Your news this week: Lamont High School grad coverage - 10/11 Andrew Rural Academy has 1st grads - 2/4 Chipman car show now September 13 - 17 OPINION: Concessions needed soon - 6
Proud to be an Independent CANADIAN Publication
FREE
www.LamontLeader.com
Vol. 21, No. 36, Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Lamont High School Class of 2026 hear about the values of time BY JOHN MATHER The class of 2026 graduated from Lamont High School on June 6. Every year dignitaries representing the school board and various communities across Lamont County arrive to offer their congratulations to the graduating class. This year was no different, but several of the dignitaries took the time to indicate to the students that they too had sat on the very stage and graduated as Lamont High students several years prior. Ron Ewasiuk, the Mayor of Bruderheim, delivered an inspired speech to the graduates focussing on their graduation theme. “I’m having flashbacks,” he began. “I’ve seen a pair of platform shoes that I used to have. It’s amazing.” He thanked the class for his invitation. “When I heard the theme, ‘Don’t Wait, The Time Will Never be Just Right,' I thought what a beautiful, important message. “Really because it comes down to one simple thing - time. We talk about time all the time, don’t we?” he asked.
“Just a second; hold on a minute; days fly by; in an instant,; or one of my favourites, in a split second. “Because a split second can change everything,” he said. “The smallest moment can lead you in a completely different direction. It can shape your path or even change your life.” He referred back to his time as a Lamont student and the teachers who offered their lessons to him. “They shaped my life and taught me to appreciate my time here. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it, but now reflecting back, yes, they changed my life.” He also added he thought about the simple time, when he could run home for lunch just around the corner from the school. “I lived across the street from the basketball courts,” he said. “And my mom still lives there. She’s 92 years old and has watched everything you guys have done in the past few years,” he said to laughter from the graduates. “And she’s watched what your parents did too.” Continued on Page 11
Valedictorian Taylor Fossum
Taylor Fossum carries on family tradition as Lamont valedictorian BY JOHN MATHER For the second year in a row, it was a Fossum who delivered the valedictorian speech to the graduating class of 2026. In 2025, Taylor Fossum’s sister, Camryn, was a co-valedictorian along with classmate Gabrielle Wendorff. Both years, the valedictorian speeches were brief. On June 6, Taylor Fossum thanked the crowd of parents, family members and guests for joining the class in the auditorium. “Growing up in a small town many of us grew up knowing each other,”
she began. “We spent countless hours together in classes, on teams, and shaping the memories which have made us who we are today.” “As we move forward, I hope you are all excited about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.” She added there were also some disappointments that were better off forgotten. “I know there are things we will miss some day,” she stated. “They could be friends, teachers, coaches or others. But to get to where they were to go in their next steps, she wanted to thank
those who had guided the students to where they were on that stage on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. “I want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to our teachers, our parents, for challenging us, supporting and watching us walk across this stage today.” Personally, she thanked her own family, for pushing her to achieve the level she had risen to as valedictorian. “So thank you, to my mom, my dad, and my sister Camryn.” She thanked the Lamont community for supporting the students through their fan support, through their fundraising efforts and for offering
support wherever they could. “Each of us have faced challenges and obstacles along the way but being here today shows we have been able to overcome them. “The next steps moving forward may feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. But that just means there’s more to learn and achieve. “I hope as we leave and begin our next journeys – I hope we carry with us the lessons we’ve learned, the relationships we’ve built and the confidence to pursue our goals without waiting for the perfect moment. “Thank you.”