TMSS drama students play it up

Grades 6 to 9 drama students at TMSS came up with a class act for their end-of-year production, “Inside a Middle Years Play Festival.” Under the guidance of TMSS teachers Linda Aspen-Baxter and Leslie Fenton-Irving, the students adapted a play, rewriting about one third of it to make it more suitable to their needs.

“Inside a Middle Years Play Festival” was the perfect choice for these young students to explore acting because it dealt with subjects they are familiar with – school, friends, teachers – yet allowed them to diverge from them by creating new characters for the story.

"The Preppies" discuss the play they are rehearsing

The premise centred around three high school drama groups, all as different as chalk and cheese, which enter into the same drama festival. Of course the “play within a play” is a popular dramatic device that allows meta-layers of characters and storylines, and in this case provided just the right vehicle for the students to do that.

And just like the Middle Years (MY) Drama Club worked with Aspen-Baxter and Fenton-Irving in preparing the play, each group in the play worked with a “teacher” to prepare their play for the competition. These roles gave the three students who played the teachers (Chandra Wassill as Mrs. Hockenschmoss, Janelle Mayerle as Mrs. Mellencamp, and Danielle Norris-Pott as Mrs. Grubowski) a chance to mimic stereotypes in order to make their characters plausible and humorous. Although each one was successful in her attempt, Janelle Mayerle’s role as the flaky, artsy teacher can be singled out as the funniest.

"The Artsies" get instructions from their flamboyant teacher

The set was surprisingly simple, yet met the needs of the script to a tee. The stage was divided into three parts that used the same idea structurally, but in different styles to represent the three groups. Each section had a set of black cubes that served as seats or props, and a column or partial wall painted to illustrate the style of the group (preppy, artsy, and metalhead), with the traditional theatre masks painted on them.

As the climax builds, and the moment of the competition arrives, each group goes through their play in accelerated motion. This approach was funny enough in itself, but when the “Artsy” group performs a fast-speed version of “Kabuki Lear,” drama becomes comedy as all the characters are either killed off or kill themselves, and the stage floor is strewn with bodies within the space of scarcely a minute.

The play ends in disappointment for each of the three groups, as none of them are the chosen winners in the play festival, a humbling moment for each group that was sure theirs was going to win.

It’s a bit like a moral in a fable, and what the narrator (Laney Yarycky) says at the end sums it up nicely, “And that’s it. We show up, we do our play, and we hope we don’t get crushed. And if we do — well — at least we learned and shared…”

Local artists delight visitors at exhibit opening

The Doghide Gallery was the place to be on the evening of Friday, May 9, for those who follow Tisdale’s Visual Arts Group.

Marion Ritter, who owns and runs the gallery with her husband Peter, said a few words of welcome to the many visitors that had turned out in support of the event.

“They have done it again,” she exclaimed. “Every time they surprise me with the quality of the work they present. It just gets better and better every year.”

The week-long exhibit is an annual event that the gallery hosts, and the friends, families, artists and just curious onlookers enjoy attending. With so many items on display – as each artist usually submits several pieces of work – there is plenty to look at and admire. But the best part about the opening is that the artists are present, and you can go up and speak to them if you see something that you like or are curious about the technique of a painting or other piece of work, or perhaps the where and why of how it was done.

Although some of the artists have chosen not to part with their artwork (these pieces are marked NFS, not for sale), potential buyers will find many that do have a price tag, and among the variety on exhibit there is something for everyone’s tastes.

The Visual Arts Group’s exhibit runs until May 16.

Ukrainian Catholic Church celebrates 100 years

St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church at Gronlid

On Sunday, May 18, St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church near Gronlid celebrated its 100th anniversary. The tiny white church with the shiny silver dome was bursting at the seams for the first time in years, as people gathered to celebrate the life of the parish that has served its Ukrainian community since 1914.

Rev. Fr. Patrick Powlinsky shared the honour of being the celebrant for the Divine Liturgy with the Very Rev. Fr. Taras Udod of Saskatoon. For Udod, it was a return to the place where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1991. It is also the parish of his wife Sonia, and her family who come from Gronlid.

These days, says parish member Darlene Romaniuk, the congregation is normally about 20-strong, so to have over 100 family members and relatives coming from Alberta, Manitoba, B.C., and around the province especially to join them for the occasion made it an extra-special day.

The celebration included a blessing of the graves after the liturgy by both Powlinsky and Udod, lunch in the hall provided by St. Mary's parish members, speeches and some traditional Ukrainian dancing by members of the Nipawin Veselii Dancers.

