Hey Community Groups!

I’ve noticed some posts from people around the region looking for information about how to register their kids for various activities. I thought The Davidson Leader could help by putting out an Activity and Leisure Guide to tell people what programs and clubs are running this season. For example, there are many new people in the area and someone in Kenaston or Davidson may not know that Loreburn offers figure skating, or that there is a Line 19 Gymnastics Club. I know Facebook is free and is a great way to share information, but it doesn’t reach everyone, especially once the post gets bumped down in the newsfeed.

We have 1,300 subscribers, so your ad will reach that many households and won’t be buried in a newsfeed. I’m planning to publish the guide in the Sept. 14 edition of The Leader.

—Tara

The Leader Classifieds also give great results and cost just $6 for up to 40 words. Consider using them for your coming events, real estate listings, help wanted, vehicle for sale or to sell household items.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A growing leak in Davidson’s swimming pool has resulted in a shortened swimming season, as well as questions about whether or not the pool will be able to open in 2016.

Recreation director Trevor Ouellette said Wednesday that the town had been aware that the pool was leaking at the start of the season in June, but the volume of water leaking has grown steadily over the summer.

He estimated that the pool is losing 30,000 litres of water each day, though it hasn’t been determined exactly where the water is getting out.

“We certainly didn’t know the amount of water that we were losing was this much,” he said.

The pool closed for the season on Friday, several days ahead of schedule but late enough to allow the final set of swimming lessons to wrap up.

At the beginning of the season, Ouellette said, it was observed that the pool was losing between half an inch and one inch of water each day.

That’s not uncommon, he added, explaining that such loss can occur through normal evaporation or from the water that splashes onto the deck as swimmers jump in or climb out of the pool.

In the last two or three weeks, the water level in the pool has dipped by multiple inches on a daily basis.

Ouellette said he believes water may be escaping through the pool deck, but added he won’t be able to determine where the leak is until after the pool is closed and further examination can be done.

The leak was discussed during Davidson town council’s meeting on Tuesday as resident Milton Schilling visited as a delegate.

Schilling owns a house at 417 Toronto St., located adjacent to the pool. He told council that he has found water in the dirt basement of the house, adding he believes the pool is to blame.

“Your pool is leaking and it’s running into my basement,” he said. “You’ve got to fix the problem, to a certain extent.”

The Schilling family has owned the house since the 1950s; Milt said he currently has it rented to a tenant.

In recent years the house has had issues with ground water, owing to the high water table in the area, but Schilling said it has never been this wet before. He added that one neighbour has reported his sump pump has run constantly this summer.

Ouellette confirmed Wednesday that he had tested the water from Schilling’s basement in an attempt to determine its origin, but the results were inconclusive.

Asking council how they planned to address the issue, Schilling was told that the pool would not operate in this condition next year.

“We can’t run it another year like this,” said administrator Gary Edom, while Coun. Gerald Kenny said the town would need to investigate once the pool has closed.

“If worst comes to worst,” said Kenny, “people will have to live without the pool for the year.”

Mayor Clayton Schneider said the matter raises several questions, including how much the necessary repairs would cost, which he said is “an impossible question to answer at this point.”

For the full story, please see the Aug. 24 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — In introducing himself to voters, Perry Juttla says he’s the kind of candidate who takes a different approach to issues, bringing new ideas to the table.

This claim is borne out in some of his business proposals, such as a website that allows people to solicit or make bids for odd jobs, or using drone technology to take high-resolution photos of crops.

“I’m a younger candidate,” he told the Leader last week. “I’d like to think I’m pretty innovative in my thinking.”

As Juttla continues campaigning, he is familiarizing himself with the riding of Moose Jaw-Lanigan-Lake Centre and the huge area it covers, which he said will be critical to Saskatchewan’s future.

Regions like this are the “backbone” of the province’s economy, said Juttla, adding, “Without a thriving rural Saskatchewan, everyone suffers.”

Juttla, 32, is running for the Liberal Party in the new federal riding, facing off against the Conservatives’ Tom Lukiwski and the New Democratic Party’s Dustan Hlady in the Oct. 19 edition.

A University of Regina graduate with degrees in economics and political science, Juttla was born and raised in the province and is currently based in its capital city.

His background includes experience in agriculture, real estate and online marketing, as well as a previous run for office. He ran for the Liberals in the 2003 provincial election, finishing in third place out of five candidates in Regina Walsh Acres.

Juttla said he is passionate about politics and has enjoyed the conversations he’s had with voters so far, primarily in and around Moose Jaw, as well as in communities east of the city, including Pense and Grand Coulee.

He said the performance of both oil prices and the dollar, and their impact on the livelihoods of average Canadians, are matters of great concern.

“It seems like we’re heading into a recession,” he said. “People are worried about the direction of our economy.”

The Senate scandal and the ongoing Mike Duffy trial have also come up, he said, adding that he believes the situation reflects poorly on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s judgment.

“It’s concerning to see the entitlement that some people have,” he said. “It’s really sad to me . . . People are struggling . . . They want opportunities, they’re looking for jobs, security.”

For the full story, please see the Aug. 24 print edition of The Davidson Leader.