Disappearance of Crystal Castle is suspicious

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Disappearance of Crystal Castle is suspicious

Prince Albert Police say they are treating the disappearance of a 28-year-old Prince Albert woman as suspicious.

In an update provided on August 25, PAPS said they have located the red Dodge Dakota truck that belonged to Castle but she has not been seen since Wednesday, August 11.

Castle was last seen just after 3:00 am that day, in the area of 6th Avenue and 28 Street East.

She has ties to both Regina and Estevan and her family, as well as officers, are concerned about her safety.

The file is currently being investigated by members of the PAPS Criminal Investigations Division.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call 306-953-4222 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

PPC replace Prince Albert candidate

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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PPC replace Prince Albert candidate

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Daily Herald

The People’s Part of Canada has revoked the candidacy of Cody Kuntz and replaced him with Melfort resident John McCrea.

Kuntz first talked to the Herald on Friday, August 20, the same day he filed his candidacy papers but was removed later that day, notified by email. 

“It’s good and bad at the same time,” Kuntz said on Tuesday, Aug. 24. “It’s really unfortunate because I definitely thought the PPC was what they stood for, but I found out pretty fast that they’re not exactly what they stand for.”

“The freedom of speech—they actually kicked me (out) because they said I was bringing too much negative attention, because I say very inappropriate things on the live streams that I do,” he elaborated. 

Kuntz said his live streams have a lot of views from people under 18 and he has not had any comments about being inappropriate before. 

“I have kids that watch me and 95 per cent are kids. If I ever said anything inappropriate, I would have someone telling me about that,” he said. 

He also said he found out in a subsequent email that the party was saying he has been criminally charged with theft and that he and his team are stealing from the party, something he says is not the case. 

“It makes zero sense because we didn’t have any access to the party funds,” Kuntz said. “What we had was donations from a bank account that we had to make, everything was documented and we didn’t even spend any of the money yet. There’s no way we could have stolen anything.” 

“It was very shocking to find that out about the PPC,” he said. “They asked me to join. They asked me and then they kicked me. They’re not what they value their beliefs to be which is upsetting.”

He said he is still interested in politics and will likely run again, just not as part of the PPC. 

“I one-hundred percent will run again,” he said. “There is the Maverick Party but I haven’t really looked into that.” 

Kuntz said he likes that they are based in Western Canada. 

The PPC confirmed that Kuntz is not their candidate anymore and was removed late in the day on August 20 but did not reply to a request for any information on why prior to publishing.  

Hoback says he still has work to do

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Susan McNeil

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This is Randy Hoback’s fifth election run, and not only is he planning to keep his seat, he has full confidence it will be as part of a Conservative majority in Ottawa.

Hoback was one of 14 Conservative candidates elected as the party swept Saskatchewan in 2019. Now, he’s confident they can extend that success to the rest of the country in 2021

“If you would have asked me three weeks ago, I would have said this is tough,” he said on August 23. 

Hoback argued his party set the conversation for the campaign by releasing a platform right away. He said that’s helped them make headway with voters faced with uncertainty.

“Talking about securing Canada’s future, jobs, health care, dealing with the addictions crisis and mental health,” Hoback said. “Basically, everything is around the word securing.”

Hoback said the federal government’s debt load and coping with the re-opening of the economy are common issues that keep popping up when he talks to people in the riding.

“They are really concerned about getting back to work and finding employees,” Hoback stated. “They’re having a shortage of employees. They want to see those people come back into the work force that are sitting on CERB payments right now.” 

Asked what have been some accomplishments during his term as Member of Parliament, which started in 2008, Hoback points to the Canada/US trade agreement. 

“Basically it was us, myself and the trade committee who were opening up the Rolodexes in Washington to make sure that we had something that at least secured what we had for a trade agreement,” he said. “It was something that took a lot of time and took a lot of effort but I think we achieved as good a result as possible, considering the leadership we had on the Canadian side.”

He is running again because there are still some things he wants to accomplish, especially when it comes to international trade. 

“There’s still work to do on the international stage. There’s still a lot of rebuilding that needs to happen,” he said. 

Rebuilding connections can help bring Canada back up to its former glory, he said. On the local stage, he said there is a lot of work to do at the area recovers from COVID-19.

“There are addictions issues, there are people that are needing assistance and help and that’s a part of the job people aren’t talking about,” he said.

Hoback argued his team in Prince Albert and Nipawin are good at assisting local residents with problems, like helping people having trouble with their Old Age Security pensions. 

“Those are the victories that we don’t talk about a lot, but actually mean a lot to people and actually give me a lot of benefit in the job,” he said. 

susan.mcneil@paherald.sk.ca

Hydraulic flushing to start south of 19 St. E

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Hydraulic flushing to start south of 19 St. E

Residents that live south of 19 Street East in Zone 2 are being warned that the City of Prince Albert will start flushing water lines on August 30.

