St. Albert Leader - May 24, 2012

Photo courtesy LightWire Theater

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Chamber News /stalbertchamber

Message from Lynda Moffat, President and CEO of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce The St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce is excited to be working with a new group called the Villeneuve Airport Community Task Force. Each member, from within and outside St. Albert, shares a common vision and committment to the Villeneuve Airport expansion and the opportunity it creates for the city and surrounding region.

With Edmonton’s City Centre Airport closing in the near future, the Villeneuve Airport expansion could attract new services, businesses and jobs. The project supports the Chamber’s strategic goals of exploring new business opportunities and making St. Albert a regional transportation hub.

The task force will be meeting throughout the year and will have more information and updates in September.

Business@Breakfast Join us for a fast-paced, interactive networking event with an accelerated twist! "Speed networking" is a fresh way to grow your business contacts in a time-efficient manner! The event takes place Wednesday, May 30th, 7:30-8:45am at St. Albert Inn & Suites.

For more information or to register, call (780) 458-2833.

Business@Lunch Learn about how your Chamber is working to ensure our community has a thriving business environment by attending the next general meeting on Wednesday, June 13th at the Apex Casino. The meeting will feature a year in review and a special presentation of long-term members. For more information or to register, call (780) 458-2833.

Healthy Business Challenges Don't miss the Chamber of Commerce's upcoming Healthy Business Challenges. They are a fun way to be active and network with other local businesses. Put together a team of friends, family and colleagues for a competitive, entertaining day.

Upcoming Healthy Business Challenge events: Slo-Pitch Golf

June 2 & 3 (All day weekend event) June 6 (12:30pm - 7:30pm)

We're currently looking for golf prizes and hole sponsors. Contact Debbie at (780) 458-2833 or email her at debbie@stalbertchamber.com to register your team or donate a prize.

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www.stalbertchamber.com | 780-458-2833

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Artwork courtesy Mural Mosaic

Lead the

INDEX

Mural Mosaic unveiled

News . . . . . . . . . 3 Opinion . . . . . . . . 8 Entertainment . . . . . 12 Health . . . . . . . 19 Business . . . . . . 21 stalbertjobs.com . . . 23

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Downtown St. Albert got a lot more colourful this week.

On Wednesday morning, the City of St. Albert, along with artists Lewis Lavoie, Paul Lavoie and Phil Alain, unveiled the newest piece of public art in the city, one of the trio’s famed Mural Mosaics adorning the south side of the Gaffney and McGreer building at 22 Perron St. Having grown up in St. Albert, Lavoie said it’s very special to have one of his works hanging in his own backyard.

“I have a real strong heart for this community, this town, this environment — everything about it,” Lavoie said. “So to do a mural that will showcase the environment, the people, the things St. Albert has to offer, makes this mural a real personal thing.”

City director of cultural services Kelly Jerrott said that she was excited to finally unveil this piece of art and show it off to the world.

“It truly is something that cultivates life in St. Albert,” she said. “We have over 180 artists from the community participating to form an image that represents culture and life in our community.”

This mural actually replaces another one that was first installed in 2004, but has since deteriorated due to exposure to the elements.

The Mural Mosaic is made up of 180 individual paintings that come together to form one giant piece of art. Each tile was painted by a local artist — some who had just picked up a brush for the first time, and others with more experience.

“We had a lot of people from the first one that worked on it,” Lavoie said. “But we had a lot of extra tiles, so we invited a lot of new artists.”

Jerrott said that having so many local artists involved gives the mural a special meaning and hopefully a special place in the hearts of St. Albert

COVER

Ian Carney and the rest of LightWire Theater will use electroluminescent wire to tell stories like that of The Ugly Duckling during their performances at this year’s International Children’s Festival. See story, page 14.

FUN WITH NUMBERS

$1.05M

That’s how much the nearly intact skeleton of a Tyrannosarus bataar — a smaller, Asian cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex — sold for at an auction in New York on Sunday. However, the sale is being disputed by the Mongolian government, which is raising questions about whether or not the skeleton was obtained legally.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAY 24, 1918

Prime Minister Robert Laird Borden (1854-1937) passes the Canadian Elections Act, which gives women over the age of 21 the right to vote in federal elections only. Manitoba was the first province to grant women the right to vote in 1916.

The rest of the provinces would follow suit between 1918 and 1922 — expect Quebec, which held out until 1940.

residents.

“We’ve got some wonderful talented artists in our community, as well as some young aspiring artists that are still developing,” she said.

Other Mural Mosaics that Lavoie has completed are on display at Mount Royal University in Calgary; in Lloydminster, Alta.; in Vancouver; and even as far away as South Jordan City, Utah.

Artists have been dropping off their tiles steadily for a few months now. Every time he sees a mural start to come together, though, it’s a special feeling for Lavoie.

“There’s always this moment where you’re sure if it’s going to work. ... But everything Lewis Lavoie was put Artist together. It was so amazing how it all came together and fit perfectly,” he said.

The mural on display in downtown St. Albert is not made up of the original tiles, however; those have been assembled at St. Albert Place and will be stored away for sake keeping.

What is on display is a reproduction, which incorporates a lot of advanced technology that should keep it looking fresh well into the future.

“We’ve taken some huge strides, and I think we’re one of the first in the country to use this technology for public art,” Jerrott explained.

“We’ve actually transferred the image to an aluminum diebond material, and that is enlarged, and that is what we’re putting outside,” she added. “It will be much more durable and protected. Even the design and the engineering that goes into the frame and how it’s attached to the building is much more advanced technically than what we used to do.”

“I have a real strong heart for this community.”

RCMP look into remains found in Sturgeon County GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Morinville RCMP are searching for clues after what are believed to be human remains were discovered in Sturgeon County.

Mounties got a call at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 16, from a surveyor who was working in a field

in the county.

RCMP K Division media liaison Doris Stapleton said last week that police were not releasing exactly where the remains were found at this time as they were trying to protect the scene while the investigation continued.

However, on Friday, a press release was issued stating that

the search was conducted near Township Road 552 and Range Road 245, which is just southeast of Cardiff.

RCMP were unable to confirm how long the remains had been there, nor the gender of the deceased.

Morinville RCMP are being assisted in the investigation by

several support units, including the Edmonton RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Police Dog Service, Forensic Identification Services, Search and Rescue and Project KARE. A ground search of the area was conducted on Thursday, May 17, and Friday, May 18, with more than 20 members of the RCMP’s Special Tactical Operations Team helping.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

COUNCIL TOWN HALL MEETING

YOUR COUNCIL NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, May 28, 3:00 p.m.

Council Chambers St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

Agenda items:

The complete agenda package is posted to www.stalbert.ca • State of the Sturgeon River Watershed Report • FCSS Operating Grant, Youth Community Centre • CSAB Recommendation: Community Events Grants • Q1 Corporate Quarterly Report • Public Private Partnership (P3) Policy • Police Services Building Purchase • Erin Ridge Stage 3, 4, 5 – Developer’s Agreement • Council Motions: ○ Property Tax Increase 2013 ○ Banque d’Hochelaga Accessibility

Wednesday, May 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Servus Credit Union Place, Morinville Room 400 Campbell Road Topics for discussion may include: • Welcome/Introductions • Open microphone session • Social Master Plan • Economic Development • 2012 – 2013 Priorities • Animal Bylaw • Light Rail Transit (LRT) • Physician Attraction • Open microphone session For information, contact City Hall, 780-459-1500.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR PUBLIC WORKS OPEN HOUSE Creating a Lasting Impression!

Did you know you can get FREE burgers and buns for your party?

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

GREEN

BY NATURE

SOCIAL MASTER PLAN

RAIN BARREL PROGRAM

How important is it to: •Have support programs for those in need?

Save water, save money. Catch water from your roof. Until May 31, buy up to four 45-gallon rain barrels for $50 each (while quantities last).

•Know your neighbours?

•Have programs for children and youth?

Share your opinions on our community.

Have your Say on the Social Master Plan: www.stalbert.ca/social-master-plan Deadline: May 31, 2012

ANIMAL CONTROL BYLAW SURVEY

Bring the kids and enjoy woodworking, gator and tree picker rides, demonstrations and You can address Council on these or any displays. There are seedling giveaways, other issues. Public appointments are heard balloons and colouring books. Free hotdogs at the beginning and end of each Council and pop. meeting. Call 780-459-1500 to register.

May 26, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Council meetings are televised on SHAW Jack Kraft Facility Public Works Yard TV Channel 10 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., 7 Chevigny Street webcast live and archived: stalbert.ca Donations welcome for the St. Albert Food SUBDIVISION & DEVELOPMENT Bank. www.stalbert.ca/pwday APPEAL BOARD Wednesday, May 30, 6:00 p.m.

JUNE IS BLOCK PARTY MONTH Council Chambers L L E D E C A N5CSt. Block Parties are a fun way to meet and St. Albert Place, Anne Street reconnect with your neighbours while having fun! It’s also an easy way to create a safer neighbourhood.

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HAVE YOUR SAY!

The City of St. Albert is seeking your input as part of the City’s review of its Animal Control Bylaw. We want to know: • How can the City reduce the impact of dangerous dogs?

• Would you support a bylaw that requires cats to be licenced?

• Do you support a bylaw that would make it mandatory for dog owners to pick up their dog’s feces during walks?

Have your Say in the online survey: www.stalbert.ca/animal-bylaw-information Deadline: July 2, 2012 For information, call Aaron Giesbrecht, Manager of Policing Services, 780-458-4303.

For payment and pick-up information, visit www.stalbert.ca/rain-barrel-program or call 780-459-1500.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, RECYCLE...

RENEW Looking to unload a sofa or pick-up some camping gear?

Saturday, June 2, 2012 Servus Place north parking lot Drop off items between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Pick up items between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

All remaining items will be taken to the landfill at 1:45 p.m.

The event is FREE, but food bank donations are greatly appreciated.

Items not accepted: tires, toilets, building materials, propane tanks, BBQs, mattresses. All materials will be inspected and any material considered to be unusable will not be accepted.

Visit: www.stalbert.ca/tioli

CELEBRATE CLEAN AIR DAY!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR CANADA DAY!

Volunteers needed for Canada Day in Lions Park as well as other locations. There are a variety of volunteer shifts available. If you are interested, please fill out an application form at www.stalbert.ca/volunteerswanted or call Nathan Brown at 780-902-3075.

Celebrate Clean Air Day, Wednesday, June 6, as part of Environment Week.

Help improve the air we breathe - walk, bike or take the bus to school or work. St. Albert Transit is offering FREE local and commuter bus service all day! Plus, June pass holders will be entered to win one of seven monthly transit passes for July or August.

For more information on Clean Air Day and what you can do to promote clean air year round, visit www.stalbert.ca/clean-air-day.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

READY SET GO /StA_Recreation /StARecreation

FOUNTAIN PARK RECREATION CENTRE

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

Standard First Aid Course

This 16-hour Lifesaving Standard First Aid course provides comprehensive training, covering all aspects of first aid and CPR-C, including using an automated external defibrillator. Learn the skills that you can use to save someone’s life. Course runs Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sign up today. This course is approved by Alberta Workplace Health and Safety.

TAKE NOTE HOME DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT w:

stalbert.ca/public-works

Take advantage of a home drainage improvement program which helps to reduce the volume of rainwater entering the sanitary sewer system during heavy rainfalls. City of St. Albert inspectors will perform a free home drainage assessment of the existing lot grading conditions and suggest possible solutions for problem areas. Available on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Time is limited, some restrictions may apply.)

150TH SOUVENIR BOOK VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS

Volunteers and sponsors, please remember that you have until May 31, 2012 to pick up your complimentary copy of “Rendezvous St. Albert 2011”. Please bring your gift certificate to the Community and Protective Services office in St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street. www.stalbert.ca/150th-celebration-book

To book an appointment or for more information, call Public Works at 780-459-1557 ext 4153.

CONFIDENTIAL DRUG TIP LINE 780-460-DRUG (3784) Keep St. Albert safe – provide tips about drug dealers operating in our community.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE Mission Avenue – From Perron Street To St. Albert Trail Alternate Parking Locations

Phase One May 14 to mid-July Phase Two Mid-July to September 2012 A temporary road closure will be in effect on Mission Avenue from Perron Street to St. Albert Trail from May 14 until mid-July, weather permitting.

During construction, all businesses will REMAIN OPEN; however, parking is limited.

Please use the alternate parking locations, if you are visiting one of the locations listed below: • • • • • • • •

External Affairs Clinical Spa • Skyline Steel River House Grill • 630 Thousand Holdings Ltd. Hair Graphics 2003 • AWP Contractors Ltd. Michif Cultural & Resource Institute • Travel Wizards Developing Possibilities • Direct Energy Marketing Limited Reiniger Financial • Hypnosis for Life Inc. Trilogy Psychology Group • Roy Financial Services Inc. Elements of Life Acupuncture & • Learning Bridges Wholistic Health Centre We thank you for your patience as the City replaces infrastructure which is nearing the end of its lifespan. Visit www.stalbert.ca/mission-avenue-construction or call the City of St. Albert Engineering, Capital Projects, 780-459-1654.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Dawson called to Ringette Canada hall

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

One St. Albert resident has reached the brass ring — or at least a rubber ring.

On Monday, May 14, Ringette Canada announced that Jim Dawson — who, by day, owns and operates Prints Galore in Tudor Glen Place — was one of four Albertans who would be inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame this year.

“It’s a pretty big honour,” said Dawson, who will be inducted in the builder category. “I spent a lot of time, a lot of years working in ringette, helping the sport grow.

And to be recognized by people you worked with and respected, it’s a big honour.”

Dawson was involved with ringette for more than 20 years, and served as president, vice-president promotions and vice-president administration of the national organization during that time, as well as president of Ringette Alberta and the St. Albert Ringette Association.

But, like most minor sports volunteers, all this came from humble beginnings — specifically when he signed up his daughters for the sport in 1988.

“One of them is still playing 23 years

later,” he said.

“When you get to the national level, you’re working for a lot of people, not just your own children,” he added. “I certainly couldn’t have done it without my wife’s encouragement and support and my family’s support. It’s a big commitment, but I enjoyed it, too.”

Dawson was also instrumental in setting up the National Ringette League, serving as its founding chairman. The league played its first game in November 2004, and today it has 19 teams stretching from the lower mainland of British Columbia to Moncton, N.B. “To see it develop and grow the way it has, particularly in Eastern Canada — where the distances are a little closer together — and to see a new team come out of the Atlantic provinces and truly make it a national league and do very well and be very competitive was really exciting,” he said.

Jane Casson, the current president of Ringette Canada, couldn’t say enough good things about Dawson and the effect he has had on the sport.

“Jim Dawson is a really special man, and very, very devoted to the sport of ringette,”

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

St. Albert ringette volunteer Jim Dawson will be inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame on June 9 for his work at the local, provincial and national levels of the sport.

Casson said. “His passion has been exuded at the local association level, the provincial level and the national level. ... He has contributed enormously to the sport of ringette, and I’m very pleased to say he’s a friend of mine.”

While ringette is thriving here in Canada, much of Dawson’s and Ringette Canada’s work has focused on growing the game all over the world.

Dawson said that the game is on its way, but there are a few hurdles to clear.

“You’ve got to make the sport attractive to people so that they want to play, and you’ve got to take into account cultural

differences and societies,” he said. “There are a lot of different countries that have different philosophies about things, so putting all that together, it’s a pretty steep learning curve. But I think we’ve made some good progress.”

The other Albertans inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame include coach Phyllis Sadoway (Smoky Lake) and players Jennifer (Willan) Krochak (Edmonton) and Megan Todd (Edmonton).

The inductions will take place Saturday, June 9, in Calgary as part of Ringette Canada’s annual general meeting and conference.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

City wants public input on animal bylaw review saying, ‘We need cats on leashes. We need to licence them.’ There’s a lot of pressure out there from the residents.”

The City of St. Albert wants input from “These are family members, and it is very the public so that the community doesn’t go personal for people,” Giesbrecht added. “On to the dogs — or the cats. the other side of the fence, people like their Until July 2, the City is soliciting feedback property, and they get upset when things from residents as part of a review of the infringe on their property as well.”

Animal Control Bylaw, which has not been While the control of cats is a driving issue reviewed in depth since first being passed behind the bylaw review, Heron said that, in 1978. so far, the feedback she and the City have Coun. Cathy Heron, who requested the received has been a mixed bag. review last November, said there are a lot of “There are people that cannot stand changes and updates that need to be made, cats, just hate them. And there are people but she doesn’t want to see the spirit of the who have a huge heart for them, and think bylaw drastically altered. they’re a predatory “Personally I don’t animal and need to be out want to see a lot of there catching mice,” he change. I like the fact that said.

St. Albert is very dogGiesbrecht added that friendly, and as long as there is currently no your dog is under control, language in the bylaw Cathy Heron you can throw the ball for that deals with cats at City councillor it,” Heron said. all, but there are other “I’m actually really not jurisdictions in Alberta looking forward to this, because it’s going to with legislation in place after which the City be a hard one,” she added. “A lot is going to can model theirs. rely on this survey.”

Another aspect of the bylaw that is Aaron Giesbrecht, the City’s manager expected to be looked at closely is the of policing services, said that the current possible allowance of backyard chicken bylaw does pose some administrative and coops in the city. enforcement challenges that he hopes are Heron said she hasn’t heard much on that addressed. issue, but does hope the new bylaw clears up “We don’t have a section in our animal any confusion. control bylaw that deals with dogs biting “Because our animal bylaw is kind of other dogs or attacking or anything like vague, I think they’re permitted. There’s that. It all falls under one general section of nothing to say you can’t have them — a dog being at large, and the definition of ‘at although I don’t know anybody who does large’ is out of control,” he explained as an have one,” she said with a laugh. example. “It doesn’t really have a difference The survey on the Animal Control Bylaw between a dog that bites someone and your can be found online at www.stalbert.ca/ little chihuahua that runs loose and doesn’t animal-bylaw-information. Hard copies of harm anybody but is a bit of a nuisance.” the survey can also be picked up at the St. Animal control is an issue that most Albert RCMP detachment (96 Bellerose Dr.) people take close to heart, both added. or at St. Albert Place.

“As soon as I got my name [out there] on The completed report on the bylaw will be this bylaw, people have been emailing me presented to city council in September.

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

“I’m actually really not looking forward to this.”

Hon. Doug Horner, MLA

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

Best foot forward Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

St. Albert city councillor Cam MacKay (right) gets a lesson in traditional Métis jigging from master of ceremonies Trevor Gladue at the start of Poundmaker’s Lodge’s annual Métis Spring Festival on Saturday afternoon at Servus Credit Union Place. Visitors travelled from as far away as Manitoba to take part in jigging, fiddling and square dancing competitions.

ALL THE BEST FOR THE RAINMAKER RODEO THIS WEEKEND Another Great event for our Community

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

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

OPINION

iStAlbert

History can’t hold us back

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

@State_Of_Shock Can’t wait to play! RT @thetrews May 25 @RainmakerFest in #StAlbert with @State_Of_Shock @TupeloHoneyBand + more on.fb.me/JEcLur

H

istory and heritage are two pillars that we in St. Albert have built our identity around. But sometimes, looking back on our past prevents us from moving forward.

That seems to be the case when it comes to a Vancouver developer’s proposal for a commercial development on

by Glenn Cook the old Hole’s Greenhouses site at Boudreau Road and Bellerose Drive.

First off, this land is already a commercial property, and has been ever since the Hole family decided to start up their greenhouse operation. So it should not be a surprise to nearby residents that it would be kept as such.

Further, this is obviously a good location for commercial land, as Hole’s did a brisk business there right up to the day it closed.

It might not be the ideal location that’s more central to the Erin Ridge and Oakmont neighbourhoods, but when it comes to commercial — or any non-residential — land in St. Albert, you have to take what you can get.

Of course, some have worried out loud if, with a convenience store or a liquor store in the development, it will make a good location for young people to hang out and get in trouble.

But the local RCMP detachment right across the street should be enough of a deterrent. If not, hopefully an eyeglass store will open up there so police can get a better view.

Some people at an open house last week were worried about traffic in the area. But there likely wouldn’t be any more traffic than Hole’s ever attracted, and it would be more consistent.

And there would be plenty of parking to handle it — more than double the City minimum.

Others seemed genuinely offended that such a development would go on the Holes’ land. But bear in mind that the land is being subdivided, and this commercial development will take up one of those subdivided chunks, where the greenhouses currently sit.

The truly historic part of the property is the section the Holes are planning to keep, which will still house the family’s homestead and the red barn we’ve all grown attached to.

Unused, decaying greenhouses do not equal history. But it seems like some residents would rather stare at those than get out of the way of something that could be a benefit to all.

@CanadaMarcus Heading home to #StAlbert! Looking forward to seeing my girl and fam! Til next time, #yyc! :)

EDITORIAL

@KidsportAlberta Thanks to all of the @baseballcanada umpires in #StAlbert this weekend who supported #KidSport

@mrcranky Gorgeous day out there in #stalbert! Get out there and enjoy it!

Compiled by Swift Media Group swiftmedia.ca • @Swift_Media

Follow us at @stalbertleader

Children always come first at Kids’ Fest

I

n just a few days, hundreds of yellow school buses and family vehicles will descend upon our downtown, bringing tens of thousands of children into our community, making St. Albert a bit brighter and a fair bit noisier!

The International Children’s Festival has become an annual rite of passage for the region’s children, and this 31st annual festival won’t disappoint, providing global cultural programming and opportunities to challenge creative thinking, to encourage creative expression, and to educate. There have been studies conducted about the positive impact of arts education on children’s lives that demonstrate that exposure to the arts in the formative years helps to develop problem-solving and

Sandra

FENTON President, FNAICF My City promote critical thinking skills. The children may not understand the benefits, but teachers and parents do — otherwise why make the pilgrimage year after year?

It takes a full year to organize and plan each festival. Sometimes what you see is the culmination of several years of planning when the artists come to us from far-flung parts of the globe and require lengthy communications with other governments. The hard work, dedication and passion of staff, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and our board take care of

Publisher: Rob LeLacheur rob@stalbertleader.com

Editor: Glenn Cook

glenn@stalbertleader.com

Client Services: Michelle Barstad michelle@stalbertleader.com

every detail to make it happen.

So why do we do it?

We do it because our children must always come first, even during challenging economic times. We do it to showcase St. Albert as the place to host quality events. We do it to encourage people from across the province to come and spend time (and money!) in our unique, historic, dynamic community.

St. Albert supports community events and festivals. We have a seasoned infrastructure of volunteers committed to the many good causes that makes St. Albert what it is. There is a great pride in showcasing our community and our festival is a great way to show off.

And there are economic benefits from events such as our festival. “Municipalities

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.

that adopt culture as an industry have gained positive economic benefits for their communities. Cultural industries create job growth, turn ordinary cities into ‘destination cities,’ create interconnections between arts and business, and create spinoff businesses.” (“Culture as an Economic Engine”; Creative City Network of Canada).

Perhaps you may think that for St. Albert this is a “stretch,” but we know that there is a definite economic impact when over 50,000 people come to play in our community.

However, at the end of the day, if you ask any of us why we stay involved, the response will be that we do it because of the wide-eyed looks and absolute delight on children’s faces. That is all the thanks and motivation we need!

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

Phone: 780-460-1035

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SOSA kicks off baby food drive GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

A local group is hoping to give a hand up to some of St. Albert’s smallest needy citizens.

The Spirit of St. Albert (SOSA) Society is hosting their first-ever Baby Food Drive to benefit the St. Albert Food Bank on Saturday, June 9, at St. Albert Place. There, not only will donations be accepted, but Calgary-based company Baby Gourmet will be donating a pallet full of baby food to the food bank, or about 2,500 servings.

SOSA chair Cheryl MacKenzie said that she recently ran into a former co-worker who is now the CEO of Baby Gourmet, and the idea was hatched.

“I find that, when you do a food drive, all the food comes in, and you see very little food for babies,” MacKenzie said. “Food bank food is greatly appreciated, but often it’s not the most nutritional food, because it’s fast and cheap.”

Plus, she added, the drive fits extremely well with what SOSA is trying to do in the community.

“Part of what SOSA is about is just grabbing these opportunities that exist out there to help celebrate what we are in St. Albert,” she said. “I love the food bank, and it is a primary focus for the Spirit of

St. Albert. Everything we do will include a food bank drive, with the soapbox derby and the picnic and those things. This seemed to be a great way to launch the focus on the food bank.”

St. Albert Food Bank executive director Suzan Krecsy said that, although it has established the Brian Layton Infant Formula Program, she wants to expand the services available for babies and moms.

“We’ve decided to bump it up so we can give new moms a much better start,” Krecsy said. “We’ve got a lot of partners and social workers and other professionals who have been coming to us for the past few years ... and we have those relationships set up.”

She added that the need for food and other baby supplies is something that donors don’t always think of.

“People tend to think of older families, school-aged kids. But we have a lot of babies being born as well,” Krecsy said.

Baby Gourmet president Jen Broe agreed, saying it’s something she sees across Alberta.

“Baby food and diapers — baby necessities, really — are short,” she said.

“Right now, in Calgary, North Hill Mall has sent out mass marketing to donate specifically for babies, looking for food diapers, bibs, feeding utensils. Obviously

there is a demand.”

Broe started Baby Gourmet in 2006 when she began to feed her daughter solids, and found there wasn’t any baby food out there up to her standards.

“I thought there was a need for baby food that actually tasted good that moms could feel good about feeding their babies,” she said. “... Every baby deserves to eat the best food, and every mom deserves access to it.”

With the number of single moms and young children the St. Albert Food Bank helps, Broe said the decision to lend a hand was an easy one.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to help,” Broe said.

Krecsy said she wasn’t sure how far the donation of 2,500 servings would go, but she hopes to keep building relationships and keep things going once they run out.

“We can make contact with Nestlé and Heinz and see if we can get some partnerships going with some of the bigger corporations to make sure we never run out of baby food,” she said.

The Baby Food Drive runs at St. Albert Place on Saturday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. While the focus is on newborns to 24 months of age, all cash and food donations will be gratefully accepted, as well as donations of baby clothing and blankets.

Eye on the prize Photo: Sun Media News Services

Edmonton Oil Kings goalie Laurent Brossoit fights off a shot against the host Shawinigan Cataractes on Friday at the Memorial Cup. The Oil Kings — with two St. Albert Minor Hockey products — finished the round robin with a 1-2 record and must play in a tiebreaker tonight (Thursday) to reach Friday’s semifinal.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Steps away from a cure GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

A cure for juvenile diabetes may only be steps away, and organizers of a local fundraising walk hope some of those steps can be taken in St. Albert.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is once again hosting the Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes on Saturday, June 3, starting at the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club.

Fundraising and development co-ordinator Cheryl Vickers said that, while much has been made of the rapidly rising number of Type 2 — or adult-onset — diabetes cases, juvenile (Type 1) cases have also been on the rise.

“There’s three million Canadians that have diabetes, and 10 per cent of those — 300,000 — have Type 1 diabetes,” Vickers said. “It’s growing at a bad rate; the highest diagnosis is between five- and nine-year-olds. Canada itself has the sixth-highest rate of Type 1 diabetes in the world.”

One of those afflicted is JDRF ambassador Barrett Hedstrom, a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was just eight months old.

Barrett’s mother Lindsay said that, over that time, Barrett has coped with the disease extremely well, even though his monitoring routine requires pricking his finger to test his blood sugar eight to 10 times a day.

“He’s got an insulin pump to help regulate his dosage ... Some people think the insulin pump regulates his blood sugar, but you have to test in order to get the numbers to give the dosage for the insulin pump,” Lindsay said.

“The testing, he doesn’t pay too much attention to anymore,” she added. “But his [pump] site has to get changed — it’s a catheter underneath his skin like an intravenous, and it has to get changed every two days, because his body fights the catheter off and blocks it. And that’s quite a long needle, and he doesn’t like that too much. But that’s usually the only complaints we get out of him.”

This is the seventh year that St. Albert has held its own walk separate from Edmonton, and Vickers said the foundation hopes to see more than 300 people come out for the walk and raise $50,000 for juvenile diabetes research.

She added that, thanks to corporate sponsors like Telus, the JDRF is able to put 80 cents out of every dollar raised toward research.

It’s that research that has families like the Hedstroms hopeful that a breakthrough is not far off.

“I’ve heard there’s going to be a cure within single-digit years, within 10 years,” Lindsay said. “That’s definitely my hope.”

“We say that it’s just steps away, it’s so close,” Vickers added. “The research they’ve been able to do all over the world — that’s one thing with JDRF, we’re international. So if the best research is going on with somebody in Sweden, that’s what we’re funding. Our goal is to fund the best research in the world.”

The Telus Walk to Cure Diabetes kicks off from the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club on Saturday, June 3, at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.jdrf.ca.

O Lever as 70 ed %

Relay for Life already past goals GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

The latest edition of an annual fundraiser is hoping to once again run laps around cancer.

Participants in the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life will circle the track at St. Albert’s Fowler Athletic Park for 12 hours starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, going through the night because, as local event chair Charlene Bouvier said, “cancer doesn’t sleep.”

This is the third year that a Relay for Life event has been held in St. Albert, and with 15 teams that have raised more than $19,000 organizers already registered online, Bouvier said organizers have shattered their initial goals.

“We had 14 teams as our goal, so our new unofficial goal is 20 teams and 150

participants,” Bouvier said.

“This year’s [monetary] goal is $60,000, because we raised $54,000 the first year and $51,000 last year.”

Holding a separate event in St. Albert, rather than lumping it in with Edmonton’s, is a huge deal, Bouvier said, because it helps get more people involved on a more localized level.

“Having it in Edmonton, a lot of people, even now, haven’t heard of the relay, so they definitely don’t know about Edmonton’s if they don’t know about St. Albert’s,” she said. “It’s nice and local, and gets more people out.

And you know a lot of the people that are there, too.”

The entire relay experience is an emotional and powerful one, Bouvier added, although sometimes hard to describe.

“Your emotions are going the whole time you’re there.

You’re laughing, you’re crying and then you’re laughing again,” she said.

But it is pretty much universal, as just about everyone has had their life touched by cancer.

“Everybody knows somebody who has either passed on from cancer, is a survivor, or is going through it right now,” Bouvier said.

“One Canadian every three minutes is diagnosed with cancer. It’s huge; it affects everybody.”

There will also be entertainment throughout the night, including the band DeSousa Drive and an Elvis Presley impersonator.

Sponsors include Riverside Honda, the St. Albert Breakfast Lions Club, Mitchell Renovations and Farlie Travel.

For more information, visit www.relayforlife.ca.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

ENTERTAINMENT

Brownlee trades skates for cowboy boots

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

It seems that, either way, Chad Brownlee was destined to make a living playing in front of thousands of people.

Originally a professional hockey player, a defenceman drafted in the sixth round (190th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in 2003, Brownlee now plies his trade as a country music singer, which will bring him to the Rainmaker Rodeo and Exhibition on Saturday, May 26, to share the stage with Dean Brody, Beverley Mahood, Katie Mission and Orchard.

While the crowd sizes may be similar, Brownlee said there are a few key differences between the worlds of hockey and country music.

“It’s a different kind of pressure. At least in music, there isn’t a 220-pound forward trying to take my head off,” he said with a laugh. “That’s a bonus of the music industry. But it’s a tough business to navigate as well.”

But, he said, his love of music never made him the target of ribbing in the locker room. “[The hockey players are] the ones at the parties who were encouraging it. They’re the ones requesting the love songs, the slow, sappy songs sometimes,” he laughed.

“Even to this day, they’re such great supporters.

They’re almost my street team.”

Music has always been part of Brownlee’s life.

He started playing piano at the age of eight, then played tenor saxophone

in his middle school’s jazz band. But it was when his parents gave him a guitar for Christmas at age 17 that he found a connection with country music.

“Garth Brooks got me into it quite a few years ago, but before that, I listened to whatever I found pleasing to my ears. And I’m still that way; I like to delve into different genres,” he said.

“I’m a big Jack Johnson fan; I think he’s an incredible songwriter, and I try to pull some inspiration from there. I don’t listen to one genre specifically, but country is definitely my favourite genre.”

Attending a few rodeos and fairs around Kelowna, B.C., where he grew up, may have also helped.

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“But it didn’t really last very long. But I was definitely exposed to rodeos at a young age, and it’s fun to play at them now.”

Brownlee played one season with the Idaho Steelheads of the East Coast Hockey League in 20072008, notching one goal and two assists in 35 games, before retiring from pro hockey due to injuries.

That was when he shifted his focus to music fulltime, and he released his self-titled debut album in August 2010. That album earned him a Rising Star nomination from the Canadian Country Music Association, and the single “Day After You” reached the top 10 on CMT’s Chevy Cross Country Countdown and No. 9 on the BDS Canadian country radio chart.

Brownlee followed that up with his second album, Love Me or Leave Me, in February 2012, which has been met with a similar response.

“I kind of knew what it takes to be at the top of what you do and be successful at what you do,” he said. “I knew I was in for a bit of a grind, and I had a few years ahead of me. ...

I gave myself a good five years before even gaining any momentum, but it has happened a little sooner than that, so I’ve been very

Photo Supplied

Chad Brownlee’s journey from pro hockey to country music brings him to the Rainmaker Rodeo and Exhibition Saturday. fortunate that it has caught on.”

He also had the chance to tour this past winter with country superstar Dierks Bentley, and Brownlee said it was a great learning experience.

“I stood side stage during most of his shows, and just watched how he interacted with the crowd,” he said.

“He’s been doing it for a lot more years than I have, so it’s definitely good to look up to those people I can use as mentors. And he’s such a good guy off the stage, too.”

But while that tour hit arenas, most of Brownlee’s gigs this summer are at fairs and outdoors venues

like the Rainmaker, which he said is a whole different vibe.

“It’s a good contrast.

If you played the same venue all the time, I’m sure you’d wish for something different,” he said. “It’s not that I’m wishing for anything different — I love every second of what I’m doing. But to be able to play those big arenas, not very many artists get that chance.”

Tickets for Brownlee’s show at the Rainmaker are $39.99 each and are available at Electric Rodeo in Spruce Grove, the Crown and Tower Pub in St. Albert and through Ticketmaster.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

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PROSPECTS SET TO STRIKE GOLD AT TELUS FIELD! The Edmonton Prospects Baseball Club is all set to open up the 2012 season at Telus Field with a double header starting at 2pm, Saturday, June 2nd.

“We are really looking forward to getting the season kicked off on the right foot both from an on-field and off-field standpoint”, states the clubs General Manager, Tracy Neumann.

Prospects GM Tracy Neumann and “This will be our first full season playing out Head Coach John Sutherland say they’re of Telus Field, and with the Capitals set for an exciting 2012 season. suspending their season, we’re the only game in town this year, which should make for an interesting study at the box office. What people need to know is the baseball on the field will be outstanding but just as importantly, so will the whole game-day experience. As far as the fan is concerned, we are making every effort to insure that there is a seamless transition from the Capitals of last season to the Prospects of this year. We’ll have music, clowns, popcorn, hotdogs, beer and a whole lot of picnic type fun for the whole family,” said Neumann.

As one of eleven current franchises in the 56-year old Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), the club is hoping to make the playoffs and push the leagues perennial powerhouse Okotoks Dawgs to the limits. “Okotoks is always tough but we feel we’ve done a good job on the recruitment front and are confident we are going to win more games than we lose this year,” stated Team Head Coach John Sutherland.

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Ugly Duckling set to light up Kids’ Fest

GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Ian Carney knows it’s not enough just to glow in the dark.

Carney and partner Corbin Popp are the creative minds behind LightWire Theatre, which is presenting its latest productions of The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare in St. Albert from Tuesday, May 29, to Saturday, June 2, at the St. Albert Curling Club as part of the annual Tim Hortons International Children’s Festival.

The pair and the rest of their troupe use electroluminescent (EL) wires powered by batteries to bring characters to light in an otherwise dark theatre.

But, while it’s a cool effect, Carney knows there has to be more to the show.

“We always say that cool will get you five minutes,” he said.

“You’ve got to fall in love with these characters. You’ve got to be stimulated. There’s got to be substance, or else what’s the point?”

Carney and Popp started LightWire Theatre after meeting while in the cast of the Broadway show Movin’ Out in New York about six years ago. “[Popp] found this EL wire and we started playing with it. We made a couple of little men, and just started to realize the ability to erase the operator of the puppet,”

Carney said, adding that they quickly moved on to dinosaurs.

Eventually, they moved their base to New Orleans, but their work still takes them to theatres and festivals all over the continent.

They hope their reach has expanded a bit more, though, after already appearing on the new season of America’s Got Talent, airing on NBC in the United States and on Citytv in Canada. Carney and his wife, Eleanor, plus several other members of their troupe, were on stage in front of judges Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Howard Stern, and got rave reviews.

“Having been in this business for 20-plus years, the whole idea of it, we’re walking with great trepidation to even go into this world,” he said. “But I feel like we have a product that we want to get out and share with as many people as we possibly can, and this is the game that you play. Television is the way. We’re trying to have fun with it, keep our composure and keep our integrity.”

That performance used characters from LightWire’s first show, Darwin the Dinosaur. But this time, in choosing The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare, Carney said they were taking a different approach.

“We took these classic tales, an Aesop’s fable and a Hans Christian Andersen tale, and bring our own twist to them,” Carney said.

Photo Supplied

Corbin Popp (left) and Ian Carney show what their puppets look like with the lights on. Carney brings his LightWire Theater production of The Ugly Duckling to the International Children’s Festival this week.

“Darwin the Dinosaur was all about the puppets. We just wanted to make cool things,” he added. “... Our focus has always been to make shows everybody is going to love; we don’t really make children’s shows. So for this one, we wanted to include a bit younger of an audience, so we decided to take on a couple of stories that had that familiarity and could go bigger with.”

In between shows, Carney and

his crew are constantly tweaking, dealing with the engineering and the materials of their costumes, which he said are mostly made up of materials that they pick up at sporting goods and hardware stores.

“EL wire doesn’t like to do what we want it to do,” Carney said with a laugh. “We’ve learned a lot over these six years. But every time you think you have it solved, it’ll bite you in the butt.”

He also noted that each costume has at least two versions of the same character on it so that, if one malfunctions, they can easily switch to the other and keep going.

And before they hit the stage, there’s even more hard work mapping out the music and the choreography.

“It’s an enormous amount of work,” Carney said. “I score everything, I choreograph everything, I primarily design and then execute most of the heads and things like that, then we bring the cast in and they do a ton of work on the show as well.

Then we workshop it and try to take an hour-and-a-half, two-hour movie and make it into a one-hour movie.”

But all that hard work is worth it when they get reactions from kids and parents.

“That, to me, is the biggest thing. We have a really unique product that has the opportunity to actually make kids want to be in the theatre,” Carney said. “We’re up against DVDs, video games, cellphones, tweeting, blogging, computers — they are being totally bombarded, and theatre is in jeopardy. ... We use the technology as the eye-grabber, that moment, but when we can get them to come in there and actually be moved — which is what we want theatre to be to everyone — our hope is that they’ll come back to the theatre.”

Concert bands ready for hectic schedule in St. Albert GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Concert bands are set to take over St. Albert over the next few weeks.

Between June 10 and June 23, the St. Albert Community Band and the Edmonton Schoolboys Alumni Band will have four shows in the city between them, and they’re looking forward to it.

“We’ve always been very well-received.

The audience is warm and helpful to us; they appreciate our repertoire,” said Schoolboys Alumni Band conductor Armand Baril.

“And I think they appreciate the fact that a number of our band [members] are predominantly seniors, people who have been playing music for years and enjoy the camaraderie.”

The Alumni Band will play on Sunday,

June 10, at 2 p.m. at the St. Albert United Church, then follow that up with a performance at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 23.

They have a strong connection to St. Albert, Baril said, and this concert will be the fourth they’ve held at the United Church.

“We’re very close colleagues to the St. Albert Community Band, and many of our players play in that band as well — and I myself am a former member of the St. Albert band,” he said.

The two shows, however, will be very different, he added.

“We’ll play much more accessible music, familiar music in the outdoor scene, where you have a large, ambient audience. ... A concert at the church, we are more likely to present familiar music, but also a mixture of

music that might involve classical selections; we might even play a selection from an opera,” Baril said.

Meanwhile, the schedule is more hectic for the St. Albert Community Band, who take the stage at the Arden Theatre on Wednesday, June 13, for their annual spring concert before playing the opening day of the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, June 16.

For the concert at the Arden, the Community Band’s concert band will share the stage with its jazz band, the Saint City Big Band.

Tom Smyth, director of the Saint City Big Band, said that their repertoire will be quite varied.

“We’re going to do one piece from the big band era. I haven’t decided which; there are three we’re going to choose from,” he said.

“But we’re also doing a piece from the Big

Phat Band; its leader is Gordon Goodwin, and he’s a Los Angeles musician, and all the players in that band are Los Angeles studio musicians.”

Other selections include pieces from the swing and jazz eras of the 1940s.

“There’s also a piece called ‘Harlem Nocturne,’ which almost makes you feel like you’re in a smoky bar,” Smyth said.

For the Schoolboys Alumni Band, most of the members are seniors and they rehearse during the day, and they have been at their full compliment of 54 members fairly consistently since reforming in 1996 after a reunion celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Edmonton Schoolboys’ Band.

Meanwhile, the Community Band is also thriving with a full membership, and is planning a tour through the Crowsnest Pass and southern British Columbia this July.

15

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Fundraiser heads back to Square One GLENN COOK St. Albert Leader

Leader file photo

Mayor Nolan Crouse cuts out a piece to go in a collage during a workshop for local dignitaries creating pieces for the AGSA’s Square One Fundraiser and Exhibition.

The Art Gallery of St. Albert is going back to basics for one of its biggest annual fundraisers this year.

The 2012 edition of the gallery’s annual art auction has been dubbed the Square One Fundraiser and Exhibition, and they’re taking it back to the AGSA building on Perron Street, with more than 250 one foot-by-one foot paintings filling the walls in a grid format along with other works.

“We had a very successful art gallery auction last year, but we knew our expenses were going up for bigger and better entertainment and an evening out,” said AGSA director of arts Frances Gagnon.

“It was really important to me to bring it back to the gallery. We’ve been thinking about how we can enhance it and take all the great elements of the auction event into the gallery.”

The artwork will be up on the AGSA walls from June 7 to 23, but will be auctioned off at the fundraiser’s major event on

Saturday, June 16.

“More people have access,” Gagnon said, “and we worked it into our exhibition year, so we have a regular opening [coinciding with] ArtWalk. For that one, we expect at least 500 people to come through and artists to be present.”

“It was ... important to me to bring it back to the gallery.”

Frances Gagnon AGSA director of arts She added that, although there will be more pieces of art up for silent auction, they will be smaller and more affordable than in years past.

Gagnon said the gallery hopes to raise about $20,000, which will go to the various educational programs it puts on for more than 25,000 amateur artists of all ages throughout the year.

“It’s not for renovations or the operational budget or any of that,”

she said. “It goes directly back into the community programs.”

Prominent local artists who have contributed works to the auction include Judy Schafers, Doris Charest, Pat Wagensveld, Julie Hage, Lewis Lavoie and Kristine McGuinty.

But there are also plenty of other contributions from local dignitaries such City of St. Albert director of cultural services Kelly Jerrott, city councillors Cathy Heron, Wes Brodhead and Len Bracko, and Mayor Nolan Crouse.

Those pieces always seem to fetch a little more, Gagnon said.

“They’ll bring in at least $200 like the other pieces,” she said.

“But that’s part of the fun. I think these people have been really good sports, and they just add to the whole ambience. It takes a lot of courage to come and try something new, especially because they were getting really good at the clay sculpture after three years.”

If none of the art speaks to you, though, there will other items up for auction, including restaurants gift certificates and tickets to the Citadel Theatre and the Edmonton

Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets for the fundraising event are $50 each and includes hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. They are limited, however, due to the smaller space, and are available from the AGSA (19 Perron St.) or the Arts and Heritage Foundation office (#200, 20 Perron St.).

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16

BACK IN

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Will Smith gets back to acting in Men In Black 3

BLACK

JIM SLOTEK

Sun Media News Services

A funny thing happened while Will Smith took three years off movies to shepherd his kids’ careers. They started to get more work than him.

“I love that I’m producing my kids’ stuff and my wife’s TV show,” he says of movie star Jaden (The Karate Kid) and pre-teen recording artist Willow (“Whip My Hair”) and wife Jada’s recently-cancelled series Hawthorne.

“That’s where I thrive. But for me, it’s three years off camera, and I just had to get back to work,” he says of his return to the screen in Men in Black 3 (in theatres Friday).

“Jaden, he really wants to make movies badly. He is so coming for me. And I tell him all the time, ‘Son, I’m going to tell you everything I know. And if you work hard, you can be the second biggest movie star in the world.’”

And it’s in Will Smith’s nature to come back big. His first movie since Hancock was probably going to be a sequel, with treatments for Hancock 2, Bad Boys 3 and I, Robot 2 dangling in front of his eyes.

But a decade after leaving the Men in Black franchise behind, Smith was taken with a time-travel script that reintroduced the secret government extraterrestrialsurveillance organization, and took Smith’s Agent J back to the year 1969 to prevent the murder of a young Agent K (Josh Brolin,

doing an impressive Tommy Lee Jones impression).

You might have guessed from his movies, but Smith has a thing for big sci-fi films, and has no particular aversion to sequels.

“The greatest experience I ever had at a movie theatre was Star Wars,” Smith says, recalling being a 10-year-old in West Philadelphia.

“It shaped how I look at the world.

My imagination was so small before I went in that movie theatre, and there was an explosion that I had. I just couldn’t figure out how quips. “But seriously, I do crack someone came up with that. And him up. It just looks different than then how they could make me feel when you crack most people up. like that watching it.

Tommy, when you hit a really, “So even more than awards, really big joke, where you’ve that’s important to me. Awards scored, Tommy goes, ‘Hmmph.’ are what a small amount of people But you know from Tommy, that’s think. For me, it’s the maximum a belly laugh.” amount of And Brolin? people that “With can have an actors, there’s experience. So I a chemistry like big movies. thing. So when I But there has to sit with Martin be some message (Lawrence), Will Smith or statement. there’s a certain Actor With Men in thing. Tommy Black 3, it was Lee Jones and the destructive nature of secrets.

I, our chemistry is very different And whether you get that idea or than me and Martin. So when I sat not, that’s what we’re displaying.” with Josh, I was just shocked that MIB3 reunited Smith with it was identical to Tommy’s. He director Barry Sonnenfeld and studied Tommy and Agent K so taciturn co-star Tommy Lee Jones, thoroughly, they were the same.” whose warm side, Smith says, you Interestingly, Smith’s return to have to drill to find. the screen also includes a sci-fi “I kissed him. He responds well film with the very same son who’s to that. You should try it,” Smith nipping at his heels professionally.

“I just had to get back to work.”

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Will Smith (right) and Tommy Lee Jones bring the Men In Black franchise back to theatres this weekend.

In After Earth, which was filmed in Costa Rica, they play a father and son who crash land on an alien planet.

“It was very post-apocalyptic, and after it was over, Jaden said, ‘Dad, I want to make a comedy!’”

He was shocked to find that in Latin America, after more than 20 movies, he’s still best known as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “There was a troupe of Latin American actors that translated the Fresh Prince, but what they did was they translated and adjusted the jokes that didn’t work, they would adjust them for Latin American audiences.

So Fresh Prince became huge in Latin America and Spain. I went to Mexico City and everywhere I went, it was, ‘El Principe!’ I was so honoured by that that I started taking Spanish.”

With After Earth in the can, Smith can start thinking thoughts again about what is literally the family business.

Jaden is looking at treatments for Karate Kid 2, and Jada has a deal with Simon Cowell for a reality series seeking the world’s best DJs. And who is Will Smith in all this?

Would you believe JR Ewing?

“As a child I watched Dallas, and that was my vision for my life as long as I could remember.

Southfork the property had a name. How does the property have a name? Ours was Rowhouse. And everybody came to breakfast and like they’re grown. Grown people lived on the property. Everybody worked the family business. And I was like, ‘I want that.’

“So I’m actually building the family that I’ve always dreamed about. When I look at Willow and the power that she has and I’m working with Jaden now, and my oldest son (Trey) has just started DJ’ing and been travelling around the world. It’s like building a family around the entertainment business and learning all the lessons.”

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Underwood tops charts JANE STEVENSON Sun Media News Services

It’s good to be the good girl — at least in the case of country-pop superstar Carrie Underwood.

Her latest single “Good Girl” has helped propel her fourth album, Blown Away, to the top of the U.S. album charts for a second week in a row.

“To get that victory is a good thing for sure,” says the 29-year-old. “I think now more than ever it would make me feel accomplished and good because the music industry as a whole — I don’t know what’s happening to be honest.”

In Canada, Adele’s 2011 collection, 21, took top spot from Underwood’s Blown Away, now at No. 2 this week after it also debuted at No. 1 last week on this side of the border.

“That Adele just won’t go away,” Underwood jokes.

“It’s absolutely amazing. If there’s anybody who can claim No. 1 over me any day, it’s somebody that actually makes good music. It’s not like, ‘Let’s see how much I can shock all of you. And let’s see how little I can wear.’”

Blown Away is being described as Underwood’s most adventurous album to date, with darker songs than her fans may be used to.

On the title track, a child abuse victim goes to the cellar while her drunk, passed out father lays on the couch in the middle of a twister destined for death, and “Two Black Cadillacs” features a married woman and a mistress teaming up to kill the man who betrayed them both.

“A little bit, a little bit (of murder), yeah, it’s a movie in a song,” she says. “It’s not like an intentional thought, ‘I’m going to have these darker songs I’ve never had before.’ Because we also lighten up in the middle and we kind of get a little redneck at the end (‘Wine After Whiskey,’ ‘Cupid’s Got A Shotgun,’ ‘Thank God for Hometowns’).”

The Blown Away Tour, which launches May 26 in the U.S., will include a half-dozen Canadian dates

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Kyle Gass (left) and Jack Black form the band Tenacious D.

Tenacious D rise again Photo: Sun Media News Services

Former American Idol Carrie Underwood is riding high with her new album topping North American charts.

between August and October. Underwood can’t wait to play them since marrying Peterborough, Ont.-born NHL player Mike Fisher — formerly of the Ottawa Senators and now with the Nashville Predators — in 2010.

“Blown Away is the best album start I’ve ever had in Canada,” she says. “I think If I needed any more proof I’ve been accepted — we spend a lot of time here, especially in the summer, Mike’s parents still leave in Peterborough — it’s a nice feeling for sure.”

For now their home base is Nashville but starting a family is still a ways off.

“It’s a good place to be and raise a family some day. I have to get through my tour stuff before we legitimately start talking about it. Right now with both of us being as busy as we are, neither one of us really want to compromise.

“We’re both at the top of our game right now so I think somebody’s career would severely suffer if we brought (kids) into the mix.”

Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb dies at age 62 “The family have asked that their SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Bee privacy is respected at this very Gees singer Robin Gibb, who with difficult time.” brothers Barry and Maurice helped Hundreds of tributes define the disco era with poured on to the their falsetto harmonies Twitter micro-blogging and funky beats on smash site, including from hits such as “Stayin’ Alive” record labels and fellow and “Jive Talkin’,” has musicians, and at the died after a long fight with Billboard Music Awards cancer. He was 62. in Las Vegas, the show was The singer had colon stopped for a moment of and liver cancer and, silence as a large blackdespite brief improvements Robin and-white picture of Gibb in his health in recent Gibb was displayed against the months, passed away on Bee Gees singer stage’s backdrop.

Sunday evening.

Neil Portnow, chief “The family of Robin executive of Grammy organization Gibb ... announce with great the Recording Academy said the sadness that Robin passed away six-time winner of the industry’s today following his long battle with highest award, “had an indelible cancer and intestinal surgery,” a impact on music.” statement posted on his official “His distinctive vibrato voice website said.

was part of the trio’s signature harmony,” Portnow said in a statement. Fans “will continue to sing and dance to his music that will be ‘Stayin’ Alive’ for many generations to come.”

Gibb spent much of a career spanning six decades pursuing solo projects. But it was his part in one of pop’s most successful brother acts, the Bee Gees, that earned him fame and fortune.

Born in 1949 on the Isle of Man, located between England and Ireland, Robin and his family moved to Manchester where the brothers performed in local cinemas.

They went to live in Australia where the Bee Gees as a group was officially born, and in 1963 released the first single “The Battle Of The Blue And The Grey.”

DARRYL STERDAN Sun Media News Services

Looking for the next saviours of rock ’n’ roll? Look no further.

“Luckily for planet Earth, we’ve found them — it’s Tenacious D,” humbly asserts Jack Black of the dynamic folkmetal duo.

“We’ve got it covered. We’ll take it from here.”

Make that take it back. It’s been many a year since we last heard from Black and musical partner Kyle Gass, whose seemingly unstoppable ascent to the pantheon of rock godliness was thwarted by the poor performance of their 2006 film and album The Pick of Destiny.

Bloodied but undaunted, the portly pair are picking up where they left off with their third offering Rize of the Fenix, out now.

It’s been six years since your last album. That doesn’t seem very tenacious.

JB: Don’t confuse activity with tenacity.

KG: Or quantity with quality. We’re actually working on a six-year cycle.

JB: Who was the most tenacious of all time? You gotta say Zeppelin, because they had the most great records. How far apart were their records?

Did they crank one out every year?

I think they did eight in 10 years.

JB: Yeah, well, that’s what we’re going to do now ... Mark it on your calendar.

What did you learn from the time away?

JB: We learned about ourselves.

KG: We stood up and lived before we sat down and wrote.

JB: We’ve got a million of those, by the way. For every question, there’s going to be a clever haiku. Ask another question, here comes the haiku.

OK. What brought you back together?

JB: Rain falls apart but the puddle rejoins.

KG: (Laughs) We have a seven-record commitment.

JB: Wait, Kyle. that’s cold.

You can’t say that’s what brought us back together ...

What brings thunder and lightning back together? Uh, the universe. So I guess the answer is the universe.

Are you doing it for yourselves? For the fans? For rock?

JB: We have an addiction to the roar of the crowd. So we do it for ourselves. But we also want to bring the message to the people that rock is in deep need of a creativity goose.

What is the message of The D? To set the artist free ... ’Cause right now it seems like the artist has been shackled by corporate greed.

KG: He’s been shackled by The Man. When are we going to get a Canadian tour out of you guys?

JB: We go where the love is ...

So it’s on you. We’re watching the SoundScan numbers.

18

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Slash’s roots show on solo CD

JANE STEVENSON Sun Media News Services

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash has a new solo CD out, featuring a pair of Canadians.

British-born guitarist Slash’s Commonwealth roots are showing more than ever before.

The L.A.-based musician’s vibrantsounding sophomore solo album, Apocalyptic Love, which hit stores Tuesday, features two Canadian musicians — Estevan, Sask.,-born bassist Todd Kerns (Age of Electric) and Winnipeg drummer Brent Fitz (Theory Of A Deadman) — along with Boston vocalist Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge).

And the 46-year-old guitar player is about to embark on his most ambitious Canadian solo tour yet in July. All that and up-and-coming Hamilton, Ont.,group Monster Truck is his supporting act on the Canadian leg of his tour.

“We’ve never done a proper Canadian run — we only did certain cities,” says Slash, who appeared with his band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Monday to perform the first Apocalyptic Love single, “You’re A Lie.” “Canadian fans are great, always have been,” he continues, wearing a black leather newsboy cap, sunglasses and a T-shirt that said, ‘Buenos F---ing Aires.’

“My first tour ever was in Canada — that was like 1987 — so I’ve always had a special sort of spot in my heart (for the

country). Canadian fans are genuinely uninhibited, very enthusiastic, and definitely know their music and make huge efforts to express themselves in concert. So, for a rock band, it’s an important part of the gig because the interaction between the audience and the band, that energy, that sort of reciprocation, is what makes a really great show. So you can have a good show with a s----y audience but it’s not as much fun.”

Slash’s other currently dormant band, Velvet Revolver, featuring GN’R bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, also almost had a Canadian frontman in the form of big-voiced Ian Thornley of the recently reunited Big Wreck fame.

“He was great,” Slash says. “He came down and he was one of the guys that I thought was really good. At the same time, it was just not exactly what we wanted it to be. He wanted to play guitar. We wanted a front guy. That was the main issue. But he’s one of those guys, as much as I thought he was great with us, he’s so great on his own. We had a good time.”

In the meantime, Apocalyptic Love follows Slash’s first self-titled solo effort in 2010 which featured an all-star lineup of vocalists from Ozzy

Osbourne to Iggy Pop to Kennedy, with only Kennedy, Kearns and Fitz on the road supporting it.

This time, with production duties handled again by Eric Valentine and only Kennedy singing, it was a lot easier, as you might imagine.

“The first album was just an interesting, different kind of effort,” said Slash. “It involved a lot of moving parts but it was a lot of fun. This was more streamlined, sort of focused, just on the four guys. It was a different approach but equally as fun.”

The recent 2012 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee (along with the rest of Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup, although singer Axl Rose refused the honour and didn’t show up), corrects himself.

“It was actually more fun because it was recorded very spontaneously,” Slash says.

“We recorded it live in the studio.

The last one was too but I did the guitar parts later. This one all the guitar parts are from the same sessions, as the drums and bass, and the guys are great.

We really established a great rapport and chemistry on the road so I thought if I was going to do another record I might as well do it with these guys.”

Turns out Slash and Kennedy wrote all of Apocalyptic Love while touring for the last solo album and then finetuned the songs, working out the arrangements and pre-production, followed by rehearsals once they stopped touring making the actual time in the studio easy and productive.

“It didn’t take too many takes to nail it,” Slash says.

“I think it’s a good sounding record. It’s very rare to do a rock record in the traditional format that I was raised on, which is just the band goes in and gives the best performance it can and that’s the record.”

19

Thursday, May 24, 2012

HEALTH

Obstacle courses take fitness to extremes

KAYDI PYETTE Sun Media News Services

Crawl, climb and curse your way through mud, barbed wire and fire. Run, rage and possibly rule in one of the fastest growing sports out there — obstacle course racing.

The races’ popularity has exploded with dozens of obstacle course races popping up across Canada and more than 100,000 Canadians signed up to push their limits this summer.

Worldwide, 1.5 million people will test their physical and mental muscle to get to the finish line.

Courses range from five kilometres to half-marathon length and feature upwards of a dozen gruelling obstacles, including military style walls, staff-wielding gladiators and mud pits topped with barbed wire.

“People get such a sense of accomplishment from it,” says Selica Sevigny, co-founder of the Spartan Race from Montreal.

“It’s fun and challenging, and something that everyone can finish.”

From hardy speedsters to fun-loving exercise enthusiasts and possibly a few foolhardy too, the Spartan Race series expects 250,000 participants to compete worldwide, more than double last year’s count.

“We used to play in the jungle and we really don’t get to do that anymore,” says Sevigny, “but it’s still in us. To be adventurous is in our DNA.” Dr. Peter Jensen of

Performance Coaching Inc. agrees — it’s a chance to break out of the norm and be daring.

“It’s something different, new and exciting and some are there for the bragging rights too,” says Jensen, a Toronto sport psychologist to Olympians.

Vancouverite Carli Sussman, 32, who blogs at onefitmom.ca, competed in a Spartan Race in 2011 while six and a half months pregnant.

“To be adventurous is in our DNA.” Selica Sevigny Spartan Race co-founder “The mud pit was filled with dark, rank mud and had barbed wire about a foot and a half above it. You get to stay low and get dirty. It was the best!”

Sussman took the race at her own pace and enjoyed the camaraderie. “Anyone with reasonable fitness can do it — you don’t have to be an athlete to join.”

The races test your physical boundaries, say race directors.

“We offer physical obstacles to overcome instead of the usual life and career obstacles. Instead of finishing a Q2 report, you’ve just scaled a wall. When you finish you think, I can’t believe I just did that — you feel great,” says Alex Patterson, CMO for international race company Tough Mudder, described on its

website as “hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces.”

“A large number of our participants are what we call emasculated office workers — those who type all day and want to get in touch with something more primal,” says Patterson, who expects 250,000 mudders in North America this year (events in Canada take place in Vancouver and Toronto).

Obstacle runners are typically in their 20s and 30s, with slightly more men than women taking part, but anyone from teenagers to seniors, first-time runners to seasoned competitors, can be a warrior. Corporate teams are becoming popular at obstacle events as a way to build team spirit. High spirits abound, along with beer, revelry and music after most events. The Spartan Race also hosts a scaled-down version for mini-Spartans, aged 5 and up — no barbed wire or fire. For spectators, interactive warrior games are set up and archery will be included this year thanks to the popularity of the bowwielding heroine in The Hunger Games.

Participants come away empowered, adds Warrior Dash race director Sarah Neukom.

“It’s become a strong community — we’ve even had people get married at races. There’s a lot of high-fives and bonding over the experience.”

The Warrior Dash, founded in 2009, has grown to become the world’s largest running series with events across the globe.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

A competitor leaps over fire, one of the many obstacles during a Spartan Race, a tough obstacle course race.

Breakthrough may lead to blood tests for bowel cancer SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – A team of Australian scientists says it has identified new genes that show identifiable changes in the blood of people with bowel cancer.

The group says the discovery not only “has the potential to underpin a new cost-effective blood test that would signal the early stages of bowel cancer,” but “could potentially save thousands of lives by supplementing existing screening programs and encouraging those at risk to have a colonoscopy.”

They presented their research — the

result of five years of collaboration — at the Digestive Disease Week 2012 conference in San Diego Sunday.

A new blood test for bowel cancer based on these discoveries is now being developed and is currently being tested with patients from Australia, the United States and Europe, the researchers say.

The Australian team is hoping to attract interest from other clinicians and scientists around the world to help them further validate the test.

Dr. Lawrence LaPointe, the CEO of

Australia’s Clinical Genomics, said the tests have shown a high detection rate for bowel cancer while also demonstrating a false positive rate of about five per cent in samples from a high-risk population.

“These clinical trial results are highly promising but we need to go one step at a time. The next step is to seek help from other groups and researchers to cast the net more broadly to see what we can achieve with a larger number of tests drawn from a sample of the general population,” Dr. LaPointe said in a statement. “There is still

some time to go before a blood based test of this nature might be broadly available to a community but the technology is clearly worthy of broader, rigorous testing.”

Graeme Young, a professor at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer at Flinders University in Adelaide, said early detection of bowel cancer is crucial.

“One of the key questions is how a test like this might complement existing screening efforts in a cost-effective way to save even more lives in the future,” Young said.

20

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Olympic sprinter leads free online fitness charge CARY CASTAGNA

MARILYN LINTON

Sun Media News Services

First there were fitness videotapes.

Then came fitness DVDs, followed closely behind by an explosion of online exercise videos produced by everyone from no-name workout enthusiasts to the iconic Jake Steinfeld of Body by Jake fame.

Steinfeld’s popular ExerciseTV Video OnDemand channel and website closed down Dec. 31. But the evolution of the fitness video industry continues.

Among the relatively new options is BeFit in 90 — a free 90-day workout system on YouTube starring bubbly Olympic sprinter-turned-fitness guru Samantha (nee Davies) Clayton.

“It’s the first time an online fitness program for 90 days has ever been given away. So I’m really excited to be involved,” Clayton tells Sun Media, noting BeFit in 90 was developed through a partnership between YouTube and entertainment studio Lionsgate.

“They feel that DVDs are on the way out and free fitness online is the future. This was a way that YouTube could come together with a legitimate fitness entity like Lionsgate films and put quality content online that’s been put together by fitness professionals and is not going to get people hurt.”

Much like the fitness video industry, Clayton has evolved, too.

In 2000, the Liverpool native represented England at the Sydney Olympics, running the 200-metre sprint and 4x100-metre relay.

These days, Clayton is the head women’s sprint coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

She’s also the mother of four children — including six-year-old triplets — and the wife of retired Major League all-star shortstop Royce Clayton.

“A lot of the fitness that Royce and I do together is centred around the kids,” she says, explaining the family goes for weekly hikes and bike rides.

“I feel my fitness in general is chasing them (the kids) around.”

Clayton, 32, rarely sits still.

For example, during her kids’ soccer season, the certified personal trainer rallies together a group of fitness-minded soccer moms on the sidelines and gets them exercising.

“I bring resistance bands to the games with me,” she adds. “Instead of sitting for two hours while you wait for your kids, ‘Come on, I’ll train you for free.

Let’s go!’

“I’m innovative because I’m busy. I’m a working mom. So I get it in when I can.”

Although her competitive days are behind her, Clayton still runs on the track once or twice a week.

She also enjoys Bikram yoga with her husband.

And she teaches up to three group exercise classes a week for her university’s rec department.

It’s a regimen that works.

Clayton, who gained 70 pounds while pregnant with her triplets, is back to an uber-fit 122 pounds at five-foot-two.

“I’m just passionate about being healthy,” she says.

“My big push is going to be childhood obesity.”

Allergies a common side effect of spring

Sun Media News Services

For millions of us, wheezing and sneezing are as much a part of spring as daffodils and birdsong.

Seasonal allergies to tree pollen and grasses affect more than one in six Canadians; asthma (its triggers can be anything from smog to dogs) affects 8.5 per cent of all people coast to coast and about 230 million people worldwide.

Photo: Sun Media News Services

Former Olympic sprinter Samantha Clayton is the face of BeFit in 90, a free online fitness program on YouTube.

The former Arizona gym owner is joining Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” anti-obesity campaign and plans to start speaking at schools to inspire students to get fit.

“Seeing kids obese, to me, is a frightening and upsetting thing because it’s something they’re going to struggle with for the rest of their life,” Clayton says.

“It’s great people in power are realizing that we need to teach our kids about wellness now, instead of waiting until they need to be on a show like The Biggest Loser because they have 300 pounds to lose.”

The down-to-earth fitness model, who is also the lead instructor for an upcoming Herbalife fitness video series, is hoping to help develop a second 90-day online workout program with YouTube and Lionsgate.

“This is just the start of something,” she says, “that I really think is eventually going to go viral and be the go-to place for fitness.”

BeFit in 90 is linked to the BeFit YouTube channel, which boasts more than three million video views and also offers free fitness videos from Lionsgate’s massive library featuring industry behemoths such as Jillian Michaels, Jane Fonda and Denise Austin.

Visit youtube.com/BeFit. Samantha’S fitneSS advice: “With fitness, it’s not one-size-fits-all. For me, I can happily lift heavy weights and not do a huge amount of cardio to keep my fitness in check, whereas somebody with my exact same body type, for them, they might benefit more from endurance training or a step class.

“Find what it is that you love. If you love to cycle and you hate to run, then choose cycling. You’re more likely to stick with it if you love it. There are so many different things to choose from ... You have to come up with a balance that’s right for you.”

“Many patients underperceive their symptoms.”

Dr. Tony D’Urzo Ontario Lung Association That’s a lot of sneezing and wheezing — much of which could be either better identified or better managed, say experts who stress that some allergic reactions and asthma attacks can be lifethreatening.

Studies over the past few years have consistently shown that more than half of all asthma patients do not have their asthma under control. Dr. Tony D’Urzo, a spokesman for the Ontario Lung Association who also runs The Primary Care Lung Clinic in Toronto, says he’s not surprised. Just because medications work in the 10 per cent of patients who participate in clinical trials for new asthma drugs doesn’t mean that an approved medication will work on everybody.

Medications are available to help most people who have asthma, he says, but the answer to better control lies in more individualized patient care.

“What we have to do is use the limited information we have and better tailor the treatment to each patient,” sayd D’Urzo. “We have to

sit down with patients and get a real sense of what their control is like because patients and their physicians both overestimate their sense of control.”

D’Urzo, the current chairman and co-founder of the Primary Care Respiratory Alliance of Canada, adds that asthma is not only poorly controlled but also overdiagnosed.

“If you took 1,000 patients who were told by their physician that they had asthma, 30 per cent of them would not actually have asthma.”

All the more reason why family physicians should take a careful history and do proper testing, he says.

A consistent history of shortness of breath, chest tightness and allergies is the first step to proper diagnosis.

This may be followed by a respirologist performing a “methacholine challenge,” in which a patient is asked to inhale a type of mist and blow into a spirometer to confirm the state of his airways.

“Many patients underperceive their symptoms,” says D’Urzo.

“They are so used to their asthma that they are not properly aware of it.”

Allergies that can trigger asthma or other respiratory irritations include pollen, dust mites and pet hair. Dr. Liliane Gendreau-Reid, a children’s allergy specialist in Victoria, B.C., wrote the section on avoidance tips for the Allergy Asthma Information Association’s website (aaia.ca). While it’s difficult to avoid the outdoors in spring and summer, Gendreau-Reid writes that rinsing your nose with salted water several times a day in pollen season and removing shoes and clothes when coming indoors can help minimize exposure.

21

Thursday, May 24, 2012

BUSINESS

Fingers point over Facebook flop

DOLLAR

Down 1.40¢

97.92¢ US S&P/TSX

Up 108.73

11,451.78 NASDAQ

Down 54.68

2,839.08 DOW

Down 129.19

12,502.81 GOLD Photo: Sun Media News Services

Up 22.80

$1,566.90 US OIL

Down 1.44

$91.65 US Figures as of closing Tuesday, compared to one week prior.

For information purposes only.

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is seen on a screen getting ready to ring the NASDAQ stock exchange opening bell in Times Square in New York on Friday morning.

Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, also underwriters of the IPO, cut their estimates for revenue.

Facebook shares tumbled 8.9 per cent on Tuesday, closing at $31, or more than 18 per cent below their offering price.

“Night and day the institutional clients get things that we don’t get,” said a Morgan Stanley broker who found out about the revised analyst forecast second-hand from media reports published Tuesday. “It’s a big issue.”

“This again shows the inherent conflicts of investment banking,” added Mercer Bullard, founder and president of Fund Democracy.

“If they selectively disclosed to some clients and not to others, they are clearly favoring those clients over the rest.”

“The allegations, if true, are a matter of regulatory concern” to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and to the SEC, FINRA chief executive Rick Ketchum told Reuters.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on Tuesday called for a review of Facebook’s IPO. “This could have been a big win for everyone and could have led to a nice resurgence of tech related IPOs,” said Knox Massey, managing partner at Keith-Massey

U.S. rental cars to be allowed north of border

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Canadian travellers will finally be able to drive a vehicle rented in the United States into Canada under changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act that take effect June 1.

Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Maxime

Bernier, the junior minister of tourism, said the change is in response to complaints from Canadians who want more flexibility when they are on the road south of the border.

The changes will allow Canadians to temporarily “import” a U.S.-based rental

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SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – It’s no surprise to anyone that big investors get preferential treatment on Wall Street.

Investors expressed disappointment, skepticism and even shock on Tuesday after learning that an analyst at lead underwriter Morgan Stanley cut his Facebook revenue forecasts in the days before the company’s initial public offering — information that apparently did not reach small investors before the stock went public and subsequently tumbled.

The divide between the research and retail arms of big Wall Street firms has always been deep. A former Morgan Stanley broker described the relationship as being “like Venus and Mars,” an allusion to a best-selling book about the inherent differences between men and women.

As more details about Facebook’s IPO emerge, investors have been finger-pointing, complaining and speculating about what’s next for the company, Morgan Stanley and the Nasdaq, which had trouble executing trades on the day of Facebook began trading publicly.

Reuters reported late Monday that Morgan Stanley cautioned major clients about revised revenue expectations in the days leading up to the stock’s market debut.

780-459-7786 www.bermontrealty.com

Guy Hebert

vehicle for non-commercial purposes for up to 30 days.

“For example, a Canadian taking a cruise from San Francisco to Seattle can now rent a car in Seattle and drive it across the border to visit Vancouver,” Nicholson said.

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car breaks down or they experience a last-minute flight cancellation, they now can rent a U.S. vehicle and return home safely.”

The government will also eliminate taxes on the rentals for Canadians who have been outside the country for at least 48 hours.

Family Investments in Atlanta.

“Instead, this experience may well have soured the market for a long time.”

Some mom-and-pop investors are grumbling, too. “I should have gotten rid of it on Friday afternoon,” said a financial services salesman in New York City who asked not to be named because he works with many firms involved in the deal. “I’m pissed that it fizzled.

I’m pissed that Morgan Stanley took the wind out of the IPO’s sails during the road show.”

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22

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Quick Look

23

Thursday, May 24, 2012

STALBERTJOBS.COM

Beauty benefits at office outweigh risks

female jealousy does happen at the workplace.

“Yes, there are jealous women out there who will work against you,” she says. But the likelihood you’re too hot for “I’m tall, slim, blonde and, so I’m often told, a goodwork is slim. “Unless you’re a supermodel, unless you’re so looking woman,” bragged UK journalist Samantha Brick in remarkably beautiful that it’s distracting, the chances of this the Daily Mail last month. “But there are happening is rare.” downsides to being pretty — the main one In fact, the benefits of looking good being that other women hate me for no at the office — men and women— far other reason than my lovely looks.” outweigh the risk your boss will hate you Shockingly, the Internet was — at least for being beautiful. “You don’t have to be a as Brick saw it — quick to prove her point. psychiatrist to know that people attribute More than 5,000 comments ranged from intelligence to attractiveness,” says Nicole Williams the very insightful you-ain’t-all-that Williams. “Looking good is always good.

Author to the pseudo-helpful advice she seek You look neater, healthier and smarter.” psychological help.

Better yet, beauty’s good for your A sampling: “She is only marginally bottom line. In Beauty Pays: Why okay-looking.” “A face like a bulldog chewing a wasp.” “They Attractive People are More Successful, economist Daniel S. don’t hate you because you’re beautiful ... they hate you Hamermesh shows that beautiful people are more likely to be because you’re a smug, self-satisfied, deluded, vacuous idiot.” employed, work more productively and make more money.

Ouch!

New research suggests Brick might not be all wrong. A study by two Israeli scientists looked at the common practice of including a photo with a resumé. They submitted two similar resumés, one with a photo and one without, to 2,500 real-life jobs.

Are you looking for a unique opportunity to grow your Men, as expected, were more likely to get called if they career in a place where people care? included a photo. (Ugly men, however, were better off not including one.) For women, this was reversed: Attractive Our employees take pride in providing more than 60,000 women were less likely to score interviews than their residents with high-quality programs and services. A wide average-looking counterparts. Gorgeous gals can expect to array of opportunities are available to suit your passion send 11 resumés before receiving a callback; Plain Janes need and experience. You can cultivate your career in a place only send seven. where staff not only care about the work they do but also The working hypothesis — you guessed it — is girlthe people they work alongside. on-girl hate. The researchers concluded that because HR departments are largely staffed by women — 93 per cent in this case — the only explanation was old-fashioned female jealousy.

We have the following employment opportunities available: Brick gets this a lot, of course. “Insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work,” she claims.

• Executive Director, Economic Development Nicole Williams, Vancouver author of Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success, admits

ROSEMARY COUNTER Sun Media News Services

“Looking good is always good.”

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So by all means, says Williams, don’t let your ego — whether inflated or depleted — stop you from attaching your pic whenever possible. “On LinkedIn, your profile is seven times more likely to be viewed if you have a photograph,” she says. “It’s like putting a house on the market without posting a picture; people assume the worst.”

That said, some tips: “It’s not a glamour shot; no windblown hair, no fancy makeup,” says Williams. Ladies, skip the cleavage; men, wear shirts. Your dogs and kids are offlimits (this isn’t Facebook). The only hard and fast rule? “It should actually look like you. They should recognize your face when you walk through the door.”

And if you really are too hot for life, make like another famous Brit, 18-year-old Florence Colgate, who just won the country’s natural beauty contest. Somehow, she also managed to remain likeable. “I’m quite a humble person,” Colgate told Good Morning America. “I don’t feel any different really.”

That’s how it’s done, pretty ladies.

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

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