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Shadows advance to Provincial Final
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Jordan Welbourne
VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 43 |
Monday, November 9, 2015
www.gulllakeadvance.com
The Swift Current Cenotaph is where the Air Cadets will hold an overnight vigil on the evening of November 10. 21 Cadets will be standing guard in shifts, a tradition that has gone on more than 20 years. Full story on page 3. Photo by Beth Jarrell
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Nature Canada seeks to pause transfer of Consul PFRA land BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
N
ature Canada is extremely concerned for the wellbeing of one area in the southwest. On Oct. 30, the organization and its Saskatchewan branch released a statement requesting the new Trudeau government pause the transfer of Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) lands in the Govenlock Pasture, located near Consul. “We’re looking for an assurance of protection of the grasslands,” Nature Saskatchewan spokesperson Jordan Ignatiuk said. “We’re not saying stop the transfer completely, we’re just hoping for a pause to hammer out the agreement that the transfer of federal land will come to the province, and the assurance that the grassland will be protected in the future.” We think it would be a great idea to make it a national wildlife area, protecting both the interests of wildlife and plant species that are there and also for the ranchers, to give them the long time assurance of continued grazing over a long-term tenure.” The PFRA lands, once managed by the federal government, are now being transferred over to other levels of government and various organizations across western Canada. “There have been 20 PFRA pastures that have been transferred over to the province so far,” he said. “They’ve moved to the Canadian Cattleman Association individually to each pasture. The other 42 pastures are still timelined to come in over the next three years, when they’re transferred over.” Ignatiuk says the Govenlock pasture has received the most attention lately due to the bulk of its land being owned by the federal government. “For most PFRAs, the bulk of the land is owned by the provincial government. This one, because it’s federal, would made it easy in terms of a transfer from Ag Canada to Environment Canada.” He adds that the dissolution of natu-
ral grassland is a problem that not only Saskatchewan faces, but globally, as well. “Across the world, grasslands are the most threatened ecosystem because agricultural practices, no matter where,” he said. “In Saskatchewan, we’re at a little less than 20 per cent of natural grassland remaining. Any little bit we can still protect is a good thing. It’s protecting against other changes in climate as well.” The Govenlock pasture specifically is home to a number of species of plants and animals that are under threat to go extinct in the coming years. “In Govenlock, there are a number of species that are at risk of going extinct; greater sage grouse, burrowing owl, swift fox … There are really a number of grassland species, and that doesn’t even begin to cover plants, there are a number of those as well.” Ignatiuk adds that the organization believes the best-case scenario after the pause of the transfer would mean the creation of a whole new title for the land. “With Govenlock, it would be nice to see the government makes the commitment they’ve already done, and Environment Canada takes the transfer from Ag Canada,” he said. “After that, it would be finalized for the pasture to become a National Wildlife Area.” Overall, Ignatiuk says the protection of the land would be crucial not only for the disappearing grasslands, but also the ranchers of southwest Saskatchewan. “If the economics of cattle ranching takes a downturn again, and they decide it’s not financially viable to keep the land running, the province then is left with the situation of selling the land on the private market.” Even if it does come to the point of selling, we’d like an assurance of conservation, that the land would have to stay for its current use.”
Lena Elviss blows out the candles for her 100th birthday on November 5 in Gull Lake. Elviss received special letters commemorating her birthday from the Queen and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Photo by Beth Jarrell
Premier Wall makes statement on the rejection of Keystone CONTRIBUTED
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
oday’s (Friday) announcement is very disappointing, not only for our energy sector but also for the signal it sends about Canada-US relations. Given the facts of the project as canvassed by the US State Department, this decision is more about US domestic politics than it is about good environmental policy. The fact is pipelines are safer - far safer than other means of transporting oil, like rail. There are currently more than 66,000 miles of oil pipeline in the US with more than 12,000 miles - the equivalent of 10 Keystone XLs - built since 2010. Oil will move with or without pipelines. Consider
the facts. In 2008, there were 9,500 rail carloads of oil shipped in the US. By 2014, that number had jumped to 493,000 - more than 50 times as many. The US State Department even agrees that greenhouse gas emissions from rail are much higher than emissions from pipeline. Yet on Keystone XL, the US administration chose to put political interests ahead of the economic and environmental benefits that Keystone XL would provide and ahead of its relationship with its most important trading partner, Canada. This decision makes approval of Energy East even more crucial and it will be one of Saskatchewan’s top priorities as we begin our work with the new federal government.
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The Gull Lake Curling Club is looking for
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Air Cadets eager to guard Swift Current Cenotaph BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he Swift Current 605 Tarry Air Cadet Squadron will once again be going above and beyond this Remembrance Day. For the last 20 years, the 12 to 18 year-old cadets have sat an overnight vigil at the Swift Current Cenotaph in memory of those who sacrificed their lives during the war. Deputy Commanding Officer Lieutenant Jeff Kurtz says for these cadets, it’s more than just a night outside. “It’s a 12-hour cenotaph vigil. We start at 10 p.m., and go until the service starts the next day,” he said. “It’s not something we’re telling them they have to do. We ask them to participate, and just about all the time all the kids want to come and be a part of it. “It’s part of being a Canadian citizen for them, but also forms a camaraderie among them, participating in something like this together.” Kurtz adds that the vigil means isn’t only for the kids, but also means a great deal to the community of Swift Current as well. “We’ve got parents and businesses that stop by, and the kids see and respect that. The RCMP will sometimes drop by at four a.m., and offer to bring hot chocolate and coffee, and we’ve had people who are out for late night walks stand at the cenotaph and have a moment of silence, then thank the kids for what they’re doing.
“That goes a lot deeper; it gives the kids a lot of a deeper understanding for what they’re doing there. It means a lot to the community, too. For example, this year, the Akropol will donate pizza for them to have between shifts, so it really is a community effort.” Although only the cadets conduct the vigil, Kurtz believes that members of the legion get something out of it too, as they watch the next generation begin to take over the act of remembrance. “We see the legion really enjoys it, too,” he said. “We’ve seen it in past years, the veterans can’t really carry the flag anymore, and there aren’t as many active legion members as they used to be, so they’ve asked the kids to take over as flag party. It’s the cadets that are carrying the flag, and it’s a transition to the next generation. “The legion also lets us set up base out of there, so we set up snacks and hot chocolate for the kids to have when they come off shift, and they bring sleeping bags down to grab some sleep between shifts.” The cadets stand by the vigil in fifteen-minute shifts all throughout the night, accompanied by a parent or an officer. “We set up a shift at the beginning of the night, so they know what times they have to be out there. There’s always an officer or parents that goes out with them, do 15 minute shifts, then come back and warm up, then more go out and take their place.”
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TARS Lottery Saskatchewan has released a warning to the public to be vigilant for fraudulent calls around southern Saskatchewan. The air ambulance service, which runs an annual lottery as part of their fundraising, has been alerted to a dozen fraud calls placed near the Regina area, says Cam Heke, spokesperson with STARS. The calls, he says, have been falsely alerting individuals that they have won a prize in the annual STARS lottery, but need to send in money in order to receive it. “In general, we’re incredibly disappointed that there are people that are trying to scam members of the public into believing that they need to give STARS money in order to receive a prize,” he said. “It’s something STARS would never do. We’d never ask the public to give
us money in order to receive a prize. When we do run our lottery, for the major prize winners we always call them directly and follow up with a hand-signed letter.” Heke says that anyone who receives the call should alert both STARS and their local police. The lottery, which is typically run every summer, is the largest single fundraiser for the organization, and crucial for making sure everyone in Saskatchewan gets the medical attention they need. “STARS is a non-profit charity organization, and we really do depend on community support,” he said. “The lottery brings in a significant contribution in terms of our funding in the province. Last year, it brought in $2.4 net million for STARS, which is incredible in terms of allowing us to keep flying in the province.” Heke says that the biggest concern for the organization at this time is people stopping their support of
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the service based on the false lottery calls. “When we hear about stuff like this, we’re concerned that individuals might get scammed out of money, but also it has the potential to damage the credibility to our STARS lottery, and it’s a crucial fundraiser for us. “It’s a major concern for us when these things happen, because our fear is that it could actually result in people not being sure whether or not to support the lottery.” Overall, Heke says he and the organization are thankful to the public for alerting them to the scam. Otherwise, he says, they might never have known to alert the public about it. “We’d really appreciate the public’s support to try and stop this from happening,” he said. “We’d like to send a huge thank you to the public for letting us know about this scam in the first place. It’s huge when the public alerts us to things like this.”
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Kurtz says that although the guarding of the cenotaph isn’t mandatory for the cadets, most will participate. This year, 21 cadets of the 25 will be a part of the ceremony. “Not all of them are from in-town, it’s a regional thing. We have about nine cadets from Gull Lake and Hazlet, and we try to get their shifts in earlier so they can participate in the ceremonies in their own home towns.” Kurtz himself has been involved with the cenotaph guarding since 1997, when he started as a volunteer. He believes that the ceremony instils values in the cadets that last throughout their lives. “There’s something really interesting I’ve noticed about it in past years; When it gets really late at night, and it’s quiet, and the snowflakes are coming down, it’s like a different world,” he said. “We have some kids who say they’re getting cold, and some years it’s been down to twenty below, but I’ve never had a kid complain or pack it in. It’s a great opportunity for them to do some self reflection and to give them some pride in what they’re doing, why they’re standing there and what it means to be not only a cadet, but also a Canadian citizen.”
The Town of Gull Lake is accepting tenders on the following trucks: • •
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Both trucks are sold “as is”. For viewing, contact Paul at 306-672-6634. Tenders will be received until 5:00 p.m. November 24, 2015 and should be forwarded to:
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Cabri man Ryan Chamberlin was arrested again Friday, March 20 and charged with additional crimes as more victims came forward in the case against him.
sexual touching, sexual interference and sexual exploitation charges laid against him in late February. He appeared in Swift Current Provincial Court March 23, and was released on an undertaking before a judge on conditions. Chamberlin, 39, was a hockey coach in several southern Saskatchewan communities throughout his adult life. There is a publication ban in place to protect the identity of the victims, and Chamberlin’s next court appearance will be April 13 at 9:30 a.m. ‘A Quaint Grocery Store’ The investigation is ongoing, and investigators invite people with additional information to come forOpen Fresh Fruits & Vegetables 9:00 amward. - 6:00 pm
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It doesn’t seem that long ago when I wrote a coldevelopment of a greater national spirit rather than P.O. Box 308, Eastend, SK. S0N 0T0 umn about a remarkable series published since 2011 an emphasis on “states’ rights,” which was one of Phone: 1-877-703-3374 cypresshills.mla@sasktel.net by the New York Times on the U.S. Civil War. Now, the causes of the war. www.wayneelhard.ca it appears, that series will soon come to a close. It’s hard, in our current 21st century context, to Called Disunion, the collection of pieces folbelieve that men would volunteer to fight, and in lowed the developments of the Civil War in somemany cases, die for the cause of “states’s rights.” In thing akin to real time, albeit 150 years later. As this context, those rights had a lot to do with slavevents unfolded throughout the course of the war, ery. But can you imagine anyone here today volunhistorians and analysts discussed what impact they teering to stop a bullet for provincial rights in had. Canada? Or even North Dakota rights across the The Town of Gull Lake is accepting Aconcept product for every promotion! Disunion can be found at opinionator.blogs.ny49th? The whole seems absurd. applications for student employment with the times.com. I still try to wrap my head around the key issue • Pens • Hats Town Maintenance Department UR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER TUESDAY, 2015 5 I just realized that in a few weeks the MARCH 150th31,anof the Civil War, slavery. How •isCalendars it that not-so long for the summer of 2015. • Clothing T-Shirts niversary of the Confederate surrender at Appoago, slavery was a common•practice? (In some parts Applicants must: mattox Court House will come up. It seems of the world,•itHockey still is). Pucks • be self-motivating By Jordan Parker As a result of the ongoingremarkably investigation against him, that These are on top ofonly the sexual assault, invitation short, the war lasted four to Let’s consider some other what-ifs. What if the Chamberlin has seen additional charges, including sexual touching, sexual interference and sexual ex• require minimal supervision years. Confederacy did win the war, not conquering the n Chamberlin was arrested again two sexual assault charges, an invitation to sexual ploitation charges laid against him in late February. • have a valid driver’s license and charged with additional crimes touching charge, and a countPerhaps each of sexual He appeared Provincial Court North, but successfully succeeding? Would we still itinterferseems sohe short due intoSwift theCurrent contrast with BY J O R DA N PA R K E R saw, ” said. the financials, me forward in the case against him. Apply in writing stating experience to: ence, sexual exploitation and a corrupting children March 23, and wasBased released on on an undertaking before how long thethough, United States waswas deployed to keeping have slavery today? Would it extend all the way to editor@gulllakeadvance.com charge. a judge on conditions. the town intent on Town of Gull Lake Chamberlin, 39, was a in hockey coach in several California? If not, what would have caused it to Afghanistan, the nation’s longest war its history, the structure intact.communities throughout his Box 150 southern Saskatchewan and Iraq. Iraq is not as wrapped up as we from thoughtthe Main end? Would a Spartacus-like slave revolt have been adult life. 12-2eow It received support Gull Lake, SK. S0N 1A0 he log museum in Maple Creek began There is a publication ban inincluding place to protect the inevitable? Would the North have taken another it was, as the U.S. and numerous allies, Street Saskatchewan Program, the Sasgulllaketown.admin@sasktel.net identity of the victims, and Chamberlin’s next court reassembling with Ron ~ Brian ZinChuk ~ November 1, Canada, are getting pulled appearanceinto will bethe AprilSyria/Iraq 13 at 9:30 a.m. ISIS katchewan Heritage Foundation, theshot Log at it, 10 to 20 years later? Would there have Gordon and his crew working tirelessly The investigation is ongoing, and investigators inGeorge Bowditch conflict. to been Making Museum Restoration Travel toLottery, pri- a series of continental conflicts for decades? vite people with additional information come forget things off the ground. ward. 1-306-741-2532 I think that’svate what stands outand thefundraising most for me,efforts by If the U.S. had remained fractured into the 20th donations Your Name The building -- constructed exactly 80 having lived during at time when the U.S., andCommittee. by century, what golfman@bowditchpromotions.ca would the impacts have been globthe museum’s Special Events years ago -- is being put back together on www.bowditch.promocan.com D. Wayne war Elhard, MLA ally? Would it have extension, Canada, hasreasons been at continual since tipped the balance in the First Stand Out The for bringing Gordon in Cypress Hills Constituency its new foundation, and will take fewwe’ve withdrawn 2001a(As from Afghanistan, it World War in favour of the Allies? Would it have Making your voice heard in Regina. were simple. MOVIE INFORMATION LINE • (306) 297-2241 • SHAUNAVON weeks to complete. 401 the Redcoatpeople Drive take long deploy to Iraw). To been the decisive player in the Second World War, m that long ago when I wrote a coldevelopment of a greater didn’t national spirit rather than to “They knew I’ d done a bit of work like “Movie Presentation at its Finest!” P.O. Box 308, Eastend, SK. S0N 0T0 “It’s been good. It’s gone back together markable series published since 2011 an emphasis on “states’ rights,” was one of has become the newPhone: 1-877-703-3374 of ourwhich time, thisthat, normal. leading to its superpower status, or would it have and they wanted this thing precypresshills.mla@sasktel.net said Ron the Gordon, has been k Times ongood, the U.S.”Civil War. Now, causes of thewho war. It century wasn’t always likeAway this.itInallmost cases wars beenI too concerned about a future conflict with its www.wayneelhard.ca series will soon come to a close. It’s hard, in our current 21st context, to served. went. They asked and using his skills to believe put itthatback together. nion, the collection of pieces folmen would volunteer to fight, and in Disney shows off its old-fashioned magic with this traditional tale, were relatively short and often brutal. One way or southern neighbour? Would a slave-nation like the yes,” he said. lopments of the Civil War in somemany cases, the cause of “states’s In “We took it down indie for February, andrights.” said told in a new, re-visionary presentation. person could isexpect an end at some confederacy have looked kindly on Fascism? Pereal time, albeit 150 years later. As this context, those rights another, had a lot to doawith slav- “There a certain amount of worry I marked the logs ery. asButtocanthe position they Thurs., Fri., Sat., Mon., April 2, 3, 4, 6 - 7:30 PM Rated G d throughout the course of the war, you imagine anyone here today volunSUMMER STUDENT point, withrights someone “winning.” not somewon’t get it right, That’s but I thought I’d givehaps it a it would have even allied with German and nalysts discussed they brought teering to stop a bullet and for provincial in werewhat in.impact It was home, from EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Canada? Or even North thing Dakota rights we across are the seeing today. Modern war may be Italy? whirl. I wasn’t too worried. ” then to a month ago it was reassembled The Town of Gull Lake is accepting be found at opinionator.blogs.ny49th? The whole concept seems absurd. “won” in opening weeks, thenemployment drag forapplications forspent student with the Gordon hasbut the on last period And of would there be a black president now? Or I still try to wrap my head aroundthe thethe key issue it home. We replaced rotten logs and Town Maintenance Department d that in a few weeks the 150th anof the Civil War, slavery. ever. How is it that not-so long • Farm • Hail • Auto • Home would Barack Obama have belonged to some mastime working on the construction when for the summer of 2015. other dayatwe wentago, toslavery the was new foundation. ” parts e Confederate surrender Appoa common practice? (In some beginning April&17th • Health Travel • Commercial Applicants Indeed, today’s posting ponders themust: question of ter, with a whip in hand? House will The come up. It seems of the stricture world, it still is).starts he could. work on the with (Including Oilfield Operations) • be self-motivating ort, that the war only lasted four Let’s consider some other what-ifs. the What Confederacy if the whether could have won the war. Coming soon ... Do You Believe? & Boy Choir wellminimal andsupervision did it in my spare • require In Frontier for over 25 yrs. the installation ofConfederacy doorsdidand new wood win the war, not conquering the “I ranch as •increased have a valid driver’s licensesales We are an SGI Motor Issuer The “what-ifs” rangeIt’s from cotton Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. ms so short due to the contrast with North, but successfully succeeding? Would we still time. that to tryto:to get each windows. It will mirror the dimensions Apply inyou writing want stating experience United States was deployed to have slavery today? Would it extend all the way to colleen@frontiersouthwest.ca Town of Gull Lake before the blockade took hold to General Robert E. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net Check out our NEW website! the 1935 e nation’s and longestappearance war in its history, of California? If not,originals. what would have caused it log to to fit the next one, and make sure it all 305 Centre St., Frontier, SK Box 150 s not as wrapped up as we thought end? Would a Spartacus-like slave revolt have been Lee’sasstyle of command. One what-if centred comes together, he SK. said. 12-2eow Gull”Lake, S0N 1A0on the The new roof will be constructed the 306-296-4477 .S. and numerous allies, including inevitable? Would the North have taken another www.plazatheatre.ca gulllaketown.admin@sasktel.net www.frontiersouthwest.ca ting pulled into thephase Syria/Iraqof ISISthe shot at it, 10 to 20 years later? Would there have “It was in pretty bad shape, and two final entire project. a series of continental conflicts for decades?corners on the east side were rotted out. It “I did the other been part of the museum, but what stands out the most for me, If the U.S. had remained fractured into the 20th was do this or tear it down.” uring at time whenistheall U.S.,new. and by Wecentury, the impacts have been globthis had what thewould measurements da, has been at continual war since ally? Would it have tipped the balance in the First He is Plaza thankful Theatre for the support he’s for the original museum and we built new. e withdrawn from Afghanistan, it World War in favour of the Allies? Would it have INFORMATION LINE • (306) 297-2241 • SHAUNAVON g to deploy to Iraw). To the been the decisive player in theit, Second World War, receivedMOVIE while We took it people down and reassembled ” said “Movie working. Presentation at its Finest!” s has become the new normal. leading to its superpower status, or would it have of help from family and the ways like Gordon. this. In most cases wars been too concerned about a future conflict with its “I had a lot Cinderella Disney shows off its old-fashionedIt magic with thistough traditional tale, a Great Gift Idea! short and often brutal. One way ororiginal southernone neighbour? Would a slave-nation board reassembling. was taking Makes it “This is the from 1935, and like the told in a new, re-visionary presentation. on could expect an end at some confederacy have looked kindly on Fascism? PerSt. Southwest Community Newspaper” 390 Central Ave. N. Thurs.,it’s Fri., Sat., Mon., Aprilputting 2, 3, 4, 6 - 7:30 it PM back Rated G “Your Mail to Winquist Ventures Ltd. 256B Centre down and tough up. It’sthis form with payment this town to keep meone “winning.” That’s notwanted somehaps it would it. haveIt’s eventhe alliedoldest with German and Ponteix, SK Swift Current, SK1A0 eeing today. Modern war may be Italy? Anywhere in Canada Box 628, Gull Lake, Sask. S0N purpose-built structure in Saskatchewan.” a big puzzle.” Gull Lake, Sask. S0N 1A0 pening weeks, but then drag on forAnd would there be a black president now? Or (306) 625 3212 Box 628 (306) 773 7261 It’s hoped will be unveiled When asked about theObama historical $42 year the ($23 building off the cover price) Phone: (306) 672-3373 would Barack have belongedsigto somefor mas- one beginning April 17th Name: y’s postingnificance ponders the question ter, with a whip Old-____________________________________ Open 9 AM - Midnight the ofstructure hadin hand? to the town, during the Southwest Saskatchewan Open Tuesday & Thursday Fax: (306) 672-3573 nfederacy could have won the war. Coming soon ... Do You Believe? & Boy Choir 7 Days A Week timers’ 90th Anniversary Celebrations in Gordon laughed. 9 AM - 5 PM email: kate.winquistventures@sasktel.net range from increased cotton sales Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. $80 for2016. two years www.gulllakeadvance.com kade took hold to General Robert E. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net Check($40/year) out our NEW website! Address: __________________________________ “Listen, I’m just the guy with the chainmmand. One what-if centred on the ($50 off the cover price) www.plazatheatre.ca Town: _________________ Postal Code: ________ Publisher & Editor $105 for three years ($35/year) Kate Winquist New Subscription Renewal We acknowledge the financial ($90 off the cover price) Reporter Subscribe Now! support of the Government of Makes a Great Gift Idea! 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5
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Legion craft fair gears up for another big year BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he Maple Creek Legion will be holding their annual craft and trade show on the weekend of November 14. The show features crafts and various forms of art from across southwest Saskatchewan for purchase, but legion spokesperson Norman Kimber says some come out for more than just the crafts. “For a lot of folks, it’s a chance to see some amazing showcased work,” he said. “A lot of our sellers and artists aren’t worried if they sell their products or not, they just want to get them out there to show the community what they’re capable of.” Kimber says he believes a lot of artists want to help those who also practice their trade. “I think a lot of our exhibitors want to inspire others who practice their craft,” he said. “It’ll be a good opportunity for them to talk shop about the art they’re doing with those who do it too, or are interested in starting.” There are a lot of people who come out and just see what these people do have, see the things they can do. No one has to buy anything. Different people will feature the
crafts they make, and they’ll all be for sale. Several different craftspeople are going to come out.” Kimber adds that all who come out will find some sort of art form that resonates with them, as there will be plenty to see. “There will be woodworking and a lot of beautiful crochet work,” he said. We have a fellow coming in who does some amazing woodwork, makes some amazing things. We have a lady who comes from Medicine Hat who does artificial flower arraigning … There’s quite a variety of things that are coming in.” This year, a special guest from the Wounded Warrior Project will have an exhibit as well. The project is a national effort established to help wounded veterans coming back from combat and either afflicted with physical or cognitive illnesses, such as PTSD. “We have a lady coming in from Elrose representing the project that the legion is partnering with,” he said. “They have a lot of different projects that help wounded warriors when they come back home, and they’re hoping to get some people involved with the project.” Money will be raised to keep the legion running and will come via the selling of tables for artists to buy their goods, and by the food booth
they will have running on the day of the event. “We’ll have beef on a bun, sandwiches and pies, coffee and pop, lots of things,” he said. “We usually keep fairly busy in there, a lot of the people who come out to this just come for lunch, and to see the crafts. “We usually have a couple ladies who have homemade baking for sale as well, so if you enjoy home baking and crafts, come on out.” Overall, Kimber says anyone is welcome to come out to the event, either to grab a bite to eat, see some crafts or purchase something to take home. “Anyone who wants to come through the door is welcome. There’s no admission charge to come in, and we think people will really have a great time. “There are lots of different exhibitors that are going to come in and not only have their stuff for sale, but also be showcasing what they can do. It’ll be great for anyone who wants to come see some amazing art.” The Legion Craft Sale and Trade Show will take place on Friday, November 13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Legion Hall.
