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The Tofield
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Tofield Quilters Guild provides support to frontline workers
Tofield RCMP cautions residents of fraud and scams
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Wednesday April 22, 2020 Vol. 102 Issue 34
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Holden 4-H Beef Club members work on their projects from home
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Ryley resident makes face masks Moush John
Tofield Mercury
Five-year old Piper Schmidt dons her dad Joel’s face mask printed from his 3-D printer. SUBMITTED PHOTO
What started out as a small 3-D printing project of little ear plastic helpers for surgical masks soon became Ryley resident Joel Schmidt’s way to help his community and frontline workers. “I have a friend that is a nurse at the U of A hospital,” Schmidt said. “I asked her if it would be helpful for me to print those and she said yes so I did a couple dozen. I knew that there were shortages for masks and figured that I had the means to try and help.” But what is touching is Schmidt doing this for free to help people who aren’t able to find masks and might not have the means to get any. “I'm not charging, and that’s because I have seen so many people out there hoarding supplies with the intent to resell for profit and it upset me so much that I refuse to accept any money even though the masks have
cost me a few hundred out of pocket,” Schmidt explained. “I’ve been enjoying myself printing all these cool masks, nad I enjoy helping people, so the decision was easy.” Working out of Edmonton, Schmidt invested in a 3-D printer to personalize gifts for his customers. “I run a small protective coating shop in the city for the oil and gas industry and I wanted to make small custom business giveaways like business card holders and cell phone holders,” Schmidt added. “To be able to give my customers little personalized gifts made it worthwhile!” He has made a couple different chess and checker sets that are Star Wars themed, planters, small decorations, and other items. Despite having moved to Ryley from the city, because he prefers the quiet life on the acreage, reminding of his childhood Continued on Page 2
Page 2 - The Tofield Mercury, Wednesday, April 22, 2020
“Helping my community gives me joy” Tofield
O FFICE H OURS MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
10 AM - 2 PM (NO DENTIST) 9 AM - 4 PM 9 AM - 6 PM 9 AM - 6 PM CLOSED
5111-50 Street
Ph: 780-662-3553 Services provided:
Dr. Peter Yoo
Dr. Tejinder Pal Virdi
DDS
DDS
Dr. Peter Yoo would like to welcome Dr. Tejinder Pal Virdi to his Tofield office.
• Family Dentistry • Oral Surgery • Implants • Extractions • Cosmetic Dentistry • Child Development Program
Member of the:
“Your dental health matters. If you have an emergency or concern outside office hours please call me directly at (780) 893-9270.”
April 19—25, 2020, is Na onal Volunteer Week!
Schmidt’s 3-D printer at work. SUBMITTED PHOTO Continued from Front Page Schmidt has made friends and loves the “small community” life. “It’s serendipity I suppose that my grnadparents lived in this community 20 years back, and now I live in a house nestled in the block adjacent from their old house,” Schmidt noted. “It was my neighbour
who sent me a design from some engineers in the United States that had produced something similar to what I’m working on – a respirator modelled after a 3M product. Even though I made a few I soon realized it was time consuming and tedious, so I found something simpler in terms of design and build before Continued on Page 7
The Tofield Mercury, Wednesday, April 22, 2020 - Page 3
Tofield Quilters Guild provides support Moush John Tofield Mercury
The Tofield Quilters Guild put their talents to work earlier this month to support frontline workers. They provided 38 scrub bags and 10 scrub hats for medical staff at the Smith Clinic. “The ladies were contacted during the first week of April and quickly came together (apart) to supply the
much-needed items,” said Adele Miller, president of the Guild. “As staff no longer wear their scrubs to or from work, they place their used scrubs into the bags, take them home and wash bag to maintain hygiene and AHS guidelines. Once washed, they are safe to handle and can return them to work safely in the bag.” Scrub hats have buttons on the side to allow masks to be attached; this
helps the back of the ears, which tend to get a little tender, explained Miller. “A small thing but important when it’s a comfort issue!” Miller added that the Tofield Quilters Guild will continue to make bags and hats as long as they are needed by the frontline workers. “We can all do our part to help and be happy to be able to contribute to the solution in some ways.”
