Monthly Archives: February 2016

Davidson, Obituary

Obituary: Schmit, Gwendolyn Berne

Berne Schmit
Berne Schmit

Schmit, Gwendolyn Berne
February 12, 1928 — January 28, 2016

Berne Schmit passed away in the Davidson Health Centre in the late afternoon of Jan. 28. Born in Young, Sask., Berne was the second oldest child born to Maitland and Muriel (Easson) Blachford of the Colonsay/Zelma district.

Mom took her early schooling at Colonsay and Ardath schools. Upon graduation she went on to take nurse’s training at the St. Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing, Saskatoon, graduating in 1949. From there she attended the St. Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing, Vancouver, receiving a post-graduate certificate in surgery in 1950.

Her nursing career took her to many locations including the Vancouver General Hospital, Weyburn General Hospital, Davidson Union Hospital and then to the Saskatoon City Hospital before again returning to Davidson.

Back at Davidson, she met Bob Schmit and they were married April 7, 1953 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Saskatoon. She and Bob had three children — Laurie, Jim and Denise.

There were many high points in her nursing career, which included being employed as a nurse specialist with Dr. Crosby, a Regina cardiologist flying to various points in Canada and the U.S. to perform surgeries. She was also involved in the planning and layout of the surgical suites in the original 1954 portion of the Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon. She later made an application to work in the U.S., but stayed in Canada to look after her mother’s health. Most of all, she enjoyed working in the Saskatoon Public Health Region as a public health nurse covering various rural municipalities and points along Highways 2, 11 and 19.

Berne continued to work on and off at the Davidson Hospital as she and Bob raised their family. In the summer of 1967, she began working full-time as a public health nurse, retiring in May of 1985.

Mom was involved in the community as a member of the Davidson Library Board and the Davidson Prairie View Lodge Board, but most of all she was a compassionate person helping who she could at any time when needed.

Berne was sports-minded, known to play hockey at a young age to playing ball, tennis, bowling, curling and golfing. The love of golf brought home many prizes and many stories. In later years she closely followed sports on television.

Mom also liked to travel – both driving and flying. She visited many points in Canada, the U.S. and beyond, including trips to places like Hawaii, Las Vegas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Barbados and Jamaica.

Berne enjoyed working on the farm, but most of all enjoyed being outside in the yard and fresh air. The trees, lawns and flowers at the old farm north of Davidson certainly attested to this.

In December of 2003, Bob and Berne moved off the farm and into town. Here she continued to enjoy golf and yard work. As time went on she found herself dedicating more time to caring for Bob and then eventually to her diminishing health. She was able to actively golf into her 87th year. Up until the end she cherished her time with friends, family and enjoyed the occasional outing to the casino.

Berne is survived by her children Laurie, Jim (Allison) and Denise (Lonnie); grandchildren Kelly (Kenny), Rob (Sharmayne) and Kiel; extended family Josh, Melissa and Mykaila; great-grandchildren Blake, Nolan, Evhan, Kacie and Rylyn; Rhyder and Braylee as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; her sister Pat (Keith); her brothers Laurie (Irene), Cam (Donyan), Ian (Barbara), and Bruce (Marline); brother-in-law Doug (Inez) and sister-in-law Betty.

She was predeceased by her husband Bob in 2012, her sister Joan in 2004, her parents, and various in-laws.

At Berne’s request there will be no funeral or memorial service. A celebration of life is tentatively planned for the May 7 weekend. An announcement outlining details will be placed into The Davidson Leader prior to that date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Berne may be directed to the Davidson Golf and Country Club or the Davidson EMS Equipment Fund with cheques made payable to the Town of Davidson.

We miss you already. Rest in peace Mom!

Kenaston, Obituary

Obituary: Sinnett, Reginald

Sinnett, Reginald
October 24, 1948 — January 5, 2016

It is with great sadness, we announce the sudden passing of our father, grandfather, brother and friend. He will be lovingly remembered and missed by his daughters Nicole Davis (Mike), Leanne Sinnett and grandchildren Mackenzie and Danica Davis along with his brothers and sisters. A family celebration will be held in the summer.

Bladworth, Davidson, featured, Kenaston

Danille’s family, friends bring grief to the stand

Danille Kerpan
Danille Kerpan

By Joel van der Veen

SASKATOON — One after the other, their statements told the story.

Her parents, partner, siblings, other relatives and friends — 15 in total — took the stand in a Saskatoon courtroom on Tuesday to share their memories of Danille Kerpan, and the void left in their lives by her sudden death.

Kerpan, 25, was killed instantly in a collision on Highway 11 on Oct. 10, 2014, when her vehicle was struck by a northbound truck in the wrong lane near Bladworth.

The man driving that truck — John Koch, 50 — was later found to have a blood alcohol level almost three times the legal limit.

Koch, who had entered a guilty plea on Jan. 7, was sentenced Tuesday to a four-year prison term, followed by a seven-year prohibition from driving.

In his victim impact statement, Danille’s father Allan — a former MP and MLA — said his past public speaking had not prepared him for the speech he had to make in court that day.

He said his words were not sufficient to illustrate the pain he has felt since he and his wife were awakened by a police officer, delivering the news of their daughter’s death.

Despite being complimented for his strength, Allan said, “The truth is I am not strong at all. I have to almost clinically remove myself from the situation in order to function.”

He spoke of the harsh reality of having to write a cheque for his daughter’s memorial service instead of her wedding, or of knowing he would never walk her down the aisle or hold her babies.

Melanie Kerpan spoke of the guilt she has felt in recalling the night her daughter died. Earlier that day, she had travelled to Saskatoon, had supper with her daughters and then went shopping for paint with Danille.

“If she hadn’t stayed with me in Saskatoon, she might still be here,” said Melanie, also describing the pain of having to tell her other children about the collision.

“Being a mom to Danille and her siblings is the best gift I’ve ever been given,” she said in her conclusion, “and even death can’t take that away.”

A statement read on behalf of Danille’s partner, Rylan Dezotell, described the future the two had planned together, and the devastating impact her death has had on him. He wrote about how they had purchased, renovated and furnished their home.

“Together we had picked out an engagement ring,” he wrote. “That was by far the happiest day of my life — and returning it was the worst . . . especially when they asked why I was returning it.”

Koch also read an apology letter to the family, in which he spoke of his enduring guilt: “Because of me, your daughter was taken from you. I wish it was me instead.”

While the Crown and defence agreed on a four-year prison sentence, the Crown argued for a 10-year driving prohibition. Judge Sanjeev Anand agreed on an extended prohibition, imposing a seven-year ban.

Allan Kerpan said the experience of the sentencing had brought back the level of grief he had experienced in the aftermath of Danille’s death. In the words of his son Josh, he said, he felt as though he had “regressed.”

He also said he was proud of Danille’s relatives and friends for agreeing to make their statements. The day was an exhausting experience for himself and his family, he said, but they were encouraged by the results.

Kerpan said he and Melanie are continuing discussions with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) about potential projects, including a large-scale provincial memorial or smaller roadside memorials at accident sites.

He also said the extended driving prohibition — which was twice the average penalty — was a positive sign that attitudes are changing.

“It looks like they’re going to start to take it a little more seriously,” said Allan. “I think people are starting to say ‘enough’s enough’.”

Craik, featured

Abuse of bins means end for Craik compost program

Craik's public compost bins were removed last week due to ongoing abuse of the program, officials said.
Craik’s public compost bins were removed last week due to ongoing abuse of the program, officials said.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Unwelcome items dropped off at Craik’s community compost bins had included everything but the kitchen sink — until last weekend, that is.

An employee of Titan Clean Energy Projects discovered a kitchen sink inside one of the bins over the weekend, along with a pile of plastic sheets.

It was the last straw for the compost program, which has been made available free of charge to Craik and area residents for the past six years.

Titan office manager Michele Kiss confirmed that the company, the town and the Craik Sustainable Living Project (CSLP) had agreed to end the program last week.

Kiss said that abuse of the bins — including a high volume of non-compostable items, such as bicycles, weights and furniture — had been an ongoing problem.

“We don’t want it to become a dumping ground for everything under the sun,” she said.

Kiss also observed that some users were leaving their yard waste outside the bins, rather than depositing them inside, creating more work as well as a potential eyesore.

The project had begun around 2010 as an initiative between the CSLP and multiple partners, including Waste Management, which provided the bins and transported the material, and Titan, which processed it into compost.

The initial goal was to divert as much organic waste as possible from the Craik landfill. Titan had agreed to accept the material for processing, and composted material was made available for community spaces and personal use.

For most of the project’s history, there were two bins — one for yard waste and the other for kitchen scraps — situated on Crossford Avenue near Titan’s company site.

The project was successful in its early years, with almost 10,000 kg of material collected up to June 2011, according to the CSLP website. However, Kiss said the volume of acceptable compost, particularly kitchen waste, had declined over time.

With items like plastic bags winding up in the bins, Titan would need to use screening equipment to sort the material, adding more time and expense to the process.

Titan, the town and the CSLP had discussed the issue last year, and a note was included in a recent town newsletter reminding residents that the bins were for compost only.

Kiss said part of the decline may be due to more people starting to compost on their own, noting, “Backyard composting is becoming more popular.”

She called it “unfortunate” that the program couldn’t continue, adding that sustainability has been something of a raison d’etre for Craik over the last decade and a half.

Craik administrator Sarah Wells confirmed that the town had received an email from Titan on Monday about the situation. By Thursday, the bins had been removed.

Wells also said the program’s demise would be unwelcome news for the people who were still using it, but she understood why it was happening.

“It’s a shame,” she said. “People abuse stuff like that, and it’s gotta go.”

Davidson, featured, Sports

Curling clinic draws crowd to rink

Helen Fontaine leads a group of curlers, under the direction of Amber Holland, as they practise sweeping during a Jan. 23 clinic.
Helen Fontaine leads a group of curlers, under the direction of Amber Holland, as they practise sweeping during a Jan. 22 clinic.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Newbies and veteran curlers alike had the opportunity to learn from the pros at a clinic held in Davidson last weekend.

A total of 22 people registered for the two-hour adult clinic, held the evening of Jan. 22 at the Communiplex curling rink.

While social leagues are growing and more people in their 20s and 30s are taking up the sport, organizers are still working to grow the sport, said Susan Lang, development and market manager for CURLSASK.

“If we don’t do this, we’re not going to have a sport in 20 years,” she said, adding that longtime players were also finding the clinics beneficial.

Lang was one of three instructors leading on Friday night, along with Travis Brown and 2011 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Amber Holland.

“Everybody was really eager to try something new,” said Lang. “We try to keep these low-key . . . People strive to improve, but it’s not boot camp.”

The clinic focused on basic skills like sliding, throwing and brushing. Participants were divided up into three groups based on experience level.

For newer curlers, Lang said the sliding is often the most challenging part, although those who have skated or skied in the past may pick it up more quickly.

“The flexibility that’s involved in curling is deceptive,” she said, “as is the requirement for good balance.”

Lang said it can be daunting for new Canadians who haven’t spent time on ice surfaces before, adding, “Not everyone’s a skater, skiier, snowboarder-type of person.”

With that in mind, instructors have developed exercises to help develop that flexibility and balance, as well as prop rocks that can be used in training.

“We saw a big improvement in an hour and a half tonight,” said Lang. “We sort of strip it down to the bare basics . . . We want people to succeed.”

CURLSASK offers clinics targeted at different age groups. Lang said they have found that adults are less likely to take lessons, so organizers seek to make it as comfortable as possible.

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

Craik, Davidson, featured, Kenaston

Teachers recall time up north in wake of La Loche tragedy

Paul Stinson (bottom right corner) is shown during a trapping trip with students during his first year as a teacher in La Loche.
Paul Stinson (bottom right corner) is shown during a trapping trip with students during his first year as a teacher in La Loche.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Jennifer Peach’s first teaching job took her more than 6,000 kilometres from her home near St. John’s, N.L., all the way to the northern village of La Loche.

Last week, she recalled her first trip up north — “a long drive on a long, lonely highway” — and some initial impressions, including her surprise at the great number of children and teens in the small community.

The village had all basic necessities, including schools, a grocery store, police detachment, the church and a modern health facility. Peach was also attracted by the natural beauty of the area, including the dense forests and vast lakes.

