MEETING RECAP - 11 March 2024
Submitted by Will Arscott
Past-Saskatchewan Premier Grant Devine speaking on the carbon tax and its effect on the province.
The meeting was held once again in the Main Dining Room at the Saskatoon Club. Emcee for the meeting was Gary Rusu. We also thank him for arranging our speaker’s visit. We began with members singing ‘O’ Canada. Avis Hardy asked the blessing making special note of International Women’s Day and the importance of women’s contributions in all of society. Cashier for this meeting was Donna Gauthier. Mark Gryba handled technology.
Visitors and Guests
Our greeter was Avis Hardy who introduced the visitors and guests. Members had been encouraged to bring guests to this meeting and we had a very full room which was great. Guests included:
Randy Pshebylo guest of Tammy Pshebylo
Dennis and Lynda Bulani guests of Gary Rusu
Jasmine Brown guest of Wayne Palmer
Mike Couros and Sarah Herman North Club Rotary members
Kelvin Panku north club Rotarian and guest of Don Lepp
Daine Rooff, Kathy Jo Simmie, Rob McHusie North Club Rotary members
June Wilson guest of Steve Wilson
Stephanie Rusu and Louis Villeneuve guests of Gary Rusu
Tammy Richmond guest of President Wendy Cooper
We also had Grant Devine who was our speaker and a member of Nutana Rotary.
We had two representatives from Hope Restored, Sheila Webster and Emmanuelle Morin who contributed to our Rotary Minute later in the program.
This may not be a complete list and apologies to anyone who may have been missed. It was heartening to welcome so many guests.
Health of the Club
There was no report.
Announcements
Mark Gryba was proud to announce that the Victoria Community Center project is coming to its end, and everything is looking good. Our next meeting will take place at the Center on Ave. H. That meeting will be on the 25 of March. For catering purposes, we will need to know who is attending. Please watch your email for more information and a link to RSVP your attendance. Mark has worked very hard, and we are all really looking forward to see all that has been accomplished.
- Gary Rusu put in $100. He was sad for the war in the Middle East but was happy to have Grant and all the guests at today’s meeting.
- Mark Gryba put in happy dollars for a special birthday that ended in a 0. He would not say how old he was but put in $70 happy dollars.
- Al Morton $40H for forty years in the club.
- Graham Pearson put in $100H for Grant visiting. Graham joined us once again by zoom but says he will be attending in person very soon.
- Jim Weber put in $100 mixed dollars. He was really thrilled with the Huskie Women’s Basketball and believes this year was just the start of much more greatness to come. He was sad because he and Kathy had to return from Mexico due to the dire medical condition of Kathy’s mother. Since their return she seems to be on the mend but when you are past ninety years old nothing is for certain.
Rotary Minute: Presentation of a Cheque to Hope Restored
We had two individuals join us from Hope Restored Canada, which is a program supported by our club. They were introduced by Avis Hardy. Sheila Webster is a Case Manager at Hope Restored Canada (HRC). Emmanuelle Morin works as an independent consultant, but she visited us on her first day as interim Executive Director of Hope Restored Canada.
Hope Restored Canada operates basically in Saskatchewan and provides help and care to women exploited through human trafficking. They have an eight-bed house where they offer a residential program. They also do outreach and education. The outreach involves both working with girls that are still working and following up with the women that have already been through the residential program. They also do education on the problem of the sex trade and exploited women. The trade is very much alive in Saskatoon and the province. The program now has secure government funding for three years.
Their immediate plans include developing a second location so the outreach and administration can be taken out of the residence and create a calmer and more secure environment for the residents.
Our club helps with gift cards that are used to reward women completing milestones in the program. This gives the woman a sense of dignity and individuality. The cards allow them to obtain things that are important to them from special food items to proper shoes.
President Wendy presented a cheque, and pictures were taken. Both Sheila and Emmanuelle expressed thanks for our club’s participation.
Program: Past-Premier Grant Devine on the Carbon Tax
Grant was introduced by Gary Rusu. Grant served as the 11th premier of the province of Saskatchewan. He comes from a farming background, and he took undergraduate agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and graduate work at two US universities. He taught agricultural economics at our university before entering politics. He has continued to farm throughout his career. He and Chantal now live in Saskatoon and have grown children and grandchildren. Grant is a Nutana Rotarian.
Grant began by thanking our club for the invitation. He has a biased opinion of the subject he is addressing. He asked for our indulgence because he believes his views accord with the Rotary Four Way Test.
Grant did not dispute that climate change seems to be a fact. The question is “can we do anything effective to stop it.” Any change will come at a cost. Grant believes we can only make a very small difference if any difference at all and our efforts could significantly reduce our standard of living. Imposing taxes will not change the climate.
About 0.4% of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. If the people of Saskatchewan reduced their emissions by 50% it would not make any significant change. It would imperil our economy because everything we do requires energy.
Saskatchewan is in the food business. We feed millions of people beyond our province. We need to be aware of climate and how it is changing but we must base our response on facts not on fears. There is no legitimate reason to scare people in furthering a purist agenda.
Grant answered some very good questions. He also told a couple of entertaining stories about his time as premier and his interactions with other Canadian icons. Overall, he provided thought and balance which is often lacking in public conversation and press.
Grant was thanked by Gary and the regular donation will be made to Bethany Homes.
Adjournment