NIPAWIN — One figure who made the Nipawin Regional Park what it is today was Henry Andres.
“It’s just Henry Andres and he had no middle name. He was born in Saskatchewan and passed away in Saskatchewan,” said Henry’s granddaughter Kelly Andres.
Henry passed away in 1986, and has a monument dedicated to him in the park.
“He spent a lot of time here, his heart and soul. I just happened to be here from Edmonton for a 40th high school reunion and we noticed it was the 50th anniversary of the regional park, so we just had to come down,” Kelly said.
Henry was a part of the original committee for the park, as well as the town council, the Rotary and the Elks. He was also chairman of the Provincial Park Association.
“I still love my grandpa very much, he was a very great guy,” said Kelly, holding back tears. “I had a special relationship with him and my firstborn son’s middle name is Henry Andres after my grandpa. My grandpa was given Volunteer of the Town of Nipawin one year, there is a street named after him, just a really special all around great man, and I’m proud that I descend from him.”
While in town, Kelly placed fresh flowers at the monument.
“My grandpa just really believed in giving back to the community and was very involved in all sorts of different aspects of it, from even the United Church of Nipawin. It was a way of life; it’s the way we were raised,” Kelly said. “He spent a lot of time here; my grandpa was very involved with the Nipawin community.”
She has happy memories with him such as going over to his home and having dinner there, sometimes she would get to go out to a Chinese restaurant with him.
“It was a big deal because in those days you didn’t get to go out and eat in restaurants. I remember going out on the river her with my grandpa, and take his boat down there. And I do remember they had metal cups I could put my cup in and I hated the taste of my drink in a metal cup,” Kelly said, laughing.
“It’s a beautiful place to live and grow; it’s important that we all give back to the community and make it better for the generations to come.”
If she could say one thing to Henry it would be that she loves him.
“I love you Grandpa.”
A bench in honour
Another figure that made the park how it is today was Patrick Miskiman.
Patrick was presented a bench in his name at the anniversary celebration. The bench was his favorite colour, green and carries an expression he would frequently say, “Top of the morning to you.”
Patrick passed away last year.
“It’s an honour, to my husband and my family. A big, big honour, wonderfully, and he did love this park, and the golf course,” said his wife Jean Miskiman. “He worked very hard for this park, as they said, he loved it. He just did everything, he went on the board for a long, long time. He was the chair for at least 12 years and was on the board before that. I don’t know what else to say, he just loved this park. We came from the south and we loved the north and we stayed here.”
Jean doesn’t know anyone who hasn’t heard of her late husband, who was active in the community and the communities throughout the area.
“We knew a lot of people from all over, he was a credit union manager so he knew people from all over from Regina, and Tisdale, and Melfort, and Arborfield and all the towns in-between, and I think he was a fair man and he loved people,” Jean said. “He believed very strongly in giving back to a town that he made money in.”
“We were here so long he felt it was our home, and it is now. I’m not moving away.”
