St. Albert Leader March 6, 2014

Page 1

Artwork: “Dryad” by OKSANA ZHELISKO

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

LEAD the

INDEX

News . . . . . . Council Notes. . . Opinion . . . . . Interactive . . . . Women in Business Finance Feature. . BAM!. . . . . . . Photo Booth . . . Entertainment . . Health . . . . . . Fun & Games . . . Business . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. .3 . .7 . .8 . .9 . 17 . 27 . 28 . 30 . 33 . 35 . 36 . 38

COVER

As the St. Albert Leader celebrates International Women’s Day this Saturday with our annual Women in Business section, we’re also shining the spotlight on female artists in advance of Night of Artists this weekend at the Enjoy Centre. The piece featured on our cover is Dryad by Oksana Zhelisko.

BY THE NUMBERS

500+

That’s how many original pieces of art will be on display this weekend during Night of Artists at the Enjoy Centre. The event kicks off with a gala Friday night featuring live music and art performances, and continues through to Sunday, including a pair of fashion shows on Saturday.

Photo by Grant Cree, St. Albert Leader

Above: St. Albert Catholic High School teacher Evan Holstein (centre) with students who participated in the Hawks have a Heart fundraising campaign that resulted in a donation of $19,073 to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Below: Evan Holstein (seated), smiles as Grade 12 student Adam Hutlet (right) shaves his hair.

Hawks have a heart fundraiser Grant Cree St. Albert Leader

“So we did it, we made February one very pink month,” said Evan Holstein to cheering students and staff in the crowded gymnasium at St. Albert Catholic High School. Holstein is a health and wellness teacher and coach of the Skyhawks senior boys basketball team. On Mar. 4, he spoke to the assembly as they witnessed a wrap up event for the Hawks have a Heart fundraising campaign that took place last month to raise money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. “When we got started, we set a goal of $5,000 but we did way better than that,” said Holstein. After

thunderous applause, he presented a $19,073 cheque to Stephanie Rudanec of the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Holstein initiated the fundraiser in honour of his sister-in-law Amanda, who passed away Jan. 18 at the age of 19, just a few months after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that started in her adrenal glands. At first, the fundraiser focused on the Skyhawks basketball team and their home tournament in midFebruary, but as word spread, the rest of the school jumped in. More than 50 participating students dyed their hair pink to show their support, and the school held various fundraising activities. “We encouraged you all to sport pink on Wednesdays and you did

not disappoint,” said Holstein. “As I would walk through the halls on Wednesdays, I could not help but to be overcome with pride as you all showed such great school spirit to support the cause.” The fundraiser culminated with the participants having their heads shaved by fellow students. Holstein announced that the person who raised the most money was allowed to shave his hair and beard. He called Grade 12 student Adam Hutlet, 17, to join him at the improvised barbers chair. Hutlet raised $1,100 for the cause, and said he got deeply involved because knew people affected by cancer and wanted to do something to help.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Pros and cons of inter-city high speed rail system

KEVIN MAIMANN Sun Media News Services

Some Edmontonians feel it’s high time we had a speedy inter-city transit system, but others are railing against the idea. The province held a public meeting Wednesday at the Legislature Annex to gather input on the possibility of building a high-speed rail system between

conscious initiative, given the black eyes that we’ve received in the press over our nationleading emissions, our pipeline leaks, and the resistance we’ve encountered to the Keystone pipeline?” English said. He added a rapid transit line running between Edmonton and Calgary would increase safety for Alberta travellers by taking cars off Highway 2. He pointed out in the 50-year history of highspeed rail, which started Photo: Metro News Service in Japan and is now in place in several other Edmonton and Calgary. countries, accidents have been rare. Bruce English said the province needs Some speakers advocated for a Maglev the type of positive attention that an trains, which use magnetic fields and can efficient and environmentally-friendly rail travel at speeds approaching 600 km/h. system between Edmonton and Calgary Neil Hryciw said despite the rapid and could garner. consistent growth of Alberta’s two major “Couldn’t the province of Alberta cities, the province’s population is not use some recognition in the eyes of the nearly large or dense enough to justify world right now for an environmentally high-speed rail.

Mayors bullish on relations after joint session

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

The mayors of St. Albert and Sturgeon County are hoping they’ve taken the first big step toward greater co-operation between their two municipalities. Nolan Crouse, Tom Flynn and members of their respective councils came together on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Westlock for a joint orientation and strategy session with a third-party facilitator. And, by all accounts, the day went very smoothly. “It was outstanding. I don’t think we could have asked for a better day,” Crouse said. “The spirit, the mood was positive, upbeat and forward-looking. We did not spend any time dwelling on the past; all we did was look forward to the future.” “I can see a good future where both councils want to work together and

plan the future of the region,” Flynn added. During the meeting, the two sides spent some time going over the memorandum of understanding that the county presented to St. Albert earlier this month dealing with its Municipal Development Plan, and also talked about issues like boundaries, servicing, roads and the Villeneuve Airport. “We tried to get everything on the table that people had concerns with or might be an issue we have to deal with,” Flynn said. “Certainly there was a willingness to work through everything in a collaborative manner.” Crouse added that boundaries were probably the biggest issue for St. Albert at the meeting. But Flynn said that, no matter what

“Japan is smaller than Alberta and they’ve got a population of more than 125 million people. That’s where the people are, that’s where it makes sense to have this type of system,” he said, adding it would be better suited to Ontario or Quebec. Hryciw also doubted the potential economic benefit of building the system, saying Alberta already has trouble filling skilled labour positions. He was skeptical that a private company, as some suggested, could take on the project without any cost to taxpayers. “What’s going to happen if one of these companies builds and gets the system up and running, and all of a sudden the ridership isn’t there?” The Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future, chaired by Calgary-East MLA Moe Amery, began reviewing high-speed rail possibilities after a motion passed last November. The committee has spoken with stakeholders and also held public meetings in Calgary and Red Deer. Written submissions on the topic can be sent to economicfuture.committee@ assembly.ab.ca until March 31.

Meeting of the minds Nolan Crouse (left), Mayor of St. Albert and Tom Flynn (right), Mayor of Sturgeon County and council members met on Wednesday, February 26.

issues were on the table, the most important thing was that the two sides were actually at the same table. “Establishing that trust with each other was the most significant part. The rest is all details,” he said. “If we can get along and work together, we can solve just about anything.” The next step, the mayors said, is put together task forces to deal with specific issues. Those should start to take shape over the next two months. “It’s a piece of action that was

needed,” Crouse said. Flynn added that both councils also referred some matters back to their respective administrations for research and more information. “Now that we’ve got a better start to our relationships, which is going to make a big difference, so that each member of council feels more comfortable to call up whomever on the other council,” he said. “And we’ll start building relationships we can really move forward.”

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Alberta top court upholds bylaw prohibiting drug paraphernalia

GENERAL MEETING LUNCHEON

with Brent Rathgeber MP, QC “The Role of the Independent Member of Parliament�

MARCH 12, 2014 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

TONY BLAIS Sun Media News Services

Alberta’s highest court has ruled a St. Albert, Alta., licensing bylaw prohibiting the sale of drug paraphernalia at so-called bong or head shops is constitutional. The Court of Appeal of Alberta decision, issued Thursday, overturns an earlier Court of Queen’s Bench ruling declaring the bylaw unconstitutional. The three-judge panel found that the bylaw was within St. Albert’s jurisdiction because it contains aspects of both the federal power over criminal law and the provincial power over licensing and regulating businesses. The lower court judge had ruled on Jan. 11, 2013, that the bylaw had to be struck down because it illegally delved into Criminal Code powers. He also noted that the bylaw had “the look and feel of morality legislation.� Photo: Sun Media News Service However, the appeal panel found the court heard the City of St. Albert had provincial aspects of the bylaw -- which amended its business licence bylaw include the suppression of conditions over concerns that stores selling drug that are likely to cause crime and paraphernalia, such as pipes, bongs, prevention to enforce local standards of grinders and scales, might be used by morality -- were pertinent. people involved with illegal narcotics. Scott McAnsh, the Ottawa lawyer Court also heard that, while looking who represented the City of St. Albert, into the issue, St. Albert Mayor Nolan said Thursday they were “pleased� with Crouse wrote a letter to other cities and the outcome, which found that the towns in the Edmonton area looking for bylaw is constitutional and falls within information relating to their experience provincial legislation. with such stores, which he said were “The bylaw is valid and is binding law “interestingly now moving out from in St. Albert,� McAnsh said. ‘big-city’ Alberta to smaller cities and The matter first came to court as a towns.� result of the Chad Smoke Shop being The letter ticketed also stated: under the “I encourage amended you to visit bylaw your Smoke following Shop; you a May 15 may be inspection. surprised.� The St. Aleksandra Albert Simic, the business, lawyer for the which opened Scott McAnsh Lawyer for the City of St. Albert Chad Smoke its doors in Shop, argued April 2011, the amended also received bylaw was unconstitutional because a written notice stating that its business its substance related to criminal law licence would be seized and suspended and it interfered with the freedom of for five days. expression under the Charter of Rights Both the ticket and an appeal to the and Freedoms. licensing review committee had been Chad’s Smoke Shop has 60 days to stayed pending the appeal. seek leave to appeal the decision to the During the Oct. 30, 2012, trial, Supreme Court of Canada.

St. Albert Curling Club Banquet Room Sponsored by:

WORKSHOP “The Business of Storytelling� with Corey Poirier

MARCH 12, 2014 1:45 PM - 3:45 PM

St. Albert Curling Club Banquet Room

Corey will cover: ¡ The 3 steps to discovering the heart of the story (whether personal or business focused) and crafting the story so that you can share it in the way that has the most impact ¡ Examples of business storytelling in action features or data ¡ The emotional aspect of storytelling ¡ How the write story can allow a company leader to inspire their team in ways few other actions can ¡ The structure of a story you absolutely need to share, and the structure you don’t want to share in such a way that your listeners might just be glued on your every so that everyone in the room has the experience of crafting a story from scratch

“the bylaw is constitutional and falls within provincial legislation.�

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6

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Event fund hopes to draw tourists GLENN COOK The City of St. Albert is hoping to boost the local tourism industry by providing funding new and unique events. The City announced last week the creation of a new Community Significant Event Stimulus Fund Program, which has $199,000 set aside to help bring events and tourists to St. Albert. “The fund’s $199,000 is an investment in community and local tourism, and is intended to provide impetus and support to new annual events that bring visitors to St. Albert,â€? said the City’s manager of community recreation, Kelly McConnell, in a press release. The money is meant as seed funding, not as ongoing financial support, and events that would typically draw more than 1,000 people from outside the city are eligible. The program is open to non-profit organizations, individuals and businesses to either set up brand new events or to assist in the development of a new component within long-standing event that will support the local tourism industry. There will be two intakes for applications this year, with deadlines on March 16 and Sept. 29. For more details on the fund, eligibility requirements and the application process, log on to www.stalbert.ca/ community-significant-event-stimulus-fund.

