STEVE WOLBECK Sales Mgr. JOHN COURSER Sales 403.783.4494 www.adamsgm.com SUSAN BELL Finance Mgr. Parts Dept. NOW OPEN Saturdays until Noon 2014 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 DOUBLE CAB 4X4 (#14309) -North American Truck of the Year -AJAC Best New Truck for 2014 Payments as low as $ $ 205 205 plus tax bi weekly DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF PONOKA Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 Vol. 66, No. 4 403-783-3311 [email protected]www.ponokanews.com Ponoka & District Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2008 Couples dance the night away at one of Moose Hall’s many monthly dances. Old Time dances are every third Saturday from September to April and ballroom dances are every second Friday from September to May. Photo by Amelia Naismith Town council parts ways with CAO (Full story on page 2) Former CAO Brad Watson Mayor Rick Bonnett “Council is going in a different direction.” “There were successes and joys celebrated over the past six-plus years.”
Transcript
STEVE WOLBECKSales Mgr.
JOHN COURSERSales
403.783.4494www.adamsgm.com
SUSAN BELLFinance Mgr.
Parts Dept. NOW OPEN Saturdays until Noon
2014 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 DOUBLE CAB 4X4
(#14309)
-North American Truck of the Year-AJAC Best New Truck for 2014 Payments as low as
$$205205 plus tax bi weekly
DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF PONOKAWednesday, Jan. 22, 2014 Vol. 66, No. 4 403-783-3311 [email protected] www.ponokanews.com
Ponoka & District
Chamber of Commerce
Small Business
of the Year
2008
Couples dance the night away at one of Moose Hall’s many monthly dances. Old Time dances are every third Saturday from September to April and ballroom dances are every second Friday from September to May. Photo by Amelia Naismith
Town council parts ways with CAO
(Full story on page 2)
Former CAO Brad Watson
Mayor Rick Bonnett
“Council is going in a different direction.”
“There were successes and joys celebrated over the past
six-plus years.”
Page 2 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART MONTHA good occasion to address this alarming condition.Take care of your heart today!
PUBLISHES: February DEADLINE: Fridays 5 pm
VALENTINE’S DAYFriday, February 14Let the community know your special plans for this special occasion.
PUBLISHES: February 5 & 12DEADLINE: January 31 & Feb 7
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Advertising Deadline: February 7Publication Date: February 12
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That’s what makes Money Matters section an opportunity your business can’t afford to miss.
2014
Ponoka town council fires CAO by unanimous vote
Watson says leaving office his head held high
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
After a unanimous decision, Ponoka town council has dismissed CAO Brad Watson af-ter more than six years in his position as town manager.
The decision came after a 25-minute in-camera meeting Jan. 14 with all seven council members voting in favour, said Mayor Rick Bonnett. He did not go into details but said “council is going in a different direction,” when asked about the reason for the decision.
“Council basically in the last few weeks didn’t see the direction that we wanted to head…and decided to make a change,” said Bonnett. “
“(For) the plan going forward, we’ll set up a sub-committee of council to advertise and interview for a new CAO. We expect it to take between two and six months to find the ap-propriate candidate,” he explained.
Bonnett’s main concern is to ensure that staff have the resources they need while coun-cil looks for another manager. “We want as little disruption as possible through this and we think that our staff is capable.”
Delivery of services and staff are impor-tant to councillors, explained Bonnett. “We want to steer the organization in a different direction than it’s been heading in the last five
to 10 years.”Bonnett met with town staff early in the
morning Jan. 15 to let them know what was happening. He acknowledged there were ru-mours throughout the town but no decisions had been made until Jan. 14.
“We wish Brad all the best in his future endeavours…We have no ill will towards him. We just feel that we are going to head in a different direction and we just feel he was not the right person for the job at this time,” explained Bonnett.
He asked residents to be patient while council looks for a new manager and to give staff an opportunity to work through the transition. Bonnett said he is confident town employees can handle the workload.
Communication is going to be an impor-tant part of this transition, he added. Bonnett feels hiring a new communications person — which has been planned for in the 2014 budget — will make hiring a CAO easier. He suggests having communication flows al-ready in place will be an incentive for a new town manager.
Betty Quinlan, director of corporate services for the Town of Ponoka, has been ap-pointed as the acting CAO.
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
The decision to release Ponoka’s chief administrative officer did not come as a sur-prise for some and most especially for the CAO himself.
“It was made apparent to me for some time that they (councillors) had interest in that,” said Brad Watson after he was released from his contract Jan. 14 by Ponoka town council after an in-camera meeting.
That decision came within two and a half months of new councillors being elected. De-spite being released, Watson said councillors treated him respectfully. “We left shaking hands.”
“I said look, I’m not into mud-slinging. That’s not my character, that’s not in my na-ture,” explained Watson.
He said he and his family would miss Ponoka.
“We love the community. There’s great, great people here. It’s a good community,” he added.
Watson admitted he had dealt with some individuals who focused more on the nega-tive but feels in any community there are people like that. “Thankfully they’re in the minority.”
The CAO was hired in November, 2007 and said he was proud of many accomplish-ments over that time. He provided services as a notary to residents and enjoyed working to respond to their needs and working with town staff. Introducing the electronic voting system also proved beneficial. This became apparent in the recent mayoral race.
“The staff, look at what they’re ac-complishing,” said Watson. “There were successes and joys celebrated over the past six-plus years.”
He feels there have been many challenges such as where to put the Visitor’s Centre and how to best deal with the recent town annexa-tion on Highway 2 and Highway 53.
“There are challenges now with the rail-way spur line, but pick a community, there’s always challenges,” explained Watson.
While his immediate future is uncertain, Watson has already been contacted by some municipalities who have interest in his skills.
One of the things Watson is best known for in Ponoka is his fireworks abilities. He would work with the Ponoka and District Chamber of Commerce to present fireworks during Almost Midnight Madness. Reviews of the fireworks display was usually received well by residents.
Servicing levels an issue for recreation in PonokaBy Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
After reviewing a proposal to increase Pono-ka’s recreation fees by five per cent, council has decided to seek input before passing the raise.
The decision was tabled Jan. 14 during the reg-
ular council meeting upon a request from Coun. Carla Prediger to give users a chance to provide feedback. “We talk and we’ve got some ideas and stuff but we haven’t time, ” Coun. Prediger said.
Mayor Rick Bonnett agreed. He referred to a letter from the Ponoka Minor Hockey Asso-ciation (PMHA) stating concerns over service levels. “If we’re going to provide and improve servicing and we are going to charge more, this letter kind of says we’ve gotta do some homework there.”
The letter from PMHA states concerns over the number of staff that work at the arena and having to deal with busy times.
“With busy week-ends of hockey on both surfaces, it is a lot to ask one rink attendant (equipment operator) to deal with. Asking parents that are around the arena to give a will-ing hand is not always a bad idea, but who is responsible if one of these volunteers is hurt while helping out?” the letter continued.
On the Dec. 22 weekend, the letter says, there were issues with some rooms not being ready for teams. It appears the rink at-tendants were receiving schedules that were a couple of weeks old.
continued on page 3
NOTICENOTICEDonations are being accepted to show support for
Travis Ogilvie, RCMP memberwho was injured by Tofi eld, AB., January 6.
All donations will be sent to Valour Place in Edmonton in Travis’ name as requested by his wife,
Leah. Travis and Leah both grew up in Ponoka.
Valour Place is a non-profi t facility that is a temporary home away from home for all Canadian Forces members, Families of the Fallen, Veterans
and RCMP along withtheir families who require medical treatment in
Edmonton.
Please show your support to Travis, Leah and family as well as the other brave men and women who risk
their lives every day to protect us!
Th ank you!Donations can be made at any ATB Financial
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Servicing levels…continued from page 2
The issue of inadequate staffing occurred when an equipment operator had to manage rooms and pre-paring the ice surface. “The timing of the two rinks caused the rink attendant (equipment operator) no time to empty the Zamboni before cleaning the small ice.”
The machine became clogged and left piles of snow on the ice surface but parents stepped in to help remove the snow. The letter expressed concerns over seeing little assistance given to the equipment opera-tor.
“PMHA is a representative of the Town of Ponoka and when visiting teams are complaining about the cleanliness of our facilities, it can be an embarrassing conversation for many,” the letter states.
Wes Amendt, director of community services, told councillors that one operator has just retired and they are having trouble keeping attendants. He has advertised the need for a seasonal equipment opera-tor in the Ponoka News but said that has not brought many applications.
In an interview, Amendt did say he is trying to address the staffing issues as the workload for one operator can become heavy. “Right now, with the staffing level that I have, we have one operator who works on the weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then the other guy comes on and works 4 p.m. to midnight.”
“If I can find or hire a rink attendant, he would be that second person on the shift. That’s been the difficulty,” explained Amendt.
He said in a normal situation on weekends and evenings, there would be a rink attendant to help equipment operators. Equipment operators and rink attendants deal with two indoor rinks and the Scott Seaman’s Outdoor Rink as well.
Amendt feels the rink attendant position would be an ideal part time job for a high school student and has advertised in Ponoka high schools, on Kijiji and the employment centre.
“There’s other options for kids and sometimes janitorial work is not the most glorious job,” offered Amendt.
One equipment operator recently left his position to work in the oil patch as he was not getting enough money, he added.
“I’m sure that’s a challenge for many businesses in town,” said Amendt.
The town is working on wage comparisons with other municipalities and wage negotiations with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is soon to begin. Amendt feels it is council’s decision to set the salary wages.
“I’ve got a budget for staff, but I can’t find them or they won’t stay,” he added.
There has been some discussion to hire a full time employee for the Town of Ponoka who will work in different de-partments. Amendt feels there is merit to one per-son switching between different departments to ease the staffing burden.
Amendt was to meet with PMHA to discuss their concerns over staff-ing levels. Too hot for outdoor rink
Plus zero tempera-tures have melted away the ice at the outdoor rink, which had to be closed over the weekend due to safety concerns. The ice was becoming too thin and cement was starting to show. Staff at the arena were working on flooding the rink in preparation for the mid-dle to end of the week.
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Impaired driver clocked at 196 km/hBy Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Quick action by the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit helped nab a drunk driver Jan. 16 after being clocked at 196 km/h.
A concerned motorist called police to say there was a car driving in an erratic manner northbound on Highway 2 near Lacombe. It is reported it took the driver approximately 10 minutes to get from Highway 12 to Highway 13. At this point a member of the traffic unit clocked the driver at 150 km/h but was unable to intercept.
However another member was further north and ready to attend; the suspect was clocked at 196 km/h. After being stopped, the driver, a man from Grand Prairie, was believed to be intoxicated. He provided two blood-alcohol samples of .12 and .11.
There was a female passenger in the vehicle but she was asleep at the time. The vehicle was seized for seven days and the man lost his licence. He was charged with impaired and dangerous driving.
The next day officers stopped another vehicle on Highway 2 travelling at 195 km/h. Details of that incident were not available at press time. Intoxicated man charged with breach of condi-tions
Police were called to a home on the 5000 block
of 60 Avenue last week to deal with a domestic dispute. It is reported that a 35-year-old Ponoka man was yelling profanities at a 33-year-old woman in their home.
When police arrived the man showed signs of drinking alcohol and is on conditions to stay away from alcohol. He was arrested and charged with breach of conditions. There were three children under 12 years old in the building. Credit card fraudster
A Ponoka woman called police Jan. 13 after dealing with a man who claimed to be a computer technician. The man said his name was Peter Cooper, ID number 60224, the man was able to gain remote access to the victim’s computer. He asked for her
credit card number, which she pro-vided, and had access to her computer for approximately 15 minutes.
A call to her credit card company showed there were three transaction attempts on her credit card but were declined by the credit card company. Heavy winds cause collisions
Heavy winds were a factor in many collisions Jan. 15. One situ-ation involved a semi hauling two trailers on Highway 2 and Highway 53. Heavy wind blew over the empty trailers partially blocking the lanes.
There were no charges in the in-cident.
If you have information on any crime call Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Page 4 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Your Guide To Local Houses of Worship
CHURCH DIRECTORY
PONOKA WORD OF LIFE CHURCHPastor Rob McArthur 403-783-5659
9 miles east on Hwy 53 (403) 782-9877Jr. Church during service for children
Sunday Service 9:30 am
PONOKA ALLIANCE CHURCH4215 - 46 St. Pastor Norm Dibben 403-783-3958
Sunday Service 11:00 a.m.The Christian & Missionary Alliance
COMING SOON TO FIRST BAPTIST, PONOKA
DATES: Begins FEBRUARY 5, 2014
Every Wednesday for 13 Weeks [ends April 30/14]
WHERE: First Baptist Church, Ponoka—Coffee Room
TIME: 7:00—9:00 pm COST: $20.00
TOPICS: See www.fbcponoka.org
DivorceCare is a special weekly seminar and support group for people who are separated or divorced. See our web site www.fbcponoka.org for details of topics, and registration forms.
PONOKA RISINGSUN CLUBHOUSE
Community BlueBox Program
For $12.00 per month
We will pick up your paper, clean tins, glass, No. 1-5 plastic and cardboard.
We also pick up cardboard from local businesses.
For more information on these programs please call
403-783-5810 Weekdays
Paper towel points out problemI discovered something rather unsettling about
myself recently after having purchased a bulk-sized package of paper towel rolls.
Before I divulge my silly, but still embarrassing secret a little context might be in order. I can be a bit of a “nickel pincher” at times (I would have referenced the penny but with its near extinction it seems slightly less relevant). I like to make sure we get every last drop out of what we have, and reuse as much as we can.
The trouble that I have discovered is that my sense of preservation and consumption reduction wanes dramatically in the presence of prosperity, and yes, I am equating an excess of paper towel rolls with a form of prosperity.
Knowing that multiple packs of paper towel sat on the shelf made it easy for me to be wasteful with it; there was suddenly no effort to eke as much use out of a fragmented sheet as possible.
As I stood at the counter realizing my mindset on this, I was
reminded of a similar concept shared by the Apos-tle Paul. In discussing sin, he acknowledges that where sin increases, grace increases all the more.
I shudder to think of times in my life where I have allowed areas of indulgence or selfishness to crop into my life knowing the luxury of merciful, loving grace through Jesus Christ.
In Romans chapter 6, Paul challenges the mindset that grace is somehow a freedom to live in sin, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sin-ning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2).
The beautiful reality is that Jesus Christ has defeated death and sin, in Him we find forgiveness and redemp-tion, but that was never intended to be a license to sin. While I may at times find myself being a little liberal with an extra roll of paper towel, I hope that I don’t afford myself that same freedom in my surrender to Christ.
Jerel PetersWolf Creek Youth Unlimited/YFC
Wrong headline to opinion columnMustafa Eric’s opinion column
would be better called “The Dilemma of the Self” vs. “The Dilemma of Reli-gion.” Eric seems surprised that religion still plays a role how people think and act today. He fails to realize that being religious is inherent to the human per-son. The problem is that the majority of people today have a very artificial under-standing of religion and consequently do not understand themselves. All peo-ple have asked “What is right?” “How should I treat other people?” “Am I in control?”
Religion is a process by which humans attempt to answer these funda-mental questions. Answers differ as do the teachings of religions. If religions did not differ in their teaching there would only be one religion. There are many to-day who repeatedly conflate the world religions because they did not under-stand any of them.
