RM Review
Arelee, Asquith, Borden, Broderick, Conquest, Delisle, Donavon, Dundurn, Glenside, Grandora, Hanley, Harris, Hawarden, Kenaston, Kinley, Langham, Laura, Loreburn, Milden, Outlook, Perdue, Pike Lake, Radisson, Sonningdale, Sovereign, Strongfield, Swanson, Tessier, Vanscoy, Zealandia
Preying on holiday spirit: BBB warns consumers to stay diligent against decoration scams
As residents transition from Halloween to Christmas decorations, there are a few things they should keep in mind
The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers in Saskatchewan to check twice before ordering decorations this holiday season. Scammers become increasingly successful during this time and love to prey on homeowners’ holiday spirit. The holiday decoration scam is variable, but often fools its victims with photos of large, professional-looking displays, only to deliver something small and poorly made – or nothing at all.
Those whose social media algorithms are full of holiday ideas may be particularly susceptible. From there, they may see an ad or click on a link that looks real and contains positive reviews but is all fabricated. Enticed by the sophisticated look of it all, shoppers are lured into giving payment information to a scammer. The scammers may go on to overcharge the customers, sell their personal information, or simply send back a product that is not as advertised. From here, the shopper has little recourse and often cannot get a hold of the company in question.
In order to stay clear of these scams, the BBB of Central Canada offers the following advice.
PREVENTION TIPS
1. Check third-party sources before you buy. A website can contain any information its creator wants. Be sure the company is legitimate and the site you’re on is their verified platform by searching the company’s name on bbb.org. You can also look for working contact information and double check their physical location with an online map.
2. Be wary of high-value items advertised for low prices. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Any decorations that contain lights and technology must price themselves appropriately or you may wind up with an item that works once or barely emits any light at all.
3. Don’t purchase something directly from social media. With one-click purchases and payment methods stored on our phones, it’s become extremely easy to buy items without fully thinking it through. Don’t let your desire to have a pictured product take over. You may think it’s so cheap, that it doesn’t matter much even if it is a scam, but scammers may charge your credit card however much they want once they have its information.
4. Use your credit card when shopping online. Many credit card companies let you dispute fraudulent charges and thus offer a second layer of protection. If the company doesn’t accept credit cards, but is looking for a direct transfer, a prepaid gift card, a digital wallet payment or cryptocurrency, it could be a scam.
WEB
LINKS
Go to BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam. Learn more about other risky scams on BBB.org/ScamTips and visit our news feed.
Ihave been given a lot of Christmas gifts over the years - some of them useful and needed, some funny and some . . . hmm, curious is maybe the word.
And then there are the Christmas gifts that have carried a punch, that have had a significant impact on my life. One gift in particular has caused me to look at myself differently, to look at the world and my place in it differently.
This was a gift that was given to me and Mrs. B a number of years ago by my mother-in-law, Barbara - it was a gift she had made for us. The gift is a small photo album - the kind used for 4x6-inch pictures - and has a padded, muted floral-pattern cover.
The first page in the album is the title page and names the book as "The Book of Gratitudes or The Thank You Book".
After the title page, there are 46 more pages in this little album. Mounted on each of the 46 pages is a photograph showing a gift Barbara had received and was thankful for.
And on each page - each page - facing the photograph there is a handwritten poem, just 3 or 4 lines long, describing the picture and why Barbara was thankful for it. There are a lot of "thank you"s in this little book - a lot of time and effort went into making it.
There is a variety of gifts, pictures, displayed in the album. Some of the gifts are of various chores that had been done for her.
There is a picture of the shelf I had put up in front of the window in the garage that shows Kit the Cat sitting and sunning himself. (The cat was decidedly less grateful for the shelf than Barbara - but made up for it with an extra measure of disdain.)
There is a picture of the broom I used in the spring to sweep the winter mud out of the garage.
There is even a picture of the garage walls I painted pink, a job done during a summer visit (an "interesting" little story that comes later (May, 2023)).
Some of the pictures are of gifts given to Barbara by Mrs. B and her siblings.
There are pictures of some larger gifts, like the garage door opener and the air conditioning unit; and there are pictures of smaller gifts, like the wooden serving tray and the brass ornaments - no gift was too small to escape Barbara's gratitude.
Brannagan
And some of the pictures are of the whimsical and quirky gifts that were given with a sprinkling of humour.
There is the very vividly coloured blouse bought for Barbara in Mexico during one of our vacations; and there is the larger than life, huge, yellowfooted, black and white dappled chicken (sort of like Foghorn Leghorn, remember him?) made out of paper-mache. (A twin of the one we keep by our front door.)
The album also includes, most poignantly, pictures of celebrations and gatherings of Barbara and her family and friends.
There is a picture of Barbara on her 70th birthday sitting on the living room couch with her husband, Merle, and their three grown children. And a picture of Barbara and Merle at their 40th wedding anniversary celebration surrounded by their friends.
Barbara was so very thankful for her family and her friends.
For Barbara, all of these pictures - chores performed, objects useful and decorative, her family and friends (especially her family and friends)were pictures of gifts that she had been given and that she was thankful for.
And for gifts received, gratitude must be expressed.
There is also a big picture in this little book, a big picture made as a composite of all the smaller pictures, a big picture that shows Barbara’s gratitude for her life - all the gifts that made up her life - and her happiness with it.
