Winter 2008

Premier Issue

a rural hip lifestyle magazine

scrap heap visionary reclaims Alberta history

Cowboy Celtic

Attitude & Artistry in a Unique Musical Style

Fall Harvest Meal REMEMBERING

LITTLE CHICAGO

to Downtown Okotoks

Drake Landing Drive

Drake Landing

Drake Landing Common

of sophistication

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SHOWHOME

Cover Story

Salvaging History...one beam at a time

Alain Dubreuil takes the 3R’s of recycling to a whole new level.

DISCOVER THE NEW STANDARD IN ENVIRONMENTAL HOME-BUILDING

air

winter 2008

N

Milligan Dr. 32nd St.

Northridge D riv e

To Hwy#2 and Calgary

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Professionally Speaking

Learn how baby massage techniques can reduce infant stress.

Plus, what you need to know about the new, 2009 tax-free savings account.

10 Feature

Warm Up to Winter Adventure

Winter means family fun, a Foothills activity guide.

INTERPRETIVE CENTRE NOW OPEN 30 DRAKE LANDING CREST : 403.938.2504 : WWW.LIFESTYLEHOMES.CA

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Drake Landing

Lott Creek

Montrose

New Discover y

Rainbow Falls

Silverado

The Ranch

Westmere

West Park

Okotoks

Calgar y SW

High River

Calgar y SW

Chestermere

Calgar y SW

Strathmore

Chestermere

Calgar y SW

403.938.2504

403.217.9832

403.649.8891

403.217.9832

403.312.2654

403.441.9152

403.983.9106

403.312.2654

403.217.9832

Arts and Entertainment

Drama, crafts and music – all here in your town-by-town guide for entertainment.

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Shopping

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Feature

Fabulous gift ideas from local merchants.

Drovers’ Road to Turner Valley

A little bit country and a little bit Scottish jig: meet Cowboy Celtic.

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Food

From his kitchen to yours, Darren Nixon presents a favourite winter recipe.

Plus, two great new restaurants open for business!

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Detours

Former residents of Royalties work to preserve memories.

Premier Issue

a rural hip lifestyle magazine

scrap heap visionary reclaims Alberta history

energy

the heat within

heaven on

earth

water

pure and simple

Cowboy Celtic

Attitude & Artistry in a Unique Musical Style

Fall Harvest Meal

Cover by Neville Palmer Shot on location in Fort Macleod.

REMEMBERING

LITTLE CHICAGO

Premier Issue

editor’s note

Publisher: Routes Media Inc. If you have picked up this premier issue of Routes magazine, I would first like to say, “Welcome.”

I would also like to tell you I’m curious about why you decided to take a look. Is it because you are a lover of magazines, drawn in by their weighty pages, inky aroma and pretty pictures? Or perhaps you recognized a featured artist or thought the title of a story sounded interesting?

Regardless of your reasons for leafing through our pages, we hope you will enjoy your visit.

This magazine is about the routes we take to reach our destinations. Whether those places are business or personal. At the same time, the magazine reflects our roots, why we live and work in southern Alberta, the way we play, why people move here and why people stay to raise their children.

Since moving to High River, I have met many creative and talented artists, photographers, designers and writers, many of whom work from their homes.

I believe it is important they have an opportunity to talk and write about the communities they live in and love. Those communities being High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Okotoks and Nanton.

contributors Sheila Sepkowski

That is why Routes magazine will always aspire to present well-written and beautifully photographed features, containing information that appeals to people of all ages, living in this unique area. Commencing with this premier issue, we look forward to many years of growth and learning, as we showcase more and more southern Alberta.

On a final note, we at Routes are concerned about many social issues, domestic violence being one. November is Family Violence Awareness month so please support shelters, families and children in need, as you enter the Christmas season (and always).

Please, enjoy this issue and share it with friends.

Managing Editor: R. J. King Art Director: Sharon Syverson

Box 5173 High River, AB T1V 1M4

Contributing Graphic Designer: Tyler Sartison

403.201.5210 farrellyhomes.com

Director, Sales and Marketing: R. J. King Printing: Sundog Printing

Sandra Wiebe

Executive Editor sandra@routesmagazine.ca

“No Job Too Big or Small ”

Routes Magazine 541 - 7 St. SW High River, AB T1V 1B7 Phone: 403-880-4784 Fax: 403-649-2729 Email: info@routesmagazine.ca Website: www.routesmagazine.ca Subscriptions 1 year: $12.99 2 years: $22.98 3 years: $32.97 1 year (USA): $19.99 (Prices do not include GST)

is a freelance writer and photographer who has written for weekly and daily newspapers across Alberta. She also enjoys being behind the camera creating portraits and landscape images. For the past ten years, she has lived in High River with her husband, two children and two dogs.

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Executive Editor: Sandra Wiebe

*Special Thank You To: Robert Bragg, Sandy Miller, Roberta King, Michelle Chivers and my husband Kevin.

