Category Archives: Davidson

Davidson

United church honours Eurig with retirement social

Rev. Diane Eurig joins the "kitchen band" on stage to sing "Beer Barrel Polka" during a farewell party held in her honour on June 14. Also pictured, from left, are Eileen McCreary, Karen Edom and Kay Rutherford.
Rev. Diane Eurig joins the “kitchen band” on stage to sing “Beer Barrel Polka” during a farewell party held in her honour on June 14. Also pictured, from left, are Eileen McCreary, Karen Edom and Kay Rutherford.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — In nine years of local ministry, Rev. F. Diane Eurig touched the lives of a lot of people, within the Davidson United Church congregation and beyond.

As Ian McCreary put it, “You got introduced to Diane as a minister . . . She very quickly became a friend for many.”

These friends filled the church’s basement hall on June 14 for a retirement social held in Eurig’s honour, featuring music, memories and plenty of laughs.

Eurig, who began serving the Davidson-Girvin pastoral charge in July 2006, preached her farewell sermon on Sunday, followed by a potluck meal and the social, which attracted a crowd of around 75 people. Cake and ice cream were served after the program.

McCreary and others spoke of her community outreach and how she provided effective leadership while remaining in the background much of the time.

“The key to great leadership was humility, and not needing to be the centre of attention,” said McCreary, who served as chair of the church’s ministry and personnel committee during Eurig’s tenure.

He likened her to the grinders on a hockey team and told her, “It’s your failure to need to be great that makes you great.”

The program began with a performance by the “kitchen band,” a group that leads regular singing with residents at the Davidson Health Centre.

Led by Sandra Zoerb and accompanied by pianist Norma McNabb, the group sang several old-time favourites. Eurig joined them on stage for their final song, a rousing performance of “Beer Barrel Polka.”

The Riecken sisters — Cheryl Riecken, Karen Edom, Donna Russell and Gloria Morrison — took the stage to perform two songs, including Mac Davis’s “I Believe in Music” and a rewrite of Paul Anka’s “Diana,” which became “Diane.”

Sharon Riecken read two selected poems about friendship, while Sylvia McConnell offered her own tribute poem, with adjectives describing Eurig written on brightly-coloured pieces of Bristol board.

Gord McRae expressed thanks on behalf of the local Royal Canadian Legion branch, presenting the gift of a red sweater. He explained that Eurig and others from the Davidson Inter-Church Association (DICA) were instrumental in keeping Remembrance Day services going as the Legion’s membership has declined.

McCreary read a letter from Pamela Thomas, personnel minister for the Saskatchewan Conference of the United Church, recalling the circumstances around Eurig’s arrival in Davidson.

The church’s pulpit was vacant after the departure of Rev. Nobuko Iwai, who had served as president of the Saskatchewan Conference, and Thomas said she had been worried about finding someone to fill her shoes.

None of the available interim ministers seemed like the right fit, but when Eurig appeared as a candidate, she displayed many of the gifts the church had sought in its next minister, including a passion for justice and pastoral care, and a heart for the community.

On behalf of the church, Gwen Allan presented Eurig with a painting by Anita Storey, depicting a prairie scene at sunset with a road leading into the distance.

Eurig spoke to the crowd at the program’s close, thanking them for the time she spent in Davidson.

“It certainly has been a joy,” she said, adding, “I’m not going far, and that’s the nice part of it.”

Eurig moved to Saskatoon last week, where she now resides with Adele and Beth Smillie, who are the mother and sister, respectively, of Davidson parishioner Mary Smillie.

Raised near Mount Forest, Ont., Eurig spent her earlier years farming but later returned to school, earning her B.A. in women’s studies at the University of Guelph, then completing a master’s degree of divinity at the Vancouver School of Theology in 2000.

She told the Leader in a previous interview that she had learned much through volunteering with Vancouver’s First United Church, helping sex trade workers in the East Hastings community.

After her ordination, she served the United Church congregation in Cabri for six years, then accepted the call in Davidson. Eurig turned 70 in December; her daughter Shelley and son-in-law Darek live in Calgary.

She said that Davidson has been “a wonderful home” where she has felt encouraged, respected and supported, and where she was conscious of the love of the congregation and community.

“There are many gifts and talents in this community,” she said. “They all work together to make this a vibrant church. . . It has been an honour to be here.”

Rev. Mathias Ross, currently serving the Grasslands pastoral charge in southwestern Saskatchewan, has accepted the call in Davidson and will begin his ministry here around July 15.

Davidson, Kenaston, Loreburn

Finishing where he started: “Freddy” honoured at potluck

Blair Frederickson, who retires this month, was honoured at the June 9 potluck at Davidson School.
Blair Frederickson, who retires this month, was honoured at the June 9 potluck at Davidson School.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — After 30 years of teaching, Blair Frederickson found himself back in the same place he started, finishing his career in Davidson.

Though he grew up and attended school in Punnichy, he was born here while his father was working as the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool agent in Girvin.

“It was a good way to end my teaching career,” said Frederickson, who turns 60 this summer. “I’m sure I’m going to miss the kids when school starts again in September.”

“Freddy,” as he is known to many students, was honoured on Tuesday during the Davidson School Community Council’s annual potluck supper.

Principal Jason Low read a brief poem in honour of Frederickson, who retires this month, two years after his arrival in Davidson, where he served as the career guidance counsellor and co-ordinator for the CWEX (Career Development and Work Exploration) program.

Low said later that the staff and students felt fortunate to have had Frederickson as part of the community for two years and would miss him, but also wanted to congratulate him on the milestone.

“His dedication to students and school activities was unparalleled and will be difficult to replace,” said Low.

Frederickson has also served as a coach in several sports, most notably football, and was instrumental in beginning a community minor football team in Davidson.

He said that being active in extracurricular activities was a great way to connect with students outside of school, allowing them to get to know each other in different settings.

“You spend a little time with kids outside of school, and suddenly everyone supports you,” said Frederickson, adding that he was “amazed” with the kindness and support he experienced here.

Before going into teaching, Frederickson said he went through 12 different jobs, which included stints with SGI and CNR, on the oil rigs and at the Allan potash mine.

He completed his studies at the University of Saskatchewan, becoming a teacher at age 30 and serving schools in Kindersley, Watrous and Nokomis before his arrival here.

Frederickson said he plans to move to Regina with his wife, Lise Gauthier, who will work at a medical clinic in the city. Lise has two grown children and the move will bring them within a short drive of their two grandchildren.

He said he has already signed up for courses in art history and Chinese history, and plans to continue coaching in the city. Frederickson is also an active runner who has competed in the Boston Marathon four times.

Frederickson said he feels optimistic about the next generation, saying he’s been pleased to work with a bright generation of students.

“We’re lucky that we have such great kids,” he said. “The future looks good, as far as I’m concerned.”

For the full story, please see the June 22 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson

Morsky announces pavement, curbs coming to East Sellers Cres.

Workers are pictured on Tuesday preparing East Sellers Crescent for the installation of pavement and curbs.
Workers are pictured on Tuesday preparing East Sellers Crescent for the installation of pavement and curbs.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — After years of delays, the company responsible for developing East Sellers Crescent has begun preparations to pave the street and install curbs, making the lots ready for construction.

In a press release issued earlier this month, Morsky Industrial Services Ltd. of Regina

said it planned to begin the asphalt paving and concrete curbs on the east side of the crescent in August.

However, Dwight Mercer told the Leader on June 12 that contractors had finished another project ahead of schedule, allowing them to begin work in Davidson this month. Surveying crews were on the site on Monday and work was underway shortly afterward.

Mercer, a consultant working on behalf of the Morsky company, said that now is the ideal time to move forward on the subdivision, thanks to a combination of factors.

He said the company sees that the recent industrial and commercial activity in the Davidson area as a sign of increased demand for new housing.

As well, the fall in oil prices has led in turn to lower prices for contracting the asphalt pavement, allowing Mercer to procure the work at a more reasonable cost, he said.

“We’ve been shopping around for three years,” he explained, adding that the “prices were from another world.”

“There’s an opportunity for us to get things all done now,” he continued. “Once we have the pavement and the curbs installed by August, I think things will pick up.”

The east side of the crescent contains a total of 18 residential lots. Two of these have already been sold and developed, while the other 16 remain for sale.

Town administrator Gary Edom welcomed the announcement, saying the development should be a significant boost in helping the lots to sell.

“That’s good news, as far as we’re concerned,” he said. “It’d be a welcome addition.”

Edom acknowledged that the news had been a long time coming. The subdivision has been in development for more than five years, but its progress has moved at a modest pace.

He said the town has been in contact with the Morsky company “periodically,” but added, “There hasn’t been much there to talk about.”

Mercer confirmed that the company has been in regular contact with the town, noting, “They’d like to see people moving in.”

The lots on East Sellers Crescent were originally defined in 1981, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the Morsky company entered an agreement with the town to develop and sell the lots.

With an average frontage of 60 feet, the lots reflect the approach of that era, Mercer said, noting that they stand in stark contrast to the smaller lots being sold in cities at much higher prices.

For the full story, please pick up the June 22 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Obituary

Farden, Berne

Berne Farden
Berne Farden

Berne Farden
November 25, 1923 — June 1, 2015

Berne Farden (nee Gruenig) was born to a family of seven in Sundridge in northern Ontario on November 25, 1923. She met Ken during the war in Toronto, and they were married in Macrorie and farmed at Bratton, Broderick, and Davidson. They raised their family of five near Broderick moving to Davidson, where Berne has lived for 48 years.

Berne is predeceased by husband Ken and daughter Sharon.

She is survived by friend and caregiver, Sharon O’Brien; brother Art (Lois); children Peter (Sheila), Susan (Wayne) Stulberg, Keith, and Marianne; grandsons, Kory (Andrea), Kevin (Terra), Kelly (Melissa), and Joshua; and eight great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Berne’s life was held in the Davidson United Church on June 13 at 2:00 pm. Donations in memory of Berne may be made to the Davidson Health Centre, Davidson United Church, or charity of your choice. Hanson’s Funeral Home of Davidson was in care of arrangements.

Bladworth, Davidson

Burgess auction draws hundreds to Bladworth

Glen Manz points to a bidder as a small wooden cabinet goes up for sale during the Burgess auction in Bladworth on June 6. Also pictured is Connie Glines.
Glen Manz points to a bidder as a small wooden cabinet goes up for sale during the Burgess auction in Bladworth on June 6. Also pictured is Connie Glines.

By Joel van der Veen

BLADWORTH — As Bill Burgess watched the collection of a lifetime hit the auction block last weekend, he seemed resigned to its fate.

“It’s not easy, you know,” he said, “but I realized it had to happen, so I thought we’d better do it now.”

Burgess’s collection of farm equipment, vehicles, tools and other paraphernalia, as well as the buildings that housed them all, was divested in a sale conducted by Manz’s Auctioneering Service on Bladworth’s main street on June 6.

The sale of the vast collection drew an equally enormous crowd from across Saskatchewan and Alberta, including multiple antique dealers.

Upwards of 250 bidders registered over the course of the day, and Jan Manz estimated that more than 500 people had come through to bid, glance over the items for sale or simpy watch the proceedings.

Manz said the sale date was booked last fall, giving their staff plenty of time to promote it but also leaving them at the mercy of the weather. Employees spent a total of four days sorting the items for sale.

“It was just going to have to go ahead,” she said, noting that aside from a brief windstorm on Friday night, the weekend weather was ideal for the sale. “We were lucky.”

Bladworth Mayor Ron Bessey observed that, aside from the village’s annual Sports Days, it was rare to see so much activity in town.

“I’d be lucky if I recognized half of the people here,” he said, adding that it was good to see such a large crowd and fortunate that the weather co-operated.

Barkley Prpick, who owns and operates Barkley’s Bar with his wife Tannis, said his establishment was enjoying the extra business.

His children and their friends were also selling ice cream from the patio; they could later be seen walking through the crowd to sell their wares.

Prpick said he has known Burgess for many years — both as a frequent presence in the village, and for his maintenance work in area schools — but added, “I don’t know what possesses a person to collect all of these things.”

His comments were echoed by others, including Don Wilkins of Girvin, who said he was “overwhelmed” as he looked through the collection.

“The last words I heard leaving the house were, ‘You don’t need anything,’” he added.

Among the featured items in Saturday’s auction were four vintage John Deere tractors restored by Burgess and still in working condition.

Mary Walker, who attended the sale with her husband Lee and other family members, recalled that the tractors were a frequent presence in Bladworth’s Sports Day parades.

The sale also included other farm implements, vehicles in various states of repair, tools, musical instruments, and a host of smaller items, ranging from fire extinguishers to bank calendars.

Four buildings also went up on the auction block, including the former pool hall in which Burgess had displayed some of his collection, and the Silver Lake schoolhouse, which he had converted to use as a workshop.

The buyers of the buildings were told to make arrangements either to purchase the underlying lots through the village office, or to have the buildings moved elsewhere.

Watching the progress of the sale with Bill Burgess was Kay, his wife of almost 64 years. Together the Burgesses raised six children; they now also have nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Bill and Kay were married in October 1951 and lived on the family farm, located 22 miles east of Bladworth, until 1959. They have lived in Imperial ever since.

After leaving the farm, Burgess worked as a carpenter, attending STI (now Saskatchewan Polytechnic) in Moose Jaw to get his certificates. As his first project, he was part of the crew that built St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Imperial.

In 1973 he became maintenance supervisor with the Davidson School Unit, remaining in that position for 21 years.

Burgess recalled how he would continually add to the collection, restoring some items and putting others on display in the old pool hall, which he called his “museum.”

Asked how she coped with her husband’s growing collection, Kay Burgess said that for the most part she wasn’t aware of it.

“I never knew he bought it,” said Kay, who turns 91 this year. “He would see these things all over the country, and if he wanted it, he bought it.”

Bill, who turns 87 in September, said he plans to keep busy working in his shop at home.

Greg Burgess, their second son, said most of the family had returned home for the auction. He added he was surprised at the extent of the collection.

“I didn’t think he had that much stuff,” he said. “Every building had something in it.”

Greg added that there were no “first dibs” for himself or his siblings. They were told that if they wanted anything, they had to show up and bid like everyone else.

And there was plenty of bidding going on. The tractors and buildings sold for thousands of dollars each, but even some of the smaller items attracted their share of bids.

A keychain collection numbering in the hundreds sold for $270; a collection of pins and buttons went for $70; a lot consisting of four bank calendars and a tobacco sign sold for $190.

Yet there were deals to be had. Trevor Mooney, a 12-year-old lad from Imperial, paid $55 for a black Gibson electric-acoustic guitar. The instrument needed some work, but Mooney was pleased with this purchase.

Another satisfied customer was Greg Prpich, a retired farmer who now raises bison four-and-a-half miles northeast of Bladworth.

Prpich paid $80 for a cloth banner once carried by Bladworth students, bearing the slogan “For King and Country”; he guessed that it dated back to at least the 1940s.

He said he has known Burgess for decades and remembered seeing the banner in his collection. He wasn’t sure what he would do with it but said it would be a unique souvenir.

“It’s my hometown,” said Prpich, adding, “I just wanted a keepsake to remind me of Bill.”

Bill and Kay Burgess watch the auction in progress.
Bill and Kay Burgess watch the auction in progress.
Craik, Davidson

Region names new doctors to serve Craik, Davidson area

By Joel van der Veen

ROSETOWN — Keeping a balanced budget while maintaining a standard of primary health care will be a challenge going forward for Heartland Health Region, its CEO said last week.

Greg Cummings said regions across the province are aiming to “bend the cost curve,” explaining, “It’s not to reduce the cost of health care in the province, it’s to reduce the rate at which the cost of health care is increasing.”

The regional health authority approved its budget and operational plan for the 2015-16 fiscal year at a meeting in Rosetown on June 5. The operating budget itself totals $105 million; including a capital transfer of $648,000, the grand total comes to $105.7 million.

While the region ended the last fiscal year with a minor surplus, Cummings said that balancing the budget this year was a challenge.

The budget saw an overall increase of 1.6 per cent or $1,424,000, which represented collective bargaining increases, physician remuneration, and the purposeful rounding initiative for long-term care, which entails responding to residents’ needs within a set amount of time.

To balance the budget, the region must find around $1.5 million in savings and efficiencies, according to a news release issued by Heartland.

Cummings said the region’s goal for Davidson and area is to keep the hospital and emergency services operational as it continues to develop its primary care model.

“We will spend what we have to, to support that model,” he told the Leader on Wednesday. “We build our budget from the ground up.”

Davidson is currently served by two full-time doctors, Dr. Lang and Dr. Ola, both of whom are on the emergency room call rotation for Davidson Health Centre.

The Heartland and Five Hills health regions announced in an update on Wednesday that two additional doctors would join that rotation between now and early 2016.

Dr. Modupe Olufunmilayo Arowolo, a general practitioner currently living in Calgary, has accepted a posting to serve the Craik-Davidson corridor.

She will primarily serve Craik, providing the town with physician services four days a week as part of the primary health care team at Craik Health Centre, but will also join the ER call rotation in Davidson.

Dr. Arowolo entered the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program in May. The region said she is expected to be ready to practise by the end of September.

A fourth physician is expected to join the collaborative in early 2016. Dr. Kayode Emmanuel Bamigboje, or simply Dr. Kay — known to some Davidson residents as the husband of Dr. Ola — is scheduled to enter the SIPPA program in September, and will join the ER call rotation next year.

In the meantime, the regions have secured a locum physician from Regina, Dr. Anne Lillian Kavulu, who has been hired on a short-term contract to serve Craik and Davidson between July 27 and Oct. 30.

Dr. Kavulu is scheduled to tour the Craik and Davidson health centres soon. She will work primarily from Craik but will also be part of Davidson’s ER call rotation during her short-term stay, according to the regions.

Cummings said the doctors will determine amongst themselves how the schedule is divided up, explaining, “They make the decision about how they’re going to make the rotation work.”

Without multiple doctors available, he said, it has been impossible to provide round-the-clock service at the Davidson hospital.

This effected not only Davidson and district residents, but others travelling through the area who required emergency services but would arrive at the hospital to find none were available.

“We want to reassure the public that if they go there, that it’ll be open,” said Cummings, adding that the matter of health care will continue to be an “ongoing discussion.”

“Like all discussions on health care, there’s a high emotional component to it,” he said, noting that as the new doctors arrive, “I think it’ll be less emotional, and we’ll be able to talk more about better providing the services to meet the needs of the community, instead of being in crisis mode.”

For the complete story, please see the June 15 print edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe.