2015: Looking back at Elk Point's year of changes, challenges and continued development
VICKI BROOKER Review Staff
As we head into 2016, it's time to look back on a year that has seen many changes and challenges. The drop in oil prices has taken a toll on businesses and individuals throughout the community, there have been massive changes both provincially and nationally on the political scene, and despite it all, Elk Point has carried on with growth and development while waiting for better times to come.
Here's a rundown on the top headlines throughout 2015...
January
The World Juniors took a back seat to the Novice Avalanche on the first weekend of the new year, as the team coached by James Capjack, Shane Fontaine, Conrad Pierce, Dean Rogal and Robert Hoeving won all three games to be declared tournament champions.
The Elk Point Chamber of Commerce made a New Year's resolution to find ways to make the Visitor Information EcoCentre self-sustaining, and to cut back on utility costs with a switch to more energy-friendly lighting for both the centre and the staging area’s big security lights that receive their power through the EcoCentre meter.
The Peewee Avalanche took a tip from their Novice counterparts, and also went undefeated through their home tournament, winning over Frog Lake T-Birds in a very exciting final.
Water rates went up, as the result of solving two problems that previously faced the community. Seasonal water pumping could not keep up with the needs of a growing population and the town's water treatment plant would have required very costly upgrades to meet new quality and safety standards, both these problems resolved by the regional pipeline from St. Paul. This reliable source came with a cost that required the town to increase the basic water rate by $12 per month and the rate for over 14 cubic meters from $1.32 to $3.00 per cubic meter.
Elk Point Metelytsia Ukrainian Dance Club served up a feast of tradition on both the tables and the stage as a capacity crowd enjoyed the annual Malanka celebration at the Elk Point Arts and Leisure Centre.
Quick thinking eight- and nine-year-old brothers thwarted an abduction attempt as they were walking to school, with the RCMP alerting all parents to the situation and asking for extra vigilance on their part.
Pond hockey continued to grow in popularity, with 32 children in two age groups taking part and E-Can Oilfield Services, Elk Point and District Lions, Lakeland Tire, Prairie Tech Oilfield Services and CNRL combining forces to donate funding for jerseys.
February
Elk Point’s Oilman of the Year was no stranger to most of those at the Elk Point Oilmen’s Bonspiel banquet, even though he moved away from the community in 2001, Russ Hebblethwaite came to Elk Point in 1985 and established Tarsands Steam Cleaning, later establishing Envirovault, an innovative design that achieved great success in both Canada and the USA. He was a longtime member of the Oilmen's executive, served on the Elk Point Volunteer Fire Department and with the Oil Patch Watch.
Pyramid Electric's rink, made up of Dave Cousins, Rod Grauss, Brad Koss and Mare Gervais, defeated Don Anderson, Brad Anderson, James Pinder and Page White in the grand challenge to win the 32nd Annual Elk Point Oilmen’s Bonspiel.
Elk Point Chamber of Commerce gained a new president, new committees and a new membership category at their annual meeting. Jonny Nielsen, who served as acting president for much of the 2003/04 term, took over the president’s chair, joining vice-president Dwayne Yarmekevich, treasurer Geoff Hyslop and Secretary Vicki Brooker on the executive. A Special Events committee was added to membership, finance, tourism and agriculture, with volunteers coming forward to head all but the agriculture portfolio and a new membership category was added for individuals and home-based businesses that do not have employees.
The County of St. Paul turned down a proposal to rezone a parcel of land on the outskirts of Elk Point from agricultural to Industrial/Commercial, after a number of environmental concerns emerged at a public consultation and a hearing. The change would also go against the Town of Elk Point's development plan.
Elk Point Elks senior hockey club's first season back in the Sask-Alta Hockey League came to a premature end when they lost their third straight game to Two Hills Longhorns.
Greater Lakeland Rural Crime Watch held its annual general meeting, with the 2014 executive returned to office and members agreeing to a decrease in frequency of meetings to four per year, the April and November meetings held in Elk Point, the September and Annual meetings held in St. Paul.
Love and laughter abounded on Valentine's Day, as Jimmy the Janitor brought his irrepressible east coast humour to the Arts and Leisure Centre.
March
Virtually the whole town turned pink on Feb. 25 as downtown businesses joined the students of both schools to dress in pink anti-bullying t-shirts and spread the message that bullying is not acceptable any where. The ‘Grand Old P.U.P’, Bill Gordon, founder of Practitioners of Underground Philanthropy, was a featured speaker at F. G. Miller High School's Pink Day assembly, where students formed wall to wall letters ‘R’, ‘A’ and ‘K’ to in support of Random Acts of Kindness Week.
Water was everywhere on town council's agenda, with discussions including a proposed dry pond to capture storm water, a series of breaks in the regional water line and an updated utilities bylaw.
Elk Point Peewee Avalanche won the North East Tier Two league championship and would go on to meet the south division champions to determine the league's overall winner
F. G. Miller Junior Crusaders girls won the SPAA basketball championship over the Mallaig Stingers, breaking a score tied with 11 seconds remaining in the game with a timely shot by Sydney Letwin with a mere 1.1 seconds left on the clock, as the crowd surged to its feet and principal Colin Bjorkman shouted, “It doesn’t get better than that!”
‘Hello Dolly!” hit the Arts and Leisure stage, with Dixie Coleman and Kelsey Taylor alternating performances as widowed matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi and Alan Kostyniuk starring as Vandergelder, whose half a million dollars might just make that grumpy old man worth pursuing, in a musical treat that was once the longest running show on Broadway.
Former school board trustee Darrell Younghans was successful by a slim majority in a close but well fought battle when he joined former MP Brian Storseth, St. Paul Mayor Glenn Anderson and former Lakeland County councillor Jeff Dechaine in the quest to become the Progressive Conservative candidate for Lac La Biche — St. Paul — Two Hills.
Elk Point Skating Club presented their version of the year’s biggest Disney hit, ‘Frozen,’ with an all-star cast of 57 skaters ranging from beginners to senior Star Skaters portraying the wintry tale of love, treachery, despair and delight.
Elk Point Bantam Avalanche ended their season with an ‘A’ final win at a tournament in Cochrane. Meanwhile, back at the A. G. Ross Arena, the two Oil Barons pond hockey teams hosted a full day of crowd-pleasing action in a tournament that was ‘Just for fun.”
Elk Point Elks also had one more chance for glory as they took part in the Senior AA Provincials in Camrose and Daysland, giving both the Westlock Warriors and the Daysland North Stars some fierce opposition, even if they couldn't bring home the championship..
Members of Elk Point Royal Purple Lodge No. 269 were proud to receive their new charter as part of the newly formed Canadian Royal Purple Society.
Elk Point Municipal Library reported another good year that focused on providing “inspiring, accessible library services for our customers and new people in the community,” library manager Daphme Schnurer told the board at the annual meeting.
April
April 2015 found the chamber of commerce and Town of Elk Point working on solutions that would benefit everyone in regards to reducing the debt on the Visitor Information EcoCentre, with the town willing to cosign the chamber’s line of credit for another year.
Egg hunters, fueled by a huge pancake breakfast cooked up by the Elk Point Volunteer Firefighters, filled the fire hall with Easter fun as they scrambled to find the golden eggs that would earn them the major prizes in each age group.
Lakeland Industry and Community Association's Earth Day Birthday Party at F. G. Miller High School brought nature to the forefront, as young participants learned to identify wildlife tracks and calls, gain hands-on familiarity with animal pelts and take a close-up. look at birds and animals they would only get a glimpse of in the wild, as well as learning ways to protect the environment.
As Premier Jim Prentice dropped the writ for the May 5 provincial election, Progressive Conservative candidate Darrell Younghans kicked his campaign into high gear, and said he felt the provincial budget, “one of those budgets that had to happen,” was the top concern in voters’ minds
Provincial election candidates Darrell Younghans and David Hanson shook hands and came out campaigning.
Both Younghans and Wildrose candidate David Hanson visited town council early in the campaign to give their views on three questions posed by Mayor Parrish Tung, who asked about health care services, Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding and the viability of elected school and health boards.
The County of St. Paul passed a ‘cautious’ 2015 budget, with Reeve Steve Upham announcing the decision to “scale back” and to “be careful over the next couple of years because of the economy,” focusing on maintenance rather than large projects.
Metelytsia Ukrainian Dance Club welcomed spring with leaps and bounds at their annual Spring Concert, the 32 members performing 20 numbers with style, grace and energy.
Elk Point’s Interagency Health Committee dis cussed the role that Alberta Health Services’ proposed regional health committees might play in eight to 10 ‘operational districts’ that were yet to be formed, Diana Anderson, whose term on the Zone 5 Health Advisory Committee was about to expire, told the IHC that “nobody knows for sure” what that role might be... but it won't be like the old regional boards,”
May
Three of four candidates contesting the Lac La Biche — St. Paul — Two Hills seat in the provincial election faced the electors at a forum in Elk Point, with NDP candidate Catherine Harder unable to join PC Darrell Younghans, Wildrose David Hanson and Green Party’s Brian Deheer at the event.
Ray and Lorraine Danyluk were surrounded by their whole family of basketball enthusiasts at the dedication of the F. G. Miller High School gym.
F, G. Miller High School’s showpiece gymnasium was dedicated to former MLA Ray Danyluk, a designation principal Colin Bjorkman called “a fitting way to recognize the efforts of one man who made this gym a reality.” Danyluk coached the Elk Point Pacers, a team he had been part of in the beginning and for many years that followed, as they took on a beefed-up version of the FGM Crusaders in a brief exhibition game before the ceremonies.
David Hanson became the area’s new MLA and part of the province's new 2|-member Official Opposition, with Rachel Notley and her 52 fellow NDPs painting much of the province orange as they overthrew the 44-year-old Progressive Conservative dynasty.
The fourth annual 2nd Chance Trail Ride in support of organ and tissue transplant was the largest ever, with 261 participants and a packed crowd at Heinsburg Community Hall for the supper, silent and live auction that helped to raise a substantial amount of funds for this lifesaving and -life-restoring cause.
Town council and their brand-new CAO Ken Gwozdz studied the draft of their 2015 budget, after going through a financial analysis of the town’s current situation, taking into consideration the Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding available, the cost of development options, increased taxes coming in as concessions expire and the financing options available.
The long-awaited renovations and modernization to Elk Point Co-op Food Store were finally complete and were celebrated on what St. Paul and District Co-op general manager Graham Getz called “a day 10 years in the making,” as store manager Mark Gormley snipped the big red ribbon to officially open the store.
Kailey Wirsta showed both Elk Point 4-H Beef Club’s Grand and Supreme champions at the club's Victoria Day weekend Achievement Day, with Heidi Tymko showing the Reserve Champion female and Roy Tymko the Reserve Champion steer. Kailey Wirsta went on to win the Herd Class at the St. Paul District Invitational Heifer Show in Goodridge.
June
The good news for Elk Point ratepayers was that the town’s mill rate remained the same as 2014, and the bad news was that increased assessments might see some of them with an increased tax bill, with an almost 14 per cent increase in Alberta School Foundation Fund requisitions also added into the mix.
Roy Tymko of Elk Point 4-H Beef Club showed the reserve champion at the St. Paul District 4-H Show and Sale, where Taylor Dechaine of St. Lina showed the Grand Champion. Steers shown by Lexi Wirsta and Macey Ann Marcoux were also in the Parade of Champions at the show..
Classy classics brought out the crowds at Elk Point Auto Club’s annual Show and Shine, where every decade between the 1920s and the present, except for the 1940s, was represented in the lineup, and a 1929 Model A Ford shown by John Parker of Bonnyville was voted the People’s Choice.
The Town of Elk Point cracked down on untidy yards, with the bylaw officer or his designate touring every street and avenue and noting the addresses of properties that are not well kept, so property owners could be asked to comply with the town’s bylaw.
Traditions were celebrated at Heinsburg Community School's graduation ceremonies, where grad Shayden Morin (shown above) honoured his fellow classmates with a grass dance, elders presented eagle feathers to the graduates and Kirsty Lindquist, who spent part of the school year at Heinsburg completing a project for her Master's degree in Native Studies, was the guest speaker.
Elk Point 4-H Multi Club showcased their projects at an outdoor Achievement Day, where Wolke Cueva showed the Grand Champion market lamb and Morgan Evans the Reserve Champion lamb.
F, G. Miller graduates celebrated 100 per cent success as their high school days drew to an end, with Alexis Bristow presenting the class message, Carson Tung giving the valedictory address and joining Brittany Ference to present the Crusader sword to Lee-Anna Gibson and Carson Ference of the Class of 2016.
Daniel Cardinal accepted the St. Paul Education Regional Division No. | Grade 6 Academic Award at Elk Point Elementary School's annual Awards Day, where he joined Wyatt Pavoll, Kobe Warawa, Casey Warawa, Kade Fontaine, Cash Capjack, Ethan Hampson, Colby Havener, Jager Fontaine and Liam Ludlage as recipients of the Grace Franks awards.
Elk Point celebrated Canada’s 148th birthday under thick cloud cover and a smoky haze that failed to detract from the enjoyment of the long lineup of activities that began with the Friends of the Library pancake breakfast and ended 15 hours later with a glorious display of fireworks.
The smoke had moved off, leaving clear blue skies that helped make the 53rd annual Stoney Lake Stampede a roaring success, with a lineup of 311 competitors, plus a record crop of calf scramble participants and four teams of stone boat racers who wound up the show with their hilarious attempts to saddle, harness and ride some most unwilling longhorn cows.
The County of St. Paul took a step toward what it hoped would be a fix to the Moosehills Road slide, even though it came with a hefty price tag of almost $100,000 for a revised assessment of the problem needed to develop remedial measures that would alleviate the problem.
A FRIENDLY BEAR joins the Teddy Bears’ Picnic at Fort George and Buckingham House.
The County of St. Paul and the Town of Elk Point decided to amalgamate their FCSS programs, in an effort to offer more services and make it more convenient for those accessing the services, while at the same time maximizing the potential use of provincial funding.
There were bears, berries and fun at Fort George and Buckingham House, where a sizeable crowd of youngsters enjoyed “berry picking” at the Fort George site before continuing on their way to the annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic, where a large and friendly bear showed up right on cue for the stories and snack time.
It took two meetings, but town council put two borrowing bylaws in place that would enable them to re-finance short term debt, cover the cost of the treated water storage and develop 14 more lots in the Centennial Subdivision.
Duane Zaraska, Region 2 vice-president of the Métis Nation of Alberta and a descendent of surveyor and mapmaker Peter Fidler, was chosen as the New Democratic Party candidate for the Lakeland riding in the October federal election.
August
Decisions were delayed on the town’s Municipal. Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and federal gas tax funding for capital projects so that council could take into consideration a top-up in funding and the results of council’s strategic planning sessions.
The County of St. Paul joined a number of other municipalities across the province in declaring a state of agricultural disaster, in an effort to make the provincial government aware of the dry conditions that were burdening producers.
Verona Lea Flanders and her granddaughter were both in the winners’ circle at the Elk Point Horticulture and Craft Show.
Elk Point Agricultural Society Horticulture and Craft Show had a brand new grand aggregate winner, former fair board chairman Verona Lea Flanders, whose daughter and granddaughter were also section winners in the 2015 fair.
History was made at Ferguson Flats, where the community hosted its first-ever drive-in movie, that event one of a series hosted at small communities in the area by the County of St. Paul and Elk Point FCSS, with a giant inflatable screen and projector donated by St. Paul and Panter Co-op.
Jarret Quinney made it two Elk Point Oilmen's Golf Tournament championships in a row, edging out 2013 champion Sean Hill at the end of a long, cold and soggy day of golf that wrapped up the 32nd annual event.
A rash of break-ins brought revived interest in the reorganization of the Citizens on Patrol (COPS) program in Elk Point, however there were still not enough volunteers willing to get on board to make the program workable.
It was one. of the hottest noon hours of the year, but that didn’t stop a new and enthusiastic group of planners from getting an early start on planning for the 2015 Christmas Extravaganza, which would see the event move from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon and move up a week to Nov. 21.
September
Work on Phase 2A of the Centennial Subdivision was delayed for a month, which meant that water and sewer lines would be installed during the fall, but completion of the work would wait for 2016. The delay would enable the town to pay only for the work completed in 2015 and defer the rest to the 2016 budget.
Staff leaving the site to return to school before Labour Day brought the season at Fort George and Buckingham House to an early halt, but not before visitors to the site enjoyed a new program where they had the opportunity to learn bushcraft skills that dated back to 1792, when the forts were a hub of the fur trade.
Elk Point Elks hosted the installation ceremonies for new District Six Deputy at their first meeting after the summer break, with representatives of three of the six lodges in the district on hand to see Past District Deputy Bernadette Godlein hand over the collar of office to her successor, Lawrence Pidluzny.
Elk Point Chamber of Commerce also got back to work, with concern for the future of Elk Point Health Care Centre, including an urgent need for roof repairs, at the top of the agenda.
Two handsome new dormitories, capable of accommodating a total of 80-campers, were dedicated at Whitney Lake United Church Camp, with a number of the businesses and organizations who donated to the project on hand for the ceremony.
A well-attended Grandparents’ Day Walk supported the Elk Point Elementary School breakfast program as well as operation of the Elk Point Seniors Recreation Centre and the Handi Bus used to transport seniors and those with mobility problems throughout the year.
Northern Lights Library System celebrated 25 years of service to member libraries at the annual conference, with two days of informative sessions winding up with a gala banquet and an evening of excellent entertainment by the King Size Players.
A handsome new sign was erected along Highway 41, nine kilometers south of Elk Point on what was once the site of King George School, the largest school in the area, which served up to 70 students at a time during its 42 years of service.
October
Elk Point Elementary School ran and walked in memory of Terry Fox, with students Abby Rybchinsky and Jake Fontaine, teacher Debbie Wood and principal Rob MacDonald, all cancer survivors, leading the walk following a hushed tribute to Kayleigh Morin, who lost her valiant battle with the disease earlier in the year.
Concerns with recreational vehicles parked on streets and town property led town council to plan an update and overhaul of the streets and sidewalks bylaw.
F. G. Miller-High School won the St. Paul Athletics Association (SPAA) 2A banner for cross-country and went on to place third at Provincials in Grande Prairie.
The chamber of commerce continued its endeavors to cut costs and save energy by replacing all the EcoCentre light bulbs with their LED counterparts. Excessive phone lines and multiple CAT 5 cables were also reduced in number, which would save the Town of Elk Point a considerable amount on those bills for the FCSS department.
The Liberal sweep that brought the party 184 seats in the federal election did not extend to the new Lakeland riding, where Conservative Shannon Stubbs held on to more than 70 per cent of the votes at the end of the longest election campaign in recent Canadian history.
The numerous groups that make up the R. O. C. K. (Reclaiming Our Complex Kids) Foundation had a huge success and a capacity crowd on their hands as they took over the operation of the Halloween Family Frolic.
November
Elk Point Chamber of Commerce, Elk Point Community Advisory Policing Committee and Greater Lakeland Rural Crime Watch offered a warm welcome to new RCMP Set. Barry LaRocque when he attended their meetings to gain insight into the community and area.
Dr. Drew Ramful was congratulated on 25 years of service to the community when Mayor Parrish Tung, Coun. Bernice Capjack and CAO Ken Gwozdz visited his office with a certificate of appreciation and a cake to share with his staff and patients, later visiting Dr. Ayobami Oyebode to thank him for il years of service as the community marked Family Doctor Week. _
Elk Point paid tribute to the Armed Forces, both at local schools on Nov. 10 and at the Seniors’ Recreation Centre and its neighboring cenotaph on Remembrance Day.
The new format and date for Remembrance Day started off the Christmas season in grand style, with a variety of activities for all ages and an early evening parade and fireworks display.
December
The change in Extravaganza date allowed F, G. Miller High School to expand their Craft Sale, Trade Show and Entertainment Extravaganza program, which also moved to an all-day Saturday program that brought out huge crowds. :
Elk Point Regional Allied Arts Society delighted audiences with a totally hilarious pre-Christmas dinner theatre series entitled “Don't Dress for Dinner.”
Elk Point United Church focused on the reason for the season as they hosted the Interfaith Cantata, kicking off a week of entertainment that included a pair of standing-room-only Christmas concerts at Elk Point Elementary and the annual brunch at F. G. Miller High School before everyone went home for Christmas.
Elk Point Elementary students were on the run around the Circle Drive loop during the school’s annual Terry Fox Run.
