Sophie’s Closet closing doors as federal program bringing Ukrainian newcomers to Prince Albert winds down

Jason Kerr
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Sophie’s Closet closing doors as federal program bringing Ukrainian newcomers to Prince Albert winds down

It started with a small plan to help a few Ukrainian families escape war with Russia and start a new life in Canada, and blossomed into helping 125 families arrive over the last two years.

On March 31st, those efforts to bring Ukrainian newcomers to Prince Albert will come to an end when volunteer organizer Sonja Jahn steps down, and Sophie’s Closet, the thrift store created to help newly arrived Ukrainian families, closes its doors.

“It’s with mixed emotion that I do this because I know the war is not concluding,” a tearful Jahn said during an interview on Thursday. “But, I’m hopeful that Ukraine will win this war and that the people in Ukraine who are staying back will resume a safe life and a life of democracy.”

Jahn has been the driving force in helping Ukrainian newcomers settle in Prince Albert after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Her original plan was to help Ukrainians who’d moved to Saskatchewan in the last 10 to 15 years provide a safe landing place for any of their families seeking a way out.

As the war progressed, however, the need grew, and Jahn became instrumental in helping new families, whether it was helping fill out forms, find a job, or settle into a new home.

With Sophie’s Closet set to close and settlement efforts winding down, Jahn wanted to thank the many Prince Albert residents who donated time and money to help Prince Albert’s 125 new Ukrainian families.

The list included businessman Herman Lewis, who offered the first three families free rent for a year while they found their footing. It also includes Wendy Hoffman and Calvary United, who helped coordinate donations, and Christina Fonstad and Karen Malec, who did a lot of the work organizing Sophie’s Closet.

“We live in a very amazing community,” Jahn said. “There are so many wonderful people in Prince Albert and the surrounding community, and I’m just so grateful for all of the kindness and the compassion and the donations of household items, furniture, monetary donations. It has just been phenomenal, and if it wasn’t for all of the people who have stepped forward and stepped up to the plate to do this, this would never have happened as successfully as it has.”

There are two primary reasons these efforts are coming to an end. First, the federal government’s CUAET program, which allowed Ukrainians emergency travel to Canada, will end on March 31 and the government has shown no signs they will extend it as they did a year ago.

Ukrainian newcomers had until July 15, 2023 to submit a CUAET application, and have until March 31 to obtain a work or study permit at a port of entry.

Even if the program gets extended, however, Jahn said it’s time to step down for personal reasons.

“It’s been more than full-time volunteering seven days a week, and now my family have actually given me an ultimatum,” she said. “They want me back in their lives.”

Despite the unexpected workload, Jahn said the experience has been amazing.

“There’s been tears shed. Laughter and tears. My heart is extremely full and I am so grateful that these people have come to a place where they’re welcomed in our community, and thanks to our beautiful community of Prince Albert and surrounding area,” she said.

Sophie’s Closet is named after Jahn’s mother, who immigrated to Canada as a three year old with her family. On Wednesday, volunteers were organizing the last batch of donations for a final sale on March 31, when newcomer Ukrainian families are welcome to visit the store one last time before it closes.

Sophie’s Closet is named after Sonja Jahn’s mother, who is pictured here at three-years-old with her sisters Suzie and Mary with Sonja’s grandmother shortly before leaving Ukraine for Canada. — Jason Kerr/Daily Herald

Ulrike Graner has been the store’s team lead recently. She said Jahn’s efforts will be missed.

“She is just amazing. She does not rest and she has that ability to sort of not freak out,” Graner said with a laugh.

Graner became involved with Sophie’s Closet out of a desire to help immigrants like herself. She arrived in Canada from Germany in 1995, and eventually moved to Prince Albert in 1998. She said moving in Canada in a peaceful, orderly manner was stressful enough, and sympathized with the Ukrainian people who had to leave everything behind.

She’s sad the store will close down, but has appreciated the opportunity to be a part of it.

“It would be nice to have the … federal support program not stop, but since it is stopping on the 31st, we figured there probably are less people coming, so this doesn’t make sense anymore,” Graner said. “On a nicer note though, a lot of the Ukrainians are established nicely, so I hope that the community itself, they will help each other.”

