Despite all the advance hype to the contrary, it appears computer systems in Lethbridge survived the Conficker computer worm scare unscathed Wednesday. Local experts say all the attention focused on the potential carnage shouldn’t be viewed as wasted time, however.

“It’s always a valuable opportunity to educate the public,” said Darren Shell, information security manager at the University of Lethbridge.

As of April 1, the worm was programmed to “call home” for additional instructions, though it is not clear what those instructions were. A quick survey of some of the city’s largest institutions which rely heavily on computers Wednesday revealed no major problems, causing some to compare it to the null event of the supposed Y2K computer bug as year 2000 rolled in.

Although it, too, was spared, the City of Lethbridge wasn’t taking any chances.

“We keep the systems up-to-date on an ongoing basis for any virus that may be coming our way,” said Sabina Visser, the general manager for information technology at the City of Lethbridge. “In preparation for Conficker, we ran scans to confirm we haven’t been infected.”

The Conficker worm has had many variants since first appearing on the Internet in November of 2008. In January, a version was released that had the ability to spread through network shares, USB drives, and peer-to-peer networks.

The latest version was supposed to be able to shut down security software, and block computers from accessing security vendor websites.

If computer users aren’t sure if they might have been infected with the worm or another Internet virus, local experts say the inability to enter tech support websites like Microsoft.com or TrendMicro.com is an indication they may not have escaped the bug.

According to a CBSNews.com video, “as many as 10 million computers have been infected. The worm is now living on millions of computers, mainly in corporations. So far, the bad guys haven’t triggered Conficker, it’s just sitting there, like a sleeper cell.”

” I think this is going to be a big problem in countries where computers can’t be updated, because they’re running pirated software,” said Dean Johnson, manager of network services at Lethbridge College.

Whether it’s the Conficker worm or some other virus which threatens to cause turmoil in the future, those in the industry all seem to agree that being proactive on a corporate and consumer level is key. Everyone needs to be much more careful in what websites and links they click on, because it only takes a moment for a computer to become infected.

“Keep your antivirus up to date, (and don’t open) attachments you don’t recognize,” said Ray Still, a computer technician with Geek Delivery in Lethbridge. “Be careful of websites, of what you’re downloading, (and) don’t let your computer think for you, because it can’t.”

Originally posted 2009-04-15 21:19:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The donation was made by the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 4, poppy campaign. The Wii systems have been lauded by caregivers for its ability to stimulate patients’ minds and improve their overall motor functions.

The Southern Alberta Renal Program provides lifesaving dialysis treatments to more than 70 residents, some of whom are war veterans, are all from the Lethbridge area. The treatments can last up to five hours in duration. The donation of the Wii system allows the patients to have some fun as they wait for those hours to pass.

Originally posted 2009-04-11 21:21:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It’s all in an effort to raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, which uses the money raised to support its programs. The campaign kicks off today.

“We go into the business and say ‘you’ve been sent an Easter greeting,” says Rick Austin, executive director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Lethbridge. “(The sender) wants to put a smile on your face, and for a donation, we will pass your greeting on to someone else. People can give any amount they feel comfortable with.”

Austin says once enough volunteer drivers are found, the promotion almost takes care of itself. Anyone with three hours to spare for the cause, or those looking to send a special Easter message, is asked to contact the office at 403-328-9355.

Although 50 baby chicks were purchased for the fundraiser, only 25 will be on the road at any given time. The chicks will be kept warm during their travels, and are kept fed and given water. The SPCA has given the promotion the thumbs-up and the chicks will be sent to a farm once it is concludes.

“This campaign is to help us market ourselves better so we can get more mentors for our children, that’s what it’s all about,” says Austin.

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization matches young people with responsible, caring adults who mentor and spend quality time with them. Currently, they have matched 75 young people, ranging from ages 6 to 16, with carefully selected, mature adults, and approximately 40 children remain on the waiting list.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters have three different programs available to volunteer mentors, which allows adults with different schedules to donate some of their time to spending time with kids who can use a friend.

“One is a traditional program, where they meet with the child two to three times a week after school,” says Austin. “We have the in-school mentoring program, where they meet for an hour a week at the school with the child, (and) we have an occasional meeting program.”

