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.