Vegreville News Advertiser - January 4, 2023

Elk Island Wild Minor Hockey Association, (EIMHA) hosted a free community hockey day at the Lamont arena on Dec. 30.

Around 140 people participated in the fun-filled event that featured shinny, open skate and pizza party for everyone to enjoy.

She,

Player Wyatt Klita. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Joanne Calder and her son Jaxon. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Teammates Maggie Noonan and Mary Sobkow. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Michelle Pinon

News Advertiser

EIMHA Grants Coordinator Ashley Strumelak was thrilled with the turnout, saying, “The response has been fantastic!”

along with fellow members of the Executive, are excited about the community hockey day they’ll be hosting in nearby Gone Wild - CONTINUED ON

AHS Extends Closure of Tofield Emergency Department

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Alberta Health Services, (AHS) announced on Dec. 29 that the Tofield Health Centre Emergency Department will remain closed overnights until February 2023.

It will continue to be closed from 8 pm to 8 am seven days a week and is open from 8 am to 8 pm. The temporary closure first came into effect on Dec. 1.

Andrea Thain Liptak, Senior Operating Officer for Central Zone rural acute care, said they had hoped the closure would only last a month, but with a 40 percent vacancy of RN positions at the health centre, that would not be possible.

Thain Liptak said the temporary closure is a last resort, and a hard decision, but one they had to make in order not to compromise patient and staff safety at the facility. In general, there are staffing challenges at other AHS sites. Rural areas are especially prone to high turnover as staff tend to migrate to larger urban centres.

“We’re doing everything we can to stabilize the workforce in rural areas.” She said they are working on recruitment and retention and supporting existing staff, and, “Where we can’t fill positions we contract to other agencies.”

Thain Liptak said patients presenting to the emergency department during the hours of closure are assessed and if they require transportation via ambulance they are diverted to facilities in Camrose, Viking, Lamont or Edmonton.

Since the temporary closure, Thain Liptak said 12 people have presented, and all but one required non-urgent care. Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency and to call

Health Link at 811 for non-emergency health-related questions.

Beaver County Reeve Kevin Smook commented on the temporary closure by stating that, “No one wants to be without a readily available emergency department. People will be impacted on various levels depending on how serious their situation is.

My understanding is that this is a result of a staffing shortage and the only short term solution is to successfully recruit more healthcare professionals to fill the void. From a community perspective, our area attraction and retention committee teamed up with RhPAP to host a skills day for high school students on November 30th at the Ryley Community Centre. The aim is to attract students to a career in healthcare, hoping that once trained they will work and live in rural Alberta.

At the recent Rural Municipalities Association Conference in Edmonton, Camrose County Reeve Cindy Trautman and I spoke with Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, advocating for an increased role for nurse practitioners and also pushing for the return of the nursing program to the University of Alberta Augustana Campus in Camrose. It was discontinued following the 2020 provincial budget. Bringing the nursing program back to Augustana would be a step in the right direction as students would train in rural Alberta and hopefully stay here.”

Smook said he has yet to receive a response from the Minister of Advanced Education to date regarding the request.

He concluded by saying, “Unfortunately, I don’t see a quick fix to this, other than successfully recruiting additional healthcare professionals.”

Deadly Collision South of Andrew

Pinon News Advertiser

Two Hills RCMP were dispatched to the scene of a two vehicle collision north of the intersection of Secondary Highway 855 and Secondary Highway 29 at 6:05 pm on Dec. 29.

Cst. Lee Brochu said a small car collided with a semi-tractor trailer near the intersection. The vehicle driven by a 70-year-old male was alleged to have been swerving in and out of the driving lane prior to the collision and ultimately drifted into the opposite lane and side swiped the semi.

The driver of the car, who was from Leduc, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The vehicle sustained serious damages and the driver had to be extricated with the jaws-of-life. Members of the Andrew and Myrnam Fire Departments assisted with extrication and traffic control throughout the evening.

Also on scene were EMS from Andrew and Lamont. The driver of the semi-tractor trailer was not injured in the collision, added Cst. Brochu.

A Reconstructionist was on-scene and cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Michelle

Beaver County Reeve Kevin Smook (News Advertiser/File Photo)

Tofield Health Centre (Rob Armstrong/Via Google Images)

Faith, Family and Friends Hallmarks of F3 Ranch

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Faith, family and friends are the hallmarks of F3 Ranch. The beautiful 17 acre property owned by Matthew and Denise Fitzgerald southwest of Andrew is very special and a unique place they truly feel blessed to call home.

“This whole place was bought solely for the animals,” says Denise, who had a pretty bad health scare early in 2022. She was in and out of hospital a couple of times which made her think deeply about the future and deciding to reprioritize things in her and Matthew’s lives. The couple had been looking at properties all over Alberta this past summer and said they simply fell in love with the place when they first laid eyes on it.

As an artist, myself, I find so much beauty in their movement, in their presence. If we can take in some of these horses that nobody else wants, they will have a different purpose. They may not be ridable or they might have some sort of issues that might be undesirable to other people, here they’ve got a place they can call home.

The majority of the horses that have come onto the property are from Horse Heroes Alberta. They go direct to auctions in the Edmonton area and pick up horses that are going to the meat buyer. Unfortunately, in this province there is no real humane way out for people who have the best intentions for their horses, but if they get old or sick they just don’t have the funds to keep them. They send them to auction and gamble with their fate that way.

tions from Denise whose love affair with horses began when she was eight or nine-years-old when her father purchased a horse for her. She has had a great deal of training and experience with horses and is happy to share her knowledge with Matthew and anyone else who wants to come to visit the ranch.

Denise is hoping to be able to offer beginner lessons in the future so people can learn how to connect, understand and communicate with horses. Being a graphite portrait artist, Denise would also like other artists to come and enjoy the surroundings and find inspiration for their creations. Denise’s company, MisFitz Art is the perfect fit for their new ranch and she enjoys creating artwork for other animal lovers.

Denise believes she was put on this path for a reason. For her, “This journey now has put me on the path that I need to be on. This road has been hard. It hasn’t gone the way we’ve wanted it to go, but still for me, every day I see the horses and the animals I know I am making an impact in their life. For me, it makes everything worth it, every struggle.”

They are carving out a life they’ve always dreamed of and hope others will be able to share in their dream.

Tenders on

“We had very specific needs,” says Denise, as they need the paddocks for the horses, plenty of room for all of them as well as an outdoor arena, heated shop and space for an events field. It checked off all of the boxes on their wish list and they took possession of the property in August.

Even though they have faced several challenges since taking ownership, both agree they are moving in the direction that is much more fulfilling to them.

As for the overall plan? “We wanted this place be a sanctuary for people and horses. Any animal. We want people to come out here and experience the inner peace that comes with being around horses. We want to have horses that have had a rough shake in life to have a second chance.

It’s just not a humane process. It’s traumatic for them. They give us so much, their heart, their soul. They give us so much and to come to that end is a hard pill to swallow, and that’s why we want to do what we’re doing out here. We might not be able to save them all, but we’re saving the world for one or two horses.”

While Matthew is new to the horse world, it hasn’t taken him long to develop the same passion that Denise has for the four legged creatures. He is learning to connect with them and receiving careful instruc-

Historic barn at F3 Ranch. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Matthew and Denise Fitzgerald. (F3 Ranch/Submitted Photo)

Graphite portraits. (F3 Ranch/Submitted Photos)

Arthur Beaudette News Advertiser – Opinion

As we welcome a new year, many people look to make changes in their lives. I’ve written before about my opinion on New Year’s resolutions, (I think they are foolish) so I don’t plan on touching on that topic.

As I’ve taken in news over the past week, I’ve noticed something that may or may not be related to the New Year and people’s desire for new beginnings. This may be a new trend or something that I’ve simply been oblivious to until now.

It’s not new and it’s available everywhere. It’s been around for eternity and available everywhere. It also comes in many forms from the very valuable to the utterly useless. It’s advice.

You can always get advice. You just need to go to a friend’s house or a social gathering and there is no shortage of it. There is also professional advice. The kind you get from a professional of some sort, be it advice on health, advice on fixing your car or building a deck or advice on that plumbing problem that never seems to go away. Usually, you can tell the value of the advice based on the source. IE, your best friend after a few social beverages may not be the best person to get ANY advice

on despite their confidence and self-proclaimed prowess. Heck, if you’re looking for bad advice, I’ll even offer some on any number of topics (home dentistry, rocketry, nanobots, garage fusion... the nuclear kind, etc.)