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

St. Albert Leader

Members of teams Ung’s Allstars (in white) and Smytty’s Flow battle for the puck during St. Albert Catholic High School’s annual hockey marathon on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Mission outdoor rink just outside the school. This year’s event raised money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

St Albert Theatre Troupe presents a DRAMA

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

COUNCIL NOTES

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• MARCH 3 , 2014 •

WHAT’S FEEDBACK NEXT

WHY IT NOTABLE QUOTES THE VOTE MATTERS

ISSUES

Build St. Albert Business Plan

Operating Surplus Allocation

The Build St. Albert department would lead and manage a number of cross departmental and divisional strategic initiatives to address new and complex demands placed on the City in anticipation of accelerated growth.

Council reviewed funding of four one-time operating business cases including $126,000 for environmental liabilities of City owned sites, $5,300 for support of the Social Master Plan, $10,000 for transit botanical branding and $50,000 for Ray Gibbon Drive noise monitoring. Funding of these cases will result in a small tax reduction to residents.

CROUSE . . . . . . . . . . BRODHEAD . . . . . . . HERON. . . . . . . . . . . HUGHES . . . . . . . . . OSBORNE . . . . . . . . PREFONTAINE . . . . MacKAY . . . . . . . . . .

CROUSE . . . . . . . . . . BRODHEAD . . . . . . . HERON. . . . . . . . . . . HUGHES . . . . . . . . . OSBORNE . . . . . . . . PREFONTAINE . . . . MacKAY . . . . . . . . . .

“It’s pretty clear that St. Albert is poised for some considerable amount of growth in the coming years. And I think that it’s the responsible thing to do to start looking at how we move forward and what are the steps we can take to ensure that all of that future development is done responsibly and in a logical sequence - so I think this work will be very helpful for us as we move forward trying to assess when and what to build in our community. — Tim Osborne

The Build St. Albert department will move forward developing the plan as presented to Council. It will be brought back to Council in Quarter two for further review. “I’m very cautious as we move forward with land purchases, capital partnership programs, with Building St. Albert‌ but I’m really looking forward to this model, this matrix you speak about and it may answer some of these questions as we go forward‌I support it‌ I’m a positive, optimistic Mayor; with this stuff I’m cautious.â€?

— Nolan Crouse

“Any time we can share some of the surpluses back with residents and try to offset the taxes I think we should be doing it. And I realize we have a relatively low tax increase this year, but we should still take advantage of every opportunity we can to try and keep those taxes down and try to offset any type of tax increases.�

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The four business cases will be funded for a total of $191,300.

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I’m so pleased that we could ďŹ nd a few projects to fund out of surplus. The surplus is not an over taxing of 2013, I don’t like it when it’s called that, I think it’s a result of good management during the year, so congratulations on the surplus we are experiencing.â€? — Cathy Heron

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

OPINION

WHERE IS THIS?

Meeting a positive sign

Here’s a photo of a building or landmark around St. Albert. Can you figure out where it is?

I

t wasn’t exactly the Yalta Conference or the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, but hopefully the fact that councillors and mayors from St. Albert and Sturgeon County sat down together recently will signal the start of better relations between the two sides. Nolan Crouse and his colleagues from St. by Glenn Cook Albert met with Tom Flynn and the rest of Sturgeon County council on Wednesday, Feb. 26, for a day-long session on neutral ground in Westlock. And while neither side has been forthcoming with details about exactly what was discussed, the fact that they actually sat down and talked is significant in and of itself. The strained relations between St. Albert and Sturgeon County date back for years and mainly have to do with — what else? — land and money. Whether it was Richard Plain or Paul Chalifoux on the city’s side or Helmut Hinteregger or Don Rigney representing the county, battles over annexation and tax sharing have made up the lion’s share of the municipalities’ interactions over the past 15 to 20 years. But it seems like Nolan Crouse and Tom Flynn are determined to take a different tack than their predecessors, as are their council colleagues. In the cases of both St. Albert and the county, fresh faces were put on council by voters on last October’s election day, and they seem ready to put the past behind them. And that’s a great sign, because the futures of both municipalities are extensively intertwined. At the Business Breakfast hosted by the City of St. Albert at the Enjoy Centre on Tuesday, Feb. 25, officials with the City were talking about the population of St. Albert doubling over the coming decades. Where are those people going to live? Where are they going to shop? The answer seems to be to the north of the current city limits — land that will have to be annexed from Sturgeon County. And that process will be a whole lot easier if everyone is on good terms. The last thing anyone wants to see is a repeat of the contentious annexation of land that finally culminated in 2007. It’s much better to have peaceful relations from the start than have to try and negotiate a truce later on down the road.

EDITORIAL

Last Week: Enjoy Centre

Women have made strides, but we can do more

I

nternational Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s. It is an official holiday in many countries, including Afghanistan, Russia and Eritrea, and is now celebrated in almost every country in the world, supported by many of the world’s leaders. What started as a day to raise awareness of issues facing women — such as lack of education, adequate health care and safety — has now become a celebration of the progress humanity has made as a whole as we strive to achieve the heights we are capable of reaching. We are told by the Bahá’í Writings that: “The world of humanity has two wings — one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird

Martha

URQUHART Baha’is of St. Albert My City fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men, in the acquisition of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.” To celebrate the achievement that women living in the St. Albert, Morinville and Sturgeon County areas have made to our communities, the Bahá’í Community of St. Albert is hosting its 18th annual International Women’s Day celebration. Five deserving women have been chosen with

Publisher: Rob LeLacheur rob@stalbertleader.com

Editor: Glenn Cook

glenn@stalbertleader.com

Client Services: Michelle Barstad michelle@stalbertleader.com

great difficulty from amongst the many nominations sent in by friends, co-workers, or family members. Women were chosen from a variety of categories, such as the arts, business, community service education, health, literacy, motherhood, peace, youth, First Nations Initiatives and science. At the awards night, being held this year on Saturday, March 8, at the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club, the five remarkable women chosen will be awarded and acknowledged. These recipients, along with all of the women nominated every year, truly illustrate where education, encouragement, and opportunity can lead. History has always considered women inferior to

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men, especially in the arena of intelligence. During many times in history, women were led to believe to be even less than human. But we now know that the conditions in the past were due to women’s lack of opportunity. Being denied the right to education, women were able to advance only slowly. As we establish what has been revealed in the Bahá’í Writings, “that mankind and womankind as parts of composite humanity are coequal and that no difference in estimate is allowable, for all are human,” we will experience the true benefit of a world where all are given the opportunity to reach their full potential. For tickets to this year’s International Women’s Day event, phone Mitra at 780-4585214 or Elaine at 780-460-2151. Owned and operated by

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

INTERACTIVE  Comment on stories at StAlbertLeader.com Think before you shop. Where your money will end up? Keep it local. Support independent businesses. #ShopLocal #yeg #shpk #stalbert — @YEGTweetupl

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Are you passionate about ďŹ lmmaking? Just like watching movies? Help at a local ďŹ lm fest Fri/Sat 6-10pm. Contact us for details! #stalbert

Looking at implementing a bylaw restricting wind chill to no more than -35C. Enforcement may be a challenge. #stalbert

— @soaringprogram

— @tim_osborne

I’d post a pic of how cold it is here in St. Albert, but I’m afraid of it going viral..... #stalbert #yeg #weather — @janrandall

Just registered for the 10km! @RunWildMarathon #stalbert #yeg — @larakristines

Excellent .............................20%

St Albert Devils take silver in #slushcup. Well done ladies! #soccer #stalbert #U16

Pretty Good ..........................20% Just OK .................................20%

— @S_L_Villeneuve

Not Great ..............................27% Terrible ................................. 13%

@BCHSBikeAThon kicks off today. Good luck to all the riders. Hope you slept well last night. #stalbert is proud.

@stalbertleader There are 21 athletes and counting from @CFEdmonton competing in the @CrossFitGames open. #stalbert

— @CathyHeron

— @CordellDean

Bellerose High School wins Silver at this year’s High School Culinary Challenge @StAlbertPublic #asba #psbaa #ableg

Someone at #gymnastics had pancakes for breakfast. I know cause they smell like maple syrup and I kind of like it #stalbert

Good Morning #stalbert “ The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra� - Jimmy Johnson

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10

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Forum sparks local girl’s passion for politics

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Attending a forum in Ottawa has turned one St. Albert girl’s spark for politics into a fire. Carlie Voigt, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student at Bellerose Composite High School, was one of numerous delegates from across the country to attend the Forum for Young Canadians, held from Feb. 23 to 28 in the nation’s capital. Those delegates came from all sorts of religious, cultural and language backgrounds to get an in-depth look at government processes and the concepts of citizenship, democracy and governance. “I almost didn’t apply for the forum — the timing and everything wasn’t ideal — but I’m so, so glad that I did. It’s probably one of the best things that I’ve done. I absolutely loved it,” Voigt said. The Forum for Young Canadians is held each year in Ottawa by The Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada. Students from ages 15 to 19 can apply to take part. Voigt decided to put her name in after one of her friends at Bellerose went to the same forum last year. “I heard about it from her, and I thought it was a good idea,” Voigt said. “I looked it up online at filled out the

application forms. It was definitely worth it.” While in Ottawa, forum participants got to tour Parliament Hill, watch Question Period in the House of Commons and “so much stuff. it’s hard to remember everything,” Voigt said. “It was super busy. We were on the go from 7 a.m. to around 9:30 to 10 each night. There was a lot of stuff to see.” Voigt also got the chance to meet her local MP, Brent Rathgeber, and have her photo taken with him. There were about 90 other students at the forum, and Voigt said she felt she had forged lifelong friendships with some of them. “They’re all very like-minded, so it’s easy to make friends. You can become super close with people, even in a period of four days; you can feel like you’ve known them half your life,” she said. While she hasn’t had the chance to sit on any student government bodies yet, Voigt said she started getting interested in politics two or three years ago. “I just got more involved in the community at that point. There was no particular reason why; just at that point, I guess I realized there’s more out there than just what’s right here,” she said. “You have to be

worried on a larger scale and what’s happening that way.” She has, however, been involved with the Bellerose Global Interact Club, which is high school version of the Rotary Club, and the school’s leadership program. She’ll also be heading to Thailand next year as part of a Rotary youth exchange. “The look that you get into Parliament, it’s crazy. It’s nothing like I would have imagined,” Voigt said. “We learned a lot about the political happenings in Ottawa, and even — I’m going to be a little clichéd here — a little bit about myself and what I like, what aspects I really like about (politics). ... I don’t know if I’d ever considered a career in politics before now, but I definitely am now.” For more information on the Forum for Young Canadians, visit www.forum.ca.

