Brittany J. L. May

I always remembered sitting on that itchy chair on those hot summer days watching my brothers’ baseball games. I grew up with that chair “KDM” woven into the back. Kenneth Darren May, my dad, is who the chair was made for. His aunt Lillian, or, aunt Lill made it for him in her days at The Hand Crafter. 

The Hand Crafter is a very special place to Boissevain because it is a place where mentally and physically handicapped individuals can spend their time improving a life skill rather than being institutionalized. My great aunt Lill had a very proactive mother. My great-grandmother Elsie May and a few other mothers who had children with disabilities got together and created a special classroom for their kids. This class brought many individuals to Sunrise School from close by communities.

Sawmill Tea & Coffee Co. is located next door to The Hand Crafter and is the newest addition to Boissevain’s community, not yet a year old. Sawmill is a café owned by Prairie Partners. Mainly described as a place where these supported individuals, as Sheena Cochrane, executive assistant of Prairie Partners, prefers to call them can come and receive payment for the work they do. “We try to get them interactive with the community and we try to give them life skills,” said Cochran.

Sawmill is a not-for-profit community gathering place and makes up for one of three parts of the building in downtown Boissevain. The Hand Crafter and the woodshop are right next door.  Sawmill gives these supported individuals an opportunity to cook, work the till and interact with other members of their community.

With a “no purchase necessary, come in and relax,” sign on the door you can guess that this is a really welcoming place in the Boissevain community. “It’s the gem of Boissevain,” said Rhonda Coupland, “great atmosphere, my kids go there, they enjoy meeting friends and they do their homework there.” Sawmill is open Mondays 8:00 am-4:00 pm, Tuesdays to Thursdays 8:00 am-10:00 pm, Fridays 8:00 am-11:00 pm, Saturdays 10:00 am-11:00 pm. These hours are great for Boissevain’s youth helping to keep them off the streets. Keeping the town’s crime rate low with 1 crime in the last 1.5 years according to the Boissevain Community Justice Committee. “They can play pool with out going to the bar,” said Karla Reimer, manager at Sawmill.

Check out Sawmill’s Facebook page and what else you can do in Boissevain at www.boissevain.ca. Comfortable couches, used books, live entertainment and great food such as the famous cinnamon bun for only $2.00. 

It started in Boissevain with my great grandmother and her dream to give her daughter the best life she could. About 80 years passed and it has grown into something so special that has truly touched my heart.