The Internet has provided us access to writers that we would never had exposure to otherwise. There are some very popular syndicated writers offering political commentary, science coverage and of course, advice.

THEN there are the guys that you might meet in you buddy’s garage or at the local watering hole with loads of advice…and a keyboard. The Internet, unfortunately, gives them a voice and an audience without any filtering. This week I think I read something from one of them. Now if you want to give out advice on growing bigger tomatoes, backyard composting or other non-life-threatening advice, have at-er. However, providing information, particularly if it is wrong on a topic that could have consequences should done with caution. Items such as car brakes, (you could crash and die), electrical, (you could burn down your house… and die) or even cooking, (you could die from food poisoning).

I had the pleasure of reading a column on how to safely operate a generator during a blackout. Prompted undoubtedly by this year’s current stretch of winter storms and related blackouts, it was rife with inaccuracies that, judging by the audience, should be cause for removal and a call to some legal department.

Now, I’m not an expert on generators, but I am familiar enough with them and with electricity to see problems without looking too hard. I’m quite sure that many of our readers will see similar issues simply based on life experience, common sense and general knowledge.

The article started out by indicating that there are different types of generators including gasoline, propane and...solar? I take exception to the last one, but that is a point of debate I suppose. They also indicated that there are generators which are professionally installed, (most likely natural gas) and portable which they were writing about. They also left out diesel powered generators.

They quickly pointed out that a GASOLINE generator should never be run indoors. Which…leaves the issue that anyone who doesn’t know, (after all that is the audience they are writing for) that may think a propane generator CAN be or the unmentioned diesel generator. Spoiler… YOU SHOULD NOT run any internal combustion engine indoors… YOU COULD DIE. They also incorrectly indicated that generators produce carbon dioxide. While true, that’s not nearly as deadly as the carbon MONOXIDE that combustion engines produce. Again,

Winds of Change Powering New Landscape in County of Minburn

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Enel Green Power has renewable energy projects and plants throughout the world. It currently has more than 1,200 power plants spanning five continents. After years of planning and more than five months of construction, the wind farm project in the Mannville area is nearing its final stages.

Enel Green Power Senior Development Manager Don Morgan, stated that a turbine deliver test to the Alberta electricity grid was completed before Christmas. “That is good news and a big milestone for the project.”

The project will not be operational, however, until all the towers are up, tested individually and then tested as a whole system, noted Morgan. Construction continues and completion of wind turbine installation activities is estimated to be completed by Jan. 31, 2023.

This will be the fourth wind farm facility Enel has constructed in Alberta. “It’s pretty exciting to be making an investment in the community. It’s been a good venture for us and we’re looking forward to being here for the next 30 years,” stated Morgan.

A total of 34 wind turbines are included in the Grizzly Bear Creek Wind Farm project with the vast majority located within the County of Minburn and only a handful in the County of Vermilion River. It is expected to generate 528 GWh of

energy each year, enough to avoid 343,000 tons of CO2 emissions and meet the electricity needs of over 73,000 Alberta households annually.

As to why this is an ideal area for the project, Morgan cited a couple of reasons. “There are really good wind resources here. There’s a good consistent wind and we have the right technology here to capture that wind, and we’ve got good landowners here that have welcomed us into the community.

Why is wind power important? Morgan feels it’s about balancing energy resources and how they are utilized. “It just happens that Enel specializes in doing wind, solar and battery projects. We’re happy to do

wind across Alberta where the winds are strong.”

As far as the future of wind power and where it’s headed? Morgan said, “I think we’re going to see more of it in select areas of the province, specifically, where the energy resource is. So, what you see here is what you are going to see here for the next 30 years at this site, but we are looking at other development projects across Alberta.”

During a media tour on Sept. 7, when the first wind turbine went up, Morgan commented that it was a “momentous time” having spent many years in the development phase of the project. He noted that a lot of effort has been put into the project, and for everyone involved they are all very proud to have had a hand in it.

He went on to say, “We’ve been in Pincher Creek for 10 plus years. We’ve made significant investments there.”

Another aspect to the success of any project, added Morgan, “is listening to what’s important to the community and making contributions that are valuable to them there.”

Enel was founded in December 2008 inside the Enel Group to develop and manage power generated from renewable resources worldwide.

*This is one in a series of articles that will be published on wind power in the coming months.*

Wind turbine construction in early September. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Clockwise: Jeff Pimer, Justin Williams, Sandra Lee, Christian Gomez and Don Morgan at a turbine base. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

90 Years Ago – January 4, 1933

On Saturday, December 31st, the United Sales Co. who had been carrying on business here for nearing two years closed their doors and have shipped the remainder of the goods to Edmonton. The company apparently did fair business but the prospect of declining trade for the next few months led them to the decision to close. More than 800 miles of main highway in Alberta are on the winter programmed of road clearance of the provincial public works department this winter. That is, the department is making an endeavor to keep this amount of mileage on the main roads clear of snow and passable at all times. In addition to this, a considerable mileage has been protected with snow fencing. This is the largest mileage the government has yet places on the winter road clearing programme and brings Alberta into second position among the provinces of the Dominion in this respect, being surpassed only by Ontario. The snow problem is, however, not generally a serious one in Alberta, as it is in some of the eastern provinces, but occasionally in the winter comes a snowfall that demands considerable effort.

75 Years Ago – January 7, 1948

It is expected that Vegreville’s new source of water from the slowing well on the former Richardson property will be turned into the mains early next week. The filter plant arrived the first of the week and is now being installed. The water could have been turned on some time ago, but is would have been highly inadvisable, so council decided to wait for the filter. Naturally, it is hoped that this well, with its apparently inexhaustible flow, will solve the town’s water problems indefinitely. Through no fault of the Mayor or Council, the town has been in a precarious position should a fire of any size broken out.

The Vegreville Exhibition Association Ltd. Directors decided to build a new grandstand at an estimated cost of $12,000.00; also to move the barns several hundred feet east of their present positon.

Mr. Cox advises that he has sold his insurance part of A.E. Cox Agencies, to Mr. A.H. Mercier, who will be able and pleased to carry on the appreciated services of patrons.

Thirty-four years without an election for reeve is the record of Milverton village in Ontario and not the village fathers are wondering if it is also a provincial record.

50 Years Ago – January 4, 1973

The Vegreville detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, one of the oldest in Alberta, moved to new quarters on December 28th, in the Civic Complex. The new building south of the Court House, houses the ten staff members and two stenographers providing needed office and exhibit space. The building includes a lost and found department and an exhibit room plus a room to interview the prisoners. When asked about police calls during the holiday season Corporal Donald A. Haubrick replied it was a quiet holiday with the detachment only making one call during the entire length of the holiday season.

Building permits issued in the Town of Vegreville during the past year exceeded the 2 million dollar mark. In a statement issued by Secretary-Treasurer, R. Wemyss, the 1972 permits were up about 300 per cent from 1971.

Mrs. Sylvia Stevenson and Miss Verda Dean presented a cheque to Mrs. Ruby Nikiforuk, chairperson of the Vegreville Public Library Board on behalf of the Order of the Eastern Star. The money is to be used for the Children’s Department in the new library.

25 Years Ago – January 6, 1998

Cindy Lever received a gold award of merit for her skating skills. On hand to present the award was test chairperson Debbie Keller. The award, for Class One skills (formerly known as figures) is the top level of achievement. Lever also has a gold in dance skills, and is one of three coaches in the Vegreville Figure Skating Club.

Subway co-owner Brian Fedoruk was helped by local Lions Orest Farion, Arthur Ham and Jake Petroskey and Mayor David Kucherawy in kicking off the two month Blanket Alberta promotion. Subway locations will collect blankets and sleeping bags to pass on to Edmonton Emergency Relief Services for use throughout the province. Last year, about 10,000 items were donated, including over 400 at the Vegreville Subway. The Lions will get involved in this year’s campaign, acting as pickup people between the store and the Greyhound Depot.

Top Sales in the Vegreville Composite High School’s mandarin orange sale was achieved by Holly Hudema who raised about $468. Second place went to Nicole Ezio and third went to Lyle Zukiwsky. Certificates were presented to each winner by organizer Roy Mills.

