Category Archives: Bladworth

Bladworth, Davidson, Kenaston

Meet Davidson’s New Year’s baby of 2016

Levi Kevin Reich, born Jan. 1, 2016 at 11:35 p.m., is Davidson's New Year's baby.
Levi Kevin Reich, born Jan. 1, 2016 at 11:35 p.m., is Davidson’s New Year’s baby.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Levi Kevin Reich might have seemed like a long shot for Davidson’s New Year’s baby.

“We joked about having him as a New Year’s baby, but we didn’t think that would happen,” recalled his mother, Heather Puckett.

Levi wasn’t due until Feb. 11, but as it turns out, the joke was on his mom and dad.

Puckett went into labour around 6:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, and five hours later, she delivered a healthy baby boy at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

She was only 34 weeks into her pregnancy, so Levi’s early arrival came as a surprise to both her and his father, Trevor Reich.

As of last week, mother and child were doing well, although Levi was expected to stay a few extra days in the hospital’s neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU).

“They just want him to grow a little more,” explained Puckett. “They haven’t given us a definite date yet. It could be by the weekend, I’m not sure though.”

Levi arrived at 11:35 p.m., weighing 5 lbs., 14 oz., and measuring 20.5 inches. Despite the surprise, his mother reported a smooth delivery.

The child’s arrival marked a happy start to 2016 for his parents, grandparents and many extended family members in Davidson and area.

Levi’s grandparents are Fran and Tom Vanghel of Davidson, Stan Schneider of Bladworth, and Kevin and Lorraine Reich of Saskatoon.

His great-grandparents are Val Thurlow of Kenaston and Norbert and Elaine Reich of Davidson.

Levi has two older siblings: Carter, 5, and Jayla, 4. His father Trevor works at Legend Autobody and Paint in Davidson, while Heather is a stay-at-home mother. The family resides in the former Zeleny home on Government Road.

Levi joins an exclusive club of past Davidson’s New Year’s babies that includes Brad McLaren, Carl Johnson and David Beckie.

Bladworth, Kenaston

Kerpans in court as Koch enters guilty plea

Danille Kerpan
Danille Kerpan

By Tara de Ryk

SASKATOON — John Koch, 50, pleaded guilty in Saskatoon provincial court Thursday to impaired driving causing the death of 25-year-old Danille Kerpan of Kenaston.

Koch’s lawyer entered a guilty plea to the charge of impaired driving causing death.

Koch was present, however, he did not appear before the court.

The matter was handled in minutes as the Crown and defence set a date of Jan. 18 for the next court appearance to arrange for a sentencing hearing.

Danille’s parents Allan and Melanie Kerpan of Kenaston, other family members and friends, who were court Thursday morning, immediately left the room.

Allan Kerpan said the proceedings were “slightly less dramatic” than they’d expected.

“It’s another step we have go through.”

On Oct. 10, 2014, Danille was driving south on Highway 11 to Davidson when her car was struck by a pickup truck heading north in the southbound lane near Bladworth.

Danille died at the scene. Koch was seriously injured and later charged with one count each of impaired driving causing death, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level above 0.08, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and criminal negligence in the operation of a motor vehicle causing death.

On Thursday, as the Kerpans prepared to leave provincial court, outside a media scrum was taking place with members of the family of Jordan and Chanda Van De Vorst and their two children Kamryn, 5, and Miguire, 2.

The family of four was killed around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 when their car was struck by an SUV north of Saskatoon on Highway 11. The SUV was crossing the Highway from Wanuskewin Road when it hit the Van De Vorsts’ car.

Catherine McKay had made a brief court appearance Thursday to answer to numerous charges relating to the death of the Van De Vorst family including four charges of impaired driving causing death.

As the Kerpans’ ordeal through the courts is about to wind down, another family’s is beginning.

“I offer them our condolences and they are welcome to give us a call. I would never have known how they could possibly feel prior to this happening to our family. You think you know, but you cannot possibly know the sorrow and the loss and the grief when you lose somebody, and theirs is times four,” Allan Kerpan said as a message from one grieving family to another, referring to the Van De Vorsts who had spoken to reporters moments before.

Kerpan said when he learned of the Van De Vorst family’s death he was overwhelmed with sadness.

“It renews the sadness and grief we’ve had with our case,” he said.

For the full story, please see the Jan. 11 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Bladworth, Davidson, Sports

Locals shine at CCA finals rodeo

Scott Sigfusson, left, and Logan Kadlec display the buckles they received at the Canadian Cowboys Association finals rodeo in November.
Scott Sigfusson, left, and Logan Kadlec display the buckles they received at the Canadian Cowboys Association finals rodeo in November.