Religions make different claims. It is important to know these differences and evaluate them. Jesus did not ask his followers what they thought of his teach-ings. He asked them who they thought he was. He made a claim to be God. Something Buddha, Confucius, Laozi, Abraham, and Mohammed did not do. Eric seems to prefer Eastern Religions
to Western ones. These philosophies are popular today because it does permit the individual a great amount of “ethical” flexibility. After all, there is no one to tell you that you are wrong. Wonderfully freeing and ultimately damning for there can be no certainty.
Mr. Eric asserts that even the “affilia-tion” of Pope Francis is being questioned. Well, it is being questioned by those that do not understand Catholicism. Further, it is being questioned by those who hope that Pope Francis will articulate their re-ligious views. This Pope is not going to change any of the major teachings of the Church. He can’t or he would fail to be Catholic. Eric blandly states that major religions like Christianity and Islam are capable of doing good and bad. What he should have said is that people are capable of doing good and bad. A priest who abuses a child has failed his voca-tion and his religion. He is at fault, not the religion. Oppressive regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia are not the failure of Is-lam, but of individuals who are Muslim.
Eric makes an assertion which is popular but is not grounded in much beyond his own mind. It cannot be de-fended that all religions lead to good: this is the hope of the religious dabbler. Eric, like so many today, has unknowingly
cited Immanuel Kant. Kant asserted that what matters after all is ethics, good behaviour. But we cannot have ethics without doctrine or worship as country cannot have good citizens without laws and patriotism. With-out doctrine and worship we cannot know what is good. And as we see in our culture, many claim to be doing to right while contradicting each other. And due to in-dividualism there is no accepted authority to define and defend goodness.
It seems that Eric prefers Eastern religions because they are individualistic but I do not think that Eric un-derstands Eastern religions. He fails to understand that Eastern, as well as Western, religions can be dogmat-ic. If a religion is not dogmatic it has nothing to teach because it does not hold anything to be true. Eric also asserts Western religions use rules and hierarchy to en-sure control. Surplus control does lead to oppression, but control is still necessary. Who truly prefers anar-chy to order? And without authority there is not surety. While a balance between collectivism and individual-ism must be constantly maintained, it is individualism that leads ultimately to totalitarianism and hell. Hell is not a place, but a state of mind where only “I” matter. It is my way or no way.
People today need good religious education. Unfor-tunately, there are very few who are qualified to provide this because it is so little valued in our culture. An in-depth knowledge of religion does not pay. Also, truth is contentious. Too many today are content with tolerance, at least tolerance of themselves and their behaviour--bad or good. But religious education and religious practice are difficult because good leaves no room for evil. It forces one to consider the well-being of the other.
Timothy N. NelsonEditor’s note: I thank Mr. Nelson for proving my
point, if unwittingly, that any discussion on religious be-liefs is wide open to misinterpretation (as demonstrated in the letter) because of differences in perceptions and that, therefore, individuals should be left alone in decid-ing how they would like to profess their allegiance to their deities.
PONOKA NEWS Page 5Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Refl ections of PonokaRefl ections of PonokaOur Pioneers created progress heard around the world!
Photo courtesy of Fort Ostell Museum
This classic photo shows Railway Street (50th) in the 1940’s. The Em-press Theatre, on the left, was built in 1912 by early Ponoka entrepre-neur Land Headley, and for decades was the local entertainment centre for both town and district residents. The Empress, and later the Capitol, played host to countless Minstrel shows and concerts, dances, boxing and wrestling matches, bingos, political meetings, and the first black and white silent movies. It even had a balcony, and was packed on most weekends by folks of all ages. Also shown on the busy street heading north are: Henry Taylor’s garage, The Club Cafe, Kennedy and Russell Hardware, the Royal Hotel, and the Bank of Commerce.
emember whenemember whenRR
By Mike Rainone for the News
Canada, since birth, has made amazing prog-ress that has been unmatched in world history. Throughout the 19th century science managed to tap into the secrets of nature to enable men and women to live longer and more comfortably, air travel has reduced the globe to a mere fraction of its former size, and communication advances have brought the sights and sounds of faraway places right into our comfortable living rooms.
During these exciting years of growth Cana-dian farmers all the way back to our early pioneer families challenged all the elements, feeling the constant winds of change, and in fact they helped to generate a whole lot of them. They swapped their early horses and mules for tractors, trucks, and autos, and their trusty coal oil lamps and pot bellied stoves for Mazda bulbs and modern appli-ances. Together they took the newest discoveries of the laboratories and put them to work in the fields and feed lots, and in most case made them per-form a whole lot better than ever expected. As they faced this tremendous growth and ongoing new technology these farmers would also create vast new economic problems for themselves, but they banded together to form co-operatives that along the way have proved they could help build better communities, then, and long into the bright and successful future that would be shared and enjoyed by countless generations. This heartfelt salute is dedicated to them for their efforts, their sheer de-
termination, and their will to survive by willingly sharing their knowledge and their personal skills and possessions:
Their deeds are written on the land, those men of lowly name;
Theirs was the strong and faithful hand, un-skilled to grasp at fame;
Content to lead a simple life unvexed by dis-content or strife, til Deaths oblivion came.
They sowed that when they fell asleep, their children’s children still might reap.
Scant was their knowledge and uncouth they seemed to courtly eyes;
But Kindness, Honesty, and Truth may walk in rugged guise.
Unconscious of their own true worth, as deep within the dust of Earth the dazzling diamond lies; they studied at a simple school whose lesson was the Golden Rule.
Unused to scenes that stir and thrill to con-quests lurid glow;
Their homely boast was strength and skill to lay the forest low;
To tear the stubborn stump from the earth, and burst the pine tree’s mighty girth with a strong and steady blow.
These were the foes our fathers fought, on field by bloodless battles bought.
And they were the heroes for the sweat of la-bors swarthy brow,
Though heraldry and fame, forget the knight-hood of the plow.
Is precious as the crimson flow of patriots expiring throe, our nation to endow,
For noble deeds both brave and good need not the baptism of blood.
They rest in peace beneath the sod, their toiling hands have won, these fruitful fields so green and broad, proclaim that their work was well done.
And so we who bear the lighter part shall keep this leg-end in our heart;
Of them, whose race is won, “The hands that held the axe and plow have made our nation mighty now.”
And there were wives and
mothers too, brave, patient, tender, kind.... whose hands were full, whose hearts were true.
Though crude perchance the mind; to deftly whirl the droning wheel, and on the antique, skeining reel, the homespun product wind, to cook, to sew, such was their boast, and who shall say, ‘twas labor lost.
The busy hand, the weary limb, in death untroubled sleep the eyes with evening tasks grown dim, no more shall wake nor weep.
And we for whom their lives out-wore in tender memories’ treasure store, their names and deeds shall keep, among the noblest of the earth, proud that such Mothers gave us birth.
Oh, dear, departed weary ones, our ancient honoured dead; May rev-erence guard your holy bones, and love their lowly bed.
For us’ til all that we can do....above the mounds that shelter you the grateful tear to shed, Keep green the memory and the grave and guard the rich and proud Heritage ye gave.
Sharp and clear are the dreams of our young.....and always framed in gold. Today more than ever before, they have the right to be looking for-ward to the bright future, but must always be proud of the colorful grit and heritage of our past..
Photos submitted
As our youth looks to the future of farming and ranching in Alberta, we look back to those hardy pioneers who settled in this area, broke the fertile land, and worked so hard to sow the seeds of what we have today in our thriving County’s and communities!
Page 6 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Opinion Opinion
NewsNewsPONOKA
5019A Chipman Ave., Box 4217, Ponoka, AB. T4J 1R6Phone: 403.783.3311 Fax: 403.783.6300 Email: [email protected] every Wednesday by PNG Prairie Newspaper Group in community with: Regional Publisher, Fred Gorman
No double standard in meeting obligations It turns out that an outburst by a rock
star can shake the oil establishment and the Government of Canada a lot stronger than thousands of pages of scientific studies and academic reports on the environmental damage inflicted by the development of oil sands in northern Alberta.
As almost everybody in Canada has heard by now, rock idol Neil Young blasted the oil companies and the federal government for allowing irreversible dam-age to be done to the environment and trampling on the treaty rights of the First Nations affected by the exploitation of oil sands.
Commentators and government spokes-people have been lining up to fire their salvoes against the rocker since Young first made his statement with regard to his con-cert tour to raise funds for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), which aims to protect its land against oil sands development. All the funds raised through the concert series will be dedicated to the legal battle that APCN has been waging
to be able to keep its tradition-al way of living.
Most of the pundits ridi-cule the singer’s likening of oil sands territory to Hiro-shima after fall of the atomic bomb and accuse him of fail-ing to get his facts straight.
But when it comes to facts, there are so many conflicting numbers, statistics and data as to how much money goes to First Nations from oil sands development, how First Na-tions businesses benefit from the industry and how much improvement has been made in environmental restoration work following the extraction oil from the soil.
But not one commentator, either from the government side or from the big oil, have said that the treaty rights of APCN have not been violated, because they have been, period.
The issue here is something above and
beyond money, something both the big oil and governing political party which relies a lot on the funding from it would like to have forgotten, as eloquently stated by As-sembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo: “The fundamental issue here is the respect and recognition of First Nations rights, Treaties and title.”
Government of Stephen Harper issued an apology in June 2008 to all First Nations
for the practices employed in residential schools for almost a century, from 1870 to early 1970’s.
But almost six years on, the same lead-ership under Stephen Harper is engaged in an effort to introduce another education system that most First Nations categori-cally reject; AFN has recently withdrawn from talks with Ottawa on identifying some serious treaty issues to be resolved and oil
sands development continues to become a bigger threat against the culture and life-style of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, among others.
One cannot help but wonder if the apol-ogy of June 2008 was just an attempt to sugarcoat a bitter pill that was intended for the First Nations to swallow.
Government of Canada, itself, will have some serious legal battles ahead as the Arc-tic continues to slowly melt away and more maritime traffic starts to flow through wa-ters of the Arctic Ocean and more sections of the continental shelf and offshore areas become available for deep-sea resource ex-ploitation because Russia, Denmark and the U.S., among others, will claim their rights to explore and mine resources in those wa-ters.
How credibly can, then, the Canadian government defend its rights under the ex-isting treaties and covenants if it doesn’t observe the treaties that it has signed with its own people?
Mustafa EricEditor
Everyone deserves to have a home-sweet-home.Even though I may be a young-at-heart
71 year old senior citizen, I still have a great deal of concern as far as housing and accommodations for those who are enter-ing our ‘golden years’ and others who are down on their luck and trying to make a start in the community. Our family has re-cently faced that always traumatic situation head on as our parents/grandparents have reached the age of 95 (dad) and 89 (mother) and can no longer live in their cozy condo-minium apartment in Victoria, B.C.
Thanks to the exceptional care, kind-ness, and persistence of their care-givers, family members, and the British Columbia Health Authority, they were able to team together and make their transition quickly from the hospital setting to an aging but excellent and soon to be expanding care facility only a few blocks away from their former home. Dad and Jean, bless their hearts, will now be able to be together and stay together, maybe not in the same room, but every single day for the rest of their quite active lives at a reasonable cost. We all know that we were very lucky and for-tunate to see this happen so quickly to our loved ones, but we also realize that there are hundreds of other couples and individuals who face countless obstacles finding suit-able accommodations and support during extended periods of time and turmoil.
In so many cases across our province
and nation, we have heard about loving couples being separated or kept apart be-cause of illnesses or due to the lack of proper and afford-able facilities. In my opinion, the top priority for our gov-ernments and community councils is to lobby for ample quality facilities and funding, not only for seniors, but for those individuals or families who have been released from hospital or are looking to start a new life in the community. Yes, of course, there are currently many wonderful public and private facilities in our community and elsewhere to serve these vital purposes, but are they enough to accommodate the baby-boomer demand in the future, will they be affordable for all walks of life, and are there plans in place to expand the existing facili-ties and to build or promote new ones in the future??
I am also concerned about the hard-working and dedicated staffs and agencies that serve our aging population, those with illness or disabilities, or those down on their luck. They all desperately need a whole lot of extra support to get the care that is needed, a fair break, and the opportunities to survive and seek happiness in this sup-posedly wealthy province of ours. Is there
enough support, staff, and funding in place for such vital agencies as Family and Com-munity Support Services, Halfway House, The Rising Sun Club House, Rimoka Foundation, low cost housing units, hospitals, group homes, and on and on? Unfortunately, the Champions’ Place Centre, which served many mental health clients for several de-cades in Ponoka for nearly
a decade has had to shut its doors due to lack of funding, and there are rumours that many others are struggling to survive on very tight and dwindling budgets.
Please get out there and lobby and direct many questions to your MLAs, MPs and lo-cal councils, administrations, and boards to make sure that future expansion plans are in place and being promoted at both the public and private health care, community support, and program levels. After all, we may all be placed in the position of need-ing some vital assistance for ourselves, our parents, family, friends, or newcomers who would like to make this always friendly and giving community their permanent lifetime home, no matter what their circumstances or walk of life might be. My great friends at the Ponoka News will be asking many of these same questions and following these
vital programs throughout our community and districts, and they really look forward to your interest and important input along the way..Some barbershop chatter.
I was having a haircut at the barbershop the other day when one of the guys asked me what movie actress I would like to be stuck in an elevator with. Pausing just a mo-ment I told them that I would like to be with one who knows how to fix elevators.....be-cause I am old, tired and I have to pee a lot.
January may be cold and snowy, but then this is the perfect time to think about that red hot surprise that you are going to give to your honey on Valentines’ Day-Friday-February 14th. Watch out for icy puddles and have a great week, all of you..
Mike RainoneHammertime
Send us your lettersThe Ponoka News welcomes letters to the
Editor, especially those dealing with topical or local issues. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words in length and must have the writer’s signature over printed name, along with the writer’s address and telephone number. The ad-dress and telephone number will not be printed. This newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for length and legal considerations. Deadline is noon the Thursday prior to publication. Send your letter to: The Editor, Ponoka News, 5019A Chipman Ave., Box 4217, Ponoka, AB T4J 1R6 or email: [email protected]
PONOKA NEWS Page 7Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Town TimesCome visit us: 5102 -48 Avenue; Ponoka, AB T4J 1P7
Phone: 403-783-4431 Fax: 403-783-6745 Email: [email protected] Check us out Online: www.ponoka.ca
COUNCIL UPDATES & BYLAW INFO
EVENTS AND RECREATION
NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Public Skating: Proudly sponsored by Ponoka Lions Monday - Thursday: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm **Shinny Hockey on Weekdays only**
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~ Anne Bradstreet
New Home Buyer Protection ActThe New Home Buyer Protection Act (NHBPA) will come into force eff ective February 1, 2014 as part of the Government of Alberta’s ongoing commitment to improving consumer protection, recourse options and builder accountability for new homes built in Alberta. Builders or new homeowners who have questions or want more details can refer to the Municipal Aff airs’ website. www.municipalaff airs.alberta.ca/NHBP or contact Municipal Aff airs at 1.866.421.6929.
Snow Load AdvisoryIn accordance with the Alberta Building Code; the design snow load on a roof in the central Alberta area would equate to either 16 inches of dry pack snow maximum depth, or 12 inches of very wet snow, maximum depth. Considering that this winter is only half over and a lot of roofs have this much snow already accumulated on them, it is advisable that the snow on the roof be removed at this time so that any further snow accumulation will not have the possibility of exceeding the design snow load as stated in the Alberta building code.
Business Licenses Are Now Due!The 2014 Business License Renewal Notices have been sent out and are due no later than the close of business on January 31, 2014. Inquiries can be directed to 403.783.0119.
Waste Transfer Station HoursTuesday through Saturday – 10 am to 4 pm
**There is a minimum tipping fee of $8.00 per visit.**
There is no charge for compostable materials (grass clippings, garden waste, leaves, branches) or tires.
Call 403-783-8328 for more information.
Economic Development Board OpeningThe Economic Development Board with the Town of Ponoka is looking for additional membership. Come join a volunteer board of local business people who work towards helping our community thrive. The board meets the second Wednesday of every month. For more information or to express your interest, please contact Sarah Olson, Economic Development Offi cer with the Town of Ponoka (403) 783-0116 or e-mail [email protected].
Library NewsStory Time: Ponoka Jubilee Library invites children ages 3-6, along with their parents, to take part in our bi-weekly Children’s Story Time! From September-May on Monday at 2:00 pm and Friday at 11:00 am, children will be introduced to the Library and reading through stories, crafts and games. This is a drop-in activity, no payment or registration is required. Like us on Facebook to stay up to date on all our events! Help us reach 100 likes!
Employment OpportunitiesQualifi ed Lifeguards and Swimming Instructors Rink Attendant (PT/Seasonal): For the 2014 ice skating season at the Arena Complex. Hours of work will be primarily evenings and weekends. Casual Equipment Operator I – Arena Complex: Previous work experience with artifi cial ice maintenance, ice resurfacer operations and maintenance, and general building maintenance/janitorial are preferred. For more details on these positions, contact 403-783-0118. Application forms are available at www.ponoka.ca. Submit your application to the Town Offi ce at 5102-48 Avenue or email [email protected].
Recreation Facilities Schedule is On-lineCheck it out at www.ponoka.ca and click on ‘Recreation in Ponoka’.
Aquaplex Update- Burn those Christmas Calories, Fitness classes run daily 8:30-9:30am, and Tuesday Aqua Zumba 7:30-8:30pm, Thursday Deep water Fitness 7:30-8:30pm. Lap Swim is great for low impact cardio! Runs daily!
Council Meeting UpdateThe regular Town Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 28, 2014 has been cancelled. The next scheduled Council meeting is on February 11, 2014 at 7:00 pm.
2014 Dog Licenses Now DueTake Advantage of the Discounted Rate Pay Before February 1st
$25.00 Per Dog Now! Price will return to the regular price of $40.00 after February 1st. All dogs over the age of three months must be licensed. As per Bylaw # 114-01, owners will be fi ned $50 for dogs caught not wearing a current dog tag. Thank you for being a responsible dog owner.
Council wants to increase communication
with residentsBy Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
In an effort to open dialogue with residents, town councillors are look-ing at changing how their regular meetings are held.
A proposed bylaw will allow residents the opportunity to speak to council during their meetings. This will replace the current procedures bylaw, which does not provide resi-dents an opportunity to speak.
“The interest was to practice some sort of political correctness,” explained CAO Brad Watson, during a regular meeting Jan. 14.
Besides some other minor chang-es, this proposed change allows that “Members of the public, who consti-tute the audience, may be provided an opportunity as part of the meet-ing to address council on any topic relevant to municipal government for a period of time not to exceed two minutes per person.”
Council will hear from no more than three people and may or may not take action of the discussion. This is a less formal approach than the current method where residents inform the CAO of their desire to meet council as a delegation, which then is added to the agenda.
One more change to the bylaw gives the mayor a chance to allow another councillor to run a regular council meeting, should it be re-quested. Mayor Rick Bonnett feels this will benefit councillors and the town in the future. “So you guys (councillors) will learn of session planning.”
He suggested that becoming mayor will be an easier transition if
councillors already have some expe-rience running meetings.
Coun. Loanna Gulka had some concerns over the wording of the new provision, which states: “The intent of which is to provide the per-son council audience…”
She asked that the wording be changed to make the statement clear-er for those reading it.
Coun. Carla Prediger wanted to know what the process would look like when residents seek audience. “Who’s responsible to manage that?”
The chairperson of the meeting would be responsible in dealing with residents and ensuring they follow proper conduct in the meeting, re-plied Bonnett. He feels if there is a contentious issue, many people will have questions but the chairperson of the meeting should take control to ensure things do not get out of hand.
The intent is to give residents a chance to either bring something for-ward or ask for clarification on an item in a formal setting, he explained. Bonnett said Ponoka County has put this in practice for about three years.
Guidelines in the bylaw do not allow certain conduct such as using foul language or being disrespectful to councillors or individuals in the gallery; the person may be ordered to leave their seat by the chairperson in such cases.
“I haven’t seen it abused,” added Bonnett.
Council approved second reading of the bylaw. It is expected to pass at the next meeting once the wording has been changed.
MLA’s claims not totally correct Dear Editor,
I’d like to offer some quick clari-fication on the claims proposed by Wildrose MLA Rod Fox in his ar-ticle last week (entitled “Looking at 2014 in Alberta”).
I am a therapist at the Centennial Centre and I work closely with our social workers to assist families in navigating discharge and placement.
Rod Fox states that the opposi-tion has “forced an end to the policy that placed seniors as far as 100 kms from their families”.
What Rod Fox fails to mention is that this policy is actually still in place, but it was reduced to 80 kms instead of 100 kms.
He further does not mention that
this 80 km placement is proposed as a temporary placement to free up rooms/services in acute care, and when a room or bed is available in a closer or preferred community, then the client is able to move closer to their families.
Personally, I am not pleased with this policy and I furthermore do not have the knowledge to dispute any of Rod Fox’s other claims.
Instead, I write this letter to hold Rod Fox accountable for his claims and recommend that he not misrep-resent information to the very people who placed confidence in him during the election.
Greg Workun
GET YOURBUSINESSOUT THERE
CALL CALL 403-783-3311403-783-3311
Page 8 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
You are what you drink
JOIN US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Camrose Feb. 5, 7:00-9:30pm Stoney Creek Centre
Wetaskiwin Feb. 6, 7:00-9:30pm
By-the-Lake Park
Hughenden Feb. 11, 7:00-9:30pm
Community Hall
New Brigden Feb. 13, 1:00-3:30pm
Community Hall
Castor Feb. 20, 7:00-9:30pm
County of Paintearth office
What sources of water do you rely on? What risks might impact the quality and quantity
of those water sources?
Source water protection is all about protecting our drinking water at the “source” - both the groundwater that flows beneath our feet and the surface water that flows through our rivers and streams.
Join us to learn more about opportunities for source water protection in your region.
Plan to attend! These workshops are free, but pre-registration is appreciated. Call 780-672-0276 or email
The staff at John Low Agencies, Direct Travel and Envirowest Engineering, (back row) Kayla, Nancy, Diane, Theresa, Dorothy (front row) Shawna, Ramona, Amber have put on their Olympic jackets on Tuesday, Jan. 14 to show their support for Canadian Olympic athletes.
Photo by Mustafa Eric
Former county Coun. Hinkley looks back at years of service
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
After 24 years of service, former Ponoka County Coun. Gawney Hinkley has many stories to look back on.
He was also a board member with the Ponoka Fam-ily and Community Support Services (FCSS) for 20 years. One thing he is most proud of is helping set up the Cancer Fund about 15-years ago, which he was able to make use of recently. “There’s been a tremendous amount of use from the local people.”
He feels it was better to spend the money to help people locally rather than to a large organization. Trav-elling to large cities for treatment can be expensive and paying for medication even more so, said Hinkley. This program has helped many people over the years.
After being diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, Hin-kley lost 55 pounds last year. He had to deal with being a councillor and his health.
“I got a get well card and a cheque for $500,” said Hinkley.
“I do know a lot of the people in the area now that do need it,” he added.
FCSS also makes use of a Home Care contract from Alberta Health Services and has been for the last few years. Groups such as FCSS and for-profit agencies such as Bethany Group make use of these contracts to provide home care. Hinkley helped ensure that Bethany Group would not compete with FCSS to win the grant.
He feels FCSS’s future is uncertain with changes to Alberta Health Services. Ponoka has had the contract since the ’70s and Rimbey since approximately 2003.
“They (FCSS) have a challenge they can’t hardly meet because of the situation of what the province has done with mental health alone,” he stated.
The board of directors for FCSS may have had dif-ferences of opinion on plans but Hinkley believes that is a sign of a strong group. He credits director Shannon Boyce-Campbell for doing well in her role. Rimbey and Ponoka are part of the same FCSS group and Hinkley said the two agencies have worked well together.
As for his work as a county councillor, Hinkley sug-gests one of the best things councillors can do is raise their voices at the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) and at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA).
“It’s the only way you can get legislations changed in the province. The only good way that’s going to get it changed,” he stated.
Despite issues last year with the Calnash Trucking Ag Event Centre, Hinkley is proud Ponoka County had a hand in its development. “Eighty-five years from now, that agriplex building will still be used.”
“That’s why I pushed for it,” he added. continued on page 10
www.ponokanews.comCheck us out
online @
PONOKA NEWS Page 9Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
HearWellAudiology
Gaetz (50th) A
ve. Greyhound
Safeway
2A
43 ST
Creekside Professional Centre 4320 50th Avenue Suite #202
You don’t think twice about regular visits to your Optometrist or Dentist, but when was
the last time you saw your Audiologist?
A reduction in hearing can be di cu t to detect ithout the he o an Audio ogi t
Audiologist, Dr. Towers, Returns to Practice
in Red DeerDr. Towers, you’ve been an
Audiologist in Red Deer since
2003. Where are you returning
from?
I’m glad you asked. You are
correct. I helped hundreds, if not
thousands, of Central Albertans
with hearing diffi culty from 2003-
2009. In 2009, I was asked to join
one of the world’s largest hearing
aid manufacturers and became
the Chief of Audiology for their
Canadian branch. It was an
opportunity I couldn’t refuse and
it turned out to be a tremendous
learning experience.
You are seeing patients in Red
Deer again. How might that
experience you mentioned
benefi t the people from Central
Alberta?
I think it presents me with a set of
knowledge and experiences that
is tough to fi nd. I spent a lot of
time at the manufacturer’s world
headquarters in Copenhagen,
Denmark. It was my job to
bring back technical knowledge
and research from Denmark to
the Canadian hearing health
care providers. So I learned a
tremendous amount about how
hearing aids are made, why they
can be so expensive and what goes
into research, development and
production of hearing aids. On top
of that, I got to travel to hundreds
of other Audiology clinics across
Canada to teach them about the
technology. The best part is I got
to learn from them as much as
they learned from me. So overall,
there is no doubt, that these are
experiences th at can’t be gained in
Universities and Colleges and are
really unique in Canada, let alone
Alberta.
It seems like the world of
hearing clinics and hearing aids
has changed a lot. Is it just me
or are there a lot of new clinics?
It has changed a lot, for a couple
of reasons. The fi rst would be that
some clinics are now owned by
manufacturers. Obviously those
clinics have an interest in what
technology they might recommend.
Secondly, the baby boomers change
everything as they have in every
industry since WWII. They have
infl uenced industries from diapers,
to minvans. It just so happens now
that that age group is getting to the
point where a reduction in hearing
is becoming a reality.
So how is someone supposed to
decide where they should go for
help?
I always tell my patients that
who you see is more important
than what you get. You should
strongly consider choosing to see
an Audiologist, specifi cally. More
importantly though, you should
think of your choice in hearing
care as a relationship with your
Audiologist, rather than a retail
sale. Yes we pay for hearing aids
in Alberta so it feels like retail,
but it is health care and whomever
you see should make you feel that
way. You should not feel like you
are being sold something, but
rather, that you are being cared
for as you would at the dentist
or optometrist. Something we
strive for at HearWell Audiology
Clinics is honesty, integrity and
trust. I’d like you to trust that I
will do everything in my power
to help you hear better and
resolve any concerns. You should
also ask about warranties and
service plans. We offer you 5 year
warranties through our Peace of
Mind Guarantee, which includes
batteries and offi ce visits. Simply
put, we believe in complete and
thorough care.
Page 10 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
14013UC0
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For me, Christmas was a kaleidoscope of all kinds of wonderful; laughter, presents, fam-ily, friends, and food.
Mostly food, I’m thinking.
The kaleidoscope has, of course, stopped turning and it is over.
And in my house, as I’m sure in every other house on my street, and on your street, and out in the country where
there are only fields and forests, everything that spells Christmas has disappeared. It’s in storage and that’s a good thing.
But, I’m sad to say some things you cannot store away.
This year, as December has given way to January, I discovered one unwanted little Christmas gift that simply won’t go away.
It seems in the happy season of cookies, choco-lates and cake which all add up to calories, a few extra pounds have crept onto my person.
“No,” I argue with scale, as I peer nearsightedly at the alarming new number that jumped out with alarming clarity. “You are so wrong. You are lying.”
But, it turns out either all the scales were lying or I was in denial, which, of course, leads to lying.
After I got over the denial thing and allowed some time for mourning, I decided to get pro active.
I quit eating all the Christmas goodies (okay, that was easy, everything was already eaten), and told myself to take my self, extra pounds included, to the gym.
I also bought a pedometer.The pedometer is so cute. It’s this tiny scrap of
nothing that will measure how many steps you actu-ally take in a day.
Apparently, if you do 10,000 steps you are right in step with active people who step a lot and not just to the fridge and back.
I bought it with my usual optimism born of a natural instinct to do the easy thing first.
But, apparently, you can’t just buy a pedometer and expect to lose weight, just like you can’t just drive by the gym, and say you’ve been there.
Really! Who set those rules?With forced cheerfulness, I gingerly took the cute
little pedometer out of its packaging which took ex-actly four hours and 23 minutes as it was secured in this childproof packaging that no one could open without the aid of a cutting tool.
Once I got it out, I discovered I really had no idea how to set the thing, even after I quit trying to read the French side of the instruction book.
Luckily, my daughter-in-law knew how to set it. She’s good at stuff like that. She set it quickly, effi-ciently and correctly and handed it back to me almost immediately.
“Thanks, I think,” I murmured, somewhat aghast. Now what? I have to actually get up and start step-ping, I whined.
I’ve had the pedometer for about a week now.
Stepping through the day one step at a time
Treena MielkeOn The Other Side
Hinkley….continued from page 8
Hinkley was able to make strong contacts in the provincial government and with other counties and is grateful for that time. He has received many cards of support with his recent health issues.
There have been almost countless committees that he has been a part of and Hinkley in particu-lar remembers zoning land near Maskwacis to develop the Pê Sâkâstêw Centre. He is proud of the project, but believes changes from the federal government hindered the centre’s operation.
Hinkley is enjoying life outside of council and has been told his health is improving.
And I’ve stepped. I’ve stepped on ice and through snow banks and onto the treadmill at the gym. I’ve stepped up and down the stairs and from my car to the office. I’ve stepped to the grocery store and to the
mailbox and to Tim Horton’s for coffee. I’ve stepped, stepped and stepped some more.
And every night before I go to bed, I take off the pedometer to check and see if I
have made the required 10,000 steps. And, every night, I discover I have not.
It is very discouraging.But, really I am very close. So close.Maybe tomorrow!
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Midget Wolves beat RCMP in KidSport charity game
Midget A Wolves captain Colton Somerville hosts the charity game tro-phy as the first team ever to win a 6-4 game against the RCMP All-Stars.
