By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Without another word, Danielle Sweet dropped her phone, ran out the door and hopped in the car.

There was no stopping her.

She’d been told her son, 12-year-old Dominic, had been bit by a dog. For the moment, she didn’t need to know anything else.

“He’s my baby,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew he got bit.”

Dominic had been playing in the yard outside a friend’s house on Grant Street when someone opened the door, allowing the dog inside — a pit bull-mastiff cross, about two years old — to slip out.

Within seconds, the dog had chased Dominic out of the yard. A man quickly managed to pin the dog, but not before the damage was done.

By the time his mother arrived, a neighbour had driven Dominic to the Davidson Health Centre. He had been bitten twice — once on his upper leg, and a second, deeper bite on his right arm, just below his elbow.

Danielle said her son was treated by Dr. Lang, receiving multiple stitches, inside and out.

More than a month after the Aug. 15 incident, Dominic’s arm is healing, slowly but surely.

“It only hurt for the first couple of days,” he said last week, pulling back his sleeve to reveal the fading but still visible scar.

Danielle said she’s still frustrated and angry about what happened, as well as what she called a slow response by local officials.

“I don’t want people to get hurt,” she said. “It’s not right. If they can’t control their animals, then they shouldn’t have them.”

A number of recent dog attacks have prompted Davidson town council to revisit the town’s animal control bylaw.

Town councillors agreed that the bylaw should be revised to allow faster action on the town’s part when an animal is deemed a threat.

Speaking during Tuesday’s council meeting, Coun. Gord Cross said he’d like to see it strengthened, to “put some teeth in it.”

His colleagues agreed, including Coun. Jessica Foster, who said, “I have zero tolerance for that in a community that’s this size.”

Assistant administrator Donna Bessey told council that town employees have to adhere to the animal control bylaw when a complaint is received about a potentially dangerous animal.

This often requires a hearing, attended by a judge, to determine whether or not the animal in question is dangerous.

The process must be followed unless the animal attacks a person or another domestic animal, in which case the owner is guilty of an offense.

“We are doing what we can,” Bessey told council, adding that she wanted to see changes made “so we can move swifter on it.” Continue reading Victim’s mom: tougher action needed on dangerous dogs →

By Tara de Ryk

DAVIDSON — Canola has paid off for the Town of Davidson and for Davidson Kinsmen.

Yields were about 44 bushels to the acre, according to results of the 2017 harvest of the town’s irrigation pivot land, which wrapped up Sept. 15.

The crop made a profit, proceeds of which — about $50,000 — will be split between the Kinsmen and the town.

“This year was fantastic,” said Rob Warkentin, a FieldSmart agrologist with Western Sales in Davidson.

For seven years Warkentin’s been overseeing the agronomy on the town land, which is a joint initiative of Western Sales, Davidson Kinsmen and the Town of Davidson that began in 2011.

It’s become a sort of science project for him and the rest of the team behind the community initiative. Continue reading Town, Kinsmen reap rewards from canola crop →

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The numbers are staggering: 564,000 Canadians living with dementia, and 25,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

Looking over the crowd gathered at the Davidson Seniors Centre, Sandra Zoerb said, “There wouldn’t be one person in this room that is not touched by dementia.”

As the reach of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia continues to grow, Zoerb said it’s crucial to make sure patients, their caregivers and families are connected to the support that is available.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Coffee Break fundraiser, organized annually by the “Forget-Me-Nots” in support of the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan.

About 30 people attended a tea at the Davidson Seniors Centre on Wednesday, featuring baked goods, drinks and entertainment.

Local bakers make hundreds of cookies for the fundraiser, said Zoerb, adding, “Then they come and they buy them back.”

The same day, plates of cookies are distributed to businesses and offices around town as a means of soliciting donations.

Lois Sarich said they distributed around 65 plates this year, receiving around $1,700 in donations in return.

For most of the last 20 years, the Davidson committee has been the top fundraiser in the province. In that time they have raised a total of roughly $23,000. Continue reading Coffee Break fundraiser marks 20th year →

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Ruth Cameron left her home at age five, forced into a culture that was not her own.

“We were taught in foreign ways, ways that our ancestors didn’t have,” recalled Cameron, describing her experience as a child attending the Indian Residential School at Lebret.

It wasn’t until well into her adult life that she was able to overcome the anger that endured from that experience.

That came in large part from embracing her own past and heritage, or as she called it, “coming to know who I am.”

Today she continues on that path, working to educate, and to promote and preserve her Indigenous culture, language and heritage.

“I had to fight my own demons, if you want to call them that,” she said. “But today I am very proud of who I am.”

She shared part of that journey during a presentation at the Sacred Heart parish hall in Davidson on Sept. 17.

Cameron was invited to speak to the parish as part of the Treaty Elder Series, an initiative from the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Among the recommendations of that report was a call to churches to develop education strategies, teaching their congregations about the history, impact and legacy of the residential school system.

The events are also geared to help parishioners learn about Indigenous spirituality and respect these traditions and practices.

Cameron’s presentation followed the noon mass and a potluck lunch, with about 30 people in attendance.

Continue reading Elder visits Sacred Heart parish →