St. Albert Leader - July 26, 2012 by St. Albert Leader

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Is it time for a new pair? Are your feet getting sore even though you wear orthotics? Not sure if you even need them?

Kristen Fitzgerald

Heidi Fedoruk

Scott Fitzgerald

If you are unsure about the source of your foot pain, or if you are not sure what orthotics can do for you, our three phase screen may be able to give you some answers.

www.leadingedgephysio.com

North · Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club 205a Carnegie Drive, St. Albert MPSSCS4296400MPSE

Leading Edge Physiotherapy will be doing complimentary foot and orthotic screens. Please call to book your check up today!

780.458.2669

Grant Fedoruk

Services we provide: • Motor Vehicle Claims • Certified Radial Shockwave Provider • Sports Injuries • Extensive Fitness Facilities • Spinal Decompression (DTS) • Orthotics • Acupuncture (U of A trained under Dr. Aung) • Certified Gunn IMS • Graston • TechniqueTM • State of the Art Physical Modalities • Vestibular Rehab

Anita Cassidy

Central · Royal Glenora Club11160 River Valley Road, Edmonton

780.761.1160

Thursday, July 26, 2012

THE NEW

NORTH SIDE MITSUBISHI.CA

GO TOPLESS THIS SUMMER!

2011 MUSTANG

2012 ECLIPSE SPYDER

CONVERTIBLE

Stock# BN2377

CONVERTIBLE

Stock# BN2447

29,995

SPECIAL $25,987 Mike the nkey Mitsubishi Mo

34,995

SPECIAL $33,987

2008 ECLIPSE SPYDER CONVERTIBLE

Stock#BN2441

26,995

SPECIAL $22,887

SPECIAL OF THE WEEK

2011 RVR AWD

Multi Purpose Vehicle Stock# BN2451

WAS $23,995 SAVE - $3,000

BLOW OUT!

NOW $20,995

Corner of 97 & Yellowhead th

• • • OUR BEST DEALS OF THE YEAR • • • 2012 LANCER DE THE PERFORMANCE SEDAN

2012 OUTLANDER ES THE BOLD AND SPIRITED SUV

Available on Lancer SE AWC

Available on Outlander XLS Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Excludes Lancer Evolution and Lancer Ralliart

NORTH SIDE MITSUBISHI.CA 780.479.5700

PURCHASE FINANCING ON SELECT MODELS

9670 - 125A AVE

Corner of 97th & Yellowhead

WANT TO KNOW MORE? VISIT MITSUBISHI-MOTORS.CA Δ THE CASH PURCHASE PRICE (QUE): INCLUDES FREIGHT, PDI, AIR TAX, EHF AND PPSA. TAXES, REGISTRATION, INSURANCE, LICENSING AND DUTY ON NEW TIRES ARE EXCLUDED. (AB/

BC/ON: INCLUDES / MARITIMES/MB/SK: EXCLUDES) DESTINATION, DELIVERY AND FEES. TAXES, PPSA AND DEALER/ADMIN FEES OF UP TO $599 ARE EXCLUDED.

Offer(s) available on new 2012 models purchased through participating dealers to qualified retail customers who purchase a new vehicle by XXXXX, 2012. Dealers may sell for less, some conditions apply. Offers are subject to change without notice, see dealer for complete details. ‡ 2012 Lancer SE AWC/2012 RVR GT/2012 Outlander XLS models shown have an MSRP of $23,098/$28,998/$35,198 and selling price of $XX,XXX/$XX,XXX/$XX,XXX. (QUE): Taxes, registration, insurance, licensing and duty on new tires are excluded. (Rest of Canada): Includes destination, delivery and fees. Taxes, PPSA and dealer fees of up to $599 are excluded. § S-AWC standard on Outlander XLS and Lancer Evolution. AWC standard on Lancer SE AWC. ◊ 0% purchase financing available through Bank of Montreal for up to 60 months on most 2012 Lancer models. 0% purchase financing available through Bank of Montreal for up to 72 months on all 2012 Outlander models and all 2012 RVR models (terms vary by model, see dealer for details). Representative examples: 2012 Lancer DE (CL41-A)/2012 RVR ES 2WD (CS45-A)/2012 Outlander ES 2WD (CO45-A) with an all-in price of $XX,XXX/$XX,XXX/$XX,XXX financed at 0%/0%/0% over 60/72/72 months equals 130/156/156 bi-weekly payments of $XXX/$XXX/$XXX for a total obligation of $XX,XXX/$XX,XXX/$XX,XXX and a cost of borrowing of $X/$X/$X. (QUE): Excludes taxes, registration, insurance, licensing, and duty on new tires. (Rest of Canada): Includes up to $1,450 in freight, $250 in PDI, $100 in air tax, up to $30 in EHF. Excludes $15 duty on new tires, taxes, PPSA, registration, insurance, licensing, administration, up to $599 in other dealer fees and any additional government fees. $2,000/$3,000/$4,000 cash purchase incentive applicable on cash purchases of most 2012 Lancer models (excluding Lancer Evolution)/all 2012 RVR models/ and all 2012 Outlander models between July 4, 2012 and July 31, 2012. Cash purchase incentive will be deducted from the negotiated price before taxes and cannot be combined with special finance rates offered through Bank of Montreal or Bank of Nova Scotia as part of a low-rate interest program. All advertised finance rates are special rates. Cash purchase incentive will take place at the time of delivery. Some conditions apply. See dealer for complete details. ^ Purchase APR includes the forgone cash purchase incentive as a cost of borrowing. * Best backed claim does not cover Lancer Evolution, Lancer Ralliart or i-MiEV. ® MITSUBISHI MOTORS, BEST BACKED CARS IN THE WORLD are trade-marks of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. and are used under license. ** Whichever comes first. Regular maintenance not included. See dealer or mitsubishi-motors.ca for warranty terms, restrictions and details. Not all customers will qualify. MPSSCS4291576MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Lead the

Splish splash

INDEX

Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

News . . . . . . . . . 3 Opinion . . . . . . . . 8 Entertainment . . . . . 16 Health . . . . . . . 20 Lifestyle . . . . . . . 23 Business . . . . . . 26 stalbertjobs.com . . . .27

A Toyota SUV splashes through a flooded area of Mission Avenue just west of Perron Street, in front of Chateau Mission Court, after a short but torrential thunderstorm that hit the Capital Region on Monday evening. The water drained away quickly after the rain stopped, though, and City of St. Albert utilities manager Dan Rites said that public works crews didn’t have any other problems to deal with as a direct result of the storm.

COVER

National women’s soccer team goalkeeper and St. Albert native Erin McLeod (green) makes a save during an exhibition game against the U.S. in June. McLeod is getting set for the London Olympics. Story, page 14.

FUN WITH NUMBERS

21 That’s how many people were treated for burns to the soles of their feet after walking on hot coals during a Tony Robbins seminar in San Jose, Calif., last week. None of the injuries were lifethreatening.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY JULY 26, 1874

Alexander Graham Bell first describes his idea for the telephone to his father in Brantford, Ont. He would later develop the invention and was issued a patent for it in the United States on March 7, 1876.

MPSSCS4296401MPSE

Plan west of Wal-Mart to be unveiled

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

St. Albert residents will get their first look at plans for land in the city’s northwest corner tonight (Thursday). That’s when consultants with the IBI Group, on behalf of developers Melcor and Qualico, are hosting an open house to present the area structure plan for two quarter-sections of land just north of Villeneuve Road, stretching from the Wal-Mart site west to Hogan Road. The open house will take place tonight (Thursday) at the St. Albert Alliance Church starting at 6:30 p.m. Blaydon Dibben, an associate with the IBI Group’s Edmonton office, said that the plan calls for two storm ponds, one in each quartersection, along with a wide range of residential development. “The important thing in this plan, I think, is to have strong pedestrian connections, being a very walkable neighbourhood,” Dibben said. “There’s a school site planned for this neighbourhood. There’s going to be a whole mix of densities for residential — mainly low-density, single-family and duplexes, and then there’d be a number of townhouses along the streets and some multifamily sites, which may include apartment buildings, maybe four-storey apartment buildings.”

The plan, which the IBI Group has been working on since January, also calls for more commercial property north of the Wal-Mart site, adjacent to Highway 2. The Capital Region Board has put in place density guidelines of 30 to 45 units per hectare for new developments, and Dibben said that this ASP complies with those guidelines. “It’s more dense than any other neighbourhood currently in St. Albert,” he said. “We’re trying to increase the density in this plan to meet those targets. And the way to do that is include a mix of uses.” Some newer subdivisions in St. Albert, like North Ridge and Riverside, were approved prior to the new CRB guidelines, and thus are under the 30 unit per hectare target. Others, such as Erin Ridge North and Ville Giroux, do meet the requirement.

The Alliance Church itself is located in the lands in question, and the ASP envisions it staying, but other businesses and City of St. Albert facilities in the area will likely have to move. “It depends on the timeline,” Dibben said. “I don’t know what the timing would be for their operations to continue. ... I believe everyone’s running off a lease in this area; the developers own the land, and these operations are leasing the land from them. So whenever development proceeds, I would anticipate those businesses would stop operating or relocate somewhere else.” While the open house tonight will give residents the chance to voice their concerns, Dibben said he expects to hear some complaints around transportation in the area. “There are existing houses backing onto Villeneuve Road, and currently in the transportation master plan, that road is anticipated to not continue through to St. Albert Trail, but in this plan, we are proposing that it does continue to St. Albert Trail,” he said. “That’s a discussion that needs to be sorted out with the City and the residents.” Once this open house is done, Dibben and the IBI Group hope they’ll have enough feedback that they can make changes and submit the ASP to the City. Dibben said he expects another open house after the City has reviewed the plan, and another chance for feedback at a council meeting before it is officially approved.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

YOUR COUNCIL City Council is on their annual summer break. Next City Council meeting: Monday, August 20, 2012 at 3 p.m.

SUBDIVISION & DEVELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD Wednesday, August 8, 6:00 p.m Council Chambers St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

ST. ALBERT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTEADVISORY LLE D CANC COMMITTEE

Tuesday, August 14, 7:00 p.m. East Boardroom, Third Floor St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

LIBRARY BOARD

Wednesday, August 15, 6:30 p.m. Forsyth Hall, Library St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

READY SET gO /StA_Recreation /StARecreation

fOUNTAIN PARk RECREATION CENTRE

w:stalbert.ca/fountain-park-recreation-centre p: 780-459-1553

Heritage Long weekend Swim Times Saturday, August 4:

Lane Swim – 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pre-School Plunge – 7 to 9 a.m. Family Swim – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 6 to 7 p.m. Public Swim – 1 to 5 p.m., 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 5:

Lane Swim – 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Pre-School Plunge – 7 to 9 a.m., Noon to 1 p.m. Family Swim – 1 to 4 p.m., 5 to 7 p.m. Public Swim – 9 a.m. to noon, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, August 6:

Lane Swim – 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Family Swim – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Public Swim – 1 p.m. to 8 p.m MPSSCS4296430MPSE

HAVE YOUR SAY! HERITAgE MANAgEMENT PLAN PUBLIC INPUT

The City of St. Albert is partnering with the Municipal Heritage Partnership Program to develop a Heritage Management Plan to guide the conservation of historic private and public resources in St. Albert that were identified in the 2010 St. Albert Heritage Inventory, raise public awareness about heritage matters, identify partnership opportunities, and develop policies for the inventoried sites. Community values are essential to the success of this plan and to help set conservation goals.

MARk YOUR CALENDAR LARgE JUNk DROP-Off EVENT

Need to get rid of that old sofa, washer or mattress? Bring your unwanted and hard-toget-rid-of household items to the Large Junk Drop-Off Event. Saturday, July 28, 2012 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Akinsdale Arena Parking Lot – 66 Hebert Road

For rates and services, call 780-459-1500 or visit stalbert.ca/cemetery.

Hard copies of the survey are available from Cultural Services and the Musée Héritage Museum, St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street or by calling 780-459-1600.

Weed of the Week

Help the City of St. Albert control invasive plants/weeds in our community!

AMENDMENTS TO ALARM SYSTEM BYLAw

• to permit only one free false alarm permit versus the current process of one free false alarm per calendar year • to invoice permit holders for false alarm calls if the police are dispatched versus the current process of invoicing permit holders if the police attend a residence • to require alarm companies or alarm permit holders to verify one zone alarms before contacting or having the police dispatched. Please provide your input before July 30, 2012 to Aaron Giesbrecht, manager of policing services, agiesbrecht@st-albert.net, 780-458-4303 or Stu Fraser, peace officer program supervisor, sfraser@st-albert.net, 780-458-4342

Traditional and ash burials, a Field of Honour, Columbarium and Memorial Wall available.

Two tags per item. Some restrictions apply. For more information, visit www.stalbert.ca/junkevent or call Public Works at 780-459-1557.

How would you manage heritage assets? Visit www.stalbert.ca/HMP to learn more and to share your ideas in a short survey.

The City of St. Albert wants to hear your comments and concerns regarding proposed amendments to Alarm Systems Bylaw 25/2002. The goal is to reduce the number of false alarms and move towards a user pay service by considering revisions to the following areas:

Find your perfect plot right here in st. albert

An invasive plant is a non-native plant that spreads easily, aggressively and may displace or alter natural plant communities. Under the Alberta Weed Control Act, municipalities are required to control the spread of noxious weeds.

HIMALAYAN BALSAM: Locations:

Often found along the edges of wetlands and resident Stems are smooth and grow up to three metres tall. Flowers are long in shades of pink through purple. The

City Control: What can you do?

patches through hand pulling. due to shallow roots. Ensure plants are disposed of in a sealed garbage bag to prevent further spread. DO NOT COMPOST.

Information and picture provided by the Alberta Invasive Plants Council www.invasiveplants.ab.ca. For more information, visit: www.stalbert.ca/invasive-plants.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

TEMPORARY TRUCK CROSSING RAY GIBBON DRIVE RIEL PARK REDEVELOPMENT PHASES 3 & 4

2012

COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS

Over the next six issues of Citylights, we will be sharing highlights from the 2012 Community Satisfaction Survey. For the full report, visit www.stalbert.ca/community-satisfaction-survey.

Telephone interviews were conducted with 800 residents between April 30 and May 9, 2012, with 200 selected from each city quadrant. City-wide results have a margin of error of ±3.5%, and confidence level of 95% or 19 times out of 20. The study was conducted by Banister Research & Consulting on behalf of the City of St. Albert. Where there are comparable questions to other municipalities, data averages for those municipalities are also provided.

SAFE PLACE TO LIVE 100%

93%

80% 69% 60%

40% 23% 20% 6% 0%

Strongly/Somewhat agree

Neutral

Strongly/Somewhat disagree

St. Albert (2009) St. Albert (2012) St. Albert (2010) St. Albert (2008) Municipal Avg. (2011-2012)* Temporary Signalled Road Crossing

JULY 23 – NOVEMBER 30, 2012 Drivers and trail users should be aware of the following disruptions on Ray Gibbon Drive associated with the Riel Park Redevelopment •

Heavy truck traffic on Ray Gibbon Drive between LeClair Way and Giroux Road. Trucks will be making approximately 190 round trips per day. A temporary signalled crossing will be built on Ray Gibbon Drive south of the Sturgeon River bridge to allow the hauling of clay and topsoil for redevelopment. Temporary signals at the crossing will keep traffic flowing; however, expect delays. Starting September 3, trucks will be restricted from using the temporary crossing during peak traffic times (7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.) to minimize delays on Ray Gibbon Drive.

•

Temporary trail closure of a portion of the Red Willow Trail between Levasseur Road and the Sturgeon River bridge will be closed until fall 2013 due to the truck crossing and site redevelopment. Access to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park and the BLESS platform remains open via Rodeo Drive.

*Red Deer and Lethbridge

In 2012 there was a decrease in the proportion of respondents that agreed to some extent that St. Albert is a safe place to live – 69% compared to 90% or above in previous years and in other municipalities (Red Deer and Lethbridge). The strongly agree responses declined from 46% in 2010 to 29% in 2012, with a shift to neutral (7% in 2010 to 23% in 2012). Safety and crime issues of concern are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Youth vandalism 34% Drugs in the community 32% Theft/burglary 25% Youth crime 9% Vandalism 9%

Don’t RIP through construction zones.

Motorists and trail users are advised to watch for signs. Motorists please maintain the posted speed limit. Thank you for your patience during the 2012 construction season. For more information: contact the City of St. Albert Engineering, Capital Projects, 780-459-1654 or visit www.stalbert.ca/riel-recreation-park-redevelopment.

www.dont-rip.ca

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Fire guts Braeside home

here, so I phoned 911.” “I could tell there was a lot of smoke coming out of the basement. You could tell just from the joists ... the smoke was just pouring out of the basement,” he added. But LeBlanc said he never feared for his own home thanks to the firefighters’ response. “The firefighters were here pretty quick,” he said. Tye confirmed that the fire did start in the basement, but unfortunately it was on the opposite side of the basement from two exterior windows, making things dangerous for firefighters. “The floor is burned through, so it’s not safe for us to go in,” Tye explained. “They’re laying ladders across and cutting small holes and trying to get water on it that way.” Also complicating matters was the summer heat, which, although not as intense as some days in the past couple of weeks, still was a factor. “It was so hard to ventilate the building when we first got here,” Tye said. “As soon as I got here, I went right away to a second alarm and called in more resources.” Fire investigators and arson investigators would move in to check things out as soon as the fire was out and the building was safe enough to enter, Tye said. Firefighters were still on the scene as of midnight. Smoke from the fire drifted as far as downtown St. Albert by around 10 p.m.

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Members of St. Albert Fire Services work on extinguishing a blaze that broke out in a home on Balmoral Drive on the evening of Thursday, July 19. FACTORY WARRANTY

FACTORY WARRANTY

2006-2011

2007 DODGE CARAVAN SE

$8,988

FACTORY WARRANTY

2008 VW GOLF HATCHBACK

FACTORY WARRANTY

Loaded

DVD

A Braeside home is gutted after a fire broke out in the basement Thursday evening. St. Albert Fire Services were called to 12 Balmoral Dr. at about 9:10 p.m. Thursday when neighbours noticed smoke coming from the basement windows. As of Monday morning, St. Albert Fire Services chief Ray Richards said they had not yet narrowed down a cause, but the house was a “complete loss,” with damage estimated at $350,000 to the home itself, plus another $100,000 for its contents. Two people lived in the home, St. Albert Fire Services Capt. Charles Tye said at the scene, but neither was home at the time of the fire. “We went inside very aggressively and searched the bedroom area and everything, but it was way too hot and the survivability was almost zero, so [the firefighters] had to come out,” he said. “But the RCMP was able to contact everybody and confirm they were out.” However, he did add there were pets in the home, and they had not been found. Richard LeBlanc lives next door to the house that caught fire, and called it in to the fire department. “I was getting ready to go to bed, and my wife was like, ‘I can see smoke,’” LeBlanc said. “I went outside and saw the house was on fire, and [the owner] wasn’t

$9,988

2011 KIA RIO 5 HATCHBACK

$11,888

FACTORY WARRANTY

GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES!!

Loaded

2011 NISSAN VERSA HATCHBACK

$11,888

FACTORY WARRANTY

POWER ROOF

66,000 kms

Loaded

86,000 kms

48,000 kms

SUPER SPECIAL!

47,000 kms

2007 FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE

2008 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4X4 V6

2008 HONDA ACCORD W/ALLOYS

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA TOURING

2011 FORD RANGER SPORT S/C 4X4

2010 FORD FUSION SE

$13,500

$13,750

FACTORY WARRANTY

$13,888

$14,500

FACTORY WARRANTY

Alloys

32,000 kms

Loaded

4 from

Loaded

35,000 kms

2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER SE

2011 DODGE CALIBER SXT

2012 CHEV MALIBU

2008 HONDA CRV 4X4

2012 MAZDA 3

2009 MINI COOPER

$14,777

$14,888

FACTORY WARRANTY

$15,500

$16,500

FACTORY WARRANTY

POWER ROOF

$16,500

19,000 kms

15,000 kms

Loaded

21,000 kms

17,000 kms

18,000 kms

2012 VW GOLF HATCHBACK

2011 VOLVO C30T5 COUPE

2012 DODGE CHARGER

2012 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE

2011 BMW 323i

$17,988

$20,500

$26,500

$29,500

NO FEES • MANY ONE OWNER RECONDITIONED N LEASE RETURNS WITH FACTORY WARRANTY

EASY FINANCING NO Down Payments OAC NO Gimmicks

$22,888

$16,900

POWER ROOF

LEATHER

2012 HYUNDAI SONATA

$17,988

$14,500

TRUCK&AUTO.CA

email: alber tatruckandauto@live.com

780.453.DEAL

(3325)

142 AVE. & MARK MESSIER TRAIL 1 Monday - Friday 9-7 • Saturday 9-6 • Sunday Closed

A+ Rating

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Q A Q Who is Craig Pilgrim? A I am a husband and a father living, working, and volunteering in St. Albert.

I’m also a *HIP* REALTOR® with RE/MAX Real Estate. (*Honesty, Integrity, Professionalism*)

Q Nickname? A Depends on who you ask. My folks still call me “Boomer” from time-to-time. Mrs P calls me “Sweets” or “Dear”. My friends tend to call me names not ﬁt for print however, some use Pilgrim.

Q What motivates you? A My family: Mrs P and Little P.

GETTING TO KNOW CRAIG PILGRIM

Q How are you involved in the community; how do you give back? Q Favorite movie? A I am the Board Chair for the SAIF Society, I serve on the Board of Governors of the A I have a lot of faves but if I have to pick one it’s “The Power of One”. REALTORS Community Foundation, and I volunteer on a couple of committees for the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce. I am a Street Teamer for a Testicular Cancer Q What’s the one problem customers come to you most often with? Awareness not-for-proﬁt group called Besties with Testies and a co-founder of Social A Most often it’s having survived a substandard real estate experience. They’ve had Media-X. I have also participated in a few Habitat for Humanity builds. My chosen ®

career affords me these opportunities to participate in our community.

Q You’re singing out loud in your car, what are you singing? A I couldn’t carry a tune with a handle so I don’t sing however, you may see me

pounding my steering wheel to the beat of anything by 3 Doors Down, Shinedown, or Buckcherry.

one of “those” experiences and assume all real estate professionals are the same. They come to me skeptical of my profession and doubtful their experience with me will be any different than their last. I take great pride in helping them realize the poor experience they had previously is the exception in my profession.

Q What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? A Stop talking and listen! Q What’s the best way you’ve found to keep a balance between work and family

Q Great moment you had at work? Q Best thing about your job? A I’ve had many, but one that comes to mind happened last Christmas. My Clients life? A My Clients, hands down. The people I meet and forge relationships with, though had spent most of last summer trying to sell their home but we could not get it A By making family my priority. In so doing I am prevented from losing sight of generally only for a short time, are by far the best part of my job. A close second is

the ﬂexibility I’m afforded; it gives me time to spend with my family and give back to our community through volunteering.

Q Favorite pets or animals? A I’ve always been a dog lover. Excepting the past two-years since we lost our last

dog I don’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t have a dog. We had Lady, Brandy, and Blue throughout my childhood, Sam in my teens, and I had Amie and Rylee through my 20s and 30s. When Mrs P and I met she had Shelby -- we created a “blended family” and had three canine kids for a time.

Q Vacation this year... you’re heading to? A We talked about doing a Disney Cruise but we may change our plans and head

down to the US to see some friends we haven’t seen in awhile. At this point we’re undecided.

done. After the listing expired and they had resigned themselves to staying another what is truly important to me. This means my family is always top of mind and a winter, another agent inquired about the property and whether my Clients would healthy balance is naturally struck. still sell. Part of what makes this moment stand out is when the listing expired my Clients asked me, “What if someone who saw our home while it was listed decides If we’re heading on a coffee run, you’re having...? they want to pursue our home and we’re not listed?”. I explained if that happened Black with one sweetener. the other agent would likely have the moxie to call me up and enquire -- and she did. Long story short, my Clients were in their new home just in time for Christmas. What video game or phone app are you addicted to?

Q Favorite thing about St. Albert? A The trails and the great job the City does at maintaining the trails all year long.

Their work allows me to maximize my time spent running outdoors and minimizes indoor run time on the track at Servus Place; even during the dead of winter.

Q What do you do for you? A I took up running about a year-and-a-half

Q A Q A TWITTER!!! (@craigpilgrim) Q You would describe your sense of style as ...? A Whatever Mrs P tells me looks okay so, “married casual”.

ago and absolutely love it. I can clear my head, problem solve, or just “escape” for 30-minutes to 2.5-hours depending on the distance I’m running that day. You can follow along via I’m leaving St. Albert with Mrs P and Little P to go camping. “A Runnerz Ramblingz” on Tumblr (http://bit.ly/ockg2N). I added swimming to my “me What sets you apart in your business? activities” earlier this year and while I don’t enjoy it as much as My character and my attitude. This is an extremely difﬁcult question to answer in running, I do look forward to being in the pool. Currently I’m my business because so many say they’re different when really aren’t. So I hired a averaging approximately 30KM per week running on our trail company to help me ﬁgure it out -- you can read it here: “Why Me” systems and swimming a kilometre a day, six out of seven (http://bit.ly/Myy6GZ). days per week.

Q The weekend in St. Albert, what are you doing? A If I’m not with Clients and we don’t have toddler birthday parties to attend then

Q A

Q Favourite place to eat in St. Albert? Q Favorite hobbies? A Vee at Apex Casino. They make the best omelette in town, their lunch is always A I don’t have any. I run.

great, and their service is excellent.

When the GOAL is

CRAIG PILGRIM REALTOR

RE/MAX Real Estate MPSSCS4286379MPSE

Any advice you can give St. Albert residents, regarding real estate?

Always, always, always contact a professional REALTOR® before proceeding with any home purchase or sale.

SOLD, not just Listed.

780-458-8300

www.cominghome.ca @craigpilgrim /cominghomerealestate

If you are interested in marketing yourself and your business in the St. Albert Leader Q&A - Call 780-460-1035 for next available date

Thursday, July 26, 2012

OPINION

iStAlbert

Getting our fair share too

Here’s what people are saying about #StAlbert on Twitter:

@hansenjacquie Enjoying the premiers breakfast at the legislature grounds on this the 100th year of the legislature! #asba #abed #stalbert

ince Alberta was admitted into Confederation in 1905, our relationship with our next-door neighbours to the west has been at least amicable. Sure, there was the odd rivalry over hockey or football, and Albertans rolling their eyes at things like provincial sales taxes or Stanley by Glenn Cook Cup riots, but all in all, we always got along. But neighbourly relations often crumble, usually over unkempt hedges or barking dogs. This time, though, Alberta and B.C.’s friendship may be done in by resources and — what else? — money. B.C. premier Christy Clark announced last week that her government had set down conditions that would have to be met before she would allow the Northern Gateway pipeline — owned by Alberta-based Enbridge — to be built across her province, ending at the port of Kitimat. Of the conditions, many are reasonable: an environmental review, better capacity to handle spills, more engagement with First Nations communities located along the pipeline’s route. But the most contentious one, the one that could spark a major feud, is B.C.’s insistence that they get a “fair share” of the royalties from the oil shipped through the pipe. That “fair share” has yet to be defined, but whatever it is, Alberta should be under no obligation to pay it. Resources have always been the property of the province where they’re extracted, and there’s no reason to change now. Other pipeline projects have been built through B.C. in the past, yet there were no demands for money in those cases. This time, it smacks of opportunism, capitalizing on an already-controversial plan to cash in and polarize public opinion further. But if B.C. still wants to go through with it, maybe Alberta ought to try and get its “fair share” from them for the forest products that are loaded on the giant trucks that travel Alberta’s roads day in and day out. If the Northern Gateway pipeline is to be built, then yes, the proper environmental precautions must be taken. But there’s no way Albertans should be held hostage by our neighbours to keep our economy going.

@nolzak Well the shed is half complete, oh and a tornado on the way. If you find shed shrapnel in your #StAlbert yard tomorrow, it’s mine...

EDITORIAL

@CherylGosche I think my garden slugs drowned in the downpour #SilverLining #StAlbert #yeg

@brittbrew The best part about a late evening run was the beautiful sunset over the park in #StAlbert tonight. Wish I could have snapped a pic.

Compiled by Swift Media Group swiftmedia.ca • @Swift_Media

Input needed on vital provincial topics

ince being elected April 23, I have been honoured to represent our city along with colleague Doug Horner, MLA for Spruce Grove-St. Albert. Currently, under the direction of Premier Alison Redford, MLAs are now undertaking important discussions regarding social policy, health care and finance. Premier Redford insists we keep listening to Albertans as we move forward, and as such, we are engaging Albertans in discussing these vital topics. I hope citizens of St. Albert will take time to become involved in this very important process. The framework around social policy under Human Services Minister Dave Hancock is about how we meet human needs such as seniors, housing, disability, employment, safe

Stephen

KHAN St. Albert MLA My City communities and child care. Communities should be measured on how we treat the most vulnerable among us. Social policy is expressed in how a society cares for all its members and how an individual, a community and their government interact to address social challenges. Albertans are invited to share their opinions, experiences and ideas to help create the social policy framework. The Speak. Share. Thrive. discussions give everyone the opportunity to talk about their vision for our province. Please visit

Publisher: Rob LeLacheur rob@stalbertleader.com

Editor: Glenn Cook

glenn@stalbertleader.com

Client Services: Michelle Barstad michelle@stalbertleader.com

www.socialpolicy.alberta.ca by July 31 to take part in the survey, or look at other ways you can become involved in a community discussion. Premier Redford has also asked government MLAs to participate in conversations with health care providers and receivers about health services in general. The goal is to make sure we all have a home in the publicly funded health care system and that in every community there is an open door into public health care. Your thoughts on delivery in St. Albert specifically — but also in other areas of the province if you have had experience elsewhere — are a valuable contribution I will share with Health Minister Fred Horne. Please send us your thoughts in writing regarding

Delivery concerns? Email us at delivery@stalbertleader.com All claims of errors in advertisements must be received in writing by the publisher within 5 days after the first publication. Liability for errors or failure to publish is limited to the amount paid for the space occupied. The opinions expressed within publication are not necessarily those of the St. Albert Leader or RJ Lolly Media. Material published may not be copied or reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher.

community access to services and how well you think they are working. Please mail this to #109B, 50 St. Thomas St., St. Albert, AB, T8N 6Z8, or email st.albert@assembly.ab.ca and be sure to include your full mailing and email address if applicable. We truly do want your input, so I encourage everyone in my constituency to take time this summer to contribute your opinions or experiences, good or bad. Finally, Treasury Board and Finance discussions, including the Heritage Trust Fund, will be part of a series of roundtable discussions we are in the process of planning. As you can see, we will have different ways for citizens to become involved in this process. I thank you in advance for your anticipated input. Owned and operated by

RJ Lolly Media Inc. 13 Mission Ave. St. Albert, Alta. T8N 1H6

Phone: 780-460-1035

Thursday, July 26, 2012

YC chair responds to funding pull rationale GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Some of the reasons the City of St. Albert pulled programming funding from the St. Albert Youth Community Centre make sense, according to the youth centre’s board of directors chair, but others simply do not. City council approved the decision on May 28 to take funding for the youth centre’s programs and divert it to their Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) department for their own asset development programs. The City then released a backgrounder outlining the reasons for that decision on Sunday, July 15, because the initial report that the decision was based on was kept confidential under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The youth centre’s board met on Wednesday, July 18, to discuss their response to reasons provided by the City and the Community Services Advisory Board, and chair Doug Campbell said that it looks like council believes the City can deliver services currently provided by the youth centre better than the youth centre can. “In some cases, it makes sense, because it addresses the issues of duplication of services and overlapping. So to a degree, it might make sense,” Campbell said. “On the other hand, one of the challenges would be, where do you keep the volunteer involvement? We have a volunteer board and a number of volunteers that help us with any number of the things we do, raising money or delivering programs. Those people will not necessarily drift over to a staff-led organization; we don’t know.” One of the criticisms presented in the City’s backgrounder was that the youth centre didn’t provide enough programs that focus on the prevention of problems. But Campbell said that just having the centre there to provide any kind of program is a preventative measure. “Although by strict definition we are not

a preventative service per se, we have always believed that we’ve been, since 1997, very involved in prevention and asset building in the youth we have served,” he said. “In that, we believe that, when the kids come to us, being at the youth centre itself is a form of prevention.” The City’s backgrounder also talks about the money being better used by the City and FCSS to get youth involved in developing programs and get more young people using them. But Campbell said that the board worries that a broader mandate and more kids getting involved means that the ones who really need the help will get left behind. “We believe [it would be] taking all the money and allocating it to basically thousands of kids who would be, in our view, asset-rich kids — rich in that they probably have support networks in adults, schools, teams, churches ... — as opposed to some of the kids we deal with, who tend to be asset-poor,” he said. “The reason they come to us after school or come to us in the evening is for the reason that, there may be adults at home, but they are not fulfilling what is required to help build assets.” Campbell also acknowledged there is some duplication of services between City and youth centre programs, but that duplication also exists with other youth groups in St. Albert like Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and church groups, and he’d rather see that than see young people slip through the cracks. The youth centre board had indicated that they would decide on the fate of the centre beyond the end of the year by June 30, but Campbell said that the environment created by the City’s “abrupt, sudden” decision has made that a real challenge. “We’re trying to comprehend and trying to plan and make proposals for the future, and this didn’t help,” Campbell said, noting that the City is also moving the decision about the youth centre’s facility funding to the CSAB. The youth centre board will meet again today (Thursday) to draft an open letter to council to formally respond to the document.

Whatever turns your crank Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

While some got a Taste of Edmonton in Churchill Square, others like Teryl Unger got a Taste of the Past Sunday at Father Lacombe Chapel as staff and visitors cooked up food as it was prepared in the 1800s, like hand-churned vanilla ice cream.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE RIGHT NOW

780-489-8118

www.alwaysplumbing.ca 14 Years in Service. We Want to Be Your Plumber!

Receive up to a $1,075 Rebate

LARGE SELECTION OF FLANNELS ON SALE

plus a $300 Solar Bonus

12-Month No Payment, No Interest Financing through SNAP Financial with the purchase of a qualifying Lennox ® system.**

12511 - 102 Ave, Edmonton 780-455-6633 • #6, 44 St. Thomas Street, St. Albert 780-569-5321 MPSSCS4296449MPSE

St. Albert Leader

The St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club is changing its name, but not much else. The club announced Monday that it has changed its name to the St. Albert 50+ Club, but club president Lesley Hogan noted that doesn’t mean there’s been a change in policy, and folks between 50 and 65 have always been welcome. “Several of our members go to bridge tournaments and floor curling tournaments and such throughout the province, and several of them had changed to a ‘50+ club,’ and it had significantly increased their membership,” Hogan said. “They had the same thing we did, that people 50-plus were welcome to join, but weren’t aware because of the name.” “The other reason was ... we had people who

didn’t want to join because they didn’t like the stigma of saying they belonged to a seniors club,” she added. “I have no idea why, but even some of our members, they felt uncomfortable telling people that’s what they belonged to, especially if they were under 65.” The name change was voted on by members at the club’s annual general meeting in April, but had to be approved by Alberta Registries before they went public with it. But, the club stressed, the name was the only thing that was changing. The club will still provide the same programs, outing, recreational opportunities and support for seniors that it always has. Hogan said recruiting members from the 50to-65 age range has been a problem for the club in the past. “The number that we have, the percentage is

low, and my personal opinion is that’s why,” she said. “When my husband retired and we decided to go join, I was under 60, and I said, ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to join,’ but then we phoned and found out I was most definitely eligible.” Right now, Hogan added the club’s membership is well over 500, but the board hopes the name change will attract more people in that 50-to-65 range. “We’d like to increase our membership, but we’d also like to let the public know they have another option for lots of fun things to do,” she said. Hogan has been a member of the club for nine years now and, after two years serving as vicepresident, took over as president on July 17 when Ish Thaleshvar had to resign. Long-time board member Bill Barnes replaces Hogan as vicepresident.

MPSSCS4296445MPSE

184 St.Albert Trail

www.stalbertdodge.com

GLENN COOK

1•877•570•8784

Seniors club changes name to attract members

St. Albert Dodge

who were there who were very interested and excited about the opportunity to share their passions. “It was interesting, because we’ve been very open in allowing different speakers to come in and talk about their passions, but there was a very strong and definite theme around local that came out in our first Pecha Kucha Night. That will probably carry on to our next night, I expect.” While the local theme may stay the same, Grow St. Albert has discussed a few changes before the next event as well. “We plan to continue with a couple of different little surprises; I don’t necessarily want to spoil that,” Prefontaine said. “We’ve always wanted to make this about more than the talks, also living some of the things. When we had

Local & Long Distance

Hicks; • Meghan Dear of The Localize Project; • straw bale housing enthusiast Gail Stepanik-Keber; • Nick Wilson of St. Albert Sports City; and • St. Albert MLA and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Stephen Khan. Arts and Heritage Foundation executive director Paul Moulton was scheduled to speak as well, but was unable to attend due to an emergency AHF board meeting. Grow St. Albert hopes to hold Pecha Kucha Nights quarterly, and the next event — scheduled for Nov. 15 — has already begun to take shape, Prefontaine said. “Before the night was through, we had four potential new speakers for our next event,” he said, “people

Serving Alberta for over 30 Years!

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Presenters Gail Stepanik-Keber (left) and Nick Wilson share a laugh during St. Albert’s first-ever Pecha Kucha Night on July 19 at the Enjoy Centre.

Open Mon - Thurs 8:30-9:00, Fri & Sat 8:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-4:00

“Pecha kucha” is the Japanese word for the sound of chit-chat, and by the sounds of things on Thursday, July 19, plenty of people were in the spirit of the concept. That evening saw St. Albert host its first-ever Pecha Kucha Night at the Enjoy Centre, with more than 100 people turning out to hear from a wide range of speakers and share ideas of their own. The event was put on by the local non-profit group Grow St. Albert, and director Gilles Prefontaine — who also served as the evening’s MC — said he was thrilled with how many people came out. “It just goes to show how many involved and active people we have in the community who are interested in learning more and being part of our growing culture here in St. Albert,” he said. And those who did come out were very excited about the concept and the evening in general, creating quite the buzz in the room for the next time the event is held. “There were lots of people following up, saying, ‘I can’t wait for the next one. I’m going to bring two or three friends with me,’” he said. “If everyone who came brings a friend, we’ll very quickly outgrow the room [at the Enjoy Centre].” Speakers at Pecha Kucha Night included: • St. Albert Leader publisher Rob LeLacheur; • Swift Media owner Mathew Potter; • Enjoy Centre co-owner Jim Hole and Prairie Bistro chef Shaun

Shaun come out and talk about what he was doing with the food in the Enjoy Centre, then we wanted all of our attendees to experience that, so they had the opportunity to partake in the canapés. So we’ve got a couple things like that planned for future events in terms of making the talks real.” But, before they get to that, Grow St. Albert has something else on their plates — the second annual TEDx St. Albert conference, which takes place at the Arden Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 15. “We’ve got a great lineup of speakers, as well as some entertainers,” Prefontaine said. “Again, we’re big on making the event something memorable, something that is more than just sitting and listening to someone — making it real.” Last year’s TEDx St. Albert conference drew about 100 guests, even though it was held on a Wednesday. This time around, though, being held on a Saturday should make a huge difference, Prefontaine said. “It’ll allow the opportunity for people who are passionate but aren’t able to be flexible in terms of their work life to attend,” he said. “Our first year, our numbers were low; we were educating a lot of people about TED. I had about 40 people contact me [asking], ‘Are you sure you’ve got the date right?’ They were wanting to be involved, wanting to participate, but they just weren’t able to make it work with their schedules.” He said speakers for TEDx should be announced within the next couple of weeks.

We make it simple

St. Albert Leader

The New

GLENN COOK

We Deliver Anywhere in Alberta!

Pecha Kucha Night packs ’em in

2 Blocks North of Anthony Henday on St Albert Trail

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Wise customers read the fine print: The Guts Glory Ram Event offers are limited time offers which apply to retail deliveries of selected new and unused models purchased from participating dealers on or after July 4, 2012. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Offers subject to change and may be extended without notice. See participating dealers for complete details and conditions. ∞Based on 2011 calendar year vehicle registrations. ΩBased on Ward’s large pickup segmentation. The Best Buy Seal is a registered trademark of Consumers Digest Communications LLC, used under licence. TMThe SiriusXM logo is a registered trademark of SiriusXM Satellite Radio Inc.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

SCAN HERE

FOR MORE GREAT OFFERS

MPSSCS4296442MPSE

HAVING A CUMMINS DIESEL IS PRICELESS. TODAY IT’S ALSO NO-CHARGE. ®

HERE’S SIX MORE REASONS WHY RAM HEAVY DUTY IS CANADA’S BESTSELLING DIESEL ∞ PICKUP:

THE 6.7 L CUMMINS® TURBO DIESEL ENGINE IS THE CLEANEST CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL EVER.

ONLY Y HEAVY-DUTY DIESEL PICKUP IN THE MARKET THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) SYSTEM TO MEET STRINGENT CANADIAN EMISSION STANDARDS.

3. 4. 5. 6.

LOW COST OF OWNERSHIP AND HASSLE-FREE MAINTENANCE WITH NO DEF. UNSURPASSED WITH 800 LB-FT OF TORQUE.Ω CLASS-EXCLUSIVE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.Ω NOBODY OFFERS A BETTER DIESEL ENGINE WARRANTY: 5 YEARS/160,000 KM.

RamTruck.ca/Offers

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Jimmo gets quick KO GLENN COOK

O Lever as 70 ed %

St. Albert Leader

Ryan Jimmo proved he truly is a “Big Deal” in the world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion. Jimmo, who trains at the Hayabusa Training Centre in St. Albert’s Campbell Business Park, made his long-awaited debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in front of more than 16,000 fans at UFC 149 Saturday in Calgary, but he didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the world-famous Octagon, knocking out his Australian opponent, Anthony Perosh, in just seven seconds in their light heavyweight matchup. That ties the UFC record for fastest knockout, and earned Jimmo a $65,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night. “He’s a big strong guy, so I knew that, if I went at him and threw some heavy leather, he was going to be on the bad end of it,” Jimmo told UFC commentator Joe Rogan during their post-fight interview on Rogers Sportsnet. Perosh jabbed at Jimmo with his left hand, but Jimmo brushed it aside and came back with a right hand that knocked Perosh out. After the fight, Jimmo played to the Calgary crowd with some robot dancing, ending in him doing the splits. Jimmo was supposed to make his UFC debut in Nashville in January, but had to pull out of that fight due to an ankle injury sustained in training. The win extends Jimmo’s professional MMA winning streak to 17 fights. He lost his first pro bout in February 2007, but hasn’t lost since. Hayabusa’s other fighter on the card, Mitch Clarke, lost a close bout via split

Photo: JIM WELLS , Sun Media News Services

Ryan Jimmo celebrates after his KO victory over Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 on Saturday.

decision to Finnish fighter Anton Kuivanen. Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Kuivanen, while the other scored it 29-28 for Clarke. Clarke’s wrestling gave him a distinct advantage in the first round, as he was able to take Kuivanen down and worked a couple of submission attempts, once with an armbar and once with a kimura. Kuivanen started to gain more ground control in the second round, but Clarke did land a big upkick late in the round. In the third, though, Kuivanen dominated the fight as Clarke tired out. UFC 149 set a gate record at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, bringing in $4.1 million in ticket sales.

UFC leaves fight fans disappointed DAVE DORMER Sun Media News Services

WED. WE D. GAZ OCT 12, 19, 26/ 6/11 11 – 3x 3x18 182 18 2 {p {pro roce ro cess ce ss}} ss

After shelling out hundreds of dollars — and, in some cases, thousands — for UFC 149 tickets, some fans left the Saddledome disappointed Saturday. “I would say, no, I didn’t get my money’s worth, which sucks, because I’m a big fan,” said Craig Harper, who shelled out $230 along with three friends for tickets in the second level. “They weren’t engaging or fighting each other. “It was lacklustre. I’m not a fan of booing but I was booing. If I was Dana White, I’d be upset with my fighters.” Even the UFC president was upset. At the post-fight press conference, White conceded he was “embarrassed” by some of what he saw. “We broke the gate record tonight and I’m embarrassed by it,” he said. “I was excited when I heard and now I’m embarrassed. “The undercard delivered; they were awesome. The main card did not.”

The live gate of $4.1 million set a new Saddledome record, besting the previous mark held by the Rolling Stones. Many of the 16,089 fans in attendance didn’t hold back during the sold-out, payper-view show, raining down loud choruses of boos — along with chants of “refund” and another using a euphemism for cow manure during the main event. Others took to social media to give White a few tweetfuls of their unhappiness, including Calgary energy mogul W. Brett Wilson. “My view #DanaWhite overpromised and under delivered — and owes Calgary a discounted repeat of #UFC149,” he wrote on his feed. Despite the boos, White pledged a return to Calgary. “We’ll be back,” he said. “Listen, we’re going to have bad fights. “I’m not happy that we had a bad fight tonight. It’s not Calgary’s problem; it’s me and my boys.’”

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Skrillex show goes great GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

A concert that was originally scheduled for St. Albert went off without a hitch at the Shaw Conference Centre in downtown Edmonton, an official with that venue said this week. The Full Flex Express Tour, featuring electronic music artists like Grammy Award-winner Skrillex, Grimes, Diplo and Pretty Lights, pulled into the Shaw on Friday night, and director of operations Sam Cordeiro said that everything went very smoothly. “We were anticipating a crowd of 5,000, and we received that. Everything went very well, very smooth,” Cordeiro said, adding that there were 70 security personnel and 14 police officers on the premises in case things got out of hand. “It was just like a normal show that we normally do, nothing out of the ordinary,” he added. Doors to the show opened at 3 p.m., and headliner Skrillex wrapped up his set just after 11 p.m. “At 11:10, the lights went on, and they [patrons] took off in a hurry,” Cordeiro said. Although the Shaw Conference Centre picked up the show on short notice after

By any other name ... Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

Richard Plain of the St. Albert Botanic Park checks out one of his entries in the park’s annual rose show, held Saturday at the John Beedle Centre.

the City of St. Albert denied concert promoters the necessary permits to hold it at the Kinsmen rodeo grounds in Riel Park on June 24, Cordeiro said they were able to get their ducks in a row quickly. “It was just trying to get all the information in advance and trying to get all our staff in place,” he said. “But our crew worked really well as a team and came together really quickly.” Plus, even though there have been problems at electronic music concerts in Edmonton in the past, Cordeiro said management at the Shaw didn’t think twice about bringing Skrillex in when the opportunity arose. “We’ve hosted approximately 14 of these in the last three years, and we are very well-prepared for these events,” he said. “We know exactly what to expect, what to anticipate, and we do risk assessments on each event, on an individual basis. We’re quite experienced at how to host these events.” And, he added, they’re more than happy to host such concerts into the future. “We’re doing another four this year. It’s a genre of music that’s not going to go away,” he said. “And we provide a safe environment for the kids to come down and party safe.”

www.bavariabmw.ca BMW X5

bmw.ca

The Ultimate Driving Experience.®

EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, YOU’RE SOMEWHERE SPECIAL. Experience the style and innovation of a 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d for yourself. With its 265hp diesel engine and ultra-smooth 6-Speed Automatic Transmission, you’ll enjoy legendary torque and exceptional fuel economy. For a limited time, enjoy a $3,500 ECO-CREDIT on the BMW X5. Contact your Edmonton area BMW Retailer for more details and to book your test drive today.

2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d shown.

The 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d

OFFER VALID ONLY UNTIL JULY 31.

Bavaria BMW 18925 Stony Plain Road West Edmonton, AB Edmonton BMW Bavaria BMW (780) 484-0000 AMVIC Licensee 7450 Roper Road 18925 Stony Plain Road West www.bavariabmw.ca Edmonton, AB Edmonton, AB (780) 490-5269 AMVIC LicenseeServing (780) 484-0000 Licensee Edmontons Longest BMWAMVIC Dealer

LEASE RATE

** % 2.9 48 MONTHS

FINANCE RATE

* % 2.9 48 MONTHS

PLUS

ECO-CREDIT

3,500

†

NO-CHARGE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE 4 Year / 80,000 km

††

European model shown. Features and equipment may vary in Canada. Lease and finance offers based on a new 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d available only through BMW Financial Services Canada on approved credit (OAC). List price of a 2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d starts at $66,935, which includes MSRP ($64,300), freight and PDI ($2,095), A/C surcharge ($100), PPSA registration fee ($22.76), AMVIC fee ($6.25), tire levy ($16), and administration fees ($395). *Finance rate of 2.9% available for up to 48 months. Example: $40,000 financed at 2.9% APR for 48 months equals a monthly payment of $884. Cost of borrowing is $2,413. **Lease rate of 2.9% available for up to 48 months. Lease example based on $730 a month for 48 months. Down payment or equivalent trade of $7,400. Freight and PDI ($2,095), A/C surcharge ($100), PPSA registration fee ($22.76), AMVIC fee ($6.25), tire levy ($16), and administration fees ($395) are included in the down payment. GST and licence fee are extra. Total obligation is $40,660. The residual value of the vehicle at end of term is $25,720. †$3,500 ECO-CREDIT on the 2012 X5 xDrive35d. ECO-CREDIT applies to lease, finance, and cash purchase transactions. Cash incentive applies to lease, finance, and cash purchase transactions. Annual kilometres are limited to 16,000 km; $0.25 per excess kilometre. Retailers are free to set individual prices and charge administration fees, which may change the APR or the price of the vehicle. Offer expires July 31, 2012. Delivery must be taken by July 31, 2012. Offer is subject to availability and may be cancelled or changed without notice. Certain conditions apply. See your local BMW Retailer or bmw.ca for full details. ††Certain limitations apply; see Retailer for details. ©2012 BMW Canada Inc. “BMW”, the BMW logo, BMW model designations and all other BMW related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and/or trademarks of BMW AG, used under licence.

MPSSCS4296466MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

McLeod ready for Olympics the medal round games were held in her backyard at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Erin McLeod can never be too prepared. Throughout her time on the national team, The St. Albert-born goalkeeper for McLeod has split time between the goalposts Canada’s national women’s soccer team with Karina Leblanc, but she said the two is getting ready for her second Summer have a healthy rivalry where they push each Olympic games, starting this week in other to be better. London, England, and with the number of “Karina and I have been teammates for 11 camps and exhibition games she has under years now, and every single day, we push one her belt, she feels she’s ready to do her best another,” McLeod said. “I wouldn’t be half and go for the gold. the goalkeeper that I am without her.” “I’ve been fortunate enough this year to While the competition with Leblanc has play for a club in Sweden, so over here I’ve remained, one thing that has changed is been able to play a game basically every week. the head coach. John Herdman took over And then I was fortunate enough to join the reins in 2011, and McLeod said that the the national team in Vancouver for a bit of a culture of the team has changed a lot under residential camp we had there,” she said. his watch. “And then we had a bunch of games against “It’s definitely been a huge shift. Under some really top-class teams like China, the John, we’ve been able to be more creative; U.S., Brazil ... we’ve been able to have a lot of we have a lot more freedom,” she said. “He’s preparation going into the games.” not just a coach that tells us what to do. He Canada actually kicked off their Olympic wants us to be accountable and run the tournament on Wednesday, prior to Friday’s team ourselves. We’ve all had a bigger part opening ceremonies, with a match against in our successes, and because we’re working the reigning Women’s World Cup champions together, it has been more positive.” Japan. Results were not Recently, McLeod was available prior to the named to Soccer Canada’s Leader’s press deadline. All-Time XI women’s While the Canadians team, in celebration of are ranked seventh in the the national association’s world, they’ll have a tough 100th anniversary, go of it in London, as something she said was an Erin McLeod they face both Japan and “unbelievable” honour. Goalkeeper fourth-ranked Sweden in “I was not expecting the group stage, along with that,” she said. “It was a South Africa. great honour and a privilege to be named But McLeod figures the Canucks have a among some of Canada’s finest players.” good shot of getting to the medal round. After several years playing in academies “Across the board, we’re hoping to [be on and on professional teams in North America, the] podium. We are in a difficult group, McLeod made the trek to Sweden in 2011 to but because there’s only 12 teams in the play for Dalsjöfors GoIF in the city of Boras, Olympics, I think every group is a hard where she joined a fellow Canadian, defender group,” she said. “We’ll be facing these teams Emily Zurrer, and American defender Alex at one time or another, so I think it’s good Singer. that we’ll be facing them right off the bat.” “Going into the World Cup, I felt physically McLeod started all three of Canada’s and technically I was in a really good place, games in the group stage at the 2008 Summer but where I made a lot of my mistakes in the Olympic Games in Beijing, racking up two World Cup was just because I didn’t have wins and a draw. But in their quarter-final enough experience and enough game time match against the United States, she left with that year,” McLeod said. a knee injury just 19 minutes in, and had to “I knew that, going into the Olympics, watch from the sidelines as her team fell 2-1 I wanted to be in a very different place. I in extra time. wanted to be very comfortable in game But she said that, this time around, she’s situations and familiar with game decisions, going in with more focus. quicker decision-making. I think that’s key “The Olympics in general can be an for any goalkeeper.” incredible experience, but because there It has been quite a shift in culture, though, are so many sports and venues, it can be but one McLeod is relishing. overwhelming and sometimes distracting,” “In Europe, it’s such a soccer culture — it’s she said. “This time around, it’ll be us trying everywhere, whether you’re playing or it’s to stay in our little bubble and being as on TV or you’re watching [live]. There are a unaffected as we can by media and other couple of high-division teams on the men’s things going on.” side in the town I was living in,” she said. McLeod also played for Canada in the “You’re really engrained in it; it’s everywhere. Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2002, I think that helps not just your game, but the during which Canada’s group games and mental side of it as well.”

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

“Across the board, we’re hoping to [be on the] podium.”

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Canadian national women’s soccer team goalkeeper Erin McLeod makes a save in an exhibition game against the United States in Sandy, Utah, on June 30. The St. Albert-born netminder likes Canada’s chances as they head into the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

Cardiff Corner crash kills 1 SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – A woman is dead following a collision Friday afternoon on Highway 2 near Morinville. A cube van had a stop sign on the highway at Township Road 554, but drove through it westbound at 3:10 p.m., striking a northbound car. The driver of the car was taken to hospital, where she later died. According to RCMP, the cause of death of the 53-year-old Parkland County woman is not available as the medical examiner must conduct an autopsy. Two passengers in the car were also

taken to hospital with unknown injuries. Const. Brandon DeBow of the Morinville RCMP said the intersection is along a congested, divided highway. He said the province is currently working on building an overpass in the area. The driver of the cube van has no injuries and is charged with failing to proceed safely from a stop sign. The penalty is a voluntary payment option of $172. Morinville RCMP continue to investigate.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Teen queen grateful for pageant experience GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Leader file photo

Chloe Fulton, 14, represented St. Albert at the Miss Teen Canada-World pageant over the weekend in Toronto.

St. Albert’s latest teen queen unfortunately didn’t make it all the way to the finals, but she’s grateful for the experience anyway. Chloe Fulton, 14, who is heading into Grade 9 this fall at Vincent J. Maloney Junior High, was crowned Miss Teen St. Albert-World in March, earning the right to compete at the Miss Teen Canada-World pageant over the weekend in Toronto. And although she didn’t make the Top 20 out of the field of 62, Fulton said it was still an “amazing” experience. “Not only did I improve my people skills by spending a week with 62 girls, but I met many inspiring people as a part of the pageant week’s activities,” she said. “I toured a city I had never visited before, learned some new choreography for opening number and swimsuit, and made wonderful friends who I will never forget.” Pageant entrants, who this year ranged in age from 13 to 19, are narrowed down to 20 by their performance in six categories: overall impression, blogging, fundraising for Free The Children, interview, evening gown and swimsuit. The top 20 are announced during the final night of competition, and they compete in another swimwear round. Those are then narrowed down to 10, who compete in another evening gown round. The next round has just five contestants, who each answer a question on stage before a winner is chosen. This year’s Miss Teen Canada-World winner is Megha Sandhu, 17, from Montreal.

As she was at the Alberta regional finals, Fulton was once again one of the youngest competitors at the pageant — although she could have passed for older. “I was a bit worried that the other girls might treat me like a kid because I was only 14,” she said. “When I arrived in Toronto, I realized how wrong I was. Most girls were stunned when they heard how old I was! They were expecting me to be at least 16, and I am definitely used to hearing that.”

