37 18 CULTURE & HISTORY
Sports & Recreation
13 Love stories History project records Okotoks early years
27 Crosstown rivals Knights and Falcons battle for high school football supremacy
Feature 14 Wish granted Community helps raise money for Okotoks Wish Walk
Community 18 Okotoks to the rescue Flood response shows community spirit
People
22
homes 33 Home sweet Okotoks Excel Homes building exclusively-styled homes in MountainView
Sustainability 37 Birds of a feather Make your backyard a mini-ecosystem, with help of songbirds
Ties that bind Jackie Miller celebrates life in Okotoks Cover photography by Don Molyneaux
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contents fa l l 2 0 1 3
14
27
33
You Said It … 46 What is the most generous thing someone’s ever done for you?
ITEMS 8 Editor’s Message 10 Town of Okotoks Message 39 Events 44 Map @OkotoksLiving OkotoksLiving
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editor’s note
Helping hands Okotoks’ community spirit has always been strong. PUBLISHER |
You can see it in the number of people who volunteer at annual events like the
Source Media Group
info@sourcemediagroup.ca
Foothills Highland Games, the Spirit of Okotoks weekend, or the Okotoks Pro Rodeo.
Jim Zang
A ss o c iate P U B L I S H E R |
Generous outpourings of support seem to be in this community’s DNA. Helping others
jim.zang@sourcemediagroup.ca
is just what we do, whether they’re down the block, across town, in High River, Black
E D I T Or |
Diamond or Canmore, because, we’re all connected.
Jessica Patterson
jessica.patterson@sourcemediagroup.ca
Helping people is second nature to our cover girl, Jackie Miller. A retired nurse, 4H
A rt dire c t o r |
riding instructor, and president of the Okotoks Agricultural Society, Miller wouldn’t
Jean Faye Rodriguez
jean.rodriguez@sourcemediagroup.ca
think twice if someone needed something. She’s also a
g raphi c desi g n ers
lynchpin of support, volunteering her time for various
Lama Azhari lama.azhari@sourcemediagroup.ca
groups in town. Read more about her on page 22.
Dave Macaulay
In this issue, our stories explore the ties that bind us all.
dave.macaulay@sourcemediagroup.ca
The connections made at the Okotoks Elks Hall a century
Megan Sereda
ago, at those Saturday dances, led to lasting relationships
megan.sereda@sourcemediagroup.ca
for many Okotokians. Writer Kelsey Gilchrist looks at love
pr o du c ti o n c o - o rdi n at o r |
Colleen Leier
colleen.leier@sourcemediagroup.ca
stories over the years, on page 13. Support can come in many shapes and forms, as we found
A d v ertisi n g S A L E S |
Janice Skelton-White
janice.skelton-white@sourcemediagroup.ca
out. As did the Okotoks Wish Walk folks last year, when the
A CCO U N T I NG | Donna
community came out to help aid their cause. Read more
Roberts
accounting@sourcemediagroup.ca
about that unexpected outpouring of support on page 14.
EDITORIAL
The ties that bind also buoy us. In Okotoks, everyone is connected to someone
Aaliya Essa, Kelsey Gilchrist, Stephen W. Smith
else, and that really helped when recent flooding affected the town and devasted neighbouring communities. Our community story, on page 18, looks into how
P H O T OG R A P H Y
Lana Armitage, Allen Gimblett, Don Molyneaux, Jessica Patterson,
Okotokians helped out. Rounding out this issue, we explore upcoming events and cheer on the local football teams as they battle it out on the field. Writer Stephen Smith tackles high school
T o w n o f O k o t o k s L iais o n
Shane Olson
football with the HTA Knights and the Comp’s Falcons on page 27. Our Homes feature looks into The Raleigh in MountainView, an exclusive home model
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for that community with definite perks. And after you’re done perusing the pages of that feature, flip to our sustainability story and learn how to create a small bird-friendly
Media Classified, Town of Okotoks, Okotoks Welcome Wagon, Source Media Group, Wall2Wall
ecosystem in your backyard. Get out there and enjoy the sunshine before the snow flies, Okotoks.
P R I N T E D I N C A N A DA
Copyright 2013 by Source Media Group Corp. Material cannot be reprinted in whole or in part without the expressed written permission of the publishers.
Jessica Patterson, Editor jessica.patterson@sourcemediagroup.ca
Okotoks Living™ is published four times per annum and is available free through select distribution points in Calgary and Okotoks. Source Media Group agrees to advertise on behalf of the advertiser without responsibility for claims or misinformation made by the advertiser and acts only as an advertising medium. Source Media Group reserves the right to refuse any advertising at its sole discretion. Okotoks Living™ accepts editorial submissions and letters to the editor by electronic mail only. Please forward any submissions, including your full name, phone number and return email address, to okotoks.editor@ sourcemediagroup.ca C o n ta c t :
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mayor’s message
Message from Mayor and Town Council
O
n behalf of Town Council, I would like to remind residents that the municipal election is coming up and it is important for you to vote. By voting, you are not only exercising your democratic right, but you are also ensuring your support for those candidates who share
your vision for your community and neighbourhood. Remember that the Town provides the day-to-day services you count on — from fire and police services, to clean water and parks, to recreation and public libraries. Voting for a candidate for Mayor and Councillor means that you are helping to set the future direction of the Town of Okotoks. It’s your future...vote! Election Day is Monday October 21, 2013 from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. This year there are two polling stations: North of the river at the Okotoks Recreation Centre (99 Okotoks Drive) and south of the river at the Foothills Centennial Centre (4, 204 Community Way). For more election details, please visit the Town website at www.okotoks.ca. As summer comes to a close, there are many fall activities to look forward to in our community such as the first annual Tour of Alberta pro-cycling event at Seaman Stadium on September 8, Alberta Culture Days from September 27 – 29 and HarvestFest on September
Councillors Stephen Clark, Laurie Hodson, Ray Watrin, Mayor Bill Robertson (seated), Councillors Matt Rockley, Florence Christophers and Edward Sands.
