Against a wall of green trees, thousands of sunflowers turn the front of Rustic Nine gold.
But the field is about more than a pretty backdrop for photos. This year, owners Elaine and Victor Liebaert are using the two-acre field at their North Battleford golf course and event centre to raise money for the Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters Association and its Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
The team provides peer support and crisis intervention to help first responders, public safety personnel and organizations cope with extreme occupational stress and trauma.
“They were incredible, and they really helped us, so we want to help them in return,” Elaine Liebaert said.
A dozen sunflowers costs $20, while a 15-minute photo session requires a minimum donation of $20. Both must be arranged in advance by calling or texting Rustic Nine at 306-441-8386.
A helping hand
Victor was injured at the beginning of June and had difficulty moving around while he recovered.
During that time, a large tree came down in the part of the property where the couple hosts wedding ceremonies. With Victor unable to help clear it, Elaine contacted a neighbour, Aaron McNabb, the fire chief for the RM of North Battleford.
McNabb brought his team of volunteer firefighters to Rustic Nine during an evening training session. The crew incorporated the removal into its chainsaw-safety training.
“They removed the tree and made the area beautiful again, so we were able to host a wedding,” Liebaert said.
(Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)
The experience gave the couple a personal reason to direct this year’s sunflower fundraiser toward volunteer firefighters.
Liebaert pointed to the Critical Incident Stress Management team as one reason the couple chose to support the association, noting the difficult situations volunteer firefighters may encounter on calls.
“They might see things when they’re out saving people or going to calls that is hard to deal with. So that’s where that comes into place, and that helps them get through and deal with situations. So, to us, it is very important,” she said.
Dating back to 1929
Victor’s grandfather bought the property in 1929, and the family farmed the land for generations.
Elaine and Victor later transformed part of it into a par-three course. They also began hosting events inside an 80-year-old barn.
Rustic Nine has been open since 2008.
When the couple began renting out the surrounding farmland, they had two acres in front of the golf course where they wanted to try something different. Elaine, who loves sunflowers, decided to plant them.
Rustic Nine Golf Course & Event Centre owners Elaine, right, and Victor Liebaert pose in their two-acre sunflower field in North Battleford on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)
An earlier crop attracted people who wanted to see the flowers and take pictures, inspiring the Liebaerts to begin pairing the field with local causes.
This year’s sunflowers were seeded at the beginning of June by renters who donated their time. Plentiful rain helped the field fill out before the flowers began blooming in early August.
“There are thousands upon thousands of sunflowers out there, and we could give one to everyone in town and there’d probably still be a few left over,” Liebaert said with a laugh.
“Every time I walk down here or go into the sunflower field, it’s amazing. We just realize how blessed we really are to live in this community and to be able to supply something like this for the community.”
This is the couple’s second sunflower fundraiser. The previous campaign supported Better Together. Liebaert did not have an exact total but estimated it raised about $2,000.
Another creative way to give back
The sunflower field is not the only place where Rustic Nine is turning recreation into community support.
A progressive hole-in-one challenge runs every Tuesday from 5 p.m. until dusk on hole No. 7, raising money for Safe Families of the Battlefords.
The challenge is open to all ages. Participants receive five golf balls for $20, giving them five attempts at a hole-in-one.
Rustic Nine owners Elaine and Victor Liebaert stand in front of a banner recognizing the 11 community sponsors of the golf course’s progressive hole-in-one challenge. The Tuesday challenge raises money for Safe Families of the Battlefords. (Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)
Liebaert said $10 from each entry is added to the progressive jackpot, while 20 per cent goes to Safe Families of the Battlefords.
Eleven community sponsors helped launch the challenge last summer. No one has recorded a hole-in-one during the competition, allowing the jackpot to reach $3,400.
The challenge will continue until somebody makes the shot. The sunflower field offers a more fleeting opportunity.
“We have to enjoy the beauty while it’s here,” Liebaert said.
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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com
