BATTLEFORDS - It was a busy year in the Battlefords for news in 2024.
November saw the City of North Battleford's first ever female mayor elected to council.
Kelli Hawtin gained 1,591 votes, defeating contenders Terry Caldwell (849 votes) and Wayne (Semaganis) Baptiste (343 votes) in the municipal election.
She previously served as a councillor for the City of North Battleford since 2014, before vying for the mayoral position.
Hawtin became the first female mayor for North Battleford, a historical occasion for the city. Hawtin along with the newly elected councillors was officially sworn into office in a ceremony on Dec. 2.
In December, Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC) launched a new 24-hour Youth Help Line at 310-3310, so kids can reach out any time, day or night, to speak to a professional mental health therapist or certified counsellor when they need someone to talk to.
Leslie-Ann Smith, BATC Director of Health and Nursing Services, said the phone service will be an important support line for the area.
She also noted if the youth needs an immediate action plan, the professional will be there to help.
The service is geared to children and youth, but is also open to anyone who needs it, whether they a teen, or 28 or 38 years old, for example.
In November, Justice Grant Currie found accused Joseph Sproull guilty of eight charges - possessing, making and distributing child pornography, as well as sexual assault and sexual interference - following a child pornography trial that wrapped up Nov. 27 at the Court of King's Bench in Battleford.
RCMP previously stated that Sproull was residing at a home-based daycare in Marshall at the time of the offences. Marshall is about 19 kilometres east of Lloydminster.
Sproull was first arrested on the charges in September 2021.
Justice Currie adjourned sentencing to Jan. 22, 2025. At that time, final submissions will be made, a pre-sentence report will be done, and victim impact statements will be read.
The disturbing case rocked the community of Marshall when the charges were first reported.
In October, Sweetgrass First Nation created the third urban reserve in the Battlefords.
A ceremony was held at the corner of Railway Avenue and the Highway 16 Bypass in North Battleford to mark the event.
The City of North Battleford and Sweetgrass First Nation signed an agreement to convert a portion of the city into urban reserve land, after working together for more than a decade.
The land where the ceremony was held, located at the corner of Railway Avenue and the Highway 16 Bypass in North Battleford, was acquired by the late Sweetgrass Chief Wayne Standinghorn in 2010, followed by extensive environmental clean-up for years, according to the City's media release.
Also that month, firefighters were on the scene of a large blaze that destroyed the Best Canadian Motor Inn in North Battleford on Oct. 14th.
One case of smoke inhalation was reported and the individual was treated at the scene by WPD Ambulance. The building sustained severe damage and is now considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is still undetermined.
On Oct. 28th, Sask Party incumbent Jeremy Cockrill won the race in the Battlefords in this year's provincial election. Cockrill took the lead in the 12 polls, with 4,160 votes, followed by the NDP's Tom Kroczynski with 2,533 votes.
The Green Party's Sara Paitrofsky came in with 127 votes, and the Buffalo Party's Dale Richardson with 111.
Cockrill told reporters it's been a "very busy campaign" and was excited to claim the lead in the race.
September was a highlight in the year when John Paul II Collegiate's $18-million renovation project was revealed.
The initiative includes upgrades to common areas such as the library, computer lab and canteen area, an addition to the Industrial Arts space, and an expansion to the workout room.
The project that was first announced in 2020 as part of the provincial budget.
Also in September, a monument was unveiled to honour the Battlefords Industrial School survivors.
Annie Peyachew was one of the hundreds of Indigenous youth who attended. The sculpture was unveiled on Sept. 27 at Central Park in North Battleford, next to the Public Library.
Leah Garven, curator and manager of galleries at the city of North Battleford, envisioned how the art will make a difference in the community.
Artist Lionel Peyachew has designed it so people can interact with the art installation by giving an offering of tobacco and saying a prayer, or smudging.
March was a busy time for local firefighters when Quickfalls Collision Centre autobody shop caught on fire.
The North Battleford fire department responded to the structure fire at 5:13 p.m. on March 7.
Mutual aid was then activated to control the fire with both the Town of Battleford and the RM of North Battleford assisting in operations.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
In January, it was a celebratory time for North West College as it opened its new Learning Centre at the Frontier Mall. The space offers five new classrooms for students to use outside the main campus in North Battleford.
The site, which cost about $275,000 with $77,000 provided by the province to develop, will help accommodate the growing student population at North West College.
