moose Jaw took a 4-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of the WHL Final on Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, giving the Warriors a four-game sweep in the best-of-seven series.

It ended up as another close and hard-fought game, with opening seven minutes or so a back-and-forth affair, with neither team getting much by way of scoring chances.

A crosschecking penalty to Josh Davies on Denton Mateychuk in the Warriors zone gave the Warriors their first power play, and they’d capitalize. Martin Rysavy staked himself out in front of the net and got hold of a rebound off a Brayden Yager shot before tucking it past Jan Spunar at the 8:11 mark.

The game was delayed around 20 minutes with seven minutes to play in the first period when a weather-related power outage knocked secondary lighting out at the Events Centre, but the game resumed without incident.

A late-period holding penalty to Owen Berge put Portland on their first power play, but the Warriors would kill it off, setting off another string of play where neither team had many chances.

That all changed late in the second when a two-many-man call against the Warriors gave the Winterhawks to tie the game, and they’d take advantage.

Kyle Chyzowski got to the front of the net and managed to redirect a shot from

Gabe Klassen, tying the game 1-1 with 5:29 to play in the period.

Not long after Portland nearly took the lead when a turnover in the Warriors zone eventually led to a great scoring chance for Diego Buttazzoni, but Jackson Unger would get across to make the save and received a helping hand from Voytech Port when he pulled the puck off the goalline to maintain the tie,

Seconds later, the Warriors took the lead. Atley Calvert won a face-off in the Portland zone back to Matthew Savoie, and his shot would beat Spunar for a 2-1 lead with 4:23 to play in the frame.

Three minutes after that goal, it was once again tied.

The Winterhawks finished off some slick puck movement in the Warriors zone when Nate Danielson sent a pass from behind the net to Marcus Nguyen in front, and he’d outduel a Warriors defender before lifting the puck past Unger.

The Warriors came out flying in the third and had two great chances back-toback, first when Jagger Firkus hit the post on a breakaway and seconds later Brayden

Schurrman had a wide-open chance at the side of the net but put it off the mesh.

A cross-checking penalty to Kalem Parker 2:32 into the period gave Portland a chance to take the lead, but the Warriors would kill the penalty off, and the teams once again settled into high tension hockey.

It all led to Brayden Schuurman taking a feed from Rilen Kovacevic out of the corner and getting off a shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Spunar for a 3-2 Warriors lead with 5:53 remaining in regulation.

The Warriors put on the defensive clamps from there and held Portland to only a handful of chances the rest of the game, leading to Rysavy finishing things off with an empty net goal with 2:27 to play.

The rest of the game was a cacophony of sound and celebration as the Warriors fans chanted ‘We Want the Cup’ until time ran down and the celebration was on.

Unger finished with 24 saves for the win, Spunar stopped 22 in the loss.

The Warriors will now have a weekplus off to prepare for the Memorial Cup, which begins May 24 in Saginaw, Mich.

More photos to follow on page 2.

WED:

THURS:

Foreigner in-the-house at Moose Jaw Event Centre rocking their iconic music on ‘Farewell Canada Tour’

It was a night to remember!

The Foreigner concert held at the Moose Jaw Event Centre on May 13th was a sold-out event and fans from kids to seniors rocked out to beloved classic Foreigner songs with joy and spirit. Older generations relived memories from their youth making the event nostalgic, but for the kids, hearing Foreigners hits for the first time, sparked memories they will cherish for years to come. Everyone took something magical away that night.

Rocking out with the band held something special for a group of local teenagers. Foreigner held a contest to choose a choir to accompany them with the song, “I want to know what love is.” The Cornerstone Christian Choir won the opportunity of a lifetime to join the band on stage.

“Yes, the students were quite ecstatic when news broke of their opportunity to perform with Foreigner. They spent a significant amount of time preparing for the contest entry and for the event itself. Many of the students were already familiar with the song and recognized a number of other hits when I played recordings for them,” said the choir director Josh Carley.

Foreigner is made up of a number of talented individuals with years of experience behind them, including Kelly Hansen, Michael Bluestein, Chris Frazier, Bruce Watson, Luis Maldonado, and Jeff Pilson.

Interviewing the bass guitarist Jeff Pilson over email and in person was an experience of a lifetime. As the band will

April Meersman - Moose Jaw Express

no longer be on the road for months at a time, the one thing he did express was his passion for the people he worked with.

“I’ll miss the camaraderie of the band and crew and everyone we work with, plus the interaction with the fans. It’s such a great group of people and I really will miss that,” he said through email.

Q: What was the hardest gig to perform?

A: “Probably the orchestral shows

we’ve done. It’s really fun and very exciting, but it’s a big logistical and musical challenge. Difficult but also rewarding.”

Q: What was the moment you thought, “I can’t believe this is happening?”

A: “Playing with Led Zeppelin at the 02 Arena in London, Dec of 2007. Such a surreal moment.”

How it all started for Pilson was a simple schoolyard request. “I was 12 years old, I was in the schoolyard, some guys

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heard me singing and they said, “Hey, we’re starting a band. We need a singer. Do you want to be our singer?” “I’m like sure,” he explained in his personal interview. They then informed him they needed a bass guitarist. So he spent his own money on a bass guitar and amp and never looked back. The doors that opened from one moment in time changed the course of his life forever.

Pilson joined Foreigner in 2004 giving him 20 years with the band. Going from touring the world with the band to yoga retreats with his wife in Costa Rica, Jeff has no plans to slow down. “I’ve got a million other projects and what I really want to do is, I want to do a lot of recording. I’ve got a lovely recording studio. I work with great people, and I just want to collaborate and make great music.”

And finally, his personal message to all their fans: “Just thank you to everyone for many years of undying support. That’s what makes it all worthwhile!”

The legacy they leave with their fans will be passed on for generations and all their fans thank them for the years they have dedicated to rocking our world!

Photo Credit: April Meersman

Cornerstone Christian Academy Choir with Foreigner singing, “I want to know what love is”: Photo Credit: April Meersman

Cornerstone Christian Academy Choir

Photo Credit: April Meersman

Jeff Pilson: Photo Credit: Foreigner

Photo Credit: April Meersman

Local Artist and businesses find creative way to celebrate Moose Jaw Warriors

Local artist Carly Jaye has been hard at work for various Moose Jaw businesses painting members of the Warriors hockey team to celebrate the team’s advancement to the championship series.

She started painting on May 11 and completed all four paintings by Monday morning, May 13, allowing herself about 5-6 hours to complete each window mural. With only a short window to do the murals before the two home games, she was only able to finish ones for The Mad Greek with a painting of Denton Mateychuk, Macaulay Agency with a painting of Jagger Fircus, Ottawa Real Estate with a painting of Brayden Yager, and the Co-op Grocery Store with our hometown boy At-

ley Calvert.

Fox Klein - Moose Jaw Express

“A little bit of a marathon but that’s what it’s all about,” explained Carly Jaye, “I just knew how much it would be appreciated by our community, just to have one extra addition to hyping up our home team. It’s all very worth it.”

Jaye had done this type of window painting before with her ‘Live, Love, Local’ paintings. This is when she started to become pretty well-known in the community. In turn, this caused several businesses to reach out about painting the Warriors on their store windows.

Carly Jaye has been doing art professionally for 15 years and has worked on murals at Boh’s Cycle and Sporting

Goods, the Palliser Regional Library, the Park Hotel, and many other wonderful pieces around the community. She often

employs a pop art style, which implements a lot of bright and contrasting colors.

“I am always open to hear people’s ideas,” stated Jaye. “I always say I’m a one-woman show so I can’t tackle everyone’s ideas, but I certainly try to do whatever I can with whatever vision people have that might require a little creativity and paint.”

If you want to see more of Carly’s art or to contact her for more information about her art you can visit her website at https://www.carlyjaye.com/.

You can also visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CarlyJayeArt/.

Heartland Hospice announces total amount raised at Spurs and Stilettos fundraiser

On April 12, Heartland Hospice announced its fundraising campaign had reached $809,000 out of a $1 million target during the Spurs and Stilettos Cabaret.

The Spurs and Stilettos raised an impressive $28,500, with the inclusion of a $2,500 sponsorship from Young’s Equipment Moose Jaw and $5,000 from BASF (Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik). The event marked the largest to-date fundraiser by Heartland Hospice and the organization’s vice-chair, Sara Bryan, said she’s happy with the result.

“We were extremely happy with how Spurs and Stilettos went as it was our first event of that size,” she said, noting the attendance of 330 individuals. “We hope everyone had fun and enjoyed dancing the night away to Saskatchewan legends the Johner Brothers!”

Bryan said she learned a few minor lessons but the night was viewed as a success.

“Overall, we were blown away by the support from the community given all the activities going on around the same time…

“We are indeed blessed to live in the community of Moose Jaw,” she added.

Angela Sereda, chair of Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw, had a vision to create the non-profit back in November 2014 after fighting for a local hospice program. This vision was inspired by the journey of Arlene Kolosky, who in 2013 recognized the need for such a program in Moose Jaw.

The cabaret helped raise proceeds for the Heartland Hospice Capital Campaign. Once the goal of $1 million has been raised, the organization will be able to complete the Pioneer Lodge hospice care project.

Before an updated figure can be con-

firmed, the Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie campaign results will need to be tallied with results expected by around midweek. With proceeds from the Spurs and Stilettos cabaret and a recent $5,000 donation from a supporter who wishes to remain anonymous, the campaign is now at $845,000 pending this adjustment.

To raise the $155,000 remainder to complete the budget for furniture and equipment, renovations, the home’s Serenity Garden expansion and other projects, Heartland Hospice has a few ideas in mind.

The organization now has a selection of hand-made Vietnamese silk and bamboo lanterns for sale through its website with one listed for $30 or two for $50. Proceeds from these sales will help raise funds while the non-profit navigates a fairly quiet summer season.

Aside from this initiative, Heartland Hospice will see its next major fundraiser take place in the fall with details to follow.

Bryan wished to thank Heartland Hospices’ past and present board members who represented the last decade of

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the organization in attendance at the cabaret, frontline workers from Pioneer Lodge, the organization’s latest major donor the Medavie Foundation, as well as previous

major donors.

She also wished to thank event sponsors Young’s Equipment Moose Jaw and BASF, the Ministry of Health, and the Saskatchewan Health Authority, who are both ongoing community partners of Heartland Hospice.

“We continue to be humbled and touched by the generosity and support from our community,” she concluded in a message of appreciation.

To support Heartland Hospice through its lantern sales, to donate, or to learn more about the organization’s work in the community, visit HeartlandHospiceMJ.ca or call 306-690-8699.

You can follow Heartland Hospice on Facebook at ‘Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw’ for ongoing updates and announcements.

Carly Jaye’s painting of Denton Mateychuk on the Mad Greek window.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Heartland Hospices’ board of directors at the Spurs and Stilettos cabaret fundraiser on the night of April 12. Photo by: Heartland Hospice Moose Jaw

JOAN RITCHIEMoose Jaw Express EDITOR

Editor’s Note

Last week in Moose Jaw was a week to remember and one to log into the annals of time!

The week kicked off Monday nite on a high note with the legendary iconic band Foreigner bringing their huge portfolio of hits to the Moose Jaw Event Centre on their Farewell Canada Tour. They played to a packed house and the band was a great representation of their profession, very personable and humble. It was incredible to see them performing with so much gusto as seasoned veterans in the industry, especially for a band that has spanned a career of almost 50 years. Kelly Hansen outdid himself as lead vocalist in stage presence, not to mention how incredible the rest of the band is as instrumentalists, performing their craft to impeccable perfection.

Foreigner performed a large number of their hits, and many memorable ones fans would certainly recognize like “I Want To Know What Love Is’ and “Waiting for a Girl Like You.”

Over the years, their portfolio of songs includes 47 singles released, with 14 of them becoming top 20 hits. Following on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, the Moose Jaw Warriors were back in town from their games in Portland to resume play in the 3rd and 4th game of the WHL Western Hockey League finals.

How sweet those games were! The Moose Jaw Event Centre was packed to the brim with fans and bursting with enthusiasm for the hometown team. Moose Jaw’s beloved Warriors secured the Ed Chynoweth Cup, their first WHL title in team history.

By the comments made by current players of the Moose Jaw Warriors, this win was monumental in their play history and has cemented their team in a brotherhood, as they say they will always consider their teammates ‘brothers.’

With all that’s going on here in the friendly city, it’s hard to make time to get the garden in and plant our flowerpots. Of course, residents always want to have a lovely housefront aesthetic pleasing to passers-by, but so does the City of Moose Jaw. If you haven’t heard yet, applications are now open for Moose Jaw’s annual Adopt a Flowerpot program. The program is open for businesses in the downtown area to adopt a pre-planted pot and are made available at no cost on a first come basis, determined by the order of applications received by the Parks & Recreation Dept. These flowerpots are to be placed in front of the applicant’s business and cared for and watered by the businesses that adopt them. Application forms can be found online on the City of Moose Jaw website at https://moosejaw.ca/wp-content/ uploads/2024/05/Adopt-a-Flower-Pot-form-2024.pdf . Submissions need to be completed by May 31st. If you would like more information on the program, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at recreation@moosejaw.ca or call 306.694.4447. 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: joan@moosejawexpress.com

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Kandy and Vern Gurnsey Named April’s Notoriously Good Neighbours

Kandy and Vern Gurnsey have been awarded the ‘Notoriously Good Neighbours’ award for the month of April by the City of Moose Jaw and Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce.

Neighbour Hayley Hutchinson nominated the couple because “they are continuously checking in and updating the family if they notice anything unusual at their residence while they suspect they may be away.” They also generously share their garden produce and allow their neighbours to park in their back driveway.

Hutchinson says it just boils down to the Gurnsey’s kindness because of their warm smiles and waves in passing or pleasant hellos across the backyard. As long as they live next door, she says she won’t be considering a move.

As an official “Notoriously Good Neighbour”, a gift certificate to Al Capone’s Pizza was awarded.

You can nominate a “Notoriously Good Neighbout’ on the City’s website @MooseJaw.ca with the Report An Issue feature.

JAW BYLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER RAGHVIR GILL

RCMP responds to claim it targeted driver with distracted driving ticket in Saskatoon drive-thru

The Saskatchewan RCMP has responded to what an official spokesperson described as “multiple inquiries” after a Saskatoon driver’s traffic ticket sparked a growing debate about the legalities of using your cellphone to access ordering apps at restaurant drive-thrus.

The incident in question took place on May 13 while Saskatoon resident Mason Prima, 18, was allegedly queued up in a Saskatoon McDonald’s drive-thru.

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

The motorist was issued a traffic ticket by an RCMP officer for what Prima claimed was a matter of using his cellphone to access the McDonald’s app when placing his order and claimed he was 10 feet from the order board.

Despite gaining notoriety across social media platforms, the Saskatchewan RCMP claims the incident did not, in fact, take place in the drive-thru at all.

On May 13, Prima was observed driving a vehicle on a public roadway while using a cellphone, which is contrary to Section 241.1(2) of the Traffic Safety Act. This took place prior to entering the McDonald’s premises.

A Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan RCMP officer initiated a traffic stop with Prima, who then pulled into the nearby McDonald’s parking lot. Police are saying that it was here, in the parking lot itself, where the traffic violation was issued – and not while the individual was placing an order in the drive-thru.

Despite the position of the Saskatchewan RCMP, Prima is reportedly sticking to his story and continues to claim that he was lined up to place his order and, when he pulled up the app, he glanced in the rear-view mirror to find a police vehicle behind his car.

As fast food customers are routinely asked if they’re using points from their app while they order, the matter addresses a possible grey area regarding the legality of

cellphone use while in your vehicle.

According to an official spokesperson, the only time police will issue a traffic ticket in a parking lot or drive-thru is in the event of stunting or a motorist clearly driving with undue care and attention. It is, therefore, legally permissible to use your phone to collect points while parked next to the drive-thru window in your vehicle.

“Saskatchewan RCMP does not have the legislative authority to issue a cell phone ticket in a parking lot,” an official RCMP statement confirmed.

“Remember, in Saskatchewan, using a hand-held cellphone while driving on a public roadway is prohibited for making or receiving phone calls, sending, receiving, or reading text messages and emails, surfing the internet, and using ‘push to talk’ technology.”

“Also,” the statement continued, “be mindful that other things such as eating/drinking, conversations with passengers, and pets can be distracting.”

According to SGI, distracted driving is the number one factor in collisions overall and one of the top three factors in fatal accidents. In response to this statement, the Saskatchewan RCMP is reminding motorists to always be mindful on the road no matter the setting.

The outcome of Prima’s case will be decided in court on July 31 in Saskatoon and, if convicted, Prima is facing a $580 fine and four demerit points on his license under the Safe Driver Recognition and Driver Improvement programs.

A spokesperson with the Saskatchewan RCMP made specific mention of the fact that its traffic services officers are not targeting drive-thru lineups and that there’s no current or projected campaign to ticket motorists in this setting.

Consumers meet farmers at Open Farm Days

Ron

Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

A pilot program called Open Farm Days will come to Saskatchewan this summer.

The program creates an opportunity for consumers to visit places where their food comes from, see how they

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operate and for farmers and ranchers to sell some product.

Consultant Ashley Stone outlined the Aug. 10 and 11 event to a Swift Current tourism conference.

To date she has 25 operations, including the Hodgeville Hutterite Colony signed up for the event.

The Hodgeville Colony “is excited about it.’’ She suggested offering free access and tours as part of the experience as well as selling product.

Items for sale can range from produce, meat, crafts to home-cooked meals.

Alberta is entering its 12th year of Open Farm Days with 350 farms signed up.

Heavy machinery & equipment

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Contact Karla at 306-621-8051. Licence # 316253

Last year Alberta Open Farm Days participants took in $1 million in sales, boosting rural tourism and farm sustainability.

“Swift Current has been really good at signing up.’’ Farmers can get information on the event and register at farmfoodcaresk.org. Deadline to register is May 26.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

(L-R) CITY OF MOOSE JAW BYLAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER BRIAN SIMMER, KANDY AND VERN GRUNSEY, CITY OF MOOSE

According to an RCMP spokesperson, it’s legally permissible to access and collect points on a fast-food app when parked next to a restaurant’s drive-thru window in your vehicle. Photo by: Aaron Walker

By Leon Retief

The Amur River Between Russia and China. Colin

Thubron. Chatto & Windus, 291 pages.

Colin Thubron writes fiction but is better known (to me, at least) as a travel writer.

His latest book is about a river which divides: “I stare out on a leaden sea, remembering others of the earth’s great rivers that carry no such tensions: the Nile, the Yangtse, the Ganges, the Amazon, the Indus. However threatened, they flow like lifeblood through their nations’ heart. Only the Amur divides.”

The Amur River is the eighth or tenth longest river in the world, depending on who one reads. It flows through Siberia for about 4500 km, and for just over 1600 km it forms a densely fortified border between Russia and China.

Thubron travelled 3 000 km along the banks of this waterway, describing his experiences, the scenery and climate but also, and this forms the backbone of the book, its history and his interactions with people he meets along the way.

The journey does not start well. He breaks three ribs,

soon followed by an ankle bone, yet continues onward without medical help in spite of what must have been tremendous pain, made worse by the difficult terrain. Being eighty years old could not have helped, and he wryly describes his two guides’ barely concealed concern.

