Could you find a story worth telling about someone or something in the nearest prairie town?
Yes, I thought so.
As you know and as you read in the Producer, rural Canada is loaded with stories about people and history and animals and politics and just about any other subject you can think of. Of course, the same is true of urban Canada.
As our population becomes more urbanized, more people have come to see cities as the centre of things, the place where events happen and where news is created.
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News from rural Canada, from prairie Canada and from agricultural Canada doesn’t figure so highly on the agenda of mainstream urban-based media.
There are many stories to be found in small towns – as there are stories to be found just about anywhere – and instructors at the University of Regina School of Journalism wanted to teach students that lesson. So, in October, they took a group of aspiring journalists to Ponteix and Vanguard, in southwestern Saskatchewan, and set them loose among the populace.
By all accounts, they were welcomed with customary small-town hospitality and toured the local attractions.
The result? Stories, some of which recently crossed this desk as writing samples in resumes submitted for the Producer’s editorial intern position next year.
Students wrote about the church of Notre Dame d’Auvergne, its history and its evolution. One story explored details of the “miraculous” statue of Notre Dame de la Pitie, an icon that survived a 1923 boiler explosion and fire. Sister Marie Paule Beliveau was quoted as a source for the tale of a dramatic and perplexing statue rescue.
A character sketch of Ponteix resident Jeanne Legault showed her to be proud of the town, proud of her heritage and proud of her children and grandchildren.
Through a similar sketch of Remi St. Cyr, it was revealed that the farmer hides a wry sense of humour under a laconic manner.
Ponteix was once home to a Standardbred pacer, Blupont Jetro, that was Helen Desautels’ pride and joy. One story told of the horse’s great potential that was barely realized before its sudden death.
The Ponteix school, Ponteix bakery, Ponteix Café, Guy’s Lunch and Grocery, Splitter’s Bar and local grain elevator were all sources of student exploration, each no doubt yielding its own stories.
It would appear, even from the small sampling we were offered, that the lesson was a success. Stories are everywhere and it’s good to know the next crop of journalists will have experience in finding them.