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. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. The Vegreville News Advertiser reserves the right to withhold letters from publication.

Trudeau

Quebec a

Deal on Carbon Taxes

All provinces are equal. But one province is a little more equal in the eyes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Next year, taxpayers in every province will have to pay his government’s mandatory minimum carbon tax rate. Every province but one: Quebec. Quebec started in early on carbon taxes, establishing a cap-and-trade system with California in 2014, when Stephen Harper was prime minister. Then, in 2018, the Trudeau government imposed a carbon tax backstop to be paid by any province that hadn’t made its own arrangements to implement a carbon tax.

Under it, nine provinces and the three territories are required to raise the carbon tax to 14 cents per litre of gas next year, going to 37 cents per litre by 2030. But the backstop doesn’t apply to Quebec. Though, theoretically, there’s no limit to the province’s cap-andtrade cost, which is the result of demand and supply, it’s currently nine cents per litre of gas. Next year, by law, it must stay above five cents per litre. But nothing requires it to be higher than that. Meanwhile, everyone else in Canada will be paying 14 cents per litre.

In 2030, Quebec’s carbon tax is forecast to reach 23 cents per litre of gas. But everyone else will be paying 37 cents per litre. That means that in 2030, an Ontario family will pay $10 more when fueling up their minivan because of the carbon tax than drivers in Trudeau’s Montreal riding. Even La Presse notes that Quebec’s tax “is much less than in the federal system.”

The key part of the federal backstop is “ensuring that carbon pricing is in place across Canada at a similar level of stringency.” But if there’s supposed to be a “similar level of stringency,” then why will Quebec’s tax cost be 14 cents per litre less by 2030? Is there some scientific reason to explain Quebec’s lower tax? Or is it because Ottawa’s carbon tax is about politics, not the environment?

Compare Quebec with Nova Scotia and it’s clear it’s the latter. Nova Scotia currently has a provincial capand-trade carbon tax, too. And Nova Scotia has reduced its emissions by 36 per cent since 2005, Quebec only by 12 per cent. But Ottawa isn’t letting Nova Scotia off. Beginning next year, Nova Scotians will have to pay the higher federal tax, too – though Quebec gets to keep its system.

Instead of bullying Nova Scotia, the prime minister should be asking Nova Scotians for advice. The province’s carbon tax now costs about two cents per litre of gas, by far the lowest rate in Canada. Yet since 2005, Nova Scotia has somehow managed to reduce its emissions more than every other province except New Brunswick.

On the other hand, British Columbia had the highest carbon tax in Canada for years, yet B.C.’s emissions increased by about eight per cent between 2015 and 2019. Canada’s emissions also increased during the first year of Trudeau’s national carbon tax.

The federal government is misleading Canadians about Quebec’s preferential treatment. It’s not the first time the government has misled Canadians about the carbon tax. Before the 2019 election, Trudeau’s thenenvironment minister said the government had “no intention” of raising the carbon tax beyond 11 cents per litre of gas. But it’s being cranked up to 37 cents per litre by 2030.

The Trudeau government also claims “families are going to be better off” with its carbon tax-and-rebate scheme. The Parliamentary Budget Officer shows that’s magic math. In the four provinces the PBO studied, the federal carbon tax will cost the average household between $402 and $847 in 2023, even after the rebates.

The last thing Canadians need is Ottawa raising costs and stoking national division. There’s an obvious solution: scrap the federal carbon tax and lower gas prices and heating bills across Canada.

Franco Terrazzano is the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Franco Terrazzano Canadian Taxpayers Federation

People Speak about Ukrainian Christmas for 2023

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Global News reported on Dec. 23, that some Ukrainian newcomers to Canada were planning to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 instead of Jan. 7 as a form of protest against Russia’s war against Ukraine.

When I asked people in Vegreville if they were going to be celebrating Ukrainian Christmas I received the following responses.

Garrett Pankhurst said, “I’m not Ukrainian, however my wife’s family is, and they will not be celebrating on the 7th out of solidarity; given that the country has been invaded by Russia, it’s not likely that many will be able to celebrate with family and friends. Why should we celebrate when they can’t?”

Marilee Phipps mentioned, “My mom spoke with family in Ukraine and they said they are moving away from the Julian calendar and will now be celebrating English Christmas in December.”

Mary McCauley-Forrester commented, “We celebrate it but not to the extent others do. My family celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas and Orthodox Christmas. January 7 is the end of the holiday season and it’s based more on traditions from my Orthodox family, (not Ukrainian).”

Wanda Lutyck-Neufeld said, “It’s not actually simply

Ukrainian Christmas, it’s Orthodox Christmas. My mom prepares a big meal on the 6th. The dishes I look most forward to are kutya, (wheat and poppy seed) dried fruit compote and fried fish. We don’t have those three dishes on December 25. My mom’s birthday is on the 9th so that doubles our celebration! This year we will be celebrating her 92nd and she continues to bless us with these traditional meals.”

Fiona Sorochan said, “I and my family will be celebrating Ukrainian Christmas Eve with our family. We will have the 12 traditional dishes. Then we will sing carols and enjoy our family.

On January 7 we will go to church in the morning and sing praises to our Lord who was born that morning.”

Olya Koval said her family and herself celebrated Christmas on December 25 this year. “We are going to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas on January 6 and 7 as well. We will have the Holy Supper on January 6 where we will have Ukrainian meatless dishes and gather with other families from Ukraine. On January 7, we will go to church and pray, have a Christmas supper and go caroling. When we lived in Ukraine, we celebrated more because we had three days off from work and did a lot of visiting. But we never gave gifts at this time because in Ukraine, St. Nicholas brings gifts on December 19.”

Christmas tree and Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine (Stock Photo)

Bonus Recipes for Christmas

Nondairy Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes

1/2 c. oil

1 small onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes as for mashed potatoes. Cook until done. Drain water just before potatoes are finished cooking. Fry onion in oil trying not to get the onion brown. After water is drained from potatoes, add the fried onion and oil, salt and pepper, and mash and mix well. This can be eaten with fish or can be placed in soup bowl and put either a bean, mushroom or pea soup over it and eat it that way

Dried Fruit Compote/Kompot

It is a traditional Christmas Eve dessert and originally was made with 12 dried fruits to represent the 12 apostles. Makes 12 servings.

1 1/2 pounds dried fruits (prunes, apricots, figs, apples, peaches, pears, berries)

8 cups water

8 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

Lemon zest, optional 1 cup sugar, or to taste

Prep Time: 0 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

1. In a large saucepan, place fruit, water, cloves, cinnamon, zest, if using, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until fruit is tender and syrup has thickened slightly. Add more water if you like a liquidy consistency or reduce by further simmering for a thicker compote.

2. Cool in an ice water bath and transfer to impeccably clean containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

CHRISTMAS, WHICH TAKES ITS NAME from Christ’s Mass, was first celebrated on various dates from about 200 A.D. but was finally set on December 25 by Bishop Liberus of Rome in 354 A.D. The December date, which almost coincides with the winter solstice, became a popular festival of West Europe during the Middle Ages. But as late as the nineteenth century, Christmas celebration was suppressed in Scotland and New England because of some religious differences.

All Christian nations have traditions which have become a part of the Christmas season. For example, England has contributed the decorations of holly and mistletoe, carolling and gift giving. The Christmas tree is a medieval

times has a few wisps of hay on the embroidered table cloth as a reminder of the manger in Bethlehem. Many Canadian and American families wear their Ukrainian embroidered shirts on this occasion.

When the children see the first Star in the eastern evening sky, which symbolizes the trek of the Three Wise Men, the Sviata Vechera may begin. In farming communities the head of the household now brings in a sheaf of wheat called the didukh which represents the importance of the ancient and rich wheat crops of

as many traditions connected with it as Sviata Vechera. The old tradition in Ukraine of giving gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day, December 19th, has generally been replaced by the Christmas date.

MALANKA OR SHCHEDRY VECHIR on January 13th according to the Julian calendar is celebrated as Ukrainian New Year’s Eve in many cities. On this, the last night of the year, New Year’s carols called Shchedrivky are sung. One of the most famous of these is the popular”Shchedryk” by Leontovich which is known in English as “The Carol of the Bells.”

Latin Church and on December 19 according to the churches, such as the Ukrainian, which follow the Julian Calendar.

In his youth Nicholas entered a monastery and later became an abbot and then a bishop. After suffering persecution and

German tradition and the immortal carol “Silent Night” also comes from Germany. The United States first made Santa Claus popular in New York, popularized the Christmas card about 1846 and made the major contribution to commercializing Christmas.

When Ukraine under King Volodymyr (St. Vladimir) accepted Christianity from Byzantium in 988 A.D. many pagan traditions were in existence which were adapted by the Church to the new religion. Some of those traditions have survived a thousand years and now form a part of today s Christmas celebrations.

SVIATA VECHERA OR “HOLY SUPPER” is the central tradition of the beautiful Christmas Eve celebrations in Ukrainian homes. The dinner table some-

Ukraine, the staff of life through the centuries. Didukh means literally “grandfather spirit” so it symbolizes the family’s ancestors. In city homes a few stalks of golden wheat in a vase are often used to decorate the table.

A prayer is said and the father says the traditional Christmas greeting, “Khristos rodyvsya!” (Christ is born!) which is answered by the family with “Slavite Yoho!” (Let Us Glorify Him!) In some families the Old Slavic form Khristos razhdayetsya is used.

AT THE END OF THE SVIATA VECHERA the family often sings Kolyadky, Ukrainian Christmas Carols. In many communities the old Ukrainian tradition of carolling is carried on by groups of young people and members of organizations and churches calling at homes and collecting donations.

While Christmas is a religious event, Malanka is a secular, merry-making celebration. In some communities Ukrainian professional and businessmens’ clubs or

imprisonment, he was freed by a new emperor, Constantine. He died in 352 and his relics were preserved in Myra for seven centuries until some Italian merchants sent an expedition of three ships and 62 men to Myra and, through a ruse, carried off his remains. They were deposited in the church in Bari, Italy on the Adriatic Sea on May 9, 1087 where they have remained to this day.

Many traditions relating to Saint Nicholas as the special guardian of maidens, children, scholars, merchants and sailors, have come down to our day.

The favorite Ukrainian carol is Boh predvichny (God Eternal) which has a very beautiful melody and Iyrics. Some Ukrainian carols are unusual because they mention Ukraine while others are ancient pagan songs of a thousand years ago which have been converted into Christian carols.

CHRISTMAS IS A JOYOUS DAY which opens for Ukrainian families with attendance at Church. Ukrainian Churches offer services starting before midnight on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning. Christmas supper, without Lenten restrictions, does not have

youth organizations sponsor a dress up Malanka Banquet and Ball.

The traditional Christmas customs of Ukraine add color and significance to the winter festival of Christmas, and Ukrainian Christmas on January 7th is usually a peaceful and quiet event. This celebration reminds us of the baby in a Bethlehem manger whose 1,975th birthday we celebrate. But whether Christmas is celebrated on December 25th or on January 7th the message is the same: “Peace on Earth! Good will towards men!

SAINT NICHOLAS, one of the most popular saints honored by the Greek and the Latin churches was actually a real person who lived in the 4th century in Myra, Asia Minor, which is presently Demre in Turkey. Traditionally, he has been honored on December 6 by the

THERE IS A LEGEND that connects St. Nicholas with the tradition of giving presents secretly. There was a nobleman in Patana with three daughters but he was too poor to provide them with a dowry for marriage. He was almost on the point of abandoning them to a sinful life when Nicholas heard of his problem. That night he took a purse of gold and threw it in an open window. The nobleman used it for a dowry the next day as he did a second purse he found the next night. Curious about his benefactor, the third night he

watched and caught Nicholas in the act but he was told not to reveal the Saint’s identity or generosity. Ever since, St. Nicholas has been identified with the tradition of gift giving. His three purses of gold eventually became the three golden balls symbol of pawnbrokers.

St. Nicholas is the most popular saint in the Ukrainian church after St. Vladimir, as is shown by the fact that there have been more churches named after St. Nicholas than after any other saint. Some scholars believe that it was through the great popularity that the Saint enjoyed in Kievan Rus-Ukraine in medieval times that his popularity spread to western

Europe, and particularly to Belgium and Holland.

OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS, as the traditions around Christmas have grown and the importance of this winter festival brightens the season, Saint Nicholas has been absorbed into the tradition. It was the Dutch settlers who brought the St. Nicholas customs across the ocean to New York. The whitebearded Saint Nicholas in a red bishop’s costume was transformed into Santa Claus in the United States and Canada and eventually the tradition re-crossed the ocean to England.

WHY DO UKRAINIANS

CELEBRATE Christmas on January 7th rather than December 25th? Many people wonder why the Ukrainian date is thir-

only 355 days long so it had over ten days error and the seasons and the calendar over the years continued to lose their correct relationship.

JULIANCALENDAR

JULIUS CAESAR FINALLY in 46 B.C. had the Greek astronomer Sosigenes establish the length of the solar calendar at 365 and one quarter days (365.25). Every fourth year was to add one day to keep the quarter days accurate and this has now become our leap year with February 29. The Julian Calendar was

and Sweden adopted the new calendar only in 1752 so there was 11 days difference by then.

more religious occasion. For those who leave their shopping for the last minute the big advantage in celebrating Ukrainian Christmas is that the big sales start - just in time for Christmas shopping. - A.G.

In Ukraine the first mention of St.

teen days later and only a few people are aware that it is related to a change from the calendar which was in use two thousand years ago.

Tradition plays a great part in the lives of people of Ukrainian origin and it is for this reason that they have continued to celebrate Christmas on the old date that would have been observed by all Christians.

The Roman calendar that had been in use since the eighth century B.C. originally started the year on March 1 and had 10 months as the names of the months themselves indicate, September (7), October (8), November (9) and December (10). Eventually two months were added, Januarius and Februarius, and the year was started on January. However, it was

introduced on January 1, 45 B.C. and the next year Caesar was honored by having the seventh month renamed in his honor as July. A later Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar, corrected the leap year system in A.D. 8 and in his honor a month was renamed August.

But the Julian year of 365 days and 6 hours exceeds the true solar year of 365.2422 days or 365 days 5 hours 49 minutes and 46 seconds by the amount of 11 minutes 14 seconds. The difference is about 0.0078 of a day per year or about one day in 128 years. Over a period of 1,500 years the calendar was again getting out of step with the natural seasons by about ten days.

Christmas, which had been celebrated on many different dates was finally fixed on December 25th by Bishop Liberius of Rome.

The Orthodox and Eastern rite churches such as the Ukrainian have maintained the Julian Calendar for ecclesiastical purposes into this century. The Ukrainians, numbering some 50 million in the world are the second largest nation following the Julian Calendar in their churches. The difference between the two Calendars placed Christmas on January 7th and, because of the size of the Ukrainian church the date has become widely known as “Ukrainian Christmas.” However, there are other smaller Eastern-rite Orthodox national churches such as the Greek, Syrian, Serbian, Bulgarian and

Nicholas is related to the year 882 at the time of King Ihor of Rus when there was mention of a St. Nicholas Church on one of the hills of Kiev. When St. Vladimir, King of Rus-Ukraine in 988 proclaimed Christianity the religion of his realm it is said he had a special veneration for an ikon of St. Nicholas. When he had visited Constantinople he had seen and was impressed by an ikon of the mighty Byzantine Emperor bowing to the Saint. To this day St. Nicholas ikons may be found, usually on the left of the ikonostas wall of Ukrainian churches.

In 354 A.D. he chose the date to replace a Roman pagan festival of sun-god worship with Christ’s Mass, a Christian event.

GREGORIANCALENDAR

FINALLY POPE GREGORY XIII in 1528 introduced changes to correct the error in the Julian Calendar. To restore the vernal or spring equinox to March 21st he eliminated the 10 days from March 11 to 21 in 1582 so the dates March 12 to 20 never existed in 1582, at least not in Roman Catholic countries. Some Protestant countries like England

Byelorussian that follow the same calendar.

Historically the Julian Calendar is sometimes called Old Style (O.S.) and the Gregorian is called New Style (N.S.). All the Orthodox countries which preserved the Julian Calendar into this century had a 13 day lag. Thus a date would be written January 4/17, 1918, meaning the 4th in new style and 17th in the old style calendar.

Many Ukrainian families and many Ukrainian churches continue to observe the old traditional date of Ukrainian Christmas on January 7 despite the pressures of modern society to change. The later date appeals to many people since, after the commercialism of December 25th, it is possible to enjoy a quieter and

Among the talismans the Zaporozhian Cossacks would often take in their boats on the treacherous Black Sea was an ikon of St. Nicholas, or Sviaty Mykolai, as Ukrainians usually call him. The Hutsuls, mountaineers of western Ukraine named the four seasons of the year after saints. Winter honored St. Nicholas, Spring was St. George, Summer was St. Peter and Fall was St. Demetrius. Gift giving has been related to St. Nicholas in Ukraine for less than a century and a half. The

Christmas Tree, originally a German tradition, first came into Ukraine about 1840 via Austrian influence.

Saint Nicholas is now a permanent part of Christmas, the season of peace and generosity among all peoples. So it’s appropriate that the elements of our Christmas celebrations should have come from so many nations. Although the Ukrainian Saint Nicholas wears the dress of a bishop while the American Santa Claus is a jolly fellow in a white fur-trimmed suit of red, however, under both there is a heart that first beat some sixteen centuries ago in Myra. The generous spirit of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, lives on today.

Ukrainian Dishes for Christmas Eve

Plus bonus recipes for Christmas Day!

Kutya

Kutya is also known as kutia, koljivo, colivă, koliva, sochivo, and more depending on which country you happen to be in.

This first-course Christmas Eve pudding of sorts is typically made with wheatberries that are sweetened with honey and sometimes augmented with poppy seeds, dried fruits and nuts. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity and, in some families, a spoonful of kutya is thrown up to the ceiling. If it sticks, a plentiful honey harvest can be expected

1/4 lb bacon (omit for Christmas Eve meatless meal)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring 6 cups of water, 1/4 cup margarine, and your 3 cups of short grain rice to a boil and simmer until cooked. While your rice is cooking, brown your ground beef with 1/2 of your onion chopped. While your rice is cooking, brown your ground beef with 1/2 of your onion chopped. Keep your cooked rice in the large pot. When your ground beef and onions are cooked, mix in with your white rice and set aside. Mix your can of tomato

1 tsp salt

8 cups all purpose flour

1 jar sauerkraut

1/2 onion

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp pepper

In a large bowl (large enough to fit 8 cups flour later), combine 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tbsp sugar and 2 packages of yeast. Let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes to allow it to activate. Should look foamy after 10 minutes. In a blender combine your 2 eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 cups warm water. Blend until completely combined and a little frothy. Add your mixture into the large bowl with your activated yeast. In another bowl, sift together your flour and salt. Add flour and salt mixture to your wet ingredi-

then transfer to a towel on the counter. Store in ziplock bags or tupperware. You can also freeze these and thaw when you need them.

Zaprashka

Zaprashka is a brown sauce used for seasoning vegetables, especially on strict fast days. It is also used to thicken soups and stews.

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. chopped onion liquid

1 Tbsp. flour

1 pint (2 cups) cooked wheat

6 tablespoons ground poppy seeds

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans

3/4 cup hot water

To cook wheat:

Dry wheat in 205F oven for 1 hour, stir occasionally. Wash, soak in cold water overnight. Next morning, bring wheat to boiling point, simmer 3-4 hours, until kernels burst open.

To prepare the poppy seeds: Scald poppy seed, simmer 3-5 minutes. Drain, grind twice using the finest blade of food chopper.

Add ground poppy seeds to wheat. Combine honey and sugar in hot water. Add to wheat. Finally add your roughly chopped pecans.

Holopchi - Cabbage Rolls

3 cups short grain rice

6 cups water

3/4 cups margarine

(divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)

1 tsp salt

1 lb ground beef (omit for Christmas Eve meatless meal)

1 onion

1 can tomato soup

2 heads cabbage (steamed, sectioned, frozen and then thawed)

soup with 1/2 cup water and set aside. Next step, bring out the margarine (or butter) and melt with your remaining 1/4 onion chopped. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a large casserole dish and spoon one layer of your tomato soup, bacon and onion mixture. Take a cabbage leaf (roughly the size of your hand) and lay it flat. Take a small spoonful of your rice and beef mixture and place it on the top 1/3 of the cabbage leaf. Begin to fold the edges over the rice/beef mixture. Shape and roll the cabbage leaf and rice/beef mixture to the bottom. Tuck in both edges of the cabbage roll. Place in your casserole dish. In between the first and second layer, and on top of the second layer, add more tomato soup mixture along with bacon and onion. Remember that margarine (or butter) and onions we melted? Pour it over the two layers of cabbage rolls. Cover second layer with a few remaining cabbage leaves and place foil over top. Bake in a 325 F oven on the middle rack for approximately 3 hours or until cabbage is soft. You can also freeze cabbage rolls and cook them at a later date. Place uncooked cabbage rolls on a baking pan lined with plastic wrap. Wrap thoroughly and freeze up to a few months.

Pyrizhky

-Ukrainian Cabbage Buns

2.5 cups warm water

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar

2 packages of yeast

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

ent mixture. Mix well. Turn all your dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead very well. This is meant to be a very soft dough. Once kneaded, wrap in plastic and allow the dough to rise for at least 30 minutes. While your dough is rising, rinse your sauerkraut. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. The next step of boiling the sauerkraut is optional. Fill a large sauce pan with water and your sauerkraut. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Drain well. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. In a food processor, finely chop your onion. Empty into a bowl. Next, place your sauerkraut in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a large pan, fry your sauerkraut and onion together in 1/4 cup butter. Add your pep-

Heat oil and add flour and onion. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and turns a golden brown. Add liquid from vegetables or soup and stir until smooth. All is then returned to soup or vegetables

Perogies - Dumplings

You can make perogies with any type of filling you want. Cottage cheese, blueberry, poppyseed, chokecherry, you name it!

To make the sauerkraut filling you need:

1 quart sauerkraut

4 strips of bacon

(omit for Christmas Eve meatless meal)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook sauerkraut, about 20 minutes or until done. Drain and press out water. Saute onion in oil until golden. Add sauerkraut, salt and pepper. Fry for 10 minutes. Cool before using as filling.

per. Place your sauerkraut mixture in a baking pan and set on the counter until completely cooled. By now your dough should have risen nicely. Punch it down. Cut or pinch off small pieces and flatten in your hand. Place maybe a tsp of the sauerkraut filling in the middle. Be careful not to have any filling along the edges as they will not seal properly. Pinch to close. Pinch well. Place on a parchment paperlined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 12 minutes. Allow pans to cool on a wire rack

For raisin filling:

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Boil fruit for 20 minutes. Drain and cool before using as filling.

For prune filling: 1 cup prunes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Boil fruit for 20 minutes.

before using as filling.

For potato filling:

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup butter

3 cups cooked potatoes, mashed (reserve water used while boiling potatoes)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter, add to mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper and cheese. Mash well. Cool the mixture completely until using as filling. Yields about 5 dozen perogies.

For the dough:

4 cups flour

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1.5 cups lukewarm potato water (VERY IMPORTANT)

1 tsp salt

turned in. Those are our fruit ones! If you don’t do this, you have a harder time distinguishing between them all once cooked.

To cook: Place some butter, and onions in a frying pan and cook until tender. In a large pot, bring water, tsp salt and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to a boil Place perogies in boiling water and gently stir so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cooking time varies – I’d say about 10 minutes but you want to check them. There is a theory that once they rise to the top they are done. Not really so…a lot of the time the edges are still raw. Best to just watch and test them accordingly. Once done, scoop out with slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Toss with butter and onions.

Pidpenky - Mushrooms and Gravy

you cannot find this, you can substitute cottage cheese)

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp whipping cream

1 tbsp dill (or more to taste – use fresh if you have. If not, the dried stuff works great as well)

1 cup hot milk

1 lemon rind, grated

Prep Time: 120 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 2 Polish Poppy Seed Rolls

1. If making your own filling, grind the poppy seeds in a poppyseed grinder, then combine all filling ingredients. Beat well and set aside.

2. In a small heatproof bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm milk.

2 cups dried mushrooms

1 large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp oil for frying (optional)

1 Tbsp flour

4 cups hot water salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs one at a time. Add the milk, water, flour and salt and beat enough just to blend and get rid of any lumps. Pour 1 tbsp canola oil in a hot non-stick pan and scoop 3/4 of a ladel full of batter and swirl around creating a thin circular layer. Flip when side is golden brown (approximately 45 seconds). Oil pan in between each crepe as needed. Makes approximately 8 – 10 crepes. Beautifully golden brown! Next, melt 1/4 cup of butter and ensure your cheese is at room temperature. Mix egg yolks, whipping cream and salt with cheese. Add your dill. Lightly spread an even layer of cheese on each crepe. Roll up

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and eggs. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups warm milk, butter and yeast mixture. With the paddle attachment, or by hand, beat until smooth. Dough will be sticky at this point.

4. Scrape dough into a clean, greased bowl. Sprinkle the top with a little flour and cover. Let stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size, or follow this Quick Tip to cut the rise time.

5. Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a rectangle.

Combine the above ingredients. Knead a bit and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes before rolling out dough (very important and key to soft dough). After your dough has rested for over 30 minutes, take a piece of it and begin to roll it out into a thin sheet on a floured surface. Note – wrap the dough currently not being used in plastic wrap and then cover with a damp towel to ensure it does not dry out. Using a disk-shaped cutter, press out as many circles of dough as possible. Now the folding process: Place filling in the center of the dough. Be careful not to overfill or have any of the filling touch the edges, as this will not allow for them to adhere and they will break open in the cooking process. Fold. Pinch edges around – hard! Note: with the raisin filling, dust a bit of sugar in this step rather than after cooking the fruit. The fruit becomes too juicy if you do that. Best to sprinkle some on right before you fold them. If you are making ahead of time and want to freeze these, line a baking sheet with wax paper and ensure perogies do not touch each other. Place saran wrap over top of the bottom layer and place perogies on top in opposing directions. When we use any sort of fruit filling (i.e. raisin or prune), we typically create a different shape for them so we know what they are. The ends of the perogy are

Soak mushrooms overnight. Drain and wash well. Cover mushrooms with water and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse again and set aside. Steam fry or saute onion and garlic in oil. Sprinkle flour over the onion and add hot water to make a smooth paste. Add drained mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Nalysnyky - Cheese Crepes

Nalysnyky (pronounced NAL-YESNAH-KEH) is essentially cheese filled crepes (slathered in butter of course and baked). This recipe takes a total of one hour from start to finish and truly is worth every minute.

You will need :

4 eggs

1 heaping cup milk (1% works well)

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

For Cheese filling:

2 cups Quark Whole Milk Cheese (if

gently. We cut each crepe in three equal pieces. However, you can easily keep them in tact. I find the pieces are easier to fit into the bowl if they are sectioned. Spoon a small amount of the melted butter into the bottom of a large foiled casserole dish. Now start layering in your Nalysnyky. Make sure to butter in between each layer and on top of your final layer. You don’t want any layers to stick together. Wrap the sides of the foil loosely over the top of the Nalysnyky. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. The Nalysnyky puffs up nicely as it bakes.

Poppy Seed Roll Recipe

Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

2 cups warm milk

8 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted

2 (11-ounce) cans poppy seed filling (or make your own, see below)

Poppy Seed Filling:

1 pound ground poppy seeds

1 cup sugar

6 ounces softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)

6. Spread 1 can or half of the filling you made on each rectangle of dough and roll

up like a jelly roll. Turn ends under so filling will not leak out.

7. Place on a parchment-lined or greased pan, cover and let rise again until double in size.

8. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of rolls with additional melted butter. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

9. Remove from oven and cool. Dust rolls with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Historic hotel on Main Street. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help save the hotel that was forced to close its doors on Dec. 4 when the aged boiler, which provides heat to the historic building, stopped working.

The group of supporters are hoping to raise $20,000 so the boiler can be replaced as quickly as possible so that the business can re-open. The Chipman Hotel is one of only two walk in businesses in the community that is home to

Chipman Hotel -

ON PAGE 13

Michelle Pinon

News Advertiser

New Legislation Addresses Variety of Issues

Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville

The Fourth Session of the 30th Legislature adjourned on Dec. 15. This past session was a highly successful one for the Alberta Government, and was the first under our new Premier, Danielle Smith.

The Government and Assembly succeeded in passing legislation addressing inflation issues, reaffirming property rights, reestablishing a healthy and respectful relationship with physicians, improving police accountability, and increasing tax credits for charitable donations.

Each of these bills, and more, received Royal Assent from Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Salma Lakhani. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts these changes will have on the lives of my constituents and all Albertans.

The Alberta Government has also released the

Economic Development in Rural Alberta Plan. After a year of consultations with more than 370 rural Albertans, businesses and communities, the plan focuses on five key strategic directions:

around 275 residents.

opment

• Identifying and improving economic devel• Enabling infrastructure to support investment and growth in rural Alberta, • Advancing entrepreneurship capacity and a culture of innovation across rural Alberta, • Enabling skills development in rural communities to enhance workforce capacity today and for the future, • Enhancing rural Alberta’s reputation and capacity as a diverse tourism destination, and enhancing rural economic development through regional and targeted capacity building.

According to GoFundMe campaign information, “It, (Chipman Hotel) is an important place for our small village. It gives us, along with motorcyclists, snowmobilers, street-roders and even horseback riders, a place to gather, hear live music, dance and get an excellent meal, especially during these extremely cold, snowy months, when venturing out is so difficult.”

Trudy Smith, who has resided in the Village of Chipman for the past two-anda-half years and currently sits on council, said, the hotel is “an important gathering place” in the community and that its owner deserves to be supported. “He always supports the community and we felt it was important to support him.”

Any grain and grain bins stored on the NW 1349-17-W4th, if not already removed, will be removed on or before June 1, 2023.

Tenders are to be submitted in writing for each individual parcel, in a sealed envelope marked “Charles Kelly Stock Farms Ltd. - Tender”, and setting out short legal description of the property as well, to Martin West at Farnham West Stolee Kambeitz LLP, Barristers and Solicitors, 501652nd Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1V7, on or before 12:00 noon, February 3, 2023, and shall be accompanied with the Tenderer's GST number and a Bank Draft payable to Farnham West Stolee Kambeitz LLP in trust for 10% of the tender price.

Tender price excludes GST.

No conditional tenders will be accepted and the highest, or any tender, will not necessarily be accepted.

Tenders will not be opened in public. The deposits of all unsuccessful tenderers will be returned to them by regular mail.

ac) 141.8 cultivated acres

SEVENTH: SE 23-49-17-W4th (160 ac) 107.1 cultivated acres

EIGHTH: SW 24-49-17-W4th (160 ac) all pasture

The successful Tenderer shall be obligated to complete the purchase on or before 12:00 o'clock noon MARCH 1, 2023 (“the Closing Date”). The 10% deposit shall constitute a deposit towards the adjusted purchase price. If the successful tenderer fails to complete the purchase after acceptance of that tender, their deposit will be forfeited.

Vendor makes no warranties or representations about the property's size, condition or environmental state.

The purchase & sale shall proceed utilizing title insurance including “GAP” coverage. The cost of title insurance shall be borne by the Purchaser.

Tenders are irrevocable and shall remain open until dealt with by the offices of Farnham West Stolee Kambeitz LLP.

including but not limited to taxes and rents shall be adjusted as at the closing date.

For further

please contact Charlene Johnson at 780-781-3463.

Chipman Hotel - CONTINUED from PAGE 12

Town of Mundare Wanting to Proceed with Lagoon Study

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

The Town of Mundare is hoping to proceed with a lagoon study under the Alberta Community Partnership grant.

Chief Administrative Officer Colin Zyla said the

original regional water and wastewater study recommended the lagoon system for the Town of Mundare be conducted. In order to do this, the Town of Mundare would need permission from its other regional partners which include: Lamont County, Town of Lamont, Village of Chipman and Village of Andrew to complete the study.

Back in 2018, those partners applied for a grant for an intermunicipal water and wastewater utility study. Lamont County was the managing partner and received a 200,000 grant.

Zyla said the grant was to study the feasibility of creating a regional water and wastewater system. The study was completed in 2019, but due to the costs of a regional system, it was decided to not continue with the creation of a regional system. The cost of the study was $96,201.

In September of 2022, Lamont County council gave approval

to apply for an amendment to the grant to do a study of the Lamont lagoon to determine the feasibility to provide service industries in the Alberta Heartland area. The cost of that study is about $40,000.

Zyla is not sure why the study recommended the Town of Mundare conduct its own study, but he made the recommendation to council, which passed a resolution in favour of that during its Dec. 13 council meeting.

He noted that, “The study would determine if our lagoon needs to be expanded or if any works needs to be done on the lagoon to meet the Town’s needs…Depending on what the study says, the Town will then evaluate the process they will follow in the future.”

Zyla explained that, “The lagoons store the wastewater for treatment and we are allowed to release the lagoons twice a year in the SVIT drainage. The release lowers the lagoons so that more wastewater can be added to the lagoons for treatment.”

While future growth is expected in the Whitetail subdivision, that will affect the amount of wastewater generated, the Town does not have any current projections regarding that.

Tributes

MEMORIAM MEMORIAM

MEMORIAM

MEMORIAM

December 12, 1932 - January 5, 2021

Mom/Baba, it’s been two years since you moved on to heaven but we feel you with us every day.

Your sweet smile, your cheerful countenance and the twinkle in your eye are never far away. You are the matriarch of our family and your wisdom and practical nature still guide us. Thank you for all you have done for us, and for the love you place in our hearts until we meet again.

Forever yours, Walter, Iris, Rocky, Julie and family.

August

In loving memory of our dear grandson

We thought of you with love today

But that is nothing new

We thought about you yesterday

And all the days before that too We think of you in silence We often speak your name

All we have are great memories

And your picture in a frame Your memory is our keepsake

With which we will never part God has you in His keeping We have you in our hearts

Just as you are, you will always be Treasured forever in our memory

Always remembered and loved by Grandma and Grandpa Lindballe

In

December 31, 1941 - January 7, 2015

Our lives go on without you

But nothing is the same We have to hide our heartache

When someone speaks your name. Sad are the hearts that love you Silent are the tears that fall Living without you is the hardest part of all. You did so many things for us Your heart was so kind and true And when we needed someone We could always count on you The special years will not return When we were all together But with the love in our hearts You walk with us forever.

Lovingly remembered by Donna, Zenith, Sabrina, Miller, Max, Zane, Amanda, Addison, Zenon, Tygan and Aiden.

We think of things you said And all that you would do At some point, every single day, Our thoughts will turn to you. This wouldn’t be your wish for us That would be forever sad So we try to remind ourselves Of the happy times we had. We know we can’t be with you now. And you can’t be with us But safe inside our hearts you’ll stay That’s where you’ll always be.

Lovingly remembered, Heinke, William and Jason

Somewhere beyond the heavens

We know that’s where you are

We see you when the sun sets

You are that shining star, When stormy days surround us You’re the rainbow that appears. And the gently falling rain We know they are your tears. They’ll be no more tomorrows You’re all our yesterdays. But those memories we all made Will stay with us always.

Deeply missed and forever loved Mom, Dad and Tami

November

In loving memory of a wonderful son and brother. Memories of a darling son Fill each single day, And though the heartache lessens It never goes away. You had every virtue Of a fine and loving son, You filled the days with sunshine With laughter and with fun. We couldn’t have imagined The loss that lay in store, But to have you was a blessing That will last forevermore.

Loving you forever, Dad, Mom, Brett & Mercedes

January 1, 2013

In Loving Memory of a Dear Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Uncle and Friend

Who passed away 10 years ago on January 1.

Remember him with a smile today He was not one for tears Reflect instead on memories Of all the happy years.

Recall to mind the way he spoke

And all the things he said His strength, his stance, the way he walked Remember these instead.

The good advice he’d give us

His eyes that shone with laughter So much of him will never die But live on ever after.

As we loved you, so we miss you

In our memory you are near Loved, remembered, longed for always

Bringing many a silent tear. Always in our hearts

If we could visit heaven

On this our saddest day Maybe for a moment

Our pain would go away.

We’d put our arms around you And whisper words so true That living life without you is so very hard to do.

We cannot bring the old days back, When we were all together.. But loving thoughts and memories Will stay with us forever.

Lovingly remembered by Len, George, Dawn and families

Loved and deeply missed by loving wife Victoria, son, daughter, Son-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews & friends.

December

Nettie

September 17, 1923 - January 9, 2021

As life unfolds another year Treasured memories keep you near Silent thoughts of times together are memories that last forever.

So may the winds of love blow gently And whisper that you can hear. How much we love and miss you and wish that you were here.

Lovingly remembered and sadly missed By your loving family.

In loving memory of our dear Husband, Father and Gido.

He never looked for praises

He was never one to boast

He just went on quietly working for all The ones he loved the most.

His dreams were seldom spoken, His words were very few. And most of the time, his worries Went unspoken too.

He was always there, a firm foundation Through all our storms of life

A sturdy hand to hold on to In times of stress and strife

A true friend we could turn to When times were good or bad One of our greatest blessing We are left with is the one That left us behind

Forever loved, Forever Missed Love Sally, children and grandchildren

Who passed away on January 7, 2003.

He put his arms around you, And lifted you to rest.

God’s garden must be beautiful, He always takes the best. He knew that you were suffering, He knew that you were in pain, He knew that you would never Get well on earth again.

He saw the road was getting rough, And the hills were hard to climb, So he closed your weary eyelids, And whispered “Peace be Thine.” It broke our hearts to lose you. But you didn’t go alone, For part of us went with you, The day God called you home.

Forever missed by: William, Nick and Sandra Fasek Todd, Linda, Jasmine and Diesel Fenske

Frank Patrie

9, 1927 - January 4, 2020

Quentin Warawa

February 4, 1981 - January 2, 1995 No Tomorrow

LINDBALLE, Daniel

30, 1990 - January 4, 2007

KOMARNISKI, Lawrence

loving memory of Lawrence Harry Komarniski

SENIUK, William Alexander October 28, 1958 - January 6, 2022

Alex Paranych

POOKE, Lillian Violet

Lovingly remembering Lillian Violet Pooke

LINDBALLE, Daniel Dean

August 30, 1990 - January 4, 2007

ZALESCHUK Nick

25, 1915 - December 13, 1999

Orlesky, Sophie

In memory of our sister, auntie, and great-auntie Sophie Orlesky

OLINECK, Margaret

May 26, 1929 - December 28, 2005

Tributes

On December 26, 2022 Mike William Hryhirchuk of Minburn passed away at the age of 81 years. Mike is survived by his children: Greg (Heather), Michelle Simpson, Real, and Roland (Kelli); grandchildren, Cameron (Jaylene), Reagan, Breanne, Erin, Noah, Ryder, Brant; great-grandchildren, Rylan, Braelyn, Parker; siblings, Helen, Ernie (Dilys), Tilly, and Gordon (Lynn); and special friend, Ella Rogers.

Predeceased by his wife, Marlene; mother, Julia; stepfather, Ian; father, George; and brother-in-law, Sam Hansen.

As per Mike’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of other tributes, donations may be made to Minburn Cemetery Fund.

Photos, memories and condolences may be shared through www.parkmemorial.com.

PARK MEMORIAL LTD. VEGREVILLE 780-632-2000

SAVITSKY, William 1928 - 2022

SAVITSKY, Florence 1933 – 2022

On Monday, December 19, 2022, William (Bill) Savitsky and Florence Adrienne Savitsky of Edmonton, Alberta passed away.

Bill and Florence are survived by their loving family, son Brian (Eileen) and daughter Terese (Terri); grandchildren Ryan (Monika) Savitsky and Trisha (Colin) Ulliac; great-grandchildren Lucas and Claire Ulliac; Florence is also survived by her sisters Bernice Browne and Margaret Burt; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Bill was predeceased by his mother Cassie Savitsky (nee Bereziuk) and his father Peter (Francis) Savitsky; sisters Jane (William) Sereda and Sylvia (Zane) Bahry; brothers Edward (Eunice) Savitsky and Peter Savitsky. Florence was predeceased by her parents Nick and Nettie Hewko; sister Venita (Dave) DeFraine; and brother-in-law Gary Browne.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date followed by an interment in the Sts. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Cemetery – Mundare. Memorial donations may be made to the “Alzheimer Society – Dementia Research (#306,10430-61 Ave.,Edmonton, AB.,T6H 2J3)” or by following this link https://alzheimer.ca/ab/ en/research/dementia-research-alberta Вічная Пам’ять

To send condolences please visit www.autumnrosefuneralhome.com

AUTUMN ROSE FUNERAL HOME LTD. Vegreville, 780-603-5800

in the world of Google where someone asks their smart device if carbon dioxide can kill you will be told YES, but I believe carbon MONOXIDE is much more dangerous.

They go on to tell readers that regular extension cords and power bars were not made to handle the “amount of power” produced by a generator. That’s not accurate either. We have strict standards in Canada, (North America in general), so unless you do something silly, it’s unlikely that you will create a problem that a breaker built into the generator, or most power bars will not handle. Again, common sense prevails. Don’t try to run half your house on a 16-gauge extension cord that’s 500’ long.

They indicate that the generator should not be run in the rain, but I’m not sure on that as I’ve

BIDULOCK, Nancy

On December 24, 2022, Nancy Bidulock of Fort Saskatchewan, formerly of Hairy Hill, passed away peacefully with family at her side at the age of 92. We take comfort in knowing she joined her husband Nick, of 65 years, on Christmas Eve, a day always enjoyed with family. Nancy leaves daughter, Eileen Farrus and sons, John (Wava) and Doug (Donna) to cherish her life along with 4 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and close friend, Pat Lasalle. Among many lifetime accomplishments, Nancy will be remembered as a multi-talented farm wife and homemaker, gifted gardener and chef and dedicated bus driver. Her warm personality, servant’s heart and work ethic will forever be cherished. A funeral service will be held Friday, January 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm at First Memorial - Riverview Chapel, 11090 86 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan followed by Interment at Fort Saskatchewan Cemetery with Father, Kolin Berglund, presiding. Memorial donations may be made to St. Nicholas Church, Desjarlais, Alberta PO Box 271, T0B 4R0

To express condolences to the family, please visit: www.riverviewfuneral.com

June

On December 27, 2022, Olga Chomik of Viking, Alberta passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the age of 93 years. A beloved Mother, Baba, Super Baba and Auntie.

Her laughter, smile and love will be deeply missed by her 4 children, Maurice (Jean), Marion (Lynne), Annette (Ken) Skoropad and Audrey (Bill) Inkin; her 8 grandchildren, Jason (Chrissy) Chomik, Jacinda (Wade) Rolph, Celena (Craig) Voshall, Aaron Inkin, Ashton (Regan) Wisnowski, Alyssa (Tanner) Dion, Jennifer (Corey) Kramps and Karen (Matthew) Stewart; along with 16 great-grandchildren. Olga was predeceased by her husband Stan in 2001; parents Peter and Magdeline (Verbitsky) Bednarski; 2 brothers Ed and Frank Bednarski; and 3 sisters Annie Zowtuk, Mary Tchir and Josie Paliwoda.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Holy Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Viking with Fr. Robert Lee as the Celebrant. Interment to follow in the Viking Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to “Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute -8440-112 St NW.,Edmonton, AB.,T6G 2B7” or “Holy Heart of Mary Catholic Church -Box 274, Viking, AB.,T0B 4N0.”

To send condolences, please visit www.autumnrosefuneralhome.com

AUTUMN ROSE FUNERAL HOME LTD. Vegreville,780-603-5800

never had any issues when in a jam. They DO say you should read the manual which I suppose gets them off the hook in some world.

Another important item they missed is that if you are using a portable generator as backup power for your home during a blackout, you should turn off the main breakers in your house so you do not send electricity back into the grid putting power company workers at risk. There is also a device that can be installed at your meter that provides a plug-in for a generator.

Bottom line, do your research and be wary of “Dr. Google” or any other advice that may not be credible. Just because you read it online, doesn’t mean it’s true. Bad advice is everywhere.

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

Photo- color CHOMIK, Olga

20, 1929 – December 27, 2022

HRYHIRCHUK, Mike William

Winter Nature Sprouts Program Gives Self-Care Tips

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Kalyna Family Resource NetworkVegreville and Area has partnered with Vegreville Centennial Library to offer the Winter Nature Sprouts program on Dec. 5.

Jen Lastiwka is the Family Programmer for KFRN and Valerie Lowes is the Library Programming Assistant.

“We have this program to get preschool age children learning about different things before they go to school. With the Nature Sprouts, we offer a different theme each week. For this week, we focused on winter clothing where we taught kids the proper clothing to wear for winter and why it is important to wear this. Each week we learn songs, do a craft, and

explain about the theme and learning stuff about it,” stated Lowes.

Colette Strap from Lavoy was in Vegreville teaching her daughters MacKenzie and McKinley Strap to skate at the small skating and hockey rink at 53 Street and 48 Avenue in Vegreville. (Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Children with their caregivers learn how to do a craft. (Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

L-R: Alexas Perez and Nadia Weinans. (Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

St. Martin’s Catholic School welcomed McKenna O’Shea and Zoe Steinbach as new Grade 1 teachers for the 2022-‘23 school year.

“We are so blessed and grateful to have two excellent teachers join our team,” says Melanie Sorochan, assistant principal. “These teachers will bring their own vibrancy to our school and embrace our strong community.”

McKenna O’Shea is one of the new Grade 1 teachers at St. Martin’s Catholic School, but she is not new to Vegreville. Mrs. O’Shea graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School and farms with her family near Ranfurly.

In 2018 Mrs. O’Shea graduated from the University of Calgary Social Work Program and in 2022 from the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education. Both degrees Mrs. O’Shea completed online so she could continue to farm, work and start a family.

Outside of school Mrs. O’Shea loves to ride horses, play hockey, hunt and take pictures. She recently created her own photography brand called “Little Bear Photography.” Mrs. O’Shea is excited to

bring her passions into the classroom and looks forward to working with her amazing students.

St. Martin’s Catholic School has another Grade 1 teacher, Mrs. Zoe Steinbach. She is excited about continuing her teaching career locally in Vegreville where she was born and raised on a farm.

She completed a diploma in Early Learning and Child Development before continuing on to her Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta. She believes in creating a learning environment that supports each individual student’s strengths and needs to create a classroom that celebrates the uniqueness of each of us.

One of her favourite ways to teach, and passions within education, is taking learning outside in nature whenever possible to enrich children’s learning experiences.

Mrs. Steinbach is excited to bring a “Green Thumb Gardening Club” to the students of St. Martin’s. When she is not teaching, you can find her on an adventure with her two dogs and husband or finding a new plant to add to her collection.

St. Martin’s Catholic School provides programming from Kindergarten to Grade 6 for students in Vegreville and the surrounding area. Pre-Kindergarten programming for children who are fouryears-old and nature Kindergarten is offered at St. Martin’s.

Elk Island Catholic School

Zoe Steinbach with her family. (Elk Island Catholic Schools/Submitted Photo)

McKenna O’Shea with her family. (Elk Island Catholic Schools/Submitted Photo)

Bruderheim on Jan. 8.

EIMHA was created in 2022 when Lamont Minor Hockey and Bruderheim Minor Sports Association amalgamated. The Elk Island Wild has approximately 80 players currently who range in age between four and 18 years of age and play in the Northern Alberta Interlock hockey league. The youngest age group, Tykes focuses on developing skating skills and prepares the players for the U7 level. Currently, there are two U7 teams, one U9 team, one U11 team and one U15 team.

Mary Sobkow is one of four players on the U11 team and was hanging around with teammate Maggie Noonan during the event. Both are having a lot of fun playing the sport and said they were happy to take part in the community hockey day as well as supper that was supplied by Gondola’s Steak & Pizza that cooked up 50 pizzas for the hungry crowd.

Strumelak said EIMHA used part of the funds it received from the Oilers Community Foundation Grant for the community hockey day. “We applied for $10,000 and received $15,000.” The remainder of the funds have been used to offset ice rental fees, registration fees, equipment and jerseys for the players.

Hosting the event, added Strumelak, “Is a great way to encourage more kids to join minor hockey and give back to the community.”

Community hockey day participants. (Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Kids of all ages enjoying shinny and open skate. (Michelle Pinon/Photos)