Fall 2013 Alumni & Friends Newsletter www.lakelandcollege.ca/alumni
In this issue … • Fall Celebrations of Lakeland’s Centennial • Alumni spotlights • Class notes, college news & more
Alumni Coordinator: Darla Yonkman 1 800 661 6490 ext. 8628 Editor: Susan Beach Creative Design: Denise Allen Cover photo: Rope Work for the Farm circa 1940 Lakeland College motto:
EVER TO EXCEL LakelandxL (circ. 16,500) is published by Lakeland College’s Department of Advancement. LakelandxL is also available on Lakeland College’s website at www.lakelandcollege.ca The Alumni Office distributes mailings, invitations and class lists. Anyone wishing to be excluded from certain mailings should notify the Alumni Office and ask to be placed on the “do not contact” list.
Upcoming Alumni Events Alumni Rodeo/New Holland Concert November 2, 2013 at the Vermilion campus Yuma Social - Alumni Snowbird Potluck Social February 1, 2014 Westwind RV & Golf Resort, Yuma, AZ Hosted by Ron & Shirley Goeglein (928 342 4578) and Ron & Shirley Lindsay (928 342 4400) If you plan to travel to Arizona and California this winter, drop by to visit with Lakeland College alumni. For more details, give one of the hosts a call. They’d love to hear from you! Edmonton Alumni Spring Social Date & Time TBA at Norwood Legion President’s Gala April 4, 2014 at the Stockade Convention Centre Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds Homecoming June 6, 7 & 8, 2014 at the Vermilion Campus
Accepting Advertising Advertising in LakelandxL is welcome. For rates and sizes, call the Alumni Office at 780 853 8628 or email alumni@lakelandcollege.ca
In memoriam
Lakeland College announces the passing of the following alumni. Our condolences are extended to their families and friends:
Contributions Special thanks to all alumni who contributed to this edition of LakelandxL. Letters, photographs and news are welcome. We reserve the right to edit contributions. Submitted photographs must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Please address all correspondence to the Alumni Office. Publications mail agreement No. 40009099 Return undeliverable addresses to Lakeland College Alumni House 5707 College Drive Vermilion, Alberta, Canada T9X 1K5 1 800 661 6490 www.lakelandcollege.ca
Mina Albrecht ’38 David Beck ’64 Agnes Berger ‘56 Wayne Bernes (Spouse) Janet Dorothy Cameron ’39 Clayton Dykstra ‘86 Victor Ewanowich ’53 Roy Findlay ‘38 William Fushtey ‘50 William Henkel ‘50 Elaine Howlett ‘37 Bill (William) Kneen ‘59 Alice Knor ‘41 Alvin William Koetke ’53 Lucy Kufeldt ‘34 Dan MacDonald ’12
Edward McLaughlin ’41 Victor Naslund ’50 Agnes (McHeffey) Rose ’47 (in 2009) Nancy Sawka ’39 Norman Sax ‘49 James Scott ‘48 Douglas Shearer ’47 Alfred Snowden ‘64 Shirley Ann Stady ’53 (in 2011) Dorothy Baker Swiddle ’38 Oscar Van Dongen (Past Staff) Elizabeth (Betty) Welter ’41 Tom Wilson (Past Staff)
Gifts & Gratitude
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Alumni Message It seems a very short time ago that we were busy planning Alumni Homecoming 2013. While that event is now behind us, no doubt we all have wonderful memories of renewing friendships and visiting with the many alumni who were able to attend. It was truly a fun-filled weekend. Planning is underway for the 2014 Homecoming so please mark your calendar for June 6-8, 2014, the weekend before Father’s Day, and watch for further details. Very special thanks to the outgoing alumni executive for their dedication and hard work. I was honoured to be selected as your alumni president and I look forward to helping provide memorable opportunities for alumni members as we move forward. With the help of our strong executive and the involvement of alumni members, I feel we can continue to make our Alumni Association a very vital and valuable part of our college’s future. Please share your ideas with us. The Alumni Association needs input and guidance from all members. Many events are continuing as we celebrate our college’s centennial – a very significant accomplishment in the life of Lakeland College.
Milt Wakefield (right) receiving a $10,000 cheque from Bill Fox on behalf of the Alumni Association.
The weekend of November 15 to 17, 2013 will include many exciting wind-up activities at the Vermilion campus. We hope many alumni will attend. We extend our appreciation to President Glenn Charlesworth. He has been very supportive of our alumni and we wish him a very happy and rewarding retirement. We look forward to meeting the incoming president, Dr. Tracy Edwards, and look forward to her support with alumni endeavours. Bill Fox ‘58, Lakeland College Alumni Association
A Gift in Kind Allan Ronaghan recently made a valuable donation to Lakeland College. He wanted to share his collection of historical magazines with our students. The collection covers provincial history as well as historical and academic interests and will be treasured for many years to come. Mr. Ronaghan has turned Morrisson School in Islay into a historical museum, open every summer. Did you know you can give gifts in kind to Lakeland College? Do you have any books or memorabilia that you’d like to find a good home for? You will receive a tax credit for any gifts-in-kind for an agreed upon value. Mr. Ronaghan’s Magazine Collection Folklore – 60 copies = $345 Beaver – 154 copies = $577.50 Manitoba History – 90 copies = $900 Saskatchewan History – 148 copies = $776.40 Alberta History – 220 copies = $1,215 British Columbia History – 31 copies = $155 Canadian Geographic – 27 years = $672.30 Total donation amount is $4,641.20
For more information, contact: Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca or call 780 581 4372; 780 853 8628 or toll free 1 800 661 6490 ext 8628
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Lakeland’s Distinguished Citizens
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Scott & Mazankowski named 2013 distinguished citizens We were pleased to honour Beckie Scott and Don Mazankowski as Lakeland College’s distinguished citizens at the 2013 graduation ceremonies. Raised in Vermilion, Olympian Beckie Scott was recognized and spoke at the Vermilion campus convocation ceremony. The two-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing and tireless advocate for drugfree sport had this advice for the Class of 2013: “Be true to yourself. Be who you are. Find and follow the dream that is right for you. And be part of the greater good. Use your voice to make a contribution for the better. Be bigger and about more than just yourself. Step up, challenge yourself, and dig deep.” The Right Honourable Don Mazankowski, a 25-year Member of Parliament for the Vegreville constituency, was recognized and spoke at the Lloydminster campus convocation ceremony. Here is an excerpt from his talk: “I’m very proud to be associated with Lakeland College. To me Lakeland is very unique. To me it’s a learning institute with a human touch. To me it has special character. Its rural roots are fundamental to its DNA. Lakeland adapted to changing times and conditions and it provided for a sound leadership and lofty vision. In so doing, it has shaped the economic landscape of this region and it has laid the foundation for what is today one of the finest educational institutes of learning and research in Alberta.”
Going Green with Alumni Gold Part of our young alumni initiative is to GO GREEN! If you graduated between 2003-2013, you will receive your LakelandxL newsletter by email, starting with the next issue (Spring 2014). If you graduated earlier than 2003 and use email, please let us know and we’ll add you to the Green Delivery list too! Be sure we have your email address. Please send it to gold@lakelandcollege.ca.
You don’t want to miss the class notes from your friends!
Good as Gold
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Why do we have a new name for alumni who graduated in the last ten years?
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gold@lakelandcollege.ca
One of our goals is to let you, our young alumni, know about Lakeland College news. We will bring you the latest resources, job postings, networking opportunities and coming events. We want to: - Help you transition into the workforce -K eep you connected with alumni all over the globe - P rovide you with opportunities from job postings, networking opportunities, college resources, and more - Raise funds for future Lakeland College students Right now, you are 9,956 graduates. That’s a great network. Let’s talk about ways to use it.
Work 780 871 5401 Contact Khursten Bullock Young Alumni Coordinator Cell/text 780 872 3841
Stay in touch!
Twitter: @lc_gold Facebook: www.facebook.com/khurstenn.b
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Ever to Excel
President Glenn Charlesworth announces retirement President Glenn Charlesworth Circa 1986 Inset: 2013
Highlights of Charlesworth’s tenure as president include: • Strong fiscal management that enabled the college to focus funds in high priority areas. • Completion of many capital projects. At the Vermilion campus projects include extensive residence renovations, modernization of the Applied Engineering building, construction of a Student Centre, and retrofitting of the Trades Centre mezzanine. Construction of the Bill Kondro Wing, development of an on-campus spa for the esthetician program and most recently the start of construction of a Petroleum Centre are among the highlights at the Lloydminster campus.
After more than 30 years working at Lakeland College including the past seven years as president and chief executive officer, Glenn Charlesworth announced in August that he will retire on Jan. 3, 2014. Charlesworth started his career at Lakeland College in 1982 as a business instructor. He was in the business department for 21 years before accepting the position of vice president of finance and operations in 2003. He became the president and chief executive officer on July 1, 2006. “I believe that 2014 is the right time to retire,” says Charlesworth. “I wanted to be here for the start of construction of the Petroleum Centre at the Lloydminster campus and that began this summer.” The 56-year-old also wants to remain at the college until the conclusion of centennial celebrations later this year.
• Purchase of 580 hectares of agricultural land and a yard with three houses that borders the west side of the Vermilion campus. One house was renovated to include multiple renewable energy systems and is now the college’s Renewable Energy Learning Centre. • Growth of applied research, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, environmental sciences and agricultural sciences. • Focus on enrolment management concepts that improved enrolment and retention. • Growth in fundraising to increase student awards and support capital projects. Charlesworth says he enjoyed his career at Lakeland and knows the college will continue to thrive.
Milt Wakefield, chairman of the Lakeland College Board of Governors, says Charlesworth has done a terrific job leading the college.
“Lakeland College is a remarkable college. I’m proud of the people who work here and all that we’ve accomplished together to help our students and our region succeed. Now is the time to let someone with new ideas come in and lead Lakeland College into its second century. I’m confident the college will continue to prosper in the years ahead.”
“Glenn is an outstanding leader who always puts the best interests of the college first. There’s no question that during his years as president, Lakeland College has thrived,” says Wakefield.
Dr. Tracy Edwards will be the college’s next president and chief executive officer. She will begin her career with Lakeland College on Jan. 6, 2014. To learn more about Dr. Edwards, visit www.lakelandcollege.ca
It’s time to Celebrate with more Centennial events Looking ahead to celebrate our Centennial
Salute to Canadian Women’s Army Corps October 30, 2013, 2 pm Alumni Hall Theatre, Vermilion Campus Guest speaker: His Honour, Col. (Ret’d) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta NFB film Proudly She Marches Swearing in of new female officer, Vermilion Cadet Corps Complete uniform on display – and more
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The Next 100 Years Centennial Celebration November 16, 2013 Vermilion Regional Centre, Vermilion Cocktails, Dinner & Program A Moment in Time November 17, 2013 Vermilion Campus – Official Opening Date
Join us for the opening of the 1988 time capsule and the sealing of a new one!
Staff Wine and Cheese Social November 15, 2013, Vermilion 7:30-10 pm, Vermilion Campus cafeteria All current and former Lakeland College staff welcome! RSVP to Khursten 780 871 5401
salute to Canadian Women’s Army Corps The Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) was formed in 1941 after women lobbied the government to serve their country during the Second World War. Ottawa recognized that women could replace men in non-combat roles to free men for front line service. Vermilion became the site of a CWAC training centre in 1942 – the same year CWAC was integrated with the Canadian Army. Eventually 55 military trades were open to CWACs who trained as traditional office staff as well as drivers, signalers, telephone operators, messengers and quartermasters. CWACs served abroad from Washington, DC to the European theatre of war. In little more than five years, more than 21,000 Canadian women served as CWACs. Military and other historians note that their example as “efficient and competent soldiers” set the stage for integration of the postwar armed forces.
For updates and more information, go to www.lakelandcollege.ca/centennial
Celebrating our Centennial
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Centennial Trees Campaign is Growing Ten new donors have stepped forward since spring! Ten more trees will be planted to celebrate our centennial. We’ve gone from 45 to 55 tree sponsors. Help us create a lasting legacy, continuing Pop Elliott’s vision of a beautiful campus for generations to come. Thanks to the following alumni and friends who have supported the centennial tree campaign.
Alberta Beef Producers – Zone 8 NEW
Robert Huff (2)
Doug & Marilyn Pawsey
Laura Baker
Mildred Hughes
Peace Country Alumni
Bill, John & Jenny Bocock
Kara Johnston
Brian & Judy Pederson
Terry & Kathleen Bocock
Vic & Ann Juba
Re/Max c/o Shawn Jacula
Art G. Boggs NEW
Brian & Dee Keating
Jack & Dorothy Roberton
Charlene Bonnar
The Kibblewhite Family
William Robinson
Larry Brindle
Ron Labonte NEW
Anne Rogan
Khursten Bullock
Hal (Harley) Lappin NEW
Vern & Sharon Schaab
Wayne & Joan Cholak NEW
Arvel Lawson & Brian Tischler NEW
Lloyd & Diane Smith NEW
Class of ’62
Colette & Marcel Lefebvre
Melvin & Dyann Smith
Rex & Joyce Cunningham
Gus & Eric Stamp NEW
Doug Elliott
Edmund & Ellen Lefsrud & Werner & Christine Wennekamp
Bill & Myrna Fox
The Long Family
Amanda & Jason Stepanick
Harold & Gertrude Hauer
Jean Marler and the late Reg Marler
Christian Swiggum
Harvey & Kay Hauer
Don & June McMillan
UCG Universal Consulting Group Ltd.
Vernon & Charlotte Hauer
George & Ivy McMillan
Milt & Carrol Wakefield
John & Marilyn Hoegl
Isabelle & Gary Moses
Alan & Olive Zwierschke NEW
Muriel Hong
Debbie & Dave Neigum NEW
Donna & Norman Horpestad
Michelle Oswell
We will wrap up the Centennial Trees Campaign at the end of June 2014 with a special event. There’s still room and time for you to sponsor a tree. Help us reach our goal of 100. Groups are also welcome, such as the Peace Country alumni who all pitched in to buy a tree. You will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of the donation. Contact Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator at darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca or call 780 581 4372; 780 853 8628 or toll free 1 800 661 6490 ext 8628
Carel & Scot Steele
Celebrating our Centennial
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Cruise into Lakeland’s Centennial
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Submitted by Joyce Stewart
Ask any of the 19 folks who signed up for a 10-day land & sea cruise from Vancouver, B.C. to Fairbanks, Alaska on the Coral Princess to describe their trip. Everyone says FUN. Most of the participants signed up without knowing anyone else, but that soon changed with many new friendships and the group enjoying our get togethers. For ten days we sailed to explore the Alaskan coast and travelled inland where the frontier landscape made it easy to imagine the time of the gold rush 100 years ago. All were keen to take the daily excursions in spite of some physical challenges. Helping one another to get out and enjoy the trips became another source of laughter and fun. In the formal dining room every evening, we gathered at two large round Lakeland tables. Over dinner we swapped tales of adventure and mishap, our days at the college and our lives since.
Besides all the fun, many of the members expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to travel with other Lakeland alumni. We agreed it’s one of the best ways to get to know others and renew old friendships from college days.
July 17-27, 2013
Prime Numbers
Commercial Insurance Andre Charrois, Managing Partner #200, 17704 -103 Avenue • Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1J9 Cell: 780 908 9852 • Phone: 780 489 4961 Email: andre.charrois@fpb.ca
3,519 full-time credit students 4,026 part-time credit students $52,298 average annual income of Lakeland grads (Class of 2010 survey) 104 students named to the President’s List in 2012-2013 for completing two consecutive terms with a GPA of 3.8 or higher 100 years since Lakeland College officially opened on Nov. 17, 1913
Alumni Spotlight
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McCarty Family Spans 100 Years
What a privilege to have had a top quality agricultural college so close to our home! This college experience has been priceless for the youth in our agriculture sector. It’s been remarkable to see how it has weathered the ups and downs of economic swings and political changes over the years. Our family is celebrating three generations of graduates from VSA and Lakeland College over the last 100 years. This centennial holds special meaning for all of us. Frank and Margaurette McCarty and their two children moved from Wisconsin to the Vegreville area in 1913. They proceeded to raise a family southeast of Vegreville on a mixed farm. Three of their children attended VSA. John (Jack) McCarty ‘36 went to VSA in 1934 and graduated in 1936. After college, John bought grain in Rivercourse and Beaver Crossing until 1950. Later he worked with Poole Construction on the Air Force Bases at Cold Lake and Alsask. During semi-retirement, he worked at Sportscraft Trailers at Claresholm. Here he settled, bought and improved a small farm.
Submitted by Barry and Bev McCarty
McCarty family: left to right, back row: Margaurette, John, Frank, and Harold McCarty; front row: Arthur, Eileen, Luella, Josephine, and Walter McCarty
Josephine (McCarty) Locker ‘40 was the next sibling to attend VSA. Josephine graduated in 1940 with a home economics diploma. The cooking part of these classes was her passion. She joined the Air Force and was stationed at Trenton, Ont. where she worked in the kitchen. She met and married Melvin Locker in 1946 at Acton, Ont. Melvin worked in a steel plant in Hamilton while the family lived in Woodburn, Ont. Here the family of four children canned and preserved many bushel baskets of fruits and veggies. Josephine moved to Collingwood, Ont. in 1974. It was mostly cottage and lake country and enjoyed by all the family. Josephine was a hostess at the local golf course where she loved baking and visiting with all the patrons. As the college was closed during the war, Harold McCarty attended Olds College. Walter McCarty ‘47 attended VSA from 1945-1947. He returned home to the family farm and married Flossie
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Richards in 1950. He farmed with his brother Harold and his father Frank and also worked at the local seed cleaning plant. This experience enabled him to get a job at the Leduc Seed Cleaning Plant from 1955-1973. The college experience proved invaluable to Walter in relating well to farmers. He developed many good friends and colleagues in Leduc. In 1986 he became ag fieldman for the County of Strathcona. He moved to Edmonton where his three boys were attending the U of A. In the next generation, John’s son Art McCarty ‘66 attended the college from 1964-1966. He loved agriculture as he had developed a love of it on his grandpa’s farm. After graduating, Art owned his own carpet business in Saskatoon. He now owns a farm 40 miles north and continues to live in Saskatoon. Semiretired from the carpet business, Art enjoys helping his renter at the farm. He spends time travelling to the U.S. and Canadian destinations whenever possible. Harold’s son Barry McCarty ‘69 attended VAVC from 1967-1969. He graduated with an animal science diploma, including an artificial insemination certificate. The A.I. certificate enabled him to get his first summer job in 1969 — a great experience! Barry married Bev Mills in 1969 and still remembers watching the moon-landing on their brand new 13” black and white TV. Barry refers to VAVC as the best place in the world to grow up. The fall of 1969 found Barry working at the University Farm in Edmonton in the metabolic lab. In 1974 Barry returned to Vegreville where he worked in a sheet metal shop and became a journeyman in 1980. He couldn’t ignore his love of the farm and bought land in 1980. The economy slowed, sheet metal work diminished, and Barry found a position at the Alberta Research Council doing weed research. Learning never quits! He continues to farm, raising purebred Limousin cattle. Barry maintains that this farming business means people first; cattle look after the rest. Most recently, Barry & Bev’s daughter Kathi (McCarty) Fulton ’04 & ‘07 attended college twice: in 2002-2004 to get an agribusiness diploma and again in 2005-2007 when she got her professional accounting diploma. Once again, it was a great experience and confidence builder. Kathi also met her husband, Douglas Fulton, at the college. Good luck, Lakeland College! We hope your vision of education lasts another 100 years. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to the Alumni Association: you are the glue that holds the whole picture together!
