From left, Mary Lee Prior, Liese McIntyre, Robert Snow, and Aiyana Thompson. Photo Lorna Hamilton Town of Vermilion officials gathered on February 19 to celebrate the official ribbon cutting and plaque presentation for The Mane Lounge, a hair salon owned and operated by Liese McIntyre at 5105 – 50th Ave. The event welcomed Town of Vermilion Mayor Robert Snow, Town of Vermilion Economic Development Manager Mary Lee Prior, and Vermilion Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ai

From left, LIons Clulb members Peter Clark and Tyson Tschauner, Bobbi-jo Sweeney, and Lions member Sam Alhalabi. Photo Lorna Hamilton On February 20, Cornerstone Co-op Liquor Manager Bobbi-Jo Sweeney graciously presented a cheque in the amount of $274.65 to Vermilion Lions Club members Secretary/Treasurer Peter Clark, Tyson Tschauner, and Sam Alhalabi in support of the club’s Santa Anonymous project. “The Cornerstone Liquor Store has a strong tradition of supporting Santa’s A

Each year, curlers from around Central Alberta came to Vermilion to take part in the popular Vermilion Bonspiel in the hopes of capturing the Alberta Hotel Cup. At the end of February 1919, the bonspiel saw several close and exciting games. There were about 20 rinks that entered the bonspiel, with seven coming from outside of Vermilion. One was the McClung Rink from Edmonton. I don’t know if the skip of that rink was related to Nellie McClung, but it is possible. There were a

On February 7th, at the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies (AAAS) Convention in Edmonton, the Wasylik family of Chatsworth Farm were one of the 2025 Northern Alberta Farm Family award recipients, nominated by the County of Vermilion River. For Rick and Johanna Wasylik, who started farming together in 1994 the year after Rick bought the land, and their children Charlotte, Nick, and Alex, who now farm with them, the Farm Family Award recognizing Chatsworth Farm is a

A good cattle dog is a treasure on a working ranch. We have had Border Collies for most of our ranching years. Their herding nature requires them to be active, alert, independent thinking, and responsive. Tubby was one such a dog. We bought him as a pup, he was the biggest one in the litter and stayed a “roly-poly” for awhile (hence the name). His cattle instincts showed up in the first year of his life. He would display “eye,” stalking, or circling behaviors around his litte

The countdown is officially on. From March 26 to 29, the Peace Memorial Multiplex in Wainwright will be buzzing with the best U13AA hockey talent in the province as the 2026 U13AA Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships come to town. And leading the charge as host team are the red-hot U13AA Wainwright Polar Kings. The Polar Kings are of the top teams in Alberta. Currently ranked second overall out of 45 U13AA teams in the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL), the Polar Kings si

The Vegreville Wildlife Federation’s annual Gun and Accessory Show proved once again to be a strong draw for outdoor enthusiasts, collectors, and community members, as steady crowds filled the Vegreville Social Centre throughout the weekend. The two-day event welcomed visitors from Vegreville and surrounding communities, all eager to browse the wide selection of merchandise on display. From firearms and ammunition to optics, knives, and outdoor accessories, the show offered s

Our chickens have been laying a few more eggs than we can use, so it was time to pickle a few. This recipe works in the winter, and in the summer. I like to add fresh dill from the garden. If your pickling spice has cloves it will turn the brine tea coloured, and that is fine. If you want a clear brine, then you will have to pick the cloves out of the pickling spice. To hard boil eggs, place your eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the e

On February 17, Council for the Town of Vermilion held its regularly scheduled meeting in Council Chambers and via Zoom, addressing a wide range of governance updates, strategic initiatives, and community-focused decisions. A significant portion of the evening was dedicated to strengthening the Town’s emergency preparedness framework. Council gave first reading to the updated Emergency Management Bylaw No. 1-2026, a comprehensive modernization of the Town’s existing emergency

In the very early years of Vermilion, as the community was slowly coming together, there were problems with some individuals who couldn’t stay on the right side of the law. In early February 1910, three criminal cases were presented at the district court to Judge Taylor who was presiding. In the first case, a Vermilion man was charged with attempting to steal a white steer from another man off his property. The name of the person accused was not listed, nor was the person who

Marty and Buster were two borderline mammoth donkeys who graced our lives and left a permanent hoofprint on our family’s heart. They had unique personalities; they were both friendly and very approachable and always greeted anyone who wandered into their pasture. They loved treats; apples, carrots and other goodies and the people who brought them. Marty was a striking grey color accentuated by a bold black dorsal stripe running down his back. Buster was two shades of rich bro

Owners of Reflections Funeral & Cremation Services, Candice and Josh Anderson, along with Alva and Harry Creech of Creech’s Lakeland Funeral Home (Vermilion), would like to share that we have entered into an agreement for a planned transition of Creech’s Lakeland Funeral Home’s Vermilion location, with an anticipated closing date of Monday, March 2, 2026. This transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of conditions and has not yet closed. Until closing occurs, owne

Whenever it’s cold outside it’s a good time to turn on the oven and do some baking. This banana bread recipe is a good way to use up some over ripe bananas. If you have over ripe bananas and no time to use them up, you can pop them into the freezer, peel and all, to be used later for loafs and muffins. This is a well tested recipe that makes great banana loafs every time. This recipe is high in fiber, and is mostly sweetened naturally with dates and bananas. Dates, oat bran a

Sonya Lee Reporter The Vermilion Public Library will welcome the community for a special screening of The Jackie Shane Story on Friday, February 21 (honouring Black History Month), offering an evening of music, history, and reflection through the life of a truly groundbreaking performer. The documentary shares the remarkable journey of Jackie Shane, a trailblazing soul singer who rose to prominence during the 1960s. Celebrated for her powerful voice and magnetic stage presenc

On February 6, the Executive Director of the Vermilion & District Chamber, Aiyana Thompson, alongside the Town of Vermilion’s Economic Development Manager, Mary Lee Prior, officially welcomed a new local business to the community with a plaque presentation and ribbon cutting ceremony: Captain Sid’s Kitchen, located at 4915–50 Avenue. Owners Michele Palagayao and Isidro Ibias had lived in Edmonton for 11 years before making the move to Vermilion in November 2024. Drawn by both

The Vermilion Lions Club was once again living up to its long-standing tradition of service and community support during a series of meaningful presentations held in early February. On February 5, Vermilion Lions Club Secretary and Treasurer Peter Clark, along with Lions members Don Good and Tony Kaminski, met with members of the St. Jerome’s Senior Student Council to receive a cheque for $430. The donation will go toward the Lions Club Santa’s Anonymous project, helping to s

Sonya Lee Reporter Cindi Plant grew up in Saskatchewan, studied Interior Design in Manitoba, and worked in the private design sector before beginning a long career in design education within Alberta’s college system. While her formal training provided technical design skills, the process of creating art has remained a source of fascination, inspiration, and at times mystery. Working primarily through intuition, Plant draws from nature, pattern, texture, and colour, often inco

When I was growing up, I looked forward to the spring months of April and May; it was calving season. The cows calved on the hills on a half section of pasture north of our buildings. Dad checked the cows twice a day on horseback. His lariat and a few small calving supplies were part of his gear. I was so excited to get to ride with him on occasion. As we saddled up and headed north, Dad would always light a smoke. He looked like the “Marlboro Man”. It was generally cool and

The JR B Tigers excitingly opened their home schedule this weekend, hosting the Killiam Wheat Kings in a fast-paced and hard-fought matchup that kept fans engaged from puck drop to final buzzer. Both teams came out strong in the first period, matching each other’s intensity and offensive pressure. The period ended in a 2–2 tie, with the Tigers finding the back of the net on goals by Toutant, assisted by Johnston and Meiklejohn, followed by Meiklejohn scoring with support from

Here is a cabbage salad that uses healthy ingredients in the dressing, instead of salad dressing and mayonnaise made with industrial seed oils. Olive oil is rich in monosaturated fat, which helps to reduce inflammation. Olive oil contains omega 9’s, vitamins E, K & A plus additional anti-oxidants. Olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet, that helps to prevent heart disease and stroke. Studies of the Mediterranean diet, which is high in olive oil, show a 40 p