Weyburn This Week - September 22, 2023

Gaslighter to perform ‘Songs of the Chicks’ for Concert Series

“Gaslighter – Songs of the Chicks” is your passport to the ultimate Chicks experience, and they will take the stage at the Cugnet Centre for the Weyburn Concert Series on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

Led by Trace Masson as Chicks lead singer Natalie, and including Juno award-winning vocalist Shannon Saunders, and Emily Ashcroft, this tribute band embodies the essence of Natalie, Martie, and Emily.

They capture not only the look but also the attitude, delivering soaring harmonies and musical prowess that pay homage to the Chicks’ legacy.

Safety patrollers ready for new school year

Grade 7 students at St. Michael School get ready to start safety patrol after taking some training on Thursday after school at two major crosswalks near the school. In back from left are Mattix E., Zaven T., and Sydney H. In front are Christina M., MJ S., Sophie B. and Lincoln L.

Provincial grants help seniors live independently

For a second year, the Government of Saskatchewan is investing $250,000 in grant funding for organizations and community groups that serve seniors.

The Facilitating Independence of Older Adults in the Community granting program encourages the development and testing of new ways to support seniors in maintaining independence in their own homes, with the goal of using these approaches in other communities. The program is led by the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM) in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

“We are pleased to offer these grants that will help find creative ways to support seniors across our province,” said Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Re-

“Where

mote Health Minister Tim McLeod.

Funding will support at least eight community projects, each receiving up to $25,000. Grant funding will support new projects as well as some projects from the first round (a list of the 2022-23 projects is attached).

“Older adults want to have choices about how they live, and they need support to live in the most appropriate and cost-effective setting based on their needs,” SSM Executive Director Holly Schick said. “Through grants like these, communities are able to explore creative possibilities to provide this kind of support. We appreciate the Government of Saskatchewan’s willingness to work with us to provide grants to facilitate independence.”

While more than 90

per cent of seniors live independently and would prefer to stay in their homes, some face challenges accessing supportive services, such as home maintenance, yard care, home-based health services, transportation, and meal preparation. The

grant program supports local, community-based programs seeking to develop and test new ways of addressing these issues to support senior citizens. Information on the application process will be available soon on the SSM website.

Cinema under the stars to benefit swim club

The Weyburn Artistic Swimming Club will be again showing a doubleheader movie night “under the stars” at the Weyburn fair grounds on Friday, Sept. 22 as a fundraiser.

The club will show the movies, “The Little Mermaid”, and “About My Father”.

The Little Mermaid is the live-action remake of

the story by Disney, and the second movie stars Robert DeNiro and Sebastian Maniscalco.

The cost for the drivein is $40 for a carload, and there will be a canteen available on the grounds.

The gates will open at 6 p.m., and the first movie will start at 7 p.m., with the second show to start at 9:30 p.m.

Step into the world of the Chicks, a trailblazing female group that has left an indelible mark on the music industry. Bridging the gap between pop and country, the Chicks stand as the best-selling female group of all time.

Their music, characterized by memorable sing-alongs, emotionally charged ballads, and rock-

ing country anthems, has struck a chord with audiences of all backgrounds.

The Gaslighter experience goes beyond mere tribute – it’s a journey into the heart of the Chicks’ adventurous spirit and musical artistry. Backed by a full live band featuring fiddles, banjos, guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums, Gaslighter offers the most authentic rendition of the Chicks’ iconic catalog.

The Chicks have produced timeless classics like “Wide Open Spaces,” “Goodbye Earl,” “Not Ready to Make Nice,” and “Cowboy Take Me Away.”

“Gaslighter – Songs of the Chicks” faithfully brings these hits and more to life, allowing you to immerse yourself in the magic of the Chicks’ music.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their harmonious world, this tribute concert promises an unforgettable experience. It’s not just a performance; it’s a celebration of the enduring legacy of the Chicks.

Songs of the Chicks

Photo

The rescheduled presentation for “Gaslighter –Songs of the Chicks”, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Cugnet Centre.

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COMMUNITY !booster

Second Pumpkin Lane event to feature city trails

Weyburn Tourism, Prairie Sky Co-op and Southeast College will be bringing back Pumpkin Lane to Weyburn. Weyburn’s second annual Pumpkin Lane will be held on Saturday, October 28.

This family-friendly event is fun for all ages that showcases Weyburn’s beautiful park trails along with beautiful carved pumpkins from those who wish to contribute them.

What you’ll find at Pumpkin Lane will be dozens of hand-carved pumpkins placed in a path winding through the walking trails, along with a Halloween selfie booth and spooky stations with treats and prizes.

Admission to the event will be free, and will be located on the trails near the community Dog Park, located on First Avene NW at Alymer Street.

Dogs are allowed to welcome to join you at this year’s Pumpkin Lane, but organizers ask they that remain on a leash at all times while on the property and that owners clean up any messes they may make.

Pumpkins can be dropped off between 1 and 3 p.m., and the event time is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Pumpkin pickup is from 8 to 9 p.m., and any pumpkins that aren’t picked up by 9 p.m. will be donated to a local farmer.

All residents, businesses and organizations are asked to get involved by carving pumpkins and bringing them down to Pumpkin Lane.

There will be a select number of free pumpkins for pickup at the Weyburn Tourism office at 11 Third Street, starting on Thursday, Oct. 19, courtesy of Prairie Sky Co-op.

Weyburn’s MegaDry wins at ABEX Awards

Owners Tanner Wahl, and Patty and Ryan Skjerdal, of MegaDry Disaster Restoration won the ABEX Award for Growth and Expansion, plus Ryan won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, on Saturday evening. The ABEX Awards for business excellence were presented by the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce in Saskatoon.

Wheatland to host speaker at supper

The month-end supper for the Wheatland Seniors Centre will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, at 5:30 p.m., featuring a turkey dinner. The guest speaker for the supper will be Heidi Watson, who will talk at 5 p.m.

Phone 306-842-3503 to put your name down on the list or come in and write name down on the list. The deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 27, before noon.

The results of the Wheatland Seniors Centre’s activities from Sept. 11-15 is as follows.

In bridge on Friday, first was Lucie Nickel; second

was Basil Holyer, and third was Dave Frayn.

The winners of spades were Theresa Istace in first; Ray Boucher in second; and Kim Bent in third.

In Hi-Lo Whist, first went to Faye Johnston and Marge Schultz; second was Ray and Connie Boucher; and third was a tie between Janet Van Winkoop and Emily Zyla, and Dave Frayn and Basil Holyer.

The winners of canasta were Bev Locken in first; Trina Maas in second; Pat Peterson in third; Mildred Sandiford in fourth; and Anne Gutzke in fifth.

Demonstrating an instrument

In Kaiser, first went to Basil Holyer and Bev Johnson; second was Anne Gutzke and Marlene Szczecinski; and third was Jean Fahlman and Jean Knibbs.

The winners of Thursday Crib were Joan Harder and Garth White in first; Marge Schultz and Faye Johnson in second; and Ray and Connie Boucher in third.

In Fun Crib, first was Phyllis Lindskog; second was Pat Schutz, and third was Rose Levesque.

Bingo is held at the Wheatland every Thursday at 1 p.m. Slider cards are 50¢ each.

Photo 9108 — Greg Nikkel

Musician Andrew Kim got up close to the front row as he demonstrated one of his homemade instruments to the students at Assiniboia Park school on Friday morning. He also did an assembly at Legacy Park Elementary, as part of a tour of schools through OSAC (Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils) around the province.

Photo — Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce

MegaDry a double-winner at ABEX Awards

Weyburn’s MegaDry Disaster Restoration came away with two ABEX Awards on Saturday in Saskatoon, including Growth and Expansion and the Young Entrepreneur award for Ryan Skjerdal

Fire Dept. fights brush fire in Riverwood area

The Weyburn Fire Department was on scene for several hours fighting a brush fire near the Riverwood subdivision on Monday

Settlement workers help newcomer students

Two Settlement Workers in Schools gave a presentation to the Holy Family school board about their work helping newcomer students and their families begin new lives in Canada.

Hoium back with second volume of stories

Dr. Gary Hoium has released Volume 2 of his book of stories from his vet practice in Weyburn, and from growing up in Midale

4

TERRY FOX SCHOOL RUN IS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF HOPE

Sabrina Kraft skraft@weyburnreview.com

Students, families and staff will participate in the annual Terry Fox School Run on September 22. Traditionally the day promotes messages of love, hope, and inspiration from Canadians everywhere.

Terry Fox represented the best that Canadians have to offer. He was an example of courage, humility, determination, and perseverance. From a young age, he exemplified these attributes that made him an inspiration for not only Canada, but the entire world.

The annual Terry Fox Run has become a classic Canadian tradition every fall with more than 650 diverse communities across the country coming together to fund raise for cancer research.

After losing his right leg to cancer at age 18, Fox decided to run across Canada to raise awareness and money for cancer research. With the use of a customized running prosthesis, he set out from St. John’s, Newfoundland, on April 12, 1980 and covered 5,373 km in 143 days — an average of 42 km (26 miles) per day. He was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on September 1, 1980, when cancer invaded his lungs. He died shortly before his 23rd birthday.

The Marathon of Hope raised $24 million by February 1981. Since then, the annual Terry Fox Run and Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $800 million for cancer research.

One of the great programs that is offered to local

students and families during the annual Terry Fox School Run is the “Try Like Terry” challenge. This fun and encouraging challenge reminds every student that as long as they try to fund raise, and have fun while doing it, they are making a difference.

This is a huge reminder of the difference that one person can make. When Terry first started his Marathon of Hope, he did not receive a lot of support or acknowledgement – but he kept on going, kept on hoping, and kept on trying. He soon received national recognition in a short period of time, and tons of people wanted to show their support.

Every dollar raised for the Terry Fox Foundation helps support the important cancer research, and support programs for those in our community who are living with cancer. Survival rates are improving, yet more Canadians are being diagnosed with cancer. In fact, almost half of Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and important reminder of the fact that one in eight Canadian men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Fundring for cancer research can help save and improve lives.

Walk for a Cure, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month are right around the corner in October. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women, affecting approximately one in eight.

There are many reasons to keep educated about cancer – donate to help the Terry Fox Foundation and Canadian Cancer Society.

How to manage anxiety of getting older

By Stan Popovich

Some people worry about their health and other aspects of their life as they age. Not knowing what might happen as you get older can be very scary for many people. As a result, here are seven tips on how to manage the fear and anxiety of getting older in your life.

1. Stay healthy: The first step in not getting anxious as you get older is to get some exercise and eat a lot of healthy foods. It is important to be active and watch what you eat. Before exercising, you should talk to your doctor to make sure you do not hurt yourself.

2. Go to your doctor appointments: Make sure you go to your regular doctor appointments to make sure that nothing is wrong with you and your health. A lot of things can be prevented if you get an early diagnosis. This will help you to remain healthy without the fear of old age.

3. Keep your mind active: Another way of not getting stressed out as you age is to keep your mind active. Do some crossword puzzles or other challenging games. Play some chess or some game that requires a lot of thinking. The more you use your mind the better off you will be as you get older.

4. Reduce your stress: Learn effective ways to reduce the stress in your life. Stress is not good

for you and it is important to know how to relieve your tension. There are counselors that you can talk to if you have trouble dealing with your anxieties.

5. Stay positive: Remain positive and avoid negative thinking. Read some self-help books that have a lot of positive affirmations and statements. Reading these statements can help you to remain positive and replace negative thoughts. If you still have trouble, then see a counselor who can teach you different ways to remain positive and help reduce your worry and stress.

6. Spend time with friends: Develop a network of friends and get involved in different social activities. Friends can reduce loneliness and make you feel better about yourself. A person can also volunteer their time to help others. There are many people who need help and volunteering will keep you active.

7. You are in God’s hands: Sooner or later, something will happen related to your health so it is a good idea to include God in your life. If you get diagnosed with some kind of illness such as cancer, prayer will help you manage your fears and anxieties. Regardless of what you are dealing with, including God in your life will help you gain a more spiritual approach to your health issues.

Family Place grand opening set for September 29

Everything has been moved into the new home for the Family Place, and programming is due to begin there on Monday, Sept. 25, with the grand opening slated for Friday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m.

Ceremonies will get underway at the new location at 744 McLelland Street, just south of Fifth Avenue North.

The Family Place partnered with the Holy Family Roman Catholic Separate School Division, and the initial startup funding of $215,000 was received from the province for the project, with the centre named the Weyburn Early Years Family Resource Centre.

Mayor Marcel Roy and Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan will be on hand, along with Holy Family Board Chair Bruno Tuchscherer and Weyburn EY FRC Executive Director, Dawn Gutzke, who will head up the celebration. There will be a ribbon cutting, photo ops, tours and refreshments. The new location will

have a “home away from home” feeling, as when residents walk into the building they will be greeted by a similar comfortable sitting area, with couches and a living area space. There will be two giant play spaces for the young participants and a Snoezelen room, plus play spaces on the grounds.

The family resource centre will focus on all families with young children to provide free, flexible programming that builds relationships between caregivers and children. The four pillars of Early Years Family Resource Centres are early learning, parenting education, family wellness and support, and information and referrals.

