From mills to medicine

Jason Kerr
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From mills to medicine

Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce CEO Larry Fladager wants to see the city focus on what it does best instead of chasing big industries.

The issue of attracting big businesses was one of several brought up after Mayor Greg Dionne’s State of the City address on Thursday.

In response to a question from the audience, Dionne said he wants to see the city focus on attracting several smaller businesses instead of one large one.

It’s a stance Fladager wants to see more of heading into the future.

“This community is really redefining itself in terms of the retail service sector,” Fladager said during an interview after the address. “We have lots of professional services, we have a large health region here, we have lots on the retail side, doctors, lawyers, etc.”

Fladager said it’s great if you can convince big industries to set up shop, but that’s a tough task to follow through on. Many companies, he explained, don’t consult with local organizations before deciding where to expand.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 27 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Pipeline approval brings benefits and concerns

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert’s right-leaning federal and provincial representatives say they’re pleased with a recent executive order from newly inaugurated President Donald Trump that officially jumpstarts the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects.

Trump signed the executive orders on Tuesday, according to a report from Reuters, which breathed new life into the project that was rejected by the Obama administration in 2015.

On Tuesday, Prince Albert conservative MP Randy Hoback called the decision a positive one, and expressed relief that the project was moving forward.

“We’d heard rumours of this ever since the election, and ever since President Trump was elected, that he was going to approve Keystone,” he said. “It’s nice to see the executive orders are now signed.”

Although the White House never released an official press briefing, Trump confirmed the decision with a tweet from his twitter account.

Hoback said he expects there will be a few minor issues left to resolve, especially in Nebraska where landowners fought off an unsuccessful lawsuit from pipeline constructors TransCanada. However, he said the biggest impediment to construction was now in the past.

“From what I understand, all the permits, all the processes that TransCanada had to go through have been met and are still in place,” Hoback explained. “There are no issues from what I can see as far as negotiations with the government or anything like that. The only issue I see is down in the states, in Nebraska.”

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 25 online or print edition of the Daily Herald

Savings for seniors

Jason Kerr
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Savings for seniors

Seniors is Prince Albert will have a little more cash to spend after city council voted to reduce the cost of monthly senior transportation passes during their meeting on Tuesday.

The motion, which passed unanimously, will see rates for seniors cut in half, down from $52.50 to $25. The changes will come into effect on Feb. 20, and will be offered to residents ages 60 and over.

Ward 7 Coun. Dennis Nowoselsky brought the motion forward on Monday. He said the decision was a positive step toward creating an age-friendly city.

“It’s (about) respect for that group of citizens,” he said during the council meeting.

Nowoselsky said many seniors in Prince Albert either cannot afford a vehicle or have health troubles which prevent them from driving. The bus pass is designed to help eliminate mobility issues, while potentially increasing ridership.

“I have no hesitation that if I was going to spend extra tax dollars, it would be to support and respect those 60 and over seniors today, and I think we’re going to have an enhanced use of (the city bus service,)” Nowoselsky explained.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 25 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Safety and security

Jason Kerr
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Safety and security

Ward 3 residents raise concern about everything from bylaw infractions to gang activity at neighbourhood meeting

A familiar topic reared it’s head again on Thursday as residents from across Ward 3 gathered for the city’s third neighbourhood meeting of the year.

Numerous attendees raised questions about crime levels in the area, a concern that included every from bylaw infractions to sex working and gang activity.

Prince Albert police chief Troy Cooper, who has attended all neighbourhood meetings so far, said they work hard to have a visible presence in the ward, but officers can’t be everywhere at once.

“We do have limited resources,” Cooper said during a question and answer session. “The world has finite resources, and we do the best we can with them.”

While a number of residents brought up problems with poorly maintained rental properties, the most serious concerns were related to prostitution and gangs.

One resident, who declined to give her name, said it wasn’t uncommon to run into gang members while out walking, and prostitution activity was becoming so common her neighbours were being propositioned on their front steps.

She commended the police for arriving on scene as quickly as possible, but said they’re often too late to do anything. She’d like to see a more efficient approach to the problem.

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 21 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald

Putting plans into action

Jason Kerr
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Putting plans into action

City planners say they’re pleased with the feedback they received at their Dec. 1 housing consultation, and that’s allowed them to begin the next step in developing a housing strategy.

The city plans to hold their second such consultation on Jan. 26, which ideally will help them form short, medium and long term housing plans.

City of Prince Albert planning manager Craig Guidinger said they’re looking at a number of policy changes around housing development and zoning bylaws, but they want more public communication before they move forward.

“The intention of the second open house is to gather all those comments and identify a dozen or so strategies, inform the public about what those strategies are and how we intend to move ahead with them.”

Guidinger said there is a genuine interest in housing in Prince Albert, and that’s reflected in the turnout. More than 100 people attended the December consultation at Gateway Mall, with roughly 60 completing the city’s housing survey.

For the rest of this story, please see the online or print editions of the Daily Herald.

Trump presidency a “mixed bag”

Jason Kerr
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Trump presidency a “mixed bag”

With Donald Trump set to become the 45th president of the United States, one Saskatchewan-based policy expert says it could mean tricky times for Saskatchewan.

Greg Poelzer, a University of Saskatchewan professor and founding director of the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development, said a Trump presidency will be a mixed bag for Saskatchewan, and it’s up to the province’s leaders to safely chart those unsure waters.

“Trump is not a traditional Republican,” Poelzer said during an interview on Thursday. “Traditional Republicans are full-on free trade, which is good for a province like Saskatchewan, but I think we’re going to see one of the most protectionist presidencies in the last 100 years.”

Poelzer said there will be benefits to a Trump administration, particularly for the province’s oil and gas sector. He said the Keystone XL pipeline would likely be approved, which will create jobs and bolster export capacity. He also expects a new pipeline to benefit the agricultural sector since train cars can spend more time carrying grain and less time carrying oil.

However, those positives will likely come with a few drawbacks. Poelzer said Trump’s desire to put a price on imports means there will be a few negatives mixed in with the positives.

For the rest of this story, please see the online or print versions of the Daily Herald.

Request from provincial government to freeze labour costs met with uneasiness

Jason Kerr
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Request from provincial government to freeze labour costs met with uneasiness

The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division’s director of education says there are some concerns about a recent directive from the provincial government to cap employee compensation.

On Friday, Jan. 13, the province sent out letters to numerous public sector services, including all 19 of Saskatchewan’s public school divisions, encouraging them to freeze wage increases and performance or bonus pay.

On Wednesday, Sask. Rivers director of education Robert Bratvold confirmed they had received a letter, and said there were some concerns about the directive.

“It raises some potential conflicts between what’s provincially mandated for its employees, and what the impact will be on school boards, and its employees, because they’re not the same thing,” Bratvold said. “I’m concerned about the lack of clarity around that.”

The school division has little control over teacher salaries, which are negotiated at a province-wide level, so any potential salary changes will have to come elsewhere.

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 19 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Putting the fun back in fundraiser

Jason Kerr
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Putting the fun back in fundraiser

When Michelle McKeaveney began organizing the inaugural Pajama Party Fundraiser she wasn’t expecting to create an annual event.

McKeaveney simply wanted to create a unique and affordable fundraiser for Prince Albert residents. She was excited to find out there was so much interest.

“There seemed to be such an interest in something different to raise money and that was on the affordable side,” McKeaveney said. “We have lots of galas and we have lots of black tie events, and this was just kind of unique in its nature.”

Since the inaugural event in 2012, the annual Pajama Party fundraiser has become a hit. At past events, patrons would line up outside in order to get in, and for the organizers, the women who attended became like family.

“It’s really kind of neat to see the come out each year and be so excited about it,” McKeaveney said.

The party theme changes every year, and this one is no different. This year’s fundraiser uses a Vegas theme, complete with a casino area, a hypnotist, a live DJ and an Elvis impersonator.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 19 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Learning to love literacy

Jason Kerr
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Learning to love literacy

When Ashley Peterson began working for the Prince Albert Literacy Network (PALN) she was in for a bit of a shock.

Peterson, who joined the organization as an Indigenous social work practicum student, always knew reading was important, but she never knew just how important.

“What caught me off guard … is that here (at the PALN) they see literacy as an issue of health, which I think is something that the majority of our community doesn’t realize,” she said. “There are just so many avenues that literacy definitely plays a major role in.”

Peterson said low literacy levels have a particular harsh impact on Prince Albert’s aboriginal population. According to the Literary and Essential Skills in Saskatchewan Environmental Handbook, aboriginal people are four times more likely to experience poverty, and are consistently overrepresented in the low-income category.

Peterson said low literacy levels are a major reason for the problem, and raising them will lead to a way out.

“Poverty and low literacy levels are connected,” she said. “The Prince Albert Literacy Network aims to help close that education gap caused by the many different issues, whether it be systemic, historical, geographic, cultural or whatever individual or personal barriers.”

Part of closing that gap comes through programing, and the PALN’s inaugural Family Literacy Day, planned for Jan 21. The event was created to help parents understand how to build strong literacy skills in their children.

For the rest of this story, please see the Jan. 18 online or print editions of the Daily Herald.

SLGA announces first grants of 2017

Jason Kerr
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Roughly 50 local charities, non-profits and organizations are set to receive a big chunk of funding from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).

On Tuesday, the organization announced $1.3 million in financial support for more than 700 organizations across Saskatchewan. Roughly $71,600 of that grant money will go towards Prince Albert causes.

The biggest grant recipient are the Prince Albert Raiders, who will receive $23,851.80. Other local organizations receiving support include the Prince Albert Indian Metis Friendship Centre, the Optimist Club of Prince Albert, the Prince Albert Safe Shelter for Women and the Prince Albert SPCA.

SLGA spokesman David Morris said they were happy to have a chance to give their support.

For more on this story, please see the Jan. 18 print or online edition of the Daily Herald

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