Special Features - The Report 2016

A Special Publication By

Central Alberta

Sets

The

Pace

2016

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

C

entral Alberta is a region of trailblazers and trend setters.

Today, the Red Deer Advocate celebrates those individuals and businesses who think outside the box and are setting the pace in the region – the innovators.

While this is the 16th edition of what was once known as Report on Central Alberta, it is our first time teaming up with the Red Deer District Chamber of Commerce and Community FuCrystal Rhyno tures in The Report.

Advocate Managing Editor We are excited to share these stories with you.

Take for example, environmentalist Terry Krause, who recently received an award for improving the air quality, he invites us onto his property along the C&E Trail where he has created a magical natureshaped oasis.

There’s also Alex Villeneuve an Olds College student who developed a way to recycle a waste byproduct of brewing.

Those are just two of the interesting stories in The Report.

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REDUCING OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

4

TINKERING LEADS TO INNOVATION

6

A CLEVER USE OF BEER WASTE BYPRODUCTS

8

ARTIST FINDS NICHE WITH HIS LATHE

10

THE RED DEER ADVOCATE REMAINS TUNED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CITY

11

NEW ARENA: A MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL WONDER

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STORM CHASER PARADISE IN CENTRAL ALBERTA

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BOWER PONDS RECREATION A PREFECT SOCIAL HUB

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HOW SHOPPING LOCALLY CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY

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TOOLS TO HELP BUSINESSES BECOME INNOVATIVE

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

REDUCING OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

“I

had a two and a half-acre canvas of black dirt.”

Terry Krause is talking about his home west of Red Deer, along the C&E Trail Southwest.

Located in a rural subdivision, one would never know that it had once been just a patch of bare land.

Over a period of nine years, Krause and his wife, Liz Simpson, have turned a mind’s-eye vision into a magical naturescaped eco-system that thrives alongside an organic garden and developing cherry orchard.

And the 1,500-sq.ft home they built — with its solar power system, triple-glazed windows with exterior roll-shutters, insulated floor slab, low-flush toilets, natural-fibre flooring and root cellar — lessens their ecological footprint even more.

This past June, Krause received an award for helping improve air quality in Central Alberta. The Parkland Airshed Management Zone gave him the outstanding role model award, one of the organization’s inaugural Blue Skies awards.

Krause grew up in Edmonton with a father who took him fishing and hunting and to his grandfather’s farm. “He was my mentor who led me into this world and showed me how to love nature.”

Krause was never comfortable living in the city. His turned his post-secondary studies to the natural environment where he took the Fish and Wildlife program at Lethbridge College and at one time was a park ranger in Sheep River Provincial Park, west of Turner Valley.

He also earned a degree in Park Man-

agement from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters from York University in the faculty of Environmental Studies. He was a planner for 20 years with Alberta Parks and today he’s the land and resource management co-ordinator for the Central Region for Alberta Parks.

Krause and Simpson, who met in university 30 years ago, found their way eventually to Red Deer. They had turned their small back yard in the city into an entire garden when they decided it was time to live life the way they really wanted to, Krause said. And that’s when they made the move to the country, seeing their house built in 2007, and then starting to plant trees the next year. Since then they have planted over 1,000 trees and shrubs, with diversity front and centre.

“Nature has responded far beyond our expectations,” Krause said. Their home now overlooks a small green forest, full of life.

Krause has counted about 100 bird species over the years. There are flickers and tree swallows, bright yellow gold finches and house wrens. There are robins that like to go crazy in bird baths sitting on the ground.

As a university student, Krause said he looked at the social perceptions of nature.

“How did we get to the point that we are living, in my eyes a very dysfunctional relationship with nature, and compromising the integrity and health of this planet.

How did we get here?”

“For Liz and I, a big motive here is we had these values to do with life and health and food and ecology and nature. Yet when you’re living in the city we felt our behaviour was not as deeply in line with the values and the things that we cherish.

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Environmentalist Terry Krause harvests some onions from his acreage garden.

So how can we up this game, and that was one of the motives for the move out here.

Let’s see how much we can do to reduce our environmental footprint.”

The theme for their new life in the country was food production, naturescaping and a fairly efficient house.

They now have a large organic garden, divided in quadrants by a pathway that runs through it. The garden thrives in the deep black soil. They grow carrots, beets, beans, peas, asparagus and squash, also potatoes, garlic, spinach, lettuce, leeks and corn. They also have honey berry and raspberry bushes.

“It’s worth growing if you can store it well,” said Krause. At harvest time they fresh freeze or dehydrate the bounty, and also store carrots and potatoes in their root cellar.

“All garden and kitchen waste goes back into the garden via composting.

There have big rain barrels they use to hand water when required.

The garden is designed to be habitat for bugs and wildlife. The whole idea

was to build a healthy organic ecosystem around them with a balance of good and bad bugs, and birds. It worked.

Krause is now starting a cherry orchard, well underway with several varieties.

The wildlife includes creatures such as wood and chorus frogs, garter snakes, tiger salamanders, Richardson ground squirrels, mule deer and the occasional porcupine. He wouldn’t mind a fox or two to come along and help control voles.

Krause dug up in a ditch some prairie buffalo beans — a native plant — which are now starting to take hold. “Real exciting. They’re really pretty.”

Years of work have solidified. “Two years ago all of a sudden the magic started to happen. …. It’s a living environment … constantly in flux. Every day is different.

You’re not part of a stagnant sterile environment.”

“We just love it. … We’re in the sweet spot now.”

Krause does offer a bit of advice for anyone wanting to try something similar.

“Don’t start too big. Examine your life.

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

Examine your values. What are the things you would like to change the most. And then baby steps, pick one or two things that you can try.

“Don’t set yourself up for failure because failure is demoralizing. Set yourself up for success.”

“Make it piecemeal and then also recognize this is a life journey and you can improve and make changes over 20, 30 years. You can’t do it all now.” Everyone has to acknowledge their own limitations such as family obligations, financial considerations and work, Krause said.

“If you can someday just change your lawn from Kentucky blue grass to fescue, you’ve done the world a favour.” He only needs to mow his drought-resistent fescue three times a year.

That leaves him with more time for important things, like sitting on the deck and watching nature play out another beautiful sunset.

3

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Terry Krause works in his large garden on his acreage southwest of Red Deer.

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

TINKERING LEADS TO INNOVATION

BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF

M

aking mistakes, learning from them and trying again is one of many — at times frustrating — parts of inno-

vation.

And at Central Alberta Maker Space, a small facility in Blackfalds, anyone is given the opportunity, tools and resources to just try innovating or creating whatever their imagination can think of.

Vincent Wolfe, who founded the Maker Space located at 5217 Duncan Ave. in Blackfalds, didn’t really have designs on running the business.

“The real truth of it is, I don’t want to run a business.

“I want to go to the maker space, but it didn’t exist,” said Wolfe. “In the true maker spirit, we don’t have it so I needed to make it.”

The relatively young Maker Space got off the ground this year after a few years of Wolfe bouncing the idea around with friends.

In general, Wolfe describes the Maker Space as a community space with the primary goal of innovation or education.

“It’s a space for community members to come and learn something new, make something new or teach something new,” said Wolfe.

“Whether it’s someone down the street who would love to learn how to knit or you get welders, wood-workers, electronics, software developers.

“A lot of us have a really varied background, but what we all have in common

is the interest to learn and create.”

Right now, the Maker Space is a collection of tools and a space.

On Tuesday nights, the Maker Space hosts what it calls ‘Tinker Tuesday’, where members and non-members can come in and make something, collaborate or discuss with other people.

“You can fail, it’s not a big deal, because you’re the only one you’re indebted to there,” said Wolfe. “It’s a safe spot to learn new things and grow.”

Wolfe gave an example of cabinet makers t in the space who can answer questions and help teach people who don’t know where to start. This knowledge is combined with the tools to then perform tasks and create.

The Maker Space has tools that would otherwise be expensive or difficult for a first-time maker to use or even acquire.

The space offers them access to these tools in a community setting.

As important as the tools are, having the resources like the cabinet makers and the knowledge of individuals is just as important.

“The Internet is wonderful, it makes things easy, but it’s not interactive in quite the same way as people,” said Wolfe.

“Having someone I can bounce ideas off of in a rapid way and even have them show me to properly perform a task is useful.

“You can buy the tools on your own, but you can’t buy the wisdom.”

At its heart, the maker space catch phrase of “learn, make, teach,” relies on the cycle of learning and members helping each other out.

Wolfe said the idea started about three

Dear Constituents, I am proud to be the Member of Parliament for the Red Deer riding. The people of this constituency are very hard working individuals. With determination and great effort, central Albertans have made our area an economic power house.

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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Central Alberta Maker Space founder Vincent Wolfe works on a project in his garage workshop in Blackfalds. years ago when a friend posted on a Google Group gauging interest on starting a hackerspace.

Hacker space and Maker Space are the same ideas just with different nomenclature to avoid the negative connotations associated with the term hacker.

With the support of a local land owner, who offered some space at a low cost, Wolfe and the group sent out invitations to build a group.

“Within the last year-and-a-half we started getting some traction,” said Wolfe.

“We were able to get the space and it allowed us to spend the time gathering members.”

Wolfe connected with a maker space in Calgary called Protospace and started getting the project off the ground. But the

project never got the full traction it needed to start at first.

Then the Red Deer Mini-Maker Faire at Red Deer College held in June became the final push to realize the goal of creating a maker space.

The Faire was a day of exploring projects people had hidden away in their basements, garages, barns and maker spaces.

“This was the best advertising opportunity we would ever get,” Wolfe told his group.

“It was a good opportunity to announce a grand opening whether we were ready or not. If I kept waiting for people to start showing up I would never get members.

“I jumped in with both feet.”

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

5

6

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

A CLEVER USE OF BEER WASTE BYPRODUCTS

A

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

n education in beer making mixed with a curiosity about mushroom cultivation has inspired an Olds College student to develop a way to recycle a waste byproduct of brewing.

Since last fall, Alex Villeneuve, 20, of Edmonton, has been working on a process that takes the spent grains used in the production of beer to grow mushrooms.

Together, the grain and mushrooms can also sprout high-protein cattle feed. “In the next couple of months some big decisions will be made that will determine what direction we’ll take it. Maybe we’ll just focus on an enhanced feed product and do it on a large scale, or maybe we focus solely on the mushrooms because it’s a food product,� said Villeneuve, founder and director of Ceres Solutions Ltd. In April at the TEC Venture Awards honouring Alberta’s most promising early-stage, high-tech companies, Villeneuve took home the Alberta Innovates Venture Prize Student award worth $20,000.

He said the rise of micro and craft breweries in Alberta and elsewhere has created a big opportunity to implement his ideas. “B.C. has 52 craft brewers and it’s growing every day. The entire industry right across Canada, it’s going to be huge in the next couple of years. There’s lots of opportunity for expansion.�

He said right now breweries are either throwing spent grain into the garbage or hiring a composting service which is very expensive for these small companies.

Villeneuve said he has always had an

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Alex Villeneuve works in his production facility at Olds College where he is growing oyster mushrooms using waste grain from the Olds College Brewery program. interest in sustainability and food production. “In high school I was growing oyster mushrooms just for fun. We put them in garden beds and whenever it rained it produced mushrooms before everything else fruited. My teacher was making fun of me because I was always growing

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Villeneuve said when he found out about the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program at Olds College, he just had to do it. “It’s not just learning how to make beer and it’s not just learning how it tastes. It’s all the science, the biology, the chemistry behind all the chemical reactions occurring in the beer. It’s really an in depth program. There are lots of opportunities. “I’m really grateful I ended up going with this program. I wouldn’t have made that connection if I wasn’t standing in the brewery shovelling the grain out to the garbage.�

He said it seemed sad that the spent grain wasn’t used for something.

His high-protein feed is created from the grains being broken down as mushrooms grow.

Villeneuve said the cellular structure

of mushrooms is closer to an animal than a plant. As it grows, it converts the grain into protein. Allowing the process to continue, after adjusting the microclimate and making other changes, produces the mushrooms.

He said there are about 1,000 varieties of mushrooms he could grow, but he’s sticking to oyster and pom pom mushrooms, and a few others. “As soon as I get them fruiting the way I want them to, I’ve got quite a few restaurants interested. “We’re getting really positive feedback from chefs, people who are interested in buying local mushroom products and doing local food parings. You don’t get much of a better food pairing than, “Hey I grew this food on the beer you’re drinking.’ �

He said mushrooms and beer make a good combination. “Everybody eats mushrooms and everybody likes beer.�

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

7

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

LEFT: Oyster mushrooms get their start in canning jars before being transfered to hanging plastic bags.

RIGHT: Oyster mushrooms grow from suspended bags filled with grains used in the brewing process.

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

ARTIST FINDS NICHE WITH HIS LATHE

BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF

‘Start small, think big’ could be woodturning artist Andrew Glazebrook’s personal motto.

He began whittling his first wooden spoon when he was eight years old. By age 11, the Rosebud native was using an old lathe and marvelling at the variety of items he could make with it.

Now in his mid-30s and a married father of three, Glazebrook has built a large woodworking shop in Red Deer County and is “pushing the limits of what the lathe will do.”

The Alberta Crafts Council member regularly exhibits his artistic wood turnings in the View Point Gallery in Red Deer’s Culture Services building and sells his wooden kitchen products at Big Bend Market and Sunworks.

He’s taught woodturning in more than 50 Alberta schools, was featured in Canadian Woodworking Magazine, and was once commissioned to create Christmas gifts for the Calgary Flames.

Glazebrook is now setting his sights on becoming a manufacturer of high-end wooden products that will be sold across the country.

Several large, industrial lathes are already set up in his shop. Glazebrook, with help from his brother, is building up a supply of well-designed and smoothlyturned-out kitchen utensils, bowls and other functional pieces.

Although some of his hand-turned spatulas, salad tongs and rolling pins are

available in Red Deer, Glazebrook aims to negotiate with chains such as Lee Valley and Williams-Sonoma about getting these items marketed on a much larger scale.

Mass-market competition from China doesn’t intimidate Glazebrook, who works in a variety of woods, ranging from birch to cherry.

He said the kind of high-end items he makes are not available from the import market.

“I’m not willing to compromise on quality,” said the woodworker, who has a personal reason for wanting to become a successful manufacturer: “I do not want to work for anyone else. I am completely driven to do whatever it takes to be a woodturner.”

Woodturning is something Glazebrook feels he was born to do — and maybe it’s in his genes, since his uncle is renowned Saskatoon woodturner Michael Hosaluk, who sells his artwork internationally.

Glazebrook admitted he’s been influenced by his uncle, as well as his father, a cabinet maker, who taught him how to use woodworking tools. He also had a brief apprenticeship with Ontario woodworker Jason Russell, but feels that most of his skills were gained from just the self-directed practice of making mistakes, learning from them, and trying again.

“I’ve been trying to find my own path.”

He doesn’t like to use the term ‘artist,’ “because I don’t think creativity just happens.” Glazebrook admitted he had to get comfortable with the idea of showing his work in the Viewpoint Gallery, alongside pieces by local painters and sculptors.

Ideas for his woodturnings have been

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KIM SCHREINER, MLA for Red Deer - North CONSTITUENCY OFFICE Address:#200, 4814 Ross Street, Red Deer, AB Canada T4N 1X4 Phone:403.342.2263 | Fax:403.340.3185 | Email:reddeer.north@assembly.ab.ca

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Andrew Glazebrook works a platter with one of his lathes in his workshop south of Penhold. sparked by such esoteric things as the shape of shadows on the floor of his shop, the profile of his wife while pregnant, and the memory of a small African woman who was carrying a large basket on her head while he was in her country doing missionary work as a teenager.

Glazebrook feels his faith in God is instrumental to his success. Even though things have been hard, the skills and abilities I have, I knew they were always there.”

For instance, he couldn’t afford a new lathe for his shop, so had to buy a broken one at a lower cost and learn to refurbish it.

Although Glazebrook has never taken any courses on repairing large equipment, he managed to figure it out how to fix the machine through trial and error.

“As a kid I was taking apart motorbikes and working on farms … I believe the Lord gives us our skills.”

But there’s also something to be said about having passion for your craft and belief in a dream.

Not long ago, Glazebrook spoke by phone to the owner of a more technologically advanced copy lathe that he did not have the money to purchase. After hearing how passionate Glazebrook was about woodturning, and how eager he was to set up his manufacturing business, the owner from North Carolina let him have the lathe for just the cost of shipping it to Alberta.

“He said, ’I am not religious, but I have faith in humanity …’ ” recalled Glazebrook. “He told me, ‘If you make any money at it, you can send me some money for the value of the machine,’ and that’s something I intend to do.”

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

9

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Photos by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

TOP: Artist Andrew Glazebrook turns a board into a spatula on a lathe in his workshop south of Penhold.

BOTTOM: Examples of some of the products woodturner Andrew Glazebrook is manufacturing in his workshop.

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THE RED DEER ADVOCATE REMAINS TUNED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CITY of community events and fundraisers, and we’ve proudly provided hunhe Report offers proof dreds of thousands of that this region is setdollars over the years in ting the pace. free advertising.”

Likewise, as the local To continue its misnews leader, the Advocate has sion, the Advocate is found a new gear to keep it out adapting to changing front. reading habits, tastes, “The Advocate has been growtechnology and economing with the City of Red Deer for MARY KEMMIS ics.

109 years,” says publisher Mary In November, a Kemmis. “Through that time streamlined Advocate we’ve supported the efforts of countless will roll off the presses. It is part of a community leaders and organizations to major investment in our community that make Red Deer the vibrant, people-fohas seen the website completely rebuilt to cused place it is today.” keep readers informed in real time.

The newspaper business has changed To give the newspaper a fresh new look dramatically over the years. But through it is switching to tabloid size, a move that it all, the Advocate has remained tuned to will make it easier to flip to your favourite the heartbeat of the community. section and take a swig of your morning Kemmis says it’s always been about joe or a grab a bite at the same time. more than delivering the latest news.

The broadsheet format that has served “We give back to our community in a Red Deer well for over a century is not as multitude of ways, including sponsorship handy in a world where people are more SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE

T

‘THROUGH THAT TIME WE’VE SUPPORTED THE EFFORTS OF COUNTLESS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE RED DEER THE VIBRANT, PEOPLE-FOCUSED PLACE IT IS TODAY.’ -MARY KEMMIS, ADVOCATE PUBLISHER

on the go than ever.

Readers won’t be losing any of the news and features they enjoy. In fact, it will be easier than ever to find local news, sports, entertainment and business, not to mention the features about Central Albertans who have their stories to tell.

For advertisers, a tabloid allows them to showcase their advertisements in ways that will draw more eyes and send more feet through their doors.

A switch is also being made to a Tuesday through Saturday publication to focus resources more efficiently.

Online, the Advocate is also making a big investment to gather and present the news in a way we’re confident readers will enjoy. The new website went live earlier this month and will be updated throughout the day to ensure readers get their news fast, seven days a week.

Weekend sports highlights and other news will be posted online so readers don’t miss a beat on Mondays.

“Today’s reader is busier than ever and wants to access the information that’s relevant to their lives on a variety of platforms,” says Kemmis.

“Our updates allow Red Deerians to get their news online, via mobile, desktop and tablet as it happens from Red Deer’s most trusted news source.

“And for those who want to take a little more time, we have our printed newspaper, which includes special features that will only be available in-paper.

“Add all this together with our active social media presence and it means the Advocate will always be there when you need it.”

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11

NEW ARENA: A MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL WONDER ‘FROM WATER EFFICIENCY AND LOW-FLOW TOILETS TO THE LIGHTING AND ELECTRICITY, IT USES VERY LITTLE POWER CONSUMPTION AND WATER.’

BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF

When Curtis Martinek stepped into the Red Deer Arena before its demolition in late July, it was just an empty shell of a building.

All that could be salvaged was, and all that was left was the old boards that were concreted into the floor.

Originally built in 1952, the old arena was deemed too expensive to repair.

By the time the new arena is built, it will be a modern and energy efficient rink boasting a walking track, low-flow water fixtures and harnessing ambient natural light.

Martinek, the project manager for the new build, pointed to the large glass that will cover much of the north end of the rink.

“Normally you don’t put windows in an arena because you don’t want the light

- CURTIS MARTINEK, PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE NEW RED DEER ARENA

shining in on the ice,” said Martinek.

“But the way the windows face, it doesn’t get any direct sunlight. Because you have natural lighting you don’t need the lights burning all day. If you don’t have the direct sunlight hitting the glass, that’s where the heat transfers, the ice will be fine.”

This ambient lighting from the outside will couple with the LED lights inside will brighten the playing surface and the

whole arena.

“Also, because of the absence of direct sunlight, the players on the ice won’t be blinded,” said Martinek.

“It’s becoming more common to get natural lighting in arenas so they’re not just a dark box.”

Blackout blinds will be employed on the windows, and retractable to provide shade for events that require it. Martinek said that could include concerts.

Environmental concerns were at the forefront of the design and will have a large role in the construction of the building. Martinek said they will take a look and audit the efficiencies built in at the start and will take a second look at the efficiencies about a year later to evaluate how the green the building is.

“From water efficiency and low-flow toilets to the lighting and electricity it uses very little power consumption and water,” said Martinek, adding there will

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be features like dimmable lighting and motion sensors to limit the need for electricity usage.

One tool is the exhaust air heat recovery system. It uses the heat from the exhaust to warm the fresh air coming into the building.

“When it brings the fresh air in from outside, it preheats the fresh air with the heat from the exhaust,” said Martinek.

“This means you don’t have to use as much natural gas to heat your air coming in.”

The city salvaged whatever they could from the building before its demolition.

Some items like the netting, arena glass, bleacher boards, wood bleachers and radiant heaters have been kept to be reused in other city facilities.

The dehumidifier was sold, while the furnaces and hot water boilers are being repurposed to be used as backups for the city’s neighbourhood community centres.

12

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

Contributed Photo

Artist rendering of the Red Deer Arena currently under construction.

Continued from page 11 “People wanted signs to keep as mementos,” said Martinek.

“There wasn’t much left. It was pretty much an empty shell inside of concrete and the old rink boards, that were con-

creted into the floor.

“Whatever we could salvage, we salvaged. It’s either being reused in other facilities the city or was sold to other municipalities or even the general public.”

Unlike the old arena, the new one

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won’t feel as cold to spectators. Watching a hockey game in a cold arena is a Canadian tradition, but the new arena will fell more like the Enmax Centrium in terms of heat.

The strong ice plant will have the capacity to maintain the ice surface’s temperature, but allow the air temperature to be comfortable for patrons.

“The engineers designed the ice plant so it can handle the additional loads that would come from the warm air above,” said Martinek.

“We have sized it for future twinning.

It could be a potential location for a future second pad.”

Other facilities in the city have been designed for future twinning including the Collicutt Centre and the G. H. Dawe Centre.

Another unique feature for the arena will be a track above the rink, which cir-

cles the surfaces offering people a place to exercise or watch the game The new construction will combine the arena with the existing Pidherney Curling Centre, bridging a small gap between the two facilities. By sharing the spaces, it opens up the possibilities for the types of events the new arena could hold. The last time Red Deer hosted the Allan Cup, the curling centre was used as a beer garden and people had to go outside to shuffle between hockey games and beer. With the new connectivity, the two things will be adjacent and easily accessible.

Concrete taken out as part of the demolition is being recycled, as is the copper wire.

Costing about $21.6 million, the new arena is scheduled to be built by the fall of 2018 and be in use in time for when Red Deer hosts the Canada Summer Games in 2019.

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

13

STORM CHASER PARADISE IN CENTRAL ALBERTA

BY LANA MICHELIN ADVOCATE STAFF

Standing in gale-force winds, Darlene and Theresa Tanner watched a giant, hail-spewing supercell churn slowly in the darkened sky.

It resembled a towering mushroom cloud — an unforgettable, awe-inspiring sight, recalled the storm-chasing photographers from Alix.

“It was very scary,” added Darlene, who with her spouse, Theresa, had just managed to stay ahead of the July 30 thunderstorm near Rockyford, Alta.

Theresa had been keeping an eye on the massive storm’s movements through weather apps as she navigated towards the thunderstorm northeast of Calgary, while Darlene drove.

Like always, the Tanners had a preplanned escape route because “one of the most important things is not to get caught in it,” said Darlene.

Once they got within a few kilometres of the ominously turning mesocyclone cell, they noticed it was blue. “If a storm cell is greenish/blue, you know it’s (creating) hail,” said Theresa. “I’d never seen one blue like that before.”

Although fist-sized hail was later reported to have crushed crops in farmer’s fields beneath the cell, the Tanners did what they’d driven down for. They took out their cameras and began snapping pictures in 100-km winds.

Storm chasing “never gets old, because it’s never the same,” said Darlene.

The Tanners, who are becoming known throughout North America for the spectacular sky photos they share through social media as #teamtanner, admit they get nervous being so close to nature’s might.

They take precautions — such as setting up their cameras on tripods during lightning storms and remotely taking pictures from their car — but admit the danger around storms is also part of the thrill.

“It’s breathtaking. The force of nature is so crazy, there’s nothing like it. There’s the feeling we could get swept up,” said Theresa, who feels “pretty little” under such impressive skies.

Darlene compares the wonder of storm-watching to how she feels observing northern lights. “When you’re there,

nothing else in the world matters. You don’t think of anything else in the world, you are so focused on that.”

The summer of 2016 was a memorable one. With thunderstorms on most nights, “it was an excellent summer for us,” said Theresa, who gives this storm season an eight out of 10 rating.

“We didn’t see a tornado,” said Darlene.

“But we were close,”added Theresa.

The two realize their weather preferences go against the tide. “My boss tells me, ‘You’re the only person I know who gets excited about storms!” said Darlene, a meat cutter for a Lacombe grocery store.

Theresa, who works as a tech support for the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission in Stettler, admits none of their farming neighbours understand their fascination with storms. “They just don’t want the hail.”

The Central Alberta couple saw many funnel clouds form this summer, but none that touched down as tornadoes — although Theresa narrowly missed photographing a small cyclone near Ponoka on June 30. By the time she drove there after work, the tornado that damaged some farm property had dissipated.

Theresa instead took pictures of a wall cloud beneath a supercell. “That’s what tornadoes come out of. The closer it is to the ground, the higher the chance a tornado will touch down.”

The Tanners regularly alert Alberta Environment and Environment Canada through Twitter if they see funnel clouds to help them warn the public. They also tweet their dramatic photos and also post them on their treeanddar Facebook site.

While the storm chasers have been close to many ferocious storms, the greatest danger they experienced this summer was caused by cows.

Their Toyota accidentally plowed into a herd of dark cattle who had somehow wandered onto a secondary highway one night in mid-August, killing two bovines and totalling their car. Darlene hit her head during the collision and was examined at the hospital, but wasn’t found seriously injured.

The two are now driving a rental vehicle until their insurance claim is settled, but don’t intend to stop sky gazing at night.

Photos by TEAM TANNER

Eye-catching weather photos, taken by Theresa and Darlene Tanner, otherwise known as Team Tanner, range from lightning, the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, to ominous cloud formations.

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Continued from page 13 With summer storm season over, the couple are again focusing on photographing the aurora borealis. A remarkable display was already seen by #teamtanner in early September in the Alix, Lacombe area. “They’re the best summer ones I’ve seen,” said Darlene.

The couple took pictures of pink, green, blue and purple light reflections in a tout pond. The northern lights “were dancing really fast,” said Theresa, who

had to lower her camera’s exposure time to six seconds instead of the usual 15 seconds to digitally capture them.

Pictures by #teamtanner are regularly featured on TV’s The Weather Network.

They have also been purchased as art and shared online across the world.

This fall, the Tanners intend to produce two different calendars of their photos — one of summer storms and another of northern lights.

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

15

NEW FITNESS APP CONNECTS DOCTORS AND PATIENTS

A

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

Red Deer emergency room physician is putting the finishing touches on an app for both doctors and fitness trainers to motivate their patients and clients to exercise their way to better health.

