STRONGFIELD—A long, cold winter like last year’s, as unpleasant as it was, has its benefits.
It gave the folks at Gardiner Dam Terminal (GDT) in Strongfield time to envisage a new project that could help its customers and the communities it serves.
Last Monday marked the first harvest of GDT’s Crops for Communities, a concept GDT talked about over the winter and enacted in the spring, GDT Ag Services CEO Shawn Graham said, as combines donated to the cause made the rounds of a canola field just outside of Strongfield.
The purpose of Crops for Communities, Graham said, is to collect agronomic information on seed varieties to help customers make informed decisions about their seed purchases and to help communities within the area GDT serves.
GDT has rented an 160-acre field on the east side of Highway 19 at Strongfield. Graham said the location is ideal because its highly visible so that a sign recognizing all the individuals and companies supporting the project gets to be seen and the field is close to GDT’s facility.
Due to sloughs and standing water, 145 acres were seeded. The field was divided into 2-acre test plots on which 13 canola seed varieties were planted. Graham said GDT held a seed tour in July to look at crop emergence, flowering time and maturity. As the growing season progressed into harvest, Graham said GDT Ag Services has also collected information on swathing, yields and crop quality for the various plots. He said GDT will publish this information and make it available to its customers so it can help them on their farms.
The total net income from the canola crop will be divided equally among nine communities: Loreburn, Central Butte, Kenaston, Davidson, Outlook, Lucky Lake, Beechy, Dinsmore and Conquest to be used to support recreational facilities.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Craik council to look at water options
By Kevin Gilby
CRAIK — A Regina based public works engineer has finished his inspection of the Craik Water Treatment plant and presented his findings to the town. His assessment of the problems includes a cost-fixed estimate to complete the corrective work necessary to bring the new plant into operation.
During the Sept. 10 council meeting, council members discussed the suitability of the solution offered and moved to interview the company’s references before committing to further discussions.
At the next council meeting, Oct. 8, Mayor Rick Rogers will present the findings to the town council.
Rogers has indicated that the communities interviewed all provided very positive feedback and he is encouraged that a solution to drinking water may be in sight.
Davidson golf season wraps up
DAVIDSON—Davidson Golf and Country Club held its final tournament of the season Sept. 28 with 38 golfers teeing off in the annual Members and Guests tourney.
The weather was cool, but all in all it was a nice fall day that had golfers participating in a two-person scramble format.
Lori Herauf and Jena Parisien finished first for the ladies with Vanna Gay Shaw and Karen Beckie claiming second place.
Trevor Ouellette and Blake Allan took first place honours on the men’s side followed by Peter Sarich and Gord Johnson in second.
The team of Gord and Donna Cross won first place in the mixed format with Al and Cindy Hoffmann finishing second.
John Boehm had the longest putt at 16 feet, 11 inches for the men. Donna Cross’s putt of 7 feet, seven inches was the longest for the ladies.
Rick Haddad was closest to the pin for the men at 5 feet, one inch and Donna Cross took the honour for the women with a distance of 11 feet, 4 inches.
Donna Cross also had the longest drive for the ladies while Dennis DeLaet took the honour for the men.
Golfers enjoyed a delicious roast beef supper, served by Serena and her volunteers. The Annual Ball Drop took place on the #9 green with Trevor Ouellette claiming the top prize.
Davidson’s iconic coffee pot needs TLC
DAVIDSON—Ideas continue to brew on how to best preserve Davidson’s iconic coffee pot, but action has yet to be taken.
The coffee pot is showing its age.
The two painted murals that display images of community hospitality and local history on the coffee pot are faded. The mural on the east side depicting a community in motion is particularly faded with the red paint that once coloured the transport truck and Canada flag worn away.
Given the fact it has stood by the highway for 18 years, exposed to the hot summer sun and all manner of storms from wind, hail, rain to winter blizzards, “It’s actually fared very well,” said Austin Eade who engineered the coffee pot.
The 5,000 pound, 24 feet high steel pot was built in 1996 at Harvest Services in Craik.
Eade said the rusting of the metal is due to the paint having worn off and if the paint had lasted longer, the pot wouldn’t have rusted.
“It’s like any metal product,” he said. “It will deteriorate if it isn’t weatherproofed soon.”
Restoring the coffee pot continues to be a topic of discussion around Davidson town council’s table.
At its meeting in September, town council discussed some options.
Ideally, any restoration would preserve the painted murals that are symbols of Davidson’s history, rural hospitality and its motto of a “community in motion”.
Artist Kelly Thorson, who painted the murals 18 years ago, had previously suggested having vinyl panels of the murals made and installing them on the pot.
Mayor Clayton Schneider said he looked into the costs of having vinyl wraps made of the murals. These would be similar to vehicle wraps like the ones used on STC buses, he explained.
Cost of the wraps is about $4,500 plus installation costs of about $5,000. Schneider said the wraps are not a permanent solution because they last four or five years.
At $9,500 the wrap option was deemed too expensive for something that was good for only a few years.
“As far as that goes, we’ll try and figure something else out,” he said.
Dieno, William Eric
December 28, 1919 – August 26, 2014
It is with great sadness we say goodbye to our father, grandfather and great-grandfather Bill Dieno.
Bill passed away August 26, 2014 at the Davidson Health Centre surrounded by his family. He was born in Young, Saskatchewan on December 28, 1919 to Ottilia and Henry Dieno. He grew up in Young, Saskatchewan. He met his wife to be, Alvena Brown who taught at Manitou School east of Young and they were married in April 1944. Bill and Alvena moved to Davidson, Saskatchewan in 1953. Bill was very active with sports and played hockey with the Davidson Hockey Club. Bill and Alvena took up farming west of Davidson, where they raised their six children and he continued to farm into his 80’s. Bill was an active member in the Redeemer Lutheran Church. He also enjoyed the outdoors and hunting with his sons. Bill and Alvena never missed hockey and baseball games, or school concerts and music recitals for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mom and Dad were avid horse racing fans and made many trips to Marquis Downs in Saskatoon. Bill loved going to Senior’s, his daily visits to A & W and the shop.
Bill was predeceased by his wife Alvena, his daughter Val, grandson James Joshua Dieno, his parents Ottilia and Henry Dieno, his sisters Dean Emily and his brothers Art, Henry, Otto, Fred, Alfred as well numerous sisters- and brothers-in-law.
Left to cherish his memory are his children Terry (Carol) Dieno, Glen (Doris) Dieno, Garnet (Norma) Dieno, Trudy (Scott) McDonald and Lindsay (Karen) Dieno; grandchildren Trevor Dieno (Rachel), Tracy (Murray) Hodgins, Trent Dieno, Sean (Tanya) Dieno, Michelle (Derek) Roth, Cory (Brandi) Dieno, Erin (Keith) Lowson, Luke, Nigel, Alexa and Madison McDonald, Garret, Linden and Makenna Dieno and Kim Burns; great-grandchildren Rhyse Dieno, Nicollette (Erik) Johnson, Jordan and Paige Hodgins, Deklin Dieno, Aidan, Danica and Ava Roth and Julia and Dylan Dieno.
Bill also leaves to mourn his sisters Ella (Emil) Kaminski, Rita (Merv) Smith, Lorraine (Bob) Jensen, Rose (Jack) Shields, sister-in-law Bev Dieno and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
The Celebration of Bill’s Life was held on Saturday, September 13 at 2 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Davidson, Saskatchewan with Lutheran Pastors Sonje Finnestad and Ron Bestvater presiding. Interment immediately followed at the Davidson Cemetery and reception at Sacred Heart Catholic Church Parish Hall.
Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to the Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church Building Fund, Davidson Senior Centre, Davidson JAA Minor Sports or to the charity of your choice.
Arrangements in care of Hanson’s Funeral Home in Davidson.