Vegreville News Advertiser - April 8, 2020

VOL. 73 NO. 15

73 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNIT Y WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020 The Only Locally Owned News & Adver tising Media in Vegreville .

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Pre-arranged funeral plans Personalized burial and cremation services Provincial, national & international service Professional guidance to help meet your needs

780-632-2000 | 24 HR: 1-877-426-0050 4814 – 50 Street, Vegreville

Vegreville Hosts Successful Blood Donor Clinic Michelle Pinon News Advertiser A total of 49 pints of blood were collected during the Blood Donor Clinic at the Vegreville Social Centre on March 31.

One of those pints of blood came from Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee. It was the first time MacPhee has ever donated blood.

He explained that Canadian Blood Services had asked the town if they would be willing to have a clinic in the community, they answered the call. “I felt I should do my part here. I’ve never given blood, but I set up the blood donor clinic many many times as a Kinsmen years ago, and I helped out all the time. We used to unload it every night and then when they were done we’d put it back on the trucks for them. I thought I’m going to show the community that it’s still a safe thing done the right way, which they did. The isolation part they did a very good job on that. I just wanted to show the community that it is still safe to give blood and the need is still there.

Now I’m going to get one of

Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee donates blood for the first time and had the support of longtime volunteer Marion Baxandall, who serves as a member of the Vegreville Royal Purple. (Submitted Photo)

EDMONTON • LAMONT • MAYERTHORPE • SMOKY LAKE

Vegreville Liquor Store Wine EVERYDAY low prices Black Cellar 750ml $7.39 Naked Grape 750ml $7.39

Barefoot 750ml $7.39 Sawmill Creek Barrel Select 750ml $7.39 Jackson Triggs Proprietor’s Selection 750ml $7.75 Gallo Family Vineyards 750ml $7.99 Lindeman’s 750ml $8.99 Wolf Blass Yellow Label 750ml $11.75

**INCLUDES DEPOSIT**

*Plus GST

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC - CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Vegreville Mayor Addresses COVID-19

Vegreville Elks Lodge Donates to Youth Groups

See page 5 for story

See page 18 for story

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WHAT’S INSIDE Agriculture...............12,13

Business........................... 5 Classifieds......................14

Community................... 8

County of Two Hills......... 9 Employment..................15

Family.............................1 8

Letters To The Editor....... 2

Marketplace...................17

Notices.......................... 20

Real Estate.....................19 Tributes........................16

Vimy Ridge Day Page 8

Elk Island Park Closed to Visitors Page 19

4-DAY WEATHER Thurs.

0°C

Fri. 0°C

Sat. -5°C

Sun. -4°C

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LOTTERY NUMBERS

RCMP files from March 30 - April 5 Arthur Beaudette News Advertiser March 30 10:03 – Report of a stolen SUV from a residence in the rural Mundare area.

The SUV was stolen overnight and later found burnt in the Two Hills area.

Under investigation.

13:47 – Vehicle stop results in the driver found to be suspended. The driver received documents for court and the vehicle was seized for 30 days.

16:18 – Report of theft of fuel from a vehicle parked at a Vegreville business.

CCTV is being reviewed and the matter is under investigation.

17:30 - Report of theft of 5 x 30lb propane tanks from a residential property in Vegreville. Under investigation.

21:35 – While on a traffic stop, the driver was confirmed to have outstanding arrest warrants out of Calgary. The driver was arrested and released roadside with additional documents for court.

March 31 11:14 – Call to assist Two Hills detachment regarding a stolen vehicle file.

The vehicle owner’s credit card was used at multiple businesses in Vegreville.

CCTV is being reviewed and the matter is under investigation.

14:38 – Warrant received from probations for a Vegreville resident. Members located the individual, arrested him on his warrants and released him with documents for court.

22:30 – Members conducting curfew checks found that one individual was not home, thus breaching his conditions. An arrest warrant was applied for and granted.

23:19 – Report of an abandoned vehicle located in the ditch near the

hospital. The investigation revealed that the driver was possibly intoxicated.

A breath demand was made and the subject refused to comply. The driver was arrested, then charged with failure to comply with a breath demand and later released with documents for court.

April 1

01:11 – Complainant reports a hit and run of a parked vehicle. The driver was followed and then observed returning to the scene with his mother and insurance documents to exchange information. *** Kudos to both the teen AND his parents. Well done!

08:23 – Members attended a 2 vehicle collision between a semi and an SUV on Hwy 36 at TWP 510. The driver of the SUV was deceased at the scene.

10:50 – Recovery of a stolen vehicle on Hwy 626 & RR 155. The vehicle was stolen out of Elk Point. Under investigation.

12:40 – Property rep reports that a trailer was broken into on a commercial property. A snowmobile was stolen from the trailer. The 2011 Arctic Cat M8 has been added to the RCMP database.

April 2

00:13 – Noise complaints received from multiple witnesses. Members attended and could hear the music as they arrived on scene. The resident was issued a ticket for creating a noise that disturbs the peace under municipal bylaws.

15:00 – Recovery of a stolen snowmobile that was located near the Ranfurly landfill. The last known registered owner was contacted and indicated it had been stolen one or two weeks prior.

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April 4

Nothing of note.

April 5

08:23 – 2nd of 2 reports from the same landowner who indicated there were tracks in his yard and fuel stolen.

The offence occurred near TWP 541 and RR 180. Under investigation.

09:39 - Traffic enforcement by traffic services throughout the day resulting in 6 speeding and other violation tickets being issued.

15:43 – Report of two roommates arguing. One of the roommates calls the RCMP to have the other removed.

When members attended they observed a small quantity of methamphetamine in plain view. One of the individuals was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, charged and then released roadside with documents for court.

22:11 – Report of a vehicle being broken into in Vegreville and the ignition “punched”. Nothing was stolen from inside the vehicle. Under investigation.

During the week there were 78 calls for service made in total including: 3 false alarms, 1 false 911, 0 animal strikes and approximately 15 tickets from traffic enforcement.

Have questions about the blotter?

Reach out to us at blotter@newsadvertiser.com and we will do our best to provide answers to your queries.

Vegreville RCMP Who’s Looking out for Respond to Fatal Collision on Highway 36 Post-secondary Students?

Friday, April 3, 2020

5 9 10 25 27 29 38

April 3

Multiple wellbeing checks performed on behalf of concerned relatives.

18:40 – Report of an older blue Chev truck with a crane and other items in

the box driving into a rural property.

Members patrolled the general area around Hwy 631 and RR 143 but the complainant would not answer their phone when an attempt to contact them was made.

Corporal Ronald Bumbry Submitted Vegreville, Alta. – This morning at approximately 8:30 a.m., Vegreville RCMP responded to a report of a two vehicle collision on Highway 36 and Township Road 510.

Preliminary investigation has revealed an SUV was travelling eastbound on Township Road 510 and failed to stop at the stop sign and a collision

occurred with a northbound semi-tractor travelling on Highway 36.

The 73-year-old lone female occupant from Elk Point was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the semi-tractor was not injured.

Vegreville RCMP along with a RCMP Collision Analyst continue to investigate and no further updates are anticipated.

The name of the deceased will not be released.

While the Canada Emergency Response Benefit reaches a lot of people, it misses the mark when it comes to post-secondary students. Specifically, the eligibility criteria stipulates that “The Benefit is only available to individuals who stopped work as a result of reasons related to COVID-19. For example, if you are a student who had a job last year and were planning on working this summer you do not qualify for the benefit”.

Hats off to the BC government for stepping up to provide $3.5 million emergency funding supports for post-secondary students. The non-repayable emergency assistance can be used for living expenses, food, travel, portable computers and other supports for students who are not already able to study remotely.

What’s the solution? The Government of Alberta needs to respond with something similar and needs to lobby the Federal Government to include students in the CERB. Postsecondary students need work/income to survive and in many cases save up for their next term. Postponing repayment of student loans is great, but only applicable to graduating stu-

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Vegreville RCMP - Charges Laid, Drugs Seized After Execution of Search Warrants Corporal Leigh Drinkwater Vegreville RCMP Detachment Vegreville, A lta.

“Collaboration between various detachments and Edmonton ALERT resulted in the arrest of the accused and search warrants,” says Corporal Leigh Drinkwater, Vegreville RCMP. “We will continue to enforce illegal drug activities in our community and appreciate tips the public provides regarding any criminal activity in the area.”

On April 3, 2020 at approximately 12:30 p.m., Vegreville RCMP with assistance from the Tofield, Two Hills, Viking RCMP

Detachments, RCMP Police Dog Services and the Vegreville Municipal Enforcement officers executed two search warrants at local residences in the Town of Vegreville.

A lengthy investigation by Vegreville RCMP in collaboration with Edmonton ALERT into Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act offences, including drug trafficking, resulted in the following arrests and charges laid: • Peter John Fryer (62) of Vegreville was charged with trafficking of controlled substances, including metham-

phetamine and heroin (x4), possession of stolen property under $5,000 (x3), fail to comply with release conditions (x6) • Georgina Fryer (60) of Vegreville was charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property under $5,000 • Allan Richard Desjarlais (29) of Vegreville was charged with trafficking of a controlled Substance (x2), possession of stolen property under $5,000 Police seized what is believed

H&R Block Tax Tips Submitted

You’re allowed to claim food that is produced and marketed specifically for gluten-free diets, such as gluten-free bread or pancake mix, for example. If you enjoy making food from scratch, you’re also eligible to claim the ingredients needed to make gluten-free foods, such as rice flour and gluten-free spices.

The federal filing deadline for income tax returns has officially been extended to June 1, 2020. In addition, if your return reveals that you have a balance owing, it does not have to be paid until September 1, 2020. So long as you file

before June 1st, you won’t be subject to a late-filing penalty, nor will you start to accrue interest on the balance due until after the last day of August.

You may have heard that as part of the Government of Canada’s climate change plan residents of Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan will receive a tax credit called the Climate Action Incentive when they file their 2019 tax return in early 2020 -an effort to protect the environment, grow the economy and increase your refund (yay)!

To be blunt (last one for real), not all things canna-

bis are deductible. For you to claim your cannabis on your taxes it needs to be prescribed to you for medical purposes. Make sure you have a prescription from an authorized medical practitioner to purchase cannabis from a licensed producer, as in the past some dispensaries have been found to use fraudulent prescription tactics. When you improperly file your taxes, there is a range of consequences and penalties you risk facing – so avoid the risk and make sure you have an authorized prescription.

News Advertiser PAGE 3 to be crystal meth (42 grams) and small amounts of heroin and fentanyl along with $1000 in Canadian currency.

Peter Fryer was remanded into custody and will be appearing in Lloydminster Provincial Court on April 14, 2020.

Georgina Fryer and Allan Desjarlais were released with conditions after a judicial hearing with future court dates.

An additional adult female was also located and arrested on outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions. She has since been released.

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Weak Leaders Arthur Beaudette News Advertiser - Opinion -- This article has been edited for length. To read the full detailed version, please visit our web site. -History will ultimately tell us where effective measures were taken and where they were not in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This speaks to the leadership of elected and non-elected (Dictators, the WHO etc.) leaders everywhere. Many have described the current situation as a “vacuum of leadership” which will cost many more lives than necessary.

From the mixed messages by U.S. President Trump who had stated that it was just the flu and that it would miraculously go away when the weather warmed to Brazil’s Bolsonaro calling COVID-19 “a little flu”, too many leaders are putting lives in danger. Slow action, indecision, and mixed messages is not what is required in times of crisis.

The situation for Canada has been one that can only be characterized as weak. From the start of our response in early January, some MPs were questioning Canada’s inaction. Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam had stated “It’s going to be rare” when referring to COVID-19 cases.

As we move into April, we see a number of developments.

The word “fluid” is popular among politicians of which there are few who are taking strong messages necessary to save lives.

Over 96% of Americans are now under stay at home orders.

Orders... Not suggestions or pleading. ORDERS. In Canada we are asked nicely and then there are suggestions and then strong suggestions. This has proven not to work. Without a stay at home ORDER, this is just a holiday.

According to a government document obtained by the National Post, “Current GoC [Government Operations Centre] modelling suggests as a best case scenario that current measures continue until at least July.” Unfortunately our “current measures” are mostly suggestions with the exception of most provinces closing non-essential businesses. It is likely there will soon be more declarations of states of emergency following Nova Scotia.

Ontario released projections on April 3 revealing COVID19 could kill 3,000 - 15,000 people in that province with the effects of multiple waves lasting 18-24 months. Projections from Ottawa? We have none. It seems as those are a secret.

After all, why would you want to inform the electorate? They might not click “like”.

COVID-19 does not respect borders. Experts have said the best weapon against COVID-19 is to stay at home, yet there is no strong action from our leaders.

The U.S. keep eclipsing its highest daily death toll. In New York, one of the largest hot spots in the U.S., Governor Cuomo stated, “We have been behind the virus since day one” and the Mayor of New York stated they have enough ventilators to last only until the end of the week as well as medical supplies running low. There will be losses.

Vice Admiral Jerome Davis - U.S. Surgeon General stated Sunday “The week ahead will be like a Pearl Harbor or 9/11 moment”. Additionally, U.S. experts expect things to peak in June or July. Half measures and suggestions that things will go back to normal sooner do nothing to stem the tide.

Close to home we see this from both President Trump and PM Trudeau.

We are witnessing in real-time failures of national leadership. Failures that are costing lives and likely making this drag on longer.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has resisted a complete lock down in Ontario but has recently questioned the National

WEAK LEADERS - CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Reader Reply Name: Destin Sigfusson Occupation: Sales Associate Likes: sleep, Boston cream donuts Dislikes: cold weather, COVID 19.

You asked how come people don’t understand (the risk of COVID-19 and their actions). I believe most people are the lost sheep in the fold and have forgot their family ways, traditions, morals, respect and what yes and/or NO actually means.

- Sandra

APRIL 8, 2020

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Vegreville Mayor Addresses COVID-19 Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Q: What measures is the Town of Vegreville taking with regards to municipal staff, physical distancing, and safety?

What percentage of staff are working from home?

A: The senior management group has split up. So our CAO and the next line are never in the building at the same time.

It’s sort of like the princes that are never on the same plane.

Because if somebody in our building was to test positive, everybody else would have to go home and self isolate.

Over at public works the coffee breaks have been changed so they’re not all together in the same building at one time.

They try their best not to put two people in the same vehicle when they’re heading to do some work.

Q: Italian health professionals who have learned from their situation are recommending separate hospitals for people diagnosed with COVID-19 needing hospitalization to prevent contamination. Does Vegreville’s St. Joseph hospital have a plan in place to prevent this issue and related challenges.

A: The hospital falls under the jurisdiction of Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health. I know there is a plan.

Our municipality was asked if we had to start isolating people with Covid-19 other than a hospital, if it got out of hand, would there be a facility? We’ve given them the best facility that we feel would suit the needs, and so that’s all built into their plan, and the worse case scenario. We already have an emergency plan for evacuating other communities into our community and where the beds would come from if needed.

Q: Provincial and federal sources are looking at a timeline up to and past June for COVID-19 public health orders (isolation, business closures, restriction on gatherings). What timeline is the Town of Vegreville working on?

A: We have not declared a local state of emergency. So we’re working off the province, and I can tell you that everybody on council is a lot happier with some of the new things they’ve brought forward when it comes to how many people are allowed to be in a gathering. When the province increased their policing and the efforts under the emergency medical act we were satisfied with that. Now our bylaw officers are now licensed to charge people.

I have to say within the last week I am more than happy with the change in attitude and actions within the community. Everybody is really starting to take this a lot more seriously. What we do today won’t see results until two to three weeks down the road, but I think we’re on the right path now.

Q: This week the City of Edmonton announced that they were laying off more than 2000 staff in order to save taxpayer dollars. What cost cutting measures is the Town of Vegreville taking at this time?

A: During our meeting when we talked about invoking the

Local Emergency Act. We talked about what the future of the town looks like and moving forward some businesses and home owners tax times come how we may be able to help out.

All the municipalities are waiting for the province to let us know a little bit more about we may or may not have in leeway we may have in collecting taxes, and see if we can get a little help there. We need to talk about our staffing levels and I would imagine come October our budgeting for the next year will look a whole different look than what we normally would do and real dollars we will be collecting in property taxes.

I’ve asked all of council to start thinking about this seriously because we are going to have to make some decisions in the near future here.

Q: What can citizens do to assist in the effort to deal with what may be coming?

A: More than anything, we need to support the local businesses.

Because if our businesses go this town is going to be in tough shape. Being this hub for the region and attract a lot of people to our town and it keep us strong and our economy moving.

The biggest problem he sees how get the economy restarted.

There’s a lot of people struggling right now and a lot of business owners have no guarantee about anything. Everyday you open your doors you have to learn how to make some money, cover all your bills and help out the families of your employees. We need to be there to support them, the whole community does.

Q: What message would you like to pass on to the citizens of Vegreville who are feeling uncertain of what

tomorrow holds?

A: We maybe apart, but we’ll get through this together.

This article has been edited for length and clarity. To read the full detailed version, please visit www. newsadvertiser.com

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from the pages of the vegreville observer

Compiled by Dan Beaudette

90 Years Ago – April 9, 1930

Construction of a heavy traffic bridge across the Saskatchewan, at a cost of approximately $175,000, was announced on Wednesday by the provincial government. This will be the first bridge across Saskatchewan to be built by the provincial government, although at the time of the construction of the High Level Bridge, the province made a contribution. In constructing this bridge the oldest running ferry in Alberta will be displaced.

After being held up by weather conditions for over two months, work re-commenced this week on the new post office. Mr. Gordon hopes, with favorable, weather, to rush the building through to completion in the early summer.

Fire believed to be of an incendiary origin broke out in Joe Mokry’s pool room in Minburn, on Saturday night. Splashes of oil were found on the floor of the pool room, under the stairs which lead to the hall above. Had the fire got properly under way it would have wiped one entire side of the street, but it was checked before it had gotten very far. The identity of the firebug remains a mystery.

75 Years Ago – April 11, 1945

Problems of supply and anti-inflation can be ably handled by the well-informed, voluntary helpers of Consumer Branch, said the Prices Board Chairman, Donald Gordon in his address to chairmen of Consumer Branch committees convening in Ottawa recently. It we are to combat buying pressure on scarce consumer goods, people must expect continued restrictions at home as we send greater aid to Europe, he pointed out.

A survey just completed shows a total of 654 women employed in Canadian National Shops, roundhouses, coach yards and car repair tracks throughout the system. Some of them are boilermaker welders, car oilers, blacksmith helpers and electric crane operators. Others are helpers to machinists, sheet metal workers, boilermakers and car men; and the remainder are classified as labourers, seamstresses, car porters and a turntable operator.

When Charles Savage, 88, became ill and was confined to bed, 42 jobs changed hands in this Suffolk town. He held that many official and semi-official posts in the village, including those of parish councillor and parish clerk.

Mrs. Winston Churchill has accepted an invitation to visit Russia.

The wife of the English Prime Minister expects to spend a month in the Soviet capital.

50 Years Ago – April 9, 1970

H. Sheba of Holden won the 60th annual Heather Bonspiel in Vegreville when his rink defeated Kosh in the final game. The rink, comprised of H. Sheba, J. Tkaczyk, D. Sorensen and B. Kokotyn received the Vegreville Land Co. trophy from Terry Cole at the conclusion of their game.

The Berklee School of Music of Boston announces that George G. Nicholson, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Nicholson of Vegreville, who is a senior majoring in Composition has earned placement on the Dean’s List for the Fall Semester of 1969-70 school year. To be eligible for this honor, a student must maintain an academic average of B+ (3.30 out of a possible 4.00) while carrying a full program of studies. Upon graduation from Berklee, George G. Nicholson will be qualified for a career as a teacher, musician, arranger and composer.

Details outlining the plans for construction on Highway 16 and adjacent avenues in the Town of Vegreville will be received from Everall Construction at the next regular council meeting. The request for the plan came last week following a meeting of a delegation headed by L. Ruptash with council and a representative of Associated Engineers, L. Daviduk. The delegation was assured that gravel would be placed on the highway during the spring break-up.

25 Years Ago – April 11, 1995

The County of Minburn operated in the black last year, according to its financial statement. Including requisitions, the county spent $6.60 million on operations with revenues of $6.64 million for an operating surplus of $42,314.

During the 1995 Innisfree Village annual meeting March 29, Nick Bohaichuk, a former Innisfree mayor, presented a petition to decrease council member from five to three. It was signed by 108 of the 254 citizens on the Innisfree tax roll. Because the village has fewer businesses now and cutting back is what’s being done by many these days, Bohaichuk said he feels Council membership should be reduced.

A pair of local volleyball players have added second provincial championships to their achievements this year. Jason Woycheshyn and Tong Lam helped the Vegreville Composite Cougars to the provincial title in November. A couple weeks ago, both were in the lineup when their respective club teams took provincial crowns.

County of Minburn council accepted G & R Sand and Gravel Ltd. Vegreville, tender for 1995 gravel hauling. The tender price is as follows: Haul rate of 20.29 cents per cubic yard mile including GST.

Letters Welcomed

One role of the Vegreville News Advertiser is to promote dialogue on various issues of concern to area residents. We accomplish this by welcoming Letters to the Editor and allowing various issues to be debated through our pages. All letters must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be printed, however the writer’s name may be withheld from publication in special circumstances deemed appropriate by the Publisher.

The Vegreville News Advertiser reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity, spelling and grammar, taste or for reasons of potential libel. The Vegreville News Advertiser reserves the right to withhold letters from publication.

Ease Temporary Layoff Laws During COVID-19 Crisis Alex Whalen and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute

Aside from the enormous health-related challenges due to the COVID-19 virus, employers and workers are feeling major economic pain with job loss, reduced income, and revenue.

The ability of businesses to adjust quickly will be key to stabilizing the economy and laying the foundation for recovery.

As the federal government’s massive emergency aid package became law on Wednesday, many of the policy responses from governments across Canada seek to stabilize income. That’s an appropriate response to the economic downturn.

However, other gaps in policy exist, including the body of law relating to job layoffs, if even temporary.

Employment standards legislation in Canada varies by province and at the federal level. In general, temporary layoffs are allowed, though they’re subject to varying notice requirements and maximum timelines when the employee is laid off.

Some provinces allow layoffs without notice in “exceptional circumstances” but there’s uncertainty whether the COVID-19 crisis will be considered “exceptional.” There’s also uncertainty around how government-ordered shutdowns affect layoffs.

While no one wants working Canadians to become unemployed, employers must be able to quickly adjust to today’s rapidly changing circumstances to ensure their solvency and viability. Their ability to adjust now, in the face of liquidity and solvency concerns, may determine whether jobs still exist on the other side of this pandemic.

While it may seem counterintuitive to some, strengthening the ability of employers to temporarily lay off employees may ultimately save jobs.

So because the ability to quickly reduce workforces where necessary is key, some of the rules – provincial and federal – may need to be adjusted in this time of crisis.

For example, in a 2016 ruling, the Ontario Court of Appeal stated that (absent an agreement to the contrary) employers have no right to temporarily lay off employees.

Even in normal circumstances, this decision severely hampers an employer’s ability to make workforce adjustments.

However, in today’s wildly uncertain environment, it could stand as a major roadblock to necessary changes. Governments must consider both employers and employees when reacting to COVID-19 and its impact.

Fortunately, some

jurisdictions have already recognized this and are taking steps to provide employers more flexibility.

New Brunswick, for example, has suspended the requirement for employers to give notice if layoffs are due to COVID-19.

And California has suspended elements of its legislation that require a 60-day notice for layoffs, citing extraordinary circumstances that have necessitated “rapid changes in workforce needs.”

While these temporary suspensions are a step in the right direction, governments in Canada should specifically legislate on the layoff issue, to update employment legislation in the context of COVID-19.

This will overrule common law decisions (including the Ontario Court of Appeal decision) currently holding up temporary layoffs.

Moreover, provinces could amend provincial employment standards legislation to specifically allow temporary layoffs due to COVID-19.

Amendments could also explicitly empower employers to make necessary adjustments to their workforces and expand maximum timelines for temporary layoffs.

Employers need a clear, straightforward process.

These policy reforms would be consistent with the government initiatives already announced that aim to provide businesses with flexibility and ease cash flow demands. (These changes could also happen at the federal level, although the Canada Labour Code only applies to a relatively small number of workers, meaning individual provincial action is required.)

Ensuring the stability of income for workers is also a critical goal in stabilizing the economy and setting the stage for recovery. Recent expansions to employment insurance have increased benefits and eligibility for workers, helping to ensure those who face job loss or reduction in work receive proper income support.

Allowing employers to adjust quickly will help with solvency concerns and improve the chances those jobs will be there for returning workers when the crisis subsides.

In this extraordinary time of uncertainty, high regulatory and severance costs alongside legislative uncertainty will exacerbate an already bad situation.

Amending provincial and federal labour laws to provide businesses with more flexibility to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances is essential to protect against insolvencies and bankruptcies during this crisis.

Such moves will benefit employers and employees alike.

Alex Whalen and Niels Veldhuis are analysts at the Fraser Institute.

APRIL 8, 2020

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The Lighter Side of Isolation

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent There are so many fun and interesting things to do at home by yourself or with your family.

The News Advertiser is inviting you to show our readers how you are creatively spending your time in isolation. We’ve seen sidewalk art, windows filled with crafts and snowmen. We are interested in seeing even more!

Show us what you’ve been up to in a new and hopefully short lived feature titled, ‘The Lighter Side of Isolation.’

If you are interested in participating, you can submit your own photos via email or reply to an invitation we will leave for you in your door or mail box. You can phone the number on the invitation, send us an email or with some luck, find us strolling

through your neighbourhood. A VNA photographer will stop by your residence at an agreed upon time and start snapping. We will take a picture of you or your family through your window showing off your work or outside your house with the snow sculpture. We will gather information via e-mail or through another touchless option giving us a brief outline of what you or your family is doing for fun during the COVID-19 pandemic and the isolation that is resulting from this.

If you prefer to submit your own photo, you can do this without an invitation by submitting it to Michelle@newsadvertiser.com or phone the VNA office at 780632-2861.

How to Make an Easter Egg Collage Antoinette Fortier Submitted I am allergic to eggs but I still wanted to have the fun of decorating eggs. This is an original craft created by me. I had an egg shape cookie cutter on hand. If you want to try these and you do not have a cookie-cutter, draw a freehand egg shape and trace around it.

The materials you need are old magazines, old calendars, or your own drawings, sequins, foil or glitter (use whatever you have on hand). You can also use stamps or stickers, glue, glue

stick, fancy tape (optional), scissors, stiff cardboard like cereal boxes or card stock.

Instructions: Step 1: Gather together all your material. For collage’s material, glitter items and eggs and background use what you have on hand.

Step 2: Trace around egg shape. Cut out. Decorate the egg with paper, cut out. Add bling. Glue down after you arrange the items on the egg.

Step 3: After the eggs have dried glue them to the background. Enjoy making your collage. Happy Easter.

Antoinette Fortier showcases the Easter Egg Collage she made. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

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Elk Island Catholic Schools Students go Back to Learning Online Style Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent Even though COVID-19 Pandemic closed schools, Elk Island Catholic Schools (EICS) has adapted and began offering their students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 online learning on March 23.

Susan Johnson, Communications Coordinator for EICS said they did a lot of extensive planning since schools were closed on March 15.

“On the week of March 23, we implemented the online learning throughout EICS. It takes a variety of forms from K-12. It is quite detailed. Most of the online learning is through the computer. We are Google based; many of our platforms are using Google; Google Classroom, Google Docs, Google Chat.

Many of our teachers are doing videos and presentations each day. They have online hours where the teachers are available to chat then. The learning is

from early learning to Grade 12. So, core courses are going to be conducted differently at the high school level than the Grade Two Language Arts.

“Then our educational assistants were a big part of our classroom setting before the schools were closed.

They were part of the online programming and planning; especially for the complex students and moving forward, we are hoping that will continue but we are not sure how given the fact that the government’s recent announcement on Saturday. So, we are looking forward to how that can be more for our complex kids.”

When asked why they started online learning on March 23, Johnson replied that they decided to do it before Spring Break and start that initial framework for students and teachers to have that connectivity and build that concord and then start back fresh on April 6 when they come back from Spring Break.”