Dr. Peter Rawlek has been in the process of testing the app — Go Get Fit — that will have doctors and trainers working together. The app allows them to access weekly exercise updates on clients and patients and gives them the ability to send positive messages to spur people on.

“When I talk to people in the emergency department, they all want to get active.

They think they can’t do it. They need support,” Rawlek said.

He said fitness apps out there that just focus on the reaching goals do not provide the kind of support people need to begin to change their behaviour.

Patients and doctors can decide to-

‘THERE’S NO NET LOSS FOR DOCTORS. THERE’S NET GAIN. A HEALTHIER POPULATION.’ - DR. PETER RAWLEK

gether if the app will be beneficial.

“The doctor gets them started and we have the exercise professional continue to manage and work with the program and both of them are still supporting the individual.”

Using the app, patients schedule their exercise and log their accomplishments.

They receive reminders to help them stay on track.

Rawlek said the app will catch people

early on if they start to delay or skip their exercise. If necessary doctors can call patients in for a followup appointment if health issues arise that prevent patients from exercising.

The idea for Go Get Fit grew out of Endurance Unlimited, an online program founded by Rawlek that connects people with exercise groups wherever they go.

The new app will be most helpful to people who struggle to make physical activity a part of their lives, he said.

“Those are people who need early intervention to stop them from falling off the wagon. That is what makes us unique.”

Rawlek said if everyone was active, there would be 60 to 75 per cent fewer patients coming to the emergency department.

Improving people’s physical health will also help reduce health care costs, he added.

“There is a very strong opinion from a

number of different circles that the health care system is going to implode. In 2020, 42 per cent of the provincial budget is going to be eaten up by health care.”

He said with Go Get Fit, doctors can track a few hundred patients in just 10 minutes a week because the app collects and analyzes all the data to identify those who need special attention. Patients who are staying active can be managed by the exercise trainer.

“What we’re doing here is creating that association between the exercise community who are dedicated towards getting people to be active and healthier, and the health care community who don’t have a lot of time, and definitely don’t have the training to manage people once they get started.

“There’s no net loss for doctors.

There’s net gain. A healthier population.”

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Red Deer emergency room physician Dr. Peter Rawlek and Kerri DeZutter have launched a new app to connect doctors, fitness trainers, patients, and clients to exercise their way to better health.

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

BOWER PONDS RECREATION A PERFECT SOCIAL HUB

J

BY ADVOCATE STAFF

onathan Strome may only be 26 years old, but he’s big into making memories.

The general manager of Bower Ponds Recreation said he’s trying to create memories for people who come out to use the various services the company offers.

Bower Ponds Recreation has had the contract with the City of Red Deer to provide recreation and concession services at the ponds for eight years. Strome has become more involved in the business over the past two years, introducing more services and other changes.

“Our hope is to create an atmosphere where people are comfortable and enjoy coming to connect with others, whether that’s a group of teenagers coming out on an afternoon and who want to go outside and be rowdy and have fun, or grandparents with grandkids for a calm afternoon.

“Regardless of where they fit on the spectrum in our community, we want to create a space where they can create memories that they’ll remember for a long time.”

“And so that’s really where the heart came to start to change things.”

Along that vein, Strome has added some new features at Bower Ponds such as waterballs and board games. He is also working at seeing the food concession become more of a cafe, with a larger menu, so it becomes a destination for lunch for example.

The family-run business includes Strome, his parents Donna and Gary, and his brother Dawson. They have offered paddle boats, canoes and kayaks in the

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Bower Ponds Recreation owner-operator Jonathan Strome stands near the ponds earlier this summer. summer, and skates and a firepit in the winter for many years.

A few years ago they began to offer waterballs for rent, which involve a person being zippered inside a large air-filled see-through ball and then “walking” on water.

Whether you’re in the waterball of watching it, it’s hilarious, Strome said.

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They are “super popular” and went over so well they had to bring in more.

“We wanted to continue to create new opportunities and what we find is that when you’re innovative and create new opportunities, when you do something for the first time with somebody, it does create that experience we’re looking for.

“It’s the experience you tell your friends about, you post on the Internet about. It’s the experience you want to go back and have with others.”

This season they introduced a Surrey bike, which allow riders to sit side-byside as they pedal around the trails in the ponds area.

Last January they started the “Board Room cafe” where people can gather and play various board games. They aim to turn it into a year-round experience, Strome said.

“With technology and the Internet becoming such a big part of our daily lives, people are looking for an opportunity to disconnect from that world a little bit.”

This year his family purchased Chedda’ Heads, a gourmet grilled cheese mobile food truck, which it is being integrated into the food they offer at Bower Ponds.

They also added more variety to the concession menu.

Despite the recession in Alberta, Strome said that the community has been very supportive.

A lot of people decided to vacation closer to home this year, evidenced by the fact Bower Ponds Recreation hired 16 students to work over the summer. It was the highest number ever.

Strome’s job includes hiring, training and managing staff, researching new ideas, building the new menu, networking, marketing and branding, and being the “social media guy.”

Looking ahead, Strome said he has lots of ideas and he wants to further expand the winter offering.

“We work closely with the city. What is Bower Ponds ready for? What is there room for?”

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

17

HOW SHOPPING LOCALLY CAN HELP YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE

T

oday’s consumers have more shopping options at their disposal than they did in years past.

Though the Internet may put the world at one’s fingertips, more and more shoppers are discovering that buying locally makes for a superior shopping experience.

The benefits associated with shopping locally are many, and the following are just a few reasons why shoppers may want to look no further than their own communities when planning their next shopping excursions.

Keeps money in the local economy

Locally-owned businesses often put a larger share of their revenue back in-

to their communities. Small business owners may be more inclined to employ local residents, giving more people in the community solid employment. Business owners may reach out and support other neighborhood efforts, such as fundraising initiatives for charities and schools. By shopping at local stores, you have a hand in supporting these efforts as well.

Save money

When factoring in travel time and the cost of fuel, shopping locally makes more sense than driving to a faraway mall. In addition, repeat customers who establish a rapport with a local business owner may find that such owners are more inclined to price match or work with loyal customers to find lower prices through suppliers.

Diversify your home and lifestyle

Shoppers who prefer more unique styles may find local businesses cater to their needs better than large chain stores.

Larger retailers offer the same products to customers regardless of where those customers live, so a person in California may be decorating his or her home with the same furnishings as a person in North Carolina. But local shops tend to produce more unique items that are not available nationwide.

Promote entrepreneurship

Small businesses are an essential element to the country’s economic growth.

By shopping locally, consumers are showing their support for this important segment of the national economy.

Help establish local pride

Independent shops contribute to the

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fabric of a community and what makes it special and unique. Tourists and other visitors will be much more inclined to remember a local shop rather than a big chain in a particular neighborhood. When travelers want to get a feel for a community, they seek out small, local stores that are much more likely to stock a high percentage of locally-sourced goods.

Attract other businesses Private and public sector businesses tend to gravitate around anchor stores.

Should a local store be successful, banks, restaurants, salons, and other businesses may move in as well.

Shopping locally benefits consumers in various ways, many of which contribute to a healthy local economy.

