Jenna Scaife with Boston Pizza's certificate from RCMP. (submitted photo/Jenna Scaife)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Community Support

RCMP recognize several Melfort-area businesses for help during James Smith stabbing spree

Jan 16, 2023 | 5:00 PM

It’s been over four months since the mass stabbing spree on the James Smith Cree Nation, but Jenna Scaife still remembers that day quite vividly.

From waking up to emergency alerts to learning about the people who had died, the assistant general manager of Melfort’s Boston Pizza will always remember what happened.

“I was freaked out having to go to work,” she said. “It was scary.”

Despite her fears, Scaife channelled her energy into providing free meals for all those working the case.

Boston Pizza and several other businesses in the Melfort area are being recognized by the RCMP through certificates for the work they did helping emergency personnel.

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Providing meals was originally Scaife’s idea.

“I could see dread on their face, the stress, and I couldn’t even imagine being in their shoes and risking my life,” she said. “It was the least I could do.”

They also made several large pizzas and delivered them to the RCMP’s Melfort detachment who handed them out to different emergency personnel on and off James Smith.

It was a couple months after the spree when Scaife was told her team was being recognized. They were recently given a certificate that they proudly have on display on their front desk.

“I just did it out of the goodness of my heart… it did warm my heart when I got the recognition because it made me feel like I made a little bit of a difference in their days,” Scaife added.

Another business to receive a certificate is Prairie North Co-op.

Melfort RCMP officers with a member of Prairie North Co-op. (submitted photo/Prairie North Co-op)

Just like Boston Pizza, they donated food to all emergency personnel responding to the incident.

“Our staff were compelled to act, and they initiated the giving,” Terry Tremblay, the general manager of Prairie North Co-op said in a press release. “We are just proud to be a company that says, ‘yes’ when our employees are passionate about a cause.”

Along with donating food, the business also received $10,000 the Federated Co-op Limited, allocated $2,500 worth of gift cards, and collected around $4,700 from customers and staff which was all given to James Smith.

They officially got their certificate on Jan 3. 2022.

Several other businesses have yet to receive their certificate with the RCMP expecting them all to be handed out over the next couple of weeks.

-With files from Rachel May

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow