Okotoks Living - Winter 2015 by Source Media Group

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contents WINTER 2015 | VOLUME 6 ISSUE 27

history

National Year of Sport Rec Centre exhibit celebrates Okotoks athletes

sports

people

Dan the man Former Calgary Herald publisher finds inner peace in Western lifestyle

business

sustainability Cover photography by Lana Armitage

Living on the edge Sledge hockey superstar discovers lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silver lining

Grass man Turf Specialist up to the task of keeping Okotoks green

13th annual Okotoks Chamber of Commerce 100th annual Business Excellence Awards

homes

Space up your life With Timber Creek Homes in Cimarron Country Estates

28 6â&#x20AC;&#x192;

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community

A friend indeed Okotoks Family Resource Centre there when you need them most

Pretty in pink Hockey fights cancer, and so do we

School daze New K–9 school on the way

a day in the life

33 items

08 Editor’s Message 10 Town of Okotoks Message 44 Events 47 Youth Beat 52 Map

@OkotoksLiving

Monika McLachlan On the hunt for life’s little treasures

OkotoksLiving

you said it …

What is your favourite family Christmas tradition?

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editor’s note

Season’s Greetings

ALRIGHT, ENOUGH WITH the Season’s Greetings nonsense already. It’s Christmas, darn it, so Merry Christmas is what I like to say and hear at this time of year. And a Merry Christmas it is indeed! Not only have we got one of our biggest and best editions of Okotoks Living ever, but we’re spreading the love in other ways as well. A big thanks and shout out to our front cover photographer, Lana Armitage, and her friends and family, who not only stepped up to help deliver the magazine door to door in town, but donated their entire delivery fee to the Okotoks Food Bank. We’re going to top up Lana’s donation with a few hundred bucks to make it a nice even number. Still on the holiday theme, we’ve got several special Christmas-themed pages in the magazine this time focusing on gifts and traditions. What’s your family’s favourite Christmas tradition? For mine, we meet every year at my brother’s house for food, drink, and the annual Foosball tournament. We’ve even got a trophy made of old toilet paper rolls and tinfoil. At work, I have a miniature Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I put on the corner of my desk. If you push a button it even plays the song from the TV special, you know the one. Anna Quick, our 12-year-old youth columnist, prefers to just cuddle up in front of the fireplace with a good book. As for our regular features, we’ve got a ton of that under the tree too. First up is Dan Gaynor, former publisher of the Calgary Herald and now self-employed corporate leadership coach. It’s a skill he developed early in life out of necessity and a very touching story. Another inspirational piece is our sports article, this time on local sledge hockey player Chris Cedarstrand. Once a promising junior hockey player, Chris is a perfect example of a person who didn’t let life — or losing a leg — get in the way of his dreams. Other inspirational and uplifting stories are scattered throughout the magazine. From accomplished local athletes spotlighted in the special exhibit at the Rec Centre; to Monika MacLachlan, who turned her love affair with antique ‘picking’ into a to full-time business; to all the deserving folks who picked up a trophy at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Excellence Awards; you’re always sure to see somebody you know in Okotoks Living. Next time you see them, tell them you saw them in the magazine. In the meantime, to you and yours, Merry Christmas and have a healthy and happy New Year!

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PUBLISHER |

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Amanda Brown, Alyssa Burnham, Darlene Casten, Pat Fream, Suzanne Hale, Anna Quick, PHOTOGRAPHY

Lana Armitage, Amanda Brown, Suzanne Hale, Don Molyneaux, Isabel Rodriguez TOWN OF OKOTOKS LIAISON

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© 2015 Source Media Group Corp. Material cannot be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. 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 :

Source Media Group. 207, 5809 Macleod Trail S.W., Calgary, AB T2H 0J9 tel 403.532.3101 fax 403.532.3109 toll free 1.888.932.3101 www.sourcemediagroup.ca

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mayor’s message

Message from Mayor and Town Council

n behalf of Okotoks Council and Administration, I extend warm greetings to all residents and hope you and your families have a joyful Christmas season. This holiday season, we encourage residents to shop locally and visit the many

shops and boutiques in downtown Okotoks and throughout our many other shopping districts. Don’t forget to visit the Spirit of Christmas Artisan Gift Market at the Art Gallery for unique gift options! Remember you can shop to win a shopping spree at participating downtown businesses. For more information visit www.thingstodoinokotoks.ca. We would like to remind residents who need help or want to help during the holiday season of the several organizations providing Christmas support: Okotoks Food Bank, decorate the Tree of Warmth with your new scarves, gloves and toques at the Okotoks Art Gallery for local charities, Salvation Army Food Bank, Okotoks Family Resource Centre Holiday Helpers Program, and more. Please visit www.okotoks.ca/holidaysupport for information on these programs and others. We want to ensure that EVERYONE has a wonderful holiday season!

Councillors Ray Watrin, Tanya Thorn, Matt Rockley, Mayor Bill Robertson, Councillors Carrie Fischer, Ken Heemeryck, Ed Sands.

The Town also invites residents to participate in the activities that occur in our community at this time of year. Skate with Santa on December 13, take part in the Kid’s New Year’s Eve Party at the Recreation Centre on December 31 or join us for Winter Walk Day at the Pason Centennial Arena on February 3. See the Town calendar of events at www.okotoks.ca for all event details. You can also check out some exciting Okotoks Bisons and Oilers hockey action! We look forward to many new clients as New Year’s resolutions guide our residents to visit the Okotoks Recreation Centre and Pason Centennial Arena for some indoor exercise.

Become a fan of Town of Okotoks Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/ town_of_okotoks

As 2015 comes to an end, we begin focusing on 2016, which looks like it will be another successful year. I look forward to all that is coming up for Okotoks including the new community sustainability plan and regional transit pilot project. On behalf of Okotoks Council, I wish all our residents a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Mayor WM. (Bill) Robertson On behalf of Town Council

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history

National Year of Sport

Rec Centre exhibit celebrates Okotoks athletes STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUZANNE HALE

“Y

OU DON’T HAVE to be from a big city to excel,” says Kathy Coutts of the Okotoks Museum and Archives. This sentiment is supported by the museum’s latest off-site exhibit, featuring accomplished athletes with a special connection to Okotoks. With ‘homegrown’ as the theme of the display running at the Okotoks Recreation Centre through the end of the year, the exhibit coincides with Canada’s National Year of Sport. Many activities throughout 2015 centred on the Year of Sport, and this display marks Okotoks’ final nod to the celebration. Spotlighting competitors from popular winter sports such as bobsleigh, sledge hockey, luge, curling, hockey and figure skating, the display presents photos and biographies of these local athletes. Following the summer-sports component of the museum’s National Year of Sport display, Coutts was overwhelmed with calls from area residents recommending firstclass athletes for inclusion in the winter display. “There are so many talented athletes here,” Coutts says about the process for athletes’ inclusion in the exhibit. “We had to set a benchmark level,” she says, adding that those featured have received at least national,

and in some cases international, recognition in their respective sports. Highlighting athletes who are currently competing or retired, and some who are no longer with us, the intention of the display is two-fold: while offering acclaim to those who have attained greatness in their sport, the museum also aims to inspire new and developing athletes. The achievements of others bear testament that anyone, from anywhere, has the potential to realize their athletic ambitions. Visibly pleased with the completed display, Coutts is proud of the variety of talent presented. “This says something for Okotoks, that we produce such excellence,” she says of the athletes. Who knows, these achievements may even be an inspiration to those striving for athletic success of their own — who may one day earn a place of their own on a future version of Okotoks’ local wall of fame. OL

…while offering acclaim to those who have attained greatness in their sport, the museum also aims to inspire new and developing athletes. W I NTE R 20 1 5 O KOTO KS LIVI N G

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people

DAN the MAN

Former Calgary Herald publisher finds inner peace in Western lifestyle STORY BY JIM ZANG

Dan with his horse, Boone.

PHOTO BY LANA ARMITAGE

OR DAN GAYNOR, everything changed in 2003. He changed his career, and he changed his life. Most people step back and re-evaluate their lives several times over the course of a life. Am I where I want to be? Am I doing what I want to do? For many of us, this happens when we turn 30, 40 — the classic mid-life ‘crisis’ — or 50. For Dan, it had nothing to do with age, but rather a handful of critical events that have impacted his life and shaped his character. It all started back in Chatham, Ontario, in 1955, when Dan was born the eldest child (he has one sister and two brothers) to Dan and Carol Gaynor. “Mom and Dad met at the local daily newspaper, where they both worked,” says Dan. “So I guess I came to the newspaper business naturally.” His dad’s promotions led the family to Toronto, where they settled down the lake a little in Mississauga. His father passed away tragically in a whitewater kayaking accident at the age of 34, when Dan was just 11 years

old. It was the first major event to impact his life, thrusting him into a leadership role at a young age, but it wouldn’t be the last. His mom still lives in Mississauga. Not surprisingly, some of his strongest childhood memories are of his Dad. “He was a world-class dad,” says Dan. “He was my hockey coach, my baseball coach and we spent hours working together on the boat in our garage. He was a fabulous father and my Mom is great. I was very blessed to have two such supportive and encouraging parents.” Dan’s very first job was in Mississauga, working as a yard hand at Rocket Lumber. “Man, did I work hard that year,” he says. “I would have been about 15.”

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people

Young Dan

He bought his first car, a red 1971 Ford Pinto, “I pinstriped it,” he laughs. “My second car, now that was a lot of fun. A brand new Austin Mini, and I pinstriped it too!” Today he tools around in a nice shiny Ford Mustang GT convertible. After high school, Dan went to Brock University in St. Catharines where he took Phys Ed for a year. “I played lots of hockey,” he says, smiling, “but I didn’t go to many classes.” At 19 he followed in his parents’ footsteps into the newspaper business, selling advertising for the Barrie Examiner. He did that for a couple of years before moving to Edmonton and leaving the newspaper business for seven years. In between, in 1978, he married Sarah, whom he met on the front lawn of their high school. They have two daughters, Paige, 28, and Hayley, 22. Both are married and live in the area, which is great for grandpa Dan as he gets to spend time with his “little buddy” Sawyer, four, — “he likes to help me with my work around the acreage” — and granddaughter Blake, one. It’s something his own father never got to do and Dan cherishes every moment. Ink was in his blood, however, and Dan was led back to newspapers. “I had applied for a position at the Edmonton Journal,” he says, “and was waiting to hear back. I was in an office building and bumped into a woman I’d known before and we started talking, just catching up. One thing led to another and I told her about my application at the Journal, to which she said, “Oh, my best friend is the VP of HR at the Journal.” Dan believed it had to be more than co-incidence, he felt God’s hand behind the experience and the rest is history, that encounter launched a 22-year career with the Southam newspaper company. He was at the Journal for eight years, and liked it. Then, he says, another opportunity came along and with it a very important piece of advice from an

The final event that prompted Dan to re-evaluate and, in fact, re-start, his life occurred on February 1, 2003. 16

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early mentor, Don Babick. “Don told me there are two things to consider: the person I would be working for and what he or she had to teach me, and the job and what it had to teach me.” He passed on a job in Vancouver and took one as Director of Advertising at the Kingston Whig Standard, moving the crew back east. “It was a really pivotal decision,” he says, looking back. “It shaped my career, leading people through transition. I learned how to lead change in a corporate environment.” Dan got his first promotion to Publisher in St. Catharines, where he led the integration following the purchase of the newspaper from a local family.

PHOTOS COURTESY GAY NOR FA MILY

people

A B C D

Then, in 1999, he got the call to come to Calgary as Publisher of the Calgary Herald. The Herald was going through a major transition, with accompanying labour dispute, in their editorial department. “It was a dream come true,” he says, but the negativity surrounding the labour dispute was hard on his family. In 2002 the Herald changed ownership (again) and Dan took Don Babick’s old advice to heart. He went to work one morning for new shareholders, one’s he didn’t see eye-to-eye with, and decided it might be time to move along. The final event that prompted Dan to re-evaluate and, in fact, re-start, his life occurred on February

1, 2003. A group of kids from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir school were on a field trip in the mountains when seven of them were caught in an avalanche and died. Among them, his daughter Paige’s good friend, Marrissa Staddon, who shared the same birthdate as Paige. “It was devastating,” says Dan. “We were at Marissa’s celebration of life, and I was searching for what to say to Paige. I asked her, ‘what was your favourite memory of Marrissa?’ She replied, “Dad, it was birthday cakes at the rink.” In that very instant, a photo of them with a birthday cake came up on the big screen. I had this overwhelming feeling come over me,” he says, “this sense of God’s presence. I decided then and there to buy my first Bible. “I believe that God brought me back to Calgary to become a Christian,” he says. “My dad’s death caused me to think about God for the first time, and I decided there must not be one. I was an atheist through most of my youth. That Bible presented me with an important question: who is Jesus? Answering that question completed my journey to faith.” Those events gave Dan a new perspective on life, namely that it was time for a big change. So, in the

A Dan at the Barrie Examiner in the mid ‘70s. B Dan with his dad and Jill. C As a youngster Dan already showed leadership skills. That’s him in the middle with the C on his sweater. D Dan with sister Jill.

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people LEFT TO RIGHT: Mitch Layden,

Dan and Sarah at home.

summer of 2003 he walked away from his newspaper career to do his own thing, both personally and professionally. “It was probably the least courageous thing I’ve ever done,” he says matter-of-factly. “When you feel God is calling you, it’s easy. All I had to do was answer the call.” That day, as the saying goes, was the first day of the rest of his life. Since then, he’s been running his own executive leadership development company, Gaynor Consulting Inc., sharing what he has learned about good leadership, and even writing a book (The Heart and Hands of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices of Effective Leaders) with some practical ‘how to’ advice. “I discovered early in my career that every organization reflects its leadership,” he says. “It’s all about developing people’s potential.” These days, Dan works “probably two or three days a week, most of the year”; speaking, conducting workshops and doing one-on-one executive coaching. He appreciates that his newspaper career prepared him for what he does now, but he’s happy to be doing

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PHOTO COURTESY GAY NOR FA MILY

Paige Layden holding Blake, Hayley Finley holding Sawyer with Brett Finley behind Hayley, then Sarah and Dan.

something different. It’s not the same every day and he likes that. He also doesn’t have to attend all the evening events he did as Publisher of the Herald. It was fun at the time, he says, but he enjoys a lot of evenings at home these days. With his new-found free time Dan has turned back the clock and rediscovered some of his personal pursuits. Number one, he’s got more time for his family and grandkids. He’s also got an 11-year-old quarter horse named Boone and and eight-year-old named Hemi, “I love to throw a saddle on a horse in the morning and get out for a ride. When we lived in Kingston my daughter Paige wanted to ride so I took her to the barns. I went from being nervous around horses to really liking them so, when we went to St. Catharines, I talked the riding instructor into starting a class for the parents. Then, when we moved to Calgary, I connected with the folks at Spruce Meadows where Albert Kley helped me learn to be a better rider.” In the winter months, he likes to hit the slopes at Nakiska with the Calgary Alpine Club, coaching a ‘Jumps, Bumps and Turns’ program for 11 to 14-yearolds. “I absolutely love doing it,” he says. “That’s where I am on weekends during the winter.” Other than that, he says, he enjoys the peace and quiet of hanging around home with wife Sarah — when she’s not at work at My Sewing Room — maybe watching an episode of Big Bang Theory or Criminal Minds. They both love the warm small town feel of Okotoks where, he says, “there’s lots of good country, family values.” “We’ve got a beautiful little spot, five acres, just west of town off Highway 549,” he says of their home of the past seven years, and he considers himself a true Westerner now. “I’m truly blessed to be doing what I’m doing, and I’m exactly where I should be.” OL

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sustainability

Grass man

Turf Specialist up to the task of keeping Okotoks green

BY AMANDA BROW N

“T

HE GRASS IS always greener on the other side,” as the saying goes, and if they’re referring to the grass in Okotoks, they’re probably right. In fact, the Town of Okotoks places so much value on its green spaces that the Parks and Recreation department employs the services of a full-time specialist to keep the town’s turf in tip-top condition. It’s certainly not a job anyone can do, with a very particular set of skills and expertise required, but newcomer Daryn Hitchner says he’s up to the challenge. Hitchner, raised in Longview and whose family has been in the area for almost a century, explains how he became the turf specialist. “I started my own landscape business. I had an irrigation business. I actually installed the irrigation in a lot of the high profile sports fields in town like the Seaman Stadium, Tourmaline Field, a lot of the soccer fields. That’s how I got to work with the town, I was a contractor, before I was hired.” He is also a certified irrigation contractor.

Christa Michailuck, the Town’s parks manager, sheds some light on the responsibilities that come with the job. “A turf specialist with the Town of Okotoks is the person that coordinates all of the turf maintenance on public lands for the town. So, they will run a seasonal crew of staff from about May until September, October.” She continues, “They’re looking after neighbourhood parks, community parks, sports fields, the Town’s building grounds maintenance, and medians in town.” In the winter months, duties include snow removal, maintenance of outdoor rinks, and tree pruning. Hitchner is responsible for the upkeep of approximately 170 hectares of mowed land, half of which is contracted to outside firms whose teams of seasonal employees report to him. In turn, Hitchner is accountable to the parks manager. The turf specialist is expected to stay at the cutting edge of the science and bring in fresh ideas. Michailuck expands, “Okotoks is really big on

that, making sure that we’re leadingedge with sustainability practices and alternative ground covers, different grass and turf species that might work well. One thing unique about Okotoks, when it comes to turf, is that we don’t irrigate anything except sports fields, really.” And therein lies a significant task, as Hitchner elaborates. “The main challenges are working with the user groups and the high use on the fields, and the limited access to water.” Hitchner talks about why healthy green spaces matter to everyone, “not only to Okotokians,” he clarifies, “but to other people, like sports teams, who come from other towns and come here and go, ‘wow, you’ve got a lot of nice areas, a lot of nice fields.’ Some of the parks you walk through, people are amazed. They say, ‘that’s an amazing town,’ and you can say you’ve taken part in that. You’ve made that the way it is.” OL

Daryn Hitchner

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sports

Living on the edge

Sledge hockey superstar discovers life’s silver lining STORY BY PAT FREAM

T 35, CHRIS Cederstrand has achieved his two main childhood goals: to be a world-class hockey player and to become a firefighter. Like most people, Chris encountered a variety of obstacles as he navigated the path to his lofty goals. But like few others, a sudden turn of events took Chris dangerously close to the brink of death; an accident that dramatically changed the trajectory of his life and placed him on a new path that would test his resolve, define his character and deepen his quest for passionate living. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE At 25, Chris lost the lower part of his left leg when the 30,000 kiligram road packer he was operating flipped and landed on top of him, crushing his leg. “I was just this young guy, newly married, lots of dreams, I had been fortunate enough to play in the WHL,” he said, “then in the blink of an eye it all changed… I went from having the world at my feet to having to learn to walk again.”

Hockey had been Chris’s lifelong passion. At 14, he left his family home in small-town Martensville, Saskatchewan, to play for a AAA team two hours away. At 15 he was drafted by the WHL and played two seasons for the Red Deer Rebels before being traded to the Swift Current Broncos. By this time Chris had suffered numerous concussions — and in 2000 he took a hit at the season opener that proved to be a career-ending blow. “Being told I couldn’t play the sport I loved was devastating,” he said. “My dream was to play in the NHL and I believed I had the skills to do it.” Turning his attention to his other passion, Chris trained to become a firefighter and he and his fiancé (now wife) Shannon moved to Alberta where she accepted a teaching job in Black Diamond. That summer the couple wed, bought a house in Okotoks, and Chris took a construction job while awaiting placement in a fire department.

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sports

offered support, shouldered the financial load and dealt with her own mountain of grief. The pair somehow managed to persevere and Chris clawed his way back to a meaningful, existence where he could achieve clarity and once again — dream.

Chris Cederstrand “September 21, 2005 I went to work knowing that I was going to get a call about a firefighting job,” said Chris. The call came but fate intervened. That was the day Chris was rushed to hospital and told that his femoral artery was severed and an above-knee amputation was the only measure that would save his life. The next few years were impossibly rough for the Cederstrands. Chris suffered excruciating pain and spent his days highly medicated and struggling with sores, swelling and ill-fitting prostheses. Shannon

…Chris was rushed to hospital and told that his femoral artery was severed and an aboveknee amputation was the only measure that would save his life. 24

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HOCKEY WITH AN EDGE Six years after his accident while in the throes of relearning to golf, cycle, snowboard and skate, Chris’s tumultuous journey led him back to the sport he felt he was born for: hockey. Not stand up hockey but sledge hockey, ice hockey for people with physical disabilities. “I went out to watch the World Sledge Hockey Challenge with (national sledge hockey player) Kieran Block,” said Chris. “I knew instantly I wanted to play.” Sledge hockey at the elite level is fast, full-contact, highly-competitive… as Chris says, “it’s hockey!” It shares all the same rules, strategies and tactics as hockey except for one penalty: you can’t use your sledge as a weapon. Whereas in hockey you use your arms for certain functions and your legs for others, in sledge hockey you use your arms and upper body for every maneuver from propelling yourself to stick-handling. “Though it was an easy transition in some ways, I had to apply even more time and energy to learning this game of hockey,” said Chris. “You have to be ambidextrous and have incredible core strength.” Chris began playing for the Calgary Scorpions and within months he was on the radar of the National Sledge Hockey Team. In 2012 he made the jump to the development team and within a short period became captain. He was the first alternate for Team Canada when they won bronze at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. Today he is playing on the National Team that won Silver at 2015 World Championship and

sports

he continues to travel around North America and play the sport he now has a fiery passion for. “Putting on a Team Canada hockey jersey is everything I dreamed it would be,” said Chris. “It’s just such a surreal experience.” TWO FOR TWO By 2014, Chris and Shannon had achieved some semblance of a normal life and were fully immersed in parenthood. “Having a daughter and a son has totally changed my world,” said Chris. “It’s amazing… I just want to do the best I can for my kids.” Last winter, after giving a motivational speech to an Okotoks minor hockey team, Chris witnessed another miracle that would bring him one step closer to living his dreams. “Some mothers who were moved by my message decided to fundraise to purchase a new leg for me. I can’t believe how incredibly generous and caring people are — people who don’t even know me have changed my life!” The X3 prosthetic leg that cost around $100,000 allows Chris near total mobility. “It’s phenomenal; I can do almost anything with this leg. I almost feel back to myself.” Focused on giving back, Chris has since joined forces with the Okotoks pair (Leigh Lolacher-Kelm and Vicki Stride) to start ‘Cederstrand Foundation,’ a foundation to help other amputees purchase sport prosthetics.

Scars remind you of where you’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where you go.

“It kills people when they can’t do what they love,” says Chris, noting that the average prosthetic leg costs around $10,000, and that is a generic one with limited mobility. “I want to help others get back to doing what they love.” Out of the blue, and making it two for two of his childhood dreams, in 2012 Chris got the call he missed on the day of his accident… the invitation to become a firefighter. Initially his limitations prevented him from being fully capable, but with his new X3 prosthetic leg, Chris was able to pass all the required tests for the job and compete at the Fire Fit Challenge in 2014. Currently, he is employed with the Foothills MD, making him the first known above-knee amputee firefighter in North America. “There’s this quote I share all the time, it really inspires me: ‘Scars remind you of where you’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where you go’,” said Chris. “When I look at my life now, I wouldn’t change anything. Obviously I still have struggles — I likely always will — but I’m on the right path. I have definitely found the silver lining.” OL

Chris (middle row, right end) with Team Canada sledge hockey team

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In addition to their steadfast commitment to exemplary customer service and upstanding business principals, husband and wife team Kelly and Lee are equally passionate about investing in the community — they participate in many events and donate funds and baked goods to local charities. “We love what we do and we are blessed to be able to give back to people in need and Leadership gives us a great feeling of joy and serve those who have supported us and made accomplishment!” said COBS Bread Franchise us feel like family,” said Lee, adding that on the Owner Kelly and Lee Hodgins. “We really want opening day of their bakery, COBS Centennial to be an example of how to bring people Village donated all sales proceeds to Foothills together by helping each other and creating a Country Hospice and The Alberta Flood Foundation, and has since given to more than 100 strong sense of community.” local groups and organizations. The COBS Bread franchise is a part of the an Australian bakery network, Bakers Delight, which originated in Australia in 1980 and now has over 700 bakeries in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. In Canada, the franchise continues to grow as COBS Bread. Built on the merits of an “oven to table” approach to high-quality baking and fueled by its mission to donate to communities and provide excellent customer-service, COBS Bread is indeed a Lee and Kelly Hodgins recipe for happiness! n

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business

13th annual Okotoks Chamber of Commerce 100th annual Business Excellence Awards STORY BY JIM ZANG PHOTOS BY DON MOLYNEAUX

LL THE BIG stars were out at the Best Western Plus the evening of October 7 for the 13th annual Okotoks Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards — or at least what passes for celebrities here in the ‘little town that could’. Dan Bascombe, popular drive show host at the Eagle 100.9 handled the emcee duties like the seasoned pro he is, while violinist Sean le Child serenaded the pre-event crowd. Mayor Bill Robertson was there as were town councilors Matt Rockley, Tanya Thorn and Ray Watrin and, of course, Chamber CEO Cheryl Actemichuk.

Even the meal was first class, with a fantastic menu of butter lettuce salad, prime rib with baby potatoes, glazed carrots, chicken breast with garlic

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Bow Mark Paving Bob and Sean McArthur

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Expressions Signs and Promotional Products Kerri Van Hell

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

Cactus Club Salon Mandy Patterson and Sara Noyes

mushroom gravy, and for dessert, chocolate mousse, from Great Events Catering. But the real stars of the event were the Chamber members themselves, nearly 160 of whom showed up for the prestigious event honouring the year’s best in Okotoks business. “We had 113 nominees this year,” says Actemichuk, “including 67 different businesses and individuals.” It’s just further proof, she says, that “Okotoks is a great place to do business. By purchasing and shopping locally we stimulate our economy and support our friends and neighbours.” One person who was really feeling that support was Verna Thomas, the recently retired local Bibles For Missions Chairperson was the lucky winner of a one-year lease on a 2015 Honda Civic LX from Okotoks Honda. Pictured are the rest of the 2015 Business Excellence Awards winners. OL

CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUSINESS

Elizabeth Street Pet Hospital

Lindsay Adams, office manager

CUSTOMER SERVICE, INDIVIDUAL Okotoks Honda presented Verna Thomas, with a 2015 Honda Civic LX for one year. 100 keys were sold during the evening, with Verna’s starting the car.

Misty and Wendy Shingoose Image Hair Design

SOCIAL PROFIT BUSINESS AWARD

Natural High Fitness Andrew and Shari Gustafson

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Solve Studio Del Paquette

Andrea Glowatsky (right) of Okotoks Living magazine presents Del Paquette with a free ad.

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD

Lee and Kelly Hodgins COBS Bread

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homes

Space up your life With Timber Creek Homes in Cimarron Country Estates STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM ZANG

“T

HIS COULD BE the last time you see lots this size anywhere,” says Moez Moledina of Tristar Communities, developers of Cimarron Country Estates in Okotoks. “Even with the larger homes, there’s still plenty of elbow room,” he says of the huge 65 by 150 foot lots in Okotoks’ largest community. He speaks the truth. In fact, there are just a few lots remaining in the current Phase 40 of the development and 64 left in the final stage, Phase 41, completing the approximately 2,500 homes in all of Cimarron at final build-out. About 25 per cent of the community is green space, says Moledina, with many homes backing onto wetlands, green spaces and pathways. “The whole area is geared for walking,” he says. “Parents walk to school with their kids, residents walk their pets or with their families. There’s in excess of eight kilometres of trails.”

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homes In the master bedroom ensuite, the ceramic tile shower stall, free-standing soaker tub, and same quartzy-granite countertop are reflected in dual vanity-to -ceiling mirrors. Heated quartz Candia Tiger tile flooring warms the feet on the way to an incredible walkin closet with wall-to-wall shelves, hangers and drawers.

The Timber Creek Homes show home at 15 Cimarron Estates Gate measures in at a spacious 1,926 squarefeet of living space on the main floor and 1,602 squarefeet in the finished basement. Front curb appeal is highlighted by a triple garage with cedar doors, exposed aggregate driveway, with natural stone accents and arched entry.

Situated right smack dab in the middle of town, Cimarron is loaded with amenities that are already there and open for business. Sandwiched between 32 St. on the east and Southridge Dr. on the west, you’ve only got to drive a couple minutes in either direction to have a wide variety of shopping and dining options at your fingertips. Even the new Calgary South Health Campus is only 15 short minutes away. As for schools, there’s the Foothills Composite High School, plus elementary and junior high schools for the Catholic School Division. And, while the phases featuring starter and smaller move-up homes have basically been finished for a while (Timber Creek Homes still had four lots in one of these areas at time of writing), the larger move-up and estate market has been steady. “It’s amazing,” says Moledina, “this market niche is still very active. Most are not first time home buyers, they’re coming with equity built up from their previous homes.”

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homes

A B

Right now Timber Creek Homes is the exclusive builder in Cimarron Country Estates, but that could change. The area features bungalows of over 2,000 square-feet and two-storey homes of 3,000 square-feet plus with lot, house and GST starting around the low $800,000s. Timber Creek Homes has been building homes since 2006, says third generation home builder Jim Crawford, and in Cimarron since “about five years ago”. Since then, they’ve been busy building their special brand of custom homes, completing 40-some houses in Cimarron last year alone. Right now, he says, about half the lots in the final phase (41) are still available. A key point to keep in mind with Timber Creek Homes when you look at their show home is that they are a custom builder. What you see is merely a representative sample of their work, of what can be done. They don’t have a booklet of plans and you pick model A, B or C. “Every home is different,” says Crawford. “We do all our design in-house so we actually sit down with people to find our their wants and needs.” The show home, as is, with all the upgrades and finished basement, is priced at a cool $1.2 million. OL

A In the kitchen, the gigantic island is topped off with a bright white crystal granite waterfall-style countertop to match the cabinets. High-end appliances include a Dacor stainless steel range and a six-foot wide Frigidaire refrigerator/ freezer. A microwave is tucked discreetly into the adjoining butler’s pantry, which flows into the back mudroom and garage entry. B Details in the home are literally floor-to-ceiling, from the herringbone patterned walnut hardwood floors, to the towering 13-foot ceilings on the main floor. The star of the great room, though, isn’t the floors, ceiling, or even the huge expanse of windows — it’s the full seemless marble surround fireplace, with built-in maple bookshelves on either side. C A maple stair railing with glass panels leads downstairs to a large family/games room centred around a big screen TV flanked by more maple bookshelves. Across the room is a complete wet bar and glittery tile backsplash and kitty corner from that a complete wine room. This particular home features three more big bedrooms and two full baths in the finished basement.

