Shellbrook Chronicle

10/23/2025

Shellbrook Scotiabank set to close in 2026
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Recent years have seen banks and credit unions exit small towns in the Shellbrook and Spiritwood area. Now, it’s been announced that Shellbrook’s Scotiabank will be the next financial institution to follow this trend.

News of the pending closure, which is slated for June 18, 2026, began emerging last week, with posters going up around town. Moving forward, Scotiabank says all accounts will be automatically moved to the nearest branch in Prince Albert, and urges customers to reach out to the local branch with any questions.

The Chronicle & Herald reached out to Scotiabank headquarters to ask questions about the reasons driving the closure of the Shellbrook branch, but was told a spokesperson was unavailable. In lieu of taking questions, the company provided a brief statement.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to relocate our services at our Shellbrook branch to our branch at Prince Albert,” it read.

“With client preferences changing, and more day-to-day banking being done digitally, we are continuing to evolve how we serve our clients and invest in areas that make it easier for our clients to bank with us in multiple ways. We are communicating this change to all affected clients and will be working with them to ensure a smooth transition. Our teams in Shellbrook and Prince Albert are committed to assisting all clients with any questions they may have.”

The Chronicle & Herald attempted to confirm how many employees the Shellbrook Scotiabank branch has, and whether they’ve been offered jobs elsewhere, but the company said it “couldn’t provide this information.”

Though he couldn’t say how the town will respond to the closure until it can be discussed by council, Shellbrook Mayor Amund Otterson expressed disappointment that “these banks are abandoning small towns.”

He also noted that Scotiabank’s benefits to the community far exceed it being a business on Shellbrook’s Main Street.

“Scotiabank’s been a great community support,” he said. “There’s lots of community development funding that has come through the Scotiabank because of local involvement [by employees].”

The closure of the Shellbrook Scotiabank marks the third loss of a local financial institution in this area since 2023. That year, the Village of Canwood lost its Affinity Credit Union branch, leaving it without a bank thanks to the closure of the CIBC branch in 2017.

Clients and community members in Canwood were first informed of the impending Advice Centre closure via mail and a press release sent out by Affinity in early February of 2023.

The announcement prompted a strong backlash from the community. And to address the community’s concerns and answer their questions, then-Affinity CEO Mark Lane attended a public membership meeting in Canwood in March, where he quickly dispelled any hope that Affinity would backtrack on its decision.

Instead, over the course of a 20-minute presentation and a 70-minute question and answer period, Lane outlined the strategy driving Affinity’s decision, saying it was the result of a change in the financial services industry and an evolution of the role of physical banks in people’s lives.

Lane’s explanation did little to appease community members. And after stating that the Canwood Advice Centre hadn’t been a source of trouble or financial losses for Affinity, community members were further disappointed when Lane couldn’t clearly explain why the closure was necessary for the company to pursue its strategy, or offer solutions to address their concerns.

In November of 2023, the Town of Spiritwood learned its Scotiabank branch would be closing its doors in July of 2024, ending its 96 years in the community. The community responded with a campaign to oppose the closure, sending 400 letters to Scotiabank’s head office and starting a petition that garnered nearly 1,250 signatures, but its outcry was also ignored.
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10/16/2025

Bull riding brings thrills in Spiritwood
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By BEVRA FEE
Spiritwood Herald Reporter

The highly popular event that draws locals and visitors in every year after harvest proved to be a hit yet again in the town of Spiritwood over Thanksgiving weekend.

Saturday’s outing did not disappoint, as several of the bull riding circuit’s top cowboys hauled their gear to the chutes for what is nearing their last chance at collecting points as they head into their championship event in early November.

While standings are a key driver for the top cowboys showing up in Spiritwood, it hardly seems to matter to the eager crowd that turns out in droves to watch each year. A chance to don the wide brim, clean off the boots, get out and enjoy a night of bucking bulls, socializing and dancing to a live band is also a great attraction.

The hockey rink in Spiritwood begins its transformation well ahead of the actual event, with the aggregate being brought into the venue to dry out for spreading into the base that will welcome the unsuccessful riders.

