Bassano, Alberta
www.desertsales.ca
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403-641-4508
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America) • Orbit
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(403) 526-0187
Hwy #1 - 3 kms east of
Medicine Hat, AB
40267667•03/27/09
Over 100 Trailers to choose from
www.sterlingtrailer.ca
40267668•03/27/09 625 - 11th St. • Bassano, AB
EAST EDITION
Friday, March 20, 2009
PRAIRIE LIFE, PRAIRIE PEOPLE
Check out agricultural
information that’s
important to you.
At home with Southern Alberta and
Southw
At home with Southern
Paestgern Saskes 14-17atchew
Alberta f
an F
armers
armers
Inside
this week
Sports section
Basketball season has
wrapped up in Chinook
School Division; Swift
Current’s curling club hosted
a successful ladies’bonspiel;
the Swift Current Broncos
are ready to face off against
the Medicine Hat Tigers in
playoffs. Pages 18-22
Photos by Elizabeth Huber
The Great Sandhills Railway’s first train embarked on its maiden voyage down the line adjacent to Highway 32. It was pulled by a leased
Canadian Pacific Locomotive, but the new company is looking into purchasing a modern energy efficient model. Decked out in banners and
Canadian flags the train made a brief stop just outside of Swift Current to allow officials to celebrate before continuing the approximately
eight-hour trip to Leader. The first GSR train consisted of approximately 20 grain empties and another 18 tank cars destined for Burstall.
Sagebrush Studios
It’s an exciting year for artists
Dean and Fran Francis who
reside near Empress
Saskatchewan budget has slight surplus
Page 10
BY ELIZABETH HUBER The overall amount of tax paid by property forming policy that delivers education at an
SASKATCHEWAN tax owners will be cut to $103 million, or a 14 appropriate level,” said Krawetz.
Another year of big spending and cuts
per cent reduction compared to last year and The provincial mill rate model may cut
to education property taxes were the
the provincial government will increase its property taxes province-wide, but in
flavour of the day on Wednesday when the
share of funding to school divisions by $241 municipalities where mill rate factors have
million. been used to shift the tax burden from
Is proud to be an
Saskatchewan Government announced
the 2009 budget at the Saskatchewan
By next year, the government hopes to fund agricultural to commercial, they may see some
award-winning Legislature.
about $66 per cent of the operating costs of categories increase.
newspaper serving
The budget has revenues of $10.6 billion
pre-kindergarten to Grade 12. Potential agriculture land increases should
your community
and expenditures of $10.2 billion leaving a
“The amount of dollars that will then be in be adjusted by next year said Saskatchewan
small surplus of $400 million. The capital
the budget of the school division will then be Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer, when the
budget is set at $1 billion taking the province’s
the responsibility of the school division,” said provincial mill rate for agriculture land is
two-year capital expenditures to $2.5 billion.
Ken Krawetz minister of education. dropped to 3.91 mills.
A big change from previous years, the
“We are now talking about how we will fund That adjustment to education property taxes
document shows the government has altered
education ... governance continues under the should help producers in the southwest, said
the funding system for Pre-Kindergarten to
same model,” he added. MLA Wayne Elhard.
Grade 12 education and taken on more
“There are boards of education who believe “I have told many of my agricultural, and
2008 WINNER
financial responsibility.
autonomy means the ability to set their mill particularly cattle producers, in the months
The province will set province-wide tax rates
rates and that is not something that is previous that this was the direction we
for the three property classes — residential,
enforced anymore. wanted to go as a government,” said Elhard.
commercial and agricultural.
“(Education boards) will now concentrate on Continued on Page 2
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JUST THINK... THE CONDO COULD BE YOURS get your
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hance to
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HURR
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DRAW DATE: Saturday, April 4th, 2009.
Y - LIMITED
TICKETS
Ever
y Frida
y Night
TICKETS: $50.
00
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00
REMAINING!!!
erf
orming -
Live Bands P
y!
Help support the Moose Family Centre caring for our community for 97yrs.
Bring the Entire famil
For more information and to purchase your tickets please call the Moose Lodge Office: (403) 527-3227
40267845•03/17/09
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