Although the USSR had disintegrated, this is still Putin’s Russia and the police are ever vigilant. He is detained and questioned more than once, raising their suspicions even more by telling officials about aspects of their region’s history that they themselves were unaware of. Where did you learn this, he was asked, why do you know more that we do?

Russian antipathy towards the Chinese across the river is almost palpable, in spite of officially friendly diplomatic and other relations between the two countries. The Russians along the river are clearly patriotic but seemed resigned, almost apathetically so, to the fact that they are sliding backward economically, while the Chinese cities on the opposite banks are in-yourface prosperous, albeit in in a rather gaudy sort of way.

Visiting the Chinese territory, he establishes an ephemeral friendship with a guide who makes it clear that the hatred is mutual: “Frankly, I hate the Russians… we hate them because they took our land.”

He also discovers that the Chinese police are just as distrustful of foreigners as their Russian counterparts.

Given the interesting history of Russo-Chinese interaction in Tsarist times, which Thubron describes in some detail, it becomes clear that the Chinese have grounds for complaint. One can foresee a border dispute in the future.

The river, like so many others, is subject to increasing pollution: “I imagine this pollution-stained advance through Russians’ eyes. Their industrial poverty has kept the Amur purer, while the resurgence of China is defiling

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Tsarist government regarded this part of the country as an economic bonanza, expecting it to develop into one of the world’s great trading and mining centers. Many towns and cities were established or expanded along the course of the river, such as Svobodny, Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk and Bogorodskoye, beautiful names ready to jump off the page and onto the tongue and which inevitably made me think of saltimbocca. (Not a Russian word, I know, I know…)

Thubron describes the initial optimism and expansion, the resultant disaster and decay, made worse by autocracy and communism, as the realization dawned that this was no El Dorado. What makes this even sadder is that the national identities of many local tribes or small nations along the course of the river were successfully obliterated by the Soviet regime in an attempt to mould Homo Sovieticus, a policy which inevitably failed, leaving nothing to fill the cultural void.

Thubron’s journey is thus a melancholy tale of sadness and loss, strikingly portrayed when he is approached by two Russian girls: “We had a bet you were not Russian.

Why not?

Their laughter peals in chorus. Because you look happy!”

I have read two other travel books by this author (Among the Russians and In Siberia) and anyone not impressed by the lyrical nature and sheer beauty of Thubron’s prose must have the literary equivalent of tone deafness.

I also came to realize that he is much more than “just” a travel writer.

The depth of insight and breadth of knowledge, the sheer humanity of his descriptions, the aforesaid beauty of his prose raise his books far above the level of the usual Cape Town to Cairo or Around the World on a Horse with No Name travelogues. Every one of his books recounting a journey through any part of the world is a work of art which should be remembered and is worthy of a revisit – I can certainly see myself rereading this volume in a few years’ time.

Dusti Hennenfent shares her story of hope and wellness at 2024 Rotary Convention

The Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow held its first-ever public conference May 10 – 11 at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company’s Convention Centre with guest speakers addressing this year’s theme of “hope and mental wellness.”

On May 10, Dusti Hennenfent with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) shared insights from her personal experience.

“I thank my son for letting me experience his mental health journey beside him. It has profoundly changed my understanding of what people go through,” Hennenfent said.

“It made me realize how many different people are involved in supporting a person’s recovery.”

Following the social isolation of the

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

pandemic, Hennenfent’s autistic son – in Grade 11 in 2020 – started acting differently and his teacher reached out when the otherwise studious and rule-abiding student began to fail his class. Hennenfent’s attention had been diverted by the busy ebb and flow of life but now her sense of confidence started to wane.

Reflecting on her father who was diagnosed as bipolar and who committed suicide one year before her son was born, she decided to ask if he was at risk of harming himself. His reply was an alarming “Yes.”

She recalled feeling a sense of “utter helplessness” and started making calls to determine how to handle the situation.

“We needed to be the support for our son he didn’t have at the time,” she reflect-

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immeasurably, Hennenfent said, thanks to Fisher’s “infinite patience, understanding, and support.”

Her son is turning 21 this year, works a full-time job, and is living independently.

An act of kindness profoundly influences mental health. This can be something as easy as smiling at a stranger to – as she learned from her son – a simple card game.

She described compassion as “a powerful force for change,” but said alone it’s not enough.

“The truth is that we humans are wired for connection.” Yet, she continued, “In a world where we are more connected digitally than ever before, we often find ourselves lacking in true, authentic human connection.”

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The experience was a testament to the cruel power mental health can wield. She described recovery as several little steps in the right direction and said the experience taught her about empathy and patience.

Hennenfent returned to university 25 years after graduating to study psychology. She began volunteering with the CNHA and was soon offered a permanent position where she continues to work.

Through a Dungeons and Dragons program at the CMHA, her son was able to spend time with like-minded youths in an atmosphere of compassion and connection.

“For the first time ever, he had something he genuinely looked forward to,” she said, describing the game as “the hook he needed” to recover.

An employment opportunity at the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank led by Client Resource Manager Cheantelle Fisher “shifted the trajectory” of his life

Building social connection isn’t a passive endeavour, and Hennenfent said it’s not just about offering support when things go wrong. It’s about building a community where everyone feels valued and can participate in spaces and clubs where they can be their authentic selves –free of judgment and stigma.

She said it’s time to break the barrier and “shatter the stigma surrounding mental health.”

To achieve this, individuals must be willing to step outside of their comfort zones, speak honestly about their own struggles, and foster inclusive environments. Even a simple text or acknowledgement can create “waves of positivity and hope.”

“Let us be the beacons of hope in a world so desperately in need of it,” she continued. “And together, let’s build a future for mental health that isn’t a source of shame, but a cause for compassion and connection.”

To learn more about the CMHA, visit MooseJaw.CMHA.ca, call 306-692-4240, or email MJBranch@CMHAsk.com.

Dusti Hennenfent (pictured) shares her personal journey of hope and mental wellness at the 2024 Rotary International District 5550 Conference on May 10. Photo by: Aaron Walker

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

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

Book Image: Amazon.ca

Painting helped well-known artist overcome depression and anxiety

Artist Laura Hamilton is known for creating female characters who are whimsical, sweet and romantic — and faceless — but they wouldn’t exist if she hadn’t pursued a healing journey to handle her post-partum depression and anxiety.

Hamilton was a creative child growing up, but she felt like she didn’t fit in and “felt a bit broken,” although she didn’t have the words to describe those feelings. Moreover, it was taboo to talk about mental health problems at that time.

It wasn’t until Hamilton was in her early 30s that she learned she had anxiety, which allowed her to discuss her challenges more openly.

“I believe the more we share and talk about it, the more the stigma disappears … ,” Hamilton told roughly 150 Rotarians during the Rotary International District 5550 conference in Moose Jaw on May 10.

Unexplained feelings

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Hamilton experienced many major changes in her early 30s as she married, moved and began teaching. She had her first baby in 2010 and knew she was supposed to be happy, but only felt sadness, loneliness and irritability — and she didn’t know why.

She blamed her problems on homesickness, so her husband quit his job and moved them back to Moose Jaw. She gave birth to her second son a few years later and experienced the same overwhelming feelings.

Hamilton realized something wasn’t right when she had a major emotional meltdown, prompting her to visit a doctor, who diagnosed her with anxiety and post-partum depression.

Through research, she learned that having a baby can fill a mother with many emotions, from joy and excitement to fear and anxiety. However, some experienced post-partum “baby blues” — mood swings, crying and sleeping problems — lasting for weeks.

“I want you to know that it isn’t a character flaw or a weakness,” Hamilton said.

Her doctor placed her on anti-depressants even though she didn’t want them. She has attempted to stop taking them but says her husband and mother — who know her well — notice when she does.

“I take medication and I am OK with that, and I will till I die,” she added.

Beginning the creative journey

Hamilton returned to teaching after finishing her maternity leave, but because of all the changes she faced — a new school and split grades — her anxiety took over.

It was Nov. 3, 2014, when she experienced a massive panic attack at school.

A colleague drove her home, where she called her mother-in-law, who suggested

Artist Laura Hamilton was a guest speaker at the Rotary International District 5550 conference in Moose Jaw recently, where she spoke about her struggles with post-partum depression and anxiety and how painting helped her overcome them.

Photo courtesy Facebook

she take a journey of self-discovery.

Hamilton was 33 and realized it would be the perfect time to do that. She took a leave from work and, after speaking with a counsellor, returned to her childhood love of drawing as part of her recovery.

She began painting at her kitchen table, and since she was captivated by American artist Buzz Syler, she borrowed some of his techniques.

The first painting she created was entitled “Lucy in the Yellow Dress,” featuring a woman — her black hair covering her face — with a black dog. From this, “something magical happened,” as the artwork gave Hamilton a surge of adrenaline and sent creative energies coursing

through her body.

“I felt so alive in this moment. This massive endorphin rush released dopamine — the feel-good chemical — (into her brain). It felt like a magical dance between myself, the water and the paint,” she said.

This moment helped her experience her “authentic self,” while the painting kick-started her healing and prompted her to quit her teaching career to become a full-time artist.

Brighter days

This was also when her paintings began to transition from dark colours to more cheerful colours, while the women in the paintings transformed into sweet, graceful, whimsical, free-spirited beings.

As for why her characters have no faces, Hamilton said they represent “the essence” of a person and can be whomever the viewer needs them to be, whether a mother, sister, daughter, niece, best friend, wife or even the viewer.

“My art has become my gift to connect to others. Through this journey, I have learned that art has the amazing ability to break down walls … ,” she added. “I believe we are all meant for complicated journeys, journeys of brokenness, vulnerability and courage. We all have our own Lucy story.”

The finished painting of “Lucy in the Yellow Dress,” the first official artwork Laura Hamilton created as part of her healing journey. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

A Laura Hamilton painting. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Reflective Moments

By Joyce Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Automated service just frustrates most customers

If doctors were looking for a cause of a patient’s higher-than-safe blood pressure, they should ask about the patient’s recent experiences with the human-less telephone system in many businesses and institutions.

The cause would immediately be identified and might just be duplicated in a conversation about those useless encounters.

Take, for instance, the calls to a neighboring health care facility in an attempt to learn if a friend was still in that facility and if he could have visitors and when visitation could occur.

The number was punched into the phone and it rang and rang and rang, until finally a voice came on the line. But the voice wasn’t inclined to have a conversation that wasn’t pre-recorded. He kindly provided all the options that might even-

tually lead me to a real person.

I made the choice that I hoped would provide the answers to my questions. That hope died quickly when finally a new voice came on the line in another recorded greeting. She reported that no one was available to help me, but I should leave a message and “someone” would get back to me as soon as possible.

Instead of leaving a message I took the opportunity to call another number from the phone book in the hope better luck would come my way. That didn’t work, except to increase my annoyance with this kind of so-called customer service and information provision. By the end of the hour I decided it would have been more convenient, and faster, if we had just driven to the other community. Hopefully there might have been a real person present to invite us in

or send us away.

This kind of message system is not unique to this institution. No, it is methodically creeping into too many aspects of one’s life.

One such operation in the community provides a message left by an assertive voice that makes one happy to have called the number. Then he proceeds to offer seven or eight numbers a caller could touch to hopefully get to the sought-after department. The voice helpfully suggests the caller listen carefully to the options and at the end gives one a chance to listen again by touching yet another number.

The person I was trying to reach was — surprise — unable to take my call, but begged me to leave a message. I did leave a message and two days later I was still waiting for a return call. Sure glad it wasn’t an emergency.

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

Just to add more cheery news I did some research and discovered that two years ago a survey revealed that 70 per cent of all customer service interactions involved automation. And isn’t it ironic that customer service professionals have a list of 12 ways to handle customer calls, the first of those being a “personal touch.” I will continue to search for businesses and industries that are still in that 30 per cent range, ones that only use recorded messages for after-hours calls.

Hopefully my blood pressure doesn’t spike when I come across a real person who answers the phone and asks how I might be helped.

I just hope I don’t hang up in shock.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

High-energy band DETOURcountry to perform at this year’s Mortlach Berry Festival

High-energy band DETOURcountry is bringing its foot-stomping, honky-tonking powerhouse of classic hits and ’90s gems to this year’s Mortlach Saskatoon Berry Festival, taking audiences on an unforgettable journey through the heart and soul of country music.

The 15th annual festival occurs Saturday, June 15, in the small village about 30 minutes west of Moose Jaw on Highway 1.

The event — which features the tagline, “5,000 people can’t be wrong” — launches with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at the hall, followed by fun and activities throughout the day in this west-central Saskatchewan community.

Following the breakfast, a parade kicks off at 11 a.m. on Main Street. Anyone can join, but participants should contact the festival committee first to register.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., more than 50 vendors will hawk their wares and likely have something that a festivalgoer might want, from food to crafts to books, from health supplements, linens, jewelry and other trinkets.

Other activities include a pie-eating

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contest, axe throwing, beer gardens and wagon rides. There will also be many activities for children, from bouncy castles to face painting to a magician.

As for those ever-popular Saskatoon berry pies, attendees can purchase — and savour — a whole pie or a slice in the hall beginning around 9 a.m. until quantities run out. However, organizers suggest people pre-order a pie to guarantee receiving one because they usually sell out quickly.

Visitors can pre-order online or through a QR code on the festival’s Facebook page.

Christine Johnson, a festival committee member, said it was great that the festival was celebrating its 15th year and that the community had been holding it for nearly two decades. The festival had “huge importance” for the community because of how many people it attracted — with some returning throughout the year as tourists.

“We look forward to it every single year. And I know people in Moose Jaw and Regina — just people I’ve spoken to about it — they all know about it, and

everybody tries to make a point to come out,” she continued.

Johnson was excited to listen to DETOURcountry, as the group seemed like a “really good bunch of guys” with plenty of high energy. Furthermore, she encouraged people to attend the parade since it was one of the more popular festival activities and helped promote businesses in town.

Meanwhile, she thought the festival overall would be plenty of fun and expected thousands of people to attend rain or shine.

DETOURcountry pays homage to the legends who shaped the genre by including iconic tunes from country greats such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Johnny Lee and Hank Williams Sr.

Furthermore, the band dives into the vibrant country era of the ’90s and celebrates the sounds of that decade by bringing to life hits from artists like Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Dwight Yoakam, George Strait, Little Texas and Garth Brooks.

This is Johnson’s first year on the organizing committee after she moved to Mortlach about a year ago. She wanted to become more involved in the community and meet people, and since she had attended a few festivals previously, she decided to join the committee since it “seemed like a pretty neat thing” to see how everything was put together.

“And small-town living, it’s amazing. You can’t compare it with the big city,” she added.

The Mortlach Saskatoon Berry Festival can be found on Facebook.

The Friendly City extends another warm welcome to the Andino Suns

The Western Canadian Music Award winners, the Andino Suns, will be performing, once again, at the Mae Wilson Theatre, on June 15th, hosted by the Friendly City Optimist Club. Doors will open at 6:30 pm, with the show starting at 7:30 pm. This amazing Father’s Day gift idea will cost $48.84 after taxes and additional fees.

The Andino Suns are a Regina-based musical ensemble with roots in Moose Jaw. This band skillfully employs music to bridge the geological and cultural gaps between the radiant Andean Sun and the Canadian Prairies in an evening of fun, entertainment, and great music.

They effortlessly fuse these cultural elements as a testament to their Chilean heritage, blending beautiful Andean instrumentation with contemporary Latin and Western rhythms to create a marvelous, genre-defying musical identity. Recently, the Andino Suns played to a sold-out crowd in Regina with soaring success.

The hosts of the event, the Friendly City Optimist Club, are extremely excited to share this band with Moose Jaw. 100% of all proceeds will go to various events

and programs the Optimist Club holds. This event is completely family-friendly, meaning there will be a little bit of music for everyone to enjoy.

The Optimist Club decided to host this concert as a fundraiser for their youth initiatives. They chose a concert as the fundraiser to keep things new and interesting. The Club likes to mix things up and keep things fresh, instead of doing the same fundraisers. They also had never hosted a concert before and thought it would be a neat experience.

“We are a service club that just cares a lot for the children in Moose Jaw… I really hope everybody comes out and supports this event, to help support the kids in Moose Jaw,” said Club Member Brian Hauck.

The Friendly City Optimist Club is a group of civic-minded individuals who volunteer their time and energy for the good of youth in our community. The Optimist Club works hard to accomplish anything that needs to be done, based on input from club members and the community’s needs. They have already helped in many avenues including Essay & Oratorical Contests, School Lunch Programs, Youth Art Scholarships, Early Childhood Intervention, Juvenile Curling, and many more.

The Optimist Club funds all these events and programs through fundraisers. This is the first time they have hosted a concert, though they have done many other fundraisers in the past, including Raffles, Dances, Concessions at Riders Games, Food Booths for Sidewalk Days, and more. The Club meets on the second and fourth of every month at the Heritage Inn, though various club members may meet more often to plan club events and activities. If you wish to join the Friendly City Optimist Club, there is an $80.00 fee per year.

To learn more about the Andino Suns, you can visit the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre website at https://www.moosejawculture.ca/, or you can visit the Andino Suns Facebook Page at https://www.facebook. com/AndinoSuns/. If you want to learn more about the Friendly City Optimist Club, you can visit their website at https://moosejawoptimistclub.wordpress.com/, or you can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/AMSNW13105/.

Photos courtesy Facebook

Fox Klein - Moose Jaw Express

Andino Suns performing at the Mae Wilson Theatre at 7:30 pm.

Musician Jeffery Straker coming to Moose Jaw area to celebrate new album’s release

Popular musician Jeffery Straker will be coming to the Moose Jaw area this summer to celebrate his new album and will be performing in grain elevators in the communities he visits.

Straker releases his newest album, “Great Big Sky,” a Prairie-themed, 10-song recording, on Friday, June 7. To celebrate this launch, he will perform seven shows at or in seven grain elevators as part of The Prairie Skyscraper Concert Series.

His tour dates include June 15 at 7 p.m. in Elbow, June 19 at 7 p.m. in Hepburn, June 20 at 7 p.m. in Southey, July 4 at 7 p.m. in Riverhurst, July 5 at 2 p.m. in Horizon as part of the Ogema-based Southern Prairie Railway train tour, July 6 at 7 p.m. in Gravelbourg and July 7 at 2 p.m. at the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum.

“I’m pretty excited,” the folk-roots singer-songwriter-pianist said on Facebook, noting the tour should be a “really unique listening experience.”

One track Straker wrote is titled “More than Two by Fours and Timber,” which pays tribute to “these beautiful, old, vintage grain elevators that are all the way across Saskatchewan and across the Prairies.”

Straker said he’s always loved “these

Organizers of this summer’s Moose Jaw Kinsmen Sidewalk Days Festival are thrilled with the musical acts who will be performing and believe this is the best crop of talent they’ve ever booked.

The annual festival kicks off on Thursday, July 4 and runs until Saturday, July 6. Each day starts at 10 a.m., while Thursday and Friday end around 8 p.m. and Saturday concludes around 5 p.m.

