The Biggar Independent Volume #114 Issue #37

Huge support for RCMP on their 150th ... Long lines and a massive support for RCMP as the local Biggar Detachment put on a barbecue, September 8. Local RCMP members serve our community with distinction, and Friday, they served burgers, hot dogs and a drink, thanking the community for what is 150 years of the RCMP in Canada! (Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)

A dominant win by the Biggar Blazers Senior football team in their home opener versus the Eatonia Spartans, September 7. The Blazers were 36-0 by the half, choking the Spartans offence, rolling over their defence to the 44-0 final. The next game for the Blazers is this Friday, September 15, 4 p.m. at the Rec Complex versus the visiting LCBI Bisons. (Independent Photos by Kevin Brautigam)

Town of Biggar Council Minutes

The regular meeting of Biggar Town Council was held August 15 at 7:15 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jim Rickwood, Councillors Alan Boyle, Dakota Ekman, Nicole Hoppe, Kevin McNicholls, Edward Young, and Ivan Young.

Councillor Ivan Young left the Council meeting at 7:30 p.m., due to conflict of interest in regards to being in negotiations with the owner of the property. Council resolved that the Town of Biggar award the demolition tender for the property located on Lot 15 Block 75 Plan G187 to Silver Eagle Excavation in the amount of $8,000 plus applicable taxes under the condition that the property owner does not complete the Order to Remedy by September 30, 2023, and further more that the tender for Lot 32

Block 6 Plan D4770 be cancelled as the Town is in receipt of a letter from the property owner that the property has been sold. Councillor Young returned to the Council meeting at 7:35 p.m.

Council resolved that the following financial reports for July, 2023 be accepted as presented: Bank Reconciliation. Statement of Financial Activities.

Council resolved that the General Accounts Paid in the amount of $124,539.27 and the General Accounts Payable in the amount of $102,050.34 be approved.

Council resolved that the following correspondence be accepted for Councils information and filed: Royal Canadian Legion - Military Service Recognition Book. Farm in the Dell - Fall Festival. SEDA Awards - 2023 Community Project Award. CN - Crossing

Repair Detour. Commissionaires - August 15, 2023 Bylaw Report. Council resolved that the quote from Boisvert Underground Services to supply 5,000 tonnes of concrete gravel at $15 per tonne and in exchange for a portion of this amount crushed, be

Pancake Breakfast

approved and that this gravel crushing is to be completed in 2024. And furthermore: that Boisvert Underground Services offer to purchase the empty lots located on Lots 1-3 Block 9 Plan D4770 for $25,000 plus applicable taxes be approved with no resi-

Biggar RCMP report

by Sgt. Dereck Crozier, Biggar Detachment

This past week members dealt with 50 occurrences. Traffic related incidents seen a number of motorists being reminded that there is no such thing as a rolling stop. Seven traffic related coupons were randomly distributed throughout the area and twelve warnings reminding others Webster’s version of “Stop”.

A 17-year-old driver on Highway 4 was found operating a brown 2004 Pontiac Montana 35 km/h over the limit while driving without insurance. This joyride comes with $546 penalty along with another $580 for doing it while uninsured. Another driver of a white 1981 Elcamino learned that in 2023 it is still frowned upon to operating a vehicle with open liquor. A 60-yearold driver from Macrorie was located at the gas station trying to place the nozzle in his rear tire while being two and a half times over the legal limit for having liquor in

dential tax incentive to be given and that a moving permit and building permit be required prior to the movement of a house being moved to this property.

Council resolved that Progress Certificate No. 055-105-P13 from Catterall and Wright in the

your system while driving.

A taillight was broken out on the 300 block of Seventh Avenue East. It appears that it may have been accidentally struck by a bike, however no one has admitted to the collision. Complaint of noise on the 200 block of Second Avenue West, and a complaint of adults’ name calling and body shaming at the activity centre.

Complaints of suspicious activity along the Lizard Lake Road of people with flashlights and a suspicious black SUV that appeared to be checking people’s lanes through the northern part of the RM of Glenside.

Two of last weeks stolen vehicles were recovered as Biggar detachment executed a warrant on a rural property near Springwater and recovered the stolen F350 from Struan and a second F350 stolen in June from Saskatoon. The 2005 grey Pontiac Gran

amount of $15,211.99 be approved for payment to ASL Paving Ltd. for work on the Biggar Main Street Revitalization Project. • Meeting adjourned at 9:38 p.m.

Am taken from Biggar was recover after a warrant was executed in Radisson. Thirty-fouryear-old Travis Kurmey has been charged with theft and possession of stolen property.

Patrols and police presence were provided over the weekend to Springwater Lake. With the start of a new school year, a “freshie party” usually provides a gathering somewhere - nothing ran out of control and the following day had only a small amount of garbage left behind with no damage reported. Overall, the youth gave general respect to the area.

Thanks to everyone that came by to join us for the barbecue on September 8, the weather was great and the day was a success with about 325 people dropping by. Our apologies to those that could not wait in the long line and thanks for the patience of the others.

Take care out there!

Bingo Numbers for September 14

B-10 I-29 N-37 G-55 O-63

Welcome Back Chefs ... Biggar Central School students, R.J. Dalisay, Kori Owens-Nahorney and Ayden Owens-Nahorney work the griddle, whipping up some tasty breakfast cakes. A welcome back pancake breakfast was held, September 8, and senior students cooked up the meal to usher in the new school year. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Driver or Pilot error? On Tuesday, September 5, CP’s Highway 14 crossing east of Biggar was in need of repair after being struck by a bin being moved. Drivers are being asked to exercise caution. (Photo for The Independent courtesy Biggar RCMP)

Trudeau refuses to cut gas taxes to ease the burden facing Canadians

by Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

refuses to do the one thing that would immediately make life more affordable: cut gas taxes.

The federal government makes you pay a fuel tax, a carbon tax, a second carbon tax and a sales tax every time you fuel up. In total, federal taxes add about 31 cents per litre to the price of gas, or about $20 extra to fuel up a large sedan.

To add insult to injury, the feds and all six provinces east of Manitoba charge their sales taxes on top of the other taxes. This tax-on-tax adds about $2.65, on average, to the cost of fuelling up a large sedan. If you fill up that sedan once a week, you’re paying about $140 every year just because of the taxon-tax.

That big tax bill is only getting bigger.

Trudeau is cranking up his carbon tax until

it hits 37 cents per litre of gas in 2030. The feds also recently imposed a second carbon tax through fuel regulations. When those fuel regulations are fully implemented in 2030, it’ll add up to 17 cents per litre to the price of gas. There are no rebates with the second carbon tax, and it’s being layered on top of the original tax.

