ShellbrookShellbrook ChronicleChronicle && SpiritwoodSpiritwood HeraldHerald VOL. 108 NO. 32 PMR #40007604 Thursday, August 6, 2020 www.shellbrookchronicle.com | www.spiritwoodherald.com Blaine Lake reveals MEEP funding plans Thanks to MEEP funding, the Town of Blaine Lake’s municipal office will soon have an entirely new look. The flat roof of the Town of Blaine from the MEEP Grant, we were able to lation of an electronic message centre to Lake, and that the plans call for a $6.5 Lake’s municipal office will soon be a expand our project to include a peaked the sign at the corner of the Highway 12 million reverse osmosis water treatment thing of the past, thanks to funds the roof, which is a far better and long term and Highway 40 entrance to the town. plant. municipality received through the Mu- solution.” “This project will cost approximately Lockhart adds that the project will nicipal Economic Enhancement Pro- Lockhart says the town is in the pro- $35,000, and will be partially funded also include the drilling of two new gram (MEEP). cess of tendering this portion of the by the balance of the MEEP Grant funds wells. That portion of the project is slat- Town of Blaine Lake administrator, renovation, and is estimating the cost to of $11,720.00 and funds initially identi- ed to begin in two weeks. Brenda Lockhart, says the town’s origi- be about $40,000. This, she adds, leaves fied to pay for the roof repairs,” Lockhart In other MEEP funding news, an- nal plan was to repair issues with the of- the town with enough grant funds to said. nounced last Wednesday, the Town of fice’s current roof. But the $60,000 it re- upgrade the exterior of the building and In what has been a funding-rich sum- Shellbrook received $207,544 for its own ceived through MEEP to do the repairs replace the front entryway steps. mer for Blaine Lake, Lockhart says the $6.8 million water treatment plant proj- allowed for a more ambitious plan. That work, Lockhart explains, will town is also receiving funds through the ect. Like the Town of Blaine Lake, the “The Town office has a flat roof that is bring the total cost estimate to $60,000. New Building Canada Fund to improve Town of Shellbrook is planning to switch in need of repairs and we had obtained Elsewhere, the town’s second helping its water treatment plant. to a partial reverse osmosis system. tenders to do the necessary repairs of MEEP funding, totalling $11,720, will Lockhart says this is an equal share Finally, the Village of Shell Lake and had budgeted for same,” Lockhart see it upgrade the Town of Blaine Lake grant between the province, the fed- $25,152 for upgrades to local roads and explained. “With the funds available sign. The upgrade will include the instal- eral government and the town of Blaine bridges. FINANCING AVAILABLE SHOP RATE WE’RE NOT JUST TIRES ONLY We also specialize in: $ Brakes • Shocks • Accessories • Custom Wheels • Batteries • Oil Changes 79 *See Store for Details 306.747.3142 431 Service Road E, SHELLBROOK oktire.com 2 Shellbrook Chronicle & Spiritwood Herald www.shellbrookchronicle.com | www.spiritwoodherald.com August 6, 2020 Shellbrook rink project nears completion After three years, and three phases, the end is fi- nally in sight for the Shell- brook Recreation Project Steering Committee’s $2 million project to upgrade the Shellbrook Recreation Complex. This summer, the focus has been on the final ma- jor piece of the project: a 100kW solar panel array that will power the rink more sustainably, and open up a new stream of revenue for the facility in the distant future. As of Monday morning, Amund Otterson, project manager for the Steering Three rows of solar panels now stand on the property that was once Parkland Terrace. The panels mark the final stage of the three- Committee, anticipated year, $2 million renovation of the Shellbrook Recreation Complex. that the installation of the solar panels should be However, he adds that who have been involved solar panel portion of the options are to disband and he and its members can be mostly completed at some the project was fortu- with the project in any ca- project, as the town do- hand responsibility over proud of what they accom- point this week — barring nate to be approved for pacity, including Otterson. nated the land for the solar to the town, or find a new plished. any unforeseen delays SaskPower’s original net- First on his list in the array and also put a lot of cause to champion. “One of the big things with deliveries. metering program, which Hockey Day in Shellbrook work into preparing it for “Three years ago, there we’d set as a goal was that “The majority of the offers 1-to-1 credits for en- Committee, a separate installation. was a radical idea that a we’d build a sense of own- panels are up. A lot of wir- ergy produced rather than entity from the Steering Miller adds that he’s also committee like this could ership in the community ing has been done, trench- the halved 7.5 cents per Committee that has helped appreciative of the R.M. of be just a standing commit- for that facility, so that ing, and stuff you don’t kilowatt hour under 2019’s get the project reach a Shellbrook, which has, on tee that could take on any people would respect it, see, and components have revised program. strong financial position two occasions, loaned the kind of project that would look after it, and keep it in been installed in both Noting that the solar through its Hockey Day Steering Committee mon- involve fundraising, de- good condition,” he said. buildings,” he said. “It’s panel array should be up fundraisers. ey while it’s been waiting sign, and implementation “I really believe we’ve just a matter of complet- and running “fairly soon” Calling it “miraculous,” for disbursements from of projects for any commu- accomplished that,” he ing the wiring, putting up after installation is com- Miller says one more suc- the $750,000 Municipali- nity facilities in the town,” added, citing a recent trip about 30 more panels, and plete, Otterson says there cessful Hockey Day will ties for Climate Innovation he said. to Edmonton by an inde- then the electrician will remain only a few question leave the Steering Com- Program grant it received Whatever the committee pendent group to obtain have to do his magic and marks before the project mittee’s project nearly 100 from the Federation of Ca- chooses, Miller says that new seats for the rink. get it working.” can officially be declared per cent paid for. nadian Municipalities. The solar panel project complete. “We’d have never dreamt “It’s not just that they has been handled by lo- “The unknown is inspec- that,” he said. were willing to do it. It’s cal contractor Livewire tions with SaskPower, and “We were anticipating the signal it sends to the SHA warns of Electric, which has had to their timeline on install- that we might have to go whole community about overcome more than a few ing a new meter,” he said. as much as half a million the unity we’re starting to obstacles along the way, “It requires a different dollars in debt. The com- get in this town,” he said, possible COVID-19 ranging from wet ground kind of meter than we’re mittee agreed that if that’s crediting the R.M.’s coun- to delivery issues and ma- using — something that what it takes, we’ll do that. cil for its leadership. terial shortages. records energy consumed But we’re not going to be With the end of the proj- exposure at Otterson says it was dis- and energy produced by anywhere close to that.” ect so near, Miller says appointing that the delays the system.” Miller says plenty of the main question left for resulted in the array not With the Steering Com- praise goes to the Town of the Steering Committee is being installed in time for mittee’s project almost in Shellbrook and its council, what happens next. Leask Post Office the peak production time the rear-view, committee which has supported the Admitting that he’ll be for solar energy in the chair, Brent Miller, has project from the outset. stepping down once the The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has is- province. nothing but praise for all In particular, the town’s project is complete, Miller sued an advisory after a person with COVID-19 was handprint is all over the adds that the committee’s at Leask’s post office while they were likely infec- tious. NOTICE OF POLL FOR THE 2020 The SHA says anyone who was at the Canada Post ELECTION FOR THE RESORT Office from July 20-24 should be self-monitoring for VILLAGE OF CHITEK LAKE symptoms or should call HealthLine 811 for a CO- VID-19 test. MAYOR The health authority says it issues COVID-19 ad- Sandra Svoboda Community Health Nurse visories when officials are uncertain that they have David Gardiner Home Care Nurse, Home Community Care identified all known close contacts. Indigenous Services Canada is offering two motivated, First Nation COUNCILLOR culturally aware Registered Nurses the opportunity to serve 12 First Nation Communities in Central Saskatchewan. Leona Paulton These positions are for full-time days, weekdays only. Vehicle Thank You Thank you to the family of John Vandale provided.