28 which take place in downtown Okotoks. We encourage you to take part and have fun! For more information, check out the events page of this publication or our website events calendar. As you enjoy this magazine, get inspired by Okotoks and embrace all that Town Council and Administration strive for in making this progressive, fulfilling community a remarkable place to live, work, and play.
Become a fan of Town of Okotoks Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/ town_of_okotoks
Mayor WM. (Bill) Robertson On behalf of Town Council
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history By Kelsey Gilchrist
Love stories
History project records Okotoks early years
There must have been something in the music. In Okotoks, in the roaring ‘20s, the most common way for couples to meet was at the weekly dances at the Elk’s Hall. “In Okotoks, there was the Saturday night dance, which went on for decades, and that was a way for the community again to come together and take a break from the work week or farming. It was a way to let loose and have fun one night of the week,” says Kathy Coutts, Museum Specialist at the Okotoks Museum and Archives. “And, it was a way for young men and young women to meet.” It was at one of these dances that Betty Sparrow met her husband. Sparrow was one of 22 Okotoks residents in their eighties and nineties who participated in an oral history project conducted by the Okotoks Museum and Archives and the Okotoks and District Historical Society from 2002 to 2004, with the goal of capturing a snapshot of Okotoks in the first half of the twentieth century through first hand stories from residents. “They always had a Saturday night dance here, with the High Hatters orchestra. I think that’s how most kids met one another, was at a dance,” Sparrow explained in an interview for the project. Coutts says that all of the young people in town attended the dances every week. “I would imagine that the older generation was there but maybe left early,” she adds with a laugh. “But, there was always a live orchestra. It was a band that would consist of a piano, a guitar, and maybe a fiddle.”
Like other small Southern Alberta towns, everybody knew everybody in Okotoks.
Okotoks also had a club called the “Okotoks Country Club,” which hosted a variety of social gatherings including box socials, picnics and dances. The club was affectionately nicknamed the “Cupid Club” because so many romances started at their functions. The club began in 1915 and folded in 1961-62. Like other small Southern Alberta towns, everyone knew everyone in Okotoks, “Okotoks was about 500 people for the longest time in the early part of the last century,” says Coutts. “It really didn’t grow much until the 1950s.” Sparrow’s daughter Lynda Vang pointed out that no one met for the first time at these dances. “You just knew everybody. It’s never a matter of meeting people, you just always knew they were there.” Tillotson’s sister, Ruby Cole, said in her interview that she could not remember not knowing the man who eventually became her husband. “I knew Harold all my life. I was 11-months-old when they came to live beside us as neighbours on the farm,” she says. Though, if people needed to be introduced, there was always the calling card. In the days before eHarmony, the calling card was the way to go. In the 1890s, a young man could not simply ask a girl on a date. He had to visit her and present his calling card. “Calling cards are like the predecessor of business cards,” Coutts says. “A gentleman would present his card and then the mom or dad would go ask if the girl would like to receive him as a visitor.” OL
The Okotoks Elks Hall, 1929
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feature Story by Jessica Patterson Photos by Lana Armitage
Wish granted
Community helps raise money for Okotoks Wish Walk Next month, hundreds of feet will be pounding the pavement along Okotoks’ river pathways for a special cause — the Okotoks Wishmaker Walk. The event was the brainchild of Christine Killam, who was inspired to give back after her seven-year-old son Bennett received a wish. “We wanted to give back for what he might get one day,” she says, adding that she wanted to help other families whose children have life-threatening illnesses. The Okotoks Wish Walk came together last year, with the help of a group of volunteers who thought the Children’s Wish Foundation was an important charity to raise awareness for and support financially. Before they knew it, there were 22 people working on the 2012 event.
Over six weeks, the group promoted the event in the paper, and Killam did a couple of interviews on the radio. They set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page. Killam’s family story was told in a video on the Okotoks Wish Walk website. “It was important to have a face and a story people could connect to,” Killam says. Killam’s son Bennett and her daughter Maeve both have dyskeratosis congenita, a rare multi-system genetic disease that attacks the skin, bone marrow, blood, and other parts of the body, and causes premature aging. Bennett was given a wish a couple of years ago. He hasn’t decided what he wants to do yet, his mother says. “He wanted to meet Robert Munsch and write a book with him, but then he decided he’d rather go to Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. He has an extended hospital stay coming up, so it’ll be a good reward and a good thing to focus on.” Bennett also wanted to go to space. “When we told Christine that option was actually available, for $1 million,” says Cory Rockley, marketing and communications co-ordinator for the Okotoks Wish Walk committee, laughing, “she said, ‘that’s not an option,’ and I said, ‘I’m sure we can raise that much money.’”
“It felt like a family had come together to celebrate. A family of 900 people.” 14 O koto ks Livi n g fall 20 13
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feature
Okotokians also connected to the Okotoks Wish Walk ambassador families, who represented themselves and shared their stories. “Their job was to be at the walk, last year, and share their story at the walk,” Killam explains. “Ambassador family Sara Nowak and her son Chance led the walk with a big banner. They’d just gotten back from their wish, at Disney World in Florida, when the walk happened.” Wishes can be anything, Killam says. “There are kids who want a bedroom redecoration,” she says. “There are lots of Disneyland wishes. There are kids who want to take a trip to Ontario to visit their grandparents, meet a celebrity or get a camper to spend more time with their families.” Wishes help families get through tough times, help kids pull through situations they’re in, and give them a bright spot to look forward to. The idea for the 2012 event was to have 100 people involved in the walk, and raise about $500. It was a time for familes to come out, enjoy being with each other, and support others going through tough times. Instead, they raised $80,000 and 900 people showed up for the walk last year. The outpouring of support the event received from the community stunned Killam and Rockley.
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“I don’t think we knew they were rallying around us, until they all showed up,” Killam says. “We were in shock the whole day. We didn’t have enough space to register all of them.” The day was magical, she says. “It felt like a family had come together to celebrate,” she says. “A family of 900 people.” The event gave residents, who’ve had wishes granted, an opportunity to share their stories. “We were surprised at how many kids in the area had received or been given the opportunity for a wish,” Rockley says. “I think there were 10 at the time, and that was just last year.” This year, the Okotoks Wishmaker Walk for Wishes is October 19, 2013. “This year, we’re focusing on community,” Rockley says. The Wishmaker Walk is the largest fundraising event for The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. Each year, hundreds of walks are held across the country to help support wishes in their communities. OL
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Great gardens begin at Countryside!
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community By Jessica Patterson
Okotoks to the rescue
Flood response shows community spirit
In June, flooding of epic proportions flowed through the foothills, Okotoks and surrounding communities. The aftermath was devastating and it took months before anything Courtesy Town of Okotoks was near to normal again. For Okotoks businesses, some of whom experienced the event first hand, the rising waters were surreal. “It was almost like a movie, it just didn’t seem real,” says Cheryl Actemichuk, president of the Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce. Actemichuk is the manager of member services at First Calgary Financial and was evacuated from the bank’s Southridge Drive location with other employees June 20. The following day, Actemichuk sprang into action. “I wrote a letter to our Chamber membership, telling them High River needed us, the whole community needed us, and outlined to business owners what was happening in High River, based on what I’d seen in the news and based on my connection to the president of the Chamber in High River,” Actemichuk says. She co-ordinated with Andrew Gustafson, owner of Natural High Fitness, about immediate needs for evacuees, as he’d been asked to help manage the reception centre at the Recreation Centre. “I asked him if there were any immediate needs, to let us know and we’d put the word out,” she says. At the beginning, many Okotokians wanted to help out, donate or offer rooms and food to the displaced residents. Instead, the Town compiled a list of who had what. “Over the course of the next couple of weeks, as things became needed in the reception centre, we had a list of people we could call on, to bring those things in to us,” Gustafson says. “If there wasn’t anyone on the list with that specific item, we went out into the community.” Gustafson says his role was in procurement. “If they needed something, we went out and found it,” he says. “It got us out in the community and we got to talk with a lot of people.” 18 O koto ks Livi n g fall 20 13
In the days that followed, a bakery in Calgary brought a semi-truck load full of bread and asked where it was needed. The Okotoks Rotary Club heard there was a need for blankets and pillows at the reception centre in Blackie, and within a couple of hours, president Sandi Kennedy had a garage full. Often, all it took was a single phone call, Gustafson says. When the reception centre needed soap, shampoo, shaving cream and other toiletries, it was provided in 40 minutes by the case. “They said, we need sweaters, and within an hour we had 100 sweaters,” Gustafson says. Through a network, including but not limited to the Okotoks Chamber of Commerce, the gym membership, Rotary and the Okotoks ACE network, Gustafson says the reception centre was provided for. “It’s not just because I’m connected, it’s because I’m connected to a few people who are connected to a few people, who are connected to a few people,” he
Courtesy Town of Okotoks SOU RCE M E DIA G ROU P: CE LE B RATI NG ITS 1 0TH YEAR
community
Photo by Jessica Patterson Photo courtesy Helen Gaudry
“Okotoks is a close-knit community, it’s a small town at heart. People were willing to drop what they were doing for an hour and help us find some stuff.” says. “Okotoks is a close-knit community, it’s a small town at heart. People were willing to drop what they were doing for an hour and help us find some stuff.” Each one of the calls for supplies at the reception centre didn’t take much time, and Gustafson played a small role, like many others, in seeing that things were accomplished. “The Town of Okotoks reacted to situations very quickly and very calmly, they did such a good job in taking care of those people,” he says. “If we were able to play a small role in that, we’re happy to have done so and proud we could.” At First Calgary, Actemichuk decided to make the branch a drop-off spot for food donations, as the food bank had been flooded. “People just started coming here in droves, dropping things off,” she says. “It was crazy, the amount of things that went out of this branch.” Business owners in Okotoks and all over the foothills helped out in various ways. The Okotoks Chamber of Commerce got phone calls from contractors, asking how they could help the business and surrounding community. “Stu McCormick, the vice president of D’Arcy Ranch came down to see me,” Actemichuk says. “He sat in my office with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘we want to make this donation for High River and Black Diamond.’ He gave me a cheque for $50,000.” Okotoks answered the call and rallied to help, wherever they could. Teams of people from different Okotoks businesses volunteered their time to clean up in High River. “We’d come in here in the morning to gather the troops, clean SOU RCE M E DIA G ROU P: CE LE B RATI NG ITS 1 0TH YEAR