St. Mary’s Catholic School in Vegreville began conducting online studies on March 23.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

PAGE 8

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APRIL 8, 2020

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Royal Canadian Legion in Vegreville Commemorates Vimy Ridge Day Michelle Pinon News Advertiser The Canadian flag will be lowered to half-mast at sunrise and raised at sunset on April 9 outside of the Royal Canadian Branch No. 39 in Vegreville to commemorate Vimy Ridge Day. Rod Stewart, who serves as the Honours and Awards Chairman for the Vegreville Legion, stated, “Vimy Ridge Day was created by an Act of Parliament in 2003 and has been observed every year since.”

Stewart went onto say, Vimy Ridge Day, is a non-statutory observance. “It is generally recognized with a statement from the Prime Minister of the day and the lowering of the flag on the Peace Tower. All Legion Branches are requested to lower their Branch flags on that day. Years ago, when there were surviving WWI veterans alive the day was

usually marked with a dinner and social. As memories faded and connections became more distant this has not happened here.”

According to Tom Eagles, who formerly served as Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion in 2015, stated, “The Battle of Vimy Ridge, a battle that commenced on Easter Monday in 1917, is a day that many consider as historically important as the signing of the first document that created Canada in 1867 (British North America ACT).

Canadians had been involved with the war right from the beginning.

With many new settlers being British expatriates there was a large group of young men who were anxious to “do their duty”. The original contingent was 25,000, ultimately well over 600,000 served. To put this in per-

spective during earlier attacks on the ridge the attacking French suffered 100,000 casualties, the defending Germans 75,000.

The capture of Vimy Ridge by all four divisions of the Canadian Corps that fought together, for the first time, played an important role in giving Canada the right to participate as a signatory at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It was also just prior to this battle that the Prime Minister of the day, Sir Robert Borden, promised a

social contract with Canada’s fighting forces. It was during this famous battle that Canadians did what other allied forces could not; capture Vimy Ridge.

Ensuring the continuation of the tradition of Honouring and Remembering our military heritage is very important to the Legion and its 300,000 members.”

The Royal Canadian Legion in Vegreville held a commemorative ceremony on the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 2017.

Stewart said, “Vimy Ridge runs along the the Arras sector of a 400 mile (640 kilometre) line of opposing forces; a line that had remained virtually stagnant for most of the war. Stewart went onto say, “The land where the Vimy memorial stands was deeded to Canada by France.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - CONTINUED from PAGE 2 dents. Those who continue won’t have to repay their loans until they graduate.

We can’t let post-secondary students fall through the cracks. Along with our young people currently in the workforce, they are the future of our province. Here’s hoping the Alberta Government and/or the Federal Government step up to provide

the assistance they need.

Kevin Smook, President Alberta Party Camrose Riding --------------------------------Thank you for your letter. Students are one of our most valuable resources. During these trying times, we must ensure we do not fail this important group. - AB

Financial concerns?

We’re here for you.

These are extraordinary times. We know that during this time of turmoil resulting from COVID-19, financial concerns are top of mind for many.

If you’re directly impacted by COVID-19 and facing financial difficulties as a result, please reach out.

Contact your local branch to discuss financial relief options, including the deferral of mortgage, line of credit, loan and car payments.

Visit us at whatsyourshare.ca/covid-19-update and on Facebook @VisionCreditUnion for updates as they become available.

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APRIL 8, 2020

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Lakeland MP and Staff Work to Help Bring Canadians Home Michelle Pinon News Advertiser There are many Canadians that are stranded outside of Canada.

Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs took to Facebook March 20 to talk about COVID-19 and how it has put us all in uncharted territory.

Stubbs talked about her staff in Two Hills who are working around the clock to help constituents. “These are the women, Tina (Warawa) and Juanita (Brunet), who work nonstop with steadfast dedication, compassion, perseverance and often with their own creativity and thinking of ways things have never been done before, and their sheer relentless will, to help you, and to help me to advocate for you.

“And that reality has never been more true, and their efforts have never been

more important, than today, the last couple of days, and the days ahead.

These women are spending hour after hour comforting worried and scared relatives and friends, who yell and cry on the phone, about people stuck around the world and running out of time to get home, and along with new staff member Kyle in Ottawa, are going above and beyond contacting federal offices and agencies, and even airlines themselves, to help people in Lakeland and elsewhere in Alberta.”

Stubbs said they are hearing from people across the riding, which includes 52 municipalities and nine Indigenous communities. They, (staff), are hearing from workers and contractors, parents, students, seniors, first responders, health care workers, farmers, truckers.

“They themselves have been booking

flights to get their family members home on time and dealing with family members immediately laid off, senior at-risk relatives they are caring for, and out of work and out of school kids in their own lives, in the last 72 hours.”

Stubbs added that staff had worked 10-12 hours a day, receiving on average 120 emails a day so for the past week. As to phone calls, staff fielded an average of 20 per day and worked on a minimum of 30 stranded Canadian files.

Stubbs also asked for a favour from people, to thank her staff and say a few kind words. “They need it, and it will mean more to them than you can know, while they take care of everyone else, and me, so I can work for you, too.”

Tina Warawa said only Canadians are able to come in on international flights and the government-mandated that

those flights would only go to four airports. “Many other countries have shut down all incoming and outgoing flights.

We have been on the phone with those impacted as well as constant calls to the airlines, and Global affairs. In some cases, we have had to work with embassies between countries to find the safest place for those that wait. All Canadians abroad need to register on the registry.

That is the only way for Canada to know how many people are out there.

Most flights are shut now or close to final days of service and will only be doing extrication flights set up by the government after that point. The registry is travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration.

They also need to send email to sos@ international.gc.ca if there is an emergent need.”

Crisis Association of Vegreville Donates Funds Michelle Pinon News Advertiser In times of uncertainty, that’s when the Crisis Association of Vegreville steps in to assist people in need.

Most recently, the association decided to give back to the community by donating $5,000 to the Vegreville Food Bank and $1,000 to the Prairie Tails Animal Rescue to assist those organizations during the COVID-10 pandemic.

Joanna Karczmarek, Coordinator of the Vegreville Food Bank Society, said, “The huge donation we received from

the Crisis Association will help us to purchase additional groceries should demand increase. It will also help us replenish our sanitation supplies when they become available. We do anticipate an increase in clients as individuals who are in need wait to receive financial assistance.”

Connie Brown, with Prairie Tails Animal Rescue, stated, “We are extremely grateful for this donation and will be such a big help in ensuring our rescue animals are well cared for during these uncertain times.

Emily Downey, a board member with the Crisis Association of Vegreville, (left), presents a cheque for $5,000 to Kaelyn Bodnarchuk, Treasurer of the Vegreville Food Bank. (Submitted/photo)

We are using the donation to purchase dog and cat food, and supplies that typically would be donated. As people are needing to watch their funds closely, donations will slow down if not come to a halt. Adoptions are also expected to slow down as well which means these animals remain in our care longer, in turn, increases our

demand for food and other supplies.

We are extremely grateful for this donation and will be such a big help in ensuring our rescue animals are well cared for during these uncertain times.”

The Crisis Association of Vegreville operates a 24-hour helpline for people in need.

PAGE 10

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APRIL 8, 2020

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2013 Western Star 4900 T/A Hwy Tractor

2008 Ford F450 2WD Dually Deck Truck

2008 Kenworth W900 T/A Hwy Tractor

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2014 Midland XL3000 Tri/A End Dump

2004 Caterpillar D7RXR Crawler Dozer

2012 John Deere 290 Track Excavator

2006 John Deere 644J Wheel Loader

2010 Ford F350 Harley Davidson Edition Crew Cab 4X4 Pickup

2010 John Deere X749 MFWD Tractor

3 Tri-Axle Water Trucks (See Partial Listing)

Construction / Industrial Equipment: • 11 ft Brush Rake • Terex AC4000 Light Tower • Terex AC5080D4MH Light Tower • Lynn 70” Clean Up Excavator bucket • SFC 82” Clean Up Excavator Bucket Heavy Trucks: 2011 Peterbilt 378 Tri/A Water Truck • 2007 Kenworth T800 Tri/A Gravel Truck • 2006 Kenworth T800 Tri/A Gravel Truck • 2005 Kenworth T800 Tri/A Water Truck • 2007 Western Star 4964 T/A Water Truck • 2007 Peterbilt 378 T/A Winch Tractor • 2007 Western Star 4964 T/A Highway Tractor • 1955 Mack B61T S/A Highway Tractor • 1979 IH Transtar 4070B T/A Cabover Highway Tractor Trailers: 2015 Load King 50 Ton Scissor Neck Tri/A Low Bed Trailer • 2010 Gravhaul Tri/A Clam Dump • 2007 Arnes Quad Gravel Wagon • 2007 Midland Tri/A Gravel Pup • 2011 Loadline Tri/A Belly Dump • 2014 Loadline Tri/A Belly Dump • 2007 Artic Wellsite Trailer • 2010 Load Line Tri/A End Dump • 2009 Manic 53 ft Step Deck Tri/A Trailer • 2002 Rocky Mountain 30 ft Trailer • 1986 Trail-Eze T/A End Dump • Older T/A End Dump shop & Tools: Hotsy Diesel Fired Hot Water Pressure Washer • BE Commercial Twin Tank Air Compressor

Timed Auction for RJ and Company Ltd, GNR Sand BIDDING OPENS: 10 AM – Thu, Apr 9 and Gravel & Guest Consignors – Vegreville, AB BIDS START CLOSING: 10 AM – Thu, Apr 16 Contact Ray 780-632-1569

Partial Listing (not in pictures)

2001 Volvo EC290L Excavator

2015 Kenworth T800 T/A Highway Tractor

2007 Peterbilt 379 T/A Highway Tractor

2005 Peterbilt 379 T/A Highway Tractor

2007 International 9900I T/A Highway Tractor (IH3)

1989 Peterbilt T/A Dump Truck & Trojan Trailer

2015 Centerline 31 ft Tri/A End Dump Trailer Choice of (2) 1997 New Holland TR98 Combine

2006 Doepker 31 ft Tri/A End Dump Trailer

guest Consignor Rick more info 780-632-9353.

