Preeceville Progress 2023-04-27

Grandson of Canora resident providing humanitarian aid in Ukraine

When the Russians invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Brett Drozd knew he had to help.

“It was just too wrong to just sit here and watch all of this happen from half a world away when I’m healthy and I’m able to help,” said the grandson of Canora’s Olga Drozd. “In the world we live in, I feel like if you have the ability to help then you should. It’s almost like a duty.”

So Drozd decided to go to Ukraine and provide humanitarian relief.

Drozd, who lives in Saskatoon, spoke about

his experiences at an April 8 gathering at the Rainbow Hall hosted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity.

At the time of the invasion, he was in the middle of a term at university. He decided to finish that before going to Ukraine. In the meantime, he did research and gathered supplies.

“My thinking at the time was well, if I go there and can’t help or something, that seems like a little bit of a waste, so while I’m here [in Canada], I wanted to gather as many

supplies as I could that I knew would be useful there.”

He gathered items like tourniquets, body armor, helmets, solar panels, chest seals, water, purifiers and filters, burn dressings, medical and various survival gear, rations and food. Tourniquets in particular can save many of soldiers’ lives as their limbs are not protected by body armour. They cut the flow of blood so that the injured doesn’t bleed out before treatment.

“If it seemed useful, essentially I bought it,”

Drozd said. “I filled three large suitcases and two medium-sized suitcases with all the aid that I purchased and brought it over with me.”

By mid-May, Drozd left Canada. With the airspace over Ukraine closed shortly after the invasion started, Drozd had to fly to Krakow, Poland.

At the point in time, there were lots of volunteers from the west trying to help. They communicated over social media.

“That was how I got to the border, just a van filled

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SUMMER IS COMING!

TIME TO FIRE UP THE BBQ New BBQ items arriving every week!

Brett Drozd has been volunteering in Ukraine, delivering aid supplies and helping people and pets evacuate the front lines. He was in Canora April 8, where he talked to a gathering at the Rainbow Hall hosted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity about his experiences.

Jayce Belous and Ethan Balawyder walk in a manner with their guns that is safe during a gun safety practical test at the Preeceville School on April 17. See more on page 12

GRANDSON

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE with humanitarian aid with a couple of Western volunteers who had just met through a cold call on WhatsApp, and they were able to offer me a ride so I took it.”

From there, Drozd headed towards the southern front, which was around Mykolaiv. He was able to establish contact with the Ukrainian 80th Airborne Assault Brigade and handed over his supplies to the commander.

“That felt really good and felt very, very useful, which was the goal from the get go,” he said, adding that he knew the elite force would put his supplies to good use.

From there, Drozd went to the capital, Kiev. Fuel for vehicles was in short supply, so it was hard to move anywhere. He met a bunch of Western

volunteers in similar circumstances.

As people left their homes to flee the incoming Russians, they left their animals behind.

That resulted in animal shelters having to deal with record number of animals.

Drozd helped upgrade a shelter to deal with the influx.

“There were 1,500 dogs and 500 cats in the shelter, all being looked after by six people. In order for them to haul water to all these animals, it was like a full-time effort. Just to be able to put piping in there for them so that the animals can drink and be washed, that was huge.”

After that, Drozd pivoted to helping people. He went to the east, to the Donbas. He helped civilians evacuate in the Bakhmut and Soledar regions. Bakhmut is now the

scene of heavy fighting. With a history of deportations in the region, many of the civilians were wary of evacuating, preferring to risk their lives.

One day, Drozd and a dual British-New Zealand citizen, Andrew Bagshaw, were told there was a paralyzed mother and her family that need to be evacuated.

“When we arrived this paralyzed mother was nowhere to be found and the Ukrainians who we had followed into the town had left to where we didn’t know where they had gone, but leaving Andrew and I to our own devices.”

Neither Drozd’s nor Bagshaw’s Ukrainian language skills were strong, but they ran into a local and they were able to discern from him where the people were that they needed to evacuate.

“What we did was we

looked for them within this village and we came into a wide open area where there was a just a train track and a sloping hill towards more houses. That was where we found the six individuals that needed evacuation. It was three elderly women and three elderly men,” he said.

Then the Russians started bombarding the area with artillery.

“At that time, being completely inexperienced and from a civilian background like myself, I knew from instinct alone that we had to get out of there. There was no way that we would make it if we stayed so I utilized what little Ukrainian and Russian that I had, telling them we need to go.”

They made it out of there, with no injuries.

“Those people are alive today because of what we

did,” Drozd said.

Those helping were not always so lucky. According to reporting by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Bagshaw, along with British national Chris Parry, died in the Soledar area in January, attempting to rescue an elderly woman when their cars were hit by a shell.

Close to the front lines, Drozd said there’s less of a line between military and civilians.

“Once you get there everybody kind of accepts that you’re there to help and that everyone’s accepting the same level of risk.”

The Ukrainian military does try to help out humanitarians like Drozd. He said that if he saw a lot of military around the side of the road, it was important to ask them where the fighting was happening.

Drozd left Ukraine

around Christmas time, after he heard his grandmother in Saskatoon was diagnosed with cancer. With her getting better, he is now preparing to return to Ukraine at the end of the month.

He is raising money on GoFundMe for a reliable vehicle with off-road capabilities and hauling capacity to help evacuating civilians and pets from the front lines.

“I have that kind of unique ability to go and actually see these supplies given to the end user as opposed to sending it from Canada, whether it’s money or supplies.”

He said that as an individual, he’s able to do some things that charity and aid organizations aren’t able to due to policies and law.

Drozd is also recording his efforts on his Instagram page.

Polar opposite views on state of Saskatchewan’s economy

BY JOHN CAIRNS SASKTODAY

REGINA - Your outlook on how the Saskatchewan economy is performing might differ depending on which political party you support.

On April 17 at the Legislative Assembly in Regina, and at the SUMA convention in Saskatoon, the SaskParty government spun a positive view of the economy.

At his address at SUMA, Premier Scott Moe gave an upbeat view as he pointed to investments in mining, energy and agriculture, expansions of plant capacity, resumptions of activity in the mining industry and activity in forestry as well.

But in Question Period the same day, on their first day back in the Legislature after the one-week Easter break, the Opposition New Democrats resumed their day-after-day portrayal of the Saskatchewan economy as the worstperforming in the country.

Opposition Leader Carla Beck scorched Premier Moe for characterizing it as “scorching hot” during his previous response in Question

Period just prior to the break.

“Mr. Deputy Speaker, this is a Premier failing to deliver when it comes to job creation. And the latest numbers from Stats Canada, well they bear that out. Since that Premier came to office, he has the worst jobs record in Canada, Mr. Speaker; it’s not even close. 3.9 per cent — certainly not scorching hot as that Premier would have us believe.

“When will the Premier accept any responsibility for the fact that under his watch Saskatchewan has the worst jobs creation record in the whole country?”

Minister of Trade and Economic Development

Jeremy Harrison responded by pointing to wholesale trade numbers showing the province had a 30 per cent increase over the last year.

He also pointed to exports being up nearly 32 per cent, and credited that to work the province had done to engage internationally — “something that the NDP criticize every single opportunity that they get,” said Harrison.

“In addition to that,

Mr. Speaker, what do they accuse the government of? They accuse the government of being ‘toxic positivity.’ That’s their phrase, Mr. Speaker, they’ve been using to describe the government. On this side of the House, we’re not going to apologize for being positive.”

