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Top News - October - 2002
Published October 14, 2002
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by Stephen LaRose
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Bridge project leads to archaeological find
McKay's contributions recognizedHard work and talent leading Andrea Menard to stardom
This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the October 2002 issue of Saskatchewan Sage. If you are not receiving your own copy of Sage, then you have missed out on a lot.
Bridge project leads to archaeological find
Ross Kimble, Sage Writer, St. Louis SKPage 2
The details of Saskatchewan's most distant past became a great deal clearer recently, with the discovery by Saskatchewan Highways workers of an amazingly well-preserved archaeological site containing artifacts some 8,000 years old. Uncovered near the small community of St. Louis (roughly halfway between Saskatoon and Prince Albert) during the standard heritage impact assessment that is required prior to any highway or bridge construction, the find has archaeologists, anthropologists and nearby residents buzzing with excitement. One of the oldest archaeological finds ever in the province, the bones, tools and other artifacts of human settlement buried at the site are giving scientists a detailed and unprecedented look into the lives of Saskatchewan's ancient inhabitants.
"They've found bones, tools, remnants of settlements," related Richard John, a council member from the nearby One Arrow First Nation. "It's a very significant find for Saskatchewan's Aboriginal peoples. It shows how our earliest ancestors survived, and made use of the land."
The exciting discovery took place in June of this year, when the site of the future St. Louis bridge was assessed for any cultural or historical significance. Test holes drilled in the area uncovered the remains of tools and bones, and Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation immediately contacted the University of Saskatchewan, and commissioned Saskatoon-based Stantec Consulting to organize a full-scale excavation.
Over the course of the summer, excavators peeled back layer after layer of soil, and uncovered a treasure trove of ancient remains. Dating the site proved that its contents ranged from 5,000 (for the topmost layer) to 8,000 years old (for the most deeply buried items). For comparison, the oldest archaeological discoveries at Saskatoon's Wanuskewin Heritage Park date back only 5,300 years.
Almost as exciting to researchers as the age of the findings was their state. The artifacts were buried in oxygen-deprived, silty soil, which preserved them in excellent condition. Bones still bore the marks of man-made weapons, and tools retained their wear marks.
Of particular interest among the more than 4,000 artifacts and animal bones found were the remains of several bison, including two complete skulls from an extinct species much larger than the modern version; wolf and coyote skeletons, showing that these animals, too, were much larger in ancient times; and relatively untouched campfire, workshop and butchering areas that hint at the existence of relatively permanent and stable settlements.
By extrapolating from the dates of various items, researchers have already drawn a number of tentative conclusions about these earliest residents. The repeated use of the same site over many generations indicates that the area was continuously settled for many centuries. The presence of both bison and wolf bones, and of stone axes and arrowheads, shows that the inhabitants were skilled hunters who defended their settlements against beasts of prey. The more extensive butchering of animals in later times also hints that the food supply may have been dwindling.
Aboriginal people from One Arrow, and other Saskatchewan First Nations gathered at the site on Oct 1 to hold a sweat lodge, coinciding with the end of the excavation period and the covering of the site. The total cost of the excavation was estimated at $120,000, and was paid by Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation.
Providing the most informative data yet on Saskatchewan's first Indigenous people, the artifacts from the St. Louis dig will continue to be studied, to further fill in the tantalizing picture already partially painted.
McKay's contributions recognized
Scott Boyes, Sage Writer, La RongePage 5
There was no gala banquet flush with guest speakers. There were no spotlights pointed up at a stage.
Instead, there was a quiet dinner with a few friends, family and colleagues, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's representative in Saskatchewan. That is how Ray McKay has received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.
Lieutenant-Governor Lynda Haverstock presented the medal to McKay on Sept. 6 in La Ronge in honor of his contributions towards improving the personal, cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of northern Saskatchewan.
The medal, struck to commemorate the 50th year of the Queen's reign, is awarded "to those persons who have made a significant contribution to Canada, to their community and to their fellow Canadians," said Haverstock.
Haverstock was also in La Ronge to present the Lt.- Gov.Awards of Excellence to several northern students, so the presentation to McKay later that day was all the more fitting. When he worked for Saskatchewan Education, McKay was one of the engineers of that student awards program, and it is obviously still important to him. "I thank you for continuing this really good program," was his immediate reply to Haverstock. The recipients of those awards have become lawyers, engineers, teachers and other leading citizens, McKay noted.
"I'm almost embarrassed," he said after receiving his medal.
McKay has spent decades as an educator, a civil servant and now CEO of Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership (KMLP), the economic development company for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, of which McKay is a member. He joined the provincial civil service in 1979, eventually becoming deputy minister of the new department of Saskatchewan Northern Affairs under long-time colleague Keith Goulet. McKay left that post in 1998 to become the top officer of KMLP, one of the leading firms in the province.
McKay thanked his family for their long support of his work; Haverstock presented his wife, Nancy, with a flower arrangement. He also praised his colleagues and co-workers through the years for forming a winning team.
The occasion also honored artist Myles Charles, a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian band who is retiring from Saskatchewan Learning. Charles was a guest of honor along with McKay, and he received gifts from the McKays and the department.
Hard work and talent leading Andrea Menard to stardom
Ross Kimble, Sage Writer, SaskatoonPage 8
Sitting down for a coffee and a cordial chat with Andrea Menard, it quickly becomes clear why this Saskatoon actress, singer and writer is poised on the brink of stardom. No, it isn't her eye-catching beauty and natural grace-those are merely surface qualities, and focusing on them only obscures the true beauty of Menard's inner self. Nor is it her ambition-Menard is already content with her life, and there is little trace in her of any ego or burning desire to bask in the spotlight of success. Nor, in fact, is it her innate talent, although her voice and acting ability certainly provide Menard with all the tools for stardom.
No, if Menard's growing list of accomplishments and accolades can be attributed to one thing, it would have to be her diligent work ethic. Listening to her talk about her hectic past and current schedule, and hint at her long list of upcoming projects, one can only marvel that the 31-year old Menard has time for any life outside the arts. When one realizes how much Menard loves her chosen career, though, the long hours, frequent travel and frantic schedule seem not so much a hardship as an opportunity for her to share her gifts with an ever broader audience.
Menard's current labour of love is The Velvet Devil, a one-woman musical play that just finished a run at Ottawa's National Arts Centre. The fictitious story of a 1940's era Métis singer who fled her small-town Saskatchewan roots for big-city stardom, but who returns home to face and overcome her personal and familial demons, The Velvet Devil premiered at Regina's Globe Theatre in November, 2000. It has since been adapted into a CBC Radio play, and its 18 songs (co-written by Menard and Robert Walsh) were recently compiled and released on CD. A movie version is in the works, and Menard is hopeful the National Arts Centre shows will lead to a touring production.
"I've been working on this project for almost five years, but I'm really not tired of it yet," said Menard. "Every step is a new thing-writing the music, writing the play, performing the play, launching the CD, doing radio, it's all different."
Though The Velvet Devil is not an autobiographical tale, Menard did draw on her own life during the writing process. Like her stage persona, Menard is a Métis woman with small town roots, and a musical upbringing.
"I was born in Flin-Flon," shared Menard. "We moved around a lot. My dad was in and out of various mines. There was always singing in our house-my dad would sing and my mom would harmonize. I grew up with that, and I've always sang. It's just a natural thing."
Unlike the play's protagonist (and to the delight of local audiences), Menard has not moved away from the province in pursuit of her dream. She has lived in Saskatoon for 14 years, and built her career through a steady stream of theatre, film, television, radio and concert performances.
"Until about two years ago, I would have agreed that Saskatoon is not the best place to pursue an acting career. I always had one foot out the door. I was always almost ready to move. But I stayed, and I'm very glad I did," said Menard. "I wouldn't be where I am today if I had moved. Nothing that's happened would have happened elsewhere. This is my home. It's where my friends and family are. This place keeps me grounded."
It also keeps her exceedingly busy. On returning home from the Ottawa performances, Menard will turn her attention to roles in upcoming productions by Saskatoon's Persephone Theatre and by the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. She is also looking forward to additional work with the Globe Theatre, to a new play she will be writing with respected Métis author Maria Campbell, and to more high-profile film roles. And even with all this in front of her, Menard is also making tentative plans for her second CD project.
For a woman with such a powerful and hypnotic voice, it may seem surprising that acting is Menard's primary focus, but as she explained, it's all a matter of desire.
"I never really dreamed of being a singer, I wanted to be an actress. I've gotten lots of roles because I can sing, but acting is definitely my favourite thing."
Blessed with talents in acting, singing and writing, Menard obviously has the skills to succeed in whichever field she chooses to pursue. No matter what choices she makes, what opportunities she seizes, or what distant cities her talent takes her to, the proud eyes and ears of Saskatchewan will always remain on her. And for anyone fortunate enough to have met this friendly, down-to-earth woman, heartfelt best wishes will remain with her as well.