Monthly Archives: June 2015

Dundurn, Hanley

Prairie Spirit changes its tune on band programs

By Joel van der Veen

WARMAN — Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) has reversed a recent decision on band programs at its schools, announcing last week that the programs would be funded for the coming year after all.

The announcement came almost a week after the division had said it would cut funding for instrumental band programs for the 2015-16 school year, as part of its efforts to handle a $7.1-million funding shortfall.

The decision would have affected band programs across the division, including Dundurn Elementary School, which offers the program in grades 5 and 6, and Hanley Composite School, which offers band to students in grades 5 through 12.

Students who completed a Band 10 credit this year would have the opportunity to finish Band 20 and/or 30 credits, but the existing program would gradually be replaced with a broader musical education program.

The division allowed for the possibility of extracurricular band practices to be organized by “interested teachers” but said bussing would not be provided for those practices.

The PSSD then found itself caught in something of a political firestorm, as NDP education critic Trent Wotherspoon said the cuts were a symptom of underfunding by the Saskatchewan Party government and demanded that funding be restored.

Meanwhile, education minister Don Morgan defended his party’s record and argued that Prairie Spirit’s own board was to blame for the division’s budget woes.

The division announced the reversal of its decision in a letter to parents dated June 3 that was leaked to the StarPhoenix and later made public.

PSSD director of education John Kuzbik told the Leader on Thursday that the division received plenty of feedback on the issue, much of it from students.

“I really admired how the students went about sharing their displeasure,” he said. “They were respectful . . . They wanted to make it clear that it was a passionate area.”

He also said the response stretched beyond parents and students to include members of the local music community.

Ultimately, he said, the division changed its plan once it determined it would not be able to provide a sufficient replacement program for next year.

The board made the decision at its June 1 meeting to “continue to provide financial support to keep the band music programs operating in their current locations,” according to the letter to parents.

“We had to rethink what we were offering,” he explained. “As we got deeper into it, we realized we weren’t ready to offer an alternative program that could generate as rich an experience as the band program could offer.”

The board had committed not to eliminate programs, but to reduce or replace them; it was determined that the proposed plan would have broken that commitment.

Kuzbik said the division has received feedback on the other cutbacks it has made, so the volume of response on the band matter was close to what they had anticipated.

He said the plan moving forward is to attempt to grow the current program to attract more students, to make it more economical and to see whether it can be expanded to toher schools.

Figures released by the school division last month indicate that fewer students are continuing with the current band program, with numbers dropping off dramatically between Grade 5 and Grade 12.

Meanwhile, the division is still grappling with a major funding shortfall, which must be addressed in time for the budget to be adopted on July 15.

Kuzbik said the division staff and board are working closely together to find possible areas for restructuring or cost savings, adding, “That’s just the nasty work that we’re involved in.”

“It’s really unfortunate that we have to go into making program reductions and staffing reductions because of the big shortfall,” he continued, adding that he feels the division’s expectations are not “out of line with what other school divisions are able to do.”

Kuzbik said he hopes the commotion over the band program has put a spotlight on the division’s situation and the decisions they are forced to make.

A statement issued by the division identified “inadequate and inequitable funding” as the root cause of its current financial situation. Kuzbik said more information on possible reductions may be made public next week.

Reductions have already been made within certain areas, including teacher-librarians, career and work experience, technology, division office staff and educational associate support, according to the division.

“We may have the ability to make choices,” read the letter to parents, “but there are no good choices to be made given the inadequate funding that the school division is receiving from the province.”

The division also expressed its thanks to those who provided feedback, apologizing for “any emotion and hardship” experienced by affected families and asking them to direct their voices of the Ministry of Education.

Parent meetings scheduled for June 8 and 10 have been postponed until September.

Kenaston

Kenaston highway junction will stay unchanged for now

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — A highway intersection east of Kenaston will stay the way it is for the foreseeable future, after it was discussed at a meeting held in the village last month.

The meeting, held May 8 at Kenaston Place, brought together representatives from local governments and officials from the provincial ministry of highways and infrastructure to discuss a proposed redesign of the junction of highways 11 and 15.

Kenaston Mayor ML Whittles reported that officials were responsive to local concerns and said the ministry would delay the redesign of the intersection, also pledging to bring local stakeholders on board as part of a steering committee.

She quoted Jennifer Fertuck, the ministry’s acting director of regional asset management for the central region, as saying: “For the time being, Highway 15 will remain where it is today and receive regular maintenance to ensure serviceability.”

“It was an exceedingly good meeting,” said Whittles. “We felt that we were heard . . . I’m really happy with the outcome.”

Present at the meeting were the councils of both the Village of Kenaston and the Rural Municipality of McCraney, as well as deputy fire chief Ken Remmen of the Kenaston Volunteer Fire Department.

In addition to Fertuck, the ministry was represented by Ron Gerbrandt, assistant deputy minister for design and innovation; Rock Gorlick, executive director for the central region; and Harold Retzlaff, director of transportation planning.

Whittles said the meeting was held to discuss issues with the proposals for the intersection, located just east of the village.

The ministry had offered several proposals for a redesign of the junction, but local officials were concerned about how the plan was moving forward.

“We didn’t like the way that it appeared to be going,” said Whittles, adding that the council believed the proposed redesign would be unsafe and would bring highway traffic closer to the village.

The proposal, which would reshape Highway 15 with an S-curve wrapped partially around the village, would also have limited the possibilities of growth for Kenaston by preventing the development of several lots.

“They were taking too much from us,” said Whittles. “I believed they were set on going one way.”

Council members had communicated their concerns with the public, and a petition circulated at several local businesses collected a total of 169 signatures.

Whittles said the petition gave them ammunition in their talks with the ministry, as it indicated that local officials had the community’s support behind them.

At the meeting, the petition was presented to Gerbrandt, who quickly acknowledged that the local concerns were valid, according to Whittles.

As a result, the ministry announced it would put its plans in limbo, pending the formation of a steering committee that would include local representatives.

Whittles said she was pleased about the community’s response and the outcome of the meeting, adding that the village hopes to move ahead with plans to sell and develop empty lots along the existing Highway 15.

Joel Cherry, a spokesman for the ministry, confirmed Thursday that consultations with the public and stakeholders would be part of the process for planning the future of the intersection.

He said any changes to the intersection are “probably a long way off” but added that there is no set timeline.

For the full story, please pick up a copy of the June 8 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Local runners impress with half-marathon results

Donna Libke, Patti Libke and Ellen Packet are pictured after taking part in the Saskatchewan Marathon in Saskatoon on May 31. Donna completed the five-kilometre run, while Patti and Ellen competed in the half-marathon event.
Donna Libke, Patti Libke and Ellen Packet are pictured after taking part in the Saskatchewan Marathon in Saskatoon on May 31. Donna completed the five-kilometre run, while Patti and Ellen competed in the half-marathon event.

By Joel van der Veen

SASKATOON — Several area residents were among the thousands who hit the trail in the annual Saskatchewan Marathon, held May 31 in Saskatoon.

While none competed in the marathon itself, seven completed the half-marathon — 21.1 km in length — including Wally Peters of Hanley, who finished the race in 1:47:40, putting him in 164th place out of 957 runners.

Also leading the local pack were Ellen Packet of Davidson, and Patti Libke, formerly of Hanley and now residing in Saskatoon, who both completed the half-marathon with a time of 1:54:01.

Packet, 27, said the result was a personal record. She said she began running about two-and-a-half years ago, after competing in a marathon with her friend Katie McNabb.

“She’s not a swimmer, I’m not a runner,” she explained, saying she returned the favour by joining McNabb in a 10-kilometre run a short time later and then continued running herself.