The stakeholders with Holy Family and the Family Place include Southeast Cornerstone School Division, the City of Weyburn, Social Services, Weyburn Police Service, St. Michael School, the Weyburn Public Library and Envision Counselling, among others.

Visiting at the show-and-shine

Many visitors took in a wide variety of vintage and classic cars and trucks on display for the showand-shine held as part of Radville’s Heritage Day on Saturday afternoon. The CN Station grounds had activities and games for the family, a barbecue and live music.

City starts unidirectional flushing of water

The City of Weyburn’s Engineering department began systematic and unidirectional flushing of the entire water distribution system throughout the city on Monday.

Water service should not be disrupted during the flushing process. Flushing of the entire city

Tiger Beat fun at St. Michael School

St. Michael students Daisy P., Ranson J., Hayden S., Rowan B. and Elizabete S. toss pylons in an effort to create a stack, during a Minute-toWin-It challenge. Many fun stations were set up for a Tiger Beat break for the students.

Rural Municipality of Fillmore No. 96 TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST

Notice is hereby given under The Tax Enforcement Act that unless the arrears and costs appearing opposite the land described in the following list are fully paid before November 20, 2023 a tax lien will be registered against the land.

Note: A sum for costs in the amount as prescribed in the regulations, is included in the amount shown against each parcel (Section 4(3) of The Tax Enforcement Act

is expected to take approximately two weeks. Flushing will generally occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. for most neighbourhoods.

Traditional flushing consisted of opening a fire hydrant and the water moved from all directions to scour/clean the water main. This method could be extremely costly, time consuming and ineffective.

Unidirectional flushing is much more effective at controlling which pipes and which direction the water flows through the pipes. The process involves using a computer model to show which valves to system -

atically close to allow water to move in a single direction, increasing the velocity and providing scouring/cleaning of the water main interior.

Unidirectional flushing removes a large amount of mineral and nuisance deposits, which occur over time, from the water distribution system. This allows water to move freely through the pipes.

Other benefits include water conservation (less water used to flush system), improved water colour, improved taste, lower turbidity (cloudiness) and improved chlorine residuals throughout the entire water system.

In addition, the flushing is cost effective preventative maintenance; there are fewer water quality complaints due to water main failures or service leaks, and it helps identify areas of the distribution system that might need repairs/ upgrades. The flushing also checks fire hydrant operation, verifies water mapping.

Water is sometimes discoloured during watermain cleaning, but this should not last long. In the event you draw discoloured water, flush a cold tap for up to 15 minutes. Contact the city’s Engineering department if you have questions.

Dated this 20th day of September, 2023.

Vernna Wiggins, Administrator

Photo 9427 — Greg Nikkel

Photo - Sabrina Kraft

Longtime rancher shares story with Weyburn Rotary Club

By Greg Nikkel

A lifelong rancher from the Radville area, Murray McGillivray, shared his love of Saskatchewan and of the cattle industry in a presentation to the Weyburn Rotary Club on Thursday.

His family has long had a historical connection to the Weyburn area, as he noted his grandfather’s younger brother Jim practiced medicine in Weyburn for over 40 years, and his sister Sadie taught school here for many years.

His father farmed north of Weyburn for most of his life, and Murray started in the ranch business in 1958.

“It always bothers me that we don’t talk enough about Saskatchewan in a positive way,” he said, pointing out this province has 160.9 million acres from border to border, and 64 million acres of arable land, more than Alberta and Manitoba put together.

Out of the total arable land area, about 22.2 million acres has forage

and native prairie grass, which is the basis of support for the cattle industry in the province, he said, enabling Saskatchewan to have the second largest herd in Canada, behind only Alberta.

“I’m told there are 100 varieties of native grass. It’s such a huge resource for the province of Saskatchewan,” said McGillivray, noting a large part of his ranch has native grass in the same state as it was a century ago.

As he got involved in

Cattle producer shares about industry

the cattle industry, he was encouraged to become involved in the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, and in November of 1970, he was elected to the board of directors.

McGillivray recounted how he and the late Boyd Anderson (who was president of the association at the time) traveled together to Ottawa to lobby the government on various issues relating to the cattle industry.

“He took me under his wing and mentored

me. I admired hi8m, his attitude and technique,” he said, noting the stated purpose of the Stock Growers group was to represent the livestock industry to the government.

“There are some governments that are friendly to us, some that are so-so, and then there are some that are slightly adverse to us,” said McGillivray, noting the Blakeney government was one of those he would describe as adverse to the industry.

One of the changes made was to go against 60 years of tradition established for ranch land, and allow Crown land to be posted for anyone to buy. The result was, a rancher could lose the use of a section of land in the middle of their ranch property, and this ended up stopping the sale of ranch land altogether.

Up until this time, someone could buy your ranch land, and if it included deeded Crown land, it was turned over to the rancher and they were then responsible for the taxes on the land.

As a member of the Stock Growers board, he and Anderson went to the government to lobby for a change to the policy, and McGillivray noted he learned a lot about the lobbying process from these trips.

Among the lessons was the proper procedure for approaching the government.

“For example, you never take more than two people with you, and be careful who you take. Some people get too wound up and lose their emotions. We always

went with a suit and tie, and always addressed the minister as ‘mister’, without exception. Also, you have to go back a number of times, and have your facts and be factual. We can present alternatives and so on, but don’t expect an answer on the first half hour or 20-minute visit,” he explained, noting even after presenting the facts they still met with politicians who would not change their minds on a set policy.

McGillivray noted that Saskatchewan’s cow herd is down to about a million head now because of lower profitability for ranchers, as he pointed out there’s a difference of about $27 an acre in profitability between a grain operation and a ranch.

“So, do the math. On a 2,000-acre operation, that’s over $50,000, and lentils grows good on dry land,” he said.

Another challenge facing the industry right now is a lack of skilled labour.

“There is a way to handle cattle, and a way not to handle them. I can gather 270 cows and calves by myself, a good dog and my wife, but once you get them into the corral, that’s when you need people in there to help you,” said McGillivray.

“It’s causing us as an industry some concern, and the concern is it will put pressure on us, because any operation needs the tame grass, and ideally the native grass,” he said, noting some formerly good ranch land is now going over to grain instead.

Members of the Weyburn Rotary Club listened as guest speaker Murray McGillivray shared about his family’s history in the Weyburn-Radville area. He also shared his experiences in the cattle industry and spoke about his role with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association.

Photo 8995 — Greg Nikkel

AgFocus

Working hard to get harvest done

The harvest crew for Dale Mainil Farms were busy on a wheat field on two sections of land just south of Weyburn recently. They took advantage of warm, dry harvest weather as they worked until late in the evening to get the crops off. The Weyburn crop district is 71 per cent done, and the Radville-Lake Alma crop district is 88 per cent done harvesting for 2023.

