A recent photo taken at the Davidson SARCAN depot shows a bathtub left on the property after hours.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Staff members at Davidson’s SARCAN depot are happy to accept recyclable beverage containers, as well as leftover paint and unused electronic equipment, during business hours.
It’s some of the other contributions they’ve had outside of those hours that they’re less than thrilled about.
Depot supervisor Debbie Vicente said employees often arrive at work in the mornings to discover that people have dropped their unwanted items off at the site overnight.
“We’ve had couches, we’ve had old furniture, we’ve had beds,” she said. “You name it, we’ve had it.”
While some of the castoff items would be accepted during the depot’s business hours, many — including microwave ovens, sinks and bathtubs — would not be.
Vicente said this has long been an issue at the Davidson depot, which is operated by Interlake Human Resources.
“We’re the ones that have to take it to the dump,” she said, noting that Interlake is then stuck with the landfill fees.
“We do have signs up,” she continued. “They’ll leave it right under the signs. . . They just ignore it.”
Vicente came by the Leader office last week to place an ad reminding the public not to leave unwanted items at the depot after hours.
Such dumping is illegal, but outside of installing video cameras at the site, little can be done to catch or deter perpetrators.
Town administrator Gary Edom said that illegal dumping is under provincial jurisdiction, adding that the only related bylaw on Davidson’s books concerns littering from vehicles.
The provincial government has recently mounted a campaign, reminding the public that illegal dumping can be reported through the TIP hotline at 1-800-667-7561. Ads state that all reports are investigated and calls are confidential.
For information on items accepted at SARCAN depots, visit sarcan.ca.
WARMAN — School band programs for students in grades 5 through 10 will be among the casualties of a $7.1-million funding shortfall faced by Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) for the coming year.
PSSD announced in a bulletin sent to parents at the beginning of last week that as of this fall, instrumental band programs for those grades would no longer be funded across the division, which covers 45 schools in the communities surrounding Saskatoon, including Hanley Composite School and Dundurn Elementary School.
“Due to the major financial shortfall being experienced by our school division . . . we are faced with tough decisions regarding the allocation of available funds,” the bulletin read.
The bulletin explained that the current instrumental band program would be replaced with a broader musical education program over the next couple of years.
Starting in September, curricular after-school band practices will no longer be held for grades 5 through 10.
The bulletin noted that interested teachers may choose to organize extracurricular band practices, but stated that bussing for band students for those practices would not be provided.
Students who earned a Band 10 credit this year will be given the opportunity to complete Band 20 and/or Band 30 credits over the next couple of years, through a combination of classroom time and independent study.
These changes will have a direct impact on students in Hanley and Dundurn, where instrumental band programs are currently part of the curriculum.
Division staff confirmed that Dundurn Elementary School offers band for students in grades 5 and 6, while Hanley Composite School offers the program between grades 5 and 12.
PSSD staff members were not available for comment last week, but communications consultant Brenda Erickson provided a written statement to the Leader.
According to the division, the proposed change to the band program is “one of many reductions . . . that have been undertaken” in response to the funding shortfall, including cutbacks to staff and administration at the division office in Warman.
The bulletin to parents acknowledged that under the current program, fewer children continue to study music into their middle years and high school.
According to the division, band programs at the Grade 5 level attract from 38 to 64 per cent of students, but numbers drop off dramatically for students in grades 9 through 12, where band program enrolment sits at between 2 and 6 per cent.
“We know that students continue to have a strong interest in music in their lives, but they often are unable to find appealing or feasible ways to connect it to their experiences in school by the time they reach the secondary level,” read the bulletin.
“In making these changes, the school division hopes to positively impact the music education of a greater number of students.”
PSSD board chairman Larry Pavloff told the Leader last month that administrators were working “feverishly” to address the funding shortfall while minimizing the impact on students.
He said the province’s educational funding model was to blame, and that because of increased salaries for teachers negotiated by the province, the division was effectively left with the same amount of money to cover its growing expenses each year.
Prairie Spirit has made more than $2 million in staffing and programming cuts over the last two years, while $3 million in reserve funding was used to balance last year’s budget.
For the full story, please see the June 1 edition of The Davidson Leader.
ELBOW — Elbow’s mayor said the village is “absolutely thrilled” with a recent announcement that the province will invest $1.8 million into the Lake Diefenbaker district, including the addition of a second boat launch at Elbow Harbour.
Mayor Rob Hundeby said the expansion is much needed and will see frequent use at the harbour, which is located south of the village.
He said the harbour has sometimes suffered from long lineups of users waiting to use the current boat launch, as was the case on the July long weekend last year.
“There was a lineup of 17 boats to get into the main (launch),” he said. “There should no longer be major lineups to enter the beautiful lake that we reside beside.”
The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport announced its plans for the Lake Diefenbaker parks on May 22.
