BORDEN — A Welcome to Borden Night, sponsored by the village of Borden, RM of Great Bend and the Borden School Community Council, was held Oct. 20 in the Borden Community Centre. The event began with a potluck supper, then Mayor Jamie Brandrick welcomed everyone to visit the displays to see what is offered. He urged residents to try to shop at and patronize local businesses as much as possible.
Displays set up in the main hall were by Borden Care Home, Lions Club, Friendship Club, Radisson Curling Club, Little Sprouts Learning Centre, Dance Club, Beautiful Barrel Committee, Affinity Credit Union, village of Borden with EMO and economic development consultant, library, fire and rescue, rural crime watch, Bandaid first aid, Block’s Agencies, Borden Co-op, BCCPC, E. Torrens - Chartered Accountant, Borden Health Centre, Massage by Chanda and Kris Bros and Graham Construction. In the Friendship Club Room were Borden Golf Club, RM of Great Bend, Blue Mountain Adventure Club, Threshing Club, Borden Housing Authority, Busy Bees Preschool, Anglican and Riverbend Fellowship Churches, parks and recreation, Museum, Farmers Market, Troupador Shoppe and Canoe Procurement Group of Canada.
Each display was allowed to speak on their business and then door prizes were drawn for. Winners were: Co-op – Bev Hrynuik, Peter Thiessen and Martha Rempel; Block’s Agencies – Meg Johnson; fire and rescue – Gloria Derbowka and Elaine Gunsch; Radisson Curling Club – Gary Palmer; Little Sprouts – Gerry Wainwright; library – Bev Hrynuik; village of Borden – Marcia Parker; and Canoe – Louise Saunders.
The Radisson commemorative mural titled “Radisson Memories,” painted by Richard Widdifield, was unveiled at the Goodrich Centre Oct. 22. Radisson Centennial Committee, with Walter Kyliuk as chair, approached Richard in 2013 to paint a mural commemorating 100 years of Radisson history. Richard starting interviewing pioneers of Radisson to get their stories and ideas for the mural, but in 2014 had to put it on hold due to the health problems of his long-time partner and fellow painter Sandra.
Starting up again in 2019, he completed the mural in the fall of 2022, with the last to be added being the Treaty 6 medallion. Richard stated the history of a nation is its small towns and he says he hopes “Radisson Memories” will stand as a testament to the longevity and heart of the community of Radisson, dedicating the mural to all those, some now passed, whom he had the pleasure to come to know over his past 22 years here.
Some key individuals he thanked were Walter Kyliuk, Tina Hessell, the late Norma Amson, Diane Murphy, Martha Lessing, Connie Ruzesky, Claudia Dyck, Eileen Fountain and his sister Retta and brother John, the former owners of Collector’s Choice Art Gallery in Saskatoon where some of his paintings are for sale, and the support of his new partner, Angelica Baur.
Richard also thanked Gerald Wiebe for the posters, Daryl Amey for transporting the mural, John Hessell for building the frame, his optometrist for building bifocal eyewear upside down and Grant for assistance with grants. Richard explained how he painted historic moments all around the outside and then tied those in to the various groups of objects on the mural.
Richard also has 100 signed and numbered archival 24” x 42” satin copies of the murals for sale and a small number of archival, signed, high-resolution and fully-signed artist proofs from the mural, both on paper and canvas. You can contact him at Widdifield Fine Art, Box 51 in Radisson, phone 306-827-7728 or e-mail widfineart@gmail.com.
After the unveiling lunch was served to all those in attendance.
There is a walk-in flu and COVID clinic at Borden Community Centre Monday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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