In just seven years, federal taxes will cost about 74 cents per litre of gas. According to data from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the two carbon taxes alone will cost the average family more than $2,000 every year.

Gas taxes make life more expensive beyond the pumps. By making it more expensive for farmers to produce food and truckers to deliver food, the carbon tax makes it more expensive for families to buy food.

The big rig truck driver who delivers groceries to the store pays more than $260 in

federal taxes every fuel up. The carbon tax on propane and natural gas will cost Canadian farmers $1 billion through 2030, according to the PBO.

Trudeau has hiked his carbon tax every year since he first imposed it in 2019. Meanwhile, provincial governments of all stripes cut taxes.

The United Conservatives in Alberta completely suspended their provincial fuel tax. The Progressive Conservatives in Ontario cut their fuel tax, saving the two-car family filling up once a week nearly $440.

British Columbia’s New Democrats paused a carbon tax hike to provide relief during the height of the pandemic. The Liberals in Newfoundland and Labrador cut their gas tax and continue to oppose Trudeau’s carbon tax hikes.

The multi-partisan Council of Atlantic Premiers launched a campaign to “fight the federal gas hike.”

“Combined with the carbon tax, this (second carbon tax) will increase the cost of everythingfuel, food, clothing and more,” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said. “We are asking the federal government once again to work with us and not raise the price of everything.”

Across the pond, the United Kingdom announced billions of dollars in fuel tax relief. Sweden provided hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel tax relief. Australia cut its gas tax in half. South Korea cut its gas tax by about 30 per cent. The Netherlands cut its gas tax by 17 cents per litre, while

Germany cut its tax by 30 cents.

Norway reduced fuel taxes to “help make everyday life a little easier for households and businesses.” India cut fuel taxes “to keep inflation low, thus helping the poor and middle classes.” Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal also cut fuel taxes.

About three-quarters of countries don’t have a national carbon tax, according to the World Bank. Canadians now pay two.

If Trudeau even remotely cared about making life more affordable, he would follow in the footsteps of provinces and countries of all political stripes and reduce his gas taxes.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME

They MUST be signed, approximately 300 words in length and are subject to editing. Thank Yous will not be permitted in letters

Today’s politics pushes Sask. Party to the right

wool federal Liberals.

For example, Bjornerud had served as a constituency assistant to onetime Progressive Conservative MLA Walter Johnson in the Grant Devine government.

Provincial Viewpoint

Murray Mandryk

It’s questionable whether the Saskatchewan Party was ever a true coalition of Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.

If you look at the original founding Liberals back in 1997 - Rod Gantefoer, June Draude, Ken Krawetz and Bob Bjornerud - none of them really ever struck you as anything close to traditional dyed-in-the-

the

If anything, the eagerness of the Liberals to join a new party seemed almost as driven by personality conflict with then-Liberal leader Lynda Haverstock than it was by any overriding philosophy. And the entire notion that this was about a single rightwing alternative keeping the NDP out of office always had the taint of political opportunism to it.

Nevertheless, Liberals were instrumental in keeping the new Saskatchewan on a path towards winning.

Few recall calls at the first Sask. Party convention in November

1997 for boot camps for young offenders, chain gangs for prisoners and stricter anti-abortion rules - all being pushed by religious or special interest groups.

Nevertheless, the Sask. Party survived and began capturing a few suburban seats and then eventually established a solid city base with urban MLAs like Don Morgan, Gord Wyant, Mark Docherty and Tina Beaudry becoming fixtures in cabinet and government.

Critical to this was former premier Brad Wall - a rural MLA from Swift Current who clearly recognized the final importance of oil, gas, mining and especially agriculture - understanding and not forgetting the need to appeal to city voters, too.

But then came Wall’s departure after 10 years

of leading this province and 2017-18 Sask. Party leadership that came down to a race between two rural-based contestants in Scott Moe and Alanna Koch who had worked exceedingly hard at securing farmbased votes within the Sask. Party. Moe emerged victorious, and his first words were “just watch me” take on the Justin Trudeau Liberal government.

At that time Wyant, then, a leadership candidate, disavowed his Liberal roots.

Today it’s impossible to find any of those Liberal roots in the Sask. Party.

In certainly can be argued that this is having much of an effect of today’s Saskatchewan politics for two very important reasons.

The first is that today’s Liberals in Saskatchewan - that are a non-

entity federally and no longer existence, provincially - are in no way a right-of-centre votesplitting threat.

The remnants of the provincial Liberal - not that there is much - has become the Progressive Party of Saskatchewan. If they are to be a factor at all, they most likely will be one compete with the NDP for urban votes.

The second factor is that this province has steadily shifted to the right - a shift that’s become more pronounced during and after the pandemic. This accounts for the modest political success of the Buffalo Party in the 2020 election and now the Saskatchewan United Party that is clearly now having its impact on Sask. Party government policy. Clearly, the Sask. Party’s political threat is coming from

the right.

So the first order of business after the summer byelections for Moe and the Sask. Party was to ignore the message of the two losses on Regina and focus on the message sent by voters in Lumsden-Morse where Sask. United finished a distance second. Perhaps it’s the Sask. Party doing what it’s always done - adjust to the political realities of the day. But there might also be the danger of it moving to far away from its Liberal/centre roots and losing more even more support in the cities like it did in the Regina Coronation Park and Regina Walsh Acre byelection.

As such, maybe the Sask. Party will find itself in a bit of a politically precarious position.

Notable Notes

Bob Mason

A friend of ours motored to California and was getting his car’s gas tank when the attendant noticed the name on his license plate. He tried to pronounce it.

“S-S-Saskatchewhat?” he stammered.

Don’t ask me how an American can rattle off names like “Passadumkeag,” “Maine” or “Albuquerque,” and never miss a syllable, yet not be able to handle a practical name like Saskatchewan! Maybe our tongues are different. I dunno!

I suppose that we are kind of isolated way out here, but so is “Schagticoke, New York,” and anybody can pronounce that!

After the war was over and some of us were coming home on the Queen Mary to New York, I had to go to the

onboard hospital. There were a lot of Americans on the ship, and of course the doctor who examined me came from a big American city.

“Where do you come from, Mason?” he asked.

I told him Saskatchewan.

He stopped for a moment and seemed to be mulling the name over in his mind.

“Saskatchewan ... Saskatchewan ..,” he muttered. Then giving me a knowing look he said, “Say, Saskatchewan is west of Toronto, isn’t it?”

I agreed that it was, but knew darn well he had no idea how far west it was!

