Category Archives: Davidson

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.

Davidson

Elections Canada reminds voters to check registration cards

web-elections

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Elections Canada officials are reminding local voters to double-check their registration cards as Oct. 19 approaches.

With millions of names to process in the weeks leading up to the federal election, mistakes are occasionally made — as in the case of Lucas and Carrie Branstetter.

The Branstetters were surprised to receive registration cards instructing them to vote in Craik — mostly because they actually live in Davidson.

Carrie said the mistake arose because Elections Canada only had their post office box number on file. The Branstetters moved to town from Creston, B.C., this past summer.

“They assumed we were on a farm,” she said. “I think it was because we moved so recently . . . The street address just didn’t get transferred.”

Carrie said she contacted Elections Canada and the problem was quickly resolved, so she and her husband will be able to vote in Davidson after all.

“I think I was on the phone with them for maybe 10 minutes,” she said, adding that she has not heard of any other voters in the area having the same problem.

The error on the Branstetters’ cards was less significant than other mistakes reported.

CBC reported earlier this month that new cards were issued to hundreds of voters in the Yukon, after they received earlier cards instructing them to travel to the wrong polling stations — in some cases, several hundred kilometres from their homes.

Marie-France Kenny, who serves as Elections Canada’s regional media advisor for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, said the agency estimated that around 1.5 per cent of voter registration cards nationally are affected by such errors.

More than 28 million Canadians are reportedly eligible to vote in the upcoming election; by that figure, about 420,000 would be affected.

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

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Sabers rush ahead, despite Raiders’ strong opening

The Hanley Sabers' Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.
The Hanley Sabers’ Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — In the words of Davidson coach Jason Low, it began with “the best half of football we’ve ever played” but ended in disappointment.

Though the Davidson Raiders were the underdogs leading into Thursday’s senior football game against the Hanley Sabers, they more than proved themselves in the game’s closely-fought first half.

Davidson led 36-34 at the game’s midway point, but Hanley slipped ahead in the third quarter, and before long the lead had passed beyond Davidson’s reach. The final score was 78-50 in the Sabers’ favour.

“It’s hard on the system,” said Low, acknowledging his frustration at the loss and noting that the Raiders had demonstrated their skills in what he called a “roller coaster of a game.”

“If we could have kept up the momentum from the first half, we could have won,” he said. “Everybody was clicking as a team.”

Davidson opened the night with a touchdown by Addison Ouellette. Hanley countered with scores by Tareq Halabi and Marshall Prosofsky, but a touchdown by Davidson quarterback Andrew Read and a successful convert by Morgan Manz gave the Raiders a slight lead at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams scored three touchdowns and two converts apiece during the second quarter, as the lead moved back and forth.

The Sabers surged ahead towards the end of the third quarter, when the score stood at 56-44; they continued to dominate through the end of the game.

Marshall Prosofsky scored a total of six touchdowns for Hanley; Tareq Halabi scored four, while Colten Olyniuk and Evan Ashdown contributed one each. Conor Prosofsky completed a total of six converts for the team.

Addison Ouellette scored four touchdowns for Davidson; Andrew Read scored two and Jacob Schilling scored one. Morgan Manz completed four converts.

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

Davidson, featured

Restored Model 21 is cream of crop

Gary Allan (right) and Willard McNabb combine wheat with a vintage Massey Harris Model 21 combine.
Gary Allan (right) and Willard McNabb combine wheat with a vintage Massey Harris Model 21 combine.

By Tara de Ryk

DAVIDSON — A demonstration of sorts has been going on this harvest in a field southwest of Davidson.

An antique self-propelled Massey Harris Model 21 combine from the late 1940s has been working its way through a small patch of wheat.

At its wheel is Gary Allan who restored the machine and got it ready for harvest.

It works like a charm and has brought great pleasure to not only Gary, but to many retired farmers who used similar machines back in their day. They’ve been dropping by Allan’s farm to see the combine in action.

Willard McNabb stopped by one beautiful Friday afternoon to take a turn on the combine. McNabb had used a Model 21 on his farm. Also there were Lee Walker, Lyle Wightman and Bob Palmer. They appreciated seeing the machine in action and taking a ride on it.

It brought back fond memories for the men.

“I used a pull-type combine. I couldn’t afford these fancy self-propelled machines,” Lee Walker said.

It’s quite a stretch in 2015 to think of the Model 21 as a “fancy” machine.

Without a cab, let alone GPS, auto-steering, variable speed drive or power steering, the 21 is as basic as it gets.

As Gary explains, “There’s only one control: up or down. You put it in gear open the throttle and go.”

But back in the early 1940s when Massey Harris started making them, the Model 21, and its forerunner the Model 20, were the cutting edge of technology.

Before self-propelled combines, farmers either cut grain with a binder, stooked it and then had it threshed; or used a pull-type combine that was pulled behind a horse or a tractor.

Lyle Wightman, who took a turn on Gary’s 21, farmed with a Cockshutt self-propelled combine. He had it for about 15 years.

“I started farming pretty young. I was 13 when I went out of school and went pitching bundles in the fall. I’d do our own and then go with the outfit.”

It was his favourite way to harvest grain.

“I loved pitching bundles. I threshed lots with a team of horses and a rack. I loved it,” Wightman said.

Besides the nostalgia the Model 21 has for farmers who recall using them back in the day, the story behind the 21 is significant.

The Model 20, Massey Harris’s self-propelled prototype combine was built in the late 1930s and early 1940s, designed for large-scale farms in the U.S. and Argentina. In the early 1940s Massey Harris produced the smaller Model 21 so that instead of producing a few machines for big farms, it could sell a large number of machines to small farms.

The combine did all the jobs of the binder and threshing machine. It cut the grain and separated the wheat from the chaff. The self-propelled combine did all this plus it had an engine and drive shaft and had just enough power to get the job done, freeing up more powerful, and fuel-loving, tractors for other work.

The Model 21 caught on with farmers, however, during the Second World War, a shortage of steel due to military rationing, limited production. Massey Harris created the “Harvest Brigade” after convincing the U.S. government to allow the company to build a fleet of 500 MH-21s that would start harvesting in the southern states of the Great Plains and move north, following the ripening crop.

To read the full story, along with other articles and photos featuring local farmers and the agricultural industry, please pick up a copy of the Oct. 5 Davidson Leader, or watch your mailbox for the Leader’s “Salute to Agriculture,” being sent to almost 3,000 households across the region. 

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Spirits up after seniors win over Viscount

Davidson's Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday's game against the Viscount Vikings.
Davidson’s Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday’s game against the Viscount Vikings.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Morale is high as the Davidson Raiders senior football team prepares for this week’s game against the Hanley Sabers.

A 62-28 win over the Viscount Vikings on Thursday boosted the team’s spirits, following a 46-12 loss to the LCBI Bisons at home the previous week.

“We were in control for the entire game,” coach Jason Low said following Thursday’s game, calling it a “good team win.”

He said the Raiders’ offence was “back on track” after struggling against LCBI, while the defence made some adjustments and enjoyed a solid second half.

Bisons 46 Raiders 12

As Davidson hosted LCBI on Sept. 25, the play contrasted sharply with their last confrontation, an exhibition game that ended in a 70-66 win for the Raiders.

This game began with an early touchdown for the Bisons. While they failed to score in the first quarter, the Raiders stayed hot on their guests’ heels, with the defence holding LCBI to a nine-point lead.

LCBI surged ahead in the next quarter, adding three touchdowns and extending their lead to 30-0.

Davidson made an impressive push on both sides in the third quarter. LCBI managed one touchdown, but Kieran Boehm and Dawson George both scored for the Raiders, bringing the score to 38-12.

A final touchdown for the Bisons in the fourth quarter brought the total to 48-12.

Defensive coach Greg McJannet said LCBI had clearly made some changes to its plays, to which Davidson struggled to adjust.

“As a team we didn’t click and do the things we needed to do,” he said, explaining that the team needed to focus on making a “full-team effort.”

“We win and lose as a team,” he said, acknowledging that the absence of several players due to injury or travel complicated matters.

Raiders 62 Vikings 28

McJannet said a win was expected against Viscount in Thursday’s game. Though some of the Vikings had played in another co-op program, this is their first season as a team.

“We’ve told the boys, that doesn’t matter,” said McJannet earlier in the week. “They’ll be hungry for a win.”

He said the defence had anticipated a traditional game in which they would face relatively simple plays, while the offence hoped to get back on track.

Happily for Davidson, they were able to dominate over the Vikings right out of the gate, with Jacob Schilling scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the first quarter. Addison Ouellette scored a third to give the Raiders a 22-0 lead.

Viscount was able to respond in the second quarter, but touchdowns by Clay Murfitt and Jacob Schilling gave Davidson a commanding 38-14 lead at the halfway point.

“We were able to get almost all of our rookies some playing time in this game,” noted Low, while Morgan Manz was able to score converts on all but one touchdown, contributing a total of 14 points over the game.

Ryan Skinner and Jacob Schilling scored touchdowns in the third quarter, while Addison Ouellette contributed the Raiders’ final touchdown towards the end to bring the score to 62-28.

Up next

The Raiders currently hold a 1-2 record; McJannet said the team has hopes of reaching the playoffs with a couple of additional wins. Of the six teams in the 1A division, the top four return to compete in playoffs.

As of press time, Hanley had a 2-0 record, having defeated Viscount 87-20 on Sept. 25. In other 1A football action, the Caronport Cougars defeated the Central Butte Bulldogs 34-14 on Sept. 24, also giving them a perfect record so far.

Hanley was scheduled to host Central Butte this past Friday and will take on Davidson on Oct. 8.

Davidson

Signs defaced with anti-Tory slogan

Pictured here, as seen on the morning of Sept. 20, is one of around 13 stop signs defaced in Davidson by an unknown party.
Pictured here, as seen on the morning of Sept. 20, is one of around 13 stop signs defaced in Davidson by an unknown party.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Eight weeks into the federal election campaign, few Davidson voters have chosen to express their preferences via the usual lawn signs.

But some unofficial — and illegal — signs popped up throughout town briefly over the weekend, courtesy of an unknown activist.

Between the evening of Sept. 19 and the morning of Sept. 20, several stop signs in Davidson were adorned with small red stickers bearing the name “Harper” in white capital letters, thus forming the message “Stop Harper.”

An unofficial count taken early on Sunday morning revealed a total of 13 signs defaced in this manner, apparently as a form of protest against Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Town administrator Gary Edom said Monday that public works staff were already out removing the remaining stickers from the signs.

He said he can’t recall the town having to deal with such vandalism in past election campaigns.

Another batch of similar stickers — this time, miniature stop signs containing the entire slogan — showed up later in the week.

The stickers were sighted on several downtown buildings, including the Leader office and the seniors centre. Edom reported that several were removed from the front entrance and rear doors of town hall. Others reported seeing them affixed to recycling bins.

News reports indicate that the stickers are popping up across the country, with sightings reported from Prince Rupert, B.C., to Charlottetown, P.E.I. A quick Google search indicates the stickers can be purchased online.

The slogan came to national attention in June 2011 when activist Brigitte DePape, then a participant in the Canadian Senate Page Program, interrupted the presentation of the Throne Speech by displaying a handmade “Stop Harper” sign on the Senate floor, leading to her prompt dismissal.

Davidson’s traffic bylaw states under section 4-c that “no person shall deface, damage, destroy or remove any sign or marker erected pursuant to this bylaw.”

The document further states that anyone who violates that section of the bylaw is “guilty of an offence” and, if convicted, faces a fine of $500, reduced to $50 if paid within seven days.

Kenaston administrator Carman Fowler said Tuesday she had not seen or heard any reports of such stickers surfacing in her village. Likewise, Craik administrator Sarah Wells said the stickers had yet to appear there.