By Joel van der Veen

ELBOW — Does Elbow have a racism problem?

No more so than anywhere else in Saskatchewan, said the village’s mayor, Rob Hundeby.

But the mayor said his village can set an example for the rest of the province and beyond by committing to tackle prejudice.

“I believe we’re taking a leadership role . . . (and) other municipalities, they’re taking note,” Hundeby told the Leader on Wednesday.

“This is something we can be proud of . . . We’re leading change.”

On Tuesday, Hundeby met with Chief Bobby Cameron to sign a memorandum of understanding and a pledge of reconciliation with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) in Saskatoon.

The agreement expresses the village’s commitment to eliminating racism by educating its staff and elected officials.

Topics to be covered will include the history of treaty, residential schools and colonialism, and the treaty and inherent rights of indigenous people.

Hundeby said he believes this is a starting point for his village and other communities to address the pervasive effects of racism.

“These people don’t need racist views or stereotypes judging them,” he said. “I do believe these people need hope, they need love, they need compassion, and we have to start somewhere.”

Hundeby said he was moved to respond after hearing Cameron speak about reconciliation at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention in February.

The chief had said it was significant that SUMA had extended the invitation for him to speak in a forum where indigenous voices are not usually front and centre.

The speech led Hundeby to reflect on his own background and ask himself whether or not he had ever held racist thoughts or attitudes.

“The answer was yes,” he said. “Saying an off-colour joke, stuff like that.”

Hundeby said he recognized how the influences of his youth had affected his attitudes towards indigenous people.

Afterward, he approached the chief to apologize and ask for forgiveness.

The mayor said Cameron accepted the apology and, placing his hands on his shoulders, asked Hundeby if he was willing to take this public.

Hundeby brought the matter back to council, who voted unanimously in April in favour of the agreement. The exact wording was finalized on the weekend, leading to Tuesday’s press conference in Saskatoon.

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

ELBOW — Preventing burglars from entering your house or business isn’t rocket science.

As Const. Mike Neilson told the public on Wednesday, it’s largely a matter of making it hard enough for potential thieves that they’ll give up and move on.

“They’re lazy, that’s why they’re doing it in the first place,” he said. “They’re looking for easy targets.”

“Stack the deck in your favour. Don’t make it easy for these guys.”

Neilson, a member of the RCMP Outlook-Elbow detachment, hosted a public information session at the Elbow Civic Centre on Wednesday, with about 10 people in attendance.

He and several colleagues provided advice and answered questions on preventing theft and deterring thieves from trying to enter homes, businesses and vehicles.

Neilson said rural crime rates have increased recently, blaming this on the downturn in the oil and gas industry.

Rural residents are often seen as easy targets, he explained, saying, “They’re isolated and no one’s around.”

He advised residents to keep their doors locked, noting that the vast majority of break-and-enters (B&Es) are committed on unlocked homes.

Neilson said residents should make it a habit so they are less likely to forget when they leave for longer periods.

“Even if you’re home, you should just lock your door,” he said. “Just like you’re putting on your seatbelt — you don’t think twice about it.”

Neilson said most would-be burglars are easily deterred and will keep moving to the next car or house until they find one that is unlocked.

For the full story, see the Feb. 6 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

ELBOW — Seeing the red maple leaf stamped on a product still means something important to a lot of people.

Few know this better than the staff of Commutron Industries, Ltd., an Elbow-based company that celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this month.

“There’s still a hunger for investors and manufacturers to build a product that’s Canadian made,” said general manager Robert Leonardo on Wednesday.

The firm has a current staff of 18 full-time employees, assembling printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other electronic components at its facility in the village.

Commutron’s products are used in a wide range of industrial settings, including diagnostics and safety equipment, and in the agriculture, mining and transportation fields.

Customers and the general public were invited to an open house and barbecue on Sept. 2, which drew upwards of 120 people.

Leonardo said it was a great opportunity to celebrate the company’s success and reflect on the progress made over the last two decades.

The company was previously located in Saskatoon, where it operated under the name Bantron.

The move to Elbow came through a program then operated by the provincial government, offering grants to viable businesses willing to relocate outside of cities as a way of stimulating the rural economy.

For the full story, please see the Sept. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

ELBOW — Jeffery Straker warned patrons at his concert last weekend not to mess with the lady running the merch table.

Dawn McTavish, his former piano teacher, was lending a hand by selling CDs, T-shirts and other items at the back of the Civic Centre auditorium.

“When I didn’t practise, she cuffed me upside the head,” he joked, “so just keep that in mind.”

Straker, a singer-songwriter and pianist originally from Punnichy, entertained a crowd of more than 100 in Elbow on Sept. 3.

The auditorium was filled nearly to capacity for the evening show, a fundraiser for the village’s community park.

Straker had played in Elbow previously as an opening act at another show, and was welcomed back warmly, with at least one audience member wearing red canvas shoes in imitation of his trademark footwear.

McTavish was Straker’s piano teacher for six years, offering lessons from her farmhouse near Raymore.

She has since retired to Elbow, where she plays piano for the Line 19 Choir. (Their repertoire includes an arrangement of one of Straker’s songs, “Prairie Tune.”)

McTavish described him as a “dream student,” adding, “I shipped him off to Regina when he got too good for me.”

For the full story, please see the Sept. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.