Marketplace 2022-11-25

Staff Photos by Calvin Daniels

Fraser becomes Terrier hero with a zero

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 ori ginally appeared.

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

Week #10 comes from Feb. 12, 2000.

It was a flashy Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League debut for netminder Ray Fraser.

Although join ing the Terriers at the trade deadline Jan. 10, Wednesday’s game against the Notre Dame Hounds was his first taste of action, coming off a knee injury suffered in November.

And in a game critic al to the SJHL South Division standings, Fraser stopped 31 shots to help his team to a 4-0 shutout victory.

“I was a little con cerned before the game,”

said Fraser, who had only one full-fledged prac tice after being fitted with a new knee brace before starting his first SJHL game against Notre Dame Wednesday.

“I was thinking about the knee, and in that extra second of thinking about it I was getting scored on in practice,” he said. “I was thinking too much … I didn’t feel ready to play in practice.”

Then came the call to face the Hounds only hours later.

“Before the game, I was actually quite wor ried about it,” he said.

And readying for the Hounds’ first shot, the nerves were chattering, he added.

“But once you get into the game you stop thinking, and just start reacting to what goes on around you.”

Less than 12 hours after the win, Fraser said the knee felt good, but his body was fatigued.

“It was quite tiring out there. My legs feel stiff and sore this morning. They’re not used to that kind of movement,” he said.

It was the same thing he felt during the game.

“It was fatigue,” Fraser assured. “I was very tired out there, especially during power plays. It wasn’t the knee bothering me. It was just the fact I was tired.”

The shutout victory helps re-establish Fraser after what has to be termed a trying season of hockey, a season which began in the Western Hockey League.

“The last two years have been difficult for me, but I seem to respond well to adversity,” he said. “Last year going back to Alberta Junior, I was comfortable with it.

It was no big deal,” he said, of a year again start ed in Seattle but ending in Lloydminster.

Then this season he was invited back to the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds, and was hopeful for a relaunch of his career at the level.

“I was disappointed I was traded without even getting a game in in Seattle,” he said.

Still, with a new club in Brandon, a team which obviously wanted him since they traded to get him, looked promising, until the Nov. 5 injury.

“That was probably the hardest thing for me to deal with so far,” he said.

Now with the Terriers, although only on loan from the Alberta Junior Hockey League franchise that holds his Tier II rights, Fraser isn’t sure where he’ll be next sea son.

As for Brandon, “they’ve told me they want me to go back next year … But I’m not even worrying about it right now.

“I just want to get in

better shape and help the Terriers win some games,” he said.

Fraser said the big thing is building confi dence with a new team.

“The first couple of games you’re a little nervous. A big part of it is building trust in your teammates and in your coach’s mind and the minds of the fans so they have the confidence in you,” he said.

Fraser said confi dence is such a key because “as a goaltend er, when you screw up it shows up on the score board.”

In many ways, the inner confidence Fraser has come from a back ground where he admits hockey was almost aban doned at one point.

“I was always a bet ter baseball player than a hockey player. I had more natural talent for the game,” he said.

As for hockey, in the beginning, Fraser said, “I was just a terrible player … I could skate like the wind, but I couldn’t stop. At first I couldn’t stop at all, and then I could only stop on one side.

“And I wasn’t big enough. I really wasn’t enjoying it.”

Then as a second-year Pee Wee, Fraser con vinced his father to let him don the vestments of a goaltender, and he found a home in the game.

“I always wanted to be the catcher in base ball. I guess there was a fascination for all the

equipment that drew me to catcher and to goal tending,” he said.

Fraser said when it came to taking the game to the streets, he always wanted to be between the pipes.

“Me and my friends always fought to see who would be goaltender,” he said. “I just always want ed to be a goaltender.”

It might not be a sur prise that hockey didn’t come as easily to Fraser given his somewhat unique heritage, at least from the perspective of a hockey player.

Fraser has a slightly different pedigree from most players in the game, having been born in South Africa.

“My whole family’s back there,” he said, as only his parents and his mother’s sister immigrat ed to Canada when Ray was only 18 months old.

While young enough that Ray was eas ily assimilated into the Canadian passion for hockey, he admits play ing the game has been difficult on his parents, especially his father Hector.

“It was hard for my dad. He knew absolutely nothing about the sport … He couldn’t get out and show me what to do. He can’t even skate,” he said.

But that hasn’t pre vented Fraser’s parents from being supportive of his on-ice efforts.

“My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for me to play hockey,” he said.

In his dad’s case, he was always there.

“He was the type of dad that came to every game and practice. There were lots of times he was the only guy in the stands watching practice. I’m very thankful for the support … he was always there for me,” he said.

Fraser’s mom took a different approach, but no less supportive.

“My mom never goes to games very often. Every time she comes to a game, I get hurt,” he said. “But she always believes in me.

“Even when dad looks around at all the other top-notch goaltenders and starts to wonder … she always says I can do it.”

He’s also a netmind er minus the quirks often associated with his breathen, focusing instead on just doing his job.

“I just like to stretch out before games, and I like to listen to music in the room. I’m as normal as they come for goal tenders,” said Fraser.

