There was no shortage of excitement in the Battlefords’ community in 2019, with many great achievements and wild stories. (File photos/battlefordsNOW)

By Martin Martinson

Top Stories

Looking back: Interesting people, outstanding stories from 2019

Dec 23, 2019 | 12:00 PM

The Battlefords has always been a mosaic of interesting people. Here is a highlight of some of the outstanding stories and achievements from 2019.

Man vs. beast: The catch of a lifetime

July 14, 2019 is a day North Battleford’s Bill Landrie will not soon forget.

While out fishing on the North Saskatchewan River, Landrie reeled in the catch of a lifetime with the help of his son, Lucas. The prize? A 64-pound lake sturgeon, weighing in at a whopping 60 inches long, with a 28-inch curve.

For Landrie, the catch was a personal best, beating out a 46-inch jackfish he had caught prior. He said the river monster he snagged this year is the type that fuels his passion for fishing.

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“When you catch a 64-pound fish like a sturgeon, the adrenaline is [immense],” he said. “I was still shaking the next day I was so excited.”

Read more: here.

Saskatoon mom now a millionaire after big win at N.B. Gold Eagle Casino

For Saskatoon’s Debbie Vidal, North Battleford will always hold a special place in her heart. After all, it is where she won over a million dollars on the SIGA Smoke Signals top tier progressive jackpot on Nov. 25.

Vidal, who is originally from Makwa near Meadow Lake, said she was with family for a visit to the Gold Eagle Casino when she decided to try the Smoke Signals progressive machines.

It was there that she took home a $1,333,974 jackpot.

Vidal said she felt the machines were calling her name, and ‘five spins later,’ she was the lucky winner.

The married mother of two said she planned on using the winnings to take a warm vacation with the family to get away from the cold winter. She said the family also planned to “splurge” and purchase two Ski-Doos with the winnings as well.

Read more: here.

A birthday to remember: North Battleford woman celebrates 90 years by skydiving

Plummeting eight-thousand feet with nothing but a parachute and skydiving instructor latched to their back is no ordinary way for one to celebrate their 90^th birthday.

Then again, North Battleford’s Wilda O’Brien is anything but ordinary.

Over the summer O’Brien celebrated turning 90 in style, by skydiving in Saskatoon.

When asked about the inspiration for her extreme-sport celebration, O’Brien gave an answer so matter-of-fact, it only sounds natural.

“[It was] something different,” she said. “Someone suggested it, and I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I did it.”

While this experience was O’Brien’s first time jumping out of a plane, she’s no stranger to life on the extreme side of things. She spent her 80^th birthday scuba diving in Greece, while in the country on an expedition as a member of the archeological society. In her 70s, she went surfing.

Read more: here.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1