KidSport scissor lift fundraiser set for May 31

Jason Kerr
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KidSport scissor lift fundraiser set for May 31

Spending a night perched on a scissor lift isn’t Dwight Bergstrom’s idea of a good time, but if it helps raise more money for Prince Albert’s KidSport chapter, he’s more than willing to do it.

For several years, Bergstrom would spend the night on a scissor lift if Prince Albert residents donated $10,000 to KidSport during the month of May. Now, after a one year hiatus, he’s back at it again.

“I had a little health boo-boo last year, so I wasn’t well enough to do it, but I’m in good shape now,” the 71-year-old Bergstrom said with a chuckle. “It is a crazy idea that we came up with.”

Roughly six years ago, Bergstrom and the rest of the Prince Albert KidSport chapter were looking for a unique fundraiser that would help more children from low-income families play sports. Bergstrom remembered pole-sitting fundraisers from his youth, where an individual would sit outside on a pole until local residents donated a certain amount of money.


KidSport tried a similar idea the first year, but with Bergstrom sitting in a scissor lift instead of a pole. However, they quickly realized it was easier to raise money if Bergstrom promised to stay up in the air instead of come down.

“I know lots of people in town, and the comment all the way around was, ‘just tell us how much money we have to raise to put that little ‘beep-beep’ on top of that scissor lift,’” Bergstrom said with a laugh. “Next year we turned it around and the dollar numbers went way up.

“I think just about every year I’ve spent the night on the scissor lift,” he added. “It’s not one of my favourite places to spend a night, but if we can raise $10,000-$12,000, it’s certainly well worth it in my mind.”

This year’s scissor lift fundraiser is scheduled for May 31. That’s the day he’ll be up in a scissor lift for a few hours at the least, and all night at the most. KidSport has had several businesses approach them about hosting the event, but the organization has not decided on a location as of press time.

With May being KidSport Month, Bergstrom hopes local residents, businesses, and community organizations will organize fundraisers over the next three weeks. He said the demand for KidSport funding is greater than ever.

“We do our fundraising, we do get some money from SaskSport through KidSport Sask, but often times we are out of money,” Bergstrom explained. “We just run out of money. There are some other organizations that support kids similarly to what KidSport was, and we’ve been in a situation where everybody’s out of money, so there’s just no chance of these kids getting an opportunity to be in sport if that happens. It’s our worst nightmare if we have applications coming in and we have no money.”

Local groups looking to organize a KidSport fundraiser can contact Bergstrom at dwight@sasktel.net if they want to organize a KidSport fundraiser. He said it can be something as simple as proceeds from a Dress-down Friday event, or something more elaborate.

Residents can also donate individually online by visiting weblink.donorperfect.com/KidSportPrinceAlbert/KidSportPrinceAlbertScissorLift

KidSport has identified Prince Albert as an area with one of the highest percentage of children living below the poverty line in Saskatchewan.

“Kids who live below the poverty level are most likely to become at-risk kids,” reads a KidSport Prince Albert press release. “One of the best ways to support youth is to remove all barriers that prevent them from benefiting from their inclusion in positive activities. Some of these are financial barriers.”

Any organization or person who donates $20 or more will receive a tax-deductible receipt and their names will go into a draw for a brand-new bike donated by Fresh Air Experience.

‘Once they’re gone, you can’t get that back’: MN-S honours Prince Albert mothers with celebration

Jason Kerr
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‘Once they’re gone, you can’t get that back’: MN-S honours Prince Albert mothers with celebration

Members of the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan (MN-S) celebrated the mothers of Prince Albert with an afternoon of games and prizes on Friday.

MN-S regional director Sherry McLennan mothers play so many roles in society, and it’s important to recognize those contributions.

“We just wanted to honour our mothers and say thank you for everything you’ve done, thank you for teaching us all the things of being Metis, our traditions and our values and that kind of thing,” she explained.

The MN-S held Friday’s gathering in their location on Central Avenue just off South Industrial Drive. The organization moved there two years ago, but lingering effects from COVID made it difficult to host a Mother’s Day event.

With COVID in the rear-view mirror and warm weather on the horizon, McLennan said it was a perfect time to reach out to mothers in the community.

Theresa Lanigan (left) enjoys a round of bingo with her daughters Shirley Manson (right) and Wanda Gamble (seated opposite Shirley) at the Metis-Nation Western Regional Office in Prince Albert during a Mother’s Day event on Friday. — Jason Kerr/Daily Herald

“It’s all about being a community, right, (and) bringing our people back together to engage in cultural activities, in social activities, those kind of things,” she explained. “(It’s) just kind of doing things for them so they can be a part of something. With COVID, it made them stay home and they couldn’t get out. Today, we have people here in wheelchairs, in walkers, who are able to come out and take part.”

McLennan said it was great to see so many mothers and daughters out enjoying the festivities on Friday. Attendees enjoyed a meal together before playing bingo and other games in the afternoon.

McLennan said it’s important for people to respect their mothers, and she hopes events like this one will help inspire that respect.

“I don’t have my mother any longer with me, so always respect your mother because we never know,” she said. “Honour them and don’t abuse them, because once they’re gone, you can’t get that back.”

Prince Albert funnyman excited for return to stand-up comedy stage

Jason Kerr
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Prince Albert funnyman excited for return to stand-up comedy stage

Elliott Byers hasn’t performed stand-up comedy routine in almost two decades, but after moving back to Saskatchewan that’s something he’s ready to change.

The Carrot River product occasionally hits the stage for theatre productions, but hasn’t performed stand-up for 18 years. He’ll change that on Saturday when he serves as one of three acts for Off the Cuff Improv’s Variety Night for Mental Health.

“It’s been a lot of years, so it’s kind of exciting for me to get back up and start doing it in front of people again,” Byers said during a phone interview on Thursday.

“I love the feeling of getting up front of a large group of people and making them laugh on something I’ve said. That rush when you get that laugh, it’s almost like a drug where it’s like, ‘oh my God, I want to feel that way again. That was so amazing.’”

At one point in his life, Byers performed stand-up comedy three times a week. While living in Vancouver, he won the city’s Funniest Comic with a Day Job competition in 2004.

However, Byers stopped performing and began focusing on his day job after moving to Indiana in 2006. After moving to Prince Albert in 2022 he started getting back into the arts scene, starring in the recent Odyssey Theatre production ‘Dogbarked’, and eventually decided to get back to stand-up comedy.


“PA’s been an extremely good move for me,” he said. “(I) love PA. Can’t say enough good things about PA, and this is coming from a guy who grew up in Carrot River, Sask. and moved to the city when I was in my teenage years.

“I’ve lived down in the States. I’ve lived in Calgary and Vancouver, so moving back to Saskatchewan and up to PA has been a great move.”

Byers’ comedy focuses on a variety of topics. He’ll joke about the difference between rural and urban living, plus a few personal experiences like his dating life.

Despite being away from the stage for so long, he’s not worried about rust.

“Now that I’m older I’m finding that I’m not as nervous when I get up there,” he said. “I’ve still got a few nerves, because a few nerves are good, but it’s more about seeing the enjoyment on other peoples’ faces, and being able to shut their minds off of their worries or their concerns and just laugh.”

Byers will take the stage Saturday along with Off the Cuff Improv and local musical group The Socially Distant, and emcee Ryan Hughes for Prince Albert’s inaugural Variety Night for Mental Health at the Rock Trout Café.

The event will raise money for the Love My Mind Non-Profit Initiative, a group founded in memory of Mark Anderson, a Saskatoon man who took his own life in November 2018. The initiative funds smaller projects focused on suicide prevention, addiction, and other mental health illnesses.

Byers said he’s more than happy to help draw awareness and support to that cause.

“I think mental health is a real issue we need to deal with, especially in men my age,” the 56-year-old said. “We were kind of brought up that we don’t talk about our feelings…, we don’t talk about our problems, we don’t do all that stuff.”

“I think it’s something we need to deal with and from personal experience, I know it helps with me,” he added. “Talking with people about my problems has been a big support and help, and so it’s something I very much believe in and have passion about.”

Doors open for the inaugural Variety Night for Mental Health at 7 p.m. Byers takes the stage at 7:30, with Off the Cuff Improv at 8:15 and The Socially Distant at 9:15. Tickets are $35 at the door, but seating is limited. Tickets are also available on Eventbrite.ca.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

Emergency responders sound alarm after increase in drug overdoses

Jason Kerr
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Emergency responders sound alarm after increase in drug overdoses

Emergency Services personnel in Prince Albert are sounding the alarm following a jump in drug overdoses in the community.