Phone 403-649-8844 Fax 403-649-8845 #5 -104 - 3rd Avenue, SE, High River, Alberta, T1V 1G3 CALL US FOR ALL YOUR PROMOTIONAL NEEDS.

Routes magazine is published seasonally, four times per year. 10,000, four-colour issues are distributed through local business, Canada Post admail and subscriptions throughout High River, Okotoks, Turner Valley, Black Diamond and Nanton.

Michelle Greysen is a southern Alberta-based freelance writer whose work appears in national magazines and publications.

This past newspaper publisher now enjoys her three block commute to her unique antique store, Inktiques. She writes daily from the back office, is a knowledgeable and respected vintage and collectible book dealer and passionate about all things in the ink world.

Her unique shop office allows her to surround herself with vintage writing furnishings and funk from an era gone by while enjoying a unique writer’s lifestyle. Michelle is currently developing an inspirational work book for writers, travel guides for antique shoppers, and is working on her first fiction novel.

Sheelagh Matthews , creative person in charge at The Idea Garden, is a writer, editor and communications consultant who works and lives in Black Diamond, Alberta. When not toiling away by the light of her MacBook, she might be found at the local bakery stocking up on goodies or out walking her best friend, Bear, in the woods.

Serving The Foothills Since 1989

Reliable Service, Experience that Counts!

Lorraine Boulton

Realtor Office: (403) 601-6671 (direct line) lboulton@southernrealty.ca

RE/MAX Southern Realty (403) 652-4020 4, 28 - 12 Ave SE High River, Alberta

Phone: 403.652.3944 Fax: 403.652.3944 meg@batsheba.com www.batsheba.com 103 - 3rd Avenue W. Box 5130 High River AB T1V 1M3

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Neville Palmer developed an early taste for photography, using a simple point and shoot camera.

He then progressed into using a fully manual SLR, which enabled him to appreciate the components of light, shutter speed and aperture in the image making process.

His interest grew over the next 20 years and he became professional in 1999. Neville quickly attracted several large commercial clients in the UK, including Bayer and the Rentokil Initial Group. His work has been published in magazines, calendars and cards and has been used by music artists for CD covers. Now located in Southern Alberta, he is enjoying the challenges of photographing a different culture and lifestyle. Through his work, Neville aims to give the viewer the same experience that he felt when making the image. He has a deep understanding of image making and always tries to share his experience of the moment through his pictures.

www.buildingties.ca Entrepreneurial Support For Women

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winter 2008

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Salvaging History ...one beam at a time

Alain Dubreuil, a true scrapper – feisty, obstinate, stubborn – is the scrapheap’s messiah. He takes the slogan “reduce, reuse, recycle” far beyond what most manage, into a unique lifestyle, a successful business and a life-long career of treasure hunting.

By Michelle Greysen Photos By Neville Palmer

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“I

always salvaged. Even as a kid I was collecting copper and cleaning wire. I guess one of my first money [making] ventures was when my dad put a new bathtub in the house and I asked to have the old claw foot one.”

Age twelve at the time, Dubreuil bargained with the local scrap yard owner to buy the tub. “I made a deal with a strong kid from school in which we built a horse-like

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winter 2008

harness and one of us pulled the 200 pound tub upside down while the other pushed it on the snow for well over eight city blocks and then we split the money.”

A scrapper he is, in every sense of the word, so much so that he was the subject of National Film Board of Canada’s: Alain Dubreuil, Alchemist. Set in his previous Vancouver location, the award winning

2002 film described this eccentric, if not brilliant man, as a demolition artist with a treasure trove scrap yard, saving the disused and discarded from the wrecking ball.

Today Dubreuil spends his days reclaiming and brokering salvaged materials from the many buildings and structures he demolishes. He is living a lifestyle reflective of his over-the-top passions for reusing that which would otherwise be landfill. In an the ultimate downtown Vancouver

experience, recovered shipyard materials are made new again and displayed in ‘high brow’ restaurants and retail buildings in Vancouver’s famous, rejuvenated Yaletown. He has also turned abandoned warehouses into gallery lofts of exquisite living.

Dubreuil has salvaged over 300 houses in his thirty years on the West Coast, “... taking bricks, wood flooring, mouldings, pillars, mantels, stained glass windows, doors and hardware, even the trees were a good re-selling item, rhododendrons, Japanese maple, azaleas and more.”

In 2002, while looking for a change, Dubreuil ventured into the reclaimed timber business, settled in southern Alberta and established Chinook Salvage Ltd. The company

offers up a wide range of architectural and building items such as flooring, doors and windows, which he gingerly removes from historic buildings. His Fort Macleod shop-yard sprawls amid

salvaged. Even as “a Ikidalways I was collecting copper and cleaning wire. ”

the grounds of what remains of a World War II flight-training centre. There, he demolished two acre-sized airplane hangars - one piece of reclaimed lumber at a time.

It was only natural that Dubreuil would hunt for another unique space to create his Alberta home. Atop three side-by-side, century old buildings in downtown Fort Macleod, he discovered an abandoned wreck untouched since 1963.

After extensive restoration work in 2001, Dubreuil now enjoys over 630 sq. m (7000 sq. feet) of loftstyle living. The home features his eclectic collections of art, vintage lighting, old fireplace mantels, movie posters, radios, cloth and furniture fit for a king; including a grand bed routesmagazine.ca

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winter 2008

Understanding Infant and Baby Massage ouch is the earliest sense to T develop and the last to leave us at the end of life.

“

Do you think because it looks like this, that I am not organized?

I actually know exactly where everything is!

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”

Carlson’s on Macleod in High River Carlson’s on Macleod is located on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Macleod Trail SW in High River. It is a rare grand building; built by the federal government in the cash-strapped dirty 30’s. The building served as the main post office from 1931 to 1972, while sharing space with the RCMP during the 1940’s. In 1972 it functioned as the Town office.

It sat empty and badly neglected until 2005, when Brenda and Don Carlson bought it and began reclaiming stately space.

Along with the inspirations of salvagesavvy Alain Dubreuil, Carlson’s utilized such treasures as reclaimed fir timbers from Dubreuil’s aircraft hangers, pieces of an old iron bridge, historic granite steps, salvaged maple flooring and even a massive old door from early Quebec.

Opening in late 2006, Carlson’s on Macleod is not only a stylish loft-style living space for the couple, but home to a unique coffee house, wine bar, gallery and special events venue, featuring fine wines, great single malts and live music.

Infant massage is gaining increasing popularity as babies who are regularly massaged have been observed as becoming happy and contented children.

Research in physiological psychology indicates early social attachment has a significant, positive effect on specific brain mechanism development. One of the most important benefits of infant massage is the enhancement of bonding between caregiver and baby. This bonding is promoted by eye contact, voice sounds, smell, touch and one-toone contact.

During infant massage classes, caregivers enjoy one-to-one contact with baby and learn to read and respond to baby’s signals and cues. Caregivers also enjoy increased confidence in handling babies. Many report they feel more “tuned in” to their babies, whilst the relaxation babies experience can result in their developing regulated sleep patterns and longer, deeper sleep.

Studies of massage that focus on measuring its chemical effects, indicate a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in calming hormones. Because of its benefits, infant massage has been extended to preemie babies in neonatal units, special needs and drug-exposed infants.

Massage classes also highlight the potential harm of spending hours in car seats or other equipment that encourage babies to sit or stand before they are ready. Such equipment may be restrictive, causing stiffness in the spine, neck and hips.

A natural progression from baby massage is baby yoga, which includes passive stretching and rhythmic movements, for babies who are crawling. Baby yoga encourages muscle suppleness, strength and flexibility and enhances multi-sensory stimulation through touch, stroking, handling and constant movement.

Submitted by Adele Longland

Adele Longland is a certified instructor of infant massage and board member with the International Association of Infant Massage. She holds nursing and midwifery qualifications and a teaching qualification.

She also leads the “Massage In Schools Programme,” designed to reduce stress in young children.

Clearly for you In January 2009, the Federal Government will introduce the new Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA).

Who can open a TSFA? Any Canadian can open a Tax-Free Savings Account (TSFA) if they’ve filed a tax return and are 18 years of age or older. A TSFA lets you invest without being taxed on interest or investment earnings.

How do the contributions work?

Initially, your annual contribution room is $5,000 in a calendar year. In future years, the federal government may increase the annual amount in $500 increments to recognize the impact of inflation. Unused contribution room gets carried over to the next calendar year. There is no limit to how much contribution room can be carried forward. Unlike an RRSP, you don’t deduct your TFSA contributions from income on a tax return. However, the earned interest or growth won’t be taxed. And money you take out of your TFSA won’t affect federal income-tested benefits and credits.

Can I make withdrawals?

If you take money out of your TFSA, you do not lose the contribution room – you get it back in the following calendar year. Your contribution room for the next calendar year will increase to reflect the amount of your withdrawal.

Can I open more than one account?

While you can hold more than one TFSA across a number of financial institutions, you’ll need to be careful not to over contribute. Total contributions across all accounts can’t exceed your accumulated contribution room. Each year you’ll be assessed a 1% penalty per month on the amount you exceed your accumulated contribution room.

Can I open an account for my children or spouse?

TFSA contributions are made with aftertax dollars, so you can help your spouse or adult children in setting up their own TFSAs. The interest they earn on this gift isn’t taxable to you or them.

How can the money be invested?

Effective January 2009, you can set up your Tax-Free Savings Account in any of the following products: guaranteed savings products, segregated funds or mutual funds.

Submitted by Heather and David Meszaros CFP

Copyright 2008 Sun Life Financial. Used with permission.

Professionally Speaking

from the estate of the Earl of Egmont and a castle-size, handcrafted, timber table and chairs.

His endless dedication to salvage spills out in the overflowing layers and layers of his passionate collections, to which he jokingly adds, “Do you think because it looks like this, that I am not organized? I actually know exactly where everything is!”

Dubreuil also dedicates his talents and knowledge of structure and salvaging to historic groups, by assisting in moving and preserving many key historic buildings, not only in Fort Macleod, but province wide. Dubreuil’s expertise played a substantial role in the reclamation of High River’s historic post office (now Carlson’s on Macleod).

He is far from sitting still long enough to enjoy his efforts and vast private collections, as he currently spends every spare moment he can get tackling a century old building in Medicine Hat. This living large visionary from the past sees his long history of reclaiming and a passion for collecting as his contribution to mother-earth, but sadly he predicts, “New construction methods of today will allow no one in the future to be able to salvage anything.”

Routes Media Inc. requires a mature, experienced and highly organized advertising sales representative. A proven background in media sales (preferably print advertising) is a must. Duties include prospecting for new clients, ad agreement renewals, provision of service to existing clients, completion of sales agreements, collection of ad materials and ad proofing. This position requires a reliable vehicle, valid driver’s license and some travel. Remuneration to be discussed.

Routes Media Inc. publishes Routes Magazine, a new lifestyle magazine highlighting the towns of Black Diamond, High River, Longview, Okotoks, Nanton and Turner Valley.

Please forward resume to sales@routesmagazine.ca

DAWN CLIFF Realtor

Direct 403-601-6667 Office 403-652-4020 Fax 403-652-2392 dcliff@southernrealty.ca

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RE/MAX SOUTHERN REALTY 4, 28 - 12th Ave S.E. High River AB. T1V 1T2

Free Home Evaluations Free In-house Mortagage Broker routesmagazine.ca

winter 2008

Warm up to Winter Adventure

Anchor D Guiding and Outfitting Ltd.,located 15 kilometres west of Turner Valley from the town’s only four-way stop, offers winter hay and sleigh rides. Their teams of Belgians and Percherons can pull up to fifteen people on a wagon or sleigh, for one hour of fresh mountain air, producing rosy cheeks and lots of smiles. Also, if enough of the white stuff is on the ground, take a few trips down their “Olympic-calibre” toboggan hill and complete your day around the fire pit (wood included). The total for this outing is $200.00/hour plus GST. Phone 403.933.2867 or visit their website at www.anchord.com If horses are not your cup of tea but dogs are, why not take the family out on a dog sledding adventure?

By Sheila Sepkowski Courtesy of Anchor D

E

very winter Canadian parents take a deep breath and dive head first into their children’s activities. We drive long distances to sit shivering in cold ice rinks, endure uncomfortable bleachers or loud gymnasiums while our offspring pursue hockey, figure skating, dance or gymnastics, to name just a few. We drink gallons of coffee and consume large quantities of breakfast sandwiches to keep up. While our efforts are admirable, we tend to forget or just don’t take the time to explore the multitude of winter activities available for the entire family to enjoy. Here are just a few outdoor pursuits that can get parents out of the stands and into some winter fun with their children.

EXPLORE ALL OUR LOCAL WINTER ACTIVITIES Mad Dogs and Englishmen Expeditions from Canmore, offers dog sled tours on trails in Kananaskis Country. They include a wide range of packages from a two-hour tour ($130.00 plus GST) to a two-day adventure. Their half-day tour offers inspiring views of the Spray Valley and the majestic Rocky Mountains.

Family members also have the opportunity to drive a sled, with direction from a qualified guide. Lunch is included in this four-hour package adventure. The total cost is $235.00 to $255.00 per person, plus GST. Children 4-9 years are half price and children under 4 are no charge.

Phone 403.609.3670 or check out www.maddogsexpeditions.com For those families who want a relatively inexpensive activity, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are wonderful options.

While this can be done anywhere, Kananaskis Country offers hundreds of kilometres of trails for the active family. www.cd.gov.ab.ca/enjoying_alberta/parks/featured/kananaskis is a great website and offers loads of information on all of the provincial parks and trails in K-Country. Just click on the “things to do” tab, “recreational activities” then “winter activities”.

Of course, experiencing winter wouldn’t be complete without skating and tobogganing. High River, Okotoks, Turner Valley and Black Diamond all have outdoor rinks, which are usually free of charge and/or more accessible for public skating than indoor arenas. Also, a trip out to Sandy McNabb campground (located in Sheep River Provincial Park) is a must. Families can enjoy skating on a large, circular flooded sheet of ice surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Make sure to bring along sleds to try out on the hills nearby. Fire pits, wood and picnic tables are also provided. Despite our aversion to the cold, the list of fun things to do during winter is surprisingly long. But by taking advantage of just some of these things, we can easily go from spectators to enthusiastic participants.

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Several businesses in Calgary have inexpensive snowshoes and ski gear rentals. The University of Calgary’s Outdoor Centre, (2500 University Dr. NW) rents cross country ski packages for $17.00 for adults and $10.00 for children, per day. Snowshoes are also available for $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for kids up to 80lbs. Phone 403.220.5038 or online at www.calgaryoutdoorcentre.ca. Other places to consider for equipment are Sports Rent and Abominable Ski and Snowboard Rentals and Sales, also located in Calgary.

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Arts & Entertainment

Image by Lindsay Wolking

Image by David Hou

Image by Lindsay Wolking Courtesy of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

What’s Happening In Your Town Members’ Art Exhibition and Sale.

Culture Station.

November-December [OK] 38th Annual Art’s Alive. A Christmas fine arts and crafts sale presented by the High River Arts Society, Highwood Memorial Centre 403-652-4668. Nov 7-8 [HR] Christmas at the Millarville Market 403-931-3411. Nov 7- 9, 2008 [MV] Jenny Whiteley. A Juno award winner, singer-songwriter, with bluegrass roots.

(Beneath The Arch Concert Series) Flare and Derrick. 403-933-5811/ 403-933-7040. Nov 15, 2008 [TV]

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The Calgary Blueshounds Calgary’s hardest working blues band.

The Stop. 403-933-3002.

Nov. 16, 2008 [BD] An Evening with Jenn Beaupre, a fresh and trendy pianist with expressive vocals.

She is a songwriter who plays the piano, alto sax and harmonica. ($30) Empress Theatre. 1-800-540-9229.

Nov 21, 2008 [FM]

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Windmill Theatre Players presents Meredith Willson’s, The Music Man. The story follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band he vows to organize – this despite the fact he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall. Highwood Memorial Centre. Dinner theatre tickets: 403-652-7913.

Performance only: 403-652-2252.

Nov 20-23, 27-29, 2008 [HR] Kat Danser serves up a refreshing and original approach to roots, blues and gospel music in the 21st Century. Rotary Performing Arts Centre. 403-938-3204.

Nov 22, 2008 [OK] Old Man Leudecke. A banjo songster like Old Man Leudecke is a rare type of musician. The Stop. 403-933-3002.

Nov. 23, 2008 [BD]

Heritage Through My Hands: Christmas Festival and Craft Fair.

Native people demonstrate and display their artistic skills and products during this pre-Christmas festival. Listen to Native entertainment, dance demonstrations, kids crafting workshops, silent auction, door prizes and special presentations all day long! (Free) Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. 403-553-2731.

Nov 29, 2008 [FM] The Bow Djangos. The hottest gypsy swing music. The Stop. 403-933-3002.

Nov. 29, 2008 [BD] Diamond Valley Christmas Concert.

Annual charity fundraiser featuring outstanding local musicians. Oilfields High School. 403-933-3951.

Dec 1-2, 2008 [BD] Annual Children’s Breakfast with Santa. Pancakes, goodies and a visit with Santa. Guests (10 and under please) PRE-REGISTER by Nov 29. Royal Canadian Legion. 403-933-4564.

Dec 6, 2008 [TV]

Keri Lynn Zwicker encompasses the role of orchestral harpist, ethnomusicologist, chamber musician, Celtic singer, cowgirl harpist and street performer.

Rotary Performing Arts Centre.

403-938-3204.

Dec 6, 2008 [OK] Okotoks New Years Family Party. Fireworks and family activities. 403-938-8950.

Dec 31, 2008 [OK] Kat Danser serves up a refreshing and original approach to roots, blues and gospel music. Highwood Memorial Centre.

403-652-4668.

January 4, 2009 [HR] Canadian Brass Quintet. ($27) Empress Theatre.

1-800-540-9229.

Jan 14-15, 2009 [FM]

Bottom Line Duo. Best described as light humour with serious music, this husband and wife team combine the warm sonority of the double bass with the soaring melodic beauty of the cello. For all ages. Heritage Inn. 403-652-4668.

Feb 12, 2009. [HR]

TO ADVERTISE CALL: ph 403.649.2727 fax 403.649.2729 sales@routesmagazine.ca www.routesmagazine.ca

Ballet Jörgen Canada is recognized for ballets that combine innovation warmth, humour and beauty. Ballet Jörgen Canada is the only Canadian ballet company with an entire repertoire of original works. The company performs classic stories across the country, bringing the beauty and enchantment of classical ballet to communities large and small. ($35) Highwood Memorial Centre.

403-652-4668.

Feb 18, 2009 [HR]

Fashion Redbag Redbag RedbagRedba b r Creative

Scott Nolan & Gurf Morlix.

Scott is a rockin’ singersongwriter from Winnipeg and Gurf is an acclaimed guitarist who toured with Lucinda Williams, for more than a decade. (Beneath The Arch Concert Series) Flare and Derrick.

403-933-5811/403-933-7040.

Feb 21, 2009 [TV]

Keybrass Ensemble. Three of Canada’s finest chamber musicians. (Beneath The Arch Concert Series) Flare and [BD] Black Diamond, [FM] Fort Macleod Derrick. 403-933-5811/ [HR] High River, [MV] Millarville 403-933-7040.

[OK] Okotoks, [TV] Turner Valley Jan 24, 2009 [TV] Visit www.routesmagazine.ca for more upcoming events.

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415 1st SW High River’s downtown next to the Wales theatre.

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Wooden bracelets $30 each Red Bag 415 – 1 St. SW, High River 403-652-3008

wishlist

Shopping

High StyleSmall Town Shopping

Unisex leather Island Nashville belt $90 Pekisko Trading Company

Bread bag by Stelton $40 Rarified 21 North Railway Street, Okotoks 403-939-4042 Fish in a bag by Brian Kelk $300 Terra Cotta Gallery & Framing 110 Centre Ave. W, Black Diamond 403-933-5047

Candles $8 - $20 Bat Sheba Gifts 103 3 Ave. W, High River 403-652-3944

Vacuum jugs (1litre) by Stelton Plastic $95, Stainless steel $180.00 each Rarified

Paper light shade $5 Red Bag

Unique & Stylish finds to add to your Christmas List!

Children’s mitts by Columbia $19.99 Pekisko Trading Company

Nine West handbag $115 Pekisko Trading Company Emile Henry Burgundy Clay ovenware $79.99 A Touch of Italy 94 Elma Street, Okotoks 403-938-0488

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Children’s winter boots by Columbia $90 Pekisko Trading Company 118 3 Ave SW, High River 403-652-4545 routesmagazine.ca

winter 2008

Hoodie by Junk $60.00 Red Bag

Kaleidoscope by John Cooper $160 Terra Cotta Gallery & Framing

Steel desk clocks by Bob Pike 6” $120 – 8” $180 Pike Studios 70 9 Ave. SE, High River 403-652-5255 routesmagazine.ca

winter 2008

By Sheelagh Matthews

WHEN THE STAGE LIGHTS GO UP ON THE SIGNATURE “MONTANA PINCH” HATS, WORN BY DAVID WILKIE AND DENISE WITHNELL, IT’S A SIGNAL FOR THE WAITING AUDIENCE TO HOLD ONTO THEIRS. AYE, IN OTHER WORDS, BRACE YOURSELVES, YOU’RE IN FOR A WEE WILD RIDE! First, perhaps, with a flute whistling a lilting air. Then an ancient undercurrent of an Irish drum offsets a round of scrappy harp plucking. A gentle guitar fills out the rhythm end while the high, sweet notes of a mandolin add a bit of sparkle. Finally, a single voice then three, rise in unison and the band is in full form.

After just a few bars, you are hurled into a new foot tapping, song-singing, tear-dabbing world of boisterous jigs, frenzied reels, romantic waltzes, lonely campfire songs and mournful ballads.

More than just a band, Cowboy Celtic is a new musical genre discovered and developed by Turner Valley’s own David Wilkie. Now in its thirteenth year of making music through history, Cowboy Celtic has an international following. With fans and musicians on both sides of the Atlantic taking up Wilkie’s trail, there’s no doubt Cowboy Celtic is here to stay.

Wilkie first noticed the Celtic connection to cowboy music in 1985 at the first cowboy poetry gathering at Elko, Nevada. There, one of the cowboys started singing the much-loved Scottish song: Annie Laurie. A couple years later Wilkie noticed different lyrics being sung to familiar cowboy melodies while on his first trip to Ireland. The unexpected cultural journey, that eventually led to the creation of Cowboy Celtic, had officially begun.

The sounds of Cowboy Celtic harken back to cattle drives days that stretched across the great plains of North America or along the ancient drovers’ roads in Scotland’s bonnie Highlands. Today, audiences are transported to what Wilkie fondly calls “The Cow-Celt Cosmos,” an ethereal place where Celtic rhythms marry stories of life on the range in the Old West.

Similarities between the two different worlds—the Old West and the Olde Country—while remarkable, shouldn’t be

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too surprising, according to Wilkie. With a grin about as wide as the brim of his cowboy hat, Wilkie shares the secrets of his years of research.

The West was settled by the big ranching barons of Scotland. When the Irish and Scots settled in North America, they brought their cattle culture with them.

That’s how the Celtic musical style made its way into cowboy culture in North America.

Cowboy Celtic brings attitude and artistry to this new musical style. There’s Denise Withnell on guitar and lead vocals, Keri Zwicker on Celtic harp and vocals, Joseph Hertz on fiddle, and occasional members Tami Cooper on flute and vocals and Nathan McCavana on bodhran (Irish drum). Founder, David Wilkie, plays mandolin, guitar and vocals.

Withnell, who grew up on a farm near Wainwright, Alberta, and is currently working on a solo recording. Zwicker, from Edmonton, has a Master of Arts degree in music and teaches harp at Alberta College’s Conservatory of Music.

Hertz, from Nanton, has over 20 years of fiddle playing under his chin. McCavana,

who carries the beat and was a champion Irish dancer in his younger days, plays with major Celtic bands when they tour Calgary. Cooper lives in Edmonton where she teaches a flurry of flute students.

Attending gatherings from Dollywood to Denver, Cowboy Celtic is well-traveled.

They have often played at the annual national cowboy poetry gathering in Elko, Nevada, Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch, Michael Martin Murphey’s Colorado Westfests, and even the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. They toured Scotland three times and perform with symphony orchestras including the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony of the Kootenays (Cranbrook) and the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra.

Each year the band throws a Cowboy Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee, meaning party) for their hometown audience in Turner Valley. Plans for 2009 include a new CD release as well as touring Alberta, Texas, Mississippi, and Scotland. Cowboy Celtic will also be at Elko’s 25th anniversary in January 2009.

For more information and future concert dates visit www.cowboyceltic.com

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winter 2008

Alberta’s Fall

BRAISED BISON SHOULDER

food

Bounty all grown up

By Darren Nixon Chef & Owner of Divine Restaurant Okotoks, Alberta

“

This recipe allows me some comfort during our cooler months. If this is what winter has to offer, I can wait it out until spring.

2 - kg of bison shoulder (cut and tied in pieces the shape of tenderloins) 30 ml canola oil Salt and pepper 1 L rich veal or beef stock 1 – 750 ml bottle of dry red wine 30 ml liquid honey 250 ml frozen Saskatoon berries 15 ml dried or fresh thyme Salt and pepper 30ml cold butter

Method Coat bison shoulder with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy pan over high heat, sear bison on all sides until evenly browned. Place in a deep oven-proof dish that is just big enough to hold the meat. Deglaze searing pan with red wine to remove any caramelized bits that may have stuck to it and add deglazing liquid to bison. Add stock, honey, berries, thyme, salt and pepper. Meat should be ¾ submersed in liquid. Cover with tin foil/lid and place in 350 F oven for 4 hours. Meat will be tender when pierced with a fork. Take bison out of jus (braising liquid) and cover with foil. In a saucepan, simmer braising liquid until reduced by half, skimming if necessary and adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and swirl in butter. Slice meat and serve over your favourite creamy mashed potatoes.

Spoon jus over and enjoy! Serves: 6 people. *variation - substitute beef shoulder for bison

routesmagazine.ca

y now we have bid a sad farewell to some of our summer luxuries such as tomatoes, lettuce, B.C fruit and such. My parents took their gardening seriously. As a child, I remember making a family trip to the plot of land that my mother rented to grow vegetables for winter. We would weed, rototill, and when the time was right we would pick beans, peas and raspberries or dig potatoes and onions. It was a pretty solid effort on everybody’s part, but I wouldn’t necessarily have considered it fun - more hot, dusty and boring. I will admit though, the end result was always a positive one. A day with the family brought us together over mom’s memorable garden fresh meal. Creamed freshly shucked peas, steamed new silky potatoes tossed with butter, finishing with my wife’s dessert favourite – tender red raspberries over ice cream. These are some of the things I daydream about as we approach our winter months.

Luckily there are ingredients that produce late in the season and hold well for a good part of the winter months.

My mother had a cold room full of onions, potatoes and squash as well as canned vegetables, jams and jellies of all types. With this in store, the winter months never seemed as intimidating.

This was my experience as a child growing up. As a grown man with a family and busy restaurant, I have no time to tend a garden but I would love to introduce my children to the family garden experience. Put that on my list of things to do. However, I do have a great network of local suppliers producing all kinds of meat, fruit and vegetables as well as honey, cold pressed canola oil and dairy and cheese products. For these relationships I am very thankful.

My sous-chef and I had an opportunity to be invited on a chef’s tour, to visit firsthand, a number of these farms. We are keen on knowledge that helps us better know the origin of the food

Image by Phillip Jones

we eat. I also love to be able to give my customers the story behind the food we serve. I know this isn’t quite as romantic as my childhood family harvest of the garden; but it’s the next best thing. It is a bounty now accessible to all at local farmers’ markets.

I love that theory of working with what is seasonally available. A theory I practice as a dad at home with my children and as a professional in the restaurant: what can I create with what I have?

