By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The books are back in town.

In the face of public protests, criticism and a petition with thousands of signatures, the provincial government has announced that it will restore $4.8 million in funding for Saskatchewan’s libraries.

“Our libraries are very important to people all over the province,” Greg Brkich told the Leader on Wednesday. “We didn’t realize that the funding would affect them that much.”

The Arm River MLA said library funding was a hot topic for his constituents in the weeks following the budget’s release on March 22.

“That’s what we had the most calls on,” he said. “I didn’t think that would be the top priority for a lot of the callers, but it seemed like it was.”

Library staff and patrons were quick to denounce the cuts, saying the reduced funding would cripple many of the most popular services, leading to decreased usage.

The SILS program, which allows patrons to borrow books and materials from any public library in the province, was among the anticipated casulaties.

In an April 24 announcement, education minister Don Morgan conceded the government had erred in cutting the libraries’ budgets.

“Premier (Brad) Wall has always said that we would be the kind of government that would admit its mistakes and then fix those mistakes,” he was quoted.

Saskatchewan’s seven regional libraries had their funding cut in the budget by 58 per cent, from $6 million to $2.5 million.

That funding has since been restored, along with $1.3 million in funding for the municipal libraries in Regina and Saskatoon.

Brkich echoed Morgan’s comments, saying that the province perhaps should have consulted with the libraries before releasing the budget.

“It was probably a mistake to cut them that much without prior warning,” he said. “We probably should have worked with them a little earlier to see what could be done.”

Morgan said his office will begin a consultative review with libraries and municipalities, working on a long-term strategy.

For the full story, please see the May 1 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — For more than half a century, Soviet officials denied and suppressed the truth about the Holodomor.

As a result, the deliberate, man-made famine that took the lives of millions of Ukrainians in the early 1930s is sometimes called the “Forgotten Genocide.”

Last week, students at Davidson School had the opportunity to learn about the Holodomor in a way they won’t soon forget.

The Holodomor National Awareness Tour brought its mobile classroom to Davidson on April 24. Students in grades 6 through 12 boarded the 40-foot RV in groups, each taking in an hour-long interactive lesson led by facilitator Stephanie Bailey.

The name “Holodomor” — meaning murder by starvation — is used to refer to the intentional death of millions of Ukrainians in 1932 and 1933, carried out by Soviet authorities under orders from Joseph Stalin.

Authorities sought to suppress any movement for independence, first by arresting, deporting and executing many of Ukraine’s cultural, religious and political leaders.

Efforts were also made to collectivize Ukrainian agriculture. Later, high grain quotas were put into effect and crops were confiscated, even seed grain, along with other household staples like potatoes. Much of the confiscated grain was sold on the Western market.

Many of the victims starved slowly to death in their homes. The death toll of the famine is believed to be between 7 million and 10 million.

The fourth Saturday in November is marked internationally as a day of remembrance for Holodomor victims, and is also recognized as such by the Canadian government.

For the full story, please see the May 1 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Fees for Davidson swimmers are on the rise this year, to match the increased operating costs of the town’s new pool.

Recreation director Trevor Ouellette said it’s long been clear that fees would have to increase after Davidson replaced its 50-year-old facility.

“Nothing’s getting cheaper,” he said Thursday. “It’s something that is going to have to come down the pipeline.”

He stressed that the increases are strictly to cover the pool’s operating costs — chemicals, energy and staffing — and are not related to the costs of construction.

Ouellette also said he researched what other comparable towns are charging, adding, “We’re not leading by any means, we’re not setting the trends.”

In the case of some program fees, he said, “We finally came in line with what other towns are charging.”

The fees were approved by Davidson town council at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday.

The cost of a family day pass, which covers up to two adults and four youth, will increase from $10 to $15.

A family season pass, previously priced at $145, will now sell for $210.

The prices for individual day, punch and season passes are also increasing for the most part, though the cost of a youth season pass remains at $90.

Program fees for swimming lessons are increasing by $5 per student for most levels.

Aquasize and lane swim users will see the costs of their season passes double — from $30 to $60 for Aquasize users, and from $25 to $60 for lane swimming.

For the full story, please see the April 24 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — They came, they stood, they read.

Between 30 and 35 people gathered outside the Davidson office of MLA Greg Brkich over the noon hour on April 7, in protest of recent budget cuts to Saskatchewan’s seven regional libraries.

Following the theme of “Drop Everything and Read,” they brought their books, each reading for 15 minutes or so and then continuing on with their day.

Some stood in silence, while others spoke strongly of the value of rural libraries and criticized the government’s decision.

The protest drew library supporters from Davidson, Craik and Bladworth, and as far away as Govan and Liberty.

“It is an erosion of our rural communities,” said Craik resident Pauline Dixon, adding that her town’s library is far more than just a place to borrow books.

Residents and visitors come to use the computers with assistance. Others gather there for coffee and socializing. The library also hosts art and music classes and summer programming for kids.

“I count on the library,” said Grace Swanson, also of Craik, who wanted to encourage residents to brainstorm ideas for saving the services. “Without it, I’ll be lost.”

Peter Farden, who farms east of Davidson, said the cuts reflected “a total lack of vision and understanding.”

For the full story, please see the April 17 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — June 16 is the target date for the opening of Davidson’s new swimming pool.

But multiple factors, including weather and contractors, have to fall into place for that to happen.

Recreation director Trevor Ouellette said he met Tuesday with representatives from the Saskatoon firm Allan’s Landscaping, Ltd., and informed them of the date he had in mind.

“They didn’t laugh us out of the meeting, but they did chuckle,” he said. “That’s a tight timeframe.”

The timeline will be heavily dependent on weather, but Ouellette said it’s possible they can stay on schedule with continued warm and dry conditions.

Fencing must be in place before the public health office will grant the town a license, and the ground must be levelled before fence construction begins.

Ouellette said he’s waiting on a quote and detailed plan from Allan’s for the fencing and landscaping, with preliminary approval given by town council.

The rec director said he has been lining up the staff for the upcoming pool season, including a total of seven instructor guards.

Quin Johnson will return as pool manager this summer.

For the full story, please see the April 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.