St. Albert Leader - June 21, 2012 by St. Albert Leader

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Chamber News /stalbertchamber

www.stalbertchamber.com | 780-458-2833

2011/2012 Chamber Report On June 13th, the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce held its general meeting luncheon at the Apex Casino and released its 2011/2012 Chamber Report. The document highlights the Chamber’s development and advocacy work from the past year including: Big Issue Roundtables Discussion Groups The Chamber invited developers, commercial realtors and key business owners to discuss issues such as the Villeneuve Airport expansion and developer levies. With City Council members in attendance, the event featured frank discussions and excellent participation. These roundtable groups will continue 3 to 4 times per year in the future. Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan The Chamber spoke in support of Council’s introduction of the Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan and hosted a Business Owners’ Information Session. It outlined the plan’s key objectives and vision of establishing downtown St. Albert as an exciting, vibrant place where residents, visitors, businesses and government come together to shop, dine, celebrate our heritage, and enjoy events, entertainment, and the arts. Light Industrial Land Needs Study The Chamber prepared two presentations to City Council regarding the issue of identification, maintenance and promotion of a suitable land base to support future development and employment growth in St. Albert. The Chamber anticipates that industrial lands will help grow St. Albert’s employment base. The Chamber played an active role in the debate and supported the City’s motion identifying which lands will be used for development. At an earlier meeting, the Chamber spoke against an application for residential development on potential Light Industrial lands. LRT Expansion The Chamber supports the potential LRT expansion to north St. Albert because it aligns with their strategic goals of creating a vibrant community, a regional hub, and a role model for other communities. Moreover, expansion can directly increase economic growth in the community. This past year, the Chamber actively encouraged City Council to make a strong effort in doing the functional study for future extension of the LRT to north St. Albert. Villeneuve Airport Expansion The Chamber formed a collaborative group in support of the Villeneuve Airport Expansion and hosted the first Big Issue Roundtables on this subject. Bringing together the Board of Directors and a number of community leaders to hear from experts on the potential expansion, the event garnered plenty of feedback and ideas. The group meets throughout the year, with the next roundtables taking place in late June and September.

To view the full report, visit www.stalbertchamber.com, under Current Affairs, or contact Lynda Moffat at (780) 458-2833 for further information.

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30th Anniversary Every Saturday, 10am - 3pm, June 16th to October 6th, Rain or Shine!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Changes to grant Lead policy approved INDEX the

News . . . . . . . . . 3 Opinion . . . . . . . . 8 Grad 2012 . . . .PULLOUT Entertainment . . . . . 17 Lifestyle . . . . . . . 20 Health . . . . . . . 23 Business . . . . . . 26 stalbertjobs.com . . . .27

COVER

Congratulations graduates! The classes of 2012 from four local high schools are heading out into the world, and we celebrate them with a special pullout section, only in this week’s edition of the St. Albert Leader!

FUN WITH NUMBERS

1.4 million

That’s how many Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles are being scrutinized more closely by U.S. safety regulators for increased fire risks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday. The probe includes best-selling Camry sedans from model year 2007 to 2009.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY JUNE 21, 1749

Edward Cornwallis (c. 17131753) arrives in Canada with two regiments and 2,576 settlers from England, Ireland and Germany to form a settlement. It would later be renamed “Halifax” in honour of the Earl of Halifax, George Dunk.

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

More changes are coming to the way community groups access funds from one of the City of St. Albert’s grant programs. Monday afternoon’s regular meeting of city council saw councillors approve a number of amendments to the policy governing the Community Capital Grant Program, which is administered by the Community Services Advisory Board. Those changes include: • no longer carrying forward unused funds from one year to the next; • setting a maximum amount on funding available to school playground developments and replacements; and • allowing groups to apply for a grant once every two years instead once every three. Coun. Cathy Heron, who is one of council’s representatives on the CSAB, said that changing the frequency at which groups may re-apply for grants was a response to rumblings she has heard in the community. “I think it was mostly because of word of mouth on the streets, that there were groups waiting to re-apply and they couldn’t, yet the grant was going undersubscribed every year,” she said. However, some areas that were under review will remain the same, including keeping religious and educational institutions ineligible — although associated not-for-profit groups, similar to school parent organizations of “Friends Of” societies, would be deemed eligible — and taking in applications once in the spring but continuing to accept applications throughout the year until funds are depleted.

Anna Royer, business manager with the City’s community and protective services department, said the CSAB opposed a second intake in the fall. “They wanted to be able to look at emergent issues and have groups be able to come forward with that,” she said. “It would also lessen their workload in the fall when there’s a number of other grants they do look at.” The amendments were passed by a 6-1 vote, with Coun. Len Bracko casting the only vote against. Bracko’s main concern was that, if funds are not carried over, major projects like the refurbishment of the St. Albert Curling Club — which received $825,000 from the City in 2009 — would not be able to go ahead in the future. “I still believe community groups, if they do things, they can take ownership, and it’s part of the community,” he said. But other councillors felt such projects could be built in smaller, more manageable phases that would fit into the grant program, or the amount of funding could be changed in any given year if they know a major project is coming up. “We could always change it to a higher number, and if it doesn’t get used that year, it goes back into surplus,” Heron said. “This is a good way to keep it from building into a huge war chest.” Currently, groups who have been in good standing with Alberta Corporate Registries for a minimum of five years may apply to the Community Capital Grant Program for funds matching what they already have committed, up to one-third of the entire project budget. In 2011, $113,655 was allocated from the program for five different projects. In the 2012 budget, $180,642 in funding was set aside.

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Tooting his own horn Photo: gLenn cook, St. Albert Leader

St. Albert MLA Stephen Khan blows the airhorn to signal the official start of the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning. This year, the market is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

YOUR COUNCIL NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 25, 3:00 p.m. Council Chambers St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

Agenda Highlights: The complete agenda package is posted to www.stalbert.ca • Third Party Infrastructure Maintenance Update • Proposed Location for Dog Park 3 • Affordable Housing Delivery Model Recommendations • Review of Rental Assistance Program for AISH Recipients • Standing Committee on Finance Recommendation – Policy C-FS-01 Financial Reserves • Interview Committee Recommendation – Appointment of Tourism/Hospitality Representative to St. Albert Economic Development Advisory Committee • Review of Solid Waste Program • Council Self-Evaluation Process • 5:00 p.m. - Public Hearing: 50 Levasseur Road Dog Park You can address Council on these or any other issues. Public appointments are heard at the beginning and end of each Council meeting. Call 780-459-1500 to register. Council meetings are televised on SHAW TV Channel 10 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., webcast live and archived: stalbert.ca

COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD Tuesday, June 26, 6:30 p.m. East Boardroom, Third Floor St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

SUBDIVISION & DEVELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD

Wednesday, June 27, 6:15 p.m. Council Chambers St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday, June 28, 6:00 p.m. East Boardroom, Third Floor St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street MPSSCS4251130MPSE

Thursday, June 21, 2012

St. Albert celebrates canada day

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Celebrar la fete du Canada a St. Albert FREE Park & Ride beginning at 10:30 A.M.

JUNE IS RECREATION AND PARKS MONTH!

Celebrate the variety of ways parks and recreation improves your quality of life in St. Albert. Find out how you can win a prize by completing the calendar found at: www.stalbert.ca/recandparksmonth.

JUNE IS BLOCK PARTY MONTH

Block Parties are a fun way to meet and reconnect with your neighbours while having fun! It’s also an easy way to create a safer neighbourhood. Did you know you can get FREE burgers and buns for your party?

LIONS PARK 11 A.M. - 3 P.M. *FORMAL CEREMONY AT NOON

• • • • • •

Cake and watermelon Live entertainment by Innovations Music Crusin’ Clubhouse Games Art Trail Kidsport street hockey Pedalheads – kids 12 and under, bring your bikes • Hot dogs and drinks by St. Albert Host Lions Club

• • • • • •

Craft by Cultural Services Face painting Inflatables by Saint City Rotary Horse-drawn wagon rides by ACT Flight Simulator by Air Cadets Displays by St. Albert Public Works, Fire Services and RCMP • FUN FOR ALL AGES

* Residents are invited to bring non-perishable food items for the St. Albert Food Bank

For more information or to register for a Block Party, call the Neighbourhood Development Team at Family and Community Support Services – 780-459-1756. www.stalbert.ca/block-party-information

BECOME A WEED WARRIOR!

Become a Weed Warrior and help eliminate invasive species around the Canoe and Kayak Club in Riel Recreation Park. Friday, July 13, 2012 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wear long sleeves and avoid wearing shorts. Gloves will be provided. No registration required. For more information, call the Office of Environment at 780-459-1735.

150 SOUVENIR BOOK TH

COMMEMORATIVE BOOK ALMOST GONE!

Don’t miss your chance to pick up a copy of St. Albert’s 150th Anniversary Commemorative Book before they are gone! Limited number available for purchase at the Community and Protective Services Office, Main Floor, St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street. Call 780-4591692.

St. Albert Grain Elevators (4 Meadowview Dr) Noon – 5 p.m.

St. Albert Botanic Park (265 Sturgeon Rd) 1:30 – 4 p.m.

Woodlands Water Play Park (155 Sturgeon Rd) 1 – 4 p.m.

Little White School House (2 Madonna Dr) Noon – 5 p.m.

Father Lacombe Chapel (2 St. Vital Ave) Noon – 4 p.m.

Heritage Lakes Pancake Breakfast (École La Mission) 9 – 11 a.m.

Art Gallery of St. Albert (19 Perron St) Noon – 4 p.m.

Longboard Competition (Kingswood Park) Noon – 4 p.m.

ST. ALBERT PLACE PRE-FIREWORKS FUN! 5-10:30 p.m. 5 – 8 P.M. FAMILY STREET DANCE Children’s carnival by L.I.F.E Church

8 – 10:30 P.M. BATTLE OF THE BANDS In partnership with Innovations Music

FIREWORKS AT 11 P.M. FROM SEVEN HILLS!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! For more information or to fill out a volunteer application, visit www.stalbert.ca/canada-day or contact Nathan at nwbrown@st-albert.net or call 780-902-3075

presented by

Thursday, June 21, 2012

READY SET GO /StA_Recreation /StARecreation

FOUNTAIN PARK RECREATION CENTRE

w: stalbert.ca/fountain-park-recreationcentre p: 780-459-1553 Red Cross Babysitting Course Learn how to be the best babysitter you can be! Ages 11 and up recommended Saturday, June 30 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants learn how to care for babies to school age children in a safe and positive environment, prevent injuries, handle emergencies and respond with first aid, and provide age appropriate activities and games. In addition, youth will learn the communication and basic business skills needed to be a successful babysitter.

GRANTS ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES GRANT Do you have an idea, large or small, for a citizen-action project that will benefit the environment in our community but you need the funds to make it happen? The Environmental Advisory Committee and the City of St. Albert are accepting applications for the 2012 allocation of the Environmental Initiatives Grant. This grant is for St. Albert schools, non-profit organizations and community groups. Application Deadline: October 9, 2012 at 5 p.m. For more information on eligible projects and applicants, visit www.stalbert.ca/ environmental-initiatives-grant-program or email environment@st-albert.net for a complete application package.

St. Albert celebrates canada day

FAMILY STREET DANCE & BATTLE OF THE BANDS 2nd Annual Street Dance & Family Fun Night Free Admission to All! On Sunday July 1st, St. Anne Street will be jumping – literally! That’s when the City of St. Albert Recreation Services department will hold its second annual Family Street Dance, Battle of the Bands & Fun Night in downtown St. Albert. Bring friends, neighbours and family for a great evening of games, crafts and dancing. • Live music by 5am • Children’s Carnival, brought to you by Life Church • Lantern making workshop • Food Court Whether you are new to St. Albert or have lived here all your life, the Canada Day Family Street Dance is the perfect place to cultivate the spirit of our town. 5:00–8:00pm Street Dance on St. Anne Street 8:00–10:30pm Battle of the Bands on St. Anne Street 10:45pm Lantern procession to Seven Hills 11:00pm Fireworks at Seven Hills presented by

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Ducks Unlimited opens Big Lake boardwalk GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Nature lovers young and old in St. Albert have a new destination. Last week, Ducks Unlimited Canada officially opened the new boardwalk at the John E. Poole Wetland on the eastern shore of Big Lake, just west of the city, giving birdwatchers and, perhaps more importantly, school groups a chance to get up close and personal with wildlife without venturing too far from home. “We’re happy to see such a positive response from the public towards the boardwalk at the John E. Poole Wetland,” said Steve Young, Progressive Conservative MLA for Edmonton-Riverview on behalf

of the provincial government’s tourism, was one of our most cherished residents. parks and recreation ministry. “This I think she would be very proud that project is a great addition to the Lois Hole the John E. Poole Wetland is part of this Centennial Provincial Park and further legacy.” conserves important The boardwalk was nesting habitat and this funded by the John E. important natural area.” Poole Conservation “We are very pleased to Fund, which so far have this project located has raised $1.5 million so close to to support wetland St. Albert for our conservation and residents to enjoy. Its restoration initiatives Nolan Crouse location on the Red in the provinces, with a St. Albert Mayor Willow Trail adds a goal of $5 million. Along great feature and nice with the new boardwalk, rest area,” added St. Albert Mayor Nolan the fund also paid for trails around the Crouse in a press release issued by Ducks marsh, interpretive signage and stations Unlimited. “The Honourable Lois Hole where kids can dip into the water to look

“I think [Lois Hole] would be very proud.”

for critters — all of which make up an “outdoor classroom” for school children to use, explore and expand their appreciation of wetland ecosystems. The fund was launched in 2009 and named in honour of John E. Poole — the former co-owner of PCL Constructors Inc., who passed away in 2007 — and his passion for nature and conservation, as well as educating young people. Other contributions for the project came from Beaverbrook Developments, the Alberta government’s culture and community spirit department, Shell Canada and more than 50 other donors. For more information on the wetland and the conservation fund, log on to www. ducks.ca/poolefund.

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Graduation celebration

Photo: gLenn cook, St. Albert Leader

Dancers enter the grounds at Poundmaker Lodge Saturday as part of a graduation powwow for students at the Nechi Training, Research and Health Promotions Institute.

Answers coming on YC funding decision GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Answers are coming when it comes to St. Albert city council’s decision to pull program funding from the St. Albert Youth Community Centre — but it may be a while before they arrive. Councillors voted unanimously Monday afternoon to have Mayor Nolan Crouse, Community Services Advisory Board chair Trina Shipanoff, Family and Community Support Services director Scott Rodda and City of St. Albert chief legislative officer Chris Belke meet to prepare a backgrounder for the public detailing why the CSAB recommended to council to pull the youth centre’s funding in 2013 and reallocate it to the City’s youth asset development program. That recommendation was approved by city council on May 28. “It’s very straightforward — I believe the public has a right to know certain dimensions of the decision making that took place, refraining from naming names so no one is dishonoured,” Coun. Roger Lemieux said. “It’s public knowledge, and we’re to provide that.” “I think we’re all supportive of communicating with the public and getting information out to them; it’s a matter of how we do it,” Coun. Malcolm Parker added. The reasons for the recommendation have thus far remained confidential under the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). Belke, as the City’s FOIP co-ordinator, will advise the others in the meeting on exactly what can and

cannot be made public in the backgrounder. However, the timeline on when the four will meet to craft and issue the backgrounder is unknown. Nothing had been made public as of the Leader’s press deadline on Wednesday morning. Councillors discussed at length Monday exactly how the backgrounder should be crafted and who should be involved. Coun. Cathy Heron lobbied for Rodda to be included in the discussion, but Lemieux didn’t feel he was needed. “It’s a lot of [Rodda’s] knowledge and background with agencies in the city that the CSAB makes their recommendations based on,” Heron said. “He absolutely needs to be part of that conversation.” “We have one employee now on the committee, as per the motion, as well as the CSAB chair, who knows all that she has to know. There doesn’t have to be another opinion in there,” Lemieux replied. Concerns were also raised about compromising the process of the CSAB’s deliberation process. “Somewhere in the mix there, we have to protect our advisory council to ensure, as we go forward, they are free to [make decisions],” Coun. Wes Brodhead said. “As I look at the motion before me, I see a reasonable compromise.” Parker had initially given notice that he would make a motion to have council make the backgrounder containing the rationale for the decision public, but Belke informed council that the authority to do so was not theirs, but instead belongs to the city manager.

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

OPINION

iStAlbert

Opportunity knocked

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

@Karbanger Way to go Eastpark Dr #StAlbert another $375 for #StrokeMonth @TheHSF Every little bit makes a big difference!

o matter your opinion on the prospect of light rail transit running through St. Albert, or even to its doorstep, you have to admire Coun. Len Bracko and his belief in the cause. Bracko, who has brought several LRTrelated motions before council in by Glenn Cook the past, was back at it on Monday, trying to convince his council colleagues to pony up $534,000 for an LRT functional alignment study to map out a route from south of St. Albert to the city’s north end. The motion, however, was narrowly defeated, which is not only unfortunate for Bracko and his vision, but perhaps for the enitre city, as council may have now missed out on a golden opportunity. The impetus behind Bracko’s motion Monday was the fact that the $534,000 price tag being offered by the consulting firm was a limited time offer, only good until the end of the year. And with the rules governing city council, since the motion was defeated, the possibility of bringing a motion on the study back can’t resurface for six months. The concerns many councillors brought up about it being premature and costly to update decades down the road, when construction might actually start, are valid. But if the City of St. Albert doesn’t move on the offer that’s on the table, who knows how much this study — which, by all accounts, will get done sooner or later — is going to cost when they finally decide to do it? The bigger hangup, though, is the financing for the study. To get to $534,000, Bracko proposed cleaning out the $278,000 that’s already in the City’s LRT reserves, plus committing another $256,000 out of that account before it’s even collected. While the reserve is funded through a levy on property taxes, meaning it’s fairly certain the money will be collected over the next three years, the optics of spending money the City doesn’t have are not great. Still, Bracko shouldn’t give up on this LRT study. Even if it’s ultimately decided rail transit is not right for St. Albert, it still needs to be explored thoroughly so an informed decision is made.

@CityofStAlbert Reasons to have a #StAlbert #blockparty: create a safer neighbourhood. Get the resources you need at ow.ly/behGI RT

EDITORIAL

@CloudNinePajama Thanks to all who stopped by the store during our 1st Farmers Market. What a great atmosphere! @StAlbertMarket #stalbert # perrondistrict

@seriouslycath Pleased to live in such a beautiful city #stalbert

Compiled by Swift Media Group swiftmedia.ca • @Swift_Media

Engage customers to drive biz success

ne of the delights or frustrations of getting old is that you get to experience history repeating itself, and in the process, to identify enduring good ideas. After 30 years in management consulting and coaching, the last seven with the Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI), I’ve come to know a best practice that can really help us, and that is engaging our customers. This concept applies to every organization, whether an arts business, restaurant, technology company, panhandler or City Hall. We’ve all got customers (or whatever you call them), and the more we engage them in the right conversation, the more likely we can achieve success. For two decades, I’ve been a fan of Rob Lawton’s

Dar

SCHWANBECK Managing Director, NABI My City Creating a Customer-Centered Culture. In his bestselling book, Lawton proposes a “Customer Satisfaction Policy” for achieving high levels of customer loyalty. Lawton suggests we can do this by consistently taking the following actions: • Proactively solicit customer needs and expectations (this means questions about outcomes, product functions and features); • Confirm that we understand these expectations; • Develop, package, deliver and support products to meet these expectations;

Publisher: Rob LeLacheur rob@stalbertleader.com

Editor: Glenn Cook

glenn@stalbertleader.com

Client Services: Michelle Barstad michelle@stalbertleader.com

• Measure the degree to which our customers’ product and outcome expectations are achieved; and • Close any gap between what our customers expect and what they experience. In my experience, if you follow this process, many new products and processes have a much better chance at earlier and greater success. And because markets are always evolving, it’s a great process to deal with on-going changes. While Lawton’s approach has been around since 1993, if we are looking for confirmation of his work, in June 2011, Furr and Ahlstrom published the Entrepreneurs Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation – “Nail it then Scale it.” Not surprisingly, their process is rooted in indepth communications with

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.

customers, this time for the purpose of matching products with customer needs and expectations. Again, five steps: • Nail the customer pain (or opportunity); • Nail the solution; • Nail the go-to-market strategy; • Nail the business model; and • Scale it. After completing these steps, entrepreneurs should have the foundation for a robust business. Of course, success depends on a number of cycles through the steps. So there we have it, two very similar processes, separated by 20 years, but a solid confirmation that our success is driven by the connections to our customers. Talk to NABI — we can help you engage your customers. Owned and operated by

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

Phone: 780-460-1035

Thursday, June 21, 2012

O Lever as 70 ed %

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Mayor Nolan Crouse presents St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club outreach worker Tara Rodrique with a proclamation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Friday morning at the club.

Awareness day shines light on elder abuse

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

As community groups marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Friday, it was not only a chance to celebrate the strides St. Albert has made, but also a sombre reminder that there is more work to do. A small group gathered Friday in the artists’ studio at the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club to mark the international awareness day, started in 2006 as part of the United Nations’ International Plan of Action, most decked out in purple clothing or ribbons to show their support. Mayor Nolan Crouse was also there to lend the City of St. Albert’s support through a proclamation. Senior Citizens’ Club outreach worker Tara Rodrique said that it’s time to bring these abuses out of the dark and into the spotlight. “Unless we take action to improve awareness and prevention, the prevalence of elder abuse will continue to grow,” she said. Groups in St. Albert have taken action, though, over the past few years, including the Senior Citizens’ Club and the Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society. Together with other organizations, they have established guidelines for action and trained a number of people to respond effectively to claims of elder abuse. Doreen Slessor, executive director of SAIF, said that protocol is now being shared with other communities across Alberta such as Fort McMurray, Leduc, Camrose and Lethbridge. “It’s amazing when we see the protocol in action,” Slessor said. “At our committee meetings, when we have case scenarios, we’re not sitting there frustrated. We can actually say, ‘You do this, and you do this.’

It’s great to have a case come in and leave with some ideas and solutions.” In 2008, when elder abuse statistics were first kept in St. Albert, Slessor said there were 63 cases reported in a six-month period. However, as the protocol was not fully in place at the time, some cases may have been counted multiple times. A 1999 study Rodrique cited found that seven per cent of Canadian seniors had experienced some form of emotional or financial abuse — the most common forms of abuse — from a person in a position of trust. Slessor added that senior men are 67 per cent more likely to be abused than women. “We actually tell the gentlemen in our service, once you’re in your 60s, you’re the demographic for family violence now,” she said. Of course, there may be more cases out there than we know, as many likely go unreported. “Because it’s family members, it’s difficult for seniors to admit that,” Rodrique said, “and then they take blame for that, because they raised this child. They’re very complicated [cases].” If you suspect a senior is being abused, Rodrique said one of the first steps is to actually believe the victim. “Don’t deny or underestimate what is going on. Abuse is never acceptable and should never be ignored,” she said. “Listen without judging. Let the abused person know that you care and have respect for their decision making. Sit with them first and talk about how you might assist.” Rodrique added that helpers must also be respectful of the fact that leaving an abusive relationship can be a difficult process. She also discourages confronting the suspected abuser, as this could put you or the victim in a dangerous situation.

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Five-year-old Joshua Anthony (left) and his two-year-old brother, Luke, get pulled along in a wagon on a trail behind St. Albert Place as the family takes part in the Roy Financial Mayor’s Walk for Charity on Saturday morning.

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“Let’s get police working on ... [more] threatening crimes.”

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numbers by 75 per cent. This means, for example, that if only a door sensor or motion sensor The City of St. Albert is getting alarm goes off, it would have to be tough on false alarms. verified by another alarm going On Monday afternoon, off, by video or by a person before city council approved three police respond. amendments to the City’s false “Very few alarms will only be alarm bylaw designed to cut down the entrance, the door. Usually on the number of false alarms local there’ll be a motion sensor, and if RCMP have to respond to. it’s the entrance and the motion “Let’s get [police] working on the sensor that get hit, the police will matter of theft and leave these calls respond because that’s multi-zone,” to something else so they can work Giesbrecht said. “If it’s just the door on more challenging, difficult and and there’s no other sensors going threatening crimes,” Mayor Nolan off, chances are ... it’s a false alarm.” Crouse said. “This is a very ingenious way of The amendments include: putting some of the responsibility • giving each permit holder only back on to the alarm companies,” one free false alarm for the entirely Heron added. of the permit, rather than one per In 2011, St. Albert RCMP calendar year; responded to 1,153 false alarms, • invoicing down from 1,200 permit holders in 2010 and if police are 1,221 in 2009. dispatched to Approximately a false alarm, 40 per cent rather than if of those calls they actually are from Nolan Crouse attend the commercial St. Albert Mayor location; and buildings and • requiring 60 per cent from alarm companies or permit holders residential buildings. to verify one-zone alarms before However, that number has police are contacted for dispatched. remained fairly steady despite The first amendment was increase in population and building different from administration’s development. proposal of doing away with free “This could be seen as a success,” passes altogether, which would Giesbrecht said. move the system closer to a true St. Albert also had one of the user-pay service. lowest false alarm call rates among “We need to continue allowing Alberta cities in 2011 at 1.9 per 100 one free false alarm. I myself have population. The only city with a had it, with kids not knowing the lower rate noted by administration code,” Coun. Cathy Heron said. was Sherwood Park with 1.5. By “It’s putting the impetus onto the comparison, Leduc had a rate of 3.6 homeowner or the business owner calls per 100 population. to make sure everyone entering the City staff estimated that each building is aware of the system and false alarm call in St. Albert costs knows how to use it.” two hours of time for dispatchers, Meanwhile, the second operational support, police and amendment would attempt to program administrators, and $82. recoup costs from more calls. Over the course of a year, that adds “Approximately 30 per cent of up to 2,400 hours and $98,400. alarm calls are cancelled prior to However, revenues from alarm police attending, and therefore permits and penalties only cover not billable,” said City manager of about 25 per cent of that cost. policing services Aaron Giesbrecht. The City currently charges $32 “But just because the police don’t per alarm permit. The first false attend does not mean we don’t alarm in a calendar year is free, incur costs.” while the second and third carry Meanwhile, the idea to have one- penalties ranging from $80.95 and zone alarms verified came from $160.95. The fine for having an Nova Scotia, where Giesbrecht said alarm system activated without a the measure dropped false alarm valid permit is $300.

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

City cracks down on false alarms

2 Blocks North of Anthony Henday on St Albert Trail

Thursday, June 21, 2012

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Karate ladies bare all for cancer fundraiser

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

A group of ladies from a local karate school donned their black belts — and not much else — to raise money for cancer research. Sixteen women from Desa School of Karate formed the Below the BlackBelts team for Saturday’s Underwear Affair in Edmonton, a five-kilometre walk or 10-kilometre run to raise money for the Alberta Cancer Foundation and their research into cancers that strike below the waist, like prostate, colorectal, ovarian, testicular, bladder, cervical and uterine. The team wound up raising more than $18,000, third-most among all the teams taking part. That total prompted team member Janet Vranas and others to really get into the spirit of the event and run wearing nothing but sports bras, white shorts and their karate black belts. “There are three or four of us that don’t show our bellies like that — anymore,” said Vranas, 51, who is a cancer survivor herself and raised more than $4,000 on her own. “That was definitely out of our comfort zone for some of us.” “I was just going to wear a skimpier kind of tank top until I saw how much sponsorship I had,” she added with a laugh. “Then I thought, ‘I’ve got to go for this. If these people

Photo Supplied

The “Below the BlackBelts” team from Desa School of Karate bared it all during the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Underwear Affair on Saturday, raising more than $18,000 in the process. are going to support me, I’ve got to go for this.’” This was the team’s first time taking part in the Underwear Affair, and aside from Vranas’s very personal experience with the disease, most of the team members had their own reasons for baring it all. “I don’t think you can talk to anybody in this world now who hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way, shape or form — whether it’s themselves, whether it’s a family member, whether it’s a good friend

or a spouse,” Vranas said. “In our group, we had different people running for different [reasons]. My mother before me had colon cancer, and her father before her.” In total, 1,252 people took part in the event, raising $787,000. According to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, approximately one in every 14 men and one in every 17 women in Alberta will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer during their lifetimes. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and one www.bavariabmw.ca BMW X5

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

City touts safety GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Hop along Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

A camera-shy rabbit hops away at full stretch from the spot where it was munching on grass in Millennium Park, near the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club, on Friday morning.

Steel payments to go into new reserve GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

While the St. Albert Steel left town earlier this year on a somewhat sour note, city council is hoping to make the best of a bad situation. At their regular meeting Monday afternoon, councillors voted to place the $229,000 that the junior A hockey club owed the City of St. Albert upon their departure to Whitecourt into a reserve account, and that city manager Patrick Draper come up with a terms of reference for the money’s long-term use, which could involve a study on an events hosting strategy or a “granting program for unique and significant community events.” “We have a couple of options, one of which is to take the

$229,000 and apply it to the bottom line as general revenue. That’s one easy option, and one that likely would have gone forward. But what I’m looking for is for us to be more creative than this,” the mayor said. One such event Crouse hinted at is a bid for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, which itself could cost upward of $250,000. The Steel paid the City $100,000 in relocation fees under the lease agreement the two sides signed in 2006. Another $129,000 for upgrades to the dressing room at Servus Credit Union Place is due Aug. 31. Crouse even pitched the idea of the City chipping a few thousand dollars into the reserve every year to keep it going. Coun. Cathy Heron also suggested that any surpluses from other future sporting events hosted in the city

could go into that account. “This could maybe be used to host events in Servus Place. Maybe there are concerts that we look at; maybe we need look at purchasing a different stage or sound systems,” Crouse said. Coun. Cam MacKay was the only councillor to vote against the motion, expressing concern about its timing. “This seems like quite a large amount to allocate outside of the budget,” he said. Crouse, though, was confident that the Steel would make their remaining payment on time. “If our staff come back on Aug. 31 and say we haven’t received the final payment, then we might be in a different situation,” he said. “I could have waited until after Aug. 31, but I’m trusting the Steel are going to pay.”

The City of St. Albert is tooting its own horn over the strides it has made in the safety and wellness of its employees. At their regular meeting Monday afternoon, city council received a report from staff on the performance of the City’s safety and wellness program, which indicated that it was a combination of factors that has contributed to the improved performance. “It’s no one thing ... We analyze our incidents and emerging incident trends so we can adapt and prevent any of them going forward,” said City health and safety co-ordinator Denise Isbister. “It’s important that we not only have a low frequency [of injuries], but it’s equally important that we limit the severity of our injuries,” she added. “Four out of the last five years, the City has experienced better-than-industry severity rates, which means the injuries we are incurring require less time away from work.” But Isbister also said that there’s always work to do. “As in any safety program, the ultimate goal is going to be zero injuries,” she said, adding that the City is working on develop a proactive ergonomic strategy that should cut down on sprains and strains among office workers. The City recently received a rebate of almost $110,000 on Workers’ Compensation Board premiums through the Alberta government’s Partners in Injury Reduction program and at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance held on Monday, June 11, councillors received a report from administration on what to do

with the money. General manager of corporate strategic services Jennifer Jennax told the committee that, each year, $7,000 of the rebate is recognized as general revenue, while the rest goes into a reserve to pay for health and safety programs for City employees like first aid and defensive driving, as well as safety equipment like automated external defibrillators, fire extinguisher simulation training equipment and safety data management software. Municipalities can receive the rebate by either improving their safety performance over the previous year or by besting the provincial average. This is the second year in a row that the City has received the maximum 20 per cent rebate. Jennax added that, with substantial rebates expected in the years to come, cementing what to do with the money in a City policy would be a good idea. At Monday’s council meeting, Isbister was asked if the City tracks near-misses as well as injuries. “Absolutely we are. In fact, we’re creating a lot more awareness for departments on that as a proactive step forward,” Isbister said. “Nearmisses have been reported in the past, but awareness needs to start right from the new employee that comes to us.” Mayor Nolan Crouse said he hopes the downward trend in injuries continues, and that city council has a role to play in the overall safety of City employees as well. “Ultimately, we should see the near-misses rise and injuries drop,” he said. “Council plays a role in that, and that’s to not drive fear into it; the reporting must be open and transparent.”

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Rubber meets the road for soapbox racers great. I think we’re still hitting upper limits of about 25 km/h, but in those cars, that’s a really The sun was shining and good speed.” the track was fast — perfect There was also plenty of conditions for a day at the races in imagination on display, as racers St. Albert over the weekend. displayed elaborately decorated The Spirit of St. Albert Society cars inspired by everything from (SOSA) and Rock’n August hosted animals and video games to the second annual Father’s Day professional sports teams. Soapbox Derby Sunday, with “We had about 90 cars, and racers from six to 12 years old we had 90 different designs,” putting their cars to the test on MacKenzie said. “It’s great to see; the St. Vital Avenue hill, just east it’s always fun.” of the St. Albert Catholic Parish. There were a few spills over the SOSA chair Cheryl MacKenzie course of the day, but MacKenzie said that a total of 115 racers made said the safety measures they had their way down in place worked the hill. very well. “I’m over the “We moon,” she said have really of the turnout. stringent safety “That’s about 25 requirements per cent more on the cars, and Cheryl MacKenzie than last year. [Sunday] just Spirit of St. Albert chair You’re always showed why,” happy when you she said. “It’s a see more than the year before.” speed event; there is risk to it, and Also improved over last year we go through that with parents was the weather, which was more when they come in. I think we co-operative with sunshine and had a couple of scrapes, but other temperatures above 20 C. than that, everything that was “This is a rain-or-shine event, built for safety did its job.” and we always like to see the That said, though, shine. But last year, we didn’t. MacKenzie has her eye on a few So we’ve had both ends of it,” improvements that can be made MacKenzie said. “I think last year for next year’s derby to make sure proved that it doesn’t matter [for it’s that much safer. the racers], but it makes it better “Parents lighten the cars trying for the spectators when you have to get more speed, and I think the sun out.” we saw [Sunday] that, if the car’s Those dry, warm conditions too light, it’s not going to get the made the track nice and fast for traction and spin out,” she said. the young speed demons. “We’ll probably introduce a few “Because of the tires on the car, things to fix that. We’re always I don’t think it makes a whole lot open to change. We watch like of difference,” MacKenzie said, everybody else and see what we “but if they feel faster, then that’s can do better.”

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

“We had about 90 cars and we had 90 different designs.”

Photos: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

Counterclockwise from top: (Left to right) Ryleigh Griffith, Samson Edwards and Tyler Middleton get rolling off the start line during their heat in the Father’s Day Soapbox Derby, held Sunday on St. Vital Avenue, just east of the St. Albert Catholic Parish; Sean Danchuk and his son Seth, 6, talk strategy as Seth gets set to pilot his car down the hill; Adam Kociuba concentrates on getting over the finish line; Teslyn Edwards has a doggone good run in her canine car; family and friends of racer Tayven Tremblay cheer him on near the bottom of the hill.

Congratulations ��

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Congratulations Class of 2012

Great gifts for college-bound graduates METRO CREATIVE SERVICES – With graduation season having just wrapped up, scores of high schoolers are preparing to leave the nest for the first time. Parents of high school seniors often want to find a gift that both symbolizes the significance of graduation and proves useful in the fall when kids take their first step onto a college campus. Though most high school kids would love a new car for graduation, such a gift is not within reach for most parents nor is it practical, as many colleges don’t allow incoming freshmen to have cars on campus. While they might not be a new car, the following gifts can put a smile on a new grad’s face and prove useful at college, too. • Gaming console: Gamers may love to pack the latest gaming console among their belongings when they head off to college this fall. Though parents might want their kids hitting the books instead of playing video games, a gaming console can provide a welcome respite for college kids stressing out over their studies. In addition, gaming consoles can be great icebreakers, providing the avenue by which incoming freshmen can meet and befriend their fellow dorm dwellers. Some interactive gaming consoles, including the Nintendo Wii, can even help freshmen fight off the infamous “Freshman 15,” by encouraging physically active gaming. • Television: Like gaming consoles, new televisions make great icebreakers at college. Chances are, your favorite high

schooler has grown accustomed to Mom and Dad’s home theatre system. While kids likely won’t be able to fit such a system in their dorm room, a flat-screen TV can fit into any dorm room and give freshmen a little home away from home. • Computer: Today’s computers are more affordable than ever, and every incoming freshman can make good use of a new computer. When shopping, keep laptop computers in mind, as kids can take laptops along with them to class and study groups. If grads already have a new or relatively new computer, consider upgrading the computer’s accessories. For example, a new set of computer speakers can increase a computer’s functionality and might even serve as a less bulky home theater system. • Money: Though it’s not incredibly personal, money is a gift no college-bound recent graduate will turn down. Kids are going to need money more than ever before while they’re at college, where they’ll need to buy books, food and cover their social expenses. Parents might not want to give their favorite new grads money for graduation, but such a gift makes perfect sense for aunts, uncles or other distant relatives. • Furniture: Most dorm rooms are anything but roomy, but college-bound grads are still going to need some furniture. Consider functional furniture, such as bins, organizers or a new computer chair, that might not be as glamourous but will be very useful and effective.

Metro Creative Services photo

A new gaming console can make a great graduation gift for college-bound high school grads.

Graduation march is composer Elgar’s claim to fame

METRO CREATIVE SERVICES – When asked to list renowned classical composers, Mozart or Beethoven may come to mind. Many people may not think to mention Edward Elgar. But there’s an excellent chance thousands of people are very familiar with the most famous work by Elgar. “Pomp and Circumstance” is undoubtedly Elgar’s biggest claim to fame. It has become the standard to which many soon-to-be graduates proceed into their graduation ceremonies, both in high school and college. As such, it has become one of the most recognized concert marches. The song — the trio section of the first march in a series written by Elgar — was not written with the intention of being a graduation processional. Elgar built up his reputation as a composer of works for great choral festivals throughout

Metro Creative Services photo

An English march turned into a composition commonly heard at graduation ceremonies across North America. England. In 1901, Elgar began composing five marches that would be named “Pomp and Circumstance Marches.” He is perhaps best known

for the first of the marches, which went on to be simply named, “Pomp and Circumstance,” or “The Graduation March.” Since 1905, it has been used at

virtually all high school and university graduations in North America. The first time “Pomp and Circumstance” was played in a graduation setting was when Elgar received an honorary doctorate from Yale University in 1905. At the end of the ceremony, the march was performed as recessional music. It was so well received that it was soon expected to be played during graduation ceremonies at many other prominent schools. Today, it is rare to hear “The Graduation March” played outside of commencement ceremonies. Many graduates have fond memories of hearing “Pomp and Circumstance” at their school commencement, even remembering the exact moment they received their degrees. For those attending a graduation ceremony in the near future, expect to hear this powerful march.

Congratulations Class of 2012

Biology, business top popular majors METRO CREATIVE SERVICES – Thousands of high schoolers have be graduated in the past few weeks and many will be going on to college in the fall, a decision that may have been difficult to make. When pondering their futures, high schoolers may wonder whether college is necessary and a smart choice for success. Although every student is different and there are scenarios that can affect anyone’s future, the decision to attend college is generally beneficial. It often opens up doors and opportunities in the workplace that a high school diploma alone cannot. Here are some things to consider: • Ours is a global economy with many job applicants being pooled from all over the world. A higher education becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. • College may open up opportunities for internships, which offer hands-on experience in particular fields. • College can help develop social skills that are a benefit in and out of the workplace. • Generally college graduates earn higher salaries than those who only have a high school diploma. When students go on to college, there are some majors that prove more popular than others. But the most popular majors don’t always ensure the best-paying or most rewarding jobs. According to CareerBuilder.com, here are the more popular college majors and what they generally pay in salary. • Biology: A biology degree is often the first step in a career in medicine. Biologists may specialize in biochemistry and pharmaceuticals, which may offer careers that pay a little more. Biology majors can expect to earn between $39,000 to $45,000. • Business Administration: These graduates are often in the right path for careers in real estate and infrastructure

of big companies. These grads often go on to get MBAs and eventually become executives, some even CEOs. Starting salaries are among the more lucrative at around $57,000. • Communications: These majors are often in competition with English majors for the same jobs, which can include interpreting visual and verbal messages, advertising, journalism, public relations, and speech writing. Salaries may start around $31,000. • Criminal Justice: These graduates have a number of options at their disposal, but tend to gravitate to law enforcement. Government jobs can be stable and lucrative, and a good option for criminal justice majors. Starting salaries average about $38,000. • Elementary education: Education is one of the few careers that continues to grow and provide good options for applicants. Although good teachers are an asset to future students and workers, a teacher earns the lowest starting salary of the most popular majors, averaging just $29,500. • Nursing: Nursing is one of the largest industries inside of the health care niche and continues to add workers. Nurses have a wide range of options in jobs. Salaries begin around $41,000. • Psychology: This is the second most popular major, usually for students who are unsure as to where they want to go in college. Psychology students often combine their major with others to have a specific concentration, such as adolescent counseling or teaching. Starting salaries are around $46,000. College can unlock doors in the career world. Depending on what students want to earn after graduation, college majors should be based on interests and earning potential.

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Researching a potential customer base is essential for people looking to turn their hobbies into careers.

Turning hobbies into careers

METRO CREATIVE SERVICES – The notion is oft-repeated at graduation ceremonies or passed down from generations: If you find something you love to do, you’ll never work a day in your life. While that’s a comforting thought, many adults recognize there are plenty of things they love to do, but no guidebook as to how to turn those beloved hobbies and passions into a career. Though there are no formulas to ensure the transition from hobby to career will be a success, there are ways to make the process go more smoothly and give aspiring entrepreneurs a solid foundation. • Talk to successful entrepreneurs. One of the best places to start pursuing your dream is to speak to others who have successfully pursued theirs. Chances are things were rocky at the start, but those who made it through those early struggles can likely offer some insight as to possible pitfalls or roadblocks to avoid or look out for. Use their experience to your advantage in an effort to make your transition go more smoothly. With regard to seeking guidance, even the government might have some advice or offer free seminars to prospective business owners. For example, the U.S. Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) offers a host of advice about starting a business. Whether’s it’s nuts-andbolts advice about finding funding or less official pointers like finding a mentor to help you through the process, the SBA is a great resource for aspiring business owners. In Canada, the Canada Small Business Financing Program has approved roughly $1 billion annually in loans to businesses since 1999 and makes a great resource for prospective business owners. In addition, prospective business owners should consult a financial advisor to help arrange finances and determine just how much it might cost to develop a new business. • Don’t limit yourself to one idea. If you have a specific idea for a company but the market appears

flooded, don’t limit yourself to that specific idea. For example, if your passion is lawn care but your community already has several landscaping companies already in operation, consider another idea that allows you to put your green thumb to good use. Perhaps there’s a stronger market for a gardening service or a landscape architecture business. Explore all of the possible ways you might be able to turn a hobby into a career, and be as open as possible. • Determine if there is a customer base. A little market research can go a long way toward turning a hobby into a career. In order for your business to be successful, you will need customers who want to buy your product or services. For example, no matter how big a movie buff you are, you likely won’t be successful if you open a video store, since people now have monthly subscriptions that deliver movies directly to their home via the Internet or the postal service. Some basic market research will help you determine if there is a need for your services and how strong that need might be. The stronger the need, the more likely your idea will resonate. If possible, speak with people who already work with your potential clientele and get their opinions on your idea. • Fully commit. Going into any prospective business venture half-hearted is a recipe for disaster. Though there’s no guarantee you will be successful, your chances are much better if you fully commit. Expect to put everything you have into this new venture and recognize that your hobby will no longer be something you do on weekends, but something you do to feed yourself and those who rely on you. Fully committing could likely mean quitting your current job and working around the clock until your fledgling business gets off the ground. If you aren’t ready to make a full commitment, be it a financial or emotional investment, then you might to put it on hold until you’re truly ready to make the leap.

Going into any prospective business venture half-hearted is a recipe for disaster.

Congratulations Class of 2012

ST. ALBERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Congratulates the Class of 2012! Daniel Abday Cole Aikens Alycia Aitken Robyn Amerongen Michael Babcook Eric Baxter* Stephanie Bazzarelli* Jayden Bearchell Kristyna Becker Marissa Beier Nicholas Bejcar Barrett Belland Nolan Benwood Mateo Berrio Tyler Biollo Tia Bizon Kyle Bodnar Evan Breda Katherine Burak Stephen Cain Reysan Carrasca Maxwell Carter Maxwell Cathcart Sarah Chan Kia Coles Bryan Collins Chelsea Collins* Julie Constantin Lindsay Cox Matthew Cox Patrick Cusack Charlotte Cuvilier Kyle Davies Connor Dawkins Gillian De Costa Evan Deane Tyler Demers Zoe Downing Geoffrey Durocher* Curtis Eldering Trace Elson

Haley England Aldo Esposito Nicola Fijalkowska Brennan Finley Marco Fiorilli Sarah Fleming Sasha Footz Ciara Fraser* Jesse Furber Steven Gatien Luc Gauthier Lane Gauvreau Joseph Gennaro Jordan Gentile Andrew George* Madison Gerencser Chantelle Gervais Janelle Gervais Nathan Gies Quenton Glass Brandon Goldsmith Joshua Goselwitz* Travis Grant-Horvat Devan Gunputrav Erik Halldorson Samantha Hallett Austin Havens* Chelsea Hebb Daniel Henry Mackenzie Hoekstra Taylon Holdsworth Damjan Horzic** Peter Hryhorchuk Shaylyn Hunter Jason Husak Logan Hutchinson* Alexander Iwaniuk Joshua Jewell Blair Johnson Mikelie Johnston* Shea Jose

Sianna Kaplar Jacob Kazakoff Sara Kendi Bryce Kennedy Kaitlin Klak Drew Korven Tanner Kovacs Sydney Kozuska Kelly Kuin Alexander Kvamme Jared Kwasney Eric Labrecque Brittany Lamash Connor Lawless Elisa Leclair Andre Leduc Gregory Lefebvre Kyle Lefebvre Madison Lochhead* Mitchell Lohmeier Tarren Luck Sarah Lumley Spencer Lust Kendall Lydon Jillian MacDonald Stephanie MacDonald Nigel MacGregor Benjamin MacKay Joshua Mackie Kathleen MacKinnon Michael Maguire Christine Malon Rebekah Marcellus* Melissa Marchand Chase Mariner Ryan Martindale Angela Mason Hannah Mason Stephen May Tania Mazzuca Christian McHale

Liam McNamara Mitchell McNamara Nicolas Meronyk Adam Micklich Emery Mindana Carly Mollan Cullen Moloy Riley Morin Amelia Musselman David Muzichuk Stefanie Mycko Meaghan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Keefe Ryley Ostlund Steven Parth** Michael Paruby Brianne Peck Mitchell Perrott Vanessa Peynenburg* Erin Phelps Carline Phillips Emily Picard Tara Plawucki Trevor Poirier Palmer Policicchio Michael Polny Leanne Potiuk Carter Proft Salena Pysyk Kaitlyn Randall Antoni Randhawa Casey Reid Bradley Richmond Brandon Risling* Daniel Robertson Andrew Rodziewicz Taniesha Rogers-Kumar Daniel Rombough Christina Roth Daniel Roth* Jennifer Roux Karly Ruller

Brent Saccucci Bailey Sadowsky** Carson Samoridny Michael Schiller Alyssa Schmode Natalie Shaw You-Chun Shen* Calli Smith Adam Sobkowicz Sung Song Hailie Sperling Christopher Spiwek Jeremy Stegehuis Landon Steil Danton Tait-Vanderheide Tyler Takacs Elisabeth Tassone Jonathan Ternes Danielle Thomson Stephanie Tobinski Brendon Tonhauser Amanda Tremblay Perry Tremblay Craig Trischuk Jennifer Twa Natasha Valencia Nicholas Valliere Bryce Van De Walle Tyler Van Os William Vida Landan Viveiros Patrick Wall Cole Wanchulak Evan Warmington Hayley Warmington Landon Wenger Jenna Werhun Taylor Wilson Adelle Zalys Kristen Zentner*

** indicates International Baccalaureate Diploma Student *indicates International Baccalaureate Certificate Student

GRA ADU UATIO ON MA ASS

COMM MEN NCEME ENT CE ERE EMONY Y

GRA ADU UATIO ON BAN NQUET T

Holy Family Parish Thursday May 17, 2012 Th

Jubilee Auditorium Friday May 18, 2012

Edmonton Expo Center Friday May 18, 2012

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Congratulations to all of the 2012 St Albert Graduates!

Hon. Doug Horner, MLA

Spruce Grove - St. Albert Constituency 780-458-1393

Hon. Stephen Khan, MLA St. Albert Constituency 780-459-9113

Congratulations Class of 2012

ST. ALBERT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Congratulates the Class of 2012!

Angela Mason Valedictorian

Vanessa Peynenburg Grad of the Year

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Congratulations Class of 2012

ÉCOLE SECONDAIRE SAINTE MARGUERITE D’YOUVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Class of

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www.StAlbertRealEstate.com Phone:

780.458.9399

Sutton Group - Nor-Vista Realty • An independant Member Broker

Congratulations Graduates! Grads Fleeing The Nest? Let Us Help Find A Home That Matches Your New Lifestyle!

Congratulations Class of 2012

ÉCOLE SECONDAIRE SAINTE MARGUERITE D’YOUVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

Class of

“ The Future Is Ours, Stand Close To Mee” Exccerpts of Valedictoriian, Veronica Kubbe’s Adddress To those who have guided and nurtured us, to those who have strengthened our roots, given us courage, taught us patience, and inspired us to persevere; thank you for being here to celebrate with us today. Our theme this year is “The future is ours, stand close to me”. We are the future generation. We are being given the responsibility of supporting and providing for the generations to come. We are being entrusted to make the right, responsible, ethical decisions necessary to better the world in which we live. Each of us has potential. Each of us has dreams. I look at the faces of my incredible classmates, and I see everything that they will become. I see the mothers and fathers, the lawyers, the teachers, the veterinarians, the physicists, the artists, the engineers, the doctors, the musicians, the police officers, the business men and women, the nurses, the actors, and the writers; the possibilities are unlimited, and I feel so proud to be graduating with a class of so many ambitious, hard-working individuals. As we graduate and join the adult world, we will still need the guidance and support of our parents, families, friends, and teachers. Like trees, as we grow stronger of character, and wiser of mind, we will need their continued pruning so that we may blossom and bear the fruits of success. So “stand close to me”, and stand close to us, as we venture off to discover the future that lies ahead.

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Congratulations Class of 2012

PAUL KANE HIGH SCHOOL

Class of

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24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE FURNACE and AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS and SALES

780-458-0912 www.a1heating.ca

Congratulations Class of 2012

PAUL KANE HIGH SCHOOL Abaza, Batool Acheson, Kevin Adam, Brianna Agius, Madelyne Allen, Kirsten Allen, Krista Anderson, Daylan Anderson, Des Anselmo, Alyssa Appleby, Noelle Arcand, Robert Armstrong, Ryan Ayer, Tori Baber, Joshua Babiak, Andrew Bachand, Luc Bailey, Chad Baker, Jamal Barber, Carly Barclay, Rachel Barker, Gillina Barker, Jessica Barr, Nathan Batt, Kalena Beeston, Maxwell Belley, Anne Bender, Mackenzie Bennett, Trent Bent, Lynsey Bergunder, Dawson Berry, Elise Bertin, Khalil Bertram, Nicole Best, Brandon Billsten, Colleen Bindon, Danielle Blatchford, Anton Boksteyn, Kelsey Bolduc, Stephanie Boucher, Stuart Boyd, Andrew Brochu, Jaden Brodeur, Nicole Bronetto, Jeff Brooks, Chelsea Brown, Allandra Bruce, Alexandra Bruce, Brittany Buffam, Julia Burow, Erik Burzminski, Taylor Butler, Katelyn

Cameron, Genevieve Cancian, Alyssa Carmichael, Olivia Cebryk, Joshua Chalifoux, Thomas Cherfan, Gabrielle Cheung, Chanel Chmait, Nader Clark, Morgan Codrington, Jared Coghlan, Neil Cole, Samantha Copeland, Sean Corazza, Massimiliano Cormier, Laura Craft, Hayley Cronshaw, Jessica Cruthers, Dawson Cunningham, Jordan Currie, Trey Curtis, Amber Cutting, David Day, Rebecca Dell, Connor Demchuk, Austin Demetrioff, Shelby Dennis, Rodney Despins, William Desrochers, Dylan Dick, Ryan Dickie, Fallon Doig, Michael Doroshenko, Amy Doughty, Mackenzie Dowbush, Leanne Drew, Kayla Dufault, Stephan Duguay, Laura Duncalf, Andrew Duncan, Logan Durham, Alex Eberlein, Jacy Elicksen, Keiran Ellingson, Cameron Enger, Mackenzie Espinoza, Meghan Ewasiuk, Kaitlyn Ezzard, Robyn Fernandez, Julius Fink, Krystal Fleming, Sarah Follette, Whitney

Forde, Sydney Formanek, Kirstin Foster, Paige Foster, Thomas Fraser, Morgan Freitas, Ryan Fuller, Ryley Fulmes, Ella Garland, Ian Garska, Bree Gendron, Chantal Glover, Chaisi Gradidge, Matthew Graff, Kristopher Grant, Emma Greco, Jordan Green, Dylan Green, Eric Greening, Gregory Grewal, Anjuman Gunnarson, Dustin Gunnarson, Kayla Gysen, Aaryn Hajjar, Adam Hall, Lauren Hambleton, Nathan Hansen, Casey Hardy, Aidan Harris, Shayna Harvey, Andrea Hauptman, Joshua Heathcote, Kiara Hertz, Erica Hodge, Kristin Holik, Joshua Holmes, Stephanie Hooke, Nicole Humble, Jolene Humphreys, Haley Hunt-Dochuk, Jessica Hurlburt, Joel Ingram, Morgan Irwin, Calvin Iskander, Abram Iwanyshyn, Brandon Jackson, Steven Jacob, Krystin James, Brandon Jennings, Brandon Johnson, Cody Johnson, Kaitlyn Johnson, Shelby