Graner said Jahn deserves a long rest after her work helping Ukrainian families, but said it will be a loss not having her around to help out.

She said it’s been a pleasure to work at the store, and see the generosity of Prince Albert residents up close.

“It’s been interesting,” she said. “You could not calculate what you could get. I learned that fall is house-cleaning time for everyone in Prince Albert, so everyone went through what they could spare and we ended up with a lot of donations (and) then it dwindled down. Then Christmas was another highlight. This room in the back was filled with Christmas ornaments and trees and decorations.”

With fewer Ukrainian newcomers expected to arrive in Canada, Graner and others have turned their sights on making sure the new families continue to be successful.

When she moved to Canada, Graner had trouble getting her work credentials recognized. She never worked in her chosen field of physiotherapy, and although she has no regrets about becoming a stay-at-home mom, she said it’s frustrating to see Ukrainian newcomers with impressive academic credentials working low income jobs.

“A lot of highly trained professionals who are actually needed in our country, they drive cabs,” she said. “That’s what I would love to see being changed.”

As for Jahn, she’s looking forward to some much needed rest, but grateful for a chance to help so many families.

“I only wish them the very best and wish them good health and happiness and prosperity as they make their lives here, just as my grandfather and my grandmother and my family did,” she said.

The final day of operation for Sophie’s Closet is March 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Deficit spending necessary to meeting needs of growing Sask. population say Prince Albert MLAs

Jason Kerr
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Deficit spending necessary to meeting needs of growing Sask. population say Prince Albert MLAs

Prince Albert MLAs Joe Hargrave and Alana Ross said deficit spending is necessary to address challenges created by a growing population following the announcement of the 2024-25 provincial budget on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer’s budget calls for $20.1 billion in spending, with $19.9 billion in forecasted revenue. If that forecast holds, the province will run a $273.2 million deficit this upcoming fiscal year.

“We still need to be able to invest in the people of Saskatchewan, and that’s what our capital budget does,” Ross said in an interview Thursday afternoon. “We’re growing. Our population is growing. We know we need to invest in schools. We know we need to invest in health, and we in Prince Albert are going to benefit immensely from that. It’s something that is necessary and has to be done.”

The province will spend $7.6 billion on healthcare in 2024-25, with $180 million tagged for the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital Redevelopment Project. The project will increase the number of beds at Victoria Hospital to 242, with construction on a new tower set to begin this spring and end in 2028.

Other infrastructure investments include funds for a new Francophone pre-K to Grade 12 school that will replace Ecole Valois. That funding is part of $165.9 million announced for 11 new or consolidated school projects and renovations.

The budget also includes $2 million in operating funding for the Rose Garden Hospice.

“We’re investing more money in our classrooms and we’re investing money in (health)care with hospitals, and the municipal revenue sharing is up,” said Hargrave, who also serves as Ministry of Procurement and SaskBuilds.

“This budget meets our needs in Prince Albert very well.”

The infrastructure spending list also included spending on two northern projects already under construction: a new school in La Loche to replace Ducharme Elementary School, and a new three-story Long-Term Care Home in La Ronge. The school in La Loche should be completed by Spring 2025, while the LTC in La Ronge should be finished by late 2026.

Hargrave and Ross both cited declining natural resource revenue as the biggest reason the province faced a deficit in 2024-25. The province expects to receive $1.1 billion in oil and natural gas revenue—an increase of $98.8 million from the year before—but potash revenue has plummeted. The province expects to receive $796.4 million this fiscal year, a $580.1 million drop from 2023-24.

“It wasn’t by choice,” Hargrave said when asked about the deficit. “It’s what happens when royalties from potash (drop). Potash prices tanked severely…. That was pretty major, and that’s nobody’s fault because the industry never predicted that, nobody predicted that.”

The province anticipates an increase in income tax revenue due to expected high employment levels in 2024-25. The government also expects an increase in population will lead to more economic activity, which means more PST revenue. The province expects to see a 17.5 per cent increase.

Wednesday’s budget included $741 million in infrastructure spending, roughly $417 million of which will go towards the Ministry of Highways.