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community

A FRIEND INDEED

Okotoks Family Resource Centre there when you need them most STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMANDA BROW N

ANY PEOPLE AREN’T aware of the wide range of services and information available at the Okotoks Family Resource Centre, located in the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre on Cimarron Common. Many are, however, as OFRC assisted 3,021 people from Okotoks, Turner Valley, Black Diamond, and surrounding M.D. Foothills last year. The friendly staff at the OFRC offers valuable support for a vast range of challenges encountered by residents. “We have quite a range of programs,” says Sherri Mullen, coordinator at the OFRC. “Our main service is walk-in information, support, and referral. We get a lot of questions, about all sorts of things, including parenting concerns, mental health, community service information, housing, and government services. Regardless of who walks in the door and what information they are seeking, we will work to find an answer for them.” The referral service is only one part the OFRC’s task. There are also several programs that offer income-based financial assistance, among them the Holiday Helper program, Sherri Mullen Community Volunteer Income Tax program, and the School Supply program. The OFRC’s services are the result of a successful multi-agency collaboration. Debbie Posey, community wellness manager at the Town of Okotoks says, “the Family Resource Centre is a very unique partnership. It’s a multiple-funded resource centre. There are several partners. Alberta Health Services Debbie Posey hosts the actual family resource centre site and they also provide some funding. Mental Health and Addiction Services provide some funding, Child and Family Services provides some… as well for the resource centre. Then obviously the Town of Okotoks and Family and Community Support Services.” This kind of cooperation means most queries can be addressed. Debbie goes on to explain, “anyone in the community at any time can struggle and, most of the time, people aren’t aware of what services are available until they need them. It could be a new mom

who’s never had to deal with any kind of program or services before who needs information, now that she’s a parent. It could be someone who’s had a job loss, or someone who’s got a child showing behavioural issues.” The OFRC’s support doesn’t cost a penny. Its comprehensive line up of programs and services are supported by donations. Residents can get help with government form filling, assistance finding counseling services, help from the Volunteer Driver program, and parent groups such as TLC Parenting for Toddlers. Rachel Swendseid, raised in Okotoks and a mom of two, is benefitting from TLC’s (Teach, Learn, Connect) weekly parenting program where parents of children aged 12 – 36 months have the chance to hear speakers each week on a variety of parenting-related topics. Rachel shares why TLC is important to her, “it shrinks the size of the community by connecting parents and keeps the caregivers of toddlers smiling through the tough times. It provides great advice on dealing with toddlers as well as socializing the little ones. With so many new people coming into Okotoks, groups like these are extremely important so parents don’t feel isolated and alone when caring for their children.” “I hear a lot of gratitude from people, for sure,” says Posey. “I’ve had people call me back to say ‘Thank you so much, your staff are wonderful.’ It’s an important service to have.” OL

Rachel Swendseid

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community

Pretty in pink

Okotoks Living’s Cindy Marks (left) and Andrea Glowatsky take a break from the on-ice action to sell raffle tickets.

Hockey fights cancer, and so do we

KOTOKS LIVING MAGAZINE is proud to have partnered with the Okotoks Oilers in the fight against cancer at the Oilers’ games on November 6 and 7. Friday night’s game featured a between periods bubble soccer match between six lucky fans, including Okotoks Living co-publisher Richard MacQuarrie. Raffle tickets were sold both nights for prizes like bread for a year from COBS, a children’s birthday party at Alberta Dance Academy, two 10-ticket packs to Dawgs baseball games, two sets of two tickets to the Foothills Holiday Roadshow from Okotoks Marketsquare, and lunch for two at Roma’s Italian Restaurant. Several pizza-loving fans also went home

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with free pizza coupons courtesy of Okotoks Pizza Hut. All money raised through the raffle went to Okotoks Kidsport and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, with the first $200 being matched by Okotoks Living. Oilers players also auctioned off their special pink game-worn jerseys, with proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. OL

It may not be an Olympic sport, but don’t tell that to the participants, who take their bubble soccer seriously.

Okotoks Living co-publisher, bubble boy Richard MacQuarrie, prepares to get bounced around.

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Monika Mc

On the hunt for life’s little

ew people are lucky enough to turn a hobby into a successful career, but that’s exactly what Monika McLachlan has done. However, once you get to know the energetic entrepreneur it’s clear that hard work and passion, not luck, account for her success. McLachlan is the owner of All Through the House, a bustling antiques and salvage business, and a selfprofessed workaholic. “But I enjoy it, so it’s okay. I’m not stressed,” she insists. McLachlan bought All Through the House from her sister Karin Macoun in 2007 and has spent the last eight years learning the ins and outs of the market and cultivating the shop’s unique aesthetic. In 2011, the sisters joined forces and moved into a larger shared space on Stockton Avenue where they now operate two complementary businesses under one roof. Macoun owns Red Barn Mercantile and is responsible for finding trendy new home decor and greenery while McLachlan sticks to her specialty of sourcing hardto-find antiques and salvage goods. “We have a similar style, so it works well,” McLachlan says, crediting their mom and the decor of their childhood home for inspiring the store’s charming look and feel. McLachlan’s typical day starts around 9:30 a.m. It’s certainly later than most people wake up, but that’s because she’s usually awake working into the wee hours of the morning. “I’m a late bird. I do all of my social media late at night,” she says. “I’ve got buggy eyes in the morning.” She gets going with a hearty breakfast — “usually eggs from the Farmer’s Market with spinach, cheese and some mango salsa” and a cup of coffee (dark roast with cream) either from a drive-thru on her way to work or from the Tassimo at the store. Virgin 98.5’s energizing pop music plays on her radio as she drives into work, often running one or

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a day in the life

Lachlan

treasures

BY ALYSSA BURNHAM

two errands on her way. She arrives at the store around 10:50 a.m. with a few minutes to spare before the doors open at 11 a.m. It’s enough time to greet Marbles, the short-haired tortoise shell rescue cat she and Macoun adopted a few years ago. “As soon as we get here, we let her out. She’s always happy to see us. She greets all of the customers and hides when she’s had enough.” Next, she and her sister set the outdoor signs out, prep the front display and get to work on a neverending to-do list. “There’s a task to do all the time,” she states not the least bit begrudgingly. Between customers, whom she greets with a smile and a friendly offer of assistance, McLachlan can be found working on everything from sorting and pricing to cleaning and light repairs. Small tables and chairs, for example, are popular items, but before they can be sold they usually require a good scrub and maybe some refinishing, she explains. The store is stocked with a wide assortment of items like dressers, chairs, doors, windows, knobs, tools, horse tack, crates, barnwood, barrels and wooden wheels each of which has been hand-picked by McLachlan. She can tell you the story behind most items on the shelves. “We try to stick to the rustic, distressed look. That’s what we tend to gravitate to, things that would have been on a farm.”

While she receives one to two drop offs per day from people who have items they want to sell, most of the treasures on the shelves are found by McLachlan herself. Estate sales, online connections and word of mouth are responsible for many finds, and she also goes on about six “picking trips” each year to check out antique markets, thrift stores, fairs and flea markets across Canada and the northern United States. She usually goes alone, partly because she enjoys the freedom and inspiration of solo adventure but also because she needs every square inch of space in her rental van to get her purchases back to the store. Once the store closes for the day McLachan heads home, usually arriving around 6 p.m. Her house, she says, is surprisingly simple. For someone who makes a living in home decor, she spends almost no time at all decorating her own home because she’s “almost never there.” She whips up a quick supper for herself, her husband Kevin and daughter Vanessa (her son, Kyle, lives in Vancouver), tidies up and then gets right back to work on her laptop. The evenings are spent answering business emails and working on the store’s website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts. At 12:30 a.m. McLachlan takes a break to pour herself a glass of red wine and sit down to watch The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “Then I either get a second wind and pull out the laptop again or I go to bed.” If her days sound long and busy, it’s because they are. But when you do what you love and love what you do, McLachlan will be the first to tell you that it’s also pretty satisfying. OL

The store is stocked with a wide assortment of items… each of which has been hand picked by McLachlan. She can tell you the story behind most items on the shelves.

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community

STORY AND PHOTO BY DARLENE CASTEN

School daze New K-9 school on the way

Tanya Perret with her five sons (left to right: Pasen, 6, Cley, 12, Kaden, 17, and Cache, 9) is excited that a K-9 school will be built on the Wedderburn lands behind them because many Okotoks elementary schools are full.

KOTOKS IS GETTING a new school. And that’s great news for the ever-growing number of parents with youngsters attending local public schools. A second K-9 school is desperately needed in Okotoks after Westmount School, the most recent new construction, filled up only three years after opening in September 2012. Westmount School is capped with 720 students filling its classrooms, that were built to accommodate 711 students, and its Kindergarten students are being taught at nearby Big Rock School. Two other elementary schools and the town’s only public high school are at capacity as well. Town of Okotoks officials and parents worked in concert with the Foothills School Division, making some innovative decisions to help the new school become a reality. For example, the school will be built on land bought with taxpayer dollars, a first in Okotoks. The Town has been without a new school site since Westmount School was built and, when annexation and growth plans pushed through after years under a population cap, the Town estimated it would take another six to seven years to acquire another school site. However, when a plan was put forth to put the next public school for Okotoks in an industrial area east of town, Okotoks town council took drastic measures to ensure local students would have a school that is actually in Okotoks. They approved the purchase of 40 acres of land on the town’s northeast side, across from Holy Trinity Academy. While the exact final cost of the purchase can’t be released until the land sale is complete, “We went out and spent millions of dollars to buy private land,” says Okotoks’ Mayor Bill Robertson. “We’ve never done that before — gone out and bought a school site.”

Typically the town acquires land for schools when developers hand over a portion of their land as municipal reserve, he says. Said land is then earmarked for school, recreational and cultural purposes. In this case, the Town is in the midst of a lengthy annexation process and felt they couldn’t wait for land to become available for a new school, Robertson says. The school division was already considering building two high schools, one at the site of the Crescent Point Regional Field House and another on the site purchased by the Town of Okotoks. Foothills School Division board chair Christine Pretty says over the last year they’ve gone through three different plans to have a new school built for Okotoks students. “It has been busy,” Pretty says. “There have been a lot of back and forth meetings with the Town. We have gotten to a great place.” Some parents liked the plan for two new high schools, with one located right next to the field house, Pretty says. However, some parents protested, circulated petitions, created Facebook pages for people to join and wrote their MLAs and the Education Minister. A group of parents, calling themselves Parents Unite, were concerned about the high school relocating out of Okotoks, forcing kids to bus or drive out of town and dividing students between two buildings formed. Tanya Perrett was part of the group. In the end, she says, their concerns were heard and, as a mother of five children that attend public elementary, junior high and high schools in Okotoks, she is excited for the future. “I’m super proud of the Town and the school division for coming together and finding a solution,” Parrett says. So far, both definitely deserve an ‘A’ for effort. OL

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what’s happening

events

Compiled by Estelle Park

november

to December 31. Okotoks Museum and Archives will showcase Winter Sports and Winter Athletes, in celebration of the National Year of Sport, featuring photos of local winter sport athletes from the past and the present. The exhibit will be opposite the Piper Arena at Okotoks Recreation Centre. See article page 13.

to December 23. Canada at Play is a travelling exhibit from the Royal Ontario Museum that explores the development of toys and games over the past 130 years. Try your hand at Chess, Checkers, Operation or even Twister. Free at Okotoks Museum and Archives.

to December 23. The Spirit of Christmas Artisan Market at the Okotoks Art Gallery will showcase artwork, ornaments, cards, and much more. Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

december

A Very Merry Yuk Yuk’s Variety Show will feature three top headliners who will perform a dance, a song, and skits in addition to their stand-up comedy. Show starts at 8 p.m. at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $20 at www.okotoksculture.ca.

Wood-Burning Miniature Hockey Sticks, 1-4 p.m. at Okotoks Art Gallery. Kids ages 10-16 can personalize their own mini hockey sticks through wood-burning. $25+GST; free for Activ8s. Register with course code 47163 at netreg.okotoks.ca.

, January 2, February 6. Preschool Oral Health Clinics are available at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to apply fluoride varnish, provide a visual dental screening, and teach parents ways to protect their child’s teeth. Call 403-995-2662 to book an appointment.

Vendor Affair Family Market showcases a variety of vendors for Christmas shopping, as well as face painting and snacks. Free admission, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Crescent Point Regional Field House. If possible, bring a Okotoks Food Bank donation.

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, 14, January 11, 18, 25. TLC Parenting for Toddlers is a free drop-in program at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, room 1424. Parents/caregivers of children aged 12-36 months are welcome to come and learn about toddler growth and development, and socialize with other parents and professionals.

, January 13, February 10. Free Car Seat Safety Checks at the Okotoks Fire Station at 132 Milligan Drive. Drop by with the child who uses a car seat at anytime between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

SNEAK PREVIEW: Goodger Pink Productions presents: Puss in Boots, The Master Cat, a new Christmas pantomime presented by local playwright Dan Gibbins. Tickets: $5 at www.okotoksculture.ca. Show runs from 7- 8:30 p.m. at RPAC.

-13 & 17-20 Goodger Pink Productions presents: Puss in Boots, The Master Cat at RPAC. Tickets: $15 for adults; $10 for children at www.okotoksculture.ca. Afternoon shows (2-3:30 p.m.). December 13, 19, 20, Evening Shows (show starts at 7 p.m.)

Annual Skate with Santa at Okotoks Recreation Centre Piper Arena. Candy canes, hot chocolate, and skating! 2:15-3:15 p.m. Free admission.

Winter of Artsy: An Oz Themed Holiday Market features a variety of handcrafted gifts, as well as craft stations. Free admission, 1-9 p.m. at Foothills Centennial Centre.

Join Goodger-Pink Productions in a fun theatre and improv workshop at RPAC. Ages 6-12. $25+GST at netreg.okotoks.ca; use course code 47164.

Create Your Own Card: Paper Marbling is open to all ages at Okotoks Art Gallery. 1-3 p.m., FREE.

La Leche League (LLL) is an international mother-mother support group that helps mothers to learn, celebrate, and share their breastfeeding experiences. Meetings: 6-8 p.m. at Okotoks Public Library. Free to all current and expected mothers, their families, and health care professionals.