Bev and Dean Carlson, Terri, Bill Richard and Ryan Cole, Laurel and Matt Scharian, Wendy Temple, Janet Graham, Christine Johnson and her friend Mark. Courtesy Cathy Huth
and pumped up and wanting to help,” Actemichuk says. “They’d come back after nine hours, filthy, exhausted, tired and emotionally spent. But after witnessing the devastation everyone was determined to send more people. And while they were tired, they wanted to get back out there, send more people and organize again.” Countless others cooked and made meals, provided emotional support, and space for friends and families evacuated by the flood waters. “I think there’s so many people, hardly anyone that hasn’t been there or helped out in some way,” Actemichuk says. “Regardless of where we live, colour of our skin or religion we choose, we all have five litres of blood running through us and a heartbeat. I think that in itself, knowing that people have lost their homes, their businesses, their livelihoods, I think that’s what drives people to want to help.” She says, as Albertans, people genuinely care about their neighbours, wanting them to be happy, healthy and well. “The community needs us, is depending on us, whatever we can do.” OL fall 20 13 o koto ks Livi n g 19
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people Story by Jessica Patterson Photos by Don Molyneaux
Ties that bind Jackie Miller celebrates life in Okotoks
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people
T
o her friends, Jackie Miller is Wonder Woman, but to her family, she’s just Mom. Miller, 59, grew up in Smithers, BC, the daughter of the town’s doctor and nurse. The isolated town, 350 miles from Prince George, where everyone looked out for one another, was the perfect playground for Miller, who loved to be outside. Growing up with parents in professions where they helped people had a big impact on Jackie. “We always had a stray at our house,” Jackie explains. “My dad brought home a World War I vet to stay with us while he recouped. It was before Medicare and he had no family. He died at our place 14 years later. He was just like a grandfather to us.” Jackie’s husband, Ervie, has been the love of her life for the last 36 years, and even before then. Ervie was Jackie’s first boyfriend, at the age of 16. He’d come out to Smithers to play on the junior B hockey team. A while later, they parted ways, but that wasn’t to be the end. “I was at the Vancouver General School of Nursing when one of my friends dropped out to get married and went back home to Grand Forks for the wedding,” Jackie explains. “I went to Grand Forks to be her bridesmaid. One night, we were out having a drink, and I looked over and there’s Ervie. I couldn’t believe it.” Jackie moved to Okotoks in 1976, when she was 22. “There were 1,100 people in Okotoks when I came,” she says. “And when I married the local boy, everyone knew who I was, so everyone said hello to me.” The rest, as they say, is history. Thirty-six years of marriage, three kids, three dogs, 18 horses and numerous other animals have made the Miller ranch Jackie’s home, just north of Okotoks. Okotoks has changed over the decades, Miller says. “It’s very much a small town without a lot of rural connection, anymore. When my kids were in high school, they were the only farm kids in the classroom.”
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people
A Back row, L – R: Tate, Tannis, Doug, Chance, Robert and Krista. Front row, L – R: Lynsey, Jackie, Nacho, Ervie, Hayley and Ryan. B Jackie, Nacho and her mares. C Jackie, Ervie and Nacho. D L to R: Doug, 10, Ervie, Robert, 14, Lynsey, 6 and Jackie. E
Jackie and her granddaughter Hayley saddle up Chess.
F & G Jackie and Ervie.
A Jackie’s children are the seventh generation of Millers to be born in Okotoks. The eldest is Robert, 35, who runs Miller Supply and hauls bulk oil all over Southern Alberta. Robert married Krista, and they have two kids, Hayley, 8, and Ryan, 6. Jackie’s middle son Doug, 31, is a rancher. His wife is Tannis, and they have a little boy, Tate, 19 months. Her youngest is Lynsey, 26, an equine dentist who lives just south of the homeplace with her husband Chance, a working cow horse trainer. “She was married a year ago, in our yard,” Jackie says. “The rural lifestyle is huge because our kids did contribute to our farm,” Jackie says. “They had chores every day they had to do before they got to play. I think that instills a work ethic and a sense of responsibility.” Jackie retired from her part-time job as a nurse at the High River hospital about two years ago. Since then, her other
“I like helping people and passing on a little of what I’ve learned.”
volunteer responsibilities have taken up the slack. “Jackie is a very hard-working individual, who doesn’t ever seem to stop, she just keeps on going. She works non-stop for her family and for her community,” says friend Bev MacMillan, who has known Jackie for eight years. Jackie is the Okotoks Outriders 4H riding coach, and has been teaching kids to ride for the last 26 years. “I like helping people and passing on a little of what I’ve learned,” she says. “I love teaching kids to ride, kids are awesome.” Every year, there are 23 kids in the Okotoks Outriders 4H club. Jackie not only teaches them how to ride, but also horse ground manners and how to be safe around horses. “All of them would be excellent riders,” MacMillan says. “Jackie inspires them to do their best. If they are scared of something, she has a really good way of bringing children out of that and encouraging them beyond the problem.”
B
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C
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people
“If you can help, you do. You don’t make a big deal about it, help always starts with your family and your neighbours.” And if a child’s horse is lame, Jackie doesn’t hesitate to load up and bring one of her own. She also spends her Wednesday mornings teaching a groups of ladies, called Bailey’s group, to ride. “We have a lot of fun. It’s a social group with horses in common,” she jokes. Jackie has also volunteered with the Foothills Therapeutic Riding Association for the last decade, which she calls a rewarding experience. “It’s amazing what being around a horse will do for a kid, it builds confidence and their physical strength and they have fun,” she says. And, if those don’t bring Jackie to the Okotoks Agricultural Society grounds several times a week, there’s also the fact that she’s president of the society and has been on the board for five years. Her goal as president is to have the facility more frequently used by the community. “I’d like to get more agricultural things happening there, perhaps some different types of horse shows,” she says. “It would be a blast to have an old-time farm fair.” Seven years ago, Jackie got into the sport of reined cow horse. She trained with local cow horse trainer Vance Kaglea. “He’s my coach, my mentor, he taught me everything I know about working cow horse,” Jackie says. “It’s a challenge, you have to be in tune with your horse to do the manoeuvres well.” She earned second place, also known as reserve champion, last year at the National Reined Cow Horse Association World Championship show in San Angelo, Texas, on a little mare named Lucy. Jackie also loves to garden, read, and go scuba diving with Ervie. With so many activities, volunteer gigs, and grandchildren to teach how to ride, Jackie gets more accomplished than most people do in a day, MacMillan says. “If you can help, you do,” Jackie says. “You don’t make a big deal about it, help always starts with your family and your neighbours.” OL
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sports Story by Stephen W. Smith Photos by Allen Gimblett
Crosstown rivals Knights and Falcons battle for high school football supremacy
Whenever the Foothills Composite Falcons and Holy Trinity Academy Knights match up on a football field it’s a big event. “I think it’s one of the great rivalries in high school athletics in Alberta,” says Matt Hassett, longtime head coach of the Knights. “It’s just one those things you get with crosstown rivals. They don’t want to lose to us. We don’t want to lose to them.” Once a year the Knights and Falcons meet for regular season bragging rights and they often collide again in the playoffs with a conference title on the line. An interesting wrinkle to this sports rivalry is many of the players on the opposing teams are past teammates having played together as kids in the local Foothills Eagles football program. With packed stands of fans and a tradition of shooting off fireworks to celebrate home victories, the local Falcons football team knows how to put on a show. The Foothills Composite High School Falcons team has won four Provincial Tier II football championships, the most recent one in 2009. This winning tradition and raucous home game atmosphere were key factors in attracting the team’s new head coach, Darren Olson. “It’s kind of got an American feel to it — a small town team being able to play its games under the lights,” Olson says. “I am really excited by that part of it and definitely looking forward to the blackout game where we play HTA in September.”
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“… it’s one of the greatest rivalries in high school athletics in Alberta.” fall 20 13 o koto ks Livi n g 27
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“We grew up playing with a lot of those guys so it’s a lot of fun to play against them and see how they’ve grown as athletes.” For the blackout game, the Falcons swap their usual burgundy home uniforms for black ones and their fans show their support by wearing black in the stands. This special game treatment is reserved for the Falcon’s arch rival, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights. Knights’ supporters wear white to match their team’s away jerseys and to counter the Falcon’s sea of black on the bleachers. “We love playing that game,” says Ben Wattie, a Grade 12
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linebacker for the Falcons. “We grew up playing with a lot of those guys so it’s a lot of fun to play against them and see how they’ve grown as athletes.” Everybody in the community gets into the rivalry, says senior-year Knights defensive back Jordan Rae. “Even if our team is not playing and they are, anybody from our team might come out and support them just because we’ve played with them our entire lives.” The Knights had a dream year in 2011. They went undefeated in the regular season and then beat the Falcons 31–3 in the inaugural Big Rock Football Conference championship game. The Knights made it all to the way to the Alberta Tier II (schools of 750–1249 students) championship game in Lethbridge, that
sports
With every player pouring their all into each game, the upcoming crosstown match will be one to watch. year, where they ultimately lost to Edmonton’s Austin O’Brien Crusaders 21–3. The aftermath of that game left a big impact on running back Donovan Curtis, then in Grade 10. “Everyone lines up to receive their medals and you see every single senior player on our team is crying,” Curtis says, now in Grade 12. “You expect that. It’s just the passion that people have for the game, especially on our team, it’s unbelievable.” Last year the Falcons bested the Knights 36–27 at Holy Trinity Academy in September. They later lost to the Calgary-based Rundle College Cobras in the conference championship game and were ousted from provincial qualifying by the Springbank Phoenix. “One of the best memories from last season was the
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game against the Harry Ainlay Titans,” Falcons running back Josh Koshman says. “It was good because the last couple of years they beat us down pretty good and my dad, who played for their team and was their captain, was giving me a little razzing before the game, but later he said he was cheering for me.” Once the Falcons had completed a 42–21 home upset victory over the then defending provincial Tier I (schools of 1250+ students) champion Titans, Koshman admits both he and his father Jim welled up with emotion on the field. The Knights and Falcons have legacies of creating special memories for their players. With every player pouring their all into each game, the upcoming crosstown match Friday September 27, 2013 at the Foothills Composite, will be one to watch. OL
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homes By Aaliya Essa
Home sweet Okotoks
Excel Homes building exclusively-styled homes in MountainView In baseball terms, it would be a home run. In football, a touchdown. In golf, a hole in one. Whatever sports analogy you prefer, they all accurately describe what Excel Homes has done in the Okotoks community of MountainView. Celebrating 25 years of building quality affordable homes, Excel Homes’ Raleigh model is a stunning example of their craftsmanship. The Raleigh, right from the front elevation and entry has a real presence, a flow and unique feel
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that’s probably easier to actually experience than to describe. The entrance on its own makes quite a statement, with an exquisite stairwell, dressed-up with an iron rod railing. The tall, spacious foyer, open to the upper floor family room loft, is an enticing appetizer to a tour of this spacious home. “The Raleigh is exclusive to MountainView,” says Becky Burbank, area manager for Excel Homes. “Our community has 38-foot wide lots, which will accommodate this show home model.”
