COVID-19 September 2, 2020 INFORMATION Year 9, Issue 49 www.alberta.ca/ FREE COVID19 Until Sept.16/20 Come Sabres Come! The school chant of “Go Sabres Go!” may not echo through the hallways on the first days back to class, but staff of Livingstone School in Lundbreck are excited, prepared and ready to welcome their students back. With Covid-19 health protocols in place, school resumed Tuesday for area students. Photo by Shannon Robison Page 2 Shootin’ the Breeze September 2, 2020 Serving the Town and MD of Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass and Piikani Nation Town of Pincher Creek Notices and Announcements COUNCIL COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS MEETINGS NEXT COUNCIL MEETING: Committee of the Whole Wednesday, Sept. 2 ACTIVE LIVING Modified Call the recreaction office to register at 9 a.m. 403-627-4322 Moon Shadow Council chambers at Run Pincher Creek town office Community “Keep Fit” with Jane 962 St. John Avenue Fitness program designed for those with mobility issues, Unless otherwise advertised, coun- chronic health conditions or inactive lifestyle. cil meetings are scheduled for Jane will get you stretching and moving to a healthier you. the second and fourth Monday of Free class. Must preregister – no drop-ins. each month at 6 p.m. and the first Maximum 15 participants. Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays – 10 a.m. at the town hall gym Please contact the town officeif Starts Sept. 21 you would like to speak at a council meeting. Minutes are posted on the Town of Pincher Creek website after Afternoon Fitness Break adoption by council. Join Hilary for a body workout that includes Saturday, Oct. 3 strength, flexibility and low cardio. ALL MEETINGS ARE $7 per class. No drop-ins. Maximum 12 participants. We are excited to offer a physically distanced version of our annual event! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Mondays and Thursdays – 4 p.m. at the town hall gym $5 registration benefits our local KidSport chapter. Residents are encouraged to Starts Sept. 21 Registration and details at attend virtually as there is limited space for appropriate physical Free Gym Walk www.MoonShadowRun.ca distancing. Drop-ins welcome. Maximum 15 participants. Max numbers apply due to www.gotomeet.me/ Fridays – 10 to 11 a.m. at the town hall gym Covid-19 restrictions, so sign up early! TownofPincherCreekCouncil Starts Sept. 25 #LOVELOCALPC $200 weekly prize $1,000 grand prize VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Share local shopping experiences The Pincher Creek Community Early Learning Centre Ltd. and purchases for a chance to win! (PCCELC) is seeking one member-at-large to serve on the board of directors. Grand prize to be drawn during Small Business Week in October Eligibility requirements for appointment to the PCCELC board are: Contact Marie at 403-627-3156 for details Must be 18 years of age or over; a Canadian citizen or Land- Local shopping has big rewards! ed Immigrant and a resident of the Town of Pincher Creek, the MD of Pincher Creek or the Village of Cowley. Board composition: Four council reps, three citizen-at-large reps and two school IMPORTANT board reps. TAX REMINDER Current vacancies: One Term: One year (extendable) The non-residential Number of meetings: education taxes deadline Third Thursday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. Mandate: is Sept. 30, 2020 Town-owned not-for-profit corporation established to carry on any and all such business acitivites as may relate to the Payments can be made in-person by attending the town office during business hours (by operation of childcare, before- and after-school care and appointment only) and/or leaving payments in mail slot, mailing, online banking, or at any early learning centre facilities in the Town of Pincher Creek. financial institution. Questions should be referred to: To avoid late penalties, all non-residential education tax payments must be made, or David Green, project co-ordinator, at 403-627-3156 postmarked by Sept. 30, 2020. Please submit your letter of interest to: To ensure that your payment goes onto your account when using online banking, please use the Pincher Creek Community Early Learning Centre Ltd. full 12-digit account (roll) number without the decimal, which can be found on your tax notice. Box 159, Pincher Creek T0K 1W0; or drop off at the town office at 962 St. John Avenue; Please note: if a payment is made online after hours on the due date, the bank may post it or email to [email protected] to the following day. Please try not to make late payments or you may be required to submit proof of payment date to avoid penalties being applied to your account. Application deadline is Sept. 15, 2020 Connect with the Town of Pincher Creek: 403-627-3156 962 St. John Avenue