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Sign of fall

Nothing says fall like football, from the stretch run to a possible playoff spot by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, to local high school action, and minor football games like the regular season finale for the Yorkton Atom Gridders. (See story on Page 24.)

Staff Photos by Calvin Daniels

CCS reports successful garden season of growing and learning

Courtesy of Canora Courier

For the second consecutive year, Canora Composite School staff and students planted and looked after the school garden through the growing season.

Derek Serdachny, CCS vice-principal, said there are a variety of goals and benefits involved in the garden project.

“It will encourage community members to become active in our students’ learning, teach students and parents the importance of agriculture in our community and the world, while offering our students experiential learning opportunities through agricultural-based activities,” said Serdachny. “We intend to reach our goals by creating a learning environment that includes a large garden, fruit orchard, student wellness garden, outdoor learning spaces and a renovated school kitchen

to utilize the foods we harvest at school.”

This year’s garden was planted on June 9 by the entire school, as well as the Grade 4 students from Canora Junior Elementary School, who are the current Grade 5 class at CCS.

“Each class was given a quadrant that they seeded,” explained Serdachny. “Students Elizabeth Cuni, Daylia Lukey, Natalie Psyhk, and Heidi Mentanko helped maintain the garden over the summer. We were very fortunate to have their parents help maintain the garden as well. Leona Kitchen, one of our teachers, helped water our new trees and helped with the maintenance.

“Students were given an honorarium to maintain the garden and help sell vegetables at the Canora Live & Play Street Festival in August. Vegetables that are harvested from our garden are sold at our own

school Farmer’s Market and community markets. Proceeds from these events help buy seeds, tools, and compensate our students for their hard work.”

Serdachny said the garden was very productive this year.

“Some of the extra money earned this year will go towards our kitchen renovation. Big thank you to everyone who came out to support our school. We hope the vegetables were delicious!”

As is the case with any relatively new venture, Serdachny said lessons learned along the way will be applied in future years.

“In our first year we had most of our beets and cucumbers disappear. Some individuals may have thought it was a community garden and helped themselves. We will be making permanent signs this year that will explain what the garden is used for. Our students will be designing them in class.

“We unfortunately had some mole issues and potato bugs. Some of the corn and potato plants were damaged.”

Unfortunately, cool and wet spring weather prevented them from getting into the garden early, but there was a

we didn’t have to water the garden. We watered the new trees regularly throughout the summer. This was a significant time commitment.”

Serdachny and the CCS staff are highly motivated to advance student learning, which is a large part of the garden project. The first goal was to raise enough funds to build a garden on school property. Through grants and community donations, the funds raised were sufficient to create a 5,750 square-foot garden.

“The garden is important because it will provide healthy food for our students and our Practical Applied Arts/ Food Studies programs,” continued Serdachny. “Our next major goal is to renovate our kitchen. This renovation will allow us to offer programs such as food related PAA strands, Food Studies, and Life Skills courses for our functionally integrated students. In addition, our new kitchen will allow us to offer a nutrition program before and during school hours. We can offer healthy lunches and snacks for our students throughout the day. To ensure we are focusing on our students’ holistic health, we are also working on our fitness center. Our goal is to create a facility that allows

students to exercise and learn the benefits of an active lifestyle all while incorporating agriculture into their learning.”

Agriculture is a vital industry for Canora and surrounding area, but Serdachny admits there are students at CCS “that do not know the difference between corn and cucumbers.

“Our youth need to learn that there is a great deal of work that goes into the production of food. Grocery stores are only a fraction of this process. The garden was the first step in showing students how and what work goes into growing produce. The second step is to renovate our kitchen. Once completed, the kitchen will have a direct impact on student health and learning opportunities.”

One of the goals for the program is to provide students with the best learning experience possible by utilizing experts from the community and surrounding areas.

“Our hope is that community members will help teach our students valuable techniques and skills used when growing and processing vegetables,” explained Serdachny. “For example, we would love to have community members volunteer and teach our students traditional teachings, canning techniques, pickling, and demonstrate how to utilize the vegetables we grow. Renovating our kitchen allows us to offer curricular courses that are important to our students’ development. It helps engage them in their learning and teaches them skills they can use every day. Most importantly, it teaches students the process of getting food from the farm to the plate.

“Our kitchen connects our community members with our student population. The sharing of

knowledge from young and old helps our community come together and work together. These relationships benefit everyone in the community.”

Serdachny said plans are in place to continue to grow and diversify the project next year.

“We planted a variety of crops this year including: canola, wheat, barley, oats, and canary seed. Our hope is to get agricultural experts out to our school to teach us about the different varieties, plant and soil science, and different careers that are involved in the agricultural industry. We will try our best to get construction started on the kitchen in 2023.”

Support from the community going forward will play a key role in the continued success of the project.

“Our staff is working hard to generate funds through grant writing,” said Serdachny. “We earned over $10,000 to help build our garden, buy tools, and build the garden shed. Additional grants we received in 2021 and 2022 will go towards the kitchen renovation. Good Spirit School Division is also contributing money towards the renovation which we appreciate. Unfortunately, we are short approximately $100,000.

“Our hope is that community members and the business community will see the value in renovating our school kitchen. The kitchen enhances our students’ learning, improves student health, and adds to our community. Our SCC and CCS staff will be working on some fundraising events this year. Please keep an eye out for information. If anyone is interested in the program and would like to learn more about it, please contact the school at 306-563-5492.”

The CCS Farmer’s Market, featuring vegetables grown from the school garden, was held on Sept. 15. Beforehand, the students helped out with the harvest of potatoes and other vegetables. From left, were: Teagan Jones, Liam Trask, Natalie St. Mars, Natalie Pshyk, Silver Nordin, Mia Bartscher and Luca Propp.

CCS students and teachers planted new trees in the space near the vegetable garden, watered them and generally looked after them throughout the summer. From left, were: Jayden Norberg, Daxis Adair, Kayden Harder, Colin Knight (teacher) and Maisie Kuzminski.

IN BRIEF

More housing is ‘needed, really needed’ for Indigenous people in Sask., report says

By Julia Peterson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (The StarPhoenix)

A new report from Statistics Canada has found many Indigenous people in Canada struggling to find safe, quality housing.

In Saskatchewan, researchers, advocates and community members know how serious the problem is.

“I wish we had more housing,” said Angela Caplette, who works in tenant relations with the Meadow Lake Native Urban Housing Corporation. “We need … another seniors’ complex, and more single dwellings.

“It’s needed, really needed.”

The organization manages 145 affordable housing units in Meadow Lake, Sask., a city of just over 5,000 people located nearly 300 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. Caplette said she and her coworkers focus on supporting Métis and Indigenous tenants, and often work one-on-one with families to help

them navigate the evermore-complex system of benefits, programs and services that can help keep them in their homes.

“The government made all these cutbacks in all these community programs, as well as social services,” she said. “And I’m thinking — oh my God, how can they do this, when it’s so needed?

“It’s too bad the government can’t come spend a week here and see what we deal with.”

When people run out of good options, Caplette sees the consequences.

“They end up going to these slumlords, as we’d call them,” she said. “We’ve got lots of those here in Meadow Lake that don’t take care of the homes. They’re not really even livable.”

Last year’s census found Canada’s Indigenous population is still growing, accounting for about five per cent of the total population, and is hit particularly hard by shortages, failures and inadequacies in the housing system.

The Statistics Canada report found that, in 2021,

more than 16 per cent of Indigenous people were living in dwellings that need major repairs, compared to just under six per cent of non-Indigenous people.

Indigenous people were also about seven per cent more likely to be living in crowded housing.

On reserves, the situation is even more serious. The census found that more than a third of First Nations people with registered or treaty status on reserves are living in houses that need major repairs.

University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine professor Shelley Kirychuk is part of a team studying First Nations housing needs.

She said this issue has not been researched enough — particularly

on the prairies, and even more so in Saskatchewan — but early results show that “the housing does not meet the needs.”

In August, the research team published a paper about the housing conditions on two rural First Nations in

Saskatchewan.

It found that nearly 70 per cent of the houses surveyed were crowded, and almost half were in need of major repairs. That’s much higher than the national figures reported by Statistics Canada.

Furthermore, more than half the houses surveyed in these two communities had problems with damp or mold.

“These two rural Saskatchewan First Nation communities more frequently had housing conditions that were not suitable, and

the conditions were not as good as that indicated at the national level for both Indigenous and nonIndigenous people in Canada,” the team wrote in their analysis.

Earlier this year, the federal government announced a $4.3 billion commitment to help improve Indigenous housing, as well as other reconciliation efforts.

At the time, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said much more funding — in the range of $15 billion — is needed to meet essential housing needs.

Minimum wage inches upward

Employers and workers in Saskatchewan are reminded that the province’s minimum wage will be $13 an hour effective October 1, 2022.

In May of this year the province announced the increase, which marked a departure from the indexation formula that had been used to calculate changes. At the same time, it was announced the minimum would increase to $14 on

October 1, 2023, and $15 on October 1, 2024.

The minimum wage has increased 63.5 per cent though a total of 14 increases since 2007, when it was $7.95.

For more information about minimum wage and the payment of wages in Saskatchewan, visit saskatchewan. ca.

THANK YOU to our committed newspaper carriers!

On this occasion we extend our thanks to the people who distribute the print edition of our newspaper to the community.

We appreciate the role you play in providing a trusted news source to our region.

With a kind word or brief note, let your carrier know you’re grateful for their service.

I wish we had more housing,

—Angela Caplette, Meadow Lake Native Urban Housing Corporation

EDITORIAL

Book re-issue still relevant to Summit Series

Where were you in ’72?

That’s catchy enough I’m surprised it’s not a t-shirt right now given the interest in answering that question for those of us old enough to have memories of the famed ’72 Summit Series.

The series pitted Canada against Russia in the greatest hockey series ever played – yes it’s not even close enough to be debated for me.

Canada was supposed to win all eight games, a cakewalk that would barely have greats like Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Brad Park and all the other NHL greats barely breaking a sweat.

But, no one told the Russians that they were to lose in an easy sweep, and it became a war on ice, one that shook Canada’s pride in the game, brought a country together, saw heroes rise, and in the end the biggest moment in Canadian sport emerged.

Paul Henderson was the great hero, and his dramatic goal in game eight on Sept. 28, 1972 is one where a replay on TV still raises the hair on the back of my neck, the hairs of course now gray a half century later.

It was that way for many.

Author Roy MacSkimming talked to a number of people about their memories for his book Cold War

“Dave King was teaching high school biology and physical education in Saskatoon back then, as well as coaching Junior B hockey. The classrooms at his school all had TV sets going that day, all showing the same thing.

“The teachers felt it was important for the kids to see that last game. Our hockey heritage was on the line, so it was a major Canadian event. Even the girls and the non-hockey fans got caught up in it.

After Henderson scored, all the classroom doors opened out onto the corridor, and the kids just came pouring out – it was incredible.”

And then there was “Verne Clemence, for example, then Sports Editor of the Enterprise in the small Saskatchewan city of Yorkton, was in the process of writing his column for the next day’s paper,” wrote MacSkimming.

“When Team Canada went into the third period two goals down, I’d given

them up,” Clemence remembers. He’d been powerfully impressed by the Soviet team throughout the series, and his column contained some comforting philosophical observations about how superbly the Soviets played, and how it’s only a game, so let’s not get too excited about losing. “But we were having a hell of a time getting the paper out, because there was an Eaton’s store two doors down, and they had TV’s going in the window and inside the store. All the guys from the composing room kept slipping out to watch the hockey game, so we were getting further and further behind. Finally, the publisher said, ‘What the hell, let’s go,’ and we went too and watched the last few minutes of the game at Eaton’s. Everyone was getting pretty tense, but when Henderson scored, a great cheer went up. I went back and rewrote my column. I was pretty excited about being on the winning side after all.”

MacSkimming stayed in Saskatchewan for one more.

“For aspiring young novelist Guy Vanderhaeghe, living not far Clemence in that hockey-mad province, the series began and ended with weddings,” he wrote. “The first was his own, which took place September 2, 1972, the day of Game 1. During the reception in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Vanderhaeghe learned that Team Canada had scored two early goals, and all was right with the world. He and his bride, Margaret, drove off in a radio-less car for their honeymoon in Kindersley. By the time they arrived, the game was over, and Guy was absolutely shocked to be told Canada had lost 7-3; his world had changed, in more ways than one. On the day of Game 8, Vanderhaeghe’s former roommate got married in Arborfield. After the bride and groom departed, Vanderhaeghe recalls, “ten of us men,

CALVIN DANIELS

Sports

mostly total strangers, huddled on sofas and chairs to see how the series would end. My roommate’s father, who’d always hated the Montreal Canadians, suddenly found himself ecstatically cheering ‘Cornbinder’ for tying the game 5-5. By the time Henderson scored. It was if we’d all known each other forever.”

Since 1972 the series has been written about throughout the years, including MacSkimming’s Cold War first released in 1996 on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the series, and now re-released for the 50th.

“When the hockey teams of Canada and the Soviet Union faced off against each other in 1972, they would change the game forever. Weaving together rich period detail, illuminating anecdotes, and thrilling hockey action with eyewitness accounts from Paul Henderson, Ken Dryden, Harry Sinden, and other series greats, author Roy MacSkimming evokes as never before those twenty-seven legendary days in September 1972,” notes greystonebooks. com.

What makes this book interesting is that the anecdotes while gleaned from interviews a quarter century ago remain relevant as history – perhaps being even sharper memories as another quarter century have passed.

“It’s not a brand new book, but it’s still very relevant,” said MacSkimming in an interview this week.

“Their meeting in September of that year would be an unprecedented, primordial event. In the context of hockey, it would resemble the first contact between Europeans and the New World, a moment of profound revelation and impact. Throughout Canada, it created more sustained anticipation, excitement, anger, angst and ecstasy than any other sporting event in the country’s history –

— Roy MacSkimming, Author, Cold War

indeed than any event of any kind since the Second World War had ended twenty-seven years earlier,” MacSkimming wrote in the book’s introduction.

“. . . And it did more. By sharing in the enactment of the myth, Canadians – temperamentally so fractious and resentful a people, then as now, on grounds of language or region or ethnicity – joined together in a rare moment of unity. By surrendering to a process larger than ourselves, we transcended the pettiness of our usual concerns. By going so deeply into our national psyche, we were briefly able – ironically – to travel beyond our habitually narrow frame of national reference. The 1972 Canada-Soviet series swept us into a wider world, and in the end it changed us; we learned something vital about who we are, and where and what we’ve come from. It was an odyssey from innocence to experience.”

So it is easy to understand why Canadians 60 and over recall the series so keenly, they watched it living and dying with every goal.

Sixteen million out of a Canadian population of 22 million in 1972 watched game eight – of 73 per cent of people in the country, said MacSkimming.

No other event had so captured the country before, he added, suggesting it was like two worlds colliding the hockey of two nations who had never really played each other before with a beston-best series.

And it was more than hockey with Canada defending democracy against Russian communism.

MacSkimming said he chose the title Cold War because of its double meaning, hockey on ice and the conflict of ideologies.

MacSkimming said one reason the series has stayed of such high interest is the impact those eight games had on North

American hockey.

While Canada eked out a win, it was obvious European hockey was at a very high level, frankly better in certain aspects, and that led the game to evolve here.

It also opened the door to Europeans in the NHL.

In 1972, 98 per cent of players in the NHL were Canadians. Today they remain the biggest source of talent but at around 45 per cent, said MacSkimming, with Americans making up 26 per cent, Swedes 10 per cent and the rest of Europe contributing the rest.

In Cold War MacSkimming even has a chapter focused on where hockey has gone since the Summit Series.

“There was a tremendous impact,” he said.

So had Canada swept as many expected would the evolution of the game been slowed, the influx of European players slowed?

“Maybe,” said MacSkimming, adding there was a belief going into the series “our system was better,” but in barely winning the Canadian game learned it was not as superior as believed.

But in the end we had won, and oh it was glorious.

“The puck ricochets off the boards in the left corner,” wrote MacSkimming. “No fewer than three Soviets are near it as it comes bouncing out to them. Yet unaccountably, they all hesitate, as if thinking to leave the puck for the other guy. None of them takes charge, none of them takes possession. Both Vasiliev and Liapkin touch the puck briefly but mishandle it. Trailing on the play, Esposito is the first to reach the loose puck. Unhesitatingly, he shoots at Tretiak from twelve feet out.

“Tretiak blocks the shot easily with his stick. But he allows a rebound, and suddenly Henderson, who has scrambled to his feet

behind the net, thinking the Soviets will clear the zone now and he’ll have to skate all the way back to his own end before getting one last chance to score, is all alone with the puck in front of Tretiak. Henderson shoots – Tretiak makes a pad save and sprawls on his back, and again the puck comes out to Henderson. Henderson shoots again – a low slider aimed straight at the narrow space between Tretiak’s body and the right post – and incredibly, the puck is in the net!”

While a number of books have been released on the series, a trio previously written of here; Ice War Diplomat by Gary Smith, 1972: The Series That Changed Hockey Forever by Scott Morrison, and The Greatest Comeback: How Team Canada Fought Back, Took the Summit Series, and Reinvented Hockey is John U. Bacon, the re-release by MacSkimming is most assuredly a worthy tome recounting the series.

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Dave King was teaching high school biology and physical education in Saskatoon back then,

Victoria School students help the fight against cancer with Terry Fox event

Prior to embarking on their Terry Fox parade through the community on Friday to help raise funds to fight cancer, students of the Victoria School in Kamsack assembled in the school gymnasium where they recognized one of their own students who has been fighting the disease.

The students had greeted Zarah Gouge, a Grade 2 student, and her mother Britney Durell at the assembly and watched a brief slide and video presentation that highlighted Zarah’s fight with cancer.

Zarah was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 16 months of age and had to spend most of her childhood in hospitals, her mother explained in the video. “But, she’s a pretty strong little girl.”

Students of the school will be walking through the community to help raise awareness of the Terry Fox initiatives to raise money to fight cancer, Karie Thomas, who began her 10th year as principal of the school, said. In addition, the students will be raising funds with a hotdog sale at noon.

Britney Durell, who along with her daughter, was wearing a yellow T-shirt with “Believe in the Gold” insignia print-

ed on it, was eager to discuss the organization that deals with childhood cancer.

When Zarah was fighting with cancer, the doctors only had the medications and treatments that are used by adults, Durell said, adding that the Believe in the Gold organization focuses on childhood cancer.

She explained that last year she and her family and friends raised $6,000 for Believe in the Gold, and this year they’ve already raised $4,000 by involving themselves in various activities, including walks and raffles.

A native of Melfort, Durell said that she is trying to get Kamsack residents more interested in Believe in the Gold, which is a charitable foundation dedicated to the children.

“We are committed to raising awareness about childhood cancer, raising funds to help support families with medical expenses that are not covered by provincial health care or extended benefit plans, and raising funds for childhood cancer research,” says its webpage.

“Childhood cancer does not discriminate; it can happen to anyone,” it says. “It is the number one disease killer of children in the world.

Childhood cancer claims

the lives of more children annually than asthma, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and AIDS combined.

“Believe in the Gold aims to change these statistics and see fewer children affected by childhood cancer,” it says. “We are working towards this goal by increasing awareness and raising funds for groundbreaking pediatric cancer research and treatments.

“Believe in the Gold is the legacy of Jacey Uphill, who passed away from Ewings Sarcoma in October 2012. While isolated in a hospital room Jacey claimed the word, “Believe” as her personal mantra. Throughout her battle with this unrelenting disease, she remained positive and was determined to make a difference. She wanted there to be increased awareness around childhood cancer. She felt that the gold ribbon needed to be more recognizable as the symbol for childhood cancer.

“Despite the harsh realities, she endured each day during her treatment. She remained active in the community raising awareness about childhood cancer and how it affects children and their families. From this, Jacey’s mother, Shonalie, founded Believe in the Gold to carry on Jacey’s dream.”

Face to face with the future Jarrett Oster contemplates his life as knee injury heals

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 #2 comes from Feb. 19, 2000.

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

When you’re a hockey player and an injury keeps you off the ice for months, you suddenly have a chance to think.

Sometimes the thoughts become confusing.

With hockey, the thoughts tend to percolate down to what it takes to win on the ice.

But there is life away

50 YEARS

from the rink, and for Jarrett Oster its that life he has come face to face with since an injury felled him in November.

The injury severed his ACL tendon, requiring doctors in Yorkton Friday to take another tendon from his leg and transplant it to where the damaged ACL had been.

“I’ll get to hobble around for two weeks on crutches and then go to a cane,” said Oster less than 24-hours before his surgery.

Oster admitted he’ll be in for a few more weeks of taking it easy – “they don’t want to reinjure it, or stretch the new tendon” – and that will mean more time to think.

“Rehab will take six, or seven months,” said the winger which fans of the Saskatchewan Junior

Hockey League Yorkton Terriers have come to appreciate for his tenacious, go-to-the-wall style.

“If I come back next season, it will be just in time,” he said

Asked about the use of the word “if” Oster – who returned to Winnipeg this week after what he termed Tuesday morning successful surgery –admitted that during the weeks since the injury he has begun to assess whether hockey is critical to his life.

“I’ve been like this for awhile. I was wondering that at the start of this season too,” he said.

“I kind of want to come back, but I’ll be turning 20 and another part of me wants to get other things started.”4On the ice Oster might be Continued on Page 6

At an assembly at the Victoria School on Friday, the students saw a slide and video presentation that focused on Grade 2 student Zarah Gouge, right, who has been fighting cancer since she was 16 months of age. At left is Karie Thomas, principal, who helped Zarah conduct a draw for three prizes.

Courtesy of Kamsack Times

Leading the Victoria School’s Terry Fox parade on Friday carrying the school’s Junior Spartans banner, from left, were: Quinnley Erhardt, Anna Reilkoff, Lucas Stevenson and Mackendra Lucas.

Looking back at the Yorkton Terriers

Continued from Page 5 viewed as a guy who would eat and breath and sleep hockey, but that’s far from the case.

Even his coach, Wade Klippenstein has said he is surprised how Oster seems to turn on a passion for the game once the whistle blows. When the buzzer sounds to end a game, Oster is as happy strumming alternative folk chords on his guitar as he is thinking hockey.

And there’s the question of education that is tugging at Oster.

“I really want to get started in school, but I’m constantly changing my mind on stuff,” he said, admitting that while school pulls him, he has not yet chosen a career path to pursue.

“I have no idea what I would take … Something in radio maybe … or journalism … Something interesting,” he said.

For many players with a talent on the ice, a scholarship to an American college is the route to an education. Oster knows that too is a possibility – but maybe not one he wants.

“The scholarship was always on my mind. I really believe if I came back healthy there’s a good chance of getting one,” he said.

“But I don’t see myself playing there (in college).”

So is Oster ready

to walk away from the game? He admits he came close only weeks into the season, having packed his gear and readied himself for a trip home to Winnipeg, but he chose instead to stick it out.

“Two weeks before I got hurt I was ready to quit. Things weren’t going the way I wanted them to. I was fighting every game. I don’t mind standing up for the team, but I was getting myself into lots of trouble. I wasn’t enjoying hockey. You shouldn’t have to go out there thinking who you are going to have to fight next,” he said. “I wasn’t enjoying the atmosphere.”

But things were starting to turn around just as the injury hit.

And once his knee wouldn’t let him play, he learned hockey was something he missed.

“I never knew hockey was life at that point. Then you find your life sort of taken away from you. The guys on the team are your brothers and best friends and they’re taken away from you,” he said.

“You never know how important something is until its taken away from you.”

Oster admits he has missed the hockey, and wonders what he might feel if he quits the game.

“it was tough back in

Winnipeg. I’d be getting ready to go out with my friend’s back home and realize it was 6:50 and the guys were going out for warm-ups – that bothered me the most,” he said.

And like a moth drawn to the flame, Oster couldn’t stay too far away from the game.

“I’d call the SJHL hotline to get scores and that would bother me too.”

Then he came back to Yorkton to prepare for Friday’s operation. The longing to be back on the ice heightened.

“It has bothered me most coming back and watching the guys,” he said,

The biggest part of the game missed is not the 60 minutes of action for two points in the standings, but everything that swirls around what the fans see.

“I liked practice where you can goof around with the guys. It’s not necessarily the games, although I wanted to be out there helping the guys out too,” he said.

Ultimately, Oster said his teammates may determine his hockey fate more than himself.

There is a nucleus of

— Jarrett Oster

talent that could return to the Terrier fold next season, players such as Matt Miller and Kevin Werner. They are also guys who may move on from the SJHL level.

“If they all come back we would have a great club. It would show a lot of guys want the same thing,” said Oster.

Given that scenario, Oster will likely wear the white, orange and black again. If the team goes into total rebuilding mode, Oster could well have played his last game.

“I can’t deal with stuff like that,” he said.

There is a finality to that thought that is not lost on the young man. Even he recognizes that his love for hockey is a complex one.

“When I go out I can play hard, but outside of hockey I don’t consider myself a jock, or a hockey player,” he said.

Yet he also knows he has a knack for the game.

“I believe there are different types of leaders in hockey,” he said. “There’s the rah rah type in the dressing room, or on the ice. I go out there and lead by example.”

Away from hockey Oster has the look of an accountant and the heart of a poet. The poet’s side shown in dreams of playing music.

It’s part of his life that he admits thrives in Yorkton.

“I really haven’t written anything worth while since I was gone,” he said.

“There’s something about the water. I can write really good songs here in Yorkton … As soon as I got back the writer’s block disappeared and I was writ-

ing good stuff again.”

Perhaps the words come here because as a folk songwriter Oster relies on adversity for inspiration.

“You write about stuff that is troubling you. It’s an outlet for stress,” he said.

Oster said he plans to cut a CD as soon as possible.

“I could go into a studio right now and do a pretty good seven song CD,” he said. “But I want it perfect in every way.”

So the music waits as he struggles with thoughts of hockey and school.

“Depending on what happens with hockey I want to record this summer,” he said. “But it’s all money too. If I go to school I’ll need money so the recording would likely be put off.”

So Oster waits to see what chapter in his life

he may write next. How will his knee respond after surgery? Who will stay with the Terriers? Is education more important than one more year of hockey?

“I talked about all this with a friend back home. I told him I wanted to get to the middle of summer as fast as possible so maybe I have some of the questions answered,” he said.

“There are a lot of questions, but I do have options and I want options.”

Nearing 20, Oster knows the choices become life altering ones.

“It totally makes it harder what decisions I will make,” he said. “Will I make the right decisions? I’m totally excited to see what I choose and where I’ll be down the road.”

Jarrett Oster

meant Jarret Oster watched

Staff Photo by Tyson Off

Avian flu in Sask. Thanksgiving turkeys ‘emotionally and economically heart-wrenching’

By Julia Peterson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The weeks before Thanksgiving are always a busy time for Pine View Farms.

The farm and meat supplier situated just north of Warman usually delivers around 1000 birds to Saskatchewan’s Thanksgiving tables every year — this is their harvest season.

But this week, Pine View Farms co-owner Melanie Boldt has been “scrambling” to try and find a way to fill their orders at all.

Last week, one of Pine View Farms’ partner

producers, who raises turkeys on their farm, told Boldt that Avian Influenza had been detected on their yard. They had to kill all their birds, to prevent the outbreak from spreading.

“That includes our Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys that were growing there,” said Boldt.

Avian flu is highly contagious among birds. On Sept. 22, the Ministry of Agriculture released an order limiting the transport and co-mingling of poultry after several cases of the flu were confirmed in the province.

That is never the kind of news a farmer wants

— Melanie Boldt, Pine View Farms Co-owner

to hear.

“It is an economic threat to the industry, and it’s something that we as farmers have to take seriously,” said Boldt. “We all work really hard not to get it on our farms or in our barns and in our flock, because it is economically devastating.

“It’s an emotionally and economically heartwrenching time, quite

frankly.”

And at this time of year, even though Pine View Farms is “trying to get creative,” it’s hard to bounce back from something like this.

“We have been looking for a supply of local birds that we could process to fill some of our orders for Thanksgiving, but we haven’t been successful yet on that front,”

said Boldt. “Hope is dwindling, for me, in that regard.”

Instead, Boldt has been encouraging her customers to try something different for Thanksgiving this year.

“How about a roasting chicken or a beautiful ham or a porchetta or a beef roast or something like that?” she asked.

“Thanksgiving is not just about what’s on the table, but who’s around the table and who you’re sharing it with.”

With a few months between now and Christmas, Boldt is more hopeful that the farm will be able to find a new turkey supplier in time. But

that isn’t guaranteed.

“Hopefully there’s enough of a window here that we can find a new supplier for Christmas,” she said. “But Christmas turkeys are already growing, so I’m not sure how that’s going to work for us. But we’re going to work hard.”

Ultimately, Boldt said, people preparing their holiday celebrations in Saskatchewan can still count on local product for their table — it just might look a little different this year.

“There is an abundance of food in Saskatchewan that we can still eat; it just might not be turkey.”

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It’s an emotionally and economically heart-wrenching time, quite frankly.

Biovigilance network targets crop pests

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

After a growing season that saw an increase of flea beetles harming canola crops in Westman, a new initiative by the federal government seeks to work with experts and producers to save crops from pests, weeds and diseases.

With harvest well underway, Bill Campbell, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, said this is the time of year when farmers can gauge how big of an effect pests, weeds and diseases have had on their crops.

Initially, flea beetles caused a “significant concern” when canola crops started to emerge, Campbell said. “They seemed to be very persistent in doing a significant amount of damage to seedling canola.”

The greater presence of flea beetles is an “increasing problem” that producers are trying to stay on top of via pesticide use, Campbell said, but it’s possible that a resistance to pesticides could be one of the reasons for the surge in pests.

“I think that we have seen a different species that’s populating itself significantly,” Campbell said. “There can be some suspicion of resistance to certain (pesticides).”

According to the Manitoba Agriculture website, flea beetles attack canola, mustard and rapeseed. The small, oval-shaped insects are less than 2.5 millimetres long. Each species of flea beetle has a single generation per year. In the spring, adult flea beetles who overwinter emerge to feed on canola seedlings, while during the fall their offspring feed on canola leaves, stems and seed pods.

The government advises producers and agronomists to monitor and assess flea beetle damage on the first leaves and stems of canola in the spring and continue to assess the plants

every few days. Flea beetle densities should be noted in the fall, which can indicate potential problems the following spring.

Grasshoppers became more of an issue as the season progressed, Campbell said, though not to the same level as flea beetles.

“We started to see an increase in the numbers of grasshoppers … where there was pretty good growth of crops and pastures this year.”

It’s important for farmers to know the difference between pest and nonpest grasshoppers, since there are a total of 65 species of grasshoppers in Manitoba. According to the province, there are four species of grasshoppers on the Prairies that, when populations get high enough, can become pests for crops. These include the migratory, twostriped, clearwinged and Packard grasshoppers. Pests of this species tend to increase rapidly during years of warm, dry weather.

In regions along the Manitoba-Saskatchewan boundary, which experienced more precipitation this year, there was an increase in wheat midge, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada reported.

Wheat midge have historically caused “significant damage” to wheat crops in Manitoba, the Manitoba Agriculture website says. Most wheat varieties are susceptible to the pest, but a growing number of midge-tolerant variety blends of wheat are now available.

The federal agriculture department says concerns about flea beetles, grasshoppers, wheat midge and other pests is the driving force behind its new initiative called the Prairie Biovigilance Network.

The network is the result of the work of Brent McCallum, a department research scientist from the Morden Research and Development Centre, and a team of experts in plant diseases, insects, weeds, economics, and soil management and crop production.

The term “biovigilance” describes an innovative, multidisciplinary approach to understanding the negative effects of newly introduced pests, new agricultural farming practices, new crops and the impact of climate change on plant health, the department’s website says.

The goal of the network, McCallum told the Sun, is to improve the department’s capacity to protect crops by dealing with pests before they become a problem.

McCallum said the network works closely with producers to understand problems in the field, how pest populations are changing and what can be done using chemical control, crop breeding for resistance, and other strategies like tillage or crop rotation.

This involves constant monitoring by the agriculture department to see which control measures work and how the pest populations respond to each measure. It’s a collaborative approach that works hand-inhand with producers, McCallum said, noting the department needs farmers’ permission to access fields to understand what is happening with their crops.

While producer engagement in the network has been positive, McCallum said, it’s important to spread the word about how the department can help farmers deal with pests, weeds and diseases.

“There’s fewer producers on the farms all the time, and they’re very busy people, so it’s good for them to have the awareness that this is important and that they have help from people like us that are trying to understand these problems and trying to give them tools to control them as well.”

McCallum said some of the concerns he has heard from farmers echo Campbell’s, including whether pests are developing a resistance to certain pesticides and whether some weeds

are becoming herbicideresistant as well.

Fusarium head blight, a fungal cereal disease that affects wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale, has also been a problem this year, McCallum said.

Some producers have been sending samples of wheat leaves for the network to check for disease, McCallum said, adding grower participation in the network is vital.

By the end of 2026, the network hopes to develop a communications network with producers, the department website said.

Vitality Veterinary Services is Accepting New Patients

Submitted photo

Research scientist Brent McCallum, based out of the Morden Research and Development Centre, inspects wheat seedlings in an AAFC greenhouse.

Weather has slowed harvest progress

Many producers experienced cool, damp weather this past week which halted or slowed their harvest operations until conditions improved.

Other producers that were able to continue either finished their har-

vest or are very close to doing so.

Harvest progress for the province is at 73 per cent, up from 64 per cent last week and ahead of the five-year (2017-2021) average of 68 per cent.

An additional 18 per cent of the crop is ready

to be swathed or straightcut.

Southeastern Saskatchewan:

• Crop District 1 – Carnduff, Estevan, Redvers, Moosomin and Kipling areas

• Crop District 2 –Weyburn, Milestone,

Moose Jaw, Regina and Qu’Appelle areas

• Crop District 3ASE –Radville, Minton and Lake Alma areas

Some producers were able to continue their harvest operations without issue while others were slowed down due to cool, damp weather. Harvest progress for the region is at 65 per cent, up from 57 per cent last week but well behind the five-year average of 78 per cent.

Many producers in the western half of the region have wrapped while those on the eastern half are still struggling with crop that won’t dry down. Canola has been especially troublesome with some producers still applying desiccants.

There was not much widespread precipitation in the region this past week, most areas saw between one to 10 mm. However, the Moosomin area received 30 mm and the Glenavon area 15 mm. While the rain may not be ideal for harvesting, it has helped lower the fire risk in fields as well as help pasture grasses recover before the freeze up.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as two per cent surplus, 63 per cent adequate, 33 per cent short and two per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as three per cent surplus, 49 per cent adequate, 34 per cent short and ten per cent very short. Once harvest has concluded, a good soaking rain would be very beneficial for the soils and pasture grasses in the region.

Pasture conditions are rated as seven per cent excellent, 49 per cent good, 33 per cent fair, nine per cent poor and two per cent very poor. Rainfall early in the sea-

son allowed for some pastures to grow quickly and improve their ability to support cattle grazing; now they are beginning to dry down again and more rain will be needed before winter to help the grass recover.

The majority of crop damage this past week was due to wind and frost. Most crops have been well beyond the threat of damage due to being harvested or are too far matured.

There was also damage caused by wildlife and waterfowl.

Producers are busy combining, harrowing, spraying, hauling bales and grain and moving cattle.

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

Harvest progress was limited across the region last week as frequent showers and cool, damp weather prevented many producers from getting out into their fields.

Harvest progress now sits at 52 per cent, up from 46 per cent last week but still behind the five-year average of 60 per cent.

The weather must improve quickly to allow producers to continue their harvesting activities.

Much of the grain coming off is very tough and damp and must be dried down before it can be safely stored.

Many producers in Crop District 6A have completed their harvest and have moved onto other field activities.

There were several showers that passed through the region over

the last week, some areas only got one to five mm, while others received quite a bit more.

The Pelly area received 44 mm, the Foam Lake area 24 mm, the Elfros and Semans area 18 mm and the Lipton area 13 mm.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 53 per cent adequate, 37 per cent short and nine per cent very short.

Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 43 per cent adequate, 46 per cent short and eleven per cent very short.

Pasture conditions are rated as seven per cent excellent, 29 per cent good, 41 per cent fair, 20 per cent poor and four per cent very poor. Pastures greatly benefited from early season rains which allowed them to carry cattle all season long with minimal grass and water availability concerns.

The majority of crop damage this past week was due to wind, light frost and waterfowl.

The rainfall received this past week will hopefully not have a large effect on grain quality as it could lead to leaching of standing or swathed cereal crops.

Producers are busy combining, swathing, drying grain and moving cattle.

Northeastern Saskatchewan:

• Crop District 8 –Hudson Bay, Tisdale, Melfort, Carrot River, Humboldt, Kinistino, Cudworth and Aberdeen areas

• Crop District 9AE –Prince Albert, Choiceland and Paddockwood areas

Harvest was postponed for many this past week as some rainstorms rolled through and made for very poor harvesting conditions.

Fifty-eight per cent of the crop is now in the bin, up from 41 per cent last week and ahead of the five-year average of 51 per cent.

Producers are hoping for warm, dry weather to advance crop maturity and assist with drying down, especially on canola, where some stalks remain green.

There was some very good precipitation across the region last week with many areas receiving more than an inch. The Prince Albert area received 41 mm, the Melfort area 30 mm, the Zenon Park and Star City areas 25 mm and the Humboldt area 12 mm.

Cropland topsoil moisture is rated as 77 per cent adequate and 23 per cent short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as 68 per cent adequate and 32 per cent short. After harvest has concluded in the region, crop and pasture land would benefit from

Continued from Page 10 further rainfall.

Pasture conditions are rated as seven per cent excellent, 41 per cent good, 43 per cent fair, eight per cent poor and one per cent very poor. Pastures in this region are in better shape than they were last year and producers are much less concerned about their ability to graze cattle, a couple gentle rains in the fall however, would do them some good.

The majority of crop damage this past week was due to wind, frost and waterfowl. The rain has caused some weed growth along with some crop regrowth, producers are evaluating the need to spray. The areas that received heavy amounts of rain fall are also at a higher risk of seeing their standing or swathed cereal crops become downgraded due to bleaching.

Producers are busy swathing, combining, drying grain and hauling bales.

Provincially Harvest is most advanced in the southwest region, where 96 per cent of the crop is now combined. The westcentral region has 89 per cent combined and the southeast 65 per cent. The northwest region has 63 per cent combined, the northeast 58 per cent and the east-central 52 per cent.

Ninety-seven per cent of lentils and field peas, 94 per cent of durum, 78 per cent of barley, 77 per cent of spring wheat, 52 per cent of canola and 35 per cent of flax has now been combined. An additional 36 per cent of canola is swathed or ready to

straight-cut.

Precipitation was generally welcomed after several weeks of dry weather. Concerns about field and equipment fires have eased and there is hope that the rain will be enough in some areas to allow pastures a little regrowth. The Pelly area received 44 mm, the Melfort and Moosomin areas 30 mm, the Lipton area 13 mm, the Rosetown area nine mm and the Vanguard area four mm.

Provincial cropland topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 37 per cent adequate, 40 per cent short and 21 per cent very short. Hay and pasture land topsoil moisture is rated as one per cent surplus, 28 per cent adequate, 42 per cent short and 29 per cent very short. These conditions have declined across the province due to strong winds and a lack of rain.

Pasture conditions are rated as four per cent excellent, 23 per cent good, 31 per cent fair, 25 per cent poor and 17 per cent very poor. Conditions vary across the province, with the southeast, east-central and northeast regions in good to excellent condition due to rainfall in the spring and throughout the summer that helped maintain pasture grass.

The majority of crop damage this week was due to wind, waterfowl, wildlife and lack of moisture. There were several reports of hard frosts across the province but producers say damage is low due to crops being so well advanced. The recent rain will likely cause some minor down-

grading to standing or swathed cereal crops due to bleaching.

Producers are busy wrapping up harvest, hauling bales, moving cattle home or to market, hauling water and engaged in post-harvest field activities such as herbicide application.

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.

Commercial Truck

Trailer Repair

Staff photo by Diane Miller

Forecast improves for food and beverage processing: FCC report

The outlook for food and beverage processors remains positive amid economic conditions that have shifted from the start of the year, according to the Food and Beverage Report midyear update from Farm Credit Canada (FCC).

Year-over-year sales growth is expected to slow in the second half

of the year to six per cent from 12 per cent in the first half, finishing the year at nine per cent.

“We expect slower growth in the second half of the year as inflation eases, global economic growth moderates and Canadian consumers pay attention to the price of food and their own limited savings compared

to a year ago,” said J.P. Gervais, FCC’s Chief Economist, in detailing the mid-year report.

“Food and beverage manufacturers are reckoning with high costs and shifting consumer food patterns, but profitability is projected to improve in the months ahead.”

Grain and oilseed milling led sales growth

in the first half of the year, along with sugar and confectionery, and meat products. That trend is expected to continue for the latter half of 2022.

“Demand for chicken and pork continues to be strong, and we are still expecting consumers to get back to eating more beef,” Gervais said. “Consumers have cut back on beef consumption domestically since the start of the pandemic, but that is offset by strong beef exports. We are seeing positive trends in red meat and expect sales to rise in 2023.”

The seafood and alcohol processing sectors are feeling the impact of higher food costs as consumers cut purchases in the last six months due to inflation in other areas prompting them to reconsider their spending. Seafood, breweries and wineries are forecasted to see sales slip in the second half of 2022.

“Understanding these economic trends is critical for processors to navigate the headwinds we are experiencing,” Gervais explained. “For

those figuring out how to best withstand a slowdown, it may be time to review performance to make possible adjustments in financial planning and or relationships with suppliers. This will help manufacturers set budgets, monitor and control costs, and decide pricing strategies.”

Processing gross margins have been under pressure with consumers focused on purchasing lower-margin basics in the face of higher retail prices. As input costs were elevated relative to selling prices, the gross margin index in food and beverage manufacturing fell nearly 10 per cent in the first half of 2022.

“We anticipate margins will start to improve as commodity prices decline,” Gervais said. “Overall, the trends to watch are the decline of global economic growth, job vacancies in the food and beverage sectors, and domestic food consumption growth as inflation slows and consumers return to normal shopping habits.”

The FCC food report mid-year update features insights and analysis on grain and oilseed milling; dairy, meat, sugar,

confectionery, bakery and tortilla products; seafood preparation; and fruit, vegetable and specialty foods, soft drinks, breweries, wineries and distilleries.

By sharing agriculture economic knowledge and forecasts, FCC provides solid insights and expertise to help those in the business of agriculture and food achieve their goals. For more economic insights and analysis, visit FCC Economics at fcc.ca/Economics.

FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture and food lender, with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $44 billion. Our employees are dedicated to future of Canadian agriculture and food. We provide flexible, competitively priced financing, AgExpert management software, information and knowledge specifically designed for the agriculture and food industry. As a selfsustaining Crown corporation, we provide an appropriate return to our shareholder, and reinvest our profits back into the industry and communities we serve. For more information, visit fcc.ca.

Submitted

On the move

With a field finished a farmer west of Yorkton heads across the stubble and onto a new field.

Staff photo by Diane Miller

Proceeds from sale of tech company will be used for

Nations ag investment fund

By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Windspeaker.com)

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of a successful Saskatchewan tech company will help launch File Hills Qu’Appelle (FHQ) Developments into the burgeoning agriculture protein industry. FHQ is the investment and economic development arm of the File Hill’s Qu’Appelle Tribal Council.

“We will be looking to raise capital at some point in the very, very near future that is going to be used so that we can begin … making investments in the protein sector on the ag (side),” said Thomas Benjoe, president and CEO of FHQ Developments.

“That’s a very, very big industry right now in Saskatchewan so we want to make sure that we’re participating on a bigger scale.”

Money to backstop FHQ’s agriculture investment fund, now in its early stages of establishment, will come partially from the almost $1 million profit made off the sale of PLATO Sask back to its sister company New Brunswick-based PQA Testing.

FHQ invested $80,000 into the start-up of PLATO Sask and managed to grow the company even throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Benjoe explained that PQA Testing was having difficulty getting a foothold for its software testing company in the Saskatchewan market, so it approached FHQ in 2019 to partner on the endeavour.

Instead of solely partnering by having members trained as software testers, Benjoe proposed a business partnership and PLATO Sask was created as its own entity.

It was the right fit. PQA and PLATO Testing founder Keith McIntosh had committed in 2015 to have the software testing company be Indigenousled and staffed. For his efforts, McIntosh was recognized by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business as the 2020

recipient of the Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations.

PLATO Sask is an example of the successful limited partnership model that FHQ has employed for the past five years when partnering with major organizations.

“What that meant was that we’d be able to manage the strategy from a governance perspective. We’d be able to set benchmarks and parameters and ensure that there’s Indigenous talent that’s developed within the company,” said Benjoe.

He said it was also important for partner companies to understand “we’re not just a company that’s looking at the bottom line. We’re a company that…values returns based on the livelihood of our people (and) that’s not just Indigenous people but non-Indigenous people who work within our organization because all of those things have a major effect on the economy.”

FHQ had been creating joint ventures in response to pipelines and other infrastructure developments occurring on or around the tribal council’s member 11 First Nations. The joint ventures didn’t hold assets or maintain full staffs.

“I said, ‘I can’t build a business or a portfolio based on things that are just reactive, where we’re chasing the market consistently,’” said Benjoe.

He admits there was some push back from potential partners when FHQ introduced its new development model as “a lot of them wouldn’t want to be committed to creating a whole new entity or didn’t want to see us having greater control over a new entity.”

Benjoe says FHQ stood firm on implementing the new model.

“Our customers now value that model because they see it as … ‘We’re not just selecting a company that can do this work, but we’re selecting a company that’s choosing to do something greater for our community.’ It set us apart from some of our competition and that has worked really well when we’ve been able to secure long-

er multi-year contracts and deepen relationships with our customers,” said Benjoe.

He says FHQ has seen success from utilizing this business model and continues to invest in more and more businesses.

And FHQ’s own agricultural investment fund is on the horizon.

It is the right time to focus on agriculture and specifically on protein, says Benjoe, when world circumstances, such as the war in the Ukraine and severe drought being experienced by other countries, are taken into consideration.

“There’s not enough livestock in the world to feed our population and keep the amount of protein that they need in their diet so everyone’s looking for alternatives… It’s going to come from protein crops. We need to get ahead of that before other investors begin making significant investments into the protein sector,” said Benjoe.

FHQ will be working with other agriculture investment funds and is also opening up opportunities to other First Nations and territories to invest with them “to create more of a value-added” to the protein crops grown in Saskatchewan.

Limited support is available through the Saskatchewan government in the form of $75 million in loan guarantees and Benjoe is hopeful something may come from the federal government. However, he’s not counting on government support and is more confident about developing investor relationships

with partners.

“We want to make sure that we maintain a competitive edge in

Saskatchewan, just because of the relationships we have as a development corporation.

Because of the success people have seen…they want us to be partners.

Global Biotech Week proclaimed in Sask.

Agriculture Minister David Marit proclaimed September 26 to Oct. 2, as Global Biotech Week in Saskatchewan. This week celebrates the role biotechnology plays in the agriculture industry and beyond.

Approximately onethird of Canada’s agricultural biotechnology sector is in Saskatchewan and the province is considered a leader in the field. Saskatchewan joins other regions across Canada and around the world to celebrate Global Biotech

Week each year.

“Scientists use biotechnology to grow Saskatchewan’s economy by developing new crop varieties that are more resistant to disease and pests, weather-related stress and more; delivering vaccines to protect our livestock; and enhancing environmental sustainability of the sector,” Marit said. “Global Biotech Week celebrates the work of researchers and raises awareness of the important role the sector plays in agriculture and the life sci-

ences.”

Advancements in the sector will in turn support Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan over the next decade.

Ag-West Bio coordinates activities across the province to mark Global Biotech Week.

President and CEO Dr. Karen Churchill says it’s important to celebrate the successes within the bioscience industry.

“Many people don’t understand how important biotechnology is to modern society.

Grain Growers of Canada release three recommendations to improve Canada’s fertilizer emission reduction targets

The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) have published their submission to Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s (AAFC) discussion document on the proposed fertilizer emission reduction target.

“Our sector knows nitrogen fertilizer is essential to the success of individual farm operations and, in turn, the Canadian economy,” says GGC Chair Andre Harpe from his farm in Alberta’s Peace Country.

“With the threat of global food insecurity, we must develop an approach that aligns the imminent need for increased food

production with the longterm goal of increasing on-farm sustainability.”

In March 2022, AAFC released its discussion document titled ‘Reducing emissions arising from the application of fertilizer in Canada’s agriculture sector as the next step in the government’s plans to reduce fertilizer emissions.

GGC has been working diligently to assess the impact on farmers and the grain industry. There is no one-size-fitsall approach to meeting this target, and many individual farm-level variables will impact what solutions work for each

farmer. To reflect the varied Canadian landscape and to ensure we continue to increase our yield increases, GGC recommends:

• Targeting reductions in intensity relative to production, rather than an absolute reduction;

• Address data gaps to ensure the baseline reflects usage patterns and accurately measures emissions; and

• Incorporating existing best management practices, like 4R Nutrient Stewardship, into the National Inventory Report (NIR).

“We understand the need to hasten the adop-

AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL

tion of technologies and practices that could reduce emissions,” adds Harpe. “Economic realities and on-farm agronomic necessities will dictate what is feasible.

As part of Canadian grain

farmers’ ongoing leadership, we continue to work towards developing practical on-farm policy that ensures sustainability and competitiveness.”

GGC continues to engage with the federal

PROCEEDS

Continued from Page 13

They see tremendous value in having us as a First Nations partner in these cases,” said Benjoe.

But beyond the agriculture investment fund, Benjoe says he would like to see more partnerships with other First Nations. Instead of other

First Nations creating joint ventures with nonIndigenous organizations, they can work with FHQ’s companies and together build assets, train their people, and provide significant financial returns for their communities.

Part of the profit from

government, farm organizations and industry across Canada to align the federal government’s goals with the unique needs and opportunities of the sector.

— Submitted

the sale of PLATO Sask will also be distributed to the 11-member First Nations and the FHQ Tribal Council for community initiatives and priorities. The Nations are spread across southern Saskatchewan and have more than 16,000 citizens.

SINCE

The week celebrates the role biotechnology plays in the agriculture industry.

Happy cattle

Whitesand Creek Farm might be small, it is situated on only one quarter of land southeast of Canora, but by doing things just a little bit differently, it is still very much a farm focused on turning a profit. The farm, which the couple term ‘boutique’, is operated by Murray and Angela Prokopetz. The list of breeds running free range on the farm reads a bit like a list of rare and Among the rather varied elements of the farm it is rather clear the cattle herd is the Prokopetz’s pride and joy, and again they are not exactly a breed most would recognize. In fact the couple estimates they are the only breeders in Saskatchewan currently registering Braunvieh cattle. “The German word “Braunvieh” means

“Brown Cattle”. Braunvieh enjoy the status as being one of the oldest pure breeds, which originated in the alpine regions of Switzerland,” notes www.canadianbeefbreeds.com “. . . Braunvieh is a medium-sized, dual purpose breed, which excels in maternal traits and docility. They are very hardy, adapting to extreme cold or heat and are known for their longevity. About 40 per cent of the cattle in Switzerland are Braunvieh and, due to their high performance and exceptional tolerance to various climates, they are raised in more than 60 countries, from the Arctic Circle to the tropics, at altitudes varying between sea level and 12,500 feet.”

Photos courtesy Whitesand Creek Farm

Proceeds from sale of tech company will be used for First Nations ag investment fund

By Shari Narine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Windspeaker.com)

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of a successful Saskatchewan tech company will help launch File Hills Qu’Appelle (FHQ) Developments into the burgeoning agriculture protein industry.

FHQ is the investment and economic development arm of the File Hill’s Qu’Appelle Tribal Council.

“We will be looking to raise capital at some point in the very, very near future that is going to be used so that we can begin … making investments in the protein sector on the ag (side),” said Thomas Benjoe, president and CEO of FHQ Developments.

“That’s a very, very big industry right now in Saskatchewan so we want to make sure that we’re participating on a bigger scale.”

Money to backstop FHQ’s agriculture investment fund, now in its early stages of establishment, will come partially from the almost $1 million profit made off the sale of PLATO Sask back to its sister company New

Brunswick-based PQA Testing.

FHQ invested $80,000 into the start-up of PLATO Sask and managed to grow the company even throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Benjoe explained that PQA Testing was having difficulty getting a foothold for its software testing company in the Saskatchewan market, so it approached FHQ in 2019 to partner on the endeavour.

Instead of solely partnering by having members trained as software testers, Benjoe proposed a business partnership and PLATO Sask was created as its own entity.

It was the right fit. PQA and PLATO Testing founder Keith McIntosh had committed in 2015 to have the software testing company be Indigenousled and staffed. For his efforts, McIntosh was recognized by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business as the 2020 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations.

PLATO Sask is an example of the successful limited partnership model that FHQ has employed for the past five years when partnering with major organiza-

tions.

“What that meant was that we’d be able to manage the strategy from a governance perspective. We’d be able to set benchmarks and parameters and ensure that there’s Indigenous talent that’s developed within the company,” said Benjoe.

He said it was also important for partner companies to understand “we’re not just a company that’s looking at the bottom line. We’re a company that… values returns based on the livelihood of our people (and) that’s not just Indigenous people but non-Indigenous people who work within our organization because all of those things have a major effect on the economy.”

FHQ had been creating joint ventures in response to pipelines and other infrastructure developments occurring on or around the tribal council’s member 11 First Nations. The joint ventures didn’t hold assets or maintain full staffs.

“I said, ‘I can’t build a business or a portfolio based on things that are just reactive, where we’re chasing the mar-

ket consistently,’” said Benjoe.

He admits there was some push back from potential partners when FHQ introduced its new development model as “a lot of them wouldn’t want to be committed to creating a whole new entity or didn’t want to see us having greater control over a new entity.”

Benjoe says FHQ stood firm on implementing the new model.

“Our customers now value that model because they see it as … ‘We’re not just selecting a company that can do this work, but we’re selecting a company that’s choosing to do something greater for our community.’ It set us apart from some of our competition and that has worked really well when we’ve been able to secure longer multi-year contracts and deepen relationships with our customers,” said Benjoe.

He says FHQ has seen success from utilizing this business model and continues to invest in more and more businesses.

And FHQ’s own agricultural investment fund is on the horizon.

It is the right time to

focus on agriculture and specifically on protein, says Benjoe, when world circumstances, such as the war in the Ukraine and severe drought being experienced by other countries, are taken into consideration.

“There’s not enough livestock in the world to feed our population and keep the amount of protein that they need in their diet so everyone’s looking for alternatives…It’s going to come from protein crops. We need to get ahead of that before other investors begin making significant investments into the protein sector,” said Benjoe.

FHQ will be working with other agriculture investment funds and is also opening up opportunities to other First Nations and territories to invest with them “to create more of a value-added” to the protein crops grown in Saskatchewan.

Limited support is available through the Saskatchewan government in the form of $75 million in loan guarantees and Benjoe is hopeful something may come from the federal government. However, he’s not counting on government support and is more confident about developing

investor relationships with partners.

“We want to make sure that we maintain a competitive edge in Saskatchewan, just because of the relationships we have as a development corporation. Because of the success people have seen… they want us to be partners. They see tremendous value in having us as a First Nations partner in these cases,” said Benjoe.

But beyond the agriculture investment fund, Benjoe says he would like to see more partnerships with other First Nations. Instead of other First Nations creating joint ventures with nonIndigenous organizations, they can work with FHQ’s companies and together build assets, train their people, and provide significant financial returns for their communities.

Part of the profit from the sale of PLATO Sask will also be distributed to the 11-member First Nations and the FHQ Tribal Council for community initiatives and priorities. The Nations are spread across southern Saskatchewan and have more than 16,000 citizens.

OUT THE HUGE SELECTION OF

Big horses at work and play

Submitted Photos from Twylla Newton

Twylla Newton and assistant Lee-Anne Toma start the harness training on young Clydesdales at Tail Winds Arena, Yorkton.

A 2022 Clydesdale colt owned by Twylla Newton from Yorkton is coming in for his breakfast!

Tayvia Newton takes

Spirit!

Twylla Newton gets the team to train the 2022 babies halter lessons. Much easier this way!

Up it goes

A metal ‘teepee’ is installed in City Centre Park in Yorkton. The structure was funded by the Yorkton Tribal Council and will be a symbol of reconciliation in the city.

Staff Photo by Calvin Daniels

Why you should wear orange on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation takes place Friday, September 30, 2022.

The day is intended to educate and remind Canadians about the dark history of re sidential schools, honour the victims and celebrate the survivors. The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day. Here’s why.

Why wear orange Orange Shirt Day was inspired by the experience of residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, whose grandmother bought her an orange shirt when she was six years old. She proudly wore the shirt on her first day attending residential school.

However, when Phyllis arrived, school officials took her shirt away from her and cut her hair. She never saw her orange shirt

again. Webstad says orange reminds her that her feelings didn’t matter while attending the school and that no one cared.

A dark legacy Webstad is one of 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children ripped from their families and communities and forced to attend residential schools between the late 1800s and 1996.

The Canadian government and the Catholic Church ran the schools designed to strip the children of their language and culture. It’s estimated that between four and six thousand children died due to the schools’ rampant abuse and poor living conditions.

Orange is the colour of hope Many residential school survivors are still coping with the trauma they

Celebrating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The Yorkton Chamber acknowledges the traditional, ancestral Indigenous territory on which we live, work, and learn.

experienced as children. Wearing orange recognizes the resilience and strength of those who survived while paying tribute to those who didn’t.

Wear orange this National Truth and Reconciliation Day to show that every child matters, that their feelings count and that someone cares.

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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.

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.

Wanted

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

For Sale - Misc

HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE including oak bedroom suite, TV stand, wall unit, couch and chair. Call 306-621-7780

SUMITOMO WINTER tires 265/60R18 with rims. Used 1 winter. Phone 783-2911 or 783-7575.

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

FLAX STRAW buncher. Asking $2500. Call 306-563-6303

NOTICE

The Tax Enforcement Act

GLEN PAUL GARAND

TAKE NOTICE that the Village of Theodore intends to be registered as owner under the above Act of the land described as LOT B-BLK/PAR 18-PLAN CE1022 Ext 0, Title No. 149081924.

The municipality claims title to the land by virtue of an interest based on the tax lien registered against the existing title to the land in the Land Titles Registry as Interest Number 192938495 and you are required to TAKE NOTICE that unless you contest the claim of the municipality or redeem the land pursuant to the provisions of the above Act within six months from the service of this notice on you and, subject to the further provisions of The Tax Enforcement Act, be forever estopped and debarred from setting up any claim to, or in respect of, the land.

The amount required to redeem the land may be ascertained on application to the Clerk, Treasurer or Administrator of the municipality. For any questions about the tax enforcement process please contact Taxervice at 1-877-734-3113.

Dated this 14th day of September, 2022.

For Sale - Misc

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

Published weekly by Boundary Publishers Ltd., a subsidiary of Glacier Ventures International Corp. The Glacier group of companies collects personal information from our customers in the normal course of business transactions. We use that information to provide you with our products and services you request. On occasion we may contact you for purposes of research, surveys and other such matters. To provide you with better service we may share your personal information with our sister companies and also outside, selected third parties who perform work for us as suppliers, agents, service providers and information gatherers. Our subscription list may be provided to other organizations who have products and services that may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to participate in such matters, please contact us at the following address: Yorkton This Week, 20 Third Avenue North, Yorkton, S3N 2X3. For a complete statement of our privacy policy, please go to our website at: www.yorktonthisweek.com or stop by our office and pick up a copy. Yorkton This Week is owned and operated by The Prairie Newspaper Group LP, a division of GVIC Communications Corp.

Marj Beatty, Treasurer Village of Theodore

General

or fax 306-783-7765. Have resume ready.

Tax

Farms

Building Supplies

Garage Sales

TAX ENFORCEMENT LIST

VillageofTheodore

PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Noticeisherebygivenunder

The Tax Enforcement Act thatunlessthearrearsandcostsappearing oppositethelandandtitlenumberdescribedinthefollowinglistarefullypaidbeforethe29thdayof November,2022,aninterestbasedonataxlienwillberegisteredagainsttheland.

Note:Asumforcostsinanamountrequiredbysubsection4(3)of The Tax Enforcement Act is includedintheamountshownagainsteachparcel

PROPERTY

Part of Lot

Part of Section SecTwpRange Meridi an

No.

ABY2577146960725$1,086.26$339.00$1,425.26

161C2810131944631$267.86$339.00$606.86 34C2810128166420$335.32$339.00$674.32 44C2810128166453

124C2810148808920$261.70$339.00$600.70

135S616139534904$1,671.01$339.00$2,010.01 126S616154116008$1,177.97$339.00$1,516.97 166S616129228318$668.48$339.00$1,007.48 236S616144522648$1,520.82$339.00$1,859.82 237102073834154244280$1,064.41$339.00$1,403.41 118S616152657242$1,406.56$339.00$1,745.56 128S616152657264

134C2810146905836$1,550.26$339.00$1,889.26 139101749675144994652$261.70$339.00$600.70 319BY2577134390640$261.70$339.00$600.70 619BY2577144583858$625.64$339.00$964.64

1119BY2577153333334$1,133.97$339.00$1,472.97

162078Y10006152346258$2,191.33$339.00$2,530.33 323CC4706149528762$632.66$339.00$971.66

125CE1022127545789$1,193.53$339.00$1,532.53 225CE1022153745656$1,150.34$339.00$1,489.34 425CE1022153745881$263.12$339.00$602.12 925CE1022136422514$1,171.06$339.00$1,510.06 1126CE1022152259611$230.51$339.00$569.51 1326CE1022124508370$20,372.14$339.00$20,711.14 FBW1465144238686$1,462.82$339.00$1,801.82 136S616154116019$270.33$339.00$609.33 176S616129228329$1,495.65$339.00$1,834.65 226S616144522570$1,520.82$339.00$1,859.82 719BY2577144583869$1,197.82$339.00$1,536.82 325CE1022153745870$263.12$339.00$602.12 1825101749743136422536$254.90$339.00$593.90

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Running for a good cause

The Bernie’s Journey fundraiser was held Saturday. Brayden Ottenbreit Close Cuts for Cancer and The Health Foundation partnered to host the run which departed from the Yorkton Fire Hall early Saturday morning. A sunny morning weather-wise allowed a number of participants to join Bernie Wlock in a 5K/10K walk/run in honour of his own battle with cancer.

Wlock is an avid local volunteer who participates in the Pacer’s Running

Club and is also the Race Director of the Health Foundation’s Charity Road Race. Proceeds from registration, pledges and the pancake/ sausage breakfast go to the Brayden Ottenbreit Close Cuts for Cancer Local Cancer Initiatives Program through The Health Foundation. A special shout out went to the Yorkton Firefighters who cooked up the pancakes and sausages following the event.

Disc golf offers Sturgis and area something new and different

Courtesy of Preeceville Progress

The community of Sturgis and the surrounding region are enjoying the fairly new sport of disc golf.

The new nine-basket disc golf course is located beside the Sturgis Multi-Complex, previously known as the old Elementary School building. The first basket is at the top of the hill and follows a path down the hill and through the bush that out-skirts the sports grounds.

The course was the idea posed by the town council, who were looking at investing in a possible disc golf course. “The Town of Sturgis had some money in the old Economical Development Committee fund that had since folded and decided to invest those monies into the golf course,” stated Mayor Don Olson. “It was fairly inexpensive, low maintenance and provides

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something to attract individuals into our town. Residents are encouraged to come out and give it a try,” he said.

The Town then posted a note in its newsletter that the community was looking for volunteers to put in a disc golf course.

“Because we enjoy playing the game, plus the thought of having the convenience of having a course right in town, we offered to take on the project for the town,” stated Erin Gregory, one of the organizers.

“The area was chosen because of the space. We reached out to Disc Golf Saskatchewan to help create the course and together we came up with a nine-hole, par three course. There is still some work that needs to be done in the spring such as signage and teeoff boxes,” said Gregory.

“After contacting Disc Golf Saskatchewan, we met up with one of the guys to plan out the course.” Gregory and Mitch Burym went to North Battleford to pick up the cages, then put together and cemented the cages into place.

There is no charge to play on the course.

“Disc golf is a new sport and the town

wanted to offer something to the community and surrounding areas.

Maintenance is low, it’s fun, and participation is at your own time,” Gregory said.

The following was taken from the disc golf website.

Disc golf is played much like golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws.) A disc golf hole begins from a tee area and ends at a target, the most common of which is an elevated metal basket. As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive throw from the spot where the previous throw landed. In group play, the farthest away player always throws first. Players should not get ahead of the away player. The trees, shrubs, and terrain changes located in and around the fairways provide challenging obstacles for the golfer. When the ‘putt’ lands in the basket, the hole is complete, concluded the website information.

candidate will also possess

computer skills

ability

permanent part time position.

Please send your resume along with a cover letter to John Bauman at jbauman@yorktonthisweek.com

Erin Gregory, left, Brooks Burym (her son) and her partner Mitch Burym were instrumental in helping to bring a disc golf course to the Town of Sturgis.

Staff Photo by Calvin Daniels

New book focused on crokinole

When it comes to board games each of us will have our own favourites.

My son Adam would likely suggest Dominion or Pandemic, a bud Jordan would look to a mini game such as WARMACHINE, my better half would give the nod most likely to King’s Cribbage, and I would always choose Crokinole.

For me Crokinole ticks most of the key boxes, a game I played with Dad, a Canadian creation, and without the fickle element of something like a card draw or dice roll foiling a game plan.

So when I saw there was a new book coming out on the game, my interest was piqued.

Crokinole: The Illustrated Guide by Michel Cloutier is the book, and a little social media work and an email interview was arranged.

The most obvious question, given crokinole has been around for well over a century, was why a book now?

“My goal is simple, so I will keep my answer simple; introducing the world to this great game called crokinole,” offered Cloutier who hails from Montreal where he is a teacher for the second largest school board in Quebec training professionals in the fields of telecommunications and computer networking environments specializing in cyber security.

Cloutier said he really had not expected to do the book, it just sort of happened.

“I do not consider myself a writer. I do have a self-published sci-fi novel on the market for five years now,” he said.

“But this novel is a one-time adventure for me that took almost four years to write. I had this novel professionally edit-

ed for quality and I am very proud of the feedback. That is the limit of my writing experience. It was a dream I had to put this story to print and I made it come true . . .

“I did not intend to write another book. Then one day, I googled crokinole intending to purchase a new game board and discovered that there was a large international crokinole community that played competitively. There is even an annual world crokinole championship.”

For Cloutier is was sort of a trip back in time.

“I am from a generation where playing meant doing things outside with friends,” he recounted. “I did play crokinole as a child and with my own children, I played popular board games such as Monopoly, Clue, and card games. I do play Yum with my wife and when I feel like being an easy target, I play Scrabble with her as well.

“My favourite as a child and still my favourite today is crokinole. It is super easy to learn, but it takes much practice to master. Also, anyone young or old can play. So it is a perfect game for get-togethers.”

So after sort of finding the game still had a large following Cloutier took a deeper dive.

“Wanting to learn more, I joined the Facebook group National Crokinole Association to inquire about which crokinole book to purchase to get me up to speed on the modern game. The reply was disappointing. There was none,” he said.

“After a year or so, Googling and Facebook questioning every time I wanted to know something about the game, rules, clubs, or tournaments, I said to myself

THE MEEPLE GUILD (YORKTON)

meeple.guild@gmail.com

there must be a better way.

“That’s when my wife suggested I write a brochure on the subject to help others find the information in one easily accessible place.

“Little did I realize the brochure would grow into a book.”

Initially Cloutier thought a bit smaller.

“Not being a writer by trade and having a fulltime day job, I decided to make a small affordable brochure-style guide to spread the news about this exciting game,” he said.

“In addition to what I’ve mentioned above, my first goal was to make it easy for curious potential players to find basic information in one affordable place. That is why I made the book in an electronic format. Having said this, I’m getting overwhelming requests for a print copy. I’m flirting with the idea but the work involved is intimidating.”

Even then the project took a chunk of time.

“It took me a little over a year to complete,” recalled Cloutier. “The reason for this is that I had to first learn how to make my own illustrations (as an interjection these are really a highlight of the book).

“I also needed to contact competitive players and influencers of the crokinole community to confirm technical details. The interviews in chapter thirteen took

time to arrange as well.

“Finally, I worked on the book during the weekends only. I wanted it to be a fun project, so I did not rush the process.”

So what can players expect from the book?

If the reader is new to crokinole, this book covers everything from how to choose and maintain a board, game rules, tips and strategies,” said Cloutier. “This will help the reader impress their crokinole-playing friends and family.

“If the reader is an experienced crokinole player who participates in clubs and tournaments or perhaps played in one of the annual World Crokinole Championships, then they will probably already know much of what is presented in this book. But if the reader has limited experience and wants to perfect their game, they may enjoy the numerous practice tips that include using angles and detailed strategies with illustrations.”

While I have played crokinole for a half century, I am not an expert, but from the perspective of a player in the Meeple Guild this is a great book, part for its history, and more so as a great starting point for new players to this great game.

As the author Cloutier of course had his own favourite element in the book.

“In my blurb, I say in part ‘Looking for a

no-nonsense get-to-thepoint guide to the great Canadian game of crokinole? Then this handson guide with over 200 illustrations was written for you’ I feel that getting to the point with what the reader wants is a good element in my book,” he said. “Also, the illustrations make it easy to understand what is explained in the text.”

The book enters a somewhat barren field in terms of tomes on the game.

“I was able to find only two books on the subject of crokinole,” said Cloutier. “Both are decades old and in my opinion, need to be updated to meet today’s crokinole community.

“So, I did not have much to compare with. What this book offers is simplicity. You can read it from start to finish or jump to what interests you the most. I also have

on my website free downloadable aids to accompany this book.”

And as the author Cloutier is a satisfied writer.

“Yes, I do believe that the information and the way it is presented accomplish what I set out to do,” he said.

“As far as the book’s design is concerned, I am not a professional book designer, so there are little things that a professional would make better. Having said this, I am satisfied with the end product. I was also pleasantly surprised to find my book placing number one on Amazon Hot New Releases, Kindle board games category. It stayed there for a little while.”

This guide is available at all major bookstores including large digital libraries such as Kindle, Apple Books, Indigo, Nook, Scribd, Kobo and so forth.

Parkland College partners with YTC for wastewater operator course

YORKTON–Water and wastewater operators play an integral role in the maintenance of a clean water supply supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Parkland College is partnering with Yorkton Tribal Council and three of their departments (Labour Force Development, Pre-Employments Supports and Technical Services) along

with Indigenous Services Canada to deliver a program called ‘Intro to Water Operators’ that will provide strong foundational training in the water and wastewater disciplines.

The program is designed for those who are new to the field of study or those who are already working in the field but who want to upgrade or fulfill their continuing education require-

ments. This training is made possible through a unique teaching partnership formed between Parkland College and ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd.

This 19-week program combines weekly online training with ATAP in students’ communities along with weekly classroom training focusing on math and essential skills

in Yorkton. This course is divided into eight units and includes presentations, assignments, handouts, and quizzes. Included is two weeks of work placement where the students receive on-the-job training in the field.

Communities involved are Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Ocean Man First Nation, Key First Nation, Cote First

Nation, Keeseekoose First Nation, Cowessess First Nation, Zagime Anishinabek First Nation and Ochapowace First Nation. “By providing the right tools and direction, we can build a prosperous and self-sufficient future for our Indigenous Peoples,” comments Frank Keshane, Director of Adult Education and PES Advisor, YTC.

Avenue North Yorkton, Sask.

“Your ears deserve an audiologist”

Atom Gridders win regular season finale

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

It was a perfect conclusion to the last day of summer - an Atom Gridder victory in their last home game of the season.

The Gridders’ offence was explosive for all four quarters in their victory over the visiting Regina Cardinals, and with the 40-20 win, the local Atoms wrap up their regular season with a 4-3 record.

“Our O line created gaping holes for our run game,” reported Mark Schendel, Yorkton’s Atom head coach. “I always

say they (Offensive Line) are the heartbeat of the offence. It always starts up front.”

The Gridders offence gashed the Cardinal defence for numerous big chunk plays. Kelson Hawreluik (three touchdowns) and Carter Britton (two touchdowns) led the running attack. Preston Tratch and Adarius SchigolPeterson also had scores for the Gridders.

“Pick your poison. Both Kelson and Carter have tremendous speed and outstanding vision. They are a nightmare for opposing defences,” sug-

gested Schendel.

Schendel would also note that it was a complete team effort on Wednesday.

“Our D made some key stops just when the Cardinals were trying to swing the momentum,” he said.

Schendel also credited his defensive coaches.

“Cam Barton and Jesse Nielsen always do a great job of in-game adjustments,” said the head coach.

New regulations enable municipalities to allow e-scooters on roads

Saskatchewan municipalities can now choose to allow e-scooters on public roads, thanks to a new provincial regulatory framework.

The Limited Speed Motor Vehicle Regulations, 2022, will govern the use of motorized vehicles with a maximum speed of 32 kilometres per hour.

The framework was developed following consultation last fall with municipalities, law enforcement, safety organizations, and stakeholders. Most respondents were in

favour of allowing their use on public roads, with many supporters viewing e-scooters as an eco-friendly mode of transportation. See the “e-Scooter Review Report on Outcomes” here.

“These regulations give significant consideration to safety, to help ensure people can ride e-scooters while minimizing risk,” Don Morgan, Minister responsible for SGI, said. “While municipalities have always had the option to allow e-scooters on sidewalks and walking paths, these new regulations serve

public demand while providing municipal authority for additional bylaws.”

Municipalities may pass bylaws to allow e-scooters and authorize where and when they can be used (public roads with speed limits of 50 km/h or less, sidewalks, pathways, etc.)

If a municipality does not pass a bylaw permitting their use, e-scooters will continue to be prohibited on public roads in that community.

The provincial regulations are safety focused, and stipulate:

• E-scooters can only be permitted on roads with a speed of 50 kilometres per hour or less;

• E-scooters cannot be operated at a speed greater than 24 km/hr;

• A minimum operator age of 16 years or older;

• An outline of the required standards and safety equipment –Riders are required to wear helmets; and

• Municipalities and provincial and national parks have the authority to create bylaws around the use of e-scooters.

Where these devices are permitted, anyone

operating one of these devices on a public road is required to follow traffic laws. Impaired operation of e-scooters is not allowed. Motorists are expected to keep safety in mind and share the road, as they currently do with bicyclists. (For a refresher course on the rules of the road, consult the SGI Driver’s Handbook at www.sgi. sk.ca/handbook).

Since e-scooters are not regulated at the federal level, the regulations provide broad authority for Saskatchewan to pilot, test, and regulate them.

E-scooters don’t have to be registered and don’t require a driver’s licence to operate but they must comply with municipal bylaws and meet the provincial e-scooter regulations. Any fines or penalties for operating an e-scooter in a restricted area in your community, town or city are up to the municipality.

These provincial regulations initially focus on e-scooters. While other vehicles aren’t included at this time, the regulations position the province to react to other micro-mobility devices in the future.

The Gridders defence would bend, but not break, especially in the second half. The Atom Gridders will wrap up their season on Sunday with a Bowl Game in Regina. The bowl game pairings will be based on the final standings for the 11-team league.

The Yorkton Atom Gridders wound up their regular season with a win.