Jacki L’Heureux-Mason, executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw, explained that the bands the organizing committee turned away this year — because of how many were already performing — were better than the best groups that performed during the first few years of the festival.

“So it was kind of one of those milestones things where we thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we’ve really built the entertainment part of this to be so much better than (we) had ever dreamed it would be,’” she said.

“So … hold onto your hats … it’s going to be the best I’ve ever seen.”

Bands performing include Trick Ryder, which rocked out during last year’s festival and will be present during Homestand ’24 in September; East Coast party band Tilted Kilts; Detour, which played at the festival years ago; Lights Out; and cabaret band UnCools.

L’Heureux-Mason said she was “really, really excited” about Lights Out playing because this is the group’s first time here and its singer has “an amazing set of pipes.”

Meanwhile, the children’s village will be expanding with several more bouncy castles and inflatables, courtesy of funding from the Kinsmen and Moose Jaw Ford.

“It’s kind of hard to put much more in

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the release of his newest album, “Great Big Sky.” Photo courtesy Jeffery Straker

big, majestic structures” — also known as Prairie Sentinels — that dot the fields because, at their peak in Saskatchewan, there were more than 1,800 of them, while today, there are fewer than 275.

Although there are not many remaining, they can still captivate motorists to stop and take photos, he continued. For his song, he sets the scene by imagining the last day of an elevator before its demoli-

tion: “It used to mean from a distance you were heading somewhere when heading here … now, more than the last grain elevator was disappearing.”

Straker added that his shows will all be different from each other and should offer a unique experience for listeners.

For more information, visit www.jeffstraker.com.

Carol Peterson, board chair of the Ogema Heritage Railway Association, said Straker called her about performing inside the elevator at Horizon as part of his tour and she readily agreed.

“So that’s totally different (but) we think it’s awesome,” she added. “It’s a perfect setting for it and works well with what we’re doing here.”

There are 13 train trips that passengers can take this year, including heritage rides, kids’ fun trips, morning or afternoon train robbery rides, prairie pitchfork steak fondue train trips, settlers’ supper tours, Texas-style barbecue rides, craft beer, wines, and spirits trips, Harry Potter-themed rides, Pangman open-air market trips, Museum Day tours, Grandparents’ Day rides, Father’s Day trips and Jeffery Straker’s Prairie Skyscraper Concert Series.

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

there (because) it’s so packed, but we were able to rearrange a few things to make it have a few additional parts there,” said L’Heureux-Mason.

Last year, Déjà Vu erected an adult-focused inflatable bouncer on High Street, and since committee organizers thought it looked weird sitting by itself, they added a second inflatable adult bouncer and called the area the Déjà Vu Duel Zone. One will be a bungie racing course and another will be jousting, which should be “a ton of fun.”

There will be more new vendors this year, which is “a sad reflection” of the fact not every business that normally attends survived the pandemic, L’Heureux-Mason said. This opened space for others, including crafters who produce handmade items. Meanwhile, the number of food vendor spots filled up faster than organizers expected, which means there will be a variety of trucks selling interesting and tasty cuisine.

Also, the Water Vision Pools and Spas-sponsored Battle of the Bands returns, with the winning musical act receiving $1,500 and walking away with the title of Moose Jaw’s best band. Organizers

want one more act to participate so there is a full complement.

L’Heureux-Mason noted that this is the first time she has had the same organizing team return for back-to-back years, which she thought was wonderful because they know what to do and what to fill.

“I can’t even tell you what a joy it is to work with people who have the same dedication to just making the festival as good as we can,” she said.

For more information, call Southern Prairie Railway at 306-459-7808 or visit www.southernprairierailway.ca.

Gord Ross, board chairman of the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum, thought it was great that Straker wanted to perform at the museum’s 111-year-old elevator.

“We invested a lot of money trying to save the elevator and bring it to the museum, so to have him help us represent our museum, it’s great news for us,” he said.

The elevator was built in 1913 and stood in Mawer — near Central Butte — for nearly a century before the museum bought it in the mid-2000s and moved it. Members then spent time refurbishing it before re-opening it in 2013.

The organization worked for a long time to acquire a grain elevator, while it cost a substantial amount of money to buy one and upgrade it, said Ross. It was important to save an elevator because of its historical importance; the province has designated this structure as a provincial heritage site.

“It’s small by today’s standards, but at the time (it was considered big),” he added.

Visit www.sukanenshipmuseum.ca for more information.

The committee still needs more volunteers and will provide training, free meals during shifts — which are usually short — and a wrap-up party at the Sweet Spot. The wrap-up is an example of how organizers “try really hard to treat people like gold” since they wouldn’t be able to pull off the event without that support.

Anyone interested in joining as a volunteer or vendor can contact 306-6938097.

Musician Jeffery Straker is coming to the Moose Jaw area this summer to celebrate

The Milkman’s Sons has been one group that has performed at Sidewalk Days over the years. Here they perform in 2017. Photo courtesy Facebook

CITY HALL

COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MON, MAY 27.

With homeowners and business owners frustrated with vagrants and thieves stealing from them at night, one city councillor thinks restricting access to alleys may help address this problem.

During city council’s May 13 regular meeting, Coun. Kim Robinson introduced a motion directing city administration to bring forward a bylaw to control the use and access of certain alleyways between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Council voted unanimously on the recommendation.

Robinson also gave notice that at the May 27 regular meeting, he would introduce a motion directing administration to create a bylaw reducing access to specific parks between certain hours.

Robinson explained that he researched how best to address some of the city’s problems and discovered that North Battleford has a bylaw with similar time restrictions. He noted that the community has the largest problems with trespassers in Saskatchewan and has had the most success with its bylaw.

Furthermore, he was in Saskatoon recently attending a community policing conference, which analyzed North

Restricting overnight access to alleys could address downtown problems,

council says

Battleford’s bylaw comprehensively and approved of it.

Robinson noted that North Battleford’s bylaw lets residents use their alleys late at night if they have a good reason for being there. He added that this bylaw would give the Moose Jaw Police Service the tools it needs to question people who may be wandering alleys at 3 a.m.

While it’s worthwhile to explore this idea, the city will have to consult with people first because it would be “a pretty big bylaw” to bring forward and is not something the municipality has ever had before, said Coun. Crystal Froese.

“It’s like a curfew,” she remarked, noting enforcing this may be difficult, so it’s also important to seek input from the police service. “Maybe there are ways we can make it work within our city without being disruptive to neighbourhoods.”

While there isn’t anything substantial to debate with this motion since it simply asks administration to create a time-restriction bylaw, it’s still worth discussing because this may be something the community needs to control problems in parks and around downtown businesses late

at night, said Coun. Dawn Luhning.

Luhning added that everyone on council has been receiving complaints from residents and business owners about the difficulties they’ve been having with unwanted troublemakers.

Homeowners who are walking their dogs in alleys or working on their garages late at night won’t have anything to worry about with this potential bylaw, said Coun. Jamey Logan. However, for people who shouldn’t be there, this bylaw could give police some “teeth” to handle situations.

“As we’ve all heard ... (there are) stories of people loitering and wandering and … up to no good and doing general shenanigans,” he added.

Coun. Heather Eby agreed that officers needed a tool like this since they didn’t currently have one. Furthermore, this would also send a message to the community that council is taking these problems seriously and “looking outside the box to do something differently.”

“Maybe it will work (and) maybe it won’t, but at least we’ll look at it because what we’re doing right now isn’t working,” she added.

Good Neighbours Group wants city hall to return to regular operating hours

City hall reduced its operating hours nearly three years ago during the height of the pandemic, and with that situation over, some residents want the city to re-establish better hours.

Carolyn Ross with the Good Neighbours Group (GNG) spoke to city council during its May 13 regular meeting and said city hall has been operating from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. since May 31, 2021. Moreover, staff have been working daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for several years while residents have been unable to come any earlier.

Moose Jaw is the fourth largest municipality in Saskatchewan and has the fewest number of accessible hours at any city hall, she continued. Furthermore, out of 53 cities, towns and villages that the GNG researched, The Friendly City has the fewest hours accessible to the public, second only to Morse, which has a population of 240.

“Every city hall and municipal office has returned to regular business hours, with the exception of Moose Jaw,” Ross said, noting a young family told the GNG that they had to take a vacation day to visit city hall to submit a permit application.

Ross added that the GNG wants council to implement operating hours at city hall of 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. immediately.

Coun. Kim Robinson asked why city hall hadn’t returned to regular hours, with city manager Maryse Carmichael indicating the news release from May 2021 said the change was permanent.

She extrapolated by saying one-third fewer residents were coming to city hall for business than in the past, likely because more people were going online to pay parking tickets or access the services they needed rather than coming in person.

Carmichael pointed out that city hall is open over lunchtime, while many small businesses aren’t, so it is meeting citizens’ needs. She said that administration could create a more detailed report with the reasons the hours have remained the same.

Asked whether there is a significant cost to extending hours, Carmichael said it’s important for city employees to be as productive and efficient as possible throughout the day.

“The customer service reps we have downstairs use the first hour and forty-five minutes before city hall’s doors are open to do some of the work — either cash in or cash out — and also to do some of the work from online transactions we see overnight,” she said, adding employees spend the last hour of the day finishing tasks.

Coun. Heather Eby thought it would be beneficial to have a report about city hall’s hours so council could consider making a different decision. She noted that she was on council when that change occurred and later forgot about it, as she showed up early one morning recently to pay for a business licence only to find the doors still locked.

“I know administration has its reasons, but council may want to have input and want to see things changed,” she added.

Coun. Jamey Logan thought city hall could at least let customers in downstairs to pay tickets or drop off applications while restricting the rest of the building until 10 a.m.

He also thought city administration should review the website to see how user-friendly it is for paying bills since it’s not always easy to navigate.

Coun. Dawn Luhning thought it was pointless for administration to write a report considering staff were already working and there likely weren’t many savings by opening at 8:15 a.m.

Council then voted 5-2 to have administration produce a report about this topic; Robinson and Luhning were opposed.

Resident Art King is frustrated with how city council creates and manages its budget and believes elected officials need to do a better job of how they handle and use tax money.

King attended council’s regular meeting on May 13 and spoke about the proposed property tax bylaw — and other related financial matters — that council planned to vote on.

He pointed out that council discussed the federal gas tax fund in April, and while it’s a great program, he be-

lieved the information that Coun. Dawn Luhning put forward was not factual because inflation was not a factor in creating the mill rate.

Continuing, King said he spoke with representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) and learned the opposite is true, that inflation is a discretionary item that the economy puts forward. Specifically, assessed land values determine the mill rates while council sets all budget-related items.

“I wish it was true that it was inflationary because my property in 2011 had a $768 mill rate and that is not the education part, that is the city council portion,” he said. “The inflationary rate on that particular item from 201124 is 34 per cent. That’s compounded interest inflation over inflation year-to-year.”

Conversely, King claimed his taxes have risen 84 per cent during that 13-year period, which is a difference of 50 per cent compared to inflation.

Meanwhile, the frustrated taxpayer — who is one of a few residents to regularly attend council meetings — said three of six councillors who ran for mayor in 2021 failed to correct the misinformation about the gas tax fund.

“That’s troubling to me because if you don’t know where the money is coming from, how can you know where it should be spent?” he said. “It’s easy to trim low-(hanging) fruit on the tree. That’s the situation the City of Moose Jaw takes with taxation.”

King reminded council members that there is nearly $1 million in outstanding parking fines. He noted that council passed a motion recently to attempt to collect some of that money, which may or may not happen depending upon how successful the city is.

One “low hanging” financial item that King thought council could successfully pursue was forcing the Moose Jaw Warriors to pay their outstanding pledge amount for the Mulitiplex. He noted that the team is $400,000 to $600,000 behind in its commitment.

“Now $400,000 at five-per-cent interest is $20,000 a year that I as a taxpayer and (other) taxpayers have to make up. If it’s $600,000, then it’s $30,000 annually,” he said.

King criticized city administration for the agreement it signed with the Warriors to use the Events Centre, saying the contract looks fine but does not encourage the team to pay its pledge, which means the city loses $20,000 to $30,000 annually in taxation.

As manager of a corporation — the City of Moose Jaw —council needed to be more responsible with the taxes it received since it sometimes used that money to hire more employees than it needed, he continued.

King said the city’s population had remained relatively the same since 2015 while council’s budget had increased nearly four times. He didn’t believe this was due to inflation but to “poor workmanship and management of the labour force.”

The taxpayer — who lives near William Grayson School — told council that he saw eight city employees standing around when construction was happening at Caribou Street West and Ninth Avenue Northwest more than a year ago. He thought a barricade could have done a better job of blocking traffic instead of having the employees do it.

“That is total mismanagement and taxpayers were picking it up to boot,” King added.

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MON, MAY 27.

For the first time in a while, the Moose Jaw Events Centre experienced a first quarter that was positive financially, while in another first, its cost recovery rate exceeded 100 per cent.

From Jan. 1 to March 31, the sports and entertainment venue had actual revenues of $867,852 and actual expenses of $817,401, for an operating gain of $50,451. However, after including the $172 expense for Ticket Rocket gift cards and $49,424 for building manager OVG360’s management fee, the net operating income was $856. Overall, this represented a cost recovery rate of 100.12 per cent, meaning the Multiplex paid its bills using generated revenues instead of taxpayer subsidies. In comparison, OVG360 had budgeted $759,199 in revenues and $845,697 in expenses, leading to an expected operating loss — after adding the management fee of $48,302 — of $134,800. This would have represented a cost recovery rate of 84.92 per cent.

Therefore, the difference between the actual and bud-

Concerts and Warrior games helped Events Centre finish Q1 with

small surplus

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

geted income, expenses and net income was $108,653, $28,296 and $135,655, respectively.

These numbers were based on 58 events over 52 days and a total paid general attendance of 59,022 people.

City administration presented the first-quarter financial report during the May 13 regular city council meeting. Financial information about the Events Centre/Multiplex was included in the document.

Council later unanimously voted to receive and file the report.

Food and beverage sales

From Jan. 1 to March 31, OVG360 generated $684,181 in total concession and catering sales, while the total cost of goods was $229,153. This led to a total gross sales profit of $455,027.

After removing total payroll, total variable expenses, management incentives and management fee, the net profit was $260,781.

These numbers were based on 58 events and 55,608

people attending those events.

Council comments

Coun. Heather Eby was shocked that the Events Centre had such a high cost-recovery rate because she had never seen anything like that since joining council; yet, it was still good news. While that rate likely wouldn’t be as high at the end of 2024, she hoped it remained close. City manager Maryse Carmichael said that two reasons the venue did so well during Q1 were that it held several concerts and the WHL Warriors did well during the regular season.

Coun. Jamey Logan was also “super happy” to see that the Multiplex had achieved a 100-per-cent cost-recovery rate, which he pointed out was based on the Warriors having only one playoff game in March. He thought the venue’s financial report for the second quarter — April to June — would be much more interesting after factoring in the remaining playoff contests.

Tax arrears jumped nearly $900K year-over-year in Q1, reflecting economic hardships, city says

Taxpayers owed nearly $4 million in total tax arrears by the end of the first quarter, which was almost 30-per-cent more than Q1 2023, although more people have joined a repayment plan.

City administration presented the first-quarter financial report during the May 13 regular city council meeting, which included data about tax arrears, outstanding debt and — a new feature — how much each property class owed.

Council voted unanimously to receive and file the report.

Property tax arrears

As of March 31, taxpayers owed $3,821,445 in total arrears, which included $1,802,607 in property tax liens and $2,018,837 in payment plans, the report said.

Conversely, by March 31, 2023, those numbers were $2,998,855, $1,838,213 and $1,160,642, respectively.

Therefore, the total outstanding amount of tax arrears increased by $822,590 — or 27.5 per cent — from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024. This comprised a year-over-year decrease in liens of $35,606 and a year-over-year increase in payment plans of $858,195.

Meanwhile, by March 31, 2022, taxpayers owed $2,859,803 in total arrears, which included $1,564,639 in tax liens and $1,295,164 in payment plans.

“Our arrears are up year over year. That seems to be a trend we’ve had for the last couple of years, where arrears have been trending upward,” said finance director Brian Acker.

Coun. Kim Robinson pointed out that there is nearly $1 million more in total arrears this year than in 2022. He wondered how city hall planned to correct that.

The city does have a plan, which includes actively

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

pursuing the tax enforcement process against property owners, said Acker. However, the reality is that many residents are facing economic hardships and can’t pay what they owe, so there is only so much city hall can do to force them, although people can join monthly payment plans.

“We try to be as flexible as possible. … we can take properties, but we do that as an absolute last resort,” he added.

Property taxes receivable

Property taxes receivable consists of tax arrears and taxes owing. Tax arrears are overdue taxes, while current taxes are due but have not fallen into arrears. Taxes fall into arrears in the next year following the levy of taxes.

The total outstanding property taxes receivable by March 31, 2024, was $3,821,445, which was all arrears and did not include current taxes since Q1 was the start of the near year.

In comparison, total property taxes receivable that were outstanding by the end of Q1 in 2023 was $2,998,855, followed by $2,859,803 in 2022, $3,788,665 in 2021 and $2,526,855 in 2020.

Therefore, the year-over-year increase was 27.5 per cent.

Arrears by property classes

At the end of 2023, the seven property classes that city hall taxes owed $2,084,419.97 in outstanding arrears, while that number was $1,737,024.63 at the end of 2022. This means that those classes have owed $3,821,444.60 during the last two years.

The arrears that the seven classes owed in 2023 and 2022 and the totals were:

- Other agricultural: $788.92 / $838.37 / $1,627.29

- Commercial and industrial: $668,110.88 / $410,061.52 / $1,078,172.40

- Grain elevators: $0 / $0 / $0

- Multi-unit residential: $205,228.08 / $118,047.01 / $323,275.09

- Non-arable (range): $430.52 / $0 / $430.52

- Residential: $1,209,861.57 / $1,737,024.63 / $3,821,444.60

Compared to residential, commercial/industrial comprised 45 per cent of all outstanding arrears by property class.

Borrowing/debt

As of March 31, city hall was still repaying on five projects after borrowing to finance them.

The principal outstanding amount on each project was:

- Multiplex/Events Centre long-term loan: $11,031,000

- Waterworks capital long-term loan: $20,971,000

- High-service pumphouse: $7,113,000

- Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation loan term loan (Bank of Montreal): $9,644,440

- Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation loan term loan (TD Bank): $14,286,149.54

These projects totalled $63,045,589.54, a decrease from $64,075,118.36 at the end of Q4; the debt limit is $95 million.

City, SGI renew contract for speed enforcement cameras until 2029

The automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras in Moose Jaw have generated over $4 million in revenue during the last five years, while that system will continue nabbing lead-footed motorists for another half-decade.

The provincial government installed two cameras in Moose Jaw in 2015, with one on Highway 1 and a second alternating between two school zones, and installed another on the highway in 2017.

When that pilot program concluded, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) signed an agreement with the City of Moose Jaw in 2019 for the ASE system, with three amendments made since then.

With the current agreement having expired in March, city administration presented a new agreement during the May 13 regular council meeting, with council unanimously agreeing to renew the contract for another five years to 2029.

The program has generated $4,280,000 in revenue over the last five years, with the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) receiving

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

$1,080,000 for its traffic safety programs and the City of Moose Jaw receiving $3.2 million for its roadway renewal programs, a council report said.