“Mr. Speaker, I think we’ve discovered toxic spin,” Beck responded.

Premier Moe also talked positive during Question Period, repeating many of the talking points from his SUMA address earlier that day.

“Mr. Speaker, again up at SUMA today talking

about 10,000 jobs year over year, 20,000 people in the last four-and-a-half months. They’re coming here, Mr. Speaker, because there’s a Cargill crush plant being built just west of this city; AGT has a partnership with Federated Co-op in another plant, Mr. Speaker.

“We’re seeing Viterra’s investment just north of the city. Cargill again in Clavet, Mr. Speaker. We see Richardson doubling the capacity of their canola crush plant in Yorkton. And just last week, Louis Dreyfus has announced that they also are going to double the

capacity of their facility in Yorkton.”

Undeterred, Beck proceeded to attack Moe on the affordability issue, pointing to Angus Reid poll numbers where “52 per cent say that they’re in bad or terrible shape and are struggling just to get by.”

“Mr. Speaker, the minister would have us believe that everything is just fine, the Premier that the job creation is scorching hot. Mr. Speaker, it shows how out of touch they really are.”

Moe’s response, as recorded in Hansard:

“Mr. Speaker, ‘Saskatchewan’s labour market has been scorching hot in 2022.’ Those aren’t my words; those are The Conference Board of Canada’s words, Mr. Speaker.

“’We project GDP growth to be the strongest in Saskatchewan.’

That’s RBC [Royal Bank of Canada] provincial outlook for the province

of Saskatchewan.”

Premier Moe also quoted TorontoDominion Bank for their provincial forecast stating Saskatchewan was on track for robust expansion and “lead the pack” in real GDP growth.

Moe also pointed to this quote: “‘I think we have one hell of a story to tell in this province about the quality of life, about the opportunity that’s here. We need to be telling that story.’ I was just doing that at SUMA, Mr. Speaker. ‘In an affordability crisis, we have some of the best rates as a province, the most affordable housing in the country.’

“Mr. Speaker, that’s the Leader of the Opposition.”

In speaking to reporters following Question Period, Beck continued to express disbelief over the government’s characterization of the economy as being good.

“The reality is we have the worst jobs record in the country, and we have a Premier that doesn’t seem capable of acknowledging the fact that we are struggling in this province,” said Beck.

She also pointed to the reaction from people in general.

“Go look at Main Street. Go look at small businesses that are shuttering. Go look at people who are taking out a second job or falling behind on their bills. Take a walk down any street, almost, in the province. Certainly, we’ve seen that when we’ve been door-knocking. People are really struggling, and more and more we are hearing that people feel that this is a government that has stopped listening. They’re tired and out of touch.”

Opposition Leader Carla Beck spoke to reporters following Question Period April 17.

-John Cairns

Multiple people fighting at gas bar, knife involved

BY SGT. DEREK FRIESEN Canora RCMP Detachment

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP responded to 35 calls from April 13 to April 20, including: two animal calls, one assault, one breach of peace, one criminal harassment, one criminal negligence, one disturbing the peace, one false alarm, one fraud, one harassing communications, one Mental Health Act call, one mischief, four other provincial calls, one possession of a weapon, eight traffic offenses, two traffic collisions, one robbery with a weapon, three suspicious persons, one uttering

threats, and one wellbeing check.

Gas bar brawl

The Canora/Sturgis were dispatched on April 16 to a weapons complaint at the Co-op Gas Bar parking lot in Canora. It was reported that multiple people were fighting and a male was in possession of a knife. Police attended but the individuals involved in the fight had already left the area. Police continue to investigate.

Spooky orange glow explained

On April 13, the Canora/Sturgis RCMP received a complaint that a solid black globe-shaped

object with an orange glow emitting from it was found in a field in the RM of Clayton. Police attended the location of the strange object and determined it was mound of dirt. The orange glow was caused by the lens on the binoculars used by complainant.

Rude gesture challenged

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP received a call on April 15 from a concerned parent. The caller reported her son was yelled at by a motorist after their child flipped the motorist the middle finger.

Drunken damage to own home

The Canora/Sturgis

RCMP were dispatched to a disturbance complaint on April 15. An intoxicated male broke a window while attempting to gain access to his home. Police attended and the male was taken to an alternative residence for the night.

Serious injury

On April 16 at approximately 8:55 a.m., Canora RCMP received a report of an injured adult male on Main Street in Canora. He was taken to hospital by EMS with injuries described as serious.

Animal welfare

The Canora/Sturgis RCMP assisted Animal Protection Services of

Saskatchewan with an animal welfare investigation in the RM of Buchanan on April 19.

Residential robbery

On April 19, the Canora/ Sturgis RCMP were dispatched to a complaint of a robbery in Preeceville. Police attended and learned a short adult male wearing all black and a white bandana covering his face walked into a residence with a knife and demanded money from two occupants in the residence. The male fled the scene and got into a vehicle. Police are asking the public to provide any information they have about this incident.

Report tips and information

If you have any information about these or any other crimes, or any substances involved in these incidents, please contact the Canora RCMP at 306563-4700, or you can also report anonymously via Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com. Call the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment Turn In Poachers & Polluters (TIPP) Line, tollfree, at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 from a SaskTel cellphone (phone calls only, no text messages).

Rama church marks centennial with new book

It had to wait until 2022, but St. Anthony’s Church in Rama celebrated its 100th anniversary. The church held its first mass in 1921, however COVID-19 restrictions cause the celebration to be delayed.

In planning for the centennial celebrations, Mary Kowalyshyn said the idea came up to publish a history book for the occasion.

“All agreed that this history should never be lost and this would be the best time to preserve the history of St. Anthony’s Church,” said Kowalyshyn, who compiled and edited the book, Embedded in Faith which is about 200 pages long “and is quite detailed with a lot of history and pictures.”

“It was indeed a pleasure to learn so much history about our faithful ancestors who were so ‘embedded in their faith.’ Thus, the title of the book emerged.”

Kowalyshyn relied on multiple sources for the information and photos in the book.

“The primary source was from the journal of Rev. Father Anthony Sylla O.M.I. who was parish priest for 29 years. He spearheaded the building of the parish hall, church rectory and of course our grotto, “The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes,” situated west of the church. I received historical information from the Archdiocesan Archives in Regina and families of former and

present parishioners who also submitted photos. As for the more recent photos, they were mostly from my albums.”

The book is structured in chronological order, from the first country church in the 1920’s in Dobrowody named St. Peter & St. Paul, and then ending in 2021.

“Church groups and memorable events follow,” said Kowalyshyn. “Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine takes a good portion of the book. The history of the families goes in alphabetical order and ends with a Final Note to our descendants who were very much ‘embedded in their faith.’”

The book project took almost two years for Kowalyshyn to complete, mostly during the pandemic.

“What surprised me most was the challenges along with all the difficulties these people faced in order to build a strong foundation of faith for future generations. I enjoyed seeing all the old photos that were submitted. Many were so unbelievable with horses, bicycles and huge crowds of people at important Feast days.”

The book begins with the section appropriately titled “In the Beginning…” which includes details of the first organizational committee meeting for the church in August 1920.

“It was decided to buy three lots from the village of Rama and start building the church without delay. On August 7, at the

second meeting, it was recommended that Mr. Frank Nowakowski, an experienced gardener from Poland, who had moved from the district of Dobrowody to Rama, be entrusted with the plans and building of the new church. Every farmer was willing to pledge $25 for the new church.

Parishioners were anxious to start, some pledging $100 toward the building of the new church.”

The official opening

took place with the first High Mass on July 3, 1921. In attendance were 45 families with a total of 250 people.

“Parishioners of Rama were filled with great joy and thanked God, the Almighty that they now had a beautiful, large church in which they were able to worship and have divine services.”

When Father Anthony Sylla first came to Rama in 1933, he had already envisioned the building

of a grotto as a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, making it the centre of religious life in Saskatchewan.

“It wasn’t until Sept. 1, 1939, the eve of the Second World War, when Poland had been invaded that this idea would come to fruition. That very evening, Fr. Sylla summoned his parishioners, asking them to haul fieldstones to have the grotto built so that there would be a place to pray for peace in the world. Thus began the construction with parishioners of Rama and Dobrowody hauling their fieldstones with horses and stone boats.”

Of course, over the course of 100 years, things happened that were beyond human control and challenges had to be overcome.

“The 1980s began with a blast when the house across the street owned by Edward and Helen Yaworski exploded on March 6. The church experienced a lot of damage! A two-by-four penetrated right through the east wall of the church. The stained glass windows shattered and many were broken. Insulation was scattered about the churchyard. Some pictures of the Stations of the Cross were on the floor with segments broken off, but amazingly, the face and body were completely intact. The basement too had shifted, making the floor unsafe with the concrete broken up. The parishioners

needed much time to clean up the mess.”

Kowalyshyn said her goal is that the book leaves a lasting message with readers.

“I’m sincerely hoping that the younger generation can see and come to understand what our pioneers had to go through in order to make life “good” for our generation. I hope that they can understand the value and importance of deep faith just as the pioneers had and to continue to carry on their faith, just as our pioneers did.”

Even though Kowalyshyn had plenty of time to work on the book during the pandemic restrictions, there was a significant downside.

“It was very difficult to meet with our history group during COVID, but some helped in any way that they could, providing photos and family histories. My husband, Joe, often proofread and helped out whenever he could.”

Anyone interested in purchasing the book, or just looking for more information, is encouraged to contact Mary Kowalyshyn. It will also be available for purchase at the annual Shrine of the Lady of Lourdes pilgrimage on Aug. 14-15.

“Even though it took many hours to compile, with all the positive comments that have been received, it was so worth it!” concluded Kowalyshyn. “Everyone should know their roots.”

Saskatchewan continues to show growth in investment in construction

According to the latest numbers released by Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan continues to show strong year-overyear growth in investment in building construction, with the third highest percentage increase among the provinces for

February 2023.

“These numbers are another example of how much people want to invest in Saskatchewan long-term,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a release. “These investments result in a strong

economy that creates more jobs and more opportunities for the people of this province.”

Year-over-year, investment in building construction saw a 2.7 per cent increase compared to February 2022 (seasonally adjusted).

There was a total of $356 million invested in building construction in February 2023. This is not the only area where Saskatchewan has shown nationleading growth. In the first two months of 2023, the province’s merchandise exports increased

by a nation-leading 43.7 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year. The job market is also doing well with most recent labour force numbers showing 9,500 new jobs in March 2023, compared to March 2022, an increase of 1.7 per cent.

The centennial of St. Anthony ʼs Church in Rama was celebrated in 2022. As part of the celebration, Mary Kowalyshyn compiled a detailed book about 200 pages long including extensive church history and photos.

Canora, Saskatchewan

Phone: 306-563-5131 · Fax: 306-563-6144

Hours: Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri.: 8 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5 pm

Tues.: 8 am – 12 pm, closed afternoons

LOOKING BACK A decade ago

The Parkland Music Festival concluded with a final concert that featured 16 performers and the presentations of numerous scholarships in Preeceville. The week-long festival featured students from across the Parkland region north of Yorkton performing in vocal, speech arts, piano, instrumental and guitar categories.

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The Preeceville School drama class presented a comedy play that was called Epic Fall . The play was a comedy drama about being a teenager.

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The Town of Preeceville designated six locations for nine pieces of artwork that was hung in various locations in Preeceville. The artwork was a collection that was donated by artist Norman Yakel . Yakel was originally from Preeceville and had painted the paintings that featured the landscape in Preeceville and the surrounding area.

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The Preeceville and District Lions Club hosted its annual trade show with numerous vendors and exhibitors.

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With $31,289,630 in sales, the Gateway Cooperative had another good year, and for the 13th consecutive year, members received patronage refunds.

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The Family Resource Centre and a few local businesses teamed up to encourage families to spend quality time together and enter in a draw for prizes, with three families announced as winners.

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Saskatchewan was poised to become the first province in Canada to require mandating the reporting of public buildings that were known to contain asbestos.

Have you ever noticed how “trends” are so prevalent in our lives? So many people want the newest thing, or the next big thing. You can tell what trend was happening by the colours or knick-knacks in your home; you can tell what era kids were born if their parents chose the “trendy” name of the time. There are trends for hair, trends for clothing, trends for cars. And guess what? It’s the same for gardening!

I was looking over some gardening notes from a few years ago. At that time, we were lucky to enjoy an excellent and informative gardening presentation by a wonderful gardener, telling us about trends in trees, shrubs, and plants for our yards. I think the information from that presentation is still in step.

We talked about trees first; we were told that many people are now looking for trees with nicely coloured fall foliage. People once looked to blooming trees, but that beauty is very short-lived, perhaps just a couple weeks; so now the trend seems to be great fall foliage colour. As you can probably guess, red is the colour of choice, and this cheery beauty can be attained with trees such as the Amur Maple, the Sienna Glen Maple, Northern Pin Oak, or European Mountain Ash. Is yellow more your colour? Look to the Paper Birch, Fall Gold Ash, or Trembling Aspen. An excellent point was that because so much of our year is winter, it is a good idea to look for trees with nice bark, something like the paper birch, silver maple, or dogwood, which we can enjoy visually all winter.

PREECEVILLE PROGRESS AND STURGIS REVIEW

Demand for lentils, peas and beans looks to be on the rise globally The Ag Scene

For decades the Canadian Prairies proudly wore the moniker ‘Bread Basket for the World’, or at least a similar version of that label.

We grew a lot of hard spring wheat and did it very well. There was an expectation that when buying wheat from Canada it was of the highest quality and that earned market access and sales for years.

But, nothing lasts forever, and when plant breeders in Saskatchewan and Manitoba during the 1960s and 1970s, through traditional cross-breeding experiments, minimized the undesirable compounds in rapeseed and developed varieties that yielded food-grade oil, creating canola (an abbreviation of ‘Canadian oil’), it signaled a change in what the Prairies would be known for. By the 1980s, canola had replaced rapeseed in Canadian oilseed production, and today the acres produced

CALVIN DANIELS

are massive with the crop’s value forming the foundation of most farm incomes.

While there certainly are few indications that will change anytime soon, one has to wonder what may one day unseat canola as the major Prairie crop?

The answer might not be a single crop as much as a rather diverse basket of crops, all of which fall under the umbrella of being pulse crops.

Now pulse crops; lentils, peas, and various beans, are not something new for the Prairies. My Dad used to add some field peas into the barley he seeded for pig feed, essentially adding a protein source to the feed

in the field. That was in the early 1970s.

So farmers here can grow pulse crops, but the markets have never been particularly stable, typically relying on production issues elsewhere in the world for major pulse eating countries such as India and Pakistan to look for alternate sources.

And, in Canada, while we have production, it isn’t necessarily as diverse to fill the varied and often very specific markets in countries such as India. We might think lentils are simply identified by colour, but size and other factors are important in many markets too. It’s a case where

perhaps at this point our ‘sophistication’ in terms of growing pulses is a tad lacking.

But Canadian farmers are a rather adaptive lot, and they could adapt if the market was consistent.

Therein lies the hint of the potential of pulses.

The populations in countries such as India are still growing. That’s simply more mouths to feed, mouths who culturally have a taste for pulse crops.

And we can’t discount the interest in fake meat concoctions that have an element of plant protein from pulses.

Whether that market grows because people turn to such offerings out of choice, or whether cattle in particular, come under scrutiny and regulation as methane producers, we are going to see pulses become a bigger part of diets here too. It’s just a matter of how far into the future it happens.

There are many fascinating options for colourful trees and shrubs

The Garden Grapevine

DEBBIE HAYWARD

Trees with great colour in summer include the Thunderchild flowering crab, Gladiator, the Schubert Chokecherry, or Diablo Ninebark.

If we’re talking shrubs, we can find lovely fall colour with the Dwarf Winged Burning Bush; Fireball Burning Bush; cranberries, or chokecherry. Great summer color is yours with Daiblo Ninebark, Coppertina, or Barberry. There is also stunning colour in the Golden Elder, which needs full sun to achieve its bright yellow colour; Gold Flame spirea; and Siberian Pearl dogwood. There are some shrubs with variegated foliage like the Roseglow barberry, Ivory Halo dogwood, or Madonna elder. And if you want something flowering, why not try the Annabel or Endless Summer hydrangea, or the “Incrediball” hydrangea.

Spirea and potentilla were always top choices in the past, but now are being replaced by other newer varieties. How do

you feel about that? They are both solid contenders, in my humble opinion: very hardy and consistent performers in the garden.

My notes are from a few years ago, but at that time a comment was made, and it still might be true. Guess what the number one selling perennial was (and maybe still is!)? Silver mound! That was a surprise, but here is the explanation which makes a lot of sense: every landscape needs a neutral, and silver mound provides that, as well as interesting texture. Other top picks include Elijah Blue grass, snow on the mountain, sedum “Autumn Joy,” and Irish and Scotch moss. (Not many of us had luck with the mosses. As lovely as they are, they didn’t usually make it over the winter). The top selling annual was petunia, with other favorites included marigolds and coleus. Favorite colours were pinks and mauves.

As you can see, my notes covered a lot of ground, (pardon the pun!), and I know that for myself, reading them over now makes me eager to head out to the greenhouse and see what’s new this year!

One gardening trend that never changes is a gardener’s enthusiasm in the spring, plus a short memory that forgets the gardening disappointments of the previous year and lets us look forward to a brand new gardening season!

Until next time, look in gardening books and magazines, and dream. Have a lovely week.

So this is spring eh?

This is spring? All the white snow begs otherwise. How come somebody named this particular time of the year as spring?

Is it because all the provinces in Canada except Saskatchewan set the clock one hour forward as in spring forward, opposed to fall back? It intrigued me enough to try and find out how spring as description of the time between winter and summer came about. Here is what I learned:

It was not until the 1300s that the term lent was replaced by springing time, since it was the time of year when most plants that had been dormant over the fall and winter, finally began to grow again, or spring from the earth. Wow! It is descriptive of how the seeds are bursting from the dark ground into flowers or plants! Similarly, it could also mean springing a person from the dark prison to

freedom. Then again, it could also be a metal coil, a spring in the seat of my recliner. As a young lad I used to spring into the forest to find a natural spring of water.

We spring into action to the rock tune provided by the famous rocker Bruce Springsteen. If we go way back to before 1300, his name could probably have been Bruce Lentrocker. What do we do in spring?

We watch snow melting away and the arrival of robins. Then we smile at the sun while doing the spring cleaning to get ready for Easter.

Lent can mean different things to different people. It was Lent and Ole and Sven were enjoying their surf ‘n’ turf for lunch accompanied by shots of Akevitt and Moe’s special lager. They figured it was a “safe” meal during Lent, as they were both Lutherans married to Catholic wives.

“I got a riddle for you,” said Ole. “Where does

Observations

KAARE ASKILDT

Christmas come before Easter?

“I give up,” said Sven.

“In the dictionary!” said Ole with a laugh.

“I got a riddle for you,” replied Sven. “How many Easter eggs can you put in an empty basket?”

“That depends on the size of the basket I guess,” answered Ole.

“Nope,” said Sven, “only one, because after that it is not empty anymore!”

“On a different topic,” said Ole, “if Wilson lent Tom Hanks $20, would that mean that Tom Hanks would be Owen Wilson?”

“Groan,” said Sven.

Moe joined them for coffee and cherry pie with a dollop of vanilla ice

cream.

“Yesterday would have been my stepfather Hans’ 75th birthday,” said Moe, “to commemorate the occasion I give you the following story. Back in 2004, I was prepping to relocate from Ottawa to Saskatoon, which meant a lot of phone calls between me and my mother. One Friday evening during Lent, I called her on her cell phone and could hear some background noise, so I asked her where she was. This is how the call went.

Mom: “Oh, Hans and I are at a Mexican Restaurant called El Pollo Loco and because it is Lent, we’re getting some fish tacos for dinner.

Me: “Y’know, I’ve always wanted to know what kind of fish they use in fish tacos.”

Mom: “I’m not sure, but here comes Hans, I’ll ask him if he knows… Hans, what kind of fish is in the fish taco?”

Hans: “Dead!”

Knut had joined them while Moe was telling his story. They all had a good laugh.

“I have a story that is supposed to be true,” said Knut, “Truls, my neighbour, is a doctor and he told me this story. During Lent, an elderly spinster visited his office after falling down the stairs and injuring her hip. The following is what happened.”

Doctor: “You took quite a tumble down those stairs. I can fix you up, but you are going to need to take it easy and especially avoid the stairs for several weeks while you heal.”

Woman: “I suppose I could sleep downstairs, but what if I realize I

Buchanan drama brings out wide range of emotions

Anyone who has experienced the highs and lows of trying to determine what’s best for their aging parents or grandparents could probably relate in a personal way to Houses For Sale, the 2023 dinner theatre performance by the Buchanan Black Box Players on April 20, 21 and 22.

There were moments that made the audience laugh, situations of utter chaos, moments that made theatregoers think, and, most likely, moments that brought tears to some eyes.

Houses For Sale was written by Ron Hill, marking his debut as a writer, and was first performed in 2004. Hill has been involved in community theatre in California for many years.

The play is set in 1956 and follows the antics and escapades of Glen Martin (Bob Edwards) as he tries to maintain his independence as a senior. Glen is a widower in his mid-seventies, stubborn and independent, according to the character synopsis. He dresses in cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts and dress shoes. Though he knows he is ill, he refuses to admit it to anyone.

As the first scene opens, Glen’s daughter Helen (Tammy Senholt) enters his house, where Glen lives alone. Helen, affectionately known as

Twink by her father, is Glen’s only child, in her late thirties, and dresses in a professional manner. She loves her father and worries about him constantly. She tries to be patient with him, but can be just as stubborn. Twink comes from her childhood, when her parents decorated her room with stars and clouds on the ceiling. After that, Glen sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to his daughter every night for years.