www.pinchercreek.ca #PincherCreek Serving the Town and MD of Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass and Piikani Nation September 2, 2020 Shootin’ the Breeze Page 3 Local school doors open with active Covid-19 count at zero By Shannon Robison, Publisher created for those choosing at-home learning and challenging months. The weeks leading up to the first day of school homeschooling. Local school administrators, teachers and staff generally come with a degree of anxiety for all In the end, the hope was for a choice that suited have done everything within their means to ensure — kids, school staff and teachers alike — this is everyone’s learning needs and that respected the settings in each classroom within every school nothing new. But going back to school in the midst personal beliefs. are as safe as possible. of a pandemic is something no one facing it has This has been no small undertaking. Personal connections in our small towns make experience with. If you look the desire to keep everyone safe strong. The usual stresses are there for students as at the faces in We can still expect to see seasonal colds and flu they perhaps deal with being the new kid in town, these back-to- and, no doubt, moving to a different school, deciding what to school photos new cases wear to make that all-important first impression, shared Tuesday of Covid-19 attending a first day of kindergarten or starting to the Shootin’ the confirmed. It is their final Grade 12 courses. something we It’s not uncommon for must learn to teachers to worry about class live with going sizes, curriculum changes, forward. general preparedness, lesson As Dr. Deena planning and changing trends. Hinshaw, Alberta’s And parents have long chief medical worried about how their officer of health, children will adapt to new said last week, teachers and peer groups, there is “no one unfamiliar social situations perfect way to go and changing expectations. back to school.” Cold and flu bugs regularly She believes the make themselves known in fall plan in place is the and winter when large groups right first step. come back into close contact. There will be ongoing It’s also not uncommon evaluation, monitoring for parents and and adjustments made caregivers to as necessary. An Alberta require time to Education toolkit is stay home to care available at https://bit. for youngsters ly/2Qs01gW to enhance when they information specific to encounter these individual schools. bugs and other Advice for those fun things such choosing at-home learning as hand-foot-and- can be accessed from this mouth disease. link, along with plans Those who for what will happen if are ill — whether Covid-19 is diagnosed at student or staff a school. member — have Teachers and staff always been encouraged are excited to be back at to stay home to prevent their schools as well. the spread of germs. They have been These concerns have given an enormous been par for the course, responsibility to uphold in varying degrees, for to the students and years. their families, to one Generally, the another, to themselves excitement of going back and their own to school overrides the families, and to their fear. communities. But 2020 is different. Families tackling The novel coronavirus homeschooling and has thrown a kink into at-home learning have the mix and given us new put tremendous things to worry about effort into and, for many, a level of preparing for anxiety much higher than these early days usual. as well. The wider Low community has an community increased interest spread shows in the adjustment neighbours are to school re-entry looking out for this year as well. one another and Covid-19, the doing the best highly infectious they can. This is disease caused what the success by this virus, has of the school had a significant year depends on. impact on our “Welcoming community. the students this Schools and morning reminds me businesses were of why we do it,” said closed on short Eliza Grose, vice- notice last spring principal of Livingstone by order of the provincial School in Lundbreck, government, as health officials on Tuesday afternoon. made decisions based on best- “It also reminds known practices of the day parents of how much against a pandemic the likes of we care about the kids which no one has seen. — this caring is what Teachers, students and keeps everyone safe.” parents did their best to adapt In the Pincher Creek to a completely different way of region — which includes the town of Pincher Creek, teaching and learning to finish the MD of Pincher Creek and its hamlets of Beaver the school year out. Mines, Lowland Heights, Lundbreck, Pincher Now they are revising, Station and Twin Butte, along with Piikani Nation improvising and readjusting to — and Crowsnest Pass, there are currently no active bring a new school year in.