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VOLUME 13 NUMBER 50 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015

‘Estrangement from nature’ concerns biologistNew book helps connect hobby bird watchers with nature

STACEY LAVALLIEWEEKENDER REPORTER

The disconnect between people, especially chil-dren, concerns biologist Myrna Pearman, who has been the biologist in resi-dence at Ellis Bird Farm for three decades.

“We spend our time in front of a tv or com-puter, playing on tablets and smart phones, and we don’t see or appreci-ate the nature around us,” Pearman said.

She said that without that appreciation, it’s dif-fi cult for people to care about preserving nature and keeping it from being overrun by urban sprawl and industry.

The farm, which is southeast of Lacombe, features programs year-round, though especial-ly in summer, designed to educate people about birds of all kinds, how to care for them, and how to watch for them. It teach-es people about the bene-fi ts brought to nature and people about birds, and about the predators they face.

The love of nature was born early in Pearman, who said a family friend took her and her siblings under his wing when she was a young child, im-parting his love of nature through trips in the woods and lessons that were dis-guised as fun games.

Ellis, who was in Stettler at Peavey Mart on Sunday, Dec. 6 to sign her new book, grew up with that love of nature remaining a fi xture of her person, and ended up going to school and graduating with a de-gree in biogeology.

Her new book, a glossy and beautiful “Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide,” was an update and expansion of a book Pearman wrote nearly two-and-a-half decades ago.

“I wrote my fi rst edi-tion of the book in 1989,” Pearman said. “It was black and white and only had winter birds. It’s now out of print.”

When contemplating whether to republish the book, Pearman eventually decided against it.

“It was old and out-of-date,” she said. And so, she decided to update the old content as well as include birds from all year round, rather than just winter. With today’s technology making it much easier to source photos of Alberta’s winged residents, she also wanted it to be in colour.

“We put out a call on Facebook,” she said. “We asked birdwatchers and backyard bird feeders to take photos and share them with us.”

When the story was picked up in a local paper, it really took off and Pearman received hun-

dreds of submissions. The fi nal book makes use of photos submitted by more than 60 different photog-raphers and hobbyists who submitted their work for the project.

“We’re really grateful for that,” Pearman said. “It means we have a book full of beautiful photographs.”

The book talks about

a wide variety of “bird things,” from backyard bird feed types, feeder types, way to discourage opportunists like squir-rels, deer and bears, pred-ators, and, of course, birds.

Pearman spoke about the Project Feederwatch, which has bird enthusi-asts throughout the win-ter maintaining and ob-

serving bird feeders and making records of what birds come and when. The information is gathered and is an excellent way for youth and adult alike to get involved in what she calls “Community Science.”

For $35, participants are sent a research kit with instructions in how

to proceed. In addition to those intructions, it also comes with a post-er showing common bird types for aid in identifi -cation, and a calendar to mark observations upon. Project Feederwatch is op-erated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.

continued on page 2

Stacey Lavallie/Weekender reporter

Myrna Pearman sits at Peavey Mart, where she met with bird watchers and signed the newest copy of her Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide book.

2 THE WEEKENDER Friday, December 11, 2015

SALE DATESPhone (403) 742-2368Regular Sales ~ Tuesdays - 9 a.m.

website: www.stettlerauction.ab.ca

Box 1238, Stettler, AB

Stettler Auction Mart (1990) Ltd.

Lic. #00354

Auctioneers: Allen McMillan Dick Creasey Greg JohnsonScott Douglas Terry Silbernagel

Office Administrator: Lona Benjamin

Sales Reps: Greg Hayden - 403-740-9610; Jim Abel - 403-740-9609;

Brad Lohr - 780-679-5500

Note: Online bidding and viewing

each sale at 11 a.m.

see stettlerauction.ab.ca

Stett

ler Auction Mart

Since 1953

Friday, December 11, 2015 -

Stock Cow & Bred Heifer Sale Advance listings:

– 75 Black cross Maine heifers, bred Black Angus, bred Black Angus (76 lb. birthweight - Bismark). Sycronized and bred A.I., June 21-29, calving April 1-10, 1100 - 1400 lb. heifers, Coroview Stock Farms, Coronation.

– 60 Red & tan heifers, bred Red or Black Angus, calving Feb. 15 on - Garth Redman.

– 50 - 2nd to 4th calf Red Angus cows (12 - Tan cross Red Angus) bred Red Angus - calving March 20 on full herd health, dispersal of young end of herd - Roger Thompson - Edberg.

– 30 Red & RBF Simmental cross heifers, bred Red Angus, March 15 calving, home raised - Clarence Schultz, Bashaw.

– 50 - Dispersal of 40 Top Black Angus cows and 12 Black Angus heifers, bred Black Angus, May 27 to July 19, full herd health, Larry Meyer, Big Valley.

