Davidson, featured, Sports

Playoff loss brings Raiders season to a close

Davidson's Rylan Slemming (left, filling in as running back) and Cole Murfitt head up the field during the Oct. 15 game in Assiniboia.
Davidson’s Rylan Slemming (left, filling in as running back) and Cole Murfitt head up the field during the Oct. 15 game in Assiniboia.

By Joel van der Veen

ASSINIBOIA — As they headed down Highway 2 last weekend, the Davidson Raiders knew the odds weren’t in their favour.

The Raiders had played the Assiniboia Rockets twice in the regular season, ending up with close losses on both occasions.

Heading into conference playoffs, Davidson was also coping with the loss of several players due to injury or absence.

“Coming in, I knew it was going to be a tough game,” said quarterback Andrew Read.

“I kind of had it in the back of my head that maybe, just maybe, we could pull an underdog story out.”

The Oct. 15 conference playoff game ended with a 49-12 loss for Davidson, bringing another season to an end.

The team’s two starting running backs, Addison Ouellette and Dawson George, had been sidelined after suffering concussions in previous games.

Similarly, Noel Matovich was off the defensive line with a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, Jacob Schilling and Derek Schmiedge were in Delisle on Saturday competing in the provincial cross country meet.

The team suffered further losses during the game, as kicker Morgan Manz received a concussion and backup quarterback and kicker Carson George twisted his knee.

Offensive co-ordinator Greg McJannet said the high number of absences left the coaches struggling to fill lineups.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 24 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Craik, featured, Sports

Craik girl ready to keep on running after first prov. meet

Craik's Grace Dolman, pictured here with coach Tamarra Erlandson, competed in her first provincial cross country meet on Oct. 15 in Delisle.
Craik’s Grace Dolman, pictured here with coach Tamarra Erlandson, competed in her first provincial cross country meet on Oct. 15 in Delisle.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Days after competing in the provincial cross country meet, Grace Dolman is planning for next year.

The 12-minute run in gym class will keep her primed over the winter, while she also wants to run in multiple track events, both shorter sprints and longer distances.

She’ll then have the whole summer to train for cross country season.

Dolman said she enjoys running because she can challenge herself, working towards her own goals.

“There has to be progress in between to get to a different stage,” she said. “You have to train and you have to work for it.”

Grace, a Grade 9 student in Craik and the daughter of Neil and Carla Dolman, competed in her first provincial cross country meet on Oct. 15 in Delisle.

Running in the midget girls division, she completed the 3-km route in 14:09, putting her in 41st place out of 98 runners.

Around 500 runners took part in the provincial meet, competing in six age categories.

“It was just exciting and a little nerve-wracking,” said Grace. “There were so many people.”

The route began at Delisle Composite School, continuing to the adjacent golf course and back. In particular, a steep incline at the north end of the course proved taxing for many runners.

Grace’s mother Carla, who watched from a distance, said that hill “sucked the wind out of quite a few (competitors) . . . It was a challenging course, for sure.”

Given the unfamiliar territory and hilly terrain, Dolman said she was pleased with the result.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 24 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

featured, Hanley

Rosedale councillor ready to retire after 34 years

Bill Hannah stands beside the trusty pickup truck that’s taken him to many meetings on behalf of the R.M. of Rosedale. He’s been the councillor for Division 1 since January 1982.
Bill Hannah stands beside the trusty pickup truck that’s taken him to many meetings on behalf of the R.M. of Rosedale. He’s been the councillor for Division 1 since January 1982.

By Tara de Ryk

KENASTON — Of the more than 1,000 meetings Bill Hannah has attended as the Division 1 councillor on the R.M. of Rosedale council, last Tuesday’s is the one that will likely stick with him for a while.

After 34 consecutive years council’s Oct. 11 meeting was Bill’s last. For this round of municipal elections, Bill’s decided to step aside so that someone new can look after the needs of Division 1 and the rural municipality as a whole.

“I’ll miss them all for the rest of my journey,” Bill says of his fellow councillors, ratepayers and R.M. staff members he’s worked with over the years. “It was a lifestyle and I’m really going to miss it.”

Bill has lived in the R.M. of Rosedale all his life. He was born there 72 years ago and has lived on his current farm in the southeast corner of the R.M. for 70 years. He moved there in 1946 at the age of two with his parents Gib and Mae Hannah.

Bill says his dad had considered a run at local government.

“Dad said he was going to run for council and Mom said, ‘you do and I’ll kill ya.’ She said she wasn’t going to answer phones for him.”

Mae’s word seemed to be law, so Gib didn’t run.

Years later, Bill got the notion to run for council.

KENASTON—Of the more than 1,000 meetings Bill Hannah has attended as the Division 1 councillor on the R.M. of Rosedale council, last Tuesday’s is the one that will likely stick with him for a while.

After 34 consecutive years council’s Oct. 11 meeting was Bill’s last. For this round of municipal elections, Bill’s decided to step aside so that someone new can look after the needs of Division 1 and the rural municipality as a whole.

“I’ll miss them all for the rest of my journey,” Bill says of his fellow councillors, ratepayers and R.M. staff members he’s worked with over the years. “It was a lifestyle and I’m really going to miss it.”

Bill has lived in the R.M. of Rosedale all his life. He was born there 72 years ago and has lived on his current farm in the southeast corner of the R.M. for 70 years. He moved there in 1946 at the age of two with his parents Gib and Mae Hannah.

Bill says his dad had considered a run at local government.

“Dad said he was going to run for council and Mom said, ‘you do and I’ll kill ya.’ She said she wasn’t going to answer phones for him.”

Mae’s word seemed to be law, so Gib didn’t run.

Years later, Bill got the notion to run for council.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 17 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Davidson, featured

Hospital to see staff levels increase

web-healthcentre 

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON —  Local nurses said they’re cautiously optimistic about announced staffing changes at the Davidson Health Centre.

The facility will see an increase in staffing levels, boosting the number of nurses and technicians working there.

As well, measures are being made to improve the facility’s efficiency, safety and quality of care, with a slight reduction in the number of program beds available for convalescent, respite and palliative care.

“It’s not exactly what we hoped for,” said registered nurse Lindsay Cross, adding, “We’re happy that they came back with some level of increased staffing.”

“I think we’re hopeful that it’s going to address some of our issues, and I’m sure it will,” said senior RN Audrey Hamm. “This is certainly going to make a difference.”

Administrators met with the local staff on Oct. 5 to outline the staffing changes, which include the addition of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) on the night shift, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

As well, an assistant head nurse position has been created, scheduled to work three eight-hour shifts per week, or 24 hours each week.

A combined lab/X-ray technician (CLXT) will also join the staff for eight hours per week.

Gayle Riendeau, acting CEO for Heartland Health Region, confirmed the news to the Leader on Oct. 7.

She said the recruitment process for the new staff has started, noting that they are posted as temporary positions to allow for a trial and evaluation period.

Riendeau said the region “continuously reviews its operations and services, including Davidson,” while being mindful of the need to control spending and focus on priorities.

The new positions were included in the budget approved this past summer, she continued, stating that a business case had been developed for Davidson.

“Davidson was identified as a (facility) that was experiencing some staffing pressures,” she said. “When that happens, that’s what we take a look at.”

For the full story, please see the Oct. 17 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

featured, Kenaston

Growth a top topic at Kenaston election forum

The Village of Kenaston held a municipal candidates forum on Tuesday. Pictured from left are Mike Menzies, Leon Tomlenovich, Don Matzner, ML Whittles, Mike Hertz, Brad Owen and Florence V. Greke.
The Village of Kenaston held a municipal candidates forum on Tuesday. Pictured from left are Mike Menzies, Leon Tomlenovich, Don Matzner, ML Whittles, Mike Hertz, Brad Owen and Florence V. Greke.

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — All agreed that Kenaston is green and growing.

How to handle that growth, however, was another question.

Seven hopefuls for village council faced the public at an election forum, held Thursday night at Kenaston Place with around 100 people in attendance.

The candidates — including two seeking the mayor’s seat and five running for council — were given the chance to make statements and answer questions on a variety of topics.

Mike Menzies, a current councillor and a business development manager with Prairie Centre Credit Union, is running to become Kenaston’s new mayor.

Current mayor ML Whittles, a paralegal who has served one term, is running for re-election.

Five candidates are vying for four council seats: Florence V. Greke, store manager; Michael Hertz, farmer; Don Matzner, business owner; Bradley Owen, senior reliability technologist; and Leon Tomlenovich, business owner (incumbent).

For the full story, please see the Oct. 17 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

 

Davidson, featured

Local leaders speak out on carbon pricing

An early October snowstorm put a stop to harvest activities throughout south central Saskatchewan. Four snow-covered combines sit idle behind a pile of grain near Reginald Zdunich’s farmyard at Kenaston. One combine flies a Toronto Blue Jays flag. At least the Jays made it into the post season, giving farmers something to cheer about.
An early October snowstorm put a stop to harvest activities throughout south central Saskatchewan. Four snow-covered combines sit idle behind a pile of grain near Reginald Zdunich’s farmyard at Kenaston. One combine flies a Toronto Blue Jays flag. At least the Jays made it into the post season, giving farmers something to cheer about.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — October has been a month of bad news for farmers so far, with continuous snow and rain bringing harvest to a grinding halt.

But for Gerrid Gust, Justin Trudeau’s announcement of a federal carbon pricing program was the cherry on top of the sundae.

Gust, who farms with his family east of Davidson, said the increased costs of fuel, fertilizer and transportation will be hard on producers across the board.

“I don’t know why we would want to be a leader in taxing ourselves to death,” he said Thursday. “Will this accomplish what they’re trying to do?”

Unless other countries introduce similar schemes, Gust said, the added costs will make Canadian farmers less competitive on the world stage.

“Russia is never going to do this,” he said. “It just compounds the amount of money that will flow out of resource economies.”

The Liberal government announced Oct. 3 that it would move forward to institute a carbon pricing plan in 2018, setting the initial price at $10 per tonne, and rising to $50 per tonne by 2022.

Provinces and territories will be able to implement the system as they see fit, meeting or exceeding that price, using either a direct price on carbon or a cap-and-trade system.

The federal government will impose carbon pricing on any province that does not establish its own mechanism by the start date.

Trudeau’s announcement came during a Montreal meeting between environment minister Catherine McKenna and her provincial counterparts, three of whom walked out of the meeting in protest.

British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec already have plans in place for carbon pricing.

The Liberals said the plan would be revenue-neutral and all taxes would remain in the provinces where they are collected.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall was among the outspoken critics of the carbon pricing plan, calling it a tax and predicting widespread economic damage as a result.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 17 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan