Just A Gal From Glidden: Something a little different on 1st Avenue West

By Kate Winquist

It has been a busy and exciting few months for Robert and me. And if there's one thing I've learned over the past six years, it's that you never quite know what's waiting around the next corner.

Back in May, an opportunity presented itself. A commercial property in Kindersley had become available, and we decided to have a look.

Was it perfect? No. But did it have potential? Absolutely!

There was more than enough room for our newspaper and printing operations, a kitchen area and two bathrooms. Heck, if it had a shower, I could move in permanently!

After some discussion, a little number crunching and probably a few moments of wondering if we'd completely lost our minds, we made an offer.

It was accepted, and on June 23, we officially became commercial property owners.

Four months later, we're preparing to move into our new home at 116 1st Avenue West in Kindersley, the former West Central Crisis Centre building, nestled between West Central Abilities and Curly's Small Engine Repair.

Apparently, we just can't quit the number 116. Our current office in the Ard Law Office building sits at 116 Main Street.

It's a pretty big step for a gal who started her little newspaper venture in 2020 with an office measuring approximately 10 feet by 10 feet.

My 10 x 10 office the day I opened - July 6, 2020.

Back then, I had a desk, a filing cabinet, a desktop printer and a couple of pictures on the wall. That was pretty much it.

When I hired Joan Janzen full-time, I moved down the hall into a larger office. Then came the purchase of a photocopier, which required even more space.

Apparently, newspapers have a way of multiplying their equipment, paperwork and assorted odds and ends when you're not looking.

In May of 2025, we moved into the Ard Law Office building, where we finally had some breathing room and lovely big windows to look out of.

I thought we were doing pretty well!

Little did I know that a year later, we'd be packing everything up again.

Of course, with the purchase of our new building came some decisions that weren't quite as exciting.

With considerably more room in Kindersley, it simply isn't cost-effective to continue renting our office space in the Rosetown Mini-Mall.

In a perfect world, I'd love to have a physical presence in every community our newspapers serve. Unfortunately, the financial realities of operating small-town newspapers don't always allow for that.

But don't worry, Rosetown! Your Rosetown Eagle isn't going anywhere. You'll still receive your newspaper every week, and both Ian and David will continue contributing remotely.

Even the Eagle's extensive newspaper archives, dating back to 1912, have made the journey down Highway 7 to their new home in Kindersley.

That's a whole lot of history to pack up! And believe me, Robert can attest to that.

While the extra room for our newspaper and printing operations is certainly welcome, I must admit there's another part of this move that has me particularly excited.

I've always dreamed of having my own little gallery where I could showcase some of my photography. Over the years, I've taken thousands of photographs, but I've never had a dedicated space to display my work.

The gallery was always part of the plan. When we first looked at the building, I could immediately see the possibilities.

The rest of it? Well, that just sort of happened.

One idea led to another, which led to another, and before I knew it, my simple little gallery had evolved into something quite different.

I'm not entirely sure how that happened, although I suspect the words "Wouldn't it be neat if..." may have escaped my lips a few too many times.

I've always liked the idea of creating a space filled with some of the little things that make me smile. Somewhere people might stop in, have a look around, visit for a while and perhaps leave with a smile of their own.

My happy place, so to speak.

I'm not giving away all our secrets just yet, but if you're expecting your typical newspaper office or print shop, you might be in for a bit of a surprise.

Of course, none of this has happened overnight.

There have been plenty of long days, late nights, paint samples, furniture decisions and more than a few discussions between Robert and me about what should go where.

And then there's Robert.

I think deep down he's every bit as excited about this new adventure as I am, although he might not always admit it.

While I've been busy dreaming up ideas for the inside of the building, he's been quite happy to claim the shed out back for storing some of his treasures.

He's also had the opportunity to rent a mini-excavator, which I'm pretty sure was one of the highlights of the entire project. Give a man a piece of heavy equipment and suddenly the renovations take on a whole new level of excitement!

We've been fortunate to work with some wonderful contractors along the way, and Robert has genuinely enjoyed being part of the process. I've affectionately started calling him the "foreman."

Of course, every time I come up with another brilliant idea, I can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he calculates how much work it's going to involve and how much it's going to cost!

But after 26 years of marriage, he should know by now that when I say, "I've been thinking..." there's a pretty good chance neither of us will be sitting down anytime soon.

I get my gallery. He gets to play with heavy equipment. Sounds like a pretty fair arrangement to me!

When I look back at that little 10' x 10' office in 2020, I certainly never imagined we'd be here six years later.

What started as a modest venture has grown into something much bigger than I ever anticipated. Not without its challenges, mind you.

There have been moments when I've questioned my sanity, wondered if I'd bitten off more than I could chew and seriously considered whether a nice, quiet retirement might have been the more sensible option.

But sensible has never really been my strong suit.

And somewhere along the way, what started as a practical business decision has become something a little more personal.

We're not just moving our business. We're creating a place that reflects a little bit of who we are.

Sometimes the best things in life aren't part of the original plan.

Our doors open Monday, November 2. So, if you happen to be travelling down 1st Avenue West in Kindersley, stop in at number 116.

Something a little different is brewing.

And I can't wait to welcome you in!