Frosty ... After the bitter cold we’ve experienced, the warmer temperatures are a relief. Here, the frosty trees still hold on to the remnants of snow and ice coating their branches - a pretty picture, yes, but not as pretty as the colours of spring and summer! (Independent Photo
by Kevin Brautigam)
A battle for the ages as the U9 Nationals faced the visiting Rosetown Royals, January 15 at the Jubilee. A back-and-forth battle, the Black and Gold were on top of the game until the final frame as the Wings came from behind to take the contest by a 11-10 score. While it wasn’t the outcome the Nats were hoping, they still played a great game - well worth watching these young stars of tomorrow!
(Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)
by Sgt. Dereck Crozier, Biggar Detachment
This past week 30 occurrences were handled by the Biggar Detachment.
In traffic, nine motorists were spoken to on traffic safety concerns. Another motorist was not happy with the road clearing in the RM of Perdue perpetrating the grader operator as a road hog who is going to cause an accident.
It has been a rough go for a gravel hauling contract out of the RM of Eagle Creek, as one loaded semi tipped over on its side due to iced over road conditions, and two days later another semi hauling an empty gravel trailer, misjudged crossing the intersection of Highway 14 and 655 near Perdue resulting in a collision with a westbound semi hauling a load of steel pipe. Both drivers were okay and no loads were spilled. The highway was closed temporarily, until the semi’s could be moved and the lanes of travel cleared.
Provincial Court was held this past Wednesday with a busy docket. A few lingering charges
Biggar RCMP report
were finally dealt with as the new year gets started. The second half responsible for the July 31, 2023 Break and Enter to the Westwinds Liquor Store had the 24-yearold female from Biggar reach a plea deal for her involvement, and one half of the youth duo that plagued the town with Arson, theft and breakins over the past year reached a plea deal of one-year probation under the YCJA.
But not everything is about resolve on this day as someone just couldn’t help themselves - or in a way I guess they didwith a theft of a wallet from a vehicle being reported from the court house.
Theft of a bobcat snow blower attachment from Viterra was reported. The attachment was later located abandoned by the thieves on Golf Course Road. Guess it became too much like work for them.
A suspicious vehicle was reported in the RM of Perdue. The investigation found the owner was just out hunting for deer sheds.
Take care out there!
SEIU-West Proposes Healthcare Improvements to the Newly Appointed Ministers of Health
SEIU-West members and leadership met with Minister Jeremy Cockrill (Health) and Minister Lori Carr (Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health) with the hope of establishing an open and productive dialogue to improve Saskatchewan’s healthcare system.
“We came away from the meeting with cautious optimism,” says Barbara Cape, President of SEIUWest. “The Ministers seemed open to our concerns and suggestions and offered opportunities for further collaboration. We will hold them to those commitments.”
Issues and suggestions raised by the SEIU-West team included:
• The need for a provincial Joint Nursing Team Task Force, with a
mandate and budget to make real improvements.
The Task Force must include representatives of the entire nursing team, including Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs).
“The experience, knowledge, and care of all members of the nursing team who provide hands on care are crucial to addressing the nursing crisis,” says Cape.
• Ensure that our LPNs can work to their full scope of practice in all care settings.
“Operating rooms in the smaller cities often run at less than full capacity because LPNs are not being allowed to expand their knowledge and skills as Operating Room Technician/LPNs,” says Jessica Perrault, an
experienced LPN from southwest Saskatchewan.
“Full utilization would mean reduced waitlists, improve staffing, and less need for contracted/ private/surgical providers, which saves money.”
“We learned that the government is working on new legislation to ensure that the health professions will work together for the greater good. Less turf protection, more collaboration,” added Cape.
• Increase the number of permanent and full-time jobs, to help recruit and retain staff, especially in rural communities.
“Effective recruitment and retention plans require investment from the top, in this case, the Saskatchewan government,” says Cape.
“Incentives to bring physicians or registered nurses (RNs) to Saskatchewan are only a small part of the solution. We need to invest more in the full range of workers providing the care and services that patients, clients, and residents need, as close as possible to where they live.”
“Members are aware of the increases to minimum wage, which are fantastic, but it does raise concerns about their compensation for the skilled, professional
work they provide,” says Monica Reich, a Unit Assistant in Diagnostic Imaging from Moose Jaw. “I know many people in healthcare that work two, or even three, jobs to make ends meet. This shouldn’t be the case for skilled professional work.”
• Get the Ministers and SHA leadership to regularly tour facilities.
“This used to happen in the past,” says Jason Monteith, Vice-President of SEIU-West. “It’s a good way for leaders to understand the state of the buildings, staffing levels, and the quality of care. It’s a good way for everyone, top to bottom, to see and feel that we are all invested, all accountable, and all working together to make the system work better.”
“Our members need hope that things will improve,” said Janice Platzke, SEIU-West Treasurer. “They are still reeling from the pandemic, and from wages that have not keep pace with the rising cost of living.”
Members and leaders of SEIU-West continue to schedule meetings with Sask Party Government Ministers and NDP Opposition Critics to discuss issues important to members as we progress through 2025.
Bingo Numbers for JANUARY 23
Local health care workers line First Avenue in front of the Biggar Hospital, voicing their concerns over an overloaded health care system.
(Independent Photo by Trudy Buxton)
Junior Blazer action ... Biggar Central School 2000 Junior Boys Blazers hit the court versus the visiting Rosetown Royals, January 14. A spirited game, unfortunately the Royals came away with the win.
(Independent Photo by Dale Buxton)
Will Rural and Urban Municipal Amalgamations in Saskatchewan Become Reality
by Jan Derwores
I have heard it said that Saskatchewan may be one of the best Canadian provinces in which to live, if not the best. With wide open spaces, clean air, abundant fresh water and unparalleled natural beauty, Saskatchewan is a jewel in the crown of Canada.
People in this province are “Saskatchewan tough,” resilient, capable and hardworking. The province is known for periods of harsh weather, strong winds and brutal summer hailstorms, all of which contribute to the hardy constitution of its citizens.
For those who are born and raised here and call this province “home” it is hard to leave and not return for holidays, homecoming celebrations and family gatherings to reconnect with one’s roots.
Saskatchewan is a large land mass with a relatively small population base yet has always pulled its own weight on the Canadian stage. Employers worldwide have welcomed Saskatchewan raised individuals with open arms because of their strong work ethic which is a trademark of sorts.
Of late Canada and the world have perceptively changed. Change is inevitable and ongoing.
Although Ontario and Quebec are two provinces
by Kris Sims, Alberta director, Canadian
Taxpayers Federation
The federal Liberals are turning on the carbon tax faster than Vin Diesel turning a corner in Fast and Furious.
But Canadians need to know who’s in the driver’s seat and where they are going.
Liberal leadership candidates must declare their positions on the carbon tax. If they say they’ll keep it, they are no different than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. If they say they’d scrap it, they need to prove it by getting rid of it as soon as they are chosen as leader of the party.
The new Liberal leader would have a different last name, and they might not wear fancy socks, but if they want to keep
which have always been granted the lion’s share of the Canadian spotlight, Saskatchewan has been a thriving province with the “slow and steady wins the race” mentality. But the current Federal Liberal government in Ottawa has made some questionable policy decisions which have negatively impacted the entire country.
Out of control spending and mismanagement by Ottawa has resulted in high inflation in Canada. The desire to streamline operations in every sector of the economy to help mitigate high costs, promote efficiency and reduce duplication of effort has led to such measures as amalgamations.
Ottawa, and especially Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault, has made no secret of repeating that the policy of a Carbon Tax is being enforced in order to change behaviour, not to make a beneficial difference to the climate. Yet the “Carbon Tax” as it is known to most Canadians, contributes greatly to inflation in this country, causing the price of all goods and services to rise. Life has become expensive in urban and rural areas. It is felt more in rural areas where the cost of living has traditionally been higher. In December, newly re-elected Saskatchewan
punishing Canadians with the carbon tax, they would be the same as Trudeau.
On April 1, the Liberal government is hiking the carbon tax.
After the increase, the carbon tax will cost 21 cents per litre of gasoline and 25 cents per litre of diesel. Filling up a minivan will cost about $15 extra in the carbon tax, while filling a pickup truck will cost about $25 extra.
Truckers who deliver nearly everything in Canada will pay about $250 extra when they fill their big rigs with diesel, with the industry reporting the carbon tax cost it $2 billion last year. The carbon tax will cost the average household about $400 to heat with natural gas this winter.
Premier Scott Moe’s Sask Party government released a very limited time survey asking for input into its proposed updates to the basic legislation around Municipalities. Not surprisingly, one of the critical issues that the provincial government is looking at is amalgamating municipalities. Merging urban and rural municipalities. Typically urban municipalities are more socialist and have higher service costs since every person must be provided with water, sewer, garbage removal and other services. Alternatively, rural folks are more self-sufficient, providing their own water, sewer management, often their own heating systems and they have plenty of space to walk around so they have little need for public parks and exercise facilities.
Amalgamation of rural and urban municipalities will present no benefit for the rural municipalities. It may be a benefit to the urban municipalities which could benefit by scooping up the typically large cash reserves normally held by rural municipalities. However, an urban municipality which tries to fix itself by gobbling up the rural municipalities surrounding it is putting a BandAid on a festering sore. The sore must be cleaned up before a Band-Aid is applied.
Farmers pay the carbon tax to heat their barns and dry grains. The Parliamentary Budget Officer reports that the tax will cost farmers $1 billion by 2040.
About half of Canadians say they are within $200 of being unable to make the minimum payments on their bills. That means making a minimum payment on a credit card, convincing the power company to keep the lights on by putting some money down on a huge bill, or visiting a food bank.
This is known as barely scraping by. Meanwhile, federal politicians who are paid a minimum of $200,000 per year, are far removed from these financial hardships.
Just before the carbon tax hike last year, nearly
This move to merge municipalities is no different than what we see and hear happening to our eastern neighbour as Winnipeg Metropolitan District (WMR) and Brandon districts are being set up. These endeavours which came about with a secretive abdication of the responsibilities of the rural municipalities over a convincing “sales pitch” extolling the virtues of efficiency by globalist socialists who value citizens’ freedoms far less than they value bureaucracy and heavyhanded government policy.
Ask yourself, are you willing to relinquish the freedom to have an input in how your municipality is governed?
70 per cent of Canadians said they opposed it, according to a Leger poll.
Liberal leadership candidates need to answer these questions: Will they keep this carbon tax or obliterate it and save struggling Canadians a lot of money? Or are they going to hike the carbon tax on April 1 as they potentially hit the campaign trail?
Imagine door knocking that first week of the campaign.
“Knock knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“Carbon tax hike - can I have your vote?!”
Good luck with that.
Some Liberal candidates are going on the record.
On CTV’s Power Play, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told host Vassy Kapelos he is
INDEPENDENT
Saskatchewan has a limited opportunity to pay attention and heed the agenda that has already been largely exposed in Manitoba with the WMR. Ken Drysdale, Chris Riddell and the rest of the members of the Manitoba Stronger Together group have compiled an exposé about the WMR: manitibastrongertogether.ca/wmr20-50
This is ultimately what is intended by the socialist bureaucrats who are floating the idea of merging municipalities in Saskatchewan. The WMR 2050 plan legislates the closure of public streets, closure of private wells in rural areas, forces maximum number of “units” (dwellings) on private property, among other
“committed” to keeping the carbon tax. On CBC’s
The House, former British Columbia premier Christy Clark told host Catherine Cullen, “we would scrap that [carbon] tax.”
Before Trudeau announced his intention to resign, expected candidates Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland repeatedly proved themselves big fans of the carbon tax.
But what about now?
Has the policy changed?
When American comedian Jon Stewart asked Carney about the carbon tax, Carney said,
“We need to do it in a way that Canadians today are not paying the price.”
What does that mean?
When radio host Ben Mulroney asked his guests if it was time to
things.
The Sask Party government survey closed on December 14, 2024. The results of the survey are not available at this writing. Saskatchewan residents need to become involved by contacting their local municipal councillor or reeve and begin an important dialogue before it is too late to prevent The End of Your Municipality. This is a first instalment of a series of educational and proactive articles and is an initiative of the people to support and develop good municipal government. The opportunity to become involved and speak out is now.
scrap the carbon tax, MP Anthony Housefather said, “Canadians have been convinced the carbon tax needs to be revised,” and MP Yvan Baker said, “We need to revisit all of our policies, including that one.”
After years of carbon tax hikes, many Canadians have trouble trusting promises from politicians.
Liberal leadership candidates who say they are now opposed to the carbon tax must prove it by eliminating it entirely and immediately.
Canadians cannot afford the carbon tax, and it must be kicked to the curb and left in the rearview mirror.
A while back a fellow was telling me what a terrible year we’ve had out here. Maybe he was right, but just before he took off in his fine car for points south, I got looking at some old books we had drummed up.
I finally found a piece telling of the time that my grandmother told me her grandmother had told her about, “The year without a summer, 1816.”
Maybe I’ll get in trouble for reporting some of this, but I’m going to anyway!
Apparently the weather records weren’t very detailed in 1816 but they mention that the month of April was fairly normal, and got warmer as the month went on, but May got cooler and stayed cool.
