The last year is behind us. With that in mind, the Daily Herald looks back on 2024, continuing with March
Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) president Samantha Becotte had a message for the province’s students on Feb. 29: we want to make sure your needs are being met.
Becotte made the comments after the STF announced a two-day removal of services for all extracurricular activities on Tuesday, March 5, and Wednesday, March 6. The move means teachers will not offer voluntary service for athletics, non-curricular arts, field trips, student travel, and graduation preparations.
FNUniv President Jackie Ottmann said she’s disappointed by a recent Infrastructure Canada decision to turn down the university’s funding request for a new Prince Albert campus, but they aren’t giving up.
Ottmann was in Prince Albert on March 1 just days after Infrastructure Canada declined FNUniv’s
$25 funding request made through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) Program. If successful, the funds would have gone towards constructing a new campus near the Alfred Jenkins Field House.
“We put a lot of time and effort and expense into presenting Infrastructure Canada with a strong proposal for a new campus here in Prince Albert, for First Nations University of Canada, so I was disappointed because we had every indication that it was a strong submission,” Ottmann said.
There are no grounds to believe a Prince Albert police officer committed an offence when shooting and killing a 34-year-old man who was a person of interest in a murder investigation, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) ruled in a report dated Feb. 26.
The SIRT released Civilian Executive Director Greg Gudelot’s report on the matter Tuesday afternoon. Gudelot wrote that the established facts show the force applied by the officer “falls within the range that is protected by law” and provides no grounds to believe the officer committed a Criminal Code offence.
The top major capital priority for the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is the construction of a new K to 12 school to replace W.P. Sandin High School and Shellbrook Elementary School.
The board of education approved the major and minor capital recommendations to be sent to the Ministry of Education at their meeting on Feb. 12. The Ministry of Education Infrastructure Branch invites all school divisions to submit their top three major capital and top two minor capital funding requests by March 8.
According to Mike Hurd, Superintendent of Facilities for Sask Rivers, the project has been kicking around for around a decade.
“I believe it was 2014 we had meetings with the School Community Council, with the community itself, the town of Shellbrook, as well as the MLA (Scott Moe) who is the Premier,” Hurd explained.
Property crime, drug and alcohol addictions, and homelessness dominated the list of concerns as East Flat residents met for the Ward 4 Town Hall on March 6.
The meeting came just days after a string of smashed windows on River Street East where more than 20 vehicles were vandalized between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
“The police do as much as they can,” said local resident Denise Taylor. “These kids or thieves or whatever you want to call them, they go to court and they get nothin
It was a High Tea to celebrate a remarkable Prince Albert woman on March 10 at the Coronet Hotel.
Carlton teacher Jennifer Brown became the most recent inductee into the Prince Albert Women’s Hall of Fame. Brown said she was glad to join the remarkable women already inducted since 2004 by the Prince Albert Council of Women.
“It’s very exciting,” she said. “It’s an acknowledgement that my parents raised me right. And that’s the best thing that I could ask.”
The family of former Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies CEO Trevor Ives expressed their gratitude and thanks after accepting the Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce Legacy Award on his behalf on March 12.
Ives passed away in 2023 after spending 25 years as the company CEO. On Monday, Ives’ wife, Shauna, said he would have been grateful to receive the award.
“Trevor would have been so proud, and we’re all proud of him,” Shauna said following Monday’s ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce Legacy Brunch. “This is such an honour. I wish he could be part of it.”
Saskatchewan teachers will hold another one-day province-wide strike on March 20, along with a two-day withdrawal of extracurricular activities on March 21 and March 22.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) made the announcement early Monday morning. By law, 48-hours’ notice is required for job action.
The one-day strike coincides with the announcement of the provincial budget. The two-day, province-wide withdrawal of extracurricular activities March 21 and 22 means a possible cancelation of SHSAA Hoopla in Moose Jaw, which is scheduled to begin on Friday.
“Government’s unwillingness to work with teachers in finding any path forward has forced this decision, which will impact students and communities both big and small across the province,” STF President Samantha Becotte said in a press release.
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 March 20.
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.
For six decades, the Prince Albert Indian Metis Friendship Centre has helped residents feel welcome in the community.
On Saturday, the community returned the favour, helping the organization celebrate 60 years in Prince Albert.
More than 300 people came out to honour the organization with a special banquet ceremony on March 23, Friendship Centre Executive Director Janet Carriere said they were pleased with the turnout.
“We had to actually put up an extra table,” Carriere said with a laugh. “We had seating for 320 and we actually had to put up an extra table, but the mix of people who were there, from the Lt. Governor to clients that access our services, was just amazing. It felt so good and so right because of the mix of people because that’s who we are.”
The Knotty Pine Bistro is back on top of the Prince Albert poutine world after holding off challenges from eight other restaurants to retain the 2024 Poutine Week and Gravy Bowl titles.
Knotty Pine owner Barb Lychak credited her hardworking staff for securing their third straight Poutine Week championship.
“We kind of had an idea of where we wanted to be, and like I said, we worked hard,” Lychak explained. “The staff were exceptional, and we couldn’t have done it without the community. It’s for a very worthwhile cause.”
Knotty Pine sold 347 poutines between March 15-24. Lulu’s Kitchen came in second with 274 poutines sold, while Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse Casual finished third with 221 poutines sold.
Sports
Girls of all ages from across Saskatchewan travel to Prince Albert to begin the annual Prince Albert Female Hockey Tournament on Jan. 6. The Prince Albert U15 AA Foxes start the tournament off on the right foot, winning their opening game against Lloydminster 4-1 at the Art Hauser Centre.
The Kinsmen Club of Prince Albert names Bruce Vance their Sportsman of the Year. Vance receives the honour at the Kinsmen Sports Dinner on Jan. 20. Vance says he is humbled by the recognition. “It’s just a tremendous honour,” he says. “I’m just thrilled to be the Sportsman of the Year.” The honour comes just a few months after Vance was inducted into the Prince Albert Raiders’ Wall of Honour.
Plenty of GMs are active as the WHL trade deadline comes and goes, but Prince Albert Raiders GM Curtis Hunt isn’t among them. Hunt makes one trade on deadline day, sending Hayden Pakkala to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a third round pick. Instead, Hunt says the team will look for continued improvement from the players on their active roster instead of adding new ones.
The Prince Albert Predators are named the Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association (SLA) Team of the Year after capturing another Prairie Gold Lacrosse League title. Predators goaltender Mason Hawkes is named Defensive Player of the Year, and Predators leading scorer Brayden Rieger is named league MVP.
Arts
The latest project from the founder of legendary Canadian punk band Nomeansno will be coming to Prince Albert on Tuesday, March 12.
Threadbare Productions is presenting Dead Bob and TV Casualties live at the Prince Albert Brewing Co. (PABCO). Dead Bob is the latest project of Nomeansno founder John Wright
Wright said the band retired in 2016 because his brother Rob Wright did not want to be on the road all of the time and had a young family.
“We thought we would just fade away, ride into the sunset, but I ended up moving up the West Coast here,” Wright explained. “I live up there right at the very top of the Sunshine Coast and at the end of the road.”
There was a chance to learn about the art of portraits at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre on March 23.
Saskatoon oil painter and figure artist Aarin Rinias conducted the workshop after being invited in late 2023 by Jesse Campbell. The class was fully booked with 10 people including prominent Prince Albert artists Jerome Mrazek and George Glenn.
“We do 40-minute poses,” Rinias explained. “Amery, the model, sits there for 40 minutes and everybody does their best to draw him.”