Poppies are the best way to show respect on Remembrance Day, says Jim Pratt, but be careful on how and where you wear them. Photo by Beth Jarrell
ANDERSON & COMPANY BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS James G. Anderson, Q.C. 51 - 1st Ave. N.W., Box 610 Neil G. Gibbings Swift Current, SK. S9H 0M5 Morris A. Froslie Phone 773-2891 Fax 778-3364 email: anderson.company@sasktel.net James M. Peltier Erin A. Connick Gull Lake Office 2391 Proton Avenue Tyler McCuaig Phone 672-4442 Joel P. Friesen Office Hours: Every Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ryan J. Plewis
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XTC Ranches donating to Arnal Brothers Bursary BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
X
TC Ranches will be donating the average price of one of their commercial heifer calves at their upcoming annual sale to the Arnal Brothers Bursary fund. The sale, on Nov. 18 outside Medicine Hat, will provide money to a bursary that allows young entrepreneurs and agriculture kids fulfill their dream projects and goals. Chantal Henderson, sister to the late Sean, Lyndon and Blake, the farm boys the bursary is memorializing, was floored by the generous donation. “The support for this has just been overwhelming. We set a goal at first to donate $3,000 to bursaries, but after initial support last year, we made it $5,000. In March, we gave away over $45,000,” she said. “People, just like XTC Ranches, are very generous with their support, and this is way more than we ever imagined. It allows us to invest and continue on.” She said the amount of people who’ve attended events or helped them out is amazing. “Communities and businesses are always willing to donate or sponsor us. Then there are individuals supporting us through events. There’s so much that comes our way,” she said. “We’ve been supported not only with the bursary, but through this tragedy. Someone is always checking in and helping us.” She said the effort put into submissions last year was pretty satisfying.
“It was refreshing to see the innovativeness in southwest Saskatchewan, and all the projects that came through had an air of immense excitement and eagerness.” Travis Wasko, along with wife Jocelyn and Byron and Carolyn Templeton all made the joint decision to support this cause. “I graduated with Travis, and in a class of 15 students, you get to know people really well. He has donated several times and was involved with the hockey tournament. He’s consistently been behind us, and his in-laws Carolyn and Byron are also great for doing this,” she said. “When Travis and Jocelyn first brought it up, they commented they were starting a family and wanted to make sure there was a bursary in the future. It was interesting to know a generation will donate in hopes it can continue.” They are always working to bring money to the bursary fund, and the recent skeet shoot brought nearly $5,000. “We had great sponsors and a fun day. It was a close event as there were less at the skeet shoot, but we really got to take it in,” she said. “We are just so happy people get involved and are supporting us, because our story or the bursary speaks to them in some way.” Up soon also is the Rock Solid Red Heifer sale Dec. 14, where two cattle will be auctioned at 1 p.m. Top Land and Cattle Ltd. put this on, and are located five miles northwest of Eastend.
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6
THE ADVANCE
Commentary FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
“Because it’s 2015” isn’t a proper reason BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
J
ustin Trudeau won a lot of favour – even from non-supporters – last week when he named his cabinet, a melting pot of diversity, gender equality and experience-appropriate placement. With all different races and proportional representation of all the provinces within his new cabinet, it seemed Trudeau had covered all his bases.
Do the women - or the men - in this cabinet represent that best possible candidates for each department, or do they fit the minority and gender visibility checkmarks Trudeau needed to cross off? When asked by a reporter about his gender-equal cabinet, Trudeau’s response to why he made such an effort was plain and simple. “Because it’s 2015,” he said, to an uproarious applause. As dignified, good-hearted and well-intentioned as this was, it begs one simple question: Do the women -- or the men -- in this cabinet represent that best possible candidates for each department, or do they fit the minority and gender visibility checkmarks Trudeau needed to cross off ? To maintain a cabinet as diversified and equal as this one is a valiant, truly unbelievable effort. But does the system lose some of its strength if merit isn’t the number one reason for being chosen for a position?
Trudeau has long advocated for equal pay for women and been a huge proponent of women’s rights. For the same job, where a man and a woman do the same duties, have worked at a company the same length of time, and are both equally proficient, pay should be the same. Women’s rights are a touchy subject in this day and age, but it’s ultimately a disservice to Canadian citizens – and the women in cabinet – if they were chosen just to balance the scales. This is not to say these woman aren’t highly decorated – they are – but what it means is we can’t let our push for diversity and equality go too far, lest we worry more about physical and gender attributes more than who is best for the job. For example, this is like picking a bilingual worker for a job despite the english applicant having a higher level of experience and aptitude for the job, just because they speak two languages. At the bottom of each job application, companies seek out self-identifying minorities and people with disabilities. This is fine, so long as those people also have the skills to do the job they’re hired for, and they were the best candidate. Trudeau’s cabinet is full of intelligent men and women, and his work to include such a rich female presence with a cabinet of people suited for their positions is tremendous. But we need to ensure we keep bringing skill to the forefront and worry less about juggling equal numbers, lest we start forgetting what job everyone is supposed to be doing in the first place.
We’d love to hear from you. Letters to the Editor are always welcome The Advance welcomes letters to the editor of up to 400 words. The deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. on Thursday for the next edition. All letters must be signed and include a phone number for verification plus the name of the writer’s hometown. Unsigned letters will be discarded. The Advance will not publish phone numbers and addresses. Letters may be subject to editing for length, clarity, grammar and legality. The Advance reserves the right to decline to publish letters. Letters are the opinions of their writers only and do not reflect the opinions of The Advance.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
FROM THE TOP OF THE PILE
Media Party fawning over Trudeau BY B R I A N Z I N C H U K
brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net
A
lot of people love to hate Ezra Levant and his loud-mouthed ways, but on some things you must admit, he’s not wrong. And when he has been talking for years about “the Media Party,” he’s not wrong. Nowhere has this been more evident than the minutes since the polls closed in Atlantic Canada and the gobsmacked anchors realized the Liberals had just swept the entire region. The lovefest began in earnest. In the two weeks since, I haven’t seen such positive press about an incoming politician since the 2008 election of Barack Obama. Obama’s early days could have been mistaken for the second coming of youknow-who. He was even given a Nobel Peace Prize, a nomination made when the length of his term could still reasonably have been measured in hours. (You think I’m kidding? The nomination deadline was Feb. 1, 2009. Obama was sworn in Jan. 20, 2009, roughly 250 hours before his nomination for highest honour on our planet.) Obama apparently got the award due to a speech he gave on Islam in 2009, his efforts on nuclear proliferation and climate change. Given the rise of ISIS,
the questionable recent Iranian nuclear deal and lack of progress on climate change during his tenure, I would say he failed to reach expectations. Similarly, the Canadian press’ Trudeaumania didn’t start until after the election was over and it was clear that he would win. But man, has it hit. There have been next to no negative articles about the incoming prime minister. Compare this to when Stephen Harper was elected. One might have thought the world was going to end and the Devil himself was moving into 24 Sussex Drive. Certainly all those CBC folks must be tickled pink, as they no longer have to fear pink slips. I would doubt if any CBCers voted blue over the past 10 years. At the Globe and Mail, Jane Taber wrote of Trudeau, “Why not start his mandate with a bold gesture of co-operation by inviting all seven former prime ministers to attend his Speech from the Throne? And then, why not call on all of them to play a role like their American counterparts?” Ah, yes, such a gallant gesture that would be. I wonder if Taber would have ever have suggested that to Harper, any of the multiple times his Speeches from the Throne were offered? Such sunny, sunny days. This is not to say that the Conservatives didn’t work to defeat themselves.
Niqabs? Really? That was an issue of national importance? Or a report-yourneighbours hotline? Clearly the cupboard was bare on new, worthy ideas. New governments traditionally get a honeymoon period. This is in part due to the wonder of democracy, the idea that perhaps we can vote the bums out and start anew. This is also due to fact the newly elected government has not had a chance to do anything yet, rightly or wrongly. But you just watch – this honeymoon period Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will receive will likely be brighter and longer than any in recent memory. If, in the next six months, he gets half the bad press Stephen Harper did in his first six months, I’ll eat my hat. I’ve got an extra fedora, just in case. You know the old joke about newlyweds putting a quarter in the jar for the first year, every time they act like newlyweds? Well, Trudeau and the media that has crawled into bed with him better get a big jar. When will the Media Party crawl out of that bed and start holding Trudeau to account? When will they realize he doesn’t walk on water? Now might be a good time to set up an office pool. My bet is 16 months from now. Brian Zinchuk is editor of Pipeline News. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@sasktel.net.
McDavid injury highlights rookie pressure BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
A
sk anyone in Edmonton (or Canada. Heck, in North America) about how the team was doing last year around this time, and you’d get the same response. “You just wait for McDavid to get here,” fans of the tanking Oilers would respond with glee, seeing a young, shining light at the end of another boardcrunched, loss-riddled season for the long-struggling team. It’s been difficult to watch the Edmonton Oilers, a team who aways seem to end up in the basement of the league standings, unable to climb the stairs to even the middle echelons. And yet, with the end of each year comes draft season, where they always have a stellar pick. From Eberle to Nugent-Hopkins, from Hall to Yakupov, this is a young team chalk full of talent. But for whatever reason, they were never quite able to make things mesh: That is, until this year. Though the Oilers were still a lower-echelons team, the addition of goalie Cam Talbot and the rising of shooting star McDavid added up to a much-improved club. After a slow start, he went on to grab 12 points in the early season and
become the NHL’s October rookie of the month. This was all before tumbling into the boards along with opposing Philadelphia Flyers defencemen Brent Manning and Michael Del Zotto. He would leave in the second period and not return. This was devastating news: Not just for McDavid or for Oilers fans, but for the hockey world as a whole. This year’s prime talent will be out for months, or possibly most of the season, a huge blow to any time. This is why it’s perhaps even worse for the flailing Oilers. “Connor is such a special player and is at such a young age that it’s disappointing,” said Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli last week. “We won last night. Today feels like a loss, but we’ll get by it. We’ve got a good medical staff here. We’ve got good players.” McDavid’s broken left collarbone has left many feeling dejected, but perhaps everyone should wonder just how the young phenom is dealing with it. The insurmountable pressure of being a club’s skating salvation can’t be easy, especially when you’re sidelined. When you’re playing a professional sport with elite talent, there are certain expectations for you: Expectations that can’t be filled if you watch games in a sling from the press box.
McDavid is being kept from reaching his potential by something totally beyond his control, and it has to be nagging at him to his core. He’s a young talent who everyone was counting on, and the intensity and gravity of that in oil town is being felt by everyone, McDavid included. Fantasy owners who have him are trembling in their boots (myself included), because this franchise player just went down as things were getting serious. Fans are beside themselves, his team doesn’t know how to get through it without him, and my father -- an Oilers fan for life -- is inconsolable. But as we all mourn the loss, one has to think for a second to see how silly it all is. After all, we’re talking about a teenager here. He’s a young kid who should be partying at some university or college. Instead he’s been gracing our television screens night-in, night-out, trying to achieve greatness for our entertainment. Now he’s hurt, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s life as an NHL star. In January, bobble heads will fly off the shelves and McDavid fever will start all over again. But for now? Everyone take it easy on the kid. Chances are the one with the broken collarbone truly is the one who feels worst about the whole ordeal.
Dwight Small enjoys visitors SUBMITTED
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he first part of October, nephew Gerry and Diane Kristensen stayed at Dwight and Susan Small’s house. They visited at Jack Fenwick’s on Saturday and Steve and Shannon Small visited with them over there. On Sunday morning, Larry Fenwick (Calgary) and Jack Fenwick visited in town. In the afternoon we went
to the Gull Lake Cemetery … my wife’s grave, Vern and Nettie and Jack & Viola Small (Dad & Mom). On Monday morning, Randy and Jean Fenwick came into town along with Wayne & Laverne from Shaunavon. Tuesday morning they left for Saskatoon to visit relations on his Dad’s side of the family.what they’re doing, why they’re standing there and what it means to be not only a cadet, but also a Canadian citizen.”
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7
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
An ode to true love BY M E G A N L AC E L L E
megan@gulllakeadvance.com
T
his past weekend we celebrated my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. In preparation for the momentous event, I decided to interview both of them in their home in Val Marie and make a short video explaining their love story. Grandpa Jack met Grandma Irene ( fondly known as ‘dam Irene’ by two-year-old Megan) when she was 15. He wasn’t much older. Her farm was 21 miles from his – meaning during their courtship he’d ride his horse through the hills to see her, mid-winter. This was much before cell phones at a time when only a few people had house phones. People living in settlements through the hills used to call him the ‘Long Rider’ after his lengthy trips to see grandma. Not long after, when grandma was 17 and grandpa was 20, they tied the knot in Glenvern Hall – a building that no longer exists.
Now grandpa is 80, grandma is 77 and they remain as in love as I can ever remember. They’re the first to dance at events and they work together with a precision and temperament reserved for those who’ve spent their entire lives together. Both in love with cattle, horses and dogs they raised four kids, two girls and two boys, and now have nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Grandpa says they haven’t spent more than 21 days apart since they’ve been married – and only then because he had to be at the hospital and she had to manage the ranch. There are some couples you meet in life that you know were meant to be together. That’s what it’s like watching my grandparents. It’s like watching someone fall in love all over again. It’s the kind of love you watch and then hope you’re lucky enough to find. I know couples today that hardly have the time to phone each other and yet grandpa rode 21 miles on horseback just to visit my grandma. That’s love. Every life decision that you make will
impact your life, but the one that will affect it the most is the partner you pick – I firmly believe that. That becomes the person you confide in, share your joy with, share your sorrow, hold them up, and cry on their shoulder. They’re the person you have children with, the person who helps raise them and the person who’ll still be there when the kids are grown and gone. Who you spend your life with is one of the most important decisions you can make in your life. Grandma and grandpa will both admit that marriage isn’t always easy, but they’ll still be the first to dance when a good tune comes on and the first to admit that they’ve had a good life together. I’ve only been alive for 22 years – a little over a third of the time they’ve spend together. It’s a lifetime together that’s unimaginable to me now and a bond I won’t be blessed with for years to come. But it serves as a constant reminder of the important things in life. Without the love
of these two people, this 21-mile horse ride love, my mother wouldn’t have been born and neither would I. How could they have known then, on the brisk November day in 1955 that their love would be responsible for the lives of 18 people – each of which would have the opportunity to find their person in this world. For as much as I am a pessimist, I’m also a hopeless romantic. In 2008 it was reported that 40 per cent of marriages in Canada end in divorce. It’s a sad statistic to read and, don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not anti-divorce. People change, some grow and some don’t, which means it’s not always healthy or beneficial to stay together. But it’s also sad to think that two-thirds of happy wedding days end in divorces – however, it makes that one true love even more important. In essence, I just want to congratulate my grandparents on 60 years of marriage. Thank you for reminding me and many others what true love looks like.
Distracted driving has very real consequences BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
I
’ll admit it. I still have a lot to learn about driving. I only got my licence four years ago, at the age of 18, right before I went off to university. It was silly, really, because in downtown Toronto, I sure didn’t do much driving. As such, my driving experience came in the form of summer jobs. Whether commuting three hours or three minutes, that’s when I worked on perfecting my driving. I will admit, though; I haven’t actually parallel parked in four years- don’t tell my driving instructor! But during one of those summers, something happened to me. One of my friends got in a terrible accident while texting and driving. Fortunately, he was ok, and no one was hurt, but from that moment on, I swore to myself that I would never drive distracted. So you can imagine how much of a shock it was for me to have to swerve suddenly one day while driving from Val Marie to avoid a seriously large pothole because I’d been driving distracted. Although I wasn’t texting, I was still driving distracted. See, I’m still getting used to my car; it had belonged to my mother, but was shifted to me after it was deemed that my beloved 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee wasn’t reliable enough to traverse the sometimes-deserted highways of the southwest. Because my new-ish car has a lot more features than my old one, it comes with a screen in the front for the driver or passenger to conduct a number of entertaining features, such as changing temperature control or changing the radio station. This can lead, if you’re not careful, to some pretty hairy situations. Here’s the deal- according to the CAA, 80 per cent of crashes in the United States are related to distracted driv-
ing in one form of anotherwhether we’re taking about texting while driving, looking at the kids in the back or glancing down to grab your coffee- it’s all a part of distracted driving. In British Columbia alone there were 104 fatalities in 2010 that were a direct result of distracted driving. That’s 104 lives that could have been saved if we’d been a little more careful. I think we’ve become a little too complacent lately with driving. We’re a little too comfortable. When you think about it, the act of driving is sitting behind a two-ton mound of steel that’s used to drive 70 miles per hourspeeds that would have been unthinkable not even 200 years ago. I’m not even going to mention driving while intoxicated here, because that’s an issue that deserves a column of its own. Rural Saskatchewan has been amongst the worse with this as of late, and clearly something needs to give. But something needs to change on the distracted driving front as well. I like to consider myself pretty neurotic when it comes to driving carefully. I’m a cautious person my nature, my parents always made sure to instil the principles of defensive driving with me, and I never speed. And that’s why I know I’ll be more careful in the future, as we all should be. We know driving is dangerous. We know that distracted driving has the serious potential to be deadly. Fortunately, I learned my lesson before I caused harm to myself, my car or anyone else. So please, for the sake of the rest of us on the road, put down that cell phone, turn off that screen and focus on the yellow lines in front of you. After all, I fundamentally believe that driving can have a magic of it’s own, especially without all that modern technology.
Report from the Legislature
D. Wayne Elhard, MLA Cypress Hills
Infrastructure Investment Improving Health Care The purpose of a growing province and a strong and diversified economy is to ensure the best possible quality of life for Saskatchewan people. This is why, several years ago, our government proceeded with the first ever review of the Saskatchewan health care system from the perspective of patients. The Patient First Review has guided our government’s efforts to make the health care system more responsive, efficient and effective. To date we have seen a dramatic reduction in surgical wait times and primary health care innovations that are beginning to revitalize health services in rural communities. Today there are 500 new doctors and nearly 3,000 additional nurses providing exceptional care to the people of Saskatchewan. These professionals need a safe and modern environment to deliver quality health services, and our government is committed to supporting projects to ensure the needs of patients are being met. We’re replacing 13 long-term care facilities in communities across the province. Last week’s grand openings in Biggar and Kerrobert marked the completion of eleven of those projects. And two additional projects are under construction or in the planning phase. Last month in Maple Creek the Southwest Integrated Healthcare Facility was opened. Construction continues on the new Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford, the Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, and the grand opening of the new Moose Jaw Hospital was held this past week. Your government is committed to a health system that puts patients first and while there remains more to do, there is a solid foundation in place to achieve exceptional patient and family-centred care. Lower Travel and Communications Spending in 2014-15
The Saskatchewan government carefully managed expenses in 2014-15, including reducing travel and communications spending. Ministers’ travel costs were down 31 per cent from the previous year and down 64 per cent from 2006-07. Spending on Ministers’ travel in 2014-15 was the lowest since Ministerial travel began being calculated starting in 1991-92. That year, Ministers’ travel spending was $428,000. Overall, Ministry travel costs were down 3.5 per cent from the previous year, and down 8.0 per cent from 2006-07. Communications costs were down 14 per cent from the previous year and 42 per cent from 2006-07. In total, the government reduced its travel and communications costs by nearly $3.0 million compared to the previous year and by $10 million compared to 2006-07. 24/7 Winter Service Now Available on Highway Hotline Road conditions can change rapidly and, with winter approaching, Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline is now reporting driving conditions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Updated a minimum three times per day, The Highway Hotline provides up-to-date road information so people can plan their travel. With more than five million visitors last year, The Highway Hotline is the most used Government of Saskatchewan internet resource. Updates outside of winter provide information on road construction, closures or other changes caused by natural disasters such as flooding events or forest fires. To access the Highway Hotline visit www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/transportation/highways/highway-hotline. You can also contact the Highway Hotline by calling 1-888-335-7623. Also, visit the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline Facebook page for other important information or follow on twitter @SkGovHwyHotline to receive updates on roads that are closed or not recommended for travel.
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THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
|
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Fossil campaign to name provincial emblem begins BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he Royal Saskatchewan Museum has embarked on a provincial campaign to select a provincial fossil, with the help of students in the area. The fossil will be emblazoned in an emblem. “Saskatchewan has a rich fossil history, especially down in the southwest. It’s not only about the value of science, but it’s a source of pride for us as communities. It’s time to have an emblem for that,” said Sarah Schafer, Visitor Experience Supervisor at the RSM. “This idea came from our palaeontologists and that unit. Tim Tokaryk was the one who really came up with it.” The initiative has received provincial praise from the government. “The history of life in Saskatchewan is preserved in our fossils,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Mark Docherty said. “Saskatchewan’s fossils are of remarkable value to scientists, they are a source of great fascination to our residents and tourists, and fossil discoveries are a source of pride for many Saskatchewan communities. Designating a provincial fossil will help bring attention and recognition to these aspects of our province’s natural heritage.” The spring of 2016 will mark the point when Saskatchewan will choose the fossil and from mid-November to May, the public can visit the RSM and see the provincial fossil exhibit. Voting opens province-wide for Saskatchewans Provincial Fossil in spring 2016. Grade seven students will be encouraged to enter the Saskatchewan Provincial Fossil Video Contest, in which they will be able to learn about the fossils on the list and choose the one they think best represents the province. They will then submit a video arguing their case. “We think there’s a lot of education value in resources and learning about fossils. We wanted kids to be involved in some fashion, and this video contest is a great idea. I hope
they will like it,” she said. “The idea of stating a case and making a debate fits their curriculum. We thought this could be good.” The videos will all go online to help promote the campaign, and the winning class will get a gift and a visit by an RSM palaeontologist. “The Royal Saskatchewan Museum has a long tradition of providing outstanding education programs for the youth of this province,” said Education Minister Don Morgan. “I encourage all grade seven classes to learn more about our province’s rich fossil history and share their voice about how it should be represented.”
Schafer enjoys the diversity in this year’s list of fossils. The southwest is very well represented, with West Cypress, Ponteix and the Frenchman River Valley represented. “This candidate list has marine reptiles, ancient mammals and dinosaurs. There is a lot to choose from, and our palaeontologists once again helped with that. These things have great significance.” To learn more, teachers can visit www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/education. The RSM is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation. You can also visit www.royalsaskmuseum.ca or call 306-787-2815.
While very partial to Scotty, full skeleton on exhibit at the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, Sarah Schafer is remaining neutral and not endorsing any of the individual candidates for the provincial contest at this time.
The Friends of SW Building Business Inc. is a newly incorporated, non-profit organization. The six-member board are working within their objectives to help develop small business within Eastend and district. The Board’s first project was purchasing the vacant building in Eastend from the Shaunavon Co-op Association. After some renovating, the Board rented the building to Crazy Cowboy Instrumentation. Recently the Board sold the building to the renters, providing them with a permanent place of business. The Board is now in the process of developing the second project. L-R: Kevin Braun, General Manager of Shaunavon Co-op Association shakes hands with Darren Holberg, President of Friends of SW Building Business Inc.
Lots of donations coming in for the Maple Creek Food Bank. Photos by Shelley Drever
GULL LA KE
Call Us for a Quote on your
Saturday, NOVEMBER 21st
• House • Agro • Commercial INSURANCE NEEDS
Craft & Mini Trade Show Gull Lake Community Hall
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
40 Vendors of Handcrafts, Quilting, Sewing, Baking, Woodwork & Home-Based Businesses
$20/table For info, call 306-672-3786
Admission $3.00 10 & under Free Lunch Available CORRECTION The Gull Lake Advance would like to clarify an error in the story United Church Choir harmonizes Gull Lake on page 9 of the Monday, November 2, 2015 edition. We stated the choir hasn't had a director since 2005, when they haven't had one since 2012. We apologize for any convenience this has caused.
GORDON KOZROSKI REALTOR
FARMLAND WANTED Call today!
Real Estate Centre
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Cell: 306-672-7463 Office: 306-821-6112 OR 780-875-5581
Accepting Applications for Picker Operators with Valid Class 1A, Class 1 Drivers and Swamper Positions. H2S and First Aid and asset.
Please fax resume to (306) 297-2672.
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• Winch Trucks and Trailers • Bed Trucks • Picker Truck Services
Thank you for your continued patronage. We appreciate your support! LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Get Bonnie working for you
306-295-3855
EASTEND AGENCIES LTD. 104 Maple Avenue North • Eastend, SK D. Wayne Elhard, MLA Cypress Hills Constituency Making your voice heard in Regina.
