Craik, featured

Renos continue at Craik fairgrounds as Lions plan summer event

Members of the Craik and District Lions Club were on hand Thursday to accept a cheque for $75,000 for upgrades to the Craik fairgrounds from Co-op Community Spaces.

By Joel van der Veen

CRAIK — A $75,000 grant from Federated Co-op Ltd. will provide a major boost to ongoing renovations at the Craik fairgrounds.

The funds, provided from the company’s Community Spaces Program, will be spent on upgrades at the site, including renovations to the agricultural building, concession stand and one of the ball diamonds.

Gayle Skeet said there are also plans to build a new ticket booth at the entrance to the 23-acre site, as well as an entertainment stage, to be known as the Co-op stage.

“The grant is going to be spent for the betterment of the community,” said Skeet, secretary of the Craik and District Lions Club, which is taking charge of the project.

Members of the local club were on hand Thursday evening to accept the five-figure cheque from two Palliser Plains Co-op representatives: general manager Mike Sigouin and board member Mark Wegner.

“It’s important that we give back and make investments in our community and people, which is what Co-op Community Spaces is all about,” Sigouin said in a prepared statement.

The Community Spaces program supports recreation, environmental conservation and urban agriculture projects. A total of 27 projects are being supported through the program this year, receiving a combined total of $2 million.

The Craik and District Lions Club has seen significant growth in the past five years, growing from six to 24 members.

Club members are getting ready for the second annual Craik Fair, following the success of last year’s event.

The year 2017 marks 100 years of Lions International, and the club has selected the fairgrounds as its Legacy Project.

The Craik Fair, scheduled for Saturday, July 29, will expand this year with the addition of a gymkhana event, organized by a resurrected Craik Ag Committee.

For the full story, please see the June 19 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

Bladworth, featured

Goats add playful twist to yoga class

Janelle Shewchuk (left) and Julie Nykiforuk sit in a lotus pose during a goat yoga class on Monday.

By Joel van der Veen

BLADWORTH —  A herd of goats, a yoga mat, and thou.

These were the ingredients for a unique experience at the farm of Mary Smillie and Ian McCreary at Bladworth on Monday night.

Around 45 people visited the farm for a session of “goat yoga,” led by local instructor Lois Dueck.

It’s exactly what the name suggests: a yoga class given inside the goats’ pen, with the animals freely walking around, nibbling on grass and sometimes getting up close and personal with the participants.

Dueck, who has been teaching yoga for 12 years, said she wasn’t sure what to expect heading into Monday evening.

She had visited the farm previously to meet the herd and said she found it easy to warm up to the goats, who seemed to have a calming effect.

“It brought all levels and ages together, and that was very cool,” said Dueck. “Being outside was very nice, too.”

Dueck remarked that she’d expected the goats to be more curious, noting that they were drawing closer to the yoga group as the evening went on.

The goats appeared comfortable despite the presence of the large group. Some drew close enough to be petted or held, or to nibble on a participant’s shoelace. Occasionally a few of the goats would startle, leading to a brief, harmless stampede.

“People really have to try it to know what it’s like,” said Dueck. “I’d be up for doing it again, for sure.”

Smillie began raising goats six years ago, starting with 12 animals. Currently, her herd includes 30 nanny goats, 14 replacement doelings (one year old) and 42 kids.

The event was inspired by videos of goat yoga that were recently posted online. To Smillie, goats and yoga sounded like a natural pairing.

“Yoga should be about feeling good and relaxing,” said Smillie. “It seemed to work.”

She contacted Dueck, who was immediately on board. She said afterward that she was pleased with the response, adding that several more would have come if not for prior commitments.

More sessions are planned for the future, said Smillie, adding that she would appreciate feedback from those who attended the first.

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

Davidson, featured

Excitement grows for pool’s opening

Davidson’s new pool is expected to be ready for public swimming by June 19.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON —  Swimmers in Davidson are counting down the days until the town’s new pool officially opens.

Jessica Foster, a founding member of the swimming pool committee and now also a town councillor, said she’s been stopping by the pool on a daily basis to see the progress.

“Every day there’s people who’ll stop and visit with me,” she said. “I think the whole community’s been watching every step of this.”

Recreation director Trevor Ouellette said Friday that the pool’s opening, originally scheduled for June 16, would be delayed slightly due to equipment issues.