A solemn moment during the liturgy

The theme that played a central role throughout the day was the link between today's parish and its forefathers. Udod stressed this in his sermon when he said, "Today, communicating with someone across the world is not how it was 100 years ago," and he used the example of technology and cell phones to illustrate how easy it is for us today to relocate, compared with the many hardships our ancestors lived through when they decided to emigrate from their homeland.

"We have the opportunity to celebrate thanks to God today because this was handed down to us from our parents, which was handed down from their parents," he said.

As well, Fr. Powlinsky wrote similar words in the church's leaflet, but also said:

"We are celebrating our centennial on the same ground as our forefathers 100 years ago. Through their generosity and sacrifice, we have this beautiful church building."

One wish that both Fathers Powlinsky and Udod had for the church was that generations to come would continue to find spiritual guidance there.

Potash mine credits teamwork for No. 1 safety record

For most people in Saskatchewan, a normal day’s work takes place above ground. We pound the pavement, drive the roads, plough the fields, reap and sow the earth’s surface at our jobs.
But for some people, a normal day’s work is going underground – to work in a mine.
The Saskatchewan Mining Association’s statistics say 30,500 people are employed in the province’s mines. Among those, only some execute their tasks underground.
But each and every one of them wants to go home at the end of their shift. That’s why safety awareness at the site is so important.
Mining Week in Saskatchewan is coming up, and to prepare, the Journal went underground at PotashCorp’s mine near Lanigan. Geologist Marion Gagnon, one of the few women whose work frequently takes her underground, was the designated tour guide.

The author holding a piece of potash
at Lanigan's PotashCorp mine, 2012

Descending 1,000 metres underground in the “cage” (the mine’s elevator) to the potash underworld proved to be nothing like the underworld of Hades as represented by the ancient Greeks. The temperature is warm, but it’s no brimstone and fire. There is no boatman waiting to ferry you across a river – just a maze of tunnelled roads that allows the workers to navigate between the different levels and into the areas where the potash is being mined. 

Jeeps, not boats, are the favoured form of transport for the workers, and before they even set out in one, each employee must check to verify the vehicle has all the necessary tools on board and that it is in running order.
Once the routine inspection is done, Gagnon hops behind the wheel, buckles up, and confidently manoeuvres the jeep along the sprawling dark corridors, with only a single beam of light for guidance. At times, we travel a distance without seeing any sign of life, at other times we see workers at their stations, or pass other vehicles with employees heading to a worksite. The corridors widen and narrow, affording places to store spare equipment or space for a work project to be carried out.

And every so often we pass safety stations, or refuges, tucked away to one side. 
These are places, Gagnon explains, where the workers can come if there is a problem underground. In a recess, a large, garage-type door provides access to an area large enough to provide refuge for a half dozen men. Behind the door are cots, first aid supplies, and enough air to keep them alive until help comes.
When questioned, Gagnon emphasized the importance that safety plays for all employees, and how it has been integrated as a number one priority at the site.
“We all have families, and everyone wants to go home every day,” Gagnon said. “We take care of one another, we all hang out together. You just have to make sure you’re keeping up with the safety requirements in all areas, and by doing that, we have been able to secure a safe work haven for everybody.”
Safety is one of the things Rob Bubnick, general manager of the Lanigan mine, is proud to talk about as well.

“We had a phenomenal year in 2011 in the area of safe production,” Bubnick told the Journal after the tour. “We use the term safe production here, meaning that we don’t do production at this site unless it’s safe.” 
According to Bubnick, the mine made over three million metric tons of finished product, making it a year for record high production as well as a record low number of injuries. A news item posted on PotashCorp’s website recognizes the mine at Lanigan for achieving a safety milestone in January 2012: one million hours without a lost time accident. 
“We’re heading in such a good direction here at our operation,” Bubnick added. “I’m just very thankful to all our employees. It definitely takes teamwork to accomplish such great things. I think the culture on our site is continuing to improve and we’re all working together and becoming a stronger team because of it.”
Mining Week in Saskatchewan (May 20-26) is an annual event that seeks to promote awareness of and about the industry, offering events, lectures and workshops in various locations around the province. For more information about Mining Week, go to www.saskmining.ca.

Archery skills more than bow and arrow

You might think that the Tisdale Wildlife Federation Club (TWF) is all about the great outdoors, and in many respects it is, but some activities take place indoors.

On the lower level of the RECplex, the TWF has a club room which is used for different purposes, one of which is archery. There are a couple of prerequisites for someone to be able to use the space for target practice, says club spokesman Bill Carbno, and that is they must be members of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and they must have a Shooting Club membership.

“It’s mostly the younger people who are learning archery,” Carbno says. “There are older club members that will come in and shoot prior to hunting seasons, to sharpen up their skills.”

In fact, young people have an opportunity to learn the basics of archery at school, through the National Archery in the Schools Program.

“Some of them started in that [program] and enjoyed it, so they just keep going,” he said. “We’re hoping that they can continue that. They are supposed to have a couple of sets of teachers that are doing it but I think just the younger kids are going this year so far.”

For the uninitiated, archery may seem more like a hobby than a sport. However, the benefits of learning that sport are manifold. Archers require not only some physical strength, but also mental fitness, and archers develop their focus, flexibility, and attention skills.

And they say archery can make your child a better student, as it teaches youngsters the benefits of patience, and other valuable life skills like sharing, cooperation, communication, perseverance, and concentration.

The club holds practice sessions on Wednesday nights through the winter months. Not to worry if you don’t have the equipment, an out-of-town member can shoot with the club bows.

There is also an outdoor range for summer time practice located behind Bruce Shapansky’s Auctioneers, Carbno says, and as long as someone has their shooting club membership, they can go to the outdoor range during the summer.

Taking advantage of the TWF’s archery shooting range can be a good way to find out if you like archery.

Ukranian dancer makes leaps and bounds on stage

At 22 years of age, Andrew Wolchuk is leading a double life. During the day, he is a sprinkler fitter who goes from home to home, making sure people’s gardens stay green. But in the evening, he changes into a colourful Ukrainian costume and climbs up on stage to perform with the internationally-known Shumka Dancers.

Wolchuk began dancing at a very young age in Nipawin, where he grew up and where his family still lives.

“I’ve been doing Ukrainian dancing since I was three years old,” he confirmed. Wolchuk says he and his sisters grew up learning to dance. Then, opportunity came knocking at the door.

“I was dancing with Veselii Dancers in Nipawin, and I was at a workshop over the summer in my Grade 12 year,” he recalls, “and a couple of the dancers that were dancing there were Shumka dancers, and they told me to come and try out.”

Andrew Wolchuk performing with Shumka

So he did – first by setting up a meeting with the company’s artistic director, then attending a private audition. Now Wolchuk lives and works in Edmonton, where the dance company is based.

“It’s a part-time job,” he said. “We rehearse anywhere from 12 to 20 hours a week.”

Shumka Dance is doing its fall tour now, and will be performing in Prince Albert, North Battleford and Swift Current. Wolchuk is enthusiastic about the company’s show.

“It’s a great show,” he said. “Everyone come and check it out, because it really is something to see. The first time I saw it, it blew me away.”

The show comprises two parts, the young dancer explains, the first part being more traditional Ukrainian dance and the second part moving into a celebration of the circle of life, called the “Pathways to Hopak.”

According to Shumka’s website,“Pathways to Hopak” explores the twists and turns of life that lead us to this moment of celebration. It describes this part of the show as an emotional journey that guides its travellers through “life's universal cycle of birth, youthful playfulness and the search for love, the tragedy of conflict and the desire to wash clean our battlefields, and, ultimately, the opportunity to begin the cycle again.”

Wolchuk says it’s a very interactive show for the audience, with the crowd reaction adding a lot to the overall performance.

“It’s very exciting,” he said, “lots of tricks, storytelling.”

Although the time commitment required of a Shumka dancer is intense, Wolchuk says there’s no better feeling than performing for people on stage, and that he hopes to continue with it “as long as my body holds out!”

Shumka Dance is Canada’s only professional Ukrainian Dance group. Besides touring in Canada, the company has performed in the Ukraine, and recently spent seven weeks touring in China, an experience he said was exhausting, but in a good way.

“It was a fantastic experience,” Wolchuk said, “crazy busy, but incredibly worth it.”

Arborfield artist April Griffin

Putting a paintbrush in April Griffin’s hand when she was a young autistic child was the best thing that could have happened to her.

Griffin, who lives in Arborfield and uses her art to spread awareness about autism, has just won third place in the visual arts category at the International Autistic Achievement Awards 2013.

The artist at a local craft fair.

A profile documentary of the artist was filmed by MaxTV, in which Griffin talks about herself, her challenge as a person with autism, and the way art has influenced her life.

In fact, art has been the driving force that helped Griffin “manage her own life” and become successful in her field. Today she holds exhibits, donates her work for fundraising causes, and helps other autistic people, especially children, to find a way to express themselves through art.

“We use the art to create awareness in a positive way, and also to help young autistics to feel pride,” she explained, “and to focus on talent development instead of what we can’t do.”

In October, the artist produced a solo exhibit at the Nipawin Art Gallery for which she completed 40 “dot art” paintings in under a month. Griffin says she was really pleased with the people’s reaction.

April Griffin: self portrait

“The exhibit good really good reviews, and a lot of people that had never seen the art gallery went to see it,” she said enthusiastically.” And this little boy saw it, and he spent two weeks doing his own dot art to show me.”

Griffin is also known for using her art for fundraisers, both in the community where she lives and internationally within the autism community. Recently she did a “Need for Love” benefit for the village of Love, Saskatchewan, raising $1865 through an art auction with the help of her autistic friends from around the world who contributed their artwork.

“Art gives me a lot of confidence and it’s a way for me to go out into the community, because it is something I am good at, and it’s something people like,” she said.”It’s something I can talk about easily with people, and they feel comfortable asking me questions. It really lets me participate in the community too.”

As a mother of four school-aged children, three of whom are also autistic, Griffin is pretty much obliged to stay close to home for the time being. However, a trip overseas to London is on the planning schedule for this year she says, and then, when her children are through school, she hopes to become more of a gypsy and spend a lot of time travelling – through her art and autism connections.

Zenon Park’s “Seedy Saturday” a prelude to spring

Everyone in Saskatchewan gets excited about the coming of spring, and the Association Fransaskoise of Zenon Park took a gamble that on March 29, even with winter still in the air, people would be keen to focus on their gardens and attend a day of workshops on that subject.

Baby goats from RobLynn Ranch near Naicam stole the show 

Presentations began at 10 a.m. with a conference on organic gardening led by Judy Ternier and Janice Sandford Beck. The two women have both been cultivating vegetable gardens – Ternier on a farm near North Battleford and Sandford Beck in city environments until lately – long enough to have a wheelbarrow full of advice and tips for the public. Their advice ranged from what to do about chickweed and weeds in general to how to prepare the soil for winter and for spring.

Their second presentation after lunch was on saving your own seeds. Ternier is particularly knowledgeable on that subject as her brother, Jim is the owner of Prairie Garden Seeds based in Humboldt. The two women also had a table set up with a display of seeds that the company produces, and attendees could buy a select variety of organic seeds directly from them.

Alternating with the presentations by Ternier and Sandford Beck was Murray Gray, who farms at Aylsham. Gray himself is a vegetable producer, but is also the coordinator of the Saskatchewan Fruit and Vegetable “On Farm Food Safety” program run by Canada GAP (Good Agricultural Practices). A large part of his work involves inspecting farms in the province to see if they meet the On Food Farm Safety standards.

Gray had a wealth of information to share with the public on that subject, things that home gardeners might not necessarily think about but which are extremely important for commercial growers who provide Saskatchewan with locally-grown produce.

He also surprised the public with some statistics, such as the fact that Saskatchewan imports 98 per cent of its fruit and vegetables.

Besides the guest speakers, several local businesses had set up stands. Creekside Orchards in Melfort were selling conserves and honey, artisan woodcarver Paul Emile L’Heureux had a table with the objects he makes on display, and Naicam goat breeder Lynn Colyn and her son Alex had brought in two beautiful one-week-old kids that were the centre of photographers’ attentions! 

Young violinist has what it takes

To excel in any area in life – be it sports, music, art, or a career – it requires a certain amount of talent and a lot of hard work and discipline.

For a 13-year-old teenager to have received the Best String Performance award at the Melfort Music Festival two years consecutively speaks miles of that young lad’s focus and dedication to music.

Shawn McAdam is a TMSS student and kind of just an ordinary teenager – except that he happens to be good at playing the violin. Already he has won two Conservatory of Canada medals for the highest mark in music examinations, last year for his Grade 4 exam and previously for his Grade 1 exam. 

His teacher, Rebecca Hankins-Vopni, says Shawn’s achievements can be attributed to him putting in the time necessary to see improvement.

“In Shawn’s case, as in the case of anybody who does well in music, there’s always people that are talented naturally musically,” Hankins-Vopni said, “but really it comes down to people who are committed and determined enough to work on their music on a very regular basis.”

She also believes that the support he gets from his family contributes a lot to his success.

“Without family support, it is very difficult for young people to do well with their music,” she insisted. “Shawn works on his music very regularly, and that pays off. And his family supports him in doing that.”

Like any other teenager, Shawn spends time on the computer, watching videos, playing video games, and socializing with his friends. But he does make the time for practice.

“Before it was like 40 minutes was the goal,” Shawn said, “but I normally practice until I feel it’s time. I do go over all the pieces at least once during a practice, and if I feel it was good, then I definitely won’t spend anywhere near as much time on that one. If I feel like there is a part in a piece that I don’t have down, then I’ll drill that.”

Shawn says he likes the challenge that comes with playing the violin.

“Going fast is very difficult,” he admitted. “You’re bouncing off the string with the bow in one hand, and you’re bouncing off the strings with the fingers of the other hand, so you have to have your mind in two places.”

Hankins-Vopni also notes that Shawn takes advantage of occasions to play in public locally.

“When he has opportunities to perform for seniors in our area or at community events, whether he’s playing solo or whether he’s playing with the group, Shawn is there,” she commented. “So the regular work and using all opportunities to perform so that you are using your skills to share with others will also improve your skills.”

For now, Shawn is just enjoying learning and mastering the skill of playing the violin, and says he doesn’t have any long-term future goals – yet. But he’s got a good head start, and time is still on his side…

An outdoor rink that will serve the community for years to come

Anyone passing by Tisdale’s outdoor skating rink this winter will have noticed some big changes since last year. A new rink was put in last June, replacing the wooden rink that served the town for over 20 years. In spite of the colder-than-average winter, some hardy souls were seen braving the cold and testing out the new turf, with great results.

The new outdoor rink came to fruition thanks to the Lions Club and Kinsmen jointly. These two clubs, as well as their female counterparts, are instrumental in helping the town with all kinds of community projects, and they are particularly proud of this one. Kinsman Nathan Phillips managed the project from start to finish:

Tisdale's new outdoor rink, Feb. 2014

“The success of the outdoor rink project stems from the countless hours invested by past and present club members, not to mention the generosity of the businesses and individuals that have donated or attended these events.”

Tisdale’s new outdoor rink is expected to last 40 years with very little maintenance required, due to the use of galvanized steel and UV resistant puck board, instead of wood. Another noticeable improvement is the addition of a second skating area between the new rink and the warm-up shack.

“The free skate area will allow for a more relaxing experience,” noted Phillips, “as pucks and sticks normally will not be used there.”

The total cost for the new rink rang in at $62,000, all of which was generated through fundraising events such as the Lions Farmers Golf Tournaments and the Kinsmen and Kinettes annual Steak and Lobster suppers.

All the machines involved in the construction – as well as much of the materials used – were donated, not to mention the man hours – about 800 volunteer hours, estimated Phillips.

“The 30-plus volunteers who contributed their time to the construction of this rink did an amazing job,” he affirmed. “They ground through whatever conditions were thrown at them, either mud-packed boots, blazing sun, or pouring rain.”

Phillips is very proud of their achievement, and mentioned how impressed Canadian Arena Products’ installation supervisor Nick Etchells was with the effort put into building the rink, especially where the foundation and cement piles were concerned.

“One aspect of the project we take pride in is the foundation that the rink is sitting on, even though it is not actually visible,” said Phillips. “Foundations can often be overlooked or seen as a way to cut costs, but not the one on Tisdale’s new outdoor rink.”

He added that the specifications of the cement piles were the best that Canadian Arena Products had ever seen one of their rinks placed upon, and that it far exceeds their recommendations.

Phillips and his fellow Lions and Kinsmen would like to acknowledge the efforts put forth by the many people who were involved with the project, from its conception to its finish.

From Tisdale to SkateCanada: Tara Hancherow’s story

Tara Hancherow is living the dream she hoped she would be able to achieve.

"At 13 I knew that I had found something that I really wanted to do," Hancherow said. "Then at 18, I was like ‘wow, I really can’. So I was really happy to know that I was able to do that."

The young skater has been training and competing in pairs for five years, after leaving her home town of Tisdale at the age of 13 and moving to Quebec.

"It's changed my lifestyle a lot, but in a good way," she remarked. "I go to school, I do online classes and then I'll be going to university next year. Every day I skate from Monday to Friday, but on the weekends we are off. We also do training at the gym, or yoga or stretching. Skate Canada supports us with all that and really wants us to do the best that we can."

Tara Hancherow and her skating partner, Wesley Killing

Hancherow had a partner whom she trained with for the first while, then just over a year ago she began working with a different partner - Wesley Killing - who comes from Ontario.

"We had the same goals: he wanted to do Grand Prix and I wanted to do Grand Prix, and we both wanted to make it to Junior Worlds," Hancherow said in a telephone interview from Quebec. "I really liked this year, we accomplished everything that we wanted to, so I'm really happy about that."

Besides competing in the Junior Worlds, the pair also competed in two Grand Prix, one in Slovakia and one in Estonia. But it took a lot of hard work for the two skaters to get to where they are now - 7th place in the 2014 Junior Worlds.

"It took time to get to know each other, to get along with each other and to know what everyone wants," admitted Hancherow. "We had the same goals, and that was good, but it was a hard experience. We had to work really hard, the training was never easy, but we did it as a team and I'm really, really proud of ourselves for doing that."

When asked whether confidence came naturally or whether it was something that came with time, Hancherow explained that the work they do with their coaches, (Annie Berubé and Maxim Coia) off the ice was just as important as the work they do on the ice.

"We talk about what we want to do and what our goals are," she explained. "If we didn't have that, it would be hard. Every day is not going to go 100 per cent. Some days it doesn't go like we want, but we have to accept that, and move on and make the best of it."

Because they are both near the age limit for junior classification (Hancherow is 18, Killing is 21) the couple will have to move to senior status in competition if not next year the year after.

For now though, Hancherow seems to have found her niche in a sport that she loves. She has these words of advice to other young skaters who think they would like to try their hand at moving beyond skating just as a hobby:

"Believe in yourself," she said simply. "I think that's what it takes, because if you don't believe in yourself, then no one else will."

Western theme for Skate Tisdale’s Ice Carnival

With the Ramblers Rodeo just around the corner, the Wild, Wild West was a fitting choice for Skate Tisdale’s spring carnival on March 22 and 23. From the set décor on the ice right through to the program design, no opportunity was overlooked to bring out the Western theme.

photo by E. Adams

But the real showstopper was the stunning assortment of costumes and accessories the skaters wore. Skate Tisdale’s program credits Kristen Faure, Martha Hoffman, Bea Mievre and Marg Simoneau for the lovely work.

It was a spectacular display of talent, too, with each age group getting a chance to show off the many ice-tricks that were learned over the course of the year. Each group took on the persona of different western characters: there were little cowboys and cowgirls, slightly bigger settlers, a good ol’ Hoedown and elegant saloon girls. Desperados, outlaws and even “Comancheros” with their black moustaches and sombreros, rounded out the program; there was no end to the imagination the club’s coaches put into bringing these characters alive on the ice.

Of course there were a few tumbles amid the many well-executed axel jumps, spins and even layback and sit spins by some of the more advanced skaters.

Graduating skaters Kenna Skoglund, Kailee Sawatzky and Carlie Bowditch performed solos, as well as Sectionals Silver Medalist Heidi Svenson.

The skaters who took part worked hard all season to achieve their goals and put on a great carnival where, for a couple of hours, spectators were transported to the wild, wild west without leaving home.

Sweet venture a fit for Tisdale

Andrea Lutz and Danny Hrebeniuk, owners of "Sweet Cup"

It was her penchant for baking cakes that led Andrea Lutz to where she is today:  behind the scenes at Sweet Cup, Tisdale's new coffee shop and eatery on Main Street.

However, she is not going it alone. Lutz, originally from Mistatim, and her partner Danny Hrebeniuk, originally from Hudson Bay, embarked on the adventure of a new business together. They have been living in Tisdale for about three years.

"I've been making cakes for about six years, and I really wanted to have a storefront," Lutz said. "So we got to thinking about what would make it financially feasible. And we realized that there's no specialty coffee in town, or even anywhere close." 

So they took a gamble, adding a lunch menu to the plan and investing in a full espresso bar.

"Everybody seems to be really excited about it," said Lutz.

"We are overwhelmed with the support and feedback of the people in town," added Danny, who used to work in carpentry. These days, Danny is more into constructing sandwiches and running the espresso machine.

"I was a carpenter before, and now I'm a barista," he said with a laugh.

But they both seem to be enjoying their new-found success, even if the road to getting the business ready to open was full of challenges.

"It's been a lot of hard work - leading up to it, doing the business plan and getting everything ready was a lot of hard work,” Lutz said. “But since we opened, that's when the real work starts. You want to be here 24/7 - nobody cares as much as you do (when you're running your own business). And we have three little kids at home, so it's been a struggle finding a balance."

Sweet Cup offers specialty coffees, specialty cakes and cupcakes and a lunch menu.

Now that January is here, the countdown has started for the ten core riders of the 2012 Prairie Women on Snowmobiles (PWOS) mission for breast cancer awareness and research.

This year the team begins the journey in Humboldt, and a kick-off celebration is planned on January 26 at the Humboldt Legion Hall. Humboldt resident Brenda Zimmer, who rode on a mission in 2010, is one of the organizers of this year’s send-off.

“It’s a tradition at these banquets that each of the core riders gets up and tells why they want to ride with PWOS,” Zimmer said. “And we always have a pinning ceremony for the cancer survivors and a candle-lighting ceremony for anyone who is going through cancer right now.”

It will be like many of the banquets the riders will attend over the eight days of their 2,000-kilometre mission. Cancer survivors, friends, families, and supporters are always welcome at these gatherings.

Local vocalist Jodie Hergott will sing during the candle-lighting ceremony, and the ladies have invited Renée Stuckel as a guest speaker. Raffle prizes and a fitness demonstration also make up the evening of entertainment and inspiration.

The organizers are calling it a “Winter Wonderland” evening, and have added “Let it Snow” on the poster, no doubt a subconscious wish that some might fall in the next two weeks so that the PWOS can actually ride the circuit.

The Journal asked riders Rosalie Venderbuhs and Natelle Nordick, both of Englefeld, what will happen if there isn’t enough snow.

“If there is no snow, we all 10 of us riders pack into the back of the van, and we are Prairie Women in a Van,” Nordick said. “We still make all our stops in all our places, but we’re not on snowmobiles.”

“They are transported on the back of a semi, on the flat back of a semi,” Venderbuhs added. “At night, they are secured in a locked up compound.”

Nordick and Venderbuhs have been fundraising together ever since they decided, independently, to ride on a mission. To date, they have raised nearly $14,000.

“We worked on our fundraisers together,” said Nordick. “We found that we were going to be tapping into the same areas and the same people since we work in the same town and we live in the same town. So we just decided to split any donations 50/50.”

“And there’s more power in two,” Venderbuhs added. “It’s like we’re married. We even have a joint bank account now.”

Both ladies laughed at the idea, then Nordick mused, “So we do know, now, that if one of my sons marries her daughter, we can pull off the wedding.”

“Exactly,” agreed Venderbuhs, “and we’ll probably fundraise the whole event!”

In spite of their good spirits and light-hearted attitude, both women are deadly serious about the promise they made to themselves and to others when they accepted the challenge of doing a mission.

“If it turns colder than -45º without the wind chill, we don’t ride,” said Venderbuhs. “But if it’s -44º with the wind chill like last year, we still ride. And you know, you make it, that hot cup of coffee at the coffee break, is really appreciated. You’ve just got to make it to your next stop.”

“We kind of have to think when we’re riding who we’re riding for,” Nordick added. “When I’m riding, I’m going to be thinking, ‘Oh god, does my thumb hurt, I’m so cold, I miss my husband and my kids — but, I get to quit in 8 days and go back to my husband, and my thumb will heal, and all that sort of thing. They can’t quit having cancer because they’re tired of it. So they give us strength, too, these people.”

All funds raised at the kick off banquet January 26 go to the 2012 mission, and those attending the dinner will have a chance to wish Nordick, Venderbuhs and the eight other core riders luck on their journey. Advance tickets are required and can be obtained from local PWOS members, at the Bella Vista Inn, and at Home Hardware in Humboldt.

GARDEN OF THE URSULINE CONVENT IN BRUNO, SASK.

The Ursulines of Bruno trace their history back to the arrival of a group of sisters from Haselbrune, Germany to Winnipeg. In 1912, Abbot Bruno Doerfler invited the Ursuline sisters to come to St. Peter’s Colony, and they arrived to teach in Muenster in 1913. From there, the first sister went to Bruno to teach in 1914, the same year that seven more sisters arrived in the colony. The order’s temporary mother house in Marysburg was moved to Bruno, because it had railway service.

The convent was built in 1919 and the Ursuline Academy opened in 1922, teaching both boarders and day scholars. Through the decades, the school educated hundreds of girls from across the province and from as far away as Mexico and Hong Kong.

Operating in recent years as the Prairie Ursuline Centre, the 60,000-square foot building and 65 acres of surrounding park and orchards is now home to the St. Therese School of Faith and Mission, www.sttherese.ca.