Photo by Amelia Naismith
During the break at the charity game, Mites played a demonstration game to add excitement to the evening.
Photo by Amelia Naismith
By Amelia Naismith
As the Ponoka RCMP All-Stars and the Midget A Wolves battled head-to-head for the puck and trophy, the Ponoka KidSport Chapter reaped the rewards.
In a charity hockey game between the two teams, held Jan. 14, more than $500 was raised for Ponoka KidSport. The Midget A Wolves took home the game’s trophy as they came out on top 6-4 in the game.
“A lot of thought was put into the beneficiary. (The) RCMP recognizes the benefits of kids in-
volved in sports programs,” said event organizer Const. Ryan Khoeli, who is the School Resource Officer for Ponoka and the Midget A Wolves’ head coach.
“I think I was just at the office and somebody had the idea of doing some community type event, and everybody likes hockey,” he added.
All proceeds of the evening go to KidSport, and the event included a 50/50 draw and puck toss.
When KidSport director Kathy Matejka re-ceived the news that KidSport had been selected,
she was ecstatic. “It was great. The com-munity has just been great supporters since we launched last April.”
“We were thrilled of course,” Matejka added. Since Ponoka KidSport began, the organization has helped fund 28 youths.
For its first time, Khoeli felt the game went well, with every-body having fun and a good crowd in atten-dance.
Although it’s too early to say, he feels the charity game could become an annual event. “The guys at the detachment bought a trophy, there’s lots of room to add years on it.”
Khoeli says the game also provided the mem-bers of the detachment an opportunity to shed their uniforms and build better relationships with some of the youths in town. “It’s a pretty easy fundraiser when it’s something everybody’s in-terested in.”
The proceeds of the community calendar, printed by Accu Publishing, are also being do-nated to Ponoka KidSport this year.
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Page 12 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Students at Ponoka Elementary School learn how the AMA School Safe-ty Patrol program works. Students will begin patrolling during parent pick up and drop off times by the end of January. Here Jordan Crawford holds up his patroller’s pin. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Students at Ponoka Elementary School learn how the AMA School Safety Patrol program works. Students will begin patrolling during parent pick up and drop off times by the end of January. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Crossing guard program at PES to be rolled out
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Students at Ponoka Elementary School (PES) are ready to roll out following their AMA School Safety Patrol training.
Twenty-three Grade 6 students volunteered for the program and were trained Jan. 16 by Darcy Baron, re-gional co-ordinator of the AMA School Safety Patrol, who was contacted by a member of the PES parent council with a request to conduct the training.
“It came to my attention that there are a lot of needs here at the school and I think it’s going to be ongoing because of the transitioning from one school to another.”
Due to an increase in the number of students at PES with the addition of Grade 6 to the school, there has been an issue of safety when parents drop off and pick up their children. Members of the parent council sent complaints to the RCMP and contacted Baron for as-sistance.
Baron feels the program is a benefit to students who rely on crosswalks to get to school. One connects to the brick building and another to the pink building and while the former has a crosswalk sign, the latter does not.
The goal is to continue using the program, said Bar-on, but needs must be re-evaluated when students move into the Diamond Willow Middle School building in the fall. She said patrollers’ job is to monitor the road and motorists and help students cross when it is safe.
“We’re actually piloting a new procedure in Ponoka. It’s still called Point, Pause and Proceed, which it al-ways has been, but we’re reducing the steps and we’re changing things to make it a little more smooth flow-ing,” explained Baron.
She feels the new program is easier to remember and safer. Patrollers will point to pedestrians until it is time to cross, their left arm will hold the stop sign to make motorists aware that someone needs to cross and when a vehicle stops, students can cross.
“Patrollers never make the assumption that the driv-ers are going to stop. They have to follow protocol and procedure and make sure drivers come to a full stop,” she added.
“I think it’s very effective in many schools,” said Baron.
Vice-principal Nicole Rawlinson is excited to see strong leadership from students. She feels they want to show support for their school and this is one way to do that. There is no cost to PES as AMA pays for the program and provides training, safety vests, stop signs and other materials. She expects to begin by the end of January once scheduling and final training is complete.
“It will be 15 minutes before school and 15 minutes after school,” explained Rawlinson.
To ensure the program does well, principal Lois Spate and Rawlinson will work with students. Rawlin-son plans to bring Grade 4 students to a training session in the spring to prepare them for the next school year.
At the end of May AMA hosts a day out for patrol-lers in the region to show their appreciation of the extra work students make. They will go swimming and safety personnel and RCMP members will provide a barbecue to students.
Patrollers will monitor both crosswalks in teams of two every morning and afternoon.
AMA’s School Safety Patrol program is in its 76th year.
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Things to be aware of when
buying your ATV’s and Motorcycles from the Internet
We have seen a lot of quads, snowmobiles, and motorcycles people have bought from other people off of the Internet throughout the last year here at BTK Motorsports. The alarming thing that we are seeing is people getting ripped off on the products that they think they are getting a really good deal on. Usually if the deal is really good, this is the time that you really should be asking yourself if the deal is too good to be true.
What we are seeing is that people are spending a lot of money on things that are dangerous to ride or die after just a few rides. If you are thinking of buying a “Good Deal” off of the Internet, then there are a lot of questions that you should ask prior to spending your hard earned money.1. First ask the seller if they would mind a quali-fied and trusted mechanic check the product over before you purchase the item. If you get a ques-tionable answer from the seller, then this is a good indication they might be hiding something. It is far better to spend the money to have the product checked over prior to purchasing the product than ending up with a lemon that is rotten, especially if the price seems too good to be true.2. Always be wary of someone selling a machine for a really cheap price without checking some things on it first. Check the welds on the frame, check the front and rear bearings for play, check the front and rear bushings for play, check the col-or of the oil in the motor (if it is black they have probably never changed it since they have gotten the machine), Check the coolant level and color, check the chain adjustment if there is any adjust-ment left, check drive shafts for slop or play, make sure that it runs well and starts well before you buy it, check the tires for wear, just to list a few things that are very important. Never buy it sight unseen.3. Ask for maintenance records. This is very im-portant as it will tell you if the seller has taken care of the machine.
As a business owner in this line of work, I have seen my fair share of people that have bought stuff off of the Internet that have been, for a lack of a better word, SCAMMED when they bought their products. I have seen the looks on many of my customers’ faces when they have found out that they got a piece of junk, it is not very pleasant for us to have to give them this kind of news.
Please take the time to check out the new price versus the Internet price, some times for a few hundred dollars more there are new products with a warranty available from a dealer. Also check out the Chinese brands being sold by a reputable dealer, most of the products believe it or not, the companies that build them, have been building motors and drive components for the Japanese and American brands for over 20 years. The only real difference on them is the price. As a dealer of the Chinese brands I encourage you come down to our store and check them out for yourself don’t just take my word for it. I’m sure that once you see the product up close it might change your thinking on the products . A lot of our customers that have pur-chased these brands from us are very happy with their products and the service they receive.
Blake NoblesBTK MotorsportsPonoka, AB
Page 14 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
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EditorReggae music, sandy beaches, and a dynamic culture
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Al Libby, principal of Mecca Glen School, stands with representatives of Direct Energy to receive a substantial grant to the schools Chromebook project. Submitted photo
Chromebook project grant for Mecca GlenBy Amelia Naismith
Mecca Glen School has received a $4,000 grant from Direct Energy for Chromebooks, which will go a long way in supporting the sustain-ability of the Chromebook project.
“It’s just a way to ensure the Chromebooks get paid for,” said Al Libby, Mecca Glen principal.
The school received 80 Chrome-books last fall when it became part of a pilot project, catapulting Mec-ca Glen among the top schools in Alberta for technological advance-ments in an academic setting.
Now, every student from grades 4 to 9 has access to a Chromebook and the Internet any time during the school day. “They don’t have to go to stationary labs anymore,” said Libby.
“The opportunities for learning have multiplied because of this proj-ect,” he added.
Libby says the Chromebooks have closed the gap in achievement learning, as students with higher learning needs have a greater access to an increased number of resources.
“Our teachers are able to provide instruction at varying competence levels.”
The Chromebooks also allows students to work at their own pace and from anywhere because they’re saving their work online in the Cloud program. Libby says students that travelled to Mexico over Christmas break were still able to keep up with class work because they had access to the assignments.
Two parents — Dawn Kroening and Christine Gustasson — applied to Direct Energy for the grant. Both parents are members of the Mecca Glen Fundraising Society.
The $20,000 project is receiving funds from three outlets: the school’s budget, Wolf Creek Public Schools central office, and the fundraising society.
Over the next three years, the Mecca Glen Fundraising Society is contributing $8,745 toward the proj-ect. “This grant from Direct Energy provides $4,000 of that money. So it’s a very generous donation,” said Libby.
Growing programs to enhance Blackfalds schools
By Amelia Naismith
Both of Blackfalds schools, the Iron Ridge Junior and Elementary campuses, continue to grow and prosper as new programs are contin-ually added and nurtured within the school’s halls.
Programs are also fostering new connections between the schools that haven’t existed in past years. “One of our biggest connections this year was the U21C (21st Centaury Learning) program,” said Iron Ridge Elementary Campus assistant princi-pal Maureen Schlemko.
The Elementary Campus has been a part of the U21C project for two years after becoming involved during the pilot launch. Now, going on its second year, the school was mandated to mentor another school just joining, so the school chose the Junior Campus. “It was kind of a no brainer for us,” said Schlemko.
As with many schools across the province, both campuses are growing their Action on Inclusion practices.
Elementary principal Don Wiel-inga says the school has no pullout classes and all behavioral students are fully integrated into classrooms with their peers. During the school’s presentation to the Wolf Creek School Board trustees, they were told those who didn’t regularly work at the school and interact with the students couldn’t pick out those with behavioral issues.
“I think it’s wonderful people can’t pick out your behavior kids,” said trustee Donna Peterson.
A three-year goal of the Junior Campus is to further meld Inclusion and U21C skills and programs. Un-der the school’s mandate, virtues of Inclusion cover: trustworthiness, re-spect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
While working together, the schools also focus on individual factors of their separate school com-munities.
The Elementary Campuses stu-dent population continues to grow; sitting at 366 five years ago and now at 473.
There are six ESC classes of approximately 19 students, five Grade 1 classes of approximately 20 students, five Grace 2 classes of ap-proximately 21 students, four Grade 3 classes of approximately 23 stu-dents and three Grade 4 classes of approximately 27 students.
The campus is also working on raising student Provincial Achieve-ment Test (PAT) scores. Students are receiving more one-on-one guided reading instruction with a teacher while other students are raised to a level of individual reading.
Last year, in the reading catego-ry, more students received scores in the 40 and 80 percents than the pre-vious year, while other percent areas were lower.
continued on page 15
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Town councillors have had to deal with issues of a home fire Nov. 30. There was $112,000 in damages but no insurance to the town-owned building. File photo
Town pays $112,000 after home fire for uninsured building By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
The Town of Ponoka has agreed to pay $112,107 in repairs after fire damaged the interior of one side of a duplex it owns seven weeks ago.
Council approved the repairs Jan. 14 after hearing the building is owned by the town but has not been in-sured since the beginning of 2007. The duplex is part of a Community Housing Program that offers low cost housing. Maintenance is funded by the federal and provincial governments.
A home fire Nov. 30 on 5013 B 60 Avenue caused significant damage to the interior of the building but little to the exterior. No one was in the building at the time.
There were five buildings owned by the Town of Ponoka under this program that were not insured; they were managed by the Rimoka Housing Founda-tion since 1997.
Coun. Marc Yaworski wanted to know what the town administration will be doing to prevent this from happening again.
The insurance provider changed the terms of the policy as of the Jan. 1, 2007 stating “Additional Named Insured” insurance will no longer be provid-ed. Both the Town of Ponoka and Rimoka received notice of the change but it is unclear why these homes were missed, said Ted Dillon, director of protective services. He feels there was a miscommunication with the department that was managing the insurance at the time.
“I think it was a misunderstanding of the interpre-tation of what it was to be,” explained Dillon.
Dillon said approximately three years ago his department took over monitoring insurance for the different town departments. Since then, his depart-ment has been able to fix several errors but this was missed.
“Something like this had been so long that nobody knew until something happened,” explained Dillon.
Provisions have been set in place with town direc-tors and the CAO to monitor insurance for all of the town’s assets. “We all have to check on our lists that we get from AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association) twice a year to make sure that nothing is missing.”
CAO Brad Watson said the other half of the du-plex could not be insured until the damaged side was repaired but Dillon was able to acquire insurance once he proved there was no structural damage to the other half.
Quotes from Paul Davis Systems Restoration Specialists, show rebuilding the interior will cost $77,940. Mitigation, which replaces items such as floors and ceiling and removes asbestos from the dry-wall, will cost $32,167. Removing the smell of smoke is part of the mitigation cost.
Mayor Rick Bonnett asked if a local contractor could handle the repairs. “Are we truly and honestly getting the best bang for our buck with these people when we know we’ve got how many local contractors that would gladly go and do that right now?”
Dillon replied because the building is owned by a municipality, there are certain safety measures that
Blackfalds school…continued from page 14
The school is also not yet happy with math PAT results. However, Wielinga says PATs are just one aspect of student learning success and don’t show the full accurate picture.
The Junior Campus population is also on the rise and the school has to use the library as a regular classroom. In 2012 the school held 272 students and by 2013 the number had risen to 355.
In the last two years the school’s Grade 6 PAT scores have significantly declined. “Our Grade 9 results are quite good, so what are those Grade 9 teachers doing that we could implement in Grade 6? Junior Campus principal Alda Lovell rhetori-cally asked the trustees.
The strategy the school is employing collabo-ration of student learning between the teachers of that grade, meaning students who’ve grasped a topic will work together with one teacher while those needing extra support will work with anoth-er. “And that was a process,” said Lovell. “There was a time the Grade 9 results were nothing to cheer about either.”
The school is also working on fostering closer relationship between students of each grade by holding more fieldtrips at the beginning of the school year to bring that fun and unity to school. Lovell says this has led to a decrease of parental concerns and office referrals of students.
must be taken in dealing with asbestos. He said Paul Davis Systems specialize in this type of restoration and asbestos removal. They use a specific chemical to handle the asbestos and clear the smell of smoke. He added that the contractor will use local businesses for supplies.
Coun. Carla Prediger wondered if the cost to re-pair the building is worth $112,000 considering the value of the home. Although Watson did not have ex-act numbers, he said the number is greater.
“The assessed value is greater than the repairs,” he explained.
“The more I investigated, the more complicated and expensive it got,” Watson added. “In looking at all the options, this was the most frustrating but least expensive.”
“What was the cause of this fire?” asked Yawor-ski.
Dillon believes a pot was left on the stove. Also there was no tenant insurance at the time,
but this quote would only cover the interior rather than full repairs, explained Dillon. He said Rimoka is responsible to check that information.
The building had minor exterior damage. Money will come from the general benefit reserve.
Page 16 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
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Stampeders players hold Damian Pannenbecker’s jersey during the minute of silence before it is retired in tribute to the deceased player’s honor. Photo by Mustafa Eric
Stampeders retire jersey #17 in tribute to PannennbeckerBy Mustafa Eric
The bleachers at the Ponoka Cultural and Recreation Complex were packed for Stampeders’ first home game of the year on Wednesday. Jan. 15 after the passing of Damian Pannenbecker, which the team had announced would be a tribute to the memory of the deceased defenseman.
Before the game started, a eulogy was read as Damian’s teammates held up his # 17 jersey in the middle of the rink before the public announcer invited all present to stand in a minute of silence in memory of the young life lost.
“Panny was a valued member of the
Stamps,” said the announcer in reading the eulogy.
“His solid play, determination and dedication showed up every shift he played. He had a witty sense of humour and wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind. He was a positive role model in the dressing room for all.”
“His love for sports was evident from playing hockey in winter, ball in summer and watching his beloved Maple Leafs,” it went on.
It was later announced that Damian’s jersey was being retired as a tribute to his contribution to the Ponoka Stampeders Hockey Club.
GET YOUR BUSINESS OUT THERECALL CALL
403-783-3311403-783-3311
PONOKA NEWS Page 17Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Beautiful building sites just a short drive south of Ponoka in Jada Estates. Building restrictions make this property an exclusive area for upscale homes. Seven acreages available. Call Wayne 403-704-0864 COUNTRY RESIDENTIAL
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Bob and Jamie of Aussie Rules jazz bar in Calgary play at the Stagecoach Saloon of the Ponoka Stampede Grounds on Saturday, Jan. 18 during the an-nual fundraiser for Ponoka Minor Hock-ey Association.
Photo by Mustafa Eric
Minor hockey fundraiser brings fun and support to the association By Mustafa Eric
Stagecoach Saloon at the Ponoka Stampede grounds was packed with residents on the evening Saturday, Jan. 18, including the almost full line-up of Ponoka Town Council, for Ponoka Minor Hockey As-sociation’s annual fundraiser
As opposed to events in the previous years, the as-sociation this time invited a widely popular duo, two pianists from Calgary’s Aussie Rules jazz bar who play on request anything from classical to jazz.
There were also lots of items for both silent and live auction that went on through the night.
Julie Feragen, the organizer of this year’s fundrais-er, said this year they wanted to change the tune a little bit and that the change appeared to be well received.
The audience stayed engaged well into the night and Jamie and Bob, the dueling pianists from Calgary, played until midnight.
Feragen said the most attractive live auction items were a gun case donated by Cervus Equipment and Bobby Orr’s autographed picture donated by Sirrs LLP. They went for a pretty good price for sure,” she said, but it was not clear how much exactly the two items fetched.
As for the amount of money raised through the evening, “We outdid ourselves for sure and I think we went over what we expected,” Feragen said, but could not give an exact figure saying that treasurer of the as-sociation would be better placed to give a number after paying the bills.
The treasurer could not be reached before press time.
Feragen said they were grateful to the community for supporting the association and “helping out”.
Page 18 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
VJV MARKET REPORTMARKET REPORT JANUARY 15, 2014
On Wednesday, January 15, 2014 -3763 head of cattle went through our rings &
67 head on the Canadian Satellite sale - TOTAL - 3830
JANUARY 20, 2014 BISON SALEBRED COW SALE - FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
Grains were mixed following the release of the U.S.D.A.’s first report of the year with Friday, January 10th’s W.A.S.D.E.. Much of the market was expect-ing bearish numbers but surprised everyone with some bullish data for corn. The sharp fall that wheat saw from their confirmed bearish status on Friday helped
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contribute to Egypt buying U.S. wheat for the first time since last year. The 50,000 tonnes of soft red winter wheat that Egypt bought was at a delivered price of around $303 a tonne (F.O.B . price of $265 a tonne and transportation costs of $38 per tonne) and the first official purchase of U.S. wheat by Egypt since February of 2013. The tender comes on the heels of Egypt’s purchase of over half a million tonnes of wheat last week, the purchase of 125,000 tonnes of US wheat last week by Venezuela, and ru-mours of Brazil buying three-to-six cargoes of hard red winter wheat.
The U.S.D.A. said last Friday that 41.9 mil-lion acres of winter wheat was planted in the US this fall, a fall of two percent compared to last year. However, when you break it down by type, hard red winter wheat acres were actually up two
percent to 30.1 million acres, with no-table increases in Montana, Colorado, and North Dakota (record amount of acres). On the flipside, only 8.44 mil-lion acres of soft winter wheat were planted, down 16 per cent from a year ago. Kansas, America’s biggest wheat producer, saw its planted area fall by seven percent to 8.8 million acres. Ultimately, it’s been suggested that the late harvest this fall lead to less total acres being planted as there just wasn’t enough time. Nonetheless, where farmers could get some plant-ing in, conditions were quite optimal.
The U.S.D.A. upped their es-timate of this year’s world wheat harvest to a record 712.7 million tonnes, while cutting demand for the for the grain as the $2 per bushel pre-mium that it’s held over corn for the last couple months pushed more live-stock producers to the yellow grain. Ultimately, the bearish sentiment con-tinues for wheat as managed money (AKA hedge funds) grew their posi-tion to over 73,000 contracts net short (betting that the price will go down). The U.S.D.A. raised their forecast of corn used for livestock feed by 1.9 per cent to 5.3 billion bushels, the highest in six years. Corn for ethanol use was also pegged higher.
As for output, the U.S.D.A. put corn production at 13.925 billion bushels, 74 million bushels below its November estimate and almost 150 million bushels below the aver-
age trade estimate of 14.066 billion bushels. This was mostly due to aver-age yields being reduced from 160.4 bushels/acre in November to 158.8 bushels. As for soybeans, U.S. output this year was seen at a record crop of 3.289 billion bushels, above both November’s estimate and the average market guess. 2013/14 U.S. soybean ending stocks were seen at a relative-ly tight 150 million-bushel level but with another record South American crop close to coming off, the world balance sheet shows a more com-fortable carryout. With the January WASDE now out of the way, there’ll be much more focus on harvests in South America, specifically on logis-tics and weather.
To growth, Brennan Turner
President, FarmLead.comBrennan Turner is originally
from Foam Lake, SK, where his fam-ily started farming the land in the 1920s. After completing his degree in economics from Yale University and then playing some pro hockey, Mr. Turner spent some time working in fi-nance before starting FarmLead.com, a risk-free, transparent online and now mobile grain marketplace (app available for iOS and Android). His weekly column is a summary of his free, daily market note, the FarmLead Breakfast Brief. He can be reached via email ([email protected]) or phone (1-855-332-7653).
14013JB0
6010 40TH AVENUE | WETASKIWIN, AB T9A 2E8780.352.5408 | wethonda.ca
Jam session every Saturday at 1 pm. $2 per person. Everyone welcome!
Monday Billiards 9:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday 50 cents per game. Honor system.
Monday Bridge 1:15 p.m.
Monday 1:30 p.m. Whist
Tuesday and Thursday Exercise class 9:30 a.m. fun exercise
Tuesday Shuffl eboard 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday Sewing Guild 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday Cribbage 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday Duplicate Bridge 7:00 p.m
Wednesday Floor Curling 7:00 p.m.
Thursday Weaving 1:00 p.m. Phone Betty @ 783-3029
Thursday Partner Bridge 1:15 p.m.
Thursday Art Club – Noon to 4:00 pm
Thursday Pickle Ball 7:00 p.m. and Tuesdays 1:00 p.m.
Friday “500” 1:00 p.m.
Memberships still available. $10.00 person. Really inexpensive.
To rent our facility contact Dorothy @ 403-783-3027 or George @ 403-783- 3514 or leave a message @ 403-783-5012. Rentals are increasing and we would like to invite our town administration, business groups, and general public (Wedding, funeral, and Birthday groups), to inquire about rentals services and prices early in their planning. We may fi t your bill!
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“Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West” by Bryce Andrews
You’ve always believed that keeping your possessions where they belong is the right thing to do. Putting away tools has saved you frustration. Packing gear in one place has saved you time. But as you’ll see in the new memoir “Badluck Way” by Bryce Andrews, there’s also a wrong way to stow your stuff: a man’s boots, for instance, do not be-long beneath a desk.
Ever since he could remember, Bryce Andrews was fascinated by anything Western. He’d loved West-ern art, spent summers as a kid on the spread of a family friend, had learned to ride a horse and mend fence so, following a broken heart and a few wandering months around the country, he took a job at a Montana ranch.
The 25,000 acre Sun Ranch sat at the edge of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in southwestern Mon-tana and was owned by a Silicon Valley millionaire. Wildlife was plentiful there and conservation was important, as was managing livestock so that cat-tle could graze and thrive alongside native elk and wolves that came over from Yellowstone.
Starting the first of May, the job consisted of moving cattle, fixing fence, caring for livestock, and cleaning water tanks. It was a life Andrews grew to love again: he spent his days doing chores, learning from the two other ranch hands, and ex-
ploring wherever the four-wheeler took him: through grassland and canyons, past pugmarks and bones, beneath Big Sky and stars.
The first time he saw a wolf, he was stunned. He’d been told to haze away any wolves he stumbled across, but he couldn’t do it then. It was a decision he’d later regret.
By early fall, Andrews and the other hands began finding heif-ers with horrendous injuries. They contacted Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and, knowing that wolves were to blame, the men started sleep-ing with the cattle in the grasslands. With winter coming, elk were mov-ing down closer to the cattle and bringing the wolves with them.
Cattle were easier prey for the wolves than were elk – which made wolves the prey.
“Badluck Way” is a very poetic book – too po-etic, at first, because author Bryce Andrews sets the tone by using a lot of ten-dollar words and di-rectional descriptions that scrambled my brain. I almost quit this book twice before I plowed past the introduction.
I was glad I stuck around.As it turns out, there’s beauty in the words,
and awestruck lushness. Andrews, who obviously cherishes both the land and the lifestyle, eventu-ally relaxes into his story (as did I) as he transports us into canyons and grasslands, near elk herds and death. I shivered as he described snowstorms. I cringed every time he found a wolf-ravaged heifer.
A place for everything, and everything in its place
Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm
The more I got into this book, in fact, the more I loved it and I think if you’re conservation-mind-ed or if your heart is on a ranch, then you will, too. For you, “Badluck Way” is a something that’ll definitely have a place on your bookshelf.
Submitted
Here is a recap of 2013 events at the club. We started out the year as usual with our Banquet and Awards night in February. Then all of our summer events such as archery, trap shooting, rifle range events and the rifleman’s rodeo labor day weekend. We also had horn measuring in Decem-ber and wound up the year working a casino in Red Deer for our fund raiser to end the years events for 2013. Our membership grew quite a bit in 2013 to 650 members total. We have had over 200 member renewals at the January meeting, so looks like we are off to a good start for 2014.
Our 2014 year starts out with nominations for officers. The Febru-ary 6th meeting will be our general meeting and elections. Our Banquet and Awards night will be February 1st at the Stagecoach Saloon. Tickets are going fast so best you contact someone if you want to reserve a table or to get individual tickets.
The Big Game trophy winners are: Brian Prins - Blair Dowling - Rob Johnson - Brian Walcheske - Keenan Haines - Daniel Roy - Darrin Carlson and Leonard Davis. The trophy winners can pick up their trophies at the Banquet presentation.
The Fish and Game conference will be in Ft. Mc Murray this year. We will be sending delegates to this yearly event, so will let you know what is happening when we get back.
Looks like it would be a good year to have an archery snowshoe contest if there any brave souls gritty enough (not me). Just a suggestion. We will start our regular yearly events as soon as the snow melts. That could be a while yet.
We are in the process of getting a new trap machine, so should be a little less stressful than trying to keep the old one operating.
Here’s wishing everyone a summer of fun. I will let you know what is going on after we get back next month.
See you at the banquet on February 1st.Robert GreenePublicity Chairman
Ponoka Fish and Game News
welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit for brevity,
clarity and legal issues as well as to reject letters outright. Letters shouldn’t exceed 500 words.
Only signed letters will be considered for publication. Please include an address & daytime contact number
for verification of authenticity.
Page 20 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Ponoka Offi ce: 403-783-3315
Bashaw Offi ce (Tues.): 403-372-3627
Wetaskiwin Offi ce (Thurs.): 780-352-6488
SERVICES OFFERED• Personal & Corporate Income Tax Planning
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Join us forour party! February 2
Leanne Wiancko steams down the court during the Mecca Glen junior girls team’s first game of the St. Augustine Shine Tournament, Jan. 17 and 18. Photo by Amelia Naismith
Tavis Lee of Broncs rises up for a rebound during the game against Tro-jans on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Ponoka Christian School gym.
Photo by Mustafa Eric
By Mustafa Eric
Senior Broncs girls and boys hosted Camrose Trojans basketball teams on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and got mixed results: Boys retain their undefeated status in the regular league games while girls will need to step up their execution if they are to advance to any provincial level com-petition.
In the first game, Broncs girls had a kind of heavy start to the game and failed to hold on to a rhythm mainly due to inefficient dribbling and passing. Their lack of intensity allowed the visiting Tro-jan girls to open up a 24-8 point lead at the end of the first period. With the start of the second period, Broncs showed some signs of coming to life with visibly improved ball movement and more effi-ciency in getting the ball to the paint and in scoring.
When the first half of the game end-ed, Broncs girls had reduced the visitors’ lead to 11 points: 28-17. The break after the second period, however, appeared to have killed PSC girls’ momentum to catch up with the Trojans. In the third and fourth periods, endless number of turnovers and unforced errors provided the opportunity for the Camrose side to step up their scoring. When the final buzzer went off, the score was 69 for the
visitors and 39 for the hosts.The game between the boys was a
different story. Senior Broncs boys es-tablished an early single digit lead at the very beginning of the game and held on to it most of the first half and expanded it in the second to defeat Trojan boys 65-51.
Towards the end of the first period, Trojans made a serious attempt to take the lead after Broncs briefly loosened their grip on their execution, but it did not take too long for the boys to come to their senses and resume efficient ball movement and find scores both in the paint and around the perimeter with long shots.
Senior Broncs coach Blaine Haines was particularly ecstatic with his play-ers’ defensive effort.
“We got the job done and played solid defense, especially in the second half,” he said.
“Offensively we struggled at times, and as a result turned the ball over far too often. Credit goes to Camrose who played tough defense against us,” he added.
Broncs will next host Sylvan Lake on Feb. 4 for league play, but before that they will participate in a tournament in Taber Jan. 30 and 31.
Broncs boys win, girls lose to Camrose
By Amelia Naismith
Both St. Augustine and Mecca Glen had junior basketball teams playing in the St. A-hosted Shine Tournament and, with an array of experienced and new players taking to the court, the weekend tournament provided many highs and lows for the two participat-ing schools.
The St. Augustine junior boys placed third in their pool while the girls came in last. “Some of my girls had never played basketball before,” said St. A junior teams coach Katherine Bergum, who added the first tourna-ment game on Jan. 17 was the first game those girls had played.
The girls lost 51-23 in their first game, 48-20 in their second game and 42-23 in their final game.
Despite all the losses, Bergum says the girls con-tinually improved with each game. “I would say (in) defence the most. Just not letting the other teams score as much.
She added the experience of the other teams was the girls’ downfall.
The boys lost their second game, 58-34, but won their first and third games, 54-34 and 42-38, respec-tively.
Bergum says the boys’ team has an imbalance of “gifted athletes” and newcomers so she was forced to change her lineups and have those used to playing with each other work with other members of the team. “They did pretty good. There were some learning curves.”
‘They worked well as a team and were able to pull it off in the end,” she added.
During St. Augustine’s final game the boys were
winning by only one point until the three-pointer was scored near the end of the game and the team was able to relax and win with ease.
