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

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

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

“They make it disappear, they don’t use it anymore. Somehow, they haven’t gotten around to throwing it out,” says deGroot.

The same people are invited to join workshops in which participants will collaborate and discover new uses for those everyday items.

“We [will] engage in unrehearsed games that lead us to seeing them in a different way, like sorting them, dismantling them, and looking at their parts, seeing them in association with others, [and] inventing new stories about these objects,” says deGroot.

“Eventually, I will leave Lethbridge with these objects; the community’s burden will become mine. Maybe I’ll do that in other cities, too; this really has started here, [an] idea born in Lethbridge.”

deGroot has been in countries throughout Europe, and across Canada doing similar projects, all of which require community participation, and that’s by design, it’s how she works as an artist.

“I’ve travelled a lot, because all of these projects bring me to lots of different places. I did a project in a textile factory in Italy. I exhibited in Italy, England, [and France], I speak all three languages,” explains deGroot.

deGroot has been a professional artist for more than 10 years. She finished her Bachelor of Arts and her Masters at the University of Quebec in 1997 in Montreal, where she’s from.

Since then, she’s gone where people and places have inspired her to create her exhibits.  She never knows exactly how each project will end, but in her research, she always knows how it will start.

“I never know how they’re going to end. It’s step by step, like how people are going to respond to what I’m asking them [during a project],” deGroot explains.

When asked what brings her to each community, deGroot says it’s all about networking and connecting with people and with places. It’s not a particular inspiration.

“It’s not the fact that they invite me and I come. It’s a matter of how do I live while I’m here,” says deGroot.
Each project costs money, and so does each plane ticket, not to mention the cost of living in each city.

To solve this, deGroot finds a job within the community to pay for the cost of each project, and in the case of her current Lethbridge project, she was able to obtain a grant to cover her costs of living.

“We’re arranged with the University, [which] is kind of a partner in this project. While I’d be here at the gallery, [I will] also be teaching a course. So, I’m more linked to the community, more grounded,” says deGroot.

“As you might know, the gallery here in closing and they’re renovating. They’re opening, in March, a temporary space. They have this year coming up on exhibitions and projects that deal with this idea of renovation, renewal, and transformation,” says deGroot about why she was invited to show her exhibit at the gallery.

deGroot’s exhibit, The Burden of Objects, will open in the Southern Alberta Art Gallery’s temporary downtown Lethbridge location in early March. The temporary gallery is located at 324-5th Street south (the 3rd Street location is under renovation).

Interested participants can bring their objects in a bag or box, where they will be given a questionnaire to fill out about each object, along with a short description about the item.

People can participate with their objects on March 18 and April 1st from 5pm to 7pm. Everyone in the community can join in. There are no fees to participate.

Originally posted 2009-02-28 20:14:45. 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

Not only has 2009 been designated as the Year of Astronomy, it also marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first use of a primitive telescope as well as the evolution of technology and the interest he inspired in the astronomers who followed him to continue researching the planets.

Speaking at Thursday’s Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs luncheon, Barry Olson discussed the advances the human race has made since the days of Galileo, and the big picture of what we have learned.

“It’s a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society, stimulating worldwide interest,” said Olson, president of the Lethbridge Astronomy Society as well as a research scientist at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

While many organizations attempt to capture the interest of the public in astronomy, he said this year locally they’re bringing it to a more “aggressive level.”

They would like everyone to experience a “Galileo moment” this year, whether it might be learning about the phases of the moon or the true meaning of falling stars.

“We want to bring the science to the public and have them engage in some level of understanding,” he said.

Olson admits it was not Galileo alone who sparked interest in what exists beyond our own planet. We have been using the stars for navigation for hundreds of centuries, but it was Galileo’s desire and passion for astrology that revolutionized modern views of what our galaxy looks like.

“It was in 1609 when Galileo’s observations revolutionized astronomy and changed world views profoundly in terms of how we saw the universe,” he said.

In 300 BC, Aristotle suggested the Earth was the centre of the universe. Many years later, Aristarchus claimed it was the sun that was the centre of the universe.

That model hung around for several hundred centuries, until the early 1500s. Copernicus, a gentleman from Poland, reinvented the sun-centred concept.

“In those days, because of the way society was governed, when people started talking about those sorts of concepts, they got into a lot of trouble,” said Olson.

As the years passed, many astronomers began to suspect every star in the sky was a different galaxy, which led them to believe our own star, or sun, was the centre of the universe. They also discovered the objects surrounding those planets were orbiting those stars.

“(Galileo) looked at Jupiter, and discovered it has four bright satellites around it,” he said. “Over a period of time, he noticed that they moved, so he concluded that they were gravitationally attracted to Jupiter, and they were actually orbiting the planet.”

Galileo then noticed Venus moved as well, and was also orbiting the sun, due to the changes in phase of shadows on each planet. He decided if Jupiter and Venus orbit the sun, the Earth must, as well.

Eventually, the church at the time condemned his theories and sentenced him not to death, but to house arrest, where he spent the rest of his life.

People such as Albert Einstein championed him as the father of modern science, and Galileo has received similar praise from many well-known philosophers and astronomers.

“We now, of course, know that the sun is just a regular star, and it’s a member of a collection of stars and dust and gas that we call a galaxy. We name our home galaxy ‘The Milky Way’ galaxy, and it’s actually located out in one of the suburbs of one of the spiral arms (of our universe),” said Olson.

Our star is one of what is estimated to be 200 billion stars in our galaxy alone, which is why Olson insists we can’t be the only life out there, and that there must be something else, though we have yet to discover it.

Originally posted 2009-04-11 21:14:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It started with upgrading a couple of exhibits, and once the funds were approved and partners got involved and donations started coming in, the process simply continued.

“Relating to the firearms side alone, we ended up receiving a provincial grant for $125,000 for the overall exhibit,” said Doran Degenstein, executive director at Fort Whoop Up. “We received an additional $71,000 from the City of Lethbridge from the community capital project. As a society, we raised another $55-60,000 to finish the project, and in addition to that, that’s where the in-kind donations started. It would be in the neighborhoods of $250-$350,000.”

Degenstein was quick to mention the contributors that have helped make the new exhibits possible, despite the costs.

“It’s expensive for us, we don’t enjoy near the funding that our counterparts in the city (Calgary) do,” said Degenstein. “By having these new exhibits and doing the upgrades, it just makes it easier to do the job, and it increases visitation. In addition to the reconstruction process, redoing exhibits, it’s allowed us to better interpret what we do have.”

“We’ve taken on more donations in terms of goods and materials in the past five years then we’ve enjoyed in a long time. So, here, we’re now sitting with 12 period rooms that are brimming with artifacts. We went from 10-12.”

Some new exhibits have also been added, including two new galleries, and Fort Whoop Up hopes to have everything completed by this summer.

“The Blackfoot Gallery has been added. The Crowshoe Gallery has been overhauled. We’ve redone the armory, the Northwest Mountain Police room, the Indian room, so there are some big changes.

“We had hoped to have everything wrapped up by May 18, and it’ll probably be done by July 1. If we don’t finish what we want to do by July 1, we will wait and pick up again after the Fur Trade Symposium (runs from Sept 9 to Sept 13).”

He says the majority of the construction is done, and a new security system has been added as well.

As part of the renovations Fort Whoop Up is in the process of doing, they have put together the largest historic gun collection in Canada, a project that has taken the last 12 years to create.

Currently, 200 guns are on display, and 400 more will be added by the end of the summer, and eventually, 800 guns will fill the secure cabinets. Most of the guns are from two museums, and some are from private donors, though the Fort did have to purchase some guns.

“When we started this project out, it had some major components to reconstruct the original fur wear house,” said Degenstein. “We needed to reconstruct the stable, We had recently  acquired the firearms collection from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. It was just the right fit, trying to do a bit of a rejuvenation.”

They have had to purchase some, but most were donated.

The two largest contributors to the new collection are from museums in Calgary and Toronto, though there have been several private donations.

“The majority actually come from the Glenbow Museum, and the Royal Ontario,” said Degenstein. “We had 50-60 pieces of our own, then we had we had a collection of about 70-80 pieces come in, then we started to receive private donations.”

There are some very old firearms in the collection.

“Our oldest firearm dates back to approximately 1540,” he said. “The majority of the collection focuses on the fur trade, from the 1840s to the 1870s.”

One visitor to Fort Whoop Up, who just happened to be walking through at the time, commented on how impressed the gun collection is.

“Not so much the volume, but the different types of rifles, (and) shotguns,” said Roger Johnson, a retired weapons instructor for the recruits at Corrections Canada.
“I’ve seen a lot of big collections, but they were mostly the same type, from the Civil War, here, it’s much more diverse. I thought it was very impressive.”

Fort Whoop Up is welcoming visitors and tourists, though many of the exhibits are still being organized and upgraded. Each exhibit is kept clean and tidy, and in no way does on-going improvements impede the enjoyment of Fort.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 22:36:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It seems local stations providing online audio streams isn’t hurting local listenership at all, in fact, it’s helped boost it to unprecedented levels.

“Ratings are showing listeners are near historic levels,” said Rod Schween, general manager at Country 95 and B93 in Lethbridge. “[internet-based radio] can’t provide what we provide locally…news, sports, weather.”

Radio stations have been streaming their music online for years, but not without controversy. Royalties and copyright are a big hurdle many local stations are struggling with, but new laws are making it easier.

“Initially, streaming [brought] lots of questions about copyright in Canada, so we stopped for three to four years. [There were] concerns about advertising and revenue. We started streaming again last summer,” said Schween.

Potential new laws might force local radio stations to pay to stream music in addition to paying revenues from traditional radio, something the radio industry in Canada is concerned about, as the royalties might be backdated, potentially costing a lot of money.

With more people using the internet at work and at home, streaming online has become a necessity. Though local stations don’t seem too worried about competing with internet-based streaming music sites.

Schween explains that his stations (Country 95 and B93) aren’t trying to compete with internet radio, but simply provide another way for listeners to tune into the stations, and that the website’s internet stream has been very well received, and they have also gained listeners from around the world.

“An internet stream is a must. It’s giving the audience the option to listen to what they want in the workplace (and at home),” says Bruce Andrei, program director at The Lounge radio station in Lethbridge. “We want to pull in younger audiences, but we’re still going after [adults].”

A big challenge for local radio stations across North America (and potentially the world) has been providing listeners with the ability to easily start their web browser, go to a radio station’s website, and easily tune in. In recent years, as technologies mature for streaming audio, providing users with a common player that just works is becoming invaluable.
“[We] need to have an easy-to-use player (which local stations do). Make sure you’re using Internet Explorer and have the Flash plug-in installed on your computer,” says Rod Schween, general manager at County 95 and B93.

Most households and workplaces use Microsoft Windows, which has Internet Explorer built in. It’s very easy to download the Adobe Flash player, though some workplaces won’t allow Flash to run due for security reasons (some websites use it for malicious purposes; some games use it, too).

For those in the rural areas, or in workplaces that have poor radio reception, internet radio is a wonderful thing. For those outside of the signal range, or for those living in other parts of the world, providing the streaming audio allows stations to expand their audience worldwide.

“People all around the world are listening to our hockey games. [People living in] Mexico, we even have listeners in the United States,” Andrei says. “People care about what’s happening locally, the combination of music and [local] topical information.”

Originally posted 2009-02-28 20:06:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

People in Lethbridge are being asked to take 20 minutes out of their week to pick up litter in their neighborhoods in an effort to help clean up the city. The annual event will take place between April 20 to 26, and is called ‘the ‘20 Minute Makeover’, and it’s part of Pitch-In Week.

“Last year, there were around 3,500 participants. (it has been) very successful. The year before that, an estimated 1,200 participants. So, it did go up substantially,” said Andrea Vaxvick, the waste and recycling coordinator for the City of Lethbridge. “We estimate between 700 to 1000 bags of litter has been picked up around the city in the past.”

The City of Lethbridge has partnered with Pitch-In Canada and Communities in Bloom for this annual April event. Pitch-In Canada is a non-profit charity that aims to improve local communities and the environment, and will provide the garbage bags for the city to give each group of volunteers when they go out to their assigned areas to pick up litter.

The goal of the project is to show the rest of Canada that the people of Lethbridge are proud of their city and take great pride in it, and the environment. People of all ages, businesses, and local communities are being encouraged to participate.

Participants will be rewarded with a free barbeque on April 25th in the Galt Gardens. Those attending the event on April 25 should arrive at 11 a.m., where they will spend an hour cleaning up litter, followed by the barbeque and a live band to thank people for being a part of the effort.

“All that you are asked to do is to register, and you can do that very easily through the city website at www.lethbridge.ca, or you can go right to the Pitch-In website, but we do recommend just going through the city website,” said Vaxvick.

“When you think about 3,500 people out picking up litter, that’s going to make a huge impact, most of it will end up in the landfill, but (that’s) better than on our streets.”

Originally posted 2009-04-11 20:39:25. 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