By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — A $75,000 grant from Federated Co-op Ltd. will provide a major boost to ongoing renovations at the Craik fairgrounds.

The funds, provided from the company’s Community Spaces Program, will be spent on upgrades at the site, including renovations to the agricultural building, concession stand and one of the ball diamonds.

Gayle Skeet said there are also plans to build a new ticket booth at the entrance to the 23-acre site, as well as an entertainment stage, to be known as the Co-op stage.

“The grant is going to be spent for the betterment of the community,” said Skeet, secretary of the Craik and District Lions Club, which is taking charge of the project.

Members of the local club were on hand Thursday evening to accept the five-figure cheque from two Palliser Plains Co-op representatives: general manager Mike Sigouin and board member Mark Wegner.

“It’s important that we give back and make investments in our community and people, which is what Co-op Community Spaces is all about,” Sigouin said in a prepared statement.

The Community Spaces program supports recreation, environmental conservation and urban agriculture projects. A total of 27 projects are being supported through the program this year, receiving a combined total of $2 million.

The Craik and District Lions Club has seen significant growth in the past five years, growing from six to 24 members.

Club members are getting ready for the second annual Craik Fair, following the success of last year’s event.

The year 2017 marks 100 years of Lions International, and the club has selected the fairgrounds as its Legacy Project.

The Craik Fair, scheduled for Saturday, July 29, will expand this year with the addition of a gymkhana event, organized by a resurrected Craik Ag Committee.

For the full story, please see the June 19 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Safety was the order of the day during a fun event for the whole family in Craik last weekend.

Several businesses and local organizations partnered to host Craik Community Kids Safety Day on May 27.

Part of Third Street was closed to make room for a bike rodeo. Each participant made their way through seven stations, and volunteers were on hand to provide tune-ups, helmet fittings and other assistance.

Clear, sunny skies were much appreciated by organizers, though they had to keep close eyes on obstacles that were prone to being rearranged by the wind.

“We’ve really lucked out with the weather,” said volunteer Judy Anderson. “It’s not 60-mile-an-hour wind . . . yet.”

Const. Nathan Boyd of the Craik RCMP said just under 30 participants completed the bike rodeo.

The event wrapped up a little earlier than planned due to the wind, though all who had registered were able to make their way through. Boyd said they were pleased with the turnout and results, expressing appreciation to the sponsors and volunteers.

The Craik and District Lions Club and the Craik branch of the Royal Canadian Legion served a barbecue lunch in Cornerstone Park.

Public health nurse Sheri Warkentin provided a car seat clinic, while the SGI Safety Squad was also on hand to provide education.

The RCMP and the Craik Fire Department had their emergency vehicles on display, open for tours.

Craik Playschool operated a bake sale table, and local high school students provided face painting. A bean bag toss in front of the Long Lake Insurance office also proved to be a popular attraction.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Belle, the Beast and other characters were brought to life in this year’s recital by the Craik School of Dance.

The dance students presented Beauty and the Beast to an audience of about 65 people in the auditorium at Craik School on May 13.

The one-hour program, inspired by both the 1991 Disney animated film and the recent live-action remake, included roughly a dozen dance routines set to familiar songs like “Be Our Guest.”

Also featured were scenes from the movies, acted out on stage by a troupe of adult and child performers.

Dance instructor Amber Koza-Drimmie Vibert said she began planning the recital around the classic tale last year.

“It’s been my favourite movie my whole life,” she said.

A display in the school foyer included a cardboard stand-up promoting the 1991 movie, as originally displayed in a video rental store.

Vibert said they assigned acting parts a couple of weeks before the recital. After the other actors had made their choices, she tried a few roles and wound up playing Gaston, at the insistence of her students.

Her costume included boots made out of duct tape. Vibert said the character was a good fit for her, calling him “very flamboyant.”

Vibert had 10 students enrolled in Craik this year, ranging in age from five to 21 years. She taught in Craik one night a week and also operated a studio in Eyebrow.

For the full story and additional photos, please see the May 22 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Craik’s mayor says he believes the town will be able to retrieve the total amount it has lost to fraud, calculated at close to $40,000.

“I’m confident that we will recover, through various means, all of the funds that were lost,” David Ashdown told the Leader.

Those means include bonds held by the town, as well as the restitution to be paid by former town administrator Jeff Murray, who pled guilty to fraud in January.

According to figures provided by the town earlier this month, the loss to fraud totals $39,416.34.

Administrator Sarah Wells said the town currently has an open insurance claim through SGI, and is waiting to hear what the outcome will be.

“It’s not a guarantee,” said Wells, adding, “We’re definitely going to work with them and see what we can get.”

The mayor said he, the town councillors and employees are working to carefully follow established policies to ensure that Craik won’t be vulnerable to fraud again.

“Personally I’m very confident that a similar situation could not arise,” said Ashdown, adding that while he trusts the staff, “that doesn’t remove my fiduciary duty to check carefully.”

Wells, who began working for the town in November 2014, said her responsibilities to council have been consistent throughout that time.

“I make sure council has all the information to work with,” she said. “My office door is always open for them to come in and inspect anything that they wish.”

She confirmed that she provides detailed financial statements to council, including itemized credit card statements.

Ashdown said these documents are received by council members prior to each regular monthly meeting.

The council reviews and adopts financial statements, payroll and accounts payable at each meeting. Having these documents makes it possible for council members to do cross-references.

“I do a regular review ensuring that the invoice matches the check and the authorization,” Ashdown explained. “We have tightened up the administration considerably.”

The mayor clarified that these are not new policies for council, but that they must be followed in order to be effective at preventing or detecting any financial irregularities.

Ashdown said he draws from his own experience in dealing with public funds, as well as observing best practices from other municipalities.

“We’re very careful to strictly adhere to the policies we already have in place,” he said. “Unless it’s adhered to, it’s not worth anything.”

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