These include a new visitor reception centre at Douglas Provincial Park, as well as repairs and upgrades to the beach retaining wall at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park.
The ministry also announced three days later that it plans to invest more than $2.9 million into Blackstrap Provincial Park, located about 10 kilometres southeast of Dundurn.
There, the province intends to develop a new 63-site campground — almost doubling the number of sites available at the park — along with a service centre and additional infrastructure.
Between the two announcements, the total to be invested into local parks and recreation facilities comes to nearly $5 million.
Hundeby said the announcement comes at a busy time for the village, which has begun to welcome its usual steady stream of summer tourists and guests.
“Elbow is in full swing,” he said. “For us, the harvest has begun . . . It’s exciting times for this town and surrounding resort communities.”
Dundurn’s deputy mayor, Annette Hamilton, also welcomed the news about the new campground at Blackstrap, saying it came as a surprise to council members. Expansion plans had been discussed but no update had been received in more than a year.
“The whole area is going to benefit from this,” she said, noting that local businesses would gain from the increased traffic. “The summer months will be a lot busier.”
In a statement, parks, culture and sport minister Mark Docherty said the investment in the Lake Diefenbaker area would “enhance the experience of our visitors and will make this area an even more attractive place to vacation.”
For the full story, please see the June 1 edition of The Davidson Leader.
Royal Canadian Legion branch president Gordon McRae (far right) poses with, from left, Bob Booker, Wayne Morrison, Meryl Warren and Alfred Stulberg following a medal presentation on May 22.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — A local tradition was revived last month as Royal Canadian Legion members, their family, friends and other guests gathered for a medal presentation and strawberry social in Davidson.
The event was an opportunity to mark several milestones, including the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the 90th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion itself.
Anniversary medals were presented to four members: veterans Alfred Stulberg, Meryl Warren and Bob Booker, and to Wayne Morrison, former commanding officer of Davidson’s 553 Sherlock Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
An additional medal was presented to Stulberg on behalf of the government of France, in honour of his role in that country’s liberation by Allied forces in the summer of 1944.
About 60 people attended the social and presentation, held at the Davidson Seniors Centre on Friday, May 22.
Gordon McRae, president of the local Legion branch, said he was pleased with the turnout and response, given how the branch’s numbers have declined in recent years.
He thanked those in attendance for coming out and supporting the event, and said he hoped to ensure that Legion events like the Remembrance Day ceremony would continue on in Davidson.
Rev. Diane Eurig served as the emcee for the afternoon program, which included remarks by Coun. Kim Williams and Arm River-Watrous MLA Greg Brkich.
“I can only imagine this legion, our legion, was formed on blood, sweat and tears,” said Williams, who offered congratulations on behalf of Mayor Clayton Schneider and the rest of town council.
Brkich, who appeared on behalf of the provincial government, thanked Stulberg directly for his role, saying that he and other veterans “can never be thanked enough for the freedoms we have nowadays.”
Sylvia McConnell read selections from the Prairie Tapestry history book and other records, detailing the history of the local Legion branch, the Ladies Auxiliary and the members being honoured that day.
The local branch originated in April 1919 as part of the Great War Veterans Association. Over 200 residents of Davidson and district had enlisted in the military for the First World War; thirty-five of them did not return.
Though the branch was less active in the 1930s, it was reactivated at the end of the Second World War, in which 236 residents enlisted and 14 were killed.
McRae presented the four recipients with the Legion 90th anniversary medal, which features claret and white bands in honour of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
For the full story, please see the June 1 edition of The Davidson Leader.
Riders stand next to their bikes parked outside the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Davidson on Sunday, May 24. The hall was host to a casual gathering of the Riders Against Government Exploitation. Pictured in the foreground (with her hand on the handlebar) is provincial president Rhonda Cwynar.
By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Last Sunday was the perfect day for a ride, and the perfect day to remind drivers that they aren’t the only ones on the road.
On May 24, the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Davidson played the improbable host to dozens of motorcycle enthusiasts, stopping through town in support of Riders Against Government Exploitation (RAGE).
RAGE, which has been active across the province since 2013, held its Awareness Ride on Sunday, encouraging bikers to head out on the highways, to meet in Davidson and to help promote their causes.
President Rhonda Cwynar said the group has held the annual Awareness Ride for the past couple of years, using Davidson as a meeting point, but this was the first time they had set up a gathering place inside the town.
“We’re all spread all over Saskatchewan, so it’s pretty hard to organize one big event,” said Cwynar.
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, an event designed to remind drivers to keep an eye out for bikers while on the road, and in doing so, to reduce the number of collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles.
Cwynar said RAGE was formed to protest what its members viewed as unfair insurance rates imposed by SGI, as well as to promote awareness of riders and prevent accidents on Saskatchewan’s roads.