Johnson, Thomas Johnston, Shannon Joly, Sarah Kabat, Joshua Kalyn, Alyssa Kamins, Colby Kamminga, Caitlin Karbonik, Katelin Kay, Jennifer Klemmer, Jamie Kniel, Cameron Knoblauch, Gregory Koen, Brady Krissa, Jarrett Kuehn, Heather Kushlyk, Kristan Kushneryk, Jesse Kutryk, Terri LaBas, Andrea Lafleur, Dawson Laforest, Harrison Laurent, Savannah Lavoie, Jakob LeBlanc, Connor LeBlanc, Steven Lee, Doeun Lendzion, Charlotte Leonard, Allison Lesenko, Breanna Lillie, James Lindsay, Shannon Lintick, Kaylynne Livingstone, Kelly Ljuden, Heather Lobreau, Andrew Long, Joanna Ludwig, Caralyn Lutas, Zoraa Lutz, Hailey MacEachern, Carly Macuch, Blair Malbeuf, Amanda Malchuk, Gregory Malmberg, Samuel Mann, Karli Margetson, Justin Martin, Daniel Maslovskyy, Maksym McCaffrey, Courtney McDonald, Benjamin McGugan, Brent McKay, Peter

Class of

McNiven, Mallory McPherson, Katie Mentanko, Blake Meyn, Jessie-Lee Miller, Cody Miller, Phoenix Mirecki, Nicole Mitchell, Emily Mitchell, Jennifer Mitchell, Nathan Mochid, Miranda Molyneaux, Ryan Monai, Jeremy Moorhouse, Hayley Morrow, David Mullenix, Tucker Murphy, David Mustaklem, Rachel Nash, Cassara Needham-Pinette, Britni Newman, Chelsee Newton, Riley Nicholls, Kevin Nielsen, Nicole Nilsson, Thor Noel, Shaquille Officer, Elaine Oliva, Jamie-Lee Olson, Brooklyn Orriss, Dylan Oudenaarden, Nicole Ouimet, Raquelle Pannebaker, Shannon Paquette, Rachel Parayko, Kyra Paré, Kathleen Parratt, Morghan Pasalic, Braden Passek, Aaron Payne, Adelle Pharis, Laurenne Phelps, Emma Phillips, Daniel Pichota, Braydon Piercey, Zachary Plomp, Graham Posty, Jordan Price, Adam Prokop, Landon Pucci, Brandon Raheem, Reza Rahemtulla, Kahir

Randall, David Rawlick, Robert Rayburn, Madisen Rea, Kirsten Rekken, Mark Ribey, Tiffany Riehl, Cole Rock, Jeffrey Roebuck, Rachel Roeleveld, Michael Rogers, Emily Rose, Stephanie Roszell, Darren Rowse, James Rundell, Jared Ryks, Mark Sala, Samantha Samadi, Ideen Sandberg, Leah Sasseville, Robert Saunders, Jillian Savitzski, Christopher Schacher, Joshua Schmidt, Marc Schneider, Marisa Seddon, Ian Semeniuk, Darren Sestito, Matteo Sharpe, Katrina Shewchuk, Graeme Shirton, Daniel Simmonds, Nicole Sloboda, Zachary Smith, Andrew Spachynski, Aleksander Spencer, Jasmine Spring, Matthew Stadnyk, Hayley Stadnyk, Sasha Stehelin, Nicholas Stephen, Stephanie Stevenson, Cassidy Stewart, Jamie Stiles, Brandon Stuckey, Laura Sturgess, Adam Sutton, Hyrum Svenson, Jake Szo, Courtney Szutarski, Brittney Taef, Nahmmy Taylor, Jake

Thomas, Chloe Tkachyk, Megan Tosto, Isabella Trusty, Devon Tymafichuk, Kyeler Tymko, Jill Valji, Sarah VanDorp, Jonathan Van Norman, Kodi van Ouwerkerk, Cassie Vickers, Melissa Voigt, Hanna Wagener, Brendan Wardell, Jordan Watts, Joel Weber, Chantelle Weihmann, Michael Weiler, Carly Werre, Nolan Wheeler, Monique Wiggins, Samantha Wilkie, Joshua Williams, Colton Williams, Samantha Wilson, Joel Wise, Tyler Wolfleg, Alisa Wolosyn, Kennedie Woolley, Melissa Rae Worthington, Kathleen Wright, Nicole Yakabuski, Taylor Yardley, Evan Yaremko, Jordan Yee, Meredith Zahacy, Reece Zarft, Nicholas Zimmerman, Landon Bilingual Certificates Adam, Brianna Anderson, Des Anselmo, Alyssa Boyd, Andrew Brooks, Chelsea Buffam, Julia Butler, Katelyn Carmichael, Olivia Cherfan, Gabrielle Chmait, Nader Clark, Morgan Coghlan, Neil

Corazza, Massimiliano Despins, William Desrochers, Dylan Doughty, Mackenzie Duguay, Laura Ellingson, Cameron Espinoza, Meghan Fleming, Sarah Glover, Chaisi Gradidge, Matthew Greco, Jordan Hambleton, Nathan Harris, Shayna Holmes, Stephanie Irwin, Calvin Joly, Sarah Kamminga, Caitlin Karbonik, Katelin Kushlyk, Kristan Lafleur, Dawson Lavoie, Jakob Lesenko, Breanna Lindsay, Shannon Livingstone, Kelly Malmberg, Samuel Mitchell, Emily Mitchell, Nathan Molyneaux, Ryan Newton, Riley Ouimet, Raquelle Pannebaker, Shannon Parratt, Morghan Pasalic, Braden Passek, Aaron Payne, Adelle Pharis, Laurenne Piercey, Zachary Raheem, Reza Rawlik, Robert Roszell, Darren Saunders, Jillian Schmidt, Marc Sharpe, Katrina Spencer, Jasmine Stehelin, Nicholas Taef, Nahmmy Tosto, Isabelle Valji, Sarah Watts, Joel Wilson, Joel Worthington, Kathleen Yee, Meredith

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Congratulations Class of 2012

BELLEROSE HIGH SCHOOL

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St. Albert Protestant Schools

Congratulations to each of our 2012 graduates!

From the Board of Trustees and administration of St. Albert Protestant Schools District Administration Office 60 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue

780-460-3712

www.spschools.org

Congratulations Class of 2012

BELLEROSE HIGH SCHOOL Portia Adams Dale Albert Katie Allen Mathew Allen Celine Almond Colin Amyotte Britt Anderson Shilah Anderton Zachary Andres Josh Armstrong Paige Armstrong Sarah Atkins Braden Attrill Kimberley Barnaschone Matthew Barry Sean Barton Adrian Battiston Jesse Baxter Shannon Baxter Thomas Bell Kayla Bender Sean Bennett Zachary Birch Andrew Blackburn Connor Blackburn Nicole Block Robert Blunden Emma Boisselle Zachary Boras Haydn Borlase Tyler Bosso Joel Boucher Nicole Boulianne Shane Brady Austin Braithwaite Carly Brenton Christopher Brett Alyssa Brewer Bobi-Sue Broadbent Samantha Bruns Rachel Bryant Matthew Burley Graham Buttar Amey Caig Robyn Campbell Gabrielle Cariou Matthew Chaney Alexandra Cheney Aaron Chichak Devon Christenson Jared Christenson Kemal Ciplak James Comeau

Chelsea Cote Samantha Dacyshyn Cody Dickson Franceska Dnestrianschii Josie Drozdowski Amanda Dunnigan Kyle Duperron Cazandra Egan-Martinez Thomas Ellis Samantha Evans Dean Fairall Elise Farand Conor Feehan Scott Firby Kyle Firth Steven Fithen Keenan Fitzpatrick Madison Fontaine Riannon Frank-Taylor Sabrina Gannon Anita Gennaro Kathryn George Tanner Gettis David Gigena-Kazimierczak Ashley Gillett Michaela Goodman Danielle Granoski Cathy Grant Sophie Gray Jed Groenenboom Nathaniel Gros Ventre Boy Cory Gulaga Ashley Gurke Sun Doo Ha Emily Haines Benjamin Hale Aisha Hameed Alyssa Hartmetz Jordan Harvey Ashley Hebner Alyson Heimbecker Kren Henderson Brandon Heniuk Brandon Hoffman Deanna Hoffman Miranda Holmes Kenzie Hopkins-Hau Ian Horne Samantha Houk Kaylen Houle Sabrina Houle Daniel Huellstrung Haylee Huisintveld

Anisah Hussain Karlen Hutlet Sarah Hutton Daniel Jankovic Cynthia Johnson Kent Jones Lucas Josok Dylan Joy Daniel Keenan Alana Kehoe Musa Khan Erin Kirchner Abigail Kozma Jerrica Kress Meghan Kristan Austin Kruk Chelsea Kudryk Kyler Kutash Chris LaBuick Bradley LaJeunesse William Lamb Nicole Langford Kathryn LePan Brady Liske Alexander Los Duncan Lotoski Stephanie Lunsford Tyler MacAdam Connor MacCallum Katelyn MacLeod Miranda Maione Curtis Malainey Avery Martin Elizabeth Martinson Vanessa Mastervick Graeme Matichuk Gregory Mayes Kaitlin McDonald Keltie McDonald Kyle McDonald Thomas McDougall Andrew McDowell Ryan McGale Joshua McGann Megan McKenna Liam McLennan Egan McNamara Jake Mentz Trent Merrick Michelle Meunier Samantha Mickelsen Bethany Miller Emily Moloney

Daya Montakhebi Ryan Moore Katelyn Moorhouse Brandon Moulds Danika Mowatt Mitch Murray Brody Nagtegaal Taylor Neufeld Stephanie Nichol Mitch Nicholas Kristy Nuthall Giandrey Nutting Adam O’Hara-Zahorodney Lauren O’Kell Kieran Olenick Bethany Olivier April Olsen Kerri O’Neill Dylon Opalinsky Tyson Opalinsky Kelsea O’Reilly Erich Parenteau Davis Pearson Jacob Peckover Keith Penner Kara-Leigh Perry Connor Petrie Jillian Pineau Scott Piper Andrew Piven Christina Powell Christian Prosko Ryan Proulx Jeremy Puffer Adya Qaderi Danielle Rahel Ryley Reith Benjamin Rennie Emily Riehl Kelsey Robichaud Tanner Russell Michael Sadoway Brent Sagert Bayonne Said Nicole Sawchyn Tyler Schulte Caleb Schuman Katie Seal Dillon Shafer Brittney Sharawara Thomas Sharkey Marlo Shaw Jesse Siewert

Ryan Siffledeen Stewart Simmers Laura Simonsmeier Hayden Sinclair Ryan Skoreyko Kelsey Smith Chris Stachniak Alexandra Stanley Dominica Staszczyk Vance Steblyk Dugald Steele Meagan Stenner Amye Steven Sasha Stone Brock Sturtevant Thomas Swischook Danielle Tardi Connor Taylor Jacob Taylor Meghan Thompson Nicole Thorsley Rob Tingley Sarah Trithart Danielle Umbach Sarah Upfold Jordan Valan Allan Valentine Lucas Vallevand Jayden Van Leeuwen Mark Vaxvick Kristi Veenbaas Jordann Vendramin McKenna Vickers Marc Waddingham Kathryn Walker Amy Wanchulak Mikaila Wardrobe Matthew Webb Owen Weir Austin White Taran Wickstrom Daniel Wilhelm Audra Williams Eric Wilson Laura Wilson Kayla Wiseman Aimee Wright Erika Wright Jenna Wyatt Alexia Yahn Kent Zutz

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Congratulations to the 2012 Grads Edmonton - St. Albert

Brent Rathgeber, Q.C., M.P.

780.459.0809

Brent.Rathgeber.C1@parl.gc.ca

Visit us at www.brentrathgeber.ca

Congratulations Class of 2012 400 Campbell Road St. Albert, Alberta t. 780.418.6088

Don’t give up on your ﬁtness during summer! It can be really hard to motivate yourself to get your workout in while it’s warm outside. Fitness programs are a great way to keep in shape this summer. Register for one today!

TRX cardio circuit

5 S.T.A.R.R

spin express

wednesdays, july 4 – july 28 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm cost: $48.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . code: 17003

saturdays, july 7 – august 25 (no class august 4) 9:00 – 10:30 am cost: $88.00 (7 classes). . . . . . . . .code: 16968

tuesdays, july 3 – july 31 | 5:45 – 6:30 am cost: $30.00 (5 classes) . . . . . . . .code: 16993

wednesdays, august 1 – august 22 6:00 – 7:00 pm cost: $48.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . code: 17004

Zumba® tuesdays, july 3 – july 31 | noon – 1:00 pm cost: $50.00 (5 classes) . . . . . . . code: 17006 wednesdays, july 4 – july 25 | 8:30 – 9:30 pm cost: $40.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 17107 saturdays, july 7 – july 28 | 10:45 – 11:45 am cost: $40.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 17109 tuesdays, august 7 – august 21 noon – 1:00 pm cost: $30.00 (3 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 17108 wednesdays, august 1 – august 22 8:30 – 9:30 pm cost: $40.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . code: 17007

Zumba® toning mondays, july 2 – july 30 | 7:30 - 8:30 pm cost: $50.00 (5 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 17110

registered spin

thursdays, july 5 – july 26 5:45 – 6:30 am cost: $24.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 16991

tuesdays, july 3 – july 31 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm cost: $40.00 (5 classes) . . . . . . . .code: 16983

tuesdays, august 7 - august 21 | 5:45 – 6:30 am cost: $18.00 (3 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 16994

tuesdays, august 7 - august 21 6:00 – 7:00 pm cost: $24.00 (3 classes). . . . . . . . code: 16984

thursdays, august 2 – august 23 | 5:45 – 6:30 am cost: $24.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . .code: 16992

spin and soul wednesdays, july 4 – august 22 | 6:00 – 7:30 pm cost: $112.00 (8 classes) . . . . . . . .code: 17308

spin–ESIS tuesdays, july 3 – july 24 | 7:30 – 9:00 pm cost: $52.00 (4 classes). . . . . . . . . code: 17217 thursdays, july 5 – july 26 | 7:30 – 9:00 pm cost: $52.00 (4 classes). . . . . . . . . code: 17216 tuesdays, july 31 – august 21 | 7:30 – 9:00 pm cost: $52.00 (4 classes). . . . . . . . . code: 17219 thursdays, august 2 – august 23 | 7:30 – 9:00 pm cost: $52.00 (4 classes). . . . . . . . . code: 17374

straddle and swing tuesdays, july 3 – august 21 | 9:15 – 10:45 am cost: $110.00 (8 classes) . . . . . . . . code: 18142

the long hard ride wednesdays, july 4 – july 25 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm cost: $48.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . code: 16996 wednesdays, august 1 – august 22 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm cost: $48.00 (4 classes) . . . . . . . .code: 16997

Thursday, June 21, 2012

St. Albert Protestant Schools

Kindergarten Registration When you register your children with St. Albert Protestant Schools, you’ll start them on a path of adventure, learning and creativity that will last a lifetime. Opportunities in academics, sports, fine and performing arts, community service projects, extracurricular activities and more await your children at our schools.

Half and full-day programs available

MORE CHOICE THAN EVER! Our district now offers your family more options for Kindergarten programming than ever before. Select from our English, French Immersion, Logos Christian Education or Cogito programs for your child – each prepares students for Grade 1 and provides the foundation for success. And our district now offers three scheduling options – choose the one that best suits your family’s lifestyle! • Regular half-day Kindergarten – offered by all of our elementary schools • Alternate full-day Kindergarten – students attend Kindergarten for the full school day on alternating days • Full-day, every-day Kindergarten – students attend school on the same schedule every day as the other elementary grades. This option provides twice as many hours of instruction as the regular Kindergarten program. (Please note: as Alberta Education funds only the regular program, families must pay extra for the full-day, every-day option.) Free yellow bus service is provided to eligible Kindergarten children.

To find out more, please contact our principals: Elmer S. Gish

Leo Nickerson

Robert Rundle

780-459-7766

780-459-4426

780-459-4475

Principal: Duncan Knoll 75 Akins Dr esgjh.spschools.org Half and full-day,every-day English and Cogito

Keenooshayo

Principal: Michael Erickson 40 Woodlands Rd

Principal: Kevin Jones 10 Sycamore Ave lnem.spschools.org Half and full-day, every-day English, French Immersion and Logos; alternating full-day French Immersion

Muriel Martin

780-459-3114

Principal: Peggy Bergmann 110 Deer Ridge Dr

Half and alternating full-day English

mmem.spschools.org

keem.spschools.org

780-458-0205

Half-day English and French Immersion

District Administration Office 60 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue

780-460-3712 www.spschools.org MPSSCS4251157MPSE

Sir Alexander Mackenzie

Principal: John Osgood 50A Grosvenor Blvd

Principal: John Strembitsky 61 Sir Winston Churchill Ave

rrem.spschools.org

www.samem.spschools.org

780-459-4467

Half and full-day, every-day English

Half-day English

Ronald Harvey

Wild Rose

780-459-5541

780-460-3737

Principal: Janet Tripp 15 Langley Ave

rhem.spschools.org Half and full-day, every-day English

Principal: Les Kirchner 58 Grenfell Ave wrem.spschools.org Half-day English

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Council votes down LRT study

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Another attempt to get a light rail transit study going for St. Albert was derailed on Monday evening. That’s when city councillors narrowly voted down a motion from Coun. Len Bracko that would have earmarked $534,000 for an LRT functional alignment study to determine a route from the proposed south transit parkand-ride station to the north end of St. Albert. The study would have been paid for using $278,000 that is currently in the City’s LRT resrve account, as well as $256,000 that is expected to be deposited in the account over the next three years. The City currently charges an LRT levy on property tax bills of $1 per $100,000 of assessed value. The vote was 4-3 against the motion, with Bracko, Coun. Wes Brodhead and Coun. Cathy Heron voting in favour. Bracko said that the time to get the ball rolling on the study is now, as the consulting firm had only guaranteed the $534,000 price tag to the end of 2012. “Things keep going up in price. In

many municipalities, things are coming back over budget. The price will only go up if we don’t take advantage of this,” he said. “... It’s looking at the big picture for St. Albert, where we want to be in 25 years.” Brodhead said that, although LRT may still be a long way off, he agreed the time to do the study is now. “The opportunities are as ripe today as they’ll ever be,” he said. “What is unique to me in terms of this particular motion is that we’re taking dollars that are associated specifically with LRT and using it for LRT purposes.” Though Heron voted in favour of the motion, she had some trepidation over spending money the City had yet to collect. “We need to let people know we are committed [to LRT], but I don’t like the fancy financing to get this done,” she said. Those who voted against the motion, though, felt the study would be a little premature. “If we undertake and get a plan done now and then the construction of this LRT extension from the south part of St. Albert to the north doesn’t take place for another 20 to 30 years, the first thing that’s going to happen

is we’re going to have to take the plan off the shelf, dust it off and update it. And that’s going to be a cost,” Coun. Malcolm Parker said. Coun. Cam MacKay also felt that getting the LRT to St. Albert’s doorstep is low on the list of priorities for the City of Edmonton. “I can’t see the provincial government putting the $1 billion ... to a community of [60,000] people to go right to the north to service another 5,000 or 10,000 residents there when they could be going to West Edmonton Mall or anywhere in Edmonton,” he said. Coun. Roger Lemieux added that, from a business perspective, the LRT may wind up costing the City money. “Does this promote people to bypass St. Albert?” he asked. “I have this feeling that it does. We’re going to put a station in the north and it’s going to shoot them into Edmonton. I don’t know the answer and, with this motion, it’s going to cost us $500,000 to find out the answer.” Mayor Nolan Crouse said he was “almost ready to vote yes” on the matter, but felt the bigger issue at the moment is securing provincial GreenTRIP funding for the transit park-and-ride station on the south end of the city.

Got the beat

Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

Graeme Peppink of the St. Albert Community Band plays on St. Anne Street Saturday as part of the first farmers’ market of the season.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

Boonstock ready to ROCK GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

The fields just north of St. Albert are set to rock once again. The Boonstock music festival returns to a field just outside Gibbons for the eighth year on the Canada Day long weekend, this year boasting a stellar lineup of both rock and electronic artists including Billy Talent, Korn, Buckcherry, Avicii, Kaskade and the Crystal Method. Festival CEO Colin Kobza said that, when he started the festival in 2005, he never imagined it would get to where it is today. “I think we’ve grown in the right steps. There’s no way we would have been been able to bring in these kinds of international DJs and bands in the first year,” he said. “You’ve got to take the proper steps, and I think Boonstock Productions has made those changes and adapted to bringing in these artists. You always dream big; I was hoping to get here someday.” Tickets were about 80 per cent sold out as of last week, he added, but Kobza is confident the festival will sell out. “We’re really seeing a strong presence of people buying tickets from Saskatchewan and B.C., and northern Alberta. It’s really nice to

see,” he said. Part of that confidence comes from the stellar lineup. “We really went after some larger international acts, and bringing these type of acts in, you’re taking your festival to a whole other level,” Kobza said. Mixing rock and electronic acts is a delicate balance, he added, but that’s what the patrons want, so he abides. “There’s so much crossover in music today. You’re not just a rock fan or an electronic fan; you’ll hear mashups with rock acts including their stuff with electronic,” Kobza said. “Today, there’s so much crossover, it’s not out of the norm to hear [the two genres together].” While the headliners have continued to grow in profile, Boonstock continues to commit to having local indie bands share the stage with them. This year’s festival features Edmonton-area bands and artists like Danni Jean, Dusty Grooves, Vibe Tribe and the Soulicitors. “We’re still super-excited to keep the indie acts involved with Boonstock,” Kobza said. Those who have attended the festival in the past and camped onsite might notice a few changes this year. Kobza said that, once

campers are in and parked, they won’t be allowed to move until the festival is over. “We just want to eliminate all the vehicle traffic in the campsite, just to keep it safe for our patrons,” he said. For those who don’t feel like roughing it, though, or need to make a trip back into the city, Boonstock is offering a shuttle to Edmonton, arriving at and leaving from the festival’s head office near Rexall Place. Boonstock is also bringing back carnival rides from Sustainival, which run on vegetable oil, adding stages and expanding their food offerings. Kobza is thankful for the co-operation of Sturgeon County as the festival has grown. “Sturgeon County is very supportive of Boonstock, and I thank those guys very much,” he said. “They work with us very closely, and it’s nice to be in a county that supports an event like Boonstock.” For more information on the lineup or tickets, visit www. boonstock.ca.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Canadian rockers Billy Talent are just one of the big name acts at the 2012 edition of Boonstock, outside Gibbons.

SAPL reading games kick off next week

The art of selling Photo: gleNN cook, St. Albert leader

Art Gallery of St. Albert assistant Alexandra DesCoates marks a piece of art as sold during the gallery’s Square One fundraiser on Saturday evening.

A summer favourite for young and old — and even those in between — returns next week at the St. Albert Public Library. The library’s annual Summer Reading Games kick off on Thursday, June 28, with separate activities aimed at preschoolers, Grades 1 to 6, teens and adults. Kids in Grades 1 to 6 will get to participate in Myth-O-Mania this year, where their reading skills will help them become heroes as battle creatures from ancient mythology. For preschoolers from ages three to six, the library has set up The Pixie Patch, where Nigel the Gnome has made a big mess of everything and young readers can help put everything back in order. Once again, teens can play READO, both online and in person at the library. And for adults, it’s the Rock and Read game, where readers can spin the big wheel to discover a new genre and enter to win weekly prizes. The reading games run until Aug. 21. — GLENN COOK

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Home of the Brave Brave director Brenda Chapman, who based it on the tempestuous relationship she had with her own teenaged daughter. That notion “Welcome to Scotland!” John Lasseter morphed into a medieval fantasy revolving says in a booming voice that matches his around a teenaged heroine who rebels against enthusiasm for Pixar Animation Studios’ new her mother, a Scottish queen. Chapman was film, Brave. “Isn’t this fantastic?” eventually replaced by co-director Mark Lasseter, the creative heart of Pixar and the Andrews, although Chapman’s name remains man who runs the animation departments at in the credits. both Pixar and Disney, is This is a groundwearing a Hawaiian shirt, breaking film for the as always. But no kilt. “A upstart studio which guy was willing to make revolutionized the art me a kilt out of Hawaiian of digital animation by shirt material,” Lasseter creating Toy Story in 1995. confesses when I tease him Pixar was so successful about the possibility of that Disney swallowed John Lasseter giving his signature look a the company up in what Disney/Pixar Scottish twist. But he soon turned into a complex, realized it would look more multi-billion dollar merger like the billowing moo moo his grandmother in 2006. Brave, with its medieval setting and used to wear. Argh! Lasseter switched tactics, magical adventure, is Pixar’s first fairytale. It leaning towards tradition. is also the first Pixar feature to revolve around “So we did a special tartan. They’re a feminine protagonist. “It’s our first period registering the official tartan for the family in film, too, because it’s set in an historical time,” Brave — the DunBroch family.” Lasseter says. “The Incredibles was quasiDespite the honour of getting an officially period. It had a mid-century modern feel to recognized tartan, the DunBrochs are part of it, whereas everything else has been fairly a fictional clan in this Scottish fairytale story. contemporary.” But they are at the heart of it all. The madeMeanwhile, for the first time in 25 years, up saga originated seven years with original Pixar also launched an entirely fresh operating

BRUCE KIRKLAND Sun Media News Services

“I’m always looking for what’s different.”

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Brave’s Princess Merida, voiced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, is the first female protagonist in a Pixar movie.

system for its digital animation computers. Artistically and technically, Lasseter says, Brave is a new beginning. “I’m always looking for what’s different,” he says. “Part of it is to challenge ourselves, you know, so it’s just something fun, something we’ve never done before. Seven years ago, when we started on this project, I was noticing that the animations studios all around the world — especially in Hollywood — were kind of turning their backs on the sincere fairytale. Everyone in Hollywood especially became very, very cynical, making fun of everything. And I’m not like that. Pixar’s not like that. So I got very excited: ‘Well, if nobody else is going to do a fairytale, that’s something different for us — a Pixar fairytale.’” Brave tells the story of a tomboy princess named Merida (the voice of Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald). She is the rebel who resists the marriage plans concocted by her stern if loving mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). She has more in common with her wild warrior father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), who admires the girl’s spunk, spirit and ability as an archer. When Merida encounters a forest witch and asks for a spell to transform her mother, things go terribly wrong. Despite a trailer that makes it seem like just a cartoon comedy, Brave is a rousing blend of adventure, fantasy, humour and real pathos. “I felt really lucky to be Scottish,”

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Macdonald says of her heritage. While best known for American projects — the Coen Brothers’ masterpiece No Country for Old Men and the HBO series Boardwalk Empire — Macdonald was born in Glasgow 36 years ago. “If it had been an American story, you think of all the American actresses who would have been vying for the role. There are a lot of Scottish actresses but they’re aren’t as many, so I think I lucked out.” Macdonald was “the last piece in the puzzle,” the final actor cast. The Scottish flavour of the story helped her out. “I can relax in a certain way when it’s my own accent,” Macdonald says. “It takes the pressure off.” While animation voice work for animation was still daunting — Macdonald is a firsttimer — finding the voice was easy. “I think I was able to flip into my teenage self again,” she says with a grin, “which is kind of horrifying!” The character of Princess Merida is unlike any of the Disney princesses, Macdonald says. “I was joking that, when there is a Merida at Disneyland (for one of the famous parades), I hope she is at the back of the line of princesses dragging herself along, rolling her eyes, and wanting to be somewhere else!” That is part of Merida’s appeal: She is not waiting for her prince to sweep her off her feet. She has her own adventures. Macdonald herself idolized the real-life character of Calamity Jane when growing up in Scotland. The famous American was a flamboyant character from the Old West — and the focus of several movies herself, including a Hollywood musical. As a child, Macdonald dressed up like her on Halloween. Now she sees a parallel to Merida in Brave, although the cartoon character is beautiful and dramatic, with her head of fiery red hair. Calamity Jane was homely and unkempt. “They’re quite similar,” Macdonald says of their spirit of adventure. “And they’re not like me. I’m not an outdoorsy person or a tomboy. But, yeah, that’s what appealed to me when I was younger. I would go out and pretend to be on a horse all the time. I knew all the lines (from the Hollywood musical) and I would act it out to myself.” Decades later, her childhood obsession has worked itself into something magical, a Pixar fairytale with a chance to be a huge hit. “I think it’s a privilege,” Macdonald says. “Somebody else has done all the hard work and I get to do the cool girl in the film!”

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Smashing Pumpkins bounce back DARRYL STERDAN Sun Media News Services

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins are back with a new album, his most inspired work in years.

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Q: How big a role did the challenges of the past few years play in Oceania? A: I don’t think this album could have happened without the events and risks of the last couple of years ... I needed to figure out that the things I was used to having weren’t there any more.

“If I’m going to run my mouth ... then I need to prove it.” Billy Corgan Smashing Pumpkins

Q: Lyrically, there’s a lot of joy on this album. Seems a change from the darkness people expect. What happened? A: It wasn’t like I was living the rock-star dream — there was plenty of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, but it was mostly uneventful. Eventually, I learned I can’t do this if I don’t take care of my health and my real life.

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Q: You have a rep for being impossible to work with. Has that been true at any point? A: It’s probably somewhere in between. I have a vision. I’ve never been shy about sticking my foot in it. Me playing most of the parts on the Pumpkins records feeds into that, but I was also in a band with people who couldn’t play well ... I’d rather have people think I’m crazy. You can think whatever you want about me, but I’m still getting it done. So tell everyone I’m impossible. I love it!

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Q: I’m sure you’re sick of being asked: Why call this band The Smashing Pumpkins? A: Actually, I want this discussion. I don’t have a problem with it. I believe in the concept of The Smashing Pumpkins. I always have. And continuing on without Jimmy (Chamberlin) and James (Iha) and D’arcy (Wretzky), you know you’re going to get s---. That was no surprise. Because if I’m going to run my mouth and say, ‘I did a lot more than you think,’ then I need to prove it. So why not just take the whole thing on all at once? Why d--- around trying to build another band name and then have people show up and want to hear old songs?

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In 2009, The Smashing Pumpkins hit the wall. Again. Four years after reforming his revered ’90s alt-rock outfit with a new lineup and returning to the road, founding frontman Billy Corgan suddenly found himself facing a problem common to artists of his vintage: He had become yesterday’s news. “We were on tour and I saw that the band was having literally no impact,” the chrome-domed singerguitarist recalls in his unmistakable nasal tones. “I’m looking out at these crowds and I don’t see a flicker of recognition, even when we play the old songs. ... And because I’m a bit of an emotional extremist, I decided that we either had to figure out how to get back to a place where people are going to be motivated, or we needed to get out.” Two-plus years later, the 45-yearold musician and reputed control freak has bounced back big-time. Available Tuesday, the ninth Pumpkins album Oceania is his most inspired work in years. After figuring out how to dial Canada from his Chicago home, the emotional extremist discussed

motivation, his difficult rep and keeping the Pumpkins name. Some excerpts:

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

LIFESTYLE

Fixing fallout from Fathers’ Day THIEN HUYNH St. Albert Leader

You could paint some rocks and give them to your mom for Mother’s Day and she’ll sigh as if she had just received the most thoughtful gift in the world. On the other hand, the only way your dad would have gotten choked up this past Father’s Day is if you absent-mindedly got him yet another tie. Here are some post-Father’s Day gift ideas and gadgets — to make amends for giving him presents he’ll probably never use (Anchormaninspired Panther Cologne) and gifts he’s probably afraid to use (bath salts). Just in time: TIMEX Intelligent Quartz Tide Temp Compass watch Price: $240 Where to buy: timex.ca Fine watches to men are like Manolo Blahniks to women – it’s not ridiculous to have a collection of them to wear every day of the week. Time after time, a quality watch can be counted on to bring a smile to dad’s face, especially if it looks sporty and comes with a multitude of special functions. The new TIMEX Intelligent Quartz Tide Temp Compass watch will make your dad feel like the James Bond of the outdoors. The stainless steel watch features temperature sensor technology, a compass (because dad never asks for directions), and a very cool Indiglo

nightlight that illuminates the entire face of the watch as if it were a mini moon. Gift tip: If you are a teenager, set the watch 10-20 minutes later before gifting it to your dad. That way, papa won’t preach if you break curfew and get caught sneaking into the house late. Back to the retro future: Crosley AV Room Portable USB Turntable Price: $160 Where to buy: urbanoutfitters.com Hey kids, those round flat things in your dad’s basement are called “records.” They aren’t just used for DJs to scratch either. Many dads used to meticulously collect these and sing along to them in his room while playing air guitar. You can’t buy your Dad a time-travelling DeLorean, but at least you can let him reminisce about the records of his youth while still enjoying the sound quality of modern-day technology. The Crosley AV Room Portable USB Turntable is able to convert dad’s favourite old dusty records into portable MP3 songs. The turntable comes with easy-to-use software (Mac and PC compatible) that connects to decks and MP3 players. It also boasts built-in full-range stereo speakers and a retro wood design.

This turntable is arguably one of the coolest gifts for oldschool music lovers — until Apple comes up with a father’s version of its iPad: the iDad. Picture perfect: EPSON Perfection V330 Photo Scanner Price: $124.99 Where to buy: epson.ca If Dad has boxes of old photos or negatives, the EPSON Perfection V330 photo scanner is the perfect gift for him. He can scan photos, 35mm film, documents and even oversized artwork with incredible clarity and detail. With EPSON’s Advanced Digital Dust Correction, he can even remove the appearance of dust from old yearbooks, film and photos. Just make sure mom isn’t around when he’s rummaging around in the basement, going through old boxes labelled “My Little Black Book Vol. 3 1979 Edition.” Having a ball: Special Edition Blue Balls by Buckyballs Price: $39.95 (for 216 blue balls) Where to buy: getbuckyballs.com This summer, give your dad the gift of blue balls by Buckyballs. The limitededition magnetic balls can be can be shaped, molded, torn apart and snapped together in unlimited ways. Each Buckyball cube contains 216 powerful Rare Earth magnets. Your dad can keep them at his desk to use as a stress reliever or simply shift them around for fun. Either way, he’ll have his hands full with these blue balls.

Web habits may be signs of depression SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Watching a lot of videos, checking e-mail compulsively and switching frequently between applications are all signs of depression amongst Internet users, new research suggests. The study looked at the web-surfing habits and depression levels of 216 undergraduate students at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. It gauged the participants’ mental health by having students fill out a questionnaire widely used to measure depression levels. They compared that to Internet usage data collected by the university’s information technology department. “This didn’t mean snooping on what the students were looking at or whom they were e-mailing; it merely meant monitoring how they were using the Internet -- information about traffic flow that the university customarily collects for troubleshooting network connections and such,” researchers Sriram Chellappan and Raghavendra Kotikalpudi wrote in a New York Times article discussing their work. They found depressed students were more likely to check e-mail frequently. “This perhaps was to be expected: research by the psychologists Janet Morahan-Martin and Phyllis Schumacher has shown that frequent checking of e-mail may relate to high levels of anxiety, which itself correlates with depressive symptoms,” the study’s authors wrote. They also tended to switch more frequently between Internet applications, like chat, e-mail and games.

GAMES LEGACY FUNDS The St Albert 2011 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games Society is now accepting applications for Games Legacy Funds If you are a St Albert based individual, non-profit organization or recreational facility that deals in recreation, seniors, community, or cultural programming, you may be eligible to receive Games Legacy Funds In a written letter, no more than two pages, please indicate how you or your group meets the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Applicant is resident in St Albert Purpose of organization/facility in St Albert and the role you/it plays in the community Applicant’s involvement in the 2011 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games Amount of funds requested Proposed use of funds Description of how the funds would contribute to a legacy in our community

Please forward your application by June 30, 2012 to: Sandra Fenton, Chair St Albert 2011 Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games c/o Community Protective Services City of St Albert, 5 Anne Street, St Albert, AB T8N 2S7 Or email to chair55plusgames@gmail.com MPSSCS4251181MPSE

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Movie slacker dads only serve to motivate Metro Creative Services photo

ROSEMARY COUNTER Sun Media News Services

Adam Sandler plays Andy Samberg’s dad in the new movie That’s My Boy — not to be confused with his movies Big Daddy or Grown Ups. Sandler plays the “world’s worst dad.” Before hitting a big bong: “I don’t wanna do that in front of my kid! Turn around for a minute.” Competition for world’s worst dad is fierce. Another recent movie, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, has a whole walking group of them. “Stuff just happens, okay? Last week, my kid ate a cigarette!” says one. “I picked up the wrong baby from daycare,” confesses another. “No judgment!” they declare, with high-fives. “They should have come to me for that movie!” says Thomas Hill, sitcom developer and author of What to Expect When Your Wife is Expanding (yup, you read that right). “It’s part-parody and partfather’s perspective on having a baby,” he says.

Hill should know what to expect by now — he’s got six kids. “One in law school and one in diapers,” he laughs. The baby is just eight months old. “People always ask how I’m sleeping. And you know what? I’m sleeping fine.” All jokes aside, Hill’s no slacker (“at least not in the procreation department!” Another joke). Like in the sitcoms he creates, lazy dads are usually a persona that sells. “Somewhere around the ’50s and ’60s, the stern authority dad became someone to rebel against,” he says. The result? The slacker dad. Homer Simpson? Lovable idiot. Danny DeVito’s Frank Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Horrible but hilarious. Dexter Morgan? Murderous psychopath, but pretty good dad. (Kidding on that last one; Dexter’s no slacker!) But are a slew of lazy, incompetent dads giving the growing number of loving, helpful fathers a bad wrap? Statistics Canada says the country’s got more than eight million fathers — bio, adoptive and step-dads included — and they are helping more around the house (up 19 per cent since 1986). More today are enjoying paternity leave (up 22 per cent since 2004). Stats Canada found the number of stay-at-home dads has tripled in three decades; men now account for 12 per cent of stay-athome parents. Steve, a 31-year-old stayat-home dad in Edmonton, is no slacker. Besides caring

for three boys — ages five, three and one — he runs a freelance web design business and blogs at dadvskids.com. “I started blogging because I didn’t know any other dads in my situation,” he says. “Staying home was a big adjustment, but the blogging community has been amazing. These guys have seen it all before.” If surrounded by awesome hands-on dads, does the slacker trope offend Steve? Not a bit. “Being a dad comes with a ton of stereotypes and personally I like it that way,” says Steve. “Dads get to find their own way to parent. I don’t sweat the small stuff and the rest seems to work out fine.” Equally understanding is Kevin, a 45-year-old dad from Langley, B.C., who blogs at cosmicdad.com. “A true slacker is one whose heart isn’t into their role. And stay-at-home or not, most dads’ hearts are with their kids — they just need some onthe-job training,” he says. So while attachment Moms squabble over who’s mom enough, dads — slacker or otherwise — score a forgiving free pass. “Are all dads slackers? “Certainly not,” says Hill, “but it reflects a reality that dads don’t want to be that just-wait-til-your-father-comeshome dad anymore. They want to be silly and fun now.” Maybe Hollywood slacker dads — even Sandler, I hate to say — allow real dads to go a little easier on themselves. And though we probably won’t see moms losing their babies in grocery stores anytime soon, perhaps they might also embrace the message: “No judgment!“

Thursday, June 21, 2012

HEALTH

Epilepsy, cancer can’t stop Adams KEVIN MAIMANN Sun Media News Services

Two life-threatening illnesses could not stop Lisa Adams from obtaining her PhD. The newly minted doctor of philosophy graduated from the University of Alberta last week, capping off a journey she finished in the face of a near-fatal fight with breast cancer. “It’s the ultimate for me. It’s been a bit of a journey, with more downs than ups,” Adams said. “I’m just so excited to have come to this point in my life.” Adams was hit hard by health problems when she started nursing school in Newfoundland in 1987. After undergoing a lobectomy, which removed part of her brain in an attempt to cure her severe epilepsy, the seizures eventually came back — even worse than before. “I got asked to leave nursing school, I lost my job, and I lost my licence,” she said. Adams went to Montreal for a second lobectomy in 1993 and has been seizure-free since.

She went back to school and work, eventually completing her undergraduate and Masters Degree and going on to work in neurosurgery.

