By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A local tradition was revived last month as Royal Canadian Legion members, their family, friends and other guests gathered for a medal presentation and strawberry social in Davidson.

The event was an opportunity to mark several milestones, including the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the 90th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion itself.

Anniversary medals were presented to four members: veterans Alfred Stulberg, Meryl Warren and Bob Booker, and to Wayne Morrison, former commanding officer of Davidson’s 553 Sherlock Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

An additional medal was presented to Stulberg on behalf of the government of France, in honour of his role in that country’s liberation by Allied forces in the summer of 1944.

About 60 people attended the social and presentation, held at the Davidson Seniors Centre on Friday, May 22.

Gordon McRae, president of the local Legion branch, said he was pleased with the turnout and response, given how the branch’s numbers have declined in recent years.

He thanked those in attendance for coming out and supporting the event, and said he hoped to ensure that Legion events like the Remembrance Day ceremony would continue on in Davidson.

Rev. Diane Eurig served as the emcee for the afternoon program, which included remarks by Coun. Kim Williams and Arm River-Watrous MLA Greg Brkich.

“I can only imagine this legion, our legion, was formed on blood, sweat and tears,” said Williams, who offered congratulations on behalf of Mayor Clayton Schneider and the rest of town council.

Brkich, who appeared on behalf of the provincial government, thanked Stulberg directly for his role, saying that he and other veterans “can never be thanked enough for the freedoms we have nowadays.”

Sylvia McConnell read selections from the Prairie Tapestry history book and other records, detailing the history of the local Legion branch, the Ladies Auxiliary and the members being honoured that day.

The local branch originated in April 1919 as part of the Great War Veterans Association. Over 200 residents of Davidson and district had enlisted in the military for the First World War; thirty-five of them did not return.

Though the branch was less active in the 1930s, it was reactivated at the end of the Second World War, in which 236 residents enlisted and 14 were killed.

McRae presented the four recipients with the Legion 90th anniversary medal, which features claret and white bands in honour of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

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

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Last Sunday was the perfect day for a ride, and the perfect day to remind drivers that they aren’t the only ones on the road.

On May 24, the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Davidson played the improbable host to dozens of motorcycle enthusiasts, stopping through town in support of Riders Against Government Exploitation (RAGE).

RAGE, which has been active across the province since 2013, held its Awareness Ride on Sunday, encouraging bikers to head out on the highways, to meet in Davidson and to help promote their causes.

President Rhonda Cwynar said the group has held the annual Awareness Ride for the past couple of years, using Davidson as a meeting point, but this was the first time they had set up a gathering place inside the town.

“We’re all spread all over Saskatchewan, so it’s pretty hard to organize one big event,” said Cwynar.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, an event designed to remind drivers to keep an eye out for bikers while on the road, and in doing so, to reduce the number of collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles.

Cwynar said RAGE was formed to protest what its members viewed as unfair insurance rates imposed by SGI, as well as to promote awareness of riders and prevent accidents on Saskatchewan’s roads.

“Our main focus is lobbying to make sure that our riding community stays safe and viable,” said Cwynar.

She said SGI has not done enough to promote and enforce safe driving habits among drivers of all vehicles; instead, they have raised insurance rates for riders to compensate for the increased costs of accidents and injuries on roads and highways.

“We’re pushing to have a solution instead of soaring rates,” she said. “Rates are the end result of a lot of other things . . . They’re never looking at the real problem.”

Cwynar acknowledged that part of the problem is living in a country with a cold climate, where riders are off the road for half the year.

She also said that distracted driving is a growing problem, despite provincial laws designed to deter it, and that bikers are often vulnerable when other drivers aren’t paying attention to the traffic around them.

Cwynar said there was a small but steady turnout to the parish hall, where refreshments were served, and RAGE memberships and merchandise were being sold.

Dave Sotkowy, a Regina resident who serves as RAGE’s treasurer, said the weather was “gorgeous,” but added, “I think a lot of them are just hitting the Shell station and having a bite to eat there.”

The Awareness Run was followed last week by an announcement from cabinet minister Don McMorris and SGI, which will introduce a third option for injury coverage for motorcycle owners for the 2016 riding season.

Riders can currently choose from the full “No Fault” package, with more generous benefit levels, and Tort coverage, which includes reduced benefit levels but also allows the rider to sue the party at fault in a collision for additional losses.

A third option will provide the same level of benefits as the Tort coverage package, but without the ability to sue, allowing SGI to provide the coverage at a lower cost.

RAGE organizers welcomed the announcement, according to a post on the group’s Facebook page, and said the organization had been working with SGI’s motorcycle review committee for several years.

Another riders’ group, BACA — Bikers Against Child Abuse — also stopped in Davidson over the weekend, staying at the campground during their annual Legacy Run.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Town council has announced plans to appoint a committee to oversee the Davidson cemetery in response to recent concerns over its condition.

Council discussed these plans, as well as more immediate actions to be taken, at its regular meeting at Davidson Town Hall on Tuesday.

A delegation, which included residents Clarke and Debbie Doell and funeral director Todd Lockwood, visited council during the meeting to voice their concerns and offer suggestions.

Distributing photos she took recently at the cemetery, Debbie Doell read a list of her concerns, including reports of heavy loads being hauled through the site and large mounds of clay being left atop of graves.

“We feel that there has been a lack of maintenance and direction, and we would like to address this,” she told council, adding that she wanted to offer constructive advice, and not “to run anybody down.”

Lockwood said that he hears concerns directly from families because of his role as a funeral director.

