August 19, 2025 Country Booster

ARMENA COMMUNITY

Members of the Armena community at Maplewood Acres Greenhouse sort through piles of fresh cucumbers, giant zucchinis and carrots as they get ready for their annual Armena Community Market. For many in the area, the late-summer market is a chance to stock up on homegrown produce and enjoy a day outside, while catching up with family and friends. Taking place on September 1, the market celebrates the work of local vendors. The market will take place at the Armena Recreation Grounds from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to the market, families will also be able to enjoy crafts, live music, food, and more!

by Adan Shaikh

Camrose RCMP RAVE

By Nadine Leming

Recently the Camrose RCMP has received enquiries regarding an enhanced presence in the county. As a result,the detachment would like to advise residents of some updates.

Camrose County now has six posted members that include a Sergeant, four general duty members and a community policing member. These members work out of the Camrose detachment in locally held positions and are responding to calls from the area.

The detachment is still affiliated with Wetaskiwin, meaning that the two detachments share resources and schedules.

Const. Sande, Community Policing Member, is now trained in using RAVE, which is a notification system that gives the RCMP the ability to share information in real time to alert community subscribers to receive these messages. RAVE messages have worked in other areas to help solve crime and identify suspects.

These RAVE messages are operational and educational in nature and will include information such as be on the look out for stolen property and potential suspects. Messages can also include crime prevention tips, traffic safety tips and advisories as well as promoting town halls or community events. Const. Sande plans on using this system to circulate as much information as possible.

To subscribe to RAVE, go to www.ruralcrimewatch. ab.ca/l/rave

Residents can also download the “Alberta RCMP” app and use it to subscribe to RAVE instead. The app is also used to report crimes online, look at local crime mapping, and find detachment contact info.

Camrose Municipal

Oc tober 20, 2025

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Business START-UP GRANT

Support Local Foods

Camrose Booster Photo

Members of the Skunk Hollow Muzzle Loaders and guests tested their shooting skills at the Camrose Gun Rage on April 19. They are preparing for the Thanksgiving Shoot on October 11 and 12 in Camrose. Phone 780-672-3434 to enter the event or join the shooting association. Pictured above, Paul Christiansen.

Food Ar tisan of Camrose Count y Award categories and criteria as follows :

Emerging Producer Award

This award celebrates new food producers showing promise, creativity, and commitment to quality Must have been in business for 2 years or less.

Best New Product Award

This award recognizes an ou tstanding new food or beverage product launched in the past year

Innovative Marketing Award

This award recognizes a producer with creative and impactful marketing strategies in the past year

Community Collaboration Award

This award honours a producer or business that has demonstrated exceptional collaboration and engagement within the local community. Open to producers who have actively par tnered with local businesses, organizations, or individuals in the last 12 months

You can nominate a Food Ar tisan of Camrose County via the QR Code or by going to county.camrose.ab.ca/local-food-producer

RCMP MUSICAL RIDE

Norm Mayer makes generous donation to Older Adults Services

From left, executive director of CDFCSS, Lyndel Kasa; Norm Mayer, from Western Financial Camrose; board chair of Changing Ways, Lee Kroeger; and program director of Older Adult Services, Kari Cameron.

By Adan Shaikh

Former Camrose mayor and longtime community leader, Norm Mayer, has donated $10,000 to Older Adult Services, a program under Camrose and District Family and Community Support Services (CDFCSS) umbrella.

The program supports seniors living in Camrose and surrounding areas. Services include homemaking, yard care, grocery and prescription

drop-off, meals on wheels, minor home repairs, peer support groups, elder abuse case management, and medical transportation.

“Camrose & District FCSS and our Older Adult Services programs are the referral organization of choice to connect seniors to all services within the City of Camrose and Camrose County, and Villages of Bawlf, Bittern Lake, Edberg, Hay Lakes, and

Rosalind,” said Lyndel Kasa, executive director of CDFCSS.

Kasa said the program has long-standing relationships with health services, senior-serving organizations, and provincial and federal initiatives. It is currently operating at capacity, with several programs experiencing waitlists and in need for more volunteers.

“These programs and services have been wild-

ly successful and have grown and expanded,” she said. “We are currently serving over 816 seniors and older adults.”

CDFCSS receives some stable provincial FCSS funding, which makes up about one-third of the program’s total budget and is secured until December 2028. The rest comes from short-term provincial and federal grants, set to end in early to mid-2025. Kasa said most new funding opportunities are tied to limited project-based grants and not ongoing operational support.

“The Government of Alberta has identified key social issues affecting Albertans. These social issues are the basis for provincial prevention priorities, and are considered when we plan our community programming. One of the key issues is aging well in community, which involves seniors gaining access to all eligible services, allowing them to maintain their quality or improve their quality of life while remaining at home. This also allows seniors and older adults to be engaged as full and welcome participants in the community, and be able to live and age well in their homes for longer as their care needs increase,” explained Kasa.

The need for senior

services in the region continues to grow. While seniors make up 13.8 per cent of Alberta’s overall population, that number is 20.1 per cent in Camrose and Camrose County. Projections show the province’s senior population will rise to 18.8 per cent by 2040.

“It is estimated that 22 per cent of people in long-term care could be avoided with the right community-based supports in place,” said Kasa.

“CDFCSS Older Adult Services provides a wraparound, holistic approach to care, supports a compassionate community approach, optimizes the work of volunteers in seniors with declining health needs, educates the public about in-home supports and social supports, reaches a variety of people with declining health needs, and complements other programs to alleviate loneliness and isolation for older adults,” shared Kasa.

With his donation, Mayer is setting an example of the role community members can play in supporting essential services. His contribution highlights the importance of investing in programs that allow older adults to live independently, stay connected and age with dignity in their own communities.

Door knocking blitz

By Jackie Lovely, MLA Camrose Constituency

It’s summertime in Camrose, a time for sunshine, community events, and connecting with friends. Whether it’s chatting at the farmers market, catching a baseball game, or attending a church barbeque, I’m always reminded of how fortunate we are to call this part of Alberta home.

That’s why this summer, I’ve launched another constituency-wide door knocking blitz. I want to hear directly from you about what’s working, what’s not, and how United Conservatives can build a stronger Alberta for families like yours.

From refocusing health care and cutting wait times, to tackling rural crime, keeping our farms safe, growing Alberta’s economy, and creating good jobs, I want to hear your ideas.

United Conservatives understand the importance of supporting the vital services your families rely on. That’s why we recently introduced a budget that includes a record investment of $9.9 billion in education for this year alone. This increase will help hire 4,500 more teachers and classroom support staff, easing enrolment pressures while supporting students with complex needs.

We’re also making sure school environments are safe, respectful, and age appropriate. Our recently introduced standards for school libraries will prevent children from being exposed to sexually explicit materials while continuing to support inclusive and supportive learning environments. School libraries must regularly review library content, publish catalogues of available books, and implement clear, transparent policies reflecting the values of Alberta families.

In addition to investments in schools and students, United Conservatives are making life more affordable by putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Albertans. As of July 1, Albertans are benefitting from a new, lower income tax bracket. This tax cut will save individual Albertans up to $750 a year and families up to $1,500, while strengthening our reputation as a competitive, low-tax destination for innovators and investors.

While United Conservatives are building our communities, we’re also taking action to strengthen our country. Premier Danielle Smith recently signed two historic agreements with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to expand trade, energy, and economic corridors between our provinces. These agreements will help get more Alberta energy and critical minerals to market, building a more self-reliant Canadian economy while pushing back against federal overreach.

As we look to the future, United Conservatives are giving Albertans a greater say. The Alberta Next Panel, chaired by Premier Smith, is touring the province this summer to hear directly from Albertans about how to protect our economy and stand up to Ottawa. This panel will gather input on issues like equalization, pensions, policing, immigration, and tax collection, and bring forward recommendations shaped by you. You can learn more about the Alberta Next panel at Alberta.ca/next.

So, whether you see me on your doorstep or at a local event, I hope you’ll take a moment to share your thoughts. I’m always here to help.

You can contact Jackie Lovely, Camrose MLA, at Constituency Office, 104, 4870-51 Street, Camrose, AB T4V 1S1. Tel: 780-672-0000, camrose@assembly.ab.ca or at Legislature Office, 6th Floor, 9820-107 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 1E7.

LOVELY AWARD

BEST ESSAY

LEFTHANDERS TOURNAMENT

Shorebirds attracted to Miquelon Lake despite dropping water levels

lake offers good habitat.

By Laurel Nadon

As water levels continue to drop at Miquelon Lake, visitors often have questions for the park about the water quality. The glacial lake is known as a prairie pothole, meaning no water flows in or out. That makes the lake heavily influenced by precipitation and drought.

As the lake becomes more alkaline and saline (a higher pH and saltier) as the water becomes more concentrated due to evaporation, a noticeable white, salty residue is left along the shoreline. Vegetation that was once below the water level can start to decay and give off an unpleasant odour. Signage at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park explains some of these changes to visitors.

“It is quite a bit more shallow than it used to be,” said Brian Orr, visitor engagement supervisor at the park. “If we continue on current trends, the lake will continue to get smaller.”

He noted that this trend is a natural process as the lake has been shrinking for over 10,000 years, since the glaciers created it.

Water will be tested at Miquelon Lake this summer by the Alberta Lake Management Society (ALMS) as part of its LakeWatch program, with samples taken monthly from June to September. Testing has shown that the lake level was down approximately 1.5 m from 1991 to 2006. At one sample point in the lake, the depth was four metres in 1998 and at that same point the depth was one metre in 2021.