– 10 Tan and Red heifers, bred Black Angus or Red Angus, exposed June 25 - Brad Brenchley.

– 30 Hereford heifers, bred Angus, April calving, home raised - Vallet Herefords, Bashaw.

– 25 Black Angus heifers, bred Black, March 1 calving, full health program - Weldon Siedler, Delia.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 -

Regular Sale FEATURES PRECONDITIONED CALVES

Includes:

– 55 Black Angus calves - Jack Anderson, Erskine.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 -

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY Beef on a bun, snacks A good visit with neighbours & staff

Plan to enjoy the day at

Stettler Auction Mart

Friday, December 18, 2015 -

Stock Cow & Bred Heifer Sale

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 -

LAST SALE OF 2015Thanks to all!

Weekly show alley Cattle Sale, internet, regular ring: We treat “your” livestock as if they were “ours.”

Call for details.

HEARTLAND BUSINESS PARK - Hwy #12 - east Stettler

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‘Estrangement from nature’ concerns biologist

continued from front page

The data collected through Project Feederwatch helps the lab keep track of migration habits and changes, pop-ulation increases or decreases, and helps determine if a species is sick or at risk.

Feederwatch data was instrumental in the creation of a systemic monitoring program of the Painted Bunting in Florida. The volunteers who collected data in the winter showed a steady decrease in the sighting of the bird, and in comination with the Breeding Bird Survey, which revealed a decrease in breeding populations, it was de-termined that there was, indeed, a problem.

“Programs like Feederwatch are important,” Pearman said. “Not only do they help us keep track of bird species and potential problems, it gets people involved again with nature.”

One of the things she hopes her book, which is easy to read, full of diagrams and photographs, will do is help people reconnect with nature.

The printing of the book was funded in part by Peavey Mart, which has had Pearman doing tours throughout Alberta in November and December, and whose dona-tion has allowed the profi ts of the book to be donated back to Ellis Bird Farm.

Pearman has two more book signings left for any-one who wants a signed copy of the book, one at the Vermillion Peavey Mart on Dec. 12, and one at a Peavey Mart in Red Deer on Dec. 20.

For more information, visit www.EllisBirdFarm.ca.

SLAUGHTER CATTLE:D1-D2 Cows: 85.00 to 110.00 D3 Cows: 70.00 to 90.00Bulls 105.00 to 128.50 Feeder Bulls: NONEFeeder Cows: 105.00 to 115.00 Heiferettes: 125.00 to 135.00FEEDER CATTLE:Steers Heifers 1000 plus lbs.: 170.00 to 175.00 1000 plus lbs.: 165.00 to 170.00900 to 1000 lbs.: 170.00 to 180.00 900 to 1000 lbs.: 165.00 to 180.00800 to 900 lbs.: 185.00 to 204.00 800 to 900 lbs.: NONE700 to 800 lbs.: 190.00 to 209.50 700 to 800 lbs.: 180.00 to 188.00600 to 700 lbs.: 200.00 to 222.00 600 to 700 lbs.: 190.00 to 220.00500 to 600 lbs.: 220.00 to 263.00 500 to 600 lbs.: 210.00 to 234.00400 to 500 lbs.: 235.00 to 282.00 400 to 500 lbs.: 225.00 to 250.00300 to 400 lbs.: 250.00 to 295.00 300 to 400 lbs.: 235.00 to 270.00OFF TYPES: NONE OFF TYPES: NONE

Stettler Auction Mart (1990) Ltd.

LIVESTOCKMARKET REPORT

Friday, December 4 & Tuesday, Dec. 8TOTAL – 1636

Bred Cows: Good - 2000.00 to 2950.00Medium - 1500.00 to 2000.00

Bred Heifers: 1750.00 to 2850.00

Tax changes and life insuranceLife insurance is an

attractive tool for es-tate planning because the proceeds received at death are generally not taxable. If you have, or are planning to pur-chase life insurance, you should be aware that the tax implications will de-pend on whether or not it is exempt from taxa-tion of the accumulated income.

Policies issued before December 2, 1982 fall under the “old rule” sta-tus. These policies are exempt from accrual taxation. Policies issued after December 1, 1982, fall under the “new rules” and may or may not be exempt.

To distinguish the ex-empt or non-exempt status of a policy, an exemption test must be administered by the insurance company on each anniversary date of the policy. A policy is considered exempt if its emphasis is “benefits on death.” Non-exempt pol-icies are those policies that offer a substantial lifetime investment in-cluding annuity con-

tracts. Exempt policies must meet current test requirements and must also meet prospective future test requirements on every anniversary. You can obtain information about the tax status of your policy from your in-surance company.

The exempt status of a policy can change for a variety of reasons and each has different con-sequences. Exempt poli-cies that don’t meet this exemption test are then granted a 60-day grace period to return the pol-icy to its exempt poli-cy status. In most cases, this requires withdraw-ing money from the pol-icy.

The tax on non-ex-empt policies must be paid at least every three

years. Holders of poli-cies acquired after 1989 must pay tax annually. If you’re insured under a non-exempt policy, then upon your death any in-vestment income gen-erated within the poli-cy that has not yet been taxed will be considered taxable income. The pro-ceeds received on death from an exempt policy, including the income earned under this policy, are not taxable.

Tax may also be pay-able if you transfer ownership, relinquish or convert your poli-cy. Dividends and poli-cy loans may also have tax consequences that should be looked at care-fully.

Exercise extreme care when replacing any pol-

icy, particularly an “old-rule” policy, because the tax outcome may be ex-pensive.

The rules and regula-tions surrounding life in-surance policies and tax-ation change over time. You should talk to your insurance or financial advisor before making any decisions regarding your policy. Members of Advocis have the special-ized training essential to help you make the right decisions.

There are a host of strategies using life in-surance policies that can help defer tax by way of tax sheltering, provide tax-free cash on death to conserve an estate or help equalize an estate. When structured proper-ly, an insurance policy can enhance the amount that can be flowed out to beneficiaries by way of a corporation’s capital div-idend account.

Take the time to sit down with a trusted life insurance advisor and explore the many ben-efits that life insurance and related products bring to the table.

Friday, December 11, 2015 THE WEEKENDER 3

Bob Halseth *25 yrs experience*

403-883-2205Cell 403-740-9469

New Homes, Renovations, Farm Buildings, Windows, Siding, Shingles, Hardwood and Tiles

ADVERTISING DEADLINEFRIDAY AT 5 P.M.

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Phone 403-742-2395 • Fax: 403-742-8050

FROM CNWChristmas is a time

when children hope to see their dreams be-come reality, families reunite, and friends, neighbours, and cowork-ers engage in festivi-ties of gift-giving and merrymaking. However, while Christmas brings joy to every heart, it can also bring added finan-cial stress, especially if you don’t know how to budget. Christmas gifts, shopping and related festivities can cost peo-ple more than they bet on if they do not partake in the necessary budget-ing and planning for a successful holiday sea-son.

According to a BMO survey, in 2014 Albertans had planned to spend the most on Christmas holidays, estimating a whopping $1,947. A year ago today, the province of Alberta was boom-ing with career options, homebuyers, and con-sumer debt. Today we are facing recession, job loss, and still – con-sumer debt. According to recent Moneris re-search, Albertan con-sumer spending is up just 0.30 per cent on a year-over-year basis in the 3rd quarter, which is the smallest increase across Canada. If you have not saved for the upcoming holiday, an excessive amount of spending could cause credit card debt to creep in and cause trouble in the New Year.

While most people think a costly Christmas is unavoidable, an af-fordable holiday is only a plan away. With a proper budget, a stress-free environment is eas-ily achievable, and you will not be haunted by the thought of having

to pay back borrowed money in the New Year. To avoid wasting your wallet when it comes to holiday gifts and festivi-ties, Money Mentors ad-vises Albertans to:

1. Make a list – Whether you are shopping in the malls or online, priori-tize what is important and what is not. You also need to consider if all of your listed items can be bought within this set budget.

Setting a dollar limit on what you can afford to spend on each per-son. You may have to ask yourself some tough questions. Is it import-ant to buy presents for all of your relatives? Can you afford it? Are there creative ways for you to give gifts that are still heartfelt, but also economical? Remember, this is your hard-earned money, and as much as you may want to be, you cannot be Santa Claus.

Even with a budget, you can still show peo-ple that you care. We suggest that you draw names out of a hat or develop other creative Christmas gift ideas to help offset some of the cost. Secret Santa is a fun way to stay within budget, and baked goods are a popular way to show that you are think-ing of someone this sea-son without breaking the bank.

2. Festivities (parties and social gatherings) – For social events, you need to know the ex-pected cost, set your budget accordingly, and stick to it. For example, are you hosting or at-tending an event? Each of these responsibilities comes with a price, so you need to determine how your position will affect your finances and

influence your holiday budget.

If you are attending an event, are you contribut-ing food or drinks? Both can add up, so know-ing what is expected of you makes it easi-er to set aside the cor-rect amount of money. Remember, this is your money at work, so spend wisely.

3.Shopping – Gift-giving adds up quickly, making planning essen-tial. Know what you are going to buy before you even enter the store or go online. This makes it easier to stick to your budget.

First, define your bud-get. Be honest with your-self about what you can actually afford. Second, shop around for compet-

itive prices. Some stores promise price-match-ing or other competi-tive pricing systems, so take advantage of these. Third and most im-portantly, stick to your budget! Stay focused on your budget now and you will stay happy with your bank account once the carols have ended.