Mr. Goodsell (Ernie Kozak) enters, a real estate agent whose name may be just a little too “on the nose” for some. Helen is trying to get Goodsell to help her persuade Glen to sell the house. Glen enters, and sees Goodsell taking measurements, leading him to wonder if he is a carpet salesman. Glen is very displeased with his daughter when he finds out the true reason for Goodsell’s visit.

“I’ve told you hundreds of times, I’m not selling, Twink.”

After Goodsell leaves, Glen gets a visit from his neighbour, Max (Steve Merriam) who is a widower and Glen’s best friend. He is a few years older than Glen and has a zest for living. He is a retired physics teacher who dresses in the same manner as Glen.

As a way of talking Helen out of trying to

get him to sell the house and move, Glen tells her that he has people coming around all the time, adding “A house is only worth so much, but how much are memories worth? Can you give me a price on those? Your mother is in every room of this place. I sometimes think I can smell her perfume or hear her humming as she works in the kitchen.”

Eventually, Glen mentions to Helen that he has been advertising for a roommate. A number of interested parties reply to the ad, all on the same afternoon of course, creating chaos and confusion in Glen’s usually quiet home. Max, never shy about sharing his opinion, drops by to help Glen make his decision, but wearing a bizarre disguise so he isn’t recognized.

After a dream sequence where Max is visited by his late wife Faye (Val Edwards), Max relents and tells Helen he’s willing to list the house for sale, and move in with her and her husband.

“That should please Helen. It doesn’t do much for me, but she’ll be happy about it.”

In the final scene, Helen is busy making preparations for the anticipated big move, while Glen takes a seat his chair, smiling and looking at a picture of his late

wife Faye. Eventually Helen comes to check on her father, and discovers he has passed away.

Director Sharon Murray said, after an absence of four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “It felt good to be working on a Buchanan Black Box Players dinner theatre project again. We felt that if we didn’t do it this year, we may never get the group going again.”

Murray said that Houses For Sale holds a special meaning for her.

“This is one I wanted to direct because I’ve gone through this in my life with my own parents. A lot of things in this script are what I went through with Dad and Mom.”

With that in mind, this is how Murray summed up the plot: “We should allow our parents to make their own decisions, regardless of what we think, Glen should have been allowed to do what he wanted to do. What we want for our parents is often the wrong thing for them. But at the end, Glen finally got to make his own choice.”

In the final scene, Glen dies with a smile on his face, in the house where he lived most of his life, looking at a photo of his beloved late wife Faye, with their loving daughter Helen beside him.

Murray said rehearsals

need something, and it is upstairs?”

Doctor: “Do you have a neighbour or a friend that you could ask to help you?”

The woman, resigned to the inconvenience and discomfort over the next couple of weeks said, “Well, I suppose I could ask my neighbour next door.”

Six weeks later, she visits the doctor for a followup.

Doctor: “You are healing nicely, but be very careful on the stairs for now, OK?”

Woman: “That’s great news doctor, does that mean I can start using the stairs again?”

Doctor: “Yes, but be very careful so you don’t take another tumble down the stairs.”

Woman: “Oh, thank you, that’s wonderful news! My neighbour lent me an extension ladder, but it has been quite an ordeal climbing the ladder with this sore hip!”

began in December and were held once a week for the most part. But life sometimes got in the way, whether it was stormy weather, health problems, or other issues.

She said in order for a production like this one to be successful, it requires volunteer help from almost everyone in Buchanan, as well as additional support workers from surrounding communities.

The Buchanan Black Box Players have developed an extremely loyal audience over the years.

“Many audience members are long-time supporters, some have been attending these productions for over 25 years.”

Murray said it’s a joy for her to have the

opportunity to direct “these great cast members.” After a while they become like family.

“Everyone has their own opinion and their own way of doing their character. You never know, some of them find ways to change their character from one performance to the next.”

She said they are all very good at dealing with the unexpected.

“Like tonight when one of the doors wouldn’t open, without missing a beat they came up with adlibs, making it even more fun.”

Houses For Sale was produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Whenever he ʼ s not sure what to do next, Glen (Bob Edwards) is comforted by talking to a picture of his beloved late wife Faye.

Once Glen decides to advertise for a roommate, his quiet home quickly descends into chaos. From left, are: Glenʼs neighbour Max; Chuck (Malcolm Broughton), who was just looking for a comfortable resting place and has passed out after some drinking, Glen and Kate (Sandra Nordin), one of the roommate applicants who has taken it upon herself to revive Chuck.

Even though Glen ʼ s only daughter Helen (Tammy Senholt) gets frustrated when he is reluctant to move out of his house, it ʼs obvious they genuinely love each other. That doesnʼt mean they donʼt get on each otherʼs nerves, including when she folds his laundry and then he re-folds it, “because Iʼm doing it the right way, the way your mother taught me.”

Initially, Glen is very hostile toward the real estate agent, Mr. Goodsell (Ernie Kozak), maybe because his name is a little to “on the nose.” But eventually Glen lets down his guard and agrees to list the house for sale.

When Gary (Willem Van der Voort) the delivery boy from the local grocery store stops in with Glenʼs order, Glen talks to him like they ʼre best friends in a futile effort to convince Helen that he has people stopping by all the time who keep an eye on him, but this only succeeds in making Gary uncomfortable.

Glen ʼs neighbour Max (Steve Merriam) often drops by for a cup of coffee, and usually has plenty of advice for Glen, including whether he should sell his house or not.

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23052SC0

FCC AgriSpirit Fund now open for applications

Farm Credit Canada is now accepting applications from registered charities, non-profit organizations and First Nations, Métis or Inuit governments/communities in rural Canada for the FCC AgriSpirit Fund. The fund will award $1.5 million in funding this year.

The application deadline is May 15, 2023 and FCC will announce the selected projects in September, according to a release.

Applicants can view the eligibility requirements, past projects and apply online by visiting www.fccagrispiritfund.ca.

For the past 19 years, FCC has awarded rural community groups between $5,000 and $25,000 in FCC AgriSpirit funding for various community improvement initiatives. This year, the fund will once again support capital projects that enrich the lives of residents in cities, towns or Indigenous communities with fewer than 150,000 people.

Examples include refrigeration and equipment to support food waste reduction and recovery, construction of community buildings or improvements/upgrades that reduce a building’s energy footprint, greenhouses and

community gardens and various other agriculture and food-related initiatives in rural communities.

Since inception of the

FCC AgriSpirit Fund in 2004, FCC has supported 1,529 capital projects in rural Canada totaling $19.5 million in donations.

In loving memory of August Peniuk

Aug. 12, 1928 to May 1, 2022

The last time we saw you, you never said you were leaving although you did say goodbye. You were gone before we knew it and only God knows why.

In life we loved you dearly and in death we love you still.

In our hearts, we hold a place that only you can fill.

It broke our hearts to lose you, but you didn’t go alone, for a part of us went with you, the day God took you home.

You will be in ours hearts forever.

We love you and miss you everyday.

Lee, Marilyn (Ted), Brant (Roberta), Kelvie (Taylor) and Jenni

Kate is the first to answer Glenʼs ad for a roommate, mainly because sheʼs looking for a chance to get away from her parents.

Fanny (Betty Tomilin) drops in to answer the roommate ad, but after being married twice already, she informs Gary that “You look a lot like my third husband.”

