Category Archives: featured

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Massive fire razes Elbow condo complex

Gary Cheeseman, the in-resident caretaker of the Harbour Inn Condo complex in Elbow, was fast asleep in Unit Five when heavy banging on his apartment door awoke him.

A massive fire had engulfed the front units of the complex including his. If it wasn’t for a group of golfers staying in the unit next to his, Cheeseman wouldn’t have made it out alive.

“The guys in (Unit) Four woke me up,” said Cheeseman, who barely made it out before the blaze tore through his apartment. “I stayed around for a little while (afterwards). It was shooting up pretty good.”

Cheeseman only had time to grab his cellphone before escaping into the early morning air wearing just his pyjamas. He lost everything else in the fire including his truck parked outside his apartment.

Elbow fire chief Glen Amor confirmed the fire department first got the call at 2:30 a.m. that the 34-unit complex had caught on fire. He said they could see the flames from their fire hall located about a kilometre away.

“The flames were 40-feet high on the first six units when firefighters got there five minutes after the call,” said Amor. “We’re pretty proud we saved any of it.”

Twelve people were staying at the complex when the fire started last Wednesday morning. Amor confirmed the group consisted of out-of-town hunters and golfers. Cheeseman was the only permanent resident of the complex. All got out alive.

Amor said 25 firefighters from Elbow, Loreburn and Davidson descended on the scene and it took them about four hours to get the fire under control. He said there were also “lots of volunteers” that came to the scene to help the firefighters battle the blaze.

“Some local farmers had semis and water tankers,” he said. “They always come just in case we run out of water and help us out because we can go through water in the fire hydrants very quickly. They’re there to help us out and stand by just in case we need them.”

A few hours after the blaze was controlled smoke still billowed and small fires burned from the 21 units that were razed during the fire. Eleven units remain standing in the 21-year-old box-like complex at 1250 Aaro Avenue that has an outdoor swimming pool and grassy area situated in the middle of the connected-condo building.

Kevin Luchia, a volunteer firefighter with the Elbow detachment, said it is suspected that the fire started in Unit Four before it got up into the rafters. He said the complex “went up like a matchbox” once that happened.

“We never lost anybody and that’s the main thing,” said Luchia. “Once we got them out, we weren’t sending anyone else back in.”

Luchia said the only reason the 11 remaining units are still standing was due to Amor’s decision to get Elbow resident Troy Bramble to cut through the complex with a “big pay-loader” splitting the complex in two. He said the whole building is “filled up with smoke” and wouldn’t be surprised if the remaining units were bulldozed.

“That was my first phone call,” said Amor about bringing in Bramble. “It was part of our pre-plan to know what to do in case this building went up. We knew we wouldn’t have the resources to put this fire out if it was fully engulfed. In row houses, the way that it is particularly built, that’s about the only way you can stop the fuel from the fire and stop it that way.”

Amor said the cause of the fire is yet to be determined and SGI would conduct an investigation to determine the facts around the blaze and whether they are going to insure the building. He said if SGI needs any assistance he would call the provincial Fire Commissioner’s Office to send in an investigator to help.

The long-time firefighter said this blaze is terrible for the community of Elbow as the complex houses about 4,000 visitors to the town each year and is the main hub for people looking for accommodation while they participate in golf, hunting or camping activities in the area.

“Our daughter had a wedding here and we rented the whole complex. Everybody stayed here, so it’s huge for this community,” he said. “When you don’t have that many rooms it’s going to be devastating. To rebuild this, the fire loss is $3 to $4 million to replace this, so it’s going to take a while.”

Cheeseman said everyone in town is helping him to get back on his feet. He said “moving on” is the only thing he can do now and that is what he plans on doing.

Davidson, featured

Town cooks up ideas to solve kitchen dilemma

Elected officials and staff with the Town of Davidson are trying to find a solution to an unhappy volunteer core and dissatisfied customer base at the Communiplex kitchen and lounge.

In an attempt to solve this problem the town has been trying to hire a kitchen/lounge manager for the rink, but as yet no one has come forward and applied for the position. A posting for the full-time job ended Sept. 20, but town officials still hold out hope that it will be filled before the rink opens for the skating season around the middle of October.

Trevor Ouellette, recreation director for the town, said he wants a kitchen/lounge manager hired as soon as possible, with the first hockey game to be played at the rink on Oct. 26 as the drop point. He said the recreation board met last Wednesday with a group of kitchen and lounge volunteers to try and come up with ideas on how to run the restaurant differently this winter in case no one does come forward by this time.

“As a town we know that the system in place would probably need to change, not that it was broken, it’s just ‘is this the best way to operate’,” said Ouellette. We’re “listening to volunteer feedback (about) what we can do.”

Several volunteers have raised numerous concerns with how the rink kitchen and lounge is run and also what is expected of them. They cite a lack of organization, an unrealistic expectation on the volunteers, an unfair system where many volunteers on the call list refuse to work their shifts and having the volunteers responsible for the cooking of food as ongoing problems at the rink.

Another concern for some volunteers is the town has begun to rent the rink out to teams from Saskatoon and Regina for their tournaments, but Davidson volunteers are still asked to run the kitchen and lounge on these days even though their kids aren’t involved in the play. They say helping out the rink is a priority for them, so they come out and work those shifts as well, but feel they shouldn’t have to on those days and it might be a good idea to just lease out the kitchen and lounge to a business and let them take it over if these events are going to become more commonplace.

Jason Shaw, a Davidson councillor and recreation board member, said the town can’t find anyone who wants to lease or rent the kitchen and lounge or a kitchen/lounge manager because of the unstable rink schedule and the big commitment involved with being tied to the restaurant from October to April. He said another problem is they would have to raise fees if they were to lease it out, which could stop some kids from playing hockey.

Fees “are going up for everybody and we’re going to try and keep them moving up a little bit, but that’s the dilemma,” said Shaw. “You don’t want to have them too high. That is the trade off with keeping fees low, (it’s) people volunteering in the kitchen. If you go to Regina or Saskatoon you pay quite a bit more, but they’re not doing any volunteer hours.

“The fees for the rink are only part of what it cost you to have a kid play hockey now. With the younger age group they play in a Moose Jaw league (and) people are driving in there, so you don’t want to price it too high that kids aren’t playing hockey.”

To read more please see the Sept. 30 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, featured

Ratepayer concerned over Grant St. tree removal

A concerned ratepayer sat down at the council table last Tuesday during the town leaders’ monthly meeting to express her concerns about the removal of a tree on Grant Street.

Jeannie Allan said she chose to address council with her concerns because she was disappointed to see a “nice healthy tree” taken down on her street when there was no grounds for its removal. She said if this tree came down there is also a concern about whether town council might be thinking of removing more trees as well.

“Really what I wanted to come up with is a comprehensive plan with some policies in place regarding some of the trees in town, so that we protect some of the big trees and not take them down,” said Allan, who spoke to council solely on her own behalf. “I don’t want to see the existing trees being taken down unless they are diseased.”

Allan said the town has done a “good job” planting boulevard trees, but there are many more streets that need large canopy trees. She said there are better choices than poplars.

“I understand that the poplars were not the best choice back 40 years ago when they were planted, but just because they were planted in the wrong spot and now they have matured and are lifting the sidewalk, the damage is already done,” she said. “Taking that tree down to me did not solve anything because the sidewalk is still lifted whether the tree is there or not and the roots in the lawn will be there for a very long time. That problem is not solved either.

“I believe public trees should not be removed until a certified arborist examines the trees and makes the educated decision. If the town is worried about tree roots in the sewer system than then it should be the sewer pipes that are repaired.”

Allan said roots only cause damage to the sewer lines that are old and leaking and if the roots don’t find moisture they do no damage. She said money should be spent on repairing sewer lines and not sidewalks or the expense of removing healthy trees.

The large poplar tree in question was located on town property on Grant Street between Second Street and Government Road and was removed by Davidson public works employees the week of Sept. 9 after council made a motion at their Aug. 20 meeting to look at trees that are affecting infrastructure in the town.

Clayton Schneider, mayor of Davidson, said it was not a council decision to take down the tree and he is unhappy that it was removed in the way it was, but it is likely the tree would have eventually come down anyways. He said the motion at the Aug. 20 meeting was solely to determine which trees are damaging streets and sidewalks in town and no action was supposed to be taken on any of them yet.

“Someone jumped the gun on it,” said Schneider, noting the plan was to remove all the problem trees in one shot and not take them down haphazardly. “It was supposed to be decided at (the Sept. 17) meeting, but with that said it was damaging infrastructure so the decision would have probably been the same.”

To read more please see the Sept. 23 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

featured

Craik RCMP officer involved in fatal shooting

A member of the Craik RCMP detachment shot and killed a 42-year-old male last Wednesday while attending an unspecified criminal code investigation at a residence in Holdfast.

The officer went to the residence at approximately 10 p.m. and while there he and the resident of the home got into a physical altercation. During the fight the Craik RCMP member shot the resident, who died at the scene.

Later that night the RCMP requested the Regina Police Service conduct an independent external investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discharge of the firearm and the death of the Holdfast resident.

Sgt. Craig Cleary, a media relation’s officer with the RCMP, said requesting an independent external investigation is common in a “tragic incident” such as this and is done in the name of transparency and accountability. He said this ensures the investigation into the incident is done at arms length from the RCMP.

With the “Regina Police Service entering the investigation as an independent external investigation, they will look into why we were there and what happened,” said Cleary.

The Regina Police Service will be in charge of both the pre- and post-charge phases of the investigation and will report their results to the provincial Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General.

In addition to the independent external investigation, the RCMP has requested the Ministry of Justice appoint an independent observer.

Cleary said he couldn’t release any more information about the incident while the Regina Police Service investigation is ongoing.

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Sarich welcomes fresh start with Avalanche

Cory Sarich is excited for a fresh start this season patrolling the blue-line for the Colorado Avalanche, but knows he’s in a battle with some young guys to earn a spot on the team.

“I can bring some grit and some consistency to their defence,” said Sarich, 35. “Just from being an opponent last year (and) playing against them, they definitely have some guys who can put the puck in the net and as far as defencemen they have a lot of guys who are geared to get up the ice and provide offence along with the forwards. I think they’ll probably need somebody to stay at home and that is something that my game is geared towards.”

The Calgary Flames traded the 6’4″ 207 lb defenceman and forward Alex Tanguay to the Avalanche June 27 for David Jones and Shane O’Brien. Sarich has one year left on a two-year $4 million contract he signed with the Flames on June 29, 2012.

“This move will either extend my career or it could potentially be the end of things (if it) doesn’t go as planned, as far as the NHL is concerned anyways,” said the veteran rearguard who entered the league as a 1996 second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. “It is something that I need to do. I feel I have something to prove. I did prove that over the course of the last two years to my coaches and to people that were doubting me in Calgary. I would play really well when they finally decided to play me and then the next season would start and they would give up on me.

“I finished the season strong again last year and was doing exactly what I needed to be doing, but I didn’t want to go in and have everything back to square one and (have) to try out again to fill the team. If I’m going to do that I’d rather do it somewhere else where I might get a better shot.”

Sarich suited up for only 28 games with the Flames last season in a condensed 48-game schedule. He had two assists, was a minus-eight and tallied 16 penalty minutes while averaging 14:51 of ice time.

The Bladworth native said he has been asking the Flames for a move at certain points over the past few years due to frustration with his situation on the team, so he appreciates general manager Jay Feaster giving him a chance to go somewhere else this year.

“It stared off great (in Calgary),” said Sarich, signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Flames in the summer of 2007. “We made the playoffs a couple years in a row and we were on the cusp, but (then) we had a change in coaching. I’m not blaming anybody there. We had a lot of personnel change over the last few years too and it couldn’t seem to click. You go three or four years without making the playoffs, that gets tiresome too.

“Maybe we were to blame as players, you could point a finger at coaching, (but) it’s usually a collection of both. We just weren’t getting the job done. I’m not sure what exactly our problem was in Calgary, but it was just time for a change for a lot of people.”

Sarich said he can provide leadership and “some age” in the Avalanche dressing room, which the young team may need making it to the next level. Colorado finished nine games under .500 and in last place in the Western Conference last year with a total of 39 points, but he said if the team gets set in the right direction and off to a hot start this season they could make a run for a playoff spot.

To read more please see the Sept. 9 print edition of The Davidson Leader.

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Local man helps nab truck thief

A 28-year-old Watrous man, on Friday, Aug. 23, had police on a wild, three-hour chase down highways, prairie trails and across farm fields.
It all ended in Last Mountain Lake, at Etters Beach, where the Mounties finally caught their man by fishing him out of the lake.
The Friday night chase began at about 5:30 when Const. Brendan Fonteyne of the Watrous RCMP detachment responded to a complaint of a suspicious vehicle parked in an alley in Watrous.
That suspicious vehicle turned out to be the truck that was reported stolen from Fast Toys for Boys trailer dealership in Davidson.
Terry Dieno, owner of Fast Toys for Boys, said they noticed the truck, which is a dualee pick up truck they use to tow RVs from Indiana to Davidson, missing the morning of Thursday, Aug. 22.
The thief drove through the fence surrounding the dealership, demolishing about 100 feet of it, to make his escape.
Dieno reported the stolen truck to Craik RCMP.
The next day, Dieno was notified that police had spotted his truck in Watrous.
However, Dieno’s truck didn’t stay in Watrous long.
Fonteyne said when he went to check out the truck, the driver took off, driving south out of Watrous on Highway 668. Fonteyne tried to pull over the vehicle but the driver fled across a grain field south of Watrous where a farmer was swathing. Fonteyne said the suspect then traded trucks, taking the farmer’s truck, a 2013 GMC Sierra, and took off again.
By now, four RCMP cruisers were involved in the chase, with Watrous and Craik RCMP detachments each supplying two vehicles.
Fonteyne said the officers lost sight of the suspect vehicle while he was fleeing across a field, heading back to Davidson.
The thief didn’t stay lost for long.
Dieno said when police notified him that they’d spotted his truck he was about to go flying in his plane, so he offered to look for his truck.
Dieno said he usually flies eastward out of town, but police advised him to go south towards Craik.
While he was still heading east, Dieno said he saw headlights coming down a prairie trail.
He took a look at the truck, but it wasn’t his, so he was about to head south, when he got an update that the suspect had abandoned Dieno’s truck and stole a different one.
Dieno said he asked police for a description of the vehicle and realized he had flown right over top of the thief.
To read more please see the Sept. 2 print edition of The Davidson Leader.