page a5 24400 hwy 37, sturgeon county, ab. vol. 22 no. 17...

Vol. 22 No. 17 Morinville-Gibbons, Alberta March 11, 2020

email: [email protected]: 780-939-3309Fax: 780-939-3093

www.cowleynewspapers.com

SEEDGUIDEPage A5

Felix Potvin holds a punch pose at Phoenix Taekwon-doin Morinville March 5. He enjoys practices and playinggames. Story page A2.

The Morinville Community High School (MCHS) Cheer Team celebrates top placings at the AlbertaCheerleading Association (ACA) True North Cheer and Dance Competition in Edmonton and winning a bidto represent Canada in the Worlds competition next year. Story page A12.

Morinville town council is expectedto pass an administration recommenda-tion to pursue the sale of the RayMcDonald Sports Center Arena after aclosed door session prior to the March10 council meeting.

“In August of 2019 Administrationwas approached by a new group ofinvestors with a different concept forpurchasing the entire Ray McDonaldSports Center including the ice arenaand the curling arena building from theTown of Morinville. They proposed tooperate the facility by offering arena icetime to the region for hockey trainingprograms, hockey games, tournaments,etc. The group’s business model is notexpected to compete with the Mor-inville Leisure Center Landrex Arena.The group expects the Curling rink tooperate as it has by entering into a new5 year agreement,” states a report tocouncil.

“The Town had originally estimateddemolition costs for the arena portion at$2 million. The Morinville CurlingClub has met with Administrationregarding the future of the CurlingRink. There is an existing agreementwith the Curling Club and the Town that

the potential new owner expects to mir-ror the 5 year period and sees value fortheir business model and the communi-ty,” according to the report.

Council was given the following listof highlights of the proposed sale:

•Sale of the Ray McDonald SportsCenter (As-is) – excluding parking lot.

•$25,000 down payment at the con-clusion of an executed sale agreement,plus annual payments of $35,000/year,for 5 years

•The Morinville Curling Club wouldenter into a new lease agreement withnew ownership for a term of no lessthan 5 years starting fall 2020.

•A new subdivision of the arenabuilding to be considered by Council byend of 2020 where the new land parcelcontaining only the arena building willhave transfer of title to new ownershipwith caveat of monies owing.

•Non-compete agreement related toice rentals and rates between the newowner of the Ray McDonald SportsCenter ice rink and Morinville LeisureCenter Landrex Arena

•New owner has the opportunity tosell naming rights for the Ray McDon-ald Sports Center.

•Transfer of full liability andrisks from the Town to the newowner for the arena specific lands

•When operationally possible,

the Town would make available Townstaff who are familiar with the buildingfor advice regarding the facility to thenew owner in good faith, but will notconduct work in the arena.

•The new owner would be required topay the full cost of property taxes andapplicable business licences.

According to the report the town hasa debenture on the arena in the amountof $184,805.08 with the final paymentset to be made in August of 2022.

“Market value of the arena from twoseparate appraisers were completed inpreparation for sale of the arena. Thetwo appraisals came in between$500,000 and $1,500,000. There aremany considerations for these wideranging values including potentialfuture (highest value) land uses.”

The report does not state whether thetotal of $200,000 in deposit and fivepayments is the full selling price, how-ever it notes that the sale must be adver-tised if sold below market value and theadvertising must contain the terms andconditions of the sale. Residentsopposed to the deal can petition for avote of electors on the sale. The petitionmust be received within 60 days of thedate of the final advertising notice.

The amount of land included in thesale is not specified in the report tocouncil.

Morinville preparing to sell old arena below market value

3Box 3005, 10126 - 100 Ave.Morinville, AB T8R 1R9

Ph: 780-939-3309 Fax:780-939-3093

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A U D I T E D C I R C U L A T I O N C O V E R I N G :Morinvi l le , Legal , Bon Accord, Gibbons,

Edmonton Garr ison, & the res idents of SturgeonCounty rural , hamlets & subdiv is ions .

Morinville electors and taxpayers may see asmall crack open in the wall of secrecy regard-ing the conduct of governance by the town ofMorinville after the town had the spotlight’sglare shine on it by a group of national mediaorganizations.

Free Press owner Ed Cowley nominated thetown for the Code of Silence Award for munic-ipal secrecy in an effort to raise awareness ofthe failure of the municipality to dicuss publicissues in public. Morinville didn’t win theaward but was the only Alberta municipalitynamed as an honorable mention for the award.

“Will council review its policy of going intoclosed session at every council meeting for‘Council Dialogue’ and for ‘CAO Dialogue’without naming an actual topic to be discussedin closed session?” Mayor Barry Turner wasasked. “Yes, this will be reviewed,” was thefull response.

When it came to responding to the awarditself, the Mayor had a lot to say — however,little of it was relevant to the secrecy of coun-cil and its habit of meeting in close session.

“Even though these awards are tongue incheek, the Town of Morinville does not takethis lightly. Town Council has worked through-out this term to increase the level of trans-

parency by: Including all Council Correspon-dence received in the Regular Meeting ofCouncil Agenda packages; adding a standingPublic Presentation agenda item at all meetingsof Council. Members of the public wishing toappear before Council can: register in advancewith the Legislative Officer; sign up at CouncilChambers on the day of the meeting; answerthe Mayor’s public call for presentations fromthe gallery during the meeting. A deliberateeffort has been made to ensure transparentmotions are made arising from closed sessiondiscussions related to matters being discussed.Strict adherence to following the spirit, intentand legislated responsibility of the FIOP Act,”states Turner.

“Administration has worked diligently toensure that all media enquiries have beenaddressed in a timely manner, and continue tomake this a focus of our Communicationsteam. Recently, we have undertaken a morefocused and proactive approach to workingwith local media outlets on community intereststories, as well as establishing ongoing dia-logue on town matters. Media enquiries can becommunicated by email, text, phone call ormade in person and can be ensured a quickacknowledgment of the request and follow up

in a timely manner. All meetings of Council aremade public, are listed on the Council Calen-dar on the website, and all decisions are alsocommunicated to the media and the generalpublic,” states Turner.

