Monthly Archives: March 2013

featured

Winter gives region another good wallop

A winter storm tore through Saskatchewan last Wednesday and Thursday making roads impossible to pass and stranding motorists either in their cars or, if they were smart enough not to venture out, where they last were before the snow started falling.

The RCMP media relations bureau released numerous no travel advisories starting last Wednesday evening and continuing all day and night Thursday cautioning people to stay where they are to keep themselves and their families safe.

The advisories stated roads were blocked by the winter storm in an area ranging from north of Saskatoon through Regina to the United States border and west to the Alberta border. They said the RCMP received 150 calls of vehicle incidents on the roads for crashes, vehicles stuck in the ditch or on the road and semi-trailers jackknifed.

The wind was blowing steadily at about 40 to 60-kilometres per hour with gusts at one point reaching 80 km/h.

The police said the storm reduced visibility to zero at points and long snowdrifts made roads impassable. They said nightfall on March 21 made travel extreme and the severity of the storm made it difficult for even emergency personnel to be on the roads.

Locally, Highway 44 was closed around noon Thursday and reopened mid-afternoon Friday.

Fred Wilson, Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Dundurn, said residents off sub-division roads in the RM were trapped in their homes for two or three days during the storm due to closed roads. He said the graders hit the roads in their attempt to clear the 300 kilometres of roads they are responsible for at dawn last Friday, but it was expected it would take a few days to get everything back in good shape.

“Some of our ratepayers have taken it upon themselves to open up a few spots on their own, which is gratefully accepted,” said Wilson. “We found it very hard, so our loader tractors had to go out with one of the graders because we don’t have a plow on the front of it, so just to break it open. The stuff is hard as a rock, but we’re getting by.”

Wilson said he’d like to thank their ratepayers for being so understanding with the time it is taking to get the roads back up and running, as the graders couldn’t go out during the storm and had to wait a few days to clear the roads.

“There was no point because every time you open (the road) up, it blew right behind the grader,” he said. “It just made it harder for people to get where they’re going so we didn’t even bother going out.”

To read more please see the March 25 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson

Sask. Party and NDP disagree on aspects of the 2013-2014 provincial budget

The Saskatchewan Party government and the opposition New Democratic Party differ on three key issues of concern to residents of this area in the recent 2013-2014 provincial budget announced last Wednesday at the legislature in Regina.

Greg Brkich, Sask. Party MLA for Arm River-Watrous, said the government has maintained their promise to hold the line on education property tax rates, increased crop insurance coverage to record levels and improved rural physician recruitment and retention by investing more funds to boost physician numbers in this province.

Trent Wotherspoon, NDP MLA for Regina Rosemont and opposition finance critic, said the vast majority of people across this province will actually see their property tax bills increase this year, the growth in insurance coverage will be offset with cuts in other agriculture areas and initiatives announced in the budget actually do not confront the challenge presented to rural communities in physician recruitment and retention.

The government announced in their budget that to offset the 67 per cent increase in property values in the province over the past four years, they are lowering the education property tax rates on all classes of property in order to keep re-assessment revenue neutral. The new education mill rates are 2.67 mills for agricultural land, 5.03 mills for residential property and 8.28 mills for commercial property.

Brkich said holding the line on education property tax rates is a huge benefit to town and village property owners as well as farmers facing a reassessment this year.

“We’ve tried to make it revenue neutral,” said Brkich. “It may not be 100 per cent revenue neutral, because of some properties. Their assessment is way above normal. They will probably have to pay a bit more tax, but there will be some that went down with their assessment. The top of the assessment is a little below normal, but basically it’ll be revenue neutral.”

Wotherspoon said the government is just keeping their commitment with this promise, but “pretending somehow” that this represents big savings for Saskatchewan residents is not true. He said with a growing population and resources that are in demand, the government is failing to support communities where it counts.

“In fact, the property tax increase is going to be significant and in many ways it is going to be significant because this government is failing to provide the infrastructure needs required for our growing communities,” said Wotherspoon.

To read more please see the March 25 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Sports

Sabers and Aztecs come close, but fall in senior basketball regionals action

Basketball season came to a close for the Hanley Sabers senior boys and Loreburn Aztecs senior girls teams last week at regionals.

The Sabers made it to the final at the March 15-16 regionals in Birch Hills, but foul trouble did them in. Despite leading at the start of the game, the team would eventually lose to the Birch Hills Marauders by over 20 points.

Mark Anderson, head coach of the Sabers, said the club held a 14-12 lead heading into the second quarter, but it was all Birch Hills after that. He said the Marauders were up by seven at the half, 12 by the end of the third quarter and rolled through the fourth eventually putting up 85 points to Hanley’s 62.

“We didn’t shoot well,” said Anderson. “If we had shot anything like the night before (a 83-59 win over Balcarres), we would have been in fine shape. Our top scorer from the night before (forward Steven Sira) had four fouls before the first half, so I had to pull him and then he fouled out in the second half. Our top scorer from this game (centre Josh Anderson) had four fouls as well, so it was tough.”

Anderson said the kids on his team had a great season even with the miss on Hoopla competition and should be proud with the strong athletic game they brought to the court.  He said his team is more of a “football team playing basketball,” but as the season progressed they picked up their play and became a real threat.

“When we got to the end here, if we could of put it all together we would have been dangerous, but at the end we faltered,” he said. “It was a great group of kids and a really good game.”

Loreburn Aztecs

The Aztecs can say they ended their season on a winning note, but a loss a day earlier cost them a chance of playing at Hoopla.

Tim Hom, head coach of the Aztecs, said the club beat the Kerrobert Rebels “handily” in their final game at regionals in Frontier. He said despite the lopsided win, both teams showed great sportsmanship throughout the game.

A day earlier the club lost to the Middle Lake Avengers, whose undefeated record at regionals propelled them to this past weekend’s Hoopla tournament.

“We lost by 40 (to Middle Lake),” said Hom. “They are a very good team, well-coached and have lots of good skilled players. We had a pretty short bench, but that’s no excuse. We played well.”

Hom said he is happy with the season the Aztecs put together this year and credits their fans, parents and staff at the school for their support and help building a great basketball program at Loreburn Central School.

“The girls gave a lot of effort,” he said. “Success isn’t measured in wins or losses, but I thought we were pretty (good). A lot of our team is coming back (next year), so hopefully we get a better result.”

Davidson

LCS makes it to final 10 in Majesta outdoor classroom competition

Loreburn Central School staff and students want to be free of the four walls that surround them and they need your help to escape.

The Kindergarten to Grade 12 school has advanced into the last 10 finalists of the Majesta Trees of Knowledge competition that would award them $20,000 towards building an outdoor classroom at the school if they win. They need people’s votes at majestatreesofknowledge.ca from now to April 26 to earn them that coveted outdoor learning paradise.

“It would bring a new environment to learning for us,” said LCS Grade 11 student Gillian Wankel, 17. “We’re never really learning outside. We’re always stuck in a classroom on a computer or whatever, so if we’re outside learning on a chalkboard that might bring a new type of learning to us.”

The new classroom the school proposes to build is an open concept space located in the 90-degree corner of the L-shaped school and will include shrubs, rocks, paths, trees, flowerbeds and a gazebo. The classroom would be built by LCS students and outside contractors and be ready for learning for October 2013 if they win the competition.

Judy Brown, principal of Loreburn Central School, said staff at the school has been discussing the issue of building an outdoor classroom for years as a way to get kids into a friendlier atmosphere. She said the school has already raised $7,500 towards building the space and if they win the $20,000 competition that would put them over the top.

“This is something we’d really like in our community,” said Brown. “It’s more relaxing and the students can focus. It’ll get them out of the building to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air.”

The 104 students at the school put forward an essay, written by Grade 10 student Paige Travers, and a youtube video, coordinated by Grade 12 pupil Jordyn Hauberg, along with a report on their timeline for building and maintaining the classroom, their budget and the wider involvement of the community for the project to Majesta in early January to enter the contest. They were informed they made it to the final 10 by the end of that month and have been coming up with ways to get out the vote ever since.

LCS Grade 9 student Brock Archibald, 15, said an outdoor classroom would give the students more variety in their learning, which could help them improve their grades.

“Breathing in the fresh air might clear the mind a bit,” said Brock.

As an added incentive, a voter at majestatreesofknowledge.ca for the winning classroom is eligible for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize. People can vote once daily in the outdoor classroom competition and LCS is hoping for your support.

featured

Sherlock Squadron faces extinction

After 27 years helping area youth grow into responsible adults, the 553 Sherlock Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets is in danger of closure due to a declining number of recruits.

Captain Krystal Klenk, commanding officer of squadron 553, said the Department of National Defence (DND) has informed the squadron they must “put in the effort” to sign up at least five or six new recruits, on top of their current five, for the 2013-2014 cadet year or they will be shut down following that year.

“The problem with that is there is not many squadrons around this area,” said Klenk. “We’re actually smack dab in the middle of no cadet squadrons. If the squadron does close by not getting enough cadets in, then there won’t be a squadron for a good hour radius.”

Klenk said the squadron gives young people an opportunity to excel as leaders and develop professionally and as good citizens through its focus on self-discipline, order, structure and public speaking. She said the program also provides fun experiences for the recruits such as a gliding day, exchanges with other squadrons in different parts of the country, survival exercises and trips to the Canadian Forces base in Moose Jaw and the RCMP depot, with funding for the trips coming from DND.

“We need to get the word out that there is this program and all that it has to offer,” she said. “In the past, I’m not too sure people were aware of all it had to offer, kids knowing what it has and also parents knowing the benefits that it can create for their child.”

Formed in February 1986, the squadron has had a membership as high as 42 cadets one year and ran with around 15 to 20 recruits for a number of years. Members are between the ages of 12 and 19 and the cadet year runs from September to the end of May. Cadets do not have an obligation to join the Canadian Forces once they become of age.

To read more please see the March 18 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson

Local Catholics looking to acquaint themselves with new Pope

The Roman Catholic Church elected a new pontiff last Wednesday in Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, who took the name Pope Francis, but Reverend Joseph Gyim-Austin believes the direction of the Church will remain the same.

“I don’t think he is going to bring any new thing, but only help us to embrace in our own faith what we believe, what we have always believed, what we stand for and what the church is always ready to give,” said Gyim-Austin, pastor of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Parish (Davidson), Holy Redeemer (Elbow), St. Andrew’s (Kenaston) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (Outlook).

Gyim-Austin said he does not know much about the man, but that would soon change through information coming through the diocese. He said the selection of the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, does give insight into his position on Christ and the Church.

“Francis wants to be a humble person,” he said. “It is the Church of Christ and if you want to follow Christ then you must also be ready to live that humble life and that hopefully will resonate in his own life as well as in the entire church.”

Roman Catholic churchgoers have been praying for a new pope since Pope Benedict XVI stepped down Feb. 28 citing a lack of strength. This was the first resignation of a sitting pope in over 600 years.

Gyim-Austin said the resignation by Benedict XVI was hard to take at first, but he realized it was the right move for the Church as time went on. He said Benedict XVI was a good leader during his eight years as head of the Church and that is evident by his decision to resign when he felt he could no longer be an effective pastor.

“He did it for the sake of the Church,” he said. “When you know that you don’t have the strength anymore, and at his age also, he felt it was necessary that somebody could come up to continue the work.”

The Church is “rejoicing” now that a successor has been chosen, said Gyim-Austin, but there are no decisions made as of yet to how to mark the election of the new head of the Church.

“The diocese will give direction towards the celebration,” he said. “In our own local churches at our Eucharist celebrations we will mention (Pope Francis) and then the feeling will come naturally.”