Annual Slo-Pitch Tournament Takes Over Innisfree Ball Diamonds

Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
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Covering the news from Lavoy through to Mannville, Alberta
Volume 1 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015 • Issue 14
FREE
Annual Slo-Pitch Tournament
Takes Over Innisfree Ball Diamonds
T
Conrad baranec, a former resident of the Innisfree area, took a shot at the Kyle Jackson Memorial Homerun Derby
and although he gave it a good shot, was beat out by Matt Labuik in the men’s division. Val Sweeting won the ladies’ division.
he annual Innisfree SloPitch tournament took
place in the the Innisfree
Recreation Park ball diamonds
last weekend with 20 teams
from throughout Alberta registered for the tournament. The
Friday morning rain threatened
the evening’s scheduled start
but volunteers whipped the diamonds into shape in time for the
start of the games.
One of the highlights of the
tournament was the annual
Kyle Jackson Memorial Skills
Competition. Each year participants compete to see who
can hit the most homeruns, all
in memory of their friend Kyle
Jackson, a regular tournament
participant who passed away in
a car accident on September 28,
2011.
This year brought the heavy
hitters to the diamonds in the
Homerun Challenge as each
competitor was given eight
swings of the bat in both the
men’s and women’s division.
The softballs flew as swing after
swing, the batters sent balls soring over the fence.
A portion of the entry fees collected for the derby was donated to the Kyle Jackson family
to donate to the local charity of
their choice. This year’s recipient is, once again, the Innisfree
Kindergarten, receiving $360
from the event proceeds.
Roadrunner Water Hauling,
located directly across from the
ball diamonds, allows overflow
campers to use their property
for the weekend and all fees collected are then donated to the
Kids With Cancer Society. Roadrunner Owner Dwayne Fowler’s
10 year old son David is a cancer
survivor, so the family has made
the donation to the society each
year. $730 was raised from the
camping fees and the family will
make the presentation at a later
date.
The tournament also featured
beer gardens each night during
the weekend as well as catering
provided by Food With Flair
from Viking, Alberta.
Robert Nott served as pitcher for his team as the outfielders
did their part to catch the fly-balls during the annual Slo-Pitch tournament
held at the Innisfree Recreations Park last weekend.
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
2
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Do Not Pay Minimum Tax
Do Pay Your…
Municipal Tax
Public Tax
Senior Tax
School Tax
A
nd be happy to do so as an Alberta property owner.
When you buy property in Alberta you are subject to legislation that
protects your property rights. Land
owners pay tax based on a fair market
value based on a third party independent appraisal. Alberta property legislation protects the landowner.
In Innisfree, this legislation has
been contravened for the last fifteen
years (See Alberta Municipal Affairs
Innisfree 2014 Municipal Inspection
Report).
Municipal Affairs has been complicit with Innisfree’s Maximum Tax (tax
forgiveness and with illegal minimum
taxes).
Municipal Affairs endorses Innisfree’s 2015 Budget, the first year of a
Minister’s three-year directive.
Under this 2015 Budget, over half of
Innisfree’s properties will be subject to
a minimum tax.
Two minimum taxes, one for improved properties at $750 per year and
one for un-improved (vacant) properties at $800 per year.
Regardless of the legislation this
budget pits half of the Town against
each other. Half are asked to subsidize
the other half’s mill rate and the water
rates. So, if you own an un-serviced lot
in Town with no sidewalks, power, gas,
water, road or sewer, you are asked to
pay $50 more than your assessed value
to subsidize everyone else. I call this
theft. All of this is done to encourage
vacant properties to be developed in order to improve the assessment roll and
reduce the tax rate for everyone else.
The 2014 Inspection Report said
something smells in Innisfree. There
is one law for the rich and another for
the poor. In 2015 that discrepancy has
been exacerbated.
Why would half the Town pay a tax
that reduces the value of their property
Innisfree Mayor’s Message
In A Minute
S
ummer in the Village has brought
people out and about a lot more.
Neighbors and friends meeting on
the sidewalks, the barbecues are fired
up and the flowers are in full bloom. It
is a good time and place.
I am glad to see the museum is opened
now, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. There are new displays, so if
you haven’t been there yet, come on out
and visit our museum. Thanks to the
volunteers for opening the doors to residents and visitors to the Village.
The Recreation Park (campground) is
a great place to relax. Stop in for a visit.
There are several areas for day use especially good for a picnic or a hike along
some of the trails.
We have a number of golfers in the
area. Have you tried the Pitch ‘n Putt
area of the Park?
Our Village of Innisfree Web Site has
a new feature video of the Recreation
Park. Have you seen it? It’s a great tool
for people to “see” what the campground
has to offer. Suggest your friends view
it and book a campsite this summer.
The plans for Innisfree’s 35th Annual
Fair scheduled for August 12 are coming together. You can pick up a fair
book at ATB or the Canada Post Office.
We are looking for volunteers to help
out. Are you available? Please contact
Deb McMann at 780-592-2083 or Tracy
Rudolf at 780-592-2081.
Enjoy these happy days of summer.
