Anne McGinnis (née Hrechka)
January 9th, 1949 — September 5th, 2017
Anne McGinnis passed away on Tuesday, September 5th, 2017 with her family by her side. Anne was born on January 9th, 1949 in Peesane, Sask. She was predeceased by her parents John and Stella; sister Mary Noren; brothers-in-law Jerry Noren and Leo Shull; sisters-in-law Mary Hrechka and Bev Hrechka; and father-in-law Earl McGinnis.
Anne leaves behind the love of her life, Bill McGinnis, whom she married on June 11th, 1966. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughters: Wanda (Dean Sunley), Wendy (Steve Sanden), and Wanesa (Bill Dell); her grandchildren: Hailey, Jenna and Hope Sunley, Josh, Aiden and Hanna Sanden, and Paige and April Dell, who all meant everything to her; her sister Kathy Shull; brothers Mike (Darlene) and Bill Hrechka; as well as many nieces and nephews. She will be dearly missed.
In keeping with Anne’s wishes, a private family service will be held at a later date. Flowers are gratefully declined. In lieu of flowers, donations in Anne’s name may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Todd Sjoberg, Funeral Director 306-693-4550, www.moosejawfuneralhome.com.
The Strongfield curling rink was destroyed in a wind storm on July 20.
By Joel van der Veen
STRONGFIELD — If you rebuild it, they will come back.
That’s what organizers in Strongfield are hoping, as they press forward with plans to replace the village curling rink, weeks after it was knocked down in a windstorm on July 20.
The rink, a popular destination for more than 50 years, drew crowds each week for curling and community suppers during the winter months.
Village officials say the insurance payout from the old rink should largely cover the cost of building a simple structure that is roughly the same size, allowing curling to resume for the coming season.
The council and recreation board have both indicated their support for the project, as have the volunteers who keep the rink running each year.
“They’re completely in favour to rebuild,” said Amanda Glubis, one of six members on the village rec board. “They know it’s an important part of our community.”
A public meeting to discuss the rink’s future on Aug. 24 drew about 30 people, many of them from other communities on Line 19.
Mayor Jeff Vollmer said most in attendance were in support of rebuilding, though others questioned the long-term viability of a curling rink in Strongfield.
Some were under the impression that the village would be taking out a loan to pay for the new structure, the mayor said, adding, “A lot of people were thinking that their taxes were going to go up.”
He said the insurance payout should pay for the building itself, while fundraising will pay for finishing touches further down the road.
For the full story, please see the Sept. 4 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
Local Air Cadet Sgt. Emily Jones (second from right) spent six weeks at the Cadet Flying Training Centre in Gimli, Man.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — As they turn 16, many kids are aiming to pass their driver’s test and hit the road for the first time.
But Sgt. Jacob Heinrich found himself at the controls of a slightly different vehicle.
Heinrich, a Davidson resident, was at the Cadet Flying Training Centre (CFTC) in Gimli, Man., training on the Schweizer SGS 2-33A glider.
On Aug. 3, the day he turned 16, he went for his first solo flight, after weeks of flying with instructors.
“It kind of hits you and you’re like, ‘I’m up here alone,’” Heinrich recalled. “I’m not sure I know how to explain it . . . It feels quite cool.”
“It’s pretty awesome when you’re up in the air,” said his comrade, Sgt. Emily Jones of Craik. “It’s like nobody else is around.”
The two cadets attended the centre from mid-July to late August to train on the glider.
Both Heinrich and Jones began their Cadet careers with 553 Sherlock Squadron in Davidson, later transferring to 40 Snowbird Squadron in Moose Jaw after 553 was re-organized due to low enrolment.
They began the application process for the flying training centre last fall, which included ground school, a qualifying exam, and interviews with a selection board.
A total of 65 Cadets attended the centre this summer, most of them coming from the Prairie region.
“It was a very action-packed summer,” said Heinrich.
For the full story, please see the Sept. 4 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
Jacob Schilling and teammates take part in an agility drill at a senior football practice in Davidson on Aug. 28.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — An uncertain week gave way to optimism on Thursday as Davidson coaches agreed to move forward on another season of senior football.
Early last week, the coming season appeared to be in jeopardy with nine or 10 players showing up at the first two practices, well short of the minimum number required for a six-man team.
But Thursday’s practice drew 14 players, said coach Jason Low, adding that he’s also waiting to hear from “maybe a few more who are on the fence.”
“We decided to give it a go,” he said Friday in a phone call from Outlook, where he was attending a coaching convention hosted by Football Saskatchewan.
The Davidson Raiders will begin their season with a home game against Lanigan on Friday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m.
The team plays in the 2A league in a conference that also includes Assiniboia, Preeceville, Watrous and Wynyard. (Watson was originally part of the league but had to drop out due to low player numbers.)
Davidson’s coaching staff this year includes Low, John Jamieson and Garrett Bailey, along with Greg Bennett, a new addition to the staff at Davidson School. (Bailey and Bennett are also leading the school’s junior football program.)
Kenaston principal Greg McJannet is joining the coaching staff of the Outlook High School Blues, where his son is on the roster. Trevor Ouellette, whose son Addison graduated last year, also decided to retire from coaching football after last season.
The Raiders have a co-op agreement with three area schools, allowing players from Craik, Kenaston and Loreburn to play on the team.
The senior team met three times last week and will soon transition into its regular schedule of early-morning practices.
Low attributed the low initial turnout to a couple of factors, including some miscommunication. For instance, he said some out-of-town parents were unaware of the co-op arrangement and didn’t know their kids were eligible to play.
As well, some potential players have chosen to focus on one specific sport like basketball.
Eight players graduated from Grade 12 last year, including much of the team’s offensive core.
This year Davidson also has to contend with a small Grade 12 class, meaning fewer potential players.
“We’re kind of back to our drawing board this year,” said Low, calling it something of an “anomaly year.”
While the coach wasn’t sure about what the season would hold, he said he’s looking forward to it, adding that the players have demonstrated their enthusiasm and willingness to work hard.
Last year Davidson finished the regular season in third place out of four teams in their conference with two wins and four losses. They lost 49-12 to Assiniboia in the first round of playoffs.
Bonnie Jean Low, at left, and Dave and Colleen Spelliscy travelled to Senegal in July to distribute gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — A month after returning home from the West African country of Senegal, three Davidson folks are still working through the experience in their minds.
Dave and Colleen Spelliscy and Bonnie Jean Low spent two weeks there in July volunteering with Samaritan’s Purse, distributing thousands of gift boxes through the organization’s Operation Christmas Child (OCC) program.
They and their teammates personally handed out close to 3,500 shoeboxes, containing toys, school supplies and toiletries, to children in need.
“It felt like a whirlwind because we were very busy,” said Colleen, adding, “You’re so concentrated on what you’re doing, you don’t have time to be tired.”
“It wasn’t as exhausting as we thought it would be,” said Bonnie Jean.
Each year, boxes are packed by volunteers in Canada and other countries, then distributed across Latin America, the Carribean and West Africa. Last year, Canadians donated more than 664,000 shoeboxes.
This was the second such trip for the Spelliscys, a retired couple who previously went to Costa Rica in May 2016.
After learning that one volunteer had to cancel their plans, Dave and Colleen thought of Bonnie Jean and extended an invitation to her.
Bonnie Jean, a home care worker, had just told friends that she had no summer plans yet when she received their text message. After making arrangements to take time off from work, she was able to join them.
They were part of a team of 24 Canadian volunteers, mostly from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
For the full story, please see the Aug. 28 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.
A combine caught fire on a section of land northwest of Davidson on Aug. 19.
By Joel van der Veen
BLADWORTH — Two fires on the same section of land made for a busy Saturday for local firefighters and nearby farmers.
The Davidson Volunteer Fire Department was called around noon on Aug. 19 to a stubble fire on a field northwest of Davidson along the Allan Road.
After that fire was extinguished, they returned to the same section six hours later to respond to a combine fire, about a mile west.
“This was actually two completely separate fires,” deputy fire chief Don Willner told the Leader.
In both cases, he said, area farmers responded with their tractors, discers and water trucks, helping to keep the fires from spreading.
“The discers did most of the work,” said Willner. “They knocked it down faster than we did.”
Given the dry, windy conditions, Willner said their help was crucial in preventing the fire from crossing the Allan Road into the adjacent pasture land, “which would have been extremely difficult to contain.”
The first call came in at 12:10 p.m., with Rescue 481, Engine 482 and Tanker 481 responding.
Willner said the smoke was visible from town as the firefighters headed out.
Upon arrival, they found the farmer using a 4WD tractor with a discer around the perimeter to limit the spread.
Neighbours brought two or three additional tractors and discers, while water trucks were also brought to the site, including a truck from the Clear Spring colony.
Willner said firefighters were on the scene for roughly two hours.
The second call came in around 6:30 p.m., reporting a combine fire located about a mile west of the first blaze.
After realizing the machine was on fire, Willner said, the combine operator began driving back towards the direction of the first fire, hoping to limit the damage and spread.
With the combine, a Case IH Model 7120, already believed to be a total loss, the firefighters focused on extinguishing the fire on the ground.
“We concentrated on the fire itself,” said Willner. “We didn’t want it to reach around where it had already burned.”
Again, firefighters were on the scene for around two hours.
The affected barley field had already been harvested, so no crops were lost in either blaze.
Willner said the cause of both fires was undetermined, though it may have been as simple as a blade making a spark after striking a rock.
The Hodgins family, who own the affected land, later expressed their thanks to firefighters and their neighbours in a Facebook post.
Anne McGinnis (née Hrechka)