What a wonderful thing it must be to go through life with such magnanimity, such big-heartedness, that you are thankful for every day that God gives you and thankful for every little thing that He puts in it.
And, for me, that is the real gift that is "The Book of Gratitudes".
It is the gift of learning to recognize all the gifts I have been givenespecially all the family and friends.
It is the gift of understanding that every day is Christmas Day - full of gifts.
And it is the gift of appreciating that every day is Thanksgiving Day - so many gifts to be thankful for.
Sadly, this year again, we don't have to wrap Christmas presents for Barbara.
Gladly, though, we are still touched by her presence.
Merry Christmas, everybody - may your gifts be many. Many, many, many.
Kelly Block MP Report November 9, 2024
Remembrance Day Prayers Ban
Today, Canadians discovered that the NDP-Liberal Government are continuing to ban military chaplains from praying during Remembrance Day ceremonies across Canada.
Last year, Trudeau’s Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair, promised that “chaplains are not – and will not be –banned from prayer on Remembrance Day,” but Canadians now know that the NDP-Liberal government lied. Instead, they just gave a one-time exemption. This means that prayers will be banned at Remembrance Day ceremonies on Monday with the Trudeau Government reminding chaplains that no exemptions have been granted this year.
On top of this, the Trudeau Government directive removes mention of the word “prayer,” and replaces it with “spiritual reflections.” The directive goes on to say that chaplains should “employ a language mindful of the Gender-Based Analysis principles.” If any chaplain chooses to ignore this, they have been warned that they will face disciplinary measures.
Chaplains serve a vital role in the Canadian Armed Forces. They represent Canadians of various faiths and support troops from across Canada. Before the NDP-Liberal government banned prayers, chaplains were allowed to recite a prayer with faith-specific language during official functions, and made sure to invite those of different beliefs to reflect or pray in whatever way they wished.
During World War II, chaplains led prayer on the boats on the eve of the D-Day landings. Chaplains have provided last rites to dying soldiers in the field. The Prime Minister is now telling Canadians that, on Remembrance Day, they cannot even pray for those who fought for our country. All Canadians should be alarmed by this latest NDP-Liberal government intrusion.
Conservatives will fight Trudeau’s damaging woke agenda, stand up for our armed forces and bring home common sense to Ottawa.
Kelly Block, MP www.kellyblockmp.ca
2024 ELECTION RESULTS
RM of Corman Park
Reeve - Joe Hargrave
Div. 1 - John Germs
Div. 3 - Lyndon Haduik
Div. 5 - Art Pruim
Div. 6 - Steven Balzer
Div. 7 - Calvin Vaandrager
RM of Dundurn
Reeve - Travis Libke
Div. 1 - Rodney Quintin
Div. 3 - Ryan McGinn
Div. 5 - Stephanie Freeden
RM of Eagle Creek
Reeve - Ed Fertuck
Div. 1 - Hayden Rice
Div. 3 - Mike Deneau
Div. 5 - Clinton Berglund
Div. 6 - Colin Berglund
RM of Great Bend
Reeve - Gary Nickel
Div. 1 - Elizabeth Torrens
Div. 3 - Dave Amson
Div. 5 - Ian Hosegood
RM of Harris
Reeve - Dan Mireau
Div. 1 - Russ Gordon
Div. 3 - Rebecca Longworth
Div. 5 - Brent Genest
RM of McCraney
Reeve - Barkley Prpick
Div. 1 - Stacy Oliver
Div. 3 - Michael Prpich
Div. 4 - Dean Evans
Div. 5 - Scot Westman
RM of Milden
Reeve - Grant Thomson
Div. 1 - Troy Atkinson
Div. 3 - Russell Billett
Div. 5 - Curtis Jensen
RM of Montrose
Reeve - Judy Curren
Div. 1 - Jodi Griffin
Div. 3 - Neal McCutcheon
Div. 5 - Joel Abraham
RM of Perdue
Reeve - Curtis Lammers
Div. 1 - Kevin Rousell
Div. 3 - Mike Gray
Div. 5 - Justin Eaton
RM of Rosedale
Reeve - Nick Patkau
Div. 1 - Allan Kerpan
Div. 3 - Lucas Ringdal
Div. 5 - Jeffrey Harder
RM of Rudy
Reeve - Kent Harrington
Div. 1 - Henry Simonson
Div. 3 - Ryan Grunerud
Div. 5 - Bree Campbell
RM of Vanscoy
Reeve - Leonard Junop
Div. 1 - James Harvey
Div. 3 - Jeff Kielo
Div. 5 - Liana Larson
Town of Asquith
Mayor - Jackie Stobbe
Cllr. - Chase Theisen
Cllr. - Jeremy Wolfe
Cllr. - Pete Heck
Cllr. - Colleen Hobman
Cllr. - Jodi Nehring
Cllr. - Darcy Stack
Town of Biggar
Mayor - Jim Rickwood
Cllr. - Alan Boyle
Cllr. - Ed Young
Cllr. - Nicole Hoppe
Cllr. - Kevin McNicholls
Cllr. - Dakota Ekman
Cllr. - Ivan Young
Town of Delisle
Mayor - Deb Winder