W
ith school out for the summer many children are enjoying the outdoor activities
associated with summer. But every
Tuesday morning 8 year old Benji
Friesen, and his 7 year old brother
Propane and oxygen causing
underground explosion,
no poisons or chemicals.
Offering excellent customer service for the following:
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15 YEARS
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EXPERIENCE
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Minburn and Mannville, Alberta as well as
the Towns of Vegreville and Vermilion.
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and in most cases makes their property
unsalable?
All concerned people in Alberta
should call their MLA and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and ask why
we have “one law for the rich, and one
for the poor”.
This fall there will be changes to the
Municipal Government Act. If Alberta
cannot enforce its existing legislation,
we need new legislation to protect
property rights.
Like they say on the TV show Dragon’s Den – I’m out.
I will not pay a minimum tax levy.
Karen Nedzielski Publisher
Tammy Lepage - Accounts
Payable/Receivable
Call Fred
780-700-5680
Ads, articles and photos are not to be republished
without the consent of the Hiway 16 News publisher.
Letters To The Editor: The Hiway 16 News welcomes Letters
to the Editor. Letters must be signed and include an address and a
phone number for authenticity. The Hiway 16 News reserves the
right to edit letters for legal considerations, taste, and brevity.
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Motor Vehicle Accident
I
Submitted by Vermilion RCMP
n the early morning of July 15,
2015 Vermilion RCMP responded
to a traffic collision on Highway 16
east of Innisfree. A pick-up truck had
A
driven into the back of a semi-truck
and trailer that was parked at the rest
stop. The driver of the pick-up truck
was extracted from the vehicle and
transported to the Hospital with undetermined injuries.
Motor Vehicle Collision
At Ranfurly Corner
motor vehicle collision took place at the junction of Highway 16 and the
Ranfurly turn off on July 17 shortly before 2 p.m. Fire and rescue responded where a smaller car and truck pulling a holiday trailer appeared to
have been involved in a collision. It didn’t appear there were any serious injuries
but ambulance service responded.
Tax Fraud Scam
Submitted by Vermilion RCMP
T
here have been several reported incidents where residents
of Vermilion and surrounding
areas have been receiving calls from
scammers claiming to be from “Revenue Canada” and asking for payment for “back tax”. The scammers
request payment be made to an individual rather than the agency. Often times the caller will advise that
a warrant is going to be issued for
their arrest if payment is not made,
be aware this is a scam, also do not
try to call back the number after you
hang up.
Here is some further information
from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website on how to protect yourself from these types of scams.
Tax Scams
It is tax time again and fraudsters
will use this opportunity to attempt
to scam consumers and businesses
out of their hard earned money.
The most common approach fraudsters’ use is impersonating the real
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Whether by telephone or by email,
the pitch involves one of two variations. The fraudsters are phishing
for identification or asking that outstanding taxes by paid by a money
service business or by pre-paid debit
The Cutting Edge
SUMMER SIZZLER SALE
Throughout the month of July bring in this coupon and receive a
Shampoo, Style and Pedicure
for
$70
One Coupon per person and by appointment only. Call to book your appointment today!
780592-2443 Main Street Innisfree
Taxpayers in the Hamlet
of Minburn,
(formerly the Village of Minburn)
are reminded that property taxes are due by
JULY 31st
Any current taxes that remain unpaid will be subject to a penalty of
six percent (6%) on the first (1st) day of August.
Further penalty will be added on any arrears after January 1st, 2016.
Payments can be made through the Minburn ATB Financial Agency
or at the County of Minburn Administration office located at
4909-50th Street in Vegreville.
Brianna Waters
Office Clerk
3
/ credit cards.
- There is notification by phone or
email from the “CRA” claiming there
is a refund pending. In order for the
recipient to receive the refund they
must provide personal information.
- Consumers and businesses receive a notification by phone or
email that they owe “back taxes” as
the result of an audit. The payment
must be made immediately to avoid
a fine or the recipient is told there
is an outstanding warrant that can
be avoided if the payment is made
promptly. In many cases, individuals are told they will be deported if
the taxes are not paid right away.
Warning Sign(S) How To Protect Yourself
- Do not take immediate action.
Verify that what you are being told
is the truth.
- Ask yourself why the CRA would
be asking for personal information
over the phone or e-mail that they
likely already have on file for you as
a taxpayer.
- Contact the CRA to confirm that
you in fact owe back taxes, or are entitled to a refund, before providing
any personal or banking information.
- For more information about
Fraud Scams involving the CRA visit the Canada Revenue Web page at
www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ntcs/bwr-eng.html
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
4
R
Runners Have a Blast At Bellevue Race
unners from throughout the
area gathered near Lac Bellevue to compete in the Bellevue
Blast obstacle race on July 18. The race
featured either a 5K or 2.5K run with
a number of obstacles, including muddy conditions that runners had to navigate. Groups and individual runners
began the race in a number of heats
which started at 10 a.m.
The event is a fundraiser for the Lac
Bellevue Legion Lodge and H Hut located in the heart of the campground. The
H Hut was built in 1976, a co-operative
effort of the Vermilion and Vegreville
Canadian Legions, serving as a meeting place for veterans and other service
organizations. The H Hut also served
as a youth camp and featured dorm-
style lodging for the camp attendees. It
has since been closed due to the much
needed upgrades to the facility.