4. Use Cash – If you do not want the Ghost of Christmas Past to hunt you down in a few months’ time, use cash. Pay in cash whenever you can to curb spend-ing and, if possible, stay away from credit cards. Remember, gift giving does not need to be a competition. You can find or create thought-ful gifts that will de-light your family and

friends without spend-ing a fortune. Avoid put-ting yourself into debt by buying only what you can afford. Using cash is an easy way to remind yourself of what you are spending.

Christmas is supposed to be fun, exciting, lov-ing, and centered around creating new memories with close friends and relatives. This season is not supposed to be stressful or put financial strain on you or your re-

lationships. These steps will not only give you peace of mind before, during, and after the Christmas season, but they will also help you stay on top of your fi-nances.

Money Mentors is the only Alberta-based, not-for-profit credit counselling agency. Through a number of services, it helps fami-lies and individuals recov-er from financial crisis and move forward.

VJV MARKET REPORT

VJV Web site: www.vjvauction.comCanadian Satellite Web site: www.cslauction.com

Email: office@vjvauction.com

Sales Every Wednesday Phone 403-783-5561

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - 3972 head of cattle went through our rings

- TOTAL - 3972

D1 - D2 cows 98.00-116.00D3 - D4 cows 90.00-100.00Good Holstein cows 87.00-93.00Med. Holstein cows 80.00-87.00

Good bred cows NONE Cow/Calf Pairs (younger) -2650.00Older bred cows NONE Cow/Calf Pairs (older) NONEGood bred heifers 2000.00-2650.00

Good Feeder Steers 1000 lbs Plus: NONE Heifers NONEGood Feeder Steers 900 lbs Plus: 190.00-205.00 Heifers 180.00-195.00Good Feeder Steers 800 lbs Plus: 205.00-220.00 Heifers 200.00-209.00Good Feeder Steers 700 lbs Plus: 224.00-231.00 Heifers 205.00-216.00Good Feeder Steers 600 lbs Plus: 238.00-248.00 Heifers 210.00-227.00Good Feeder Steers 500 lbs Plus: 275.00-304.00 Heifers 235.00-250.00Good Feeder Steers 400 lbs Plus: 310.00-325.00 Heifers 260.00-295.00Good Feeder Steers 300 lbs Plus: 330.00-360.00 Heifers 270.00-320.00

Dairy Steers 115.00-130.00 Baby Calves Dairy Type, CAN: 50.00-150.00

Baby Calves Beef Type: -450.00

Hay: Sq Bales 6.00-10.50 Rd Bales NONEStraw: Sq Bales 80.00-145.00 Rd Bales NONEGreenfeed: Sq Bales 2.00-4.00 Rd Bales NONE

STOCKERS AND FEEDERS

DAIRY & CALVES

FEED

SLAUGHTER CATTLE

REPLACEMENT CATTLE

Heiferettes 135.00-150.00Bologna bulls 110.00-125.00Feeder bulls 120.00-130.00

How Albertans can curb holiday spending during a recession

4 THE WEEKENDER Friday, December 11, 2015

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Contributed photo

Rowdy Jones takes a seat on Santa Claus’ knee during Santa Claus day in Byemoor on Saturday, Dec. 6. The day was full of Christmas-themed activities besides the visit of ol’Saint Nick, with the local 4-H club selling Christmas trees and craft and bake sale tables doing brisk business.

Jewel Theatre hosts Santa Day

Moush Sara John/Weekender reporter

Ivy Scott, with his four-year-old sis-ter Quinn queue up to meet Santa at the Jewel Theatre at their Santa Day event on Saturday, Dec. 6.

MOUSH SARA JOHNWEEKENDER REPORTER

Jewel Theatre trans-formed into a festive paradise as kids queued up to meet Santa on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Children of all ages were looking forward to meeting Santa in per-son and name their Christmas wishes for the year.

There was also a photo booth set up, conducted by Patti Marsh of Your Design Works, who took

pictures of the kids.Families were given

one free print, with op-tions to convert it into Christmas cards or get additional prints.

Santa Day was orga-nized at the theatre in the past, but owner Byron Geddes of Jewel Theatre was unable to come up with a plan for it last year.

“Between our grand opening and trying to get reopened last year, no one had approached us about doing it and

we were so busy learn-ing how to run smooth-ly, December quick-ly passed us by,” said Geddes. “A few months ago, Kurt of Wish Kitchen came in to ask us if we wanted to take it over again, to keep it in the downtown area, and we were thrilled, we love seeing all the kids come to the theatre and enjoy putting on community events.”

This year Santa visited the theatre with his sack of treats for the kids,

donated by Sean’s No Frills and Stettler Dodge, and Your Design Works/Rainbow Photo.

With the Shop Stettler contributing too, every-one got to watch ‘Jingle All The Way’ for free after Santa’s visit.

“We had well over 80 kids get their pictures taken with Santa, and approximately 150 peo-ple totaled out for both showings of the movie,” said Geddes. “Everyone loves pictures with Santa, so there was a

lot of great feedback. Some kids ran right up to Santa with hugs and had long conversations, others took their time, eyeing him up over mom or dad’s shoulder, and eventually got the cour-age to go close enough for a picture.”

The Jewel Theatre plans to keep the Stettler community busy during the Christmas season.

“This month, after Creed next week, we will have Love the Coopers on Dec 18-24, which is

a great dysfunctional family Chirstmas film for the first week of no school,” said Geddes. “On The Night Before the Night Before we will have two free admission showings of The Santa Clause at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and donations to the Food Bank wel-come.”

For the rest of Christmas break, Jewel Theatre will show Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip and The Good Dinosaur.

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Call us at 403-742-2395

Friday, December 11, 2015 STETTLER INDEPENDENT 5

An appropriately timed book for kidsYou know what hap-

pens if you’ve been good.You’ve been singing

songs about it. You’ve been extra nice around the house because of it, doing your chores with-out complaint. Maybe you’ve even helped get ready for it by decorat-ing your classroom. Yes, you know what happens soon but, as you’ll see in “The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas” by Keith Brockett, illustrat-ed by Joseph Cowman, Santa doesn’t only bring gifts.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, but that’s not all. It was also supposed to be opening night for the town’s annual Nutcracker ballet but, well, there were prob-lems.

All day long, everything had been going wrong:

the programs were print-ed with a great big mis-take and they had to be thrown out, stagehands weren’t feeling well and they all went home, spotlights had broken, paint was everywhere, the Prince got caught up in ropes that dangled where they shouldn’t be, and there was more.

The theatre’s cat had shredded the skirts for the little ballerinas, and the girls were all in tears. Parts of the scenery were broken, props were miss-ing, Clara spilled juice on the backdrop, and costumes had lost their sequins. And if that’s not enough, the Christmas tree that stood high for the ballet’s main scene came down with a bang, the ornaments were in smithereens, and the lights wouldn’t blink.

The Nutcracker was a mess on that Christmas Eve night! A “sick sense of panic was growing se-vere” and the director of the ballet was thinking about calling the whole thing off. Everybody was very sad about that. They’d all worked so hard but “It had to be canceled. It couldn’t go

on.”And then, suddenly,

from the stage’s fake fire-place, “a surprising and strange thing occurred.” Twinkly ashes came fly-ing from the flue, there was a whoosh of cold air, and a giant laugh could be heard throughout the entire place. The whole stage shook like a bowl full of jelly and you’ll never guess who brought the gift of help…

Is there ever a Christmas season that finishes with hundred-percent perfec-tion? And is there a kid alive who doesn’t laugh at slapsticky chaos? No and no - but if you put them together, you’ve got “The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas.”

Using a familiar theme that children love, au-thor Keith Brockett tells a tale of everything gone awry, and the unlike-ly hero that saves the night. What’s fun about this book is the utter pandemonium that’s so well portrayed: it follows Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong, will) to the letter. Brockett makes the bedlam fit

the rhyme, and illustra-tions by Joseph Cowman add to the silliness of it all. The ending is ap-propriately magical and – in the books’ very final pages – curious kids can learn more about Tchaikovsky’s ballet and accompanying terms of theatre and stage.

This book is perfect for little ballerinas, for kids who love The Nutcracker, and for children who just want a semi-silly sea-sonal story. For them, “The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas” is pretty good.“The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas” by Keith Brockett, illustrat-

ed by Joseph Cowmanc.2015, Sleeping Bear Press $15.99 / $16.99 Canada 32 pages

Due to popular demand we are continuing our

2 for 1Battery Sale every

Wednesday!

Dr. Lisa LopezDr. Lisa LopezWith a genuine desire to ensure patient satisfaction and her 20 years of experience, Lisa is happy to be working with patients in Stettler and Area doing her best to have them hearing and communicating with their loved ones.

Hearing loss doesn’t have an age.

Be proactive, and get your hearing tested annually.

Have your hearing aids disappointed you in the past?

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Authorized to provide hearing aid services on behalf of the Workers Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB) as well as other third party payers.

TERRISCHLICHENMEYER

Keith Brockett

6 THE WEEKENDER Friday, Decembe 11, 2015

BRADY ARMSTRONG and

MARIE CHUTEare getting married!!!

We would like to invite you to celebrate our special day with us on

DECEMBER 19 at the Stettler Community Hall at 9 pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Arts & Crafts Shows ..................50Class Registrations....................51Coming Events ..........................52Lost ............................................54Found ........................................56Companions ..............................58Personals...................................60Bingos........................................64Fitness & Sports ........................66Happy Ads .................................70

What’s Happening#50 - # 70

ComingEvents 52 Coming

Events 52GET MORE COVERAGE

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Starting at 25 words for $53.55

Call toll free 1-877-223-3311

or Local 403-309-3300

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING

to the Red Willow HallSun., Dec 13, 1 - 3 pm!1 pm Horse & Sleigh

rides- weather permitting(Crafts as an alternate).

2 pm Santa arrivesEnjoy Hot Chocolate &Cookies. Kids receive aChristmas Treat Bag!

Lost 54$5000 REWARD

leading up to or for the nding of 14 missing

simmental cows and 13 calves. Cows have a brand of TLX on the left rib and also possibly a brand of

PG (‘G’ is backwards) on the left rib. Calves are probably unbranded. Went missing

in Alliance/Sedgewick area. Phone 780-386-3745

or 780-888-1258.

Personals 60REWARD - I am offering a very nice reward for any video recordings of an

assault that occurred in the early morning hours follow-

ing the Big Valley Rodeo Dance in Big Valley, AB on

May 10, 2015. You may remain anonymous. To

claim the reward contact recquel2@gmail.com.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Employment#700 - #920

Caregivers/Aides................710Clerical ..............................720Computer Personnel ..........730Dental ................................740Estheticians........................750Hair Stylists ........................760 Janitorial ............................770Legal ..................................780Medical ..............................790Oilfield ................................800Professionals......................810Restaurant/Hotel ................820Sales & Distributors ..........830Teachers/Tutors..................840Trades ................................850Truckers/Drivers ................860Business Opportunities......870Miscellaneous ....................880Volunteers Wanted ............890Positions Wanted ..............895Employment Training ........900Career Planning ................920

Restaurant/Hotel 820Cameron Bay Holdings Inc. o/a McDonalds’s in Ponoka and Red Deer (Gasoline Alley East and West) is now hiring full time and part time Food Service Supervisors. Wages are between $13.95 to $16.00 per hour,depending upon experi-ence and quali cations. Candidates must be able to work a variety of shifts and have 3 to 5 years pre-vious experience. Must be able to supervisor up to 20 crew. Part-time applica-tions will be accepted fromCanadians and PermanentResidents. Apply in person4419 Hwy 2A, Ponoka,37479 Hwy 2, Red Deer,and 37428 Hwy 2, Red Deer or email resume tocbay22@telus.net or fax to403-783-4251.

Professionals 810

Trades 850

FUTURE AG INC. owns and operates 4 branches throughout

Central Alberta selling and servicing CASE IH

Agriculture equipment.We are currently looking for

Agricultural Technicians and/ or

Heavy Duty Mechanics

with Ag experience for our Stettler location.

This is a fast-paced environment and ideal

candidate would be able to work with minimal

supervision, have the ability to take initiative and consistently demonstrate

exceptional customer service.FUTURE AG INC. “People

You Can Count On”, is offering the opportunity to grow in your career with a thriving company. We offer

an exemplary bene ts package, hourly salary from $27.50 to $30.00, annual work boot reim-bursement, RRSP plan,

sick days, monthly bonus and continuous professional training in a positive friendly

environment.If you have a great attitude and integrity, FUTURE AG is offering you an exciting

career opportunity.To apply, forward your

resume to:Future Ag Inc.Attn: Markus

Box 1510Stettler, AB T0C 2L0Fax 403-742-5626

hr@futureag.ca

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITYCHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

The Village of Botha and the Village of Gadsby are seeking an energetic, motivated, positive individual for the position of Chief Administrative Offi cer (CAO) to serve both Municipalities under a Community Partnership Agreement.Reporting to the Mayors and Councils the CAO is responsible for directing all operations of both Villages.

For a complete job description please go to Botha’s web site:http://villageofbotha.com

Qualifi cations:The ideal candidate will have:• A minimum 3 years of experience in Municipal Management and a

certifi cate in Local Government or working towards certifi cation• Excellent organizational, time management and communication skills,

self-disciplined as well as a demonstrated team philosophy• Good interpersonal skills are required to deal with Council,

contractors, the community and other municipalities• Extensive fi nancial background, strong in budget preparation and

fi nancial reporting abilities• Profi cient in information technology in particular Windows and

Microsoft Offi ce and Quick Books• A solid understanding of infrastructure, planning and development

The Village of Botha invites interested applicants to submit their resumes and references along with expectation of compensation. The Village of Botha thanks everyone for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Applications welcome until closing date or upon selection of asuitable candidate.Closing date: December 30, 2015

Submit application to:Village of Botha or Village of GadsbyBox 160, Botha AB T0C 0N0 Box 80, Gadsby, AB T0C 1K0E-mail: vlbotha@xplornet.com E-mail: vgadsby@xplornet.ca

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ComingEvents 52

Friday, December 11, 2016 THE WEEKENDER 7

More than a third of Canadian homeowners fi nd housing in their area

unaffordable, survey showsThe average Canadian homeowner

has $175,000 in mortgage debtFrom CNW

More than a third (38 percent) of Canadian homeowners feel that housing in their area is unaffordable, according to a new survey released by Manulife Bank of Canada.

According to the bi-an-nual survey, 28 per cent of respondents found their local housing market “somewhat unaffordable”, while another 11 per cent described it as “not afford-able at all.” Just over half (51 per cent) called hous-ing in their area “some-what affordable” and only one in ten felt housing in their area was “very af-fordable.”

Perception of affordabil-ity varies by region, as homeowners in Canada’s Atlantic provinces are most likely (83 per cent) to feel housing is afford-able, while those in British Columbia are least likely (39 per cent).

The survey also re-vealed that those in Canada’s largest urban areas (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Montreal) are much less likely to describe their housing market as af-fordable (46 per cent) than those elsewhere in Canada (68 per cent). Perceived lack of housing affordability was most acute in Vancouver, where just one in three (33 per cent) indicated housing was affordable.

Housing costs may be

putting pressure on other aspects of homeowners’ fi nances. While almost three quarters (73 per cent) of homeowners be-lieve they’re somewhat or completely prepared to deal with an unexpected household expense such as a major car repair or a furnace replacement, other results suggest this may not be the case. For example, more than one in three homeowners (38 per cent) were “caught short” at least once in the past year - where they didn’t have enough money in their bank accounts to cover expenses.

While some of those caught short were able to access a line of credit (33 per cent) or rainy-day sav-ings (23 per cent), others had to carry a balance on a high-interest credit card (32 per cent) or even bor-row money from a family member (14 per cent).Nearly four in ten home-owners didn’t have enough money in the bank to cover household expenses at least once in the past year

“The challenge faced by many Canadians is that their income is relative-ly stable from month-to-month, but their expens-es can vary signifi cantly,” said Rick Lunny, President and Chief Executive Offi cer, Manulife Bank of Canada. “Access to rainy day savings or a low-cost line of credit are good

options to safeguard against these fl uctuations. However, if your backup plan is to carry high-in-terest credit card debt or borrow from a family member - you could be putting undue stress on your fi nances or relation-ships.” The size of many Canadians’ rainy-day ac-counts also suggests that they may be less prepared than they believe. Fewer than one in four (24 per cent) homeowners has more than $5,000 set aside for an emergency, and half indicate they either have “$1,000 or less”, or don’t know how much they have for emergencies.

“While it’s always a good idea to have some cash savings available for emer-gencies, it doesn’t neces-sarily make sense to have a large emergency fund if you also have debt,” said Lunny. “In some cases you’d be better off using some of that money to pay down your debt and have a low-cost line of credit available for larger unex-pected expenses.”

While homeowners who work with a fi nancial advi-sor (56 per cent) have the same median household income ($85,000) as those who don’t (44 per cent), those with an advisor ap-pear to be in better fi nan-cial shape on a few fronts. They’re less likely to have increased their debt in the past year (17 per cent vs. 22 per cent of those with

no advisor), more likely to feel somewhat or very prepared for an unexpect-ed expense (80 per cent vs. 65 per cent) and have more “rainy day savings” (median of $4,500 vs. $2,000).Housing prices to in-crease?

The survey also found that almost two in three (63 per cent) homeowners expect housing prices in their area to increase next year while fewer than one in 10 (7 per cent) expects them to decrease - al-though this fi nding var-ies signifi cantly by region. In Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, almost one in fi ve (19 per cent) expect prices to decline in the next 12 months, while just 3 per cent of homeown-ers in Ontario, 4 percent in British Columbia and 4 per cent in Quebec expect price declines in the next year.

Nationally, about seven in 10 (71 per cent) of Canadian homeowners be-tween ages 20 and 59 have a mortgage, and report an average of $175,000 of mortgage debt. Regionally, Alberta ($238,000) and British Columbia ($228,000) reported the highest average mort-gage debt, while Ontario ($167,000), Manitoba/Saskatchewan ($151,000), Atlantic Canada ($151,000) and Quebec ($141,000) re-ported much lower levels of mortgage debt.

Buy & Sell#1500 - #1990

Aircraft ..............................1510Antiques & Art ..................1520Auctions ............................1530Bicycles ............................1540Building Supplies ..............1550Business Machines ..........1560Cameras & Accessories ..1570Children’s Items ................1580Clothing ............................1590Computers ........................1600Concert & Event Tickets ..1610Equipment - Misc. ............1620Equipment - Heavy ..........1630Tools ................................1640Farmers’ Market &Food Basket......................1650Firewood ..........................1660Lumber ............................1670Garden Supplies ..............1680Lawn Tractors ..................1690Health, Dietary, Beauty ....1700Household Appliances......1710Household Furnishings ....1720TV’s, Stereos, VCR’s ........1730Hot Tubs & Accessories ..1740Jewellery ..........................1750Kid’s Deals........................1755Misc. For Sale ..................1760Musical Instruments..........1770Music Lessons..................1780Piano & Organs ................1790Office Supplies ................1800Pets & Supplies ................1810Pet Services ....................1820Cats ..................................1830Dogs ................................1840Sports Cards ....................1850Sporting Goods ................1860Collectors’ Items ..............1870Swap, Barter & Trade ......1880Travel Packages ..............1900Wedding Supplies ............1910Recycled Products............1920Wanted to Buy ..................1930Items to Give Away ..........1940

Auctions 1530BIG STRAPPER

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TO BOOK YOUR SALE CALL 403-782-5693

Check website for full listingswww.bigstrapperauctions.net

Firewood 1660FIREWOOD,

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Call 403-323-0744

LOGSSemi loads of pine, spruce,

tamarack, poplar, birch. Price depends on location

of delivery. Lil Mule Logging 403-318-4346

For Rent#3000 - #3200

Acreages/Farms ..............3010Houses/Duplexes ............3020Condos/Townhouses........3030Manufactured Homes ......3040Four Plexes/Six Plexes ....3050Suites ..............................3060Cottages/Seasonal ..........3070Roommates Wanted ........3080Rooms for Rent................3090Motels/Hotels ..................3100Offices ..............................3110Stores/Commercial ..........3120Industrial ..........................3130Warehouse Space............3140Garage Space..................3150Storage Space ................3160Land ................................3170Pasture ............................3180Mobile Lot ........................3190Misc. for Rent ..................3200

Wanted to Rent#3250 - #3390

Acreages/Farms ..............3255Houses/Duplexes ............3260Suites ..............................3270Rooms..............................3280Manufactured Homes ......3290Housesitting Wanted ........3300Garage Space..................3310Storage Space ................3320Stores/Commercial ..........3330Office Space ....................3340Industrial ..........................3350Warehouse Space............3360Resorts & Cottages..........3370Pasture/Land....................3380Mobile Lot ........................3390

Houses/Duplexes 3020

BEAUTIFUL cottage $700/mo., plus utils., in

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includes utilities. Phone 403-883-2381

Suites 30602 bedroom basement suite with private entrance, utilities included, adult on-ly, no pets. 403-742-2409.

BEST RENTAL VALUEIN STETTLER

1 & 2 Bedroom, furnished kitchenette suites.

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8 THE WEEKENDER Friday, December 11, 2015

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FINANCIAL MACHINE SHOPS

Lots of interest in Christmas craft workshopSTACEY LAVALLIEWEEKENDER REPORTER

Some 20 community crafters gathered at the Stettler library on Friday night, gather-ing for the second annual Christmas Centrepiece and Grinch Tree workshop.

The Dec. 4 event was hosted by the library and featured centrepiece specialist Kirsten Nugent, who came in from Bashaw to teach the crafters and help them design the perfect Christmas centrepiece and the Grinch Tree.

The Grinch Tree is designed to look similar to the tree in the Grinch Who Stole Christmas cartoon feature, and features a narrow conifer tree that is bent at the top, folding under the weight of a Christmas tree ornament.

Mary Zazelenchuk, manager of the Stettler Public Library, said the event went off without any Grinch-like hitches, with everyone laughing and having a good bunch of fun.

“I think word got out this year so we had more people register,” she said.This was but one of the holiday events happening in the coming weeks, as Christmas

draws closer. For this Wednesday and the next, starting at 4 p.m., kids can come take part in Crafts til Christmas. On this Friday, Dec. 11, Holiday Horror will see a pack of horror fl icks screened at the library. And on Saturday, Dec. 12, Craftapalooza takes place, starting with a dance production at 1 p.m. and crafting at 2 p.m.

And, right before Christmas, on Dec. 21, there will be a gingerbread house workshop at the library.

Debbie Doell/Independent staff

Crafters cheerfully work on creating their Christmas Centrepieces at the Christmas Centrepiece and Grinch Tree workshop at the Stettler Public Library on Friday, Dec. 4.

Debbie Doell/Independent staff

The eponymous Grinch Tree.

ChristmasChristmasAdvertising Deadlines

Readers and advertisers areadvised of the Independent’sChristmas and New Year’sdeadlines and publication schedule:

Dec. 23 editionAdvertising deadline:Thursday, Dec. 17, 5 p.m.

Dec. 30 edition Advertising deadline: Wednesday, Dec. 23, 5 p.m.

The Independent office will be The Independent office will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

gg

Merry Christmas and Happy New YearMerry Christmas and Happy New Year

Please note Weekender deadlines are the same as Stettler Independent.Please note Weekender deadlines are the same as Stettler Independent.

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