“Most girls were stunned when they heard how old I was.” Chloe Fulton Miss Teen St. Albert-World Fulton arrived in Toronto the afternoon of Saturday, July 14, and the week leading up the final pageant was packed with activities, including a visit to the CN Tower, appearances on television shows, specialized workouts and, of course, rehearsals for the big show. But there were two events that were highlights for Fulton: the official photoshoot and the talent gala. “I have always loved photoshoots — I love to show off my smile at any chance given to me — so I was thrilled when I found out that we would be receiving an official photoshoot with hair and makeup done for us as well,” Fulton said. “The Talent Gala was also a great night. Although I was not performing, I really enjoyed watching other people’s talents that they work very hard to perfect. About 25

of the 62 girls performed a talent — we had singers, dancers, stand-up comedians, and even a contortionist who walked down a small block of stairs on her hands.” Throughout the week, Fulton met plenty of new friends that she already had lots in common with. “The other girls in the competition were just like me, which was what made me love them,” she said. “They loved having fun, being on stage, and smiling. We all enjoyed giving back to our communities with our Miss Teen titles, and our whole lives, we have loved volunteering. I expected people would create cliques, and not spend time with all of the girls, but every day each girl was spending time with someone new.” Aside from the glamour shoots and rehearsals, though, Fulton said the whole pageant experience has helped her personal development in a lot of ways. “I have developed my people skills, which is something I have been trying to do for a while. I also grew out of my shyness a bit, because I was constantly around people, and if I was too shy to go sit with someone, they would come up to me,” she said. While the experience was great, though, Fulton said she’s not sure she’ll have the time to compete again in the future, but she encouraged any other girls in St. Albert who might be interested to give it a shot. “I am stepping up my dance classes to three days a week, and I have to concentrate on finishing junior high and starting high school in 2013,” she said. “It was a great experience, though, and if I have the opportunity to participate again, I will.” For more information, visit www. missteencanadaworld.com.

Happiness Project group on tap for St. Albert

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

C’mon, get happy, St. Albert — Valerie Dykstra wants to help. Dykstra, a local resident, is hoping to start up a Happiness Project group in St. Albert in the very near future, and she hopes it will help her and others achieve their goals and have an all-around more positive look on life. “I’m a personal development junkie. I love challenging myself, setting goals and that sort of thing,” Dykstra said. “New Years’ Resolutions get a bad rap, but I set them every year. I haven’t had cream and sugar in my coffee since Jan. 1, 2006. I’ve parked far from store entrances since 2008. I’ve been working on reading the BBC Top 200 books since January

2010. “I believe little improvements and challenges along the path of life is a part of my happiness and would love to share that element of life with people who ‘get it’; maybe I’ll even meet a kindred spirit.” The Happiness Project is a bestselling book by author Gretchen Rubin, in which Rubin documents a year spent testing out theories on being happier sourced from everywhere from wisdom passed down through the ages to scientific studies to pop culture. Rubin also challenges readers to start their own personal happiness projects, but Dykstra thought it would be a task that would be more fun to take on as a group.

“In a group setting, it will be fun to have the accountability and companionship of like-minded people who are exploring ways to improve their own happiness. One doesn’t need to be unhappy for a happiness project; it’s for people who enjoy personal development,” Dykstra said. “I am a happy person, but I love the idea of sharing a resolution with others and reporting back the next month on how it went. Hearing others’ resolutions may spark ideas of things that I’d like to add to my list of things to aspire to.” For example, this month, Dykstra has resolved not to consume any “fake food”: “If it’s prepackaged or not generally found around the walls of the grocery store, I haven’t eaten it,” she said.

“If the best I do is initiate one new habit a month, by the end of one year, I’ll have 12 new habits. That kind of thing excites me,” she added. Dykstra is hoping to have at least six to 10 people join the group, which will meet monthly to work on new resolutions and update progress on previous ones. She also plans to start up a Facebook page to keep members up-to-date and accountable in between meetings. “The author of the book provides a guide that our group will follow. We won’t stick to it rigidly, but it will be our reference point,” she said. “Each month, there will be a theme but the themes are very broad and each person will probably leave with totally different goals for the

month.” If you’d like to join Dykstra’s Happiness Project group, you’ll need a copy of The Happiness Project and be able to commit to reading one chapter a month. You can reach Dykstra by email at vdykstra93@gmail.com.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

The show must go on Entertainment said security would be a main focus. Though no comment could be offered about In the wake of a mass shooting at a security specifics in the City of Champions, Colorado movie theatre, some cities have Cineplex Entertainment reacted with seen cancellations where others have simply sympathy for the families and friends involved forgone red carpet in Thursday’s shooting. festivities. In Edmonton, “The safety and security however, the show must of our guests remains our go on. top priority, and while we A 24-year-old man believe this was an isolated wearing a gas mask incident, we have security and bulletproof jacket measures in place for our Bryan Hogeveen allegedly set off a gas upcoming shows,” read a U of A sociologist canister at a theatre release Friday. in Aurora, Colo., The company also said and began shooting into the crowd it would donate some proceeds from Friday midnight Friday at the opening of the night’s box office receipts to the Red Cross’s latest in the Batman saga. RespectED, a violence and abuse prevention When it was over, 12 people were program, but would not specify how much. dead, dozens more injured and as According to experts, the cause of these James Eagan Holmes was in police kinds of violent incidents goes farther than custody. just the action movies we watch. Few have been discouraged “Just as with the Columbine shootings from going to see The Dark some time ago now, violent media is the Knight Rises as lineups were first variable to which we gravitate in our forming in major Canadian search for answers,” said Bryan Hogeveen, a cities. In Edmonton, Cineplex University of Alberta sociologist. “My suggestion is that it may be one variable, but it is one among many.” Other factors he mentioned include perceptions of masculinity, a violent ethos or culture, and mental illness like depression. For those looking to the caped crusader as a possible scapegoat, Jay Bardyla has a similar reaction. Bardyla, co-owner of Happy Harbor Comics in Edmonton, says blaming violence in society on superheroes is not a new thing. “In the comic industry specifically, we’ve Westlock been dealing with this since the McCarthy era Barrhead in the ’50s, when comic books were on trial in front of the U.S. Senate and were almost Morinville banned for their supposed ties to juvenile www.weplumb.ca Quality work by people who care. delinquency,” he said. “It’s not new and it’s not going to go away.”

Box office feels impact of shooting

DAVE LAZZARINO Sun Media News Services

“It may be one variable, but it is one among many.”

THE RIGHT PEOPLE RIGHT NOW

780-349-4005 780-674-6696 780-939-5225

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Warner Bros. said on Monday The Dark Knight Rises took in $160.8 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices over the weekend, which is lower than industry estimates for the debut that felt the impact of last week’s movie theater massacre in Colorado. Dark Knight Rises also opened in 17 international markets with $88 million in ticket sales to put its global total at just under $250 million for its debut. Warner Bros. made no initial comment beyond simply releasing the figures. The movie cost around $250 million to make and tens of millions more to promote and market. Before a gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 at a midnight screening of the movie early on Friday in a Denver suburb, Dark Knight Rises had been forecast by some to bring in anywhere from $170 million to $198 million. The alleged shooter, James Eagan Holmes, 24, made his first court appearance in Colorado on Monday, one day after President Barack Obama visited the scene to grieve with the victims’ families. Criminal charges are expected to be filed next week. Despite ticket sales coming in lower than the range of estimates, the movie’s U.S. and Canadian box office debut remains among Hollywood’s biggest openings ever, and the film appears poised to be a financial success. It ranks No. 3 on the list of top threeday opening weekends behind The Avengers at $207 million and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II, which earned $169 million.

Tempura Battered Fish and Chips, with your choice of 10.95 Soup or Salad, served with dessert

& Scallops Linguini in white wine sauce, garlic toast 12.95 Mussels with your choice of Soup or Salad served with dessert

Receive up to a $1,075 Rebate

plus a $300 Solar Bonus

12-Month No Payment, No Interest Financing through SNAP Financial with the purchase of a qualifying Lennox® system.**

Bring in this ad to receive an additional 10% OFF

MPSSCS4296464MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Former Social Code members see the SIIINES GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

It’s hard for Travis Nesbitt and Morgan Gies to talk about their new band without talking about their old band. Until earlier this year, the pair formed two-fifths of the band Social Code, which Nesbitt and bassist Logan Jacobs formed at Paul Kane High School in St. Albert in 1999. But with the announcement of Social Code’s “permanent hiatus,” as the blog entry on their website reads, they are now focused on their new project, SIIINES, with singer Nesbitt and guitarist Gies joined by DJ Gina Giorgio. “This new project couldn’t exist without Social Code having four records; this band couldn’t be without Social Code getting to a certain level and deciding to evolve it,” Nesbitt said. “We broke it all down. There’s no pressure anymore — there’s no label, there’s no anything except Morgan and I sitting in a room deciding to make an art project.” While the band members were on the same page when writing their last album, 2009’s Rock ’N’ Roll, they knew, by the end of it, they would determine what the future held. “We just said, let’s just see how we feel once this album cycle is done, where it’s at, where the future is,” Nesbitt said. “At some point, we had to make decisions about what is the priority in our lives, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Gies added. “It was up to every person to decide on their own.” The decision to call Social Code quits, though, was an amicable one, with no hard feelings among the five of them. “We’re all still tight; I talk to those guys all the time,” Nesbitt said. “Our lives just literally went in another direction.” For Gies and Nesbitt, that direction was south,

as they camped out in Los Angeles for a few months getting SIIINES started up, a band that Gies described as “electro-rock ... sort of like Nirvana meets David Guetta or Daft Punk.” “The bands couldn’t be more dissimilar, with the exception of Travis singing and us writing the songs,” he said. “We’re writing in a completely different genre than we’re used to writing in. We’re writing about different things. We’re using different things for a different demographic. The way we write, the mindset we’re in, the risks we’re willing to take.” The pair are pretty much splitting their time between St. Albert and L.A., where they’ve played about three live shows to test out their songs — and some accompanying lighting effects — in a live environment. “We literally spent two months programming lights for the gigs,” Gies said, adding that they’re also experimenting playing songs continuously, like a DJ set.

“The bands couldn’t be more dissimilar.” Morgan Gies SIIINES guitarist “We bought these big LED light bars and we built guitar cabinets out of plexiglass and put lights inside them, and our DJ table is all plexiglass. The entire stage is rigged up lighting-wise to the music. ... When people see that show, they’re like, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this show, ever.’” Currently, the band is getting ready to release a sixsong EP, and Nesbitt talked about a Canadian tour in the coming months, but he added that the writing process just doesn’t stop with them. “Morgan’s working on beats all the time. There’s

Photo Supplied

Former members of Social Code — which formed in St. Albert in 1999 — Travis Nesbitt (left) and Morgan Gies (right) have teamed up with DJ Gina Giorgio for their new band, SIIINES, which Gies describes as “Nirvana meets David Guetta or Daft Punk.”

FOR ALL YOUR SEWER, PLUMBING, HEATING & GASFITTING NEEDS • Plumbing Repairs, Maintenance & Renovations • Garburetors • Sump Pump (Install & Repair) • Repair or Replace Faucets Guaranteed • All Renovations Excellence & 24 Hr. • Hot Water Tanks • Plumbing Fixtures Service by • Furnace Install & Repair Professional • Pump (Install & Repaired Tradesmen • All Gasfitting Requirements

ADG KABAN SEWER & DRAIN LTD. • Licensed • Bonded •Insured Supporting & Servicing St. Albert and Surrounding Area for over 17 years Call Troy 780-458-9778 or cell 780-498-6888 MPSSCS4296467MPSE

just a steady stream of stuff coming through all the time,” Nesbitt said. While they’re starting from scratch again, Gies said he knows when SIIINES could be deemed a success, at least in his mind. “Success, to me, is as long as you can be self-sustaining,” he said. “Right now, we’re in our complete infancy — the embryonic stage — so once we start generating enough that we can tour on it and produce music full-time and not have to worry about anything else, not be watching our bank accounts, I think that’ll be a good measure of success.” But, even as they embark on a new project, Nesbitt said he’ll always be proud of what Social Code accomplished. “It taught me how to be an artist and a songwriter. It gave me opportunities to do all that stuff,” he said. “We wrote some amazing songs, we played some amazing shows, we met some amazing bands.”

��

MPSSCS4296452MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Factor-ing in Spears BILL HARRIS Sun Media News Services

Simon Cowell says Britney Spears is “as sweet as a lemon.” Clips from the new season of The X Factor feature Spears saying things such as “You can’t destroy that song,” “Predictable,” and “Bad to the bone,” when addressing presumably crushed contestants. But Spears, of course, has a different take on Cowell’s fruit-focused evaluation. “In everyday life, I’m just a very honest person,” Spears said. “It’s just based on who I am.” Well, all four members of The X Factor’s Season 2 judging team — Cowell, Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid — appeared via satellite at the Television Critics Association tour Monday. If first impressions mean anything, it’s going to be a very intriguing conversation when the second season of the show debuts Sept. 12 on Fox and CTV. “It’s different from anything I’ve ever done,” Spears said. “I’ve done eight tours. I’ve been in the music industry for a while. But I’m glad to be on a show where I can give something back

and help someone achieve their dreams.” Being on these types of shows isn’t bad for the careers of the judges either, nudge nudge, wink wink. “That’s not my intention,” Spears said. “It’s just purely the fact I love the show.”

“In everyday life, I’m just a very honest person.” Britney Spears X-Factor judge Lovato was described by Cowell as a “brat” both on Monday and a few weeks ago when he visited CTV in Toronto. Lovato has battled an eating disorder and she was asked if that gives her a unique perspective on young aspiring talent. “I definitely take that into consideration when I judge,” Lovato said. “My little sister is in the industry and I worry about her all the time. “You can’t prevent anyone from going down the wrong road. If they’re going to have an eating disorder, they’re going to have an eating disorder. I don’t think fame has a lot to do with it. I think it adds some pressure and sometimes it makes the

problem a little bit worse. “But for me, I had been struggling with those issues beforehand. Unless you’re in a good place when you start working, I think it’s kind of inevitable for these things to happen.” Pretty insightful for someone who’s 19. “We needed someone younger, because I’m in my 30s,” quipped Cowell, 52. There has been quite a revolving door lately with judges on singing competition shows. Mariah Carey officially joined American Idol on Monday. “I’m happy for her, I like Mariah,” Cowell said. “She’s sweet. But I think she’s going to find it difficult to say no.” For Spears and Lovato, that won’t be a problem. When Cowell accused Spears of being “mean,” Lovato jumped in and said, “We’re going to gang up on you now. You’re going to have two girls.” “I’ve had it,” Cowell snapped back. It took a few seconds for the doublemeaning to kick in and laughter filled the room. “Who’s ready for the next season of The X Factor?” a smiling Lovato added. Everyone.

