Why the holiday season is more secular FROM CLASSICS TO COWBOYS
A music society turns 15
HEALTHY FEASTING 6 nutritious holiday recipes PRESENTS THAT PLEASE 8 unique Yuletide gift ideas
DOGGIE-STYLE WORKOUTS
An expert gets your pet in shape
T8N MAGAZINE VOLUME 11 ISSUE 5 December 2024
PUBLISHER EDITOR
Rob Lightfoot Gene Kosowan
DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Isaac White
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sit Stay Squat, Paula E. Kirman, Stephanie Cragg, Gloria Loitz, and St. Albert Chamber Music Society
CONTRIBUTOR
Gene Kosowan, Gloria Loitz, and Tom Murray
OFFICE MANAGER
Janice Lightfoot
CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES
Adobe Stock: Sacred Art, Vlad and Olegganko Pixel: Pixabay and MichaelMorse
ISSN 2368-707X (PRINT)
ISSN 2368-7088 (ONLINE)
For editorial inquiries or information, contact T8N magazine at info@t8nmagazine.com . Have something to say? Letters, suggestions or ideas can be sent to letters@t8nmagazine.com.
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Rob Lightfoot rob@t8nmagazine.com 780 940 6212 or visit t8nmagazine.com
Why faith is becoming less prominent in Canadian society
Culture
10 CLASSICAL COMBOS
A local society celebrates 15 years of chamber music tinkering
Living
14 FOOD & GATHERINGS
HEART-SMART FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Healthy servings for the Yuletide season
20 THE 8S PRESENTS FOR PERSONALITIES
Gifts designed to lift the spirits of those unique folks on your list
22 MEET YOU THERE LET’S GET DOG-GONE PHYSICAL
Sit Stay Squat offers a fun way to get pets into shape
24 THEN & NOW TRACKING PROGRESS
How trains helped St. Albert ride the rails to prosperity
Spotlight
27 THE WRITE STUFF
Arienette Zak faces a new challenge as St. Albert’s latest Poet Laureate
Down Time
30 COLD FEAT
Try this counting contest designed to chill
Rob Lightfoot
TRADITIONAL FOLKS FIND the holiday season isn’t complete without taking in a church service that heightens the more spiritual aspects of the celebrations. But over the years, everyone from casual observers to pollsters have discovered that those pews are gradually looking a bit more vacant. And it’s not just in December, but year-round.
Pundits believe it’s a generational thing that’s caused Christianity’s prominence to erode, while others think that the church, once a typical community’s sole gathering spot, now has to compete with a myriad of other social options. On page 6, we get to the heart – and soul – of the issue.
There’s no arguing that folks are also preoccupied with a more materialistic aspect of the holidays, especially when looking for the right gift for even the most difficult recipient. We have a few ideas on page 20. And while the holiday feast is certainly a highlight of the season, it helps to have a pragmatic mindset on what to serve everyone. On page 14, we present a few recipes for festive meals that are no only delicious, but also heart-smart.
Elsewhere in T8N, we highlight the 15th anniversary of the St. Albert Chamber Music Society (page 10), visit pet therapist Sarah Keller (page 22), trace the railroad's historic impact on this city (page 24), and chat with Arienette Zak, St. Albert’s latest Poet Laureate (page 27).
Regardless of how you plan to celebrate the holiday season, all the best to you from everyone here at T8N! t8n
On the Cover
Those telltale refrains of “O Holy Night” have lost their lustre over the years, with anecdotal and statistical evidence revealing that Christmas isn’t the sacred holiday it used to be. But that’s only part of a bigger picture of how secularism has eclipsed religion’s influence in Canada, which we explore on page 6. Cover image: Isaac White
Happy Holidays
Losing our religion?
Why faith is becoming less prominent in Canadian society
BY: GENE KOSOWAN
For a long time, the church was the centre of many people’s communities and so it was easy to go, but now it’s different, I feel that young people especially seem hesitant to commit to things. They kind of want to form their identities, both religious and otherwise, on their own terms.
Pastor Darcy Albers
PASTOR DARCY ALBERS estimates that he preaches before 100 worshipers split between two Sunday services at St. Albert Evangelical Lutheran Church. He also reaches an additional 80 viewers livestream on YouTube, a feature added during the pandemic. The numbers also get an upward bump during Christmas and Easter festivities, but it’s still a far cry from the 250 folks who previously packed the pews every weekend a few decades ago.
He admits times have changed from the days when faith was far more dominant, an especially telling observation given that St. Albert started as a settlement more than 160 years ago, founded by Father Albert Lacombe, a Roman Catholic missionary.
“For a long time, the church was the centre of many people’s communities and so it was easy to go, but now it’s different,” said Pastor Darcy. “I feel that young people especially seem hesitant to commit to things. They kind of want to form their identities, both religious and otherwise, on their own terms. Even just growing up in the culture we are, it’s all subscriptionbased stuff. They’re hesitant to sign up or subscribe to things. People want to maintain that kind of individual or personal autonomy.”
Affiliation with religion
If younger people are still trying to define themselves, religion – especially Christianity – has become a smaller part of the equation. A 2021 Statistics Canada survey revealed that 59 percent of citizens born as early as the 1980s still maintained an affiliation with their faith. Granted, that still
constitutes a majority, but the tally pales in comparison to those born as early as the 1940s, who have a more reverent connection at 87 percent.
Those differences in part explain why Canadians are gradually dissociating themselves from their faith. While 68 percent of Canadians overall say they are affiliated with a faith, the number’s a significant drop from 90 percent, recorded in 1985. Conversely, the biggest proportionate increase was among those who didn’t have any religious affiliation whatsoever, pegged at 32 percent, double what was reported two decades earlier.
“The people that we have regularly coming to church are older, so we fit that pattern, and I know that it’s a widespread one between many churches,” said Pastor Darcy, who thinks the generational shift is one explanation for the downturn.
“I’m not convinced that’s the only piece. I do think that it’s a really multifaceted thing about this question of why are people kind of disengaging from Christianity. I know a lot of young people who still identify with the Christian faith and really cherish their Christian faith, but really don’t have much time for regular church attendance.”
Lower commitment
Younger people certainly have a lot more options than their predecessors, thanks to being raised in a democratic and economically stable country with a high standard of living, education and literacy. “Religious commitment is lower in places where life is easier,” noted the U.S.-based Pew Research Center in a 2018 study. “And in places where life is steadily becoming easier, the theory goes, younger adults generally are less religious than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.”
The Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, which covers 97 parishes in the capital region – including two in St. Albert – didn’t disclose figures, but said its churches strive to ensure a place for young people. “Anecdotally, we have noted there is a cross section of the population – older people who attend Mass because they have always done for decades, younger people who attend with family, as well as young adult,” said the Archdiocese in an email response. “There are groups within the Archdiocese specifically for young adults to deepen their faith – C-YEG (Catholic Young Adults of Edmonton) and young adults groups at St. Joseph’s College (University of Alberta) and MacEwan University.”
Cultural shift
Still, it’s not just younger Canadians avoiding places of worship. The numbers are far more widespread, given StatsCan’s findings that 53 percent of Canadians don’t attend church at all. The shift is more demographic than cultural, argued Ontario-based pastor and blogger Carey Nieuwhof. Other factors he cited include more affluent families and thus greater options, parents placing greater focus on kids’ sports, more online alternatives, a move towards self-directed spirituality, and a failure to see a benefit in attending in the first place.
“Even among people who say they love the church and who say they love your church, if declining attendance is an issue, chances are it’s because they don’t see a direct benefit,” wrote Nieuwhof. “They don’t see the value in being there week after week.”
But several denominations rail against the currents of faith’s downward flow. Some 90 percent of members in Christianity’s more evangelical congregations like Anabaptists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Pentecostals reflect varying levels of importance religion has in their lives. So do between 70 to 90 percent of Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs. On the other hand, Catholics, Canada’s largest group of
Private Event Spaces available for your Christmas Celebration. Join us for New Year’s Eve for a gourmet experience. Gift Cards Available.
religious followers – which comprise roughly one-third of the country’s population – was pegged at 62 percent, below the national average.
Alberta faithful
Regionally, the prairie provinces have demonstrated the greatest resilience against the national drop. According to StatsCan, roughly 61 percent of folks in the region ages 18-35 said religion was important to them, as did 83 percent of respondents 55 and older. An Angus-Reid poll found that 72 percent of Albertans believed in God, the highest result next to Manitoba, at 76 percent. And EKOS Research Associates revealed that nearly 30 percent of Albertans attended church regularly, compared to 19 percent of Canadians overall.
In some respects, the survey results continue to be testament to Alberta’s fabled “Bible-belt” past, when religion interwove with politics, especially during the heydays of the right-wing Social Credit party that ruled the province for 36 years in the mid-20th century. Notably, two of its premiers were Baptist preachers.
But Pastor Darcy, who grew up on a farm in the province, believes that like politics, Albertans are so committed to their religion, they’re more likely to be vocal about it.
“One thing I’ve heard about Albertans is that we’re pretty opinionated, whether it’s conservative politics or progressive politics, we actually have strong opinions on both sides of the
spectrum,” he said. “It might just be that when it comes to things like church and faith, we have strong opinions, too. We back up our convictions with action in that way.”
Immigrant influence
Devout Albertans might play a part in mitigating religion’s slide in Canada, but faith’s bigger source of support might come from abroad. Roughly 77 percent of immigrants in StatsCan’s poll reported they had a positive affiliation with their faith. “The greater tendency among immigrants to attend religious services is often attributed to the importance of religious communities as a place of social integration, especially in the first years after arriving in the country,” noted the study.
It’s a trend that the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton has applauded. “While we continue to build culture of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, three-quarters of our priests are foreign-born,” said the Archdiocese, noting that several Catholic parishes cater specifically to at least a dozen ethnic groups including Spanish, Polish and Chinese.
Also encouraging to the clergy is that despite the downward statistics, that spiritual belief is still prevalent in the country, which might be enough to bring in the multitudes for Christianity’s bigger gigs. “I’d rather have longer term church involvement throughout the year, but I’ll take them for Christmas and Easter, if that’s when they’re going to come,” said Pastor Darcy. t8n
Classical Combos
A local society celebrates 15 years of chamber music tinkering
BY: GENE KOSOWAN | PHOTOGRAPHY: ST. ALBERT CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY
ONE NIGHT IN November, 2022, an audience at St. Albert United Church sat in rapt fascination while harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker accompanied soprano Casey Peden as they went through their classical set list. But after a break, spectators were surprised when the duo hit the stage in cowboy hats, with Peden strapping on a guitar and her husband Nathan McCavana joining in, armed with a bodhran to provide some rustic beats. What followed was a lively succession of Celtic reels, many of them traced to early cowboy culture in North America.
“It was really beautiful,” said Nancy Watt, artistic director and founder of the St. Albert Chamber Music Society (SACMS), which hosted the event. “It was an example of a program that wasn’t classical music, or a repertoire that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”
Watt isn’t kidding. Since the society’s start in 2009, Watt has often taken liberties with the traditional violin-cello chamber group format that dominated 18th-century Parisian salons in its heyday. For openers, she doesn’t stick to four-piece stringed ensembles, although she’s had a few like the Dover Quartet in 2014 and the locally-based Ednova Quartet, which played in November.
As the SACMS celebrates its 15th anniversary this season, all that tinkering continues unabated. The Zwicker-Peden tandem was a colourful example, as was the strictly reed-oriented Edmonton Symphony Wind Quintette, which played in 2023, and the Top Notes Flute Quartet, slated to perform in 2025.
Such a departure from standard chamber music structure has been part of the SACMS mission statement since the organization staged its first concert. “When we started, I did a lot of reaching out to artists and I still do,” said Watt.
“I try to put together a program that’s diverse, so it’s not all stringed instruments or all wind instruments. So, if I feel we haven’t had a harp or guitar in a while, I’ll reach out to people for that. But I get a lot of requests all over the world now, too, to perform in our series. It’s a great honour to be recognized like that.”
That recognition is one auspicious offshoot of an endeavour Watt felt was created out of necessity. Before the SACMS started, she noticed a lack of spaces for classical events, save for the Arden Theatre. Granted, there were several groups providing that type of entertainment in Edmonton, including the Edmonton Chamber Music Society, but given that seniors comprised the bulk of classical music buffs in St. Albert, many of them found that driving and parking in the Alberta capital was too difficult a venture for them.
Watt also recognized that several of Edmonton’s cultural groups hosted concerts performed by more internationally-renowned performers. Booking such attractions not only meant facilitators had to charge higher ticket costs, it also reduced prospects for local upstarts to garner live followings of their own.
“We were pretty clear on what we wanted to provide. We wanted to make it affordable, we wanted to make it local, diverse,” noted Watt.
“I wanted to give young artists opportunities to perform on a concert stage and attend a concert of a high quality because it’s so inspirational as a student to know what it is you’re working towards. At the beginning of every concert, we have a short performance by an emerging artist who has reached a certain level on an instrument, but is also enthusiastic about music.”
Mixing up the repertoire each season and showcasing new music on occasion have been a few ways for the SACHS to expand its audience.
“I try to think a little bit outside the box to keep it interesting, to give musicians a stage, and to attract the younger audience or a new audience,” said Watt. “To people who may have that misconception that it’s all Beethoven and Brahms, we can feature a lot of original compositions as well. That’s always fun to have a composer come and have a world premiere of a piece, so we try to provide a nice variety.”
That variety has incorporated more than Celtic cowboy descants. The society once dedicated a show to French folk songs and even featured a concert of Argentine tango music, including one piece performed on accordion in its season wind-up earlier in 2024. And all indications are that Watt is interested in exploring more out-there possibilities.
“We’ve never had a dancer,” mused Watt, “but I think if someone was inspired, we would welcome that.” t8n
Top: Dover Quartet
Bottom: Flute Quartet
I try to think a little bit outside the box to keep it interesting, to give musicians a stage, and to attract the younger audience or a new audience
Nancy Watt
St. Albert Chamber Music Orchestra 15th Anniversary Season: 2025 Concerts
Jan. 12
Justine Lai, piano
Nancy Watt, piano
February 9
Robert Uchida, violin
Allene Hackleman, French horn
Sarah Ho, piano
March 16
Top Notes Flute Quartet
May 4
Frank Ho, violin
Vladimir Rufino, violin
Fabiola Amorim, viola
June 1
Celebration Fundraiser
Michael Massey, piano
All concerts take place Sundays at 3 p.m. at St. Albert United Church (20 Green Grove Drive).
Tickets for all events are $40 (adult), $35 (senior 55+), and $15 (student). Exceptions include the Jan. 12 event (free) and the Celebration Fundraiser ($40 adult and senior; $15 student)
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG with holiday indulgences. For some, it’s part of the ritual, while for others, it may simply be a case of eating what’s in front of them. For this season, may I suggest an attempt to balance sweet, fatty treats that won’t leave you feeling bloated sharing the table with the classics! And some hearty plays on those classics, too!
Maple Balsamic Glazed Duck with Peach Chutney
As odd as this may sound, some people just don’t like sleepy turkey. You could even call them odd ducks! Whether that’s you or a loved one, or you just want a festive change for a smaller feast, this recipe is bound to have you sharing a jovial occasion.
1 duck, about 5 lbs. (serves 2-4)
Duck Glaze
6 cloves garlic (about 1 tbsp. minced)
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. orange juice
2 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (about 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, about 3 sprigs
pinch of cayenne
Optional: Peach Chutney
2 peaches, finely chopped
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
Glaze: Bring all ingredients to a boil then lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes before turning off.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Make the glaze. Finely chop the peaches and onion, mix together then add in 1/4 cup of the glaze. Rinse out the duck and pat dry inside and out. Baste the inside of the duck then spoon the chutney into the duck. Add the remaining liquid from the chutney bowl back to the rest of the glaze. Baste the outside of the duck and place in oven, set a timer for 15 minutes and then baste again, setting another timer for 15 minutes to baste. After the second timer, reduce the temperature to 350°F, basting every 15 minutes until cooked, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Herbed Garlic Rutabaga Mash
Mashed potatoes are a quintessential holiday dish in this part of the world. A lesser-known fact is that other places feature rutabaga mash holding a seat at the traditional table. Giving the rutabaga a chance may surprise you!
2 large rutabagas
3 tbsp. butter, ghee or coconut oil
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced (about 3 sprigs)
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. minced garlic (about 7 cloves)
3 tbsp. fresh minced thyme
1 tsp. paprika
sea salt to taste
Chop the rutabagas then add them to a generously salted pot of cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender. Strain out the water then return the rutabagas back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Maple Cranberry Sauce
This recipe makes a generous amount, so expect enough leftovers for a recipe that follows this one. But expect everyone to find this offering so tasty, they might be tempted to start licking the spoon while making this sauce.
3 c. cranberries, fresh or thawed
3/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. orange juice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. minced ginger
1/8 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer. Stir frequently, squishing the cranberries on the side of the pot to break them apart. Cook until sauce thickens, about 12 minutes. Don’t cook longer than 15 minutes or the pectin will break down. Remove from heat then let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a glass or ceramic container. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving. Can be prepared a few days in advance.
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Oat Squares
These festive squares work as a holiday breakfast special or a refreshing treat at any time of day. The flavour is bright and the texture is hearty and comforting.
2 c. oat flour
1.5 c. oats
1/2 c. coconut sugar
3 tbsp. maple syrup splash of water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. coconut oil
1.5 c. cranberry sauce
Preheat oven to 350°F, line a dish with parchment paper (adding a little coconut oil on the bottom will help the parchment to stick). Press a little over half the batter into an 8-inch x 8-inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to remaining batter. Top with cranberry sauce then add the rest of the batter. Place in oven, then reduce heat to 325°F and bake for 45 minutes. Best served after refrigerated.
Cinnamon Ginger Cookies
These rich cookies feel like a real indulgence, yet are unsuspectingly healthy. They’re grain-free, but none would be the wiser based on their taste and chewy almost fudge-like texture!
1.5 c. almond flour
2.25 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. coconut sugar
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 tsp. aluminum free baking soda
1/4 c. maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350°F, line cookie sheet with parchment. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add coconut oil and mix. Add maple syrup and mix. Roll into heaping tablespoon balls then gently flatten on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Make sure not to over-bake, the almond flour burns quickly! Let cool for 10 minutes before handling, they are brittle, fresh out of the oven.
Basil Cabbage Rolls
Peeling cabbage leaves is easier said than done, which I imagine can make cabbage rolls intimidating to make for the first time. But this recipe is very forgiving as the rolls are smaller so if you don’t manage to peel all large leaf segments, the smaller ones should do!
12 cabbage leaves
fresh basil leaves
Filling:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. onion, minced
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
3 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 c. cooked rice
Sauce:
1/2 c. salt free tomato sauce
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
Peel cabbage rolls. Bring a large, salted pot of water to boil. Add in the peeled leaves and blanche for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all filling ingredients together by hand. In a separate smaller bowl combine all sauce ingredients together. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons worth of filling onto the middle of a cabbage leaf, fold in ends then roll up with the visible leaf seam side down. Fill a small casserole dish with one layer of packed rolls then pour the sauce over it making sure to have even distribution. Bake for 1 hour then garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with yogurt or sour cream.
Presents for personalities
PROBABLY ONE OF the most mind-numbing items on your holiday to-do list is finding the right gifts for people who are often hard to please. Many take the easy way out and opt for socks and sweaters, a holiday buzzkill if there
ever was one. Others examine said recipients’ tastes, hobbies, habits and the like to come up with what is hopefully a perfect match. But at the
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHANIE CRAGG
For someone who is hard to buy for… Mike and Jenn Soap hope soap (7.50)
For someone who loves anime…
My Hero Academia & Naruto Funko figurines ($30) Sumo Dino, St. Albert Centre, 375 St. Albert Tr.
For someone who has everything… Gear clock ($169) Zack & Finnegan, St. Albert Centre, 375 St. Albert Tr.
For the one who likes to stay at home… Movie night basket ($115) BasketBelle, 17
For the competitive type… Latitude 64 Beginner Disc Golf Set ($39.99) St. Albert Source for Sports, 580 St. Albert Rd.
For the environmentally conscious person… Mint & Citrus 16-oz. plant-based refillable dish soap in Eucalyptus ($12) No Planet B Refillery, noplanetbrefillery.ca
For an outdoor fashionista… Soia & Kyo zippered leather mittens with faux fur lining ($124) Bellamaas, 370-5 Giroux Rd.
For an indoor fashionista… Soma Mo pearls and handcrafted quality jewellery ($100-$350) Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, osfm.ca
Boudreau Rd.
Let’s get dog-gone physical Sit Stay Squat offers
a fun way to get pets into shape
BY: GENE KOSOWAN | PHOTOGRAPHY: SIT STAY SQUAT
WITH THAT TRADITION of making New Year’s resolutions just around the corner, most of us opt for the usual pledges, from making more family time to losing a few pounds. In the case of the latter, there might be a few four-legged household occupants in need of some bodily improvement as well. And that’s where Sarah Keller comes in.
Keller is a fitness instructor, a certified massage therapist, and more recently, a corrective exercise specialist with a particular focus on dogs, although she has a few credentials to handle cats as well. What she offers clients via her business, Sit Stay Squat, is a series of programs to get household pets into tip-top shape.
“It sounds like a silly job, but there’s actually a lot more science behind it,” said Keller. “It’s about understanding what a dog should look like and there will be some variances in the breeds. A dachshund is obviously going to look different than a German shepherd.”
Keller performs workouts with the dogs to help them lose weight, improve their posture and move better with a series of exercises she’s developed. She’s even incorporated yoga and stretches in those routines, all designed to make the activity more enjoyable for the animals and their owners.
“We keep it really simple for the exercises, with the human and the dog,” added Keller. “I’m a positive reinforcer with the trainers, and I give the dog rewards for participating in these exercises. That keeps the dog wanting to take part in the exercises and keeps it nice and fun for them.”
Anyone who sees Keller in action might be amused over how she gets those canines to jump, crawl, and circle around her, but she’s also applying years of study to work for her. She has certifications in such areas as body work and fitness training for both canines and felines, with additional backgrounds in such disciplines as pet massage, kinesiology, first aid, and even paw targeting.
With those educational tools at her disposal, Keller evaluates each animal according to posture, any movement inefficiencies in its gait, and which muscles are tight or weak. Using that criteria and any other findings she comes across in her examination, Keller will customize an exercise program to improve its physical fitness and reduce the risk of injuries and joint stress.
When handling the pet, she looks for ways to entice it to perform the exercises in a fashion that’s agreeable to the animal. “I will use my body mechanics to encourage a dog to move a certain way,” she said. “If they follow it the way I was hoping they would, I give them a little reward for that, to encourage the dog to continue participating with me.”
Keller also doesn’t believe that some breeds are more challenging to exercise.
“Dogs who have had some prior training are a bit easier to work with, but I work with dogs all the time that have no prior experience and they do extremely well,” she noted. “I wouldn’t say there are breeds that are harder to work with than others. It just kind of depends on the individual dog and how motivated they are to come and play around with us.”
Keller first came up with the idea for Sit Stay Squat when she was looking for a way to exercise with her dog, that would otherwise be cooped up in the home while she was working out at the gym. She boned up on the academics necessary to make her venture a reality and set up an office in St. Albert. When the pandemic hit, Keller closed up shop and shifted her operations online. These days, she has maintained the videoconference component of her business and visits the rest of her clientele in their homes.
Keller also works with professional performance dogs to keep them in shape and takes referrals from dog trainers and veterinarians. She also gets clients whose pets are recovering from surgery or are concerned with how their animals are moving or looking. But a lot of folks enlist her services to find a fun way to bond with their pets. Regardless of the motives of her clients, there’s no doubt that the quadrupedal recipients are getting a kick out of the program.
Noted Keller, “It’s pretty obvious when you watch them, how much fun the dogs are having, and how much they want to keep doing the exercises.” t8n
Sit Stay Squat
780-718-9893
sarah@sitstaysquat.ca
For more information: sitstaysquat.ca
Christmas Benedict Served from
TRACKING PROGRESS
How trains helped St. Albert ride the rails to prosperity
BY: GENE KOSOWAN | PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULA E. KIRMAN
ST. ALBERT HAS come a long way since its humble beginnings as a 19th century mission to a city of roughly 70,000. But the community didn’t just grow by itself. Events from the 1900s wheat boom to the oil gush of the Leduc No. 1 derrick in 1947 all played a part in the city’s development. Somehow ignored in tracing St. Albert’s progress has been its access to the railroad, which resulted in one of the first major spikes of economic activity in the city’s history.
1880s
Years before tracks were laid anywhere near St. Albert, locals almost exclusively relied on Red River cart brigades and horsedrawn carriages for supply and trading goods shipments. The trails made for tough slogging, especially during rainy days and the winter. Drier and warmer days weren’t much better, thanks to the wheel ruts imprinted by previous excursions.
So, village residents were understandably disappointed in 1882 that the Canadian Pacific Railway chose Calgary instead of nearby Edmonton as a stop for the first train to run through Alberta. The community would have to wait for nearly a decade before a railway would even reach the vicinity.
1890s
St. Albert finally received something remotely resembling access to locomotive-powered transit when the independentlyoperated Calgary and Edmonton Railway began operations in 1891. The railway, which would eventually be absorbed by Canadian Pacific, never actually reached Edmonton, instead
stopping in the town of Strathcona, on the southern banks of the North Saskatchewan River. (Strathcona would eventually be absorbed by the Alberta capital in 1912.)
But hope lay in the prospects of the Edmonton & Slave Lake Railway, formed in 1899. Its eastern Canada owners, encouraged by the Yukon’s short-lived Klondike Gold Rush a year earlier, believed northern Alberta had enough natural resources to warrant building a line.
1900s
After several delays, construction of the Edmonton & Slave Lake line eventually reached St. Albert in 1906. The railroad also built a wooden trestle bridge across the Sturgeon River, and was open for business in 1908, with its train station starting service in 1909. The line, which stretched to the Athabasca region, was completed in 1912.
