Editorial

Seniors - ours to cherish while we can

Sequestered somewhere deep in this community’s northeast is a pocket of expertise, caring and fun that’s waiting to be unveiled. And it’s also in danger of being lost forever – unless we take the time and make the time to listen.
It’s the niche that plays host to the Legion Manor and Vanderwell Heritage Place, home for some of Slave Lake’s most experienced residents.
To some they’re a gaggle of ‘old folks’, but when we peel back the many delicate and intricate layers, we discover a cluster of the most precious jewels filled with experience and untold knowledge. They’re our seniors, some of the most interesting members of the community But sadly, if we don’t take time to listen, their stories could be forever lost.
Many might be mere shadows of their former selves. But they’re the builders, the doers, the movers and shakers who have left indelible footprints in this community as it’s grown. And their stories simply ooze with vivid colour and intense excitement as they recall the old days. They’re the people who can tell you about the Slave Lake that for many years pitted itself against the neighbouring Kinuso in an effort to claim the title of ‘centre’ for the region.
They can tell you about the thousands of high quality richly coated mink that were housed in squat cages, essentially filling the Southshore communities that line Lesser Slave Lake. They’ll tell you about snowstorms that closed schools for days, if not weeks on end, and how the discovery of oil created a different kind of gold rush in this region.
They’ll tell you about the Charlie Schurters, the Gunnar Wahlstroms and the Cec Coughlins who were integral in making this community what it is today. And they’ll tell you about that young whippersnapper Leo Boisvert who would become Slave Lake’s first mayor.
Still others will tell the tale of how the community took on an entirely new face when the Second World War broke out in 1939 and so many local sons marched off to the beat of the Allied drum.
This week is Seniors’ week, and we can think of no tribute more fitting than taking the time to share some time with our seniors – a precious resource that’s desperately in danger of extinction.
Let’s appreciate and cherish them while they’re here.

No time for mad panic
Albertans who were so quick to push the panic button and swear off beef as a result of the mad cow scare should relax. Unless you’re a big fan of say illegal cow brains or spinal cord soufflé, chances are you’re in no danger of catching the human form of the malady. And you’re not helping the province’s cattle industry either.
We applaud the province’s quick response once the illness was detected and the system that’s been launched to ensure the industry can keep a close eye on every animal that’s a part of it. Kudos to those hard-working investigators who’ve burned the midnight and weekend oil nonstop since scientists delivered the mad cow prognosis.
But Premier Ralph Klein and his court would do well to remember that every bit of extra legislation, each additional regulation can only add more insurance for the multi-billion-dollar industry.
We hope that the ‘just one cow’ is simply that, a single cow that somehow contracted the disease spontaneously.
But until we have official word, until investigators uncover the entire mystery, Albertans everywhere should remember and support our beef producers and all the supporting cast – in thought and deed.