Image by Phillip Jones

Braised Bison Shoulder in a Saskatoon Red Wine Jus

20

”

A favourite year-round dish on my menu, which debuted about five years ago, features a shoulder of local bison, gently braised for four to five hours in a red wine and Saskatoon jus served, over creamy mashed potatoes with seasonal vegetables. The meat is fork tender and the end result is intensely rich and satisfying to eat.

B

Bringing Families Together over Garden-Fresh Meals

winter 2008

Look no further than the Best of New Orleans Restaurant, to find flavourful, unique meals, including real alligator bites and crawfish cakes. You’ll also find homemade andouille sausage and catfish etouffee. French trained, Tim Kierstead uses his extensive culinary and consulting backgrounds to present his flavours of New Orleans, revealing his passion for cooking in a presentation he calls “Cajun Creole with a French influence.” Live jazz and blues music on weekends add an authentic flair of Louisiana style to your dining experience. The Best of New Orleans is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, as well as Sundays for champagne brunch. You can choose breakfast your style or explore one of the specialty dishes, such as Southern French Toast, Pecan Praline Grill Cakes or a Mardi Gras Omelette. Lunch ranges from Po-Boy sandwiches starting at 10.99, to entrees from $12.00 to $16.99. Dinner entrees run from $15.99 to $29.50. Reservations recommended.

9 Elizabeth Street, Okotoks. Phone: 403-982-8400

Louisiana Flavourings

Two Chefs, Two Styles, Two Great New Options For Dining After 24 years in the food industry, chef Kevin Pomeroy and wife Marilyn Bremner, recently opened High River’s Cast Iron Grill. Pomeroy calls his style, “Canadian bistro with a rustic prairie cuisine,” and uses fresh local ingredients to create such homemade favourites as Perogies, served with Kolbasa. One of Pomeroy’s house specialties is fashioned after his grandmother’s recipe, which he calls “Baba-style” chicken noodle soup. Smoked meats and wild game round out the menu which changes daily, based on the availability of the fresh ingredients. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

On Sundays, Pomeroy also serves up home-style dinners for four at less than $60 (including drinks and desserts). Pomeroy remains patriotically Canadian, as seen in his all Canadian wine and beer list. This completely renovated, cozy and rustic space also hosts corporate get-togethers. Meetings may also be held in a separate section with wireless internet and a projection wall. Lunch entrees range from $13 - $17 and dinner entrees from $17 - $32. 240 Macleod Trail, High River. Phone: 403-652-1288

Home Style Bistro

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winter 2008

Detours

A Premium location in High River’s Newest Master Planned Community, Montrose.

1400-1500 sq. ft. Townhomes from $299,915!

When drilling slowed down in the 1940s, people began to move away and businesses closed down. By1947 families packed up and rushed north to take part in the Leduc oil boom.

Little Chicago slowly disappeared.

Concerned that their beloved town would be forgotten, a group of former Little Chicago residents decided to build a monument. In 2004 their dream was realized. If you visit the site today, you will see the result of their hard work, and learn about this once-thriving town, an important part of Alberta’s oil and gas history.

When staff at the Museum of the Highwood heard the wonderful stories from former Little Chicago residents, they decided to take the memories one step further and created an exhibit.

D 22

riving through the vast and picturesque rolling hills north of Longview along Highway 22, one could never imagine a once bustling oil town on both sides of the road. It began in 1936 when the Royalties well “blew in.” This was the Great Depression, people desperate for work, flocked to the site. Skid shacks were built, businesses were established, and Little Chicago was born. Packed into just over two square miles, the town grew and developed around more than 20 oil and gas wells.

No one knows exactly how Little Chicago got its name. Some say the

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winter 2008

proprietor of the first general store charged exhorbitant prices and was nicknamed “Little Al Capone.”

However, mail addressed to and from Little Chicago was mistaken for Chicago, Illinois, so the town was renamed Royalties in 1937.

Living by the wells had its benefits as well as its dangers. Gas, cheap and easy to access heated homes - even outhouses! But pressure was difficult to control and a lit cigarette or ignited stove could easily cause a fire or small explosion.

Despite the dangers, people who grew up in Little Chicago have very happy memories of their lives there.

Our Standard is Extraordinary Please visit the monument or the museum. Call (403) 652-7156 for more information

A fantastic home doesn’t have to be unaffordable.

Homes at the Murals are built solidly, top to bottom, using the finest quality materials, and finished with interior touches that are simply superb.

- A short 20 minute drive from Calgary - Fully landscaped yards & pathways - Walk-out homes available - Environmentally conscious design

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There are many forms of abuse including physical, sexual abuse and exploitation, emotional abuse, Abuse and violence in an intimate relationship do not happen “just once.” Abuse happens economic or financial abuse spiritual abuse. Abuse can harm one’s physical andand mental health, over months and years.

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24 HOUR CRISIS LINE 403-933-3370 Shelter Information & Inquiries Phone: 403-933-3370 Fax: 403-933-3307 Email: rowanhouse@xplornet.com

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