The biggar Independent Volume 115 Issue 23

Fired Up ... Crews from LTD Production Services were burning off gas in the lines north of Biggar, Wednesday, May 29, all part of the normal maintenance and testing to the town. The loud screeching, jet-like noise gets people talking, and certainly the flame puts folks on high alert.

(Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Kids from both schools hit the Biggar Rec Valley, May 29 for Ag Safety Day, learning the ins and outs of staying out of trouble on the farm and home. Biggar EMS, Fire and RCMP, as well as Western Sales, SaskPower, and more, were on hand to show off safety tips, the necessities of their job, and the tools they use in keeping us all safe and sound. The kids took the wet and cool weather in stride, talking to firefighters, ambulance and RCMP officers about how to be safe in the world they live in.

(Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)

Biggar Fire Report

by Erroll Horst, Biggar Fire Department

Well, May is in the books and what a difference rain makes.

The month started out looking pretty scary for both the farmers and firefighters with everything being so dry and to top it off lots of wind. Then one day the tap opened and the rain just kept coming; I don’t think anyone was disappointed.

The difference it made to the Fire Department? In 2023 we responded to 18 calls and this year we responded to six. The calls included one structure fire, one lift assist with EMS, one grass fire, one investigation request, and two false

RM of Biggar council minute highlights

The regular meeting of the RM of Biggar No. 347 was held September 28 at the municipal office at 9 a.m. Attending were Reeve JeanneMarie de Moissac, Councillors Brad Poletz, Melanie Peiffer, Dale Thomson, Mark Sagon, Greg Mundt, and Brian Watson, Administrator Sandi Silvernagle, and Assistant Administrator Maria Danychuk. The following are some highlights of the meeting. Louise Singer and Kent Dubreuil attended the meeting at 10 a.m. to speak to Council about concerns with regards to

by Sgt. Dereck Crozier, Biggar Detachment

This past week 36 occurrences we handle by the Biggar Detachment.

Foreman, municipality vehicle and equipment usage and reports, the 2023 tractor purchases, the business park, road tours, request for a ratepayer’s meeting. Singer and Dubreuil left the meeting at 10:46 a.m. Rick Sims and Jim Rawles, on behalf of the Springwater and District Activity Centre Inc., attended the meeting at 11 a.m. and spoke to Council regarding purchasing the Springwater Hall. Sims and Rawles left the meeting at 11:12 a.m.

• Foreman Derek Custer attended the meeting at 11:15 a.m.

Council agreed that payments for online utility, Mastercard, monthly remittances and March payroll in the amount $104,140.95 were approved.

Councillor Reports for Division 1 to 6, Reeve’s Report, Foreman’s Report, and Administrator’s Report, all for April, were accepted.

Council agreed that the following correspondence be accepted for Council’s information and filed: Farm Good Care - Host Farms. Town of Biggar - Engineering Report of Curling Rink. Biggar and District Museum -

Annual Report. Minister Merriman - Response to RCMP Letter of Support. Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation - Request for Road. Minister of Highways - Proposed Highway 51 Reconstruction.

Council agreed to request the Ministry of Highways to attend the next meeting to discuss the proposed Highway 51 reconstruction project.

• Councillors Mark Sagon and Greg Mundt left the meeting.

Council agreed to approve the gravel purchase of 10,000 yards from Stacey Mundt Farms and Jennifer

Biggar RCMP Report

Over the week, construction crews have been busy resurfacing parts of Highway 14, and this has prompted a number of calls about some impatient motorists speeding and passing within the construction zone. Pilot vehicles have now been put into use to maintain order and safety.

A grey 2016 Chrysler

200 was fined $538 for operating at more then 35 km over the post limit on Highway 14. A traffic hazard was reported on Highway 51 after a semi had its trailer tires get stuck in the ditch and a

gathering crowd seemed in need of a foreman.

Report of a student driving their ATV to school. The Traffic Services Unit has been enforcing in the area the new SGI noise law for vehicles, and a few driv-

alarms bringing our year to date total to 22.

Our practices for May were scaled back a bit with members becoming busy with other responsibilities like farming and ball for the kids. We reviewed some basic procedures like hydrant grabs/initial attack, went through the equipment we have on hand to review what it is and when it is most beneficial to use.

We snuck in one last extrication practise before the P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) demonstration and gave the hall a good cleaning for our guests that visited on the 16th.

Mundt Farms at the purchase price of $13 per yard in the year 2025.

• Councillors Mark Sagon and Greg Mundt returned to the meeting.

Council agreed to approve the draft copy of the gravel haul contract between the municipality and Silver Eagle Excavating with the approved changes to load, haul and spread at least 30 miles of gravel in Divisions 4 and 5. Council agreed to approve the draft copy of the gravel crushing contract between the municipality and Dmytryshyn and Sons with the approved chang-

ers have been asked to submit their Noise Emission Test Certificates for their after-market modifications on their vehicles.

Report of fighting and a loud verbal disagreement between a landlord and tenant that required some mediation attempts, and a dispute between neighbours over a cat high jacking. If only the feline could tell us which human it had better trained for its needs! Seemed like the cat was playing the field.

Theft of gas was report as a vehicle drove away from the gas station, members were able to track the person down to correct their momentary memory lapse. Theft of AirPods were reported but after a few days, returned upon the person learning these items can be traced on their walk about around town.

In the RM of Perdue, a grey four-door sedan fled with a male and

es to complete their 2023 crush agreement of a minimum of 11,000 yards before December 31, 2025 at the original price of $4.90 per yard. Council agreed to approve the quote from Meridian Surveys of $3,700 plus GST for survey fees, $450 for Community Planning fees, and $305 for ISC plan examination and approval, for the 2.7 acre subdivision for the Monarch Well.

• Meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m.

female occupant after their break and enter into an outbuilding at 5 a.m. was interrupted by a rural property owner. Another fraud reported about scammers using the Amazon account scam to convince their victim that their account was compromised and the need to urgently verify their information. Just a reminder that Amazon will never call you. Never talk to anyone calling or e-mailing you, never follow any links or numbers provided to you and always go into your accounts on your own to verify any activity that that a scammer may try to tell you is happening. Don’t feel bad about it, cut them off mid conversation by simply just hang up. Take care out there!

Bingo Numbers for JUNE 6

Cando School students stock Trout Pond ... Kids and staff of Cando School, along with Biggar Gold Course and Town of Biggar representatives, take a moment before releasing the first batch of fingerlings to the Trout Pond at the Golf Course, Tuesday. The kids put in some hard work, learning about their fish friends and healthy ecosystems. As mentioned, this is the first batch of fingerlings that will make the Trout Pond their home, soon to put smiles on anglers faces, all thanks to Cando School! (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Green-thumbs polish town ... On Monday the Biggar Planters were busy at the town sign rock garden. The Big Rose Colony brought a van load of flowers. In a half an hour 14 women planted 112 geraniums and about seven dozen dusty miller plants. What a beautiful welcome when driving into town. Thank you volunteers! (Submitted Photo)

Dear Editor:

The Heroes of Normandy

Death struck deeply into those who waded ashore on June 6, 1944. Struggling to quickly move from their landing craft to the sand of Normandy beach. Burdened by the heavy weight of their equipment, and the sights and sounds around them. Before them lay a terrifying array of obstacles waiting to trap, maim, and destroy anyone who attempted to challenge the terrible might of the Nazi occupation of France.

Service men and women came from all across Canada. Local militia units like the Regina Rifles and South Saskatchewan Regiment were mobilized for active war service.

These part-time “Saturday Night” soldiers were busy in their armouries and drill halls, recruiting and training its new members. Some would find themselves “storming Juno Beach” on June 6, while others arrived sometime later, joining the 3rd Canadian Division as they consolidated their foothold on the Normandy coast.

The liberation campaign slowly progressed mile by bloody mile across France until Paris was freed on August 25, 1944. In its wake were left countless dead and injured, destroyed towns and cities. Names of places became etched into the memories of the soldiers who fought in battles like Bourguébus Ridge, Carpiquet Airport, Caen, the Falaise “Gap”, Vaucelles, and Verrières Ridge. The campaign to liberate France from its occupiers would end up taking the lives of 5,021 Canadian soldiers.

The number of war veterans who fought in the liberation campaign have steadily declined as the years have passed. Fortunately, some of these remarkable old soldiers are still living. They are resilient people who followed a path of duty, endured hardship, faced danger and experienced things we could never imagine. Through the National Order of the Legion of Honour medal program, the Embassy of France in Canada continues to bestow their nation’s highest medal to our veterans who are proudly known as the liberators of France.

Guy

Black, Recipient of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation

The Juno Beach generation sacrificed themselves to ensure our freedom

by Pat Murphy, Troy Media columnist

The midday sky was bright and the sea was calm when I stood on Normandy’s Juno Beach some years ago, feeling a combination of awe and humility.

Also a touch of discomfort.

Juno, of course, was where thousands of men from the 3rd Canadian Infantry came ashore on D-Day, June 6, 1944. But, unlike when I was there, that was a grey early morning, the sea was choppy, and the Canadians were storming five miles of heavily fortified, booby-trapped beach.

Speaking personally, I’m not at all sure I’d have been up to the task.

D-Day has been described as the largest seaborne invasion in history. The scale was certainly enormous.

Facilitated by an invasion fleet of over 6,000 ships, 132,000 troops

were put ashore on five beaches during the first day. In support, allied aircraft flew almost 13,000 sorties.

Planning for the invasion had been a complex affair. After determining an overall strategy, execution challenges included the need for surprise in terms of timing and landing destinations, and the sheer logistics of assembling a suitable invasion force. In addition, nature presented its own difficulties, specifically tides and weather.

Because the tides would be right, June 5 to 7 was the summer of 1944’s first window of opportunity. But if the weather didn’t cooperate, it would be another two weeks before the tides were right again. And the longer the wait, the greater the likelihood of losing the element of surprise. Accordingly, June 5 was targeted as the invasion date, the ultimate

call residing with the allied supreme commander, Dwight Eisenhower. But the early morning June 4 weather update brought bad news, predicting “low clouds, high winds, and formidable wave action on the French coast for the morning of June 5. Air support would be impossible, naval gunfire would be inefficient, and the handling of landing craft would be hazardous.”

Eisenhower opted to postpone.

The subsequent updates for June 6 offered a ray of hope. There’d be a brief break in the weather, and it’d be the best shot available in the current window. So, after reviewing it with his command team, Eisenhower decided to go. And at 6:30 in the morning of June 6, the first wave of the seaborne invasion went ashore.

On the evening of June 5, Eisenhower paid a

visit to the American airborne units that would constitute the invasion’s vanguard, all the while privately aware that their casualty rate could go as high as 70 per cent. Then, after the last transport had taken off, he retired to his trailer with Kay Summersby, the AngloIrish woman who served as his personal driver, secretary, companion, confidante and perhaps much more. As she subsequently recounted, “he was so tired that his hand shook when he lit a cigarette.”

D-Day is sometimes described as the war’s turning point. But, critical though it was to the war’s final ending, the ultimately decisive events had taken place three years earlier.

Adolf Hitler began 1941 in a commanding position. He had 10 European conquests under his belt and just one active foe - beleaguered Britain and the members of the Commonwealth.

By year-end, he’d added the Soviet Union and the United States to his slate of immediate antagonists.

Neither decision was strictly necessary, at least not at that particular time. And by making the choices he did, Hitler manoeuvred himself into a no-win position.

Taken together, the combined population of the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain was more than double that of Germany and its Italian and Japanese allies. To quote historian Victor Davis Hanson: “In an existential conflict, the strategy must consist of destroying an enemy’s ability to make war. Hitler declared war in 1941 on the United States and the Soviet Union with an air force (and navy) that had been unable to destroy or capture Britain, and certainly could not reach Russia beyond the Ural Mountains - or harm New York, Detroit, or San Francisco.”

In contrast, once fully up and running, the Americans had the “ability to bomb and destroy” the German homeland. After D-Day, the war in Europe dragged on for almost another bloody year. Nazi Germany was a resourceful foe and still retained substantial domestic support.

All of which prompts a question for us today.

Given the huge number of casualties to be absorbed and the massive amount of collateral damage to be inflicted, would we have the requisite stoicism and emotional stamina to see such a job through?

Or - pleading a distaste for the moral ambiguities and compromises inherent in actually winning - would we head for the exits and thus leave the regime in place to reconstitute itself?

One wonders.

Notable Notes

Bob Mason

In light of the news lately and “Friendly Fire” casualties, I thought maybe I should check in some of the wartime history books that we have around here.

Y.T. (Yours Truly) imagines that many mistakes have been made in the past - many terrible bombing mistakes, as far as that goes - and for the life of me, I can’t understand it when a person listening to some of them shrugs and says, “Oh, but that was different ... we were at war then!”

Different!

Ask the mother of one of the Canadians killed near Caen in the summer of 1944 when the United States Eighth Air Force bombed them!

Sure, it would be fine to check with the military leaders to find out if war had been declared or not. Meanwhile while we were checking, they would lie there ... and bleed and bleed!

Maybe it is only pessimistic me, but the way I see it, when a person has a bomb drop on them - war or not - they’ve still had a bomb drop on them!

I’m not much of a gambler, but I’ll bet my bottom buck that very few (well ... maybe Vic Cooper!) can remember this incident.

From Page 338 of the book, “The Guns of Normandy” by George Blackburn, I quote: “At 1 p.m., an hour before Fourth Canadian Armoured Division are to take off, the first of 500 heavy bombers of USA Eighth Air Force begin to drop 1,500 tons of bombs.

“Last night the RAF [Royal Air Force] (1,200

Bombs away!

planes) dropped 3,500 tons of bombs so close that the infantry was issued earplugs, but not one bomb fell short!

“Now in broad daylight the Yanks drop their loads 10 miles behind where they were supposed to!

“Many fell on Third Division where it was concentrating for their move up.

“How in God’s name could that have happened?”

End quote.

And from Page 318 of the Gunners of Canada II by Colonel G.W.L. Nicolson C.D., a report on the damage. Quote:

“The North Shore Regiment alone lost 100 officers and men to the bombs, many of Third Division Head Quarters were wounded, including the Divisional Commander, Major-General Keller. Of the 65 killed and 250 wounded among the Canadians and Poles, many were artillery men - and a lot of vehicles destroyed.”

And again by George Blackburn: “Everyone states in disbelief as, one after another, 24 Liberators and Flying Fortresses [Consolidated B-24 Liberator and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, American heavy bombers] drop bombs on our guns deployed around Colombelles. It is all over in minutesmuffled explosions and the faint, hoarse cries of desperate men!”

End quote.

And the telegrams home ... “We regret to inform you ...”

Far be it from the writer to blame any one when things like this happen, for there is no single person who can claim in all conscience that they thought they were doing the right thing!

Society itself, by even allowing wars to be, and for all its affluence, I feel, has really failed somehow! Somewhere in our past a sickness has seeped into life’s normal procedures and eventually lured us into a kind of self-destruction mode. Yet we keep

NOTICE of ANNUAL MEETING

Biggar & District Health Services Foundation Inc.

Monday June 17th, 2024 @7:00pm Biggar Health Centre Meeting Room All are Welcome

on and on.

I suppose this little bit (certainly incomplete) about some of the bombing mistakes of the past, seems a little scary sometimes, but is surely cannot mention the ones that may be in our future! More than one reader, after looking at this, I imagine, will turn to this neighbour and say something like, “Boy, is that old guy ever out of touch with the present!”

And maybe they are right, but his “old guy” - at least as of right now - sure hasn’t lost touch with life!

We try and try but never in our partisan style ever seem to find a way of controlling the “Bad Guys” other than killing them.

Yet sometimes the bombs fall short...

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR

The Rural Municipality of Biggar No. 347 is presently accepting applications for the position of Equipment Operator

Applicant must hold a valid driver’s license. Experience operating various equipment would be an asset. Contact our office for a more detailed job description

Please forward applications by Monday, June 17, 2024 stating experience, expected salary and at least two references to:

R.M. of Biggar No. 347

Mail: P.O. Box 280, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0

Drop off: 201 – 2nd Avenue West, Biggar

Phone: (306) 948-2242

Fax: (306) 948-2250

Email: rm347admin@sasktel.net

The R.M. of Biggar thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

FOREMAN

The Rural Municipality of Biggar No. 347, is a large R.M that usually staffs approximately 10 seasonal employees every year We are currently seeking applications for an experienced, permanent Foreman. Eligible applicants must possess the following:

3 years of road maintenance experience Valid driver’s license-Class 1A knowledge of equipment operations and a mechanical aptitude excellent interpersonal and organizational skills capability of prioritizing numerous jobs within the municipality strong leadership and supervisory skills

A salary package including a competitive benefit/pension plan, will be negotiated based on qualifications at the time of hire. For a more detailed job description, please contact our office

This position will remain open until a suitable applicant is selected. Please send resumes to:

R.M. of Biggar No. 347

Mail: P.O. Box 280, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0

Drop off: 201 – 2nd Avenue West, Biggar

Phone: (306) 948-2242

Fax: (306) 948-2250

Email: rm347admin@sasktel.net

The R.M. of Biggar thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

FOREMAN

Canada Remembers - D-Day and the Battle of Normandy

Canadians took part in many hard struggles to help the Allies to victory during the Second World War.

D-Day and the Battle of Normandy was one of the best-known chapters of the entire conflict and our service members would play an important role in this pivotal campaign.

Setting the scene Germany invaded much of Western Europe in the spring of 1940, during the opening months of the Second World War. A narrow stretch of sea, the English Channel, was all that separated the surging enemy forces from Great Britain, but the island nation held firm.

The conquered countries on the continent would suffer greatly under a harsh occupation in the years that followed. An Allied raid on the French coast at Dieppe in August 1942 would result in heavy losses, especially for Canadian troops, but the Allies would slowly turn the tide against the powerful enemy war machine in North Africa, Italy, on the Eastern Front, in the skies over Europe and on the Atlantic Ocean.

To win the war, however, Germany would have to be defeated on the ground in Western Europe and 1944 would be the year the Allies would finally return and powerfully strike back.

The target for the Allied landing forces would be the beaches of Normandy in France.

Planning and preparation for this immense undertaking, code named Operation Overlord, began more than a year earlier. Land, sea and air forces trained extensively and the necessary troops, ships, tanks, supplies and other equipment were steadily amassed. Misinformation was deliberately leaked to the Germans to confuse them over where the landings would actually take place. Huge portable docking facilities, called “Mulberry harbours,” were prepared for use by Allied transport ships to unload their cargoes in France. Long flexible pipes, nicknamed “PLUTO” (pipe lines

under the ocean), were designed to carry fuel under the English Channel.

The Allies were ready but had to wait until the weather, tides and phase of the moon were right in order to be able to attack.

“Fortress Europe”

Successfully establishing a beachhead in occupied France would be a huge challenge for the Allied forces. The Germans had turned the coast of Europe from the Spanish border to Scandinavia into a daunting series of defensive positions.

Dubbed “Fortress Europe” by Adolf Hitler, its shores were studded with land mines, barbed wire, concrete bunkers, artillery batteries, machine-gun nests, anti-tank walls, and thousands of watchful enemy troops.

An Allied defeat on the beaches of Normandy would have been disastrous as there was no way to safely evacuate troops in large numbers, so huge casualties would be inevitable. If the landings were successful, however, our forces would finally gain that all-important foothold in Western Europe and could begin the liberation campaign after years of harsh German occupation. On land, by sea and in the air

Allied warplanes helped pave the way for the Normandy landings. They undertook countless missions attacking coastal defences and lines of transport in occupied Europe in the months leading up to Operation Overlord.

Despite questionable weather conditions, the Allied high command made the decision to attack on June 6, 1944 - a date that has become known in history as “D-Day.” A massive Allied force would cross the English Channel, heading for an 80-kilometre stretch of the Normandy coast. There were five landing zones assigned to the forces of different nations: Juno Beach (Canada); Gold Beach (United Kingdom); Sword Beach (United Kingdom and France); and Utah Beach

and Omaha Beach (United States).

