With the end of 2021 approaching, many people are looking back on the past year. With three days left before the calendar turns to 2022, here is the first of three looks at what dominated our news cycle over the past year.

January-February-March-April

January Spotlight- Kindersley Rink Fire Anniversary

The beginning of the new year in Kindersley has brought a bit of a somber note for over 10 years now, as January 8th, 2021 represented the 11th anniversary of the rink fire in the west central community.

West Central Online spoke with some of the people that remember the day vividly, including newly retired Kindersley Fire Chief Ron Hope, who’s crew was tasked with fighting the fire as well as evacuating homes and schools near the complex when the fire broke out that morning.

The newly renovated arena has now become a staple in town for many who saw the original structure go down, as the West Central Events Centre in Kindersley may have lost its nostalgia factor over a decade ago, but what was gained was the opportunity to host many different great events at the facility for years to come.

February Spotlight- Hindsight 2020

An exciting online mental health and wellness event was brought to our attention in February by an Eatonia based event organizer, that brought in great speakers (some local) and performers to help put on a virtual event focused on well-being called Hindsight2020.

Jennifer Bews Events put together an exciting lineup of motivational and educational speakers, one that included west central social worker Colleen McBride with her presentation “Life is a Living Laboratory”. McBride was excited to go ahead with her part because of the busy time it’s been over the past year or so in the counselling world, and loved the idea in general because it brought different creatives together for a good cause.

West Central Online had a great time following along with Hindsight2020, and hopefully any lessons learned back in February are still showing themselves today, as the world continues to truck on through these pandemic times.

March Spotlight- International Women’s Day

West Central Online frankly knocked it out of the park this year when it came to International Women’s Day, as various pieces on different driven females in the region helped share some of the impressive women we have in the west central area, including Kindersley born artist Jade Prior.

A business owner in Unity was profiled following a big leap of faith in 2019, when she decided to leave her current job and embark on a journey of entrepreneurship. Nora Aldred and her new business were forced to fight through the beginning of COVID, as ‘What The Float’ in Unity opened in 2019, approximately seven months before the pandemic hit the province.

Those two creative souls had their hard work shown off, and so has working mother in Kindersley Realtor Jenn McLean. In speaking with McLean earlier in the year she shared the balance of working her job and being a busy mother, while still making sure her clients aren’t being pushed to the back burner.

Also featured in sports that day, a pretty good girls hockey team from the area

April Spotlight- Month of Giving

April 2021 turned out to be a month of giving in west central, as during the first two weeks of the month many different excellent donations were made around west central, including a playground donation in Kindersley from a local Kindersley Jr. Klipper.

Outside of Kindersley, the highly successful Elrose Monet Recreation Board Online Auction raised over $100,000, after over 220 items were up for bid. The biggest items that sold were a pair of combines, and then one of the coolest items sold had to be a framed picture of Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. The local pool and rink were recipients of the funds.

Then back in Kindersley, the West Central Crisis Centre and their GoFundMe for $7500 towards the new buildings roof was hit, after the Kindersley Chamber organized the effort.

Find more of January, February, March, and April's top stories below, and continue to check in for more of the top stories of 2021.

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