LMT_Jan_16_2022_Vol_116_issue_04

2 lmtimes.ca • Last Mountain Times • Monday, January 16, 2023
R.M. of Mount Hope No. 279
TENDER - INVITATION TO
GRAVEL CRUSH
GRAVEL CRUSH TENDER:
Sealed tenders will be received by RM 279 until 4:00 p.m. CST,
on Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, for the clean up of an existing
gravel pit during Spring 2023. Crushing and stockpiling of up to
8,000 cubic yards to clean up of Type 108 3/4” crushed road
gravel. Aggregate will have to be hauled from multiple locations
within the gravel pit to meet the approximate yardage. Yards are an
approximation as this crush is a clean up of the pit. Bidders should
refer to section 4300 of Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and
Infrastructure Standard Specifications Manual to determine what
sieves and other equipment will be used in the crushing.
Aggregate shall be taken from the Pickrell Pit, being the SW 07-29-
19 W2, located 4 miles north and 2 miles east of Semans. Please
contact the Municipal Office for further specifications, bid forms,
and instructions. Bidders are responsible for inspecting the site
to determine the nature of aggregate to be crushed. Bidders may
separately pile any stone too large for crushing for RM 279 to use
as rip rap.
EVERY TENDER SHALL INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
• A copy of a letter of good standing with WCB.
• An expected start and finish date (no later than October
31st, 2023).
• It is expected that this will be a summer crush due to there
being a water table located in this pit.
• A breakdown of all costs associated with this crush using our
Bid Form.
The successful bidder will be required to indemnify and save
harmless RM 279 against any and all claims arising from the crush
and provide proof of insurance naming RM 279 as an insured party
prior to being awarded the final contract.
Sealed tenders shall also contain prices for the following services
which may be provided at the option of RM 279:
• extra conveyor(s) may be required for stockpiling
**It is STRONGLY recommended that bidders view gravel
site prior to submitting a bid**
RM 279 will evaluate all bids based on price, estimated completion
date, and size of jaw to be used. The lowest or any bid not
necessarily accepted.
All bids will be opened and considered at RM 279’s February 7th,
2023, Council Meeting.
R.M. of Mount Hope No. 279
Box 190, Semans, SK S0A 3S0
Contact: Jordan Johnson, Foreman
(306) 524-2055 (ph.)(306) 524-4526 (fax)
Alternate Contact:
Brian Jordan, Reeve
(306) 746-7079
Canada welcomes
historic number of
newcomers in 2022
Government reaches target of 431,645
new permanent residents
January 3, 2023—Ottawa—Canada has experienced one
of the fastest recoveries from the pandemic, thanks in large
part to our approach to immigration. Newcomers enrich our
communities, and contribute to our economy by working,
creating jobs and supporting local businesses. Recognizing
CONTINUES ON PAGE 8
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster:
The Solutions We Have
and the Breakthroughs We
Need
BARRY A. MITSCHKE’S: VALLEY VIEWS
January, 2023
Almost 20 years have passed since I wrote “Climate Change I” (p2003.05.01 NWP) for
the local newspaper. You can read this again in my book Qu’Appelle Valley Views
Volume 1: Perspectives on Life, Living and Lifestyles (2022), pages 77-81. It is time to
write “Climate Change II,” albeit using the title of a new landmark book. But first, let me raise
some other ideas!
Did Suncor and Exxon (and other members of Big Oil) disregard warnings of climate change
going back to the 1960s and lead a “conspiracy of doubt”? Richard Martin Stern’s excellent science
fiction (maybe faction) story called Power (1976) reveals a clash between energy sources.
Coal mining versus a pilot atomic breeder reactor in New Mexico. Dr. James Hansen (NASA
scientist) before the USA Senate in 1988 “… argued ‘with 99% confidence’ that humankind was
already altering the atmosphere through its rising emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs)”
(quoted by Dembicki, p.67 --- see below). Al Gore’s eloquent 416-page, lusciously-illustrated-indexed-landmark
book Our Choice. A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis (2009) covers 18
chapters in six sections: The Crisis; Our Sources of Energy; Living Systems; How We Use Energy;
The Obstacles We Need to Overcome; and, Going Far Quickly. (One needs to read Chapter
16, “Political Obstacles,” for sure! As a retired politician, Gore reveals the world of political
inaction and why it happens in the USA. How about the political will in Canada?)
Let us fast forward to 2022 in Saskatchewan. For some time, there has been considerable
talk knowing that we mine and burn lignite coal for about 50% of our base energy needs
versus the possibility of getting Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs) in the future (by
2030?) --- to replace the coal mining and the miners. (Note that “greenwashing” has left out
the N-word, “Nuclear,” so the government and industry use the acronym SMRs!) Unless we
can develop mass storage for wind and solar power, and more homes use geothermal (or?),
what are the alternatives? Stay posted; we live in interesting times!
Again, this past year, we were surrounded by events (increasing in intensity, frequency, and
duration) caused by the world’s climate change crisis: COVID-19 continues; Hurricane Fiona
through the Maritimes; other hurricanes, tornadoes, and typhoons; wildfires in the Canadian
West and Europe; extreme rainfall dumps and flooding in BC; loss of habitat, especially forests
and wetlands; heat domes; extreme winter weather; etc. What if this past summer’s severe
drought with grasshopper pests in some parts of SW Saskatchewan expanded to the full extent
of “Palliser’s Triangle”? for 7-10 years as in the “Dirty 30s”? as in Syria (all the refugees since
2010)? ... or as in California for seven years (water crisis; almond crops destroyed)? Agriculture
in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba would be a disaster! (Do we all suffer from
psychic numbing?)
Bill Gates is one of the world’s smartest and richest human beings. His 2021 book, How
to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We
Need, is another must-read for everyone. Especially for Climate Change deniers and politicians!
The back cover synopsis says this:
CONTINUES ON PAGE 16
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