Some 7,000 naval vessels of all types, including 284 major combat ships, took part in Operation Neptune (as the seaborne assault phase of the D-Day offensive was code named). Destroyers and supporting craft of the Royal Canadian Navy shelled German positions onshore and cleared sea mines in the approaches to the French beaches.

Many Royal Canadian Air Force planes were among the some 4,000 Allied bombers and 3,700 fighters/fighter bombers that relentlessly struck at shoreline defences, inland targets and enemy squadrons that day.

More than 450 members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped inland before dawn on June 6 and were the first of our soldiers to engage the enemy on D-Day.

A few hours later, some 14,000 Canadian troops from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade - composed of military units from coast to coast - would begin to come ashore at Juno Beach. Their mission was to brave heavy fire to establish a foothold along an eight-kilometre stretch of coastline fronting the villages of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, Bernières-sur-Mer, Courseulles-sur-Mer, and Graye-sur-Mer.

Our soldiers would then push inland towards the city of Caen, an important communications and transport centre.

A hard-won victory

Many Canadian soldiers were young and new to battle, but our infantry and armoured troops would be thrown into action against some of the best of the German forces in Normandy.

The Canadians successfully captured their shoreline positions at Juno Beach and penetrated the farthest inland of any of the some 155,000 Allied troops who had landed on June 6, 1944, but D-Day was only the beginning of the struggle to liberate France. Clashes in the days that followed badly bloodied our soldiers

and they repeatedly found themselves pitted against the elite 12th SS Panzer Division, manned by fanatical troops under the command of ruthless and experienced German officers. The first month of fighting was an exercise in grim endurance for the Canadians as the combat intensified and capturing Caen remained elusive.

The Canadians would bend but not break; however, the memory of the bitter fighting they encountered in villages like Authie, Buron and Carpiquet would haunt our Veterans for years to come.

Our navy and air force continued to support the campaign as they kept the sea lanes clear of enemy shipping and swept German warplanes from the skies over Normandy, while also pounding countless ground targets. Caen finally fell to British and Canadian troops on July 9–10, but the fighting would continue through the choking dust and intense summertime heat in the countryside south of the city. Canadian troops battled forward despite desperate struggles at places like Verrières Ridge, which our soldiers helped capture only after multiple bloody attempts had cost many hundreds of lives, with even more being wounded.

With an American breakout against weakening German troops in western Normandy com-

ing in early August, the stiff enemy defenses in France finally began to collapse. As the German forces began to stream eastward away from the surging Allied lines, Canadian troops would be called on to help close the so-called “Falaise Gap” in mid-August to trap the retreating enemy units. It would take repeated efforts on a chaotic battlefield, but the pocket would finally be completely cut off by August 21, resulting in the taking of tens of thousands of desperate German prisoners. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated by the Allies, officially bringing the Normandy campaign to a close.

Sacrifice

Victory in the Battle of Normandy came at a terrible cost. The Canadians suffered the highest casualties of any divisions in the British Army Group during the campaign.

Some 359 Canadian soldiers were killed on D-Day alone, and a total of more than 5,000 of our men would die during the two-and-ahalf-months of fighting in Normandy. Most of these fallen heroes lie buried in France in the beautiful Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery and the Bretteville-surLaize Canadian War Cemetery. Over 13,000 more of our soldiers were wounded in Normandy, with many suffering injuries to body and mind that they

would carry for the rest of their lives.

Legacy

Normandy was the beginning of 11 months of hard fighting in Northwest Europe. Canadians would also go on to play an important role in bitter struggles at places like the Scheldt, the Rhineland and the Netherlands during the Allied offensives that would eventually help defeat the Germans and see Victory in Europe (V-E) Day declared on May 8, 1945.

Canada’s impressive efforts in the Second World War remain a point of great national pride, even many decades later. The brave Canadians who came ashore on D-Day and saw action in the Battle of Normandy were among the more than one million men and women from our country who served in the cause of peace and freedom during the conflict. Sadly, over 45,000 of them would lose their lives.

Canada Remembers Program

The Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Affairs Canada encourages all Canadians to learn about the sacrifices and achievements made by those who have served - and continue to serve - during times of war and peace. As well, it invites Canadians to become involved in remembrance activities that will help preserve their legacy for future generations.

Landing craft in the English Channel carrying Canadian soldiers to Juno Beach on D-Day. (Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-137014)

Canadian Nursing Sisters arriving in France during the Battle of Normandy in July 1944. (Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-108174)

Canadian soldiers and tanks landing at Courseulles-sur-Mer, France, on June 6, 1944. (Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-128791)

More barriers to world food

Agriculture

Calvin Daniels

by Calvin Daniels

Not surprisingly discussions at the World Seed Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands are including talks regarding global supply chain challenges.

The Congress which brings several hundred people together from around the world, including seed production companies, national trade associations and researchers, is obviously a place where getting grain from one place to another is of paramount

importance. This of course is far from a new issue too.

One of the biggest reasons people go to bed hungry in far too many countries is the inability to get food from producer to the tables of the hungry.

Part of the reason food doesn’t get to those tables is breakdowns in the transportation system.

Those disruptions can be anything from strikes by employees, to severe weather to civil unrest, all of which can leave food sitting and sometimes spoiling.

Overlay that with the politics at play - an unsettling trend away from free trade - and the all too real prospect of war zone hotspots, and getting food distributed gets far more difficult.

The more barriers to trade created by politicians the greater the challenges of distribution become. Then one must factor in wealth distribution. The world grows enough

food but not everyone can afford to buy it at a price which makes the producer and those handling the food along the way a profit.

We don’t have to go farther than local food banks and homeless shelters to see that wealth distribution is a very worldwide issue and one that leads to hunger for too many people.

How we as a civilization address such inequities is a huge question - one with very little hope of an answer because those with the ability to address such a thing seem generally to have no interest in doing so.

It’s the same reality when looking at world population.

Ultimately, the resources of this planet are finite.

Even with scientific advancements there are finite acres to produce food and maximum productions levels to be achieved. So at some point how enough food is grown if population con-

Tickets Available at The Independent

tinues upward becomes a massive question. While not directly tied to distribution concerns, population is at least issue adjacent.

But, again, it’s not a question with any seri-

ous effort seeming to be put into finding a workable solution. Again it’s time the process was at least seriously started because workable solutions are not likely to be quickly achieved.

So, it’s good that the World Seed Congress is at least looking at some aspects of a multifaceted problem. Hopefully, they manage a few ideas that can improve things - even a little.

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which extends from Warner in the south on Highway 4 all the way north to Highway 55 in Lac La Biche. Highway 36 was given that distinction in in 2005 during Alberta’s Centennial to honour the province’s military history and the veterans for the contributions made.

from the Canadian Pacific Railway to form of what is now the basis of the town.

Edgerton Day was also the first mayor of the town.

by Trudy and Dale Buxton

We are travelling west on Highway 13 in Alberta, our next town that we come across is the Town of Killam.

Killam is at the intersection of highways 13 and 36 which is also called the Veterans Memorial Highway,

Killam has a current population of around 925 people and was named after Albert Clements Killam, who was the first chairman of the Railway Commission of Canada, and a Canadian lawyer. Killam passed away in 1908 and the town was established in 1907.

Located in a area of rich agricultural land, Killam is considered by most to be the central hub of agriculture in the Flagstaff County.

Bill Peters, former NHL coach, is proud to call Killam home.

Next up along the highway we come to the Hamlet of Strome, originally called Knolton in 1905, changed to Strome in 1906.

At the time Strome was a larger community and maintained village status until 2016. Today, it has a population of around 250 people. The name Strome comes from the Scottish community of Stromeferry.

Despite its small size, Strome maintains many recreational activities and stays a vibrate community. Memorial Hall was built as a gathering centre for the community and at one time boasted that they had the best dance floor in all of Alberta.

Next up is the Town of Daysland. Named after Edgerton W. Day who purchased over 100,000 acres of land in 1904 for a tidy sum of $750,000

Altogether, Day had purchased 276,000 acres which included the townships of Killam and Strome.

Born in Ontario, Edgerton Day’s first job was as a stagecoach driver. He eventually became the general manager of a loan company. Day had dreams and aspirations of living in the West when he saw an opportunity to purchase land from the Canadian Pacific.

population of around 800 people and its largest economic driver is from the agriculture sector.

Resigning as Mayor of Daysland, Day moved to Edmonton where he would also become mayor.

Day was a man who had started with nothing and earned his way with grit and perseverance to become a wealthy landowner and pioneer in the West. Daysland has a current

Daysland has had a few hockey players come out of the community to play in the NHL, most notably Richard Petiot and Matthew Spiller. For a small community Daysland has a nice main street and is almost a bedroom community for the neighbouring City Camrose.

Stay tuned next week for more of the Saskatchewan Traveller, as we visit the community of Camrose and all it has to offer.

•FOREFRONT

We

•STAY

The

LESS

Killam, Alberta

Evidence

of where the 5¢ to $1 store was

Lower east side of Main Street and the A.W Mooney store circa 1955, or earlier. There’s no Federal Building (Post Office) yet.

Identified are, from left to right, front row: Donna Foreshall, Helen Sarvas, Elaine McLay, Louise Atkinson, Hazel Linden, Zella Thomson, Velma Fogelberg, Kathleen Cryderman, June McKenzie. Back row: Alvin Spector, Walter Adams, Don Oliver, Bob Brownlee. Do you recognize any names?

Same excitement, different era by Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Museum and Gallery June is fast approaching! Then many thoughts go to Graduation!

I am seeing the yard signs up of students I have known since they were small, now they are graduating! Time goes by so quickly!

Here is a photo from June 1948 Biggar in front of the Presbyterian Church on the corner of Fourth and Main, the Biggar High School grad class. Note: not many guys in that class ... and the girls are looking so elegant in their gowns.

Town of Biggar employee profile

Danny Castle and his family moved to Biggar about six years ago from Kerrobert. He has a wife, Lana, and a daughter, Danielle. Soon after, he began his career working for the Town in the Water Department.

Quality roads, proximity to major centres, and amenities conveniently located right here in town are only a few of the perks that drew Danny and his family to Biggar in the first place. According to Castle, the revamped downtown is the icing on the cake to living in Biggar.

The 60-year-old enjoys riding his motorcycle, listening to music, and camping. Pizzeria Adria here in town is Danny’s favourite joint to grab a slice where he will always order an All Meat and Feta.

Castle most enjoys the science about his job but the ability to learn new things is at the top. The most recent task

he has learnt to do is a backwash, which is cleaning filters in our water plant that allows for our public water to stay clean.

If there is one pet peeve Danny has it would be lack of communication.

“Your energy can change someone’s mood. Be mindful”, states Castle.

If you recognize this face around town, give him a big wave, and if you’re really trying to win some points remember his favourite slice is All Meat and Feta at Pizzeria Adria.

Last week, The Independent published a photo of the 5¢ to $1 store on Main Street. I thought maybe it is now Carter’s storage building.

I went hunting and found a picture of the 5¢ to $1 Store. Here’s the photograph, you can just see a portion of the sign on the left side of the photograph. This picture was taken circa 1950. Then I found another photograph circa 1955. The only sign is for A.W.

Mooney but see the windows that the lady on the sidewalk is walking by, does it not look like

the photo from last week of the store. So, does that mean the 5¢ was closed by 1955?

The 5¢ to $1 store on the left, and beside the Canadian Legion. Circa 1950. (Photos for The Independent by the Biggar Museum and Gallery)

There are two local artists exhibiting in the Biggar Credit Union

by

Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Art Group

In the glass display cabinets across from the cashiers, Jeff Selkirk is showing his wood carvings to us.

“I was born in Biggar, lived and travelled many

places. I enjoy creating with many mediums: string, paint, metal, and wood,” Selkirk explains. “I’ve recently renewed a childhood passion for ‘Whittling sticks’ with a pocket-knife. Trying to master the art of not cutting myself.”

On the walls of the Community Room and on the halls in the Biggar Credit Union is the work of Shandi Lefsrud.

“Shandi Lefsrud S & K Photography located in Biggar, Saskatchewan, Canada, is my creative endeavour. Alongside being a wife, and a mother to three rapidly growing children, I manage a fulltime day home,” Lefsrud

said. “My journey with photography began as a hobby during the early years of motherhood, and it has since become a cherished passion. As my children mature, I’ve had the opportunity to expand my clientele and deepen my love for capturing timeless memories. I am dedicated to capturing the perfect moments for you to

cherish forever. With my passion for photography and attention to detail, I ensure that every photo tells a story. Whether it’s a special event or a family portrait, I strive to exceed your expectations. My commitment lies in providing outstanding service and immortalizing the essence of every moment through my lens.”

Biggar U11 take huge win!

Enjoy these exhibitions, there are so many talented artists in our community. If you would like to display your creations in the Biggar Credit Union, please contact the Biggar Art Group by leaving a message at the Biggar Museum and Gallery.

Jeff Selkirk in front of his display of carvings, and Shandi Lefsrud, now displaying in the Biggar Credit Union. (Submitted photos)

Biggar U11 Cats softball squad hit the diamond versus Elrose. After the game was called due to weather at the tournament in Swift Current, May 26, the final game went ahead in Elrose, May 30, and the Cats came away with the 15-4 win for the ‘Candy Cup’. Congratulations to the team on an outstanding performance! (Photo for The Independent by Shandi Lefsrud of S&K Photography and Submitted Photo)

80 Years On - D-Day a turning point in combating tyranny

Monday, June 5th, 1944

Near Southampton, England, the men of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade had already boarded the ships. LCA (Landing Craft Assault) slung from the davits, the ships sailed off at dawn, followed by the large landing crafts for infantry and tanks. They passed Portsmouth around 0900 (9 a.m.).

On the way, subaltern officers and later troops were briefed. They broke open the seals and took out the maps where the actual targets were shown.

This was no exercise...

The Channel was rough. Waves, some two metres high, made sailing difficult even at reduced speed. The ships and landing crafts were tossed around and many got seasick.

In front of the fleet, minesweepers cleared a route through the mined area protecting the coast. The 31st Canadian Minesweeper Flotilla, as well as other Canadian ships incorporated into British flotillas took part in the operation, clearing 10 lanes marked with lighted buoys.

At nightfall, everything was going according to plan. In the distance, the bombings could be heard; at 2331 (11:31 p.m.) Bomber Command launched an assault against the coastal batteries in the landing zone. Bombs fell until 0515 (5:15 a.m.); in all, 1,136 sorties, 5,268 tonnes dropped. The Royal Canadian Air Force 6 Group was part of the operation, targeting batteries at Merville, Franceville and Houlgate. Meanwhile, French resistance fighters

warned by BBC coded messages undertook more than a thousand sabotage actions during a single night. At midnight, the 6th British Airborne division, which included the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, dropped off north of Caen to protect the eastern flank of the landing area. On the western side, US paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne were dropped; their mission was to take control of the area inland from Utah Beach.

‘C’ Company had been given the task of clearing out the enemy garrison at Varaville. Given the size of the force represented by ‘C’ Company, the undertaking was formidable. At the Chateau de Varaville, a 75 mm antitank gun and fortifications, which included bunkers and trenches, had been established to control the road intersection. This was manned by a much larger force than had been anticipated...

At dawn, the weather was still bad; a northwesterly wind was blowing at 15 knots. Channel waters were choppy with waves over one metre. And clouds were piling up. At 0530 (5:30 a.m.), destroyers started pounding the coastal defence positions. As thousands of engines roared and bombs exploded in the air, the LCAs were launched and the soldiers boarded them. In a few minutes, 130,000 men would be landing on French soil to oust the Nazi invaders.

Objectives

Operation Overlord was only one step of a global strategic plan for the complete defeat of Nazi Germany. The Normandy landing was

designed to establish a bridgehead from which two armies, the First US Army on the west flank and the Second British Army to the east could be supplied by sea. With the bridgehead firmly secured, the armies were to move on to liberate France and the neighbouring countries. Germany, attacked on three separate fronts, in Northwest Europe, in Russia, and in the Mediterranean, would soon be exhausted and defeated.

On June 6, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade were tasked with establishing a bridgehead on the beach code named “Juno”. This was an eight-kilometre long stretch of beach bordering Saint-Aubin, Bernières, Courseullessur-Mer and Graye-surMer. Assault troops were then to move towards the Carpiquet airfield, 18 kilometres inland. The 3rd Infantry Division, under Major-General R.F.L. Keller, was under command of the Second British Army. It was flanked on the left by the 3rd British Infantry Division that was to land on Sword beach (Lionsur-Mer, Langrune-surMer). To the right, the 50th British Division had as its target “Gold Beach” (La Rivière, Le Hamel, and Arromanches).

Before the infantry actually set foot on the beach, all artillery launched a saturation barrage against enemy defences. Destroyers pounded the beaches and the large landing crafts approached with their 4.7-inch guns firing. Landing craft tanks fired rocket rounds.

The four field artillery regiments, in all 96 guns of 105-mm, embarked

on 24 LCTs, moved on simultaneously. From its craft the 12th Field Regiment opened fire against a fortified position in Courseulles.

At 0655 (6:55 a.m.), the 13th Field Regiment attacked another position west of the cliff. At 0744 (7:44 a.m.), the 14th Regiment fired on the Bernières fortified position; and at 0739 (7:39 a.m.), the 19th Regiment attacked a similar post in SaintAubin. For half an hour they fired above the heads of the infantry and above the LCAs that were by the shore.

“As we moved farther from the mother ship and closer to shore, it came as a shock to realize that the assault fleet just behind us had completely disappeared from view. Suddenly there was just us and an awful lot of ocean) or English Channel if you prefer. All that remained within sight was our own fleet of 10 assault craft, moving abreast in the early-morning silence in a gradually extending line facing the shore, the A Company boats on the right and the B Company boats on the left.

“Daylight. We had never felt so alone in our lives.”

Charles Cromwell Martin, Battle Diary, 1994, p. 4.

In the west, the first assault troops of the 7th Infantry Brigade landed shortly after 0800 (8 a.m.) near Courseulles-sur-mer. Somewhat further east, in the sector of the 8th Brigade, the North Shore Regiment set foot on the Saint-Aubin beach at 0810 (8:10 a.m.) and the Queen’s Own Rifles started to march on Bernières at 0812 (8:12

a.m.). As they ran under heavy enemy machinegun fire, the men were quick to forget their nausea due to choppy waters and rolling ships. But bad weather still had an impact on the operations: landing the tanks was hindered and the LCTs had to move in closer with the risk of hitting a submerged mine. As they set foot on the beach, men of the “B” Company of the Queen’s Own Rifles had to run 200 metres against a German defensive position spared by the saturation fire earlier on.

They suffered most from the delayed arrival of the DD tanks, Sherman tanks equipped with floating devices that the height of the waves had rendered useless.

“On the run-in Doug Reed and I were standing up eagerly, watching for shore. We began singing ‘The Bells Are Ringing for Me and My Gal’ and continued until we saw the steeple of the church at our landing site. I said, ‘Doug, there’s the church, I thought it wasn’t supposed to be there.’

“It suffered one shell hole in the steeple. We soon saw the big hotel that is a famous painting now.

“Then we saw the five pillboxes mounted on top of the sea-wall. These were our first objective. About 500 yards out, they had us in the sights of their small arms and began shooting. We had never been under real fire and realized it when bullets were hitting our assault craft. I said to Doug, as if we should be surprised, ‘they’re shooting at us’ and we ducked down below the armour.”

Doug Hester, Queen’s Own Rifles, from

Canadians, A Battalion at War, p. 3.

Taking advantage of the surprise, the first assault troops silenced the 75-mm and 88-mm guns and ensured access to the beaches. Around 0830 (8:30 a.m.), they were followed by the reserve battalions. At 0910 and 0925 (9:10 and 9:25 a.m.), the 19th and 14th Field Regiments landed and positioned their self-propelled guns for combat. The ever-increasing number of troops and vehicles on the beach made circulation more difficult. To solve the problem, Royal Corps of Engineers personnel opened up breaches in the seawall protecting the beach.

“Our first attempt to deploy the normal unit of four guns in the field role occurred immediately after debarment; it should be recalled that our SPs were carrying extra and unusual loads which temporarily rendered them clumsy in movement as well as critically vulnerable to enemy fire.”