There was snow in the populated part of Quebec every month of the year in 1816. the firs time
since Quebec had been settled in 1603. In the Maritimes, it got worse as the summer passed. There just wasn’t a wheat crop!
In New England, the weather was warmer, and although in Ontario and Quebec the crops of wheat and oats didn’t mature, they planted a lot of corn which was frozen off until August after planting it three times ... they just gave up!
Europe was in worse shape. Agriculture had been upset for years by the Napoleonic Wars, which ended in 1815, and 1816 was to have been a good year, with lots of men at home. But the combination of weather and taxes led almost to civil war.
England and Ireland also had poor crops but not as bad as North America and Western Europe. Animal fodder in the U.S. was in very short supply, and they butchered so much stock that the price of meat went way down. Meat was in short supply the next year, though, and the prices went higher than ever.
So what caused it all?
Many figured that the weather was a divine vengeance brought from on high because of mans sinful ways. But people
hadn’t been noticeably more sinful than in the past.
An astronomer wrote in a scientific journal that there was a lot of dust in the air at great height, but didn’t know where it came from. Finally, they concluded that it had been from the explosion of Mount Tambora in Indonesia.
They claim that the explosion of the big volcano threw a hundred cubic miles of dust so high into the air that as it drifted around the world, it blocked out the sunlight!
And then in 1883, Krakatoa blew up. And we think we’re currently having bad times!
Farmers - and maybe this opinion seems a little biased - can’t help but have some kind of religion. After all, a person puts a seed in the ground and it grow ... why? The weather? Okay. But why does the weather make it grow? We have all kinds of answers except the last one: “Who’s running things?”
I feel sorry for those people of the world who value man-made things more than the natural ones.
“Poems are made by fools like me...” and yet more and more of our rural types are seeking
something in the concrete jungle that just isn’t there. And more and more, they are finding that man is not in charge!
For thousands of years, a lot of these things must have been evident of the visionaries of the past. From long before King Canute proved to his courtiers that he was not “divine”, and down through our “progressive” ages to the latest hightech moves intended to control the environment over and over, it has been shown that it is not “man” who is in charge! Sorry! We can do a lot worse than respect that fact. And Mr. Einstein wasn’t the first person to realize it!
How fortunate for us that the world makes one revolution every 24-hours! Think of the jet-lag one would experience had it been different!
And again, how fortunate we are that the huge amount of solar energy that reaches the earth every day is distributed the way it is!
There is no use in making a list - and it is a long list - to show that “man” is not in charge of things. Yet stubbornly some of us keep on thinking that we are! Mentioning stubborn, Y.T. (Yours Truly) keeps
on sending these pieces in to The Independent, hoping sometime he’ll get one right!
I’m not up on the education bit nor do I want to sound zealously religious, but somewhere down through the years the two have become separated almost to the point where one gets the impression that they are supreme!
Again, I repeat, no matter what religion we profess to follow or how
strong our beliefs in it are, we have got to believe that we are not running things!
Under any other name that we humans care to give them, these great natural catastrophes will happen again and again and again ...
Maybe as a reminder to we seemingly blind humans, that there is a greater power!
“Hey, why is the sky so red tonight?”
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Key Responsibilities:
--Manage daily activities of housekeeping including: emptying garbage throughout the facility, washing and replacing bath mats, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping and mopping stairs
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--Seasonal cleaning.
--Clean bedrooms between intakes including dusting, floors, changing bedding and doing laundry
Strictly adhere to confidentiality protocols
--Other tasks as required
Required Qualifications:
--Previous cleaning experience an asset
--Self directed and able to work independently
Christine Ibbotson
Ask The Money Lady
Dear Money Lady Readers,
I have been asked many times how the wealthy save and make money. So, today let’s share some secrets from those high net worth Canadians - Canadians that have retired with highvalued investment and retirement assets. How did they do it, and what can you copy?
Wealthy people have all made their money differently. Some are great investors; some use real estate and others have great entrepreneurial skill. But when you drill down to the core of those high net worth people, they all have a few traits in common that we don’t see in those people with
much less.
First up, the wealthy have a higher appetite for risk than the average person.
Now I am not saying they are reckless but rather are always on the lookout for opportunities that might be prosperous. Wealthy people leverage their assets to create more wealth. They are not individuals that stay stagnant. Moreover, we often see wealthy people who have paid off their mortgages multiple times throughout their lives, only to have the ability to leverage lend again.
The wealthy see debt not as a bad thing, but as a tool to create more wealth. They borrow to use the interest as a tax write off and then monetize the funds to expand their net worth. This is done through investing in the stock market, creating a business, or buying real estate. They want appreciating assets and never leverage on something that will depreciate over time.
Second, wealthy people are tenacious workers. They invest in themselves, always
upgrading and looking for advancements. They are also individuals that pivot to change, taking full responsibility for a bad judgement call and then do the things that others wouldn’t, to get ahead.
I have never seen a wealthy person sit back on their laurels and wait for something to happen. They want to be the “market movers” and they will always be trying to improve their situation.
Third common trait of the wealthy is that they never do things as a “lone wolf.”
They know they can’t know it all and believe that more minds are better than just one. The wealthy always have advisors in everything they do. They are inquisitive thinkers and want to know more - the true believers of “knowledge is power.”
Lastly, we see that wealthy people understand the concept of diversification. They never have all their assets in one place, but rather continuously want to spread their assets across multiple platforms
to lower their risk. And contrary to what you may think, the top one per centers are not pretentious or outwardly gregarious with their money. They buy perowned cars to save money rather than new ones. They use reward credit cards to get discounts. And they keep to a personal and professional financial budget so they know where their money is, how it’s performing and how they can save more.
Good luck and best wishes!
Written by Christine Ibbotson, author, finance writer, syndicated national radio host, and now on BNN Bloomberg News, and CTV News. Send your money questions (answered free) through her website at info@ askthemoneylady.ca
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Bob Mason Notable Notes
by Frank Cox
It was just another day in the office, the smell of stale coffee and cigarette smoke filling the air. I was going through the mail, my mind only about halffocused, when the phone rang.
I picked it up, the receiver cold in my hand.
“Detective,” I said, my voice weary.
“This is Paul Bunyan,” the voice on the other end boomed. “I need your help.”
Now that was the most interesting phone call I’d had all week. Paul Bunyan himself, a lumberjack of mythic proportions.
I sat up straighter.
“What seems to be the problem, Mr. Bunyan?”
He explained that his blue ox, Babe, was missing, and he needed my help to track him down.
Why do we love our cats so much? That question can be a real head-scratcher at
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said.
