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

Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck and city council are proud to give both the college and university grants for new student housing, in order to help reduce the effects of current housing crisis.

The city of Lethbridge will be giving a grant of $2 million dollars to Lethbridge College to help with the cost of building a new residence building for students to live in while they attend college. Mayor Tarleck says that figure will be enough to “put the project over the top and have long-term sustainability.”

The city has had a housing crisis for over two years. Students are being turned away from going to Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge because they simply can’t find a place to live. The homeless population in Lethbridge is also on the rise because the city is having trouble keeping up with the growth.

“We haven’t had the revenues. Once the provincial government was persuaded, then they began providing funds. We’ve acted quite quickly. We’ve made a very significant infusion of dollars. There’s not one time to start and one time to stop, this is an ongoing commitment,” says Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck.

The city has had workshops and a housing committee to help better understand what needs to be done to address the city’s current housing crisis.

“Just this week, there was a one and half day housing workshop and I believe they came up with the commitment of an additional 200 affordable housing units in 2009. You may wonder, why 200? It’s a number that the committee felt was achievable. We need to start working on measurable standards, rather than just say we need to work on this problem, we’re going to try and address it,” says Mayor Tarleck.

The city was successful in their proposal to the province when the Social Action and Housing Committee asked the province for financial assistance and to support the city’s Housing First Policy. The policy shows how serious the city is focusing on the housing crisis.

“What our Housing First Policy means is we think it’s critically important for this community that we ensure that people are adequately housed. We don’t see that as a total solution, but depending on the needs, and there’s a whole continuum on what affordable housing means,” explains Mayor Tarleck.

There are many issues to address in terms of finding people an affordable place to live, including finding student housing and low income housing. The more students rent on-campus, the more rooms and basement suites can be freed up for rent within Lethbridge.

“There are homeless shelters, and then there are transition homes, and then there are homes for families that can’t afford to move into a home that they own themselves. Lethbridge has so many post secondary students, adequate housing for students is important to us.”

“I suppose on a moral and social ground, but even economic terms because the college turns down many students who are unable to come because they can’t find housing here. Every housing unit that we’re able to provide for students frees up another housing unit in the community,” says Mayor Tarleck.

Tarleck points out that another benefit to on-campus student housing includes a shorter distance to travel to get to classes, and less money spent on bus fares. At the same time, more off-campus housing is freed up.

The city also considered and approved new student housing for the University of Lethbridge, and has purchased ownership in the Castle Apartments to provide low-income housing.

“One of the first things we did was purchase the ownership in the Castle Apartments, and Alberta Housing actually operates that. We were afraid that if that went on the condominium market, we would have an influx of people that would find themselves without accommodation,” says Mayor Tarleck. “We’ve reached the point now where we need to have measurable results. We need to indicate just what we hope to do in one year, and than we have to revisit that at the end of the year.”

Mayor Tarleck feels we’re very fortunate to have two post-secondary schools, and with those benefits comes a lot of responsibility, which means it’s time for council to quickly address these issues.

“This is the time for council to step up to the plate,” says Tarleck.

Community feedback has been great. Many residents see that council is taking a serious approach to the housing crisis. As for negative remarks, Tarleck says he’s willing to look past his critics.

“To tell you the truth, at this point, I’m kind of looking beyond the devous of despair. There are people who criticize everything I do, and I think it’s important to keep focused on the big picture. In my view, a really important part of that big picture is improving housing opportunities for our people,” says Tarleck.

The city also wants to address the city’s homeless problems.

“We talk about closing the front doors so we don’t have more homeless, and opening the rear doors so we can make it possible for people in homeless situation to move into better housing,” says Tarleck.

Tarleck says a large part of the success of the Housing First Policy was due to the ‘team approach’, led by Doctor Gary Bowie and the Social Action and Housing Committee.

“I’m really proud of the work that they’ve been doing. (involved in 2 mill) They’ve had a part in helping us put this on the provincial agenda. They’re helping to identify the most pressing needs, and helping evaluate what our next step should be.”

We need to think not just in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms, but we need to think in terms of nurturing neighbourhoods and environments in which people can feel happy, and thrive and grow.

Originally posted 2009-03-17 01:16:01. 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

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

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