Hospital Gala will take you to the Sea

I just met with Alex over at the Bonnyville Health Centre ( I wished they would call it a hospital. The name is just confusing us older folks.) Anyway, I was just talking with Alex Smyl and he tells me that things are well under way for their annual spring Hospital Foundation Gala. The theme this year is "Under the Sea" and if the decorations are anything like the past several years it will be Spectacular!

One year they featured the Academy Awards, the next it was a Roman Holiday, then the Black Gold celebration and last year we were all whisked away to the dark continent of Africa. Volunteers and staff outdid themselves with huge murals depicting the African plains teeming with wildlife and table decor to match.  What ever will they do to surpass that reception?

You will have a chance to see if you get your tickets for the event which takes place on Saturday, February 20th at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre in the Flint Energy Field House. Tickets to the event are $50 each or you can buy a table for eight people for $400. You can pick them up from long time committee members Vic Sadlowski or Ray Prevost or Ann Chislett at the Foundation office in the Bonnyville Health Centre. 

Just imagine - King Neptune and his Mermaids and Mermen or perhaps its the lost sunken city of Atlantis. Anyway you slice it the event will be a great celebration featuring lots of sea food so don't miss it. Proceeds from this year's event will be directed toward equipment needs in the OBS/GYN unit. Last years event raised around $150,000 so lets see if we can push it over the top.  Oh and by the way, just because the theme is "Under the Sea" doesn't mean you get to wear your Speedo.

Oh, one other thing, the same group is conducting a raffle as part of the fund raising and tickets just went on sale today. There are two prizes, the first being a Caribbean Cruise for two courtesy of Gala Travel and the second prize is a 42" Panasonic Plasma TV and Blue Ray video player courtesy of the folks at Tellier's Value Drug Mart, Peter Davey's Pharmasave and The Clinic Dispensary.

The tickets are only $10 each and there are only 1,000 available. The draw will be held the night of the Gala on February 20, 2010. For tickets you can get them from Vic, Ray, Ann or any of the committee members. Heck if you see me wandering down the street catch me. I've got some and I'm already half way through the first book. DH

So Danielle Smith is coming?

I'm guessing its sometime in January when the weather is at its best. It will be interesting how a neophite expects to solve all the problems of our current economic situation and correct all the evils of the current administration. So far efforts at communication have been a little thin. If nothing else, we should all attend and grill her even more than our previous candidates.

It's Christmas Eve and all is well.

It's nice to see the town grow quite as everyone gathers at home to prepare for the night ahead... wrapping presents, put together toys with strange instructions that never quite make sense. Finishing the toy to find a few dozen extra nuts, bolts or strange pieces that look like they should fit but never quite do.  Or, my favourite, wrapping that special toy that has been pleaded for throughout the entire year and then wondering if there were batteries included or were you supposed to pick some up just in case. You know you're going to have to search every flashlight in the place so you might as well start now. Why? because when junior opens that gift tomorrow morning and it doesn't work when he or she hits the switch, you'll be willing to take apart the smoke detector or your electric toothbrush. Hope it all works out for you. It works great for me. All the grandchildren live in other parts of the country and the toys have been sent. I'll leave the batteries up to the kids. Merry Christmas Everyone.

Nice little snow we had last night.

Its always great to get snow this time of year as the clock ticks toward Christmas. The benefits of snow are myriad. Snow provides a ground cover to keep the earth from drying out. It provides a haven for little ground dwelling creatures who scurry about beneath its mantle gathering food to keep them warm and their bellies full. It covers the earth with a pristine blanket and best of all, it covers up the dog turds left by hapless owners who think we enjoy little poopsy's visit. Hah! I bet you thought I'd gone all Currier & Ives on you didn't you. I love small animals but if you're going to be an owner, take responsibility. Nuff said.

I've noticed around town that a number of businesses are shutting down over the holidays and not coming back in until January 4th. Some folks are even shutting down for the full day on the 24th so if you don't have your stuff done, you might have to wait. I was over visiting with Trent and Joyce at Sign Solutions and that's what they are doing. If you know of anyone else that's doing that, let me know.

Oh here's a little story the missus sent me the other day from work. Hope you don't mind, its a little risque and it scores one for the ladies. Enjoy.

ONIONS and CHRISTMAS TREES

A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, 'Dad, how
many kinds of boobs are there?

The father, surprised, answers, 'Well, son, there are three kinds of
Boobs:

In her 20's, a woman's are like melons, round and firm.

In her 30's to 40's, they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit.

After 50,
they are like onions'.

'Onions?'

'Yes, you see them and they make you cry.'

This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter said,

'Mum, how many kinds of 'willies' are there?.

The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, 'Well dear,
a man goes through three phases.

In his 20's, his willy is like an oak
tree, mighty and hard.

In his 30's and 40's, it is like a birch,
flexible but reliable.

After his 50's, it is like a Christmas Tree.'

'A Christmas tree?'

'Yes - the root's dead and the balls are just for decoration.'
HO HO HO! Merry Christmas Everyone.

Something Funny for our farming friends.

I heard this at the liquor store the other night. I was just in for a little arthritis medicine when a feller stopped me to share this old gem. Here goes!

A fellow had been working for the government as a research scientist for about 20 years and he decided to retire and take up farming.

Well, he bought a quarter section and fixed fences and the well and picked rocks and cut down the weeds and worked the soil up ready for seeding. The only thing was he couldn't decide what to plant. After a couple of cool ones on the back porch he decided that since he liked chicken thats what he'd raise so he went to the hatchery and bought 400 dandy leghorns. (wait folks, this gets better)

Upon getting them home he proceeded to plant them by hand in his newly worked soil feet down and just their necks sticking out of the ground. Well of course within a few days, most of them were dead and the ones that weren't should have been. He was of course a little puzzled so back to the hatchery he went and this time bought 400 Rhode Island Reds.

Back home and he's out in the field again but this time he plants them upside down with just their feet sticking out of the dirt. This batch didn't even last as long as the first. He was really puzzled now so he decided to consult with his compatriots back at the government lab. Surely these geniouses would be able to figure it out. So he sent them a letter explaining what had happened and about nine weeks later his old friends at the lab sent back a response with one short comment. "please send sample of soil"

See I knew if you  stuck around, you'd get a giggle. Talk to you all real soon. If you like what I put up here, let your friends know by sharing this url: www.outandabout-hutty.blogspot.com
Thanks a bunch.

What's up with the cell phone service?

Gee Telus Mobility you're supposed to be some kind of super supplier what the hell is wrong with your system. Over the past couple of weeks an especially today your signal has been dropping in the middle of calls and then momentarily coming back to tell us we have voice mails and then being unable to connect to our own voice mail because it drops the call right away.

You're starting to cost me money because my clients can't reach me so I think I'll start sending you folks an invoice for the down time. Get it fixed and pronto. Our home phone is even a cell so right now we're cut off from friends and family. Oh, that's maybe what that last package was about - must have forgot to read the really teeny tiny small print that Superman would have trouble deciphering.

Telus your cell service makes me Hork!

Lets get out of this cold weather

Can you believe how cold its been the last few days. Everything is frozen solid, its hard on vehicles, its hard on me and I'm yearning for warmer southern climes. The missus and I have been contemplating taking an RV south for the winter and have heard and talked to a few people that have done it but we've been hesitant to leave the comforts and familiarity of home. And, there's the unknown expenses on the road. We like to see new things but where to camp, when do we go and what the heck is all this going to cost. I was scouting around on the internet trying to find all this information when I happened across a story about this lady and her husband who have been doing this for nine years. They have found scads of free camping or reasonable cost locations in the southwestern US and have created a series of travel guides to show where these places are. There's also lots of information on boondocking or dry camping that will save you travel money as well. The great thing is that she's Canadian and explain's how to make the border crossings without any hassle.

If you are thinking of heading south even if you are an experienced snowbird then you need to look at this first!

Have you ever wanted to go to Disney World?

I just heard about a former employee who has all the answers to help you get the most and save the most during your trip. The savings are incredible and the tips and hints will help you enjoy the world's greatest fun park. Big or small, everyone can enjoy a trip to the magic kingdom without breaking the bank. Just click here to see how: Visit Mickey now!
Enjoy your trip.
Dave

Have you been right sized?

If you've been laid off and are lacking the skills to seek work elsewhere, maybe this will help. I've never seen anything like this before so I thought I'd spread the word.

If you've ever watched in envy while the guy sits in his nice back hoe warm cab while you're outside doing all the dirty work maybe it's time for a change.

Why don't you trade places or a least get a place of your own inside that cab. What? You don't know how to operate one and those controls look too confusing. Then you have to at least look at this. It costs nothing to look and you may .... if you aren't afraid of a little work learn some extremely valuable skills that will last you the rest of your life. You can even pass this skill on to your kids and they .... well, you're a smart person so I'll let you figure out the rest.

Just click on this link to see what I mean. Backhoe Training
Here's to a new future for you.
Regards,
Dave

The roof is coming along nicely.

I see they've started putting the roof over the new grandstand at the rodeo grounds. This cool weather has slowed them down a little I'm sure but at least its started. That means cover from the sun or the rain depending on what mother nature hands out next spring and summer. Not only will the roof protect the audience during the annual pro rodeo come the end of May and the World Pro Chuck Wagons in Mid July but maybe there are other events we could put on out there!
Maybe an outdoor concert or two. How about a Saturday night movie presentation on a huge inflatable screen with surround sound or maybe snowmobile races. The possibilities are limited only by our imagination!

How cold was it?

It was so freeking cold that a Raven was jump starting a squirrel just to get him going. I know, its an old joke but I'm not kidding. At last look, it was minus 35 C and with another 5 degrees, thats 40 and it doesn't matter whether it's celsius or farenheit. 40 degrees is where the two scales meet and that's just cold. For our friends south of the 49th parallel, that's cold enough to make brass monkeys sing suprano.  I don't know if I'm misspelling the words here but the autospeller keeps underlining in red. Maybe its just never seen those words before. Anyway, the point of all this rambling is Hey Al Gore where the heck is your global warming now.  I don't think we should be worried about global warming as much as we should be about global freezing. A week and a half ago it was plus 10 now the temp has dropped nearly 50 degrees. It's going to take a lot longer than that to warm back up. Sure there are a few countries that fail to control pollution but they aren't the ones that are going to change. North America is at least looking at the science of change and the technology costs billions. Don't expect changes over night.
This debate is not done yet so here's a little thought for you to ponder. The CO2 content was much higher than present in Roman times i.e.: the 6 & 700s AD. Those chariot horses must have let off a lot of gas for the content to get that high. Check back tomorrow and I'll provide the facts. In the mean time, bundle up.!

Only one person showed up

Well, the Town council held their budget meeting last night and it was open to the public and only one person showed up and they didn't even ask questions. This likely means a couple of things. Number one might be that no one cares which is highly unlikely because if its not right we'll be hearing about it for weeks around the coffee shops if there is an increase to your taxes.
Number two is that every rate payer in the town of Bonnyville believes that council is doing an excellent job and that taxpayers don't mind paying a little extra each year to keep things rolling along.

What's your read on it or do you care. I'd be interested to hear what you have to say, good or bad. Oh and if you don't mind, no strong language like swearing it doesn't add to the story.
DH

Junior A Pontiacs back in action tonight

The Bonnyville Pontiacs will meet the Lloyd Bobcats tonight in the R.J. Lalonde arena with game time at 7:30 p.m. The team is currently in fourth place in the North division and fifth overall in the league. The Bobcats meanwhile are three places back of the Pontiacs with only 24 points compared to our squad's 36. This doesn't mean they can coast because the Bobcats can be testy especially if their fan base follows them. Come on out and make some noise for our lads. Go Pontiacs.

They got the Monkey off their back

The Pontiacs returned home to take on the Drayton Valley Thunder and they were hungry for a win after their disastrous road trip. The first period started out a bit scrambly and the Thunder took advantage of that to score the first marker of the game. The second period was a much better effort and the intensity was much improved. With that effort came results and the red light came on twice for the Pontiacs to give them the go ahead. The third period started out much like the first and the lads were having trouble coming out of their own end. Goaltender LaPlante kept them in the game and a third goal ensured the win.

They'll be back in the R.J. Lalonde arena this Friday night November 27 against the Lloydminster Bobcats. It's going to be wild. Game time is 7:30 p.m. 
Go Pontiacs.

Maybe the Government did the right thing

I heard this morning that the projected deficit is going to be much smaller than predicted. At least by about 1.3 Billion Bucks. These charts should help illustrate.

$36.4 Billion expense - $31.7 Billion = 4.7 now that's much better than $6 B. Minister Evans said she's still looking at the figures so lets hope its going down. I guess the one saving grace is that we don't have to borrow this money to cover the deficit. It can be shuffled from the rainy day fund - right?

Way to go PONTIACS!

It was a great weekend for the Bonnyville Pontiacs as they picked up four more points with back to back wins against two different teams.

Friday night saw the St. Albert Steel hungry for points to get them out of the third last place in the northern division. The Pontiacs were just too much for them and there was excellent work by the whole squad taking a 3 to 0 lead by the 1:50 mark of the second period. A bit of complacency then snuck in as they let St. Albert score one toward the end of the period making it 3-1. St. Albert picked up one more but the trio of Tyler Henry (g), Shawn Bates (a) and Jordan Krankowski(a) teamed up to grab the insurance marker.

It was also a great night for First Captain of the Pontiacs, Mike Germann who was honored by having his # 20 jersey retired to the rafters of the RJ Lalonde arena. Mike and his family journeyed up from Lloydminster, where he has his welding business Slapshot Welding, for the celebration.

Saturday night was another opportunity to celebrate as the arena stands held a large contingent of Pontiac Alumni as they were honored for their contribution to the sport of hockey in Bonnyville as well as $50,000 towards new rink boards and many great years of entertainment for area sports fans.

The game itself against the Brooks Bandits, who were sitting second with 30 points in the south division, was another terrific celebration as the Pontiacs out-hussled, out-hit and out-wrangled the visitors from the south with a convincing 3 - 0 shut out. Julien Laplante was outstanding in goal as was the ever steady defenseman Matt Register who played a heads up game all the way. The addition of Alias Kalinsky to the team has certainly added some needed size and skill and he's going to be definite benefit to the team. Denis Cadrin had a couple of great outings as well, scoring the first goal on Saturday and adding an assist plus another goal on Friday.


Julien Laplante #35 was outstanding between the pipes and picked up his second shutout of the season.

The Pontiacs are now on the road again with games against the Calgary Royals on November 18, the Olds Grizzlies who are cellar dwellers in the south on the 19th, the Calgary Canucks on Saturday the 21st and their fourth away game at Drumheller on Sunday, November 22. The team will be back home against the north division bottom dwellers Drayton Valley Thunder on Tuesday, November 24th. Game time is 7:30 - See You There.
Go PONTIACS!!

Ed's on top and Lottery Luck

Well, if you live in Alberta you've got a reaffirmed provincial leader with a 77% approval rating by his party, the sun is still shining even if it's a little cooler, and, none of us won the $50 Million draw over last weekend. There's always next week.

Can you imagine winning that kind of money? I've been writing a list of things I'd do and I haven't even worked through the first 6 or 7 Million. I've got most of the bills paid off, the kids looked after, a nice house for the missus and me, a nice vehicle to travel in and a few really good causes looked after. Now what? Buy an island somewhere? I'm not sure. The isolation would get to me after awhile and I'd have to invite some friends over for a get together. Then, just like that kid on TV the party would get out of hand, the money would run out and I'd have to start buying tickets again.

In any case, congratulations go out to Marie and Kirby Fontaine of Manitoba. They live on the Skagkeeng First nations where Kirby was a Constable until he had a stroke about a year ago. The money will definitely come in handy for sure. It will be quite exciting for a while but eventually they will have to make decisions about staying or leaving, who they should help and what to do with all that money. I think I'd be able to handle it but you never know. They say money does strange things to people especially large amounts like this. I'd probably just go get some new hair. Enjoy!

The Hat Man Cometh

The Junior A Pontiacs were on a tear in the first period as they filled the twine 3 times on Tuesday night against the Ft. Mac Oil Barons. The Missus and I and all those around us thought it might be a run away but then the wheels started to fall off. The second period saw the Ft. Mac squad ring the bell three times but fortunately our lads picked one up to stay ahead of them to the end of the period. They picked up an insurance marker in the final stanza to beat the Barons 5 to 3.  That's twice now in as many games against Ft. Mac.

