Prince Albert Daily Herald
Wahkotowin gallery about raising up voices of city’s youth
A new walking art gallery installed at the South Hill Mall is celebrating the work of students.
The gallery launched last weekend with the work of three Carlton students, all part of the Carlton Collection Builders Program at the school.
Teacher Melanie Mirasty says there are three walking galleries, which will showcase new art from students across the city each month.
The first three collections were painted by Jaylee Kachor-Engen, Oceanna Fisher-James and Tynisha McKay.
Kachor-Engen’s work depicts medicine wheels from across North America that are slowly eroding.
Prince Albert Daily Herald
Margaret Ferguson is the 2020 Prince Albert Citizen of the Year (Peter Lozinski/Daily Herald)
A nondescript bungalow in Prince Albert’s east end may be home to one of the city’s most concerted efforts to help the homeless, cold and hungry since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Inside, a hive of activity sees dozens of quilts produced every year as fabric, filling, tools and supplies stretch from floor to ceiling.
Everything made here will go to those in the city who need it the most, and it won’t cost them a cent.
Since 2012, the makeshift quilting factory has produced hundreds of quilts, donated to homeless shelters, emergency shelters and even care homes.
It’s what the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce calls the Grammys of the local business scene. While the pandemic played a major role in postponing the event last April, all will be revealed Thursday night when they celebrate the 2020 Samuel McLeod Business Awards (SMBA).
Not surprisingly, things will be very different for this, the 30th edition, of the popular show, which will happen with a much reduced human presence on the E.A. Rawlinson Centre stage, starting at 6:45 p.m. on the chamber’s YouTube channel. Up to 30 people only will be present in line with COVID protocols.
After being in limbo since its original scheduled celebration back in April, the Samuel McLeod Business Awards (SMBA) now have a set date. The awards will be presented on Feb. 25 on stage at the EA Rawlinson Centre, and will be live-streamed on Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce’s YouTube channel that evening at 7 p.m.
The event usually attracts around 300 people, but there will be a limit to 30 people on stage due to COVID-19 guidelines. There were 30 finalists, who will be asked if they would like to attend or to pre-record their acceptance speech.
Chamber CEO Elise Hildebrandt said the chamber’s Plan A is to put on the awards show as “a hybrid” between being on-stage, as well as using livestreaming and pre-recorded videos for the event. Should COVID-19 guidelines change and institute further restrictions, Hildebrandt said the chamber is prepared to run the entire show online to completely eliminate contact between the nominees.
SASKATOON Prince Albert school children are sporting some new winter clothes thanks to the Kinsmen Club s fourth annual Toques and Mitts for Kids gift-giving project. The club bought new toques, mitts, scarves and neck warmers and gave them to 550 students at five schools in Prince Albert. “We want to make a difference in kids’ lives. We want to serve our community’s most vulnerable people,” said project chairperson Jared Devers from the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club. COVID-19 restrictions will change the presentation of the gifts for this year, as the club representatives used to visit the schools and hand out the gifts in person.