That being said, Fraser still repeatedly skates to the corners after stoppages in play.

“It helps to keep me loose. It gives me a break from thinking about the play,” he said. “It’s a chance to refocus.”

Even his mask is still plain white, never having been adorned with the illustrations most net minders have these days. When asked why, Fraser

FUTURE

IN BRIEF

Canora Cobras win wild home opener against Cote

Courtesy of Canora Courier

For hockey fans who enjoy seeing plenty of goals and fast, end-to-end action, the Canora Civic Centre was the place to be on Saturday night. In their home opener for the 2022/23 Sask East Hockey League season, the Canora Cobras out lasted the visiting Cote Selects 9-8.

In spite of the win, Cobras’ Coach Darren Scwartz was not overly impressed with the play of his team. “

“I wasn’t pleased with our effort,” said Schwartz. “After a strong all-around effort in Rocanville against the defending league cham pions last weekend in a game that we could have won, we played run-andgun against Cote. We have to play a good team game and we didn’t. We were very lucky to win.”

Schwartz was impressed by the level of talent on the Cote squad.

“They’re getting bet ter and better as the

season goes on. If they continue to work hard, they’re going to be very tough to beat by the end of the season.”

In addition to the 17 total goals, the Selects scored three short-hand ed goals, which is rare in any level of hockey.

Cote took a 3-2 lead about half-way through the first period, but the Cobras scored two late goals to go ahead 4-3 by the intermission.

“We played more of a structured game early in the second period, but we just kept letting them back in it,” said Schwartz.

The Cobras took a 7-4 lead early in the second. But two goals by Cote on a two-man advantage tied the score at 7-7 going into the third.

In the final period, Colby Jacob scored a late goal to end the scoring and the Cobras hung on for the win.

The Cobras outshot Cote 35-33.

In addition to their

TERRIER

Continued from Page 2 summed it up with a laugh.

“Money, I guess,” he said. “When I was young er, I wanted the nice equipment and the hel met all painted,” he said. “I always wanted to look good. It was always about the show … It’s kind of embarrassing, looking back.

“But I’ve got to the point I could care less. You could throw me out there with used phone books for pads. I don’t really care.”

While he’s never used phone books, Fraser admits he’s never had ready access to new equipment because of the costs.

Fraser recalls starting out using the old equip ment of the other goal tender on his team.

“It was a really bad chest protector, and I was coming home with bruis es all the time,” he said.

Fraser admits his father wasn’t keen on his decision to become a netminder, but once between the pipes, “he respected me for actually staying in there.”

But through it all, Fraser has persevered and still dreams of the game.

“The NHL is always in the back of everybody’s mind. It’s the dream of

every kid that steps on the ice,” he said.

But coming off an injury and having played for four teams in three leagues in two seasons, Fraser has narrowed his focus to shorter-term goals.

three shorthanded goals, the Selects were three for seven on the power play. Canora scored once in nine power play opportunities.

For the winners, Sean Kolodziejski of Hyas led the offence with two goals and an assist. Skyler Hladun also scored twice. Cole Rathgeber, Troy Zulyniak, and Ayden Tawiyako each chipped in with a goal and an assist. Bryce Pelechaty of Canora was the other goal scorer. Casey Mydonick of Canora led the playmakers with two assists

For the Selects, Zack McGriskin and Brennan Watson contributed two goals and an assist each, while Terrain Cote had a goal and two assists. Brooks Cochrane added a goal and an assist. Other goals came from the sticks of Chris Cochrane and J.J. Fofonoff. Kailum Gervais chipped in with two assists.

Even though, as a coach, Schwartz wasn’t happy with Canora’s style of play against the

Selects, he said a num ber of fans told him that they enjoyed all the goals and the wide open hock ey. Attendance for the home opener was 328.

“It was nice to see so many fans having a

good time, even if it was hard on the coach,” said Schwartz. “But if we play more of a disciplined and structured game in the future, we’ll be hard to beat.”

The Cobras’ next

game is at the Canora Civic Centre on Saturday against the visiting Wapella Blackhawks, while Cote travels to Rocanville to face the defending league cham pion Tigers.

“I still want to go as far as I can in hockey, but I want to get my educa tion too,” he said.

“I’m no fool. If some body offers me a million dollars to stop pucks, I’m going to take it, but I want an education.”

One of the leaders of the Cobras’ offence was Sean Kolodziejski of Hyas, who scored two goals and had a number of other excellent scoring chances.

Bryce Pelechaty of Canora pulled away from a Cote Selects defender and scored on Saturday.

The Saskatchewan Rush are readying for a new season, a season they hope to return to the National Lacrosse League playoffs, after an extended summer away from the floor.

“It was a longer time off than we’re used to,” said long-time Rush defenceman Kyle Rubisch.

The Rush last season just missed the playoffs based on a record of 8-10. The team scored 196 and allowed 194.

“There were so many tight games that didn’t go our way,” said Rubisch, adding it wasn’t one glar ing problem that hound ed the Rush last season, but rather a play or two here or there. “. . . Last year there was not defin itive issue.”

