By Kevin Gilby
The Arm River Wildlife Federation (ARWF) officially repopulated the Legacy Project with 1,000 rainbow trout on April 30.

The trout pond, one mile west of Davidson, has continued to see ongoing beautification efforts since its official opening last season. The fish were funded in part by the ARWF and by donation from Living Sky Outfitters.

Jeff Doyle from Living Sky Outfitters, and John McJannet (ARWF) introduced the rainbow trout after first acclimating them to the water temperature for 20 minutes. It is anticipated the fish will be large enough to bite a hook by July.
The pond will officially open to the public on the August long weekend. While everyone is invited to visit the park once open, they are asked to leave their dogs at home, and observe the daily catch limit of one fish per day to take home to eat.
“The ARWF graciously asks that everyone please enjoy and respect the area as a wildlife area for now and generations to follow,” wrote John McJannet.

April 17, 1939 – April 28, 2025

With sadness in our hearts we announce the passing of Doreen Keller of Craik, SK on April 28, 2025 at the age of 86.

Doreen was predeceased by her parents; John and Otilla (Sali) Richter; 1 younger brother and sister-in-law, Christian and (Mildred) Richter; 1 younger sister and brother-in-law, Gina (Bill) Solomon; 1 son-in-law, Raymond Parisien.

Doreen is survived by her husband, Gary Keller; her children, Gail Ell (Darrell); Barry Stroh (Linda); Cheryl Fink (Warren); Brenda Parisien; Kevin Stroh; Daniel Stroh (Pam); Shannon Cornell (Rick); Shelly Stroh; younger sister Penny Ward (Wayne); and Gary’s daughter Bonnie Hosie (Art).

22 Grandchildren and 17 Great Grandchildren – and numerous nieces and nephews.

Doreen was born on April 17, 1939, raised on a farm near Vibank, and married Bert Stroh on October 18, 1955, and moved to his farmstead where they raised 8 children. 

On January 11, 1992, Doreen married Gary Keller, and they made a life together living in Regina, then Regina Beach, and eventually settled in Craik, SK.

Doreen loved to cook and entertain family and friends.  Her table was always filled with delicious meals.  She loved to dance and enjoyed many Oktoberfests and Polka Fests.  She was an incredible seamstress and spent endless hours sewing outfits for her children when they were young, and then later for her grandchildren as well.   Above all, she treasured her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, attending their various activities whenever possible. 

Doreen will be sadly missed by her family and will be lovingly remembered for her strength and the many beautiful memories she filled their hearts with.

**We want to extend a special thank you to the Craik Health Care Centre, to all the Staff for the amazing care they provided Doreen for the past 8 years.  You are greatly appreciated!

Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson in care of arrangements.

August 24, 1929 – April 24, 2025

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Laura Lucy (Cole) Rewerts on April 24, 2025 at the age of 95.

She was predeceased by her husband Harland Rewerts January 8, 1977, her parents William and Annie (Wyatt) Cole, three brothers and five sisters.

She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by Leona (Dennis) their children Taira, Tanis (Rufus) their children Allandrex, Denzara and Zandre.

Ann (Mel) their children Mathew, Michael (Lisa) and their son Charlie.

Colleen (Terry) children Lauren, Cole (Angela) and their daughter Harlynn, Cory and Lathen.

Tracey (Sean) their children Seamus, Ciara and Erin.

Mom’s family meant everything to her. She worried about all of us. She loved all our dogs and cared for them like her own.

All the children she cared for through the years were always in her thoughts.

Words cannot express how much we are going to miss her.

For those so wishing, memorial donations in memory of Laura may be directed to the Hanley Fire Department.

A family service for Laura will take place at a later date. Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson in care of arrangements.

November 30, 1946 – April 27, 2025

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Karen Jess at Royal University Hospital at the age of 78. She was predeceased by her husband Ronald Jess, her parents Paul and Helen Kerpan, her parents-in-law Bernard and Wilma Jess, her brother Darryl Kerpan and her niece Danielle Kerpan. She leaves behind her 4 children: Kevin (Pam) Jess, Bradley Jess, Coralee (Kevin) Vollmer and Loretta (Mark Anderson) as well as 8 grandkids, 6 great-grandkids and many nieces and nephews. Karen loved to farm, plant a garden, grow some flowers, talk on the phone to neighbours and friends and play cards. Karen and Wayne moved to Saskatoon so mom could be closer to her dialysis that she did at the Renal Centre where she gained a second family. A special thank-you to the staff and doctors at the Renal Centre and St. Paul’s Hospital for all the care Karen received over the years.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Karen’s memory may be made to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, Renal Centre, in Saskatoon, Sask. A family service for Karen will be held at a later date. Hanson’s Funeral Service of Davidson in care of arrangements.

With reports of identity theft and fraud popping up everywhere, especially during the recent tax season, residents are left wondering how they can keep their valuables safe from criminals. Affinity Credit Union in David- son hosted a lively workshop focused on prevention and security to more than 50 people on April 29. Professionals from Davidson and Watrous Affinity Credit Union invited Davidson and area to a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session on Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention. A free pulled pork, beans, and salad lunch was provided to every- one that attended the event at the Davidson Senior Centre.

The workshop was developed by Each One, Teach One (EOTO), a program managed by the Canadian Credit Union Association. The organization trains employees of Canadian credit unions to deliver financial education workshops in their communities.  EOTO offers workshops and online modules designed to help with financial decisions, goals and plans. The plain language instruction, without any ties to products or services, has shown to be popular with those that have attended the workshop. The lunch hour was fast paced but informative, covering a variety of topics, including definitions, types of scams (online and phone), and identity theft risks identifying actions people could do immediately to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world. The informal structure of the workshop invited people to share their experiences dealing with fraud and identity theft. Fraud and identity theft often go unreported due to shame or embarrassment, but talking about it is important.

Some of the anecdotes offered by guests were new even to the workshop leaders, which further emphasized that sharing these stories with friends and family is important to prevention. People learned that safety starts in the real world. Instructors recommended shredding documents like bills and even receipts that include vital personal information criminals need to perpetuate identity theft. Another common oversight is storing personal documents in unattended vehicles, including vehicle registration. For documents like registration and passports, they should be stored on your person when in use or safely stored away when not. Workshop leaders further recommended safeguards for cheques. They recommend not ordering too many at once to limit out-of-sequence cheques going unnoticed, a common risk in the theft of a cheque book. When travelling, people are advised to be less trusting in public access Wi-Fi than they are at home with personal Wi-Fi.

Due to the openness and weak security of public Wi-Fi, online banking or online shopping should never be done when connected to them. Even use of social media should be avoided, since it puts your personal information at risk to anyone nearby the Wi-Fi hotspot. Emails are another ploy thieves use to gain access to personal information. Common signs of a fraudulent email are spelling errors, links to suspicious websites, requests for personal information, and requests/notifications from banks, Canada Revenue Agency, and even SGI for money refunds or money owing. If a person is at all suspicious of an email they should call the purported sender using their official phone numbers found on their websites, phone book, or business cards. Don’t assume the number on the suspicious email is safe. It’s likely a hotline straight to a criminal. When browsing the Internet, ensure that the address bar starts with ‘HTTPS’ and not just ‘HTTP.’ Also, look for a lock icon near the address which ensures the communications are private between you and the website.

Most importantly, scams often involve money and a sense of urgency. People should take time to consider what they are going into. Enticements should never include warnings not to talk to anyone about what you’re doing. Instead, talk to friends, families, or even bankers. A red flag might be readily apparent to someone not under pressure. Finally, check your bank statements and report all incidents to the RCMP and/or bank. Spotting illegal activity helps keep everyone safe.

By Kevin Gilby

A representative of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) recently met with local stakeholders to discuss the loss of physicians at the Davidson and Craik Health Centres. In separate meetings on the afternoon of April 23, Erin Hess, the Director of Primary Health Care, spoke with the community’s respective stakeholders to discuss ongoing staffing efforts. “We have received the resignation from Dr. Saadat Torabian, who will be leaving at the end of May, and we have also received the resignation from Dr. A. Sodhi, who will be leaving at the end of August,” Hess said. “Right now we are actively working on securing locum coverage. There is a posting for two physicians for Davidson and Craik.” Hess added that the nurse practitioner for the area is scheduled to return in the fall.

“Across my whole network, there is a large vacancy in nurse practitioners. This is another very hard to recruit position in rural (areas). “But we are actively working on a plan for the upcoming vacancies. We will be sharing that further with the community; how we’re going to fill those gaps if we can’t get a physician in the meantime.” Hess said the process may look a little different while the physician hiring is in progress, but the changes, if any, will be communicated with the public. An application has also been made for two physicians through the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program (SIPPA) program. “Davidson has also implemented the Virtual Physician which has been a huge support.

The Saskatchewan Virtual Visit Program is a provincial video-conferencing solution that connects health care providers with patients and their families, supporting access to care regardless of location, while simultaneously improving continuity of care. We’re trying to be as proactive as we can.” Hess indicated that work with existing physicians, locums, and virtual care is continual to prevent or limit possible ER disruptions although none are foreseen at this time. “I really appreciate the relation- ship and partnership we have with Davidson and Craik,” she said. “We meet quite often throughout the year, but in this case we’re going to collaborate with both communities is (potentially) at the end of May.

“I will be updating Davidson and Craik on any progress that is happening. I always appreciate the collaboration of our communities. Always trying to come up with ideas, discuss ways they can support, and how we can work together.”