A few years ago a regimental acquaintance of mine flew into Saskatchewan from the east.

From Regina, he gave me a phone call.

“Now I know where to send my care parcels to!” he said.

Apparently his view of the Great Plains hadn’t impressed him at all. He never sent the care parcels either!

Enough bad-mouthing our province, I think!

It is sure true that a lot of people don’t even know where Saskatchewan is! And maybe this is an advantage in a way

Saskatchewhat?

because a lot of modern influences - sometimes bad ones - have kind of passed us by.

Don’t get me wrong! A lot of the above mentioned influences are really beneficial. It is those bad ones that our society can get along without!”

According to the Minoans, plebiscite is the opinion of the people. And the opinions of the people is what we have a lot of in Saskatchewan. Has our everyday world really changed that much?

“Who the heck are the Minoans and what have they got to do with Saskatchewan?”

Well, when one looks way back in history to the origins of democracy, they find that a lot of the European cultures are directly descended from the ancient Minoans! And are there ever a lot of Europeans in our province!

According to Mr. Webster, the word culture often means “way of life,” and way of life is what we have a lot of out here in the West!

Here we are, thousands of years of progress later, man has walked on the Moon, scientists have even crashed million dollar machines on Mars, and given us

the Internet. But are the necessities of life so much different than they were back then?

I would be a fool (probably am anyway!) to suggest that progress has long ago bypassed society!

I suppose I sound a little cynical here but doesn’t it ever make a starving person happy to know that some human has left a footprint on the Moon?! And does it ever satisfy a man’s hunger and thirst to hear that “progress” has finally reached the Red Planet?! As far as the Internet is concerned, if you want to find out more about the Minoans, just move that mouse around a bit and find out. Meanwhile there is a long list of places in our world whose people would have to live in Saskatchewan!

Over the years many people - many far more educated that I am - have drawn up sensible plans for the way they think things ought to be. I’ll bet that very few of the ones who read this have ever even heard of Adam Smith, John Locke, George Berkely or the thousands of other realists of our time. So, how in the world can Yours Truly expect anyone to read and understand

what he writes about! Maybe it is our environment that has helped form Saskatchewan society! Maybe it is the very fact that a lot of modern influences have bypassed us here so that we still care about each other!

To me, our way of life in Saskatchewan is one that civilization must follow if it is to remain civil!

Can there be greater progress that that?

Sometimes when Yours Truly gets to thinking about the future, some maddening questions keep crowding in on him: “Can greed and compassion coexist?” Or “How far off the road of common-sense are we?” and “Is it probable - or even possible - for civilization to go back?”

I think maybe I’d better sign off before these questions drive my nuts! Where did I leave my golf clubs, anyway?

23093GE2

Ask The Money Lady

Christine Ibbotson

Dear Money Lady,

Should I sell my home and move into a retirement home? I’m 76 and I really don’t want to move but my kids say I should. What do you think?

Anna

Well, isn’t that a loaded question? Anna, I want to commend you for at least having an open mind to moving. I know it’s a big decision and one that gets more complicated as we age. There are plenty of Canadians that feel the same way and have strong emotional ties to their homes.

I have read all your e-mails: “They’ll carry out my dead body from this house. I will never

sell”. Okay, I get it, you don’t want to give up your home.

Instead of thinking that you have to give up your house, why not consider giving yourself a new home that may be an even better fit for you as you age, and if it helps to give you a little bit more money, how can that not be something you would consider?

The decision to change your living arrangement in retirement could provide more confidence and happiness instead of the nervous worry about how to maintain the status quo. A wait and see perspective can be very stressful especially if your current residence is not suitable for an aging senior. If you get forced into a decision you’re not ready for, it could make things very difficult at a time when your health may not be at its best.

Here are some questions to consider.

1.) Can you downsize your traditional home into a smaller home or condo. Are you able to

get a new home that is more suited to your needs as you age? Could you see yourself growing old in this new home? Are you able to stay in the same town/location?

2.) Could you move in with family/friend to save money and build a tight social system. Families could move in together to help out each other and care for one another (grandchildren/ elderly, cooking/cleaning/gardening, financially supporting one another).

3.) Should you financially downsize and rent: no more taxes, maintenance, et cetera. This would provide a true lock-and-leave-it lifestyle. Are you wanting to be “free as a bird” to travel? You could sell your home, rent for a few years, and then move into a small home or consider an adult living community when you want to settle down.

4.) If moving is still out of the question, could you spend part of your retirement savings to make your current home

Weather Woes and government impacting bottom dollar

serve their needs by limiting regulation and getting out of their way as they undertake the business of farming. The call by many in the day to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board to allow greater freedom in marketing wheat and barley a rather obvious example.

Agriculture

Calvin Daniels

by Calvin Daniels

With current drought conditions across broad swaths of the Prairies this summer agriculture producers are going to feel the squeeze financially.

For cattle and sheep producers there is the added pressure of having to buy feed as pasture and hay land production has been impacted.

To offset at least some of those costs producers are looking to government for dollars.

The expectation for government help for agriculture in times of weather disaster is of course not without some level of irony.

By nature, farm producers are a rather independent lot, and most often are suggesting government can best

But, droughts and floods and frost are of course beyond the best practices of farmers to overcome and when such forces of nature impact the bottom line of producers there really is no other place to look for support than from government.

So we see farm groups asking today for help.

The situation brings into focus a couple of questions which really need to be answered as we move forward.

To begin with, what is the political appetite to send money to Prairie producers?

This is really a twofold one in the sense there is the political will of increasingly non-ag connected voters and of course the view of the ruling party in Ottawa.

The voter will be increasingly a tough sell as there will be a view the farmer - many who see climate change as ‘fake news’ want help when severe weather

more suitable. Can you modify your home to keep you in it long-term; for example, a main floor master, walk-in tub/shower, new roof or heating, less maintenance/gardening, et cetera. Can you get a renter in the basement to help with expenses? What about hiring a part-time maintenance man to help out?

There are many people who know their current home may not be suitable anymore, but they still don’t want to leave. What will they do for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas? Family memories are made in a loving home, but they can also travel with you. Remember, it’s our family, not the place, that binds us together. Don’t worry about your adult kids, they will still gather no matter where

you end up ... maybe Christmas could be at another person’s home with new traditions and lots more new memories for you to make and treasure.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!

Written by Christine Ibbotson, author,

finance writer, national radio host, and now on CTV Morning Live, and CTV News @6. Send your money questions (answered free) through her website at askthemoneylady.ca

Interview with Mrs. Martha Affleck (Robert)

by Alice Ellis and Agnes Wilson in August 1974

Alice introduced Mrs. Martha Affleck as a prominent homesteader from the Naseby District.

with them to the homestead and camped with them until their house was built. A shack big enough for two beds was erected quickly and then a sod house followed.

eases took many small children. Martha’s husband contracted polio a few years later, and their life changed after that.

hurts their bottom line. It’s a difficult reality to reconcile for an environmentally conscious voter in Toronto or Vancouver.

For the ruling Liberals there is also their obvious understanding that they have become the Prairie whipping boy for all ills. Trudeau has become the trump card for the Premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan who simply deflect all blame for all things to the Prime Minister and the majority appear to nod agreeingly.

No level of federal help for farmers will change the blame game in Ottawa’s favour, or result in Liberal victories in the region in the next election, so while there is an obligation to help all Canadians sending money west must leave a bad taste in the mouth’s of federal Liberals right now.

And, what of the future, as severe weather is certainly more common, meaning more crop impacts are likely down the road? Is there a limitless pool of government dollars to offset increased weather disasters for farmers?

If the answer is no, it brings up a bigger question, what happens when the dollars run out?

She came from Sterlingshire in Scotland in 1906. Her father came in March and the rest of the family came out in September. It took two weeks on the ship and five days by train. Martha despite given special treats by the cook on board, was very train sick and did not enjoy them.

Her 15-year-old sister had quite a few marriage proposals on ship! On the train, single men coming in for harvesting were a nuisance, asking them to talk as well, enjoying their Scottish brogue. Arriving in Winnipeg, a land of mud and no comforts at all in the Immigration Hall. Onwards finally to Battleford where father met them with the oxen and Jack Forrest. The Forrest family came

Prairie fires were constant threat and very scary in those days. The best form of fire prevention was to plough a fire guard around their 160 acres homestead.

Buying supplies for the family meant a trip to Battleford, twice a year! But the baker came to their door as did the butcher and the hardware man.

The First World War (1914-1918) left many widows, and yet Martha did mention that the Flu of 1918 left more orphans than the war did. Luckily their family did not catch the flu. She did mention losing two of her children in 1919 to scarlet fever and another in 1920 of diphtheria. Quite a few children died in Biggar of these diseases. Before vaccines, these two dis-

She mentioned that her husband was a neighbour, and they courted a long time before they married. She remembers one date when they pumped a handcar all the way to Traynor to see a concert. After getting married they lived in Oban.

Socializing was done at each others’ homes. Even though they were small, the homes vibrated with the sound of violins and singing from just before dark until daylight the next day. Naseby had a fair each year and all met and competed at the fair.

This is just a few excerpts from her interview. This is just one of the pioneer chats we have available to read in the Family Research Library in the Biggar Museum and Gallery.

Paget Elabie at Naseby Fair Days, 1931. (Photo for The Independent by the Biggar Museum and Gallery)

Volunteers preparing something protected by UNESCO

by Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Museum and Gallery

The museum is planning another borscht and bun event.

We spent the weekend making borscht in readiness for the event. That invasion continues over there, and my heart goes out to those children there whose education is hampered. How many Ukrainian children had exciting first days of school?

Here’s a fact I discovered about borscht. In 2022 the “United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that it had placed borscht on the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding” due to the risk that Russia’s invasion posed to the soup’s status as an element of Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

The new status means Ukraine could now apply for special funds to finance projects promoting and protecting the dish. Products needed to make borscht in Ukraine have been difficult to access because of the destruction by the invasion and supply line destruction. Despite this, Ukrainian communities have united to create borscht!

Ukrainian borscht is a soup made with beets and many other vegetables. Sometimes with cabbage, sometimes with pork. Sometimes without beets, which is usually considered a Russian version.

I have made borscht for years. I was taught back in the ‘60’s by a recent emigrant from Ukraine. In my mind, borscht would be what a woman would create with whatever was available at the end of the

growing season and the beginning of butchering time.

Ancient borscht was made with common hogweed, also known as cow parsley. The stem, leaves and flowers were pickled and added to a combination of vegetables and meat and covered with broth or water. I now use vinegar and some use lemon juice to add the pickled flavour to borscht. I’m not sure if women in Ukraine many centuries ago would have access to lemons though.

In the Podilla region in Ukraine, the third day of a wedding has maintained its ritual name “do nevistky - na borshch”, meaning “visit daughter-in-law to eat borscht”.

A bowl of borscht, either eaten hot or cold symbolizes a strong family!

There’s always something happening at the museum

by Delta Fay Cruickshank for the Biggar Museum and Gallery

Oh, for goodness’ sake ... it’s over already!

The Summer Book Sale is over in the gallery! The children are preparing for school, and last dips in the lake are happening. The Virginia Creeper is turning red in the yards, and what will I do with all those tomatoes? Harvest on the fields is going strong.

Summer is winding down.

The next season here at the museum will be just as dynamic and interesting. We are putting up a new art show this week. The museum partners with the Biggar and District Arts

Council, and they partner with Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils. Through these affiliations, the museum can have Saskatchewan art on the walls of the gallery at least four times per year.

The new show going up is called “Spirit of Nature - Looking Beyond Yourself”. The artist is Phyllis Poitras-Jarrett, a Metis artist. The artist specializes in beadwork. She uses floral beadwork to fill the silhouettes of various animals and insects, set against a foggy background, representing the spirit world.

The exhibition also features a special element: a glass spirit bead, which in traditional

Metis beadwork is an off colour or misplaced bead. The spirit bead symbolizes humility and reminds viewers that each day is an opportunity to make improvements in ourselves for the betterment of all.

This exhibit will soon be on the walls of the gallery, sponsored by the Credit Union, and will be taken down by September 21. As always, the viewings are free. Tours in the museum are by donation, you are all welcome to come and see and hear the history of Biggar and district.

One of the 15 beaded art works by Phyllis PoitrasJarrett on display now in the Biggar Museum and Gallery. (Photo for The Independent by the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC))

by Trudy and Dale Buxton

After a great over night stop in Rocky Mountain House, it’s time for the last leg of our trip, heading for home.

We are travelling east on Highway 11 towards Red Deer. Just before we get to the city, we come upon the Town of Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake is a resort town on one of the most popular recreational areas in Alberta. It attracts over a million and a half people annually and has many recreational activities like boating, swimming, windsurfing, water skiing and in the winter, ice fishing, skating and snowmobiling.

Sylvan Lake is very popular with the kids and the huge water-slides, and was once home to the largest water-slide park in Alberta.

With a year round population of around

15,000 people, it has all the amenities that you could ask for in a large centre while keeping its small town atmosphere.

The main industry is oil and gas, but the tourism is a very important aspect of this community.

Sylvan Lake is also a bedroom community for Red Deer, being only a mere 20 minutes from the downtown of the city.

Next up on the travels is the aforementioned City of Red Deer.

Sitting on the banks of the Red Deer River, it has a population of around 107,000 people, making it the third largest city in Alberta. Halfway between Edmonton and Calgary, it serves as the central heart of the province.

The area was first inhabited by First Nations, including the Blackfoot, Cree and Stoney before Europeans began arriving in the in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.

Trails that were used ran from Montana, through the modern day Calgary and up to Fort Edmonton, known as the Calgary/Edmonton Trail.

The Cree people used to call the river “Elk River” for the abundance of Elk that were in the area. Settlers referred to the Elk as “red deer” for their colour, which happened to be similar to a species that lived in Europe. The name Red Deer stuck Red Deer was incorporated as a town in 1901 and a city in 1913. The economy of Red Deer comes from the vast oil and gas resources that were discovered in the late 1940’s. The economy also runs deep into agriculture.

During the 1930’s and the Great Depression, Red Deer and central Alberta were one of the few areas not to be hit with severe drought. Rather, the area was debt free and profited by the ownership of its utilities. Red Deer once had three railways operating in and around the city, The Canadian Pacific, The Canadian National and the Central Railway. Each had a part to play in the strong economy of the area.

Red Deer is a hub for the arts, including many cultural groups.

Red Deer has a long

list of actors that have come from this area along with some famous sports stars like Jeremy Wotherspoon, considered one of the greatest speed skaters to ever hit the ice.

Stay tuned for more adventures of the Saskatchewan Traveller.

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 159 PEOPLE

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 47 PEOPLE

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 67 PEOPLE

Bailee Massett Sarah Roesler

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 130 PEOPLE

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 25 PEOPLE

This page contains local businesses that employ a total of 54 PEOPLE

CAA Saskatchewan is reminding motorists, parents, and students to be alert and stay safe around schools and playgrounds.

With students back in class, busy extracurricular schedules, and the arrival of cooler weather, school zones are becoming more

Help keep our school zones safe!

congested. According to a recent CAA survey, the top two hazardous behaviours performed by motorists in school zones are speeding and distracted driving. The reported top two risky behaviours for pedestrians including students are jaywalking and failing to look

both ways before crossing streets.

With the school year starting, we need to work together to keep our kids safe,” said Sgt. Jason Jacobson, with the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) Traffic Unit. “Please slow down to 30 km/h in school and playground zones. The SPS Traffic Unit will be enforcing these zones.”

“We all have a place in keeping our community safe, remember to slow down and be alert in school zones. Follow traffic rules and watch for safety patrollers who are helping fellow students cross the street safely,” said Cst. Andi Costanza, a Regina Police Service Resource Officer

What to know before borrowing against your home equity

Before winter gets here, you may be thinking of doing some home repairs.

And to pay for them, you may consider using a home equity line of credit, often called a HELOC. HELOCs have advantages but can also lead to negative outcomes.

How do they work?

You borrow money secured against your home equity. That means the lender uses your home as a guarantee that you’ll pay back the money you borrow.

Typically, interest rates on loans secured against home equity can be much lower than other types of loans, which means they can be a good option to consolidate other debts. You also only pay interest on the amount you borrow, and you can pay back the money you borrow at any time.

On the other hand, having a home equity line of credit requires discipline to pay it off because you’re usually only required to pay the monthly interest. Large amounts of available

credit can make it easier to spend more and carry debt for a long time. HELOCs often have variable interest rates and when rates increase, so do your monthly interest payments.

A home equity line of credit may or may not be useful to you. If your lender is a federally regulated bank, they must offer and sell you products and services that are appropriate for you, based on your circumstances and financial needs. They must also tell you if they assess that a product or service isn’t appropriate for you.

Take the time to describe your financial situation to ensure you get the right product. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and make sure you understand the product you want.

who also helps train CAA School Safety Patrol teams in Regina. So how can you help make school zones safer?

Parents

• Slow down and give yourself more time. Have patience when dealing with motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and buses in congested areas.

• Work out a morning routine that keeps you from getting distracted. Avoid texting, drinking, eating and other activities while driving. Staying organized and safety-focused sets a good example for kids.

• Use designated drop-off

zones and obey speed limits and other signs.

• Consider car-pooling or parking a block away then walk with your child to ease drop-off traffic.

• Remind your children to stay alert and pay attention to what’s going on around them. Tell them to make eye contact with drivers to ensure they are seen before crossing the road. Students

• Consider the buddy system so no one walks or cycles alone.

• Never jaywalk or dart between parked cars.

• STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK before crossing

streets and busy intersections. Remember to cross at crosswalks and marked intersections.

Motorists

• Eliminate distracted driving.

• Obey traffic laws.

• Understand and abide by the ‘no stopping’ and ‘no parking’ signage.

• Drive according to the posted speed limit.

• Performing U-turns in school zones is illegal in some municipalities.

Penton on sports

Ubiquitous.

It’s a word that means, according to dictionary. com, “existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent:”

Sports betting.

Gambling ads. Ubiquitous.

In one man’s opinion, it’s getting to be too much.

Bet MGM. Bet365. FanDuel. Draft Kings. Sports Interaction. Play Alberta. Caesars

Sportsbook. Bet Rivers

Sportsbook. Points Bet Canada. A sports fan can’t turn on a televised sporting event these days without being bombarded by gamblingrelated commercials, urging the viewer to get in on the fun and chase big financial windfalls by making the correct bet. It’s a $220 billion industry in North America. Every pro league has an ‘official betting partner’ and 11 North American sporting venues have on-site wagering capabilities. More are likely to come.

And if you’ve ever wondered why the gambling mecca of Las Vegas is able to build such big fancy hotels and over-the-top tourist attractions, it’s because the house rarely loses.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to gamble. Smallscale stuff, well within my limits.

The sports gambling sites, however, need bigger players than me to make their money and it’s worrisome that millions of sports fans, who used to watch for the excitement of the lategame winning goal, or the Hail Mary touchdown, are now induced by the excitement of covering the spread - and who cares which team actually wins the game?

Turn on a Blue Jays’ game any night of the week and you’ll find early in the proceedings that the Jays are, say, -115 to win. It suggests fans go immediately to the Bet365 site and put a few dollars down and then cash in when the Jays do, indeed, win the game.

Safe bet: Gambling ads are here to stay

Hockey Night in Canada has a special segment on Sportsnet every week where Cabbie Richards, who has the title of executive producer of sports betting content for the network, informs fans of the spread for the game they are watching.

Former HNIC host Dave Hodge, who once quit on principle over the way things were done at the network, said he would have drawn a line in the sand on the preponderance of gambling-related content. In an online story on Hockey Unfiltered With Ken Campbell, Hodge said he would have protested by saying “It [gambling promotion] goes or I go.”

The saddest aspect of this is when two of the greatest hockey stars of all-time, Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid, team up for a BetMGM commercial to promote betting. Impressionable kids of all ages look to those two in hero worship fashion, but the message they’re getting is not how to improve your skating, or beat the goalie on the short side, it’s about putting down money to win even more.

It’s ubiquitous. It’s out of control. But it won’t stop, because too much money is involved and money makes the world go around.

• Headline at theonion. com: “FanDuel Promo Offers Complimentary

$100 Bet To First-Time Gambling Addiction

Hotline Callers”

• Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, reprinted on Jack Finarelli’s sportscurmudgeon.com website: “My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska is that 10-1 is not a losing season.”

• From Club Pro Guy, on Twitter, from an unnamed golf course: “Members - Cart No. 39 has a punctured fuel tank and could be a ticking time bomb. If you get that cart, please proceed with caution.”

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke. com: “Canadian Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak’s sister was an NCAA rower, and her brother is an NHL defenceman with the Kraken. No wonder she’s such a talent, swimming in that gene pool.”

• Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com

(Hampton, Va.): “The NFL season begins with 10 players suspended for sports gambling and ends with a Super Bowl in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the

world. A little bit of a mixed message, don’t you think?”

• European Ryder Cup veteran Paul McGinley, offering proof that teams from his era had more fun than today’s golfers do: “We had consumed 72 bottles of wine, by Saturday.”

• Golf writer Eamon Lynch on X (formerly Twitter), on the European Ryder Cup selections: “Crafty move by Luke Donald in choosing Nicolai (Hojgaard). If he isn’t playing well or gets tired, he can send in (twin brother) Rasmus the ringer and only the swing nerds will ever know.”

• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Did you see where Pac-12 teams went 12-0 last week - the first time every league team won its opener since 1932? Stanford and Cal

celebrated the feat by each sending $2 million of their TV revenue to the ACC.”

• RJ Currie of sportsdeke. com: “Someone reportedly hung a 30foot banner of Russian president Vladimir Putin off the Manhattan Bridge. Cheeky, but at least New York baseball fans get to see a pennant hanging this fall.”

• Another one from theonion.com : “Cheerleaders have special celebratory routine for when paramedics announce football player not dead”

• Headline at fark.com: “Pac-2 sues for control of Pac-12’s money” Care to comment? E-mail brucepenton2003@ yahoo.ca

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

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

Jim Reiter, MLA

Bruce Penton

Biggarite travels across Canada ... Sixty-five-year-old Mark Suchan of Biggar has finished an incredible journey across Canada on his bike. Starting in March from Vancouver, travelling through rain, smoke and lots of traffic, he recently finished in Newfoundland. Mark would ride 120 to 150 kilometres a day, stopping a day a week to do laundry and rest. The total trip was over 7,900 kilometres which was a personal initiative of Mark. Mark is the son of Al Suchan in Biggar. Good going Mark, that is quite an accomplishment. (Photo for The Independent courtesy of the Suchan family)

Sask Pulse

Growers invests in genomics research

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) announced funding for two pulse-related genomic research projects, co-funded through Genome Canada’s ClimateSmart Agriculture and Food Systems initiative (CSAFS).

SPG’s over $1.4 million investment will be leveraged for a total pulse research and development investment of over $12.8 million.

These research projects are each four years in duration and aim to develop information and tools for breeding better combinations of wheat and lentil varieties in cropping systems and to enhance root rot resistance and drought tolerance in peas.

“This research works towards developing tools for lentil breeding as part of Saskatchewan-based rotations and enhancing the development of root rot resistance and stress tolerance in peas utilizing genomics technology,” says Trent Richards, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Board Chair. “SPG is happy to support these research initiatives, as they closely align with our research and development strategy.”

These projects will

reduce the carbon footprint of Canada’s food production systems by building their resiliency, environmental sustainability, and economic growth potential.

Other funders and supports of these projects include Genome Canada, Genome Alberta, Genome Prairie, Alberta Pulse Growers, Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, Western Grains Research Foundation, and Results Driven Agriculture Research (Alberta).

The Agriculture Development Fund is supported through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agriproducts sectors. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Tough opener for Junior Blazers ... The Junior Blazers football team took to the Recreation Complex, September 6 against the visiting Rosetown Royals. A tough and much larger Royal squad went home with the 74-18 win. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Great Gourdo ... Clinton and Averi Weekes show off the results of a great pumpkin harvest. One of the Halloween gourds came in at a whopping 110 pounds. No doubt the Great Pumpkin will be proud. (Photo for The Independent courtesy of Stephanie Weekes)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Business & Professional …

Natural Solutions for Healthy

ARIES – Mar 21/ Apr 20

Aries, a goal you have been working toward is nearing completion. Take time to reflect on all it took to make the goal come to fruition.

TAURUS – Apr 21/ May 21

OPTOMETRISTS

dr. kirk Ewen dr. Michelle Skoretz Doctors of Optometry

in BiGGAR

Every Tuesday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. New Location 315b Main Street, Biggar, SK For appointments…

1-833-948-3331

DENTAL Rosetown

Dental

115 - 1st Avenue West Rosetown, Sask.

OFFICE HOURS

Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Phone:306.882.2123

New Patients Welcome! Dr. Krista Maedel & Associates

HAULING

Taurus, try to get away on a vacation, even if it’s just a weekend jaunt. There’s never been a time you could use a little getaway more than right now. Push this into the priority zone.

GEMINI – May 22/ Jun 21

Gemini, it is time to get more movement into your daily activities. Don’t you want to be in the best possible health? Incorporate more exercise gradually with activities you enjoy.

CANCER – Jun 22/ Jul 22

A partnership will get even stronger this week, Cancer. It could be a relationship with a spouse or even a business partner. You’ll benefit from this added strength.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

You may take immense pleasure from doing mundane chores this week, Leo. Washing windows, organizing the garage, sorting through unused clothes … these are all things to keep busy.

VIRGO – Aug 24/ Sept 22

Your chart lands you in the sector of romance, creativity and passion this week, Virgo. Embrace all of these elements in your life to the fullest.

