Meet Melissa, the president of the Riversdale Community Association. Melissa spent most of her 20s and 30s bouncing around Europe, Australia, Mexico, South America and the west coast. She’s called Riversdale home for the past 6 years and loves this community fiercely. Melissa considers storytelling an important way to bring community together and runs ‘Saskatoon Story Jam’ the first and third Thursday of the month at Art Bar as a way to make the community feel more connected. She also loves to spend time with her purring roomies Milo, Mousey and Moo who enjoy watching Riversdale action from the windows. Fun fact: Melissa once shared a bathroom in Scotland with a ghost called the Blue Boy – they made a movie about him starring Emma Thomson.

Dakota is a comedian, actor, and writer who lives in Riversdale. She spends some time on the road doing comedy and filming for TV. Along with her sweetheart Dylan, she owns Art Bar on 20th, a creative space they have built up to foster the local arts community and offer a vibrant place for the neighborhood to enjoy. Fun Fact: In 2021, Dakota won the Best Actress award at the American Indian Film Festival for her powerful performance in Run Woman Run. She more recently became part of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)! Wooo!

Jaeda is our amazing Secretary and a six-year Riversdale resident. Her day job is at the bank and in her spare time she helps her husband run Precision Coffee. She practices her latte art on the Precision Coffee Cart and makes up tasting notes for all the upcoming roasts. As an appreciator of good food, she loves going to restaurants in the area (Primal is her favourite). Fun fact: she can play the harp!

Mike has deep roots in Riversdale, with his family calling the area home since the 1930s. His grandfather’s legacy lives on through Steve Patola Park at Ave M and 20th, a place named in his honor. Mike kicks around town lending a hand to folks. He helps animals, too! He once jumped into hero mode and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a choking dog! He saved the dog! By the way, if you think you’re good at high jumping, we bet you couldn’t beat Mike in high jump in 1978…that’s right, he was the boys high jump champion. He’s GOLD.

Our Civics Coordinator, Gillian, was elected to the board last year and is already making a big impact! She’s our rockstar lawyer. When not busy in the courtroom or volunteering, she likes to play pickleball and play with her dogs. Ohhhh, she can play SIX instruments! Yeah, we may have to put together a Riversdale Board Band soon. Also, did you know Gillian won a national songwriting competition with Family Channel back in the day?! “Wait. Is she a lawyer or a rockstar?” Good question. Yes.

Kiera is our go-to communications gal and has proudly called Riversdale home for the past two and a half years. After graduating university last spring with two degrees, she’s taking some time to explore all that the world has to offer. She loves Riversdale for its strong community vibe and the feeling of being part of something bigger. One of her favourite ways to enjoy the neighbourhood is taking long strolls by the river, usually with Led Zeppelin blasting in her headphones.

Haley is our Program Coordinator who’s been loving life in Riversdale since 2019. Haley is all about spending time outdoors with her kids, exploring the parks, and staying active. Whether it’s golfing, biking, walking, gardening, or cross-country skiing, she’s always up for an adventure. When she’s not soaking in the fresh air, she’s working at RUH, and no matter the weather, she’s riding her bike! Fun fact: Haley played volleyball for the University of Saskatchewan Women’s Volleyball Team—she’s like a for realsy athlete.

Lynette is the Indoor Programs Coordinator. She has lived in Riversdale for 4 years and loves the neighborhood and being close to the river. She has a history degree and works in records management. When not working she likes being outside, doing crafts, and cuddling with her 2 sphynx cats, Angel and Baby. A fun fact about Lynette is that she used to have pet rats.

Nicole has lived in Riversdale for 2.5 years since moving from Vancouver and feels truly at home in the community. She loves being close to the river, visiting the riverside basketball courts, and stopping by Thrive on 20th for a healthy treat. A lover of all forms of art, she appreciates local gems like Makerspace and Nefelibata. Nicole is also a proud mom to a 7-year-old son and feels grateful for the strong, connected community vibes that make Riversdale so special.