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“People like the uniqueness in the design of the layout, this has definitely been our best selling model ... people love the open concept main floor and how the entrance looks so elegant.” This two-storey home is a roomy 2,550 square-feet in size, features three bedrooms and two-and-a-half-baths, plus so much more. This model takes maximum advantage of a distinctive layout, adding to its simplicity and accessibility, and it really does make a world of difference. “People like the uniqueness in the design of the layout, this has definitely been our best selling model,” says Burbank. “People love the open concept main floor and how the entrance looks so elegant.” The main floor is a haven for your inner chef, with a grand open concept kitchen, centred around a large island, with upgraded granite counter top, and a wine fridge, too. With a full compliment of stainless steel appliances and lots of counter space, the Raleigh is perfect for hosting dinner parties, allowing you to prepare delicious meals and visit with friends and family at the same time. The walk-through pantry also makes unloading and storing groceries a breeze, not to mention making finding key ingredients just as easy, too. There is kitchen eating area, as well as a formal dining room. A gorgeous two-sided fireplace separates the formal dining area from the living room, adding a warm ambience to both.
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Large windows along the back wall allow sunlight to stream into the kitchen and living room, and were an important design consideration. “As you first walk into this home you can see the natural light. Large windows are a common theme in Excel Homes, this has been a popular feature,” says Burbank. The upper level of the home has a similar feel to it, with spacious hallways, upgraded nine-foot ceilings and eight-foot doors. The upperfloor laundry room in this home is super functional, with a generous amount of space allocated to this area, and a surprise second door that leads directly into the master walk-in-closet. The Raleigh’s master bedroom is designed with relaxation in mind. The ensuite has a sensational soaker-tub, his and hers sinks, and a stand-up shower with a ceramic tile finish. If you prefer your ensuite to resemble more of a mini-spa retreat, then you’ll love it. Two additional bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a bonus room finish off the upper floor. The bonus
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homes
room, too, has an abundance of natural light, and is a large enough space that it could have a variety of uses. “This is a really nice, spacious bonus room at the front of the home,” Burbank says. As an added bonus for buyers, Excel Homes is a registered member of Built Green Canada, so all Excel Homes have Built Green features in them. “These include the active heat recovery system, low emissivity (Low E) windows, high-efficiency furnace, hot water tanks, and solar conduits that are roughed in already for solar panelling to be installed as well,” says Burbank. MountainView is located in the northwest part of town, west of the No Frills and the new senior care facility. One of Okotoks’ newest communities, MountainView is presently being built in the first of eight phases by developer Apex Builder Group, who’ve designed the neighbourhood while maintaining that small town feel. Buyers can enjoy strolling down the pedestrian parkways, around the pond, and really have a chance to truly enjoy the nature which surrounds them. Many homes here also offer an excellent view towards the foothills and Rocky Mountains. “Living in MountainView allows for super easy access to
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Buyers can enjoy strolling down the pedestrian parkways, around the pond, and really have a chance to truly enjoy the nature which surrounds them. Calgary without having to drive through town, the appeal of the mountain views, and all the while close enough to walk to the historical downtown Okotoks,” says Burbank. This Raleigh starts at about $485,000, which includes lot and GST. Show home hours are Monday to Thursday from 2 – 8 p.m., weekend and holidays from noon – 5 p.m., and they are closed on Fridays. OL
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sustainability By Jessica Patterson
Birds of a feather Make your backyard a mini-ecosystem, with help of songbirds One way to enhance your backyard is by making it a haven for native birds, says Christa Michailuck, the Town’s Open Spaces Team Leader. The biggest thing, literally, that attracts native birds to your backyard is native, mature trees. “Most of us don’t have those because we’re in a rapidly growing community, with new home lots which have relatively newly-planted trees,” she says. “You can get other native plants, trees and shrubs that will increase the habitat for birds in your yards.” Native trees include white spruce, lodgepole pine, trembling aspen, sub-alpine fir, paper birch and river birch, Michailuck says. White spruce is a nicely-shaped tree with softer needles than the Colorado spruce. Paper and river birch trees are native to Alberta, and like moist areas of your yard that don’t drain well. Another tree that attracts native birds include river alder and Western mountain ash. Bird feeders are a popular choice to entice birds to your backyards, but often, the biggest problem with bird feeders is the feed itself, Michailuck says. “Deer love birdseed,” she says. “Be careful what kind of food you put out and where you put it. If it’s too low, the deer will get it.” Vertical tube feeders require birds to fly alongside of it and pick the seeds out, she says. “House sparrows aren’t quite as agile as our native birds, so they find it a little bit more challenging.” Seeds that will attract native birds include the black niger seed, black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, white millet and wraisins, which will not become weed issues. Native birds are more likely to eat insects than birdseed. “Barn swallows are great mosquito-eaters,” Michailuck says. “As are tree swallows, but they’re not as urbanized, so you mightn’t get them in town as often.”
The biggest thing, literally, that attracts native birds to your backyard is native, mature trees.
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Another native, easy bird to attract to your backyard is the house wren. “It’s a tiny bird, that eats insects and has a beautiful song,” Michailuck says. “They’re urbanized birds, so if you put up a house box suitable for a house wren, you’ll get a house wren.” “I’ve got several nesting in my yard. They’re so cute and the little male sings his heart out, all day.” Other native songbirds include grasshopper and savannah sparrows, American goldfinches, bluejays and grey jays as well. Providing space and refuge for smaller, native songbirds in your backyard is a good Tin and Wood idea, against other larger native birds, like the birdfeeder with aggressive magpie, crow, raven and merlin. twig-style perches. Shrubs including Canada buffalo berry, highPhoto courtesy The bush cranberry, bearberry and gooseberry will Home Depot not only provide a little more cover, but also birds love them, Michailuck says. Local plant material will also minimize certain pests. Native plants and shrubs have adapted to local pests like aphids, more than ornamental stock. OL
Barn Swallow
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what’s happening september 1
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Okotoks Pro Rodeo, now in it’s 22nd year, runs August 30 – 31 at 7 p.m. and September 1 starting at 1 p.m. at the Okotoks Recreation Centre, with events including barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, team roping, mutton busting and the wild horse race. Tickets available at the Okotoks Recreation Centre.
For information on Town of Okotoks events contact: Mark Doherty, Community Events Co-ordinator 403-938-8950 or mdoherty@okotoks.ca or visit www.okotoks.ca
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Pumpkin & Scarecrow Days at Kayben Farms. Experience the beauty of fall in the country, with a pumpkin patch, corn maze, contests, live music, entertainment and kids activities.
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Chisel Creek will play a little folk and roots, some Bach and some traditional to spice up the night at the RPAC. Tickets $15 in advance.
The 35th Annual Sheep River Road Race will see hundreds of runners pounding the pavement beginning at 9:15 a.m. with 5K and 10K races, through the Sheep River valley. www.bigrockrunners.com
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11th Annual Service Excellence Awards, hosted by the Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce held at the Foothills Centennial Centre. Doors open at 6 p.m. www.okotokschamber.ca
Tour of Alberta. See cyclists from all over the world complete in Canada’s first major international procycling race.
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2013 Walk for Wishes www.okotokswishmaker.ca
Film night at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Admission $2. Every Thursday and Friday night in the fall, movie buffs get to see some of the best Alberta films, cult classics and remembrance films. www.okotoksculture.ca
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Okotoks Agricultural Society’s annual outdoor country concert, 6 to 11 p.m., featuring Emerson Drive, Doc Walker and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Tickets available at OAS or Boothill Gallery for $110. For more information visit www.okotoksag.com
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events
Que nos rodea — Around Us at the Okotoks Art Gallery, by installation artist José Luis Torres, where mixed materials will be transformed to create sculpture in the large gallery.
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HarvestFest, celebrating everything fall harvest happens at Ethel Tucker Park, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Okotoks Ghost Walk tours. Discover what, or whom, lurks in downtown Okotoks after dark. Tickets $5, available at the museum and archives.
november 2
Sing along with The Sound of Music, 12 p.m. at the RPAC. Crafts for kids and a costume parade included in this musically-themed day. Admission $5.
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Guided tour at Okotoks Cemetery, “Field of Honour tour.”
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Spirit of Christmas at the Okotoks Art Gallery, features one of a kind jewellery, artwork, cards and ornaments from local artisans.
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Light Up Okotoks. Grab your mittens and come down to the Olde Towne to enjoy all of your holiday favourites, including festive activities, carollers and a visit from Santa.
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Old-Fashioned Christmas exhibit opens at the Okotoks Museum and Archives.
Calgary Philharmonic at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre
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Alberta Culture Days brings three fun days of free cultural activities to town.
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| Advertising Feature |
Providing exceptional care for the whole family
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t My Family Dental, patients come first. Principal Dentist Dr. Helen Robinson has worked in Okotoks for 16 years, building her practice on a commitment to patient health, focusing on honesty, respect and compassion and treating each patient as an individual while providing modern and high quality dental care. At My Family Dental, Dr. Robinson, Dr. Lisa Mallett, Dr. Danielle Tingley and Dr. Manu Dua combine their talents and specialties to encompass a variety of high tech dental services. Collectively their goal is the quality of care they provide to each person who walks through their door. In a warm, comfortable environment, My Family Dental provides a full range of dental services including implants, cosmetic procedures and sedation dentistry. They also place a special emphasis on children’s dental care, having received accreditation from Child and Youth Friendly Calgary. From a play room equipped with puzzles,
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movies and video games to ceiling-mounted TVs in each room, the The My Family Dental team. friendly staff work hard to earn the trust of their littlest patients and make sure their experiences are enjoyable. Also active in the community, My Family Dental designed and sponsors a unique dental education program that sees a Registered Dental Assistant visiting Okotoks classrooms to teach children how to care for their mouths. What started as a small puppet show has grown into a hugely popular teaching tool that engages students in a memorable way and serves as a valuable extension of the holistic care offered inside the office at My Family Dental. To find out more about the staff and services at My Family Dental visit www.okotoksfamilydental.com or call 403-995-9544. n
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| Advertising Feature |
Celebrating a fifth Pizzaversary