Cllr. - Cary Brunett
Cllr. - Lee Cisecki
Cllr. - Darcy Peakman
Cllr. - Stacey Rathgeber
Cllr. - Nic Vandenameele
Cllr. - Shelley Worth
Town of Dundurn
Mayor - Matt Jurkiewicz
Cllr. - Cody Deringer
Cllr. - Clayton Connell
Cllr. - Tanner Doroshenko
Cllr. - Gary Grady
Town of Hanley
Mayor - David Hind
Cllr. - Cindy Prosofsky
Cllr. - Giselle Hanson
Cllr. - Melissa Maddocks
Cllr. - Rodney Lazenby
Cllr. - Christina McCormick
Cllr. - Mitch Barber
Town of Langham
Mayor - Randall Kary
Cllr. - Carol Epp
Cllr. - Clare Deugau
Cllr. - Brendan Proctor
Cllr. - Timothy Sharpe
Cllr. - Douglas Simpson
Cllr. - Alan Sneddon
Town of Outlook
Mayor - Ryan Husband
Cllr. - Sharon Bruce
Cllr. - Guy Derdall
Cllr. - Kevin Grotheim
Cllr. - Andy Long
Cllr. - Kyle McLeod
Cllr. - Donna Smith
Town of Radisson
Mayor - Duane Flath
Cllr. - Pete Reddekopp
Cllr. - Shawn Mitchler
Cllr. - Diane Rimmer
Village of Borden
Mayor - Jamie Brandrick
Cllr. - Cody Bradshaw
Cllr. - Tom Redhead
Cllr. - Kandice Walker
Cllr. - Kristyna Vondrasek
Village of Broderick
Mayor - Randy Downton
Cllr. - Veronica Prokopiw
Cllr. - Trenton Dillin
Village of Conquest
Mayor - Doug Jones
Cllr. - Bailey Meier-Wilson
Cllr. - Lindsay Kokesch
Cllr. - Carly Coulter
Cllr. - Allan Knihniski
Village of Harris
Mayor - Chris Adair
Cllr. - Cyle Fowler
Cllr. - Glen Hill
Cllr. - Duane Serack
Village of Hawarden
Mayor - Dale Blenkinsop
Cllr. - Ray Chretien
Cllr. - Stephen Dingman
Cllr. - Char Edwards
Cllr. - Lorie Harrison
Village of Kenaston
Mayor - Brad Owen
Cllr. - Ivan Englesman
Cllr. - Dallas Lowdermilk
Cllr. - Michael Menzies
Cllr. - Jesse Ouellette
Cllr. - Jamie Young
Village of Kinley
Mayor - Gilbert Perron
Cllr. - James Olson
Cllr. - Jamie Parsons-Lewis
Village of Loreburn
Mayor - Grant Abbott
Cllr. - Victor Dutkiewicz
Cllr. - Randy Urlacher
Cllr. - Blaine Stronski
Village of Milden
Mayor - Travis Inverarity
Cllr. - Ralph Masear
Cllr. - Lee McKenzie
Cllr. - Dale Maxemniuk
Cllr. - Katharina Ullrich
Village of Perdue
Mayor - Terry Fyson
Cllr. - Graham Bindle
Cllr. - Jim Nicholls
Cllr. - Kerry Donahue
Cllr. - Jason Zbeeshko
Village of Tessier
Mayor - Kurtis Johnson
Cllr. - Bruce Bell
Cllr. - Brenda Johnson
Village of Vanscoy
Mayor - Robin Odnokon
Cllr. - Denise Robert
Cllr. - Nelson Chovin
Cllr. - Dale Silbernagel
Cllr. - Bryan Lee
Rosetown - Delisle Constituency
COUNCIL REPORTS
Submitted by local Council Administrators. Ask your local Council to send a monthly report.
TOWN OF ASQUITH
Asquith’s Municipal Election was held on November 13th, 2024. There were two council positions open with four candidates on the ballot. After a tight race that brought out 102 voters, Chase Theisen and Jeremy Wolfe were elected. They will join Mayor Jackie Stobbe and Councillors Pete Heck, Colleen Hobman, Jodi Nehring, and Darcy Stack who won their seats by acclamation.
Council was contacted by the Canadian Fallen Heroes Foundation with an opportunity to honour two Airmen, Flight Sergeant Adrian James Burwell and Flying Officer Walter Cecil Davies. Both men called Asquith home before enlistment in the Second World War and fell in service to our Country. Council has pledged to sponsor a memorial plaque for each of them. The plaques will be placed at the Aviation Museum’s Hallway of Heroes in Saskatoon or can be sent to Asquith for display. If you are a relative of one of these men, you are invited to contact the Town Office at (306)329-4341 or office@townofasquith.com with your preference for location.
Two bylaws were recently updated. Bylaw No. 2-2024, Animal Control Bylaw brought several changes including new requirements for pet licensing and increased penalties for offences. Bylaw 3-2024 amended Bylaw No. 7-2015 to strike Section 17. This removed existing restrictions on monuments and markers in the “new” area of the Asquith Cemetery. Both documents can be viewed on our website.
Now that snow clearing has begun, the Town asks that any vehicles parked on the road be moved on to your property during snowfall to facilitate prompt and efficient snow removal. We would also like to remind residents that seasonal vehicles such as motorhomes and boats should not be parked on the road for more than 72 hours at a time and that no unlicensed vehicles should be parked on the road at any time. Thank you for
Notice
helping us keep the roads clear and safe! Check out our updated website, www.townofasquith.com and follow us on Facebook for community updates.
