Monthly Archives: January 2014

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H1N1 flu presents challenge for Heartland Health Region

The Heartland Health Region has found itself in an unusual situation this flu season.

A sudden and severe H1N1 influenza virus has emerged as the predominant flu strain and it is increasingly hitting otherwise healthy people later into the 2013-2014 flu season than usual with the anticipation that the influenza activity is going to peak in the next couple weeks. These people being hit could have been protected had they received a common flu shot back at a public clinic in October, but are now looking for a shot at this late date when the supply of vaccine is limited.

Dr. David Torr, consulting medical health officer with the Heartland Health Region, said they are trying as best as possible to get in more vaccine and they did receive some last week. He said this vaccine would be distributed at some new public clinics in the region that are advertised on the Heartland Health website and through making appointments through an area’s local public health office.

“The challenge we are having now is keeping the supply matched with the demand,” said Torr, noting by this time the region usually just goes to appointments to provide the shot. “There have been a bit of logistical challenges with the vaccine coming in. The supply for us is from the province and the province has been trying to get it from out East, but with the weather conditions some of the couriers were a little reluctant to transport without insuring that the vaccine doesn’t freeze on the way and get destroyed.”

Torr said another issue with providing flu shots to the 75 per cent of the Heartland Health Region’s population that is un-immunized is demand versus what is available. He said by this time of the season most jurisdictions or suppliers have stopped providing vaccine assuming that whoever wanted a flu shot has got one already.

“This is a bit of a different situation where we’ve been seeing this sudden severe illness and then people are waking up and saying ‘oh, I better get it now too’ whereas historically many would say ‘it’s nothing I’m going to bother with.’ Now more people are showing interest.”

The H1N1 flu strain is also different in that the region normally sees more illness or severe illness in people over 65 years of age or those with underlying medical conditions, while the flu circulating this year is showing more aggression towards children under five years old as well as adults between the ages of 20 and 64 who don’t have any predisposed issues.

To read more please see the January 13 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson

RCMP reminds travellers about safety precautions when going out this winter

The winter storm that roared through Davidson and area Jan. 3 also struck northeastern Saskatchewan forcing a group of four fishermen to tough out a night in the cold and their local RCMP detachment to issue a warning about travelling in winter weather.

Deschambault Lake RCMP Sergeant Dion Eddy said the four fishermen survived their ordeal thanks in part to taking a few precautions before heading out into the wilderness, which can serve as a lesson for other travellers in the province during the winter months.

“Let someone know where you’re going and when you’re going to be back, so if we have to come and attempt to find you that we have a starting point or a location to look for you,” said Eddy. “One of the big things is to dress appropriately. Also take extra supplies. These guys had extra heat. Make sure your car is full of gas in case you do hit the ditch and take a look at the weather and road conditions not just right now, but what they’re forecasting that is coming because it could be nice where you’re leaving from and then all of a sudden you’re in the middle of a big storm.”

The four men, who were all between 30 and 40 years old, provided details to family members staying behind indicating where they were going and at what time they would be back before embarking on an ice fishing excursion in the Deschambault Lake area. When the travellers failed to make it back home by midnight their family issued a complaint to the RCMP and a search party comprised of on-duty police and community volunteers set out to find the missing fishermen.

The search party used available resources and snowmobiles to comb Deschambault Lake in weather that fell below -30˚C with the wind chill the next morning before eventually locating the four men close to seven kilometres from their entry onto the ice. Their truck was stuck in the snow and ice and the travellers had stayed with the truck throughout the night.

The four fishermen were returned to shore at approximately 11:30 a.m. Jan. 4 a little chilly, but uninjured and happy to see their rescuers.

“They made some good decisions to save their own lives,” said Eddy, noting calls to find missing travellers is a common occurrence for most RCMP detachments due to cars getting stuck or people deciding to change their plans and stay an extra day somewhere that their family doesn’t know about. “They made the decision to stay with their vehicle. Had they gone walking it would (have been) harder to find them afterwards.”

Sports

Late goal locks up win against Canucks

The Davidson Cyclones senior hockey team withstood a late push by the first place Drake Canucks last Wednesday at home to gut out a 3-2 win on a late short-handed marker by captain Derek Allan and remain undefeated in the month of January.

“It was kind of a lucky bounce for our team is more or less what it was,” said Allan about his game-winner with a little over a minute left in regulation. Brett “Siroski shot the puck. It hit the goalie in the pads then hit me in the skates and then I batted it in off my skate. That doesn’t happen very often.”

The goal came with the Cyclones up 2-1 in a wide-open third period that saw the two teams step up play considerably after an evenly matched first two frames. With Drake on their second power play of the third and working the puck down low in the Cyclones zone the Davidson penalty kill managed to spring the puck loose sending Siroski and Allan on a mad rush down the ice resulting in the tally.

The goal capped off a wild third that saw Davidson forwards Carter Smith and Pat Cey ring pucks off the crossbar in two consecutive rushes halfway through the final 20 minutes. These shots gave Cyclones goaltender Brady Willner precious time to catch his breath during a break from repeated shots coming his way from a Drake team intent on breaking his shutout bid after Smith put in his second goal of the game a little under eight minutes into the third.

“Both our goaltenders (Willner and Mark Zoerb) are local kids and you’d be hard pressed in the province to find two better local hometown boys to play goal,” said Cyclones manager and interim coach Kirk Johnson. “It seems like the bigger the game the better they play.”

The Cyclones (8-6-1) and Canucks (12-6) started off the close-checking game with a feeling out first two periods where neither team seemed willing to take the chance of getting themselves out of defensive position and allow the opposition offence to take advantage. The exception was Allan who continually pushed the puck up the ice by racing down the wing and creating opportunities.

The only goal of the first 40 minutes came off a nice back check by Allan who stole the puck from a Drake forward trying to skate it out of his zone before passing it to Smith who wristed a shot past the Drake goaltender midway through the first.

“Derek has been solid all year and good all year,” said Johnson. “He’s a good player. He’s the captain of our team. He’s our leader and it shows out there and we need him to contribute and keep everybody going.”

To read more please see the January 13 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Sports

McNabb siblings team up at Spengler Cup

Buffalo Sabres prospect and Rochester Americans defenceman Brayden McNabb may not have been able to travel to Davidson to enjoy the Christmas holidays with his family, but that didn’t stop some of his family from travelling to Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate the season with him.

Brayden’s sister Cara brought the holiday spirit to Davos, located high in the Swiss Alps, to spend some time with her big brother while he took the ice for the Rochester Americans during the 87th annual Spengler Cup.

“I was his plus-one,” said Cara, noting her brother was allowed by the Sabres to bring one person along with him during the trip and she was the lucky traveller. “I kind of expected it. It wasn’t really a big surprise. I haven’t been to many of his games. We’ve been talking about it for a while that I should go up and watch one of his games, so this was a good time.”

Cara said she hasn’t managed to head down to Buffalo to watch any of Brayden’s 31 NHL games for the Sabres or his 126 matches as an AHL Amerk in Rochester since he moved up to the professional ranks in the 2011-2012 season, but she has been to a lot of his games when he played defence for the Kootenay Ice in the WHL earlier in his career. The Davidson School Grade 12 student said watching him play the game on the bigger international ice surface at Vaillant Arena in Davos was amazing, which was further improved by the high-spirited European hockey crowds.

“They’re really into the games,” she said. “They sing along. It’s much different than here. They’re all really excited about it.”

Brayden said playing before those European fans and in such a prestigious international tournament as the Spengler Cup was a “cool experience” and having his little sister along with him for the ride made the holiday trip extra special.

“When this opportunity came I kind of knew my parents would be a little busy with my little brother with his hockey and it would be a good opportunity for Cara to come along,” said Brayden about the Amerks second-ever trip to the Spengler Cup. “She likes to travel and see things, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for her and I’m pretty sure she had a fun time.

“I enjoyed it a lot and I was really happy she came and we had some bonding time and it was good for Christmas to have some family (around).”

The young Rochester Americans team kicked off the Spengler Cup Dec. 26 with their opening game against a strong Geneve-Servette team before a large and boisterous crowd cheering loudly for the Swiss club. Nerves or the mountain terrain may have proved a detriment to the AHL team, who lost the opening Group Torriani match 5-0. In their next game a day later against the fabled Moscow club, CSKA Moskau, the Amerks put up a stronger showing, but eventually fell 4-3.

To read more please see the January 13 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Obituary

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John Donald McPhee
1931 – 2014
It is with sadness that he family of Don McPhee announces his passing on January 8, 2014. In keeping with Dad’s wishes there will not be a Funeral Service held. An Interment of cremains will take place in the spring. Condolences may be sent to mail@saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home 244-5577.

Obituary

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Margaret Puckett (nee Farrer)
March 28, 1911 – December 26, 2013
Margaret passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at the Davidson Health Care Centre. She was predeceased by her husband Neil, and is survived by her sons Jim (Fay) and their daughters Lisa (Bill Thibodeau), Laura (Norman Shoemaker) and children Neil and Megan; Merritt; and Dwight (Lynne) and their sons Bob and Michael (Kimberley) and their daughter Michelle (Gilbert Nelson) and their sons Trevor and Travis.
Margaret was born in Strasbourg and attended school at Farrerdale School. Margaret and Neil were married in 1942 and farmed near Davidson, Sask. She liked gardening, cooking, woodworking and excelled at sewing and needle crafts, making many handmade stuffed toys and dolls, afghans, quilts and clothing for her grandchildren. A lover of animals, there were numerous pet cats and dogs and she often spoke of her favourite horse “Jip” that she rode as a teenager. She enjoyed visiting with family and friends over a cup of tea and a good game of cribbage or hearts and was a daunting opponent at the scrabble board. Margaret’s greatest joy was her family and she was very proud of the accomplishments of her sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family would like to express their appreciation for the wonderful care she received from the staff at the Davidson Health Centre.
There will be a family gathering and celebration of her life at a later date.
For friends so wishing, memorial donations in memory of Margaret may be directed to the Davidson and District Health Care Centre Foundation, the Davidson Senior Citizen’s Centre, the Davidson Swimming Pool Fund or to the charity of your choice.
Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson in care of arrangements.