Tofield Quilters Guild provided scrub bags and scrub hats for frontlline workers. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Council Corner Town of Tofield has not imposed State of Local Emergency measures - yet! Recently, Mayor and Council held their first Regular Meeting of Council through teleconference. During these exceptionally challenging times, there is still a necessity to conduct business for the Municipality, and forge forward for the betterment of the community. Collectively, we are fortunate that mediums through technology exist to allow Council to meet, while still adhering to the necessity to physically distance. It is the intent of Mayor and Council to use these mediums to continue to meet and participate in not only Regular Meetings of Council, but also for our roles on Boards and Commissions. Although there have been unforeseen challenges in doing so, truly, there is a necessity for each member of Council to fulfill their roles and duties as elected officials. A recent point of discussion for Mayor and Council has been around the Declaration of a State of Local Emergency (SOLE). At this time, Council does not believe there to be a necessity to enact a SOLE. It should be noted; this does not prevent Council from declaring a SOLE at any point in the future should the situation change and dictate this necessity. Now, one may ask, what is a
State of Local Emergency and what does it do? A SOLE is an exceptionally powerful legislative tool that Municipalities can use during the course of an emergency and requires the use of extraordinary measures. This measure is done through legislation by providing additional emergency powers to local officials for the purpose of responding to an emergency. A SOLE can be active for up to seven days and then at this point would need to be renewed or it lapses. Please know, these are measures not to be taken lightly, under a State of Local Emergency a local government can: • Restrict travel, • Distribute essential supplies, • Evacuate people and animals, • Enter properties and buildings without a warrant, • Procure fixed pricing on essential products, • Conscript individuals, and equipment for use in responding to an emergency. As one can see, these measures are wide spreading and should be
given intense thought. The decision to not declare a SOLE at this time comes through conversation and feedback with the Province of Alberta, feedback from the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, and, through the Beaver Emergency Services Commission Regional Emergency Manager. This individual provides solid guidance to the entire County of Beaver and is well skilled and versed in the operations of emergency management. Conversations with the Emergency Manager have been consistent and to date solid direction has been provided. It is our plan to continue on with these conversations and to weigh each day individually with regard to the best approach for Tofield. Although Town Council has not issued a SOLE at this time, we have taken actions to respond to this crisis. Some of these actions have included the closure of all Town owned and operated facilities to the general public, the closure of playgrounds and once again, the close working relation-
Honour the past... Build the Future
ship with Beaver Emergency Services Commission and the Province of Alberta. This is without question an exceptionally trying time for Tofield, Beaver County, Alberta and the world. The entire Town of Tofield organization is taking this situation very seriously. Mayor, Council and Administration are taking cues from the Province and implementing them in Tofield where required. In this breath, the situation is evolving, rapidly and our response will be as well. Mayor and Council encourage our residents to keep up to date through our Social Media (Facebook page) which we are regularly updating. Mayor and Council also encourage each resident to visit the Alberta Health site specific to COVID 19 (https://www.alberta.ca/COVID1 9) Together, we can succeed. Together we can each show the strength of Tofield. Sincerely, Mayor and Council
4 - Beaver County Chronicle, April 22, 2020
Beaver County Service Centre 5120 - 50 Street Box 140 Ryley, Alberta T0B 4A0 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Volunteer Appreciation Week
Phone: (780) 663-3730 Fax: (780) 663-3602 Toll Free: 1-866-663-1333 www.beaver.ab.ca Email: administration@beaver.ab.ca
Campground Operations On April 15th, 2020 Beaver County Council made the difficult decision to postpone Beaver County’s campground opening dates. Due to COVID-19, the campground opening dates for Black Nugget Lake Campground and Camp Lake Campground have been pushed back to June 26, 2020, unless this date can change to be sooner based on recommendations from the Province of Alberta and Alberta Health Services. Additionally, the day-use areas at both parks will remain closed as well as the fishing area at Black Nugget Lake Park will remain closed. The health and safety of our residents, visitors, staff, and contractors is our top priority. These measures are in line with Provincial recommendations to practice physical distancing.
Campground Reservations Our campground reservation system is now taking reservations for June 26, 2020 onward. For those who have already made reservations, we are working on processing refunds or rebookings. We apologize to our residents and visitors for this inconvenience, which we realize is significant and unprecedented.
Crime Watch Annual Meeting Beaverhill Rural Crime Watch (BRCW) Annual General Meeting Beaverhill Rural Crime Watch recognizes the seriousness of the COVID – 19 outbreaks, and the health and safety of our community and volunteers is very important to us, therefore the AGM has been postponed until further notice. Thank you for your understanding. Stay healthy and stay safe.
BRRG Webinar
For further information, please contact the County Office at 780-663-3730 or email at administration@beaver.ab.ca.
Request for Tenders Tenders – Culvert 2020 and Cold Mix 2020 Beaver County is seeking quotes for the supply of Cold Mix and Culverts for the 2020 season. Both RFQs close on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 10:00:00 am. Details can be found on https://www.beaver.ab.ca/residents/proposals-quotes or the Alberta Purchasing Connection website www.purchasingconnection.ca
2020 Strychnine Sales Due to the current circumstances with COVID-19, strychnine sales will be done by appointment only, beginning April 21, 2020. This can be arranged by calling 780-663-3730 and speaking with the Agriculture Department. Beaver County will be selling 2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate to farmers who are experiencing severe Richardson Ground Squirrel infestations in annual crops, forage crops, rangeland and pastures. **PRICE** $10.50 per 250 ml vial or $250.00 per case • MAXIMUM of two (2) cases may be purchased based on infestation level. • Legal land locations will be required for ALL areas intended for application. • Persons whose farming status is unknown to the County will be required to produce documentation that shows involvement in an active farming operation. Payment will ONLY be accepted by check or prearranged credit card payment.
The Tofield Mercury, Wednesday, April 22, 2020 - Page 11
I am a lifelong learner: Principal Muench Moush John Tofield Mercury
Tofield School Principal Janice Muench will embark on her doctoral degree next month at the University of Portland. Despite the uncertainty of the times and COVID-19 pandemic dictating how we live, Muench is determined to pursue her lifelong passion of learning. “I am a lifelong learner and have been seriously considering the pursuit of a PhD over the last ten years,” Muench said. “I was looking for the right fit as I wanted to be able to continue to work while completing another degree. I love
leadership and more than that, I love seeing students succeed in learning and in life. It is an area of passion for me. I recently became a Trainer for Reclaiming Youth International which was another long-standing dream.” When she found out that the University of Portland’s Ed. Doctoral Program supports an Edmonton cohort to complete studies on weekends and online, thereby allowing students to continue working, she knew that she had found a strong university program. According to Muench, when she attended Portland’s orientation and learned that their vision was
to ensure that every student finds meaning, success, and support in their schooling, she knew that she had found the “right fit” – the university and professors that embody what she believes in regarding instruction delivery. “My goal is to further my knowledge and understanding of how best to support all kids to succeed in school,” Muench stated. “Beyond that, I want to continue working in leadership roles, write a book, and continue to provide training to organizations in the area of supporting the most valuable resource in the whole wide world – our children.”
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Page 20 - The Tofield Mercury, Wednesday, April 22, 2020
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Section
COVID-19
B
ACTIVITY SECTION >Updates from Local Businesses >Activities Inside for all ages stuck at home >Effective Hygiene & Social Distancing Tips
Mercury LEADER The Tofield
THE LAMONT
Campbell McLennan
CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM
780-385-2121 Killam, AB
We are OPEN & here to serve you! Campbell McLennan Chrysler is taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone who visits us during these challenging times. In addition, we have changed the way we do business to provide the most stress-free experience possible. Our website (www.campbellmclennan.com) now has a “SHOP FROM HOME” option to allow you to do every part of the buying process from the comfort of home.
Both Sales and Service have pick-up and delivery options to allow our customers the greatest flexibility and show that you are our number one priority!
Take Care, Be Safe, Campbell McLennan Chrysler