I hung up the phone. I’d never heard of a blue ox before, but I was intrigued. I looked out the window.
The snow was painting the town in a cold icy blanket. I knew this case was going to take me out into the wilderness so I spent the rest of the day preparing for the trip, packing my bag with all the essentials.
The next day, I arrived at Paul Bunyan’s cabin, the woods surrounding it dark and foreboding. I could hear the roar of chainsaws in the distance, the sound of lumberjacks at work.
I stepped inside the cabin, the smell of pine and sawdust filling my nostrils. Bunyan was a sight to behold, a mountain of a man with a thick, bushy beard that flowed down like a waterfall, cascading over his chest and falling onto the ground like a curtain of fur. His beard was as dark as the night, as thick as the forest, and it framed his face like a halo, giving him the appearance of a biblical prophet or a viking warrior.
times. Demanding, fickle, aloof, and self-important, they always want what they want, when they want it, and to heck with everybody else.
When they want to eat, they let us know. When they want outside, they let us know. And when they want back inside, they certainly let us know. And when they want affection, they always come to us. If we go to them for affection, they usually can’t be bothered. They want everything on their own terms. And despite
The Blue Ox
“Detective,” he growled, “Babe, my blue ox, is gone.”
I lit up a smoke and let out a sigh.
“Well, Bunyan, let’s get to the bottom of this. Tell me what you know. Tell me more about the blue ox. What does it look like?”
Bunyan scratched his beard.
“Well, it’s blue. It’s an ox. You got an ox of your own, Detective?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“No, Mr. Bunyan, I’ve got a cat.”
Bunyan scratched his beard again.
“Huh. It’s a big blue ox. That’s what it is.”
I wrote down the information in my notebook.
“Alright, Mr. Bunyan, I’ll need more to go on than that. Can you tell me about its coat, its size, anything that might help me identify it?”
Bunyan shook his head.
“It’s blue.”
I sighed.
“Okay, I’ll do my best, Mr. Bunyan. I’ll be in touch.”
The woods were a cold, unforgiving place. The snow fell thick and heavy,
covering the ground in a white blanket that seemed to go on forever. I trudged along, my boots sinking with each step.
I wrapped my coat tightly around me but the cold seeped through my clothes and chilled me to the bone. I pulled my hat down over my ears and pulled up the collar of my coat, but it didn’t help much.
I followed a trail of footprints that led deeper and deeper into the woods. The snow grew thicker, and the trees grew closer together, blocking out the sun and leaving me in darkness.
The ice beneath the snow was slick and treacherous and I struggled to keep my footing. Slipping and sliding, my boots skidded out from under me several times, sending me tumbling to the ground.
I cursed under my breath, my teeth chattering with the cold. I knew I had to press on, but the woods seemed to be trying to hold me back. I was on a mission to find that blue ox, and I wasn’t going to let the woods stand in my way.
I trudged on, my boots sinking deeper and
deeper into the snow. I could feel the cold seeping into my bones. Finally, after what felt like hours, I came to a clearing. I looked around, the snow falling gently from the trees. And there, tied to a tree, was the blue ox, Babe.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I had found the blue ox, and I had conquered the woods.
I knew I had a long journey back to the cabin, but I couldn’t wait to tell Paul Bunyan that Babe was safe and sound.
I untied the blue ox from the tree and patted him on the nose. He looked up at me with big, sad eyes, as if to say thank you.
I turned to the ox and said, “Alright, Babe, let’s get out of here. I could use some help breaking this trail.”
Babe nodded his head, and we set off, making our way through the woods. The snow was still thick, but with Babe’s help, I was able to make better time.
We trudged on, the cold wind biting at our faces. I could feel the warmth of Babe’s breath on my neck, and this time I knew I wasn’t alone.
As we made our way back
Teaching our cat a little lesson
their annoying ‘cat’ nature at times, we still love the little feline fur-balls dearly. There is a saying that goes something like, ‘Dogs have masters, and cats have staff’. And that’s very true. Dogs love us and want to please us, but cats always expect to be pleased by us. And like a dutiful servant, we usually respond to their every whim and give them everything they want and need.
But sometimes, they can go just a little bit too far. And that’s just what
happened with our own cat one day.
It was a sunny, crisp, beautiful winter day in the early 1980’s. Our cat was sitting on a chair and looking through the dining room picture window at the lovely winter day and decided she wanted to go outside. She went down to the door and turned and looked at me: “Meow, meow, meow”. I knew she wanted outside. No problem. I went down to the door and opened it for her.
But when the winter cold hit her in the face as she was standing in the doorway, she hesitated, staring outside at the brisk winter day as she tried to decide whether or not she was going outside. Hey, like getting something out of the fridge, you’re supposed to know what you want before you open the door, right? We’re not trying to heat the whole neighbourhood! She just stood there while I held the door open, trying to make up her mind about going outside, and letting all of the heat out of the house as she was doing so. Any cat owner in this situation knows exactly what I am talking about. She finally scrunched up her nose at the winter cold, turned tail, and came back in the house. Fine. I figured that was that. But 10 minutes later, she changed her mind: “Meow, meow, meow”. She had decided she wanted outside.
to the cabin, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. I had found the blue ox, and I had done it to help out a legend.
I reached the cabin, exhausted but triumphant. I could see Paul Bunyan sitting by the fire, a look of relief on his face.
“Detective,” he said, “I can’t thank you enough. You’ve saved Babe, and I owe you.”
I shook my head.
“Just doing my job, Mr. Bunyan. That’s what I’m here for.”
I turned to Babe and said, “Let’s get you some food and warmth, buddy. You’ve had a long journey.”
Babe followed me to the table, where I fed him a hearty meal. He ate with gusto, his tail wagging in excitement.
I perched by the fire, warming my hands. Paul Bunyan sat beside his blue ox, smiling like a sunrise breaking through stormy skies.
I had solved the case, found the missing blue ox, and helped a legend in the process. It was a job well done, and I knew I could take on whatever the world threw at me next.
Fine.
I opened the door and wonder of wonders, she actually went outside! Again, I figured that was that. But after 10 minutes of being outside, she decided she had enough (“Meow, meow, meow”) and wanted back in the house.
Fine, it was a little cold outside, and I just figured she got a little taste of winter that day and decided it wasn’t for her. So I let her back in and thought that was that. But 10 minutes later, the same thing happened (“Meow, meow, meow”). She wanted back out again! Fine. I let her back out. And 10 minutes later (“Meow, meow, meow”), she wanted back in again! Fine. So I let her in again. And 10 minutes later (“Meow, meow, meow”), she wanted back out again! So I let her back out again. This was getting annoying. Cat, make up your darn mind!
Getting tired of being the cat’s personal doorman that day, I decided it was time to teach our cat a little lesson.
This time, when she wanted back in the house (“Meow, meow, meow”), me being the only person in the house at the time, I ignored her. After a minute or two she began to realize that no one was coming to open the door for her! Flabbergasted that her demands were being ignored, she began to meow even louder. I kept ignoring her.
I left her outside for half an hour. She kept meowing and meowing in desperation, like her life depended on getting back into the house and out of the cold, which was absolutely ridiculous. Going by her meowing, you would think I was the biggest meanie in the whole wide world for subjecting our cat to the horrors of being left outside for half an hour on a beautiful sunny winter day! Never mind that many other days that winter she was happily outside for much longer than that by choice before wanting back in the house.
When I finally let her back in the house again, she was none too happy with me about being left outside on that gorgeous winter day for a whole half an hour! But my little lesson had the desired effect; she didn’t want out again for the rest of the day.
And peace and quiet finally reigned inside the house.
Did our cat learn a lesson that day? As much as I would like to think so, I seriously doubt it. Cats will always be cats, demanding and impulsive, wanting what they want, when they want it, and expecting the world to bow before their feet and see to their every need.
But we still love our cats dearly, and always will, despite the occasional aggravation they may cause us with their demanding feline attitudes.
Keith Schell Remember When
Frank Cox Humble Opinion
Calvin Daniels Agriculture
by Calvin Daniels
For years the idea of lifting barriers to trade have been pursued by many countriesalthough World Trade Organization talks on agriculture have never been particularly smooth.
Food production at the farm level is of course about more than allowing one country to produce something because of conditions and technology, and other countries just lining up to buy what is produced.
In Canada of course producers tend to like that idea.
Farmers here do a very good job of producing many farm products from wheat to canola to oats to cattle, and the list goes on.
And of course our population here is not large enough to make much of a bite out of what is produced. We need only to recall the glut of beef in this country when BSE closed export markets for a time.
Trade will face a stormy climate DEADLINE
But, on the flip-side of that is a desire by many countries to become self-sufficient in food production - even if that requires trade barriers to import to make domestic production viable.
Now in a perfect world trade would go where it was needed unimpeded and that would be fine.
That is not the case though.
The supply of food from one country to another is never a guaranteed thing, and that means a country can only truly rely on domestically produced food - if Mother Nature cooperates on that.
In Canada here we can look in the mirror and see a rather steady trade partner.
We are steady producers of many crops - even in subpar production years there is usually product to export, but as is the case in many things Canada is not necessarily typical. We live in a world where one country can never fully trust another.
We see that staring us in the face right now.
We may look at the invasion of Ukraine by Russia led by Vladimir Putin and nod knowingly that such a move by a power-craving Russian
leader is not unexpected, and that Ukraine, a country not in NATO, was the target.
But, would most have considered even a year ago that a long-time member of NATO would be rattling its swords threatening a possible invasion of Greenland, or that is ready to start a trade war with its closet neighbour and ally with massive trade tariffs?
Well if you were betting on a Donald Trump win in the recent presidential election you would have expected four years of turmoil, but probably even the darkest prognosticator probable didn’t see how lose a cannon he appears poised to be.
So when one sees a report on China focusing attention on boosting cereal grain production to better feed its people (producer.com) it makes sense.
Sadly open and reasonable trade has become farther from reality than it has been in years, and even long held allies cannot be fully trusted. As a result the immediate future for ag trade looks very turbulent.
MONDAY
AT 5P.M.
Administration Person
Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm
• Responsible for looking after the office duties as well as front counter duties.
• Ability to work with the public
• Ability to learn bookkeeping program
• Abilty to handle and input invoices
• Ability to sell products
• Some general knowledge in automotive would be an asset
• Apply within with a resume and wage expectation
• Wages dependent on experience
Gallardo Liner will provide safe rides home that night, sponsored by:
Corner of Main Street and 1st Ave. Biggar, SK
Kim Gartner, MLA
Kindersley - Biggar Constituency
Unit #5 1001 Main Street
Kindersley, SK S0L 1S0
Phone: 1-306-463-4446
Fax: 1-306-463-4449
Toll Free: 1-833-463-4446
kgartnermla@outlook.com
The Saskatchewan Traveller ... Nova Scotia Edition by Trudy and Dale Buxton
We start our adventure today in the Town of Bridgetown, which is in the north central area of the Annapolis County along the Annapolis River.
The Mi’kmaq First Nations people were settled around the area providing water, fish and shelter along the banks of the river.
The French Acadian’s came up from Port Royal in the mid 1600’s where they found fertile land and a place that they could settle. Soon word got out of the rich land, and more people started to gather in the area bringing the population up over 1,700. The main settlement was on the east side of the present-
day community, and it was called Gaudetville.
The Acadian’s lived in harmony with the First Nations people until the British came along and settled in an area across the river called Carlton Corner, and from there were several skirmishes that involved the Mi’kmaq peoples, Acadian’s and the British.
One of the earliest battles was the Battle of Carlton Corner that was fought during the Queen Anne’s War in 1711. There was a force of around 150 soldiers that ambushed the British leaving around 70. This corner was forever known as Bloody Creek.
Another battle at Bloody Creek came 50 years later as the Acadian’s and Mi’kmaq defeated a detachment of British soldiers during the French and Indian wars. This was known as the Battle of Bloody Creek.
After the expulsion of the French in the mid 1700’s, the British came in and set up the community of Granville and handed out deeds to property up and along the river.
At the time the name was the Granville Township but was changed to Bridgetown in 1824 by the joining of the settlers of the community. There were two versions for the name, one was the name of Bridgetown in the Barbados, a place that Captain Crosskill was once stationed, and the other was the community named for the bridge that was built in the town across the river with the community being built on either side of the bridge. Either way, the community was
incorporated as a town in 1897 as Bridgetown.
Bridgetown is one of the few in Nova Scotia to have been developed from a local town plan, instead of allowing development to proceed unhindered.
The community grew into a successful wooden ship building area and was actually a favourite port for the likes of agriculture and wooden products that were made in the area. Bridgetown was also a significant manufacturing and commercial centre with a furniture factory, a tannery, a bottle plant, a cider plant, and food processing.
The mainline of the railroad come through in 1868 further creating more opportunities in the area. The railway operated until 1990.
Acadian Distillery was one of the largest whiskey producers in
the world, but because of the larger centres was closed down in 1986. Bridgetown was home to Britex Elastic Company, which employed around 150 people, and closed its doors in 2004. At one time they were one of the largest to produce elastics in Nova Scotia.
Today the community has around 1,000 residents with many of those being part of the African Nova Scotian community, numbering around 25 per cent of the population. Bridgetown is rich in its history and its buildings, and houses one of the oldest Masonic Halls in the country, being built in 1871.
If looking for a good place to eat, try the Station House, a former train station. Nice place to live and visit.
Stay tuned next week as we travel further up the valley in Nova Scotia.
Pirates back in the win column… The Perdue Pirates scored an overtime victory against the Redberry Raiders this past Friday January 17. The winning goal was scored by Matthew Hodson with assists going to Lyndon Lipinski and Erik Ehrmantraut. The win has Perdue in second place in the East standings of Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League. Perdue’s last home game of the regular season is on Friday January 31, come on out and support the team. (Independent photo by Dale Buxton)
Bridgetown Station House, Nova Scotia
Bridgetown Town Hall, Nova Scotia
Bunge-Viterra merger approval highlights myth of competition and need for effective regulation, says NFU
Canada’s approval of Bunge’s acquisition of Viterra effectively ends competition in Canada’ agriculture commodity sector.
It will give control of 40 per cent of our grain market to what will become the world’s largest agricultural commodity trader, says the NFU, and it is time to abandon the myth of competition and get serious about regulation to protect the public interest. They add that we need a stronger, fully funded Canadian Grain Commission with enhanced authority to protect the interests of farmers.
The NFU and other farm organizations outlined clear harms to Canada’s farmers, which were blatantly disregarded. Both the degree of market power concentration and the specific ways Bunge and Viterra assets are structured will increase the merged company’s ability to annually extract
hundreds of millions in excess profits from Canadian farmers - and by extension, from our communities and the Canadian economy as a whole.
Canada’s decision puts very light conditions on Bunge. Farm organizations universally opposed the merger. Selling off a few elevators, urging the new company to put some of the higher profits it will make into investments in Canada, keeping its head office in Regina for five years, and putting up a paper firewall between Bunge and the directors it will appoint to G3’s board, will hardly counter the increase in Bunge’s power to influence markets, prices and production within Canada and internationally, the NFU adds.
When the merger is finalized, ADM, Bunge, Cargill, and LouisDreyfus, will continue to dominate internationally,
with Bunge now in first place. Together these four giants control 70 per cent of the world’s grain trade. A 4 firm Concentration Ratio (CR4) above 40 per cent is considered monopolistic. In Canada, the CR4 for grain companies (counting G3 as a de facto Bunge asset) will be 88 per cent.
In her announcement, Transport Minister Anand stated that the merger approval with conditions serves the public interest. Like all corporations, Bunge’s first duty is to its shareholders, and it is certain that its own private interests will guide its decisions. The NFU therefore urges the federal government to ensure the Canadian Grain Commission and other relevant regulators have increased capacity and authority to safeguard farmers’ interests in the face of Bunge’s domination of our grain sector.
Biggar bowlers place well in Rosetown ... Congratulations To Hanna Keefe who placed first, Peter Olson for second, and Lucy Still for third place - a senior, junior and bantam - at a no-tap tournament in Rosetown. High pins over average first and fourth game was Hanna, second game Noah, and third game Sawyer. And way to go Ashton for getting the winning ticket. Also awesome that today’s honoured coach was Marilyn Moon Miller - we couldn’t imagine our programs without your help and support. Huge thank you to Penny Andersen, Brian Andersen, and Jennifer Simpson-Heimbecker and all the sponsors that donated. So proud of all the kids and how well they played and the sportsmanship demonstrated. (Submitted Photo)
Biggar Bowling Weekly Scores
Junior Single - Bentley McNaughton 263; Triple - Bentley McNaughton 547. Senior High Single - Hanna Keefe 181; High Triple - Hanna Keefe 438.
The world’s best athletes make it look so easy.
They are young, strong, agile and have a special talent and love for their specific sport. In most cases, they’ve concentrated on their primary athletic endeavour from a young age, been instructed by the best coaches, received proper nutrition advice and spent their youth perfecting their specialty. Or maybe they’re just prodigies, fulfilling their destinies.
Summer McIntosh is a Toronto swimmer who covers 400 metres in the pool in less than four minutes. It might take the average adult that long to run 400 metres. It’s generally accepted
Best athletes have strong mind games
that Connor McDavid stands out as the best allaround player in hockey. His skating speed is incomparable, as is his ability to control the puck in a tight group, and to spot an open team-mate, threading him a pass that often leads to a goal.
Denis Shapovalov is somehow able to blast a tennis serve more 140 miles per hour and have it land in a 21x14ft rectangular square, probably with a lot of spin that makes it extremely challenging for his opponent to make a solid return.
Why do these athletes, and hundreds more like them, stand out in a crowd of millions? Are they smarter? Faster? Just plain more skilful? Better able to handle pressure? In many cases, it’s having a strong mind. Today, an athlete having a mental coach is just as important as having a strength and conditioning coach.
“Sports psychology is sometimes criticized as a phoney science,” said a narrator on a YouTube video studying
the concept. “But many sports teams and personalities now use psychologists and there’s a growing acceptance that this boosts performances. A mental edge can bring a winning one,” the report concluded.
Shapovalov, ranked No. 56 in the world of men’s tennis, is quick to credit his mental coach for on-court successes.
“He’s definitely given me a lot of exercises and things to do that just kind of bring my focus away from mistakes and stuff like that,” he said. “He has given me ways to get rid of the anger or emotions I have inside of me, I think it’s just been amazing and obviously I’m really happy that it happened and that we are working together.”
Strength and technique are important in the pool, says McIntosh, “but “mental almost tops physical in some ways,” she said. “It’s super important because the body does what the mind believes, for sure.”
George Mumford is a sports psychologist who
has worked with many top athletes, including McDavid and his Oilers teammates, basketball superstars Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Mumford, 72, played an important role in the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup final last year.
“He was brought in for this reason - to help in these big moments,” said McDavid. “He’s done a great job of being there for guys, talking about the mindset in these pressure situations.”
Mind over matter can often be the winning edge.
• A chat about baseball from two golf writers: Kyle Porter of Normal Sport and Sean Martin of PGA Tour: Porter: “Be honest. Would you trade Ohtani for Soto?”
Replied Martin: “Can Soto pitch?’”
• Scott Lincicome, a business trade scholar at the Cato Institute, on Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs: “I can’t imagine the president tariffing guacamole right before the Super Bowl.”
• Pro golfer Max Homa
after his TGL team of Tiger Woods and Kevin Kisner suffered a series of bad shots leading to penalty strokes: “Here’s what we’ve learned - we need to work on our drops.”
• From The Athletic’s story quoting the beloved baseball announcer/actor Bob Uecker, who died Jan. 16, on getting into baseball: “I signed with the Braves in 1954 for $3,000. That bothered my dad at the time because he didn’t have that kind of dough to pay out. But eventually, he scraped it up.”
• Comedy guy Steve Burgess of Vancouver, on X: “The whole ‘51st state’ thing just has to be sold to Canadians the right way: Think of it - only one anthem, then the puck drops!”
• Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe. com: “The signing of Roki Sasaki reminds us of one thing. With these horrific fires you can love and feel sympathy for Los Angeles, and still hate the Dodgers.”
• Mike Bianchi of the
Sask West This Week
Orlando Sentinel, on X: “Can you imagine what it would be like if the Dallas Cowboys actually did hire Deion Sanders as their head coach? The combined egos of Coach Prime and Jerry Jones would need their own salary cap!”
• Another one from Bianchi: “The way the New England Patriots made such a joke out of interviewing minority candidates before they hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, I’m starting to think the Rooney Rule was named after Andy Rooney.”
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke. com: “The announcer early in yesterday’s Chargers-Texans tilt called it a ‘chess match’ between the coaches. Isn’t the NHL a better place to find a sporting chess match - like when the Knights take on the Kings.”
• Headline at theonion. com: “Cooper Flagg out two weeks due to family trip to Hilton Head.”
• Care to comment? E-mail brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca
by Phil Heilman
The end of the regular season is near in the Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) and it is turning into a race for playoff seeding.
The Kindersley Sr Klippers sit in first with a 9-2-1 record, followed by the Hafford Hawks with a 9-2 record. In third is the Wilkie Outlaws with an 8-2-1 record, followed by the Edam 3 Stars with a 5-4-1 record. In fifth is the Macklin Mohawks with a 5-6 record, in sixth is the Biggar Nationals with a 2-6-2 record, and the Unity Miners with a 0-9-2 record.
On Saturday night, the Edam 3 Stars headed southwest for a tilt against the Macklin Mohawks, and it was the visitors coming away with a big 5-1 win.
Keegan Tiringer opened the scoring at the 11:30 mark, and added his second of the night just five minutes later. Brady Deobald would add his first of the year for a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Tyler Robertson would score on the power play to cut the lead to 3-1, but Tiringer would score again just four minutes later for a 4-1 lead after
40. Tiringer wasn’t happy with the hat-trick, adding his fourth of the evening (and 16th of the year!) to round out scoring.
Taryn Kotchorek secured the win, stopping 33 of 34 shots, while Trevor Martin stopped 24 of 29 shots in the loss.
Also on Saturday night, the Wilkie Outlaws headed north for an important battle against the Hafford Hawks, with the Hawks taking the 5-4 overtime victory.
The scoring party started early with Will Rathje’s second of the year, followed by Kyler Lorenz’s third of the year for a 2-0 lead just three minutes in. Mike Sittler scored just five minutes after that before Kyle Rivett cut the lead down to 3-1. Rory Gregoire would add to the lead and send the teams to the locker rooms with the scoreboard reading 4-1 after the first period.
The lone goal of the second frame came from Jeremy Boyer, cutting the lead to 4-2. The comeback was on in the third, with Rivett netting his second of the game. Kyle Litchenwald would complete the comeback on the power play at the
11:02 mark of the third. This sent the game into overtime, with Boyer sending the fans home happy with his seventh of the year.
Jared Herle took the tough luck OTL, stopping 37 of 42 shots, while Joel Gryzbowski stopped 39 of 43 shots in the win.
Another Saturday night tilt saw the Unity Miners hosting the Biggar Nationals, with the Nationals coming with the 5-4 overtime victory.
Derek Nicholls and Taylor Bucsis were the duo of scores in the first period, allowing the visitors to have a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
In the middle frame, Justin Gerein would cut the lead to 2-1, but Brett Novak on the power play would restore that two-goal lead. The rally caps were on in the third for the Miners faithful, and it worked as Garrin Scheer would score with 3:04 left in the third, and Daniel Hilsendager tying the game up at four with just 55 seconds left on the clock. It was all for not though as Brett Novak would score at 2:35 of the extra period to secure the win.
Brett Matlock stopped
29 of 33 shots in the win, while Brett Vanderveer stopped 23 of 28 shots in the overtime loss.
On Friday night, the Macklin Mohawks opened the doors to the Credit Union Legacy Centre for the Unity Miners, and proceeded to thump them in a 9-3 victory.
Foster Steinhubel scored at the 14:15 mark to open the scoring, but Breden Lacoursiere would tie it up at one. Carson Pickett wanted the lead, scoring his fifth of the year with just 23 seconds left on the clock for a 2-1 Mohawks lead after 20 minutes. The dam burst a bit in the second period as Foster (on the power play) and Hunter Steinhubel, as well as Tyler Robertson all scoring in a threeminute span. Pickett’s second of the game would give Macklin a commanding 6-1 lead before Lacoursiere’s second of the night (on the power play) would cut the lead to 6-2 after 40 minutes. Brayden Schultz would again cut the lead down to three, but it was as close as they would get as Spencer Bast, Jesse Gartner and Robertson
would extend the lead and round out scoring. Ryan Rewerts took the loss, stopping 5 of 10 shots in 33:49 of playing time before being pulled for Brett Vanderveer, who stopped 21 of 25 shots in 26:11 of relief. Trevor Martin took the win, stopping 31 of 22 shots in 52:11 of playing time. Owen Bosch came in for 7:49 of relief time in the second, and stopped 7 of 8 shots.
Also on Friday night, The Kindersley Sr Klippers hosted the Edam 3 Stars. Kindersley took the win in a 2-1 shootout victory.
Troy Boisjoli scored early in the first on the power play for the 1-0 lead. That held all the way until the 7:22 mark of the second before Cody Danberg tied it up at 1. The third period and overtime solved nothing. Cody Danberg, Keegan Tiringer and Joel Blaquiere would all be stopped in the skills competition. Markus Boguslavsky would be stopped, but Kyle Donaldson would not, securing the victory on the lone shootout goal. Taryn Kotchorek stopped 38 of 39 shots in
the “tie” (Shootout losses are tough to count so it is recognized as a tie). Logan Drackett took the shootout win, stopping 52 of 53 shots.
The past weekend really shook out the standings, but still some things need to be decided in the final weekend of the SWHL. Edam needs one point in their final two games to secure fourth place. Hafford needs a win of any kind to leapfrog Kindersley for first place, however an extra time loss would tie them for first and require a tiebreaker. For Wilkie’s chances, in short form, a win would tie them with Kindersley for either first or second, which would require more tiebreaking. Macklin has a slim chance at fourth, which requires them winning their game and Edam losing both theirs in regulation. The chance for chaos is slim but quite real.
Looking at the final weekend, Biggar travels to Edam on Friday night. On Saturday, Hafford hosts Macklin, while Unity travels to Edam. Wilkie travels to Biggar for a Sunday afternoon tilt at the Jube.
Bruce Penton Penton on Sports
Business & Professional …
Business & Professional …
ARIES –
Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, you feel loved and appreciated this week and you would like to share those feelings with others by being supportive of their needs. Focus your attention on a close friend.
TAURUS –
Apr 21/May 21
Taurus, even if you do not have anything in common with someone, you can find a way to be friends. Open a dialogue to get the ball rolling.
GEMINI –
May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, accept that you cannot change some things and look for a silver lining. Soon enough you’ll come out on the other side.
CANCER –
Jun 22/Jul 22
Cancer, you are getting hungrier and hungrier, which makes you determined to get ahead. Just be sure this determination is balanced by a little reservation as well.
LEO –
Jul 23/Aug 23
Could it be that you are in the market for some romance, Leo? If so, make a plan for rekindling the flame with a current partner or finding someone new who also is looking for love.
VIRGO –
Aug 24/Sept 22
Challenges may arise in your relationship this week, Virgo. A serious approach to the partnership is required by both side. Work toward resolving the situation as a couple.
LIBRA –
Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, although your creative juices are flowing, some type of roadblock pops up and restricts your path. Explore ways to work around this obstacle.
SCORPIO –
Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, take a deep look at yourself this week, examining all facets of your personality. Instead of being judgemental of others, you may need to make some changes yourself.
SAGITTARIUS –
Nov 23/Dec 21
Sagittarius, emotions are running high for you and you may not be able to focus on what needs your attention most. If you can’t get a hold of things, try delegating some of your tasks.
CAPRICORN
One’s physique (slang) 53. More frightening 54. Soup cracker 56. Teaches 57. One who carries something 58. Actor Sean 59. Changes CLUES DOWN
1. __ Aires, city 2. Coarse grass 3. Type of gene 4. Door handle
5. Competition 6. Muslim ruler title
Hunting expeditions 8. Large mollusk 9. Bind securely 10. Former U.S. presidential candidate
2-point plays in football 12. Breezed through 14. Type setting
Felt for
Codified rules
Small dome
Chevrotain
Male reproductive gland
Dec 22/Jan 20
AQUARIUS –
Jan 21/Feb 18
–
PISCES –
Feb 19/Mar 20
Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans
Be careful when listening to what another has to say, Capricorn. Read their body language instead of just their words. The two may not match up with one another.
Opportunities you may never have expected are presenting themselves, Aquarius. Find time to process these unexpected developments and mull the best approach.
Pisces, resist hurried efforts to get to a destination without enjoying the journey. There is a lot to see along the way, so it’s best if you savor all of it while you can.
28. Controversial beliefs
Z Z Z
One who confines another
Bishop
Garlands 37. Bird that flies by the coast 38. Optical device
Greek goddess of discord
Some are “Rolling”
Formerly (archaic)
Thrust a knife into
German river
Atomic #26
Make a grotesque face
Primordial matter of the universe 55. Chinese philosophical principle
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Receptionist - Term position
Do you enjoy working with people?
Biggar & District Credit Union requires a full-time Receptionist in the Biggar branch.
This is a 1-year term position ending February 28, 2026.
The position reports to the Member Services Team Lead and is responsible for creating professional relationships with our members and suppliers.
Your duties will include managing all incoming and outgoing mail, supporting members with online banking queries, perform non-cash transactions, ordering supplies and supporting our youth account activities.
Y a positive attitude towards change. We are looking for a team player with a strong focus on providing excellent member service. Why work here?
work with a committed team in a challenging, rewarding, and fun environment. education, valuable networking in the credit union/cooperative system, and ongoing personal and professional development.
Biggar & District Credit Union proudly supports the communities we serve, and it is our people that make this happen. If you would like to be part of our team, email your cover letter and resume to humanresources@biggarcu.ca
We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.
Deadline to apply: January 31, 2025 at noon
by Pastor Ken Davidson, Perdue United Church
So we just celebrated the birth of Jesus!
Okay, that is done. Now what? Do we just wait for Easter and go to church again? We cannot pick four or five times to go to worship and call ourselves Christians.
Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are not called to sit in the stands and watch the professional compete! We are called out of the crowd to be part of the team.
This calling is not on the court, the ice rink or the ball diamond, nor is it only in the church! This competition is everywhere and everyday.
Jesus is more interested in calling us to be a competitors then spectators or fans.
He does not want us to be just impresses by His ministry. He wants us to be His ministry.
Jesus is calling us out of the crowd, out of the bleachers and onto the field. “The Harvest is ready, but the workers are few.”
There are many that are stuck in the crowd and need us to help them to know, follow and be part of Jesus’ team. Unlike the Olympics, where only the very best can be on the team, Jesus will use all who will follow Him to bring glory
You are welcome to CHAPEL of HOPE Meeting at the Centennial Room at the Westwinds Motor Hotel Sundays at 10:30am Pastor Doug Motz Coffee & Refreshments provided
into this world. He calls us out of the crowd. He calls us into a relationship with Him. When Jesus returns, He will bring the power of Heaven, and His team will be made up of all we know and love, and we will accept Him as the son of the true and living God.
So let’s help everyone to be part of the winning team.
Glory be to God, In Jesus’ name. Amen.
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Accounts Payable / Payroll Clerk
Biggar & District Credit Union is a dynamic and growing organization. We are currently seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Accounts Payable / Payroll Clerk to join our organization.
This person will manage the full accounts’ payable function. Additionally, this role will be responsible for completing payroll and overseeing bene ts and payroll administration. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has a strong attention to detail. On-the-job training will be provided to ensure you are fully equipped to succeed in this role.
Previous experience in accounts payable and payroll processing is preferred but not required. You must have excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. You’ll work closely with the Manager of HR/Marketing and the Senior Accounting Clerk.
Why work here?
We o er a competitive compensation structure, 8% matched superannuation, and comprehensive group bene ts, with a Health Care Spending Allowance. You’ll work with a committed team in a challenging, rewarding, and fun environment. Our workplace o ers opportunity for advancement, paid continuing education, valuable networking in the credit union/cooperative system, and ongoing personal and professional development.
Biggar & District Credit Union proudly supports the communities we serve, and it is our people that make this happen. If you would like to be part of our team, email your cover letter and resume to humanresources@biggarcu.ca. We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.
Deadline to apply: January 31, 2025 at noon
Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
High-scoring tie ...
The U9 Nationals hosted the Luseland Mallards, Saturday, bringing a little excitement to the Jubilee Stadium. A fierce, back and forth battle ended in a 10-all tie. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
