Whitewood Inn Restaurant, Bar & Grill Open - In Town Deleivery Available j33199;!8ধ2+!;¤Wj,32'f¤ff¤ $150 PER COPY (GST included) www.heraldsun.ca Publications Mail Agreement No. 40006725 -YPKH`:LW[LTILY Serving Whitewood, Grenfell, Broadview and surrounding areas • Publishing since 1893 =VS࠮0ZZ\L Safe Restart Canada Plan Municipalities to receive $70 million in funds Over $633,000 going to local area municipalities By Chris Ashfield Grasslands News More than $70.3 million in new money is being distributed to municipalities across the province as part of a national pandemic relief effort. The funding is Saskatchewan’s portion of the federal Safe Restart Canada Plan and it is being distributed immediately with municipalities. “As Saskatchewan returns to a new normal, this is another important investment to help municipalities and their residents weather the storm,” Government Relations Minister Lori Carr said. “This funding will support efforts to protect health and safety, prepare for ELAINE ASHFIELD | GRASSLANDS NEWS potential future waves of COVID-19, and facilitate the First day of school safe re-opening of economies.” After four months of being out of class, students returned to school on Tuesday morning to new Of the amount, $62.26 million will be granted in gen- COVID regulations which included some grades being required to wear masks. The return of grades eral municipal support on a per capita basis of $59.65, were staggered between Tuesday and Thursday for many Prairie Valley School Division schools. while $8.07 million will be allocated to municipal pub- lic transit support for the four cities with transit sys- tems, based on ridership. Quickly and efficiently, the rural municipalities, villages and resort villages. Six local rural municipalities will receive close to amounts will start to be distributed immediately so Grenfell, Broadview and Whitewood’s combined $114,000 combined through the Safe Restart Canada municipal leaders can funnel dollars to areas of high- share is just under $150,000. Grenfell will receive Plan. The RM of Elcapo $2,911; RM of Kingsley $26,486; est local priority. $65,560, Broadview $32,929 and Whitewood’s funding RM of Indian Head $20,044; RM of Silverwood $24,458; This federal funding was matched by $150 million allocation will be $51,422. Monies being received by RM of Willowdale $17,837 and RM of Wolseley $22,191. dollars announced previously from the Government of other local area towns include Kennedy $12,885; Moo- Additionally, this summer, the province fast- Saskatchewan in the Municipal Economic Enhance- somin $163,631; Wolseley $50,945; Wapella $19,447; and tracked a record breaking $278 million in Municipal ment Program. Indian Head $113,939. The Resort Villages of Bird’s Revenue Sharing. Annual, no-strings attached fund- Local municipalities will receive more than $633,500 Point and West End will receive $6,681 and $2,207 re- ing was paid directly to municipalities to support local from the funding, which is being distributed to towns, spectively. priorities and recovery efforts. Ride and rope Charlie Bear lassos a calf during the senior breakaway roping event at the Chaca- chas Open Rodeo that was held north of Whitewood on Sept. 4 to 6. The rodeo was the second of the season to be held at the Chacachas Rodeo grounds. A High School Rodeo will be hosted at the rodeo grounds in Whitewood on Sat- urday Sept. 12th and Sunday Sept. 13th CHRIS ASHFIELD | GRASSLANDS NEWS 2 September 11, 2020 0HOYLOOH$GYDQFH:KLWHZRRG*UHQIHOO+HUDOG6XQ)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV Grasslands News Bert Fox holds outdoor grad for 2020 class By Sarah Pacio uates themselves. Since Grasslands News restrictions have gradu- ally lifted throughout the summer months, a com- “Let’s continue to mittee of parents and staff think, believe, and be- were able to organize an come by first knowing outdoor ceremony for the who we are and where graduates on September we come from, and then 5. imagining what is possi- Sixteen graduates par- ble,” Principal Julie Sti- glitz encouraged Bert Fox ticipated in the ceremony Community High School and flowers were placed graduates on Saturday on one of the bleachers to honor the other twen- afternoon. “You are the Outdoor grad 68%0,77('_*5$66/$1'61(:6 graduating class of 2020, ty-five students who were Bert Fox Community High School held an outdoor graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 on Septem- you will lead the way.” unable to join their class- The students were seated mates. Attendance was ber 5. Graduates and their families were spread throughout the Standing Buffalo First Nation powwow in a circle of chairs by invitation only, but arbor in accordance with public health guidelines. spaced six feet apart at the program was live the Standing Buffalo First streamed on the school bers of the PVSD school teachers, she reminded and staff who had sup- A few parents were Nation powwow arbor. Facebook page. Individ- board and local SCC also the students and guests ported them throughout also given an opportu- With the pandemic situa- uals attending in-person addressed the students. that the virus has not their high school jour- nity to publicly congrat- tion improving, graduates were careful to comply Throughout the pro- changed everything. “In- ney. Arwen Koops ac- ulate and share advice were finally able to pub- with provincial health or- gram, there were re- sight and imagination knowledged the impact of with the graduates. They lically celebrate an edu- ders to prevent the spread minders of the ongoing haven’t been cancelled. attending high school and encouraged the youth cational milestone last of COVID-19. Some family coronavirus crisis, which Kindness hasn’t been graduating during a pan- to be resilient, continue weekend. groups were spaced far significantly impacted cancelled. Hope has not demic. “Our time at Bert persevering as they have Like many institutions, apart on the bleachers the graduates’ final year been cancelled and our Fox installed something already done, and remem- the high school in Fort around the arbor; others of high school. The pan- relationships have not special in us, something ber their community. Qu’Appelle was unable to sat in their cars and lis- demic was mentioned in been cancelled,” she told to change the world, Before the final honor host a traditional gradua- tened to the program over speeches and students the group. something that makes song, Principal Stiglitz tion ceremony at the end a designated radio chan- wore facemasks when re- As the ceremony con- us who we are as a class. presented diplomas to of last school year. Staff nel. ceiving their diplomas. tinued, graduates shared We are unique and that each student and several found alternative ways to The ceremony included The principal also san- memories and expressed comes from our experi- also received an eagle honor the class of 2020 in many traditional ele- itized her hands before appreciation for parents ences,” she said. feather. June, acknowledging in- ments, such as a prayer handing a diploma to dividuals via social media for blessing by Elder each graduate. posts and creating a video Keith Ryder, the singing In spite of these pre- featuring recorded mes- of O Canada and perfor- cautions, when Mela- sages from the principal, mance of an honor song nie Black addressed the PVSD Board, and grad- by a drum group. Mem- students on behalf of NDP rolls out $25/day child care plan for Sask. families Leader Ryan Meili announced that months. She says the cost of childcare an NDP government would deliver has made any return to work more dif- accessible and affordable child care ficult, and welcomes the NDP commit- for Saskatchewan families. Speaking ment to ensuring affordable childcare to reporters in Saskatoon and joined for Saskatchewan families. by parent and child care advocate “Our current system is broken. Ed- Lindsay Sanderson, Meili introduced ucators are underpaid while parents the NDP’s plan for affordable and ac- are paying more than they can afford. cessible child care for Saskatchewan Our kids are simply not getting what families: $25/day child care, 2,200 new they need,” said Sanderson. “Too childcare spaces every year to meet many parents are forced to choose be- growing demand, and an expert panel tween quality childcare and other es- tasked with a full review to improve sentials. Our kids deserve better, and all aspects of our early learning and so do their parents. By ensuring that child care system. affordable, quality childcare is avail- “Over the years and particularly in able to every family that needs it we the past few months, I’ve heard from are investing in our future and ensur- so many parents who feel the lack ing that women are able to be equal, of affordable, accessible child care is valued members of our society.” forcing them to choose between their The NDP plan commits a Meili NDP careers and their families,” said Meili. government to: “The Sask. Party has left us with the • Transitioning existing spaces to least accessible child care in Canada, $25/day; and their pandemic budget did nothing • 2,200 new spaces at $25/day each for parents struggling to afford child year over 4 years; and care. It’s time we invest in kids, fami- • Assembling a panel of experts, lies and our province’s economic well workers, and families to improve our being.” early learning and childcare system Meili emphasized that beyond the from the bottom up, addressing needs social benefits, investment in child- like recruiting and retaining staff, care drives economic growth. Every affordability and availability of care, dollar invested in childcare creates up wages of workers, and replacing the to $6 in increased economic activity, existing subsidy with a system that is according to the Conference Board of built for the realities of childcare in Canada.