The provincial government’s new Wildfire Act is moving forward – minus a controversial condition which would have seen RMs responsible for the cost of fighting wildfires within a 4.5-kilometre burning permit area on privately owned and occupied Crown land in their jurisdiction.

The condition drew sharp criticism from members of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM).
Recently, RM of Meadow Lake reeve Rodger Zuchotzki received a call from environment minister Ken Cheveldayoff expressing the government was backing off the proposed change.

“He got a rude awakening when we met recently with our SARM delegates in Prince Albert,” Zuchotzki said. “It is something that should not be burdened on the municipalities. It’s something that is a provincial jurisdiction.”

Zuchotzki added there are huge costs associated with fighting forest fires and it’s unreasonable for RMs to have to pick up the tab.

“I respect the minister’s thoughts because there is a huge cost to fighting fires,” he said. “We could get the resources, but the thing of it is, it’s not all our ratepayers’ responsibility to fight all the fires and be responsible for all the costs…with only minimal tax revenue they have to deal with. No municipalities can handle that financial load.”

Steve Roberts, executive director of the wildfire management branch, said the government will maintain the status quo with respect to the “burning permit area” issue when it tables the legislation sometime in the fall.

“That means we would be the primary responder in that 4.5-kilometre (burning permit area), but it is RM land, and RMs have some responsibilities in managing fire bans, burning permits, access…and they’re still responsible for structural fire protection,” Roberts said. “Government decided that one component, which was causing SARM concern, has been removed.”

The decision to maintain the status quo is good news to RM of Loon Lake reeve Bob Gristwood.

“One wildfire would kill an RM (financially),” Gristwood said. “Cheveldayoff called all the RM reeves and said he wanted to tell us personally that it’s going to be revisited and there would be more consultation with the municipalities. This is really good news because if the RM were to fight one of these fires, and it got out of hand and spread somewhere else, the RM would still be responsible.”

Other parts of the act deal with streamlining the fire ban process and increasing legislation around what industry needs to do to prevent wildfires. Now in the final consultation phase, the government is working closely with a variety of stakeholder groups in crafting the legislation and setting up best practice codes and standards.

“The issue that’s clear is that’s why we consult legislation – to hear what people have to say and hear their concerns,” Roberts said. “If government thinks that feedback makes a lot of sense, government responds to that feedback before (the legislation) goes forward.”

While it wasn’t nearly as serious as the major blackout experienced in Meadow Lake and the surrounding area last June, the power outage that impacted communities across the Northwest May 7 was enough of a reminder for some people of how often the lights go out in this part of the province.

“It’s frustrating, it’s terrible,” remarked Nancy Stevenot, an employee at the Nor’Wester Motor Inn in Meadow Lake. “I don’t know what the issues are because you never usually hear any reason as to why it goes out so often. I’ve been here for eight years and was always used to the power going out once or twice per year, but here it can be five to 10 times per summer.”

Last Tuesday around 4:55 p.m., the entire region – ranging from Meadow Lake to Loon Lake in the west, Green Lake in the east and as far north as Clearwater River Dene Nation and beyond – lost power when a relay at the Meadow Lake switching system malfunctioned and could no longer maintain the proper voltage level. Electricity was restored locally by 8 p.m. with complete restoration by 10:30 p.m.

In spite of the outage, Stevenot did confirm the Nor’Wester remained open, a luxury not all businesses have when an outage lasts for any lengthy period of time.

“We always stay open when the power is out because we have all our tills and debit machines rigged up to an internal power source,” she said. “We can only run about half the things in our kitchen and not everything on our menu is likely to be available, but at least people can still stop by and have a meal.”

During last week’s outage, Stevenot said close to 10 customers frequented the restaurant.

One business that was forced to close, at least for part of the evening, was the Dynasty Twin Cinemas. Theatre manager Jeff McCallum said there’s no alternative power source to operate the theatre’s projectors and server.

“It only interrupts the film for 10 minutes if it’s a brownout, but after a long enough outage we need to cancel the show because we can’t start it up and finish it before the next show has to start,” he said. “Power has to come back on with enough time to run an entire show.”

According to SaskPower spokesperson Tyler Hopson, there is one primary line that starts in Meadow Lake and feeds most of the Northwest.

“There are some smaller lines, but this is the main one,” Hopson noted. “Initially, crews were sent out to reset (the relay), but that didn’t work. So, they pulled it out of service and repaired it.”

Although Hopson could not provide specific data for the Meadow Lake area in terms of frequency and causes, he did say outages happen for many reasons.

“It could be the result of weather or an accident, but other times it’s because of problems with equipment due to age or a technical failure,” he said. “We are actually investing in our system and continue to improve things all the time.”

Hopson went on to say both necessary and preventative maintenance is ongoing at a provincial level, adding SaskPower plans to make a $10 billion investment in several areas over the next 10 years.

“Hopefully the people of Meadow Lake and area will experience fewer outages in the future,” he said.

In the meantime, Meadow Lake fire chief Neil Marsh encourages residents to be well prepared for future power outages.

“You should always keep your vehicle topped up with fuel because the pumps won’t work when there’s no power,” he said. “You should also have a water supply on hand because, if the power is out for a lengthy period of time, the water supply in town could become an issue. It’s rare for outages to last long, but it has happened before.”

Fire destroyed this home on Flying Dust First Nation May 6.

by Phil Ambroziak

Flying Dust First Nation elder Herman Merasty was left without a home early last week when a fire broke out at his house north of Meadow Lake May 6.

“We got the call around 11 a.m. and when we arrived, the fire was totally involved,” explained Meadow Lake fire chief Neil Marsh.

“The flames were through the roof already and progressed quite rapidly even though we weren’t long getting there.”

The fire is believed to have started outside the home, but according to Marsh, the official cause remains undetermined. It is, however, not deemed suspicious in nature.

“We’re still waiting to receive the official report from the fire chief and the RCMP before we can pursue an insurance claim,” said Sheldon Gervais, director of finance at Flying Dust First Nation.

Meanwhile, Albert Derocher, general manager of the FDB Holding Corporation, said once the process of working with the insurance company has been completed, Flying Dust will be looking at rebuilding or finding Merasty a new place of his own.

“We’re not sure how the fire started,” Derocher said. “It could have been a number of things, but it was not because of negligence. This gentleman is an elder and a very responsible person.”

Marsh said the Red Cross has been notified of the situation and was also likely to assist Merasty during his time of need. Twelve firefighters responded to the fire, which took some time to extinguish.

“It took us a little longer than usual because the structure was already compromised when we arrived and we had to fight the fire from the outside,” Marsh said. “Water supply was also an issue. We do not have our own water tanker and have to rely on local water truck contractors, which are not always readily available.”

Marsh went on to say this is a common problem the department faces whenever it responds to fires at Flying Dust or in the RM of Meadow Lake.

“It also happens in town sometimes – there are some parts of the city not serviced by hydrants,” he said. “The best way to solve this is to have a water tanker at the fire hall with a large amount of water on board. This would give us enough water to fight fires quickly. When we have to ration water, it takes longer to put out a fire and results in more damage when it’s all said and done.”

The chief said the department has never had its own tanker.

“It’s becoming more and more of a problem,” he said. “Being able to have an adequate supply of water at a fire where hydrants are not available is a continuing issue and one that’s hopefully addressed by the combined municipalities.”

However, Marsh is uncertain as to when or if this will happen.

“We keep asking, but hopefully it happens sooner rather than later,” he said.

According to government data, Saskatchewan incarcerates its youth population at a far greater rate than most of the country.
Newest available data shows youth incarcerations are close to four or five times higher in Saskatchewan and Manitoba compared to other provinces, a distinction the two provinces have shared for some time now.
Karen Srodulski, area legal director for Legal Aid Saskatchewan, has been practising law for more than 12 years, the last four-and-a-half in the Meadow Lake area.
The majority of her clients are First Nations youth. The issue is something she’s familiar with, but she can’t point to an exact reason for why the situation is what it is.
“I don’t want to say it’s because of a lack of discretion on police or on the courts,” she said. “I really don’t know what the answer is.”
Statistics Canada numbers for 2011 indicate an incarceration rate of 23.17 per 10,000 young persons in Saskatchewan. In British Columbia, that number is 3.28 and 5.9 in Ontario. For 2010 (most recent) in Alberta, the number is 5.85.
Cpl. Natasha Szpakowski of the Meadow Lake RCMP said, unfortunately, she thinks the provincial reality reflects the situation locally.
“I think it correlates no differently than what I hear in the news and what you see around the community,” she said, adding, she thinks there are a lot of factors to consider and it’s not the RCMP’s goal to see youth put in jail.
“It certainly gets frustrating sometimes for the families and the communities to see the kids who are causing the problems to be released back in (the community),” she said. “The whole idea is to really try and get them some sort of counselling or rehabilitation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.”
With respect to sentencing, the courts are governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which stipulates when a young person can even be considered for incarceration.
Senior Crown prosecutor Lloyd Stang said custody is very much a last resort for youth in the court system.
“It is extremely rare that someone would ever get custody for their first, second or third offence,” he said. “It’s always the repeat offenders who are really causing a lot of problems.”
From Srodulski’s perspective, there might be something structurally wrong with the system, but she doesn’t want to put the blame solely on any one particular aspect of it. Although, she added that officers and the Crown should use discretion when charging and prosecuting young offenders without a criminal background for crimes that some might consider petty.
Stang has been a prosecutor in Meadow Lake for 14 years. He said the Crown’s view is the criminal justice system can’t fix everything.
“Most young offenders come to the court with a long laundry list of problems that already exist in their life – such as broken homes or family or parents that have problems – it’s often a question of what resources are there to help the family, or lack of resources there to help a family, which leads kids to get into trouble,” he said. “It’s a sense they’re already on a pretty negative path before they get into the court system.”
Srodulski reiterated that point.
“We also have to look at other parts of society, to ask, ‘Are we helping those people who need help, who need that cheque at the end of the month, who need housing, who need more ideas about school?’” she said. “That’s where it starts.”

Virgil and Fran Paul stand outside their home in Makwa, days after high spring run-off flooded their property, as well as the lower floor of their house. The couple would like to see the province address the concerns they have with the ability of nearby culverts to handle water flow.

By Phil Ambroziak

“I’m so tired of this, I want to cry.”
That’s how Fran Paul felt in the wake of a recent flood at her home in Makwa. The property, along with the main floor of the house, was flooded recently when culverts west and south of the community could not handle the excessive water flow created as a result of spring run-off.
“None of the culverts are big enough to handle the flow in the springtime,” Paul said.
Paul, who shares the home with her husband Virgil, went on to say flooding has been her constant fear since the 1980s when bridges west and south of the village were replaced with culverts. The replacement was part of a highway reconstruction project and, since that time, flooding has been an annual tradition, but it’s primarily been restricted to the property surrounding the home.
“Flooding (around the property) happens repeatedly, but the heavy snowfall this year definitely had an added impact,” Paul said. “We’ve contacted (the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure), but nothing’s happened. We’ve pretty much been told they’re not concerned with Makwa – that Makwa isn’t a priority. This falls on our shoulders every time and I’m tired of not being a priority.”
By the end of the day April 28, close to six inches of water had accumulated on the lower level of the Pauls’ home at the corner of Highway 304 and Federal Avenue. With traces of snow still on the ground last week, the couple was anticipating more of the same before all was said and done.
“The whole bottom floor was under water, which can cause damage to the building and they (ministry) won’t do anything about it,” Paul continued. “There’s probably been thousands of dollars in damages. We’ve been here since the mid-1980s, this is our retirement – the whole thing is so frustrating and makes me so angry.”
Although Conrad Read, district operations manager with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, would not comment specifically on the Pauls’ situation, he did say there are many factors that could impact water flow.
“We design culverts based on determinations made by the Water Security Agency,” Read said. “I’ve never seen water run down the main street in Makwa before, at least not at those volumes. But, if the water can’t get away it could be for a number of different reasons.”
Some examples he gave included the presence of ice, overgrowth or redirected waterways as a result of farming or some other alteration to the traditional landscape.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Claudette Brookes’ home northwest of Meadow Lake did not flood, but one of the same examples given by Read did cause the water in the nearby Beaver River to rise substantially.
“It was rising pretty high last week,” Claudette Brookes remarked. “There was an ice jam at the bend in the river, so the river was all backed up.”
Since then, the ice has been dislodged and the water has been able to flow more freely.
“The water level is going back down now,” Brookes said.
According to Read, situations such as the one experienced by the Brookes family are common at this time of year.
“If the water can’t get away, it’s going to back up,” he said.

It was a close one for Saskatchewan’s female hockey team.
The ladies finished second overall at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Kahnawake, Quebec last week, losing 4-3 in the championship game to a team from Quebec.
“This is the third year in a row we’ve faced this same team in the final and every time the end result has been within one goal,” explained Mark Arcand, interim director of sports, culture, recreation and youth at the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).
Two years ago, Team Saskatchewan downed their opponents in the final while this is the second year the female squad has earned silver.
“Our girls did exceptional,” Arcand continued. “They played their hearts out, but in the end there was nothing we could do to win. But, as far as I’m concerned, they’re still champions. They never quit playing hockey.”
Northwest players to compete for Saskatchewan’s female team included Delaney Ross and Taylor Durocher of Meadow Lake and Mallory Roy of Beauval.
Meanwhile, for the province’s male team – which included Canoe Lake Cree Nation member Colton Iron – the story wasn’t as much of a success. The male team, entered the tournament as five-time defending champions. This year, however, they would place fifth out of eight teams overall.
“Our team’s number one goalie went down with an injury and we couldn’t recover,” Arcand added. “We lost the quarterfinal game in overtime to the team from Manitoba.”
The loss put the team into the consolation bracket where they eventually earned their final ranking.
“I’m still very proud of the boys,” Arcand said. “That’s just the way sports are. We were blessed to have won five national titles, now we’ll be looking to rebuild.”
Arcand went on to say he is looking forward to returning to next year’s NAHC tournament with sights once again set on gold.
“We’ll be getting our teams together early, and I encourage more First Nations and Métis kids to come forward and try out,” he said. “We want to see as many kids as possible reach the next level, and this program is a great opportunity for them to do just that.”

The nays have it.
On April 24, the Northern Village of Buffalo Narrows voted to maintain a prohibition on video lottery terminals in the community after a motion was tabled by a local bar owner looking to reintroduce the machines following a close to 15-year ban.
A total of 244 ballots were cast, 184 against, 59 for and one with no marking.
Gerald Tinker, owner of the Pelican Tavern, brought the initiative forward because he thought he had the community’s support.
“That’s why we brought it to this stage,” Tinker said. “The youth vote never came out.”
As a member of council, Tinker had to recuse himself from all proceedings because of a conflict of interest. Now, it’s back to business as usual.
“It’s just another hurdle, that’s all,” he added.
Bobby Woods, a resident and former mayor of the northern village, has been a vocal critic of the proposal since it was brought to council.
“I’m proud of the people of Buffalo Narrows for taking the initiative to look at this from a healthy perspective,” Woods said. “They kept the community’s health in mind first and foremost. This decision will help save us from further social problems. I’m happy.”
Woods added, although the turnout was perhaps smaller than expected, the result was overwhelming.
“Right now, our community is not ready for this,” he said. “I know there will be people disappointed with me and with this result, but that’s OK. People can agree to disagree.”
The divisiveness of the issue is not lost on former resident Leonard Montgrand, organizer of the original plebiscite to have the gaming terminals banned in the first place.
“At that time, because there was no other form of entertainment or gambling, there was a lot of people gambling, like myself, spending a lot of money,” Montgrand said.
Now a La Loche resident, Montgrand still calls Buffalo Narrows his hometown.
“In hindsight, it was a good thing,” he said. “Buffalo wasn’t ready for it back then. But, nowadays, I personally think VLTs are not going to destroy a community because communities have learned. They’ve progressed and grown and there are other forms of electronic gambling.”
Montgrand was surprised by the vote, both by the relatively small turnout and the disparity with respect to the results.
“I thought they would vote them back in this year,” he said. “But, they still maintain a sense of responsibility in terms of gambling. I know the community works hard on other social issues and they have a good strong community.”
Officially, mayor and council had final say on the issue at their regular meeting held yesterday (April 29).

