By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A piece of Davidson’s history fell to earth last week, bringing plenty of dust with it.

Demolition of the Richardson Pioneer grain elevator began in earnest on Tuesday, as the first of three sections was brought down by a wrecking crew.

The north annex fell just after 12 p.m., with a small crowd of Richardson-Pioneer employees and other spectators looking on.

The demolition was carried out using a single trackhoe, which chipped away at the building from the west side, then moved to the corner to lay the final blows that brought the structure down.

An enormous cloud of dust was released to the southwest as the elevator fell, enveloping several vehicles parked nearby.

“We literally couldn’t see,” said Richardson Pioneer employee Marla Dezotell, who was watching the demolition from her vehicle, shooting a video with her cellphone.

Dave Mihalicz Excavating, an Assiniboia-based company, was responsible for the demolition. Mihalicz said he has been in business since 1981 and has torn down more than 700 elevators.

The process is much the same in each case, he said, adding, “We’ve done so many of them.”

Mihalicz said his crew would clear away the debris left from the north annex and then proceed to demolish the other sections, with the schedule dependent on weather and other factors.

The centre of the building, the original elevator, was slated to fall next, followed by the south annex.

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

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — September Brooke spent 17 years welcoming users to Davidson’s library, guiding them through the services available and making them feel at home.

That legacy will live on in the form of a new hospitality room at the local library, named in memory of the longtime branch librarian.

The September Brooke Memorial Hospitality Room was dedicated Friday afternoon with a short ceremony.

A group of 50 people, including friends, family and former co-workers, filled the front rooms of the library. Several friends shared their memories of Brooke, including library board chairperson Audrey Hamm and Palliser Regional Library director Jan Smith, and refreshments were served.

The hospitality room was suggested by assistant librarian Debbie Shearwood as a way to honour Brooke, who died Jan. 10 at the age of 53 following a bout with cancer.

Shearwood, who worked alongside Brooke during her entire tenure, said she wanted a more permanent memorial than books, which would gradually become outdated and eventually be discarded.

She offered her proposal for the room at a board meeting earlier this year, where it met with an enthusiastic response.

“They thought it was a great idea,” she said. “They were behind it right from the get-go.”

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

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — It was Pong all right, but not quite the way Virginia Mireau remembered it.

On Thursday afternoon she watched Grade 6 students Donta Desjarlais and Reggie Heinrich at a computer in their classroom at Davidson School, setting up a sophisticated game of table tennis.

The program — running on a KANO kit computer pieced together by the students — allowed them to customize a wide range of options, from the size and speed of the ball to the type of playfield.

It was a far cry from the black-and-white game she remembered playing on the TV set in her brother’s room decades ago.

But more impressive than the technology was the knowledge and mastery shown by students throughout the school.

“I’m surprised at the depth of understanding, right from Grade 1 on up,” said Mireau, an early learning coach based in Rosetown with Sun West School Division. “It’s apparent that there’s a lot of engagement with the students in the process.”

Mireau was one of roughly 80 guests visiting the school on Thursday afternoon for a school-wide demonstration, showcasing the results of a pilot project that began this fall in Davidson.

“Up to Code” is a program that aims to teach students the basics of computer literacy and introductory coding, by integrating these skills into their everyday curriculum.

It is based on an idea developed by staff members Sandra Baldwin and Arlene Low, who wanted to create a program to help students become fluent in what they called a new literacy and a 21st-century skill.

For the full story, see the May 30 edition of The Davidson Leader, or phone 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.