Young receives Okimaw Humility Award

Lloydminster’s Mike Young is still in shock after receiving the 2024 Okimaw Award for Humility.

The third-annual Okimaw Awards took place at Edmonton City Hall on Nov. 16. The awards celebrate and acknowledge Indigenous men throughout Alberta for contributions in various fields.

There are seven disciplines associated with the award, which include humility, honesty, respect, courage, wisdom, truth and love.

Young was honoured with the Okimaw Award for Humility for the work he does to empower others, specifically Indigenous people.

“The award is recognition for making a difference in people’s lives, especially Indigenous people,” said Young on Nov. 19, explaining the word Okimaw means Chief or leader.

“I just want to improve the quality of life of our Indigenous people, and I’m doing that by trying to help them out of that generational rut Indigenous people are in,” he said.

Young explained the work of his company, Empowered Knowledge Working Academy (EWKA), got him on Okimaw’s radar through a nomination process.

“I teach and empower people to work in the oil and gas industry and support them in their new careers,” he said.

“My company trains people, but we also bring any related equipment to the reserve and train people in the comfort of their own homes. We guarantee employment at the end of training. With that employment comes post-employment training that goes indefinitely.”

Postal strike drags on

Postal workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) remain on the picket line nearly two weeks after announcing strike action.

They are striking in Lloydminster in front of the post office on 49 Street.

They provided a list of grievances with Canada Post, including unfulfilled promises, inadequate pay, and increased
workloads.

According to Frank John Trach, a carrier since 1994, the strike has been a long time coming.

“Our last contract expired in 2020, and when COVID hit, Canada Post asked us to extend the agreement. They promised to address issues after the pandemic, but those promises went out the window,” he said.

Jenna Wilson, a letter carrier and union member since 2018, criticized the corporation’s management decisions.

“They claim losses of $74 million, blaming workers. But in reality, it’s investments like new processing plants and electric vehicles,” she noted. “They’ve also expanded delivery points but reduced staff, making our jobs more dangerous.”

The strike has significantly impacted workers.

“We have no benefits, and we’re not getting paid,” Wilson stated. “The union provides $56 a day, but that’s hardly enough.”

Trach echoed her sentiment, adding, “I lose my wages and vehicle allowance. If Canada Post had negotiated in good faith, we wouldn’t be here.”

PJs to comfort women in recovery at Thorpe

Women striving for sobriety at Thorpe Recovery Centre will feel extra comfort thanks to a donation from La Vie en Rose.

On Nov. 21, La Vie en Rose’s Barb Grabowski, Stasha Hartman and Ashley Reeves gifted the centre 96 pairs of pajamas.

The PJs will stock the centre’s Second Chance Closet, a resource many clients use for a sense of normalcy and comfort.

“Everyone deserves a second chance, so we wanted to fill the closet,” said Grabowski, noting the PJ campaign supported organizations across the country. “It feels really good to spread the warmth to people in need, especially this time of year.”

Each La Vie en Rose location across Canada chose who would receive PJs. Grabowski explained the local store chose Thorpe Recovery Centre as they felt there was a need.

Raiders reign supreme with provincial win

The Holy Rosary Raiders capped off a historic season on Saturday, Nov. 23, by defeating the Cochrane Cobras 22–3 in the Alberta Bowl, securing their third consecutive 3A provincial championship. Playing in frigid conditions, the Raiders showcased their dominance on both sides of the ball in Grande Prairie.

The Raiders’ journey to the title began with a 55–0 win over the Sylvan Lake Lakers in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, they overwhelmed the St. Paul Lions 53–0 in the Northern Championship, setting the stage for a showdown with the Cobras.

The Alberta Bowl match up was a clash of two powerhouse programs. The Cobras brought experience and confidence. However, Holy Rosary’s balanced attack and stifling defence proved insurmountable.

At a victory celebration on Nov. 25, head coach Vince Orieux credited preparation and team cohesion for the win.

“Our kids were focused and ready to battle the elements; they were all over the field making plays,” Orieux said. “We had a great game plan, and our players executed it perfectly. Defence held Cochrane to just two first downs in the first half. That’s unheard of.”

Bringing health and wellness downtown

Lloydminster’s downtown will soon see elevated wellness thanks to a new business.

Human Habits will be moving into the downtown offering a variety of wellness services. Co-owners Crystal Gunderson and Sherry Boyer always wanted to have a healing centre.

“We were looking, we are in a group of women it’s called Wellness Pro Academy, we had gone down to Wyoming for an annual retreat where we get together and kind of brainstorm and talk about what we want to do and where we’re going and what kind of impact we want to make,” explained Gunderson. “We’ve talked about doing some sort of healing centre in the future, we’re talking about what it could look like and what we thought it would be.”

The place they had their sights set on in Lloydminster’s downtown was off the market until they saw an Instagram story.

“We’re home for a couple days and lo and behold, Jill’s (Kelly) Instagram story pops up saying that they’re looking for someone to lease it,” said Gunderson.

The pair always had their eye on a spot downtown being inspired by such a historic location next to Red Bicycle Communications.