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heir recipe is simple. Good people, good food and great service is what the local Pizza Hut franchisee, David and Karla Fitzgerald pride themselves on. “I think people forget, that although we’re a franchise, we are business owners,” says Karla . “We own this as a small business, and we are passionate about the food we serve, our Restaurant Team, the community and our customer’s experience. We put our heart into it, every day.” Pizza Hut is a training ground for the leaders of tomorrow. “We have a fantastic group here,” says Karla. “We’re not just managers and owners, we are mentors. Our restaurant team is a part of our family.” The family-oriented business has brought in numerous young team members over the years, developing them and watching them grow. Team members are challenged to do their best, every day. David and Karla teach respect, ownership and responsibility. Their team learns business and interpersonal skills, and the training and experience they get at Pizza Hut gives them life skills as they grow into their careers. They don’t expect their team members will stay with them forever, but while they’re at Pizza Hut, the management creates lasting relationships, always making everyone feel like they belong. Community-minded businesses are part of what makes Okotoks a great place to live. Often, their heart is on their plate, as Pizza Hut has
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generously donated to fundraisers and supported groups in the community. Pizza Hut has, over the last five years, sponsored the Book It! reading incentive program, and owners Karla and Dave have been members of the Chamber of Commerce, The United Way/Okotoks partnership and the Serendipity Preschool Parent board. Pizza Hut gives back as much as they can. “This community is important to us,” Karla says. “It’s where we live, where our kids play and go to school. Our lives are busy, over the past five years we have grown our business and our family. We have four children under five, and it is important to us that we create good life balance between our restaurant family and our home family. Our opportunity to live in the community where our business resides, allows us to spend everyday with our children.” Come celebrate their 5th Pizzaversary, and let their family take care of yours, the Hut is where the heart is. n The Fitzgerald family
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| Advertising Feature |
Gearing up with Okotoks Nissan Top auto brand motors its way to town
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issan has long had some of the most popular vehicles on Canadian roads. Now, much to the delight of local motorists these vehicles can be bought and expertly serviced right here in town. Okotoks Nissan has been very well-received since it opened its doors a few months ago in a highly visible location on Woodgate Road. ”We’re excited for the opportunity to be here and we’re excited about the amount of business we have been seeing,” General Manager Jeff Romeril explains. “I feel Nissan is a strong brand especially for this community since there are a lot of commuters and we have some very fuel-efficient cars. There is also the family side of things and we have a lot of vehicles that work really well for families.” Topping that list is the positively redesigned Nissan Pathfinder SUV with comfortable seating for seven and a spacious third row that is surprisingly easy to get into. Many local motorists will falling in love with the 2014 Pathfinder that strikes the perfect chord for those rushing back and forth to the big city. “The Versa Note is a small hatchback that gets amazing gas mileage and it is completely redesigned,” he explains. “It has quite a few features on it for such a small car.“ Those features can include a back-up camera, navigation system, blind spot indicator and Nissan Connect which efficiently synchronizes your car with phone. Making lives simpler and rides safer, your local Nissan dealership knows the value of innovation for its customers. “Certain models like the Rogue, Murano and Pathfinder have what is called the Bird’s Eye View,” Romeril says. “It has cameras on the mirrors, on the front and the back so you can see around your whole vehicle. When you are backing up you can see if you’re going to be in the lines and how close you are going to be to things on each side.” Part of the Okotoks Nissan sales team, James Lowe is happy to be living and working in the community. He is also pleased to be dealing in a line of automobiles that quickly win customers over. “There’s this great comfort in the drive you get with the Nissans who have the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission),” Lowe says citing an example of why he is big on his particular auto brand. “It’s a constant acceleration transmission so it basically gives you seamless acceleration.”
A car that speeds up to the pace of traffic without jerking or lurching into a higher gear it may seem like a simple thing, but it’s also the sort of feature that builds customer brand loyalty. Something the staff at Okotoks Nissan is pleased to be creating in and around our community. Stop by and see them in store today and check out the dealership online at www.okotoksnissan.com n
www.okotoksnissan.com
you said it…
By Jessica Patterson
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My husband and I took a trip to San Diego when we were first married. There, I saw a beautiful hotel on the beach, but we couldn’t afford to stay. On my 60th birthday, my husband took me to this beautiful hotel on the beach in San Diego, with a surprise — all of my family was there to celebrate.
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One of my coworkers gave us 45 bales of hay when we ran out of hay for our horse this summer.
The Foothills School Division named the Percy Pegler gymnasium after me. It was, and still is, a humbling experience.
Donna Robertson-Epp, resident
Bill Robertson, Mayor
Lesley Brown, resident
What is the most generous thing someone’s ever done for you?
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Our church brought us meals when my mother was in the hospital for a month this year.
The most generous thing ever done for me was my parents gave me the opportunity to do what I wanted and follow my dreams. Valentine Helldobler, assistant coach, Okotoks Dawgs
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My wife bought Colorado Rockies tickets for us, as a wedding gift, the day of our wedding. It meant a lot to me, she knew I would like and enjoy the game. AJ Fystro, head coach, Okotoks Dawgs
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People are nice and considerate here in Okotoks. I think holding the door for others, or saying hello, those common courtesies and generosity people often forget.
Chloe U., resident
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I have a website to fundraise for a well in a third-world country. I received a $200 donation from an anonymous donor. It was generous. Eva M., resident
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Chris Villalobos, #36 Okotoks Dawgs
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This guy in my Grade 2 class was always giving me cookies at lunch. He said he liked giving things to people. So, one day I brought a bag of cookies in for him. And we shared them with the whole class. Madison B., resident
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