Baljennie Community Centre was packed full, when close to 80 people attended a special event held Aug. 25.
Baljennie School was built and opened its door for classes in August 1912. It was time to celebrate the school's 100th year. Stanley and Dorothy Mills put together an hour long slideshow of the school and of the early days to celebrate the occasion. Our old school ran from 1912 to 1955, until torn down and later rebuilt into a farm home in the Sonningdale area. A new school was built kitty corner to the site of the old school, in the same school yard. It ran from 1955 to 1970, when the school was closed and the children were bused to North Battleford and Battleford schools. From then on it was turned into a community centre.
Many photos were gathered from the old school days, right up to the day it closed. It then went on into the early history of the development of our present day Community. I'm sure we have missed out on a few things. In the future, we are maybe looking forward to putting together another DVD. We are interested in any old photos of the area, such as old buildings and happenings. Anyone with anything interesting to our district, please contact the Mills family. We would be most pleased to make copies for another slideshow.
The slide presentation started off with Naedean (Corrigan) Mitchell playing O' Canada on the old piano she used to play at the old Baljennie Community Hall. Naedean taught school at Baljennie from 1944 to 1945 and after that, she remained in our district and was called upon many times to play the piano at Christmas concerts, funerals and many other community happenings. That was a real part of past history.
It was thrilling to see so many attend. Most of the people there had gone to school at Baljennie or had relatives who attended the old and new school. People attending came from the Battlefords, Willowmoore, Eagle Hills, Borden, Saskatoon, Spinney Hill, Sonningdale, Bjelde Creek, Kindersley and Dalmeny. A barbecue potluck supper was shared. The hamburgers, buns and drinks were donated by club members. A big thank you to Warren and Cecilia Parkinson for doing the barbecuing. Everyone attending brought salads of all sorts, as well as desserts. No one left hungry from that table of food. Thank you to all those who helped out, putting on the potluck supper and to those who took the time to come out to our 100th celebration.
The RM of Glenside weed and pest control officer, John Hamon, has been hand spraying some pesky weed areas. Some of these weed patches spread fast by seed and underground roots and need to be controlled often. Some of the road sides need the grass and weeds mowed to make it easier to see deer and moose and smaller animals. Deer and moose are a real hazard on our country roads and highways.
Some of our native trees are not doing so well with all the moisture this summer. They have all turned brown, even before the frosts have hit. The leaf rust has hit mainly the black poplar trees, but now the aspens and white poplar trees are being hit as well. Some of the leaves have started to fall off the affected trees. With so much rainfall, many sloughs with trees in them are full of water, and they are dying off fast. They cannot take all that wetness.
We have just come through a hot and wet spell. The heat has now turned our lovely summer days into autumn days. The crops are all done growing with the heads and pods full of grain to be harvested as soon as possible, if heavy rain and thunderstorms hold off.
Most of the haying has been completed after a long struggle with all the wetness.
Harvesting is now into full swing. Even the later crops have caught up to some slower, early crops. Field peas and canola are being swathed and some combining has been done. It's been a big fight and struggle, as most crops were hit with all sorts of fungus, wheat midge and different worms. Many crops had to be sprayed and a few were done by airplane.
The wheat, oats and barley are coming along, but the heavy rains did flatten the grain in large areas in many fields. Since the beginning of April, our area has recorded close to 23 inches and, according to the forecast, it is not over yet. So far, no reports of frost but that can happen any day from now on. Now we seem to be going through a spell of high winds. It is really playing havoc with the swathed canola and field peas. The crops are far from being safely stored in the grain bins.