401 Redcoat Drive P.O. Box 308, Eastend, SK. S0N 0T0 Phone: 1-877-703-3374 cypresshills.mla@sasktel.net
www.wayneelhard.ca
THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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9
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
The Advance | Sports
The Gull Lake Lions couldn't quite make it back to the provincial six-man final this year after a heartbreaking, last minute defeat to Raymore 34-33. It was a hard fought battle right to the end, but a great season none-the-less for the Lions. ADVANCE FILE PHOTO
Gull Lake School hosted the 2A Girls Conference Volleyball Championships on Saturday. Gull Lake, Fox Valley, Herbert and Eston took part in the round-robin format to see which two teams would advance further into playoffs. Fox Valley and Herbert will be moving on. Photos by Kate Winquist
Chinook School Division Sports Report BY D E B R E A M E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
NG MI CO OON S
UBS R E SPIC D CHILI AN
BUY LOCAL
’S S RY CO TION A E CR
EAT LOCAL FRESH MEATS
SAUSAGES AND STIX
Top quality beef, pork, bison, lamb & poultry. Our local farms & ranches are our suppliers! We also offer full custom cutting services for beef, pork, bison, lamb & wild game! Hunters are welcome.
SEAFOOD & POULTRY WEEKLY SPECIAL!
CHICKEN SPECIAL
20% OFF Breasts, Whole Roasting, Wings, SW Smoked Chicken & Chicken Pieces
473 CENTRE STREET, SHAUNAVON | 306-297-4050 MON TO FRI: 8 AM TO 6 PM, SAT 9 AM TO 5 PM
Swift Current Ardens hosted SHSAA provincial 3A girls’ soccer championships on October 30 & 31. Eight teams participated in the championship – PA St Mary, PA Carlton, Saskatoon Centennial, Saskatoon St. Joseph, Regina LeBoldus, Regina Campbell, Yorkton Regional and the host Swift Current. In their first game, the Ardens beat St. Joseph by a 3-2 score. The game was tied at 1 at the half but the Ardens prevailed in the 2nd half scoring 2 goals to St. Joe’s 1. Goal scorers for the Ardens were Jade Addai with 2 and Brooke Vallee with 1. This put the Ardens in the A semi final on Friday afternoon against PA Carlton. Once again, the game was tied at 1 at the half but PA put the pressure on in the second half and scored two goals to make the final 3-1. Ali Vance got the lone goal for the Ardens. The Ardens finished the tournament playing for the bronze medal against PA St. Mary. The Ardens led from the start of the game. The half time score was 3-1 and the final was 5-3. Scoring for the Ardens was Ashley Eben with 2. Brooke Vallee, Karrie Therrien and Ali Vance all contributed singles. Congrats to the Ardens and their coaches Dale Perry, Steven Mah and manager Ruth Weiner on winning the bronze medal! The gold medal match saw Saskatoon Centennial win over PA Carlton 1-0. A big thank you to Swift Current Comp and Ardens for hosting. Special thanks to commissioner Andrew Herrick and head organizer Ruth Weiner for all their hard work. The SHSAA playoffs for senior volleyball started on November 7 with girls’ conference play. Frontier girls hosted 1A including Glenthworth, Kincaid/College Mathieu, Mankota, Eastend and Ponteix. In other 1A action, Cabri/Hazlet, Leader and Vanguard all travelled to Central Butte. The Top 2 teams advanced to Regional play. At the 2A level, Gull Lake Lady Lions played host to Eston, Herbert and Fox Valley. The Top 2 advanced to Regionals. At the 3A level, Shaunavon will travelled to Moose Jaw with the top 2 advancing to regionals. At the 4A level, Maple Creek went to Kindersley with the top 3 advancing to regionals. We
apologize that no results were available at press-time. Regional play for the 1-5A girls and 5A boys will be November 13 & 14. Boys’ conference play will be held on Saturday, November 14. The only level we host is 1A boys at Eastend. Participating will be Vanguard, Eastend, Glentworth and Lafleche. Top 3 advance to regionals. Herbert boys will play 1A conference play at Rouleau with top 3 advancing. In 3A conference play, Leader will be travel to LCBI (Outlook) with top 3 advancing. All our junior volleyball playoffs will be taking place. The following is a list of the subsection and section playoffs and the teams involved: Tues, Nov 3: • Rolling Hills B boys @ Swift Current Comp. Teams include the Comp, Hodgeville, Vanguard, Ponteix and Wymark. Top team advances. • Rolling Hills A girls @ Herbert. Teams include Herbert, Gull Lake, O.M. Irwin and Waldeck. Top team advances. Wed, Nov 4: • Rolling Hills A boys @ O.M. Irwin. Teams include Irwin, Ecole Centennial and Waldeck. Top team advances. • Cypress Hills boys @ Cabri. Teams include Cabri, Hazlet, Leader and Fox Valley. Top 2 teams advance. • Rolling Hills B girls @ Hodgeville (this is a two day competition and will finish on Thurs, Nov 5). Teams include Hodgeville, Ponteix, Vanguard, Wymark and the Comp. Top team advances. Sat, Nov 7: • Cypress Hills girls @ Hazlet. Teams include Hazlet, Maple Creek, Fox Valley, Leader and Cabri. Top 2 teams advance. • Whitemud girls @ Val Marie. Teams include Val Marie, Shaunavon, Frontier, Eastend and Consul. Top 2 teams advance. • Whitemud boys @ Shauanvon. Teams include Shauanvon, Frontier, Val Marie and Eastend. Top 2 teams advance. • The teams advancing to the junior district finals will play on Saturday, November 14. The locations have yet to be decided based on who wins.
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THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Montgomery & Son Sales (306) 672 3395 or (306) 672 3617 Carmichael, Highway # 1 N, Gull Lake, SK www.montgomerypolaris.com
2016 MODELS: AXYS & Voyageur Models: Up to a 3 Year Limited Extended Factory Warranty plus financing as low as 3.99%; All other models: 2nd Year Powertrain Warranty plus financing as low as 3.99% 2015 MODELS: Rebates up to $2000 plus financing as low as 3.99%
*Rebates up to $2000 are available on select 2013 – 2015 Polaris snowmobiles. Rebate amounts vary on model, see dealer for details. 3.99% Finance Rate for 36 Months: This is a limited time offer which is valid for the purchase of selected qualifying models and is subject to credit approval from TD Auto Finance (TDAF) on qualified purchases financed during this program. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change and may be extended or terminated without further notice. See participating retailers for complete details and conditions. Rates from other lenders may vary. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Minimum amount to finance is $5,000. Example: $7,500 financed at 3.99% over 36 months = 36 monthly payments of $221.40 with a cost of borrowing of $470.40 and a total obligation of $7,970.40. Freight, license, PPSA/RPDRM, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes are not included in the financed amount. Dealers are free to set individual prices, but must be enrolled with TDAF to participate. Offer is valid only in Canada and does not apply to prior purchases. The 3 Year Extended Factory Limited Warranty offer consists of a standard 1 year factory warranty plus an additional 2 years of additional factory warranty coverage. The additional factory warranty offer is subject to a $50.00 deductible per visit after the first year. All rebates are paid to the dealer. Holiday Sales Eventoffers are effective on all new 2013 - 2016 Polaris snowmobiles purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 11/1/15 and 12/31/15. Polaris 2016 snowmobiles that were ordered under the SnowCheck program do not qualify. See your local dealer for details.
JAE’S PHARMACY Locally Owned and Operated Primary Health Care Pharmacy Pharmacotherapy Assessments Healthy Lifestyle Counseling Medication Reviews Integrated eHealth Records Chronic Disease Management Compliance Packaging
Phone: (306) 297-1333 Fax: (306) 297-1335 Jaelee Guenther, BSP Primary Care Pharmacist
OFF TO PROVINCIAL FINAL!
The Shaunavon Shadows will be gunning for a provincial championship. The Shadows used home field advantage on route to a 58-20 victory over the Melville Cobras in the SWAC nine-man provincial semi-final and will now host the provincial final next Saturday against the Delisle Rebels. Good luck Shadows! Facebook photo
What’s IN at GREAT GIFT IDEAS! November 13th & 14th Annual Kick-off to Christmas
Shannon’s Closet
your gift gift store store and and more more your 118 Maple Ave S. Eastend • 306-295-4070 www.facebook.com/shannonscloset
335 Centre Street - Shaunavon, SK
Ladies Bangle Watches Buy 1 at regular price, get 2nd for 1/2 price
& so much more November 20, Eastend &... District Chamber of
Commerce Welcome Reception. 7-10 pm at the T-Rex Discovery Centre. Everyone is invited. Sunday Dec. 6 Eastend’s Light up the Valley, beginning at 2pm Watch for details.
Power • Performance • Parts
• Complete fuel injection system repair • Positive Air Shutdowns • Power generation
Complete Drive-in Service Phone 306-773-4616 Toll Free 1-888-773-4616 www.swiftcurrentdiesel.ca 1920 Chaplin St. W., Swift Current, SK
1/2 MILE SOUTH OF SHAUNAVON ON HIGHWAY 37 STOP IN OR CALL
306-297-1313
LOW RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE TOO!
THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
|
11
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
CELEBRATE
Christmas
ADVERTORIAL
with Something Different
It’s that time of year again. That time when you or your company’s social committee have to come up with the one size f its all solution for what to do for your staff or group Christmas party – even though you all have a wide range of interests and likes. The Cypress Hills Destination Area is here to save the day with something just a little different. Read on for some of the great ideas we have to offer:
Stay and Feast at The Perfect Spot: We found it – the perfect spot to host your group Christmas Party. Forget having to drive after the party, book your group at The Resort at Cypress Hills and enjoy a delicious Prime Rib Supper paired with a relaxing night stay at The Resort for only $60 per person with a minimum 20 person booking (you may want to read that again!). You’ll be the company hero while creating the most memorable Christmas Party ever. If weather allows you can even add in cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, toboganning, or a skate on The Resort’s own arena. Book it for the win! http://www.resortatcypresshills.ca/
Let the Music Play: Who needs to go to Vegas? Thanks to the Rock Creek Golf and Country Club in Shaunavon you can enjoy one of Vegas’s most popular events close to home, as they present “Las Vegas Dueling Pianos” taking place at the Elk’s Hall, December 5th. Unscripted fun, song requests, dueling piano competitions, audience participation...this show has it all. Come as a group big or small, but definitely come. Tickets are $55 pp and included a plated meal as well as the evening’s entertainment. Call 306 297-3648 for tickets.
Cooking with Class:
Go With the Glow:
Book a minimum of six people (maximum of 12) with the Star Café & Grill and enjoy a cooking class with Chef Joell. Class includes some hands-on experience, a chance to eat the fruits of the class’s labour, and a paired glass of wine. Available Saturday and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. $40 per person. http://thestarcafe. ca/
When was the last time you went bowling? At Alley Oops Fun & Games in Shaunavon, all you have to do is call, book, and show up – yep it’s that easy! Arrive to a fun, music-filled party atmosphere complete with glow lighting (if requested) and enjoy two hours of bowling, pizza, beverages, and popcorn for only $20 per person. (Alternate food choices available by request). http://alleyoopsbowling.ca
Eat Drink and Be Merry: Enjoy the delectable one-of-a-kind tastes from Chef Rusty Thienes at the award-winning Harvest Eatery and Fresh Market in Shaunavon, or bring Chef Rusty to you! Offering both in-house and catering options you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven no matter what your menu choice! Home of Saskatchewan’s Best Burger their extensive catering menu will knock your socks off – if you’re looking to impress, here you go. (You’re welcome!) http://www.visitcypresshills. ca/harvest-eatery-and-fresh-market-catering/2015
Rock on!
‘Tis the Christmas Party Season
* Private Party Room * Customized Menus Available
Let us take care of all your Christmas Party needs! Contact Laurie Leigh to book your date
306.662.2430
103 Maple St, Maple Creek. www.thehorse.ca
Choose your Taste Adventure: When you work with a Chef like Chef Noy at the Commercial Hotel, every meal is a taste adventure. Choose your date, choose your locale (including the Commercial’s own dining room), choose your cuisine, and choose the type of service you’d like (table or buffet) and then sit back and watch the adventure unfold as Chef Noy does what he does best. Create a culinary adventure that will be talked about for years! http://www.maplecreekcommercialhotel.ca
32 Pacific Avenue, Maple Creek, SK
Book a minimum of six people
(maximum of 12) with
the Star Café & Grill and enjoy a
Cooking Class with Chef Joell
Class includes some hands-on, a chance to eat the fruits of the class’s labour, and a paired glass of wine. Available Saturday and Sundays from 11am to 3 pm.
$40 per person
306.662.2202 • www.thestarcafe.ca
12
ART
Beats
THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
|
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Your guide to arts and culture across Southwest Saskatchewan
JORDAN WELBOURNE INJECTING SOUL INTO HIS REACH OUT TOUR BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
J
ordan Welbourne melodically projects over tasty guitar riffs in his single Reach Out, a call-to-arms rock thumper that will get even the most discerning of toes tapping. The Saskatoon guitarist and singer-songwriter counts rock dynamos Slash and Jimmy Page among his early rock influences, and the bravado and fearlessness shows in his work. But to count Welbourne as a one-note artist would be not giving him his proper due. He shows a bluesy, crooning softer side in Marathon, a lighter tempo track that shows off his vocals over all. “My early influences were a bit of an eclectic mix … My early days with music are memories of me listening to Country Music Television or MuchMore Music on Saturday afternoons,” said Welbourne in an email interview. “I also listened to a ton of Disney, and was always fascinated by the music’s ability to evoke emotions from people.” The emotional resonance in something Welbourne has always kept in mind as he’s honed his craft. After all, he began when he was five, after his uncle pushed for him to take piano. “I was quite reluctant but I think he saw my joy for music before I even knew it was there. Eventually my mom put me in Tsymbaly -- a Ukrainian pitched percussion instrument -- lessons and I played in elementary school band and was in choir as a kid,” he said. “I never really took to any of it though and really didn’t think it was ‘cool.’ It wasn’t until high-school when I first started playing guitar and that really woke the musician in me.” Welbourne soon became convinced music was his path. “Once I realized music was the job that I could wake up every morning and do, that is when I realized that I would as hard as I possibly could to continue my life as a musician.” Welbourne does many things when he’s
not on stage, but music always has an overpowering presence in his life. “I truly believe that working hard in the music industry is the key to success. As a musician, my work is split into a few different fields: I teach. I compose music, I perform shows, I do sessional recordings, and I play with other people’s bands every now and then,” he said. “This project is my main focus, but diversity has definitely been the key to my success and I believe it will be the key to my longevity as a musician.” He is a self-taught guitarist with no formal teaching, but studied opera at the University of Saskatchewan, and sang in Lastiwka Ukrainian Choir in Saskatoon. He first picked up a guitar in mandatory class in high school. “All of my experiences that I have had, directly related to blues and rock or not, have shaped my sound and left their mark on my style as a musician.” Welbourne’s time spent teaching is overall satisfying for the young musician. “Being a performer does not always mean that you will be a teacher and I have had nothing but great experiences working with my students who range in age from six to 70,” he said. “It’s such a great experience for becoming empathetic and also understanding people’s individual needs. I have also learned a lot of songs I normally wouldn’t have, which has strengthened me as an artist.” While Welbourne can rock with the best, there’s a softer side to him that can be just as potent. His acoustic stylings are also well-known. “Acoustic guitar is as much a visual experience as it is a sonic one. When people see an acoustic guitar, they immediately have an idea they develop of what the artist’s sound is going to be,” said Welbourne. “I like playing acoustic because of that. It gives me the opportunity to lure the audience in, but still surprise them with solos, riffs, impact and all the stuff I love to put in my music.” Part of what makes Welbourne enticing is the presence he brings to the stages he
JARVIS CHURCH TO PLAY LYRIC THEATRE
stands on. “Stage performance is what won me over. It’s always been a huge release, and I feel as though everything that is done, every minute of work that goes into maintain my career, is completely balanced by the feeling of performing and the release it gives me as an artist,” he said. “There are moments when I totally lose myself in a solo, or when the band just clicks and we are all improvising parts at the same time. That magic, those spontaneous moments, that is what I love about performing.” The band also works with music written by them, and Welbourne says he tries to write the music and lyrics separately as part of his process. “I find that musical ideas are always floating around in my brain , so it’s handy to always have my iPhone voice memo app ready. The lyrics will come almost all at once and with very little editing. I usually will develop an idea, work it for about an hour and that will usually become the lyrics for the song,” he said. “I always try to make sure my lyrics have a deep personal meaning to them, so they are usually based off of actually happenings in my life.” He finds that the both large and smaller venues have different things to offer. “I’ve played festivals with other groups where there have been 10’s of thousands of people in the audience, and I have played small coffee shops, and I love both,” he said. “With playing big venues, it’s a lot more about presenting what everyone expects or wants to see, whereas with smaller venues I feel you get to show people a little more of yourself, of your personality.” There will be shows in Swift Current and Maple Creek next week, but they will be very different. “Well, obviously the audience will be different. Swift Current is going to be a more intimate show. We will be doing acoustic renditions of our songs as well as a couple tunes that we only do with our acoustic set,” he said. “Maple Creek is going to be the full blown
The three-time Juno Award winner, Jarvis Church will be performing at the Lyric Theatre on December 3. The soul singer, along with his 8-piece band, The Soul Station, has been touring Canada to support their latest album, Vol. 2: Songs of Curtis Mayfield, a Tribute. Jarvis Church, born Gerald Eaton, is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and music producer, originally from Jamaica, and currently lives in Los Angeles. He is the lead singer for the R&B-pop group “The Philosopher Kings,” which had reached its peak popularity in the late 1990s. During the group’s 7-year hiatus, Eaton began a solo career, releasing the album “Shake it Off” in 2002 under the stage name, Jarvis Church. From there Church would go on to release 2 more solo albums, and began his collaboration with The Soul Station. As a producer, Jarvis Church has discovered Nelly Furtado and co-produced her debut album with his Philosopher Kings band-mate. He also discovered Canadian/Somalian rapper K’naan and co-wrote and
rock show. I may bust out the acoustic at some points for effect, but the show will be louder, and my playing style changes a bit when I’m playing an electric guitar.” Welbourne, his bandmates Mike and Dylan, tour manager Britt and booking agent John McCuaig have worked tirelessly for their Reach Out tour. “I’m really hoping we are well received, especially in smaller cities and small towns because I love playing for the audiences that sometimes get overlooked by bigger performances,” said Welbourne. “Why should rural Saskatchewanians have to drive to Regina or Saskatoon for a good show? I think it’s just as fair for me to come out to them.” Welbourne plays the Urban Ground Coffeehouse in Swift Current on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. There is no cover. He will then do the Jasper Hotel in Maple Creek on Nov 18, and there will be also no cover. To learn more about Welbourne, check him out at http://jordanwelbourne.com/.
co-produced his first two albums, the first of which was Juno award winning, The Dusty Foot Philosopher. Jarvis Church has worn many different hats with distinction over his fascinatingly varied and highly successful musical career. As stated by Church, “Through all the different genres I’ve worked in, the centre is soul. I consider myself a soul singer. I feel blessed that I can both produce and perform, but I love performing so much. I’ve always loved being on stage.” This is most definitely a show you will not want to miss. The third of four “Special Concerts” coming to the Lyric Theatre, Jarvis Church and The Soul Station will take the stage on Thursday, December 3 at the Lyric Theatre. Tickets are $40 and are available at Pharmasave. Doors will open at 7:30 pm and the music will begin at 8:30 pm. For more information about the show or the Blenders Music Series check out our website, www.blendersmusic.ca, or contact Shann Gowan at 306-778-2686, or srgowan@yourlink. ca.
THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
|
13
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Before You Hit Send teaching kids Internet and Smartphone safety BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
Todd MacKay stands in front of Saskatchewan’s debt clock, a device that shows how much debt increases in the province by the minute. MacKay says the province is taking on $2.7 million a day.
National debt clock makes stop in southern Saskatchewan BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he clock is ticking on provincial debt- literally. Todd MacKay, the Prairie Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, has spent the last week touring around Saskatchewan with the Canadian debt clock in tow, a device that shows how much the debt in the province goes up every minute, some 2.7 million dollars a day. “I grew up just south of here, and my first job was working on my uncle’s pig farm,” MacKay said. “The first thing he taught me was that the best time to shut the pen is before the first pig gets out, but the second best time to shut the pen is before the second pig gets out. “When a government starts borrowing, it keeps borrowing. We want Saskatchewan to stop borrowing before it becomes a bigger problem,” he said. “Saskatchewan has done a great job of paying down debt in the past, and we’ve got a strong economy. The problem is, the debt is going in the wrong direction. MacKay says that the problem stems from the fact that the provincial government has plans to borrow even more money for the next fiscal year, 700 million dollars to add to the budget. While he says most believe cut-
ting down government debt while keeping services in tact is impossible, MacKay says it’s just the opposite. “People often ask me how a government is supposed to hold down taxes, pay down debt and build infrastructure,” he said. “People often look at me like I’ve got two heads, but then I look for an example and find it with the Saskatchewan government last year, and the year before. “I’m not asking them to reinvent the wheel; I’m just asking them to do what they did last year. They do that, and we can move towards a debt free Saskatchewan, and that’s where we need to go.” Prioritizing is one of the key elements to reducing the debt, he says. While he realizes it means some tough decisions with where to cut the funds, it would also mean a huge financial difference for the province. “It always comes down to priorities. All of us on occasion have to tighten our own budget. In this case, they’d only need to take it back by a few percent in order to stop the spending. There’s no one answer to that, it’s a bunch of tough decisions. If we don’t make those decisions now, we’ll have to make those decisions later. “When you start borrowing, it’s so hard to stop. It’s not going to get any easier, so let’s stop today.
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Let’s stop right now. The longer you wait, the more you’re going to have to cut.” One of the issues, he says, is government having to pay off debts of the past, which is why there never seems to be enough money for services. “There was a lot of debt on the books when this government took over, and this is one of the problems with government debt. If you take out a mortgage to buy a house tomorrow, you’ll make payments every month. Governments routinely borrow more money to pay off old debts, and that’s the problem we want to avoid here.” This is the debt clock’s first stop in Saskatchewan in more than 20 years, he says. It has toured across the country in various provinces, some more than others. “I want this to be the last time the debt clock is in Saskatchewan. Elected officials every day have people asking them for money. What they don’t often hear is from taxpayers saying spend a little less. If you get on the phone and tell them that, they’re going to respond to it. “This is my home province … The premier and this government have done a great job of taking the debt down before, so they can do it again. Let’s do it before the hinges get off the pen.”
he United Way, Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit and the Chinook School Division have teamed up to offer presentations on Internet and iPhone safety for youth in the province. Before You Hit Send will bring Sgt. Ron Weir and Cpl. Cory Patterson to Swift Current and rural RCMP detachments to train them in these areas. “It’s basically about bringing education and awareness as to the perils you can encounter using social media sites in an inappropriate manner. There are consequences,” said Weir, also the Provincial Coordinator of the ICE unit. “This has to be done because there are a lot of predators who access these sites that kids utilize as well. Kids might divulge inappropriate pictures and think they’re talking to someone else. “There’s also some self-exploitation, where kids send pictures of their own accord to friends or a boyfriend or girlfriend. They don’t know the consequences that can have for future work.” The program is covered financially by local RCMP detachments, and will target grade five and six students. Training for officers begins in December, and sessions will begin in 2016. “Part of our mandate is to bring awareness to our community partners. Quite a few parents groups, schools and communities in the province wanted to know about this,” he said. “We must keep kids from being victimized. They need to know what to do and what not to do on the Internet. There is a training video about how fast lives can be changed forever by submitting graphic images.” Weir said it’s important to keep up with the times, and make parents and children both aware. “In my time, we didn’t have this instant recording and pictures. If you had a Polaroid, maybe, but now kids have all
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these things on their phones. They need to be aware that when they send things out, they’re out there forever. They can’t be returned,” he said. “Over the last six years, the ICE unit has had 200 calls for service, and reactive calls have increased. People know we’re out here, and we need to stay on top of these issues.” Executive Director of the Swift Current United Way, Stacey Schwartz, is pleased to help bring this issue to light in the area. “I made a phone call to Sgt. Weir about an article I read in Estevan, and asked him about seeing if we could do it here. There were no trained officers for it here, so I met with Mayor Schafer. He was on board right away,” she said. “We got the schools on board. We are the connector. If we know of awareness campaigns or resources, we make our schools and area aware.” She said the work ICE does is incredibly important to the community. “They specialize in exploited children. You heard of individuals being prosecuted along those lines, and ICE unit works on those things. These are high quality individuals,” she said. “The RCMP hold a high level of respect here, and it’ll make a big impact for the kids to hear from them. The police have seen a lot in the community and we don’t know what’s going on.” There will also be a special section for parents and service providers on December 1 at 7 p.m. in the Swift Current Composite High School cafeteria. “They will make parents aware that cell phones give kids access to endless amounts of things that can harm them. When they do things in the moment, they may seem like harmless acts. But distributing explicit photos is still pornography,” she said. “Lots of kids don’t associate these behaviours with crime. Educating the community and parents is huge. and there will be graphic stats and examples about just how quick some of these things can get out of hand. It’s important everyone know.”
