Experience something new in Airdrie. In Midtown, residents can enjoy a leisurely stroll around the 8 acre central pond & ample park space; or meet new friends at the tot lot park. Midtown is a community that will help you find your happy place.
With a charming selection of Quick Move-in Townhomes and Single Family Homes available for spring and summer possession, the home haven you’ve always dreamed of can now be yours. Craft the lifestyle you envision in a community that
embraces nature, offers endless recreation, and grants easy access to every urban amenity you could ever need or want. Southwinds is designed to leave you with an impression that will last a lifetime. Book your appointment today!
PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sherry Shaw-Froggatt
DIGITAL MANAGER Katie Dudek EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Vanessa Peterelli DESIGN DIRECTOR Kim Williams
EDITOR Stacie Gaetz CONTRIBUTORS Sergei Belski, Jennifer Harbour, Jill Iverson, Britton Ledingham, Carl Patzel, Trenton Pittner, Kim Purvis, Kristy Reimer, Steph Todd, Wyatt Tremblay, Stephen Utz, Stock photography by istock SALES
Every spring we celebrate the astounding accomplishments of local women.
We pack these pages with our Amazing Airdrie Women Awards nominees, stories of successful entrepreneurs, articles featuring prominent female figures in the community and much more.
This past year with the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, the achievements of these incredible ladies is even more astonishing.
It is no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on women’s mental health.
An April 2020 survey by Vanier Institute of the Family suggested that more women than men reported feeling anxious or nervous due to the pandemic, and more women reported difficulty sleeping since March 2020.
Add to that the fact that isolation measures have increased the risk of gender-based violence, economic stress, the burden of caregiving and housework, and reduced access to family support and you have a recipe for unprecedented levels of stress, depression and anxiety.
That is why the spring 2021 edition of airdrielife is the perfect time to celebrate our wins!
Within these pages, we feature local ladies who have faced incredible (and sometimes almost unbelievable) adversities to not only make it through, but thrive.
Read about our 41 Amazing Airdrie Women Awards nominees who show that no matter what knocks them down, they will rise back up and lift those around them as they stand tall.
Once you’ve been inspired by their stories, please visit airdrielife.com to cast your vote for the recipients.
We meet Insp. Lauren Weare, the officer in charge of Airdrie RCMP, as she shares that becoming a member of law enforcement was her dream as a youth, despite obstacles that were in her way. She didn’t let anything stop her from achieving her goals, making her an inspiring role model for young women in Airdrie.
We know times are tough and it is sometimes hard to keep going but we also know that it is possible to innovate, recreate and prosper during these unprecedented circumstances.
Don’t take my word for it; the dozens of women within these pages are all the proof and inspiration you need.
Stacie Gaetz
STORY BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTOS BY SERGEI BELSKI
Have you ever gazed into your cup of coffee in the morning and waited for inspiration to hit?
Airdrie artist Melissa Bruglemans-LaBelle has, and inside her cup of joe is where she found her artistic muse.
Bruglemans-LaBelle began experimenting with the beloved morning beverage about four years ago.
“I ended up using coffee as a medium due to sheer laziness, with a dash of frustration in my previous work,” she says with a laugh.
She adds that she entered an art competition and at the time she was painting mainly with oil paints.
“Everyone said they ‘loved my work,’ but to me it felt like I was missing something,” Bruglemans-LaBelle says.
“I felt a little deflated by it. I stressed about detail, and a lot of times I was left uninspired. I felt that it wasn’t unique enough and frankly nobody was buying.”
She was worrying about this at the breakfast table while sipping on her morning caffeine fix when she had an epiphany.
“I saw a coffee stain on a sheet of white paper and thought ... to hell with it, I’ll bring a big sheet of watercolour paper and a cup of Tim Hortons coffee (to the competition) and see what happens,” she says.
To her surprise, she placed second, which skyrocketed her self-confidence and solidified the idea that a jolt of java is just what her creations needed.
It hasn’t been all cream and sugar – it turns out the artist had a lot to learn about how differently coffee performs than paint.
“It’s always different, always moving,” says Bruglemans-LaBelle.
“It has a mind of its own. At first, it was quite stressful. I was treating it like oil paints, trying to make the image into something it didn’t want to be. I was forcing detail in it and it only got worse. It wasn’t until I became patient with it and accepted its ‘imperfections,’ the splashes, splatters, rings and drips, making that part of the detail … that it got to a point of becoming relaxing.”
The artist says she gets her inspiration from photographs, common sayings or researching
interesting facts and she is drawn to images with a lot of contrast and odd angles.
“I love painting with coffee but after a while I started to add different elements to it to help bring a bit more colour and interest to the subject matter,” she says.
“I wanted to bring even more depth and life to my paintings but didn’t want to do it through paint. I sometimes use natural dyes or pigments from fruit like cherries but most of the time my hints of colour come from origami paper, vintage pieces of wrapping paper, commercial packaging or candy wrappers.
She even adds bits of mixed media like Swarovski crystals or gold leafing to give it that extra sparkle.
The artist is also a fan of using vintage frames for larger pieces.
“I like adding certain interesting knickknacks or highlighting the flaws or imperfections of the frame,” she says.
“I feel it helps lend to the story of my subject matter. I’m drawn to the old, worn out and forgotten things. I feel that people today are always buying the newest and latest thing and they never seem happy with what they have ... and there was nothing wrong with what they had before. I’m in the mindset of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and if it does break ... mend and make do.”
Bruglemans-LaBelle’s most popular coffee painting is the one she created of Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie.
“I painted him the day after he passed away,” she says.
“It was in my first year of painting with coffee. I was sitting in front of this really expensive piece of watercolour paper. I didn’t know what to paint and was scared to make a move because I didn’t want to ruin the sheet. The Tragically Hip was playing non-stop on the radio. I thought, well, let’s paint Gord and see what happens.”
She sold 100 limited-edition prints within a few weeks and donated $5 from each print to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. To date, she has donated more than $1,000 to the fund.
“I think people like the Gord Downie painting because it exudes his personality,” she says. “It looks powerful, yet heartbreaking. It screams ‘Don’t wait! The time is now!’” life
“It’s always different, always moving”
Renelle Ray is a Franco-Albertan singer/songwriter whose original songs can be heard across North America on Sirius XM and other popular platforms. Performing under the name Renelle, she says her love of Francophone music began early on.
“It was in our veins, in our blood,” says this 25-year-old. “I was humming even before I could speak.”
Originally from Falher, a largely Francophone community north of Edmonton, Renelle moved to Airdrie with her family in 2006. She says she and her sisters were raised in the traditional music of their French heritage.
“The Francophone music community is a secret in Alberta,” she laughs.
“People think of French music as folkloric –big dresses, dances, old-timer music – but in my genre, folk-pop, it sounds like an English song, but it’s French.”
Renelle says she first sang publicly when she was eight. Since then, she has performed at weddings, hockey games, funerals, schools and venues such as Sorso and Bambino’s (now called Wild Card Shack).
“I love the music community in Airdrie. It’s intimate and brings people together.”
Renelle, who plays guitar, is a bilingual performer, but as a songwriter she had only ever written in English.
“I wrote my first song in French in 2018,” she recalls. “Creating that song was a huge moment for me, because it’s half of who I am.”
Renelle explains she struggled with her identity. She was Francophone but also Albertan; she was pursuing a music career but also obtaining a teaching degree.
“I knew I wasn’t one without the other, but I wasn’t sure where I belonged.”
The answer came while Renelle was attending university in Edmonton. In 2018, she entered the city’s Francophone emerging artist competition, Polyfonik, and won all three prizes. This led to further competitions and festivals, and an invitation to perform at the prestigious International Song Festival in Granby, Que.
“Winning Polyfonik brought me to that moment where I asked, ‘Is this what I’m meant to do?’” However, after performing at Granby and completing her education degree, she realized, “I can be both, because one helps the other.”
As an elementary teacher, Renelle introduces children to Francophone music in a mainly English-speaking province, and the stability of her career provides support for her musical ambitions.
“It was in our veins, in our blood … I was humming even before I could speak”
“When I have my summers off, I’ll be writing,” she says.
Renelle self-manages her musical career, studying ways to use social media and streaming services to promote her music. She also loves to collaborate.
“I don’t know everything. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
This philosophy has brought her success. Renelle’s 2019 four-song EP collaboration with Edmonton guitarist Robert Walsh was in the top 100 on Sirius XM French language channels, and for good reason. She su-
perbly blends her mezzo-soprano voice with her contemporary folk-pop style. Her vocals are effortless and beautiful, and her lyrics, even if you don’t understand French, easily convey the emotions of life, love, and family.
Another collaborative effor a duet with Colombian-born Cristian de la Luna, is featured along with a who’s-who of Franco-Albertan artists on Hiver Nation, a 2020 Christmas album.
“It’s a very up-tempo album,” she says. “Something we need, especially in the time of COVID.”
Renelle says she takes each musical experience as it comes, wherever it leads.
For instance, her first English single, Deep Down, will be released later in 2021 and is produced by Josh Northwood, a producer in the U.K. whom she met over Instagram.
However, she says, her Francophone roots will always be at the heart of her music.
“My biggest success is bringing some fun to it, to make French music cool.” life
Renelle Ray est une auteure-compositrice-interprète Franco-Albertaine dont les chansons originales peuvent être écoutées à travers l’Amérique du Nord sur Sirius XM et autres plateformes populaires. Ray, qui arrive à Airdrie avec sa famille en 2006, mentionne que son amour pour la musique francophone a commencé très tôt dans sa vie.
‘On avait ça dans les veines, dans le sang’ dit la chanteuse de 25 ans. ‘ Je fredonnais avant même de savoir parler!’
Elle est originaire de Falher au Nord d’Edmonton, où la grande majorité de ses habitants sont francophones. Ray raconte qu’elle et ses sœurs y grandirent avec la musique traditionnelle de leur héritage français. ‘La communauté de la musique francophone est secrète, en Alberta’ dit-elle en riant.
‘Quand les gens pensent à la musique francophone, il pense tout de suite au folklore, aux grandes robes, aux danses et à la musique d’antan, mais mon style folk-pop sonne comme la musique anglophone, sauf que les paroles sont en français.’
Ray dit que la première fois qu’elle a chanté en public, c’était à l’âge de 8 ans. Depuis, elle s’est produite lors de mariages, de parties de hockey, funérailles, écoles et à Airdrie chez Sorso et Bambino’s.
‘ J’aime la communauté musicale d’Airdrie. C’est intime et rassembleur.’
Ray, qui s’accompagne elle-même à la guitare est une interprète bilingue, mais comme auteure-compositrice, jusqu’à maintenant, elle n’avait composé qu’en anglais seulement.
‘J’ai écrit ma première chanson en français en 2018’, se rappelle-t-elle.
‘Créer cette chanson a été un grand moment pour moi, parce que le français, c’est la moitié de ce que je suis’.
Ray explique qu’elle a eu du mal à cerner sa propre identité; elle est francophone, mais aussi Albertaine, elle poursuit une carrière en musique tout en étudiant dans le but d’obtenir son baccalauréat en enseignement.
‘Je savais que je n’étais pas l’une sans l’autre, mais je n’étais pas certaine où était ma place.
La réponse lui est venue quand elle étudiait à Edmonton. En 2018, elle s’est inscrite à POLYFONIK, un concours pour les artistes émergents, et elle y gagne les 3 prix! Cela l’a amené à participer à d’autres compétitions et festivals ainsi qu’une invitation pour le prestigieux Festival international De La Chanson De Granby au Québec.
« Gagner POLYFONIK m’a amené à me demander ‘Est-ce ce que je suis censé faire?’ »
Toutefois, après sa performance à Granby et après avoir complété son baccalauréat, elle réalise qu’elle peut faire les deux puisque l’un complète bien l’autre.
Comme enseignante au primaire, elle présente la musique francophone aux enfants dans une province majoritairement anglophone et la stabilité de cette carrière lui procure du support pour ses ambitions musicales.
‘Quand je serai en vacances l’été, je vais écrire’ dit-elle.
Ray s’occupe elle-même de sa carrière, étudiant les façons d’utiliser les réseaux sociaux et les différents outils de diffusion pour promouvoir sa musique. Elle adore aussi collaborer.
‘Je ne sais pas tout, si tu ne demandes pas, tu n’obtiens pas’.
Cette philosophie l’a bien servie. En 2019, Robert Walsh, musicien-guitariste d’Edmonton, produit son mini-album (EP) de 4 chansons, qui se retrouve dans le top 100 sur Sirius XM chaîne francophone, un classement bien mérité. Son style contemporain folkpop se marie à merveille avec sa voix de mezzo-soprano, Cette voix qui coule sans effort, des paroles qui, même si vous ne comprenez pas le français, vous transmettent facilement les émotions de la vie, de l’amour et de la famille.
Elle a aussi chanté en duo avec l’artiste Franco-Albertain originaire de la Colombie, Cristian de la Luna. Ils chantent ensemble sur l’Album de Noel, Hiver Nation 2020, aux côtés d’artistes connus du milieu artistique francophone de l’Alberta.
‘C’est un album très ‘up-tempo’ dit-elle ‘ quelque chose dont on a besoin, particulièrement en temps de Covid’
Ray dit qu’elle accueille chaque expérience musicale comme elle vient, peu importe où ça la mène.
Bien que son premier single anglais, ‘Deep Down’, qui sera lancé au cours de l’année 2021, soit produit par Josh Northwood, un producteur du Royaume Uni (UK) qu’elle a rencontré sur Instagram. Ses racines francophones seront toujours au cœur de sa musique.
‘Mon plus grand souhait est d’inciter tout le monde à s’ouvrir à la richesse de la musique francophone.
If home is where your heart is, true contentment is just a doorbell away at ZEN Chinook Gate.
In these unique times, a home is more than just a castle. It’s a space for work, play, entertainment, privacy and refuge for peace of mind.
All this is taken into account with Avalon Master Builder’s latest Airdrie development, ZEN Chinook Gate.
Offering 40 stylish, unique and affordable two- and three-bedroom townhomes from $260,000, ZEN Chinook Gate is a one-of-a-kind development focusing on private fenced backyards and live-work floorplans.
“Our homebuyers really love our extra spaces, especially the private fenced backyard,” says Matt House, ZEN Chinook Gate sales manager. “They promote a sense of family and community by connecting neighbours and adding more living space. It’s an extension of your home that you can take pride in and enjoy. That’s what makes our homes appealing.”
Located on Chinook Gate Boulevard SW and Yankee Valley Boulevard, ZEN Chinook Gate offers six different styles: The Stylist, The Bookkeeper, The Artist, The Teacher, The Photographer and The Architect. They vary from 1,240-1,530 square feet.
The flowing designs include a main-floor bonus room with plenty of extra space for families, pets, office space, playroom or even a small business.
“The live-work space is a great idea. Even if someone doesn’t have a small business, the extra space adds more resale value as well,” says House. “Our bonus room is customizable so that it can be open concept, or there’s the option to add a full-height partition wall for more separation. Also included is a fresh-air system which produces the cleanest indoor air quality, great for those with allergies or health conditions.”
A pet-friendly paradise, there are no size or weight restrictions on dogs. Future walking paths and a traffic circle connecting to Chinook Winds Park’s recreational activities and downtown amenities also add to buyers’ appeal.
To learn more, visit the new ZEN Chinook Gate showhome, located at 137 Chinook Gate Blvd. or zenchinookgate.com.
If you can dream it, Chelsea MacPhail of Chelsea’s Custom Cakes can create it.
From books to sushi to plaid shirts to poop (yep, you read that right) … MacPhail has created cake in all shapes and sizes.
“I have a sign in my kitchen that says, ‘Bake the world a better place,’ and I live by that,” she says.
“Making other people happy through baking is the best part of what I do.”
MacPhail started making cakes in the certified kitchen in her basement in 2012 and estimates she dedicates about 60 to 70 hours per week to fill about 45 to 50 custom orders per month.
“Each order has memories attached to it,” she says.
“Some are special because the customer was so excited, others stand out because I was sent really kind thank-you messages and photos.”
MacPhail laughs at how she started in the cake business saying she forgot to get her husband a birthday cake, so she made him one. When she showed her co-workers at the time, the orders started rolling in.
“For anyone thinking of starting their own home-based business, I would say to go for it!” MacPhail says.
“Having a home-based business has been the best thing I’ve ever done. Definitely take some time to research the costs involved though. There are a lot of costs people are unaware of.”
