By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Thieves made off with a TV, laptop computers and liquor, plus thousands of dollars in cash, after breaking into the Davidson Communiplex on Sunday night.

Recreation director Trevor Ouellette said the break-in was discovered Monday morning when staff arrived to open and clean the facility.

The extent of the damage and thefts indicates the culprits had the run of the rink for several hours, he said, noting, “They had time to get around.”

Evidence indicated the back alley entrance adjacent to the curling rink was the point of access, Ouellette said.

From there, the burglars entered the rec office, kitchen and lounge, damaging four or five doors along the way.

The TV set from the lobby was missing, along with a couple of laptop computers, while liquor was stolen from the lounge.

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

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Comedy and fun were in the cards as the swimming pool committee hosted its third gala fundraiser at Davidson Town Hall on Dec. 3.

The event included supper, a casino night with donated prizes and a well-received performance by comedian-magician Perry James.

Organizers estimated that the event brought in roughly $13,000, with just under 200 people in attendance and more than 20 volunteers helping out.

“We were really lucky with our volunteers and our food donations,” said committee member Brenna Siroski.

Crystal Johnson, who welcomed guests on Saturday night, reflected on what had been achieved through the committee’s work and the community’s support over the last four years.

“Saying it is impressive is an extreme understatement,” she said, briefly choking up. “We can’t thank you enough.”

Anne Willner, Corey Eddie and a team of volunteers cooked and served a traditional turkey dinner, beginning with a salad bar and ending with black forest cake for dessert.

James, a native of Nipawin with a long career and multiple TV appearances to his credit, kept the audience entertained with a mixture of magic and comedy.

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

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — For an actor just a few months into his Grade 6 year, Aiden Pasher is proving to have quite a wide range.

In May, when Davidson School hosted the Missoula Children’s Theatre and presented The Jungle Book, Aiden played a young buck, one of the animals preyed upon by the villainous Shere Khan.

Last weekend, in The Little Mermaid, he had a rather more dignified role — King Neptune, ruler of the sea.

Pasher said memorizing the lines and rehearsing adds up to a lot of work, but it’s worth the effort.

“You get to show your passion and who you really are,” he said. “You get to express your feelings, put your heart out there.”

An audience of 200 gathered in the Davidson School gym on Nov. 25 for the elementary drama club production, which was more than two months in the making.

About 45 students between grades 3 and 6 were involved, including the actors and crew.

Arlene Low, who directed the show along with Crystal Johnson, Correne Pedersen and Cassandra Delorme, said it was the largest cast she has directed.

The production got underway in mid-September, with parts given to all interested students. Many parts were shared by multiple actors, allowing more kids to participate.

For the full story and photos, please see the Dec. 5 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Panther Industries is breaking into new territory, thanks to a partnership with Saskatoon-based Alawa Foods.

Staff at the company’s Davidson plant loaded their first railcar of locally-grown lentils for Alawa on Nov. 15.

General manager Clayton Schneider said Panther was looking to expand beyond its current offerings, which include distribution for the oil and gas industries, custom packaging and manufacturing of wooden pallets.

“We were just looking at different ways of diversifying,” he said.

The plant is outfitted with a transloading station that can move goods from truck to rail or vice versa.

Several months ago, Schneider began discussions with Alawa Foods CEO Heidi Dutton Weber about using Panther as a transload station.

Alawa has been in operation for roughly a year and a half. Company officials were interested in doing business with local producers, but needed a location to transfer crops into railcars.

Dutton Weber, a 15-year veteran of the pulses industry, said the company saw room for more competition in the area. Their current focus is on red lentils.

Alawa is currently constructing a 30,000 square-foot pulse processing facility at Vanscoy, with plans to begin operations there by the fall of 2017.

Feedback from producers has been positive since the first railcars went out from Panther, and Dutton Weber said they’re open to talking to others.

“We’re ready to engage other producers in the area,” she said. “Our hope is to give them another choice to help market their grain.”

For the full story, please see the Dec. 5 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.