Proud parents, pairs of Canada geese swim with their young in tow in the tranquil waters of the Wabigoon River near the Partridge Island Causeway, May 9. A riverside walk shows the water’s edge to be teeming with all manner of wildlife as warmer temperatures establish themselves from bird species as exotic as blue heron to beaver and otters.   Photo by Chris Marchand

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 By Chris Marchand

The records were falling at another great year of athletics in the second annual Dryden High School Track and Field Invitational, May 15.

The DHS Invitational was used to select the team entry for the NWOSSAA Regional Track and Field Championships to be held at the Canadian Legion Track and Field facility in Thunder Bay, May 23-24.

The day saw 25 meet records set with 13 local elementary records and 17 high school records.

With over 200 participants and 750 individual event entries between high school and elementary school divisions, organizer and DHS track coach Mike Wood says the volunteers made the event a tremendous success.

For Wood, the day’s highlight came in a new relay event that he hopes will henceforth become a longstanding tradition. New in 2012 was the first annual Harry McMaster Mile — in honour of the iconic local retired teacher and sports pioneer.

“Harry’s legacy is a testament to all that we hope to instil in students at DHS to this day and it seemed only fitting that we carry this tradition forward in his good name,” said Wood. “I believe it’s only fitting that we chose the most iconic distance in track; a distance which can only be perfected as a relay of four athletes with incredible effort, precision and team work.  Harry would have it no other way.”

After sharing a story about how the first DHS track and field meet was held at the old Agricultural Fairgrounds in 1949, and was started with a real gun, borrowed from the Bank of Montreal for the occasion, Harry officially started the McMaster Relay with a more modern and far less intimidating starters pistol.

Competitors left it all on the track in hot pursuit of winning this inaugural event. In the end, St. Joseph won both the Elementary girls and boys categories. See below for results.

Tuesday May 15th, 2012 at Dryden High School

Elementary School Championship Results

1. St. Joseph’s 174

2. New Prospect 167

3. Open Roads 138

4. St. Thomas Aquinas 108

5. Lillian Berg 13

Long Jump – Elementary Girls

1. Tori Stebnitsky – STE -Meet Record

2. Taylor Tom – STE

3. Lauren Nickle – SJ Elementary Record

4. Jordan Bakos (OR)

5. Emma Robertson (NP)

Long Jump – Elementary Boys

1. Zack Lugli – SJ (Meet Record)

2. Marshall Miller – OR

3. Michael Hodgkinson – SJ

4. Sean Wood – OR

5. Alex Palmer – OR

Long Jump – High School Girls

1. Emily Plett -DHS

2. Emmy Arsenault – DHS

Long Jump – High School Boys

1. Ilya Perkins – DHS (DHS Record)

2. Keagan Murray – STH

3. Tristan Wetendorf – STH

4. Neils Rasmussen -QEH

5. Josh Wetendorf STH

Javelin – High School Boys

1. Shane Kirton – DHS (Meet and DHS Record)

2. Brendan Fishwick – DHS

3. Thomas Cooper – DHS

4. Nevin Mallyon – DHS

5. Taylor Dalzell – PLH

Discus – High School Boys

1. Robbie Lecot – DHS (Meet Record)

2. Thomas Cooper – DHS

3. Brendan Fishwick – DHS

4. Brayden Davis – DHS

5. Ryan Beever – PLH

High Jump – Elementary Girls

1. Savanna Neniska – STE (Meet Record)

2. Taylor Tom – STE

3. Celena Brosseau – SJ (Local Elementary Record)

4. Jade Snow – KA

5. Sage Skead – STE

High Jump – Elementary Boys

1. Sean Wood – OR

2. Devan Schmidt – NP

3. Marshall Miller – OR

4. Deven Trist – NP

5. Callan Fedorchuk – SJ

High Jump – High School Boys

1. Shane Kirton – DHS

2. Keagan Murray – STH

3. Brendan Fishwick -DHS

4. Josh Leutshaft -DHS

5. Keaton Markham -STH

Shot Put – Elementary Girls

1. Maddie Turgeon- OR (Meet Record)

2. Elexis Clarke – NP

3. Lindsay Coles – SJ

4. Tiffany Voth – SJ

5. Emily Campbell – NP

Shot Put – Elementary Boys

1. Michael Hodgkinson – SJ (Meet and Elementary Record)

2. Eric Sundmark – STE

3. Justin Wice – NP

4. Marshall Miller – OR

5. Alex Palmer – OR

Shot Put — High School Girls

1. Elizabeth Carter – DHS

Shot Put – High School Boys

1. Thomas Cooper – DHS

2. Brendan Fishwick – DHS

3. Robbie Lecot -DHS

4. Brayden Davis – DHS

5. Nevin Mallyon – DHS

800M – Elementary Girls

1. Celena Brosseau – SJ 2:59

2. Maddie Hatch – OR 3:15

3. Rhiannon Polischuk – STE 3:19

800 m – Elementary Boys

1. Jacob Benson – SJ 2:31

2. Alex Urquhart – OR 2:40

3. Bruce Anderson – OR 2:42

4. Daniel Phillipow – STE 2:43

5. Zachary Lambert – OR 2:47

800 m – High School Girls

1. Andie Wood – DHS 2:41.7

2. Elizabeth Carter -DHS 2:42

3 Nicole Allam – DHS 2:57

4. Dominique Gardner – DHS 3:09

800 m – High School Boys

1. Kirk Markowski -DHS 2:17.1

2. Tyler Leonzio DHS 2:18

3. Jake Wickstrom – DHS 2:25

4. Devon Noel – DHS 2:26

5. Taylor Dalzell – PLH 2:49

100M – Elementary Girls

1. Tori Stebnitsky – STE 13.4

2. Leah Alvesta – STE 14.1

3. Leah Balla – NP 14.4

4. Savanna Neniska – STE 14.5

5. Katie Gould – SJ 14.5

100M – Elementary Boys

1. Michael Hodgkinson – SJ 12.5

2. Zack Lugli – SJ 12.5

3. Devan Schmidt -NP 12.5

4. Ben Allen – NP 13.0

5. Dylan Mackay – STE 13.5

100M – High Schools Girls

1. Emily Plett – DHS 13.6

2. Sarah Smith – DHS 14.2

3. Emmy Arsenault 14.3

4. Alyssa Kirouac 14.3

100M – High School Boys

1. Travis Potter – DHS 12.6

2. Ilya Perkins – DHS 12.7

3. Josh Wetendorf – STH 12.7

4. Keagan Murray – STH 12.9

5. Brayden Hansson – DHS 12.9

400M – Elementary Girls

1. Celena Brosseau -SJ 1:16

2. Taylor Tom – STE 1:17

3. Martine Evens – LB 1:21

4. Natasha Kastrukoff – SJ 1:22

5. Leah Alvestad – STE 1:22

400M – Elementary Boys

1. Jacob Benson – SJ 1:03.4

2. Mitchell Mawby – NP 1:03.5

3. Treven Ouellet – NP 1:05.8

4. Raymond Cook – OR 1:05.8

5. Alex Palmer – OR 1:06.5

400M – High School Girls

1. Emily Plett – DHS 1:06.1

2. Elizabeth Carter – DHS 1:06.8

3. Andie Wood – DHS 1:09.9

4. Alyssa Kirouac – DHS 1:11.3

5. Sarah Smith – DHS 1:11.3

400M – High School Boys

1. Brayden Hannson – DHS 59.5

2. Kirk Markowski – DHS 1:00.6

3. Tyler Leonzio – DHS 1:01.3

4. Ilya Perkins – DHS 1:02.6

5. Devon Noel – DHS 1:02.9

100M Hurdles – Elementary Girls

1. Rinda Trout – NP 14.9

2. Jordan Bakos – OR 16.1

3. Britney Mol – OR 16.3

4. Lauren Nickle – SJ 16.4

5. Katie Gould – SJ 16.5

100M Hurdles – Elementary Boys

1. Michael Hogkinson – SJ 14.5

2. Sean Wood – OR 14.5

3. Mitchell Mawby – NP 14.8

4. Jacob Benson – SJ 15.0

5. Chayse Hoey – STE 15.0

100M Hurdles – High School Girls

1. Emmy Arsenault – DHS 16.8

2. Alyssa Kirouac DHS 17.4

3. Emily Day – DHS 17.6

100M Hurdles – High School Boys

1. Travis Potter- DHS 14.1

2. Keagan Murray – DHS 15.0

3. Ilya Perkins – DHS 15.1

4. DJ Yeomens – STH 16.2

5. Josh Wetendorf – STH 16.5

1500M – Elementary Girls

1. Leah Balla – NP 5:55.3

2. Rinda Trout – NP 6:01.1

3. Ally Wisneski – LB 6:05.8

4. Alexandra Cooper – OR 6:08.0

5. Martine Evens – LB 6:40.8

1500M – Elementary Boys

1. Devon Kroylk – STE 5:16.5

2. Treven Ouellet – NP 5:22.5

3. Alex Urquhart – OR 5:29.2

4. Zachary Lambert – OR 5:35.3

5. Mike Braun – NP 5:40.3

1500M – High School Girls

1. Andie Wood – DHS 5:39

2. Nicole Allam – DHS 6:10.2

3. Dominique Gardner – DHS 6:42.1

1500M – High School Boys

1. Kirk Markowski – DHS 4:48.4

2. Tyler Leonzio -DHS 4:58.6

3. Adam Osmond – QEH 5:14.1

4. Deven Noel – DHS 5:15.6

5. Jake Wickstrom – DHS 5:15.7

Harry McMaster Mile

4x400M Relay

Elementary Girls Champion Team: St. Josephs – Dara Zeroth, Natasha Kastrukoff, Lindsay

Elementary Boys Champion Team: St. Josephs – Zach, Lugli, Jacob Wesley, Jacob Benson, Michael Hodgkinson

HS Co-Ed Champion Team: DHS 2 – Elizabeth Carter, Emily Plett, Sarah Smith, Braydon Hansson

The who's who of Dryden's business community celebrated the gains of the previous year at the 15th annual Dryden Business Excellence Awards, May 5 at the Dryden Agricultural Building. Photos by Chris Marchand

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By Chris Marchand

A night of celebration and recognition for Dryden’s business community, May 5 at the Dryden Fairgrounds Agricultural Building, for the Dryden District Chamber of Commerce’s 15th Annual Business Excellence Awards.

Over 90 individuals and businesses were nominated for awards in 18 categories. Among the highlights, downtown tea, coffee and retail outlet Kano Reid cleaned up, taking Business of the Year 1-25 Employees and  Outstanding New Business. Kano Reid’s Sarah Cottrell also took home Employee of the Year, Retail Sector.

2012′s Business of Honour was 92.7 CKDR, a business represented by many nominees. Newsman Mike Ebbeling earned Employee of the Year, Service Sector and was also nominated for Business Volunteer of the Year, a category won by McLeod Chiropractic’s Neil McLeod.

The Mayor’s Award, presented by Mayor Craig Nuttall was presented to local insurance firm The Standard Insurance for their dedicated efforts to enhance and engage the community.

Check out the photo gallery for the full list of the evening’s winners.

Murray Cook and Theresa Lambert get cozy during The Footsteps of Doves, one of four plays staged in Robert Anderson's 'You Know I Can't Hear You When The Water's Running', performed by Theatre 17, May 4,5,6, at The Centre

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By Chris Marchand

Community theatre group Theatre 17 enjoyed three full houses over three nights of their dinner theatre production of Robert Anderson’s ‘You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running’, May 4, 5 and 6 at The Centre.

Comprised of four distinct short plays, the performance was well-suited to dinner theatre as patrons were served a different course of the meal between performances.

Catered by Nancy Ross, the four-course meal was delicious and well-timed to coincide with the performances. Local gadabout Adam Riley was the standout performer in the first play of the evening ‘The Shock Of Recognition’ — playing a desperate actor who for the first time ponders the prospect of full frontal nudity. Josh Johnson and Bruce Walchuk figured prominently in the play as a producer and playwright arguing over the sensibilities of the 1960s theatre-going public towards male nudity and bouncing racy ideas off of the secretary Dorothy, played by Theatre 17 newcomer Tiffany Goulet.

The first of two very impressive performances from Murray Cook began in the second play The Footsteps of Doves — opposite Rachele Dupuis Morris and the equally impressive Theresa Lambert. Judy Sadek (playing a furniture store saleswoman) opened the scene where Cook and Dupuis Morris, playing husband and wife, argue over the marital ramifications of purchasing separate beds.

Lambert enters the scene as a recent divorceé who shares sparks with Cook’s character as they carry on the conversation in the absence of his wife.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas, the evening’s third play is a markedly more solemn affair, also starring Cook versus Audrey Nosworthy in a conversation between a troubled salesman and his wife over the changing dynamics of their family and their adolescent children. Kayla Congdon and Megan Gadd (Sunday) performed in the role of the daughter, Clarice.

After dessert, the crowd returned to their auditorium seats for ‘I’m Herbert’ — starring Josh Johnson and Irene Skene, a hilarious and fast-paced romp through senility. Characters Herbert and Muriel reminisce about the old days, but have a bit of trouble keeping it all straight.

The Theatre 17 crew included director Judith Hamilton, Stage Manager Linda Cunningham, Stage Crew Ray Cook, Prompter Marjorie Salavich, Richard Goldsworthy on lights and sound, hair styles by Sandi Duncan and make-up by Sydney Dupuis, Aimée Bédard and Judith Hamilton.

Linnea Salte belts it out last night at Dryden Full Gospel Church.

Story and photos by Lindsey Enns 

Singer and songwriter Linnea Salte performed at the Dryden Full Gospel Church last night, but not before spending the afternoon around town.

Some of her Tweets yesterday read, “Walking on Dryden’s Suspension Bridge,” and “Playing mini golf in Dryden. Excited for tonight’s concert.”

On Twitter, she describes her sound as being a mixture of Kelly Clarkson with the artistic pop of Feist, Sara Bareilles and Coldplay. Her description couldn’t be more accurate. Her powerhouse voice and soulful melodies had the crowd on their feet for most of the show.

“You can stand on your feet if you like but you might be standing for a long time,” she told the crowd midway though her set.

On her website, linneasalte.com, she says that being surrounded by musical talent all of her life is what lead her to where she is now, singing her way across North America. Her father, Arlen Salte, sold over ¼ of million albums and owned an independent record label. She started playing the piano at the age of three and incorporated lots of that into her show last night.

Salte calls on the audience for a little help during one of her songs. Keith McEwan and his daughter Emma McEwan.

After lending her vocal talent to over ten albums, she decided that she wanted to reach more people with her music so she started recording her own solo album entitled, Pocket Full of Posies.

“I want the songs that I write to challenge and excite people. For me, music is just a doorway to see my world changed,” she said about her music on her website.

“This album is very vulnerable. I write about what is at the core of my heart.”

Dryden residents arrived by the hundreds to hear the details of a controversial plan to convert the former Pinewood School to an urban high school transition program for Aboriginal students from remote communities. Photo by Chris Marchand

Hundreds flock to public meeting detailing Aboriginal high-school transition project

By Chris Marchand

There was a massive turnout for a discussion around a proposed boarding school-style program to help Aboriginal students from remote First Nations transition to high school in urban centres, April 30.

Around 200 residents crowded into the gym of the former Pinewood School to hear details and offer feedback on the plan from partners Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) and Keewaytinook Okimakanak (KO).

KPDSB director of education Jack McMaster offered an impassioned argument to the community of the well-documented challenges and academic disadvantages facing youth in remote communities as they try to resume their schooling in urban communities and the opportunity for Dryden to play a role in offering a better future.

“We know what happens when age-appropriate Grade 9 students walk into a high school when they are on average functioning at a Grade 7 level,” said McMaster. “Within a week, they’re in the front door and out the back door. Essentially, this is about getting kids up to the right level so that when they walk in that door, they’re functioning like any other student.”

A floor plan of the school showed six classrooms in the school’s south wing to be divided into 18 four-bed dorm rooms for a maximum of 72 students. KO’s Geordi Kakpetum says the school would likely begin with numbers closer to 20 students and work towards increasing capacity.

Accommodations for supervisors, a dining area and an elders lounge would be constructed. Kids would use the gym as a common area and attend classes in the school’s east wing.

McMaster says that cultivating a ‘sense of family’ within the environment would be essential to its success and that integrating the kids into the community would be part of the strategy that would involve the support and involvement of the whole community.

“The idea isn’t to build a prison,” he said.

The school concept would mirror the Ear Falls’ Northern Eagle School, which closed in 2004 after over a decade of operation when the facility was deemed too costly to repair — the significance of which was not lost on the crowd, who questioned the board on a similar justification being used to close Pinewood School.

Residents voiced numerous concerns many of which focused around fears that the supervision of a significant number of 14-16 year-olds of both sexes would not be sufficient. Residents raised the issues of substance abuse, property crime, diminished property values in the neighbourhood, the effects of parental estrangement on the teens and the suitability of the building.

Kakepetum offered his perspective on the situation facing northern families who can be mistakenly characterized or stereotyped.

“After Grade 8, there’s no place to go if you want a higher education,” he said. “A lot of parents on the reserves are just as concerned about their kids as the people here. Not all the kids are sniffers or troublemakers. There are a lot of good kids in those communities who want careers.”

The public feedback session was far from one-sided on the issue. While raising concerns, a large percentage of those stepping forward made clear their support for the concept, indicating that the manner of its operation would determine whether it would prove to have a positive or negative impact on the community.

“We talk about ‘they’ and ‘us’,” said resident Alice Bloomfield. “When is it going to be ‘we’, living together in this country, this province and now in this community? If this is a project that First Nations people think is necessary for them and if there is a way we can help provide it, I say, ‘go for it’. We’ll handle the problems, we’ll find out where the washrooms are going to be, we’ll figure out how many supervisors we’ll need — that can all be done when people are working together.”

Dryden City Council will host a public meeting regarding a request for a zoning variance to accommodate the project, 5 p.m. May 15 at City Hall.

Last weekend people of all ages headed to the Dryden Agricultural Building to take in some handmade creations. The two-day event presented by the Dryden’s Sunset Country Quilters’ Guild featured a wide range of vendors and workshops. Pictured above is Hazel Mills, owner of Serenity Quilts in Sioux Lookout teaching a full room of eager ladies a thing or two about cutting.

Pictured left, Karen Greaves, poses proudly in front of her handmade quilt that was raffled off on Sunday.

Below, Jodi and Connor Doherty posed in front of a wedding gift from Connor’s mother, Kathy Doherty, a quilt made especially of pictures from their wedding day and messages from guests. Saturday afternoon was their first time seeing it.

‘Manitoba’ Hal Brolund performs on his unique double-knecked ukelele at Pappy’s Café in Green Achers of Wabigoon, April 26. The bluesman, now based on the east coast is making his way across the country in support of his most recent recording project, titled Flirting With Mermaids.

There’s a big month of music in store at Pappy’s beginning with a show from young local songwriter David ‘Duff’ Huffman, May 5.

On Tuesday May 8, JP Riemens and Dan Walsh return to Pappy’s Cafe. On Thursday May 17, Scarlett Jane — a four piece band featuring songwriters Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire will take the stage. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

Dryden resident Sally Sipos poses with Alexandra, a member of the Honduran family whose home Sipos helped construct during a recent trip to the Central American country to work with Habitat for Humanity. Photos submitted

Sally Sipos set out to help change  lives and found herself forever changed

How much sand could a Sipos sift if a Sipos could sift sand?

By Lindsey Enns

Sally Sipos glows when she talks about a trip she took last year that changed her life.

“I now have a different perspective on things and more of an appreciation for what I have,” Sipos said.

In May 2011, Sipos packed her bags and traveled to Honduras with Habitat for Humanity, a trip she says she will never forget.

“When I came home I was a changed person.”

Honduras is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America, where nearly two-thirds of people live in poverty. In addition to home construction, Habitat for Humanity Honduras supports several initiatives within the community including financial education.

“Basic living needs are what’s important in life. Over there, people don’t have wants they only have needs,” Sipos said.

Alongside an 18-person team, Sipos spent 10 days in Honduras immersing herself in culture by spending time with people in the community and working with Habitat for Humanity Honduras staff.

“There is a strong sense of community there, we weren’t just helping one family we were helping the entire community,” Sipos said.

Besides building a brand new home for a Honduran family that was used to living in unsanitary conditions, she was also building lifelong friendships with the rest of her team.

“The trip is both physically and emotionally demanding, at the end of it we were all in tears. If you don’t get emotional after an experience like this, there is something wrong with you,” Sipos said.

The single mother of four hopes to pass down the lessons that she learned on her trip to her own children.

“You get the self gratification of knowing that you are personally responsible for improving somebody’s life.”

While all of her children showed an interest in her life changing adventure, her oldest son Andy will soon be following in his mother’s footsteps.

“My next trip will be even more special because my son is coming with me,” Sipos said.

Sipos encourages others to rethink their next vacation and try something new.

“If there is a void in your life, or you feel like you aren’t doing enough, try something different and step out of your comfort zone,” Sipos said.

Habitat provided her with a much different experience compared to other charities that she has donated to in the past.

“The help that we are providing them with is not a handout it’s a hand in.”

Meaning that although a family is getting free help building their new home, the family is expected to be onsite working alongside the team during construction.

“I think we got more out of it than the people that we were helping,” Sipos said.

For her next trip, Sipos and her son will spend 10-days in El Salvador. Although she is paying for some of her son’s trip, she wants him to raise the rest of the money. The cost of the trip is $3,000.00. If you would like help in the form of a donation you can visit http://www.canadahelps.org/gp/17955.

“The trip is costly but after, a family gets a house out of it,” Sipos said.

The Arrogant Worms, (from left) Mike Ford, Trevor Strong and Mike McCormick finish off the final verses of The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, April 19 at the Centre, the final show in the 2011-12 Dryden Entertainment Series lineup. Photo by Chris Marchand

By Chris Marchand

They left with a smile on their faces.

What better send-off to a strong lineup of entertainment in the Dryden Entertainment Series’ 2011-12 season? Musical comedy trio The Arrogant Worms renewed their ties to our northwestern community after a 14-year absence.

The Worms carried a running joke throughout the evening calling out ‘Happy 14th Birthday Patrick’, to a long-lost bastard son who, legend tells, was sired after the last Worms show on the stage of Gordon Wood Auditorium in 1997.

The years have done little to diminish the hilarity of the Worms’ musical offerings. Their east coast folk, triple-harmony sensibility has aged well, a broadly appealing sound that has almost come to be identified as a ‘Canadian’ sound.

Within that wide base of likeability, the Worms continue to hold a funhouse mirror to our values and help us have a laugh at ourselves. It’s all very Canadian, really.

Songs like ‘We Are the Beaver’, ‘I Am Not American’, ‘Canada’s Really Big’, ‘The Last Saskatchewan Pirate’, and ‘Rocks and Trees’ were interspersed with fun offerings like ‘Go To Sleep Little Leach’, ‘I Am Cow’ and ‘Jesus’ Brother Bob’.

Standing in for longtime Worm Chris Patterson, Mike Ford was up to the job, establishing his worminess from the start and gaining the acceptance of the die-hard Arrogant Worms faithful who packed the front row.

With recent federal funding to the tune of $10,000, Dryden Entertainment Series is preparing to announce their 2012-13 season, one they hope will garner the renewed support of Series patrons.