TOWN OF DELISLE
Council held a meeting on November 5, 2024. Council supported a renewed/revised employer/employee policy for immediate implementation.
Council supported the Chief Administrative Officer to proceed on tax enforcement efforts on certain properties.
Council supported that certain delinquent water, sewer, and LORASS accounts be added to property taxes if the remain unpaid as of December 31st ,2024.
Council supported moving forward with the purchase of a replacement blower for the Lagoon.
Council supported modifications to the arena to create an additional change room, as recommended by Delisle Minor Hockey Association.
RVILLAGE OF VANSCOY
eminder to residents to submit your year end water meter reading to the Village Office prior to December 31st.
Dog licenses and Business Licenses are due in January. Dog licenses are $15 and Business Licenses are $50. Prices double when renewed in February.
With the postal strike continuing, Utility Billings will be emailed as usual and those that receive them by mail will either have to pick them up at the office or provide an email to receive electronically. Send email address to: vanscoy@sasktel.net
Utility bills will be ready for pickup no later than Wednesday December 4th.
Council of the Village of Vanscoy would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a great 2025.
hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land and title number described in the following list are fully paid before the 31st day of January 2025, an interest based on a tax lien will be registered against the land. Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by Subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.
Dated this 21st day of November 2024. Kaila Montgomerie, Treasurer
Notice is hereby given under the Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land described in the following list are fully paid before the 31st day of December 2024, a tax lien will be registered against the land. Note: A sum for costs in an amount required by Subsection 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act is included in the amount shown against each parcel.
Thank you... to everyone who came out to vote in the municipal election. Every vote for myself was greatly appreciated.
I would also like to thank the ladies running the poll on the two election days.
With heartfelt thanks, Joel Abraham
REGULAR LOCAL COUNCIL MEETINGS
RM OF CORMAN PARK - December 16, 8:15am
RM OF DUNDURN - December 17, 8:00am
RM OF EAGLE CREEK - December 3, 9:00am
RM OF GREAT BEND - December 11, 9:00am
RM OF HARRIS - December 12, 8:00am
RM OF MCCRANEY - December 19, 8:00am
RM OF MILDEN - December 11, 9:00am
RM OF MONTROSE - December 12, 9:00am
RM OF PERDUE - December 10, 9:00am
RM OF ROSEDALE - December 10, 8:00am
RM OF RUDY - December 11, 6:00pm
RM OF VANSCOY - December 12, 9:00am
TOWN OF ASQUITH - December 11, 7:00pm
TOWN OF BIGGAR - December 3 & 17, 7:15pm
TOWN OF DELISLE - December 10, 7:00pm
TOWN OF DUNDURN - December 10, 5:30pm
TOWN OF HANLEY - December 9, 7:00pm
TOWN OF LANGHAM - December 9 & 23, 6:30pm
TOWN OF OUTLOOK - December 11 & 25, 7:00pm
TOWN OF RADISSON - December 11, 7:00pm
TOWN OF ZEALANDIA - December 18, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF BORDEN - December 3, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF BRODERICK - December 11, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF CONQUEST - December 10, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF GLENSIDE - December 11, 7:30pm
VILLAGE OF HARRIS - December 11, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF HAWARDEN - December 12, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF KENASTON - December 18, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF KINLEY - December 10, 6:30pm
VILLAGE OF LOREBURN - December 11, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF MILDEN - December 18, 7:30pm
VILLAGE OF PERDUE - December 17, 7:30pm
VILLAGE OF STRONGFIELD - December 10, 7:30pm
VILLAGE OF TESSIER - December 9, 7:00pm
VILLAGE OF VANSCOY - December 11, 7:30pm Regular Council meetings are open to any and all members of the public. COVID restrictions may apply. Dates may change. Check with local Councils.
BBQ Rentals
Enjoy this Christmas Holiday Feature
Thank you to all of our valued Contributors, Advertisers and Readers for your tremendous support in the past year !
The RM Review wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year !
Ken,
Shelley & Remington Sowter
Holiday Kindness Challenges: Spreading Joy Online
The Internet's most powerful ability is its propensity to spread. This holiday season, amidst the hustle of shopping, party planning, and reflections, let's use this power to spread joy and generosity. This December, I invite you to transform your social media feeds into a canvas of goodwill, reminding your followers and communities that even small acts of kindness can create waves of joy and inspiration. Before you dive into creating festive holiday content, it's crucial to set the stage by updating the aesthetics of your social media profiles to mirror the holiday season. Using Canva (www.canva.com), refresh your banner/cover photo on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. with holiday-themed images. Change your profile picture to one that captures the festive spirit, such as wearing a Santa hat, standing next to a Christmas tree, or under Christmas lights, or wearing a Christmas sweater.
Once your social media profiles reflect your festive mood, consider the following suggestions to inspire others to get into the holiday spirit.
The 12 Days of Kindness Challenge
The English Christmas carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas," inspired this suggestion, a "12 Days of Kindness" challenge. Starting 12 days before Christmas, or whenever you want, commit to doing one act of kindness daily. It could be paying for someone's coffee, leaving a heartfelt note for a neighbour, donating to a local charity, or dropping off baked goods at a senior home. Post pictures of each act on your social media channels with the hashtag #12DaysOfKindness. Encourage your followers and tag your friends to do the same, thereby creating a chain reaction of goodwill that spreads far beyond your immediate circle.
Support Local Charities with a Virtual Fundraiser
Use your social media clout to raise money for a local charity by hosting a virtual fundraiser. Invite your followers and friends to join you in a fun activity, like a virtual trivia night or bake-off. Promote donations to a charity of your choice and share updates on the
Aprogress. In addition to building community spirit, promoting local causes demonstrates the power of collective action.
Random Acts of Kindness Bingo
Create a bingo card, which you can use Canva to create, filled with random acts of kindness, such as "compliment a stranger," "donate clothes," or "help a neighbour." Once created, post the card on your social media and invite others to join you in completing the challenges throughout the month. As you check off your squares, share photos or stories of your experiences, tagging friends and followers to keep the momentum going. The visual aspect of a bingo card makes it fun and engaging, encouraging participation.
Gratitude and Kindness Posts
Incorporate gratitude into your kindness initiatives by encouraging your followers to share posts about something they're thankful for and how they plan to pay it forward. Use a specific hashtag, like #ThankfulAndKind, to unify these posts. As people share their gratitude and commitment to kindness, you'll create a powerful positivity narrative that inspires others to reflect on their lives and actions.
Acts of Kindness Story Swap
Engage your audience by hosting a 'kindness story swap.' Invite your followers to share their stories of kindness—either acts they've done or experiences they've had. Create a specific day for these stories and use a designated hashtag like #KindnessSwap. By facilitating the sharing of stories and uplifting your followers, you'll be connecting people and building a sense of community, which is what social media should be used for.
Kindness Challenge Videos
Challenge your followers to create short videos showcasing their acts of kindness. This could include anything from helping a neighbour with groceries to volunteering at a local shelter. Encourage them to tag you and others in their posts using a hashtag like
#KindnessChallenge. Sharing video content is an effective way to spread your message while inspiring others to get involved.
Holiday Cards for Seniors
During the holidays, seniors living in retirement homes often feel isolated. Initiate a "Holiday Cards for Seniors" campaign by encouraging your followers to create and send handmade holiday cards to local retirement homes. List several local retirement homes on your social media and encourage your followers to share photos of their card-making. This simple act will not only brighten someone's day but also foster crossgenerational connections.
Kindness knows no boundaries. In addition to spreading joy, social media offers a powerful tool to foster community and encourage acts of kindness. No matter how small, each act of kindness contributes to a larger narrative of compassion, which the world desperately needs more of. Imagine the joy on a senior's face when they receive a holiday card or the warmth in a neighbour's heart when they receive a compliment.
Creating and hosting these kindness challenges and sharing your acts of kindness experiences—giving and receiving—will enrich your life and strengthen your community.
This December let's embrace the spirit of kindness— online and offline. Your social media feeds can become a gallery of kindness, with posts and shares illustrating the joys of doing acts of kindness, making this holiday season a time of connection, generosity, and lasting impact.
Nick Kossovan is the Customer Service Professionals Network’s Social Media Director (Executive Board Member) Feel free to send your social media questions to nick.kossovan@gmail.com On Twitter and Instagram follow @NKossovan
Pike Lake – Chief Whitecap Christmas Bird Count: January 4
fter an extended stopover thanks to a warmer than average fall, most of the migratory birds that spend time in the Saskatoon area have now moved on south. Fortunately, there are a good number of birds that stay yearround, adding welcome life and interest to the winter landscape. They are the focus of Christmas Bird Counts held across North America each year.
Last year on the Pike Lake – Chief Whitecap Christmas Bird Count, 27 eager observers, including eleven resident feeder watchers, found 2043 birds of 27 different species. That’s a little on the low side in relation to the historical average, but numbers fluctuate significantly year to year for a variety of reasons, including weather, snow conditions and available food supply. For example, Canada geese showed up on count day for the first time ever, a result of fields relatively devoid of snow cover providing easy access to waste grain to feed on. But counts for Bohemian waxwings and snow buntings were the lower than they’ve been since 1975 and 1987 respectively. Both of these species are wanderers, drawn to areas where food is abundant. Apparently that desired abundance was more easily found elsewhere last year, likely in areas less impacted by drought.
Thanks to well-stocked feeders, chickadees were found in good numbers. So were woodpeckers – downy, hairy and an above-average count of six pileated. House sparrows and rock pigeons were present in numbers well above average. We found no gray partridges (also known as Hungarian partridges) at all, but that has happened many time before; the population of this introduced species tends to vary significantly from year to year. Finches were sparse aside from good numbers of pine grosbeaks that livened up the day, and one lone goldfinch that had declined the urge to migrate further south. This was only the third time in the count’s his-
tory that we’ve found a goldfinch, but all have been within the last eight years. An effect of climate change perhaps?
It is always interesting to see what we do and don’t find each year. More importantly, the information we gather has value. Our data is combined with that from similar counts all over the Western Hemisphere to provide one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data. Conservation biologists, environmental planners and naturalists can then use it to assess bird population trends and distribution. This is citizen science in action.
This year the Pike Lake – Chief Whitecap Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for Saturday, January 4th. As the count organizer, I’m really hoping the weather will be decent, that area birdfeeders will be well-stocked and that a good number of local landowners will give us permission to enter their property. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to look for starlings hanging around the cattle barn or owls sheltering in the trees. Without landowner permission we are limited to roads and the power of magnification from binoculars and spotting scopes.
If you live in the count area and have not been visited in the past, but wouldn’t object to a couple of bird-watchers making a brief foray around your yard, please contact me. And if you’d like to become part of a team yourself, or to observe and report the bird activity at your own feeder(s) to contribute to our count, please contact me at donna.bruce@sasktel.net or 306-956-3437. Thanks and best wishes everyone !
Donna Bruce Pike Lake – Chief Whitecap Christmas Bird Count Coordinator, Saskatoon Nature Society
Gray Partridge
Photo by May Haga
OBITUARIES
Isabel Mogenson
March 30, 1933 — November 23, 2024
The Family of Isabel Mogenson (née Fraser) is saddened to announce her passing November 23, 2024 at Sunnyside Adventist Care Home in Saskatoon, at the age of 91 years.
Isabel was the loving wife of Stan Mogenson and proud mom to Glenna(Curt), Diane, Beverley(Gord), Karol; proud grandmother to Tate, Kyle, Kerry and eight great grandchildren.
At the age of 16, Isabel came to Saskatoon to work, met and married Stan Mogenson, and together farmed in the Vanscoy area for 60 years.
She and Stan were a strong united team, sharing everything and making decisions together.
She had many roles in her life .... loving daughter and sister, devoted wife and mother, good friend and companion, community member. She was able to juggle kids, run a household, be a farm hand, cook field meals, and so much more...
She enjoyed gardening, dancing, singing to the radio, reading, movies, family gatherings, playing cards, bowling, fishing, pets and RVing in the U.S.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Sunnyside Adventist Care Home for their kindness.
For those who wish to honour Isabel’s memory, donations can be made to: Sunnyside Adventist Care Home 2200 St. Henry Avenue Saskatoon, SK. S7M 0P5 or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Condolences can be sent to the family at www.prairieviewchapel.com
A celebration of Isabela’s life will be held at a later date.
Operation Santa Helping Asquith Families for Twenty Five Years
Asquith’s Operation Santa is a Christmas Hamper program that was formed by a group of concerned citizens in Asquith who wanted to help families in need. The program is now starting its twenty-fifth year. Every year, the community of Asquith and area is generous in their support, both monetary and in donated grocery items. Gifts for the children of families in need have been donated in past years, as well as lovely hand-knitted toques and mittens for the children. Last year, the program provided hampers and groceries to eighteen family units, in which there were over twenty children. Thanks to the generosity of the community, a small gift for each child was also provided with the hamper.
The program is being run again this year, with a goal to provide grocery and Christmas Meal hampers, as well as small gifts for the children, to the families that are in need. Request forms will be available at the Asquith Co-op, the Post Office, and the Town office. All
recipients’ names are very confidential; we protect each person’s dignity. Applicants are screened to ensure that help is directed where most needed. All requests for hampers MUST be turned in to the Asquith Town Office by December 13, 2024. If you want to donate a small gift for a child, this must be turned in to the Town office prior to the deadline of December 13, 2024.
We are appealing to our entire community to be a part of this. We would like to thank you for any help you might be able to give, be it in the form of a food drive for donated grocery items or a cash donation. Also, donations of reusable grocery bags for hamper deliveries would be great. We do not give cash out to families or individuals, rather all cash donations are used to purchase appropriate hamper items locally.
For more information regarding Operation Santa, please contact Kaila at 306-329-4341 or Holly at 306-229-9576.
Delisle and Area Angel Tree Program is Underway
It's that time of year again! The Delisle & area Angel Tree program are busy providing joy with the help of our amazing community. We are running our Christmas hamper/gift program, a special date with Santa and as something new we have a Christmas store!
Dec.1st - 13th our tree will be at the HUB International in Delisle. Like always we ask our community angels to pick a tag and have fun shopping for that person/family! Our program relies completely on the generosity of our community angels, and we thank you in advance for supporting us in spreading some Christmas cheer. This year we are scaling back a bit on gifts. Kids under 18 yrs will each get a gift and then there will be one item per household. Like every year the gifts are the cherry on top to the amazing food hampers that we are able to provide thanks to many generous donations!
Dec.6th 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm come and visit Santa at Creekside, 217 1st St W in Delisle. Santa will want to know what is on everyone’s wishlist, and be ready to smile for your cameras! Treat bags provided while quantities last.
TThis event is free with a silver collection going towards the Angel Tree.
Dec.18th 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm we are excited to offer a Christmas store at the DCS "Deck the halls" event at Delisle Composite School. Kids can come and pick a gift for family members. Prices range $0.25 - $5.00. We will also accept a non-perishable food item for payment! From 4:30 to 6:30 the store is reserved for kids 12 yrs and under to shop. We will have helpers assisting with shopping and wrapping, so that our community kids can surprise their family members on Christmas morning! From 6:30 to 7:30 EVERYONE is welcome to come shop and look for unique and affordable gifts!
We will have donation bins up in December at HUB International as well as other places around town for non-perishable food items. There will also be bins to donate small Christmas items for the Christmas store (new or good used condition).
