Local hunter and sportsman Elgin Strocen, a long time member of the Yorkton Gun Club who has been attending the annual show for the past 15 years. Recently Strocen, his wife Carol and daughter Michelle have made the Yorkton Gun and Collectibles Show a family affair.
Strocen, a hunter and fisherman himself, exhibits and deals in firearms and loading supplies at the show. He enjoys meeting people who stop at his table to exchange information, buy supplies and to exchange hunting stories. "The stories get bigger as the show gets older," Strocen chuckles.
This year his exhibit showcased several firearms, reloading supplies and hunting equipment. A hobbyist working out of his basement, Strocen sees the show as an opportunity to develop contacts and potential future sales rather than ringing up large scale sales during the two days of the event.
"It's just a social event. We spend the weekend here," he says.
While his fishing has slowed somewhat, Strocen still enjoys hunting elk, moose and occasionally bear. "I think I've hunted anything and everything that's in the province, but I've kind of narrowed myself to elk and moose," he says.
He says people who typically reload their own ammunition generally do it for two main reasons. They want to save money on bullets and shells and/or they want to control the quality of their ammunition. In Strocen's case, it's more of a hobby which he's been involved with since 1964. He has expanded his output over the last 40 some years. "I just simply love the game," he declares.
Storcen's daughter, Michelle, had her exhibit of spices and culinary supplies set up beside her dad's. This is the second year she's set up at the gun show. The products she offers are based on the company Epicure Selections. Products on display included spices, seasoning blends, cookware and baking products.
Cooking is a hobby for Michelle. Dealing in the Epicure Selections line, supplements her full time job as the controller at Grain Millers.
Introduced to the line by a cousin, she found she liked the product which turned out to be hard to find in Yorkton. As a result, Michelle decided to become a dealer. "I got involved with it basically to keep my cupboards full at home. From there I've shared the experience with friends and family," she reports.
She specifically likes the health benefits of the Epicure line of products. Many of the recipes are low sodium (salt) and low sugar. "It has unique cooking ingredients which might be a little difficult to find in this area," she states.