The province has also agreed to freeze the small business tax rate at one per cent for an additional year, a move welcomed by small business advocates like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

“Small businesses need this tax break, otherwise their corporate income tax bill would have doubled at a time when they can least afford it,” CFIB provincial affairs director Brianna Solberg said in a press release. “While the difference between one and two per cent might seem minor, for a small business earning $500,000 in income, that’s the difference between $5,000 and $10,000 in corporation taxes. This tax freeze will help give more businesses the chance to survive.”

The province also announced a $16.7 million funding increase to implement the Provincial Approach to Homelessness. Roughly $7.2 million of that funding will cover emergency shelter operations across the province, while $9.5 million will go towards capital investment housing projects in Regina and Saskatoon. That funding was part of $1.5 billion in total funding for the Ministry of Social Services.

NDP leader blasts government for deficit spending

NDP leader Carla Beck described Wednesday’s provincial budget as an “election budget” that did little to help families struggling to pay their bills.

Beck said families are still hurting from cost-of-living increases, and they won’t find help from the provincial government.

“It’s like they don’t understand how much people in this province are struggling right now, so that was disappointing,” Beck said during an interview Wednesday afternoon.

The NDP has called for the province to stop collecting the Gas Tax to help families. That’s something Alberta did in 2023, and Manitoba started doing on Jan. 1, 2024.

Saskatchewan’s Gas Tax currently sits at 15 cent per litre on gasoline and diesel, and nine cents per litre on propane. Beck said that’s an easy way to help struggling residents, and it’s disappointing the province didn’t follow Manitoba and Alberta’s lead.

“We’ve seen every other prairie province do it,” she said. “If they didn’t like our idea, at least we were expecting we might see something from this government, but we didn’t. We saw more of the same.”

Beck also criticized the province’s decision to table another budget with deficit spending. She compared the current government under Scott Moe to the old PC government led by Grant Devine, which accumulated $1.5 billion in debt during its first four years in office.

Beck said residents need to trust the government will spend money wisely, and that’s not happening.

“(They are) spending recklessly, spending on the wrong priorities, and spending in ways that actually don’t benefit the people of the province that don’t address their number one concern, the cost of living,” Beck said. “I think, adds evidence to our observation, that this is a tired and out-of-touch government.”

Beck said the province’s current labour dispute with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is an example of their inability to spend wisely. The two parties are locked in a debate over classroom complexity, and Beck said the most prudent decision would be to send the issue to an arbitrator. That would allow provincial and STF negotiators to resume working on a new deal.

“I talked to many teachers today (Wednesday) saying the very same thing: they don’t want to be here, but if they don’t stand up and say, ‘we cannot continue to underfund and disrespect and disregard the conditions our kids are trying to learn in, we are being foolish about our future in this province,’” Beck said.

When asked how this budget helps families facing a cost-of-living crisis, Hargrave said the province’s decision to stop collecting the Carbon Tax is one of many things that will help low income residents save money. He also said the province continues to ensure roughly 112,000 low income residents are not paying income tax, which also helps with affordability.

Ross said even with recent cost increases, Saskatchewan still is one of the most affordable places in Canada for a family to live.

“When you look at some of the measures other provinces have implemented, it doesn’t begin to compare with how affordable it is to live in Saskatchewan,” she said.

STF ‘really crossed the line’ with upcoming withdrawal of services says Prince Albert MLA

Jason Kerr
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STF ‘really crossed the line’ with upcoming withdrawal of services says Prince Albert MLA

Prince Albert’s two MLAs blasted the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) for their decision to withdraw extracurricular services on Thursday and Friday, which led to the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association (SHSAA) cancelling one of Saskatchewan’s biggest high school sports events.

The SHSAA will host a one-day version of the annual Hoopla high school basketball tournament due to the withdrawal of services. The two-day tournament was scheduled to start Friday, but SHSAA officials reduced it to a one-day event because of the withdrawal.

Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave and Prince Albert Northcote MLA Alana Ross were both unhappy with the news.