Furthermore, the program generates $600,000 to $800,000 annually for the city’s traffic safety reserve.

City manager Maryse Carmichael told council that she and Police Chief Rick Bourassa met with SGI a few months ago to discuss the agreement. Moreover, both have been pleased with what the program has done, including its positive financial effect and its ability to force motorists to slow down around the city.

She added that city administration doesn’t want to see anything different in the agreement because it has been working well.

Coun. Crystal Froese asked how the municipality could acquire another ASE camera, saying she wanted to see one on Highway 2 south leading into the city because that road turns into a one-way and goes through a school zone.

“(That zone does) have a speed monitor

saying how fast vehicles are going, but I’m sure people are going much faster than they should be,” she said.

The police have said reducing speeds also reduces collisions, which has been most noticeable at the intersection of Highway 1 and Ninth Avenue Northwest, Froese added.

Adding an extra camera is something that was discussed during the meeting with SGI, Carmichael said. Meanwhile, the MJPS has a portable system it can deploy at locations to gather statistics on speeding, which the city will need when it applies to SGI for another device.

Mayor Clive Tolley said reducing the highway speeds to 80 kilometres per hour from 100 km/h has helped reduce the severity of the collisions, while there have been no deaths since then.

“So I think it’s worked. So if you choose to speed through there, you will get a ticket … ,” he added. “We are working toward other safety measures in that area, but for now, we should continue with this program that we already have.”

CITY HALL COUNCIL NOTES

THE

NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IS MON, MAY 27.

City administration says it will cost $500,000 to enhance safety in school zones and playground areas, which will include hanging new signs and improving nearby infrastructure.

City hall will start overhauling the 20 school zones this summer by adding or improving pedestrian ramps, updating signs to reflect national standards and reducing speeds. City crews should complete sign changes by September.

The speeds in those zones are currently 40 kilometres per hour from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. but will likely change to 30 km/h from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week once council approves a new bylaw.

City administration presented the first-quarter financial report during the May 13 regular city council meeting, which also included information about capital projects.

During that meeting, Coun. Heather Eby inquired about the sign project and wondered how much the initiative would cost because some residents thought it was $4 million. That is inaccurate, however, because that is how much the city plans to spend over five years on traffic control issues.

Bevan Harlton, director of operations, said city administration would bring more information to the next meeting about a proposed bylaw amendment to change the speeds in school zones and playground areas, along with a comprehensive budget.

Meanwhile, city crews will install new signs and improve sidewalk ramps regardless of that decision because many signs are old while sidewalks need to be upgraded.

The cost to upgrade sidewalks in school zones will be $300,000 while installing new signs will cost $200,000, so the entire project is roughly $500,000, he continued.

New signs in school zones and playgrounds to likely cost $200K, city says

Jason G. Antonio - MooseJawToday.com

City hall is ordering 650 signs, with 120 for the new speed limits, Harlton said. If council doesn’t change the speed limits, then the new school- and playground-zone signs will still be upgraded for better reflectivity and newness.

“There is a school zone with 12 no U-turn signs. There’s just any number of inconsistencies and old signage that we need to rectify,” he added.

Working hard

Coun. Crystal Froese said the first quarter report highlighted the work the city planned to complete in the coming months. For example, council will spend $5 million to upgrade roads, curbs and sidewalks and $10 million for the cast iron water main replacement program and feeder mains.

“It’s important to note that this is also a really, really busy time for our staff that are out there on the streets doing the work,” she continued.

Froese pointed out that city hall recently flew a banner downtown reminding motorists about safety near construction zones and not driving through barricades. Some city crews have experienced many near misses over the years due to inattentive drivers cruising through work areas.

Meanwhile, she said inflation is creating challenges for everyone in Moose Jaw, whether it’s people buying groceries, property owners paying taxes or the municipality attempting to complete — or even start — projects.

“So it’s important that as we move through the budget this year … (and are) spending money that citizens have left us to steward, that we find efficiencies … because people are struggling,” Froese added.

Main Street

When asked about how construction is going on

Main Street between River Street and Manitoba Street, Harlton said crews have faced challenges isolating pipes on River Street because some valves are 85 to 100 years old and difficult to turn.

However, city hall has committed to replacing the water mains and paving that important thoroughfare before Sidewalk Days in July, he added.

Grant funding

Council asked Harlton whether he had heard anything about federal funding to help upgrade the Crescent View Lift Station.

He replied that city administration has been inquiring often but hasn’t heard anything yet. However, not hearing back usually means the application has passed the first hurdle and Ottawa is potentially reviewing it further.

Chiming in, city manager Maryse Carmichael said administration has kept the community’s Member of Parliament informed about this situation and will continue to speak with affected stakeholders.

A new road

Coun. Kim Robinson said the city plans to spend $1.6 million to build a new road in the agri-food industrial park and wondered when city hall would tender that project.

Michelle Sanson, director of planning and development, said the road would run east-west and connect to the new lift station the city built last year. Meanwhile, SaskPower was expected to contribute $350,000 toward the road’s construction.

A council report said the city would tender the project in Q2 — between April and June — and expect contractors to complete the road by the fall.

Fire department’s new pumper truck to cost almost $900K

The Rolling Stones sang that you can’t always get what you want, but you can sometimes get what you need, a lyric the Moose Jaw Fire Department is taking to heart with its new truck purchase.

During its May 13 regular meeting, city council unanimously approved the fire department’s request to replace an existing pumper truck by purchasing a FIRE5N pumper unit worth $855,000.

To pay for the purchase, the department will use $800,000 from its equipment reserve account and $55,000 from the major equipment control account.

Fire Chief Rod Montgomery told council that administration received four responses to its request for proposals and determined that one was acceptable, which meant signing an agreement with the successful proponent.

While it will take the supplier until 2025 to build the new pumper unit, the department needs money this year to start the process, including making a deposit and paying for other deliverables, he continued. Having all the funds this year does not mean the department will spend it all in 2024.

Jason G. Antonio - Moose Jaw Express

“With the (equipment reserve) contribution available and the contribution from the control account, this will not place any extra tax burden on the citizens of Moose Jaw,” Montgomery added.

Coun. Jamey Logan said he had heard from some firefighters that the new truck wouldn’t have the same features as existing units. Specifically, they were concerned that the unit had an external pump handle instead of one in the cab, which may be great in the summer but not in the winter.

The fire department began looking at long-term sustainability and resiliency for its equipment reserve account several years ago and realized depreciation of engines 3 and 5 was a good source of funding, Montgomery said.

The new truck emulates engine 3, which has a sidemount pump. Moreover, it must last 15 years as a frontline unit and can then function as a reserve unit for another 15 years.

It’s obvious that a top-mounted pump is favourable with firefighters, which is something Swift Current and

BIZWORLD

By Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

North Battleford have, but purchasing a truck with that feature would cost $1.5 million, he continued.

“In good conscience, I don’t think I can come to council to ask that. This truck will meet our needs. So, you can’t always get what you want, but you’re gonna get what you need,” Montgomery said.

Pumper trucks 1 and 2 are the primary engines the fire department uses to cover Moose Jaw and 15 Wing Airbase, while fighting rural fires “is a different animal” because only four members go out and the pump operator spends less time in the cab and more time battling the blaze, he pointed out.

While side-mounted pumps have some advantages since they’re outside the cab and easy to maintain, the new truck will be the department’s highest-rated engine and will have a comparable pump — it will have less maintenance — to those in other units, Montgomery continued.

“The motor and pump are high quality. (The new truck) will serve the community well for the next 30 years,” the fire chief added.

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

Playing devil’s advocate on capital gains tax change

This Scribbler is amused by the furore over the increase in capital gains tax on gains over $250,000.

According to lobby groups opposed to the tax, the increase will ruin the economy.

They claim venture capital investors won’t invest in startups because they have to pay more tax.

They claim doctors will leave the country because they can’t build big enough retirement funds.

They claim farmers who use sale of the farm for a pension plan will have less in retirement.

They claim small businesses that sell a business to retire will have less for all the hard work over years.

That is essentially what those opposed to the increase — falling on 1.4 per cent of taxpayers – claim.

The media has done a good job as a mouthpiece for the tax opponents but

hasn’t checked their claims.

This Scribbler remembers when there was no capital gains tax, and no write-offs for capital losses.

In 1971, the tax system was overhauled after recommendations by the Carter Royal Commission. That commission said a buck is a buck and all income should be taxed the same.

That four-year study of six volumes indicated fairness in taxation means the wealthy should pay more than others.

Equal taxation regardless of the kind of income didn’t happen.

The capital gains tax was levied at 66.66 per cent just like the new rate for high gains tax. Later it became 50 per cent.

In spite of all the claims about the new capital gains tax ruining the economy, Canada prospered.

Venture capitalists take immense risks investing in startups with a low per

cent of success. The bottom line is if the startup looks promising enough they will keep investing.

Doctors who average $359,000 income in Saskatchewan (only $195,000 for family doctors) have the same retirement plan options as everyone else. Why do they need more opportunities to save money?

Farmers selling land will pay more taxes. Considering the government money that farmers receive during their career, is it not fair to pay some back in the end?

Farmers pay only 40 per cent of crop insurance premiums, have access to two government programs when income declines and can get interest-free cash advance loans. No one else has that security blanket.

Small business owners will suffer with higher taxes. The budget increased the capital gains exemption from $1 million to $1.25 million.

An increase in that exemption should ease the burden on small business and farmers.

As this is written the new capital gains legislation hasn’t been introduced. Expect some walk-back for groups hit hardest by the tax.

Ironically, many of the same groups opposing the added tax also want government to cut the deficit something the tax will achieve.

Best case scenario would be a complete overhaul where everyone pays the same rate on all income.

Carter’s commission built an argument for a flat tax but no government will ever approve one. A flat tax wouldn’t allow government to tamper with the economy by offering tax breaks.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

RCMP seek assistance to identify human remains found in RM of Moose Jaw

Following an earlier announcement by the Moose Jaw RCMP regarding human remains found in the RM of Moose Jaw on April 28, the RCMP’s Historical Case Unit is now asking the public for help identifying the individual who was found dead in a rural wooded area northeast of Moose Jaw.

Although the human remains were found within the RM of Moose Jaw, police are not disclosing the location as the investigation remains ongoing and public interference could be detrimental to solving the case.

What can be disclosed, however, is that the body was found in a rural area outside of Moose Jaw city limits and is on a secluded site on private property.

The identity of the deceased remains unknown, and police suspect they could be from anywhere in Canada as the location is near rail tracks and within reasonable walking distance from the Trans-Canada Highway. Current evidence suggests that the deceased individual is male – however, this will require DNA testing to confirm.

The investigation is still in its early stages, but police continue to assert that the death doesn’t appear to be suspicious and there’s no evidence of foul play. Much of this assertion is linked to the nature of the site, which is set up like a campsite and includes a tarp, sleeping bag, and gear characteristic of the scenario.

“What I can say is that somebody went there, (it) looks like they were camping there, and they died there,” explained Cpl. Craig Park with the Historical Case Unit.

The human remains and equipment were originally found by the landowner who was, according to police, conducting repairs on a barbed-wire fence on his property.

“(This is) not an area that was attended daily… It’s kind of a rural area,” Const. Brendan Sanford, a second member of the Historical Case Unit explained.

The site was heavily overgrown with bushes when police arrived, and only a few camping items could be discerned among the thick brush. To conduct their investi-

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

and camping items were locat-

Note that police cleared shrubs and grass as part of the investigation.

gation, members of the RCMP cleared the site to provide access and locate buried or semi-buried items.

Initially following the call on April 28, the Major Crimes Unit of the RCMP was deployed to make sure the death was not criminal in nature, and when foul play was ruled out, the matter was re-assigned to the Historical Case Unit.

Police said the human remains discovered so far are limited in scope and en-

tail skeletal remains including teeth.

The investigation has also suggested that the remains are 10 – 12 years old and articles of clothing found on scene are brittle and indicative of fabric that has been exposed to the elements for that amount of time.

One piece of evidence confirming this timeframe is a tube of toothpaste with an expiry date of 2013. After calling the man-

ufacturer to confirm details, the product would have been manufactured in 2012 – indicating the deceased could not have been there prior to this date.

As the investigation is still in its early stages, DNA samples have not yet been submitted for laboratory testing but are expected to be sent in over the next few days.

The investigation will continue until police are able to determine the identity of the deceased individual, and there’s currently no indication of how long the process will take. As the investigation is non-criminal in nature, police are employing a methodical, archaeological-type of approach and have included a wide-area search, drones, and specialized police dogs are scheduled to arrive as soon as they’re available.

“We’ll exhaust every effort we can to try and… bring closure to (the family),” Cpl. Park confirmed.

Any information regarding missing persons or recognition of some of the fabric located at the scene could be crucial to the investigation and could help bring closure to the family of the missing individual. Even if you haven’t spoken with an estranged family member or old friend in several years, Cpl. Park said it’s a good idea to contact the RCMP to be certain.

“There’s nobody at blame here,” Cpl. Park clarified. “It’s not ‘Who done it;’ it’s ‘Who is it?’

“We sometimes investigate to bring closure to a family and that’s what this is,” he continued. “At the end of the day, somebody’s loved one is missing, and they probably don’t know where they are. We’d like to give them some answers to that.”

If you have any information that could lead to the discovery of the deceased individual’s identity, you are asked to promptly contact the Moose Jaw RCMP at 306-691-4670.

You can also submit an anonymous tip by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at SaskCrimeStoppers.com.

More information sought from public on offences of Richard Dyke

The communities where offences occurred between 2005 and 2023 include Tisdale, Estevan, Assiniboia, Coronach, Gravelbourg and Swift Current John Cairns - SaskToday.ca

(CONTENT WARNING: The following story includes information regarding sexual offences against children.)

RCMP are seeking people to come forward with more information about any sexual offences committed by Richard Dyke.

Dyke, 47, was arrested in Assiniboia last November and now faces 60 charges in connection to historic sexual assaults. He is charged with 14 counts, sexual assault; 14 counts sexual interference; nine counts voyeurism; and 23 counts of making child pornography, all offences under the Criminal Code.

RCMP Chief Superintendent Ted Munro met the media to provide updated further details of the case and on the ongoing investigation.

After he was initially arrested last November, Dyke was charged with multiple sexual offences in connection with three youths under age 12, and has remained in custody. Investigators have determined the residence in Assiniboia had operated as a registered home based daycare.

Since the initial arrest, Saskatchewan RCMP’s General Investigation Section and the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit have continued to investigate.

More than 1.5 million pieces of digital evidence was obtained from electronic devices seized in Nov. 2023. It is believed the images were taken from 2005 to Nov. 2023.

RCMP now say that since the initial investigation, investigators have identified 29 additional victims. All were youth between 18 months to 17 years old at the time of the offences. The majority of the victims were male.

These charges are in addition to those laid in November 2023. In total, there are 32 victims.

Dyke was charged May 13, 2024 and has been in custody since last November. He remains in custody and is due back in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on June 4, 2024 at 10 a.m.

The communities where offences occurred between 2005 and 2023 include Tisdale, Estevan, Assiniboia, Coronach, Gravelbourg and Swift Current. RCMP say it has been confirmed that some of the victims came in contact with Dyke while attending home based childcare and those operated in Coronach, Assiniboia and Swift Current.

Dyke was also an instructor with Royal Canadian Air Cadets in several communities in southern Saskatchewan, and primarily interacted with youth. To date, say the RCMP, investigators have not identified any victims in relation to his role with the Air Cadet program.

“Crime of this nature have a profound impact on victims, their families and the communities in which they occur,” said Munro. “They also weigh heavily on investigators who work tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of crime.”

He pledged the RCMP remain committed to a thorough investigation and follow up on every tip. They encouraged those with additional information to contact the RCMP.

Saskatchewan RCMP is encouraging those with information or evidence to contact their local RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com. https://www.moosejawtoday.com/local-news/more-information-sought-from-public-on-offences-of-richarddyke-8745516

Sat, May 25

Tues, May 28

Sat, June 1

Thurs, June 6

Sun, June 9

Victim services have and will continue to provide victims and their families with support. RCMP says it is unable to provide additional details of the case, to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and privacy of the victims.

Cow/Calf Pairs, Bred Cows

Cow/Calf Pairs, Bred Cows

Cpl. Craig Park (left) and Const. Brendan Sanford (right, gesturing) show the site where the body was found. Photo by: Aaron Walker

A look at the site where the human remains

ed.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Articles of fabric such as this can be found strewn across the site. Photo by: Aaron Walker

The tarpaulin discovered near the human remains indicating the deceased was camping out at the time of their death. Photo by: Aaron Walker

The human remains were found just to the right in this scene when the property owner was repairing this barbed-wire fence April 28. Photo by: Aaron Walker

A close-up view of the tarpaulin discovered near the human remains indicating the deceased was camping out at the time of their death. Photo by: Aaron Walker

A Very Special Happy 83rd Birthday to the Dryhorub Triplets!

Sylvia, Angie and Jerry Dryhorub were born on May 22, 1941 in the area of Richard, Saskatchewan Submitted - For Moose Jaw Express and MooseJawToday.com

The Dryhorub Triplets: Angie, Jerry and Sylvia were born on May 22, 1941, to John and Tilly at their farmstead in the Richard, SK area. At the time, the family had 8 children already, making the surprise arrival for the Dryhorub family total of 11 children. They were brought into the world by their Baba and their oldest sister, Helen and the babies were kept warm with

“set irons” (warmed stones) in their shoe box bassinets placed in a large drawer.

Triplets born in an era before fertility drugs was almost unheard of, about once in every 7,500 births. They were premature, underweight and healthcare was limited but they thrived with the love and care of their older sisters and brothers on the farm.

Over the years the family bond has gotten stronger and closer. The triplets who turn 83 years, are amongst the oldest living fraternal triplets in Canada according to available research.

Sally Lesko

Sylvia, affectionately known as Sally, was married to Robert Lesko for 64 years and they farmed in Hafford, SK. Sally’s husband passed suddenly in 2023 and she now resides at the Hafford Spe-

cial Care Center close to family and community. She is an excellent historian, an active resident and enjoys socializing and recreational activities, especially playing cards with friends. Sally’s family include 7 children, 14 Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren keeping in touch with her iphone, text messages and visits.

Angie Baxter

Angie is the oldest of the triplets. In 1960 she married Tom McGrath and they had three children, Patrick, Laurrie and Christine. Tom was killed in a farming accident in the summer of 1964. A couple of years later Angie met Hugh Baxter and the two were married in 1966 and moved to BC. They had another three children, Shelly, Shane and Shandell.

Angie and Hugh now reside in Kelowna BC, and have 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, with an eighth on the way.

Jerry Dryhorub

On May 22, 1941, along with his two sisters, Jerry was born in a set of triplets.

