(Submitted photo/Pamela Wojciechowski)

By Ben Tompkins

Learn to fence

Northeast Edge Fencing Club looking to grow the game through new program

Nov 9, 2021 | 5:33 PM

The NE Edge Fencing Club started in 2019 with fencing in Melfort and added Tisdale last spring in 2021 when most sports were not happening.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, their season hasn’t looked like it usually does. Normally, there were be about five to six tournaments across the province, but two have already been cancelled so far.

A normal season would run from the beginning of September to the middle of May, so there is still time for things to turn around. According to president Pamela Wojciechowski, Melfort has yet to ever host one of these tournaments, but come 2022, that could very well change.

“Provincials and nationals are at the end of the season, so we are hoping we can host a tournament before then. Because of COVID, we’ve had to cancel a lot of our tournaments and even change the way we train. Fencing face to face wasn’t allowed for a period of time, even with a mask on. The rules are constantly changing and we follow whatever our association mandates for us.”

NE Edge currently have about 25 fencers from the age of four years old to someone who is in their 70s. They have a mix of a four- to eight-year-old kids class with child-size appropriate equipment, such as plastic swords, to recreational nine- to eighteen-year-olds and even some competitive fencers. They currently have four adult fencers.

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

Ferland earns Grey Cup ring

'A wonderful human being': High school coach thrilled Logan Ferland is a Grey Cup champion

Nov 17, 2025

The NE Edge club is a part of the Saskatchewan Fencing Association. There are three weapon types in fencing, foil, epee and sabre. Their coach, Saskatchewan’s Provincial coach John Brunning, is a fencing master with 40 years of experience in all three weapons. In Melfort, they also have para-fencing in all three weapons.

NE Edge are running the six-week Learn to Fence program in Tisdale, which started on Nov. 4, on Thursdays, with no fencing on Remembrance Day, at the Civic Centre Auditorium from 4-6 p.m.

Wojciechowski said the program is meant to bring awareness to the fencing opportunities in the area, providing opportunities for kids, while being inviting to all.

“Anyone can fence, we try to be inclusive as we can, anybody can try wheelchair fencing. Our competitive fencers’ fence wheelchair fencing with our wheelchair fencer to give him competition and training.

“We’re trying to get more people aware about fencing in Northeast Saskatchewan. It’s just for people to try it that might not want to commit for the whole season. Usually, once they try it, they do commit for the whole season, but some kids are involved in other sports, which is great. We just wanted to offer more kids in the Northeast, one more opportunity in a sport that hasn’t been offered here before.”

Those wishing to try fencing have been invited by Wojciechowski to come two separate nights or for a total of two hours, for a free trial before registering. All the equipment will be provided and anyone can come try both regular and wheelchair fencing.

–

Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8