2015 John Deere 635F 35 ft Flex Header

2011 Riteway JH7173 71 ft Heavy Harrow Bar

Seed Master Sulky Liquid Fertilizer Caddy

Construction / Industrial Equipment: 1995 Caterpillar D5HLGP Dozer • 1997 Thomas XL30 Mobile Site Screener • Athey Force Feed Loader • Pioneer Screener • Ross Company Hopper Feeder • (10) Wood Rig Matts • Action 40 ft Belt Conveyor • Brown Boveri Synchronous Generator Heavy Trucks: 2007 Peterbilt 386 T/A Highway Tractor (P6) • 2004 Peterbilt 379 T/A Highway Tractor (P4) • 2000 Kenworth W900L T/A Highway Tractor • 2006 Mack CXN613 T/A Highway Tractor • 2000 Western Star 5964 T/A Highway Tractor • 1999 Western Star 4964FX T/A Highway Tractor • 2004 IH 9900I T/A Highway Tractor (IH2) • 1995 Kenworth T600 T/A Highway Tractor (K1) • 2000 IH 9400I T/A Highway Tractor • 1992 Freightliner FLD120 T/A Highway Tractor • 1998 IH 9400 T/A Highway Tractor • 1998 Volvo VNL T/A Highway Tractor • 1995 Kenworth T600 T/A Gravel Truck (K2) • 1995 Peterbilt 377 T/A Gravel Truck (P1) • 1979 Ford Louisville 9000 T/A Gravel Truck • 2004 Chev Silverado 3500 4X4 Dually Service Truck Vehicles: 2002 Volkswagen Hatchback Beetle Trailers: 2015 Ridgemar 31 ft Tri/A End Dump Trailer (R1) • 2014 Germanic 31 ft Tri/A End Dump Trailer • 2007 Castleton Tri/A Belly Dump Gravel Trailer (C3) • 2007 Castleton Tri/A Cross Clam Belly Dump Gravel Trailer (C1) • 1989 Loadline 28 ft T/A End Dump Trailer (94E) • 2011 Forest River Continental V Nose Snow King T/A Enclosed Trailer • 2005 Load King Super B Grain Trailers • 26 ft Steel Gravel Box Farm Equipment: 1997 NH TR98 Combine • 2001 Flexicoil 5000 57 ft Cultivator • 2015 JD 635F 35 ft Flex Header • Shop Built 36 ft Header Transport • (25) Brand New Ingersoll Coulters • (8) 710/70R-42 Tractor Tires • (4) 710/70R38 Tractor Tires

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APRIL 8, 2020

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Succession Plan Underway for Chomiak Charolais Michelle Pinon herd of Full French stock. Rudiger’s top News Advertiser Full French bull was purchased at this Christine Chomiak delivered welcoming sale. And, along with Mongo, our half remarks at the 16th annual Chomiak Charolais Full French already on site, the Full sale in Viking on March 28.

French influence went to work.

At that time, she also laid out the succession We have since added a couple more plan that would keep the breeding business in Full French bulls into the mix. We have the family. “I am proud and delighted to menobserved that the newborn calves tion that my sister Karen and I are in the proappear stronger and that the muscular cess of transitioning into leadership roles at the disposition trait is there because of the farm and continuing with the Chomiak Full French influence.”

Charolais breeding stock operation. Karen Christine said they want to continue and I have been heavily involved for many raising bulls and heifers that cow-calf years, really decades; with sorting, vaccinating, operators and other Charolais breeders tagging, tattooing, Ivermectin treatment and want to add to their herds. The total on a few occasions, delivery. herd with cows calved out will reach In addition to the two of us, our sister approximately 150. Our female herd is Karen Chomiak, left, and Christine Chomiak stand in front of the bulls that sold Darlene Gillis, who is a school teacher by day, 90 (70 cows & 20 heifers) and the rest during the Chomiak Charolais sale on March 28. They offered to look after the bulls will be helping out with the paper work. Our are bulls. until April 30 at no cost to buyers. (Sharon Quinn/Photo) cousin Sharon Quinn is a great help as well.

John Chomiak said he and his wife The three Chomiak sisters are very excited to have been breeding and providing cattle folk with Cathie are happy their daughters are take on this opportunity to ensure the continuation of excellent bulls and bred heifers. She explained that taking over the reigns. “We’re confident we’re doing Chomiak Charolais on our family farm that has been her dad had introduced top line genetics by purchas- the right thing by giving them the opportunity. They operating since 1901! And, our parents John and ing females and sires into the herd, including Full are very smart, capable women,” stated John. They Cathie Chomiak are delighted that their three daugh- French lineage. are looking forward to the new ideas and plans they ters have accepted this opportunity.”

The Chomiaks were volume buyers of full French have in mind for Chomiak Charolais and how they Chomiak said 2020 marks the 27th year her parents stock at the Rudiger dispersal sale. The late John will take their farming operation to the next level and Rudiger was our dad’s mentor, and at the sale, continue the legacy for generations to come. he promised John Rudiger that Chomiak The farm is located 16 kilometres southeast of Charolais - in time would have a significant Mundare.

WEAK LEADERS - CONTINUED from PAGE 4 Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) when he stated “They don’t have a big warehouse full of items” and stated that Ontario was down to only one week of masks and other PPE for frontline workers. As evidence of our PMs admiration for China, our federal government has supplied Ontario with less material than they donated to China at the beginning of February.

The most frustrating thing for me is hearing from those offering as a defense of weak measures and lack of decisions that “hindsight is 20/20”. We don’t need hindsight. We have science and facts from Italy, South Korea and Taiwan as well as the states of California and Washington. We have playbooks and we know what works. Everywhere

there was success, strong measures were put in place clearly and concisely.

Dr. Carlos Del Rio (infectious diseases) from Emory University in the U.S. has gone on records stating “We should have started these measures months ago.” Yet... here we are. Weak measures from Ottawa.

There is no doubt that this is horrible.

We may be slightly insulated by rural boundaries, but people are still coming and going for various reasons. Perhaps we need to shutdown all travel and borders as suggested by a BC group concerned about Albertans crossing their borders. Military & Sheriffs running check stops and turning people back if they are not on the road to an approved destination sounds draconian, but it is one of the things that worked in France and Italy to stem the outbreak.

Last week when I wrote my article, we were at around 724,000 infections worldwide. A week later as of this article we are at 1,421,730. On closed cases... the death rate is up to 21% from 18% last week.

Tell me what you think. Email me at abletters@newsadvertiser.com

APRIL 8, 2020

News Advertiser PAGE 13

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Seed Variety Use Agreement Raises Concerns Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Todd Hames, a Marwayne area farmer and current Chairman of the Canadian Wheat Board, (CWB) spoke about the recent launch of the Seed Variety Use Agreement (SVUA) pilot program in Canada.

“The SVUA pilot project announced was a bit of a surprise because we were in a consultation program with industry and with the government during the last year to try to come up with a value creation model that would work with farmers and industry,” said Hames.

The pilot program was introduced by the seed industry, and Hames said they (CWB) haven’t been a supporter of the pilot program is because they haven’t been involved in the consultation. “It was released without our input. Since this pilot program has been launched that collaborative model that the government was working on with the value chain, and including the farmers’

groups, was announced last Friday (March 6) in Vancouver, that Canada has signaled that the consultation program they were working on for value creation will not continue. That sort of ends working together with all the groups and government and sets out a new course by the industry partners with this pilot project.”

The biggest concern is seed royalties.

“We’re not clear where the money would go. SVUA is a trailing royalty applied to a variety. And the commission is concerned about the public varieties. A lot of producer money has gone into paying for the development of those public varieties in combination with the Government of Canada and Universities.

It takes a long time to develop new varieties so that pipeline has been paid for for a number of years though. A big part of our budget goes into research and a big part goes into public varieties.

We’re on the verge of signing another

five-year core breeding agreement by the end of the month. That’s a very big investment by the farmers into breeding, so we’d like to see any conditional royalties that get charged on public varieties to be returned to the breeding program were they originate from.

Plant Breeders Rights (PBR)are paid for the use of that seed. So as a producer I can plant seed and I can clean that seed and plant it again. But I cannot clean that seed and re-sell it. We want to make sure it (money) goes back into the breeding program and research so new varieties can be developed.

It takes a lot of time and money to get a seed into production. About 50 percent of the commission’s budget is spent on research. It’s a significant amount of money. That’s why we have concerns.

We are the largest funder of research for wheat breeding so we would like to be included in the conversion for any kind of royalty changes.

If I was to purchase one of the seeds under the pilot program I would have to sign an agreement. If I were to grow it a second year I would have to pay a royalty on a per acre basis, I believe, to that seed company. And that’s what is not clear, is to what that royalty is going to look like and where the royalty would go. Is any money going back into the program or is it just going back to the seed company re-sale? How that differs from right now is any variety I grow in the second year I don’t have to pay any more royalties. It would be a significant change for farmers because they would be paying to use that seed every year. That would apply to only these PBR varieties.

Just like any other business farmers looking for the value…if I have to pay more what am I getting for it? At the end of the day how successful the program will be determined on how farmers will respond. They have to show value in order to get buy-in.”

The Joy of Farming Remains, Despite Challenges Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent Daryl Tuck is a local farmer who farms south-east of Lavoy with his wife, Tanya Hawkins and his parents, Wayne and Geri Tuck. They seed about 3,200 acres.

Daryl has been farming full-time and continuously for 21 years. His wife, Tanya helps part-time as she has a full-time job. His father, Wayne farms full time as well.

They always try to be prepared to be seeding by May 1 but Daryl said it will depend on what the weather is like.

Then when I asked Daryl what new farming techniques or practices he plans to implement this year, he replied that there are no new ones he plans to look at this year. “We typically try to incorporate relevant new practices and technologies as they become relevant in our area but there are none that have highlighted themselves this year.”

Daryl went on to say that at this point they do not know how COVID-19 will affect their farming in the future. “Right now, it is having a significant effect on grain prices as everything is shutting down around the world, so is transportation and purchasing of the grains that we produced. The grain prices right now have gone down because of COVID-19 because people are not buying products around the world as they are minimizing worldwide travel. So, all the shipping and everything has slowed down because of the disease.”

Daryl said the challenges are not a lot different than what challenges have been for farming all along. “We are highly weather dependent. We require satisfy amounts of rainfall, sunlight, and frost-free days. So, those are the issues outside of our control. Secondary to that is that we sell all our products on a world based trading system. We do not have any say on the price we receive on our products. For example carbon

taxation, we have no way to recover those costs to our operation,” Daryl mentioned. “Farming is generally a stressful occupation and the things we normally do have sustain us over the years. The last few years with difficult harvests, the economic issues are obviously a little more stressful. So, it is important that we talk to each other and utilize our friends and resources.”

As well, the good points about farming, according to Daryl are as a selfemployed person, he feels he is in charge of his own schedule and livelihood. “I get to work and interact on almost a daily basis with nature. So, I get to see things a lot of people don’t.

For example, when I am working in the field I get exposed to a lot of wildlife

that a lot of people don’t get to see. Then I get to be around peaceful surroundings.”

Daryl added that one of the joys of farming is being able to plan their crops or seeds and watch them grow through the season, help protect them, and harvest the crop at the end of the year to see the complete cycle of that production and cycle of life. It is definitely worth all the challenges involved.

“As farmers, we have to be a jack of all trades. We have to understand business, we have to understand machinery and technology, we have to understand marketing, and be able to understand the agronomy which is how crops grow, and things we do to help crops grow.”

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MR. CLASSIFIED

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Ask the Guys Dear Classified Guys, Whether I'm watching The Biggest Loser or looking in the classified section, I'm seeing personal trainers everywhere these days. I've always been an avid fan of exercising. In fact, I use it as a way to relieve the stress from my horrible day job.

Every day after work I go to the gym to burn off my frustration.

That's when I started to notice how many trainers weren't really helping their clients. Instead of giving good fitness instruction, I'd see them talking on their cell phone while their clients worked out. I think I could do a better job than that! Can you guys tell me what's involved in being a personal trainer? Can I just start advertising or do I need to go back to school for a degree?

I'm very interested in pursuing this. Maybe I could end up on the next season of The Biggest Loser and take on Bob or Jillian!

• • •

Carry: You may need a little

more experience before taking on Bob or Jillian, but as a personal trainer you could inspire a lot of people. To be a good one, however, you will need a wide variety of skills.

Duane “Cash” Holze & Todd “Carry” Holze 04/06/14 04/05/20 ©The Classified Guys®

Cash: And leaving your cell phone out of the gym wouldn't hurt either.

Carry: While a major portion of the job entails a working knowledge of health, fitness and exercise, you will also need good motivational and business skills.

Before you consider it as a career, make sure you're living a healthy lifestyle to be a role model for your clients.

Cash: To get started you need to make some important decisions.

First, do you want to work with a gym or independently? Each has its own advantages. If you work with a gym, they can help guide you to get the required certification.

Carry: If you choose to work on

your own, you can travel to people's homes, meet up at a gym or set up a program at your own home. In all of these cases, you should start up a business with the proper certification and insurance.

Cash: Although you don't need a specific college degree to be a personal trainer, you do need be certified. Personal trainers can choose certification from one of many professional organizations.

The cost is typically a few hundred dollars.

Carry: If you have a passion for fitness and working with people, this could be a good career choice for you. The only problem is that if you start loving your job, you won't have any frustration to work off at the gym!

Fast Facts Toning Up

Reader Humor Fasten Your Belt

With the continued rise in obesity, the outlook for a career in fitness has been increasing as well. There are currently over 235,000 people employed as fitness workers nationwide. Most are working as personal trainers or exercise instructors at health clubs, fitness centers and other civic and social organizations.

The need for more instructors is expected to grow by 27% up through 2016 as both consumers and businesses see the benefits of health and fitness programs.

As a personal trainer, I know how sensitive people can be about their weight. While traveling I met with one such event at the airport ticket counter.

The woman in front of me was overweight. As she handed her tickets to the attendant, she explained that because of her size she opted to buy two seats so the ride would be more comfortable.

Looking at the tickets the attendant then politely said, "I'm just going to move your seats around for you."

"Why is that?" the woman asked defensively. "Is it because of my weight?"

"Not exactly," the woman replied. "Usually when a person buys two seats for comfort, they try to get them in the same row!"

(Thanks to Alex C.)

Counting Calories Over that last 30 years, portion size or the amount we eat at each meal has increased dramatically.

According to government surveys analyzed by researchers at the University of North Carolina, Americans are eating 93 more calories from salty snacks like potato chips. They are also consuming 49 more calories from soda, 97 more calories from hamburgers, 68 more calories from french fries and a whopping 133 more calories from mexican food. Those numbers are significant when you consider that adding only 10 calories per day can add one pound to your weight each year.

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780-922-5999 2008 Dodge Calibar. Automatic.

Loaded. 150,000 Kms. Clean. $5200.

780-994-3005 2002 Honda Civic, Standard Drives Excellent Needs TLC $3200 780-9225999 Rare Super Charged 40th Anniversary Grand Prix. Loaded. $4700. Phone 780-994-3005 2010 damaged Dodge Caliber 125,000kms. Drives excellent. For parts. $1500. Phone 780-994-3005 2005 Mercedes Smart Car diesel, automatic, black, 192,000kms, $3900.

780-994-3005.

COMMERCIAL For Rent: Main Street Vegreville store front. 3900+ sq. ft.

Landlord, motivated. Phone or text 780-632-0480

EDUCATION AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Get FAA approved hands on Aviation mechanic training. Financial Aid for qualified students - Career placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-6861704 AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification.

Approved for military benefits.

Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-4536204

EQUIPMENT

For Sale. 25 Round Hay Bales.

Mixture of Alfalfa/Timothy and Brome $55.00 Each * Second Cut Round Hay Bales No Rain $80.00 Each * 220 Round Hay Bales No Rain $65.00 Each Near Chipman Call Al 780-363-2147

FOOD For Sale: Primrose Lake fish: Whites, Jacks & Pickerel. Whole fish & fillets.

Smoked White fish. PH: 780-808-3826

LIVESTOCK Salers bulls for sale. Red, black & tan. Very Quiet. Semen tested and delivered. Scattered spruce salers.

PH: 780-768-2284 Yearling and Two Year Old Registered Red & Black Angus Bulls. Semen Tested. Brownalta Farms. 780-603-4882 LAKEFORD Registered Polled Hereford and Red Angus Bulls for Sale! Top Quality from a herd with over 50 years production history.

Contact Dan Prichard 780-385-2298 or 780-385-5125

HEALTH & FITNESS

MISC.

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HOMES FOR RENT

!! OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

Advertise your

rental property here

Retiring (equipment for sale) 875 Versatile tractor with 14’ (Degleman) mech angle dozer. Used very little.

Approx. 2500 hours on complete engine overhaul. New tires at same time. 20.8-38 duals radial planetares/approx. 1000 hours on a new hydraulic pump, 90% of the time shedded. 1998-40’-820 flexicoil air seeder - 9” spacing and 550 lb. trip.

Complete with a 1720 T behind air cart with a self-contained hydraulic system and a 20 horsepower motor (3 rollers). Comes complete with a 2055 Valmar chemical applicator (like new). Cart and Valmar always shedded. Taking offers. Cell: 1-780603-7754. After 8pm 1-780-6327934

2 bdr house in Vegreville. Close to downtown. $800/mo includes water but other utilities extra. DD same.

Non-smoking. No pets. References required. Call or text 780-940-4951.

for as little as $7.95 per week!

New 3 bdrm duplex Vegreville. $685/mo. Call 780-275-0089. New developments.

For Rent in Vegreville. 2 bedroom house, 1½ baths, 5 appliances, 3 decks, 2 patio doors, fenced, shed.

Many updates of siding, windows, flooring, kitchen & bathrooms.

Available May 1st. Prefer no pets. $800/mo plus utilities. 780-904-4125 Near Aquatic Center in Vegreville.

Approx 450 Sq Ft., 1 bedroom, fully renovated, kitchen appliances, washer/dryer, soaker tub. NS, NP. $600/m + utilities. Same DD. References required. Call or text 780-632-0480

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 866-951-7214

PETS AKC REG. GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER PUPS, 2 females, 5 males, liver patched & ticked & white, papered, purebred, docked, dewclaws removed, 1st shots, wormed, National Championship bloodlines, over 100 National Champions & Champions in 6-generation pedigree, just born March 19, $800 each.

Training advice available. Please leave message, 509-981-5443

PRINTING The News Advertiser can help you with your personal and commercial print work needs: business cards, invoices, envelopes, posters and much more.

Phone: 780-632-2861 or email jobsubmit@newsadvertiser.com

REAL ESTATE Can’t sell your house? Get full value with monthly payments under rentto-own contract. Looking for 2-3 br. bungalow.

Up to $150k.

Immediately. 587-926-5631

V

TRUCKS

1993 Chev 4x4 Ext Cab. For parts. $650. 780-922-5999 2006 Ford 4x4 Crew Cab. New tires. $4600. 780-994-3005 2004 Dodge Dakota 4x4 loaded, superb condition. Low km. $6,500.

780-632-3527.

2000 Dodge Dakota V8, 4x4, farm truck. $1600. 780-922-5999 2002 GMC 4x4 HD ¾ ton Service Truck 340k $3500 780-922-5999 1997 Ford 7.3 Diesel, 4 x 4, missing transmission. Nice deck, $2800. 780922-5999 2004 Chev 4 x 4, new t/case, canopy, $3200. PH: 780-994-3005 2002 F250 Crew cab, 7.3 diesel.

Loaded. 410,000kms. $6500 PH: 780994-3005

WANTED Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 ADVERTISE to 10 Million Homes across the USA! Place your ad in over 140 community newspapers, with circulation totaling over 10 million homes. Contact Independent Free Papers of America IFPA at danielleburnett-ifpa@live.com or visit our website cadnetads.com for more information

APRIL 8, 2020

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News Advertiser PAGE 15

Vegreville Family Clinic Reaching Out to Seniors Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Going the extra mile. That’s what physicians and staff are doing for senior citizens in the community during the COVID-19 medical crisis.

Clinic Manager Tami Potschka said they are reaching out to make sure that senior citizens in the community feel supported and looked after. Everyone is encouraged and doing their best to stay

at home, but they may be concerned with symptoms they are experiencing, running short on medication or have physical or mental health concerns and may want to speak with a doctor.

“We agree it is best for everyone to stay at home as much as possible, and still have access to medical support.

Our doctors are working under new AHS guidelines that allow phone consultations to be done. We have a lot of

calls from people who don’t want to risk their health by coming out into public or their family members on behalf of someone they are concerned about.”

She went onto say, “We realize not everyone has a family doctor in Vegreville, but right now we want to make healthcare available to anyone in need.”

Potschka explained that when seniors phone the clinic they should speak with reception, and from there will be given

an appointment time for a doctor to phone them. “Then you just need to be by your phone to receive the call.”

She said it was important for seniors to have completed the Goals of Care or GreenSleeve forms to make sure your wishes and instructions are followed if they require urgent medical treatment.

If seniors need assistance filling out the forms, Potschka said to let them know, and a physician will help them do that.

Vegreville and District Co-op Adheres to Social Distancing due to COVID-19

Customers maintain social distancing by lining-up six feet apart at the till.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo)

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent There are signs all over Vegreville and District Co-op that remind people and show them how to maintain the social distancing of standing six feet (two metres) apart which is required at stores to keep customers safe and healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Co-op has also gone the extra mile and requested on their signs for people not touch anything they do not want to buy.

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Tributes MEMORIAM

FREBROWSKI, Mary April 5, 1922 - March 18, 2020 A Baba’s love is always true - you loved us unconditionally and were there to listen, to guide us, and help us when needed. We will miss you greatly and you will be, as you have been, forever in our hearts. Please take care of Dad & Gido until we all meet again.

Love, Grandson Kevin & Lorrie Frebrowski

SIRACKY, Len February 8, 1938 - April 13, 2013 We will take this special moment To turn our thoughts to Len and Dad, Thank him for the home he gave For all the things we had.

We think about the fleeting years Too quickly gone for good.

It seems like only yesterday We’d go back if we could.

A time when you were always there No matter what the weather, Always strong when things went wrong You held our lives together.

You strived so hard from day to day And never once complained, With steady hands, you worked so hard And kept the family name.

You taught us that hard work pays off You reap just what you sow, You said that if you tend your crops Your fields will overflow.

Our lives have been bountiful You taught us how to give, In your firm and steadfast way You taught us how to live.

You dwell among the angels now You left us much too soon, You glide across a golden field Above the harvest moon.

We see you in the summer rain You ride upon the wind, And when our path is beaten down You pick us up again.

Sadly missed and lovingly remembered Toni and Family

BOHAYCHUK, Marshall In loving memory of Marshall Bohaychuk who passed away March 30, 2010 I have lost my soul’s companion A life linked with my own And day by day I miss him more As I walk through life alone Forever loved and missed Wanda and Family

MEMORIAM

OBITUARY

HALABUT, John In memory of a loving Dad and Gigi who entered eternal rest on April 12, 2007 We thought of you today But that is nothing new We thought of you yesterday And will tomorrow too We think of you in silence And make no outward show For what it meant to lose you Only those who love you know Remembering you is easy We do it every day It’s the heartache of losing you That will never go away.

With love: Elaine, Randy Jordon, Amy, Quinn & Blayke, Janelle, Wade & John

TOMA, Mary Lou We announce with great sadness the passing of Mary Lou Toma of Willingdon, Alberta on March 27, 2020 after a short battle with cancer.

Survived by daughters Jackie (Bob Dushenski) and daughter Felicia and family: Dale and her companion dog and mom’s afternoon cuddler Jesse: Andrea (Peter) Tombrowski and children Lucas and Natalia; Sister Jean Meier; niece Patricia (Daryl) Toma and family; along with many in-laws, nieces, nephews, and many friends in the community. Mary Lou was predeceased by her daughter Terry Toma April 1, 2009.

Also, adapting to not walking with mom and getting their treats are her four- legged family of Sage, Revelation, Trace, Scooby, and Kitty.

Mom was very well known for her green thumb. Mom loved her plants and flowers inside and outside. She would start looking at seed catalogues late in the fall to plan her winter and spring seeding. The house was always full of blooming flowers and growing greenery.

Mom would love to sit at the kitchen table amongst her plants and watch the birds feed from the bird house in front of the kitchen window all the while playing solitaire on her computer. Mom enjoyed years on the farm with Dale, the animals and her yard; always painting and puttering in her greenhouse and every year her outside pots and stands would be a different color. Last year she enjoyed her gazebo sitting and looking to the east at her amazing view, again while playing on her computer and enjoying a glass (or 2) of wine.

Mom was the “Tomato Lady” and no one could grow tomatoes like her, that she shared with everyone. Her yard was a jungle of beauty in the Summer and a bountiful harvest in the fall...again always sharing. Last year was spaghetti squash.

Mom was a long-time member and executive of the Boian Ladies Club, and Boian Church. She would help in any way that she could. She always spoke her mind sometimes without a filter, and always was the first one to open a bottle of wine after the work was done.

A Private Graveside Service and interment was held at the St Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church Cemetery of Boian with the Rev. Fr. M. Panciuk officiating. Due to the conditions of our world today, and the protocols we must follow, the graveside service will be small and by invitation only. Please keep each other safe with social distancing at this time. If you were not there in person light a candle and think of Mom. Donations in mom’s memory may be made to the Boian Ladies Club - Box 224 Willingdon, Alberta T0B 4R0 or Eagle Hill Special Funds (Willingdon Senior Lodge) 5303 49st Willingdon, Alberta T0B 4R0 We would like to extend our Thanks to the Eagle Hill Lodge staff for their outstanding care and comfort. Your assistance was above and beyond expectations. You will forever be in our hearts. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to the Home Care Staff, Carol who went out of her way, Sharon, Mavin, and Karenza, thank you for your assistance and direction.

You all helped keep mom comfortable. To the Two-Hills Health Care Center nurses and staff, your extraordinary care and compassion towards mom did not go unnoticed and to Dr. L. Van Wyk, you have cared for mom for many years and although sometimes she thought she knew better... you always kept mom close to your heart and kept her healthy as she could be.

May Mom’s Memory Be Eternal To send condolences, please visit www.autumnrosefuneralhome.com AUTUMN ROSE FUNERAL HOME LTD. VEGREVILLE, 780-603-5800

HALABUT, John In loving memory of our dear Dad and Gigi, John Halabut, who sadly left us on April 12, 2007.

Down the path of memories, We softly tread today.

Missing you Dad is a heartache, That never goes away.

We hold you deep within our hearts, And there you will remain.

To walk with us throughout our lives, Until we meet again.

Forever In Our Hearts, Love, Audrey & Rod, Patie, Sharon & families

SUCHY, Rita Marie Cecile In loving memory of Rita Marie Cecile Suchy January 28, 1959 – April 13, 2013 I thought of you today, But that is nothing new.

I thought about you yesterday And days before that too.

I think of you in silence, I often speak your name.

All I have are memories And your picture in a frame.

Your memory is a keepsake From which I’ll never part.

God has you in His loving arms, I have you in my heart.

Love, Otto, Michael, Nicole, Cheyenne, Reece, Brent, Ethan, Paul, Victoria, and Ryker

CARD OF THANKS

BABYCH, Olga The Family of late Olga Babych would like to thank everyone for the flowers, sympathy cards, food hampers, kind words and hugs during our difficult time.

Special thanks to the church staff and Park Memorial for the service.

Thanks for the Church Ladies Club for catering the lunch. Thank you all who made a huge amount of donations to seven different charities and clubs.

Deepest thanks for your attendance and support.

The Steve Babych Family

APRIL 8, 2020

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How to celebrate holidays while keeping your distance News Advertiser Large gatherings continue to be prohibited during the coronavirus pandemic, and special occasions must be celebrated apart from friends and family members. However, this doesn’t mean you should completely cancel Easter or Mother’s Day. Here are a few ways to enjoy holidays and birthdays while maintaining your distance from others.

Set the mood.

Create a festive atmosphere at home by decorating. You can order what you need online, use what you already have or make your own decorations. To further set the mood, play some music and wear a special outfit. You could even make an at-home photo booth. There are plenty of ways to set the stage for the occasions you want to celebrate.

Send gifts.

Even though you can’t do it in person, giving your loved ones presents is a great way to let them know you’re thinking

Correction In the news article ‘Support Canadian Agriculture and Buy Local’ it was incorrectly stated that Skyline Greenhouse operates a retail store in Lavoy, it should have stated Vegreville. about them. Order a meal or gift online and have it delivered right to their door. Alternatively, you can email a gift card or leave a package on their front steps.

Connect with others.

All you need is an internet connection and video chat platform to host a virtual party. Loved ones can tune in to watch gifts being unwrapped or candles being blown out. If a video conference is too difficult to set up, get people to record a clip of themselves sharing good wishes, fond memories or funny stories.

These short videos can be exchanged by email or posted on social media for everyone to enjoy.

You can also reach out by phone or with a hand-written letter. The most important thing is to remind your loved ones that they’re not alone during special occasions

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Vegreville Elks Lodge Donates to Youth Groups Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

The Vegreville Elks have a long history in the community, dating back to Nov. 24, 1926.

The organization’s overall focus was on families and meeting the needs of community members. The same holds true today, and three local youth groups recently received funds to continue to grow their own organizations.

A total $4,500 was dispersed to KidSport, ($1,000), the Veg re v i l le Fo ot ba l l Association, ($2,500), and the curling program at Vegreville Composite High School ($1,000).

KidSport Chair Roy Mills expressed his gratitude for the donation and gave an overview of the organization’s mandate and contributions over the past year. “KidSport Vegreville has been very active supporting families in Vegreville and the County of Minburn that are experiencing financial hardships, and without us, their sons and

daughters may not have been able to participate in an organized sporting activity.

In 2019, KidSport assisted 40 children and youth this to a total of $9,500. This money was fundraised by the KidSport Committee and through generous donations from local businesses, individuals and service clubs. We are truly grateful for all the support we received.”

Dellas Baxandall with the Vegreville Football Association stated, “The funds from the Elks is going directly to the locker room that was built last fall. There will be signage going up this year to recognize the Elks as well as Kinettes that have both made donations to the locker room project.”

Even though Spring football has been canceled due to COVID-19, Baxandall said they hope to be playing football in the Fall. The season would run from September to November. The team would consist of bantam age players,

George Childs, Exalted Ruler for the Vegreville Elks Lodge presents $1,000 to Kendall Warawa, coach for the youth curling program being run through the Vegreville Composite Jr/Sr High School Foundation. (Vegreville Elks Lodge/Photo)

from Grades 7-9. “We are very excited to announce that we are playing in the Capital District Minor Football Association this season.”

Kendall Warawa, head of the curling program at VCHS said they will be using the donation to offset the cost of ice time.

“Our ice time will be roughly $900 again this year. No other school sport has to pay for a facility to play in. My goal is to purchase a set of speed traps for next year which will help take some of our curlers to the

next level with muscle memory and execution of precise shots.

I had 18 new curlers to the program this year and also did some elementary curling with AL Horton.”

In 2019 the Vegreville Elks donated a total of $31,224 to 22 organizations in the community. The Elks previously received national recognition for having donated a total of $392,000 over the course of 10 years, not including 2019.

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Elk Island National Park Closed to Visitors Michelle Pinon News Advertiser Recent visitors to Elk Island National Park (EINP) will have noticed barricades blocking traffic at its north and south entrances.

Ed Jager, Director of Visitor Experience for Parks Canada, stated it suspended all vehicle access on March 25. The closure just doesn’t apply to just EINP, but all national parks across the country. The reason is that visitors were not respecting physical distancing that was evidenced in photos and videos that were taken before the decision.

The restriction on vehicles includes visitor services and facilities, parking lots and trailheads at all national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas and green spaces.

Jager stated, “The health and safety of visitors and Parks Canada team members is of the utmost importance to the Agency. Elk Island National Park is doing its part to contain COVID-19 and reduce the risks to team members and visitors. Currently, there are 34 people working for Elk Island National Park.

Some employees are on-site to provide critical functions such as snow removal, fire response, law enforcement, water and waste treatment; while others work from home.

Parks Canada’s measures reflect the government-wide approach of limiting non-essential travel, promoting physical distancing, and having employees in non-critical positions work from home.

We look forward to resuming normal operations, but for now, we must all work together to limit the spread of COVID-19.”

Jager said there have been a lot questions regarding reservations. He said reservations before April 30 have been canceled. He does not recommend reservations after that date to be canceled as a decision regarding that has not been made.

In March, there were just under 20 Elk Island National Park was closed to visitors on March 25 when this photo was taken of the queries regarding Elk Island National north entrance on Highway 831 which is 10 kilometres south of Lamont. (Michelle Pinon/Photo) Park made to the national information service. These queries were about topics such as camping permits and entry pass reimbursement, when will it be possible to visit the park, etc.

There have also been questions regarding refunds of annual park passes. He said the validity for the park passes will be extended for the length of suspension of services.

Jager said any visitor attempting to access a Parks Canada location with their vehicle will be reminded of this closure.

We are asking all Canadians to respect the suspensions and closures. No warnings or fines related to the closures at Elk Island National Park have been issued to date.

Jager said the most important point is to stay home and obey the measures experts have put in place.

There are more than 970 national historic sites; of these 171 are administered by Parks Canada.

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC - CONTINUED from FRONT PAGE those blood donor cards in the mail in a month and next time I go I’ll know exactly what I’m doing. It was a very good experience and nice to have Marion Baxandall there. I remember when they used to do this at the Elks hall and she was there then. That was 32 years ago when she was volunteering her time. She came over right away and asked how I was doing. You don’t need to worry it’s very painless and it’s over in a hurry. And she was right.”

Nicole Russell, Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services, wanted to express how appreciative the organization is to the Town of Vegreville for allowing us to use the Social Centre for our donor centre during this time,” said Nicole Russell, Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services.

Because of COVID-19, Russel explained, “We had to reduce the number of beds and appointments to enable us to practice physical distancing in the donor centre, so although this number seems lower than what people might be used to in Vegreville, we had a lower target.”

Canadian Blood Services will also be increasing the number of times they will be in Vegreville. “We will be doubling our number of donor centres in the Town of Vegreville, with our next two currently planned for on Monday, June 15, and Tuesday, June 30.”

Anyone can book an appointment to donate blood at the Edmonton location,

or any location across Canada, added Russell. “We urge donors to book appointments over the next few weeks to help maintain an adequate level of blood and blood products for patients in Canada. Since blood products have a limited shelf life, demand is constant. We will keep reminding people about this as we work through the evolving COVID-19 situation.”

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Vegreville Senior Lodges Take Measures to Combat COVID-19 Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent Vegreville Senior Lodges have all implemented various measures to protect their residents, staff, and visitors. A few of the senior assisted living facilities provided information as to how they protect the most vulnerable, who are their residents.

Leslie Beard, Communication Contractor for Century Park, said they have an extensive infection control process in place at Century Park as they do all the facilities that they operate.

“Our goal always is to protect the health care professionals that provide services to their residents and our residents who call Century Park their home. So, what we are doing right now is putting the following measures into place. We got enhance screening for the virus and this follows the government’s guidelines; it is for staff and it is for residents.

We also put in place procedures for anyone who comes in and visits. We allow one essential visitor; one designated person for residents. It is usually a family member and that person who comes in has to go through a whole protocol of infection control procedures before we even let them in to visit their family members.

They, (visitors), have to do this each time someone comes in. That involves a number of things; hand washing, taking their temperature, it involves filling out a form where we check to see if they are showing symptoms. It is very extensive. We enhanced our cleaning and sanitation particularly in high tech areas in all our facilities and we are ensuring that we have adequate supplies in place in each facility in case of an outbreak.

We are doing a lot to prevent the COVID-19 and we are closing following and monitoring all recommendations from Alberta Health Services and the Provincial Health Officer and everyone else out there which includes the local health organization and federally the Public Health Agency of Canada.”

In a press release from Alberta Health Services, it stated: “The Vegreville Care Centre effective March 18, visitors to long-term care or continuing care facilities are restricted to essential visitors only. Essential visitors are defined as those

Sidewalk Art to Brighten People’s Spirits Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent Chelsea and Lillian decided to engage in some sidewalk art for something to do. They wrote the slogan by it to spread some cheer as they expressed it is kind of a sad time since the world changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is one of the drawings and slogan on people’s sidewalks lately. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)

providing care necessary for the well-being of the residents, and those attending to a resident who is dying. Essential visitors are restricted to one individual at a time and those visits must be immediate family or a designated person. The restrictions apply to all long term supporting sites owned and operated by Alberta Health Services.

Additionally, no children will be allowed to visit. Exceptions to this restriction would be considered in certain circumstances but will require review and approval by a unit manager or a nursing staff on a call-by-call basis.

As already was in place, no individual who is ill will be permitted to visit a patient in any AHS facility. All visitors will be asked to complete a screening questionnaire to provide to ensure they are well.”

They encourage families and facilities to consider alternate methods of communication.