2021 Year in Review

Posted on January 6, 2022 by admin

anuary 7: While the pandemic did see the village having to cancel community events and facilities while the province battled cases of COVID-19, Mayor Trevor Lewington said the village rose to the challenge to ensure that neighbours in need were being taken care of.

January 14: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging 2020, Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter feels the government got a lot accomplished through these unprecedented times

January 21: Westwind School Division bus collides with semi north of Magrath. RCMP are investigating a collision between a semi-truck and a school bus last Friday.

January 28: Groundhog Day to be celebrated virtually. Across the U.S. and in Canada, there are many official celebratory mascots, both alive and representative of a community. In Pennsylvania, there’s Punxsutawney Phil. In Bruce County, Ontario there’s Wiarton Willie. And in Alberta, there’s Balzac Billy.

February 4: Raymond’s fire department was recently selected as a recipient of the fall 2020 Community Priorities Fund from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta.

February 11: The Town of Raymond has become the first marketing associate of Ridge Utilities Ltd. This partnership will see the town market retail utility services offered by Ridge and earn a commission to do so, according to a recent media release.

February 18: “Alberta has now administered 124,325 doses of vaccine. Currently, first doses of the vaccine have been offered to 100 per cent of residents in long-term care and designated supportive living. To-date, about 27,000 — 96 per cent — of these residents have received the first dose.” Said Tom McMillan, assistant director of communications for Alberta Health.

February 25: Motz considers the fed’s new gun legislation a failure for public safety. The federal government announced the introduction of a new gun control legislation Feb. 16. The amendment will allow to make communities safer, while at the same time, respecting law-abiding gun owners.

March 4: Stirling village council has sent a letter to the premier and other parties to seek clarity regarding pool openings.

March 11: Westwind School Division is happy to announce Russ Sommerfeldt will be the new principal at Magrath High School.

March 18: Government is ‘committed to supporting agriculture’ — says Schow.

March 25: Timothy Holthe, a 15-year-old athlete, has created a Facebook page called “Let Us Play,” as part of his initiative to get kids back to playing sports.

April 1: Stirling and area residents will now have a convenient one-stop shop on the same block for all your family dental, health care and pharmacy needs.

April 8: April 7 marked the third anniversary of Green Shirt Day, a day that honours the victims and families of the April 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, while also spreading awareness about organ donation registration

April 15: The Town of Raymond’s first drive-in concert of the season is sure to be a hit. While the town is keeping the name of the band under wraps until April 27, Greg Robinson, director of Community Development and Human Resources for the town, says the first band is sure to be a huge sell-out.

April 22: The agreement — which consists of Magrath, Cardston, Hill Spring, Glenwood and Cardston County — will establish a regional committee, agency and emergency management positions, as required under the provincial legislation. This is a new agreement for all member municipalities, and the municipalities have been working on it for the past few months with an emergency management consultant.

April 29: In light of public health restrictions and a lack of information from the province, during their regular April 21 meeting, Stirling village council decided to keep the pool closed in the 2021 season.

May 6: Magrath residents were on alert for flooding at Pothole Creek last week. On April 28, the Town of Magrath was alerted to the possibility of flooding, including an initial rush of water at Pothole Creek by Alberta Environment and Parks, due to construction taking place at Jensen Reservoir.

May 13: As of May 10, all Albertans aged 12 and up are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. In a media conference last Wednesday, Premier Jason Kenney said vaccine appointments will be available for nearly all Albertans, with an additional 3.8 million becoming eligible.

May 20: Margaret Sabey celebrates 100 years. Margaret Saber was born in Grassy Lake May 18, 1921 and moved with her family to Migrate when she was six.

May 27: The Raymond community pool will be open for the 2021 swimming season with restrictions. CAO Kurtis Pratt said the town had previously discussed this and wanted to wait a bit to see where the province was with public health restrictions.

June 3: I want to dedicate my final “Eye on Education” article of the school year to highlighting, celebrating and offering a tribute to this year’s graduating class. In my three-plus decades of education experience as a teacher, school administrator and now a superintendent, I believe the class of 2021 to be among the most robust, vibrant and resilient group of students I’ve ever had the opportunity to encounter in my career

June 10: Three million COVID-19 vaccine doses now working to protect Albertans. As of June 4, Alberta Health Services, community pharmacies and physician clinics have delivered more than three million doses into the arms of Albertans.

June 17: Canada Day events a go in Raymond. Canada Day festivities, including the Raymond Stampede are on in 2021 as part of the Town of Raymond’s Heritage Days events. Founded in 1902, the Raymond Stampede is Canada’s oldest professional rodeo, predating the Calgary Stampede by a decade.

June 24: In an announcement last Friday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that 70.2 per cent of eligible Albertans had been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of June 17, meeting the needed threshold requirement for the province to enter Stage 3 of the “Open for Summer Plan” and the removal of all mandatory restrictions.

July 1: The Village of Stirling has received funding for its Cenotaph Project from the Legion Poppy Fund. Through Glenn Miller, the village had made an application to the Legion Poppy Fund for the creation of a cenotaph space to support efforts of remembrance within the village and to honor the local Veterans.

July 8: It was the first day without social distancing or mask requirements and Raymond was ready to let loose. Throngs of residents and visitors lined the town’s streets July 1 for the Rotary Club Parade that kicked off promptly at 10 a.m.

July 15: Stirling’s Settler Days are back. The annual three-day festival was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, as the popularity of the community event had meant they could not abide by the health restrictions in place while allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities.

July 22: Magrath Days are back this year. The festival couldn’t go on as planned last year due to the pandemic, although the Town of Magrath was able to put on a fireworks display. This year, the festivities are back on, with town councillor Brian Oliver noting they have something for everyone.

July 29: Alberta hit another vaccination milestone last week. As of July 22, 75 per cent of eligible Albertans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Alberta Health Services, community pharmacies and physician clinics. More then 61 per cent are now fully immunized with both doses.

August 5: Alberta will gradually bring COVID-19 measures in-line with other respiratory diseases by fall. Vaccines help reduce the risk of severe outcomes and rates of infection, even if cases start to rise, and now more than 75 per cent of eligible Albertans having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 64 per cent are now fully immunized.

August 12: The Government of Alberta says it is taking action to help drought-hit rancher, but NDP Opposition members say these actions are too little too late. According to a release from the Government of Alberta and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry the province is taking action on several fronts, including doubling the low yield threshold to encourage Alberta grain farmers to divest their sun-ravaged crops.

August 19: The world of Hogwarts is coming to Raymond. The Raymond Public Library will be holding a Harry Potter Children’s Fair on Friday. The event, held at the Victoria Sports Park and open to everyone, will mark the end of their summer activities.

August 26: Westwind School division has released an updated back-to-school plan for the 2021/22 school year.

September 2: Back to school for Westwind. On Aug. 13, the Government of Alberta announced further details about returning to school this year and released its Guidance for Respiratory Illness Prevention and Management in Schools. According to a recent media release from the Westwind School Division, with the availability of vaccines, the province has indicated it will be a normal return to school this fall.

September 9: After the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled 2020, the Raymond Comets are back on the field for 2021. Unfortunately for the Comets, last week’s game did not go as planned, as Raymond fell 16-6 to Edmonton’s Harry Ainlay.

September 16: Albertans can soon get their proof of vaccination on a new convenient card-sized print out through MyHealth Records. Starting on Sept. 16, Albertans will be able to print a copy of their card-sized COVID-19 proof of vaccination or show it on their phone or tablet, according to a recent media release.

September 23: The Town of Magrath has joined a resource sharing agreement between southern Alberta municipalities. During a regular Sept. 14 council meeting, Magrath town council passed a motion to join the Southern Alberta Emergency Management Resource Sharing Agreement.

September 30: As COVID-19 restrictions continue in Alberta, Cardston-Siksika MLA Joseph Schow says he’s as frustrated as the rest of Albertans with how slow the process of getting back to normal is taking.

October 7: The new National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to be held annually on September 30 is to honour survivors, their families and communities, and ensure a public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools. This day coincides with Orange Shirt Day, which carries a critical message: that every child matters.

October 14: The Raymond Comets are back in the win column after a big 28-16 win last Thursday over the Medicine Hat High Hawks.

October 21: Magrath Zeniths undefeated on court. Local volleyball teams hit the court last week, as the Migrate Zeniths remain unbeaten. Last Wednesday, Magrath’s senior variety team defeated WCHS 25-14, 25-12, 25-13 to move to a 6-0 in the Southern Alberta Volleyball League standings.

October 28: As Canada continues to navigate this ever-evolving pandemic, the push for mandatory vaccinations has become central to the discourse on how to stop the virus. The health risks from COVID-19 remain high among the unvaccinated and immunocompromised. Vaccines are showing to be the best, safest, and lowest cost method to prevent severe COVID-19 cases, lockdowns, and further restrictions. I strongly urge everyone to get vaccinated. Glen Motz, MP.

November 4: Magrath residents urged to get vaccinated. While active COVID-19 cases are dropping again, those who haven’t already done so are encouraged to book their COVID-19 vaccine appointment. According to provincial statistics as of Oct. 28, 79.8 per cent of the provincial population aged 12 and up has been full vaccinated.

November 11: Stirling marks first official Remembrance Day ceremony. For Scott Donselaar, CAO for the Village of Stirling, Remembrance Day reminds him of fond memories shared with his grandfather, Victor Nesbit, a World War Two aircraft mechanic for the Royal Canadian Airforce.

November 18: Call it the trilogy game — Comets versus Rams. Southern Alberta’s two premiere high school football programs will clash for a third time this season, with a trip the the Tier 1 provincial final on the line.

November 25: Parts of the provinces proposed K-6 curriculum will be piloted at Westwind School division schools. On Nov. 18, the school division announced that 21 teachers had reached out to them and indicated that they would like to pilot at least part of the draft K-6 Curriculum released in March 2021.

December 2: Finch’s presentation, ‘An Exodus of Young People: Is this Alberta’s Future?’ was an expose of how young citizens are leaving the province. As a senior fellow at the Institute for Community Prosperity, Finch leads the Institute’s CityXLab. This Lab explores the intersection between a city’s learning, creative and active experiences and its ability to attract, develop and retain human capital.