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Cut Knife July 23, 1970

Annual Elks Tournament Held

The 16th Annual Elk's Regatta and Fastball Tournament was held under sunny skies on Sunday at Atton's Lake. Though the regatta part of it has been discontinued now for several years, it would not seem the same under another heading.

As always a large number of patrons were in attendance, but figures showed, that a slight decrease was evident from the previous year. A cool breeze diminished the sale of pop and ice cream somewhat, but swelled the requests for warmer fare such as hotdogs, chips and hamburgers.

Entertaining the crowd with music and song were the Macklin Allouettes, a group of four young people, two female vocalists, and two male guitarists, whose repertoire included a variety of songs and novelty numbers. Their two shows drew a large audience of all ages who obviously enjoyed the performance.

To this of course, the usual games of bingo, horseshoes, plus the many activities for the children, progressed during the day.

Vying for first place in the fastball tournament were teams from: Baloil, Battleford, Cut Knife, Calgary, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Luseland, Macklin, Prince, Unity and Saskatoon.

The games were of five-inning duration and to commence the tournament, the North Battleford Lions downed Cut Knife 5-2. Queen's Hotel of Battleford defeated Prince 4-1. Kindersley Centennials clipped Unity 3-2; Saskatoon TJ's trounced Luseland 7-1; Macklin achieved victory over Lloydminster by default, while Calgary Brewers upset Baloil 4-1.

Queen's Hotel, Battleford, set back North Battleford Lions 3-1; Kindersley then edged Saskatoon 4-3. Calgary Brewers checked Mackin 6-2.

The last game of the tournament was extremely exciting, with Queen's Hotel fighting nine innings with Kindersley to reach a score of 4-1 in the ninth. A real cliff hanger.

The final was a walkover for Queen's Hotel as they downed Calgary Brewers 10-0, making them tourney winners and the recipients of the first prize purse, $175. Second went to Calgary Brewers, $100, and third prize of $50 went to Kindersley. Fourth prize, also $50, was won by Macklin.

Another winner of the day's events was Earl Rowat of Cut Knife, who held the winning ticket for the tape recorder raffled by the OORP Lodge.

The members of the Elk's Lodge No. 380 are to be commended, for the many hours of labor that have been volunteered preparing a golf course. This has now been completed and was open to the public for the first time on Sunday, giving much pleasure to golfers and to those about-to-become golfers in the district.

As always a good day enjoyed by all finished with a bang on the beach where fireworks display took place after dark.

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Fishing is Great at Atton's Lake
June 10, 1971
Atton's Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada

Credits:
Gibson, Lorie
Highway 40 Courier

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Highway 40 Courier, January 7, 1971

2nd Capital Development Grant For Atton's Lake

The Hon. J. Ross Barrie Minister of Natural Resources recently announced the completion of negotiations between the provincial government and Atton's Lake Regional Park Authority for its second five-year capital development grant.

The grant of $40,000 was made under the Regional Park Act on a shared-cost basis, with government providing 60 percent or $24,000 and the municipality providing the other 40 percent amounting to $16,000.

During the next five years capital development projects will include campground and beach extension, construction of a golf course clubhouse and boat launch, improvements to the existing golf course, purchase of playground equipment and additional landscaping.

Mr. Barrie said the total capital development cost at the park since its inception now stands in excess of $40,000. An attendance of 30,276 was recorded in 1970, an increase of 80 percent over the previous year.

The present park area takes in 200 acres and includes a nine-hole golf course, picnic and barbecue facilities, a change house and concession stand.

Representing the participating rural municipality of Cut Knife are R. Lorne Brown, Dorino Serafini, Elmer J. Busch, Gary McKeown and Allen E. Leggott.

