Category Archives: featured

featured, Strongfield

Plough wind wrecks Strongfield curling rink

A plough wind destroyed the Strongfield curling rink on Thursday night.

By Joel van der Veen

STRONGFIELD — A gathering place for young and old for more than 50 years, the Strongfield curling rink was the casualty of a plough wind that swept through the Line 19 district on Thursday night.

The wind struck the rink shortly after 8 p.m., flattening it in a matter of minutes.

Nearby residents soon discovered the wreckage. The rink’s north wall had been knocked down, and the roof and sidewalls lay flat, with shingles, planks and insulation scattered around.

“It’s not good,” said Amanda Glubis, a member of Strongfield’s recreation board.

Glubis, who lives on a farm one mile north and one mile east of the village, said she and her family could see the storm approaching Thursday, with lightning off in the west.

She sent a text message to her husband Ryan at 8:04 p.m. — “Wind!” — after which they endured roughly a half-hour of storm conditions.

The combination of thick rain and wind made it impossible to see outside, she said, adding, “It was just a white-out.”

The Strongfield curling rink, constructed in 1963, had three sheets of natural ice and was typically open from early January to mid-March.

In recent years, the rink would be open on Monday nights, with a community supper and usually two draws of curling.

In effect, Glubis said, though the rink was only in operation for 10 days a year, it was the rec board’s main source of income, supporting both the rink and the village hall.

“She’s open as long as there’s ice,” she said. “It brings in enough money to operate power, phone, buy new rocks for the kids, that kind of stuff.”

With the only curling rink in the district still in operation, Strongfield drew enthusiasts from as far away as Mistusinne and Broderick, though the facility was showing its age.

“We knew it was starting to sag a bit in the middle,” said Glubis. “We were hoping we could get another five years out of it.”

The kitchen and viewing area, located in the centre, are still standing, though some damage was evident.

Glubis said volunteers entered the building last night to remove some equipment, finding water on the kitchen floor.

The skating rink on the south side of the facility, which dates back to the 1920s, also survived the storm.

For the full story, please see the July 24 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Bladworth, Davidson, featured

Bladworth girl, 14, on road to recovery

Jessica Townsend, 14, is recovering in Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital after suffering seizures caused by an arteriovenuous malformation (AVM) on the left side of her brain.

By Joel van der Veen

BLADWORTH — With days left till the end of school, Brenda Townsend and her girls were making their summer plans.

For Canada Day, they were going to ride together in the parade in Elbow, having already helped Anne Willner construct her float.

After that, the Townsends had some Saskatchewan road trips in mind.

“The girls and I were going to see more of the province,” Brenda said last week.

But those plans shifted to the back burner in late June after her oldest daughter, Jessica, suffered a brain aneurysm.

As of last week, Jessica remained in the pediatric unit at Royal University Hospital (RUH) in Saskatoon, where she is recovering from surgery and undergoing treatment and therapy.

Though recovery remains a long way off, Brenda said her daughter is making progress and showing daily improvement.

“Her spirit is there,” she said Thursday. “It’s long days, but it’s still good.”

Jessica, 14, is going into Grade 10 this fall at Davidson School, along with her twin sister Breanne.

They have two younger twin sisters, Marissa and Topanga, going into Grade 7. (Brenda also has two older sons — Alek Howell, 24, and Nicolas, 27.)

On the morning of Wednesday, June 21, Brenda went to wake Jessica up for school at their home in Bladworth. Though her eyes were open, Jessica couldn’t speak, move or get out of bed. She had suffered a seizure in her sleep.

“At first we didn’t really know what happened,” said Brenda. “I called her dad and he came over right away.”

After Jessica’s father Craig arrived, they called 9-1-1. Davidson EMS quickly arrived to transport her to Davidson Health Centre, where she was stabilized but remained unresponsive.

Paramedics rushed Jessica to RUH, where a CT scan revealed an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) on the left side of her brain. The abnormality, present from birth, was causing internal bleeding.

After she suffered another seizure, the doctors prepared her for immediate surgery to relieve the pressure in her brain.

They placed Jessica in an induced coma, leaving her under for nine days. (The process also included removing Jessica’s skullcap, which is being kept in cold storage.)

Further surgery will be required to treat the AVM, and right now doctors are monitoring her response to treatment and therapy.

Jessica slowly woke from the coma at the start of the month, and on July 2 she was moved to the pediatric unit.

When she awoke, she could smile and hold items in her left hand, but spoke very little. There was no movement whatsoever on her right side.

Since then, she has made steady progress, with the help of a team of specialists that includes two physiotherapists and an occupational therapist.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to solicit donations for the Townsends. To contribute, visit gofundme.com/jessica-townsend.

For the full story, please see the July 17 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Craik, featured

Guests travel through time at Prairie Pioneer Museum

Kevin Chambers tries his hand at writing with a quill pen while Christel Keiser provides instructions at the Prairie Pioneer Museum in Craik on July 9. Chambers was visiting from Simcoe, Ont., with other relatives; his mother, Maurie Mayer, is the niece of John Ackland of Craik.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Dip the pen into the inkwell, let the excess ink run off, and don’t press too hard.

As guests made their way through the schoolroom at the Prairie Pioneer Museum, Christel Keiser invited them to try writing their name with a quill pen, offering gentle instructions to each one.

It’s a delicate art, and some mastered it more quickly than others.

It was all part of a trip through time for visitors on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The Craik museum hosted a Fun Day on July 9, featuring a barbecue lunch, entertainment, tours, special displays and raffle prizes.

Guests were invited to make their way through the six buildings that make up the museum, checking out hundreds of artifacts that span more than a century of Prairie farm and town life.

A special display featured mourning items from the collection of Nancy Spencer, including lace and other pieces made from human hair, some dating as far back as the U.S. Civil War.

Spencer said she began collecting these items around 1970. After her grandmother died, she inherited a ring made with hair, and the collection has continued from there.

“I just find all this very fascinating,” she said. “I think it’s something people should remember.”

The items on display included beadwork made by Belgian nuns. Other items came from Switzerland, France and the U.S.

Spencer explained to guests how each of the items were used to commemorate and honour the dead — such as a clock with lace draped over it, with the pendulum stopped to mark the time of death.

Sweet Pea the Clown, visiting from Moose Jaw, made balloon animals for the kids in attendance.

Hamburgers and hot dogs were served, and donated prizes were raffled off.

Pauline Dixon, who serves as secretary on the museum board, said a total of 123 burgers were sold. She estimated that about 130 people attended altogether.

“It wasn’t as many as usual,” she said, adding that some guests stopped by to grab a hamburger or buy raffle tickets, but didn’t stay around. “It was just too hot.”

For the full story, please see the July 17 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

featured, Mistusinne

Mistusinne plants mini forest to mark Canada’s 150th

A new miniature forest planted at Mistusinne features 150 Scots pines of varying sizes in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.

By Joel van der Veen

MISTUSINNE — All around the Lake Diefenbaker region are countless places to play.

But when a group of Mistusinne residents began planning their new project, they had a different purpose in mind.

The resort village recently christened Canada 150 Park, featuring a miniature forest of 150 Scots pine trees.

The park houses two clusters of trees with a meadow in the centre, where the native prairie grass is allowed to flourish and grow.

A winding path runs through the park, with signs and a bench where guests can sit and enjoy the view of Lake Diefenbaker.

Lynne Saas, chair of the village’s Canada 150 committee, was clear about their intentions.

“This isn’t a park for people to play in,” said Saas. “Good heavens, our whole village is a place for people to play . . . This is more (about) giving back to Mother Nature.”

The Resort Village of Mistusinne began to take shape in 1967, after the completion of Gardiner Dam and the resulting formation of Lake Diefenbaker. The village, located beside the lake, was incorporated in 1980.

Several groves of trees were planted, but over the years, many of these trees died prematurely.

Saas said a report prepared for the village decades ago stated that human interference, including improper pruning and tilling, played a role in the trees’ early demise.

After Saas wrote a proposal last year, the committee received a Canada 150 grant of $10,000, with matching funds contributed by the village.

The nine-member committee began working to establish a new forest that would replace a grove of dead trees and stumps.

For the full story, please see the July 17 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Davidson, featured

New monument pays tribute to servicemen and women

Gordon McRae shakes hands with Second World War veteran Alf Stulberg shortly after the unveiling of the monument in front of Davidson Town Hall on July 1.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — More than 600 men and women from Davidson and district have served their country in uniform since the start of the First World War.

Their names will live on, engraved on a granite monument that was unveiled July 1 during the town’s Canada 150 festivities.

Roughly 150 people were present for the ceremony on Saturday afternoon outside Davidson Town Hall, where the monument was installed on June 19.

Gordon McRae, president of Branch 51 of the Royal Canadian Legion, said the idea for the monument originated close to a decade ago.

He and the late Fran Stone had discussed building a monument to all those who had served — complementing the existing cenotaph, which honours the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

McRae began working on the project in earnest after Stone died in August 2014.

“These names shall never disappear, but will go down in history forever,” he said during the ceremony, amidst blistering heat.

Joining McRae for the unveiling was Alf Stulberg, the town’s last remaining Second World War veteran, and Alf’s grandson Trevor Bessey.

Stulberg, who will turn 96 in August, thanked those who had attended the ceremony, adding, “It’s a good thing we have Gordon here to keep us going.”

Gladys Junop served as emcee for the program, which began with the singing of “O Canada,” led by Geena Heinrich.

Comrade Wayne Morrison directed the colour party carrying the flags, with guests invited to follow as a parade behind them.

The group marched eastward down Washington Avenue past the monument, turning around at the end of the block and walking back.

Lavonne Lyke spoke on behalf of Arm River MLA Greg Brkich, who had left following the Saturday parade to attend another event within his constituency. She expressed his thanks to the Legion and its members.

Mayor Tyler Alexander also spoke briefly, expressing appreciation to McRae in particular, for his efforts in keeping the Legion branch active in the face of declining membership.

Atel Concrete, Ltd., of Saskatoon donated the concrete for the base and a short sidewalk leading up to it, which was installed by Tom Vanghel.

For the full story, please see the July 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Davidson, featured

Come on in, the water’s fine!

Cutting the ribbon to open the new pool are lifeguard Sarah Bublish and Gloria Zdunich, who worked at the former pool for its opening season in 1967. Also pictured are Mayor Tyler Alexander, former mayors Clayton Schneider and Mary Jane Morrison, and Rob Stone (obscured) representing the Davidson Kinsmen Club.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — In the words of Mayor Tyler Alexander, the swimming was “on the house” as Davidson celebrated the grand opening of its new pool.

Members of the pool committee, along with town officials, sponsors and other dignitaries, looked on with pride as the ribbon was cut to officially open the Panther Swimming Pool.

Cutting the ribbon were Sarah Bublish, currently the pool’s assistant manager, and Gloria Zdunich, who was on the staff for the opening day of the previous pool in 1967.

Mary Jane Morrison, a former mayor and also a member of the committee, served as emcee for the brief program on June 30, starting around 1 p.m.

“Today marks a five-year journey of a dream come true,” she said, adding that she could speak for hours about that journey. “I have nothing but great things to say about this project and the people that supported it.”

Fundraising for the $1.53-million project began in 2012, with a campaign called “Every Drop Counts.”

Morrison recalled the many fundraisers organized or operated by the team, from galas and community auctions to produce sales, bottle drives and “the dreaded bingos.”

“Indeed, every drop has counted,” she said, also pointing to the co-operation between the committee, town council and recreation director Trevor Ouellette.

Also speaking during the ceremony were the current mayor, Tyler Alexander, and his predecessor, Clayton Schneider.

For the full story, please see the July 10 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.