Horizons December 2008

11

Hort’s donate their time and efforts to a good cause

12

10 Olds College breeds royalty, Alumni crowned princess

Program tailored to labour shortage

Serving our community of students, alumni & friends

Open for e-Learning!

Dave Hancock, Minister of Education joins Paula Ciccarelli, Christina Zilinski, Justin Turner and Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology on October 9 for the official opening of the Community Learning Campus’ Bell e-Learning Centre.

Story on Page 4

Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Olds College 4500 - 50th Street Olds, Alberta T4H 1R6

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40010029

Dec 2008

In step with modern agribusiness Olds College Agriculture diplomas evolve in 2009 Keeping in step with the significant, increasingly rapid evolution of the agricultural industry, the Olds College School of Agriculture, Land and Environment is making sweeping, timely changes to its diploma programs.

Beginning in September 2009, Olds College will offer its new Agricultural Management Diploma, blending the strengths of soon-to-be-retired diplomas in Agricultural Business, Crop & Agri Food Technology, and Agricultural Production. Students within the Agricultural Management Diploma program will be able to choose between majors in Finance, Marketing and Production. A Bioprocessing & Distribution Major will be added to the diploma program in 2010.

In 2005-06, Olds College conducted a number of face-to-face interviews with agricultural employers and producers across Alberta to document industry expectations of agricultural graduates. The research revealed a requirement for multiple skills, and emphasized the need for greater understanding of:

“What came out clearly is that modern agribusinesses need good generalists. Agriculture is very much about integrating multiple elements, not just about a single discipline,” says Joel Gingrich, Chair of the Olds College School of Agriculture and Land Management.

“It’s about making sure students have career flexibility when they graduate from the program.”

With enrolment having actually increased for the current school year – an indicator of longstanding confidence in Olds College’s agricultural programs – it’s important to note that previous diplomas may be absent in name but the core agricultural production and business education that is a mainstay for students is still very much present.

“Somebody who is interested in going back to the farm can still do that. We integrate animals, agronomy, business and technology so they can be successful,” says Gingrich. “But now, more than ever, they also have the option of taking that education and carrying on into agribusiness – where there is a greater abundance and diversity of jobs than ever before.”

• Thin financial margins at all levels of agriculture • Evolving technology applications • A more consumer-driven marketplace • A requirement for agriculture to shift away from commodity marketing • Globalization throughout the agricultural value chain

Letter from the Editor There is no better way to learn about your new workplace than to sit down at your desk and immediately have to write a pile of stories about it. Such was the case when I started here in early November, with the original deadline for this issue of Horizons already past. Who knew that all those times I procrastinated until the last minute, churning out high school and university essays in a frantic, caffeine-driven haze with one eye on the clock and the other on a spell-check window would ultimately yield me a valuable job skill?

At first I was concerned with the fact that my last minute calls and emails in search of good stories to relate would get slow replies, leaving little time to do justice to all the hard work our staff, faculty and alumni do on a daily basis.

Fortunately, there is a passion here in every department and people are genuinely excited about sharing what they are doing with the community. And they are doing a lot, believe me. My concern, then, became not whether I could do the great stories coming out of Olds College justice or not but, rather, whether I could fit them all in.

I couldn’t. There is that much happening here. Whether it’s the new face of our Agriculture Diploma Programs, making sure that farm kids who grow up like I did are prepared for the future of agriculture and agribusiness, or our contributions to the Community Learning Campus, which provides opportunities youth and community members often cannot get even in a large metropolitan city, there is no shortage of tales to tell.

People often look to large urban centres for examples of what the future holds. But after one month, it is obvious the future is already happening, right here. And that’s a story I look forward to telling over and over again.

Chances are, you are part of the story and I look forward to hearing about it ­­— and passing it on — soon.

Rick Overwater

2 Dec 2008

Volume 2, Number 4 Publication mail agreement: 40010029 Submissions may be edited for content and length.

Olds College Horizons is published four times per year by the Office of Advancement. We welcome comments, letters and suggestions for stories.

Please email Rick Overwater roverwater@oldscollege.ca fax 403-556-4704 or write 4500-50 Street, Olds, Alberta, T4H 1R6 Editor: Rick Overwater, Communications Coordinator Publisher: Shannon Northey, Manager of Development & Corporate Communications Design: Myriah Barr, Graphic Design and Multimedia Coordinator Print: Calgary Colorpress

Reaching out to fourth graders might not seem like an obvious task for an institution like Olds College at first. But that is exactly what will happen now that the college is a member of the Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP).

A collaborative effort between many organizations and commodity groups including Alberta Beef Producers, the Canadian Wheat Board, Alberta Canola Producers and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association -- to name just a handful — the program entails visiting classrooms and educating children on the facts surrounding exactly how food is produced. Every passing year, there are fewer children with a family member who lived or worked on a farm, and the disconnection between urban culture and how its food is procured grows measurably.

“So this was a very logical initiative for us to get into. Agriculture is not only an important part of our curriculum, it’s a vital industry and we obviously have an affinity for efforts like CAP,” says Jeff Suderman, Olds College Director of Student Recruitment. “As well, it allows us to address the misconception that agriculture is easy, or only has a few limited career paths. Kids are already being asked what they want to be when they grow up and this allows us to plant the seed, so to speak.”

In the past, Olds College students and alumni have participated as CAP volunteers and currently teach prescribed curriculum to grade four students around Alberta. Olds College is the first educational partner to join CAP and is currently seeking volunteers with hands-on agricultural experience to visit select classrooms. If you are interested in helping young Albertans learn more about how food is produced and opportunities within the industry, please contact Jeff Suderman in the Olds College Office of Student Recruitment (403-556-4757 or jsuderman@oldscollege.ca).

Family with Strong alumni ties create new awards

With alumni status spanning over three generations, a Lacombe area family has donated a generous endowment and ensured financial help for five Olds College students every year.

When it came time to retire and sell their farming operation, Ken and Bettie Ditzler decided they wanted to give back to an institution they felt was instrumental in the family’s success.

“We’ve had good careers and we’re grateful for the opportunities we’ve had. We wanted to give that to a student,” says Bettie.

Ken graduated from the Two in One Agriculture program in 1956. His father, Leland “Chum” Ditzler, had graduated from the two-year agricultural program in 1931 and Ken and Bettie’s son, Clayton, graduated from the Horticulture program in 1989. Ken has a BSc in Agriculture They had an 800 acre farm where they fed cattle and were active in grain and hay production. Bettie holds a BSc in Home Economics and Family Studies. Among other efforts, Ken was a member of the provincial seed cleaning plant association and a longtime member of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists. Both were active in the United Church in Lacombe.

Corn Crazy What started out as just one of the many corn mazes that go up each summer, an increasingly popular attraction for urban tourists, turned out to be much more in the end.

“We’ve always been active in our community and we hope our children and grandchildren will be too,” says Ken.

Olds College board member Leona Staples runs the Jungle Farm — a u-pick operation offering strawberries, raspberries, flowers, pumpkins and other vegetables — along with her husband Blaine. As plans to build a corn maze there took shape, the idea of using it to celebrate both the University of Alberta and its burgeoning partnership with Olds College arose.

The Ditzler’s endowment is expected to generate about $1000 for each of the five selected students annually, commencing in 2010.

The project would require very exact mapping and cutting, and for that Staples turned to Bob Hoffos, Olds College’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Program Coordinator.

Thus, in the process, the project also became a demonstration of technological applications that can be learned at the college.

Hoffos accepted, partly out of curiosity. “I wanted to see if my GPS device was going to be accurate to the degree this application needed,” he says. Using a design

by Scott Skelly of Corn Mazes America, Hoffos began changing the design into actual geographic coordinates and uploaded them into his GPS unit. “The whole thing took about four hours to lay out,” says Hoffos.

Then came the process of cutting the design into the corn field. Hoffos says the results, when finally photographed from above, were impressive and demonstrated just some the applications of the college’s GIS program.

“We know a lot of people who have benefitted from financial support as students,” says Bettie.

“Finances are always an issue so for us, this was a good thing to do.”

“This is just one application of the technology we demonstrated,” says Hoffos. “The whole program applies this technology to many, many different sectors including forestry, municipalities, agriculture and even health care.”

Olds College Alumni Association

HALL OF FAME AWARD Application

The Olds College Alumni Association wishes to give special recognition to Alumni or former College Staff who have distinguished themselves by making significant contributions to the College and/or their chosen vocation. Their contribution may range from the local community to international in scope, but must be outstanding in quality.

Normally, these contributions will be those “over and above” that which would be expected of regular employment or job function.

The Hall of Fame provides permanent recognition, including a photograph and the achievements of each award recipient. A special Hall of Fame Award Reception is held at the annual Summer Reunion in July. The 58 Alumni honoured in the Hall of Fame can be viewed on the lower level of the Learning Resource Centre on campus. A maximum of two awards are given each year, and only the living are considered for induction, except under exceptional circumstances.

Nominations for the Hall of Fame may be submitted to the Alumni Office anytime; however, the Selection Committee meets only once a year.

Nominators are requested to provide detailed information in each of the following categories to assist the Committee in its evaluation of each nomination. Names, addresses and phone numbers for both nominee and nominators) should also be included. For the benefit of the Selection Committee, please provide and organize information about the nominee using the following headings (add any additional information you feel is relevant):

CONTRIBUTION TO OLDS COLLEGE (other than financial) • Through Alumni Association, Advisory Committees, Board of Governors, Olds College Office of Advancement, hiring/recommending graduates, ambassadorship, promotion of the College, volunteerism, etc.

CONTRIBUTION TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

CONTRIBUTION WITHIN CHOSEN VOCATION • Whether in farming, research, education, horticulture, business, homemaking, etc.

• Accomplishments • Quality of contribution is important.

CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY Other than to career and organizations related

• Related to chosen vocation, such as those for the betterment of farming or agriculture if career is agriculturally related.

to career, e.g. community, family, church, service organizations.

• Leadership volunteerism in local community.

Send your nominations to:

PROVINCIAL CONTRIBUTION (or NATIONAL, or INTERNATIONAL) • Leadership positions held and/or contributions to organizations.

Deadline for nominations is March 31 each year.

Olds College Alumni Association 4500 50th Street Olds, AB T4H 1R6 Toll Free: Phone Fax E-mail Courier

(800) 661-OLDS Ext. 7952 (403) 507-7952 (403) 556-4754 alumniassociation@oldscollege.ca Room 721, LRC, Olds College

Dec 2008

3

Celebrating the Partnerships with Chinook’s Edge, Olds College, Town of Olds, Mountain View County and the University of Alberta.

Well wishers had a chance to leave their greetings on the Excite Room’s white board walls.

Already fulfilling its mandate to bridge the urban-rural divide and provide Albertan students, businesses and communities with innovative e-Learning opportunities and resources, the Bell e-Learning Centre has seen plenty of activity since its opening.

On October 9 it was officially launched as part of the Community Learning Campus (CLC) on Olds College Campus, a joint partnership between the Chinook’s Edge School Division and Olds College. Notable visitors included The Honourable Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology.

“This is how Alberta is quickly moving into the knowledge-based economy young Albertans want to participate in,” said Horner during the official launch day.

Video Conferencing in the J.C. (Jack) Anderson Video Conference Suite.

Stewart MacNabb (Olds College), Town of Olds Mayor Judy Dahl, Wayne Milaney (CLC Project Manager), Sean Hernandez (Olds College OCSA) and Kayley Reed (OHS) Cut the Cake!

Later in the month, the centre was pressed into service as part of the Communities Without Boundaries virtual conference. The virtual conference was linked between 20 different communities with over 25 interactive presentations being made in real time, demonstrating how the SuperNet and high speed internet connections can be used to bring people together.

Great crowds came to celebrate the opening.

Richard Marz MLA for Olds/Didsbury/Three Hills experiences a new career as a News Anchor with help from the High School Media Arts Class.

“At our last Communities Without Boundaries conference one year ago, the majority of participants attended in person with a few sites connected through the Internet via videoconference,” says Jim Gibbons, Superintendent of Schools for Chinook’s Edge School Division. “This year’s conference has grown to leverage the true power of the SuperNet in connecting 200 participants at 23 venues via videoconference. This demonstrates the power of technology to span distance and time in connecting rural Alberta communities.”

Broadband technologies such as video conferencing, webcasts, technology courses, video editing and new business applications through Alberta’s SuperNet are now at the fingertips of more Albertans than ever before. Students from Olds Junior Senior High School have already been taking computer and media arts classes at the Bell e-Learning Centre since May. In November a television crew from RDTV in Red Deer visited for a tour and an interview. Other media stories include an article in the Red Deer Advocate and coverage from CTV. “In a short amount of time the Bell e-Learning Centre will evolve from a novel new tool to an entrenched, vital institution,” says Kerry T. Moynihan, CLC Acting Executive Director. “This is about realizing the potential of creating a shared space that brings people together and provides learning opportunities for everyone.”

4 Dec 2008

Brian Cooper and Paula Ciccarelli giving a tour to onlooking dignitaries from the government and Bell Canada.

Showing our support in Olds College,

Asking for yours.

5

Landscape Pavilion We all know that “hands-on” is often the best form of learning and students enrolled in horticulture programs of all kinds need to get their hands dirty. A lot! Our landscape pavilion allows students to climb trees, build landscapes and install irrigation systems when everything outside is frozen.

Thanks to our friends, construction is 70% complete. Achieving our full vision requires more commitment and we hope new and existing partners will look to the needs of future students.

Centre for the Horticulture Industry (CHI) Horticulture is big business in Canada The Centre for the Horticulture Industry will help the industry respond to the challenges they face through the expansion of programming and the creation of new opportunities for learners. The CHI will include the expansion of the existing Landscape Construction Pavilion and the development of Phase III of the Olds College Botanic Gardens.

With the completion of the Centre for the Horticulture Industry, the School of Horticulture will be uniquely positioned as a national-class education and business resource centre for the horticulture industry.

Botanic Gardens, Wetland and Arboretum A prairie wetland is an oasis of life and a treasure for future generations. Canada’s economic development often treads close to these natural gardens and habitats that are dotted across the landscape of our province. Olds College students learn to protect and conserve these precious resources for today and for tomorrow. The Botanic Gardens, Arboretum and Wetlands create living laboratories that will reveal the delicate relationship between people, plants and water and prepare learners to become environmental stewards.

Botanic Gardens, Wetland and Arboretum Water Reclamation This will serve as a living laboratory for students of horticulture, land and water management studies, and facilitate and align our research efforts with the province’s “Water for Life” strategy. Water is the key concern on everybody’s minds — the lack of it, its quality and its affect on our everyday lives. This project will train the students of today to be our future leaders in water management, to ensure that our generation and generations to come have the water they need.

Health & Wellness A holistic approach to physical, emotional, intellectual and social growth is the focus of the Health and Wellness Facility. Outside of the traditional gymnasiums, fitness centre, and multipurpose areas, the facility is built to house Central Alberta Child and Family Services, Alberta Employment and Immigration, an Integrated Career Centre, counseling and health services.

Community Learning Campus (CLC) Growing Together – Learning Forever Olds College and Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) are the principle partners in the Community Learning Campus project, in collaboration with Mountainview County, Town of Olds, University of Alberta, and others. These partners have combined intellect, ideals, and spirit to shape a new path for rural education delivery. More than just inspiring architecture, the CLC and its Learning Plan will be one of the most innovative approaches to high school, college, and community learning in the world.

100% SUCCESS! Bell e-Learning Centre

Our dreams are coming true each day with steady progress on all Community Learning Campus projects. We invite those with a strong vision for rural Alberta to join our team as we look to the future.

Core High School The Core High School is a 700+ capacity facility for high school students, grades nine to twelve in Olds and area. The new high school integrates the Chinook’s Edge School Division motto “Where Students Come First”. Students engage in learning in flexible teaching and learning spaces that provide classroom, team, and individual configurations allowing for self-directed study, project-based and collaborative learning.

Fine Arts & Multi Media Centre Dreams are limitless. A girl becomes the graceful dancer she sees in her heart; a boy develops the skill to match the athletes he admires. People of all ages find the resources they need to succeed. The Community Learning Campus is helping to eliminate the boundaries between our dreams and reality by providing new resources to help rural Albertans achieve their ambitions.

A flexible venue, the Fine Arts and Multi Media Centre offers a 350+ seat theatre, instructional, presentation and conference space, and multipurpose areas for performing and visual arts in Olds and area. This space and its offerings respond to the fine arts and programming needs of Olds High School, Olds College and the surrounding community.

Yes, I believe in the future of Olds College and want to help!

R I wish to donate: $ 100.00 $ 250.00 $ 500.00 $ 1000.00 Other $ ______________

R I wish to support: Community Learning Campus Landscape Pavilion Botanic Gardens and Wetlands Area of greatest need

Yes my gift is $500 or more so please request the matching funds from the Alberta Government. Please make cheque payable to: Olds College and return to Olds College, 4500 - 50th Street, Olds, AB, Canada T4H 1R6.

Cheque enclosed

Expiry Date: ____________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________

I would like to hear more about the future of Olds College. Please have someone call me at _______________________________ to set up a tour.

We're now into our fourth and final year and everyone knows that the final dollars in any fund-raising project are always the hardest to secure. We need your help more than ever right now to push us over the top and complete the campaign, continuing to make Olds College the world renowned institution that it is.

We draw inspiration from the Barack Obama presidential fundraising campaign, which more than doubled previous records for presidential candidate fundraising. Approximately 93% of the massive total came from gifts of $1000 or less, clearly demonstrating that combining the power of the many and the power of the committed can achieve success beyond our wildest dreams.

We need you, our alumni who understand the enduring value of Olds College. More than ever, we need your help to meet campaign goals. By contributing yourself, as well as encouraging others to contribute, you help ensure that Olds College is there for our sons, daughters and grandchildren. We’ve done well by Government and corporate Alberta so far. We must look to those who would invest in Olds College from their “hearts” in this final year of our campaign.

“In my life, I needed some help and stability. Olds College gave me the support to succeed. If I didn’t go to Olds College, I wouldn’t have made it. I always thought that if I ever have sufficient funds, I'm going to donate to the school.”

- Ernest Damkar, Alumni Donor

Mastercard

Credit Card #: ___________________________________________

Your Olds College is seven short months away from the completion of our first and very ambitious Capital Vision Fund-raising Campaign. We've done extremely well throughout this campaign, raising over $26 Million for enhanced opportunities and learning environments for our Olds College students and faculty in just over three years.

Add Olds College to your Christmas Giving List

Visa

Leverage Through the Alberta government's Access to the Future matching dollars, the College leadership has enabled us to double the impact of your support on donations of $500 or more to any of the three remaining capital building projects. In today’s world, that is a pretty good rate of return! For Olds College to get these government matching funds, your gift must be received by JANUARY 15, 2009.

We are very passionate about the opportunities our Capital Vision Campaign will provide our future Alumni, but to make these dreams come true we need you the students of yesteryear to give with your hearts, to give Olds College an exciting future. Please consider adding Olds College to your Christmas giving list.

Yours sincerely,

Senator Bert and Alice Brown, Co-Chairs Olds College Capital Vision Campaign

Ernest Damkar, Class of 51

Laurinda Parkinson, President Olds College Alumni Association

The Power of Three 1. The Landscape Pavilion Expansion Olds College constructed its original, existing Landscape Pavilion in 1997. Within its first year, landscaping, arboriculture, irrigation,and turf-grass students requiring hands-on training in a controlled environment during the winter months had utilized the facility to and beyond capacity.

This climate controlled facility puts Olds College ahead of many other institutions by allowing us to “take the season out of seasonal” in the winter months of our school year. The current Landscape Pavilion expansion project is in direct response to the industry need to accommodate sustained and manageable growth full-time and part-time training in “green careers”.

Although expansion of the Landscape Pavilion is nearly complete, we need your final support to build the adjoining classrooms that will house our students.

2. The Botanic Garden and Wetlands – This will serve as a living laboratory for students of horticulture, land and water management studies, and facilitate and align our research efforts with the province’s “Water for Life” strategy. Water is the key concern on everybody’s minds - the lack of it, its quality and its affect on our everyday lives. This project will train the students of today to be our future leaders in water management, to ensure that our generation and generations to come have they water they need. Construction of this project commences in the spring of 2009.

3. The Community Learning Campus (CLC) -

Olds College and the Chinook’s Edge School Division are the principle partners in this innovative approach to high school, post-secondary and community education.

The CLC consists of a Core High School on the grounds of the College campus, a Health and Wellness Facility, Fine Arts and Multi Media Centre, the Bell e-Learning Centre and a distributive network of Community Engagement Sites in rural Central Alberta. The CLC model delivers life-long learning and access to services through facilities that will forever shatter the notion that citizens in rural Alberta must make do with less!

ALUMNI REVIEW Alumni Corner

Olds College Alumni Association Board of Directors 2007-2008 President Laurinda Parkinson ‘69 Vice President John Perry ‘63

The idea to develop the Olds School of Agriculture & Home Economics began early in the history of Alberta under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture, The Honorable Duncan Marshall. He conceived a plan that would see a series of demonstration farms developed in various locations throughout the province. They would be designed to help settlers coming from Eastern Canada, the U.S. and Europe to learn the best methods of farming in the diverse land and soil conditions in our province. Since Marshall farmed northwest of Olds and represented the region as part of his constituency, it was only natural that the areas around the town become the target for such an educational facility to be built.

The second phase of Marshall’s plan was to build schools of agriculture on the demonstration farms he had developed not only in Olds (in 1911) but also in Vermilion and Claresholm in 1913. Others soon followed in Raymond, Youngstown and Gleichen. The official opening of the $40,000 Olds School of Agriculture took place on November 21, 1913. In the early 1920s, the only schools remaining out of Marshall’s efforts were those at Olds and Vermilion. The Claresholm and Raymond schools closed in 1931 due to economic restraints, and Vermilion closed temporarily because of the Depression and WW II.

The Olds College Alumni Association is governed by a 17-member volunteer board consisting of alumni, college staff, and current student representatives. Our elections take place at the first general meeting in September, after the Annual General Meeting in July each year.

As the new President of OCAA, I am pleased to be able to bring you greetings from your new OCAA Board for 2008 - 2009. We are committed to maintaining our support to current students through bursaries & scholarships. The Alumni Association supports the objectives of Olds College by fostering relationships and opportunities among students, alumni, the college, and the global community to enhance the strengths and continuity of Olds College. We would be pleased to hear from any of our alumni through the contact info below. email :alumniassociation@oldscollege.ca phone: 1-800-661-6537 ext 7952, OCAA Office & Museum, Room 721 lower LRC Bldg, 4500 50 Street, Olds, AB T4H 1R6

At a reunion on December 11, 1917, the Olds College Alumni Association was born. A constitution was adopted and eligibility for membership was established with membership fees set at 25 cents per year. Today membership is open to all who attend Olds College. There are over 13,000 living Olds College Alumni, with approximately 500 new graduates each year. Of the above total, 82% of the alumni are from the 35 years between 1970 and 2005, with 18% of the total alumni from the 55 years between 1914 – 1969.

Past President Sandra MacKinnon-Jahn ‘86 Honourary President Edith Edge ‘51 Treasurer Melody Cavin, College Staff Secretary Gary Coen ‘58 Directors Jim Burns ‘68 Bryan Dowell ’61 Glen Alred ‘58 Curtis Miller ‘03 Jason Finnigan ‘01 Ed Shaw ‘71

New Alumni President The Olds College Alumni Association has welcomed Laurinda Parkinson, new association president, into the fold.

