With Easter just around the corner having some tasty treats on hand is almost a tradition. For those not wanting to deal with flour and sugar mixing on their own, taking in a local bake sale is the perfect option. That was the case for those
One thing missing in the recent federal government budget was financial help for municipalities facing huge costs associated with back pay for RCMP officers.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recently responded to what it sees as the federal government’s disappointing decision to pass unbudgeted and
unaccounted for RCMP costs on to municipalities.
Despite months of municipal advocacy led by the FCM, provincialterritorial associations, and local leaders across Canada, the federal government has indicated in the 2023 Budget that it will not be meeting the request to absorb the retroactive costs associated with the latest RCMP collective bargaining agreement.
The decision has “very disappointing,” said Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley, but at the same time he suggested it was not exactly a surprise either.
Still, Hippsley said he had been optimistic of at least some help headed into the budget. “What I honestly thought because this started two years ago there would be something,” he said, adding when a process takes
months there is an expectation.
“I thought they were listening. I thought there would be some half way point.”
In the end though the budget confirmed that communities across Canada that are dependent on RCMP services for local policing are expected to cover these costs, and offered details on a repayment period for municipalities – by the end of March in 2025.
Hippsley said Yorkton did set aside some funds in expectation of facing added costs with the new RCMP contract negotiated by the federal government without a municipal presence at the table.
“We have about twothirds set aside for retro pay,” he said, noting the total costs of retroactive pay for the local municipal force is roughly $1 million.
While Hippsley said they believe there should
be help in offsetting that cost, it does not mean the local municipality has an issue with RCMP getting a pay hike.
“We have a great relationship with the local detachment. They keep our city peaceful. They maintain law and order. How do you put a cost on that,” he said.
“This is about pointing the finger at Ottawa.”
In a release FCM did the finger pointing too.
Continued on Page A2
By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer
Cattle are being taken on an all too regular occasion.
That might sound like something referring to an old John Wayne movie, but it’s happening today, said Bob Solomon district manager with Livestock Services of Saskatchewan.
“Cattle rustling in ongoing.
It’s been there ever since I started as a brand inspector,” he said.
In fact, there seems to be more rustling today than has been the norm.
Solomon said when prices are good it tends to bump thefts.
It is also getting easier in some senses to take cattle. While stock have long been
pastured often well away from an owner’s residence, there are fewer rural families to see anything unusual going on, noted Solomon.
And, it is also getting easier to sell stolen stock.
While in Saskatchewan and Alberta stock taken to auction barns, like Heartland in Yorkton, have brands inspected.
Solomon said they recently caught cattle trying to be sold at the Whitewood auction with two brands, the owner’s and one added by rustlers, so inspection helps.
East of Saskatchewan sale barn brand inspectors are no more, so no one is watching for brands on cattle that were stolen, noted Solomon.
As a result, Solomon
said cattle stolen in eastern Saskatchewan are being hauled into Manitoba to be sold.
There are efforts to better check cattle being hauled east.
Livestock Services now has a dedicated livestock investigator working out of Regina who is an RCMP officer. The officer is currently working with
Continued on Page A2
The Yorkton Farmers’ Market is back for another year, holding its first sale of 2023 Thursday at the Parkland Mall.
Brendon Purton with the market said they are actually back a couple of weeks earlier than past years looking to serve patrons ahead of Easter.
“It’s when people start looking for stuff,” he said.
And when it comes to ‘stuff’ the market typically offers a wide range of goods from its vendors.
So what is offered?
The market provides residents and visitors with the best in local agricultural products, baking, prepared foods and crafts. On opening day that included fresh eggs, locally grown lettuce, Ukrainian foods such as borscht and headcheese, knitting and jewellery.
Purton said the market has 25-30 members with who brings product varying week-to-week.
If someone is interested in having a table they can find an application form online at www.yorktonfarmersmarket.ca
The sales are held weekly on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
A hot running economy means the Saskatchewan government was able to release its 2023-24 Provincial Budget, with a projected $1.0 billion surplus.
Revenue of $19.7 billion is forecast in the 2023-24 Budget, up $2.5 billion or 14.7 per cent, from last year’s budget. The higher revenue forecast is largely due to $9.6 billion in taxation revenue, a $1.5 billion increase over last year with Corporate Income, Personal Income and Provincial Sales Tax revenue reflecting a strong economy.
“Saskatchewan is growing at its fastest pace in more than a century,” said Finance Minister Donna Harpauer in a recent release.” This budget is designed to ensure that growth continues and that it’s growth that works for everyone.”
There are no tax
increases and no new taxes included in this budget, helping keep life affordable for Saskatchewan people. When taxes, utilities and housing costs are combined, Saskatchewan is the most affordable place to live in Canada for a family of four.
Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said he was surprised by the budget in the sense the province is using surplus dollars to address the debt, which he said is prudent. “It costs lots of money to borrow money,” he said, adding eliminating some debt is good business.
Hippsley said too often it’s a case of “getting a dollar, spending a dollar,” added “I think and I hope they’re managing the money better.”
The budget includes the highest level ever of Municipal Revenue Sharing - $297.9 million, an increase of $35.3 million or 13.4 per cent, from last year’s budget.
The budget includes $503 million of direct provincial support to municipalities, an increase of $54.5 million or 12.2 per cent over last year’s budget, primarily due to higher revenue sharing, the provincial portion of infrastructure funding and a number of grants and initiatives from across government.
Yorkton Councillor and SUMA president Randy Goulden said of course the increase in revenue sharing is positive.
“We’re pleased to see the increase in Municipal Revenue Sharing,” she said.
But, Goulden said the added money isn’t quite as significant as it might seem, noting municipalities used to be exempt from PST on building projects, but the province changed that and that has meant municipal dollars now flow, in part right back to the province.
For example, Yorkton
is embarking on a reconstruction of York Road that they have pegged at $17 million, but are also expecting it to be more costly, said Goulden. The province could see $1 million in PST before the project is complete. There is a need to change that back to where municipalities are exempt, said Goulden.
“It’s a continued advocacy we have to have because of the impact it has,” she said.
And of course, there is the impact of inflation that influences what can be done with any amount of money, noted Hippsley.
The Yorkton Mayor also noted it wasn’t so many years ago revenue sharing was based on one per cent of PST revenue, but the current government pared that back to 0.75 per cent of PST when the provincial books were not as healthy as they are today.
In terms of municipalities, Hippsley said city mayors, SUMA and
SARM have all been lobbying for changes to SAMA citing issues encountered with property assessment deemed to be unfair in too many situations.
But, in the recent budget the province has maintained funding for its provincial assessment agency at the same dollars.
“It’s not good. That should not have happened,” said Hippsley, adding this was the time to invest more in SAMA to address municipal concerns.
Goulden said what seems most needed in terms of the province and its relationship with the more than 700 municipalities is consultation ahead of the province making decisions.
“There needs to be protocols for consultation before the decisions have been made,” she said.
This budget delivers a 6.7 per cent increase to the Ministry of Health to
$6.9 billion. Within the details is an addition $200,000 for the design of a new regional hospital in Yorkton, which Hippsley sees as a sign the facility is inevitable.
“I do believe the hospital is coming sooner than later,” he said, adding “it’s not a want, it’s a need.”
The budget invests $518 million into mental health and addictions programs and services, including a targeted investment of $12.4 million over last year, representing the highest investment ever in Saskatchewan for these programs and services. Mental health and addictions funding now makes up 7.5 per cent of overall health spending.
Hippsley, who chairs the province city mayor’s working group on mental health and addictions said the added dollars are a positive for a growing area of concern among all cities.
YORKTON–The Sask Construction Safety Assocation held it’s annual general meeting at Yorkton’s Gallagher Centre on March 27.
Sixty to 70 contract companies, tradespeople and union members from residential, industrial and commercial trades gathered at the Gallagher Centres’s convention centre for a lunch and spoken word presentation from Brad Siroski.
Siroski—who grew up in small-town Saskatchewan and worked numerous construction jobs throughout
his life—spoke in detail about his struggles with mental health and addiction.
“A recurring theme in Brad’s speaking is perseverance. He overcame many hurdles in his addictions and was once again tested when he received a cancer diagnosis in 2015. Brad faced this head on and is currently living cancer free. This experience gives Brad a unique perspective on how people are treated when struggling with addictions in comparison to struggling with a disease,” detailed an exerpt from Siroski’s bio on BradSiroski.com.
Now, many years after
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addressing his addictions and mental health issues, Siroski works as a counselor for the Sask. Health Authority and runs a private practice out of his home in Saskatoon.
“I’m just trying to get around and spread the word on mental health and try and make sure that everybody hears my stories and some positive supports,” said Siroski in
Continued on Page A13
Continued from Page A1 detachments in Eastern Saskatchewan on what to look for when stopping cattle trailers.
