ELK POINT/ST. PAUL - If you’re out on Highway 29 between St. Paul and St. Brides, or on Highway 41 between Elk Point and the Highway29 junction this Saturday morning, you will see some very dedicated young volunteers and their families hard at work, tidying up the debris left in highway ditches over the past year.
May 1 is the annual province-wide Highway Cleanup, and drivers are asked to please slow down while passing the multiple teams in action, to make sure the cleanup is safe for all involved.
Once again this year, each of the groups will be made up by members of the same family, in regard to COVID -19 protocols.
District show could go virtual
While individual club achievement days can be held in person while following strict regulations, what form the St. Paul District 4-H Steer Show could take is still uncertain and may be decided this week.
A plan to go to a virtual district show and an online auction on June 7 was discussed at a district meeting last week, with club delegates taking the idea back to their members for discussion and ratification. Prior to last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic, St. Paul 4-H District, which also includes clubs in Boscombe, Goodridge and St. Lina, had a long tradition of gathering in St. Paul on the first Monday in June for their interclub show and sale, as well as hosting a regional heifer show in early June. The 2020 heifer show went digitally, but steers were not shown and were sold individually by the members.
Clubs excel at judging, communications
St. Paul 4-H Multi Club and Elk Point 4-H Beef Club members were in the spotlight at the recent Virtual Western Canadian Judging Competition, hosted by the Lakeland College judging team, with two St. Paul members receiving the top points overall, after Kyle Yaremko placed first and sister Emily Yaremko second in the Senior division. Their younger brothers also placed in the top three in their categories. In the Intermediate division, Ethan Yaremko placed second, while Cloey Germain of Elk Point Beef placed first, and in the Junior division, Kurt Yaremko placed first, Shyanne Klatt of Elk Point Beef was second and Zack Germain was third.
Communications is also an important part of the 4-H program, even when competitions are held virtually. Luke Germain of Elk Point Beef and Ashlynn Trefanenko were in the top 10 Senior speakers at the 2021 Provincial Public Speaking and advanced to the finals, while Mercedes Trefanenko of St. Paul Multi was one of two top competitors in the Intermediate Presentations.