Glenʼs neighbour Max has the brilliant idea to stop by to help Max deal with all the roommate applicants, but wearing a disguise so he wonʼt be recognized.

A character know only as the Apostle (Morley Leung)drops in. Heʼs more interested in giving Gary some literature and discussing salvation than in being his roommate.

In the final scene, Glen dies with a smile on his face, in the house where he lived most of his life, looking at a photo of his beloved late wife Faye, with their loving daughter Helen beside him.

Sylvia (Pat Leung) is another prospective renter, but since she walks with a cane, sheʼs none too pleased to find out that the available room is on the second floor.

Throwback Thursday: From the Preeceville Progress files

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Dates listed refer to publication dates and not to dates of the events.)

April 30, 1981- Arthur and Frances Okrainetz, originally from the

Sturgis area, took over as the new owners and operators of the O.K. Shell Service Station at Sturgis.

April 30, 1981- Janice Anderson was the winner of $350 (around $1,130

in 2023 dollars) at the Stenen village hall.

May 7, 1981- Harry Prekaski of Stenen became the new owner and manager of Busch Motors of Stenen when he bought the business from Lorne Busch. Stenen had worked at the business for the previous 16 years, and planned to change the business name to Stenen Garage.

May 7, 1981- Kara Korney of Endeavour was a recipient of a Wascana Institute scholarship for the 1980-81 academic year, based on overall

academic performance and the time put forth in her studies.

May 14, 1981- Jordan Ignatiuk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ignatiuk of Preeceville and a Grade 11 student at the Preeceville High School, was selected to attend the academic talent program at the University of Saskatchewan.

May 21, 1981- As was the case across Saskatchewan, the process of number primary grid roads was underway in the Preeceville district.

2023 spring weight restrictions begin on secondary highways

The 2023 spring road restrictions came into force in Saskatchewan on April 7. These restrictions are used by the province and rural municipalities to mitigate potential damage to

February

Love you forever, Mom, Donna, Darryl, Treena, Todd, and Matthew

Saskatchewan’s highway system.

“Weight restrictions prevent damage during spring thaw to pavement and the ground beneath the road,” Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill

SPRING SEASON 2023

said in a release. “They reduce maintenance costs and enhance safety.”

The road bans reduce allowable weights on RM roads and secondary weight on provincial highways by 10 to 15 per

cent and usually last about six weeks.

Typically, the road restrictions begin in March, once winter weights end on March 15. However, due to colder weather last month, restrictions were delayed.

With warmer temperatures and longer days coming, the 2023 restrictions will be province wide. In previous years, bans have been phased in by region because spring temperatures arrive sooner in the south.

The 2023 spring restrictions will remain in place for up to six weeks.

To check which highways are impacted, please visit saskatchewan.ca/ trucking. Spring road bans will be posted under the “New Spring Order” link.

Information is also available by contacting the Highway Hotline at saskatchewan.ca/highwayhotline or by calling 511.

Charles and Beda Mitchell of the RM of Preeceville were recognized at the annual farm recognition day banquet held in Canora, for their contributions to agriculture and the community.

At the 1981 Preeceville branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation banquet, the greatest hide-hunter trophy was captured by Orville Bjornstad, right. Making the presentation was Jim Brock of Yorkton, master of ceremonies at the banquet.

Sheldon Gulka and Angela Gulka offered bread and salt in a traditional Ukrainian welcome during the 1981 Preeceville Ukrainian dance concert at the Preeceville Legion Hall.

Ted and Pat Kulling, their daughter Barbara, 9, and son Peter, 15, left their native Switzerland to pursue a new life as a Saskatchewan farming family near Preeceville in 1981. They took up residence on the former Spensor Rosaasen farm, in the North Prairie District.

The Preeceville Hospital auxiliaryʼs 1981 tag day raised a total of nearly $300 (around $970 in 2023 dollars), as compared to $119.70 (around $436.37 in 2023 dollars) raised at the previous year ʼs tag day. Kim Holowachuk and Kim Plaxin were among the candy-stripers who participated in the sales, and are shown presenting a tag to Sylvia Rehaluk.

OBITUARIES OBITUARIES OBITUARIES

JOHNSON - The family of Mr. Norman Johnson, beloved spouse of Pat Formo, of Ketchen and formerly of the Okla area. Norman’s family is deeply saddened that he passed away April 8, 2023, in his home in Ketchen. He was 73 years of age. Norman was born April 26, 1949, in Preeceville to Bessie and George Johnson. He was raised on his parent’s farm near the community of Okla.

Norman was home schooled for grade 1 by his mom, then attended Lodi, Okla and Kelvington Schools. He worked at a farm for the fall after graduating high school and then worked at a shop in Preeceville where he took his journeyman Auto-Body technician program and advanced to shop foreman. In 1980, Norman and Dallas Fairburn, his neighbour and friend, decided to start their own business, Ketchen Auto-body. The shop was a great success and was an important part of Norman’s life for over 40 years. Norman, with his former spouse Karen, had four children: Ashley, Jason, Marsha and Loralie. He was a proud father, grandfather and greatgrandfather and enjoyed spending time with his family. He was proud to teach his kids and grandkids how to hunt, fish, firearm safety, drive a car, change a tire, fix various parts of a car, grow a garden and about wildlife conservation. He often reflected on those days and looked forward to continuing to teach the next generation. Norman met Pat Formo through the singles dances in 2006 and shortly after Pat joined Norman at his home in Ketchen where they enjoyed his final years. They enjoyed dancing, gardening vegetables, growing flowers, picking berries, attending local events and church and spending time with their friends, children, and grandchildren. Norman was a community builder, leading the firearm safety program in Preeceville for nearly 40 years, an active member in the Preeceville Wildlife Federation as well as the provincial organization, member of the Kelsey Ecological Society, was the president of the singles dances in the area and a member of the Lutheran Church. He was proud to organize family gatherings ranging from small birthday parties in his garage to large family reunions of up to 300 people at Lady Lake. He enjoyed many hobbies including hunting, fishing, berry picking, watching, and learning about wildlife and birds, fixing cars, brewing beer and fermenting wine. His gardening skills were impressive producing produce for not just his home but for kids, grandkids, nieces & nephews. Norman spent time at Regina General and Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina recovering from a tumor and stroke, returning to his home on April 7th, Good Friday. He happily woke up to see the morning sun light in his home one last time with Pat at his side. He suddenly passeJd away a couple hours later with respiratory distress with Marsha and Pat by his side. Norman is survived by his spouse Pat Formo; children, Ashley (Tracy), Jason (Margo), Marsha (Ryan) & Loralie (Greg); his grandchildren, Lexi (Brendan), Jae-Anna (Matt), Justin (Nakita), Ethan, Isabelle, Otto & Ivan; his great-grandchildren, Ava & Asher; his step-children, Tim, Duane (Margaret) and Ryan (Athena); stepgrandchildren, Lindsay (Eddie, Jesse & Lily), Liam, Britta (Jamie & Cecilia) and Courtney; his siblings, Harold (Dianne), Dorothy (Rae), Phyllis (Leonard) and Carolyn (Gary) and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Norman was predeceased by his parents George and Bessie Johnson. Norman will be missed and remembered by the many lives he touched. A Funeral Service was held on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at St. John Lutheran Church in Preeceville, Saskatchewan with Pastor Hein Bertram officiating. Pianist, Barb Melsness, led the congregation in singing the hymns ‘Jesus Loves Me’, ‘In the Garden’, ‘How Great Thou Art’, ‘Amazing Grace’, and ‘The Old Rugged Cross’. Tributes and Words of Remembrance were shared by Norman’s daughters, Marsha Hordos and Loralie Johnson. Justin Johnson, Bradley Johnson, Cameron Johnson, Fred Welder, Tim Formo, and Brett Spray served as casket bearers. Honourary casket bearers were Dallas Fairburn, Asher Campbell, Eugene Panasiewich, Lexi Johnson, Jae-Anna Johnson, Isabelle Hordos, Otto Amundsen, Ivan Amundsen, and Ava Campbell. Interment took place in the Okla Community Cemetery with Ashley and Jason Johnson serving as urn bearers. The family of the late Norman Johnson wish to extend their thanks to all who helped and for the support given at their time of the loss of our dear husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Thank you to Dr Kumar and the medical staff at the Regina General Hospital and Wascana Rehabilitation Centre who attended and treated Norman with dignity. We would also like to thank the St. John’s Lutheran Church ladies auxiliary for providing lunch and Paster Hein Bertram for officiating at the funeral. Thank you to all who stopped by with food and a kind heart. We were comforted and thankful to those who were able to join for his service and contributed to causes near to Norman’s heart. Memorials in memory of Norman may be made to Preeceville Wildlife Club (Box 711 Preeceville, SK S0A 3B0) or to The Hospitals of Regina Foundation for the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre (1874 Scarth St, Regina, SK S4P 4B3) as gifts of remembrance. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Norman’s tribute page at preecevillefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

BUCHINSKI - It is with great sadness that the family of Mrs. Anne Buchinski, beloved wife of the late Edward Buchinski of Preeceville, announces her passing on March 29th, 2023 at the Preeceville Long Term Care Centre. Anne was 89 years of age and passed peacefully with family by her side. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday April 29th, 2023 at 10:30 am from the chapel of Preeceville Funeral Home. Interment to follow in the Preeceville Community Cemetery. Those unable to attend may view a live stream of the service by visiting Anne’s obituary page at preecevillefunerahome.com In memory of Anne memorial donations can be made to the Preeceville Long Term Care Auxiliary (towards the purchase of a therapeutic air bed) as gifts of remembrance. Anne was born Feb 8th 1934 to Paul and Natalka (nee Dembinski) Berezitsky on the family farm near Hazel Dell, Saskatchewan. Her early childhood years were spent attending Woodrock School and helping out with farm chores. Anne married Edward Buchinski on Nov 12th, 1955. Together they lived on Edward’s family farm in the Rama area until 1965. Times were tough on the farm but there were also many happy time. The birth of their two children-- Joanne and Darlene were examples of these happy times. Anne set out to be the best mom she could be. In 1965 they moved to Preeceville which became her home town until her death. Anne was predeceased her parents, Paul and Natalka; husband, Edward; mother and father in law, Alexander and Mary; brother, Bill; sister in law Helen; brothers in law, John and Ted. Left to cherish the memories of Anne are: her two daughters, Joanne (Delwyn) Dalton and Darlene (Arlee) Thideman; five grandchildren: Kerry (Derrick) Wiwicharuk, Kenny (Nikki) Thideman, Stacey (Perry) Nagy, Rachel (Randall) Geistlinger and Brittany (Kent) Seerey; 14 great grandchildren: Cole, Dylan, Shaelyn, Chloe, Keegan, Sky, Alex, Gavyn, Savana, Ethan, Macy, Avyn, Amrie and Lakyn; her two sisters, Jean and Julia; brother, Pete (Erma); included but not forgotten are the many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends who were a large part of Anne’s life.Anne was loved by family and friends-- she will be greatly missed. Arrangements have been entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

FOR SALE - MISC

COMING EVENTS

Okla Spring Potluck Supper.

Sunday April 30, 2023

Roast Pork and Turkey (provided by Okla Hall)

Supper: 5:00 - 6:30 pm.

Adults: $15.00

6 - 12 years: $10.00

Pre-School - Free

Okla Community Hall (Proceeds to the Okla Community Hall)

Spring Trade Show

Saturday, April 29 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Hyas Goldenage Centre Lunch Available

PRAYER CORNER

Preeceville-Sturgis United Church

Pastoral Charge: Grace United Church (Sturgis) 9:30 a.m. Trinity United Church (Preeceville) 11 a.m. Available on Preeceville-Sturgis United Church Pastoral Charge Facebook page every Sunday

SS.Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church schedule: Saturday April 29 Invermay 7 p.m. Sunday April 30 Kamsack 9 a.m. Canora 11 a.m. Norquay 1:15 a.m.

St John Lutheran Church service on April 30, at 10 a.m. Live Stream Sunday Services on Facebook: St. John Lutheran Church Preeceville, YouTube:St John Lutheran Church- Preeceville

FOR SALE - MISC

Advertisements and statements contained herein are the sole responsibility of the persons or entities that post the advertisement, and the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association and membership

CHEREMKORA - Mrs. Jeanette Cheremkora, wife of the late Sam Cheremkora of Sturgis passed away April 8, 2023 at the Preeceville and District Long Term Care Centre. She was 82 years of age. Jeanette was born on October 19, 1940 to Joseph and Mary (Nee Lozinski) Firomski, on the family farm North East of Sturgis. Jeanette was the third child born to Mary and Joe. After her mother fell ill and passed away in June in 1949. Jeanette’s sister Lila helped her father take care of the children. Baba was only 8 years old at the time. A few years later, Joe married Sophie Hryhorash and together they raised 6 children. Jeanette attended Goodhue, Kopje and the Sturgis Composite High School throughout her education journey. Baba started her life adventure working at the Sturgis Hotel. It was there that she met Sam Cheremkora in 1959 and they were married on July 27, 1962. Together they lived in Sturgis for a year before moving out to take over the farm the following year. During this time Jeanette worked at the Sturgis Auction Market. On the farm near Danbury they were blessed with two daughters, Connie and Gwen. Jeanette helped Sam with farming the various crops, caring for the farm animals which included cattle. Jeanette did it all, driving the tractor to cultivate or harrow the fields, hauling grain, bales or water, gardening, milking cows, you name it. She always loved being a hostess, making lunch and coffee for friends and family for many visits and card playing occasions. She also ran her own small business with partner Joyce Hydamaka, cleaning and painting houses for numerous years. Jeanette did all this till she semi-retired in 1994 when they moved back to town. Jeanette enjoyed making noodles and perogies for her family as well as pinching with the church ladies. She also found pride in canning and making jam for her grandchildren, as well as crocheting, quilting, looking after her garden, playing solitaire, cutting grass, garden tilling for almost every garden in town and Facebook scrolling while keeping in touch with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren via facetime. Jeanette was a loved mother of 2, Baba of 10, great Baba of 7, and an extended Baba to many. Leaving behind to celebrate her life is her daughter, Connie Cheremkora (Wayne Katcheech) of Kelliher SK; granddaughter, Celina (Stanley) Antonishyn; great-granddaughter Marley; grandson Terry Katcheech; great-granddaughters, Delilah and Adie; granddaughter, Samantha Delorme (Chris Carson); great-grandsons, Andrew and Carter; granddaughter, Teanna Katcheech; grandson, Jared Katcheech (Sherrie Albert); great-grandchildren, Huntley and Lily; granddaughter, Jennifer Katcheech; granddaughter, Precious Katcheech; daughter, Gwen (Trever) Reynolds of Preeceville SK; grandson, Alex (Aspen) Nagy; granddaughter, Paje Reynolds; grandson, Seth Reynolds; honorary son, Gene Burym; brother, Victor (Mildred) Firomski; half brother, Delmer (Marianne) Firomski; sister-in-law, Joan (Gerald) Gossen. Jeanette is predeceased by her husband, Sam Cheremkora; honorary grandson, Lee Burym; parents, Joe and Mary Firomski; stepmother, Sophie Firomski; sister, Lila (William) Cherniawsky; brother, Marion (Caroline) Firomski and step-brother, Donald (Mavis) Hryhorash. Funeral Services were held on Monday, April 17, 2023 from Grace United Church in Sturgis with Phyllis Verbeek-Licensed Lay Worship Leader officiating. The pianist, Karolyn Kosheluk with members of the Grace United Church Choir led the congregation in the singing of the hymns, ‘Walk with Me’, ‘Safe in the Arms of Jesus’, ‘Shall we Gather at the River’ and ‘In the Garden’. Tributes and words of remembrance were given grandchildren, Paje, Jennifer, Teanna, Alex and Seth. Interment followed in the Sturgis Community Cemetery with Celina & Stanley Antonishyn and Alex & Aspen Nagy serving as the urnbearers. Memorials in memory of Jeanette may be made to The Kidney Foundation or to Grace United Church Women as gifts of remembrance. Condolences can be sent to the family at preecevillefuneralhome.com Arrangements were entrusted to Preeceville Funeral Home.

