Prince Albert Concert Choir excited for upcoming Christmas performances

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert Concert Choir excited for upcoming Christmas performances

The Prince Albert Concert Choir returns to the stage for a pair of Christmas performances over the next week.

The 27-member choir returns with ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime’, their annual Christmas concert, at Calvary United Church on Dec. 10. The group then moves to Mahon Auditorium for an evening of caroling on Dec. 12.

‘We’re pretty excited,” soprano Meghan O’Leary said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done one. We do one every year, but we just get really excited because we like sharing what we do with the community.”

The title ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime’ is taken from the opening line of the Huron Carol, one of several traditional songs the choir will perform on Dec. 10. O’Leary said they always try to pick a song line for the concert title, and the Huron Carol line seemed like a good fit.

“I like the sound of it,” she said of the song. “I think it sounds so much different than other traditional carols out there.”

Sunday’s performance will also include popular Christmas classics like ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’ and ‘Jingle Bell Rock’. A few choir members have also prepared solo or duet performances.

Robert Gibson is back as choir director, with Lorna Gibson accompanying the group on piano.

“I think music inspires a lot of joy in people, and Christmas inspires a lot of joy in people. The two things combine to make for extra joy,” O’Leary said with a laugh.

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime’ begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10th at Calvary United Church. Admission is by donation.

The choir’s performance at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library’s Mahon Auditorium begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Admission is free.

PAPS ask public for information on May 2022 homicide

Jason Kerr
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PAPS ask public for information on May 2022 homicide

The Prince Albert Police Service have renewed their call for information about the murder of 32-year-old Lawrence Lavallee on May 28, 2022.

Officers were called to the 800 block of 11th Avenue East at around 5:30 a.m. that day following reports of a shooting. They found Lavallee in the 100 Block of Eighth Street East suffering from serious injuries.

Parkland Ambulance transported Lavallee to Victoria Hospital where he died of his injuries.

Police say Lavallee left a residence on the 1000 Block of 11th Street East just prior to being shot. The suspects fled north on 11th Street East in a red CHEV Trax SUV immediately after witnesses heard gunshots.

Police have recovered the SUV, but have made no arrests.

Anyone with information about the vehicle is asked to contact police. Investigators have also asked for help from local residents who may have heard or observed anything suspicious the morning of May 28, 2022.

Wife and daughter testify to strained relationship between accused and victim in first degree murder trial

Jason Kerr
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Wife and daughter testify to strained relationship between accused and victim in first degree murder trial

Bernie Herman’s wife, daughter, and one of his former co-workers with the Prince Albert RCMP all took the stand as Herman’s first degree murder trial resumed at the Court of King’s Bench on Tuesday.

Sgt. Curtis Bradbury, one of the Prince Albert Police Service officers who investigated the case, also testified during a busy day of proceedings. Herman is accused of killing 26-year-old Braden Herman, no relation, in May 2021.

Bernie’s wife, Janice, told the court the family invited Braden to move in with them sometime in March 2018. At first, Janice said, it was a great arrangement. Braden helped with chores, like dish-washing, applied for a job, and was accepted into trade school to study carpentry.

However, that changed after a few months. Although they got along in the beginning, Janice told the court Braden’s attitude started to change. He became “aggressive”, and “always wanted his way.” She also told the court Braden would become upset when Bernie hugged or kissed her after getting home from work, or if Bernie failed to answer his calls or texts.

“He always created drama,” Janice told the court.

Janice also told the court Braden had anxiety attacks and needed Bernie to lay down beside him while going to sleep. When asked how she felt about that, she said it hurt.

Janice testified that Braden became violent, and would push and shove Bernie. She eventually kicked Braden out of the house after an altercation while her parents were visiting.

She told the court Braden also broke her glasses three times, once by slapping her, and once by kicking her in the head afters he slipped and fell. She also told the court Braden damaged their house multiple times by punching holes in walls, smashing pictures, and pushing her jeep into the garage door with his car.

Janice told the court she started documenting any confrontations with Braden to defend herself and Bernie on social media. The court saw several photos taken by Janice showing bruises, cuts, and scrapes which she said were caused by Braden.

“There are so many incidents that I don’t remember all of it,” she told the court.

Before May 11, 2021, Janice told the court Bernie had no injuries to his mouth or teeth. Afterwards, she said, he had a broken tooth.

Janice continued to see Braden socially at bars or residences around Prince Albert. She would occasionally go on coffee runs with him, and he once asked her to purchased alcohol. Janice told the court she was scared of Braden and tried to avoid him.

Two pictures were shown in court of Janice and Braden next to each other at a social gathering.

Janice told the court they did not press charges against Braden until officers from the Prince Albert Service told the couple they were going to release Braden unless he was charged.

She also told the court Braden sent texts saying he would not quit until they accepted him back.

Braden was under court order not to contact the family after being charged, Janice said. Some of her social interactions with Braden occurred while the order was in place.

Jana MacDonald, Bernie and Janice’s 32-year-old daughter, also testified on Tuesday. MacDonald told the court the family’s relationship with Braden started well, but that changed as the relationship between Braden and her father “got weird”.

MacDonald said the two initially interacted like friends, and then like father/son, playing catch with a football. She told the court they two started to hold hands inside the house, and eventually slept in the same bed.

MacDonald testified that she never saw Braden become violent. She only heard stories.

When Braden texted her and the day he died, MacDonald said she ignored it because she didn’t want any contact with Braden. She said the text message was “mostly gibberish” she didn’t take seriously.

Braden became emotional halfway through her testimony, pausing once to dab her eyes with a tissue. She later affirmed that May 11 was the day her life changed.

RCMP Cpl. Kevin Carreau also testified Tuesday afternoon. Carreau was stationed at the Prince Albert RCMP detachment, with Bernie Herman as his supervisor in the Combined Traffic Division.

Carreau testified that they both were at an ATV training course on May 11. Carreau told the court he heard snatches of a phone conversation where Herman calmly told an unknown caller to leave him alone.

Carreau testified that Herman seemed normal during the ATV afternoon training session. When Herman wanted to take his uniform and belt home to clean off the dust, Carreau said he “didn’t think twice about it.”

Carreau also testified that Herman would ignore certain phone calls, sometimes all day, and came to work twice with injures: a black eye, and cuts.

The trial resumes on Wednesday morning at the Court of King’s Bench.

Trial begins for former Prince Albert RCMP officer accused of murder

Jason Kerr
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Trial begins for former Prince Albert RCMP officer accused of murder

The trial of former Prince Albert RCMP officer charged with first degree murder began with four witnesses on Monday, and ended early after a fifth witness was unable to attend court due to unexpected travel difficulties.

Crown prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt called four police officers to the stand before asking for an early end to day one after a fifth witness was unable to make it to Prince Albert from Ottawa.

Bernie Herman, 54, has more than 30 years of experience with the RCMP. He is accused of killing 26-year-old Braden Herman, no relation. Braden’s body was found in an isolated area in the northern outskirts of Prince Albert on May 11, 2021. Bernie submitted his resignation shortly after he was charged.

Monday’s afternoon session included only one witness: Const. Dan Logan, a 17-year veteran of the Prince Albert Police Service, and member of the department’s Forensic Identification Team. Logan was called in to photograph Herman while he was in custody. He also took photos of the crime scene and Herman’s vehicle, which was parked at an acquaintance’s house.

Logan testified that Herman’s hands showed small nicks on them, but otherwise he appeared to have no injuries. Logan also testified that investigators discovered a shell casing at the site where Braden’s body was found, but discovered no man-made weapons.

Logan described the site as “basically a bush trail” that was littered with garbage, condoms, needles, and cigarette butts. Logan said it appeared to be a place people frequently gathered at.

Logan spent most of his time pointing out various pieces of evidence he photographed during the investigation. His testimony took less than one hour.

Roughly 26 people attended Tuesday afternoon’s proceedings, not including security or media. Bernie Herman sat quietly in the defendant box during the afternoon session wearing a red shirt with a collar and black pants.

The trial is adjourned until Tuesday morning.

Service providers gather at Indian Metis Friendship Centre to help Prince Albert’s homeless stay healthy this winter

Jason Kerr
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Service providers gather at Indian Metis Friendship Centre to help Prince Albert’s homeless stay healthy this winter

Service providers from across Prince Albert were at the Indian Metis Friendship Centre on Friday to make sure the city’s homeless residents received the care and health information they need to survive the winter.

Representative from the Prince Albert Grand Council, Saskatchewan Health Authority, Cooperative Health Clinic, Prince Albert Metis Women, and Reaching Home were all on hand to tell homeless residents about the various services they could access.

Friendship Centre executive director Janet Carriere said Prince Albert has plenty of organizations offering services, but the organizations themselves aren’t always aware of who else is out there.

“It is really challenging because we’re so fragmented in our community,” Carriere explained. “We’re all doing things, but in different areas of the city and we haven’t quite streamlined our connections, so something like this that was done today (Friday) helps connect the services together. Every service that was here today is very important to someone who is homeless and suffering from addictions.”

Visitors had a chance to acquire new toques, scarves and toothbrushes, receive vaccinations for COVID or the flu, and get bottles of hand sanitizer. The biggest focus of Friday’s gathering, however, was AIDS, HIV, and Hepatitis C.

Visitors had a chance to get tested for those virus’ and infections, while also receiving information about prevention and transmission from public health nurses. The day was about more than just HIV and AIDS, but Carriere said those two virus’ are definitely a major health challenge.

“The clientele that we serve for the most part are really affected a lot by HIV and AIDS because of their addictions and their lifestyles,” she said.

“A lot of the homeless people came here and I think it’s really important because they roam around our community, but they’re really not accessing the services as much as the rest of us may, and so any time we can get them into a space and have them interact with any of the service providers in our community, it’s really important.”

According to data from the Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan’s ‘HIV rates are six times higher than Canada’s average. The province’s diagnosis rate sits at 20.3 per 100,000 people. Manitoba is a distant second, at 10.5 per 100,000 people. The national rate is 3.8.

In 2021, there were 1,472 newly diagnosed cases of HIV, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. That’s an 11.3 per cent increase over 2020.

On Thursday, the Saskatchewan Infectious Disease Care Network released a statement calling on Saskatchewan to look to other provinces like British Columbia for ideas on how to lower AIDS hospitalizations and AIDS-related deaths.

“Advancements in HIV and AIDS treatment have created conditions where this infectious disease can be easily treated and not transmitted,” reads the statement. “Despite these advancements, Saskatchewan’s HIV rates are six times higher than the Alberta and Canadian average and almost ten times higher than British Columbia…

“New infection rates have increased significantly,” the statement continues. “Mother-to-child transmission has increased, and new diagnoses are among younger populations and through heterosexual sexual contact.”

In 2014, the United Nations created a set of HIV/AIDS targets aimed to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030. The UN urged healthcare providers to diagnose 95 per cent of all HIV-positive individuals, provide therapy for 95 per cent of those diagnosed, and suppress the virus for 95 per cent of those treated.

According to the SIDCN, Saskatoon Clinics are reporting rates of 61 per cent, 61 per cent, and 42 per cent respectively.

Calvary United Church hosts Prince Albert Children’s Choir for ‘An Afternoon of Music’

Jason Kerr
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Calvary United Church hosts Prince Albert Children’s Choir for ‘An Afternoon of Music’

Calvary United Church and the Prince Albert Children’s Choir hope to bring the community together with a special performance on Sunday.

The two groups partnered together for ‘An Afternoon of Music and Fellowship’ at the church. The Calvary Gospel Band and Calvary Folks will also perform, and the Calvary Gathering Choir will lead the audience in a Christmas Carol sing-a-long.

Calvary United’s Rev. Nora Vedress said they used to host similar concerts on a regular basis, but that stopped years ago. When COVID hit, she said it reinforced the importance of gathering together as a community, and created the inspiration for Sunday’s performance.

“We think that coming together with music is one of the best ways we can build that community,” Vedress explained. “We really just wanted to do something that was light-hearted and fun and enjoyable (with) not a lot of pressure or expectation. (It’s) just a time to come together and sing and enjoy being together.”

Vedress said it was important to involve the community in Sunday’s performance, which is why they invited the Prince Albert Children’s Choir to perform. A few Calvary Church youth sing in the choir, and church member Bob Hayes is one of the back-up musicians.

She said Hayes spearheaded efforts to get the Children’s Choir involved, and Calvary is happy to host them.

“We just have so much respect for and appreciation for what they do and the gift of music they give to the kids,” Vedress said.

“We wanted to do something that would benefit the community as well as the church, and just spread that around a little bit. The children’s choir just seemed like a perfect fit.”

Children’s Choir artistic director Megan Fournier-Mewis said they’ve been working on Christmas and winter-themed material since September. This list of songs includes traditional carols, along with some more recent hits, like songs from Disney’s Frozen.

“They kind of turned their noses up when I introduced them to Christmas music in September, but they’ve been working on it for a while and so they’re excited to put it in front of people, for sure,” Fournier-Mewis said with a chuckle.