Livestock Ag Branding Campaign recognition Gary and Isabelle Moses are the latest alum to donate to the livestock brand campaign and have their cattle brand received for Lakeland College’s legacy wall in the Mead Building. Their brand will go next to the first two donors, Gweneth & Tom Kibblewhite, and Orvis Schneider. The legacy wall is a unique way to celebrate Lakeland’s 100-year history and its role in providing agricultural education as the Vermilion School of Agriculture, the Vermilion Agricultural & Vocational College, Vermilion College, and Lakeland College. As an alumnus, you can leave your mark on it. When you donate $1,913 to Lakeland College, your brand will be displayed on the legacy wall. Proceeds from your gift will go towards an endowment to fund financial awards for future agricultural sciences students and will show your ongoing pride and belief in agricultural education—just as a brand does in the agriculture industry. You will receive a tax receipt for the full amount of the donation.
If you’d like to see your brand on the legacy wall, please contact Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator, darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca, or call 780 581 4372; 780 853 8628, toll free 1 800 661 6490 ext 8628.
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Alumni Spotlight
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Tea Time with Molly Fox
Written by Kelly Sidoryk
This story was first published in the June 2013 edition of Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Connection. Lakeland College received permission from Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association to reprint this story.
Decades earlier, Jonathan caught the eye of young Molly Sutherland when he stopped to ask for directions while Molly was planting trees along a country trail. She didn’t know it at the time, but those trees would grow strong and tall - a mirror’s image of their long life together. Molly Sutherland was born in 1920, shortly after her Scottish-born parents Peter and Mary Sutherland settled in Canada. They homesteaded just west of Lloydminster, at Blackfoot. After finishing grade eight at a country school, Molly attended school at Vermilion School of Agriculture (VSA) in the 1930s. One of the more unique classes taken was carpentry where she learned to make 2 x 2s from 2 x 4s, something that would come in handy as she could often be seen with a hammer in her back pocket and a crowbar in hand heading out to tear down yet another farm shed. A conversation over tea with Molly Fox began with a reference to the dinner table used for decades at Justamere Farms. “If that table could talk, there would be all kinds of wonderful stories,” recalls Molly. “We purchased the rather large dinner table years before we had a room to put it in. We brought it out of storage when we moved into the ‘big house’ on Jonathan’s parents’ farm.” Over the years, the large time-worn dining room table became the anchor for the Jonathan and Molly Fox home at Justamere Farms in Lloydminster. It was a place to share a meal and stories with family, farm workers and international visitors that came often. Some of the stories round the table were true and some were just good stories peppered with a bit of Jonathan Fox mischievous humour. Many in the Canadian livestock fraternity fondly remember the time when Jonathan Fox judged cattle in the old stadium at Agribition on the back of his steed, Hal. Interchange the table and the man on horseback, and both brought people together from all over the world. Jonathan Fox passed away in October 2008, but wife Molly, now 93 years old, still lives in Lloydminster. They had two sons, five grandsons, two granddaughters and now 18 great-grandchildren.
Jonathan, also a grad of VSA, and Molly married in 1940, and moved to a house on the Fox farm outside of Lloydminster. Years later, Molly’s mother moved to the house and it became affectionately known as “Granny’s house.” Even in the early days, Justamere Farms was a goodsized enterprise consisting of horses, cattle, grain and dairy. It was a busy place with many family, workers and customers. Many employees came from other countries on exchanges. “A few stayed at Justamere for a very long time and truly became part of the family,” says Molly. “Denmark was one country many came from and one of our employees even married a Canadian. I kept busy feeding so many people and managing a large yard and garden. Just keeping track of Jonathan was often a full-time job.” In 1941, son Lyal was born, followed by another son Charlie Bob. The two boys rode ponies to school and early on they showed the entrepreneurial spirit of their parents. “Some of the boys’ classmates regularly wanted pony rides so Lyal came up with the idea to charge them. He made the kids come to the farm so he could supervise and control the time and length of each ride,” chuckles his mother.
Alumni Spotlight
Raising rambunctious boys and good Polled Hereford cattle, the time came for the family to host their first production sale, the Sale of the Year (SOTY) in 1957 on the farm in the Sale Barn. It wasn’t just a production sale, it was an event in the cattle fraternity, as Molly and family organized a meet and greet party, complete with live band and dancing.
P Elkhound dogs. They stayed for close to 20 years before moving back to Lloydminster. Son Lyal Sr. and wife Virginia relocated their ranching operation to Manitoba. The initial location was at Ste. Rose. Their youngest son Jay and his wife Angie took over this ranch.
Molly often tells the story of how the local shoemaker would see a jump in his business following the Justamere dance as the boots took a kicking from the barn’s cement floor.
Angie and their four children continue to operate the cow-calf operation. Lyal Sr. and Virginia, along with son Ben, wife Linda and their three children, are now at Dauphin, Man. where they run purebred Polled Herefords, commercial cow-calf and sheep.
Among the hundreds of guests and celebrities was hockey great Bobby Hull, also a Polled Hereford breeder. As Mr. Hull was selecting cattle, Molly would be the consummate hostess to Mrs. Hull, as she was to all the guests, making them feel welcome.
Both Lyal Sr. and Ben are also buying cattle. That vocation continues with Lyal Jr., wife Rose and their three boys at Shellbrook, Sask., where they are farming and buying cattle.
Tragedy struck the family when Charlie Bob was killed in 1971. While changing a tire on a trailer, he was hit by another vehicle. Tragedy repeated itself in December 2011 when Jay, their youngest grandson, passed away in a farm accident. Such sorrow can destroy the soul of many, but Jonathan and Molly were both of strong and resilient stock which was passed down to the next generation. “Both Charlie Bob and Jay were similar. They were large in stature, full of life and character,” remembers their mom and grandmother. “They were ‘fit-it’ men.” As the years passed, the cattle operation expanded as the family acquired other ranches. The younger generation took on more of the management which freed up more time for Molly and Jonathan to travel. In the 1980s, they moved to Heffley Creek in B.C. to raise Morgan and Fjord horses, along with Norwegian
Last chance to
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Son Stirling, wife Sheena and their two boys are at Brooks, Alta., where Stirling is head buyer for JBS Canada. Second oldest son, Jon Fox IV, wife Shelley and their four children continue to operate Justamere Farms at Lloydminster, with a purebred Angus enterprise. Daughter A.J. and partner Dave White are also at Lloydminster, where A.J. is a lawyer. Molly’s other granddaughter Bobbi Marie lives in Abbotsford, B.C. with her husband and two children. Today, Molly ever-sharp, continues with her love of sewing and still making her signature hats because she says, “I could never find a hat to fit this head of mine.” And she keeps watch over her grandchildren and great-grandchildren from “Granny’s house” with her characteristic warmth, grace and wisdom.
Did you know that raising your glass of Lakeland College’s Ever2Excel centennial wine also raises funds for student scholarships? So far more than $1,700 from wine sales will be returned to the college for student scholarships. That’s reason to celebrate! To find out where Lakeland’s centennial wine is available, go to www.lakelandcollege.ca/ centennial. Planning a gathering this year (e.g. wedding, anniversary, reunion, etc.)? Consider serving Lakeland’s Ever2Excel special edition wine. It is a hot item so please order your supply from your liquor store early. Thank you for your support. May Lakeland’s centennial wine continue to give you a warm feeling inside as you raise more $ for students!
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Alumni Spotlight
A Step Back Into the Early Days at Lakeland: Helen (Holmen) Timanson, Class of ‘28 passed away within a year. Helen’s father took on the cooking, housework, and caring for his children as well as continuing to work the farm. He “boiled the clothes made from flour sacks” and they came out “snowy white! Dad did everything,” she says. He wanted both of his children to get an education, and planned to send William to the new Vermilion School of Agriculture (VSA), but it was housing English soldiers that year, so he sent William to Olds College. Helen laughs and says she was lucky; by 1926 VSA was open to students again, and her dad took her to Vermilion to learn all she could.
To be of interest to others because she is one of the oldest living alumni of Lakeland College makes Helen Timanson laugh. Helen often laughs. She listens and remembers, telling a few stories when people ask for them. Whether it’s sharing her photo album that stretches back more than 90 years or remembering the Homecoming last spring, memories make her laugh in a way that seems to say, Isn’t life a wonder? I’ve seen that before. And what will happen next? Helen Holmen was born Nov. 6, 1910 on her parents’ homestead in the Riverton area, eight miles northeast of Dewberry. Her brother William, three years older, was given a Kodex camera and recorded many moments of their childhood: swimming in Laurier Lake with the Green girls; Helen and her best friend Dagmar Haskell; playing dressup. The photos remind her of other trips too, like travelling 22 miles in the wagon to Islay, where she and her brother would each get a hard candy at the store. The camera didn’t capture any images in the dim light of the log house. Or the four-mile walk to school. Helen laughs, remembering she had short legs that first year, so she “had to walk more than her brother to get there.” But in her second year of going to the oneroom school, Helen’s father got a pony and a buggy for her brother to drive them to school. “There was no water to drink there,” she remembers. “We brought water in pails … in winter, we melted snow in barrels.” When Helen was 8-years-old, her mother was sick and needed an operation. Helen says simply that there was no health care then so her mother went without and
Helen was 16, the youngest of all the students after another girl went home. Like most of the students, going to VSA meant staying there for the term. Her dad managed to get to Vermilion by horse and sleigh to take her home for Christmas, but Helen laughs as she remembers the long, slow trip in the incredible cold and says she thought they’d never get home. Their first car, a Chev bought later in 1926, made travel easier. VSA offered agriculture studies for boys and home economics for girls, as well as an opportunity to complete the grades not offered by local one-room schools. In her two years at VSA, Helen got her Grade 10 and 11 and studied cooking (dietetics), sewing and other vital aspects of managing and running a household, including basic carpentry. During her first year at school, Helen and a neighbour girl stayed in two rooms at Miss Lowsley’s brown house on the other side of Vermilion, near where Helen now lives in the lodge. Since there was no hospital, this house had been a maternity ward in the years before. Helen laughs at the memory of how many times she was late for class and had to run all the way to school. “I hated to be late!” Helen certainly “learned cooking at good ol’ VSA. I’ll never forget,” she says. One time the second year girls had to make a Christmas cake. Helen was new and only 16, but she’d watched her dad make it. So she gave it a try and according to their instructor Miss Edwards, it was “the only one that turned out.” Everyone had followed the directions given, but when Helen saw the batter was thin, she added a bit more flour and that did the trick. She was the only one who didn’t have to do it over.
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Sewing classes included the skills for remaking new Now about to turn 103, Helen is the oldest member of clothes out of old. One of the photos from VSA days Lakeland College’s Century Club. “Helen is a true gem shows Helen wearing a stylish white dress she made by and a delight to visit with! So many of our alumni, like hand for her graduation. She remade a black dress she Helen, share their college stories and remember them was given by an older American cousin. After fitting it with pride,” says Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator. to her size, she added a black trim with wine-coloured In 1928, the year she graduated from VSA, she went material for contrast and to a convention in Wainwright “Helen is a true gem and a delight to visit with! So many and met a “neighbour fella.” Ben it came out beautifully. of our alumni, like Helen, share their college stories and Timanson was born in the U.S. In her second year, Helen remember them with pride.” – Darla Yonkman, alumni coordinator but his parents were Swedish, stayed in a dorm with and Helen’s parents were from other second-year girls at “the Old Block.” They studied Scandinavia. They married in 1935 and enjoyed 50 by coal lamps or Aladdin lamps with mantels. At times in years together. They had a son Lorne, who also studied the winter, it was so difficult to walk one block to class for two years at the college, and a daughter Elizabeth. that one of the staff, Peter Wiley, would bring a sleigh and horses to transport the girls through the high snow. Over the years, Helen’s family has grown to include many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On her Helen enjoyed her time at VSA. She met many new 90th birthday, her offspring presented her with an friends, including Frances Campher; they stayed in album of her life, from the photos her brother took touch into the 1990s. Helen learned many new things and developed in the root cellar, to the photos from at school and enjoyed trying them out. VSA and courting days, to recent gatherings and typed The highlight of her two years at college happened memories from all her children and grandchildren. spontaneously. One day Pop Elliott saw the secondMany remembered their grandmother singing to them, year girls outside and invited them all into his house, and everyone named their favorite meals and desserts where he showed them the first phone they’d ever that only Grandma T could make. Some remembered seen. Each of the girls listened on the receiver, and the many quilts she made and all the parties. Another “that was something,” Helen says. Phones began to wrote, “I remember only warm and calm moments come into the countryside around that time, rigged up as our visits at the farm came and went, and I soon to a network of barb-wire fences as lines. But Helen realized Grandma T was one of the few completely will never forget that the president of VSA would think genuine and generous people I would meet.” of the girls and take the time to bring them into his home and introduce them to the new invention. “He was always a teacher,” she says.
A Great Thank You to our Annual Giving Donors July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 Alexander’s Stock Farms Carol Beckie Jo Berglund Bill Bocock Agnes & Kelvin Buchanan Mary & Jim Callander Rex & Joyce Cunningham Bliss and Betty Dickson Ken & Hanna Emes Barry & Connie Fahrion Robert Gehl
Mary Harrish James Hendrickson Blair Hill Brian Honeker Fritz Hostettler Hazel Irving Harvey & Anne Jessup Roger Jones Charlene Kasinec Cecil King Ken Kingdon
Roy Kubica Park & Beth Letts Marjorie Locke Marvin Long Richard & Joyce McBain Barbara & Bud McBride Beatrice Nordli Hillsask Farm/ Ronald Oliver Robert & Patricia Parker Margaret & Don Peterson
Richard & Frances Pfeiffer Adam Prefontaine Vera & John Protz Agnes Schmidt Olga Seniuk Victoria Skitsko Tanmar Consulting Inc Eli Ulan Norm Wilson Darla Yonkman
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Behind the scenes (Farm on Video) You may not see them all on screen, but Class of 2013 Lakeland agribusiness students all played big roles in the promotional video, It’s Our Turn. Created to change the way agriculture is viewed by consumers, the video has had more than 50,000 views on YouTube.
Watch LakelandCollegeAB’s channel #Farm Voices - It’s Our Turn
In the fall of 2012, FarmOn Foundation turned to Lakeland students for help with the pre-production planning and then filming of the video. Students spent two weeks arranging scene locations, props, and a filming schedule. They also used social and traditional media to convince hundreds of students to participate in the video. Before the FarmOn team made final edits, students reviewed the video and provided feedback. Fittingly, the students also planned and hosted a video launch party in February 2013. “There were things I learned by taking part in this project that I know I couldn’t have been taught in the classroom,” says Brittny Friend.
Alumnus Awarded for Excellence in Child Care Sara (Webb) Johnston ’01 recently won Alberta’s Award of Excellence for early learning and child care professionals. A graduate of Lakeland’s rehabilitation services program, Johnston ran a private day home in Lloydminister for several years while her children were young. In 2009, she and her family moved to Vermilion and opened a licensed dayhome. Johnston is known for the quality of care she provides, including lots of free play, field trips, and extras such as CDs of special moments to take home. And she loves the work. “Spending time with the kids, taking care of them and learning with them, that’s the best part, absolutely,” she says. “The kids become family. They become one of ours. Winning this award is just a huge pat on the back.” Currently, Johnston is taking online classes from Lakeland to complete the early learning and child care diploma so she can open a play school. Studying online allows her to continue working with the children and she expects to complete the program within the next two years.
Celebrating the past. Transforming the future.
Campus Scene
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Enviro Club sprouts green roof project From making biodiesel from the cafeteria’s used canola oil to recycling non-bond paper throughout campus, many green projects at Lakeland College started when Enviro Club members asked, “Can we try this?” The latest example is the Green Roof Pavilion at the Vermilion campus. After trials and much research, a 4.87 x 5.79 metre timber-framed structure with a gable roof was built in the spring of 2013. The club chose a sloped roof rather than a traditional flat roof to ensure the green roof is seen. A waterproof membrane protects the roof and geocell helps hold six inches of specialty soil. The roof was sodded, a mat with irrigation lines added to the peak, and 500 plants including sedums and forbs such as sages, asters and strawberries were planted.
The seeds of the project were planted by Enviro Club members in 2009, but they are quick to credit the entire college community, including the schools of trades and technology and environmental sciences, for ensuring the project’s growth. It’s hoped the beautiful structure will become a popular spot for outdoor concerts, studying, and hanging out with friends while also helping students learn more about green roofs. Green roofs are gaining popularity in cities because of their ability to store rainwater which reduces storm water run-off. They also reduce building and city temperatures, filter pollutants, beautify space and are often used for vegetable gardens.
Now trending Whether he’s teaching agribusiness classes, helping with the Stockman’s Club, or working with organizations such as Green Hectares and FarmOn to promote agriculture to a wider audience, Robert Dixon ‘07 brings creativity and enthusiasm to all he does. His great work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2013, students selected him as the recipient of the Staff Appreciation Award at the Vermilion campus and Alberta Venture named him to its Next 10 list. An alumnus of Lakeland’s agribusiness program, Dixon is also a third-generation college employee.
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Alumni Spotlight
The Yukon Connection Dear Darla, Writing this letter has been in the back of my mind for some time now. With Lakeland College celebrating its 100th anniversary, I want to share the influence the college has had on environment management, in particular fish and wildlife management, in the Yukon territory. I know of 19 Lakeland College alumni who have worked or are working in Yukon, 15 of us in the environmental field! Considering the size of the territory (30,000 people) and keeping in mind that government branches and departments are small — only 4,000 employees work for the government here — I can’t help but think how influential the college has been. After all, the Yukon Government only hired its first biologist in 1974 and the Department of Environment was not established until 1980. The common thread that links the folks listed here, besides friendship and work, is Lakeland College. Over time many stories of college life have been shared with coffee, potlucks and wine. Without exception, the memories are fond and there is no question that Lakeland College was a great foundation for a rewarding career. I think one of the Yukon alumni summed it up nicely when describing his experience: “The college of choice at the time was Lethbridge, yet when I took the time to go for a tour and inquire about the programs being offered, I felt uncomfortable, certainly not welcomed, and no one really stepped forward to help me. Conversely, after an hour of talking to Keith Baker at Lakeland I felt welcomed, informed and was told if I wanted to go to college I could start in the fall. I just stopped in unannounced – no appointment. That was the Lakeland way of doing things — sort of like the Yukon.” Many of the alumni in Yukon are aware of our common link to Lakeland College but every now and then someone new is introduced to the group. For example, I just learned Diane (Bensen) Nikitiuk ’82 is an alumnus and I’ve worked with Diane for several years! This recent knowledge has spurred me on to send this note. Harvey Jessup
Fish and Wildlife Branch (FWB) Yukon’s Game Branch evolved into the Wildlife Branch and is now the Fish and Wildlife Branch. It employs 50+ staff, the most in Environment Yukon. Fish and Wildlife includes biologists, technicians and planners. For many years it also included enforcement personnel until a separate Conservation Officer Services Branch was created. Harvey Jessup ‘77 Between my first and second year at Lakeland, I worked for the Game Branch as a conservation officer. Immediately after graduation, I worked as a furbearer technician, later as a wildlife manager, and I retired in 2010 from the senior position of director. I still volunteer as the current chair of the territory’s Public Wildlife Advisory Board, a Land Claims mandated board. Since the Umbrella Final Agreement identifies the FWB director as the technical resource person for the board, I’ve sat on both sides of the table. Philip Merchant ’77 came north with his wife Lise a few years after graduation to work as a lab technician, then specialized in wildlife capture. He designed and built a jig to measure trophy sheep heads that was tested in the law courts and is still used in Yukon and Canadian provinces. Philip became our wildlife health specialist and then wildlife health coordinator. Though he is not a veterinarian, he is well known and respected by his peers and veterinarians across Western Canada and parts of the U.S. Management agencies across the north have appreciated his expertise and skills, including Newfoundland since he retired. Many staff at Lakeland College knew and appreciated Philip for his cabinetry/carpentry skills. He continues to impress friends and family with his inventiveness in many trade disciplines.
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Allan Koprowsky ‘86 began as a land use technician in Environment Yukon, progressed to manager of Land Claims and soon became our expert on Chapter 16, the fish and wildlife chapter of Yukon’s comprehensive First Nation Final Agreements. His expert knowledge includes his work with the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. One of the north’s first treaty settlements, the agreement includes the Western Arctic in N.W.T. and Yukon’s north slope. Allan is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister of Environmental Sustainability for Environment Yukon.
Kevin Bowers ’81 came north with Torrie and began working as a conservation officer. He now works for the Agricultural Branch which was moved from Environment to Energy, Mines and Resources in 2003 when the federal government transferred responsibility to Yukon for its resources and land management. However, since species like wood bison and elk are also farmed in the territory, Kevin still works with Environment Yukon staff. Kevin is also a trapping concession holder and runs a very successful meat care business.
Susan Thompson ’82 started working in the north for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and came to Yukon’s Fish and Wildlife Branch when fresh water fish management was devolved to the territorial government in 1989. Susan quickly gained a reputation as a skilled and knowledgeable field technician and went on to become the fish biologist for Environment Yukon. Susan retired in 2011. Sadly, she passed away in 2012 from cancer.
Barry Tokarek ’75 began work in 1978 as the district conservation officer in Watson Lake. His enthusiasm for the traditional renewable resource economies was contagious. Trappers and outfitters in the district appreciated Barry’s thirst to learn from them and happily shared their local knowledge. Barry was well known for accepting any invitation to head out in the wilderness regardless of the weather. He also contributed to the Yukon’s Agriculture/Wildlife Conflict Policy by conducting interviews with farmers throughout the territory. Barry’s last position with Environment Yukon was as district conservation officer in the Dawson City district. Sadly, Barry died from cancer much too young.
Gerry Kusack ’82 was a species technician working with the caribou biologist. Gerry and his wife are credited with the discovery of ancient caribou feces while on a sheep hunt in southwestern Yukon, in an area where there is no caribou, nor have any been present in living memory. This discovery led to the exciting archaeological find known as the Ice Patch Discovery. Some of you would know Gerry since he left to teach at Lakeland College. Diane (Bensen) Nikitiuk ’82 is a policy analyst currently working in the Policy, Planning and Aboriginal Relations Branch of Environment Yukon. Diane works closely with both Fish and Wildlife and with Conservation Officer Services. She leads the development of legislation and regulations and advises on implementing the Yukon First Nation Self-Government Agreements. Diane, Gerry and Susan attended Lakeland together but arrived in the Yukon independently at different times. Conservation Officer Services Branch Torrie Hunter ’81 came after graduation to work as a conservation officer with the Fish and Wildlife Branch. He worked in several communities in the territory and is currently the senior conservation officer for Yukon’s Northern Division, including communities such as Faro, Mayo and Dawson City as well as Yukon’s fly-inonly community, Old Crow. All wildlife enforcement and environmental protection legislation are now handled by conservation officers.
Kirby Meister ’85 is the district conservation officer responsible for the Old Crow region, including Yukon’s North Slope and Herschel Island on the Beaufort Sea. He works from Dawson City and his duties include patroling the Dempster Highway, Canada’s only publicly maintained year-round road that crosses the Arctic Circle. Kirby works closely with fish and wildlife officers in the Northwest Territories and with state troopers in Alaska. Ken Frankish ’85 began working as a conservation officer when the duties included parks enforcement. Ken was a district conservation officer in Watson Lake and Whitehorse. His father Peter was also working in the territorial parks branch at the time. Ken eventually left government to pursue a completely different career in the trades. Lawrence Vano ’85 worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, carrying out stock assessments and determining run strength on chinook, sockeye and coho salmon on several big river systems in northern B.C. and Yukon. He is currently manager of the fish hatchery in Whitehorse. The hatchery was built after the hydro dam was built on the Yukon River at Whitehorse, which created a barrier to migrating chinook salmon. However, the hatchery has evolved
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into a state-of-the-art facility that includes rearing fresh water fish like Rainbow trout, Kokanee, Char and Bull trout. These fresh water fish are used extensively in our pothole stocking program, eliminating the risk of disease transfer from bringing in fry from hatcheries in southern Canada. It also alleviates angling pressure on domestic stocks. Lawrence is a key individual in Yukon’s fresh water fish management program. Jon Bowen ’80 came to Environment Yukon in 1999 from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in Norman Wells, N.W.T. He started as an environmental assessment analyst and was soon promoted to manager of Environmental Affairs. In 2004 he became director of the Environmental Programs Branch which is responsible for the regulation of the Environment Act. As director, he oversaw the development of Yukon’s first climate change strategy and climate change secretariat; the establishment of a site assessment and remediation unit to manage contaminated sites throughout Yukon; and a negotiated agreement with the federal government to clean up the largest contaminated site in Yukon. Jon is currently the director of Water Resources, which is responsible for water quality management and hydrometric monitoring for Yukon. Judy Unrahu ’82 worked for several years as a seasonal park ranger for Alberta Parks and Recreation while doing a degree at the University of Calgary. In 1990 she moved to the Yukon where she began working at Kluane National Park as a seasonal interpreter. Judy worked for Environment in the Haines Junction regional office as a GIS technician and administration assistant from 1998-2002. She continues to live in Haines Junction, working for Kluane National Park as a non-personal media officer. Francis Nylan ’83 came to Yukon after working with Ducks Unlimited in Alberta. Like Lawrence Vano, she did stock assessment work on salmon for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, on the Stikine and Taku Rivers in B.C. and on the Yukon and Alsek Rivers in Yukon. She also did some contract work with the Canadian Wildlife Service and then for the newly formed Habitat Management section in the Yukon government’s Fish and Wildlife Branch.
Alumni Spotlight
Four other Lakeland College alumni also came north and made other contributions to the territory’s development. Anne Jessup ’77 went north immediately and started working for the federal department of Public Works. Though her training was in architectural drafting, she spent much of her early career doing contract work for municipal engineering and survey companies. This enabled her to stay at home with our four children. Anne has worked with federal and Yukon government departments to map First Nation land claims, mining claims, and oil and gas interests. She recently retired from the position of supervisor of the GIS unit for the Lands Branch in the Yukon’s Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. Lise Merchant ’77 came north with her husband Philip a few years after graduation from Lakeland’s drafting program. She put her skills from Lakeland to good use by pursuing a very successful career as a visual artist. Lise is a well-known and talented artist, designer and teacher. She has pieces of art in the Yukon government’s permanent art collection, in several public buildings, in churches and in many private collections. She has used her talent and creativity to work with stained glass, quilting, rug hooking and needle arts. Karen (Fedoriak) Koprowsky ‘86 worked in the private sector for many years in finance and accounting, which allowed her to be a stay-at-home mom. Karen is currently a senior payroll clerk with Yukon’s Department of Finance. Barbara (Low) Bowen ‘82 spent time in northern Alberta parks with her husband Jon and their three children before heading north to the N.W.T. After seven enjoyable years in Norman Wells, Barb and her family moved to Whitehorse. She is a human resources advisor with Yukon Energy, a Crown Corporation. Working in a very small department, she has become a generalist in all things HR.
