78
MAY 26, 2011 | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | THE WESTERN PRODUCER
FARM LIVING
HOMETOWN TRAVELS | ALBERTA TOUR
Happy travellers find Alta. secrets Shoes, art, tours | After seeing the dinosaurs … BY CHRISTALEE FROESE FREELANCE WRITER
TROCHU, Alta. — The humble appearance of this quaint store, tucked away on a quiet street in a little Alberta town, is our first stop off the beaten path beyond Drumheller, Alta. “They get the shock of their life when they walk in,” said owner Vern Rist. “People just can’t believe what’s in here.” The walls are lined floor to ceiling with Italian stilettos covered in sequins, French-made pumps with woven leather heels, Spanish sandals adorned in colourful flowers and German boots constructed of suede alongside traditional Birkenstocks, Rockports and Dr. Martins. With more than 15,000 pairs of shoes in stock, and 21,000 loyal customers in his database, Henry’s Shoes Ltd. at Trochu, Alta., has become a tourist destination, attracting hundreds of customers weekly from across Canada. Shoe aficionados travel from as far as Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and even overseas, to take home a pair of shoes that range in price from $25 to $500. “I’ve stopped advertising because I don’t need to,” said Rist, the son of Henry Rist, founder of Henry’s Shoes Ltd. “We just carry the best stuff and shoes that are so unusual, that basically people just tell each other about us.” The founder of the store was an immigrant shoemaker who made a living doing repairs and creating shoes for the original owner’s club foot. After making a lifetime of shoes for his boss, Henry Rist bought the business, leaving it to his son and wife to run when he passed away. Rist struggled to keep the 900 sq. foot business in operation, but when he switched to high-end products about 10 years ago, the clientele grew, as did the space and the number of shoes that could be carried.
Rist is now gearing up for the busy summer season. The restaurants, the scenic golf and country club and Trochu and District Museum reap the benefits that the stilettos have created. About an hour south along Highway 56, Stettler and Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions come into view. The railway features an operational train station, complete with ticket counter, departure schedule and thundering trains. There are steam engines, complete with passenger cars, a dining car and sometimes a robbery by some of Stettler’s “outlaws.” Travellers can take an historic journey into Alberta’s past. Try the Canada Day Special to Big Valley, which includes a train ride and entertainment, followed by a stop at the restored Big Valley settlement where you can explore the station, board walk, church and interpretive centre before a roast beef buffet is served. If you’d like to explore the history of rail travel, try the Aug. 1 Rail Fans special. This annual event showcases railway equipment and locomotives. Highlights will be a photo roll-by featuring steam locomotion and other rail equipment on display. The Town and Country museum has an historic village featuring 26 restored buildings from the general store and church to the courthouse, barn and homes. It’s open daily until the September long weekend. About an hour south on Highway 56, you’ll find another hidden gem in Camrose, population 16,000. At the heart of this thriving community is a restored downtown area that combines a sense of history and modern-day shopping into a nostalgic and peaceful experience. The restored Candler Art Gallery features some of Alberta’s best artists with works ranging from prairie landscapes to floral abstracts and First Nations pieces.
TOP: Tourists visit Henry’s Shoes in Trochu for Vern Rist’s fancy footwear. FAR LEFT: Tourists taking the steam engine from Stettler to Big Valley may get a visit from an outlaw. LEFT: The Candler Art Gallery in Camrose offers a relaxing visit. | CHRISTALEE FROESE PHOTOS
A variety of gift, clothing and retail shops are interspersed with cafés and coffee shops. A self-guided walking tour brochure highlights historic haunts like the Windsor Hotel, The Canadian Club, Langbell Studio and Saigon Rose Noodle House. “Camrose is the kind of place where you can come and have this friendly, small-town experience and you don’t have to wait in line or stand in stores,” said Sharon Anderson, director of the Camrose Chamber of Commerce. For the Jaywalkers Jamboree, slated for June 3–5, Main Street is closed off and the area comes to life with live entertainment, a street fair, midway
and petting zoo. If in Camrose on a Tuesday or Thursday night, take the $2 train ride around Mirror Lake, a 15-minute ride pulled by a Thomas the train look alike. The Big Valley Jamboree on July 28–31 features country music headliners from George Canyon to Toby Keith. Camrose Regional Exhibition general manager Wynn McLean said it’s all about rural hospitality. “We can’t do it without unbelievable commitment from several hundred volunteers who do things like open up their basements to people and make sure that everyone who comes is well taken care of.”
ALBERTA TRAVEL PLANNER • Day 1 – Drumheller – explore the Royal Tyrell Museum www.dinosaurvalley.com. • Day 2 – Trochu – Enjoy Henry’s Shoe Store, Trochu Golf and Country Club and Trochu museum www.town.trochu.ab.ca. • Day 3 – Stettler –Ride on a steam engine at Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions and visit the museum www.absteamtrain.com. • Day 4 – Camrose — Enjoy Camrose’s historic downtown, take in a mini-train ride and events like the Big Valley Jamboree. www. camrose.ca.
JUSTICE | DEMOCRACY
Right to defence central part of democratic justice system THE LAW
RICK DANYLIUK, QC
Q:
Why do we spend so much money and time on court cases where people are clearly guilty? Why isn’t there an easier way to do it that would reduce my taxes?
A:
This question is asked often but runs against the current of
centuries of jurisprudence. Our legal system is based on fundamental assumptions, and you will have trouble with it if you don’t agree with those assumptions. For example, the presumption of innocence is at the core of our system of criminal justice. Everyone who is accused of a crime is innocent until enough evidence is adduced to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is guilty. You say this is a waste of time when such people are “clearly guilty.” What if you, your spouse or child were suddenly picked up by the police and accused of a horrible crime? What if the police said they had lots of evidence and that the person was clearly guilty? If it was a
member of your family, you would not be satisfied with the state sending that person directly to jail with no rights and no opportunity to defend himself. You would be outraged. Consider a recent Ontario case. A 60-year-old man with a significant hearing problem was charged with three serious sexual assault charges. He attended court and thought he was going to have a trial in which he would see and hear what the people accusing him had to say. He thought he would have a chance to defend or explain himself. Nothing of the sort happened. First, the sound system set up to deal with his hearing problem didn’t work properly. He couldn’t hear what was happening and didn’t
understand what was going on. Next, the prosecutor read out the charges and he, through his lawyer, pleaded not guilty. However, his lawyer said he had no submissions to make on the charges. The prosecutor said he didn’t have any submissions either. The trial judge did not bother to speak directly with the man or confirm that he was content to be found guilty. The judge pronounced him guilty without the crown calling a single witness and sentenced him to jail for 15 months. The man had not even heard much of what was happening, thought he was there for a trial and within minutes was being carted off to jail for 15 months. That’s fast. That’s efficient. That’s
cheap. It’s also a travesty, according to the appeal court that reversed the conviction and ordered a new trial. Justice Watt of the Ontario Court of Appeal determined that this “cannibalized procedure” violated this individual’s rights to a fair trial and ordered new proceedings. Remember, people also thought David Milgaard, Donald Marshall and Guy-Paul Morin were guilty, but full inquiries proved otherwise. Short-cut justice is no justice at all. The right to confront your accuser and defend yourself against charges is enshrined in our free and democratic society. Rick Danyliuk is a lawyer with McDougall Gauley LLP in Saskatoon. access=subscriber section=farmliving,none,none