18

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

TOOLS TO HELP BUSINESSES BECOME INNOVATIVE REG WARKENTIN POLICY & ADVOCACY MANAGER RED DEER & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

T

o many, the term innovation implies some sort of brand new technology or investing in expensive research and development.

In business, innovation can be as simple as installing LED lights to save on your monthly electricity bill, or starting a Facebook page to increase your online marketing presence.

In the most literal sense, all innovation means is trying something new.

The first step in initiating innovation, is identifying the a gap, problem, or issue in need of being addressed.

When the economy and business environment changes as much as it has in the past two years, innovation is essential in

the continual quest to create success.

Fortunately, here in Alberta there are a number of tools and resources available to entrepreneurs and businesses looking to innovate.

In an economic downturn the natural survival tactic for many businesses is to focus solely on cutting costs.

However, the businesses we are seeing succeed are those that choose to double-down and invest in initiatives that result in increases in productivity or efficiency.

Spending on things like targeted marketing toward an untapped clientele, employee training, instituting new processes, or upgrading administrative software can all have the long-term benefit on business by attracting new customers, improving employee skills, scaling-up capacity, reducing costs, and gaining an edge on the competition.

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and services are in-demand thanks to our reputation and expertise in many areas.

Building the necessary relationships can be daunting, but the good news is there are robust (and mostly free) resources available, including full government departments and crown corporations dedicated to helping businesses bridge the gap and help do everything from making the connection to insuring the sale itself.

Central Alberta Access Prosperity, Alberta Economic Development and Trade, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, and Export Development Canada all exist to promote and facilitate trade.

For businesses that are able to invest in research and development, tax incentives are available for doing so.

If it comes time to develop a physical product, Red Deer College’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing is home to cutting-edge, industry-leading prototype and advanced manufacturing equipment, and technical expertise to help Alberta companies develop new and improved products and processes.

A branch within the Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Innovates has a team of professionals to assist in the capacities of basic research, applied research, and commercialization.

When it comes to being innovative, it is important to maintain a critical and analytical mindset to identify gaps or problems, and then create and implement solutions.

Whether it is as simple as saving money on your utility or administrative costs, expanding your customer base overseas, or designing and implementing a new process, the basic premise is the same.

Gain an awareness of the (mostly free) resources available, and utilize them to the utmost potential. Innovation is the key to controlling the future of your business.

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All one has to do to realize the importance of innovation and adaptation, is look at the long-term price forecasts for oil and gas.

The United States Energy Information Administration is projecting the average WTI Crude Oil price for 2017 to be $50.58.

That is one-third of the price at oil’s peak in 2008, and close to half of what

oil averaged from 2010 until 2014 when prices began their current decline. While some resource companies can turn a profit at this price, exploration remains unattractive for most.

Until recently and except for a quick correction in 2008-09, Alberta was booming for close to 15 years. This extremely prosperous time saw many new businesses created, record growth, as well as significant wage and cost inflation. The period can be aptly described as a modern day gold-rush, as businesses raced to get the black-gold out of the ground as quickly as possible.

The effects of this gold-rush were felt throughout the economy as people bought new vehicles, nice houses, and enjoyed plenty of nice meals and drinks out on the town.

By most measures, our entire economy was flourishing. Unfortunately, the boom became unsustainable as global energy markets collapsed and pipelines failed to get built, leaving Alberta’s economic engine almost completely debilitated.

Simultaneously, Albertan businesses were faced with the first provincial government change in 44 years.

Since the NDP was elected in May 2015, we have seen a number of significant policy changes that have dramatically altered the current business environment with additional costs and changing regulations.

While some businesses were left relatively unscathed, most are feeling the exacting effects as this recession reverberates throughout the economy.

Albertans are finally beginning to understand that oil prices are not going to undergo a tremendous rebound as they did in 2009.

Even with exploration and drilling activity a fraction of what it was two years ago, oil production and current supply levels remain near record highs, suppressing prices and capital expenditures.

For business to succeed in this new reality, there has to be a recognition of the current economic reality. Businesses can not rely on the world price of crude oil to dictate their fortune.

There needs to be a conscious and strategic effort to take innovative actions and create success regardless of the circumstances in which business is operating.

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

COMMUNITY FUTURES VITAL TO BIZ SUCCESS SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE

The Grow Zone isn’t your typical retail business. With a focus on various types of hydroponics, this innovative company exists to help consumers transition into a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle by enabling them to grow their own vegetables and herbs indoors.

Simply put, hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. More specifically, with hydroponics, plants are grown with their roots suspended in water containing all of the necessary nutrients.

The Grow Zone was started in August 2013 by Sharon Vierboom, with assistance from her husband Dennies. With a wide variety of experience in multiple industries, Sharon and Dennies are the ideal team to run this type of business.

From Sharon’s background in bookkeeping and healthcare, to Dennies being a triple-ticketed journeyman with a focus on plumbing and refrigeration, the couple has their bases covered and they’re able to handle the technical and financial matters of the business on their own.

When it comes to operating the business in terms of sales and customer service, one of The Grow Zone’s best assets is their employee Shawn. “Customers gravitate towards Shawn and he really believes in all the products and he educates our clients on all their requests” says Sharon.

She adds “Shawn frees up time for us to plan the next phase of the business.

While Sharon and Dennies were able to start the business on their own, when it came time to expand the business in the fall of 2015, they decided to reach out to Community Futures Central Alberta in search of the funding that they needed to increase their marketing efforts and website capabilities, as well as relocate to a larger location across the street. They had their hearts set on this larger location as it would provide space for more displays and a classroom to help educate consumers on how plants grow. The thought was that the displays and education classes would help to smooth out the sales process and show customers how their products work to grow plants. Sharon

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Dennies and Sharon Vierboom stand outside The Grow Zone. and Dennies also wanted The Grow Zone to become more of an online presence and open themselves up to the world of e-commerce, where they would be able to reach a broader group of people through selling on their website.

“Without Community Futures, The Grow Zone would not be where it’s at today,” says Sharon. “The funding we received through their organization was instrumental in expanding our business and preparing for future growth.” If you are looking for help with starting up a business, or are looking to expand or purchase an existing business, contact Community Futures at 403-342-2055 to see what they can do for you.

For all of your growing needs, visit The Grow Zone in person at #7 6850-52 Avenue in Red Deer, online at www.thegrowzone.ca or give them a call at (403)3569663 or toll free at 866-401-9663.

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FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

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n 2016 we continued to focus efforts on developing our own suite of training for Central Alberta entrepreneurs and continued in our efforts to General Manager diversify our funding Murray Berezowski sources. Operationally there were no changes to our staff complement which includes two Business Analysts sharing Economic Development Coordinator duties, an Administrative Assistant and myself as General Manager.

We continue to monitor the performance of our loan portfolio on a monthly basis to maintain the integrity of our portfolio.

This has resulted in historical lows for non-performing loans. Overall we had a successful year achieving all of our performance targets.

We expanded our suite of bookkeeping training to include Basic Bookkeeping and Advanced Quickbooks. We participated in a new pilot project called Bizstream Small Business Program with 3 other Community Futures offices in the province. This project was jointly sponsored by the CF Network of Alberta and Talisman Energy.

We currently have 2 CF business loan clients in Central Alberta that are beta testing the program so we can fully launch the program this fall.

Training continues to be large part of the services we offer to our clients. Our Training Center has allowed our office to continue meeting our training requirements as a part of our funding agreement with Western Economic Diversification.

We delivered a total 46 training sessions in 2015-2016. Through training and advisory services we had face to face contact with over 467 clients reviewing various aspects of starting or running a business.

This represented a 10% increase over last year. Our Business Analysts provided great service to our clients providing advisory services to 219 clients throughout the year, which was an 11% increase over the previous year. QuickBooks training delivered by Debbie Romkes of Aggregate Financial Solutions was once again very successful with 30 participants receiving training.

Loan demand for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016 was strong as well.

Throughout the year 28 clients applied for funding. Community Futures Board of Directors approved 23 loan requests for almost $1.1 million resulting in the funding of 20 loans with a value of $868,000.

Our lending activity assisted clients in communities across our region including Sylvan Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Innisfail, Bowden, Olds, Didsbury, Penhold and Red Deer. Within these communities our lending activities were able to create or maintain a total of 59 full & part-time positions.

We continue to look for opportunities to increase our revenue from non-government sources. The renovations completed almost 3 years go have allowed us some financial stability. The increased rental revenue as well as increases in revenue from creditor insurance sales and our training center has allowed us to increase income from non-government sources to almost $70,000; an 11% increase over the previous year.

We continued our successful support of Entrepreneurship in our region through the Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp. This camp assists in developing the entrepreneurial spirit of youth aged 13-15. Other projects supporting Youth Entrepreneurship included sponsoring a Start-up Entrepreneur Award in partnership with Futurpreneur and Visual Resolve Graphics at the Success 4 Business Expo. Our Youth Loan Program supported young entrepreneurs in the region funding 4 loans for a total of $220,404.

We maintained the visibility of Community Futures by participating in the CFNA provincial Marketing campaign.

We attended 4 tradeshows and sponsored the Small Business week insert in the Red Deer Advocate. Our Business Analyst Kelsey Krieger assisted Junior Achievement delivering the Economics for Success program. Other events attended included the Career and Entrepreneur Expo at RDC. I would like to thank our current staff of Kelly Kierluk, Kelsey Krieger, Jenn Tanaka, and our Bookkeeper and Quickbooks Trainer Debbie Romkes for their dedication to making Community Futures Central Alberta a success. Our office has a great mix of experienced and enthusiastic staff. This provides our clients access to a remarkable wealth of knowledge and skills. I would also like to thank our dedicated 10 member strong Board of Directors. The entire team has contributed to the continued success of Community Futures Central Alberta.

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

SMALL BUSINESS LEARNING SESSIONS FALL 2016

21

OCOTOBER 2016 DATE

TIME

TITLE

COST

17

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Cashflow for Your Business Plan

FREE

19

12:10-1:00

Business Websites Part 3: The Sales Funnel

$40.00**

21

9:00-12:00

Beginner QuickBooks

$179.00*

24

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Start Up Budget for Your Business Plan

FREE

26

12:10-1:00

Business Websites Part 4: Search Engine Optimization

$40.00**

28

9:00-12:00

Advanced QuickBooks

$179.00*

31

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Marketing Plan and Market Research for Your Business Plan

FREE

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE If you’re starting or expanding a business and looking for direction, you can’t afford to miss these great training sessions designed to save you time and money.

Small Business Learning Sessions

Our Presenters All of our presenters are professionals in their field and knowledgeable about the topics in which they are presenting.

Registration

Our sessions focus on several main topics: Bookkeeping, QuickBooks, Website Building, Marketing, and Business Planning. All sessions on this schedule will be held at Community Futures Central Alberta.

Pre-registration is required for all sessions. This allows us to prepare materials in advance for each session.

Red Deer Location: Community Futures Central Alberta 5013 – 49 Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta For Registration: Call us at (403) 342-2055 OR E-mail: central@albertacf.com

BUILDING COMMUNITY, GROWING HOPE, & SUPPORTING CHANGE IN RED DEER The Mustard Seed has been serving people experiencing poverty and homelessness in Alberta since the ‘80s. We offer services that help people make a positive and lasting change in their lives.

At The Mustard Seed, we care about the whole person – body, mind and spirit. We recognize that the root causes of poverty and homelessness are complex and diverse, and so we continue to grow and evolve with the needs of those we serve.

We count on the support of the community and volunteers who work with us every year.

DONATION DROP OFF HOURS: Mon, Wed, Fri 11am-6:30pm; Tues & Thurs 8am-3pm 403.347.1844

6002 54 Ave, Red Deer, AB

TheSeed.ca/RedDeer

22

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

NOVEMBER 2016 DATE

TIME

TITLE

COST

2

12:10-1:00

Business Websites Part 5: E-Commerce

$40.00**

4

9:00-12:00

QuickBooks Payroll

$179.00*

7

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Cashflow for Your Business Plan

FREE

9

12:00-1:00

BizStream – How to Land Big Contracts as a Small Business

FREE

14

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Start Up Budget for Your Business Plan

FREE

21

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Marketing Plan and Market Research for Your Business Plan

FREE

LEARNING SESSION DETAILED INFORMATION LUNCHTIME LEARNING SESSIONS

Lunchtime Learning Preparing Your Cash Flow for Your Business Plan Learn how to create a cash flow statement for your business plan.

The staff at Community Futures Central Alberta will work with you to make sense of why you need a cash flow in your business plan and why it is important to understand cash flow for your business.

Presenter: Community Futures Central Alberta Staff Offered on: October 17th, November 7th, November 28th 12:10pm - 1:00pm Cost: FREE (Pre-registration is required)

WEBSITE BUILDING SESSIONS

Business Websites Part 3: The Sales Funnel

24

1:00-2:00

Marketing and Branding for Start Ups

$25.00

28

12:10-1:00

Lunchtime Learning – Preparing Your Cashflow for Your Business Plan

FREE

Learn about the different parts of the sales funnel and how your website can help you get more leads and customers. This course will cover different techniques or tools that can be used at the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel so you can get the most out of your website.

Presenter: Laura Edinga, Refine Graphics Offered on: October 19th 12:10pm - 1:00pm Cost: $40.00 per class or bundle all five Website Building sessions for $179.00 (Pre-registration is required)

DECEMBER 2016 DATE

TIME

TITLE

COST

5

12:15-1:15

Lunchtime Learning – QuickBooks Tips and Tricks

FREE

*Bundle the Introduction to QuickBooks and Beginner QuickBooks courses for only $299.00, or bundle the Introduction to QuickBooks, Beginner QuickBooks, Advanced QuickBooks and QuickBooks Payroll for $549.00. **Bundle all five Website Building sessions for $179.00 and save $21.00.

Business Websites Part 4: Search Engine Optimization This course will teach you to understand what search engine optimization is all about. We will cover the key elements on a search engine results page, plus the criteria that Google uses in their algorithm.