While the numbers suggest a team which with a goal or two here and there might have made the ‘second season’ but the Achilles Heel for the Rush was their road performance winning only two of nine away

from the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

Rubisch said the team hopes to use the rough results last season as motivation for a better season this time around.

Rubisch sees Rush set for NLL rebound CALVIN DANIELS Sports

“There’s a lot of expectations,” he said, adding that when the Rush lost to Georgia in the league final in 2017, the team used it to refocus and they came out and won the title again in 2018. That is how they are approaching the upcoming season.

“We’re very ready to get back to our winning ways,” said Rubisch.

Of course there are changes with the team too headed to the new season start.

To start with veteran Chris Corbeil left via free agency to Toronto, where he is on the sidelines with a long term injury.

“We’ve been room mates on the road the last 10 years,” said Rubisch, who said any team has to miss a presence like Corbeil.

“On the floor he is

one of the top players in the game,” said Rubisch, adding Corbeil is a lead er in a dressing room too. “. . . He was a great pillar of the organization.”

While Corbeil leaves a hole, Rubisch said it’s a case where roster chan ges happen.

“And change is not a bad thing,” he added.

It does mean some younger players will need to step up with big ger roles.

“There’s more oppor tunity for young guys to step into roles,” said Rubisch.

While most young players still need to develop at the NLL level, Rubisch said there are a lot of young players who

arrive with a very strong foundation these days.

“The young guys are so good and so talented,” he said, adding he feels there are young Rush players who are ready to contribute more.

Another change on note is the arrival of Alexis Buque from Vancouver to guard the goal along with returning veteran Eric Penney.

Rubisch said having two veteran netmind ers sets up some good competition, adding Cameron Dunkerley and Saskatchewan’s own Laine Hruska give the Rush a lot of depth in goal.

“All of them are capable,” he said.

The current camp is also the first with Jimmy Quinlan in the head coach role from the out set.

“It hasn’t been that much different,” said Rubisch, adding Quinlan has a good personality for a camp. “He has a way he can connect with play ers and make everybody feel comfortable, but still expect a lot. He’s brought a new energy to training camp.”

Coming out of camp Rubisch said the Rush have to be ready to win from the first game.

“I think in this league the margin for error is so

small,” he said, adding training camp has been very focused on details.

“. . . And, we can’t come out to a slow start again.”

That will mean pay ing attention to doing the little things right.

“It’s doing the little things right,” offered Rubisch. “From the first game – pay a little more attention to detail.”

Rubisch said from camp they seem to be on the right path.

“All the vibes in camp are good,” he said.

The Rush start the regular season Dec. 3, hosting the Colorado Mammoth.

Cross-country ski club begins season with several new initiatives

Courtesy of Kamsack Times

A new name and president, a bigger online presence, increased membership and fees, and a return of the Duck Mountain Loppet in February have been occupying members of the Duck Mountain Nordic Club.

At its recent annual general meeting (AGM) the Kamsack Ski Club voted to change its name to the Duck Mountain Nordic Club in order to better reflect the geo graphic location of the trails as well as differ entiate the club’s Nordic emphasis as compared to the alpine/downhill ski ing initiatives, said Kevin Sutton, who this fall suc ceeded Allan Bear as president.

“The Duck Mountain Nordic Club, thanks those who bought mem berships and made donations to the Club in the 2021-22 ski season,” Sutton said. “The Club would not exist without your support.”

Sutton said that recent ly several members, including Scott Sears and Brad Smorodin, were out on the trails chain sawing and removing deadfall.

“Thank-you to the others who walked or biked much of the trail removing debris,” he said.

What is seen as a sig nificant improvement is a move to online registra tion which will provide ease of registration for the participant, a data base and simplicity to administer, he said. This process is very common with a variety of sport ing groups. Registration is done by accessing the link https://zone4.ca/.

This link will be included on the mem bership section of the Club’s website, he said. It should go live by the third week of November.

Membership forms will not be mailed out as done in the past. However, per sons unable to do online registration are encour aged to contact the Club treasurer at duckmtn nordicclub@gmail.com to receive a paper form.

Cheryl Brooke of Madge Lake continues as the secretary-treasurer.

“We are using a new app-based grooming report called Nordic Pulse (nordic-pulse.com), which gives up-to-date grooming conditions,” he said. A link to the site is provided in the “Trail

Conditions” section of the Club’s website.

Regarding the Duck Mountain Loppet, Sutton said the event was held virtually last year with 89 participants from Kenora, Ont. to Kelowna, B.C. The Loppet will be in-person this year at its regular date: the last Saturday of February, which will be Feb. 25, 2023.

Snowshoeing has seen a big increase lately, he said, adding that while snowshoers are welcome, he urges them to please stay off the groomed/ tracked trails.

“The wide space packed next to the clas sic tracks is for skate ski ing which we try to main tain on the golf course and fire tower trails. Snowshoers are encour aged to become mem bers,” he said. Walking is discouraged on the groomed trails due to the damage caused by the deep footprints.

Greg Podovinnikoff, Park Manager, pro vided an update on log ging in Duck Mountain Provincial Park, he said. Logging started in the north 10 years ago and is now continuing westward and south (Pelly Point Trail and old lake road).

Logging will commence south of the highway in three or four years. Some treed buffers may be retained along the trails, but certainly some trails will be impacted.

Membership in the Club has increased from 89 to 139, he said. Grant money is tied to member ship numbers. A small deficit occurred primar ily because the member ship revenue barely cov ered the Cross-Country Canada ($10) and CrossCountry Saskatchewan ($5) fees (liability insur ance/programming).

In the past, the required $15 per-person fee was paid out of the membership fee, thus a $20 membership only netted the club $5 and a family of four paid $40, thus costing the Club $20, he said.

It was agreed that for the 2022-23 season the Club membership fees would remain at $20 for individuals and $40 for a family, but the CCC/CCS fees would be charged over and above the mem bership fee.

“We still have the low est membership fees in the province.”

The trail shelters have been cleaned, he said. It is a “pack in pack out”

policy.

A Facilities grant from CCS provided funds for new siding on Moose Lake shelter and Ski Hill shelter, a new biffy for Jackrabbit Junction, which was designed and constructed by Allan Konkin and Bruno Lemire. First aid kits were added to each shel ter.

New bird feeders have been placed at the Moose Lake, Ski Hill and Rundle Lake shelters, he said, thanking Fedoruk Seeds for providing the birdseed.

Bears did a lot of dam age to trail signage this summer he said. New maps are on order.

Fall trail prepara tions are ongoing and are being done by Park staff and volunteers. There are new fire pits at all five shelters and wood has been delivered.

“No organization suc ceeds and moves forward without volunteers,” he said “We are reaching out to individuals who can help Allan Konkin, the trail master with occa sional trail grooming.

“We have 54 kilo metres of trails to pack and set in collaboration with the park,” he said, adding that the Loppet

needs many volunteers to work at shelters, trails and registration. “Those who have a skill set in IT or social media would also be appreciated as a resource.

“Follow us on Facebook, duckmoun tainnordicclub.ca, or con tact kevin@duckmoun tainnordicclub.ca.”

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Canada.

Kyle Rubisch

Maya Chess offers unique piece movement

There are times new games just plain con found, and Maya Chess is one of those instances.

There are so many good things about the game, although that good news seems to be offset by aspects of Maya Chess that detract from the overall view of the game.

So, where to start?

How about we start with the positives and along the way mix in the bumps on this road.

The game looks amaz ing, and I say that from a variety of perspectives.

To start the game is wood, pieces and board, and in a plastic world that stands out in terms of appeal – at least for me.

And the pieces are just so interesting, as they are big, chunky, geo metric shapes, a pyramid (the captain), being the most recognizable shape.

The ‘guardian’ and ‘attacker’ pieces are more interesting in shape too.

The pieces move essentially by rolling/ tipping from side to side across the board. It’s super interesting, but the movements don’t come naturally either, so it can be a challenge. It is a case where you really need to have a bird’s eye view from above the board to fully appreciate where you might move, which in itself is different. You can’t really sit back and envision the board as you can in chess or checkers.

Also it should be noted the ‘leader’ piece is tiny in comparison to the others, and if you ever lost a piece it would be it.

The board also needs a comment. Yes, it looks great, but as a diamond shape that folds into a triangle, it doesn’t travel really well, which is a bit unfortunate, and it could use a good magnet sys tem to keep the triangle closed too.

That said, out on a cof fee table this game will draw attention.

Of course in the end it comes down to game play and here Maya Chess is still a bit hard to decide if it is great, or not.

To start there are mul tiple ways to win, capture the ‘leader’, block a play er so they have no move, or get your leader across the board to specific spots being examples. This is a huge plus, as it really adds to the depth of the game. Don’t get too focused on one-win con dition or you will miss possibilities with the others.

Mix in the completely different movement of pieces and it seems to lean toward bug winner.

But, at a recent games night a young chess fan – Grade 9 but very good – and my son in his 30s with years of board gam ing took on Maya Chess and neither was particu larly impressed.

Both found the move

ment unnatural or in Adam’s words ‘moving is clunky and not smooth’.

There is no doubt experience will address moving smoothly, but Maya Chess didn’t quite grab attention enough to gain that experience for Adam who noted, “there are better more fun games to play.”

Maya Chess was cre ated by three avid gam ers -- video games, com puter games, board games -- Robert Luchars, Abraham Vasquez, and Lauren Gutierrez.

“We love heavy strat egy board games the most, as you can tell from Maya Chess,” said the trio via email.

So Maya Chess does have its roots in the ancient past.

“The game is influ enced by an ancient game that was once played by the Mayans,” they offered. “They would kick around this heavy ball using only their thighs and try to shoot them through these small concrete holes. It seems eons more difficult than any physical sport we

play today. The temples on the Maya Chess board represent the concrete hoop and the leader piece is akin to the ball in the sacred ball game.”

So what did the developers hope to achieve with Maya Chess?

“First and foremost we are trying to share a great strategy game with the world,” they said. “We love games and how they bring people togeth er and force people to think. We also believe the movement of the pieces’ trains a whole different part of the brain that you really don’t see in a lot of games.”

This is certainly the crux of the game – love it, or not.

The game intrigues because of the strange pieces and their move ment, and if it captures two players sufficiently to explore in depth than this might be a gem.

It will not capture all however, so the ques tion will be how large an audience it can earn.

“Imagining how differ

ent shapes will move and land and creating strat egies around that is real ly unique to Maya,” they continued. “The game is a great educational tool for helping students develop their strategy and spatial reasoning.”

So from the develop ers’ perspective, what can players expect here?

“Some have quoted Maya Chess as “ Chess 2.0 “,” they said. “It’s similar to chess in the way that it’s a purely strategic game, there are no elements of luck. You’ve gotta be thinking one step ahead of your opponent and plan your moves accordingly.”

That is true, but can be said of hundreds of games.

And that is a good point to shift gears and talk about the name ‘chess’. Understand there is nothing about this game which reminds of chess.

As such it’s pretty clear that the name was chosen in hopes of attracting chess players to check it out. I under stand the idea that chess players are abstract strategy fans, but die hard chess players don’t typically stray too far to other games, and non chess players are likely to shy away from games that suggest they are ‘chess like’, so I doubt the name choice will do a great deal for this new

one.

There are better sell ing points to this one.

For example, “there’s also this aspect of spatial awareness involved like we’ve never seen with any other game before,” the trio offered. “You need to have the spatial perception to imagine how the geometric pieces will fall in rela tion to other pieces on the board, because they aren’t allowed to touch each other. It’s another layer of difficulty that makes this game so chal lenging and enticing.

“It’s funny because when we teach people the game, there’s a small percentage of people that have a ‘really’ hard time getting the movement of the pieces down. No matter how many times we explain it to them, they just cannot absorb how the pieces move on the board. It really high lights how some people are more advanced in the parts of the brain that deal with spatial process ing. It’s interesting.”

They said the best ele ment of the game relates to the unique pieces and their movement.

“The movement of the pieces and how they interact is the most unique aspect of the game,” they said. “The game is also a way for us to celebrate the Mayan culture, it really brings Continued on Page 11

Crafty shoppers

Yorkton’s 6th Annual Christmas Shopping Blitz Craft, Trade & Bake Sale was held Saturday. The oneday event was held at St. Mary’s Cultural Centre and attracted a variety of vendors with homemade baking, jewelry, sock gnomes, painted signs and much more. The event attracted an eager crowd as the doors opened at 10 a.m.

Staff Photos by Calvin Daniels

Safe stairs for winter: 3 non-slip options

To keep you and your visitors safe during the winter months, here are three materials that make exterior stairs less slippery.

1. RECYCLED RUB BER

Black tread covers made of recycled rub ber are remarkably resistant to shocks, inclement weather, humidity, ultraviolet rays, oil and mildew. They are easy to install, maintain and store. They can, however, be quite heavy.

2. POLYPROPYLENE FIBRE

Available in an array of colours and pat terns, polypropylene fibre can be bought in mats or rolls. While this product can stand up to heavy traffic, it should be treated against UV

rays. To prevent seep age, it has waterproof backing made of vinyl or rubber, which increas es its durability.

3. COIR

This material, made of coconut fibre, typ ically comes in a natural ecru colour. It can give your exterior a unique look and works best

on wood and concrete surfaces. The downside? Coir tends to retain water and dust. In addition, if not installed well, it may become loose over time.

To learn which materials will work best on your stairs, visit the flooring experts in your area.

Keep your home rodent free

As winter is here, various pests will start looking for a cosy place to spend the season. Fortunately, you can take measures to prevent rodents from moving in with you. Here’s what you should do.

ELIMINATE POINTS OF ENTRY

Mice can pass through openings as small as a dime, so close off every small hole you can find. Seal cracks in your foun dation, place weather strip under your doors and install backdraft dampers in your ducts. You should also screen off dryer outlets, fans, air intake vents and roof vents. Finally, add caulk ing around windows and pipes as needed.

TIDY THE KITCHEN

Take care to keep your counters clean. Store all dry food in sealed con tainers to avoid creating a buffet for unwanted

critters. This includes your pets’ kibble.

CLEAN YOUR YARD Remove anything clut tering up your property that may serve as shel ter for pests. In addition, keep your firewood at a reasonable distance from the house and about 30 centimetres above ground. You should also trim tall grass and plants growing near your home’s

foundation. Furthermore, be sure to supply gar bage and compost bins with tight-fitting lids, and place your compost on wire mesh to prevent rodents from burrowing up from underneath.

If despite your best efforts unwanted critters infiltrate your home, call an exterminator in your area to get rid of them once and for all.

What to do if you have a frozen pipe

If one of your pipes freezes, you must act quickly to prevent it from bursting and potentially causing significant dam age to your property. Here’s what you should do.

LOCATE THE SOURCE

Before you can solve your pipe problem, you need to find the source of it. Start by looking at the pipes closest to your exterior walls. They’re the most susceptible to freezing. Additionally, pipes located inside clos ets with little warm air circulating are at risk. Look for a pipe that’s cold to the touch, has frost forming on it or is bulging slightly; these are all signs of freezing.

WARM THE PIPE

There are several ways to defrost a pipe, but the hairdryer method is the safest. Turn on your faucet and slowly apply heat along the frozen pipe to achieve a grad ual, gentle thaw. Instead of a hairdryer, you can also use a heat lamp or space heater. However, be sure not to apply heat

directly to the pipe.

If this approach fails to work, don’t resort to using a propane torch. In addition to being a fire hazard, the intense heat

may cause your pipe to burst.

Alternatively, if you want to get the job done safely and quickly, con tact a local plumber.

CELLULAR SHADES

feature soft, crush resistant fabrics that block cold air in winter and warm air in summer. They offer unsurpassed insulation at the window, reducing heat transfer by up to 64% so that you can delight in your home no matter what the season.

For years, financial experts used the analogy of a threelegged stool to demonstrate the primary sources that provide retirement income. However, gone are the days when you can count on a pension from most employers. Plus, govern ment benefits don’t seem so *’secure” anymore. Altogether, these three “legs” used to represent a stable source of income, but not anymore. Simply put, it’s up to you to

fund your retirement!

Don’t Just Save, Invest! With the problem of low returns in “safe” investments, where can you go to have the opportunity to get the kind of rate of return you need to keep ahead of the savings game? The answer: equity investments (the stock market). Investing in the market takes you out of the “savings” mode and into the “investing” mode. Are stocks guaranteed? No. There

is always a potential for loss, as well as gain. But for a great er potential rate of return, many investors are willing to accept a greater degree of risk. Remember what you’ve learn ed about being an “owner” ver sus a ‘tloaner.” If you want a “guarantee” on your money, be willing to accept a relatively low return.

Submitted by Stephanie Bodnaryk and Ron George Primerica

November is Financial Literacy month which means that it is a good time to step back and ask ourselves how much understanding that we have as it relates to financial planning and review where we receive our financial advice from as it relates to our financial decisions and well-being.

In a recent study that was conducted on wide range of Canadians regarding financial literacy, on a scale of 1-5, the participants scored a 2 on their financial literacy. This is a concerning finding as finances play a significant role in our lives and in our families and our ability to be supporters in our communities. Here are some reasons that I believe contribute to such a low score in the above study;

• 42% of people make financial product choices based on their friend’s recommenda tions

• Many are taking financial risks without realizing it because they do not know the prod ucts that they are using in their financial plan ning

• Those under the age of 40 are not learning from their elders as it relates to financial plan ning

• 7 out of 10 people in a relationship do not talk about money or budget issues

• Many are not planning for their retirement or for rainy day’s

As a result of the low level of financial lit eracy in Canadian’s driven by the above con

tributors to the low score 81% of Canadians know that their retirement income is inad equate but they do not know where to turn to alleviate this situation or they simply do not believe that they have enough money to put into a retirement plan. Another alarming result of this lack of financial literacy in Canadians is that the average Canadian household is spend ing 170% of their household income and going deeper into debt every month.

The best way to improve your financial lit eracy and put your financial future into a pos ition of health for you and your family is to work in a financial relationship with a trusted financial planner. Research shows that people who have a financial plan and who work with a financial planner are;

• Confident in achieving their financial goals and handling unexpected change

• More likely to feel on track with financial affairs

• Successful at sticking to financial strategies

• More likely to have higher levels of emo tional, financial, and overall contentment

If you and your family are currently not work ing with a trusted financial advisor, can I suggest that this month would be a great time to start, with it being Financial Literacy month, and that the Parkland area has many financial planners who are highly skilled for you to consider to starting a financial relationship with.

Together For Your Financial Future, Kevin Doell, Doell Financial

Ron George

1130 Coming Events

TYMIAK’S

MONUMENTS & GRAVE SURFACING CO.

family of the late Kirk Neibrandt wish to extend our heartfelt thanks

of

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the generous donation Education Trust Fund, visits, phone calls and support from relatives and friends following the loss of my husband and our

Thank you to the

Staff of ICU and 1st

Treatment

and Palliative Care

MICHAEL November 26, 2001

The day you left and gained your wings

Our hearts just broke in two We wish you could have stayed with us

But Heaven needed you You were a very special person

With kindness in your heart

And the love we had together

563-4174.

WEGNER

of Albert Wegner, February 14, 1921 to September 23, 2009.

PROCYSHEN

In loving memory of My dear husband AVERY who passed away November 25, 2005

There is a bridge of memories

He had a nature you could not help loving, And a heart that was purer than gold., And to those that knew and loved him, His memory will never grow old. — Ever remembered, forever loved, Elsie and family 1100 Cards of Thanks

From here to Heaven above That keeps you very close to me It is called the “BRIDGE OF LOVE”

As time goes by without you And the days turn into years They hold a million memories And a thousand silent tears

To me you were so special

What more is there to say

Except to wish with all my heart That you were here today

The family of the late Dennis Kuzek would like to thank everyone who supported us through Dennis’s illness and after his passing. The gifts of food, cards, phone calls and donations will never be forgotten. Thank you to Father Mel Slashinsky, cantor, choir, pall bearers and the Orthodox Ladies for serving the lunch after prayers, Ron Sebulsky and Cheryl Bilokreli for preparing the lunch in Theodore after the funeral and a thank you to Garry Gawryliuk for the eulogy. Also a special thanks to the staff at Bailey’s Funeral Home for their caring and professional matter for getting us through a difficult time.

If tears could build a stairway And precious memories a lane I would walk right up to Heaven And bring you home again VICHNAYA PAMYAT –Eternal Memory

— Val & Family

Forever loved and deeply missed by your loving wife Adeline

Centre. The Doctors and Nurses of the Allan Blair Cancer Centre, Regina, Regina General Hospital and the Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, for their care of Kirk. A special thank you to Dr. van Heerden and staff and Louck’s Pharmacy also. We also wish to express our thanks to Vern and staff at Christie’s Funeral Home for their professional service, Pastor Dan Moeller for officiating the service, Jackie Guy - soloist, for her special songs, the Rhein Lion’s Club for the use of the hall and the many people who helped with set up of hall, lunch and clean up. Thank you to everyone who shared with us and our families, Kirk’s Celebration of Life on August 15, 2012. Your support was overwhelming. “You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he lived; Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.” — With healing hearts, tears in our eyes, Wendy, Brandi and Dana Neibrandt. The family of the late Pauline Spelay wish to extend their heartfelt thanks for cards of sympathy, mass cards, flowers, gifts of food, donations, visits, phone calls from relatives and friends following the loss of our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Thanks to the doctors and nursing staff at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre, Pasqua Hospital - Regina, St. Peter’s Hospital - Melville for their care. Also a special thank you to St. Paul Lutheran Care Home, Melville for your excellent care during this past year. We also wish to express our thanks to Larry and staff at Bailey’s Funeral Home for their professional services, Father Ray Lukie, Father Peter Pidskalny, Father Joakim Rac for officiating the services, the cantors, choir and the Knights of Columbus for leading the holy rosary, the grandchildren and great grandchildren for being pallbearers, crossbearer, epistle reader, and giving the eulogy, the luncheons as served by the St. Mary’s Cultural Centre after the prayers, and the Royal Canadian Legion after the funeral service.

Grows stronger every year we are apart We know we cannot bring you back

CLASSIFIEDS.

Although we wish it everyday But a piece of us went with you

The day you were called away You left us with sweet memories

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And we love you dearly still No matter how much time passes You know we always will We miss you Mike & love you always,

1130 Coming Events

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ANDRUSIAK,

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for the numerous cards

sympathy, flowers, gifts of food,

father.

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Changes to what has PST applied

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

What business must collect and submit for provincial sales tax changed significantly on Oct. 1.

And, a small group of Yorkton Chamber of Commerce members heard some of the details of the expanded range of products and servi ces on which PST is now being collected at a noon luncheon Thursday.

“There’s lots of PST rules to know about,” offered Colin Chicoine, a provincial tax educa tion officer, who was one of two TEOs making the presentation.

Chicoine said given the number of rules, and that they do change on occasion, they in fact prefaced the information provided was only cur rent until Nov. 17, and could change, so business needs to stay abreast of change. If a business is unsure what they must collect PST sales on, they need to call for guidance and clarification.

To help business there are also a series of bul letins – more than 75 in total – detailing PST requirements as they pertain to specific busi nesses, said Chicoine, citing hair dressers, con tractors and restaurants as examples. The infor mational bulletins are accessible online through

the Tax Information & Compliance Branch and business can register to receive updates as they are released.

Chicoine said branch staff will also visit busi nesses for “a quick once over of the books,” and to “answer any ques tions people may have”

in terms of PST require ments.

In general, the PST is a “consumption-based tax,” explained Chicoine, meaning most often the retailer collected the full PST from the consum er who pays the tax on goods consumed or used in Saskatchewan.

A failure to collect or submit PST can lead to a penalty of 10 per cent of more, and interest being paid on the owed amount, added Chicoine broadened in October and now includes a greater range of servi ces, promotional items or tickets given away free of

charge, event tickets and more.

Jim Hanson, also a TEO, said there are exceptions, for example team sport fees of play ers under 18 do not have PST applied, but the specifics really need to be requested from the department.

Carvings come to life one stroke at a time

of Preeceville Progress

Capturing the artist’s story in each art piece carved out of moose ant lers is a difficult task but for Sam McElhinney of Preeceville, it is a pas sion that engulfs him.

Each selected moose antler he uses was either purchased or given to him and with each pre cious etch from his carv ing blade he creates a

CHESS

Continued from Page 5 everyone a lot of joy see ing the game is being well received all over the world.

“The most unique mechanic of the game is definitely how the pieces move. The wood en shapes move by flip ping over their edges. It’s what catches peoples’

beautiful one-of-a-kind piece of art. Each piece is very different and has its own story to tell.

For McElhinney it is a passion that he feels very strongly about.

“I picked up the art when a buddy of mine was making them,” he said. “When I visited him I had brought him one antler to begin with and then the next time I had brought him two moose antlers, one for him to

carve and one for me to try to carve under his guidance. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. That’s what was so great about it, with each piece I carve I don’t usually know what it will wind up as. I have been carv ing for over 10 years now and have created over 84 moose carvings to date. Each piece is carved by free hand, no stencil is every used.”

It takes him approxi

mately 60-80 hours to create an art piece from beginning to end.

“It is a very dusty hobby but I absolutely love it. For me it is very rewarding, fulfilling and relaxing,” said McElhinney.

attention when we play the game in public and makes them come up to us to ask what we’re play ing.”

And again as a review er this is where the great ness or lack thereof of Maya Chess come togeth er. Not all games fit all players, and this one is likely to be more love it,

or hate it than most. I find the movement fas cinating, but will it catch the attention of enough players to seriously delve into what depth of strat egy the game offers? That is the great unanswered question with a game as new as this one.

The game did take more than five years to develop, primarily time devoted to the ancient Mayan culture and its symbolism, for which a multidisciplinary team was formed to design the board, pieces and their relationship with the ball game, they said.

In that process was the challenge of trying to come up with some thing that is completely unique!

“There are so many amazing games out there, that it’s hard to produce a new game that’s simple to learn, but hard to mas ter with it’s own look and feel,” they said.

“We think that we really accomplished that with Maya Chess.”

He is originally from Ireland and immigrat ed to Canada in 1976. When he first arrived, he landed in Winnipeg in January. He left Ireland to escape the unrest of his native country due to war. By trade, his select ed career was a meat cutter and later on, he worked in sales at vari ous large meat indus tries, including Mitchells and Canada Safeway based out of Manitoba, Alberta and the United States.

He and his wife of

42 years Jan bought a cabin at Elbow on Lake Diefenbaker with the intension of retiring. But the couple moved to Preeceville 10 years ago and enjoy all that the area offers. McElhinney is avid angler and hunter who has traveled all over North America and has a very impressive collec tion of mounted heads of a variety of big game animals such as: big horn sheep, moose, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer and caribou. The highlight for him was the big horn sheep. He only keeps one head of each animal that he has ever hunted. He also enjoys fishing, camping and golfing. In the couple’s retirement they had even spent three months trav elling across Canada in an RV.

Another passion for him is collecting ciga rette tins, old pop bottles, as well as collecting old cars and restoring them back to their original state. His most prized vehicle he has ever restored was a 1972 Chevy Cheyenne. Currently he has a 1964 T-Bird in his collection but had collected and restored a 1974 Challenger, 1967 Fairlane Ford and a 1952 Dodge.

“My dream car would be a Mach One Mustang. They are extremely rare and hard to find,” he said.

“We love it here in Preeceville and can’t think of a better place to retire, and continue my art of carving stories out of moose antlers,” he concluded.

Courtesy

These are some of the many pieces of art that Sam McElhinney has carved from moose antlers.

Sam McElhinney of Preeceville posed with the first moose antler carving he completed.

Parkland and Cumberland colleges amalgamating

By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer

A plan soon to be submitted to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education could lead to the full amal gamation of the Parkland and Cumberland College by mid 2023.

The two regional col leges have been collab orating in certain areas of operations since July 2019, including a shared CEO and president, explained Alison Dubreuil, the Interim CEO/Vice President.

Then in January of this year the Board of Governors “announced interest to merge the two colleges,” she said.

The process toward that merger has been ongoing since January.

Dubreuil said the rea sons to move toward a full merger is to ensure the resulting entity can remain relevant to stu dents and partners mov ing forward, and be sus tainable in that effort.

The role of a region al college is always changing in an effort to meet the needs of stu dents, and also local businesses which work with the college to pro vide education in specif ic areas to meet business needs, added Dubreuil.

Increasingly the col lege must be “nimble” and ready to create and

provide needed training in very short times, and through a merged college it is believed that can be better achieved, she said.

It’s a case of being better positioned to serve college learning and local communities through shared resour ces and increased part nership opportunities leading to new program ming.

It is through new pro

gramming the merged college believes it can attract more students, and by being a large col lege entity allow staff to specialize, which should enhance retention, said Dubreuil.

“Sharing resources should allow staff to become specialized,” she said.

In terms of staff Parkland, has approxi mately 180, and

Cumberland 90, and the merger plan calls for all to be retained, added Dubreuil.

Similarly, the cam pus locations will be maintained as they are today too, said Dubreuil, eight within Parkland and three within the Cumberland College regions.

The new college will of course have a larger geographic footprint as

well.

The process of the merger was really start ed through the existing coalition since July 2019, said Dubreuil, who added it was almost a trial run for how a mer ger might work.

Since January the pro cess has been to engage with staff and commun ity stakeholders to allow then input on the merger.

Next will be the for

mal submission to the province, expected by year’s end, which could allow for approvals to be given leading to the mer ger being formally imple mented July 1, 2023, said Dubreuil.

In the end a formal ized merger will help the new entity “better serve its mandate” as it relates to educational opportun ities for students, said Dubreuil.

In amalgamating with Cumberland College it is hoped to attract more students and to be better able to retain staff.