“We have some really wonderful teachers,” Ross said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “They do a fantastic job with our kids all the time. It is the STF who is making these calls, and personally I feel they really crossed the line with Hoopla. They talk about (how) they’re negotiating for the kids. From my perspective, that is punishing the children and involving them in a situation they shouldn’t be involved in.”

The SHSAA originally gave both parties a 3 p.m. Wednesday deadline before making a decision on whether to cancel the tournament. When that passed, the organization announced that each qualifying team would end the season by playing one exhibition game on Saturday, instead of the regular knockout tournament.

The STF and provincial government have not been at the bargaining table since Feb. 13. That meeting ended with barely any negotiations, and both parties released statements accusing the other of walking away from the bargaining table.

On Wednesday, Hargrave pointed to the $28.5 million provided for portable classrooms in the provincial budget and a recently signed multi-year funding agreement with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association as examples of the province’s commitment to addressing classroom complexity—a key STF concern. He said that should be enough to get the STF back negotiating.

“We’ve made lots of efforts, but they haven’t made any effort at all, and now they shut down Hoopla,” Hargrave said. “That’s not the government, and that’s not our bargaining team. That is strictly the teachers’ union that has shut down Hoopla for all these kids, all their extracurricular activities, (and) that’s just not acceptable as far as I’m concerned.”

“The table is the place to make agreements, and until the STF is willing to come back unconditionally to the table to sit down and talk, it’s going to be difficult to move forward,” Ross added. “I know a lot of teachers who really want to come back to the classroom, the kids want to come back to the classroom, and they’re the ones who are being impacted.”

STF President Samantha Becotte said the government bargaining committee has had plenty of opportunities to address the issue, but refuses to meet teachers halfway. Becotte released a statement calling on the province to either agree to binding arbitration on the issue of classroom complexity, or give the bargaining committee a new mandate to negotiate.

“Throughout this process we have provided government with multiple off-ramps to end sanctions and ensure that activities and events such as Hoopla, the Regina Optimist Band Festival, the Skills Canada Saskatchewan Provincial Competition, and many, many more could take place as originally planned,” reads the statement. “We are deeply disappointed that government simply refuses to meet teachers halfway.”

The Friday withdrawal of extracurricular services is the last day of three straight days of job action. Things began on Wednesday with a province-wide strike that had thousands of teachers picketing outside the provincial legislature during the budget presentation.

In Prince Albert, teachers protested in the Cornerstone area, which includes Alana Ross’ constituency office, a location they’ve picketed before.

Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association (PAATA) president Jean-Marc Belliveau said teachers want to have classroom complexity dealt with in this agreement, but the province isn’t negotiating seriously.

“We’ve given the government quite a few opportunities to come back to the table, and they have not accepted the offer,” Belliveau said in an interview following Wednesday’s protest.

“There are plenty of options to make all job actions go away.”

Belliveau said there is some frustration, but teachers would not be dissuaded from addressing classroom complexity. When asked when the string of job actions would progress into a full-blown strike, Belliveau said it would depend on how the government bargaining committee acts.

“Usually in bargaining, it’s to get better working conditions, but in this case, better working conditions equal better learning conditions,” he said. “We’re doing this for the students. We are fighting to have support so that all the students in the classroom have all that they need to be able to learn properly.”

Finance Minister Donna Harpauer announced $3.3 billion in education funding during Wednesday’s budget presentation, an 8.1 per cent increase over the year before. That includes $2.2 billion in school operating funding, along with $356.6 million in classroom supports, and another $216 million in school infrastructure funding.

From the autobody, to a body of water, Sask. Poly student embraces change

Jason Kerr
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From the autobody, to a body of water, Sask. Poly student embraces change

What do an autobody mechanic and natural resources student have in common?

Well, if you’re Saskatchewan Polytechnic student Courtney Cherpin, the answer is ‘they’re the same person.’ Cherpin graduated from Sask. Poly in 2015 and began working as an apprentice in an autobody shop. After 11 years, the shop closed, and Cherpin decided to head back to school.

Now at age 32, she’s going to graduate a second time this spring, this time in the field of Natural Resource Technology.

“It’s pretty smooth,’ Cherpin said when asked about her second run with Sask. Poly. “Now a lot of things are online. There’s a lot of material online. If you miss a class, it’s probably online. School’s been a lot easier this time around, I find.”

