Dinner Theatre: Not happening? What about inviting another play group to come to Kenaston? Kenaston Place is an excellent facility for theatre and other stage events. Perhaps it could become a venue for organized entertainment groups.Just a thought. Does someone want to take on a research project to look into this option? Not every aspect of Kenaston community life needs to be based on volunteerism.  Attracting acts to our stage could become a business for someone with, or wanting to develop, organizational skills.

Fire Department:  We should be aware that our Fire Department needs to start replacing some of its old equipment.This is an important issue and one that is everybody’s business, including residents of the RMs of Rosedale, Lost River, McCraney, and the Village of Kenaston We all depend on this equipment for our personal emergencies so it’s not hard to understand the imperative task of upgrading to ensure long term reliability.The Fire Department is putting out a call for grand fund raising schemes.Please percolate discussions in your circles that could potentially become the perfect project. Contact anyone on the Fire Team.

Tourism:  On Oct 31^st the water town was professionally cleaned as the first step towards creating a heritage tourist attraction out of this “one-of-a-kind” in Saskatchewan.The next items on the renovation list are replacing some lumber, shingling and painting.

Business: The Chamber would like to thank those who attended the Trade Show on November 24. It was a full house with 38 vendors; several from Kenaston. Thanks to the School for feeding the noon time throngs and the Chamber members for serving the Steak Supper. Thanks to all who helped in any way!

The Chamber, in support of Kenaston business, would like to commend the Village Council for the infrastructure improvement by pouring the new sidewalk section on 3^rd Street. In addition we would like to commend Susan and Lorne Anholt for the excellent frontage they have created for the Sask Dental Office. What was previously a small residence has been creatively converted into a first rate place of business in Kenaston.

The Kenaston Business Plan has been updated to reflect the 2007 to 2010 objectives.You will find it linked on our website under Chamber and Community Profile.  The revised plan focuses on the Chamber’s role as a formal structure and forum for: Economic Growth, Promotion, on-going Tourism ideas, Beautification projects, and for keeping Community Spirit alive.

The Village of Kenaston wishes
All a very Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!

 

Real Estate Listings:

Contact Glen Pavelich at 252-2711 to list your real estate on the Kenaston website or email her at gene.glen@sasktel.net. Glen will put your pictures and real estate information on the Kenaston website for only $20.00, and if needed will assist you to take the digital picture required.  Our website works exceptionally well to sell real estate privately so don’t over look this selling tool if you have a house, land or business for sale in the Kenaston District.

Condo:The fact that Kenaston presently has little or no available housing for sale reflects just how real the out flux from Saskatoon has become.Although it appears positive that we are ‘full’ we are none-the-less being scratched off the list of those looking for rural residence.It would be ideal to have a housing development in the works during this trend.The condo idea for Kenaston still remains a good idea. As rural residents and seniors begin to give up their private homes and opting for condo life more homes become available for new families, both in town and from a large neighboring district.Needed is a building location and also a development company to take on the project, and to pre-sell the units.

Businesses to be Responsible for Sask Growth: (taken from a November article by ML Whittles).Small business is essential to the future of small urban centres and rural Saskatchewan. Saskatoon continues to grow at an alarming rate with acreages springing up along the #11 highway as if by magic. Our population is finally on the increase after years of losing our youth, trades and professionals to other provinces. There is an air of excitement and hope in Saskatchewan which has not been felt since the ‘70's.

Viewed as the ‘Voice of Business’ in Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce announced on October 5 the creation of a Growth Strategy which will set a direction for the future of this province. The Chamber recognizes that this effort will require the partnership of all levels of government and all provincial business enterprises. The role of government would be to ‘establish the right environment to ensure that business growth can happen.’ The role of business would be to ‘find the right opportunities for themselves and to go after that opportunity. The private sector creates almost eight out of every ten new jobs. This is because they look for and act fast on new opportunities and as such will play a lead role in the growth of Saskatchewan.The Growth Strategy does not outline specific details of what needs to happen. Rather, it sets broad targets. The primary target being to grow the population to 1.5 million people by 2030.

Events and Announcements

Community Spirit:

Christmas Food Hampers for Kenaston: The three Kenaston Churches are working together to collect food items for our own community.Boxes will be set up at the school, Credit Union, Coop and churches, to be picked up for packing on December 19^th. Any cash donations of more than $10 will receive a receipt for tax purposes (cheques payable to one of the 3 churches).  Contact Joanie Rink – Coordinator, or Gene Whitehead.

The 2010 Committee

It is wonderful to report that Teresa Owen and Reagan Prpich will join Susan Anholt on a committee to make plans for Kenaston's Birthday Party in 2010.  A meeting will take place in January. Contact anyone on the committee regarding, date, time, and place of the meeting.  Watch for future announcements.

Just How Welcoming Are We? In order for growth to occur in rural towns and villages, we need to be or become welcoming places.  It is necessary to discover sound strategies that quickly assimilate the new individual or family into our community life.  It is likely important that we know what gestures we use which are effective and well received, and which are not.

The Chamber of Commerce would like to start a conversation about our own transformation, and are inviting our "imports" to consider what they liked when they joined the community and what they did not like. We would also invite our "home grown" to think about what overtures you have made that have been well received, and those which have not. Please email Susan Anholt with your stories which will be compiled anonymously for a future Crossroads article.

EMO - So Very Important:

Kenaston EMO has 2 of the 4 Section Captains required to activate the new EMO Community Plan.Section C will be headed up by Joanne Hoffmann and Section A will be headed by Al Bleakley who will also act as the Supervising Lead for the Section teams. Section Captains for areas B or D are needed ASAP

Please consider volunteering for one of the 2 remaining positions….. Kenaston needs its EMO plan in place, and instead of numerous block captains our plan involves only 4 community minded leaders to assist with EMO procedures. Please contact Gene Whitehead (EMO Coordinator) at 252-2245.

Once the 4 captains are in place then an important meeting will be held to implement the next steps in the planning process. This meeting will also include the other members of the EMO response for our community including Fire, First Responders, Town Administration, Provincial Coordinator, and the other personnel involved. See our EMO plan on the Kenaston website at: www.kenaston.ca linked from our community page.

Kenaston Crossroads: There are a number of area households who do not receive the Kenaston Crossroads because they block fliers from their mailbox. Thus we are leaving copies around town for pick up at the Café, Credit Union and Coop. Remember, the Crossroads is also linked to our website, and we still want to forever flog the idea that making our community homepage the default browser on your computer gives intercommunity communication an exceptional boost.

Besides the School Newsletter, the Crossroads is our only direct link to households without internet access. PLEASE keep it alive. We are sometimes astounded with questions that arise during general interaction about items that have been posted in the Crossroads again and again. We do live in fast pace times and community participation becomes a luxury falling to a very low priority for a growing number of people. The Crossroads' one objective is to keep the community linked.

Next issue February/ March. To support an issue of your community newsletter, please contact Secretary/Treasurer of the Chamber - Susan Anholt 252-2769. If you have suggestions or announcements for the Crossroads please contact Crossroads' editor Glen Pavelich 252-2711.