Thank you in advance for your generosity and we hope to see you out for our events!
Vanscoy & District Ag Society AGM December 4th
he Vanscoy & District Agricultural Society will be having our AGM on Wednesday, December 4th at 6:30pm in the Delisle Lodge Room (back of the Town Hall). We would like to invite you to join us, volunteers are the backbone of our organization, and we need your help to continue to offer programming and events in our communities.
We would like to thank our community members for joining us for our annual turkey bingo that we hosted at the Delisle Town Hall on Saturday, Nov. 16th. It was a huge success. Thank you to Bob M. for calling our bingo and to all our Ag Society volunteers for ensuring the night went so well. Lastly, thanks to the Delisle Co-op for sourcing and storing our turkeys and hams for us and the Old Bone Trail 4H club for setting up/taking down/being runners and to Skate Delisle for sharing the Town Hall with us that day!
On Wednesday, Nov. 20th we completed our WestJet raffle draw and are pleased to congratulate Carissa V. who won our WestJet trip for two and Shelby C. who won our 50/50! Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets for our raffles, we really appreciate your support!
Thank you one last time to our 2024 Sponsors who have made our year a huge success. Sponsors include: Nutrien, Delisle Agro-Co-Op, WestJet, SaskTel, Tuff Turf, Westland Insurance Group, Delisle Veterinary Services, NSC Minerals, Richardson PioneerDelisle, Viterra, Corman Park Vet Serv-
ice, G & L Auto-Service, J & L Frame & Alignment, KA Performance Horses, Plainsman HVAC-R Ltd, Prairie Centre Credit Union, Rack Petroleum Ltd., Robin’s Nest Café-Vanscoy, Saskatoon Agri-Auto Parts, SaskPower, Shane’s Surplus World, Vanscoy Motor Hotel, Back 40 Embroidery, Elliott Creations, Delisle @ Vanscoy Co-Op, Darla Christopherson, Floral Acres Greenhouse, Jeremy’s Greenhouse, Little Country Greenhouse, MelRose & Co Creations, Moobaa Farms, Original Family Farms, RM Review, RONA, Sutherland Garden Market, VJS Ag, Cathy Link, Delisle Pharmacy, Laser N’ Things, K & S Clydesdales, Stacey Rathgeber, Costco, Bark Place Pet Spa, Sun River Honey, Shelby Christopher, Maple Leaf, Robin Diehl (Advanced Therapy) and to any I may have missed THANK YOU! It is through sponsorship that we provide our programming and we are very thankful for each of them. As an aside, If you or your business would like to be one of our 2025 sponsors please reach out to us at vanscoyag@gmail.com and we would be happy to pass our sponsorship package along!
We wanted to wrap up our year by saying Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings to all and we thank you for your support this year. We look forward to hosting events in the 2025 year.
Submitted by Anita Roston, Co-President
Local Winter Events
We are excited to bring these four NHL enforcer legends to Delisle ! ‘Bruise Brother’ Joey Kocur, Kevin ‘Killer’ Kaminski Byron Bitz and Matthew Barnaby
Meet these hockey legends, enjoy a dinner, entertainment, silent and live auctions. Funds raised support local sports, culture & recreation organizations. Tickets are now available for only $140 per person. Call Today ! Dan Mantyka at 306-260-3367 or Ken Traynor at 306-241-3725
‘Now
REPORTS
Unproductive Areas in Fields:
By Alison Fransoo, PAg, Agri-Environmental Specialist, North Battleford
Are there areas in your fields that you seed annually hoping they will produce a crop? Soil salinity can be difficult to notice from one season to the next because of moisture conditions having so much influence. In wet years, there is sufficient leaching and dissolving of salts so saline areas are not as visible on the soil surface and some crop growth may occur. In dry years, increased evaporation dries out the soil and draws salts up to the soil surface, resulting in a noticeable white surface, which is salt. In dry years, producers become more concerned with salinity because salts become more visible and next to no crop growth occurs in the affected areas. You may have seen kochia or foxtail barley increase significantly in these areas during dry cycles because they characteristically have a high tolerance to salt.
Rather than continuing to invest money on inputs cropping these unproductive areas, it may be time to consider an alternative. Crop yields are affected by even a low level of salinity, for example, peas and lentils being most susceptible while barley is most tolerant of salinity. Foxtail barley and kochia have a much higher salt tolerance than all annual crops.
Perennial forages are an option to consider. They have the ability to establish and improve these areas over time. Selecting the right blend or species will be a key factor to your success, as well as patience since establishment will be dependent on the current environmental conditions. Establishing permanent cover on these areas would provide benefits including competing with weed issues, protecting the soil from erosion, combatting salinity and increasing production on the acres rather than an eye sore full of weeds.
Under the Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program (RALP), funding is provided under the Seeding Tame Forage BMP (Beneficial Management Practice) to convert annually cropped acres to perennial forage production. An agri-environmental specialist can assist in selecting the most suitable forage blend or varieties for these areas that will grow and establish. For example, green wheatgrass and slender wheatgrass are saline tolerant, just to name a few.
For more details and eligibility requirements on the Seeding Tame Forage BMP, please visit our Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program webpage, or contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 to be connected with an agri-environmental specialist in your region.
