Adele Ruth Boyce passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 13, 2016 at the Health Centre in Craik, Sask.
Adele was born on September 1, 1927, at the family homestead. She was predeceased by her infant son, Ronald Barnett, her first husband Albert John (Barney) Barnett, her second husband Harold Boyce, and her loving friend Vern Wildfong; her parents Carl and Alta Alles; and her sister Bernice (Alles) Clifton.
She leaves to mourn her passing, her immediate family: Darlene (Clifton) MacDonald and her children Tannis MacDonald (Stephen Onda), Lauren MacDonald (Travis Haukaas) and Taylor MacDonald; great-nieces and nephew Olivia, Lydia and Declan; Rick and Lorraine Reich and their sons Jonathan and Cameron.
Also left to cherish her memory are numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends whom she made throughout her incredible life.
The funeral service was held at Craik United Church on Friday, November 18 at 1:30 p.m. with a tea to follow at the Craik Community Hall.
We would like to thank all the staff at the Craik Health Centre for their loving care and support for her these last two years. Memorials in memory of Adele may be made to a local charity of choice.
Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson in charge of arrangements.
CRAIK — Voters have given the go-ahead for Craik to direct $380,000 in town funds towards restoring potable water.
The question was put to the public in a referendum vote on Oct. 26, held in tandem with the election for Craik’s mayor and councillors.
Funds are needed to pay for an engineering plan, developed by the town and the Regina-based firm KGS Group, to end the boil water advisory that has been in place for more than six years.
The town sought permission to pay for the project using the anticipated insurance payout from the fire that destroyed the Eco-Centre facility on March 24.
The question read as follows: “Do you agree with crediting the net insurance payment from the loss of the Eco-Centre to the Water Fund?”
Voters gave the proposal their overwhelming support, with 199 voting in favour and 14 voting against, along with six rejected ballots.
A written update was provided to residents in October with details on the engineering plan, which involves using both the old water works, built in the 1960s, and a second plant that went online in 2009.
The total cost is estimated at $371,000. At present the town’s Water Fund holds $60,000, leaving the need for additional funding to cover the cost.
Newly-elected mayor David Ashdown said work would begin immediately on the project, with the goal of having drinking water restored by Nov. 1, 2017.
Continuing to monitor the job and ensure it stays on track will be a priority for the new council, he said Thursday.
Ashdown wins in landslide
Ashdown received a large show of support in his first run for the mayor’s office, earning 170 votes, or 77.6 per cent of the total votes cast.
“I was, as they say, humbled and honoured with the level of support I received,” he said. “I’m grateful that the community has put that much faith in my ability to be a leader.”
Ashdown, 66, a retired clergyman, was first elected to council in a June 2015 byelection.
Earlier that year, he was front and centre during a campaign to restore and maintain health services in Craik, and he continues to serve as chair of the local health committee.
For the full story, please see the Oct. 31 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
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.
In Loving Memory of Verna Maryetta Willner October 28, 1928 — September 15, 2016
Verna Willner (née Wightman) was born in Davidson, Sask. on October 28, 1928, the oldest of three children of the late Kenneth and Mary Wightman of Craik.
Verna was predeceased by her husband Arthur Willner in 1977 and her brother Lyle Wightman in 2016.
She is survived by her sister Nola Manz and her children:
Linda (Gary) Osmachenko, Scott (Elaine) Osmachenko, and Amy (Derek) Hoiseth;
Gordon (Laura) Willner, David (Marisa) Willner, Don (Karielle) Willner, Jessica (Jeff) Foster, Hayley Willner, and Sydney Willner;
Jerry (Heather) Willner, Courtney (James) LaFramboise, and Tyler Willner;
Nancy Quenell, Barbara Morrison, and Harley Quenell.
Verna also leaves behind 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
The most important thing in Gramma’s life was family. In her last moments she was surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Raised through the ‘30s, she knew the value of hard work and being resilient: moving from Girvin to Pelly to survive two dust bowls, living with uncles and aunts to complete her schooling, from Girvin to Craik and finally working at Morrisons’ to pay for her room and board, so she could complete her Grade 12 and graduate in Davidson.
Her marriage to Art Willner in 1949 gave her the life of a busy farmer’s wife: raising four kids, growing huge vegetable and fruit gardens, chickens, fresh baked bread and basement shelves packed with preserves and jams, and in her “spare” time caring for her flowers, glads and lilies.
Mom and Dad moved to town in 1974 but with Dad’s passing in 1977, Mom’s resilience took her back to work, first at J.V.’s Restaurant and then to the Prairie View Lodge.
Retirement didn’t slow her down. Her door was always open to family, friends and neighbours. Gramma’s was the go-to spot for her grandchildren. If you had an after-school sport or 4-H, or if you just missed the bus, there was always something to eat at Gramma’s. Even the occasional babysitting for family and her young neighbours kept her spirit young.
Trips to hot spots with friends, senior games and the centre kept her social calendar full. She stayed in her home almost until the end, with the help of home care, meals-on-wheels and the silent army of volunteers who drove her to her “appointments.” Thanks.
CRAIK — The next step in restoring Craik’s drinking water will be up to voters.
Town council is seeking residents’ permission to direct the insurance payout from the Eco-Centre fire — estimated at roughly $380,000 — towards the Water Fund.
The referendum question will be on the ballot presented to voters in the Oct. 26 municipal election, when they will also select a mayor and six councillors.
The question reads as follows: “Do you agree with crediting the net insurance payment from the loss of the Eco-Centre to the Water Fund?”
A “yes” answer means work will begin immediately on a plan developed by the town and KGS Group, an engineering firm based in Regina, while a “no” answer means the town will return to the drawing board to look at other funding options.
Bringing drinking water back to Craik has been the top priority for the current council, said Coun. David Ashdown.
A positive response to the referendum question “should bring us to potable water by this time next year,” he told the Leader on Thursday.
A written update was distributed by the town to local residents late last week.
Craik has been under a boil water advisory since August 17, 2010, for “failing to meet minimum disinfection levels (ozone),” according to the Water Security Agency (WSA).
The town has had ongoing problems with a water plant completed in 2009 by Mainstream Water Solutions, a Regina company which has since gone into bankruptcy.
Progress has been made recently towards restoring Craik’s drinking water, in co-operation between the town council, the WSA and a local water task force (since disbanded).
Last year, the town engaged with KGS, citing their expertise in working with rural communities. The company recently worked with the Town of Radville, which has a Mainstream water plant similar to Craik’s, to restore drinking water there.
For the full story, see the Oct. 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
Saskatchewan NDP leader Trent Wotherspoon and NDP health critic Danielle Chartier listen to David Ashdown (in foreground) during a town hall meeting in Davidson on Tuesday.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — She knew the end was near, and she wanted to be in her hometown hospital when it happened.
Registered nurse Lindsay Cross told the story of an elderly lady with failing health who had been in and out of the Davidson Health Centre in recent weeks.
She was back in the hospital in mid-September and wanted to stay put, but because of a service disruption, caused by a shortage of available staff, she had to be sent elsewhere.
Cross said the patient was transferred temporarily to Saskatoon, where she died that weekend.
“She wanted to die in Davidson,” Cross said, adding that the nurses couldn’t help feeling guilty over the situation. “It shouldn’t be that way.”
Cross was speaking at a public meeting about health care in the province, organized by the New Democratic Party and held at Davidson Town Hall on Tuesday.
Leading the meeting were NDP leader Trent Wotherspoon and health critic Danielle Chartier.
Wotherspoon said the meeting was the first of many planned across the province in coming weeks, in both rural communities and urban centres.
The forums are being held in response to a recent string of job cuts in multiple health regions as a result of limited funding.
“Day after day, we’re seeing too many cuts across Saskatchewan,” said Wotherspoon. “Services aren’t up to the standard that they need to be.”
He was also critical of the review currently underway by the provincial government, which is seeking options to reduce the number of health regions in Saskatchewan.
A formal feedback process was open to the public between Aug. 29 and Sept. 26, and the advisory panel also held consultations with key partners and stakeholders.
According to the government, over 300 submissions were received from the public.
Chartier said they are concerned about the speed at which the review was carried out as well as the methods being used.
“Our goal is to be an effective opposition,” she said. “We’re very concerned that these local voices are not going to be part of the discussion.”
“We’ll be advocating in a constructive way, whenever and wherever possible,” said Wotherspoon, adding that his party would work to protect, improve and strengthen Saskatchewan’s health care system.
He acknowledged that Tuesday’s event was somewhat “intimate,” blaming the inclement weather and the Blue Jays game for the low turnout.
Just 14 people were in attendance, including seven residents of Davidson and Craik, but those present had plenty to say.
For the full story, see the Oct. 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
Boyce, Adele Ruth