Meadow Lake resident Taiya Paylor doesn’t believe in giving up without a fight.
In spite of an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for Basketball Saskatchewan’s provincial squad last year, Paylor’s never-say-die attitude landed her in the midst of tryouts again this spring. Eventually, her perseverance paid off.
“I tried out for the under-15 team last year and made it to the final ranks before being cut,” explained Paylor, a Grade 10 student at Carpenter High School. “This year, I thought I might as well give it one more shot. It wasn’t until last week I found out I made the under-16 team.”
Prospective players from across Saskatchewan took part in a series of practices in Saskatoon earlier this month to determine the final roster. Each weekend session lasted four hours each day and, according to Paylor, offered an incredible experience she now hopes to take full advantage of.
“The coaching was phenomenal – I learned so much in such a short time,” Paylor continued. “I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and making friends on the team. We get to travel a lot, but most importantly I am looking forward to taking what I learn back to Carpenter and using it to help out my team next year.”
Paylor was a member of this year’s CHS Spartans girls team, who were crowned provincial high school champions at the end of this season.
“I learned a lot (with the CHS team) this year – the whole Hoopla experience made me a better player,” she said.
Paylor’s opinion was shared by CHS coach Carla Waterman.
“Taiya came in as a Grade 10 rookie and played very well all season,” Waterman said. “In the fall, she should be able to come back from this experience with confidence and she should certainly be playing at an even higher level.”
The summer season will see Paylor compete in games in locations such as Calgary and Edmonton, and as far away as Minneapolis, Minnesota to name a few. Her weekly practice sessions will alternate between Saskatoon and Regina, meaning there needs to be a strong commitment from both Paylor and her family.
“My parents have been very supportive and said they would drive me every weekend,” she noted. “I also have my driver’s licence, so I can probably drive to Saskatoon from time-to-time.”
Waterman said having such strong support is essential for any young athlete pursuing a sport at such a high level.
“This is an opportunity you really can’t pass up if you have the passion and the desire to do it,” she said. “And, Taiya certainly has both the passion and the desire.”
Paylor concluded by saying she hopes the experience will one day open up doors for her at the college level.
“Who knows for sure?” she said. “Time will tell.”

Customers had a chance to kick some tires and grab a burger at the Meadow Power and Equipment open house April 26.

By Phil Ambroziak

Meadow Lake and area farmers aren’t ready to give up hope – at least not yet.
In spite of ongoing cool weather and the remnants of snow still covering most fields throughout the Northwest, area producers remain optimistic a modest harvest will still await them come the end of this year’s crop season.
“There’s no doubt things have been colder than usual this year and it’s been delaying everything,” remarked Ryan Wilfing, a grain producer who farms east of Meadow Lake. “As of right now, we’re a good two weeks behind what we’d call the average. We usually like to seed by May 4 or 5, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to until at least May 15.”
Wilfing went on to say nobody can fully predict the weather, adding a later start time combined with the potential for an early frost in the fall could shorten the overall season and result in a financial loss for farmers.
“It’s still such a ‘what if’ situation,” he said. “Who knows? If we end up having a hot, dry summer and a longer fall, things could catch up and everyone could be worrying for nothing. It’s always good to start as early as you can because we (farmers in the North) already have such a short window to begin with.”
Like Wilfing and so many others, Ashley Russell – a wheat and canola farmer also located east of Meadow Lake – is faced with a slow start to the season.
“We’re a little behind – probably by about a week,” Russell said. “But, I don’t think there’s much chance of anything bad happening. It will warm up eventually because, realistically, it’s not going to stay cold until June. And, with the machines and equipment we have today, you can usually put your crop in fairly quickly.”
However, Wilfing – who has been farming for close to 15 years – said he’s never experienced a spring like this one. Still, he too refuses to believe the recent weather is anything that will slow too many people down for too long.
“It’s not terrible because the last few years have been quite good,” he said. “If we had a few years in a row like the current one, you’d probably see more guys becoming a little anxious. It’s hard to speak for other producers, but it’s probably fair to say most guys have money in the bank (from the success of previous seasons). There’s also the government’s crop insurance program out there, so at least they can cover their costs. Every operation is different and, yes, it is late, but it’s not the end of the world yet.”
According to Dave Cubbon of Cavalier Agrow in Meadow Lake, it takes at least a week or longer for fields to be ready for seeding after the snow has melted. He also said it isn’t customary to plant before May 1.
“Doing so is risky in this part of the country, but the way things are now will certainly delay seeding,” Cubbon said. “The longer you have to wait, the more yield you start to lose and the more risk you accumulate. Crops could also take longer to mature because of the shorter days experienced in August and the risk of frost.”
As things currently stand, Cubbon believes some seeding could begin anywhere from May 5-10. Like Wilfing said, however, it’s all weather-dependent.
“If you can seed in early May, things could still be good,” Cubbon said. “If you wait to do the bulk of your seeding at the end of May, things aren’t going to be as good. It won’t be good, but it still won’t be a disaster. The weather is the key to the whole thing, but I’m still optimistic we’ll have a good season.”

The onset of spring often means new beginnings and the prospect of better things to come.
In some cases, however, it can also create the potential for danger when hazardous objects are discovered beneath the melting snow. On April 16, a handful of syringes were found near the Extra Foods parking lot at the Meadow Lake Mall. Members of Meadow Lake Fire and Rescue were called to the scene to collect and dispose of
the needles.
“Someone spotted the needles and wasn’t sure what to do,” explained Meadow Lake fire chief Neil Marsh. “They couldn’t reach anyone at the hospital who could help, so they called the fire department.”
Marsh said there were some members performing routine maintenance at the fire hall when the call came in. They attended the scene, gathered the needles and disposed of them in a safe and timely fashion.
“People’s first choice should be to call the people at (the Prairie North Regional Health Authority), but we do pick up needles whenever we receive a call about them,” Marsh continued.
Marsh went on to say the public should not touch the needles and, if possible, should cover them with something.
“The ambulance people, the fire department and the RCMP are all qualified to pick up discarded needles,” he said. “We have all the rubber sharps containers and such. As for the people who are using needles, there are proper places where they can dispose of them – there’s a big yellow box for just that beside the fire hall.”
In spite of the fire chief’s warnings, Idella Barr, sexual health coordinator at PNRHA, said adults who discover discarded needles can dispose of them, as long as they are careful when doing so.
“The first thing not to do is to pick it up and look at it to see if it’s a needle,” Barr said. “If you have a pair of good, heavy gloves, you can pick them up, but be sure to place them in a coffee can or some other puncture-proof container. Most people see a discarded needle and turn to stone, but the only danger that comes from any sharps is if you puncture yourself. If you use one hand to pick it up and place it in a can, you should be OK. If there is a pile of needles, use barbecue tongs or tweezers to pick them up, but still be sure to wash your hands afterward.”
Barr said if you accidentally cut yourself while disposing of a needle, the best solution is to get as much blood to come out of the wound as possible before washing your hands and heading to the hospital.
“(Sending a PNRHA staff member to collect needles) is not something we normally advocate,” Barr added. “I think people in the community are quite able to handle it themselves, as long as they treat the situation with respect.”
Marsh said the use of needles is a strong practice in Meadow Lake and the surrounding area.
Barr concurred.
“When the snow melts, you find beer bottles and other alcohol containers,” she said. “Unfortunately, you also find needles.”