Rotating Crops on Your Farm
Crop rotations are an important aspect of crop production. The concept of crop rotation has been around for many years; however, there are still some Saskatchewan farms that do not have a diverse rotation in practice. There are many benefits to incorporating a three or four-year rotation in your grain operation. Having a diverse rotation with several crop types is an effective strategy for managing both diseases and insects. It can also increase crop yields and improve soil health.
Pea field
Field of peas, a great addition to a diverse crop rotation
Rotating crops can reduce the risk of insects and disease in host crops. Significant crop losses can occur in canola when the field is infected with blackleg or clubroot, two major diseases of canola in Saskatchewan. At least three years between growing canola is ideal to reduce the spore load of blackleg and clubroot, reducing the chance of crop infection. Incorporating crops such as pulses or cereals will contribute to breaking down the disease spores further as they do not host blackleg and clubroot. A longer crop rotation may be needed for breaking down the spores of certain diseases in the soil or crop residue. Aphanomyces root rot can have a major impact on pulse crop production in Saskatchewan, in which case, a six or eight-year rotation may be needed to reduce the inoculum present in the soil.
Crop rotation can also help manage insect pests. Some insects are
not very mobile and will remain in the same field year after year, in which case, seeding non-host crops and using a diverse crop rotation will help decrease populations.
An example of a diverse four-year crop rotation that suits Saskatchewan is cereal-oilseed-cereal-pulse. The pulse will fix nitrogen for the cereal to benefit from the following year. This rotation allows three years between canola crops to reduce pathogens such as clubroot and blackleg. The break between cereals helps to manage diseases including Fusarium Head Blight, cereal leaf spots or root rot by giving residue-borne and soil-borne diseases adequate time to break down and reduce the pathogen level before the next cereal is grown. When using a diverse crop rotation, always know the specifics of the products you are using each year as some herbicides have residual effects restricting what type of crop you can seed next year.
There are many other benefits to having a diverse crop rotation. It allows for better management of crop residue. Cereals create a lot of crop residue that can build up over time when using zero-till operations and incorporating alternate crops can help manage stubble. Another benefit to crop rotations is water-use efficiency. Crops such as wheat have deep roots that can reach water deeper in the soil profile, whereas peas have shallow roots and cannot reach the water at depth.
Consider incorporating another crop into your rotation. SCIC has information on what crops grow well in each region of the province. Check out our Soil Fertility and Crop Rotation Planning Guide to help you make decisions on your crop rotation.
Jeanie’s Place in Delisle Short/Long
Delisle
Orchard Transport - Ag Div. Delisle 306-493-2406
Flo-Gate
Chanda Massage & Reflexology Registered Massage Therapist, Certified Reflexology and Reiki Healer Borden 306-717-8704 chandahealer.janeapp.com
Kristi Done Massage Therapy Call or Text to Book Vanscoy 306-292-9473 kristidonemassagetherapy.com
Shania Meyer Registered Massage Therapy Find me on Facebook or website shaniameyermassagetherapy.ca
Direct billing & online booking Borden 306-768-4252
shaniameyermassagetherapy@gmail.com
Health Foods
Darla Christopher Independent Epicure Consultant Delisle 306-493-2933 dsdt@ sasktel.net text 306-291-0298
Burwell Trenching & Electrical Asquith 306-220-4377
bte20@outlook.com
J&L
and Alignment
Trusty Appraisal Service & SGI Arbitration Delisle 306-222-0456 Air Conditioning & Heating
for a Second Opinion!
certified, we offer wheel alignments, frame straightening, and more!
626 Weldon Avenue Saskatoon 306-934-3634
www.jandlframe.com
Kristi Done Independent Epicure Consultant Vanscoy 306-292-9473 kristidone.epicure.com
OLD MIKE’S Raw Prairie Honey FRESH HONEY... READY ! Wildflower/Dandelion & Canola 2023 Food Safe Certification Pike Lake 306-384-3092 mikesbees@sasktel.net
Home Care
Trask 306-221-1035 Office 306-653-4100 RE/MAX Shoreline Realty 306-867-8380 / 1-844-838-SOLD www.remax-shorelinerealty.com
Econo Septic & Sewer Services Pump septic tanks, mud sumps, car wash, commercial/industrial tanks. Unplug sewer lines, replace and repair pumps, switches, alarms. 24-hour emergency service Saskatoon 306-384-6662 Econoseptic.ca
Links Water & Septic Services Certified septic design/consulting. Acreage water/septic install and repair, water testing/treatment and septic system maintenance. Vanscoy 306-493-2410 24Hrs Linksbackhoe.com
Graham Contracting Asquith 306-230-4653
Klassen Trenching Delisle 306-493-7579
Starlings Septic Services Delisle 306-493-2241
darrelpenny@sasktel.net Sew Kleen Hydro-vacing & Septic Asquith 306-283-4406
Lawn & Garden
Arborscapes Tree & Landscape Services Ltd. Tree Pruning, Tree Removal Saskatoon 306-222-6494 www.arborscapesltd.com info.arborscapes@gmail.com
Pike Lake Lawn & Garden Sales, Service, Parts, Rentals Pike Lake 306-221-8558
Kenny’s Cultivating Professional Garden Tilling Asquith, Delisle, Vanscoy, Pike Lake & surrounding Towns, Farms, Acreages Call or Text 306-281-4111