HEWARD - The village of Heward is known for its historical stone church, located on the southeast corner of the village. With its steep sloped roof and stunning high steeple, it can be seen from kilometres away.
The church began as an Anglican congregation in 1918 and was designed by an architect from Regina, A.J. Rowley. It was modelled after the Gothic Revival-styled country churches in England, which Rowley found very appealing.
It was a showpiece in its day, but now sits idle across from the old arena and curling rink.
Another attraction for this village was their haunted house in the old curling rink. The building was no longer used as such, and in order not to waste the space, a large and scary Halloween-themed house was created. It has been known to scare the toughest of people.
When COVID-19 hit, the haunted house was closed down and now two years later is full of dust and cobwebs. There are now different plans for the old rink.
Jennifer Frederiksen is the new recreational director, and it is her plan to have an archery and axe-throwing range instead. It will have full seasonal registration and drop-ins. Frederiksen said there has been a lot of interest in the amenity that hopefully will start in January.
The haunted items will be cleaned out of the rink and placed into storage. Frederiksen said there is a lot of stuff in there.
Recently the lobby has seen changes as well. New post office boxes have been installed, the exterior door has been moved from the west wall to the south, and a new postal worker, which is Frederiksen, has arrived.
She had to apply for the position and once she received it, work began to revamp the lobby. She is there in the mornings, and in the afternoons is a hairdresser in Heward.
There is also a kitchen in the heated area known as the community centre, which is now called Howlers. It is named after the haunted house and the coyotes that visit regularly close to Heward.
A viewing window overlooks the old skating arena, which is now a riding arena. Horse enthusiasts have been using it for several years, including the Stoughton New Hope Horse Club.
It has seen horse riders play broomball, while others teach riding lessons. Some come to keep their horse in shape over the winter.
Frederiksen said both sides get quite chilly in the winter, so she is hoping to get fundraising in the new year for heaters, even if they just takes the chill out of the air.
According to Frederiksen volunteers and the community run these facilities.
The new year has a lot to offer in the small village, according to Frederiksen, if everything goes according to their plans.