Presenter: Laura Edinga, Refine Graphics Offered on: October 26th 12:10pm - 1:00pm Cost: $40.00 per class or bundle all five Website Building sessions for $179.00 (Pre-registration is required)

Business Websites Part 5: E-Commerce Learn about posting and selling your products online: tips for great product descriptions and photos, accepting payments & da-

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

ta security, and shipping rates. We will also cover some of the e-commerce website builder options to help you find the right platform for your online store.

Presenter: Laura Edinga, Refine Graphics Offered on: November 2nd 12:10pm - 1:00pm Cost: $40.00 per class or bundle all five Website Building sessions for $179.00 (Pre-registration is required)

MARKETING SESSION

Marketing and Branding for Start Ups Your organization’s brand is more than your logo. Your brand is what people think and feel about your organization—good or bad. It’s about like and trust. It’s that little extra that makes them choose you over your competition.

Once you have a clear idea about your branding you need to have the right marketing strategy in place. This is as important for start ups and small businesses as it is for bigger corporations.

Join Kerstin for a one-hour workshop about branding and marketing fundamentals: In this seminar you will learn: How to create a marketing strategy for your business How to create a consistent message and visual design throughout different media types (i.e. social media, print, web) What makes a good brand and how to create it What media to use to reach your audience

23

fered, we also offer customized QuickBooks training to meet the specific needs of small businesses. Call us at 403-342-2055 for a quote.

Beginner QuickBooks This course will begin after your file is set up and you want to begin processing your bookkeeping documentation. You will be taken through the accounting cycle covering sales, payables/ payments, banking and GST. Basic accounting topics will be discussed as well. The following is a detailed outline: 1. Sales Transactions: sales receipts, create invoices, credit memos, receive payments from customers, apply discounts and credits, and create statements 2. Accounts Payable: enter bill options in QuickBooks. Below is a detailed outline of some of the things you will learn in this course: Managing your “items” Setting up classes and using the job costing Using the purchase orders An introduction to using the inventory in QuickBooks Reporting

Presenter: Debbie Romkes, Aggregate Financial Solutions Offered on: October 28th 9:00am – 12:00pm Cost: $179.00 per class or bundle all four QuickBooks classes for $549.00.

(Pre-registration is required and seating is limited)

Presenter: Kerstin Heuer, HeuerDesign Offered on: November 24th 1:00pm - 2:00pm Cost: $25.00 (Pre-registration is required)

QUICKBOOKS TRAINING SESSIONS All of our courses use QuickBooks Premier 2015, which is installed on our computers. Please bring a flash drive so you can take a copy of your work home with you.

You will be provided with handouts of the information you are learning at each class.

In order to attend any of the QuickBooks classes, you must have basic knowledge of bookkeeping. For example, you must know what the following functions are:Chart of Accounts, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, How to prepare a bank reconciliation, The difference between a debit and a credit

Pre-registration is required for all QuickBooks courses and full payment must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday prior to class. In order to run QuickBooks sessions, a minimum of four participants must be registered.

Customized QuickBooks Training In addition to the scheduled QuickBooks sessions being of-

More than just a tile store.

It’s the place that can make you fall in love with your home again.

CARPET • TILE • HARDWOOD • LINO • GRANITE • TUFDEK

403.346.7088 | CentralAlbertaTileOne.com

24

FRIDAY, OCT 14, 2016

QuickBooks Payroll

BUSINESS LINK WEBINAR

Learn how to set up the basic payroll file in your QuickBooks.

You will learn how to do payroll item setup, employee set up, basic payroll processing, how to pay your CRA remittances and how to prepare ROE’s.

A subscription to QuickBooks Payroll is required to perform this function on your personal computer. This is available with Pro versions of QuickBooks.

BIZ STREAM SESSION BizStream - How to Land Big Contracts as a Small Business The staff at Community Futures Central Alberta will take you through what you need to know to meet industry requirements and be able to engage in contracts with oilfield, municipal government or bid on large project contracts. This is an information session on the BizStream Small Business Program. Participants will have the option to complete a Preliminary Assessment and continue on with the BizStream program following payment of applicable fees and acceptance into the program.

Presenter: Debbie Romkes, Aggregate Financial Solutions Offered on: November 4th 9:00am – 12:00pm Cost: $179.00 per class or bundle all four QuickBooks classes for $549.00.

(Pre-registration is required and seating is limited)

Presenter: Community Futures Central Alberta Staff Offered on: November 9th 12:00pm - 1:00pm Cost: FREE (Pre-registration is required)

Lunchtime Learning – QuickBooks Tips & Tricks Join our QuickBooks instructor, Debbie Romkes to learn some tips and tricks to navigating the QuickBooks software. This session is geared towards people who have some experience using QuickBooks and would like to be able to use the program more efficiently.

Presenter: Debbie Romkes, Offered on: December 5th 12:15pm - 1:15pm Cost: FREE (Pre-registration is required)

There when you need it, growing when you don’t.

Business Savings Account

1.15%

1,2

Business Savings Account

0.45%

2

Bundle it with an operating account and get even more benefit. Find your nearest branch at cwbank.com/bsa and start earning today.

1

2

A CWB Group Company

Interest is paid as follows: 1.10% on deposit balance to $250,000; 1.15% on deposit balance between $250,000 and $15,000,000; and 0.25% on deposit balance exceeding $15,000,000.

Rate is subject to change without notice. Interest is calculated on the daily closing balance and paid monthly.

Red Deer College courses have just begun for the 2016-17 year, and we’re excited for the coming year, but we’re also looking even further ahead – to the big changes on campus and the future we’re helping to create for central Albertans.

At RDC, we’re continually seeking out ways to best serve our learners with diverse, relevant programs, courses and delivery methods that will help them to pursue their chosen career paths.

We offer over 100 programs in everything from Trades programs to certificates, diplomas to applied and collaborative degrees.

But we’ve set our sights even higher.

As you’ve seen on campus, or even as you drive by on the QEII, we have a massive construction project underway. This is the new Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre/ Centre des Jeux du Canada Gary W. Harris, a dynamic and innovative venue for our learners. When the new Centre opens in September 2018, it will be a learning and recreational hub for RDC students and for our central Alberta communities.

And, when it comes to the 2019 Canada Winter Games, Red Deer College will be ready with the rest of central Alberta. Our new facility will be a competition venue for five sports, and the entire College will be teeming with athletes, coaches, guests and personnel as our community hosts this exciting national event.

RDC’s future is looking bright, and we have one more major goal: taking forward the community’s desire for RDC to become a Polytechnic University. This status change would allow us to continue doing everything we do now, with the addition of granting our own degrees.

Polytechnic University status is the next step in our evolution. It’s the path that will allow us to best serve our learners and our communities, helping individuals achieve their aspirations and career goals, which will contribute to a strong and vibrant central Alberta Joel Ward President & CEO

8,000 students will be on RDC’s campuses this year

69% are from the Central Region

36,000 Youth and adult learners take arts, culture, business, and general interest courses each year

Our graduates are employed in over

2,100 DIFFERENT CAREERS RDC is one of the largest employers in central Alberta with

1,471 EMPLOYEES including many RDC students and alumni

For complete details on Red Deer College visit rdc.ab.ca 7776723

CONTRIBUTING TO A STRONG AND VIBRANT CENTRAL ALBERTA