So right now, rustling activity is on the rise; cows, steers, heifers and even horses, are going missing.
“We’re getting more files,” said
Solomon.
Solomon said cattle producers can help by making sure their animals are branded.
“There are still cattle walking around with no identification on them,” said Solomon.
If unbranded cattle come into
Continued from Page A1
“Municipalities have been crystal clear,” said FCM president Taneen Rudyk in the release.
“Local governments were not at the table for these negotiations. And while cost estimates were provided to some municipalities, these turned out to be far below the final agreement’s increase over six years, with retroactive pay going back to 2017.
“The federal government’s refusal to absorb these costs – which were essentially negotiated with municipal money but not with municipal
input – is not acceptable. Municipal councils will be forced to make incredibly tough decisions, such as making cuts to essential services or passing the bill along to residents, at a time when Canadians’ concerns about local safety and the cost of living are already rising.”
The release also noted the lack of a seat at the contract negotiation table even though municipalities pay the bill.
This decision is an example of a federal commitment that deeply impacts municipalities without municipalities
Brad Siroski is a former construction worker who struggled with mental health and addictions and now works as a counselor for the Sask. Health Authority. Siroski spoke at length about his struggles during the presentation at the SCSA’s AGM.
a sale barn it’s near impossible to determine ownership beyond whoever brought them in.
So get a registered brand, and use it, said Solomon adding that’s as easy as contacting his office (306786-5712), and applying for a brand which will be unique to your farm.
being properly consulted or involved, noted the release. Municipal governments are paying a growing share of policing costs, but they cannot run deficits and have limited revenue tools.
Communities across the country are facing significant costs associated with this decision of the federal government.
Outlined below are cost estimates (supplied by FCM) shared by some:
* City of Moncton, NB: $5.7 million, population 79,470
* Town of Hinton, AB: $750,000, population 9,882
* City of Portage la Prairie, MB: $800,000, population 13,270
* City of Vernon, BC: $3.4 million, population 44,519
FCM is clearly reiterating the need for municipalities to be actively involved in any future processes regarding contract policing.
“This situation cannot occur again,” said Rudyk in the release. “Going forward, municipalities must be properly consulted on issues related to policing costs given the municipal responsibility to keep our communities safe.”
It’s important everyone understand their rights.
So in 2017, Estevan Diversified Services produced a handbook ‘Your Life, Your Rights’.
Wednesday those attending the Together We Shine Conference at St. Mary’s Cultural Centre in Yorkton were taken through the book by Karen Melle and Cindy Anderson.
The duo basically took listeners through each ‘right’ detailed in the book, asking for audience feedback on what they were hearing.
The book starts with a very basic premise.
“You have the right to be yourself,” offered Melle, who added it’s important to know who you want to be too.
“If you looked in the
mirror what would you say about yourself? . . . You can be whoever you want to be, so don’t ever be afraid of who you are.”
That was the segway for Anderson to turn the page in the book – everyone attending was given a copy – and to tell those attending “you have the right to be respected . . . Everybody deserves respect.”
And, so it was as Melle and Anderson worked through the book as part of the Yorkton Branch of SaskAbilities hosted conference.
Melle turned another page and the discussion turned to the “right to feel safe . . . to be comfortable and not afraid.”
In the discussion about feeling safe Melle talked about those who instill that feeling in us; family, church, doctors, police.”
Melle also reminded
that we all the right to say yes to something, and conversely to say no as well, with an expectation of being listened to in both cases.
When discussion turned to the right to a home and to live where you want, it was noted that “it costs money to live in your home,” said Melle.
When it comes to money, Melle reminded “you have the right to know how much you pay for rent. You have the right to know where your money is going.”
Food of course is another expense in life, but we should expect to have food, said Melle, reminding “you should never have food taken away as a punishment. You have a right to food.”
Melle continued the discussion with attendees as Anderson posted pages on an easel on stage as a visual aid. The
art, created by students at Estevan Comprehensive School students for the book, covering a range of things from the right to have friends, to the right to love and be loved, to the right to look at your
private information to the right to work.
Melle said after the presentation the book really was a project to help clients know they have rights they might not immediately know, or
understand.
The book lays out the rights in very simple and plain language, added Anderson, as a resource people can turn to, to better know what they should expect.
Culture takes many forms but knowing what is available in a community is not always apparent.
That is why Cultural Open Houses held in Melville Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon in Yorkton were organized.
Chelsey Johnson, Executive Director with Parkland Valley Sport, Culture and Recreation said various local cultural groups were invited to have information tables at the open houses.
“It’s open for groups to come and promote their programs and what’s
going on in the community,” she said Saturday afternoon.
It was also a chance for groups to “show volunteer opportunities they have available,” said Johnson. Finding help to do things is a growing challenge.
“Finding volunteers is hard and not just because of COVID,” offered Catherine Tomczak, Operations Coordinator with OSAC. She said people live busy lives “with not a lot of extra time.”
The event was also an opportunity to show culture is diverse.
“Most definitely
it’s not just arts,” said Tomczak.
Getting a broader view of what culture can be and the groups and organizations that support culture is important and especially for new Canadians, said Johnson.
In that regard the open house was itself fairly wide open in what groups could become involved.
It was by design to be “inclusive of everyone,” said Johnson, adding that is the same in a community where being inclusive of all is important.
The two events attracted roughly 10 groups to each with tables and attracting about 25 to each.
Tomczak said overall as co-organizers she and Johnson were pleased.
“This was meant to be a pilot project,” she said, adding she expects they
will be holding similar events in other communities in the future.
YORKTON – This past year, Parkland College introduced a new opportunity for both students and local businesses.
Through the college’s Applied Research department, a proposal was submitted and approved by Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit research and training organization. To be eligible for funding, the project for the student internship needed to be
innovative and strategic for the business or nonprofit.
The college manages the intern selection process with the business and matches students with an appropriate business and project.
A Parkland College job coach provides mentorship and employability skills training to the students throughout their internship. Typically, the interns work for four
months with the option to apply for an additional four months. The business pays $7,500 for a four-month term and the student receives between $12,000 and $14,500 at $18.96 per hour.
Gwen Machnee, the project lead at Parkland College, says the process is designed to be simple for businesses.
“This program has made a significant difference for several businesses in the region and we look forward to being able to help more businesses and organizations this year. The program has provided an amazing opportunity for our student interns to apply their classroom learning directly in a business,” said Machnee.
Last year, Parkland worked with three local businesses and one notfor-profit business to manage five students in Business Strategy Internships. The businesses involved were Deneschuk Homes, Royal Auto Group, Cornerstone Credit Union, and Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society.
Randi Jones was one of the Parkland College students who applied for the internship and was
matched with Royal Auto Group. Her internship started in May of 2022 and was extended until January of 2023. “My marketing internship at Royal Auto Group was the perfect combination of educational and enjoyable each and every day. I will always be grateful for the continuous guidance that Parkland College and Royal Auto Group provided,” said Jones.
Jones explained that the opportunity allowed her to grow tremendously on a professional and personal level. “I am proud to say that I am now a permanent member of the Royal Auto Group team, and I have Parkland College, Royal Auto Group, and Mitacs to thank for that”.
At the end of Jones’ internship she was offered full time employment as a Marketing Assistant.
Royal Auto Group is also grateful for the internship opportunity. Corporate General Manager, Natalie Ortynsky, said, “Randi’s eight-month long marketing internship was a mutually beneficial way for her to gain experience while seeing wheth-
er this role and industry was the right fit for her. She was eager to learn and we found it exceedingly valuable having her on-site.”
New student internship opportunities will begin again this spring.
Interested local businesses are encouraged to reach out to Parkland College to find out if their project or initiative would be eligible for the Mitacs internship funding.
-Submitted
Much like in life, simply doing what appear to be the right things in government budgeting doesn’t always get the reward you think you deserve.
That’s because, like life, putting together a budget can be exceedingly complicated.
Whether it’s raising kids or simply navigating life’s pitfalls, simply doing what you think is the right thing doesn’t always produce the desired outcome.
The Saskatchewan Party government clearly hoped for a better reaction to its billion-dollar surplus 2023-24 budget released the previous week under the title “Growth that that has works for everyone”.
If anything, that very budget theme has become something that a surprising number of budget critics now rally around.
“In reality that is growth that works for no one,” said Saskatchewan United Party Leader Nadine Wilson in the legislature after the budget.
One gets that it’s the role of Wilson — a former Sask. Party caucus member — and the Official NDP Opposition to find fault with the budget.
One gets that even after significant spending increases for various departments and specific stakeholders, there are going to be those that are exceedingly disappointed.
And in fairness to the Sask. Party government, a budget is about many things that go beyond simply doling out cash.
As per the title of this budget, the province does need to position itself for growth. While that often means spending, it also means the thankless task of paying down debt. The billiondollar debt paydown is a wise investment.
While this is only sixth of 16 Saskatchewan Party government budgets registering a surplus, government must also contend with past deficits from Progressive Conservative and NDP governments that translate into financial service charges on accumulated debt.
As taboo as it seems to some to believe it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have large surpluses. (Leftover money goes pay down debt, anyway.)
That said, perhaps one of the reasons this budget isn’t getting the government MLAs had hoped is because of their sometimes insular and self-satisfied response to their own budget.
There is a penchant with governments — especially older ones — to buy into their own rhetoric and dismiss what they are hearing from their constituents.
What their constituents have been clearly telling their politicians is that they are hurting after three years of this pandemic and the inflation that has ensued.
This is something that the government surely gets. Why else would it have handed every adult a $500 cheque last fall because of a resources windfall that’s continuing in 2023-24 budget?
For Finance Minister Donna Harpauer to continue to plead poverty and say we can’t afford tax cuts right now may be a bit self-serving, as well.
One percentage point on the six-per-cent provincial sales tax that rakes in $2.7-billion a year is about $435 million — about the same pricetag as those $500 cheques sent out last year.
We haven’t seen a drop in the PST since 2006 under the former NDP government when it lowered it to five-per-cent. The Sask. Party raised it six per cent in 2017 to deal with its overspending at a time when resource revenues took a downturn.
Perhaps onc shouldn’t fault Harpauer and company for being cautious, but there’s a problem with being cautious if you’re simply saving money to spend closer to an election so that you can get the most political bang for our bucks.
“There’s nothing in this budget for registered nurses — for nurses in mid- to late-career, in particular,” Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory told CTV news.
“Are we spending more money? Perhaps we are. But are we spending that money efficiently and effectively? As registered nurses, we’d say we’re not.”
It was a surprisingly common reaction. And it’s now a problem for the Sask. Party government.
Murray Mandryk has been covering provincial politics since 1983.
It’s often easy to look at recreational facilities as a municipal cost that might be an area that could be trimmed in terms of spending to facilitate for work on areas such as asphalt, water line and sidewalk replacement and renewal.
It is a widely understood at the municipal level that communities are decades behind in terms of infrastructure renewal, and finding additional dollars to invest annually is something that seems to be an inevitable requirement to avoid massive street decay and underground pipe collapse.
So eyes are on municipal spending and recreation facilities typically losing money.
Deer Park Golf Course might manage to break even in some years on operations, but there is almost no chance it can generate payments on the new clubhouse build, which will come from general city coffers.
Indoor pools just don’t run in the black very often either.
And the list goes on.
But there is ultimately more to recreational facilities than their individual bottom lines based on operations and renewal set aside.
On the one hand recreational facilities are very much about the quality of life of city residents.
You might never have had a son, or daughter in hockey, but you likely know neighbourhood kids who love the game, or you are a Junior Terrier fan and trek to the rink for that.
You might not swim, but you might well enjoy curling, or vice versa.
You may not hit a ball around Deer Park, but you enjoy hitting a ball across a net playing pickleball.
In the end, rare will be someone using all the recreation facilities in the city, but when you add the library and art gallery to the mix, most will enjoy at least some of the local offerings.
And then beyond adding to the lifestyle of residents there is the importance of recreation facilities in helping generate tourism dollars that are important to the local community.
Whether it was the recently held Kinsmen Perogy Cup, the Abominable Snow Slam 2023 (a taekwondo event), the Springers Invitational Gymnasts Tournament held in the city this weekend, or dozens of other events held annually, people end up coming to our city to compete.
When people travel to compete, they stay in hotels, and that means jobs from desk clerk to room maids are maintained.
They eat in local restaurants and that means cooks and waitresses work.
They buy gas.
They shop in stores.
Every dollar someone spends while competing, or watching an event, moves through the economy, paying wages that flow to paying mortgages and buying groceries and paying local taxes.
It doesn’t mean our rec facilities make money, but they do improve our lives and help the economy.
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Welcome to ‘Wordy Wednesday’ brought to you by our friends at Yorkton Public Library, (including Slo the friendly sloth), and appearing here courtesy of Yorkton This Week.
Happy Easter! Hare, rabbit and bunny are the words of the week. Hare is the oldest name for these furry animals—it’s a word as old as English itself, which derives ultimately from the Old English word for “gray.” Rabbit entered the language from French in the 14th century. Hares are distinguished from rabbits by their larger size, longer ears, and longer hind legs. They also tend to live alone or in pairs in above-ground nests, whereas rabbits often live together in groups of up to 20 in underground tunnels known as warrens. Jackrabbits, which are abundant here in Saskatchewan, are really hares. Bunny (meaning simply “rabbit” or “a small rabbit”) comes from bun, a regional word in England of the 1500s. (Merriam-webster.com) Spring Story time starts in Yorkton Public Library next Wednesday Apr 12. The first one features bunnies! No pre-registration is needed.
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Letter to Editor: Our leadership has abandoned the average person or family in both Saskatchewan and Canada.
In only one week we have witnessed both at the Federal level and also at our Provincial level political leadership that is totally disconnected or worse yet “just doesn’t care” about the folks at the average level but instead proved once again that they care more about their political friends and contributors then they do about those that are the backbone of this country and have been crying “wolf” for over a year!
Firstly last week
at the federal level the Parliamentary Committee invited the heads of some of the major grocers in Canada to answer “Why has the price of groceries skyrocketed this past year and a half?” So instead of the Governing Liberal Party and the Federal Official Opposition coming prepared to this hearing with firm facts and figures to button hole these grocery leaders, they came ill prepared and instead looked like a Kindergarten class. However, the grocery leaders came with facts and figures and spewed lies such as groceries have not exceeded inflation but instead the BILLION dollar a
day profit that the grocers were making was not from groceries but instead the pharmaceuticals and clothing that they also sell in their stores! Was there a rebuttal from the Liberals or Conservatives? None.
I suppose the quarter million dollar donations that the grocers have made to the political parties of the Liberals and Conservatives MEANT that the political participants did not want to put those donations in jeopardy! Had the politicians or there executive assistants actually went back to the constituencies and talked to the average voter they would have had grocery carts full of
arguments or ammunition to beat down the foolish responses made by these grocery tycoons.
In fact had they asked me, since I do keep a yearly record of all our daily expenses including our annual total grocery bill! Year to year 2021 to 2022 keeping all things equal our grocery bill increased by 12.5%. And I assure you that we do not buy our clothes or prescriptions at the grocery store but instead we deal with small Ma and Pa stores in our community to keep them viable. Now the point is both PM Trudeau and Leader of the Opposition Poilievre were no where to be seen during this
hearing and neither made any comments publicly following these hearings. However
I commend Jagmeet Singh for firstly saying what is on the mind of 80% of Canadians and taking to task those grocery Leaders for not showing Leadership but instead twisting the truth to make themselves and there Corporate business’s looking like angels during this unprecedented time in rising Grocery prices since possibly the 2nd World War.
Now I also mentioned lack of leadership in Saskatchewan and that being the Governing Sask. Party, who brought down the
budget only yesterday. A budget that I still can’t believe how little they did in that budget. I do commend them for putting a Billion dollars to their deficit and may I ad a deficit the Sask. Party created. And even with the claw down of a Billion dollars this still leaves my children and grandchildren with still over a 30 Billion dollar deficit left to pay! Friends, its time to elect Governments and Leadership who understand and adhere to the issues of the Saskatchewan families and locally owned farms and businesses!
Yorkton Council approved funding for Phase 2 of the city’s Smith Street improvement initiative.
Phase 1 of the Smith Street Improvement project included rehabilitation of the roadway, curb, sidewalk and drainage piping between Sixth Avenue and First
Avenue, explained Trent Mandzuk – Director of Public Works with the city at the regular meeting of Council Monday. The second and final phase of the project is scheduled this year and will complete the remaining section of Smith Street between Second Avenue and Myrtle Avenue. The 2023 work attracted only one
tender, it coming from Fedorowich Construction Ltd for $576,017 plus taxes, said Mandzuk.
Mandzuk did note the cost of work has increased over the past several months.
“Unit prices on contract items have all increased for 2023, ranging from seven to 17 per cent in comparison to 2022. This is on par
with contracted services seen in other areas of infrastructure rehabilitation,” he said.
Funding available for the project is $856,000 comprised of $616,000 from Surfaced Streets and $240,000 from Curb and Sidewalk operating accounts.
Council approved the tender.
But, Mandzuk also told Council more money
needs to be allocated to such projects moving forward.
“Current levels of underfunding make it difficult to address the backlog of rehabilitation work in a quick manner,” he explained. “Once roads deteriorate below “fair” the rate of deterioration and reinvestment costs both increase substantially.”
So, more dollars are
needed.
“If we were to attempt to address the current backlog over the next 25 years, the City needs to put a minimum of $1.3M into the operating budget for roadways every year. This will require the annual operational budget for future overlay programs to be doubled, as current funding is $616,000/year,” said Mandzuk.
April 5 - April 11, 2023
Monday, April 24, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
GENERAL INQUIRIES: 306-786-1700
Mayor’s Office............................306-786-1701
After Hours Emergency..............306-786-1760
Access Communication Water Park.................................306-786-1740
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Engineering Department............306-786-1710
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By Calvin Daniels Staff Writer
The Godfrey Dean Art Gallery is currently presenting a new art exhibition by Ryan Wonsiak, Alternate Scenarios.
“Alternate Scenarios describes a personal story and lived experience through a representational style in bold colour, show-
ing familiar figurative depictions of social and family encounters,” noted the gallery website. The show kicked off Saturday with a reception and drawing jam with the artist.
On the gallery website the artist explains, “being in isolation and solitude for two years has been a time of vacil-
lation between real and imagined histories, of recalling memories of childhood and family paradigms through photographs and oral histories from family.
“I was born a queer and gender non-conforming individual in the small Saskatchewan town of Yorkton in 1985. I lived in an unsafe community and through the
harassment of my peers and social circle for first looking and acting like a “girl”, and later for being what was categorized as, not in reclamation of myself, but put upon me by others, as “gay”.
“This series is an expression of these memories and dynamics through visual mediums of drawing and painting.
My exhibition will invite the viewer to imagine a place where they can no longer trust their own memories. A state where everything is at once confusing, familial, and familiar.”
Alternate Scenarios is on display until May 27.
In addition, opening April 5 and running to May 23, will be the gal-
lery’s multi-year project ‘Belong Where You Find Yourself’ will transform the main gallery. This is multidisciplinary and multi-generational exhibition featuring drawing, painting, photography, film making, storytelling, musical theatre, wood working, sculpture, and fabric art from a unique group of local artists!
Going to the doctor need not be a scary thing.
That is what a program now in its 10th year tries to show youngsters attending Yorkton Nursery School Co-Operative.
The program has third year nursing school students; Toni Rohatensky, Jaidyn Eitzen, Mackenzie Dull, Clarizze Perpetua and Maisy Wheeler, visiting the nursery school over several weeks each year offering the ‘take the scare out of care,’ explained Lana Haider
with the nursery school,” adding the program is held “so that if children need to go to the hospital it won’t be quite as frightening.”
As part of the program a Teddy Bear hospital was held March 30, which enforces the idea for the children “that
nurses are here to help and make them feel better when they find themselves at the hospital,” said Haider, adding it “lets them see and touch the medical equipment like a nebulizer and thermometer.
“They spend time playing with the children and become
a part of the class showing them compassion and becoming a classroom friend.”
The program is good for the nursing students too.
“Spending time with the children is part of their pediatric clinical rotation,” said Haider.
It was all about raising funds for Creative Kids as Dance Innovation re-launched its popular Dance-a-thon event.
As part of our Year of IMPACT, the Yorkton-based dance club’s March theme of Community Connection focused on being a part of the community through volunteerism, performance and being an example of a positive citizen. The Dance-a-thon was one opportunity where dancers were able to make their IMPACT on the community as they
shared their talents and took part in a day of dance with their friends.
This year, the Dance-a-thon focused on raising funds in support of Creative Kids.
Creative Kids is a charitable program that funds Saskatchewan children who want to take part in music or dance lessons, learn to paint, act, or join a number of other creative pursuits in their community.
Dance participants were thankful for all this art form has given to them,
and it is important they continue to give back to the dance community.
Many of the Dance Innovation dancers know children involved with this charity and the dance instructors have seen, year-after-year, how children benefit from this wonderful program.
Every child should have the opportunity to dance and Creative Kids ensures that this is a reality.
On Saturday, March 25, volunteers and partners from the community joined the studio to bring classes in
every genre along with yoga, drama, cheer and some cultural dancing. More than 30 dancers were in attendance.
Dance Innovations would also like to thank our many prize sponsors from the community who donated gifts for dancers who achieved a high level of pledges.
The event raised $7000 for Creative Kids and the studio is proud of students and families for donating their time for the benefit of others.
REGINA - The provincial government has introduced legislative changes that will create a new profession of physician assistants in the province.
The changes are coming to the The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2023 which will regulate Physician Assistants under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan and establish the scope of practice for the new profession, according to the province’s news release.
This follows on $1.3 million in this year’s budget set aside to create 12 Physician Assistant
positions in the province.
In their roles, Physician Assistants are under the supervision of a licensed physician, with duties including such things as conducting patient examinations, prescribing medications, and ordering and interpreting tests. The province believes adding this role will help address the pressures in the health care system and help reduce wait times. The move is also in line with what other provinces are doing.
“This is another tool that we’re going to be able to have to help out our healthcare system,” said Health Minister Paul Merriman to reporters Thursday. “This is direct-
ly into the primary care. Physician Assistants are like an Army medic, they can triage, they can discharge patients.“
Consultations had taken place in advance with key stakeholders, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Medical Association, and the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.
“It’s a matter of adding in another layer of primary care,” said Merriman. “This is something the Dean of Medicine brought to my attention and said we don’t have these, we never have. They’re operating in Manitoba.
They’re operating in Ontario. We could look at bringing them in here to complement. There are several physician assistants that are across the country that we’re going to be recruiting. We’re going to be competitive with wages and we’re going to bring them in as fast as we can. We’ve already had some people reaching out.”
Merriman said they are not only looking at physician assistants, but are expanding the nurse practitioners program at the same time.
“We’re looking at the scope of nurse practitioners, as well as advanced care paramedics and also pharmacists to expand out the scope to similar what it is an eastern Canada.”
When asked by reporters about the introduction of physician assistants, Opposition Critic Vicki Mowat had plenty of questions about how it would work.
“What is yet to be seen is how this is going to be operationalized. So who are the folks that are physician assistants? Where are they coming from, because we don’t train physician assistants in this province. What does the licensing look like? You know we’re still aways down the road on what this could look like. Ultimately, I think what physicians have been asking for is flexibility in the payment models and a move away from the fee-for-service model. Could physician
assistants offload those responsibilities around administration to make that job a little bit easier?
Sure, but this is a symptom of a bigger problem in the system where we need reform of the primary care system.”
Mowat expressed support for creating a system of team-based care which includes physician assistants. But she was skeptical that adding physician assistants would solve all the issues.
“ We need systemwide change. This could be a solution, but it’s a bandaid solution.”
In a statement, Canadian Association of Physician Assistants Director Saskatchewan Todd Brydon thanked the province for introducing the legislation.
“This is a vital step in effectively introducing PAs into the province at a critical time when the health care system has been stretched to the limit. Regulating PAs through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan means that PAs in the province will be required to follow standards for competency, safety, and ethics like other regulated health professionals in the region. This ensures they are accountable for the care they provide, and the public is protected, further strengthening and lending credibility to the PA profession in Canada. PAs are an integral part of the health care team and will help enhance the capacity of our health care system.”
Charities in Yorkton and district received $6,500 in grants from the Yorkton and District Community Foundation at its annual meeting March 28, bringing the total distributed by the YDCF over its first three years of operation to $182,000.
Successful applications to the annual grants program came from the Krepakevich Fund for Families to SIGN Family Support for $1,625 and the Melville Arts Council for $888. Grants from the Mental Health Fund were made to Dr. Brass School ($1,399) and Big Brother Big Sisters Yorkton and Area ($226). General Community Fund grants were made to Yorkton Arts Council for $781, Godfrey Dean Art Gallery for $800 and Rail City Industries in Melville for $781.
Gene Krepakevich, who passed away in 2022, was remembered as a visionary community leader and an early champion of the YDCF. Gene and his wife Gladys were among the first donors and over three years continued to give. Krepakevich Fund for Families is an endowed fund that generates grants for programs to help families in need.
The Krepakevichs did not wish to limit the grants to Yorkton; they were willing to support projects in any community within the district. Gifts in memoriam from friends and family, and contributions by other donors who share their vision have added to the donations made by them, and the principle amount of the fund now sits at more than $75,000.
In its first two years with the YDCF the fund has issued grants on behalf of the Krepakevich family totalling $5,902 and the principle remains intact to generate future grants.
Ray Bailey, President of the Community Foundation noted that although awareness of the Community Foundation was slowed by the pandemic, donations are steadily increasing with 49 donors contributing over $50,000 in 2022 so that the endowment grant pool will continue to grow and gener-
The Yorkton Springers Gymnastics Club held its invitational meet at the Gallagher Centre Flexihall on the weekend. Gymnasts from a number
of clubs from Tisdale to Estevan took part with participants competing on uneven bars, floor exercises, balance beam and vault.
ate annual grants. Memorial donations were received in 2022 for Krepakevich and Elsie Sakal.
Representatives from many of the local charities were on hand for the one-hour AGM and a video with messages from last year’s grant recipients was played thanking donors for the grants and explaining the good that came from those contributions to their programs. Two attendees learned of some of the needs in the area identified during a November survey sent by YDCF to over 40 local charities and heard how many local concerns are echoed in the Food Banks of Canada 2022 HungerReport.
Among the business of the meeting was a farewell to Sharon Tropin and Abi Adefolarin who are stepping down from the board along with City of Yorkton representative Lisa Washington. Sharon and Lisa had both served more than five years, first on the steering committee that founded the organization and on the board of directors since the 2019 launch. Elected for new two-year terms to the board were David Balysky representing the City of Yorkton, and Darlene Stakiw. Re-elected was Ray Bailey.
Board members are elected for two-year terms, and may serve three consecutive terms. Those continuing to serve are Andrew Rae, Candace Tendler, Trevor Plews, Victor Surjik and Dick DeRyk.
The Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2022 were presented at the meeting, and can be found on the YDCF website, www.ydcf.ca. Persons interested in learning more are also welcome to contact any board members.
YDCF uses only the earnings from its endowment funds to make grants only to other registered charities in Yorkton and district. Each year in January charities are invited to apply for grants, which are announced at the annual general meeting held in March.
It is the nature of business that when something is doing well everybody tends to jump in and eventually the market saturates and the good times level off to something where tighter margins are the rule.
That is particularly true in the business of farming.
When the prices of a particular crop move higher it sends a signal that there is more demand than easily captured supply.
So naturally farmers move to supply that demand by increasing production.
Really, it’s about as straight forward an example of supply and
demand economics at work as there is.
So it doesn’t take a lot of economics’ understanding to expect that there is significant interest in growing canola these days. Through the years since its development canola has often been referred to as ‘The Cinderella Crop’ and the last couple of years the glass slipper has been shining more brightly than ever.
While the input costs on a canola crop are high, which heightens risk if something like lack of moisture pops up to reduce yields, the cash returns have been too large not to grow canola in most crop rota-
tions – at least in areas where the crop can be grown successfully.
In Canada producers planted 21 million acres of the oilseed in 2022, and the Canola Council has been pushing to see production increase setting a goal of an average yield of 52 bu/ac to meet global market by 2025.
At present if more canola has been ‘want-
ed’ by world markets, Canada has been the driving force in upping supplies to meet the added demand, since this country is the primary growing region for canola.
For comparison
Australian farmers planted about nine million acres in 2022, and growers in the U.S. harvested 2.2 million acres
of canola last year.
But when prices are high and demand still appearing to have room to grow, it’s not only Canada where there are hopes to boost production.
A recent media report at www.producer.com noted, “Corteva Agriscience, Bunge and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. have announced a collaboration to produce winter canola in the southern United States.
“Corteva believes there is potential to grow up to 10 million acres in that region within seven to nine years.”
That is the sort of report that could be a game-changer in terms of canola production,
and Canada’s place in it.
Since its creation about 50 years ago, Canada has driven the canola bus, and that has generally been of good benefit to Canadian growers and has led to significant industry infrastructure supporting Prairie economies.
But what happens ‘when’ – not ‘if;’ as research tends to succeed more often than not in the area of farm crops – the U.S. becomes a huge canola producer too?
The supply will take a huge jump and unless demand grows too, the glass slipper might have a crack or two starting to show.
Sliding Hills Charolais and Mission Ridge Herefords held their combined production sale recently.
The event saw auctioneer Mike Fleury sell bulls to buyers from across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta.
By sale’s end 27 Charolais yearlings had grossed $169,000, for an average price of $6,259.
The high seller was Lot 8, ‘SHSH King Ranch 21K’, sired by ‘SOS Hefner Pld 33H’. The bull sold for $16,000 to Beechinor Bros., Sylvan Lake, AB & Skurdalen Farms, Provost, AB.
Also on offer were 13 Hereford yearlings which grossed $52,500, for and average of $4,028.
The high selling Hereford was Lot 50 ‘M-R 9H Bichette 104K’, sired by ‘Blair-Athol Golden Jet 9H’ selling for $6,250 to Nielson Cattle Company, Willowbrook, Sask.
Writer
YORKTON – YorktonMinor Football Vice-
President and Treasurer
Darcy Zaharia has been elected to Football Sask as their Vice-President.
The President for the Raider Gridder Alumni said the announcement came after the organization voted him in during their annual general meeting March 27.
“I’ve talked for a handful of years that I should get involved with Football Sask. so Yorkton and rural communities can have a voice,” said Zaharia in an interview with Yorkton This Week
Zaharia said that in 2022 he’d put his name forward for a position
with Football Canada, but didn’t get it.
“The President gave me a call and he said, ‘you didn’t get it – but in two years the treasurer position is going to open and you’d be good at it, so I suggest maybe you go with Football Sask in the mean time,’” said Zaharia.
“Football Sask. is the governing body for all minor footballs and high schools,” said Zaharia, adding, “they’re the regulators—but their main goal is to grow the sport—I thought I’d put my name forward and be able to be a voice for rural football.”
Zaharia said members of the board meet once every two months with his first meeting as
a board member set for April. “I think it’s a real-
ly good time to get involved,” said Zaharia, “I think we do a real-
It was an event to showcase the athleticism of synchronized swimming. Saturday the Yorkton Aquabatix Synchro Club hosted its annual Watershow. The show is a time for young participants to perform for family and friends in a non-competitive setting, their home pool the Access Water Park with the eyes of judges upon them. The afternoon of swimming saw the stands installed at the pool full with an appreciative audience.
ly good job here in Yorkton—everybody is involved with minor football—so I just want to take some of our knowledge to Football Sask.”
“You can sit and talk about things and complain about things but if you don’t put your hat in the ring there’s no sense complaining— not that I have anything to complain about with Football Sask—everything is so different in rural communities compared to the city... just the travel itself— city teams don’t have to travel—we pay for most of their travel to come here to play us,” said Zaharia, adding, “little things like that—and there’s lots of those little things that add up to a
lot of things.”
Zaharia said he’s happy to represent rural communities.
“I’m not sure if I’m the first small town representatvive—I doubt it—but I’m looking forward to being one of the louder ones,” said Zaharia, “I’m just happy that we’re going to have a little Yorkton flavour there and represent smaller rural communities.”
“It always seems like a lot of the good things go to the cities and not so much to rural communities—I’m not saying that’s what’s happening—but I’m going to make sure they have the small rural perspectives going forward into their decision processes.”
Saskatchewan curling fans will have a new team – sort of – to cheer for next season.
Veteran skip Mike McEwen will be travelling from Manitoba to assume the same position with what has been the Colton Flasch rink. Flasch will move into the third position with the front-end duo of brothers Kevin and Dan Marsh.
So, who called who to start the process to become teammates?
“Actually, Colton beat me to the punch,” McEwen told Yorkton This Week. “I was actually planning on texting him. It was on my mind. Flasch just beat me to it.”
It was a case of both McEwen as a skip and Flasch as a team looking at options headed to next season.
McEwen had spent his entire career curling for Manitoba, until this season forming a new Ontario-based squad with veterans Ryan Fry and Brent Laing. Jonathan Beuk began the season as the team’s lead before he was replaced by Joey Hart ahead of the Ontario Tankard.
The situation gave
McEwen a team, he was the import, but he said it was not an ideal situation.
“Being an import, it was an eye opener,” he said.
With the Ontario team he was dealing with players who were geographically distant.
“Ontario is a big place. They were all over the place, and me being where I was it was difficult . . . It added to the logistical challenges,” said McEwen.
McEwen expects it to be a smoother merge with the Flasch team trio who are all basically neighbours.
“I’m coming into a core group of guys – guys that train on a daily basis. They throw rocks together. That’s just so important,” said McEwen.
The two sides found themselves looking following a pair of announcements.
When Fry announced he was stepping away from the game at the end of the season, it left the future of Team McEwen in doubt.
Meanwhile team Flasch had a season they’d likely hope to forget. The team did not play
well at the Saskatchewan playdowns and did not have a high enough ranking on the CTRS to earn a wild-card berth to the Brier.
When team Flasch announced third Catlin Schneider would be leaving the team there was a hole to fill.
So why was McEwen thinking of calling Flasch to fill the hole?
“I think they’re at the right place, the right time in their careers,” said McEwen.
It’s a case where the Flasch rink has enough experience to know what needs to be done to succeed, and some great mentoring on their resume too – Flasch was second for Kevin Koe at one point.
“They have the right work ethic, the training, what needs to be done on a winning team,” said
McEwen. With the new team Flasch steps down from calling the shots as skip. Is that a concern for McEwen in terms of creating some tension?
“I don’t think so,” he said, although he admitted putting two skips together is not always successful. “. . . But I don’t see any hesitation in Colton in what he’s doing.”
McEwen is also rather excited to have Flasch throwing third rocks, suggesting he might be perfect for the role.
“I think it might be his wheelhouse . . . He’s (Flasch) a powerful physical force out there,” he said, adding top teams generally have a third these days who can move granite with big throws. “. . . Having a powerful third is pretty important.”
Certainly, there will be eyes on McEwen as Saskatchewan curling fans hope for a Canadian win, something that has eluded curlers from the province since Rick Folk in 1980.
McEwen has the resume. Curling out of Manitoba he made seven appearances at the Brier from 2016 to 2022.
At the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier in London, Team McEwen posted a 6-2 record in the roundrobin and defeated Kevin Koe’s Alberta squad in the quarterfinal before losing to Team Brendan Bottcher in the 3 vs.
4-page playoff.
As for pressure in
Saskatchewan McEwen said he knows fans bleed green. Then he added, “I don’t know quite what that means yet.”
That the drought goes back to 1980 “is actually pretty crazy given how many active curlers there are in Saskatchewan,” said McEwen.
The new team hopes to change the province’s fortunes.
“Hopefully we’re building something to be in that conversation (to win a Brier),” said McEwen.
Obituaries
HANCHERUK - Born on May 31, 1942 in Foam Lake, SK, Melvin Hancheruk was one of five children born to Nicholas and Katherine Hancheruk. As a child, he loved to ride his bike, always arrived early to his one-room schoolhouse to start the warming fire, and worked on the family farm. Mel attended Winthrope School before going on to Foam Lake High School. There he excelled at football, and was offered a tryout with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. After high school, Melvin left the farm for various jobs before settling in Yorkton, SK where he met the love of his life, Eva Chepil. In their younger years, Mel and Eva would spend their weekends going to dances wherever they would arise, be it Burgis Beach with Evelyn and Leonard Misurski or Sam’s Dance Spot with Vicki and Eugene Duchnitski. They had two sons, Calvin and Jason, before tragedy struck. Calvin died in 1981 and Eva in 1983, both from cancer, leaving Melvin to look after his son Jason. Melvin worked in several grocery warehouses, first as a labourer in Yorkton and later as a Supervisor for Canada Safeway in Winnipeg, where he was employed for over 25 years until retiring in 2011. Not one to sit still for long, Melvin soon found his joy in yard maintenance and helping others. He became the local “Lawn Ranger” - cutting grass, rototilling gardens, and shovelling snow for anyone requiring assistance. Not a day went by where Melvin was not outside working on some yard project for those in need. When Melvin was not doing yard maintenance, spending time with his grandchildren, or sitting with his cat (Mexx), his love of sports dominated his remaining leisure hours. From watching curling, football, hockey, and baseball on TV to attending Winnipeg Blue Bomber football games, Winnipeg Jets hockey games, Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball games, and sharing his secret love of Monster Truck Rallies. Melvin could not pass up a chance to watch, attend, or discuss all matter of sports like a true fan of everything! Melvin will be forever remembered and missed by his son Jason (Sara) and grandchildren, Neesa and Emrick; brothers Raymond (Doris) and Edward (Shirley) and nieces Carla, Karen, and Laura; sister Evelyn (Leonard); in-laws Pauline Berezowski (Eugene), Lena Chepil, Bill Chepil (Donna), Ted Chepil (Darlene); and many other extended family and friends. As per Melvin’s wishes, he will be placed at rest next to his wife at Yorkton Memorial Gardens in a private service performed by Rev. Father Leonid Malkov from St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish, with honorary pallbearers Jason Hancheruk, Raymond Hancheruk, Edward Hancheruk, Evelyn Misurski, Eugene Duchnitski, and Sherry Smalridge. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter.
Monuments
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The family of the late Randy Lozinski would like to thank the nursing staff of the ICU department at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre and Dr. Okafor for all their help and care they gave during Randy’s time in the hospital. Thanks to Bailey’s Funeral Home and Doreen Day for their compassion during this difficult time. A special thanks to Yorkton Concrete for their thoughtfulness and show of appreciation with the procession to the cemetery. We would also like to thank everyone who sent flowers, cards, food, donations and the many phone calls received. It is greatly appreciated. - Sheila, Kristin & Chris, Regan & Craig
For Sale - Misc
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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. Wanted Wanted old advertising: Dealership signs, service station, gas pumps, globes, oil cans, Red Indian, White Rose, Buffalo, Husky, Ford, GM, Dodge, Tire signs, Coke, Pepsi etc. Call 306-2215908 Wanted
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Career Opportunities REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY: Person to COOK & CLEAN for heavy construction camp this spring with possibility of year round. Spring location: Arborfield, SK. Must have valid driver’s licence and safe food and handling ticket.
Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK
S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844
Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca
ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT IS HIRING:
HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS: needed this spring for dozers, excavators, rock trucks: near Carrot River, Sk. Camp/R & B provided. Competitive wages. Valid drivers license req’d.
Send resume and work references to: Bryden Construction and Transport Co. Inc. Box 100, Arborfield, SK S0E 0A0; Fax: 306-769-8844 Email: brydenconstruct@ xplornet.ca www. brydenconstruction andtransport.ca
JOB - Duties include feeding and caring for cattle. Cutting, baling,
Village of
The Village of Pelly is seeking a full time Municipal Administrator. Pelly is a community with 255 people located approximately 25 km from the Manitoba Border and approximately 1 hour north east of Yorkton. Under the direction of Council, the Administrator is responsible for all day to day duties in accordance with policies, bylaws and the various legislation.
Council is in search of someone with a minimum Standard Urban Certificate or Rural “C” Certificate to start as soon as possible. Salary and benefit packages are negotiable
Please submit your resume with work history, references and salary expectations to: Village of Pelly Box 190, Pelly Sask, S0A 2Z0 town.pelly@sasktel.net
For more information, please call 306-595-2124. The position will remain open until filled. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
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Be a Yorkton This Week Carrier!
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SCSA President Collin Pullar said the focus of the SCSA meeting was addressing mental health issues in the construction workforce.
Continued from Page A2 an interview with Yorkton This Week after his presentation at the AGM, adding, “I’m all over Saskatchewan with the public speaking and I’ve been lucky enough so far—between holiday time and a really understanding boss—that I’ve been able to keep doing what I love as well as keep my job in the Health Authority.”
“Today we’ve got our Annual General Meeting which we’re hosting here, but we’re also hosting a great session that’s focused on mental health which has been a major priority in the construction industry,” said Collin Pullar, President
of the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association.
“Particularly talking to men—men as a whole have a much higher percentage in terms of suicide and substance abuses,” said Pullar, adding, “it’s particularly true in construction—a lot of factors go into that—sometimes it’s the nature of the work; people start off having pain from a subsquent injury or being away from home, loss of connection—some of the uncertainties that can come with working in the construction industries ups and downs.”
“Probably about 50 per cent of the clients I deal with work in some kind of labour profession,” said Siroski, “whether it’s construction or welding or plumbing or labor intensive jobs like that.”
Siroski said he figures one in five people working in construction are going through some form of mental trauma or drug addiction.
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To the left is a coat closet, and the laundry room, with a sink, is also to the left.
rooms both look out to the back garden. A linen closet is located inside the three-piece bathroom.
Ceilings are nine feet high on the main floor.
Exterior finishes include horizontal siding and stucco, as well as a panel of natural wood siding for contrast. The decorative bracing on the second floor is repeated on the garage entrance, with its decorative door. The front door is flanked by sidelights. Sundeck enclosures are glass.
This home measures 47 feet wide and 39 feet deep, for a total of 1,447 square feet.
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“A lot of bosses don’t know that because people are not willing to be vulnerable and not share and often they don’t feel like they’re going to be heard—they feel like they’re going to be met with those closed doors that I spoke about,” said Siroski, “I would say for sure if we looked at the work force, it’s probably about one in five people, one of those people would be struggling with some sort of mental health or addictions issue.”
“Those are sometimes factors that are an addition to other challenges that people have—so if they don’t have a really great outlet to take care of themselves things can really tend to escalate— so that’s one of the things that the industry is really concerned with,” said Pullar.
“It’s one thing to have that at an extreme level but it’s just the same way if someone’s going through a difficult time in their life they may not be paying attention to the task at hand,” said Pullar, “if [workers are] doing a dangerous task— handling a tool, moving a piece of equipment—and aren’t paying attention for a couple of moments, something pretty significant can happen to themselves or somebody around them.”
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This contemporary basement entry, threebedroom home has an eye-catching facade with a variety of finishes, as well as decorative braces under a portion of the roof. Entry is through a covered porch into a roomy foyer. Directly ahead is the L-shaped staircase to the second floor, with a utility cupboard adjacent. The den or fourth bedroom is to the right.
A future one-bedroom secondary suite on the back portion of the ground floor has been roughed in.
Upstairs, the staircase leads into the great room, with its dramatic sloping ceiling and a gas fireplace.
The dining area is open to the great room and enjoys French doors out to a partially covered deck.
The kitchen’s
L-shaped counter configuration promises efficiency, and natural light will flood through the window over the sink. A prep island adds to the available counter space, and a pantry will provide room for extra storage.
The master suite overlooks the front garden through two large windows and includes an ensuite with a shower stall and double sinks. The capacious walk-in closet will accommodate a couple’s clothing and accessories.
The secondary bed-
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“Our industry is fairly broad—everything from the residential to the commercial to the industrial construction sectors,” said Pullar, adding, “[Construction] employs well over 40,000 people in the province.”
“It’s hard to be vulnerable—especially as a male—it’s hard to go to your boss—who may also be a male—it’s hard to go and say, ‘I’m struggling’, or to shed a tear or to admit that you have mental health issues,” said Siroski, adding, “people need to be vulnerable, bosses need to have big hearts and big ears and listen—that’s the whole thing for the work association for mental health in general.”
Many students take part in drama each year.
Far fewer become playwrights.
But, this year four students at Sacred Heart have added writer to their high school resume combining their talents to pen Murder . . . Or Something
The play, written by Scott Falconer, Daheel Haughton, Madeline Eckhart, and Hudson Smith, is on stage this weekend at the Region #4 Drama Festival.
The festival, held under the auspices of the Saskatchewan Drama Association, brought students from seven schools in East Central Saskatchewan for three days of adjudicated performance at Sacred Heart High School.
So, what brought the four students to the table to write a play.
“Our teacher (MaryAnne Blenkin) was sort of offering it,” said Smith.
“She saw how good we did last year and had trust in our abilities,” added
Haughton.
“She thought we were talented,” continued Smith.
Still, talented or not, bringing the ideas of four people together had to be a challenge starting with the very basic premise of what sort of play it should be.
“I remember the first time we sort of had that talk,” said Falconer. As it turned out theme was one area they quickly found consensus on.
“We knew we wanted to do a comedy,” said Smith.
But the idea of humour only takes you so far, and the quartet needed more of a foundation to build on. Up stepped Eckhart who suggested a murder mystery after playing Clue.
It was a quick buy-in from the others.
“Murder mysteries were popular at the time,” said Haughton. But when did the mur-
der happen.
“We wanted a period piece,” said Eckhart.
“We had so many variations,” offered Falconer.
“So many ideas,” echoed Smith.
“We played around with the year a lot,” continued Falconer. “. . . It was the ‘70s for a day.”
“I think it was the ‘70s for a minute,” joked Smith.
In the end the 1920s won out, in part because the period had a jargon of
its own that worked into the idea of creating a comedy.
“We could make fun of the 1920s,” offered Falconer.
The quartet hit Google and began to research the slangs and now long outdated words of the period.
Words came up like rapscallion, (a mischievous person) and giggle water (alcohol), said Haughton.
Even the cocktails of the day sound funny to an ear in 2023, with gin rickeys and bees’ knees, added Smith.
And over many weeks – they began in early September – they had a script complete in January.
“We met every week for four months,” said Haughton.
Falconer said it was not easy, but worth it.
“We’re all busy people,” he said, adding drama is not their only activity.
It was a case of finishing writing and going straight into rehearsals, said Smith.
It was something they were working toward even as they did the final script work.
“We had cast everybody we could,” said Falconer.
So now the play goes on stage before drama festival adjudicators.
Smith said obviously they feel the tension.
“You’re always nervous before a performance,” he said. “But it’s exciting.”
So was seeing the play performed as the cast of six actors rehearsed.
As the writers “you see stuff the audience don’t see,” said Falconer.
It was almost surreal to watch, added Smith, who noted it helped that the cast and crew have done a fine job of bringing the play to life.
Whether the play advances to provincials –only two of the 10 at the regional event advance –the quartet of writers are happy.
“It was a fun experience,” summed up Smith, adding he’d love to try another play.
“It was a great experience,” agreed Haughton.
High school actors were centre stage at the Region #4 Drama Festival this week.
The festival, held under the auspices of the Saskatchewan Drama Association, brought students from seven schools in East Central Saskatchewan for three days of adjudicated performance.
“There are 10 plays being performed,” said Rachel Sterzuk, a Region #4 host for the three-day festival being hosted by Sacred Heart High School. “The top two
move in to provincials in Regina the first weekend in May.”
Two of the performances are by Sacred Heart students.
The comedy Typecast was one of the plays, while Murder . . . Or Something was the other, the latter written by four local students’ Scott Falconer, Daheel Haughton, Madeline Eckhart, and Hudson Smith.
Yorkton Regional High School students were offering 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse.
Other schools included Esterhazy with three plays, Langenburg
Central School, Rocanville, McNaughton High School from Moosomin and Indian Head.
Overall, the event has “about 200 cast, crew and directors,” taking part.
Awards will be presented Saturday.
After three days of performance the play ‘Scapino!’ from Esterhazy High School earned top spot, and will advance to the upcoming provincials.
The SHHS drama club plays also performed very well and won many awards including; Murder…or Something directed by Mary-Anne
Blenkin and Madeline Eckhart – runner-up to best overall production. The play now moves on to compete at provincials May 4-6.
Typecast directed by Courtney Senko and Owen Bahrey – runner up to the best technical production
Daheel Haughton –runner up to the Mary Ellen Burgess award (top acting award at the festival) – Alfredo – Murder… or Something
Hudson Smith – Bob Hinitt technical performance award – top technical award at the festival – lighting Typecast
Scott Falconer – top 10
acting award – Crawford –
Murder…or Something
Sophie Lemcke – top 10 acting award – Colleen
Ball – Typecast
Isabelle Guy – Myra –
Typecast – certificate of acting merit
Bree Klemetski – Jane
– Typecast – certificate of acting merit
Cyrus Macauley – Ruth
– Murder…or Something –certificate of acting merit
Kai Cowan – Charles
Claplin – Murder…or
Something – certificate of acting merit
Chloey Forster – stage manager – Typecast – certificate of technical merit
Renee Mcinnes – stage crew - Typecast – certifi-
cate of technical merit
Jared Ostapovitch – sound, music composition - Typecast – certificate of technical merit
Amirah Dongla – stage manager – Murder…or Something – certificate of technical merit
Keji Clement - stage manager – Murder…or Something – certificate of technical merit
Phoebie Avila – set
painting/stage crewMurder…or Something –certificate of technical merit
Bree Klemetski –cheer award – Typecast
Daheel Haughton –cheer award – Murder…or Something
I heard it as a true story, but I suspect it’s just a really worthwhile parable.
A certain country had long waged war with another. From a high cliff above the sea, mounted messengers watched for returning naval ships, their sharp eyes focussed below. A patchy fog blanketed the water, interrupting their view.
The horses shifted restlessly. Soon they would gallop throughout the small country as their riders proclaimed the most recent news to eagerly waiting citizens. Everyone knew the country’s fate lay in jeopardy.
Far below, a battleworn ship emerged from the fog. Seeing the
messengers above, an officer on deck began waving a pair of semaphore flags. Letter by letter came the message. “O-U-R G-E-NE-R-A-L…a pause followed and the signalman continued, again, letter by letter. D-E-FE-A-T-E-D.
High above, shoulders slumped as fog once again shrouded the ship and it slipped from sight.
The messengers rode fast and far, declaring the news no one wished to hear. “Our general defeated! Our general defeated! Their devastated countrymen responded with horror and grief. Many rushed to the docks, waiting for the ship to come to port. Seeing the wailing
crowd, the naval officers, greatly puzzled, asked what had happened to bring them to such a state. “We heard your message,” they responded. “Our general defeated!”
“But that’s not right,” the ship crew replied. You didn’t get the full message. ‘Our general DEFEATED THE ENEMY!’”
The Bible records that on the day Jesus
Easter sings of new life and new hope…resurrection…and Easter images often show glorious spring flowers. We can only imagine that, considering how chilly it has been and how much snow still remains. But still, don’t we dream of those blooms!
Let’s have a cup of tea and talk about the main flower of Easter, and its significance. The Easter lily (lilium longiflorum) is the quintessential Easter plant: stately, regal, majestic with snow-white trumpet flowers, it is the plant that is shown in images of Jesus and Easter resurrection. An Easter legend says that the lilies were found in the Garden of Gethsemane after Jesus’ crucifixion. In the language of flowers, the lily’s pure white petals represent new beginnings, rebirth, and hope.
The plant originated in islands off the south of Japan, and in the late 1800’s when the bulbs began to arrive in the United States, they mostly came from Japan. During WWII, the movement of the bulbs stopped, but guess what? Everyone still wanted them, so growers took up the project in North America, and now about 95% of the Easter lily bulbs come from an area near the Oregon and California border.
And talk about timing! Commercial greenhouses plant the bulbs in pots and then comes the amazing part: by watching for leaf and bud development on the plants, the growers can monitor and adjust the temperature and humidity in their greenhouses so that the plants will bloom in time for Easter.
If we receive an Easter lily from the Easter Bunny, we should find a spot for it where it has bright but indirect light. The plant will enjoy a good watering, but does not want wet feet, so we shouldn’t let the planter sit in water. And as with any plant, if we want to try and get a second blooming, we must deadhead and remove the
spent flowers. Curious and adventurous gardeners can plant the lily outside when all danger of frost is past: it would be an interesting experiment to see if it flowers again.
Now, here is the age old question: does removing the anthers ( the part of the plant that has the pollen) remove the powerful fragrance? It is good to remove the anthers because the pollen could cause a messy mishap if it falls on a nice tablecloth or we brush against it with our clothing. I have read that removing the anthers might also extend the life of the blooms. I say ‘might’ because I have read mixed opinions on this. As for the fragrance, removing the anthers is said to “control” the fragrance. I guess we are meant to draw our own conclusions whether the fragrance goes away completely or not!
Here’s an interesting factoid: lilies are either Asiatic, longiflorum (like our Easter lilies) or Oriental. Plant breeders are making great strides in fragrance-free lilies, but so far, the progress lies in the Asiatic lilies. Of the three, the oriental lilies have the strongest fragrance. Plant-lovers who have allergy conditions can easily choose other meaningful and beautiful Easter blooms instead, because there are many such as tulips (love and forgiveness), irises (wisdom and courage), hydrangeas ( understanding), or daisies (innocence).
Whatever flower your choose for Easter, it will be a sign of hope and new beginning and bring joy this chilly spring!
The next meeting of the Yorkton hort society will be on Wednesday April 19 at 7PM at the Yorkton Public Library, and our speaker will be Frank Woloschuk. Thank you to our friends at YTW for their fine work. Gardeners, Keith and I wish you a blessed and joyful Easter! Have a great week!
Christ, Son of God, Lord of heaven and earth, was crucified, he bowed his head and uttered three final words. “It is finished.” Many mocked. Others wept. Some sighed and walked away, disappointed at losing a remarkable and radical teacher. A miracle-worker. A man many had recently been certain could and would lead the Jews to military victory over their
Roman rulers. Instead, his lifeless body would be left to rot (or so they thought) in a borrowed tomb, its door barred by a massive stone.
“Jesus defeated!”
The news spread throughout the land, and the crucifixion story of the ages rang throughout history. Over two millennia later, many, their vision blurred by skepticism and unbelief, still declare that to be the full message.
Not so. Three days later God rolled the stone away. Jesus walked out, fully alive. Resurrected. Victorious in the battle against the enemy’s strongest weapon—death itself.
That victory changed history; altered count-
less destinies of those who have embraced God’s only Son as Saviour, friend, and Lord. For those people, death is merely a door to an infinitely better, never-ending life. A life lived in the company of all other believers throughout time. An unspeakably full life, enjoying the presence of Jesus in the place he has prepared for those who love him. A life filled with infinitely wondrous adventures beyond comprehension here.
Jesus defeated? Don’t believe it. Here’s the full message: Jesus defeated the enemy! Death is swallowed up by victory.
Blessed Easter, friends. Heaven rules.
The tables cleared quickly as people came early and bought lots of tasty baking at a sale held in Yorkton Saturday. The spring bake sale was hosted as a fundraiser by the
Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the city. In addition, to baking perfect for the upcoming Easter season, draws were held as well.
PRAIRIE HARVEST
CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTRE
72 Melrose Avenue • PHONE 306-786-6840 Senior Pastors Des & Cheryl Klingspon Employment Program 306-786-1840
Online Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m. will be on our Facebook page
• Contemporary Worship • Children’s Ministry • Youth Ministry phclc.org
“Changing our world with the love of God.”
Establishing Ministries and Releasing Destinies 109 Maple Avenue, Yorkton
Senior Pastors Dag & Bukky Lawale
Every Sunday - Worship Service at 10:30 a.m.
Every Wednesday - Bible Study at 7:00 p.m.
Last Friday of each month - Prayer Meeting at 7 p.m.
For more information please phone 306-782-2427
“A Place of New Beginnings”
St. Andrew’s United Church
SECOND AVENUE AND SMITH STREET OFFICE 306-783-4157
MINISTER REV. JEN DRESSER
Website: http://www.standrewsyorkton.ca
Facebook: St. Andrew’s United Church
Join us Sunday, April 9 at 10:30 am Online (Zoom/Facebook/Youtube) and in person!
AT SALTCOATS
SUNDAY SCHOOL EVERY SUNDAY AT 10:00 AM
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE AT 11:00 AM
EVERYONE WELCOME
Pastor Laurel Wiebe -- 306-898-2099
Pastor Tim Warkentin - 306-217-8222
Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Orthodox Church 89 Bradbrooke Drive, Yorkton, SK S3N 2Y2 306-782-2998
Father Michael Faryna 306-601-9043
Fri. Apr. 7: Divine Liturgy - 10:00 am - Yorkton
Sat. Apr. 8: Divine Liturgy - 10:00 am - Yorkton
Sun. Apr. 9: Divine Liturgy - 10:00 am - Yorkton
Sun. Apr. 9: Passia - 5:00 pm - Regina
Wed. Apr. 12: Holy Uncton - 6:00 pm - Yorkton
Westview United Church 355 Bradbrooke Dr. 306-783-3063 westviewuc.ca
Worship Sundays @ 10:30am
Minister : The Rev. Deborah Smith
Everyone is welcome!
St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church 155 CATHERINE STREET 306-783-4594
Conducted by Ukrainian Redemptorist Fathers Phone 306-783-4594 or 306-783-7778
Saturday - 5 p.m. (English)
Sunday - 9:00am (Ukrainian) 11:00am (English)
SICK CALLS ANYTIME—BAPTISM AND MARRIAGE BY APPOINTMENT
St. Mark The Evangelist Orthodox Church
160 Betts Ave., Yorkton, Sask
“Services In English”
www.stmarkyorkton.ca
Holy Week Schedule
April 9 - Palm Sunday - 10:00AM Divine Liturgy
April 12 - Holy Wednesday - 7:00PM Holy Unction (Anointing for healing)
April 13 - Holy Thursday - 7:00PM Passion Gospels Matins
April 14 - Holy Friday - 3:00PM Crucifixion Of Christ Vespers
April 14 - Holy Friday - 8:00PM Burial of Christ - Matins (Lamentations & procession)
April 16 - Glorious Pascha Beginning Saturday 11:00PM Paschal Matins followed by Midnight Divine Liturgy and blessing of Pascha Baskets.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to announce a $90,000 grant to support innovative research out of the University of Saskatchewan to study the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and meningeal worm in woodland caribou and other boreal species. Through this grant, the University of Saskatchewan’s Dr. Phil McLoughlin and his team will study the population dynamics of deer in the southeastern part of the caribou range. This work uses state-of-the-art radio collars and trail cameras, enabling the team to better understand animal movements and develop a comprehensive transmission model. The results of this research will provide the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment with valuable insights to
develop science-based policies and management actions that prioritize the conservation of woodland caribou and their habitat.
“We know these diseases put the long-term survival of woodland caribou and other boreal species at risk, which is why we are proud to support Dr. McLoughlin’s innovative research,” Environment Minister Dana Skoropad said.
“This grant reflects our government’s commitment to protecting Saskatchewan’s unique wildlife and habitat, including our threatened woodland caribou populations.”
“The goal of our research is to provide practical tools, knowledge, and options, and build the capacity to conserve the Boreal Plains ecosystem while safe-
guarding the core socioecological needs and values of residents,” Dr. McLoughlin said. “We are very grateful for the province’s interest and financial support in this important research.”
Woodland caribou are a species at risk, and the spread of CWD and meningeal worm into the boreal forest poses a significant threat to their survival, as well as the survival of other cervid species. The presence of CWD in deer of the SK2 woodland caribou range and the northwesterly spread of meningeal worm has heightened the urgency to further understand transmission risks for caribou and other boreal species.
This grant builds upon previous funding from the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund to a larger umbrel-
The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to supporting this vital research and recognizes the importance of