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Spread the word. As a Lakeland alum, you can advertise your business in the LakelandxL Newsletter and on the alumni website. Our alumni newsletter goes to over 16,500 alum across Canada, the U.S., and globally. Simply email the name of your business, type of service and contact information to Darla Yonkman at darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca. For more information, call Darla at 780 581 4372.
Have you ever made a donation and claimed it on your income tax? If not, this news is for you.
Did You Know? The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) added a new rule, effective March 20, 2013. When you make a donation for the first time, you’ll be rewarded with super credits on your income tax. Usually, when you donate to a non-profit or charity (including Lakeland College), you get a 15 per cent tax credit on the first $200 you give and a 29 per cent credit on the amount over $200. This is called the Charitable Donations Tax Credit (CDTC). Now when you make your first donation you will also get a 25 per cent super credit on donations up to $1,000. This is called the First-time Donor’s Super Credit (FDSC). It means you get a 40 per cent tax credit on the first $200 donated and a 54 per cent credit on the rest of the donation up to $1,000.
Everyone wins This is a win for you because the more you give the more you get back (up to $1,000). And it’s a win for the recipient of your donation (such as Lakeland!) because it encourages you to give more. For example, if your first-time donation is $200, you get a 40 per cent credit: $80. If you give $400, your total credit is $188 (80 + 108). If you give $1,000, your total credit is $512 (80 + 432). That’s more than half of what you are giving coming right back to you. Keep in mind that you only get this super credit once—it’s a timelimited offer from the government. And you are only eligible if it’s the first time you are claiming a donation on your income tax or you haven’t claimed a donation since 2007. For more information, go to FDSC on the Canada Revenue Agency’s website or contact: Khursten Bullock Darla Yonkman Work 780 871 5401 Work 780 853 8628 Cell 780 872 3841 Cell 780 581 4372 gold@lakelandcollege.ca darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca
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Class Notes
Class notes
From left to right: 2009 grads Raeanne Boyd (Thomson), Mike Burak, Kayla Balderson, Brian Webster, and Anja Sorensen After meeting in crop technology and agribusiness, April (Stanko) ’09 & ’11 and Bruce Thomi ’09 & ’11 married on November 24, 2012 at Rycroft, Alta. They live near Woking, Alta. (in Peace Country) and farm together with Bruce’s family. The whole wedding party attended Lakeland College: Lindsay ‘12 and Heather Stanko, Daniela Thomi ‘06, Tyler Hall ’08 & ‘09, Stephen Thomi ‘12, and Marc Boisvert ‘09.
Former classmates and college roommates Kayla Balderson ‘09 and Mike Burak ’09 & ‘12, graduates of Lakeland College’s wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) program, were married on August 31 in beautiful Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. After graduation, Kayla pursued a BSc in environmental and conservation sciences at the University of Alberta and Mike returned to Vermilion to complete his BASc in environmental management. After purchasing their first home in Medicine Hat this summer, Mike continues working at TERA Environmental Consultants as a wildlife environmental planner. Kayla will pursue her MSc in biology at the University of Regina this fall, studying greater sage-grouse ecology.
Note: The two old timers at the front on chairs are Norman Dreger ‘59 and Bernie Schuett ‘61 who attended Lakeland College back in the day. They were quite happy to join our picture!! Donna Rudd ’68 graduated from Olds College master spinner program with distinction in June 2013. Donna has been involved in the fiber industry for numerous years, as a fiber artist, judge, instructor and lecturer in Canada and the U.S.A. She recently retired from farming in central Alberta and continues to pursue all things connected to family, fiber and fleece.
Marcel and Sarah LaBoucane ‘05 have a baby girl! Ava Brynn LaBoucane was born July 27, 2013.
Class Notes
Warren McAuley ’10 graduated from Lakeland College’s appraisal and assessment program and completed his bachelor of management degree at the University of Lethbridge in 2012. From March to December 2013 he is volunteering for Africa Inland Mission in Madagascar. He assists Roland, a local Malagasy man, with a soccer team. The team uses the Ubabalo guide, which encourages lifeskills and Christian spiritual development along with the soccer program. He also teaches English to the team members and some of their siblings; teaches soccer to the gym classes at a local Christian school; and works for Farming God’s Way (farming-gods-way.org) which advocates natural forms of soil health along with biblical principles to break the cycle of foreign dependency.
Krista Trimble ‘13 graduated from Lakeland’s university transfer program. She has travelled a unique path: When I was young I was extremely shy. Hoping to help me “break out of my shell,” my mom decided to enrol me in ballet classes at the age of four. It did not take me long to develop a love of dance. This new passion transformed my timid ways into an eagerness to try
P new things. I danced for 14 years. Dance taught me discipline, grace and a love for being on stage, all which have carried over into many other aspects of my life. After graduation I discontinued dancing because of some injuries. However, I quickly grew restless. The idea of going to a gym was far from my comfort zone, the dance studio. But when I was 19 I finally gathered up my courage and stepped into a gym for the first time. After that I became a regular and took up spin classes, bootcamps and crossfit. I am always striving to accomplish new goals and better myself in all aspects of my life. In January 2013 I decided to challenge myself on an entirely new level by signing up for a fitness competition. I had never done anything like this before, but wanted to combine my passions for health and fitness to see where my best efforts could take me. Four months later, in May 2013, I stepped onstage at the INBF competition in Calgary and placed 1st in my category, allowing me to move on to the championships. In the championship round I placed 1st Overall as Female Fitness Model.
Kyle ‘09 and Lexie (Russell) Adamson ’10 were married in June 2010 and had their first baby, a girl named Mady Dawn, in March 2012. They live south of Kindersley, Sask. Kyle owns & operates Integra Tire in Kindersley, Lexie works part-time for Eagle Creek Watershed and they farm with Lexie’s family in Rosetown.
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What will
your legacy be? Your planned gift to Lakeland College will help a student prepare for their career or an applied researcher to make a practical difference. You will build on our long tradition of excellence and innovation.
For more information, contact: Joyce Stewart Manager Planned Giving 1 780 974 2807 joyce.stewart@lakelandcollege.ca
Remember Lakeland College in your will.
Darla Yonkman Alumni Coordinator 1 800 661 6490 ext 8628 darla.yonkman@lakelandcollege.ca
Commit to the future while enjoying your life now.
Stay Connected! Go to our website and update your address and email information: www.lakelandcollege.ca/update And why not have some fun? Join our Alumni Facebook fanpage! www.facebook.com/LakelandCollegeAlumni
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Lakeland College Alumni Office 5707 College drive Vermilion Alberta T9X 1K5 Canada Post Publication Mail PM40009099
Fall 2013 Alumni & Friends Newsletter www.lakelandcollege.ca/alumni