Once the line was commercially operational, St. Albert’s business community and farmers in the vicinity sighed with relief. No longer did they have to hit the cumbersome trail to Edmonton to market their grain and livestock and get supplies from retailers in that neighbouring community. All the wheeling and dealing could be done at the train station, while passengers loved the speed and the smoothness of the ride to Edmonton for shopping and entertainment. Almost overnight, St. Albert’s economy spiked with increased activity.
1910s
St. Albert merchants saw additional opportunity further west in 1910, when the Canadian Northern Railway bought out the Edmonton & Slave Lake Railway. Work quickly started on building a junction just north of town that would foster a rail line to British Columbia.
But a smaller, yet equally convenient service was also in the works. Three years later, the Interurban Railway, a passenger rail line connecting Edmonton and St. Albert, was established, using a Chicago-built trolley called the Drake. Unfortunately, the Drake broke down frequently, turning the Interurban Railway into a costly venture. Six months after starting, the company went under when the Drake was destroyed by fire in 1914.
Also in 1914, the Alberta & Great Waterways Railway, previously incorporated in 1909, built another set of tracks heading north, with the nearest stop to St. Albert located in what is now Campbell Business Park. Sod for the project was first turned in 1913 just north of St. Albert in Carbondale, the site of the line’s first train station.
1920s
Granted, towns like St. Albert economically benefited from the branch lines built in the province, but the companies running them weren’t as financially fortunate. They had to compete against Canadian Pacific which greatly profited from exclusively servicing larger municipalities. Unable to capture that considerably larger chunk of business, the smaller firms had to drastically restructure their operations.
Such was the case with the Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific railways, which merged with the newly-formed Canadian National Railway in 1920, and scrapped several branch lines in Alberta, although the original track that included St. Albert as a stop was mercifully untouched.
In 1929, another drastic merger took place, this time involving intervention from the provincial government. That year, a handful of companies that included the Alberta & Great Waterways Railway and the Edmonton, Dunvegan & British Columbia company united and formed Northern Alberta Railways.
1930s-1950s
Increasing traffic to the original train station resulted in periodical refurbishing of the building, which was refitted with more storage facilities. The terminal received a stucco and insulation treatment in 1937 and was serviced by electricity in 1953.
The Second World War severely tested the capacity of the railway systems going through St. Albert. Wartime activity reached its height in 1942, when freight was hauled northward to supply the construction of the Canol Project, a pipeline designed to provide oil for Allies stationed in Alaska.
And while building of the railway in the region was remarkably casualty-free during the first half of the century, tragedy struck in 1959 at the Carbondale station, which was destroyed in the
wake of a fiery head-on collision between a steam passenger train and a diesel freight train. The accident killed one person and injured 19 others.
1960s-Today
The railway system’s influence on transportation has gradually given way to the trucking industry, thanks to more improved roads and highways. In response, some rail companies folded or were taken over, as was the case of the Northern Alberta Railway, which was absorbed in 1981 by the Canadian National Railway, now rebranded as CN.
Passenger transport was limited to major lines when VIA Rail took over that part of the industry in 1978. But by then, St. Albert’s train station had been out of service for years and had since moved to the Alberta Railway Museum in 1973.
Today, CN operates the only rail line that bypasses St. Albert, where it spans northward to Hay River in the Northwest Territories. t8n
CPKC Holiday Train
All decked out for the festivities, the CPKC Holiday Train hits the rails once again as part of its massive food bank mission. Sadly, it won’t reach St. Albert, but watch for the train to stop on Dec. 12 at 8:15 p.m. at its station at 7935 Gateway Blvd. in Edmonton to take in nonperishable food items for needy families.
The Write Stuff
Arienette Zak faces a new challenge as St. Albert’s latest Poet Laureate
BY: TOM MURRAY | PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULA E. KIRMAN
WHEN ARIENETTE ZAK first went to a poetry open mic in the ninth grade she didn’t necessarily think she would be making a life-altering decision.
“I had written poems as a kid and my father was a poet, so I kind of had a bit of a background in it,” she says. “It was nothing new. But standing there with a bunch of high school poets, something struck me. I decided to make up a poem on the spot at the microphone. I remember bits and pieces, and I’ll just say I’m really glad that smartphone recordings weren’t the thing back then.”
How times have changed. Zak now has to contend with smartphones and cameras whenever she steps out in her position as Poet Laureate of St. Albert, a position she took over in April of 2024, and which she’ll hold for a two-year term. As a cultural and literary ambassador for the city, Zak will be present at civic functions and public poetry events, adding a little verbal flair to the proceedings.
Having spent most of her young life in St. Albert, the 24-year-old poet is thrilled to represent the community. She points to the city’s rich history, architecture, and relationships with the arts as having a great effect on her. ln fact, she thinks of St. Albert as a
city with a great deal of ambition in terms of how it sees itself, citing its city hall as an example.
“It was a very ambitious project and it had a kind of commitment to the arts because it has this multidisciplinary space with a museum, a performing theater, a pottery studio, and a city hall,” she says of the complex designed by renowned architect Douglas Cardinal. “It’s all contained in one building. I think that shows a vision that some other communities might not really have.”
It’s a signal honor to be declared Poet Laureate, and Zak is well aware that the duties involved in the job will take her a little beyond the usual processes behind writing poetry.
“It’s certainly something that I feel is going to challenge me,” she acknowledges. “The idea of writing to open city events and things like that is very different from my usual process and my usual kind of subject. I’m excited for that challenge. I’m also excited about the unfamiliar parts and also feeling fairly
confident about the parts that I feel like I have some degree of mastery over. I think being Poet Laureate is a chance to kind of forcibly be taken out of the usual territory and that’s a good thing.”
Zak has certainly participated in the usual literary territory in her time. She’s been in the Edmonton Poetry Festival, Edmonton Fringe, Amplify, Illuminate, Skirtsafire, as well as the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts. She’s written a number of chapbooks, including one with former city Poet Laureate Julia Sorenson called “to love and to be loved,” but lately she’s been focusing on a synthesis between her words and music, which she started experimenting with back in 2020 with Sorenson.
A lot of my focus over the last few years has been ensuring that kids have that space where they can express themselves, When you live in a small community, the art scene is very dependent on just a few people making it happen.
Arienette Zak
“Mixing words with physical instruments was really, really a joy to do,” she says. “There’s also an electronic project I’ve been working on as well, plus a project with a double bassist that I’m looking ahead to in the future. I think that’s something that I’m very interested in moving towards as I go along.”
As much as Zak is feeling the pull towards music, she’s still very much a wordsmith, and words are where it all begins. When inspiration hits, she sets aside time to chase after the thought that’s just gone past, whether in actual writing or taking notes. That’s why, among the many iPhone reminders about passwords, groceries, or appointments, there are fragmented thoughts that she hopes to flesh out in the future.
“There’ll be stuff like ‘throwing darts, throwing 20s onto the dartboard of your ego.’ Things like that. And when you get kind of the wave where it’s like, ‘I need to write right now,’ and
you have lines you can integrate as needed. Sometimes you hold onto the line for a really long time, and sometimes the line defines the poem. Sometimes the line is just kind of shoehorned in and just gives you a little direction. But generally, it’s a very spontaneous process. I usually have a first draft done the first time I sit down to write it, and then I retool. But I’ve been writing long enough that I feel like I have enough command over how I write, and editing is fairly minor.”
Zak now lives and works in Edmonton, but she still feels the pull back home. She’s very much involved in the Paul Kane and Bellerose fusion that is STARK (St. Albert Rose Kane) Poets, where she mentors the younger generation of poets coming up, and she still works with Paul Kane instructor Karen May Healey, who gave Zak a great deal of encouragement when starting out. It’s a short drive up north for Zak to continue the work of growing a small but dedicated group of new poets.
“A lot of my focus over the last few years has been ensuring that kids have that space where they can express themselves,” she says.
“When you live in a small community, the art scene is very dependent on just a few people making it happen. When I started it was just in the library with Karen and I working on this project together, and now Karen and I are working alongside a few other people because we think this space needs to exist. It’s something that we had, and it’s something I want the youth who are coming up to have as well.” t8n
Cold Feat
Try this counting contest designed to chill
There’s no need to get frosty or flaky in this edition’s contest, created with the spirit of the season in mind.
Simply guess how many candies are in this snowman container, write down the answer on this page, whip out your smartphone to click an image of it, then post it on either Facebook or X (tagging #t8n, of course) or direct message us instead.
The person who guesses the right amount or gets closest to the correct total wins. If there is a tie, we will randomly draw from those lucky candidates. Prize is available only to St. Albert residents.
Head to the south pole fast
for a l l t he be st de a l s on hol id ay g i f t s.