In Jerry’s late 20’s, he relocated to Kakabeka Falls Ontario, where he became an addition to the family of his brother Nick and wife Hazel, and Uncle to Maryann,Lola,Lorraine and Nick. Jerry is special in his own way. One of a kind. He can speak both Ukrainian and English. With a heart of gold and arms that would always give the biggest hugs to everyone, especially Santa Claus. He’s a happy go-lucky-guy. Jerry was given tasks on the farm and did them to the best of his ability. As the family got older, his brother Nick & sister-in-law Hazel passed..but the family also grew. Now at the age of 83 … He is a Great Uncle to 10 children. Great Great Uncle to 17 and Great Great Great Uncle to 1 and we all love him very much. He now resides at Hogarth Riverview Manor in Thunder Bay Ontario and is a very well-known fellow to all that work, live and visit there. Happy 83rd Birthday Jerry. You are so loved by your family, friends, and everyone else that has had the privilege to know you. You bring joy everyday to those who are close to you in Thunder Bay, including Nick & Carolyn, Lorraine & Corwyn, Lola & Rod, Maryann & Rocky and their families. Wishes are also sent to Auntie Angie and Auntie Sally on behalf of the family.

We Love You Dryhorub Triplets and We Wish You All The Happiest 83rd Birthday Ever and Blessings For Many More Years! XOXO

From the Dryhorub Clan scattered around the nation, including your two older surviving siblings in Saskatchewan - sister Ann (Odnokon) and brother Mike, as well as all the surviving offspring of the 11 children through a few generations too numerous to mention...

From The Kitchen

By Joyce Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Baking a cake wasn’t a piece of cake for 1915 cooks

Authors of the 1915 cookbook produced by the Five Roses Flour Company provided very definite rules for homemakers about to take on the task of baking a homemade cake.

“Clear the table of every non-essential. Perfect cleanliness should be observed in every detail. Have sleeves rolled up above the elbows, and have hands and nails in perfect condition,” homemakers are advised.

“Read the recipe thoroughly at least once. Collect all necessary ingredients and utensils beforehand.”

Authors suggested the best utensil for mixing or beating the batter is an earthen or stone bowl. And for best results, the bowl should be slightly warmed.

In case the homemaker was a novice, she was directed that cakes should not be stirred but always beaten, bringing the batter up from the bottom of the bowl at every stroke. “A consistent upward moton tends to improve the texture considerably,” authors said.

Other useful information included: too rich a cake breaks up easily; too much sugar makes a thick, hard crust; and too much egg produces a

tough cake.

This week’s recipes offer two cake recipes from the Five Roses Cookbook. Roll up those sleeves and bake away.

• • • BLACK HILL CAKE

Bottom layer:

1 cup sugar

butter the size of an egg

1 egg

1 cup sweet milk

2 level tsps. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 pint flour

Topping:

2 tbsps. molasses

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

Beat sugar and butter together, add egg and milk and beat again. Combine dry ingredients, mix well then add to the wet mixture.

Pour two-thirds of this mixture into a buttered cake pan.

For the topping, mix the molasses, cloves and allspice. Add to the remaining one-third of the

bottom layer mixture. Pour over the bottom layer. Smooth.

Bake in a moderate oven. Cool before serving.

• • •

COCOA CAKE

1 cup sweet milk

2 tbsps. cocoa

1 egg

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Boil 1/2 cup milk and cocoa slowly until thick. When thick, stir in the beaten egg, stir and cool until cold.

When the mixture is cold, add the white sugar, butter and the other 1/2 cup milk. Dissolve soda in a bit of warm water and add to the mixture. Then add flour and vanilla and stir. Pour into a long, buttered pan. Bake in a moderate oven until a broom straw inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel. net

Photos by Randy Palmer

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“WE’RE GOING TO BE BROTHERS FOREVER”: WINNING A WHL CHAMPIONSHIP, IN THEIR OWN WORDS

What the Moose Jaw Warriors had to say on the ice after winning the first Western Hockey League title in

A season filled with promise, expectations and hope has paid off in the most incredible fashion possible.

For the first time in franchise history, the Moose Jaw Warriors are Western Hockey League champions.

SaskToday.ca was on the ice with the players as they celebrated their championship, and here’s a selection of what they had to say about a magical night in Moose Jaw.

Denton Mateychuk, Team captain and WHL Playoffs MVP

Winning the Championship

“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had, it’s crazy. Just feeling that thing, lifting it up, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Winning together

“It’s unbelievable, it’s absolutely great. I grew up with these guys and our goal was to always do this and today we (bleep)ing did it… this city deserved it and we’re glad we can bring it to them.”

Atley Calvert, Moose Jaw product and graduating overager

Winning the championship

“I can’t describe it. So much work has gone into this, highs and lows throughout the year, but at the end of the day I’m going to remember this group of guys and obviously the fans, they really helped us this year.

Winning together

“It was our goal from day one, I knew it was going to be a special year, this is a special group and we’re going to be brothers forever.”

Mark O’Leary, head coach

Winning the championship

“This is unbelievable. I just love this group, everything they’re about and even when I’m mad at them I love ‘em. And to have the opportunity to do this at home is special.”

Palmer - MooseJawToday.com/SaskToday.ca

First team to win championship

“It means everything. Moose Jaw, I consider home now. I came here 12 years ago; I met my wife here; it’s home. To see how much it means to them is unbelievable. I can’t wait to share it with them.”

Martin Rysavy, Two goals in Game 4 and graduating overager

Winning the championship

“I’m just so proud, not just for the team, but the whole city. You saw it on social media, the fans were absolutely amazing and they were the engine for us the whole time in the playoffs. It’s just incredible and I just don’t have the words to describe it… it’s been a long journey for me and going for a Memorial Cup is just going to be so special.”

Lucas Brenton, graduating overager

Winning the championship

“It’s unbelievable. I grew up with most of these guys; they’re my best buddies in

the world except for my brothers and my family and it means so much to win this. It’s the best feeling you could ask for, it’s just amazing.”

Winning with fellow veterans

“Firky, Dents and Yags, we knew anything was possible with those guys and we did it, baby.”

Brayden Schuurman, Championshipwinning goal scorer

Winning Game 4

“It’s incredible, it’s an incredible feeling to get that done as a group, and to battle through such a tight game, it was tough. Coming into that third period, we had confidence in our group we were going to come out on top and to make a play you have to throw it at the net.”

Final seconds of Game 4

“The dying seconds the guys were jumping up and down and we were feeling it all season. There’s a lot of bumps and bruises from the grind of the season and

history

the playoffs, and to come out on a positive note is such a great feeling.”

Matthew Savoie, Key contributor throughout playoffs

Winning after being in final in 2023

“It feels unreal, I mean, with how special of a group we had and how special of a run we had, that series against Saskatoon took a lot out of us but we fought the whole way and there’s no group I’d rather do it with.”

Being part of championship run

“I think if you want to go deep in the playoffs, you have to have that brotherhood and that camaraderie to play for each other every night and we had that right from the get-go. Right from when I got here, they took me in and it was so much fun coming to rink every day.”

Jackson Unger, veteran goaltender

Winning the championship

“It’s unbelievable. There’s no feeling like this. I feel so accomplished, I built my entire hockey career for this moment and we made it.”

Closeness of the team

“We’ve been brothers since the (2021 COVID) bubble. We’ve been through lows; we’ve been through highs. This is the closest we’ve ever been and I’m so happy to share this moment with them.”

Brayden Yager, key playoff contributor and veteran presence

Winning the championship

“It’s crazy. I grew up with these guys the past five years; it’s hard to explain and it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Living the dream

“I think every kid has the same dream, you’re counting down the seconds on the driveway playing road hockey and winning a championship. It’s crazy to think we’ve actually done it.”

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MOOSE JAW’S OPENING GAME OF CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR MAY 24

The Moose Jaw Warriors will have a chance to celebrate their Western Hockey League championship over the next day or two, but then it’ll be right back to work.

Because they aren’t done playing hockey just yet.

The Warriors will aim to end the WHL’s 10year drought at the Memorial Cup when they kick off the tournament against the host Saginaw Spirit in Saginaw, Mich.

That contest will take place on Friday, May 24, with puck drop at 5:30 p.m. on TSN.

The Spirit are coming off a campaign where they finished second in the Ontario Hockey League standings with a 50-16-1-1 record, two points back of the eventual OHL champion London Knights.

Randy Palmer - MooseJawToday.com/SaskToday.ca

Saginaw swept Owen Sound in their playoff opener before getting past the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds in seven games in Round 2 and falling to London in six games in the OHL semifinal.

London plays the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday, May 25, followed by Saginaw facing the Voltigeurs on Sunday, May 26.

The Warriors are then back on the ice on Monday, May

27 when they face London.

The Knights have had a ton of buzz around them after going 50-14-1-3 and winning the OHL regular season title. They proceeded to sweep the Flint Firebirds and Kitchener Rangers in the first two playoff rounds before going to six against Saginaw.

The OHL Final saw London roll to a sweep of the Oshawa Generals, claiming their championship mere hours before

Moose Jaw did the same on Wednesday night. Moose Jaw then closes out their round robin against Drummondville on Tuesday, May 28.

The Voltigeurs had the second-best record in the QMJHL at 48-14-5-1, good enough to win the Western Conference. They opened their playoffs by sweeping the Saint John Sea Dogs and taking a 4-2 series win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix, followed by a fivegame win over the Victoriaville Tigers in the Conference final. That set up a final against the QMJHL regular season champion BaieComeau Drakkar, which the Voltigeurs would also sweep.

The 2024 Memorial Cup will mark the first time all three league champions swept their respective finals.

Saginaw and London close out the Memorial Cup round robin on Wednesday, May 29, followed by tiebreaker day on Thursday, May 30, the semifinal on Friday, May 31 and Memorial Cup championship game on Sunday, June 2.

Puck drop for each of the Warriors’ games is 5:30 p.m., and each game will be broadcast on TSN.

REPORT from the Legislature for Moose Jaw Express Moose Jaw North

MLA Tim McLeod

Affordability for Saskatchewan families remains a top priority in the 2024-25 provincial budget. Our government continues to introduce and enhance programs to make life more affordable for residents of the province.

Saskatchewan has among the lowest personal taxes in the country. Since 2007, Personal Income Tax (PIT) exemptions have removed 112,000 residents from the income tax roll. In total, PIT reductions during that time have provided over $830 million in annual income tax savings to Saskatchewan people. In 2024, Saskatchewan residents will save $70 million on their income taxes from indexation of the provincial income tax system.

A family of four pays no Provincial Income Tax on their first $59,475 of income. This is the highest tax-free threshold in Canada – and more than twice as much as in 2007, when a family of four began paying provincial income tax once their combined income reached just $26,150.

When combined with utilities and housing costs,

Saskatchewan also comes out on top; the province is the most affordable place to live in Canada for a family of four when taxes, housing and utilities are considered.

In this year’s budget, Saskatchewan families will benefit from programs and services designed to make life more affordable, including the Active Families Benefit, Children’s Drug Plan and $10/day child care for children under the age of six, as well as programs to help fund insulin pumps and glucose monitors. The budget also includes a $4-million increase to continue to meet the needs of children and their families through the Autism Spectrum Disorder Individualized Funding Program.

For those looking to put down more permanent roots in their communities, the budget funds the PST Rebate on New Home Construction Program, which is helping make new home ownership more affordable. The Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit provides a non-refundable income tax credit of up to $1,050 to eligible taxpayers on qualified homes. Homeowners can benefit from the Saskatchewan Secondary Suite Incentive (SSI) Grant Program, which was developed to increase housing and rental availability in the province.

Further contributing to affordability in Saskatchewan is our government’s decision to stop SaskEnergy and SaskPower from collecting the carbon tax on natural gas and electric residential home heating. This is in addition to a SaskEnergy rate decrease that lowered bills for the average residential customer by nearly eight per cent beginning in October 2023.

Our government is providing additional funding support for people with disabilities in the budget. This includes $10.4 million in additional funding to support the changing service needs of current adult clients with

intellectual disabilities, as well as the delivery of residential and day programs for new clients.

Saskatchewan students will benefit from $46.5 million in financial supports, including a new grant for low-income students with dependents. This program will help reduce financial barriers to completing their post-secondary education. The budget includes $34.4 million for the Student Aid Fund, which provides financial assistance to over 22,000 students every year, and $12.2 million in scholarships and bursaries.

The budget continues to deliver the Graduate Retention Program. It provides up to $20,00 in tax credits to post-secondary graduates who live and work in Saskatchewan, benefitting more than 81,600 graduates to date.

Saskatchewan seniors will also benefit from this year’s budget. The Seniors Income Plan offers eligible seniors up to $360 per month, while the monthly income threshold for the Personal Care Home Benefit will increase by $100 to $2,500 to help make the cost of living in a licensed personal care home more affordable. Other health care benefits for seniors include funding for the Senior Citizens Ambulatory Assistance Program, Seniors’ Drug Plan and Home Care services.

The budget provides support for the most vulnerable residents, helping low-income individuals and families meet their basic needs as they work to become more self-sufficient. The Saskatchewan Income Support Basic Shelter Benefit and Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability have both increased by three per cent.

As our government continues working to keep life in Saskatchewan affordable, we look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to reach out to my office at 306-692-8884 or mjnorthmla@sasktel.net.

Sask. tourism agency focuses on specific niches

Tourism Saskatchewan has shifted the focus on which visitors it targets, says CEO Jonathon Potts.

Instead of targetting everybody, the Crown Corporation is aiming at areas where Saskatchewan does well and at niche markets.

The provincial tourist sector is keying in on six areas: astrotourism, birding, wildlife and landscape photography, events and snowmobiling.

These features attract “high value’’ visitors tending to spend more money in fulfilling their dreams and passions.

“They want an unforgettable experience.” Saskatchewan has two of the best dark sky reserves for astrotourism in North America – Grasslands National Park and Cypress Hills.

Jeanette Lye of Tourism Saskatchewan said they put videos of astrotourism on a large American travel website and the response was surprising.

“The (site was) surprised at the positive comments.’’

Potts remarked that Saskatchewan is on the Central Bird Migratory Flyway with excellent opportunities for birders.

Thirty-five per cent of Americans spend billions a year on the hobby which has increased in devotees since Covid. Ten million specifically travel to see birds.

Photographers love the skies, wildlife and landscapes in the province.

Two types of photographers come, said Lye. One looks for that shot no one else has taken. The other is adventurous and wants to share photos.

Snowmobiling is a sport not available to most visitors.

The Tourism Saskatchewan approach encourages what is called niche marketing, again geared to high spending visitors.

Potts said the province has niche mar-

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

keted in hunting and fishing for years, attracting American visitors.

He referred to a little known guest ranch near Kyle as an example of niche markets.

Operated by a German national who realized his dream of being a cowboy from buying a ranch, the place exclusively attracts German, Austrian, and Dutch residents.

Many of them come every year to relax and fulfil dreams of cowboy life.

Potts said this strategy isn’t forgetting the existing sector.

“Moose Jaw is an established tourism destination” with the spa, tunnels, casino and Sukanen Ship Museum.

Between 300,000 and 400,000 tourists visit Moose Jaw annually.

“Cypress Hills Provincial Park attracts 300,000 a year.”

Jace Anderson, CEO of Medicine Hat Tourism explained the benefits of collaboration with different parts of the community.

He went to the local Metis community, hoping to involve it.

The result, proposed by the Metis, is a historical tour of the area where Metis once lived in Medicine Hat.

“Do what you do best and let others do the rest,” he advised.

Annie Charles, CEO of the recently-formed Saskatchewan Indigenous Tourism Association, discussed how to

navigate Indigenous acknowledgments.

The acknowledgements have more meaning when “they come from the heart’’ instead of being “read like a robot.’’

She encouraged folks to research local Indigenous history and learn about the past.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@ sasktel.net

ANAVETS honour local veteran for outstanding service record for 82 months overseas

On May 16, the Moose Jaw ANAVETS No. 252 honoured the career of born-andraised Moose Jaw resident Warrant Officer Darren Mark Weiss, who has served his country in numerous wars overseas through an outstanding career in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

The inspiration behind the commemorative presentation came after members of the Moose Jaw ANAVETS, including vice-president Albert Taylor recognized that Weiss has never been formally acknowledged in his own hometown of Moose Jaw.

The May 16 presentation sought to rectify this by acknowledging Weiss and his ongoing dedication to his country.

Weiss was born in Moose Jaw in 1966 and made the decision to join the Canadian Armed Forces back in 1987.

His military career has spanned approximately 82 months overseas in locations that include Germany starting in 1988, Bosnia starting in 1992, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Afghanistan.

During his years of service Weiss has been posted to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Moose Jaw, as well as (in no particular order) Dundurn, Wainwright, Shilo, Winnipeg, Gagetown, Baden-Baden, and Cornwallis, in addition to several overseas locations.

Weiss retired from the regular forces in 2000, and in 2020, he joined the reserves at 15 Wing Moose Jaw where he

continues to serve to this day.

After a few introductory remarks by ANAVETS Vice-President Albert Taylor, the co-owner of Black Fox Distillery John Cote presented Weiss with a bottle of his finest Saskatchewan-made whisky which also ranks in the top 20 whiskies worldwide.

The SE Eleven Whisky from Black

Canadian Navigable Waters Act

Fox Distillery is significant because it’s part of a Canada-wide campaign to help support military service members during the RCAF centennial this year.

“We were approached last year by the Royal Canadian Air Force Association to create a whisky to help celebrate their 100th anniversary,” Cote explained.

Proceeds from each bottle of Cote’s

Water Security Agency hereby gives notice that an application has been made to the Minister of Transport, pursuant to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act for approval of the work described herein and its site and plans.

Pursuant to paragraph 7(2) of the said Act, Water Security Agency has deposited with the Minister of Transport, on the on-line Common Project Search Registry (http://cps canada ca/) and under registry number 10369, or, under the NPP File Number 1998-600595 A description of the following work, its site and plans:

• Embankment

• Cofferdam

• Spillway

• Water Control Structure

in, on, over, under, through or across the Buffalo Pound Lake at Buffalo Pound Dam (adjacent to Bison Paddock) in the following affected parcels:

NE 35 T18 R25 W2M Plan CT3401 ext 25 as described on the Certificate of Title 82MJ05439, description 25 with Title Number 100754489 and Parcel Number 104671560

BLK/Par P – Plan CU3035 Ext 7 as described on Certificate of Title 64MJ12872L with Title Number 137303692 and Parcel Number 105691855

NE 35 T18 R25 W2M Ext 0 as described on the Certificate of Title 93MJ13064 with Title Number 137303748 and Parcel Number 102689950

Comments regarding the effect of this work on marine navigation can be sent through the Common Project Search site mentioned above under the Comment section (search by the above referenced number) or if you do not have access to the internet, by sending your comments directly to:

Navigation Protection Program – Transport Canada 344 Edmonton Street Winnipeg MB R3C 0P6

Transport Canada (TC) will not make your comments on a project available to the public on the online public registry However, any information related to a work is considered as unclassified public record and could be accessible upon legal request As such, the information and records provided should not contain confidential or sensitive information If you want to provide confidential or sensitive information that you think should not be made public, please contact TC before submitting it.

However, comments will be considered only if they are in writing (electronic means preferable) and are received not later than 30 days after the publication of the last notice Although all comments conforming to the above will be considered, no individual response will be sent.

Posted at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan this 29th day of April 2024

Water Security Agency of Saskatchewan

whisky helps support the Royal Canadian Air Force Association and its ongoing support for veterans and active service members.