She says setting boundaries between work and home life is key, but adds she enjoys having the freedom to make decisions that will benefit her family and community.
STORY BY STACIE GAETZ“Making other people happy through baking is the best part of what I do”
When asked about her most unusual cakes, MacPhail says a sushi cake that she made for a little boy’s birthday in 2018 and a poop cake she created this year are at the top of her list.
“I have a pretty childish sense of humor, so I loved making this cake,” she says with a smile.
“Surprisingly, it was far from the first poop cake I’ve made.”
In addition to cakes MacPhail creates cupcakes, cake pops, breakable hearts, cookie sandwiches, mini cheesecakes and her famous “spare parts scrap boxes” that include bits and pieces of cakes she makes that she doesn’t want to throw away.
She is also exploring more gluten-free items because of demand for the products and the fact that her daughter was recently diagnosed with celiac disease.
MacPhail adds that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her wedding season with a number of cakes put on hold or cancelled. She says many birthday cakes have been scaled down as less people are invited to parties and cupcakes and other orders are now packaged individually.
“But people are still celebrating, and I am grateful that they are still supporting my small business,” she adds.
“The support that our community has given me has been absolutely amazing. I am so grateful for every single referral. Without those, my business would not be what it is today. It truly is a pleasure knowing that I’ve helped make people’s events special.” life
For more than 15 years Khizar Hayat has been making sure Airdrie food lovers get their slice of the pie.
Searching for the best bread and cheese combo, connoisseurs have been flocking to The Calgary Pizza Unlimited restaurant since opening in 2005.
“Back then, when we started, at that time there were not many pizza stores,” says Hayat, who partners with Mohammad Khan. “There were a few individual stores around like us but there weren’t many chain stores back then.”
The mainstay restaurant garnered the shop-local campaign “Put Your $ Where Your Heart Is” contest in late 2020 which benefited customers and small businesses during the pandemic shutdown. COVID restrictions caused Hayat to lose 70 per cent of his business.
“We closed the Airdrie store for two-anda-half months and started again in June,” says Hayat. “We are surviving but it affected us a lot. We’re basically two partners and it can be expensive. It can be pretty hard to survive.”
Located on Main Street, Calgary Pizza Unlimited offers cheesy delights from small 10-inch pizzas to the giant specialty 18-inch pie. They combine that with create-your-own pizza, several bonus deals on multiple-pizza meals and special combinations with wings and cheesy bread.
Return customers have helped keep the business alive in Airdrie’s competitive pizza climate.
“There are more pizza stores now in Airdrie, but still, we are surviving because of our loyal customers coming back in those 15 years.”
A personal touch and special homemade recipes have been the key to great pizza, Hayat says.
“We make our own pizza sauce and use over eight different spices, so that is our specialty. We also make the dough ourselves and use fresh ingredients.”
In early spring, the downtown staple will begin to serve Donairs as well as fried chicken, offering even more options to loyal customers.
“We’re still here and will try to be as long as we can.”
Sheet-pan recipes are great for easy clean up but a sheet-pan bowl recipe is even better.
One pan for cooking and one bowl for eating; it doesn’t get much better than that.
A one-pan recipe, Peanut Chicken Curry will surprise you with its simplicity and layers of flavour. Delight your taste buds in just 30 minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 5 Calories: 492 kcal
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 medium red peppers, thinly sliced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 head broccoli, cut into florets 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp curry powder 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste 1 cup coconut milk 3 tbsp peanut butter 1/2 cup peanuts 1/4 cup cilantro or green onion
Preheat oven to 375°
In a large bowl combine chicken breast and vegetables. Add olive oil and toss. Season with spices and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Transfer to sheet pan.
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. This allows the flavours of the spices to bake right onto the veggies before you add the liquid ingredients.
While the veggies and chicken bake, whisk together peanut butter and coconut milk.
After 15 minutes, remove sheet pan from oven and pour over the coconut and peanut butter sauce.
Transfer back to sheet pan and cook for another 10 minutes. The coconut milk will thicken up during this cook time.
After the additional 12 minutes, remove from oven and top with cilantro and peanuts.
Serve with side of choice. I personally serve this with basmati rice. If you decide to meal prep this recipe, store in air-tight containers in the fridge, for a maximum of four days.
Nutrition information is for the recipe split into five servings and is for the veggies, chicken and sauce. Nutrition information will differ depending on chosen side dish.
Serving: 5 | Calories: 492 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g Protein: 41 g | Fat: 29 g
This easy pasta salad recipe can let you enjoy pasta the way it’s meant to be enjoyed.
The great thing about this dish is that: there really are no rules – you can get crazy and add protein, throw in all your favourite veggies, and top it off with whatever seasonings for which you’re in the mood.
Pasta salad is a real winner when it comes to keeping it in the fridge (if it makes it that far), giving you days’ worth of leftovers for work, lunches and side dishes.
A pasta salad is only as good as the quality of your pasta – cooking pasta al dente is absolutely key to nailing this recipe.
Without cooking al dente, your pasta will have a mushy texture and the salad will blend together poorly and become a mess.
If you’re not sure how to cook pasta al dente, don’t panic – I got you. The main difference between al dente and how most people make pasta is the amount of time taken – many boxes or packages will have directions for al dente, which if you stick to, you should be safe.
Start by preparing pasta as you normally would, bringing a pot of cold water to a boil, and then adding the pasta.
Around the six-minute mark, taste the pasta. At this point, it should still be fairly crunchy. Repeat this tasting every 30-60 seconds until the pasta is firm, but not crunchy, when you bite down on it. As soon as you reach this texture, drain the water and voila – you have perfectly made al dente pasta!
Keep in mind that the time may change based on the brand and noodles you buy; stick to what the box says but definitely taste it as we’ve described here to make sure it’s perfect.
I get it – pasta has a bad rep, mostly because of the carb factor.
For those of you looking for less carbs, there are a few tasty alternatives you can use. Check your local grocery store or Amazon for low-carb pasta that you don’t have to make yourself.
Other low-carb options such as spiralized zucchini noodles could be interesting, but won’t really make this recipe the traditional pasta salad that guests may be expecting. It could be fun to experiment with them on your own though!
I use soft bocconcini balls (usually found in the deli area at the grocery store), but you can easily cube regular mozzarella.
If you don’t want the sharper onion taste of red onions, go with green onions (both white and green parts). life
You need this perfect, easy pasta salad recipe in your life! With this quick, delicious recipe you can feed your family affordably and with little prep.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
2 cups (250 g) dry, uncooked penne
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup mozzarella, cubed (or use bocconcini balls)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1 long English cucumber, peeled and diced fresh ground pepper to taste Italian dressing to taste and preference
Boil the penne to al dente according to the directions on the box.
Pour the pasta into a strainer and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Gently combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Store in the fridge for up to four days.
Nutrition
Fashion reflects society and pop culture – and this year has been no exception. We adapted to some major changes in our everyday routines and style.
We traded offices for living rooms, full suits for waist-up looks only, and staying home became the new going out! However, through all of this, we did our best to survive and the fashion for spring 2021 is evidence of that.
After the craziness of the previous year, fashion is giving us some major calming vibes with the trend that is “sorbet.” We find fashion houses retiring bright neons and soothing us with beautiful pastel colours like mint, soft pink and lilac.
Sneaking into the season, though, are last summer’s long shorts. No more short-shorts this year; we have been seeing this summer staple no shorter than knee-length.
During the time we’ve spent at home last year, we got used to wearing casual and comfy-cozy pieces. That continues this season with wide-leg pants making their return. People have been doing away with tight-fitting garments, like leggings, and opting for the unencumbered feeling of flowy.
In addition to the wide-legged pants making their return, office wear is expecting a ‘lift’ by incorporating an athleisure twist.
Monochromatic suits with tailored collars are seeing performance fabrics mixed in to create an entirely new esthetic.
Accessories have also gotten in on the easybreezy trend this spring. Everyday totes are accessible, easy and look pretty. Keep an eye out for this style in your favourite classic spring and summer colours.
You may be wondering how you achieve the casual look of a sweatshirt for the months leading into the heat of the summer. Well, you crop it. Oversized and in soft colours, the cropped sweatshirt is fast becoming the new leisurewear must-have!
Even though this talk about fashion is all in good fun, the biggest – and arguably most important –trend has been that of supporting local! Now more than ever local shops and businesses need your support. Whether it’s services or products, investing back into your local community is the easiest trend to follow and participate in.
- Brandon Chaisson, fashion manager, The Store UpstairsWell, if anything good has come out of this pandemic, maybe we could say it’s been how much fun we’ve had putting a more casual spin on all of our fashion choices.
Whether that’s been sneakers and Doc Martens with pretty much everything, the emergence of the “shacket,” or the huge shift in loungewear becoming our “about-town” wear; as our current situation doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon, we’ll just continue to embrace this “casual-everything” trend.
We touched on loungewear in the winter issue and it’s still going strong for spring. Jogger sets are quite possibly THE single best thing to happen all year. Whether your preference is towards head-to-toe pattern, or softer, more feminine colour palettes, there is a set for you.
The really cool thing about this loungewear trend is that it has evolved from only being meant for around the house, to becoming completely acceptable attire in most areas of our current lives. There are some great ways to dress them up and accessorize for some really cute looks! Throw your jean jacket or shacket overtop, add your favourite tuque or ball cap, and you’ll be the most stylish person at the grocery store!
Skirts are another piece that has become fun to dress down. Find a well-fitted, comfortable skirt; if it has a pattern that’s even better. Add sneakers and a tee and you will be amazed at how fast it will become the outfit you reach for just as often as your joggers.
Have fun with this new trend of dressing down. Pull out your favourite dress today and try it on with your sneakers!
- Erin Hardy, co-owner, Seven Saints
'
Make her day special with a beautiful array of gifts to choose from. Ask about custom gift baskets.
“We’ll just continue to embrace this ‘casual-everything’ trend”
For spring, we’re still seeing the need for comfort at the forefront with respect to trends, but we want to point out that comfort can still be super fashionable and chic.
Bright. Vibrant. Bold. The prints and colours we’re seeing this season really emphasize how great comfortable style can be. That said, as we ease into warmer weather, get ready to ditch the loungewear and leggings for a different kind of comfort-inspired look. Instead, add an islandinspired pattern with a palm-tree-print top or jumpsuit to your wardrobe.
We’re all missing the beach, but one can dream and dress like we’re there! We are ready to bring fashion back so you can enjoy backyard gatherings and evenings out looking effortlessly stylish and staying comfortable. life
- Allison DeLuca, ZIVA&EM Boutique
We went into it during a global pandemic, and in unprecedented times, we took an unprecedented approach. Having 11 amazing participants was a unique spin for Orangetheory, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Meeting the participants, getting to know them and watching their growth was inspiring.
It’s a blessing as a personal trainer watching strangers dive headfirst into a fitness regimen, starting cautiously, and then immersing into the culture we offer, becoming members of our Orange community as if they had been there for years. Every participant worked incredibly hard; even as we faced varying restrictions, they held strong!
The top three participants are incredibly deserving of their placing, but the positive attitudes, connections and determination of each challenger didn’t make the final decision easy. I’m excited for a future of coaching that includes all of the wonderful people I’ve met on this journey, and I’m eager for the next challenge!
- ROCHELLE COURT, HEAD COACH, ORANGETHEORY FITNESSIn 2019 after a complete ACL tear of my left knee I went from living a very active lifestyle to a full-time homebody, with little to no exercise or motivation to exercise. This resulted in the extra pounds piling on. Being unable to participate in the things I once enjoyed, combined with months of recovery from knee surgery, I fell into a deep depression and weighed the heaviest I’d ever been. My breaking point and wake-up call came when I no longer felt comfortable within my own skin combined with the scale being only a few pounds shy of 200.
I would have to say the hardest part for me throughout this whole competition was submitting my application. Knowing my measurements, pictures and weight would be public scared the bejeebies out of me. Looking back, I can’t believe I considered allowing fear to win and preventing this journey before it even had a chance to start.
The Orangetheory coaches Rochelle and Jacqueline were truly amazing throughout the whole process, always right there supporting, motivating and encouraging me throughout every step, pushing me to be a better version of myself each and every day.
Dana at Simply For Life was truly amazing, even when she took away my carbs. She’s extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to, always there to provide alternatives when needed (#fakecarbs). She always took the time to explain everything thoroughly, ensuring I understood each week’s food plan.
Thank you for Orangetheory and Simply For Life and for selecting me as a candidate to participate in this amazing opportunity. I will be forever grateful. Not only was I able to achieve my weight-loss goal, but I also gained strength and endurance and, most importantly, regained my self-confidence.
“What I’ve learned most from this challenge is anything is possible; you just need to want it bad enough”
KRISTY REIMERTERA GROCHOLSKI
The workouts at Orangetheory Fitness were challenging and the coaches were encouraging. I must not have been pushing myself very hard when I worked out before because I don’t think I have ever sweated so much in my whole life. I am so surprised with how much progress I made during this challenge.
Dayna was my nutrition coach with Simply For Life. She tailored meals based on my medical history and my diet preferences. (I am pescatarian.) I love the recipes that she provided and I learned so much about my health and why I needed to choose certain types of food to fulfill my nutritional needs. I am sure that fixing my diet is what has led to a complete reset of my hormones. I have actually been able to put my hysterectomy on hold because I am no longer suffering from extreme menstrual cycles. I never expected that this would happen just from changing how I eat. I am so grateful to Dayna for her guidance in my journey.
My life has improved in so many unexpected ways just from joining this challenge. I encourage others to reach out and use these resources that we are lucky to have in Airdrie.
The challenge has been filled with ups and downs. Dana taught me that weight loss isn’t linear and that’s okay! At the beginning, I realized just how out of shape I was and how much of an impact on my physical well-being Hashimoto’s disease really had on my body. Everyone at Orangetheory was always so supportive and cheerful that it really made it easy to show up and do my best!
I discovered that by making the choice to remain positive even when the scale wasn’t showing my hard work really helped me to not revert back to the bad habit of self-sabotaging my progress.
My advice to others is to remember to be kind to yourself! Find yourself a cheerleader or a team of cheerleaders to help keep you motivated when you just can’t do it alone. life
CHALLENGER STARTING WEIGHT (lbs) MIDWAY POINT FINISHING WEIGHT
Ada Roberts 237.8 232 223.8
Alicia Burwood 224.8 218.4 225.6
Amy MacDougall 198.2 190.4 177
Brenda Weeks 247.8 237 228.8
Erica Hatch 207 199.2 190.2
Jody Zachary 185.6 169.4 159.8
Karen Peters 188 181.6 170.2
Kurt Vickery 195.4 187.8 184.6
Michelle Turner 284.6 274.8 266
Sarah Laviolette 188.2 182 176.4
Tera Grocholski 257 237 227
Parenting is hard. H-A-R-D.
There are the tough aspects of parenting that you expect to navigate, like skinned knees and the silent treatment, and then there is the stuff that you need to reach out for help with.
But what do you do when no one can answer “What’s wrong?”
My son was a very vocal baby who didn’t sleep much, was sensitive to his environment and let it be known when he wanted attention. He grew into an incredibly active toddler who wanted his way and had a short temper.
He just always seemed different.
I brought these concerns to our pediatrician. As an infant, she diagnosed him with colic and then as he grew, chalked it up to him being “strong-willed” or “spirited.”
We saw several specialists over the years including the professionals at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Pediatric Eating, Feeding and Swallowing Clinic; a sleep consultant; a sleep physician; a psychiatrist; two occupational therapists; a speech therapist and more.
Finally, it was determined that he had Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
Although we have put a name to his challenges, we are only at the start of our journey. We are learning everything we can about this disorder, but I am proud to say that I never gave up.
I didn’t take no for an answer and I advocated for my boy even after a number of professionals told me they couldn’t help us or that nothing was wrong.
A diagnosis is not a “cure,” but it is a place to start.
If you feel like there is something not quite right with your child, don’t quit, don’t stop, speak up.
You and your child deserve help. Never stop being their voice. life
North Rocky View Community Links is helping local seniors remain connected to the world around them during this uncertain and isolating time.
The Keep in Touch volunteer phone call program was started in October 2020 and is modelled after a similar program created by Volunteer Lethbridge.
“The program was created to address social isolation within the senior demographic,” says Sophie Miko, support services worker at Community Links.
“Between March 16 and June 16, 2020, Community Links received 188 requests for support from seniors in our community and on
“I learn a lot from the senior I am paired with and it enriches my life as well”
average, provides support to 500 community members, aged 55 years and older, per year.”
Miko adds that through the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Links identified a number of seniors who were feeling increasingly isolated due to the restrictions.
“With seniors still being in a high-risk category, we know that these vulnerable members of our community will continue to experience feelings of isolation,” she says.
“This program is intended to provide an interim support to seniors in our community until they can safely re-engage with their regular social interactions.”
The program is funded through a Community Response Fund grant from the United Way and is a partnership with Volunteer Airdrie.
Airdrie nurse Angel McKay is a volunteer with the program, and she says that the benefits of Keep in Touch work both ways.
“I learn a lot from the senior I am paired with and it enriches my life as well. It’s a win-win and I look forward to the calls,” she says.
“It fulfils my need of being wanted and allows them to check in, and grounds them by talking about what day it is. They can share their stories and reminisce, talk about their family or just chat about the weather.”
The nurse of 37 years adds that it is also easier for the seniors who would normally not want to bother anyone to casually ask for help without feeling like they are imposing.
She says she talks to the man she is paired with once a week for about 20 minutes, but the frequency and duration of the calls is agreed upon between the volunteer and senior to fit their schedules and needs.
She adds that the program includes a handbook with tips and training and provides a ton of support to the volunteers.
Miko says Community Links has currently matched about seven seniors in the community with volunteers who are screened and trained.
“This is an amazing volunteer opportunity because it allows the volunteers to make a huge impact with limited time commitment,” says Miko.
“Previous work with seniors is not a requirement; just a willingness to develop a friendly, supportive relationship with the senior.”
If you are a senior who would like to receive a call each week or if you have a neighbour or family member whose days could be brightened, call Community Links at 403-945-3900. life
Do people seem to mumble or speak in softer voices than they used to?
Do you feel tired or irritable after a long conversation?
Do you miss key words or ask people to repeat themselves?
When you are in a group or a crowded restaurant is it hard for you to follow the conversation?
Do you often need to turn the volume up on the tv or radio?
Do you find it difficult to hear the doorbell or the telephone ring?
Aging is full of many milestones and an array of emotional ups and downs. Some of these include education, first ‘grown-up’ job, marriage, home purchase, children, grandchildren, divorce and death of loved ones. The list of milestones and challenges varies from person to person.
For many seniors, one of the toughest is the transition into the golden age of retirement living. More often than not, the idea of selling a family home and moving into a retirement home represents defeat or loss of independence. Stereotypical retirement living comes with many preconceived notions of grey-haired old people rocking in their chairs watching time go by.
Society should change this perception. Our senior population should look forward to, celebrate and embrace this stage. The golden age of retirement should be a time of carefree dreaming and reflecting on the ups and downs while enjoying the opportunity to be pampered.
Older people want the option to age in place. Having control and choosing where you live; this is the best-case scenario. Those who wait too long and have rapid health decline end up having health care providers step in mandating level of care, and choose the home based on open beds.
‘Independent supportive living’ provides seniors in our community, in favourable health, the ability to age in place. Residents in this style of carefree retirement living are self-directed, manage activities of daily living, maintain their own mobility, exhibit good grooming/bathing habits and seek help as needed. Additional in-home care support, covered by Alberta Health Services, can be added when the time comes, allowing residents to remain in their current retirement community.
Suggestions to consider in preparing for this golden-age milestone:
Make a budget. What can you afford? What can you live with and not live without?
Meet with a lawyer. Is your will up to date; do you need a personal directive?
Simplify your life. Remove the clutter, whether material things or the clutter of the mind. It could be preventing you from making the choice to simplify your living situation.
Do your research. Not all independent living communities are the same. Some offer more supports/amenities than others.
Dream big! What could you do with all your free time? Independent supportive living means no more cooking, cleaning or home maintenance! What hobbies have you always dreamed of? You could have the time to make your dreams come true! life
Jennifer
is community relations co-ordinator at Luxstone Manor
Harbour
“Retirement should be a time of carefree dreaming and reflecting on the ups and downs while enjoying the opportunity to be pampered”
Big Sky Author Services is proud to present Airdrie Reads, with major media sponsor airdrielife magazine. This summer, five Airdrie champions will each pitch a book written by an Alberta author to our panelists. Only one will be crowned this year’s Airdrie Reads winner. Combining a passion for books with the drama of reality TV, this online broadcast will inspire our city to read along and judge who they believe should win Airdrie Reads 2021.
“We are now accepting synopsis submissions for full-length (45,000-120,000 words) fiction and memoir books published by Alberta authors at airdriereads.ca,” says Tammy Plunkett, founder of Blue Sky Author Services. “The shortlist will be featured on our website and social media. The winning author and their book will be featured in a professionally written and photographed profile in airdrielife magazine and will also be highlighted on the shelves of several local stores.” Submissions close April 15, 2021.
Plunkett advises everyone to stay tuned as they announce the champions, the panelists, the shortlist and the five competing titles on their social media pages: on Facebook at fb.com/AirdrieReads and @airdriereads on Instagram.
“This is a natural fit for us to promote reading,” says airdrielife publisher Sherry Shaw-Froggatt., “We look forward to helping to promote the program and featuring the winner in an upcoming issue.”
Do it all through one account. Register for programs at Genesis Place. Sign up to receive emergency and other helpful notifications. Pay your animal or business licence fees, bylaw tickets, utility bills and property taxes. Print your tax statements or assessment notice. The options are endless!
www.airdrie.ca/getsocial
Facebook.com/CityofAirdrie
Learn
We are very social at the City of Airdrie
Transforming your dog from wild to wonderful goes way beyond the length of a leash.
Sit, stay, roll over may have been the mainstay for pooch training years ago, but there have been leaps and bounds in four-legged guidance methodologies.
“Companion animal behavioural science is a relatively new but robust area of veterinary research over the last 30 years,” says Donna Barrett, owner of Polite Pups Training. “This science has proven that positive reinforcement is the best method to train dogs and even rehabilitate dogs with serious unwanted behaviours.”
Educated through the Positive Approach Canine Education instructor program, Barrett offers private lessons in encouragement training techniques for owners hounded by behaviour problems.
“I do not use force, intimidation (wanting a dog to submit to my will) or any pain-inducing tools such as choke or prong collars,” says Barrett, a member of the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants.
The adage you can’t teach an old dog new tricks doesn’t give any of these trainers pause who welcome all ages.
“We say their names, we say ‘No!’, ‘Stop!’, ‘Come.’ “We need to say ‘YES!’ so our pets know that they just did something we wanted them to do or like,” Barrett adds.
Before you’re at the end of your leash, having the right equipment can only help solve hounding puppy manners.
Over the past six years Laura Hudson of The Woof Pack Dog Walking & Pet Services has been helping lead dog owners in the right direction.
“I have collected a really large and diverse tool belt and useful selection of positive and force-free leashes and harnesses as well as tools and toys that we use to enrich and walk our dogs.”
As fetching as that sounds, leash reactivity is just the first step. Recognizing calming signals, body language and pet cues is just as important as knowing your breed’s tendencies and personality traits.
“If we have learned anything through this pandemic it is that dogs are our best friends and companions. We should always feel compelled to choose the kind method for them,” says Hudson.
When it’s time to scratch that itch and take care of your pup’s health, there are alternatives, says certified MagnaWave practitioner Kerrie Collingham of Kre8ing Waves.
“MagnaWave is PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field therapy); it uses coils or a mat to distribute magnetic waves to the body. This is a drug-free, non-invasive pain relief for animals and people, too,” says Collingham, who recommends discussing any treatment with a veterinarian.
Collingham has used the alternative method on arthritis, inflammation, hip dysplasia, pinched nerve and surgery issues.
“I do not diagnose nor cure any issues; only help the body help itself.” life
Losing a pet is a terrible feeling. Not knowing where your beloved furry family member is can be stressful and heartbreaking.
That’s why Alberta Pound and Rescue Centres (APARC) and the City of Airdrie’s municipal enforcement department are working together to reunite lost pets with their owners.
“We help lost animals find their way back home, or if not reclaimed, these animals are placed up for adoption,” says APARC president Kevin Maurice.
The City’s municipal enforcement department provides the animal control portion of the equation, taking calls about lost and found animals and bringing them to the APARC facility.
“The City of Airdrie and APARC have a very collaborative and transparent relationship that benefits not only our organizations, but the city as a whole,” says Airdrie’s team leader of municipal enforcement Lynn Mackenzie.
“Together we help reunite lost pets with their owners and find homeless pets their perfect forever home.”
The City of Airdrie has 11 community peace officers that deal with all animal complaints.
If you lose your pet or find a lost pet in Airdrie, call municipal enforcement at 403-948-8892.
“Officers are on duty seven days a week,” says Mackenzie.
“We ask that residents always leave a voicemail, as officers are able to receive messages even while they are on the road.”
She adds licensing your animal is required as per the Animal Control Bylaw and it is a critical piece to assist officers and APARC in reuniting their lost pets with their owners.
APARC, a registered charitable organization, provides animal impound and rescue services for Airdrie. The services include licensing, adoptions, impound services, public drop off and pick up, cat trap rentals and animal welfare education.
The 8,000-square-foot APARC building opened in April 2020 on East Lake Way. The organization has 10 staff members between the Airdrie and Medicine Hat locations as well as a number of volunteers.
After an animal has been brought in by municipal enforcement, the staff assess the animal for health and provide basic care or ensure the pet receives any emergent veterinary treatment until owners can be located. If owners aren’t located after the mandatory hold period of three to 10 days, the animal is assessed for the adoption program.
The animal is then fixed, vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped and placed up for adoption.
From April to December 2020, APARC adopted out 143 cats, four dogs, one bird, and one hamster.
In the same timeframe, 59 cats and 62 dogs were returned to their owners.
“Our primary focus is to get animals home, and to do this we like to make partnerships with companies in our community to provide additional exposure for adoptions and to provide fundraising opportunities,” says Maurice.
“Additionally, this helps reduce the length of time animals stay in the shelter, preventing mental decline and the risks of disease transmission that typically occur when animals are in shelters for long periods.” life
For more information on APARC or to adopt an animal, visit aparc.ca
“We help reunite lost pets with their owners and find homeless pets their perfect forever home”
While most of us unenthusiastically slam the front door on the COVID pandemic, Melcor Developments adopts an optimistic attitude, opening more windows on the Airdrie housing market.
“Perhaps a positive result of COVID for smaller communities is that they are increasingly attractive to homebuyers looking to escape the crowded city and get more space for their money,” says Melcor Developments Calgary Land Division regional manager Alan Boucher. “Given all the COVID impacts, we have been very happy with sales activity.”
That silver-lining attitude has been illuminating Airdrie’s housing industry since breaking ground in 2005 with Melcor’s popular King’s
Heights community which produced more than 1,850 homes and 192 multi-family units.
“Melcor (King’s Heights) is sold out and our builders have only a few lots remaining in the community,” says Boucher. “This provides the unique opportunity to build new in a well-established neighbourhood.”
Once again opening the front door on community growth, Melcor is building on the popularity of King’s Heights with their new development, Lanark Landing.
Located just south of their sister community, Lanark Landing currently sports 197 lots and will eventually provide homes for approximately
1,200 when fully built out. The first showhomes opened in the midst of the COVID shutdown, April 2020.
“We believe we were one of the first communities to have a complete set of virtual tours online. We promoted these tours by hosting virtual scavenger hunts where the answers could be found within the virtual tours,” says Boucher.
Lanark Landing uses five primary builders, including semi-detached and front-drive single-family units from Homes by Avi. Pacesetter Homes, McKee Homes and Douglas Homes also provide laned single-family and townhomes all starting in the low-to-mid $300s. Castellano Custom Homes offer front-drive single family units starting in the mid $400s.
Not just a subdivision of houses, Boucher says Melcor meticulously plans communities for a lifetime with emphasis on aging in place.
“This means there is a variety of product and price points available so no matter what age or stage in life you can stay in the community you plant your roots into,” Boucher adds.
Just like their sister community anchored by Kingsview Market Square, Lanark Landing will offer several amenities for active residents, as well as shopping and services. With the planned 40th Avenue interchange project, Lanark Landing will also be the most accessible community in Airdrie.
Apart from decorated roundabouts, parks on every block, regional pathways, lighting for nighttime strolls and a landscaped storm pond, a working waterwheel honouring the namesake community of New Lanark, Scotland, welcomes visitors to the community.
“There are also amphitheatres, picnic tables, a basketball court, a pump track, a four-season gathering space with shelter, community gardens and orchards and a community fire pit – so many ways to meet your neighbours!”
With almost 100 years of master community planning, Melcor pairs traditional designs with new, clean, modern architectural features which can be found through virtual tours at liveinlanark.com.
A massive appeal due to affordability, lower taxes and new work-from-home paradigm, Boucher says when completed Lanark Landing will be the perfect blend of amenities and close-knit community.
“Airdrie has always had a unique sense of tight community bond you typically find in a small town paired with every amenity you could imagine.” life
Avalon Master Builder’s latest Airdrie development is ZEN Chinook Gate. Offering 40 stylish, unique and affordable two- and three-bedroom townhomes from $260,000, ZEN Chinook Gate is a one-of-a-kind development focusing on private fenced backyards and live-work floorplans.
Visit the new ZEN Chinook Gate showhome, located at 137 Chinook Gate Blvd.
A. An interior designer helps maximize your budget while achieving the desired ”WOW” factor. The artistic insights and professional opinion of an interior designer will help you achieve your expectations when renovating and decorating your home. With exceptional and thoughtful design ideas, your house will become a space that reflects your personality and lifestyle. Interior designers can also help you avoid costly mistakes, provide you with the best resources and contacts, and increase your home’s value.
Q. Why should I hire a professional designer?
With parents working from home and kids doing school online, your quarters may be feeling a little close no matter how big your home is. Why not expand your living area by developing your basement?
Start by dreaming up how you’d like to use the space. Do you want a rec room, movie area, bedroom, bathroom, games table and/or a wet bar?
A great tip is to put tape on the floor to envision where things could go. Is there enough space for what you’d like to accomplish? Once you have a good idea of the layout, it’s time to get started.
The first official step is obtaining the required building permits. This is not a step to be skipped. You may feel you’re dodging an expense, but in the long run this will cost you. Building permits allow the professionals a chance to review and approve the work being done on your house.
It should give you peace of mind that the work done in your home is up to code and safe for your family. Current provincial and municipal building codes will also dictate whether or not you’re able to fulfill your plans for development, like adding a legal bedroom where the window and window well size are factors.
Once the necessary permits are secured, it’s time to have some fun with the plans. Really consider how you’ll use each zone in the basement, as well as where and how you’ll place furniture.
Consider what items will need an electrical outlet. Do you want some feature lighting? Will you need to add extra framing where heavier items will be hung, like a TV, or where speakers should go?
Taking the time to make these decisions will greatly impact your appreciation of the finished renovation.
Consider how you want the space to feel.
Warm and cozy may allow you to use darker colours and finishes, but lighter hues tend to make a space feel larger. A major consideration is how the basement will relate to the upper floors of your home. A very common approach is to try to mimic the esthetic from the rest of the house. This can be challenging if your style has evolved and you’d rather not continue the same style to a brand-new space.
Light fixtures, paint and cabinet hardware can be cost-effective updates.
Using the same baseboards and carpeting are simple ways to tie the upper and lower floors together.
Developing the basement has nearly all the same aspects as building a home from scratch. Ultimately, you’re creating more space for your family to enjoy so take the time to plan it out and make sure it is done right and to your taste.
life
Decorator Kim Purvis, owner of Aurora Décor, is pursuing her lifelong passion of creating beautiful home spaces
“A major consideration is how the basement will relate to the upper floors of your home”
Taking its namesake to heart, Midtown has become a focal point among Airdrie’s newer communities.
Located on Eighth Street the Shane Communities development was established in 2014 and utilizes an existing property close to the city centre.
“Midtown’s location within Airdrie is unique. Residents are able to purchase new homes within an established area which is not common within Airdrie,” says Brenden Montgomery, general manager of land development with the Shane Homes Group of Companies.
During the last six years, Midtown has seen four phases of development completed. Of those finished, Phase 3 currently has approximately 29 single-family laned dwellings and 11 front-drive single-family homes for sale, starting in the mid $300s. It also included 26 paired homes, 14 of which are park fronting, and 30 front-drive paired homes.
“Midtown has something for every buyer, from townhomes to single-family, front-drive garage homes and everything in between,” says Montgomery. “Phases 5 and 6 were redesigned last year to include more single-family laned and paired home lots to appeal to a number of price ranges and style choices.”
Using three builders, Shane Homes, Trico Homes and Wave Homes, the other existing three phases will include close to 300 dwellings with a mix of single-family, townhomes and paired homes. Yet to be completed, the remaining two phases will consist of approximately 170 dwellings.
While Phase 2 sold out fast, at completion there will be close to 550 homes.
“There is also an undeveloped multi-family site that is located along Eighth Street that is anticipated to be approximately 70-80 units,” says Montgomery.
“Midtown has something for every buyer, from townhomes to single-family front-drive garage homes and everything in between”
Living up to its moniker, the hub community is ideally located just a short stroll from downtown, offering a wide range of amenities.
The Shane Homes development also combines a local commercial site build, central storm pond, naturalized trails, parks and green spaces and a focal-point pedestrian bridge featuring a promenade and sitting area.
“Midtown has … been an amenity-rich community from the onset of the development. Most new communities take years for the open-space systems and commercial sites to develop, but in Midtown they already existed or were constructed at the start of the project,” Montgomery says.
With the COVID pandemic restrictions, Montgomery says Shane Homes carefully planned to minimize the need for employees, trades and consultants to be on site, relying on virtual launches and online marketing for exposure.
“The real challenge was how to do business in the ‘new normal’ and within guidelines set out by the government. Housing sales where good last year to the surprise of many in the industry,” says Montgomery, thanking in part historically low interest rates.
Apart from uniquely challenging times, Montgomery says the thriving community of Airdrie is still a huge draw, offering a different lifestyle than other municipalities in the area.
“It has all of the daily needs of a larger city, but with a small-town feel. Residents are very engaged in creating a feeling of community, not only in Midtown, but in the larger sense of the city. Airdrie is still a high-demand community.” life
Thank goodness 2020 is over! Spring is arriving and after a long and miserable 2020 it’s safe to say that we only have a few more months until the warmer weather starts to brighten up our year ahead. Some good news: historically low interest rates are available for buyers to capitalize on!
Although Airdrie currently sits with a lower level of inventory, we haven’t quite seen the increase in prices; only an increase in the actual number of homes selling. Amidst economic challenges our local housing market ended 2020 on a high note. Sales were up 18 per cent over last year’s December and that made for a very strong finish to the year. Sales numbers like these are keeping our current inventory low and trending towards a seller’s market.
Traditionally a seller’s market indicates an increase in housing prices, but I wouldn’t bank on any significant increases in the short term. Buyers’ confidence levels are still a bit fragile with the uncertainty of Alberta’s economy, but recent stats are reassuring for anyone willing to take the leap and take advantage of record low interest rates. Discounted rates have held steady and we’ve seen some of the most attractive ones between the 1.4-1.7 per cent range. These are incredible rates and we don’t anticipate them going up anytime soon.
I feel there’s a strong probability of increased inventory levels over the next few months. Prospective sellers should try to take advantage of the buyers currently out shopping and locked into low interest rates. A recent media release from the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) notes Airdrie reached new December sales at record highs for the month. Improving sales throughout the second half of 2020 contributed to 1,407 sales in total. Months of supply have remained below three months since the half-
way point of this unpredicted pandemic year. “It is expected some of the momentum recorded at the end of 2020 will continue into 2021, fueled by exceptionally low lending rates and pent-up demand” says Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB chief economist.
In the first quarter of 2021, I anticipate new listings will start to rise as COVID-19 likely caused many homeowners to realize they want a larger or even smaller space to call home moving forward.
“It is expected some of the momentum recorded at the end of 2020 will continue into 2021, fueled by exceptionally low lending rates and pent-up demand”
Working with real estate professionals is key at the moment. Pandemic world conditions can shift our economy very quickly and you need a professional who follows/knows the market to give you the most up-to-date information and advice before making a large financial commitment. Investors can make an impact during these conditions and should be looking to make some moves in 2021. Keep in the loop and touch base with your preferred agent as you might be surprised what you hear from them.
Let’s all hope and look forward to a better year ahead and continue to ride this upward trend in our real estate investments. Stay safe and stay happy! life
Trenton Pittner is a real estate professional with Legacy Real Estate Services
Thanks to our great community for your ongoing support!
We continue to offer pain management injections, biopsies, fine needle aspirations, x-ray, ultrasound, and pediatric imaging all out of our Airdrie location. Why drive into the city if you don’t have to?
A friendly reminder that we accept all other diagnostic imaging forms, just call and book your appointment today!
Proud Sponsor of Amazing Airdrie Women 2021. 403-726-9729 mypureform.com
“A revitalized downtown has more people living, shopping and spending money there. Businesses stay open in our downtown. Residents are proud of downtown Airdrie. It is an important part of Airdrie’s brand, identity and economic development.”
- Council’s statement of success for the Strategic Priority of Downtown Revitalization
The public response to the Downtown Visioning exercise in 2017 was simple: make downtown better Council’s statement of success for the Strategic Priority of Downtown Revitalization spoke directly to those public aims – acting as the North Star for the Draft Downtown Plan released in February.
Our downtown provides economic and development opportunities that exist nowhere else in Airdrie. Our analysis shows that the servicing capacity for downtown can accommodate a minimum of either 5,300 new residents or 8,800 jobs – or a combination. To put this in perspective, the residential and employment areas in King’s Heights and Kingsview combine for a total of 7,300 residents and jobs. This level of development required 16.5 kilometres of roads and 18.5 kilometres of pipe at considerable expense, and with ongoing maintenance costs. Downtown requires no further capital upgrades and no additional maintenance costs to achieve a similar result.
In short, the revitalization of our downtown provides an opportunity that we can’t afford to miss.
The objective of the Draft Downtown Plan is to accelerate the pace of redevelopment in our downtown. The plan puts forward a number of potential actions and incentives that can give it a competitive advantage within the region. Those competitive advantages serve to attract development and revitalize our downtown, creating a net-positive return to the taxpayer. The plan anticipates that redevelopment worth $65 million or more is possible within the next 10 years.
That alone shows why we can, and should, think differently about our downtown.
It’s not just a central location or where we gather for AirdrieFEST; downtown is the location that makes the most sense in which to invest, to nurture, and to show off to the world. It is a place worthy of our love.
The Draft Downtown Plan is based on making Downtown Airdrie the place that people love. There are a considerable number of issues facing our downtown and it is going to take collective work to achieve the redevelopment objectives. But in these challenging times, it makes sense to focus our energy on our best economic and social opportunities – many of which exist right here in our downtown.
If you haven’t read the draft plan yet, I encourage you to visit airdrie.ca/downtown. The plan remains in evolution until adopted by council and I welcome you to email me with your thoughts via downtown@airdrie.ca
There is no time like the present to seize the opportunity that lies before us. life
The Spirit Within Canada prides itself on being “the safe place to be the unicorn.”
“We welcome all paths, faiths, creeds, cultures, colours, races, genders, abilities; you can be pink with purple polka dots and we will accept you with open arms,” says Melissa Porter, co-owner of the metaphysical shop.
“What metaphysical means to us is exploring the nature of the human mind in ways that can’t be defined. We help people explore healing on every level: physical and spiritual, with all modalities.”
The Spirit Within has three locations with two in Airdrie and a newly opened store in Drumheller.
The store sells herbs, incense, essential oils, crystals, books, cards, personal care products, gemstone jewelry, art and more including candles, lotions, bath bombs and soaps that are made by hand in-house.
“Our most popular products are definitely our in-house-made self-care products,” says Porter.
“It is also incredibly important to us that we give back to the community that we are in. Our store’s items are about 60 per cent local consignment. Our motto is people helping people helping people and part of that is supporting local artists. It also gives each of our stores a different flair.”
The Airdrie Main Street location has been open for 10 years and has expanded to four times its original size in that time. The Drumheller location opened on Canada Day of 2020 and the east-side location in Airdrie opened on Halloween 2020.
“We call it universal magic that this all came together at the same time,” says Porter of expanding during the pandemic.
“When everything aligns so perfectly, we just knew it was meant to be.”
She adds the expansion didn’t come without its challenges with a sudden push into the online world during the first wave of the pandemic and the Main Street location flooding in August.
Porter says the rapid growth is a good thing and the owners have also been in talks about potentially opening a location in Calgary.
“We want to have little shops all over Canada,” says Porter, adding that there are four business partners in total including herself, founder Liane Pinel, Julie Marlatt and Melina Lindsay.
“What you see when you walk into one of our stores is the crystals and incense and beautiful tools to help you on your spiritual journey; what is going on behind the scenes are our healing services but what you don’t see is our goal to open larger healing centres across the country that help everyone from teens struggling with their gender identity to veterans with PTSD.”
Before the pandemic, The Spirit Within also offered in-person services such as reiki, psychic readings, meditation, sound therapy, hypnotherapy, card and tea readings and more.
A number of these services have moved to a virtual form for the time being, but Porter says owners are eager to get back to the in-person services their followers love when it is safe to do so.
The Spirit Within currently has more than 20 team members between the three stores but they do things a bit differently.
Instead of paid staff, the shops are run by volunteers who own their own businesses such as reiki massage, meditation and sound and hypnotherapy, who work at the shop in exchange for being able to promote their services to the customers.
“We help them build their business and we know that everyone who is working in our store wants to be there,” says Porter. life
Action through Connection: If you own a business, or are a business leader, you have a tremendous impact on the growth and wellbeing of our community. The Airdrie Chamber of Commerce recognizes that by working together and championing local business, we will build a stronger Airdrie. The Airdrie Chamber (AC) is a dynamic, professional organization that provides value to our members and is an advocate for all business. Not only do we create worthwhile connections between our members, we connect members to new clients, and business to government. The Chamber works together with our members to improve the economic, civic, and cultural wellbeing of our community.
The Airdrie Chamber is Proud to Champion and Advocate for our Business Community!
It’s been a year since COVID-19 changed all our lives, but your Airdrie Chamber of Commerce continues to advocate for, connect, and inform our business community.
Our advocacy efforts are stronger than ever, as we ask the Government of Alberta to reopen ALL businesses and provide more subsidies for the hardest hit industries during the pandemic. In early 2021, we produced and circulated a compelling video showing the “faces of businesses” that are dramatically affected by the restrictions and it was a true indication of how dire the situation is for many local entrepreneurs. It is for them, and for so many others, that our chamber will continue to speak up for businesses who need a collective voice.
This January we were able to grant $1,000 to five local businesses thanks to our Heart Airdrie toque campaign and we plan to offer more business support campaigns in 2021. We continue to offer online learning and guidance including workshops on mental health and navigating government subsidies. We are also offering online networking opportunities and despite needing to again cancel our largest indoor event, the Airdrie Home & Lifestyle Show, we are still exploring the possibility of hosting an outdoor show this spring for our great city!
As always, the safety and wellbeing of our community, and the vitality and strength of our businesses are the Airdrie Chamber’s top priorities. We encourage all business, big and small to join your local chamber to benefit from our efforts and to support your business community as a whole.
Your Airdrie Chamber of Commerce www.airdriechamber.ab.ca
“I hate the decision fatigue of trying to decide multiple times a day what to cook and eat. Freeing up all that brain space makes room for other, more important things.”
STORY BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTOS BY SERGEI BELSKI
Airdrie resident Steph Todd turned her desire to save money and eat healthier into a fulltime career as a meal plan blogger.
“I started to meal plan and meal prep out of the sheer need to get organized to survive,” says the self-proclaimed “accidental blogger.”
“For 10 years, I was working on some really cool, large projects and my wallet and health suffered with all of the fast food, takeout and ordering in.”
In 2016, she started learning as much as she could about meal prep and meal planning to save some money and time and to eat healthier. She posted about it in a number of local moms’ groups.
Soon she was getting questions about whether there was a dedicated space that people could go to learn more and get ideas, recipes and tips for how to do it.
From there, her idea grew from a Facebook page to her own website and eventually the Meal Plan Addict blog.
In 2019, Todd, who has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s in biomedical technology, left her six-figure job as a project manager to become a full-time blogger.
“At first it was just fun,” she says.
“Then once I learned I could make it a career, I was drawn in by the ability to pull an income while working from home, with my own hours, and the freedom entrepreneurship creates.”
In addition to calling herself a blogger, Todd also uses the terms content creator and digital marketing guru in the food space. But you might be wondering what she actually does.
“In short, I look at a ton of data – I look at what questions I am being asked, I look at Google trends. What are people making? How can I help them? What do I know about a topic that can help others?” she says.
“I then create content to answer those questions, solve problems or teach something.”
She then plans recipes, makes the recipes, photographs the food, edits the photos, writes copy, and creates images for all social platforms. A single blog post takes about eight to 10 hours of what Todd calls “touch time.”
She posts to her blog about once or twice a week and posts to social media daily.
She also spends time talking to brands and working with them to create marketing campaigns with their product on her platforms.
Todd was an early adopter of the popular Instant Pot and became a resource for how to use it.
“I was asked daily about how to cook in it,” she says.
“So, I created a cheat sheet with cook times and which buttons to use, and I turned it into a mag-
net that sticks to the pot. That magnet was shipped to every single state, province and territory in North America.”
She adds that the magnet generated tens of thousands of dollars in revenue and to-date is the most successful product she has been involved with.
Other ways in which Todd’s and other blogs can generate income include:
• sponsored work
• affiliate marketing
• website ads
• selling services or knowledge
• selling photography or videos to other blogs or businesses
• speaking engagements
• recipe creations
• digital and physical products
What drew Todd to meal prep and caused her to give herself the title Meal Plan Addict?
“I hate the decision fatigue of trying to decide multiple times a day what to cook and eat,” she says of why she turned to meal planning.
“Freeing up all that brain space makes room for other, more important things.”
She adds she also enjoys the creativity of cooking.
“I like that for that moment, I forget about everything and am concentrated on just cooking,” Todd says.
“It was my therapy for a long time.”
Another of her passions is working with local small businesses to promote their products and help them succeed.
“I am super approachable and love supporting local small businesses so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram or email,” she says.
She adds that the biggest misconception about being a blogger is that it is a “really cool little hobby.”
“I assure you it is far from a hobby,” she says.
“In this business, you become a master of all. I learned how to be a photographer, use many software programs, become an expert on all social media platforms, learn about Google and the science of search engine optimization (SEO), how to pitch yourself to brands, bookkeeping … just to name a few of the skills I have picked up along the way.”
She adds that taking your blog from hobby to real-deal entrepreneur is not something that is done overnight.
“The average income-generating blog takes two to three years of dedicated attention before it pulls in $1,” she says.
“Yes, there are a few overnight successes, but like any industry, they are the rare one per cent. [Meal Plan Addict] took years and tears to grow.” life
It is not often that a business expands during a global pandemic but that is exactly the case with BEVMAX canning facility in Airdrie.
BEVMAX, formerly Effervescent Tea Kombucha, was founded in December 2015 and rebranded in November 2020.
“Realizing that we needed more diversity to handle times like we are currently in, we have rebranded our company to BEVMAX and are now co-packing a wide variety of beverages, including cold brew coffee, ready-to-drink cocktails, kombucha, healthy energy drinks, teas and more,” says Nan Thiessen, president of BEVMAX.
Thiessen adds her current role turned into a “Jill of all trades” when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the company to let most of their staff go.
“As we have waited for sales to pick up and for our new team members to be fully trained, I have spent the last year preparing for our annual audit/recertification of our third-party food safety program, making kombucha, running the canning line, hiring and training new people, and recently expanding and growing into our newly diversified co-packing business,” she says.
The 20,000-square-foot BEVMAX facility is located on East Lake Boulevard and provides canning, lab testing, recipe development, labelling and pasteurization of up to 40,000 cans a day.
“Co-packing is packaging other people’s beverages for them,” explains Thiessen.
“It is a win-win for us and our customer. We have spent the time and the money setting up the operation and investing in all of the necessary equipment. This way, we keep the canning line full and busy at all times.”
BEVMAX currently has six full-time and two parttime employees.
Some of the brands the company produces include Freshii, Federated Co-op and Well Juicery. These products are sold coast to coast in Canada as well as parts of the U.S. in Loblaws, Safeway/Sobeys and Whole Foods.
“At BEVMAX our goal is to create the highest-quality product, and have fun doing it,” she says.
“We work through every challenge with a smile and a positive attitude. That is what creates the culture that helps us get it done professionally and efficiently.”
Prior to founding the kombucha-turned-canning business, Thiessen was a full-time stay-at-home mom of two whose interests include health and wellness.
“Our team has been exclusively women for the last five years and we take pride in the fact that we have successfully managed all aspects of the business, including maintenance and repairs,” says Thiessen.
When asked what advice she has for other women entrepreneurs, Thiessen says “don’t take no for an answer.”
“Success has never been achieved without failure to learn and grow from,” she says.
“Embrace the failures … they will help you win in the end!”
She adds her team has worked with co-packers in the past, and the experiences have been “less than perfect.”
“As such, we have a deep understanding of the pitfalls of traditional co-packing and how these bad actors negatively affect the business,” she says.
“If you are looking into having a beverage packed, reach out to us. We look forward to the opportunity to make great products with you.” life
“We work through every challenge with a smile and a positive attitude. That is what creates the culture that helps us get it done professionally and efficiently.”
Insp. Lauren Weare isn’t one to let obstacles stand in her way.
She has been an RCMP officer for 34 years and started her role as the Airdrie RCMP Officer in Charge in August 2020. She now leads 86 RCMP officers who patrol Airdrie and Beiseker, but it didn’t come easily.
Weare realized she wanted to be a police officer in high school when she was inspired by a presentation from a female officer during a career fair.
“I hope that I may have some influence for women to consider the RCMP as a career,” she says.
“There are many roles and duties within the RCMP that provide diversity in job functions, with many women … leading, guiding and directing operations in their respective units. I am a proud member of the RCMP, and the opportunities afforded for women to make a difference in our organization are significant.”
When she decided to pursue policing as a career she ran into a roadblock. Weare is 5’4” tall and the RCMP height requirement was 5’6” so she took a different career path.
As soon as the height restriction changed, she applied for the RCMP and got in, allowing her high school dream to come true.
Before becoming Airdrie’s top cop, Weare was working as part of the Southern Alberta District with a focus on rural crime and then as part of the COVID-19 response team when the pandemic hit in March 2020.
She has also worked in Bonnyville and Cochrane in Alberta, and Williams Lake, Smithers, Terrace, Prince George, Alexis Creek, Anahim Lake and Williams Lake in B.C.
What does she like most about the role of a police officer? Contributing to community safety and providing a public service, says Weare.
“I have established friendships with people in all the communities I have served. I consider myself very lucky to have a job where mobility is welcomed,” she says.
Weare is not the first female to lead the Airdrie RCMP; she takes over the position from Insp. Kimberley Pasloske, who went to work for the RCMP’s F Division in Saskatchewan.
Weare says she brings experience as a commander in small, medium and large detachments and a strong desire to provide the city of Airdrie and the rural communities who fall under her areas of responsibility the best policing service possible.
She lists her top priorities as a commander as community engagement, crime reduction and road safety.
“I enjoy working with community leaders, to understand community concerns in an effort to provide a policing response that addresses the concerns,” says Weare.
“One of the favourite things I enjoy is having the opportunity for in-person meetings or visits with the community, in particular supporting community events.”
Weare adds one of the initiatives that she is the proudest of is Mochas with Mounties, which has been in operation for two years.
The program was initially created as an in-person event held at various local coffee shops to create an opportunity for the RCMP members to interact with the public informally by providing opportunity for people to ask questions.
With the pandemic, the initiative has shifted to a virtual form with online videos that can be viewed on the City of Airdrie Facebook page.
“This platform allows for connectivity with community members in a manner that provides opportunity for information sharing for all participants,” says Weare.
“Additionally, it demonstrates the genuine interest the Airdrie RCMP has for positive engagement with the community and the public.” life
For more information on Mochas with Mounties, visit City of Airdrie on Facebook
Longtime Airdrie residents Meghan Peters and Kristin Verbeek recently received a $10,000 grant from the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program.
The two founded Lathered Cleaning Company Inc., an Airdrie-based residential and commercial business that services the Airdrie and Calgary areas.
In eight years of operations, the company has expanded to include franchises in St. Albert, Okotoks, High River, Chestermere, Cochrane, Olds and Red Deer to service a large part of Alberta.
“We are dedicated to giving people their time back by offering a reliable and affordable service,” says Peters, adding that they employ about 27 staff.
“We use only all-natural products and pride ourselves on treating our staff and clients with integrity and going above and beyond in all that we do.”
Verbeek says neither business partner had any experience in the cleaning industry when they started out so they began at square one and designed the business based on how they would like to be treated.
More than 1,000 business owners across Canada applied for the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program to receive one of 10 $10,000 grants to celebrate their innovation and resilience with their business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“2020 has been a year of unique challenges. Through it all you have shown your community that women are resilient and innovative,” says Erminia Johannson, group head of North America personnel and business banking with BMO Financial Group, in a video addressing the winners.
“This grant will help our company to grow, and to give our franchise owners more tools to realize their greatness,” says Verbeek.
Peters agrees saying, “The money will be used towards weekend workshops to further leadership and business skills with our franchise owners. These women have every ounce of potential needed
to succeed beyond their dreams and we are so excited to be able to help them reach it.”
In March 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lathered Cleaning closed its doors for nine weeks to help flatten the curve. During this pivotal time, Peters and Verbeek joined forces with Lisa Hamilton and Jennifer Cote to found Lathered Essentials.
This enterprise has allowed the company to help satisfy the high demand for hand sanitizer and to retail the natural cleaning products their customers have appreciated for years.
“During the pandemic, we expanded Lathered into our own natural cleaning line,” says Verbeek.
“We decided we had been using our products in our clients’ homes for so long that it was finally time to share them with the world.”
Lathered Essentials currently has four products including hand sanitizer, all-purpose cleaning spray, laundry strips and toilet bowl cleaner.
“From day one, Kristin and I set out to find products we loved that weren’t chock-full of chemicals,” says Verbeek.
“We wanted something safe that our staff could use all day long without any damage to our bodies. We also knew that the people and families we were helping deserved to feel safe to use their home after we left.”
She adds they quickly learned that many products had labels with the words ‘environmental’ and ‘natural’ on them but did include harmful chemicals.
The duo set out on a mission to create natural cleaners that work with high-quality, clean ingredients which are both powerful and versatile.
“After years of using and tweaking these formulas into something we can’t live without, we felt that we should share them,” says Verbeek. life
Ever wondered what it would be like to be on City council or run for mayor? You have your chance to find out this fall during the City’s municipal election.
Long-time City employee and director of the CAO’s office Sharon Pollyck says the most important thing to consider when running is why you want to sit on council.
“The Municipal Government Act requires that you do what’s best for the whole of the community,” says Pollyck, who has worked for the City for 31 years.
“Sometimes people run without understanding what aspects can be influenced by council and what belongs to administration. There are times where residents run because they think that they can change something that they simply can’t. You must be prepared and know what the role entails so you can go in with your eyes wide open.”
She adds it is important for people to realize that the term is four years and can include unpredictable hours.
“The mayor is a full-time commitment, and the hours of work are not consistent,” she says. “There is evening and weekend work and in 2019, Mayor Peter Brown attended 750 events (not including council meetings).”
Council meetings are mandatory and are held the first and third Monday of each month at 3:30 p.m., with closed session and Council Budget Committee starting at 1:30 p.m. Council also has a number of boards, committees and commission that councillors sit on.
The 2021 City of Airdrie municipal election will be held on Oct. 18. Nominations for candidates is open from Jan. 1 until Sept. 20 at noon.
Candidates must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, live in Alberta for the six months prior to nomination day (Sept. 20) and have a place of residence in Airdrie.
You must not owe the City more than $50 in taxes or $500 in any other debt in order to run.
Candidates for mayor and council are required to submit nominations papers and acceptance, candidate information, official agent communications consent and a $100 deposit.
Nomination papers must be completed in full and have sworn the Candidate’s Acceptance section before a Commissioner for Oaths.
Candidates must also have the signature of a minimum of 10 eligible voters, who live in Airdrie on the day they sign, but Pollyck suggests candidates get more than 10 signatures.
The positions of mayor and councillors are at-large elections, meaning each person elected represents the city as a whole and not a particular ward or section of the city.
The mayor makes $112,465 per year, plus an automobile allowance of $400/month, and councillors receive $52,780 per year plus benefits.
The City of Airdrie has a $159 million operating budget and is in charge of about 49 lines of business. Councillors have the following duties: • to consider the welfare and interests of the city as a whole and to bring to council’s attention anything that would promote the welfare or interests of the municipality; • to participate generally in developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality; • to participate in council meetings and council committee meetings and meetings of other bodies to which they are appointed by the council.
The mayor, in addition to performing the duties of a councillor, must: • preside when in attendance at a council meeting unless a bylaw provides that another councillor or other person is to preside, and • perform any other duty imposed on a chief elected official by this or any other enactment or bylaw.
Council establishes the priorities for the City and the service levels that residents receive.
According to Pollyck, the current council’s priorities include expanding and diversifying citizen engagement, expanding community facilities (which includes the library and a recreation facility), affordable housing, the 40th Avenue interchange, attracting business to Airdrie and downtown revitalization. life
For more information about running for council, visit airdrie.ca
Airdrie Medical Clinic (AMC) has adapted quickly since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The local group of health professionals have led thousands of patients through unease and disease over the last year. When asked the general status of her patients, Dr. Mindy Gautama, one of the dozen doctors on staff at the clinic, gives a sympathetic answer.
“If I had to just use one word to describe them, I would say struggling,” says the family doctor of 20 years in Airdrie. “I think it’s for any number of factors. It’s not just their medical status. It’s just all the economic fallout. It’s the isolation. It’s ... that uncertainty and anxiety as to what’s going to happen in the future.”
She shares that a lot of her patients have lost their jobs or are finding it hard to keep their businesses afloat.
“Of course, that’s going to have an impact on your health, both physical and mental,” says Gautama, noting an increase in addiction, alcohol and drug use, people eating for comfort, plus less activity.
She’s painfully familiar with the direct and indirect problems of COVID, and shares concern about an upcoming care deficit, as some regular illnesses have gone under treated.
“This is possibly one of the most difficult times that any of us will ever go through in our lives,” says Gautama.
She and her colleagues Dr. Neil Rehill and medical office assistant Miranda Schmidt are thankful for the support of their peers during this hard time.
Gautama highlights the “invaluable” assistance the clinic receives from the Highland Primary Care Network (PCN), including support from a social worker, registered nurses, a kinesiologist, an exercise specialist, a dietitian and a pharmacist.
AMC colleague Dr. Tammy McKnight, who recently joined WestJet as chief medical officer, agrees.
McKnight was also previously the local PCN medical director. With about 65 doctors, PCN looks after about 75,000 patients from the Calgary border to Didsbury, east to Beiseker and west to Cremona.
She says she had about 20-25 COVID patients up to the end of January in her part-time family practice (which supported approximately 900 patients within AMC). All recovered but two active cases at that time.
McKnight says the clinic has been adapting and learning since
the start of the pandemic. At first, knowledge was changing almost daily, and staff have worked to stay on top of the best advice to give their patients in a confusing time. She says regular webinars with public health and infectious disease leaders help staff “stay more cutting edge” with facts condensed from research papers from trusted sources.
She’s also thankful for her colleague Dr. Ahmar Khan’s background in virology.
“It provides some comfort when you have somebody who has some expertise that you trust to be able to give you some answers,” McKnight, acknowledging the peer support provided within AMC’s daily huddle, which she refers to as a “five-minute mental health appointment before the day starts.”
For Miranda Schmidt, life has looked different from her peers in their early 20s. She started her medical office assistant career in June 2020 at AMC, where she had worked summers for three years prior.
“Probably the most stressful part of the whole pandemic is just a thought of bringing it here and giving it to a patient,” says Schmidt, who has taken measures to keep others safe.
“Be kind to one another ... we need some positivity to keep us moving forward”
Virtual care was far from routine before it became the norm in the early months of the pandemic. Before COVID-19, doctors were allotted seven virtual patient visits per week.
Gautama says knowing many of her patients for 20 years helps her read their cues when talking over the phone, but it has its difficulties. Visuals are aided by sending pictures through secure links. The clinic will make video calls a part of their practice soon and are switching electronic medical record systems to accommodate the service with security.
Along with his family practice, Rehill works with the Luxstone Manor assisted living facility and does the occasional shift at Urgent Care in Airdrie.
He hasn’t seen much of his senior patients, who live minutes from his Calgary home, in the last year.
“We’re protecting them because of the high-risk group,” he says. “It’s really the elderly, the sick, that we have to think about during times like this. And the fact is that it’s healthy subjects that are passing it on to the vulnerable.”
He shares concern for youth fractured from their normal social lives and wonders how it will affect them long term. But overall, he takes an optimistic view.
“I do know that ... humans are resilient,” says Rehill. “I’m hoping ... when we look down the road, we can say, ‘We worked together. There were a lot of sacrifices, yes. Loved ones passed away, loved ones got sick, but we managed.’
“I think people bounce back, and I think so will we, hopefully with some important lessons learned.”
Rehill says respect for others is most important now.
“Be kind to one another ... we need some positivity to keep us moving forward,” he says. “And I do think that, you know, we’re going to come out of this better.”
McKnight says the increase of secure platforms to “enhance the way that care is provided” is one good thing that’s come out of the pandemic.
“Instead of having to take a couple hours off work to come to their doctor, they can take 15 minutes off, which is great for patients,” says McKnight, acknowledging the limitations of virtual care for mental health patients to really “see how they’re interacting.”
Gautama agrees.
“It’s trying to find that balance of managing patients, making sure that all of their other health care needs are met, but also recognizing that COVID does kind of cast this cloud over everything,” she says.
About 30 of her patients had dealt with COVID by late January. At that time, all of them had recovered, but Guatama did have some patients with lingering effects.
Patients with COVID have been cared for over the phone, following pathways depending on their risk factors. High-risk patients with COVID are called every day for two weeks to check on them and go through a series of questions. If something is wrong, they can be sent to hospital. Average or low-risk patients are phoned every other day or once, respectively.
McKnight says the biggest challenge now is convincing people vaccines are safe.
“Vaccination is [going] to be the key for this to be over; for us to be able to go back to our lives as they were before,” she says. “So far, the two mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines have been found to be very effective and been found to be very safe. When you look into the paths, the technology has been around for more than a decade, so it’s actually not that new.”
McKnight encourages people to vaccinate to protect themselves and those around them to decrease “the amount of propagation of the virus in the community.”
Gautama encourages the public to also get “back down to basics” of health: eating healthy, staying active, getting enough sleep and limiting alcohol intake, as well as maintaining connection with family and friends by video or phone calls.
She leads by example, making a point of reaching out to one of her close friends weekly.
Schmidt encourages patients to keep accessing their family doctors.
“It’s important not to let other aspects of your health slip while you’re trying to be careful and protective,” she says. “There are ways to access health care, even if you don’t want to be in person.” life
Giving birth is one of the most amazing experiences of a woman’s life.
It is also one of the most uncertain. No matter how much planning and preparation you put into it, there are no guarantees about what your birth process will look like.
Luckily, there are specially trained professionals who can help make the experience less daunting.
However, working with these professionals can raise its own set of questions.
How do you know if having a midwife is right for you? What’s the difference between a midwife and a doula?
We hope this story will help to answer some of those questions, as well as share the experiences of two local women who used midwives and say the birth professionals made their experience everything they had hoped it would be.
A birth doula supports an expecting person/couple/family through pregnancy, labour and birth.
Shaira Montgomery is a birth and postpartum doula and the owner of Growing Love Doula Services in Airdrie.
Montgomery took her DONA (Doulas of North America) training in August of 2019 and became certified in January of 2020.
She has supported more than 20 births and a number of families as a postpartum doula.
“Birth is a significant piece to our story and journey in life. I have the opportunity to truly impact this moment for people,” says Montgomery.
“My goal as a birth doula is to give you and your partner the attention, knowledge, resources and confidence you need to make informed decisions about your pregnancy and birth experience.”
Doulas and birth attendants are not regulated and can provide emotional support and comfort measures, but not health care or delivery of babies.
The cost of doula services is not covered by Alberta Health Services and is the responsibility of the patient.
Montgomery says it is important that expecting parents interview a number of doulas and ask them detailed questions about their training and experience.
“Inviting someone into your birth space is a big deal, so be sure to be happy and confident with who you have by your side in these momentous times,” she says.
A registered midwife (RM) provides the complete course of care to women and their babies during low-risk pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. This includes physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests, and delivery of the baby.
Christia Copeland is an RM with Airdrie Midwives and says one of the most common misconceptions is that if you have a midwife, you have to give birth at home.
“That’s not at all true,” she says. “We have privileges at all of the hospitals in Calgary. Having a midwife really opens up your options to give birth where and how you want.”
RMs can attend to births in hospitals, birth centres or the mother’s home. Registered Midwives are publicly funded; there is no fee for service.
“In my personal experience, having a midwife allows for a professional, warm and personalized birth experience,” she adds.
Airdrie Midwives is a satellite practice of Birth Partnership Midwives and has been in operation since 2017. They service Airdrie and a number of surrounding communities including Cremona, Linden, Beiseker and Irricana.
Carolyn Wiersma gave birth to her son in May 2020 in the bathtub of her Airdrie home with the help of an Airdrie midwife.
She says the benefits of using a midwife include one-on-one attention, top-notch care and dealing with the same person throughout the whole pregnancy, labour and after care.
“My husband and I were never rushed or brushed off when we would approach them with so many questions, no matter how ridiculous,” she says.
“Everyone on our team that we met, [they] were very reassuring, knowledgeable, and were excellent listeners. I felt so empowered to be able to advocate for my type of birth and be supported by midwives who knew what they were doing, and they do it so well.”
Wiersma used a midwife for the birth of her daughter as well in 2017 in a hospital in Calgary.
Stephanie Edgington gave birth to her son in her home in Irricana in August 2020 with the help of an Airdrie midwife.
“To them, pregnancy, birth and the postpartum journey are not primarily a medical condition – they are stages in a woman’s and family’s life that are to be enjoyed and celebrated,” she says.
“I was able to email my midwives at any time of the day or night with questions, and whoever was on call would get back to me usually within a few hours. It was so comforting to have their expertise at my fingertips as opposed to waiting for a doctor’s appointment to ask my questions.” life
Clifford was recently made aware of the cause when a Calgary radio station was collecting money and feminine hygiene products for those in need.
“I truly had no idea how many people were going without; how many people were having to make the choice to possibly take food items off of their grocery list just to be able to afford essential pads or tampons,” she says.
“There’s a stigma that comes with talking about periods and the only way to overcome this is by talking about them some more.”
To this end, Clifford founded Airdrie Operation Period to provide essential period products to anyone in need, while also taking the stigma away from periods in general and the shame that so many associate with it.
“Does saying period, pads or tampons make you uncomfortable?” Clifford asks.
“Great! Let’s keep talking about it until it doesn’t. Have you ever had a boss, teacher, coach, loved one comment that ‘You must be on your period’ to excuse away a comment or behaviour? It is time for us ‘period pals’ to band together and empower each other.”
The cause is gaining attention. Airdrie Operation Period recently collected more than 4,000 feminine hygiene products after a single social media post.
Clifford has now partnered with the Airdrie P.O.W.E.R. Women’s Day Shelter to allow access to these products for anyone visiting the shelter as well as using the shelter as a pickup location for anyone that is not affected by abuse or violence, but that cannot otherwise afford these products.
“We want this initiative to provide these products to anyone, at any time, with no questions asked,” says Clifford.
Crystal Boys, president and founder of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R., says Clifford’s determination to the cause is inspiring.
“She is working with the women’s shelter to ensure she can reach everyone in need,” says Boys.
Clifford adds that she will also be reaching out to middle and high schools to provide a bin of products to be accessed at any time without the need to ask.
“This initiative is important to me because it is an essential need, and it should be important to everyone,” says Clifford.
“I don’t care if you are a woman, a transgender man or non-binary person. If you get a period, you should have access to sanitary products – period. Period products are essential and should not only be available to those that can easily afford them.”
She adds that her goal is to create an overabundance of these supplies.
“If you are someone fortunate enough to not have to worry about access to these products, then I hope that it sparks a conversation that begins to normalize periods and remove the shame that so many associate with menstruation,” Clifford adds. life
For more information on Airdrie Operation Period, visit @AirdrieOperationPeriod on Facebook
BY STACIE GAETZThere’s a stigma that comes with talking about periods and the only way to overcome this is by talking about them some more
“ ”STORY BY STACIE GAETZ PHOTOS BY KRISTY REIMER
Remember that wicked snowstorm February 2/3? Yep, that is when we were shooting the 11th annual AAW photos.
Thank goodness Kristy Reimer’s studio was warm and inviting and filled with a floral backdrop. It was a pure pleasure to meet almost all of our 41 nominees in person over those two days. Kristy and I wore our masks, but we were able to see the beautiful faces of our nominees as they stepped in front of the camera for a few seconds.
‘Hope blooms eternal’ is our theme this year and while at press time our actual awards celebration is up in the air, we are hoping to host a garden party in early summer. You can have your own mini garden party at home as we give away a bouquet of fresh flowers every week this year – see page 6.
We see the hope blooming in each of our nominees; their struggles, their goals, their grit and their passions, each one of them an inspiration.
Please read about each of our amazing women and then go to airdrielife.com to cast your votes to help determine the recipients in all 10 categories. Your votes account for 50 per cent of the decision, with the other 50 per cent coming from our editorial team, sponsors and previous recipients. Voting is open until April 30. Recipients will be announced in early summer.
This annual celebration of women does not happen without the support of our AMAZING sponsors. Thank you to title sponsor (for all 11 years!) Pharmasave on Centre/The Store Upstairs, and Airdrie Eyecare Centre, Cream Lingerie, Davis Chev, Excel Homes, Explosive Edge, GP Law, McKee Homes, Pink Wand, Pureform Radiology, Restored Wellness and Vitreous Glass.
Sherry Shaw-Froggatt, publisherA 17-year-old who has been twirling baton for eight years, Brooke Mauro has competed in up to 10 competitions per year.
“The thing I love most about the sport is that there is no ceiling to the athleticism and skill you can achieve; there is always room for improvement,” says the George McDougall High School online student.
“This gives me so much motivation to work harder and always try to improve my skills. I also love training and competing with my best friends, as well as meeting new friends from around the world.”
She says her biggest achievement was the three gold medals she brought home for Canada at the 2020 Pan-Pacific Cup in Red Deer in January 2020.
She also competed as a member of Team Canada at the 2019 International Cup in France and the 2017 International Cup in Croatia when she brought home a silver and bronze medal for Canada.
“Something that I would like most for people to know about the sport of baton is that it takes more dedication and perseverance than most people would think,” she adds.
“It is a sport that requires a lot of athleticism, sportsmanship and passion.”
Shannon, Mauro’s mother and nominator, says: “Brooke deserves this award because she trains extremely hard in all areas of baton, is passionate about competing in her chosen sport and yet has a humble attitude,” she says.
Seventeen-year-old Jinaye Shomachuk is currently in 18th place in the world in the hammer throw.
Shomachuk has been competing since she was nine years old, starting as a runner and then moving into shot put, discuss and hammer – her best event. She has been nominated twice for Alberta’s Female U18 Athlete of the Year.
“Being given recognition for something I consider my craft is unlike any other feeling,” she says.
Shomachuk holds two Alberta School Association records in discuss and shot put and holds 16 total provincial records. She has also medalled in international competitions.
She says although she has tried playing team sports like soccer and volleyball, she prefers individual sports because “there is a different kind of strength that comes from relying on only yourself.”
“At the end of the day, it really comes down to my own determination and love for throwing that makes me successful,” she adds.
Dorothy Smith, retired counsellor at Bert Church High School, nominated Shomachuk for the award, saying she is an athlete who embodies all of the positive qualities one looks for in a hero or a role model.
“I am so impressed with her commitment to everything she does and her kind and respectful manner. She is modest but aware of her abilities,” says Smith.
“She is a strong academic student and a world-class athlete but maintains a balance in her life. She understands very well the value of hard work.”
Cindy Mayer doesn’t think of herself as amazing at all.
And that’s exactly why she deserves to be recognized for all that she does with no expectation of getting anything in return.
Mayer has lived in Airdrie for 31 years and given back to a number of organizations, including the Rotary Club and the food bank for the past decade.
“These two organizations are both non-profit and very community minded,” says Mayer.
“Both help take care of our citizens in many different ways and make Airdrie a kinder and more compassionate place to live.”
She maintains that what she does is nothing special and that helping others is just what should be done.
“People helping people is what keeps our community healthy, happy and prosperous,” she adds.
“Everyone should give volunteering a try; it will warm your heart.”
Lori McRitchie, executive director of Airdrie Food Bank, nominated Mayer for the Amazing Advocate Award.
“She works tirelessly, usually in the background, to make her community a better place,” says McRitchie.
“She is truly deserving of this Amazing Airdrie Women Award.”
Daria Skibington-Roffel has been helping people for more than 30 years.
She has been volunteering since she was in Grade 7 when she signed up for the Student Torch Relay for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
In the past 10 years, she has also given her time to Volunteer Airdrie, Airdrie Lioness Club, the Airdrie Horticultural Society, and the Airdrie and District Hospice Society.
She served as a crisis/victim advocate for the Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society from 2007 until 2017.
“I can say that it was, by far, the most rewarding, fulfilling and amazing volunteer role I have ever served in,” says Skibington-Roffel, who is currently the vice-president of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R.
“I wanted to see Airdrie take leadership in this area by building a shelter or setting up more programs for women experiencing domestic violence,” she says of her involvement with the non-profit organization.
Crystal Boys, president and founder of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R., says Skibington-Roffel has worked tirelessly to get the women’s shelter built and operating.
“She does not hesitate when asked for help and does anything she can to make Airdrie a better place for our less-fortunate population,” says Boys.
“She is an unspoken hero and our community is simply a better place with her in it.”
Cpl. Echelle Malone has helped hundreds of Airdrie residents with mental health challenges and addictions get the help they need while avoiding incarceration.
Malone developed the innovative service delivery model behind the Airdrie RCMP Mental Health and Addictions Liaison Team (MHALT).
The team includes a partnership with Alberta Health Services to address unique challenges surrounding mental health and addiction. The goal is to identify those who need help and have multiple interactions with police and get them the services they need ahead of time.
“I possessed the passion, commitment and determination to ensure the success of this initiative,” says Malone, who has worked with the RCMP for 20 years, 15 of those in Airdrie.
“I have experienced firsthand the prevalence and impact that mental health and addictions have had on individuals and families. I recognized that a number of individuals and families who had frequent police contacts was primarily due to mental health and/or addiction issues and not criminality.”
She adds she developed the unit to divert these clients from the criminal justice system to the appropriate community supports and resources.
“The work that this unit does is rewarding in many ways; it is challenging at times, but it provides a sense of accomplishment when you can make a positive difference in someone’s life,” says Malone.
“It is fulfilling to be part of a collaborative approach between the RCMP and its community partners in addressing mental health and addiction issues in Airdrie.”
Staff Sgt. Steve Browne nominated Malone for the Amazing Advocate Award, saying she has worked tirelessly to ensure the program has been a success.
“Many residents and stakeholders have benefited from the work Echelle has put into mental health and addictions support services,” he adds.
Kelsey Brockway carries the title of “crazy hockey mom” with pride.
She has volunteered for two years as the U7 Initiation co-ordinator at Airdrie Minor Hockey Association (AMHA). This year she started as the U9 Novice coordinator and co-coordinator of U11 Atom Travel at AMHA.
She is also the manager of her oldest son’s U13 Peewee team and she volunteered as the registrar at Fuzzy Pickles Preschool for four years.
“I think we are all in this together and I will spare any time to be there for my association,” she says.
“I believe not-for-profit schools and organizations are the lifeblood of our community; without volunteers, there wouldn’t be affordable sports and schools.”
She is also homeschooling her three children, ages seven, nine and 11, and she and her husband recently opened Brockway’s Automotive.
She attributes her ability to be involved in so many volunteer activities to her incredible support system, which includes her dad who lives with her family.
Brockway was nominated for the Amazing Advocate Award by her husband Scott who says her generous spirit and volunteer work is inspiring.
“She would give anyone the shirt off her back and is the most supportive person I know. She is more than just a crazy hockey mom,” says Scott.
For the past decade Amanda Tozser has donated her talents to emerging artists.
She has volunteered with Rocky View Schools doing demos in theatrical makeup for local middle and high schools for the past five years.
She has also worked with organizations such as Creative Airdrie, Airdrie Public Library, Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie, City of Airdrie and many more.
“My focus is on youth and what their incredible minds and talent bring to our little city,” says Tozser.
“Whether it is with drawing and sculpting, gallery work, music or singing, makeup artistry and theatre work – to know I’ve inspired or helped a youth bring out their creativity means the world to me.”
As someone who has worked with local up-and-coming youth artists of all kinds, Tozser has some advice for aspiring creatives: “Pursue what you love and reach out to local professionals for help and advice,” she says.
“Most of us are always happy to help in any way.”
Joannah Pruden has known Tozser for 13 years and nominated her for the Amazing Cultural Ambassador Award.
“Over the years, I have watched her give so much to her community in the form of volunteering and donating her time and work to help others, and asking nothing in return,” says Pruden.
“I nominated Amanda because her heart is always with helping others and supporting our community.”
Kim Cheel believes that arts and culture are the soul of a community and that is why she has worked tirelessly for years to advocate for them in Airdrie.
“When you don’t have a large support of arts, of culture, of heritage, we lose a sense of ourselves, and often lose a sense of where we’re going as a society,” she says.
“How can we know who we are when we don’t listen to our storytellers and the many ways story gets told?”
Cheel is the president of the Airdrie Film Festival Society and has been instrumental in major cultural movements such as Airdrie Pride Society, ARTember, Indigenous Month, Black History Month and Alberta Culture Days.
Cheel’s nominator Sherry King says her friend deserves the Cultural Ambassador Award because of her work to bolster arts and culture and the inspiring opportunities she brings to the city.
“Her energy and community reach are unmeasurable,” King adds.
“She always knows what is going on, who is running what, who to contact, and collaborates so well with many different groups.”
Susan Laing, founder of Airdrie Dance Academy, created not just a business but a family when she started her studio almost 30 years ago.
“We are a multi-generational studio,” she says.
“That dedication to me and my studio shows community support, pride and a shared love of dance.”
Laing estimates that she has taught about 10,000 students over the past 29 years.
She says despite the many changes she has seen the city go through over the years, one thing has remained consistent.
“Parents remain dedicated to support their children’s activities,” she says.
“For that support, of my business, my passion and my values, I am forever grateful.”
Mackenzie Cox, Laing’s assistant of five years and student of 14 years, nominated her mentor for the award saying she doesn’t just teach her students how to dance.
“In the small periods of time you get with her every week, she not only teaches you how to dance but life lessons along the way,” says Cox, winner of the 2020 Amazing Airdrie Women Promise Award.
“She cares so deeply for each and every one of her students and no dancer ever feels left out from her kindness and compassion.”
Veronica Funk takes her art seriously. In fact, she believes that the arts saved her.
With a family history of clinical depression, addiction and suicide, she has found solace in the act of creativity.
An artist since she was a child, Funk went on to study arts and design at Red Deer College.
“I really don’t remember a time that I haven’t been drawn to the arts,” she says.
She adds that a community without art is deprived of life and vibrancy.
“Throughout the many years I have lived in Airdrie, my focus as an artist has always been to collaborate. Whether it has been to share my skills and experience in the schools or assisting in the arts in the broader community,” she says.
Michelle Wagner nominated Funk for the Amazing Cultural Ambassador Award, saying the artist has been a key contributor in developing Airdrie’s culture landscape.
“Her dedication and passion for bringing arts and culture to our community is easily demonstrated through her workshops, public art, publications as well as her volunteer and paid work with organizations such as Creative Airdrie, ARTember, Airdrie Public Library and Bert Church Theatre,” Wagner adds.
Candice Kutyn works every day to prove to others that you can get back up after being knocked down.
“There is power and healing in hearing someone else’s story,” she says.
“I have seen it in the pages of other stories and if I can do the same for just one person, I will count that as a success. It is my hope that my story and work can aid in someone else’s healing.”
Kutyn’s young adult years were mired in anxiety and abusive relationships and in 1999 she was sexually assaulted. Shortly after the assault, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but later found out she was actually suffering from acute trauma continuing into PTSD. She was over-medicated for a mental health disorder, that she did not have, for more than a decade.
After moving to Alberta from B.C. in 2009, she went to school to be a social worker and is now a counsellor for North Rocky View Community Links.
“My own history and healing from personal trauma led me to a career in helping others on their own paths of resiliency and post-traumatic growth,” she says.
In addition, Kutyn is also the vice-president of Airdrie Pride Society and manages the PRYSM program, a safe place for LGBTQ2S+ youth.
She is also working on her master of social work, with a clinical specialization in trauma-informed practice, and has opened her own business, CK Holistic Counselling.
Sindy Jeske works with Kutyn at Community Links and says she embodies the rare example of someone who not only survived but grows beauty from her own dark and difficult places.
“She inspires everyone she comes into contact with with her kindness, strength and wisdom,” says Jeske.
“Candice loves the community of Airdrie and enjoys being involved, creating a more loving and accepting society.”
Linda Castle had no idea that the treatment for a kidney infection in 2009 would have such disastrous and lifelong effects for her.
Twelve years ago, while living on Vancouver Island, Castle, 55, was put on the intravenous antibiotic Gentamicin to clear up the infection. Soon after, she came down with a number of symptoms including nausea, brain fog and vertigo and was told she had Gentamicin poisoning that resulted in Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction, a brainstem injury.
“I really didn’t have the ability to feel anything at that time; it became a time to kick into survival mode because I couldn’t sit up, stand, read, watch TV or anything really,” she says.
“My greatest chore was making it to the bathroom without falling. I went from a confident, functioning adult to an invalid and I was frightened.”
Castle has been working for years with a team of people to support her including a physiotherapist, psychologist, kinesiologist, vestibular therapist and has learned to paint and write to help her cope.
She is currently working on writing a book with an author from the United States.
“I have finally accepted that I can’t beat this thing completely, so I have to work with it,” Castle says.
“A friend once said that the hospital ruined my life, to which I replied, ‘Not ruined, just changed my life. I’m the only one that has the power to allow it to be ruined.’”
Dr. Tammy McKnight, Castle’s physician of nine years, nominated her for the Amazing Courage Award, saying her tenacity is an inspiration to others whose lives have been halted without warning.
“Her kind, mild manner encapsulates an internal fire that pushes her tirelessly to improve, every day relentless in that pursuit,” says McKnight.
“She is a medical marvel, initially walking with a cane while clutching the wall, to now completing five-kilometre races, driving, and travelling the world.”
No matter what life throws at her, Veronica Hooper’s goal is to stay positive and move forward.
This philosophy has helped her support her daughter, who was diagnosed with cancer twice before the age of 11.
Hooper’s daughter Evie, now 14, was first diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma in her right eye at three weeks of age in 2007.
The family spent Evie’s first six months of life living in Ronald McDonald House at the Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto where they did everything they could to feel “normal.”
“All I knew was that I had to do the best for my girl, and that no matter what, we’d keep moving forward,” says Hooper.
“Every day that we had her with us is a gift, and I’ve had that motto ever since she was first diagnosed.”
Her right eye was removed to keep the cancer from spreading and when the bulk of the chemo treatments were done, Hooper moved her two young daughters to Airdrie while continuing to travel to Toronto every three weeks for exams until the treatment was over.
Hooper went on to meet her husband Michael and have two more children before Evie was diagnosed with cancer a second time right before her 11th birthday. This time it was a stage 4 incredibly rare olfactory neuroblastoma that had spread to her lymph nodes. Hooper was told that her daughter’s chance of survival was 20 per cent.
“I didn’t want to focus on that as I knew that it wouldn’t help Evie get better or help us as a family to grow stronger,” says Hooper, adding that Evie’s treatment has involved seven courses of chemo, major surgery and proton radiation therapy, which took place in Florida.
Evie is doing well now despite some negative side effects of the intensive treatment program.
Michael nominated his wife for the Amazing Courage Award, saying she always puts others before herself.
“Everything she does and all of the people she comes into contact with, she deals [with] in love. It’s the only language she knows; anger isn’t in her vocabulary,” he says.
Ami Ballman is not one to shy away from a challenge.
When opening one of Airdrie’s first cannabis stores in a new and competitive industry, she chose to take all of the challenges – including lengthy delays, a perceived negative stigma and uncertainty – in stride.
“That didn’t stop us; it was an invitation to work harder and bring something different to the table,” says Ballman, owner of RARE Cannabis Co.
“We had a vision that we could cultivate a special and different experience that could resonate with those new and not-so-new to cannabis, and that’s what we did.”
RARE Cannabis Co. opened its doors on July 26, 2019, and Ballman says she is “especially passionate about empowering women on their cannabis journeys.”
Ballman has also been the chair of the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Advocacy Committee since 2019.
“The ACC Advocacy Committee identifies and prioritizes the issues affecting business in Airdrie,” she says.
“We work to advance positive change at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government.”
Nikki Nordick, ACC president, nominated Ballman for the Amazing Determination Award saying there is nothing she can’t do when she puts her mind to it.
“When she sees a challenge her perseverance to help and see things through is beyond admirable,” says Nordick.
“She is a very hard working, dedicated entrepreneur and one of Airdrie’s amazing women.”
Heather Clifford recently created Airdrie Operation Period and collected more than 4,000 feminine hygiene products for women in need.
“The idea behind ending ‘period poverty’ is to provide essential period products to anyone in need, while also taking the stigma away from periods in general and the shame that so many associate with it,” she says.
Clifford has been working with Airdrie P.O.W.E.R Women’s Day Shelter to allow access to feminine hygiene products for anyone visiting the shelter, and using the location as a pick-up spot for anyone that is not necessarily affected by abuse or violence, but cannot otherwise afford these products.
She is also in talks with local middle and high schools to provide a bin of products to be accessed at any time.
“This initiative is important to me because it is an essential need, and it should be important to everyone,” says Clifford.
Crystal Boys, president and founder of Airdrie P.O.W.E.R., nominated Clifford for the Amazing Determination Award.
“She believes no women should be without the feminine hygiene products they need every month,” Boys says.
“She has taken great initiative to begin a program where anyone needing these products can get them and that is amazing.”
Imagine not only starting a new company during a global pandemic but making it successful in its inaugural year –that’s exactly what Lilian Jourieh did.
Jourieh started Smashdoor Marketing, a multi-faceted marketing agency based in Airdrie, in early 2020.
“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to stay driven and determined not only for ourselves, but to help our clients weather through the tough times, and to have a strong plan to hit the ground running when the pandemic is over,” says Jourieh.
“I am driven to succeed not just for myself, but for my family, and for the people I work with. I want to see them succeed and to be able to provide for their families the way I have been able to for my own.”
She is also a partner/advisor for Airdrie Music Lessons, and she says she likes being part of a safe place students can go not only for music lessons, but to develop lifelong friendships with like-minded people.
Colin Vo has known Jourieh for more than 10 years and nominated her for the Amazing Determination Award.
“Lilian deserves this award because ‘determination’ epitomizes everything that Lilian is and does, from how she approaches change and challenges, to how she strives to help others in all settings (professional, personal and in the community),” he says.
Shaira Montgomery is helping women navigate the process of pregnancy and follows them along into motherhood.
Montgomery has been a birth doula for just over and year and has supported more than 20 births and a number of other families as a postpartum doula. She says there is nothing she would rather do.
“Birth is a significant piece to our story and journey in life,” says the owner of Growing Love Doula Services.
“I have the opportunity to truly impact this moment for people.”
The former engineer technologist says she left her job of 10 years to “jump into the birth world” and didn’t look back.
Brittney Trebilco nominated Montgomery for the Amazing Determination Award, saying she is an inspiration.
“Shaira is so selfless, putting countless hours into helping these women gain the confidence as they step into their new roles as mothers,” says Trebilco.
“Her passion as a doula and the great risk she took to
Shauna Quinn, chair of the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, worked incredibly hard to bring the monumental event to the city in February 2020.
The Games included nearly 2,500 participants and 18 sports that took place in Canmore, Calgary, Airdrie and Balzac.
“There is no doubt for me; there’s a magical energy that comes with public events. I call it the public spirit – so exciting and special it makes you cry for no reason,” she says.
Quinn has the experience to back up the amazing achievement of planning the Games. She spent 10 years working on the ‘real’ Olympic Games, and another eight producing live events.
She adds it’s a strange feeling knowing a few weeks later the world would turn upside down with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I feel it is really important in a city like Airdrie for people to step up,” she says of why volunteering is crucial to a community.
“Help cultivate the community you want to live in, bring vision to the life you want for yourself or your kids, and celebrate the successes of those around you.
“Connecting with others, with the community and bringing your passion to purpose, regardless of awards or recognitions, or even paycheques take a lot of determination and commitment but in the end, just feels great.”
Christie Jensen worked with Quinn on the Games and says she applauds Quinn’s dedication to pull together so many people, groups and partners to make the large-scale event happen.
“She deserves this award because she is more than a dedicated volunteer; she doesn’t run away from a challenge and is committed long term. Project success is the only option when Shauna is involved,” says Jensen.
Shawna Taylor took a personal hardship and turned it into something that helps others in similar situations.
“When my daughter started struggling with her addiction to fentanyl, I was lost; my family was lost, embarrassed, [ashamed] and so confused,” says Taylor.
“We had nowhere to turn and no one who seemed to know what we were going through … no one to give us advice on how to maneuver through the criminal justice and health care system.”
In January 2019, Taylor created Here Together, a support group for families of addicts in Airdrie.
She says it is meant to bring addictions into the light and let families of addicts know they are not alone.
“I realized the more I normalized it the better I felt and was able to deal with this horrific thing that was taking my daughter away and tearing our family apart,” she says, adding that she is now raising her granddaughter.
“The more that we talk about addiction and what we are going through, the more we can educate others to try to end the stigma and create a sense of community for those who feel like they are losing everything.”
Christina Sackett nominated Taylor for the Amazing Determination Award.
“Shawna has selflessly committed herself to helping her family [and] her community, and she is determined to lead the way for compassionate addiction supports and awareness,” says Sackett.
Haley Brietzke has worked with older individuals for nearly 30 years and wants others to know that the elderly are normal people who just require some assistance. And don’t we all sometimes?
She has worked as an LPN at the Bethany Care Centre in Airdrie for 27 years and says her job still brings her endless joy.
“My residents are a wealth of knowledge; each and every one of them has a sense of humor to be teased into a smile or full-fledged belly laugh. All of them are so much fun,” says Brietzke.
She also volunteers her time to the Airdrie Pro Rodeo Society and the Airdrie Rotary Festival.
“It is of utmost importance in my eyes to give to your community to keep it alive and thriving, and improving. A community keeps its spirit when it is nurtured,” says Brietzke.
She was nominated by Brenda Moon, the 2020 Amazing Airdrie Women Awards Amazing Legacy recipient.
“Haley deserves this award because of the energy she puts into making people feel welcome, connected and valued, wherever she meets them – through her work in long-term care, in her neighbourhood, in her volunteer roles, basically anywhere in her community,” says Moon.
“She adores the geriatric crowd and can often be found laughing and joking with her residents, helping them feel like special, connected and valued members of our society.”
Kirstin Barchard is delivering more than fresh produce to her customers’ homes.
The co-owner of Micro Acres, a local farm, is helping residents stay safe and healthy during an uncertain time.
“Seeing the joy on people’s faces when fresh food is delivered to their door makes me so happy,” says Barchard.
“Hearing parents tell me their kids are enjoying greens when they barely would touch them before is the absolute best. Knowing that what we do is making a difference in someone else’s life is why we do what we do.”
Micro Acres also gives back by donating their products to the Airdrie Food Bank and sponsoring a family through the Airdrie Lioness Program.
“Our community has been so supportive to us that we think it is imperative to give back to them in the way they have given to us,” says Barchard.
“Many in our community are struggling in one way or another so doing what we can as a business to help is so very important.”
Barchard’s husband and business partner David nominated her for the Amazing Heart Award, saying that his wife cares deeply for the families of Airdrie and shows it by the work she does to help others.
“Every week, Kirstin delivers to people’s homes with no delivery fees or minimums to ensure that everyone has access to local, healthy produce,” he says.
Naomi Keane strives to cultivate an empowering, supportive and inclusive community everywhere she goes.
Keane started Oranj Fitness in Airdrie with her dad in 2016 and they opened their Kensington location in 2019.
She has a background in education, dance, fitness and nutrition, and says the COVID-19 pandemic has taught her the importance of perspective.
“I want to love my community hard and make an impact for as long as I can. I commit to taking the time with each person that I am so blessed to have connection with and I try my hardest to leave them happier than they were when they first came into my presence,” she says.
Keane adds that it is her goal to mentor her instructors and help them to work hard and share their passion for health and wellness.
Jenna Hunt works with Keane and nominated her for the Amazing Heart Award, saying she is kind, caring, welcoming and brings happiness into everyone’s life she touches.
“Without a doubt, she is an amazing woman and we are lucky she calls Airdrie home,” adds Hunt.
“She is humble yet gorgeous, inspiring yet down to earth
Renée Short gives new meaning to the words kind and generous.
The Airdrie lawyer began the process of adopting twin sixyear-old boys three years ago. The boys brought the family great joy but also presented some challenges as they both have ADHD and special needs due to a traumatic past.
“Children with special needs cannot fit into the expectations of the general population and cannot necessarily be educated or raised the same way as other children,” says Short.
In addition to navigating new waters with her sons, Short is working hard to give the gift of life to her friend’s 15-year-old son, who has end-stage renal failure due to congenital abnormalities.
Short is not a match for her friend’s son so she is taking part in a kidney pairing program that will allow her to donate her kidney to another recipient who has a paired donor to match him.
“If I can give someone else a chance at a longer, healthier life, then it doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice for me to make,” says Short.
Short’s sister Charmaine Lloyd nominated her for the award, saying it is about time Short gets credit for all of the incredibly generous things she does.
“Renée deserves this award, because not only does she do so many amazing things, but she also does them quietly and secretly, never boasting or announcing them to others or on social media and never seeking acknowledgement,” says Lloyd.
Sonia Holwegner’s journey hasn’t been an easy one but she has found that family is everything.
Holwegner was widowed at the age of 26 with three young kids – ages eight, five and three – when her husband, 33, was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 27, 2008.
“As time passes it gets easier to live without Jeremy; however, the pain of missing him never goes away,” she says.
She went on to have another daughter and is now close friends and co-parents with her daughter’s father.
She has also been a surrogate to two families. One for a family in England and she is due with a baby whose home will be with a gay couple.
“Instantly when I met this couple, I knew I wanted to help them become dads. Love is love and everyone deserves a family if that’s their dream,” she says.
“A family is made with love; it doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.”
As if all of this wasn’t enough, Holwegner also raises puppies for B.C. and Alberta guide dogs.
She now shares her life with Jon Pierce, and they are a blended family of 10.
Pierce nominated his partner for the Amazing Heart Award.
“Sonia deserves the award because she does all the kind things she does, out of the goodness of her heart, without ever expecting or requiring recognition, only hoping that her efforts will help others’ lives,” he says.
Anyone who knows Lefebvre has heard her say “I appreciate you” more than once but it is always said in the most meaningful way.
“I like to demonstrate appreciation regularly because people perform at their best when they truly are appreciated at work or at home,” says the manager of Champions Lounge & Gaming Room located in the Best Western Hotel.
Lefebvre has worked at the hotel for 10 years and has been a manager for the last five.
“A lot of our guests are regulars, so I’ve built some pretty special connections over the years and for that I’m forever grateful,” she says.
“I also get the opportunity to meet new people of our community and people just coming through for a visit; a very cool experience, which is why I love my job right to the core.”
She adds that the reason she leads the way she does, with compassion and respect, is to set an example for her daughter.
Elise Shorting is the general manager at the Best Western and she nominated Lefebvre for the Amazing Heart Award.
“How she uses the phrase ‘I appreciate you’— she means it, and such a direct, sincere compliment really goes to the heart,” says Shorting.
“She has repeatedly had me in awe … with the big and small ways she shows her guests she cares for them. I’ve been in the customer service industry for 20 years so it’s hard to shock me!”
Susan Baycroft isn’t one to dwell on the negatives.
Despite the fact that her husband was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic in March and she had just launched a new business that came to an immediate halt due to the virus, she still sees the good in it all.
“We focused on the blessings,” says the owner of Airdrie Mediation Services.
“We had an incredible long camping season filled with amazing family adventures that I could have only dreamt of having in my own childhood. Our immediate and extended families have stayed healthy, and though we know it will take a long time to repair the damage done by this pandemic, we have faith that we are stronger than ever to see the other side of it.”
Although she doesn’t regularly volunteer for any Airdrie organizations in particular, Baycroft says it is the little things that she does that make a difference. Unsolicited balloon drops at the doors of children needing a smile, grocery runs for seniors and neighbours in need, treats delivered to friends/family/neighbours just to see them smile –these are all things she goes out of her way to do on a regular basis.
At the earlier stages of the pandemic, her family reached out to their community to gather food bank donations, resulting in the delivery of 400 pounds of food to the organization.
Merle Steele has known Baycroft since 2006 and nominated her for the Amazing Heart Award.
“Susan deserves this award because she always makes things better just by being there and I want her to know how much it is appreciated,” says Steele.
Dorothy Smith helped young people find their passions and plan their futures for three decades before recently retiring.
“I cared deeply about the students and their future plans,” says Smith, former career counsellor at Bert Church High School.
“I really wanted them to feel hope when they moved on from high school.”
Smith’s job was to be support for off-campus education and she would conduct presentations about career choices in classes. One of her main tasks was organizing Career Day at the school.
“I wanted students to understand that any part-time job in high school was important and that they were building valuable skills, especially if they recognized the value and used that knowledge to promote themselves going forward,” she says.
Smith adds that the best part of her job would be exploring options with a student who was worried about what their future might look like and witnessing the moment that they found new hope and excitement for what their future might hold.
Bert Church Principal Ryan Reed nominated Smith for the Amazing Mentor Award, saying she tirelessly worked with students to connect their passions to post-secondary options, scholarships and careers.
“Her legacy of being an energetic, student-centred mentor to so many will live on at the school through other staff members assuming her role,” says Reed.
“She impacted many students’ lives by opening doors for Airdrie kids. She was always looking for ways to make things happen and wouldn’t stop until she found answers for students.”
Hamilton has been a drama teacher for 20 years, mostly at St. Martin de Porres High School. She is also the school’s soccer coach and coaches for Airdrie and District Soccer Association.
“I teach and I coach because it is what I have always wanted to do and growing up in Airdrie, it has been nice giving back to my community as an adult,” says Hamilton.
“Whether in the classroom or on the soccer pitch, I have always tried my hardest to create an atmosphere of kindness and inclusion – where students and players are free to have fun, build new skills and confidence and feel loved and valued.”
She adds that the benefits of being a mentor go both ways.
“As much as I feel I push them to be their best – they also challenge me to be better and learn more,” she says.
“This year especially has shown how amazing my students are. From lockdown, to online school, to classroom learning – my students have faced the challenges of learning during COVID head on. I am so proud of how they have adapted and have done their best to see success.”
Charles Rush, assistant principal at St. Martin de Porres, nominated Hamilton for the Amazing Mentor Award, saying few individuals have her passion and devotion.
“She has taken on some of the kids, whom others find difficult to manage, because she knows they need her more than the average student,” he says.
“She takes players who would never make a team in other schools or ever get a chance to play community because they don’t have the skills, because it has nothing to do with winning and everything to do with building character.”
Lore Pérez makes an impression on people.
In fact, the director of Airdrie Christian Childcare was nominated for the Amazing Mentor Award by seven different people.
“It is an honour to be nominated; it feels good to see that I’m leaving a little bit of me in others,” she says.
“There is only one life. Let’s make it significant and have impact.”
She adds that one of her favourite quotes by Katrina Mayer reads, “Let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark.”
She has worked at the daycare for almost three years and says the most important part of being a leader is not what you say to others but how well you listen.
“I know there is no easy job and I like to encourage my staff to strive by modelling strategies to them. I also realize that sometimes they just want to be listened to,” says Pérez.
Celeste Heerema works for Pérez and says she treats her staff like family.
“Lore shows care and compassion with everything she does,” she says.
Pérez also volunteers in the community with the Santa Claus Parade, Volunteer Airdrie, AirdrieFEST, Airdrie Children’s Festival, Airdrie Pro Rodeo, Airdrie Festival of Lights and more.
Three years ago, she created the Viva Mexico Festival that celebrates Mexican culture with food truck vendors, music, dance and fun activities. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival could not take place last year but Pérez took part in a cultural exhibit during the 2020 ARTember celebrations
“I truly believe Lore deserves this award for the valuable work she does to promote culture and bring our community together,” says Karina Clayton, who also nominated Pérez for the award.
Miriah Bastien believes in people.
She is the general manager of Airdrie Staples and has worked at various Staples location for almost 10 years.
She says as a manager, it is important to make sure that your staff are given the tools and support they need to set them up for success.
“Whether an associate continues their career in retail, moves on to another vocation, or uses Staples as a way to generate income for schooling, the skills they learn here will translate to further success,” she says.
“I am extremely proud to say that a number of my associates, supervisors and managers have moved up either in promotions or skill sets.”
She adds that Staples has a one-of-a-kind culture for their associates that values learning and growing with a strong focus on the health and well-being of their staff.
“I have found throughout my career that you need a balance of communication, honesty and integrity,” she says.
Mohammad Rahman is a former co-worker of Bastien’s and says she is a great leader who truly cares about her team and works to develop them as people and employees.
“She is so passionate about business and contributes significantly to the growth of organization and community,” he says.
“She injects her positivity to her team and makes the members always successful because she never gives up. She is not only a great leader but a great human being with big heart and divine soul.”
Ashlynn Poworoznyk loves dance so much, she didn’t even stop going to class when she broke her back.
In October, she fractured one of the vertebrae in her back, which would prevent her from dancing for about six to eight weeks.
“I knew that the easy way was to quit, but I didn’t want to do that and thought instead I would set a good example for those who look up to me,” says the 15-year-old Grade 10 George McDougall High School student.
“I showed up to class for myself and my team every day. I would continue to go to class and bring my notebook and take notes on everything new that was taught so that when I could return back to dancing, I would be up to speed with everything.”
Poworoznyk says she has been dancing in a number of styles for 12 years and before her injury, she put in about 20 hours a week at Elements Dance Company.
“I love dance for so many reasons. It’s an escape from reality, especially in times like these. It clears my head of any stress that I have; it allows me to express myself, and let out any cooped-up feelings,” she says.
“It also keeps me physically active, significantly improves my mental health, and overall is just my happy place.”
Stephanie Staniforth has been Poworoznyk’s dance teacher for the past four years and nominated her for the Amazing Promise Award.
“Ashlynn deserves this award because of her unparalleled work ethic, perseverance and positive attitude,” she says.
“Ashlynn consistently demonstrates her exceptional promise through all the things she does, big and small, and in between.”
Eighteen-year-old Bethany Scott could be described as a Jill of all trades.
An artist since the age of eight, she says her talent didn’t come without effort.
“I worked hard to grow in my skill set and strive to discover,” says the recent George McDougall graduate.
The young woman is also interested in robotics and technology. Starting at the age of 11, she was involved in FIRST Robotics with a team that worked together to build a robot that could complete a number of tasks and she has also taken an interest in computer coding.
In addition to art and robotics, the Capernwray Harbour Bible School student is interested in sign language and hopes to combine her passions into a career path.
Scott’s mom and nominator Michele says her daughter’s hard work, determination and contagious smile make her a born leader.
“Bethany is an extremely humble, compassionate, caring young woman with a servant’s heart and a desire to put others first,” says Michele.
Fifteen-year-old Mikah Dupuis has learned to enjoy the little things in life.
The Grade 10 Connected Learning Community online school student was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2019 and was told she would need to undergo twoand-a-half years of treatment.
“Having cancer has opened my eyes to a whole new world,” says Dupuis.
“I now have a completely different perspective on life. I have learned to not take things for granted. I had to grow up fast and I had to adapt to a new life.”
During her treatment, she had two extremely rare side effects: one that left her temporarily paralyzed from the belly button down and brain swelling that caused her to lose the ability to control the muscles in her body.
After overcoming these unimaginable challenges, Dupuis decided she would not only carry on but give back to other sick children by rappelling down the Sheraton Eau Claire Hotel in Calgary and raising an unbelievable $20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Rope for Hope event in October.
Dupuis’ teacher Michelle Nychuk nominated her for the Amazing Promise Award.
“Mikah continues to set an example as a role model by presenting to schools to empower youth and educate them about the importance of fundraising,” she says.
“She is a passionate and positive young lady who acknowledges and supports other’s needs while going through treatments herself.”
Frances MacCuaig says when she was young, she was considered part of the vulnerable sector. Having someone to help her through it allowed her to be here today to give back in her own way and show her appreciation and gratitude.
“We all have a time in our lives where we become lost; whether it’s a teenager who feels their parents and teachers don’t understand them, an addict who struggles with depression or any other form of mental illness, a senior whose family has moved away and are left alone. They all need to replace the loss and struggle they feel with something,” says MacCuaig.
“I feel I can give them a bit of my time to listen to their stories or buy someone a cup of coffee. We are a collective that needs to watch out and care for each other.”
She has volunteered for Bethany Care Centre and Soap for Hope, noting that her life motto is “treat others with love and respect and do no harm to anyone.”
Charlotte Gilmer nominated MacCuaig for the Amazing Legacy Award and says the Airdrian of 16 years has spent countless hours offering her expertise in finance and office management to volunteer organizations.
“Fran has given herself tirelessly, selflessly and full heartedly for the programs and non-profit agencies that have crossed her path and ignited her passion,” says Gilmer.
“(She) is a beautiful human being who has dedicated her spare time to helping others and bettering the community.”
“Eat the cake, buy the shoes, take the trip and count your blessings.” These are the things cancer has taught Terry Carlisle-Fink.
Carlisle-Fink was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2018. After six months of chemotherapy, she had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction.
She lost all the hair on her body, and her fingernails and toenails fell off twice during her treatments. She says it all taught her a very important lesson.
“Cancer has taught me to live each day to its fullest; to not procrastinate about things,” she says.
“It has also taught me how important my family, friends, coworkers and neighbours are. The support I received was outstanding and I continue to try and pay that kindness and support forward.”
She now supports other cancer survivors by giving them advice and resources throughout their journey because she knows what it is like to feel scared and alone after receiving your diagnosis.
“I am a cancer survivor and want to give back to my community,” she says.
“If I can help even one cancer patient gain confidence in fighting the disease and release some anxiety, I feel I have won again.”
Tracey Sweetapple, assistant principal at WH Croxford High School, nominated Carlisle-Fink for the award, saying the school secretary is known throughout Airdrie as kind, thoughtful, resilient and resourceful.
“She has great compassion for others and even in her darkest hour, thought about how she could support others surviving cancer,” Sweetapple adds.
According to staff and teachers, Bert Church High School (BCHS) is an amazing place to work and that has never been more evident than over the past year.
Due to the pandemic, staff and students have had to shift to emergency remote learning, then to in-person teaching, then at-home learning and then back to in-person schooling.
“There are so many dedicated staff members who consistently go above and beyond for the students and for the community on a regular basis, so you are always wanting to do your best as well,” says Kerri King, the schools’ chemistry teacher for the past five years.
She adds that the best part of working at BCHS is the community.
“It honestly feels like a family. We have so many fun and caring personalities and I feel like I can stop and visit with everyone and have a meaningful connection.”
Judy Sheets is a Red Seal Chef who instructs in the culinary arts kitchen. She has worked at BCHS for 14 years and says that when she was laid off last spring because of the pandemic, it made her truly appreciate how much she loves her job and the support of her co-workers.
“When I was thinking of what job I would want next, I couldn’t get over the fact that working at BCSH, is the job for me,” Sheets says.
The school’s secretary of seven years, Lori Allan says the pandemic has presented challenges but has also created a collaborative nature within the school community.
“Our staff and students have really come together during these difficult times,” she says.
“The shift to online learning has brought on new challenges, but as a team, we have been able to navigate through these changes with a flexible mindset and collaborative spirit.”
The owners of Byoode Bar have been empowering women since the business opened its doors in 2017.
The goal of owners Ashley Williams and Drucilla Heighton is to offer a variety of high-quality beauty services under one roof including eyebrows, eyelashes and esthetics.
However, they are also offering much more than beauty services and products to their female employees and clients.
“We believe we’ve created a safe, welcoming space for women to grow,” says Williams.
“We are a group of women who support each other and don’t work against each other. No competition –just community.”
Every employee under Byoode Bar’s roof works under their own business name, which helps to set them up for success if they decide to branch off into their own business.
“Byoode Bar exceeds what this business type should bring to the table,” says employee Amanda McCourt, who nominated Byoode Bar for the Amazing Workplace Award.
“This woman-empowering business deserves not only this award but many others for their hard work, community involvement and positive push on everything that comes their way.”
Heighton adds that they also carry a number of local products created right here in Airdrie by women entrepreneurs.
“We are part of the Sisters of Airdrie, a women’s group dedicated to supporting each other’s businesses and doing good within the community,” she says.
“We know the stresses women feel and endure daily. We understand the need to thrive in an environment where they feel valued and heard. We salute the hard-working boss babes out there and we know how they feel, because we are them. We are in this together!”
École Des Petits Amis French Immersion Preschool has been supporting young students socially, academically, creatively and emotionally since 2013.
The school is owned and run by Jackie Astrom and Val Reason who strive every day to be exceptional role models for their students.
“We know the job of raising children is challenging and parents need others to support them so that’s what we do,” says Astrom.
Reason agrees and says, “Ensuring that young girls know that they are not only permitted but well equipped to make their own life-determining decisions is crucial to them growing up into strong, capable women. These are lessons taught from a very young age through play, music and daily routine.”
The knowledge of women’s contributions to society is an essential element in all children’s educational foundation, adds Reason.
“Today, women hold many indispensable roles in our society,” she says.
“They are high-level government leaders, scientists, business gurus, mathematicians and administrators. They are also mothers, teachers, sisters, caregivers, providers and multi-taskers. Women are everywhere and can do everything. École Des Petits Amis values each contribution that all women make to our community as these actions define who and what we are.”
The employees of Marianne Elizabeth Design believe women are capable of doing anything a man can do in the business world, and “maybe even do it better.”
Marianne White, principal designer and owner of Marianne Elizabeth Design, says in the two years her business has been in operation, she has worked to support her employees as well as the women in the Airdrie community through donating to organizations like Airdrie P.O.W.E.R.
The interior design studio offers services to Airdrie and surrounding areas, including renovations, styling and decorating, and project management.
“Working one-on-one with these families and creating their dream homes is an absolute delight, and we really get to know the families here in Airdrie,” says White.
“Airdrie has an incredible number of talented suppliers, trades and even home-based businesses, and I will support and source as much through these local businesses as possible.”
Courtney Cheyne Macoy, junior interior designer at Marianne Elizabeth Design, agrees.
“I love working at a place where I feel valued and encouraged to grow my skills and help the business grow as well,” she adds.
“Supporting other local businesses is very important to us, so we work with several other Airdrie businesses.”
Orangetheory Fitness Airdrie gives women confidence to live a healthier lifestyle through fitness.
Tricia Andres McDonald, franchisee and COO of Orangetheory Fitness in Airdrie, says women are the lifeblood of any community.
“Women are the cornerstone of not only our staff but our membership base,” says Andres McDonald.
“We believe that if you have a community to support you, you can achieve all of your health and wellness goals.”
The Airdrie franchise has been in operation for three years and has 12 female employees.
Rochelle Court, head coach at Airdrie’s Orangetheory Fitness, says no matter what kind of day she has had, she looks forward to going to work.
“Walking through the doors puts a smile on my face and nothing else matters,” says Court.
“We have an amazing team of women with a variety of backgrounds; currently our entire staff is female. We all encourage each other to be the best versions of ourselves. Locally we’re recognized by celebrating and promoting women with equal opportunity and respect.”
The staff of Urban Clean Living give back to women in need in Airdrie.
LaVonne Ries, operations manager of Urban Clean Living, says the company has provided free cleanings to domestic violence victims, a woman with breast cancer as well as gathered donations for many people experiencing hard times.
“We empower women and employees to support local businesses and to give back where they can,” says Ries.
“As an entrepreneur for more than 18 years, I’m very honoured to work in the field I love.” She says her success is largely due to her dedicated staff and customers.
Urban Clean Living is a professional cleaning company offering commercial and residential services to Airdrie and surrounding communities.
The company was established in 2015 and has 11 employees.
Cassandra Munday is the office manager for Urban Clean Living, and she says it is a great place to work because the team of women all support each other.
“Currently our staff is made up of 100 per cent women,” says Munday.
“LaVonne is very flexible with staff who have children to ensure they can still work within their schedules. [She] has
Stroll along streets filled with gorgeous homes carefully constructed by some of Alberta’s best builders. From a stylish town-home to a stunning estate house, the most vibrant communities have housing options for all stages of life and family types.
