Looking for something different

Jason Kerr
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Looking for something different

Davis Phaneuf has always looked for a unique angle to her art.

The local artist’s work ranges from abstract images to paintings of how Prince Albert landmarks would look if they were taken over by kids. It’s all part of her desire to show another perspective.

“I just wanted to show something different around P.A.,” she says. “I take part in the Winter Festival art show a lot and it’s a lot of the same folk art, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to show that there can be other stuff than just landscapes and animal paintings.”

On Saturday, Phaneuf officially opened a selection of her work at the Grace Campbell Gallery, appropriately titled “Odd One Out.” It includes a collection of her favourite works from the last four or five years, almost all of which are acrylic paintings.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 10 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Signs of growth all over Oasis

Jason Kerr
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Signs of growth all over Oasis

Normally weeds are a nuisance, but at the Co-op Community Oasis Garden they’re a sign of growth.

Organizers who oversee the local community garden celebrated the end of its first full year of operation with a special ceremony on Friday. They say it was a good year for vegetables and weeds, both of which are welcome sights.

“Last year no weeds would grow,” chuckled Prince Albert Food Bank executive director Wes Clark, one of the partners who helps oversee the garden. “This year we had lots, so the land is starting to perk up a bit.”

Although there were no shortage of partners who came out to help plant last summer, the garden struggled off the ground. The main culprit was poor soil, which choked the life out of most plants, including weeds. Water restrictions brought on by the Husky Oil spill didn’t help either.

This year, thanks to partners like the Co-op, Saskatchewan Polytech, the Gabriel Dumont Institute and Back to your Roots Soil Solutions, the garden is finally starting to blossom.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 10 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Fill up the bus

Jason Kerr
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Fill up the bus

The Prince Albert Food Bank is looking to a new fundraiser to help restock its shelves after a record-breaking summer.

In August, the food bank handed out more than 1,000 hampers of food, well above the 885 hampers they gave out in November 2015.

Prince Albert Food Bank executive director Wes Clark said it’s a staggering statistic, but not unexpected.

“In August you’re trying to get your kids back in school and there are all the costs associated with that, so it really puts a crunch on people,” he said.

“People are coming into town to start school and all of these factors really lead to August being busy.”

Despite the record-breaking usage, the food bank is holding up well under the strain. Clark credited a strong community response for helping them get through a few lean weeks, but with winter on the horizon it’s time to rebuild the stores.

They’ll be relying on local residents and businesses to help out once again to help out.

“The community at large has really been backing us up and that makes all the difference,” Clark said. “Without the community response we couldn’t tackle issues like this.”

As part of that response, the food bank is holding a brand new donation campaign this year called Fill a Bus. Residents are encouraged to bring cereal, oatmeal, canned goods, crackers and other food items to try and completely fill a First Student Bus in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Oct. 14.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 7 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Crusaders roll over Mount Royal

Jason Kerr
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Crusaders roll over Mount Royal

It took a few minutes for the Carlton Crusaders to get rolling on Thursday, but when they did they were practically unstoppable.

The Crusaders torched the visiting Mount Royal Mustangs for eight touchdowns, including four in the second quarter, on route to a 58-13 victory at Max Clunie Field.

After the game, Carlton head coach Lindsay Strachan praised his squad for their ability to fight through some early obstacles.

“The opening drive I think we put the ball on the ground three times, which is a bad game in most cases, let alone a bad drive, but after that we bounced back,” Strachan said. “We put points up on the board, threw the ball well, ran it, and once again we were pretty balanced tonight, which is in our favour.”

After taking an early 2-0 lead on a safety, the Crusaders extended their advantage when quarterback Jacques Lavoie plunged across the goal line for a three-yard rushing touchdown. Lavoie scored his second touchdown of the game a few minutes later, putting the Crusaders up 15-0 after the first quarter.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 7 online or print edition or the Daily Herald.

Sask. Party leadership candidate says change of approach needed in north

Jason Kerr
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Saskatchewan Party leadership candidate Tina Beaudry-Mellor says she wants a different approach to issues like suicide, poverty and domestic violence that plague northern Saskatchewan.

The former Minister of Social Services made the comments after speaking with community leaders during a recent trip to the northern village of Pinehouse. On Thursday, she released her platform for engaging northern Saskatchewan. The platform calls for strategic investments, including training in trades and vocational skills, and exploring certification for personal care aides helping community elders and for early learning educators.

However, Beaudry-Mellor says there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to current challenges. Instead, she wants to look at what individual communities need instead of evaluating the region as a whole.

