St. Mary Marauder Risom eager to join Regina Thunder

Jason Kerr
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St. Mary Marauder Risom eager to join Regina Thunder

St. Mary Marauder Matt Risom will be playing football in the Saskatchewan capital this summer after signing with the PFC’s Regina Thunder.

Risom played both ways in his final season with the Marauders, lining up at LB, DE, and TE for a squad that upset the first place Carlton Crusaders in the playoffs before falling to North Battleford in the 2023 NSFL final. Risom said it’s an honour to join the Thunder after finishing his high school career.

“I’m super excited to be working with such a competitive organization, and such top-notch coaches,” he said. “I couldn’t have had things go better. It’s exactly what I wanted out of football, so I’m really excited to just get back on the field again and continue playing.”

Risom had a couple of different offers coming out of high school, but chose Regina because he liked the team’s mix of camaraderie and competitiveness. The Thunder finished second in the PFC last season with a 7-3 record, and made it to the conference final where they lost to the eventual Canadian Bowl champion Saskatoon Hilltops.

“Going to the tryouts and speaking with the coaches, the team organization, the program, listening to their podcasts, it gave me a really warm sense of family,” Risom said. “(It was) just something that I wanted to be a part of. I could tell that they mean business and they’re the type of team that I could go with to eventually win a championship. Taking all those things into account, and my own personal development, it just felt like the right place to go.”

Risom is a late-comer to the football landscape. He never played youth football, but fell in love with the game in high school. He started at a CB in Grade 11, but moved to LB and eventually DE as he put on weight.

The Thunder listed him as a defensive lineman in their signing announcement on June 1. Risom said he’s happiest playing DE and doesn’t mind hitting the gym to put on more weight over the next year. However, he’s committed to playing wherever they need him.

“Obviously, these guys are big men. Not only are they big, but they’re fast and skilled also, so there is a high standard to hold yourself too,” he said. “Obviously, the size thing will take time, but I’m dedicated to becoming whatever kind of player they want me to become.

“I do have a good idea of the size I need to reach in the coming year or two years. I’m working on that. I’m sucking down calories and in the gym, so I’m just going to try and get bigger and continue to hone my skills.”

Risom joined Carlton Crusader LB Scott Adamko as Prince Albert representatives on Team North at the Sr. Bowl in May. He credits St. Mary High School head coach Curt Hundeby and the rest of the Marauder coaching staff for helping him get to the next level of football.

“It’s an absolutely great program,” Risom said. “I’d advise anyone open to high school ball to go and play for them, and just learn and absorb the values. They’ve done a lot for me—one of the biggest reasons I’ve got as far as I have on my journey here.”

The Thunder begin the regular season on Aug. 11 when they travel to Winnipeg to face the Rifles. Their home opener is scheduled for Aug. 25, also against Winnipeg.

Lakeland Blaze rally falls just short in Amundson Memorial Tournament U17 Final

Jason Kerr
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Lakeland Blaze rally falls just short in Amundson Memorial Tournament U17 Final

The Lakeland Blaze pulled off one late-inning rally to get to the Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament U17 Final, but couldn’t quite pull off a second.

The Blaze scored three runs in the seventh and final inning, but couldn’t squeeze out one more in a 5-4 loss to the Saskatoon Selects Reds. Despite the loss, Blaze head coach Scott Reid said he was happy with the effort.

“I thought they showed a lot of resolve battling back here in this final,” Reid said. “Overall, they performed very well this weekend, and that we were hoping for.

“We keep growing as a team and we keep getting better, so that’s all we can ask for as coaches with our players,” he added. “It was a positive weekend overall. It’s just too bad we came up a little short in the end.”

The loss in the U17 Finals marked the second time a late-inning Lakeland Rally fell short against the Reds. The two teams met in Pool A’s opening game, with Lakeland pushing two runs across the plate during the final inning in a 7-6 loss.

“They seem to have our number right now, but it’s a long season and there’s lots of ball left,” Reid said. “I’m sure we’re going to see them a bunch more times…. Hopefully these close games start going our way as we get towards the end of the season.”

After losing the opening game of the tournament, the Blaze rebounded for big wins over the Parkland Predators (19-4) and Regina Saints (15-5). That set up a semi-final game with the Twin City Angels, who won Pool B.

The Angels opened the game with two runs in the top of the first, but that was all the offence they generated. The Blaze made it 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the second, then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth before holding scoreless in the seventh to win it.

That setup a rematch with the Reds, who won their semi-final match-up with the White Butte Storm 9-3.

The two teams were tied at one before the Reds broke the game open with a three-run third inning. Saskatoon added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-1 before Lakeland rallied for three runs on an inside the park homerun. That was as close as the Blaze got, with Saskatoon winning 5-4.

The Blaze are off this weekend, but are back in action from June 14-16 when they travel to Melfort for the 222’s Fastpitch Shootout.

Aces win both pools in U11 Division

The Prince Albert U11 Fiddler Aces gave up only three runs in three games while going undefeated in pool play. The Fiddler Aces defeated the Saskatoon Raider Rush(2-0), Maidstone (12-0) and Moose Jaw (9-3) to secure a spot in the Pool A Final.

Once there, they defeated Moose Jaw again to secure the win.

The Prince Albert U11 Njaa Aces dropped their first game of the tournament 11-2 to the Saskatoon Lasers, but rebounded for wins over Meadow Lake (16-8) and Melfort (9-3) to earn a rematch against Saskatoon in the Pool B Final. The Njaa Aces would go on to win 9-8.

U13 Aces stopped in semi-finals

The Prince Albert U13 Aces also dropped their first game, but rebounded for two straight wins to earn a spot in the semi-final.

The Aces fell 4-1 to the Humboldt Thunder in their tournament opener, but rallied for wins against the Parkland Predators (10-7) and Melfort Spirit B (16-3). The faced the Pool B winners from Moose Jaw in the semi-finals, losing 15-8.

U15 Aces fall to Ice in semi-finals

The U15 Aces opened their tournament with a 10-8 win over the Saskatoon Raiders on Friday.

They then lost 7-5 to the Twin City Angels, but rebounded for a 4-2 win over Sherwood Park to finish 2-1 in pool play.

The Aces faced the Pool B winning Moose Jaw Ice in the semi-finals, with the Ice coming out on top 11-4.

Prince Albert looking to City of Edmonton for inspiration in dealing with boarded up properties

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert looking to City of Edmonton for inspiration in dealing with boarded up properties

Prince Albert city council has taken the first step towards possibly creating new laws that would see property owners pay a $1,600 minimum property tax for not beginning repairs within three to four months of boarding up a property.

Council voted unanimously at Monday’s regular meeting to have administration prepare a report with options on how best to address “boarded up nuisance properties” in the City. Administration was instructed to include two options. The first would require property owners to have a permit before boarding up a house. The second would see property owners hit with an extra tax for not repairing the house.

Coun. Blake Edwards brought the motion forward at Monday’s meeting. Edwards said there are too many boarded up houses in Prince Albert, and it’s hurting the community’s image.

“It’s crazy,” Edwards said during the meeting. “They’re left there, and it looks terrible. We can do better as a community.”

Edwards wants Prince Albert to following the City of Edmonton’s lead in cracking down on derelict properties. In October, Edmonton approved a new tax on derelict homes, then added 203 properties to the tax class following assessments in February, according to the CBC.

Edwards said there are too many property owners in Prince Albert who seem to think it’s cheaper to just board up a home and leave it instead of renovating or tearing it down.

He described what’s left as an eye-sore.

“It holds the value down of every house around it, and we need to do something about it. Is this the perfect answer? I’m not sure. I don’t know if $1,600 even needs to be there, but it’s a start.”

Coun. Dawn Kilmer seconded Edwards’ motion. She said the permit approach would allow the city to have a list of properties that were boarded up. She also liked the idea of looking into how Edmonton was handling the situation.

“I’m not quite sure what we need to do, but this is a good start,” she said.

Mayor Greg Dionne also supported the motion. Dionne said Edmonton’s bylaw might not be a perfect fit for Prince Albert, but it at least provided a good basis for council and administration.

“It certainly gives us the idea and the forethought instead of coming up with a new one,” he said during the meeting.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

‘It’s a tough day, but a good day’: Prince Albert Aces officially retire Shaye Amundson’s jersey number

Jason Kerr
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‘It’s a tough day, but a good day’: Prince Albert Aces officially retire Shaye Amundson’s jersey number

When Madison Garchinski thinks about Shaye Amundson, the first thing that comes to mind is enthusiasm.

Garchinski, a former Prince Albert Aces softball player and current First Base Coach for the Lakeland U17 Blaze, spent three seasons playing with Amundson, who died tragically at 18-years-old. Whether it was on the diamond or off it, Garchinski said Amundson was always full of energy.

“I’ve never met somebody who’s so enthusiastic, so bubbly, and just loved everything about life,” Garchinski said. “(She) loved playing (and) loved her teammates. Every experience with Shaye was just always something funny, whether it was her dancing in the dugout—she had spoons, she would play spoons in the dugout…. (She was) just the best human.”

After Amundson’s passing in 2016, the Prince Albert and area softball community banded together to create the Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament in her honour. They started the We Play for Shaye Campaign, and by 2017 had raised enough money to name one of the Max Power Ball Park fields after her.

In 2022, the Prince Albert Minor Softball Association (PAMSA) handed out the first Shaye Amundson Memorial Scholarships, and on Friday night they added to the list of commemorations by officially retiring Amundson’s No. 2 jersey across all age groups.

“Shaye was one of those players where something like this would have meant the world to her,” said Garchinski, who was among several of Amundson’s former teammates and coaches in attendance. “She was one of those teammates who everybody smiled around and would love the celebration.”

Players competing in this year’s tournament lined up along the first and third base lines for the retirement ceremony at Rotary Field prior to the last three games of the tournament’s opening day. Meanwhile, Amundson’s former coaches and teammates joined her family at the centre of the ball diamond for the official unveiling.

“It’s a tough day, but it’s a good day,” said Jenn Ferguson, one of Amundson’s former coaches. “I spent lots of time thinking about her today.”

Ferguson coached Amundson for six years with the Aces. During the ceremony, she spoke about what it was like to coach Amundson, and what it means to see her number retired.

“You want to celebrate Shaye and want to make sure the girls who are playing with Aces jerseys on understand what a big part of the program she was and why we’re celebrating her today,” Ferguson said in an interview afterwards. “I’m just so thankful I got to be part of her short life.”

Minor softball players from who competed in the evening games that followed Friday’s closing ceremony pose for a photo with Shaye Amundson’s family and former teammates and coaches following the official jersey retirement ceremony. — Photo submitted by Stephanie Ripplinger.

Amundson’s parents were among the family members who attended Friday’s ceremony. Melanie Amundson, Shaye’s mother, said it’s great to see the Memorial Tournament thrive, and an honour to have Shaye’s number retired.

“It was emotional, especially having lots of her teammates there with us,” Melanie said. “We haven’t seen them a while. In the softball community, you spend a lot of time with them. They become your family, so I think that was probably one of the better parts.”

The Amundsons are still involved in the local softball scene, primarily through Shaye’s younger sister Rhyan, a former Aces player who graduated to the U19 level this year.

Melanie said it’s great to see some of Rhyan’s old teammates still playing at the tournament, and great to see the softball community putting the Max Power Ball Park diamonds to good use.

She’s also thankful for the Prince Albert softball community, which has never forgotten Shaye or her family.

“It’s not easy, obviously, when you lose a child,” Melanie said, “but the support that we’ve had from our Aces families and our community, it really does help.”

Predators strike early and often for big win on Sunday

Jason Kerr
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Predators strike early and often for big win on Sunday

The Prince Albert Predators bounced back from a close overtime loss on Friday with perhaps the most dominating performance of the Saskatchewan junior lacrosse season on Sunday.

The Predators scored early and often in front of a full house at Kinsmen Arena, defeating the Regina Barracudas 15-1 and outshooting them 53-28.

“There’s not really much to complain about,” Predators coach Lucas Wells said after the game. “I can get nit-picky and find things—and we’ll fine-tune those in practice—but overall, I mean, we had a pretty successful weekend.”

Brayden Rieger led the way with four goals and seven assists for the Predators, while Talon Sandry and Matthew Cudmore each recorded hat tricks.

Hayden Ulriksen scored a pair, and Caldyn Prediger, Ryley Prediger, and Braden Shewchuck added one goal apiece. Mason Hawkes stopped 27 shots in the Prince Albert goal to secure the win. The Predators improved to 8-0 on the season, while the Barracudas fall to 3-6.

Wells said he was impressed with his team’s ability to stay disciplined after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

“Our coaching staff and our leadership group, we have a very good handle on the guys,” he said. “We just try to keep them out of the melees, and stuff, and I mean, those are going to happen, but I don’t feel like when we’re beating them 15-1 or whatever the score may be, that a fight or anything stupid is worth it.”

The Predators came out flying, outshooting Regina 22-7 in the first period and building up a 4-0 lead. They increased their lead to 10-0 in the second before Regina got on the board, then added two more to go up 12-1 at the intermission.

Wells said it was a completely different game compared to the one they played on Friday against the Queen City Kings in their Founder’s Cup Qualifier.

The Predators are off until Friday when they travel to Swift Current to face the second place Wolverines.

““That’s going to be a tough one,” Wells said. “They always have good crowds, and they’re probably our biggest competition in this league.

“Then we go to Weyburn. We have yet to be in Weyburn. They’re a new team in this league, and I like the things they’re doing there. They’re putting on a show before the game, they’re doing a bunch of good things, and it’s nice to see our league growing in that aspect.”

Wells said they are still trying to schedule Game Two of their Founder’s Cup Play-in Series with Queen City.

Brown adds to list of Ladies Northern victories with 2024 win

Jason Kerr
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Brown adds to list of Ladies Northern victories with 2024 win

There was a familiar face back on top of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the second major tournament of the year at Cooke Municipal Golf Course.

Saskatoon’s Kim Brown won four straight titles from 2016-2019, and on Sunday she added to that total with a two-round score of 151 to win the 2024 Ladies Northern.

“It feels great,” said Brown, who won her first Ladies Northern in 2005. “It’s the first tournament of the year. I haven’t been out playing too much, so it felt really good to be able to get out here, play three rounds: a practice round and then two rounds for the tournament. It was just a great weekend.”

Brown led from start to finish at the Ladies Northern. She found herself in the Championship Flight after shooting a 76 on Saturday. She improved by one stroke on Sunday, shooting an 18-hole total of 75 to finish 10 strokes ahead of her nearest competitor.

“Yesterday (Saturday) was some tough conditions,” Brown said. “It was really windy, but I managed to get through with a solid round of 76 and I was very happy with that. Then today we had beautiful conditions and the course was great and I was 75, so I felt like I was steady all weekend.”

Although Brown lives in Saskatoon now, she grew up in Prince Albert and views Cooke as a second home course. Win or lose, she said every Ladies Northern feels special.

“We want to play well and we want to compete well,” she said. “I think any time you do that you can walk away feeling pretty pleased about the weekend and about your play.”

Regina’s Kim Walker finished second in the Championship Flight with a two-day score of 161 while 2022 Ladies Northern champion Kathy Ziglo finished third with a score of 163.

Walker’s total was good enough to land her the Sr. Ladies Northern Championship.

The 2023 Sr. Ladies Northern Champion, Pauline McDougall, took top spot in the First Flight. McDougall shot an 87 on day one, but rebounded for a sizzling 76 on day two to take the First Flight title.

Other winners include Donna Morin (Second Flight) Lien Dinh (Third Flight), Jodi Bruce (Fourth Flight), Jackie Packet (Fifth Flight), Chantelle Burns (Sixth Flight) and Judy King (Seventh Flight).

Local community leaders take first step towards bringing Restorative Action Program to Prince Albert

Jason Kerr
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Local community leaders take first step towards bringing Restorative Action Program to Prince Albert

Meeting ‘a great first step’: Nogier

The Prince Albert Rotary Club, Kyla Art Group, and Mont St. Joseph Home met with community leaders on Friday to take the first step in developing a new Restorative Action Program (RAP) for youth in Prince Albert.

Representatives from Prince Albert’s health, education, and justice sectors met for a presentation from three members of the Saskatoon RAP team at the Coronet Hotel on Friday.

“It’s a great first step,” said Rotary Club member and Mont. St. Joseph CEO Wayne Nogier. “We had a great lunch today with community leaders…, just learning about how to kickstart this thing and get it going.”

Nogier said the Rotary Club first heard about the Saskatoon RAP two years ago when they were in Saskatoon for a convention. The program started in Saskatoon in 2003, and became permanent after a three-year trial period.

The program has since expanded to 11 schools across Saskatoon, and helps students navigate conflict, build relationships, and connect with their school and community. The goal is to help prepare them to resolve issues related to bullying, mental health, and relationships.

“It’s tough being a kid today, so when we look at how to affect (kids) at a grassroots level, it’s about getting kids those in touch with the resources they need,” Nogier said. “It’s not always the big formalized system that is well setup and designed to help deal with that. Sometimes it’s about just having adults that they trust being able to help them sort through what’s real and what’s not.”

Saskatoon RAP president Leane Durand, program coordinator Darren Bowman, and board chair Kent Smith-Windsor were all one hand for the presentation. Nogier said it was good to get an inside look at the program as community leaders prepare for the next step.

Ideally, Nogier would like to see more discussions take place, with a Prince Albert MAP program starting in September 2025. However, he said there’s still a lot of ground to cover before they make a final decision.

“Today was about planting some seeds and getting our community leaders involved and helping them understand what the program is,” he said. “I think the logical next step is needing some time to digest.”

This isn’t the first time the Rotary Club, Kyla Art Group, and Mont St. Joseph have partnered together on a project. Nogier said all there are always looking for ways they can have a positive impact on the community.

Saskatoon RAP Facilitators supported more than 10,000 students in Saskatoon last year, conducting more than 390 mediations in the process. That is a significant increase over 2022, according to the group’s most recent annual report.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

U15 Aces win, U17 Blaze rally falls short as Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament begins in Prince Albert

Jason Kerr
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U15 Aces win, U17 Blaze rally falls short as Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament begins in Prince Albert

The weather was the story as softball teams from across North Central Saskatchewan gathered for the annual Shaye Amundson Memorial Tournament in Prince Albert on Friday.

Environment Canada recorded winds gusting up to 45 km/hr as teams from the U11 to U17 division took the field at Prime Ministers Park. Tournament coordinator Curtis Bradbury said the wind was better than the alternative.

“The way the weather has been, we’ll take the wind over the rain,” Bradbury said with a laugh. “The girls, they have to be prepared, ready to play.”

Bradbury also coaches the Prince Albert U15 Aces, who emerged with a 10-8 win over the Saskatoon Raiders in their opening game. Bradbury said the wind was a factor, but one every club has to deal with.

“The thing that I talked about before the game started is the wind’s going to be the same for everyone,” he said. “It’s not different for any one person (and) they handled it well. There were a few balls that got moving on us, but we were able to cover for each other, so it was good.”

The U17 Lakeland Blaze fell just short in their tournament opener, losing 7-6 to the Saskatoon Selects. Like Bradbury, Blaze coach Scott Reid said the wind was something everyone has to adapt to.

“I think it’s just trying to keep things simple, never giving up on a ball and staying with it all the way through,” Reid said. “Then (it’s) lots of communication and talking amongst each other and then of course, always covering and always expecting the unexpected when the ball is sailing like that.”

Both teams played again at 9 p.m. on Friday. Results from those games were not available by deadline.

Prior to the Friday night game, the Prince Albert Aces retired Shaye Amundson’s number across all Aces age groups. For a full story on the ceremony, please see Tuesday’s Daily Herald

Saskatoon 7 Lakeland 6

The Lakeland Blaze kept the Saskatoon Raiders bats silent for most of the game in Friday’s tournament opener, but when they did score they scored in bunches.

The Raiders put up a four-run fourth inning, along with one run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth to secure a 7-6 victory in the first game of the U17 Division.

Blaze coach Scott Reid said he was happy with how his team played, despite the fourth inning setback.

“I thought we did a good job,” Reid said. “(We) held them for the most part, other than one big inning, but they hit the ball so give them credit too.

“I thought our defence was really solid there today, especially in the wind playing some tricks on us out there, and our pitching was pretty good overall,” he added. “It was a pretty good game.”

The Lakeland team is made up of players from the Prince Albert, Melfort, and Tisdale areas. They led 1-0 in the fourth, when Saskatoon blew the came open with four runs.

Lakeland rebounded with one run in the bottom of the fourth, and two more in the bottom of the fifth, but Saskatoon matched that output in the next half-inning every time.

The Blaze pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but weren’t able to tie things up.

“We just came up a little short at the end there, but had the winning run sitting at second base and had an opportunity to win it.”

The Blaze are back in action at 3 p.m. on Saturday when they take on the Regina Saints.

Aces 10 Saskatoon 8

The bats were hot for both clubs as the Prince Albert U15 Aces started their tournament with a 10-8 win in four innings over the Saskatoon Raiders.

The two clubs entered the fourth with Prince Albert leading 4-2 before the Aces piled on six runs in the top half of the inning. The Raiders responded with six of their own in the bottom half, but that wasn’t enough to earn the win.

Bad weather has kept the Aces off the field for most of the spring, so head coach Curtis Bradbury said it was good to an early win.

‘’We haven’t had many games with the way the weather has been to start off the ball season, so this was our first actual tournament game this year and it worked out well,” he said. “We’re happy to get the W for sure.”

Cailyn Bradbury led the way for the Aces with a double and a triple and four RBIs, while pitcher Shaye Woolley stuck out four batters in 3.2 innings. Avie Kovitch came on in relief in the fourth and struck out the only batter she faced.

“For the first game of the tournament I was very happy,” Curtis said. “We got off to a good start, (had) a bit of lull towards the middle of the game, but we finished off strong which is important.”

The U15 Aces are back on the field at 3 p.m. on Saturday to face the Sherwood Park Storm.

PAEX board to discuss barn replacement and fire safety following May 25 blaze

Jason Kerr
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PAEX board to discuss barn replacement and fire safety following May 25 blaze

The Prince Albert Exhibition Association board will meet June 10 to discuss a possible replacement for the cattle barn that burned down on Saturday, but it won’t be the only item up for discussion.

Board president and Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said they’ll also discuss new safety rules to prevent another fire from happening. This is the second year in a row a barn has caught fire at the Exhibition grounds. A horse stable burned down in February 2023.

“That’s our top priority—to make sure that everyone who comes on our property feels safe and is safe,” Dionne said during an interview on Thursday. “We’re going to make some changes, and we’re going to start enforcing those rules to protect our property better.”

Dionne said there were six security guards on site during the Saturday, May 25 fire. He said the board will also review its security operation.

Insurance adjusters inspected the damage on Wednesday, and Dionne said the board wants to wait for their report before they finalize any new rules or future construction plans.

The Exhibition Association returned to profitability in recent years after reporting a $433,000 loss in 2020. In 2023, the board began plans to repair many of the deteriorating buildings on the site, most notably the Octagon Building.

Dionne said insurance costs will help with construction of a new barn, but it’s still a financial setback.

“It’s tough,” Dionne said. “We’ve got so many other repairs because our buildings are old, and they (the two barns) were serving a purpose. To lose them, it was devastating. When they gave me the phone call (on Saturday) to say the barn was on fire I was just devastated….”

“This is the second year in a row we’ve lost something, and it is devastating, especially this time of year when we needed it.”

Dionne said the loss of the cattle barn won’t impact the upcoming Prince Albert Regional Beef Show and Sale. Exhibition staff have already cleaned out and stocked other barns on site with new straw and pens.

The biggest challenge will be the Prince Albert Exhibition (PAEX), but Dionne is confident they can move a few events around to accommodate everyone.

“We are in a mode that we will survive this year without that barn,” he said.

As for a replacement, Dionne said they will definitely rebuild, but board members will discuss what that looks like at the June 10 meeting.


“Our intention is to look to see if we need a barn that big,” he explained. “We’re going to rebuild something, but we don’t know if we need a barn that big. We are insured, so that’s the good part. It’s going to give us an opportunity.”

The Prince Albert Fire Department was called to the scene at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 following reports of a structure fire on Exhibition Drive.

Firefighters reported heavy smoke coming from the eaves and roof of the barn upon arrival. The first crew entered through the main door, but had to cease their efforts due to collapsing roof trusses.

Instead, the department removed parts of the building’s exterior to access and extinguish the fire. The department described the building as sustaining “significant structural damage.”

Firefighters also responded to a fire on Exhibition Drive on Friday, May 24. Crews were called to the scene at 10:30 p.m. following reports of a fire by a parked RV trailer.

Fire crews found a small amount of debris burning and extinguished it without any damage to the nearby fence.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Out of the past: showcase artist looks back on 20 years of painting and drawing at Year End Art Show exhibit

Jason Kerr
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Out of the past: showcase artist looks back on 20 years of painting and drawing at Year End Art Show exhibit

It was a bit of a surprise for Marjorie Somers when the longtime Prince Albert painter and drawer discovered she would be the Showcase Artist at the Christina’s Art School Year End Show.

In fact, she was so surprised she had to go looking for a few of her pieces.

Somers has been drawing and painting for 20 years, but she’s given so many pieces away to friends and family, coming up with enough for an exhibit was a bit of a challenge.


“I thought, ‘oh my goodness.’” Somers said with a chuckle. “I was very, very pleased, but still wondering how I was going to get enough art pieces together, because most of them were gifts. I had to gather up pieces and bring them in, but it’s been lots of fun. It’s nice to be acknowledged, very nice.”

Somers started painting after retiring in 2002. Prior to that, she would tell everyone she planned to paint once she retired, but didn’t take that plan seriously until her staff paid for a year’s worth of art lessons with local art instructor Christian Thoen as a retirement gift.

Somers loved the classroom, but said her first few attempts were a bit rough. She began devoting herself to still life studies, and started collecting them in a binder along with sketches she made as part of her regular lessons.

That binder is on display as part of the Year End Art Show. It includes pieces from her first 10 years of work.

“When I started, they weren’t very good,” Somers remembered. “But then as I progressed I thought, ‘oh my goodness, look at the improvement, look at the improvement’ and I was enjoying them more and more, so I decided that I would take the lessons, along with my attempts at the studies, and put them into a scrapbook.”

Somers’ work focuses on the things she loves best: her family. Her pieces include drawings of her children and grandchildren, and paintings of her late husband, Jim, including one of the two of them up at Neslin Lake when they were in their 30s.

“We would sit there covered in blankets and just enjoy the sunset,” Somers remembered. “This is a very important piece.”

Most of her work is in soft pastel, acrylic, and graphite. She loved the soft pastel because it reminded her of water colour painting, which she wanted to try but didn’t think she was quite ready for, and chose acrylic because it allowed her to create more detailed pieces.

Somers credits Thoen for helping develop her talents without becoming overbearing.

“Christina’s amazing,” she said. “Over the 20 years we’ve become very close (and) she lets you do your art. She never touches your piece. She never corrects your piece. She just asks us to look a little bit harder and see if we can see something in that particular area, and that is so empowering. I’ve never experienced that from the art experience before, and that’s why I’ve stayed with her for so long.”

As for the future, Somers said she knows of one woman in Saskatoon still painting at the age of 92. She’d like to hit that mark too if possible.

“I want to paint for another 20 (years),” Somers said with a laugh. “I’ve done 20. I want 20 more. I don’t know if that’s practical, but I do want 20 more.”

The Christina’s Art School Year End Show runs until September at Sandra’s Framing, Gallery, and Gifts on Branion Drive in Prince Albert.

Somers is one of many students putting their work on display at the year-end show. She said it’s incredible to see how other students have progressed in just a few months.

“The art that Christina’s students produce is amazing. If you take a look at each piece, the first-time artist comes in and ends up with a piece they can frame and be proud of. It is miraculous, and you use all the diversity and it’s, yeah, her students really, really bloom.”

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

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