In the grounds of the former Ursuline convent, the visitor can take in the outdoor 'Via Crucis," or stations of the cross, that were built in the 1960s when other renovations were being done to the convent and school.

Each of the twelve stations is set into a low brick wall that borders one side of the garden. On a hot summer day, it is a tranquil place to wander and reflect on the symbols of the Via Crucis. Each station is represented in a mosaic design, featured like a framed painting above the height of the wall. An inscription close by tells the visitor which station he is at.

Livestock auctions in the 21st century: online bidding opens the door to outside markets

It seemed totally out of synch to see a fellow sitting behind a computer screen while just 10 feet away, two big Black Angus bulls were staking their territory behind the bright red bars of the sale ring. That a computer should have its place amid the straw, rough wood and heckling of a livestock auction seems like something of an anachronism, yet that is the way auctions work these days.

At regular intervals, the computer guy waved his hand and yelled out, never taking his eyes from the screen.

Meanwhile, the stands at Edwards Livestock Centre, just south of Tisdale, were filled with cattlemen, potential buyers of this year’s lineup in the Black Pearl Bull and Female sale. Ringmen Ben Wright and Ted Serhienko of T Bar C Cattle Co. kept their eyes peeled for signs of increments on bidding from the crowds, as two by two the great black beasts were brought in before the crowd.

Ringman Ben Wright picks up a bid from someone in the audience

“It was a good sale,” said Bruce Edwards, of Edwards Livestock Centre, “a very good sale.”

The cattle were brought in by local breeders Mel and Glen Sisson, of Royal Angus Farms at Ridgedale. The two brothers have forged a reputation across Canada and even as far as the U.K., for the Angus cattle they have been breeding for over five decades.

“We’ve had some pretty big compliments over the years,” Mel Sisson said. “There are cattle that have been champions in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. There’s a bull we sold called Royal Added Value. It was champion at the Royal Show in England at eight and a half years of age. They can show age bulls over there, so they have travelled quite a ways.”

This year, 29 yearling bulls and 27 heifers were being offered for sale, and they all went during the auction.

There is also a youth incentive program in the form of purchase bursaries for heifers that are shown and win competitions, ranging from $250 for a 4-H Club Championship to half the purchase price for a National Junior Angus Show Grand Champion.

One of the advantages of attending the sale on the day of the auction is that the herd is put on display in front of a larger group of buyers. Even though details on the livestock are available in an online format, many buyers prefer the old tried-and-true method of seeing first-hand what the stock looks like. Plus it is a social event, where cattlemen get a chance to talk shop or just shoot the breeze with other cattlemen for the afternoon.

Still, the online option is a viable one as it increases the opportunity for potential buyers living at a greater distance to participate in the sale.

“It’s a very unique way,” commented Mel Sisson. “This time of year, when so many of the cattlemen are busy calving, being at home is very important. So they can take a couple of hours out of their schedule, and watch their computer, do their bidding, and go back to what they have to do.”

This year a cattleman in Swift Current bought three bulls without having to leave his ranch, while another buyer who lives in the area but was away working up north was able to buy a heifer online. Last year, Sisson said he sold seven head of cattle to a buyer in PEI through the online method.

Learning about acrylics with artist Karen Robbins

At their last meeting, members of the Tisdale Visual Arts Club explored the medium of acrylics under the tutelage of artist Karen Robbins.

Robbins, who was profiled in a Recorder article in May of last year, came to art late in life. But it would be fair to say she is making up for lost time, for since she and other club members exhibited at the Doghide Gallery last May, she has barely had time to let go of her paintbrush.

“I had several commissions that were a result of the exhibit,” she acknowledged. “And it’s kept me busy with painting since then.”

Although she dabbles in other mediums, painting with acrylics is what she prefers. Robbins instructed the club members on a specific style, mixing opposing primary colours to create a chiaroscuro effect, or a contrasting light and dark background. She used a couple of her own paintings as examples for the class to follow.

In order to achieve the desired effect that Robbins’ paintings possess, it takes more than just a dab with a brush. Some of the artists in the club who were already familiar with the technique were able to mirror the master copy. Others – such as this columnist who was using acrylics for the first time – labored at trying to reproduce something that came close.

But that is the beauty of art – it is an individual’s interpretation of what one person’s vision tells them they are seeing. There is no right and wrong, and no two paintings will ever be identical.

The Tisdale Visual Arts Club meets every two weeks, and their next session is on March 26, when everyone will get “back to the drawing board,” working on whatever takes their fancy.