Summer/Fall 2010

CASWELL HILL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH - 7:30 P.M. CHRIST CHURCH-ANGLICAN - 515 28TH ST. WEST YOU’RE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS

The AGM gives you the opportunity to elect new board members, approve

the annual budget and to discuss particular projects and/or issues. Our bylaws state that elections for executive positions shall be held at the

Annual General Meeting each year. If you live in the neighbourhood, you are considered a member in good standing, eligible to vote and be

nominated for election. All executive positions are 1-year terms and nominations may be made from the floor at the AGM.

The newsletter is published three times a year, in January, May and September. Advertising deadline for the next newsletter is Dec 1st. Rates are $25 business card / $40 quarter page / $80 half page. Articles about community events, issues and people are welcome.

Have you volunteered with the Caswell Community Association in the past or are looking to add some volunteer experience to your resume in the future? We have numerous volunteer opportunities for people looking to help with events, newsletter delivery, or other ways to be involved in our community! Drop us an email at info@caswell.ca or call Dorothy at 664-6835.

Caswell Elementary School

Tuesday, September 7

7pm-8pm

2 Caswell Hill Community Newsletter

Newsletter News

Call for voluNteers

soCCer registratioN

President Dorothy Johnstone

Vice PresidentJohn Nicholson

Treasurer Kathy Chase

Soccer CoordinatorGlyn Kennell

Events CoordinatorRaeanne Van Beek

Members at LargeGlenn Dougan Deirdra Ness Shannon Vinish Arlene Johnsrude Wilma Groenen Ella Ophir Jaimie Peters

When: The second Tuesday of every month

Where: Christ Church Anglican

515 28th Street West

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Meetings usually last about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and are really fun. They are also a great way to meet your neighbours and become involved in your community. Everyone is welcome.

Mailing address P.O. Box 30011, RPO 32

Saskatoon, SK S7L 7M6

E-mail address info@caswellhill.ca

Website address www.caswellhill.ca

Also, check out the community Facebook page: Caswell Hill.

Your Caswell CommuNitY assoCiatioN exeCutive members

Caswell CommuNitY assoCiatioN meetiNgs

Please feel free to contact us by email at info@caswellhill.ca

or by phoning our President at 664-6835.

www.inkspotgraphix.ca

127B Avenue D N, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1M5Tel: (306) 244-7768 • info@inkspotgraphix.ca

Call 244.SPOT

There is a Rwandan initiative that mandates every citizen spend the last Saturday of the month performing communal work for the public good. Umuganda, meaning social action, brings community members together to clean litter from the streets, clear bushes and long grass from forests, prepare fields for planting, etc. The day tends to wrap up with open-air gatherings featuring speeches, participant recognition and singing and dancing.

We have our own form of Umuganda in Caswell; it may not be once a month (thank goodness), participation is not mandatory and these occurrences happen at different times of the year, but we do have our annual community clean up as well as the celebration of our neighbourhood through an outdoor event brimming with art, dancing, singing and recognition of community.

Both the clean up and Art in the Park were hugely successful this year, mostly due to tireless volunteers. No authority compels these people to pick up old mattresses and appliances from our alleys, set up chairs, tents and tables for our arts festival, deliver newsletters through all types of weather, coach soccer teams, etc., etc. I constantly marvel at the extent to which Caswellians will go for the benefit of their neighbourhood. A big thanks to last year’s committed core of volunteers!

Interested in becoming more involved in the neighbourhood? You can start by attending the Annual General Meeting on Thursday September 16th, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Church-Anglican. Here you have the opportunity to elect new board members, approve the annual budget and decide whether you’d like to join the board or one of our standing

committees. Next year the association will continue to focus on the progress of projects already in the works including; the South Caswell Concept Plan, 25th Street Extension as well as construction of the new police station and Mayfair Pool. As always we will produce and distribute newsletters, host events, liaise with the City on civics issues, run programs and address any number of items brought to the board throughout the year.

While we still have warm weather take a stroll in the neighbourhood to check out the thriving community garden in Ashworth Holmes Park and the new playground at Caswell Community School; the association contributed to both projects over this past year. Enjoy the rest of your summer and hope to see you at the AGM.

For about half an hour on August 10th, residents along Avenue E North had waterfront property courtesy of a water main break at the intersection of Avenue E North and Rusholme Road.

At around 5:30 pm a pipe under the road burst causing the pavement to heave in several places and water to rush out and down the street.

Seventeen year old Adam Volk, who arrived at the site shortly after it happened, said it looked like a water park with water gushing everywhere.

Adam, Curtis Dorion-Smallboy, and Dilana Andres directed traffic

away from the damaged road while waiting for City crews to come.

Emil Z., one of the first City workers on site cautioned that water main breaks are highly serious and can be dangerous. If you see water, it’s important to stay well back because hollows underneath the road can be hidden from view, he warned. “Be safe,” he cautioned, “please call the City.”

He also thanked the team of Good Samaritans for their efforts to look

out for the well-being and safety of others while waiting for City roadblocks to arrive.

Repair to the street began early the next morning.

Caswell Hill Community Newsletter 3

PresideNt’s message

waterfroNt ProPertY iN Caswell?

Those who frequent the beautiful Ashworth Holmes Park have undoubtedly noticed some new vegetation this spring – vegetation that is sure to inspire one’s taste buds!

Last year, a group of Caswell Hill residents came together through the common interest of creating a community garden. After much deliberation and consultation with the Community Association and City Administration, the garden was placed on the southeast side of Ashworth Holmes Park this past spring. The City tilled up the plot and installed taps, and the garden was born.

The gardening group set out preparing the soil, working in organic manure and compost, building up deep beds, and laying out mulch pathways to ensure easy access to each section of the garden. In late May, the group spent a warm Sunday planting the vegetables that have flourished in the chosen location and the harvest of which we have already begun to enjoy. The group recently shared a meal together in the park and plan to do more harvesting, preserving and eating together later in the season.

A community garden usually has individual plots that a gardener can rent for the season. Caswell Hill’s

garden, however, has been designed to be a collective garden, in which the members cooperate to plant, maintain and harvest one large shared garden. Members of the garden are

interested in gardening for a number of reasons: building community capacity and strength, creating access to space to grow nutritious organic food, providing a space for youth and children to reconnect with the environment, giving neighbours an opportunity to meet one another while learning new skills and sharing knowledge,

beautifying an underused piece of parkland, and creating opportunities for community residents to engage in healthy recreation.

The garden features a wide variety of vegetables, which were either donated by generous community members, purchased from a local organic greenhouse, or grown from seed by garden members. Most of the plants are “heirloom varieties”, which are rare varieties of vegetables that you don’t often find in today’s supermarkets. Although everything in the garden is flourishing, the corn and many varieties of tomatoes are particularly impressive this year!

The garden has been a destination for many residents in the neighbourhood. People walking through the park often wander through the garden, stopping to read the descriptions next to the plants. St. Thomas Wesley organized a gathering near the garden, which provided a wonderful backdrop and conversation piece.

The garden was even the field trip destination of a university class called “Place and Critical Eco-Pedagogies”, taught by Scott Thompson and Marcia McKenzie.

The gardening group would agree that this first year has been educational and, most importantly, fun! The group meets at the garden on Wednesdays at 7:00 and on Sundays at 3:00. They are always looking for new members. If you would like to become involved in the Caswell Community Garden, visit the garden on Wednesdays or Sundays, visit the “Caswell Community Garden” Facebook group, or contact one of the steering committee members:

Elise Matthews elise.matthews@hotmail.com 249-6285

Ella Ophir ella.ophir@gmail.com 653-2427

Megan Shaw megshaw07@gmail.com 933-2936

Justin McGowan spotty@froglord.com 242-5977

Elizabeth Bekolay

elizabethbekolay@yahoo.ca 380-5584

CommuNitY gardeN

4 Caswell Hill Community Newsletter

We had an awesome time at Art in the Park, the 9th annual Caswell Arts Festival which was held at the beginning of the summer this year on June 27th!

The weather cooperated–it was beautiful sunny skies, with the exception of a five minute sun shower. We could have done with a great deal less mosquitos, but that didn’t stop several hundred festival-goers from coming out and enjoying a day filled with music and art in our beautiful park.

And oh, the art!! It was a feast for the eyes! There was art to appreciate everywhere, including our own collaborative art project, Four Seasons in Caswell Hill.

The music was spectacular as well, with the entire line up a treat for the ears!

The kids had a blast making art and playing all day over at the Kids and Teens Arts Festival too!

Thanks to everyone for making this day the huge success that it was!

… to everyone for donning sunscreen and coming out to pARTy with us

…to all the artists and musicians for sharing your passion and creativity

…to all the hungry people who helped raise money for Station 20 West and the hard-working volunteers who ran the concession

…to all the dedicated volunteers who tackled the big job of setting up and tearing down the festival

…to the devoted organizers who volunteered their time for months putting this spectacular festival together

…and to our fabulous sponsors–City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Lotteries, Meewasin, SaskTel Mendel Art Caravan, Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP) Inc., The Medicine Shoppe, Christ Church Anglican, General Paint, and Caswell Community School–who enable the festival to be carried off with such flair!

We are extremely grateful for all your support.

See you next year!

a feast for tHe seNses art in the Park event Celebrates Creativi ty & Community

CASWELL HILL Registration is Tuesday, September 14, 2010, and Wednesday, September 15, 2010 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at Caswell Community School (main floor) 204-30th Street West. No membership fee is required to participate in programs. Contact Glen Dougan at 665-5563 for more program information. Check out our website www.caswellhill.ca and watch for our community newsletter for updated program information (dates, locations and times). Caswell Hill Community Association honours other community association memberships. ADULT Yoga 16 yrs & over TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Yoga 16 yrs & over TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Women’s Volleyball 16 yrs & over TBA 07:00 PM-10:00 PM F TBA TBA CHILDREN/YOUTH Floor Hockey TBA Caswell School-Gym 07:00 PM-08:00 PM T TBA TBA Kids Arts & Crafts TBA Caswell School-Gym TBA TBA TBA TBA U6 Soccer Under 6 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA U8 Soccer Under 8 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA U10 Soccer Under 10 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

leisure guide fall ProgrammiNg

Caswell Hill Community Newsletter 5

The Caswell Hill Community Association policy is to subsidize programming in order to keep fees as low as possible and

to run a selection of free programs. Our programs are open to all Caswell residents regardless of their ability to pay.

Cost as a Barrier Funding

Thanks to community members, parents and staff volunteers the new playground was installed at Caswell School on one of the very warm days we had this summer. This much needed playground will certainly be appreciated by the students and their families. The initial part of the build took two days but due to heavy equipment damage on water logged ground and a miscalculation on the actual placement of the structure, the playground was inaccessible for most of the summer. Each piece of the playground structure

has interesting play value for children from 3 and up. We chose so many purple pieces because that is Caswell’s colour. The supervisor from Northland Playgrounds said that the crew we put together was as

good as he had ever had. We want to thank Akzo Nobel Chemicals for their major contributions of financial support and volunteers. They have been long time business partners who have helped with our weekly Book an Bagel Program as well as the construction of our new Parent Room just outside the Pre-kindergarten room. We also want to acknowledge Canadian Tarpaulin’s generous loan of a very large tent that kept workers out of the hot sun during breaks and the Caswell Community Association for their funding contribution to the project.

Our Centennial Year celebration includes two special events. The first, a one-day Open House/Reunion on July 31st, was organized by Mrs. Pat Kingery, a former student and active volunteer. The principal, Mr. Boyd, gathered artifacts and old photos from the past for the enjoyment of the former students and staff who dropped by the school. The day consisted of time for alumni to meet with one another, take self-guided tours of the school noting all the changes, sharing lunch, and ringing the school bell. The stories of teachers, of friendships that have lasted a lifetime, and of how things have changed flowed freely throughout the day. The oldest student who attended finished grade 8 in 1940. The bell, that has now been placed on permanent display on the front lawn, is the original. It has been retrieved from storage after being

removed from the belfry decades ago. Saskatoon Public Schools facilities department was instrumental in

designing, constructing the cairn and placing the bell. In consideration of our neighbours we have removed

the clapper only to be temporarily installed on special occasions.

On Friday September 10, 2010, staff and students will officially celebrate the 100th with a few speeches from some very important people as well as may old fashioned games and activities. In commemoration of the event two incredibly beautiful paintings of the school have been donated by our neighbours and former students, Valerie Munch and James Lyons. Not only will we prominently display these pieces at school we will also use prints of them for cards. We cannot adequately express our appreciation to the artists for their generosity. Anyone wishing to purchase a set of 10 cards or a Caswell Centennial Mug can do so by dropping by the office.

New Playground is Completed

Caswell’s sCHool News

School Centennial Celebration

6 Caswell Hill Community Newsletter

Caswell Hill Community Newsletter 7

8 Caswell Hill Community Newsletter

THE MEDICINE SHOPPE PRESENTS:Spotlight on Seniors – October 5 from 10am to 4pm at TCU Place

Join us for our 11th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Tradeshow We will

be offering information, entertainment and fun. We will also be

featuring a digital photography display entitled “Age Alive”

Win a Leisure Pass for 2 from the Saskatoon

Medicine Shoppes when you attend.

511 33rd St West931-2999