“If the mentor feels like they don’t have the time, we can meet with the child for once-a-month, at three to four hours. The child stays on the waiting list, but at the least the child does get contact.”

Currently, the wait time for a Big Brother or Big Sister is around 600 days, which they believe is too long of a wait.

Originally posted 2009-04-11 21:17:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

There are many events taking place this summer, but here is a glimpse at what’s coming up this Spring in Lethbridge.

The Lethbridge Philatelic Society (stamp society) has created stamps to commemorate the centennial.

“The first stamps we’ve done is based on the logo that the Allied Arts has developed,” said Jonathan Dean, a member of the Lethbridge Stamp Society. “We are also developing two other stamps of the bridge, one of the bridge under construction, and then a modern day stamp, which is the one we’ll be printing.”

The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra will hold a concert, and the Galt Museum and will have bridge-related exhibits. They will be putting on their final concert of the season, titled ‘Bridge to Fini’ on May 4 at the Southminster United Church at 8 p.m.. They will be joined by a very special guest, 13-year old piano prodigy Jan Lisieski.

“Our entire symphony this year has been on the building bridges theme, metaphorically,” said Dawn Leite, general manager of the Lethbridge Symphony Association. “We’re actually performing a piece by Villa-Lobos called “The Little Train of the Brazilian Countryman”. It depicts the sounds a steam locomotive makes when it’s on the tracks.”

For more information, contact Dawn Leite at the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra at 403-328-6808.

The Galt Museum has a few events taking place to celebrate the bridge’s centennial.

The Galt will start off their celebrations for the High Level Bridge centennial with their ‘Feast By the Bridge’ spring fundraiser on May 8 at 6:30 p.m., followed by the grand opening of their newest exhibit, ‘The Mighty Bridge’, open from May 9 to Sept 20. It will feature an immersive experience that will allow visitors to learn a great deal about the High Level Bridge, how it was built, what it would have been like to live in Lethbridge at the time of construction, and what the bridge means to the city of Lethbridge.

“People will be given a train ticket when they come (to) the admissions desk, and that ticket will guide them through the viewing gallery, and the permanent gallery, where they’ll stop along the way to look at elements of influence that the CPR had on Lethbridge and Southern Alberta,” said Wendy Aitkins, curator at the Galt Museum. “They will go into the main exhibit, (but) to access that, they’re going to have to cross a mural on the floor and it (will) actually give people the impression of walking across the bridge and looking down between their feet and between ties and tracks into the valley below.”

There will also be a slideshow that will display historic photographs of the construction of the bridge, and a map that will show how the railway line changed changed when the bridge was built.

The Galt will also be holding a photo exhibition from May 9 to May 20 to showcase local artwork depicting the bridge through the years.

“We have done a competition, and we have chosen 31 photographs, and they will be shown on our main floor and in our meeting room,” said Aitkins. “The other is the Lethbridge Artists Club, and we have 14 paintings that the members have produced on the lower floor gallery.“

For more information, contact the Galt Museum at 403-320-3898.

The Lethbridge Community Gold Band will be presenting ‘Bridging the Arts’ on May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Yates Theatre. There will be performance with drums, music, and dancing. Tickets are $15, and are available at the Yates.

They will also be joined by the University of Lethbridge Gold Drums and dancers from the Irish Dance Academy.

For further information about the Community Gold Band, contact the Allied Arts Council at 403-320-0555.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 22:52:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The new system, a partnership between Alberta’s post-secondary schools and the Government of Alberta, can be accessed by going to ApplyAlberta.ca. The online application is not available yet, but it will provide a secure online application and transcript transfer system by the fall school term.

The University of Lethbridge will join the University of Calgary and Grant MacEwan in the pilot project this spring. All 21 publicly funded institutions in Alberta will join the project this fall, allowing all students to use the system to apply for the Winter 2010 term.

The registrar at the U of L claims the new system will only take 20 minutes to complete, compared to the tedious and time-consuming task of completing multiple applications for different institutions, which take 10 to 15 minutes each.

There will be no cost to use the website, although each institution will still charge an application processing fee. The system will also provide the ability to transfer high school transcripts at no charge. At present, there is a one-time charge of $10 for that service.

According to Leslie Lavers, associate vice-president and registrar at the U of L , the system has been designed for ease of use and navigation and it will replace the existing online application system.

“One parent indicated that it was ‘so slick’ he wanted to to apply, too! Another student indicated that the online process was very easy to follow, especially the U of L section,” said Debi Sandul, the U of L’s associate registrar and project leader for the ApplyAlberta system.

In the future, features will be added to the service, including information on financial assistance and transfer credit information.

Originally posted 2009-04-11 20:56:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

She is the very first recipient of the award in the association’s history.

As she stood in front of a crowd of friends, family, and media, she talked a bit about some of the things she has done, but spent most of the time having fun being the centre of attention and making a few jokes to lighten the mood.

The manager of the Pemmican Lodge, Roger Hacior, said she is fully of “ideas and vitality”, as he handed her the award.

As she held up the award, which looked like a glass star on a pedestal, she almost appeared to tear up a little and she looked at the crowd.

“I really appreciate the fact you think I’m worthy of it all,” said Ewing as she accepted the award from the ASCHA, and a certificate from the City of Lethbridge, which was presented by Mayor Bob Tarleck.

This is not the first award she’s won for her volunteering efforts. She was awarded by the City of Lethbridge in 2001, and the Government of Canada during the international Year of Volunteers.

Many would think that a woman of her age should be relaxing, drinking tea, and either napping or knitting. Ewing prefers to spend her time volunteering, helping in the kitchen, playing Bingo, and she loves playing horseshoes.

She volunteers once a month at a local elementary school, leads a seniors exercise class twice a week, and is an avid 10-pin bowler.

“I’m keeping busy, and those dolls for Africa keep me busy,” said Ewing. “I’ve done almost 300 now in the two years (since) I started doing the dolls.”
She has lived a full life, living in different places, having a family, taking care of a farm, and having jobs she enjoyed. She speaks very highly of everything she’s been able to experience.

“I was born in Vulcan,” said Ewing. “I did all my schooling in High River, right to Grade 12, after that I was a telephone operator.”

She has a very large family that she is incredibly proud of. She has 4 children, 19 grandchildren, and 21 great grand children.

“I got married a couple of times,” Ewing said, “ I had all these kids, all these grandkids.”

For work, she was a mom, but she was also a receptionist for a few years, then and her family ran a farm for 25 years.

“I worked in the Galt Museum, I was a receptionist there, when it was the hospital,” she said. “I was there a couple of years, and I worked in another place as a receptionist.”

“Then I got married and went to the farm at Carmangay,” she said. “I was there 25 years, I guess, it was a mixed farm, we had lots of pigs, lots of cattle, and grain.”

She then moved into a house in Lethbridge because her husband became ill. She then decided to move into the Pemican Lodge, which she loves.

“We lived in a condo and sold that,” she said. “They were just building this, and I thought this is kind of a nice place, so I think I’ll move here.”

“I really like living in a seniors place like this because it’s very nice. They treat you so well here, and the meals are excellent, I think it’s a wonderful place for seniors.”

Ewing can’t say enough good things about Alberta, and especially about Lethbridge.

“It’s the best place in the world to live, so is Alberta,” she said. “If you stay here long enough, (and) if you ever go away, you will come back.”

She says with enthusiasm that she will continue doing all these different things for years to come.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 23:05:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

18 singers, drummers, and dancers from Soweto, South Africa are bringing their unique performance, titled ‘Memeza Africa’ to Lethbridge. The show features African and Canadian music combined with traditional African rhythms and dance.

They will perform at the Immanuel Lutheran Church (on the westside) on Tuesday, May 5.

The group was put together by Alberta singer and songwriter Holly Wright, and provides a wonderful cultural experience with fascinating stories.

Memeza Africa was created by Wright’s determination to re-record her song “The World Shall Love Again” while she was living in South Africa.  She collaborated with Jimmy Mulovhedzi and together, through their mutual passion for the song, decided to bring their cultures together through music. This ultimately led to the Memeza Africa, according to www.memezaafrica.org.

Memeza Africa has toured Western Canada before with sold-out shows, and has had a terrific response from audiences, including thunderous applause and people weeping with emotion.

The ensemble features singing and incredible dancing with traditional African drums and acoustic guitar in a very unique blend of style and sound.

The resilience and spirit of the people helped them overcome difficulties in their lives, and brought them together, making Soweto the home of South African freedom music, the website says.

They have shared stages with Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, KD Lang, Quincy Jones, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and performed at the FIFA confederation Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The performances are not simply for entertainment sake, as they convey important messages on what life is like in Soweto, such as post-apartheid experiences, and the huge impact of HIV-AIDS in South Africa.

By supporting and enjoying the show, audiences are providing income to the performers, and as a result, their families back home in South Africa. The website also makes a point to mention that the the income that the show provides for each performer directly is shared among all family and extended family members.

For more information, call Carlene Shaw at 780-940-9043.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 23:13:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

A group of five visitors from Scotland arrived in Lethbridge this week, and while they’ve been enjoying the sights like any other tourists, they’re also getting a closer look at how this community works.

They found the opportunity to visit Canada through the annual Rotary Foundation Study Exchange program. Last year, the Rotarians sent a number of Albertans to Scotland and this year they brought the Scottish contingent here to not only be tourists, but gain a better understanding of how people in other cultures do jobs similar to theirs back home.

Maura Edwards, a dentist in Scotland, noted dental health-care services are not included in Alberta’s universal health care, as it is in the United Kingdom.

The group, which will spend three days and four nights in Lethbridge as part of their Canadian tour, said their initial impressions of the city were all positive.

“Whoop-Up Drive was unique. We also went over to the Rotary Plaza, and Galt (Gardens), and I believe you’re very proud of what’s happening (here) – that’s what it’s all about,” said Jimmy Johnston, a former school principal of 31 years and now chief executive of his own company.

When asked what stands out about Lethbridge, the answers varied from the design of the city to the amount of trucks and RVs and, of course, our famous High Level Bridge.

“The railway bridge is quite spectacular, a real icon. We’ve got the Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland, on the east coast, between Edinburgh and Fife, but I can see a similarity,” said Edwards.

Wallace Turpie has spent his time in Lethbridge looking at some of the local hostels and walking around Henderson Lake.

“The planning and design of the city, it’s much different than back home. I think that’s purely because of the availability of land, much more space. The suburbs are a bit more spaced out, and the roads are bigger and wider,” said Turpie, who works in human resources and social services in Scotland.

Martin Duggan admitted he wasn’t sure about wanting to take part in the exchange at first until a family member convinced him what a great time participants have.

“I actually found out I was coming the exact same day I found out my divorce came through, so, (a) great day,” he said, with a smile.

The visitors also got to take in a slice of Canadiana, a Lethbridge Hurricanes hockey game Wednesday.

“It was a bit unlucky that the Hurricanes got canned. It’s the first hockey game we’ve been to, we really enjoyed it. (The big sports back home are) football, soccer, golf, sailing, rugby as well,” said Turpie.

Robin Hood, a past-president of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge, pointed out Rotarians are not eligible to participate in the program.

“The team leader, Jimmy Johnston, is a Rotarian, but the rest of them are non-Rotarians. They’re people between 25 and 40 in some sort of profession, and this is to learn how their vocation is done in a different country, and give them the opportunity to network, learn the culture,” said Hood, who escorted the group of Albertans to Scotland.

Originally posted 2009-04-15 21:30:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It will reopen Wednesday in the new location on the corner of 4 Avenue and 8 Street South.

“It’s something I’ve wrestled with for probably over two years. The final decision was made in September of last year, when we made an agreement in principle with the developer for the Paramount,” said studio owner Mark Orenstein.

The company has been in business at 105 8 St. S. since 1921. The building is the former rectory of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, built in 1883.

“To be current in this facility, a massive amount of work needed to be done to bring the building up to a level where we could function in the environment we wanted to function in,” Orenstein said. “That’s what it came down to for us; what’s the best thing for us as a business? We didn’t feel like we could give our best service in this existing place over the long term.”

The new facility has modern amenities not possible in their historic building.

“It’s not wheelchair accessible, and with the aging population that we have, it’s becoming more of an issue,” he said. “Maintenance of the building was getting worse. We wanted to stay in the downtown core. We feel very strongly attached to downtown Lethbridge. The Paramount, the way they’ve renovated it. . . we’re getting the benefit of getting new construction and full accessibility.”.

The new location allowed Orenstein to design studios from scratch in a more open environment, and the atmosphere in which clients will be photographed is far superior to the current location.

“It’s not 1921 anymore. Things change and we need to be willing to change, and not for the sake of change, but because we want to stay current,” Orenstein said.

The de Jourdan’s business was managed by three generations of the de Jourdan family.

The original de Jourdan photographer, Pierre de Jourdan, purchased the 8 Street property from the Catholic Church in 1921, both to live in and work out of.
Pierre handed the business down to his son, John, and his son, Patrick, inherited the company. Orenstein purchased the company from Patrick in 2004.

The new location provides the space to be more creative and photograph larger groups than the studio typically had in the past.

“We’ve added a second room for when we’re photographing for things like graduation and business portraits. It streamlines the functionality and we can multitask better.”
As part of the move, de Jourdan’s is taking the opportunity to create a modern image of the company.

“We’ve rebranded visually with a new logo and visual brand, new website, all launched to coincide with the move, (but) it’s still the same visual service that people have been coming to us for years for,” he said.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 22:10:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The exhibit creates a truly engaging experience, because instead of wondering the meaning behind each portrait, visitors can hear it directly from the people the portraits are depicting. Archival material including letters, photographs, and audio recordings of interviews and songs are also being sent to Germany to be part of the exhibit.

“One of the reasons I’m really excited about this exhibition is because we’re sending it to a big city, Hannover,” says Josephine Mills, the director and curator of the U of L Art Gallery. “We’re sending it a really excellent museum, and it’s going to get the University of Lethbridge’s name out there,” says Mills.

“We’re reaching audience in other parts of the world by bringing the work to them.”

Mills says art galleries try to tour their exhibits as much as possible, and admits that it’s a lot easier to tour within Canada then having to worry about Customs and bureaucracy when bringing artwork to other countries. Though, by doing so, allows new audiences to see the artwork.

The exhibit has already been sent to a museum in Hannover, Germany, and will remain there from April 24 to Aug 2, 2009. Mills will attend the grand opening in Germany on April 24.

The focus of the artwork is on the First Nations portraits and the context of de GrandMaison’s life and career. The goal of the exhibit is to expand on the European interpretation of First Nations peoples and culture in Canada on European-trained artists working in Canada.

“The exhibition was selected from the University of Lethbridge’s extensive holding of Nicholas de Grandmaison pastels and paintings as well as our holding of achival material,” says Mill. “We are delighted to send an exhibition to such a significant museum.”

Unfinished sketch books are also included in the exhibit to provide a glimpse into de GrandMaison’s process.

“[The Hannover is] taking a major exhibition for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, of aboriginal objects, produced by aboriginal people,” says Mills. “They wanted to expand and have a perspective of the interpretation of aboriginal life by a European artist, their work changed with contact with aboriginal people. Our exhibition, plus some work for the Glengo Museum and from the White Museum in Banff. As well as providing more Western Canadian content.”

Gordon Synder is the guest curator for the exhibition, and he did a tremendous amount of research and work into deciding which of de GrandMaison’s works to include in the exhibition.

“The artist’s passion for depicting leaders and ordinary members of many different First Nations communities is clearly apparent in these powerful works,” says Snyder.

“He realized their traditional way of life would soon diminish and he began painting the Plains Indians in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta – eventually capturing subjects from as far north as the Queen Charlotte Islands and south to the deserts of the Southwestern United States.”

The federal government in has greatly cut funding to Canada arts and culture, and that includes costs to showcasing our culture outside of Canada with touring exhibits. This has led the U of L Arts Gallery to organize the exhibit by themselves, and via a Canadian-German arts consultant. The museum is paying the cost of bringing it to Hannover.

de GrandMaison  was born in 1892 in Russia. He studied art, music, history, languages, music, cartography, and topography before immigrating to Canada in 1923, after spending most of the First World War in a POW camp in Germany.

He settled in Winnipeg, where his passion for getting to know the First Nations people. “He painted business owners, ranchers, lawyers, politicians, that was were he earned his living,” says Mills. “His passion was recording the faces and stories of First Nations people in Western Canada, and that’s what shown in this exhibition.”

Originally posted 2009-04-11 20:47:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter