By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Many questions remain unanswered following a massive Friday night fire that levelled three buildings on a farmyard south of Davidson.

Local firefighters responded to the call at 11:40 p.m. on Sept. 1.

They remained on site for the next 18 hours, fighting to bring the fire under control and preventing its spread to the rest of the yard.

The fire destroyed a house and two barns in the yard, located seven kilometres south of Davidson on the east side of Highway 11.

Jerry Bezanson, who owned the property and lived there, is believed to have died in the fire, though officials would not confirm this last week.

The dramatic blaze caught the attention of highway travellers and local residents, and could reportedly be seen as far away as Aylesbury.

Police were monitoring the yard the following day, maintaining site security while the investigation continued.

The remains of multiple vintage vehicles could be seen underneath the wreckage of the long barn that dominated the yard.

Fire chief Clayton Schilling said he could not provide further details on the incident, as it is subject to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Members of the Craik RCMP detachment also responded to the fire, along with additional investigative units.

Officers confirmed to the Leader that three structures were involved, but would not confirm any further details. No details were provided on the cause or catalyst for the fire. Continue reading Local man believed dead in farm fire →

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Murad Al-Katib was on the edge of his seat as he waited for the movie to start.

And with good reason: the film he was about to watch was telling his own story.

“Changing the Pulse of the Province,” a 27-minute documentary, premiered Aug. 30 at the Persephone Theatre at Saskatoon’s Remai Arts Centre.

The film was the third entry in the Popcorn and Entrepreneurship series, produced by the North Saskatoon Business Association.

The movie tells the story of Al-Katib, who was born and raised in Davidson, and the company he founded, AGT Food and Ingredients.

The company distributes lentils, chickpeas and other crops to more than 120 countries internationally, generating $2 billion a year in revenue.

Though he was interviewed extensively for the movie, Al-Katib said he had no say in the final cut and had to wait for the premiere like everyone else.

In the last year, Al-Katib has received two international awards, beginning with the Business for Peace Award, presented in a gala in Oslo, Norway on May 16.

On June 10, he accepted the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 award at a ceremony in Monaco.

This string of events may have given some the perception that Al-Katib actively seeks the spotlight, but he said the truth is actually the opposite of that.

“I don’t like the accolades and all of that all the time,” he told the Leader, characterizing himself as a humble, hard-working guy who “just did my job.”

He said he hopes the film will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Continue reading Al-Katib featured in pulsating picture →