Okotoks Living Spring 2016 by Source Media Group

contents conte SPRING 2016 | VOLUME 7 ISSUE 28

35 history

Cover photography by Lana Armitage

Brittle pages Homesteader’s wife keeps journal of the war years

Daring to be different Applying the modern art of branding to Okotoks

people

sports

The puck stops here MP a problem-solving people person

Super soccer supporter United Communities a real team player

business

16 14

It’s show time! Trade and Lifestyle Show the surest sign of spring

Ready, set… hut! hut! For Foothills Eagles it’s all about fun, fitness and football

15 6

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24 feature

sustainability

Artists among us Inspiration can come from anywhere, but it lives in Okotoks

MyHEAT Check out your home’s thermal signature

homes

you said it…

No bedtime story Slumping Alberta economy finally catching up to Okotoks

What is your favourite Okotoks event?

Inner spaces Local experts breathe new life into tired rooms

community

Leaders of tomorrow Annual awards celebrate young volunteers

a day in the life

Dr. Mark Rubensohn Some of Okotoks vet’s favourite friends are animals

items

08 Editor’s Message 10 Town of Okotoks

Message

11 Around Town 40 Events 44 Map

@OkotoksLiving OkotoksLiving

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editor’s note PUBLISHER |

Source Media Group

info@sourcemediagroup.ca A S S O C I AT E P U B L I S H E R / E D I T O R |

Jim Zang

jim.zang@sourcemediagroup.ca

The town it is a changin’

TO BORROW FROM a famous Bob Dylan song: the town, it is a changin’. And Okotoks Living magazine is changing right along with it as we try to keep pace with one of Alberta’s most dynamic communities. In fact, there’s often so much happening that it’s hard for a quarterly publication to cover everything in a timely fashion. We try our best, but with just four magazines a year there’s only so many pages to go around. To help solve this dilemma, we’ve added another

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Andrea Glowatsky

layer of editorial to our regular line-up. Around

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Town is a catch-all department where we can run

A C C O U N T I N G | Norma

information on things that didn’t quite make it to the feature story list, but don’t necessarily fit the Events page format. Around Town’s snippets of information make for quick, easy reads and help further connect Okotokians with what’s going on in their community. Speaking of connectivity, few people are more well-known in Okotoks than John Barlow. This edition’s cover article takes us into the personal life of the former Western Wheel editor and current MP for Foothills. With the focus of this edition clearly on Okotoks people, we visit with five local artists, each with a very unique talent, to see what makes them do what they do. It’s really quite an impressive collection of skills in one town the size of Okotoks.

Robertson

accounting@sourcemediagroup.ca EDITORIAL

Lana Armitage, Amanda Brown, Alyssa Burnham, Darlene Casten, Anne Gafiuk, Suzanne Hale, Julie Robertson, Jody Sanderson, David Shepherd PHOTOGRAPHY

Lana Armitage, Andrea Kirk, Isabel Rodriguez TOWN OF OKOTOKS LIAISON

Shane Olson, Economic Development Manager DISTRIBUTED BY

Media Classified, Town of Okotoks, Okotoks Welcome Wagon, Source Media Group, Yellow Pages Group

Other folks featured in this edition include Dr. Mark Rubensohn of Okotoks Veterinary clinic, who’s also an artist with a very specialized skill set, albeit in a

P R I N T E D I N C A N A DA

different field. One thing we found out spending a day with the good doctor, he’s

a hard guy to keep up with. Even one of our ‘Homes’ themed stories this time around features local companies which have a definite artistic and organizational flair when it comes to home interiors. Read what these Okotoks experts have to say on page 30. It’s almost spring and that means it’s time for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Trade & Lifestyle Show. It’s April 15-16 at the Recreation Centre and includes a special Auto Show at the curling rink. See the story and ad on page 14. There’s dozens of other events listed on the Events pages, plus mini-features on both local soccer and football leagues. To see what Okotoks residents said was their favourite event, check out the You Said It photo page on page 46. In the meantime, thanks for reading and make sure to drop by our booth at the Chamber show to say ‘hello’.

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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

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

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

n behalf of Okotoks Council and Administration, I extend warm greetings as we all look forward to spring. The Town is excited about 2016 and the many projects that are coming this year including the start of the multi-year branding initiative — Join the Innovation; continuation of the annexation and Calgary/Okotoks pipeline processes; servicing the Wedderburn Education, Recreation, and Culture Campus to enable construction in the fall; water treatment plant enhancements; North Railway Street sanitary sewer expansion; Veteran’s Way (Centre Avenue) Pedestrian Corridor, Water Spray Park enhancements and much more! The Town is thrilled that we continue to experience notable success with our sustainability initiatives. To date, curbside recycling collection has nearly 4,700 customers (that’s 2/3’s of Okotoks households!) and through the Blue Cart program and self-haul options, our residents diverted over 2,500 tonnes of recyclables from the landfill. The organics collection program has also been tremendously successful. In 2015, 56 tonnes or 56,000Kg of food waste was brought to the Recycling Centre to be composted and turned into fertilizer! 2015 also saw a 6 per cent increase in electronics recycling, with 52 tonnes collected. These programs will greatly contribute to Okotoks reaching the target of 80 per cent diversion from the landfill. The Town would like to thank our residents for continuing to reduce the amount of valuable materials in our refuse stream, prolonging the life of our regional landfill, and reducing our environmental footprint! 2016 welcomes several new businesses in our targeted sectors for economic development including: Sibro Technologies, Ltd., Built Strong, Pinnacle Medical and more! Okotoks remains a popular place to host special events. The 15 Town-organized events in 2015 saw an eight per cent increase in attendance over 2014. Notably, the attendance of the Taste of Okotoks events had 12,000 people attend, a significant increase over the 8,000 people in 2014. In 2016, Okotoks will host the Pinty’s Masters Grand Slam of Curling event, Okotoks Minor Hockey Association Timbit Tournament, Chamber of Commerce Trade & Lifestyle Show, and Collector Car Auction, just to name a few! We encourage you to participate in the many Town activities that occur in our community such as Kite Day, the Annual Sheep River Valley Cleanup, the Spirit of Okotoks Weekend Parade Day/Children’s Festival and the Taste of Okotoks. See the events listing on page 40, check out our online community events calendar at www.okotoks.ca for more information. We thank you for continuing to enjoy and explore all that our community has to offer!

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

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around town with Amanda Brown Send your Around Town news to okotoks.editor@sourcemediagroup.ca

Okotoks open for business

Rant and Rave

usiness in Okotoks is building up a good head of steam according to the latest report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB). Okotoks has climbed a cool 21 spots on the ‘Entrepreneurial Cities’ chart to a 4th place ranking for cities and towns with a population of under 150,000. The CFIB report is in its eighth year and looks at a variety of factors to evaluate a community’s business characteristics. The grouping of municipalities that surround Calgary also ranked highest in the ‘large communities’ rating for the fourth consecutive year. That’s very encouraging news, and in the light of a regional slow-down in the economy shows local business confidence and resilience making Okotoks an appealing place to start and build a business. Shane Olson, Economic Development Manager for the Town says, “Since 2007, Okotoks has seen a 34 per cent increase in new businesses.” Olson says the Town plans to stay on the road to further success. “Tourism and brand direction will help us attract more people and businesses to Town, we want to be known for innovation. So everything we do will have evidence of that, from downtown design enhancement, business mix, public art, to cultural activities, festivals and events, and more.”

here’s a new meeting place in Okotoks and it’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s where anyone can go and express their opinions about local businesses and share a wealth of other experiences around town. Welcome to the popular Okotoks and Area Rant and Rave Facebook page where residents can go to enthuse about, or protest all manner of things Okotokian. Naydene Lewis, page administrator since last summer, thinks the page serves a worthy purpose for residents. “It seemed to me that this was a perfect forum to discuss any type of rant and rave about our Foothills region. When I became admin for the site, I broadened the scope of the page for more discussion opportunities. Members discuss businesses, municipal government, and other experiences.” Get the skinny in town on the Okotoks and Area Rant and Rave Facebook page at www. facebook.com/groups/864871073547435/files

Hall of Fame Awards

Bibles for Missions moves

he Town of Okotoks, in conjunction with the Culture, Parks and Recreation (CPR) Committee, is putting out a call for 2016 Hall of Fame nominations. Nominations from the public are crucial to the success of the awards and will be accepted up to March 31. The Okotoks Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding Okotoks citizens in the areas of arts, culture, and sports, as well as those who have made other long-standing and significant contributions to the community. Nominations will be reviewed by the CPR Hall of Fame subcommittee, with as many as seven individuals being selected for induction into the Okotoks Hall of Fame located at the Okotoks Recreation Centre. 2016 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on the Spirit of Okotoks Parade weekend, June 17 – 18, 2016. Full nomination guidelines and criteria, plus printable nomination forms and information on past inductees can be found at www.okotoks.ca/HallofFame.

hen Dale Attrill, general manager of the Okotoks Bibles for Missions store says they don’t have enough space, he isn’t complaining. In fact, his dedicated team will soon be able to count a new blessing in the way of a brand new location. Attrill explains, “We really have outgrown our current location. We are currently at 5,800 square-feet. Our new store will be 17,400 square-feet. Another really big plus is the additional parking! It’s really a very exciting time for us.” Plans are to break ground this spring for the new Stockton Avenue building and finish construction by early October for a November opening. The project is expected to cost $3.5 million. In association with Bible League Canada, Bibles for Missions Foundation (Canada) distributed 431,639 Bibles worldwide last year and the numbers look set to grow. Cash donations can be made online at bfmthriftstores.ca and used items can be brought to the Okotoks store.

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around town

Click ‘n Fix

100 Women Who Care

nother annoying graffiti tag? Or is your neighbourhood traffic light on the blink? There’s an app for that. In summer 2015, the Town of Okotoks launched the Click‘n Fix app for reporting issues on public property in Okotoks. This cross-platform community-messaging tool is designed to allow residents to use their computers and smartphones to report maintenance issues that arise on public property.

Not only can residents report nonemergency problems in real-time using photographs, they can see online if anyone has already made the same request, read about other reported issues, see the Town’s timely responses to reports, and follow progress. Melanie Heemeryk, Communications and Website Specialist at the Town of Okotoks, says the new app has met with expectations. “Our goal was to provide a mobile app solution to allow citizens to access information and submit service requests using the smartphone, geo-based technology. We feel this has achieved our goal.” Since its inception, the Town has addressed almost 90 issues ranging from infrastructure repair to icy sidewalks. Usage guidelines can be found on the Click ‘n Fix page of the Town’s municipal website at okotoks.ca/town-services/ contact-info/click-n-fix

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hen the going gets tough — the tough get going. That’s the message resident Karen Love wanted to get out when, last fall, she held the inaugural meeting of the Okotoks chapter of 100 Women Who Care. It’s a simple idea; the group’s goal is to bring together 100 women for one hour, each with $100 to share for charity, once every three months. Meeting attendees decide on a charity in Okotoks, High River, or surrounding area to be the recipient of the sum total of donations — potentially an eye-popping $10,000 per gathering, or more. Love had first-hand experience the organization’s benefits. “The agency I work for in Calgary was the first recipient of 100 Women Who Care Calgary and I met with the founder because I really thought it was innovative and would be good for

our local area.” Members receive in-person updates about how their gift is used, explains Love. “The executive director of the Foothills Hospice, our first recipient charity, will be telling the women what their money was used for and this always has a big impact, according to other chapters of 100 Women.” More information can be found at 100womenokotoksandarea.weebly.com.

New Ops and Admin Building

t’s hard to miss the construction site for the all-new 26,000-square-foot Okotoks Operations Administration building on 32nd and North Railway Street. Okotoks is growing so its service infrastructure has to meet the challenges that emerge as part of that expansion. James Greenshields, transportation manager for the Town explains, “All operations staff are currently at various locations because of space restrictions within the existing operations facility. The new facilities will bring all staff into one centralized building, which will improve service delivery. The new fleet storage building will also free up some desperately needed fleet storage space.” Work completed so far includes all site servicing and grading. The administration building construction, according to Greenshields is “well underway.” And the way is green; project leaders are aiming to have the administration and fleet buildings meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification criteria. The site redevelopment will also host an innovative stormwater bio-retention riparian site and research facility — the result of a collaborative research project between the University of Calgary, the Bow River Basin Council and the Town. The grand opening of the Operations Centre will take place later in 2016.

business

It’s show time!

Trade and Lifestyle Show the surest sign of spring

kotoks is open for business April 15 and 16. In fact, close to 150 local businesses — including the first-ever Auto Show (in the curling rink) — will be open and gathered together under one roof, filling both arenas at the Rec Centre for the annual Trade and Lifestyle Show. This is the 14th year for the Trade Show, which originally started with just over 50 vendors. “It’s come a long way since then,” says Cheryl Actemichuk, CEO of the Okotoks Chamber of Commerce, organizers of the event. “It’s a really great way for people to experience the wide variety of businesses and amenities we have in town now.” Not to mention bump into all their neighbours and friends. The event is incredibly popular and typically sees as many as 8,000 to 10,000 people come through the doors, says Actemichuk. And it’s not just locals, but folks from Calgary and other nearby communities like High River who come to check out the action as well. Vendors typically are giving away lots freebies and

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coupons, while highlighting the wide variety of products or services they have to offer, many with special show-only deals. For the kids, it’s like Halloween all over again with people giving out treats like popcorn, balloons and candy. There are also lots of fun draws, giveaways and everybody’s favourite — face painting. For foodies, the annual Lifestyle and Trade Show is also a great time to check out what local restaurants are serving. An indoor patio will be set up in the Piper Arena from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday April 16 for the Festival of Flavours. Local restaurants will give out generous sample sizes of their menu items with the purchase of $2 tickets. The Okotoks Trade and Lifestyle Show goes from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday April 15 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday April 16. Admission this year is $2 per person age 12 and older or a family day pass is $5. Children 11 and under are free accompanied by an adult. Don’t forget to stop by the Okotoks Living magazine booth on Saturday to have your photo taken with the Okotoks Living lemonade train. OL

history | culture

Brittle pages Homesteader’s wife keeps journal of the war years BY ANNE GAFIUK

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y S PA C K M A N FA M I LY

he handwritten words ‘War Years’ are barely visible on the cover of a 1940’s era scrapbook, its newsprint pages ripped and crumbling at the corners. “We didn’t know it even existed until a few years ago,” say cousins Richard Smith and Ron Spackman of their grandmother’s wartime scrapbook. “But we knew it had to be preserved.” After donating Alice Spackman’s fragile book to the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton and over the course of almost two years, She Made Them Family, A Wartime Scrapbook from the Prairies, was published in November 2015. Alice was a young teacher at the Lineham oneroom schoolhouse, near Turner Valley, Alberta when she met Richard Spackman, a homesteader. After they married, they raised their family first on the farm and then moved into the town of Okotoks. Later, she was a midwife assisting Dr. Ardiel.

She and her husband also ran a boarding house offering lodging to young men. When war broke out, their three sons entered into service: John joined the Canadian Army, Peter enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy and Rey was accepted into the Royal Canadian Air Force. “My mom, Mary, was at home raising a family,” says Smith. Youngest daughter, Nellie, a telephone operator at the Royal Air Force #32 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), in Bowden, Alberta, was aware of her mother’s fondness for hosting. She often suggested to the young airmen in training to travel south to Okotoks via the train, where Mrs. Spackman welcomed them with home cooked meals and a bed while they were on 48 or 72 hour leaves. They experienced Canadian small town hospitality. Mrs. Spackman was a gracious hostess to many of the boys away from home, including many from #31 EFTS De Winton, north east of Okotoks, located in the Davisburg district. Several of them wrote to their surrogate mother as they continued training to become aircrew, penning their letters and cards from other communities and air bases across the country and overseas, continuing to write during and after the war when they returned home to England, Ireland, and Wales. Within the well-organized scrapbook, other correspondence expressed gratitude from the men’s relatives, thanking Mrs. Spackman for taking such good care of their sons. They would acknowledge the food parcels she sent overseas, which included canned goods, cakes, and chocolate. “Our grandmother loved people,” says Spackman. “She would be astonished at the attention her scrapbook has garnered.” OL

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people

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people

The puck stops here STORY BY JIM ZANG

PHOTOS BY LANA ARMITAGE

t’s interesting getting to know John Barlow. He was born in Saskatchewan, and he bleeds Rider green. His job is in Ottawa, but he unabashedly cheers for the Montreal Canadiens. He has offices in Fort Macleod and High River, but his home is in Okotoks. He’s the former editor of the Okotoks Western Wheel newspaper, current Member of Parliament for the Foothills riding, recreational hockey goalie, and, as many of his friends, co-workers and neighbours will attest, a genuinely good person. He can even do the Vulcan ‘Live Long and Prosper’ finger thing like Mr. Spock.

P H O T O S C O U R T E S Y B A R L O W F A M I LY

MP a problem-solving people person

As for that die-hard Saskatchewan Roughriders football fan thing, that can’t be helped. After all, you can take the boy out of Saskatchewan, but you can’t take the love of the green Riders out of the boy. Born in Regina in 1971, back when George Reed and Ronnie Lancaster were the local gridiron heroes, John, the eldest of Bill and Denise Barlow’s three boys, grew up on an acreage just outside Regina. “I loved growing up in a rural community. Doing things like riding your bike down the dirt road to your friend’s house, and going to the cabin on Echo Lake at Fort Qu’Appelle. It’s still in the family,” he says, “but with a new house.” Also still in the family is the Regina insurance business his great-grandfather started. His brother and cousin now run it, but the insurance business wasn’t for John. He attended high school in Yorkton, where he got a taste of the working world with part time jobs at a transmission shop and the local Bonanza restaurant — money he and a buddy used to go halves on 1973 Grand Marquis for $150. He decided to go the post-secondary route, spending a year at the University of Regina studying Political Science and another at U of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon before hearing a friend mention the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, had a journalism program. Thinking it “sounded interesting”, John signed up, graduated with honours, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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people

But it just about didn’t turn out that way. “It’s a pretty funny story actually,” says John. It seems young John, after finishing his schooling and a successful internship at the Calgary Sun, didn’t like city living. “I put out a bunch of resumés,” he says, “with no action. So I had packed my things ready to move back to Saskatchewan. Had the car literally running and ready to go, when the phone rang. It was Bill Holmes, then publisher of the High River Times weekly newspaper, offering me a reporter job.” John worked at the Times for three years and lived in High River for 10-plus years before switching over to the Wheel, where he worked for 17 years, working his way up to Editor and Associate Publisher, and moving to Okotoks along the way about a dozen years ago. He earned numerous individual awards, including the Telus Editorial Excellence Award and the Gordon Scott Memorial Award, presented to Alberta’s top columnist. The High River and Okotoks papers won many awards under John’s leadership including the Western Wheel being named the top Community Newspaper in Canada in 2010 and 2014. Barlow family (from left) Graeden, Kinley, Louise, John and McKenna.

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“Truly, it’s about the people who you meet. The best part of the job is being able to help resolve problems. It’s the personal impact for the positive that I can have on people’s lives that is most gratifying.” “I really, really enjoyed working at the rural community papers,” he says, “especially meeting the people. It really prepared me for my current job. I’m naturally curious. I like asking questions. And I’m a good listener.”

people John in his favorite team’s uniform.

And John got to know everybody. In fact, so well-known is John that this interview has to be held in the privacy of his office in downtown High River, not a local coffee shop, in order to avoid the good-intentioned but non-stop interruptions of folks stopping by to say hello. John was elected as the MP representing the federal riding of Macleod in June 2014 in a by-election to replace the retiring MP, Ted Menzies. It’s a huge career change, and a huge responsibility which he takes very seriously. “It’s been an incredible experience,” he says. “Truly, it’s about the people who you meet. The best part of the job is being able to help resolve problems. It’s the personal impact for the positive that I can have on people’s lives that is most gratifying.” And he’s been kept very busy doing just that. Spanning more than 23,000 square-kilometres, and stretching from the southwest corner of the province all the way east to Fort Macleod and north to the southern edges of Calgary and Highway 1 west of the city, the new Foothills riding is one of the largest in the country. The House sits 145 days out of the year, and John is there representing his constituents. When he’s not in Ottawa, he divides his office time between Fort Macleod and High River. Depending on where he is, his days are spent either talking on the phone, responding to emails, in meetings, on committees, sitting in parliament, or attending various community and political events. And he’s been busy. Since being elected John’s been involved in passing 117 Government Bills, 40 Private Member Bills, four Private Bills and 30 Private Member Motions — the most by any federal government over the past two decades. There’s also a list of events and speeches far too long to mention here, but listed on his website at www.johnbarlowmp.ca Life is only getting busier as he has been appointed Deputy Critic for Employment, Workforce and Labour and was elected vice-chair of Parliament’s Natural Resources committee. The new career has taken some getting used to by both John and his family. “I fly out Sunday afternoon and come home Thursday night for the weekend,” he says. “It took a little getting used to living in downtown Ottawa.” Weekends are often spent attending various community events and he still finds time to play hockey, strapping on the pads once a week in winter and tries to golf “as much as possible” in summer. Sundays are official down time, spent at home with his wife of 18

years, Louise, and their children McKenna (17), Kinley (23) and Graeden (25). “It’s pretty rare to have a night off,” says John. “We’re usually at a community event of some sort. But,” he laughs, “we have discovered a lot of really cool restaurants across southern Alberta.” No doubt with the iPod or radio in his 2011 Ford Explorer turned up as he admits to “having an ‘80s rock thing going on.” Another thing they’ve discovered is the sport of snowshoeing. “We like to take off to Waterton or Bragg Creek,” says John. “And so do the kids. Which is a total shock.” They usually stick around during the summer, he says, “because there’s so many great things going on around here.” Yes, Okotoks, and southern Alberta, is a great place to live any time of year. Thanks to people like John Barlow working on our behalf. OL

John and Louise.

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sports

Super soccer supporter STORY BY JIM ZANG PHOTOS BY LANA ARMITAGE

kotoks soccer has a new corporate sponsor — United Communities, one of the town’s most active new community developers — and they kicked things off with a big tournament January 28-31. How big was it? The numbers tell an impressive story. With 65 teams registered, approximately 1,000 soccer players took part. If you figure an average of 1.5 parents per player in attendance, more than 2,500 people dropped by the Crescent Point Field House over the weekend. For those of you doing the math, that’s about 10 per cent of the total population of Okotoks. Six teams from Okotoks took part in the festivities, along with 39 teams from the Calgary region, while the remaining 20 teams travelled from Edmonton or other southern Alberta locations. Teams include Tier II / III Boys and Girls U12 through U18, plus one U10 Tier B group on the girls side. It’s good soccer, as Tier II / III generally has teams somewhere within the Top 30 teams in the Calgary or Edmonton regions. In fact, demand to participate was so overwhelming that organizers, regretfully, had to turn down 22 teams, a huge response considering this is an inaugural indoor tournament. The goal is to host an outdoor version of the United Communities Cup too, and then hold both indoor and outdoor annual tournaments on an ongoing basis. United Communities has entered a five-year premier sponsor-

Matthew Lumsden, left, 1st Technical Director, and Peter Murdy, President of OkotoksUnited Soccer.

United Communities a real team player

ship with Okotoks United Soccer Club, says United’s marketing manager, Steve LePan. Formerly known as Okotoks Minor Soccer Association, the re-brand reflects the fact that the club now includes people of all ages. In addition to the annual tournaments, the sponsorship will help the club purchase team jerseys for both house and competitive leagues on an annual basis as required. United is also pleased to be a major sponsor of the Crescent Point Field house, says LePan. “These partnerships are important to United Communities. We believe community building goes well beyond sticks and bricks and that active families build healthy communities. There are so many ways that team sports can positively affect children of all ages. We are pleased to be a part of that.” If you would like more information on soccer in Okotoks, visit www.okotoksunitedsoccer.ca. OL

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business

Daring to be different Applying the modern art of branding to Okotoks BY JODY SANDERSON

ast September, a small but passionate band of community leaders came together to develop a lasting vision for Okotoks, specifically downtown. We ranged in age from mid-twenties to mid sixties, our backgrounds as diverse as our ages. Our purpose was five-fold: 1 To create a downtown showcase that would pave the way for every other downtown in Canada. 2 To create a signature gathering place ie: a plaza. 3 To increase the job base in Okotoks. 4 To become THE centre in Western Canada for sustainable living, innovation & creativity. 5 To continue Okotoks’ tradition of connecting people… to the environment, arts, sports, downtown, to each other. The 13-step process included educating and reaching out to the community. Public presentations were made to standing room only audiences. Stakeholder interviews and a 10 question online survey collected the responses of almost 900 residents and business owners, resulting in a 174 page document. Municipal branding consultant Roger Brooks and his team of experts reviewed the Town of Okotoks’ plans and projects. The team’s job? To drill through the survey, finding common themes, assets, challenges and goals. What are we known for? What do we want to be known for? Okotoks is a lot of things to a lot of people: sports, environment, location, science, technology, recreation, health, wellness, art, Western heritage, festivals and events. We live, we work, we play. “Too broad, too much,” Roger told us. “You’ve got be different. You’ve got to be better.” We were determined that this be Okotoks’ own branding direction — not someone else’s idea of what they think we should be. We know who we are, and what we want to portray. So we had yet another meeting with Roger, this time with more specifics, such as innovation, technology

and education; environment and arts; and health and wellness. “This is the first time, ever,” Roger told the packed auditorium last month, “that we didn’t suggest what the brand should be. The more this group talked, the more we listened. By the time they were finished, we were totally sold and on board.” After Christmas, the taskforce and Roger’s facilitation team hunkered down at the Crystal Ridge Golf Course clubhouse for four days, working together, listening to one another and building on each other’s ideas and suggestions. The presentation was rolled out to the public on January 15, with the standing room only crowd erupting in applause at the end. And as the team mingled with spectators afterward, the overwhelming response was one of excitement. Our brand promise: Energized by the environment and innovation through creative, active and connected living. Our brand pillars: Innovation. Environment. Art. Roger Brooks’ final action plan will be submitted to the Town by the end of March. It will include reccomendations for funding opportunities, a collection of resources, and suggestions for the location of the central plaza and market. 2016 is going to be a big year for the Town of Okotoks — and I can hardly wait! Editor’s note: Jody Sanderson is the Chair of the Branding Development Taskforce for the Town of Okotoks. OL

BACK ROW LEFT TO RIGHT Lynn Neufeld, Councillor Carrie Fischer, Roger Brooks, Jordan Pogue, John Kelsh, Greg Forsell MIDDLE ROW Alexandra Ross, Nancy Weigel, Carol Bishop, Dale Fea, Trellis Palmer, Derrick Birkman FRONT ROW Jody Sanderson, Ana McFadyen Missing – Natalie Jamieson, Mark Rowed

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Artists among Inspiration can come from anywhere, but it lives in Okotoks

xactly what makes something art? For traditionalists, maybe it’s oil painting or some kind of sculpture. But even within those genres there exist various subspecies. For instance, an oil painting can be landscapes, people, still scenes or even the most avant garde abstract work. Sculpture, too, can take many forms; such as clay, marble, wood, bronze or other metals. Just a couple of years ago, the cover of Okotoks Living featured a local resident who created his works of art by welding cutlery into unique shapes. Since then, even more talented Okotokians have come to our attention — some fairly well-known in the community, and some not so much. And, while they all have very different skills, they all have one thing in common, they live in Okotoks. Okotoks Living caught up with five of these resident artistes to see why they do what they do, and why do prefer to do it in Okotoks. From a semi-famous pencil sketch artist, to a youth novelist, a children’s illustrator, glass worker and an internationally acclaimed photographer, art is something different to everyone, and beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Bernie Brown BY AMANDA BROW N

Artist Bernie Brown has made his mark in more ways than one. He sold his first drawing as a grade eleven student. In fact, he’s been making marks most of his life — on paper with pencil. It’s a simple medium with which he’s told a thousand stories. His own story reveals Okotoks became the Browns’ family home in 1993. The first Boot Hill Gallery was a purpose-built wing of their original house overlooking pasture and what is now the community of Westmount. His thought-provoking illustrations of all things Western and Canadian have earned him international admiration. His self-taught realism is recognized for its spectacular detail and authentic subject matter. Brown, the oldest of four children and the son of a hotel owner, was born in Climax, a small farming town in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. He recalls his earliest artistic influences as being close to home. “My Grandpa…I

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was five or six and he took a colouring book and drew a grid on it and showed me how to use it to position everything. He used to draw — he was really artistic.” A winning combination of Brown’s talent and his wife, Margie’s business acumen meant he could resign his teaching position in 1988 to pursue what was to become an enduring and rewarding career as a pencil artist. What distinguishes Brown’s work is an astonishing technical prowess, a rigorous attention to detail and a meticulous approach to his compositions. His drive for perfectionism has been shaped by some unique encounters. Brown shares an anecdote about an especially pedantic Saskatchewan farmer concerning his 1996 drawing of two working horses titled ‘Partners,’ saying, “I almost drew this one picture

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us Dana Pugh BY DAVID SHEPHERD

Imagine taking a picture. No big deal, everybody’s done it. Now imagine that picture showing up on a billboard in Times Square in New York. For Okotoks photographer Dana Pugh, that fantasy became a reality when she was named Child Photographer of the Year by the National Association of Professional Children’s Photographers in 2010. Pugh was not an overnight success — for her, the journey began ten years ago, shortly after moving to Okotoks with her husband and their two children. Why Okotoks? “Moving to Okotoks meant we’d be raising our kids in an environment that we were more used to — the

just for him. I knew there wasn’t anything wrong with it. I even had a broken clip in there, which a lot of harnesses do have. He looked at that for the longest time and he goes, ‘You’re getting pretty close.’ I took that as a compliment!” The Browns have conspired to ensure a broad appeal and accessibility to the artwork, not only embracing diverse themes such as farming, wildlife, oil and gas, and hockey, but have also priced originals reasonably. “We’ve tried to keep the prices down,” says Brown. Margie recalls her artist husband saying, “Y’know, I just feel torn. I’ve kinda adopted Henry Ford’s philosophy — I don’t want just doctors and lawyers being able to afford my work.” Reproductions of Brown’s original work can be found at the Boot Hill Gallery in town and from $20 online at berniebrown.com.

environment that we grew up in. Okotoks now is much like the St. Albert I grew up in, which appeals to me.” “At the time, there wasn’t a lot of options for having someone take a more documentary type image of your kids, so I just started documenting my own kids.” Pugh posted these photos to her blog for other photographers to critique, and soon people were asking her to photograph their families. “I mentored with some photographers and launched my business in 2007, and I haven’t looked back.” Pugh’s business is built around lifestyle family photography. “ It’s more activity based family portraiture. I describe my work as fun, quirky, colorful, and natural.” She performs most of her photography on location in a setting that means something to the family. “A lot of my clients are repeat, so they’ll ask if we can shoot in the mountains, or on their family’s farm, or in their cabin. There’s not a whole lot of posing. I encourage natural interaction.” For Pugh, each family provides its own unique sort of inspiration. “I try not to be so much about me and my vision, and more about them and who they are. I try to see who they are and capture that through my lens.” Pugh works on commission, with most of her clients coming from the Calgary area. “I’d like to see more growth in clients that live in the Foothills. I’m well-known in the industry so I travel a lot both for sessions and for speaking engagements. I’d really like to work more in the Okotoks community.” Up next for this award-winning photographer? “As an artist you’ll go through this journey where you get good at doing one thing and you’re like now I’m going to try some other things. Now that I have a natural light studio, I’m looking forward to exploring my options there.” You can contact her through her website, DanaPugh.com.