Wesley M. Alkenbrack, ‘First deployment of the 14th Field Regiment’. While the fighting still raged, some French civilians left their homes. They were astonished to meet soldiers who spoke their language. Replying to an inquiring villager, a soldier from the Régiment de la Chaudière told him ‘P’tet ben que oui, p’tet ben que non’ (‘Maybe yes, maybe no’) with an accent so similar to that of French as spoken in Normandy that the civilian could not believe he was dealing with a Canadian.

Two German officers in a group of prisoners who surrendered to Canadian troops in Bernières-surMer, June 6, 1944. (Photo by Ken Bell, Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada, PA114493)

A LCA just launched off HMCS Prince Henry carrying troops towards the Normandy beaches. (Photo by Dennis Sullivan, Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada, PA-132790)

On board their assault landing crafts, men of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles heading towards their sector of Juno Beach, June 6, 1944. (Photo Dennis Sullivan, Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada, PA-132651)

1st Hussars tanks and men of the 7th Infantry Brigade landing on a crowded beach at Courseullessur-Mer, June 6,1944. (Photo Ken Bell, Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada, PA128791)

Helped by a sergeant, French civilians walking by a tank in Bernières. (Photo Frank L. Dubervill, Department of National Defence/National Archives of Canada, PA-132725)

Business & Professional …

Business & Professional …

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- together with -

Co-Ed Fitness Centre

Healthy Lifestyle Weight Loss Personal Training Fitness Classes …owned and operated by Brett Barber

102 - 3rd Ave. W., Biggar 306-948-9750

www.newufitness.ca

ARIES –Mar 21/Apr 20

Family obligations are swimming through your mind, Aries. It is time to sit down and hammer out a resolution that will appeal to everyone and lighten your load.

TAURUS –Apr 21/May 21

A special person in your life is getting closer and closer to you every day, Taurus. This may be the companion that you have been hoping for. Continue to take things slowly.

GEMINI –May 22/Jun 21

Gemini, sometimes you have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be. Stop obsessing over every little detail this week. Things have a way of working out.

LIBRA –Sept 23/Oct 23

Recently people have been directing accolades in your direction, Libra. This is the boost you have needed to propel yourself to do more of the things that have been your goals.

SCORPIO –

Oct 24/Nov 22

Scorpio, someone simply isn’t bringing his or her A-game to a work project, and it shows. It’s frustrating and you want to take over, but this is supposed to be a team effort.

SAGITTARIUS –

Nov 23/Dec 21

Simple things used to bring you pleasure and now it seems a bit of a gray cloud has descended. Don’t start to fret you’re getting jaded, Sagittarius. This is just a little rough patch.

CAPRICORN

–

Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, as a finish line approaches, it can be tempting to get very excited. Hold off on that elation until everything is done. You never know what can crop up in between.

AQUARIUS –Jan 21/Feb 18

It doesn’t need to be New Year’s to make a resolution, Aquarius. You can aspire to change an aspect of your life anytime you want. Perhaps this is the week to embrace change?

PISCES –

Feb 19/Mar 20

Have you been putting all of your focus on only one part of your life, Pisces? Take a more balanced approach; otherwise, burnout may soon set in.

Troy May, owner/operator Fax: 306-237-TROY email: tmay@hotmail.ca Super B outfits hauling grain and fertilizer in Western Canada

SUDOKU

BIGGAR HOUSING AUTHORITY

Housing for families and seniors

Rent based on income Call: 306•303•7246

CANCER –Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, if someone accuses you of being too emotional this week, do not take it personally. This person may be projecting his or her experiences on you. Continue what you’re doing.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

Please

Leo, could you be holding yourself to unreasonably high standards? If you’re getting frustrated by not meeting your goals, ease up on yourself for the time being.

Thanks Urla

VIRGO –

Aug 24/Sept 22

Virgo, it is your mission to change the minds of some people at work this week, as it will bode well for you down the road. Just don’t make too many extravagant requests.

of regulator

LA football player (abbr.)

closely

A type of equation

Stretched uncomfortably

Indian religious god

3. A place to eat 4. Partner in the air

5. Offered one’s take 6. Nobel-winning French biologist

7. Farm animals

9. Prevent from growing 10. Sensationalist periodical 12. Soft-bodied beetle

14. Very fast airplane

15. Imaginative creation

17. Recipe measurement (abbr.)

19. Evoked a response

20. French river

23. Shiny yellow minerals

24. Make illegal

25. U.S. military branch

26. River in France and Belgium

27. A woman of refinement

28. Male child

29. Type of medication

30. German city

31. Animal disease

32. Mediterranean dietary staple

33. Sneak out

34. Radioactivity unit

36. Performs on stage

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the estate of Wilfred James Elliott, late of Biggar, Saskatchewan, deceased.

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 20th day of June 2024.

Ms. Jessie C. Buydens, Solicitor for the Executor.

Scott Phelps & Mason Barristers and Solicitors 306 Ontario Avenue, Main Floor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K

Thank you very much to everyone that showed their support to us when we lost our granddaughter, Dielle

The visits, gifts of flowers, food, phone calls were sincerely appreciated

We are so fortunate to live in a small community that shows their support to families in distress (need)

God Bless everyone Garry and Bev

by Rev. Daphne Bender, PALs

Picture this cartoon: A man is behind the wheel of an old, old car, driving down a road. Three wheels are on the car and the fourth wheel is in mid-air as it flies off the car and into the ditch. The caption reads, “Not that wheel, Jesus. I meant the steering wheel!”

I’m assuming that the cartoon is a parody on the song that was made popular a few years ago by Carrie Underwood entitled, Jesus Take the Wheel. The song is about those times in our lives when we just can’t keep going - when we

A Celebration of Life was held in Carrot River on Saturday June 1, 2024

CatholiC ChurCh

THANK YOU

The family of Dielle Martin would like to thank everyone for all the condolences, cards, donations and messages during this difficult time. Thank you Kenzie Martin for the video, Krista Remeshylo and Tricia Darroch for being the emcee’s, Cailin Darroch, Kirsten Newton, Kelcie Stone and Danielle Barclay for the eulogy. Thank you to the St.Gabriel’s Church for serving the lunch and to Gerein Funeral Home for all thier guidance.

Darryl, Kathy, Daylen, Stephen, Evva

REFLECTIONS

are driven to the point of praying that Jesus would take over the job of steering our lives. When the road we are on in life becomes too difficult to navigate on our own, we turn to Jesus for help, giving control over to Jesus. The song points to the problem that lies between God and human beings. We always try to control what is not meant for us to control. And only when we’ve made a mess of life, and have come to realize that we can’t control everything, do we acquiesce and let go of what was never really within our grasp in the first place.

