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Teams of different age groups play in the Intertown Fastball League with players from Borden, Hafford, Langham, Maymont and Radisson. This year, for the first time, at the playoffs held June 18 at Glenburn Park, the local under 12 team won the trophy. Players from Borden and Langham are on the team, coached by Jason Farthing and Kim Beblow of Langham. The 15 and under placed fourth and the 18 and under team, who played their finals in Borden June 14 and 15, placed second after going to an extra inning against Maymont. Hafford 2 was third and the Hafford 1 team was fourth.

Long-time members of the Borden Housing Authority, Jean Hryniuk and Ken Tanchak, retired after serving 33 and 29 years respectively. They were honoured at a come and go tea in the Borden Library June 21. Chair of the board Mel Brooke spoke of their long volunteer service to the board and presented each with an engraved clock from the Sask. Housing Authority. Jean and Ken both spoke of enjoying their time on the board over the many years, working with quite a few different members and senior housing residents.

Mel also introduced the present board – Heather Schroeder, Rhonda Funk, Emiley Saunders and Ivan Youcehzin.

The RM of Great Bend No. 405 held a ratepayer barbecue and meeting June 22 at the RM shop east of Borden. The Borden and Radisson fire departments were also invited to the barbecue. Displays were set up in the shop by Alana Gunsch, weed inspector; John Kindt, pest control officer; John Kindrachuk, North Saskatchewan River Basin Council; and Danny Roy, Prairie Wild Consulting. Lorne Zelinski from Finning had a grader simulator that anyone could try out and many of the children present did.

After the meal, the guest speaker was Judy Harwood, reeve of Corman Park. She was introduced by MC Valerie Fendelet, the RM administrator. Harwood has been and still is on many committees and represents Division 5 on SARM, is a director with SaskPower and has been recognized for her achievements and as being one of Saskatchewan’s most distinguished women.

Harwood spoke on Bill C7 regarding RCMP unionization and the impact it would have on RMs, of the budget and how it affects RMs, of Canada Post closures of post offices, STC and how rural areas depend on it for shipping and on illegal dumping and aquatic invasive species and how to prevent them entering our lakes and rivers.

Danny Roy talked of community and regional planning and the RM of Great Bend zoning bylaw. He spoke of the future growth of country residential and industrial land and still protecting the farm land by determining how and where development can occur. The RM of Great Bend is in the forefront for planning for the future.

Fendelet then had an open forum. Some wanted to know if Manchurian elm will be on the list of plants to eradicate. Alana said they are working to get it on the list as it spreads in pasture land and takes over.

Fendelet thanked everyone who set up displays, the speakers, the fire departments for all their work in the RM and Rhonda Funk who is working on getting civic addresses for everyone in the RM. Everyone will eventually get a number that will co-ordinate with a global positioning system. The RM is voluntarily doing this but in the future it will become mandatory for RM residents to all have civic addresses.

The reeve of the RM, Ron Saunders, thanked Fendelet and Funk  for all their work organizing this event, ordering the food and getting the many door prizes that were donated. Ron also thanked Finning for bringing out the grader simulator. Nearly half of those in attendance were awarded door prizes.