News

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• ATTENTION:  Due to sanitary concerns, all parks and playgrounds in Porcupine Plain will be CLOSED until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  For the safety of your family and others around us, refrain from using any and all playground equipment at this time!
• At this time, the Carwash & water pickup remains open.  Hours will be be 8a.m.  – 6p.m. and precautions & restrictions are in place for customer safety.
• Religious Services:
  • The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church will be live streaming masses with Bishop Albert on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince Albert Facebook Page.  Visit www.padiocese.ca for mass times.
  • The Redeemer Lutheran Church will be live streaming services on the Christ Lutheran Church of Tisdale SK Facebook Page.  Sermons can also be emailed upon request.
  • The Full Gospel Church will be live streaming services on the Porcupine Full Gospel Church Facebook Page.  
  • From the Porcupine Plain Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
    • Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have suspended meetings at the Kingdom Hall and are now having meetings online.  If you would like to join us, please call or text 306-278-3366 for more information.
    • We have to special meetings coming up.  On April 5th, a 30-minute special talk will be given worldwide, “Whose Leadership Can You Trust?”  It will be available to all on www.JW.org.  You can stream this talk anytime on April 5th.
    • Then we invite you all to the worldwide annual observance of Jesus Christ’s death on April 7th.  You can watch this 45-minute service on www.JW.org starting at 7:30p.m.  Last year, over 20,000,000 people observed this important event.  
    • Please be safe and take care of each other.
• Below is a listing of business closure and restrictions for Town of Porcupine Plain businesses.  (click image for larger view)

Amid the recent COVID-19 concerns, council is taking careful measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 within our municipality.  Our top priority at this time is to protect the health of our citizens and our staff.  This means limiting physical interactions.

It is natural that we worry about new threats to our health, and we suggest getting up-to-date information from reliable sources, including:  Health Canada, Saskatchewan Health, and World Health Organization.

The Town Office is open and operational at this time; that being said, the doors are closed unless absolutely necessary.  We are encouraging our staff to reduce the number of in-person meetings through alternatives such as video-conference, email, phone, or postponing to a later date.

We want to give our residents the reassurance that we are doing our very best to put the necessary precautions in place to assist in stopping the potential spread of the virus throughout our community.

We are specifically:

• Requesting all persons stay home if they feel sick or have been in contact with someone that has traveled outside of Canada
• Requesting that all employees and residents refrain from attending large events
• Replacing in-person meetings with telephone calls, emails, or video conferences to eliminate visitors coming into our office.
• Having our staff work remotely from home where possible.
• Cancelling non-essential business travel
• Mandating self-isolation for 14 days for those returning from travel outside the country for employees, and strongly suggesting all residents care enough about their neighbours to do the same
• Requesting residents pay their water bills or taxes (if 2019 taxes are not yet paid in full) through online banking.  One can also etransfer payments to porcupineplain@sasktel.net, but be sure to put your name in the comments field before sending.  Note that water bills are not due until the end of April, so there is no need to rush to the Town Office to get the bill paid.  As always, cheques may be mailed in for payments or dropped off in the drop-box on the North side of the Town Office.

This is an unprecedented situation that council is closely monitoring.  As the situation evolves, we will continue to respond and provide updates.  Please check back to our website for more information.  In the meantime, we wish you and your family the best of health, and we look forward to seeing you in-person in the near future.

See below COVID-19 fact sheets.  If you develop symptoms, call the HealthLine:  8-1-1 

Visit the Province’s newly launched Self-Assessment Tool to determine if you should be tested for COVID-19

Congratulations to Anna Bolvin, who on February 20th took second place in the 2020 Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race (8-Dog Team).  The Canadian Challenge sled dog race is a continuous mid-distance race held in Saskatchewan, following a route similar to that of the old sled dog trail used by trappers, the North West Mounted Police and First Nations community to travel between Prince Albert and La Ronge. The Canadian Challenge is the nation’s longest sled dog which starts, runs and finishes in Canada.  The race has attracted teams from across Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany, Serbia and Belgium. The Canadian Challenge is sponsored by the Gateway North Sled Dog Race Association, a non-profit organization that promotes traditional sled dog racing in Saskatchewan.

After the race, an awards ceremony was held, where Anna also received the ‘Best Kept Team (8-Dog) award; winners of this award are chosen by the event’s team of veterinarians, recognizing a level of extraordinary dog care.

The Marvin Powlowski Memorial Sled Dog Race was a huge success, despite low snow cover.  Carl and George Knudsen spent hours grooming the trails in preparation for the weekend event. Teams came from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Minnesota. A number of volunteers showed up to man road crossings, serve hot dogs, and help at the starting line.

A beautiful supper was provided to the teams and supporters, all cooked by Evelyn Powlowski. Stories were told and memories shared by Ed Jenkins, who was also the announcer at the race site.

Check out the January issue of The Chatter for all race standings and times.

Thank You to the community for coming out to watch and to volunteer, and to the sponsors who made this event
possible: Johnston Agencies, Knudsen Honey Inc., Affinity Credit Union, Parkland Co-op, Slobodian Pharmacy,
Althouse Honey, Tumax Service, Rumberger & Fettis Accounting, 2V Machining, Wheelers Transport, Dmytriw Welding, Porcupine Accounting, Thomasgard Drilling, Pet Food Service, Lintlaw Service, Vaughans Meats, Nutrien, & Tipsy’s Sports Bar. Your support is greatly appreciated!

The annual Santa Day (hosted by Parkland Co-op) and the Christmas Market (presented by the Porcupine & Area Farmers Market) was held on Saturday, December 7th.  Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Kids’ Club Crafts, and Sleigh Rides kept the kids busy all afternoon, while over 30 vendors set up at the Farmers Market, ensuring everyone on your Christmas List was taken care of, and Margret Scott served up another great Farmers Market lunch!

The Winners of the 2019 Christmas Cash Shop Local Promotion were drawn during the day’s festivities.    Congratulations go out to Ruth Chorney, Claudette Grona, John Pinder, and Mario Alibaya, who each won $100 in Christmas Cash; to Olive Fettis, Macheala Read, and Rylie Willerton, who each won $250 in Christmas Cash; and to our Big Winner, Denita Bratton, who won the grand prize of $500 in Christmas Cash!

The Christmas Cash promotion is sponsored by Parkland Co-op, Slobodian Pharmacy, Affinity Credit Union, Fields, Caroline’s Restaurant, Family Chiropractic & Wellness, Just an Inch, Porcupine Plaza, the Porcupine Motel, and Kapoor Selnes & Klimm, as well as the Porcupine Plain Economic Development Committee.  The Christmas Cash prizes can be spent any of the participating merchants between now and June 30, 2020.

Thank you to the participating merchants who make this promotion possible, and to the community for shopping locally this Christmas — when you Shop Local, you invest in your own community and keep your local economy strong!