STEAK DINNER $13 Fridays at the Cold Lake Branch 211 Call 780-639-3579 Volume 51 Number 7 www.couriernews.ca February 20, 2018 City, MD, 4 Wing partner up for a fantastic Snow Fever festival Jeff Gaye Jeff Gaye Monday was a beautiful day for tobogganing at Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club. Go Jets Go: Col Doyle and MWO Gary James. JEFF GAYE skiing and tubing, ski- and snowboard- Lakeshore Drive. afternoon. cross races, live bands and more. The action moved to 4 Wing for Traditional Quebecois tire, made Snow Fever was an all-out weekend- The City of Cold Lake hosted “Winter Wonderland” on Monday, by pouring hot maple syrup on packed long winter festival last weekend, with Sunday’s activities at the Marina. the official Family Day holiday. fresh snow, was a popular treat. three days of activities at three different The Fire and Ice theme included a PSP staff and base personnel provided The weather over the weekend locations. pond hockey tournament, ice and activities on gigantic inflatables, was on the cold side, but every The Municipal District of snow sculptures and a big fire pit for rock climbing, face painting and venue provided opportunities for Bonnyville and Kinosoo Ridge Snow roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. balloon animals in the morning; and participants to warm up – either with Resort kicked things off on Saturday Horse-drawn wagons took tobogganing, wagon rides, cross- heated shelter, a wood fire or a cup of with their Snöjuhla event, featuring passengers for scenic rides along country skiing and snowshoeing in the hot chocolate. LOCAL LOCAL NATIONAL WEEKLY Winter warfare training in Are you in a rush? RCAF Flyers win Olympic Movies & more! Cold Lake Speeding is a leading cause of traffic gold medal Editor ..................................Page 2 1 CER built obstructions and accidents, damage and injury. A look back at the RCAF hockey Movies .................................Page 4 practiced cold weather techniques. Page 8 team’s 1948 surprise victory. Padre ................................. Page 10 Page 3 Page 9 Entertainment................... Page 11 780-594-4414 5118 50 Avenue, Cold Lake Helping you is what we do! www.northernlightsrealestate.com Approved Brookfield/IRP Supplier 5206 56 Street 5915 Labrador Road 201, 104 10 Street 304, 1605 7 Avenue 306, 1605 7 Aveneu 1209 13 Street Nous offrons un service bilingue $159,900.00 $174,900.00 $189,500.00 $234,900.00 $244,900.00 $249,000.00 5015 Pine Drive, Northern Lights Realty Ltd. 809 12 Avenue 1212 13 Street 5111 56 Street 12 Bruyer Crescent 10 Miller Crescent 1934 Forest Drive Cherry Grove INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED $250,000.00 $260,000.00 $315,000.00 $329,900.00 $334,900.00 $359,000.00 $359,100.00 Page 2 The Courier News & Publishing Tuesday, February 20, 2018 401 Squadron promotions AETE promotion Cpl Manuela Berger, Wing Imaging 401 Squadron’s Commanding Officer, LCol Forrest Rock (left) and Squadron Chief Warrant Officer, CWO Frank Dwyer (right), present MWO Rick Ries with his new rank during Exercise Sandy Fleece at Holloman Air Force Base. Cpl Manuela Berger, Wing Imaging 401 Squadron’s Commanding Officer, LCol Forrest Rock (left) and Squadron Chief Warrant Officer, CWO Frank Dwyer (right), present Avr (T) Brett Carr with his new rank during Exercise Sandy Fleece at Holloman Air Force Cpl Allyssa Carter, Air Events, AETE Base. Col Eric Grandmont, Commanding Officer of AETE promotes USAF Lt Col Alex Wolfard to his new rank. Lt Col Wolfard was joined by his family. Hockey sweater Centennial Building(#67), PO Box 6190 Stn Forces, may have saved Jeff Gaye Cold Lake, AB T9M 2C5 Phone: (780) 594-5206 Fax: (780) 594-2139 Canadian POW Email: [email protected] FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK THE COURIER STAFF oanna Calder has a great bathe or sleep. favourite team. article about the 1948 Olympic The “Smokies” won the Allan Cup The guard managed to smuggle MANAGER champion RCAF Flyers on page in 1938, and that fall they travelled some bread and sausage to Daphnée Hudon J 9. Here’s another of my favourite to Europe to play more than 60 Saprunoff. After a week, the prisoners EDITOR/REPORTER stories connecting the RCAF and exhibition games in two months were transferred to another location, Jeff Gaye international hockey: as a tune up for the 1939 Worlds in and the guard packaged up a modest PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Back when the Olympics and Switzerland. They won the world gift of food to help Saprunoff on his Alina Mallais world championships were contested tournament, outscoring all other travels. ADMIN/SALES strictly by amateurs, Canada usually teams 47-1. In the rail car, Saprunoff was Karla Callbeck sent the Allan Cup champions to When the Second World War reunited with some of his crew represent the country. The Allan Cup broke out, Saprunoff