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OPEN Hours of operation are: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Phone 1-306-332-1222 Thank you, Nicole and Steve Krause Look inside for News Sports Classifieds and more... $1.50 Vol. 58 No. 21 • Friday, July 12, 2019 Abernethy Agricultural Society 112th Annual Fair Horse show and exhibits huge part of show By Alan Hustak there has been talk from time to time of ending the post secondary entrance agricultural scholarship for Grasslands News fair, it has become a local institution and in addition a local high school student. to the one day fair the Abernethy Agricultural Soci- For more info, call 306-331-6837, or check out www. ety also co-sponsors an annual dinner theatre and a aberagsociety.sk.ca or email: [email protected] With its home baked pie contests, silky preserves, handicrafts and farm fresh recipes that offer a mix of old and new, the Abernethy Agricultural Society Fair and Exhibition offers an authentic, appealing glimpse into the past. One of the oldest exhibitions of its kind in Sas- katchewan, it has deep roots in the community. For more than a century, it has become a tradition in Ab- ernethy on the fourth Friday of each July. This year, when the 112 annual edition takes place on July 26, the event will also be a homecoming for Abernethy’s class of 1959. There were originally 16 members of the class, and organizer Jeanette Kirk, who lives in Winnipeg, says she’ll be happy if half of them show up. “We’re calling it a class reunion, but we often meet at the fair, enjoy the displays, so this year we thought we’d get together, take pictures and end it with a barbecue.” The fair is sanctioned by both Canadian Associ- ation of Fairs and Exhibitions and by the by Sas- katchewan Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitions. It is also part of the registered Saskatch- ewan Horse Federation show circuit. “The horse show is one of the biggest attractions. We only have horses but no longer cattle, nor pigs,” says Catherine Barnsley, chair of the fair’s board of directors. “We’ll have more than 1,000 exhibits fea- turing horticulture, cooking and baking, quilting, embroidery, crocheting, and knitting. “There’s also a children’s playground, a pet show, a diaper derby and decorated bike races, foot races and a silent auction. It begins at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and ends at dusk with a fireworks display. The fair is the result of thousands of hours of volunteer work. Senior volunteers who have helped make the fair a success over the decades will be honoured in a spe- cial ceremony. This year, anyone who makes a $112 donation will be inducted into the fair’s Century Plus Club. All donors will receive a free slice of pie from the homemade pie booth. The fair has been around since 1906, but its origins are even older, As early as 1887 an agricultural soci- ety was started in Pheasant Forks, a community near Lemberg that no longer exists. Between 1889 and 1904 it held exhibitions to attract pioneers into the area. Once Saskatchewan became a province in 1905, the Pheasant Forks group became part of the Abernethy Agricultural Society which was incorporated in 1906. The first fair was held on five acres of land west of town leased for the occasion. The exhibition has been held every year except 1936 during the Great Depres- sion. When it resumed in 1937 the horse show was added. “The horses on exhibit were a grand lot,” ob- ALAN HUSTAK | FORT TIMES served the Leader Post, and could compare favourably Saddle up with those at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair. Although Emma Englot, 14, puts a bridle on her horse, Foster, in preparation for the annual Abernethy Fair. Closed for Summer Holidays Notice to all of our readers and advertisers that there will be no Friday, July 26 and Friday, August 2 issues of the Fort Times. Regular deadlines will resume Tuesday, August 6 at noon for the Friday, August 9 issue. Contact us at our main office at 1-844-GNG-NEWS (1-844-464-6397) 7KH)RUW4X·$SSHOOH7LPHV www.facebook.com/grasslandsnews 2 July 12, 2019 Brotzel to be inducted for accomplishments A Cupar man will be inducted into the Saskatche- located in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Its roots stem wan Baseball Hall of Fame next month. back to 1931.The league evolved from several leagues Born and raised in Cupar, Gary Brotzel participated including the Southern Baseball League, the Northern in all intercollegiate sports. He moved to Regina right Saskatchewan Baseball League and the Saskatchewan out of high school and took on a job and career with Major Baseball League. In 2000, the SMBL changed SaskTel. their name to the Western Major Baseball League to Gary and his wife Denise have 2 children, Natasha accommodate the teams from Alberta. In 2019, the and Tanner. Between 1993 and 2004 Gary was involved league officially changed the name to the Western Ca- with both his children’s sports activities. Tanner was nadian Baseball League and promotes itself as Cana- in baseball while Gary himself played competitive da’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. softball until 2004, having achieved being a player on The Regina Red Sox is one of the Leagues flagship numerous Provincial and Western Canadian Softball organizations, and has become a vibrant part of Regi- Championship teams. na’s sporting community, promoting local minor base- Throughout his son’s minor baseball career Gary ball and generating interest in the game of baseball for coached, teamed up with Bernie Eiswirth, who also the citizens of Regina and area. had a son playing on a baseball team with Tanner, As Founder and President of the Regina Red Sox and who also coached. Following high school both sons organization in 2005, Gary continues in the capacity of went on to college and played baseball with their re- volunteer President with great enthusiasm, enriching spective college teams. In order to play competitive the lives of many Regina youths. summer baseball, both sons had to travel out of Regina The 35th annual induction will take place on Aug. to play in the Western Major Baseball League. Gary 17 in Battleford, SK. and Bernie saw an untapped market for local players Guest speaker for the event will be Fergie Jenkins, attending college to come back and play summer base- SUBMITTED | FORT TIMES the first and only Canadian to be inducted into the ball. Gary and Bernie assembled a Board of Directors, Inductee National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New raised finances and put together a community owned *DU\%URW]HOLVVODWHGWREHLQGXFWHGLQWRWKH6DV- York, USA. team on the field in 2005. The Regina Red Sox, first NDWFKHZDQ%DVHEDOO+DOORI)DPHRQ$XJ established in 1942, was reborn. Gary coached the Regina White Sox AAA Mosquito, the provincial runner up and attended the Western reasons Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget divisions between 1995 Canadian Championships in Kelowna, BC in 2003, and and 2003. His Pee Wee team won the 1998 Provincial his team was the WMBL Runner Up in 2008. Gary was Championship. Other team achievements include the a guest coach for the Bantam Championships in Wind- why you 2010 and 2014 Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) sor, Ontario in 2000. Eastern Division Championships and the 2011 and 2012 The Western Canadian Baseball League is a sum- should WMBL League Championships. His midget team was mer collegiate league consisting of twelve (12) teams advertise in your Blue Jays support File Hills baseball local 5 newspaper By Alan Hustak gives us an opportunity to share laughs, build unity Grasslands News and compete at the same time.” Teams score points by inviting fans to the game; having the chief play ball in either the 3rd or 6th in- CREDIBILITY The File Hills Qu’Appelle Rookie Baseball League ning is worth 40 points, and providing food for a visit- kicked off its second season Tuesday evening with a Polls show people believe newspapers ing team is also worth points. game between the Muscowpetung Warriors and the offer the most credible advertising. “Everyone can learn something from baseball,” said 1 Okanese Thundersticks at Muscowpetung First Na- The offer is there to be read over and Robert Witchell, the Blue Jay foundation’s executive tion. director. “You learn really great life skills on the base- over again. It doesn’t intrude uninvited The rookie league is sponsored by a $45,000 grant ball diamond – resiliency, tenacity, leadership, and and then vanish. from the Toronto Blue Jays baseball development teamwork.” foundation that covers transportation for the 11 partic- The aim is to create a national indigenous cup that ASSURANCE ipating First Nation teams and pays the league co-or- will be presented to the winning team in Winnipeg at dinator’s salary. Our newspaper circulations are verified the end of the season. The idea says Muscowpetung Chief Anthony Cappo and audited by third party auditors. Chief Cappo has been a Blue Jays’ fan since he was 2 is to use baseball to promote community engagement. Tearsheets verify that an ad ran as six years old when he got caught up in the excitement “Seeing our youth, our elders, our men and women of the 1993 season when Toronto defeated the Philadel- scheduled. They have tangible proof that come together to sit in the stands and enjoy the sport phia Phillies to win the world series.