$1.50 Vol. 59 No. 24 • Friday, September 11, 2020 Legace enters race for Fort Qu’Appelle Mayor 2020 Municipal Elections By Alan Hustak and was marketing manager for Patter- Grasslands News son Grain before he retired and moved to Fort Qu’Appelle eight years ago. He The race is on. was also involved with the committee Gus Legace, who lost the last may- that wants to see a swimming pool built oralty election to Jerry Whiting by 130 in town, a project he still would like to votes four years ago will again take see realized, but only if other surround- make a bid for the mayor’s chair in ing municipalities agree to share the Fort Qu’Appelle. cost. He is the second candidate in the He’s been married for 42 years, has race. three daughters, and has the full sup- Veteran councilor Lee Finishen has port of his wife, Candace, for his entry already declared his candidacy for into the mayoralty race. mayor in the November election, and Several seats on council are expected councilor Doug Blatter is said to be con- to be vacant this year, and Legace would sidering throwing his hat into the ring. like to see more diversity on council. Legace, 64, says politics has been “We’re becoming more cosmopolitan; part of his family forever. “I’ve been I’d like to see more women, more repre- involved on school boards, hospital sentatives from First Nation and ethnic boards, economic development boards, communities, a little bit of everything.” and with agricultural producers orga- He also promises a more transparent nizations. Because of COVID-19 we’re administration. “I find all the in-camera going to see a lot of austerity coming down the pipe. We have to focus our meetings kind of strange,” he said. “I energies on cleaning up the town, at- understand you have to go in camera to tract more business and more people. discuss some personal and legal issues, Municipalities have a narrow way of but in my 35 years experience on vari- generating revenues. We’re not grow- ous boards, I can only recall having to ing and we have to grow to increase the meet in camera twice.” tax base. Fort Qu’Appelle is too small to It is still not clear whether the candi- be big, but it is too big to be small.” dates will debate the issues in an open Legace farmed near Bal- town hall forum. Legace intends to carres. He was a former campaign door to door. “We have to be councilor with the careful and go along with public health RM of Abernethy regulations; we have to be careful.” Mayoral candidate Gus Legacy, who ran for mayor last time and lost by 130 votes, is running again for Mayor of Fort 4X·$SSHOOH ALAN HUSTAK | GRASSLANDS NEWS Safe Restart Canada Plan Municipalities to receive $70 million in funds Close to $548,000 going to local area towns, villages and rural municipalities By Chris Ashfield Carr said. “This funding will support by $150 million dollars announced pre- Lebret $12,885; Lipton $20,581; Qu’Ap- Grasslands News efforts to protect health and safety, viously from the Government of Sas- pelle $38,119 and Katepwa $18,612. prepare for potential future waves katchewan in the Municipal Economic Six local rural municipalities will of COVID-19, and facilitate the safe Enhancement Program. receive close to $221,500 combined More than $70.3 million in new re-opening of economies.” Local municipalities will receive al- through the Safe Restart Canada Plan. money is being distributed to munic- Of the amount, $62.26 million will be most $544,000 from the funding, which The RM of Abernethy $21,595; RM of ipalities across the province as part of granted in general municipal support is being distributed to towns, rural Cupar $30,006; RM of Indian Head a national pandemic relief effort. The on a per capita basis of $59.65, while municipalities, villages and resort vil- $20,004; RM of Lipton $22,728; RM of funding is Saskatchewan’s portion of $8.07 million will be allocated to mu- lages. North Qu’Appelle $51,004 and RM of the federal Safe Restart Canada Plan nicipal public transit support for the Fort Qu’Appelle, Fort San and B-Say- South Qu’Appelle $76,059. and it is being distributed immediately four cities with transit systems, based Tah’s combined share will be just under Additionally, this summer, the with municipalities. on ridership. Quickly and efficiently, $144,000. Fort Qu’Appelle will receive province fast-tracked a record break- “As Saskatchewan returns to a new the amounts will start to be distributed $120,919, Fort San $13,243 and B-Say- ing $278 million in Municipal Revenue normal, this is another important in- immediately so municipal leaders can Tah’s funding allocation will be $9,306. Sharing. Annual, no-strings attached vestment to help municipalities and funnel dollars to areas of highest local Monies being allocated to other local funding was paid directly to munici- their residents weather the storm,” priority. area towns include Balcarres $35,017; palities to support local priorities and Government Relations Minister Lori This federal funding was matched Cupar $33,645; Indian Head $20,044; recovery efforts. Community Community Guide - Coming September 25 ,'311<2-;@ <-&'>-££63;£-+,;311<2-;@ 83<69T£<#9T8+!2-A!ধ329T !$-£-ধ'9!2&<9-2'99'9-2;,' 8!99£!2&9'>9!8'!W &9963;9!8'\?\T(<££$3£3<8!2&$39;6£<9 W Guide !8+'8!&963;9!8'!=!-£!#£'T6£'!9'$32;!$;(3868-$-2+W 218 3rd Ave W. • Box 1420 • Melville, SK. • S0A 2P0 3#330@3<8!&='8ধ9-2+96!$'38-(@3<,!='!2@7<'9ধ329T$32;!$;-$,'££';3££(8'' &RPPXQLW\6SRWOLJKW !;Vf¥f f l'?;Wm38'1!-£;3V!&9|+8!99£!2&92'>9W$! 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.