stettler independent, january 13, 2016

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S E R V I N G T H E O F C E N T R A L A L B E R T A F O R 1 0 9 Y E A R SHeart

January 13, 2015STETTLER, ALBERTA

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Sports

Community

District

Midget A finish home tournament

with silver in nailbiter final

See story p.24

Crisis Aid programa ray of hope tothose in need

See story p.2

Some changes inthe community

activity schedule

See column p.23

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Economic uncertainty biggest concern for Mayor in 2016

STACEY LAVALLIEINDEPENDENT REPORTER

Economic uncertainty over the next several months will be the biggest challenge for the Town of Stettler to overcome, Mayor Dick Richards believes.

Richards looked back on 2015 and made some predictions for the community going into 2016.

“Our geographic area means we’re weathering the storm,” Richards said of the crash in the oil industry, which buoys much of Alberta’s industry. “We’re still heavily agricul-ture-based. It’s our backbone.”

He said despite the shrinking going on in much of the prov-ince, Stettler continues to grow and businesses are re-invest-ing, upgrading, updating and building new buildings.

“People are still spending money, so that shows confi -dence in the area,” he said.

Since Stettler is centrally located in the province, the mayor believes 2016 will make Stettler a destination for peo-ple to visit in 2016, especially through sports.

“I spend a lot of time at the SRC (Stettler Recreation Centre) because of my kids, and I hear what people say,” he said. “They’re amazed such a small town has such excellent facilities.”

In 2015, the community host-ed several tournaments and championships in hockey, baseball and soccer, including provincials. Richards said he hopes the same will happen again this year.

“I know people are working on it,” he said.

One thing the turn in the economy did was to make the mayor and council realize just how fortunate they were for Stettler’s diversity.

“It could be way worse,” he said. “We were taking things for granted.”

As economic woes plague the province, though, they could trickle down to affect Stettler, as the community is reliant on provincial grant programs and funding to stay on top of major municipal projects, like roads and water.

“The challenge is the un-certainty of what the future holds,” Richards said, explain-ing that it makes it hard to plan when town staff aren’t sure if programs will continue or be downsized.

“A community can fall be-hind very quickly (on major

municipal projects) if you don’t stay on top of it,” he said. He noted that the town’s staff were diligently watching out for any surprises with Alberta’s new NDP government.

2016 will also be the fi rst full year of the recreation agree-ment between the Town of Stettler and County of Stettler, an agreement brokered by a provincial mediator over the summer in 2015. The agree-ment put to bed decades of bickering and back-and-forth over recreation funding.

It’s something the mayor said he’s extremely proud of.

“We were in a place where everyone was ready to sit down and get this done,” he said. “Both sides were able to work it out, and I look forward to continuing to build this great relationship.”

Stacey Lavallie/Independent reporter

Kaleigh Morris, left, and Hannah Schierman work on their popcorn birdfeeders at the Popcorn Bonanza at the Stettler Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 9. Please see our story on page 5.

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Crisis Aid Program a ray of hope to those in need

MOUSH SARA JOHNINDEPENDENT REPORTER

With the Christmas and new year festivities almost over, fundrais-ing initiatives for 2016 are underway for many organizations, among which is Stettler’s Crisis Aid Program, a one-time assistance program for people who have ex-hausted all other sourc-es of assistance.

“When funds are avail-able Crisis Aid will pay for medication, trans-portation to and from medical appointments (in and out of town) and special dietary needs not met by the food bank for those who can-not afford it,” said Les Stulberg, board mem-ber, Crisis Aid Program. “The program has also helped with rent in cer-tain situations to pre-vent homelessness and has provided temporary housing and utilities, and with the generous support of Superfluity, Crisis Aid has been able to meet clothing needs as well.”

In operation for five years, the program was started by a group of volunteers who identi-fied a gap in commu-nity services where some people in crisis situations were falling through the cracks, with no where to turn.

Crisis Aid also receives

donations of household furniture from commu-nity members which is distributed to individu-als who need it.

Operated solely on do-nations and fundrais-ing, the program is not eligible for funding by Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) because the government mandate for FCSS clear-ly specifies FCSS fund-ing can only be for pre-ventive services.

“Community business-es have been solicited for donations and in-dividuals have stepped up with donations as well,” said Stulberg. “Fundraising in the form of bake sales, barbe-cues and recently host-ing Santa at Moonlight Madness have been successful in gaining some funds, but more are needed as Crisis Aid funds are very low.”

Fundraising for 2016 is still in the planning stages but Crisis Aid will continue to do similar fundraising in the com-munity.

According to Stulberg, a larger event is cur-rently being explored that will raise greater amount of funds and awareness about the program.

“At this point we are still in the planning stages for some of the larger events but volun-teer time and money are always an issue when trying to plan fundrais-ing events,” said Shelly Walker, executive direc-tor, Stettler FCSS. “We

will of course do our usual community bar-becues and continue to look for new ways to fund this critical com-munity support.”

There have been a few cases when people re-quiring a medical ap-pointment in Red Deer had no transportation or funds to get there, and Crisis Aid has come to the rescue.

“Crisis Aid has often helped people who didn’t have the money to pay for medical prescriptions,” said Stulberg. “Just recently, a person was released from the Stettler hos-pital but had no means of getting to their home in Stettler County, so Crisis Aid provided the transportation.”

There have been in-stances where families have been saved from eviction.

“To see the good that the Crisis Aid Program does warms my heart,” said Stulberg. “In one case a family of three would have been evict-ed and split up, with the child going to social services, the mother to a woman’s shelter and the father would have been on the street had it not been for Crisis Aid.”

In the past year, Crisis Aid has provided assis-tance to many people, with over $15,000 in aid to members of the great-er-Stettler community.

“Considering the fact that this amount is 100 per cent donation and volunteer-based is a

great testament to the generosity of our com-munity,” added Stulberg. “This amount does not reflect any value that was provided in furni-ture or clothing.”

Since, Crisis Aid does not provide any direct funds to an individu-al, it helps reduce risk of abuse and ensures funds are used for the purpose intended.

“All monetary amounts are given directly to ei-ther the landlord, utility company, drug store or transportation provid-er,” explained Stulberg. “The greater-Stettler area is a kind and car-ing community and has shown amazing gen-erosity in the past for many worthy causes.”

According to Stulberg, the Crisis Aid committee members appreciate the support from the busi-nesses and residents of the Town and County of Stettler for their gen-erous donations during the past five years.

“But I am concerned that many people know little about the Crisis Aid Program and its need for funds,” said Stulberg. “I am apprehensive with the state of the econo-my in Alberta that the draw on Crisis Aid funds will likely increase this coming year and per-haps if there was great-er awareness, the kind and generous hearts of this community will step forward to help those close to home in need through the Crisis Aid Program.”

Mrs. Wendy Kossowan has recently beenappointed the new manager of the Stettler branch, Wendy has been with us since 1989 serving as the assistant branch manager at the Stettler branch. We wish to congratulate Wendy and invite the community to welcome her and stop in for a visit.

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Father, daughter face long recovery after serious collision

near HalkirkSTACEY LAVALLIEINDEPENDENT REPORTER

Gus Wetter School’s principal and his daughter are recovering in Calgary from serious injuries after a serious collision near Halkirk on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Shortly before 8 a.m., a dark-blue truck collided with the back of a turning fl atbed trailer at the in-tersection of Range Road 163 and Highway 12. The trailer was being towed by a tractor. According to Coronation RCMP Constable Dustin MacIntyre, it’s believed that fog, which was “moving” around the area around the time of the colli-sion, may be a factor in the collision.

The driver of the dark-blue truck was later revealed to be Daram Van Oers, principal at Gus Wetter School in Castor, who was on the way to school with his daughter Lenae. Coronation RCMP did not release the names of the injured parties, but a letter sent to Clearview School Board staff by board superintendent Peter Barron later that day con-fi rmed the Van Oers’ identities.

The Van Oers family released a statement on Thursday, Jan. 7 through the Coronation RCMP stat-ing that Daram and Lenae are “re-sponding positively to treatment,” and requested privacy as the family deals with the tragedy.

“People are saddened and shocked,” Barron said in an inter-view on Jan. 7. “This came as a big surprise. We have a psychologist available to staff and students at Gus Wetter if the need is there.”

Wendy Coppock will be stepping in to Daram Van Oers’ shoes until he is able to return to work, though Barron said there’s no indication at this time how long that will be — except it will likely be a long time.

“They are in for a bit of a journey ahead of them,” Barron said. “Our expectation is for them to recover and return when ready, but we can’t begin to guess when that will be.”

Barron said Daram Van Oers is very popular in the community, and support has been fl ooding both the school and school board since word went out that Daram and Lenae Van Oers were in the collision. Van Oers’ wife is also a teacher at Gus Wetter, and the couple’s other two daugh-ters also attend the public school.

MacIntyre said the quick response by the Halkirk Fire Department, who had arrived and extracted the Van Oers’ from the vehicle before sup-porting assistance from the Castor Fire Department had arrived, will likely play a role in the recovery of the two injured individuals. Daram Van Oers was taken by STARS air ambulance to a hospital in Calgary, while daughter Lenae was taken fi rst to Stettler Hospital and then transferred to Calgary.

The driver of the tractor was not injured, but the severity of the col-lision resulted in Highway 12 being closed for an hour while a recon-struction team collected evidence in order to piece together what hap-pened. Everyone involved was wear-ing their seatbelts.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact the Coronation RCMP at 403-578-3666 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).Ice safety on the mind of RCMP, Fish and Wildlife

The winter weather so far has been ideal for ice formation on the area’s lakes, with cold days and nights and little snow. Even though it’s likely most areas have suffi cient ice for the heaviest of recreational uses, the RCMP is cautioning winter lake fun-lovers to be cautious when heading out.

“It’s important to remain aware of the conditions,” RCMP Cpl. Cameron Russell said. At least four inches of ice is necessary to bear the weight of an average adult, and anything less than two inches is begging for trouble.

A snowmobile or ATV requires at

least fi ve inches of ice, while a car or small pick-up truck needs 8-12 inches. A full size pick-up truck will need 12-15 inches. Areas where water is moving will freeze less quickly and have thinner ice than areas where water is still, so the RCMP advise extra caution around rivers, creeks and other fl owing areas.

Russell said that Buffalo Lake is being “heavily used” by winter rec-reationists, and the last thing he or any of his colleagues want to do is have to go out there to rescue someone.

“Make sure you’re prepared for the cold weather,” Russell added, ex-plaining that the temperatures can be dangerous if people fi nd them-selves stranded due to mechan-ical failure or other unfortunate circumstances. “Dress warmly, have blankets and other gear at hand for those situations.”

Both the RCMP and staff from Alberta Fish and Wildlife will be pa-trolling area lakes over the winter, checking for licences and safety. For those out fi shing at ice huts, Russell had one warning: It’s not a residence.

“What that means is that if you have alcohol, you basically have al-cohol in public,” he explained, not-ing that offence comes with some stiff fi nes.Suspicious vehicle not so suspi-cious

The RCMP have issued a state-ment revealing that the white pick-up truck, seen frequenting busi-nesses in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2015 and Jan. 1-2, 2016 in fact had legitimate business in the area. According to Cpl. Cameron Russell with the RCMP, information was provided to the detachment in-vestigators that proved without any doubt that the individual behind the wheel was not engaged in any illicit behaviour.

Russell thanked the community for their involvement.

Contributed photo

There’s a “long journey” of recovery ahead for the driver and passenger of this vehicle, Daram and Lenae Van Oers, after a serious collision near Halkirk on Wednesday, Jan. 6. The Halkirk Fire Department extracted the two from this blue pick-up truck and Daram was taken to Calgary by STARS air ambulance and Lenae by ground ambulance fi rst to Stettler, then Calgary.

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Budget work continuesSTACEY LAVALLIEINDEPENDENT REPORTER

It was a relatively light agenda for the first Town of Stettler council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 5, as most of the town’s staff are busy working on budget preparations.

Shelly Walker from Stettler Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) attended the meeting to present her organization’s bud-get to council, seeking its approval for ongoing support. FCSS’ budget is comprised of grants from both the Town of Stettler and the County of Stettler, as well as a municipal grant. Eighty per cent is covered by the provincial grants, while 20 per cent is cov-ered by the municipal grant, documents re-

vealed.The total grant from

the Town of Stettler would come to $193,160, of which $157,147 would be covered by the pro-vincial grant. That leaves the town to cover the remaining $36,013, a $3,274 increase.

Walker revealed that one FCSS position had gone from part-time to full time, which creat-ed an increase in ex-pense of $9,897 or 5.55 per cent. With a sur-plus of funds left over from some projects last year, FCSS was able to decrease program ex-penses by $5,000. Other increases included maintenance and repair, funding to volunteer centre programs, and board expenses.

Walker explained that the budget was not yet

approved by Alberta FCSS, but anticipates no trouble.

Support for FCSS and its programs was unan-imous around the table, with council voting to-gether to support the in-crease in the FCSS bud-get, pending approval from Alberta FCSS.

Stettler FCSS was not the only community or-ganization appearing before council at the meeting, as a delegation from the Stettler Board of Trade stepped forward following the comple-tion of the FCSS presen-tation.

Led by Stacey Benjamin, executive di-rector of the Board of Trade, the delegation presented its 2016 bud-get and asked for sup-port from the town to the tune of $246,172.

The Board of Trade, which combines several different elements under its roof including the Chamber of Commerce and tourism, has several conferences and work-shops planned for the coming year, Benjamin explained. These con-ferences and workshops are focused on the busi-ness -related topics, like starting one or adapting one and loss prevention.

Stettler’s tourism cen-tre saw increased traf-fic in 2015, something Benjamin said she be-lieved was due to the economy. With every-thing so uncertain and many people taking fi-nancial hits, Albertans are staying in Alberta to vacation, she said. Stettler as a destination is attractive as it’s very central and has sever-

al festivals, rodeos and other tourist attractions in the vincinity.

The Steel Wheel Stampede improved greatly on previous years, Benjamin said. While not a Board of Trade event, the orga-nization works hand-in-hand with organizers to help pull off the large rodeo bonanza. This year, the rodeo moved to an earlier date in the hopes of attracting more competitors and viewers — something that was a success, despite damp weather.

The Pheasant Festival pulled off its second year with few hitches, Benjamin noted, in-creasing its profit mar-gins slightly.

“It was a steep learn-ing curve, but we did learn (from the first

year),” Benjamin said in an interview after the meeting. “We spoke with vendors and with participants to find out what worked and didn’t work.”

The new float has been well-received and the Board of Trade hopes to get it out to more pa-rades throughout 2016, including some of the tourist traps like Banff and Jasper, all in the hopes of attracting peo-ple back to Stettler.

In 2015, the Board of Trade brought in rev-enues of $226,760, but fielded expenses of $472,932, leaving them with a $246,172 gap. That is $28,502, or 13.09 per cent, higher than the previous year.

Council unanimous-ly voted to support therequest.

Reeve Nixon satisfi ed with 2015,looks forward to 2016


With the heralding of 2016, the County of Stettler looks back on the many ac-complishments and successfully com-pleted projects in the past year, as it gets ready to tackle the new ones.

According to Reeve Nixon, when the county held a week long series of town hall style meetings in March 2015 throughout the county, the response was quite positive.

“We had a fair to good turnout con-sidering everyone’s busy lives,” said Nixon. “We continued our ratepayer interaction through our participation in the Stettler Trade Fair and certainly enjoyed hearing what people from the county had to say.”

The county learned about issues they did not know and gathered ideas and information that they could use in de-liberating county matters.

Of the many highlights in 2015 was the 60th anniversary of the county.

“Sixty years ago our county became the County of Stettler No. 6 and on June 18, 2015 we celebrated this event with an open house at the county facil-

ity,” added Nixon. “Former councillors, former and present employees, repre-sentatives of other municipalities and many of the public attended this event to celebrate this milestone.”

This was the second year the coun-ty supported the annual Canadian Badlands Pheasant Festival and once more it was a great success.

The Town and County Physician Recruitment team was also very suc-cessful this year, attracting four new doctors to the community.

“We wish the new doctors much suc-cess in our community,” said Nixon.

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 the County of Stettler Council and the Town of Stettler Council held a joint special council meeting at the Stettler Recreation Centre to ratify a new recre-ation agreement.

“In the spirit of good faith and col-laboration the county and town en-tered into negotiations to arrive at an agreement that should see the Stettler Recreation Centre adequately funded for years to come,” explained Nixon.

A county and town joint open house was held on Sept. 16 to present find-ings of a study of the Red Willow Creek

Basin.This study was recently completed

and focuses on runoff, flows and flood hazard along the Red Willow Creek from Barnett Lake through Stettler and into Meeting Creek and eventually the Battle River.

Some of the other project highlights for 2015 are:

– Erskine walking path was complet-ed

– Erskine Truck Fill and Septic Dump Station is now open

– Warden Road was paved for 2 miles east of Highway 835

– Drainage concerns at the Byemoor Arena resolved

– The Resource Road as well as Phase 1 of Carlisle Estates was also paved

– A dock was installed at Buffalo View Estates to assist with boat launching at Buffalo Lake

– The Shirley McClellan Water Services Commission line to Donalda was officially completed in 2015 and the Red Willow Truck Fill also began operation

– County’s Planning and Development Department had an excellent year with project values up substantially from

2014“We have a number of projects on the

books for 2016, including investigation and possible construction of a new county shop and/or office, 2.5 miles of new road construction, and com-pletion of the new Erskine subdivision adjacent to the Erskine Reservoir and Erskine School,” said Nixon. “Of course there is the day-to-day operations as well, which include hundreds of kilo-metres of gravelling, spraying, mowing and grading.”

According to Nixon, the County of Stettler takes great pleasure in collab-orating with other municipalities and have many committees in common with the closest municipality, which is the Town of Stettler and have been able to capitalize on grant funding for several projects.

“We have annual joint meetings with the County of Paintearth, Starland County and Special Areas to explore ways to collectively help each other, and we also meet regularly with munic-ipalities of our Central Zone (AAMDC) to exchange ideas and discuss success-ful and unsuccessful projects,” added Nixon.


Popcorn Bonanza explores alternateuses for yummy treat


Popcorn has many uses beyond that of an enjoy-able snack, and commu-nity kids had a chance to explore those uses at the Popcorn Bonanza at the Stettler Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Held in honour of the upcoming International Popcorn day on Jan. 19, program co-ordinator Darlene Philpot was all about the white, fluffy treat.

“We’re celebrating all the virtues of pop-corn,” she proclaimed. “It’s a wonderful snack, it makes excellent bird feeders, and it can be used in art.”

There’s even a plant, the Plagiobothrys (of which there are sever-al types), which is col-loquially known as the popcorn flower. One of the art projects Philpot and the attending youth undertook was making a construction paper, marker, and popcorn representation of the plant.

Once those were set aside to let the glue set, the kids started making popcorn bird feeders, using pine cones.

“The great thing about these is they’re com-pletely biodegradable,” Philpot said. Kids had a choice of using giant or tiny cones, though the tiny cones in the end turned out to hold the popcorn better between their scales, the individ-ual plates of the cone.

“They can also be re-filled when emptied,” she said, helping stuff popcorn into one giant cone.

Once the cone-feeders were complete, the kids began to decorate paper bags, which they filled with popcorn, cereal, and other yummy treats to make a bag of pop-corn-based trail mix.

As a final project, the group worked to “grow our own popcorn,” put-ting kernels inside plas-tic baggies with damp cotton balls. Eventually, Philpot said, the kernels should begin to sprout — though this was a new experiment for her so she didn’t know how it would turn out in the end.

Donna Morris, a

Stett ler res ident , brought her daughter Kaleigh, 7, and friend

Hannah Schierman, 9, to the Bonanza, where both dug into the arts and

crafts — and the bowl of popcorn. More popcorn ended up inside the two

girls than on the arts and crafts projects, but Philpot didn’t mind.

“I can always make more,” she said with a laugh.

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Should Legislature discuss economy?MUSTAFA ERICINDEPENDENT EDITOR

Economy is the worry of the day, and at every possible level, from provincial to global scale.

That the international markets started the year with the worst tailspin in recent memory has already unleashed a feeding fren-zy that has got lots of investors, business executives and fi nancial planners thinking on how to get through the gloomy season with the least possible losses. Even the most optimist of observers are now admitting the possibility of $20 per barrel oil price before they can even start to think of $50 again. Recession in the US is now reemerging as a serious possibility with negative interest rates looming in the horizon, just as Bank of Canada chief Stephen Poloz started to speak about the same, in what might be a possible attempt to warm the public to the until recently unthinkable idea.

Nationally, our new fi nance minister, Bill Morneau, has start-ed touring the country to hear voices before he takes on the un-enviable task of putting together

a budget that should inspire at least some hope of growth under the dire circumstances.

In the province, the local branch of Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) rang the alarm bells and ap-pealed to the Notley government to hold an “emergency debate” at the Legislature on what it called “Alberta’s economic crisis”, a pro-posal jumped at by the Wildrose as one would predict. CFIB based its appeal on Statistics Canada data which showed signifi cant declines in permanent employ-ment numbers in the province and on its business confi dence survey showing the bar had hit a record low in Alberta.

The feeling of panic is spreading and there clearly are a lot of op-portunities to make political capi-tal out of the economic doomsday scenarios.

Going back to 19th century, we fi nd that what we today call “economy” had a different name, it was called “political economy”, because those who laid down the theories of how it functioned, from Adam Smith to David Ricardo to John Stuart Mill to Karl

Marx, all knew that whatever eco-nomic decisions were made, they all had political implications as a result of their impact on the soci-ety. It was more in the second half of the 20th century that economy was distilled into an independent area of expertise although its con-nection to the domain of politics remained as strong and vital as ever.

And in the course of the de-velopments in late 20th century, the focus of the economy also changed, with the political links still intact but its social aspect sliding down rapidly in impor-tance.

In the post World War II environ-ment, the economy was focused on development, a concept that embraced growth alongside an equitable distribution of the fruits of that growth. Beginning with 80s, however, the focus shifted signifi cantly: With the neo-liberal policies and regulations launched during the Reagan-Thatcher era, and enhanced by later govern-ments and administrations, in-cluding that of Bill Clinton’s, the social, and consequently the polit-ical, aspect of the economy start-

ed to be increasingly ignored with a lot of negative consequences.

It was none other than a presti-gious Princeton University publi-cation in the US that declared last year that the country was no lon-ger a democracy, but an oligarchy, governed by elites. Thankfully, we are at a much better position in Canada in terms of our demo-cratic credentials, but the impact and the infl uence of our southern neighbour not only on us, but throughout the globe is a ringing reality.

Presumably, the current eco-nomic diffi culties heralding a much bigger crisis in the making will just create more economic hardships for those with meager means as compared to well to do individuals and families.

While free market lovers may not like the idea, it is at such times that governments have to intervene in the economy to en-sure that the population is cov-ered by a social safety net and in that context Mrs. Notley will be well advised to heed the call for a debate on the economy, regard-less of any concerns that she may lose some political clout.


Handibus a ‘blessing in disguise’ - Hearthaven Lodge administrator


When Anna Shirreff moved from her home just outside of Stettler to live in Hearthaven Lodge nearly four years ago, the elderly resident knew she didn’t want to abandon what had been in her family for gener-ations. However, access-ing the property with-out being able to drive would be a challenge.

Shirreff turned to the Stettler and District Handibus Society for help, and the organiza-tion rose to the occa-sion. A driver picks her up early on the day she wants to head out to the farm, and picks her up at a set time later in the afternoon.

“I’m not sure what I’d be able to do without it,” Shirreff said of the ser-vice. “I’d be very — well, not sad, but it’d be a great inconvenience for my personal welfare to be without it.”

Not only does Shirreff use the service to get back to the family farm, she also uses it to go visit friends, family, and get around the commu-nity.

“It’s very good to get out on trips to be with my family, on Christmas and on birthdays,” she explained. “I like to get out for the fresh air, go home to the farm. I might not be able to do as much as I used to, but I can still do some-thing.”

Shirreff’s message was one of but many that came out in support of the Handibus Society and its volunteer driv-ers. Gale Vantkruis, the owner of Scissors Palace on 49 Street, said many of her clients come in by handibus.

“I can’t say enough good things about one of their drivers, Kirstin Ror,” Vantkruis said. “She walks them from their house, helps them into the bus, brings them here and walks them right in. She’ll even come in to help them back to the bus.”

Volunteers have come and gone over the years, Judy McKnight, the pro-gram administrator, said, but some are old

die-hards while others, like Ror, just started this year.

Besides the technical requirements, like cer-tain classes of driver li-cences and a clean driv-ing abstract, volunteers need to have a certain personality type.

“You need to be car-ing and compassionate, patient and friendly,” McKnight said. “The people you are helping may move slower, can wear out faster, and be frustrated by their lim-itations.”

The Handibus Society is funded through fares, grants and donations, McKnight noted. Right now, the organization is trying to raise money for what they call a “medical van,” which is actually a van used to transport individuals to medical appointments out of the community. The current van is get-ting on in both years and kilometres as it makes trips year-round to Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton and other communities where specialists pre-side.

“It’s starting to get to the point where main-tenance costs are out-weighing the benefits of keeping the vehicle on the road,” McKnight noted. The van and handibus are inspected

every six months.Sandra Thompson is

the administrative as-sistant at Hearthaven Lodge. There, she sees first-hand the bene-fits the service brings to the residents, many of whom would other-wise be lodge-bound. Thompson’s appreci-ation of the service

doesn’t end there, though.

After a terrible fall two years ago, Thompson was left with a broken hip and knee, and ended up living in the lodge itself until she had healed enough to man-age stairs. During her recovery, Thompson was unable to drive, yet had

multiple regular phys-iotherapy appointments she had to make.

Despite not being a se-nior herself, the injury qualified her to use the Handibus service as a disabled individual.

“I was in such a unique position to see how much the Handibus helps people, as well as see how much it helped me,” she said. “It’s a valuable service to the community, and you have no idea how valu-able it is until you need it.”

At the end of 2015, the Handibus Society had provided a total of 6,683 bus rides to resi-dents of the communi-ty, which are both van and and handibus rides. This number are only the town and county numbers. Out-of-town medical trips last year totaled 111. This num-ber does not include the number of riders who accompany clients as assistants.

The society also has regular pick-ups and drop-offs at the local lodges and Walmart for those wanting to do shopping, though se-niors or residents with disabilities can phone in to 403-742-5858 to

schedule a pick-up. In-town rates are $5 each way, within the county $16 each way, and out-of-town rates vary de-pending on distance.

The organization is in need of volunteer driv-ers, who, despite being volunteers, receive some compensation for their time. While in-town, bus drivers are usually available, at times the organization has had to turn away people look-ing for transportation out of Stettler.

“Some of our drivers won’t drive in the big cities, since they don’t know them,” McKnight said. “So we’re always looking for drivers who know the cities and who are willing to help out.”

The Society has had its first injection into the new van fund by the way of the Telus Fibre for Good program. With Telus rolling out its new fibre network in Stettler, new custom-ers were asked to pick a local charity which they would like to support.

The Stettler and Society Handibus pro-gram was one of the charities that will be re-ceiving a donation from Telus later this spring, in the amount of $1,000.

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The Stettler and District Handibus Society helps the community’s seniors and disabled resi-dents get around to shops, family, friends and events year-round. Here, Agnes Comeau, front, is picked up by the Stettler Handibus by driver Kirstin Ror, after an afternoon of shopping in downtown Stettler.


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Conscience tells us to do right, but does not tell us what is right

The matter of con-science is an important one. Dictionary.com says conscience is, “An inner feeling or voice acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s be-havior.” That’s a bit too subjective, isn’t it? Whose inner feeling or voice? Mine, yours or the neigh-bor’s?

When India became part of the British Empire, the British determined that some culturally accept-ed practices in that land should be abolished. One of them was the ritual of burning the widow of a deceased man on the fu-neral pyre with him. The British simply introduced legislation abolishing the practice.

However, religious lead-ers, of the Indian popula-tion, came to a top British leader and said, “Our con-science tells us that wid-ows must be burned.” The leader promptly replied, “And our conscience tells us that if you do it, we will hang you!”

The problem is obvious. Conscience, from person to person, and culture to culture, will tell us that we should do right…but will not specifi cally tell us what is right. At least not in any consistent or uni-versal fashion. As some-one said, following our conscience is like pushing a wheelbarrow…we direct it wherever we want it to

go and simply follow be-hind.

Consciences can also be de-sensitised. As children, we would go barefoot in the summer. At fi rst, sharp stones would cause us to wince in pain, but we be-came impervious to those same stones over time, be-cause the soles of our feet grew tough and calloused. The same thing happens to our conscience as we gradually build a tolerance for things we once consid-ered unacceptable. Robert Goddard once sarcastical-ly said of an acquaintance, “She doesn’t listen to her conscience, because she can’t take advice from a total stranger.”

I defi ne conscience as, “A God given, inbuilt sense of right and wrong, which either accepts or rejects our thoughts, motives and actions.” “Conscience” is used 31 times in the New Testament and indicates that consciences may be

weak or strong (1 Cor. 8:7 - 12), good or evil (Acts 23:1; Hebrews 10:22), pure or defi led (1 Timothy 3:9; Acts 24:16) and is capa-ble of condemning or con-fi rming (Romans 2:15).

1 Timothy 4:2 explains that as people depart from truth and godliness, “…their conscience is seared with a hot iron.” This sug-gests that a healthy con-science will be maintained by biblical principles and sustained through a warm and growing relationship with God.

Paul said in Acts 24:16, “I always try to maintain a good conscience before God and everyone else.” The best way to do this is to sincerely emulate David’s petition to God. He prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

“Preserve your con-science always soft and sensitive…” Isaac Watts

Faith & Reflection

ROSS HELGETON403-742-5020 • [email protected]

Lots of exciting new programs at SES

The first week of 2016 started out full of fun and activity for our stu-dents at Stettler Elementary School. Our Grade 4 students jumped right back into crib playing with the se-nior citizens in our community. As well, we had Diane Huston travel from Red Deer to present a program entitled “No Secrets” to our Grade 1-3 students. She was in our school Monday through Thursday last week and our students received a lot of good and important information. Then on Friday, our parents provided chicken wraps for the student hot lunch program. This amazing lunch was enjoyed by numerous staff and students in our school.

Our phys. ed. program has started the new year with the gymnastics portion of the curriculum. So all of our students, grades K-6, are enjoy-ing tumbling, climbing and flipping in the gymnasium. Our Grade 1MS students took part in hiding cam-ouflaged bunnies around the play-ground as part of their science unit. Also in science fun, our Grade 2 classes went on a boiler room tour to see how our school is heated. This is part of the Grade 2 Science study on hot and cold temperatures, and the students gained a great deal of practical information from this “in house” field trip.

One of the most exciting addi-tions for January includes the imple-mentation of a new electronic math program. The students are loving “mathletics” and are using the pro-gram with various forms of tech-nology. Our youngest students are using the iPads, while other classes

use the computer room and lap-top computers, and the majority of our classrooms have been using Chromebooks. Since we have a 1:1 ratio of Chromebooks to students for grades 3-6, we have been able to provide many new and exciting op-portunities for our students.

Our Grade 5/6 students will have an opportunity to learn and hone their basketball skills with the after school program running for the next 12 weeks. This program began on Monday and will continue into March. Letters went home with stu-dents last week and we have a num-ber of young people very excited about this opportunity. As well, we have almost half of our s

tudents registered for skiing. Our ski program begins this Wednesday, and for many youngsters this is the first opportunity they have had to learn this fun and challenging sport. Also new this week is the start up of a new club at the school. The Grade 6 students will have an opportunity to practice math calculations through the game of crib. This will take place one day per week during the recess break.

First win in 20 yearsThis week at Wm E.

Hay Stettler Secondary Campus both senior bas-ketball teams won their games against Red Deer. For the senior girls’ team, it was the first time they had won in 20 years. Congratulations to both

teams!Diplomas start up this

week with English and Social. English Part A is on Jan. 13, and Social Part A is on Jan. 14. Good luck to all Grade 12 students.

The bottle drive for New Orleans was well attended on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Wildcats’Corner

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Museum looks ahead to 2016 after ‘Lightthe Night’ success


Stettler Town and Country Museum ended 2015 on a new high as one of its biggest annu-al fundraisers ‘Light the Night’ drew huge crowds from the community and neighbouring areas, over the eight four-hour eve-nings in December.

“During the event the museum grounds are lit for the public to drive through or walk manned by museum staff welcom-ing visitors with a pam-phlet of the many spon-sors and displays, a candy cane and an Independent Activity Book for the kids,” said Karen Wahlund, mu-seum manager. “There were 45 sponsors in all, which included local busi-nesses, organizations and community members, as volunteers assisted staff to create additional displays throughout the museum grounds and run a net-work of electrical devices.”

According to Wahlund, Friday, Dec. 4 was the opening night with a bake sale, horse-drawn wagon rides, besides the lit ex-hibits, with Atco’s help with the high out-of-reach areas.

As 538 vehicles passed through the grounds, and the museum collect-ed cash donations close to $4,000, besides 13 fi lled bags along with cash for the Food Bank, it was easy to see why this event was such a “grand success”.

“The museum hosts this event every year to become more involved with the community,” said Wahlund. “In hopes of at-tracting outlying areas to Stettler.”

With the fundraising throughout the year, the museum has been able to achieve some of its goals in 2015 and looks forward to completing more proj-ects in the new year.

“The facility has im-proved its appearance and we look forward to com-pleting our goal of making Stettler Town and Country Museum a safe, great looking facility to enter-tain the community and tourists while preserving and cherishing our his-tory,” said Wahlund. “The museum requires fi nancial assistance not only for the repairs and maintenance but to continue to support its staff.”

At the moment the mu-seum is run with two part-time staff, a manager and

an associate curator.Even with annual funds

from the town and county, the museum falls short of its fi nancial targets, which necessitates successful fundraisers.

“In 2016, we have been promised the generous funding of the town and county, which always proj-ects an increment from the previous year, and enables us to continue making im-provements where need-ed and progress with new events,” said Wahlund.

For 2016, three summer staff will be fi nanced in part by two programs – Young Canada Works and Canada Summer Jobs, both of which are federal pro-grams.

This year the summer temporary employment program will be reintro-duced, which gives the museum the hope of re-ceiving enough funding to recruit three summer staff.

All programs require stu-dents coming out of school and returning to school in the fall. “Our work term is fi rst part of May to mid-Au-gust, hence a post-second-ary student is suitable,” explained Wahlund. “ We are always looking for in-terested students.” For more information | www.rdc.ab.ca | 403.342.3233

New Board Members AppointedRed Deer College Board of Governors is pleased

to introduce its newest Board members.

Robin Chiles is a second year student at Red Deer College in the Open Studies program, and a member of the President’s and Dean’s Honour Rolls. Her goal is to gain acceptance into the Bachelor of Science, Nursing program at RDC. After being personally touched by cancer, she wants one day to have a career as a nurse in the Cancer Clinic at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

Robin was born and raised in Red Deer and is proud to call this city her home. She is a passionate student who enjoys learning new things and serving her community through valuable work on committees and volunteering for a non-profit organization.

Robin is married to her high school sweetheart, Greg, and is proud of her two children, Jacob and Brooklyn.

Shawn Deveau works in RDC’s Information Technology Services department. He has been a Technical Support Analyst in the department since 2009, working hard to support students, instructors and staff every day. Shawn also served the College’s support staff as Chair of the local AUPE Chapter for a number of years. Shawn has effectively built relationships at RDC, recognizing that open and respectful discussion among a wide range of people with different perspectives leads to the best decisions for learners and everyone who works at RDC.

Shawn is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Sociology. For leisure, Shawn enjoys honing his craft of singing and song writing.

Kami Ritz/Independent staff

Among the many organizations that participated in the Museum’s ‘Light the Night’ fundraiser was the County of Stettler with its well-illuminated fi re truck.

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Butter shortage may be due to advertising success

Consumers in some parts of the country were recently confronted with warning signs that there may be a butter short-age. Any shortage warn-ing usually comes as a shock to most city folks as they expect their local grocery store shelves to be overloaded with most any food product. All they know is that food magi-cally appears every day at grocery stores – so what`s the problem. In this case it appears that butter has become a victim of its own success as a safe, healthful and nutritious natural food.

For years now in the face of a stagnant mar-ket, dairy producers, processors, marketers and retailers in North America have spent mil-lions advertising various dairy products. It’s been a tough sell as products like butter and cheese were vilifi ed by alleged health experts and con-sumer lobby groups as horrible fats that could endanger your health and life. Numerous dubious

studies were fabricated to show that dairy fats were evil, whilst vegetable fats were much safer. That saw demand for butterfat decrease and the produc-tion end of the industry tried to adjust. To offset the trend, the overall dairy industry cranked up the advertising of dairy products like butter and cheese.

But there is more to the story – as happens once in a while, some major media outlet de-cides to investigate the validity of some reports that condemn one food product or another. And surprise, surprise, they fi nd many reports par-ticularly from vegetarian advocacy groups as com-pletely false and mislead-ing. A few months back Time Magazine reported on butter and found that contrary to misleading lobby group advocacy, butter was a safe, natu-ral and nutritious prod-uct and implied it was better than manufactured margarine products. As a result, butter consump-

tion increased. It’s not the whole story of course, but it sure helped increase demand.

The problem with in-creased butterfat demand is that the supply can’t be turned up overnight. To get more butterfat – the milk supply has to be increased – that’s a process that can be done in moderation over time. In the short term, feeding dairy cows more supple-ments like soya meal can cause them to produce more butterfat in their milk. But there is a catch, most dairy cattle are of the Holstein- Frisian

breed that have been bred to produce less butterfat than other dairy breeds like Jersey or Guernsey. That situation was due to the past 50-year trend that saw less demand for butterfat and more de-mand for low fat milk like 2 per cent or skim milk. In fact, it was the butterfat skimmed off whole milk that was suffi cient to supply demand for such products as butter and ice cream. Typically proces-sors would also store ex-cess butterfat production in the summer to be used when more butter was re-quired in other periods

like around the holidays. Timing is always an issue as the industry does not want to be seen disposing of excess skimmed milk as a waste product.

Interestingly, there were times when producers were penalized for pro-ducing too much fat in their raw milk. Producers over the years responded to that marketing reali-ty by using low fat pro-ducing Holstein-Friesian cows. Highly-selective ge-netics has also seen that breed steadily decreasing the butterfat component of its milk. It now seems that selection process may not have been the most insightful approach. A similar result happened with beef production, where lean meat cattle genetics were promoted for years, that resulted in a shortage of highly fat marbled beef that the restaurant market actual-ly wanted to buy.

Another changing dairy market reality is the shift in demographics in Canada. There is a fast growing segment of the

population that demands high-fat dairy products for their specifi c ethnic cuisine. The Hindu-Sikh population uses high-fat milk as the protein basis to their largely vegetarian diet. A typical family reg-ularly consumes as much as 10 gallons of milk and dairy products per week. The problem for milk pro-cessors and marketers is that community demands full-fat milk and almost none of that butterfat can be skimmed off for butter and cheese production.

The butterfat shortage will eventually resolve it-self as the dairy produc-tion and processing seg-ment of the industry ad-justs its practices. It’s an-other one of those classic cases of be careful what you wish for – in this case the dairy industry spent millions trying to increase milk products consump-tion and now can’t supply the demand they helped create. Notwithstanding what has happened, it’s still a good marketing sit-uation to be in for the dairy industry.

Ahead of the heard

WILL VERBOVEN

Markets across the board started 2016 a little rough as fresh Chinese manufacturing data from December showed the 10th consecutive month of contraction. Weather in South America continues to improve as dry areas in the northern state of Mato Grosso have received beneficial rains over the past 10 days. Conversely, storms over the last two weeks of December in the U.S. Midwest tried to sup-port grain prices, as sections of the Mississippi River were closed and standing water in winter wheat fields likely killed a few fields. However, we ultimately start 2016 fresh but with relatively the same fundamentals that we ended 2015 with: lots of supply.

Case in point, recent polls of analysts have pegged a moderate increase in oil pric-es in 2016 as production in-crease from the Middle East continue to push the mar-ket into an oversupply sit-uation. Other bearish facts include the U.S. is now of-ficial exporting oil and the

previously mentioned factor of China slowing down not helping the demand side of the equation, but Iran seem-ingly losing any friends in the Middle East with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cutting ties with them is helping give oil a bit of a premium all the sudden. On the grain side of things, there’s a lot of questions that will need to be answered in terms of potential production in a few areas, including that of Argentina, where it’s been rumoured record wheat and corn output could be seen, and the Black Sea, where worries over the combination of fluctuating temperatures and snow cover of fall-seeded crops is on the minds/screens of many traders.

On that note, there are lim-ited catalysts to really push commodity values higher in the near-term. That doesn’t mean there’s NO factors out there to watch out for, the most significant being a slow-ing El Nino effect on veg-gie oil production in Asia, Eastern European/Black Sea

winter crop conditions, and soil moisture conditions in the southern half of North America being too wet and maybe a little to dry in the top half, western Canada in-cluded. Also playing into ef-fect are currencies, a theme that would likely continue in this lower price environment.

While you and I can have differing opinions of when and where the markets are going in 2016, the certain fact is that we can expect to see more volatility with weath-

er issues in 2016. That being said (and as we always do), managing risk and limiting exposure to moves against your operation should be a goal and a focus in 2016. Categorically, we still have a few years left in a downturn of the commodity cycle, spe-cifically as it relates to ag prices and credit availability, and as a result, understand-ing where you sit in different price and yield scenarios is crucial to your grain market-ing plan.

While the last half of this decade may not be like the 1980s when it comes to grain prices, there are still oppor-tunities to be better. We’re starting 2016 fresh and every week our goal at FarmLead is to work with producers of every size to be better. Only 51 more weeks to go!

To growth,Brennan TurnerPresident & CEO FarmLead

Brennan Turner is original-ly from Foam Lake, SK, where his family started farming the land in the 1920s. After com-pleting his degree in econom-ics from Yale University and then playing some pro hockey, Mr. Turner spent some time working in finance before start-ing FarmLead.com, a risk-free, transparent online and now mobile grain marketplace (app available for iOS & Android). His weekly column is a sum-mary of his free, daily market note, the FarmLead Breakfast Brief. He can be reached via email ([email protected]) or phone (1-855-332-7653).

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Addictive nature of quiltingkeeps Botha club together


There are many differ-ent kinds of silence: that awkward silence after a terrible joke falls flat or the eager silence as people hold their breath hoping for a tie-break-ing goal, for example. At the Botha Seniors’ Hall, the silence was that of contented industry, as the Botha Quilting Club stitched away at their projects.

For $60 a year, the club offers members a place to work on their quilts away from their homes, in the companionship of other quilters, on the sec-ond and fourth Monday of the month. Anyone is welcome to join so long

as they understand the basics of quilting, as the group is formed around people who already know how to quilt, rather than teaching people new to the craft.

The club has been up and running for about 15 years, with Barb Nims and her mother, Audrey Hauck, having been part of the group since the start. The two live in the rural Botha area, just outside the small village, and both love to quilt.

“I only work (on my quilts) while at quilting club,” Nims said. Nims is one of the only quil-ters in the area to have a long-arm quilting ma-chine, the machine that attaches the ornate and complex quilt front to

the batting and back.“That means when I’m

at home, I’m working on other people’s quilts,” she explained.

Quilting Club allows her to escape that ma-chine and the heaps of quilts other people need the backs attached to so she can work on her own project. The club’s day runs from 9:30 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. in the af-ternoon, so it’s a full day of quilting.

“Sometimes, no one will say anything all day long, just work on their quilts,” she said. Except for the ocassional frus-trated outburst from someone who realizes a mistake has been made and delicate work must be undone, the group

works in contented, rela-tively quiet camaraderie.

One thing everyone had in common, however, was a singular thought about quilting: It’s addic-tive.

“It’s so very addicting,” Nims said. “And some-times you think you’re escaping it and then you see the colours and go, ‘Oh, that’s so pretty’.”

Nims was working on her double-dutch, queen-size quilt, of which she’s about one-third of the way through. Her mother was in the last parts of her quilt, working on the pieces to make up the border.

Rita Foot travels to Botha twice a month from Red Willow to work on her quilt. She’s only been part of the club for a few years and consid-ers herself a “newbie.”

“I love sewing, so I thought I’d try quilting,” she said. Like Nims, Foot quickly became addicted to the delicate and often complex quilting.

She was working on a queen-size sunflower quilt, a graduation pres-ent for her son — who picked the pattern and colour himself.

“I was kind of surprised at the sunflowers, but the colours are very bold,” she said.

continued on page 13

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Rita Foot works on her son’s graduation quilt, diligently plugging away so it will be ready come summer. Foot’s children all receive quilts from her on their graduation, each picking the design and colours. Foot was one of eight people at the Botha Quilting Club’s quilting day on Monday, Jan. 11.


Audrey Hauck lays out the pieces for part of her quilt’s bor-der, making sure they sit together properly before preparing to sew them together. Hauck was one of eight people at the Botha Quilting Club’s quilting day on Monday, Jan. 11.


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Addictivenature of quilting keeps Bothaclub

togethercontinued from

page 12

Foot became involved in the Botha club because one of her friends, Peggy, is a member. Plus, Red Willow isn’t that far from Botha, so it’s not a long jaunt.

Another club “newbie,” Vicki Savage, comes out from Stettler to sew. She became involved in the club because her sister-in-law was a member. She was working on a lap quilt she started last May.

“It’s a mystery quilt,” she explained. Every few weeks, she can go into the shop where she got the pattern to pick up the next piece, so she actually has little idea of what the end result will look like. Each step has her working on part of the quilt, and even-tually the plans will come that will put it together.

“It’s really neat, not knowing what the end re-sult will look like.”

Savage figures she’s about 90 per cent done. After she fi nished the small squares she was working on, she’ll be put-ting the pieces together.

“After that, I’ll start on another,” she said. “I only do lap quilts — queen-size ones take too long, and I get bored.”

Though Savage said she sometimes fi nds the many small steps of quilt-ing frustrating, the “very beautiful” results make it worth it.

“Once you start you just can’t stop,” she said, refer-ring to the addictive na-ture of the craft. “You can defi nitely waste a full day on it.”

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P&H Preservation Society dinner brings together communities far and wide


The Hub at the Stettler Recreation Centre was abuzz with conversation as more than a hundred people gathered for the P&H Elevator Preservation Society’s annual Christmas dinner.

The Saturday, Jan. 9 event takes place in January due to the busy schedule of both organizers and guests during December, as schools, churches, and other organizations cele-brate the holidays, society member Donna Langille explained.

“It’s just too busy in December,” she said. “We’re thinking of changing the name and theme.”

In fact, each table had cards set up asking guests to make recommendations for next year’s January dinner, both in name and theme. The cards would be

collected at the end of the night and reviewed later by the society’s board when thinking ahead for next year.

The event got off to a slightly late start, as more than the anticipated num-ber of guests showed up. By the registration dead-line less than a hundred people had registered, but on the night of, roughly 120 showed up.

“It’s hard to tell how many people we’ll have, this close to December,” Langille said. “It changes every year.”

After a quick rush to get more plates and cutlery, the buffet dinner — with chicken, ham, potatoes and salads — was opened to guests. The complimentary bar saw action, as did the sale of 50/50 tickets. A wide selection of door prizes were available for guests to win throughout the night.

Each year, the society

holds three major fundrais-ers, usually the Christmas dinner in January, a pan-cake breakfast at the end of May and fall supper at the end of August mak-ing up the rest. The money raised at these events goes toward the preservation of the P&H elevator in down-town Stettler as well as the development of programs and events at the building.

One of the salads, a wheat salad, was made from wheat thrashed at an event this past autumn at the elevator, Stan Eichorn explained.

He noted the events the elevator society hold are popular, bringing in people from all across the prov-ince. That night in particu-lar, people had come from as far away as Drumheller and Strome to come and enjoy the dinner.

Over the decades, the organization has saved the old Parrish and

Heimbecker elevator from the ravages of weather and time. Purchased in 2004 from P&H, the elevator has since been cleaned, the coal shed restored, metal siding on the feed mill re-paired, and a coffee shop opened. Walls have been

repaired and painted, roofs have been repaired, as have fl oors and other parts of the elevator and attached facility.

School tours bring chil-dren through every year, showing them how the ele-vator used to run and how

grain was weighed and shipped by rail.

Projects last year saw the installation of a fi re alarm and security system and a mural painting on the Little Giant shed. Plans for 2016 include working on the feed shed addition.


With more people than anticipated showing up to enjoy the Christmas in January dinner on Saturday, Jan. 9, there were few empty seats to be had.

Timely farm safety promotion from national association


Last February, a Nova Scotia man was rescued after be-coming trapped in a grain bin, quickly becoming buried up to his chin. He managed to call for help before he was buried to his waist, and the quick thinking of his friends, and specialized training received by fi rst responders, saved his life.

The training had been funded by the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Safety Fund offered by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), and the success of that training, as well as the inexoriably rising tide of grain engulfment and grain entrapment deaths on farms around Canada, in-spired CASA to look at creating grain entrapment demon-stration units and training programs to offer throughout Canada’s bread basket provinces.

Partnerships with the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA), Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC) and SaskCanola to the tune of $90,000 will help CASA reach it’s three-year goal of $600,000. That money covers the estimated cost of three grain entrapment train-ing units, the vehicles on which to move the units, the development of training programs and the cost of provid-ing the training programs and demonstrations for free at agricultural events.

Marcel Hacault, executive director of CASA, said that CASA would hope to recoup some of the costs for training fees charged to fi rst responders and larger commercial farm operations who hire the units to come in and do training.

Hacault said that while grain entrapment is not the leading cause of death on grain farms, numbers have been slowly and consistently creeping upwards and now factors in the top 10. The deaths of Catie Bott, 13, and her twin sis-ters Jana and Dara, 11, earlier this year near Withrow Alta. just highlight the dangers of grain, Hacault said. He was quick to note that the dangers exist not only for children, but for adults as well.

The contributing factor to the increase in grain entrap-ment deaths is the increasing size of farming operations. Grain bins are bigger and machinery is moving much larger quantities of grain. There’s always been dangers in

the presence of shifting or moving grain, Hacault said, but those dangers are increasing.

There are many ways people can become entraped or engulfed in grain, which when not moving is much less risky to work around.

“It’s a lot like quicksand,” he said. What can start as a foot stuck in moving grain can quickly become deadly as that ankle-high heap of grain grows to the knees and then the waist and upwards. Grain can also become stuck on the inside walls of grain bins and farmers need to be careful when knocking it free, since the size of bins has increased.

“What was once a bucket of grain raining down is now a ton,” Hacault said.

Complete submersion isn’t required to suffocate in a grain entrapment situation, he added. Some grains are “more forgiving,” but some grains are so fi ne that they will fi ll every open space. When the entrapped person breaths, the decrease in space caused by the chest’s rise-and-fall action slowly crushes them as the grain fi lls the gap of space caused by the expelled breath.

Mark Dennis, fi re chief for Stettler and District Fire and Rescue, said grain entrapment is on his radar. Every year, he or deputy fi re chief Etienne Brugman travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for the Fire Department Instructor Conference (FDIC).

Last time he was there, Dennis was unable to take part in the grain entrapment training as the priorities set by the department had him enrolling in other training, but the deputy chief from Camrose took it.

“Grain bin rescue isn’t new,” Dennis said. “There’s defi -nitely been a push in that direction.”

Dennis said that the Stettler department has never been called to a grain entrapment call, though his crew has responded to a fair share of farm incidents over the past years.

When told about CASC’s intended program, Dennis said it’s something he’d defi nitely be interested in, cost depen-dent.

With ACPC, MCGA and SaskCanola on board, Hacault said he’s hopeful other grain associations and farmers groups will come on board with the project, though indi-vidual donations and business donations are welcome for any of CASA’s programs too.

For more information, visit www.casa-acsa.ca.

Current dry conditions doesn’t necessarily spell dry year to come: expertSTACEY LAVALLIEINDEPENDENT REPORTER

After a long and mostly dry growing season in 2015, both farmers and ranchers alike are hoping that the season this summer will be damper — but experts say that it’s too soon to make any predictions about 2016.

While much of the sum-mer was dry, so much so that parts of the province were declared Agricultural Disaster Zones, autumn rains and early snowfall in-jected some moisture into the soil. While the winter thus far has otherwise been relatively dry, there’s sever-al more months of winter weather to consider before making any sort of predic-tion for 2016’s growing sea-son.

The weather effect known as El Niño looks to also promise a milder winter than is normal for Alberta, which could impact the amount of moisture found in the county’s soil come spring planting.

It’s not possible to give a blanket statement about soil quality given the size of the Stettler county, Agricultural Services Director Quinton Beaumonst said. Though the county was part of an agricultural drought zone during the 2015 summer, end-of-season rains meant the county went into win-

ter without that designa-tion.

By the time lasting snow ended the growing and har-vesting season, soil condi-tions were “dry but not too bad,” Beaumont said.

That assessment lined up with the observations made by pulse crop special-ist Neil Whatley, who works with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

“The soil profi le is defi -nitely not full of water due to a dry summer,” he said. “Even though we had some rain in the fall, it was a fair-ly open autumn.”

Despite a few heavy snowfalls, overall the win-ter precipitation has been a bit low, Whatley noted, but even so the “crystal ball” isn’t showing any pre-dictions this early into the winter.

“We often get good mois-ture in March and April in the form of slushy snow,” he said. “Even if it’s dry now, so long as we get that we’ll have good moisture for spring crops.”

If the area doesn’t get that burst of spring slushy snow, Whatley warned that farmers could be in for a drier spring, but also said farmers have become “quite good with moisture conservation” and would see less impact if cautious than ranchers, who rely on forage and hay crops.


Refugees, sexual harassmentand Angela Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany’s doors to a million refugees and migrants last year – three times as many as the rest of the European Union put together. Critics in Germany predicted a popular backlash, and warned that even her own Christian Democratic Party (CDU) would turn against her.

In the case of the CDU, at least, they were dead wrong. At the par-ty’s annual congress on 15 December, Merkel’s speech – in which she did not retreat one inch from her frequent asser-tion that “we can do it” (accept and integrate the refugees) – got a ten-min-ute standing ovation that brought tears to her eyes.

Despite a dip in the opin-ion polls, she also still en-joys widespread popular support – or at least she did until the ugly events in the city of Cologne on New Year’s Eve.

In the crowds that gath-ered in front of Cologne’s railway station to celebrate the New Year, hundreds of young men in gangs began harassing and robbing German women. “All of a

sudden these men around us began groping us,” one victim told German tele-vision.

“They touched our be-hinds and grabbed be-tween our legs. They touched us everywhere, so my girlfriend wanted to get out of the crowd. When I turned around one guy grabbed my bag and ripped it off my body.” There were 379 com-plaints to the police, 40 percent of which involved sexual assault, and two accusations of rape.

Only thirty-one men were arrested in connec-tion with these offences, a police failure that caused popular outrage. But the incendiary fact – which the police at fi rst declined to reveal – was that 18 of the 31 men arrested were asylum-seekers, and all but fi ve were Muslims. So there was a fi restorm of popular protest about the Cologne attacks (which also happened on a small-er scale in Stuttgart and Hamburg).

The German authorities did their best to contain the damage. The Cologne police chief,

Wolfgang Albers, was

suspended for holding back information about the attacks, and in par-ticular about the origin of the suspects.

Chancellor Merkel felt obliged to promise that she will change the law which says that asylum seekers can only be forci-bly sent home if they have been sentenced to at least three years in prison, and if their lives are not at risk in their home country.

The new law will say that migrants sentenced to any jail-time, or even put on probation, can be sent home no matter where they come from. It’s the least she could do politically, as the extreme anti-immigrant parties are already making a meal out

of the Cologne events.But what on earth made

those young Muslim men, the beneficiaries of Germany’s generosity, think they could sexual-ly attack young German women in public (and rob them while they were doing it)?

They were not profes-sional thieves, and I very much doubt that they would sexually attack young Muslim women in public if they were back home. I suspect that they were mostly village boys who still believe the popu-lar Middle Eastern stereo-types about good Muslim girls whom you must not harass, and “loose” Western women who are fair game for sexual as-

sault.I once lived in Istanbul

for a while with my wife and two little boys, and we had the same experience as most other Westerners: when my wife was out with me or with the chil-dren, she was treated with respect. When she was out alone, she was the target of constant sexual harass-ment.

At least once a day, as young men passed her in the crowded streets, she would suddenly experi-ence the full frontal grab – and if she protested, they would simply laugh at her. So I taught her what a Turkish woman would say if the same thing hap-pened, and it did help. She still got molested, but when she rebuked the attackers in Turkish they were overwhelmed with shame and panic, and dis-appeared into the crowd as fast as possible.

This was back when Istanbul only had three million people (it now has 14 million), but already my Turkish friends were moaning about how their city was being “villager-is-ed” by people migrating from the countryside.

Even Turkish women who looked too “Western” were being harassed, and they blamed the ex-villagers.

When you take in a million refugees, more than half of them from the Middle East, you may expect them to include a few religious fanatics who may be or become terrorists. They will also include a considerably larger number of ignorant hicks who think that it is not a crime or a disgrace to attack non-Muslim girls sexually.

No good deed goes en-tirely unpunished, and this is part of the price Germany will pay for its generosity. It’s not an un-bearable price, even if it involves one or two more Islamist terrorist attacks than would otherwise have occurred – and in a couple of years most of the young Muslim men who attacked women in Cologne will have fi gured out that being free, as German women are, does not mean being immoral or freely available.

Gwynne Dyer is an in-dependent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.

ThinkGlobally

GWYNNE DYER

Trudeau government faces challenging economic times in 2016Its best response to the crisis would be to ensure responsible public fi nances and a competitive tax environment

BY LIVIO DI MATTEOTROY MEDIA COLUMNIST

The Trudeau government has a full agenda on its plate for 2016 given the global political and economic envron-ment, as well as its own list of election promises.

Yet, the fundamental issue that Ottawa must deal with is simple: how Canada will continue to make its eco-nomic way in the world given the end of the commodity boom and the tight-ening of global credit markets. With a lackluster Central Canadian economy and a depressed Western Canadian re-source sector, rising interest rates will reduce what has been an important source of stimulus for the Canadian economy.

The U.S. economic recovery marks the end of a cheap money cycle that has fuelled Canadian housing con-struction and consumption via the acquisition of record amounts of con-sumer debt. Canada’s household debt burden hit a new record high in the third quarter of 2015 as the ratio of household credit-market debt to dis-posable income rose to 163.7 per cent.

Total credit-market debt reached $1.89-trillion in the third quarter of 2015 with mortgage debt making up $1.23-trillion of that.

Moreover, cheap credit has also al-lowed many governments at the pro-vincial level to live beyond their means by running large deficits and adding to their debt. Provincial government net debt in 2014-15 totalled $568 bil-lion while federal government net debt stood at $687 billion, making the com-bined federal-provincial net debt-to-GDP ratio nearly 65 per cent. Moreover, the Trudeau government is embarking on a fiscal path that will see infra-structure spending funded by annual deficits possibly as high as $25 billion - if not higher. However, these deficits will not have the anticipated stimula-tory effect on the economy.

The recent U.S. Federal Reserve de-cision to raise interest rates a quarter point will be followed by other in-creases and ultimately generate higher borrowing rates for Canadian home-owners, consumers and governments. The additional debt servicing costs at the consumer and government-sector levels will result in significant negative

drag on the economy at a time when it already is not firing on all cylin-ders. The resource sector bust resulting from lower oil and commodity prices has yet to be counterbalanced with a resurgence of the Central Canadian economic heartland that stretches from Windsor to Quebec City.

Canadian economic growth in the final quarter of 2015 appeared to be slowing and a drop in our exports in October may be further evidence of this. Particularly troubling is the fact that, despite a depreciating Canadian dollar and a resurgent U.S. economy, October saw a drop in Canadian exports to the United States. This suggests that the one silver lining of rising U.S. inter-est rates - further depreciation of our dollar that can stimulate our exports - may do little to that effect.

In the wake of the 2008-09 recession, there appears to have been a structural shift in the U.S. export market, mak-ing it much more competitive for our firms. Many of the manufacturing jobs lost in Ontario and Quebec over the last decade will not be coming back, despite a lower dollar.

What is a federal government to do?

In the end, Canada needs to boost its economic productivity and a key component of that is private-sector investment. With the drying up of busi-ness investment in the resource sector, investment in capital equipment and machinery needs to be encouraged in other sectors of the economy. Such in-vestment requires business confidence and the prospect of a new era of federal deficit financing may be unsettling the business community especially when juxtaposed against the poor public fi-nance picture in Alberta and Ontario.

Even the prospect of small deficits relative to GDP may generate substan-tial investor uncertainty in an environ-ment where interest rates are on the way up thereby increasing the possi-bility of future tax hikes to service a rising debt burden.

The best federal government re-sponse to a challenging economic en-vironment in 2016 is responsible public finances and a competitive tax envi-ronment.

Livio Di Matteo is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and professor of economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.


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Pancake brunch fi lls bothtummy and soul


People in search of a delicious, fi lling break-fast surrounded by ami-able company can look to the Donalda Coulee Friendship Club’s monthly brunch to fi ll that need — and their tummies.

The club gets together every second Sunday of the month, excepting in February, July and August, to put together a break-fast of fl apjacks, ham, eggs, and hashbrowns, all of which can be washed down with a glass of or-ange juice, or a cup of coffee or tea.

During the summer months the activity lapses as a lot of the families go away, Marlene Conibear, club treasurer, explained. In February, the pancake brunch is moved to Shrove Tuesday.

“(The pancake brunch) started about four years ago, to help people in the

community get togeth-er, enjoy music, and help make money to help fund the facility,” Conibear said about the event, which frequently draws in local musicians to play during the brunch, though none happened to attend the Sunday, Jan. 10 meal.

The events bring in any-where from 30-50 people, so the day’s not partic-ularly crowded, leaving people the opportunity to sit and chat with friends and newcomers to the community as well as lin-ger over their food and drink.

In February, instead of the brunch the Friendship Club hosts a pancake dinner, honouring the Christian Shrove Tuesday event.

This year, the club raised the cost from $5 to $8, but attendees are able to head up for seconds of the delicious food, mak-ing it quite the bargain, Conibear noted.

The pancake brunch is just one of the several events the Donalda Coulee Friendship Club hosts. The club does catering for local museum tours, fu-nerals, and rents out the facility to the communi-ty. The small hall, located on the corner across from the Community Hall, has a small kitchen as well.

During the winter sea-son, the club also orga-nizes whist nights, bring-ing together people of all ages to play the card game. Though technical-ly a seniors’ organization, the club won’t turn away younger folk who want to come and play, or learn to play, so long as there’s enough to fi eld a full table, Conibear said.

“Events like this are a great way for people to catch up on all the news,” she added. “And every Saturday, we have coffee and treats at 1:30 p.m. It’s great for fellowship, and everyone’s welcome.”


Nom nom nom! Six-year-old David Sutton crams delicious eggs into his mouth, alternating between his pancake and ham, as his mother looks on. The Suttons came in force to the pancake brunch, with sister Adriana joining David, brother Chase, grandparents, parents and an aunt.

An evening of bingo brings the Village of Botha togetherMOUSH SARA JOHNINDEPENDENT REPORTER

The Botha Seniors’ Centre came alive on Wednesday evening, Jan. 6 as seniors of the Village of Botha got together to play the first game of bingo in the new year.

When the Botha School was converted into the present seniors’ hub in the late 1980s, people from the community came up with different ideas to en-gage their seniors, and bingo has been one of the most popular games so far among them.

Jean Jackson who has lived in the town for almost 66 years said, “I’ve been coming to this centre forever, and I love bingo, and sometimes I win the odd jackpot here and there.”

Jackson has been coming to the seniors’ centre for a while and has made many friends.

Her lucky charms are an elephant, which she bought from the Botha store and an orange cat that she has had for 15 years now.

“I think they bring me good luck and I have had them for a while now,” said Jackson.

A few seats away Cheryl Kelm sits opposite her hus-band Paul, completely focused on the game.

“My lucky charm is the picture of my grandchildren, so whenever I get close to a bingo I touch one of my grandkids and it has worked as a charm,” said Cheryl Kelm. “Last time I didn’t have the picture with me so my husband won the turkey!”

Kelm has been playing bingo for more than four decades.

There were other members who have known each other for decades and have been playing bingo for a long time.

“I started playing bingo here in Botha about three years ago, but the first time when I played the game, it was years back in the late 60s,” said Louise Bellair, a prominent community member. “Here in Botha they use the newer type of bingo cards, with bingo dabbers and a person sits up there calling the numbers, which I seriously enjoy.”

Bellair has met new friends and acquaintances at the centre.

“I find this game and environment at bingo very relaxing and exciting at the same time, and everyone is very welcome to join in, we are like one big family,” added Bellair. “Here I meet some old friends too, be-sides getting to know some new friends, who I later learnt were part of the Heartland Belles in Stettler, which I belong to as well.”

Moush Sara John/Independent reporter

Angel Severeid (left) and Chelsea Bellair participate in an evening of bingo at the Botha Seniors’ Centre on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Donation to

Kidsport wishes to thank Kidsport wishes to thank Rhonda McCulloughRhonda McCullough

School of DanceSchool of Dance

Wayne Long accepts donation from Rhonda Gillrie of Rhonda McCullough School of Dance.

for their donation to the program!for their donation to the program!


16012UC0


Starting a craft night at the library

This week is shaping up to be quite pleasant with the warmer tempatures so those of you calving this early in the New Year, I hope this means less short-ear syndrome.

There will be a meeting held on Thursday, Jan. 28 starting at 10 am at the drop-in centre to talk about the closure and dispersal of the contents and building. Unfortunately, the in-terest in the various groups that use the drop-in continues to decline, mak-ing it extremely difficult to pay the utilities and upkeep of the building. If you have an interest in keeping it open and maybe have suggestions for different uses, please come and voice your opinion.

There are still a few Rumsey Library calendars available, so don’t forget to drop in and support the library by pur-chasing one of these beautiful, locally created, keep-sakes. I was also looking at the idea of holding a craft night at the library once a month. Each month, we could explore a different craft, get the basics done and bring back your progress the following month. So for the month of January, I would like to look into a simple knitting project for anyone who might be interested. I know there are quite a few knitters in the community, so I would invite the experts in to work one on one with someone interested in starting this craft.

That way, during the month follow-ing, if you have any questions you can come in to see me or call on the person you worked with that night. Our first craft night will be Jan. 20, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Come in and check it out.

Dariel McNaughton hosted the birthday club at St. Mary’s this past December and there were quite a few birthdays to celebrate. In the extended care, there were Frieda Meding, Edna Stennes, who celebrated her 104th birthday and Sharon Stephen. In the Lodge, there were Ellen Jewell, Bud Nelson, Dorothy Dyer, Mick Morse, Mary Green, Eldred Maerz. In January,

Judy Stoneman will be the host and the birthday party will be held on Jan 18.

With the Super Bowl fast approach-ing for all you fooball fans, I thought I would send you this oldie but a goodie:

A guy named Bob receives a free ticket to the Super Bowl from his com-pany. Unfortunately, when Bob arrives at the stadium he realizes the seat is in the last row in the corner of the stadium - he’s closer

to the Goodyear blimp than the field.About halfway through the first

quarter, Bob notices an empty seat 10 rows off the field, right on the 50 yard line. He decides to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat. As he sits down, he asks the gentleman sitting next to him, “Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?” The man says no.

Now, very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob again in-quires of the man next to him, “This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Super Bowl and not use it?”

The man replies, “Well, actually, the seat belongs to me, I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Super Bowl we haven’t been together at since we got married in 1967.”

”Well, that’s really sad,” says Bob, “but still, couldn’t you find someone to take the seat? A relative or close friend?” “No,” the man replies, “they’re all at the funeral.”

Rumsey Record

PATTY STEEN403-368-3820

Beware of computer scamThe local volunteer fire

department responded to two calls of accidents in our area this past week. It’s a reminder that winter driving con-ditions are in effect. A reminder the fire depart-ment is always looking for volunteers, if you can help phone the village office.

We send out get well wishes to Janette Berry, who is a patient in the Red Deer hospital.

Randy Hallett and his friend Shirley were re-cent visitors with Randy’s aunt Irene Schilling.

Beware, there is a scam going around about com-puters, your computer will have issues and then tell you to phone a num-ber for support, wanting your credit card. At least one person has had this happen to them.

H av i n g s p e n t Christmas in Calgary with Deanna and Keith, Trevor and Toni, Les and

Cathy Kneeland also cel-ebrated the season with the Michielsen family on Dec. 27 in Lacombe and the Kneeland family on Jan. 2 in Red Deer. All of the Kneeland siblings were present.

Coming up: Feb. 6 – Elks annual Alaskan Seafood supper and hypnotist ; Feb. 11 – Halkirk Seniors are hosting a floor curl-ing bonspiel, phone Paul or Jacquie at 884-2565 to enter a team; Feb 19 – post–Christmas supper at the seniors’ centre at 6 followed by the monthly meeting.

Halkirk Herald

ROSE KOENRAADT & DOROTHY ANDERSON403-884-2237/403-742-4494

Lots of holiday visiting in the community

A short cold snap fol-lowed by a welcome warm up again. A per-fect January so far!

A bit of holiday news to catch up on: Bill and Joyce Hansel enjoyed a Boxing Day turkey dinner at daughter Sue and Brad Bauman’s. Their family were all home. Brad’s mom and dad were also there. Daughter Mary Lou and Stan Botting from Cadogan came for the day.

It was a lovely day, now the family are waiting for the new ar-rival of a January baby. No news at the time of this writing.

Frank and Eleanor Dahlgren were busy throughout the season, with 25 for supper on Christmas Eve, daugh-ter Elva and Rodger and family; son Neal and Lorna and family; Cecil and Pat and fam-ily; daughter Bonnie and Duane (a note: Chad Sorenson won first prize for being best dressed). Daughter Brenda arrived Dec. 29 for a visit.

Christmas morn-ing Frank and Eleanor

were over to Bonnie’s for breakfast, Boxing Day back to Bonnie’s for dinner. Happy an-niversary to Frank and Eleanor. Bill and Joyce dropped in Dec. 23 to help them celebrate.

New Year’s saw Percy and Paulette over to son John and Jewel and family for BBQ and a movie.

Larry and Kathy Tuck spent Christmas Day hosting a family gathering; Larry’s sis-ter Lynn, who lives in Calmar, home as well. Then Boxing Day saw 41 members of the Turre family at Larry and Kathy’s.

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to Nicole and James Diegel and big broth-er Carter on the arriv-

al of daughter/sister Kylie Frances Diegel, born Jan. 3 in Calgary. Kylie weighed eight pounds two ounces. All doing well as report-ed by great aunt Marie (Miller) Vance.

Bill and Joyce Hansel enjoyed this week-end with a visit from Mary Lou Botting of Cadogan. Saturday af-ternoon they drove over to Marie Vance’s to have birthday cake with her; on Sunday it was into Stettler for brunch with Brad and Sue, then over to Jason and Denee’s for an early birthday wish for Denee whose birth-day is Monday, Jan. 11. Mary Lou headed back to Cadogan Sunday evening.

Gadsby/Westwoods

PAULETTE HEER403-574-2442

Erskine history at Canadian Postal Museum in SK

Well, it is nice having the net back again — so much easier to do the news.

There was a good turnout for the Dance Jam last Sunday and a good time was had by all who attended. Alec Salmon wrote an excellent ded-ication to STARS and sang it at the dance; a very talented man. The next one is on Sunday, Valentine’s Day from 1 to 4 p.m. Some prizes will be given out this time.

Coming up in Erskine for the seniors — crib on Wednesday afternoons at 1:30 at the seniors’ centre, Canasta on Thursday afternoons again at the seniors’ centre.

Ceramics is still on Wednesday af-ternoons at 1 p.m. in the basement of the Waverly Club Rooms.

Coming up for the Erskine School: Curling on Jan. 18 and 20; help is needed for those days and if you are available on those days, please con-tact the school. There is no school on Friday, Jan. 29 due to PD Day. Basketball season is underway. This year Mrs. Morbeck is coaching the junior high team. Mrs Munden is

coaching a squad of boys and Mrs. Lachowsky is coaching a girls’ team. The community is very welcome to come and watch on Wednesdays after school and try out the new bleachers.

Some interesting history about the Erskine Post Office: During the 1800s, some districts close to Erskine re-ceived their mail from a farm home. In 1912, Mr. Anderson took over the post office and an old school build-ing was moved and remodelled to be used as the post office. Fifty lock boxes were built out of wood (I wonder how many slivers were in someone’s hands) and they are in the Canadian Postal Museum in Saskatoon.

PAT KELM403-742-0604

Erskine Enquirer


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Several dates to be marked on your calendarA great event is com-

ing up really soon on Jan. 23, it’s the Robbie Burns Celebration. This will be held at the Stettler Community Hall starting at 6 p.m with cocktails, supper at 7 p.m. and the program to follow. This is a great event so you will not want to miss out. For tickets please call Teresa Fisher at 403-740-5556, or purchase them at Well’s Furniture.Hope to see ev-eryone there.

Bingo happens at the Botha Seniors’ Centre Jan. 20, starting at 7:15 p.m., doors open at 6:30. Come on out for one exciting evening, who knows, you could be one of the lucky winners.

On the afternoon of Jan. 24, come on out to the Botha Hall at 1:30 p.m. and enjoy the music from the “Black Velvet Band”. For more information contact Doug Haustein at 403-742-3994 or John Blonski at 403-574-2192.This one will be their Valentine Dance, so please feel free to wear something red in color.

Another great event will be taking place at 9:30 a.m at the seniors’ centre on Jan. 25, it is time for the quilting club to meet again.So they would love to see everyone join them.

Something to mark on your calenders is Thursday, Jan. 28, time for the fi rst very important monthly meeting for this year, at the Botha Village Offi ce. So make sure you come out to these import-ant meetings.

If you would like to head out to the Botha Transfer Station, the hours are as follows: every Tuesday from 1 to 5:30 p.m., and again every Saturday from 8:30 a.m to 12 noon.So hopefully this works out with everyone’s schedule.

Excited to get in gear to go out and have some fun skating on the Botha

Arena? Make sure you phone Shawn Derr at 403-742-4811 and purchase your yearly season pass soon. Shawn will know all the information on the arena, and apparent-

ly with him and several helpers they have placed a new concession booth there with several other new upgrades they have done, so thank you to all who helped out. So make

sure you come and check these out.

Shawn Derr also handles the Botha Hall , so please contact him for informa-tion on rental prices etc. The hall has had sever-

al new upgrades done to it to, including a wheel-chair access washroom, so make sure you come and check things out. This hall is a fantastic hall to rent for your upcoming events

with very reasonable pric-ing, so make sure you call Shawn.

If you would like to add anything to our column, please call me at 403-742-5317, thank you

The Business of CattleDEADLINE:

JANUARY 16Distributed last week of January

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Donation to

Kidsport wishes to thank Kidsport wishes to thank Gilbert Benefi t Gilbert Benefi t

ConsultingConsulting

Darrel Baltimore accepts donation fromDrew Bignell of Gilbert Benefi t Consulting.

for their donation to the program!for their donation to the program!

Saturday next week is big hockey day

The second annual Hockey Day in Big Valley is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23. Games begin at 9 a.m. with Endmoor vs. Big Valley Mites Elks followed by Endmoor vs. Big Valley Novice Thunder at 11, Big Valley vs. Endmoor Atom Swordmen at 1, Big Valley vs. Delburne Peewee Thunder at 3 and finally Delburne vs. Big Valley Bantam Outlaws at 5:15 p.m. The Big Valley Oil Kings may have their first Playoff Game in the evening (stay tuned for more de-tails).

Homemade soup and pies will be available at the concession and there will be prize draws and a progressive 50/50 that will run all day. There is no admission for this event. Come down to the Big Valley rink and cheer for your fa-vourite players.

Happy New Year to everyone from the Big Valley Inn crib play-ers. Fifteen players came out on Sunday, Jan. 3 for the first tour-nament of 2016. Congratulations

to Margaret Levesque for winning all eight games and, of course, first place. Lawrence Wilkie won second and Gladys McLeod came in third. Gail Johnson went home with the booby.

Then on Sunday, Jan. 10, 16 players came out to play crib. First place went Dale Kobi who also had eight perfect games. Second was Lawrence Wilkie, third was Margaret Levesque and Caroline Pound took the booby. Congratulations to everyone.

The next meeting of the Big Valley Historical Society will be on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the train station meeting room. Remember, 2016 memberships are now due.

The Historical Society expects to have a busy year in 2016. Some of the plans include a conser-vational architectural study of the Blue Church to determine what future work should be done to properly maintain it; a grand opening of the new Tool Museum

sometime in the summer—plans are underway; and maintenance work on the northern baggage car, now that the tools are out, the car needs some tidying and insulating before new exhibits can be set up.

According to the April 25, 1928 Big Valley Journal, Big Valley had a very active tennis club and was entered in the Alberta Provincial Lawn Tennis association. The playing hours were each day up to 6 p.m. except on Wednesdays and Saturdays when everyone had to be off the courts at 2 p.m. Numerous tournaments were held at the courts which were located near the railway station.

Some changes in the community activity schedule

Ladies’ night curling at the Byemoor curling rink is back in action, following a break for the Christmas holidays. It goes each Thursday eve-ning at 7 p.m. and drop-ins are welcome to come out and try it for fun.

The “Smear” card club welcomes players to join in every Tuesday after-noon at 1 p.m. at Ruthie’s Roost café in Endiang for some entertaining card games.

Crib night last Tuesday evening at the Endmoor Drop-in Centre saw Bob Smyth post the top score. In second place was Gladys McLeod.

Crib meets at the Endmoor Drop-in Centre will now be held every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. instead of only twice a month. As al-ways, everyone is wel-come regardless of age.

We send 90th birthday wishes to Herb Gutsche who marked his spe-cial milestone on Jan.8. Congratulations Herb and best wishes for many more happy years.

Jim Wasdal along with his brother-in-law Len Armstrong and a friend enjoyed a snowmobiling excursion to Revelstoke, B.C.

The Endiang commu-nity was shocked and saddened by the sud-den passing of Eugene Rabb on Jan. 9. Eugene and his wife Gloria re-tired in Endiang a num-ber of years back and were most welcome ad-ditions to the communi-ty. They took great pride in their well-kept yard and home, and it was a jewel of the hamlet. Our thoughts of sympa-thy are with Gloria and family in their sad loss. A private family service will be held in Medicine Hat.

June Mattheis has re-turned home from an en-joyable three-week visit with her family — first with daughter Kimberly and family in B.C. then with son Tyler and fami-

ly in Nova Scotia.Sympathy is extended

to the family of Edwin Carless, who passed away on Dec. 24. Edwin was raised in the Byemoor district, the son of Ted and Anna (nee Kobi) Carless. Our thoughts are with his wife Julie, children Sandra, Steven, Brent and Nancy and their families and other relatives in their time of loss.

Note the winter hours of operation for Ruthie’s Roost café in Endiang will be Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The café will be closed on Thursdays and Sundays, with the exception of the last Sunday each month when it will be open for

a turkey supper.The arena in Byemoor

was a busy place on Saturday, first with hockey games of the younger set and then in the late afternoon with girls’ hockey action. The visiting team from Maskwacis (former-ly Hobbema) suffered a 17-2 defeat to the local Endmoor Vipers team.

Congratulations to Emma Jack on bringing home a bronze medal on the weekend from the Red Deer Ski Club’s rac-ing event.

A 90th birthday cele-bration will be held for Len Schofer Sr. on Jan. 16 at Paragon Place in Stettler. The social goes from 2 to 4 p.m. in the East Lounge. Everyone is invited to join Len in celebrating this special milestone with cake and tea.

Endiang Community Society annual meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Endiang hall. All people interested in keeping the hall operating urged to attend.

Humorous quotes — “My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, peo-ple would stop dying.” — Ed Furgol.

Byemoor/Endiang

NewsLES AND ROSEMARY STULBERG

403-579-2403

Big Valley Bulletin

LINDA STILLINGER403-876-2479

Join puppet theatre at the

drop-inThe Donalda Arts Society

is getting down to busi-ness for 2016, with many inquiries for exhibits, and interest in art classes. If you have interest in these discussions, we would love to hear from you. The next Art Society meeting will be held on Jan. 13at 7 p.m. at the gallery.

The Donalda Coulee Friendship Club will be holding their next meeting and luncheon on Jan 14 at noon. New members are welcome.

There will be a puppet theatre held on Jan. 27 at the Donalda Senior Drop-in Centre from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Families are welcome. Join us for puppet theatre, puppet craft, snacks and songs. This special event is brought to you by the

Stettler Adult Learning, Family Literacy and Stettler Early Childhood Coalition.

Birthday wishes this week go out to Jean Olson, Ryan Auton, Stephanie Sideritsch, Brad Henderson, Graeme Broemeling, Darcy Shepherd, Jessica Dixon, Eric Blouin, Kathy Norman, Davin Nattestad, Elizabeth Cartier, Jonathan Campbell, Laura Nelson, Ryan Jaksitz, Wayne Nixon, Amy Olson, Dennis Helfer and Emma Weekes. Happy birthday to all…

DonaldaDiaryKASHEEN CLOUSON

403-883-2100


Wildcats fi nish fourth at the 2016 CACHS InvitationalMOUSH SARA JOHNINDEPENDENT REPORTER

Stettler Wildcat basketball teams, both girls and boys finished fourth at the 2016 Central Alberta Christian High School (CACHS) Invitational at Lacombe, Jan. 8-9.

The Wildcat girls started on a winning streak by beating Vegreville Cougars 71-24 with all players scor-ing.

Sydney Poapst had 3 out of 5 three-pointers attempt-ed and Jessica Lane scored a three pointer as well.

Wildcat wings Megan Kobi, Shayna Brower, Keyonna Derr and Reesa Garez drove the hoop as well as con-tributed with outside shots.

“Our posts are improving every game winning the offensive boards and finishing fast breaks,” said coach Kim Poapst.

Kayla Myshaniuk had 11 points, Hailey Loeppky and Mikayla Torgerson had 7 points each, while Katelyn Imbrey added a couple hoops.

“Newcomers to the team this year are Raina Thompson and Emily Brown and they are improving each game offensively and defensively,” added Poapst.

Being unbeaten so far, the winning streak for the Wildcats came to an end with a defeat on Saturday, Jan. 9 when they lost to hosts CACHS 67-47.

“We started slow and gave them some easy points not breaking their press and although we settled down in the second half and worked on our press to try and get back into the game, it was too late,” said Poapst. “Our strengths right now are our individual of-fensive moves and shooting, and since we don’t have five specific starters, we change this up each game.”

According to Poapst, the bench is another one of their strengths, as they continue to work on their offence.

In the third place game the Wildcats lost to Innisfail 74-39 to a quick senior team.

“We had too many passing turnovers but we will work on that this week in practice,” explained Poapst. “Defensively, we are improving and our press showed definite signs of improvement, but we were without two of our players this past weekend.”

Poapst hopes that with Sadie Diegel and Alyssa Henderson returning for their first league home game this Wednesday, Jan. 13 against Camrose, they will be

a stronger team.“We have four league home games coming up which

is exciting for us, and we are hoping that the Stettler Elementary students come out and watch as we start-ed their Grade 5/6 after school program earlier this week,” added Poapst.Wildcat boys start well but fi nishes fourth

Wildcat boys finished fourth as they lost to Pigeon Lake 63-45 in their bronze medal game on Saturday, Dec. 9 at Lacombe CACHS.

Although they started well by beating Bonneyville 63-62 with an exciting game to boot on Friday, Dec. 8, with a lack of players, the team suffered considerably in their next two games.

“We were short handed all weekend playing with seven players for all three games due to injuries and other commitments,” said coach Warren Aspens. “But despite this, the boys played hard and ended up in fourth place out of ten teams in a senior tournament.”

In their first game against Bonneyville, Jordan Lee had his best game of the year so far scoring 12 points and doing a great job rebounding.

The Wildcats were down by 2 points in the final moments, with only 20 seconds left when Jordan Lane drove to the hoop and scored plus drawing the foul.

He made the shot and that was all the scoring for both teams as Wildcats held them off for the last few seconds of the game.

Their next game against host Lacombe Christian was very difficult as they had two very strong outside shooters who made 12 three point shots.

“We showed our fatigue with seven players and ended up losing 80-42 in our second game,” added Aspenes. “And in the bronze game against Pigeon Lake we just didn’t have any thing left in the tank, and although we started strong and led after the first quarter, we soon lost the lead and end up losing.”

According to Aspenes, the boys displayed a good at-titude and performance in the weekend.

“The boys continue to impress me with their help in defence and the ability to double up the ball handler to force turnovers,” said Aspenes. “Offensively we need to improve our shooting and work around the basket.”

The boys play Camrose next in their home game on Wednesday, Jan. 13.


Emily Brown of Stettler Wildcats shoots for the hoop against their game with Vegreville Cougars at the Lacombe Christian School on Friday, Jan. 8. Wildcats won 71-24

Sports

Midget A fi nish home tournament with silver in nailbiter fi nal


It was a nail-biting fin-ish for the Stettler Midget A Storm, who came home from the A finals with a second-place finish after a triple-overtime loss to the Barrhead Steelers on Sunday, Jan. 10.

The team went unbeat-en in the round-robin portion of the tourna-ment, beating Innisfail 8-1 on Friday, Jan. 8, Strathcona 10-2 on Saturday, Jan. 9, and Barrhead earlier on Sunday 3-2.

In the final against Barrhead, Stettler was first on the board, with a first period goal by Tye Mulgrove. Another Mulgrove goal later in the first ended the peri-

od with a 2-0 score for Stettler.

Barrhead quickly closed that gap, tying up the game early in the second period. Jordan Lee put Stettler ahead again with less than three minutes remaining in the sec-ond period, but that was tied up again before the buzzer. The third period, despite scrambling play by both teams, remained scoreless.

In the third round of overtime, a goal by Koby Adams of Barrhead, with 15 seconds left, gave Barrhead the win.

The Stettler B Storm played in the B finals against Vermillion, after a mixture of wins and losses in the round-rob-in.

continued on page 25


Tye Mulgrove slaps the puck past an interfering Barrhead player, sneaking it past their vigilant netminder for the fi rst goal in the A Finals at the Midget tournament. The Stettler A Midget Storm eventually lost 4-3 to the Barrhead Steelers in triple overtime.


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Brad Lohr - 780-679-5500

Note: Online bidding and viewing

each sale at 11 a.m.

see stettlerauction.ab.ca

Stett

ler Auction Mart

Since 1953

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Regular Cattle Sale 500-1000 head

Advance listings:

– 145 Black & Black cross heifers - 6R Farms, Erskine– 30 Back Angus heifers - Double 4 Angus, Erskine

Looking Ahead - Bull Sales

Thursday, Febuary 18, 2016

Chapman Cattle Co.100 - 2 year old Black Angus

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Buffalo Lake Charolais &

Wilkie CharolaisYearlings and 2 year olds

Bred Cattle SalesThird Tuesday of each month

Call Ahead to list!

Weekly show alley Cattle Sale, internet, regular ring:We treat “your” lifestock as if they were “ours”.

Call for details/.

HEARTLAND BUSINESS PARK - Hwy #12 - east Stettler

NOW SELLING

Commerical Properties - Highway Frontage - Fully Serviced - The work is done!

Smaller lots available. Price incentives to early buyers.Central Alberta’s gateway to the east.

Call Jim or Greg - 742-2368 for full details!

Mineral - Salt - Corral Panel Sales

For all your needs phone 403-742-2368

Ettinger of Stettler wins fi rst barrel race of the year


Stettler Agriplex was kept busy on Monday afternoon, Jan. 11 as riders from Stettler and surrounding areas came together to participate in the ‘Kept Wives’ barrel race series, the fi rst of the year and fi fth in the se-ries.

Betty Ettinger of Stettler made her mark as she completed in 13.721 sec-onds and placed fi rst in D1 category, with Christine Ross of Botha coming in second with 13.726 seconds.

D2 was once again dominated by Stettler as Tammy Maccomish com-pleted her ride in 14.505 seconds, with Erica Lee of Delburne fi nishing second in 14.532 seconds.

D3 was taken by Heather Saunders of Tees, as she clocked in at 16.150 seconds, while Crystal Shaw of Daysland fi nished second with a time of 18.153 seconds.

There were no peewee or youth category races during Monday’s race.

The next barrel race will be held on Monday again, Jan. 25 at the Stettler Agriplex.


Kelsey Asmussen of Stettler clocks in 14.116 seconds at the ‘Kept Wives’ barrel race series at the Stettler Agriplex on Monday, Jan. 11.

Midget A fi nish home tournament with silver in nailbiter fi nal

continued frompage 24

On Friday, Stettler B triumphed over St. Paul with a 6-2 win, then creeped ahead of the Castor-Coronation-Consort 3Cs with a 3-2 finish. The last game on Saturday pitted the team against Vermillion, who won 5-2.

The final was a tight game, even though the score didn’t reflect that, Apryl Cassidy, one of the tournament organiz-ers, said. The 7-0 loss to Vermillion looks like a blow-out on paper, but it

was a game where both teams played well — one team just couldn’t pull together it’s opportuni-ties.

The Stettler C Storm was eliminated from the C finals, which pit-ted Vegreville against Red Deer. The C Storm played first against Red Deer, winning 6-4, then against Okotoks, los-ing 5-3. A 10-5 loss to Vegreville on Sunday knocked the team out of the finals.In other hockey news…

Stettler’s Atom B Storm headed to Coronation on Sunday, Jan. 10, where

they lost to Coronation 9-0. Atom C headed to Sylvan Lake, where they lost in a hard-fought game, with a tally of 9-4. Two goals by Brandon Enyedy and solos from Rylen Mohn and Adam Kromm put Stettler on the board.

Stettler Peewee B also headed to Sylvan Lake, this time on Jan. 9, where they lost 5-4. Tyson Brower and Jacob Cottam skated away with two goals each.

The girls’ Peewee, Bantam and Midget girls all played on Saturday, Jan. 9.

Stettler’s Peewee Girls headed to Ponoka, where they lost 6-1. Megan Resch scored Stettler’s lone goal.

The Bantam girls tri-umphed 4-3 over home-team Warburg, with two goals by Emily Reiman and solos by Kacee Ward and Selena Sharpe to win the day.

The Stettler Midget Girls’ team headed to Rocky, where they beat the West Central Midget team 3-0. Two goals by Kierra Scollo were augmented by one by Madison Kuefler, guaran-teeing the win.

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THANKS to Dr. Drummond, nursing staff and the Stettler Hospital for the care of Jack Snodgrass during his illness. To our friends and family for the cards, owers, hugs and well wishes, we are truly grateful. A huge thank you to our

extended family for their help during this dif cult time. To the Royal Purple for the lunch provided and the Stettler Elks for their participation in Jack’s service. Thanks to Clive Spechko and Howard Snodgrass for their kind words. A special thank you to Mary McPherson Walker and Dale Snodgrass for their

continuing care. ~ May Snodgrass and Family

THE STETTLER & DISTRICT FOOD BANK would like to sincerely thank this community

for the tremendous supportwe have received in donations of food

and funds this holiday season. Our use has risen over the past year and

we expect it to continue to rise. In 2015, we supplied food to 329 different families and we do appreciate your

help in providing this service.

LAROSE, Louise1930 - 2015It is with great sadness that the family of Louise Alice May (Frasier) LaRose announces her passing at the Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre on December 26, 2015. Louise was born the eldest child to the late Charles and Alice Frasier on March 19, 1930 in Coalhurst, Alberta. Louise grew up in Alhambra where she attended Alhambra School until Grade 10. Her family moved to a farm in the Fritz Hill area, so for Louise to

continue her education she moved to Stettler and soon after started working at the Stettler hospital in the kitchen. During this time she met and fell in love with the love of her life, her late husband Ernest Joseph LaRose. To this union 10 children were born, Kenneth LaRose, Linda (Brian) Butlin, Charlotte (Wayne) Anderson, Gregory (Petra) LaRose, Laverne (Joe) Mundorf, Bernadette Syvertsen, Colleen (Dennis) Bauer, Collette (Ken) Trout, Jacqueline (Darcy) Lattery, Brent (Monica) LaRose, also 29 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren. Louise was predeceased by her grandson Clinton John Lattery and her great grandson Branden Wade Kowaluk. Louise was an incredibly talented seamstress and quilter. She put a bit of her heart into each quilt she made, which are very special heirlooms held by her family and friends. She was also a very amazing cook and creative artist always crafting and had a project on the go. Louise’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were the pride and joy of her life. The legacy of Louise’s kind spirit, passion for gardening, sewing and zest for life will live on through them. There will be a celebration of Louise’s life on Saturday, January 16th, 2016 at 1:00 p.m at Wilson’s Funeral Chapel, 6120 Hwy 2A, Lacombe, AB. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, 202 - 5913 50 Ave., Red Deer, AB T4N 4C4 or to MADD (Lacombe Chapter), Box 5966, Lacombe, AB T4L 1X4. Condolences may be made by visiting www.wilsonsfuneralchapel.ca

WILSON’S FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM serving Central Alberta with locations in Lacombe and

Rimbey in charge of arrangements. Phone: 403.782.3366 or 403.843.3388 “A Caring Family, Caring for Families”

RAIRDANKenneth Albert Rairdan passed away at the Stettler Health Care Centre on December 21, 2015 at the age of 93 years. He was the eldest living child, born to Isabelle and Albert Rairdan on October 11, 1922. Ken was born, raised in the Liberal District, near Stettler and attended Liberal School for grades one to nine. He met the love of his life Henrietta Smith from Wimborne, Alberta when she came to work at the Stettler Hospital. They were married on June 6, 1945 and lived and worked on the farm for many years. A son Bruce came to them in 1948 and a daughter Brenda in 1953. Ken and Etta retired into Stettler in 1980 where they enjoyed many years in their home in Grandview. Many friends, family, card games and visits were enjoyed there. Sadly his beloved Etta passed away on September 29, 2007; his house was sold and he moved to Willow Creek Lodge, where he resided for several years and also met his special friend Kathy Webster.

After a lengthy stay in hospital, Ken was moved to Points West Living where he resided until shortly before his passing.Ken is survived by his loving daughter Brenda and her husband Gordon Smith; grandchildren: Stacey (Darren Guynup), Jeffrey Smith (Angela) and Jeremey Smith (Andrea); great grandchildren: Cole Guynup (Marissa), Victoria Guynup, Clayton (Melanie), Wade and Colton Smith; brother Ron Rairdan; sister Helen (Glen) Munro; sisters in law: Norma M. Rairdan, Norma L. Rairdan, Kelly Rairdan, Ida Smith and Dorothy Smith; numerous nieces, nephews and a host of wonderful friends. Ken was predeceased by his brothers: Larry, Ross (Bud), Murray, Jerry; his sisters: twin baby girls at birth and Eileen Krejci; sisters in law Sandy Rairdan and Eileen Rairdan; brother in law Ken Bauman; son Bruce and nephew Scott.Funeral services were held on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at Heartland Chapel of Stettler Funeral Home with Rev. Ross Helgeton of ciating. Grandson Jeremey and his wife Andrea gave a loving tribute; as well as a pictorial tribute was prepared by his family. Ken’s grandchildren and their spouses were the pallbearers as Ken, along with his son Bruce Rairdan, was laid to rest at Liberal Cemetery, beside their beloved Etta. Family and friends gathered in the Heartland Reception Centre for a time of fellowship and a luncheon prepared and served by Brenda’s Catering.Memorial donations may be made to the Stettler Food Bank or a local church of your own choosing c/o Stettler Funeral Home, Box 1780, Stettler, AB, T0C 2L0. Sympathies may be forwarded to the family by signing the guestbook at www.stettlerfuneralhome.com.

STETTLER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM, 403-742-3422, entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements.

Obituaries Obituaries

Card Of ThanksThe Stettler

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CelebrationsPLEASE JOIN US FOR A Bridal Shower in honor of ANGELA SHEPHERD

Bride Elect ofDAN HILLER.

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Arts & Crafts Shows ..................50Class Registrations....................51Coming Events ..........................52Lost ............................................54Found ........................................56Companions ..............................58Personals...................................60Bingos........................................64Fitness & Sports ........................66Happy Ads .................................70

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ComingEvents 52

3RD AnnualRobbie BurnsSat. Jan. 23 at

Stettler Community HallCocktails at 6 p.m.Supper at 7 p.m.

Program to follow.Piper & Highland

Dancers.Fundraiser for Alzheimers.

Tickets $30, Available atWells Furniture.Info., call Teresa 403-740-5556.

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OLD TYME DANCINGWith Live Music

& a Supper!Thursday, Jan. 21

“The Hub”(Upstairs at the Stettler

Rec Centre)6202-44 Ave.

Dancing: 5-6 p.m.Hot Supper: 6 p.m.Dance: 7-10 p.m.Music By: Allsorts

Catered by: Catering By SarahTickets $20/person,

Dance only $12/personSupper Only: $16/person

Available at the doorSponsored by: Stettler Old Tyme Dance Club

Everyone WelcomeYoung & Old!

Personals 60IS someone’s drinking causing you problems? AL-ANON 403-346-0320

ComingEvents 52

ComingEvents 52

Personals 60

Clerical 720

Caregivers/Aides 710CAREGIVER required for

elderly couple in rural central AB location.

Assistance with daily living, housekeeping, meal

preparation and exercise to regain strength required. Optional accommodation

available at no charge on a live-in basis. This is NOT

a condition of employment. 40-44 hours per week.

Minimum wage. Apple to [email protected].

LOOKING for caregiver for our autistic son, 30-40 hrs. per wk., hrs. exible.

Son needs structured, education-based, reward

challenging program. Candidate will help teach

hygiene, help intigrate into social settings, such as go-

ing to McDonalds and swimming. Salary to be

discussed based on edu-cation and experience with special needs (not neces-

sary). Ref’s req’d. Call 403-742-8749

Medical 790MEDICAL

TRANSCRIPTION! In-demand career!

Employers have work-at-home positions available.

Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or

1-855-768-3362 to start training for your work-at-

home career today!

MEDICAL TRAINEES needed now! Hospitals &

doctor’s of ces need certi ed medical of ce &

administrative staff! No experience needed! We

can get you trained! Local job placement assistance available when training is

completed. Call for program details! 1-888-627-0297.

Oilfield 800UNITED Tank InspectionsInc. is looking for a Full-

Time Tank Inspector/Tester in Stettler AB. Knowledge on CSA-

B620-09 speci cations and experience with tank test-ing equipment an asset.

Competitive wages, healthbene ts and a group RSP

plan. Email: [email protected] or

Fax: 403-742-4181

Professionals 810FULL TIME REPORTER wanted for weekly news-paper in Viking, Alberta.

Interested in journalism? Come join our team. Room

for advancement. Email [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR wanted for weekly

newspaper in Viking, Alberta. Experience with

reporting and sales? Come join our team! Email

[email protected]

Caregivers/Aides 710

“If you loved the Golden Girls you’ll love Ida, Lucille & Doris!”

The Stettler Seniors Drop In Centre is taking a bus to Lacombe on February 24

for a Brunch Theatre.

If you are interested in coming please call Anna Brady at 403-742-0178 or Ruth Marshall at 403-742-3901.

Please contact by January 20 if you plan on attending.

Stettler& DistrictMusic Festival

ENTRIES CLOSE:Vocal, Musical Theatre

and Piano - Jan. 31, 2016Band/School Chorus

and Speech - Feb. 7, 2016

Entries may be mailed to Box 2031.

April 13 to 21, 2016Grand Concert: April 24, 2016

Please visit our website www.stettlermusicfestival.com

for entry forms and nomination forms for the Award of Excellence.

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Shop online www.wishkitchen.comMain Street Stettler • 403.742.8484

Bridal Registry

wish kitchen & gift

Angela Shepherd & Dan Hiller Feb. 4Tannis Yuha & Buck McMillan Feb. 20Leanne Starke & Marvin Bailey March 12Laura Hinkle & Tim Beswick-Arthur April 11 Ashley Godin & Danny Brown June 25Theresa Dolan & David Frizzell July 9

The Family and Community Safety Program Project requires a temporary In-Home Support Worker, to cover the East Central Alberta Region. This position may be lled by 2 part-time workers or one full time worker, depending on location, between January 2016 - September 2016.

Reporting to the ACAA Program Director, the In-Home Family Support Worker(s) are responsible to work on client teams led by ACAA childhood abuse therapists to create and support the delivery of individual family plans to be implemented by families and school sta . Workload will be 5-8 families over a nine month period, commencing no later than February 1, 2016. In some cases the client will be a child receiving therapy, in others, it will be a parent whose trauma from childhood abuse is interfering with their healthy parenting.

Candidate(s) will require considerable independent initiative, a high degree of con dentiality, strong interpersonal skills, a desire to provide support and coordination within a team environment and exercise strong communication skills. Applicants should possess a high skill level and also an ability to work alone. Travel within the region is required.

Education Requirements: A diploma or degree in social work or human services related disciple is required.

Experience: The incumbent(s) will be experienced in working with parents and families on issues of emotional expression, interaction, and communication with at least 2-3 years of directly related experience. Work experience in the elds of child abuse and family violence is required and experience in-home is desirable.

Other: Knowledge of Microsoft O ce, basic o ce equipment, and online communication is required. Travel within the region of East Central Alberta with own vehicle is required.

Please direct resumes to:Program Director, Association of Communities Against Abuseby e-mail to: [email protected] person at: 4704-55 Street Stettleror by mail to: P.O. Box 2132 Stettler, Alberta T0C 2L0

Competition closes: January 21st, 2016 at 4:30pm

The Association of Communities Against Abuse (ACAA)

is recruiting for the position of In-Home Family Support Worker

Seasonal Full Time Receptionist (Mid February through April 2016)

Gitzel & Company Chartered Professional Accountants is a public accounting rm based out of Stettler and requires a full-time seasonal receptionist to help with administrative and receptionist duties beginning in mid February and running through the end of April 2016. Candidates should be comfortable in a high paced o ce environment, have good client relationship skills, be able to multi-task various duties, learn quickly, work well with others and be comfortable with basic computer software programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

Interest applicants should forward their resume to Gitzel & Company CPA’s via fax at 403-742-1266,

email to Justin Tanner, CPA, CA at [email protected] or in person at

4912 51 Street in Stettler.

Employment#700 - #920

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Trades 850CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP

Hiring immediately in Killam, AB. 3rd/4th year

Automotive Journeyman Technician. Competitive

wages, clean atmosphere, full bene ts. Send resume

[email protected]

DRYWALL INSTALLER(NOC: 7284) Vacancies : 1Job start date : As Soon asPossible Salary : $25.50 /Hour Hours : 40 Hours /Week Terms of employ-ment: Permanent Full Time Employer : International Hospital Maintenance Ser-vice (IHMS) Website : http://www.ihmscanada.com/SKILLS Work Setting : In-stitutional, Commercial Weight Handling : Up to 23 kg (50 lbs) Own Tools/Equipment: Steel toed safety boots; Hard hat; Safety glasses/gog-gles. Additional Skills : Work at heights, on scaf-folding or swing stages; Read and interpret blue-prints, maps, drawings andspeci cations; Estimate costs and materials; Erect and install scaffolding, falsework and other work-ing platforms; Valid driver’s licence Drywall Installer and Finisher Speci c Skills: - Measure, cut, t and install drywall sheets; - Cut and install metal cor-ner beads to protect exterior corners; - Fill joints, nail indentations, holes and cracks with joint compound using trowel and broad knife; - Tape over joints using taping machine and embed tape in compound; -Fabricate and install suspended metal ceiling grids and place in panels to form acoustical and coffered ceilings; -Smooth out ex-cess compound and allow coat to dry; - Apply succes-sive coats of compound and sand seams and joints; Position and secure sheets to metal or wooden studs or joists Credentials (certi cates, licences, memberships, courses, etc.): Not applicable; not required Education : Sec-ondary (high) school graduation certi cate Ex-perience : 2 years to less than 3 years Languages : English Security and Safe-ty : Criminal record checkHOW TO APPLY By e-mail :[email protected] By fax :(780)409-8355 By mail :13663 St. Albert Trail,Edmonton, Alberta, T5L5E7

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STARLAND COUNTYEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

HEAVY DUTY MECHANICStarland County invites applications for the position of Licensed Heavy Duty Mechanic for the Public Works shop in Morrin, Alberta, as well as operating a mobile service truck during the construction season. The successful applicant is required to supply their own tools for the position, and must have a valid Class 5 drivers licence (Class 1 is preferred). Experience with road construction equipment maintenance would be an asset, as would the ability to complete Commercial Vehicle Inspections within a licensed facility, and / or welding certifi cation.

The position offered is a permanent full time position, and includes an attractive benefi ts package.

Applications are to be received by the undersigned not later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 25th, 2016. Additional information is available at www.starlandcounty.com.

We thank all candidates who submit applications for this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Starland County is a smoke free workplace. Starland County has a Safety Certifi cate of Recognition (COR), and the successful application will be expected to work in a safe environment while contributing to an even safer workplace. For further information, please feel free to contact our offi ce.

Al PrattPublic Works Supervisor

Starland CountyP.O. Box 249Morrin, AlbertaT0J 2B0

Telephone: (403) 772-3793Fax: (403) 772-3807Email: [email protected]

Red Willow Pork Farm LPIs accepting applications for

EXPERIENCED SWINEHERDSPERSONS

Position: Permanent, full time - 42.5 hours per weekWage: $15.05 - $18.00 per hourBenefi ts: WCB, Health, Dental & Retirement

Job Requirements:Language - EnglishEducation - College, CEGEP or other non-universitycertifi cate or diploma from a program of 1 - 2 yearsExperience - Maximum 1 yearArea of specialization - SwinePhysical Capabilities - physically demandingWork location - Rural land location NE 4-40-17-W4 near Stettler, AB - Staff accommodation is availableSpecifi c skills - Provide agricultural livestock services such as artifi cial insemination, disinfecting pens or barns, ensure farm safety & biosecurity procedures are followed, recognize and treat certain livestock health problems, maintain livestock performance recordsEquipment & machinery experience - automated feeding and watering systemsAdditional skills - Perform general farm duties, oper-ate and maintain farm machinery and equipmentAbility to supervise 1-2 people

Apply by email to: [email protected] Willow Pork Farm LP713 - 10 Street, Wainwright, AB, T9W 1P3

Part-time Salesperson Required

• After school, Grade 9-11 preferred.

• No evenings or weekends.

Apply Within at Apple Drugs4825 - 50 Street

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Tax & Accounting Services

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GALEN WIEBERESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL

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Bus.: 403-742-2553Res.: 403-742-0370

PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCEPhysiotherapy, Physiotherapy, Acupuncture Acupuncture & Massage& Massage

“Keeping people in Motion...”

403-742-4533

Stettler FurnaceCleaning

Qualifi ed and Qualifi ed and ReputableReputable

403-742-3418403-742-3418

Stettler Eye Care

Dr. R. TROY NELSONComprehensive eye

health and vision exams

Top quality frames,

lenses and contacts

Treatment of eye

disease, injuries and

surgical co-management

Phone 403-742-2683New patients welcome

Accounting 1010

Accounting 1010

TELL it all! Tell it well! Make your ads sell for you by giving full description of goods or services offered. Include prices and terms. Phone 1-877-223-3311 for a friendly ad taker.

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HealthCare 1210

LegalServices 1260

CRIMINAL RECORD? Think: Canadian pardon.

U.S. travel waiver. Divorce? Simple.

Fast. Inexpensive. Debt recovery? Alberta

collection to $25,000. Calgary 403-228-1300/

1-800-347-2540.

Painters/Decorators1310

WellDrilling 1400

LegalServices 1260

Misc.Services 1290

EASY ALBERTA DIVORCE:

Free consultation call 1-800-320-2477 or

www.canadianlegal.orgCCA Award #1 Paralegal. A+ BBB Reputation. 26

years experience.Open Mon. - Sat.

REACH OVER 1 Million Readers Weekly. Advertise Province Wide Classi eds. Only $269 + GST (based on 25 words or less). Call

now for details 1-800-282-6903 ext. 228;

www.awna.com.

PersonalServices 1315

CANADA BENEFIT GROUP. Do you or

someone you know suffer from a disability? Get up

to $40,000. from the Canadian Government. Toll free 1-888-511-2250 or www.canadabene t.

ca/free-assessment.

DO YOU HAVE A Disability? Physical or

mental. We can help you get up to $40,000 back

from the Canadian Government. For details check out our website:

disabilitygroupcanada.com or call us today toll free

1-888-875-4787.

PersonalServices 1315

HIP OR KNEE Replacement? Restrictions

in walking/dressing? $2,500 yearly tax credit.

$20,000 lump sum cheque. Disability Tax Credit. Ex-

pert Help: 1-844-453-5372.

Plumbing& Heating 1330

Roofing 1370METAL ROOFING & SID-ING. 32+ colours available at over 55 Distributors. 40

year warranty. 48 hour Express Service available

at select supporting Distributors. Call 1-888-263-8254.

Auctions 1530ANTIQUE &

COLLECTIBLE AUCTIONSun. January 17- 10 a.m.

Bowden Lions Hall, Bowden A.B.

Unique collectibles, Retro Furniture,

Show cases, Shells, Jewelry, Glassware,

China.. Just too much to mention! Check web for

pictures & listingPilgrim Auction Service

403-556-5531 www.pilgrimauction.com

PEAK FITNESS EXER-CISE EQUIP. Dispersal #8, 7710-50 Ave., Red

Deer, AB. Sat., Jan. 23, 2016 @ 11 AM. Cardio,

Spin Bikes, Selectorized & Plate Loaded Weight Equip., Dumbbells,

Benches, Racks, Tanning Bed, TV’s, Lockers, Of ce,

Daycare, & More. See www.

montgomeryauctions.com or call 800-371-6963

GardenSupplies 1680REFORESTATION NUR-

SERY SEEDLINGS of hardy trees, shrubs, &

berries for shelterbelts or landscaping. Spruce &

Pine from $0.99/tree. Free Shipping. Replacement

guarantee. 1-866-873-3846 or www.treetime.ca

OfficeSupplies 1800

TravelPackages 1900

SEE POLAR BEARS, Walrus and Whales on our

Arctic Explorer Voyage next summer. SAVE 15% With Our Winter Sale for a Limited Time. CALL TOLL-FREE: 1-800-363-7566 or

visit: www.adventurecanada.com.

(TICO#04001400)

WantedTo Buy 1930

BLUE GRASS LTD. is looking for Lodgepole Pine and Scots Pine in any size.

Willing to dig or pick up ourselves. Contact Bill

403-226-0468.

Misc. forSale 1760

WantedTo Buy 1930

BLUE GRASS LTD. is looking for logging truck loads of Birch Firewood. Split or logs, delivered or picked up. Contact Bill

403-226-0468.

WANTED - SHED ANTLERS. Buying shed

antlers all sizes and conditions. Paying top dollar for elk, deer,

moose. Buying all the time. Phone, text, email: 403-352-9397 or

[email protected].

Agricultural#2000 - #2290

Farm Equipment ..............2010Haying Equipment ............2020Tractors ............................2030Combines & Headers ......2040Fertilizer Equipment..........2050Misc. Farm Machinery ......2060Equipment Wanted ..........2070Farm Custom Work ..........2080Farm Auctions ..................2090Livestock ..........................2100Livestock - Exotic..............2110Sheep ..............................2120Poultry ..............................2130Horses ..............................2140Horse Boarding ................2150Riding Supplies ................2160Horse/Stock Trailers ........2170Pasture Wanted ................2180Grain, Feed, Hay ..............2190Seed Grain ......................2200Seeding & Tillage ............2210

Livestock 2100THIS WEEK’S

EYE SPY WINNER ISJudy Payne

Please come in to the Stettler Independent to

claim your prize.

Grain, FeedHay 2190HEATED CANOLA buying Green, Heated or Spring-thrashed Canola. Buying:

oats, barley, wheat & peas for feed. Buying damaged

or offgrade grain. “On Farm Pickup” Westcan

Feed & Grain, 1-877-250-5252.

WANTED. Hannas Seeds seeking distributors for forage, turf, native and reclamation seed. Good commissions. Contact

Esther at 1-800-661-1529 or [email protected].

For Rent#3000 - #3200

Acreages/Farms ..............3010Houses/Duplexes ............3020Condos/Townhouses........3030Manufactured Homes ......3040Four Plexes/Six Plexes ....3050Suites ..............................3060Cottages/Seasonal ..........3070Roommates Wanted ........3080Rooms for Rent................3090Motels/Hotels ..................3100Offices ..............................3110Stores/Commercial ..........3120Industrial ..........................3130Warehouse Space............3140Garage Space..................3150Storage Space ................3160Land ................................3170Pasture ............................3180Mobile Lot ........................3190Misc. for Rent ..................3200

Wanted to Rent#3250 - #3390

Acreages/Farms ..............3255Houses/Duplexes ............3260Suites ..............................3270Rooms..............................3280Manufactured Homes ......3290Housesitting Wanted ........3300Garage Space..................3310Storage Space ................3320Stores/Commercial ..........3330Office Space ....................3340Industrial ..........................3350Warehouse Space............3360Resorts & Cottages..........3370Pasture/Land....................3380Mobile Lot ........................3390

Houses/Duplexes 3020ALIX 850 sq. ft. 3 bdrms,

2 1/2 bath, nished bsmt, 5 appls, close to school and daycare. $900/mo. $900 DD utils. not included,

avail. Feb. 1, 403-348-9304

BEAUTIFUL cottage $700/mo., plus utils., in

Halkirk, AB. on large lot, 2 bdrms, newly reno’d

780-583-2380

STETTLER older 3 bdrm. 2 storey, 4912-53 St. large

fenced yard, single car garage, 1 blk. from school,

3 blks. from main street, $900/mo. + utils. $500 DD

avail. Feb. 1. Call Corrinne to see

403-742-1344, call Don 403-742-9615 to rent.

Condos/Townhouses3030Town house with 2 bed-rooms, den and main oor laundry - 1888 sq ft. Open concept kitchen, dining and living room. A deck off the back patio doors. Basement recently n-ished. Consist of a huge family room, a 4 piece bathroom with a radiant heater and a lovely guest bedroom. Located close to shopping centre and schools. Dishwasher - Built-In, Hood Fan, Refrig-erator, Stove - Electric, Dryer - Electric, Washer. Att.garage. 403-740-6222

Suites 3060

2 BDRM. apt. in exc. downtown location, quiet

12 unit bldg., ideal for mature adult, incl. heat, water, sewer and free

laundry, avail. Feb. 1, no pets, ref’s req., $650/mo., $650/sd. 403-741-6174

BEST RENTAL VALUEIN STETTLER

1 & 2 Bedroom, furnished kitchenette suites.

All utilities, cable, internet.Avail. immediately

Kimberly 403-690-5828

Offices 31101000 sq. ft. space for month to month lease $900/mo. 4802-50 ST. Stettler. Avail. immed. 403-690-3400

DOWNTOWN Business Has ROOM TO RENT for professional. Utilities and air

conditioning includedwith rent.

Available immediately For more information

please call, 403-742-2006.

FOR LEASE 1800 sq. ft. of shop and/or of ce space. In new 3 bay shop. Will

nish to suit. Contact Luke 403-350-1353 or James

403-742-7765.

StorageSpace 3160

Pasture 3180PASTURE & HAY LAND. 400 - 8000 acres of year round water supply. Full

operational with manage-ment available. Central Saskatchewan. Cross-

fenced & complete infrastructure. Natural

springs excellent water. Shortly ready to locate

cattle. Other small & large grain & pasture quarters.

$150k - $2.6m. Call Doug Rue 306-716-2671.

Farms/Land 4070

Real Estate#4000 - #4190

Realtors & Services..........4010Houses for Sale................4020Houses Wanted................4030Condos/Townhouses ........4040Acreages ..........................4050Acreages Wanted ............4060Farms/Land ......................4070Farms/Land Wanted ........4080Manufactured/Mobile Homes ..................4090Income Property ..............4100Commercial Property ......4110Industrial Property ............4120Cottages/Resort Property ..4130Businesses for Sale..........4140Buildings for Sale ............4150Lots for Sale ....................4160Out of Town Property ......4170Investment Opportunities ..4180Mortgages Bought/Sold....4190

HousesFor Sale 40202 BDRM. house in Stettler,

completely renovated. Ideal for starter home or

retired couple. Immediate Possession. $97,000. 403-340-2727

ManufacturedHomes 4090

CROSS COUNTRY HOMES. Come view our

show homes that are ready for quick possession; 20’ wides from $114,000! Visit

us in Acheson. 780-470-8000; www.

crosscountryhomes.com.

HARVEST SALE! Save $50,000 from the

replacement cost of this 20 X 76 drywalled

Grandeur Showhome that has to go! A sacri ce at

$124,900. Call Terry 1-855-347-0417 or email:

[email protected].

BuildingsFor Sale 4150

POLE BARNS, Shops, steel buildings metal clad or fabric clad. Complete supply and installation.

Call John @ 403-998-7907; jcameron@

advancebuildings.com.

STEEL BUILDING SALE REALLY BIG SALE -

YEAR END CLEAR OUT! 21X22 $5,190; 25X24 $5, 988; 27X28 $7,498; 30X32

$8,646; 35X34 $11,844; 42X54 $16, 386. One End

wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-800-668-5422 www.pioneersteel.ca

Financial#4400 - #4430

Investments ......................4410Money Wanted ................4420Money to Loan ................4430

Barristers and Solicitors

Advocates

2401 Toronto Dominion Sq.Edmonton Centre

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2Z1Telephone: 780-426-4660

Fax: 780-426-0982

BRYON D. BALTIMORE

of McCuaig Desrochers

ANDERSON LAW OFFICE

Brenda Anderson,

B.Comm., LL.B.

5002 - 51 Ave., Stettler, AB

Phone 403-742-2529

Fax 403-742-2522

[email protected]

LANDMAN REULE LAW OFFICE

4819 - 51 Street

Lori R. ReuleLL. B.

StettlerProfessionalBuilding

403-742-3411

403-742-2395

WHITE 20LB WHITE 20LB BOND PAPER: BOND PAPER:

8.5 X 118.5 X 1110 pkgs. of 500 sheets10 pkgs. of 500 sheets

$48$48/case/caseShop Stettler Shop Stettler

& Save!& Save!

STETTLER MINI STORAGE

Household, furniture,business records, etc.

Various sizes. Protectedby security alarm and

fenced and lightedperimeter. Owner:

Reg and Darlene Hunter403-740-9283 or

403-742-3153

• Complete Plumbing & Heating Services• Commercial and Residential• Water Conditioning & Pumps

• 24 Hour ServiceService Wise - We Specialize

Stettler

Ph. 403-742-5237

Spacious 1&2 bdrm units. Balcony, in suite storage,

water & heat incl.

Available immediately.

New managers Frances or Mic

403-742-4448

12345

780 440 4037 | SEACAN.COM

Steel containers from 8' - 53'. 20' & 40' skids with optional 4' landings available. Mount with twist locks.

Customizable and secure. From storage to workspace.

CMM PAINT LTD.

Corinne Phelan(780) 278-6775Stettler & Area

Quality Residential PaintingNew Home Construction Cleanup

12345Tell them DannyHooper sent you

1-800-BIG IRON (244-4766)

Check status of 3 government grants/assistance worth up to $5000 or more EACH and CHECK BIG IRON’S $5000 WINTER DISCOUNT PACKAGE

View our 29 patented and patent pending inventions online at www.1800bigiron.com

*Big Iron drills all winter long**check rig availability in your areaP.S. We also drill for people who aren’t short of cash

Need a WATER WELL but short

of cash??

RURAL WATER TREATMENT (Province Wide)Iron Filters • Softeners • Reverse Osmosis • “Kontinuous ShoK” Chlorinator

Time Payment Plan O.A.C. for water wells and water treatment

Dr. E. LYNESChiropractor

4719 - 49 St.Stettler, AlbertaOne block East of Scotia Bank

403-742-5810 or 403-742-6443

NW19-36-11-W4 native pasture.Dugout, oil revenue.

Contact [email protected] orcall 403-572-3366

PO Box 2558, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0 before February 28, 2016.

Land for Sale

Buy & Sell#1500 - #1990

A Star MakesYour Ad

A Winner!CALL:

1-877-223-3311To Place Your

Ad Now!

Painters/Decorators1310 Painters/

Decorators1310

WellDrilling 1400 Well

Drilling 1400

CLASSIFIED Want Ads do more things for more people than any other form of advertising. Phone 1-877-223-3311

This paper is

100% 100% RecyclableRecyclable

EASY!The easy way to find a buyer for items you want to sell is with a Classified want ad. Phone 1-877-223-3311


MoneyTo Loan 4430

BANK SAID NO? Bank on us! Equity

Mortgages for purchases, debt consolidation,

foreclosures, renovations. Bruised credit, self-employed,

unemployed ok. Dave Fitzpatrick:

www.albertalending.ca. 587-437-8437,

Belmor Mortgage.

Public Notice#6000

Public Notices ..................6010Special Features ..............6050

PublicNotices 6010

NOTICETO CREDITORS

AND CLAIMANTS

Estate of Patrick G. Foesier

who died onNovember 28, 2015.If you have a claim

against this estate, you must le your claim by

February 13, 2016. with

Victoria FoesierBox 172,

Stettler, AB, T0C 2L0and provide details of

your claim.

If you do not le by the date above, the estate

property can lawfully be distributed without regard to any claim you may have.

Box 280 (5031 - 50 St.)

Stettler, AB T0C 2L0

www.stettler.net

DEVELOPMENT PERMIT NOTICENotice is hereby given that the following Development Per-mit Applications have been approved with a variance or as a discretionary use:

1. No: 2905-2016 Legal Description: Lot 5 & 6, Block 4, Plan RN54 Municipal Address: 4805 - 51 Avenue Applicant: Jessie Ann Kumleben

Proposed Development: Dwelling, Rowhouse (Similar Use)

2. No: 2906-2016 Legal Description: Lot 14, Block 4, Plan 7621520 Municipal Address: 5914 - Spruce Park Crescent Applicant: Jody Godbersen Proposed Development: Temporary Trailer Storage

You may appeal this decision by serving written notice of appeal to the Secretary of the Stettler Subdivision & Development Appeal Board, P.O. Box 280, Stettler, Alberta prior to 4:30 p.m. January 27, 2016. For further information, please phone 403-742-8305.

Angela StormoenPlanning & Development Services

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

403-742-4271; 403-742-1887

AL-ANONBrenda 403-742-0990Betty 403-742-5673

ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY403-346-4636

Red Deerwww.alzheimer.ab.ca

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Pat Lattery

403-742-3759

BIG BROTHERS &BIG SISTERS ORGANIZATION

403-742-5437 during business hours

BRIGANTIA PLACE(formerly Camrose Women’s Shelter)

780-672-1035

CELIAC (Gluten Intolerance)Brenda 403-742-3067

COCAINE ANONYMOUSPager toll-free

(20 sec. response time)1-403-357-6266

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS403-742-4059

HOME SUPPORTSTETTLER & DISTRICT

403-742-6568

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUSHot Line 403-342-1444

STETTLER & AREA ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY SOCIETY (STABIS)

For more information phone403-742-6456

STETTLER FOOD BANKBetty Birch 403-742-0732

STETTLER CITIZENS ON PATROL

RCMP offi ce403-742-3382

www.stettlercop.org

STETTLER HANDIBUS403-742-5858

STETTLER HEALTHEMERGENCY LINE

403-742-6568

STETTLER PEOPLE FORSUICIDE AWARENESS

403-742-2337

STETTLER READ &WRITE OFFICE403-742-2999

T.O.P.S.(Take Off Pounds Sensibly)Grace - 403-742-0681

Vivian - 403-742-3935

VICTIM SERVICES403-741-7841

CONFUSED?

GETTING THE RUN AROUND?

CONTACT YOUR

INFORMATION

AND REFERRAL

CENTRE

Residents of Stettler and the surrounding area now have access

to this free and confi dential service. Itprovides information and referral on social

agencies, government services, clubs and

organizations, to best suit the caller’s need.

Just Dial -

403-742-1155

Community Support Services

PublicNotices 6010

PublicNotices 6010 Public

Notices 6010

1-877-223-3311CLASSIFIEDS

Celebrating the birth of your child? Share your happy news with family & friends with a specialannouncement in the Classifieds “Announcement”section.

Welcome Home!

GET YOURBUSINESSOUT THERE

ADVERTISE1-877-223-3311

Politics tends to be over saturated with buzz-words and phrases de-signed to catch the ear of the casual listener. Two words that have had ample workouts in re-cent years are “transpar-ency” and “accountabili-ty.” Without real account-ability being mandated, transparency holds little value to the taxpayer, with the exception of an election once every four years or so.

Imagine if you had an employee that failed to carry out their respon-sibilities every day but you lacked any course of action to correct their at-titude except once every four years. Sounds absurd doesn’t it? Compiling a record of their contempt for this condition of em-ployment would serve no purpose other than to ag-gravate you.

Politics in Alberta has evolved into a process that has become large-ly undemocratic with-out the ability of MLAs to vote freely in the Legislature or citizens to hold their elected repre-sentatives fully account-able. There are current-ly no free votes in the Legislature with the ex-ception of the Wildrose Official Opposition.

Government MLAs are expected to ‘toe the party line’ without question, as we recently witnessed with the unanimous vote of all NDP government MLAs on Bill 6. Despite overwhelming opposi-tion from their rural con-stituents, those chosen as the people’s elected

representatives on the government side of the house, have given in to the will of their party.

The transparency of seeing MLAs represent their party and not their constituents is of little consequence to taxpay-ers without the ability to hold them account-able. Compiling a record of their contempt for this condition of employment would serve no purpose other than to aggravate taxpayers.

Sound democratic poli-cies, if they are to be truly democratic, must em-power MLAs to vote free-ly in the Legislature on each piece of proposed legislation with the best interests of their constit-uents. With the imple-mentation of a mecha-nism such as Electoral Recall it gives voters the ability to hold their elected representatives accountable much more genuinely than waiting to do so once every four years.

The Widlrose party cur-rently is the only party that not only allows free votes in the legislature,

but as recently as the November 2015 AGM had it added to their consti-tution in an overwhelm-ing vote. Free votes allow an elected MLA to ad-vocate for their electors instead of a blindly fol-lowing an ideological policy. Electoral Recall is also a policy that is held in high regard within the Wildrose. This pol-icy lead to the tabling of Private Member’s Bill 206, the Recall Act by Chestermere Rockyview MLA, Leela Aheer in the fall session. It unfortu-nately died on the order paper due to the abrupt end of the fall session.

Without the ability to vote freely, MLAs as we’ve seen recently, are acting in defiance of the wishes of their constit-uents; and voters are left with little recourse other than to compile a list for use at the end of the four year term. The simple solution is elec-toral Recall, by putting the power of transparen-cy and accountability in the hands of Albertans where is should always reside.

EmpoweringAlbertans

RickStrankman

MLA DRUMHELLER - STETTLER


To view more info on our listing check out www.royallepage.ca/stettler or www.REALTOR.ca

4 bdrm bungalow close to downtown and schools. $238,000. Call Edna.

CA0065075

10 acres with 1400 sq. ft. bungalow. Finished basement. 3 bdrms 3 baths. Two horse barns,

and a garage. $359,000. Call Garry.

CA0072884

CA0073369

Upgraded bungalow w/ 3 bdrms 2 baths. Fully fenced. Comes with

6 appliances. $235,000. Call Sherri.

CA0074412

Built in 2007, 1500 sq. ft. bungalow w/ 4 bdrms 3 baths, in

Meadowlands. $356,000. Call Jill.

CA0073119

122 acres of good producing farmland 15 min N of Stettler.

Call Mike.

CA0070137

4701 - 50 STREET, STETTLERCENTRALROYAL LEPAGEROYAL LEPAGE

Doug RobertsBroker/Owner

Jill FisherAssociate Broker/Owner

Brian LynnAssociate Broker

Garry RushtonAssociate

Apryl CassidyManager/Owner

Edna StuartAssociate Broker

Sherri KueflerAssociate

Jason OlsonAssociate

Mike RobertsAssociate

Ross ScheerschmidtAssociate

Atie TurnbullAssociate

Good family home only 1.5 blocks from the school, in the quiet quaint village of Botha.

$159,000. Call Atie.

CA0067855 CA0073136

2 storey home in Botha on 1.56 acres. Garage and large shop.

$129,000. Call Edna.

10 acres w 1.5 storey home 1300+ sq. ft. with 4 bdrms. Large shop and barn. 20

minutes from Stettler. $489,000. Call Doug.

CA0073415

Call a Central “Team” Sales Associate today for FREE advice or enquiries.

403-742-3344 (24 hours)LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Brand new home in Meadowlands by the Park. 1600+ sq. ft. of quality living space

$449,000. Call Mike.

Clean 2 bdrm home with side drive and garage.

$249,900. Call Ross.

1999 mobile and large owned lot. 3 bdrms 2 baths, all appliances.

$140,900. Call Ross.

CA0065075

NEW

NEW NEW

NEW NEW NEW

NEW

NEW

1680 sq. ft. home. 4 bdrm 2 baths, close to schools and downtown.

$257,500. Call Garry.

CA0070312

CA0072398 New Price

New Price New Price

Fran

Snowden

Karen

Cannady

Locally owned & operated Visit us at www.century21.ca/candorrealty for more listings

CandorRealty Ltd.

Ph. 403-742-44244908 - 51 Street

ACREAGE

3.25 ACRES WITH LOVELY 3 BDRM HOME. Open concept

kitchen/dining/living room. Finished basement, wrap around deck and heated insulated shop.

$385,000.

COZY BUNGALOWwith 3 bdrm and 2 bath. Newer kitchen cabinets,

shingles and siding only 2 years old. Large fenced yard

and 2 garages. $184,900.

GREAT FAMILY HOME!Totally finished 1.5 storey with

4 bdrms. Dbl. attached garage, fully fenced and landscaped. Located in cul-de-sac, close to shopping

and rec center. $429,000.

STARTER

3.2 ACRE PARCEL IN BOTHA with well kept mobile.

Several upgrades such as new flooring, paint & shingles. Heated 32’ x 48’ shop wired

for 220. $285,000.

COZY 1.5 STOREY HOMEon large lot (75’ x 150’).

2 bedroom / 1 bath. All appliances included. Oversized single

garage. Very affordable and ready to move into. $109,900.

UP AND DOWN DUPLEX.Convenient location. Each level

has 3 bdrms, kitchen, living room, full bath and laundry room. Newer

windows and paint. $239,000.

INVESTMENTOPPORTUNITY STARTERFAMILY

HOME

STARTERHOMEACREAGE

Cheaper than rent. Mobile on own lot. Updates include windows, metal roof, vinyl siding and hot water tank.

ONLY $96,900. DON’T WAIT!

1st CHOICE REALTY

4913 - 51 STREET 403-742-6747

Re/Max Outstanding Agents, Outstanding Results!View Stettler area listings at: www.stettlerhomes.com

“Each office independently owned & operated”

Wow! Over 1800 sq. ft. home. Fully developed with 36 x 40 ft. heated shop on the

outskirts of Stettler. A must see. $649,000. CALL NOW!

Spacious and affordable. Very well kept 20 wide manufactured home. Cozy gas fireplace. Jetted

tub. Includes six appliances. JUST $189,500.

Stettler real estate industry on an even keelSTACEY LAVALLIEINDEPENDENT REPORTER

Even as the real-estate market crashes in some of the economically hit communities in Alberta, Stettler’s market is hold-ing steady and bucking the trend, the community’s re-altors agree.

James Dadensky of Re/Max, Apryl Cassidy of Royal LePage and Fran Snowden

of Century21 all agreed that Stettler’s holding its own despite the econom-ic uncertainty caused by globally low oil prices.

The effect of the econ-omy is “starting to show, as sales are slowing,” Dadensky said, though he noted that winter’s a time of slowing sales and listings regardless of the economy.

“Stettler’s kind of buck-

ing the trend, as it doesn’t have a lot of places up for sale,” he said. “You’re hearing that homes aren’t selling and it’s becom-ing a buyer’s market and prices are dropping, but in Stettler, that’s not the case.”

Dadensky said that the larger, more expensive homes aren’t selling as quickly or as frequently as the lower-priced, rea-

sonably affordable mid-range homes, which go on and off the market pretty quickly.

“That market is still there,” he said. “It’s hard to predict what’s coming for the year, too, since Stettler’s bucking the trends in the province.”

Snowden agreed, noting that, “everyone’s got to have a roof over their head. Homes are still selling.”

She said that contrary to a lot of realtors across the province, her branch did very well over the past year. The slowdown the re-altor is experiencing now is in-line with the slow-down that happens during

the colder months of the year.

“No one wants to move in the winter,” she said. “I don’t blame them.”

Stettler’s realtors as a whole don’t specialize, meaning the agencies sell commercial, residential, industrial and agricultural properties. That diversity in property options has helped buoy the business-es as oil prices crashed and people began being laid off, as both sellers and buyers aren’t necessarily all oil industry people.

“We’ve defi nitely been bolstered by the diversity in the community,” Cassidy said. “We’re pretty stable

because of that.”Cassidy said she’s defi -

nitely noticed a slowing of business greater than that typically experienced over the winter months, but suspects when spring comes around and tem-peratures rise, the sellers and buyers will be com-ing in. Still, Cassidy said she and her colleagues are ready and prepared for a slower-than-usual year — though Stettler’s nowhere near as bad as oil-reliant communities like Peace River and Fort McMurray, or the larger cities like Edmonton and Calgary, where realtors may spe-cialize.


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