Samantha and her family live on a family farm near Ponteix, SK. Recently, they took a road trip to Moose Jaw. Samantha came to my digital storytelling workshop in Ponteix with the photos that she took from her family trip and produced this digital story.
Cindy’s digital story is about a trip she took by train from Saskatoon to Vancouver. This story was produced in my digital storytelling workshop in Ponteix, which was held at the Centre Culturel Royer, where Cindy works. Cindy hosted the workshop, while working at the Centre. She answered the phone and greeted visitors and also participated in the workshop. She even made us all a delicious lunch. Merci, Cindy!
Ponteix is home to a large Fransaskois community to which Cindy belongs. Her digital story is in French with English subtitles.
Allie Steinley is one of the kindest women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my travels in Saskatchewan this summer. She genuinely cares about helping people, and I loved listening to her stories about her volunteer work overseas while we had lunch at the Ponteix Bakery and Restaurant—which makes the best long john donuts, by the way!
Not only did Allie help organize the digital storytelling workshop in Ponteix, she also participated in it. Allie wanted to share the story of what happened when she and one of her co-workers at the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre went on two camping adventures this summer with more than 30 newcomer youth living in Saskatchewan. During the workshop, she wrote and produced this touching digital story.
Ashley took my digital storytelling workshop in Ponteix with her mother and two sisters. She wanted to tell a story about working on the farm with her family and how everyone helps one another. She produced this lovely digital story that gives a glimpse of what life on a farm is like from a young girl’s perspective. This workshop was hosted by the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre and the Cultural Centre Royer.
I am staying at a beautiful bed and breakfast on a farm near Wymark, SK, which is about 20 kilometres south of Swift Current.
When I pulled up to the house last night, three (of nine) farm cats and two dogs greeted me.
Just outside the patio doors to my bedroom are pigs, horses and a chicken coop. Right now, I can hear sheep having a conversation with the cows from my window.
I grew up in Saskatoon and have not had much experience with farm life. It’s fitting that I’m staying here, since I’m facilitating a digital storytelling workshop in Ponteix, SK and several of the participants are doing their stories on the family farm. The workshop is organized by the Southwest Welcome Newcomer Centre and is being held at the Cultural Centre in Ponteix, or perhaps more commonly known to the locals as Le Centre Culturel Royer.
Just a few weeks ago, Ponteix celebrated its 100th anniversary. It’s a town of about 600 people with a lively Francophone community. In the early 20th century, Ponteix was founded by a priest from France and became a French settlement. Father Albert Marie Royer named the town Ponteix after the church he served in France. This afternoon I wandered through the cemetery and noticed that many of the surnames on the graves were indeed French.
One woman in the workshop is doing her digital story in French with English subtitles. Another young girl is working on a story about moving to Saskatchewan from the Philippines. And one participant’s story is on cross-cultural friendships formed among young people at a leadership camp.
I’m looking forward to watching these digital narratives from Southwest Saskatchewan and sharing them with you.