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14
THE ADVANCE
Swift Current Indians gear up for another big season BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he executive board of the Swift Current Indians baseball team met on Nov 4 to discuss the 2015 season and to prepare for the 2016 seasons. Vice President of Baseball, Harv Martinez was on hand to present the summation of the 2015 season, especially the challenges the club faced during the season. “One of our biggest challenge was player acquisition. We ran into a lot of bad luck over the course of the season, over the course of the year,” he said. “There’s no way around those things sometimes. You recruit guys, you hope they’re going to come, and all the stars don’t align sometimes.” Martinez says that the lack of allocating players was the biggest challenge that he faced over the course of the season. “This year there weren’t many stars that aligned, but we chugged along and tried to find bodies that could fill the holes,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest challenges with the recruiting process. When you recruit good, high quality kids from good, high quality programs and all of a sudden something happens, you’re left with not much of anything. “That’s what happened for us in June 9 or 10 quality guys left, and that was the majority of the pitching staff. That really takes a toll. The foundation of this club in the past has always been our excellent pitching staff, and unfortunately we just had some bad luck.” Although the club faced struggles with recruitment and keeping players, Martinez says that none of it would have been possible without the great coaching staff the team had this season. “We did have some good luck and great coaching with that great post-season push,” he said. “All of a sudden you’re left with six games left, and we made a late rush and got into the playoffs, which shows a lot about the character of the kids that were here in the end, and a lot
about the coaching staff in this organization. “This coaching job is an 11-month job. [Head coach] Joe [Carnahan] took about 10 minutes off after the last pitch then was knocking on my door, talking about what we need and what we’re going to do moving forward. They work so hard to get the right bodies in place throughout the season.” He adds that he believes the late-season push will help to draw new eyes to baseball come next season. “The one thing I was encouraged by was that last surge, the playoffs, left a really good taste in the mouth of the community,” he said. “People were really excited about baseball. It was that feeling and that culture about what’s expected. When you raise the bar that high, and get a taste of what we did, it’s hard to settle for anything less.” Martinez also addressed the addition of a new team to the Western Major Baseball League based out of Fort McMurray, which he believes will help strengthen the league. “We’re really excited about the Fort McMurray acquisition. I think it’s going to be a great acquisition for us, and it’s a beautiful facility. The level of competition they have is going to raise the level of perception of the WMBL and we’re looking forward to seeing that moving forward.” In addition to the report on baseball, Vice President of Operations Dustin Bissonnette launched a report on the success of 2015 initiatives. The club introduced two new ideas throughout the season; an outdoor patio section, as well as live streaming with commentary. “We had really great success with people responding to both… there was hardly a game where the patio was empty,” he said. “I think we’re going to see people really respond to these things in the years to come. There’s some pretty exciting stuff happening down at the ballpark. I think going forward, we have a lot to look forward to.” We’ve done a lot of new things, and I’m really excited in the years to come here.”
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Whitemud Hockey League
NOVEMBER SCHEDULE
November 10, 2015 (Tuesday) 8:00 PM at Gull Lake Rink Complex
November 13, 2015 (Friday)
8:00 PM at Shaunavon Rink Complex 8:00 PM at Leader Rink Complex
Frontier Flyers at Gull Lake Greyhounds
Consul Rockets at Shaunavon Badgers Maple Creek Hawks at Leader Flyers
November 14, 2015 (Saturday)
8:00 PM at Leader Rink Complex Gull Lake Greyhounds at Leader Flyers 8:00 PM at Maple Creek Rink Complex Cabri Bulldogs at Maple Creek Hawks
November 15, 2015 (Sunday) 2:00 PM at Gull Lake Rink Complex
Consul Rockets at Gull Lake Greyhounds
November 18, 2015 (Wednesday)
8:00 PM at Shaunavon Rink Complex Frontier Flyers at Shaunavon Badgers 8:00 PM at Maple Creek Rink Complex Consul Rockets at Maple Creek Hawks
November 20, 2015 (Friday)
8:00 PM at Cabri Rink Complex Frontier Flyers at Cabri Bulldogs 8:00 PM at Maple Creek Rink Complex Leader Flyers at Maple Creek Hawks 8:30 PM at Consul Rink Complex Shaunavon Badgers at Consul Rockets
November 21, 2015 (Saturday) 7:30 PM at Gull Lake Rink Complex 8:00 PM at Consul Rink Complex 8:00 PM at Leader Rink Complex
November 24, 2015 (Tuesday) 8:00 PM at Gull Lake Rink Complex
November 27, 2015 (Friday)
8:00 PM at Shaunavon Rink Complex 8:30 PM at Consul Rink Complex
Maple Creek Hawks at Gull Lake Greyhounds Cabri Bulldogs at Consul Rockets Shaunavon Badgers at Leader Flyers
Maple Creek Hawks at Gull Lake Greyhounds
Cabri Bulldogs at Shaunavon Badgers Leader Flyers at Consul Rockets
November 28, 2015 (Saturday)
8:00 PM at Leader Rink Complex Frontier Flyers at Leader Flyers 8:00 PM at Maple Creek Rink Complex Shaunavon Badgers at Maple Creek Hawks
Gull Lake and Area Recreational Complex Board Annual
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The executive board members of the Swift Current Indians met on Nov 4 to report on the 2015 season and gear up for the 2016 season. The Indians made a last-minute push for playoffs, but were shortly eliminated.
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THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
If you’ve recently experienced the sadness of losing a loved one, it’s important to ensure that person’s life is honoured in the best way possible with a beautiful funeral card. Amidst the grief and heartache, the process of organizing the funeral can take its toll, which is why you need experienced professionals on hand to see that the little things are done right and your loved one is remembered the way they deserve to be. A funeral card is the first thing many funeral guests will see. Whether it’s sent out as an invitation or at the funeral itself, the funeral card should celebrate your loved one’s life. At Winquist Ventures Ltd., we pride ourselves on producing the highest-quality funeral cards that are certain to honour your loved one in the perfect fashion. Our print experts will use their skills and expe- rience to ensure the funeral card is beautifully designed and that guests are left with wonderful, lasting memories of the deceased.
We’re here to help you with: Design: Whether it’s poems, quotes, biographies or images, which elements would you like to include on your funeral card? Which type of funeral card is best to present these elements – bi-fold, tri-fold or one-sided? Graphics: Do you want one, or several photos of your loved one on the funeral card? Which fonts and colours should you use – muted serifs for a formal and proper feeling, or something more funky to celebrate the life of the deceased?
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15
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
SPIRITUAL GLEANINGS
The One Forgotten BY J OY S A S S E
www.canadianruralchurch.net
T
he One Forgotten” speaks out in a surprising way in Zoomer Magazine’s (May, 2015) article on Alzheimer’s, and it serves as a healthy reminder to all of us to put extra effort into how we might offer support to our caregivers. Without a doubt it is an exhausting, demanding, endless job caring for “the one who forgets”. It’s a task none of us ever thought we would have to do, and often do for years as a loved one drifts further away. Libby Znaimer tells how surprised she was to see the other side of the coin in Joan Sutton’s book “The Alzheimer’s Diary” – told by a woman who cared for her husband through seven years with the disease. At the time she didn’t think of herself as a “caregiver”. “It was just a continuation (after 33 years) of the marriage vows, in sickness and health.”
Sutton told how “she found strength in the memories even as they receded from her husband’s consciousness.” But it was after he died that emptiness and grief took over. “I was rootless. I had no purpose … I missed the care-giving, I missed getting up every day and knowing that I was useful and needed.” What a wake-up call this insight can be for the rest of us – especially if we’ve been supportive to the care-giver during the time when her life is consumed with the tasks at hand. When that time has passed and the funeral rituals are completed, too often “The One(s) Forgotten” remain forgotten. As they try to work through their grief and emptiness they need others who will help them find their new identity. The insights and wisdom they gained are a precious commodity in today’s world. “What does God have in store for me to do next?” is a great question for all of us.
Eastend child receives vocal accolades BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
L
exy Armstrong’s hard work over the past year has paid off, and she is the recipient of this year’s 2015 Gold Medal for Prepatory Voice. Her former instructor, Eleanor Schrag, received notice about Lexy recently, the first Eastend student of hers to receive the honour. “I’m so excited about Lexy as a student, even though she has no lessons with me this year. She’s talented, can get pitch easily and follows guidance. She started two years ago, when she was four. She’s surprising,” said Schrag. “Some don’t bother teaching young kids, because it’s work for parents and teachers. It’s a special effort to support someone so young, but she’s a special girl and kids who start young can do well.” Schrag has been teaching piano, organ and voice for a decade in Eastend and longer in other areas. “I have been teaching in churches, but I started in my home. I decided the church was more convenient. Though Eastend has a higher emphasis on sports now, I find Shaunavon residents do get a lot of coaching,” she said. “I’m just so pleased someone from Eastend – especially Lexy – won. The
last two winners for me were from Shaunavon.” Schrag has had the teaching bug since she was a teenager, and she started when she 16. “My husband was also a minister, so when he started, I taught wherever he was transferred. The only time I didn’t teach was when I was attending bible college,” she said. “It’s an amazing feeling when students become inspired. I want them to get the most they can out of their time with me. It’s gratifying when they move to higher professions in music and theatre.” Schrag says Armstrong has many attributes that lend themselves well to her talents. “She is such a free spirit. She’s willing to try anything, and she’s not shy at all. Students who do well at singing are outgoing,” she said. “Attention spans are short with younger kids, so we do a little piano and then singing. It helps weed out who wants to do what. Many do both in their older years. “She worked hard at practicing and her family made sure she had practice before the spring exam.” Lexy scored in a high percentile on her exam, and Schrag was delighted. “She had to have higher than 80 to earn gold, and that’s university marks. The conservatory has a high
standard,” she said. “I’m so proud of her and all the other gold medalists I’ve had. All my students passed their exams, which makes me feel good. I’m pleased with each of them.” The gold medals are awarded to candidates who have received the highest mark for practical exams in each discipline, and to be eligible you need an 80 per cent on your practical and to have completed the theory requirements. The awards will be November 29 in Regina, and Schrag will also receive her Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition.
Words: Is the obituary well-written, and does it honour your loved one in the best way possible? Has it been proofread and is it free from textual errors?
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THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
YOUR SOUTHWEST CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICE DIRECTORY Proudly sponsored by Your FAMILY Ford Dealer ... Cypress Motors Ltd.
SWIFT CURRENT 1-888-875-8188 MAPLE CREEK 1-877-662-2617 OR GO TO WWW.CYPRESSMOTORS.COM CARD OF THANKS
I am deeply grateful to our family, relatives, friends and neighbours for their many acts of kindness, generosity and letters of sympathy and cards. Thank you to everyone who attended Sharon’s Memorial Tea. To Elenore Rockabar for her compassion and visits. Thanks to Arden and Sara at Binkley’s Funeral Home for all you did for us. Thanks also to the choir ladies. To a very caring community - thank you. Bernie Ford 43-1p The family of Sharon Ford would like to express our heartfelt thanks to family, friends and neighbours for their gifts in memory of Sharon, for the food for the Memorial Tea and to our home. Thanks for the phone class and cards. Your kindness and generosity won’t be forgotten. We will be forever grateful. - The Ford Family’s COMING EVENTS
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Youth Shelter holds new fundraiser with Concert in the Sky BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he Southwest Emergency Youth Shelter (Southwest YES) is gearing up for another big fundraiser event: The Concert in the Sky, taking place November 14 at the Sky Centre. Southwest YES spokesperson Bob Hale says that the concert will be a big deal for the shelter. “We’re thinking this will be a very successful event,” he said. “We have four local artists preforming at the Sky Centre, and it will be a very successful fundraiser for the group. The costs are quite low because the Sky Centre is actually donating the space to us.” Performing will be four local artists; Becky Neustaeter, Bears in Hazenmore, Creek City and Jacqueline Hudec. Hale says he believes all are going to be a massive hit. “All of our performers are amazing singers and some even write their own songs. It’s a very wide variety of music, and we think that everyone will get something out of it. We really just approached all of the artists, and they were all really eager to get involved, which is really nice.” All proceeds from the tickets are going toward helping the shelter raise enough funds to be built.
The concert will be open to all ages, and Hale says that everyone will find the event enjoyable. Southwest YES is a non-profit corporation that is looking to set up an emergency youth shelter that will be located in Swift Current to serve youth aged 14 to 18 in the southwest. “We’re finding that people who work with youth in this area have found for decades that there are a number of youth … that have great difficulties finding safe, stable residence,” he said. “That puts them in danger, and all kinds of difficult situations. “It makes it very difficult for young people to do anything, like attend school, or any type of appointments, or take care of anything in life when they don’t have a safe, stable residence.” Hale says the goal of the shelter is to give youth not only a place to sleep, but also assist them in other ways, as well. “We want to give young people a safe, stable place to sleep at night and a place we can connect them with other resources in the community so they can find more stability and become valuable parts of the community. “We’re finding that a lot of young people between that age bracket are kind of falling between the cracks.” Hale says that while the shelter
has been a long time coming, they are getting closer to building it every day. Right now, he says, they are in the last process of securing funds in order to launch the start of building. “We’ve had absolutely remarkable support from the community, and we’ve raised a lot of funds and awareness for this, and right now we’re in the process of working with the provincial government to try and secure some funding from the government, which will be the final piece to get this up and running.” Hale says that no single person was responsible for the idea of the shelter, but instead it was a group effort that came together from across the southwest. “People who are working on this have talked about creating something like this for decades,” he said. “There have been other attempts in the past to do this, but it really started with people from the agencies who are working with youth and want to make it happen.” Tickets are still available for the Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter’s Concert in the Sky, taking place November 14 at the Sky Centre. Tickets can be purchased from the Pharmasave in Swift Current, or on Facebook at www. facebook.com/SouthwestYES/
Please Note
The Advance office will be Closed for Remembrance Day November 11th
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Service Milestones for Health Region staff I
t was a special evening at the Sky Centre in Swift Current on Thursday, November 5 as the Cypress Health Region hosted its annual Employee Service Recognition Gala. The Gala marks an annual opportunity for the region to formally thank its staff members who have reached milestones for continuous service during the 2015 calendar year. The program and banquet celebrated and recognized staff members who reached 5-year service plateaus ranging from a minimum of 15 years up to those who have achieved 45 years of continuous service. A total of 67 staff members from communities throughout the southwest were able to join together for the evening’s celebrations. In attendance were 22 staff for the 15 year milestone, 14 staff for the 20 year milestone, 10 staff for the 25 year milestone, 11 staff for the 30 year milestone, 8 staff for the 35 year milestone, and 2 staff for the 45 year milestone. These employees represent the communities of
Cabri, Eastend, Gull Lake, Herbert, Leader, Mankota, Maple Creek, Ponteix, Shaunavon, and Swift Current. Members of the Cypress Health Region’s Senior Leadership Team participated in the program and awards presentations. A message of congratulations from Minister of Health Dustin Duncan was presented to the participants by CEO Beth Vachon. The evening’s entertainment was provided by the Swift Current Comprehensive High School’s Senior Jazz Band and the Swift Current Improvisational Theatre. A complete list of names of staff members recognized for their years of service milestones in 2015 will be featured in a future edition of The Source, the Cypress Health Region’s community newsletter. In 2015 the Cypress Health Region is recognizing a total of 220 staff members who have reached service plateaus of 5-45 years totalling nearly 4,000 years of health care experience.
FARMLEAD
What Are We Looking For? BY B R E N N A N T U R N E R
b.turner@farmlead.com
G
Two staff were recognized for an incredible 45 years of service. Thank you Mary Jean Penner from Herbert (left) and Patsy Malasky from Ponteix (right). CONTRIBUTED
Life on the
Farm n
Photo Co test
rains continue to trade sideways, flexing their muscles on weather and demand headlines and then seeing that puffed image deflate just as quickly. Seeding in Brazil remains sporadic, and although things are behind schedule down there, the crop will still get planted. With a few major grain companies reporting their quarterly earnings recently, executives at multiple firms are admitting that farmer selling around the world has been slow except for in South America and the Black Sea regions. Accordingly, there are strong expectations that farmers will start to blink sometime in 1Q2016 as cashflow needs for the spring 2016 seeding season will be a priority. INTL FCStone & Informa put out their forecasts ahead of this month’s WASDE report (out Tuesday, November 10th) seeing the US corn crop at 13.543 and 13.718 billion bushels respectively at 168 and 170.1 bu/ac average yields (U.S.D.A. at 13.555 bushels off 168 bu/ac). For soybeans, FC Stone is forecasting U.S. production at 3.917 Billion bushels off 47.5 bu/ac average yield whereas Informa is estimating 47.9 bu/ac for 3.952 Billion bushels (USDA is forecasting 3.888B bushels off 47.2 bu/ac). Using previous November reports, we can expect to look for lower corn yields, but higher soybean numbers. In the Land Down Undaa, while eastern Australia is getting some rains, Western Australia is getting served up some frost and, a bit of hail previous to that. As a result, Australia’s biggest grain handler, CBH Group, downgraded the grains harvest in the region by 500,000 tonnes to 13 million tonnes, although that would still be above the 10-year average production number. The real question that needs to be answered is how much difference in the dry weather in Western Australia make up for the forecasted wetter conditions in Eastern Australia? Over in Russia, the Ag Ministry there reports
that at least 25% of their fall-seeded crops are in poor condition thanks to a lack of rain this fall, yet 92% of the planned acreage was in the ground at the end of October. As I’ve previously mentioned, a harsh winter would result in re-seeding in the spring with something other than wheat (i.e. corn). Comparably, next door in Ukraine, only 55% of the fall seeded crops (or about 8.7 million acres) has emerged, and only 69% of fields were in “good or satisfactory” condition. Ukrainian rapeseed crops are in the worst condition in the last 7 years with more than 1/3 of the crop considered “weak and thinned”, almost double than of last year. Further, according to UkrAgroConsult, a little more than 14 million acres of wheat will go into the ground in Ukraine, a similar acreage number to 2004 and 2006 when just 16.5 million and 13.8 million tonnes of wheat was taken off, respectively. However, the data analysis company thinks that the 2016/17 Ukrainian wheat crop could yield closer to 19 million tonnes, but keep in mind that the Black Sea state took of 27 million tonnes of wheat this past year. With only 27.2% of the wheat crop in “good” condition & 32% in the worst condition, it looks like Ukraine will surely see a decline in production year-over-year. Overall, lower wheat production out of the Black Sea might be just the news that the wheat market is looking for, especially considering the International Grains Council is only seeing planted acres in 2016/17 down a measly 3 million acres yearover-year to 546 million. To growth,Brennan Turner President, FarmLead.com Brennan Turner is originally from Foam Lake, SK, where his family started farming the land in the 1920s. After completing his degree in economics from Yale University and then playing some pro hockey, Mr. Turner spent some time working in finance before starting FarmLead.com, a risk-free, transparent online and now mobile grain marketplace (app available for iOS & Android). His weekly column is a summary of his free, daily market note, the FarmLead Breakfast Brief. He can be reached via email (b.turner@farmlead.com) or phone (1-855-332-7653).
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
WE REMEMBER
Remembrance Day Poppy campaign gives back to local veterans a passionate time for the southwest BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he southwest area of Saskatchewan has always been somewhat of an anomaly. The little region that could, this area has no problem raising money for community causes, supporting neighbours or weathering the worst of storms. So every November, it should come as no surprise when people in these small, quiet towns come out in droves to show their support – and reiterate their strengths – with the veterans in the area. Remembrance Day is a special day, but it’s not an exception for the people here. Give south westerners a reason to come out, and they’ll show up in force. There isn’t a better thing to come out for than the people who fought and died for
our country – and our region’s – wellbeing and safety. Legion Halls and cenotaphs fill up. Seas of red poppies show up, emblazoned on people’s coats long before November 11 even arrives. The truth is, people here throw their support behind Remembrance Day because like the former soldiers who live here, these populations as a whole know how important it is to stick together and help your fellow man. This is a time to support our living veterans and pay credence to those who have fallen, but something tells us here at The Advance that won’t be a problem for this region. The southwest supports each other, and Remembrance Day will never be any different.
W
ith Remembrance Day comes the poppy campaign, a way for individuals to show their pride as Canadians and remember the sacrifice of those who came before them. For Swift Current Legion member Jim Pratt, however, it represents more than just sacrifice- it’s also a way to give to the veterans still alive. “Any funds that are collected through the poppy campaign are held in trust,” he said. “There’s a book held by the legion that lists what we can and cannot do with the money, and there are a lot more things we can’t do than we can.” Money collected via poppies distributed either from door-to-door or via boxes in stores goes exclusively to the care of veterans in the local area. “The money goes to help veterans and their families. Every year, we go to the senior’s centres and ask them what they require in terms of comforts for seniors, and we usually use the funds to produce things like chairs or blanket warmers, hospital beds or things like that.” Pratt says that the rules and regulations where money goes and doesn’t go surprises most people, who he believes think the funds are used to keep the legion running. “The Dominion Command of the legion is very restrictive on what you can and cannot do with poppy funds,” he said. “You
can’t use it to keep your legion operating. You can use them to support a veteran that might be homeless or fallen on hard times. Every legion has a service officer that considerers requests and decides how the fund is used. “There are a lot of regulations, and a lot of people don’t know that. Because it’s the public’s money, we don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.” The legion does other fundraisers throughout the year in order to raise money for their operation. One hundred percent of the money during the poppy campaign goes towards the care and assistance of veterans and their families. Pratt says there are even guidelines to the act of wearing a poppy, as well, as it is generally frowned upon to wear one apart from the regulated spot. “Protocol says you wear your poppy on your left side, close to your heart,” he said. “We see people wearing them on their caps, and it’s not against the rules, it’s just that it’s not done properly. To me, it’s more important that a person is wearing it than where they’re wearing it, though.” For Pratt, the poppy represents more than just his duty as legion member to wear one. “I think it all has to do with the act of remembrance. Soldiers in the World Wars and the Korean Conflict and the wars since then gave their lives so we have the freedoms we have today. I don’t think people realize just how fortunate we are to live
in a country like Canada. “We take a lot for granted, and I think once a year we can spend a little bit of time remembering the sacrifices that those people made, and do what we can to thank them.” Pratt says it’s especially important to honour the vets from the three major conflicts of the World Wars and the Korean Conflict, since many veterans and fellow legion members are getting older. “It’s been 70-some years since the end of the World War II, 60-some years since the Korean Conflict … It’s getting to the point where we don’t have a lot of veterans from those three main wars left. “The more time I spent with legion people, the more respect I gained for what the legion stands for. My father-in- law was in the reserves in World War II, so we have some connections that way. The people we’ve come to know and respect through the legion are what I honour the most, though. “ Pratt believes that while most will never understand the sacrifices made in wars in the past, it is important for everyone to try and understand on November 11. “These people saw an awful lot, they went through an awful lot, and a lot of them kept that bottled up inside them. We talk about PTSD now, but I think a lot of people suffered from that and just didn’t know it. Everyone should take a day to remember the sacrifice that others made for their freedom.”
These pages commemorate southwest Saskatchewan’s war dead. Those men and women who perished in service to their country for the high ideals of peace and freedom. We apologize if we have omitted anyone. ABBEY
ADMIRAL
Pte Alexander Ralph Eby - WWI Pte George Johnston - WWI F/S Robert Jones - WWII Pte Arthur Leggett - WWI Pte George Richard Low - WWI P/O Lennox Cameron Main - WWII Pte Thomas McCandless - WWI Pte Hugh H. McCormick - WWI Pte Gordon John McDonald - WWI Pte Edgar William Sheldon - WWI Gds Gordon Otis Pederson - WWII Pte Vernon Earl Taylor - WWII F/O Frederick Harold Viney - WWII
Pte Arthur James Denny - WWI Pte Leon Frank Lyon - WWI Pte Roderick McLennan - WWI
ANTELOPE Pte Thearon Brown - WWII Pte Albert Henry Mander Holborn - WWI Pte Sannosuke Nishimura - WWI
BRACKEN Pte Jack Stanley Bullen - WWI
Pte David Wilbert Cosgrove - WWI Cpl Graham Robertson Mavor - WWII Sgt William Ellis McKee - WWII Pte Curtis Sarff - WWI Pte Paul Shengall - WWI Pte Arthur Hallgarth Stockwell - WWI Pte Leon Frank Lyon - WWI Pte Roderick McLennan - WWI
CABRI Pte William Jasper Benson - WWI WO2 Ernest Frank Clarke - WWII Sgt Richard Elmer Fahselt - WWII Pte Robert John Galloway - WWI
F/S Walter Adolph Henschel - WWII LAC Clayton Peder Hopton - WWII Pte Charles Jackson - WWI Pte William Charles Kyle - WWI Pte John Alexander MacDonald - WWI Pte John Thomas McEachern - WWI Sgt Alexander McKie - WWII Pte Samuel Maxwell McKinnon - WWI Tpr Kenneth Franklin Merritt - WWII AC2 Robert Francis Messenger - WWII Pte William Reid - WWI Pte William Kidd Sutherland - WWI Sgt Arthur Taylor - WWI Pte John Arthur Taylor - WWI
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3
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Casualities Of War
Claydon
GEORGE FONTAINE - Trooper (Sherbrooke Fusiliers tank driver/ mechanic) George Fontaine (b.1918) of Claydon was KIA 19440607 at Authie near Carpiquet and is buried at Bény-sur-Mer Canadian war cemetery near Reviers, Calvados, France. Fontaine was one of the 150 or so Canadian prisoners of war who were brutally murdered after D-Day by the 12th SS Panzer Division, the infamous Hitler Youth (see note following DT Moloney). Israel and Delia Fontaine, George’s parents, homesteaded SE14-2-22-W3 southwest of Frontier. George was farming in southern Alberta when he enlisted at Camrose early in 1942. PAUL HUFF - Private (2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, British Columbia Regiment) Paul Huff (b.1889) of Claydon was KIA 19170331 during the preparations for Vimy Ridge and is buried at Écoivres military cemetery, Mont-Saint-Éloi northwest of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of James D. and Martha C. Huff of Eagle Bend, Todd Co., Minnesota. Paul homesteaded SE16-323-W3 west of Frontier but was working at Swift Current when he enlisted at Moose Jaw early in 1916.
This photo was taken from a tank turret by Cliff Murch in the winter of 1945 in Holland … seconds after the photo was taken, there was an explosion which killed three of the men around the fire and wounded nine others.
Cliff Murch and Hewitt Murch in England.
WWII veteran fought to ensure those who fought were remembered BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
C
liff Murch joined World War II in 1942, at the young age of 25. A farming boy south of Lancer, he had no idea what he was in for when he went overseas. “He landed in France in July of 1944. In August 8th of the same year, he recounted that he lost tanks and many comrades in battle,” said his son Wayne Murch, who discovered entries his father wrote about his experiences. “They carried on into Germany and then Holland. He made friends there and they would even come to visit. My parents went to Holland to visit them as well,” he said. Though he gained friendships, the war was a dark, desperate time for many, including Murch.
“He remembered a time in Holland where they were burning shell containers to stay warm in the winter. They had just taken a picture when a fire exploded, killing three and injuring nine. One of the shells must have been live. It was crazy that they could take that picture, and then shortly after was chaos.” Murch worked as a radio operator and gunner during his tenure. “He was always in tanks. He was posted with the B.C. regiment, and he talked of tank battles. When a tank was hit, it would burst into flames, and some people would make it out in time and others wouldn’t,” he said. “My uncle also landed on D-Day in France in 1944. He drove around Swift Current for years with the license plate “June 6.” He just died last spring. We were very proud of them.” Murch remembers his father was always keeping busy after the war. He
was involved with boards, the legion and committees. He was always taking part in community events. “After the war, he came home and joined the legion. It was in Abbey in 1946, and he was so proud of his legion activities. We still carry traditions on and meet in the Legion Hall where it all started. It was originally a schoolhouse,” he said. “It was built in 1915, and it’s been remodelled since then. He and my uncle joined at the same time, and always assumed things would carry on.” An entry from his father expressed optimism about the direction of the legion. “The legion appreciates participation and Remembrances won’t fall into oblivion with the passage of time,” it read. Murch remembers his father as a patriotic sort of man.
JOHN VOLLER - Private (1st Depot Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) John Voller (b.1891) of Claydon died 19181110 of pneumonia while on harvest leave and is buried at Riverside cemetery, Eastend. John was a native of Tooting, Greater London, England, and was farming when he was drafted four months before his death.
“Everyone went to war and no one knew anything about it. The whole family is proud of my dad and uncle and what they did. We are the luckiest people in the world and we’re in the best country. We have them to thank for that,” he said. “He would go to services and speak in schools to children. He spoke in the division and in Holland. In the later years that was important to him. “He has affected his family. When his grandsons complained about the heat, he’d tell them they should try being in a tank in Europe. He would say that was truly hot.” Murch’s daughter is a teacher, and she’s starting a Remembrance Day ceremony in Kelvington. “He would be so proud to see this carried on. He’s be happy to see that the legion takes on new members and that his family still remembers.”
Maple Creek Barracks
“They fell, but o'er their glorious grave Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.” - Francis Marion Crawford
R.M of Frontier
Village of Frontier
We will always remember those who fought for our freedom. Thank you.
Pte Harold Harding Tuve - WWI AB Donald Albert Wright - WWII
Pte Paul Huff - WWI Pte John Voller - WWI
CADILLAC
CLIMAX
LS Ward Donald Chester - WWII Sgt Victor Allen Haglund - WWII Tpr Verge Alvin Kyle - WWII Pte William Oakley Carter Stevenson - WWI Tpr Donald Nelson Wiggins - WWII Pte George Wilken - WWI
Pte Albert Bates - WWI Tpr Eugene Edward Bitschy - WWII F/O Russell Gordon Cook - WWII Sgt Joseph Ernest Desjardins - WWII Pte Patrick Doyle - WWI Pte Albert Charles Etheridge - WWI Pte David P. Francis - WWI Lt Oliver Hugh Hopkins - WWII Pte John Edwin George Smith - WWII Pte Robert Cupid Smith - WWII
C L AY D O N Tpr George Fontaine - WWII
CONSUL Cpl Samuel Amundsen - WWII Pte Robert Hugh Askin - WWI Pte John Hyam - WWI Pte Charles Edward Sawden - WWII Cpl Walter Bernhardt Schmidt - WWII Pte Joseph Earl Stender - WWI
DOLLARD Pte Raoul Gagnon - WWI Pte Arthur Frederick Gould - WWI Pte Henry Mermet - WWI Spr Fernand Joseph Poulin - WWII
Pte James Taylor - WWI Ron Milo Nathaniel Thorson - WWII
EASTEND Pte Alfred Thomas Bartlett - WWI Pte Harry Dawes - WWI Pfc Lawrence Samuel Gordon - WWII Cpl Norman Davidson Gordon - WWI Pte Albert Parkin Howard - WWI Pte James McNab Jackson - WWI Pte Thomas Redmond Kinney - WWI Sgt Ivar Larson - WWII Pte Gilbert John Patch - WWI LCpl Daniel Thomas Reid - WWII
4
THE ADVANCE
| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Casualities Of War
A TIME TO HONOUR BY M E G A N L AC E L L E
megan@gulllakeadvance.com
A
round 75 years ago more than 40 per cent of the men in Saskatchewan age 18-45 left the province to fight overseas. Brothers, husbands, beaus, fathers and more enlisted to help their country fight to end a war known for its terror. Small southwest communities emptied out as young men and women left to serve their nation. Now people across the province, country and world celebrate the efforts of these brave men and women. For Rodney Scriven, it’s a time to honour both his parents. It’s been 97 years since Canada celebrated the end of World War I and 70 years since the end of World War II. For Scriven, Remembrance Day is a time to remember the role his parents played in the latter war – one that claimed the lives of 61,000 Canadians and wounded 172,000 more. Scriven’s father, William, affectionately called Ralph, enlisted in January of 1941 at the age of 22. Born and raised in Abbey, he joined 191,000 other men from Saskatchewan in an effort to end the war. Scriven’s mother, Doris Pederson, was a part of the Canadian Women’s Army Core as part of the Canadian Women’s Division of the RCAF – a position she served in Canada. Two of her brothers went off to war – only one returned. Her brother Gordon died in Belgium at age 26 as part of the Canadian Grenadier Guards. He was buried overseas. “He was in a tank and the tank was blown up and this was right at the end of the war too because he was thinking he was coming home, his last letter said he was coming home, but he didn’t make it,” Scriven said. Doris and Ralph knew each other well, having both been raised in Abbey – and soon after Ralph returned from serving three years with the air force in North Africa and Italy, they were married. The ended up tying the knot in ’46. Scriven was born six years later. “I’m certainly proud of that fact [they both served],” said Scriven. “My dad ... e didn’t talk much about it and I guess I feel bad that I never asked him more questions… whether it was something he didn’t like to talk about or didn’t tell people ... He was more in the radar and technology end of it and I think they did a lot that I probably don’t understand, but I wish I knew more. “But I’m certainly proud that he volunteered, went over there and certainly took part. It meant a lot to me and a lot to my whole family.” Although Scriven’s dad didn’t talk about his experience much, it was a different story with his mom. “She told us quite a bit about what she did,” he said. “Back then there wasn’t a lot of women that went overseas and she did what she could as far as in Canada.” Scriven said his dad was an important member of the Legion and his mom was active in the Ladies Auxiliary. “It was very important to them,” Scriven said. Once they allowed associates to join the Legion, Scriven, who farms between Abbey and Cabri, joined up. Now 42 years later he remains an active member. “Pretty much all my family has belonged to the Auxilliary or the Legion at one time so we all thought it was important to be involved in it and especially to support the veterans and take
Pte Charles Torkelson - WWI Pte Walter Warren Woodforde - WWI
F OX VA L L E Y Tpr Lee Anton - WWII Tpr Joseph Philip Paul - WWII Fus Gustave Ulbricht - WWII Pte John Kearse Wakeling - WWI
FRONTIER William Davis - WWI
part in Remembrance Day services,” he said. “But then beyond that the Legion has become a pretty important part of any community I guess, especially Abbey and area, it’s really the only service club we have there now. And our membership instead of going down like some areas is going up.” Scriven says they’re now close to 80 members – with many being third or fourth generation. His died died in ’88 at the age of 69 and his mother in 2008 at the age of 86. “My dad was a fisherman and that’s what I remember about him is going fishing with him when I was younger and my mother was, I think you’d call her, the historian of the family cause she could remember everybody and she could tell you a lot more than I could,” he said. “She was the one you always went to if you wanted some information about the family or someone in the community; she was one of those people that could remember all that.” Scriven’s wife, Edna (originally Colwell), also has ties to WWII. Also from Abbey, she lost two uncles in the war. “I think they were (tight knit) they all kind of knew each other,” Scriven said. “They thought it was a pretty important thing to serve your
Consul
SAMUEL AMUNDSON - Lance Corporal (Algonquin Regiment) Samuel Amundson (b.1913) of Robsart was KIA 19450303 at the Hochwald gap during operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Amundson’s Norwegian parents, Rangvald (Ralph) and Serina, came from Valley City, Barnes Co., North Dakota, in 1912. They farmed (Ralph was also a blacksmith) W12-3-25-W3 on the north slope of Old Man on His Back plateau, and Sam attended Ridgecliff and South Slope schools. He was born at Maple Creek and was working as a dragline operator for O’Sullivan Construction at Lethbridge, Alberta, when he enisted at Calgary in 1942.
Ralph Scriven
ROBERT HUGH ASKIN - Private (13th Battalion, Québec Regiment) Robert Hugh Askin (b.1894) of Consul was KIA 19160717 and is buried at Railway Dugouts burial ground (Transport Farm), Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Robert’s father Thomas Askin died just after the family arrived in Saskatchewan from Allenford, Bruce Co., Ontario, and he and his mother Eleanor proved up a homestead at NE19-2-28-W3 south of what later became Govenlock. Robert may have been working at Milestone when he enlisted at Weyburn early in 1915. Doris’s oldest brother Gordon Pederson, also of Abbey, who was killed in action in WW2.
Doris (Pederson) Scriven
Pte Milton Driscoll - WWI Pte Fred Ince - WWI Pte James Reynolds - WWI Sgt Vernon Thomas Sherwin - WWII GOVENLOCK Pte Thomas Abraham - WWI Pte John James Deneen - WWI Pte Arthur Alexander Forrester - WWI
GULL LAKE Pte James Anderson - WWI Pte William Baird - WWI
country so they did and young too you know; they weren’t very old. “We have a wall of Remembrance and there’s 12-13 pictures up there with all the ones killed in action. It’s kind of amazing when you look at when you realize they went over there just out of their teens basically.” Now the average age of WWII veterans in 91 years old – with only around 75,000 still alive in Canada compared to the 1.1 million who enlisted in the ‘40s. “It’s really important for us to keep the tradition of Remembrance Day alive and not just for people like my parents, but I also think it’s important for the youth of the area to certainly get involved and stay involved,” Scrivens said. “I think it’s up to organizations like the Legion to do their part to keep the young people involved and everyone in the community to support the veterans and to keep that going. In my mind, and I think in a lot of people’s minds, it’s become a pretty important thing for any community.”
Pte Manford Wesley Clarke - WWI Pte Alfred Booth Dynes - WWI Tpr William Ludlow Estabrooks - WWII Pte Robert James Eustace - WWI LCpl Juergen Claus Fischen - WWII Lt James Gibson Laurier Fraser - WWI P/O James Taft Hemsworth - WWII Pte Joseph Milton Hodgson - WWI Pte John C. Kennedy - WWI Pte Albert Alexander Koshney - WWII P/O Charles Bruce Maclennan - WWII Pte John Valentine McCarthy - WWI
CHARLES EDWARD SAWDEN - Private (South Saskatchewan Regiment) Charles Edward (Charlie) Sawden (b.1910) of Consul was KIA 19420819 at Dieppe (age 32) and is buried at the Canadian war cemetery at Hautot-sur-Mer, SeineMaritime, France. He was the son of Charles and Erma Sawden who came from
Pte Robert Lyle McCulloch - WWII Capt Keith Bradley Mirau - Peacetime Operations Pte James Leo O’Connor - WWI Pte Christian Olsen - WWI LCpl Richard Valentine Sells - WWII LCpl Richard Gordon Sweeting - WWII Sgt Captain Clayton White - WWII
HAZLET Pte William Bain - WWI Pte Frederick Clyde Clare - WWI
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5
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Bridlington, East Riding Yorkshire, England, to homestead SE34-2-27-W3 south of Nashlyn just after Charles Jr. was born. Charles Sr. retired to Vancouver just before the war, Erma remarried and moved to Montana. Charles Sr. was a veteran of the 49th Battalion in WWI. Charlie was farming when e enlisted at Weyburn on the outbreak of the war. JOHN HYAM - Private (1st Depot Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) John Hyam (b.1897) of Consul died 19190126 of pneumonia and is buried in the soldiers’ plot at Regina cemetery. He was the son of Alfred I.B. Hyam who came from London, England, to homestead NW5-2-22-W3 in the Staynor Hall district southwest of Frontier. John took his own homestead at SW24-5-27-W3 north of Consul and was drafted six months before his death. Lysle and Sonny Sweeting
Telegram sent to Gordon Sweeting’s parents
Local sailor tells of Africa Operations WALTER BERNHARDT SCHMIDT - Corporal (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) Walter Bernhardt Schmidt (b.1918) of Consul died 19450314 and is buried at Adegem Canadian war cemetery, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Schmidt suffered a heart attack while on leave in Belgium. He was the son of Leopold and Antonie Schmidt, a Danish couple who came from Buffalo(?), North Dakota, to NW12-327-W3 at the Nashlyn siding in 1910 and later moved to Windsor, Essex Co., Ontario. Walter was born at Glentworth, attended Twin Valley and Consul schools and was a mechanic and machinist’s helper when he enlisted at Saskatoon in 1942. His brother Frank served with the RCAF. JOSEPH EARL STENDER - Private (Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry) (Joseph) Earl Stender (b.1889) of Consul was KIA 19160915 at Courcelette and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was the son of Frederick Stender who came to the Warmley district north of Kisbey from Bristol Mines, MRC de Pontiac, Québec. Earl homesteaded NE4-5-28-W3 northwest of Consul before enlisting in the 68th Battalion at Regina late in 1915.
The following interesting account of landing operations in the North African Offensive, is told by leading seaman Lysle Sweeting, in a letter to his parents. F R O M T H E A D VA N C E A R C H I V E S
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
W
e had a fine trip from England to Algeria. We worked on our invasion boats all the way, painting, cleaning, and getting them in first class condition. On Friday, November 6th, we passed Gibraltar. To one passing through the Straight it presents quite a sight and one quite readily understands how Britain controls the Mediterranean from Gibraltar. Just by turning the head one can see Spain, Gibraltar (English) Spanish Moroccan and Algeria (French). We travelled till the following night (Nov. 7) in the Mediterranean, which was beautiful. The water was a light blue and the weather was grand - hot sun in a clear sky all day long. Both afternoons we worked almost nude and all got quite sunburned. Imagine getting sunburned in November! You people in Gull Lake were probably shivering, with snow on the ground. That evening there was a beautiful sunset - almost nice enough to rival your prairie sunsets. By this time we had everything in perfect readiness. The time for the first landing was to be at one o’clock. Our boats weren’t due to beach till 3:30 a.m. At 3:20 the report came in by radio that the Brit landing had been carried out successfully without meeting up with any opposition. We proceeded to lower our two boats off the ship into the water, we had one officer who was going in the other boat and I was supposed to beach at the same time, in my boat. The other boat was loaded first and as it was time to shove off, the officer left me with orders to follow as soon as ready. It was nearly 30 minutes before I was ready, then I pushed off. Felt a little dubious at first. We had, of course, been training ever since coming over and I knew what I was supposed to do, but I
Pte Patrick W. Dunne - WWI Pte Daniel Francis Gienow - WWI Pte Frederick Monson - WWI F/S William Norman Partridge - WWII F/S Donald Lawrence Robertson - WWII Pte Samuel Robinson - WWI
INSTOW F/O Jack Glen Millan Fisher - WWII Pte Charles William Lund - WWI Pte William Marshall - WWI F/S Charles Burton Wylie - WWII
LEADER Sgm Oscar Albrecht - WWII Pte John George Bickler - WWII Pte Barry Cocks - WWII Tpr Richard Harold Hofer - WWII Cpl Russell Reinhold Kasper - WWII Lt Paul Hubert Meier - WWII P/O Clarence Gerhart Wenzel - WWII
MAPLE CREEK Pte Rossiter John George Adams - WWI
still wondered if I hadn’t bitten off more than I could chew. The night was pitch black and everything was strange. We were 6 miles from shore and in a little boat, that is a long way. I had a crew of 6 under me, as well as 4 U.S. army chaps, whose duty it was to drive the truck and gun taille off the boat. I had to find a beach, about a 100 yards long and make sure the Yanks and their gear got ashore. I travelled for 30 minutes at full speed and eventually there loomed the beach ahead of us. I couldn’t make out the exact spot where I was supposed to land (as previously arranged) so started to run parallel to the land. Everything was silent and it looked very much as if we had missed the fun. Finally, I decided where to beach and turned to go in. Suddenly, five smaller boats appeared in front of me. I gave her full astern with both engines, went about 75 yards down the beach and beached the boat while lowering the door, and told the truck driver to drive on and “good luck.” Just then, hell let loose! Someone on the beach was spraying the water with machine guns. They concentrated on the spot where I had been a few minutes before, but had left because of the smaller craft. A lot of the bullets were coming our way giving us a queer feeling, knowing any one of them might have our name on it. The tracer bullets leave a ribbon of fire behind them like a sky rocket. One can see exactly where they are coming from and going to (too close for comfort). I won’t deny I was “scared stiff ”. The boat was stuck on the beach until such time as the truck got off to lighten the load. The truck had stalled in the boat, so we just had to sit there and wait. We had been taught never to abandon the ship, unless absolutely necessary. In about 20 minutes, the driver pulled out to shore. It had taken the driver so long to get the truck off the boat, that the wind and the surf had out my boat broadside on the beach. I started gunning my motors to get off and the boys pushed with poles. The
Pte Percy William Balls - WWI Pte Thomas Albert Paul Briggs - WWII Pte Frederick Charles Busby - WWI Robert Elwood Campbell - WWI Pte Ivie Francis Casat - WWII Pte Frank Chamberlain - WWI Pte Sam Richard Chermishnuk - WWII Pte James Robert Chisholm - WWI Pte John Claustre - WWI P/O Carman MacKenzie Colquhoun - WWII Pte Peter Connoly - WWI Pte George Stanley Cox - WWI
noise of the engines could be heard a very long way off and immediately the bloke on the beach started firing at us. The bullets were coming thick and fast. I just about came to the conclusion that we weren’t going to get off and started to tell the fellows to grab their arms and head for shore, but before I finished the boat began to move off. My machine gunner had wanted to return the fire but I wouldn’t let him because I knew the fellow on the beach would be able to hit us easily once he saw our fire. It was an rather amusing picture - me telling him not to shoot and he, all keyed up to open fire. Eventually we got off and a safe distance from the beach. We got back to the ship but found the other boat hadn’t returned. We figured they must have been either killed or stranded on the beach. We ate while the boat was being loaded and went ashore again. It was quite light by this time and aside from the smoke and occasional burst of machine gun fire, all was quiet and peaceful. We landed our second load without mishap and returned to the ship. Meantime, the other boat had returned. After swapping stories we looked over our boats. We had no casualties. The worst disaster was a bullet hole in the stern of my boat. After that things were quite busay for 6 days and night. We worked for 12 hours and rested for 6. Airplanes came over several times machine gunning the beach and snipers at night kept things interesting. On November 11, an official Armistice was signed in that district, so from then on, we just waited till the ships were empty of their cargoes. Now we are all on one ship, on our way back to England. The topic of conversation is “when will the next one be.” O, yes, we had plenty of air support too, but I don’t believe there was much room for action. The whole episode was a good example of what Navy, Army and Airforce can do, if they work together. It will be things like this which will eventually win the war.”
Pte Arnold Grieve Cranna - WWI Capt Richard Gordon Crimes - WWII Pte Robert Frederick Nott Davis - WWII LCpl Max Exal Demchenko - WWII P/O Chester Brockie Dixon - WWII Pte Joseph Drury - Boer War Pte Norman Goulter Drury - WWI LAC Edward George Feil - WWII Pte Eric Armstrong Fisher - WWI F/O Allan Leighton Forbes - WWII Pte Sidney M. Gibbs - WWI Maj Kenneth Laurie Graham - WWII
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Casualities Of War
Frontier
ANTHONY
MILTON DRISCOLL Private (Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry) Milton Driscoll (b.1892) of Frontier was KIA 19170409 at Vimy Ridge and is buried at Bois-Carré British cemetery, Thelus north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of Joseph and Kate Driscoll of Kensington, Prince Co., Prince Edward Island. Milton homesteaded SW33-1-21-W3 southwest of Frontier before enlisting in the 68th Battalion at Regina late in 1915. His younger brother Emmet of Kensington also made the supreme sacrifice.
HUNDT a Death March survivor’s story BY T I M K A L I N O W S K I
editor@gulllakeadvance.com Originally published in the Gull Lake Advance, November 8, 2011
A
nthony (Tony) Joseph Hundt was a member of the Tompkins Legion Branch # 140 for many years. He was devoted to his old comrades from 16/22 Saskatchewan Horse Regiment which later became part the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. The 2nd Armoured (Tank) Brigade served as an infantry support brigade during the war, and went ashore with the Canadian infantry in the first few waves at Juno Beach during the invasion of Normandy. But unlike the many heroic tales of victory over the enemy, of gritty survival, or noble sacrifice told by other WWII veterans, Tony’s stories of his Second World War experiences were much harsher and far less glorious. Somewhere along the road from Juno Beach heading toward Caen, Gunner Tony Hundt and his tank crew went Missing-in-Action on June 24, 1944. Given how devastating the invasion of Normandy was for many Canadian tankers facing off against the superior fire power and armour of the German Panzer and Tiger tank divisions, likely many waiting for Tony back in Tompkins hoped for the best, but in their heart of hearts prepared for the worst. It was not until mid-August of 1944 that word reached Allied headquarters that Gunner Hundt was indeed alive, but a Prisoner of War at German Stalag 8A at Görlitz, on the River Neisse, approximately 50 miles east of Dresden (now in Poland, then part of the German province of Saxony). When Tony returned home after the war he was a shadow of himself weighing all of 80 lbs when his enlistment weight had been 147 lbs. Tony was always reluctant to speak about his experiences after his return. Those few stories Tony did share of his time as a PoW are the stuff of most people’s worst nightmares. It began shortly before he was captured on the road to Caen. He and four other tanks from his brigade were going up a rise when Tony’s tank developed mechanical problems and had to fall back while the other four tanks pressed on. Tony remembered eventually coming over the rise to see that the other four tanks were completely destroyed and burning. Flames and smoke curled up into the sky; there were no survivors. Tony fell into enemy hands, was moved away from the front and loaded onto railway cattle cars for the long trip into Germany. He and his fellow prisoners had had very little food to that point, but at the back of the cattle car there was a large pot of hot soup waiting. It tasted good after several days of not eating and he and his fellow PoWs tucked into it with gusto. It wasn’t until they got near the bottom of the soup pot when they saw a whole cow head, hair, face, eyes and all, staring back up at them. It was a foreshadowing of the
LCpl Charles James Caldwell Gray - WWI Tpr Alexander Green - WWI Lt Norman Alfred Gropp - WWII Pte George Darby Harmon - WWI Pte Frank Hughes - WWI Pte Wyatt Austin Hunt - WWI F/L Thomas Karl Ibbotson - WWII Pte Ulric Ignace Isabelle - WWI Pte Harry Lansdale - WWI F/S Reginald Marcus Lawrence - WWII Pte Alexander Mason - WWII Cpl John Alexander McKenzie - WWII
greater brutality and hardships to come. Little is known how Tony fared while in Stalag 8A. He never told too many stories about that. From other examples cited in history it is well known that regular enlisted men like Tony were exposed to the most brutal and harsh treatment by their German captors amongst all the PoWs. Officers and air crewmen could expect some respect from the aristocratically hierarchal Nazi military; not so those who weren’t addressed as “Sir.” The only story Tony’s family knows about his time in the PoW camp is the one about the wheelbarrow. Every morning the German guards would push in a wheelbarrow full of bread into their prisoners - sometimes this was all the food that was brought in for the entire day. The German guards would pass out the bread and then, once the wheelbarrow was empty, they would go through again and pile on all the bodies of the prisoners who had died the night before onto that same wheelbarrow and take them out to be buried. This process was repeated everyday, and it was always the same wheelbarrow. Toward the end of the war the Nazis knew the end was coming and that the Allied armies were getting closer everyday. Fearing that the Russian armies coming in would free the Stalags in Poland and arm the soldiers held there behind the Nazi withdrawal, Germany emptied its prison camps and concentrated the PoWs for transport. 5,000 Canadian prisoners were all kept together. When the Russians began drawing closer the Germans forced their 5,000 Canadian PoWs to begin what would become known as the Death March. The Canadians were forced to walk hundreds of miles with almost no food, and many of them were already sick from diseases like Typhus and dysentery due to the squalid conditions of their confinement. Each soldier was given one blanket to keep himself warm in temperatures of -23 C; and any prisoner who fell by the road side was either left for dead or shot. Tony did tell his nephew Fred Reinhart and daughter Connie Lindsay several stories from this nightmarish time in his life. He said that some guys were so hungry and desperate that they would trade away their blankets for food. But Tony never would, no matter how hungry he got, because most of those who gave away their blankets ended up dying of exposure by the next morning. One night the Canadians were forced to sleep out in the open and a guy he knew didn’t have a blanket. Tony offered to share and the two of them tucked in underneath Tony’s blanket for the night to share their warmth. When Tony awoke the next day the man who he had been sharing the blanket with was dead. The Germans would not let any of the Canadians stop to help their fellow prisoners if they fell and couldn’t get up. Everyone had to keep moving. One Canadian prisoner Tony remembered until
Pte Hugh McLean - WWI Pte James Milroy - WWI Pte Robert James Moore - Boer War Pte Wesley Alexander Moore - WWI Cpl Donald Richard Moorhead - WWII Pte Frederick James Duncan Morrison WWI Pte Joseph Robinson Muldon - WWI Pte Patrick Mungovan - WWI Pte Carl Olson - WWI Pte Charles Wesley Pinkham - WWI Pte Asa Arnold Quick - WWI
the end of his life was a guy who fell beside the road face-first into a puddle. The guy had been too weak to get back up and the Germans had let him drown there, and there had been nothing Tony could do about it. One day on the endless suffering of the Death March the always mechanically-minded Tony heard a sound in the sky above; he recognized the sound of American airplane engines coming in. Panicked, the Nazi guards forced the prisoners to start moving faster. Tony saw his opportunity and told the guys immediately around him that the planes above were American, and that they should take their chance to escape now. They jumped off the road together into a nearby field and hunkered down to wait. They waited a very long time. The German guards never looked for them; they were too much in a hurry to keep moving. Finally Tony said they heard the sounds of American tanks coming up the road. He and his fellow prisoners jumped up hands in the air and screamed as loud as they could that they were Canadians. The Americans stopped their vehicles and radioed for transport to come and pick them up. Tony and the other Canadians must have looked like starved scarecrows to the appalled American servicemen: most had already lost half their body weight. The first thing Tony asked for was a cigarette; he had never tasted anything better in his life up until that point. He knew his ordeal, and likely his war, was finally over. Tony suffered health problems for the rest of his life due to his harsh treatment at the hands of the Nazis. After he returned to Saskatchewan he went into the grocery business and did that until he retired; he eventually ended up owning his own grocery store (H & K Grocery) in Tompkins. His family believes Tony was passionate about the grocery business because of his experiences of near starvation during the war. Tony wanted to feed people. If a customer couldn’t pay for whatever reason, Tony wouldn’t turn her away. He did not like the idea of people going home hungry. Tony also never believed in getting worked up about things, and was valued in the Tompkins Legion and larger community for his ability to make light and keep things running smoothly during club meetings and on social occasions. Tony Hundt passed away in 1994 at the age of 79. Tony, perhaps better than any other soldier’s story we have told for this special Remembrance Day supplement, understood the darker side of human nature, in its worst aspects, brought out by the circumstances of war. But no matter how inhumanely he was treated by his German captors, Tony never despaired and he never lost faith in basic human decency and goodness. It was this simple humanity that allowed Tony to survive the Death March when so many others fell along the way. Of the 5,000 Canadian PoWs pushed onto the Death March only 848 were alive at the end. Tony Hundt was one of those 848.
Pte Ralph Henry Quick - WWI Sgt Jack Edward Redmond - WWII Lt Hugh James Russell - WWII Cpl Robert Charles Sanderson - WWII Pte Archibald Burgess Savage - WWI Pte Joseph Shannon - WWI Sgt Albert Victor Smith - WWI Pte Benjamin Smith - WWI Lt Henry Albert Smith - WWI Sgt Gordon Frank Squires - WWI Pte Frank Walker Thickett - WWI Pte Hugh Thomson - WWI
FRED INCE - Private (102nd Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment) Fred Ince (b.1887) of Frontier was KIA 19170409 at Vimy Ridge and is buried at Canadian No. 2 cemetery just south of the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of Alfred Ince of Clare, Suffolk, England. Fred homesteaded SW19-3-20-W3 west of Frontier before enlisting at Shaunavon early in 1916. JAMES REYNOLDS - Private (10th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) James Reynolds (b.1884) of Frontier died 19180314 of his wounds and is buried at Houchin British cemetery south of Béthune, Pas-deCalais, France. He was the son of Mary Reynolds of Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Ireland. James was born at Belturbet, Cavan, and homesteaded NE13-3-20-W3 at Frontier. He was working as a liveryman at Shaunavon when he enlisted there early in 1916. James married Mary Eleanor of Belturbet after going overseas. VERNON THOMAS SHERVEN - Sergeant (RCAF air gunner) Vernon Thomas Sherven (b.1923) of Frontier died 19440601 and is buried at Sleepy Hillock cemetery, Montrose, Angus, Scotland. Sherven’s Halifax stalled and crashed in Shielin Caenlochan forest in the Scottish highlands during a training fl ight from No. 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit. He was the only son of Levi and Jenny (Nestegaard) Porter. Jenny remarried as Mrs. Conrad Skjerven and they came from North Dakota to homestead SE28-2-19-W3 southeast of Frontier. Vernon was born at Fillmore, Benson Co., North Dakota, adopted his step-father’s surname, was educated at Sletten school and was a labourer when he enlisted at Calgary, Alberta, early in 1943.
Pte George Thomas Underdahl - WWII Pte Henry Watson - WWI LAC Henry Studwell Watson - WWII Pte Robert Brown Whigham - WWII Tpr Howard Kenneth White - WWII Pte Thomas Garçons Williams - WWI Cpl Harry Wilson - WWI Pte Leonard John Wormald - WWI
NADEAUVILLE Pte Thomas Amerson - WWI Pte Charles Rieve Dalgliesh - WWI
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Cat’s Meow Quilts & Gifts We will remember.
742 Pacific Ave. MAPLE CREEK, SK. 306-661-7180 Prop. Vonda Russell
BRIAN’S AUTOBODY
104 Railway Ave S.,CABRI, SK (306) 587-2756
We Must Never Forget ...
Wayne Elhard, MLA Cypress Hills Constituency Constituency Office
401 Redcoat Drive, Eastend, Sask.
295-3688 or 1-877-703-3374 www.wayneelhard.ca
“Your Voice in Regina”
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR LOCAL BOY KILLED IN ACTION F R O M T H E A D VA N C E A R C H I V E S
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
T
he service at the United Church last Sunday morning, was in the form of a memorial to Flying Officer George G. Cann of the R.C.A.F., son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cann, of Gull Lake, who was killed in action Tuesday, November 3rd. The Rev. W.E. Bannerman took as the subject of his address “Greater Love Hath no Man than this, that a man lay down his Life for his Friends.” The Altar was draped with the Union Jack
Pte Joseph Henri Defayette - WWI Pte Robert Fyfe Drummond - WWI Pte Carl Oscar Erickson - WWI Pte Ralph Macfarlane - WWI LAC Donald Leighton Poegal - WWII
Lt John Meikle - WWI SSgt Edward Murrell - WWI F/S James Allan Pirie - WWII
PENNANT
Pte Roy Dillabough - WWI Pte Robert Gordon Ferguson - WWII Cpl John Forsyth - WWI F/L Stanley Mervyn Heard - WWII Cpl William J. Horning - Korean War Pte James Arthur Nottingham - WWI Tpr Francis Terrence O’Donnell - WWII
Pte Harry Norman Bailey - WWI Gnr Norman William Carroll - Korean War Pte Gordon Freeman Doyle - WWII Pte Norman Heath - WWI Lt David Meikle - WWI
PIAPOT
and decorated with flowers. The junior choir led in the singing of the hymns and Mrs. E. Ohrner rendered a solo “In The Garden.” Out of town members of the family attending the service included Mrs. J. Hall of Lethbridge, Miss Violet Cann of Calgary, Mr. and Mrs. James Cann of Swift Current and Mr. Robert Cann of Carstairs, Alberta. The congregation was composed of members from various denominations, as a mark of respect and an expression of sympathy.
Pte William Cyril Pearce - WWI Pte Llewelyn Ruston - WWI Pte Ronald James Smith - WWI Pte David Whitford - WWI
PONTEIX Pte Henry Rearson Adshead - WWI Pte Robert Adshead - WWI Pte Paul Binette - WWI WO2 Robert Alexander Johnston - WWII Pte Theador Klempp - WWI Pte James Loughrey - WWI
Pte Angus Alexander MacDonald - WWI LCpl Merlin Joseph Manson - WWII Gnr James Albert McConville - WWII Pte Terence Tyrone McCoy - Peacetime Operations
ROBSART OS Ole Adrian Olson - WWII Pte Howard Ludwig Peterson - WWI Pte James Ball Pringle - WWI Sgt Henry Morton Stanley Russell - WWI Pte Charles Philip Wright - WWI
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THE ADVANCE
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Casualities Of War
DISPATCHER WARTIME MOTORCYCLIST REMEMBERED
We knew why he went over and what he has to do. He saw the death camps. He was there. He was adamant we not forget about the grim situation...”
SCOTSGUARD LCpl Emerson James Foster - WWII P/O David Albert Laird - WWII Pte Herbert Player - WWI Gnr Gabriel Ferdinand Schlemko - WWII Pte John Reid Wallace - WWI Pte Clarence Alvin Warner - WWI
S H AU N AVO N Lt Alexander William Aitchison - WWI
BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
J
ohn E. Bartole spent his formative years doing dangerous work, he was a disptacher, driving a motorcycle in war-torn areas in order to bring supplies and essentials to civilians during World War II. The father was a good-natured man. He was oddly embarrassed of his middle name, and his son Murray would only describe it to The Advance as “old fashioned,” with a chuckle. His father was a happy man, but he was pretty withdrawn when it came to his struggles during the war. He preferred to remember the good times. “We got a few things out of him, but we never got down to the nitty gritty. It was all about the good times and never about the bad parts. He was reclusive about that. He was there, and it must have been hard to be happy in that situation. It’s understandable.” He would discuss his experiences with adults, but change the subject if his kids came around. “It was just the way he was. He went through so much. He wanted to talk about the good memories, if you can call them that.” Bartole grew up on a farm southeast of Regina, and would settle in Webb after he was married. He would farm for his in-laws. But his son Murray recounts with passion his father’s extraordinary experiences in the military. “He rode on a motorcycle and escorted convoys and groups. He went all over the place. He went from France to Holland, then to Italy and even the north end of Africa. He did the whole gamut of the place,” he said. “He spent quite a bit of time in Holland, and he talked a few times about when Holland was liberated. Some buddies got there first and were heroes. Everyone was treated well there, and he talked as if he got to know some civilians.” Bartole Sr. was 20 when he went in in 1943, and was working in Regina at the time. During that period, going to war was just something you did, and not much thought was given as to alternatives. “His basic training was in Ontario, and he was trained to ride a motorcycle there. I never did ask him why he got involved in that aspect, but it was a job about moving equipment,” he said. “Being a farm kid, he never knew much about motorcycles, but he became a good rider. But I remember when I was a kid, my dad called bikes death traps. He would ride every once in a while, but I think he remembered it as a not very glorified job. He didn’t like us on them after the war.” Bartole wishes he had been older and spent more time going over things with his
Cpl Philip Andrew Bentley - WWII LS John Grant Brebber - WWII Pte Harold C. Cameron - WWI Pte Everitt Lindsay Campbell - WWI Pte William John Collins - WWI Robin Cook - WWII Pte Henry Cougher - WWI Pte John Louis Downey - WWI WO2 Ronald Dunbar - WWII Pte Philip Fairservice - WWI F/O Lloyd Richard Fenell - WWII Pte Malcolm Galbraith - WWI
dad, but he never pushed for information. He caught some insight, though, during an Alberta antique motorcycle group’s drive through Maple Creek. “I took dad down there, and I learned so much from that session. They had an army issue Triumph bike and a Norton one. They had dispatch rider uniforms on. Once they found out he had been one, they grabbed him and had him for an hour,” laughs Bartole. “I learned that the restored Norton bike came from Africa. It had a rhino on the side of the tank, and dad had said the ones in Africa had rhinos on them specifically. They used Nortons because they were lighter.” John Bartole, who would die at 85 years old in 2010, told his son a story about when he took a convoy into Berlin. “They were taking medical supplies, food and blankets. Basically it was survival stuff. When they got in, they had to surrender all arms, and went behind enemy lines to do this,” he said. “It was eerie because they were going in with vehicles and German troops were passing them, heading for the front lines the other way. They were defenceless, and I often wondered if it wasn’t a mercy run after Berlin was obliterated. But I never got clarity.” He was bothered by some memories from his time serving, and one in particular stuck with him. “He said he had the largest issue was not knowing what had happened at war-struck places. He brought a dutch shoe from a child home to us. He found it laying on a pile of rubble, and he never knew where the child was. He never knew if he’d been killed,” said Bartole. “The house was destroyed, and there was just that one show on the wreckage. It was something he carried with him.” His father was a pretty somber man during Remembrance Day each year. “His personality had changed. Looking back at the memories, he had lost people who were very close to him. He wasn’t a really emotional person, but it definitely bothered him and it haunted him,” he said. “We knew the meaning of the day growing up, and he never wanted us to forget what it stood for. The kids that went over were young farm kids, and they were thrown into something like that. They were naive. They had no idea what they were getting into.” The pride he feels at his father’s accomplishments is immense. “We knew why he went over and what he has to do. He saw the death camps. He was there. He was adamant we not forget about the grim situation. It was shocking, but we had to know,” he said. “He always wanted us to remember, and we carry his memory with us. We’re so thankful for everything that he did.”
P/O Stanley George Hall - WWII Pte Bertram Elliott Herrick - WWII F/O Ernest James Keefe - WWII Pte Frank Ernest Machen - WWI Pte Thomas Madden - WWI WO2 Leslie Allan Mallory - WWII Pte John McGhee - WWI Sgt James Roy McIntyre - WWII Pte Thomas McKenzie - WWI Rfn Earl Frederick McLean - WWII Pte Frank Meyers - WWI Pte Gerald Miller - WWI
Gull Lake JAMES ANDERSON - 1009021 Private (46th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) James Anderson (b.1882) of Gull Lake was KIA 19171026 at Passchendaele and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, which bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. He was the son of William and Jane Anderson of Belfast, Ireland. James, who was born at Carrickfergus, Antrim, was working as a carpenter when he enlisted at Gull Lake early in 1916. He had worked earlier in the Cabri area. WILLIAM BAIRD 1009031 Private (46th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) William Baird (b.1897) of Gull Lake was KIA 19180902 at Dury and is buried at Windmill British cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux southeast of Arras, Pasde-Calais, France. He was the son of Charles W. and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Baird of Wallace Station, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia. William was born at Halifax and was farming when he enlisted at Gull Lake early in 1916. MANFRED WESLEY CLARKE - 1009565 Private (46th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Manford Wesley Clarke (b.1897) of Gull Lake died 19180825 of wounds sustained near Meharicourt and is buried at VillersBretonneux military cemetery east of Amiens, Somme, France. He was the son of Trueman Edward and Mary Brownell Clarke of Greene, Butler Co., Iowa, and later of Dublin, Ireland. Manford was born at Amherst, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia, and was working as a clerk when he enlisted at Gull Lake early in 1916. ALFRED BOOTH DYNES - 1010279 Private (46th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Alfred Boothe Dynes (b.1897) of Gull Lake was KIA 19181101 at Valenciènnes and is buried at Aulnoy communal cemetery south of Valenciènnes, Nord, France. He was the son of Edward and Elizabeth Boothe Dynes who came from Moorefield, Wellington Co., Ontario, to homestead NW13-11-18-W3 in the Illerbrun district south of Gull Lake and later moved to Edmonton, Alberta. Alfred was teaching school when he enlisted at Gull Lake late in 1916. WILLIAM LUDLOW ESTABROOKS - L64020
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Trooper (Armoured Corps advanced training centre) William Ludlow (Bill) Estabrooks (b.1916) of Gull Lake, where he is buried, died 19420828. Estabrooks was admitted to Christie Street hospital, Toronto, with a diagnosis of acute depression and jumped from a fourth floor window the next day, impaling himself on a iron fence. He was the son of George Whitfield and Margaret Beverley (Currie) Estabrooks who came from New York and Ontario respectively. George had a blacksmith shop and later an implement dealership. Bill worked as a machinist for his father and taught for four months at Moose Jaw technical school before enlisting at Regina early in 1942, leaving a wife Beatrice May (Spencer) at Gull Lake. ROBERT JAMES EUSTACE - 781084 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) (Robert) James Eustace (b.1889) of Gull Lake died 19170928 of his wounds and is buried at Dorney burial ground, Buckinghamshire, England. He was the son of James and Elizabeth Eustace of Dorney. James Jr. was born at Wantage, Oxfordshire, and was farming when he enlisted at Moose Jaw late in 1915. JUERGEN CLAUS FISCHEN - L603289 Lance Corporal (Prince Albert Volunteers driver mechanic) Juergen Claus Fitschen (b.1920) of Gull Lake died 19441018 a Shaughnessy hospital, Vancouver, of tuberculosis and is buried at Goodhope cemetery, Gull Lake. He was the son of John, who came from Hagenah, Germany, to homestead NW28-10-19-W3 in the Aldag district in 1906, and Elsie F. (Sharman) Fitschen. Juergen was farming with his family when he was called up for NRMA trainiing at Regina early in 1942 and married
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Margaret (Meincke) of Garden Head the next year. JAMES GIBSON LAURIER FRASER Lieutenant (16th Battalion, Manitoba Regiment) James Gibson Laurier Fraser (b.1894) of Gull Lake was KIA 19180304 and is buried at Bully-Grenay communal cemetery British extension north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. James was a student at law when he enlisted at Moose Jaw in 1916. Brother of MM Fraser. They were the children of Duncan Cameron and Bessie Graham Fraser of New Glasgow, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia. Duncan was the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia from 1906 until his death in 1910. Bessie was living at Moose Jaw when James and Margaret enlisted, and later moved to Victoria, British Columbia.
JAMES TAFT HEMSWORTH - J85396 Pilot Officer (No. 38 Squadron RAF pilot) James Taft Hemsworth (b.1918) of Gull Lake was KIA 19440406 over the Aegean Sea and is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt, for airmen from the middle eastern theatre who died with no known grave. Hemsworth’s Wellington failed to return from a night patrol off Pyreus, Greece. He was the son of William Booth Hemsworth, hardware merchant originally from Ethel, Huron Co., Ontario, and Mabel Clara (Taft) who came from Great Falls,
During the Second World War Jack Johnston served as a Gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery firing medium range 5.5 inch Howitzers.
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Montana. The family moved from Tramping Lake to Gull Lake in 1925. James was born at Outlook and spent a couple of years working in the family business before enlisting at Regina late in 1940.
The HMCS Dawson Corvette, the ship Robert James Gedny was stationed on, set sail on February 8, 1941 It was decommissioned in 1945 after the end of World War II.
Gedny poses inside a tube used for carrying fresh air down to the boiler room, where he worked as a Class 4 Boiler for the duration of World War II.
JOSEPH MILTON HODGSON - 252104 Private (209th Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment) Joseph Milton Hodgson (b.1897) of Gull Lake, where he is buried, died 19160314 of heart failure. He was the son of Oscar L. and Essie Hodgson who came from Riversdale, Bruce Co., Ontario, to homestead SE32-11-19-W3 south of the Roscommon siding. Joseph was farming when he enlisted at Swift Current less than a month before his death.
Gedny poses with a military friend holding shells later used for depth charges across the Atlantic. The HMCS Dawson was known as an escort ship, protecting the merchant ships inside.
Remembrance Day more than just a service for Gull Lake man BY B E T H JA R R E L L
beth@gulllakeadvance.com
A
lthough Alan Gedny did not serve in the military himself, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t done his research. Gedny’s father, Robert, served in World War II as a member of the Navy. In the years since, Gedny has spent a significant amount of time researching and gathering information about his father’s role in the war, something he believes is important in honouring the sacrifice of those who fought for Canada made. Robert James Gedny served on the HMCS Dawson Corvette, a 1941 ship decommissioned in
1945. It launched in February of 1941 and immediately set sail for England. “It was actually a submarine chaser, and they could shoot depth charges, which were basically bombs that floated down and hit the German submarines to explore them,” Gedny said. “They were basically an escort for the merchant ships, probably destroyers that the Canadian Navy would have had,” he said. “They escorted the merchant ships back and forth, because they didn’t have any guns on them or anything to defend themselves.” Gedny says his father’s time on the ship was extremely memorable to him, and he remembered him
We shall never forget.
telling stories about his time in service. “If they detected a submarine, they would have tried to protect the stuff going back and forth between Canada and Britain,” he said. “My dad always referred to himself as a member of the escort ships. “They had big depth charges, so they wouldn’t ever know if they hit anything. They’d have to stick around to see the oil slick, and they sure didn’t want to do that- not if it meant running into other enemy ships with bigger weapons.” After joining in 1941, just in time for the ship’s first launch, the senior Gedny stayed in the Navy until the war ended, when he returned to
his home in Gull Lake. “After the war he started farming, and in the winter he went up to Trail, B.C. to work in the smelter. They didn’t have a lot of cows or anything, so he worked in the winter-time too to make sure he could keep farming in the summer. He was a very, very hard worker.” Alan says that for him, Remembrance Day is about honouring his father and the other members that he served with. “The vets fought for our freedom and still fight today, and that’s why Remembrance Day is important. We need to honour them,” he said. “This is one day of the year that we can take a minute to remember that.”
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ALBERT ALEXANDER KOSHNEY - L102926 Private (Black Watch) Albert Alexander (Abby) Koshney (b.1921) of Gull Lake was KIA 19440806 during the push to Falaise and is buried at Bény-sur-Mer Canadian war cemetery near Reviers, Calvados, France. He was the oldest son of Peter Paul and Anna Belle (Suchla) Koshney. Peter came from Poland to
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New York as a stowaway during World War I, and later farmed and practiced carpentry at Gull Lake. Abby was carpentering with his father when he enlisted at Regina late in 1942. His brother Larry served in the RCAF, and brother Alphonse had his tank blown up at the Falaise Gap just a short distance from where Abby was killed. JOHN C. KENNEDY 21622 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) John C. Kennedy (b.1888) of Gull Lake(?) was KIA 19150425 at Gravenstafel and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, which bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. John was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and was working as a cook and baker when he enlisted in the 60th Rifles at Camp Valcartier, Québec, on the outbreak of the war. His next of kin was a cousin Geretrude Portins at Illerbrun and later of Moose Jaw.
CHARLES BRUCE MACLENNAN - J95550 Pilot Officer (No. 419 Moose Squadron RCAF wireless air gunner) (Charles) Bruce Maclennan (b.1924) of Gull Lake was shot down over Hamburg 19450331 and is
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buried at Becklingen war cemetery southeast of Soltau, Germany. Maclennan’s Lancaster was one of the few to be shot down by the new German jet fighters. He was the son of Joseph and Constance (Wood) Maclennan. Joseph came from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and taught throughout the prairies. Bruce was born at Regina but moved to Gull Lake as a baby when his father became the school inspector there in 1926. He went straight into the air force after graduating from high school in 1942. His brother Ian flew Spitfi res out of Malta.
Gull Lake Boy Receives Wings Following Six Months of Training F R O M T H E A D VA N C E A R C H I V E S
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
F
letcher Vaughan Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Taylor of Gull Lake, graduated as a Fighter Pilot of the Royal Canadian Air Force, when he received his Wings Friday of last week. The graduation entitled him to the rank of Sergeant Pilot Taylor. Fletcher who came to Gull Lake from Moose Jaw as a baby one year old, celebrated his twenty-first birthday last January. He received his education in Gull Lake and enlisted in
JOHN VALENTINE McCARTHY - 781459 Private (50th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) John Valentine McCarthy (b.1893) of Gull Lake was KIA 19170410 at Vimy Ridge and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was the son of Annie McCarthy of Annascaul, Kerry, Ireland. John was farming when he enlisted at Gull Lake late in 1915.
R.C.A.F. on October 16th, 1940. His graduation came exactly six months following his enlistment. Brandon was his first station and later he was transferred to Prince Albert where he made his solo flight and his L.A.C. From Prince Albert he was sent to Ottawa and graduated as a Pilot from No. 2 Service Flying Training School of the British commonwealth air training plan. Fletcher is now ready for transfer overseas to complete training on service types of aircraft. He is also eligible to be selected as a Commissioned officer.
ROBERT LYLE McCULLOCH - R107653 Flight Sergeant (No. 103 Squadron RAF air gunner) Robert Lyle (Bob) McCulloch (b.1922) of Gull Lake was KIA 19420922 and is buried at Brigg cemetery, Lincolnshire, England. McCulloch’s Halifax crashed at Elsham Wolds returning from a raid. He was the son of Clarence Earl and Nora Ethel (Erickson) McCulloch who came from Cooperstown, Griggs Co., North Dakota, where Bob was born, to homestead NW1-1519-W3 north of Gull Lake.
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George Waddington was a two-war veteran BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
W
hen Ponteix resident Sue Haglund looks back on her father, she sees a strong man whose service encompassed huge areas of his life. George Waddington was in World War I and World War II. He gave much of his life to the service of this country. “He didn’t go overseas in the second war, but he did in the first. My father was born on a ship coming over from England and lived in Ontario. He would talk to us after a few drinks about the war, but he was normally pretty quiet about it,” she said. This contributes to an overall culture with military veterans, who prefer to remember the happier times of their service, and understandably wish not to drudge up the bad experiences. “A lot of them are that way and don’t like to talk that much. It’s difficult to see some things, and he remembered the wet trenches, the poor conditions and the bad food,” she said. “I’ve known a lot of veterans and they keep it to themselves. They don’t divulge the really bad stuff that went on. He talked about the things they did and places they were. “He was a soldier on the front lines. He mentioned the horrible life and conditions they have. It was soaking wet and cold, and with guys getting shot. It wasn’t a good place to be.” He had a drive within him, and the fact was
nothing was going to stop Waddington from serving. “In the first war, he actually lied about his age to get in. He was 16 or 17 and he said he was 18. They really weren’t too careful. They just wanted people over there. He was very passionate about serving his country,” said Haglund. “He was in the North West Mounted Police before that. He had quite a life. He left home very young and never got back until after the war. There are just so many questions I should have asked him about all this.” She said many traumatic events stuck with her father, and the aftermath of war isn’t really something that used to be dealt with. “He talked about one of his friends that was shot. He wasn’t dead at the time, and my father had to drag him to some shelter,” she said. “He was wounded himself in the First World War. He was shot in the head and got shrapnel in his feet. He had to have toes removed.” The pride Haglund felt at all her fathers accomplishments won’t soon dissipate. “Remembrance Day was quite important to him. He did in 1972, but we always miss and remember him. I’m happy he went to fight for out country. He was very unhealthy from it, and he had been gassed. His lungs were bad and he suffered,” she said. “But i think he thought it was worth it. Someone had to go and he went and fought for the future.”
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The family moved to Climax where Clarence worked as a mechanic, then to Shellbrook, to Gull Lake in 1940 and finally to Shaunavon later in the war. Bob was educated at Shellbrook and was working as a mechanic at Robinson’s garage at Gull Lake when he enlisted at Regina in 1941. His brother Clarence Jr. also served in the RCAF while sister June was in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps.
Waddington told family about the rotten conditions they faced in the trenches
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
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George Waddington fought in both World War One and World War Two.
KEITH BRADLEY MIRAU - T59643076 Captain (No. 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron RCAF pilot) Keith Bradley Mirau (b.1944) of Gull Lake was KIA 19740809 and is buried at Swift Current memorial gardens. Mirau’s unarmed Buffalo was on a United Nations Emergency Force flight from Ismailia, Egypt, to Damascus when it was shot down by a Syrian missile. He was born at McMahon, the son of Arnold Mirau, and moved with his family to Gull Lake in 1951. Keith left a wife Gloria (Berg) and sons Kelly and Douglas at Belleville, Hastings Co., Ontario. The death of Mirau and his eight passengers (“the Buffalo Nine”) was the single worst loss of life in Canadian peacekeeping history. August 9th is still marked as Peacekeepers Day, and Buffalo Park at Calgary, Alberta, was dedicated on that date in 2005 in tribute to peacekeepers past and present, especially the Buffalo Nine. JAMES LEO O’CONNOR - 4020966 Private (21st Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment) (James) Leo O’Connor (b.1899) of Gull Lake was KIA 19181011 and is buried at Niagara cemetery, Iwuy northeast of Cambrai, Nord, France. He was the son of Bartholomew and Mary E. (Barry) O’Connor of Lonsdale, Hastings Co., Ontario. Leo was a labourer when he was drafted at Kingston, Frontenac Co., early in 1918.
We salute our brave men and women who have served our county. R.M. OF CARMICHAEL NO. 109
Box 420 Gull Lake, SK. S0N 1A0
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Orville Studer
RICHARD VALENTINE SELLS - L84568 Lance Corporal (Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders) Richard Valentine (Dick) Sells (b.1922) of Gull Lake was KIA 19450303 during operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Sells had been wounded in Normandy while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. He was the son of Orval and Alma (Johnson) Sells who came from Montana to W3-13-19-W3 southwest of Gull Lake. Richard, whose brother Howard served in the RCAF, attended Bench and Gull Lake schools and was farming with his family when he enlisted at Moose Jaw early in 1942. His brother Edwin also served overseas with the Army while brother Howard was with the RCAF in England.
Orville V. Studer was born November 28, 1921 at home to John and Madeline Studer. He was delivered into the arms of his Grandma Dean, who was the local midwife. He grew up in the Klintonel School District north of Eastend, Saskatchewan where he also attended school … the school that the love of his life would later come to teach at. Mary Flannery (that new school teacher), boarded at Orville’s sister’s place. Orville soon became a frequent visitor and was now more interested in this new School Marm than visiting his sister Delores. Th is love story was interrupted by WWII. Orville was called up for the liberation of Europe. He saw active service with the VIIIth RECCE in Belgium, Holland and Germany from October, 1944 until VE Day, 1945. Orville was then posted to Germany, as part of the occupation army, for one year. The love story resumed when he came home; Orville and Mary were married on December 20, 1946 in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.
CHRISTIAN OLSEN - 781760 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Christian Olsen (b.1881) of Gull Lake died 19180820 of abdominal wounds sustained ten days earlier during the battle of Amiens and is buried at Villers-Bretonneux military cemetery east of Amiens, Somme, France. He was the son of Hans Olsen and Karin Marie Nielsen of Hojelse, Sjaelland, Denmark. Christian was a farmer and mechanic when he enlisted at Moose Jaw early in 1916. RICHARD GORDON SWEETING - L58711 Lance Corporal (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) (Richard) Gordon Sweeting (b.1918) of Gull Lake died 19450913 and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Sweeting and his Dutch girlfriend were returning from a dance at Hilversum when they were run down in the street by a jeep (the court of inquiry ruled it accidental). He was the son of Richard Herbert and Inez Zora (Wolf) Sweeting. Richard Sr. came from the Bahamas to homestead W25-8-25-W3 in the Murraydale district in 1912, surely the only Saskatchewan homesteader to have previously managed a pineapple plantation. Inez came from Indiana and they went into business at Gull Lake just two years later. Gordon was a ticket taker at the Lyceum Theatre when he enlisted at Regina in 1941. His brother Lysle served in the Navy. CLAYTON WHITE R77630 Sergeant (No. 419 Moose Squadron RCAF fl ight engineer) (Captain) Clayton White (b.1912) of Gull Lake was KIA 19440613 and is buried at Meharicourt communal cemetery east of Amiens, Somme, France. White’s Lancaster was shot down at Courcellesau-Bois during a raid on the marshalling yards at Cambrai, Nord, his fi fth mission. He was the son of William and Annie (Germyn) White who came from Bobcaygeon, Victoria Co., Ontario, to homestead SW2012-17-W3 south of Antelope in 1906. Clayton was farming out when he enlisted at Calgary, Alberta, late in 1940.
SYRIAN IMMIGRANT FOUGHT FOR A BETTER LIFE David Salloum (middle) poses with his family in the 1950’s. Syria-born Salloum went to war to fight against the Ottoman Empire, and ended up assimilating to Canadian culture a great deal. BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
D
avid Salloum was a World War One veteran, posted to the 128th battalion. A Syrian immigrant, he went to war to push back against the Ottoman Empire that oppressed his family back in the old country, and found himself assimilating to Canadian culture in the process. This month in Maple Creek, his grandson Dr. Jim Warren will be recounting the veteran’s trials and tribulations in the latest Great War Project presentation done by the Southwest Saskatchewan Oldtimers’ Museum & Archive. Dr. Warren, a lecturer with the University of Regina, says his grandfather was born in the part of Syria that has become Lebanon, and came to Canada with his brother and five cousins in 1912. They would soon homestead around Vanguard, Hazenmore and Ponteix. “They were homesteading when the war broke out, and my grandfather was recruited out of Moose Jaw. He had a wife and three kids back in Syria, and he was concerned about their welfare.” The Ottoman Empire was divided by religious strife, an area containing many different belief systems within it. The Ottomans were more tolerant toward some over others. “The Ottomans officially tol-
erated Christians, but they paid higher taxes and paid income tax the Muslims didn’t pay. There were rules in place, like Christian families couldn’t have more than one son, they couldn’t ride horses or carry guns. Not that many of these were followed though.” The French had taken Christians under their wing since the Crusades and the Ottomans didn’t want to step on that. “My grandfather was a farmer and stonemason, but there wasn’t enough farmland to go around. They set off for the new world, first going to Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, and then finally Canada.” Some died and scattered off during the trip, but those who stayed along ended up in Saskatchewan just in time for the war. “It broke out, and word slipped to us that the Christians in our area were getting it tough. By the end of the war, 100,000 Christians had died from starvation because Turks took their crops. My grandfather and cousin -- who was from Eastend -- ostensibly joined the war to fight the Turks.” But Salloum would end up in France in 1916, and he would be pulled out in 1917 as his lungs were too damaged to go forward. “He had lung trouble from gas attacks. He came home, and when the war finished he brought his family to Canada. There was land available for veterans, so he did okay by the war. They had three more kids here,
and once the farm developed they sold it and went into groceries.” They had a store in Vanguard that burned down in the early 1930’s. They had nothing, and ended up in Regina, where Salloum worked as a janitor for veteran affairs until he retired. “Canada treated him good. One thing he liked was he could sleep at night without worrying a neighbouring faction would come kill him. He believed in assimilation, but remembered the important things about where he came from,” said Warren. “When World War II broke out, his four sons all served. It was about strategic assimilation. You keep aspects of your culture but do all you can to be part of your new community.” He says history is just repeating itself in Syria right now. “Look at it. It’s a mess. From all my grandfather told me, he came here to get the hell away from it. Religion was part of the problem, as was control of resources,” he said. “My grandfather fought for a better life for his family, and he achieved that for sure.” The presentation, Fighting for the King Against the Sultan: Syrian Strategic Assimilation Through War, will be on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the C.M. Glascock Building. Admission is by donation and refreshments are provided.
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a letter to home
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| YOUR SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Casualities Of War
Hazlet
The Dieppe raid was a “Grand Battle and the boys stood up to it marvelously.” Lieutenant Ross McIlveen writes in a letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. McIlveen of Gull Lake. We have the privilege of publishing part of his letter which will be of interest to a large number of our readers, bringing the story as he saw it.
South Saskatchewan Regt. Canadian Army Overseas Dear Mother and Dad, Well I feel a lot better now than when I wrote my first letter after sending you a cable. I still feel a bit tired. It really was a tough job and took a lot of hard work. But we really did a good job all the way around. You will likely have the complete story by the time you get this letter. You will likely see my picture in the paper too. It has been taken enough times in the last few days. Well anyway here is part of the story as it happened to me. It was really a grand battle and the boys stood up to it marvelously. They have all the courage and determination in the world. We licked Jery, and did it on his own ground we used his tactics and made better use of them than he did. He outnumbered us two or three to one and we still made him say “Uncle”. I never saw a more cool and collected bunch as our Canadian lads. When they first came under fire they just cussed a little bit and fired right back. Just a few seconds after we had landed a bullet bounced off the steel hat of one of my boys. He just said “Damn his bloody hide” didn’t bother to aim and shot the Jerry right thru’ the eye. It was our first kill and the lads didn’t stop from then on. It was just as if they were out in the field back here at camp doing a little battle drill training. Actually Jerry was pretty yellow. As long as he was under cover and we couldn’t find him to shoot him, he was brave and fought very well and we had a little fun, but just as soon as we found him and started putting some shots in his direction he quit and stood up with his hands up and shouted “Kamerad”. We took a lot of prisoners. Actually the real purpose of the raid was for information about the enemy and to get prisoners. You can be plenty proud of the Canadian soldiers. You and all the rest of the Canadians over there can be proud of the men you sent over to fight for you. They are the tops and there are none better anywhere. You have the story in the papers - well there is a bigger story behind that, that will never be told. It is the story of the individual man and officer. I can tell you that it really was and is a wonderful story. We really had it tough at times. There were times when I thought that none of us would
leave but the courage and determination of the men was amazing and they won their way through. The discipline was perfect, every order obeyed to the letter. Most of the time orders were not necessary, the men knew their jobs and did it and did it darn well. One of the platoons in my company contacted an enemy machine gun post. They shot it up and made the enemy take to cover underground. Then our men moved right into the centre of the area and Jerry tried to snipe them off one by one. Heck, Jerry didn’t have a chance at that kind of fighting. Our boys have spent too many years on the prairies shooting gophers through the eye. We cleaned most of them out in a hurry and what were left thought that the best idea was to throw out their rifles and come out with their hands up. We shot about twenty Jerries there and didn’t lose any of our boys. I found a German mortar and some bombs. It didn’t take me long to figure out how to work it and I tried to blast out four snipers who were bothering us. I blasted the devil right out of their area and we received no more shots so I assumed that I had wiped them out too. When I finished with the mortar I threw it over the cliff into the sea. No sense leaving it for them to use again. After that we found a couple of Jerry machine guns and a lot of ammunition. We fired off the ammo at Jerries and then threw the guns in the sea. They were too heavy to carry around. We used a lot of Jerry weapons. When I left France I had to swim half a mile out to the boats. We all did as the tide wasn’t high enough for them to come in any farther. I was plenty wet. I came home in a destroyer and I froze all the way home in my wet clothes. I spent twelve hours on that boat. Boy, I was never so glad to see the white cliffs of England in all my life. We finally landed on shore about 1:30 in the morning and they whisked us off to a reception camp. There they took our names and then gave us a cup of hot raw rum. Boy I really warmed up in a hurry then. After that I had a cup of tea and some biscuits and felt much better. I got half an hour sleep and they sent us back to camp. There I got about five hours sleep and then worked for about another ten hours before I got to bed again.
We will remember.
We will remember.
LANSDALL PHARMACY 306-662-2755
117 Jasper St. MAPLE CREEK, SASK
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WILLIAM BAIN 252659 Private (49th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) William Bain (b.1889) of Hazlet was KIA 19170825 at Hill 70 and is buried at Fosse No. 10 communal cemetery extension, Sains-en-Gohelle north of Arras, Pas-deCalais, France. He was the son of Robert Bain of Fortrose, Highland, Scotland. William and his wife Ann (Munro) homesteaded NW22-1618-W3 south of Fosterton. He was working as a carpenter at Swift Current when he enlisted there early in 1916. FREDERICK CLYDE CLARE - 73769 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Frederick Clyde Clare of Hazlet died 19150219 of disease and is buried at Brookside cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was the son of Joseph Sharpe and Ellen Clare of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Frederick homesteaded SE6-17-18-W3 east of Hazlet and enlisted at Regina on the outbreak of the war.
PATRICK W. DUNNE - 73537 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Patrick W. Dunne (b.1892) of Hazlet was KIA 19151008 in the Ypres salient and is buried at Kemmel Chateau military cemetery south of Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of Jane Dunne of Wilkinstown, Meath, Ireland. Patrick homesteaded NE3-1720-W3 west of Hazlet before enlisting at Saskatoon on the outbreak of the war.
DANIEL FRANCIS GIENOW - 925497 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Daniel Francis Gienow (b.1895) of Balgonie was KIA 19170409 at Vimy Ridge and is buried at Nine Elms military cemetery, Thelus north of Arras, Pasde-Calais, France. He was the son of Daniel and Anna (Borkr) Gienow who came to Balgonie from Killaloe, Renfrew Co., Ontario, in 1911 to operate a dairy. Daniel Jr. was working on a farm in the Hazlet area when he enlisted at Estevan early in 1916.
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FREDERICK MONSON - 1009573 Private (46th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Frederick (Fred) Monson (b.1887) of Hazlet was KIA 19180116 and is buried at Sucrérie cemetery, Ablain-Saint-Nazaire north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of Sam Monson of Milnor, Sargent Co., North Dakota. Fred homesteaded SW2116-20-W3 southwest of Hazlet before enlisting at Gull Lake early in 1916. WILLIAM NORMAN PARTRIDGE – R114771 Flight Sergeant (No. 166 Squadron RAF wireless air gunner) William Norman (Billie) Partridge (b.1920) of Hazlet was KIA 19430514 and is buried at Staveren general cemetery, Friesland, Netherlands. Partridge’s Wellington went down in the sea off the Dutch coast. He was the only son of William and Winnifred (Daw) Partridge who came from England to homestead NE25-16-21-W3 west of Hazlet. Billie was born in the Bestville district, educated at Boyer Lake school and was farming with his family when he enlisted at Regina in 1941. He married Marjorie Joan (Jacques) at Roseray late the following year. DONALD LAWRENCE ROBERTSON - R102097 Flight Sergeant (No. 156 Pathfinder Squadron RAF air gunner) Donald Lawrence Robertson (b.1913) of Hazlet was KIA 19430403 and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial near London, England, for airmen who died with no known grave. Robertson’s Lancaster went down near Heligoland. He was the son of Donald Kerr and Myrtle Mildred (Scott) Robertson who came from Kincardine, Bruce Co., Ontario, to homestead NE6-15-29-W1 southeast of Welwyn. The family moved to Hazlet in 1931 where Donald Sr. bought grain for United Grain Growers. Donald Jr. was born at McAuley, Manitoba, educated at Welwyn, and was working as an Ogilvie grain buyer when he enlisted at Regina in 1941. His brothers Orland, Leonard and Ronald all served in the Army. Interestingly, Donald Jr.’s identity disc was found in 1991 after a Dutch mussel fisherman dredged up part of the wreck of his plane 15 km off Texel Island. SAMUEL ROBINSON - 252809 Private (102nd Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment) Samuel Robinson (b.1886) of Hazlet was KIA 19181001 north of Cambrai and is buried at Ramillies British cemetery northeast of Cambrai, Nord, France. He was the son of Thomas and Betty Wolstencroft of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Samuel homesteaded SW13-1619-W3 southeast of Hazlet before enlisting at Swift Current in 1916. Note that while he was born Samuel Wolstencroft he served as Samuel Robinson.
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Casualities Of War
Leader WILLIAM BAIN L64955 Signalman (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) Oscar (Grassy) Albrecht (b.1919) of Leader was KIA 19440717 near Caen and is buried at Brettevillesur-Laize Canadian war cemetery, Calvados, France. Because he was a conscientious objector, Albrecht opted to become a signaller and was struck by mortar shrapnel while stringing communications wires from a telephone pole. He was the son of Wilhelm and Christina Albrecht who came from Romania and retired to Medicine Hat, Alberta, during the war. Grassy was working the family farm at NW5-22-26-W3 just southwest of Leader when he enlisted at Regina early in 1942.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. He was the son of Christ Ludwig and Emilie Hofer who homesteaded NE36-2127-W3 southwest of Leader. Richard was farming with his family when he enlisted in the 16/22 Saskatchewan Horse at Camp Dundurn in 1940. RUSSELL REINHOLD KASPER - L36378 Corporal (Canadian Army Corps of Military Staff Clerks) Russell Reinhold Kasper (b.1919) of Leader was KIA 19440831 during the push to clear the Channel ports and is buried at Sainte-Marie cemetery near Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. He was the son of William and Adeline (Wenzel) Kasper, William came from Ukraine to homestead SW20-22-25-W3 east of Leader in 1912. Russell was an apprentice mechanic when he enlisted at Camp Dundurn in 1940. His brother Walter served in the RCAF.
Dick Wells at the time of his enlistment in 1956. He worked in naval intelligence for most of his career working against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Pte. Al Countryman joined the army in the fall of 1941. He took basic training in Regina and advanced training in Red Deer.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
JOHN GEORGE BICKLER - L102394 Private (South Saskatchewan Regiment) John George (Pokey) Bickler (b.1922) of Leader was KIA 19440718 at Marcelet and is buried at Brettevillesur-Laize Canadian war cemetery, Calvados, France. He was the son of Carl and Phyllis (Turnbach) Bichler who came from North Dakota to the Liebenthal district, where John was born, moving to Leader in 1934. John was farming when he enlisted at Regina in 1942.
Sgt. Errol Rushford Injured In Plane Accident Overseas PAUL HUBERT MEIER - Lieutenant (Black Watch) Paul Hubert Meier (b.1920) of Leader was KIA 19450226 during operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Meier spent 1940-41 in the 16/22 Saskatchewan Horse (L36398) and 1941-42 in the RCAF (R122869), where he failed his aircrew tests and returned to the Army at Toronto, Ontario. He was the son of Reinhold William and Elsie A. Meier who homesteaded NW921-26-W3 south of Leader and later moved to Prince Albert. Paul was a student when he first enlisted at Camp Dundurn in 1940.
Only One of Crew To Survive, Remainder Burned To Death Information has been received by his wife and other in a letter from Sgt. Errol Rushford, air gunner of the R.C.A.F. stationed somewhere in England, that as a result of an accident he is confined to hospital suffering from three broken ribs, a collapsed lung and other minor injuries.
RICHARD HAROLD HOFER - L36397 Trooper (Calgary Regiment) Richard Harold Hofer (b.1920) of Leader was KIA 19450416 at Groningen during the liberation of the Netherlands and is buried
CLARENCE GERHARD WENZEL - J85020 Pilot Officer (No. 281 Squadron RAF wireless air gunner) Clarence Gerhart (Shorty) Wenzel (b.1920) of Leader was KIA 19440426 and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial near London, England, for airmen from the north European theatre who died with no known grave. Wenzel’s Warwick was participating in an air/ sea search when a wingtip snagged a wave and went down in the Irish Sea off the north coast of Wales. He was the son of August and Pauline (Reinhardt) Wenzel. August came from Ukraine to homestead NW21-2026-W3 north of Liebenthal in 1908. Shorty worked as a clerk for Safeway at Regina for two years but was farming with his family when he enlisted at Regina in 1941.
Sgt. Errol Rushford
Sgt. Ian Maclennan Receives The D.f.m. Gull Lake Boy Commissioned As A Pilot Officer
I
Sgt. Ian Maclennan
BARRY COCKS L154307 Private (Royal Regiment of Canada) Barry Cocks (b.1922) of Leader was KIA 19440718 near Caen and is buried at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian war cemetery, Calvados, France. His father David Cocks originally came from London, Middlesex Co., Ontario, his mother Esther (Reucher) (who died when he was a child) was born in Kansas, and they farmed southwest of town. Barry was working in his father’s dray business when he was called up for NRMA training at Regina late in 1942, he went active at Camp Vernon in 1944.
The injuries were sustained on September 15th, and information was received by Mrs. Rushford from Ottawa. Details of the accident are meagre but according to the letter Errol had to jump to save his life and the remainder of the crew were burned to death.
nformation was received Saturday by Superintendent and Mrs. J. Maclennan in a cablegram from their son, Sgt. Pilot Ian Maclennan, now stationed at Malta, to the effect that he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal and that he had been commissioned as a Pilot Officer. This makes the second Gull Lake Pilot to receive the flying decoration, Sgt. Fred Moritz having been awarded the D.F.M. some time ago. Pilot Officer Maclennan joined the
R.C.A.F. in May of 1940 and went overseas in July 1941. While finishing his training in England he was admitted to hospital where he remained for three months prior to starting flight operations in December of last year. No details have yet been received, but Pilot Officer Maclennan is to be congratulated upon bringing this honor not only to himself but to the town and district of Gull Lake.
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Rocky Riggs & Sally Menda
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Casualities Of War
Shaunavon Shaunavon, farmed until he enlisted at Esquimalt in 1937, and survived the sinking of HMCS Fraser. His brother George and half-brothers Jerome and Richard Flynn plus halfsister Florence also served in the Navy.
ALEXANDER WILLIAM AITCHISON - Lieutenant (13th Battalion, Québec Regiment) Alexander William Aitchison MC (b.1893) of Shaunavon died 19160513 of wounds sustained near SaintÉloi and is buried at Lijssenthoek military cemetery west of Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of Thomas and Jessie Aitchison of Edinburgh, Scotland. Alexander was born at York, North Yorkshire, England, and was working as a clerk for the Canadian Bank of Commerce when he enlisted as a private (43509) at Camp Valcartier, Québec, on the outbreak of the war. He was commissioned from the ranks overseas. Military Cross citation (April 1916): For conspicuous gallantry in leading forward a party of bombers and rifles through the enemy’s barrage in order to occupy an important point. His gallant act removed a great danger.
We Honour Those Who Served Their Country
PAM BUSBY
Today we honour those who served, and those who are serving, our country.
Mobile: 306.628.7542 pambusby@royallepage.ca www.leaderrealty.ca
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PHILIP ANDREW BENTLEY - L58727 Corporal (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) Philip Andrew Bentley Jr. (b.1921) of Shaunavon died 19450329 during the assault crossing of the Rhine and is buried at Bergen op Zoom Canadian war cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Bentley was sent to Turnhout by motorcycle on a mail run on 27 March and was involved in a fatal collision with a car two days later, but what happened during the interval remains a mystery. His father Philip Andrew Vining Bentley was born at Pilot Mound, Manitoba, served in the Boer War, and came to Shaunavon in 1917 to work for Fennell’s Hardware. His mother Suzanne (Bronner) was a native of Paris, France, and moved to Edmonton during the war. Philip was a truck driver for Macdonald’s Consolidated when he enlisted at Regina in 1941. JOHN GRANT BREBBER - 21501 Leading Stoker (HMCS Margaree) John Grant (Jackie) Brebber (b.1916) of Shaunavon was KIA 19401022 and is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial for servicemen lost or buried at sea. He was the son of John and Martha Brebber of Manyberries, Alberta. After John’s death Martha married John Flynn (d.1929) and moved to the String Butte district south of Gull Lake in 1922. Jackie was born at Lacombe, Alberta, attended school at
HAROLD C. CAMERON - 12975 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Harold C. Cameron (b.1888) of Shaunavon died 19150624 of his wounds and is buried at Le Treport military cemetery northeast of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, France. Cameron received a gunshot wound to the spine. He was the son of Elizabeth J. Cameron of Bearsden, Glasgow, Scotland. Harold was born at Rothesay, Argyll & Bute, and was working as a bank manager when he enlisted at Camp Valcartier, Québec, on the outbreak of the war. EVERITT LINDSAY CAMPBELL - 252746 Private (10th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) Everitt Lindsay Campbell (b.1888) of Shaunavon was KIA 19170815 at Hill 70 and is buried at Loos British cemetery, Loos-en-Gohelle west of Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of Angus N. Campbell of Black Cape, Bonaventure Co., Québec, and left a wife Annie (Jamieson) there (they were married after he enlisted). Everitt homesteaded SE14-8-17-W3 east of Shaunavon before enlisting there early in 1916. WILLIAM JOHN COLLINS - 252759 Private (10th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) William John Collins (b.1893) of Shaunavon was KIA 19170428 at Arleux-en-Gohelle and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was the son of John R. and Sarah A. Collins of Vancouver, British Columbia. William was born at Kincardine, Bruce Co., Ontario, and was working as a bank clerk when he enlisted at Shaunavon early in 1916. HENRY COUGHLER - 258056 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Henry Coughler (b.1885) of Shaunavon died 19181101 of his wounds and is buried at Terlincthun British cemetery, Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of William and Agnes Coughler of Cass Bridge, Dundas Co., Ontario. Henry was farming when he was drafted early in 1918. JOHN LOUIS DOWNEY - 252051 Private (1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps) (John) Louis Downey (b.1893) of Shaunavon was KIA 19180927 at Canal du Nord and is buried at Ontario cemetery, Sains-les-
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Marquion west of Cambrai, Nord, France. He was the son of Henry Downey of Langton, Norfolk Co., Ontario. Louis was a labourer when he enlisted at Shaunavon late in 1915.
RONALD DUNBAR R102159 Warrant Officer 2 (No. 403 Wolf Squadron RCAF Spitfire pilot) Ronald Dunbar (b.1923) of Shaunavon was KIA 19430313 while on a cross channel escort mission and is buried at Blargies communal cemetery extension, Oise, France. He was the son of Alex, who worked for Barr Lumber and sold insurance, and Janet Amanda (Dean) Dunbar who came from Scotland (they later moved to Mission, British Columbia). Ronald enlisted at Regina in 1941 straight out of high school. His brothers Robert and George also served in the RCAF. PHILIP FAIRSERVICE - 252064 Private (49th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) Philip Fairservice (b.1892) of Shaunavon was KIA 19171030 at Passchendaele and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, which bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. He was the son of John Fairservice of Black Cape, MRC de Bonaventure, Québec. Philip was farming when he enlisted at Shaunavon early in 1916. LLOYD RICHARD FENNELL - J28251 Flying Officer (No. 207 Squadron RAF bomb aimer) Lloyd Richard Fennell (b.1924) of Shaunavon was KIA 19440719 and is buried at Margny communal cemetery, Marne, France. Fennell’s Lancaster was shot down over Revigny. He was the only child of Joshua R. and Ethel Mae Fennell who came from Ontario to homestead NE17-9-18-W3 west of Instow in 1913, and subsequently went into the hardware business at Shaunavon. Lloyd enlisted straight out of high school. MALCOLM GALBRAITH - 872064 Private (44th Battalion, New Brunswick Regiment) Malcolm Galbraith (b.1897) of Shaunavon was KIA 19170603 and is buried at La Chaudière military cemetery, Vimy, Pas-de-Calais. France. He was the son of William Galbraith of Brigham, MRC de Brome-Missisquoi, Québec. Malcolm was born at Campbeltown, Argyle & Bute, Scotland, and was farming when he enlisted at Shaunavon early in 1916. STANLEY GEORGE HALL - J39298 Pilot Officer (No. 427 Lion
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Squadron RCAF navigator) Stanley George Hall (b.1922) of Shaunavon was KIA 19441125 and is buried at St. John the Baptist churchyard, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England, near his birthplace. Hall’s Halifax crashed in the sea near Kingston, Moray, Scotland, on return from a mine laying operation. He was the son of Norman Ambrose and Eleanor Kathleen (Askew) Hall who came from Buckhurst Hill to Ponteix and on to Shaunavon in 1935 where Norman operated a machine shop. Stanley worked at the Bank of Commerce at Shaunavon, Radville, Lacadena and Saskatoon before enlisting at Regina in 1942. Both of his brothers Roy and Keith also served in the RCAF.
BERTRAM ELLIOTT HERRICK - L65250 Private (Loyal Edmonton Regiment) Bertrum Elliott Herrick (b.1920) of Shaunavon was KIA 19450123 and is buried at Ravenna war cemetery, Piangipane, Italy. He was the son of Harason and Helen Herrick who homesteaded NE33-919-W3 in the Leitchville district northwest of Shaunavon. Bertrum was farming when he enlisted at Regina early in 1942. His brothers Edwin and Maurice also served in the Army and their sister Mildred was with the RCAF. ERNEST JAMES KEEFE - J14117 Flying Officer (No. 404 Buffalo Squadron RCAF pilot) Ernest James (Ernie) Keefe DFC (b.1923) of Shaunavon was KIA 19440628 and buried at Brookwood military cemetery near London, England. Keefe’s Beaufighter crashed on the Pipers Pool road, Cornwall, on returning from a patrol over Lorient, France. He was the son of Henry Joseph and Laura Mary Keefe. Harry came from South Dakota to work for the town of Shaunavon in 1913. Ernie was born at Weyburn, took his elementary school at Shaunavon and high school at Griffin, and worked briefly as a truck driver at Shaunavon and a mechanic at Estevan before enlisting in the Army at Weyburn in January 1941. He transferred to the RCAF eight months later at Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ernie married Ruthann (Harder) at Wainwright, Alberta, in 1942, she and their son Richard James later lived at Vancouver, British Columbia. Ernie’s brother Harold was also in the RCAF, brother Arthur was with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. FRANK ERNEST MACHEN - 829820 Private (52nd Battalion, Manitoba Regiment) Frank Ernest Machen (b.1886) of
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
Oscar Erickson’s legacy uncovered by family BY J O R DA N PA R K E R
editor@gulllakeadvance.com
H
istory can be a difficult beast to tackle, and meticulous attention to detail is of the utmost importance if you’re going to tell a piece accurately. So when the Gull Lake Advance searched exhaustively for an Oscar Brickson, one of seven people honoured at the Nadeauville Monument 18 miles north of Tompkins, we couldn’t find information on him. We sadly ended up having to leave him out of our write-up two years ago. But now, Oscar’s family has come forward and an unfortunate name mix-up has been clarified. Mr. Erickson (not Brickson) is the great uncle to Sandra Moe, a Climax resident who remembers stories of her relative fondly. “We’re going by what we remember and the things I found. When my parents died, I began to find all these things related to him and his service,” she said. “He was my grandpa’s brother, and he was 21 when he died fighting in Passchendaele. My dad talked about him being killed, and they never knew if he was reburied. His remains are on the hills there.” Contained in documents submitted to The Advance is a death certificate for Private Carl “Oscar” Erickson, killed in action. He died Nov. 6 in 1917. A letter addressed to his sister was written after his death by R. V. Blackburn Capt. B. Coy. “We were victorious, but of course many had to pay the supreme sacrifice. Your brother’s
remains are resting on the slope from Passchendaele, Belgium, an may his example linger with us for time to come and be an example to the boys here and those in Canada,” it read. Moe was always shown the Nadeauville monument and taught to be proud of her family, so she was happy to give The Advance the pieces we were missing in order to publish his legacy. “My Mom passed away and it was all in a box. I started digging and didn’t have any information to go on. I found a letter sent to him from his sisters. His Dad had died on October 31st, but he would die at Passchendaele and never receive it. It was returned back.” Moe wanted to figure out her family tree, and she found it to be difficult because the original family name was Ericsson, and her grandfather was the one who switched it. “He always said there were too many spelling it with two C’s, so he put a K. Even the wedding certificate for his sister had two C’s,” she said. “But I got looking and I really began to find out things about him. I figured the name on the plaque was Erickson, and not Brickson. My cousins are in Tompkins and there’s a whole family of great nieces and nephews who won’t him to be remembered.” She holds onto a service medal of his from the war tightly. “It’s vey important to me. Knowing he served and putting his legacy out there is so big. Having these keepsakes really is amazing, and now everyone else knows about him too.”
Gull Lake Legion #119
We honour those who have sacrificed so much for us.
Branches in Maple Creek l Consul l Tompkins l Richmound l Fox Valley l Mendham l Burstall
Remembrance Day Service will be held in the
Gull Lake Community Hall Wednesday, November 11. Please be seated by 10:40 a.m.
Lunch will be served following the laying of the wreaths which will take place at the hall.
l
We honour those who served, and continue to serve, our country.
Town of Eastend 306-295-3322
eastend@sasktel.net
Gull Lake Royal Canadian Legion Branch #119
MacBean Tessem Barristers & Solicitors 151-1st Ave N.E , Box 550 Swift Current, SK S9H 2B1 Email: macbeantessem@macbeantessem.com
RM of White Valley #49 306-295-3553
rm49@sasktel.net
Offices at 108 Maple Ave N. Eastend, Sask
G. Foster Tessem Q.C. Gull Lake Office
2382 Proton Ave Phone: 306.672.4404 Office Hours: Every Tuesday 9 a.m to 4 p.m.
Phone: 773.9343 Fax: 778.3828
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Merle Undseth
Merle Undseth Family
A War Story With A Happy Ending The night of December 13 or 14 in 1944 on a night patrol that didn’t work, four of us were with the officer. He told us to find our own way out - if he took us out, we all would be killed. On the way out I found a man. He said to leave him and save ourselves, as he was dying - he was badly wounded. I picked him up and told the man with me to take his legs. We got out and when I let him down, he took my hand and thanked me for taking his body out. He then when limp and I thought he had died. Sixty-six years later at a reunion what happened? I found out from Rick Undseth how I carried his father out and we knew each other at reunions. He didn’t die that night and I was at his funeral in Swift Cur-
Dwight Small
rent. In June 2015 his wife passed away in Calgary. They buried her at St. John Lutheran Cemetery south of Pennant. The next day the family of two sons and one daughter, all their children, grand children and great grandchildren stopped to see me. They all hugged me and shook my hand. They all wanted to meet the man that if it hadn’t of been for me, none of them would have been born. This to me was the greatest moment that could ever have happened - so it was a war story with a happy ending and a great honour for me.
Dwight Small Royal Regina Regiment
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Gull lake boy hits the headlines in raid on Nazis S
gt. Fletcher Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Taylor of Gull Lake, and now stationed with the R.C.A.F. in England, hit the headlines of the daily papers last week and was mentioned in the news items over the radio, as taking part in a bomber attack on Wil-
helmshaven, Tuesday night last week, which left large fires burning in German’s chief North Sea naval base and returned without loss to themselves. The dispatch states that: Sgt. F.V. Taylor of Gull Lake, Sask., now captain of a Wellington, had to
fly through a heavy anti aircraft barrage. “It seemed quiet when we got there but then it all came up at once,” Taylor explained. “They put up quite a fence and you can bet we did a lot of shifting.”
Shaunavon died 19170622 of wounds sustained three weeks earlier (complicated by pneumonia) and is buried at Wimereux communal cemetery north of Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of James (deceased) and Mary Ellen Machen who came from Darlington, Durham, England (Mary returned there at the end of the war). Frank was born at Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and was working as a bridgebuilder when he enlisted at Winnipeg, Manitoba, early in 1916.
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clerk when he enlisted at Shaunavon on the outbreak of the war, leaving a wife Eleanor Catherine (Kerr) later of Dauphin, Manitoba. His brother Alfred Vernon also served with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. EARL FREDERICK McLEAN - L92929 Rifleman (Regina Rifles driver mechanic) Earl Frederick McLean (b.1922) of Shaunavon was KIA 19450226 during operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. McLean enlisted first in the Royal Canadian Engineers, transferring to the Johns in 1944. Earl was the only child of Neil McLean and Nellie Monica (Hamilton), who died in childlbirth. Neil operated a dray at Shaunavon and also served as mayor. Earl was working in his father’s business when he enlisted at Regina in 1942.
THOMAS MADDEN - 73139 Private (28th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Thomas Madden (b.1879) of Shaunavon was KIA 19160606 at Sanctuary Wood and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, which bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient in the First World War. Thomas was born at Covington, Kenton Co., Kentucky, and was working as a teamster when he enlisted at Moose Jaw late in 1914. Earlier he homesteaded SE3-8-18-W3 southeast of Shaunavon. JAMES ROY McINTYRE - L12159 Sergeant (South Saskatchewan Regiment) (James) Roy McIntyre (b.1917) of Shaunavon was KIA 19420819 at Dieppe and is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial near London, England, for soldiers in the northern European theatre who died with no known grave. He was the son of Robert A. McIntyre who homesteaded SE5-11-15-W3 in the Stone Farm district in 1909. He married Mabel (McLean) at Pilot Mound, Manitoba, in 1916 and started buying grain. They subsequently lived at Admiral, Plenty, Woodrow, Shaunavon, Calgary, Alberta, and Orangeville, Dufferin Co., Ontario. Roy was born at Admiral and was a postal
FRANK MEYERS 3353035 Private (15th Reserve Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Frank Meyers (b.1897) of Shaunavon died 19181018 and is buried at St. Margaret churchyard, Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, Wales. Meyers succumbed to bronchial pneumonia at Kimmel Park hospital, Rhyl. He was the son of Frank Michael and Antonia Meyers of Jordan, Scott Co., Minnesota. Frank Jr. was working as a mechanic’s helper when he enlisted at Regina four months before his death. GERALD MILLER - 252683 Private (49th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) Gerald Miller (b.1890) of Shaunavon died 19171107 of his wounds and is buried at Abbéville communal cemetery extension northwest of Amiens, Somme, France. He was the son of Frank and Martha J. Miller of Rocklake, Towner Co., North Dakota. Gerald was born at Dumont, Butler Co., Iowa, and homesteaded
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VILLAGE OF TOMPKINS
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Saluting Our Veterans
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SE36-9-19-W3 north of Shaunavon before enlisting there early in 1916. JOHN MURCH 925019 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) John Murch (b.1893) of Shaunavon was KIA 19180726 and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was the son of William H. and S.E. Murch of Salcombe, Devon, England. John homesteaded NE34-8-19-W3 northwest of Shaunavon before enlisting at Weyburn late in 1916. GEORGE HANS OLSEN 13269 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) George Hans Olsen (b.1888) of Shaunavon(?) was KIA 19150524 at Festubert and is buried at Brown’s Road military cemetery, Festubert east of Béthune, Pas-deCalais, France. He was the son of Ole and Kirstine Olsen of Copenhagen, Denmark. George was born at Fakse Ladeplads, Sjaelland, and was a butcher when he enlisted in the 27th Light Horse at Shaunavon on the outbreak of the war. RALPH E. ORR - 13029 Private (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Ralph E. Orr (b.1879) of Shaunavon was KIA 19150522 at Festubert and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was the son of William E.R. Orr of Hamilton, Ontario. Ralph was born at Teeswater, Bruce Co., was active in the 27th Light Horse and was a building contractor when he enlisted at Shaunavon on the outbreak of the war. CHARLES REUBEN RUSSELL - 252912 Private (49th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) Charles Reuben Russell (b.1881) of Shaunavon died
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19181110 of cancer of the neck and is buried at Cliveden war cemetery, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. He was the son of Dr. Charles Wycliffe and Rhoda Louisa Russell of Riley, Vigo Co., Indiana. Charles Jr. homesteaded NW20-9-19-W3 northwest of Shaunavon before enlisting there in 1916.
ALBERT EDWARD ROSCOE - 13678 Lance Corporal (5th Battalion, Saskatchewan Regiment) Albert Edward Roscoe (b.1890) of Shaunavon was KIA 19150524 near Festubert and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, for the 11,000+ Canadian soldiers who perished in northern France with no known grave. He was a friend of Mrs. Caleb Bateman of Stirling, Hastings Co., Ontario, with whom he lived after coming to Canada as a Barnardo boy. Albert was born at Belfast, Ireland, and was a lumberyard clerk when he enlisted in the 27th Light Horse at Shaunavon on the outbreak of the war. Roscoe was originally buried at Festubert but his grave was subsequently obliterated by artillery shells. His name appears on the memorial as Rosco. ROY ANDREW SHARP - 252758 Private (10th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) Roy Andrew Sharp (b.1887) of Shaunavon died 19170702 of wounds sustained during the preparations for Hill 70 and is buried at La Targette British cemetery, NeuvilleSaint-Vaast north of Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of Herbert Randall and Nancy Sharp who came from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Roy and his wife
Stella Amanda homesteaded NE34-9-19-W3 north of Shaunavon before he enlisted there early in 1916.
DAVID ALEXANDER SPEIRS - L105240 Private (South Saskatchewan Regiment) David Alexander Speirs (b.1919) of Shaunavon died 19441009 and is buried at Brookwood military cemetery near London, England. The details in his file are sketchy, but it appears Speirs suffered severe leg wounds at the front 19440720. There are references to him being a POW and to an American field hospital. By the beginning of September he was in 17 Canadian General hospital being treated for a very badly healed leg and died a month after that, the immediate cause being a massive haemorrhage. He was the son of James and Jessie R. (Redpath) Speirs who both came from Ontario, James homesteaded NW13-8-19-W3 just west of Shaunavon in 1910. David was farming with his family when he enlisted at Regina early in 1943. His brother Harvey also served in the Army.
Carl Benjamin Hay
Carl joined the Canadian army January 29, 1942. He was the youngest of Grandma’s seven sons and was determined not to be left behind when his brothers joined the forces. He spent these years as a driver / mechanic in the tank division, mainly in Italy. He never talked much about his years in service … he said “that was then, this is now”. Thank you Dad for the youth you gave up to fight for our freedom. - Linda Kulferst and families
WILLIAM EDMOND TUCKER - 252726 Private (10th Battalion, Alberta Regiment) William Edmond Tucker (b.1898) of Shaunavon died 19171001 of his wounds and is buried at Noeux-les-Mines communal cemetery extension south of Béthune. Pas-de-Calais, France. He was the son of William St. Clair Tucker who came to Lajord from Hastings Co., Ontario. William Jr. was farming when he enlisted at Shaunavon early in 1916.
Wong Gin - Reserve Army (Herbert)
King Gin - Army Cadets (1946)
Always remember ...
• GULL LAKE • HAZENMORE • CABRI • SHAUNAVON Toll free
1.888.672.4112 www.swt.ca
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Casualities Of War
Val Marie
EMILE JOSEPH FRANCIS DUNAND J10667 Flying Officer (No. 49 Squadron RAF wireless air gunner) Emile Joseph Francis Dunand (b.1918) of Val Marie was KIA 19430202 and is buried at Jonkerbos war cemetery near Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Dunand’s Lancaster was shot down near Kessel. Emile was born at Frenchville, educated at Val Marie and was working as a surveyor and an irrrigation worker before enlisting at Regina in 1941. Brother of MJF Dunand.
A copy of the original document Corporal Dayton Toney received declaring that the war was over. Mr. Toney still lives in Gull Lake.
MARCEL JOSEPH FERDINAND DUNAND - L102437 Private (Royal Regiment of Canada) Marcel Joseph Ferdinand Dunand (b.1923) of Val Marie was KIA 19440924 and is buried at Bergen op Zoom Canadian war cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Interestingly, Dunand’s name appears on the honour roll of the South Saskatchewan Regiment but official records place him with the Royal Regiment. Marcel awas born at Ponteix and was a labourer with PFRA when he enlisted at Regina in 1942. Brother of EJF Dunand. They were the sons of Antoine Marie and Marie Louise (Lebel) Dunand. Antoine came from France, Marie from Cantal, and they were general merchants at Val Marie. Emile and Marcel’s brother Roger served in the Army, while another brother Guy was with the United States Army for two years.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Pte. J.R. Dilworth Killed in Action Private Jas R. Dilworth, son of Mrs. A. and the late William Dilworth, formerly of Carmichael and Gull Lake, has been killed in action according to information received from his mother, who now resides in Pincher Creek, Alta. Born at Carmichael on March 20th, 1917, James R. Dilworth received his education at Gull Lake. Going to Pincher Creek, Alberta, he worked there for almost five years before enlisting at Calgary in May 1942. Later he was sanctioned at Nanaimo and Victoria, B.C. then at Dundurn, Sask.,and from there to camp Bordon and Aldershot, going overseas in July 1943. He served in the 31st (Alta) Recce
Lest Wt e Forge
Regiment. While stationed at Dundurn he went into the Canadian Armoured Corps., and after going overseas was transferred to the South Alberta Regiment and then to the Rocky Mountain Rangers. On August 30th, he went to France and was posted to the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg, in which he was serving at the time he was killed. His last letter home was dated September 11th from Belgium. Private Dilworth is survived by his mother and two sisters, Emily and Gladys all of Pincher Xreek, another sister Mrs. Lee (May) of Lethbridge and one brother Clifton, who at the present time is thought to be in Belgium.
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