The meeting pertaining to the proposed closing of the New Brigden School has been posted. At a Special Board Meeting on May 5, the Board of Trustees decided to postpone the community consultation process on the notice of motion for the closure of New Brigden School.

It’s been a warm and windy week here. The grass is starting to turn green, and the gophers seem to be out in full force. Farming season is almost in full swing. Be on the lookout for slow-moving farming equipment on highways and backroads.

We think that the last snowflake has fallen, so it is time once again to start thinking about the Farmer’s Market.

Gage Lemare is one of the lucky recipients of the 2020 Lions’ Scholarships. He is very excited to be pursuing a career in aviation. He remarked that this money will help him reach his dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

New Brigden residents were alarmed by the news they received from the public board meeting held on April 13, 2021. At that time, the Board of Trustees passed a notice of motion for the closure of the New Brigden School.

The Leader Lions Club is excited about their Online Facebook auction that began on Saturday, May 1 and continues until May 21. Lions member Dustin Heatcoat explained how the fundraiser got off the ground.

With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of the potential for wildfires, floods or tornados, so this Emergency Preparedness Week, which runs May 2-8, 2021, is the perfect time to get prepared, just in case.

Nothing makes a mom happier than seeing her child’s wish come true. So Alisha Venturato was excited to hear that her 14-year-old son Keilan will have his wish granted by the Make a Wish Foundation.

While most people are hiding out in the safety of their homes, Eatonia area resident Jenny Hagan is braving the elements and enjoying every minute of it.

Latest updates as of April 22.

Hester Muller poses with the Oyen Family & Community Support Services cooks—Maryann Burns (executive director), Pam Stark (volunteer co-ordinator) and FCSS vice-chair James Walker—as she pick up a Grab and Go beef-on-a bun and goody bag. Close 70 people dropped by.

Kinley Hildebrandt and her mom Candis have been collecting toys for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital for six years. “The toys are given to children who are admitted to the hospital. The toys are used to help pass the time, for therapy, and as prizes for bingo nights,” Candis explained.

Irrigation has the potential to improve entire landscapes, communities and agricultural operations, bringing much-needed water to areas that need it.

Canadian flags around Oyen are flying at half staff honouring the life of Prince Philip, 99, who died April 9, 2021. He and Queen Elizabeth had made more than 70 appearances in Canada between 1950 and 2013.

The southern prairies see greater than 2,400 hours of sunshine annually, compared to between 1,200 and 2,000 hours in the rest of Canada. It may not seem like it at times, but the prairies typically see some sunshine about 320 days every year.

The closure of TC Energy’s construction camp in Oyen took place in a short period of time, and all the workers disappeared with it. The camp and crew moved north of Fox Creek, Alberta to join another TC Energy project.

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I was treated to a few feasts over the course of the weekend. Included among them were a steak BBQ, a roasted chicken and a baked ham meal.

The kids are all back to school after a week off for Easter Break. We got to enjoy a little taste of all four seasons on our week off. That was quite the storm that left some residents without power for nearly 40 hours!

Special Areas Advisory Council held their spring council meeting March 24 and 31, meeting virtually in recognition of current public health restrictions. Advisory Council discussed Special Areas 2020 financial performance, including uncollected tax levels.

Ah, the simple pleasure of going to the sink and turning on water or flipping a light switch in the dark. Monday, March 29, a blizzard roared through our area causing widespread power outages and road closures.