It’s that time of the year. Your Donations are needed for the ght against PROSTATE CANCER Help us with that ght Call 948-3344, e Independent or E-Transfer to dale@dtjssb.ca

Help me to make my Fundraising

GET YOUR COPY OF THIS GREAT BOOK WRITTEN BY BIGGAR’S OWN LISA DEJONG AVAILABLE AT THE INDEPENDENT

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but time and again, our eyes are opened by the reality that we are not in control of everything around us. That’s where faith in God comes in. Rather than trying to take control of our lives in places and ways that we cannot control, we are given the gift of faith in God. God asks us to give our lives into God’s hands and let God do the steering.

But here’s the twist.

Even in the areas of life where we can decide how to act or when to act - in other words, where we have control - God wants us to place our trust in God. Faith

involves seeking direction from God before we take the steering wheel into our hands. Trusting God to lead the way may still seem scary and may occasionally feel like a wheel has come off, but God assures us that the journey is going as planned.

May we trust God to guide us throughout life!

Deadline for Classifieds

Anglicans and Lutherans

Anglican Redeemer

Ave. E 319 7th Ave. E JUNE 9, INTERDENOMINATIONAL WORSHIP MAJESTIC THEATRE (FAIR DAYS) JUNE 23, REDEEMER LUTHERAN Rev. Daphne Bender Pastor’s cellular Phone: 1-306-621-9559 Office Phone: 306-948-3731 (Messages are forwarded to Pastor’s phone immediately)

BEGINNINGS CHURCH ...In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope...1Pe 1:3 You are Invited Sunday Tea and Coffee -10:15am Worship - 10:30am NEW HORIZONS 117 3rd Ave. W, Biggar For more info - Philip Watson - 250-487-8476 Worship - 10:30 a.m.

Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, June 8, starting at 8:00am until 10:00am at Biggar Musuem & Gallery. $10.00 under 12 years ½ price

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Masonic Pancake Brunch Sunday June 9 10:00am - 12:30pm at the Theatre Parking Lot

Adults $10.00 6-12 $5.00 Under 6 Free Proceeds to the Benefit Fund

Toll free; 1-855-762-2233

E-mail: jimreitermla@sasktel.net

Box 278, Rosetown SK S0L 2V0

Please call with questions or concerns

Attention: Kathie

I gave you a few variations to look at.

Please let me know which you prefer by return email and we can get this ad started Thursday, November 24.

Price: $35.28 plus gst per week

LPGA stars heading in different directions

Talk to you later, Urla Tyler, Advertising Consultant

Jim Reiter, MLA

Rosetown-Elrose Constituency

215 Main Street, Rosetown

Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 Tel: 306-882-4105 Fax: 306-882-4108

Toll free; 1-855-762-2233

E-mail: jimreitermla@sasktel.net

Box 278, Rosetown SK S0L 2V0

Please call with questions or concerns

The recent U.S. women’s open golf championship featured two superstars heading in opposite directions - Nelly Korda n the midst of her rise to legendary Hall-of-Fame status (even though she took a bit of a detour at the Open), and 15-time winner Lexi Thompson, 29, a child star who announced before the tournament that she plans to retire from

professional golf at the end of this season. Korda, who will be 26 this summer, has been setting the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour on fire this season, until a disastrous 10 on a par-3 during the opening round of the U.S. Open momentarily stalled her march to greatness.

Earlier this year, she won five consecutive tournaments and took top spot in six of the season’s first 12 events. Naturally, she was the favourite going into the U.S. Open but the 10, when she dunked three balls into a creek on a par 3, led to an 80 and a missed cut. Still, Korda is the undisputed No. 1-ranked golfer in the world and leads the LPGA money list with more than $3 million, $1.5 million ahead of the runner-up, Hannah Green.

A member of an elite athletic family, Korda is the defending Olympic gold medallist in women’s golf but, like Thompson, has only one major championship on her resume. Nelly’s sister, Jessica, is a sixtime LPGA winner; their brother Sebastian is ranked 28th in the world in men’s tennis; and their parents, Petr and Regina, were both accomplished tennis pros, with Petr having one Grand Slam title to his credit.

Even Nelly’s boyfriend is a professional athlete, hockey player Andreas Athanasiou of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The retirement announcement by Thompson, meanwhile, caught the golf world by surprise. She’s only 29 years old, but has been in the golf spotlight since she was 12 years old,

when she qualified for the U.S. Open in 2007. She was No. 1 in the world in 2019, but her skills have been eroding of late. Thompson, in fact, has gone five years without winning a tournament and has fallen to a ranking of 54th in the world.

Early retirement on the women’s circuit is quite common. Lorena Ochoa retired at age 28 after sitting at No. 1 in the world for 158 straight weeks. Annika Sorenstam, generally regarded as the greatest female golfer ever, gave up competitive golf at age 38.

Thompson’s star wasn’t quite that bright, but she was a major influence on the tour and because she started at such a young age, golf fans know all about her.

“I think she does an amazing job for the Tour,” Korda said after hearing the news. “She spends so much time going to each pro-am party. She really dedicated her time to growing the game. It’s sad to see that she’s obviously leaving and not going to be out here with us anymore, but she’s had an amazing career.”

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke. com: “Ex-NFL receiver Rob Gronkowski and about 20 unidentified drinking buddies recently racked up a bar tab of over $100,000. I’m guessing Gronk wasn’t the only tight end.”

• R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, on the rebuilding Los Angeles Angels: “Unfortunately, they are a few years away from being a few years away.”

• Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe. com: “Los Angeles Dodgers were on a fivegame losing streak. But they discovered the

cure-all. AKA the Mets bullpen.”

• An ESPN announcer during the Canadian Open: “You know Mackenzie Hughes is a Canadian because his home course is the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club.”

• Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver after soccer superstar Lionel Messi was a no-show when his Miami team visited Vancouver: “The Vancouver Whitecaps will set an attendance record today: Largest crowd ever at BC Place for an event not involving Lionel Messi or U2.”

• Headline at TheBeaverton.com : “Hipster alcoholics excited for return of softball season”

• Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, on his quarterback room: “It’s kind of the orphan group; they’re all orphaned dogs. They’ve come from somewhere, but they’re doing good. It’s a good room.”

• A quote from the late NBA star Bill Walton, found on the sportscurmudgeon.com site (Jack Finarelli): “I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan’s look good.”

• RJ Currie again, in the groaner corner: “The top reasons people risked life and limb in Gloucestershire’s 2024 cheese-rolling race: 5.) None thought cheddar of it; 4.) To see if they were Gouda nuff; 3.) Whey not? 2.) It turned into a Brie-for-all; 1.) To do the best they curd.”

• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun: “Alek Manoah is getting a second opinion on his bum elbow, which is another way of saying see you next year.”

• Headline at fark.com: “Police admit to being duffers as all charges are dropped against Scottie Scheffler”

• Care to comment? E-mail brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca

Bruce Penton Penton On Sports