Work will continue between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm Monday through Friday for the next four to six weeks.

Hydraulic flushing can result in loss of water pressure and discoloured water but most residences should not experience any disruption to water service, the City said in a news release on August 24.

Every year the City alternates flushing the lines on opposite sides of 19 St. E. Zone 1 was done last year.

Hydraulic flushing is a process that uses water to scour waterlines to remove sediment and build-up that accumulates in the pipes over time.

For more details on the process and a list of Frequently Asked Questions that addresses issues that may arise during the process, please visit www.citypa.ca/hydraulicflushing.

13-year-old missing from Pelican Lake has been found.

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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A 13-year-old girl missing from Pelican Lake has been found safe.

The girl is safe.

Police said earlier today that the girl was last seen in Pelican Lake on Aug. 19 and that she might have been in the Whitefish First Nation.

Nipawin teen missing from north of Candle Lake

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Nipawin teen missing from north of Candle Lake

UPDATE: RCMP located Ballantyne safely, according to a media release sent out at 9:56 p.m. on Aug. 20. The Daily Herald has removed her photo from the story at the request of RCMP.

Police are looking for public help finding a 15-year-old girl missing from Heritage Lake, north of Candle Lake.

Darla Ballantyne was last seen at about 7:30 the morning of Friday, August 20. 

She is from Nipawin and was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt with black leggings and carrying a backpack. 

She has black hair, brown eyes and a slender build. 

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Darla Ballantyne is asked to contact the Saskatchewan RCMP at 310-RCMP, their local police service or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).

Small business owner hopes for Western voice in Ottawa

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Small business owner hopes for Western voice in Ottawa

Election 2021

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Heather Schmitt, horse lover, rancher, business owner and resident of Carrot River, says that she is running for federal office to give people a voice.

Schmitt will represent the Maverick Party in the Prince Albert riding in the upcoming federal election on Sept. 20. She says the people she knows who think the same way she does about politics are too busy to run for office.

“If no one steps up to be a voice, then we have no voice,” she said in an interview in Prince Albert on Aug. 20, having just filed her candidacy papers. 

The party is only running candidates in Western Canada and has a twin-track approach, she said. 

“We are looking for constitutional changes for more fairness in the west,” she said. “If we can’t achieve that – or close to – we’ll be pushing for independence.” 

Schmitt has no background in municipal or provincial politics, but said running a small business has given her some insight. 

“I’m a small business owner, it affects me every day,” she said. 

The skills needed to run a small business can translate well into political office, Schmitt said. 

“There are lots of small challenges in the business world that need to be defeated everyday,” she said, adding that it has given her the ability to go with what is happening and be flexible. 

“There are a lot of people that are too busy and they can’t do it. So somebody has to,” Schmitt said. 

After completing her business administration diploma from Lakeland College, Schmitt worked in a few jobs such as accounting, industry and payroll.

She then moved back to Carrot River and started working for herself. 

“That was equine therapy to start with, then I moved into an administration position for organic certification and then I bought some cows and I started an organic beef business,” Schmitt said. 

“I think it’s time for a Western voice. There has been a lot of controversial issues come up, or promises per se, that benefit the East and should be benefitting the West and it’s not happening. So we’re moving into a position to put our voice into whatever changes are being made to say, ‘hey yeah, we’ll vote for it but we need this for the west,’” she said. 

If the voice is not heard, then the party will push for independence. 

The federal election is September 20. The Prince Albert Daily Herald will have profiles of all candidates running in the constituency of Prince Albert.

susan.mcneil@paherald.sk.ca

No fences – barricades removed from Margo Fournier Centre

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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No fences – barricades removed from Margo Fournier Centre

Susan McNeil

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The fence around the Margo Fournier Centre has been removed after city council voted 5-4 on Monday to take the barricades down immediately.

According to Mayor Greg Dionne, the fence went up after a senior was mugged going into the Heritage Centre. He said as unsightly as it was, it was a temporary solution that made the people going into the centre feel safer. 

“I will not be supporting the motion because there’s no solution up there,” Dionne said. “The fence went up at the Centre the day we went there and saw the action that was going on. A senior was walking by to get to the Heritage Centre – which she has the right to do – and someone got up off the grass and stole her bag.”

Coun. Tony Head put the item on the agenda, saying fences don’t work and council needs to look at the bigger picture.

“I don’t have a solution but I know the fence, as you said, is not the solution,” he said to Dionne. “It was a short-sighted, temporary solution. It makes us look worse than the problem actually is.”

Head told council there was a need to ensure the safety of staff and seniors. He said putting a police car out in front of the building may be a better solution.

Head also pointed out that nothing stops people from getting mugged outside of the fence.

“Are we going to put a fence around the whole of Prince Albert? That’s not going to do it and we need to address it.” 

Head said many people have contacted him objecting to the fence, while Dionne said that the contacts he has made have applauded the fence.

“They would sooner see a fence there than the activities going on,” Dionne said.

He also said another fence was put up in the area after a different senior was accosted by a homeless person. “That is not right,” he stated. 

Coun. Blake Edwards also did not support the motion, saying employee safety needs to be the priority and staff should not have to witness some of the things going on in the vicinity. 

“It’s free access to urinate and defecate right there. It’s free access to use needles and drop them right there,” Edwards said of what is happening.

“There is no direct solution but if we can keep the city employees safer, I’m all in. Right now, around the Margo Fournier, it’s terrible,” he said. “They shouldn’t have to see people peeing on the walls. They don’t have a home, I get it. Some of them don’t want a home. So what do we do with those people?”

Dionne challenged any councillor who voted in favour of removing the fence to explain why to the people who use the Heritage Centre. 

“If you want to be counted, let me know and if the motion passes, I will be arranging a meeting with the 300 seniors at the senior centre and you can come and explain why the fence came down and what the solution is going to be,” Dionne said. 

Dennis Ogrodnick said that a solution to the problems now existing on the river bank was proposed in 2011 that involved having the downtown core from the bridge to Riverside School be made a positive gathering place.  The report was shelved. 

“It was a 10-year solution. They said this is what you do each year and in 10 years, which is 2021, we would have had that entire area developed and it would have been a gathering place and it would have been a positive place,” he said. 

Terra Lennox-Zepp supported prioritizing the river bank for changes, acting on another councillor’s suggestion to use the Margo Fournier Centre as a cooling centre in hot weather. She also wanted to focus on downtown revitalization. 

“We as a city paid $45,000 for a downtown revitalization report. Now it’s a matter of implementing it. It’s a total of a $7 million project but its broken down into components,” she said. 

Couns. Lennox-Zepp, Ogrodnick, Head, Charlene Miller and Dawn Kilmer all voted in favour of removing the fence.

Dionne, Edwards, Don Cody and Ted Zurakowski opposed the removal. 

Family donates $100,000 towards hospice chapel

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Family donates $100,000 towards hospice chapel

Susan McNeil

Local Journalism Inititative Reporter

The Holash family wanted to honour the legacy of their parents, with a mother who died years ago of cancer and a dad who died right after the pandemic started, while at the same time helping others ease the burden of watching loved ones die. 

They decided to do it in a big way by donating $100,000 to the Rose Garden Hospice, with multiple family members kicking in some money to help hit the final the total. 

“This donation is made on behalf of my mom and dad who are no longer with us,” said Mitch Holash. “We waited to ensure that we can remember them well and appropriately. We feel that the hospice, which would have been there for Mom when she went through this, is the perfect next contribution to the community.”

Ethel and John Holash brought their family to Prince Albert in 1973.

“We grew up here and have a very strong connection with Prince Albert,” Mitch explained.

John Holash worked for Molson’s in Prince Albert and in Saskatoon and Regina as well.

Ethel died of cancer in the Holy Family Hospital in 1996, with no hospice care available at the time. John died two days after COVID started in March 2020.

“Dad had a very small, private funeral but he was a well-known person who would have had hundreds at his funeral,” Mitch said. “There were six of us there as a result of the pandemic restraints at the time.”

“He lived another 25 years beyond Mom but stayed active in the community and was very supportive in many, many areas,” Mitch added. “They were very faithful people and the donation is given in support of the development of the Spiritual Chapel at the hospice.” 

Mitch and his siblings have all contributed to the donation. He has two sisters donating, his children are donating and his brother also is donating.

Edmonton man charged with luring, assault on Prince Albert child

Susan McNeil, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
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Edmonton man charged with luring, assault on Prince Albert child

A 37-year-old Edmonton man is facing multiple charges following a complaint of a Prince Albert child that had been lured online and then sexually assaulted.

Ullas Pappu is charged with sexual assault, luring, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, exposing genitals to a person under 16, possession of child pornography and showing sexually explicit material to a person under 18.

The Prince Albert Police Service worked with the Edmonton Police to identify and locate the suspect in Edmonton, where he lived, on August 12.

Local officers had received a complaint from the parent of the child in April of this year.

On Aug. 12, the Saskatchewan ICE unit, EPS officers and ALERT executed a search warrant in Edmonton on both a residence and on a vehicle believed to be involved.

Electronic devices were seized for further forensic analysis. 

Pappu was released by a Judge in Edmonton and will be appearing in Saskatchewan Provincial Court September 30 in Prince Albert.

The Saskatchewan ICE Unit is comprised of the Provincial Coordinator S/Sgt Shawn Stubbs and investigators from the Prince Albert Police Service, RCMP, Regina Police Service, and the Saskatoon Police Service.

Their mandate is to investigate crimes involving the abuse and/or exploitation of children on the Internet

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