The Community
Press Forestburg’s Tanya Walter named new BC Lions Defensive Assistant Breaking gender barriers in CFL a big deal: “literally changes everything” Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Forestburg native Tanya Walter (Henderson) recently made history as she was hired by the CFL’s BC Lions as Defensive Assistant. She’s the first female to hold a coaching position in the league. Walter thinks that’s where coming from a small rural village and being raised on a farm, gave her an advantage. “There are no traditional male or female roles on the farm,” she says. Walter attended Forestburg School from kindergarten through Grade 12, and after graduating, moved to Edmonton to attend Grant MacEwan. After her first year at university, however, she felt like she really hadn’t taken enough time to explore all her career options. She took a year off and actually ended up returning to school, this time to Mount Royal College in Calgary, for her personal training certificate. Sports were always a part of her life growing up. Though there was no football in Forestburg, and she had no idea what role it would play in her future. Walter says she played basketball through school, and was involved with the Forestburg Dance Society from kindergarten to at least Grade 11. When she moved to post secondary, she still played basketball, but more for
recreation at that point. After graduating, she was working at a gym in Edmonton when a potential client walked in the door and changed her life. “She was looking for a lady trainer to help her prepare for Team Canada Women’s Tackle Football.” Walter says she was immediately interested. “I thought it was pretty cool. I’d seen the advertisements, but I thought it was for recreational football. When I talked to her, in that moment, although I had very little football experience, or knowledge, I thought, I want to play for Team Canada.” She set that goal right then and there, Walter says. She took on training the other player, and for herself, also earned a spot on the 2017 Team Canada Women’s Football team the same year. In 2013, Walter was also playing for the Edmonton Storm, part of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL). She started out playing linebacker. “It was a real learning curve, I had no idea what was going on the first two years that I played. Football is different from other sports. When you’re learning, you’re given a position, and you learn that position. “As an athlete, just going out and doing that was easy enough. I learned what linebackers did.” A couple of years later she started switching positions.
As her knowledge of the game grew, so did her love of football. Soon Walter branched out into coaching, starting with the St. Francis Xavier High School Team. There, she worked with the offensive and defensive lines as assistant line coach. The last few years she’s been the team’s primary line coach.
Walter has been playing with the Storm all along, too, but says coaching went a long way towards giving her a deeper understanding of the game. “As an experienced player, or even a non-experienced player, it helps you on another level get a better understanding. See WALTER P10
Flagstaff Rural Crime Watch hosting rural info session Leslie Cholowsky Editor Flagstaff Rural Crime Watch is hosting a rural crime information session with Battle River-Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek this coming Monday, March 7, at Gibson Place in the basement of FFCS in Killam. The idea of hosting the event grew from a January event hosted by the Alberta Rural Crime Watch Association featuring Red Deer MP Blaine Calkins discussing rural crime issues with rural crime watch groups from around the province.
Volume 114, Issue 34
Members of the Flagstaff Rural Crime Watch who attended the virtual session with Calkins said they learned a lot about the parliamentary system, and how it works from the view of the opposition party. “It was really interesting to learn how bills, both private and government, go through the system.” Participants also learned about what changes to the justice system Conservatives hope to achieve, as well as what can be done about rural crime at a federal level. In 2021, Calkins introduced a private members bill designed to bring
in tougher penalties for rural crime, as rural areas, including Flagstaff County, continue to be plagued with property crime. Calkins’ Bill C-289 aims to “toughen measures for criminals who victimize rural Canadians by creating an aggravating factor at sentencing for targeting people and property that are vulnerable due to remoteness from emergency medical or police service.” The bill would also include breakins to outbuildings such as barns and shops, as aggravating factors, just like home invasions are. The presence of
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
a weapon would also count as an aggravating factor. “Lastly, this bill ensures that a judge carefully considers why an offender didn’t get bail when assigning credit for time served,” said Calkins. For many who are frustrated with an apparent “revolving door” justice system, the upcoming session is an opportunity to learn about what is and can be done about rural crime at each level of government. Check the ad on Page 9 of this week’s paper for information on how to register to attend this in-person event.
$1 Including GST