Category Archives: Davidson

Davidson, Sports

Cyclones knocked out of LLHL playoffs

The Davidson Cyclones senior men’s hockey team are out of the Long Lake Hockey League (LLHL) playoffs, but still have a chance to advance to the provincial final.

The Cyclones lost their third straight game in a best-of-five LLHL semi-final series 6-4 to the LeRoy Braves last Tuesday at the LeRoy Rink nullifying their opportunity to repeat as league champions this year. The Cyclones still are the defending LLHL champions, for another few weeks at least, until the new crown is handed to either LeRoy, Watrous or Lanigan later this month.

“We got off to a bad start and got down early (to the Braves),” said Cyclones head coach Jason Shaw. “Then we worked our way back and had a lot of chances to score, but just couldn’t.”

The Braves stepped up the pressure early on the Cyclones jumping up to a 4-0 lead by the 14-minute mark of the first period, but Davidson clawed back. At the end of the first, the score was 5-1. At the end of the second, it was 5-3, but once again this season a short bench for Davidson sealed their doom in the third.

“We only had 12 guys, eight forwards and four defence,” said Shaw. “For what we had, we played well. They had a full lineup. That’s pretty tough in playoffs. You can get away with a short bench in league games the odd time, but in playoffs it’s a lot tougher.”

The lack of a full lineup was not the case in the Cyclones first game of their provincial “C” south final against the Radville Nationals March 2 at the Davidson Rink. Davidson matched the swift-skating Nats throughout the match-up coming out on top with a 4-3 win.

Shaw said the Nats caught them off guard scoring in the first minute of the opening period, but the Cyclones stood up and “worked hard” to gut out the win.

“It was a tough game,” he said. “They’re a good team. When you get down to the last four teams in provincials, they are all going to be decent.”

Davidson had to win another this past weekend either March 8 in Radville or March 10 at Davidson to take the best-of-three provincial series and move on to the provincial finals to be played later this month against Hudson Bay.

Results of Friday and Sunday night’s games against the Nats were unavailable at press time.

Davidson

Golf Club and R.M. settle taxing issue

The Davidson Golf Course board of executives and the RM of Willner council have agreed to a settlement for the municipal property taxes paid by the course to the RM.

Kirk Johnson, board member with the Davidson Golf Course, said the two sides reached an agreement a few weeks ago that will see the course pay $3,000 in annual municipal taxes until 2016 in addition to the annual school tax of approximately $6,600. He said the course settled the 2012 taxes two weeks ago and the deal with the RM will cover the next four years on top of that.

The course was facing an annual municipal tax bill from the RM for over $10,000 on top of the school tax portion bringing the course’s annual tax bill to $17,458, which Johnson said would have killed the course.

“I don’t think we could afford to operate and pay $17,000,” said Johnson. “That would probably have finished us. It wouldn’t have done us much good. The deal we worked out between the RM and us I think is a pretty good deal. It’s something that we both could live with.”

Len Palmer, Reeve of the RM of Willner, said the settlement is a “fair deal for everyone” involved and he is glad that they have come to an agreement. He said it is unfortunate that it took so long to get this done, but he is still happy that everyone was able to come to an agreement in the end.

The municipal tax issue arose in 2011 when the RM informed the golf course board they had decided to stop abating the money owed by the course to the RM starting with the 2012 annual taxes. In lieu of the tax abatement, the RM said they would provide the course with a $4,000 recreation grant instead.

Palmer said the RM wanted to stop abating taxes and go to a straight grant system because it is a “better and safer” way to operate. He said this decision was made due to the way taxes have been increasing over the last few years.

The course has been previously receiving abatement on municipal taxes owed to the RM from approximately 2006 to 2011.

Johnson said the taxes are so high due to the provincial government zoning golf courses in RMs as commercial property, which are taxed at 100 per cent of their value.

“Ours is not a commercial (course),” he said. “Ours is kind a non-profit organization that provides a service and recreation. We’re trying to keep the doors open and anything we do get or make we invest back into the course. It’s not like it’s a business.”

Johnson said the course used to receive abatement on municipal taxes from the RM because the course was forced to pay a school tax, which came to $6,753 for 2012, after the Davidson School Division amalgamated with the Sun West School Division. Before the amalgamation, the course also received abatement on education taxes as well.

“We’re a little course just trying to provide a service to the community,” he said, noting the purpose here was just to pay reasonable taxes. “We just want to try and make a go of it and get along with everybody and come up with some kind of agreement and we did.”

Davidson, Sports

Cyclones head to south final with win over Elks

Playoff hockey is not for the weak.

It is physical, demanding, gutsy and flawed.

Last week, the Davidson Cyclones senior men’s hockey team put on display all four of those characteristics in an outstanding 7-0 provincial “C” quarter-final win over the Kyle Elks Feb. 23 and a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the LeRoy Braves last Wednesday in semi-final Long Lake Hockey League (LLHL) playoff competition.

Both games featured hard-hitting end-to-end action where all players involved gave their best, but in the end it was a goalpost that stopped the Cyclones from completing a perfect playoff week.

“We played well enough to win, but we never got the bounces our own way,” said Cyclones forward Brett Siroski on the Braves game.

One of those bounces was a shot by Davidson defenceman Zack Sim that rang off the post with 25 seconds left in the third and would have tied the game at fives. That post stopped a comeback tie for the Cyclones, which would have forced the game into extra frames and given Davidson a chance at tying the series at one game apiece.

With the loss, the Cyclones fall to 0-2 in the best of five LLHL series.

Leading up to that post, the Cyclones were dominating the Braves continually pushing the play into the LeRoy defensive zone and peppering Braves goaltender Blair Miskolczi with shots.

“He made a lot of good saves,” said Siroski, adding Miskolcki also did the same thing to them in game one, a 9-1 Braves victory Feb. 22 at the LeRoy Rink.

Carter Smith, scoring his second of the night at the 11-minute mark of the third and Cyclones captain Derek Allan potting one with 1:38 left to go in the game made it close, but Miskolczi and his post made sure that would be all.

“It was a good game,” said Cyclones head coach Jason Shaw. “We had lots of chances to score, but we just hit posts and crossbars. LeRoy is a good team and I thought we were right there to the end.”

To read more please see the March 4 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Sports

Raider boys step up play in advance of conferences

March madness is here for the Davidson Raiders senior boys basketball team as they head to conferences in Outlook this weekend in their bid to make a run at a provincial championship.

The Raiders have been playing better of late and sit at “about .500” as their regular season wrapped up last week with a back and forth 61-55 loss to the Watrous Wildcats Feb. 26 at the Davidson Gym.

“We played really well (despite the loss),” said Raiders head coach Jeremy Murphy. “We played a little bit more consistently, but it happens. It was a good game, really close and very intense.”

Davidson started off slowly against the Wildcats going down 17-14 by the end of the first quarter and 32-26 by the half, but stayed in the game throughout with strong defensive play resulting in numerous Watrous turnovers. On offence, Raiders forward Kurri Reich led the charge continually pushing the Wildcats defence by setting up drives to the basket instead of settling for outside shots.

After the half, Davidson came out strong and thanks to a couple choice threes by Raiders forward Matthias McCreary and a strong inside game by guard Patrick Nordmarken, who continually found himself at the free-throw line, the team moved ahead 45-41 heading into the fourth. In the last frame, Watrous forward Colby McGregor led a press against the Raiders pushing his team to a strong finish and a resulting 61-55 win.

“We turned the ball over a lot, but it was the first game after the break for us and I knew we would be rusty,” said Wildcats head coach Doug Thomas. “The boys continue to impress me as the season goes on. They continue to play together and encourage each other and not worry about the officials. We were missing a few players, so I’m proud they came out and played well.”

Murphy said the boys have showed a lot of progress as the season wore on and the players have developed more of a team game over time. He said as they head into conferences this weekend he feels good that the team can win the necessary two games in Outlook to advance to regionals.

“We’re going to play hard and try to win some games.”

Davidson, featured

Davidson buys CTRC building for $100,000

Davidson town council received authorization to purchase the Carlton Trail Regional College (CTRC) building on Washington Avenue last Tuesday and the town is set to take possession March 1.

Clayton Schneider, mayor of Davidson, said the town is buying the building for $100,000 with the funds coming out of the 2013 budget. He said council decided to go ahead with the purchase after seeing a need for another building in the town to hold medical services.

“To build something would cost a lot more and it makes sense to have health services near the doctor,” said Schneider, noting this also keeps the town away from a rent agreement or temporary space. “It’ll be a great thing. It’s exciting for the fact that we get our own place that we can control and get people in it.”

Carlton Trail Regional College moved out of the building last July after closing its Davidson campus.

Schneider said the town is trying to secure a dentist and their future office would be located in the CTRC building. He said the optometry services provided by InSight Vision Care at the Davidson Family Practice could also be relocated to the space.

“We recognized that we need some infrastructure for the services we are trying to get in Davidson,” he said. “This is a great idea to get our own building to get that sort of thing.”

Davidson, featured

Davidson town councillor resigns

The Town of Davidson has put out a call for nominations for a town councillor position a mere five months after the last municipal election.

Doug Gilchrist, who won a seat around the council table in the Oct. 24 election with a total of 218 votes, resigned as a Davidson councillor last Tuesday in a letter to council citing “unforeseen circumstances.” His resignation is effective immediately.

“When I first put my name forward there was more time in my day,” said Gilchrist. “It was something I could have handled and something I was interested in. I still am interested in the way the town runs. Its just sometimes life happens and you just all of a sudden don’t have time anymore.”

Starting today, nomination papers can be picked up at Town Hall for the vacant councillor position. Nomination forms can then be handed in to the town until 4 p.m. March 13. If more than one person vies for the spot, a byelection will be held April 17.

To run for council, a candidate would have to live in Davidson for at least three months previous to the Election Day in April and in Saskatchewan for six months. Candidates must also be 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen. Five electors, who have the same qualifications as the candidate, but only have to own land in town instead of actually live here, must sign the nomination form.

Donna Bessey, Davidson community development coordinator, said “it was unfortunate to see him resign” as the town needs business people and younger people around the council table to help move the town forward. She said a resignation does affect council business, as now a person will come in with no previous knowledge of what the town has been working on over the past few months.

“Its nice to have a full slate there,” said Bessey. “When you run for council, whoever elected you basically expect you to be there. When you’ve got projects that are started and you’re moving on, then with somebody new coming on, there is always that downtime trying to bring them up to speed. It makes it a little harder.”

To read more please see the Feb. 25 print edition of The Davidson Leader.