Category Archives: featured

Davidson, featured

Local dentist joined trek to Peru to serve rural patients

Dr. Chaukla is pictured serving a patient in rural Peru during his trip to the South American country in March.
Dr. Chaukla is pictured serving a patient in rural Peru during his trip to the South American country in March.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — When a patient hasn’t been to see the dentist in 10 years, the results aren’t going to be pretty.

Dr. Abe Chaukla and a team of dental professionals from Canada spent four days last month working with patients in rural Peru, where dental care is hard to come by.

Tooth decay runs rampant among much of the population, Chaukla reported, and he and the rest of the team performed hundreds of extractions and fillings during their short stay.

Wherever they went, the dentists were welcomed with gratitude, including one group that greeted the team with singing and drumming.

“They were so grateful for the work,” said Chaukla, adding that the patients included many children and seniors.

Chaukla is a Saskatoon-based dentist who sees local patients two days per week at the Davidson Dental Clinic on Washington Avenue.

This was his second trip with Kindness in Action (KIA), an Alberta-based non-profit group that works with professionals to provide dental health services to underprivileged people across the globe.

Chaukla travelled to Nicaragua in March 2014 for his first trip and said at the time that he hoped to make it a regular expedition.

This time, he was part of a team of around 20 dental professionals, mostly from Western Canada, who travelled to the Amazon Basin region between March 12 and 20.

They flew from Peru’s capital city, Lima, to the city of Iquitos, then took a three-hour boat trip down the Amazon River to their lodge. Each day the group travelled by boat to a different village to serve patients.

“It was quite a trek,” recalled Chaukla, adding that the experience was “more rustic” compared to his previous trip.

The weather was hot, and mosquitoes were a constant presence. He and the others slept under mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria.

Each day, they provided basic care to patients, using portable equipment. Hygienists were part of the team, performing cleanings.

Chaukla said education was also part of the service provided, teaching patients how to care for their teeth.

He said Peru is very much a developing country, with many residents burdened by poverty. Running water is scarce, which in turn complicates efforts to promote dental health.

Chaukla said the trip was hard work, but a positive experience overall for both the dental team and the patients.

This year, KIA is also organizing trips to Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Tibet, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Chaukla is now back to his regular practice in the area, dividing his time between Davidson, Outlook and Saskatoon. He works in the Davidson clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays, also providing emergency care as needed.

He began working in Davidson in November 2013 and estimates that he has between 600 and 650 active patients here, drawing from towns as widespread as Craik, Imperial, Elbow and Hanley.

Chaukla said he’s appreciating the support from his patients in Davidson and area, calling it “the best two days of the week.”

He also said he appreciates working in the facility available here, as well as the presence of a nearby rep for a major dental supply company.

April is Oral Health Month, and Chaukla and other dentists across Canada are working to raise awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene and regular dental checkups.

Craik, Davidson, featured, Loreburn, Sports

Peewees whomp Watrous to capture provincial title

The Davidson Peewee Huskies display their banner upon winning the provincial "C" championship with a 9-3 victory over the Watrous Hawks on March 24.
The Davidson Peewee Huskies display their banner upon winning the provincial “C” championship with a 9-3 victory over the Watrous Hawks on March 24.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — The Peewee Huskies came back at full strength last weekend to clinch the provincial “C” championship with a 9-3 win over the Watrous Hawks.

Though they were at a one-goal deficit heading into the March 24 game, coach Chad Allan said the team travelled to Watrous knowing that the win was within their reach if they worked hard enough.

“It was a good effort by everybody,” he said. “I think the kids did very well.”

The Huskies captured a 3-1 lead in the first period and did not let up for the remainder of the game. At the end of the second period they were up 6-2.

Captain Nolan Allan, who had led the team in scoring throughout the season, contributed two goals and three assists.

The final game also saw a strong performance by what the head coach called the “supporting cast,” with a more balanced distribution of scoring than usual.

Kade McConnell and Brodie Ringdal both scored twice, while Derek Griffin, Jackson Allan and Drayson Tichit had one goal each.

Also contributing with assists were Jackson Allan, Brodie Ringdal, Ethan Schilling, Anika Lakinger, Drayson Tichit, Gavin Arend, Deiondre Boychuk, Logan Anderson and Derek Griffin.

Chad Allan lauded the Huskies’ two goalies, Logan Nelson-Schneider and Brodie Ackland, for their efforts throughout the provincial run.

The first game in the two-game, total-point series resulted in a 4-3 win for Watrous on March 20.

Davidson had defeated Maple Creek, Southey and Gravelbourg in earlier rounds to reach the final round of provincials.

In addition to those named, the team roster included Jaden Wall, Tyler Bahnman, Logan Farrell, McKenna Doell, Heather Gust and Aiden Gray. Ryan McConnell served as assistant coach.

Craik, featured

Officials mum on cause of Craik fire

The Eco-Centre is pictured in this 2012 file photo.
The Eco-Centre is pictured in this 2012 file photo.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — Little is being said about the cause behind the fire that levelled the Craik Eco-Centre late last month.

Town administrator Sarah Wells said Thursday the fire’s cause was “not suspicious,” but declined to provide further details.

“We’re still in contact with the insurance company,” she told the Leader. “We’re not going to say too much until the investigation is done.”

Wells said the building was insured and the policy does not require the town to rebuild the facility in order to collect a payout, but she did not reveal the value for which the Eco-Centre was insured.

Boyd Sanden, chief of the Craik Volunteer Fire Department, said his crew got the call at 9:32 a.m. on March 24.

“The whole building was full of smoke, tons and tons of smoke,” said Sanden on Tuesday. “(You) couldn’t see two inches in front of you.”

Firefighters attempted to enter through windows and spray water on the flames, but that had little effect, said Sanden, adding that the fire “took right off” when it was exposed to more air.

Within minutes, the flames had reached the eaves, while the steel roof served to trap the inferno inside that building.

Sanden said that from that point the firefighters went into a defensive mode, remarking, “We knew that we couldn’t do anything.”

He noted that the fire spread rapidly after it reached the wooden posts and beams, which had been salvaged from demolished grain elevators.

There were no injuries reported, as the Solar Garden Restaurant had not yet opened for business.

The Davidson Volunteer Fire Department attended to provide mutual aid, while Craik RCMP and Davidson EMS also responded.

Sanden said crews were on the scene well into Thursday afternoon, adding that they continued to monitor the site twice daily over Easter weekend.

Both the fire commissioner and insurance inspector visited the site on Monday to look over the building’s remains.

Sanden reported that they remained on the scene for 10 hours, but declined to speculate on potential causes.

Phone calls to fire commissioner Duane McKay and his communications staff seeking details went unreturned last week.

For a detailed look at what the Eco-Centre’s loss means for Craik, please see the April 4 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Craik, featured

Fraud charges laid against former Craik town administrator

web-craikBy Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — After nearly two years of investigation, police have laid more than 30 fraud-related charges against a former administrator for the Town of Craik.

Craik RCMP announced Thursday morning that officers had laid charges in regards to internal fraud related to the town’s financial operations.

The accused was not named by police, but Const. Kevin Morrissette remarked, “I think pretty much anyone local can figure out who it is.”

The administrator was employed by the town between 2010 and 2014.

During the summer of 2014, the town informed police that fraudulent activity was suspected, setting the investigation in motion.

According to police, forensic audits were requested and the RCMP underwent an extensive investigation to obtain and review supporting financial documents from the town.

Current administrator Sarah Wells said the investigation was already underway by the time she began working for the town in November 2014.

She said the town office has co-operated with the investigation, providing all requested materials.

“A lot of it comes out of our computer program,” she explained. “It had to come from us.”

Wells said she could not clarify the amount of funds that were unaccounted for when the investigation began.

The Leader reported in May 2014 that a concerned resident had visited Craik town council after her grandson and his friends reportedly discovered cheques made out to the town floating in a ditch.

Craik RCMP stated at the time that the matter was not yet under investigation, but Mayor Rick Rogers acknowledged a connection between the matter of the cheques and the action being taken against the administrator, who had been placed on leave.

The accused is scheduled to appear in Moose Jaw Provincial Court on June 1. Anyone with relevant information on the case is asked to contact the RCMP or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.

Davidson, featured, Sports

Senior boys claim first prov. basketball title

Davidson's Ben Nykiforuk and Coronach's Brady Resch fight for the ball during the 1A provincial final at Moose Jaw's Vanier Collegiate on March 19.
Davidson’s Ben Nykiforuk and Coronach’s Brady Resch fight for the ball during the 1A provincial final at Moose Jaw’s Vanier Collegiate on March 19.

By Joel van der Veen

MOOSE JAW — Like all good cliffhangers, the story of the Davidson Raiders’ road to the provincial championship is filled with twists and turns.

The senior boys basketball team from Davidson School weathered its share of surprises — including serious injuries to two key players — on its way to the top.

Ultimately, coaches said, the team as a whole was firing on all cylinders to clinch a 67-61 win over Coronach in the 1A final, giving the boys the provincial title for the first time in school history.

“It was the most pure and perfect team effort that I’ve ever been part of,” said head coach Kim Rettger. “Every kid just busted their arse. . . It was just electric in that gym on Saturday.”

“I knew we could do it,” said assistant coach Ian Kadlec, adding that the only question was “whether or not everything would line up for us.”

The Raiders faced a familiar foe, the LCBI Bisons, in the opening game on March 18 at Central Collegiate in Moose Jaw.

They had defeated the Bisons in all three matches this past season, and the head coach said he had warned the boys not to be too overconfident.

As it turned out, Rettger said, his team was focused on not losing, while the Bisons had their eyes on a win.

In the game that ensued, the Raiders struggled with a high number of turnovers, as well as combating LCBI’s “smothering defense,” in Rettger’s words. Davidson led 38-35 at half-time.

A crisis arose in the fourth quarter when Andrew Read broke his ankle, following an awkward landing on a rebound.

Rettger recalled Read’s response to the injury — telling his coach, “I’m sorry I got hurt” — and said it’s reflective of his spirit of competition and sportsmanship.

Without Read’s efforts on defense and rebounds, the other teammates needed to step up, and they did so admirably, said the coach.

Rettger said Gabe Ebenal had a particularly strong game, contributing 25 points as the team’s high scorer.

“I think he was the guy that put us over the top,” said Rettger, noting that Ebenal had coped with an ankle sprain all year and a broken wrist sustained in January. “He just shot the lights out.”

A one-handed floater shot by Huck Rettger broke a tie near the game’s close to give Davidson a 73-71 victory over LCBI.

Meanwhile, the Coronach Colts had defeated the Beauval Valley View Voyageurs 78-70 in the other semi-final.

With one of his starters out of the picture, Rettger said the team would need a smart rotation and a minimum of fouls in the final game on March 19.

Parker Smith took Read’s place, and the head coach said he did an admirable, amazing job, playing a smart defense.

He also complimented Huck Rettger, the high scorer in the final with 36 points, noting, “He just was pulling shots from all over the court . . . He was something to watch.”

The Raiders were ahead by as much as 24 points during the first half and still held a 37-23 lead at half-time.

However, the team was beset by another crisis in the third period when Parker Smith suffered a concussion, striking his head on the floor.

It was up to the team as a whole to soldier on, and Rettger said they proved they were up to the challenge, adding, “You could never question their effort.”

Kadlec encouraged forward Ben Nykiforuk to track Colton Thurlow — at 6’5″, a considerable presence — resulting in the Coronach centre fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Coronach’s coaches called a time out with around 100 seconds left in the game, giving Rettger one last chance to give his team a pep talk.

“You have to play a minute and 40 seconds of perfect, no-mistakes basketball,” he told them. “You have to trust in yourself and make no mistakes.”

The second half saw Davidson excelling as a team, causing turnovers, scoring baskets and putting every last ounce of effort into that victory.

When the buzzer sounded, giving the Raiders a 67-61 win over the Colts, Rettger said there was no doubt that they had earned it.

The victory marked the first time a Davidson team has won a provincial basketball title, and with a significant local presence in the audience, Rettger said the win became a true community event.

He expressed his appreciation to assistant coaches Dave Nykiforuk, Kattlyn Williams, Luke Edwards and Ian Kadlec, noting in particular the commitment made by the latter two, who regularly travelled from out of town to work with the team.

Kadlec said he was able to share his expertise in working with Team Saskatchewan, working on a new offense and also using video replays to help the Raiders correct their mistakes and develop strategies.

In addition to the bond the boys have shared, Rettger said the hours of practice and preparation taught them about working hard to achieve their goals.

“There’s no guarantee that you will,” he said,” but if you don’t put the effort in, you’ll never have the chance.”

featured, Kenaston, Sports

Kodiak senior girls take bronze at provincials

The senior girls basketball team from Kenaston School poses following their bronze medal win at 1A provincials in Moose Jaw on March 19.
The senior girls basketball team from Kenaston School poses following their bronze medal win at 1A provincials in Moose Jaw on March 19.

By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — Winning the bronze medal at Hoopla last weekend may not have been the way Kenaston’s senior girls hoped their season would end.

But given the challenging year they’ve had, coach Gene Zdunich said, simply making it to provincials seemed out of reach at some points.

“It was a real struggle this season, we had so many injuries and so many people sick,” Zdunich said Tuesday.

“Just surviving it and getting to Hoopla was kind of the high point,” he said. “I didn’t know how far we were going to go in the playoffs.”

The Kodiaks hosted 1A regionals on March 11 and 12, easily defeating both Eston and Paradise Hill and paving the way for them to compete in provincials in Moose Jaw the following weekend.

They began the weekend with a close, physical game against Fillmore on March 18. Their competitors held a narrow lead for most of the game, with Kenaston tying the score at 44-44 with 35 seconds remaining.

However, Fillmore broke the tie with a string of successful foul shots, earning a 48-44 victory.

“We just couldn’t seem to catch a break,” said Zdunich, adding that in the closing minutes, “A lot of it was not in our hands.”

The Kodiaks thus moved on to the consolation game against Asquith on Saturday, which they easily won with a score of 81-34.

“Asquith’s a pretty young team,” said Zdunich, adding that competing in a faster-paced game came more naturally to his players.

Ann Ulmer was the high scorer for Kenaston in both games, scoring 17 points on Friday night and 38 points in the consolation match.

However, Zdunich said both games saw a true team effort from the Kodiaks, adding, “All of our kids worked so hard.”

He noted that he was also working with a younger team this year, with no Grade 12 players on board. On the plus side, the Kodiaks will be able to build on their past success next year, as no players are graduating.

Kenaston’s senior girls have reached 1A provincial finals 12 times since 1971, including a three-year string from 2013 to 2015.

The Kodiaks won gold in 1972, 1973, 1999 and 2013. In the latter year, they defeated Middle Lake 51-38 in the final.