All posts by Tara de Ryk

Davidson, featured

Come on in, the water’s fine!

Cutting the ribbon to open the new pool are lifeguard Sarah Bublish and Gloria Zdunich, who worked at the former pool for its opening season in 1967. Also pictured are Mayor Tyler Alexander, former mayors Clayton Schneider and Mary Jane Morrison, and Rob Stone (obscured) representing the Davidson Kinsmen Club.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — In the words of Mayor Tyler Alexander, the swimming was “on the house” as Davidson celebrated the grand opening of its new pool.

Members of the pool committee, along with town officials, sponsors and other dignitaries, looked on with pride as the ribbon was cut to officially open the Panther Swimming Pool.

Cutting the ribbon were Sarah Bublish, currently the pool’s assistant manager, and Gloria Zdunich, who was on the staff for the opening day of the previous pool in 1967.

Mary Jane Morrison, a former mayor and also a member of the committee, served as emcee for the brief program on June 30, starting around 1 p.m.

“Today marks a five-year journey of a dream come true,” she said, adding that she could speak for hours about that journey. “I have nothing but great things to say about this project and the people that supported it.”

Fundraising for the $1.53-million project began in 2012, with a campaign called “Every Drop Counts.”

Morrison recalled the many fundraisers organized or operated by the team, from galas and community auctions to produce sales, bottle drives and “the dreaded bingos.”

“Indeed, every drop has counted,” she said, also pointing to the co-operation between the committee, town council and recreation director Trevor Ouellette.

Also speaking during the ceremony were the current mayor, Tyler Alexander, and his predecessor, Clayton Schneider.

For the full story, please see the July 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Davidson, featured

New era as Co-op opens liquor retail in Davidson

Tim Broadis, operations manager for Riverbend Co-op in Davidson, stands next to a display in the new liquor retail area at the Home and Ag Centre.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The space is still under construction, but Riverbend Co-op is ready to serve liquor shoppers at the Home and Ag Centre in Davidson.

Monday, July 3 was the first day of operations for the Co-op’s liquor retail outlet, which now covers roughly 1,800 square feet of floor space inside the Railway Street business.

Renovations at the centre have been underway for several months to make room for a selection of beer, wine and spirits.

As of last week, construction was not yet complete, as employees were awaiting the installation of the walk-in cooler, measuring about 540 square feet.

Operations manager Tim Broadis said the refrigeration unit was expected to arrive during the coming week.

“I’m guessing in two weeks we’ll have it up and running,” he said.

When finished, the cooler will also feature nine doors filled with single-serve products.

Last week, Broadis said, employees had received and stocked between 500 and 600 SKUs (stock keeping units). Once the anticipated stock has arrived, that number will be closer to 1,000 SKUs.

Riverbend Co-op’s ability to purchase products directly through vendors opens up the possibility of specials and promotions.

Broadis said they’re aiming to offer a variety of Saskatchewan-made products, and they’re also open to input from shoppers about what they’d like to see.

“We’re still feeling out our customers,” he said Wednesday. “If you don’t see something that you think we should carry, let us know.”

For the full story, please see the July 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Craik, featured

“This is our day”: Craik bids farewell to class of 2017

Pictured is the Craik School class of 2017: (from left) Colton Dolman, Sky Stinson, Brady Kemp, Chase Bakken, April Loxton and Jake Korchinski.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — As Sky Stinson put it, they’re not textbook students anymore.

Craik School sent off the six students who make up the class of 2017 with the traditional graduation exercises on June 30.

Stinson, the class valedictorian, deftly delivered a memorable speech that mostly consisted of a spoken-word poem entitled “This Is Our Day.”

She reminded the grads of what they’d learned — some things tangible, others not — and encouraged them to stand out, be different and achieve something worthwhile with their lives.

Stinson’s poem ended with a reference to a new day: “A day for us/These differences on a stage/To say, Defy the traditions/This is our day.”

The Friday-night program opened with the singing of “O Canada,” led by Emily Ehman.

Next, principal Charla Edwards introduced the graduates, who entered one at a time, accompanied by their parents.

Guest speaker Debbie Wildfong described the grads as “a vibrant and energetic group of four dominating males and two resilient women.”

Though the boys would say they ruled the classroom, she joked that they’d been deceived.

“Sky, the ultimate task master, was secretly in control at all times,” said Wildfong. “She only let you think that you were in control.”

She shared memories of the Grade 12 class and gave them three main pieces of advice: develop a strong work ethic, value others by spending time with them, and love and appreciate life.

