BORDEN — The Borden Friendship Club hosted seniors from Langham, Maymont and Radisson for a roast beef supper and program on Thursday, June 5, in the Borden Community Centre. President Sandra Long welcomed everyone and grace was said. As guests sat down, each table had to answer a trivia questionnaire on facts about Canada and the table with the most correct answers went to eat first, then in order of correct answers, everyone followed. The beef dinner was catered by a company out of North Battleford, and they fed 135 guests and members. After dessert, Happy Birthday was sung to anyone celebrating a May birthday, then Ruben Rempel introduced Jason Hanley, cowboy poet from Langham, who told a story about each poem with titles of Night Rider, Bad Luck, Vet Medicine and Competition Gone Wrong. During a short break, door prizes were drawn and they went to Ed Scott, M. Balzer, Linda Gossen, Peggy Draeger and Carrol Epp. The 50/50 of $264.50 went to Sela Balzer. At that time, each town thanked Borden for the great supper and entertainment, then Jason recited some more poetry – Skunk, Cowboy Boots and Hat, Working Cattle (with the wife) and a Cowboy’s Problem.
June 7 was the start of Borden’s Diefenbaker Daze with 10 slo-pitch teams playing, kids’ activities, cornhole tourney, steak supper and DJ in the evening. The main event was the parade Saturday morning with many entrants. Leading were RCMP in their vehicle, MP Kelly Block, JD tractor and red wagon holding helium balloon blow-ups, SURe decorated vehicle, Borden Little Sprouts, Borden Threshing Club, Friendship Club on a hay wagon pulled by Ed Neufeld’s JD tractor, Borden Threshing Club with a potato digger on a flatbed, Archie Wainwright and his Cockshutt 40 tractor, Affinity Credit Union float, horses and riders plus a donkey, co-op forklift, Block’s Agencies, ER Towing, Aaron and Vanessa Wensley and Eric and Darlene Pearce with vintage trucks, C. Wilkie with his vintage yellow Cadillac, Village of Borden, RV classic car, T. Saunders YXE/Toy Box Racing truck, Crank-It semi with Putt Putt Garage Band playing music, then Borden and Fire and Rescue vehicles with water truck and fire engine last in the line.
The parade went around the route twice, throwing out candy each time. Throughout the afternoon, many activities were going on up at the sports grounds, in the wind and rain, with a booth and beer gardens keeping busy and some dunking of firefighters in the dunk tank.
Many enjoyed the steak supper put on by the Borden Community Centre Preservation Committee and at the end of the supper, a presentation was made from the former Borden Lions Club to the BCCPC for hall upgrades for a total of $26,685.86, with Carlie and Cody giving the cheque to chair Gloria Derbowka. The parks and rec board had a raffle draw and the winner of the 75-inch TV was Deanna S. and the packaged meat from Drakes was won by Chris L., both out-of-town winners.
On Sunday morning, there was a pancake breakfast at the booth on the grounds and at 10:30 a.m., an ecumenical church service with close to 50 visitors and residents attending, held indoors at the care home (too cool to be outside). MC was pastor Doug Hacking, and before the service, The Three Amigos – Bob Wardaugh on keyboard, Archie Wainwright and Ed Neufeld playing guitar, sang a variety of old-time gospel songs. Doug welcomed everyone, reading Psalm 19:1-6, from John 14 and from Acts 2. Rev Sheldon Carr gave the reflection on Day of Pentecost. He talked about John Diefenbaker and what he did when he was prime minister and why this weekend is called Diefenbaker Daze, closing with a prayer.
The Three Amigos led in some more gospel hymns, then it was back to the sports grounds for lunch and to watch some ball. In Pool A, first Cooper Tires Select, second Walk It Off, third Legends, fourth. Inglorious Batters and fifth Dirty Balls. On the B side, first Blood, Bath and Beyond, second Splatter Up, third The Best, fourth Bat and Boujee and fifth Dazed and Confused. In the A finals, Cooper Tires Select won over Walk it Off, and the B final saw Splatter Up beat out Blood, Bath and Beyond, with the teams receiving cash for each win and then extra for finals.