Photo: Sun Media news Services

Judges Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell appear via satellite at ‘The X Factor’ panel during the FOX portion of the 2012 Summer TCA Tour Monday in Beverly Hills.

Sing for your seedlings Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

Edmonton Opera soprano Jill Hoogewoonink belts out a tune during an impromptu “pop-up opera” performance Saturday at the Prairie Bistro at the Enjoy Centre.

Gaslight Anthem come together DARRYL STERDAN Sun Media News Services

Joe Strummer said the future is unwritten. For The Gaslight Anthem, it’s Handwritten. The New Jersey heartland punks’ fourth album marks some major turning points for the six-year-old band — and its title reflects how it was conceived and crafted, says frontman Brian Fallon. “I really did write the lyrics in a notebook; they were all literally written by hand,” explains the 32-year-old singer-guitarist. “Around the time I started writing these songs, a friend of mine gave me a letter and a poem he wrote. And that just sparked me; what if a record was a letter sent straight to the listener? It hit me that it was the most heartfelt thing I could do.” It’s just one example of how the critically respected band — which also includes guitarist Alex Rosamilia, bassist Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz — has become more hands-on and direct in both its music and career. With Handwritten out on Tuesday, there’s no better time for us to count the ways life has changed for The Gaslight Anthem lately: 1. They wrote these songs together On the band’s first three albums — Sink or Swim (2007), The ’59 Sound (2008) and American Slang (2010) — Fallon was chief songwriter, bringing fully formed tunes to be fleshed out by the band. Not this time. “I had to say, ‘You guys need to start writing with me, or else it’s the Brian Fallon show, and

that’s not what I want ... Either we’re going to do this a new way or I’m out.’”

2. They worked with Brendan O’Brien Speaking of comparisons: Fallon knows that hiring superstar studio whiz Brendan O’Brien — co-producer of four Bruce Springsteen albums — will only reinforce the belief that he’s got a serious Boss fixation. “Yeah, I knew people were going to say we did it because Bruce Springsteen did it; apparently I also eat eggs in the morning because Bruce does. That’s a total joke. I’m from New Jersey; I know the guy; I’m the Springsteen expert. I’ll tell you when I’m copying him and when I’m not.” Truth is, he was actually copying Pearl Jam. “I skipped class to go buy Vs. the day it came out in 1993,” he says. “This is a guy who shaped our lives when we were kids growing up listening to grunge.” 3. They’re playing in the big leagues Getting O’Brien is only one of the benefits of the band’s new major-label deal, which comes as the music biz implodes and artists trumpet DIY as the future. Fallon knows he’s swimming against the hipster tide. His response: So what? “We’ve always said we were a rock ’n’ roll band and if people like us and we get big, that’s awesome ... And so far, we haven’t done anything we didn’t want to do.” So we won’t see him in a spangly jacket on American Idol? “No, I’m doing that next week,” he cracks. “When they brought that up, I said, ‘Spangly jacket? Yeah!’ Why wouldn’t I do that?” For the record: That was sarcasm.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

THIS WEEK @ WWW.STALBERTSPORTSCITY.COM

LAST 2 GAMES AT TELUS FIELD THIS SUMMER!

FRIDAY, JULY 27 – FREEBIE FRIDAY! EDMONTON PROSPECTS VS LETHBRIDGE BULLS - All team merchandise purchases at game will receive 1 free ticket to Fan Appreciation Night ($13 value).

SATURDAY, JULY 28 – FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT EDMONTON PROSPECTS VS OKOTOKS DAWGS - Prize giveaways, family entertainment and great baseball! Telus Field, gates open at 6pm, games start at 7pm. Tickets at Telus Field on game day or www.ticketmaster.ca

WWW.SASSPORTS.CA

“WEAR YOUR JERSEY” SPORTS TEAM PACKAGE: Youth Teams: Includes 16 players (up to 18 yrs.) & 2 coaches - $50 Adult Teams: Includes 12 adult players $100 Corporate or General Group Grandstand Tickets For 1-25 people: $10/ticket For 26 or more people: $5/ticket Group tickets must be pre-ordered and paid for by noon the day before the game. To place your order, email erauf@mbsab.com For more info: www.prospectsbaseballclub.com

AT ATHLETES NATION

St. Albert Sports City: Canada's unique sports-centred community providing a better way of life. MPSSCS4299463MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

HEALTH

Bodybuilder lifts herself out of depression

The Edmonton resident had been working several years as a paramedic in Hobbema, a troubled native community It was in the spring of 2011 when the made up of four reserves. It was a “constant normally energetic and driven Angela adrenaline drain,” she says, noting the shift Robinson found herself overwhelmed work wreaked havoc on her sleep cycle. with “extreme fatigue and a total lack of Robinson adds she was also doing partmotivation.” time special intelligence work with the Even setting foot in the RCMP’s K Division in gym — her home away Edmonton. from home — became a “I didn’t feel sad. I felt chore for the nationaltired and run down,” level physique competitor she explains. “You’re who began pumping iron spread so thin in so circa 2000. many directions and Angela Robinson “I’m literally pulled up you don’t have time to Bodybuilder in the parking lot and actually deal with any of getting anxiety about the feelings that you are going to the gym,” she experiencing. So you just recalls. “That was a huge red flag.” shove them in the back of your head. And A visit to the doctor sometime around one day they slap you in the face and you May 2011 revealed an unexpected can’t ignore them anymore.” diagnosis: depression. Besides going through the motions at In hindsight, Robinson acknowledges the gym or missing workouts altogether, that working two stressful jobs and trying Robinson’s eating habits suffered and she to deal with a “relationship (with her ended up packing about 20 pounds onto boyfriend) that was falling apart” took its her five-foot-one frame. toll on her mental well-being. On her doctor’s advice, Robinson took

CARY CASTAGNA Sun Media News Service

“I didn’t feel sad. I felt tired and run down.”

Photo: TOM BRAID, Sun Media News Services

After a bout of depression that saw her gain about 20 pounds, Angela Robinson is back at the gym and back in bodybuilding competitions, including a top five finish in B.C. last month. stress leave from work. Over the past year, she’s been working to reduce stress and achieve balance in her life. So far, so good. Her training and nutrition are back on track. In fact, she returned to figure competition — an offshoot of bodybuilding — last month in Vancouver with a Top 5 finish in the figure short class at the 2012 World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation B.C. Championship. In what she deems as the best shape of her life, Robinson now has her sights set on the 2012 CBBF National Bikini, Figure, Fitness and Elite Men’s Bodybuilding Championships on Aug. 11 in New Westminster, B.C. In addition to weight training at World Health in Edmonton, Robinson also counts mixed martial arts and yoga as part of her well-rounded regimen. “Martial arts is a good outlet for frustration. Your mind is emptied of anything else that’s on it. You have to focus,” she says of her workouts at Hayabusa Training Centre in St. Albert,

where she sweats through bootcamps, and boxing and kickboxing sessions. “I’m also focused on yoga and things that make you reflect and be conscious of yourself, and even the simplest things like taking 10 minutes to lay down, close your eyes and clear your mind. Those little things you do every day can really impact you long-term.” For Robinson, it’s made a night-and-day difference. The 32-year-old plans to return to work as a paramedic this fall. But she accepts that it will be a lifelong challenge to maintain balance in her life and stave off depression. “I never imagined that this would be me. But it is. That’s the reality,” says Robinson, who chose to speak out about her battle — despite the stigma — to help empower others. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody. “As long as I keep balance in my life, eat well, train and surround myself with people that I love and that love me, that’s the biggest thing in being successful longterm.”

Michael’s @ The Inn

WEDNESDAY STEAK SANDWICH SPECIAL 10,000 FLYERS (Reg $600) ........... ONLY $350 15,000 FLYERS (Reg $900) ........... ONLY $450

CALL NOW 780.444.5456 Delivered in the

MPSSCS4277142MPSE

11:00AM – 2:00PM Steak Sandwich with Fries & Garlic Toast, with choice of Soup or Salad served with dessert. 4:00PM – 9:00PM Steak Sandwich with Garlic Toast, with choice of Fries, Baked Potato or Rice, $ choice of Soup or Salad served with dessert.

9.95

12.95

Bring in this ad to receive an additional 10% OFF

Sale prices valid until September 30, 2012 MPSSCS4296461MPSE

Less Fuel. More Power. Great Value is a comparison between the 2012 and the 2011 Chrysler Canada product lineups. 40 MPG or greater claim is based on 2012 EnerGuide highway fuel consumption estimates. Government of Canada test methods used. Your actual fuel consumption will vary based on driving habits and other factors. See your dealer for additional EnerGuide details. Wise customers read the fine print: •, *, ‡, †, ▲, ∞, § The Summer Clearance Event offers are limited time offers which apply to retail deliveries of selected new and unused models purchased from participating dealers on or after July 4, 2012. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Offers subject to change and may be extended without notice. See participating dealers for complete details and conditions. •$20,898 Purchase Price applies to 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Canada Value Package (29E+CL9) only and includes $8,000 Consumer Cash Discount. $19,998 Purchase Price applies to 2012 Dodge Journey SE Canada Value Package (22F+CLE) only and includes $2,000 Consumer Cash Discount. Pricing includes freight ($1,500) and excludes licence, insurance, registration, any dealer administration fees and other applicable fees and applicable taxes. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Dealer may sell for less. See participating dealers for complete details. *Consumer Cash Discounts are offered on select new 2012 vehicles and are manufacturer-to-dealer incentives, which are deducted from the negotiated price before taxes. Amounts vary by vehicle. See your dealer for complete details. ‡4.99% purchase financing for up to 96 months available on the new 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Canada Value Package models to qualified customers on approved credit through Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, TD Auto Finance and Ally Credit Canada. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Dealer may sell for less. See your dealer for complete details. Examples: 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Canada Value Package/2012 Dodge Journey Canada Value Package with a Purchase Price of $20,898/$19,998 (including applicable Consumer Cash Discounts) financed at 4.99% over 96 months with $0 down payment equals 208 bi-weekly payments of $122/$117 with a cost of borrowing of $4,468/$4,275 and a total obligation of $25,366/$24,273. Pricing includes freight ($1,500) and excludes licence, insurance, registration, any dealer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Dealer may sell for less. †1.99% purchase financing for up to 36 months available on the new 2012 Dodge Journey SXT models to qualified customers on approved credit through Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, TD Auto Finance and Ally Credit Canada. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Dealer may sell for less. See your dealer for complete details. Example: 2012 Dodge Journey SXT with a Purchase Price of $25,395 (including applicable Consumer Cash Discount) financed at 1.99% over 36 months with $0 down payment equals 36 monthly payments of $727.27 with a cost of borrowing of $786.72 and a total obligation $26,181.72. Pricing includes freight ($1,500) and excludes licence, insurance, registration, any dealer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes. ▲$1,000 Bonus Cash is available on all new 2012 Dodge Journey SXT and R/T models. Bonus Cash will be deducted from the negotiated price after taxes. See your dealer for complete details. ∞Ultimate Family Van Bonus Cash is available to retail customers on purchase/lease at participating dealers of a new 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan model (excluding Canada Value Package models) or any new 2012 Chrysler Town & Country model. The Bonus Cash amount ($1,250 for models equipped with a DVD player; $750 for all other models) will be deducted from the negotiated price after taxes. The included no charge Uconnect Hands Free Group represents an additional $750 in value. Some conditions apply. See your dealer for complete details. §2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Crew shown. Price including applicable Consumer Cash Discount: $27,395. 2012 Dodge Journey Crew shown. Price including applicable Consumer Cash Discount: $27,595. Pricing includes freight ($1,500) and excludes licence, insurance, registration, any dealer administration fees and other applicable fees and applicable taxes. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Dealer may sell for less. ≠Based on R. L. Polk Canada Inc. January to October 2011 Canadian Total New Vehicle Registration data for Chrysler Crossover Segments. ■Based on Ward’s 2012 Small Van Segmentation. Excludes other Chrysler Group LLC designed and/or manufactured vehicles. ¤Based on 2012 EnerGuide Fuel Consumption Ratings. Government of Canada test methods used. Your actual fuel economy will vary based on driving habits and other factors. 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan – Hwy: 7.9 L/100 km (36 MPG) and City: 12.2 L/100 km (23 MPG). 2012 Dodge Journey SE – Hwy: 7.5 L/100 km (38 MPG) and City: 10.8 L/100 km (26 MPG). The Best Buy Seal is a registered trademark of Consumers Digest Communications LLC, used under licence. TMThe SiriusXM logo is a registered trademark of SiriusXM Satellite Radio Inc. ®Jeep is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

SCAN HERE

FOR MORE GREAT OFFERS

MPSSCS4296443MPSE

2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CANADA VALUE PACKAGE CANADA’S #1 SELLING MINIVAN FOR 28 YEARS

20,898 •

• Industry-Exclusive 2nd row Super Stow ’n Go® with one-hand operation • 2nd row overhead 9-inch video screen and DVD console • Hands-free connectivity with Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth® TM

2012 DODGE JOURNEY SE CANADA VALUE PACKAGE KAGE ≠ CANADA’S #1 SELLING CROSSOVER 38

19,998 •

INCLUDES $2,000 CONSUMER CASH AND FREIGHT.

117

STEP UP TO AN SXT • 3.6 L Pentastar VVT V6 with 283 HP • One-touch up/down front windows TM

BI-WEEKLY WITH $0 DOWN

2012 Dodge Grand Caravan Crew shown.§

OR CHOOSE

• Fog lamps • 17-inch aluminum wheels • LED taillamps

MPG

7.9 L/100 KM HWY¤

HWY

BEST-IN-CLASS

283HP

122 @

AND GET

10 VEHICLES WITH 40 MPG HWY OR BETTER.

%‡

BI-WEEKLY WITH $0 DOWN

4.99

INCLUDES $8,000 CONSUMER CASH AND FREIGHT. *

OR STEP UP TO THE ULTIMATE FAMILY EXPERIENCE PACKAGE AND RECEIVE $7,000 CONSUMER CASH *

• Media Centre 430 with 6.5-inch touch-screen display • ParkView Rear Back-up Camera • Air conditioning with Tri-zone Temperature Control • 3rd row Stow ’n Go with tailgate seats • SiriusXM Satellite Radio (includes one year of service) TM

PLUS GET TO $2,000 IN ULTIMATE FAMILY PACKAGE DISCOUNTS∞

7.5 L/100 KM HWY ¤ MPG HWY

BEST NEW SUV/CROSSOVER (Under $35,000)

2012 Dodge Journey Crew shown. §

4.99 %‡

%†

1.99

LESS FUEL. MORE POWER. GREAT VALUE. FINANCING FOR UP TO 36 MONTHS

▲

AND RECEIVE $3,000 IN TOTAL DISCOUNTS* Dodge.ca/Offers

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Girls hitting puberty younger Binge drinkers at

MARILYN LINTON Sun Media News Services

Tara Minely must be the only eightyear-old ever to watch Dora the Explorer while wearing a bra. Though she can hardly wait to grow up so she can wear high heels, go to parties and learn to drive, it was a shock to find out she’d have to wear the same undergarments as girls twice her age. According to Dr. Paul Kaplowitz, author of Early Puberty in Girls, it’s estimated 20 per cent to 30 per cent of black eight- to nine-year-olds and five per cent to 10 per cent of white eight- to nine-year-olds have breast development and/or pubic hair. Though Minely (not her real name) is the only one in her peer group to wear a bra, she’s certainly not alone. Girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier — but why? “The start of puberty with breast Photo: Sun Media News Services development seems to have started Researchers say that puberty is starting earlier among girls these days, with breast earlier in girls,” says Vancouver’s Dr. development starting at age seven or, in some cases, six. Jean-Pierre Chanoine, a researcher Other “gender-bending” chemicals started earlier, the actual age when funded by the Canadian Institutes of that may be responsible for early puberty culminates with the beginning Health Research and head of pediatric development include PCBs and of menstruation has not changed that endocrinology at the B.C. Children’s phthalates. Even soy has been suspect, as much. Hospital. have low levels of vitamin D. “Historically, girls have gotten their Though there’s little evidence to show But Chanoine says another periods at age 12.5 and now it’s maybe that puberty has advanced in boys, in explanation may be obesity and the two to three months earlier. So puberty girls, the first sign of breasts used to be hormone leptin, made by fat tissue. is starting earlier, but not full puberty,” between the ages of eight and 13 but is “Leptin is a satiety hormone made in he says. “Parents need to understand now between seven and 13. In Africanproportion to the fat tissue, so the more what’s happening, be American girls, early fat you have, the more leptin you make. reassured and discuss breast development But one of the other roles of leptin is it with their daughters can be seen as young permits puberty to proceed. Girls who why it is happening.” as six. have more fat tissue are making more That last part is But breast leptin, which allows puberty to begin,” easier said than done. development is only Chanoine says. In the past few years, part of the story. “We Dr. Jean-Pierre Chanoine Early puberty is common enough to several theories spend a lot of time Researcher be perceived as the new normal. But have emerged as to assuring parents when early puberty actually happens why young girls are whose little girl in to a little girl, it’s no fun at all, says developing earlier. A British study Grade 3 has breasts. ‘Does this mean Chanoine. “When a seven-year-old has suggested a high meat diet could be the that in Grade 5 she’ll have her period?’ to handle early puberty, there’s a real cause — a plausible theory because the parents ask. Well no, that’s not likely to disconnect between her body and her hormones in some beef mimic estrogen be the case,” says Chanoine. brain.” which drives breast development. Though breast development has

“Parents need to understand what’s happening.”

greater risk of dementia: study

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Older adults who binge drink could be at greater risk of developing dementia, new research shows. Researchers from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter in the U.K. analyzed data from 5,075 people aged 65 and older who were part of the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal study that tracked a nationally representative group of U.S. adults over eight years. The research found that 8.3 per cent of men and 1.5 per cent of women reported binge drinking once a month or more, where binge drinking was defined as four or more drinks on one occasion. Binge drinking twice a month or more was reported by 4.3 per cent of men and 0.5 per cent of women. Researchers found that those who said they binge drink once or more a month were 62 per cent more likely to be in the group experiencing the greatest decline of cognitive function, and 27 per cent more likely to be among those experiencing the most significant memory decline. Those who reported binge drinking twice or more a month were 2.5 times more likely to be in both the group experiencing the greatest decline of cognitive function and the group experiencing the greatest decline in memory. “This research has a number of implications. First, older people — and their doctors — should be aware that binge drinking may increase their risk of experiencing cognitive decline and encouraged to change their drinking behaviours accordingly,” lead author Dr. Iain Lang said in a release. “Second, policy-makers and public-health specialists should know that binge drinking is not just a problem among adolescents and younger adults. We have to start thinking about older people when we are planning interventions to reduce binge drinking.” The researchers are slated to present their findings Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2012 in Vancouver.

U.K. medical journal questions science behind sports drinks

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Just days before the 2012 Summer Olympics are set to launch in London, the British Medical Journal is stepping into the arena of sports-drink science with a group of articles that suggest the science behind sports drinks is biased and inconclusive. Approaches to hydration during sports have changed significantly over the years. Until the 1970s, marathon runners were advised to avoid drinking anything at all during competition for fear it would slow them down. Nowadays, everyone from the elite athlete to the occasional jogger is encouraged to hydrate before, during and after exercise, and

sports-drink companies frequently sponsor elite sporting events, including the upcoming Games in London, of which Powerade is a partner. In “The truth about sports drinks,” BMJ investigations editor Deborah Cohen found that sports-drink companies sponsored scientists who then went on “to develop a whole area of science dedicated to hydration” — and who happen to advise sports medicine organizations, whose guidelines have trickled down to become everyday health advice. The American College of Sports Medicine accepted a $250,000 donation from Gatorade in 1992, and four years later, the college

developed new guidelines adopting a “zero per cent dehydration” mantra that advised athletes to “drink as much as tolerable,” Cohen writes. The guideline came out of a 1993 roundtable meeting supported by Gatorade. In 1993, a group of experts led by a sport and exercise nutrition professor who was a member of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute developed a consensus statement about the dangers of dehydration at a meeting funded by Isostar, a sports drink then owned by the drug company Novartis, Cohen writes. “There is a need to make athletes more aware of the dangers of dehydration and of the importance of adequate fluid intake,” the

experts wrote in an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. “Water is not the best fluid for rehydration, either during or after exercise.” In another BMJ article, researchers at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford examined the claims made about sports-enhancement products, including sports drinks, and reviewed 1,035 websites. They identified 431 performanceenhancing claims for 104 different products and found that “there is a striking lack of evidence to support the vast majority of sportsrelated products that make claims related to enhanced performance or recovery.”

Thursday, July 26, 2012

LIFESTYLE

Long-distance love can work with effort JILL ELLIS Sun Media News Services

Dan Brown and Amanda Taccone have been married for three years but have only lived together for half that time. Dedicated to their separate media careers (he works in print and she in TV), they have spent most of their nine years together living in different cities. They were both in the building phase of their careers — especially Taccone, who was in her 20s when they met — so Brown and Taccone made a conscious decision

to live separately but remain in a committed relationship. According to Irv Augustine, a registered marriage and family therapist with Family Service Thames Valley, “individuals who place a high value on careers and personal achievements are more often the kinds of couples who live apart.” Living in Toronto and working in different departments at the CBC, Brown and Taccone were tested early on. “We had only been dating for two or three months when Amanda was offered a six-month contract in Halifax,” explains Brown. “Three months seems to be a deciding point in most

relationships, where you decide whether to move forward or not, but we were both certain that the commitment was worth it.” The couple set some ground rules to help ensure the relationship would remain an important focus. “The rule was that we wouldn’t go a month without seeing each other,” says Brown. One would fly to the other’s location or they’d meet somewhere in the middle. Taccone even surprised Brown for his birthday, flying in and catching him completely off guard. After the Halifax contract ended, another came up in Windsor and then Toronto. The two never managed to live in the same city until more than a year after they were married. During this couple’s commuter relationship, communication was key. Brown and Taccone talked several

times a day by phone, updating each other frequently about the minutiae of their daily lives to stay close. “Phone sex helps,” says Brown. “It’s not as good as the real thing but helps intimacy when you’re living far apart,” adds Taccone. Commuter couples miss out on “casual time” together and put emphasis on “quality time,” but both are important, says Augustine. “Preparing dinner together, bumping fannies together in the hallway — these are good for the emotions. Physical proximity without sex raises satisfaction in one’s life and in one’s coupledom,” Augustine says. “You have to be aware of some kind of make-up time for the time that you’re not together … Set the careers aside and concentrate on common activities that really nourish the relationship.” Marie and Joan have successfully lived in two cities — commuting between homes in

Hamilton and Toronto — for nineand-a-half years. The commonlaw, same-sex couple, who asked their real names not be used, is constantly in touch, despite the miles separating them. “We text, phone, connect through BlackBerry messenger and e-mail,” says Joan. “It’s good to communicate but some difficult issues still get put off that you can’t discuss on the phone.” Joan adds that perfecting the art of precise communication is important: “We had to learn really early to communicate as honestly as we can. Be careful of what you say and how you say it because you can’t go back an hour later and clarify it. You can’t make up by bringing someone a beverage and saying, ‘I know I was out of line.’” Now that they do live together, Brown feels the communication skills they developed while living long distance keep their relationship solid. “(Back) then we talked more than most people who live together, and we still do.”

Is it possible for men and women to be ‘just friends’? SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – In her carefree single days, it was easy for Jenny to make male friends. Keeping them, however, was a problem. The 34-year-old office administrator has experienced the demise of several friendships due to unrequited romantic feelings on the part of the man. “This wasn’t some kind of super hotness or awesomeness I was working on these guys,” she says. “It’s just what happens when a straight man and a straight woman spend a lot of fun, social, one-on-one time with each other. And it goes both ways.” When Harry first meets Sally, he lets her know, in no uncertain terms, that they would never be friends: “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” And although Harry and Sally do, in fact, become friends — they also do it. But don’t worry! They eventually fall in love. And so it goes in most romantic

comedies. Those of us who live in the real world understand that rom-com rules rarely apply. But almost 25 years after the release of Nora Ephron’s iconic film, whether or not (heterosexual) men and women can just be friends remains hotly debated. Jesse Bud and Patrick Romero’s short film, Why Men and Women Can’t Be Friends, (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=T_lh5fR4DMA) has amassed nearly seven million views on YouTube. They asked male and female students at Utah State about their opposite-sex friendships, concluding that just about every male would hook up with their female friends, given half an opportunity. It’s far from a scientific study (especially given the reference population is a group of hormonally charged college students), but it’s mesmerizing to watch. On romantic social network Zoosk’s recent Facebook poll of 1,864 people, 75

per cent of respondents agreed men and woman can just be friends, but 25 per cent did not believe it was possible. So, can men and women really just be friends? “The answer is yes, but there are some caveats with that,” says Geoffrey Greif, professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and author of Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships. “It tends to be more common when the men and women don’t find each other especially physically attractive.” Greif also notes the forging of new malefemale friendships drops off after marriage. “It’s much less likely that my wife is going to tolerate over the course of years my having opposite-sex friends, whereas she will probably accept (my female friends) as part of the package when we first get married,” he says. Author, speaker and gender studies professor Hugo Schwyzer thinks the term

“just friends” diminishes the value of nonromantic intimacy and is rife with other problems. “It assumes a falsehood: that our sexuality is so much more powerful than our longing for friendship,” Schwyzer says. “It both overestimates human libidinousness and underestimates our huge longing — our very real need — for friends, including friends with whom we’re not sexual.” While Schwyzer agrees platonic friendships are easier when there’s a mutual lack of sexual interest, he says it’s not unusual for there to be a one-sided attraction or romantic interest and still have that friendship continue uninterrupted. “It’s possible — it really, really is — to move past sexual desire and focus on the friendship. Lust can become like the pleasant background noise of a fountain rather than this overpowering tsunami, which is how we normally frame it.”

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Quick Look

Thursday, July 26, 2012

S T. A L B E R T R E A L E S T A T E M A R K E T R E P O R T AKINSDALE

GRANDIN

MISSION

Active Listings: 18

Sold Listings: 18

Active Listings: 24

Sold Listings: 27

Active Listings: 1

Sold Listings: 9

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $299,999 / High $499,900

Low $237,000 / High $444,000 Avg. days on market: 38

Low $239,950 / High $1,198,000

Low $267,500 / High $609,000 Avg. days on market: 32

Low $359,900 / High $359,900

Low $271,500 / High $410,000 Avg. days on market: 32

$390,924

$337,722

$411,960

$376,175

OPEN HOUSE SAT 1-4

BRAESIDE

$359,900

$318,277

NORTH RIDGE

Active Listings: 6

Sold Listings: 15

Active Listings: 30

Sold Listings: 33

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $310,000 / High $579,900

Low $301,000 / High $459,000 Avg. days on market: 31

Low $375,000 / High $799,000

Low $385,000 / High $755,000 Avg. days on market: 40

$368,345

$374,273

DEER RIDGE

Michelle Roth

47 GAINSBOROUGH AVE

Cell 780-717-8283

$379,900 bilevel,1369 sq.ft., 4 beds, 2.5 baths

$532,660

www.FastTrackRealEstate.com

$466,459

OAKMONT

OPEN HOUSE SUN 2-4

Active Listings: 22

Sold Listings: 45

Active Listings: 22

Sold Listings: 18

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $299,900 / High $525,000

Low $277,000 / High $469,000 Avg. days on market: 31

Low $384,900 / High $1,895,000

Low $364,800 / High $790,000 Avg. days on market: 37

$394,165

$385,456

ERIN RIDGE

Michelle Roth

278 GRANDIN VILLAGE Cell 780-717-8283 $255,900 Townhouse, 1212 sq.ft., 3 beds, 1 bath, 2 half baths www.FastTrackRealEstate.com

$502,461

HERITAGE LAKES

Active Listings: 54

Sold Listings: 30

Active Listings: 21

Sold Listings: 18

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $398,900 / High $920,000

Low $388,000 / High $845,000 Avg. days on market: 31

Low $359,500 / High $593,899

Low $350,000 / High $502,000 Avg. days on market: 39

$580,222

$628,591

$508,308

$442,670

$398,500

LORENE LECAVALIER 780.990.6266 direct 780.458.9399 lorene@sutton.com

16 OVERTON PLACE

$709,900 Walk-out Bungalow, 2123 sq.ft., 3 bdrms, 2.5 baths.