The town is aiming to have the pool ready for use for Monday, June 19.

He said Friday that the delay was due to “technical issues with the mechanical system not being ready to go,” and declined to elaborate.

Previously, Ouellette said he’s also happy to have reached this point, though he’ll feel a little more at ease once the pool has been operating for a few weeks and the proper chemistry has been achieved.

An official grand opening ceremony will be held at the Hamilton Street facility on June 30.

Workers filled the pool with water between Monday and Tuesday. Its total capacity is roughly 690,000 litres, and its deep end is 3.75 metres deep.

Sod is being laid alongside the pool, while grass is being seeded further away.

The fence around the pool, a key requirement for health and safety regulators, was completed the morning of June 2. It stands eight feet high, with a foot-and-a-half of barbed wire at the top.

The diving board, three metres high, was installed last week. Anti-bacterial, anti-slip flooring was installed in the poolhouse in May.

The facility is officially known as the Panther Swimming Pool, in honour of its largest sponsor.

Panther Industries donated $250,000 towards the project. The company’s logo has been installed on the floor at the entrance to the poolhouse.

Another major sponsor, the Kinsmen Club of Davidson, is also being recognized with its logos being placed in both change rooms, on the floor near the exits to the pool.

Guests arriving at the pool will enter through the poolhouse, which houses the office, change rooms, and the mechanical and chemical room.

From the front entrance, the office is straight ahead, along with two family change rooms. The men’s change room is to the left and the women’s is on the right.

The bright, spacious new building is a radical departure from the old poolhouse, which was small, dimly lit and not easily accessible for those with limited mobility.

The new building is fully accessible, as is the pool itself, thanks to the beach-style entry at the northeast end.

A sponsor wall will be installed adjacent to the office, providing information about the project and listing platinum, gold and silver sponsors.

The mechanical and chemical room is located at the west end of the building, taking up about 15 per cent of the overall space. The poolhouse has a total floor space of 1,731 square feet.

“We tried the best we can to have a zero-maintenance building,” said Ouellette, noting that the PVC walls inside don’t require painting.

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

featured, Loreburn

Loreburn’s cenotaph restored after 90 years

Legion members, RCMP officers and dignitaries pose following the rededication ceremony for Loreburn’s cenotaph on June 6.

By Joel van der Veen

LOREBURN — In 1927, veterans from Loreburn and area built a monument to their fallen comrades in the centre of their village.

They had hauled rocks — likely from the Wankel farm, west of town — and constructed the stone memorial at the corner of Main Street and Saskatchewan Avenue, near the brick schoolhouse.

Ninety years later, residents of the village gathered to rededicate their cenotaph, and to remember and honour the fallen.

Thirteen men are commemorated on the monument — 11 casualties from the First World War, and two from the Second World War.

During Tuesday’s ceremony, Rev. Ursula Wiig spoke of the importance of continuing to remember their sacrifice.

Recalling the horror of conflicts past and present, she added, “We also want to dedicate ourselves to making a better world.”

The 90-year-old monument was recently refurbished by local volunteers, ensuring it will continue to serve its purpose for years to come.

Andy Wong and his wife May led the repairs, removing and replacing the mortar, which had deteriorated over time. Also, the plaques were cleaned and the letters were repainted by Sue Ann Abbott.

The project cost roughly $1,200, about half of which was covered by a grant from Veterans Affairs Canada. The rest of the costs were covered by the branch’s Poppy Trust Fund and by the village itself.

Around 140 people gathered Tuesday morning for the ceremony. This included close to 100 students from Loreburn Central School, who walked to the site for the occasion.

The date, June 6, was chosen as the 73rd anniversary of the landing at Normandy, popularly known as D-Day.

Joe Sitavanc, president of Loreburn-Elbow Branch No. 251 of the Royal Canadian Legion, served as emcee.

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

Davidson, Sports

Read wins bronze at provincial meet

Emily Read (right) of Davidson School won bronze in junior girls tetrathlon at the provincial track and field meet on June 2.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A bronze medal wasn’t the only thing Emily Read took home from last weekend’s provincial track and field meet.

Read, who competed in the junior girls tetrathlon, scored a personal best in long jump, one of the four events.

She also gets to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and pride that comes from competing and succeeding on the provincial stage.

“It’s an amazing experience just to go to provincials and compete there and see the different athletes,” Read told the Leader last week. “Winning a medal makes it an even better experience.”

The Grade 11 student was one of nine athletes from Davidson School to compete at provincials in Saskatoon on June 2 and 3, and the only one to earn a medal.

She said she was feeling nervous but excited heading into provincials. In training, she said, she focused on the track events, where there was the most room for improvement.

“I was hoping for a ribbon, for sure,” she recalled. “I didn’t know how it would go.”

Her first event on Friday was the 100-metre dash, where she placed second in her heat and sixth overall with a time of 14.46 seconds.

Read then threw 8.32 metres in the shot put, placing second. This was an encouraging result and she realized that a medal might be within her reach.

She recorded a personal best in the long jump, 4.42 metres, earning first place in that event.

She said the pressure was on heading into the final event, the 800-metre run. There she placed sixth with a time of 2:47.58.

The run was held just before 7 p.m. and the results weren’t announced for almost an hour afterward, when Read learned she’d be taking home the bronze.

“I was really happy,” she said. “Going into provincials, I didn’t think I’d get a medal, so I was pumped.”

Read scored a total of 1,851 points, only 31 points shy of the gold-medal winner, Ally Kosteniuk of Balgonie. A total of 16 girls competed in the event.

A banner with Read’s name will be presented to the school and hung in the gymnasium. (Her name is already up there on another banner, presented to the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec for winning 2A volleyball provincials in 2015.)

Read played basketball and volleyball at school this past year and is also active in softball and dance.

She said she plans to continue with track and field next year with hopes of improving her results at the tetrathlon.

Read also competed at provincials last year in the midget girls long jump, scoring a personal best of 4.26 metres.

Two athletes from Davidson reached the top 10 in multiple events at the provincial meet.

Clay Murfitt competed in four junior boys events. He placed seventh in the high jump (1.65 m, 7/25) and ninth in the 100-m hurdles (15.93 in semis). He also competed in the shot put (10.42 m, 13/28) and the 100-m dash (12.48 s, 21/28).

Meanwhile, in the midget girls division, Jordan Matheson placed eighth in long jump at 4.78 metres (8/28) and ninth in triple jump at 9.78 metres (9/27). She also completed the 100-m dash in 13.75 seconds (16/16 in semis).

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

Hanley, Sports

Back-to-back bronze for Hanley pole vaulter

Jadyn Reiber (right) of Hanley Composite School won bronze in the midget girls pole vault at the provincial track and field meet on June 3.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — Flinging your body around with the help of a long, narrow pole might seem daunting, but fortunately it gets easier with time.

“It can be a bit scary hurling yourself into the air, I guess,” said Jadyn Reiber, a pole vaulter and a Grade 10 student at Hanley Composite School.

“It was hard at first . . . Once you get over the fear factor, then it gets a lot easier and your confidence grows.”

Having won two provincial bronze medals in two years, Reiber knows what she’s talking about.

She won bronze in the midget girls pole vault last year, with a height of 1.90 metres.

On June 3, she repeated the feat, increasing her height to 2.25 metres. Both years, she was the only Hanley athlete to return home from provincials with a medal.

Reiber said she participates in other events but has focused on the pole vault in the last couple of years.

“Honestly, I’d see people doing it and I thought that it would be kind of fun,” she recalled.

She and other rural students practised at the field house on the University of Saskatchewan campus once a week, giving them an opportunity they might not otherwise have at smaller schools.

In recent weeks Reiber has been suffering from a virus, which weakened her somewhat on the day of the event. She said she’s still curious to know how she would have done had she been in perfect health.

“I was hoping to do better, but that didn’t happen,” she said, adding, “I’m happy with the way it turned out.”

She has avoided injury so far in her pole vaulting career, though she had a close call while warming up at provincials this year when the mat was harder than she expected.

“My first jump was kind of a surprise,” she said. “I kneed myself in the face.”

Reiber plays volleyball at school and has also played on various club teams. Her other sports include curling and badminton.

“I do pretty much everything the school has to offer,” she said.

With a couple of years to go, she plans to continue her efforts on the field, with the aim of improving her results and perhaps taking home a silver or gold.

“A lot of the girls do club track in the city,” said Reiber. “I think if I push myself, I can hopefully reach that goal.”

For the full story and complete results, see the June 12 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.

The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan