Thursday, February 26, 2026
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
VOLUME 8 I ISSUE 36
What’s inside
RAIDERS MINE PROVINCIAL GOLD
Ukrainians mark four years of war
3
Lloydminster Ukrainians rallied at city hall over the weekend.
A puuuurrrrfect fundraiser
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Border Paws Animal Shelter hosted Meowdi Gras last week.
Lancers punch playoff ticket
13-14
Lloydminster wins pair to gain U18 AAA post-season berth.
Holy Rosary High School mixed curling team’s skip Jax Robson (right) and second John Winter continue to sharpen their on-ice skills at the Lloydminster Curling Centre on Feb. 23 after earning provincial gold with teammates Kayleigh Reiniger and Maria Gebhardt. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source TAYLOR WEAVER EDITOR
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The gold medal drought is over for the Raiders. Holy Rosary High School has reclaimed its place atop the podium, capturing mixed curling gold at the School Sport Alberta curling provincials, Feb. 16 to 21 in Slave Lake. Just as the 2026 Winter Olympics were wrapping up, the Raiders, comprised of skip Jax Robson, third Kayleigh Reiniger, second John Winter and lead Maria Gebhardt, were authoring a golden finish of their own — returning home to Lloydminster as provincial champions. For coaches Dale Howland, Laurie Makichuk and Hanna Baynton, the victory was both a culmination and a privilege. “Being a coach is something that’s an honour,” said Howland, who has coached on and off at Holy Rosary since 2008. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Laurie Makichuk and her husband,
Dusty, who’s the coach at Lakeland College.” The week in Slave Lake tested more than just shot-making ability. Extreme cold gripped much of Alberta, with Howland noting one day ranked among the coldest in North America. Originally slated to feature 10 teams, the championship was reduced to eight after two southern Alberta squads were unable to travel due to weather. Still, the competition was fierce. “The competition was very tough,” said Howland. “Any of those eight teams could have made it to the final, but it just so happened that Holy Rosary raised the bar and curled extremely well.” The Raiders met Lethbridge in the gold-medal final, capping off what Howland described as a week of steady growth and composure from his rink. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
colleen.young@sasktel.net
306-825-5550
Colleen Young
MLA for Lloydminster Constituency