The essence of the award is the denial ofpublic access to governance information. Mor-inville does this through the use of closed ses-sions of council, pre-discussed issues by coun-cil, and retreats, among other means, as well asthe lack of direct responses to questions. Thisimproved in recent months with a change inCommunications staff, however in the circum-stance of the secrecy award, quickly revertedto answers which don’t respond to the questionor no answer.

Days after the Mayor’s claim of openness,the town failed to provide answer questionsregarding over half a dozen examples of coun-cil passing resolutions worded to hide theaction being authorized; councillors and theMayor misleading the public with inaccuratereleases and failing to issue a correction; aswell as council and the Mayor failing toexplain why council will not put a policy inplace regarding its practice of awarding con-tracts to sitting members of council.

Related story page A6

Town may ease secrecy after national spotlight

NAMAO MUSEUM SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETINGMarch 14th at 10:00am

Please call Colleen at 780-973-5474 for further info.

24400 Hwy 37, Sturgeon County, AB.

Page A2, THE FREE PRESS, Morinville/Gibbons, Alberta, 780-939-3309, email: [email protected], www.cowleynewspapers.com, Wednesday, March 11, 2020

The Sturgeon Composite High School robot-ics club hopes to make a test run this week withthe Spirit Rover robot students constructed andprogrammed.

“I expect it’ll be a week and it will be run-ning around the parking lot,” said teacherKevin Hubick March 4.

Making the robot grew from student explo-rations of coding and programming beyondclassroom work.

“They (students) wanted to do somethingmeaningful,” Hubick explained. Whileresearching ideas, the group read a story abouta girl who was injured by a discarded used nee-dle. The students decided to create a robot capa-ble of cleaning up such hazardous trash.

“We’re near the end of an awesome endgoal,” said Brody Lebid, who has been with theclub since it began in September. “It’s some-thing we can be proud of that will help others.”He has worked hard on the robotic arm that he

said will be used “for picking up stuff peopledon’t want to touch.”

The club has about eight dedicated memberswho consistently attend after school and on Sat-urdays plus others who attend on a more casualbasis to contribute their ideas and skills.

Connor Jamieson joined the club a couple ofweeks ago. He suggested using the 3-D (threedimensional) printer to make protective coversfor the robot’s sensors and is currently gettingthat done.

“It’s creative liberty,” Jamieson said. “We’retrying to make something from scratch. It’s achallenge, and I love that.”

“Each kid brings their ideas and talents,”said Hubick. “It’s very rewarding. The amountof problem solving in this class is amazing.”

They tested the six-wheel suspension onsmall robot models. Welding class studentsconstructed the frame which carries the roboticarm and control panel.

Hubick received a $5,000 grant from theAssociation of Professional Engineers and

Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) for theclub’s robot project.

Sturgeon Composite High School robotics club member Brody Lebid stands by therobotic arm of the club’s robot March 4. “It’s my hobby,” he said. “I get to do whatI’d want to do in my spare time.”

Student built robot to head for testing in SCHS parking lot

Members of the Phoenix Taekwon-do Mor-inville Club learn discipline and respect alongwith self-defence.

Morinville instructor Michelle Kardolusholds a second degree black belt. She grew upin Morinville and is a former Morinville Clubstudent. She has been with the club five years.

“I trained here before I got my black belt andstarted teaching,” she said. “This is my homeclub.”

She particularly enjoys sparring, but alsoappreciates the way classes are separated intoonly two divisions, age four to seven—calledthe Shadow Warriors—and age seven to adult.

“It’s fun,” Kardolus said. “It’s a really greatcommunity atmosphere and teaches confidenceand strength.”

Phoenix senior instructor Theresa Stanley,who holds a sixth degree black belt and is theCompetitive Program coach and Girls On Firedirector, explained the Shadow Warriors pro-gram was designed to be fun, and to help teachdiscipline and respect to children.

“Our family program allows students agesseven to adult to train together,” said Stanley.“It’s great to be able to participate alongsideyour family and learn together.”

Taekwon-do is a combat discipline in whichstudents learn self-defence to protect them-selves, but Stanley said it encompasses more.

“It’s a mental sport,” she explained. “It’s alsosomething that is individual; everyone works attheir own pace. The belt system allows studentsto have goals to work toward, establishing self-

discipline and confi-dence with each goalachieved. We believethat at Phoenix, webuild great leaders.”

Phoenix Taekwon-dois a non-profit societyestablished in 1986.The first school startedwith seven students atClub Macombo in St.Albert. Today Phoenixhas nine locations serv-ing 800 students in thegreater Edmonton area,including 50 locally.

Taekwon-do teaches confidence and strength

THE FREE PRESS, Morinville/Gibbons, Alberta, 780-939-3309, email: [email protected], www.cowleynewspapers.com, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Page A3

TREED BUILDING SITE WITH POWER & GAS

Gorgeous 5 ac treed yardsite with power& gas just about 1/8 mile off the highway.Beautiful large mature trees surround the

parcel of land with an open clearing facing south which has abeautiful view of the surrounding countryside while blockingthe nw winds & offering lots of privacy. Great location, only 6miles north of Thorhild which is about an hour north ofEdmonton, or less than ½ hour to all the industrial businessesnear Redwater. Only $69,900. Call Heather for moreinformation.

4 BEDROOMS IN MORINVILLE Almost 1700 sq ft 2 storey with 4bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms onthe upper floor. Features include amain floor laundry, gas f/p, largekitchen with plenty of cabinets withgranite countertops, pantry and

garden doors to concrete patio with pergola in the fenced backyard. Double attached garage is insulated. Full unfinishedbasement is just waiting for your personal touch. In a greatarea of Morinville with a new school just a few blocks away.$369,900. Call Glenn to view.

PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP ON 9.09 ACRES BYWASKATENAU

3+1 bdrm bungalow with m/f laundry.Upgrades in the past 11 years includegourmet kitchen with industrial gas stove

with 2 ovens, island with granite, loads of counter & storagespace, hardwood, ceramic & carpet flooring, central air,furnace, HWT, metal roof, insulation upgrade & bath renos.Bsmt partially finished just a few years ago with FR, bedroom& 2 pce ensuite. 32'x24' det’d garage with 2 carports, storagesheds, chicken coop, garden shed & 11 yr old metal clad80'x40' shop (one third heated with concrete floor, theremainder cold storage). Gorgeous yardsite, paved driveway,surrounded by large, mature shelterbelt. City water, flowerbeds, garden spot, shrubs complete this property. Adjacent toWaskatenau with less than 1/2 mile of gravel and a quick driveto Redwater or Fort Saskatchewan. $424, 900. Call Heatherto view.

AFFORDABLE HOUSE IN THORHILD Good solid 2 bedroom home withwindows, furnace, HWT, metal roof,electrical & stucco all replaced in about2003 to 2006. There is original hardwood

flooring in the LR & bedrooms. A little paint & refinishing of thehardwood will make this a great home. Full unfinishedbasement offers lots of storage space. There is storage shedwhich could be a small detached garage & lots of room for agarden, park an RV or build a new garage. Good location inthe Hamlet of Thorhild, close to shopping, for this veryaffordable home. Only $69,900. Call Heather to view.

LAND OF ALL SIZES• 135’x42’ serviced mobile home lot in Thorhild - $13,900• 10,000 sq ft commercial lot in Legal - $69,900• 5 Ac with Power and Gas near Thorhild - $69,900.• 160 Ac grainland between Morinville & St Albert - $799,900.

Call Heather or Glenn for more info on any of these

IRP ApprovedAgent

HALF MILE OF LAKEFRONTON HALF MOON LAKE

A rare opportunity for a one of a kind property! Ahalf mile of lakefront on south side of Half Moon

Lake, only a half hour north of Edmonton. Swimming, boating, fishing,hunting, snowmobiling, horseback riding right on your doorstep. 78.63acs is bordered on north side by lake & on south side by crown land.Property is mostly treed with lots of cleared trails throughout. 1422 sq fthome was built in 2009 & could be used as weekend getaway or yearround home. There is one bdrm on main floor & second bdrm on upperfloor. There is a full unfinished bsmt that could easily be developed ifmore space is needed. There is an insulated 50'x30' shop & 200'x80'indoor riding arena with 40'x20' attached barn & 60'x20' covered lean to.Property is all set up on solar with a back up generator. $1,390,000. CallHeather for more info.

4 BEDROOM REDWATER BUNGALOW Upgrades since 2008 incl ceramic tile & laminateflooring, new countertops in kitchen & bath,soaker tub in bath, shingles, furnace, HWT &

vinyl siding. Bsmt is finished with a huge FR, large bdrm with w/i closet,laundry room & 3 pce bath. 60'x120' yard is beautifully kept & fullyfenced. There is a single det’d garage & a large asphalt parking padbeside it for your extra vehicle or RV unit. Great value here for only$218,800. Call Heather to view.

ONLY $64,900 IN THORHILDVery cute & well kept 2 bdrm manufactured homeon its own lot in Thorhild. No lot rental fees.Upgrades in past few years include furnace, HWT,

shingles & some flooring. Private fenced yard is at the end of cul-de-sac sothere's very little traffic. Greenhouse & two storage sheds complete property.Thorhild is about 45 min N of Edmonton & only about 20 min to Redwaterwhere there is a hospital. Just about everything you need is here includingdentist, grocery store, hardware store, gas stations, medical office with nursepractitioner & even outdoor swimming pool. This home is in move incondition! Call Heather to view.

THORHILD BUNGALOW WITH POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SUITE

Wonderful mixture of new & vintage in this 1093sq ft 3 bdrm bungalow built in 1953. Upgrades in the past 6 years includefurnace, AC, on demand h/w, electrical panel, new plumbing, carpet &electronic air cleaner. Features beautiful sculptured coved ceiling, archeddoorways, wide hallway, original mahogany cabinets, doors & trim &hardwood flooring under carpet. Bsmt is framed, wired & plbg roughin infor kitchen for potential suite. New tub installed in 4 pce roughed in bath.Sitting on a gorgeous 100'x150' double lot with beautiful mature trees &lots of room to build a garage. $149,900. Call Heather to view.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITYIN THORHILD

Triplex with two 2 bedroom suites & one 3bedroom site. It sits on 100' x 130' lot with two double det’d garages. Only20 min to Redwater which has NWR & many other industries in theHeartland Industrial Area. Seller was getting around $2500 a month rent.$178,800 Call Heather to view.

THORHILD FFARM LLAND 3 quarters of good quality farm land in the Abee area. $1,500,000. CallHeather to view.

4 BEDROOM CONDO WITH GARAGE Lovely end unit 4 bdrm, 3 bath condo withattached insulated garage. Features openconcept main floor with beautiful gasfireplace, decorative ceiling accent over thedining area, plenty of cabinets, 2 pce bathand access to garage. Upper floor has 3bdrms, 4 pce bath with soaker tub, and 3pce ensuite. Basement is fully finished with

family room, 2 pce bath, storage room and 4th bedroom. Patio doorleads from the living room to a covered back deck facinggreenspace. $235,000. Call Glenn to view.

UPGRADED WASKATENAU BUNGALOW Nicely maintained 1165 sq ft 3+1 bdrmbung with double det’d garage on huge117'x80' lot in Waskatenau (less than anhour NE of Edmonton). Mostly chain linkfenced gorgeous private back yard

surrounded on north & east by large mature trees. Upgrades includehuge back deck, interior doors, basebrds, trim, most windows,flooring, paint, kitchen backsplash, lighting fixtures & shingles. Mainfloor has large kitchen with plenty of cabinets & high end s/s fridge,open dining area, LR with vaulted ceilings, 3 bdrms & 4 pce bath.Bsmt has a massive FR (large enough for pool table), 4th bdrm,storage room, laundry & 3 pce bath. $208,800. Call Heather to view.

65 ACRES WITH HOUSE AND SHOPSBY REDWATER

Pride of ownership bordering the Town ofRedwater with city water. Formerly operatedas a welding/manufacturing/millwrightbusiness in the 5800 sq ft shop. It has office

space, washroom, 3 phase power, 14'x14' o/h door, in-floor heat, 10hp air throughout & built in monorail crane. 4500 sq ft metal Quonsetwith 20'x14' o/h door, cement piles & beams in place for a framecrane. Almost 1800 sq ft, 3 bdrm, 2 bath home with covered frontdeck. 30'x50' att’d garage. Chain link fenced yard, double det'dgarage, machine shed & storage sheds complete the yardsite. Theremainder of the land is crop land. Run your own business, indoorstorage facility or great for a car enthusiast. $1,295,000. CallHeather for more information.

3 ACRES IN BUSBY The convenience of city water & communitysewer but the privacy of 3 ac at the end of adead end road in Busby with many maturetrees. In about 2004 two mobile homes were

moved here & placed on metal screw piles & almost completelyrenovated. New windows, flooring, kitchen cabinets, new pre-finished drywall, wood stove, vinyl siding & metal roof wereinstalled. In 2014 one furnace was replaced & HWTs are only 2years old. Cute country home featuring large open kitchen/LR withwood stove, 3 bdrms, 2 baths & large FR (that leads to backcovered deck). Fenced yard, 2 storage sheds & plenty of room tobuild garage. Busby is a great place to raise a family with a goodschool & playground just a few steps from this home. Activecommunity with lots of family functions. Call Heather to view.$199,900.

NEW

NEW

The value of shelterbelts and eco-buffersand how to design and care for them were thefocus of Planting for the Future. About 50 peo-ple attended this Agroforestry & WoodlotExtension Society (AWES) workshop hostedby Sturgeon County at the Rendez-Vous Centrein Morinville March 4.

AWES executive director Noel St. Jean andAgroforestry intern Ian Cameron discussed thebenefits of and how to design, establish andmaintain shelterbelts and eco-buffers. Bothreduce wind speed, capture snow and reducesoil erosion while they provide shelter for ani-mals, filter pollutants, mitigate flood anddrought, recharge ground water, create wildlifehabitat, sequester carbon, produce timber prod-ucts and forage, and look beautiful.

Shelterbelts generally consist of three to fiverows of trees chosen to suit the location.

Eco-buffers are generally a combination ofdiverse native trees and shrubs with different

characteristics planted with high density andarranged to mimic natural patterns. They getplanted to connect with existing natural areas,if possible, and to buffer ecologically sensitiveareas.

St. Jean and Cameron also addressed treedisease and tree maintenance.

AWES is a non-profit society that providesextension and planting services to land man-agers. It is made up of members from govern-ment, industry, and non-profit sectors thatshare the common goal of encouraging sustain-able forest management on private lands.

Programs include Woodlot ManagementPlanning, Riparian Restoration, Alley Crop-ping, Silvopasture, Food Forests and Enhanc-ing Habitat for Wildlife. Direct assistance tolandowners and managers may be provided forPlanting project design and implementation,Woodlot Management Plan development, andtree health assessment.

Would shelterbelt or eco-bufferbe the best for your land?

Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society (AWES) executive director Noel St.Jean (Right) and Agroforestry intern Ian Cameron presented Planting for theFuture at the Rendez-Vous Centre in Morinville March 4.


ELECTIONS TO BE HELD FOR 3 POSITIONS ON THE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS. MEETING TO BE HELD AT

CORONADO GIBBONSUNITED CHURCH

ON

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020STARTING AT 7:00 P.M.

ALL MEMBERS WELCOME!Members wishing to run for a Director Position

must pick their nomination papers up at our officeand submit them two weeks prior to the date set

for the AGM as per Section 8.4 of the Bylaws.

Annual GeneralMeeting

Vanessa Zembalapplied herresearch on howpeople use com-munity spaces dur-ing winter to com-munities of allsizes.

“I grew up inGibbons and stillwork in and aroundthe town and feelthis topic relateswell to rural andurban communi-ties,” said Zembal.“The highlightsand recommenda-tions can inspirecommunities of allsizes as they navi-gate variousweather-related,but also generalresiliency-related,challenges.”

Zembal studieduse of winterspaces in Edmon-ton while she was amaster’s student atthe University of Alberta.

“Weather is an intimate part of our experi-ences of the spaces around us, and it is unpre-dictable, especially in this part of the country,”she said. “I grew up knowing that going out-side was easy, but as I grew older and movedaround, I found going outside and walkingthrough or engaging with my community real-ly depended on the design of the space.”

Her undergrad research on winter clothingfor people with disabilities led her to an inter-est in inclusive design. She felt inclusivedesign seemed to be limited to certain groupsof people, but benefits of it applied to almosteveryone at some point as they pushed astroller, hobbled with a broken leg, or walkedwith an elderly person.

“I hope the results inspire alternative waysto approach public involvement and communi-ty engagement,” said Zembal. “The end resultshould reflect the people who already live thereand be sensitive to the historical, physical,

social and even economic situations of thecommunity.”

She said communities can create anopenness that allows for many differentusers and uses throughout the year despitea reluctance by many to consider thepotential benefits of change.

“In Gibbons, I grew up going skating,sledding on the berm, and even snowmo-biling within town limits,” she said. “Thesnowmobiling hill is a housing develop-ment now, but it’s a good example of howpeople might find opportunities or takeownership over a space whether it’s legalor not.” She was glad to see the heatedshack built with the new outdoor skatingrink because indoor /outdoor spacesencourage participation of people withvarying tolerances to the weather and pro-vide a safe space when poor weather rollsin quickly.

Another featureof spaces thattranslates well torural and smallercommunities isthe accessibilityor programmingof the spaces,whether it is therink, the arena, or

the river trail. Freepublic skating is finan-cially accessible,encourages physicalactivity and, whenscheduled after school,allows kids to walkacross the parking lotto participate.

Zembal said inter-esting design and aes-thetics is often under-rated but is importantto the experience of aspace, people’sengagement with theircommunity and theiropinion of the spaceand the entire town.

“People want to bein nice spaces, but alsowant to something to

talk about,” she said. Public art can be hard tofind in rural or smaller communities with dif-ferent priorities. Maintaining spaces relates topeople’s feelings of ownership and their will-ingness to pick up litter or clean up publicspaces.

“In my opinion, this is a good opportunityfor the river trail in Gibbons which is such adifferentiating feature from towns in the area,”said Zembal.

She walked to school as a child in Gibbons.She advocates walking through neighborhoodsto meet people, see how other people use theirprivate spaces and show the community isalive.

“Car dominant communities, like Gibbonsand many others including Edmonton, strugglewith this level of street activity. We have noplaces to walk, so why should we walk? Ittakes a combination of leadership and people

who work around the town and communitymembers or even schools to encourage a pas-sive engagement such as talking to people onthe street, in the restaurants or at the gas sta-tion.”

Zembal grew up playing team sports and isstill active on a few different teams.

“I recently started playing ice hockey on arec team,” she said. “I really enjoy festivalsand volunteer outside of my community at afew music, cultural and art festivals around thecity. My parents still live in Gibbons and Iwork here, too, so coming back to the festivalsor events here or at nearby communities issomething that I try to do and bring other peo-ple with me.”

Zembal holds a Masters degree in MaterialCulture & Urban Studies from the Universityof Alberta Department of Human Ecology.

Information Session - Open HouseYou’re Invited!

March 10, 20207:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Bon Accord Council Chambers – 5025 50 AvenueBon Accord, Alberta

Join us to learn more about a proposed Land Use Bylaw Amendment to redistrict a small site northof 54 Avenue and east of 47 Street to accommodate development of a small-scale micro-cultivation

cannabis production facility. No retail sales will be permitted on site.

At the Information Session (come-and-go format) project team will be available to answer yourquestions about the redistricting application.

We hope to see you there! .

Dew Drop In Centre - Spruce View 4539 - 49 Street, Gibbons, AB T0A 1N0

GibbonsWednesday, March 18th

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Alicja Kononowicz, BC - HISRegistered Hearing Aid Practitioner

5530 - 111 STREET, NW, EDMONTON, AB, T6H 3E9

1-888-335-8205

Vanessa Zembal relatesher research on use ofurban winter spaces to herhome town of Gibbons.

Zembal looks at how people use winter spaces

Kadence Smith picks out orange and white Lego pieces whileher little brother, Jace Winkler, designs a town at the LegoBlock Party held in the Morinville Community Library March4. “I’m building a fox,” said Kadence. “I like Lego ‘cause youcan build a lot of stuff with it.”


The 24th Annual Interna-tional Women’s Day celebra-tion on March 7 in St. Albertrecognized Morinville resi-dent Kristine McDonnell.

“She has done much toassist vulnerable childrenand adults in their times ofgreatest need. Kristine wasinspired by her grandmotherwho impressed upon Kris-tine, from a very young age,the importance of family,community, and the church.She was further inspired byher family’s service in theCanadian Armed Forces,”states information releasedby the InternationalWomen’s Day committee.

McDonnell received hereducation at Athabasca Uni-versity and was “grandfa-thered-in” as a child andyouth care counsellor through the Alberta Childand Youth Care Association. She now serves asthe Executive Director of Sturgeon Victim Ser-vices, dedicating her time and energy to sup-porting victims of crime and trauma in Mor-inville and surrounding areas.

“One of Kristine’s brilliant ideas was toapply for a Facility Court dog. Within a fewmonths, Hope arrived! Hope is a three-year-oldyellow Labrador retriever that came from Dogswith Wings, an Assistance Dog Society. Hope isspecially selected and trained to provide acalming influence for victims of trauma or vio-lence.”

The committee release notes:“Hope’s presence helps calm thevictims and lets them find courageto report violent crimes or retelltheir stories to police, investigatorsor judges. In partnership withZebra Child Protective Services,Kristine and Hope work with chil-dren facing traumatic circum-stances and empower and comfortthem in times of need. Withoutsaying a word, Hope can providethe best form of emotional supportto those in need.”

Under McDonnell’s vision andguidance Sturgeon Victim Serviceshas been made more accessibleand comfortable through theimplementation of many ‘trauma-informed’ practices, such as creat-ing a warm and inviting atmos-phere by providing comfortableseating, dimmable lights, and put-ting out treats. “Kristine has also

spearheaded several youth initiatives, includingthe Junior Advocate Program for grade 11 and12 students at two area high schools. This is a3-credit course which provides an educationalstepping-stone for youth who are interested infuture careers in areas such as law enforcement,emergency medical services, or social worker,”the committee states.

“Kristine’s dedication to her family andcommunity is fueled by her intense passion tomake a positive impact on people’s lives, and,with Hope’s help, continue to build a futurewhere children and adults will have a sense ofwell-being, safety and hope.”

Kristine McDonnell

McDonnell recognized for assistingvulnerable children and adults

A Town of Morinville staff member clears snow from the ball diamond at 101AStreet and 104 Avenue March 5. With most of the snow removed, the diamond willmore quickly be in game condition.

The 24th Annual Interna-tional Women’s Day celebra-tion on March 7 in St. Albertrecognized Morinville profes-sional Dr. Kim Bugera.

She grew up on a farm nearElk Point, later attending theUniversity of Waterloo whereshe graduated with honours in1996 as a Doctor of Optome-try. Remembering how far shehad to travel for eye appoint-ments, she became devoted toproviding quality optometry torural areas.

“Dr. Bugera has servedhumanity over 20 years by providing 5-dayOptometry clinics in many disadvantagedcountries including the Philippines, Cambodia,Kenya, Peru, Equator, Dominica, Malawi andTanzania. She organizes her clinic each yearwith a stronghold of 30 people. Together theyhelp between 300 to 500 people a day. 80% of

these are children,” states a releasefrom the International Women’sDay committee.

“Dr. Bugera’s husband, also anoptometrist, and her children arepart of this team. Service tohumanity is important to the wholefamily. Together they travel tomany remote places at their ownexpense to help others. Often, likeon their trips to the Masa’i tribe inKenya and the isolated Choleisland in Tanzania, they have hadno electricity and can use only sim-ple tools to make diagnoses.”

In December 2017, Dr. Bugerahelped train students at the Mzuzu UniversityOptometry program in Malawi. As an addition-al part of the program, students learn opticianskills such as cutting lenses and adjustingframes, states the committee. “The optometrystudents, along with Dr. Bugera and CanadianVision Care, provided free eye exams to hun-

dreds of patients,many of whomwalked from distantvillages to see herand her colleagues.Upon graduating,these new doctorstravel to remote vil-lages and use theirnew skills to exam-ine the villagers.Patients requiringglasses or surgeryare referred to theschool for more test-ing or extendedcare.”

Along with herinternational serv-ice, she frequentlyvolunteers at theBoyle McCauleyHealth Centre, pro-viding eye care tothose who are atrisk. Currently sheis serving as theCanadian Associa-tion of Optometrycouncil member forAlberta.

“Dr. Bugerabelieves that sight isa gift that everyoneshould share. Withinspiration providedby her husband andchildren, she, alongwith them, will con-tinue to travel withCanadian VisionCare and the help ofthe Rotary Club toserve humanity,”states the commit-tee.

Bugera serves humanity through optometryclinics in disadvantaged countries

Dr. Kim Bugera

Leanne Boissonnault of Country Floral Magic sets up the springdisplay at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre March 4.“It’s tied into International Women’s Day,” she explained. “Thetheme is Queen Bee.” The Town of Morinville held anInternational Women’s Day event March 5 titled ‘In EveryWoman There Is A Queen.’


The Bon Accord 4-H Club has been involvedin many super fun and exciting events. On Jan.4th, leaders and members had the opportunity totravel to all of the different member’s farms andcheck up on their animals.

A couple of weeks after that some membersdrove up to Barrhead to participate in a Region-al Beef Learning day where they learned aboutlots of beef related topics like artificial insemi-nating, implants, judging dairy cows, beef mar-keting, and grooming.

On Jan. 19th, members that chose to do apresentation competed against each other. All ofthe members did very well. Cassidy and ColtonFenske placed first in Intermediates. Justin andNeely Ference placed second. At the senior

level, BrookeLynn and Dawson Finnerty placedfirst and Jesse Suranyi placed second.

On Jan 25-26th, some junior members attend-ed Frosty Fun Camp at Lake Nakamun. This isan overnight camp for was junior membersinterested in seeing what 4H camp is all about.The six members that attended all had a greattime.

On Feb. 9th, the members that chose to do aspeech competed against each other. Once againall of the members did an amazing job. ClayWalsh placed first in juniors and Jace Walsh wassecond. Tye Walsh was first in intermediates andLauren Nikiforuk was second. Hannah Whittalwas first in seniors and Deanna Hood placedsecond.

On Feb 23rd, clubpublic speaking andpresentation winnerscompeted at Districtlevel. In public speak-ing, Tye Walsh placedsecond and DeannaHood placed first. Inpresentations, Coltonand Cassidy Fenskeplaced second as well asDawson and Brooke-Lynn Finnerty.

On Feb 17th, mem-bers gathered up at theSturgeon Agriplex andhad our club judgingworkshop where mem-bers learned how tojudge beef heifers andsteers as well as con-sumer decision classes.

A few other eventsinclude: general meetingand playing bingo withthe seniors on March6th; members that wonat the District level forpublic speaking compet-ed at Regional Commu-nications on March 7th.As well, on March 12-13, some members havecreated a judging teamto compete at LakelandCollege in the WesternCanadian Judging Com-petition.

—Cassidy Fenske

DDoonnaalldd MMiicchhaaeellHHiittttiinnggeerr

December 25, 1959 ~March 1, 2020

Donald Michael Hittinger ofAlcomdale/Mearns in SturgeonCounty, Alberta passed away

Sunday, March 1, 2020 at theage of 60 years, 32 days after

being diagnosed with cancer. Donwill be sadly and lovingly

remembered for his love for his familyand the great outdoors; namely camping, fishing andhunting. Don is survived by his wife of 38 years, SusanHittinger (nee Snyder); children, Michael, Alicia, andCameron; siblings, Barb, Irene (Mike), Bernie (Denise),Marylynn (Kirk), and Brent (Rhonda); as well as nieces,nephews, extended family and friends. Don waspredeceased by his parents, Bernard “Pat” and Sophie(nee Dozorec) Hittinger and niece, Angela Conrad. AFuneral Service will be held on Wednesday, March 11,2020 at 11:00 am at St. Charles Borromeo CatholicChurch at #13, 56500 Range Road 263A,Sturgeon County, Alberta.

Arrangements entrusted to STURGEON MEMORIAL FUNERALCHAPEL (780) 921-3900

Bon Accord 4-H members have busy schedule

The town of Morinville was a finalist to benamed the most secretive municipal govern-ment in Canada but had to settle for HonourableMention, along with four other nominees.

The Town of Erin, Ontario, is the 2019 recip-ient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstand-ing Achievement in Government Secrecy in thecategory of municipal government.

The award is given annually by the Canadi-an Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre forFree Expression at Ryerson University (CFE),News Media Canada and Canadian Journalistsfor Free Expression (CFEJ), to call publicattention to governments and governmentdepartments and agencies that put extra effortinto denying public access to information towhich the public has a right under access toinformation legislation.

The award winner and Honourable Mentions

were announced Feb. 24, with Morinville beingthe only finalist from Alberta.

The awards jury, which comprised represen-tatives of the four press-freedom advocacygroups, recognized the Town of Erin with thiscitation:

The jury also indicated five other municipal-ities that, thanks to similar achievements ingovernment secrecy, deserve honourable men-tions: Cranbrook, B.C., Morinville, Alta., NorthBay, Ont., Cornwall, Ont., and Côte-Saint-Luc,Que.

The CAJ, CFE, News Media Canada andCJFE will announce the Code of Silence Awardrecipient in the Federal, Provincial, and LawEnforcement categories in the coming weeks.

All four organizations will continue to advo-cate for substantive reform to Canada’s federalaccess-to-information law.

Morinville loses most secretivemunicipal government award to Erin

Lilian Schick School in Bon Accord hosted theirfourth annual archery tournament on Feb. 28thand 29th. Participating teams includedArchbishop O’Leary High School, GibbonsSchool, Greystone School, Guthrie School, Holy Family Catholic School, Millgrove School, Thorhild CentralSchool, Tomahawk School and of course Lilian Schick School. There were 170 archers over the course ofthe two days to shoot 4 rounds of five arrows at 10m and 15m respectively. (One round of practice andthree scoring rounds at each distance.) Results were uploaded to the website after each flight. All of thevolunteers and coaches helped to make our tournament a success. Cabela’s Edmonton (North) supplied anamazing prize for our 4/5 and 5/5 in the yellow draw. (This means that in one round an archer got four orfive arrows in the center yellow zone.) Our winner this year was Lilian Schick student Gavin Collins, whoalso won gold in his division. Other medalists included Maliha Hamdon (gold) and Parker Lewis (silver). Itwas a fantastic opportunity for archers to experience a tournament setting. It will also help build experiencefor some of our archers who will be participating in provincials at the annual Sportsmen's Show inEdmonton in March. The school is so proud of our team! (L-R) Gavin Collins, Maliha Hamdon, ParkerLewis, Medal winners

Judy Carver knits a bluescarf at Heritage PlaceLodge Knitting Club inMorinville on March 5.“Scarves I usually giveaway,” she said. “I keepthe dish cloths.” She hasbeen knitting for manyyears. “I learned when Iwas about eight years oldat Brownies,” sherecalled.


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In Canada, the Prairies are a major wheat growingarea — with the crop generating farm gate receiptsof over $6.7 billion in 2018. With wheat being one

of Canada’s most important crops, producers andindustries are looking for ways to minimize climatechange, as hotter temperatures and more severedroughts are expected to strain crop production.To understand how plant populations respond toclimate stress, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canadaresearchers and collaborators are looking at modernwheat’s ancestor, wild emmer, to see how it hasgenetically adapted to deal with the stress ofchanging climates.The project, led by researcher Dr. Yong-BiFu, looked at 10 populations of wild emmerwheat in Israel. The team analyzedpopulation samples collected in 1980 and2008. In that 28 year span, the averageannual temperature in Israel increased whilethe average annual precipitation decreased.Through their analysis, the researchersfound that plant populations can acquirebeneficial mutations, such as temperaturetolerance. One practical implicationstemming from this research is the presenceof adaptive genes responsible for climateadaptability. If identified, these climate-resistant genes could eventually be bred intomodern wheat crops using traditional orcloning techniques. This could help to helpmake food crops more resilient.“While the threat of global warming canseem overwhelming, these challenges can,in part, be addressed by learning fromnature. This study is exciting because itshows an example of plants knowing how tosurvive global warming,” states Dr. Yong-BiFu, Research Scientist - Crop GeneticDiversity.Dr. Fu says much can be learned from thisresearch in terms of predicting plants’adaptability and vulnerability in a hotter, drierclimate. Predictive models (using statistics topredict outcomes) can provide guidance

when it comes to crop production vulnerability in achanging climate.Overall, the research findings underline the need toprotect and conserve the diversity of plant geneticresources found throughout the world before they arelost to various threats, including climate change.Key discoveries (benefits)

•Due to global warming over the course of theresearch, the wild emmer populations faced

increased selection pressure and accumulated moremutations, which suggests population vulnerability

and the need to conserve genetic resources in plants.

•Emmer wheat’s genetic reactions to climate changewere extremely complex; however, some

populations were still capable of acquiring climate-resistant mutations for future adaptation.

•Researching and identifying climate-resistant genescould lead to the development of more climate

resistant crops.

•Understanding genetic responses to global warmingcould also inform the prediction of crop production

vulnerability in a changing climate.

The cropvarietal

reports can helpproducers makesound decisionswhen consideringwhich silage, cereal and oilseedvarieties to grow.

“Varieties of cereal and oilseedcrops for Alberta provides

information on cereal andoilseed variety performancewithin Alberta and northeastern

BritishColumbia,”says AlexFedko, cropresearchtechnologistwith AlbertaAgricultureand Forestry.“Importantagronomiccharacteristicsand diseaseresistanceinformationare providedfor varieties ofwheat, barley,oat, rye,triticale, flaxand canola.”

“An importantcomponent

of the annualfeed supply forAlberta’s cattleproducerscomes in theform of silage,green feed

and swath grazing,” he adds.“As evidenced inSilage varietiesfor Alberta, theselection ofvarieties thatproduce thehighest forageyield and/ornutritional qualitybecomesincreasinglyimportant.”—Agri-News,Alberta

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March 12Morinville Community High School Open House,6-8p.m.

March 13Open darts, Royal Canadian Legion Morinville,7:00 p.m. at the Moriville Legion Hall

March 13-14Mixed Open Curling Bonspiel, Morinville CurlingClub. Morinville Curling Rink

March 14Irish Dinner, Gibbons Legion, 6:30 p.m., GibbonsLegion Hall

March 20Chili Supper, 7:00 P.M., Namao Community Hall

March 21Spring Rummage Sale, 9:00am-2:00pm, Corona-do United Church, 23108 twp. rd. 570

March 21Rave On! The Buddy Holly Experience, Mor-inville Community Cultural Centre, MainstageSeries, 7:30pm

March 28Spring Rummage Sale, 9:00am-12:00noon,Coronado United Church, 23108 twp. rd. 570

March 29Spring Fling Vendor Sale at the Gibbon Legion,12-4 pm.

April 3Ladies Auxiliary Family Dinner at 6pm GibbonsLegion

April 4Easter Ham Bingo & Bake Sale, Waugh PolishHall. 4:30 pm Bake Sale, 7 pm Bingo Starts.

April 4Morinville Farmers Market -- Easter Craft Sale 10– 4 at Fable Gardens Hall, Morinville. Easter EggHunt 11 – 2 Community groups here’s a chance to spread themessage about your event FREE. Please include acontact name and phone number so we can confirm orclarify information if necessary. This is an informationcolumn for readers, containing the bare bones of theevent, location, date and time, so do not cancel yournormal event advertising. There is no guarantee thatmaterial will run as requested in this free column. Wewill try to publish material for the period of two weeksbeyond the newspaper date subject to space availabil-ity in the Free Press.

MorinvilleCommunityHighSchool(MCHS)JuniorVarsity (JV)LadyWolveswon Goldin Hintonduring theNorthCentralZone JVGirlsBasketballTournamenton March7! Battlingit out withthe hometeam HarryCollinge High School Rockies, MCHS Wolves won with a score of 53 to 52 in an exciting nail bitinggame. Taking home the banner were fierce Wolves (Back row L to R) Coach Marc Swerda, #10 EmmaFauque, #12 Sophia Blanchette, #22 Hannah Gibeault, #15 Jadyn Lauinger, #4 Jessica Seneviratne,Coach Shayla Kachnic, Coach S. Van Brabant, (Front Row L to R) Co-Captain #9 Doveina Bolen, #5Victoria Rivard, #8 Mackenzie Hunting and Co-Captain #11 Adrianna Jones. – photo by Dolly Bolen

The City of St. Albert and Sturgeon County’sAnnexation Negotiating Sub-Committee met for thesecond time in 2020 on Feb. 14 to discuss the City’sproposed annexation of a portion of land from Stur-geon County.

