November 30, 1946 – April 27, 2025

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Karen Jess at Royal University Hospital at the age of 78. She was predeceased by her husband Ronald Jess, her parents Paul and Helen Kerpan, her parents-in-law Bernard and Wilma Jess, her brother Darryl Kerpan and her niece Danielle Kerpan. She leaves behind her 4 children: Kevin (Pam) Jess, Bradley Jess, Coralee (Kevin) Vollmer and Loretta (Mark Anderson) as well as 8 grandkids, 6 great-grandkids and many nieces and nephews. Karen loved to farm, plant a garden, grow some flowers, talk on the phone to neighbours and friends and play cards. Karen and Wayne moved to Saskatoon so mom could be closer to her dialysis that she did at the Renal Centre where she gained a second family. A special thank-you to the staff and doctors at the Renal Centre and St. Paul’s Hospital for all the care Karen received over the years.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Karen’s memory may be made to St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, Renal Centre, in Saskatoon, Sask. A family service for Karen will be held at a later date. Hanson’s Funeral Service of Davidson in care of arrangements.

With reports of identity theft and fraud popping up everywhere, especially during the recent tax season, residents are left wondering how they can keep their valuables safe from criminals. Affinity Credit Union in David- son hosted a lively workshop focused on prevention and security to more than 50 people on April 29. Professionals from Davidson and Watrous Affinity Credit Union invited Davidson and area to a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session on Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention. A free pulled pork, beans, and salad lunch was provided to every- one that attended the event at the Davidson Senior Centre.

The workshop was developed by Each One, Teach One (EOTO), a program managed by the Canadian Credit Union Association. The organization trains employees of Canadian credit unions to deliver financial education workshops in their communities.  EOTO offers workshops and online modules designed to help with financial decisions, goals and plans. The plain language instruction, without any ties to products or services, has shown to be popular with those that have attended the workshop. The lunch hour was fast paced but informative, covering a variety of topics, including definitions, types of scams (online and phone), and identity theft risks identifying actions people could do immediately to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world. The informal structure of the workshop invited people to share their experiences dealing with fraud and identity theft. Fraud and identity theft often go unreported due to shame or embarrassment, but talking about it is important.

Some of the anecdotes offered by guests were new even to the workshop leaders, which further emphasized that sharing these stories with friends and family is important to prevention. People learned that safety starts in the real world. Instructors recommended shredding documents like bills and even receipts that include vital personal information criminals need to perpetuate identity theft. Another common oversight is storing personal documents in unattended vehicles, including vehicle registration. For documents like registration and passports, they should be stored on your person when in use or safely stored away when not. Workshop leaders further recommended safeguards for cheques. They recommend not ordering too many at once to limit out-of-sequence cheques going unnoticed, a common risk in the theft of a cheque book. When travelling, people are advised to be less trusting in public access Wi-Fi than they are at home with personal Wi-Fi.

Due to the openness and weak security of public Wi-Fi, online banking or online shopping should never be done when connected to them. Even use of social media should be avoided, since it puts your personal information at risk to anyone nearby the Wi-Fi hotspot. Emails are another ploy thieves use to gain access to personal information. Common signs of a fraudulent email are spelling errors, links to suspicious websites, requests for personal information, and requests/notifications from banks, Canada Revenue Agency, and even SGI for money refunds or money owing. If a person is at all suspicious of an email they should call the purported sender using their official phone numbers found on their websites, phone book, or business cards. Don’t assume the number on the suspicious email is safe. It’s likely a hotline straight to a criminal. When browsing the Internet, ensure that the address bar starts with ‘HTTPS’ and not just ‘HTTP.’ Also, look for a lock icon near the address which ensures the communications are private between you and the website.

Most importantly, scams often involve money and a sense of urgency. People should take time to consider what they are going into. Enticements should never include warnings not to talk to anyone about what you’re doing. Instead, talk to friends, families, or even bankers. A red flag might be readily apparent to someone not under pressure. Finally, check your bank statements and report all incidents to the RCMP and/or bank. Spotting illegal activity helps keep everyone safe.

By Kevin Gilby

A representative of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) recently met with local stakeholders to discuss the loss of physicians at the Davidson and Craik Health Centres. In separate meetings on the afternoon of April 23, Erin Hess, the Director of Primary Health Care, spoke with the community’s respective stakeholders to discuss ongoing staffing efforts. “We have received the resignation from Dr. Saadat Torabian, who will be leaving at the end of May, and we have also received the resignation from Dr. A. Sodhi, who will be leaving at the end of August,” Hess said. “Right now we are actively working on securing locum coverage. There is a posting for two physicians for Davidson and Craik.” Hess added that the nurse practitioner for the area is scheduled to return in the fall.