For the full story, please see the July 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Hanley, Obituary

Obituary: Fawcett, Eva Agnes

FAWCETT, Eva Agnes (nee Sarich)
May 21, 1916 — June 29, 2017

We wish to announce the peaceful passing of Eva Agnes Fawcett, a truly amazing woman, at the age of 101. Her passing occurred on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at Extendicare Nursing Home in Saskatoon. Eva was born to Martin and Mary Sarich, their second child on May 21, 1916 at home on the farm near Hanley, Sask. It was a challenging time for her parents and siblings, but they persevered with the help of family and friends. Eva attended Crescent View School along with her brothers and sisters, and it was a time of much fun for them all. At a young age, she relocated to Victoria to work. After a few years, she thought Calgary sounded exciting and off she went with sister Anne. Not long after, Eva met the love of her life, Harry Fawcett, and they were soon married in 1956. They enjoyed travelling to many parts of the world and were together nearly 40 years until Harry’s passing in 1993. Many of those years were spent in Kelowna until Saskatchewan called Eva home. Eva has called Saskatoon home for some time now where she was recognized last year by many government officials, including the Governor General of Canada, for celebrating her 100th birthday! She was predeceased by her husband Harry, her parents, her sisters Mary (Zdunich) and Vera (Wasden), brothers John, Mike and Louis, as well as numerous in-laws and three nephews. Eva is survived by her sisters Kitty (Masich) and Anne (Sarich) as well as numerous nieces, nephews and her stepdaughter Pat of Calgary and her family. We would like to thank the wonderful staff at Extendicare for their care and compassion while Eva was a resident there. The Funeral Mass was held at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Davidson, Sask., on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. Interment of cremated ashes will be at a later date in Calgary, Alta., with Eva’s beloved Harry. Arrangements were entrusted to Hanson’s Funeral Home, Davidson, Sask., and Martens Warman Funeral Home, Warman, Sask.

featured, Kenaston

Kenaston shows Canadian pride at street party

Nolan Briggs (right) holds a maple-leaf flag in one hand and a stick of cotton candy in the other. He and his brother Devin were visiting with grandparents Eldon and Theresa Owen in Kenaston and took in the village’s Canada 150 festivities on Wednesday.

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — Canada Day festivities got off to an early start in Kenaston on Wednesday afternoon, with food and fun for the whole family.

A section of Third Street was blocked off for a community street barbecue, organized by the village, the Chamber of Commerce, and local clubs and businesses.

Vickie Holder, one of the organizers, said they were pleased with the turnout and the weather. The skies were sunny for most of the afternoon, though the rain finally came around 6:30 p.m.

“We almost made it till 7,” said Holder. “We held out as long as we could . . . It was a very quick, fast-paced clean-up.”

Popcorn, cotton candy, Sno-Cones and mini doughnuts were offered up and down the street.

Attractions included a bouncy castle, balloons and face painting.

Hamburgers, hot dogs and salads were served at the Adams Centre, along with a red-and-white Canada 150 cake.

Multiple businesses were offering draws for raffle prizes, while the volunteer fire department had two vehicles on display, available for guests to check them out.

Members of the Circus Club from Kenaston School provided entertainment, performing tricks and walking on stilts.

Village councillor Brad Owen and his father Eldon were offering rides around the village in a 1926 Ford Model T.

Eldon has owned the car for more than 30 years, having restored it to running condition. The car had previously been abandoned to rust on a section of pasture land.

“I traded a piece of moose meat for it,” Eldon said, recalling that when he found it, the car had no roof and the left rear wheel had rotted off.

Mitch Hunter and his son Pierre, visiting from the Mistawasis First Nation west of Prince Albert, took a ride in the Model T.

Pierre is a home-school student who takes courses through the Distance Learning Centre. The family was in town for school-related matters and decided to take in the afternoon events as well.

“He’s never seen (a car) like that before,” Mitch said, adding that they enjoyed the afternoon. “It’s nice to have it as a community, (and) everyone gets together.”

Elbow, featured, Sports

Art Knutson, 92, left a legacy beyond the rink

Art Knutson (skip), Ernie “Twink” Vaughan (third), Gerhard “Gay” Knutson (second), and Elmer Knutson (lead) won the Canadian senior men’s curling championship in 1978.

By Joel van der Veen

ELBOW — Their victories put Elbow on the map for a generation of curling fans.

A trio of brothers — Art, Elmer and Gay Knutson — and skip Doug Wankel made headlines in February 1967 when they claimed the provincial men’s curling title with a win over Harold Worth’s rink from Saskatoon.

Though Elbow was then in its boom years — its population had grown from 281 in 1956 to 470 a decade later, thanks to dam construction on the South Saskatchewan River — the Wankel rink was still widely seen as a long shot.

“They were the underdogs,” recalled Ernie Richardson, who skipped his own rink to four Brier wins between 1959 and 1963.

The Tankard win took Art Knutson and his teammates to the Brier, where they competed admirably, ultimately falling short of the national title.

But as friends and family recalled recently, that was merely one accomplishment in a life filled with them.

Art, who died in May at age 92, went from a Saskatchewan farm to the wartime skies over Europe, serving as a Lancaster tailgunner in the final months of the Second World War.

He was an accomplished curler who competed on the provincial and national stage for decades, as well as a dedicated husband and father.

“Anything he did, he excelled at,” said Art’s son Pat, who works for a printing company in Altona, Man.

Richardson, who grew up in Stoughton, said he met Art in the 1960s and felt a connection with the small-town curler. They remained in touch for decades, meeting up for an occasional round of golf.

“He was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but like,” Richardson told the Leader. “He never forgot where he came from.”

For the full story and more photos, please see the July 3 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.