The Broken Arrow Youth Ranch in Wood Mountain were promoting the ranch’s work at an information booth at the Limerick Farmer’s Market on August 19. On hand to answer questions were Ruth and Barry McNevin, who have the role as grandparents at Broken Arrow, Jill Jackson, who runs the ranch’s horsemanship program with her husband Cal, and Bonnie Kuksuk, who is a graduate of the ranch program.
The Broken Arrow Youth Ranch is for youth who do not have a secure footing in their own homes. It is aimed at helping youth develop healthy relationships by providing loving, caring families in a ranch environment. The Ranch was developed to minister youth under 18 years who require a solid foundation and face challenges. The ranch takes in both male and female children with permanent house parents functioning like a regular family so that the youth have siblings, parents and grandparents. The minimum stay is one year.
Ruth McNevin described the ranch’s busy year and active summer. Broken Arrow welcomed some new faces this year, including a new youth, Rose, who has been staying since April. As she works through challenges in her life, she is embracing the ranch life and all the baby animals. Rick Hawreschuk has taken over as Broken Arrow’s new chief executive office. He is also pastor of the Woodrow Gospel Chapel. Michelle Bruce from Emerald Park and Scott Stein from Estevan join the ranch as new board members. And the ranch is nearing completion of its Family Renewal Centre, which is about 96 per cent finished. The facility is used for teaching, various gatherings and for guests to stay.
This year, Broken Arrow took part in a number of charity fundraising events. The ranch entered a team in the annual Estevan Stripper’s hockey tournament with players from Alberta and Saskatchewan participating. The ranch hosted a breakfast fundraiser with the inspirational Todd Holt as guest speaker and a raffle. In June, the youth ranch held its golf tournament and pig roast under stormy skies at the Willow Bunch Golf Course.
Broken Arrow is part of the Cameron Project. Canterra has donated the seed of a new spring wheat variety called AAC CameronVB. There are seven farmers throughout the province who have planted 40 acres of seed each for the ranch, including farmers in Coronach and Limerick. Various individuals and companies have donated inputs like fertilizer. The ranch has also planted 60 acres of field corn. The seed was donated and a family donated its time for planting. Broken Arrow is hoping to make a corn maze in the fall.
