The document summarizes how policing and impaired driving enforcement has changed over the decades from the 1960s to today. It describes how impaired driving convictions were more difficult to obtain in the past due to limitations in testing technology. It highlights how roadside testing is now standardized using breathalyzers, with automatic license suspensions for any reading over 0.04 and the requirement for a second test to secure a conviction over 0.08. The article also notes how police work has become more complex dealing with issues like drugs, homelessness, and organized crime, with most time spent on prevention rather than reactive enforcement.

1. PAGE A10 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday May 20, 2015
DOWNONTHE
CORNER It’s For The GirlsThings were different in the good old days. Oh no! I think I
might be sounding like my father, but things were different.
For one thing, they would only come and take your money
once a year…like the tax man, only they were way cuter.
These days, they come twice a year for what they call the
spring season (March to June) and again in the fall (October
to December) and now they have a flavour option for each
season. They are relentless and have even followed me to
Liars Mountain, but when they are gone I miss them. I really
miss them! For six months of the year, Girl Guides help me
maintain my pleasantly plump old guy body by providing what seems to be a constant never
ending supply of cookies. Not just any old run of the mill cookies but official “Girl Guides of
Canada Cookies.” I know I am not alone in my love of the fund raising cookie.
The cookie fund raising idea is being credited/blamed on a Girl Guide Leader from Regina who
began selling homemade packaged cookies in 1927 to raise funds for uniforms and camping
equipment.The sales were successful enough that the National Council of Girl Guides of Canada
began selling cookies across Canada in 1929. Ever since then, cute girls in uniforms and their
“sales teams”, have been keeping generous sweet-toothed folks like myself supplied with a
delicious variety of baked biscuits.We will gladly buy and devour just about any kind of cookie,
providing it is “for the girls”.
When I was a Cub Scout, my sister was a Brownie and that was my first memory of munching
“treat” cookies from a package or a box. We were too “poor” to buy the store bought cookies
and had to “settle” for homemade cookies from Mom’s oven so, Girl Guide cookies were a
“treat.” Poor ol’ bushy. Back then, the Girl Guide cookies were maple flavored, but a few years
later the classic chocolate and vanilla cookies made a triumphant return from the late 40’s.Now
we can chose a flavour for a couple of bucks a box and send girls camping, which was my main
motivation to “help” my bratty little sister go away…to camp.
In the beginning, Girl Guides and their younger counterparts, the Brownies sold the boxed
cookies door to door. But as the world and society changed, so did the sales techniques. Bad
guys seem to be behind every door these days so the modern Guides (9-11 year olds) and their
cookies conspiracy cohorts rely more on networking,
special events and even corporate sponsorship rather
than the door to door thing. Entire troops of cute little
uniformed girls and ladies can blitz a neighbourhood
in hours. The cohorts include Sparks (5-6 year olds),
Brownies (7-8 year’s), Pathfinders (12-14 year’s),
Rangers (15-17 year’s) and Adults. The only age
group that seems to be missing from this wonderful
organization is from the womb to four years of age and
that is probably because at that age they will eat more
cookies that can be sold.
Shopping mall sales space can be precious to
individual troops and scheduling is a major problem in
the larger towns and cities,but some major retailers (Sears) allow cookie sales at special events.
I get my supply during my weekly trip to the Scratch Creek mall but knowing a band mate of
mine has a daughter in Rangers allows me the luxury of having two“dealers.”The cookies I buy
in town rarely make it home during the half hour return trip, so it is a good thing my band buddy
is nearby, and that we practice twice a week. My band mate is so relieved when the GG cookie
season is over and his unpaid delivery and sales position on his daughters sales team ends,that
he actually host’s a barbecue to celebrate. He says he likes to light the barbecue with empty
cookie boxes and he loves getting his den back from being a cookie by the caseload warehouse.
Networking is the key to sales success in any profitable organization and the Guides rely on
every uniformed girl to have her own sales team. Parents, relatives, parent’s co-workers, team/
band mates,and friends are the backbone of this popular and delicious semi-annual fund raiser.
I know most of us know someone who knows someone to get “connected,” but what about the
poor guy who has no connection to Guiding? Does he have to get his cookies from the black
market? And how much will he pay? And can a “connected” fat old guy make a buck? Hmmm.
My bandmate cookie guy is on vacation but I am going into town tomorrow so I should be okay
until then. I will buy yet another box of Girl Guide cookies that will probably not make it home,
but at least it is for the girls.
by Dale “bushy” Bush
Think IT by Scott Hellings
High school students in Prairie South School Division recently had the opportunity to
learn more about a career in IT (Information Technology). The students participated
in the annual Think I.T. three-day camp at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, held May 7-9.