By Joel van der Veen

REGINA — It was Scott Sigfusson’s best rodeo season yet — and considering how he’s done in past years, that’s no small feat.

The local cowboy ended the year as the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA) high-point champion for the third time, receiving his buckle on Nov. 27 following the finals rodeo at Canadian Western Agribition.

“It’s super exciting to have that good of a year,” said Scott, the son of Ross and Jannice Sigfusson of Davidson.

As usual, Sigfusson had a full season, competing in close to 60 events, and enjoying plenty of success.

In October he competed in the Manitoba Rodeo Cowboys Association’s finals rodeo in Brandon, taking top honours in tie-down roping and also earning the high-point championship there.

Sigfusson took part in three events in the CCA finals, finishing first in tie-down roping, second in steer wrestling and second in team roping with his partner Jim-Bob Gomersall.

He said the year was his best so far in terms of results, adding that it’s the kind of season he used to dream of having.

Sigfusson added that he finished the year in good physical shape as well, with only a few minor bumps and bruises.

Having spent the season as a rider on the community pasture at Kerrobert, he is now back in Davidson for the winter, working with ranchers David and Juanita Esmond.

Sigfusson said he purchased some young horses this fall and plans to continue practising and training throughout the winter.

“I want to keep doing it as long as my body will let me,” said Sigfusson, who turned 27 this month.

Another local rider, Logan Kadlec, also shared the spotlight during the CCA finals rodeo as one of two bullfighters working during the event, protecting bullriders from the animals during the competitions.

Kadlec, 24, the son of Murray and Gloria Kadlec of Bladworth, said he’s been riding bulls for several years, but this was his first full season as a bullfighter.

He said he was “tired of getting hurt” and added that bullfighting offers multiple benefits, including both a great adrenalin rush and a regular paycheque.

For the full story, please see the Dec. 7 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Bladworth, Davidson

Across region, a winter blunderland

A motorist drives down Railway Avenue, surrounded by blowing snow, last week.
A motorist drives down Railway Avenue, surrounded by blowing snow, last week.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A blast of winter weather wreaked mid-week havoc across south-central Saskatchewan, ranging from disrupted highway traffic to power failures lasting for several hours.

Officials from the Ministry of Highways recommended against travel on Highway 11 between Regina and Saskatoon on Wednesday morning, owing to poor visibility, drifting snow and icy, slippery surfaces.

Police reported around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday that a semi truck was blocking the northbound lanes of Highway 11 between Bladworth and Davidson after the driver lost control.

The northbound lanes were closed and traffic was rerouted while the scene of the collision was cleared. The highway did not fully reopen until 5:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Members of the Craik and Outlook RCMP detachments were on hand. Motorists were advised to expect delays and to use an alternate route if possible.

Reports from police stated that poor driving conditions were still in effect, including “extremely strong” winds and icy road surfaces.

SaskPower employees were kept busy on Wednesday dealing with the effects of the weather, which led to power outages in many regions of the province.

Jonathan Tremblay, a spokesman for the Crown corporation, estimated that 25,000 customers in total lost power for part of the day on Wednesday.

A fire at the Watrous power substation was reported as the cause of an outage that lasted several hours and affected several communities along Highway 2, including Imperial, Simpson and Young.

Tremblay said the fire, reported around 7 a.m., was small and quickly contained, having resulted from a blown fuse at the substation.

“That part of the province was probably the worst hit,” he said, adding that high winds contributed to the situation across Saskatchewan, taking down power lines and keeping SaskPower staff on their toes.

Tremblay stated that no area was without power for more than three-and-a-half or four hours, adding, “By the end of the day, it was back to business as usual for the most part.”

However, several reports from Imperial indicated power was off there for most of the business day.

For the full story, please see the Nov. 23 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Bladworth, Davidson, Kenaston

Victim’s parents: action needed on impaired driving

Danille Kerpan
Danille Kerpan

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — Have we become numb to the numbers?

It’s a question that’s on the mind of Allan Kerpan, as Saskatchewan continues to have one of Canada’s leading rates of death due to impaired driving.

Between 2008 and 2012, an average of 68 people per year were killed in the province as the result of impaired driving.

That statistic took on personal significance for Allan and his wife Melanie on Thanksgiving weekend last year.

Oct. 10 marked the one-year anniversary of the death of their 25-year-old daughter Danille, who was driving on Highway 11 near Bladworth when her vehicle collided head-on with a truck headed north in a southbound lane.

It was a tragedy and an avoidable accident at the same time — yet, dozens of people in the province each year share her fate.

“It’s sort of become routine for you guys, the media, to cover these crashes,” said Allan. “It just keeps going, nothing ever changes . . . How can we accept this?”

Allan, a farmer and a former MP and MLA, and Melanie, a retired teacher, said last week they want to honour their daughter’s memory by taking action against impaired driving in Saskatchewan.

Melanie said they want to “make something positive out of a very bad situation,” while Allan added, “She’d want something (good) to come out of it.”

Allan said he has been learning about various organizations that work to support victims of impaired driving and their families, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Families for Justice.

He attended MADD’s annual National Conference for Victims for Impaired Driving in Oakville, Ont., in April, where Danille’s picture was displayed along with those of countless other victims.

Allan said he has been invited to work on some projects for MADD within the province, where the organization has only a limited presence. These include roadside memorials to victims and possibly a larger monument in one of the cities.

In late March, Kerpan was given time to speak to some of his former colleagues in a meeting of the Saskatchewan Party caucus. He used that time to talk about impaired driving and to offer some suggestions for the province’s high rate of related deaths.

Kerpan said some of the ideas he presented include a “three-strike rule” that would take away an offender’s driving privileges permanently, and automatic jail sentences for those caught driving after their license has been suspended.

He said he’s especially angered by reports of repeat offenders and added that Saskatchewan should look at other provinces to see how they’ve improved their numbers.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Bladworth, Davidson

Wilkins’ Riel sculpture joins Highway 11 series

From left, Thomas Quiring, Elizabeth Quiring and Jim Beebe play during an Aug. 30 ceremony to dedicate a sculpture of Louis Riel, called "The Invitation."
From left, Thomas Quiring, Elizabeth Quiring and Jim Beebe play during an Aug. 30 ceremony to dedicate a sculpture of Louis Riel, called “The Invitation.”

By Joel van der Veen

BLADWORTH — As Don Wilkins planned his latest sculpture, he faced a daunting question: how best to depict one of the most controversial figures in Canadian history.

The subject: Métis leader Louis Riel, a prime mover behind two major rebellions in the 19th century, a man variously seen as either a father of his people or a traitor to his country.

“How do you handle something like that?” said Wilkins, an artist and retired farmer based near Girvin. “I didn’t know how I could really represent him.”

For inspiration, Wilkins turned to a specific moment in time: the summer of 1884, when a delegation visited Riel in Montana, where he was then living in exile, to ask him to return to act as their representative in negotiating with the Canadian government.

While Riel’s name is typically associated with the rebellions he led and his execution for treason in 1885, Wilkins said he wanted to take a different approach: “In this instance, he’s a peacemaker.”

This formed the basis of his latest project, “The Invitation,” which was officially dedicated at its site along Highway 11 just outside of Bladworth on Aug. 30.

A crowd of around 100 people gathered for the ceremony, which included a musical performance, a brief speech by Wilkins and the unveiling of a plaque.

Performing at the site were bagpiper Jim Beebe, of the North Saskatchewan Regiment Pipes and Drums; bagpiper Thomas Quiring and of the 96th Highlanders Pipes and Drums; and Elizabeth Quiring, of the same band, on the tenor drum.

Wilkins read a speech outlining the context of the sculpture, aided by a small portable PA system. He also answered several questions from the audience, while his daughter, Cindy Jordison of Tisdale, unveiled the plaque.

This latest sculpture is the eighth in a series along Highway 11. Wilkins was part of the committee that successfully campaigned to have the route named the “Louis Riel Trail” in 2001.

“This highway provides a great venue to showcase our region and our province,” Wilkins told the Leader last week.

The main part of the steel sculpture depicts Riel himself, 13 feet tall, posed in a peaceful stance with a crucifix held in his outstretched left hand, reflecting his Catholic faith.

Behind him are four pillars, representing the four delegates who travelled to meet with Riel: Gabriel Dumont, Moïse Ouellette, Michel Dumas and James Isbister.

Each one is adorned at the top with a small image of a rider on horseback, while a small building marked with a cross represents the St. Peter’s Jesuit mission where Riel was teaching at the time of the delegates’ visit. Also on the site is a Red River cart, the 16th such cart crafted by Wilkins.

For the full story, please see the Sept. 7 edition of The Davidson Leader.