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.
The family of Gail Maureen Ehman (O’Hara) sadly announces her passing on March 28, 2016.
Gail was born Nov. 10, 1939, to William (Bill) and Josephine (McNulty) O’Hara of Saskatoon. She studied at Sion Academy and the University of Saskatchewan, where she met her sweetheart, Dennis Ehman. They married on July 9, 1960, and settled on the family farm at Craik.
Gail loved life on the farm. She tended large gardens, picked berries and walked on the country road in all seasons. The pantry was always full of Gail’s pickles, jams, jellies and other preserves. She was a master at making buns and saskatoon berry pie, which were served at every special family dinner.
She served her community as a member of Willing Workers, the Catholic Women’s Club, Donors’ Choice and numerous school and social functions. When their son Tom and his family moved to the farm, Gail and Dennis took up residence in Craik. In retirement, Gail enjoyed her “winter” friends and community in Mesa, Arizona. Above all she was devoted to her children, grandchildren and best friend, Dennis, her husband of 56 years.
Gail and Dennis raised four children on the farm who, along with their spouses and children, will miss her dearly: Jim and Sherrie (Megan and Amanda), Tom and Tallie (Evan and Emily), Maureen and Tony, and Amy Jo and John. She is also survived by her sister, Peggy (Charles) Salmon of Port Colborne, Ont. Gail is predeceased by her parents and her eldest child, Michael.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Craik at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5, followed by a social in the community hall. At Gail’s request, her ashes will be spread on the farm at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in support of Alzheimer’s care and research are appreciated.
Maizie Siroski was born on Sept. 6, 1924. She passed away with her family by her side on March 16, 2016.
She is survived by her loving family: sons Les (Pat), Barry, David (Susan); and grandchildren Jennifer (Jesse) Schneider, Shaleen Siroski, Shannon (Mark) Thoner, Justin Siroski, Bradley Siroski, Tara (Jody) George, Jackie (Dallas) Loberg, Steven Siroski, Shelley (Tyler) Townsend, Sarah Siroski (Keith Matheson), Shelby Siroski (Taylor Pardy) and Jillian Siroski.
Maizie also leaves to mourn 21 great-grandchildren, her sister Violet Siroski, brother John (Katie) Sekulich and sister-in-law Joan Sekulich.
She was predeceased by her husband Henry, son Don, parents, brothers and sisters.
Maizie spent her life as a very busy homemaker. She loved to cook, clean, garden, and look after her husband and four boys. She was a very caring person and loved to help anyone in any way she could. She will be missed dearly by family and friends.
The Mass of Christian Burial was held March 22, 2016 at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Davidson. Interment at St. Andrew’s Cemetery, Kenaston.
Memorial donations in memory of Maizie may be directed to Davidson Health Trust Fund or St. Andrew’s Cemetery Fund.
Hanson’s Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.
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’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.”
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.