Packet said she has tried to connect with other runners in town, starting a “couch to 5K” program in May with the aim of helping others work up to a five-kilometre run.

A couple of others have joined her, but she said it’s been hard to arrange a time that works for everyone, as some prefer to run in the mornings and others would rather go after work. Others are welcome to join them, she said.

This was Packet’s third time in the Saskatchewan Marathon. She also plans to complete the half-marathon in the BMO Vancouver Marathon on August 15, a week after her wedding.

Other local competitors in the Saskatoon half-marathon included Melissa Nelson of Davidson, 2:09:54; Anne Moren of Simpson, 2:16:04; and Carrie Hart of Dundurn, 4:04:54.

Competing in the 10-kilometre run were Valerie Bradley, Dundurn, 55:00; Jade Van Damme, Imperial, 55:00; Rhonda Kelly, Imperial, 57:02; Michael Schell, Dundurn, 1:00:48; and Gerald Heit, Dundurn, 1:16:45.

Taking part in the five-kilometre run were Donna Libke of Hanley, with a time of 37:30, and Merilee Boyle of Elbow, with a time of 42:18.

Sergii Vashurin, a Ukranian runner from the western city of Chernivtsi, took first place in the full marathon with a time of 2:37:55, while Erin Gardiner of Saskatoon finished in first among the women with a time of 3:00:21.

Davidson

SARCAN staff protest after-hours dumping

A recent photo taken at the Davidson SARCAN depot shows a bathtub left on the property after hours.
A recent photo taken at the Davidson SARCAN depot shows a bathtub left on the property after hours.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Staff members at Davidson’s SARCAN depot are happy to accept recyclable beverage containers, as well as leftover paint and unused electronic equipment, during business hours.

It’s some of the other contributions they’ve had outside of those hours that they’re less than thrilled about.

Depot supervisor Debbie Vicente said employees often arrive at work in the mornings to discover that people have dropped their unwanted items off at the site overnight.

“We’ve had couches, we’ve had old furniture, we’ve had beds,” she said. “You name it, we’ve had it.”

While some of the castoff items would be accepted during the depot’s business hours, many — including microwave ovens, sinks and bathtubs — would not be.

Vicente said this has long been an issue at the Davidson depot, which is operated by Interlake Human Resources.

“We’re the ones that have to take it to the dump,” she said, noting that Interlake is then stuck with the landfill fees.

“We do have signs up,” she continued. “They’ll leave it right under the signs. . . They just ignore it.”

Vicente came by the Leader office last week to place an ad reminding the public not to leave unwanted items at the depot after hours.

Such dumping is illegal, but outside of installing video cameras at the site, little can be done to catch or deter perpetrators.

Town administrator Gary Edom said that illegal dumping is under provincial jurisdiction, adding that the only related bylaw on Davidson’s books concerns littering from vehicles.

The provincial government has recently mounted a campaign, reminding the public that illegal dumping can be reported through the TIP hotline at 1-800-667-7561. Ads state that all reports are investigated and calls are confidential.

For information on items accepted at SARCAN depots, visit sarcan.ca.

Dundurn, Hanley

Cutbacks will affect Hanley, Dundurn bands

By Joel van der Veen

WARMAN — School band programs for students in grades 5 through 10 will be among the casualties of a $7.1-million funding shortfall faced by Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) for the coming year.

PSSD announced in a bulletin sent to parents at the beginning of last week that as of this fall, instrumental band programs for those grades would no longer be funded across the division, which covers 45 schools in the communities surrounding Saskatoon, including Hanley Composite School and Dundurn Elementary School.

“Due to the major financial shortfall being experienced by our school division . . . we are faced with tough decisions regarding the allocation of available funds,” the bulletin read.

The bulletin explained that the current instrumental band program would be replaced with a broader musical education program over the next couple of years.

Starting in September, curricular after-school band practices will no longer be held for grades 5 through 10.