“I would definitely say the boys winning third place was not only awesome as a coach but a moral boost for them . . . For the girls it was they got bet-ter every game,” said Bergum, recounting her personal highlights of the tournament.
The Mecca Glen junior girls’ team won the conso-lation game while coach Adam Troitsky says the boys finished in sixth or seventh place. The girls lost their first game and won the last two and the boys won their last game and lost the first two.
Girls: 29-21, 27-15,and 19-14Boys: 31-23, 43-25, and 39-29Mecca Glen junior girls have six Grade 9 players.
“That’s a lot for a school of our size and that helps,” said Troitsky.
“We are quite experienced and they’re a hard work-ing team,” he added.
As the tournament progressed, he feels the girls put on a better defence after not playing the first game tough enough and being pushed around.
“The boys are a much younger team,” he ex-plained, as it features only three Grade 9 players. Seven members of the team are playing their first season of basketball.
‘They did get better as the tournament went on and they played a couple of good games,” said Troitsky, who feels the boys need more training in the funda-mentals of basketball to improve since they’re lacking height compared to the competing teams.
Shine Tournament hold wins and losses for Ponoka’s teams
PONOKA NEWS Page 21Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
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Speed skater Tess Pearman is competing in her second Alberta Winter Games. She first competed in the 2012 games and is currently ranked first in Alberta. Photo by Myrna Pearman
Lauren Bussiere is heading to the Alberta Winter Games in February. She is competing with 11 other girls in Zone 4 in Banff and Canmore. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Lauren Bussiere has had her eyes on the Al-berta Winter Games since 2012 and her hard work and dedication has paid off.
The 14-year-old is heading to the 2014 Alberta Winter Games Feb. 6 to 9 in Banff and Canmore. Inspiration to try out for the games came when Bussiere saw some of her friends compete in the 2012 games. Making it this year became some-what of a focus. Not only does she play for her team at St. Augustine Catholic School, but she also competes as part of a club team.
Playing with both teams helped earn her a spot with 11 other girls on the U15 Zone 4 team and now Bussiere practices once a week with her new teammates, some of whom come from Red Deer and Sylvan Lake. There were two tryouts, which proved a challenge.
“I was extremely nervous for both of them,” said Bussiere.
Only nine players came to the first tryouts and she was invited to a second round where more than 40 girls competed. Bussiere said this helped her feel more confident, “knowing that I could move on.”
Practices are held mostly in Lacombe and she
praised the coaches for their effort in bringing the girls together as a team. Bussiere did not know anyone on the Zone 4 team.
“I think the coaches are doing a really good job,” she explained.
Her teammates are working together well. “They’re all very welcoming to a couple of us
that didn’t know anyone,” she added. Hearing she had made the team was exciting
but there was a bit of shock as well. Bussiere did not think she played well on the second set of try-outs but the coaches felt differently.
Bussiere started the sport when she was 11-years-old and has not looked back. She hopes to continue playing and develop her skills enough to compete on a college team. To keep her experi-ence up, Bussiere plays two to three times a week with her club team and the Zone 4 team. She wants to improve her passing.
“Passing is definitely a goal for me, just to be more consistent,” she explained.
Bussiere was the only girl from Ponoka who tried out, which was a surprise for her as she feels the town has a lot to offer when it comes to vol-leyball. “For not a huge town, Ponoka has a lot of volleyball.”
Sights set high for Ponoka volleyballer
By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
After winning a silver and a bronze medal in the 2012 Alberta Winter Games, speed skater Tess Pearman is ready for more action.
The 15-year-old is ranked first in Alberta in her age group and finds the experience has boosted her confidence and focus. Pearman will be racing against 16 to 20 other speed skaters in different meets: the 200m, 400m, 1,500m and the 3,000m races. There is also a relay race.
Getting to this level of speed skating took strong focus as the Alberta Amateur Speed Skating Association ranks athletes on overall points in different events. Pear-man said her strength lies in the 1,500m race.
“It’s not a sprint but it’s not really long (track). It’s more strategy,” she explained.
Skaters must pace themselves in the longer races and cannot just sprint the whole distance. They need a good un-derstanding of the track and how other skaters are reacting. Pearman said the trick is to know when to lead the pack or to follow behind. “You have to be think-ing ahead.”
The 3,000m race poses other chal-
lenges as racers earn points based on how well they handle the track. Pearman’s coach and mother Shawna, said an athlete could win that race even if they did not place first.
“It’s a very exciting race,” added Shawna.
Pearman is ranked first in both the long and short track events and has ramped up training to three days a week in preparation for the games. Training sessions are intense workouts and involve skating and dry land training. She knows everyone has their eyes on first place.
These training sessions also include proper starting, sprints, relay practices, anaerobic exercise and interval training; for the latter, Pearman skates 500m and then slow skates for 500m; she will do this nine or 10 times before taking a break.
“You’re not fully rested. Your work to rest ratio is 1-1,” explained Shawna.
Despite the competition, the speed skating community is relatively small, so off the ice, Pearman gets along well with the other athletes.
She follows her sisters Brooke and Maddison, who have previously compet-ed in the winter games.
Ponoka speed skater returns for second Winter Games
Enjoy a delectable menu of wild meats and sh along with the best Alberta grown pork, beef, etc
Get your tickets early as this will help us with how much to prepare
For tickets call Leonard 403-588-2834,Dave 403-704-7126, or any member of
Ponoka Fish & Game Association
Tickets$25
Silent Auction
Table of 8$160
Dance to follow with live DJ
2014 LACOKA
LACROSSE
AGM & REGISTRATIONWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29
6:30 PM - 9:00 PMPONOKA ARENAMEETING ROOM
LATE REGISTRATIONWednesday, February 5
7:00 pm • Lacombe Memorial CentreWhat division do I register in for
the 2014 season? Mini-Tyke (players born in 2008/2009)
Tyke (players born in 2006/2007) Novice (players born in 2004/2005) PeeWee (players born in 2002/2003) Bantam (players born in 2000/2001) Midget (players born in 1998/1999)
Junior (players born 1993/1997)For more info: www.lacokalacrosse.com
CANADIAN FIREARM SAFETY COURSEThis is the course you need to get
your fi rearms license.
Non-restricted course and exam $120 Non-restricted course and exam $120Restricted Firearms exam available $80Restricted Firearms exam available $80
Combined $180Combined $180
To register call Guy 780-461-7686 To register call Guy 780-461-7686
Ponoka Stampeders have an increasingly small window of opportunity left to close their 2013-2014 season with at least one win following their last three games over two weeks.
After the cancellation of their home game on Jan. 11, the day of the funeral of Damian Pannenbecker, Stampeders played one home and two road games, scoring only two goals in the process.
In their away game against Okotoks on Jan. 12. Stampeders lost 8-0 to one of the strongest teams in the league.
In their home game on Wednesday, Jan. 15, Stam-peders again fell into what has become a classic, their own trap to dig a way out of, by allowing three goals to visiting Blackfalds in the first period.
Despite good goal tending, Stampeders de-fense could just not stop the wrangler from find-ing the holes and putting points on the scoreboard.
A second period goal by Tyler Ekeli was not enough to fire up the offense to go more aggres-sively onto the Blackfalds net.
Ponoka boys held the Wranglers to a goalless draw in the third period, but it was not good enough to save the game.
Later in the week, Stampeders traveled to Castor, where Stettler Lightning play one home game every season in order to support Castor minor hockey.
The game on Friday, Jan. 17 ended with a 6-1 final score against the Stampeders with Chandler Knibb scoring the only point for the Ponoka side.
Stampeders do not play at home until Feb. 1, when they will host Three Hills Thrashers.
Before that, they play Cochrane Generals on Sat-urday, Jan. 25 and High River Flyers on Friday, Jan. 31.
Stampeders continue to struggle for a win
The puck flies among the attacking Ponoka players and the defending Wranglers during the Stampeders’ home game against Blackfalds on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Photo by Mustafa Eric
Call 403-783-3311
STAYINFORMED
PONOKA NEWS Page 23Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
CALLING ALL BABIES OF 2013!
Fill out and drop off at the Ponoka News Offi ce, Fill out and drop off at the Ponoka News Offi ce, 5019A Chipman Ave. by Feb. 7, 2014.5019A Chipman Ave. by Feb. 7, 2014.
Baby’s name as you want it to appear:
Last
First Middle Son Daughter
Birthdate
Father’s Name
Mother’s Name
Phone Number
All pictures will be published in the
Feb. 12, 2014 issue and will be entered to win
a prize, compliments of the Ponoka News.
The PONOKA NEWS presents
$30/entry
incl. g.s.t.
If your baby was born in 2013, you don’t want to miss putting
their adorable picture in this special keepsake feature!
Babies ofBabies of20132013
By Amelia Naismith
Atom Tier 1 Maskwacis Atom A Chiefs played an away game against the Rimbey Atom A Renegades on Jan. 18. The team lost 15-2 with Damian Omeasoo scor-ing both goals for Maskwacis.
Atom Tier 3 Ponoka Atom A beat the Delburne Atom Outlaws 6-1 on Jan. 18. Levi Busat earned a hat trick while Hailey Huchkowski, Maison Senft, Joahua David, Adam Hoag, Braedan Brouilette, Zachary Rausch, Kael Street and Colter Bresee each scored once during the home game.
Peewee Tier 1 Maskwacis Peewee A Chiefs lost 6-2 in a home game against the Sylvan Lake Peewee A Lakers on Jan. 17. Carson Baptiste and Kaeden Laroque-Wolfe each scored once for Maskwacis. The team also lost 8-5 to Red Deer Sunrise Roofing the following day in an away game. Carson Baptiste and Ethan Smallboy both scored twice and Jerry Johnson brought the number to five.
On Jan. 19 the Ponoka Peewee A team beat the Blackfalds Peewee A Bulldogs 7-4. Jayden Nokohoo and Noah Hackett both scored twice. Rylan Lefebvre Aidan Gratton and Jake Simaton earned one goal each.
Peewee Tier 4 Ponoka Peewee B team lost to the In-nisfail Flyers 4-2, Jan. 17. Kaiden Thomson and Ethan Little both scored once during the home game.
Bantam Tier 1 Maskwacis Bantam A team beat the Lacombe Bantam AA Rockets 9-7 in a Jan. 18 away game. Jakobi Omeasoo scored twice while Keyshawn, Dylan Soosay and Chevazz Rabbit all scored once each. Tyrone Potts earned four goals.
Bantam Tier 2 Ponoka Bantam boys beat the Eckville Bantam Eagles 5-2 on Jan. 16 in an away game. Joshua Vold and Jayden Hagemann both scored once. Cyrus Thompson earned a hat trick. On Jan. 17, the boys lost to the Rimbey Bantam Renegades in a 4-2 home game. Josh-ua Vold and Jayden Hagemann scored the team’s goals. The following day the team won against the Sylvan Lake Bantam Lakers, 2-1. Jayden Hagemann and Rian vanDer-Westhuizen scored once each during the home game. On Jan. 19, the boys won another home game, 11-5, against the Eckville Bantam Eagles. Jayden Hagemann scored three times. Joshua Vold and Rain vanDerWesthuizen both scored twice while Dean Louis, Sam Neath, Cooper Jones and Robert Wareham all earned a goal each.
Bantam Tier 4 Maskwacis Bantam B team tied 6-6 with Red Deer AES industrial in an away game. Aiden Whitebear and Kirby Bufallo scored once each. Trey Lit-tlechild brought in two goals and George Minde Jr. earned three for the team during the Jan. 18 game. The next day the team lost to the Blackfalds Bantam B Bulldogs in a 7-5 home game. Ashton Buffalo earned four goals and Chance White Scored once.
Midget Tier 1 Ponoka Midget A wolves won their Jan. 19 home game against Whitecourt, 7-1. Kellyn Pritchard scored twice while Chase Stoldeker, Colton Somerville, Riley Workman, Dustin Bell and Tyson Borg each scored once.
Midget Tier 2 Maskwacis Midget A Chiefs tied 4-4 with the Sylvan Lake Midget A Lakers on Jan. 16. Emerson Samson, Bryton Buffalo, Nolan Lightning and George Montour all scored once during the home game.
Midget Tier 3 Ponoka Midget B tied the West Coun-try Midget Chiefs 0-0 in a Jan. 18 away game. The next day, the Ponoka team beat Red Deer Bakers Hughs boys 7-3 in an away game. Lane Jones scored three times and Jarrett Henderson, Braeden Korchski, Aram Rowland and James Lea brought the total to seven.
Bantam/Midget Female Lacoka Midget Rockets beat the Maskwacis Midget team 11-2 on Jan. 16 in a Lacombe based game. On the Lacoka side Robyn Shan-non Rene Guimond, Emily McLennan and Amanda Burt all scored twice. Kallie Nelson, Hannah Allin and Brynn Bratt earned one apiece. For Maskwacis, Robyn Strong-man and Megan Erminskin both scored.
Lacoka Bantam Females lost 2-1 to Tofield Midget Titans during a Jan. 18 away game. Meg Crawford scored.
On Jan. 18 the Lacoka Midget Rockets beat Sylvan Lake in a 7-1 home game. Jayde Rehbein earned a hat trick, Danica Poison scored twice and Hayley Shukin and Robyn Arnold brought the number to seven.
The Maskwacis Midget Female team lost to the Stet-tler Bantam girls in an 8-1 home game. Summer Lightning scored the team’s only goal.
That same day the Maskwacis Bantam girls lost 9-0 to the Winfield Midget team.
Minor Hockey Roundup
Daylan Owen of Ponoka’s Wedins Mites team slightly misses the target during their home game against Maskwacis Mites on Saturday, Jan. 18.
Photo by Mustafa Eric
PATERSONEric Evan
On January 14, 2014, Eric Paterson of Sherwood Park passed away suddenly at the age of 84.Eric is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Bobbie, 2 sons Craig and Doug (Michelle); daughter-in-law Annie; 2 grandchildren, Kyle and Kayla; sisters-in-law, Betty and Edna Paterson, numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased
by his parents, William and Gertrude and his brothers, Peter and Harry.Eric was a long-time employee with the City of Edmonton for 42 years as a machinist with ETS. He served for many years on the ATU local 569 executive board. Eric also served for 11 years on the WCB appeals commission.He greatly enjoyed sports and was the goal tender for the 1952 Olympic gold medal winning team, The Edmonton Mercurys as well as goaltender for Ponoka Stampeders in from 1953 to 1961.A memorial service will be held on Friday January 24, 2014 at 2 p.m. at Glenwood Funeral Home, South of Wye Road on Range Road 232, Sherwood Park. In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Eric can be made to Parkinson Alberta.
To send condolences please visitwww.glenwoodmemorial.com
Ken LindstrandOct. 14, 1923 - Jan. 23, 1999
Those we loved we never loseFor always they will be remembered,Treasured and forever in our hearts.
The Family of Ken Lindstrand
Harald and Nina Oppelare pleased to announce the birth of their son,
and brother to Denise, Lucas, Patrick, Sophia and Noah.
Kevin John OppelJanuary 2, 2014
6 lbs, 14 oz, 20 inches long
Special thanks to Dr. Greyling, Dr. Chan, Darrenand nurses Tracey, Danielle, Glenda and Lisa!
Proud grandparents are Herta and Guenther,and Daniela and Gerhard!
The Family of Elsie Traptow would like to thank the staff at the Golden Leisure Lodge and Dr. Halse for their support and special care that was
provided to our mother over the last number of years. Also to the staff at the Ponoka General Hospital for their
kindness and care during her last two months. To Ken, Florence and Janice Stemo for perfect
delivery of the eulogy, Don Dubitz for his wonderful songs, Bob Ronnie for the delicious lunch and Marlin and
Sheila at the Ponoka Funeral home for their great service. To the family, friends and neighbors whoattended the Celebration of Mom’s life, sent cards,
flowers, well-wishes and support. In lieu of thank you cards, a donation was made to the
Rimoka Housing Foundation.
Son Marvin, daughter Elaine and family.
Greetings to all my family and friends in the new year of 2014.At this time, I would like to thank all who have helped me
get through this difficult time since my car accident.
In taking a long road back to better health, I don’t know whoto start thanking for gifts, food, flowers, visits, phone calls, and caregiving from all of you, including those who live out of town.
I am grateful for the significant contribution from theRoyal Canadian Legion. Special thanks to the United Church Ladies, who brought a meaningful worship service, a gift, and a luncheon.
Thanks for the best wishes and gifts from the Fort Ostell I.O.D.E.,Royal Purple, Legion Auxiliary, my neighbours, and so many others.
Thanks to Dr. Bunting for excellent care,and to friends for driving me to appointments.
And lastly, a big “thank you” to my familyfor all of their extra efforts. It’s all much appreciated.
Sincerely, Vi Massing-Ogilvie
THANK YOU Thank you to our family and friends who sent food, flowers, condolences through emails, and donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation when our brother Tom Lowis passed away. Our appreciation goes also to the following people: Karen Benoit, Doug Forter, Randy Crossman, Shealagh McClelland for leading the service, Sheila Van Alstyne for singing, Dan Hampton for always being there, and to Marlon Wombold and Sheila Van Alstyne at Wombold Family Funeral Homes for their ability to provide comfort in our loss.
Sincerely,Cathy Mass and Rita Lowis
Page 24 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
1-877-223-3311
County CLASSIFIEDSREACH OVER 217,000
READERS With one of these great deals!
Announcements What’s Happening50-70
Employment700-920
Services Directory1010-1430
Items Buy/Sell150-194
Agriculture2010-2210
Rental & Real Estate3000-4310
Vehicles5010-5240
Public Notice6010
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Card Of Thanks Card Of Thanks
In Memoriam
Obituaries
announcements
Births
Welcome Home!
Celebrating the birth of you child? Share your
happy news with family & friends with a special announcement in the
classifieds.
1.877.223.33111-877-223-3311C L A S S I F I E D S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Manager Neyaskweyak Group of Companies Inc. (NGCI) -
Maskwacis, ABThe Neyaskweyak Group of Companies Inc. (NGCI) is a unique organization owned by Ermineskin Cree Nation based on the fundamental principles of achieving self-suffi ciency and sustainability through long term investments and business development. It is comprised of group of companies including Ermineskin Resource Development, Ermineskin Tribal Enterprises Limited (ETEL) and Commercial Operations including mall.
Ermineskin Gas Bar serves as a retail service department under NGCI with a range of products and services. NGCI invites applications for the position of Ermineskin Gas Bar Retail Manager.
The Gas Bar Manager will be responsible for the overall day to day operations of the Gas Bar department to improve service, program execution and company profi tability. This includes scheduling, inventory management of gasoline and general merchandise, appraisals, budgeting and attainment of fi nancial results. Other responsibilities include the overall management of image, standards, implementation and adherence to company programs, policies and procedures as well as human resources related activities.
Applicants must have excellent communications skills, be a team leader with strong motivational skills. Good delegation skills with a superior focus on customer service must be demonstrated. Previous industry management experience will be considered an asset. This individual reports directly to the Vice President, Operation of NGCI. This individual must possess good public relations skills required for demonstrating professionalism in dealing with the business public.
NGCI off ers a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefi ts package, with excellent opportunities for advancement.
Deadline to application is January 31st, 2014 at noon.HEALTH CARE AIDEImmediate opening for part time night
position FTE 0.7.Health Care Aide certifi cate would be an
asset. Will train suitable candidates on site.Criminal record check will be required.
Contact:Donna Lantz, R.N.
Care ManagerNorthcott Care Centre
4209-48 Ave. Ponoka, AlbertaT4J 1P4
Ph: 403-783-4764 Fax: 403-783-6420
We thank you in advance for your interest.Only applicants for interviews will be contacted.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESCENTRE
HEALTH CARE AIDESCASUAL/PART TIME POSITIONS
Immediate openings for certifi ed HCA to work days, evenings and nights.
Will train suitable candidates on site.Criminal record check will be required.
Contact:Donna Lantz, R.N.
Care ManagerNorthcott Care Centre
4209-48 Ave. Ponoka, AlbertaT4J 1P4
Ph: 403-783-4764 Fax: 403-783-6420
We thank you in advance for your interest.Only applicants for interviews will be contacted.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESCENTRE
12345
The CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - Abu Dhabi
Apply Now www.cisabudhabi.com
is currently hiring teachers and administrators for the 2014-15 school year
we are a fully accredited Alberta Education International School tax free salary with housing, airfare, and extras paid for 2 hrs of prep time /day for teachers; small classes; great students amazing travel opportunities and cultural experiences outstanding personal and professional growth opportunities
WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
A & JA & J AUTOMOTIVEAUTOMOTIVEREPAIR6701 - 46 Ave.
Ponoka, AB T4J 1J8(403) 783-8755
Al DickhautOwner/Operator
Rimbey Implements Ltd.
Al York General ManagerAl York General Manager
Rimbey, AB
Cell: (403) 783-0593
Bus: (403) 843-3700
Fax: (403) 843-3430
AG EQUIPMENT
A & J AUTOMOTIVE
Al DickhautOwner/Operator
A & J AUTOMOTIVE
6701 - 46 Ave.Ponoka, AB T4J 1J8
(403) 783-8755
VET SERVICESVERBRUGGEN
Veterinary Services
403-704-6650403-704-6650
ANIMAL SERVICES
This space could be yours for
$30PER WEEK
Call 403-783-3311
• Beef preg-checking with ultrasound
• Mobile service for all large animals
• Medication & Vaccines• 24/7 on call
PONOKA NEWS Page 25Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Just had a baby?
Tell everyone with a Milestone
Announcement
1.877.223.33111.877.223.3311
JOB HUNTING? Read theClassifieds. 1-877-223-3311.
Trades 850
Truckers/Drivers 860
Misc.Help 880
Oilfield 800TREELINE
WELL SERVICESHas Opening for all
positions! Immediately. All applicants must have current H2S, Class 5 with Q Endorsement, (No GDL
licenses) and First Aid. We offer competitive
wages & excellent benefits. Please include 2 work reference names and
PETROFIELD Industries, the Leader in manufacturingHydrovac trucks, is acceptingresumes for the following positions:* General Labourers* Industrial Painters* Sandblasters* Material Handler* Automotive Electrical Technician* Journeyman Welder / Apprentice* 2nd Yr Welder with Aluminum experience
Visit our website at: www.tornadotrucks.com
for more details. Our Company has an
enthusiastic fast paced working environment, with advancement possibilities for the motivated person, and offers an excellent benefit package. fax
of Whitecourt, Albertais accepting resumes for experienced heavy duty
operators, dozer/buncher/hoe/skidder/processor/delimber for immediate
employment.Fax resume 780-778-2428.
Truckers/Drivers 860
FULL TIME
OR PART
TIME DRIVER
NEEDED
Please apply at Perry’s Pizza
CLASS 1 & Class 3 TANK TRUCK DRIVERS, oilfield
tickets, experience , Fax resume to att’n : Ken
403-742-6761.
Misc.Help 880
Truckers/Drivers 860
ROADEX SERVICESrequires O/O 1 tons for our
RV division and O/O Semis and drivers for our
RV and general freight deck division to haul
throughout North America. Paid by direct deposit,
benefits and company fuel cards. Border crossing
required w/valid passport and clean criminal record.
1-800-867-6233; www.roadexservices.com.RONCO OILFIELD HAULING Sylvan Lake. Openings for Picker operator, bed truck drivers and winch tractor. Top wages and benefits.
Part Time Casual (As Needed) Employment Opportunities- Ideal for Retired or Semi-Retired
Guard positions with the Commissionaires at the RCMP Detachment in Ponoka, AB.
Guards are responsible for the monitoring and well-being of prisoners while in the care of the Police.
Applicants must pass a criminal record check, be capable of working independently and shift work.
First Aide and CPR is an asset.
To apply, contact S/Sgt. Cameron Chisholm at the RCMP Ponoka Detachment (403) 783-4472.
Page 26 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
Misc.Help 880
Misc.Help 880
Misc.Help 880
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITYPONOKA RISING SUN CLUBHOUSE SOCIETY Box 4515 5216 - 50th Street Ponoka, AB. T4J 1S1Phone: 403-783-5810 fax: [email protected]
Clubhouse Worker 1Community Work Program60-70 hrs. per two week pay period
The Ponoka Rising Sun Clubhouse Society is seeking an individual on a full-time basis to assist members in the daily operation of the Community Blue Box and Cardboard Program.
Flexibility and adaptability are key attributes of the candidate we are seeking. Reporting to the Clubhouse Manager, your primary responsibility will be the recycling program, the candidate would also be required to be available for other areas within the Clubhouse environment as needed. Strong oral and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently in a constantly changing environment is essential.
Successful candidates should have a minimum of grade 12 and a class 5 Driver’s License. Experience in the fi eld of Mental Health is preferred. Current registration in C.P.R. is mandatory. Ability to carry out physically demanding labor is expected. A criminal record check will be requested.
Please send resume by mail, fax, email, or drop off.Attention: Amanda Henderson - ManagerRe: Clubhouse Worker 1 PositionClosing Date for Posting: January 24, 2014
PBPp
Deep Roots. Promising Future.
BUILDING SALES REPRESENTATIVE 1 Position #HR13-271
DISPLAY CLERK Position #HR 14-04
More to Life at UFA.UFA Co-operative Limited is one of Canada’s largest and most dynamic co-operatives.
We Offer:
www.ufa.com to apply.
Explore the great career opportunities at www.UFA.com
Ponoka, AB
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only selected candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.
Forward resumes stating “Production Artist” by Friday, January 31 to: [email protected]
Drop off or mail to:Scott Williamson, Production SupervisorRed Deer Advocate2950 Bremner AvenueRed Deer, AB T4R 1M9
Working in a high volume environment, the successful candidate will be responsible for designing and processing ads, Classifi ed page layout, as well as the design and layout of our special sections and weekly papers.
They must possess a strong work ethic, a keen eye for detail and be able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Mac-based Adobe Indesign and Adobe Creative suite experience are defi nite assets.
Hours of work are Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours a week.
PRODUCTION ARTIST
The Red Deer Advocate is
looking for a full time
As a dedicated and responsive Service Coordinator in our FASDprogram, your expertise is in supporting children, adults and familiesaffected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. As part of a self-directedteam you have the ability to effectively problem solve, mentor andresource the community to assist individuals to reach their full potentialwhile working collaboratively with the FASD Outreach Team. You areknowledgeable of community resources, and youhave the ability to linkclients with the resources that they need to be successful. Empoweringpeople through positive example and appropriate guidance, you areself-motivated, analytical, and creative in your thought process.
You will be joining an established Agency that is guided by faith to carefor and bring hope to people in need with humility, compassion andrespect. With more than 50 years of service delivery, Catholic SocialServices is one of the largest multi-function social services agenciesin Canada, with more than 1600 staff, and 2000 volunteers delivering130+ programs through Central and Northern Alberta.
Your related Degree/Diploma in Human Services discipline supportedwith 3 years’ experience, analytical skills, as well as a vehicle and validOperator’s Licence makes you an ideal candidate for this position.
Location:Wetaskiwin
We offer flexibility, and a supportive working environment.
Police Information Check including Vulnerable Sector Search, InterventionRecord Check and/or summary of driving record are conditions ofemployment and the financial responsibility of the candidate.
Please send resume, quoting the competition number 14-005 before
January 29, 2014 to:
Catholic Social Services5206 – 51 Avenue,Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 0V4Fax: (780) 352-3190www.catholicsocialservices.ab.ca
We thank all applicants. If your skill set matches those of othercompetitions, you may also be considered for other positions. Onlycandidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
ServiceCoordinator
Competition #14-005
(Full-time position for 40 hours per week)
WeAre An Equal Opportunity Employer Serving and EmployingPeople of all Faiths and Cultures Since 1961
Small classes,individual attention,confident graduates!
1-877-646-1018; www.albertainstituteofmassage.com
As a Program Supervisor with East Central region, you are a member of a dynamic leadershipteam. Your excellent communication and leadership skills are essential to support individualswith developmental disabilities to lead inclusive lives. In this context you will be challengedwith supporting a variety of programs and projects. You will be joining an established Agencythat is guided by faith to care for and bring hope to people in need with humility, compassionand respect.
Reporting to a Program Manager the successful candidate will supervise a group of programs.Your primary responsibilities will be to support, coach and mentor the Service Coordinatorsto ensure client services are of the highest possible quality as well as various coordinatingfunctions.Your superior problem solving and strong communication skills assist you in providingsupportive leadership and quality supervision. Using your skills in team dynamics, complexbehaviour management and program planning, you lead the development and deliveryof excellent services. A strong knowledge of services for people with complex behaviours,a passion for coaching and developing staff as well as an understanding of accreditationprocesses is essential. You will be required to oversee program and service planning, humanresource planning and be able to foster strong relationships with our stakeholders.
It will be essential that you have:• Excellent program planning and development skills.• Communication skills to listen, understand and influence others.• Coaching and mentoring skills to motivate employees and lead them to self-
improvement.• Ability to develop a unified approach to work and encourage individuals to work
together cooperatively.
You will be joining an established Agency that is guided by faith to care for and bring hopeto people in need with humility, compassion and respect. With more than 50 years of servicedelivery, Catholic Social Services is one of the largest multi-function social services agenciesin Canada, with more than 1600 staff, and 2000 volunteers delivering 130+ programs throughCentral and Northern Alberta.
Your degree in Human Services is preferred but equivalencies will be considered. Three yearsin Human Services sector experience has prepared you for this challenging and rewardingposition. Supervisory experience is preferred.
Location: WetaskiwinWe offer flexibility, a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive working environment.
Police Information Check including vulnerable sector search,Intervention Record Check and/or summary of driving record are conditions of employment
and the financial responsibility of the candidate.
Please send resume, quoting competition number #14-006 before January 29, 2014 to:Catholic Social Services5206 – 51 Avenue, Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 0V4Fax: (780) 352-3190www.catholicsocialservices.ab.ca
We thank all applicants. If your skill set matches those of other competitions, you may also beconsidered for other positions. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
ProgramSupervisor
Competition ##14-006
(Full-time position for 40 hours per week)
WeAre An Equal Opportunity Employer Serving and EmployingPeople of all Faiths and Cultures Since 1961
requires a FULL TIME / PART TIME
STYLIST- Experience with clientele preferred- Must be willing to work every other
Saturday as well as every other Wednesday until 8pm
Interested applicants please fax resume to
403-783-8010
Closing date Jan. 27, 2014
Only those selected for an interview
will be contacted.
• COOKS• Concession
Help• Janitorial
Staff• Barn Staff
Calnash Trucking Ag Event Centre is currently seeking for the 2014 Season
• water wells drilled & serviced• new pump & pressure system installations• all types of pump repairs• well shocking
ECKLUNDWater Well Service
WATER WELL SERVICE
• Install & Service Pumps• Shock Wells
• Pressure Systems Serviced & Installed
Home: (403) 783-3712 Cell: (403) 704-3413
THIS SPACE COULD BE YOURS FOR
$30PER WEEK.
CALL 4037833311
CUSTOM TUB GRINDING
• Different screens for bedding & feed• 600 HP truck driven for fast grinding• Minimum Charge 2 HRS @ $220/HR
CALL LEEN VOGELAAR 403-704-0919
ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS HERE
FOR JUST$30
PER WEEK.REACHING 6000 HOUSEHOLDS PER WEEK.
PONOKA NEWS Page 29Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
WellDrilling 1400 Well
Drilling 1400
Misc.Services 1290
Welding 1410
Misc.Services 1290
SnowRemoval 1380
SNOW REMOVAL
By insured contractor:
403-307-5361
Auctions 15308TH ANNUAL RED DEER
COLLECTOR CARAUCTION & SPEED SHOW,March 14 - 16/14, Red Deer
Westerner Park.Exhibitor space available.
Consign your car. 1-888-296-0528 ext. 102;
EGauctions.com.
BUD HAYNES & WARD’S Gun Auction.
Sat., Feb. 8, 10 a.m.New location!
11802 - 145 St.,Edmonton, Alberta.
Win commemoratives, modern rifles, handguns,
volcanic, cased muffpistols. F & W pocket rifle,
Flintlocks. Consign 403-597-1095.
Phone 403-347-5855 or 780-451-4549; www.
budhaynesauctions.com; www.WardsAuctions.com
Suites 3060
Stores/Commercial 3120
Auctions 1530BIG STRAPPER
AUCTIONSSALES EVERY WED. @ 6 pm.
Moose Hall 2 miles south of Ponoka on 2A
Resuming Weekly SalesWed. Jan. 15, 6 pm
FIRST ANTIQUE SALESun. Feb. 2, 1 pm
WE BUY FOR CASH.
403-304-4791 Check website for full listing
www.bigstrapperauctions.net
ESTATE TOOL AUCTIONFor Dana Gaudreau
of SundreSunday Jan. 26, 10 a.m.Location: Bowden Lions
Hall-Bowden ABSnap on Too ls & Too l boxes, Mac tools & tool boxes, Mechanic & Heavy duty tools, Roll cabinets, U l t ra p ro too ls & too l boxes, Lots of Hand & p o w e r t o o l s , A c k l a n d welder, Upright storage air tank, Collectibles, Lots of misc. shop tool i tems.. Sale is subject to additions & deletions. 5% admin fee applies to all purchases.. For more information on this sale check the web for full l isting and pictures. See U all out at the sale.
4205 - 64 St., Ponoka, ABIncludes: Fridge, Stove, Fireplace, Air
Conditioning, Window Coverings, Oak Cabinetry with Corian Countertops,
Balcony, High Security Card Locks, All Utilities except Telephone.
Quiet Adult Complex, Age 40+, No Pets, Rent Starts at $1380 P/M.
Call ERNIE at 780-335-6767
COMMERCIAL BAYS
FOR RENT4205 - 64 St., Ponoka, AB
34’Lx16’W with 16’ high ceiling. Suitable for Truckers, Farmers, Boaters, Contractors, or Anyone needing Secure, Heated Storage.
ONLY 5 AVAILABLE! Call ERNIE at 780-335-6767 for
Special Spring Rental Rates!
SO008447
BUSINESS AVAILABLE IN ALBERTA Liquor Store
RestaurantCrane & Picker operation
Retail store
Cabinet Manufacturer
Fitness BusinessCement Edging Business
Call Bill Conroy or Keith Acheson @ 403-346-6655 or visit our website Century 21 – Advantage Commercial @ www.advantagecommercial.ca
FOOD CONCESSIONBusiness Opportunity
Camrose CountyCamrose County is invi ng submissions to a Request For Proposal (RFP) to operate a summer Food Concession at Pelican Point Park on Bu alo Lake.The successful applicant will be required to supply an ou i ed facility (mobile concession) to conduct business from. It must be su cient to meet local health authority standards and further that the successful applicant can obtain the necessary food service establishment license.
The successful applicant will also be responsible for any and all siteprepara on, leveling, earth removal, brushing, scraping, excava on, ll,compac ng or any other site work necessary. They will also be responsible for all u lity hook-ups such as light, water, power, gas, telephone or any other service as well as con nued payment of charges for such services imposed by any municipal, legisla ve or other authority.
The successful applicant will be required to observe and carry out their du es in compliance with any and all legisla on and/or regula ons under theMunicipal Government Act, Occupa onal Health and Safety Act, W.C.B., Safety Codes Act, Alberta Building Codes, Alberta Health, by-laws or policies ofwhatever jurisdic onal or regulatory authority that may govern, all of which may be amended or repealed and replaced from me to me.
The successful applicant must provide the Landlord with proof of two million ($2,000,000.00) dollars Public Liability and Property Insurance for the saidconcession. Such coverage shall remain in e ect throughout the season and shall name Camrose County as a co-insured. Such wri en proof shall becer ed by the successful applicant’s Insurance Company and submi edto the County prior to the business commencement.
In return for the authoriza on to conduct business, the County requests each applicant to submit a fair and reasonable proposal for Landlord remunera on. At the same me there is an opportunity to nego ate a desired term ofagreement and any par culars for op on renewal. The applicant should also detail any relevant experience, facili es, equipment or any other informa on that they may deem signi cant to providing adequate background.
Proposals shall be marked “FOOD CONCESSSION” and addressed to:
Camrose County 3755-43 Avenue, Camrose, AB T4V 3S8
All proposals must be received by Camrose County by Friday, February 7, 2014 at 3:30 pm. Camrose County may accept or reject any or all proposals as may be in the best interest of the County.
Camrose County reserves the right to reject any and all RFP Submissions at its sole discre on and that the lowest or any tender may not necessarily be accepted.
This is strictly an invita on for proposals and not a tender call. From the RFP’s received, the County will nego ate with a choice applicant. Subsequentdiscussion and nego a ons will be required to establish nal terms of any agreement or contractual obliga ons.
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PONOKA NEWS Page 31Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
By Gwynne Dyer
It would be interesting to know just what tidbits of in-formation the US National Security Agency’s eavesdropping has turned up on United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. He certainly caved in very fast: on Sunday he invited Iran to join the long-delayed peace talks aimed at ending the three-year-old civil war in Syria; on Sunday evening the United States loudly objected, and on Monday he obediently uninvited Iran.
So the peace talks get underway in Switzerland this week after all, and the omens for peace are not that bad. Unless, of course, you were also hoping for the overthrow of the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad and the emergence of a democratic Syria, in which case the omens are positively awful.
The breakthrough may not happen at Geneva this week, but the Russians and the Americans are now on the same side (although the US cannot yet bring itself to say publicly that it is backing Assad). Moreover, some of the rebels are get-ting ready to change sides. It won’t be fast and it won’t be pretty, but there’s a decent chance that peace, in the shape of an Assad victory, will come to Syria within a year or two.
What has made this possible is the jihadis, the fanatical extremists of the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, who have frightened both the United States and a great many ordinary Syrians into seeing Assad’s regime as the lesser evil.
Two years ago, it still seemed possible that Assad could lose. The rebels had the support of the United States, Turkey and powerful Sunni Arab states like Egypt and Saudi Ara-bia, and they still talked about a democratic, inclusive Syria. Assad’s only friends were Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Hez-bollah.
But then the jihadis showed up, alienating local people with their extreme version of sharia law and scaring the pants off the United States with their allegiance to al-Qaeda. It took the United States quite a while to admit to itself that it does not actually want Assad to fall if that means putting the ji-hadis in power, but it has finally grasped the concept.
The catalyst was the poison gas attacks in Damascus last August, which forced the US to threaten air strikes against the Assad regime (because it had already declared that the use of poison gas would cross a “red line”). However, President Obama was clearly reluctant to carry out his threat – and then
the Russians came up with the idea that Assad could hand over all his chemical weapons instead.
Obama grabbed that lifeline and cancelled the air strikes. After that there was no longer any prospect of Western mili-tary intervention in the Syrian war, which meant that Assad was certain to survive, because the domestic rebels were nev-er going to win it on their own.
More recently, a “war-within-the-war” has broken out among the rebels, with the secular groups fighting the jihadis and the jihadi groups fighting among themselves. So far in January more people have been killed in this internecine rebel war (over a thousand) than in the war against the regime. And the US and Russia are working on a deal that would swing most of the non-jihadi rebels over to the regime’s side.
General Salim Idris, the commander of the Free Syrian Army (the main non-jihadi force on the battlefield), said last month that he and his allies were dropping the demand that Assad must leave power before the Geneva meeting con-vened. Instead, they would be content for Assad to go at the end of the negotiation process, at which time the FSA’s forces would join with those of the regime in an offensive against the Islamists.
He was actually signalling that the Free Syrian Army is getting ready to change sides. There will have to be amnesties and financial rewards for those who change sides, of course, but these things are easily arranged. And Assad will not leave power “at the end of the negotiation process.”
The jihadis are not at Geneva this week, of course; just the Russians and the Americans, and the Assad regime and the Syrian National coalition (the Free Syrian Army’s politi-cal front), and a few odds and sods to make up the numbers. It is an ideal environment for the regime and the secular reb-els to discuss quietly how they might make a deal, with their Russian and American big brothers in attendance to smooth the path.
The fighting in Syria will continue for many months, even if a joint front of the regime and the FSA is formed to drive out the foreign extremists and eliminate the native-born ones. In practice the end game will probably be even more ragged than that, with all sorts of local rebel groups trying to cut their own deals or holding out until the bitter end. But the final outcome has become clear, and it is no longer years away.
Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
Derek Fildebrandt Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The image most people across Canada have of Alberta is locked in a time capsule. It’s summed up by the picture of a gleaming Ralph Klein hoisting the Alberta debt “Paid in Full” sign above his head in 2004.
This image of Alberta has largely endured, even within Alberta somewhat. Alberta was not only debt-free, but as recently as 2009, had $17 billion tucked away for a rainy day in the Sustainability Fund.
Fast-forward to 2014, and Alberta’s sterling financial reputation is in tatters. The $17 billion rainy-day Sustain-ability Fund is virtually depleted, and the province is on track to finish the fiscal year with an $8.7 billion debt. In fact, Alberta is projected to take on an additional $4 bil-lion in debt, every year. By the time the next election rolls around, Alberta will be a full $17 billion in the hole.
The strangest thing about this stunning downturn is how little people were aware of it. Alberta’s government was liv-ing off of the credibility established during the 1990s, but also altered the rules of the game to obscure how much things were actually changing.
It all began innocently enough in the middle of the last decade with an amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility Act to allow for limited public-private partnerships to finance capital, but not record the liabilities as debt. It was harmless at first, and was in fact a responsible thing to do in many cases by sharing risk with the private sector while locking in lower costs. Technically it was still debt, but not worth ringing the alarm bell over, especially when it was only a couple hundred million and the province had multi-billion rainy day fund.
In 2008 – after years of massive spending increases – the province began running a deficit. The Stelmach government leaned heavily on the Sustainability Fund, but in order to minimize the red ink, it began relying more on borrowing to pay for capital spending. By early 2009, the government owed $2.8 billion, but it was not listed as debt, thanks to the innocent accounting changes made in 2003.
When campaigning for the leadership of the PC Party in 2011, Alison Redford calmed the fears of many fiscal con-servatives when she stated, “Debt is the trap that has caught so many struggling governments. Debt has proven the death of countless dreams.”
But this rhetoric about the perils of debt took a sharp turn once Redford was safely secured in the premier’s chair. The government repealed the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Government Accountability Act to weaken its reporting re-quirements.
This was followed up with the 2013 budget that had three different sets of books and left opposition parties, journalists and non-governmental originations burning out their calculators to try and come up with deficit and debt numbers.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) spent the better part of a year consulting with experts and debating internally how to account for the borrowing in a consistent and transparent manner. The answer was found in Ralph Klein’s 1999 Fiscal Responsibility Act, which legally de-fined the debt so that the government could set a target for paying it off.
Klein’s legal definition of the debt was essentially all borrowing not intended for arm’s length government corpo-rations and it did not include any savings accounts such as the Heritage Fund, and most certainly did not include valu-ations of physical infrastructure assets as the government is wont to do. Klein considered netting the government’s long-term savings against its debt to be akin to a family netting the kid’s college fund against its credit card bills.
To boil it down plainly, Klein defined Alberta’s debt as ‘the money Alberta taxpayers owe the banks.’
When the CTF crunched the numbers, the results were startling. $8.7 billion will be owed by the end of fiscal year 2013-14, and $17 billion by the end of 2015-16.
And so the CTF launched AlbertaDebtClock.ca. On the clock, the numbers count upwards at over $11 million every day and $129.25 every second. Right now, it stands at $7.8 billion.
Welcome to the New Alberta.
Alberta Debt Clock Stands at $7.8 Billion
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Page 32 PONOKA NEWS Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014
* ALL PRICES ARE NET ANY REBATE FROM FORD. COSCO REBATE HAS BEEN APPLIED, MUST HAVE CURRENT COSCO CARD TO QUALIFY* ALL PRICES ARE NET ANY REBATE FROM FORD. COSCO REBATE HAS BEEN APPLIED, MUST HAVE CURRENT COSCO CARD TO QUALIFYE PL OOMUST HAVE CURRENST HAVE CURRUUST AVV RR OED, MU TN OOOOS C TTDROOOO OS OCCO O CA QOOO* ALL PRICES ARE NET ANY REBATE FROM FORD COSCO REBATE HAS BEEN APPLIE ENT OSCO CARD TO QUALIFYE OMUST HAVE CURRENST HAVE CURRUU RED M N OSOCO O*** ALALALALLLL PRPRPRICICICICESESESES AAAARERERE NNNNETETET AAANYRERERE Y REBEBBATATATATEEE FRFRFROMOMOMOM FFFORORORORDDD COCOCOCOSCSCSCSCOOOO REREREBABABABATETETE HHASS BEEEEENNNN APAPAPAPPLPLPLIEIEIEDD EENTNTNTNT COSOMMMMUSUSUSUSTT HAHAHAHA EE CCCC RERERENTNTNTNSSSSTTT HAHAHAHAVEVEVE CCCCURURURRRR TTTHHTUUUUUU AAV RREEDDD MMMM N OSSSSOCCCO COO CCCCARARARARDDD TOTOTOTO QQQQUAUAUAUALILILIFYFYFYOOC QCO
2010 MAZDA 6
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2011 GMC SIERRA
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2011 FORD F150 SUPERCREW
Stk.#T0017A
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2008 FORD
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2011 KIA SOUL SPORT
Stk.#L0238
$12,996 or $119 BW
Stk.#T0443B LEATHER, MOONROOF ONLY 80K $12,995 OR $129 BW
2006 DODGE MAGNUM RT
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Stk.#T0403A LEATHER, MOONROOF ONLY 63K
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2012 FORD FLEX SEL
Stk.#T0026A 26K $22,995 or
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Stk.#L0263 LOW K
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2013 DODGE JOURNEY RT
Stk.#L0077A LEATHER, NAV ONLY 18K
$29,980 or $215 BW
2011 DODGE RAM CREW SLT HEMI
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