“That money trickles back down to those people that put their life on the line every day,” Cote said.

Commemorative events such as this are typically held on Remembrance Day or other events such as the upcoming Decoration Day, but members of the local ANAVETS would like to point out that military personnel put their lives on the line each and every day for the good of all Canadians and there’s no limited occasion where their sacrifices should be acknowledged.

The ANAVETS lounge is located at 279 High Street West and for more information about the organization visit ANAVETS.ca.

Tourism sector recovers from Covid lockdown

Saskatchewan’s tourism sector rebounded rapidly from the dramatic decline caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.

In 2019 the year before the lockdown tourism expenditures contributed $2.4 billion to the provincial economy.

That declined by one-half to $1.2 billion during the lockdown.

The figures for 2023 aren’t complete but the estimated expenditures are about $2.7 billion, Jonathon Potts, CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan told a tourism conference in Swift Current.

That puts the province well on the road to the goal of $5 billion by 2030.

Tourism “made an amazing recovery” first with domestic and Alberta visitors and then last year visitors from across Canada, he said.

This year international visitors are showing increased interest in coming.

Trends in domestic tourism involve cultures.

“Thirty-three per cent of (Saskatchewan residents) are of non-European descent.

“Seventeen per cent are Indigenous and 16 per cent are visible minorities.’’

In Alberta 33 per cent are of non-European descent with one in 10 of those Indigenous. The rest are visible minorities.

Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Black Fox Distillery co-owner John Cote (left) presents Warrant Officer Darren Mark Weiss (right) with a bottle of his finest SE Eleven whiskey on March 16. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Darren Mark Weiss. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Meet Me in Mortlach: 15’ Don Cherry wood carving now greets villages’ guests

As Mortlach prepares for its inaugural “Meet Me in Mortlach” project this summer, one of the first steps is nearly completed with an iconic wooden statue now marking the entrance to the community in style.

Travellers along the Trans-Canada Highway will quickly discover the location of the project thanks to a 15-foottall sculpture of Don Cherry and his dog, Blue, which now overlooks the site of the new venue.

Made of Manitoba maple sourced right on location in Mortlach, sculptor Darren Jones said he’s thrilled with the medium and has been enjoying the smalltown hospitality shown to him since he began the project around eight days ago.

“We built this (sculpture) from all the trees that were in (the villages’) tree dump and one that was dead and needed to be taken out,” he noted.

The statue contains a bench for visitors to sit down for a photo, will soon receive a final coat of paint to add some colour, and Jones said he’s pleased with how it turned out.

said.

The idea to feature Cherry and his dog blue was the brainchild of Mortlach resident Mike Beaudoin.

“Mike said (he) trusted that my addition of Don Cherry will be a nice addition to their Highway One view,” Jones explained.

Although Cherry himself isn’t expected to show up for the grand reveal of his new likeness, Jones said he did reach out to Cherry’s staff ahead of time to make sure the idea was met with approval.

Jones lives in B.C. and, although he’s extremely talented as a wood carver and an artist, his main profession is directional drilling in the oil industry.

“Sculpting is just what I (do) when I’m not drilling holes in the ground,” he said, describing his work as a “dual role” career.

“Whenever a man needs to carve, you need to carve,” he explained. The self-described Virgo said he’s always seeking to outdo his previous work and aims to keep improving his craft. He described this opportunity as “(an) awesome start to the year.”

“I got him — I got his face,” Jones said. “I know that’s Don Cherry’s face.”

With the carving now completed, Jones plans to have the statue – weather permitting – fully painted before he leaves on Friday, May 17.

Mortlach residents Mike Beaudoin and Terry Bittles originally asked Jones to build a sculpture at the village entrance to draw attention to the upcoming marketplace and, as Jones explained, to “just add something unusual” for motorists to view as they drive along the highway.

“This is hockey country down here, and (Don Cherry) is a Canadian icon and I think that’s why they chose (him),” Jones

Among his previous works, Jones carved a 100-year anniversary memorial for miners who lost their lives in Bellevue, Alta., and a monument for 15 Wing Moose Jaw titled “Forever in the Clouds” to commemorate the 21 pilots who died in a 1946 plane crash which was inspired by the loss of his wife.

Jones said he’s thrilled to add his new centrepiece to Mortlach this summer.

“Well, number one, I love this little community,” he said. “I think (the villages’ new summer initiative is) a wonderful thing to give people an opportunity to get out.”

Once completed, Jones will head to Creston, B.C. to work on yet another masterpiece until he returns to the oil patch in a few weeks.

You can view more of Jones’ works on Facebook at ‘CabStudio.’

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Photo by: Aaron Walker

A close look at Darren Jones’ nearly completed wood sculpture of Canadian hockey icon Don Cherry taken May 16.

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Hockey icon Don Cherry and his dog, Blue, now overlook the entrance to Mortlach thanks to the artistic talent of Darren Jones. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Darren Jones (pictured) is working on the finishing touches of his new sculpture in Mortlach on the afternoon of May 15. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Gymtastiks announces results of annual ‘Stick It’ invitational competition

Gymtastiks of Moose Jaw recently sent 47 young gymnasts to their fourth competition of the year held at home during the Gymtastiks ‘Stick It’ Competition on April 27 – 28.

Competition results

Interclub CCP1

• Emilia Kyslytsia: earned all around gold

• Josette Cochet: earned all around gold

• Iris Hayes: earned all around gold

• Indie Russell: earned all around gold

• Ellie Coventry: earned all around silver Interclub CCP2

• Hailey Flegel: earned all around gold

• Colbie Gebkenjans: earned all around gold

• Aubrey Cameron: earned all around gold

• Nora Mitchell: earned all around gold

• Summer Olmstead: earned all around gold

• Ainsley Anuik: earned all around silver

• Lennon Oonincx: earned all around silver

• Teagan Gebkenjans: earned all around silver

• Grace Olson: earned all around silver Interclub CCP3

• Julia Cochet: earned all around bronze CCP3

• Eden Dodd: earned all around eighth place and came in first on bars

• Langley Buchanan: earned all around ninth place

• Lilliana Hayes: earned all around 11th place Xcel Bronze

• Olivia Lesuk: earned all around third place and came in second on beam

• Anna B.: earned all around eighth place

• Viktoriia Ilnitska: earned all around 10th place and came in third on beam

• Emily Petersen: earned all around 12th place

• Chloe Lees: earned all around fourth place and came in third on bars

• Peyten Galenzoski: earned all around fifth place and came in second on bars

• Elena Issel: earned all around seventh

Rob 306-630-6161 or Wanda 305-631-6727

place

• Olivia Sewell: earned all around ninth place

• Sawyer de Graauw: earned all around 10th place

Xcel GOLD (ages 9.9 – 11.9 years)

• Olivia Cameron: earned all around fourth place and came in first on floor

• Sawyer Chelsberg: earned all around ninth place

• Madelyn Smith: earned all around 14th place

Xcel GOLD (ages 12.0 – 12.9 years)

• Eliana Magnus: earned all around second place

• Aubrey McKechnie: earned all around fourth place and came in second on vault

• Brinley Smith: earned all around seventh place and came in first on vault

Xcel GOLD (ages 13.1 – 14.0 years)

• Grace Forrest: earned all around seventh place and came in first on vault Recreational and pre-competitive results

• Myla Willems: earned gold

• Emma Dougherty: earned gold

• Melanie Curtis: earned gold

• Catalina Lemieux: earned gold

• Aurora Driscoll: earned gold

• Willa Simpkins: earned gold

• Aubrey Magnus: earned gold

• Isabel Wood: earned gold

• Lily Rogers: earned gold

• Kamryn Rose: earned gold

• Aviara Adams: earned gold

• Brixtyn Adams: earned gold

• Braelynn Patterson: earned gold

Congratulations to all the competitors!

The best way to contact Gymtastiks of Moose Jaw is by email at Office@ Gymtastiks.com. Alternatively, Gymtastiks can be reached by phone at 306-692-2303 and is located at 24 Chester Road.

To register your child for the gymnastics program, visit Gymtastiks.com and look for the “Registration” tab on the website’s top menu.

on May 10th - 12th, 2024

10 gymnasts From Moose Jaw’s Gymtastiks club were sent to their last competition of the year in Saskatoon, making parents and the club very proud of all these gymnasts. Everyone had to qualify for this event. The results are as follows: CCP 3: Age Group B (10.011.0 years old)

Eden Dodd

Vault: 13th, Bars: 11th, Beam 12th, Floor: 14th, All Around: 14th Xcel GOLD (Age group 10.4 – 11.7 years old)

Olivia Cameron: PROVINCIAL CHAMPION

Vault: 1st, Bars: 6th, Beam: 1st, Floor: 1st & All Around: 1st Sawyer Chelsberg

Vault: 6th, Bars: 9th, Beam: 7th, Floor: 7th & All Around: 6th Xcel GOLD (Age group 11.8 - 12.6 years old)

Eliana Magnus

Submitted

Vault: 12th, Bars: 16th, Beam: 13th, Floor: 15th & All Around: 15th Aubrey McKechnie

Vault: 13th, Bars: 19th, Beam: 11th, Floor: 18th & All Around: 17th Xcel GOLD (Age group 12.6 – 13.3 years old)

Grace Forrest

Vault: 4th, Bars: 15th, Beam: 9th, Floor: 14th & All Around: 11th Brinley Smith

Vault: 15th, Bars: 19th, Beam: 21st, Floor: 10th & All Around: 16th Xcel

group 13.4 – 14.3 years old)

Alyssa Ofukany

Vault: 2nd, Bars: 10th, Beam: 3rd, Floor: 2nd & All Around: 3rd Tumbling

mixed Jaylin Bevan 4th

GOLD (Age

Aubrey M. (left) earned silver, Brinley S. (centre) earned gold, and Eliana M. (right, on podium) earned bronze following the Xcel Gold vault event at ‘Stick It’ 2024. Photo by: Jamie Olmstead

Picture

The Moose Jaw Warriors just kept finding ways to win in the Western Hockey League Championship series, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of those victories was in overtime.

Brayden Schuurman scored with 2:20 gone in in the extra frame to give Moose Jaw a 4-3 victory in Game 3 of the WHL Final on Tuesday, May 14 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, giving the Warriors a three-games-to-none lead in the best-ofseven series.

As a result, the Warriors had a chance to claim the first league championship in team history the next night.

The Warriors immediately began to get pressure off the opening face-off, and that quickly led to the first penalty of the game when Portland’s Luca Cagnoni tripped up Martin Rysavy in the Winterhawks’ zone 1:23 into the contest.

Portland would end up with the best chance just as the penalty expired, with Jackson Unger pressed into making a save on James Stefan in close.

Not long after, the Warriors had the first goal of the game.

Rilen Kovacevic sent a cross-crease backdoor pass to a wide-open Lucas Brenton pinching in from the point, and the Warriors overager would make no mistake putting a shot home with 4:22 gone in the opening frame.

Portland didn’t take long to get that one back.

A great play off the rush led to Ryan Miller sending Tyson Yaremko in on a breakaway and he’d slip a shot home fivehole to tie the game 1-1 at 6:41.

A high-sticking penalty to Gabe Klassen put the Warriors back on the power play with 6:59 gone in the first, but much like the first man advantage, Portland had the better scoring chances, and they’d put one to good use to take the lead.

Nate Danielson and James Stefan worked the puck into the Warriors zone,

leading to Danielson having all sorts of time and space to tuck the puck around Jackson Unger for a 2-1 Winterhawks lead with 8:34 gone in the first.

Portland received their first power play with 7:05 to play in the opening frame when Brayden Yager was hit with a slashing penalty, but it was the Warriors who had the best chance early on when Matthew Savoie nearly put home a shot during a scramble in front of Portland’s Jan Spunar.

The Warriors penalty kill got the job done from there, keeping it a one-goal game.

Portland continued to create pressure as the period progressed, leading to Unger making a handful of big saves.

Spunar ended up with the biggest stop of the period with 10 seconds to play, though, getting across to make a great glove save on Denton Mateychuk on a perfect feed from Savoie.

A hooking penalty to Portland’s Josh Davies on Mateychuk behind the Warriors net led to the Warriors’ third man advantage of the game with three minutes gone in the second period, and this time they’d capitalize.

Savoie found Mateychuk with a feed in the high slot, and his shot would go off Spunar and in to tie the game 2-2 at 3:37.

The Warriors looked to have the goahead goal with 2:41 remaining in the

to Savoie gloving the puck into the net. A quick review saw the goal called back, but Cagnoni caught a high sticking penalty on the same play, and the Warriors would get one for real.

Mateychuk once again did the honours, taking a feed at the point and ripping a shot home low blocker side with 2:30 remaining in the frame. The goal was the Warrior captain’s 11th of the playoffs and also saw Yager pick up his second assist of the game.

A late penalty to Marcus Nguyen put the Warriors on the power play early in the third, but a slashing call to Firkus 25 seconds into the period erased that chance. The Warriors would successfully kill off the minor to keep it a one-goal game.

Portland caught a break on the game-tying goal with 3:56 gone in the third. Marcus Nguyen got off a shot from the point that redirected off a defender in front and into the Warriors net, tying the game 3-3.

A nifty individual effort by Kovacevic with 5:40 to play in the third led to Tyson Jugnauth being forced to take an interference penalty to prevent a breakaway, but the Warriors wouldn’t have any scoring chances until the final seconds of the power play.

That would mark the final scoring chances for either team in regulation, and for the the eighth time in the 2024 post-season, the Warriors were off to overtime.

There, Schuurman would emerge as the overtime hero. Kovacevic got off a shot from the slot that went off the crossbar, right to Schuurman at the side of the net, and he’d make no mistake putting it home with 2:20 gone in the extra frame.

The victory was the third straight overtime win for the Warriors in the postseason.

A new way to support local student-athletes

Moose Jaw has a new way for businesses to aid student-athletes in the city.

The Flex Athletics Sponsorship Tuition (FAST) Fund is a community sponsorship opportunity that allows businesses to help students achieve their goals through FLEX Athletics. The FAST Fund aims to break down the barriers to entry into the FLEX Athletics Program, which can impose significant costs on students—$420 per semester or $840 per year. The FAST Fund hopes to alleviate this financial burden by inviting businesses to sponsor students through various sponsorship levels.

These sponsorship levels are as follows:

· Bronze for $250

· Silver for $500

· Gold for $750

· Platinum for $1000+

Businesses that decide to sponsor will receive several perks, including in-gym recognition in the form of signage, a social media post sharing the business and the athlete they are sponsoring, and additional useful perks.

The folks at FLEX Athletics believe that the FAST Fund is only in its infant stage, and they hope to have many more businesses approach them to offer support.

FLEX Athletics is a joint partnership between GAP and the two school divisions, Prairie South and Holy Trinity. The goal of FLEX is to enable high school student-athletes to train for their respective sports during the school day. If a student is more inclined towards a specific sport rather than general physical

Members of the Regina Jazz Orchestra performed a lively and upbeat selection of jazz pieces at the Mae Wilson Theatre on May 15 as part of this year’s annual band and choral festival in Moose Jaw. The festival has been an ongoing tradition in Moose Jaw for 72 years with one noteworthy cancellation during the pandemic years.

education, they can join FLEX and train with sports-specific coaches throughout the school day while receiving credit for

The festival ran from May 14 – 16 and this year’s iteration featured students from outside the province as local students – who would traditionally have been included – were unable to attend due to the ongoing teacher’s dispute between the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation and the Government of Saskatchewan. All said, approximately 43 groups were able to attend this year’s festival, thereby allowing the tradition to live on. For

FLEX Athletics

their class.

“We encourage any interested student to speak with their academic advisor in their school to ensure it fits into their schedule,” stated Matt Hetherington, the President of the FLEX Program. “That way, we can coordinate with the school to ensure students are in the right spot, training for the right sports, and that it fits their schedule.”

For more information on FLEX Athletics, you can visit their website at https:// www.flexathletics.ca/.

If you wish to learn more about the FAST Fund or are a business hoping to inquire about sponsoring, you can call Matt Hetherington at 306-630-8212 or email info@flexathletics.ca.

The FLEX Athletics, photo credits Gottselig Athletic Performance Facebook page.

Members of the Regina Jazz Orchestra perform live at the Mae Wilson Theatre on the evening of May 15. Photo by: Aaron Walker Members of the Regina Jazz Orchestra perform live at the Mae Wilson Theatre on the evening of May 15. Photo by: Aaron Walker

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Photo by: Aaron Walker

Photos by: Aaron Walker

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

2024 Column 11 - The Art of Finding Work

Guide Your Job Search With These Two Universal Truths

There’s no shortage of job search advice floating around that contradicts.

• Resumes (formatting, length, how to beat the employer’s ATS, as if that’s possible)

• Cover letters (Include or don’t include?)

• Whether using LinkedIn’s #OpenToWork green banner feature makes you appear desperate.

• Interview advice

All job search advice, including mine, is subject to bias. My first The Art of Finding Work column was titled There Is No Universal Hiring Methodology In this column, I explained that hiring is more emotional than logical and, therefore, a highly subjective process. Protest all you want; the fact remains that hiring is heavily influenced by biases and gut feelings, resulting in no two recruiters or hiring managers assessing candidates the same way.

One interviewer’s deal breaker may not be another’s.

Self-proclaiming career coaches like to claim that the formula for successful job hunting is A + B + C = “You’re hired!” Predictably, they also claim they have the formula for you to purchase (book, webinar, becoming a client of their coaching service). My question: How can a formula exist with gut instinct being the driving force behind hiring decisions?

I’ve hired:

• a candidate was more than 20 minutes late for their interview.

• candidates who asked, within five minutes of starting the interview, “How many vacation days will I get?”

• candidates who’ve been unemployed for more than nine months.

• candidates (lost count of) who were over the age of 50.

Nick Kossovan - For Moose Jaw Express

• a candidate who brought her cat, Duchess, who’d undergone surgery that morning, to the interview. (This hire was a stretch even for me, but I couldn’t ignore her career story, set of skills, and strong personality.)

Another hiring manager would have likely rejected these candidates. Vice versa, candidates I’ve rejected inevitably went on to be hired by hiring managers who didn’t consider why I rejected them relevant.

Rather than trying to juggle all the conflicting job search advice you’re receiving—attempting to please all employers—focus on, better yet embrace, these two universal truisms. 1. Your success depends on what others think of you.

Nowadays, the standard “life advice” is to not care what other people think about you. This advice, which I strongly disagree with, has led to the prevalence of self-centred behaviour.

Being successful is highly dependent on your image and what others think of you.

Searching for a job involves actively seeking approval. First you need the employer to approve—like what they see—your resume and LinkedIn profile. Then, to be approved for an in-person interview, you must pass a phone screening. Then, your interviewer must approve you for a second interview or to be hired. All these approvals required someone to think you deserve a «yes.»

If everyone actually didn’t care what others thought of them, social media wouldn’t be filled with approval-seeking posts, and rejection wouldn’t hurt. Yet, job seekers constantly complain about being rejected (read: not approved) without receiving feedback, suggesting they care what their interviewer thought of them.

As you realize how others perceive you is the key determining factor to your success, you’ll ask yourself: How do people experience me?

Be honest. How do people experience you? How do people feel in your presence?

