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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

Anxiety on the tundra

By Sarah Lawrynuik Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Winnipeg Free Press) The rocks fly out from beneath the tires of Angela Mak’s Ford F-150 as she cruises down the gravel road along the coast of Hudson Bay just east of Churchill.

It’s a routine. Every day from July until November she comes out here looking for polar bears.

Mak and her husband Bill Fong are originally from Hong Kong, but

moved to Vancouver in the early ‘90s. In 2017 they travelled to Churchill during bear season — October and November, when the bears move out onto the sea ice.

After that one trip, their hearts were set on Churchill. First they bought a house in town to host friends and other guests, then they bought a small hotel when it went on the market in 2019.

The goal was to be as close to polar bears as often as possible.

As Mak cruises down the road, her excitement is palpable. She adores the enormous creatures.

She slows down and makes a U-turn on the gravel road to bring the vehicle to the shoreline side of the road. She points. “You see them there?� she asks.

Camouflaging among the rocks is a mother bear and her two cubs.

Based on the size, the cubs are about a yearand-a-half old, but polar bears stay with their moms for two to three

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years, nursing for the majority of that time.

One of the cubs starts nudging its mother after waking from a slumber.

Someone’s hungry.

Appearing somewhat annoyed at first, the mother bear gets up and walks over to a different set of rocks. She uses a tall, flat rock as a backrest and she sits up like she’s in a chair, exposing her chest for both cubs to feed in tandem.

Mak is giddy with excitement. As she snaps images of the mother nursing through her enormous telephoto lens; tears well up in her eyes.

She keeps looking back into the truck to make sure her other passengers are also paying attention to this magical experience.

She truly loves these animals. The novelty never wears off for her.

The animals are accepting of the human gazes upon them, going about their business as usual. One cub catches a smell and looks towards the vehicle, a big milk moustache across its furry snout.

Once lunchtime is over, mother and cubs lumber down the coast and hop into the water.

They swim east, with just their heads bobbing up and down in the waves, three in a row. They shake out their fur

before walking through a commercial gravel pit and out of sight of prying eyes. ••• The summer months are known as a polar bear’s fasting period, for everyone but the insatiable cubs who bring their meals to go. The animals gorge themselves during the winter as they prowl across the sea ice in search of seals.

Then, as the ice breaks up in the summer, they come ashore for months of roaming the land and living off their fat stores.

They burn off approximately one kilogram of body weight every day they go without food.

The looming problem for the animals is that in Hudson Bay (and across the Arctic) the number of days of sea ice cover is declining significantly.

On average, the bay is losing approximately one day of sea ice cover every year. Because of the changing climate, about a month of ice cover has been lost over the past few decades, says David Barber, Canada’s research chair in Arctic system science.

But of course, the change is not uniform.

There are still good years, where sea ice cover stays longer, and bad years, which are particularly hard on polar bears.

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“If you look across the Arctic this year, sea ice is at very low abundance overall. But if you look at the western Hudson Bay population, it’s actually done quite well,� says Andrew Derocher, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta — but let’s call him a “polar bearologist,� since he’s been studying this animal for nearly 40 years.

Derocher started studying the western Hudson Bay population of polar bears in 1984 before going off to the Norwegian Polar Institute. In 2002, he was hired by the U of A and has since studied them across the Canadian Arctic.

Discouraged by pandemic travel restrictions hindering his research, Derocher was able to monitor when the bears left the sea ice over the summer using radio collars. It was well into July this year when the first bears came ashore, and that is great for the bears’ health, he explains. “It’s a really good situation,� he says. “Longer term, it doesn’t change our concerns about the conservation of the population, because as climate change continues, we’re going to see shorter and shorter ice-cover Continued on Page 3

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

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TUNDRA Continued from Page 2 periods. But this really looks like a good year for the bears.”

In bad years he’s seen the bears coming off the ice weeks earlier, at the beginning of June.

“They come ashore with enough fat to easily go 130, 140, even 150 days without having any significant impacts on their likelihood of survival.

But once you start getting out beyond 180 days or so, now you’re asking every bear that comes ashore to have somewhere around 150 to 200 kilograms of fat to deal with that fasting period. And not all bears are coming ashore with enough reserves.

Usually the ones that run out are the very young and the very old. And that’s where we see these long ice-free periods increasing the mortality,” Derocher says.

Research co-authored

by Barber and published in Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene in 2018, demonstrated that Hudson Bay went from a median number of 130 ice-free days between 1981 and 1985, to 149 days between 1996 and 2000.

Between 2010 and 2014, it was 155 days. And with a median at 155, there are years that are well in excess of that number.

Across the Arctic, the last 14 years rank as the lowest sea-ice years recorded since tracking began in 1979, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center.

So it was with great relief that Derocher watched this one population of bears doing well this year.

There are several estimates for the size of the western Hudson Bay polar bear population and how it’s changed over time.

Derocher’s research indicates that in 1987 the population was approximately 1,185, which fell by 32 per cent to 806 bears by 2011.

In 2018, the Government of Nunavut reevaluated its quota on the number of bears that could be hunted based on estimates that the size of the population in western Hudson Bay stood at 842 bears, down by 18 per cent from its estimate of the population in 2011, which was 1,030 bears.

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s estimates are slightly different: 1987 (1,194 bears); 1994 (1,233 bears); 2005 (935 bears); and 2016 (842 bears).

Exactly how fast

and to what extent the population decline will look like for polar bears is being contested. But researchers tend to agree the future is bleak for the animals and it’s just a matter of how bad and how soon. Nature Climate Change published research in the summer that suggests the entire species is in danger of near extinction by the end of the century.

“With high greenhouse-gas emissions, steeply declining reproduction and survival will jeopardize the persistence of all but a few high-Arctic subpopulations by 2100,” the article states.

Much of the uncertainty of the safety of the polar bears has to do with no way to gauge at this point how successful humans will be at curbing global greenhousegas emissions and slowing the process of climate change.

••• Nick Lunn, a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, still remembers the first time he handled a polar bear. It was a brisk day, Oct. 10, 1981.

“I’d just come up to help a graduate student do some research and we landed at the airport and the fellow came rushing into the airport to grab me because they’d just immobilized a bear and they were working on it just behind the airport.

So I didn’t even have time to change into field clothes,” Lunn says.

While he has handled hundreds, if not thousands, of bears in the time since, he says it remains an incredibly special experience. He can’t imagine another job he’d ever want to do.

Every fall, he travels to Churchill from his home base in Alberta and he works with his team to capture and take measurements and biological samples from at least 100 bears in Wapusk National Park southeast of Churchill.

New information is plugged into one of the most comprehensive data sets available for any polar bear population in the world, with consecutive-year input collected since 1980.

That is, until this year, because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the data set will miss its first year of collection in the 41-year unbroken chain of data.

Andrew Derocher, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, has been studying polar bears for nearly 40 years.

While it wasn’t originally collected with the intention of it being used to understand demographic shifts in a changing climate, that is what it has become.

Lunn says there are a couple of key takeaways, such as the fact that over time the average weight of bears is declining. Using solitary adult females as an example, over the last 40 years, they’ve become approximately 40 kilograms lighter, on average.

Weight is a good proxy for understanding the health of the population, Lunn explains, because of how this population relies on its fat stores to get them through the summer and because of how much longer the ice-free period is becoming. With extra weeks tacked onto their fasting period in the spring, it is not surprising that

by September the bears weigh much less, and then also have to wait longer for the fall freezeup.

But the biggest stress is on mothers travelling to shore to birth their cubs, Lunn says, because the don’t go back out onto the sea ice in the fall with the rest of the bears.

They are in dens, where they give birth to their cubs, and don’t return to the ice until February or March.

“They’re on shore for upwards of eight months or so,” he says. “And, as I said, they’re now at 40 kilograms less over the last 40 years. So for them, that impacts the size of their cubs… and smaller cubs have lower survival rates.”

Mothers’ fat stores have to provide not only for their own fasting period, but also for the cubs to continue nursing

throughout the summer.

Lunn says over the same 40-year period, the survival rate of triplets has all but disappeared.

At one time, two to three per cent of the bears caught were triplets, but 1996 was the last time evidence of triplets surviving until the fall was seen.

“And we think that’s linked to lower cub survival,” he says. “That means at least one, if not more, aren’t surviving through to the fall.

(Triplets) are there in March, three months old. They’re not there in September when they’re nine months old.”

••• Despite the reprieve for Churchill’s bears this year, Derocher watched the ice season in other parts of the world with worry. He predicts that the bear populations living in Russia — the Laptev Sea population — are likely to be hit hard this year, he says, given the extraordinary heat waves that took place resulting in a significantly shorter ice season, as well as forest fires across Siberia. The problem is there are no monitoring programs in place for that population, so answers as to the effects will be scarce.

“One of the things we’re concerned about, and might happen, is that it would only take one or two really bad years for a population to really be set back,” Derocher says.

“We’re just seeing the slow erosion in the population (in western Hudson Bay), we’re not getting these devastating years, and by devastating, I mean we could lose 30 to 40 per cent of the bears in a single year if we got one of these really early break-up years.”