“It is about exposing high school students to IT technologies,” said Michael Barclay, an
instructor in the Business Information Systems program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
“We bring in some industry professionals and have them talk to the kids about what
it is like to work in the industry. And we let them get their hands dirty on a little bit
of code so they get to see what working in IT is all about. It is as non-complicated a
crash course as we can give them in three days…We assume you have no previous IT
experience so we guide you through it step-by-step.”
Students were certainly kept busy.
“For the first two days we have had them doing a website in HTML5 and CSS3 with a
jQuery backend. It is what’s called a meme maker,” said Barclay. “What that is, well it
would be common for people who know the Internet really well, but basically you take
a picture and then you add text to that picture. We have them posting to a server that is
on rotate so the students can show off the ones they have designed.”
Students also had the opportunity to design a video game from scratch.
It was a fun, relaxed atmosphere that helped introduce the students to the IT world.
More than anything, it was a great opportunity to learn about a potential career path.
The students certainly found it to be an interesting and rewarding experience.
“I have really enjoyed it,” said Brody Zak, a Grade 10 student from Glentworth Central.
“You use websites every day and you wonder how these are made and how they come
to be. You get to learn that and figure out the meat and potatoes behind what you are
doing on the Internet. It is pretty cool.”
“This shows you a lot so now you know if you are interested,” said Graham Wendt, a
Grade 11 student at Peacock Collegiate. “It kind of helps guide you.”
“It definitely gives you a snapshot of what you are in for,” added Zak. “Maybe you like
computers or like to play video games and you think you might want to get into this
field, but you don’t really know until you have sat down and looked at the code and had
to type it all in.”
The program was presented in partnership with companies like The Co-Operators,
SaskTel, and Viterra. Some students from the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division
also participated in the camp.
The staff and students involved with the Think I.T. program. Supplied photo.
Policing has certainly changed in the 50 years since a
junior reporter called Ron Walter walked the night beat
with a constable in the Flats area of Medicine Hat for a
feature story.
Back in those days, getting an impaired driving
convictionwasaprettyiffyprocess.Theusualcourtroom
testimony involved police observations: alcohol breath,
slurred speech, glassy eyes, the inability to touch nose
exercise, or to walk a straight line.
The impairment standard was I believe, 12 blood alcohol
level, compared with .06 today.
Since many of these symptoms are similar to some
diseases, often the alleged impaired drivers were
acquitted. For some serious cases, the driver was taken
back to the police station for an expensive breathalyzer
test. Good defence lawyers found causes for acquittal
with the tests.
Fast forward to about 1992 when a much older Ron
Walter did a 12-hour night tour with two Moose Jaw
officers in a police cruiser. Impaired driving convictions
were much easier with tests by better breathalyzers.
Suspected impaired drivers could no longer refuse
breath test, or they were guilty of refusing to blow.
Fast forward to today. Police officers can suspend
drivers on the spot after roadside breath tests and take
away keys and the vehicle if alcohol levels are .04.
To get a conviction, police now must administer two
breath tests with a guilty standard of .08. And the whole
process takes five hours to try and ensure court cases
are won.
The change in policing struck me when Moose Jaw
Police Chief Rick Bourassa did a presentation for the
Canadian Club. Police work has become much more
complicated and varied.
Incidentally, the highlights of that 1965 summer beat
tour checking doors of many businesses were finding a
baby wrapped in a white blanket lying on the back of a
car while the parents were boozing in a local hotel bar,
and the guy peeing from the bridge on this full moon
night
In 1992, the highlights were mediating a racist-inspired
fight between two 12–year-olds and learning the summer
night hours routinely had 200 or more 12-year-old to
14-year-olds looking to crash a party.
When police took them home, some parents didn’t seem
to care, as if the child wasn’t wanted around home.
Today’s police have added complications: more drug
addictions, homeless people, and organized crime from
credit card fraud and drugs
to human trafficking. Most
of their time is spent on
crime prevention.
The police chief noted
Moose Jaw and Regina
have similar crime rates,
but said both are safe cities.
Becoming involved in crime
depends on what activities
people undertake, said the
chief. And putting in my
two cents worth of comment, I agree.
The greatest risk to Moose Jaw residents, he said, is
driving down the street. His informative and interesting
talk should be shared with more residents.
Ironically, his ‘safe city’ talk was marred that week by a
gang-related attempted murder, a knifing, armed robbery
and bear spray attack – all unusual events for this city.
The chief is interested in resuming the public citizens’
police academy classes for residents interested in
learning about local law enforcement. This two-time
academy grad believes this is an excellent program.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
TRADING THOUGHTS
Police work focus changed over the years
by Ron Walter