LIBRA – Sept 23/ Oct 23

Libra, even though you have been a veritable social butterfly lately, you may need to rest your wings for a little bit this week. Slow down and stick closer to home.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/ Nov 22

Scorpio, people might be quick to call you mysterious this week, but you just might be an open book. Share as much as you desire with others.

SAGITTARIUS –Nov 23/Dec 21

Sagittarius, define what you consider valuable, then do everything in your means to pursue those things. Setting goals can help.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, get ready to take center stage these next few days and bask in the limelight. Everyone seemingly wants to get a piece of you and you might be pulled in different directions.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

You are coming off of a season of easy living, Aquarius. But don’t expect the apple cart to be upset. The times of smooth sailing have only just begun. PISCES – Feb 19/ Mar 20

It’s all about team spirit right now, Pisces. Don’t do anything alone for the next several days. You need people in your corner cheering you and others on.

306.237.7671

Troy May, owner/operator

Fax: 306-237-TROY email: tmay@hotmail.ca

Super B outfits hauling grain and fertilizer in Alberta and Saskatchewan

Rockin D

Trucking & Cattle

• Cattle Hauling with 21 ft. gooseneck trailer

• Grain Hauling

• round and large square bale hauling with step-deck or highboy semi-trailers

• also buying and selling straw and forage

• also Machinery Hauling Dan • 306-948-7843 Biggar, Sask.

BIGGAR HOUSING

AUTHORITY

Housing for families and seniors

Rent based on income

Call: 306•303•7246

Saturday

PASSPORT PHOTO’S

Available at The Independent 948-3344

No Reservation Needed

WATKINS

Whip up delicious stock, gravies and sauce with ease. Wholesome ingredient with less salt in the products.

FABULOUS FRENCH ONION SOUP

Ingredients

5 med. Onions

3Tbutter or margarine

41/2c. quartz water

1/4 c. WATKINS BEEF SOUP AND GRAVY BASE

1T. WATKINS ONION SOUP AND GRAVY BASE

1/4t. WATKINS PURE GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1/4t. WATKINS ORGANIC CAYENNE PEPPER

1/4t. WATKINS ORGANIC THYME

6 slice french bread

1c. shredded cheese (swiss/chedder)

Direction peel and cut onion thinly cook onions in butter/margarine until golden brown gradually add water, soup base and seasoning bring to a boil cover and shimmer for 15 minutes meanwhile toast bread one side put soup into oven safe bowls put toasted bread on top sprinkle with cheese put under broiler until cheese is melted and enjoy

Biggar and District

Donor’s Choice Campaign Blitz October 3, 4, 5 , 2023

Format same as last yearNo Door to Door Canvassers

All home owners and businesses will receive a charity package left on their doorknob. All instructions will be in the package.

For questions call: Jen at 948-4460

PRAIRIE NOTES

Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 p.m. Prairie Notes Community Choir Registration at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 313 7th Ave East. Fees are $75 per person; which pays for music and other expenses. Practices will be Monday evenings. Please phone Cindy Hoppe at 306-948-2947 for more information.

NEED A DOCUMENT NOTARIZED?

Contact DALE BUXTON at The Independent 948-3344

No Reservation Needed

Come check out new stuff for sale at THE INDEPENDENT keeping in touch with Biggar

by Father Edward Gibney, Biggar/Landis Roman Catholic Church

As I was preparing this message, a poem by Shakespeare came into my head.

It is his 29th Sonnet, and appears to be a love poem, of one person who is struggling with the difficulties of daily life, and how the thought of their loved one makes everything fine.

However, as I thought about the poem, I began to see it as the yearning of a person who is struggling with the things and attitudes of the world, perhaps dealing with jealousy over the possessions or abilities he or she does not have, and how the person finds peace in turning to the love of God.

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

REFLECTIONS

I all alone be-weep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself, and curse my fate, Wishing to be one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I would not

change my state with kings.

Our world is filled with technology, and with ideas, that can, very easily, bring about hurt and even depression. Technology at its worst, has become a tool of bullying and abuse, but even when it is not so harsh, it can still cause people to feel that there is no good in their lives.

Many people read about all the good that others ‘appear’ to have and they begin to feel that they have no ‘fortune’ in their lives and that they are outcasts, and alone. They see others as being “more rich in hope,” and with more “friends possessed,” and out of this they can choose to quit being the person that God made them to be, in order to be more like some other person.

We must never forget that God made each of us to be who we are, each of us offering the world the special gifts God meant us to contribute. Each of us have the great value of being a son or daughter of God, graced with our own talents and abilities to add to the totality of the world. And this all comes out of the “sweet love” of God for us.

Through God we all have great value to offer our community and the world, and for this great gift, “I would not change my state with kings.”

Biggar Walking: Exercise Group

Biggar Community Hall

Starting October 2nd, 2023 at either 9:30am, 11:00am or 1:00pm Monday, Wednesday and Fridays

Pick your time

Everyone Welcome - Men & Women Exercise Therapist in attendance monthly? Contact Cheryl Amy at 306-948-5338 for more information

St. Gabriel roman CatholiC ChurCh 109 - 7th Ave.W, Biggar Father Edward Gibney Parish Phone: 306-948-3330

Saturday Mass.......7:00p.m.

Sunday Mass....... 11:00a.m.

our lady of fatima CatholiC ChurCh, Landis Sunday Mass.......9:00a.m.

Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans

Worship - 10:30 a.m.

St.Pauls Anglican Redeemer Lutheran 205 4th Ave. E 319 7th Ave. E SEPTEMBER 1O at ST. PAULS ANGLICAN SEPTEMBER 24 at ST.PAULS ANGLICAN

Rev. Daphne Bender Pastor’s cellular Phone: 1-306-621-9559

Office Phone: 306-948-3731 (Messages are forwarded to Pastor’s phone immediately)

Biggar associated gospel church 312 - 8th Ave.W. and corner of Quebec St., Biggar

Sunday Service 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome to come and join us Biggar United ChUrCh

REGULAR CHURCH SERVICES EVERY SUNDAY AT 11:00am

Minister Dale Worrall

EVERYONE WELCOME!!

INQUIRIES CALL CHURCH OFFICE 306-948-2280

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

SATURDAY SERVICES

BIBLE STUDY 10:00a.m. CHURCH SERVICE 11:00a.m. 320 - 6th ave.east contact: 306-948-2481 3 abn www.amazingfacts.org

NEW BEGINNINGS CHURCH

“The Lord’s mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness(Lamentations3:22-23)”

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

School Snack Ideas

something more exotic like kiwi or star fruit.

Prairie Notes Community Choir registration night

Chef Dez on cooking

Chef Dez

Here we are once again at the start of another school year.

Packing kids’ lunches is a chore for many, and sometimes one can lose sight of nutritional value due to heavily marketed convenience foods.

School-time snacks and lunches are not exactly the best avenue to practice “gourmet cuisine”, but I do get asked on occasion for some healthy ideas.

Therefore, this column will be my salute to parents who are willing to say “no” to pre-packaged, high-preservative foods for their children.

Nuts are a very nutritious option, as long as allergy restrictions aren’t a concern. Nuts are a good source of protein and a great source of unsaturated fat (the good kind of fat).

Unsaturated fats have been proven to help reduce levels of LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) without lowering HDLcholesterol (the good one). Unsaturated fats are best described as the ones that are liquid at room temperature, while saturated fats are solid.

Additionally, there are a large variety of nuts to choose from for discriminating tastes: almonds, cashews, peanuts, et cetera, and some are even available with different flavourings to make them more appealing - just keep your eye on the sodium content and other ingredients.

Fresh fruit is an obvious choice, but make sure it is something that they enjoy, to increase the probability of consumption! One thing you can do to make fruit more tempting is do some of the prep ahead of time.

For example, a cut and/or peeled orange is much easier to eat than a whole orange. Make it interesting - don’t always send the same fruit. Every once in a while, pack some berries, seasonal fruit, or

The ease of eating dried fruit makes it an attractive option as well. There are so many naturally dried fruit options that do not contain additional sugar, that it is easy to make their lunch interesting for them. There are dried plums, apples, apricots, pineapple, mango, and banana to name a few, and they are healthier substitutions for prepackaged fruit rolls.

Carbohydrate type snack options could be granola bars or popcorn.

When purchasing granola bars, read the ingredients to monitor the number of preservatives and refined sugars they have. Do not choose chocolate covered ones as they defeat the purpose of making a healthy choice to begin with. Also, the harder granola bars are usually healthier than the softer ones.

Popcorn, as long as it not drenched in butter, is a great option and a good source of fibre. It is obviously okay (and recommended) that our children consume fat in their diets as it is all part of brain development. Fat intakes should be monitored but not eliminated.

Whole-wheat crackers are another healthy option. Again, this may require reading a few labels, but a perfect opportunity to replace amounts of white flour in their diets with whole wheat.

For those of you who have time, there are even cracker recipes that you can prepare together with your children at home. The appeal of whole-wheat crackers will be much greater with the pride that comes along with making them. Throw in some slices of cheese as part of their dairy intake, along with some lean meat slices or tuna salad for their own homemade “snack-packs”.

I am not a dietitian, and these suggestions are merely that. I feel that is our job as parents to keep educated. Contacting a dietitian, for proper moderation for your children’s balanced diets of all the food groups, is highly recommended. Send your food/cooking questions to dez@chefdez. com or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, B.C., V2T 6R4. Chef Dez is a Food Columnist, Culinary Travel Host and Cookbook Author. Visit him at chefdez.com

Prairie Notes Community Choir is looking forward to another fall season of singing.

We are an adult singing group that meets Monday nights at Redeemer Lutheran Church; 313 Seventy Avenue East in Biggar. Our choral director is Amy Zhao and our accompanist is Peggy L’Hoir.

We have three main gigs that we plan music for: Canada Music Week, concert night, Tuesday, November 21; Carol Festival Evening, Tuesday, December 5, and a Christmas Recital, Sunday afternoon, December 10. We also help with community singing at the Remembrance Day service if people are available.

Our registration fee

this year is $75 and our registration night is Monday, September 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. That evening we will sort out the pieces we will be singing and a typical practice consists of warmup and

then working hard on a couple of pieces that evening. We have fun and have all ranges of abilities in our group. Our director and accompanist will get our music recorded so we can listen either on our computers or phones in

between practices to build our confidence. If you have any questions or would like to join our group, please phone Cindy Hoppe at 306-948-7147, and let her know so we will have enough music available.

Arcade

Myself and my family decided to start Living Skies Arcade in Biggar recently. I love arcade games and thought it would be a great way to bring something to the community.

Who are we? My name is William Hnatiw I grew up in the small town of Bruno, Saskatchewan, and often assisted on the family farm, giving me strong roots in the province of Saskatchewan. I always loved that the people of this province were always very friendly and super helpful towards one another. Growing up in this province taught me that neighbours

should always help one another and the people of this province with their kindness and compassion greatly assisted with teaching me good morals and values.

I began working in the mining industry which took me all across Canada and often times away from my family far too much. The upbringing of the small-town lifestyle and farming background have provided me with an exemplary work ethic that has helped me to be successful in my career to this day.

My mining career took me to New Brunswick for quite some time where I met my beautiful, kind

and loving wife, Jenel. We both have had hardships and past relationships that didn’t work out as life has had its own unique challenges for each and every one of us. Needless to say, we fell in love, moved out here one year ago to be closer to my oldest son, and in so doing bought a house in the wonderful Town of Biggar. Jenel Is one of the most hardworking women that I have ever met. She struggled to raise her family by working countless hours at multiple jobs, and has some amazing artistic talent - she loves to paint, design and decorate. Together we have started this business

in order to bring something wonderful to the community, and also in hopes that I could eventually be closer to my family instead of being away the majority of the time, and bringing us closer together as a family. I love arcade machines Vr. Pinball and light gun games - we also both love and are great at making delicious food. At the moment we could only start with what we could afford. We scrounged together what machines we could, and have PS5 Vr as well as PS4, Vr we have multiple arcade machines with many classic games, as well as driving games, and shooting games like Terminator Salvation, and Aliens Extermination. We currently are not able to serve food because we need upgrades to the rented building in order to be able to serve food legally. We plan on constantly upgrading the arcade with new games and fun things to do. We also wish to be able to serve food in the future such as mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches

on home made bread, and perfectly barbecued steak, poutine, fries, hot dogs, all kinds of delectable burgers, and various other foods. We would love to have popcorn, slushies, ice cream, et cetera. We have been having specials at the arcade as the food bank has been short on food. We would love to accept donations from the community and have been offering a discount of our daily rate specials with a food item donation. We would like to thank the community for all of the assistance with providing items for the food bank and would love to welcome you to

the store. Please come on down to say hi or to drop of a food item, and of course to enjoy yourselves and have some fun. Living Skies Arcade is located at 104 Second Avenue West, and please follow our Facebook page to see events, specials and to message us with hours you would like to show up so that we may be able to be open for your enjoyment at Living Skies Arcade!

2022 Clear Out

2022 Clear