The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) issued a press release on Sunday warning about what they called a “recent and concerning” increase in overdoses. Police responded to four suspected overdoses where naloxone was administered on the evening of May 8 alone.

In their press release the PAPS reminded residents that there is some legal protection provided under the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act for individuals who seek help during an overdose.

Parkland Ambulance’s Lyle Karasiuk said from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday, paramedics saw six overdoses where naloxone was required to reverse overdose symptoms. Although all six patients survived, they also all ended up in hospital.

“It’s unusual for us to see a sharp spike like that,” Karasiuk said. “When we see a spike like that, honestly, we often think there is something in the illicit drug supply that has hit the street that is causing this to be a bigger problem than it usually is.”

Karasiuk said drug overdose calls are not uncommon in Prince Albert, but to have six in 24-hours is “very unusual”. Illicit drug use is not just a Prince Albert problem, Karasiuk said, but people still need to be aware of people who are at-risk because they use substances not commonly prescribed by a physician.

Karasiuk pointed to Crystal Meth as an example of a drug made up of several dangerous and harmful chemicals that are mixed together. The process is not professional, he said, meaning the people who create it aren’t always measuring what goes into the drug, or exactly how much of it there is.

“It’s a little of this, a little of that, and if they run out of something, they mix it with something us,” he explained. “It’s not you or I taking a substance like Tylenol, which is tightly controlled and regulated and made exactly the same time over and over.”

Karasiuk said Parkland Ambulance’s services were not heavily stressed by the increase in overdoses, but said it’s still a serious concern.

Symptoms of an opioid overdose may include: slow or no breathing; gurgling, gasping or snoring; clammy, cool skin; and blue lips or nails. If you suspect someone has overdosed on any drug, call 9-1-1. Emergency responders, including frontline police members, carry naloxone, a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of overdoses caused by opioids.

Members of the public can also keep naloxone on hand if they or someone they know is at risk of overdose. The Government of Saskatchewan offers a ‘take home naloxone’ kit available free of charge at many locations in the province.

Duck delivery makes Wednesday bright

Jason Kerr
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Duck delivery makes Wednesday bright

As of Wednesday, the staff and children at Hope’s Home in Prince Albert will have a few new visitors.

They aren’t adults or children however. Instead, it’s a group of yellow-coated ducklings courtesy of Memorial Gardens.

Children at Hope’s Home are among those in schools across Prince Albert that have helped raise ducklings almost every year for the past decade. Early Learning and Childcare Assistant Manager Janel Boese says it’s always an exciting time for the kids.

“Whenever the ducks are here it’s just pure joy,” she said. “The kids really enjoy the peace of having the ducks here.”

For the children Hope’s Home, raising ducklings is about learning new skills as much as it’s about having fun. There are 76 kids in the home’s early learning program, plus eight more in supportive living.

Every day a group of them will help clean-up after the ducklings in the morning, and a few lucky children will get to take one home for a night or two with their family.

Boese said they’re grateful to have Memorial Gardens helping Hope’s Home children to discover a new interest.

“To be able to partner with them allows us those learning pieces for our children that we really strive for in their holistic development,” Boese explained. “Not only are they learning within that project approach with their interests, it’s also teaching them a great social piece of that empathy skill. They’re raising another being from when they’re babies all the way up until we release them into the pond when they’re able to basically provide for themselves, so it’s a great teaching piece for our children.”

Once the ducklings are grown, children from across Prince Albert will bring them to the Memorial Gardens pond for the annual duck launch later this spring.

Don Cody of Memorial Gardens helps organize the duck launch every year. He said having the ducks make the cemetery less intimidating.

“A lot of people say cemeteries are graveyards, and we’re not. We’re a park-like cemetery that invites people to come and visit their grandparents, their folks, and loved ones (who have passed on). We think the ducks—having them here and going with the children as well—makes a good fit.”

Cody and other Memorial Gardens staff made several stops around Prince Albert on Wednesday to deliver ducks to local children. He said staff members have done a fantastic job of making sure the program succeeds.

“They get all the food prepared. They get all the watering prepared, and all the tubs prepared, so it’s a fun thing as well for us as well as it is for the kids and for the community,” he said.

Provincial government touts increase in surgeries, NDP say numbers don’t paint full picture

Jason Kerr
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Provincial government touts increase in surgeries, NDP say numbers don’t paint full picture

Saskatchewan surgeons performed nearly 6,000 more surgeries in 2023-24 than they did in 2022-23, surpassing last year’s record, but the provincial NDP says those numbers don’t paint a full picture of what’s happening in Saskatchewan.

Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, there were more than 95,700 surgeries performed in the province. The number of patients waiting for surgeries also dropped by about 14 per cent during that time, according to provincial data, with 4,600 fewer patients waiting for surgeries compared to the year before.

“Our surgical teams are making significant strides in ensuring patients receive timely surgical procedures,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said in a press release. Our government continues to make record investments in human resources to increase capacity in our surgical systems and address wait times.”

The number of people waiting 18 months for surgery has also decreased by 67 per cent. The SHA said in a press release that there is a strong plan in place to continue the momentum into the next year.

That includes developing improvements for orthopedics, investing in health human resources, and expanding the involvement of private sector partners in surgical deliveries.

“These initiatives are helping to reduce wait times overall and, in the case of hip and knee replacements, providing access to the next available surgeon more quickly, while providing patients more choice in making decisions that work for them alongside their surgical team,” SHA Provincial Surgical Services Executive Director Cindy Graham said in a press release. “The SHA continues to focus on providing efficient, timely and universal access to surgical services to the people of Saskatchewan.”

However, NDP health critic Vicki Mowat said the province is still behind the rest of the country, and accused the province of caring more about their donors than patients.

Mowat pointed to numbers from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which show Saskatchewan trailing the Canadian average for hip and knee replacements, as proof the province was still struggling with surgical wait times. She also questioned any plans to use private sector partners.

“The latest national data shows that Saskatchewan still has the longest average wait times for key procedures like knee and hip replacements,” Mowat said in a statement released on Tuesday. “It’s also now clear that the provincial government could be performing more surgeries if they weren’t sending patients to a Sask. Party donor in Calgary.

“The Sask. Party’s Calgary-based donor has only performed 90 surgeries in the past year, despite getting a $6 million sweetheart deal to perform 250. That money should be invested in Saskatchewan health workers and Saskatchewan hospitals, not Sask. Party friends and insiders.”

“This province used to be a nation-leader when it came to healthcare,” Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck added. “Saskatchewan people rightly expect that their tax dollars support Saskatchewan health workers and Saskatchewan hospitals, not Sask. Party donors in Calgary.”

Chipman focuses on changing times with new single ahead of Prince Albert show

Jason Kerr
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Chipman focuses on changing times with new single ahead of Prince Albert show

Mallory Chipman is no stranger to the Prince Albert arts scene, although her newest act might be.

The Alberta-based singer toured Prince Albert in 2023 as one half of alt-country group The Goddamsels, and will be back in Prince Albert on Thursday, May 9 performing as a solo act.

“It was just a really lovely venue that we played at, and we were really warmly received there, which was so fantastic,” Chipman said during a phone interview from her home in Edmonton. “I remember we stayed with somebody in (Prince Albert) and woke up basically on the edge of this beautiful forest just outside of town. I was like, ‘oh my gosh, I want to come back to this beautiful place,’ so, then I thought, ‘okay, let’s make it happen.”

Wednesday’s show at the Rock Trout Café marks her first solo performance in Saskatchewan since 2017. She arrives with a newly released single called ‘Crow’s Feet’, and a new album ready for release in late summer.

Chipman drew on her feelings about change and having to accept things you can’t change in ‘Crow’s Feet’. The entire song is self-produced, with Chipman recording and mixing it from her own home.

“It was a really fun project for me in that way to be involved in all of those different parts of the process,” she said.

“I wrote it based on some of my own feelings around just growing older, watching people and the City around me change with time, making peace with that, and with the feeling of that happening to one’s self as well,” she added. “I tried to capture that in a way—the ambivalence I feel in a sense that it’s hard to watch some of these things change around you, but at the same time there’s nothing we can really do other than accept and embrace what that brings.”

While Chipman is excited for ‘Crow’s Feet’, the single won’t be on Songs to a Wild God, her new album. Chipman actually recorded that album two years ago while in the studio for a separate project, but held off on releasing it until this year.

The album focuses on connecting to nature and a sense of place, a theme that frequently pops up in Chipman’s work.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “It’s been such a long time coming…. I recorded the EP I released last year called ‘As Though I had Wings’ and in the end I just did them together. We were in the studio already and I had the tunes ready, but wanted to give that (EP) some breathing room to exist on its own before releasing this next one. It’s really exciting because I have been sitting on it for a long time.”

Chipman will perform with special guest Taya Lebel at the Rock Trout Café on Thursday, May 9. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

Out with the old: Prince Albert students help kick-off Community Clean-Up Week

Jason Kerr
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Out with the old: Prince Albert students help kick-off Community Clean-Up Week

For roughly one hour on Monday afternoon, Carson Boyle-Love had to take out the trash.

The Grade 4 student from Queen Mary Community School wasn’t to worried about it though. In fact, he relished the chance to put away the books and pencils for an afternoon and get outdoors with his classmates for the first day of community clean-up.

“I hope my cousin picked up some cans because we’re going to bring them to SARCAN and use them for money,” Boyle-Love said following the Monday clean-up period.

“I love picking up garbage because it helps the earth from being more polluted.”

Boyle-Love isn’t alone in his efforts. Students from Westview Public School, St. Michael’s Community School, and Wesmor Public High School joined Queen Mary it heading outdoors for the afternoon to pick up garbage in the neighbourhood around their school.

Queen Mary Grade 4 teacher Joel Hamilton said it’s a great way to get kids smiling and laughing while also helping out.

“We’ve been talking lots about keeping our environment clean and they really appreciate getting out here, doing that, (and) helping out the community,” said Hamilton, who took part in his first community clean-up on Monday. “Seeing the smiles on their faces as they do it, it’s a huge thing.”

Ward 1 Coun. Charlene Miller led students down 15th Street East on Monday afternoon, helping them pick up garbage before stopping off at a neighbourhood convenience store for a snack.

Miller said it’s always a pleasure to have the students pitching in.

“It’s really great,” she said. “There’s nothing like community help, and they’re very good at helping.”

Monday’s clean-up activity officially kicked off the City of Prince Albert’s annual Community Clean-Up Week. From May 6-11, residents can bring trash or other unwanted items to three neighbourhood drop-off locations: St. Michael Parish on 13th Street West, the Kinsmen Water Park Parking Lot on First Avenue West and 28th Street, and the Corner of Sixth Avenue East and 10th Street East near Exhibition Drive.

Residents can bring household garbage, electronics, metal, grass and leaves, and recyclables. Tires and hazardous household waste is not accepted.

Starting this year, the Prince Albert Optimist Club is offering curbside pickup on Wednesday evening and Saturday morning.  The club will haul away any appliance in exchange for a $20 donation per appliance. The charge may increase if the appliance requires removal.

Anyone who needs the appliance pick-up service can phone or text Les at 306-961-2946.

Council overhauls City transit fares and categories

Jason Kerr
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Council overhauls City transit fares and categories

For the first time in several years, Prince Albert’s bus fares are going up.

City Council voted 7-2 in favour of increasing bus fares across almost all categories, while also raising the age at which residents can no long ride the bus for free, and the age at which they qualify for a seniors pass. The changes will come into effect in September, but must be approved at a regular council meeting first.

During a presentation at Monday’s executive committee meeting, City of Prince Albert Transit Manager Evan Hastings said the city will still have the lowest transit fares in the province even with the increase. Mayor Greg Dionne said that was one of the main reasons he voted in favour of the increase, but added that council should have reviewed transit fares yearly so the increases were smaller.

“We’ve got to get away from not raising fares or looking at fares every year at the end of the year,” Dionne told council. “You look at ’19, all the way back to that, we know how the price of fuel and cost of labour has gone, so partly sometimes when we’ve got to take these bigger hikes it’s our fault because we delay the inevitable. But even with the new rates and fares, we’re still going to be the lowest in the province, so I can’t argue with that.”

The biggest change is to regular adult monthly passes, which will increase from $70 to $80. Other changes see the daily fare increased from $2.25 for seniors and $2.50 for all other paying customers. The fare is now set at $3 for everyone.

During his presentation, Hastings said the daily fare change would make it easier on drivers.

“We currently use cash boxes, and it’s very difficult for a bus driver to know when a senior comes on the bus and then a child and then an adult, who pays what, right, because it switches every time,” he told council. “At $3, it makes it consistent for everybody.”

Changes for university students include the creation of a new semester pass similar to what is available in Regina and Saskatoon. Students will now be able to purchase a four month pass for $225. Student previously were able to pay $45 for a monthly pass, but that will increase to $65/month in September.

Council also voted to terminate the letter of understanding (LOU) with the Prince Albert Catholic School Division and Saskatchewan Rivers School Division that saw the City sell discounted bus passes to the divisions, which they in turn sold to students at a second discounted rate.

The new system will see school divisions charged $12 more for their discounted bus passes, although Hastings said the divisions can continue to sell them at $20 to students if they choose.

As part of the new fare system, residents will now need to be 65 to qualify for a seniors pass. Previously they only needed to be 60. Youth who are under the age of 10 will also be able to ride the bus for free starting in September. Previously, the option was only available to youth under the age of 6. Hastings said the latter change was made in hopes of getting more families to ride the bus.

Council narrowly defeated an amendment from Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp that would have seen regular monthly passes increased to $75 instead of the proposed $80. Lennox-Zepp said she wanted no increase at all, but proposed $75 instead of $80 as a compromise.

Couns. Charlene Miller, Dennis Ogrodnick, and Tony Head joined Lennox-Zepp in voting in favour of the amendment.

After the amendment failed, Ogrodnick and Head both voted in favour of the original motion while Miller and Lennox-Zepp voted against.

“The people who take the bus in our city take the bus because they need to,” Lennox-Zepp said. “They are often working low-paid jobs. They need to use the service, and they aspire to own a car…. People that I talk to will say, ‘I don’t have a car yet, but if I keep working hard in the City of Prince Albert, I will own a car.’”

Coun. Blake Edwards was the most vocal councillor who voted in favour of the fare increase. He said the City has been hit hard by cost increases and needs to save money where it can.

“We need to care about all the people in the City because we’re all paying for these services,” Edwards said.

“I care about people too,” he added. “Here we are, we had an $80 rate, (we) throw out $75, I’m going to vote against it. People can think how they want to think (and say) ‘oh, councillor Edwards doesn’t care about people.’ I care about people. We need to move forward with the $80 recommendation…. It’s a fare rate at $80 in comparison to every other city that’s compared, we’re still the lowest.”

Watsonairs take inspiration from the big screen for spring concert

Jason Kerr
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Watsonairs take inspiration from the big screen for spring concert

The Watsonairs Ladies Choral Group is ready to treat listeners to a night at the movies when they take the stage for their annual spring concert on Sunday.

The group will perform songs from a variety of movies, including The Lion King, Spider Man, and Mamma Mia. Choir Director Amy Robinson said they focused on memorable movie songs because they wanted to try something fun for their spring concert.

“We thought that the singers would enjoy singing them and we’d have a lot of fun and they’d also be crowd-pleasers (that) get the crowd going, and get the crowd energized,” Robinson said. “Just try something a little bit different.”

Robinson said movies often evoke strong emotions in the people who watch them, and music is a big part of that.  The Watsonairs hope to capture those feelings with Sunday’s performance.

“(Being) relatable, evoking emotion or creating core memories, I think that speaks to people and it moves them for a host of different reasons,” Robinson said.

“Some of them (the songs) are emotional. Some of them are upbeat and inspiring…. It takes you out of the humdrum of daily life for an hour or two.”

Proceeds from Sunday’s performance will go towards the Prince Albert Ronald McDonald House, which is currently under construction. Robinson said she new families in Winnipeg who were helped by Ronald McDonald Houses, so she’s glad to see one being built in Prince Albert.

She said the project is also “near and dear” to a number of ladies in the choir.

“There are always so many good things to raise money for, but we just decided to go with the Ronald McDonald House because that’s where kids are,” she explained. “It’s our future and it’s a budding thing that we’ve never had in PA before.”

The Watsonairs Spring concert will not only usher in the new season, it also marks Robinson’s first concert as permanent choir director. She began serving as the group’s interim director in September, but enjoyed the experience so much she decided to keep going.

“It was a very fulfilling, challenging, exciting thing,” she said. “I’ve always loved conducting and I had taken various little classes here and there along my musical education to know how to conduct. It was just an absolute supreme privilege and I just really enjoyed it. I just wanted to keep doing it, and just do the choir a service.”

The Watsonairs Ladies Choral Group performs “Going to the Movies” at Messiah Luthern Church on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at Canadian Tire, or from choir members. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $10 for 12 and under.

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