CRAVEN, Sask. — Not many young people are fortunate enough to start farming without taking over the family operation. The Eddys, who purchased a farm in the Qu’appelle Valley in 2010, are the exception. “It’s a huge relief to be able to raise our kids on the farm, the same way we grew up, and […] Read more
Stories by Christalee Froese
Officials see benefit to division changes
In 2006, Alanna Kotylak was in kindergarten learning to tie her shoes and print when the Sask-atchewan government was busy restructuring her school division. She would go from being one of 3,000 kids in her district to one of approximately 8,000. The then NDP government’s decision to create 14 school divisions out of 71 in […] Read more
Aid work shapes farmers
MONTMARTRE, Sask. — Clayton and Carrie Kotylak have witnessed first-hand the impact that farming has on the world. They volunteered in developing countries with Habitat for Humanity, and they know that what they produce feeds the world. “While in Jordan, I ate with families and they were eating lentils and peas and I was thinking, […] Read more
Family opens hearts to Ukrainian sisters
Creelman, Sask. — The young Ukrainian sisters had no idea where they were going. All they were told was that they were leaving their orphanage in Balta, Ukraine, for Canada. At the Calgary airport, Kym van Staveren waited impatiently, hoping that her Saskatchewan farm family could offer Alina, 11, and Oksana, 13, a good home […] Read more
Family business offers unique rewards
WOLF CREEK, Sask. — When Robin Exner and Barb Price were staff members at Circle Square Ranch in the early 1990s, they could never have imagined that they would still be at the same camp 25 years later. However, after their courtship and marriage, followed by the birth of their first child, the Saskatchewan couple […] Read more
Cream puffs and pillows, croissants or candles?
FAIRLIGHT, Sask. — It was supposed to be a rollicking rural road trip filled with food, four women friends and fun. There was no room for sternness in our adventure. “I should rephrase that,” says my co-road-tripper, stumbling over her words in an effort to define Brenda Thomson, the owner of the Home Sweet Home […] Read more
Dreams come true with music studio
Musician creates stage where his music and other talented singers can be appreciated
Lemberg, Sask. — When Richard Groulx started looking for an affordable, musician-friendly location that he might someday call home, he found Lemberg, Sask. Here the 32-year-old musician established the Jam Space, an entertainment venue with bar, green room and concert seating for 50. “I’m just trying to use my musical talents to deliver something that […] Read more
Rider aims to redefine veteran
MONTMARTRE, Sask. — Paul Nichols is out to change how people view veterans one kilometre at a time. His cross-Canada horseback ride started in Victoria on April 13 and he hopes that by the time he reaches Canada’s East Coast in November, the word “veteran” will have a new meaning. “People in Canada love and […] Read more
The little restaurateurs that could
Vancouverites develop a reputation for offering an elegant dining experience in this small Saskatchewan town
Actress Bridie Lunde is on stage tonight. But she’s not starring in a theatre production, a musical or a local play. She’s playing hostess at her restaurant in Mortlach, Sask. As she delights the incoming audience with her words of welcome and lighthearted laughter, the smell from the kitchen foretells of a night of fancy […] Read more
Butcher continues time-honoured craft
CRAVEN, Sask. — When Gord Rumpel surveys the Saskatchewan landscape for fellow meat cutters, he is almost always the youngest. At age 40, he said it’s rare to find anyone his age in the butchering business and even rarer to find those who own an abattoir. Rumpel and his six older siblings grew up with […] Read more
