Trojans host volleyball tourney

Seniors need the right tools

By Jackie Lovely, MLA

Our United Conservative government is working hard to ensure seniors have the tools they need to plan their futures. Covenant Health’s Palliative Institute is launching a website dedicated to raising awareness of advance care planning and palliative care.

This is great news for our seniors. Compassionate Alberta.ca will offer tool kits and resources to assist individuals with their life planning. The site will help improve your understanding of personal, financial and estate planning for individuals and their families.

This initiative is building on Compassionate Communities, which is our innovative public health approach that regards the community as an equal partner in caring for those who are seriously ill, dying, caregiving and grieving.

This new initiative is just one of the many things our government is actively doing to ensure our seniors are looked after.

Our government currently has a wide array of programs and supports across different departments that seniors can access to assist in their day-to-day activities. We offer income programs like the Alberta Seniors Benefit, which gives low-income seniors additional income to help meet their monthly needs. We also offer The Special Needs Assistance programs, which helps seniors afford the cost of appliances and specific health and personal supports so they can remain independent. Seniors can also access affordable housing units that are specifically designated for those who are 65 and older. Since 2019, Alberta’s government has approved $376 million to support the development of 1,625 seniors’ affordable housing units. Of those 1,625 units, 1,094 are complete, 324 are in progress, and 207 are approved but not yet in construction. On top of the investment to develop affordable housing units, In Budget 2021, we made a historic $3.5 billion investment into continuing care and home care programs and services, plus an additional $500 million in capital spending to create more continuing care spaces in Alberta. To build on this, we have committed a further $400 million in operational funding for 6,000 new publicly funded continuing care beds in priority communities across the province.

Our government has also partnered with community groups to expand access to mental health supports for seniors. More than $6.3 million has been committed to supporting seniors’ mental health. This funding will support to enhance addiction and mental health supports provided to older adults, help seniors and their caregivers navigate and access community supports, and train caregivers to provide mental health first aid. Within the next 10 years, one in five Albertans will be a senior. As the population of seniors increases in Alberta, our government remains committed in supporting initiatives and programs that will benefit our seniors now and into the future. You can contact Jackie Lovely, Camrose MLA, at Constituency Office, 104, 4870-51 Street, Camrose, AB T4V 1S1. Tel: 780-672-0000, camrose@assembly. ab.ca or at Legislature Office, 6th Floor, 9820-107 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 1E7.

Murray Green, Camrose Booster

École Camrose Composite High School Trojans boys’ power hitter Judah Forstbauer slams a ball past a couple of Barrhead defenders in volleyball action on November 4.

Trojans host volleyball tourney

By Murray Green

The École Camrose Composite High School (ÉCCHS) Trojans are hosting volleyball tournaments.

Volleyball

ÉCCHS volleyball is starting to wrap up.

“It has been, and will, be a busy month for our senior volleyball teams,” said athletic director Graeme Thain.

The Trojans hosted their annual senior volleyball tournament November 4 and 5. “It’s a tough tournament, there are always multiple provincial medallists at our tournament, it’s hard just to get into the playoffs. Both our teams lost a playoff game to the eventual tournament champions, OLMP boys won, while the girls from RF Staples in Westlock came out on top.”

Next volleyball action for the senior teams will be November 19 for the zone championships. “Our boys will be travelling to either Wetaskiwin or HJ Cody, while our girls, because they finished first with an undefeated league record, will host their zone championship,” added Thain.

If the ÉCCHS teams win the zone tournament they will advance to provincials in Lethbridge November 23 to 26.

“Our junior teams unfortunately weren’t able to host their league championship tournament because of the weather.”

Junior girls coaches Jessica Sellin and Kathrine Mackenzie finished fifth overall, while junior boys, coached by Erin Sharp, finished third.

“Our Grade 9 teams also wrapped up their season. Our girls were coached by Alycia Robinson and Augustana student athlete Cassie Whiteman Kyte, while our boys’ team was coached by Ben Shank and Augustana student athlete Gregory Kaliel. Both teams won their divisional tournament advancing to the regionals. Our girls battled hard and ended up third, while our boys hit their stride and ended up 2022 Regional Champions. It’s the first time that our boys have won regionals and the first time we’ve sent both teams to the regional tournaments,” said Thain.