The guy that really stood out this time and picked up a great Hat Trick was Kirk Belyk. He was everywhere and set the pace for the rest of the team. I knew I bought the right guy at the team fund raiser the other night. (Nice salad Kirk!)

The team is now off to Brooks, Canmore and Okotoks this weekend and will return here for games against St. Albert and Brooks on November 13 and 14.  Go Pontiacs!

They went right around the block- Almost

The H1N1 Flu has a lot of people spooked. It seems like a lack of planning caught Health Services a little short. Either they weren't expecting a large uptake or it just rolled up on them too quickly. In any case there were line ups all over and especially right here in Bonnyville. Unfortunately they had to wait outside and it was wet!

It's too bad they weren't able to wait inside but the building was already packed with  a high school volleyball tourney. Apparently not everyone got a shot as they ran out at the 500 mark. They might have saved some wait times if they had issued wrist bands or colored tickets to match the number of shots. Those turned away could have received a different colour for the next day or time.
I hear they've gone back to the drawing board for a new plan before they roll out anymore shots. They are saying high risk should be first. 

Nouvelle staffer makes perfect Fiona

She's green and gorgeous, wears a little crown and is a perfect live double for Shrek's wife Fiona. Our own Lillian who supervises the mail room decided to get in the Halloween spirit and this is how it turned out. She's definitely our green queen! And aren't those ears cute? Of course she spoiled all that when we found her in the old Dark Room looking for bats and rats and other tasty tidbits to nosh on. Fortunately we were able to pry her away from that with a couple hundred bags of chocolate covered M & Ms. (Just click on her pic to view full size then use the back arrow to go back to the blog.)Thanks Lillian for making our day a little brighter.

Holy Crap Batman I jumped!

The Missus and I dropped into the local haunted house in the old Albrico building on 51st avenue next to the old laundromat just to check it out.  Did we ever get a surprise. Of course, I was a gent and let the missus go first and of course she called me chicken. I said I wasn't chicken, just being chivalrous and she headed off into the dark muttering Pok Pok Pok or something like that. The Ag Society warned that it wasn't suitable for anyone under 8 so I steeled myself to the adventure. The place is huge with an unbelieveable number of props and effects. There is room upon room with creepy figures and surprises and its dimly lit, along with a bit of fog and eery noises. Oh and I jumped a couple of times. I wasn't scared, I was just protecting my male ego.  You've got to go whether you're a kid or an adult, it's great fun.
It's open from 6 to 9 Friday (tonight) and Saturday and there's a special matinee on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. for the little ones. Admission is just $3 or $10 for a family.  The committee is to be commended for a great job.

Are you Scared yet?

Don't forget to drop into the Bonnyville Ag Society's Haunted House tonight, Friday and Saturday evening from 6 to 9 each night. Just $3 admission will scare the daylights out of you. For Families, there's a matinee opening from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $10 for families or $3 for individuals. The matinee is not quite so scary.

NEW CONTEST!

Here's your chance to see a couple of Juno winners up close and personal and its all FREE!

The Bonnyville Nouvelle is giving away a pair of tickets to see George Canyon and special guest Charlie Major on Sunday, November 8 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre. 


All you have to do is tell us the name of the song that George sang to kick off the one year countdown to the Olympics in China. HINT: It was a duet in a foreign language.

Just email your answer to contest@bonnyville.greatwest.ca and we'll make a random draw from all entries received on Thursday, November 5th and you'll win the tickets. If you're entry also has the correct answer, you'll win $50 Cash to spend at the show. 

Good Luck and enter often. 

To order tickets go to www.centennialcentre.ca


Sorry, you must be 18 or over to enter. 
No substitutions. Prize must be accepted as awarded.

Contest not open to employees or their immediate family of the Bonnyville Nouvelle.

Victor is the Popcorn King

Vic Ringuette owner of B& R Eckel's is renowned for his community support and has hundreds of plaques and awards to show that. Recently he was recognized for his long-time support of the Boy Scouts Popcorn program for the past 15 years. Over that 15 year period B&R has warehoused, sorted and delivered millions of cases of popcorn - as a service to the youth members of Scouts Canada.
Victor is seen here with presenter John Woodcock - the Council Commissioner of Northern Lights Council (which includes all of Northern Alberta) to John's right is Bill Latchuk - the Area Commissioner for Whispering Lakes Area and to Victor's left is Ken Lausen - a Field Executive with Northern Lights Region.

The second photo is Vic and his Active Supporter Award from the World Professional Chuckwagon Association.

Bonnyville Wins Again

At the recent awards ceremonies of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association in Calgary, Bonnyville’s organizing committee took home Committee of the year honors for the second consecutive time. This is a significant achievement as they compete against every race committee on the circuit including the big shows at Calgary, Ponoka and Edmonton. In addition to that, B & R Eckel’s Transport picked up an award for Active Supporter because of their long-time commitment and numerous sponsorships. Congratulations to all the hard working volunteer committee members and to Victor Ringuette and his team at B & R.

All Right Pontiacs!!!

The Boys were back home in Bville last night and took it to the Canmore Eagles by a score of 5 to 3 with the 4th one coming on an empty netter when Canmore tried to break a 3-3 tie. The fifth one came with their goal tender back between the pipes with just under a minute left in the game. YESSSSS.

We're off to the Pontiacs Pub Night tonight and we'll be helping sell a few players by auction with my friend and auctioneer Marc Jubinville. Last year was a real hoot with players waiting on the tables and then going up for auction. I bought a pair of players last year - Dru Cotterill and Matt Register. I haven't had time to put them to work anywhere yet but maybe we'll get that done this year. I've got some printing equipment to move around. The big trouble is that these guys have been on the road too much this year. It was good to see them all back home cause the missus and I were having hockey withdrawal. The lads are off to Fort Mac for a game Tuesday night and then back home for back to back games against Grande Prairie on the 29th and 30th and then another at home against Fort Mac on November 3. Go Pontiacs!

Buddy's Coming

CONTEST! CONTEST!

What? Buddy's coming! Buddy What?
Ya that's right, Buddy Wassisname. What?
No, Wasisname!  Ach you don't even know who he is either? Do ya?

No No bye, thasisname! Really?  Yup its Buddy Wasisname and the other fellers!
Oh and you don't know their names either right?

Naw its the name of a group of great entertainers from back home boy!

Oh, that Buddy. Where can I get to see them?
They're at the C2 with their two-five tour.  You mean two-four don't cha?

Naw boy its two-five like 25 years they bin doing this.

Right. When?   What?  When is it?
This Tuesday next - October 27.
Jayz boy Wednesday morning's gonna be tough!  Aye but worth it.
Have ya got any tickets? Yup for me and the missus.
Where can I get some?  Call the C2 at 780-812-3400 right away.
How much are they? If ya has to ask you shouldn't be going but
I think they're $28 bucks up front or 33 at the door. So save yourself a fiver and get 'em now.

Or, Dave over at the Nouvelle is giving away a couple of tics for free. FREE? Yup, free! All you has to do is email contest@bonnyville.greatwest.ca and tell 'em the name of the town back home where their latest Dirty Big DVD was shot and yer name goes into the draw. Deadline is this Monday at 4 p.m.
GET er Done!

Looking for a Christmas Party? - Try the Snow Ball

For those companies out there who haven't booked a party place for their staff this season, there is still hope. As you know, the Bonnyville Chamber of Commerce has cancelled their community Christmas party for this year but a new opportunity has popped up. The organizing committee for the Lakeland 2010 Winter Games is planning a fun gala event and they are calling it Snow Ball. The date has been set for Saturday, December 12 and will be held in the Flint Field House at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre. They are planning a dinner and dance plus a whiz bang speaker and a different twist on the auction portion of the evening.  The event serves a number of purposes in addition to the entertainment value by helping to raise funds to offset costs of operating the 2010 Winter Games and raising community awareness and spirit. The theme will of course be around snow, winter sports and good clean fun. Tickets are expected to run from $50 per person and up and you'll be able to buy tables of eight as well. It would be a great way for you and your staff to celebrate the Christmas season and help out a terrific community project at the same time. Keep watching here and in my column in the Bonnyville Nouvelle for more details as they become available.

More Fort Kent fire pics

Here's a few more pics of the fire. These feature close ups of the equipment inside.

Its time for Breakfast in Fort Kent

The Fort Kent seniors will be resuming their monthly breakfasts starting this coming Sunday, October 18 starting about 9 a.m. The meal will take place in the Seniors hall which now serves that community. I believe its $10 a plate but the price is right. Its a great place to come and eat and catch up on community happenings. They will have a breakfast a month usually around the middle. Keep checking back here for updates.

Fort Kent hall burns

The old Fort Kent hall caught fire and burned to the ground on Thanksgiving weekend. The building was being used as a storage area and light service shop for the MD of Bonnyville parks and recreation department. Quite a few pieces of equipment were destroyed in the blaze that took several hours to bring under control. The hall had been replaced as a community centre a few years ago when upkeep costs became prohibitive for the local community to meet. The MD took it on and converted the building to the shop for their use.  The parks and recreation department will now likely move to the new MD shop being built on the corner of secondary highway 660 and what is 46 street north of Bonnyville.

2010 Winter Games

There hasn't been a lot of hoopla since this area won the games bid over a year ago. There's been a few pictures in the paper about donors but no real calls to action and this event is going to come at us faster than we think. The date is February 4 to 7th and an estimated 3,000 athletes aged 13 to 17 will descend on the Lakeland region of Northeastern Alberta looking to compete and have fun. Most will bring parents along with them and its up to us as citizens to help them enjoy their visit. There's still lots to do to make that happen and you can be a part of it. You can volunteer, sponsor, help build, be an ambassador or what ever your heart desires. Organizers will need almost as many volunteers as there are participants so don't worry about not having something to do.  If you are interested, stop in at the Bonnyville Town Hall and put your name on the list. If you want more information, contact Lorri Goudie at the games office in the H E Bourgoin school.
Overall games chairman, Phil Kushnir told me that their initial goal was to raise $1.5 million in cash or kind. They have about $800,000 of that in place but will need a little push to get over the top. A new committee has been formed in Bonnyville to canvas the business community and along with efforts in Cold Lake the combined totals should reach the target shortly. What might it take to become a sponsor? Kushnir told me that Husky Energy just donated $10,000 worth of fuel to the event. That will take carry of keeping the transportation buses running. ATCO is bringing all their staff together to provide registration as a team building opportunity. You just have to get creative and think about what you might have that may be of value to the games.
Remember, these games are more about regionality, not just for each individual town, village or city. Events will take place in the two main centres of Bonnyville and Cold Lake but this shouldn't stop anyone from planning other events around the games to provide additional things for visitors to do.

Keep checking back for more updates on a regular basis.

Local ATV dealer helps law enforcement on the trail

Local ATV dealer X Power and Performance owner Jake White participated in a program by his supplier Kymco Canada to give back to Canada. Each dealer (55 in Canada) could nominate individuals or organizations that stand out in the community. If one of these were chosen, they would receive a new ATV for their programs or use. One of Jakes nominations,the MD of Bonnyville's Public Safety Department was chosen by KYMCO Canada to receive a new MXU 500. The department will utilize the machine to offer training in the safe and lawful operation of ATVs to school age children through their School Resource Officers. The department also patrols approximately 70 KM  of the Iron Horse Trail that spans the entire municipality. With a large ATV community in the area the machine will come in handy indeed. Thanks to X Power & Performance, Jake and Tammy White and KYMCO Canada for this valuable donation. Oh, and X Power and Performance was also recently named Canadian Dealer of the year with the Kymco line.

Wild Rose party needs a map or a calendar

I just heard that the Wild Rose party in Alberta is having an election to find a leader. Unfortunately, they mailed out the ballots to signed up members to fill out and mail back in. Oops, they didn't leave enough time for voters to get them into convention headquarters. Now they'll accept them in person at the conference or others can carry them there for you. The question I have to ask is whats secure about that? Can you spell ballot stuffing.

I'm not sure these folks are quite ready to take over the province yet.

Your feed back is welcomed but keep it clean or it will go in the trash.