Producers receive payments under forage rainfall insurance program

The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan announced a recordbreaking level of payments under the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) Forage Rainfall Insurance Program.

“While producers face ongoing risks related to climate change and extreme weather events, the support of Business Risk Management programs provides some level of stability against income and production loss,” said Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay. “This record high level of payments to producers is a testament to the need for, and value of, the AgriInsurance Program.”

“There is additional support for our livestock producers, as over 90 per cent of insured acres enrolled in

the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program received a payment,” Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. “This is additional cash flow to participating Crop Insurance customers, in reaction to the dry conditions. We are seeing this Program respond to producers needs where precipitation shortages result in feed and pasture shortfalls.

I encourage producers to continually reassess options available through the full suite of Business Risk Management Programs.”

Total 2023 Program indemnities paid are $60.4 million, across SCIC’s 17 forage risk zones. While conditions vary across the province with scattered distribution of moisture, the 2023 growing season realized generally drier than average conditions in sev-

eral areas of the province. Payments are most heavily concentrated in the southwest and west central regions of the province.

Forage Rainfall Insurance Program payments were issued to participating producers on Friday, August 18, 2023. Crop Insurance customers do not have to register weather-based program claims with SCIC, as indemnities are calculated automatically, based on information from the weather stations.

Claim payments are based strictly on the precipitation data gathered at the customer selected weather stations and the insurance selections of each individual producer. Given the dry conditions, customers are reminded that Fire insurance remains in place for insured Forage Rainfall

THANK YOU TO OUR FARMERS!

Insurance Program acres until March 31, 2024.

The Forage Rainfall Insurance Program is available on native and tame acres for hay or grazing, protecting pasture and hay land in the event of below average seasonal rainfall at the producer’s selected

weather station. For more information on the Forage Rainfall Insurance Program, visit https://www. scic.ca/crop-insurance/ program-overview/weather-based-coverage/foragerainfall-insurance-program.

Crop Insurance is a federal-provincial-producer

cost-shared Business Risk Management Program that helps producers manage production and quality losses. Support for the program is provided by the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

You’re the expert when it comes to growing your crops and we’d love to offer our experts to help you grow your business! We have local experts who specialize in agricultural lending and understand the unique challenges and opportunites of operating a farm business in Southeast Saskatchewan.

So if you’re ready to bank better, stop by your local branch or give us a call today. We’re here to help.

Farm Credit partners with Western Fair District to promote agriculture

Farm Credit Canada

(FCC) announced a longterm partnership with Western Fair District to deliver the knowledge, innovation and research Canadian producers can use to complement their own expertise in the advancement of their farming and food businesses.

The partnership announcement includes new on-farm research called Innovation Farms Ontario powered by AgExpert, located at Haggerty Creek near Bothwell, Ont. This research farm is part of a network of Canadian demonstration farms where innovative, emerging technology is developed and tested. The results and benefits of different technologies in the emerging agriculture robotics and automation industry are shared with producers to optimize current farming practices and future decisions.

“Practical research and on-farm testing on new technologies such as automation, robotics and sustainability innovations will help farmers confidently adopt new systems with less risk,” said Chuck Baresich, president of Haggerty Creek Farms.

“FCC’s support will allow us to tap into incredible potential that will increase productivity for producers and provide them with the ability to put their labour into high value work. The new resources complement the great research we have conducted with OMAFRA and the AgRobotics

Working Group.”

Including FCC’s farm management software, AgExpert, in the name and on the farm, signals the value both Western Fair and FCC place on growing Canada’s digital agriculture system. The 2,000+ acre full-scale production innovation farm will use AgExpert software as part of its testing, research, and technology development.

“FCC sees tremendous opportunity with the creation of this partnership. Producers and processors will realize the benefits of the knowledge, research and funding that this collaboration

brings”, said Fred Wall, vice-president, marketing and digital agriculture at FCC. “The depth of resources and people working together will elevate so much of what the Canadian agriculture and food industry has to offer, from digital agriculture, to processing food at home and securing the funding for the ideas that shape our future.”

This partnership will also support The Grove at Western Fair District, a growing agriculture and food business innovation hub that is already home to 32 companies. Here, a range of resources sup -

port food processors and businesses to access the startup funds and tools they need to begin scaling their businesses.

“There is incredible potential for agriculture and food startup founders to build the great new companies of the future, bringing innovative technologies to market, helping feed the world, creating jobs and supporting the economy,” said Joe Dales, cofounder at formerly the Roundhouse Accelerator, now RHA Ventures. “The RHA Ventures team is committed to supporting the early-stage companies with investment and

Combining efforts to get harvest done

business mentoring support. Having Farm Credit Canada as a new partner in The Grove is going to accelerate and expand the number of companies fostered here.”

“This partnership allows us to level-up what we offer at the Grove from ag-tech to education, funding and practical space for businesses,” said James Smith, director of agrifood at Western Fair District. “A great example is supporting startups and food processing companies through an incubation stage where you can rent kitchens and food processing space that were

built to CFIA standards.”

“They can produce more, get to a larger audience and a point where they can start to think about building or renting their own square footage where we can help them design and grow into that space. The opportunities for producers and businesses at the Grove are just beginning.”

This partnership reflects the goal of Innovation Farms Ontario powered by AgExpert to bring together top agtech and industry minds who are intentionally shaping agricultural and commercial productivity gains.

From buying a farm & leasing equipment, to retiring and handing the farm down to your kids, we can help you every step of the way. Our agriculture borrowing, investing and account options fit every size of farming operation. Let’s get growing together!

A group of combines from Dale Mainil Farms worked to take off the wheat crop from a two-section field just south of Weyburn recently. Harvest has been progressing in the southeast well with warm, dry weather. The Weyburn district is 71 per cent done, and the Radville-Lake Alma area is 88 per cent done.

Photo 8694 — Greg Nikkel

Profitability of cattle unlikely to spur expansion

By Kevin Hursh

Previously unimaginable, 550 to 600-pound steer calves seem destined to fetch more than $2,000 each during the fall calf run. Unfortunately, this newfound profitability in the beef sector is unlikely to reverse the steady erosion of cattle numbers in Western Canada.

Even with heifer calf prices somewhat lower than steers, selling 300 calves this fall is likely to gross around $600,000. Once calving percentage and retention of replacement heifers is factored in, that would require a significant herd of more than 350 cows.

How does that compare to gross returns in the grain sector? Assuming a wheat and canola rotation and assuming modest yields of 35 bushels per acre for wheat and 32 bu. for canola with prices of $9.50 a bu. for

wheat and $17 for canola, a gross return of $600,000 could be accomplished with 1,350 acres.

With a durum and lentil rotation, assuming 26 bu. per acre for durum at $14 a bu. and 920 pounds per acre for red lentils at 40 cents per lb., $600,000 in gross return would take 1,640 acres.

Net returns are much more subjective because of the wide range of cost structures on both grain and cattle farms, but machinery investment and input costs are typically lower on cow-calf operations.

This year, the feed shortage in southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta is raising havoc with profitability. The freight to truck in feed adds tremendous expense. However, in regions where feed is in adequate supply, cow-calf

producers are going to have a great year.

On the surface, the balance should be tipping in favour of cows. Instead, hay and pasture land continues to be converted to grain.

While high calf prices may convince some producers to expand, others see it as their opportunity to exit the cattle business, getting out while the getting is good. There are no guarantees this year’s record high price levels are the new norm. Sheep producers were getting tremendous returns on lambs a couple years ago, but that didn’t last.

If you compare the workload for a 350-head cow-calf operation with a 1,500-acre grain farm, the former is a year-round commitment requiring a lot of work that cannot be mechanized, while the latter is largely accom -

plished over a six-month period without nearly as much manual labour.

The crop insurance safety net is much better in a dry year for grain than it is with cattle. Rainfall forage insurance paid out the best ever in Saskatchewan and some AgriRecovery money will flow to cattle producers, but the amounts will be nothing like those received by drought-affected grain producers.

Labour is in short sup -

ply and the median age of owner operators continues to increase. In every community, you see grain farms that used to have cattle that have gone straight grain to reduce the workload. Hard to imagine them ever going back. Young farmers with no cattle experience are unlikely to diversify in that direction.

Grain and cattle farms could both benefit from increased collaboration.

A lot of grain land has

portions than can only be used by cows. When you see grain producers buying expensive combine attachments to pulverize weed seeds, you wonder why the chaff couldn’t be collected for cattle feed instead.

Even if record high cattle prices stick around for years to come, don’t expect much, if any, growth in the beef breeding herd. Money is easier to come by if you’re just growing crops.

Out to pasture

A pair of horses grazed in a pasture on a warm, sunny day between Weyburn and Griffin.

GeoAI platform for automating manual observation associated

Weiping Zeng, the project lead for GeoAI Platform for Automating Manual Observation Associated with Wheat Production, grew up on a farm in China. He moved to Canada in 2002 to get his PhD from the University of Alberta.

Following a three-year stint in Calgary working for a startup, he joined the faculty of the University of Saskatchewan.

“The idea to found Super GeoAI Technology came from two places,” he explains. “First, as I am from a farming family, I have personal experience with just how labourintensive agriculture can be. Second, I was heavily influenced by a conversation I had near Saskatoon with a farmer who was counting and evaluating wheat kernels manually. It occurred to me that this was a place where artificial intelligence could add real value. Producers work very hard for uncertain returns, and any technological solutions we can develop to increase productivity and decrease workload is worth exploring.”

The grain sector is a key Canadian economic driver, contributing over $20 billion annually from wheat export sales alone. Product quality is a critical component of the value chain, impacting everyone from producer to consumer.

Evaluation is the re -

sponsibility of grain inspectors, who must manually identify, separate, and analyze kernels to determine a sample’s quality and grade. These subjective results can be unreliable and inaccurate, and may lead to conflict between the buyer and seller, damaging important commercial relationships.

For many years, the industry has sought an affordable solution capable of delivering a quick and accurate end-use quality assessment based on representative samples.

“Our project team of agri-food companies and academic institutions is employing diverse technologies to develop a novel geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) platform proof-of-concept that automates manual wheatproduction observations,” said Weiping.

“We are leveraging geospatial, deep learning, machine vision, and high-performance computing technology to evaluate three representative primary objective characteristics and one subjective characteristic in Canada Western Red Spring Wheat kernels.

“Following the initial 15-month CAAIN investment period, R&D will continue, leading to eventual commercialization and product adoption. The goal is to create and market a scaled-up, all-in-one GeoAI driv -

en cloud platform that automates grain grading, reducing manual observation requirements, and increasing producer productivity, profitability, sustainability, and competitiveness.”

This highly complex, multifaceted project seeks to solve a challenge that has plagued the agricultural sector for the past 100 years, namely, how to grade grain consistently and objectively to the satisfaction of both buyer and seller.

CAAIN is pleased to be able to fund such important work, and Dr. Zeng and his team appreciate the support.

“When we first responded to the 2021 Open Competition, we were looking to automate various agricultural tasks. The feedback we received from the reviewers helped us zero in on grain grading,” he smiled.

“We are now developing a solution to a very specific global problem, and that’s very exciting. That initial guidance was more important than we realized at the time, as potential investors appreciated our clearly defined objective. Don’t get me wrong. The money has been very helpful, and we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are now without it. But probably the greatest value we’ve received through our association with CAAIN is the network we’ve joined.

For example, thanks to the doors this competition opened for us, we are

collaborating with Olds College and the University of Saskatchewan.

This kind of program will really advance Ag Tech in Canada.”

SPORTS this week

!

Weyburn Red Wings end preseason with win over Notre Dame

The Weyburn Red Wings had a win and a loss in their final two preseason games, including a 7-1 victory over the Notre Dame Hounds last Friday night.

In the win over the Hounds, Notre Dame scored their lone goal of the night in the first period, and the Red Wings dominated for the remainder of the game.

Jaxson Ruthven scored to tie the game halfway through the second period, assisted by Brad Banach, with Seb Hicks scoring a couple minutes later, assists going to Jerome Maharaj and Elijah Anderson.

Running to gain yards

Weyburn U10 Cardinals player Mack Missal carried the ball as he was about to be surrounded by defenders from the Moose Jaw Razorbacks, at the U10 jamboree on Sunday morning at WMF Field. The Cardinals also hosted the Estevan Cudas for the scrimmage games.

Weyburn Comp Eagles football post big win

The Weyburn Comp Eagles football team traveled to Swift Current on Saturday for their second game of the season versus the hometown Colts. The Colts were coming off a tough loss against Moose Jaw Central, while the Eagles were still flying high after a first week win versus Estevan.

After the Eagles received the opening kickoff, the offense went to work with Conner Kerr connecting with Nolan Uhren on the first play for 37 yards, then another pass to Jarret Hayward for 11 yards. On the next play he connected with Isaiah Sanderson for 19 yards before Kerr punched it in on the ground for the first score.

When the Eagles got the ball back, Kerr connected with Asher Knox for 11 yards on their first play to get the team rolling again. Owen Istace carried the ball on the next play for 15 yards and then there was a quick strike from Kerr to Jarret Hayward for a 30-yard touchdown.

After a safety by Swift Current and a fumble on the Eagles side, Swift Current was not about to go quietly by putting together a solid drive to score the first touchdown against the Eagles defense this year, making the score 167. The Eagles were quick to respond with a short first-down run, and on second down Kerr again connected with Uhren for a 62-yard catch and run down to the Colt 10-yard

line. After Kerr ran the next play to the one-yard line, Owen Istace topped off the four-play drive for the Eagles major.

To start the second quarter, after the defense stepped up and provided a quick two-and-out, the Eagles went to the air again with Kerr and Sanderson, this time connecting for a 55-yard touchdown pass on their first play to push the score to 30-0.

A Swift Current fumble on the post field goal kickoff led to a Weyburn drive, ending with a Kerr field goal. After another great defensive stand, Swift Current tried to punt and saw the snap go high over the head of the punter, and the Eagles took over on the Swift Current one-yard line, scoring on the next play with a James Ashworth run to the left side.

After each team exchanged a series of offensive sessions, linebacker Alex Junk intercepted his first of three in the first half, taking it to the Colt two-yard line. The next play, on offence, Junk finished off with a touchdown plunge. Then on the next defensive series, Junk got #2 and returned it to the Colt 10-yard line. With Nolan Uhren now in at QB, he connected two plays later with Haydin Buehler for the major.

Just before the half, Kerr kicked a 14-yard field goal to enter the break with the Eagles up 57-7.

In the second half the Eagles substituted players as much as possible with

Grade 9 QB Cooper Knox leading them onto the field.

A quick second half with the clock running straight time gave the Eagles staff a chance to test some players in a senior game at multiple positions, with the defense holding Swift off the board and the Eagles scoring a field goal by Tace Odima as the only score of the half.

In the stats, Top Passing yards saw Conner Kerr go eight for nine with 224 yards. For receiving, Nolan Uhren had 97 yards, Isaiah

Sanderson racked up 73 yards, and Jarret Hayward had 61 yards. Team rushing was 101 yards.

The Eagles will host their home opener on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., as the MJ Central Cyclones come to town for a battle of undefeated teams. Come on down to the WMF field for some Friday night fun. Adults are $5 for entry and all students and children get in free. Hoot Oilfield has donated a guaranteed 50/50 jackpot of $1,000, that will be sold at the game.

Logan Greenough scored to put the Wings up 3-1 at the end of the second period, assisted by Drew Molde and Carter Briltz.

Weyburn added four more in the third period, with Ruthven getting his second goal on the way to a hattrick, assisted by Braigh LeGrandeur, then LeGrandeur scored on the power play, assisted by Briltz and Banach. Lucas Schmid scored on the power play with assists by Tyler Teasdale and Roan Crowe, then Ruthven finished the scoring on assists from Anderson and Teasdale.

Goaltender Dazza Mitchell stopped 38 of the 39 shots made on goal.

Earlier in the week, they fought the Yorkton Terriers to a 6-5 loss in a shootout on Sept. 13. The teams

traded one goal each in the first period, then Weyburn went up 4-3 in the second, and it was knotted up at 5-5 at the end of regulation time, sending them to overtime, then to a shootout.

Drew Molde scored for the Wings in the first period, assisted by Max Henderson and Blake Betson. In the middle frame, Liam Fitzgerald scored on the power play, assisted by Ryley Cyca and Dallen Oxelgren. Betson scored on the power play with an assist from Oxelgren, and Fitzgerald scored his second of the night from Henderson.

Max Monette scored in the third on the power play, assisted by Schmid and Oxelgren. In the shootout, Maharaj scored, and Yorkton had two shooters score to give them the win.

Adam Kelly was in net for the Red Wings for the full 60 minutes plus overtime, stopping 28 of 33 shots on goal.

The Red Wings are now preparing to host the Terriers for their regular season home opener on Friday, Sept. 22, at Crescent Point Place, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. Weyburn will then visit Yorkton on Saturday evening, and will then have a home-andhome pair of games with their Highway 39 rivals, the Estevan Bruins, playing first in Estevan on Sept. 29 and hosting at Crescent Point Place on Sept. 30.

Making a toe save on a shot

Red Wings goalie Dazza Mitchell kicked his foot out to keep the puck from going into the net, during Weyburn’s last preseason game, hosting the Notre Dame Hounds. The Red Wings posted a 7-1 win on Friday night, and now prepare for their regular season home opener on Friday, Sept. 29, when they host the Yorkton Terriers at Crescent Point Place at 7 p.m.

Photo 9441 — Greg Nikkel

Photo 9243 — Greg Nikkel

Many culinary dishes at ‘Taste of the Nations’

Flags of the world decorated the room as many Weyburn and area residents were able to sample a “Taste of the Nations” on Friday evening at McKenna Hall. Dishes were provided from Nigeria, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ukraine, Ecuador, Colombia, Spain and Canada. The event was part of Welcoming Week in Weyburn, and was organized by Southeast Advocates for Employment and Southeast Newcomer Services.

HealthLine 811 marks two decades of serving Saskatchewan residents

HealthLine 811 marks two decades of serving Saskatchewan residents

In August 2003, HealthLine 811 staff answered their first call. Two decades later, the team of over 100 experienced and specially trained registered nurses (RNs), registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) and registered social workers (RSWs) continue to answer Saskatchewan

residents’ calls for health support and advice.

HealthLine 811 is a confidential 24-hour health, mental health and addictions advice, education and support telephone line available to the people of Saskatchewan. Today, HealthLine 811 services are offered in English with translation available in over 100 languages, including for those who are deaf and

hard of hearing.

Since its inception, HealthLine 811 staff have played a pivotal role in health emergencies, including the West Nile and Avian flu outbreaks in 2004, H1N1 in 2009, Zika virus in 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological advancements in infrastructure and specialized training to adapt to the latest emerging health-care con-

Residents watch Sooline Cruisers tour by

cerns have allowed staff to provide focused support Saskatchewan residents. Services offered by HealthLine 811 have also expanded to meeting the changing health-care needs of Saskatchewan residents. This has included the addition of a mental health and addictions line in 2006, a maternal wellness program in 2013, and this summer, the expansion of virtual

physician (VP) program to support Emergency Department stabilization in rural areas.

Last year, the team received 119,254 calls, which is on average just over 300 calls a day. Of those, 37,459 or about 30 per cent, were for youth under 19 years or age with 473 referrals to the maternal wellness program.

The maternal wellness program supports for women experiencing post-partum depression.

Overall, HealthLine 811 continues to provide a valuable role in strengthening access to health-care support across Saskatchewan and helps reduce non-emergency visits to ERs and walk-in clinics.

Weyburn police to hold car seat clinic, Oct. 2

The Weyburn Police Service will hold a free car seat inspection clinic, and are taking appointments now.

