SCSBA Executive Director Tom Fortosky wrote the following article regarding Knights of Columbus support of Catholic Education in Saskatchewan from 1982 to 2026 which appears in a self-published book by the Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus, entitled:
“A HISTORY OF FAITH: THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN SASKATCHEWAN.”
The Knights of Columbus in Saskatchewan have always supported Catholic Education in the Province. That support has continued since the last time the Knights of Columbus created a history of the Order from its inception to 1982. Individual Councils have assisted local schools in numerous ways. They assist with school barbeques and pancake breakfasts. Some have provided support for individual schools with donations of funds and construction of playground structures. Educational supports such as specialized computer assistance for autistic children and the like are common. Knights have donated funds for purchase of bibles for students. In Prince Albert Knights have purchased kitchen equipment for a school, fundraised for the development of a walking running/walking track at the Ecole St. Mary high school and provided support for their annual Catholic Education Foundation Gala. For the last 50 years the Yorkton Knights have sponsored an outdoor education program at St. Michael’s Camp at Madge Lake. In Estevan, the Knights have sponsored a Knights of Columbus award for a student graduating from St. Mary’s elementary school who exemplifies the core principles of the Knights of Columbus, Charity, Unity and Fraternity. Regina Knights sponsor a Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest and a MyGen Youth Rally. The Knights in Saskatoon sponsor the Knights of Columbus Indoor Games track meet and sponsor a Carol Festival for students in Catholic Schools. Regina Knights have taken over the Regina Carol Festival as of 2023. Many Councils provide scholarships for students proceeding to post-secondary institutions. Many Councils participate in and support provincial initiatives such as youth camps, Special Olympics, Basketball Free Throw, Keep Christ in Christmas poster contests and Coats for Kids.
Individual Knights of Columbus have participated in Catholic School Board governance serving as Trustees on Catholic Boards and with the Catholic Section of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA), which became the Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association (SCSBA), as well as the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association (CCSTA).
Provincially, the Knights of Columbus through The Father Michael J. McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education, provided support for the Provincial Understanding Your Faith In-Service Program for Catholic teachers in Saskatchewan which was conducted throughout the 1990’s.
The Knights of Columbus were co-sponsors, along with the Catholic Section and the Bishops of Saskatchewan, of the Affirming Hope conferences which began in 1994. These conferences were put on for the partners in Catholic Education, namely: school, home, and parish. A youth day was an essential component of these conferences. Affirming Hope conferences were held as well in 1996, 2000, 2006 and 2009. These conferences evolved into Joint Conferences for Catholic Education and Catholic Health which were held in 2012, 2014 and 2017. Again, sponsorship from the Knights of Columbus helped in putting on these conferences.
The Knights of Columbus, and in particular the Saskatchewan Knights of Columbus Charitable Foundation, have supported education in numerous ways. This is especially the case since the establishment in 2007 of the Centennial Education Endowment Fund which in 2012 became the Adrienne and Mervyn Welter Catholic Education Endowment Fund. Scholarships on a provincial level are provided to support students attending post-secondary institutions. The Foundation also helped sponsor Faith-Based Curriculum Development in a multi-year project beginning in 2008 and concluding in 2014.
The Foundation provided funding support for one of the greatest threats to Catholic Education in recent memory: the Theodore Court Case. The facts leading up to this case occurred in 2003 when a public school in Theodore was slated for closure. Parents formed a Catholic School Division and re-opened the school as a Catholic School. The lawsuit began in 2005 and it challenged not only the right to form a Catholic School Division in Theodore, but also the ability of Catholic School Divisions to receive funding for non-Catholic students enrolled in Catholic Schools. Fundraising for the trial began in 2013. The trial began in November 2015 and concluded in July of 2016. The decision rendered in April of 2017 resulted in a loss for Catholic Education. The decision was appealed to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. Again, the Knights of Columbus responded to a fundraising drive for the appeal. The Foundation as well as individual Councils contributed to the effort. We were successful on appeal to the Court of Appeal in March of 2020. An application for leave to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court was dismissed in February of 2021.
In 2015, the Knights of Columbus supported the Sisters Legacy Project which resulted in a statue in the Wascana Centre in Regina honouring the contributions of religious women to Education and Health in the province of Saskatchewan.
The Foundation has recently provided sponsorship for Saskatoon’s hosting of the 2023 CCSTA AGM and Convention. The Foundation also contributed to the 2023 SCSBA AGM and Conference in Lloydminster. More recently, the Foundation contributed to the creation of a video honouring the Truth and Reconciliation journey of Catholic Schools and Indigenous peoples.
Catholic Education in Saskatchewan looks forward to the continued support of the Knights of Columbus.
