The first instinct many will have is to say 2012 was a great year in the Battlefords, citing the completion of the Credit Union CUPlex and the twinning of Highway 4 as highlights of a year that will surely be celebrated for years to come.
Not so fast.
North Battleford found itself picking up the pieces following yet another vicious summer storm, while Battleford found itself soaked in rain after Bridgefest 2012 turned into one big washout.
The owners of the Jesus is Alive building were also, literally, picking up the pieces after that building burned to the ground in a spectacular blaze in March.
2012 saw the departure of Mayor Chris Odishaw in Battleford. There were also some far sadder and more permanent departures in 2012 with the passing of former Mayor Julian Sadlowski and former Senator Herb Sparrow, among others.
There were also some unexpected departures from North Battleford city council after an unusually volatile electorate had their say in the 2012 municipal vote.
Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Gerry Ritz once again fought his critics over the E. Coli that afflicted the XL Foods plant in Alberta. Battlefords MLA Herb Cox fought an even worse foe - cancer.
The year was perhaps summed up by the travails of CJNB morning man Harry Michael Dekker, who began 2012 as its newly-crowned Citizen of the Year.
He ended the year off the air and under arrest, facing a 2013 court date for a sexual assault charge.
Maybe 2012 wasn't such a great a year after all in the 100-year history of the city of North Battleford - or the even longer history of Battleford. Heck, even the snow arrived early.
It's probably more accurate to say it was a "stormy" year for the Battlefords, in more ways than one. On the positive side, many will point out that adversities of 2012 brought out the best in the residents, who resolved to help one another during the trying times.
Their spirit of helping local clean-up efforts from the July storm, as well as the financial help they offered to projects like the CUPlex, probably summed up 2012 most of all. Just as the 2012 Battlefords North Stars did during their season when they kept coming from behind to earn victories, residents kept battling back and the communities of the Battlefords ended up finishing the year on a high note despite the adversities. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
When 2012 began, there was growing optimism and anticipation about the pending completion of the Credit Union CUPlex. Just weeks before the year started, there was anticipation that the opening was around the corner for the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts.
It didn't happen so quickly. Manpower issues with an electrical sub-contractor were the first of many minor issues that ended up delaying the completion, pushing back the grand opening for several months and testing the patience of residents.
It was one delay after another that Parks and Recreation Director Keith Anderson had to report on when he gave his regular construction updates at council meetings early in the year. Making matters worse, vandals broke into the Dekker Centre still under construction and trashed the insides, creating further headaches and cleanup there.
There was also the matter of the hiring of a new general manager, as media announced the formation of the arm's length board to oversee the Dekker Centre and the hiring of its first GM, Anthony Edgington.
The media would be reporting his departure just days after he arrived. Eventually, Moe McGuinty was hired to replace him.
Despite the adversities at the beginning of the year, work continued on at the CUPlex site and residents could tell that progress was slowly but surely being made. The CUPlex would open - eventually.
But as four buildings in the city's southeast quadrant were going up, one big one was coming down in a fiery manner.
The most spectacular event of 2012 happened on the night of March 5 when a familiar city landmark, the "Jesus is Alive" building on Railway Avenue, burned to the ground.
The fire, deemed suspicious, came just days after vandals had ransacked and damaged the roof of the century-old structure.
The massive fire required the full resources of North Battleford Fire and Emergency Services located right across the street. While fire crews were successful in containing the blaze so that it wouldn't spread to nearby businesses, the historic Jesus is Alive structure was a total loss and was ordered demolished the day after the fire.
Next came debate at City Hall over the pile of bricks that remained at the site for weeks following the demolition. The Jesus is Alive owners had allowed scavenging of bricks to go on at the site, which raised the ire of civic officials. In a move that sparked some controversy, city crews were sent in to clean up the remaining rubble, with the bill sent to the Jesus is Alive owners.
News of vandalism and other damage around the community got 2012 off on the wrong foot as far as crime was concerned. North Battleford ended up with the dubious honor of once again having the highest crime rate per capita of Canadian cities for the third year running.
Still, there were signs of progress. Efforts were underway during the summer and fall towards community mobilization and building a safer community, based on the "Hub" effort that had been so successful in Prince Albert.
As well, regular crime statistics presented at City Hall throughout the year by S. Sgt. Phil Wilson showed a decided improvement as the year went on - an indication, perhaps, that the city might finally be turning the corner on crime.
In provincial politics, the government of Brad Wall produced a balanced budget in 2012, but it did not come without controversy.
The decision to not increase funding to the Western Development Museum prompted the museum to shut its doors on Mondays - a closure noticed and lamented by many in the community. There were also changes in tourism to make it a Crown corporation, as well as the shuttering of Enterprise Saskatchewan that directly impacted on the Battlefords and on the North West Enterprise Region.
But there were some items in the budget welcomed by local residents, such as the $5 million towards the detailed planning for the new Saskatchewan Hospital.
While political concerns were on the minds of many constituents, so were concerns about the health of the man representing the Battlefords in the legislature. It was announced Battlefords MLA Herb Cox was fighting early-stage bone cancer.
Cox learned of the cancer the previous fall, just as his first session of the legislature as an MLA began.
While he kept up his public appearances as well as his MLA duties for a time, he eventually had to scale them back. He underwent a stem-cell transplant in Saskatoon in the spring. By summer, Cox was on the mend and appeared on his way back to full health as he resumed his duties in the legislature and elsewhere.
Among his duties was joining Battleford mayor Chris Odishaw and other officials for the grand opening of the newly-twinned Highway 4 through the town of Battleford.
The long-awaited completion of the project was marked by a ribbon-cutting this summer, ending several months of construction work and occasional headaches for motorists on that stretch of road.
As Cox fought his cancer, word spread among members of the community about the latest cancer battle being waged by former North Battleford mayor Julian Sadlowski.
Unfortunately, that fight came to an end as Sadlowski died April 27.
He had been mayor for six years, up until 2009, and had been finishing up a history book on North Battleford at the time of his death. Mayor Ian Hamilton paid tribute to his predecessor in the mayor's chair, remembering Sadlowski's commitment to education and to the city's history.
"He was a big package," said Hamilton. "He contributed a lot."
Later in the year, civic leaders gathered again to say goodbye to another long time public servant, Senator Herb Sparrow.
Sparrow, who was also known for bringing the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise to the area, died Sept. 6 of complications of a stroke.
Among the many who paid tribute to Sparrow was federal Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, who called Sparrow a "vigorous fighter for western Canada and rural Canada," in speaking to the News-Optimist. He particularly cited Sparrow's work in the Senate on soil conservation.
"He was one of those characters out of that era that produced people such as Sid Buckwold and Dave Steuart - he was of that vintage and that calibre, and worked very hard for the people that he was responsible to represent," said Goodale.
It is fair to say 2012 was a trying time for civic leaders in the Battlefords for all kinds of reasons. The summer months proved especially testing, particularly at North Battleford City Hall.
A lengthy and sometimes rancorous city council meeting on June 25 proved far more interesting than anyone expected. As the meeting went on, a vicious wind and lightning storm was kicking up steam as it approached the Battlefords.
When it arrived, the roof shook on the crowded City Hall chambers and power was knocked out across the city, forcing an early end to the night's council meeting.
By morning the carnage was evident as uprooted trees and damaged roofs were seen all over North Battleford.
One farmhouse just north of the city had its roof torn off, while others saw trees smash their vehicles or windows and even land on rooftops. Downed branches littered the streets all over the community.
Mayor Hamilton told reporters the preliminary estimate of the damage was in the millions of dollars. Despite the mess, the community rallied to swiftly clean up and remove the downed trees.
In fact, the city and its residents did such a great job sweeping away the debris that judges from the Communities in Bloom competition did not hesitate to award North Battleford four out of five blooms, again.
The city received special mention for Volunteerism and Community Pride - perhaps a nod to the effort to clean up the mess and making sure the community looked its best when the judges arrived.
The system that wreaked havoc on North Battleford also caused massive damage in Prince Albert. In fact, it was a summer of severe weather and tornadoes throughout Saskatchewan, with residents following the exploits of Regina-based storm-chaser Greg Johnson as he chased after the unusually large number of tornadoes that touched down in Saskatchewan during the summer.
Johnson came to North Battleford to conduct a photo workshop in the fall after the storm-chasing season was over.
Unfortunately for the Battlefords, Mother Nature was not finished with the community. She wanted an encore, and decided to make herself the star attraction of the 2012 Bridgefest in August whether the community liked it or not.
That was to the chagrin of organizers who had spent months preparing for the event in the Battlefords Flats. The headliner was meant to be the Canadian band Big Wreck.
But in the days leading up to the event there was considerable worry about forecasts of heavy rain hitting on the day of Bridgefest.
The rain threatened to ruin the musical acts and turn the Flats into a swamp. Sadly, all the bad weather forecasts came true when Saturday arrived.
Organizers arrived that morning to find the Flats pelted with rain and the grounds turned to mud. With the prospect of a miserable day to come, the organizing committee made what Mayor Odishaw described as the "toughest call" of their history, and cancelled the 2012 edition of Bridgefest due to the weather.
The headliners Big Wreck were met at the airport and rerouted home. At the Flats, organizers were left to clean up and wonder what might have been.
"It was a wreck of a day - a Big Wreck," lamented Odishaw.
After a summer like the one endured by people in the Battlefords, September could not come soon enough.
The openings of the components of the Credit Union CUPlex uplifted the spirits of local residents who had been battered and bruised over the summer months.
The first component to officially open was the Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre in September. Staff spent the early days closing down at the old Kinsmen Aquatic Centre and getting up to speed at the new facility.
The ribbon-cutting proved exceptionally emotional for a teary-eyed Mayor Ian Hamilton, who had fought for years for the CUPlex to become a reality.
"What a day. It's been a long time," Hamilton said.
The Aquatic Centre proved an immediate hit with the public, with hundreds of users flocking to the facility in its early days.
Next to open was the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts with four nights of grand opening celebrations: two nights with local artists, one featuring headliner Colin James and a fourth night featuring the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
The evening prior to those celebrations, CTV News broadcast its Home Town Tour from outside the CUPlex, an event attended by many revellers and supporters. That broadcast provided an opportunity for members of the Raise the Roof fundraising committee to be able to make a long-awaited announcement.
The announcement was made that the fundraisers had finally reached their $10 million target for fundraising for the CUPlex. A major contribution by BATC put them over the top.
For fundraising committee co-chairs Rob Rongve and Heath Gabruch, the day was long in coming. Their personal efforts to reach the goal were recognized that day when CTV named both "Home Town Heroes" for spearheading the fundraising campaign. Later, both would be honoured again as they were named co-Citizens of the Year.
It wouldn't take long for the new Dekker Centre to land some big events. The BBEX Awards were held at the venue for the first time in October, and none other than Premier Brad Wall showed up Oct. 22 for a well-attended Chamber of Commerce luncheon. At that luncheon Wall gave details to local leaders about his government's just-unveiled Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, and how that would be achieved in the coming years.
Oct. 27 marked the third important grand opening with the doors open to the Northland Power Curling Centre, new home to the just-formed and newly-named Twin Rivers Curling Club.
A twin rock-throwing took place to mark the opening ceremonies. The event was livened up with the presence of Scott Manners' winning 2012 provincial championship team, as well as by 2011 women's champion Amber Holland.
Manners' rink had made the Battleford curling club their home base during their winning run in 2012, a run that took them to the Brier in Saskatoon. His provincial championship banner was raised at the new rink as part of the opening ceremonies.
The final opening was for the field house, with the facility set to host a centennial celebration party on New Year's Eve.
Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned. The Field House was not ready in time and the New Year's "Let's Get This Party Started" event moved to the Civic Centre instead. The opening of the Field House would have to wait until 2013.
While the fall of 2012 was a busy time for civic leaders, it was also an exceptionally busy time for federal MP Gerry Ritz.
The federal Member of Parliament and Agriculture Minister had already had a memorable year, as the federal Conservatives finally passed the vote to bring an end to the long-gun registry, while the Canadian Wheat Board single desk monopoly came to an end as well.
But it was also remembered for the E. Coli crisis that hit the XL Foods beef processing plant in Brooks, Alta., causing the largest beef recall in history.
That issue consumed much of the fall for Ritz, whose duties involved oversight of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It also put a target on Ritz's back as opposition politicians took aim at him in the House of Commons on a regular basis.
In October, at the height of the crisis, Ritz took time to address a Rotary Club luncheon at the Tropical Inn in North Battleford on his life as an MP. He mentioned the XL Foods situation in his remarks and expressed confidence in the inspection process for food in the country. Somewhat ironically, the lunch item on the menu was none other than roast beef.
That Rotary Club event became the most famous roast beef luncheon in the history of the Battlefords following remarks made by Ritz to the media scrum right afterwards - comments where Ritz expressed confidence in the quality of Canada's beef.
"We had some great Canadian beef for lunch. I don't know where it came from; I don't care. I know it's good, I know it's safe."
That quote made national news after an NDP member of Parliament, Malcolm Allen, stood up in the House of Commons to criticise Ritz for his absence in the House during the crisis.
Ritz then went on to Calgary for a news conference on the XL Foods situation that ended up being cut short, much to the chagrin of reporters there.
Despite calls for Ritz's resignation from opposition members of Parliament, Ritz was still agriculture minister as 2012 ended. Like local residents who dealt with storms at home, Ritz had survived the political storm in Ottawa.
Not as lucky were some leaders of area First Nations, who had storms of their own to deal with.
Among them was Stewart Baptiste, who learned of his re-election as Chief of Red Pheasant First Nation while under arrest for violating his probation and driving while suspended.
His sentencing to further probation, and his continual trips to the court house over various allegations still before the courts, prompted protests outside the North Battleford Court House and on the reserve itself.
Baptiste's problems seemed tame compared to some other area Chiefs. Poundmaker chief Duane Antoine, former chief Ted Antoine and six others entered guilty pleas to theft in a wide ranging Treaty Land Entitlement fraud case, with sentencing set for January of 2013.
Former Mosquito chief Clarence Stone received probation for his role in the TLE fraud case involving his band.
On Moosomin First Nation, Chief Elliot Kahpeaysewat was ordered removed by the federal aboriginal affairs department over vote-buying allegations. He vowed to appeal the decision.
It seemed like a steady stream of bad news for several First Nations bands in 2012, but there was some good news: North Battleford city council gave its approval to a land donation in the city's southeast towards the long-talked about First Nations Heritage Park.
The year 2012 will also be remembered as a year of transition in municipal politics on both sides of the river.
After six years in office Chris Odishaw departed as mayor of Battleford, with long time councillor Derek Mahon winning the mayor's chair by acclamation. There was also a major change in council ranks with four incumbents on council not running again, and five new councillors elected.
In North Battleford, Mayor Ian Hamilton was returned to office by acclamation after no one challenged him.
But the election for council seats Oct. 24 produced an unexpected turnover as incumbents Ron Crush and Grace Lang were defeated, while newcomers Ryan Bater, Greg Lightfoot and Cathy Richardson took their seats for the first time.
For Bater, the election result capped a remarkable political comeback. He started 2012 by tendering his resignation as leader of the provincial Liberal party. In the municipal vote in the fall, he wound up topping the polls, getting the most votes of any candidate for council in the city.
Some wondered whether the real winner of the election was, in fact, Mother Nature yet again. She showed up and dumped a heap of snow all over the city, just in time for the vote.
The election typified what was a stormy year overall in the Battlefords.
Isn't there something good that can be said for 2012, after all that happened?
Here's one: the fact it's over. Now, North Battleford can get on with the city's centennial celebrations. Maybe the weather will even co-operate this time.
For all kinds of reasons, people in the Battlefords will be very happy to see 2013 arrive.