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Golf Tournament 1971 Ad
July 8, 1971
Atton's Lake Golf Club

Credits:
Gibson, Lorie
Highway 40 Courier

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Lyle Sandberg
1960

Credits:
Cut Knife B.P.O. Elks #380

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Golf Cars in Front of Club House
Circa 2002
Atton's Lake Golf Club

Credits:
Rutley, Marianne

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Atton's Lake Golf Club History

It was in the summer of 1969, (fifteen years after the B.P.O. Elks Lodge took on the job of managing Atton's Lake) that the Elks recognized the potential of having a golf course at the park. Dorino Serafini, Lyle Sandberg and a man connected with Sask Regional Parks one afternoon laid out the course much as it is today. With the help of many volunteers, sand greens, tee boxes, etc. were completed.

The 1973 golf rates were: $1.50/round, $2.00/day, $28.00/family per year, $18.00/man's, $12.00/woman's and junior's (18 years & under). The 2007 rates were $12/per round, $595/family per year, $290/adult, $80/15 and under, $170 16-18 year.
A community bee was held at the start of the first season to level and oil the greens and generally get the course in shape for the summer's golfing.

A five gang fairway mower, green hole cutter and ball washer were purchased. Jim Holowachuk was hired for $1500/season to do maintenance.

The B.P.O. Elks Golf Clubhouse was built in 1970 and has been a great asset for the golfers and the community as a whole.
Highlights:
1976 - the decision was made to put an addition on the clubhouse. Ralph Grant was hired for maintenance at $600/month.
1986 - an environmental study was done for irrigations system (re: pumping water from Battle River) and riding lawn mower with bagger purchased.
1989 - Brian Gibson hired as caretaker.
1995 - grass greens became a reality and now the area has one of the best nine hole (grass green) golf courses in Northwest Saskatchewan.
2005 - winter tarps for greens purchased.

Through the years the golf course has benefited from companies hosting customer appreciation days as well as staff functions.
Young people are given jobs working for the Golf Club.
Two of the many annual golf tournaments are the Longest Day Tournament for Cancer Research and the Women's Breast Cancer Tournament.
(Thanks to Lyle Sandberg, Gwen Kaye, and Atton's Lake Golf Club for information provided for this article.)

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Sports Day 1971 Ad
July 8, 1971
Atton's Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada

Credits:
Gibson, Lorie
Highway 40 Courier

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During the 70's the Annual Sports Day and Children's Day included the following highlights:

Sports Day 1974 - Feature Attraction was "Cinnamon" a vocal and Instrumental group from Saskatoon. A Merry-Go-Round for the children, fastball tournament, water skiing, golf , bingo, helicopter rides, shuffleboard, horseshoe tournament, and canoe races.

Sports Day 1975 - Double knockout Fastball Tournament, Macklin "Alouettes" - a vocal group, Neilburg Skydivers.

Children's Day 1976 - Children's Ball Tournament, Shetland Pony Rides, Merry-Go-Round, Golf, Free Treats for Children, Children's Races.

Sports Day 1976 - Model Aeroplane Flying Display.

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Seedcoats Fastball Team
Circa 1980
Atton's Lake Club House

Credits:
Rewerts, Gerald

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Seedcoats

The following information was compiled from a meeting with Don Paziuk - first manager of the ball team:

The Seedcoats Fastball Team was formed in approximately 1977 after a group of guys who were hanging out in the Lucerne Hotel Bar one night showed interest in forming a team. These were guys who maybe hadn't totally developed their ball-playing skills to be of interest to some of the other teams in the area and they wanted to play. There was also a young "Vitavax" Seed treatment salesman in the bar that evening who was a friend of Don's. Don asked him if his company would consider sponsoring this team by providing them with uniforms. He said he wasn't sure, but he would ask. His company came through and because he worked for a seed treatment company, the team was to be called "The Seedcoats"

When the team started out, it was a raw green ball team. They had talked Don Paziuk into being their manager. Don said that he didn't know much about fastball, but he'd do his best. He worked with the team for two years ....they weren't great, but they had a chance to improve. Lance Berrecloth was their pitcher - he had a fast, but wild and unpredictable pitch, but the more he played, the more he improved. The whole team did actually.

It was after the first two years that Jack Parkinson came on board to help manage the team and he took the boys to the next level - really bringing out the best in them.

The team played until about 1998. The team won a couple of league championships. It's a real life success story - teamwork and determination really do pay off.

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Seedcoats and Ruth Rustlers Playing at the Lake
Circa 1980
Ball Diamond

Credits:
Foisy, Noreen

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Cut Knife Lakers
Circa 1980
Ball Diamond

Credits:
Desmarais, Albert

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The Cut Knife Lakers
By Pat Duncan

Around 1970 -72, there was a transition from minor baseball to softball, fastpitch or fastball, which ever you want to call it. For a few years these young people had watched the Cut Knife men, guys like the Dion bros, Gerald Hardy, Wayne Wolf, Bill Churchman play ball in the local regatta tournament at Atton's Lake. It was a weekend that all ball fans seemed to attend; the ball diamond was lined with lawn chairs by the hundreds to see the final games. Those years some of the top teams like the Rempel Bros and Saskatoon Merchants, along with pitcher Fred Gartners A & W Bears from North Battleford quite often played in the final game, and it was the best fastball you could see. These teams also competed in the Canadian Senior Men's A Championships, so it was top quality ball. Because of this, it was not hard in the early seventies to find young players interested in playing fastball.

It all started off with a few practices and then someone mentioning we should go to the Delmas sports day, winter sports day or wherever we could get a game. It only took a couple of summers for the team to get much stronger. With the addition of pitchers Del Bertoia, Carp Chorney, Jerry Hewson and young Lorne Rutley, we were ready for any tournament. We got new uniforms and called ourselves the Cut Knife Lakers. We were all from the local area and our games were all played on the old "A diamond" at Atton's Lake. It was probably the best place to play and watch ball. For cabin owner to campers the atmosphere was always great for a game. Around 1976 or so the Lakers became a very competitive team, winning lots of tournaments and also playing in a league with the Ruth Rustlers, Scott, and Unity. It was not long before there were too many players for one team, so a new group of young guns started the Cut Knife Seedcoats. A couple of years later another local team, the Cut Knife Blues began playing. This made three teams all from the local Cut Knife area. This now made six teams for the fastball league, which played games every Tuesday and Thursday. Also there were tournaments every week-end so there was lots of ball to be played. The games, either within the league or against each other in a tournament were very intense and exciting to watch or play. The Cut Knife Lakers had many years of successful fastball, attending and winning many tournaments including the local regatta at Atton's Lake. The highlight every year was the local league tournament where the Lakers, Scott and Ruth Rustlers were very strong for many years, then in the mid to late 1980's the young Seedcoats became very dominate. By the late 1980's, some of the Lakers had either moved away or stopped playing and a new team started up. This team consisted of players from the Lakers and Seedcoats. The new name was called the Cut Knife Drillers. They played together for a few more years and were also very successful in the league and tournaments. Playing fastball for the Cut Knife Lakers and Drillers took us from Cut Knife to Montana and many places in between for games and tournaments. The teams were also followed by many fans that enjoyed good games and lots of fun.

The Cut Knife Lakers coaches were Baillie Rutley, Jack Ovens and Ed Feser. Players were, Del Bertoia, Carp Chorney, Jerry, Ken and Larry Hewson, Lorne and Randy Rutley, Albert Desmarais, Rob Rewerts, Neil MacDonald, Warren Lamb, Terry Carlton, Pat Duncan, Ken Stewart, Howard Hebson, Tim Smith, Scott Ovens, Rene Feser, Darren Brick, Lorne Davidson, Blaine Reble, Darrel Brown, Elvin Milne, Bill Churchman, Jim Holowachuck, Larry Pellerin and Ken Bertoia. Included in the Cut Knife Drillers, Lance Berecloth, Darren Corney, Roger Dupuis, Mike Pierson, Cory Rewerts, Doug Rutley, Garan Rewerts, Darren Alexander, Bryce Wehrhahn, Darin Managre, Brad Hampson, and Gord Weenie.....