FARMLAND WANTED

I am currently PURCHASING single to large blocks of land.

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Doug Rue, for further information 306-716-2671

saskfarms@shaw.ca www.sellyourfarm land.com

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BAILEY SUTHERLAND, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Prince Albert Daily Herald PRINCE ALBERT —

A 12-year-old girl from Sturgeon Lake First Nation is taking the entertainment industry by storm, paving the way for Indigenous representation in mainstream media and inspiring young First Nations children all over Canada.

Meadow Kingfisher had her debut as Mel on Treehouse’s preschool cartoon series Builder

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Brothers Dream Factory , which started in Canada on March 26. The series is inspired by HGTV’s reality show Property Brothers and features the show’s hosts Drew and Jonathan Scott as kids that use their imaginations to solve problems around their neighbourhood.

Mel is one of Drew and Jonathan’s best friends in the show and is portrayed as Indigenous in the series. Much like Meadow herself, Mel is a powwow dancer who loves her culture and teaching her friends about it.

“Meadow’s character Mel is such a cool kid. We have never seen an Indigenous character like her before and we think it’s going to be so exciting to have Indigenous representation like this in a cartoon that we know will be wildly popular,” said Madison Kingfisher, Meadow’s mom.

Madison mentioned that her husband Harlan, who grew up in Sturgeon Lake First Nation, became emotional when he realized what a huge step this is in terms of mainstream media representation and

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(306) 562-7440

TOWN OF PREECEVILLE OFFICE ASSISTANT POSITION

The Town of Preeceville invites applications for the Office Assistant Position. Job duties include but are not limited to front-office reception, performing regular office functions, clerical and record keeping duties, accounts receivable and maintenance of the Utility and Tax roll, Applicants must have excellent communication skills, public relations skills. organizational skills, bookkeeping experience and computer training. Knowledge of the Munisoft Computer Program would be an asset. A detailed job description may be obtained from the Town of Preeceville Office Please submit resume stating qualifications, experience, references and salary expectations by 5:00 pm, Friday, May 12th, 2023 to:

Town of Presceville

Box 560

Preeceville, Saskatchewan

S0A 3B0

Fax: 306-547-3116

Email: preeceville@sasktel.net

For more information please call 306-547-2810 or email preeceville@sasktel.net.

for a year.

Meadow’s first acting job was a short story and music video called The Meeting Place, which can be viewed at Fort Edmonton Park. Two years ago, Meadow booked the lead role in a feature film called The Beehive that is set to premiere this year. The family just recently arrived home from Greece, where Meadow filmed a supporting lead role in another feature film that is being prepared to submit to the Cannes Film Festival.

how much something like this would have meant to him as a child.

“Every kid who sees Mel in this show is going to think she’s the coolest,” continued Madison. “How amazing is that going to be for Indigenous children, to have someone who looks like them, who talks like them, and who shares similar cultural experiences as them, be this amazing inspiring character in a cartoon.”

Meadow said she loves the character she’s playing because she feels like it’s someone a lot of Indigenous kids are going to look up to.

“I’ve never seen an Indigenous girl on a Treehouse cartoon before and it’s really cool for me to be playing her,” said Meadow. “I love it so much.”

Meadow has been a dancer almost her entire life and only recently got into acting two years ago. After her mom saw a call out for Indigenous artists on Instagram, Meadow’s mom filmed her performing a lyrical solo in the living room of their Edmonton home and submitted it. The casting director, moved by how much emotion was in Meadow’s performance, asked if Meadow would be interested in acting instead of dancing, and the rest is history.

“We hadn’t really considered acting,” said Madison. “You always kind of assume, living in Edmonton, there’s not a lot of acting jobs. We didn’t realize we could travel so much for it, or that there would be interest in flying Meadow around to different jobs.”

Meadow has an agent that’s based in Vancouver and was the one that encouraged her to audition for Mel. Following that audition, Meadow participated in a Zoom callback, which landed her the role that she’s been working on

The dedicated 12-yearold has been doing three to four auditions a week for roles across Canada and the world and hopes she’s able to continue doing what she loves for the rest of her life.

“I just love acting on set, meeting different actors and telling stories,” said Meadow. “It’s so much fun.”

Acting has opened lots of opportunities for Meadow and her family, and inspired her younger siblings to join her in the industry too. Meadow is the second oldest of four children, with the youngest three represented by the same agent. Her older brother isn’t a performer but loves to play hockey, said Madison.

Performing has always been a huge part of Meadow’s life. From the time she was a baby, dancing in the living room and singing Disney songs, to going up on stage for dance competitions as a child. Madison said her daughter was shy growing up but performing brought her out of her shell.

“She’d go up on stage and have this giant personality where she would be performing her little heart out, it was amazing to watch that transformation,” recalled Madison.

“Through dancing, she stopped being that shy little girl that she used to be when she was a preschooler; it made her so confident.”

While the family was only able to share the news of Meadow’s role as Mel a few days ago, Madison said there has been an outpouring of support from everyone in Sturgeon Lake.

“Everybody from the community is sharing stories about it, sharing my husband’s [Facebook] post about it and just really cheering her on,” said Madison. “They’re really excited to have somebody from their community represent them on such a big scale.”

Town of Preeceville

1. Public Works Intern

3. Cemetery Maintenance Intern due to Town of Preeceville Box 560 Preeceville, SK S0A 3B0 preeceville@sasktel.net

Meadow Kingfisher plays the character Mel in a new Treehouse preschool cartoon series. Submitted

to use a gun

Abby Scheller, right, shows the instructor the type of ammunition he asked for.

Instructor Brad Steppan gives information to the students on how the practical test will be conducted.

Tristen Beatty demonstrates how to properly cross a farmerʼs fence with a gun.

A student demonstrates

a method to lock up a gun for storage.

A student aims her gun in a standing position towards a poster of an animal.

A student aims his gun in a kneeling position.

Aaron Johnson shoots in a prone position.