Lifetimes of Service: Three physicians receive top community honour

By Ian MacKay

Three physicians who’ve practised in Rosetown for a combined 160 years were chosen the town’s citizens of the year on Friday.

Dr. Daniel Ledding, Dr. Alfred Ernst and Dr. David Ledding “have unselfishly provided years of dedicated, faithful and, for the most part, uninterrupted service to the people of Rosetown and district,” their nominator wrote.

Doctors Alfred Ernst (L), David Ledding and Dan Ledding are Rosetown’s 2025 citizens of the year. Photo by Ian MacKay

“Each of these special ‘people persons’ went above and beyond the call of duty” likely thousands of times “to heal and to comfort, no matter the weather or the time of day or night,” the nominator wrote. “Many of you know what our dedicated doctors did to help you become strong and well when you were afraid and in pain.

“As each has reached retirement or semi-retirement, they deserve our recognition, our heartfelt appreciation and most of all, a great big thank you for being at our beck and call for all those many years.”

The Lions Club and Central Plains Co-operative sponsored the citizen of the year program that received six other nominations, said Hugh Lees of the Lions Club.

Dr. Dave Ledding had told Lees that with Ernst retired and his brother Dan retiring at the end of October, he planned to work another year.

“If he does, theses three gentlemen will have contributed a grand total of 160 years of service to our community,” said Lees,the master of ceremonies for the occasion.

But he’d miscalculated, Dr. Dave later told the crowd assembled for lunch that accompanies the Harvest Family Festival pumpkin-decorating competition, they’d already accumulated that many years, while also expressing their appreciation for the honour.