How on Earth did July escape us so quickly? Are we still talking about drought? Forest fires? Oil woes? It seems there has been no lack of worrisome topics to review on a daily basis.
We certainly empathized with our friends and family in Kerrobert after the terrific storm that did tremendous damage there July 22. Folks who travelled to see the destruction compared the appearance of that community to a war zone. Although there is a high level of property damage, folks seemed thankful that it wasn’t much worse, including a tornado predicted as a possibility with that storm system. Let’s hope that’s it for ugly from Mother Nature in this area for summer storms.
Even though our senior men’s Cardinals team has lost out in the North Sask River Baseball League, they are still very much a part of the provincial playoff picture, so keep posted either on the Town of Unity website or from posters and fans around town on when the next game action will be for the Cards.
The Peewee Cardinals and the Bantam AA Cardinals finished the provincial runs this past weekend. After a season that has included three provincial softball titles as well as one provincial baseball title, Unity also has two softball teams heading to Western Canadian fastball events. And, although the elusive provincial title was denied them, there were the peewee girls who made it to playoffs Sunday in the provincial C division as well as two incredibly close baseball calls this past weekend.
The Peewee Cardinals ended up in an 11-inning game – seven innings is a regular game – losing 3-2 in their provincial quest. The bantam AA boys slugged their way to the provincial final but were unable to overcome a tough Humboldt team in the final, earning silver.
There are also multiple players in tryouts for winter training teams, the 2017 Canada Summer Games and the fall ball zone provincial championships.
The excitement is not over yet as our bantam girls’ softball team heads to Regina August long weekend to compete in Western Canadian U16 championships while the UK Royals U21 ladies’ team heads to Surrey, B.C., for their crack at a western Canadian title. The Royals are making their fourth appearance at a Western Canadian championship, where they earned gold in 2012 and silver in 2014.
We are also cheering for Jensen Chorney who is heading to Canadian National Bantam A Softball Championships Aug 5 – 9.
Folks are excited about the announcement of the Montreal Canadiens alumni hockey team coming to Unity this November for a fundraising event.
It was a busy week at the pool hosting daily events as part of National Drowning Prevention Week, which included daily live rescue demos showcasing the training lifeguards must possess as well as different rescue operations they may encounter while serving the public.
Other than the upcoming diving clinic, the lifeguards are back to regular duties at the Unity Credit Union Aquatic Centre. Swimmers can still take part in the last set of lessons, aquasizes, early morning lane swims as well as public swimming.
The museum is open seven days a week from 2 – 5 p.m. Not only is Scotty the T. Rex exhibit here all summer but each Thursday the Adanac Hall plays host to the Unity farmers’ market where a dozen or more vendors bring their homegrown or homemade products that so far have included fresh baking, farm fresh eggs, clothing and now some garden products.
Not many weeks left in the Summer Fun Centre so, if you have some bored kids and grandkids, why not enroll them in this summer program that is offered at the community centre each weekday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m., with every Wednesday being movie night from 7-9 p.m. Children five to 11 are welcome to attend with a low fee of $50 for the summer or a $5 drop-in rate? Activities include games, crafts, slip and slides and much more.
It was great to see a work party of teens and adults cleaning up the yard of the United Church manse in preparation for the arrival of the new minister.
Unity was a popular topic when social media showcased photographer James Fisher of Saskatchewan Freedom Photography, who captured some terrific shots of a herd of moose in a canola field just outside of Unity. His up close pictures shared on social media were the talk of many as folks were in awe of how wonderful the photos were and how great the canola crop looked that he captured these creatures in.
Parkview Place has been taking their residents on several adventures this summer. They were on a trip to the crooked trees near Hafford and Speers. As well they took a tour on the Prairie Lily paddleboat in Saskatoon. And they don’t have to travel to have fun as residents and staff were able to enjoy some birthday parties, a dance and even a wedding on their front lawn. It’s been a fun and busy summer at Parkview Place.
A shout out to the town employees whether it’s the maintenance crew, the lifeguards or the parks and recreation department. They are providing the services we rely on no matter what temperature it is outdoors. Just imagine yourself cutting grass or repairing a water break in that hot safety gear.
Coffee row folks are as puzzled with our Riders as everyone else is. Rains on the July 17 weekend, as well as some showers since then has sparked some hope for this year’s crop season.  And those long-standing northern fires that have been assisted by rains in that area are certainly still a discussion on the topic table. So you see we keep busy in Unity with activities and wisdom from our friends on coffee row. Until next time …