If an event similar to the Siberian heatwave occurred over western Hudson Bay, “it could be that maybe the bears come off in May. And now what you have is 800 bears, none of which are doing well, many of which are starving, unlikely to survive, many more bears coming into town than you would ever be able to deal with.”

The question would become: What do we do about it? Derocher says it’s a scenario we are not currently prepared for.

He foresees a time where conservation agencies will be presented with choices between euthanizing bears, moving them, or even airlifting in food caches to get the populations through the hard times.

But any of those options would be Band-Aid solutions, lowering emissions is the only means of saving the species in the long term, Derocher says.

Lunn echoes Derocher’s concern over a potential devastating event knocking the population down. Devastating events have particularly dire consequences for animals that don’t reproduce at high rates and are long-lived. Bears would take decades to recover, if they ever did, if something like that were to happen, he says.

••• Locally, and even more prominently in coastal communities in Nunavut, people have questioned the veracity of scientists’ claims that the polar bear population is declining there, as people are coming into contact with bears more often. In 2018, two people were killed by bears in Nunavut.

However, scientists explain this seemingly

contradictory information by looking at bear behaviour in bad ice years. Despite the fact that bears are supposed to be fasting when they’re on land, Derocher says, in a short-ice season when they come off the ice without enough fat stores they’re going to go looking for food. Urban areas offer a convenient one-stop shop.

“We know this population has been declining over time, and yet in some years we see very large spikes in the number of problem bears,” Derocher says. “Fat polar bears that are well fed, just aren’t going to be a problem. The concerns that we have is that as climate-change effects are being felt in the population, there are more individual bears that are not in good condition, and those bears just don’t act the same as a big, fat bear.”

“Hungry bears are desperate bears and they will do almost anything to try to stay alive. And if that means going into a community to try to hunt or scavenge, they’ll do that. That becomes the real problem. It’s no longer the same animal that you’re used to seeing. So there’s real concern that we’ll see these shifts in the behaviour of these bears going forward.

There’s great potential that they could become much more dangerous for local residents.”

Learning more about the bears that end up becoming a problem is an ongoing thread of research. If a bear is flagged on multiple occasions near or in Churchill, it ends up in “polar bear jail” — Manitoba Conservation’s holding facility. Derocher says at that point Manitoba Conservation will put a radio collar on the animal that allows it to be tracked after it is flown north and dropped off further away from humans.

“A lot of the bears are just passing through,” Derocher says. “Churchill is on this migration route.

It’s almost accidental that they get into trouble.”

The radio collars allow the bear to be tracked to see if it is heading back towards Churchill, so it can be intercepted. It also allows researchers to see if the bears that are being dropped off further north in Manitoba are becoming problem bears in Nunavut communities. Derocher says the Continued on Page 4

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

EDITORIAL We have the power to create a brighter future This is our last column for 2020. What a year it’s been! As if things weren’t bad enough on the environmental front — record-breaking global temperature increases, the U.S. backtracking on ecological protections and policies and pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, a worsening biodiversity crisis and more — the world was hit with a devastating pandemic.

We’ve been brought to a tipping point.

A common thread through it all is the dangerous politicization, and often outright dismissal, of science.

Those who reject and protest the simple steps needed to stem the spread of COVD-19 have contributed to ensuring those measures must be strengthened and kept in place longer than they might have — just as those who have cast doubt on climate science have ensured that resolving that crisis will be costlier and more painful than it could have been had we acted quickly and decisively.

Although the forces of ignorance, fear and greed enjoy support in powerful places, from governments to wealthy corporate interests, our hope lies in the fact that they are a minority — a noisy one, but a minority nonetheless. Most people want to do what’s right for their families, neighbours, communities and themselves. Most in government and business want to do their best to ensure we get through the multiple crises.

Our COVID-19 response proves we’re capable of making rapid, decisive progress. Although the pandemic is still spreading in some places, jurisdictions that acted quickly have slowed it or brought it under control. Our understanding of the disease is advancing rapidly and we’ve created vaccines in record time.

But we must start thinking longer-term. We still face worsening climate and biodiversity crises, and

DAVID SUZUKI

Science Matters new pandemics could emerge if we don’t address their mainly environmental causes.

It bears repeating that getting back to “normal” isn’t good enough. “Normal” means a global economy fuelled by overconsumption. A “healthy” economy in this context is one in which people continue to purchase and drive more cars and SUVs, fly more, buy more, waste more. It’s one in which people work long hours producing stuff we don’t need to earn enough to survive or to buy more stuff they’ve been convinced will bring meaning or happiness to their lives.

It’s an economy where the world’s richest one per cent own almost half of global wealth and account for more than twice the global emissions of the poorest 50 per cent. Where, in the U.S., government policy has helped some 600 billionaires grow their wealth

by US$931 billion during the pandemic. Those few hundred people now hold US$4 trillion in wealth, more than double that of the 165 million people in the bottom half of the population. It’s not much different elsewhere.

The United Nations Environmental Program just released its “Emissions Gap Report 2020.” It shows

that if the world doesn’t step up efforts to bring emissions under control, we will overheat by 3 C by century’s end. We’re already experiencing major effects of climate disruption, from increased extreme weather events to sea level rise to growing refugee crises. An increase over 2 C, or even 1.5 C, would be catastrophic.

It’s not sustainable.

But according to the UN, “A green pandemic recovery could cut up to 25 per cent off predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions and bring the world closer to meeting the 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.” Stronger action would get us near the 1.5 C goal.

Governments are supposed to serve us, the people, not just corporate interests. We must demand they do, just as young people and Indigenous Peoples have been demanding over the past few years. Many of our problems — from inequity to the pandemic to the climate and biodiversity crises — are related, stemming from a lack of understanding about humanity’s place in the world, and the interconnectedness of existence.

It’s time for a paradigm shift. Let’s take this time to reflect on what really matters — time with friends and family, our connection with nature, and the need to hold to account those we elect to represent our interests.

As we in the Northern hemisphere head into the darkest time of year, we know light will return. Let’s all keep ours shining today for a brighter tomorrow.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington. Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.

SGI marks 75th year with national sponsorship of Canadian Red Cross SGI is celebrating its 75th year of operations with an anniversary gift in the form of a $125,000 sponsorship to the Canadian Red Cross.

The donation is SGI’s first-ever national sponsorship. The company will provide $25,000 to the provincial branches of the Canadian Red Cross in each of the five provinces where SGI CANADA operates (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and

Ontario). The funding will be used to assist in disaster relief efforts by the Canadian Red Cross.

As part of the partnership, SGI is also providing an opportunity for the Red Cross to access a list of SGI volunteers to assist with disaster efforts under the Red Cross’ Ready When the Time Comes program.

“Supporting the communities where it operates is a core value for SGI, and philanthropy is part of the company’s

TUNDRA Continued from Page 3 evidence doesn’t suggest that’s the case.

“They definitely are getting bears that have been near Churchill, but it doesn’t seem that the ones that are causing problems around the town of Churchill are necessarily the ones that are going to cause trouble up in Arviat, for example,” he says.

Meanwhile, some sort of community alarm or warning system has been in the works for years.

“Any early warning in communities is always going to be beneficial,” Derocher says.

“Because we are seeing bears spend more time on land across the Arctic and increasing conflicts with humans, and

DNA,” said Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan. “The Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to improving the lives of people who have been affected by disasters, and we are proud to support their efforts.”

Through a network of volunteers, the Canadian Red Cross helps those affected by a personal disaster such as a house fire, or large-scale disasters such as a forest fire or flood. Depending on the need, the Red Cross

so having some sort of ability to at least detect some of the animals coming in is going to be a benefit. The problem is a lot of these communities are very small (and) the equipment isn’t cheap; it requires someone to be monitoring it, to some degree. But the intent of it is to have it go to the RCMP in some of these small communities or wildlife (conservation workers) would get a text or an alarm that there’s something moving through the community.”

This community safety feature is unfortunately still a few years away, he says.

••• In 2006, Time magazine published a photo of a polar bear stranded on an ice float under

may assist with shelter, food, clothing and other supports to those displaced by a disaster.

“This generous contribution will help a lot of people in the wake of a disaster, whether that is a house fire or after a large-scale emergency,” said Melanie Soler, Canadian Red Cross Vice President of Emergency Management. “SGI has been a great partner with the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan, and we are very grateful for the

the headline, “Be worried. Be very worried.” The years since have only further cemented the polar bear’s place as the icon of the climate crisis. And yet, there is no progress on saving the animals. Global greenhouse-gas emissions continue to rise, perhaps slowed only ever so briefly by the global pandemic. The devastating blow to the world’s rich fabric of biodiversity is on course.

Lunn says he thinks that using polar bears as an icon for the problem is a positive thing. It gives people something beyond particulate matter in the atmosphere to latch onto — the beloved bears help people understand the magnitude and consequence of the loss of bio-

extension of its support of our emergency management program across Western Canada and in Ontario.”

Three-quarters of a century ago, SGI began as a small governmentowned company operating out of a single office in the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.

SGI was built on the idea that a publicly owned insurance company could deliver affordable insurance to the people of Saskatchewan.

diversity the world is facing.

“Polar bears are something people can readily identify,” he says.

“They’re cute and cuddly.

So I think it’s helped the discussion a lot, to at least make people aware, and I think that’s probably the key. The critical thing to me is that we’re not just talking about polar bears, yes, that gets peoples’ attention.

But we’re really talking about an Arctic marine ecosystem that is impacted by climate change and these ecosystems are linked. It’s a single planet.

“So yes, things are happening faster in the polar regions, but it doesn’t mean that things won’t happen elsewhere.”

Today, SGI is a strong presence in the Canadian insurance industry that also serves customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Alberta as SGI CANADA. The company’s prairie values have helped it attain industry-leading customer satisfaction ratings.

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e-mail: editorial@yorkton thisweek.com 20 Third Avenue North, Yorkton, S3N 1B9 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

Thank you, Yorkton 2020 has been a year unlike any other.

We have all been challenged in unexpected ways to step up for our communities.

But we’ve been inspired by the amazing ways you have taken care of each other.

Your support for frontline workers, seniors, teachers, neighbours, families with sick children and the many people with critical needs here in the community has been above and beyond, and then beyond that even more.

We want to say a BIG thank you for the unwavering kindness, generosity and togetherness you’ve shown for one another this year.

Thank you to our guests for always making us part of your day, and for giving back through campaigns like Fries for Good, which raised over $2.9 million to support both the Canadian Red Cross and families who turn to Ronald McDonald House Charities® across Canada to stay close to their sick child being treated at the local hospital.

Jacques Mignault President & CEO McDonald’s Canada

Thank you to our incredible restaurant teams who have supported our neighbours on the front lines of the pandemic: providing coffee to Yorkton’s health care workers, emergency services personnel and teachers, donating meals to health care providers and donating to local community organizations including the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan’s annual golf tournament and radio-thon events, the Yorkton Terriers Junior Hockey Club, and the Yorkton Cardinals.

Raj Bains Owner and Operator Yorkton, Saskatoon

The generosity shown by everyone this year has made a difference in the lives of so many, but there are more needs to meet. The holiday season is a time of year when increasing numbers of families turn to food banks to put dinner on their tables, so McDonald’s Canada and our local restaurant owners from across the country will continue to step up by supporting with a donation that will provide 400,000 meals to Food Banks Canada’s nationwide network. Here in Saskatchewan that means almost 13,000 meals to families in need.

We know there’s a difference between being in a community, and being part of one, and we are humbled and proud to be a part of yours.

From our McFamily to yours, we say thank you, Yorkton.

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

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If you’re found guilty of driving under the influence, you’ll end up with a criminal 1. YOUR LICENCE One potential penalty for driving under the record, which could complicate many facets influence is that your licence may get of your life, from landing a job to travelling. revoked. In some regions, first-time offenders are prohibited from driving for a 4. YOUR JOB period ranging from several months to a year. If your job requires you to operate a vehicle (for example, if you’re a trucker, delivery 2. YOUR MONEY person or taxi driver) you may be forced to In addition to getting fined for the infraction, leave it. you’ll need to pay for a lawyer. You can also This may also be the case if your employer expect to spend more on car insurance for demands that you have a clean criminal many years to come. Additional expenses record. may be involved too. Depending on the circumstances, you may have to settle up 5. YOUR LIFE with a victim or pay into a compensation Impaired driving heightens your risk of being in an accident, and if you add poor road conditions to the equation, it could make matters worse. If you get into a car crash, you could be seriously injured or killed, or you could injure or kill your passengers or other road users.

If you plan to consume drugs or alcohol, make sure you have a safe way to get home. Call a taxi, hire an Uber or catch a ride with a friend.

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

By Aubrey, Yorkdale Central School, Grade 4.

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

Digging into the ancient clam gardens that fed coastal First Nations for millennia

By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative (Canada’s National Observer) British Columbia’s West Coast is a hotbed of activity when it comes to ancient aquaculture.

First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast, modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks, boost production and feed their people, research indicates.

But Indigenous clam production on Quadra Island — located between the B.C. coast and Vancouver Island in the territories of the Laich-Kwil-Tach First Nations and northern Coast Salish — was especially intensive, said researchers Dana Lepofsky and Christine Roberts.

“Just around the northern end of Quadra Island there are around 89 clam gardens,” said Roberts, an archeologist and member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation.

“Clams were clearly a

main staple. But when people died off and got sick and there were less people, (the gardens) were used less.”

The clam gardens are definitely crammed into every possible nook and cranny in Waiatt and Kanish bays in northern Quadra, said Lepofsky, a professor at Simon Fraser University and researcher with the Hakai Institute.

“So there’s something interesting about Quadra and the social and ecological context of that place,” Lepofsky said.

“There are clam gardens everywhere you turn. And that’s not the same for other places on the coast.”

Carbon dating shows some of the clam gardens on the north end of the island are at least 3,500 years old, if not more, Lepofsky said.

The aquaculture beds were created by constructing rock walls at the low tide line on the edges of bays or inlets.

As a result, sloped beaches and rocky shorelines transform over time

Photo courtesy of Julia Jackley.

Archeologist Dana Lepofsky, above, says First Nations clam gardens were an extensive and ancient technique to enhance food security. into levelled beach terraces with shallower water favourable for cultivating butter and littleneck clams.

Scientific curiosity in clam gardens was sparked after numerous rock formations were noticed along the coastline during some aerial surveys. Further conversations with Indigenous elders revealed the structures’ use and sparked archeological interest in the technol-

ogy, Roberts said.

“I think doing that kind of research is important, because 15 years ago people might not have known what we were talking about,” Roberts said.

“But now, it’s at the forefront and even included in school books, which is great.”

The structures in Quadra’s northern bays take up 35 per cent of the shoreline (approximately 15 kilometres of rock

walls) to create almost 113,000 square metres of terraced beach, a recent paper co-authored by Lepofsky and Roberts found.

In creating the structures, available clam habitat was boosted by as much as 36 per cent.

What’s more, more than a third of the total area constructed was on bedrock shelves where no clam habitat existed prior, Lepofsky said.

It wasn’t just about creating the beds, but ensuring increased production, she added.

Walled clam gardens contained four times the number of butter clams, and more than twice the amount of littleneck clams compared to other unaltered beaches.

Plus, shellfish grew faster in the shallower, warmer waters.

“They are very ingenious,” Roberts said, adding the clam beds demonstrate First Nations were actively modifying their environment, but in a sustainable manner, to boost food security.

Not only did people

Even in this cold winter weather, may the spirit of Christmas warm your heart and fill your soul.

Merry Christmas from

YORKTON SMALL ENGINE & REPAIR 386 - 7th Ave. N., Yorkton, SK 306-783-0544

It’s been a tough year. But all across Saskatchewan, we’re thankful for every worker on the frontlines who’s helping our families get through this pandemic, together.

From all of us at SGEU, have a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

build the structures, but the clam beds also had to be worked and maintained, Roberts said.

Beaches had to be cleared of debris and clam beds required regular digging to turn over the silt and sand, as well as the harvesting of older specimens to sustain ideal conditions for young clams.

“It’s cool to see how many resources were used up and down this coast,” Roberts said.

“You just don’t walk onto a pristine beach or forest that hasn’t been used, modified or accessed by First Nations.”

The proliferation and density of clam beds on Quadra suggests area First Nations wanted to ensure food security for a sizable population, Lepofsky said.

The way First Nations managed their aquatic resources can provide valuable insights for contemporary aquaculture in terms of conservation and management, she added.

“This technology really represents a sustainable and intelligent method for harvesting clams to feed people over generations,” Lepofsky said.

“Are there things that we can take forward (from the gardens) in this age of climate change?’”

However, the continued study of clam gardens has value beyond just mitigating the effects of global warming, she stressed.

“It’s not simply just helping us out of the problems that we created,” she said.

“It’s being respectful of the knowledge base that Indigenous people have — which is kind of a fundamental part, I believe, of reconciliation.”

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

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Pollinators key to sustainability, says Claire Kremen, 2020 Volvo Environment Prize winner Marc Fawcett-Atkinson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (National Observer) Forget lions, tigers and bears: For Claire Kremen, conserving insects is more important. Around the world, forests, meadows and wild spaces are being rapidly transformed into farmland, pushing wildlife into steep decline and threatening our food security.

It’s a crisis that Kremen, professor of zoology, conservation biologist and recipient of the 2020 Volvo Environment Prize, has dedicated a lifetime to solve. The annual prize is among the world’s most respected environmental honours and includes a cash award of $210,000.

“Over time, our farms have gotten larger, they’ve tended to get more simplified,” said Kremen.

That change has made it increasingly difficult for pollinators like bees and flies — responsible for about 75 per cent of the world’s crops — to survive.

Fortunately, reversing the catastrophe is possible, she said, by making working lands like farms and ranches more ecologically diverse.

Between 60 and 70 per cent of the Earth’s terrestrial surface is used by people for farming, forestry or ranching.

They’re the lands that feed us; however, many of the management practices used on them to maximize food or timber production are driving

Photo by Volvo Environment Prize

Claire Kremen is a conservation biologist, a professor of zoology at UBC and this year’s recipient of the Volvo Environment Prize for her work on pollinator habitats and agriculture. astonishing biodiversity loss.

Among the most worrying trends is the rapid decline of pollinators. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 16.5 per cent of pollinators are threatened with extinction. About a third of Europe’s bee and butterfly species are declining.

Industrial agriculture, an approach to food production promoted by governments and agribusiness for decades, is largely to blame.

“Pesticides are being used to control crop pests, but, unfortunately, they tend to be not that targeted and ... affect beneficial insects like pollinators as well,” Kremen explained. “And then there’s habitat change.”

That change has been marked by the trans-

formation of biodiverse farm fields, forests or meadows into fields of a single crop, or monocrops. These are like food “deserts” for pollinators, Kremen explained, and leave the insects struggling to find enough food.

B.C.’s blueberry farms are an example. Rows upon rows of blueberry bushes all need to be pollinated when they bloom in the spring — a Herculean task for native pollinators, which

are often helped by hives of domesticated honeybees that farmers rent to ensure their

crops get pollinated. But that pollen feast is quickly over, leaving native pollinators with almost nothing to eat for months, and making it difficult for them to survive.

That’s bad news, and not only for the insects.

“You get into this situation where the farmers become really, really reliant on importing honeybees to provide pollination services because the native pollinators just aren’t abundant enough anymore,” she said.

Imported bees also have problems — collapsing colonies, queen bee shortages — and aren’t very good at their job.

Native bumblebees, a species that has seen its relative abundance decline by 97 per cent in North America, are much better at har-

vesting and transporting blueberry pollen than their domesticated cousins. They’re built to fit a blueberry flower and can vibrate their wings at the right frequency to loosen the pollen; domesticated honeybees can’t. That makes it easier for the bumblebees to coat themselves in pollen and continue pollinating other plants.

“There is research that has shown in different crops that, sometimes, the combination of honeybees and other pollinators can be more effective for pollination and getting a good harvest,” Kremen said.

Increasing that diversity is possible: It’s Kremen’s life’s work. She studies how agricultural landscapes can be made more diverse to better support pollinators and other wildlife. It’s an Continued on Page 10

Dream WEDDINGS

Bridal & Formal Wear 91 Broadway St. E., Yorkton, Sask.

Phone 306-782-6000

Seasons Greetings

A world of Good Wishes One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year.

May the joy of the season and the good tidings of the New Year bring peace, happiness and prosperity to your home.

Legacy Co-op Board of Directors, Management & Staff

(306) 783-9446 501 York Rd W, Yorkton, SK

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

ENVIRONMENT Continued from Page 9 agro-ecological approach that can include everything from adding hedgerows to planting pollinator-friendly meadows near farm fields and diversifying the plants under cultivation.

Critics of this approach say it’s less efficient and won’t be able to produce high enough yields to meet the world’s growing population. Kremen disagrees.

Her research has shown that strong native pollinator populations can actually increase yields while helping

farmers reduce their costs and reliance on imported bees. “(When you’re) thinking about a farming system that we can really count on for the long-term future, then it’s better not to have all your eggs in one basket,� she said. “Professor Kremen’s work on diversified farming systems and conservation has helped us to understand how the increasingly globalized food system affects biodiversity, sustainability, and equity, and — most importantly

— how to significantly improve this system so that we can feed ourselves while protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change,� the jury of the Volvo Environment Prize Foundation said in a statement announcing Kremen’s win. “I’m not suggesting that we need to rely solely on native pollinators, but they have a really good part to play in crop pollination. Creating conditions in which they can thrive is basically an insurance policy,� Kremen said.

That insurance policy is increasingly important. Unprecedented rates of extinction and a changing climate are putting evermore strain on our agricultural and food systems. Transforming how food is grown in B.C. and beyond is essential to long-term sustainability and food security. Focusing on pollinators is a good place to start, she said. “I sort of see pollinators as your gateway drug to sustainable agriculture. Because who doesn’t like pollinators?�

Legacy Co-op supports Yorkton & District Community Foundation With a recent donation of $10,000 to the Yorkton & District Community Foundation, the Legacy Co-op is continuing the 80-year tradition of benefiting the communities it serves. “We are pleased to partner with the Legacy Co-op to create an endowment in their name,� says Ray Bailey, President of the Yorkton & District Community foundation.

Legacy Co-op has served the area since 1940, in Yorkton, Kamsack, Churchbridge, Theodore, Ebenezer, Rhein, Langenburg, Esterhazy, Macnutt, and Dubuc, providing the retail services of food stores, gas bars, cardlocks and agro centres. “Co-operatives are always involved in their communities and wherever we serve throughout Western Canada cooperatives are known for caring about their customers and the com-

munity at large,� says Gene Krepakevich, Vice President of Legacy Co-op. “It gives us great pleasure to be able to give back to our community.�

With this donation Legacy Co-op is establishing a named endowment fund that will grow year after year to support annual grants, local charities, and communities in the district.

Yorkton & District Community Foundation is operated by a local volunteer board of directors and is a member of Community Foundations of Canada. Community foundations connect donors and charities to identify and address local community needs, advocate for meaningful social change and to make meaningful and lasting contributions to the well-being of the community.

-Submitted

Submitted Photo

Gather ’Round, It’s Christmas!

It wouldn’t be Christmas without good friends like you!

Thanks for making our year so merry with your visits.

We hope your holiday is filled with more than enough joy to go around. Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a prosperous and happy New Year!

A Blessed Christmas.

A Season of Goodwill & Beauty.

May His love surround you at Christmas time and always, making your spirit bright and your heart content. As we celebrate the reason for the season, we reflect on how fortunate we are to be celebrating this special time of year here at home with all of you. We are so grateful for your fellowship and friendship. God bless you and yours!

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IN THIS SEASON s OF GIVING‌ e n s u s

In sincere appreciation of your support and partnerships, we extend our warmest thoughts and best wishes for good health and a joy-filled holiday season.

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herever it is you call home, may His good graces reside with you and your loved ones this holiday season. We thank you ever so much for your kind patronage.

We’d like to give you our thanks and best wishes for a holiday trimmed with lots of good times and good cheer. For the friendship and support you’ve given us, we are sincerely grateful.

Happy Holidays!

Partners, Harold Reid, CPA, CA; Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA; Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA; Kyle Paul, CPA, CA; Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA and Ian McMullan, CPA, CA along with Yorkton staff (Kurtis Panchuk, CPA, CA; Travis Greiner, CPA Student; Nathan Bewcyk, CPA Student; Kelsey Rapp, CPA Student; Alanna Olson, Technician; Cindy Robertus, Technician and Fjola Johnson, Administration) and staff from the Shoal /DNH 5XVVHOO DQG %UDQGRQ 0% RIÂżFHV Providing various services including personal and corporate tax preparation and SODQQLQJ ÂżQDQFLDO VWDWHPHQW SUHSDUDWLRQ VXFFHVVLRQ SODQQLQJ DQG DFFRXQWLQJ DQG DXGLWLQJ VHUYLFHV

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Addressing social isolation for people living with dementia

By Marilyn Bader, B.A. Dementia Project Facilitator Parkland Valley Sport, Culture & Recreation District Did you know that over 400,000 people in Canada1 have been diagnosed with dementia?

Since most people living with dementia are over the age of 65, the babyboomer population effect is expected to nearly double that number in the next 10 years.

This expanding number and the effects on those living with dementia and their care providers has prompted several research projects. Some research is focused on medical prevention and treatment strategies.

Research is also being conducted into ways of reducing social stigma and increasing social inclusion for both people living with dementia and their care partners.

In early stages of the disease, symptoms many people living with

dementia can experience allow them to continue with their usual life and personal routines. Varying levels of assistance and support may be required; these are as varied as the individual’s symptoms and the progression of the disease. Often, this support is provided by family members until symptoms advance to the point where long-term care facilities may be advised. Both the disease and the support required can take a heavy toll on the people affected, and often results in social isolation. As we all know from COVID practices, even the simple pleasure of shopping or going out for coffee may pose a greater risk for seniors and may make such tasks for people living with dementia out of reach.

Dementia Supports in Rural Saskatchewanis a project initiated by the S a s k a t c h e w a n Population Health and Evaluation Research

Unit (SHPERU)2. The project team is collaborating with the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan and other provincial and local organizations to design and implement individual, community and organizational level

interventions that enhance social inclusion of older adults with dementia.

As more interventions and services exist in cities and larger communities, this study focuses on those living in small

towns and rural communities. One of the local organizations that has become involved is Parkland Valley Sport, Culture, and Recreation District (PVSCRD), which is examining which social inclusion

services currently exist in their district. Their research focuses on Preeceville, Sturgis, Norquay, Canora, Kamsack, Ituna, Yorkton and Melville. In the future, PVSCRD wants to Continued on Page 12

J H WAY EU N OW E L SEASON’S GREETINGS M EO - N E E - PA-YA H - M I - H A K

From everyone at the Métis Nation Government of Saskatchewan Stay safe, celebrate and look out for your neighbours this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays and all the best throughout the New Year.

Thank you for your patronage over the past year.

We look forward to serving you in 2021.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

John, Elaine, Matthew & Tanner

Country Hearth & Comfort

metisnationsk.com

740 Broadway St. West, Yorkton, SK (Old Sticks Welding Shop)

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2020-12-08 4:22 PM

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

Sask. First Nation votes for $150M federal settlement

By Evan Radford Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Regina Leader-Post) Members of the Peepeekisis Cree Nation have voted 97 per cent to approve and receive a $150-million land settlement from the federal government, the roots of which date back to the late 1800s.

Sitting in Treaty 4 territory a little more than an hour’s drive northeast of Regina, Peepeekisis won its case against Ottawa, after the feds

sent the band a settlement offer letter Nov. 6.

It prompted the community’s leaders to hold a ratification vote on reserve on Friday; they also sent mail-in ballots to members living off reserve, including those in the United States and Japan.

Of the 1,142 ballots cast, 1,113 were for the settlement money, equal to 97.5 per cent approval.

There were slightly more than 2,000 eligible voters.

“It’s a big relief, especially to our older members. We have some that

were waiting for this and they passed on within the three years we’ve been in negotiations,” Chief Frank Dieter said.

“It is a big accomplishment.”

Former Peepeekisis Chief Enock Poitras first filed legal papers for the land claim in 1986; federal courts twice denied it, saying the band’s first two attempts were outside the statute of limitations.

The community’s leaders re-submitted the case a third time, the current successful one, in June

SOCIAL ISOLATION Continued from Page 11 provide information to sport, cultural, and recreational groups on ways of creating activities to make them more accessible for people living with dementia.

The PVSCRD Project Facilitator, Marilyn Bader, is conducting research through telephone interviews with a wide variety of businesses and social organizations to gather information about existing services and initiatives. Often, services that are intend-

ed to be more socially inclusive for people living with dementia are also more welcoming to seniors in general, as well as people living with a variety of other disabilities.

Telephone and/or online focus groups and interviews are being held to enable people living with dementia and their care partners to express their views on which services could reduce stigmas associated with dementia and assist their social inclu-

sion throughout their experience with the disease.

A survey is now available which will capture similar information from a broader number of participants.

If you live in the PVSCRD area and are interested in participating in the survey or focus groups, please contact Marilyn at dementiaproject@parklandvalley.ca or call 306-5629121.

The online survey link is posted at parklandvalley.ca/dementia-project/ where you will also find more information about the project.

2017, Dieter said. “We thought, ‘what the hell?

Let’s try it; it’s dead anyway, been shot down twice.’”

Six months later they were negotiating with the feds.

The claim stems from the work of Indian agent William Graham in 1898.

He led a federallyimposed farm colony program in the area, forcing non-Peepeekisis members to marry and then settle on the community’s reserve land east of Balcarres.

It meant Indigenous people with outside traditions and oral histories were forced to assimilate to those of Peepeekisis.

Dieter can trace his family’s lineage through

that history.

“My great grandfather … he came from Okanese (north of Peepeekisis).

He was brought here by the Indian agent. He was told to farm.

“But before he was told to farm he was forced to marry his wife who came from the Cote Nation (north of Kamsack). It was forced marriages,” the Chief said. “It was a terrible time.”

Like other men sent to Peepeekisis, his great grandpa, Fred Dieter, first completed a farming program at a nearby industrial school, believing he’d return home when done.

Now the community’s leaders have to disburse individual payouts to the

Strong wholesale trade growth in Sask S a s k a t c h e w a n ’s wholesale trade numbers in October were up 6.7 per cent (seasonally adjusted) over the previous month, which was the highest percentage increase among the provinces.

The value of wholesale trade in October was almost $2.4 billion.

“The growth in wholesale trade in Saskatchewan is good news for our provincial

economy,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said.

“Big gains, both month-overmonth and year-overyear, show the resiliency of our economy during this global COVID-19 pandemic, and are a positive sign as we head into the new year.”

Statistics Canada wholesale trade figures for October 2020 show Saskatchewan’s wholesale trade increased by

Season’s Greetings Wishes warm and bright to you and your loved ones at this joyous time of year.

We appreciate your support.

Thank you for caring.

Merry Christmas & Best Wishes!

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Our best wishes for a merry Christmas, of course!

Thank you for being such an important part of our year.

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Joy to the WORLD As we celebrate the miracle of His birth, we hope you share the same joy and wonder that makes the Christmas season so special for us.

Thank you for sharing your time and support with us this year.

We’re filled with gratitude for good folks like you.

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13.5 per cent over October 2019 (seasonally adjusted), the secondhighest percentage rise among the provinces.

Nationally, wholesale trade was up 5.2 per cent in that period.

Wholesale trade growth was reported in food and beverage products, machinery and equipment, and miscellaneous products. Farm products also saw a 14.7 per cent increase yearover-year.

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Member of Parliament Yorkton-Melville Ph. 306-782-3309

band’s 3,057 members, $15,000 per person.

Members under 18 years old will have their money sitting in a trust fund.

After paying legal fees, the band will put the remaining $70 million in a trust fund, created with help from consulting firm Deloitte.

There’s also now a sub-committee of five Peepeekisis members tasked with deciding “how to spend interest off the trust,” Dieter said; none of them are in governance positions.

Dieter said the first task on tap is building a new community hub, which is to house the band office, a daycare, a kitchen and a gas station.

Construction is to start at the end of January.

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

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Area-couple finds are in metalwork

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer When it comes to art Robin and Glenn Falkowski like to dig out a cutting torch and welder and get to work creating metal designs.

The couple operate on an acreage northwest of the city, although Robin is a relative newcomer to the area.

Robin is originally from Newfoundland, and moved to Manitoba in 1997.

“I was living in Manitoba and working in Northern Alberta in 2008, where I met my future husband Glenn on the job site in 2010,” she explained.

Robin is Red Seal Journeymen mobile crane operator and Glenn is a Red Seal Journeymen welder fabricator.

Glenn was born and raised in Yorkton, and owned the farm the couple are on today.

“I moved in with him in 2010 and that’s pretty much where our story begins,” said Robin.

When you look at the couple’s job descriptions it might not be a huge surprise that when they started creating, it was with metal.

“In our downtime from the construction industry, we started creating items using scrap metal,” said Robin. “It was around 2017 that I had asked Glenn to create something for me to hold my glasses, as well as some kind of a stand to hold open my cook books while in the kitchen.

“Glenn came up with the “Fork man” and “Spoon man” made from -- you guessed it -- forks and spoons.

“He created a couple more and I decided to try selling them at an outdoor farmers market that summer. It was a great hit, and from the response of the public, we saw there was an interest in unique items like this.

“Friends and family had asked us for various items to be created, so it kind of took off from there.

“Just like the Domino effect, once we got started it kept going.”

It helped that both Glenn and Robin discovered they are crafty minded people.

“Where someone would look at something like a turbocharger from a vehicle, we see a snail, or a starter from a motorcycle engine, we see a flower,” said Robin.

Like a good oiled machine, the couple work as a duo in creating

the pieces.

“We work as a team when creating everything,” said Robin. “I don’t do any of the welding, Glenn, being a welder for 30-plus years has the total responsibility of welding all the items together, and the fabricating comes from both of us.

“I’ll lay out a creation and he’ll tweak it.

“Once we get in the shop, and our minds start spinning, we start assem-

Merry Christmas

To Our Many Customers And Friends

bling an idea, and we feed off each other to come up with some pretty cool ideas -- like my favourite pieces - The Heavy Metal Band.

As it turns out pistons are a favourite item to turn into art.

“We were at a Bike Shop in Regina a few years ago, promoting a custom bar stool we had built and the owner had showed us a picture of a ‘Piston Head’, and Glenn tried his hand at carving his first skull and it took off from there,” said Robin.

Each Piston Head is hand carved and not one of their pieces are identical.

“Every single piece we create are different in some way,” offered Robin.

As for what to create, the metal often seems to speak to the couple.

“Our inspiration sometimes come from looking at the actual

scrap metal,” said Robin.

“Like a sculptor sees something in a rock, we see the same in scrap metal.

“We also get our inspiration from every day objects made from wood or plastic and then an idea will hit us that we could make something like it out of metal.”

Some of their efforts are more inspirational than artistic.

“Our most popular items we’ve sold to date would be the ‘love’ word made mostly from railway spikes and words spelled out of bolts like ‘home sweet home’ and ‘she shed’.

Robin said for them it’s just about making something special.

“We really enjoy creating very detailed pieces that bring life to each item,” she said.

“We do enjoy creating small items for a person’s desk top, to the larger Continued on Page 14

HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS FROM THE STAFF AT

536 BROADWAY STREET EAST - YORKTON PHONE: 306-783-55011 Email: olsondiesel@sasktel.net

Heartland

Livestock Services YORK ROAD, YORKTON PH. 306-783-9437; FAX 306-782-4110

For unto us a Child is born…

Unto us a Son is Given.

Santa Never has Traffic Accidents– (But if he did)

He’d bring his sleigh to…

DOUG RODGERSON AND THE TEAM AT A

Just in the “nick” of time, we want to give you our best wishes for a very merry season filled with lots of wonderful surprises.

DON’T JUST GET “R” DONE, GET “R” DONE RITE!

We appreciate you coming around to see us this past year and hope you’ll visit us again soon!

391 Ball Road

From the staff of

YORKTON, SASK. PHONE 306-782-9600

Wishing Everyone A Sleighful of Good Cheer!

May joy be your gift at Christmas and may Faith, Hope and Love be your treasures in the New Year.

The Board, Staff and Students of Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools

Christ the Teacher

39 SMITH ST. W., YORKTON

Phone

306-782-6050

Catholic School Division

Believe…Belong…Become

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December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

METALWORK Continued from Page 13 items like our custom-built furniture.�

For example they currently have a chrome throne chair built from a motorcycle exhaust and a coffee table built from motorcycle parts, that Robin notes, “truly needs to be seen to fully appreciate the detail that went into making them.�

And then there is the ‘guardian of the gate’ that

Robin said does garner a lot of attention too. “Something that catches a lot of attention is the seven-foot tall robot that we have as a guard at a gate in our yard,� she said.

Robin said while social media has been great for sharing creations, she truly wishes people get to see them close up and in person. “People look at and ‘like’ the pictures we post on Facebook, but honestly seeing a picture just isn’t the same as seeing our items in person,� she said. “You can physically feel how heavy these things are, and see how some of the items actually move.�

As they get more art out in the world, more ideas and demands have come along too.

“We have been doing some local craft/trade shows over the last few years and the interest has been growing each show,� said Robin. “People are now asking us to do particular pieces for them, like house address numbers for example. “Basically we tell people, if you have an idea, tell us about it, and if we have the metal, we can create it. “Our next big project we have coming up is a custom-made double size bed frame made from motorcycle exhaust parts.�

The couple’s studio is open by appointment for anyone to head out and check things out in person.

You can find them on Facebook under G&R Custom Creations.

With Tidings of

Comfort & Joy Wishing you and the ones you love, the blessings of peace, love, and contentment at this special time of year.

We’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent with you, and look forward to your continued friendship!

From

Ukrainetz AuDtion and Karlahs Auction A Very Special Thank You t ZPSLUPOWFU DPN

from all of our team and may you have a peaceful and prosperous New Year

Thanks For Coming ’ Round This Year!

May the coming season bring renewal, growth and good times to you and your loved ones, just as you have brought us so much joy this past year.

Merry Christmas!

The gift of love.

The gift of peace.

The gift of happiness.

LH ACCOUNTING SERVICES

#30-6th AVENUE NORTH, YORKTON 1IPOF t 'BY May all these be yours at

Christmas.

From

22 - 4th Ave. N., Yorkton Ph: (306) 782-8211 Fax: (306) 782-8564

Highway #9 north, Yorkton

(306) 783-8660

Wishing You and Yours a Safe and Happy Christmas Holiday!

And a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!

Thank you for your Patronage!

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

A15

Embracing winter in Sask. parks this holiday season This winter, Saskatchewan Provincial Parks are offering a variety of safe, outdoor activities to enjoy.

“The holidays are a special time to celebrate family traditions and make new memories,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said. “This year, the holiday season is looking a lot different because of the pandemic. Health officials have asked everyone to slow down, and avoid interactions with others. Our parks have a number of safe, physically distanced activities available to enjoy with your immediate household.”

Festive holiday offerings The Festival of Lights is returning to Pike Lake and Candle Lake provincial parks this December.

Visitors can enjoy the locally sponsored light displays from the comfort and safety of their own vehicles.

Pike Lake’s festival will run Dec 17-21, 27, 28, and Candle Lake’s festival will run Dec 18, 19, 26-31.

New this year, JT’s Tasty Treats at Pike Lake and Gator’s Grub in Candle Lake will be offering food services during the festivals and will be operating in accordance to safety regulations outlined by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

In Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, visitors can pick out and cut down their very own Christmas tree this holiday season. “Trim Your Tree” runs until December 24, 2020.

Participants are asked to stop by the park administration office upon arrival, and to remember to wear their mask, to pick up a tree permit and receive directions to the designated tree cutting area.

Local family getaways Cypress Hills, Moose

We’re filled with joy as we count our blessings, and your kind friendship is among them. Noel!

Yorkton

Mountain and Duck Mountain provincial parks are the perfect destinations for a secluded getaway this winter.

Offering a number of physically-distanced, outdoor activities from skating, tobogganing, and cross-country skiing, to snowshoeing, crokicurl and winter geocaching, families can spend some quality time together, get active and enjoy the fresh air while staying safe.

Special accommodation packages are available in each location: • The Resort at Cypress Hills, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park – book online or by calling 306-662-4477 • Madge Lake Retreats, Duck Mountain Provincial Park – call 306-542-3922 to book • Kenosee Inn, Moose Mountain Provincial Park – call 306-577-2099 to book

Submitted Photos

At this time, private, indoor gatherings are limited to immediate household members only, and outdoor gatherings can be held for up to 10 people, provided physical distancing between households can be maintained.

Signage is in place throughout the parks to remind visitors of the safety protocols and restrictions in place. In addition to signage, Sask Parks staff will be implementing enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures and minimizing in-park contact where possible. Visitors are asked to maintain physical distance from others, adhere to the mandatory mask-use policy while indoors, respect the restrictions and rules that are in place and to stay home if not feeling well.

More information on the winter offerings in Sask Parks is available at http://saskparks.com.

Season’s Readings!

As we turn the page to another holiday season, we’d like to take a moment to thank you, our loyal readers, for your trust and support. We hope this Christmas delivers all the good news you’ve been hoping for and more. Happy Holidays!

WARMEST

WISHES

Here’s hoping everything runs smoothly for you this holiday season. We’re always at your service and are grateful for your business.

LH RECYCLED LTD.

15 YORK ROAD WEST, YORKTON

306-782-4395 OR 1-800-657-4395

This newspaper is recyclable

YORKTON THIS

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A16

December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

2017 CHEV, SILVERADO DOUBLE CAB 4X4

2013 EDGE SEL AWD 2018 F-150 S/CREW XLT XTR 4X4

3.5L V6, Rear Camera, PANORAMIC Roof, Heated Leather, Dual one Auto A/C, Power tailgate, NAV and much MORE. STK# 13-ED-4

Sale Price $16,995

2016 F-150 S/CREW XLT SPORT 4X4

5.3 V8, Rear Camera, Bluetooth, 6 pass Seats, Only 66,000 Km, Very Well Equipped.

STK# 17-CS-1 5.0L V8, 6.5 ft Box, Clean SGI Vin Reports Tail Gate Step, Rear Camera, Sync, 6 pass Seating, Trailer Pkg, & Much More.

Very Well Equipped. Only 63,800 Km STK# 18-F-4

33,960

Sale Price $

2011 MUSTANG GT “CUSTOM” “ONE OF A KIND”

Was $41,900

5.0L V8, 6 Speed Manual, Custom 2 Tone Paint, Hood Scoop, Headlight Splitters, Grille Replacements, Side Body & Rear Quarter Window Louvers, Rear Window Louver, Rousch Dual Exhaust, (Wheel Foose)/Tire Pkg, Air Intake System, Cortex Tuner, New Front Brake Rotors & Pads, Heated Leather Seats With Power Adjusting & More, 68,500 kms. STK# 11-MUS-1

Was $33,995

Sale Price

5.0L V8, Power Seats, Buckets & Floor Shift, Heated Seats, Trailer Pkg, Navigation, Rear Camera & Much More.

Only 82,000 Km. STK# 16-F-5. Four New Toyo Tires.

Sale Price $35,595 2012 F-150 S/CREW FX4 LUXURY

38,595

$

5.5 Box, 5.0L V8, Heated/Cooled Leather, Moonroof, Trailer Tow Pkg, Spray in Liner, Remote Start, Ruby Red 94,000 Km. STK# 12-F-6

2019 F-150 S/Crew XLT XTR 4x4

Sale Price $21,900

Reg. $29,500

or OFFERS

Sale Price $26,900

2013 F-150 S/CAB XLT XTR 4X4

2008 EDGE SEL AWD

5.0L V8, Rear Camera, Sync, 6 Pass, Only 96,500 Km STK# 13-F-5

3.5L V6, Trailer Tow PKG, PANORAMIC Moon roof, 287,900 Km VERY WELL Maintained STK# 08-ED-4

Sale Price $5,995

Sale Price $25,700

2016 EDGE TITANIUM AWD

2019 Escape SE 4x4

1.5 Ecoboosts, Very Nicely Equipped, Rear Camera, Sync, Heated Cloth Seats, Equipped, & More. Only 14,500 Km. STK# 19-ESC-2

Sale Price $26,895

5.0L, 6.5 Box, Spray in Liner, 6 pass Seating, Power Seats, Heated Seats, Rear Camera, Much More. 57,000 Km STK# 19-F-2

Sale Price

41,995

$

3.5L V6, Trailer PKG, Heated/cool seats, Heated rear seats, Heated Steering wheel and much more STK# 16-ED-3

Sale Price $24,999

KELLIHER MOTORS LTD.

CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT www.kellihermotors.com www ww w.kellihermotors.com

KELLIHER, SASK. 306-675-2166

AFTER HOURS: 306-795-7151 *All units plus applicable taxes.

DL #907112

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

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Whether you’re buying or selling...

Monuments

Tenders

TYMIAK’S MONUMENTS

Farmland for Sale by Tender NE 36-27-32 W1 RM of Calder No. 241 149.00 Cultivated Acres Approximately 159.64 Titles Acres Available for 2021 Crop Season Drainage ditch approved by Sk. Watershed Authority (plan #E5-054701) 3300 bushel Butler and 1650 bushel Westeel Rosco bins included CONDITIONS OF OFFER: ALL OFFERS/INQUIRIES TO BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO: LAND TENDER-ROSOWSKY LAW BOX 400 KAMSACK, SK. S0A 1S0 FAX # 306-542-4009 or email: chrissy@rosowskylaw.com HIGHEST OR ANY OFFER NOT NECESSARILY ACCEPTED *PURCHASER RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINATION OF ACTUAL CULTIVATED ACRES PRIOR TO SUBMISSION OF TENDER OFFERS TO BE SUBMITTED ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 15, 2021 COMPLETION OF SALE BY ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 28, 2021 306-542-4008

& GRAVE SURFACING CO.

Granite, Bronze, Marble Monuments, Grave Covers, Vases, Artificial Flowers, Cemetery Inscriptions & Cremation Urns.

FULLY GUARANTEED LICENSED AND BONDED 529 Main St. South, Box 476, Ituna, Sask. S0A 1N0

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306-783-3379

1 BEDROOM Apartment with balcony Available December. No Pets. Call Garry 306-621-6793.

2 BEDROOM Apartment For Rent.

Recently renovated. Phone Garry 306-621-6793.

ADULT 45+. Renovated, furnished one bedroom suites for rent in Canora. Must have references.

Phone 306-641-2489.

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2 Bedroom apartment for rent @ 101 Franko Drive, Cedar Ridge Apartments.

No Pets, No Smoking Very clean Price $950.00 for more information Call

2 BEDROOM Apartment with balcony. Pets Allowed. Available Im-mediately. Phone Garry 306-6216793.

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CARPENTRY & HANDYMAN SERVICES. 25 years experience.

Phone 306-621-5715.

USE THE CLASSIFIEDS 306-782-2465

WHATEVER NEEDS DONE. Carpentry, plumbing, painting, yard work, garbage hauled away.

Phone 306-621-7538, leave message.

Houses For Rent

Career Training

FOR SALE OR RENT. A 3 bedroom house, new shingles & furnace, washer, dryer and water softener, stove, fridge and a one car garage at back. Call 306-7836742.

Musical Instruments HOME THEATRE RECEIVER ONKYO TX - NR696 Receiver, $450, new, used little, repacked. Small freezer, $150. 306-783-6109.

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783-7032

CINNAMON/VANILLA

MALE (46), from Yorkton, looking for female with or without children, for companion. Likes movies and going dancing. Call 306-641-6234 no texts.

Houses for Sale FOR SALE: Building to be moved.

Approx. 24 x 36 feet located 1 1/2 miles South & 1 mile West of Willowbrook.

Former Covenant Church. $1,000 OBO. Phone 306728-3513.

Keeping YOU informed each week in our community-Yorkton This Week.

RENOVATED 2 Bedroom Apartment on Dalebrooke Drive.

Available December. Call Garry 306-621-6793.

Apartments/Condos for Rent YORKTON - 1 and 2 BDRM APTS AVAILABLE JAN. 1 IN A QUIET 4-PLEX ON 1ST AVE. Spacious, well maintained, and close to downtown. Rent $800/$900 per month, heat and water included, coin laundry, parking. NS, NV, NP. References required, damage deposit needed. For online application email rental1441st@hotmail. com or call 306-292-8530 during the day or evening before 8:30 p.m.

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Parts & Accessories FOR SALE: 4 steel rims and nearly brand new Nokian Nordman5 winter tires. 205/55R16 94T XL. Fits Honda Civic. $500. Phone 306-783-5286.

Livestock FOR SALE: Char X bred heifers.

Tan, white and red. Bred for late March and April calving. 306-5484340. Stenen, SK.

MAIL TO: CLASSIFIED ADS, YORKTON THIS WEEK, P.O. BOX 1300, YORKTON, SASK. S3N 2X3 CLASS NO. or classifieds@yorktonthisweek.com

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Farms for Sale

• 35 Years Driver Training Experience • One to One Professional Instruction • Class 1 MELT Program • Air Brakes

Ph. 306-786-6600 Yorkton, SK Career Opportunities Seeking professional drivers with Class 1 - 5 license to transport RV’s throughout North America.

We have company driver spots available in Double Haul, Triple Haul and Semi fleets and O/O spots available in Single (1 ton) and Double Haul fleets. For more information on each fleet, please visit roadexservices.com. Subsidized health and dental insurance, monthly bonus available for company drivers. Must have valid passport and be able to cross the border. To apply please email resume and a current driver’s abstract to recruiting@roadesservices.com

General Employment PRAIRIE DOME POTATOES is hiring for positions beginning Sept 1, 2020 for full time seasonal work.

Experience and education will be provided on site. Job duties include: -grading, sorting, packaging seed potatoes -pruning, picking, weeding and planting fruit trees -trimming and chipping of trees -general maintenance and upkeep Must be reliant and must have own transportation. Located 6 miles South of Yorkton on Highway 9. Bring own lunch. Wage: Beginning at $11.45/hr. Applicants may apply for the positions by phone (306-782-7297), fax (306-783-7853), email (prairiedome@gmail.com) or mail resume to the following address: Prairie Dome Potatoes, Attention: Kirk, Box 36, Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2V6.

Trucking & Transport

C & G SHUTTLE 1-306-647-3333 1-306-620-3521 (Cell) Airports, medical or shopping trips, up to 5 people.

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A17

Wade Berlinic (306) 641-4667 Wade.Berlinic@HammondRealty.ca HammondRealty.ca

A18

December 25, 2020 | This Week Marketplace

Doukhobors Built Railway from Yorkton to Canora, 1910

By Jonathan J. Kalmakoff Between 1905 and 1909, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway completed its transcontinental railway between Winnipeg and Edmonton.

By January 1909, it announced its plan to construct a network of branch lines throughout Saskatchewan.

Once such branch was a 30-mile line from the town of Yorkton north to the village of Canora.

The country through which the branch would pass was predominantly low, nearly level, wet prairie grassland dotted with bluffs of small popular and clumps of willow, with numerous sloughs

and marshes, much of which was alkaline, and broken land associated with the Whitesand River and its tributaries, the Little Whitesand River (Yorkton creek) and Boggy Creek (Wallace Creek) over which it crossed. It was well-settled with English, German, Polish and Ukrainian farmers cultivating adjacent lands.

By January 1910, GTPR surveyors staked the line right-of-way, and following its approval by the Board of Railway Commissioners in February, the company issued tenders for line clearing, grading, tracklaying, bridge-building, fencing and telegraph construction. In March,

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Joint Office Administrator, Village of Pelly & Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301 Applications are being accepted for the position of Administrator for the joint municipal office of the Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301 and the Village of Pelly.

The Village of Pelly & the Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301 are located in east central Saskatchewan. The Village of Pelly has a population of 285 and a total assessment of $10,275,800. It is a thriving Saskatchewan community, has friendly people, a diverse heritage, fabulous recreation, many farms and ranches, plus a unique place in the history of Saskatchewan and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The RM of St. Philips’s population is 220 and has a $124,639,600 total assessment. It is mainly an agricultural area, lies north of Duck Mountain Provincial Park, and surrounds the Villages of Pelly & Arran. Larger trading centers in the area include the City of Yorkton & the Towns of Kamsack, Norquay & Swan River.

This position is overseen via committee under a Joint Administration Agreement. This position is supported with a part time assistant averaging 30 hours a week. The municipalities offer competitive salaries and benefits.

The ideal candidate will possess: t 5IJT QPTJUJPO SFRVJSFT B NJOJNVN PS FRVJWBMFOU PG B 3VSBM $MBTT i$w Certificate and an Urban Standard Certificate. t &YQFSJFODF XJUI CVEHFUJOH ýOBODJBM PQFSBUJPOT BTTFTTNFOU UBYBUJPO BOE HFOFSBM PGýDF NBOBHFNFOU t &YDFMMFOU PSHBOJ[BUJPO TLJMMT t 4USPOH XSJUUFO BOE WFSCBM DPNNVOJDBUJPO TLJMMT t 4USPOH DPNQVUFS TLJMMT JODMVEJOH FYQFSJFODF XJUI .VOJTPGU QSPHSBNT Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and detailed resume JODMVEJOH SFGFSFODFT BOE TBMBSZ FYQFDUBUJPOT CZ January 15th, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. to: JOINT ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Rural Municipality of St. Philips No. 301 & Village of Pelly #PY 1FMMZ 4, 4 " ; 0S GBY UP 0S FNBJM UP UPXO QFMMZ!TBTLUFM OFU 'PS GVSUIFS JOGPSNBUJPO DBMM UIF NVOJDJQBM PGýDF BU Thank you for your application. Only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

a contract was awarded to the Doukhobor organization, the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood, for clearing and grading the line.

The contract marked a milestone for the Doukhobor Community.

From 1899 to 1909, thousands of Doukhobors were employed as ‘navvies’ or railroad construction workers each year to earn much-need income. Indeed, it was a workforce of 1,000 Doukhobors that constructed the Canadian Northern Railway line from Kamsack to Humboldt that led to the formation of Canora in 1904.

However, this would mark the first time they would engage in railway building as an independent contractor.

For their part, the Doukhobors were well positioned to carry out the contract. In 1910, the Community had a large, experienced workforce of men, along with draft horses, oxen, tools and equipment within a day’s journey of the work.

The value of the contract was enormous by the standards of the day.

Upon completion of the work, the Doukhobor Community would be paid the sum of $70,000.

This amounted to $2,300 per mile.

However, the contract also had an aggressive deadline. The GTPR expected the grade to be completed by autumn.

However, the Doukhobors had to finish spring seeding before they could begin the work and had to return to their villages by late summer for haying and harvesting. Doukhobor leaders needed to plan and schedule the work to be done within these milestones, a narrow window of two months.

Thus in mid-May, following spring sowing, 1,000 Doukhobor workmen left their villages in the Buchanan, Canora, Verigin, Kamsack and Pelly districts and converged on Yorkton to begin the work. They brought all of their own tools and equipment, including 800 head of horses, hundreds of scrapers, dump carts, wheelbarrow and spades as well as milking cows, temporary shelters, food and livestock feed.

The Doukhobors organized themselves into 10-12 camps of about 80 men each, which were set up at roughly 1-2 mile intervals along the line route. Each camp had 7-8 ten-man tents for the men to sleep in, one tent for the women, a store tent for supplies, another for the cook house and mess hall, one for a portable blacksmith along with makeshift stables for the 30-40 teams of

Doukhobor workers on the construction of the G.T.P.R. Railroad from Yorkton to Canora, 1910. BC Archives, C-06515

Doukhobor railway builders reach outskirts of Canora, 1910. BC Archives, A-01223 horses at each camp.

Within each camp, duties were well-ordered and systematically carried out. Men were designated as cooks to bake bread and cook borsch over makeshift ovens built using local clay and stone. Others were assigned to cut, split and stack cordwood for the cookhouse or construct benches for mess halls.

The blacksmiths built makeshift forges lined with fieldstone and using poplar logs to make charcoal.

Women washed and mended clothing for the men in their tents while others milked cows. At the outdoor stable, some prepared feed for the horses by chopping and soaking bailed hay then mixing it with oats. Indeed, the Yorkton Enterprise reported that the Doukhobors bought up all the available feed oats for ten miles on either side of the line.

Others hauled drinking water from creeks and wells for the men and animals.

At each encampment, Doukhobors were organized into work gangs responsible for clearing, making cuttings and fills or building the earthen embankment or grade.

Tasks and work flows were carried out in an organized and disciplined manner, closely resembling a hive of bees.

Clearing was done almost entirely by hand, using hatchets, axes, saws, pick axes and spades. Large rocks and tree roots were moved by

hand or with horses and chains. Low alkaline wetlands and muskeg, common throughout the route, were drained by digging trenches and then filled with rocks and soil.

The embankment needed to be sold and permanent, requiring little maintenance or upgrading. It also needed to be straight and level to allow trains to run at full speed at all times. It also had to be raised to allow for adequate drainage.

Based on these specifications, the Doukhobors built an eight-foot wide grade averaging four feet high on level ground and as high as 15 to 20 feet in low areas. This was done using hundreds of teams of horse-drawn scrapers and dump carts, labouring alongside gangs of men with spades and wheelbarrows, who excavated a ‘cutting’ on either side of the embankment.

The excavated soil was then dumped at the head of the raised earthen embankment.

Labouring from 5:00 a.m. to midnight each day, the work crews built the grade up and forward, advancing steadily north. By late June, they reached the banks of the Whitesand. And by late July, the Canora Advertiser reported that the grade had reached Canora. There, most of the workmen returned to their villages for haying and harvest.

Remarkably, the Doukhobors, using only horsepower and manual

labour, cleared and constructed 30 miles of grade, moving over five million cubic feet of earth, in only 69 days, at a rate of nearly half a mile of grade per day.

After the grade was completed, a track-laying crew soon followed. By August, other crews installed fencing and telegraph lines along the route, raised a trestle bridge across the Whitesand and constructed a GTPR station at Canora. By October, the first freight came over the line by steam engine.

The arrival of the GTPR was a tremendous boon to Yorkton, further escalating its development and ensuring its place a major regional rail hub. The city now had direct rail access to the north of the province.

The line also resulted in the formation of new communities, with GTPR engineers surveying townsites and sidings at regular intervals along the line. Thus, Young’s Siding, Mehan, Pollock’s Spur, the village of Ebenezer, the hamlet of Gorlitz and Burgis all became important new grain-shipping points.

The toil and industry of the Doukhobor railway builders not only benefitted their immediate Community, it also helped develop the surrounding region through the extension of transportation infrastructure, establishment of shipping and commercial hubs and the founding of new settlements.

This Week Marketplace | December 25, 2020

A19

USask awarded $4.8M for research chairs

By USask Research Profile and Impact

Improving well-being through gaming Through her chair in Digital Gaming Technologies, Mandryk aims to understand and model the complex relationship between digital gaming and its impact on players, with the goal of designing new games and novel interfaces to improve social, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing. “While gaming has many benefits, it also can lead to problems,� she said. “So, what is it about the game, the gamer, and gaming context that leads to positives outcomes such as healthy social interactions and stress relief, versus causing harm from problematic habits that affects other parts of their lives?�

Using her research findings, Mandryk aims to design new games that harness the positive

Shining a bright light on heavy elements for environmental, human health (Credit: University of Saskatchewan)

From left: Regan Mandryk, Erika Dyck, Xiaodong Liang, and Ingrid Pickering. sides of gaming enjoyed by many of the 23 million players in Canada, and keep out of harm’s way those for whom the pastime can pose problems.

Mandryk’s research is also supported by $155,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leadership Fund to build an esports observation facility and a social game play laboratory.

Providing historical context to health-care issues Dyck’s CRC in History of Health and Social Justice will contribute to an important historical context for contemporary challenges facing patients, families, service providers and policy makers. She is particularly interested in the complexities these groups face when balancing ethical decisions involving the scientific study of human bodies and providing compassionate care in a public health system. “I look at the history of medical experimentation, drug regulation, and reproductive health and medicine, including the abortion debate, to show how health care access forms part of the discourse on human rights and inequalities in modern society,� said Dyck, the first USask female academic to be awarded a Tier 1 chair by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The overarching vision of Dyck’s research is to examine how Canadians have come to appreciate health care as a basic right, and what that means in terms of how they evaluate health science and interact with health care. “I want to provide some perspective on the way that the public consumes scientific information,� she said.

Additionally, Dyck’s research has been awarded more than $25,000 by the CFI to purchase new, state-of-the art equipment, including virtual reality tools.

Developing technology solutions for energy security in remote communities About 200,000 Canadians in 280 remote communities, along with many others in northern global areas, rely on off-

grid power for electricity and heating, produced primarily by diesel generation. This is costly and fraught with environmental impacts such as greenhouse gases and diesel spills.

Liang’s CRC in Technology Solutions for Energy Security in Remote, North and Indigenous Communities is the first of its kind in Canada. The research program is aimed at developing a new system of isolated microgrids, powered by renewable energy such as wind and solar.

With built-in energy storage capacity, and advanced monitoring, control and protection techniques, these microgrids will improve reliability and resiliency of power supply in remote communities.

Liang’s research program includes: establishing methods for remotely monitoring the operation of microgrids and detecting problems; enabling the system to self-repair when a fault occurs; and integrating advanced control techniques to manage power and regulate voltage and electrical flow in response to abrupt surges of power or sudden drops in load demand.

Northern Saskatchewan’s Peter Ballantyne

Cree Nation and Gwich’in Tribal Council communities in the Northwest Territories are among communities Liang wants to engage in

Pickering develops synchrotron-based techniques to study the roles of heavier elements in biological systems at the molecular level in the environment and human health.

With her renewed CRC in Molecular

Environmental Science, Pickering aims to further her research into how the elements selenium, mercury and arsenic, as well as others such as copper, iron and zinc, can have beneficial, benign or toxic biological impacts depending on their chemical form.

She said synchrotron research brings together colleagues from many different disciplines to collaboratively advance USask’s signature areas of research, including synchrotron sciences, One Health, water security, and food security, with widespread impacts of importance to Canada.

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SASKATOON – Three University of Saskatchewan female researchers recognized as among Canada’s most promising leaders in their fields have been awarded new Canada Research Chairs (CRC) to advance their innovative work in digital gaming, northern energy security, and health history.

Computer science professor Regan Mandryk and history professor Erika Dyck have been awarded Tier 1 chairs that each provide $200,000 annually for seven years. The Tier 2 chair of Xiaodong Liang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, provides $120,000 annually for five years.

As well, USask geological sciences professor Ingrid Pickering’s Tier 1 chair in molecular environmental science has been renewed for seven years. Pickering uses the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, a national research facility of USask. “Federal investment in these prestigious research programs recognizes the outstanding contributions of these female researchers to research excellence in Canada and our commitment to building an equitable and diverse research community,� said USask VicePresident Research Karen Chad. “These innovative research leaders will help develop solutions for challenges facing the world today and help attract promising young researchers.�

The four USask awards totalling $4.8 million were part of a national CRC announcement today by Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains.

her research.

CFI has also awarded Liang more than $113,000 to support the purchase of new equipment to test, measure, and detect faults, and conduct realtime simulations of the energy system.

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