The volunteers of the Friends Of Lac
Bellevue took it upon themselves to see
that the facility would receive the need-
ed renovations by organizing the race
to kick-start the fundraising process.
The event was hosted in conjunction
with the Running Room of Edmonton.
The weather was prefect for the run
and many of the participants in the first
heat crossed the finish line in about 20
minutes.
Society President Sheryl Jamison
said she felt the need to keep the facility open to the veterans as well as current members serving who live within
her community. She said 125 racers of
all ages registered for the race.
Following the event there was discussion regarding the run becoming an
annual occurrence. The runners all enjoyed the beautiful Lac Bellevue park
surroundings.
Friends Of Lac Bellevue President Sheryl Jamison is pictured here in
front of the Legion’s H Hut building. The Bellevue Blast obstacle race
proceeds will go towards the construction of a new facility for Legion
members as well as other local service groups and organizations.
To celebrate Wyatt Ziegler’s ninth birthday, he decided to take his
friends to the Lac Bellevue Blast obstacle race on July 18.
Pictured here are, from left, Trinity Korop,
Sullivan McCallum, Mathew Hodge, birthday boy Wyatt Ziegler,
Aaron Mills and Shelby Sawchuk.
Behind is Wyatt’s mom, Cherie Ziegler.
Pictured here are the two members of the Hiway 16 News team,
heading out onto the obstacle race. After a quick warm-up,
Ray Nedzielski and Tammy Lepage headed out
in the last heat of the race. Both said they enjoyed the run
through the park area and finished in a respectable time.
Jim and son John Storch of Mannville, Alberta, were two of the
participants in the Bellevue Blast held last weekend.
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Farm Wife Diaries –
Critter Craziness
Submitted by Deb Barber
W
hile working with my horses
I’ve noticed the horse flies are
wicked this year. Some nights
they bite the horses with such intensity
that sores appear, large enough to cause
blood to run down their legs. Between
nose flies and horse flies, this summer
has been a real challenge for them.
One afternoon I saddled up Karma,
my quarter horse, to take her for a ride.
When I went to spray her down with
bug spray she decided that the spraycan was a hissing monster attacking
her. She managed to pull free from my
grip and while escaping, discovered a
‘white’ snake (the lead rope) chasing
her. After bucking, kicking and almost
successfully displacing the saddle (it
ended up underneath her) she finalized
her performance by crashing her way
through the horse barn door, tearing a
good chunk of the wooden door casing
off. This simple little act put us both on
our ‘resident carpenter’s’ naughty list! I
must comment that her training speaks
loudly as once I did catch her, righted
the saddle and lead her around for about
ten minutes until she stopped snorting,
I was able to mount her and continue on
our ride, sans bug repellant.
Hubby continues tormenting himself
(and all of us around him) with regular
crop checking tours. We all know that
there is no point in pursing this, but
we indulge him regardless. I decided
to combine torture with pleasure and
suggested that we harness Princess, the
Fjord, to her cart and explore the fields
via horse drawn carriage! Unlike the
experience with Karma, it went pretty
much without a ‘hitch’. While he was
busy determining how effective spraying had been and reviewing the ‘lack’
of crop, a lot of anxiety was soothed
away by the gentle clip clop of Princess’
hooves. I find driving her is one of the
most relaxing exercises that I’ve experienced.
In addition to more ants than I’ve
seen since 2009, I have discovered
we’ve become a safe haven for garter
snakes. Discovering them in various
locations has become a daily event. The
two little ones all entangled in each
other by the horse water trough were
joyfully discovered by my two barn
kitties, who found them fascinating to
poke and jump away from. After Tory
picked one up to haul it away I had to
put the kitties back in the barn until the
snakes found safe refuge under one of
the out buildings.
While hand mowing, I discovered two
very good sized snakes stretched out,
sunning themselves on the west side
of the horse barn. I am so intrigued by
their jet black skin and orange or yellow stripes. I found them there on several occasions and one time, one of the
snakes was rearing up somewhat like
a python, it’s tongue flickering away
at me. The last sighting was while watering my flowers. I saw the tail end of
one slithering away between the house
and flower bed. I’ve also found two shed
skins and both were about two feet in
length. Reecey needs to come and do
some snake exploring with me soon.
On the bird front, we have seen
more robins in our yard this year than
ever before. We are highly entertained
watching them hopping around the
lawn and then carrying a tasty morsel
home to the nest for their babies. I am
surprised at the amount of worms they
have found on such a dry year and have
noticed they follow me cultivating the
garden and must be digging some up
from the freshly turned soil. On the hottest of days I have seen them frolicking
away in the bird bath. I wish I could
find that much enjoyment out of such a
little practise!
And lastly the little hummingbirds;
their antics are so delightful to watch
as they dive bomb one another, regardless of the fact there are four feeders to
choose from, the only feeder of choice is
the one that another hummingbird is
currently drinking from!
We decided to turn our satellite dish
off for the summer, and truly with so
much entertainment just outside our
windows, why would we watch anything
else?
