By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A windy day couldn’t spoil the festivities as the Riverbend Co-op celebrated the grand opening of its Davidson gas bar on Highway 11 on Thursday.

Two players from the Saskatchewan Roughriders — cornerbacks Tyron Brackenridge and Paul Woldu — were on hand for a couple of hours to sign autographs.

The event also included a ribbon cutting ceremony and a fundraising barbecue for Davidson’s new swimming pool. In addition, 10 cents from every litre of gas sold from the Co-op pumps on Thursday was donated towards the pool.

Several Co-op representatives and other dignitaries offered remarks during the short ceremony, including Davidson Mayor Clayton Schneider, who said businesses like Riverbend are helping the community to grow and thrive.

“We’re truly blessed to have businesses such as yourselves as part of our great community,” he said, also lauding the Co-op on its business sense in taking advantage of a new location along Highway 11, one of the province’s most heavily-travelled highways.

Dawn Erickson, board secretary for Riverbend Co-op, expressed her appreciation to Davidson residents for their support, saying, “I’m so proud of our staff and our facility.”

Riverbend general manager Greg Sarvis said the new gas bar had been in the works for more than three years, explaining, “It’s kind of full circle for me.”

He said the facility represented the single biggest Co-op investment in Davidson in two decades. He also commended the staff for weathering some surprises along the way.

Riverbend Co-op purchased the site on the east side of Highway 11 in the spring of 2012, demolishing the former restaurant and gas station to make way for the new project.

Construction was delayed but finally began in October of 2014. The station officially opened for business on Aug. 24.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 19 edition of The Davidson Leader.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Clown noses, an acoustic guitar and some blank newsprint were among the tools that helped Davidson students bring their creativity to life last week.

On Wednesday, the school hosted its annual visit from the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange, bringing a team of six artists to lead workshops in drama, music, dance and the visual arts.

Davidson School vice-principal Cathy Rettger said staff members have made it a priority to bring the exchange program back each year. She recalled her own experience attending a dance-themed workshop several years ago.

“It was so comfortable and so natural, and we had so much fun,” she said. “They share that passion and that excitement with the kids.”

The five workshops were held throughout the day for students in Kindergarten through Grade 6, with each class rotating between each station.

Kenn McLeod and Amber Phelps-Bondaroff led a clowning workshop in the student lounge, taking each group through a series of improv exercises that included statues in various poses.

They then invited individual students or small groups to perform in front of their classmates, drawing them into simple scenarios and having them mime different objects.

In the library, Erik Mehlsen led a songwriting workshop, developing a set of lyrics with each class. He would then match the words to a melody, teach the students to sing their songs and record them on the spot, playing along on an acoustic guitar.

Over in the elementary wing, Saskatoon-area storyteller Danica Lorer shared her craft, while Taylor Hunt led a dance session.

Rowan Pantel supervised a puppetry workshop in the high school scicnce lab. Students were given only basic tools, including blank newsprint taken from unused roll ends, and instructed to create simple puppets.

Pantel is also the manager for the Cultural Exchange workshop tour, now in its 32nd year. The group of professional artists tours the province in a van for the month of October, visiting a total of 20 schools, reaching as far north as Sandy Bay.

For the full story, see the Oct. 19 edition of The Davidson Leader.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Elections Canada officials are reminding local voters to double-check their registration cards as Oct. 19 approaches.

With millions of names to process in the weeks leading up to the federal election, mistakes are occasionally made — as in the case of Lucas and Carrie Branstetter.

The Branstetters were surprised to receive registration cards instructing them to vote in Craik — mostly because they actually live in Davidson.

Carrie said the mistake arose because Elections Canada only had their post office box number on file. The Branstetters moved to town from Creston, B.C., this past summer.

“They assumed we were on a farm,” she said. “I think it was because we moved so recently . . . The street address just didn’t get transferred.”

Carrie said she contacted Elections Canada and the problem was quickly resolved, so she and her husband will be able to vote in Davidson after all.

“I think I was on the phone with them for maybe 10 minutes,” she said, adding that she has not heard of any other voters in the area having the same problem.

The error on the Branstetters’ cards was less significant than other mistakes reported.

CBC reported earlier this month that new cards were issued to hundreds of voters in the Yukon, after they received earlier cards instructing them to travel to the wrong polling stations — in some cases, several hundred kilometres from their homes.

Marie-France Kenny, who serves as Elections Canada’s regional media advisor for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, said the agency estimated that around 1.5 per cent of voter registration cards nationally are affected by such errors.

More than 28 million Canadians are reportedly eligible to vote in the upcoming election; by that figure, about 420,000 would be affected.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader.