Sign In Register MELFORT – The City of Melfort has warned residents that infrastructure work will commence on Mon and temporary traffic controls will be in place:  Full road closure with barricades and signage Detour signs will be posted to redirect traffic.  The entire length of Kingston Street will remain closed Originally planned to reopen part of the road it will stay closed for public and worker safety due to ongoing material transport.  The main driveway access will not be available during construction Please use back alleyways for access to your homes.  Residents and visitors are asked to park along the sides of:  “We appreciate your patience and co-operation as we work to improve our community infrastructure.”  Will Munro was almost 40 hours away from his hometown trying to make the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League While the Swan River star was told there would be a spot for him on the team he would have started the season on the third or fourth line Will had little interest in that after playing that same role with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to begin his career only to find himself in Saskatchewan with the Melfort Mustangs the Mustangs sought to defend their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) title Munro was having difficulty finding his way in Melfort That paved the way for a return to his hometown as he joined the Stampeders Playing in Swan Valley allowed Will to hit his stride while playing with the club he grew up watching growing up watching the Stampeders," said Munro "It was an awesome feeling strapping on the jersey." He was acquired by Melfort as they looked to go back-to-back Joining Melfort meant Will reunited with one of his best friends Bo won an SJHL title with Melfort last year and is one of the team's top defenders They grew up together in Swan River and are both Parkland Ranger alums and we spent like 15 years going to the rink together we know everything about each other," continued Munro "It's pretty awesome to be on the same team as him again." Will also has some family ties on the team in former Dauphin King Ashton Paul Paul is Will's first cousin and posted 24 points in 28 regular-season games before notching nine more in 14 playoff games "My extended family is coming out that I don't think I've ever seen at one of my games," said Munro "All of the support from my family is so special As Melfort entered the playoffs after a historic regular season which saw them finish with 46 wins and 94 points Will immediately stepped in and found success He scored 14 points in 27 regular-season games before erupting in the playoffs the Swan River star had five goals and nine points "I always thought in U18 when the Rangers made the second round I elevated my play there as well," commented Munro "I knew coming into the playoffs that was what I wanted to do I don't like sitting back in the playoffs and letting someone else drive the bus It helped a lot having that confidence from him." Will helped the Mustangs cruise past Kindersley in five games in the first round before dispatching a very good Yorkton team in four games After dropping the first game of the Canterra Seeds Cup final against Weyburn and they stayed late for pictures and whatnot," continued Munro Will and his team are now off to Calgary on Tuesday to compete in the Centennial Cup They played in the event last year and advanced to the national final Back with that experience and knowing how much deeper they'll need to dig the Mustangs open their tournament on Thursday evening in primetime against the host and Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Calgary Canucks they'll also play the Edmundston Blizzard of the Maritimes Hockey League (MHL) Rockland Nationals of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) and the Braves de Valleyfield of the Quebec Junior League (QJL).  "I think we're pretty comfortable and know what we can do and achieve," ended Munro We'll come out of the gates flying on Thursday." Stay tuned to CKDM Sports throughout the next two weeks to see how Will and Bo are doing The Northern Manitoba Blizzard will represent the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) after downing the Dauphin Kings in a triple-overtime thriller in game seven last week.  Read more Read more Read more Read more Read more Read more After becoming the first team to repeat as Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champions in almost a decade, the Melfort Mustangs punched their spot in their second straight Centennial Cup National Junior “A” Hockey Championships, with some unfinished business on their mind.  Last season, the Mustangs and some 16 players suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Collingwood Blues. They came up just a couple of goals short of the SJHL’s first National title since the Yorkton Terriers won it in 2014.  “We just have to take some of the experience we gained last year and take it one game at a time and if we get the opportunity to get to that position again that we know how this time to get over that hump,” Mustangs Head Coach & General Manager Trevor Blevins told the SportsCage on Thursday. The Mustangs, the last team to repeat as league champions in 2015 & 2016, captured the league title with a 3-0 win over the Weyburn Red Wings on Sunday night in Game 5 to finish off the five-game Canterra Seeds Cup win.  “We’ve just been able to bounce back so quickly if we got punched in the mouth or knocked down, we came back hard with a vengeance and I don’t think that’s going to change going forward.”  Melfort will compete in a pool with the Rockland Nationals, Edmundston Blizzard, Valleyfield Braves, and the host and AJHL champion Calgary Canucks, who they’ll meet in their tournament opener this Thursday, May 8th at 7:30 PM.  The 2025 Centennial Cup runs from May 8th to May 18th at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary, Alberta.   Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Article contentMelfort Mustangs have now repeated that feat twice since 2015 under head coach and general manager Trevor Blevins “I’m not the easiest coach to play for,” admits Blevins whose Mustangs captured their second straight Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship title Sunday night after taking the best-of-seven final series in five games over the Weyburn Red Wings Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience The Mustangs hoisted the Canterra Seeds Cup following a 3-0 shutout win over the Red Wings before 2,000 fans at the Northern Lights Palace and gave up only three goals in the five games as goalie Kristian Coombs posted three shutouts It was a fantastic effort all the way down the line-up Melfort also won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016 “Best feeling in the world,” said Mustangs captain and defenceman Ty Thornton “Obviously you can look and see back-to-back I didn’t know that (playoff MVP award) was going to happen To be on this team this year and have this experience which outshot Weyburn 35-16 as Coombs posted another shutout The next issue of will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Mustangs took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a 5-1 win Thursday night in Weyburn Zayden Sadlemyer and Danton Cox each tallied once The Mustangs finished first overall in the SJHL this season with a 46-8-0-2 record We started fresh every time and I think that helped us a lot.” Melfort now moves on to the Centennial Cup — slated to run May 8-18 in Calgary — for the second straight year the Mustangs reached the national junior A championship final “We’ve definitely got some unfinished business there,” suggested Thornton “We’re definitely going to take it to Calgary this year and go for another (run at it).” it’ll be yet another crack at the national title The city of Melfort continues to be one of the SJHL’s top franchises in terms of community support For a town of 5,000 people to have the support that we do from everyone dzary@postmedia.com transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Duns wants to put her expertise toward improving Métis governance in Saskatchewan Melfort’s Nancy Duns says bringing transparency and accountability to Métis governance is her priority as she sets her sights on becoming regional director of Eastern Region II (ERII) of Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentDuns is a member of Melfort Métis Local 22, and an elected official with Les Filles de Madelaine ERII Inc. Metis Women. She says she has the administrative experience needed to improve governance within ERII and MN-S in general. The ERII region encompasses a large area of the northeast and includes the communities of Melfort, Wynyard, Nipawin, Tisdale, Hudson Bay and many others.  Brent Digness is the current director.  “I feel that our region needs a change,” Duns said in a telephone interview. “What we need is to have a common sense approach in dealing with our citizens and the way our government works.” There is a need for “proper governance” among the Métis across the province, she said. MN-S “desperately wants to be a government,”  but much work is needed to make that happen.   She said she will work to ensure transparency and accountability, so that things like regular financial statements are provided to citizens. And she will advocate for the decentralization of funding from the government office of MN-S to the various regions. It is at the regional level that decisions on spending can best be made, she said. Duns wants to improve the health and well-being of Métis people. Many are in poor health, with mental, emotional and spiritual difficulties, she said. “As a leader, it is our job to create those conditions that aid wellness and growth for every person in our region and province,” she said. Duns grew up in Melfort. After graduating from high school in the mid-1980s, she left the community to pursue a post-secondary education and build a career. After many years in local government administration, she returning to Melfort in 2021 to be closer to her aging parents. Soon after her return, she took on the role of manager of Melfort Housing Authority, overseeing a portfolio of over 200 housing units, a large staff and budget. “I’ve had a good career in municipal government, so I feel I’m quite qualified to take on the role of an elected official with Métis Nation,” Duns said.  Métis elders are storytellers, the ones that impart teachings and provide strength to the community, she said. But many of them are struggling to stay in their homes. “We must honour them and help them live with dignity and comfort in their own home,” she said.  Duns came of age at a time when young people didn’t talk or think much about their heritage. She was in her 20s when she started to embrace her Métis culture and take an active interest in it. She said it has been very heartening to see her daughter became committed to the culture. Woman were traditionally the head of households in Métis culture, she said. While taking care of the family, matriarchs also took care of the business side of things. “When I look at the culture, I see things that I want to get back to,” Duns said. “It’s about getting back to grassroots, and for me that means learning from our elders.” Métis people have been victimized by various government enforced assimilation policies, including compulsory attendance in religious boarding schools, or residential achools, and the separation of children from their homes, families of birth and communities by child welfare authorities during the so-called Sixties Scoop.  Much of the Métis culture was suppressed during these times and remains under pressure from discriminatory attitudes and practices in Canada, Duns indicated. Treaty rights outlined in Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution Act include those of Métis people, but there are ongoing legal battles to secure those rights, including hunting and fishing rights.    The knowledge, traditions, beliefs and practices of the Métis people – the culture – is resurfacing. Duns wants to fully embrace, share and promote it. Reclaiming here Métis heritage has changed her life.  “I’m feeling whole, because part of me was feeling like I was missing something,” she said. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Four families have lost their homes and many more have had to evacuate following a fire on James Smith Cree Nation and Garden River aided local residents in fighting the blaze The Kinistino Fire Department described the incident as a “large wildland fire burning out of control” in a post on their Facebook page Crews from the Kinistino Fire Department were dispatched at 3:21 p.m They set one group up on the south end of the fire to protect property while a second group pushed to the north end of the fire to stop its progress Fire crews from Kinistino returned to the fire hall at midnight Crews Melfort Fire and Rescue arrived at 4:30 p.m on Saturday following a request from Kinistino for mutual aid The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency was also called in to drop retardant “RCMP and James Smith Security were also on scene and many residents were helping out to protect their property,” reads a post on the Melfort Fire and Rescue Facebook page The Chakastaypasin Band of the Cree Nation one of three bands that make up James Smith announced on Facebook that four families have lost their homes while “many more had to evacuate with little to no time to grab essentials.” Many families have been able to return home according to the post which was published at 4:11 p.m “The ones who lost their homes are now faced with the overwhelming task of replacing everything they owned — clothing and personal belongings,” reads the statement “While nothing can replace the memories tied to what was lost The band has made a request for monetary donations to help families who are starting over They’ve also asked for food and hygiene items The band says mental health workers will be made available tomorrow to debrief and support anyone in need “Your generosity means more than you know,” reads the statement “Thank you to all those who have already donated and for standing with our families during this incredibly difficult time.” Those looking to donate can contact 306-713-2890 for more information There is also a dro-off location at the BCCS Gym Prince Albert's only locally-owned daily newspaper MELFORT – On April 15 from 7 to 9 p.m. the Melfort Trade Alliance Chamber of Commerce will host a come-and-go candidate chat The event will take place at the Melfort Legion Hall The chamber said that rather than holding a formal candidate debate the event is intended to be a more informal opportunity for attendees to speak with all the potential candidates in a relaxed atmosphere Candidates in the Prince Albert riding are: Everyone is encouraged and welcome to attend Local businesses and concerned citizens are invited to bring their questions YORKTON - The hopes for an SJHL championship for Yorkton Terrier fans ended tonight (April 9) as they were swept in their semi final series by the Melfort Mustangs The Terriers were down three-games-to-none and needed a win as they took to the Westland Insurance Arena and through the opening 20-minutes neither team managed a goal Zac Somers finally put a goal on the board scoring 52-seconds into the middle period for a 1-0 Mustang lead Yorkton would tie things 1-1 4:26 into the third period on a goal by Tate Schofer but it would be Yorkton’s only goal of the game Meanwhile Mustang Reilley Kotai would be awarded a penalty shot and he would find the twine behind Terrier netminder Ethan Farrow for what would be the eventual game Nicholas Andrusiak would add an insurance marker at 13:48 for the Mustangs and a 3-1 win Farrow would face 22-shots in the Terrier net in the loss Kristian Coombs stopped 18-of-19 in the Melfort nets for the win The Mustangs now await the winner of the Weyburn – Flin Flon series The Bombers avoided being swept with a 5-1 win Wednesday The Red Wings still lead the best-of-seven three-games-to-one The Melfort Mustangs are a win away from defending their SJHL championship The Mustangs scored a 5-1 in Weyburn on Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series a pair of historical firsts occurred during the game Weyburn and Melfort both looked to establish themselves physically from the opening face-off with thunderous hits delivered by both sides The Mustangs delivered a punishing blow on the scoreboard when Nolan Roberts found the back of the net 5:07 into the contest the official on the ice initially waived the goal off which the SJHL is using for the first time in this series That review confirmed that the goal was good becoming the first time in league history that a disallowed goal was overturned by video review Melfort continued to clog the neutral zone and force Weyburn’s offence to the perimeter The Red Wings didn’t put a shot on goal until the nine-minute mark of the first period eventually leading to Max Chakrabarti scoring his fourth of the season when he beat Mustang goaltender Kristian Coombs through a screen the lights went out in the Melfort end of the arena leading to a four-minute delay before action resumed but time would run out with the teams tied 1-1 on the scoreboard and 9-9 on the shot clock Melfort’s Zac Somers would get the puck high in the slot area and shoot it post in to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead with 10:26 to go in the period forcing Weyburn to take a high-sticking call The Mustangs maintained possession of the puck they scored again to take a one-goal lead seemingly the goal was reviewed for the second time in the contest with the officials determining that a glove pass impacted the play and another historic moment was logged for the SJHL A video review overturned a good goal call for the first time in league history The second period would end with Melfort leading 2-1 and the shots 22-18 in the Mustangs' favour Weyburn carried the play at the start of the frame the Red Wings' discipline would come back to bite them Ethan DeKay was assessed a major penalty for head contact and a game misconduct The Mustangs' power play would go to work Melfort's Ty Thornton would notch his first of the post-season to give Melfort a 3-1 lead As Melfort’s man advantage continued the Red Wings’ Jerome Maharaj was taken down deep in the Mustangs' zone and awarded a penalty shot After some brief instruction from his coach Maharaj tried to find some net on his forehand but Melfort’s Kristian Coombs was equal to the task making the save and keeping the score 3-1 Melfort Weyburn successfully killed off the remainder of the major penalty but needed to go all out and pull the goaltender in favour of an extra attacker the Mustangs slipped pucks into the empty net The Mustangs were 1/4 on the power play while the Red Wings were 0/5 Weyburn is 0/16 on the power play in the series and has only scored once on their last 22 postseason power play chances Melfort will look to close out the series on home ice on Sunday night Regina WatchMelfort Mustangs beat Weyburn Red Wings in game 2 of the SJHL finalThe Melfort Mustangs have drawn even with the Weyburn Red Wings in the SJHL final after a 3-0 shut out win Sunday night at Northern Lights Palace Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved The Melfort Rotary Club has been honouring volunteers in the northeast with galas each two years and will continue that tradition on April 12 The Rotary will host a Sports Appreciation Dinner with the theme “Sports: Heroes Athletes and Volunteers” at the Kerry Vickar Centre Rotary member Gailmarie Anderson said this will be the third gala hosted to show appreciation for volunteers “We did the first one with STARS and some of the emergency services and then we did a second one with a lot of the emergency services after COVID,” Anderson explained athletes and volunteers who work in the sports field because it’s just phenomenal in Northeast Saskatchewan how many people have achieved so much.” Anderson said that these athletes accomplished these feats with the help of volunteer coaches and others in places like high school sports The Rotary Club wanted to recognize the individuals who provided that helping hand “We have so many people in various sports that have gone on from Melfort to regional They did that all with the help of so many people.” the Rotary Club will recognize the men and women who helped build sports organizations in the area who was born in Star City and was a Multiple medallist in Judo Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Champion Julie Kozun SJHL Championship winning coach Trevor Blevins of the Melfort Mustangs WPCA Chuckwagon Champion Layne MacGillivray Anderson said that the quality of keynote speakers shows the amount of talent produced in Melfort and area She added that the sponsors who came on board have also been incredible “We have just been overwhelmed with the sponsorship from local individuals and organizations and businesses,” she said “It’s just been absolutely wonderful According to Anderson ticket sales are also going well Businesses from the area have also sponsored tables including Bourgault Industries who have sponsored the table for all of the coaches from the high school in St Anderson said money from the gala will also be going towards Sports Scholarships for 2025 high school graduates in Melfort There will be two scholarships in Melfort and one each in the surrounding communities “It’s for their school experience,” Anderson explained “It doesn’t mean that they have to go on to postsecondary or anything but we just want to honour them because some of them will be going on to be major sports people.” Anderson said the Rotary will see what the future holds for their next gala “We’ll have to think about that It’s been two years between each one so far but we’re happy to do it and all of our proceeds always go back into our local communities.” There is also a silent auction which already has over 60 items as well as a live auction “People have been so generous,” Anderson said Penny (Baker) has donated 10 pies which we are auctioning off live during the evening And they people can have their dessert there or they can take them home,” Anderson added which is an App-based input tracking device for Planters Tenders and Sprayers which was developed by the son of a Melfort Rotarian According to Anderson the device is worth $4,000 All proceeds will support projects in communities the Rotary supports on April 12 and will be catered by Page Seven Catering Tickets are available for the Gala from any Rotarian and at the Box Office at the Kerry Vickar Centre “We’re just pretty excited to have the evening happen,” Anderson said The SJHL final series is even at one win apiece after Melfort beat Weyburn 3-0 in game three on Sunday night The Melfort Mustangs' home-ice loss in game one of the SJHL final was just the third time all season that they have lost a game at the Northern Lights Palace. The defending SJHL champions were determined to defend home ice in game two of the series. The Weyburn Red Wings, fresh off their opening-game win, set a physical tone early in the game with a huge hit 15 seconds after the opening faceoff. The Red Wings would continue to assert themselves physically in the game's opening stages, eventually forcing the Mustangs to take a penalty out of frustration at the 6:13 mark of the period. The Red Wings' struggling power play wouldn’t get a shot on goal thanks to relentless puck pressure by the Mustangs that didn’t allow Weyburn’s special teams to get set up. The teams didn’t give up many scoring chances the remainder of the period, resulting in a scoreless first period with Weyburn outshooting the Mustangs 11-10. In the second period, Melfort started the frame on the man advantage after a late penalty to Weyburn, which foreshadowed how the period would play out for Weyburn. The Red Wings would kill the remaining time on the initial penalty, but 45 seconds after the penalty expired, Weyburn would take a pair of penalties 16 seconds apart. Mustang would open the scoring on the resulting 5-on-3 opportunity. Logan Belton’s fourth of the playoffs, a one-timer from the bottom of the right wing circle, would put the Mustangs in front 1-0. Following another pair of Weyburn penalties, the Mustangs' power play was all over Weyburn, but Red Wing’s goaltender Angelo Zol made some outstanding saves to keep the lead at one goal. However, as Weyburn’s fourth minor penalty expired, Logan Belton scored his second of the night to give Melfort a 2-0 lead. Weyburn was assessed 20 minutes in penalties in the second period, disrupting any built-up offensive momentum. The Red Wings did not register a shot in period until there was 3:32 remaining in the frame. Shots on goal in the second period were 15-5 in favour of Melfort, and they would take the 2-0 advantage into the intermission. In the third period, Melfort would put the game away less than three minutes into the third period when Melfort’s Bo Eisner’s screened shot found the back of the net. Melfort’s 3-0 victory evens the best-of-seven series at 1-1. The Mustangs also outshot Weyburn 34-22. Melfort’s power play was 1/7 in game two, while Weyburn’s was 0/7. Weyburn’s power play is definitely a point of concern. They are 0/11 in the series and have just one goal in their last 17 power plays. Games three and four will be in Weyburn on Wednesday and Thursday nights. A 5-1 victory on Thursday night propelled the Melfort Mustangs to a 3-1 lead over the Weyburn Red Wings in their best-of-seven Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final series Article contentFive Melfort players each found the back of the net in the game Max Chakrabarti had the lone goal for Weyburn Kristian Coombs made 27 saves on 28 shots for the Mustangs while his Red Wings counterpart Angelo Zol stopped 29 of 32 Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Sunday night in Melfort being played April 30 in Weyburn and May 3 in Melfort The defending champion Mefort Mustangs have retaken home ice advantage from the Weyburn Red Wings in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Championship after a 1-0 game three win. For the first time since 2012, Weyburn hosted an SJHL final game, and the packed Crescent Point Place witnessed a tight-checking affair. In the opening period, both teams came out looking to set a physical tone. However, Weyburn’s undisciplined play from game two spilled over just 94 seconds into the game when Cyprus Smith-Davis was assessed a tripping penalty. Despite getting some quality chances, Melfort was unable to beat Weyburn goaltender Angelo Zol. When five-on-five play resumed, both teams clogged up the middle of the ice and the scoring zones. Before the period was out, Weyburn was awarded a pair of power play opportunities, but the Mustangs' puck pressure did not allow the Red Wings' power play to set up, keeping the play to the perimeter. After the opening 20 minutes, the game remained scoreless with Melfort outshooting Wyburn 5-4. The Red Wings were 0/2 on the power play while the Mustangs were 0/1. When play resumed in the second period, the teams continued their defence-first play. Neither team got any grade A scoring opportunities, despite Weyburn earning a third power play. However, the game’s first goal would come with just over three minutes left when the Mustangs would win a face-off on the left Wing in Weyburn’s zone. Melfort’s Logan Belton would find the puck and put it past Zol. For Belton, it was his third goal of the series and sixth of the playoffs. Melfort would take the lead into the second intermission, outshooting Weyburn 9-3 in the period and 14-7 overall in the game. In the third period, Melfort, who were 18-0-0-2 in one-goal games in the regular season, put on a clinic clogging up the neutral zone. The Mustangs' defence didn’t allow the Red Wings any lanes to the net, holding the hometown team at bay for most of the period, holding on for the 1-0 victory. Shots on goal in the third period were 11-5 in favour of Melfort. Mustangs goaltender Kristian Coombs turned aside 12 shots for his second straight shutout of the final series. Weyburn’s struggling power play was 0/3 on the night. The Red Wings are now 0/14 in the series. Melfort leads the best-of-seven final 2-1, game three is in Weyburn on Thursday