HARVEST SUPPER

Our Harvest Supper will be held this fall on Sunday, October 3. Please note that the date has been changed due to a scheduling conflict. Our usual date of the last Sunday in Septermber had to be moved to October 3. The information in the leasure guide is incorrect. There will be two sittings for the dinner, at 5.00pm and at 7.00pm. Book your reservation now by calling Claire at 373-1787 or e-mail c.bear@sasktel.net.

SUMMER WALKING TOURS AND OPEN HOUSES

Please join us for our open houses and walking tours on the dates listed below:

• Sunday, May 30
• Sunday, June 27
• Sunday, July 18
• Sunday, August 29

The Superintendent's Residence will be open from 1:30 to 3:30pm with the walking tour at 2:00pm. Participants on the tour will learn about the history of the park and view the other historic buildings on site. As always, refreshments will be served at a nominal cost. We are looking for volunteers to help host visitors at the house. If you can help or would like more information, please call Peggy at 652-9801.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Our annual general meeting was held on Sunday, March 21. The afternoon began with a lovely noon luncheon of chicken pot pies, spring salad with cranberries and feta, with assorted squares and dainties for desser. The AGM followed with good reports all around from our various committees and officers. Our financial report has been reviewed and we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, with the final payment of our outstanding debt. Now we will refocus our efforts towards making the house a vital part of the park.

After the meeting we were treated to a power point presentation by our president, Bernie Cruikshank, on the renovations of the house. When the Friends of the Forestry Farm House took on the lease of the former Superintendent's residence, the house was in very sorry shape indeed, with bad 1970's renovations, a badly leaking roof, water damage, and splayed brick column supports, the house needed a major overhaul. Through the efforts of some very dedicated individuals and much money, sweat and even a little blood, the house was transformed back into its former glory. The pictures in the presentation really show just how much work was done and what a tranformation took place. Bernie has given this presentation previously for the "Fridays at Two" program at the Saskatoon Public Library. Thank you Bernie for a professional and very informative talk!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are pleased to announce that the board has all agreed to stay on in their current positions. We are not however at board capacity and would like to see an infusion of a new board member or two. If you or someone you know would like to join the board, please call Bernie at 249-1315 or e-mail Bernie

• PRESIDENT - Bernie Cruikshank
• VICE PRESIDENT - Cyndi Cunanan
• TREASURER - Claire Bularo
• SECRETARY - Sue Barrett
• Members - Peggy Sarjeant, Jackie Tennent, Bernadette Vangool

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Our school programs have been rapidly filling up for May and June. We are incredibly excited to have been allocated $1,000 from the park operating budget to outfit one of the upstairs bedrooms as "Flora's bedroom". We will be funishing the room with period pieces, and adding enterpretive material on Flora, as she is the focus of our school program.

We also have other wonderful news regarding our school programs. In February, we were in attendance at the City of Saskatoon Heritage Awards to receive an Educational award for our programming. In addition, one of our volunteers and board members, Claire Bullaro, won an award for her volunteerism. Congratulations Claire, it was well deserved for all of your hard work with Heritage organizations in our City!

HERITAGE WEEK

Heritage week was held in February. Besides having a booth at the annual Heritage Festival, the Friends also sent board member Peggy Sarjeant to the Heritage Saskatchewan Forum. The Forum saw the official creation of Heritage Saskatchewan, the new provincial umbrella organization which brings together the various heritage groups in the province to provide a unified voice on heritage issues. The organization has set up working groups to develop action plans in the areas of conservation, public policy, data bases and public awareness.

FFFH FAMOUS PEOPLE - LES KERR

W. L. "Les" Kerr is best known for his role as superintendent of the Tree Nursery in Sutherland from 1942 until its closing in 1965. He was educated in Ontario and Maryland, and first came to Western Canada in 1932. After coming to Sutherland, he continued his internationally recognized breeding work with fruit and ornamentals and developed the upright "Sutherland" caragana and the "Almey" and "Royalty" ornamental crab-apples which were chosen as Canada's Centennial Trees in 1967. Kerr was the driving force responsible for creating the park-like atmosphere of the Nursery grounds in the 1942 to 1970 period. The area blosssomed into an oasis for horticulturalists, home owners, picnickers, and nursery operators. In these surroundings, Les was able to display most of the well over 100 cultivars of fruit and perennial ornamentals that he had been responsible for introducing into the nursery trade.

The citation for his honorary doctorate at the University of Saskatchewan in 1982 notes: "few Canadians have contributed so much to the beauty of our surroundings, and his contributions to conservation and enhancement of the beauty evidenced around us will be recorded forever in what we can see, smell and touch." - from Saskatchewan Eco Network website.

VALENTINES DINNER

One caterer, 5 very hard-working volunteers and 50 hungry and romantic customers equals one more successful Valentine's Dinner. Kudos to our chef Lindsay and all the Volunteers.

WINDOWS WORKSHOP

We provided a light luncheon on Saturday, March 20 to the attendees of the Windows Workshop presented by Jim Stiven of Vintage Woodworks and the Saskatoon Heritage Society. As well as enjoying lunch in the relaxing atmosphere of the house, Jim and the participants used our window restoration as a "demo" of what can be done to restore windows.

OUR 100TH ANNIVERSARY

The 100th anniversary of the house takes place in 2013, and we'd like to have a party! If you have any good ideas on how to mark this auspicious event, please call Bernie at 249-1315 or e-mail bernie.fffh@yourlink.ca.

MEMBERSHIPS

Membership in the Friends of the Forestry Farm House has been declining slightly due in part, the board believes, to the notion that the house has been "saved" now and is no longer in need of support. We still continue to provide stewardship of the house as well as valuable interpretive work of both the house and the park. This costs money. Your membership does more than provide you with a quarterly newsletter. You are also supporting a very worthwhile cause. We very much appreciate your support and encourage all our members to suggest a membership in our organization to friends and family.