By Greg Nikkel
Weyburn is a unique community with an innovative spirit, and is well-positioned to show how municipalities can be sustainable heading into the future, a capacity audience heard at the Credit Union Spark Centre on March 31.
The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan presented the talk by Dan Florizone, executivein-residence, as part of the Governing Sustainable Municipalities Project, along with Keith Comstock. The talk, which was also live-streamed online, was on the theme, “A Sustainable Future”, and included a question-and-answer period.
As he did research into what Weyburn has to offer currently, Florizone said, “Do you realize Weyburn has world-class education? The Pre-K to 12 system is world class … and what we have here is pretty special. … What do you do when you have world-class education system, and nobody’s talking about it?”
Florizone made reference to the history of Weyburn as he talked about this city’s contribution to sustainability in the province, making note of the unique research conducted at the Weyburn Mental Hospital, where Dr. Humphrey Osmond first coined the word “psychedelic” in relation to that research, which looked into the use of psychedelics to treat mental illness.
In relation to health care, he referenced Tommy Douglas, known across Canada as the father of medicare.
“We were talking about a proud past. Weyburn held great significance, and part of it is the history and legacy of Tommy Douglas. Medicare was our gift to Canada from thought leaders here in southern Saskatch-
ewan,” said Florizone, adding, “You have a rich history of innovation of research, talent, and coming up with new ways of doing things.”
Noting he has worked for many years in the health care field as an administrator, he noted nearly organization he’s worked for was amalgamated into a larger organization, and said, “What we’re seeing is not necessarily the solution. Local governance matters, and it matters a lot. It’s not to ignore cities or municipalities, it’s to invite them in.”
Referring to changes underway, or to come, in Estevan, Florizone said, “The future in Estevan without coal, oil and gas – I don’t know what that looks like. Oil isn’t going away anytime soon, but it’s incumbent on us to diversify.”
An example of diversification is the DEEP Thermal drilling going on in the Torquay area, tapping into the geothermal heat underground.
“When you think of small nuclear plants and working with DEEP, this is worldleading. In the Torquay is the potential to almost achieve the same level of power generation as the Boundary Dam,” he said, adding, “The world is actually watching us.”
Florizone noted the DEEP project is a private venture that is using oil drilling technology to reach deep underground to tap into geothermal heat sources.
Moving to water security for the future, he noted a project under development at Lake Diefenbaker for irrigation and providing water supplies to a wide region.
“When I think sustainability, it’s not just focusing in on one area. It’s looking at partnerships that should be or could be considered. … It’s the art of the possible.”
APAS cautiously optimistic about federal budget
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) is looking forward to further information about several agricultural items included in the federal budget.
“The federal budget broadly addresses some important agricultural topics that APAS raised during the months leading up to the budget announcement,” APAS President Ian Boxall said.
“However, these announcements are broad commitments, and APAS needs to remain engaged to ensure the details address Saskatchewan producers concerns. Falling prices in many agricultural commod-
ity markets concern Saskatchewan farmers, given that inputs were purchased at elevated levels last year and haven’t followed the same trend as commodity prices in recent months.”
He added that the $100,000 increase in the Advance Payments Program is positive and appreciated as it will provide additional flexibility. That said, APAS continues to ask the Federal Government for more transparency about what factors are causing price increases and inflation in markets for fertilizer and other key inputs.
Transportation and market access were priorities for APAS going into the
pre-budget consultations
and are long-term issues.
An efficient transportation system is critical for Saskatchewan farm products to reach international markets.
The federal budget includes funding for several transportation initiatives, including a new supplychain office, the collection of more supply-chain data to improve transparency, and a pilot program to provide extended interswitching in western provinces.
APAS will work with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to help ensure Saskatchewan’s views are heard on these critical opportunities. APAS also noted the importance of
producer input in addressing other budget commitments such as equipment right to repair, enhanced federal disaster assistance programs, and tax treatment of intergenerational farm business transfers.
“These are all policy issues that APAS members have raised in recent years,” APAS President Ian Boxall said. “The devil is always in the details, so APAS and other farm organizations must continue their involvement to ensure Saskatchewan farm families expectations are met. It is also good to see important issues like these not being ignored by the federal government.”
Singer Brayden King given the nod, advances on American Idol
By Greg Nikkel Weyburn singer
Brayden King competed on TV’s American Idol in Hollywood, and is advancing from the “Hollywood Week” competition, after going through from the first part on Sunday night to the duets competition on Monday night.
While his performance was not featured either night, he posted on social media that he was given the nod by the judges to advance to Monday night, when the remaining contestants paired up for duets.
“They gave me a standing ovation, actually. I sang an original song called ‘Front Row’,” said Brayden on Monday of the judges’ reaction to his song on the Hollywood stage.
The contestants were paired up with a mentor to work on a specific area of performance, and Brayden had chosen songwriting as the area he wanted to work on, telling the judges, “I’ve got lots of stories to tell.”
Fresh off the American Idol stage, Brayden will be bringing his music to Weyburn, as he announced over social media he will be at the Weyburn Comprehensive School to do a concert for the students on Friday, April 21, in the afternoon.
The initial audition was in September in Las Vegas, but he wasn’t able to let people know until just before the Hollywood competition aired over the weekend.
He said in an interview it was a “surreal” experience to audition.
Brayden received the thumbs-up from the
three judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, and he had his golden ticket to go to Hollywood after he sang his own composition, “Down That Road”.
Prior to the audition, the show’s producers reached out to him after seeing his videos online, and invited him to audition. He did a couple rounds of virtual auditions before he was invited to Vegas, and they provided everything for his stay. He estimated there were about 300 people who stayed in the hotel where the auditions were held, along with the TV crew, and these were chosen out of over 120,000 people who had applied to be on the show.
“My biggest take-away is it’s a lot different than what people perceive on TV. I went in and we chatted for like five minutes. They asked a lot of questions about my life in Saskatchewan, and my mom.”
On screen it looks like an intimate space where the auditions are held, but Brayden noted there were about 50 crew members also in the room with cameras and sound equipment, taking notes and watching the proceedings.
He and his dad spent four days in Vegas, and he noted the best part of the experience was meeting the other artists and hanging out with them, playing and sharing music together.
“The relationships and friendships I made were the best part to come out of it,” said Brayden. “They were artists just like me,
country artists from places like Texas and West Virginia. We just got to hang out and play music.”
When he sang his song, Luke Bryan commented it sounded like Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton, and Katy Perry asked if he knew any other Sheeran songs. Brayden then played the song, “Give Me Love”, and Katy then gave him her yes. Lionel
said he’d like to join his fan club, and Katy asked if his dad was there, so Greg then came out on the stage with Brayden.
Since the news came out that he’s competing on American Idol, his social media pages have been blowing up, and his newly released song had already been streamed over 2,000 times as of last week.
Brayden noted that he’s
not just getting local support from Weyburn and Regina, but people from right across the Prairies are urging him on, with even Premier Scott Moe extending best wishes on social media.
“That’s the coolest thing to have people cheering me on from all over.”
Brayden currently lives in Edmonton and has
been extensively touring as he writes and records his original songs. He was part of the local band, The 7th Avenue, while attending high school at the Weyburn Comprehensive School, before moving on to a solo career.
He performed in Weyburn last summer as part of the Young Fellows Club’s centennial outdoor concert in Jubilee Park.
Weyburn Review, Weyburn, Saskatchewan -- April 5, 2023 2 news
Sharing the moment with Dad
Photo 3674 – courtesy Brayden King Brayden King shared the moment with his dad, Greg, as he received the thumbs-up from the three judges on American Idol, when he audtioned in September in Las Vegas. He has since advanced from ‘Hollywood Week’.
Learning how to make silk-screen butterflies
Review Photo 3144 – Greg Nikkel Grade 8 student Lydia Bell followed the direction of artist Monique Martin in making a silk-screen of a number of butterfly drawings, as classmate Zach Balog does the same behind her. A Grade 8 class from the Weyburn Comp had a workshop with Martin while having a look at her exhibit installation of “Vicissitude” at the Weyburn Art Gallery on Thursday. Martin opened the exhibit Thursday evening, with a display of some 1,200 butterflies, individually cut out and attached to branches in the gallery.
Weyburn has led the way for sustainable municipalities: speaker
b4 Stars of the Festival
Top musical performers receive awards, scholarships
The best performances from the Weyburn Rotary Music Festival were featured at the Stars of the Festival on Wednesday evening at the Cugnet Centre, with awards and scholarships presented to the musicians in piano, vocal and instrumental categories, selected by the adjudicators. In addition, selected winners gave performances throughout the evening to provide the audience with a taste of the talents who competed during the music festival for the adjudicators.
The evening was opened by the Grade 8 band from St. Michael School, who played O
Canada then two selections, as they had won the Prairie Sky Co-op prize of $300 and a shield for best performance by a band.
Western Financial provided two medals for piano performances, won by Moriah Edinborough and Alexandra Jose.
The Weyburn Elementary Schools Community Councils provided a prize of $75 and a shield to the Assiniboia Park Grade 2 for the Group Choral Speech Award.
The Weyburn Music Festival medals for vocals went to Ryan Hansen, Maynuelle Ofalla, Isabelle Cugnet, Natalie Ramsay and Alexandra Jose.
The Margaret Cugnet
award for piano duet, a prize of $200, went to Grace Anderson and Sydnee Thiessen.
The TRG Bookkeeping medal for piano went to Jameson Donnelly, Josie Cugnet, Lydia Sawatzky and Kassandra Madriaga.
The Quota International of Weyburn prize of $50 for vocal, four in total, went to Assiniboia Park Grade 3, Assiniboia Park Grade 4, and the duets of Lila and Bradie Anderson, and Isabelle Cugnet and Pressley Barber.
The Weyburn Music Festival trophies for piano performance went to Nathan Cornish, Ava Dela Cruz, Alexander Dela Cruz, and Grace Hall.
The Alexandria Rebekah Lodge prize of $100 and a shield for vocal performance went to Lila Anderson and Avryelle Molnar.
The YF Wives prize of $100 and a shield went to Legacy Park Gr. 4-6, and the Weyburn Comp Junior Choir.
Weimer’s Hometown provided prizes in the categories of band, vocal and piano. For band, the $75 prize went to the Legacy Park Grade 6 mixed ensemble; for vocal, the $75 prize went to Isabelle Cugnet; and for piano, $50 prizes went to Hently Bahingawan, Maynuelle Ofalla and Donald Alexander.
The Holy Family school board prize of $125 for vocal
went to the Spirit of Grace Junior group, who performed a medley of songs from the musical Annie.
The Western Financial Group prize of $50 for instrumental went to Donald Alexander.
The Weyburn Security multi-disciplinary prize of $150 went to Lindsay Van De Weyer.
The Quota International prize of $50 for band went to Assiniboia Park’s Grade 5-6 band, and the Assiniboia Grade 4 band.
The Arleigh Pulfer Memorial prize of $100 and trophy for piano went to David Sorowski.
The Shirley Bartlett Memorial award for vocal, with a prize of $200 and a trophy, went to Lindsay Van De Weyer.
The Weyburn Security prize of $300 for vocal went to Keira Mahnke.
The Order of the Eastern Star prizes of $50 for piano went to Lydia Sawatzky and Heidi Penner.
The Southeast Cornerstone prize of $300 for band went to the WCS senior jazz band.
The Weyburn Security prize of $300 for piano went to Felicia Deal.
The Weyburn Music Festival trophy for instrumental went to Caroline Walter.
The Knights of Columbus prize of $50 for vocal went to Liam Evans.
The SE Cornerstone prize of $200 for vocal went to the APES Combined Choir.
The Orpheus Club trophy for vocal went to Donald Alexander.
The Andrew Agencies prizes of $100 for piano went to Sydnee Thiessen and Judah Sawatzky.
The St. Michael School Community Council prizes of $50 for band went to Isaiah Perdis and Natalie
Butz. The Rotary Club Library Award of $200 for vocal went to Owen Burdan.
The Weyburn Arts Council prize of $150 for piano went to Felicia Deal.
The Mary Johnston Memorial prize of $125 for vocal went to Donald Alexander.
The Knights of Columbus prize of $225 and a trophy for band was presented to the WCS Grade 9 band.
The Weyburn Credit Union prizes for piano went to Ben Jebelli and Benjamin Sawatzky.
Weyburn Community Involvement prize of $100 for band went to the WCS Grade 7 band.
The Stewart Steel prize of $500 for vocal went to Lindsay Van De Weyer.
The Weyburn Credit Union prize of $125 for vocal went to the RISE Men, who sang the Beatles song, “Hard Day’s Night”.
The Royal Canadian Legion prize of $75 and a shield for band went to the St. Michael School Jazz Band.
The Weyburn Young Fellows Club prize of $300 for band went to the WCS Senior Band.
The Jerry Mainil Ltd. prize of $400 for vocal went to Donald Alexander.
The June Barber Memorial Award for piano, to provide $125 towards travel expenses for students going to provincials, went to Lindsay Van De Weyer, Donald Alexander, Keira Mahnke, Isabelle Cugnet and Avryelle Molnar.
The Alex Findlay Memorial prize of $600 for piano went to Lindsay Van De Weyer. The Barber Motors prize of $300 for vocal went to the WCS Senior Choir, who also provided the evening’s final performance.
Weyburn Review, Weyburn, Saskatchewan -- April 5, 2023
RISE men ham it up at Stars of Festival
Photo 2982
The members of the RISE Choir’s men’s quartet hammed it up with their stools while performing the Beatles hit song, “A Hard Day’s Night”, at the Stars of the Festival showcase. From left are Liam Evans,Darius Jones, Owen Burdan and Dali Mlilo. The group won the Weyburn Credit Union prize for vocals.
Girls sing of a ‘Hard-Knock Life’
Photo 2853
The Spirit of Grace Junior group performed a medley of songs from the musical “Annie”, including “A Hard-Knock Life”, for a performance at the Stars of the Festival. The group won the Holy Family RCSSD award of $125 for vocal performance.
APES band performs at Stars showcase
Photo 2879
The APES Grades 5 and 6 band played recorders and ukuleles as they performed the songs, “I’m Sailing Away” and “The Greatest Show”, at Stars of the Festival, directed by Kendra Gonczy. The band won the Quota International of Weyburn prize of $50 for band performance during the Weyburn Music Festival.
Playing her festival piece Ava Dela Cruz played her piano piece from the Weyburn Rotary Music Festival, during the Stars of the Festival showcase. She was one of the winners of the Weyburn Music Festival trophy for piano.
Photo 2829
Girls perform piano duet
Photo 2815 Sydnee Thiessen and Grace Anderson played a piano duet at the Stars of the Festival showcase on Wednesday evening at the Cugnet Centre. The girls were awarded the Margaret Cugnet Piano Duet prize of $200 for their performance during the Weyburn Rotary Music Festival.
Review Photos by Greg Nikkel
