Benefit for Karlie Christianson

Key organizers, Julie Graham and Kim Hamill, of the benefit for Karlie Christianson deemed the afternoon fundraiser an overwhelming success.  Over $6,000.00 was raised to offset any costs and future costs related to Karlie's surgery.

The support from Archerwill, Rose Valley, and surrounding communities was tremendous.  Donations of food from individuals and businesses as well as items for the silent auction and live auctions was impressive.  

The hall opened by 2:00 pm and the crowd started arriving until there was a full house of over 200 people.  Cody Prevost opened up the afternoon with a 45 minute set of his music.  Time was allowed for everyone to browse through the auction items before Casey Peterson of Kelvington staged a very successful auction at 3:30 pm.

Just before the auction Karlie and her mother Samantha addressed the assembly via the phone over the sound system in the hall.

Cody Prevost then closed out the entertainment with another 45 minutes of music with a guest appearance by Alice Baril of St. Front.

Admission to the afternoon was by donation.

Volunteers manned the food concession and money was also raised by the sale of hamburgers, hot dogs, pies and sweets, as well as a grocery hamper raffle.

Everyone in attendance was given an opportunity to sign a quilt or record a video message for Karlie, Samantha, and Bradley.

A word from Samantha and Bradley

Hi everyone back home!  Karlie, Bradley and I would like to thank you for praying and thinking about us, especially Karlie, during these hard times.  It is people like you who are helping us get through all of this!  We were speechless, embarrassed, but yet very honored to know that this auction was being held for us.  THANK YOU!!!

Karlie is doing well.  She had a 10 hour surgery to remove a tumor the size of a small apple from the back of her head.  She also had a drain that was inserted on the front right side of her head, to keep the pressure off of her brain in order for her to heal properly.  Karlie spent 7 long days in the Intensive Care Unit and then was moved over into Observation for a few days.  The doctors then decided to remove the drain and then allow Karlie to be moved into a private room.  Not long after Karlie was moved, the pressure on her brain increased.  So Karlie once again had to go back into the Operating Room and get the drain put back in.  The doctors could not reinsert the drain into her head, so they had to go through her spinal column in her lower back, to once again bring down the pressure in her head.  That drain is now removed, so we are getting one step closer to getting out of here!!  Karlie has been doing very good, although she is a little weak on her left side, due to everything she has been through.  She also has been having low grade fevers during the night, but all of her hoses and tubes are removed.  We hope she will be coming home soon.

Thanks again to everyone and for everyone who worked at putting this auction together!!

Love Karlie, Samantha, and Bradley

Silent Auction

The above photograph hangs above the desk of the village manager in her office in Archerwill and was taken many years ago, and while most villages who look back over 20 years have seen a decrease, that is not the case in Archerwill.

The village has grown and changed considerably with new homes, new business and upgraded facilities such as the new modern school that now replaces the old building seen in the lower foreground.

For those who do not live in Archerwill, the highway makes a sharp turn as you pass through the village.  You have to slow down for that right angle turn and it seems that all that Archerwill is, is the Co-op convenience and fuel outlet, a post office, hotel and cafe, but Archerwill is a surprisingly well developed place. The trees on the east side of the village hide a complete modern neighborhood, and west of the highway is a remarkable location with all of the elements that make this a place of charm and village living.

Because no part of the village is more than a block or two from the countryside there are farm yards clustered around with grazing livestock and even grain bins in one village yard.

A Roman Catholic, a United Church and a new Lutheran Church are vital parts of the community yet all of what makes of the village seem hidden away, nestled in groves of amazing trees and impressive modern homes.

The remarkable row of duplex senior citizens homes are each unique and give the street a modern interesting place to live while hidden within yet another grove of trees is a modern senior citizens care home.

The primary retail business is the extensive Archerwill Co-op with food, hardware, lumber and agricultural products. But there are other businesses including the Cornerstone Credit Union, an international web design corporation and a dealership for outdoor home heating systems.  Archerwill is also the head office for this region of the Saskatchewan Metis Nation with ten full time employees and family service centre.

In the centre of the village is a complex of service and recreational facilities, including the skating rink, curling rink, meeting hall, library, senior citizens centre and village garage.  Just recently the village built a new fire hall, and established a First Responders squad.

Another new and successful business is the greenhouse.  Situated just down the street from the greenhouse is the newest park to be built in this energized community: Centennial Gardens.

It is important to see that Archerwill is a diverse economy and that probably explains why it is apparently flourishing while other small villages become ghost towns. Though agriculture remains the primary concern of the people in the community the factory, a few small local saw mills, a very positive tourist industry involving outfitting and wilderness tourist farms and the nearby presence of a First Nations community have given this small place a big future.

Considering relocating from the hustle and bustle and concerns of big city life?  Why not put Archerwill on your list of "must see to be appreciated" locations?