Editorial Yorkton This Week Finding the right words when writing an editorial is something newspapers are tasked with on a weekly basis, but sometimes it is simply impossible to find the right words to fit the situation. The news breaking last week that the remains of 215 children buried on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the Tk emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia had been discovered is such a situation. article continues below Obviously there is a great sadness that came with the announcement that 215 children taken from their parents to schools’ intent on stripping their youth of their First Nations identities, language, long hair, culture, parents all systematically stripped – would die and simply be buried on the school grounds and forgotten.
Spring Clean Up Week in the city was kicked off Thursday with some hands-on garbage picking. Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley, along with Councillors Randy Goulden, Dustin Brears, Quinn Haider and Darcy Zaharia teamed up to pick up garbage at the empty lot east of Walmart and south of the Dodge dealership yesterday. article continues below
Bylaw 10/2020, Part III requires that all candidates file a statement of election expenses/contributions with the Returning Officer no later than three months following the election date. The statement of Election Expenses and Contributions consists of a Statutory Declaration indicating the total campaign contributions and the total campaign expenses of the candidate; and a list of the names and amounts for each contributor in excess of $200.00 for the period after and including June 1, 2020. The document showed Mayor Mitch Hippsley received $4,627 in contributions, while having election expenses of $5,027. Mayoral candidate Aaron Kienle received $1,980 in contributions while having expenses of $3,226. Among the 15 candidates for Council C.V. Sastry was shown to receive the most contributions at $800, while 11 candidates showed no contribution dollars.
The sessions facilitated initial discussions regarding the direction of the 2021 Operational and 2021/2022 Capital Budgets, explained Jessica Matsalla – Director of Legislation and Procedures (City Clerk), with the City at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday. The Committee of the Whole Council voted on several recommendations to come forward for formal adoption at a future Regular Council Meeting, she said. Council would proceed Monday to pass those recommendations, although the details of what those recommendations might mean were scant. City Manager Lonnie Kaal said the recommendations came from pre-budget deliberations and were not binding in terms of the actual budget. “This was giving direction,” she said, in essence laying the foundation for Administration to work with to create a budget to be brought before Council in an open meeting for discussion and approval.
The four were approved by Yorkton Council at its regular meeting Monday. The Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association is a four province, non-profit association which was established in 1947 to promote the development, maintenance and use of the Yellowhead Corridor as vital to Canada’s national transportation and national unity. Their mandate is advocacy for the development, maintenance and enhancement of the Yellowhead Highway, and promotion of its benefits and assets to industry, tourists, governments and communities, explained Hippsley in making the recommendations. The City of Yorkton holds a membership in the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association. Councillor Randy Goulden had been appointed as the City of Yorkton’s representative since 2012. Councillor Goulden has indicated that she is willing to continue to serve in this capacity for the 2020-2024 Council term.