Ratepayers of the rural municipalities of Dundurn, Rudy and Rosedale will meet Wednesday in Hanley to talk about the future of the Dundurn and the Rudy/Rosedale community pastures.

Fred Wilson, Reeve of the R.M. of Dundurn, said community members and pasture patrons have been talking informally since the federal government’s decision to wind down the Community Pastures Program came to light in mid-April.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada plans to get out of managing the pastures over the next six years. The process begins in 2013 when the government will cease operations of 10 community pastures—five in Saskatchewan and five in Manitoba. Another five pastures in Saskatchewan will be transferred in 2014.

Ideally, Wilson said, the pastures would remain in the public domain, if not operated by federal or provincial governments, than the municipalities could possibly take over their management.

“The majority’s consensus is we would like them to stay as community pastures.”

He’s heard rumours about organizations and companies big enough to buy them may be interested in some of the more lucrative pastures. On the other hand, Wilson said, he can’t see the province letting them go because some are rich in resources like oil, gas and gravel.

To read more, please see the June 11, 2012 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

CRAIK—Hopes are high that a family physician will soon be found to serve the needs of Craik and area residents.

The community’s only physician, Dr. Narinda Maree is closing her Craik practice at the end of July, after which she intends to join a practice in Moose Jaw in August.

According to a notice from Five Hills Health Region, the region has begun discussions to secure a physician to work with the primary health care team out of the Craik Health Centre.

“It is not clear yet how this will look. Physician recruitment is very difficult work but we will do our best to find a resolution to this as soon as we can,” the notice states.

To read the full story, read the June 4 print edition of The Davidson Leader. To subscribe, phone 567-2047 or email davidsonleader@sasktel.net.

Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway trains were expected to start rolling Friday afternoon after striking CP Rail workers were legislated back to work.

Legislation ordering about 4,800 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference back to work passed the Senate Thursday afternoon and received royal assent.

The House of Commons, early Wednesday morning, passed the Restoring Rail Service Act, legislation that ended the work stoppage.

“With no prospect of resolution in sight, the government acted to resume rail services,” federal Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said in a news release Wednesday.

Besides restoring CP Railway services, the legislation sends all unresolved issues to interest-based binding arbitration.

The Teamsters Union went on strike May 23, shutting down all CP Rail freight traffic.

Many industries were affected including grain companies such as Gardiner Dam Terminal at Strongfield where 112 railcars loaded with grain were stranded due to the strike.

Although the trains were expected to be up and running again sometime Friday, it will likely take weeks for the CP to clear the backlog of freight.