Shellbrook Chronicle

09/17/2025

09/11/2025

Blaine Lake Community Centre celebrates opening
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Nearly a year after it partnered with the Town of Blaine Lake to acquire the former Blaine Lake Gospel Chapel with the hopes of transforming it into a community centre, the Blaine Lake Community Association (BLCA) celebrated the re-imagined facility’s grand opening on Friday, Sept. 5.

The celebration was rolled into the BLCA’s annual end-of-summer BBQ, and families were invited to come out for a free burger or hot dog (with chips and a pop or juice box) and tour the community centre. Additionally, bouncy castles, a face painting table, and a number of games and activities were set up to keep kids entertained over the course of the three-hour event.

Though not an old building, the former gospel chapel had gone unused as a place of worship since December 2023, but was being rented by a number of community groups, including the local Playschool.

When word came down in February 2024 that the church was closing, BLCA member Jenna Englot says there was a brief period of panic that the building would be sold, because there weren’t any other dedicated community spaces in Blaine Lake.

But rather than give up, the BLCA put together a proposal to purchase the building from the Mennonite Central Committee and convert it into a multi-purpose community space.

The Mennonite Central Committee greeted the proposal with enthusiasm, and so, too, did the Town of Blaine Lake, which bankrolled the purchase of the building and officially took possession of it in October 2024. The BLCA and other groups have been using the facility since then, with much of the work to renovate it beginning this past spring.

“It’s been a really cool project because it’s been a collaborative effort,” Englot said, noting that the BLCA has taken responsibility for operating and managing the new community centre.

“The BLCA has been accessing grants and fundraising to do all of the work needed within the building. It will be a project that’s ongoing as we access grants and funds to be able to retrofit spaces and turn it into something great.”

Complete with an updated kitchen and newly acquired and built furniture, the larger portion of the Blaine Lake Community Centre’s main floor will be the community commons, a multi-purpose space that can be rented by local individuals or groups and used for youth programming.

Meanwhile, the former chapel space is expected to become the new home of the Blaine Lake Public Library at some point this fall. Currently, repainting of the space is under way, and there are plans to convert the stage area into a kid’s reading nook. Then, it’s just the matter of moving in the books and shelves.

“We’re so excited for the library to move in here. They’re in quite an old building in town that’s almost past the point of repair,” Englot said.

Heading down to the Blaine Lake Community Centre’s basement, the Playschool will continue to run out of its dedicated space. And though much work still needs to be done, the rest of the basement will become a fitness centre, which will be accessed via a separate entrance.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us. We’re going to tackle upstairs first and support the library getting moved in, and there are a few things that need to happen in the community commons before it can really be taken advantage of,” Englot said.

“The fitness centre will be the last thing, because it’s more of a niche group that would access that space.”

Beyond the work that still needs to be done inside, Englot says the BLCA is working on signage for the community centre, which will be selected through a contest. There are also hopes to create a community mural on an exterior wall that currently has religious paintings.

“That will be coming summer of 2026,” she said.
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09/04/2025

Community support builds new ball diamond
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

For the past 20 years, kids growing up playing ball in Shell Lake have had to do so on a single diamond, after the second diamond was removed due to drainage issues.

Local teams have made do with these limited accommodations for much of this time. But with the launch of the Parkland Predators girls’ and the Parkland Wildcats boys’ provincial softball programs in 2019 and 2022, respectively, and with Shell Lake Minor Sports experiencing growth in registrations for house league teams in recent years, a single diamond was no longer enough.

“We were having difficulty accommodating all of the practices and games,” said Allison Batty-Simonar, who developed the Predators and Wildcats programs with her husband, Dillan Simonar.

“We were also very limited in our ability to host tournaments with only one diamond.”

This season alone, Shell Lake Minor Sports had about 70 kids registered to play ball, with co-ed league teams running the gamut from U5 to U13, Predators teams going from U13 to U17, and Wildcats teams ranging from U11 (two teams) to U15.

Highlighting the fact that Shell Lake is a regional hub, these players came not only from Shell Lake, but also from Spiritwood, Leoville, Debden, Leask, Canwood, Shellbrook, Big River, Rosthern, Prince Albert, Birch Hills, and Rabbit Lake.

Given this, and the ballpark’s prime location in Memorial Lake Regional Park, which boasts a beach and an 18-hole golf course, it became clear that there was both the need for a second diamond and an opportunity to create a ballpark that opposing teams would be eager to come play in.

The project to make this a reality began a couple of years ago, with members of Shell Lake Minor Sports approaching the Memorial Lake Regional Park Board to see if it would support the idea. The board was supportive, and the two organizations have been sharing the costs of the project.

Meanwhile, the project has become a true community endeavour, with park board members John Duncan and Dennis Simonar, and community members like Wayne Reddekopp, volunteering their time and donating equipment to ensure the work gets done.

Certainly, there’s been no shortage of work to go around, whether it be removing trees, picking rocks and roots, cementing posts, discing and leveling, resolving the prior drainage issues, hauling sand and crusher dust, installing irrigation for sprinklers, or laying sod. But at every turn, Batty-Simonar says there’s been someone there to help.

“Projects like this are not possible without dedicated volunteers that selflessly give their time to benefit others,” she said.

Of course, volunteerism is only one side of the coin when it comes to a major undertaking like the new diamond project. On the other is fundraising.

Here, too, the community and the broader region have stepped up to help, boosting fundraising efforts to the tune of $39,500. Most recent among the support is a $10,000 Legacy Community Development Grant from Innovation Federal Credit Union.

Shell Lake Minor Sports secretary and treasurer Amy Strate says the funds from sponsorships and grants have allowed for a lot of work to be completed, from the installation of the backstop, outfield fencing, sprinkler system, and sod, to the acquisition and construction of bases, dugouts, benches, bleachers, and ball equipment, to the pouring of shale on the infield.

With all this done, Strate says the project is well on its way to the finish line.

“We still have a lot of work to do on this project, but we look forward to the task ahead of us,” she said.

“We are still awaiting shale to spread on the infield, but are very happy to report that the diamond will be ready for ball players in the spring of 2026,” Batty-Simonar added.
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08/28/2025

Summer ends with a splash in Shellbrook
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Shellbrook’s season of sunshine, outdoor play, and swimming came to an unofficial end on Friday, Aug. 22, as Kinsmen Park and the Shellbrook Swimming Pool played host to the annual Party in the Park.

Though some blustery winds made the afternoon feel a little less summery, the cooler conditions did nothing to deter kids from diving right into the swimming pool and all the activities organized by the pool’s lifeguards, including inflatables provided by Diskotek Entertainment, face painting, mini putt, and more.

With so much to do, the park and swimming pool were abuzz with activity from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. And as afternoon bled into evening, the Parkland Pool Project Committee kept everyone fed with a canteen and BBQ to raise vital funds for the Parkland Pool Project. As of Monday, the total raised through the canteen and BBQ hadn’t been finalized.

Though Shellbrook is expected to enjoy one last stretch of summery conditions, the Shellbrook Swimming Pool will be ending its season this coming weekend, in conjunction with kids returning to school. Also ending is the Town of Shellbrook’s playground program, which is now called the S-CAPE Program (meaning Summer Program — Culture, Arts, Physical Activity, Experiences).

Town of Shellbrook CAO Sigourney O’Halligan says both the playground program and the swimming pool enjoyed successful seasons.

The S-CAPE Program runs for eight weeks throughout the summer, providing themed weekday programming and much-needed childcare for kids in the community. While in past years, the program was limited to 30 children per week, O’Halligan says the decision was made to run things a little differently this year by opening it up to more children.

“We have found over the past two years we have had a waitlist for most weeks over the summer months, and it is a recognized need within the community,” she said.

“With great staff members being able to provide constructive play during the summer days, we have averaged 33 participants per week and a total of 267 registrants for the season, with the most popular weeks being themed Water Week and Mystery Week.”

Though persistently smoky conditions may have been a hindrance to both the S-CAPE Program and the Shellbrook Swimming Pool, O’Halligan says the pool also had a largely successful season, with more than 500 people registering for swimming lessons throughout the summer.

While this may be a little lower than last year’s 635 registrants, O’Halligan once again notes that this year’s numbers wouldn’t be possible without the pool staff’s dedication and care for the facility and the swimmers.

“We are blessed to have volunteers and employees that are committed to our community,” she said.
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08/21/2025

U13 Parkland Wildcats top Westerns
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

When Shell Lake’s Dillan and Allison Simonar started the Parkland Predators girls’ softball program in 2019, and the Parkland Wildcats boys’ softball program in 2022, they had a clear purpose and vision in mind for their own kids, and for other children in the community.

“Our goal was to provide a rurally-based option for competitive softball, so kids wouldn’t have to travel to the city,” said Allison. “There are so many talented athletes in our area. It is nice for them to have the opportunity to play higher-level ball closer to home and create a sense of community that only small towns can provide.”

Both of the programs, which are based out of Shell Lake, have succeeded in building the community spirit Dillan and Allison had hoped for, with parents and community members ensuring that games are well attended and players are well supported.

In turn, this community support has allowed for the rapid expansion of both programs. Starting with a U12 C Parkland Predators team in 2019, the past two seasons have seen the Predators’ ranks swell to include teams in each of the minor girls age categories, including U11 ‘B’, U13 ‘C’, U15 ‘B’, and U17 ‘A’.

Meanwhile, the Parkland Wildcats started with a single U11 team in 2022. Now, there are two U11 teams (Wildcats Green and Wildcats Blue), a U13 team, and a U15 team (a new addition this season).

Along with the steady growth of the program, there has been an equally steady growth in the success of the players on the diamonds.

The original Parkland Predators group won the “BW” provincial title in 2023 and has represented Saskatchewan at the Western Canadian Championships twice.

As for the Wildcats, they started strong in 2022, claiming silver medals at the U11 Boys Open Provincial Championship that year, then upgrading to gold medals in 2023.

In 2024, the U11 Wildcats Blue successfully defended their provincial title, while the U13s won bronze and were able to represent Saskatchewan at Westerns in Brandon, Man., also winning bronze at that tournament.

This year, both teams went undefeated and captured gold at their respective Provincial championship, paving the way for the U13 to compete at Westerns in Prince George, B.C. from Aug. 7-10.

Given the team’s successes in previous seasons, expectations for the team were high throughout this season.

“They are a very talented group and many of them have played together since the program started,” Allison said. “Although they are young, they are quite experienced, with each player having previously won a provincial title in previous seasons. Not only are they good athletes, they are also great kids and teammates.”

Facing a smaller contingent of opponents in Prince George, the U13 team was up against three squads from B.C., including a team made up of the Provincial gold and silver winners from Terrace, the Provincial bronze medallists from Prince George, and a host Prince George team. Unfortunately, a second Saskatchewan team from Dundurn had to pull out at the last minute due to roster issues, and Manitoba wasn’t represented due to the ongoing wildfire evacuations in the north of the province.

Regardless of who they were facing, the Wildcats came out ready to meet and exceed expectations, going undefeated through the round robin.

“Their pitching was fastest in the field and dialled in, only allowing a handful of hits in all the games combined,” Dillan said.

The Wildcats’ success through the round robin earned them a bye into the gold medal game. After a win in a tight semi-final game, the Terrace team earned the right to meet them and were eager to end their undefeated run.

The Wildcats had no intention of making it easy, going up 5-0 after the first two innings. Terrace rallied through the third and fourth innings, however, shutting out the Wildcats while scoring four runs to bring the core to 5-4.

Unfazed, the Wildcats’ bats came alive in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to take a commanding 10-4 lead. Needing six runs to keep playing, Terrace was shut down by the Wildcats’ defence, allowing the Wildcats to claim Westerns gold.

This year’s U13 Wildcats roster featured Paul Loiselle (Leoville), Lucas Buswell (Spiritwood), Maddox Simonar (Shell Lake), Coleby Rose (Shell Lake) Jase McAleese (Shellbrook), Kai Nordquist (Canwood), Kaleb Poirier (Debden), Kael Bick (Debden), Rylan Fraser (Big River), Bowdyn Dufour (Laird), Jaron Ens (Rosthern), and Reed Martens (Rosthern).

Of these players, six will be moving up to U15 next year, and six will remain in U13.

“There’s a strong group of players moving up from U11, so we expect the U13s to be quite strong again next season,” Allison said. “The goal for the U15 team will be to qualify for Nationals. National championships start at the U15 age division, so this is a goal the team has been striving towards for a number of years.”

Looking ahead to the future, Allison and Dillan say the big thing that’s needed as the Predators and Wildcats programs continue to grow is more coaches.

“This season, the U13 Predators team was coached by three players from the U17 girls team,” noted Alison. “It was a great opportunity for these young women to give back to the program and the sport, while serving as mentors and role models.”
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08/14/2025

Thickwood Hills celebrates 25 years of art
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Sometimes, making art can be an isolated experience. But for the past 25 years creative spirits in Shell Lake and the surrounding area having been striving to build a community centred around art through the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail.

Held Aug. 9 and 10, the rural art tour offers art enthusiasts — and art novices — an opportunity to travel down rural Saskatchewan’s back roads, take in the prairie vistas, and meet and interact with local artists in their creative spaces.

The idea for the tour was spawned by Saskatchewan Order of Merit-winning artist Rigmor Clarke, who returned to the tour line-up to mark the quarter-century milestone, opening up her large but cozy Forest Raven Studio to guests.

Clarke says she got the idea for the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail while partaking in an art tour during a trip to Ottawa. At the time, she was teaching art at a community college and saw many students who possessed plenty of talent, but likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to show their art anywhere.

“I was thinking about how they could get their art out so the community could see it,” she said.

“The other thing that I thought would be really neat would be if rural and urban people could meet. This [tour] gives them a chance to see Saskatchewan and the people of Saskatchewan.”

Those who took the scenic drive out to Clarke’s studio quickly learned the 90-year-old still possesses the same creative spark she’s had since childhood. What’s more, she’s even dabbling in new art forms, having taken up encaustic art in the past year (melted wax and pigment on a surface).

“It’s something between a sculpture and a painting,” Clarke said. “It’s fascinating — challenging and fascinating.”

Over the years, other artists have taken up Clarke’s dream as their own, allowing the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail to thrive and attract guests from all over Saskatchewan.

In addition to Clarke’s return, this year’s tour featured a diverse mix of new and returning artists.

South of Mont Nebo, Carina Ong-Scutchings’ Studio 701 showcased her functional and decorative ceramics once again, as well as the works of two newcomers to the tour.

At one time from the Spiritwood area, paddle and oar painter Nancy Carlson says she’d been looking for an opportunity to return to the area.
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08/07/2025

Canwood car show revs up in 4th year
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

Car lovers of all ages were in for a treat on Sunday, Aug. 3, when the Canwood Car Show brought an eclectic mix of about 70 classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the community for the day.

Now in its fourth year, the car show has come a long way from its first outing, when founder Sven Johnson pulled it together on a week’s notice. And while its continued growth means more work for him and his wife, Sarah, his hope is to keep making it better for the community.

Born and raised in Canwood, and now living on the farm he grew up on, Sven says he’s watched the village change over the years and gradually lose its businesses, as well as its sense of community. With the car show, he’s hoping to change that as much as possible.

“If you have a strong sense of community, that’s what fuels businesses and the economy of an area. If people want to be there, they’ll spend their time and money there,” he said.

“I don’t have time to run 10 businesses, but maybe I can pull off a big event every year and make people feel like they belong there and know the people there.”

In an effort to grow the Canwood Car Show into a day-long community gathering, this year’s rendition included several new attractions, including live music performed by Saskatoon’s The Great Fuss, a sunglasses making activity hosted by Jordan Arnason (Threads by J), a drive-in theatre-style screening of Cars on the grain elevator after sundown, and print-on-demand merch.

“A lot of these things were things that we wanted to do for a long time,” Sven said. “Even before the car show was a thing, we always talked about how awesome it would be to do a drive-in movie right on the elevators. It was fun to see it finally happen.”
With more attractions comes a heavier workload and higher costs. Fortunately, Sven says, people and businesses were more than happy to throw their support behind the event by volunteering or sponsoring.

“It says a lot about the kind of businesses and people who are in our community,” he said.

While the day went off mostly without a hitch, there is still a learning curve with a young and growing event. This year, the plan was to add lawn mower racers as a fun attraction. Unfortunately, due to liability and insurance issues associated with hosting the races on town-owned land, those races became a shorter (but still fun) lawn mower rally.

Sven says he hopes he can find a way to make the races happen in the future.

In addition to ensuring people have plenty of things to do throughout the day, the Canwood Car Show also makes sure they’re well fed.

This year, the Sunny Days Snack Shack was back on dessert refreshment duty at the car show. Meanwhile, a taco in a bag lunch and a pulled pork on a bun supper were being served up to raise funds for Little Red Hens, a local charitable organization that launched in 2023 and delivers monthly bundles of diapers, wipes, and diaper cream to mothers in Debden, Ahtahkakoop, Canwood, Shellbrook, Holbein, and Parkside.

While the final fundraising total wasn’t known as of Monday, an estimated 250 meals were served up throughout the day.

Looking ahead to next year, Sven says his biggest question is how the Canwood Car Show can be done better while still being just as fun. One area he’s highlighted for improvement is kid’s activities, and, luckily, someone has already stepped up and volunteered to take them over for next year.
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07/31/2025

Parkside Derby delivers big hits
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By JORDAN TWISS
Shellbrook Chronicle Reporter

In small towns, community events tend to have a fairly fixed lifespan. Most last maybe five years, and some even make it to ten, but by then, the community’s usually ready to move on to something new and exciting.

With every rule, however, there’s always an exception — like the Parkside Demolition Derby, which has been going strong since the 1980s. If anything, enthusiasm for the derby is only growing after 42 derbies, with crowds of thousands of people coming from near and far to fill the stands and revel in a day chockfull of automotive mayhem.

The 2025 rendition of the smash hit event demonstrated its continued status as one of the area’s can’t-miss events, as an estimated 3,000 people came through the gate on Saturday, July 26, to take in the action at the Darrel Martin Memorial Speedway.

Though old cars and trucks are getting harder to find with each year, the drivers are more than up to the task of hunting them down and tuning them up. All told, 27 cars and 10 trucks were registered this year, all with the hopes of being the last vehicle standing.

In addition to providing a full day of smashing and bashing, the Parkside Demolition Derby has raised significant funds for local and provincial causes. And this year’s derby continued to build upon that legacy with another successful charity car auction.

The charity car was first introduced at the 2017 Parkside Derby, and, in its first year, it brought in $3,900 for the Jim Pattison Children’s Foundation. Meanwhile, in 2018, a Joker-themed charity car raked in $6,700 for STARS Air Ambulance.

At the 2019 derby, a replica of the General Lee from the TV show Dukes of Hazzard, dwarfed the first two years, selling for $15,000 to Rob Forbes of Forbes Bros. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Brad Toth of Thunder Ridge Farms bought the charity car two years running, raising $16,000 for Ronald McDonald House in 2022 and $15,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations in Saskatchewan in 2023.

Last year, the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association was the recipient of the proceeds for the charity car, and received $12,000 thanks to a winning bid from Nyberg Contracting. And this year, with Camp Easter Seals selected as the charity, the car went to First Capital Leasing for $14,000.

The winning bid gave Luke Peterson the chance to get behind the wheel of the charity car, which was built and thematically painted by a crew of more than a dozen volunteers.

“It’s amazing. You don’t see too many events that can go on for 40+ years straight. Every person who come through the gate, and every burger sold, that’s money we’re able to give away. We can help out more in the community,” said Parkside Community Club president Jory Segberg.
“It’s more than just a derby. We’re able to help, and that’s awesome.”

While giving back is the raison d’être of the Parkside Derby, its other aim is to provide a day of entertainment for all ages. This year’s derby brought that in spades, from the barrel races right until the final hit.

Starting the day with the barrel races, there were 16 competitors vying to be the fastest. In the end, Branden Fehr ran the cleanest and quickest race, placing first with a time of 21.12 seconds. Ben Tweedie was just behind him at 21.72 seconds, while Conrad Sand placed third.

Proving that the derby can still bring something new each year, the intermission between the barrel races and the derby featured an hour-long concert from country artist Taya Lebel, who treated the crowd to a mix of classics and contemporary chart toppers.
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07/24/2025

Something for everyone at Shell Lake Hey Days
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By BEVRA FEE
Spiritwood Herald Reporter

The annual summer bash in the village of Shell Lake has grown into a monster event, with the 2025 line-up drawing a larger crowd than ever. The 10 a.m. pancake breakfast hosted by the Partners in Worship church began the Saturday, July 19, festivities by feeding the masses in the ideal outdoor setting made comfortable by near-perfect weather.

The activities kicked off with the children’s bike parade, and both sides of Main Street were packed with onlookers while children burned up the pavement on decorated bicycles. Flags, streamers, pompoms, balloons, and zany helmets brought a splash of colour to the audience in a prelude to the big parade. Approximately three dozen floats (depending upon how you count the horses) thrilled the children and entertained the adults.

“It is difficult to tell how many people are actually here because they are spread out down the side streets too!” commented the parade emcee, Ted Boryski.

From horse-drawn carts to vintage tractors and all manner of vehicle in between, the parade set the tone for an old-fashioned celebration in a small prairie town.

Once the parade wound around town twice, several of the vintage entries in the Thickwood Hills Snowmobile Club’s Show & Shine returned to take their place in the circle of vehicles at the gazebo grounds. Of the 34 entries — up from last year — the fan favourite was Ralph Korody’s 1968 Mustang. The brilliant blue beauty was a first-time entry, a definite head-turner among the ’65 T-bird, the ’96 Jag and the ’72 Dodge Demon (to name but a few).

The gazebo was also the site of several vendors selling interesting wares in a Farmer’s Market setting, with baking, jam, pickles, popcorn, novelty mugs, Shell Lake gear, woodworking, beaded trinkets, and some sort of Taylor Swift items that had young girls gleefully sorting through a box.

Nearby, at the Lark Restaurant, pulled pork on a bun was being sold on the deck, while the Shell Lake Museum was open to visitors at a special nominal entry fee. Browsers at the museum were able to check out the log cabin and the train caboose, in addition to viewing photos of Hey Days past.

Across from the gazebo grounds, the Métis Hall was open for games of Tic Tac Toe, Dime Toss, and Bean Bag Toss. While at the hall, revellers could take part in the delicious treat of bannock and jam, sponsored by the Shell Lake Community Market.

Back on Main Street, the action never really slowed. The Royal Canadian Legion fired up the grills and sold hot dogs and hamburgers out of their hall, while just outside there were many children excitedly creating bubbles and drawing on the sidewalk with coloured chalk. Sponsored by the Shell Lake Library, the games were a great filler for the green space between the two buildings.

The Shell Lake Lions Club opened their hall to sell pie and coffee in the afternoon and sausage on a bun during the evening, a great mix with the jam session there by Bruce, Teri, and Friends. Next door, at the new Shell Lake Curling Rink, and sponsored by the Curling Club, a break for a cold one was provided in the way of beer gardens.

One block north on Main Street was the petting zoo and the bouncy castle. Children (and adults, truth be told) were intrigued by the many animals that were waiting to be pet and held. The bunny and the sheep provided friendly company, while the ducks behaved themselves the best ducks are able.

The Ed Simonar Second Annual Backyard Concert took place just outside the main action, and was enjoyed for the price of a voluntary donation. Nearby, starting at Aurora Skies, was a scavenger hunt along the walking trails. Another local business that joined in the weekend fun was The Chill Spot, where a limbo contest could be entered (if you had not partaken of too much of their ice cream).

The evening brought a free music concert at the gazebo, with tunes from November Down. If you were having second thoughts about the day’s events, you could opt instead for the evening mass at Our Lady of Smiles Church, or pray for leg strength in Sunday’s tournament of Pickleball at the tennis courts.

For a tiny village of under two hundred permanent residents, the feat of not only presenting an event annually in the summer, but also growing it from previous years and drawing larger numbers is huge. With pride in their community and a huge volunteer spirit, Shell Lake continues to impress by keeping their old-fashioned event somehow… new.
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