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North Battleford residents will have an opportunity to welcome back a former resident and member of St. Paul's Church for an evening of gospel music Saturday evening, May 3.

Aven Grace Whitebread Paetkau is a gospel singer and has been sharing her story across western Canada, the United States and as far as Mexico and the Philippines for a number of years.

Aven was a teenager when her family relocated to North Battleford from Nunavut, where she was born and raised. Her parents, Rev. Don and Pat Whitbread, were missionaries to the Arctic's Inuit people, and moved here in 1974 with Aven and her siblings, Marin, Heather and Dugald, to work with the First Nations people who live in the Battlefords and surrounding area. During her years in the Battlefords, Aven was known by her middle name, Beth (Elizabeth) Whitbread.

During her high school years, Aven was active in the junior and senior choirs at St. Paul's, and it was there under the direction of Marj Tatchell she learned vocal technique and breath control, as well as increasing her skill at reading music. There was great camaraderie in the choir, and the church was a supportive place for a teenager with an artistic bent.

Before long, Aven was taking an active role in her parent's work and she travelled with her dad and mom to play guitar in the churches on the reserves, drive to pick up children for Sunday School and summer Vacation Bible School programs, and lead or help with singing and classes. She also regularly played for her dad during recording of the radio program, Cree Meditiations, which aired on Sunday mornings on CJNB. That was the first of many times to be in a recording studio.

Aven entered college at 17 and became an x-ray technician. She married Tim Paetkau and they settled in Rosthern where they raised their three sons. They now live in Nipawin where their sons have also settled with their families. Her husband Tim continues as a teacher in Nipawin and sometimes travels with her.

Over the years, Aven learned as she struggled with issues of the past and present to lean on God for every step of the journey and find joy, freedom and strength. Now she takes every opportunity to share in song and story the love of God and what he has been doing in her life. Song writing is her passion and many of her songs have been played on radio and been listed in the top 100. She is currently working on her eighth full length CD.

Along the way she has also picked up the mandolin, and added whistling to her repertoire. Some folks at St. Paul's may remember how beautifully Rev. Whitbread could whistle.