The Prairie Sky Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for WMBEXA 2020, but time is running out!

Nominating a business for a WMBEXA award is a fantastic way to recognize your favourite business you feel is doing something special. Nominating a business couldn't be easier – simply provide Prairie Sky Chamber of Commerce with the business name, contact information, and if you choose, a quick description of what makes them excellent.

Nominate three businesses and have your name entered for a chance to win a VIP package for the WMBEXA Gala on Friday, May 2, 2020. Self nominations are encourage and accepted; however, they will not be eligible for the VIP draw.

Nomination period will close Friday, December 13 at 5pm. Nominees will be notified by the end of December 2019. Finalists in the following categories will be announced mid-March with the WMBEXA Gala taking place Saturday, May 2, 2020.

Here are the categories:

Business of the Year - A business that has been in operation 5+ years as of December 31, 2019 that demonstrates all-around excellence, shows growth and profitability, and acts as a role model for other businesses.

Non-Profit of the Year - Celebrates the valuable contributions non-profit organizations make to the Warman, Martensville and surrounding area. It recognizes organizations that serve and promote the community through time involvement, energy and volunteer hours spent. This award will be given to an organization whose example demonstrates excellence in the enthusiastic support and promotion of the community.

Community Involvement - A business demonstrating exceptional performance in its support of the arts and culture, amateur sports, education, health care, volunteer groups, and/or overall community well-being.

New Business - A business that has been in operation 1-3 years as of December 31, 2019. The business must show positive performance in terms of current or expected profitability, job creation and/or entry into new markets.

Customer Service - The Award for Customer Service goes to a business with a proven record of delivering outstanding service to its customers/clients.

Employer of the Year - Employer of the Year recognizes a business for their commitment to offering an exceptional workplace for their employees. A high level of importance is placed on cultivating a happy healthy work environment for their staff. The business exemplifies excellence in its employee focus, which could include:  job creation, diversity of hiring, training and support programs, morale initiatives, recognition & rewards programs, workplace wellness and a commitment to professional and personal development.

Micro Enterprise of the Year - Micro Enterprise of the Year is in recognition of a small business or organization with 1-5 employees that has demonstrated significant business achievement, growth, and/or other significant business milestones in the past year, as well as community involvement

Nominations can be submitted by visiting the Prairie Sky Chamber website and clicking on the Nominate Now badge.

The following is the local media release for the Warman Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the week of November 25, 2019 to December 02, 2019.

Police received 125 calls for service from November 25, 2019 to December 02, 2019.

Warman RCMP that the SASKATCHEWAN CRIME WATCH ADVISORY NETWORK is operating. Sign up at www.saskcrimewatch.ca to receive crime watch notifications.

If you have information regarding this or any other crime, please contact Warman/Martensville RCMP at 306-975-1670/306-975-1610 or if you have information and you wish to remain anonymous in your reporting, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a tip via their website: http://saskcrimestoppers.com/ or text in a tip: TIP206 + your tip to CRIMES (274637).

Toy Drive until December 10
Help ensure that every child in our community has a new gift to open on Christmas morning. Please support the Wagon Wheel Restaurant’s annual Toy Drive by dropping off new, unwrapped toys, games or books for kids ages two to 12 to be included in the Warman Food Bank Christmas Hampers. Each hamper includes a gift for each child of the family receiving the hamper. Donations will be graciously accepted until December 10.

Breakfast with Santa!
On Saturday, December 7 between 8:30 and 10:30 am, meet Santa! Kids can get their photos taken with Santa and his trusty Elf while the whole family can enjoy a great breakfast. What better way to spend a Saturday morning and help get into the spirit of Christmas, including the spirit of giving! Bring your donation for the Toy Drive and help the Wagon Wheel fill the Christmas Toy Trunk. For the last 10 years Warman has shown great support of this event – let’s make sure this year is no different!

Bring the whole family to the Wagon Wheel at 520 Central Street West in Warman on Saturday morning, meet Santa and his Elf and start (or continue!) a great Christmas tradition you can enjoy for years to come.

If you missed Tuesday’s musical performance of The Little Mermaid Jr by Warman High School’s drama club, you’ll want to be sure to attend the final public performance on Thursday evening. You can purchase tickets at the door for the play. Be there by 6:45 to get a seat for the 7 pm show.

This captivating musical is a beautiful love story for all ages, adapted from Disney’s motion picture of The Little Mermaid and Disney’s Broadway production which is based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories. It tells the tale of the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, yearning to leave her underwater home to live in the world above to be with Prince Eric, who is searching for the source of the enchanting voice he hears. But in order to leave her fins behind and become human she has to defy her father, King Triton and make a deal with Ursula, the evil sea witch.

The reviews from the performances this week are extremely positive using words such as “Amazing” and “Fantastic.” Some say that it is the best musical done so far at WHS. Ms. Heaney, the musical production director, says “I cried at the end of every show. They did so well!”

Ticket prices are: $15 for adults and high school students and $10 for elementary and middle school students. Preschoolers are free.

Black Friday is almost here and it’s the best time to get in on some great deals on gifts for your loved ones or something special for yourself. Warman has a great array of shopping opportunities and some of the businesses on Central Street and South Warman have come together to create a unique shopping experience along with a chance to win a fantastic prize!

On Thursday and Friday of this week (November 28 and 29), stop in at any one of the participating businesses to pick up your PASSPORT. (See the map if you need help finding any of them.) Each business will mark your passport when you come in for a visit and look around. Take the opportunity to see what they have to offer, even though no purchase is necessary. Once you have made your way to all of the businesses, leave your fully marked passport at the last location you visited. You will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a whopping $400 in gift certificates.

Jenn Martin, the owner of Clothing Obsession, came up with the idea. She says, “I think it's really important to get everyone in the community out and about for a couple of evenings to visit, enjoy treats and do a little Christmas shopping. I know for myself, I really enjoy seeing my customers that I've had for over 10 years and meeting our new customers. I'm very appreciative of everyone who "Thinks Local" by stopping in, calling or reaching out on social media to see if we have what they're looking for.

Opening hours on Thursday and Friday vary depending on the business, but run until 8 pm on Thursday and 9 pm on Friday. Participating businesses are:  First and First Boardshop (620 Central Street W), de Amore Boutique, Bodacious Bustlines Bras and Lingerie and The Wagon Wheel Family Restaurant (all in Warman Plaza, 520 Central Street W), Clothing Obsession (103 Central Street W), Diamond Centre Pharmacy (102 Central Street W), Passions Beauty Studio, The Barber Corner (106 Central Street E) and Atlas Outdoors Cycle and Recreation (521 Neufeld Street).

Don’t battle Black Friday crowds in the big city when virtually everything you need can be found right here in Warman. Not only will you be able to relax and enjoy the shopping experience wandering in and out of the shops on Central Street and south Warman, you can avoid frustrating traffic and take advantage of ample free parking. Those are some pretty great perks and you may be able to get everything checked off your Christmas shopping list while supporting our local businesses. Not to mention you might be the lucky winner of the gift card prize!

Distracted driving will soon come with much heavier penalties, especially if you are a repeat offender (within 12 months of the first offence). According to The Traffice Safety Act, Distracted Driving is defined as:  “No driver shall hold, view, use or manipulate electronic communications equipment (cell phone) while driving a motor vehicle on a highway,” (Section 241.1(2)) or “No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway without due care and attention.” (Section 213 (1)).

As of February 1, 2020, a first offence for distracted driving will be a $580 ticket plus four demerits, a second offence (within a year of the first offence) will cost you $1,400 plus an additional four demerits, plus your vehicle being immediately seized and impounded for seven days. You will be responsible for the cost of towing and impound fees (approximately $400 minimum). A third offence within 12 months of the first conviction gets really pricey with a $2,100 ticket, four more demerits and another vehicle seizure of seven days. Keep in mind the demerits can cost you additional penalties - $50 for every point below zero on the SGI Safe Driver Recognition scale. This is up from the current ticket cost of $280 plus four demerits, with vehicle impounding for repeat offences.

Cell phone use while driving in Saskatchewan that involves holding, viewing or manipulating a hand-held cellphone or mobile device is prohibited. If you are an experienced driver (no longer in the Graduated Driver Licensing program), you may use hands-free cellphones activated with voice commands or one-touch and are mounted on the visor, dashboard, or in a cradle. But distracted driving does not only mean cell phone use - it can include common distractions such as adjusting the radio, eating or drinking, grooming, smoking, or being distracted by other people or pets in the vehicle or something happening outside of the vehicle.

Driving distracted is one of the major reasons for vehicle collisions, injuries and fatalities in Saskatchewan. It’s not worth it - keep your phones and any other distractions put away and pay attention while you are driving! Do your part to help keep everyone safer on the road.

For some residents of a long term care home, the holiday season can seem especially lonely. For those who don’t have family close by or don’t have visitors, it means that they are alone through the holidays and will not receive a personal gift. One Warman resident, Kerry Boutros, would like to bring a smile to the faces of all the residents at the Warman Mennonite Special Care Home this holiday season. She is asking the public in Warman to help with her goal of each senior resident of the home receiving a gift this Christmas to let them know they are special and not alone.

“For me, Christmas has always been a time for reaching out, helping and serving others,” says Boutros. “I have no surviving grandparents anymore so this is my motivation. I want to bring joy to the seniors of Warman. Some of them spend the holidays somewhat alone due to weather, distance or heath issues. I want them to know that they are special and deserve happiness during the holidays.”

There are 23 women and 9 men living at the Warman Mennonite Special Care Home and Boutros says her goal is for each of them to receive a gift for Christmas. She is thrilled with the response so far after posting her request for donations on several local Facebook pages. “The Warman community is so generous and so kind. Donations have been coming in along with heartfelt stories: someone’s parent lived there in the past, they recently lost grandparents too, or their children want to donate their allowance. It has been an overwhelming and joyful few days,” Boutros says.

If you would like to help, you have several options including gifts, cash or even homemade Christmas cards. “People can decide what they would like to donate as long as it’s scent-free and no candy or food due to dietary restrictions,” Boutros explains. “Some people find it easier to donate cash and I do the shopping. If they are low on funds, I have had people donate Christmas cards to give to the seniors. I have also had a few people want to make up a gift bag themselves, which is great!” She truly appreciates all donations and is so grateful to the many caring and generous people in Warman. Helping our seniors is such a wonderful way to give back to our community.

Donations can be made by emailing Kerry at [email protected] or reaching out to her on Facebook.

The following is the local media release for the Warman Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the week of
November 11, 2019 to November 18, 2019.
​
Police received 157 calls for service from November 11, 2019 to November 18, 2019.

If you have information regarding this or any other crime, please contact Warman/Martensville RCMP at 306-975-1670/306-975-1610 or if you have information and you wish to remain anonymous in your reporting, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a tip via their website: http://saskcrimestoppers.com/ or text in a tip: TIP206 + your tip to CRIMES (274637).