The clinic will be held on Monday, Oct. 2, with appointments set for 30-minute times throughout the day at the police station at Fourth Street and Coteau Avenue.

While parents are recommended to book a time for the clinic, the WPS will accommodate drop-

ins as well.

Those wishing to book an appointment can call the police station at 306848-3250.

Parents who get a car seat inspection done will have their name entered for a draw for a car seatstroller combination unit.

If there are questions, email Const. Preston Roy at proy@weyburnpoliceservice.ca, or Const. Kalin Wiebe at kwiebe@ weyburnpoliceservice.ca.

Residents of Tatagwa View care home waved to members of the Sooline Cruisers as they drove by on a warm Sunday afternoon. The car club members also toured past the Weyburn Special Care Home, Midtown Care Home, Hill Top Manor and Parkway Lodge.

Photo 9487 — Greg Nikkel

Photo 9320 — Greg Nikkel

Deadline for classified submission is Tuesday, 12 Noon Classifieds

CLASSIFIEDS ! this

Obituaries

Dennis Petit Dennis Edward Petit born on June 25, 1942 passed away on September 8, 2023 at the Radville Marian Health Centre at the age of 81 years, surrounded by family. Dennis was predeceased by his parents, Edward & Dora Petit and sister, Elaine Belza. Dennis is survived by his aunts and uncle, Anna Bourassa, Marie (John) Marecki, Peter (Cecile) Fradette, Leone Petit and Rachel Petit, as well as numerous cousins, other relatives and friends. Dennis spent his life farming and driving school bus for 60 years. For many years, Dennis spent time during the winter at the Ogema curling rink and skating rink. Dennis was known throughout the community of Ogema for making top quality curling ice. Dennis loved watching the kids at the skating rink practice, grow up and move on to bigger accomplishments. He will be missed by all, young and old. A Graveside Service & Interment took place on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at the Ogema Cemetery, Ogema, Saskatchewan with Reverend Hyacinth Okafor officiating. Honorary Pallbearers were all of Dennis’ family & friends. Lunch followed at the Ogema Heritage Hall. For family and friends so wishing, donations in memory of Dennis may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, 300-325 Manning Road NE, Calgary, AB T2E 2P5 or to the donor’s charity of choice.

Career Opportunities

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS & LABOURERS WANTED

For all heavy equipment: ie. dozers, excavators, scrapers etc. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.

Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844

Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca

RANCH HAND NEEDED FULL TIME all aspects of ranch work including: feeding, calving, checking cattle, water, fences & grass moving cattle when needed includes up keep of corals buildings and yard housing supplied including power, heating & water paid by contract send resume with references to walkersu7texaslong horns@gmail com or call 403-528-0200. no text messages please

In Memoriam

Donna (Ernst) Chessall June 13, 1964September 23, 2010

Donna, thirteen years ago our lives had to go on without you.

Sad are the hearts that love you. Silent are the tears that fall. Living our lives without you is the hardest part of all. The special years will not return, when we were all together, but with the love in our hearts you will be with us forever.

Lovingly remembered and forever sadly missed, your mom (Opal) and your dad (Gus) Ernst

Legal/Public Notices

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

In the estate of ALICE LYNNE GARNER, late of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, deceased.

All claims against the above estate, duly verified by statutory declaration and with particulars and valuation of security held, if any, must be sent to the undersigned before the 23rd day of October, 2023.

MOFFAT & COMPANY Barristers & Solicitors 5 First Avenue NE Weyburn, SK S4H 0M6 *37/39

Farm Services

Linda Isabel Shauf May 4, 1952September 21, 2006

I thought of you with love today but that is nothing new. I thought of you yesterday and days before that too.

I think of you in silence as I often speak your name. All I have are memories and your picture in a frame Your memory is my keepsake with which I’ll never part.

Gerald, Michelle, Josh, Claudia & Monica

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Tenders

PROPERTY FOR SALE BY TENDER In Ogema, SK Block A, Plan 101293535 208 Government Road, Ogema, SK Tender close September 29, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

Highest, or any tender, will not necessarily be accepted.

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Email: admin@ogema.ca

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Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership do not make any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or reliability of such advertisements. For greater information on advertising conditions, please consult the Association’s Blanket Advertising Conditions on our website at www.swna.com.

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Romeo is a huge lover and liked to be held. Romeo is good with other cats and seems to like the dogs at the shelter. Come visit Romeo today!

Stacking pylons for Minute-to-win-it

Safety Council to offer Mature Driver refresher course

The Saskatchewan Safety Council will be offering a Mature Driver Refresher Course on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Wheatland Senior Centre.

The course will run from 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m., and is free to attend, but registration is required. Those attending are asked to bring a lunch and refreshments.

Traffic incident prevention is and has always been a priority for the Safety Council. As such, the council continues to offer their Mature Driver Refresher Course completely free of charge to those 55 years of age and older who wish to enrol.

This six-hour course is strictly informational and offered in a positive, open

class environment. Participants’ driver’s licenses are not affected and there are no required examinations.

This training increases confidence when navigating Saskatchewan’s increasing city and highway traffic. It provides insight into how to adapt driving habits based on the physical changes the body goes through as it matures.

Some of the topics discussed in the course are:

• Normal driving situations such as intersections, following distance, and maintaining an open “gate” around your vehicle.

• Hazardous driving environments such as skids, head-on collisions, hydroplaning, and how to protect yourself while driving.

New medications, expanded treatment available for ALS patients

People living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may benefit from the addition of two medications to the Saskatchewan Drug Plan Formulary.

The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding treatment options for those living with ALS by listing Albrioza (sodium phenylbutyrate and ursod-

oxicoltaurine) and the oral suspension of Radicava (edaravone) on the Saskatchewan Drug Plan Formulary.

Effective September 1, eligible ALS patients who meet certain medical criteria may be considered for coverage of these medications under the Saskatchewan Drug Plan.

“Providing patients living with ALS additional treatment options is crucial, given the speed at which this disease progresses,” said Minister of Health Everett Hindley.

“Saskatchewan residents living with ALS know how debilitating this disease can be. Including these medications on the

Saskatchewan Formulary gives patients access to potentially life-changing treatments.”

ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects around 3,000 Canadians. ALS rapidly causes patients to lose the ability to move and speak. As their condition progresses, ALS patients

Province approves SaskEnergy bill decrease

Going into the winter season, SaskEnergy customers will be paying less on their monthly natural gas bills. The Government of Saskatchewan has approved SaskEnergy’s commodity rate decrease of 24.5 per cent, bringing it from $4.20 per gigajoule (GJ) to $3.20/GJ, as well as its five per cent delivery service rate increase.

Effective October 1, 2023, this combined rate adjustment will result in an

overall bill decrease of nearly eight per cent or $6.52 per month for the average residential customer.