At the meeting, the Sub-Committee continued todiscuss the Preliminary Negotiated Annexationboundary and the jurisdiction of boundary roads.

“We are continuing to work together and discussopportunities for both the City and the County duringthis process,” says St. Albert Councillor RayWatkins, Chair of the Annexation Negotiating Sub-Committee.

“We are making progress and working through thesteps of the annexation process together,” says Stur-geon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw. “The dialoguebecomes more defined each time we meet.”

The Annexation Committee is a subset of theIntermunicipal Affairs Committee (IAC), which ismade up of all members of both Councils.

The annexation negotiations formally started onDecember 6, 2017. The next meeting of the Annexa-tion Negotiating Sub-Committee is scheduled to takeplace March 20, 2020.

Annexation talksbecoming moredefined, says Hnatiw


We accept

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BULLS FOR SALE - Excellent quality black andred Angus registered yearly bulls. Moderate birthweights, good performance. Select now for springpossession. Clegg Angus Ranch, St. Albert/Villeneuve. 780-419-6338 evenings 13-26REGISTERED RED Angus bulls. Quiet, easycalving, low to moderate birth weights, good growth.EPD’s available. Vet checked & semen tested. Frommultiple herd sires. Selling quality bulls for heifers &cows since 1992. Heifers available. Cleveley CattleCompany 780-689-2754 16-19

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NOLTE APIRARIES IN Sturgeon County 55503 RgeRd 260, T8R0T6. Seeking 6 Apiary Workers NOC8431wages $15-$22/hr. No education & 1YR. experiencerequired. Job duties: Asset with bee colonymanagement, honey harvest. Handling heavy loads,physically demanding. Seasonal March-October 2020,40+hrs/wk. Drivers license required. Apply by [email protected] 16-17NOLTE APIRARIES IN Sturgeon County 55503 RgeRd 260, T8R 0T6. Seeking three Apiary Technicianswith 3+yrs experience in beekeeping. Education notrequired. Salary $15.00-$24/hr. Job duties: bee colonymanagement, monitoring & treatment of diseases,honey harvesting. Manufacture hive equipment,Handling heavy loads. March-October 2020,40+hrs/wk. Drivers license required. Apply: [email protected]. 16-17

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ecole Morinville Public School studentReese Klettke holds Toffee, one of theschool’s laying hens Feb. 26. “She has atwin, Brownie, and I can tell them apart bytheir wattles,” said Reese.

Skip Jocelyne Schoenberger holds a mark behind theguards for team mate Gord Waples during floor curling atthe Morinville Rendez-Vous Seniors Centre Feb. 27.

Ecole Notre Dame Elementary Schoolstudent Brandon Chan focuses on his floorcurling rock Feb. 27. Rocks and Ringsinstructor Morgan Leach taught curling basicsand shared its fun with students in Morinville.


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MAILING OF ASSESSMENT NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the assessment notices for all property heldin the Town of Gibbons were mailed on March 5, 2020 in accordancewith Section 308 and 311 of the Municipal Government Act, M-26, 1RSA 2000.

All assessment notices are deemed to have been received seven (7)days after mailing within Alberta and fourteen (14) days outside of theprovince.

Any person who wishes to appeal their assessment must, by May 12,2020 register a complaint on the Assessment Review Board ComplaintForm, which are available at the Town Office or on our website atwww.gibbons.ca

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The Morinville Community High School(MCHS) Cheer Team won a bid to represent

Canada at the Worlds competition next Febru-ary in Orlando, Florida. The team also earned

second and third placings at the AlbertaCheerleading Association (ACA) TrueNorth Cheer and Dance Competition atthe Edmonton Expo Feb. 29 and March 1.It was a huge competition for school andclub teams.

“This is an absolute dream come truefor both the athletes and the coaches, andwe could not be more proud of this groupof hard working, determined youngladies,” said coach Amanda Bulger.

The MCHS girls competed Friday andSaturday in both the All Girl Advancedand Game Day divisions. Bulger said that

Friday night they allowed their nerves to getthe better of them, and they struggled with witha few elements in both routines. They cametogether on Saturday and had two very strongperformances, especially in the All GirlAdvanced Division. With Friday being worth30 percent and Saturday 70 percent of theirfinal scores, the MCHS team won second placein Game Day and third in All Girl Advanced.

Their Saturday performance in All GirlAdvanced received one of the highest scores inboth the All Girl Advanced and Co Ed divi-sions, winning the MCHS team one of the fouravailable bids to represent Canada at the Inter-national Cheer Union (ICU) World SchoolCheerleading Championships next year in

Orlando. They are now beginning to fundraisefor that event.

“The team has a goal of raising around$60,000 in the next 11 months to get them toOrlando to compete at Worlds,” Bulger said.

That will not distract them from gettingready to compete at the Alberta Schools’ Ath-letic Association (ASAA) Provincial Cheer-leading Championships in April.

In 2019 the MCHS Cheer Team won theprovincial Game Day Championship andearned silver in the provincial All Girl compe-tition. They will host the provincial competi-tion in April 2021 at the Morinville LeisureCentre.

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Morinville Cheer Team to represent Canada at Worlds

Angie walks with her friend, Bill Hubbard,along 100 Avenue in Morinville March 5.The two can often been seen strollingthrough town together and visiting friendswho give Angie treats. “She’s a funny dog,”Hubbard said. “She often won’t take a treat‘til they pet her.” Now eight, Angie was arescue dog when she was four months old.Hubbard and his brother, Peter, built her alarge, flat-roofed dog house. She likesheights, so she usually lies on top of it.Hubbard had Angie’s DNA tested to findout her ancestry. While he believes it’s nota guaranteed result, he found it interestingthat the test determined her father was St.Bernard and her mother a Rottweiler cross.“All her brothers and sisters look St.Bernardish,” he said.

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