“It felt, actually, more like home the further north I drove,” she said. “It was kind of comforting, in a way.”

Peach arrived in August 2005 and would ultimately stay for five years. If she hadn’t decided to pursue her master’s degree, she said, she would likely still be teaching there.

“I expected to go there for one year,” said Peach. “I loved it so much, I stayed for five.”

Peach, who now teaches Grade 5 at Davidson School, said she made many friendships during her time in La Loche, and she thinks about the village often.

When she heard about the events of Jan. 22 — a shooting spree that ended at La Loche Community School, in which four people were killed and another seven injured — Peach didn’t know what to think.

“I was more overcome with emotion,” she said, adding that she immediately thought of her friends, colleagues and their families, the people she got to know. “My first reaction when I heard was, ‘I’ve got to get on the phone.'”

Upon her arrival, Peach recalled, village residents were curious about her. The school had a high turnover rate, and they’d seen lots of teachers come and go.

She also remembered that they were eager to make her feel welcome and share the experience of life up north, from setting traps and fishing nets to the history, language and culture of the Dene people.

“They treated me like I was a member of the community,” she said. “The more I put myself out there, the more the community embraced me.”

After she was first hired by Northern Lights School Division, Peach spent two years teaching physical education to elementary students. She then moved to the Grade 5 classroom for the remainder of her time there.

The oral language spoken by the Dene people isn’t easily learned by newcomers, and teaching assistants helped to bridge the language gap. The older students had a better grasp of English, but were still most comfortable speaking in their mother tongue.

“My time up there was so positive and such a learning experience for me,” said Peach. “I was lucky to have the experience that I did in La Loche . . . This affected me a lot more than I ever thought it would.”

Coincidentally, Peach’s predecessor at Davidson School, Paul Stinson, also began his teaching career in La Loche, working there as a Grade 6 teacher from 1996 to 1999.

Stinson said he had applied to work overseas but accepted the job there in the meantime, later realizing, “There was a different culture to explore without ever leaving the province.”

Like Peach, he was surprised by the high percentage of youth living in the village, which contrasted sharply with the aging populations in similarly-sized towns further south.

Stinson, who lives in Craik and works from the Distance Learning Centre in Kenaston, wrote a piece about his experience, which he posted to social media last week.

“I thought I knew Saskatchewan,” he wrote. “I didn’t even know what I didn’t know about northern Saskatchewan.”

Stinson said his time in La Loche was a time of extremes. While he witnessed a strong sense of community, a close connection to the land and a distinct language and culture, he also said he saw problems “at a level I didn’t think existed in Canada.”

He said the village gave him both his fondest and most frustrating teaching experiences. He recalled activities with students, watching the northern lights during power failures, learning to trap and fish.

“You have suffered great pain,” he wrote in his “love letter” to the village. “I wish for others to get to know you. You are complex, complicated, beautiful.”

Stinson said the attention surrounding La Loche over the past weeks may have some positive results, especially if it leads to a greater understanding of the root causes of the problems the community faces.

He said he believes the historic treatment of aboriginal people, including the residential school system, still reverberates in the lives of their descendants.

“This is what I understand to be part of what is happening,” he told the Leader, “not the cause of a single individual’s violent actions, but connected, and bringing issues to light, critical issues that we need to face and address.”

Stinson said he is hopeful that real progress can take place, that leaders will look to the calls to action that resulted from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and that aboriginal people will be given a voice in the discussions that take place.

This past weekend, Peach had plans to travel up to La Loche to visit with former colleagues and students, to attend the funeral for teaching assistant Marie Janvier, and reconnect with other people she hasn’t seen in years.

Her current colleagues in Davidson helped put together a break-time basket for the staff in La Loche, including snacks, coffee and tea.

Over the past week she’s also talked with her students about the tragedy. Some had heard the news and were curious about it; some had decided that La Loche must be a terrible place.

“It’s OK to think that, and it’s natural,” said Peach, adding, “I wouldn’t want them to go their whole lives thinking that that’s what La Loche is all about.”

“I had students that wanted to learn about things just as badly as they did,” she continued. “I don’t want them to judge a whole community of people based on the actions of one person.”