“There’s something—that old Christmas pageant type feeling that you used to have—when you hear kids singing,” she added. “When the community comes together and does a concert … it brings that all together and it brings out that Christmas spirit.”

Fournier-Mewis said adding the concert to their schedule adds some excitement to their regular practices, since the singers know they have something to work towards. She said they’re also happy for the chance to partner with Calvary United.

“I’ve always said that choirs are the definition of diversity becoming united. You take different voices and you make them united, so it’s really a good match with the Calvary United Church and how they look at diversity,” she said.

‘An Afternoon of Music and Fellowship’ begins at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. The concert is open to the community. Admission is by freewill donation. Half the proceeds will go towards the Children’s Choir, with the other half going to Calvary United.

RMs not responsible for City debts says Buckland reeve

Jason Kerr
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RMs not responsible for City debts says Buckland reeve

RM of Buckland reeve Don Fyrk wasn’t surprised by Prince Albert city council’s decision to start charging non-residents to use indoor and outdoor City-owned facilities, but he was disappointed.

Fyrk said the City has been “hinting at this for years” before council voted in favour of it at budget meetings on Thursday. However, he said that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

“I don’t know why they think the RM should be responsible for their debts,” Fyrk said. “I really don’t. There’s extra monies they want to tack on for people who are outside this city, like a user fee, but the sad thing about the whole thing this is a lot of people who live in the RMs have properties in the city, (and) they have businesses in the City.”

The motion approved at Thursday’s meeting will see non-residents pay a $150 fee for indoor facilities, and a $75 fee for outdoor facilities. The motions are subject to review by administration. The City intends to implement the fees in 2024.

In a press release on Thursday, Mayor Greg Dionne said Prince Albert operates first class facilities and programs, but they come at a cost, and the RMs need to help.

“We have attempted to work with the RMs in the past to discuss funding support for recreation facilities that their residents benefit from,” Dionne said. “Unfortunately, we did not receive a commitment so we are pursuing other options to protect the interests of our taxpayers who fund these facilities. We remain open to discussions from the RMs if they are interested.”

Fyrk said RM residents make up a small minority of facility users, while contributing in other areas like support for local businesses. He said they’re being blamed for a problem them didn’t create.

“I think we’re being scapegoated,” he said. “This isn’t going to hurt the RMs one little bit. All it’s going to do is hurt the kids, because a lot of families, they budget very close, especially in inflation times right now.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” he added.

Fyrk also said the RM of Buckland has no intention of reciprocating and charging Prince Albert residents a special fee to use their facilities. However, he would like to see more cooperation going forward.

If the City wants the RMs to contribute, he said, they should discuss funding before a new facility is built.

“If they want partners in a project, why weren’t we included right from the ground level,” he said. “You don’t start building something and then come in yelling and screaming and telling (RMs) you want user fee money from everybody. That’s not right.

“We’ve got hockey teams coming out here from the City to play in our rink. Do we start billing them too? I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “A lot of people come out of the City to use our facilities our here in the bush—do a little bit of quading and motorbiking and all that. Do we track them down and give them tickets…? I don’t think so.”

City council passed a 2024 budget with $2.55 million in spending that will require a property tax increase to cover. Dionne said the City faces crisis in homelessness, policing, and social issues, and it costs a lot of money to address those challenges.

“We are simply not supported enough and particularly in Prince Albert where we face unique circumstances,” Dionne said. “We continue to work with the provincial government to discuss what options are available to increase support.”

In 2024, the City of Prince Albert will pay $6.58 million to operate recreation facilities and programs.

Return to full-time music a welcome challenge for Fabian Minnema

Jason Kerr
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Return to full-time music a welcome challenge for Fabian Minnema

There came a point when Fabian Minnema realized he needed to play music full time.

The Saskatoon-based musician started out with Johnny Grit, an independent surf-rock band also based out of Saskatoon, but dialed back his musical aspirations for a career in the construction industry.

A few years ago, Minnema returned to music full time, but said a lot has changed since he started out.

“I’ve been pretty lucky,” said Minnema, now the lead singer and guitarist with the Fabian Minnema Band. “I’ve had some pretty big shows. I’ve played some shows with 54-40 and The Trews. I’ve opened up for David Willcox, which is a real highlight, but it’s been hard.

“You have to learn a certain amount of computer knowledge and how things work about social platforms and what have you. It’s really a tough slog out there trying to sell your music online. I’m still way more apt to book a small club in the city, get in there, play my music, meet everybody, (and) shake a few hands. That’s really where my wheelhouse is.”

Minnema will be in his wheelhouse on Saturday when his band travels to Prince Albert for a show at the former Rock Trout Café. He’s performed there before during a collaboration with Janis Joplin tribute band Pearl, and is eager to return.

“It’s such a great venue and the owners are so great,” Minnema said. “PA has such a great arts community, and we just love coming up to play.”

Minnema released two singles earlier this year. The first, ‘Escape from Mexico’ was created following a challenge from one of his friends. The second, ‘Made’ was released in June, and focuses on Minnema’s decision to return to the music industry full time.

“Although I can make money doing construction, (my hands) really were made for writing music and for making rock and roll,” he said. “That’s really how I feel, and that’s kind of why I backed away from all other work and just focused wholly on music the last couple of years.

“It’s been trying, but ‘Made’ is sort of my anthem. If you know you have talent and you believe in yourself, then you have to go for it.”

‘Escape from Mexico’ was released in May, and focuses on the resiliency of the human spirit. Minnema wrote it after a friend in Winnipeg asked him if he could write a song about anything. When Minnema said he’d try, the friend gave him the title, ‘Escape from Mexico’.

“As I was writing it, I really started to understand how hard it must be for people who have nothing to try and get something … and they’ll do it at all costs,” he explained. “People have lost everything, including family (and) their own lives, trying to just get across the US border to get into America, to get to the promised land. It just really felt like a song for strength in humans and the resilience in humans as they take that leap.”

The Fabian Minnema band will be one of two acts performing at the Rock Trout on Saturday. Saskatoon’s Small Kitchen Radio will also take the stage. The two groups share a bass player in Nevin Buehler, and Minnema has played before with SKR guitarist and lead singer Shawn Semchuk.

“It’s good rock and roll,” Minnema said. “Shawn’s got a real good Canadiana feel to his stuff. If you think about I Mother Earth, the Tragically Hip, and Our Lady Peace, that’s kind of what you’re going to get with Small Kitchen Radio.”

In January, Minnema and his band will be back in the studio recording new music. Then in the spring they’ll head to Vancouver to start a Western Canada tour.

The doors open for Saturday’s show at 6:30 p.m., with the music starting at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com.

City’s inside workers ratify new tentative agreement

Jason Kerr
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City’s inside workers ratify new tentative agreement

City of Prince Albert inside workers are one step closer to heading back to work after CUPE 882 union members voted 81 per cent in favour of accepting a new tentative agreement on Thursday.

The new agreement includes an eye care coverage package, a staggered 11 per cent wage increase over four years, and a salary supplement process designed to help hire new workers in hard to recruit positions.

“The last several months have been very challenging, and I am glad we have been able to find a resolution within our original mandate,” Mayor Greg Dionne said in a press release. “I would like to thank the citizens of Prince Albert for their patience and support throughout this process as the City worked to limit tax increases.”

The tentative agreement includes several changes that were not present in the original proposal made in June. The list includes a commitment to review lifeguard salaries by February, and a one-year trial of a new 5-4-5-4 work schedule, which will give full-time employees an earned day off every two weeks instead of the current three.

CUPE 882 vice-president Cara Stelmaschuk said union members are glad to be one step closer to returning to work.

“I think we’re all really looking forward to everything just trying to return to normal,” Stelmaschuk said. “(There’s) a bit of relief that we’ve come to an agreement, that everyone gets some of their needs addressed.”

The union’s lowest paid hourly workers will receive a 40 cent hourly wage increase. The City has also agreed to cover the cost of any mandatory recertification. Previously, the City would only cover recertification for employees who worked at least 600 hours.

Stelmaschuk said hourly wage earners make up the majority of their membership. Many of them are students who are already in university or saving up to attend. She said those two items would provide a huge boost.

Although union members ratified the agreement, they won’t head back to work until council formally approves it at a regular council meeting. City administrators will meet with the union executive on Tuesday to establish a return-to-work date.

Stelmaschuk said they want City Council to hold a special meeting to ratify the agreement before Dec. 11.

“Our members are eager to return to providing services for the citizens of Prince Albert,” she said in a press release. “We also want to thank the public for their ongoing support. It meant the world to us and made these improvements possible.”

In an email to the Herald, City of Prince Albert Corporate Services Director Kiley Bear wrote that there has been no determination for when council will ratify the agreement. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11.

CUPE 882 members began job action on Aug. 10 by refusing to train other employees or dress in uniform. They began a full strike on Sept. 11.

The union represents employees at several City facilities, including the Alfred Jenkins Field House, the Art Hauser Centre, the E.A. Rawlinson Centre, and Frank Dunn Pool.

Broadway North Youth Company headed ‘Under the Sea’ with new show

Jason Kerr
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Broadway North Youth Company headed ‘Under the Sea’ with new show

After weeks of preparation, members of the Broadway North Youth Company are ready to take audiences on a journey under the sea.

The local youth theatre group opens their newest musical, The Little Mermaid Jr., at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on Friday. The musical is based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, but draws heavily from the popular Disney animated version, which includes the popular Academy Award-winning song “Under the Sea”.

Show director Roxanne Dicke said the company last performed The Little Mermaid Jr. roughly 10 years ago, and the creative and production team felt it was a good time to bring it back.


“We had the right cast this year for that show,” Dicke said. “It offers a lot of great featured roles, so I think that’s really important because you want to fuel the entire company.”

A total of 82 youth singers, dancers, and actors will bring The Little Mermaid Jr. to life for four public shows, plus several more for local schools. Dicke said the opening performance on Friday has everyone excited, but the journey getting here has been just as enjoyable.


“They build relationships in the community through this program, and those friendships are long lasting,” she said. “They look forward to it. This is their safe place to land for those kids who love the arts, and they work so hard and they learn so many skills. We’re just incredibly proud of them.

“The creative team and the production team have worked so hard to ensure that this show happened, and the staff that we have right now currently has stepped in and done a lot of work that needed to be done,” she added.

It’s not just longtime Disney fans, or fans of the original Anderson work, who are excited either. By his own admission, St. Mary High School student Sam Malenfant, who plays Prince Eric, didn’t watch a lot of Disney movies as a kid. However, he said the rest of the cast’s excitement is contagious.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a time and I’ve loved every single moment of it,” Malenfant said. “There’s always conflicts that come in. There’s always roadbumps and obstacles, but it’s been such a journey and I love it so much.

“This is my second home. I wouldn’t choose anything else to, 9 a.m. on my Saturdays, giving up the weekend to come here and be with all these people, all the kids, and them just making my life so much better. It’s a nice fresh positivity.”

Malefant first started performing in Broadway North Youth Company performances 10 years ago. This year will be his last with the group before graduating. He’s hoping to make the most of it.

“It’s been such a great journey,” he said. “It’s such a good thing. It’s such a good company to put your children into. They learn so much.

“It’s not just singing, dancing, and acting. It’s life lessons as well, and I’ve learned so much. This place and these people have basically made who I am today. I’m so grateful for it because I’ve been able to learn from them. I’ve been able to learn from myself and explore different parts of myself with their aim and with their guidance.”

Like Malenfant, fellow St. Mary student Willow Vogelgesang is in her last year with Broadway North after spending a decade performing with the company. However, unlike Malenfant, she grew up a huge fan of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

When the opportunity arose to bring the story to life, she eagerly took it.

“I love the story, (and) the falling in love,” said Vogelgesang, who plays lead villain Ursula the Sea Witch. “It’s a romantic story. The music is great. It’s a fan favourite. Everyone loves The Little Mermaid, and the idea of getting to play Ursala was very exciting.”

Vogelgesang said she loves playing the villain on set since it gives her an opportunity to show a side people typically don’t see in real life. However, she also loves the story’s positive message, and hopes it will hit home with audiences.

“(What) I really hope audiences take away is go after your dreams,” she said. “Don’t let other people stop you from getting what you want and from doing what you love. Go out there. Get your prince.”

While this will be her last year with the youth theatre company, Vogelgesang said it won’t be her last as an actress. She wants to get into acting after graduating high school, and said working with the creative and production team has been a major boost.

“We’ve been doing rehearsals since the beginning of September, and it has been a lot of fun, especially having kids of all ages,” she said. “You get to watch as the younger kids grow older. The newer kids are coming in who have no experience, (and you’re) getting to help them get used to the production. Then it’s so much fun working with professionals who know what they’re doing, and getting to learn from them.”

Broadway North Youth Company’s The Little Mermaid Jr. opens on Friday, Dec. 1, with follow-up performances on Dec. 2, Dec. 8, and Dec. 9. All shows start at 7 p.m.

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