Marketplace 2022-10-07

Walk in orange

Former Terrier coach faced hurricane

The Yorkton Junior Terriers are celebrating 50 years in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League this season.

To mark the milestone Yorkton This Week is digging into its archives and pulling out a random Terrier-related article from the past five decades of reporting on the team, and will be running one each week, just as it originally appeared.

This feature will appear weekly over the entire season in the pages of The Marketplace.

Week #3 comes from Sept. 14, 2005.

Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped New Orleans off the map, and former Yorkton Terrier coach Lee Odelein was among those to lose everything but his life.

Odelein lived and worked in the famous French Quarter district of New Orleans, and while he and his neighbours were warned Katrina was coming, he decided to wait it out.

“We’d had threats before,” said Odelein who has lived in the city the past 18 months. “Last year we had one and people tried to evacuate and it was a total nightmare, and then we only got a few drops of water.”

So while experts were predicting Katrina to be the worst hurricane ever

to hit the region, Odelein said many decided to simply wait and see. He reminded the French Quarter itself was established in the 1800s and has seen many hurricanes come and go. Buildings in the French Quarter are brick construction, and built wall-to-wall so everything is pretty solid, with underground electricity service, something most of New Orleans did not have.

“It’s generally pretty safe,” he said. “But, this storm was 75 years over due too.”

Even with that, when Katrina hit, Odelein said he knew it.

“I was sleeping and it woke me up. It shook the building,” he said, adding though the actual storm was not so severe where he lived. “It was more the effects of the aftermath.”

The aftermath of course was the rising flood waters which would leave virtually the entire city under at least some level of water.

With no vehicle Odelein was basically stuck in his second floor apartment, while chaos swirled throughout the city streets just outside his windows.

“There was no water, no power, no sewer,” he said adding without power for television “we didn’t really know the

50 YEARS

the Yorkton Terriers

extent of the damage.”

The morning after the hurricane hit Odelein said he did talk a short walk, and was amazed to see the way big trees were totally uprooted, and the damage wind had done to some buildings.

“But, as time went on it just got worse and worse,” he said.

Odelein said he had managed to fill his bath tub and sink with water, and had some food, but the situation was beginning to look grim. It was basically a case of having to go to the bathroom in a bag, and the streets were becoming filthy messes.

And then the looters came out of the woodwork too.

“Guys were walking down the streets with TVs or 10 pairs of Nikes. What were they going to do with a TV?” said Odelein. “… But, there was nothing you could do because most people carry guns down here. It was just a nightmare.”

The biggest target for looters were convenience stores as people went after cigarettes and alcohol.

Odelein said the looting was perhaps the saddest part of the whole situation because it showed the worst side of people.

“Usually in a crisis people pull together,” he said.

Odelein said the situation was made worse by an apparent total lack of a plan to aid the situation.

“there was total chaos in the city. There was no organization at all,” he said.

There was frustration too by the seeming lack of a plan to help.

“You’d look up in the sky and see military, coast guard and media helicopters but they didn’t seem to be doing anything,” he said.

So Odelein found himself in his apartment with no utilities, 100 degree temperatures outside, and the growing threat of diseases and looters weighing on his mind.

“I was starting to get worried. I was wondering

When

if I could get out, and how I could get out,” he said.

Odelein said it was also hard on his family because for two days he had no way to contact them to tell them he was alive, making for some difficult times for his parents watching reports of the devastation on the television.

Finally, officials came to Odelein’s area and him, “You really need to get out of here.” He said it was a case where there was a growing fear of disease from the dead bodies floating in the water, the burgeoning mosquito populations which could carry the diseases, and rats.

“All the rats hightail it to higher ground. They’re a real problem here,” he said, adding he fully expects a disease outbreak to be the next blow to the area. “… It would floor me if something like that doesn’t happen.”

A store owner in Odelein’s area was leaving the city, and they made room for him in the back of their Datsun truck.

“There were six of us in the back of the Datsun,” he said., adding he got out “with the

clothes on my back and a small backpack.”

Odelein was dropped off just outside Baton Rouge where brother Lyle, the long-time National Hockey League player drove in from Dallas to pick him up.

“I was safe, but I lost everything. It was on the second floor so it wouldn’t be flooded, but the looters would have got it.”

Odelein said he has no idea what the future holds for New Orleans, or whether he wants to be a part of that future.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” he said, adding “the French Quarter is an unbelievable place, really unbelievable, but it’s still under sea level.”

So Odelein is now back at his parent’s farm at Quill Lake where he will help with harvest, and determine what to do next.

“I’m waiting to see,” he said, adding if things settle down “I’ll go see if I have anything left, and salvage what I can.”

Odelein also said the next time a warning comes he will heed it.

“If there’s a warning, I’m going to get out,” he said.

The results of the August Traffic Safety Spotlight on distracted driving are in. Police issued 646 tickets to drivers using a mobile device while behind the wheel, and 122 tickets for driving without due care and

attention.

Distracted driving is one of the top contributors to injuries and death on Saskatchewan roads, which is why law enforcement and SGI were reminding drivers to put away their phones, eliminate distractions

Seniors, Parents,

and #JustDrive.

Other results from the August spotlight include:

• Impaired driving488 offences, including 304 Criminal Code violations,

• 5,454 tickets for speeding and aggressive driving. Remember, effective Oct. 1, 2022, tough new penalties for stunting and street racing come into effect and,

• 442 tickets for not wearing a seatbelt or having a child improperly restrained. It only takes a moment to #MakeItClick – a moment that can save your life.

The Traffic Safety Spotlight is a partnership between SGI and Saskatchewan law enforcement to focus resources on education and enforcement of traffic safety. The spotlights are themed quarterly and monthly around traffic safety campaigns such as impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and seatbelts.

For more information please visit the SGI website and check out our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as our new TikTok.

Ag in classroom includes historical aspect

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

It was a big night for the Yorkton Mill Heritage Society as it held its annual fundraising dinner.

Not only was it a night for a full house to hear guest speaker Sara Shymko talk about the importance or teaching agriculture in the classroom, but two major donations were announced.

Grain Millers has taken naming rights on the planned interpretative centre at the old mill for a donation of $100,000, and Ernie Aniuk has made a donation in a similar amount.

The dual donation push mill fundraising efforts past $1 million, about one-third of the amount the project will need.

In her presentation Shymko, who is executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom, said the interpretive centre can be an important local spot in terms of offering education to students about farming.

Shymko said teaching the history of farming connects directly to the history on Saskatchewan and “it matters.

“Learning about the history of milling (at the proposed centre); it’s going to inspire them.”

Shymko grew up on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan, and while she said she was “so privileged to grow up on a farm,” increasingly youngsters are not from a farm background.

Shymko related how in her role with Agriculture in the Classroom she was handing out seeds students could take home and plant when one young student came up and asked for seed for cheese. At that moment she said she fully understood the need for her organization.

“It’s more important than ever this generation learns where food comes from,” she said. “. . . There’s a growing disconnect between farms and kids.”

We are now at a point where Shymko noted there are youngsters in the province who have “never seen a cow.”

So when those youngsters have an opportunity to visit a dairy and see a cow milked it is really about understanding where their food comes

from, and the importance of the farmers doing that work.

“Milking a cow -- even if they know milk comes from a cow – is mind blowing,” she said.

Or “the miracle of an egg hatching, is pretty cool to see.”