Cherpin is part of a growing number of post-secondary students who are heading back to school, but in a different field. On Thursday, she’ll be among the panelists at a ‘Returning to Learning’ information night designed to help residents who have already graduated once decide whether to head back to school.

“I think it’s actually really important that people who are mature—not 18-years-old (and) fresh out of high school—know that they can return to school and be successful later in life,” Cherpin explained. “I am 32 now and I just decided to go back to school two years ago. I’m actually on track to getting my masters, so it’s going to be a long trek, but it’s going to be good. I want other people to know they can do that later in life.”

After graduating this spring, Cherpin is headed to work for the Water Security Agency where she’ll help with a Lake Sturgeon Spawning Assessment. It’s a dream job for someone like Cherpin, who started fishing at a very young age.


“My dad got me into fishing as a really young girl, and in the last 10 years, fishing kind of took over my life recreationally,” she said.

“The bodyshop closed so I decided to go back to school and pursue my love for the outdoors. I found out there was a whole class dedicated to the outdoors, which specialized a lot in fisheries, so that really helped me out. I want to work in fisheries—any kind of fisheries—and sturgeon just kind of fell into my lap so that’s the way I’m going to go.”

Despite the name, Lake Sturgeon require fast running water and rapids to breed. The fish are mostly confined to the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan river systems, but environmental degradation, damming, and consecutive dry summers, are reducing their numbers.

“We’re just trying to dial into what we can do to help them,” Cherpin said.

“They are losing their spawning habitats steadily because of the climate change and the changing water levels and temperatures and just all the stuff we’re putting into the water too is really not helping.”

Lake Sturgeon need plenty of water flowing over rocks to create rapids. Without that high-water level, the rocks are exposed, and the fish lose their spawning ground.

Ideally, Cherpin said they’d like to get the Lake Sturgeon listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). However, they need more data before that can happen.

Returning to Learning’ runs from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Prince Albert campus on Thursday, March 21.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

RCMP searching for 34-year-old wanted on Canada-wide warrant

Jason Kerr
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RCMP searching for 34-year-old wanted on Canada-wide warrant

RCMP officers have asked residents to report sightings of a 34-year-old man wanted on multiple warrants who may be in the Prince Albert area.

Kelly Daniels is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breaching statutory release conditions and being unlawfully at large. Daniels sometimes goes by the name Kelly Brittain.

According to the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert Warrant Enforcement and Suppression (WEST) team, Daniels was last seen in the James Smith Cree Nation area, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

Daniels is described as roughly 6’ tall and 230 pounds with black hair, brown eyes, and multiple neck tattoos, including the letters “INGAF” tattooed above his eye, and “KB” on his left hand, and the name “Brittain” in flames on his right forearm.

RCMP have asked residents to avoid approaching Daniels and instead report sightings and information to local police.

Prince Albert Concert Band to host Irish Pub Night

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert Concert Band to host Irish Pub Night

The Prince Albert Concert Band hopes to keep the St. Patrick’s Day spirit going, while also getting the word out to new members with an Irish Pub Night at the Rock Trout Events Centre.

Concert Band President Corinne Delparte said they’ve been struggling since COVID hit. They’re hoping to raise a few funds with the pub night, and attract some new musicians too.

“We thought we’d try a fundraising event that would shine a little light on our association and maybe some Prince Albert business as well, just to create fun evening out,” Delparte explained.

“During COVID … the band still kept on playing, but our numbers decreased. Just getting people back out and involved in community events has been a bit more challenging than anticipated, but we do have a fairly strong core still and we’re hoping to entice more people to come out and join us by being visible in the community a little more.”

The March 23rd event will have an Irish theme, with food, live music, and door prizes. Delparte said they originally hopes to host it on the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, but couldn’t find a venue.

“We just thought we’d keep the theme, go with March, and extend it a little longer,” she explained.

Delparte said the concert band still produces music, but would like to have more musicians. The group performed their annual Christmas concert in December, and has a spring performance planned in partnership with St. Mary High School choir. They’ve also joined forces with concert bands in other communities like Tisdale in an effort to beef up their numbers.