While these changes mean the park recommends no swimming and motorized boats aren’t allowed, it is still a positive for the area to have the lake located here.

“It still attracts lots of shorebirds,” Orr said, adding that sandpipers, kill-

deer, stilts, avocets, geese and ring-billed gulls call the lake home.

A large colony of 80 to 90 American white pelicans returned to the far island on the eastern part of the lake in 2015. Since then, the colony has remained a robust breeding bird population. The colony collapsed for unknown reasons in the 1930s and pelicans hadn’t nested on the lake since then. Orr said that the pelicans likely aren’t back because of the shallow water, but because the lake is simply good habitat.

“Pelicans do like isolated islands on lakes where they can breed away from predation and we have several of those,” Orr said. He noted that while there aren’t fish in Miquelon Lake, there is good fishing for the pelicans at lakes nearby including Coal Lake and Cooking Lake.

An Alberta government water quality monitoring report from 2006 states that the lake level will continue to decrease unless there’s a dramatic increase in precipitation and runoff in the drainage basin. Of the 26 lakes studied by LakeWatch in 2021, Miquelon had the smallest euphotic depth (the layer of water where enough sunlight penetrates to support photosynthesis) at 0.37 m which is a measure of water clarity. The lake also had the second highest phosphorous and chlorophyll levels of the lakes tested that year, which are indicators of excess nutrients.

“We’ve noticed a lot of lakes are declining in that area. It’s not just Miquelon,” said Kirsten Letendre, program technician with ALMS.

Water samples taken this summer will be sent to a lab to look at the pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and light penetration. The samples are taken at five to 10 different sites and fu-

ture tests are done at those same sites, including depth readings.

“The sites are strategically picked to be by inflows, outflows and various depths to represent the lake in its entirety,” Letendre said. She noted that the society collects data, interprets it and creates reports to show trends. “It can help a watershed with their planning or if they’re wanting to implement different things and it helps with legislation.”

Samples will also be tested for levels of chlorophyll, nitrates, nitrogen, and phosphorous. All reports are available to the public on the Alberta water quality portal as well as at alms.ca

With the expanding shoreline, bovine bones have recently begun washing up on shore. More testing is being done to determine if the bones are bison or cow. While the bones aren’t on display currently, there is the potential for this in the future.

“It’s an unravelling of the past for us,” Orr said. “There’s a good chance they’re bison remains. We’re doing further study with other groups on the bones washing up on the shoreline to see if they have an archeological or natural history significance. We ask that people are respectful and not move or touch these remains because they can be easily damaged. We want to preserve the bones as best as we can.”

The park offers 20 km of backcountry and shoreline trails, with approximately three km of the trails paved. The park is open year-round, with no reservations required in the winter season. The campground has 276 campsites and seven group sites. New this year is an Alberta Parks senior discount for campers ages 65 and older at the time of booking.

Elwyn Lock turns 102

By Nadine Leming

Elwyn Lock is a truly interesting man with vast life experiences. His story was shared in the July 22 issue of the The Camrose Booster , but some details were published inaccurately and is now being corrected.

Born to William and Vera Lock on July 27, 1923, he grew up as one of four children. His early life was living on the farm with his family. As a young man he took work wherever he could and became versed in carpentry, helping to build a country school and office building.

He’s also worked laying phone lines in rural communities, laying brick and was a plumber’s helper. He spent many years as a precision sheet metal worker making this his livelihood.

He married his wife Florence in 1953 and raised a family with her. “She was too good for me. We had a good life together,” he commented when asked about her.

Together they had seven children, and has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Family is very important to him.

His life hasn’t always been easy, he’s faced many obstacles and mastered many skills. He has also enjoyed travels to destinations such as Alaska, Holland, England, Scotland and the United States.

This engaging man has seen some incredible things in his lifetime. “Things I was told could never happen are happening today,” he said, when asked about some of the changes he’s seen in the world. “What man can think about IS possible.”

Elwyn talked about the secret of living a long life. This is where his sense of humour was able to come out stating, “I have an ongoing project. I’m busy doing nothing!” This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Elwyn is an avid reader and has also completed his family genealogy, dating his family connections back to the 1600s.

He’s also learned to sew and quilt. He’s created the bedspread on his bed as well as several other quilts.

In reality, he talks about the longevity of his life by saying, “I wake up each morning to look in the mirror and tell myself, today is going to be a good day.”

Every year on his birthday he sets a new goal to live another 20

this is your f arm, The farm appearing in this photograph is located in the Camrose trading area. If you recognize it as yours, come to the Camrose Booster, 4925-48 Street, Camrose. You will be presented with a free 8” x 10” colour enlargement of the photo.

years. “I didn’t think I would live to be 85, but look at me, I did.” He added, “Without goals, you can’t accomplish anything.” It is his positive mindset and attitude that gives this man a reason to get up every morning.