“It’s been a bit of a journey, with more downs than ups.” Lisa Adams PhD graduate “I wanted to help those patients that were going through similar experiences that I went through,” she said. After 20 years in health care, Adams chose to start her PhD program through the U of A in 2005, but she would soon face yet another life-threatening obstacle. Adams discovered a lump in her breast while en route to Edmonton for a residency in spring 2006. Local doctors diagnosed her with cancer. She went back home for chemotherapy and another full year of treatments but never

pushed her schooling aside, completing the course online via distance delivery. “When I went home, sometimes I literally just sat by myself and cried,” she said. “Because you’re always worried that something worse might happen. I had four tumours (and) two primary sites.” She fought her doubts by using her studies to overpower negative thoughts. “I think it gave me a reason, and probably made me more determined and more motivated than ever, just to say to myself, I’ll be darned if cancer is going to get the best of me,” she said. Adams now does consultant work throughout North America on workplace bullying in health care, and is in talks with a publisher about a book she wrote on mental health in the workplace. She hopes to inspire others who are facing struggles like the ones she has overcome. “Don’t get so hung up on the negativities of life. It drains your energy,” Adams said. “Just focus on the positive and doing what you wish to do.”

Readmissions cost $1.8B/yr SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – One in 12 hospital patients in Canada get readmitted within 30 days and it’s costing the health care system $1.8 billion, a new report has found. Of the 2.1 million acute in-patient hospitalizations in Canada in 2010, 181,551 patients, or 8.5 per cent, were readmitted within a month of discharge, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said in a report released Thursday. Most were readmitted for treatment of the same condition or because of an infection that developed after a procedure, said the CIHI. “Unplanned readmissions to hospital have been identified as common, costly and potentially avoidable,” said the report, which looked at groups of patients — surgical, medical, pediatric and obstetric — in an attempt to understand who returned and why. Medical patients, most often treated for heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, account for the

greatest proportion of all readmissions at 64.9 per cent, and end up back in hospital for the same condition. Pediatric patients being treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy were the ones most often readmitted. Of patients who had surgery, nearly one in 10 — more than 4,000 people — returned because of infection, as did nearly a quarter of women who had a Caesarean section. The CIHI estimates readmissions cost $1.8 billion, not including doctors’ fees for services. In three jurisdictions where emergency department information was available — Alberta, Ontario and the Yukon — nine per cent of patients admitted to emergency rooms returned within a week of being discharged, at a further cost of about $30 million. “While not all readmissions are avoidable, research suggests that between nine per cent and 59 per cent of readmissions may be prevented,” the report said.

Photo: RICHARD SIEMENS, University of Alberta

Lisa Adams hasn’t let two life-threatening diseases get in the way of earning her doctorate in philosophy.

Kidney, heart disease linked prevention.” Tonelli led a provincewide research group that looked at almost 1.3 million A University of Alberta researcher hopes patients in Alberta who have diabetes, doctors everywhere take his latest study to CKD, both, or neither. The study followed heart. patients to determine their risk of having Marcello Tonelli, an associate professor a heart attack, as well as their risk of death of nephrology at the U of A, had findings after having a heart attack. published in the medical journal The People with kidney disease were deemed Lancet Monday, showing at least as high a risk of that chronic kidney having a heart attack as disease (CKD) patients people with diabetes, but are as much at risk of more likely than diabetic coronary heart disease as patients to die from the patients who have already heart attack. had a heart attack. Tonelli said diabetic Tonelli’s study is the patients usually receive Marcello Tonelli University of Alberta first large scale, long-term medications that can study examining the prevent heart attack and connection between CKD stroke, but CKD patients and heart-attack risk. often do not. He hopes his study will “I would think of it as sort of a wake-up change that. call,” Tonelli said. Tonelli said treatments that are good for “(For) doctors and patients this is a the heart also appear to reduce the risk of simple parameter you can check that shows kidney failure. that you’re at risk. And it should be a call to Approximately 2.1 million people in receive treatments, because we know we’re Canada have kidney disease, including not doing as good a job as we should be for about 250,000 Albertans.

KEVIN MAIMANN Sun Media News Services

“I would think of it as sort of a wake-up call.”

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Prostate cancer test stirs controversy

MARILYN LINTON St. Albert Leader

Don’t tell Robb Lucy that Canadian men don’t need to bother about a PSA test. The 61-year-old Vancouver man, who is a member of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of British Columbia, calls the prostate-specific antigen test “the male mammogram.” He is one of many men who disagrees with the latest report from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, which recommends against the routine PSA screening for men of all ages. “It’s a frigging blood test,” says Lucy, somewhat emotional that a medical panel south of the border can dismiss the test that he credits for saving his life. He began having the annual blood test at age 50 and his doctor monitored it for changes. When it doubled at the 10-year mark, a followup biopsy revealed an aggressive tumour. Now treated and cancerfree, he is thankful that such a test exists for men. The recent U.S. recommendations are based on many factors including the fact that an elevated PSA reading can

signal everything from a benign enlarged prostate to infection or cancer. Because almost all men with an elevated PSA level receive some treatment, there’s the danger of complications from the followup biopsy and/or the surgery, radiation or hormonedeprivation therapy used on the prostate if the biopsy indicates cancer.

WHAT IS PSA? The PSA test is a blood test that measures the amount of prostatespecific antigen in the blood. PSA is produced by the prostate and is normally present in a man’s blood in small amounts. An elevated PSA may be due to infection, benign prostate enlargement or cancer. The PSA test for men without symptoms costs about $30; for men diagnosed with prostate cancer, the test cost is covered.

The U.S. Task Force explained to media that out of 1,000 men who are screened, only one man will not die of prostate cancer who otherwise would have. But Rebecca von Goetz, executive vice-president at Prostate Cancer Canada, says that new Canadian

statistics indicate that early detection is working. “The early detection tool is saving lives.” Not all prostate cancer doctors agree with the U.S. recommendations. Toronto’s Dr. Laurence Klotz, who treats prostate cancer patients at Sunnybrook Hospital, says the U.S. recommendation was made in part because of their tendency to over-treat. “Our position here is that to a large degree we have dealt with the over-treatment issue in Canada by managing favourable risk patients conservatively. The key to successful PSA screening is to use it properly and to treat selectively.” The U.S. has been slow to adopt what is known as the active surveillance approach, says Klotz. “In Canada, it has been widely adopted with the result that screening looks more appealing because if you are only treating the patients who have aggressive disease then the number you actually need to treat becomes much more favourable.” Active surveillance, he explains, means that although you give every man a PSA test, you treat only the most aggressive cancers

and “watch and wait” with the others. “All Canadian men should appreciate the benefits and risks and should be able to access PSA screening if they choose to have it. That’s to me a reasonable approach. No reasonable person who looks at the data would deny there is a mortality reduction. “What the Task Force did is look at the human cost in terms of quality of life and complications of treatment and said screening is not worth it. This disease is managed differently in Canada, and we think it is managed better. So we think the PSA test is still worthwhile.” Toronto’s Aaron Bacher says that many cancers do not have early warning screening systems, so the PSA test, though imperfect, still provides a red flag that communicates something may be wrong in the walnut-sized gland just below the bladder. His prostate cancer was diagnosed 13 years ago through a PSA test. “We survivors hear statistics where they say that only X number of lives were saved through screening but if you happen to be in that one per cent saved then you look at it

PROS & CONS On scientificamerican.com, guest blogger Marc B. Garnick, a prostate cancer expert and editor-in-chief of the Harvard Medical School’s Annual Report on Prostate Disease, addresses the arguments for and against the PSA test. Those against screening include: • No difference in death rates between those screened and those not screened • No evidence that low-grade prostate cancer progresses to higher grade cancers • Men in the age group of 71 to 73 (the average age of prostate cancer diagnosis) are more likely to die of other diseases. • The risk of harm from biopsy or the side effects of prostate cancer treatment

differently. We are not statistics; we are real people.” Bacher is the Toronto chairman of the Prostate Cancer Canada Network, a man-to-man support group. “Our position on routine PSA screening is that, yes, it is controversial but it is the only game in town. Until they come up with something more definitive, we have to use it.”

High heels a hazard: researcher

KEVIN MAIMANN Sun Media News Services

Photo: CODIE McLACHLAN, Sun Media News Services

Brittany Gora shows off a pair of high heels in front of a downtown Edmonton pub. Some employers require their employees to wear high heels on the job.

A local server hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of elevated footwear in the workplace. Brittany Gora, 23, recently compiled a report on high heels and workplace injuries for a class in the University of Alberta’s clothing and textiles program. She surveyed 35 female servers and 100 per cent of respondents said they had slipped, tripped or fallen in the workplace, on average more than once a week. Of the 40 per cent who were injured from falling at work, 93 per cent said they were wearing heels at the time. “There is a significant risk in terms of slipping in the workplace because of contaminants on the floor or the surfaces that we have to work on, and just having pain associated with wearing heeled shoes,” said Gora, who has served for five years. One respondent said she badly cut and bruised her legs when she fell down a flight of stairs holding a bucket of steak knives. Another had a tray of dishes fall on top of her

and sliced her leg and hand on broken plates. The vast majority, 91 per cent of respondents, said they were required by their employers to wear heels in the workplace, but none were supplied with footwear and only 23 per cent had an employer suggest safe or appropriate shoes. Some servers had employers recommend specific brands of heels that cost upwards of $100. Gora said she would like to see a change in policy in terms of what employers can make employees wear. She said all of her serving jobs have required her to wear heels, but if she had the choice, she would wear flats. “I don’t think I would wear heels. After a long shift, it’s very painful at the end of the night,” she said. Gora said if employers are going to make heels mandatory in the workplace, they should provide safe footwear or enforce thicker, lower or slip-resistant heels. The majority of respondents said they wore two- to four-inch heels at work. Survey participants ranged in age from 19 to 37 years, with work experience ranging from one to 14 years.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Quick Look

Thursday, June 21, 2012

BUSINESS

Job cuts at Nokia may top 10,000 SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Nokia plans to cut 10,000 more jobs, bringing the total to one in three staff, as it loses market share to cellphone rivals Apple and Samsung and burns through cash, raising new fears over its future. In a second profit warning in nine weeks, Nokia said last week that its phone business would post a deeper-thanexpected loss in the second quarter due to tougher competition, which it expected to continue. Once the world’s dominant mobile phone provider, Nokia was wrongfooted by the rise of smartphones and is struggling to keep up with Apple, Samsung and Google. It is also losing market share in cheaper, more basic phones. Chief executive Stephen Elop is placing hopes of a turnaround on a new range

of smartphones called Lumia, which use largely untried Microsoft Corp software. But Lumia sales have so far been slow, exasperating investors who have seen its stock crash more than 70 per cent since it announced the software switch in February 2011. “The job cuts and profit warning underline the seriousness of the challenges Nokia is facing, particularly in light of the eye-watering competition from Apple and Samsung,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight. Nokia, whose cash position is increasingly scrutinized by investors, also said restructuring-related cash outflows would be around 650 million euros in the remaining three quarters of 2012 and around 600 million in 2013. With the cost of Nokia’s

debt rising, the most bearish of analysts in a Reuters poll last month said the company could even be at risk of default if it fails to slow its cash burn. Over the past five quarters, the onetime darling of mobile telcoms has eroded its cash pile by 2.1 billion euros — a rate that would wipe out its entire reserves in a couple of years. Analysts at JP Morgan said on Thursday they expect operating losses, combined with restructuring outflows, to leave Nokia with 1.63 billion euros cash at the end of next year. “This is not a comfort zone for a company as large as Nokia,” the analysts said. Nokia’s five-year credit default swaps (CDS) were at a new all-time high of 933 basis points on Thursday according to Markit. This means it costs $933,000 annually to buy $10

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11,788.36 Photo: Sun Media News Services

Union steward Jarmo Talvitie talks to the media while Nokia employees leave after a personnel briefing in Tampere, Finland. million of protection against a Nokia default using a five-year CDS contract and implies a default probability of 55 per cent. Bernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu said he expects the company to have minimal net cash position at the end of its restructuring.

“We therefore see continued potential downside to the recent stock price and maintain our underperform rating,” Ferragu said. Shares in Nokia were down 16 per cent to 1.87 euros, below the psychologically important 2 euros mark, not seen since 1996.

Oilsands tout electromagnetic technology

BILL KAUFMANN Sun Media News Services Group

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Oilsands operators say they’re ready to zap dirty oil accusations with electromagnetic force. No, they’re not targeting environmental activists with incapacitating rays, but instead they’re well on their way to using radio waves to more efficiently extract black gold from the oilsands. A consortium of companies have field-tested the process that heats the oilsands electrically with radio waves, reducing the amount of steam and water needed to extract bitumen from sand. European governments

are weighing slapping a dirty oil label on the oilsands that producers fear could impact their marketability worldwide. But the new technology could be a way to not only reduce costs, but also environmental damage and the outcry against Alberta’s massive resource, said Glen Schmidt, president of Laricina Energy Ltd. “Canadian oilsands in-situ is already very competitive not only economically, but environmentally,” Schmidt said. “This kind of technology continues to make it more competitive.” In-situ production uses wells instead of mining to extract

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oilsands bitumen. Laricina has teamed up with Nexen Inc., Suncor Energy, and Harris Corp. to develop the approach, having tested it in Florida in 2011 and in a Suncor oilsands well last January. Oilpatch critics often point to the immense amount of water used in oilsands production. But Schmidt said using the electromagnetic energy — combined with an oil solvent injected to move the bitumen — avoids using fossil fuels to generate steam. Costs for industry are cut by bypassing the need for water treatment facilities, he said. “Anytime you can improve operating or capital costs, you

reduced the environmental impacts,” Schmidt said. A larger pilot field test is scheduled for 2013 and the companies hope the process can become commercially viable before final testing. Half of the $33 million cost of the project has been borne by the province, the other half by the consortium. The three-day Global Petroleum Show in Calgary abounded with environmental technology and drew 2,200 exhibitors and about 65,000 visitors. Even so, environmentalists contend the mere burning of fossil fuels, even those extracted more responsibly, are hastening global warming.

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