By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Members of Unifor stopped by Greg Brkich’s office recently with a message for the Arm River MLA.

About 25 union members gathered on the sidewalk on Washington Avenue during the noon hour on May 4 to protest a recent bill on Crown corporations.

Bill 40, passed in the provincial legislature on April 26, sets a definition for privatization, allowing up to 49 per cent of a Crown corporation, such as SaskTel or SGI, to be sold.

Lorne Hill, chief steward for Unifor Local 3 in Moose Jaw, said the bill amounts to breaking up assets that belong to the people of Saskatchewan.

“This current provincial government has no mandate to put our assets up for sale,” Hill said.

The Unifor members, all SaskTel employees, were in Davidson on May 4 for a provincial meeting. They marched to the MLA’s office during their lunch break.

They carried signs and cheered during Hill’s speech, responding to his criticism of Sask Party MLAs with calls of “Shame!” and “Liars!”

Brkich’s office was closed for the noon hour, and the protest drew few onlookers, but those gathered were not discouraged.

“Whether Greg was here or not today,” said Hill, “we want all members of the Legislative Assembly to know our stance on this issue.”

He accused the government of “risking the assets of future generations,” adding that SaskTel has paid off $500 million in dividends to the province over the last decade.

“That is tax dollars that people don’t have to pay out of their pockets,” said Hill, explaining that the protesters want to promote unity and not division. “We want to support everybody, we want to protect what is rightfully theirs.”

The NDP has also criticized the bill, with opposition leader Trent Wotherspoon calling it “an incredible bertrayal of Saskatchewan people.”

Greg Brkich spoke to the Leader in the bill’s defense on Wednesday, arguing that it would strengthen, not weaken, the Crowns by protecting 51 per cent of them from privatization.

He characterized the bill as “housekeeping” in case an opportunity for partnership comes along.

In the case of SaskTel, he said, partnerships could make the company more competitive by connecting them with new technology.

He also said the bill could bring new investment dollars, giving the example of pension plans.

“There’s lots of Saskatchewan investment money that’s flowing out to entities in other provinces,” he said.

Brkich dismissed opposition criticism of the bill: “The world’s always coming to an end . . . That’s their role, to try to light as many fires as they can at that end.”

He also recalled that former NDP premier Roy Romanow had talked about looking for potential partners for SaskTel, back in 2000.

A news release from Unifor pointed to Manitoba as an example, arguing that the privatization of the provincial telecom MTS led to higher phone bills there.

“It could mean a decrease, too,” Brkich countered in response. “It very well could be cheaper rates and better coverage, with more investment coming in.”

Unifor represents around 3,300 SaskTel employees, including technicians, account and service representatives, and clerical and administrative staff.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — An audience of close to 100 people was treated to a double bill as Davidson School hosted a dessert theatre night on May 4, featuring the junior and senior drama clubs.

Up first was the junior club’s performance of “10 Reasons You Should Have Stayed Home Sick Today,” by E. M. Bell.

Directed by Jason Low, the one-act comedy play featured a cast of 10 students in grades 7 through 9.

The 10 reasons included getting stuck with an awkward bus seatmate, facing an impossible pop quiz, and slipping in mud that leaves a suggestive stain on the victim’s pants.

Following was the senior club’s performance of “Storied” by Bradley Watson, directed by Arlene Low, with a cast of 12 actors in grades 10 through 12.

The surreal play follows three teenagers — Tatum (Katherine Cool), Becky (Geena Heinrich) and Kevin (Jacob Schilling) — who find themselves trapped in an alternate universe.

There, they encounter many fictional characters — some they recognize, like Alice (Emily Read) and the White Rabbit (Chase Lyn Dean), and others they don’t, like the Big Blue Metal Thing (Sarah Bublish) and the Sniper in a Tutu (Justin Sandsbraaten).

They eventually find themselves caught in a conflict between “Good Ideas” from classic stories, and “Bad Ideas” that originate in lesser works.

The teens encounter a pair of witches, Brittany (Sarah Allan) and Colleen (Tia Shaw), who explain that they drew them into this dimension by casting a spell.

For the full story and more photos, please see the May 15 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — When she and her husband Peter pulled up at Davidson Town Hall the night of April 25, Betsie Leach figured they must have gotten the date wrong.

“I thought there might be a wedding on, with all the cars parked there,” she told the Leader last week.

As it turned out, hundreds of people were there for them.

“We are still speechless about it,” she said. “We can’t believe it.”

The Leaches were the guests of honour at a steak supper held that night, which raised more than $8,200 to support them.

The husband and wife, who reside in Davidson, have both been off of work for the last several months as they deal with ongoing health concerns.

Dana Billett, who organized the event with Lindsay Cross, said they began planning for the fundraiser in late March.

“We just thought they could use a little bit of extra support,” Billett explained.

Co-workers, friends and other residents stepped up, donating food, auction and raffle items, and volunteering their time and effort.

Western Sales donated the food for the main course, Homemade Goodness donated macaroni salad and the United Church ladies contributed the desserts.

The Kinsmen donated the use of their barbecue while Riverbend Co-op provided the propane. Many others volunteered to set up, clean up and run the event. Dozens of items were donated for the silent auction and raffle tables.

Billett said 240 tickets were pre-sold, while many who couldn’t attend made donations in support of the Leaches.

“There isn’t a person that Lindsay or I sold a ticket to who didn’t mention how sweet or kind or caring Betsie is all of the time,” said Billett. “Everyone was willing to help out and support them just on that alone.”

The Leaches, originally from South Africa, moved to Davidson in October 2014 after Peter accepted a position at Western Sales.

For the full story, please see the May 8 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.