Wetlands Discovery Days, free program for Grade 5 students GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

A new free program to be offered in St. Albert will give elementary school students the chance to get a hands-on education about wetlands and the environment. Wetlands Discovery Days is a project being spearheaded by Ducks Unlimited Canada that will allow Grade 5 students from both Edmonton and St. Albert to visit the John E. Poole Interpretive Wetland, located along the east shore of Big Lake, and learn about wetlands ecosystems and how important they are to the overall

health of the environment. “Wetlands, a lot of kids have no idea what they really are. They see them, they see some birds on them, but they don’t really understand what part they have in the overall landscape of our province and how they function,” said Craig Bishop, manager of education in Alberta for Ducks Unlimited Canada. “This is to try to target them directly and expose our partnerships with facilities in major centres.” In the program, students will have one hour at the wetland interpretive site with a Ducks Unlimited Canada interpreter, where they’ll have the chance to do some dipping and identification

exercises, take a short nature walk and take home a small keepsake. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity,” Bishop said. “Under the Grade 5 curriculum, there is an ecosystems section where wetlands is one of the components of that, so it really blends in well with the Grade 5 curriculum. It allows them to get out in the field and have that hands-on experience.” The program will run Mondays to Thursdays from May 26 to June 12. There are three time slots available each day for classes of 35 students maximum plus teachers and supervisors. While the program is free of charge, teachers must make their own

transportation arrangements. “When they’re young, they’re making those conscious decisions,” Bishop said. “They’re going to be the ones who go home say, ‘You know what we did today, mom and dad? We went to this wetland.’ It allows them to spread that out to other groups, their parents and other people, and show there’s some interest there. … They’re multi-faceted ecosystems, and the more people that know about them, the better.” Since it opened, Bishop said that the Poole Interpretive Wetland has been a huge asset for educational programs like this one. “We’ve done a number of small

things, but this is the first formal program that we’ve promoted there. We’ve done a few small, offthe-cuff things in partnership with the City of St. Albert, but this is the first formal program we’ve had,” he said. He added that it also allows this sort of education to happen in a setting that’s not too far away from either Edmonton or St. Albert. Ducks Unlimited Canada has been running education programs in Alberta since 1994. To book their classes into the Wetland Discovery Days program, teachers can email abeducation@ ducks.ca or call 1-866-301-3825 ext. 1871.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

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12

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Local man has front row seat at Olympics

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

It was one of the most dramatic, feel-good moments for Canada at the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia — and Arri McWatt had a front row seat. McWatt, a physiotherapist with St. Albert Sports Therapy, was in Sochi from Feb. 10 to 23 to watch the Games and to cheer on his cousin Denny Morrison, a long-track speed skater who won a silver and a bronze medal during the games. Morrison’s silver medal came in the 1,000-metre event, which he was able to race in after teammate Gilmore Junio gave up his spot. “That was awesomely emotional for our family and for Gil’s family,� McWatt said. He and his family knew something was up when Morrison texted them wondering where Junio was. They tracked Junio down in Canada House, where the two athletes talked about what was happening. “His mom and dad started crying,� McWatt said. “And then we saw Gilmore’s family — it’s a tough situation for them; it’s emotional that their brother and son isn’t competing anymore. But from there, we were all hoping Denny

would have a really good skate.� And he did — Morrison turned in a time of 1:08.43, just 0.04 seconds behind the Dutch gold medallist, Stefan Groothuis. Morrison was in the fourth-to-last pairing of the race, meaning there were some tense moments for McWatt and the rest of his family as they watched from the stands of the Adler Arena Skating Centre. “I wished he was the last pair,� McWatt said with a laugh. “We were up there cheering like crazy in the stands. ... You could see instantly, when he got to the finish line and before he looked up, (Morrison) knew he had a good skate and finished really strong; that was good to see, because sometimes I’m not really sure if he’s happy. “Then it was pretty much holding our breath for the last three pairs, because there were some of the big names, some of the Dutch guys to go after him.� McWatt first experienced the Winter Olympics in 2010 when they were held in Vancouver and Morrison won a gold medal in the team pursuit event. “When I experienced the atmosphere and the Olympic spirit and everything, I made the decision that, if he’s going to Russia, I’m gonna

come with him and check it out,� he said. Being the cousin of a medallist, though, had its advantages, as McWatt was able to get into Canada House and hang out with a number of the Canadian athletes. “That helped offset a few of the costs,� he said. “Everything else was self-funded.� Although there was a lot of buzz during the Games about conditions in hotels and throughout Sochi, McWatt said he didn’t have any bad experiences — although being Canadian may have helped with that. “Our hotel was clean and very safe. I never felt

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uncomfortable walking the streets at any time of day or night,� he said. “The staff didn’t speak much English, which was probably the biggest barrier. But really, after a couple of days, you get used to it. ... Everyone was really friendly.� While McWatt isn’t certain if his cousin will be competing again at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, he’s already contemplating plans to head over. “I’ve already considered maybe Rio (in 2016) and maybe Korea,� he said. “I’d have to get my head around if my cousin doesn’t do another Olympics, because it would be totally different.�

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Arri McWatt (left) and his family cheer on his cousin, Canadian speed skater Denny Morrison, at the Adler Arena in Sochi, Russia, during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

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Registration is now open for all Servus Place, Fountain Park and City of St. Albert Recreation Spring and Summer Camp programs. To view all available programs and to register visit our website at recguide.stalbert.ca.

13

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Thursday, March 6, 2014

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Work with teens earns Balanko award BARRY BAILEY Special to the St. Albert Leader

There is a humbleness about Rebecca Balanko that belies her determination and commitment to young girls who may be struggling with issues from bullying to body image to self-harm. But when she starts talking about her work, there is a fire in her eye that reflects her passion for these girls and boys. It’s that kind of fire that earned her International Women’s Day award from the St. Albert Baha’is, which she will receive during a ceremony on Saturday. Balanko adapted a program called G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) to provide an opportunity to this youth segment to learn self-awareness, coping strategies, social relationships and encourage positive peer relationships. Through her day job as a community resource program co-ordinator for the Sturgeon School Division, she has identified delivery gaps in this critical area. As a result, the program has been presented to over 500 girls in the past year and a half. She’s also delivered programming to over 1,000 youth throughout Sturgeon County, receiving

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great feedback from parents and students describing positive changes in behaviour as a result of the program. Feeling it important that the needs of boys be addressed too, Rebecca undertook writing a boy-specific program. Once a week for a year, she spent time working with students and staff at the Oak Hills Boy Ranch, discussing what the needs for such a program would look like and how they would be met. Excellent results were produced through her relationshipbuilding and engagement with the boys. “We often minimize things that happen to our teenagers — you know, they’ll get over it,” Balanko said. “But at 13 years old, that event could very well be the most significant thing that’s happened to them in their lifetime. And right now at this time, in this moment, those feelings are real and need to be listened to.” Running a household with three kids, volunteering for various community activities and holding down a full time job keeps Balanko very busy. And she’s quick to point out that she wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her husband, whom she describes as her “rock.” She recently

received the Morinville “Mover and Shaker” award for her work empowering young girls and teens through the G.I.R.L.S. program. But she somehow still finds time to serve as board member for the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation. Clearly an organization that is close to her heart, the Foundation supports women, children and men who are victims of domestic violence and abusive relationships. One day, she and the Foundation hope to see a shelter constructed. “I feel invested in my community. This is where we’ve put down roots, raised our family,” she said. “I feel like I have a personal responsibility to uphold that practice-what-I-preach philosophy… it’s who I am. My community grounds me.” The youth and parents of Sturgeon County and the Town of Morinville are indeed fortunate to have a person like Balanko fighting the good fight on their behalf. The selected recipients will receive their awards at the St. Albert Baha’i International Women’s Day ceremony, to be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cornerstone Hall (6 Taché St.) in St. Albert.

Photo: Barry Bailey

Rebecca Balanko’s work building positive attributes in teenage boys and girls has earned her an International Women’s Day award from the Baha’is of St. Albert.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Champion of abused More Women’s Day award winners ‘shocked’ at award win

BARRY BAILEY

GLENN COOK

Special to the St. Albert Leader

St. Albert Leader

Brandi Robinson was completely shocked when she found out she was nominated by the St. Albert Bahai’s for an International Women’s Day award in two different categories: Child Advocate and Unsung Heroine. She had just stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel, dealing with kid issues when the phone rang and she was informed of her nominations. She promptly began to cry. Believing that people like her just put their head down and do Photo: Barry Bailey what they do because it needs Brandi Robinson says she was ‘shocked’ to learn she had won an to be done and don’t really pay International Women’s Day award from the Baha’is of St. Albert for her attention to who is noticing, work with Little Warriors and the Be Brave Ranch. Robinson does her work as an her, and like so much else that advocate because she just needs to. fell into place for Robinson; she knew she had found her calling. she does, she believes leading Very much a “behind the scenes” Getting involved in advocating for by example for her children person, doing the type of work she the organization’s Be Brave Ranch demonstrates to them they can does puts her in the public eye, a project, she helped out with a make a difference. role she’s had to learn to accept letter-writing campaign, lobbying Understanding the benefits because the “cause” needs the politicians, fundraising and even of doing “the small things” was voice. a YouTube video. Eventually, Little hammered home while she was The “cause” she refers to is Warriors founder Glori Meldrum in South Africa working at a child sexual abuse. Robinson, her asked Robinson to take on a bigger school for handicapped children. mother and grandmother are all role, and she found herself on the Robinson and a co-worker became survivors of this horrific epidemic. steps of the Alberta Legislature aware of a young girl from the Then, when her newly adopted giving a speech. school who was assaulted by a daughter revealed she had been a To date, the taxi driver who believed this act victim as well, it organization would somehow cure his Aids. got to the point has raised The presence of the two Canadian where she asked around $5 women in the school ensured herself: When million and charges were laid and justice is enough, recently was served — an uncommon enough? purchased occurrence in most cases. Robinson had the land and Robinson knew it wasn’t going already been facilities to to change the world, but it did following the fulfill the change that young girl’s world. Little Warriors dream of “I want to tell kids, even adults, organization building the Be it’s OK — they’re not alone, when she read Brave Ranch. you’re loved and believed,” she a letter online Currently, said. “There are people who will from a little Robinson listen to you. It’s not OK to keep it girl talking works hard to inside and let it affect you for the about making help fundraise rest of your life. That’s the same a bad story into money for a allowing the perpetrator keep a good story treatment of your power.” Brandi Robinson by helping the first kids With a committed, dedicated Little Warriors Advocate others, taking to attend the champion like Robinson, the the perspective ranch, opening world is already a safer, better that it makes in June. place for many children. you stronger and never allowing In addition to her work with The selected recipients will it to happen again. The letter Little Warriors and being a receive their awards at the St. prompted her to connect with single mom raising three kids, Albert Baha’i International Little Warriors and she and her Robinson somehow finds time to Women’s Day ceremony, to be held daughter eventually connected run the school lunch program. at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cornerstone with the little girl. Community is important to Hall (6 Taché St.) in St. Albert. That’s when all the puzzle pieces

As we celebrate the achievements of women around the world for International Women’s Day, here are the stories of four other remarkable women who are receiving awards from the Baha’i Community of St. Albert this Saturday:

“I want to tell kids, even adults, it’s OK — they’re not alone, you’re loved and believed,”

KAILEEN CHISHOLM Nominated in the youth category, Kaileen is an exemplary young lady who is doing her best to make a difference in the world through her work with children with special needs. Kaileen works with Infinite Resources, a company that provides support for autistic and challenged children in areas such as developing friendship, following instructions in play and developing confidence in group situations. She became involved at the age of 14, and now leads three different weekly groups for kids from three years of age all the way up to 17. Kaileen hopes to take this passion even further, aiming to go to a post-secondary institution and study to become a child psychologist or play therapist. She also plays the violin and is very artistic. ERYL JONES Eryl is a double nominee in both the education and senior categories. Since she retired from her teaching position in 1997, she hasn’t slowed down one bit, devoting her time to volunteering. Eryl helped form the St. Albert and Area Retired Teachers’ Association (STARTA) in 1998, serving as the pianist and director for the group’s choir since its inception. She also plays piano for events at Sir George Simpson Junior High School and for the St. David’s Welsh Society of Edmonton. She even volunteers at the Welsh pavilion every year at the Servus Heritage Festival in Edmonton. Eryl also volunteers as a math resource teacher at Leo Nickerson Elementary Schools and with the Star Literacy Program, tutoring a woman from Afghanistan for four years in advanced English. She is one of the original members of the committee that started the Little Sprouts education program at the St. Albert Botanic Park, is a member of the International Friendship Force of Edmonton and area, and gives her time at the Arden Theatre and the International Children’s Festival. CORISSA TYMAFICHUK and ANDREA PAYNE Corissa and Andrea were nominated in the human rights category for their efforts to raise awareness in St. Albert about the problem of human trafficking around the world. Last year, the Paul Kane High School students worked tirelessly to put on the first Free2Walk event in St. Albert, raising $5,000 for Not 4 Sale, a non-profit organization that works to eradicate human trafficking. The pair did almost everything to organize the event, from dealing with the City of St. Albert to get the walk approved, to designing banners and posters and spreading the word on social media. They also gave presentations at other local schools, at the University of Alberta and at a mini We Day celebration in Edmonton. Both were also integral member of the social justice groups at their junior high school and have continued that involvement with the Social Justice League at Paul Kane.uphold that practice-what-Ipreach philosophy… it’s who I am. My community grounds me.” The youth and parents of Sturgeon County and the Town of Morinville are indeed fortunate to have a person like Balanko fighting the good fight on their behalf. The selected recipients will receive their awards at the St. Albert Baha’i International Women’s Day ceremony, to be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cornerstone Hall (6 Taché St.) in St. Albert.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Feser makes tough decision to retire from national team GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

After five years on the Canadian national team, Tara Feser is putting the brakes on her international wheelchair basketball career. Wheelchair Basketball Canada announced the St. Albert native’s decision a couple of weeks ago, and although Feser wanted to play through this world championships in Toronto, there was a great opportunity to advance her career on the table. “It was a really tough decision for me,” said the 34-year-old. “I was playing in Germany for the last two years before (the 2012 Paralympic Games in) London, and I made the decision to come back home. And in order to financially support myself and my family, I have to look for a full-time job. Playing wheelchair basketball full-time doesn’t pay the bills.” But she is still grateful for the experience and the opportunities the sport has afforded her over during her time on the national team. The one opportunity that really stands out in Feser’s mind is when she and her teammates entered the stadium for the opening ceremonies at her first Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

“It was just an amazing experience going through the tunnel, hearing the roar of the crowd and knowing that I had finally made my goal of getting to the Paralympics,” she said. “I’ll always remember that goal.” Another special moment, though was the first time she pulled on a Team Canada jersey. “It’s just an amazing experience to have that big crest that says ‘Canada’ on it,” Feser said. “Hearing the national anthem played at our first game was so emotional. It was hard to keep it together because that had been my goal since I was a little kid, to play for the national team in any sport.” Feser also received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in June 2013. She got her start in wheelchair basketball after her high school coach suggested it to her. Her kneecap used to dislocate quite often — something that was later found to be the result of one leg being an inch and a half longer than the other. “I sat in the chair and tried a foul shot. And they said, ‘Yup, you’re on the team,’” Feser recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘OK, sounds good. I guess if I can shoot, I can play this game.’” Over the next few years, she kept playing and mastered getting up and

down the court in the wheelchair. Eventually, she had surgery on her knee, but that left her unable to run or jump like she could before. Having wheelchair basketball to fall back on, though, really helped her cope and heal. “Basically, everything I do is wheelchair basketball,” Feser said. “It gave me that outlet for any of my physical activity. Knowing that I could still play at a high level kept me motivated to go back into the gym and do my workouts. Without that, I probably would have just been a couch potato.” But, while she won’t be playing internationally Photo: Sun Media News Services anymore, Feser intends After five years on the Canadian national wheelchair to stay very involved in basketball team, St. Albert’s Tara Feser recently announced the sport. She’s already her retirement. coaching local kids in the sport, and hopes to be coaching a teammate you just had; follow that path back to the that’s kind of a tough thing. And also international level someday. just to give myself a little bit of a break. “I want to take a couple of years to All the travel takes its toll on your body, step back from the national side,” she and coaching, I find, is sometimes more said. “I want to do that for a couple of stressful than playing.” reasons. One is that you don’t want to

Join Brent for his annual

TOWN HALL MEETING “The Role of an Independent Member of Parliament in a Broken Democracy”

Wednesday, March 12th 7:00pm - 9:00pm Forsyth Room, St. Albert Public Library ry y 5 St. Anne Street, St. Albert Brent Rathgeber, Q.C., M.P. Edmonton - St. Albert www.brentrathgeber.ca 780.459.0809 brent.rathgeber.c1a@parl.gc.ca

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

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In Celebration of International Women’s Day

Artwork by Oksana Zhelisko

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

Celebrating the contributions of women to St. Albert’s business community A SPECIAL FEATURE SECTION OF THE

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A I find it empowering to see women in today’s business world. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come in just 60 years. Women have revolutionized the corporate sector and continue to do so by strengthening core values and advocating change for future generations of women to come.

A Fill Your Soul With Sunshine. A Going for a hike outdoors,

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A Putting yourself first is probably the best place to start to achieve that perfect work-life balance. Just carving out 10 mins here and there can really add up in a day. Grabbing a coffee on the run and enjoying it on my own gives me a sense of tranquility. Even taking the dog out for a walk gives my mind a chance to unwind.It’s these moments that really make your day feel worthwhile.

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A I have an innate sense of style for interior design. I love bringing together ideas, colours and patterns and making spaces feel warm and inviting.

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breathing in the crisp clean air and having a picnic underneath the warm rays of sunshine. I can easily spend an entire day in the mountains or even just going for a hike down a trail.

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STURGEON VALLEY ATHLETIC CLUB Q Who inspired you to

Q

Q

Q

get into business in the

A It is inspiring to see so

A The ever changing

A My Dad ran his own

independent business and so I was hard wired with a strong work ethic and customer service focus.

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A “To be successful, you

have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.� ~ Thomas Watson Sr.

many female provincial leaders in office at once. Also to see more women in non-traditional trades and industries!

(global and local) fitness industry inspires me to learn, grow, innovate and continually evolve. It’s a very dynamic and competitive world out there!

Q A Other people might not call

it “fun / relaxation� but I run trail ultramarathons, cross country ski, snow shoe, take Pilates Reformer and Yoga, to keep physically fit. I don’t see myself as “hard core� but I absolutely believe in “walking the talk� if you work in the health and fitness industry. Everyone should take responsibility for their health and well being.

20

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

Joyce Du JD NAIL & SPA Q Who inspired you to get ! place? A At a very young age, I

already had a passion for beauty. I started out working for a beauty salon in Asia doing nails and facials for women and men. It always excited me to see customers walking out of the salon looking pretty, smiling and satisfied with my services.

Q of business advice

Q Who continues to inspire you as your career grows?

Q How do you feel about the role of women in

A Customer suggestions

A My older brother

A In the 21st century,

and advice are the best, and following them will benefit our business. We should listen and improve the quality of what we do.

is always there to give me advice and encouragement.

women are the most influential consumers and make most of the purchases. They are the primary caregivers, assessing the needs of the household and making financial decisions for the entire family.

Q What was your dream job as a kid and why? A My dream job was to become a teacher. But this dream contributed to my knowledge and experiences, and helps me provide good service to my customers.

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ALLSTATE INSURANCE Q Q

Destiny “All lasting business is built on Friendship.� ~ Alfred A. Montapert. To build friendships you have to like and trust that person, these are the two biggest components that I build all my business on.

A Be Honest! I am very

upfront with my clients, insurance is not the most exciting conversation, but everyone needs a basic understanding of what they are paying for.

Q

Q

Laura I love to be busy!

A My husband. For

years he kept telling be to leave my JOB (just over broke!) One day I finally listened to him and jumped! Without his support I would not have the amazing career I do today.

My favourite day would be my phone ringing off the hook with requests from existing & new clients.

Q A I feel that the role of women in today’s economy is no different than men’s, we can do everything and anything they can do too. It is really refreshing knowing that there are not many male dominated roles out there anymore. Being a woman in business it means the sky is the limit!

Q

A My talent which if

I were to do things differently would be to pursue a professional soccer career. I was gifted with the ability to play soccer at a high level.

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21

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

Lynn Carolei SUBLIME SWIM & SUNWEAR Q Who inspired you to get

Q How do you feel about

place?

economy?

oldest daughter sell her jewelry line, it was an unintentional step into the retail business that is going on 13 years, 11 with Sublime Swim & Sunwear.

contributors to any country’s economy. A full 85% of consumer decisions are influenced by a woman. Women wield a lot of clout in the marketplace and can affect changes to buying patterns by voting with their purses.

A I was looking to help my

A Women are very powerful

Q Who continues to inspire you as your career grows?

A I love networking with younger retailers, I always come away with new ideas and a fresh perspective on the marketplace. Q What does your favorite day look like?

A It looks like Maui‌ sigh.

Q

gone before I realized what a full and active life she lived following this philosophy.

quote about business?

A My favourite quote comes from my Granny who taught me this when I was quite young and applies today, ‘You can do anything you want to, as long as you put your mind to it.’ She was very wise and practiced this of piece advice in her own life. It wasn’t until long after my Granny was

Q What do you do for fun/ relaxation?

A I’m an avid reader and I still make jewelry for the store.

#335 - 140 St. Albert Trail, St. Albert, AB Village Landing Mall

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Jan Parker LIVING SOUNDS HEARING CENTRE Q What do you do for

Q What does your

fun/relaxation?

favorite day look like?

A I go shopping for

A

nothing; dance like no one is watching, hike or bike on trails until I’m tired, go to movies and concerts, and appreciate warm climate holidays.

A full schedule of clients who leave happy, knowing they were listened to and their hearing needs were professionally taken care of.

Q

A A satisfied client is

the greatest asset to my business.

Q A My employers and peers

inspire me to want to attain my goals.

Call Jan to book your hearing health check-up today. Jan Parker, BC-HIS Registered Hearing Aid Practitioner

Instrument Sciences AD{CS5147495}

Q

A As a kid, I knew it was

important to put who I am (“my natural abilities and power�) (Webster’s Dictionary) into a career and at that time, my dream job was in a profession within the justice system. This choice of career would offer intellectual stimulation,

a variety of professional activities, and as well, travel. Although not within the justice system, many of my natural abilities and power are utilized in my present career.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

SARASOTA REALTY

Q What do you do for

Q

Q

Q Q

fun/relaxation?

A What I love to do for fun

A My favorite quote about

one tip for balancing

& relaxation, enjoy a nice glass of wine with a bunch of girlfriends or some retail therapy are always on the top of my list!

A I would say that my

business would have to be “B.I.F. Business is Fun� ~ from Ron Hodgson.

number one tip for balancing work & family life would be to make a daily appointment of dinner with the family!

A One thing on my life’s bucket list is that I would love to go see the Ellen Show in California.

A Sleep in till 8am, I have 2 young girls so this never happens! Make a nice breakfast with a latte. Have some lazy family time around the house. Go to Orange Theory for a workout. Have a nap with the kids, this again really never happens. Have a nice dinner with some wine rent a movie and call it a night!

CITY OF ST. ALBERT Q Who inspired you to

Q

Q

Q

Q

get into business in the

A Not so much a who, as

A Be passionate about

A My daughters. As

the field of business itself. Business is dynamic, constantly changing and people centered. Every day I meet other business women that inspire and humble me.

your business: wake up every morning wondering what you can do better today.

entrepreneurs they relentlessly pursue their business goals; but also take the time to share lessons learned and volunteer in their community.

A “Hell, there are no rules here - we’re trying to accomplish something.� ~ Thomas A. Edison.

A Without women we

don’t have an economy.

Congratulations to the businesswomen of St. Albert! Economic Development is proud to have you here and wishes you continued success in your businesses and careers. AD{CS5147497}

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2014

Cele b

rating

Paulette Godin-Donovan, Small Business Advisor, Scotiabank With over 30 years of experience, mostly in St. Albert as a Business Advisor, Paulette Godin-Donovan has worked with all types of business owners, including Start-Ups and wellestablished businesses. Recognizing the uniqueness of each business client and working to advise the clients on the best options for their business has been a rewarding experience. As the current Secretary for the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce, Paulette has learned the value of teamwork when it comes to improving local business and creating a thriving community. In addition to her work as a Business Advisor and Chamber Secretary, Paulette also volunteers for non-profit groups such as the Children’s Festival, Relay for Life Cancer run, St. Albert Farmers Market and numerous charity golf tournaments. Through these volunteer activities, Paulette has learned the value of pooling talents and energies to assist all aspects of a growing community. Balance between personal activities and business is what Paulette thrives on. In her spare time she enjoys golfing, belonging to the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country club – Ladies Business league, and is an avid gardener, starting several exotic plants which are among the 400 plants that she starts every spring. This brings on different challenges, especially dealing with the Alberta weather.

Margaret Geall, Senior Mortgage Associate Working as a Mortgage Associate for more than 10 years has given Margaret Geall a near-lifetime of experiences with the St. Albert and area’s business community. Serving in several capacities at the St. Albert and District of Chamber, including as this year’s Chair of the Lifestyle Expo demonstrates Margaret’s dedication to the community and to the needs of small business. With a dedicated focus on tailoring solutions to her client’s issues, and a commitment to delivering the utmost quality of service, Margaret’s work ethic demonstrates the type of respectful and attentive qualities that exemplify women in business. For Margaret, the secret to delivering quality service is simple: listening to her clients, understanding the intricacies of what they need, and customizing a result that will best help them succeed. With mutual success comes a strong and vibrant business community, which Margaret is proud to dedicate her work towards.

u s B i n n i ess n e m o W

Celebrating Our Members St. Albert and district is home to many great women in business. Their vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion for the community help create a thriving business environment. Here are the profiles of just a few of the women who are making positive contributions to the community:

Jill and Kelsey Bulmer, Cerulean Boutique After working for many years running payroll in the construction industry, Jill Bulmer decided it was time to branch out and follow her passion for fashion and design. Starting Cerulean Boutique in 2011, Jill and her daughter Kelsey dove headfirst into an industry that is notoriously difficult to start in. Jill describes her most rewarding experiences as being times when she has been able to lend a personal touch, such as helping a new motherin-law pick out a dress for her son’s wedding, or overnighting a gown for a Christmas event. Currently, the Bulmers are working with a Californian company on a design collaboration, creating t-shirts and casual pants from a breathable, shape-holding cotton/ lycra combo.

Heather Wolsey, Seasons Gift Shop Ltd. Shopping is a passion of Heather’s, and one she was happy to indulge in after 18 years in the banking industry. Now in her 14th year of running Season’s Gift Shop, Heather has enjoyed engaging with the community as a small business owner, and getting to spend her days working with her best friends. Though she has been in business for over a decade, Heather is happy to report that her recent forays into social media have connected her to new customers from St. Albert and from abroad: through Facebook and Twitter, Heather has been able to bring her unique wares and sensibility to both the local community of St. Albert, and across the continent.

Carmelle Sevigny, Discover Hearing Ltd. With a family history of hearing loss, Carmelle’s experiences with the frustration caused by hearing impairment led her to a career as a Hearing Aid Practitioner. After 13 years in the field, Carmelle has seen a gradual transition from a male-dominated field to one that is increasingly composed of women, something she attributes to both the incorporation of hearing aid practitioners into the health profession, and the nurturing attitude necessary to get patients to accept that the hearing loss they have is an issue for themselves and their loved ones. Ultimately, Carmelle would like to see people taking a proactive role in hearing health, but is continually invigorated by the quality of life she is able to bring to her clients when their hearing is restored.

780.458.2833 www.stalbertchamber.com AD{CS5147490}

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

chats with ...Meaghan Congratulations on the gold medal (with the Canadian women’s hockey team)! How does this one compare with the one you won in Vancouver in 2010? It’s hard to describe. Winning an Olympic gold medal on home soil, playing hockey for Canada, was absolutely amazing. But I think experiencing an Olympics in a different country, and just looking back on the year we had — there were so many ups and downs, highs and lows — when you face that much adversity as a group, you become very, very close. So to win the way we did, with that game and that ending and what we had been through, was extremely special. If you talk any Olympic athlete and ask them about their Olympic athlete, if one was better than the other, it’s hard to determine that. I can’t say one was better than the other. They’re both very different and very special in their own ways.

Mikkelson TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST What about when that puck dribbled down the ice and hit the goalpost instead of going into the empty net, which would have sealed the U.S. victory? I remember just saying, ‘No, no, no,’ over and over. I’d be curious to see the angle of the puck, looking down at our net, because that thing definitely turned. I’ll never forget Lauriane Rougeau, one of the other defencemen, she was standing beside me on the bench, and she turned to me and said, ‘That’s a sign. We’re gonna win this thing.’ And I think everyone had the same feeling. The hockey gods were with us.

I’ll never forget Lauriane Rougeau, one of the other defencemen ... she turned to me and said,

‘That’s a sign. We’re gonna win this thing.’

And when the overtime winner went in the net, what were the emotions going through you head at that moment?

What was the feeling like on the Canadian bench when you were down 2-0 late in the third period of the gold medal game? Was there still belief there?

There were two emotions I experienced the most at that point: Happiness — just sheer, absolute happiness — and relief. It was a long year, and it’s been a long journey to get to this point. It was a relief that it ended the way that it did.

I think that it showed in everyone’s play that there was never a point where we had given up. We pursued that game until the very end. I think that everything we had been through throughout the year — from the boot camp we had in Penticton, B.C., in May and June to what we were put through all year playing a 52-game schedule; we were literally put through the wringer right up until we left for Austria — but I think we all learned throughout the year that you can never give up, and that when you thought there was nothing left in the tank, there’s more there. Keep believing and never give up. For me, personally, there wasn’t a moment where I let up or held back, and I think every other player on that did the same thing.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

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Thursday, March 6, 2014 You broke your hand during the tournament and sat out the semifinal against Switzerland, but we didn’t hear much about it. How exactly did that happen?

After the women’s gold medal game, we saw you on TV at the bobsled track cheering on your fellow Canadian athletes. How much camaraderie builds up among the Canadians during the Games, even across sports?

We kept it really, really quiet. I collided with Hayley Wickenheiser in practice on Feb. 16, the day before the semfinal game. It was a very fluke accident — my hand pretty much just caught on her as we skated by each other doing a battle drill. My finger bent the wrong way; it was really fluky. ... After having some discussions with our coaching staff and the medical staff, the goal was to get me back playing in the final game. There was no way I was missing that game; broken bone or not, I was playing. But breaking your hand four days before the Olympic gold medal game that you’ve been preparing for for four years, I was devastated. I didn’t know if I would be able to play, and even the day of the game, going to the rink, I didn’t know if I was going to play one shift or if I would end up going as much as I did. I’m just thankful that the coaching staff and the medical staff believed in me and did absolutely everything in their power to get me back on the ice.

That is my favourite part of the Olympics, having the opportunity to spend time with the other athletes. They have a lounge in our building in the village, and we were able to go up there and hang out with all the other athletes. ... It was important to me to get out and support the other athletes. As a Canadian team, that’s what we’re there for. We’re there to support each other, and I’m just really thankful Speaking of the athletes’ village, we I had the heard a lot about the conditions of the opportunity to living quarters in some parts of Sochi. get to know some of those athletes. From an athlete’s perspective, though,

how was it? Was it as bad as it was made out to be?

Absolutely not. I think the issue was that the hotels where the media were staying weren’t ready for when they got there. And when we saw those articles, we were shocked; we were surprised. The accommodations in the village were absolutely outstanding, and the (Canadian Olympic Committee) made sure we were 100 per cent comfortable. The venues were amazing. I did not have one experience there where I felt things were a mess in any way, shape or form.

There was no way I was missing that game;

broken bone or not, I was playing. There was some talk late in the Games that women’s hockey wasn’t competitive enough because it was Canada and the U.S. in the gold medal game once again, and maybe it shouldn’t be in the Olympics anymore. What are your thoughts on that? Are other countries starting to catch up? Absolutely. Look at the scores of the games; when you compare that to Vancouver, there weren’t nearly as many blowouts. Switzerland winning a bronze medal, with Finland finishing in fifth place and Sweden in fourth — going into (the tournament), people probably would have predicted Finland would have that bronze medal and Switzerland would be in fifth place. Our games against Finland, it was 3-1. Those are tight games; those are not easy games to win. And Switzerland gave us some really good games as well. I think the scores speak for themselves. Yes, it was Canada-U.S. in the final, but it could have been any of the other teams. As a player playing against all of those teams, I can certainly say there is a lot of progress being made.

2018 is still a long way off, but do you see yourself going to Pyeongchang, South Korea, to try for the golden three-peat? I honestly haven’t thought about it. I’m just really trying to enjoy all of this, soak it all in. There’s obviously a lot of requests and events and stuff. Right now, my focus is sharing this medal with all of Canada, and just kind of taking things one step at a time. Right now, I have zero plans on retiring, and we’ll see where things go from here.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

RECREATION & HOCKEY ACADEMIES OPEN HOUSE Be a part of St. Albert’s most exciting Athletic Academy, featuring Recreation and Hockey Academies! Wednesday March 12 at 7 pm William D. Cuts School 149 Larose Drive Come and see what all the excitement is about! Busing is available throughout St. Albert.

Ronald Harvey Elementary School I 780.459.5541 William D. Cuts Junior High School I 780.458.8585 AD{CS5147485}

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26

Thursday, March 6, 2014

French Immersion? Arts? Trades? Academics? Sports? NO WORRIES. MCHS HAS IT ALL!

Come Explore Your Future With Us on March 13th!

Conveniently located in Morinville, MCHS offers a full complement of courses for students.

Photo Supplied

St. Albert Catholic High School teacher Darren Skalsky sits in front of some of the equipment he and students use to broadcast on the school’s shortwave radio station, 96.9 The Hawk.

SACHS hits the airwaves

French Immersion (9 to 12), trades, arts and academics courses fill our classrooms.

Special to the St. Albert Leader

Be sure to check out our program options at the open house or visit our website at www.mchs.gsacrd.ab.ca

CHRISTOPHER SCHIEMAN

There is a humbleness about Rebecca Balanko that belies her determination and commitment to young girls who may be struggling with issues from bullying to body image to self-harm. But when she starts talking about her work, there is a fire in her eye that reflects her passion for these girls and boys. It’s that kind of fire that earned her International Women’s Day award from the St. Albert Baha’is, which she will receive during a ceremony on Saturday. Balanko adapted a program called G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) to provide an opportunity to this youth segment to learn self-awareness, coping strategies, social relationships and encourage positive peer relationships. Through her day job as a community resource program co-ordinator for the Sturgeon School Division, she has identified delivery gaps in this critical area. As a result, the program has been presented to over 500 girls in the past year and a half. She’s also delivered programming to over 1,000 youth throughout Sturgeon County, receiving great feedback from parents and students describing positive changes in behaviour as a result of the program. Feeling it important that the needs of boys be addressed too, Rebecca undertook writing a boy-specific program. Once a week for a year, she spent time working with students and staff at the Oak Hills Boy Ranch, discussing what the needs for such a program would look like and how they would be met. Excellent results were produced through her relationshipbuilding and engagement with the boys. “We often minimize things that happen

to our teenagers — you know, they’ll get over it,” Balanko said. “But at 13 years old, that event could very well be the most significant thing that’s happened to them in their lifetime. And right now at this time, in this moment, those feelings are real and need to be listened to.” Running a household with three kids, volunteering for various community activities and holding down a full time job keeps Balanko very busy. And she’s quick to point out that she wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her husband, whom she describes as her “rock.” She recently received the Morinville “Mover and Shaker” award for her work empowering young girls and teens through the G.I.R.L.S. program. But she somehow still finds time to serve as board member for the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation. Clearly an organization that is close to her heart, the Foundation supports women, children and men who are victims of domestic violence and abusive relationships. One day, she and the Foundation hope to see a shelter constructed. “I feel invested in my community. This is where we’ve put down roots, raised our family,” she said. “I feel like I have a personal responsibility to uphold that practice-what-I-preach philosophy… it’s who I am. My community grounds me.” The youth and parents of Sturgeon County and the Town of Morinville are indeed fortunate to have a person like Balanko fighting the good fight on their behalf. The selected recipients will receive their awards at the St. Albert Baha’i International Women’s Day ceremony, to be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cornerstone Hall (6 Taché St.) in St. Albert.

Families of all faiths are welcome.

MORINVILLE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE March 13th from 6 - 8 p.m.

Choosing a high school means thinking about the future. Our open house will feature area colleges, universities and workplace organizations (military, fire, police, etc.) who can provide information on shaping your high school path. We hope you can attend!

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

FINANCE by Barry Bailey

Advertising Feature

Not Your Typical Bean Counters

We’ve all heard the jokes and stereotypical descriptions about accountants and the accounting profession. Well, you can throw those stereotypes out the door when you meet the St. Albert-based team from Audits R Us. Passionate about their they are committed to both teaching and learning from their clientele. The importance of tax planning in advance can’t be overstated for personal taxes and especially for business taxes. The biggest expense in your lifetime is not buying your house, as most would think, but the amount of taxes you will pay. The mission statement of Audits R Us is: “To provide clients with innovative tax strategies while providing education to support increased

They provide all the services expected from

T1 tax preparation, audit ready planning, and payroll services. The provide with the service. An area of passion for the Audits R Us team is helping clients prepare for the day they receive that conspicuous brown envelope from the Canada Revenue Agency. Audits R Us ensures that all of Audits R Us team is comprised of tax experts and former CRA auditors. Being constantly up to date on tax regulation changes allows them to services available in Canada. “Tax is usually the biggest expense for ! " # founder Rob Chaulk, “and if you don’t have

$ taxes than necessary. That could be your biggest They approach tax planning on a year-round basis, working with clients to understand their business and industry. Investing in accounting and tax planning, and building a solid foundation businesses with greater peace of mind. ! " # $ Passion, fun and energy permeate their business; they enjoy what they do and want their clients to enjoy the accounting experience as well. Contact Audits R Us by email at info@auditsrus.ca %&' ()* ++

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Thursday, March 6, 2014 6W $OEHUW /HDGHU Photos by Andrew MacLeod - Gecko Photography

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Animals can be silent victims of domestic abuse

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

For many people, pets are like family. Unfortunately, that means they also sometimes become victims of family violence. But, for more than 20 years, Paradise Pet Centre and the Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society in St. Albert have teamed up to help furry friends find refuge from abusive situations. SAIF executive director Doreen Slessor said animals getting caught in the middle of abuse is a situation she has seen often over the years, but that’s why partnerships like the one with Paradise are so important. “They’re one of our biggest and best corporate partners in the community,� Slessor said. Adrian Theroux is the general manager of Paradise Pet Centre, and has worked there since 1994. He said the partnership has been in place for as long as he has worked there. “There are a lot of families that are involved with the store. Animals are a big part of family development, teaching kids responsibility and so forth. But on the other hand, they can be used as a tool by someone in an abusive situation,� he said.

“What SAIF stands for, we agree with, and we want to support them.� Most of the store’s support is monetary. When classes come in for field trips, there is a fee, but 100 per cent of that is donated to SAIF. They have also done other fundraisers and raffles, like one held recently where customers could guess the gender Spike, the store’s grey parrot mascot. If space in the store permits, Paradise has occasionally boarded small pets like guinea pigs and rabbits for people looking to get out of an abusive situation. “There aren’t a lot (of situations) where we can get right in there and help out; it’s mostly fundraising,� Theroux said. According to Slessor, pets sometimes become the first victims of domestic abuse. “Abusing the pets can be used as a power and control tactic by the abuser to show what they can do, what they’re able to do or what they will do,� she said. Pets can also become a barrier to leaving an abusive situation. According to a report by the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 59 per cent of abused women who had animals delayed leaving out of concern for their animals. “So many times we see at the SAIF Society, people say, ‘What about the dog?’ or ‘We’re not going to leave because the kids need their cat,’� Slessor said. “It’s a

huge factor in family violence. They’re the victims that can’t speak out for themselves.â€? Some of the stories that Slessor and Theroux have heard over the years are just heartbreaking — interviews in the Alberta SPCA report tell of cats being poisoned and choked, and dogs dying when women leave. But those interviews also tell of the strength and sympathy pets can provide to keep people going. “It just speaks to the bond people can have with their pets. ‌ Without animals in people’s lives, where would they be?â€? Theroux said. However, changes to provincial legislation mean that hopefully those heartbreaking stories will not need to be told so often. Pets can now be included in restraining orders and emergency protection orders as a way to get them and their human companions out of bad situations. “To be able to recognize a pet as a member of the family ‌ if you’re able to keep your pet safe, that’s another obstacle you don’t have to overcome in the whole process,â€? Slessor said. “Any way we can give more assistance to the people we work with, the more tricks we have in our tickle trunk, the more successful the families that are experience domestic violence are going to be.â€?

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Paisley, a three-month-old lab cross, was up for adoption last week at Paradise Pet Centre in St. Albert. The store has been partnering with the Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society for many years now to help get animals out of domestic abuse situations.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Handle with care

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

The Art Gallery of St. Albert is handling things with care with their newest exhibition. Featuring the work of artists Teresa Stieben, Susan Casault and Peter Ivens, Fragile Elements opens today (Thursday), shining a light on different aspects of the natural world. Stieben’s mixed media sculptures use found and recycled materials to replicate the birds’ nest she and her husband have seen start to disappear from natural areas like Big Lake and all around Alberta. “We started noticing how much the landscape is being torn up for one reason or another — more oil wells going in, pipelines going through,” said the Edmonton-based artist. “We really started noticing the landscape being altered quite a bit. And I started thinking, the more we are destroying our landscape, the less place these birds have to nest. … The thought that came to my mind was, ‘Who will hear the last birds sing?’” The materials Stieben uses range from paper to grass and leaves, all of which she either has on hand or finds at recycling

centres or garage sales. “Nothing could be bought new for this,” she said. “So it has that recycled, reused component in it.” And that has given her a new respect for the resourcefulness of birds. “The first (nests) were a total failure. They just kind of fell apart in my hands as I was trying to build them. I had to use a little more dexterity,” Stieben said. “I thought, ‘These birds are amazing!’” Stieben added that she doesn’t consciously use fragile materials, but it certainly helps convey her message about environmental sustainability. “What we do as human beings affects everything around us,” she said. “We’ve talked to farmers in different areas, and they say, years ago, they had lots of (songbirds), and now they have none.” Meanwhile, Casault, who lives on an acreage in Parkland County just west of Edmonton, uses pencil crayons to create drawings of various prairie flowers that are exceptionally detailed. “I’ve really concentrated on the close-up view,” she said. “There are a lot of textures and colours that people might not generally notice.” Casault said she works from photos she

Fragile Elements

Photos: GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Riverbend (above) and Humble Beginnings (right) by Peter Ivens are two of the many works included in the Art Gallery of St. Albert’s latest exhibit, Fragile Elements, which opens today (Thursday).

takes herself, and using pencil crayons allows her to go into that much detail. “I guess I’m just a detail person,” she said. “I love working with a pencil, and because the pencil is so small, you’re using a very controlled medium. I just love the whole drawing aspect of it, and coloured pencil allows you to get the detail because you’re working with such control.” She hopes that her drawings take people who see them back to their own childhood experiences.

“I think a lot of people are the same as me, and they’ve seen a lot of these natural elements themselves,” she said. “I just hope they enjoy the whole thing. I only draw what I enjoy myself.” Peter Ivens is bringing his work up from Calgary, including a number of watercolour paintings that focus on scenes of rivers and streams. Fragile Elements runs until April 26 at the Art Gallery of St. Albert (19 Perron Street).

Oscars alright, alright, alright BRUCE KIRKLAND Sun Media New Services

Photo: Sun Media New Services

Actress Lupita Nyong’o accepts the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role award for ‘12 Years a Slave’ onstage during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California.

Oscar is one generous golden guy: In the early going at the 86th Academy Award ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night, the awards were spread around. The task was accomplished so freely and widely that no trends emerged, no film could dominate the night and few categories went against the predictions of the experts. The expected began happening early: When the first envelope was opened on the stage of the Dolby Theatre, Jared Leto won as best supporting actor. This was for his stunning work in a transgendered role in Dallas Buyers Club, a drama about AIDS medicine. For weeks, the long-haired, blue-eyed eccentric had been touted as the winner for his big comeback role opposite best actor candidate Matthew McConaughey. Leto had taken almost six years off from his acting career, turning from the odd drama Mr. Nobody to other artistic pursuits such as music. Leto has been touring with his band 30 Seconds To Mars. Yet he was transformational in the role of Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club for Quebec director Jean-Marc

Vallee. And he was impressive in his acceptance speech for the Oscar, his first. This had been his first nomination, too. Leto told the audience in the Dolby Theatre that he was dedicating his Oscar “to the 36 million people who have lost the battle with AIDS.” Leto also waxed poetic about his mother and brother, his mom for “teaching me to dream” despite the challenges she had as a single mom, his brother for being his best friend. Dallas Buyers Club quickly won a second Oscar, this time for the artistically convincing makeup that helped Leto and McConaughey do their duty in the film. One of the night’s oddities was the quick low and then high for John Lasseter and the Walt Disney Animation Studio. The Disney animated short Get a Horse! —a brilliant intersection of vintage B&W with modern 3D in a Mickey Mouse cartoon — shockingly lost to a short from France and Luxembourg. Mr. Hublot, directed by two shy guys with little experience, accomplished the trick. But the fortunes of Disney changed in the best animated feature category. Frozen did what all the Oscarologists predicted: It thawed out and won an Oscar. In its case, Frozen beat

out Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises, the exquisite work of a Japanese master whom Lasseter admires and routinely honours. But Frozen has huge box office, great music and great accolades and that pushed it over the top. In some of the lesser categories, a wide variety of countries were given a shoutout, including Canada. The Oscar for best documentary short went to The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, a co-production of Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. Sadly, the star of the doc, Alice Sommer-Herz, died just a week ago at the age of 110. As for other categories, the American film 20 Feet from Stardom won as best documentary feature, the Danish film Helium won as best live action short and the Italian drama The Great Beauty won as best foreign language film. This is Italy’s 11th Oscar in this category from its 28 noms. There is one trend that has been hinted at: Gravity won the Oscar for best visual effects. It is expected to be the first of a clutch of technical awards for the innovative space thriller.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Bobak - war artist mourned She rose to lieutenant and became the first official female war artist with the canadian army in Europe in 1945. After the war, Bobak and her husband Bruno settled brief ly in ottawa and then returned to Vancouver in 1947 where she worked as an instructor in painting at the Vancouver School of art. They moved to Fredericton in 1960 and Bobak was awarded the order of Canada in 1995.

Sun Media News Services – The first canadian woman artist to be sent overseas to document canada’s war effort has died at age 95. Molly Lamb Bobak, who was born in Vancouver in 1920, died in Fredericton, n.B., on Sunday. Bobak began her formal art training in 1938 at the Vancouver School of art and joined the canadian Women’s army corps (cWac) in 1942, according to the website, militarymuseums.ca.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

S T. A L B E R T R E A L E S T A T E M A R K E T R E P O R T GRANDIN

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BRAESIDE

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OAKMONT

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$413,371

$572,214

$410,507

$442,175

$461,166

KINGSWOOD

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Low $469,900 / High $2,399,900

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$631,526

$547,339

$901,666

$894,400

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*The above area market averages represent the trailing 3-month averages, except where otherwise indicated, of single-family homes only as of the Friday prior to publication week. Data is provided by CRAIG PILGRIM of RE/MAX Real Estate (St. Albert), member of the Real Estate Association of Edmonton. Data does not include condos, townhomes or apartments, and does not differentiate between styles of homes. All efforts are made to ensure data is accurate for information purposes, but please consult a licensed real estate agent for additional market information.*Did you know source: City of St. Albert website, St. Albert 2012 Census AD{CS5147486}

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

HEALTH

35

Counsellor works to combat anxiety in kids CHRISTOPHER SCHIEMAN Special to the St. Albert Leader

In the years Susan Grinder worked as a school counsellor with the Greater St. Albert School District, she noticed a disturbing trend among many of the kids she had been helping out. More and more, she saw seeing students exhibiting signs of high anxiety. During this same period, Grinder was studying to complete her master’s degree in counselling psychology. Between her work and her studies, Grinder started focusing heavily and the causes and treatments for anxiety. “It really came out of necessity for the students,” Grinder explained. “I wound up completing my grad studies project on anxiety and it’s been my area of expertise every since.” Grinder started her career working as a trauma counsellor in 1990 but started working with schools through Saskatchewan and rural Alberta before taking root in St. Albert more than a decade ago. Through her work and research, Grinder recently opened her own counselling service practice in St. Albert, Charis Counselling (located in the Northern Alberta Business Incubator building at 13 Mission Ave.), where she works with individuals and families through the harmful effects of anxiety, which most practicing counsellors estimate affects 15 to 25 per cent of the population. Grinder specifically practices cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT), a practice that sees patients talking through their anxieties to help change their thought patterns and alter their feelings. Grinder explains that CBT is an alternative to medication that, through her firsthand research, has seen an 80 per cent success rate in helping patients alleviate their anxiety. In Grinder’s experience, anxiety has a far deeper effect than simply people feeling stressed and nervous. In her time working in both schools and her own private practice, she has seen anxiety affect marriages, families, and even personal health. “Adults have access to more that can help mask the

signs of anxiety,” says Grinder, “while children tend to outwardly show a lot more of the physical symptoms that can come about from anxiety.” Though Grinder understands that the way she talks and the comprehension of her patients varies from adults to children, she explains that the CBT techniques are virtually the same between each age group. Through treatments such as exposure therapy (exposing the client to small amount of what causes them anxiety in a safe environment), teaching how to be optimistic and thinking positively, and testing the reality of people’s thoughts, she’s able to help change the way people think about the things that cause them anxiety in between five to eight sessions and help them to continue living a normal life. “There have been times where I would see positive results in even less than five sessions,” Grinder points out. “For example, I had a child patient who was experiencing separation anxiety every time her parents dropped her off at school. Two sessions later, there wasn’t any more panic about separating from her parents.” Grinder has noted a sharp spike in how many children are suffering from anxiety today, and she chalks that up to children facing higher standards in school and taking on so many extra-curricular activities with little time to relax. But the anxiety itself isn’t what worries Grinder; it’s how kids cope with it. “When I work as a school counsellor, I often see kids coming through who have begun self-medicating because of their anxiety,” Grinder explains. “They don’t know how to handle it, so they turn to alcohol and tobacco and other drugs to try and cope.” As Grinder’s practice evolves, she hopes to start group therapy sessions for kids and teens. But for now, while she continues her practice as a school counsellor, her personal practice at Charis Counselling remains open Mondays and Saturdays. To find out more about Grinder’s work or to book an appointment, email info@chariscounselling.net or visit her website at www.chariscounselling.net.

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

St. Albert-based counsellor Susan Grinder says she has seen a big spike in kids dealing with anxiety issues over her career.

Scientists discover why dark chocolate is good for you QMI Agency Researchers have pinpointed the reason dark chocolate is good for your heart. Dark chocolate helps restore f lexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels, researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands found. For the study, 44 middle-aged, overweight men ate 70 grams of chocolate over two periods of four weeks. They received either dark chocolate with high f lavanol content or regular chocolate and the researchers recorded the effects. The study appears in the FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology). “The effect that dark chocolate has on our bodies is encouraging not only because it allows us to indulge with less guilt, but also because it could lead the way to therapies that do the same thing as dark chocolate but with better and more consistent results,” FASEB Journal editor Gerald Weissmann said in a press release.

Photo:s: Sun Media News Services

36

Thursday, March 6, 2014

FUN & GAMES

KNOW?

by Margie E. Burke

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Answer to Last Week's Crossword C O C H L E A M E D E V A C

A P R I O R I

R E E N T E R

D R E G S

S M A S O L E G U D M U I C E N E W A R E

S A K E D R S I P E A R N I A E N L O I N T

This week in history and celebrity birthdays

A C N E I R O N L A R D S M U O S A R P L E E D D I G R D R E A C C I G M A N E P D E S E S T R E Y

Formerly known as York, the City of Toronto ofďŹ cially incorporates, reverting to its original First Nations name, which means “place where trees stand in water.â€? While living in Boston, 29-year-old Alexander Graham Bell receives a U.S. patent for his revolutionary new invention: the telephone.

MARCH 8, 1982

Copyright 2014 by The Puzzle Syndicate

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G Y M N A S T R I S E

I T C H S H O O M E L T R O D E G O M I N G O N E S S S A G E G E L M I N E O T E M R A T E A T I N L E C T

The 62 trillion spam emails sent each year produce as many carbon dioxide emissions as 1.6 million cars. (discovery.com)

The British House of Commons passes the Canada Act, allowing Canada to patriate its Constitution.

MARCH 9, 1996

Legendary cigar-chomping comedian George Burns passes away just weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday.

MARCH 10, 2005

Gov.-Gen. Adrienne Clarkson announces she will create a trophy for women’s hockey in Canada, much like her predecessor Lord Stanley did for men’s hockey in 1892.

MARCH 11, 1935

The Bank of Canada begins operations under the watch of Governor Graham Towers.

MARCH 12, 1966

Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks scores his 51st goal of the season, becoming the ďŹ rst NHL player to score more than 50 in a single season.

SUMMER CAMP

AUGUST 18-22

Novice, Atom, Pee Wee, Bantam & Midget Servus Place, Northstar Hyundai Arena

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty : Easy

Copyright 2014 by The Puzzle Syndicate

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Photo: IAN KUCERAK, Sun Media News Services

Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle of the Edmonton Oilers help kids open the new Jubilee Park rink in northeast Edmonton last week.

DID YOU KNOW...

HOCKEY

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DID YOU

2

There are five differences between these two photos. Can you spot them all?

ACROSS 1 Rocky projection 5 Backpack part 10 Perched on 14 Bring on board 15 Barely chewable 16 Nada 17 All tied up 18 Wilde's "The ________ of Being Earnest" 20 Cheap way to live 22 Out like a light 23 Chisholm or Santa Fe 24 English assignment 26 Toy block brand 29 Stick with it 33 Add up 37 Hit the sauce 38 Quaint lodge 39 Spiral-shaped 42 Part of pewter 43 Salon specialty 45 Nomadic 47 Immune system booster 50 Upper hand 51 Bowler's button 53 Autumn bloomer 57 Like some fingerprints 60 As it happens 63 "Wait your turn!" 65 Type of rug 66 Night light? 67 Long-snouted critter 68 Be inclined 69 Time in office 70 Filing board 71 Counter current

1

ANSWERS: 1. ‘A’ removed from jersey; 2. Eyebrows removed from doll; 3. Gloves changed from orange to green; 4. CCM logo removed from helmet; 5. Stick wrap changed from pink to yellow.

The Weekly Crossword

110 - 20 Circle Drive, St. Albert 780-458-8720 info@grahamandassociates.ca AD{CS5148198}

37 Answers online at stalbertleader.com

Kids Krossword ART and ARTISTS Compiled by Leader staff

DOWN

PROF. DONKEY’S DICTIONARY

WHAT IF?

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

IN THE STANDS

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

PRINCESS

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

THE BOO BIRDS

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

HOYLE & GUS

Thursday, March 6, 2014

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

ACROSS 3) Blank slate for painters 4) Film or digital 6) Made up of many images 10) Black-and-white drawings 11) Giant paintings, often outdoors 12) Place to create 15) Working clay on a wheel 16) Shaping wood, metal or stone

© 2014 FROGLE COMICS

1) French Impressionist (1840-1926) 2) Famously cut off his left ear 4) Spanish co-founder of Cubism 5) Paint that comes in tubes 7) Paint made of plastic polymers 8) Canvas supporter 9) Paint that mixes with H2O 11) “The food of love” — Shakespeare 13) Patchwork blanket making 14) Designing and making clothes

Winter is Best Time to Learn to Drive

If you can drive in winter then you can drive anytime!

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Kids Age 6-14 Years

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MAY 24 - 25

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38

Thursday, March 6, 2014

BUSINESS

That’s how the cookie crumbles GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Susan Zarowny’s neighbours know she’s working hard when the whole neighbourhood smells amazing. Zarowny is the owner of a Cookie Crumbles franchise based out of the basement of her home in the Grandin subdivision of St. Albert. There, she cranks out pail after pail of cookie dough and bag after bag of muffin mix — all of which are free of nuts, peanuts and trans fats — for schools and other community groups all over northern Alberta to sell as a fundraiser. “Schools, clubs, organizations — everyone needs to raise money,” she said. “And I feel we do have good products. ... I really do believe in our products.” For example, a pail of cookie dough sells for $20, and the community group selling it gets $5 of that. And because there’s a lot of competition in this space in Alberta, Zarowny will add extra incentives on top of that base amount. Before getting involved with Cookie Crumbles, Zarowny worked for 16 years at Pro Western Plastics

in St. Albert’s Riel Business Park — where Cookie Crumbles was one of the clients — working her way up from receptionist to territory manager. “I guess (the folks at Cookie Crumbles) noticed I maybe didn’t have as much enthusiasm as I had before,” Zarowny said with a laugh. “There were two girls who owned (Cookie Crumbles) at that time, and one of them had come to pick up pails from Meadow Lake, Sask., and she put this envelope in front of me.” After six or seven months, Zarowny decided to take the plunge. And what really sold her on the concept was the fundraising factor and the knowledge that what she was selling would do some good in the community. In the basement, Zarowny has perfected her assembly line over the years. It starts on one side of the door, and ingredients are added as the batch moves along counters around the outside of the room before it goes into one of two giant mixers. Then it is packaged, labelled and sent out the very same door it came in through. “One cousin I have, we could really put out stuff in a day We had really

perfected what we were doing,” she said with a laugh. Those products — along with others like coffee, tea and cookbooks — have gone to places like Sherwood Park, Drayton Valley, Whitecourt, Edson, Jasper and even as far as Fort St. John, B.C. “One little town can embrace you totally, and another will say, ‘You’re from the city. We don’t want anything to do with you,’” she said. “... If someone wants to do a fundraiser, I’ll do my best to get it there.” While things are extremely busy every fall just after students get back to class and sports start up, business tends to slow down heading into the spring. “October, November and December are totally (crazy), and then it slows down after that,” Zarowny said. “Even ... the amount I do in the fall spread over three or four months into the springtime would be excellent.” As for the future, Zarowny doesn’t have huge plans — perhaps installing a used chair lift to help her get ingredients down those basement stairs and installing a standup freezer in her garage.

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14,289.86 Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Susan Zarowny owner of st. Albert based Cookie Crumbles franchise. Which sells cookie dough and muffin mix to schools and other community groups for fundraisers. “I don’t want to get big. I don’t want to have to buy a facility or rent a facility or whatever else,” she said. “If I could double what I do, life would be fine. I don’t want the hassles of having to look for another place.” For more information on Cookie Crumbles, email susan@ cookiecrumbles.ca or visit their website at www. cookiecrumbles.ca.

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St. Albert inventor adds some flavour to Dragon’s Den LEADER STAFF St. Albert Leader

Local television sets will be filled with some local f lavour next week. St. Albert’s Troy Biever, who also owns Panago Pizza on Bellerose drive, will have the pitch for his new product Flavor Fork featured on the upcoming Dragon’s Den. His journey began back in 2011 as Photo Supplied

Troy Biever (right), owner/inventor of Flavor Fork demonstrates his product to Kevin O’Leary on CBC’s Dragon Den.

he felt there had to be a better way to add f lavour to his barbecue. “I was tired of dried out meats that I had to cover in barbecue sauce. Why couldn’t I put it right in the meat?” quizzed Biever as he reminisced about the early beginnings. After lots of design and development, including prototyping with an industrial designer, it was onto production. The Flavor Fork’s

signature purpose, which according to the company website, is to assist in f lavoring your meat by either infusing your favorite f lavor in your meat or by brushing it on top. Biever launched the product in the summer of 2012 with his first test run and he was able to get the product into a few Canadian Tires, local festivals and proudly into locally owned D’Arcy’s Meat Shop. When asked about the Dragon’s Den experience, he said “It was an exhilarating experience. It was an investment pitch with the sensationalism of reality television.” He did feel a bit overwhelmed at

times and was surprised to not see a single camera during the pitch. He credits the great work of St. Albert’s Nova NAIT and the Northern Alberta Business Incubator (N.A.B.I.) for helping him prepare for the experience which he went onto say was “90 seconds of pitch and 45 minutes of explaining what you have if they like what you have.” The Dragon’s Den episode featuring Flavor Fork runs Wednesday, March 12th on CBC. For more information on Flavor Fork, visit their website at www. f lavorfork.com

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

What a can opener can teach you about the customer KURIAN THARAKAN Special to the St. Albert Leader

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Although canning was invented in the 1790’s, the can opener WAS NOT invented until 1855 – a full 60 years later!!

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Items such as these are often sources for angst among your customers and allow great opportunity for you to differentiate.  Browse, select, buy, play, organize all in one system. In a previous post, we used the example of Apple’s entry into the crowded mp3 player market in 2001. By itself, the iPod is just another music device, but with a PROPRIETARY integration into the iTunes ecosystem, the Total Customer Experience is transformed. Browse, select, buy, play, organize all in one system. Other mp3 manufacturers are going to have a tough time breaching this moat. And the more tunes the customer buys, the more playlists they create, the deeper and wider that moat becomes.  By understanding the elements of the Total Customer Experience, entirely new opportunities for your business will open up. Kurian Tharakan is the Executive in Residence for NABI.

Photo: Metro News Service

. ST HE TAC

The canning of foods was a novel and highly useful invention developed in the late 1790’s, prodded forward by a French military contest to develop a safe method for preserving and transporting food. One of the large constraints on military campaigns at that time was that the starting of wars was typically limited to the summer months as that was when food was most plentiful. The military contest awarded the sum of 12,000 francs to Nicolas Appert, an inventor who discovered that food cooked inside a jar did not spoil until the seal was broken. Thus the canning industry and canned food was born. Over the next few decades, the processes became perfected, and canned foods became essential in military campaigns and in such expeditions as to the north and south poles. Eventually canned food rose to become a high status item in the pantries of many European households. The strategy lesson in this story lies in the TCE, or Total Customer Experience. Although canning was invented in the 1790’s, the can opener WAS NOT invented until 1855 – a full 60 years later!! Until that time, customers relied on knives, bayonets, and other sharp instruments to remove the lids from the can, sometimes injuring themselves in the process. Relief came when Robert Yeates invented the lever type can opener that greatly eased the customer experience of getting to the contents of the can. It would be another 50 years before the

double wheel design that we know today came into being. Too often, businesses focus entirely on perfecting the product at the expense of understanding the Total Customer Experience SURROUNDING the product. Things like:

PUBLIC CONSULTATION SESSION Grandin Mall, St. Albert Proposal to obtain a Development Permit in a Direct Control Mixed Use District Date: March 25, 2014 Time: 6:30-8:30pm (presentation at 7:00pm) Location: Grandin Mall (east end by Scotia Bank) Members of the public are invited to participate in a public consultation session intended to provide the community with information concerning Amacon’s proposal for the redevelopment of Grandin Mall and to gather feedback. The Phase one development applications include a development permit application and plan of subdivision application to allow 145 residential units in two new mid-rise structures (consistent with the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan (DARP) and Direct Control Mixed Use (DCMU), the partial demolition of the mall (retaining the Scotia Bank), the retention of the office tower, and a new sales centre. At 7:00pm, the proponent will present an overview of the overall master plan for the site focusing on the key elements of the Phase 1 development. This public meeting will offer an opportunity for the public to provide input to the proponent and the City about this proposal.

For further information contact: Inger Jenset, Planning and Design Consultant Phone: 416-340-9004 ext. 349 Email: ijenset@urbanstrategies.com

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