night. died in a two-vehicle crash on a northeastern Saskatchewan highway last week Melfort RCMP responded Friday around 12:30 p.m to a report of a collision on Highway 41 in the RM of Flett’s Springs approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Melfort Officers at the scene determined two SUVs collided All three occupants of one vehicle — a 70-year-old woman from Crystal Springs a 42-year-old woman from Saskatoon and a 44-year-old man from Saskatoon — were declared deceased at the scene The lone occupant of the other SUV was taken to hospital for what RCMP described as non-life-threatening injuries Melfort RCMP and a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist continue to investigate In the lead-up to National Red Dress Day on May 5th Reconciliation Melfort wants to tell you about a few things happening in Saskatchewan that should be of interest We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThis year marks the 15th anniversary of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People, also known as Red Dress Day. The day focuses on the need to recognize and address  violence perpetrated against many in Canada . The Marguerite Riel Centre in Melfort will host the 3rd annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Walk on Friday, May 2, starting at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Gardens on Main Street. Participants are invited to wear any form of red clothing Reconciliation Melfort is bringing focus to Breaching Treaty, an online panel discussion organized by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner. The event will feature opening remarks from Kathy Walker, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, and stories of resilience from panelists Kerry Benhoe and Dale Apesis. The panel also includes Lee Hinton and Kathryn Boyce. On its social media, Reconciliation Melfort also highlights Red Dress Day happenings at Wanuskewin Heritage Park north of Saskatoon. From May 3-5, there will be a new gallery show, dance features, and programming that brings awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-people persons, as well as missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys (MMIWG). The full site at Wanuskewin, including the trails and playground, will be closed on Saturday and Sunday. Interpretive programming and guided walks will be offered. From 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday there will self-guided exploration of the MMIWG focused gallery show. The mahihkanak Dance Troupe will perform at 1:00 p.m., and there will be drop in tables for making beaded Red Dress pins. MELFORT - The 2024 City of Melfort municipal election ballots have been counted and a new council has been elected The new council as elected by the citizens of Melfort are the following: Adrian Bourgeois The re-elected councillors were Tara Muntain The new council will work along side acclaimed mayor The official results will be declared by the Returning Officer by noon on Nov. 14. Click here to find the results.     The Swearing-In Ceremony will take place at city hall on Tuesday “We would like to extend a thank you to all councillor candidates for putting their names forward,” the City of Melfort stated.  Melfort Amateur Dramatics (MAD) is celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2025 The group is hosting the TheatreOne Festival on April 24 to 26 at the Kerry Vickar Centre and that led some longtime members to look back on their involvement Peter and Michelle Waldbillig moved to Melfort in 1979 and joined MAD Michelle said that reaching the 50th year milestone is fantastic “We have had such a really interesting history throughout the past 50 years and the changes in how we do plays and what kind of plays we’re able to do and the number of people that we’ve had involved,” Michelle said “We were saying at our last Christmas Dinner Theatre that when we look at the audience probably half of the people in Melfort have had a part of doing something involved with MAD over the years but as being either backstage or on stage or doing something with the advertising,” she added “It’s amazing the connections we’ve made over the years.” Peter said it’s even more impressive when you consider how many drama companies no longer exist “We’re probably one of the few communities that still has a thriving drama company after 50 years,” he said “When we started there was Prince Albert and Saskatoon and Regina Most of those companies no longer have drama so the fact that we’ve been able to survive and to grow over the years I think speaks well for the community.” Peter and Michelle have a wealth of knowledge about the founding and first few years of MAD “We missed the first couple of years “I was emceeing the other night and I told the people I’ve only been MAD for just about 50 years,” Peter said Michelle said that the existence of the MAD House on Main as their rehearsal hall and media call space has been beneficial They are one of the few groups in the province to have one we were rehearsing in people’s basements and finding evenings or afternoons when we could get together downstairs in somebody’s living room or their basement rec room so that we had a place to rehearse,” Michelle said As the group progressed they went from doing shows in school auditoriums to the Heritage Inn in Melfort They also had storage areas throughout the city and for a time rehearsed in the basement of the old City Hall “We had a space of time where we didn’t have any place to actually perform,” Michelle remembered “We stored a whole bunch of our stuff over in a storage room at the back of Burke school yard.” Members Keith Woods and Betty Woods bought a warehouse on the south side of Melfort which they used as rehearsal space before the MAD House was in place Over the years they also performed at the old Melfort Leisure Centre “We have been able to do our dinner theatres over at the Kerry Vickar after that became a good building and we do our in-house productions now in our own building,” Michelle said Michelle said the Heritage Inn was a fine performance venue “The only drawback was we had to literally build the stage,” she said “We would bring all the platforms and the risers and stuff and build our own little stage and our dressing rooms or upstairs You’d come down the back kitchen area to get on stage The group has done a variety of plays in 50 years and since then has only grown “(We) didn’t have all the fancy lighting or anything like that and over the years we’ve learned to use lighting and sound equipment and a whole lot of different stage effects and building sets,” Michelle said “We’ve learned a lot of things just by going to festivals.” MAD was founded in 1975 after Mary Anderson called a meeting of people who wanted to start a theatre company in Melfort Michelle said they originally had around 25 members It was “See How They Run” directed by Mary Anderson The play cost $1.50 for adults and was performed in Reynolds School The group used Reynolds School because member Keith Woods was the principal “A lot of our productions were at Reynolds School because of that,” Michelle said People from all walks of life were part of the group including people who worked at the Melfort Research Station lawyers and others have joined in the past 50 years “That’s one of the great things about belonging to a theatre group like this because you meet a whole range of people that you normally would never have anything to do with in your regular profession or the workplace,” Michelle said “You get all of these new ideas and interesting people with fun ideas to do things with It makes a really enjoyable kind of learning experience as well.” The group has done many projects working in the community including plays with the Legion for Remembrance Day including with Grade 6 and Grade 7 students Then we also did a play out at the exhibition grounds as part of the fair under the tent and had kids and families sitting around while we re-enacted a children’s play,” Michelle said They also did two years running productions of Chautauqua under a big tent on Main Street “That was that was an experience because we had a variety of entertainment from musical numbers to poetry readings but you had the traffic going by on the street as well but it was just a fun thing to do,” Michelle said They also did One Act in the Park in Waskesiu and also worked with students from MUCC when the school had no drama program They attended their first provincial festival in Saskatoon in 1980 we took Marriage Wheel and that was a really fun little group to work with because it was a costume piece We had to do that with costumes and with special sets for people coming through the windows and things like that,” Michelle said They also produced their first radio play in 1980 “That was an experience with learning how to how to do the sound effects a and the storyline,” Michelle said MAD also produced Travelling Theatre in 2019 and 2023 The travelling theatre opened at the MAD House and then moved to the Marguerite Riel Centre and Chances R MAD has also been a part of several workshops “We bring in someone from TSI (Theatre Saskatchewan Incorporate) who is an accredited director or makeup artist or someone like that,” Michelle said MAD has also done Christmas Dinner Theatre for other organizations like the Wheat Pool City of Melfort and Melfort Curling Club Banquets Members Keith Woods and Betty Woods received the Provincial Volunteer Medal in 1988 for her work with MAD and with the provincial executive Current members Michelle Waldbilig and Imogene Schick also received provincial recognition Michelle said she remembers the work of Keith and Betty Woods ” They were in a number of plays and they’ve certainly been very strong supporters of MAD,” Michelle said Louise Claggett was the longtime treasurer for MAD and when we did productions in the hotels and whatnot she did not want to have to get into her costumes backstage dressing room backstage for her to get into fun memories of things like that,” Michelle said Peter explained that for MAD’s 40th Anniversary the group put together a booklet called Memories of MAD: 1975-2015 “There’s been ever so many people that have belonged to MAD who have acted on our stages,” Michelle said Peter said the backstage people were just as important as the people on the stage “The backstage people were just as important as the people who are on stage We used to have a man by the name of Terry Fennel creating the smoke and the glitter of that the other Cinderella was able to sprinkle over the Kindergarten kids at Reynolds School,” he said Michelle said they also used to perform the Passion Play at the Covenant Bible Church Peter said that they have had a number of ministers involved with the club over the years They also did musical numbers with the Kinsmen Lobsterfest and one member performed as Elvis Presley MAD has also partnered with the Melfort and District Museum for productions such as movies on the founding of the Melfort Co-op and the Beatty Trek of Melfort original resident Reginald Beatty “We’ve done a couple of those and t you learn very quickly Emery Nelson was doing sound on that and we ran into issues where you’re trying to film outside the wind comes up and you lose half of your sound system,” Both Peter and Michelle said that the work of MAD could not be done without the support of sponsors “We can’t say enough about the sponsors in Melfort the different organisations and businesses that provide funding and provide things that we require for doing these productions and keeping the club operating because they’re so important,” Michelle said Peter said they receive support of nearly $6,000 or more which helps them pay taxes on the MAD House Michelle said that royalties on plays have increased and the support helps them cover that cost “The sponsors and our audiences are amazing They have always really come through for us and they’ve been so good The audiences are wonderful because they just cheer us on and tell us how good our plays are and how much they enjoy coming and it Peter noted that the support for theatre from the many senior high-rises is also great “That part of it has just been really great to have and to see and it just encourages us “For years we have worked with the daycare management and board as they navigated their financial issues. Our members even agreed to be denied negotiated increases so the daycare could get their books in order,” said Tina Lindsay, president of CUPE 5080. “For them to now give these workers the choice of further wage reductions or the closure of the facility is insulting. They have done enough.” Lindsay’s letter to the Ministry of Education called on the provincial government to urgently intervene with resources and support to help the daycare navigate their financial issues to avoid the daycare’s closure. The letter also called on the Ministry to stop expanding the number of Melfort Daycare Cooperative spots and locations until their financial issues are resolved. “The hardworking staff at the Melfort Daycare Cooperative had nothing to do with the financial mess they now find themselves in, and they should not have to pay the price to fix it,” added Lindsay. “This daycare is essential to our community and our economy – it must remain open.” CUPE | 1375 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel: (613) 237-1590 Fax: (613) 237-5508  Toll free: (844) 237-1590 Fifty years doesn’t pass at the speed of light This is especially true for people involved in live theatre Article contentMelfort Amateur Dramatics Inc That’s a half century of combining all of the above qualities and more to bring live plays to local audiences laughter and joy has been collected in the hearts and minds Keeping the momentum going for five decades is a major achievement and a major event is coming this month to celebrate it The community of Melfort and MAD are hosting TheatreOne 2025 a competitive short play festival and showcase of community theatre groups organized by Theatre Saskatchewan happening April 25-26 at Melfort’s Kerry Vickar Centre (KVC) original member Imogene Schick said: “We think that this tells us that live theatre is valued and enjoyed by the local residents whether it be an evening of laughter or a production that challenges our audience to think outside the box.” Schick has been part of  MAD from the start and is currently the company’s treasurer She was awarded the Theatre Saskatchewan Volunteer of the Year Award in 2022 Membership in MAD has ebbed and flowed over the years She said Keith and Betty Woods joined MAD in its early days and became instrumental in promoting live theatre and encouraging the development of skills that would be of benefit on stage and in life Peter and Michelle Waldbillig have been with MAD for most of its 50 years and continue to influence the company’s direction “MAD always hopes that our success will inspire more community people to get involved in theatre set props and all other related jobs necessary to complete the production,” she said actors and playwrights into a shared space and experience where a story unfolds It creates a powerful atmosphere that brings out a range of emotions Serious plays about tough subjects are especially stirring Imogene Schick said Melfort is a better place because of the value it places in the arts including live theatre that showcases the creative energy and talents of local residents TheatreOne: The Golden Age of Theatre features seven community theatre groups MELFORT – The City of Melfort is applying for funding to build on to Melfort’s pathway network.   At the Feb.10 council meeting, the council approved a grant application for capital funding through the Canada Public Transit Fund – Active Transportation Fund (ATF) which would be for a pathway network within the city.   The City of Melfort paved in 2022-2023 the existing gravel pathways throughout Spruce Haven Park and along Saskatchewan Drive East.  The pathways have received improvements such as benches, waste receptacles, and bike lockers around the pathways from this funding in the past years.   The proposed project scope would include installing three kilometres of new asphalt pathway, paving 435 meters of gravel pathways, and installing proper pedestrian crossings, lighting and signage. The projects would be constructed in phases from 2026 to 2029, for an approximate total cost of $1,104,000.  “The enhancement of these multi-use pathways will provide safe, efficient, cost-effective and convenient links between commercial areas, green spaces, destination sites and residential areas. Upon completion, these enhancements will support all active transportation users and contribute to residents’ quality of life through increased connectivity,” it said in the public works report.  The current projected capital budget expenditures for pathway network enhancement show an investment of $730,390 from 2026 to 2028.   If the city receives this grant, plans to proceed will begin in 2026. 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