After sitting idle for much of the summer, the arena jumps back to life for the season with the cooler weather and the arrival of the bulls. The recruiting of sponsors, the advertising, the organization of volunteers and the laying-in of supplies commences with a table auction in June. To skip the lineup and buy their way to the front row, bull-riding enthusiasts attend either in person or online to bid on tables of eight at floor level. Limited tables mean hot bidding action, raising extra revenue for the event – all of which goes back to help pay down the facility’s mortgage. Two of the auctioned tables are VIP, meaning that they also enjoy a catered meal and table service for their refreshments.

A hugely popular addition to the entertainment this year was the installation of a mechanical bull.

“We try to add something each year, building our event with ideas brought to us by our amateur ‘engineering department.’ Last year, we started opening the doors an hour earlier and hosting a beer garden and opening the kitchen for one of our local businesses to cook food for early guests wanting supper,” commented organizer, Sue Kahl. “That turned out to be a great move, so this year we had a sponsor ask to bring in the mechanical bull — pretty hard to say no to that!”

Cue the bulls. As the crowd is streaming in the front door and milling around getting re-acquainted with each other after the summer holiday travels, the harvest isolation, or just being back in the old hometown for Thanksgiving, the bulls are banging and clanging their way into the corrals via the back door.

Loaded up into the chutes and assigned to compete against their cowboys, the bulls were in a mean mood on Oct. 11. The cowboys held their own, though, with talent in attendance from across Canada (even Quebec), and a Brazilian helping to rock the crowd.

The long round was won by William Barrows out of Foremost, Alta., on a bull named Frozen Ghost with a score of 81. Putting $800 into the faded jeans, Barrows currently sits well back in the overall standings at the number 32 spot.

The championship round was captured by the Quebec cowboy, Jeremy Maisonneuve. Besting his bull, Turbo Tax, Maisonneuve won just shy of $3,000 on the night and sits well atop the Bull Riders Canada standings with a current yearly total of $85,000 in prize money won. This cowboy is nearly doubling his closest competitor in overall points, and he gave the Spiritwood crowd some thrilling action as he took home the Silver Buckle in addition to his earnings.

Would it be Thanksgiving without a hometown band to give the evening crowd something to dance about at the cabaret after the bulls go home? Jordyn Pollard headlined and was backed up by The Dirt Rich Band, with local boys Landon Franson and Dallas Schira.

“We had another great success this year... but what we could not do this event without is all the dedicated volunteers,” said Sue Kahl. Indeed, the fact that many volunteers sacrifice time at Thanksgiving does not go unnoticed.

“It is the best time for our bull riding event because it is so close to the finals that we get all the top cowboys. Also, many people are in town visiting family for Thanksgiving and this has become an event that they count on when they come home,” Kahl added.

As the night progressed, the mechanical bull got busier and the band kept everyone entertained with their covers. Turkey dinner on Sunday was likely quite quiet in comparison.
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10/02/2025

Aviator shares inspiration with Canwood students
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Aviator and author Agnes Niyondezi says her memoir, Dreams Take Flight, is for “those who need to be reminded that where you start does not determine how far you can go.”

As someone who was born in Tanzania to Burundian parents, and lived her early years in refugee camps across eastern and southern Africa before immigrating to Saskatoon at age 15, this belief was something she had to cling to as she pursued her dream of becoming a pilot.

“My memoir speaks about life in refugee camps, how I was able to accomplish the dream of becoming a pilot, and how, growing up in these refugee camps, it seemed so impossible,” Niyondezi said.

“As we had the opportunity to come to Canada, I had a variety of opportunities to explore because the education system is so much broader.”

While coming to Canada opened up new doors for Niyondezi, she admits she was singularly focused on the idea of becoming a pilot, and had been ever since she saw a plane fly over her home when she was just seven years old.

From the moment she saw the “silver sparkling thing in the sky,” she wanted to know everything about airplanes. But access to books, and specifically information about aviation, was limited in the small library in the refugee camp she was living in.

Even with these obstacles in her path, Niyondezi remained committed to her dream, and only became more passionate about it when she and her family flew to Canada from Africa. And, as luck would have it, Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate offered introduction to aviation courses in Grades 11 and 12, opening the door for her to pursue her dream in earnest.

“During the summer of Grade 10, they took me up in a small plane called a [Piper PA-18 Super Cub]. It’s a two-seater; you have the window right beside you, with the passenger in the front and pilot in the back,” she said.

“As we were flying over the city, it was such a beautiful experience that made me fall in love with it even more.”

After graduating high school, Niyondezi obtained her private pilot’s license from Saskatoon’s Mitchinson Flight Centre. And nothing, she says, will beat the thrill of taking her first solo flight.

“It was exhilarating. It was a lot of emotions bundled up in one,” she said. “Being able to accomplish that dream as a refugee girl was a big moment for me, and also for the community that was supporting me and following me in my journey.”

Hoping to use her journey as a tale to inspire the younger generation to join the aviation field, while also preserving her family’s stories and memories, Niyondezi began writing her memoir, Dreams Take Flight, in December 2020.

While reading had always been one of Niyondezi’s passions — instilled in her from a young age by her father — she says she had never really considered writing a book, and particularly an English book, because English is her fifth language.

The writing process was an extensive one, requiring many interviews with family members and the retelling of many stories. Then, those stories had to be translated to English with great care, as Niyondezi “didn’t want to leave any details behind.”

Helping her reach the finish line, was her U.S.-based publisher, Full Circle Press.

“There was a lot of learning to do,” Niyondezi said. “But the whole process, in general, was an amazing experience.”

Today, Niyondezi is pursuing her commercial pilot’s license at Sky Wings Aviation Academy in Red Deer, and hopes to fly charters, and maybe even become an airline pilot. She also wants to become more involved in the aviation industry and community, so she can build awareness of it and continue to inspire younger people to pursue and never give up on their dreams.

This was the overarching message she shared on Wednesday, Sept. 24, when she travelled from Red Deer to the Canwood Public Library to share her story with students from Canwood Public School.

“Even if it’s a little dream that they’re chasing, go for it. It doesn’t matter how small or big, you’ve got it,” she said. “You can get to it, and there’s always a community behind you, supporting you, helping you, and waiting to guide you throughout the whole experience.”
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09/25/2025

Light & Lumber Market shines bright
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Just six months ago, Shellbrook’s Brittany Dutka lost her daughter, Callie, shortly after giving birth to her.

Callie was born with Trisomy 22, a rare genetic chromosomal abnormality that affects 1 in 30,000 to 50,000 live births and frequently causes early miscarriages or severe malformations at birth.

For Brittany, her husband, Nick, and their son, Ryker, the loss of Callie left an unimaginable hole. And as she sought to fill that empty space, Brittany had an idea she hoped would help her and others who had suffered a similar loss.

“I wanted to make something that I could be known as her mom,” she said. “I do have another child, and I’ll get to be known as his mom at daycare and at school. But I’ll never get to be known as her mom anywhere.”

Soon, the Light & Lumber Rustic Market was born, with the apt tagline of Crafted with Heart, Rooted in Memory.

“Light meaning find your light through devastation, and Lumber meaning picking up the pieces and creating something beautiful out of devastation,” Brittany explained.

“I wanted this market to be not just a market; it’s a place about community and connection. It’s a space for everyone, especially those who have an angel baby among them, so they can have a place to be known as their mom, too.”

When creating a brand-new community event, one can never truly tell how it will be received. At the outset, Dutka expected she might be able to secure commitments from maybe 20 vendors and have a couple hundred people come through the gates at the Shellbrook Sports Grounds.

But when the big day finally arrived on Saturday, Sept. 20, she had 51 vendors slated to be on-site, as well as food services provided by Arnie’s Grill, Lulu’s Fluff n Stuff, M&T Jamaican Cookout, and a Dirty Soda Bar.

Attendance at the market also hit her expectations way out of the park, as more than 800 people came out to peruse vendors’ wares, and spend time visiting.

“It really spoke to a lot of people. They were very welcoming to [the idea of] being part of something that was more than just a market,” Brittany said.

“It’s been really touching. It’s quite an honour for me and our family to see the overwhelming response, and that people are just embracing what we’re creating — not only for the community of Shellbrook, but for the loss community as well.”

In the spirit of creating a space for families who have lost a child, the Light & Lumber Rustic Market was raising funds for Empty Arms, a Saskatoon-based non-profit that supports those experiencing the loss of a child from pregnancy through early childhood.

A portion of the vendor fees was earmarked for the charity, as well as $1 dollar from each dirty soda sold. Additionally, the vendor Creative Duo Designs donated 10 per cent of its sales to the cause, and Prairie Mustard donated 5 per cent from its sales.
When all was said in done, the day netted $3,600 for Empty Arms.

And based on the turnout and response thus far, plans are already well under way to do more good next year.

“Because this is our first one, we’re trying to work out the kinks a little. Hopefully, with each year that goes by, we can make it better and better,” Brittany said.

“I’m hoping that we can bring in a few more things for the kids, and maybe a coffee and tea bar,” she added, noting that the Dirty Soda Bar will also be returning.
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09/18/2025

Kayakers hit Memorial Lake for ‘Big Day Out’
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Whether by kayak, canoe, or paddle board, more than 40 people gathered on the glassy waters of Memorial Lake on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 13, for a rare day of togetherness, fun, and scenic beauty.

Billed as the inaugural Memorial Lake Big Day Out, the morning’s journey was conceived and organized by nature enthusiast Heather Beauchesne and her kayaking friend Don Garand.

Originally, the pair created a ShellLakeLife page to share photos of their kayaking excursions with others who enjoy the scenery around Shell Lake. Eventually, this led to conversations about how they could bring their fellow kayakers together for a one-day event.

“We don’t get to see each other much during the day because of motor boats,” Beauchesne said. “There aren’t a lot of people out there kayaking because of the waves. You have to catch them in the morning or late evening.”

Beauchesne says she and Garand initially thought of an event centred around geocaching. In the end, rather than going through the trouble of placing objects at points around Memorial Lake, and risking them being displaced by the elements, they settled on the idea of photocaching — asking participants to take selfies at specific landmarks in exchange for points and potential prizes.

Beauchesne had hopes the event would be well received, based on the number of kayakers she and Garand would typically run into on their way back from their own outings. Additionally, she’d also seen how fast Memorial Lake Regional Park’s newly added kayak holders were snatched up, suggesting there were plenty more kayak enthusiasts in the area.

But, while she was excited for the idea, she admits that she kept her expectations for the turnout low.

“I expected we’d have six people with us, and it would basically be our friends and family,” she said.

Instead, when it came time to set out at 9 a.m., Beauchesne was excited to have a group of 41 excited participants to spend the morning with — even with the threat of rain and thunderstorms looming over the area all weekend.

“It was exceptional. Everyone showed up, if not a few more, everyone was in a great mood, the weather was phenomenal, and the water stayed like glass the entire two hours,” Beauchesne said. “That’s rare. Usually we’re done kayaking by 8:30 or 9 a.m., and already we’ve got some ripples and waves coming in.”

Following two hours of kayaking and selfies, the group gathered at the Lark Restaurant for lunch, the presentation of prizes, and an opportunity to socialize while not kayaking.

With all the points tallied, Linda Caswell had the highest score for her photocaches and wildlife snaps, while Shyanne Phillips’ group won the prize for the most comedic photocaches.

With the enthusiastic turnout, and equally enthusiastic support from a quartet of local sponsors, Beauchesne says she’s already hoping to turn the Big Day Out into an annual event.

“Next year, we thought we’d do something to change it up a little bit. We’re open to different ideas of what people want to do next year.”
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09/17/2025

09/11/2025

Blaine Lake Community Centre celebrates opening
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Nearly a year after it partnered with the Town of Blaine Lake to acquire the former Blaine Lake Gospel Chapel with the hopes of transforming it into a community centre, the Blaine Lake Community Association (BLCA) celebrated the re-imagined facility’s grand opening on Friday, Sept. 5.

The celebration was rolled into the BLCA’s annual end-of-summer BBQ, and families were invited to come out for a free burger or hot dog (with chips and a pop or juice box) and tour the community centre. Additionally, bouncy castles, a face painting table, and a number of games and activities were set up to keep kids entertained over the course of the three-hour event.

Though not an old building, the former gospel chapel had gone unused as a place of worship since December 2023, but was being rented by a number of community groups, including the local Playschool.

When word came down in February 2024 that the church was closing, BLCA member Jenna Englot says there was a brief period of panic that the building would be sold, because there weren’t any other dedicated community spaces in Blaine Lake.

But rather than give up, the BLCA put together a proposal to purchase the building from the Mennonite Central Committee and convert it into a multi-purpose community space.

The Mennonite Central Committee greeted the proposal with enthusiasm, and so, too, did the Town of Blaine Lake, which bankrolled the purchase of the building and officially took possession of it in October 2024. The BLCA and other groups have been using the facility since then, with much of the work to renovate it beginning this past spring.

“It’s been a really cool project because it’s been a collaborative effort,” Englot said, noting that the BLCA has taken responsibility for operating and managing the new community centre.

“The BLCA has been accessing grants and fundraising to do all of the work needed within the building. It will be a project that’s ongoing as we access grants and funds to be able to retrofit spaces and turn it into something great.”

Complete with an updated kitchen and newly acquired and built furniture, the larger portion of the Blaine Lake Community Centre’s main floor will be the community commons, a multi-purpose space that can be rented by local individuals or groups and used for youth programming.

Meanwhile, the former chapel space is expected to become the new home of the Blaine Lake Public Library at some point this fall. Currently, repainting of the space is under way, and there are plans to convert the stage area into a kid’s reading nook. Then, it’s just the matter of moving in the books and shelves.

“We’re so excited for the library to move in here. They’re in quite an old building in town that’s almost past the point of repair,” Englot said.

Heading down to the Blaine Lake Community Centre’s basement, the Playschool will continue to run out of its dedicated space. And though much work still needs to be done, the rest of the basement will become a fitness centre, which will be accessed via a separate entrance.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us. We’re going to tackle upstairs first and support the library getting moved in, and there are a few things that need to happen in the community commons before it can really be taken advantage of,” Englot said.

“The fitness centre will be the last thing, because it’s more of a niche group that would access that space.”

Beyond the work that still needs to be done inside, Englot says the BLCA is working on signage for the community centre, which will be selected through a contest. There are also hopes to create a community mural on an exterior wall that currently has religious paintings.

“That will be coming summer of 2026,” she said.
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09/04/2025

Community support builds new ball diamond
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

For the past 20 years, kids growing up playing ball in Shell Lake have had to do so on a single diamond, after the second diamond was removed due to drainage issues.

Local teams have made do with these limited accommodations for much of this time. But with the launch of the Parkland Predators girls’ and the Parkland Wildcats boys’ provincial softball programs in 2019 and 2022, respectively, and with Shell Lake Minor Sports experiencing growth in registrations for house league teams in recent years, a single diamond was no longer enough.

“We were having difficulty accommodating all of the practices and games,” said Allison Batty-Simonar, who developed the Predators and Wildcats programs with her husband, Dillan Simonar.

“We were also very limited in our ability to host tournaments with only one diamond.”

This season alone, Shell Lake Minor Sports had about 70 kids registered to play ball, with co-ed league teams running the gamut from U5 to U13, Predators teams going from U13 to U17, and Wildcats teams ranging from U11 (two teams) to U15.

Highlighting the fact that Shell Lake is a regional hub, these players came not only from Shell Lake, but also from Spiritwood, Leoville, Debden, Leask, Canwood, Shellbrook, Big River, Rosthern, Prince Albert, Birch Hills, and Rabbit Lake.

Given this, and the ballpark’s prime location in Memorial Lake Regional Park, which boasts a beach and an 18-hole golf course, it became clear that there was both the need for a second diamond and an opportunity to create a ballpark that opposing teams would be eager to come play in.

The project to make this a reality began a couple of years ago, with members of Shell Lake Minor Sports approaching the Memorial Lake Regional Park Board to see if it would support the idea. The board was supportive, and the two organizations have been sharing the costs of the project.

Meanwhile, the project has become a true community endeavour, with park board members John Duncan and Dennis Simonar, and community members like Wayne Reddekopp, volunteering their time and donating equipment to ensure the work gets done.

Certainly, there’s been no shortage of work to go around, whether it be removing trees, picking rocks and roots, cementing posts, discing and leveling, resolving the prior drainage issues, hauling sand and crusher dust, installing irrigation for sprinklers, or laying sod. But at every turn, Batty-Simonar says there’s been someone there to help.

“Projects like this are not possible without dedicated volunteers that selflessly give their time to benefit others,” she said.

Of course, volunteerism is only one side of the coin when it comes to a major undertaking like the new diamond project. On the other is fundraising.

Here, too, the community and the broader region have stepped up to help, boosting fundraising efforts to the tune of $39,500. Most recent among the support is a $10,000 Legacy Community Development Grant from Innovation Federal Credit Union.

Shell Lake Minor Sports secretary and treasurer Amy Strate says the funds from sponsorships and grants have allowed for a lot of work to be completed, from the installation of the backstop, outfield fencing, sprinkler system, and sod, to the acquisition and construction of bases, dugouts, benches, bleachers, and ball equipment, to the pouring of shale on the infield.

With all this done, Strate says the project is well on its way to the finish line.

“We still have a lot of work to do on this project, but we look forward to the task ahead of us,” she said.

“We are still awaiting shale to spread on the infield, but are very happy to report that the diamond will be ready for ball players in the spring of 2026,” Batty-Simonar added.
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08/28/2025

Summer ends with a splash in Shellbrook
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Shellbrook’s season of sunshine, outdoor play, and swimming came to an unofficial end on Friday, Aug. 22, as Kinsmen Park and the Shellbrook Swimming Pool played host to the annual Party in the Park.

Though some blustery winds made the afternoon feel a little less summery, the cooler conditions did nothing to deter kids from diving right into the swimming pool and all the activities organized by the pool’s lifeguards, including inflatables provided by Diskotek Entertainment, face painting, mini putt, and more.

With so much to do, the park and swimming pool were abuzz with activity from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. And as afternoon bled into evening, the Parkland Pool Project Committee kept everyone fed with a canteen and BBQ to raise vital funds for the Parkland Pool Project. As of Monday, the total raised through the canteen and BBQ hadn’t been finalized.

Though Shellbrook is expected to enjoy one last stretch of summery conditions, the Shellbrook Swimming Pool will be ending its season this coming weekend, in conjunction with kids returning to school. Also ending is the Town of Shellbrook’s playground program, which is now called the S-CAPE Program (meaning Summer Program — Culture, Arts, Physical Activity, Experiences).

Town of Shellbrook CAO Sigourney O’Halligan says both the playground program and the swimming pool enjoyed successful seasons.

The S-CAPE Program runs for eight weeks throughout the summer, providing themed weekday programming and much-needed childcare for kids in the community. While in past years, the program was limited to 30 children per week, O’Halligan says the decision was made to run things a little differently this year by opening it up to more children.

“We have found over the past two years we have had a waitlist for most weeks over the summer months, and it is a recognized need within the community,” she said.

“With great staff members being able to provide constructive play during the summer days, we have averaged 33 participants per week and a total of 267 registrants for the season, with the most popular weeks being themed Water Week and Mystery Week.”

Though persistently smoky conditions may have been a hindrance to both the S-CAPE Program and the Shellbrook Swimming Pool, O’Halligan says the pool also had a largely successful season, with more than 500 people registering for swimming lessons throughout the summer.

While this may be a little lower than last year’s 635 registrants, O’Halligan once again notes that this year’s numbers wouldn’t be possible without the pool staff’s dedication and care for the facility and the swimmers.

“We are blessed to have volunteers and employees that are committed to our community,” she said.
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