joined the RCAF members, who were all starving. He EDITORIAL ADVISOR is presented to the best Senior team and in 1944, on his 18th mission, his was able to share the guard’s gift with 4 WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (adult amateur) in Canada. bomber was shot down over Berlin. them, which bolstered their strength Capt Mat Strong The legendary 1961 Trail (BC) He bailed out, and broke two ribs and their morale. Smoke Eaters were the last truly when he hit the ground. He was Back home after the war, DEADLINE amateur team to win the world hockey captured two days later. Saprunoff wore the sweater until it Wednesday at 1500 hrs for the following Tuesday championship. Canada continued The war was in its late stages, couldn’t be held together any longer. to send an amateur national team and German treatment of POWs had He then cut the crest off of it and CIRCULATION after that, but they were no match become especially harsh. Food was presented it to Jimmy Morris, the 2600 for professional “military” teams from scarce, and Saprunoff hadn’t eaten German guard’s favourite player, as a Soviet Bloc countries. anything for three or four days. tribute to them both. The Courier is published weekly with the permission of The Smoke Eaters have a long His luck changed when one Steve Saprunoff died in Trail the 4 Wing Cold Lake Wing Commander Col Doyle. The history. Young Steve Saprunoff was of the guards noticed Saprunoff 2005, at the age of 87. His brother opinions expressed are those of the contributor and do their stick boy in the 1936-37 season. was wearing his Trail Smoke Eaters Sam, a former Smoke Eaters player not reflect those of the Editor, Canadian Forces, or DND. The Editor reserves the right to reject, edit, or condense When that season ended, one of the sweater under his flying clothing. The himself, had also joined the RCAF and any editorial or advertising material. Printed by Star Press, players gave Steve his Smoke Eaters guard was a hockey fan, and he had was killed in action in March, 1944. Wainwright, AB. hockey sweater which, the story seen the Smokies play in Berlin on Publié hebdomadairement avec la permission du goes, Steve never took off except to Christmas Day 1938. They were his [email protected] Commandant de l’escadre, le col Doyle. Les opinions personnelles exprimées dans ce journal sont celles des collaborateurs et ne représentent pas les opinions de la rédaction, des Forces canadiennes ou du Ministrère de Spot a Typo? Coffee’s On Us. la Défense nationale. La rédaction se réserve le droit de refuser, d’éditer ou de condenser tout article et matériel de Spelling mistakes and typographical errors happen to the best of us. At The Courier, though, we take pride in réclame soumis. Imprimé par Star Press, Wainwright, AB. striving for an error-free paper. If you find a typo or a spelling error in The Courier, report it to [email protected]. We’ll buy a coffee (or MEMBER OF: equivalent) at the CANEX Tim Hortons kiosk for the first person to report the error. If you’re the first to find a mistake in a headline, we’ll buy you a lunch at The Daily Goods! Error reports (if any) from each Tuesday edition will be accepted until Friday of that week. Happy hunting! NEWS Tuesday, February 20, 2018 The Courier News & Publishing Page 3 “Moose” Squadron trains in Moose Jaw CAPT ELSON BOO, 419 SQUADRON Squadron, the program provides pilots an excellent trainees to practice their missions before carrying introduction to fighter flying. them out in the aircraft. The simulator and the Every winter, adverse weather in Cold Lake affects The infrastructure at 15 Wing was ideal for training airspace are available on weekends, allowing training progression for student pilots undergoing supporting the 419 Squadron detachment, as the for extra training if necessary. Fighter Lead-In Training with 419 Tactical Fighter support staff and equipment from 2 Canadian The support staff at CFB Moose Jaw are CAE (Training) Squadron. Forces Flying Training School (2 CFFTS) were made employees, and are responsible for the upkeep of the To overcome this, 419 Squadron deploys to other available. 2 CFFTS conducts Phase III jet training Hawk aircraft and simulators. 15 Wing and CAE work locations with more favourable and predictable on Hawk aircraft, which they provided for the 419 together to provide pilot training in Moose Jaw, and weather. This year, while the majority of the Squadron training. 15 Wing also provided instructors. their support was critical to the detachment. squadron deployed to El Centro, California, a The training airspace in Moose Jaw is close to the “CAE support has been outstanding and the smaller detachment of 12 personnel from the RCAF airfield, and was repurposed into an Air Weapons personnel have been very capable of adjusting to and the Republic of Singapore Air Force deployed Range to support advanced training requirements.