So until next time, may you find the
view from your own porch, deck or window to be as gratifying as mine. Stay
tune for next time flora and fauna....
what’s in a plant’s name?
5
Area Rumbles As Bikes Roar
Through Communities
Rider made their way through the Village of Myrnam during
the annual Run To The Hills motorcycle ride on July 18.
M
otorcycle enthusiasts enjoyed a weekend of riding
and entertainment at the
eighth annual Run To The Hills Memorial Bike Rally held in Two Hills
last weekend.
The event was started by a group
of local bike riders who felt there was
a lack of bike events in their area. In
2008 the group pitched the idea to
the Two Hills Economic Development
Committee where it received unanimous support.
The event kicked off Friday, July 17
with a meet and greet pig roast. Saturday morning riders were encouraged
to show-off their bikes in a show and
shine event which was followed by a
prayer for fallen riders and friends.
The riders headed out on the poker
run at noon which was followed up by
an entertaining bike rodeo. Show and
shine awards were presented Saturday evening and all in attendance enjoyed an evening of musical entertainment. Children’s events filled Sunday
morning and riders were offered an
option ride before the event’s close.
Mannville Patient comfort fund wishes
to thank our sponsors for their
generous contributions to our
SUMMER
RAFFLE!
Village of Mannville
Mannville East Alta Coop
Mannville Credit Union
Mannville Liquor Store
Molson Canadian (Cole Ambrock) Mannville Riverview Golf Course
Candice Obrigowitch (Epicure) Kelly Dalton Massage
Cindy Trembly
Brittany Lysons (Cutco)
Vermilion Ag Society
Vermilion A &W
Vermilion Boston Pizza Thank you to everyone who helped with ticket
sales and making our raffle a success.
Congratulations Winners
of Mannville Patient Comfort Raffle
1st prize Backyard BBQ Package
GRACE KUSHNERICK
2nd prize Travel Alberta Package
ALYSHA PELLETIER
3rd prize Mannville Golf Course Pkg MERLIN LYSONS
4th prize Women’s package
TRACY DEENNG
Thank you to all for your Support!
6
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Acreage Antics –
Grandchildren Summer Fun
W
By Lorna Usenik
e recently had a granddaughter come stay with
us for a few days. We kept
her pretty busy. We spent the first
two nights and three days helping out
at a rodeo and we only lost her once!
She left her designated area and went
and checked out the little calves, but
all was good. We even managed to go
to our grandson’s fourth birthday between rodeo duties.
Then she got to spend the day with
Grandpa while I worked and spent an
evening with a neighbour and Grandpa while I called Bingo…good thing
she is very independent.
She spent a night at the lake with
her aunt and went to three days of
Summer Reading program and had a
ball.
But her love is horses, and was always asking to ride. Grandpa would
catch my “little black,” Billie, and
Grandpa or one of the other grandchildren would lead her around a
little. I took four of them to another
pasture that we have horses in and
the children couldn’t catch the one
they wanted. So they had to settle for
the paint horse but we didn’t have his
bridle with us. So the girls got on and
the grandson led them around. Then
we went home and our granddaughter
got led on my little black again, no one
else would ride him as they’d all seen
him perform.
I had to work Friday so Aunty came
and watched her and then took her
home with her; they went bowling
and ate ice. We met them at the Viking Gymkhana with Auntie’s horse
and my little black.
Grandpa got tired of leading the
horse around the gymkhana grounds so
he explained to our granddaughter how
to handle the horse. He showed her
where she could ride and she was off.
Aunty would come back every so often
and take the little black into the arena, but our Granddaughter rode in between. She spent a lot of the time just
standing beside the trailer cause that
is where the little black wanted to be.
The last time Aunty came for the
little black he was hot and tired and
didn’t want to do what she wanted to
do. He reared a little and “unseated”
her then reared again and she slid out
the back door, but never lost the reins.
So she gave him a talking to and got
back on and things were done her
way. So we had a talk with the granddaughter and explained how horses
can be unpredictable and you have to
be very careful. Our granddaughter
explained she’d talked to Billie and he
said he’d never do that with her. She
loved him, and was just that!
ERIC HLUS
April 26, 1981 –
July 22, 2005
There was no time to say goodbye
The day you went away.
You left us, oh so suddenly
10 years ago today.
Without farewell you fell asleep
With only memories for us to keep.
Beyond our smiles there lies a tear
For one we lost and loved so dear.
The hardest thing in life to bear
Is to want you around and you’re not here.
Our hearts still ache as we whisper low
“We love you and we miss you so.”
In our hearts you’ll always stay
Loved and remembered day by day.
We hold you close within our hearts
And there you will remain
To walk with us throughout our lives
Until we meet again.
Forever remembered, so sadly missed.
Love always,
Dad, Mom, Deanne (Steve), Donna (Kevin),
Darrel (Leanne), Erin (Nathan) and families.
Ladies Enjoy Wine,
Treats And Golf
Pictured here are, from left, Jenn Fulford of Crimson Imports,
Liquor Store owner Debbie Arnold, store employee Carol Levesque
and wine tasters Cheryl and Ashley Lyster.
L
adies of the Mannville area
were treated to an evening of
wine and tasty snacks as the
Mannville and Area Liquor Store
hosted a Wine Tasting event at the
Mannville Riverview Golf Course on
July 15.
Jenn Fulford of Crimson Imports of Calgary was in attendance to give hints and tips involved
when picking out wine. She said
when selecting wine one should take
note of the alcohol content.
“For white wines, the lower the al-
cohol content, the sweeter the wine. A
higher alcohol content will mean it is
a dryer wine,” said Fulford.
She added that for red wines, an alcohol content level of 13 will make for
a nice average wine.
The event was hosted by Debbie Arnold, owner of the Manville and Area
Liquor Store located in Mannville,
who provided snacks to compliment
the various wines for tasting.
After enjoying the wine and snacks,
the ladies headed out onto the golf
course for a round of golf.
Congratulations
Yarina
Lorencia Sen
Graduating from
Grant MacEwan University
Bachelor of Science Degree
and Biological Sciences
God Bless You,
Love Mom, Dad, Family
and Friends
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
7
Ranfurly Riders Brings Home International Bronze Medal
The entire team consisted of, from left, Coach Archie Hurst, Sara Sheppard,
Brittany Blanchard, Caiden Varasteh, Catriona Kozjin, Sky Davies, Coach
Pamela Zimmerman and team manager Dave Brown.
Pictured here are the Young Riders Canadian Saddle Seat Equitation
team with their bronze medals. They are, from left, Catriona Kozjin,
Sara Sheppard, Skye Davies, Brittany Blanchard and Caiden Varasteh.
L
ocal youth equestrian Skye
Davies said it was an opportunity of a lifetime to attend the
United States Equestrian Federation
(USEF) Young Riders Canadian Saddle Seat Equitation competition held in
New Orleans last month.
The team consisted of five riders and
two coaches, who headed south late last
month, just a couple days ahead of the
competition’s opening ceremonies.
Davies said she and her teammates
were excited to compete for Canada and
added the South African and Americans were intense competitors and very
committed to the sport.
As a prelude to the competition the
Canadian riders were treated to a trail
ride through Audubon Park in New
Orleans.
Team member had two horses selected for each of them to compete in both
three and five gated competitions. In
the competition it was young Davies
who was drawn as the first rider of
the competition. Keeping her nerves in
check, Davies performed as well as expected and completed her portion of the
competition. She said the heat did play
a slight factor for her in the competition and added she really worked hard
to keep her adrenalin in check while
lining up in the show ring at the end of
each class.
The group of young riders also had the
opportunity to tour the New Orleans
Pictured here are teammates
Brittany Blanchard and Sky Davies as they
could barely contain their excitement and
anticipation of the competition.
Skye Davies
competed on Breve Latte,
a Saddlebred horse,
during one of the classes
in the competition.
area taking in a number of attractions
and sights of the area. A swamp tour
saw the team members get to hold a
baby alligator, snakes and turtles. The
riders were also able to take some time
off to tour the famous French Corridor
and Bourbon Street where Davies says
they were exposed to the real flavour of
New Orleans.
The team ended the competition
receiving a bronze medal at the closing ceremonies on Saturday, June 27,
bringing home some valuable riding
experience in competing on the worldclass level.
Offering Riding Lesson throughout the summer.
5 Years and older, all levels of riders.
All disciplines of riding.
From pleasure riding to Show Ring at any level.
Horses and equipment supplied
or bring your own horse.
We also take in horses for training.
Young horses who need a start or older
horses who need a refresher.
Clinics and group training available
upon request.
Call Deb Davies 780-871-1762
or text 780-872-9437
Ranfurly, Alberta
The Manville & Area Liquor
Store has a wide selection of wines
and spirits for your weddings,
barbecues and any celebrations
on of
i
t
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e
l
e
s
e
d
i
w
a
We also havcecessories to choose from.
ea
party beverag
Hometown Atmosphere, Big City Selection!
5004 - 49 Street, Mannville, AB
780-763-3966
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
8
Lakeland College Alumnus
Accepted To Vet School
Moniek Okkema
Submitted by Lakeland College
G
rowing up on a farm southeast
of Vermilion spurred Moniek
Okkema’s passion for animals.
From the dairy cows they milked to the
horses she rode and the pets she loved,
Okkema always loved being around animals. Now she is working towards turning her passion into her future career.
The Lakeland College university
studies alumnus was recently accepted
into the University of Saskatchewan’s
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
(WCVM). As the premier centre of veterinary education and research in Western Canada, it is highly competitive to
be accepted to the college.
Each year, up to 78 students begin the
four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
program. On August 24, Okkema will be
one of those students.
“I am very excited for this,” she says
during a break from her summer job at
the Vermilion campus. Before she leaves
for Saskatoon, Okkema will continue to
work on the Vermilion campus, helping
out at the Student Managed Farm –
Powered by New Holland.
Okkema started working towards attending the WCVM in 2013 when she
enrolled in Lakeland College’s pre-veterinary medicine university transfer
program. After one year at the college,
she transferred to the Saskatoon university to continue pre-veterinary medicine
studies and automatically qualified for
the U of S transfer scholarship thanks
to her great marks from Lakeland.
“Transitioning from Lakeland College
to the U of S went well for me. Even
though the class sizes were a lot larger
O
at the U of S than at Lakeland, I was
prepared,” Okkema says. “It definitely
helped already having done a year at
Lakeland before going to a bigger centre.”
Prospective students must complete
at least two years of pre-professional
study, however, due to the competitive
nature of the program, most applicants
complete more than two years of university work. Thanks to Okkema’s consistently high marks, she qualified for the
interview process.
“The important thing is to keep your
marks up because they interview you
solely based on marks. If you don’t have
the marks, then you won’t get an interview,” she says. During the interview,
Okkema says she was asked about her
vet experience and soft skills. She prepared by conducting research about
WVCM, current ethical issues and the
vet field.
“It’s definitely nerve-wracking,” says
Okkema. “There is a panel of three people and they determine if you have to
do a few more years of school or if you
get into vet school. They’re interested in
what you’ve done in the past and what
kind of person you are. They are looking
to learn more about you than just your
academics in the interview.”
Now that she has been accepted to the
internationally-recognized veterinary
college, Okkema says she’s looking forward to her next academic chapter and
working in the veterinary field.
More than 450 undergraduate and
graduate students are enrolled at the
WCVM that includes a veterinary medical centre, a provincial diagnostic laboratory and large-scale research facilities.
Proposed ATCO Purchase
Divides LREA Members
T
wo area electrical suppliers have
conflicting views when it comes to
the services they provide as well
as the details surrounding a proposed
ATCO buy-out of the Lakeland Rural
Electrification Association (LREA).
A meeting was held on Tuesday, July
14, 4:00 pm at the Canadian Legion Hall
in Vegreville for the board of the LREA
to address the concerns of its members.
ATCO representatives say they were
formally proposing to buy-out the LREA
in early June and after making the official proposal on June 15, 2015, began
canvassing the area members with information in hand. The proposed buy-out
would see each of the members receive a
one-time pay out of just over $20,000 for
their membership, but would also see
the dissolution of the LREA.
LREA President Bernie Klammer
said the board was completely unaware
of the coming proposal which was faxed
to the LREA office on June 15 and stated, “The ink wasn’t even dry from the
fax machine and ATCO officials were
already canvassing the area members.”
The local REA provides electrical service to a number of its members as well
as maintaining the distribution lines
and poles. A concern of LREA board
members was what quality of service
the members would receive if ATCO
was to buy-out the LREA.
Klammer chaired the information
meeting and said that if there was a
power outage in the area, ATCO service
would be dispatched from Lloydminster
and would not be as timely as having a
lineman in the area.
Another concern many board members expressed was the fear that electrical rates would increase if the purchase was made giving the “monopoly”
to ATCO.
During a question and answer period, one member asked the board why
the members were not notified directly
by the LREA regarding the ATCO offer
to purchase instead of hearing about it
from the ATCO door-to-door campaign.
Klammer responded that the offer to
purchase was “unanimously rejected”
by the board. Another board member
firmly stated, “The LREA is not for sale.
It’s not for sale…unless you tell us.”
The LREA meeting ended with a light
lunch where members could meet oneon-one with board members to further
answer questions regarding the controversial topic.
Another meeting, previously scheduled for the same night, just a few blocks
away in the Elks Hall, had ATCO officials on hand to answer questions from
many of the LREA members who went
to get more answers about the proposed
buy-out.
The concern about not having service
personnel in the Vegreville area was
quickly quelled by ATCO District Manager for Lloydminster, Kevin Laing. He
informed members that ATCO has five
linemen in the Vegreville area, the very
same number of linemen as the LREA.
If a larger service truck was required
for repair of a pole or catastrophic power failure, it would have to come from
Lloydminster
At one of the presentation stations,
customers could bring in their current
LREA bill and ATCO representatives
would show where they could save money by the take-over in services.
The LREA membership was divided on the subject but most agreed they
need more information. If LREA members want to force a vote on the proposed buyout, they need to petition the
Board to hold a membership vote.
Mannville Fire
Respond To Multiple Fire
Along Highway 881
Have You Donated
To The Mural Project?
ur murals are taking shape
and people are thrilled with
their quality. This summer will
see the completion of four murals; the
creamery theme on Dicke’s Wicker, the
blacksmith shop on Stewart Realty,
three portraits on the west wall of the
McMinis building, and a floral scene on
the Bargain Store. We need your help
if we are going to continue with this
project next year! We need donations so
that we can again apply for a matching
grant. We have possibilities in mind for
2016 murals, but without funds to supplement with a matching grant, we will
not be able to proceed.
A $200 donation gets the name of
your choice on the granite plaques on
the Seniors Centre. Please consider this
opportunity to get involved with the
Vermilion Mural Project. We need your
help! Cheques can be made out to Vermilion Allied Arts Council and mailed
to box 3042, Vermilion, T9X 1B2.
M
embers of the Mannville Fire Department responded to a call of approximately a half dozen fires along Highway 881 north of the Village on
Tuesday, July 14 at about 4 p.m. The cause of the fires has not been
confirmed but it is suspected a truck may have had mechanical trouble causing
sparks to light up the grass along the roadway.
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
9
Summer Reading Program
By Kristin Bergman, Hiway 16 News
Student Reporter
T
he final week of the VIL’s Summer Reading Program (SRP) took
place July 15-17 and was a lot of
fun as the children experienced being
Paleontologists, Spies, and Storytellers.
Each day provided new games, crafts,
books, and food that were enjoyed by all
ages.
On Paleontologist Day, everyone got
a chance to dig for hidden fossils that
they later painted along with “dinosaur
eggs”.
Spy Day was very exciting as the children completed a secret mission to find a
missing emerald necklace. To complete
the mission they had to use gadgets
such as a black light and decoder to find
hidden messages, talk to some interesting teddy bear characters, and even find
their way past a room of “lasers”. In the
end it was discovered that our very own
librarian had taken the emerald necklace – by accident of course. The children also decorated masks and played a
guessing game called Hedbanz that day.
The last day was Storyteller Day
which was all about stories and adventures. For the craft the children created
their own worlds in a shoebox using any
of the leftover materials from previous
crafts including noodles, robots parts,
and lots of glitter.
The Summer Reading Program ended
with a bang - or, more fittingly, a moo as the COW Bus dropped by the library
and all of the kids got a chance to go inside.
The Classroom on Wheels (COW)
Bus, is a bus that carries interactive
books and activities for young children
and their parents to encourage play and
early literacy. From 11-12 p.m. the SRP
children and some parents were given a
chance to visit the bus in small groups
at a time as well as play with toys and
games provided.
After the SRP ended, the COW Bus
stayed for a Legacy Presentation to
present the Village of Innisfree Library
with $500 worth of books followed by
a Parent Workshop. Parents of young
children attended the workshop to learn
ways to promote interaction and literacy
in their homes for little to no cost. Each
parent received a story book, rhyme
book, and activity kit at the end of the
workshop to use at home with their children. The Library provided childcare
during the Parent Workshop as well as
a delicious lunch for the attendees of the
Legacy Presentation.
2015 was a very successful year for
the Summer Reading Program. A total
of 42 children attended the program and
most are hoping to return next year for
more active and creative fun.
The Library would like to thank
everyone who contributed to this program, including board members who
provided most of the snacks, read stories to the children, helped with set up
and clean up, and to Quinn Hlus who
was the MMI - FCSS summer student
helping out during crafts and activities.
A special thank you also goes out to all
who donated to and participated in the
Summer Reading Program.
Vermilion Veterinary Clinic (1977) Ltd
Dr. Tim Goodbrand & Associates
15th Anniversary Sale!
To celebrate 15 years in Vermilion,
I hereby declare a sale is in order!
For the month of July 2015, the following product
is reduced by 10%:
All bagged feed and mineral
All Crystalyx tubs
All salt
All Two-W Equipment
330 Bushel Creep Feeders
All CCIA, Ztag, and Allflex tags
Allflex syringes
Watson gloves.
Sale applies to in stock product only. Cash and Carry.
Thanks for your patronage!
4401-47 Ave · Vermilion, AB · T9X 1L5
Ph: 780 853 5904 · Toll Free: 866-474-3838
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
10
Hiway 16 News –
Carrier
Of The Week
B
ill and Marianne Baron are
the franchise owners of the
No Frills grocery store in
Vegreville. After Bill served as acting manager while still living in
Vermilion, the couple decided to
take over the store and soon after
made the move to Vegreville. The
store offers a full line of groceries as
well as seasonal and some apparel
items. No Frills is this week’s Carrier of the Week. Pictured here is Bill
Baron as he displays the current
copy of the Hiway 16 News.
Congratulations Fire Chief Jerrold J. Lemko
2015 Lifetime Achievement Award© /
2015 Le Prix d’Excellence©
Submitted
F
or a sixth year the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association conducted
a national search to name one of Canada’s best volunteer firefighters based
upon a prescribed criteria. The award is known as the, “CVFSA Lifetime
Achievement Award”©. The program is administered and managed by the CVFSA
and the nomination process was open for a three month period.
A committee of five volunteers from five different regions of Canada reviewed
the nominations and selected Fire Chief Jerrold J. Lemko, EMR from Vegreville,
Alberta. This marks the first time this award has gone to an Alberta fire officer. It
was noted that Chief Lemko has been in a leadership role his whole life in various
roles such as coaching, sitting on community associations or his role in a management position as a fire chief or director with the regional fire training group. Chief
Lemko will officially be presented his award in Ottawa on September 12 at the
annual general meeting of the CVFSA. A more in depth announcement will follow
with the accomplishments of this very special individual from Vegreville, Alberta.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Little T ykes Plumbing
DON POULIN
Ph: (780) 592-3840
www.thebeachside.ca
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE
who will be celebrating
a birthday or anniversary?
Send them best wishes on their special day
through the Hiway 16 Newspaper!
Photo and personalized birthday or anniversary message
included for $25 plus gst.
Happy
day
65th Birth
!
Grandma ren
andchild
Love, Your gr
Call or stop by the Hiway 16 News office
to get your birthday or anniversary message in the paper.