“I think we can probably achieve something if we work with one community at a time and see what works and what doesn’t work, and try to build some success that can be modeled and emulated and then go from there,” she said.

Although she acknowledges the approach will take more time, Beaudry-Mellor said it’s worth it to make sure the job is done right.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 6 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Koch mandate letter emphasizes service and accountability

Jason Kerr
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Koch mandate letter emphasizes service and accountability

Saskatchewan Party leadership candidate Alanna Koch says she’s committed to reducing bureaucracy, duplication and frustration in public-facing services.

The goal was part of Koch’s mandate letter, which she released on Thursday. The letter outlines several ways in which she aims to develop “a high-performing and engaged government.”

Koch spent 21 years as a civil servant, including eight years as deputy minister of agriculture and a stint as deputy minister to the premier. She said there’s room to create a faster and friendlier government, but emphasized she wasn’t singling out any particular department.

“I think it’s about trying to be as efficient and effective and innovative and citizen-centred as possible when we’re delivering government services, and I think we can always do better,” Koch explained.

“I had the experience, as the deputy minister to the premier, that if we focus on the right things then we can really make some big changes that really benefit the people of Saskatchewan.”

Koch said she wants government workers to be more empathetic when helping citizens navigate the world of government laws and regulations. During her time as a deputy minister she often saw cases where residents were frustrated with how confusing the process was. She said that would change if she’s elected premier.

“Obviously we can’t always say yes to citizens on what they ask for, but it’s sometimes about how we say no,” she said.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 6 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Showing off the bright side of the Philippines

Jason Kerr
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Showing off the bright side of the Philippines

When the Kumintang Folk Ensemble leaves the stage after a performance, one of the most common questions they get is “where was that from?”

It’s something the traditional Filipino dance group from Saskatoon has gotten used to, and they’re always eager to give an answer.

“Before, people were just curious about it. They would see us dance a few times and wonder, ‘what culture are you from?’” explains Alejandro Lara, a dancer and one of three group managers. “We get that question a lot.”

In some ways, it’s easy to understand why the confusion exists. Lara and his fellow dancers say Filipino culture is incredibly varied, with a predominantly Spanish north and Muslim south. The differences aren’t always understood.

“The diversity in our culture is a big takeaway, because it’s not just one nation,” says Jonathan Cruz, whose uncle started the ensemble back in the ’90s. “It’s multiple cultures that are living on all these islands.”

On Saturday, Cruz, Lara and Kate Complido, the groups other manager, were working hard with the rest of the ensemble to bring that diverse culture to Prince Albert. The group was one of a number of acts at Tapestrama, the annual multicultural arts event at Plaza 88.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 3 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Lions roar on

Jason Kerr
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Lions roar on

Garry Beaudry’s memories of the Prince Albert Lions Club begin long before he officially joined them.

The biggest that stand out were the peanut sales and snake dances the club conducted while he was in high school. His father was also a Lion, prior to moving away from Prince Albert.

On the day the club celebrated its 70th anniversary, it was those memories that came flooding back.

“That was a lot of fun, as a high school student,” chuckled Beaudry, who currently serves as the club’s president. “Remembering back, I think the Lions themselves used to have just as much fun with it.”

Times have changed since Beaudry first joined the Lions, but the club’s mission hasn’t. Originally chartered in September 1947 at the Prince Albert Municipal Airport’s Airliner Club, the Lion’s first goal was to support the blind and visually impaired. Dr. D. V. Chipperfield was named the club’s first president, overseeing a body of 39 charter members.

The club still supports that cause today through the used eye glasses collection drive and the Lions Eye Bank, but they’ve also expanded their service to include the sponsorship of high school scholarships, and the operation of Operation Red Nose, among others.

For 70 years, providing service has been the goal, and Beaudry said he’s proud of the organization’s past efforts.

“It gives you great satisfaction, helping out somebody,” he said. “Some of our projects, you feel really good when you’ve completed them.”

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 3 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

Developers announce plans to build $15-million luxury hotel in Prince Albert

Jason Kerr
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Developers announce plans to build $15-million luxury hotel in Prince Albert

A pair of local developers is looking to shake up Prince Albert’s hotel industry.

On Tuesday, Mayor Greg Dionne made a joint announcement with father-son business team Abdul and Faizan Hirani. The Hiranis plan to build an 82-suite four-star hotel at the intersection of 39th Street and Fourth Avenue West.

Construction on the $15-million project will begin this fall, pending final approval from city council on Oct. 16. It’s expected to create roughly 70 new jobs once completed.

The Hiranis say the hotel is designed to be a higher-end development, filling a need that’s not being met in the current market.

“Normally, when any top executive comes to the city, they drive back to Saskatoon. They don’t want to stay in P.A.,” Abdul said. “We want to build something we’re proud of, and the city (is) proud of it and then these executives who come to work or visit P.A. can stay in the city.”

“Some of the WHL teams who come by and play our Raiders here, they like to go and stay in Saskatoon. Those are the type of businesses that we want to keep in our city and make sure they’re spending money here, using our facilities here,” Faizan added. “It’s definitely a unique product and we’re very excited to get it started.”

The Hirani’s plan to use the Best Western Premier luxury boutique hotel model, which they say allows for more flexibility in the overall design. There are only three such hotels in Canada, and 22 in the United States.

The original goal was to have the hotel open for the 2018 Junior Men’s World Softball Championships in July 2018, but construction likely won’t finish until after the tournament.

The hotel will include a lounge, a 6,500 square foot off sale liquor store, a gym and several conference rooms. The plan also includes a space for an adjacent restaurant on the property, as well as another luxury hotel. Construction on the second hotel would begin as soon as the first one is completed.

“We definitely have plans to grow further,” Faizan said. “When we initially looked at the site, we put a hotel on it and we came to the realization that we have enough space to put up another (development), if we needed.”

The Hiranis have been in the Prince Albert hotel business since 2008. They say customer feedback shows the market is there for a luxurious, state-of-the-art hotel, even if it means paying an extra $30 or $40 a night.

“Price isn’t really something that’s on the top of their list,” Faizan explained. “Good amenities, good service, these are things they care more about, not necessarily price.”

“We believe in the city and we’ve progressed every year since (2008),” Abdul added. “It’s an answer to (developments in Saskatoon and Regina) too. Our city is great. This kind of project can work here.”

Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said the city did give some incentives to spur the project’s development, however the details won’t be released until Oct. 12.

Overall, Dionne praised the deal as a great development for Prince Albert.

“They have committed to use as much local construction as they can, and we have faith in that and that’s exciting for us,” he said. “As we know we are in a slowdown, so anything that we can do as a city to help our local contractors get work, we’re more than pleased to do that.”

There were some difficulties around getting permits for the offsale due to changes in provincial law. In fact, the entire project was placed in jeopardy after the initial application was rejected.

Dionne worked as a go-between for the developers and Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave to get the project approved. In an interview prior to the announcement, Hargrave said the situation simply involved a miscommunication between the city and the province. He added that he was pleased to see the development move forward.

Dionne said Hargrave deserved credit for working with the city to get the deal done.

“I was pleased that Joe got involved,” he said. “Even though you may not see Joe around, we’re in contact every week…. He was at the cabinet table, and that’s why this got done.”

Chamber lauds new development

Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce CEO Larry Fladager says the development of a luxury hotel is something Prince Albert desperately needs.

Speaking shortly after the end of Tuesday’s announcement, Fladager was excited to see such an investment, which he says will help grow the city and spur further investment.

“Really, there is a market for a higher end hotel in the City of Prince Albert. I’ve heard that from many, many folks, and it’s exciting to see that they are willing to invest in that, because if we’re going to grow the city and we’re going to grow the businesses in this city, we need the options for people to come and stay here, look at the city, have a quality experience staying in hotels, and this is the need that’s being met here.”

Fladager said the spinoff jobs in fields like service and construction would also be positives for the project.

“We are, and should be, branding ourselves as the service sector for Northern Saskatchewan, and you need to do that in all sorts of ways, not just in the lower end. You need to have some high end options for people as well, keep them from going to other communities south of us.”

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Chain of life

Jason Kerr
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Chain of life

Pro-life supporters gathered up and down Second Avenue West on Sunday to pray and bring what they say is a message of hope to women considering abortion.

Supporters and members of the Prince Albert Right to Life group held signs and stood peacefully along both sides of the street as part of the Prince Albert Life Chain. The event occurs annually in more than 200 locations across Canada on the first Sunday of every October, including roughly half-a-dozen in Saskatchewan.

Event organizer Valerie Hettrick said they wanted to focus on the positives, and help pregnant mothers realize there were other options beside abortion.

“For me, coming here is just a sign of hope,” she said. “It’s hope for our country. It’s hope for our young women. It’s hope for our families and we are here to help. We are never here to condemn.”

More than 80 people joined Hettrick at Kinsmen Park before walking over to Second Avenue. Like Hettrick, they wanted anyone considering an abortion to consider a different path.

For the rest of this story, please see the Oct. 3 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.

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