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Janet Gurtler BY SUZANNE HALE

Any writer will tell you that you don’t have to sit at a desk to write, and local author Janet Gurtler is no exception. Finding the Okotoks Recreation Centre to be as good a workspace as any, Gurtler has spent hours writing from the stands while her 15-year-old son Max competes as a swimmer. With the pool in the foreground, Gurtler has penned multiple books for 7 – 10 year olds and young adults, several earning the “Best Books for Teens” designation by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. A childhood busy with relocations set the stage for the vast imagination this Okotokian draws on to craft her tales. Leaving their Edmonton origins, her family moved all over Canada before re-establishing Alberta roots in 1994 with a move to Calgary. Ultimately leaving city life for Okotoks in 2013, Gurtler and

husband Larry got to know Okotoks while shuttling Max to swim club. “We really liked the town. The winter swim club was great, and Max had friends here,” she says of their decision to move. “I love that Max can zip around town on his bike. There’s a feeling of safety.” Utilizing her Creative Communications degree, Gurtler originally worked as a copywriter before moving to sales and marketing until her son was born. While Max was a baby, she wrote her first book, fulfilling a lifelong wish to see her name in print with its 2010 publishing. “My first book sold really well,” she says, and this success led to a 3-book contract. Along with the Mermaid Kingdom series written for younger kids, Gurtler has had seven of her young-adult novels published. Tackling difficult topics facing teens, Gurtler draws encouragement

Jenny Stables BY ALYSSA BURNHAM

Ever since she was a little girl scribbling in the corners of her notebooks, art has been an important passion and outlet for Jennifer Stables. “Art is my joy and my peace,” she says, though later admitting she’s only recently become comfortable using the term “art” to describe her whimsical illustrations. Stables is the artist behind Jenny Dale Designs, the business she launched in 2013 to create artwork for nurseries and children’s rooms. Her collection includes more than 200 pieces, each one thoughtfully detailed and accompanied by a poem written in the same style of verse Stables’ grandma wrote for her when she was a child. “They aren’t just decorations or colors I pick just because they’re trendy. There’s a story to everything I create and a piece of me in every poem.” Featuring loveable critters and creatures, Stables’ distinctive use of intricate line work over colorful acrylics perfectly captures the wonder of childhood. Formally trained at the University of Calgary where she obtained a Fine Arts degree in painting, Stables has long dreamed of a career in art. Upon graduating from university, she moved to Montreal

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where she says her plan was “to be an artist.” However, she found herself paying the bills by teaching kids at the Montreal Visual Arts Centre where she quickly discovered her love for education. She eventually moved home to Alberta to enrol in the Master of Teaching program. Art continued to inspire her lesson planning throughout her eight years in the classroom. When her first son, James, was born in 2012, Stables began thinking about the next phase of her life and what role art would play. She sat down in front the canvas and could hardly pull herself away.

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Treena Primmer BY LANA AR MITAGE

from her fans’ feedback. “I get a lot of emails from teenage girls who relate to my words,” she says. With a full-time job in sales and merchandising, Gurtler relies on her family’s goodwill to allow her time to write one novel a year. “Once you write one book, you have to write another,” she says about her need to create, “and when I’m writing on weekends, they give me space.” Gurtler’s next book Deep-Water Drama, hitting shelves in April, will look familiar to some Okotoks residents, with several of its characters named after Max’s peers at the pool. With her eye on the future, Gurtler plans to complete a women’s fiction novel this year. “It’s always been a dream to see my books for sale on the shelf — that’s my biggest motivator,” she says. That motivation has allowed her readers to come to know Gurtler. “Writing has always been the way I’ve communicated best with the world and myself.”

“Imagine a spring all wound up and ready to go. I created more than 100 illustrations in that first year.” Stables launched Jenny Dale Designs a few months later. In 2014, while Stables and husband Mark were expecting their second son, Myles, they made the move from Calgary to Okotoks in search of a quieter community for their family. Here, they’ve found the pace of life they were searching for. Though busy, Stables is finding balance by sticking to what she loves. She still spends about 60 days a year in the classroom providing art residencies at Calgary and Foothills schools. In the evenings she retreats to the sanctuary of her studio, still finding the same joy and peace in art that she always has. Stables’ work will be on display at the Okotoks Recreation Centre in May and June and is available for purchase through the Jenny Dale Designs Etsy shop. For more information on Stables’ work, art residencies and upcoming shows and sales visit www.jennydaledesigns.com.

“A piece of art is never truly finished. The artist just chooses to end it in an interesting place.” This is a piece of advice that Okotoks born artist, Treena Primmer, received from a valued ACAD instructor during her studies, and it is a challenge that still shapes the way she does art and life. After 15 years as the lead designer at Danziger Designer Glass Studio, Treena is taking her instructor’s words of wisdom and applying it to her career. In December 2015, she launched her residential glass design studio, Twist Designs, in Okotoks. As Treena settles back into her hometown with her husband of 15 years and her son Jaxson, she is excited about the future. She recently designed a large master bathroom window and front entry door for the hit design show, The Property Brothers. The work was shown during the Home on the Ranch series that aired this past January. Treena also created a stunning sandblasted railing for a client who’s home was built by the Timber Kings. Despite the celebrity recognition, Treena remains focused on her residential customers. She refers to herself as a people person and likes the connection and inspiration that she receives from individual clients. She finds it incredibly rewarding to see her work on display and know that the client was pleased with the result. Since she was young, she has felt the desire to pursue art and has continually been encouraged by teachers and family. Treena’s dad, Randy Bryant, took a great interest in her projects, “He was always my critical eye”. She is constantly inspired by his work ethic. “He can do a bit of everything”, she added. Treena can also do a bit of everything. Twist Designs focuses heavily on glass design including sandblasting, overlay, traditional stained glass, and kiln formed glass, or a combination of all of the above, but Treena also loves to paint and has worked in various other mediums, including textiles and tattoo art. When she is not designing for clients, she is running Jaxson to and from school, connecting with old friends, spending time with family, travelling, diving, and answering phone calls for her other successful family run business, We Wash Windows. “We don’t get a lot of free time, but it doesn’t matter because we love what we are doing”. OL

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| ADVERTISING FEATURE |

Perfectly Personal beauty and gifts

hether it’s that perfect gift for someone special, or a personal skin care and beauty routine, Crystal Surina-Boh, owner of Perfectly Personal Beauty & Gifts, is focused on personalizing everything to the individual. “I enjoy giving back, making people feel beautiful inside and out,” says Crystal, “or special with the receipt of the perfect gift for them.” On the beauty side, it’s only the best botanically-based products, vegan certified and gluten free. No dyes, chemicals, or other additives, she says. “Being able to personalize to the clients’ individual needs, to have me come to you in the comfort of your own home, or deliver that gift to someone special.” It’s important, she says, that she contribute not only to the health of customers, but also the environment. Products are formulated without animal testing, have no harmful ingredients and are 100 per cent recyclable and/or biodegradable labels. In fact, Crystal stands behind both her gift and personal beauty and health products with a 45-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. “Clients appreciate good, honest service,” she says. n

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homes

No bedtime story Slumping Alberta economy finally catching up to Okotoks

BY JIM ZANG

ou know that dream you have where you’re running as fast as you can and you’re still not going anywhere, and the bad guy is getting closer and closer? That’s been the Okotoks new home market up until recently, running strong in spite of the odds, staying one step ahead of the economic downturn. Really, 2015 was a story of two very different halves. Whereas the new home market seemed to be holding its own in the first half of the year, it ‘self-corrected’ quickly over the summer as completions began to outpace new starts. In fact, with just 22 new starts, all single-family, the fourth quarter of 2015 was down 61 per cent from 2014 levels (see chart A). Further,

CHART A Starts By dwelling type

Q4-2015

Q4-2014

2015 final

2014 final

Single family

185

199

Semi-detached

0 0 0 0

Row

0 0 0 21

Apartment

0 21 0 21

Total

22 57 201 220

CHART B Completions by dwelling type Q4-2015

Q4-2014

2015 final

2014 final

233

202

Single family

Semi-detached

0 0 0 0

Row

16 0 16 0

Apartment

0 0 21 0

Total

93 74 270 202

those 22 starts made up just 11 per cent of the year’s total, leaving the other nine months of the year to make up the shortfall. Overall, starts in 2015 were actually only down about nine per cent from last year, not a bad number at all compared to many other Alberta markets. It’s looking at the completions that one can see the soon to be absorbed projects overtaking the starting of new constructions. What these numbers show is that the number of projects completed in 2015 was actually up from 2014 levels by a large margin, about 34 per cent, increasing from 202 in 2014 to 270 last year (see chart B). Many of the projects completed in 2015 will have been those started the year prior as the market drives construction. There’s still some new home action out there too, although many communities are nearing build-out. According to CMHC there were 55 new home projects currently under construction in Okotoks at the end of 2015, all of them single-family. There were no new multi-family projects underway. In fact, of Okotoks’ 5,760 occupied private dwellings, only 605 are condo and 755 are rentals. It’s a gap in the market that CMHC identifies in their report on core housing needs in the area, and a market niche that has a major impact on housing affordability in a community and the ability of various consumers (young people and people with lower paying jobs) to live there. The outlook for 2016: expect it to be more like the second half of last year than the first. OL

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homes

Mar-c Karasek

Inner spaces Local experts breathe new life into tired rooms BY JULIE ROBERTSON

hether you’re decorating your home for the first time, breathing new life into an old space or clearing out a room to create something new, there comes a time when you need a little help. Whatever you might envision creating in your space, sometimes redecorating is not only necessary, it’s essential. For many people, that means bringing in the experts. Regardless of what you want to achieve in your decorating or design goals, the following Okotoks businesses are here to help.

Homeworks

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HOMEWORKS CUSTOM INTERIORS Conveniently located in downtown Okotoks at 49 Elizabeth Street, Jessica Spicer, owner of Homeworks Custom Interiors knows how to incorporate functionality with style. “Function always comes first. We can help you play with colours, shapes, proportions and focal points to create visual interest.” Working closely with her clients, Jessica says that “investing in larger pieces, like drapery, furniture, or rugs with bold shapes and colours, can add a lot of drama to a space. Less is more and often one or two pieces can really give your room that pop.” ”When it comes to colour trends, we are seeing spring-inspired and soft floral tones with pops of bold colours like reds, purples and pinks. Natural textures continue to be prominent, and accent pieces with geometric or bold patterns are hot this year.” “Business has shifted to larger statement projects, whether it’s updating furniture, or adding bold colour accents to a window treatment, clients are investing in one or two design changes that can make a big impact and big change to a space.” No matter what your design goal is, Jessica is available to help with any project start to finish.

homes

AVENUE KITCHEN RENOVATIONS INC./U.B. CHIC INTERIORS

F3 ORGANIZING (FORM, FUNCTION, FREEDOM)

Mar-c Karasek, a full service interior designer and owner of Avenue Kitchen Renovation Inc. and U.B Chic Interiors loves her work. “I relish all areas of interior design and decorating.” Working with her husband who has installed over 2000 kitchens in 10 years, Mar-c is passionate about kitchens. “I get very excited when designing a white kitchen. The possibilities are endless and the result is aesthetically exquisite.” “The vibrancy and timeless character of white kitchens are making a comeback. Kitchens that exhibit openness, floating shelves and industrial accents adds conversation to a wall of cabinetry.” “Fireplaces and fire features are returning to the forefront as focal points. Electrical and eco-friendly bio-fuel powered fire features provide a warming ambiance to any space with little remedy.” In bathrooms, Mar-c says that “statement mirrors are easily sourced and are an inexpensive way to update a bathroom while adding personality.” Accents incorporating “old, deconstructed and distressed pieces are the new black. Injecting a piece of antique wood furniture to a contemporary space adds an eclectic element to a room, as does using outdoor fabrics indoors with natural colours and textures.” For Mar-c and her husband, “Business is steady. With the slowing economy more people are investing in their homes by renovating or updating their existing space.”

Robin Platz, owner of F3 Organizing enjoys helping her clients reduce clutter because “form and function equal freedom, which allows us more opportunity to be recreational.” “Reclaiming a space is important,” says Robin, “when we have too many choices (clutter)in a room, we are more likely to not make any choices.” Since clutter overwhelms, clearing out and organizing your space can greatly Robin Platz reduce stress. “Everything needs a designated home.” When our things are in appropriate places, we waste less time and create less stress since everything is readily at hand and easy to find. “How a space makes you feel is BEFORE paramount. Make it work for you and don’t worry about trends — keep it simple. Removing clutter allows you to enjoy each room as it was meant to be enjoyed. Make a space who you are and don’t be afraid to personalize.” “The key to keeping organized is to be flexible. Incorporate vertical storage as often as possible, have a regular routine for dealing with clutter and always focus on making a space workable and yours.” Simplifying your space makes decorating simple, easy and fun. If you feel your clutter has gotten out of hand, check out F3 Organizing — Robin can help you get started. OL

Simplifying your space makes decorating simple, easy and fun. A F T ER

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community

Leaders of tomorrow Annual awards celebrate young volunteers STORY BY DARLENE CASTEN

here are countless Okotoks youths with amazing success stories and many of them have one thing in common — a unique award that has been predicting future leaders in the community for more than two decades. The Leaders of Tomorrow Awards, a joint project between the Okotoks Rotary Club, Western Wheel newspaper and Town of Okotoks, has been recognizing up-andcoming young people for 21 years. Last year for the 20th anniversary of the Leaders of Tomorrow Awards alumni were brought back to share their stories and continue to inspire young people to achieve their dreams. Sian Anderson, FCSS and volunteer coordinator for the Town of Okotoks, says some past recipients have stayed close to home and others have moved far away, but they all still have the same spirit that won them the award. One example is Big Rock School teacher Kaitlin Strand, a past recipient who was honoured while attending Big Rock as an elementary student in 2002 and continues to win awards and nominations for her outstanding work. “She is highly successful,” Anderson says, adding she has received accolades from her university and the school division. Kristen Brennand, the 1998 high school Leader of Tomorrow winner, is a stem cell biologist who has gone on to become an assistant professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Mount Sinai University in New York. Jamie Thiessen won as a high school student when he won the Leader of Tomorrow award in 1997 and soon after went on to become the Town’s youngest council member.

The Leaders of Tomorrow recognizes students in elementary school, junior high and high school who are nominated for their volunteer spirit. Recently the Leaders of Tomorrow expanded to include a category for adults or a group over 18-years-old who are making an impact with their volunteerism. A committee, including youth from the community, go through the nominations and pick the winners from the three categories. “They are looking for those who are inspiring leadership in others and who are displaying it themselves,” says Anderson. “People with energy and commitment.” She said there are many Okotokians who give their time to their school, community, the fine arts and other areas that benefit from their generosity. This year people can nominate inspiring students and adults with a love for helping others for a Leaders of Tomorrow or Heart of Okotoks award until March 14. Everyone nominated receives a certificate. A banquet for the four winners is held in May. “It is inspiring and a reminder what what they do is hugely valued,” Anderson says. The nomination form can be downloaded at the town’s website at www.okotoks.ca/volunteer-awards OL

“

Kaitlin Strand

They are looking for those who are inspiring leadership in others and who are displaying it themselves. People with energy and commitment.” S P R I NG 20 1 6 O KOTO KS LIVI N G

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sports

Ready, set… hut! hut!

STORY BY DAVID SHEPHERD

For Foothills Eagles it’s all about fun, fitness and football

n early August, kids from around the Foothills region will strap on their pads for the start of football season. The players will sweat, they will bruise, and they will smile. For Eagles President Cam Burbank, it’s the smile part that’s most important. “Our program is about developing athletes and letting them have fun in a team environment, letting them be part of a community.” But before the first tackling drill of August, many of the kids will have received a taste of football at the annual spring camp, which runs near the start of June. “It’s designed to be an introduction to football,” says Burbank. “Kids come out and we’ll teach them the basic skills. At the end, we have a barbeque and a flag football

game.” The flag football game in particular has been a hit, says Burbank, and the Eagles have plans to implement a flag football program for the Foothills area. Registration is open until the second week of August, and can be done through the Eagles website (Gofa.ca). The Eagles try to get most kids to register before they get lost in the shuffle of summer vacation. Roughly 150 kids will show up to play for one of four teams — two atom teams (ages eight to 10), one peewee (11 to 12), and one bantam (13 to 15). While the atom team is not in a league, the team plays a formalized exhibition schedule. The older teams play in a Calgary league with most games taking place at Shouldice Field. “We try to get as many kids in the program as we can,” says Burbank. Typically

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sports

“

We’re open to sponsorship and volunteers. We rely heavily on our parents to do a number of the volunteer things.” there’s a spot for everybody — in the 12 years Burbank has been involved in the program, they’ve only had to hold tryouts once. Registration costs between $350 and $450, with the older kids being more expensive. Equipment is included in the cost — as is travel to Shouldice Field. “We bus all of our players and coaches to the game,” says Burbank. “Sometimes we’ll have a Tuesday game on a school night, so we’ll bus them back and forth. It’s a convenience for the parents who might not be able to drive some nights.” The season starts in August and goes until November. The Eagles will play eight league games along with

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two guaranteed playoff games. While the atoms will only practice twice a week, the bantams may practice three to four times per week. “For the bantams, for the first month it’s four or five days a week because we’re trying to get things in place before the season starts. Once school starts, we scale it back.” It’s a lot of football, which prompts some parents to worry about injuries, including concussions. “A big part of handling concussions is awareness,” says Burbank. “Awareness and understanding that this happens — and it doesn’t only happen in football.” Every member of the Eagles staff is required to attend a national certification program on concussions and concussion awareness. When a player is concussed, they have to go through a return to play protocol. “You can’t pretend it’s not there. You have to help people understand how it happens, and how to deal with it if it happens.” The Eagles are a non-profit, and they’re always looking for help, says Burbank. “We’re open to sponsorship and volunteers. We rely heavily on our parents to do a number of the volunteer things.” To get involved, contact Burbank through the Foothills Eagles website, Gofa.ca. After kids finish their time in bantam, many go on to play at various high schools, including Foothills Composite and Holy Trinity Academy. And a lucky few may take it even further — current Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Anthony Parker and former Montreal Allouettes linebacker Bryn Roy both played for the Eagles. But for Burbank, it doesn’t matter whether players graduate to become CFL stars or never play the game again — as long as they’ve enjoyed their time with the Eagles. OL

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a day in the life

Dr. Mark Rubensohn Some of Okotoks vet’s favourite friends are animals STORY BY ALYSSA BURNHAM PHOTOS BY ANDREA KIRK

t’s just before 6:30 a.m. when Dr. Mark Rubensohn first opens his eyes. He knows the alarm won’t go off for another few minutes, and he savours the few minutes of peace and quiet. These will be some of his only moments of stillness for the next 12 hours. As the owner and practicing doctor at two busy veterinary clinics, active volunteer, avid outdoorsman and loving family man, he packs an awful lot of activity into each day. The alarm sounds, and he hops out of bed and launches into a familiar routine. “I’ve been doing the same thing for 40 years,” he says, in the cheerful accent of his native South Africa. Rubensohn starts each day by reading the news, his newspaper replaced by a desktop computer where local, national and international news are just a click away. If time permits, he also logs into Facebook to see what friends and organizations or groups of interest are up to.

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Breakfast is always the same: cooked oats with banana and a coffee. “I have no patience to stand in line for coffee,” he says, reinforcing his impatience with the admission that his morning cup of joe is in fact of the instant variety. He saves the more time-consuming French Press coffee for a decaf cup at end of the day. “I’m always in a hurry, even when there’s no reason to be; I’m not sure if that’s a fault or a good thing,” he chuckles. Rubensohn pours his coffee into a travel mug, hops into his silver Ford Fusion and queues up an audio book to listen to while he drives. He favours thrillers, murder mysteries and non-fiction audio files from the public library, listened to, of course, on the enhanced speed mode. His commute lasts just 15 or 30 minutes, depending on which clinic he is working at that day. Rubensohn owns both Bridlewood Veterinary Clinic in Calgary and the newer Okotoks Veterinary Clinic, which he opened in 2013. After having practiced for more than 20 years in Calgary, Rubensohn was easing into what he calls “semi-retirement” when he began to have second thoughts. “When I started looking for more to do, I realized what I love to do most is veterinary medicine.” He looked to Okotoks, a quick commute from his home in southwest Calgary, and decided to open a new clinic. “Suddenly I was working harder than I’d ever worked before... and loving it,” he says. He arrives at the clinic at 8 a.m., ready for action. The first hour is spent dealing with drop-in emergencies. The next two hours are for scheduled surgeries, procedures like spaying and neutering, tumor and growth removals, dentistry, abscesses and others. From 11 a.m. to noon he has more client appointments. At noon, Rubensohn steps away from the office and takes a much-deserved two hours for himself. He heads to Gold’s Gym where he puts headphones on and dives back into his audio book while riding the stationary bike and using the resistance ma-

a day in the life

chines. “To me, that’s an important part of my day,” he says of his gym time. “It allows me to work intensely from eight to 12 and two to six. It helps me to avoid burnout.” He eats a sandwich for lunch — his wife has been making a sandwich for lunch, usually from the previous night’s leftovers, nearly every day for the past 36 years they’ve been married — as he drives back to the clinic. Rubensohn can see upwards of 20 animals per day. Though he’s naturally predisposed to race through tasks as quickly as possible, it’s different when he’s with clients. He is careful to treat the animals and their owners, all of whom call him “Dr. Mark,” with unhurried care and respect. His afternoons fly by, with more appointments and checking in on the animals who are hospitalized at the clinic. When the clinic closes at 6 p.m. he drives home where his wife, Pnina, and their two cats are waiting for him. The couple immigrated to Canada from Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1995 in search of new opportunities for them and their three children. Initially, the avid outdoorsman wasn’t sure he would have enough to do in Calgary’s colder climate, but he quickly discovered a love for the mountains and the myriad opportunities for adventure they provide. His days off are filled with skiing, hiking, biking and bird watching. “We are so happy we moved,” Rubensohn says. Pnina, who has her husband’s praise as an excellent cook, has supper ready around 7 p.m., at which time they sit down at the table to enjoy the meal together. “From 7:30 – 10 p.m. is our time together,” he says. The time is passed in good conversation, reading and catching up on some of their favourite television or Netflix series, like Hell on Wheels and other dramas. The night is winding down; the hectic pace Rubensohn has kept all day is finally catching up with him. He takes one last peek at the computer to write a few emails and take in a bit more news. Then it’s off to bed for a few hours of rest before he gets up to do it all over again. OL

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what’s happening

events

Compiled by Estelle Park

march

7th Annual MCG’s Career and Employment Expo at the Foothills Centennial Centre. 1 to 7 p.m.

to April 30. Okotoks Art Gallery exhibits ‘Processions West: A Visual Journey from Plains to Coast’ by Robert S. Michiel & Robert S. Pohl. Reception: March 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. Free.

to April 30. ‘Watermarks: The Rivers of Alberta’ by Elisa Serano-Jazz is at the Okotoks Art Gallery. Reception: March 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. Free.

and April 2. Preschool Oral Health Clinics at the Okotoks Health and Welness Centre. Call 403-9952662 to make an appointment. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Free.

, March 14, March 21, April 4, April 11, April 18, April 25, May 2. Parents of children aged 12 – 36 months are invit-

ed to drop in to any TLC session for weekly information sessions and socializing. 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, Room 1424. Free.

, April 13, May 11. Free Car Seat Safety Checks are offered by the Okotoks Fire Station at 132 Milligan Drive from 1 to 4 p.m. No appointment necessary; just come with the child that uses the car seat.

Foothills Bridal Showcase at Foothills Centennial Centre. Free admission for the bride to be and one guest. Register online at www.welcomewagon.ca or call Marj at 403-620-9052.

Learn about Alberta’s Tourism Framework and opportunities available for entrepreneurs in Alberta’s tourism industry at the Tourism Entrepreneurship Seminar. Register online for free at www.eventbrite.ca.

Easter Bunny Party at the Okotoks Recreation Centre Gym. 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. $7/child and parent; $3 for each additional child from the same family. Pre-register at www.netreg.okotoks.ca with the code 46370.

or 19 Learn about Ukranian traditional egg decorating and create your own at the Pysanka Egg Decorating Workshop @OAG. Friday: 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. $25+GST. Register online at www.netreg.okotoks.ca with course code 47970 for Friday’s class or 47971 for Saturday’s class.

Free, guided Heritage Walk of Downtown Okotoks during Earth Hour, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Meet at the Okotoks Museum and Archives.

april

Honour and commemorate the Canadian Troops who fought at the battle of Rimy Ridge on Birth of a Nation Day. There will be a special marching procession starting 6 p.m., at the Elk’s Lodge, following Elizabeth St., onto Centre St., and finally arriving at the Cenotaph for a brief ceremony.

& May 27 Live uncut comedy group Yuk Yuk’s are on tour at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Ages 18+. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance at okotoksculture.ca, $25 at the door. Purchase online at www.okotoksculture.ca.

Toddle Down to the Art Gallery invites parents to enjoy the exhibitions as their toddlers explore hands-on activities. Recommended for ages 1 – 5. Drop in:

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$5/ family. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Okotoks Art Gallery.

to 23 Dewdney Players: One Act Plays festival. Tickets are $20; seniors and students $15. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. daily at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. There is also a matinee show at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at www.okotoksculture.ca.

Boys ages 9 – 13 years old are welcome to try a variety of activities from fencing to spinning at Guys Get Active @ the Okotoks Recreation Centre. 1 to 5 p.m. Refreshments and snacks included. $20; Register online at www.netreg. okotoks.ca with course code 46441.

Okotoks Kite Day Festival will have lots of kite-flying fun for everyone at Riverside Park

from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The Kite Guys will be selling kites if you don’t already have one, and there will be music, popcorn, and face painting. Free.

,30 Market Square Spring Fling with 85+ vendors at the Foothills Centennial Centre. April 29 from 3 to 8 p.m. April 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information visit www.themarketsquare. ca/event/show/marketsquares-springfling

Okotoks Fitness & Wellness Symposium at the Okotoks Recreation Centre includes keynote speaker John O’Sullivan, informative sessions, a healthy lunch, and a trade fair. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early Bird tickets: $40/person; after March 15; $50/person. Register online at www.eventbrite.ca.

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

may

, 6 Jojo’s Café at Kayben Farms opens for the season. Kayben Farms’ Sunshine Adventure Park opens on May 6. Hours: Weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Weekends and Holidays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Show Us Your Wits! Preview Night @RPAC features improvisers, storytellers, stand-up comedy, and magicians. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20+GST at www.eventbrite.ca.

& 7 Girl’s Night Out with Show Us Your Wits! @RPAC features the same play but with pampering, food and drinks. Show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25+GST at www.eventbrite.ca.

Sheep River Valley Clean-up and Tree Planting runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ethel Tucker Park. Free volunteer barbeque.

& 8 Kids Expo 2016 at Crescent Point Regional Field House offers over 150+ vendors, performances by local artists, demo classes, magicians, and more. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information visit www.bigrockprod.com

& 14 Create a Character, Create a Story with Jennifer Stables is a two-part creative workshop. Participants will create their own imaginary character and learn the basics of illustrative design and paint-

ing on the first day @OAG. The second half of the workshop will be held at the Okotoks Public Library where participants will play creative games and create stories or poems to accompany their paintings. For ages 6 – 12; $30+GST. Register online at www.netreg. okotoks.ca with course code 47972.

to June 18, ‘If You Wander Far Enough’ by Jessica Plattner explores the relationship between human activity and the natural world. Exhibit is at RPAC. Tues – Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reception: 1 to 3 p.m.

to June 18, ‘Continuous’ by Monique Martin looks at the interplay between humans and small creatures. The exhibit is at RPAC. Tues-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reception: 1 to 3 p.m.

to October 29, The ‘Lost Okotoks’ exhibit @ RPAC commemorates the businesses that have disappeared over time from Okotoks’ landscape. Tues – Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Opening reception: May 7, 1 to 3 p.m. Free.

or 13 Enjoy a three-course meal at Bistro 1882 and a guided tour of the Okotoks Art Gallery’s new exhibitions during A Cultural Night Out. Enter a draw for an OAG or RPAC gift card. Tickets are $125+GST for dinner and a tour for two at www. eventbrite.ca. Choose from two evenings with two time slots:

dinner at 6 p.m. and tour at 7:30 p.m. or tour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Skateboards: Design and Create with Carl White is a workshop @OAG that allows participants to design and paint their own skateboard. Ages 10 – 18. $115+GST. Register online at www.netreg.okotoks.ca with course code 47973. The theme for International Museum Day is Cultural Landscapes. Visit the Okotoks Museum and Archives anytime from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Leave your unwanted items out at the curb on Curbside Giveaway Day, and tour your neighbourhood to find hidden treasures of your own. All items must be labeled with a ‘FREE’ sticker, and unclaimed items should be removed from the curb by 7 p.m.

, June 2, June 9, June 16. Colourful Canadian Wildlife Painting with Erica Neumann is a series of painting classes where participants will work with acrylics to create portraits of Canadian wildlife. $115+GST. Register online for the 4 courses at www.netreg.okotoks.ca with course code 47975.

Girls Get Active @ Okotoks Recreation Centre gives girls ages 9 – 13 years old an opportunity to participate in a variety of healthy activities like yoga, Zumba, and more. $20+GST. Register online at www.netreg.okotoks.ca with code 46434.

ongoing March until April 30. ‘The 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote’ exhibit is held at the Okotoks Museum and Archives. Tues – Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

March until August 31. ‘Just Wait Five Minutes… or 15,000 Years’ examines the weather’s impact on Okotoks and its people. The exhibit is at the Okotoks Museum and Archives. Tues-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

March until November 30, 2018. ‘Okotoks and World War I’ exhibit is at the Okotoks Museum and Archives, Tues-Sat, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

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sustainability

MyHEAT

Check out your home’s thermal signature

BY AMANDA BROW N

“H

ave you ever wondered why the snow melts faster on some roofs than it does others? A clear answer might only be a few clicks away. The Town of Okotoks has teamed up with MyHEAT Inc. so you can see, free of charge, areas of high-heat loss from your home. Using high-resolution aerial thermal photography, MyHEAT provides you with your home’s HEAT Score and a colourized heat map of your house. Jeff Taylor, co-founder and president of MyHEAT, says there’s a number of ways residents can benefit. “First, they will be able to actually see where heat is escaping from their home. Second, they will be able to see how they compare to their neighbours’ homes with respect to the efficiency of their building envelope. Third, we can educate homeowners on steps they can take to improve their energy efficiency, reduce the heat escaping from their home, improve

their comfort, save them money on their energy bills, as well as help the environment.” MyHEAT updates its thermal imagery each year and homeowners can assess whether the heat efficiency improvements they’ve made are measurably better. https://myheat.ca/ OL

MyHEAT provides you with your home’s HEAT Score and a colourized heat map of your house.

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NORTHGATE DRIVE

338 AVENUE

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Good E Shepherd School

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D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club

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Lay-By-Rest and Information Area

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Okotoks School ELMA STRE

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Big Rock School E BIG ROCK TRAIL Cemetery

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John Paul II Collegiate

Westmount School

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Foothills Centennial Centre

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Crystal Ridge Golf Course

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Halstead Park

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Okotoks Dawgs Baseball

FISHER PLACE FISHER GATE

Seaman Stadium & Fieldhouse

Recycling Centre

32 ST RE

Town of Okotoks Operations Centre

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SOUTHBANK BLVD

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you said it

“

What’s your favourite Okotoks event?

I’m also a big fan of Light Up Okotoks. In the winter time there’s not a lot of outdoor activities, so it’s nice to see a lot of families gather together when it happens.

BY ISABEL RODRIGUEZ

Daniel Robinson

“

Buskers Fest. I like the singing and the dancing the most. Emma G, age 9

“

Probably Light Up Okotoks. I go straight for the sleigh rides.

The watershow! It’s an end of the year event. I coach the girls synchronized swimming team. They prep for it all year, and then we get to perform our routine at the big event.

Emma B, age 9

Mary-Beth Flaherty

“

“ “

“ “ “ Playing bubble soccer at the Field House. Kyler, age 12

I like the Stampede breakfasts. My family and I try to do breakfast hops. My daughter’s sporting events often keep us from hitting all of them though.

The parade. I like everything about it! I go with my family and friends. Isabel, age 11

Karen McLellan

Light Up Okotoks is probably my favourite event. It’s a lot of fun, and a good time to go out with your friends. It’s also nice seeing all the different Christmas lights.

I like the parade. I got to ride on the Okotoks Town Float once. Timothy, age 5

Keelin Fenske

“

I have to say watching my son play all the different sporting events at the new indoor soccer arena. Ray Smidstrutap

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“

I do like the parade. I like the candy the most! Gwen, age 8