By Christopher Snook. Fuelled by high-octane “Skinnerian” coffee, fried eggs and three-pepper bacon (all courtesy of Canon Don Skinner), a recent meeting of the Turtleford deanery concluded over lunch with the throbbing bass notes of the Rev’d Peter Boote’s favourite rap music shaking the walls of Turtleford’s Anglican Rectory. No doubt the lively music was a sign of exciting and lively things to come for this deanery in the year 2008.

The western-most deanery in the Diocese of Saskatchewan, the Turtleford region stretches from Shellbrook, just west of Prince Albert, all the way to Onion Lake Cree Nation (on the Alberta border). Members of the deanery include the Rev’d Mary Ann Boote (Regional Dean), the Rev’ds Peter Boote, Christopher Snook, and Rob Stringer, as well as Canon Don Skinner.

The deanery includes parishes that are testing the new Diocesan evangelism and outreach project. The Rev’d Mary Ann Boote is overseeing the project in Shellbrook and also heads the Diocesan Committee responsible for the implementation of the programme throughout the Diocese. Canon Don Skinner’s parish will also be among the first parishes to undertake the programme of door-to-door community visitation and consultation.

The Turtleford deanery meets regularly to discuss parish, deanery and Diocesan business, concluding most meetings with a shared meal and an opportunity for fellowship.