Davidson, featured, Sports

Raiders wrap up year with playoff loss

The Davidson Raiders senior football team poses for a group photo following the Oct. 13 playoff game in Lanigan. Shown here are: (back row) coach John Jamieson, coach Greg Bennett, Trystan Stacowich, Carson George, Clay Murfitt, Coy McPhee, Carter Lemke, Deacon Nolting, Cole Sanderson, coach Garrett Bailey, coach Jason Low; (middle row) Hunter Wall, Reegan Taylor, Kane Nolting, Brody Yelich, Ryann Skinner, Tyson Sanderson, Jackson Firby, Logan Nelson-Schneider; (front row) Jacob Schilling.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Low numbers and a string of injuries made for a challenging year on the field for the Davidson Raiders.

But in terms of team building and camaraderie, coach Jason Low said the Raiders reached new heights.

Low told the Leader that the team is starting to build traditions, growing as a unit and also having more fun on the field.

“I think the program took some great strides forward,” said Low. “I feel like we went to the next level this year, so I’m excited for next year.”

The senior football team finished its regular season with a 1-4 record, after which they lost in the first round of playoffs.

The Raiders visited the Lanigan Lazers on Oct. 13, losing 54-20.

The game was a rematch of their Sept. 8 season opener, in which Davidson had defeated Lanigan 46-36, their only win this year.

The second time around, the Raiders were coping with the loss of three starters due to injuries.

“When we played them healthy at the start of the year, we beat them,” Low said.

While Lanigan had improved from the season’s start, Low said missed tackles and other mistakes likely cost Davidson the game.

Jacob Schilling scored two touchdowns against Lanigan, while Hunter Wall scored the third.

Clay Murfitt, who suffered a twisted leg in the Sept. 22 game, was back on the field in a reduced role.

Low said the Raiders took time to warm up, a problem that has repeatedly plagued the team this season.

A decision in the last quarter to iron-man some of the senior players, getting on them on both sides of the ball, seemed to shift the momentum somewhat.

“It seemed like we were always a second half team,” the coach observed.

Continue reading Raiders wrap up year with playoff loss →

Davidson

Grower Stories: Steve, Billy and Gerrid Gust

Sponsored Content

There aren’t many quiet days on the Gust’s farm in Davidson, Saskatchewan. Steve Gust, and his two adult sons, Billy and Gerrid, along with their wives and the six kids between them, all pitch in to keep the acreage brimming with durum wheat, canola, lentils, soybeans and field peas. “I’ve been farming since ’67,” says Steve. “My grandfather was a farmer when he came to Canada in the 1920s. My dad farmed, then he and my brother went into business together and I went my way. For me, the best part of farming is working outside, and working with family,” adds Gerrid.

With a family like this one, there’s rarely a dull moment, or a moment without laughter. “I quit high school to go custom harvesting.” Steve recalls, adding with a chuckle, “You know, you can’t be going to school in a combine, you’ve got to choose your path.”

Steve, true to the family’s name, is never in the same place for long. Having travelled to places like Thailand and Australia many times over the years, he’s settled into a “snowbird” schedule, spending his winters in Mesa, Arizona. In his absence, Billy and Gerrid manage the day-to-day with a team of hired hands from Australia. All of whom live in a spacious apartment above the Gust’s equipment shed. “There’s a lot of us around,” says Billy. “So, many hands make light work.”

While there may be no scarcity of labour, it’s a testament to the family’s team ethic that there’s no sense of “too many cooks in the kitchen.” Everyone in the family has a job, and each job is integral to keeping the business growing and profitable. Billy’s wife is the farm’s accountant, Gerrid’s kids help cut the grass and with meal preparation, and Steve and the guys put in the bulk of the elbow grease. The way things are headed, the team working the fields might be on track to grow even more. “My two younger kids are talking farming already,” Gerrid says with a laugh. “But you can’t throw a 12-year-old out on the field for free when you’re paying grown men wages for it.”

By the looks of the fields, those wages were well earned. The Gusts prefer to grow DEKALB® 74-44 BL, as the hybrid has taken to their land perfectly. The glowing fields are on track for a strong yield this year, having held up beautifully against weather, weeds and disease. “Our region has trouble with group two weeds, like stinkweed and shepherd’s purse,” says Billy when talking about seed genetics, “We spend a lot on chemicals, so anything you put in the seed that you don’t have to spray on, I’m all for.” “I like to look for the best performers,” Steve adds proudly. “It’s best to stick to what grows well in your area.”

The family is also considering giving DEKALB® 75-65 RR a try. With the kids growing fast, the Gusts are finding the time-saving potential of straight cutting more and more attractive. “We would have straight cut last year, but the weather didn’t turn out,” says Steve.

In the meantime, the clan is investing in other tactics to manage their crops as efficiently as possible. That’s when they bring in yet another helping hand—their DEKALB® Sales Representative, Carmen Gruber. “This is a family that really aims to farm smarter,” says Carmen. “So, we work together to really look at the land and see what makes sense.”

Sometimes that means trying different tank mixes and comparing results. The Gusts have found a formula that works, but having Carmen close by keeps them on top of innovative new products. “If something goes wrong, I can phone Carmen and get the support I need,” Gerrid says earnestly, “Even before Carmen joined the team, DEKALB® has always had great staff who will take you places and show you what you need to see.”

And when the sprayer is parked, you can’t have too many pairs of boots in the fields. “I really believe in this expression,” says Billy with a grin, “The best thing you can have on your crop is your shadow.”

We thank the Gusts for choosing DEKALB® brand seed for their farm and wish them a safe and successful harvest this year and for many generations to come. Check out the results of farmer-managed DEKALB Market Development trials on DEKALB.ca this fall.

If you’re interested in growing DEKALB this growing season…

FIND A REP NEAR YOU   SEE TRIAL RESULTS

Davidson, featured

Canada Post to staff: Stop sorting mail by hand

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Canada Post is cracking down on rural postal employees sorting mail by hand.

The company says all mail received at rural post offices like Davidson must be sent to a regional centre — in this case, Regina — to be sorted automatically.

A Canada Post spokesperson said the corporation is simply enforcing an existing policy, and that there haven’t been any changes to the rules.

“To confirm, this is not a new process for Davidson or other rural post offices in your area,” Phil Legault said in an email to the Leader.

At a recent district meeting, rural employees were reminded of the policy, which is intended to standardize services for all customers.

The policy applies to all outgoing mail, whether it’s going to a post office box in Davidson or across the country.

Continue reading Canada Post to staff: Stop sorting mail by hand →

featured, Kenaston

Kerpans, MADD unveil roadside memorial

The family of Danille Kerpan unveils the signs for a roadside memorial to Kerpan during a ceremony near Bladworth on Oct. 10.

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — For the family and friends of Danille Kerpan, three years has done little to relieve the pain of her untimely death.

“It’s a feeling and a situation you can’t possibly describe,” her brother Josh said Tuesday. “If I could bottle it up and give it to everybody, to have a sip and understand, that alone would eradicate drunk driving.”

Danille, 25, was killed Oct. 10, 2014 in a collision on Highway 11 south of Bladworth, when her vehicle collided headfirst with a truck headed north in a southbound lane.

The driver of that truck, found to have a blood-alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit, was later sentenced to four years in prison.

Danille was one of 59 people killed in Saskatchewan that year in auto collisions in which alcohol was a factor.

Last week, signs were installed on Highway 11 marking the site of that crash, as a permanent memorial to Danille and a reminder to the hundreds of drivers who pass the site daily.

The signs were unveiled at a ceremony held the afternoon of Oct. 10 at the Kowalski farm shop southeast of Bladworth, roughly a half-mile east of the crash site.

About 45 people were in attendance, including her parents, other family members, dignitaries, media and local first responders.

While roadside memorials for victims of impaired driving have been installed in other provinces over the last two decades, this is only the second one in Saskatchewan.

The first was installed on Aug. 29 north of Saskatoon in memory of Jordan and Chanda Van de Vorst and their two children, who were killed in a 2016 collision.

Danille’s parents, Allan and Melanie Kerpan, both spoke during the ceremony.

“There’s still not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Danille and what might have been,” said Melanie, who was initially opposed to having a permanent reminder at the collision site.

She later changed her mind, in hopes that Danille’s story would wake people up to the tragic results of impaired driving.

“People passing it would know that a life was lost at that spot,” she said. “That’s the hope for what we are doing . . . It becomes a real person.” Continue reading Kerpans, MADD unveil roadside memorial →

Davidson, featured, Sports

McNabb, Knights pay tribute to Vegas heroes

By Joel van der Veen

LAS VEGAS — As they took the ice for their home opener, the Vegas Golden Knights paid tribute to the men and women who answered the call during their city’s darkest hour.

The NHL team opened Tuesday’s game with a ceremony honouring the city of Las Vegas, the victims of the Oct. 1 mass shooting, and the heroes who responded in the face of tragedy.

As each player skated onto the ice, one by one, they were joined by firefighters, police and health professionals.

First on the ice was Davidson native and Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb, who was accompanied by firefighter Ben Cole.

Speaking to the Leader on Thursday, McNabb said it was an emotional experience and a memorable way to open their first home game of the season.

“It definitely gave us energy,” he said. “It was a cool thing to be part of.”

The ceremony included 58 seconds of silence, in honour of the 58 people killed by a single gunman during a country music festival in Vegas on Oct. 1.

The victims’ names were projected on the ice during the ceremony, while survivors of the event participated in the puck drop at the game’s start.

Deryk Engelland, who played as McNabb’s defensive partner for the season’s first three games, paid tribute to Las Vegas on Tuesday.

“I met my wife here, my kids were born here, and I know how special this city is,” he said, adding later to the survivors of the victims, “We’ll do everything we can to help you and our city heal.” Continue reading McNabb, Knights pay tribute to Vegas heroes →

Davidson, featured

Young’s chips in for Davidson’s new Zamboni

Trevor Ouellette, recreation director for the Town of Davidson, and Cliff Cross, a sales representative for Young’s Equipment, stand next to a new Zamboni ice resurfacer. The machine was delivered to the Davidson rink on Thursday.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A local ag equipment dealer is chipping in more than $40,000 towards the cost of a new Zamboni for the Davidson rink.

Young’s Equipment — the province’s largest Case IH dealer, with branches in nine locations including Davidson and Chamberlain — recently entered a sponsorship agreement with the town.

The company’s advertising will be featured prominently on a wrap affixed to the outside of the new Zamboni.

“It’s great visibility,” said Cliff Cross, a sales representative for Young’s in Davidson. “It’s probably one of the better things you could put out there for sponsorship.”

Cross was at the rink on Thursday morning for the delivery of the machine, a Zamboni 525 ice resurfacer built in 2011.

Young’s will contribute a total of $42,000 over the next six years.

Cross said the company had proposed the idea a couple of times, adding that they have similar agreements in place in both Weyburn and Moose Jaw.

The proposal got a warm response from the current council, paving the way for an agreement between the town and the company. Continue reading Young’s chips in for Davidson’s new Zamboni →

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan