By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — When Jacob Heinrich joined 553 Sherlock Squadron last fall, he had one goal in mind: getting his pilot’s license.

The 14-year-old Davidson resident said he knew learning to fly was part of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets program, but he soon learned there was lots more to it than that.

On Friday, he and his fellow Cadets headed down to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park for a three-day weekend, setting up camp and learning basic survival skills.

Other activities this year have included trips to the Moose Jaw airbase and museums, along with gliding lessons. Heinrich also learned he’s been accepted to attend a three-week camp this summer at Cold Lake.

“We’ve done quite a lot of stuff that I didn’t know we would do,” said Heinrich. “It’s all been really fun.”

Jacob enjoyed it so much that his brother Reggie, who turns 12 this month, is joining the Cadet program as soon as he becomes eligible.

“I’ve been persuasive,” said Jacob with a laugh.

Unfortunately for the Heinrichs and other cadets, the Davidson squadron will soon be moving out of town, following a sustained decline in its numbers.

Capt. Krystal Klenk-Potts, the squadron’s commanding officer, said the new location hasn’t been determined yet, but it will be closer to Saskatoon.

“Ultimately, it no longer will be in Davidson,” she said, adding that it will retain its number and name. “It’s easier to move a squadron then to start a brand new one.”

For the past several years, the organization had told the Davidson squadron that it needed to improve its numbers or risk being reorganized.

This year, they set a firm target, telling Klenk-Potts that she needed to have 25 cadets registered by the end of February.

“I wasn’t too happy with that number,” she recalled adding that while enrolment has increased since last year, it never approached the required figure. “Even with this jump, we were on the cusp of being shut down or put on hold.”

Sherlock Squadron currently has seven cadets enrolled, coming from Davidson, Bladworth, Craik and Stalwart.

For the full story, please see the May 16 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Construction is set to start on Davidson’s new pool within the next couple of weeks, the town’s recreation director said late last week.

Trevor Ouellette said the town has confirmed the total cost of the project and will be moving forward with the goal of having the pool ready for use in 2017.

“At this point, things will happen really fast,” he said. “We should see some action in the next two weeks.”

The swimming pool committee announced last month that it had reached its initial fundraising goal of $1.3 million, but at that time it remained to be seen whether that would be enough for the project as envisioned by the town.

The figure has since been confirmed, though it has not been released to the public yet.

Ouellette told the Leader on Friday that it is well within reach, and significantly lower than previous cost projections had indicated.

The Regina-based firm Walker Projects, Ltd., serves as project managers on the town’s behalf. CCR Construction Ltd. of Regina is general contractor, while Western Recreation is constructing the actual pool.

Ouellette said the town is expected to carry out site preparation beginning this week, with the hole being dug for the pool by the end of May.

Staff from Walker Projects met with Ouellette, town councillors and members of the committee last week.

While a shortfall remains, Ouellette said the committee has agreed to continue some fundraising, though the town will ultimately be responsible for the difference.

In addition, a contingency fund, amounting to five per cent of the project’s cost, will be in place to protect against cost overruns or other unforeseen costs.

No firm timeline has been established, but Ouellette said the builders are hoping to complete the project by late September or early October of this year, which should be achievable as long as weather allows.

The recreation director said he is pleased to move into the next phase of the project, though the construction process will bring its own challenges.

“It’s one load taken off my shoulders, just replaced by a bigger load,” he said with a laugh.

While the old pool will be open again this season, Ouellette said it’s clear that its time is short, calling it a “relief” that the new facility is now within reach.

He also noted how impressed he is by the efforts of the pool committee, noting that other towns, some larger than Davidson, had struggled to raise more than half of what this town has.

Erin Gust, speaking on behalf of the committee Friday, confirmed that they have agreed to continue with annual fundraisers, including bottle drives, the garden sale and the holiday gala.

She said the 12 members voted “overwhelmingly in favour” of continuing their efforts, adding that the high level of local support continues to encourage them.

“It’s really hard to express the feelings, of the sense of accomplishment, of what we’ve achieved as a community together,” she said. “It’s a really good feeling.”

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Another change is on the horizon for Davidson’s skyline, as one of the town’s last remaining grain elevators will fall to the wrecking ball by the month’s end.

The Richardson Pioneer grain elevator, constructed in 1928, is scheduled for demolition within the next couple of weeks, a company representative confirmed on Wednesday.

Neil Banbury, the company’s senior director for Zone 4, said Richardson Pioneer hasn’t shipped grain cars from the elevator for several years, and hasn’t used it at all in the last couple of years.

While the wooden elevator is in good aesthetic condition, he said, it’s no longer up to par when it comes to the needs of today’s farmers.

“A plant like that just can’t provide the level of service that producers require these days,” he said.

Modern grain terminals — like the one operated by Richardson Pioneer at the south end of town — are faster and offer much greater capacity, explained Banbury.

Following a recent expansion, the company’s terminal now handles 30,000 tonnes of grain, while the old elevator has a capacity of around 5,600 tonnes.

Last year, the company constructed three grain bins at the plant, each of which has roughly the same capacity as the wooden elevator.

A new high-speed fertilizer plant was also installed at the terminal last year. The company is currently expanding the terminal’s railcar capacity from 54 cars to 104 cars.

While new technology has made the wooden elevator obsolete, Banbury said the aging facility also poses something of a safety hazard, both for employees and for the general public.

No one has approached the company about purchasing or preserving the elevator, he said, adding that the cost to operate the facility “in a safe manner” would have been high.

Currently, workers are removing equipment from the elevator, and demolition is expected within the next couple of weeks.

For the full story, please see the May 9 edition of The Davidson Leader.