Taking over from Sandra Mackinnon-Jahn, Laurinda brings a wide variety of experience and a family association with Olds College that dates back to 1929.

OCSA Rep Sean Hernandez Faculty Rep Heather Taylor Olds College President and CEO Dr. H.J. (Tom) Thompson

ALUMNI Keep In Touch alumniassociation@oldscollege.ca

Memorials The Alumni Board respectfully notes the passing of the following Olds College Alumni and staff, and extends its condolences to their families and friends.

To review the complete obituaries which have been forwarded to our office, please visit the Olds College Alumni section of our website at www. oldscollege.ca/alumni.

The granddaughter of Fred F. Parkinson, Farm Mechanics Instructor at what was then called the Olds School of Agriculture from 1929 to 1949, Laurinda grew up in Calgary with frequent visits to family friends in the Olds area. Her mother, Signe (Blanch) Parkinson, graduated from Olds College in 1941 and her aunt, Mary (Parkinson) Smith, graduated in 1947. In 1969 Laurinda graduated after studying Fashion and Design Technology.

During her year as a student, she met several members of the New Zealand Young Farmers who were visiting through the International Agricultural Exchange Association. She and a classmate embarked to New Zealand, where Laurinda stayed and worked for four and half years.

After returning, Laurinda married and farmed in the Rolling Hills area for a decade before moving into Brooks. She has two sons, Curtis and Brendan Miller. Curtis graduated from the Olds College Agricultural Mechanics program in 2003.

Blanche Hoyback (nee Paulsen) Home Economics, 1939 -------- -------- -------Harold J. Munson Agriculture, 1948 -------- -------- -------John Arnold Fulton, a graduate of Olds Agricultural College in 1937, passed away on August 31 at the age of 89.

John was born August 19, 1919 in Medicine Hat, AB. He grew up on the family ranch near Walsh, AB and remained on it for 60 years following his college education. In 1951 he married Nancy Hargrave from the neighbouring JH Ranch.

Active in the community throughout his life, John co-founded the Walsh Cattle Marketing

Association, serving as Secretary–Treasurer for 35 years. He was also Chairman of the Board for the Medicine Hat Co-Op for three years and a board member for 12. He is remembered for a love of cattle, horses and nature in general.

John is survived by his daughters Jennifer and Julie, son Tom, brothers Harlon and Wilson and numerous extended family members.

-------- -------- -------Stacy Helene Marvel Regier, a 2003 graduate of Olds College’s Land Administration program, passed away on October 20 following an automobile accident.

Remember me? Class of ‘69 Today, Laurinda resides in the Caroline area and works in Red Deer as an Office Administrator. She has been on the Olds College Alumni Association Board since 2003.

“I attend reunions every summer and it reinforces my desire to stay connected to Olds College,” she says. “I feel a very strong allegiance to it and am dedicated to working towards a stronger and more visible alumni association.”

Stacy was born on December 19, 1982 in Red Deer. She worked for the city of Red Deer in the Tax and Property Assessment Dept., and resided in Sylvan Lake. Stacy is survived by her parents Cindy and Pete Regier and numerous family members including her grandparents. She is remembered for her infectious laugh and gregarious personality.

Stacy’s family has instructed well wishers to make donations to selected causes including Olds College. For more information, contact the Olds College Office of Advancement.

Dec 2008 9

Alumni Becomes Stampede Princess Kateri Cowley (Princess) Right, along with fellow royalty.

Kerri Williamson (Queen) Middle, Tara Sergerie (Princess) Left

A family history in ranching and a diploma in Equine Science helped poise an Olds College alum for crowning as a 2009 Calgary Stampede Princess. Kateri Cowley, who graduated from the college in 2005, will be one of two Stampede princesses along with Tara Sergerie and Queen Kerri Williamson.

Kateri was raised on the Rafter Six Ranch and participated in every single Stampede parade since she was born. Day to day activities at the family ranch run the gamut from horse training to mucking out stalls and leading tours. According to Kateri, it’s exactly this kind of background and experience that the Calgary Stampede looks for when they crown the royal trio.

“They look for things like Western heritage and values,” she said in an interview with the Rocky Mountain Outlook. “They want people who have a pride of place, a pride of who they are, where they come from and where they are going. Being a cowgirl isn’t an outfit, it’s a lifestyle.”

Responsibilities as a Stampede princess will include attending hundreds of events across the continent, as well as duties surrounding the Calgary Stampede itself.

Training in public speaking and media awareness are a prerequisite.

When her duties wrap up and her crown is passed on, Kateri hopes to major in business and management to help keep the Rafter Six ranch a family-run operation. She also intends to provide the kind of inspiration stampede royalty gave her during childhood.

“I intend to be the same type of role model for all the young girls.”

Art Auction program calls for volunteers Based on very encouraging successes in its first year, the Olds College Sealed Bid art program is expanding and calling for volunteers in Central Alberta. What began as a few pieces of quality art, placed on easels in a handful of locations with sealed-bid drop boxes beside them has emerged a significant fundraising program with minimum volunteer time necessary to keep things up and running.

“It’s been bringing a lot of exposure to Olds College out in the countryside,” says Ken Risi, Director of Development in Olds College’s Office of Advancement. “It’s out there seven days a week, 365 days per year and has become a great source for the Olds College Opportunity Fund.”

One of the advantages of the opportunity fund, adds Risi, is that funds can be put towards whatever is truly needed — be it a student award that needs topping up or infrastructure repairs such as a leaky roof.

The program works by placing an easel with a piece of desirable art on it at a high traffic location such as a restaurant or grocery store. Those interested in owning the art, and supporting Olds College in the process, can place a sealed bid in an envelope and drop it into the box. The art is changed out very two weeks and the highest bidder receives the art.

“In six weeks, with just ten easels, we have raised $12,000,” says Risi.

“Each easel should bring in $3000 to $4000 per year and we are aiming for $100,000 this year.

Already in nearby towns such as Didsbury and Carstairs, the program is planning to expand into several Albertan towns the coming year. Risi expects the volunteer hours necessary to manage in two or three easels in a town to be around 26 hours spread over one year.

“It’s a great way to help the college if your time or resources are limited,” says Risi. “Currently we have two Olds College Alumni, Ken Ditzler and Lewis Reid, running easels in Lacombe. They enjoy the experience and are proud of the fact that they are contributing back to the college that helped give them their start in life.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to run easels in their home town are invited to contact the Olds College Office of Advancement.

Savings on home and auto insurance A message from TD Insurance Meloche Monnex

We are proud to announce a new 5 year agreement that provides preferred rates on home and auto insurance for staff and alumni of Olds College through Canada’s largest provider of Insurance affinity programs for alumni, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex!

Olds College has just completed a review of what is available for home and auto insurance programs and has chosen to sign a new agreement with TD Insurance Meloche Monnex.

TD Insurance Meloche Monnex has been in business for 60 years and is the market leader in Insurance affinity programs. They are the largest direct response insurer and the third largest personal lines insurer in Canada, with offices in Calgary and Edmonton as well as across Canada.

You can save on insurance for your home, contents, secondary and rental properties, automobiles, recreation vehicles, motorcycles, and even travel and small business insurance. They offer competitive group rates, exceptional service and unique coverages such as a zero deductible, identity theft, and 5 year replacement cost on automobiles. They also offer a national contest worth $50,000 for your renovations.

To enter the contest, request free quote at www.melochemonnex.com/oc.

10 Dec 2008

Horts have Heart!

Olds College’s horticulture programs provided the foundation for a number of volunteer and charity efforts this fall.

In November, the College’s Green Earth Society took advantage of an organic plot grown by summer staff to demonstrate the feasibility of organic vegetable growing on the prairies.

“They had all these vegetables left and rather than let them rot in the ground, we decided to donate them to a worthy cause,” says Patricia Thomas, a member of the Green Earth Society. “So we pulled them all up, cleaned them, and gave them to the Mountain View Food Bank and the 1st Baptist Church who run a family food program.”

Thomas hails from the Virgin Islands and is currently enroled in the Land Agent Program. The harvest, she says, yielded two large bins of onions, carrots and beets. “It was a learning experience for me,” she adds. “We don’t pull vegetables out of the ground like that at home.”

The Olds College Horticulture Club was active as well, selling cucumbers originally grown as part of a research program and donating the money to the Salvation Army. “Three or four hundred cucumbers were sold ultimately, yielding around $150,00,” says Peter Johnston-Berresford, Horticulture Production Program Coordinator and Greenhouse Manager for Olds College’s School of Horticulture and Geospatial Technology. “These vegetables would have otherwise gone to waste or simply been given away, but the Horticulture Club seized the opportunity to make the most of them. The students have so much energy that once they get involved, they bring a real impact to charitable efforts.”

The Horticulture Club also mounted a sizable clothing drive, placing donation bins around campus and actively encouraging students and staff to donate.

At time of press, the donations were slated to be given to the Salvation Army but if the final amount was large enough, other charities would be considered as recipients as well.

“We have literally received van loads of donations so far,” says JohnstonBerresford. “There is a massive amount, all in great condition and we may well have enough to give some to the Salvation Army and locations such as Goodwill stores.”

With a revitalized athletics program garnering attention for Olds College once again, a renewed focus on Rodeo and its rightful place as a sport has emerged. Similar to how the other sports are handled, the College has brought in three new, highly experienced coaches to assist in the development of Olds College’s rodeo teams.

Students gather vegetables from their crops to donate.

New Rodeo Coaches

Powell is joined on the coaching staff by two other seasoned cowboys: Patrick Cassidy • 12 years in professional rodeo • 1990 Canadian High School Tie-Down Roping Champion • Canadian Cowboy Association, FCA and Chinook Rodeo Association finalist in Tie-Down roping and Steer Wrestling.

“At my stage of the game, it doesn’t hurt to give back and help the young people that are inheriting rodeo,” says Powell. “Back when I started, there wasn’t anything like this.”

Powell is the 2008 Foothills Cowboy Association (FCA) Cowboy of the Year. His accomplishments also include being 1981 Wild Rose Rodeo Association Bull Riding Finals Champion and serving as FCA Saddle Bronc Director, to name just a few.

Photo Mike Copeman

One of the coaches is Wayne Powell, a 12 year professional Cowboy and three-time Canadian Finals Qualifier.

Greg Hoar • Seven-year member of Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) and Pro Rodeo Cowboy’s Association.

• Consistent top 15-20 rankings in CPRA • 2006 Prairie Circuit Champ

Dec 2008 11

Coming Events

Applications for Fall 2009 accepted beginning November 1st!

Preview Day February 6, 2009 Animals, Business and Fashion

Preview Day January 16, 2009 Land and Horticulture

February 26, 2009 Fine Arts & Multi Media Centre Grand Opening

Preview Day March 13, 2009 Agriculture and Trades Growing the Legacy Gala March 13, 2009

Open House April 4, 2009 For updates or more information, please visit www.oldscollege.ca

For Shannon Northey, the College’s new Manager of Development & Corporate Communications, joining the Olds College team has meant a return to her roots.

Meet your new Communicators

“Agriculture has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said Northey. “This opportunity was a way for me to work in a marketing and communications capacity while still being in touch with an industry that I hold very dear.”

Bringing a farm background and 20 years of experience, Rick Overwater has joined the Olds College Office of Advancement as Communications Coordinator.

After studying Journalism Arts at SAIT, Northey went on to work within the non-profit industry in an event coordination and fundraising capacity. Prior to accepting the position with Olds College, she served as the Awards & Scholarship Advisor in the Department of Community Relations at Red Deer.

Overwater attended Didsbury High School and graduated from Gonzaga University in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a minor in Journalism.

“I’m really excited to be a part of the Olds College family,” she said. “It’s an honour to be associated with an institution that is so well known for its cutting edge programming, research and commitment to agriculture.”

Over the years he has written for a variety of publications ranging from the Calgary Sun to the Globe and Mail. Stints as a television producer and several music writing and editing jobs are also part of his media history.

As well, he held communication positions at Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and Alberta Beef Producers.

The date is now set for the 2009 Olds College Growing the Legacy Gala, taking place on March 13.

Selling out each year for the past six, the high profile event has been a key part of the college’s growth in quality programming and facilities.

In his spare time Overwater likes to play in his alternative-country band The Culls, and his self-described “cowpunk-metal” band Black Dirt of the West.

As in past years, Gala will be a high profile evening featuring a gourmet dinner, guest speaker and live and silent auctions. The “Partner of the Year” will be announced closer to the Gala date.

First program of its kind addresses labour shortage through industry/college partnership

Utilizing a combined gift to Olds College of $70,000, the College, the Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA) and several employers within industry have created the Underground Utility Installer Certificate program. The certificate deals specifically with the trade commonly known as pipe laying, and commences in 2009.

“According to our industry partners, there is not one place you could attend to get all the same training in one program, says Dick Thomson, Chair of Olds College ‘s School of Trades and Career Studies. “ Underground pipe laying is a necessity in a variety of construction projects, ranging from sewer lines to gas pipelines — all of which must be constructed to exacting standards and are generally expected to endure for decades.

“Traditionally, the skills of this trade were passed down by more experienced trades people,” says Jarrad Whissell, Vice President of Whissell Contracting Calgary Ltd. “But the accelerated exodus of senior members has created an educational shortfall.”

“We are very pleased to see Olds College take on the role of providing this vital training,” says Gene Syvenky, ARHCA CEO. “The timing of this program couldn’t be better.”

Partners: Olds College, Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association, WRD Borger Construction Ltd, Whissel Contracting Calgary Ltd., Standard General Inc., Volker Stevin Contracting Ltd., Caliber Systems.

We’d like to hear from you!

Please send us your comments, stories or suggestions for future articles. Let us know how we’re doing!

Olds College Horizons is published four times per year by the Office of Advancement. Please email Rick Overwater roverwater@oldscollege.ca, fax (403) 556-4704 or write 4500-50 Street Olds, Alberta T4H 1R6.

Be kind to the environment!

Check out www.oldscollege.ca for more details on these and other Olds College stories.

When you have finished reading this issue of Olds College Horizons, please pass it along to a friend or recycle it. Thank you.

12 Dec 2008