“Our main focus is lobbying to make sure that our riding community stays safe and viable,” said Cwynar.
She said SGI has not done enough to promote and enforce safe driving habits among drivers of all vehicles; instead, they have raised insurance rates for riders to compensate for the increased costs of accidents and injuries on roads and highways.
“We’re pushing to have a solution instead of soaring rates,” she said. “Rates are the end result of a lot of other things . . . They’re never looking at the real problem.”
Cwynar acknowledged that part of the problem is living in a country with a cold climate, where riders are off the road for half the year.
She also said that distracted driving is a growing problem, despite provincial laws designed to deter it, and that bikers are often vulnerable when other drivers aren’t paying attention to the traffic around them.
Cwynar said there was a small but steady turnout to the parish hall, where refreshments were served, and RAGE memberships and merchandise were being sold.
Dave Sotkowy, a Regina resident who serves as RAGE’s treasurer, said the weather was “gorgeous,” but added, “I think a lot of them are just hitting the Shell station and having a bite to eat there.”
The Awareness Run was followed last week by an announcement from cabinet minister Don McMorris and SGI, which will introduce a third option for injury coverage for motorcycle owners for the 2016 riding season.
Riders can currently choose from the full “No Fault” package, with more generous benefit levels, and Tort coverage, which includes reduced benefit levels but also allows the rider to sue the party at fault in a collision for additional losses.
A third option will provide the same level of benefits as the Tort coverage package, but without the ability to sue, allowing SGI to provide the coverage at a lower cost.
RAGE organizers welcomed the announcement, according to a post on the group’s Facebook page, and said the organization had been working with SGI’s motorcycle review committee for several years.
Another riders’ group, BACA — Bikers Against Child Abuse — also stopped in Davidson over the weekend, staying at the campground during their annual Legacy Run.
The death of Ivan Hubert Pavelich of Aldergrove, B.C., (formerly of Kenaston and Davidson) occurred at a local hospital on March 29, 2015. He was surrounded by his family as he passed away peacefully after brief illness. Ivan was born on August 15, 1931, the youngest son of Fabian “Nick” and Martha (Sarich) Pavelich. He was born on the family farm, near Bladworth. As a child of the Depression, Ivan learned from his experiences and from his parents that with courage, hard work and perseverance anything is possible. He attended Briggs School, and then Kenaston High School. He then moved to Regina and attended Barber School. He worked as a barber in Melfort and Lloydminster and then assumed ownership of the Barber Shop and Beauty Salon in Davidson. It was here that Ivan met his wife, Jan, when she became the hairstylist at the salon. They were married in 1955. After a few years, they moved to Kenaston where Ivan worked with his brother Milton at Pavelich Farm Equipment and later became the Bulk Agent at Kenaston for Imperial Oil (Esso). In 1973, Ivan and Jan sold their home and business in Kenaston and headed west with their four children to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia where they settled in Surrey. Ivan worked at various places of business in the area and ultimately served as custodian in Scottsdale Mall Surrey.
After 22 years, Ivan and Jan retired to Aldergrove. In his retirement, Ivan continued, as always, to tinker with little projects — those that required creative thinking he liked best. Perhaps this all began in his elementary school days, when he acquired a fret saw and soon was creating game boards, bird houses, and hand painted wooden ornaments —some that his appreciative mother kept for many, many years. Whatever Ivan was doing, he could be tracked down by his “whistle.” He was continually whistling or humming, this again a trait that he carried forward from his youth. When he wasn’t tinkering, cutting the lawn or doing other household tasks, Ivan was pursuing his enjoyment of knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. There was hardly a day that he wasn’t reading a newspaper or working on a word puzzle or listening to the news. Ivan will also be remembered for his sense of humour. He was quick with a quip and a master of the “one-liner.” To the very end he was making those around him laugh and teaching life’s valuable lessons. He was a strong man who taught his children and grandchildren about commitment, how to be a good person, and that family and a sense of humour are the most important things one has. He will be missed forever by his loving family and all who knew him.
Ivan is survived by his loving wife Jeanette (Jan) of almost 60 years; their children Sandra, Barry (Michele), Duane (Raylynn), Trevor (Theresa); and their grandchildren Jennifer (Mike), Joseph (Brieanne), Heather (Rob), Mathew, Craig, Chelsea, Abigail and Makayla; great grandchildren Olivia and Ethan. Ivan is also survived by his sister Barbara of Saskatoon, several brothers and sisters-in-law, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Ivan was predeceased by his parents, Nick and Martha, sisters Pauline Tracy and Kathryn Posey, and brothers Milton and Fabian.
The Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Joachim and Anne Catholic Church in Aldergrove on April 11, with interment to take place at the Garden of Gethsemane Cemetery in Aldergrove.
