CN PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION
Saskatchewan Council (D2)
The Saskatchewan Council (D2) is based in Saskatoon and represents over 900 members living across the province of Saskatchewan. Our council is combined with that of Manitoba Division #1 and together we are known as the Prairie Region within the National Council. Manitoba has two national directors and Saskatchewan has one. These directors are there to serve the membership as liaisons between pensioners/surviving spouses and Canadian National Railways. If you are thinking about joining the Saskatchewan Council, please select council D2, on your membership application.
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The executive of the Saskatchewan council are your volunteers to assist you in any way that we can on items associated with your CN pension, benefits or CNPA health care with Blue Cross.
Council Executive
President
Fred Bateman
1st Vice-President
Dennis Burton
2nd Vice-President
Terry Senko
Secretary
Vacant
Treasurer
Raoul Cieszkowski
Past President
Helen Jones
National Council Representatives
National Director (Prairie)
Fred Bateman
Health Care Committee - Alternate
Dennis Burton
Other Council Positions
Provincial Government Liaison - Saskatchewan
Terry Senko
Membership Chairman
Gary Heasman
Newsletter Editor
Gary Heasman
Centenarian Coordinators
Rick Crowe
Terry Senko
New Member Contact
Vicki Stephanson
Council Meetings
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When: Fourth Thursday of the month for the months of January, March, May, September and
November, approximately 1 hour in duration
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Where: Masonic Temple, 1021 Saskatchewan Crescent W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 5J6
Enter by westside door and proceed to lower level
Time: November, January & March – 11h00, followed by a luncheon at 12h00
May & September – 10h00, followed in the evening by a social starting at 17h00 with
dinner served at 18h00
The newsletter is issued 10 days before the meetings and confirms the times, cost and type of meal - pot luck (normally) or catered.
Council Newsletter
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The Saskatchewan Council issues a newsletter 5 times per year. It provides information to our members from the National Council, from the Health Care Committee concerning the Blue Cross Health Care Plan, and from the CN Pension meetings held four times per year. It also includes information from our local meetings and from pensioners/surviving spouses in our local communities that forward information to either our meetings or directly to the Newsletter Editor. The newsletter also keeps you up to date on the latest on savings on travel, reductions on automobile purchases, home/car/travel insurance, hotel stays, scholarships for children/grandchildren, etc.
This newsletter goes to those who have signed up to the Saskatchewan council only and so, it is not available online. The newsletter can be received electronically by email and this is our preferred method as it saves the council mailing costs. As well, by choosing this option, you will receive the newsletter approximately five days earlier than via Canada Post and it will be in colour rather than a black and white mailed copy. To receive it electronically, you still must be a member in good standing. We currently have close to 500 pensioners/spouses that receive it by email.
Our History
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The Saskatchewan CNR Pensioners Assoc. was founded in February 1985. In the words of Stan Plue, one of our founders...
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"When I retired in 1982, and after a year of talking with people I worked with, and associated with when working, I thought it would be a good idea if we had an organization where we could meet and visit. It became that 23 Pensioners formed the C.N.R. Pensioners Assoc. in Saskatoon in 1985. We had a lot of help from trades people on the C.N. but the person that made this all happen was Mr. Russ Pelesh who was the District Superintendent at the time, headquartered in Saskatoon".​
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Our Founders
Roy Armstrong
Shirley Corbett
Harold Harnett
Bruce Kimpton
Stan Plue
Ken Uhrich
Frank Atchison
Ernie Dale
Ted Holmes
Alfonse Martin
Stan Read
Sid Wilkins
Art Back
Bob England
Al Hockey
Bob Mclay
Reg Taylor
George Wood
Toby Cole
Paul Fontaine
Morley Hyland
Lawrence Pattison​
Pete Telfer
​The Saskatchewan association then became affiliated with the National Council of Pensioners and now represent all the CN Pensioners in Saskatchewan under the name of "CNR Pensioners Assoc., Saskatchewan Division, Inc.", incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 2003.