MAYFAIR — The rain was spotty last week Thursday. I was in North Battleford when later in the afternoon all hell broke loose from the clouds. A downpour felt absolutely refreshing as I was jacketless and purchasing groceries. I dashed to my vehicle upon leaving the store. This did not halt the seeding of crops.
Many people signed the guest register for the come-and-go tea in honour of 90-year-old Irene Polichuk this past Saturday in the Battlefords Wildlife Federation building. This family farmed in the Whitkow district and all of their five children attended Mayfair School. They range in age from 57. Irene is now living with her eldest daughter Sandra in a house after moving from the River Heights units on 98th Street. Irene is doing remarkable for her age.
Heads up for people all excited about pulling their campers up to Chitek Lake, located 12 miles from Leoville. The government is committed to rebuilding/upgrading 50 kilometres north of Spiritwood to Chitek Lake, a project costing $7 million. The last time I drove on it was late in October 2022. The Chitek to Leoville portion was reasonably completed. It was a whole different scenario when I came on Mother’s Day. The frost must have wreaked havoc on this newly constructed highway. It’s a rough road with potholes until approximately five miles out of Chitek where it was a pleasure to drive on. I know the construction crews are doing their best and people have to realize once it’s completed, travelling will be slightly faster. People coming from North Battleford should take Highway 4 north, turn right at the highway before entering Glaslyn and proceed until a sign reads Ranger Road (a large grid road). Drive a distance on this grid and follow the signs and you will end up on the last part of the completed excellent highway into Chitek. Coming from Saskatoon continue through Spiritwood on Highway 3 and turn right at the Ranger Road sign. This will alleviate wear and tear on the unit you are towing, and the trip will illicit no swear words.
Two well-known retired farmers from our area who moved to the Battlefords years ago have passed away. Ninety-six-year-old Yaroslaw, better known as Yaris, Nikiforuk along with his family farmed in the Dominion area southeast of Whitkow. He leaves behind his wife Stella, children Donna and Debbie, son Michael and families. Recently Bud, Myron and Bronie and their families lost their mother, 95-year-old Sophie Ewanchuk. They had farmed and resided in Whitkow for many years. Condolences to the Nikiforuk and Ewanchuk clans.
With this overly hot weather, one can not but get excited about going to their cabins and/ or camping. Too bad there is a fire ban because having a wiener roast is part of experiencing the great outdoors. The long weekend is fast approaching and like every year the regional and provincial campsites quickly fill up. Extra traffic on the roads, plus farmers with big equipment should make a driver more cautious. Please stay safe everyone.
Gardeners like to have everything in the ground during the May long weekend, except the bedding plants. With the above-normal temperatures, many started three weeks ago. We still can experience nasty weather so “Jack Frost” might take us by surprise. For farmers, it’s nothing unusual to reseed crops when there is a hard spring frost.
I had the pleasure of attending a spring concert this past Saturday at Broadway Theatre Saskatoon. The theme “Cruisin’ through the ‘50s, Groovin’ through the ‘60s” was spectacularly done by the Eclipse Chorus Choir and a live band of local musicians. The choir consists of approximately 30 members who dressed to reflect that era. Their director spontaneously included the crowd for feedback at times.
Retired school teacher and farmer near Whitkow but now residing in Regina was at her sister’s 90th birthday celebration this past weekend. She and Irene Polichuk are sisters. She is an avid reader of Battlefords Regional News-Optimist and has a subscription sent to her Regina address. Sophie enjoys the local news and told me to keep writing for my rural area because she likes to stay informed. She obviously knows many locals, so yes, Sophie, I will try to do my best at informing people who like to read the newspaper. Her daughter is a retired school teacher who resides in Spiritwood.
