The Page

When we saw the warning poster at Slave Lake’s Tourist Information Centre east of town that there were bears in the area last week, we never realized just how small the area in question was.
In fact we were shocked when we opened the attachment in an email note from Community Futures loans administrator Lilliane Bessett, whose office is in the same building as the TIC.
The note read ‘Who ever said that Fridays were boring? Check out the visitor we had this afternoon, at work.’
Enclosed was a picture of a black bear attempting to crawl into the bear-proof dumpster in the TIC yard.
Don’t know exactly what information the black guest was looking for in that dumpster, but we’d bet folding money that no one in the TIC rushed to roll out the welcome mat!
(Thanks for the picture that we trust you took from inside your warm and secure coffee room, Lilliane!)
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Also in the ‘we shudda known’ category is the size of this edition of The Leader. The advertisements that created the need for such a huge paper just happened to come rolling in while editor Joe was on holidays!!
(Ad manager (or not!), Kathie acted surprised, but we had serious doubts as she began planning her next vacation, then raced off to the bank with her commission cheque!)
Of course the impending municipal and school board elections should have provided a red flag or two. But when a former editor agreed to help out for another week, her head was obviously secured somewhere in retirement clouds. (We know, ‘Let’s have a pound of cheese to go with that whine!!!’)
On the positive side, however, elections almost invariably provide oodles of fodder for The Page.
Take for instance, one well known former hotel manager who shall remain nameless is threatening to “run for (Lesser Slave River M.D.) Reeve Denny Garratt’s job and then annex the Town!!!”
Perhaps that comment was ‘off the record’, as we say in the business, but when it comes to elections he should know that loose lips can be dangerous!!
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Former NHL wonder kid turned business mogul turned motivational speaker extraordinaire Ryan Walter is coming to Slave Lake.
Following a great hockey run where he became the youngest captain of an NHL team for his second of four seasons with the Washington Capitals, he played nine seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and won a Stanley Cup. He finally played two seasons in his home town with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship Intl.of Slave Lake has the honor of bringing Mr. Walter to town to deliver some of his famous leadership tips.
Mr. Gord Ferguson of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Association, had this to say about the event.
“You won’t believe this guy. He is an incredible speaker. Just incredible. I know everyone who attends will be really surprised.”
Walter retired from professional hockey in 1993 after playing over 1,000 games.
He then went on to co-found two start-up companies and became a TV hockey analyst for Rogers Sportsnet.
He wrote three books and has a Master of Arts degree in leadership and business. In case that wasn’t enough proof that the man is a go-getter, he invented the board game “Trade Deadline Hockey”, just to unwind!
Ryan will be at the SLN Friendship Centre on Sept. 13 at 6:30 pm.
Contact Gord at 849-4949, Dave Gaskell 849-6917 or Ron Wood at 849-6115 for tickets.