Free family fun and activities at Kid’s New Year’s Eve Celebration at Okotoks Recreation Centre. 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Fireworks are set off from Lineham Park at 7 p.m.

events

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/events For full Okotoks Culture and Heritage events listings visit www.okotoksculture.ca

january

100th Anniversary of Women’s Right To Vote exhibit celebrates and explores the women’s suffrage movement. The free exhibit will be at OMA until April 30. Reception date is January 23, 1-3 p.m.

International Museum Selfie Day encourages visitors to snap a selfie with their favourite exhibits and artwork, and share it on Instagram using the hashtag #museumselfie. 10 a.m - 5 p.m. at OMA.

Just Wait Five Minutes…or 15,000 Years exhibit at OMA explores the impact of weather on Okotoks and its people, showcasing fossils and environmental monitoring equipment. Reception date is January 23, 1-3 p.m. Free.

Will Stroet and the Backyard Band: 11 a.m and 2 p.m. shows at Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Includes ‘Sensory Overload’, a free sensory play station experience before the show. Tickets at www. okotoksculture.ca.

‘Crated’: exhibit by Pascale Oulette seeks to explore the relationship between consumers and farm animals through artwork. Exhibit at OMA until February 27. Reception date is January 23, 1-3 p.m.

-30 & February 4-6 and February 11-13. Dewdney Players presents Cinderella – a British Pantomime. General Admission: $20; Seniors/Students: $15 Tickets at www.okotoksculture.ca.

to February 27, every Saturday. Free outdoor skating, hot chocolate and fire pits at the outdoor rink, downtown at the Landmark site. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Art of Video Games teen drop-in art night at the Okotoks Youth Centre. Free Activ8 event. 8:30-10 p.m., Okotoks Youth Centre.

to Feb 24 ‘Printfluence’, a travelling exhibit from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, comes to OAG. Exhibit is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. until February 24.

and February 6. For a Love of Horses: Clay Sculpture is a twopart workshop where participants can sculpt and paint their own model horse. First part on January 30 is from 1-4 p.m.; second part on February 6 from 1-2 p.m. Ages 6-12; register with course code 47974 @ netreg.okotoks.ca. $25+GST.

Come see the variety of programs, clubs, and activities that Okotoks offers at the Spring Parade of Programs at Okotoks Recreation Centre. 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free.

Old-Fashioned Outdoor Skating Party. 1-3 p.m., free at the Okotoks Recreation Centre (outdoor rink).

february

Winter Walk Day encourages all residents to stop in for a walk @ Indoor Walking Track at Pason Centennial Arena. 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., free.

Toddle Down to the Art Gallery at OAG. Check out exhibitions while your toddler plays at interactive, handson art stations. Children will also create

a work of art to take home, as well. Recommended for ages 1-5 (older siblings are welcome to join.) 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Drop-in: $5/family.

Share the love with your family at Family Valentine’s Day Dance at Okotoks Recreation Centre. 6:30-8 p.m., $10/family.

Family Day at the Okotoks Recreation Centre. Enjoy activities including swimming, skating, shinny hockey, and live entertainment. 10 a.m. -3:30 p.m. Free, donations accepted to support the Recreation Fee Assistance program).

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youth beat

Traditions

Family fun for the festive season BY ANNA QUICK

T’S WINTER, TIME for cuddles with family around a fireplace, drinking hot cocoa, having snowball fights and building snow forts. It’s funny how this time of year is the coldest on our skin but the warmest for our hearts. Even with the cold, there are so many things to do in Okotoks this season. Our beautiful town always has something fun going on for kids and youth, so there’s really no excuse to say you’re bored. We even have special events just for us, and two that are certain to be awesome are the Kids New Year’s Eve Party on December 31st, and the Old Fashioned Skating Party in January. Whether you like hockey, skating, sledding, walking or other outdoor sports or activities, they can all be done right here. If you prefer staying warm and toasty there are so many things to do. Board games like chess, checkers, snakes and ladders are a great way to hang out with friends and family and really connect. Maybe you just enjoy cuddling down with a bowl of popcorn in front of the Christmas tree to watch a classic movie. I think sitting by the fireplace with a good book might be my personal favourite. I asked some fellow Okotokians what they enjoy doing during the holidays. Samantha (age 11) told me, “Our traditions for the winter holidays are that every Christmas we eat cheese and chocolate fondue. We celebrate Christmas, so on Christmas Eve we’re allowed to open only one gift from our parents and save the rest for Christmas Day. For New Year’s we have a party with about 60 people. We stay up all night and don’t sleep at all.” That sounds like some fun traditions! Michael (age 15) likes being outdoors, he said “I love going out in the snow, building snow forts with my friends and having snowball fights. We hide behind the walls and have a huge snow war. After that we run into a coffee shop and get

some warm drinks to thaw our hands and faces because by that time they are almost frozen”. One thing that would be really cool to try this winter is a rainbow igloo. You may have seen the one a family from Edmonton made, it was on the news last winter. Maybe that’s a bit big but a mini would be a great start. The igloo is made by freezing lots of milk cartons with coloured water in them. Each time you finish a milk carton rinse it out and save it for this igloo project. It could take a few months to get enough cartons for building something, but maybe neighbours can help collect them. Once you have a bunch of frozen coloured blocks, and it’s cold enough outside, you can start building with them. Just be sure to put some water between the blocks so they can stick together. It doesn’t have to be an igloo, maybe a fort, or walls for snowball wars. Coloured ice makes great decorations too. I saw an online post with ice balls made from filling balloons with coloured water and when then are frozen they look like ornaments. Adding some lights behind frozen coloured blocks makes them look magical. Whatever plans or activities you choose, winter is a great time to pick up new hobbies, talk to friends you miss, and spend time with family. It’s a time for joy and happiness, for giving and selflessness. I wish you all a fun and safe winter, and happy 2016! OL

Anna Quick is a grade 7 Okotoks resident who has appeared in film, TV, and commercials. She loves to read, write, and play video games and is founder of AQ Cares where she works to help others. An animal fanatic, she is the proud mom of a rescued cat (Twilight) and Chihuahua (Squirt). Her future plan is to own a veterinary clinic and continue her work as an actress.

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| ADVERTISING FEATURE |

Discount Car and Truck Rentals Truly Canadiann company now serving Okotoks from Carstar location

Photo by Darlene Casten

ou may have noticed there is a new vehicle rental business in town. Discount Car and Truck Rentals opened its doors on November 1, sharing space with Carstar on Stockton Avenue. This ‘truly Canadian’ rental company is a boon for Okotoks — bringing its own brand of homegrown hospitality to a town that champions businesses with heart. “We love it here in Okotoks, and there are lots of reasons to believe people will love having us here,” says Greg Wing, Director of Sales. “We are 100 per cent Canadian owned and operated and the oldest rental car company offering insurance replacement in Canada.” He said, explaining that the family that founded Discount Car and Truck Rentals in Hamilton, Ontario in 1980 is still at the helm. An industry leader today with 300 locations across Canada and strategic alliances in 130 countries, Discount made its mark in the country over two decades ago by being the first to offer free pick-up and drop-off services to its customers. This customer-focused mandate continues to be at the heart of the family-run company today. “What people will notice immediately when they bring their business to us is that employees here are highly-attuned to the stresses that often accompany the need for a vehicle rental arrangement,” says Wing. He explains that ninety-five per cent of their car and truck rental business is the result of people travelling, or having been in an accident, or some other situation that leaves them without the comforts of their own vehicle. “Our staff care about people’s circumstances and they go the extra mile to make the experience as stressfree as possible.” In fact, employees at “We are 100 per cent Discount have been known to help install chilCanadian owned and dren’s car seats, enteroperated and the tain kids while adults tend to paperwork, and oldest rental car even help move grocercompany offering ies and hockey gear from insurance replacement one vehicle to another. “What can I say, ensuring in Canada.” our customers are happy, secure and safe in our care is paramount to all of us at Discount,” says Wing. Other compelling reasons to come by and give Okotoks-based Discount your business include its high-end fleet of newer cars and trucks (all less than six months old), its convenient proximity to Carstar (a top-rated collision repair

Discount Car and Truck Rental Branch Manager Paul Moseley is proud to announce they have extended their partnership with Carstar to its Okotoks store starting November 3. Now Carstar customers needing a rental car can conveniently find one on site.

centre), 24/7 service, and the Company’s time-tested insurance replacement mandate. “We started insurance replacement over 35 years ago — the first company to offer this service in Canada,” says Wing. With a mission to continue expanding while staying true to its customer-centred focus, Discount is betting it will hit the mark with customers in Okotoks. “I know people will notice the signature services that set us apart in the rental business,” said Wing. “We are truly the Canadian way to go.” n W I NTE R 20 1 5 O KOTO KS LIVI N G

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Okotoks Ford

Friendly staff and new facility add up to great customer service

n December 2013, the Okotoks Ford dealership moved to a gleaming, ultra modern facility on Westland Road. The new facility features a 10 vehicle showroom and has doubled their amount of service bays from 10 to 20. Okotoks Ford is part of The Wood Automotive Group, owned by Gerry Wood. Rick Cherrington took over as General Manager in October although he has been with the Wood Automotive Group for awhile. Cherrington knows it’s not the facility that brings in customers — it’s the friendly staff. “We know our customers are feeling the pressures of the economy, so we’re working very hard to make sure they’re happy.” Cherrington’s one of the first to see the 2016 models, which are arriving on the lot daily. Let’s start with the 2016 Lincoln MKX. This midsize crossover SUV has been completely redesigned and features a spacious interior, an optional 2.7 litre V6 that provides 335 horsepower and a special climate package featuringa heated steering wheel and heated rear seats — perfect for those chilly winter drives. If you’re looking for something bigger and stronger, the F-150 is receiving rave reviews. Built from military grade aluminum, the F-150 can pull up to 12 200lbs

Photo by Darlene Casten

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and offers you a choice of V-6 twin-turbocharged or V-8 engines and has an unbelievably comfortable interior and ride for something this rugged. The Ford Mustang GT, an all-American muscle car packed with swagger, offers 435-horsepower, an intuitive interface featuring the Sync 3 touchscreen, and comes as a coupe or soft top convertible great for cruising. Gerry Wood has lived in the community for over 25 years and has always felt community involvement is extremely important. Okotoks Ford actively participates in its community by sponsoring and supporting local clubs and charities such as the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club, Okotoks Minor Hockey, Okotoks Agricultural Society, Sheep River Health Trust, Foothills Country Hospice Society and the Okotoks Rotary just to name a few. Of course, sales and deals are another way to give back at Okotoks Ford. With the influx of 2016 models, Cherrington has put all of the 2015s on clearance pricing. In addition, Okotoks Ford has partnered with their on-site affiliate, Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centre to offer a fantastic tire sale. If you don’t need a new vehicle or new tires, but just a regular check up, Okotoks Ford has you covered with a fully equipped modern shop with drive through service and factory trained technicians. If you’re interested in seeing all the vehicles 2016 has to offer or want to get an unbelievable deal on a remaining 2015, head down to the Okotoks Ford at 4 Westland Road, or call 403-917-0244 to set up an appointment. n

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Good E Shepherd School

E Percy Pegler School

Okotoks School J

Big Rock School E

Foothills Composite School H John Paul II Collegiate

E St. Mary’s School

Westmount School E

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Dr. M. Gibson School

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you said it

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When all the family comes together and we have a nice meal.

Going home to Nova Scotia and getting the whole family together. We all stay at my parents’ house.

Linda Scheerhoorn, resident

Kenda Goyette and Halle, residents

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I like seeing Santa at the mall and making snowmen!

What is your favourite family Christmas tradition?

Ryley, age 4

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Cutting down Christmas trees over in Millarville.

BY ISABEL RODRIGUEZ

Marieke Delsnider, resident

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Opening presents on Christmas. Oh, and a fondue dinner.

Our Christmas dinners. There’s always turkey, ham, potatoes, and veggies. Kerry Mullet, resident

Will Scheerhoorn, resident

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Christmas Eve we always have family over and my brother-in-law dresses up as Santa. My father actually used to do it before he passed.

My family’s from Newfoundland, and we have what you call a “jiggs dinner” or a “boiled dinner” with every big holiday. Charlotte Finn, resident

Shannon Gosse, resident

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To look for a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree. Noah, age 7

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“ “

Making cinnamon buns with my family.

Colin Mullet, resident Eating cinnamon buns and opening presents!

Chloe, age 6

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MOTION FITNESS

Health and wellness experts for mind, body and soul

t’s a Monday afternoon and things are humming right along at Motion Fitness Okotoks. In the cardio area, a 60-something gentleman works out next to a young gal in her 20s on the elliptical machines. A couple rows ahead of them, a trim looking man in perhaps his mid-40s is making time on the treadmill. Meanwhile, over in the weight training area, a couple of young ladies take turns spotting each other pumping iron on the weight set while an extremely buff looking man works up a sweat on the free weights. The tunes are playing, but they’re not too loud, and not too raunchy. There’s a good vibe here, a positive energy that greets you — along with the friendly front desk staff — as soon as you walk in the front door. In fact, with the smoothie bar and adjoining seating area up front, it’s more like walking into your favourite lounge or coffee shop, than a fitness centre. There’s a steam room, an in-house tanning salon, and a variety of health and fitness products, from water bottles and yoga mats to body lotions and protein supplements – they even offer child care! “It’s really more of a meeting place than a traditional gym,” says regional manager Hussain Akbar. “Everybody’s here for the same reason, to get fit and have fun.” And, whether you prefer to work out alone in the early morning or in a class full of people later in the evening, there’s

something for everyone. From a couple of different types of yoga, to spin classes, kickboxing, Zumba, and some dance sessions, there’s nearly always something going on. And, of course, there’s the popular ‘ladies only’ area for those who don’t feel like having an audience. “Personal training from certified personal trainers is definitely our strong point,” says Akbar, who gives most of the credit to Motion Fitness’ staff and instructors, including head personal trainer Dean Holstein and group exercise co-ordinator Robin Willems. “And our group classes are untouched in Okotoks for both quantity AND quality. The high quality of our staff really makes a difference if you’re looking for expert advice on a healthy lifestyle.” With so much to offer, super-convenient hours, and a variety of different membership levels available, it’s no surprise the Okotoks Motion Fitness, which opened in January 2012, has become so popular in their short three-plus years in town. “At any given time, there could be 70 to 100 people here working out,” says Akbar. “We’ll see close to 350 people come through the doors every day.” Not to worry though, with more than 50 pieces of cardio equipment, tons (literally) of weights, and the separate class and workout areas, there’s always lots of room for everyone in the sprawling multi-room facility. As much as Okotoks has taken a liking to Motion Fitness, the opposite is true too: Motion Fitness loves Okotoks. “The Okotoks Oilers work out here,” says Akbar, “we like to be involved in the parade, and we’ve always got people involved in community events like the ride to conquer cancer. It’s important to us that we run a business that has a real local connection,” he says of the Calgaryowned franchise. “Okotoks is going to continue to grow, and we want to be part of that.” For more information on memberships, classes, or personal training, drop by in person at 40 Riverside Way, or visit the website at motionfitnessokotoks.ca n