780-581-0871
sales@hiway16news.ca
5119 – 50 Ave, Innisfree, AB
PLUMBING
5434-44 Street
VEGREVILLE, AB
T9C 1C8
780-632-2043
HAVE YOUR
COMPANY
APPEAR IN OUR
BUSINESS
DIRECTORY FOR
ONLY $10
A WEEK!
Call our office to book your ad.
780-581-0871
* ads appear in black & white only,
all ads prices are plus GST.
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
W
11
Mannville Summer Reading Masks It Up
eek one of the Summer Reading Program at the library
started out with special guest, June Wyard-Scott sharing her experiences and pictures of Brazil then in the
afternoon the “Kids Make a Difference” program participants were
back to make their very own carnival masks. There was lots of
glitter and feathers for everyone to decorate their own creation.
Week two was all about Scotland when FCSS employee Dana
Fowler talked about her travels and showed her collection of pictures. It was all about rock painting in the afternoon.
There are still two more Wednesdays in July for our guests
sharing their travel experiences and afternoons of crafts. Anyone
wanting to participate is asked to call the library to let us know so
we have enough supplies.
T
Annual Fair A “Toss-Up” for Myrnam
he annual Myrnam Agricultural Fair got underway on July 18
with a pancake breakfast and
parade that saw approximately 35 participants. The afternoon gave area children a chance to take a pony ride at the
Myrnam Rec Centre after gobbling up
a great lunch put on by the Ag society.
There were plenty of activities to keep
the little ones busy including children’s
games and activities as well as a toy
tractor pull. A care show and shine displayed a wide variety of antique vehicles and a bean bag tournament seemed
to be a real crowd attraction. With 23
teams entered in the afternoon tournament and ten teams in the evening,
it was the duo of Terry Axley and Rita
Markiwsky who were crowned “Boss of
the Toss”. Dustin Axley and Josh Mach-
ney took second place for the afternoon
and then won the evening toss.
Bean bag toss organizers Cathy and
Dustin Axley said it seemed everyone
enjoyed themselves and it was nice to
see so many boards in action.
Ag Society president Liz Chomlak
said this event is the organizers main
project for the year and is happy with
the turn out.
“With a great group of board members and volunteers, there are numerous hours that each committee puts
time in for the various activities. I cannot thank them enough for their dedication,” said Chomlak.
The Myrnam fair has been in existence for approximately 30 years and
organizers say they are looking forward
to next year’s event.
PHOTOS: Submitted
12
Vol. I • №14 • Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Gardening Marvels
Maria Sen
dropped by
the office of the
Hiway 16 News
to show
a couple of items
grown in her
friend’s garden.
This garlic plant
is taller than
Maria and the
onions were ready
for use, both
plants appearing
to be very lush,
considering the
lack of moisture
this spring.
Do you have an
interesting item
you’ve grown in
your garden?
Bring it in
to the office
and let us take
a photo of it
to share with
our readers.
Thanks Maria!
2007 Damon Tuscany
360 HP Cat Engine
38 KF Model
10,000 KW Diesel Genset
Corian counter tops
Plush leather interior
24,000 kms
Original owner
All the best!
Two-Stage Crops Not Yet
A Concern To Farmers
M
any area farmers have been relieved by the recent rains seen all throughout the Hiway 16 News area. One problem they may now face are the numerous crops caught in the two stages of maturity. Seen here is a canola
crop with plants in the late flowering stage and also the smaller plants that are
not quite ready to bolt yet.
Dean Lindballe, Certified Crop Advisor with Crop Production Service (CPS) in
Innisfree, says this may not be that big of a problem to grain farmers if we have a
long, open fall, free of early frosts that may cause damage to the crops.
With the rainfall seen lately, Lindballe says it has taken what looked to be a
poor year for crops, to a year that may turn out to produce average yields for many
farmers this fall.
Local farmer Cory Hlus seemed to echo this very thought. “It wasn’t looking
good up till now but if we have a frost-free September, we should be able to get
the crops off.”
With lightened spirits, farmers are now turning their thoughts to getting the
hay crops baled, many with hopes of a better second cut later this fall.
1996 Corvette Convertible
LT1 Motor
6 Speed manual transmission
120,000 kms
Cold Air intake
Chipped
New tires all around
Second owner
$120,000
$17,000 OBO
2008 F350 FX4 SuperDuty
2007 TITAN CUSTOM
604 L Diesel
149,700 kms
New motor installed by City Ford
at 127,000 kms
Fully loaded, leather, NAV
8” Pro Comp lift kit
38” tires
500L custom fuel tank
Spartan Performance Chip
Full 4 ½” MBRP Exhaust
Original owner since new
$20,000
2002 F450 4x4
7.3 L Diesel
Hiab 060 Picker with 40 feet of reach
140,000 kms
Fully Loaded
Flip over 5th wheel hitch
Milron built deck & tool boxes
Owned as new
$125,000 to build
$20,000 OBO
124 S&S Motor
900 kms
Lots of chrome
280 Rear Tire
Original Owner
$46,000 New
$28,000 OBO
2008 Artic Cat M8
Turbo (Boondocker)
700 kms
162 3.0 Pitch 2 ½ track
Mint
Night Fire edition
$8,000
780-916-7387 • 780-603-1834