All posts by Tara de Ryk

Davidson

Residents offer shelter in cases of emergency

Back in 2013, a March 3 blizzard caused the 10-hour closure of Highway 11 between Davidson and Chamberlain. As a result, 150 to 200 stranded motorists had to wait out the storm in Davidson, filling the Town Hall and finding accommodations at billets in the community.

DAVIDSON—Perhaps it’s no big surprise that a community with a coffee pot as its symbol is home to hospitable people ready to open their homes to shelter people in need.

Davidson’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) co-ordinator says this willingness to take in strangers in case of emergency is typical.

“To have so many people come forward, in this day and age, it’s amazing, but it doesn’t surprise me. That’s the kind of community we have,” Trish Schilling said of a request for volunteer billets.

The most recent batch of Davidson utility bills included a form from Davidson (EMO) looking for people to take in stranded travellers should the need arise. A typical case would be a highway closure due to a blizzard, as an example.

Davidson’s community hall serves as the main place of shelter after the local motels fill up.

However, if more accommodations are needed, then the town looks to the community for support.

As the EMO co-ordinator, Schilling says she keeps the list of billets and volunteers up-to-date. If numbers get low, then she puts out a call for more volunteers.

This recent request resulted between five and 10 new names added to the billeting list.

To read the full story, you’ll need to subscribe. Phone 306-567-2047 or email davidsonleader@sasktel.net.

Davidson

Ice & snow cause Valentine’s Day power failure

DAVIDSON—A build up of ice and snow at the SaskPower Davidson substation is what caused a Valentine’s Day power outage in Davidson and district.

At about 11 a.m., Feb. 14, according to SaskPower, the ice and snow caused a trip on the feeder to approximately 1,100 local customers.

SaskPower crew members de-iced the substation and had power restored at 11:55 a.m.

Fortunately temperatures were mild at the time, around 0° degrees Celsius, so the power outage didn’t have people freezing while their furnaces were down

Davidson, Sports

Cyclones down Winterhawks in double-overtime

DAVIDSON—After nearly two seasons and two extra periods of hockey, the Davidson Cyclones have finally beaten the Watrous Winterhawks.

Last Tuesday’s game against Watrous went into double overtime with the Cyclones defeating the Winterhawks 5-4 in the Long Lake Hockey League semi-final series. Tim Spencer scored the game winner four minutes into the fifth period.

“He’s been a big factor in this series,” said coach Brad Morrison of the Cyclones’ big #57.

In Game 1 against the Winterhawks Spencer got into a fight. “I think that put the fear into Watrous,” Morrison said. In last Tuesday’s game, Morrison said Spencer was nearly hobbled after his knee gave out and could barely walk or skate in the last two periods. Still he came through with the game winner to keep the Cyclones going in the series.

“We’ve lost to them 11 times in a row. It was nice to finally give them a game,” Morrison said. “We’ve been watching Watrous the last two years, figuring out their system.”

He said against Watrous they have to play good man-to-man hockey. Last Tuesday’s win was a team effort.

To read the full story, you’ll need to subscribe. Phone 306-567-2047 or email davidsonleader@sasktel.net.

Craik

Taking a trip to the farm

Students get a handful of grain during a visit to the Wildfong farm near Craik.

CRAIK—Students at Craik School marked Canada’s Agriculture Day Feb. 13 by taking a trip to the farm.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 visited a cattle farm and a grain farm where they learned about where the food they eat comes from, how it is produced and the people who produce it.

Into its second consecutive year, Canada’s Agriculture Day, a day set aside for a national celebration of food and agriculture, is a relatively new concept in Canada.

The intention is to showcase the agricultural sector and create a closer connection with consumers about where their food comes from and the people who produce it, according to the organization Agriculture More Than Ever, an advocacy group for Canadian agriculture.

Vern Luther’s been having school kids out to his family’s cattle operation at Riskan Hope Farm south of Craik for the last three years.

He says he’s surprised that even in a rural community such as Craik, that there is a disconnect between people and the food they eat.

Besides showing children where the beef on their table comes from, he also hopes to spark an interest in agriculture as a possible career option for children who do not come from a farming background.

Going on fieldtrips to farms is a custom for school kids.

“Back when I was a kid, we went out to Ralph Schollar’s. He had sheep, goats and cows. And, he’d always seem to wrangle it that he’d have a cat that just had kittens,” Vern recalls of the fieldtrips he took when he was in school.

Although he wasn’t able to produce a litter of kittens, Vern did have some newborn calves to show the kids.

The most recent addition was born less than 18 hours before the kids arrived.

To read the full story, you’ll need a subscription. Please call 306-567-2047 or email davidsonleader@sasktel.net

Davidson

Pink is the colour as Riders visit Davidson

Davidson students cheer “Be Someone’s Hero” during an anti-bullying presentation on Feb. 9.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — You don’t need to wear a disguise or have super powers to be someone’s hero.

Davidson School students in grades 5 through 12 heard in a presentation last Friday, Feb. 9, how they can make a difference to others by taking a stand against bullying.

Spencer Moore, a fullback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, told them they each have power, which they can use to do right or wrong.

“Use your personal power to help somebody when they’re down,” said Moore. “I’m challenging you to use your power for good.”

Moore was joined by teammate Eddie Steele for an hour-long presentation in the school gym on Friday afternoon.

Their visit was organized in association with the Canadian Red Cross and sponsored by AGT Food and Ingredients Inc., represented by CEO Murad Al-Katib.

Moore and Steele are among the four Roughriders — also including Dan Clark and Charleston Hughes — who have been travelling across the province to speak to students.

Last year the players visited upwards of 80 schools and spoke to more than 36,000 students.

Davidson has hosted similar events for the last several years, including a prior visit from Moore in 2017. As well, last year teacher Karen McConnell took a group of students to Regina for an anti-bullying seminar.

Cindy Fuchs, vice-president of the Saskatchewan branch of Canadian Red Cross, said they are aiming to reach 40,000 students this year.

Some Davidson students wore pink shirts on Friday, while a total of 30 were awarded with rose-tinted shirts of their own over the course of the assembly.

“Healthy Relationships and Healthy Schools” was the topic for Moore and Steele’s presentation.

The players discussed some of the building blocks of healthy relationships, including respect, trust, communication and conflict resolution.

To read the full story, you’ll need a subscription. Please call 306-567-2047 or email davidsonleader@sasktel.net

Loreburn, Obituary

John “Jack” H. Brooks

St. Albans — John “Jack” H. Brooks, 70, of St. Albans, Vermont and of Loreburn, Saskatchewan passed away unexpectedly at the family’s grain mill in Loreburn, Sask., on the morning of Monday, February 12, 2018.

John was born in St. Albans, Vermont on September 28, 1947, to John B. Brooks and Shirley (Burnor) Brooks. In February of 1967 he married Mary Flanagan.

He graduated from Bellows Free Academy St. Albans in 1965 and attended both Lamar College in Colorado and Lyndon State College in Vermont. John worked on the family farm with his father and brothers in St. Albans Bay until he ventured off to farm on his own in Grand Isle. He purchased his first dairy farm in St. Albans in 1975 and was named Vermont’s Young Farmer of the Year that same year. John continued farming while also pursuing his interest in the grain businesses. He owned and operated Brooks Feeds in Swanton for 12 years until selling in 1994 and then being associated with numerous other grain companies; High Springs Milling, Renaissance Nutrition and ADM.

John’s most cherished professional accomplishment began in 2006 when he assisted his son Shaun in starting a grain merchandising business, F. W. Cobs Co. With John’s knowledge and expertise, F. W. Cobs in 12 short years has grown to become one of the most respected organic grain merchandising companies in North America. John managed the company’s grain storage and loading facilities in Saskatchewan and Minnesota. However, John did not stop his business ventures there. In 2016 John enlisted the help of his grandchildren with his newest endeavor, wine making. In just two years Maquam Wine has garnered awards and is being sold throughout Vermont.

John spent many years of service to his community serving 10 years on the Bellows Free Academy Board of Trustees and many years on the St. Albans Town Planning Commission. He also served as the president of the Holstein-Friesian Association and taught 4H. He was a smart and hardworking man who made a difference in the lives he touched. He had a special knack of making friends wherever he went, enjoyed a good laugh and telling a good story. Above all else, John’s most prized accomplishment was his family. He would do anything or make any sacrifice for his family. He went out of his way to talk to his family members every single day, even if just to send a humorous text to a grandchild or call to see if there was any news. John will be deeply missed by many.

John is survived by his wife Mary, children Lynn and Steve Boudreau, Erin and Andrew Wood, Shaun and Darcy Brooks, and his pride and joy, his six grandchildren Matt and Brooke Boudreau, Meghan and Connor Wood, Jack and Charlie Brooks. He is also survived by his two brothers, Mark (Lorraine) Brooks and Glen (Lise) Brooks and sisters -in-law, Kathy Paquette and Shirley Cota. He was predeceased by his parents, John and Shirley Brooks.

Relatives and friends celebrated and honored John’s life by attending calling hours on Sunday, February 18, 2018, from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M., at the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main Street, St. Albans.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, February 19, at 11:00 A.M., at Holy Angels Catholic Church, 245 Lake Street, St. Albans.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Connor Roberts Memorial Fund, 47 Bishop Street, St. Albans, Vermont 05478.

To send John’s family a written expression of sympathy or share a memory, please go to his on-line guest book at www.healdfuneralhome.com.