The bulletin noted that interested teachers may choose to organize extracurricular band practices, but stated that bussing for band students for those practices would not be provided.

Students who earned a Band 10 credit this year will be given the opportunity to complete Band 20 and/or Band 30 credits over the next couple of years, through a combination of classroom time and independent study.

These changes will have a direct impact on students in Hanley and Dundurn, where instrumental band programs are currently part of the curriculum.

Division staff confirmed that Dundurn Elementary School offers band for students in grades 5 and 6, while Hanley Composite School offers the program between grades 5 and 12.

PSSD staff members were not available for comment last week, but communications consultant Brenda Erickson provided a written statement to the Leader.

According to the division, the proposed change to the band program is “one of many reductions . . . that have been undertaken” in response to the funding shortfall, including cutbacks to staff and administration at the division office in Warman.

The bulletin to parents acknowledged that under the current program, fewer children continue to study music into their middle years and high school.

According to the division, band programs at the Grade 5 level attract from 38 to 64 per cent of students, but numbers drop off dramatically for students in grades 9 through 12, where band program enrolment sits at between 2 and 6 per cent.

“We know that students continue to have a strong interest in music in their lives, but they often are unable to find appealing or feasible ways to connect it to their experiences in school by the time they reach the secondary level,” read the bulletin.

“In making these changes, the school division hopes to positively impact the music education of a greater number of students.”

PSSD board chairman Larry Pavloff told the Leader last month that administrators were working “feverishly” to address the funding shortfall while minimizing the impact on students.

He said the province’s educational funding model was to blame, and that because of increased salaries for teachers negotiated by the province, the division was effectively left with the same amount of money to cover its growing expenses each year.

Prairie Spirit has made more than $2 million in staffing and programming cuts over the last two years, while $3 million in reserve funding was used to balance last year’s budget.

For the full story, please see the June 1 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Dundurn, Elbow

Prov. to invest $4.8 million in area parks, rec facilities

By Joel van der Veen

ELBOW — Elbow’s mayor said the village is “absolutely thrilled” with a recent announcement that the province will invest $1.8 million into the Lake Diefenbaker district, including the addition of a second boat launch at Elbow Harbour.

Mayor Rob Hundeby said the expansion is much needed and will see frequent use at the harbour, which is located south of the village.

He said the harbour has sometimes suffered from long lineups of users waiting to use the current boat launch, as was the case on the July long weekend last year.

“There was a lineup of 17 boats to get into the main (launch),” he said. “There should no longer be major lineups to enter the beautiful lake that we reside beside.”

The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport announced its plans for the Lake Diefenbaker parks on May 22.

These include a new visitor reception centre at Douglas Provincial Park, as well as repairs and upgrades to the beach retaining wall at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park.

The ministry also announced three days later that it plans to invest more than $2.9 million into Blackstrap Provincial Park, located about 10 kilometres southeast of Dundurn.

There, the province intends to develop a new 63-site campground — almost doubling the number of sites available at the park — along with a service centre and additional infrastructure.

Between the two announcements, the total to be invested into local parks and recreation facilities comes to nearly $5 million.

Hundeby said the announcement comes at a busy time for the village, which has begun to welcome its usual steady stream of summer tourists and guests.

“Elbow is in full swing,” he said. “For us, the harvest has begun . . . It’s exciting times for this town and surrounding resort communities.”

Dundurn’s deputy mayor, Annette Hamilton, also welcomed the news about the new campground at Blackstrap, saying it came as a surprise to council members. Expansion plans had been discussed but no update had been received in more than a year.

“The whole area is going to benefit from this,” she said, noting that local businesses would gain from the increased traffic. “The summer months will be a lot busier.”

In a statement, parks, culture and sport minister Mark Docherty said the investment in the Lake Diefenbaker area would “enhance the experience of our visitors and will make this area an even more attractive place to vacation.”

For the full story, please see the June 1 edition of The Davidson Leader.