“Across my whole network, there is a large vacancy in nurse practitioners. This is another very hard to recruit position in rural (areas). “But we are actively working on a plan for the upcoming vacancies. We will be sharing that further with the community; how we’re going to fill those gaps if we can’t get a physician in the meantime.” Hess said the process may look a little different while the physician hiring is in progress, but the changes, if any, will be communicated with the public. An application has also been made for two physicians through the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment Program (SIPPA) program. “Davidson has also implemented the Virtual Physician which has been a huge support.

The Saskatchewan Virtual Visit Program is a provincial video-conferencing solution that connects health care providers with patients and their families, supporting access to care regardless of location, while simultaneously improving continuity of care. We’re trying to be as proactive as we can.” Hess indicated that work with existing physicians, locums, and virtual care is continual to prevent or limit possible ER disruptions although none are foreseen at this time. “I really appreciate the relation- ship and partnership we have with Davidson and Craik,” she said. “We meet quite often throughout the year, but in this case we’re going to collaborate with both communities is (potentially) at the end of May.

“I will be updating Davidson and Craik on any progress that is happening. I always appreciate the collaboration of our communities. Always trying to come up with ideas, discuss ways they can support, and how we can work together.”

Fraser Tolmie will represent Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan for a second term in Parliament after cruising to victory in the April 28 federal election. Tolmie garnered 71.9 per cent of the votes cast in the riding. A distant second was Tabitha Mukamusoni of the Liberal Party, with 16.7 per cent of the vote. Britt Baumann of the NDP received 7.5 per cent, Chey Craik of the People’s Party of Canada had 2.9 per cent and Mike Gardiner of the Green Party had 0.9 per cent.

“I’m deeply grateful to the people of Moose Jaw-Lake Centre Lanigan for trusting me with their votes. It is an honour and a privilege to serve them and fight for them in Ottawa,” Tolmie told the Leader in the form of a news release. “This decisive win in our local campaign took an entire team to achieve. I wouldn’t be here without my campaign team, volunteers, supporters, and donors who spread our message of change for our country and helped deliver such a commanding result on election day.”

Reflecting on the upcoming Parliamentary session, Tolmie had this to say about what to expect when MPs return to Ottawa. “There are things to be proud of from this campaign nationally, and some big things to improve on, but we need to hit the ground running because we have no idea how long this government is going to last. “Conservatives will be a government in waiting, and we just don’t know how long that wait will be. We will work with this government when we can, but we will also firmly hold them to account.” Tolmie is one of 13 Conservatives who won in the province. The other seat went to the Liberal Party’s Buckley Belanger, who picked up 65.1 per cent of the vote in the Desnethé-Missinippi Churchill River riding. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is hopeful Belanger will be a strong voice for the province in the Liberal caucus.

Nationally, the Liberal Party won for the fourth consecutive time. It was a stunning victory, given polls showed the Conservative’s with a 20-point lead in January. The Liberals led by three points days before the election. The Liberals finished with 169 seats, three short of forming a majority government. The Conservatives won in 144 ridings. According to political analysts, the Liberal fortunes turned when Justin Trudeau stepped down as the party’s leader, as well as the inauguration of Donald Trump, who slapped tariffs on Canada soon after, and talked often about Canada becoming the 51st State. Those were fighting words among Canadians.

The election of Mark Carney — who has a background in economics — as Liberal leader, gave the Liberals another boost, analysts said. Analysts say Pierre Poilievre’s Trump-style hurt his chances, although the Conservative leader tried to distance himself from Trump’s endorsement.  Poilievre lost his seat in Ontario. “It was the ‘anybody-but-Conservative’ factor, it was the Trump tariff factor, and then it was the Trudeau departure … which enabled a lot of left-of-centre voters and traditional Liberal voters to come back to the party,” Sha- chi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute polling firm, told the Reuters, a world-wide news agency. Moe told reporters that he “would take this opportunity to invite Prime Minister Carney to a meeting here in Saskatchewan, where we’d love to host him to chart a productive path forward for our province within the nation of Canada.” He said in heard positives in Carney’s victory speech. In the speech, Carney said he under- stands concerns from Alberta and Saskatchewan and he will work for all Canadians. Carney also said Canada should become an energy superpower while fighting climate change. “What I heard last night is a prime minister, and I’m hoping a Liberal Party, that isn’t giving up on Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan people and the role that Saskatchewan plays in Confederation.”

(Information from various news sources was also used to compile this story.)

“Hell Yeah!” That is the name of the award that Southern Meats, a Kenaston-based company, won on April 16 at the 23rd annual Moose Jaw and District Business Excellence awards night. Cathareen Botha of Southern Meats said the “Hell Yeah!” award is described this way:

“Often the success of a business is down to the way its people pull together to propel the company for- ward and/or support the community around it. Resilience, dedication, initiative, and positivity are present in great force from employees in businesses across the borough and this award seeks to acknowledge their admirable strengths and efforts.” She said it is an honour to have Southern Meats recognized. “This recognition means a lot to us. It acknowledges our commitment to excellence and the hard work of our team,” she said in an email to the Leader.

“We are grateful for the support we’ve received and are inspired to continue contributing to our community’s growth and success. We hope to keep earning your trust and welcome your continued support and feedback — because without it, we can’t grow or improve.” Cathareen, Elda Botha, and Gerhardt Botha were in attendance to accept their award.

By Kevin Gilby

The regular meeting of David- son Town Council occurred April 22 at the Town chambers. There were two delegates. Elaine Ebenal, on behalf of the Davidson Housing Author- ity, was present to give a summary of the authority’s activities and current need of board members. Ebenal highlighted the need for housing for seniors and low-income individual/ families in communities and the strong desire to keep control of said housing local to Davidson and area. She indicated that the housing authority is in need of two additional members and has made similar presentations to the RMs of Arm River and Willner. Ebenal asked council to con- sider recommending member- ship to their social circles. She explained the commitment is essentially a one-hour long meeting every six to seven weeks. Ebenal is hoping anyone considering becoming a board member to help oversee vital housing in Davidson reach out to her.

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Davidson Volunteer Fire Department (DFD) Fire Chief Cory Dean also attended the meeting to express DVD’s desire to learn how to better utilize the town’s water distribution system in events of fires within town limits. Dean wants to work with public works employees to better understand what physical limits exist to distribute water in times of emergency and help plan co-ordination between the two groups to more efficiently combat fires and maintain adequate water pressure. Dean expressed how the fire department experienced a few unexpected problems during the recent fire in the north industrial area of Davidson. Council agreed that the DFD and Public Works department needs to share needs, capabilities, and procedures to fully utilize DFD’s fire handling capabilities and the town’s distribution capabilities. Council further said that water pressure concerns experienced during the event are being remedied and are intended to be fully resolved by end of May.

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Council approved a motion to proceed with contracting with MPE Engineering to provide engineering services for the Enterprise Lane Upgrade project. The work includes revising the  drawings created in 2024, material selection, and up to awarding of contract. The current plan is to complete the upgrade in this calendar year.

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Council approved buying 45 folding tables to facilitate replacing the existing tables at the AGT Centre. The new tables may be used in the Town Hall and existing tables at the hall would replace the tables at the AGT Centre.

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Council received correspondence from the Ministry of Government Relations which announced the residential Education Property Tax Mill Rates for 2025 went down to 4.27 from 4.54 mills in 2024.

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Council approved donating a Family Season Swim Pass to support the Davidson Skatepark Committee’s Market in the Park fundraiser. Tickets are available at the annual fundraising event at Arnold Park in Davidson on May 10. The winning ticket will be selected June 21 during Davidson Days.

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Administration indicated that the town has hired an Operations Manager to oversee Public Works activities, contracting, and related functions. The manager will begin work May 12. Administration indicated that its still accepting applications for the Public Works Department foreman position until May 16. Administration further indicated that all summer seasonal staffing positions have been filled. The landfill operator position has also been filled and the landfill is now open for regular hours of operation.

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AGT rental rates for JAA and Cyclones are to increase by five per cent to cover increased operational costs. Similarly, local rental group fees are to increase from $130 to $140 per hour and out-of-town fees by eight per cent.

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The Sask Lotteries grant of $16,218 has been allotted to the local groups that applied for funding.

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The DFD asked the Fire Board for permission to begin fundraising for a new fire rescue truck and possible conversion of existing fire rescue truck to a wildland truck. The board approved the fundraiser, but suggested they collect letters of intent in lieu of cash in the event they do not proceed with the purchase.