“I’m out there a lot,” said Lockwood. “I’m feeling the heat from families that want something to take place . . . We’re the last people they see out there.”

Mayor Clayton Schneider expressed his thanks to the delegation for coming and explained plans to form a committee that would include representatives from town council and public works, as well as Lockwood and possibly additional members.

The proposed committee would meet four times a year at the start and, as present issues are dealt with, could scale back to a couple of meetings annually.

Schneider said council wants to move forward and address these concerns, saying, “If we just work together, we can get some problems solved.”

His thoughts were echoed by other council members, including Coun. Tyler Alexander, who said the need for work was evident in several areas.

“I think we have the staff to do it,” he said. “We just need to get everybody on the same page.”

Doell said the mounds of clay are “impossible to work with,” even for families who take on the task of maintaining their own plots.

Lockwood said the preferred practice is to level a gravesite with existing earth once a casket has been laid, then to top it up with around six inches of topsoil.

“It’s a learning curve,” he said of the process of digging and filling in graves. “It’s not a problem, it’s just something that needs to be worked with.”

Council was also asked about the cemetery fund, to which donations can be made in memory of the deceased, but Edom said it has essentially run dry.

“There’s virtually nothing in it,” he said, noting that only around $450 was donated last year, and that the fund was drained last year as the town dealt with excess moisture.

Edom said another factor behind the delay is that the town equipment can’t move some of the larger gravestones.

He said that Remco, which manufactures the stones, will move them as needed, but won’t deal directly with municipalities, instead working through funeral directors.

Lockwood said he was willing to offer his help to the committee. He also suggested that the town consider increasing its cemetery fee, which currently stands at $100, compared to city cemeteries that charge between $1,500 and $2,000 and require the use of burial vaults.

After the delegation had left, Schneider identified several key goals, such as immediately dealing with the Russell family plot, which has been in a state of disarray for more than a year.

Speaking later to public works foreman Doug Torrie, who also attended as a delegation, Schneider said the town needs to find a good source of topsoil, as well as a location to store it, and then using the soil to top up graves.

He also directed the staff to remove the existing mounds from gravesites, and noted that council would look at updating the town’s cemetery fees and bylaws.

Torrie said his staff was instructed as of Tuesday to stop driving heavy loads through the site.

Debbie Doell said Thursday that she appreciated council members taking the time to listen to her concerns and that she felt hopeful about their response.

“I felt it was very positive,” she said. “I felt that they did hear what we were stating, and they made constructive suggestions.”

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Just as they pledged, Davidson School’s class of 2015 has already made history, as the smallest graduating class the school has seen in almost 60 years.

The class — with a total of seven students, all girls — held its graduation exercises in the school gymnasium on Saturday, May 16, before a packed house of friends, family, teachers and classmates.

But as guest speaker Karen McConnell said during the ceremony, “You ladies have left a mark far larger than the number of you.”

Expressing disbelief that the seven students, once awkward Grade 7 students struggling with their lockers, were now finished at Davidson School and on their way to adulthood, McConnell shared memories of her time teaching and coaching the girls, and left them with some sincere advice.

“You have one life, don’t play it safe,” she said. “What does your gut tell you? Follow your gut, it’s smarter than your head most of the time.”

Principal Jason Low also addressed the students, offering 10 pieces of advice he had learned over the years, and thanking those in the audience for taking the time to attend despite the busyness of the season.

“I know that seeding time is precious in our unpredictable part of the world and is crucial in ensuring a bountiful harvest,” he said. “As we sit here tonight, I think we are celebrating the greatest harvest you will ever have.”

Teacher Karielle Willner served as master of ceremonies for the 90-minute program, while Paulette Killoh led the processional, introducing each student as they entered and accepted their diplomas from vice-principal Cathy Rettger and Sun West School Division trustee John Collins.

As noted by Killoh, the class of 2015 was the smallest class Davidson School has had since 1957, when six students graduated.

Following the singing of “O Canada,” graduate Brooklyn Read introduced McConnell as the guest speaker. Her speech was followed by the principal’s remarks.

Awards and scholarships were presented by Davidson School Community Council chair Marcia McIvor, treasurer Denise Brecht and other community members.

Katelyn Riecken represented her class to pass the school colours to Grade 11 student Ben Nykiforuk, carrying on a decades-long tradition.

Elise McJannet, selected as the class valedictorian, reflected on the students’ time together. Six of the girls had been together since Kindergarten, while Paige Travers from Loreburn joined them in Grade 11.

“We are more like family than just classmates,” said McJannet, expressing her classmates’ mixed feelings on graduating. “We are anxious to explore new things, yet we are hesitant.”

She also recognized that the 13 years they spent together had presented their challenges, noting, “It’s had its share of bumps and ruts, but we’ve always been there to pick each other up and move forward.”

Referring to the class theme — “We’ll Make H15tory” — McJannet said it didn’t necessarily mean being recognized by the world, but rather being known “by the people we care about.”

Brooklyn Read and Liana Farrell provided a look into the future with their predictions for their classmates and themselves. A slideshow of old photos set to music, put together by Quinlyn Johnson and Elise McJannet, was well received by the audience.

Johnson and Travers offered acknowledgements towards the end of the ceremony, followed by the recessional and grand march, and finally a social.

The ceremony followed a banquet at Davidson Town Hall, emceed by Blair Frederickson, featuring toasts to both the parents and the grads, and the presentation of academic awards by vice-principal Cathy Rettger and other school staff.

For the complete story, including the list of awards presented, please pick up a copy of the May 25 edition of The Davidson Leader.