Prairie Land School Division (PLSD) is in its first year of hosting international students as part of its new International Student Program, with its first intake of students coming from Brazil.
About 30 Grade 11 students arrived on February 11 and are settling in with their host families; they will become part of the student population at schools in Hanna, Youngstown, Delia, and Morrin until the end of the school year in June.
“We have three Brazilian students who are staying with host families in the Morrin area,” Morrin School Principal Don Yavis told the Mail.
Mr. Yavis notes Morrin School previously hosted international students from Mexico and Japan, though this was over 15 years ago.
Delia School is also hosting seven Brazilian students, though school secretary Tanya Duckworth says there are more students living with host families in the community and attending J.C. Charyk School in Hanna.
Youngstown School Principal and International Student coordinator Ron Davies told the Mail, “We (Prairie Land) are planning to move forward (with the program) for the coming year, it has been a great success this year and we are excited for the future.”

A member of the Drumheller Legion was given the highest honour that can be bestowed on a member.
The Legion held its annual Veterans Dinner on Saturday, February 12. This was the first time it had hosted the dinner since 2018 due to the 2019 convention and then COVID. At the dinner, it was announced the Legion was successful in having the Palm Leaf to the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) approved for Bob Hannah.
“We feel Comrade Hannah is more than worthy for this award,” Comrade Deb Bolduc read from the Citation the Legion presented. “Since comrade Hannah was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal he has remained a committed member of the Royal Canadian Legion.”
Hannah received the MSM in 2015. He has been a member in good standing for almost four decades. He served as Drumheller Branch #22 president for three terms. He was also active provincially and at Dominion Command level. From 1997 to 2006, he served as chair on every Provincial Command committee except sports. At Dominion Command, he served on the leadership committee in 1997, sports in 2006, and veteran’s services and seniors in 2003 and 2005.
While the MSM is technically the highest award for a member of the Legion, according to a Legion.ca article, the Palm Leaf can be awarded to a member who has received the MSM but has, in the subsequent five years continued to provide service that equals or exceeds that of which they initially received the MSM.
Since receiving the MSM, in 2019 Hannah was the Local Arrangement Chairman when Legion Branch #22 hosted the Alberta NWT Command Convention. This took years of planning and meetings.
“Comrade Hannah was involved in all aspects of planning, including, but not limited to publicity, first aid, transportation, entertainment, food planning, fundraising, to name a few jobs,” reads Bolduc.
“Drumheller Branch #22 feels there is no one more deserving of this honour.”