The concert band performs under the direction of Shannon Fehr and Julie Abbs. Fehr said they have less than 20 members right now, and would love to have at least 30.

“Right now we were very limited by our instrumentation at the moment, particularly low brass,” she explained. “We need trombone players like you wouldn’t believe. Trombone players. French Horn players. We could use a whole lot more brass and that would allow us to dig into some really meaningful concert band music.”

In addition to performing live concert, the band sponsors students heading to band camps, and gives provides high school scholarships. They also promote music in the community through events like longterm care home performances.

Fehr said the concert band helps enrich her life. She’s hopeful the Irish Pub Night will help others see the value of it too.

“After a long day of work, there are very frequently evenings where I don’t really feel like getting off the couch to go and conduct the band, but I’m always grateful every time that I do,” she said. “It’s always a rewarding experience to go out and do something that is not related to what you’re doing in the daily grind.”

Doors open for the Prince Albert Concert Band Irish Pub Night at 6:30 p.m. on March 23, with the meal at 7 p.m. Tickets are available from any band member, or from princealbertconcertband@gmail.com.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

‘The years go by very quick’: Prince Albert dentist retires after nearly 40 years in practice

Jason Kerr
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‘The years go by very quick’: Prince Albert dentist retires after nearly 40 years in practice

Dr. Jerry Janzen didn’t plan on staying in Prince Albert his entire career, but after nearly 40 years in the community he’s glad he did.

Janzen, the co-owner of Legacy Dental, announced his retirement in February. On Friday afternoon, friends, family, colleagues and patients gathered at Legacy Dental to wish him well at a retirement celebration.

He said it’s incredible how quickly the time went.

“The days are sometimes long, but the years go by very quickly,” he said during an interview. “(There were) lots of changes: technological advances, time management issues, computers, milling machines, yada, yada, lots of technological stuff, greater diagnosis, and what we’re seeing is people are entering their 60s, 70s, and 80s a lot healthier as a result of it.”

Janzen was born in Prince Albert after his father, Dr. George Janzen, started a dental practice in 1953. When he left for university, Janzen didn’t originally intend on following in his father’s footsteps. That soon changed, and in 1985 he joined his father’s dental practice back in Prince Albert after graduation.

“It was a short-term decision to come to PA,” Janzen remembered. “I said, ‘I’ll be here for five years and I’ll see what happens and here we are 40 years later (and) we’re still here.”

Janzen said he’s been blessed to have staff and patients stay with Legacy Dental for extended periods of time. He’s currently one of four dentists practicing out of facility, including co-owner Dr. Markus Wilson.

Wilson joined Legacy in 2018 after graduating from dental school, and said Janzen was an excellent mentor and role model.

“Coming out of school, you think you know everything,” Wilson said with a chuckle. “Once you get in the real world and you start working with an excellent teacher and leader, things change quite quickly.

“What I really appreciate working with him is just he’s very patient and he’s really into just excelling (at) dentistry. It’s been an excellent journey.”

Janzen has seen plenty of positive changes in dental care over the past 40 years. He said it’s encouraging to see more recognition about the role dental care plays in overall health. The result is more and more residents who are entering their senior years with better cardiovascular and respiratory health.

“It’s one big system,” he said. “I think we used to look at it initially and say, ‘fix my tooth, it doesn’t matter that much.’”

Janzen said he hasn’t decided what to do in retirement yet. He plans to put some of the professional skills he learned to good use in the community, but in a less structured environment.

As for Legacy Dental, Wilson plans to keep the practice running with current associates Dr. Jenna Gogolinski and Dr. Walter Yim.

“We really hope to keep delivering the excellent quality of care that Dr. Janzen had delivered all these years … and just continue to help the citizens of Prince Albert increase their oral health,” Wilson said.

Prince Albert Crop Talk focuses on improved productivity, reduced waste as farmers prepare for another growing season

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert Crop Talk focuses on improved productivity, reduced waste as farmers prepare for another growing season

Farmers from across the Prince Albert area gathered at the Wildlife Federation building north of the City on Wednesday to discuss more efficient ways to spray their crops in difficult conditions.

