Senator Pamela Waling presented Alison Squires, Murad Al-Katib and Steve McLellan with a Senate Sesquicentennial Medal on Jan. 22.
Murad Al-Katib continues to bring home the hardware.
The Davidson native and entrepreneur founder of AGT Foods was among the recipients of the Senate Sesquicentennial Medal. Also receiving the honour at a Jan. 22 ceremony at the Legislative building in Regina were weekly newspaper publisher Alison Squires of Wadena and Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
Senator Pamela Wallin, a Wadena native, made the presentations.
This specially minted medal marks the Senate’s 150th anniversary and honours individuals who have improved their community with exceptional generosity, time and dedication.
DAVIDSON — More than six years after he began working for the Town of Davidson, Ron Klassen said he’s happy to have solid working relationships with local officials and residents.
The bylaw enforcement officer visited town council during their regular meeting on Jan. 16 to provide updates on his recent work here.
He also sought feedback from council, and almost all of what he heard was positive.
“You’ve been doing a great job,” said Mayor Tyler Alexander, acknowledging that
Klassen has faced some backlash from certain residents while enforcing certain bylaws.
Nonetheless, the mayor said, those regulations need to be enforced.
Prior to Klassen’s hiring in August 2011, the enforcement of bylaws was handled by town office staff.
Alexander said hiring an officer to carry out that work has offloaded a significant volume of stress for those employees.
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DAVIDSON — Feedback from the public has prompted Davidson councillors to revisit the town’s new business licensing bylaw.
The bylaw, which was approved in November and took effect Jan. 1, required all people conducting business in the Town of Davidson — whether door-to-door, from a storefront on Main Street or from their basement — to purchase a license on an annual basis.
At their regular meeting on Tuesday, town council agreed unanimously to amend the bylaw to exempt business owners who pay commercial property taxes within the Town of Davidson.
Bylaw 778, known as the “Business Licensing Bylaw,” had received some criticism from business owners.
Several town councillors reported that they had been approached with questions and complaints, particularly in regards to businesses that already pay tax here.
“We’re doubling up on those people,” said Coun. Gord Cross, whose motion to revise the bylaw was seconded by Coun. Todd Lockwood and carried.
The bylaw requires that the owners of storefront businesses purchase a license at a cost of $100 — but those who pay commercial property taxes within town are now exempt from this.
The bylaw’s other requirements for various types of businesses remain in effect.
Hanley’s Zach Armada heads up the court with Davidson’s Tobi Arowolo (left) and Parker Smith following closely behind during Wednesday’s game.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — The cats came back Wednesday, as Davidson hosted Hanley in senior boys basketball action.
While the Davidson Raiders took an early lead and ultimately won 80-63, the Hanley Sabers kept them on their toes throughout.
Davidson had a slim lead 42-31 after the second quarter, and for much of the third quarter Hanley trailed by just 10 points.
Carter Block, who coaches the Hanley team, said the school is still rebuilding its basketball program after several years without one.
“It’s about turning a bunch of football players into basketball players,” he explained.
Though the Sabers played a strong defence and had good ball movement, he said improved shooting might have made the difference between a loss and a win.
After a few years working with the team’s core players, Block said he is seeing signs of progress, though he has also lost a couple of players since the season started.
“It’s up and down for sure,” he said. “We’re still pretty young, mostly Grade 11s.”
Stuart Morrison of Davidson spotted two wild boar running across a field, about 15 miles east and five miles north of Davidson, on Dec. 22.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Pigs might not fly, but as Stuart Morrison can attest, they can at least run pretty darn fast.
Morrison spotted a pair of wild boar while driving on a grid road towards Simpson on Dec. 22.
He said he was about 15 miles east and five miles north of Davidson when he saw the two animals.
“I seen these things coming across the field,” he said. “I thought they looked like bears to begin with.”
He stopped his truck, hoping to take some pictures of the critters, but they went hog wild, running off in the opposite direction.
Morrison followed them briefly, snapping three photos.
“They were running pretty fast,” he recalled, adding that they appeared to be headed toward an open grain bag.
He said he’d never spotted a wild boar before, though he’d heard reports about them.
He has spoken to several hunters since then, who told him that there is a small wild boar population in a ravine in that area.
Some have spotted the animals’ tracks while others have reported hearing them.
Morrison said lots of people have reached out to him since the sighting, asking for the photos or the location.
“They created a lot more interest than I thought they would,” he said. “It is something you don’t see everyday.”
Wild boar, native to Europe and Asia, were introduced to Saskatchewan through a agriculture diversification initiative in the 1990s, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
An unknown number of these animals escaped and survived, adapting to Prairie conditions and eventually establishing themselves in the wild.
Ken Cheveldayoff speaks to a crowd during a campaign stop at the Davidson Seniors’ Centre in October.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — With two weeks to go till the Saskatchewan Party chooses its next leader, Ken Cheveldayoff has a good feeling about the outcome.
“I feel the momentum is with my campaign,” he told the Leader in a Jan. 8 phone interview.
Cheveldayoff, one of five candidates running to replace Brad Wall as both party leader and premier, has attracted significant support from his fellow MLAs, including Arm River’s Greg Brkich.
He also pointed to informal online polls taken in recent weeks, a couple of which have placed his campaign in the lead.
“I’m very encouraged by the polls,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to take anything for granted at this point. “I just want to work like I’m five points behind.”
Cheveldayoff was first elected to the legislature in 2003 and has been re-elected three times since then. He currently represents Saskatoon Willowgrove, and has also served in multiple cabinet positions.
A recent endorsement came from former Conservative MP and RCMP officer Rob Clarke, who was briefly a candidate for the party leadership.
Clarke dropped out of the race in December, less than a month after announcing his candidacy, and endorsed Cheveldayoff’s campaign.
“It was a real boost to my campaign, a real shot in the arm,” said Cheveldayoff, adding that Clarke’s support is helping him reach out to First Nations and northern voters.
Still, he added, he needs to go out and earn those votes.
