Alexander and Pearl Balych (both born in 1924) were business people in the city of North Battleford, and were very active in community, cultural and religious activities for many decades. They owned Roxy Photographic Studio, 1956-1959; later Alexander was employed by Larry's Electric and then by CKBI-TV as a photographer. He served as Branch Manager of the Western Development Museum (North Battleford) and was on the Museum Provincial Board. Pearl worked in the photography studio and served as a Recreational Director at the River Heights Lodge, while concentrating on community service. The Balyches' community involvement was sustained and extensive. In the 1970s, Alexander served as Commissioner of the North Battleford Chamber of Commerce, and Pearl served as Interim Commissioner, being the first woman to occupy that position. Alexander was a member of the North Battleford Industrial Development Board in the 1990s. Other community involvements included: the North-West Economic Development Council, the History Book Committe for "Following the Furrow," and the City of North Battleford Archives Committee, 1992-1998. From 1962-1972, Pearl Balych hosted the auditions of two local television programmes, "Tiny Talent" and "Spotlight on Talent" on CKBI, in the course of it, transporting over 1,000 children to Prince Albert for programming. For eight years she coordinated "Bushel Basket," a Battlefords-area talent programme of Exhibition Week. The Balyches were also involved in the production of a regular Ukrainian radio broadcast in 1959-1960 on CJNB Radio. They were both executive members of All Saints' Ukrainian Catholic Church in North Battleford. In 1981, Pearl Balych was chosen North Battleford's "Citizen of the Year."
In 1908 A.F. "Gus" Kenderdine, his wife Jane (née Ormerod) and their children emigrated from England to Saskatchewan, where they homesteaded near Lashburn. Gus Kenderdine became the first 'artist-in-residence' at a Canadian university when president Walter Murray hired him in 1920; Kenderdine later became a lecturer in art at the University, and was largely responsible for the formation of the University's 'Art Camp' at Emma Lake (now known as "Kenderdine Campus"). The Kenderdines had four children: Richard, Adelaide, May, and a third daughter, Rose, who died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Richard eventually took over the family farm near Lashburn. Adelaide (BA '23) married John Kenderdine, a distant relative, and they lived for many years in Japan both before and following World War II. Florence May Kenderdine married Oswald Beamish; they, too, lived near Lashburn. Between 1985-1986 May Beamish donated approximately 130 of her father's paintings and sketches to the University of Saskatchewan, and provided over $1 million to help fund the new College of Agriculture building on the condition that it include an art gallery.
Archie (Archibald) Benson (B.A.) was a lawyer who lived in Moose Jaw along with his wife Frances Emily Benson and children Douglas, Harold and Marguerite. Archie Benson was a partner of William E. Knowles ca.1913-1918. About the time Knowles was elected as an MLA in a June 1918 by-election, Benson moved to a solo practice. He was also an avid gardener with entries in various local fairs. Frances Benson appears to have been active in the community.
Between 1914 and 1918 they lived at 1079 3rd Ave NE and ca. 1918/1919 appear to have one of the first homes in Wellesley Park in the Wakamow Valley along the Moose Jaw River (Lot 1 - Wilton Ave on the corner of Riverside Drive South).
Archie Benson died June 29, 1963 and was predeceased by Frances Benson who died April 18, 1948.
Thomas Beveridge (1826-1895) and Margaret Kennedy McLeish (1838-1918) emigrated from Scotland to Middlesex County, Ontario. They moved to Little Mountain, Manitoba as part of the Red River Settlement. Their descendants settled in Maple Creek, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.
G. Gordon Botting was born December 25, 1910 in Wallaceburg, Ontario. In 1911, his family moved west when his father bought a farm in the Marquis district. In 1921, the family moved to Moose Jaw. In Moose Jaw, Gordon Botting attended King George Public School and Central Collegiate. In 1930, he graduated from the University of Saskatchewan.
Botting began work for the City of Moose Jaw in 1930 as a cost accountant and office manager of the engineering department. He was in this position until 1945 when he accepted the position of internal auditor with war time housing for the federal government. He took over his father’s farm and became a partner in a consulting firm. In 1957, he resumed his work for the City of Moose Jaw and became a city clerk. In 1961, Botting was made a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators of London, England and in 1967 he was given a centennial medal for public service. In 1971, he was chosen as city commissioner. He retired December 31, 1975. Botting was an active member of the Masonic lodge, the Elks, the Rotary Club and the St. Andrew’s United Church. He died June 20, 1976. Botting had a wife, Murleen, and a son, Gerald.
Thomas (Tom) Forrester Boyd (1915-1997) and Dorothy Beaton MacLean Boyd (1915-2004) were born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They both graduated from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) with degrees in Education. Tom also had a degree in Science, Biology. They married in 1939 and lived in Dinsmore and Pennant, Saskatchewan where Tom was a teacher. In 1943 they moved to North Battleford, Saskatchewan where Tom taught at the North Battleford Collegiate Institute for thirty-one and-a-half years. He was Vice-Principal for ten years and Acting Principal for three. Tom had many extracurricular interests as well, including being one of the founders of the Saskatchewan Mathematics Society, serving on the executive of the Battlefords Branch of the USask Alumni Association, serving as president of the Alumni Association in 1962, and spending several terms on the Usask Senate. Tom was also involved in local and provincial libraries, serving on the North Battleford Library Board, the Provincial Library Board and was an executive member of the Canadian Library Trustees’ Association. He received several awards and accolades throughout his life and career.
Dorothy was a long-time employee of Saskatchewan Government Insurance and spent a great deal of time working with community organizations. She was devoted to promoting arts and culture in her community and province. She was an active member of the Battlefords Community Players for many years, helped to establish the Chapel Gallery in North Battleford, was a member of the advisory committee for the Allen Sapp Gallery, was on the executive committee of the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils for six years and president for two years, 1980-1982, and was the president of the Battlefords Allied Arts Council for seventeen years. She helped co-found the Battlefords Meals on Wheels chapter and established the Tom and Dorothy Boyd Trust in Fine Arts to provide scholarships to Usask students.
John Boyd is the son of Tom and Dorothy. He graduated from Usask and worked at USask’s Institute for Northern Studies for a number of years.