The discussion was part of the annual winter Crop Talk hosted by the Conservation Learning Centre and Ministry of Agriculture. Keynote speaker Tom Wolf said finding more effective ways to spray crops has environmental and economic benefits for farmers, it’s just a matter of getting information about best practices into their hands.

“I would say by and large they understand the high speed—high boom application method isn’t useful, but they really want other doors to be opened,” Wolf said during an interview. “If I say, for example, don’t do this, I would also want to say, do this instead, right? So the instead part is to improve your productivity in other ways.”

Farmers across the country face mounting bills, with total expenses climbing to $11.5 billion in 2021. Fertilizer costs were the biggest reason for the jump, with Statistics Canada reporting the largest year-over-year increase in fertilizer prices since 2008. However, herbicide costs also remain high, with Canadian farmers spending a total of $1.1 billion and $1.5 billion combined on herbicide every year.

Wolf said helping farmers spray more effectively can reduce those costs, while also having environmental benefits.

“In many ways, it is economic because that’s really the driver of everything,” he explained. “You want to be able to get the job done at the right time so that it works properly. If you delay an application you might lose some yields because the weeds have advanced or the disease has advanced, but it’s also environmental.

Agriculture Programs Specialist Brynn Jones (left) answers a question at Crop Talk 2024 while Agri-Environmental Specialist Paige Straf (middle), and Conservation Learning Centre Community Outreach Coordinator Rachael Groat (right) look on. The trio were among the presenters at Crop Talk at the PA Wildlife Federation building on Wednesday. — Max Pahtayken/Daily Herald

“If it’s windy, the spray may move into sensitive areas, it may harm neighbouring crops, it may harm ecosystems (and) waterways. We want to avoid that as well and we do that by just reducing spray drift.”

A big part of minimizing that drift is slowing down, something Wolf said farmers are happy to do, provide they can make up the time in other areas.

“You’re going to lose some time,” he said. “You’re going to love some acres per hour if you do that, but you’re going to make it back investing in things like logistics. For example, how long does it take to fill your sprayer? How long does it take you to clean your sprayer? What else are you spending time on that isn’t spraying related on a spray day? Shave those times, and then that time will give you extra hours in the day to do the spray job.”

Spraying was one of several topics up for discussion at Wednesday’s meeting. Farmers also had a look at some of the Conservation Learning Centre’s research on cover cropping and fertilizer efficiency.

She said Wednesday’s crop talk is vital for getting recent research into the hands of farmers.

“It’s something that’s being done a lot right now in ag research, but we don’t have that local demonstration and research to back it up,” CLC acting onsite manager Zoe Galbraith explained. “That’s one of the projects we undertook this year, to try to get some data behind these practices that are being used.”

Music and magic: Canadian illusionist combines his two passions in Redefining Wonder

Jason Kerr
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Music and magic: Canadian illusionist combines his two passions in Redefining Wonder

Chris Funk grew up watching magicians perform on television, but he never expected to follow in their footsteps.

Funk fell in love with magic shows as a child watching Canadian illusionist Doug Henning perform on television. But despite his love for the shows, he didn’t pursue the craft for years. In fact, he didn’t even know illusions could be taught.

“I was, let’s say, sheltered, in that regard,” Funk said with a chuckle. “I was deep into music so I would come home from school and I would be practicing instruments. I didn’t know you could learn it (illusions) until the age of 16 when someone taught me my very first trick, and it was game over at that point. I was hooked.”

Funk was fascinated with illusions and began learning everything he could about them. He watched countless TV shows, and his parents took him to watch big-name performers like David Copperfield whenever they were in town.

He spent every dime on books so he could learn new tricks, then started performing paid gigs at age 19. He took to performing illusions just as enthusiastically as he took to learning about them.

“It blew my mind,” Funk said. “I was just like, ‘wait, you can make money doing this? Okay, this is what I’m going to do.’”

Funk started performing at small local events, and made the occasional television appearance to promote a live performance. Although he loved magic tricks and illusions, he never forgot his first passion: music. He soon began incorporating his musical skills into his show.