PINEVIEW Data for past 120 days

REAL ESTATE

JAMES MABEY

4 ENCHANTED WAY

$649,900 Bungalow, 1581 sq.ft., 3 bdrms, 3.5 baths.

780.458.9399

www.mabeyahome.com

Craig Pilgrim 780.458.8300

148 HERITAGE DRIVE

cpilgrim@cominghome.ca

$419,900 1318 sq.ft., 4 level split, 3 bdrms, 3 baths.

Data for past 150 days

REAL EST ESTATE

Karissa Olson K

4 EMBER CO $495,000 2 storey, 1901sq.ft., 3 beds up, 3.5 baths.

780.721.5496 direct 780.458.8300 www.kolsonrealestate.com

FOREST LAWN

Active Listings: 40

Sold Listings: 7

Average list price:

Average sale price:

$1,015,897

Low $485,000 / High $5,250,000

Sold Listings: 7

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $367,900 / High $589,900

Low $332,500 / High $540,000 Avg. days on market: 36

$448,508

www.cominghome.ca

KINGSWOOD ST. ALBERT

Active Listings: 5

$614,200

Low $513,000 / High $749,900 Avg. days on market: 39

LACOMBE PARK

$418,642

STURGEON Active Listings: 8

Sold Listings: 13

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $279,000 / High $419,500

Low $250,000 / High $370,000 Avg. days on market: 28

$344,662

$315,915

WOODLANDS

Active Listings: 6

Sold Listings: 8

Active Listings: 37

Sold Listings: 33

Active Listings: 5

Sold Listings: 12

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Average list price:

Average sale price:

Low $339,900 / High $364,900

Low $279,500 / High $380,000 Avg. days on market: 15

Low $349,900 / High $1,290,000

Low $318,500 / High $670,000 Avg. days on market: 42

Low $419,900 / High $559,000

Low $339,000 / High $599,900 Avg. days on market: 36

$350,583

$338,125

$615,157

ADVERTISE ON THE ST. ALBERT REAL ESTATE PAGE A great way to market your real estate listings in over 20,000 copies of the St. Albert Leader.

Call us today for details. 780-460-1035 or email: homes@stalbertleader.com MPSSCS4299464MPSE

$412,104

$488,240

ONLY $35.00! 28 WOODCREST AVENUE

$549,900 2 Storey, 2265 sq.ft., 3 bdrms, 2.5 baths.

$439,783

JAMES MABEY 780.458.9399

www.mabeyahome.com

*The above area market averages represent the trailing 3-month averages, except where otherwise indicated, of single-family homes only as of the Monday of publication week. Data is provided by CRAIG PILGRIM of RE/MAX Real Estate (St. Albert), member of the Real Estate Association of Edmonton. Data does not include condos, townhomes or apartments, and does not differentiate between styles of homes. All efforts are made to ensure data is accurate for information purposes, but please consult a licensed real estate agent for additional market information.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

BUSINESS DOLLAR

Up 0.37¢

97.87¢ US S&P/TSX

Muppets end deal with U.S. chain over gay marriage SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – The Muppets are ending their relationship with fast food restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A in a show of support for gay marriage, the creators of the puppet troupe said on Monday. “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified ChickFil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors,” the company said in a statement posted on their official Facebook page. The Henson company, named after the creator of lovable characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, supplied their Creature Shop Muppet toys to Chick-Fil-A for children’s meal

MPSSCS4296492MPSE

packages but decided to sever ties after recent statements by the fastfood chain’s chief executive Dan Cathy. Cathy told the Baptist Press in a recent interview the company supported the “traditional family,” and “the biblical definition of the family unit.” The Henson company, whose Muppet characters are hugely popular, said its chief executive Lisa Henson is a “strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD,” the company said in their statement. GLAAD is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Representatives for Chick-Fil-A were not immediately available for comment on Monday, but the company posted on their Facebook page last week that their restaurants “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender.” They added that they wanted to “leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

Down 284.24

11,466.95

NASDAQ

Blue ribbon day Leader staff photo

Allstate Insurance agent Kendell Bousquet, St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse, St. Albert Chamber of Commerce treasurer Ken Macrae and Laura Brady cut the ribbon to officially re-open the Allstate office in Gateway Village on Tuesday afternoon.

Olympians don made-in-Canada garb THANE BURNETT Sun Media News Services

Canadian Olympic athletes will be wrapped from head to ankle in the flag — though their toes may feel a bit foreign. While both the U.S. and the U.K. are embroiled in controversy over the foreign origins of their national uniforms, Canadian officials say our athletes competing during the London Games will be clothed in homegrown wear. Well, at least the better parts of them. According to a statement released by The Bay on the origins of their line of Maple Leaf-adorned Olympic uniforms: “Eightyfive percent of the clothing that will be worn by our

Canadian team has been manufactured in Canada. “We worked with both the athletes themselves and Canadian manufacturers to deliver high performance high design uniforms for all of the athlete opening, closing and podium uniforms, and athlete village wear.” A Canadian Olympic official said the 15 per cent that wasn’t produced in this country, would include accessories such as flip-flops, duffle bags and backpacks. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, federal politicians — and patriotic Canadians — were critical of our athletic best being garbed in uniforms largely produced in China. At that time, Olympic

heads said it would be too difficult to find Canadian companies able to fill the high-profile order. While this time around our athletes are being given special made-in-Canada attention, those ordinary countrymen who buy offthe-rack replica versions will be getting something that started away from home. The Bay’s statement explains: “Our customers demand quality and stylish apparel at a price point that is affordable. “As a result, the clothing for sale in The Bay and Zellers was sourced from accredited manufacturers in China that meet Hudson’s Bay Co.’s stringent manufacturing guidelines.”

Call us today for all your St. Albert Real Estate Needs �Office Spaces �Administrative Services �Business Education �Coaching & Mentoring

www.nabi.ca MPSSCS4040360MPSE

MPSSCS4296488MPSE

780.460.1000

Pierre Hebert MPSSCS4296494MPSE

780-459-7786 www.bermontrealty.com

Guy Hebert

SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST Expect More MPSSCS4008417MPSE

Down 47.05

2,862.99 DOW

Down 188.22

12,617.32 GOLD

Down 0.50

$1,581.50 US OIL

Down 2.96

$90.29 US Figures as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, compared to one week prior. For information purposes only.

LORENE LECAVALIER

780-458-9399 Direct 780-990-6266 lorene@sutton.com

Thursday, July 26, 2012

STALBERTJOBS.COM LOOKING FOR STAFF? Call us Today!

Only $222.00 includes 2 weeks of print ads in over 20,000 copies of the St. Albert Leader and listing on www.stalbertjobs.com

For details: Call 780-460-1035

✔ PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR - WESTLOCK Champion Feed Services Ltd., an Alberta-owned independent feed manufacturer and farm supply company, serving the Northern Alberta livestock industry for over 35 years, requires a Production Supervisor to join our team in Westlock, Alberta. Primary Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Required Competencies: • Plan, supervise and coordinate manufacturing activities. • Strong leadership skills proven through previous supervisory experience. • Work together with the Plant Manager to analyze, prepare and adjust work procedures to meet production • Capacity to thrive in a fast paced, ever changing environment where meeting production deadlines is schedules, according to specified FeedAssure™ a key priority. (HACCP) guidelines. • Analyze and resolve challenges, or assist production • Aptitude for learning procedures, overcoming challenges and problem solving. personnel in solving problems. • Previous experience in a manufacturing environment. • Maintain production records according to • Ability to use Microsoft Office. FeedAssure™ (HACCP) guidelines. The successful applicant must also be prepared to relocate, if necessary, to a rural community within 50 km of the Westlock mill. The applicant must also be prepared to be on call as required. Preference will be given to applicants possessing an agriculturally related post secondary education and/or experience in feed manufacturing. An understanding of livestock production and animal nutrition would be a definite asset. CFS offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefit package including company pension plan. Please send your application letter and detailed resume by mail, fax or email to:

Darren Lidberg, Manager Champion Feed Services Ltd. 9415 – 109 Street Westlock, Alberta T7P 2M6 Phone: (780) 349-5886 • Fax: (780) 349-3023 Email: darren@championfeeds.com MPSSCS4296480MPSE

WELDERS Custom Metal Fabrication shop, located in northwest Edmonton, is hiring

JOURNEYMAN AND THIRD YEAR WELDERS

These are permanent full-time positions. Medical/Dental Benefits, RRSP Program. For more info on our company visit www.metalboss.com

To apply, fax resume to 780-455-7080 or e-mail to info@metalboss.com MPSSCS4287326MPSE

MPSSCS4296477MPSE

√ PRODUCTION PERSONNEL Are you looking for a unique opportunity to grow your career in a place where people care?

Champion Feed Services Ltd. is a well established employer in Westlock and is dedicated to producing high quality livestock feeds designed to help livestock producers maximize their profitability. In this position, you will be working with a team producing livestock feed following specified FeedAssure™ (HACCP) guidelines. We require responsible, reliable individuals that are able to meet challenges with a positive, friendly attitude. Your attention to detail and the ability to work independently and safely in a team environment is crucial. Shift work is required. Champion Feed Services Ltd offers: • Competitive wages • Company matched pension plan • PPE & winter work wear allowance • Medical/dental package • The ability to be home every day • A dynamic working environment that isn’t routine

Our employees take pride in providing more than 60,000 residents with high-quality programs and services. A wide array of opportunities are available to suit your passion and experience. You can cultivate your career in a place where staff not only care about the work they do but also the people they work alongside.

We have the following employment opportunities available: · Aquatics Lifeguards (Level 1 & 2) · Box Office - Customer Service Representatives · Childminding Attendants - Fall 2012 · Culture Projects Assistant · Development Supervisor · Exercise and Wellness Specialist · Fitness and Wellness Programmer · Head Lifeguard · Legislative Officer · Manager of Corporate Planning · Photo Enforcement Clerk · Pilates Instructors · Recreation Leaders - Fall 2012 · Starbucks Shift Supervisor · Systems Analyst · Utility Operator

If you are a self-motivated, organized individual, with efficient work ethics and would like to join our Team, please fill out an application form at the mill or hand deliver, email or fax your Resume to: Darren Lidberg, Manager Champion Feed Services Ltd. 9415 – 109 Street Westlock, Alberta T7P 2M6 Phone: (780) 349-5886 Fax: (780) 349-3023 Email: darren@championfeeds.com MPSSCS4296478MPSE

FULL TIME RETAIL POSITION AVAILABLE

BOOKKEEPER/ OFFICE DUTIES

Tuesdays through Saturdays Looking for a mature individual who has a genuine interest in animal health, tack, equestrian accessories and pet supplies. Background in animals would be beneﬁcial. Please apply in person to:

Bag’n Blok Agri Centre 8702B - 98 Street, Morinville, AB NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE! MPSSCS4296474MPSE

√ OFFICE CLERK Champion Feed Services Ltd., an Alberta based livestock feed manufacturer and farm supply store, with locations in Barrhead, Grande Prairie and Westlock, produces high quality feeds designed to help livestock producers maximize their profitability. For the Office Clerk position, we are looking for an individual with exceptional customer service and organizational skills, an efficient work ethic and someone who is accurate, neat and complete in their paperwork. General knowledge of accounting practises and previous experience with payables is preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel is a must. Since Champion is an agricultural business, a farming background with knowledge of farm supply and feed items would also be an asset. This position is full-time, Monday through Friday, with weekends and stat holidays off. Champion offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefit package including medical/dental benefits and a company matched retirement plan for all permanent personnel. If you have excellent information management skills and possess a strong attention to detail, please hand deliver, fax or email your resume to: Darren Lidberg, Manager Champion Feed Services Ltd. 9415 – 109 Street Westlock, Alberta T7P 2M6 Phone: 780-349-5886 Fax: 780-349-3023 Email: darren@championfeeds.com

MPSSCS4296470MPSE

Person wanted to handle complete accounting function and office management for a small business in Morinville. Must have accreditation in this field. This is a an opportunity for a NAIT student with a 2 year minimum Business Administration Diploma.

For information on these and other current opportunities available at the City of St. Albert please visit our website at www.stalbert.ca/employment or drop by our Human Resources department.

Apply by email: jimdanyluik@shaw.ca with full resume and salary expectations.

Online applications: www.stalbert.ca/employment

Human Resources The City of St. Albert 216, 7 St. Anne Street St. Albert, Alberta T8N 2X4 Fax: (780) 459-1729

We wish to express our appreciation to all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position but only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. MPSSCS4296454MPSE

Thursday, July 26, 2012

LIMITED TIME ONLY St. Albert Dodge will give you a maximum value for your trade. PLUS, get an additional $500 in TRADE IN TRADE UP ASSISTANCE. Don’t have a Trade? No worries St. Albert Dodge will give you a

$500 PAYMENT ASSISTANCE VOUCHER.

In addition, when you choose to upgrade to a brand new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram, ALL FACTORY INCENTIVES WILL BE PASSED ON TO YOU, like up to $13,500 in discounts!

a Receive

n you Take a Test Drive & be entered to b $200 Gift Card whe ecome a CHRYSLER CANADA HAS HAD 8 WINNERS IN 2012!

Are you o

ner?

win xt

Pre-book your $200 test drive and secure your chance to win $30,000 at:

http://www.StAlbertTradeUp.ca

12’ JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SPORT

WK(5)

EVENT

25,995

‘12 DODGE RAM 1500

59 WK(5)

EVENT

17,995

STK#L42227

12’ DODGE CHALLENGER

WK(5)

EVENT

25,995

‘12 RAM 3500 4X4 DIESEL

139 WK(5)

Vehicles not exactly as shown. All prices plus tax OAC. Offers are mutually exclusive. Rebates to dealer Ex. 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 payments based on $0% down for 96 mos @4.99%. COB $4301.34. See Dealer for details.

MPSSCS4296421MPSE

OVER $195,000 IN CASH & VEHICLES HAVE BEEN AWARDED!

EVENT

44,977

STK#L45157