A challenge:

1. Solicit the opinion(s) of family members and friends regarding how they perceive you.

2. Based on the feedback, adjust your behaviour and shift your thinking.

3. Make it your mission to give those in your presence a memorable interpersonal experience.

2. Image is everything.

People watch in a mall, restaurant, or on a busy street. You’ll notice that most people don’t take their image seriously or subscribe to the “don’t care what other people think of you” advice.

Whether you like it or not, humans are wired to judge a book by its cover. Therefore, how someone experiences you begins with your appearance. When it comes to interviewing, having an offputting appearance will overshadow— not in a good way—your answers. When interviewing, you must be the best version of yourself.

Consider this uncomfortable question:

Those times when you aced, at least thought you did, the interview but didn’t get the job, could it have been because of your appearance?

According to research, a person’s opinion of you is formed in just three seconds. Psychologists call it “thin slicing.” Your interviewer will make four snap judgments when meeting you for the first time:

1. Are you trustworthy?

2. Intelligence level

3. Your professionalism

4. Whether they like you

Provincial Court Report

Everything I mentioned can be influenced, starting with how you dress and by looking your interviewer in the eye. Then, check your mannerisms and communication skills; both are imperative to your job search and career success.

Looking your best gives you the mental state you need more than ever in today’s competitive job market: Confidence.

Commit to the following:

• Exercising

• Eating healthy

• Getting enough sleep

• Wearing proper fitting age-appropriate clothes

• Smiling (Your teeth’ role in how people perceive you can’t be overstated.) Hire an image consultant if you need one; it’ll be money well spent. Don’t underestimate, or worse, deny, the correlation between how your physical appearance impacts your life experiences and opportunities.

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com

Sentencing anticipated on June 6 for twin brother of downtown machete attack

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

Dillon Peeace, 20, who was involved in the earlier Sept. 28, 2023, downtown machete attacks with his twin brother, Kyle Peeace, 20, appeared by video conference at Moose Jaw Provincial Court early on the morning of May 16 to attend the latest hearing with Judge David Chow presiding.

Peeace’s defence has requested “one further adjournment” to make final submission preparations and stated they expect to make “substantial movement” in the next hearing with an “anticipated plea and sentencing” concluded at that time.

When police arrived, they assisted EMS crews who located and attended to two stabbing victims. One of these victims was struck near the head with a machete.

Shortly after the attack, police located and arrested the two 20-year-old twin brothers believed to be responsible for the attacks who then surrendered without incident. Dillon has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for his role in

The Crown was in agreement and rest occurred Sept. 28, 2023, at approximately 6:10 p.m. when police and EMS crews responded to multiple 911 calls regarding a stabbing at the TD Bank located at 23 High Street East.

brothers’ earlier attack remains unknown or has not been disclosed.

The case has been adjourned until Thursday, June 6 in Courtroom 1 at the Moose Jaw Provincial Courthouse and Peeace is expected to appear by video conference.

As the defence and Crown have stated that submissions alone may take over an hour to read and review, the time has been set for 2:30 p.m. following docket court with the stated reason being convenience in the consideration of other cases on that date.

Eject

Weary

Carve in stone

Cans

Elicit

Not false

An outstanding feature

Despise

Snake-like fish

Gladden

Promises

Daughter of a sibling

What we breathe

Nymph chaser

Flawless

More than once

Ancient Roman magistrate

Type of snake

Hornswoggle

Prodigious

Coastal raptor

Extremely

Misfortunes

Where the sun sets

Constructed

Precipitous

US spy agency

Observed

Challenge

Weightlifters pump this

Iberian country

Hearing organs

Physics unit 31. Carpet type

32. Isinglass

33. Intense dislikes 34. Botanical garden 37. Occupied 38. Unable to hear 40. Give as an example 41. Femme fatale 43. Tennis tool 44. Crunchy vegetable 46. Plays the bagpipes 47. Deadly virus

Was able to

Thigh armor

Believe or trust

Had on

Fool

South southeast

attention 18. In accordance with law

Faint

WORDSEARCH

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

Moose Jaw Truck Shop 22

AUTO PARTS

4 original Hyundai 18” Chrome mags, $300, 306-630-5735

FOR RENT

For Rent- 2-bedroom lower-level suite asking $1200.00 monthly, $750.00 damage deposit. Washer, dryer, fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave. Utilities provided, separate entrance. Garage parking, adults only, no pets, no smoking. For more info contact Joann 306-692-8737 or email jelybn@shaw.ca

MISCELLANEOUS

For Sale: Cemetery Plot at Sunset Cemetery, Moose Jaw. $1000.00 or O.B.O. Please call 306-630-2143.

4 cemetery plots for sale in Garden of Devotion at Sunset Cemetery. Very serene. Call for price, 306-631-9122.

LAWN & GARDEN

For Sale 10 varieties of tomato plants. $4.00 each. Call 306-526-0016

SPORTS

Wanted – Looking for used older Cobra Fairway Woods, M Speed, 3,5,7,9, Right Hand, Regular

Flex. Call Dave, 306-630-1579

WANTED

Looking to buy Canadian (1967 and prior) and American (1964 and prior) silver/ coinage. Can contact with other interesting finds. Contact Robert @ RK Coin, 306-631-8399

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

Cleaner available, call for details 306-990-0348

Need work done? Contact Bill at 306-630-2268. Interior/exterior, renovations, formwork, framing, finishing, tiling, painting and all construction, roofing/ siding- no job too big or small. Reasonable rates, 30 years experience. Moving jobs done reasonably: appliances, furniture, dump runs. Call to do it all. $45.00 a load. 306-630-2268

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.

Aspiring future aviators are invited to upcoming 15 Wing tour with Elevate Aviation

Students pursuing a career in aviation or who are otherwise curious about their futures are invited to attend the eighth annual Elevate Aviation Cross Country Tour as it stops at Moose Jaw later this month.

The event will take place on Friday, May 31 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. with specific details still subject to change. The tour is completely free and is intended for students between the ages of 12 – 18.

The day’s events will include a meeting with local airport enthusiasts from both the Moose Jaw Flying Club and the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, which is where the tour is set to begin.

As well, participants will be able to visit 15 Wing Moose Jaw and view static aircraft displays, engage in hands-on activities, and take multiple tours of the air base with CAE (Canadian Aviation Electronics Ltd.) and 15 Wing staff. The highlight of the visit may very well be the chance to try out an aircraft simulator at the base.

“It’ll be a day filled with thrills, surprises, and unforgettable moments,” announced Jacklyn Zacher, Elevate Aviation’s Cross Country Tour regional lead military ambassador.

Elevate Aviation is a not-for-profit organization founded in Edmonton, Alta., back in 2015. The organization’s mission is to provide a platform for women and under-represented groups to enable them to thrive and succeed through careers in aviation.

Elevate Aviation introduces women and youth to careers in the industry through numerous programs that include tours, speaking engagements, mentorships, webinars, and the Edmonton-based Elevate Aviation Learning Centre.

The upcoming Elevate Aviation Cross Country Tour is just one of these programs and seeks to empower youth to consider a rewarding career in the aviation industry. To achieve this, the organization provides inspirational presentations and behind-

Aaron Walker - Moose Jaw Express

the-scenes tours of airport venues.

From May 21 – 31, the tour will visit 29 Canadian cities in its biggest event to date running from Newfoundland to the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, “and everywhere in between.”

In each day-long event, participants will hear directly from women employed in a variety of aviation careers including pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, airport operators, mechanics, and serving members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

As part of the tour, guests will get a behind-the-scenes introduction on how local aviation facilities work, including the aerodrome, air traffic control towers, aircraft hangars, and flight school classrooms.

The upcoming Elevate Aviation event is made possible thanks to sponsors from 15 Wing Moose Jaw, CAE, the Moose Jaw Flying Club, and the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport.

“We cannot thank our sponsors enough for providing personnel, tours, speakers, lunch, and aircraft on display for

the students,” Zacher said in a statement of appreciation.

Elevate Aviation is committed to fostering diversity and empowering women and under-represented groups to soar in aviation careers, according to its website.

“Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a movement shaping aviation’s future right here in Moose Jaw… Welcome aboard!”

Guests will meet at 8 a.m. on the morning of Friday, May 31 at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, located 14.8 kilometres northeast of downtown Moose Jaw along Highway 301 North.

To register for the Elevate Aviation tour, visit ElevateAviation.ca/Event/ Moose-Jaw-SK.

Make sure to register as soon as possible as the DND (Department of National Defence) requires the full name, citizenship status, and date of birth for each guest. As well, the DND will require a signed photograph consent form that will be sent out to participants before the event.

This consent form can also be found online at the above Elevate Aviation link.

For more information about Elevate Aviation and its mission, visit ElevateAviation.ca.

Obituaries / Memorials

BENNETT, YVONNE

Yvonne Bennett passed away on May 3, 2024, in Regina, SK with her family at her side.

Yvonne is predeceased by her parents Bud (George) and Fran (Bangle) Bennett; maternal parents Eric and Elizabeth (Bitternose) Anderson; and brother Ernie Anderson

She leaves behind her partner Gerald Usher; children Karyn, Jodi (Scott), and Steven; grandchildren Ryker, Keegan, Mataya, Kinsey, Pyper, Reyan, Paisley, and Salem; sister Kerri (Perry) Bell; brothers Wilby Anderson and Floyd Anderson; as well as numerous family and friends.

Yvonne was blessed years ago when she was able to reunite with her birth family. She learnt she was from George Gordon’s Reserve. Yvonne loved to learn about her family and knowing there were many to meet. She was so excited for what the future held.

Yvonne was the kind of person who could light up a room with her infectious laugh and witty comebacks. She had the kindest heart and would help anyone in need, never letting anyone be or feel alone, especially for the holidays.

Yvonne worked most of her life in retail, Zellers till they closed their doors and then Giant Tiger. As her health was getting the best of her, she retired from the job that she truly loved.

She absolutely loved being a grandmother of eight, it was her greatest accomplishment in life. Yvonne cherished every moment with them and wished for dozens more and she was over the moon about a new grandbaby coming in July.

Yvonne’s friends held a special place in her heart from people she knew for a long time to people she just met. You knew that you had a lifelong friend. She was always known as “Momma Von” to the younger ones and the ones she took in that needed help.

A celebration of life will take place on Saturday May 25, 2024, at 1:00 PM at W.J. Jones & Son Funeral Home, 474 Hochelaga St W, Moose Jaw. In living memory of Yvonne, a memorial planting will be made by W.J. Jones & Son Ltd. Please sign the memorial register at website: www.wjjonesandson.com (Obituaries).

Chrystine Dacey- Funeral Director

PLEASE JOIN

June 17, 1944- February 8, 2024

We will gather for a Service

Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 1:30pm

Lambert Family Farm Parkbeg, Sk

Followed by sharing of stories and memories honouring a special woman who is greatly missed.

KLATT, HEATHER LAURIE

June 16, 1955April 30, 2024

We announce the passing of Heather Laurie Klatt, who died at the age of 68 on April 30, 2024, in Kelowna, British Columbia. Heather’s life began on a farm located at Strasbourg, SK. near the beautiful Qu’Appelle Valley. She was passionate about big skies and rural living; but education called her away to universities in Regina, Vancouver, and Chicago. Her first employment was as a nurse; then as a special needs facilitator (Yorkton, SK. and Edmonton, AB.), a diabetes educator (Moose Jaw, SK. and the Kootenays, BC.), home care discharge planner (Lethbridge, AB. and Blood Reserve); and from 2015, up until the diagnosis of her lung cancer she coordinated the LPN program for Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Merritt, BC. Her zest for life took her on many global adventures. Heather is predeceased by her parents Waldie and Flora Klatt; and her three children Aryan Dominique, Muirgwn Leah and Alys Sheridan who died at birth. She leaves to mourn her passing, her brother, Vernon Klatt; nephews Brennan (Meaghan) and Emerson (Erin); as well as numerous cousins and friends. She wishes to thank all those who walked with her on this journey. Heather was especially grateful to her long-time companion, Ellis O’Brien, for fun times shared in an 18-wheeler, on the back of his motorcycle and on camping trips. No formal service will be held. Family and friends will each honour Heather in their own ways. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com. Heather was personally connected with & supported an amazing Kenyan family with their education. Anyone wishing to make donations, please send funds to: David Edgar Lelei 426 Burgess Way Saskatoon, SK. S7V 0S2

Email: davidedgarlelei@gmail.com Ph: 306-262-5560

Seeding delayed, moisture conditions good

Ron Walter - For Moose Jaw Express

Farmers put one-sixth of the crop in by the end of May 13 but were still behind the five year average.

Thirty-two per cent of fields were planted down from 54 per cent average as rains delayed progress.

Seeding was most advanced in the southwest at 45 per cent and 36 per cent in the southeast, which includes Moose Jaw.

Provincially, pulse crops led seeding at 53 per cent of field peas, 50 per cent of lentils and 39 per cent of chickpeas.

Thirty-eight per cent of durum was in with 36 per cent of spring wheat and 22 per cent of oats.

Among oilseeds, 24 per cent of mustard was done, 17 per cent of canola and seven per cent of flax.

Only eight per cent of soybeans were planted.

Moisture conditions are good with ratings for crop land at four per cent surplus, 86 per cent adequate, nine per cent short and one per cent very short.

Pasture land moisture is rated two per cent surplus.

81 per cent adequate, 16 per cent short and two per cent very short.

In the southeast, 17 per cent of pastures were short or very shorts of moisture while in the southwest that number was 13 per cent.

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.

Scrutinize

Every week I send a draft of these Word Wisdom articles to Patti so she can scrutinize my ideas and grammar. She usually has some comments to make and various suggestions for improvement. I offer her thanks and give her acknowledgement for the scrutinizing.

Scrutinize comes from Latin scrutari, which means to search, to examine. Scrutari likely came from scruta, meaning trash. The etymology suggests one who searches through trash for anything of value. I hope this in no way implies my articles may be designated as trash until Patti discover something of value in them.

The noun scrutiny preceded scrutinize in the English language. In the 15th century scrutiny referred to a formal vote, in the sense that a surveillance or formal watch was done to determine that only those qualified were permitted to vote. The nobles had a scrutiny to determine who would approach the king with their issues.

The word later morphed into an official examination of the votes. The scrutiny was held to verify the results of the voting for leadership of the group.

A scrutineer was one who takes or counts the votes. The scrutineer was charged with the responsibility for the scrutiny. This term is still used today for those who watch the voting procedures on election day.

Scrutinize was used in the 17th century as a verb meaning to examine closely in reference to voting. Eventually, scrutinize came to be used to examine anything closely and minutely. During the chess match I closely scrutinized my opponent’s every move. After certain reports came to the office, her performance was carefully scrutinized by her employer.

Scan, inspect, examine, and scrutinize all mean to look at or over but with slightly different nuances.

Scan implies a surveying from point to point, suggesting cursory overall observation. He scanned the wine list at the restaurant for his favourite grape.

Inspect suggests looking for errors or defects. She inspected the credentials of the officer knocking at the door.

Examine stresses paying attention to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing. He examined the specimens that were sent to the laboratory for testing.

Scrutinize means to pay close attention to minute details. After we go through the checkout but before we leave the grocery store, I scrutinize the bill to verify all the deals we were supposed to get for certain products that day.

Life is a very interesting chain of events that often does not move according to plan. The week I use a word that describes the normal help Patti gives to me when writing the Word Wisdom columns, she is not involved in the process. She has been very busy with the Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival and so was not available to scrutinize my rough draft of the article on Wednesday night. So, the ‘trash’ I usually forward to her on Wednesdays has not been examined to the quality I, and you, may be accustomed to. Maybe do not scrutinize this article too closely. A scan might be preferable.

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.

Salvaged pipe organ pieces to benefit Moose Jaw’s St. Aidan Church

The closure of Regina’s St. Matthew Anglican Church has proven to be music to the ears of three area parishes, as they are the recipients of the shuttered venue’s massive pipe organ collection.

St. Matthew’s closed several years ago and is facing the wrecking ball. While the Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle has removed almost everything from the building, there was still one issue to address — saving the roughly 1,500 organ pipes.

Nearly 20 people gathered recently over two days to salvage the pieces, with project lead Jason Barnsley — owner of Barnsley Pipe Organs in Calgary — overseeing the operation. Pipe sizes ranged in size from several inches long to 16 feet in length.

First Baptist Church and St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, both in Regina, and Moose Jaw’s St. Aidan Anglican Church will receive pieces to support their existing systems, while the diocese will store the surplus.

Barnsley was in Moose Jaw recently helping tune St. Aidan’s 900-piece pipe organ system during the regular spring cleaning, with 17-year-old Camron Deans — an aspiring organ tuner — assisting.

Moose Jaw’s system is almost a twin of St. Matthew’s, which is great since pieces from the latter can replace aging or broken parts — like keyboard console buttons — on the former, said Barnsley. St. Aidan will determine when it wants Barnsley to install the pieces, although since he has been servicing the system for three years, he will formulate a game plan. He noted that it could take two to 10 years to install everything.

Barnsley didn’t discover any major problems with the church’s system during the spring cleaning, although occasionally, he must replace a dead note or remove plaster. Sometimes, he must dispose of a dead bat or mouse.

The repairman appreciated having Deans working beside him, saying the youth was astute, attentive and had an eye and ear for detail. Barnsley also appreciated that Deans was roughly the same height because that made it easier to lift objects — like long pipe organ pieces.

Deans has been playing piano for 11 years and knows how to play a keyboard, while he has grown up at St. Aidan and hears the pipe organ played regularly — a sound he greatly appreciates. However, after the pandemic ended, he noticed that the church wasn’t using the instrument as often and offered to play for services. “I became obsessed. I don’t know

Jason G. Antonio

He later moved to the United States for university and, after graduating, moved to rural Pennsylvania in 2000 and began attending a small Lutheran church that had a mechanical (non-electronic) organ. He contacted the instrument’s builder and asked if he needed an apprentice.

“He said, ‘I’m always looking for apprentices. The problem is that you’re a musician and I’m not going to hire you,’” Barnsley recalled. “I (asked) why and he said, “Well, because you’re going to be worried about cutting your fingers off in the saw.’”

how (and) I don’t know why. I just gradually came to love it,” he said.

Compared to a piano, playing the pipe organ is much harder because the keys are lighter and it’s easy to hit many at once, causing a “muddle,” Deans continued. Furthermore, he needs special shoes so he can feel the pedals.

The teen is also 6-3 in height and doesn’t physically fit the instrument, so he must lift his knee above his waist to play. His goal is to add blocks under the bench so he can use the pedals appropriately.

Deans enjoyed helping remove the pipe organ pieces from St. Matthew’s Church, although it was heavy, hot and dirty work. He noted that there was at least a centimetre-thick layer of dust on everything in the loft.

Being in the loft gave the youth a greater appreciation for the instrument since he could see all the moving parts and how everything connected. Moreover, he thought it was great to see the intricate system in person instead of on the internet or in a book.

The repairman’s story

Barnsley grew up attending a United Church in Lloydminster, and because he “got bitten by the organ bug” when he was 12, he fell in love with the instruments and became his church’s organist.

Regardless, the organ repairer took on the Canadian, who worked for him for eight years — thus beginning a 24-year career in repairing pipe organs.

The repairman moved back to Canada nine years ago and started his business a year later.

Skills required

Barnsley said it takes many skills to repair pipe organs, such as cabinet-grade woodworking, leatherworking, metal-working, DC electronics and solid-state electronics. A repairer also needs good aural skills to hear the different pitches and notes and ensure they are accurate.

While people may think pianos and pipe organs are the same, there are many differences, he said. While one company can make the same piano without any differences, the construction of pipe organs can change from builder to builder, decade to decade or century to century — no two are the same.

This means Barnsley must repair,

tune and service the widest swath of pipe organs possible so he gains experience and knows how they work, especially if he must disassemble and then reassemble the instruments.

“Each instrument is so complex (that) they literally have their own personality (and) they all have their idiosyncrasies … ,” he said.

The Calgarian travels 50,000 kilometres annually — from Victoria to Winnipeg to Whitehorse — servicing pipe organs, while he has 80 clients ranging from schools to churches to museums to institutions to private homes.

Vintage instruments

Barnsley visits St. Aidan twice a year — this is his seventh time here — to service its pipe organ and is “starting to get the handle on this beast” and its likes and dislikes. He joked that he and the instrument communicate with each other about its issues, with the latter “usually winning” any argument.

While St. Aidan’s pipe organ is 94 years old, Barnsley has worked on some systems that are centuries old. In the United States, he recalled repairing an organ from 1771, while in Canada, he worked on a 1685 Dutch organ at the National Music Centre in Calgary.

Barnsley is unique in his profession because he is the last full-time pipe organ repairer in Western Canada.

Barnsley noted that there is one Winnipeg man in his 70s “making noise about wanting to retire,” a repairer in Calgary in his 60s who — while not ready to retire yet — focuses more on building control systems, an 85-year-old woman in Vancouver still crawling around instruments, and almost everyone else in Saskatchewan retired.

“So as long as you’re physically able (and protect your hearing), you can do it right up until the end … ,” he said. “And I think it’s a job that’s safe from intrusion by AI (artificial intelligence or robots) … .”

Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is a retired pastor from Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Moose Jaw, SK. He graduated

Camron Deans, a parishioner of St. Aidan Anglican Church, and Jason Barnsley, a pipe organ repairman, take a break from cleaning the church’s system. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

The volunteer crew who helped remove 900 pipe-organ pieces from Regina’s St. Matthew Anglican Church. Photo submitted

Some of the electrical systems that power the pipe organ. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Camron Deans, who is an organist at St. Aidan and hopes to one day become a pipe organ repairman, helps with the spring tuning of the system. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

CAA makes it official: Moose Jaw has the four worst roads in Saskatchewan

The results are in for CAA Saskatchewan’s top 10 Worst Roads Campaign and four pothole-filled streets in Moose Jaw made the list, with only one being new to the competition.

CAA Saskatchewan announced on April 30 that Coteau Street West finished in fifth place because of its numerous potholes; this street finished tied for second last year.

Also, the Thunderbird Viaduct (Fourth Avenue Southwest bridge) placed sixth because of potholes and had finished seventh in 2022; 13th Avenue Northwest placed ninth because of its pothole problems and had finished fourth in 2019; and Fourth Avenue Southwest — making its first appearance — placed 10th place for its potholes. Highway 8 near Moosomin finished

By Moose Jaw Express staff

first, followed by Highway 5 near Buchanan in second and Highway 2 near Cudworth in third.

Therefore, Moose Jaw streets comprised 40 per cent of the total list.

From April 9 to 29, thousands of Saskatchewan road users — including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers — nominated and voted for their worst, most unsafe roads, CAA said.

The common safety concerns for worst, unsafe roads included potholes, poor road maintenance, poor road signs or road markings, unpaved roads, traffic congestion, no or poor cycling infrastructure, or poor transit infrastructure.

The CAA 2024 Worst Roads Campaign featured Angel Blair as the roving reporter, who interviewed road users from

five communities with roads that made the CAA 2023 Worst Roads Top 10 list, including Eston, Hudson Bay, Whitewood, Redvers, and Pilot Butte.

All interviews with Angel Blair are available on CAA Saskatchewan’s YouTube channel.

New for this year’s campaign was the grand prize of a $1,000 Shell Gift Card courtesy of CAA Saskatchewan. All eligible votes were reviewed, and the winner will be announced soon.

“Weather conditions, age of the roads, heavy traffic, and lack of maintenance can cause road deterioration. In cold climates like Saskatchewan, the freeze-thaw cycle plays a key role in creating potholes — a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point,” CAA said.

“When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward,” it continued. “As temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole which breaks apart with continued traffic by road users over the fractured pavement.”

Saskatchewan is a landlocked province with almost 250,000 kilometres of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province, CAA added. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel, and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.

Upcoming Events in Moose Jaw

If you would like your notice or event added to this list, contact us at: joan@moosejawexpress com

The Moose Jaw Lawn Bowling club will commence regular outdoor play Tuesday May 21@10am. on the greens in Crescent Park. This is the recreational league. Everyone welcome. (However the washrooms will not be available the first weeks). Other times and dates for play are evenings MondayThursday. Competitive as well as recreational leagues will form after the water issues are resolved. For more information text 306-6908739 Email mjlawnbowling@gmail.com

Town & Country Singles Dance on Saturday, May 25th from 7:30-11pm at Church of Our Lady Community Centre, 566 Vaughan Street; Band: Sugartop Music; Come on out for an evening of fun! Married couples welcome! Cost $15pp. Information available by calling 630-1492.

Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan PPC Assoc. Meet & Greet Pool Night with Chey Craik on Friday, May 31st from 6-9pm at Dooly’s Pool Hall 1750 Main St. N. There will be pizza and pool, Bake Sale and Silent Auction. Tickets $25 – text 306.630.8545 for tickets.

Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan Moose Jaw Branch UPCOMING: June Social TBA

The Moose Jaw Art Guild Art Creation time will be held on Friday, June 21, 1 to 4 at the MJMAG activity room. Bring your art and enjoy working together with other artists. You don’t have to be a member to come. For information call 306-692-6667 or306-631-3148.

The Moose Jaw Stamp Club will not be meeting over the summer. The next meeting will be in September.

Women “Fore” Women Golf Tournament will be held on August 10 at Hilcrest Golf Club. Register your 2-person teams at the Hillcrest Golf Course, Moose Jaw or call 306 693-1921. Payment due upon registration 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.

Nature Moose Jaw will hold their meetings on a once-a-month basis to take place on the third Friday of each month.

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 306-693-5705. 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. Griefshare support group for those grieving the death of a loved one. We meet Mondays 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. until April 8. Join any time. We meet at Moose Jaw Alliance Church. To register go to Griefshare.org/findagroup. For more information email Ralph Magnus at rjmagnus57@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, small-group, 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 provide a learning environment providing communication & leadership skills that foster self-confidence. These are integral in personal & professional development. There are two clubs in Moose Jaw. TAP club meets Tues @7pm on zoom. TAP club celebrates 25th anniversary on June 8@4:30 in Rodos. All members & former members are invited. Phone Cathy 306-6307015.

Big Country Club meets Wed. @7pm inperson at Saskpolytech. Zoom attendance is available. Special Events planned include a panel discussion, “Evaluate to Motivate” workshop and year end windup June 19. For info text 306-690-8739

TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) weight loss support group meets every Wednesday evening at the Alliance Church, 14 Neslia Place. (Corner of Thatcher Drive W. & 9th Ave.W.) Please enter through the west-facing door, turn right and go to end of the hallway by the library, to room 105. Weigh-in takes place from 6:30-7:00 pm. Meeting to follow. TOPS can help you reach your weight loss goal by providing you with tools, information and support to be successful. The group shares friendship, weight loss tips and offers encouragement to one another. New members are very welcome. Our scale weighs up to 500 lbs. Wednesday Night Ladies Business League (9 Hole) at Lynbrook Golf Course at (306) 692-2838 for more information or if interested in joining. Hours of play have to cross over within time frame of 4-6pm. Registration fee: $25.00 (cash or cheque) to be paid at Pro Shop; Sign-up sheet on bulletin board by Ladies bathroom.

July 3 – Fun Night Tournament -5:30 pm -

Shotgun (sign up sheet will be posted prior week)

Aug 14 – Fun Night Tournament- 5:30 pmShotgun (sign up sheet will be posted prior week)

Sept 11 – Year End Tournament – 5:00pmShotgun (sign up sheet will be posted prior week)

Sept 18 – Year End Banquet (cocktails 6:00 pm- supper 6:30 pm)

Moose Jaw Public Library (MJPL), 461 Langdon Cres. Phone 306.692.2787. Visit their website at https://www.moosejawlibrary.ca or visit ASK@MOOSEJAWLIBRARY.CA

Some library programs require registration by calling 306-692-8210 or emailing nsetter@ moosejawlibrary.ca

MJPL MOVIE CLUB Tues. May 21 at 6pm at MJPL Theatre for adults Movie: Poor Things Drop-in program.

MJPL DOCUMENTARY NIGHT Thurs. May 30 at 6pm at MJPL Theatre for adults. Movie: Small Town Pride Drop-in program

MAGIC THE GATHERING Sat. at 2pm at Reading Room for ages 13+. Drop-in program.

MUSICALS IN MAY! With the Kanopy app, you can access a diverse selection of captivating musicals for free.

Youth Programs: TEEN ANIME+ CLUB Weds. May 22 at 6:30pm at MJPL Theatre for ages 12-19. Snacks provided Drop-in program Featuring: Solo Leveling.

DIGITAL D&D Fridays 4- 6pm at MJPL Youth Discord Channel for ages 16-25. Registration required Call 306.692-2787 to inquire.

D&D: SPELLJAMMER Until JUNE 27 at 6:30pm. at MJPL Archives for ages 12-16. Registration required. Call Library at 306692-8210. Separate registration for Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Children’s Programs: LEGO WEEKENDS! Saturdays & Sundays - open hours at Children’s Department for ages 4+; a self-guided activity.

FESTIVAL OF WORDS UPCOMING

EVENTS Performer’s Café

May 30, Kate Spencer will be reading from her first published book, “Cradle and Spoon.” Spencer is originally from small town Saskatchewan. 2024 Festival of Words will take place July 18 – 21, and the 28th iteration of the annual event. Distinguished authors Sid Marty, a Canadian author, poet/musician, and freelance writer; Waubgeshig Rice, an Anishinaabe author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation on Georgian Bay; and, Victoria Koop, a Saskatchewan-based writer with a proud love of all things geeky are all confirmed to attend.

More details about the 28th annual Saskatchewan Festival of Words are anticipated this April.

If you are looking to apply as a literary presenter, a copy of your book and personal bio can be submitted to operations coordinator Amanda Farnel at Amanda@ FestivalOfWords.com

For more information, visit FestivalOfWords. com.

The Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 59 Moose Jaw, 268 High St W Moose Jaw Contact: 306-692-5453

Facebook @ ROYAL CANADIAN LEGIONBranch 59 Moose Jaw

Instagram: @Royalcanadianlegion59

SUMMER HOURS: Mon - 11am-9pm; Tues - 11am-5pm; Wed&Thurs - 11am-5pm; Fri11am-8pm & Sat - 11am-6pm

BINGO – Monday @ 6pm

CRIBBAGE –Tuesday @ 1:30 pm - Please sign-in by 1pm

MEAT DRAW & CHASE THE ACESaturday @ 3pm - Everyone welcome DECORATION DAY: Sunday, June 2ndVolunteers or groups needed to place Canadian flags on veterans’ graves at Sunset Cemetery, Sat, June 1st @ 9:00 am and Rosedale Cemetery, Sun, June 2nd @ 9am. Service at Rosedale Cemetery Cenotaph @ 11am on June 2. Followed by Hamburger BBQ @ noon at the Legion Lounge,268 High St W. Open to the public - All families are most welcome.

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 8am-4pm/ 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 9am./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 10am/Wed 9:30

am Scrabble – Mon 1pm/Spades Tues & Fri 1pm

Line Dancing Tues 10 a.m./Intro to Line Dancing – Wed 11am

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 Pickleball changed the times are Mon & Thursday 9am. The rest is correct for pickleball.

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: 9:30am-Pickleball/1pm-Floor Shuffleboard/7pm-Camera Club – only on the 2nd Monday of the month

Tuesday: 9:30am-Jam Session/1pmPickleball/7pm-Friendship Bridge/7pmBeginners Only Pickleball

Wednesday: 8:30am-TOPS/8:30amPickleball/1pm-Floor Shuffleboard

Thursday: 10am-Line Dance/1pm-Pickleball Friday: 9:00am-Beginner Pickleball/1pmRegular Pickleball

May 23rd Barbeque Fundraiser from 5-6pm. Hamburgers, hotdogs , beans & salads, coffee & tea. Cost $15.

Moose Jaw ANAVETS: Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Unit #252 – 279 High St. W, Moose Jaw. 306.692.4412 or anaf252@ sasktel.net

Every Wednesday 12 – 6 pm 10 card crib and smear. Bring a partner. Every Thursday 12 – 7 pm regular crib and smear. Bring a partner or sign up for a spare. Every Friday 1 – 10 pm pool. 7 pm darts. Bring a partner. Every Saturday 1 – 7 pm meat draw 4:30 pm, 50/50 and gift cards. Everyone welcome. FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES #3395 COMMUNITY EVENTS

MONDAY EVENINGS: (finished midApril, 2023): Drop in Cribbage – registration 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – play starts at 7:00 pm. $2.00 per person – two person teams. Bring a partner or spare. Prizes depend on number of persons registered. Everyone Welcome.

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS: (finished April 17, 2023) - Drop in Darts – play starts at 7:00 pm – draw for partners. $2.00 per person, per night. Everyone Welcome EVERY THURSDAY: Ladies Auxiliary “Meat Draw” – ticket sales start at 5:30 pm, draws start at 6:00 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, “Chase the Ace”

EVERY SUNDAY: Aerie “Meat Draw” –ticket sales start at 2:30 pm – Meat Draw, 50/50, Mystery Draw, “Chase the Ace”

MONDAY THRU SATURDAY – DROP IN POOL – 1:00 pm to 1:30 start time. Singles and Doubles. Partners draw from those attending to play.

FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY – Aerie meeting – 11:30 am

FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY – Ladies Auxiliary meeting - 7:00 pm MAY 25, 2024 - Rod Willier – “Trivia” Night in the Eagles club lounge – 7:00 pmCome out and have a few laughs and enjoy an evening of fellowship.

Western Development Museum; 50 Diefenbaker Drive, Moose Jaw. For more information, visit the museum’s website at WDM. ca/Moose-Jaw. Call 306-693-5989 or email ajones@wdm.ca

Virtual Coffee Club

· Thursday, May 23, the museum will be hosting guest speaker Dr. J.L. (Les) Henry, P.Ag., who will deliver a presentation on catalogue houses in the prairies including Eaton Mail Order Houses. This topic will focus on the Mail Order House business that thrived in the early 1900s. Each coffee club presentation will take place on the Zoom app and begins at 10 a.m. To register, visit the museum’s website at WDM.ca/ CoffeeClub.

Moose Jaw Shrine Club donates instruments to A.E. Peacock Collegiate

Fox Klein - Moose Jaw Express

Moose Jaw Shrine Club made an extremely generous donation of 25 instruments to A.E. Peacock Collegiate on May 15.

The instruments were gratefully received by the students and as soon as they were in their possession, the students began trying them out and asking the band

teacher various questions. Some of these instruments included tubas, trumpets, clarinets, French horns, and many others.

“With band, it is unfortunate; there are a lot of students who don’t have their own instruments, meaning they’ll have to use rentals. Having this donation of

Gary Vieser (seen in Shriners hat).

instruments means a lot to these students, especially those who may not be able to afford the fees,” said Peacock Collegiate Band Teacher Casey Ling. “Being able to have band and music more accessible to them is just huge.”

The Moose Jaw Shrine Club acquired these instruments from other Shriner Units that have aged out of a military band, a marching band, or the oriental band. They decided the Public School Board was the best place to utilize the donations.

“This is definitely a significant gift. Purchasing these brand new, you’d be looking at $1000 plus for each of these instruments,” said Darran Teneycke, Superintendent of School Operations. “We have a number of students who can’t afford (an instrument) so we have a supply of them, but anytime we can add to that supply, it just gives more students the opportunity to be involved with the band.”

The Shriners is a non-profit social

organization. The brotherhood is dedicated to family and ongoing personal growth and is committed to caring for children and families in need. This fraternity believes that fun is their cornerstone and philanthropy is their keystone to fellowship. The Moose Jaw Shrine Club has various units of interest that members are able to join.

“As Shriners, we raise money for our hospitals. We have 30 hospitals in North America... and we have raised over a billion and a half dollars,” said Gord Shibbits, President of the MJ Shriners. “This may not have anything to do with that, but it shows you our intensity for children. This is, to me, as important as anything, (such as) teaching them a cultural skill.

’It is fantastic!”

For more information on the Moose Jaw Shrine Club and its ongoings, you can visit their website at https://moosejawshrineclub.wildapricot.org/.

An Afternoon of ‘Moosic in the Park’

The Moose Jaw Band and Choral Festival hosted its free event, “Moosic in the Park,” on May 14th. The park was alive with various genres of music from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and featured five different performances.

The morning began with a high school concert band from Coaldale, Alberta. The Kate Andrew HS Concert Band filled the Crescent Park Amphitheatre with their matching uniforms. They were directed by Scott Godin, who led them through several songs and were on stage from 11:00 am to 11:45 am. The audience celebrated the high school band with cheers after each song.

The next band to play came to Moose Jaw from Benito, Manitoba. The Benito School Grade 6, 7, and 8 Concert Band performed from 11:45 am to 12:30 pm. They were directed by Brad Slepicka, who led them through their songs. The cheers from the audience brought many smiles to the performers’ faces.

Fox Klein - Moose Jaw Express

Following them was a local band from Sunningdale. The Sunningdale Grade 7 and 8 Band arrived at the amphitheatre to perform their songs from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm. They were led

Hailing from Rivers, Manitoba, they performed from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm, directed by David Wolfe. Moose Jaw gave the Minnedosa Concert Band a very warm welcome and deserving applause.

The final performance to grace the amphitheatre was another local group, the Sacred Heart School Band. They started their performance at 1:30 pm and continued until the event’s end at 2:00 pm. Jim Mitchell was their director, and they were the most recent addition to this year’s ‘Moosic in the Park’. At this point, the weather had started to warm up bringing more people out to the show. The last band was given an amazing send-off of applause and cheers.

To learn more about Moose Jaw’s Band and Choral Festival, you can visit their website at https://www.mjbandandchoral.org/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mjbandfestival.

For the venue schedule for the second ‘Moosic in the Park’ on May 15th, you can visit https://www.mjbandandchoral.org/ schedule2024may15moosic for the full schedule.

A.E. Peacock band teacher Casey Ling (far left) with the school band after receiving instruments from President of the Moose Jaw Shriners Gord Shibbits and Executive member

by Taylor Miller, who directed the students through their songs.

Another band from Manitoba joined us, the Rivers Minnedosa Concert Band.

The last band of the day, the Sacred Heart School band with director Jim Mitchell.