Hands-on learning makes a huge difference.

“It connects the dots a little,” said Shymko.

And it’s not just children that need more agriculture education.

Shymko said an adult in Osler, Sask. was heard to say she “didn’t care what happened to farmers because she bought her food at a grocery store.”

Back to youth, Shymko said they require more agriculture education because they are the ones who must grow up to find solutions to farm issues such as climate change.

“The next generation of decision makers and big thinkers are in classrooms now,” she said, adding that they need to be interested in agriculture since the sector accounts for one-in-eight jobs in Canada.

“We need young

people today to be the solution to problems we’re facing today.”

So, Shymko said it is very important “to inspire youth to care about their food.”

It can all start with something as simple as students rolling out canola seed to see the oil that comes from it.

Or, having a school garden where they can grow lettuce and tomatoes and herbs to create salads.

“It makes a difference,” said Shymko, reiterating education about agriculture is critical. “. . . It’s not nice to have, it’s a need to have.”

Parkland College brings in-demand program to Yorkton

YORKTON – Starting in October of 2023, Parkland College will deliver the Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) Applied Certificate program at their Yorkton main campus. Students will be trained in a laboratory setting and will master skills such as collecting and processing medical specimens.

“Medical Laboratory Assistants have been identified as a highdemand occupation with critical levels of job vacancies and the strain of staff shortages is even stronger in rural centres,” explained Kami DePape, Vice President of External Relations, adding, “by training students locally, our hope is that they find employment in our surrounding communities, alleviating some of the vacancies. As a Regional College, we are committed to providing training that will help strengthen our local economy and enhance community services.”

The program was made possible because

of a unique partnership between the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan and Parkland College. The Health Foundation has donated $200,000 to cover the medical equipment needed for a new training lab at Parkland College. Strong support from Saskatchewan Polytechnic was also required to deliver this new health program.

“The Health Foundation strives to expand the quality of healthcare and medical services in east central Saskatchewan. Through this training partnership with Parkland, we hope to address MLA and other hard to recruit positions in healthcare and revitalize our local services,” said Ross Fisher, Health Foundation Executive Director.

Applications for the Medical Laboratory Assistant program opened on October 1st of 2022 and the program is expected to fill up quickly.

Displays were part of the evening as the Yorkton Mill Heritage Society held is fundraising supper.

Sara Shymko is executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom.

David & Anita Banow, Esterhazy

It’s more important than ever this generation learns where food comes from,

— Sara Shymko, executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom

EDITORIAL

Edmonton Miners make Minto Cup history

Canadian sports fans might not know the Minto Cup like they do the Stanley or Grey Cups, but they probably should.

The Minto Cup is awarded annually to the champion junior men’s box lacrosse team of Canada.

The Cup was donated in 1901 by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Minto.

In 1934 the last trustee appointed to supervise the Cup died, and the Lord Minto of the day eventually transferred it to the Canadian Lacrosse Association, which decided to award it as the trophy for the national junior men’s champion, starting in 1937.

The 2022 winners were the Whitby Warriors who took the Minto winning the deciding game in a best of three with the Edmonton Miners in August.

The Miners made history even in the loss as the first-ever Prairie team in a Minto Cup finals.

“It was unreal, just playing in it. There’s definitely a huge atmosphere with the Minto Cup,” offered Miner Jake Bowen.

“Overall, it was a great experience,” echoed Mathieu Gautier, who is currently on the roster of the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. “It’s every junior lacrosse player’s dream to make it there. It’s quite the journey. It’s the best teams in Canada.”

Bowen said looking through the program was inspiring “looking through at the history of all the teams that won it.” He also noted the long history really came into focus when he noticed no Cup was awarded one year because of the World War. “… The history behind the cup is so incredible.”

As for the Miners run, both players said they knew people weren’t expecting a team out of Alberta to really challenge for the Minto Cup, but the players always believed.

Gautier said the team felt they were contenders last year, but the Cup was not competed for in 2021.

“The COVID year we had a really good team,” he said. “We were all hoping to make it this year.”

Before the Miners had even played a game this sea-

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Sports

son head coach John Lintz went around the dressing room asking “what everyone wanted to get out of the season,” recounted Bowen.

There was only one goal, to win the Minto Cup.

Bowen said they still knew that they were underdogs in a major way.

“Nobody outside of Alberta believed in us,” he said, adding it was even that way once they qualified for the tournament.

Bowen said he understands why teams from Alberta are under appreciated, playing in a league with only four teams, so the competition is not generally what teams face in Ontario, and B.C.

But, the players believed they could wear ‘the glass slipper.’

“We were there to prove something, not just to compete, but to win,” said Bowen, who racked up 10 goals and 21 points in the Miners’ seven Minto Cup games.

Gautier said being discounted became almost a rallying point for the team.

“It fired everybody up in the room to be the underdogs,” said Gautier who was clearly fired up personally, potting nine goals and a team-leading 32 points in the Minto Cup run. (In 23 RMLL games, the St. Albert native recorded 110 points and received the Jim Bishop Award for leadership, sportsmanship and outstanding play).

Things started out like maybe it was just going to

be a case of competing but falling short, as the Miners lost their opening game against the Whitby Warriors 11-9, then fell 9-8 to the Toronto Beaches.

Then the Miners stayed in the mix edging the Victoria Shamrocks 10-8.

Finally, in the semi finals the Miner offence caught fire pounding the Beaches 20-12.

The win over the Beaches was historic marking the first time a team from Alberta, or from the Prairies for that matter, would be in the Minto Cup finals.

“The Beaches win was amazing. It was the first time an Alberta team made it to the final,” said Bowen. “. . . It was a great first for Alberta to make it to the final, but we wanted so much more.”

In game one of the best-of-three Whitby rolled to a 12-8, but a day later the Miners kept the dream alive with a 9-8 win in overtime, on a goal by Davis Dame.

The Miners were one win away.

The deciding game was a defensive gem with Marcus Needham drawing the Miners within one late, but when a penalty shot rang off the post in the final minute the Warriors had a 6-5 win, the ‘glass slipper’ not quite fitting the team from Alberta.

“We battled until the end,” said Bowen, who is committed to Queens University of Charlotte. He added the loss hurt, and even days later was he finally starting to appreciate what the Miners accomplished.

Gautier said the loss of course hurt.

“Right after the loss it was just disappointing,” he said.

But time has changed the perspective.

“All the hard work and effort, we can still feel good about it,” said Gautier. “… It was two good teams going at it head-to-head.”

And the loss did leave Gautier hungry and wanting another shot at the Minto Cup in what will be his last Junior year having already been drafted by Panther City Lacrosse ninth overall in this year’s NLL draft.

And, Bowen expects to be right there with his Miner teammates too.

Truth and Reconciliation day in city

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

A National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was marked in Yorkton by an Orange Shirt Walk down Broadway Street followed by an afternoon presentation at City Centre Park.

Ivan Cote with event organizing Yorkton Tribal Council, and MC throughout the day said it was good to see the day being “more promoted in Saskatchewan,” adding it was supportive to see some businesses close to mark the day, something he hoped would grow with more closing in the years ahead.

Cote said it was important to see so many people out for the walk wearing orange given the story behind the coloured garment – the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad.

“I went to the Mission for one school year in 1973/1974. I had just turned 6 years old. I lived with my grandmother on the Dog Creek reserve,” read Cote of Webstad’s story. “We never had very much money, but somehow my granny managed to buy me a new outfit to go to the Mission school. I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny

orange shirt. It had string laced up in front, and was so bright and exciting –just like I felt to be going to school!

“When I got to the Mission, they stripped me, and took away my clothes, including the orange shirt! I never wore it again. I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to me, it was mine! The color orange has always reminded me of that and how my feelings didn’t matter, how no one cared and how I felt like I was worth nothing. All of us little children were crying and no one cared.”

Webstad’s story inspired the shirt to become a symbol for the walk in memory of children who died in residential schools, survivors of the schools, and their families.

Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said he saw the walk as an opportunity to learn.

“I am proud to walk, listen and learn with you today,” he said, adding in learning it must be truth.

“Truth comes first before reconciliation can begin.”

Hippsley added he feels that reconciliation “is all about healing,” so that we can all build a more vibrant community

by “walking together in a good way.”

Vice Chief Heather Bear of the Federation of Sovereign Indian Nations said being in the park in the shadow of a new teepee sculpture was moving, suggesting she was “getting goose bumps on my goose bumps.”

And, also because the walk “recognizes an important day that all our children matter.”

Bear said it all started to become public with finding in B.C. where children, “loved ones that went missing,” were discovered in a “mass grave.”

From there other discoveries were made and a movement was born.

Through it all though First Nation people have persevered, said Bear.

“We are strong. We are resilient,” she said.

And now the young people of today are tasked with moving forward to a better future, a future that includes reclaiming their language and ceremonies.

It’s a path to reconciliation which is “about justice . . . forgiveness . . . about getting things right. It’s about treaty,” said Bear.

Bear said treaties cannot be forgotten or ignored, adding when

the signatories “touched the pipe” it was a sign of commitment to those treaties and with the Creator and that included “to get along” with white settlers.

Chief Clinton Key of the Key First Nation took things back to the children who died in residential schools.

“I believe all our lost children are true warriors of our time,” he said.

Key questioned whether people would be gathered together on a day like Orange Shirt Day, coming together without the lost children as an impetus?

“I believe our children didn’t die in vain. We are here today because of them,” he said.

The event in Yorkton followed the official dedication of a large teepee sculpture in the downtown park Thursday, an installation funded by the YTC. Cote said it was only the second teepee installation on municipal land, calling its installation “a step in the right direction.”

Cote said there are those who have not been supportive of the teepee, but said they need to be ignored and the symbol accepted as a positive in

the city.

Yorkton Tribal Council Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup picked up on the story of the teepee.

“It is a great day, and an even greater day because we can see our teepee. I’m so pleased to see it every time I drive by,” she said.

O’Soup said the teepee should be a symbol to bring people together, but there are people on social media who have the installation story wrong, and on a day based on learning truth, she said she had to address that.

For example, the City of Yorkton did not pay for the sculpture. It was funded by the Yorkton Tribal Council, said O’Soup.

It’s important to learn truths, she continued.

For example, the land was not taken from First Nations. First Nations signed treaties that signified “we would share the land (in exchange) for certain benefits, said O’Soup, adding First Nations leaders at the time “believed the treaties they signed were a benefit for their people for the future.”

And, because both peoples signed the treaties O’Soup reminded “we

are all treaty people.”

Similarly, First Nations people pay taxes, even if some believe that is not the case, continued O’Soup. Those living off reserve pay property tax on homes, income tax on earnings, and sales tax on goods bought in off reserve stores.

“I say to people learn the truth,” she implored.

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Simply How We’re Wired

I used to wonder if I contributed anything but the egg at my children’s conceptions. It was clearly my lack of selfawareness, back then, because as they’ve grown I’ve seen some glaring similarities between myself and my offspring.

When our son was young, my mother was very worried about how active he seemed. (Apparently no one in the history of our family had ever had “that much”

energy.)

Because of his lack of focus for most tasks, we did eventually become concerned. Instead of looking at ourselves, however, we took him to professionals who guessed at what was “wrong” and failed to help him anyway.

Fast forward, twenty five years later, and he still can’t sit still for any length of time, which is a blessing since he’s got small children and is now

PATTIE JANZEN Laugh at Life... Revisited

the funnest dad ever!

These days, it seems more important to gain a fancy diagnosis for what

Support shown

The Deer Park Ladies Club recently donated $250 to golf prospect Ella Kozak. The money was raised through a Golf-a-Thon fundraiser. Kozak is a junior golfer from Yorkton who is doing very well at

tournaments throughout the province and beyond. Here, from left are Deb Sapara, Ella Kozak, Lorinda Lemond, Gloria Kensick during the presentation.

may often be our learned or innocently inherited behaviour. But … does everything need to be diagnosed when many things can’t or don’t need to be fixed, anyway? Don’t get me wrong. A timely investigation of something serious is imperative but I suspect that if my son went for “testing” now, he’d come out sporting a diagnosis that might only serve as an excuse, and certainly discount simple inheritance.

I have come to accept that I work better under pressure. In fact, I sometimes purposely hold off accomplishing many tasks because I work more efficiently when I know I must stay focussed. Crunch time, if you will.

For example, if I have a deadline looming I can begin the project days before and most likely could finish it … if I was placed in a padded room with no windows.

Years ago, when we owned a cat, we acquired

a laser pointer. Alley, who would be quietly cleaning herself in a corner, immediately attempted to catch the light when we (a family easily entertained) took turns moving the red beam.

Not unlike our cat, I can also be easily distracted by anything whizzing inside my peripheral vision. If I don’t keep my eyes riveted to the computer when I’m writing, for example, but make the mistake of glancing somewhere else, I will lose my thought process immediately.

This very moment proves it. I just stretched and peered out the window. There is a car honking at someone walking four dogs. Four! I stand up to watch the show. I wonder if the person on the end of the leashes is a professional dog walker. Since none of the canines are behaving perhaps he is, at this very moment, reevaluating his occupational choice. But wait! The dishwasher stopped. Since I don’t know this machine well I must check it out, but on my way I notice crumbs on the counter and feel compelled to wipe them. There’s cake! I grab a small (I’m writing that, anyway) slice.

I sit again and peer at what I’ve typed, trying to refocus between bites of my snack.

When I was younger I watched my mother (the very one concerned for her grandson’s lack of focus) with a judgmental eye as she flitted from one task to the next, often not completing one before moving onto another.

My naive arrogance voiced that I’d “never” be like that. If you’re like me, you know that when a word like “never” falls from your lips you’re probably going to have to eat it, eventually. Long story short — I’ve had a much larger piece of that than the cake I just finished.

One day I googled, “medical diagnoses for someone unable to focus.” A long list of possible “psychological conditions” came up. Anything from ADHD, possible addictions and anxiety issues spread across the screen. I started reading but very soon felt as if I heard Charlie Brown’s teacher voicing, “Wah wah, wah wah,” in my head.

My inevitable conclusion: “Experts” may suggest some psychiatric anomaly but … so what? I’ve learned to function this way my whole life and so has my son who, for better or worse, is much like … his grandmother. Lol. It’s simply how we’re wired. (pdjanzen.com)

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Photo Courtesy Robert Kozak

The Sturgis Men’s Field Lacrosse team claimed the provincial title and the Harvest Cup at the Saskatchewan Field Lacrosse League championships in Sturgis held on September 24 ad 25. Team members from left, were: (back row) Nathan Hrynchyshyn, Camron Secundiak, Keannu Albarracin, William Hauber, Kaiden Masley, Cody Meroniuk, Cason Pugh, Cole Chasse, Jalen Bayer, Jacob Danyluk, Noah Tonn, and Justin Keller and, (front) Conrad Peterson, Zane Bayer, Shae Peterson, Bo Babiuk, Carter Masley, Brian Lubiniecki, Seth Rayner, Shelby Wallin, Rayden Ottman and Frazer Will.

Sturgis men’s lacrosse team captures provincial championship

Courtesy of Preeceville Progress

The Sturgis 9-1-1 Men’s Field Lacrosse team claimed the provincial title and the Harvest Cup

at the Saskatchewan Field Lacrosse League championships in Sturgis held on Sept. 24 ad 25.

There were six teams who competed all season in the Saskatchewan Field Lacrosse League SFLL)

including The Yorkton Older Knights, Regina Southern Comfort, Moosejaw Tommy Guns, Prince Alberta Prairie Dogs, the Saskatoon Plainsmen and the Sturgis 9-1-1 team, all looking for the opportunity to be crowned champions of the highest-level in senior field lacrosse in the province.

Tournaments kicked off with Saskatoon on Aug. 20, then Prince Albert on Aug. 27, Moose Jaw on Sept. 10 and Yorkton on September 17, and concluded with ‘22 Harvest Cup weekend hosted in Sturgis on Sept. 24 and 25.

On Saturday of the provincial championships in Sturgis, it was Sturgis on the field first, taking on and defeating Yorkton with a final score of 13-1. Next Regina defeated Saskatoon 8-7. Moose Jaw defeated Yorkton with a final score of 6-3, followed by Regina over Prince Albert 7-5, Sturgis defeated Moose Jaw 12-2 and it was Prince Albert over Saskatoon 10-5.

Sunday was the day of the finals that had Prince Albert defeating Moose Jaw 8-7, Sturgis over Regina 8-2 and Saskatoon downed Yorkton 14-4. Sturgis defeated Prince Albert in the final match for the title with a final score of 8-7.

“The weekend was great with teams facing some tough competition,” said Bo Babiuk, organizer. “It was great to see so many players returning to the field who had been previously been involved in lacrosse,” said Babiuk.

The weekend featured a steak supper that was well attended by the public, along with lacrosse players and their families.

New books marks 100th anniversary of Jetan

When it comes to chess, regular readers will know there are literally dozens of variants out there, some excellent, most less so, and a few historically interesting at least.

Jetan is a variant, that at least has an intriguing origin.

Jetan was invented – well I suppose maybe more accurately was sort of invented -- by author Edgar Rice Burroughs for his 1922 novel The Chessmen of Mars. I say sort of because the text regarding the game in the book have caused some discussion over the years about how the game is played.

To be fair, I doubt Burroughs was ever anticipating people playing jetan. It was likely a literary tool that he created with a basic understanding of chess so that it felt like a “martian” variant, but it is also unlikely be play-tested jetan very much, if at all, to see if it was ’playable’.

But given the success of the books it’s also not surprising there are those who have tried the game – I have made a set and even painted it orange and black to fit the theme. That said it has been played little.

That may change now though thanks to a new book.

Fredrick Ekman has penned Jetan: The Martian Chess of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and it creates a base whereby jetan becomes much more reasonable to play.

It’s about time I suppose given the game’s origin now stretches back a century, so it is safe to call jetan a historical variant too.

So Ekman’s book is timely given the game’s anniversary, and it is unique according to www.mcfarlandbooks.com the publisher.

“This first-ever book on jetan explores the game’s rules in depth and provides new interpretations based on up-to-date research,” relates the page. “It chronicles the game’s history, explores tactics and variants and provides a complete standard for notating games.

“Also included are three annotated jetan playthroughs and several practice exercises.

“Over 80 diagrams and photographs are used as illustrations, and an essay about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ lifelong interest in sports and games further contextualizes the game.”

Intrigued by the project it was a natural to connect with Ekman via email to learn more about his interest in games and of course the book.

Interestingly, Ekman explained he has no formal training as a writer, except a few courses on academic writing.

“But I have spent my entire adult life writing, both professionally and as a hobby,” said Ekman who was educated in computer science and worked briefly as a programmer, but then switched to freelancing as a journalist and translator, and for the past 19 years, has worked as a language teacher.

“Much of my non-professional writing has been

done for Edgar Rice Burroughs fandom, for example the ERBzine web site and the ERB-APA, an amateur press association.”

And of course Ekman likes chess.

“I love playing games, but do not have as much time for it as I would like,” said Ekman who lives in Nässjö, which is a small town in the highlands of southern Sweden.

“I guess my favourite game is chess, although there are many games that I like. Chess variants of all kinds fascinate me, but among the modern variants jetan stands out from the crowd because of its rich history and culture.”

But why a book on a somewhat obscure chess variant?

“I found that there were many misconceptions and myths about jetan, even among Burroughs fans and experienced players,” said Ekman. “I wanted to straighten things out and tell the world the truth about jetan. My truth, anyway . . .

“Writing a book on jetan was an idea that matured during a very long period, about 20-years, and even though I can point to a couple of formative moments, there was no sudden inspiration. It came to me gradually over the years.”

In fact, the exact reason to pen what is Ekman’s first book is lost to time.

“For some reason that I can no longer remember. I decided to finally realize my life-long dream of writing a book,” he said. “I tossed around some ideas, none of which had anything to do with jetan, and decided on a few that I would like to do at one time or another.

“The next day, I was reminded of jetan, and it was like being hit by lightning. There was my book!

“I thought it would have to be a very short book, and that I would have to include every piece of information, no matter how trivial. But in the end, I created a full-length book, and I cut things out because they seemed superfluous.”

The key to the book was setting the record straight on jetan, said Ekman.

“As a teacher, I naturally want to educate my readers,” he said. “Teach them about how to play jetan, about the game’s history, cultural context and influ-

ence.

“But most of all, writing is something I do for fun, so having fun while creating something that I could call my own was the primary motivation. For the most part, it has been a very rewarding process.”

So what can players expect with book?

“Since this is the first book on the topic, I wanted to be as inclusive as possible,” offered Ekman. “Some chapters are for Burroughs fans or chess history buffs, others are for the gamer who wants to learn more about tactics.

“And if jetan is not enough, there is an entire chapter all about variants of jetan.

“I hope that both the beginner and the experienced player will find something to learn from and to enjoy.”

Ekman said the various aspects of the book all have something to offer.

“I would like to think that each part has its own unique qualities,” offered the author. “It is impossible for me to pick one, and already it is apparent to me that different readers find different favourites.”

When asked what his book offers others don’t, Ekman reminded there are no other books on jetan.

“There are no other books about jetan. And there are no articles about the history of jetan, no compilations of jetan variants, very few serious treatments of jetan tactics, no published jetan problems and practically no annotated jetan games,” he said. “As far as jetan goes, this book is completely unique.

“To top it off, my chapter about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ lifelong interest in sports and games covers an area that has never been thoroughly explored before.”

As a result, Ekman is happy with what he had achieved.

“Yes, extremely. It is a great feeling to see all that hard work turned into a finished product. Also, it looks great in my book-case,” he said.

The book could find interest among more than chess variant fans too.

“I think I have two target audiences,” offered Ekman. “One is fans of pulp fiction in general and Edgar Rice Burroughs in particular.

“The other is gamers of all kinds, especially players of chess variants.

“Judging from initial reactions, both audiences seem to be happy with the results.”

As a reviewer the book is one that should be sought out by chess variant fans because of its connection to such a famed author, and for the fact somehow without a solid base, or widespread play the game has lasted for a century now. Perhaps with a foundation based on the book jetan will now gain a larger audience.

The book is available from most major online book sellers, and directly from McFarland’s web site mcfarlandbooks.com. There is both a print version and an e-book.

Bison play role in regenerative agriculture

By Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Brandon Sun)

A Pierson-area bison ranch and grain farm is using regenerative agricultural practices to protect the environment and help its herd flourish.

Brooks and Jen White, owners of Borderland Agriculture, located near the community of Pierson, brought bison back to their family farm 20 years ago.

“My project on the farm was to bring livestock in, and I chose to use bison,” Brooks White said.

Long before that, in 1882, Richard and Lorina White homesteaded the area, which was dominated at the time by sandy soils and a sea of mixed grass prairie, where bison herds roamed free.

Just 12 years before that, in 1870, Manitoba had joined Confederation with the Great Plains bison on the provincial seal. But by 1888, no wild bison were left in Canada, and the animals that once supported Indigenous communities and the Great Plains

grassland ecosystem were nowhere to be seen.

Now, through a grant from the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC), the Whites are making the most of their bison herd’s role in regenerative agriculture.

Each year, MHHC invites applications for grants through the province’s Conservation Trust for on-the-ground projects throughout Manitoba that benefit water quantity and quality, wildlife habitat, soil health and nature.

The Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association (MFGA) applied for the grant in 2020, with the Whites named as the farmers who would implement the project, which sought to convert 160 acres of grainland to a grazing system. By doing so, they wanted to demonstrate how regenerative agricultural practices can improve economic returns to producers while also providing water storage, improved soil health and increased wildlife habitat.

The project was a natural fit, Brooks White

said, since not all grainland is always suitable to be farmed as cropland. There were a few areas where the Whites’ grain farm encroached on riparian zones — strips of moisture-loving vegetation growing along the edge of a natural water body — and putting crops on those areas added more stress to the environment and led to fewer productive crops, White said.

“They were better suited to be put back into grass, like they probably always should have been.”

Having always been focused on poly-cropping — the practice of planting several kinds of crop species on the same piece of

land at the same time — the project allowed the Whites to seed 160 acres to a perennial pasture, which they then fenced and added a watering system to, installing structure to back-flood areas in the spring to encourage water infiltration and reduce field runoff to prevent downstream flooding.

“The No. 1 [priority] for us when you’re going to seed down grass and turn it into pasture is making sure there’s water there for the animals,” White explained.

Luckily, an existing source was within range of the new pasture, so a pipeline was run below frost-level so water could be brought into the area

COIN AND STAMP SALE

year round.

Having their herd of bison be able to graze in the area is the key to building soil and improving plant health, White said. The Whites rotate bison and domestic livestock across the farm, where they graze on a variety of forages, perennial pasture, cover crops, crop residue and corn.

Bison, which are physically adapted to winter grazing, produce manure and trample the soil, and that in turn helps to spread nutrients. White

farm reduce their fertilizer costs by 75 per cent.

“By maintaining plant cover and moving [the bison] through the farm year round, we are essentially mimicking the ecological system when the bison roamed the Great Plains,” White said.

This regenerative agriculture approach has paid off in changes to the farm’s soil. In fields where the transition was made from annual cropping to grazed perennial pastures, Jen White said she is seeing

CLUB

BISON

Continued from Page 7 “significant” changes in dung beetles and earth works in the soil, increased plant production and better water infiltration.

An array of wildlife, from moose and deer to waterfowl, have also visited the farm due to its improved habitat. Since one of the project’s goals was to improve the natural ecosystem for wildlife in the summer months, while stockpiling forage for the bison to graze on in the winter months, seeing a variety of animals on his property has given Brooks White a feeling of success.

“It’s important to try to look after what we have, and to us it’s a signal that our farm is moving in the

right direction when we see wildlife coming to our farm.”

Seeing bison making a comeback on the Prairies is a positive thing, said Meghan Thomson, Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation trusts program manager.

“They’re considered a keystone species in the way ecology works. They provided a lot of benefits in the way that they would graze the grass, which impacted soil health,” Thomson explained. “It’s great to get them back on the landscape to get those historical ecosystems working again.”

The Whites have shown, through the project and their regular farming practices,

that they are “outstanding stewards of nature” and of healthy lands, said Duncan Morrison, MFGA’s executive director.

“There’s a whole demographic of farmers that are looking at the principles of regenerative agriculture, especially around soil health. That is what a lot of farmers, such as the Whites … are pushing for. It’s a really good thing.”

White said that while a lot of his peers are also interested in regenerative agriculture, the mainstream farming world still needs to do more for the environment. One way the average person can help is by supporting businesses like Borderland Agriculture

that sell meat and other products that were grown and raised using regenerative agriculture practices.

“The No. 1 thing that will drive change is when people start to want their food produced by regenerative ag practices,” White said.

In addition to Conservation Trust funding, the MFGA Borderland Agriculture project was also supported by Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Souris River Watershed District and Manitoba Agriculture-Ag Action along with significant cash and in-kind contributions from the Whites.

Pierson is located 160 kilometres southwest of Brandon.

Game on: USask researcher using video games as antidote to distraction, procrastination

Victoria Dinh USask Media Relations

SASKATOON

A University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher is breaking negative stereotypes about video games by using them as a tool for combating procrastination instead of causing it.

“We know conclusively that video games are

good for your well-being. The literature is very specific on that front. The logical conclusion from that is, where do those benefits apply?” said Dr. Cody Phillips (PhD).

“There’s been this demonization of video games, where video games are seen as antithetical to working hard. And I’m not convinced that’s true,” said Phillips,

special lecturer in computer science at USask’s College of Arts and Science.

Phillips and his team recently received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant to create video gamebased tools to reduce procrastination for “knowledge workers” —

people who work in areas that typically require significant formal training and use that knowledge for “thinking” jobs.

Playing certain kinds of video games, Phillips said, stimulates feelings of motivation and capability. He referred to it as an increase of “self-efficacy,” or the belief that you are skilled and able enough

to accomplish the tasks before you. His theory is that by leveraging video game mechanics, these workers can help combat the procrastination that comes with the burnout of working long hours.

“We can use (video game) manipulations in order to encourage people to enter into a desired state,” he said.

Phillips used an

example from his own life to describe the core ideas of his research.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic Phillips said he would often find himself working longer-than-normal hours in isolation but would break up that time with small video game sessions.

As the pandemic Continued on Page 10

Submitted Photo

Brooks and Jen White, who own Borderland Agriculture near Pierson, converted 160 acres of cropland to a grazing system for their bison herd through a grant from the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation.

Practical strategies to improve your mental health

World Mental Health Day takes place on Monday, October 10, 2022. It’s the perfect opportunity to take steps toward improving your mental health and well-being. Here are some proven strategies to take control of your mental health.

1. Maintain your social network

Make time to see loved ones. Call a family member or go out for drinks with a friend. You could also try expanding your network of friends by signing up for a group activity. The sense of belonging and the bonds you create can help improve your mental health.

2. Move your body

Exercise reduces stress, gives you energy

and makes you feel good. Try out various activities to find the ones you like and practice them regularly. For example, you can garden, dance, run, do yoga or play frisbee; the possibilities are endless.

3. Gain new knowledge

Learning promotes self-confidence and contributes to a sense of well-being. You can register for a course or introduce yourself to hiking, try a new recipe, watch tutorials or subscribe to a magazine on a topic that interests you.

Finally, set aside some “me-time” and use it wisely — whether taking a nap or singing aloud.

How understanding your emotions can improve your mental health

World Mental Health Day, which falls on October 10, is an annual opportunity to raise awareness about mental health issues and take steps to improve your well-being. One important part of strengthening your mental health is learning how to better identify and understand your emotions.

What is emotional awareness?

It can be useful to think of your emotions as messengers. They tell you something about yourself, your needs and your situation. Emotional awareness is the ability to acknowledge and make sense of these emotions so you can express and act on them in a healthy way. For example, recognizing when

you feel stressed can help you identify the source of this strain and allow you to make decisions to improve your current circumstances.

Additionally, a crucial component of emotional awareness is learning to accept how you feel without judgement. While some emotions can feel positive and others negative, all emotions are normal. Rather than ignoring, repressing or judging your emotions as good or bad, you can greatly improve your mental health by simply accepting how you feel.

Why is this important?

There are numerous benefits to being able to understand and

accept your emotions. In addition to helping you work through difficult feelings, increasing your emotional awareness can help you improve the way you express yourself and communicate with others. Being more in touch with your emotions can also help you recognize how others are feeling, thereby improving your personal and professional relationships.

It’s important to remember that building emotional awareness takes time. If you’re having trouble managing your emotions, don’t hesitate to confide in a trusted friend or family member or reach out to a mental health professional for help.

Locally

“Anxiety & Pressure are two symptoms of sleep Apnea.” Are you getting the Sleep you need?

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Continued from Page 8 caused nearly universal upheaval in the workplace, Phillips called it the most productive he’s ever been.

“It made me feel confident and competent,” he said. “I got into a spiral of working and playing, and it fed into each other. I was doing my

best work because I was able to do that.”

It’s not a great leap in logic to use video games as helpful mental tools, he said. Some of his previous work includes investigating the therapeutic benefits of video games, as some players report quantifiable benefits from gaming.

“Commercial games, in general, have a lot of potential to be used in ways we aren’t using them, and be better leveraged by society,” he said.

Beyond modifying commercially available games, Phillips and his team are creating a program within the popular social messaging

platform, Discord, that will remind players to switch back to working to prevent using games to procrastinate.

The recent NSERC grant — giving Phillips $25,000 a year for the next five years — will help the research team explore a side of video game research that has remained

mostly untapped.

“We really are entering into an underexplored problem space, which is how can we adapt something people are being distracted by, into something that will hopefully help,” he said. “We are trying to turn a problem into a solution.”

‘Wwoofer’ and Keeseekoose students involved in equine-assisted learning

Courtesy of Kamsack Times

The final session of a six-week program regarding Keeseekoose equine-assisted learning and horse-powered reading was held Sept. 26 at Ravenheart Farms, located about nine miles northeast of Kamsack.

In the program, life skills and literacy were taught to 24 students of the Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre in Grades 2 to 12.

The program was paid by the Jordan’s Principal Fund, said Carol Marriott, owner of Ravenheart Farms Equine-Assisted Learning Centre and Retreat.

Jordan’s Principle makes sure all First Nations children living in Canada can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them, says its webpage. Funding can help with a wide range of health, social and educational needs, including the unique needs that First Nations Two-Spirit and

LGBTQ children and youth, and those with disabilities, may have.

Jordan’s Principle is named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, it said. He was a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba.

“We are supporting children who need help right away and are making long-term changes for the future, such as through reforming child and family services,” the webpage says. “For the long-term, we are working to build better structures and funding models. These will make sure First Nations children living in Canada get the products, services and supports they need, when they need them.”

Horse Powered Reading integrates social-emotional learning with academics; thus allowing students to see and experience reading with their entire mind, body and emotions by creating metaphors for the skills involved in reading, Marriott explained. Students interact with horses from the ground,

while using toys and literacy/reading props to identify obstacles and learn five critical reading skills: phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

“We plan to have an event observing the end of the program on Oct. 12,” she said, explaining that Ravenheart Farms, which this year is celebrating its 15th year, currently has eight horses on the farm’s 105 acres.

Working with Marriott is Alina Wissing, who is from a small village near Düsseldorf, Germany. She came to Ravenheart on Sept. 13 as a “Wwoofer,” a member of the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program.

“In the past 15 years, we’ve had about 25 Wwoofers working with us,” Marriott said.

The WWOOF program allows people of all ages to volunteer on a farm in order to gain experience of organic farming, while offering the opportunity to many people to

learn the language, culture and people of the host country in which they are volunteering, said information about the program. The host provides the room and board, and the “Wwoofer,” some labour.

Wissing came to Canada in May and spent four weeks in Toronto and then two months on a farm near Collingwood, Ont. She travelled along the east coast of Canada with her parents who were visiting, and then came to Ravenheart where she plans to stay for about six weeks.

A physiotherapist for six years, Wissing said she is not sure what she will be doing next, but hopes to spend about another year as a “Wwoofer,” possibly in the United States and New Zealand.

“Many of my friends have travelled, and I wanted to travel as well,” she said. “I wanted to do something with animals, and then I found Wwoofing.”

At Ravenheart, Wissing takes care of the horses, cats and

dogs and helps with the programs. She also helps with other farm chores, including piling firewood, weeding, clearing pathways in the woods, in fact, “whatever is needed.”

“I like the prairies,” Wissing said, pooh-poohing the often suggested advice for visitors to skip over Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where the uninformed say that it’s flat and uneventful.

Wwoofing is a great way to learn about other countries and meet new people, she said, pointing to the log cabin where she lives. It is one of three such log cabins that Ravenheart uses with the retreat portion of the enterprise.

Ravenheart Farms Equine Assisted Learning and Retreat Centre is located 15 minutes from Kamsack, and is owned and operated by Marriott, a certified Equine Assisted Learning facilitator.

In addition to Equine-Assisted Learning workshops and individual sessions, Ravenheart

Farms offers a variety of personal and spiritual growth programs/ retreats for individuals and groups, Marriott said.

“We are a naturebased Equine Facilitated Wellness Program,” she said. “We offer Equine-Assisted Learning, EquineFacilitated Wellness, and personal life coaching with horses through a variety of programs, workshops, retreats, and nature-based educational experiences,

“Partnering with horses can be a powerful and effective journey of self-discovery, recovery, and personal development, allowing people to gain insights and awareness into unconscious patterns, and to find alternative skills to draw on when faced with difficult life challenges.

“A variety of fun, engaging, and reflective activities with horses are facilitated in a gentle, respectful way, for individuals, families, and groups/ teams. Anyone can participate, and no Continued on Page 11

Continued from Page 10 previous horse experience is necessary and there is no riding involved.

“The focus of EAL is not riding or horsemanship specific. All activities happen on the ground, usually at liberty, which means no tack or equipment.

As a specialist, Marriott helps participants become aware of their energy while engaging with the horses.

“Horses pick up on our subtle body lan-

guage and feelings such as tension, fear, happiness, sadness, anger, grief and confusion,” she said. “Horses are always in the moment, and their ‘feedback’ is clear, immediate, nonjudging and authentic, based on how horses naturally behave.

“Equine-Facilitated Wellness can be effective for people of all ages and all walks of life, including corporate team building, life skills for youth, grief and loss, personal and professional growth

and development.

“Along with providing Equine-Assisted Learning and EquineFacilitated Wellness sessions, Ravenheart Farms offers retreats and workshops for individuals and groups, accommodation in our three rustic, yet cozy furnished heritage cabins, healthy and nutritious, nature trails and wetlands to explore, expressive arts, naturebased learning, meditation, and more.”

Marriott’s background includes a

life-long passion for animals, organizational leadership, human resources, volunteer management, literacy, injury prevention, workshop facilitation, and community development. Ravenheart Farms may be contacted at: www. ravenheartfarms.com.

Melville Model Railway

Several students of Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre were up close with the horses at Ravenheart Farms where they participated in a six-week program of equine-assisted learning and horse-powered reading.

Carol Marriott, left, owner of Ravenheart Farms located about nine miles northeast of Kamsack, has three log cabins that are used at the farm’s retreats. Currently living in one of them is Alina Wissing, a German physiotherapist, who as a “Wwoofer” enjoys working with the farm’s horses.

THE KREPAKEVICH family would like to sincerely express our gratitude for all the expressions of sympathy towards our family. To Bailey’s Funeral Home for their professional service, Deborah Smith for the comforting service, to Bruce Thurston and David Baron for their words of Gene’s accomplishment. The church choir, pianist Shani Apland, soloist Jackie Washenfelder and accompanist Amil Minken for the musical hymn, as music was Gene’s passion. To the many cards, floral arrangements, phone calls, and food brought to the house. Thank you to the Legacy Co-Op for your kindness and gifts shown to our family. The United Church Ladies Aid for the service lunch. Thank you to the homecare health nurses for all the care shown to Gene in the past year. Thank you to the ambulance attendance, emergency unit, ICU, 1st East, Regina CCU and hospital chaplain Rev. Lorna King. Thank you to everyone who contributed towards the Krepakevich Community Family Foundation or towards the Yorkton Brick Mill. Greatly appreciated by Gladys and Family.

Coming Events

FALL FEAST in Binscarth Community Hall, Sunday, October 16, 2022 from 5:00-7:00pm D.S.T. Feast including turkey, ham, meatballs, perogies, etc. Everyone Welcome!

Adult Personal Messages

68 YEAR-OLD MALE from Southern Saskatchewan desires to meet 48-60 year-old attractive female. Desire intimate relationship and friendship. Phone number and photo required. Please call 306538-2036

Apartments/Condos for Rent

APARTMENTS FOR RENT: Bachelor, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. Call First Choice Properties 306-621-5050 email: firstchoiceproperties@gmail.com

Houses For Rent

ADULT 45+. Renovated, furnished one bedroom suites for rent in Canora. Must have references. Phone 306-641-2489.

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LOOKING FOR snowblowers in very good running working order. Call 306-782-9131 or 306-6219783

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BEDROOM SUITE, 2 dressers, 2 deep freezers, coffee and end tables, kitchen set, microwave, linen closet, bookshelf, white cupboards, smoker, canning jars. Call 306-783-0452

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Card of Thanks

BRIAN WOODWARD’S family would like to share their heartfelt thanks to all those who expressed their condolences by way of cards, flowers, gifts of food, phone calls and emails. Thank-you to everyone who donated to the Health Foundation in memory of Brian. We greatly appreciated all those who attended Brian’s Celebration of Life. Thank-you to Tubman Funeral Home (Wolseley) and Bailey’s Funeral Home for their compassionate guidance in our time of great grief. Thank-you to Sara, Crystal and Ronna for all their support and professionalism.

Farms for Sale

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LOOKING FOR honest and sincere gentleman as friend and companion. Please mail Box JJ c/o Yorkton This Week, Box 1300, Yorkton, SK. S3N 2X3.

Farms for Sale

SPRINGSIDE HOUSING Authority is currently accepting applications for a 3 bedroom home. Fridge and stove included. Well kept, clean and quiet neighborhood. Rent is based on income. No Pets. For more information and applications please call Morlie at 306-792-2222 or 306-621-7815.

Suites For Rent

SPRINGSIDE HOUSING Authority is currently accepting applications for 1 & 2 bedroom Senior Suites at the Heritage Place. Fridge and stove included. Central laundry with two washers and dryers. Well kept, ready for rent. Rent is based on income. For more information and applications please call Morlie at 306-792-2222 or 306-621-7815.

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Canora Composite School presentation details residential school ‘cultural genocide’

It’s one thing to observe Truth and Reconciliation Day. It’s something quite different to actually learn what happened to residential school students.

Canora Composite School students completed an array of projects including artwork, individual projects, posters, song writing, and novel studies in the week leading up to Truth and Reconciliation Day (Sept. 30).

“I learned we had to acknowledge what has happened in the past in order to come to peace with each other,” said Meekah Unick, Grade 9.

CCS Staff members made bulletin boards, read Truth and Reconciliation books to their classes, and introduced lessons on reconciliation.

All students from Grade 5-12 attended a presentation on Truth and Reconciliation, led by Jennifer Bisschop, CCS library technician. Following is her presentation:

Residential schools

In Canada, the Indian Residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. Residential schools were established by the Canadian Government and admin-

istered by the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Presbyterian, and United churches. The schools operated in Canada from 1831 to 1996.

During this time over 150,000 children attended the schools. Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their family homes and sent to live in these boarding schools, completely alienated from their families. The purpose of residential schools was to educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into Canadian society.

Residential schools were underfunded and overcrowded; they were rife with starvation, neglect, and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, often including isolation from normal human contact and nurturing. Students were forcibly removed from their communities, homes and parents, and frequently forbidden to speak their Indigenous language and perform traditional music and dance.Residential schools caused immeasurable damage, disrupting lives, disturbing healthy communities and causing longterm problems.

For more than 100 years, the Canadian government supported residential school programs that isolated

Indigenous children from their families and communities. Under the guise of educating and preparing Indigenous children for their participation in Canadian society, the federal government and other administrators of the residential school system committed what has since been described as an act of

cultural genocide. As generations of students left these institutions, they returned to their home communities without the knowledge, skills or tools to cope in either world. The impacts of their institutionalization in residential school continue to be felt by subsequent generations. This is called intergenerational trauma.

Unmarked graves

It is estimated that over 6,000 Indigenous children may have died at residential schools. Many of the children died from disease such as: tuberculosis, malnourishment, abuse, neglect, accident, suicide, drowning, or trying to run away.

Many of the children who died in residential schools were far from

home. The long distances meant that families weren’t always notified when their children died. The official policy on burials was: “Ordinarily the body will be returned to the reserve for burial only when transportation, embalming costs and all other expenses are borne by next of kin.” Most indigenous

on Page 15

Grade 8 students, from left: Heidi Parmley, Kaelyn Shukin and Natalie Kosar created a poster featuring quotes on truth and reconciliation, and included black handprints to emphasize that every child matters.

Grade 9 student Meehak Unick said she learned that studying the history of residential schools is important for making peace.

Continued from Page 14 families couldn’t afford these costs. When children couldn’t be returned to their parents, responsibility for their burial fell to the schools, which didn’t always have the money to make proper funeral arrangements. Those that were given funerals were often placed in plots with no markers. These are the graves that are just being found now at former residential school sites.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was officially established on June 1, 2008, with the purpose of documenting the history and lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian Residential School system on Indigenous students and their families. The Commission took six years and interviewed over 6,500 survivors of residential schools.

In 2013 the TRC made 94 calls to action. The calls to action are recommendations and improvements for such things as child welfare, education, reconciliation, youth programs, equity in legal system, museums and archives, etc. As of today only 17 calls have been completed.

Reconciliation

Webster’s defines Reconciliation, “as to

restore friendship or harmony.”

Bisschop asked the students, “What does reconciliation mean to you?”

Here are some of the words the students came up with to describe reconciliation: “Respect, heal, education, friendship, listening, peace, kind, TRC, Canada, experiences, honour, fair, impact, future, improvement, relationships, apologize, acknowledgement, recommendations, knowing, harmony, culture, actions, participate, impact, knowing, history, share, change, learn, understand, aware.”

Truth and Reconciliation Day

The federal government recently passed legislation to make Sept. 30 a federal statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“The day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.”

Orange Shirt day Orange Shirt day is also Sept. 30 and was started by Phyllis Webstad in recognition

of the harm the residential school system did to children’s sense of selfesteem and well-being, and as an affirmation of a commitment to ensure that everyone around us matters. Orange shirt day is an opportunity for First Nations people and non-First Nations people to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

Orange Shirt Day was created out of Phyllis’ story. In 1973, when Phyllis (Jack) Webstad was six years old, she was sent to the Mission School near Williams Lake, B.C. Her first memory of her first day at the Mission School was that of having her own clothes taken away – including a brand-new orange

shirt given to her by her grandmother. In 2013, Phyllis attended the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School (1891-1981) Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in Williams Lake. At this event, Phyllis shared her story with those in attendance –and Orange Shirt Day was born.

Discussion Bisschop followed her presentation with a class discussion of the meaning of reconciliation to the students, and how “we as individuals” can work towards reconciliation.

“The students at CCS were respectful, engaged and had great discussion questions,” said Bisschop.

“Reconciliation

means regaining friendships and moving forward,” said Latifah Severight, Grade 12.

The Grade 9 classes partook in a GSSD poster completion on “What does reconciliation mean to you?”

Grade 9 student Mataya Ball chose to do a water colour on her interpretation of reconciliation.

Grade 8 students Kaelyn Shukin, Heidi Parmley and Natalie Kosar entered their poster featuring quotes on truth and reconciliation, and included black handprints to signify every child matters.

Grade 6 students Mya Dutchak and Tobbi Effa

coloured “Every Child Matters” pictures. Effa’s was in English and Dutchak’s was in Dene.

Mykelti Johnstone, Maggie Lemaigre, Chance Weinbender, Mrs. Bisschop, Kenzee Kopelchuk and Aubree Wilson highlighted some of the detailed picture books available for Truth and Reconciliation.

“I believe reconciliation begins with education and was glad to be able to talk about Truth and Reconciliation with the students and show them some of the great books we have on that subject in our library,” concluded Bisschop.

Harvest inches ahead of five-year average

Producers in the southwest and west-central regions are mostly done harvest and are now completing other field work, while others were slowed down by cool, damp weather.

Provincially, harvest progress reached 81 per cent this week, up from 73 per cent last week and still ahead of the fiveyear (2017-2021) average of 75 per cent.

East-Central Saskatchewan:

• Crop District 5 –Melville, Yorkton, Cupar, Kamsack, Foam Lake, Preeceville and Kelvington areas

• Crop District 6A –Lumsden, Craik, Watrous and Clavet areas

It was a slow week for many producers due to spotty showers and heavy dew in the mornings. 65 per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from 52 per cent last week and close to the five-year average of 69 per cent.

Many producers in Crop District 6A have wrapped up or are close to wrapping up harvest and are now hoping for a good rain.

There were scattered showers in the region, but no significant amounts of rainfall.

The Calder area

received 14 mm, the Earl Grey and Rama areas 10 mm and the Bethune and Langenburg areas two mm.

Once harvest has concluded, rain would be appreciated especially in the Crop District 6A portion of the region.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 49 per cent adequate, 37 per cent short and 12 per cent very short.

Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 43 per cent adequate, 37 per cent short and 17 per cent very short.

There are minor onfarm water shortages in the region, mainly in Crop District 6A.

Producers are worried about the quality and quantity of water their livestock have access too, with many sources dwindling into nothing or becoming too toxic for consumption.

Rain is desperately needed to replenish water sources in the region and reduce the pressure on producers to haul water.

The majority of crop damage this week was due to wind, waterfowl and rain.

Some of the crop is

coming off tough and being placed into aeration bins or grain dryers.

Producers are busy combining, harrowing, hauling grain, hauling bales and applying postharvest herbicides

Provincially

Many producers in the eastern and northern areas of the province are waiting for canola stems to dry down or for some warm, windy days to lower the moisture content of cereal grains.

Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 98 per cent of the crop is now combined. The westcentral region has 97 per cent, the southeast 74 per cent, the northwest 70 per cent, the northeast 69 per cent and the eastcentral has 65 per cent of their crop harvested.

The harvest of lentils and field peas across the province is virtually complete. Ninety-six per cent of durum, 94 per cent of chickpeas, 86 per cent of barley, 83 per cent of spring wheat and 66 per cent of canola has been harvested so far. There is an additional 26 per cent of canola ready to be swathed or straight-cut.

Small amounts of rainfall were received

across the province last week, with the most falling in the northeast and southeast regions. The Bienfait and Melfort areas received 35 mm, the Calder area 14 mm and the Marengo area four mm. Other areas in the province received anywhere from trace amounts up to 10 mm.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 34 per cent adequate, 35 per cent short and 30 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 27 per cent adequate, 39 per cent short and 33 per cent very short.

Some areas are reporting moderate to

severe on-site water shortages. Those producers are reporting that the situation is getting worse each week they don’t receive rain. Producers are hauling water, bringing livestock closer to home or are drilling new wells to replace depleted or unsafe water sources.

The majority of crop damage this week was due to wind, waterfowl and wildlife. Wind continues to impact unharvested crops by blowing swaths around, shelling out crops and causing lodging. Frost would be helpful for producers who are struggling with green stems as it will kill off green growth and reduce the need for herbicide appli-

cations.

Producers are busy combining, hauling grain, hauling bales, moving cattle and starting other fall field work, such as post-harvest weed control and harrowing.

Winter cereals cannot be planted in many areas due to the extreme lack of soil moisture. Fall fertilizer applications are also not possible in many regions due to the dry conditions.

A complete, printable version of the Crop Report is available online at https://www. saskatchewan.ca/cropreport.

Follow the 2022 Crop Report on Twitter at @ SKAgriculture.

After taking in the presentation on Truth and Reconciliation, Latifah Severight, a Grade 12 student at CCS, spoke of the importance of working to cultivate friendships and looking ahead.

Grade 6 students Tobbi Effa (left) and Mya Dutchak coloured pictures with the theme “Every Child Matters.” Effa’s pictures were in English and Dutchak’s work was in Dene.