“Affordability is front and centre in all utility rate decisions in Saskatchewan,” Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskEnergy, said. “SaskEnergy has done solid work on managing fluctuating markets by using its hedging program to lock in natural gas at beneficial prices. That hedging strat-

egy provides price stability and shields customers from the extremes of market volatility.”

SaskEnergy bills are a combination of two rates - the commodity rate and the delivery service rate. The commodity rate is set on a cost-recovery basis, reflecting the market price of natural gas, with no profit or loss earned or incurred by SaskEnergy. The delivery service rate supports planned investment in

system integrity and safety efforts of about $50 million annually, as well as investment in the growing communities of Saskatchewan.

In June, SaskEnergy applied to the Sask. Rate Review Panel (SRRP) for a combined rate adjustment. After analysis of the application, the SRRP recommended that the provincial government approve a commodity rate reduction and delivery service rate increase.

are significantly impacted in their ability to perform routine daily activities, such as feeding or grooming themselves. Ultimately, the disease leads to the loss of essential functions like swallowing and breathing. There is currently no cure for ALS, but medications such as Albrioza and Radicava may help slow the rate of disease progression.

“On behalf of the ALS Society of Saskatchewan we would like to thank the government for adding

these to the Formulary as this will support those affected by ALS in the province,” said Denis Simard, Executive Director of the ALS Society of Saskatchewan. “Anything that can help those living with ALS hold on to a quality of life for a longer period of time makes a big difference.”

Patients and families who think they or their family member may benefit from therapy with these medications are encouraged to speak with their physician.

Lux T. and Gabriel S. attempted to toss pylons onto each other to create a large stack, during a Minute-to-Win-It competition for Grades 7-9 students at St. Michael School on Thursday.

Photo — Sabrina Kraft

Report: Emissions from oil and gas sector declining

From 2012 to 2021, conventional oil and natural gas producers lowered their absolute scope-1 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by 24 per cent while growing total production by 21 per cent.

Visiting the goats at an open house

had a visit with

Province adds new diagnostic training seats, expanded opportunities at Sask Polytechnic

More students can now train to become Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) and Medical Radiologic Technologists (MRT) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic this fall. The province has provided funding for 10 additional MLT seats and eight additional MRT seats in Saskatoon to help meet the need for these specialized services.

“Expanded training opportunities will help more students find rewarding health care careers right here in Saskatchewan,” Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said. “Our government continues to

work with post-secondary institutions to support students who want to train for these in-demand careers in our growing province.”

The MLT and MRT seat increases are part of the approximately 550-seat training seat expansion announced in January, which targets 18 priority health occupations. The training expansion is part of Saskatchewan’s Health Human Resources Action Plan, which aims to recruit, train, incentivize and retain health care providers in a range of key professions.

“This program expansion will support Saskatch-

ewan’s future workforce by increasing the number of professionals trained in these two critical health occupations,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said. “Increasing training seats for MLTs and MRTs will help to address shortages experienced in these areas and improve available patient health care services across the province.”

Both MLTs and MRTs are in high demand in Saskatchewan. Medical Laboratory Technologists and Medical Radiologic Technologists conduct medical testing and imaging services to assist other health

care professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and other medical conditions.

“Sask Polytech plays an important role in training students to support the future of health care in our province,” Saskatchewan Polytech President and CEO Dr. Larry Rosia said. “Thank you to the Government of Saskatchewan for expanding seats in our MLT and MRT programs. Our instructors empower students with the practical knowledge and skills they need for a successful health care career. Together we are shaping a healthier, brighter future for Saskatchewan, one technologist at a time.”

The information is from analysis completed by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) of the most recently available Government of Canada production and emissions data. It shows Canada has the ability to grow its production and role as a secure provider of responsibly-produced energy while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

“When we talk about growing Canada’s role as a responsible provider of natural gas and oil to the world – emissions performance is one of those measures. Canada’s conventional producers are demonstrating we can grow energy production to address energy security while also lowering emissions,” said CAPP president and CEO Lisa Baiton.

The CAPP analysis shows that between 2012 and 2021:

• Natural gas production rose by 35 per cent while CO2e emissions fell by 22 per cent. In that same period, natural gas producers reduced methane emissions by 38 per cent.

• Conventional oil production remained relatively flat (down nine per cent) with CO2e emissions from production dropping by 27 per cent – demonstrating the work producers have done to lower their emis -

sions intensity.

• Conventional producers have driven down methane emissions from total natural gas and oil production by 34 per cent and methane emissions intensity by 46 per cent.

“This track record of lowering emissions while growing production is a demonstration of why Canadian oil and natural gas should be the barrels of choice for the world’s energy needs. As long as the world needs oil and natural gas, Canada’s barrels should be a part of that supply,” said Baiton.

The data used in the analysis includes the Government of Canada’s National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and production data from Statistics Canada. Conventional production refers to all oil and natural gas production outside of Canada’s oil sands.

“The majority of conventional oil and natural gas produced in Canada, is consumed by Canadians. This production plays an important role in our own energy security and our producers are showing we can continue to develop our oil and natural gas resources and lower emissions from that production.”

Together CAPP’s members and associate members are a solutionoriented partner to Canada and the world’s needs for safe, secure, reliable, affordable and responsibly-produced energy, and an important part of a national industry with revenues from oil and natural gas production of about $116 billion a year.

Entrepreneurship for Trades

Microcredential

Through the Entrepreneurship for Trades program, new entrepreneurs will develop the skills they need to turn their ideas, products, and services into tomorrow's success stories with a comprehensive just-in-time business education.

Commitment: Four courses of 20 hours each

Delivery: Online classes with three live sessions per course.

Tuition: $280/course

Course Information:

Marketing Skills for Trades (September 25 to October 27, 2023)

Understand the Basics of Marketing for small business and startups.

Operations & Management Skills for Trades (November 6 to December 8, 2023)

Understand the basics of Operations and Management for small businesses and startups.

Finance Skills for Trades (January 22 to February 23, 2024)

Understand the basics of Finance for small businesses and startups.

Capstone: Business Plan for Trades (March 11 to April 12, 2024)

Develop a business plan for establishing or growing a small business.

| 1-866-999-7372 | www.southeastcollege.org

Patrollers keep kids safe

Photo — Sabrina Kraft

St. Michael teacher Tessa Scrupps directed Lincoln L. into position, as part of the after-school training for a group of new safety patrollers at the school on Thursday. The students were taught how to properly help other students cross the road and keep themselves safe.

Theodore Mead and his dad Jesse

some Nigerian pygmy goats at a petting zoo, set up as part of the Prairie Animal Health Centre’s open house on Sept. 13.

Photo 9267 — Greg Nikkel