Two things have been a constant in the life of Gene Krepakevich from his earliest days growing up on the family farm near Hampton; the Yorkton Terriers and the Co-operative movement.
Looking at his early years Krepakevich said there used to be at least a sign on Highway #9 pointing to where Hampton was. That sign now reads Hampton Road, and the community is only a memory.
鈥淥ne time there were seven elevators, a grocery store, a restaurant,鈥� he related, but added like many rural Prairie towns it went into decline.
But the community hall had always remained, being 鈥渨ell looked after鈥� hosting weddings and community events.
Then some of those who cared for the hall moved, and it too was closed, except to some youth who apparently were breaking in to use the hall to skateboard, said Krepakevich. There was no power, but candles were used. It might have been those candles that started the fire that consumed the hall and every remaining building but one in what had been Hampton.
鈥淓very building burned to the ground except one,鈥� he said, adding 鈥淭wo weeks later that building was burned too.
鈥淵ou go out there you don鈥檛 see Hampton anymore, just overgrown trees.鈥�
While Krepakevich said he took his earliest school years in the rural area, Grades 10-12 were taken in Yorkton. It was those years he started playing hockey, and the relationship with the Terriers grew.
鈥淭he Yorkton Senior Terriers were our team,鈥� he said.
Krepakevich noted 鈥渢he roads weren鈥檛 very good back then,鈥� often ending up blocked with snow.
鈥淢ore than once we walked seven miles to the highway where someone from Yorkton would meet us and take us to game,鈥� he said. 鈥淎fter the game we鈥檇 walk the seven miles back.鈥�
There were nights the temperature was minus-30, said Krepakevich.
鈥淥ur parents would say 鈥榶ou don鈥檛 have to do this鈥� and we said 鈥榦h yes we do鈥�,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e did things those days that no one would attempt now.鈥�
Krepakevich, who grew up on a farm, actually dabbled in farming himself, buying a quarter section of land in the Mikado area close to the in-laws of his first wife Marie, who passed in 2007. He said he was helping farm, so ended up buying the quarter for $25,000 viewed by some neighbours as ridiculously high.
鈥淚t was a good quarter with 159 cultivated acres,鈥� he said, adding two years later he was offered twice what he had paid.
鈥淚 farmed it for four years,鈥� he said, adding he soon realized it was not a tax friendly enterprise for someone who was also teaching. So he rented the land, eventually selling it in 2008.
The teaching side of Krepakevich鈥檚 life was one that almost didn鈥檛 happen. He said he had applied to join the RCMP and to attend teacher鈥檚 college, being accepted to both.
When the approval came from the RCMP it was not a popular option with his mother.
鈥淢y mom cried and cried. She thought I was going to get killed,鈥� said Krepakevich. 鈥淪o I decided to go to teacher鈥檚 college.鈥�
Krepakevich said he never regretted the choice, but admitted he wouldn鈥檛 make it as a teacher today.
鈥淚 was a disciplinarian. Respect was number one for me,鈥� he said.
Krepakevich鈥檚 first teaching position was at York Lake just south of the city. It was a short-lived posting with only six students, one his own child.
Krepakevich would have four children with his first wife; Brad and Kelly, who have passed, and Barry and Carlene who live in the area.
From there, there would be short stops at Jaroslaw and Saltcoats schools, then a move to the then junior high in Yorkton. That school would evolve into Yorkdale Central School, with Krepakevich part of the staff until retirement in 1987.
It was while teaching Krepakevich and Vern Pachal got together because of trouble with the Senior Terrier team.
鈥淰ern was with the Senior Terriers. The team was in bad shape, they were broke,鈥� said Krepakevich. The two came together as the team sent out three ton trucks lobbying area farmers for wheat they could sell to buy gas to keep the team playing.
鈥淲e ended up with a full truck. I thought that was marvellous,鈥� he said.
But the future of the Senior Terriers was short, and by 1972 a Junior Terrier team was launched, and Krepakevich was involved as a billet for the Gerry James owned team.
When James sold the team and moved on, leaving the Junior team awash in red ink Krepakevich said he was one of more than 300 people gathering at the Legion Hall in the city to find a way to save the franchise.
Buddy Pachal would end up club president at the meeting, Krepakevich taking the vice-president chair.
The league came out to meet with the new executive and no one was even sure who owned the remnants of the team, or just what they would do next.
鈥淲e had no idea,鈥� said Krepakevich.
At the team鈥檚 first game the sheriff showed up to take the gate money, because the money was owed to someone.
The team actually owed $125,000, a huge sum in the mid-1970s.
鈥淓verybody was clamouring for their money,鈥� said Krepakevich, adding 鈥渆ventually we paid everything back, or it was written off.鈥�
As much as saving the team was a huge undertaking, and critical to the team, Krepakevich said the highlight of what would become a decade鈥檚 long relationship with the Junior team, would come years later, as he co-chaired the Royal Bank Cup in the city in 1999 with Reg Coles.
Krepakevich said they said they would take on chairing the event but only under the condition the profits, if there were any, would be held in trust to help the Terrier team in times of need.
The event would realize a $130,000 profit, $100,000 going into a trust. The Junior Terriers have been given the interest raised each year for specific projects, and have dipped into the principle when the Terriers gave gone too deep into the red. Today, $40,000 remains, said Krepakevich, which will stay put unless the team is on the precipice of failure.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the highlight, being able to stage the Royal Bank Cup and also to help preserve the team,鈥� he reiterated.
Krepakevich would also be the club president from 1986 through 1992, as such he attended the first four national championships the Terriers were involved in; Sudbury and Streetsville in Ontario, and Melfort and the one the team hosted in Saskatchewan. He did however miss the Terrier trip to Vernon, B.C. in 2014, where the Terriers won the organization鈥檚 first national championship. Krepakevich had other commitments at the time; his wedding to second wife Gladys.
With his background as a teacher, and long involvement Krepakevich would eventually take on writing a history on the first 25-years of the junior franchise.
鈥淚 had no source of information,鈥� he said, adding he headed to the library 鈥渟pending 100s of hours looking at microfiche 鈥� It took me three years to do, (with Vic Eftoda doing the typing).鈥�
The book was printed locally, 300 copies made, all now long sold.
鈥淚 have two copies, one the dog chewed the cover the other one the cover is on backwards,鈥� said Krepakevich.
It was another highlight tied to the Terriers.
鈥淭hat book was a challenge to get done, but I鈥檓 proud of it.鈥�
For his involvement Krepakevich was recognized as Yorkton Sportsman of the Year in 1990, and was inducted into the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2003.
The other source of pride for Krepakevich is a long involvement with the Yorkton Co-op. He became a delegate in 1980, and from there was on to the board of directors.
鈥淲e were struggling,鈥� he said, adding the co-operative movement in the early 1980s was having a difficult time.
Krepakevich recalled floating the idea to freeze union wages, and cut management wages by 15 per cent, which wasn鈥檛 immediately popular, but it was accepted, and the Co-op emerged stronger.
In 1994, Krepakevich was elected president of the board, a position he still holds today. Through the years the Co-op has grown, including amalgamating with the Churchbridge Co-op last fall, and launching a new name Legacy Co-op. He said sales are expected to be $115 million this year.
Krepakevich said it was almost natural for him to get into the co-op movement.
鈥淢y dad was co-op man,鈥� he said, adding growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan it was just the natural thing.
But the involvement is coming to an end. Krepakevich said he is in his last term, although he added with a smile that the term does extend until 2023.
鈥淔or me it鈥檚 been an interesting experience being part of the Board,鈥� he said.