His act started getting attention, and soon he received requests to appear on bigger and bigger stages, including popular television programs. Since then, he’s performed on America’s Got Talent, Penn and Teller: Fool Us, and Master Illusion, among others.

Funk said it was a surreal experience to go from watching musicians on TV, to being a musician on TV. In fact, he assumed the first request was a joke or mistake.

“I didn’t think it was real,” he remembered. “I was like, ‘why would they be calling me?’ I actually had to go out for dinner with my wife and a couple buddies and they talked me through it and encouraged me to do it. (They) kind of smacked me a couple times saying, ‘don’t be silly. You should do this.’

“Being on set there, it was like, ‘wow, this is just surreal. It’s crazy,’ and then realizing that some of the bigger names, after seeing me perform, and chatting with them, and me telling them how I looked up to them, (they’re) saying that now we’re peers. I’m like, ‘wait a minute, this is just crazy. Someone pinch me.’ I didn’t ever think that this would be happening.”

Funk continues to perform away from television too. He’s headlined shows at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, and Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood. His next show is scheduled for Friday, March 15 when he takes to the E.A. Rawlinson Centre stage in Prince Albert.

Funk has never performed in Prince Albert before, and said he’s looking forward to wowing a new audience.

“It comes down to the people,” he said. “I love performing for brand new audiences. It’s just the style of show that I have. It’s a very unscripted approach to a show. I know what my routines are from my show, but I leave a lot of what I say open so that the audience can interact with me and that’s where the content comes from.”

Chris Funk’s Redefining Wonder begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre. Tickets are available at earc.ca or the Rawlinson Box Office.

Community Service Centre pushes back against City of PA ad campaign

Jason Kerr
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Community Service Centre pushes back against City of PA ad campaign

CEO has board’s full support says CSC vice-chair

Community Service Centre (CSC) representatives have accused the City of Prince Albert of trying to shift the focus away from paratransit services with a new ad campaign.

The ad campaign, which is endorsed by Mayor Greg Dionne, outlines five reasons why the CSC has not received more funding. The campaign also alleges that CSC CEO Bill Powalinsky failed the organization and the general public by not disclosing plans to run for mayor.

This week, CSC vice-chair Shelley Gordon released a statement backing Powalinsky, and reaffirming the need for more funding.

“Don’t let the focus shift away from continued Paratransit services for people with disability,” reads Gordon’s statement. “Our CEO – Mr. Bill Powalinsky, has kept the Board of Directors informed of every operational decision, and is fully supported by the Board of Directors.”

Gordon added that Powalinsky has followed the outline of activities found in “A Citizen’s Guide to Shaping Council Decisions” in an effort to keep the public informed and aware.

In his own statement, Powalinsky said it’s not about personalities or politics, but about “doing the right thing for the right reasons at the right time.”

The most recent print ad appeared on page 16 of the March 9 Daily Herald. In the ad, Dionne and the City criticized how the CSC transportation service was run, arguing that Powalinsky cut transportation hours without The City’s knowledge or permission after receiving $34,050 in new funding to improve Access Transit capacity.

The ad also argued that the lack of a contract agreement made it difficult to talk funding. The ad argues that if a contract was in place, “then we would not be in the situation we are today” because funding amounts and the service required would be clearly established.

In a statement, Powalinsky argued the CSC had been pushing for a multi-year agreement for years, and would welcome such an agreement with open arms.

“It’s not too late for a win-win … for the City and its residents with disability,” Powalinsky’s statement reads.

Powalinsky has been in a wheelchair on and off for the past two-and-a-half years for health reasons. He said he understands the importance of weekend and evening services based on that experience.

The ad campaign comes after the CSC held a press conference in January arguing that the paratransit service faced a funding crisis. The CSC provided 37,145 rides in 2023, an increase of 11,405 from 2022. At budget time, the CSC requested $675,285 from council. That’s a funding increase of $103,521.

Afterwards, Dionne said council would not discuss additional funding until a contract was signed.

“Once we get that contract signed, then we’ll review ’24 because then we’ll have a clear agreement on what they’re supposed to supply and what they’re supposed to deliver and how they’re supposed to spend our money” he said.

Dionne added that he expected to see an agreement done by May 31.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

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