T8N September

September 2017 t8nmagazine.com

The Gender Pay Gap Why Is This Still an Issue?

Destination Rexplex Where All Dogs Learn New Tricks

Fake News Navigating a Post-Truth World

The Health Halo Effect Learn the Hidden Language of Food Packaging T8N September 2017 1

MEDICAL – PROFESSIONAL BUILDING

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Visit urbandistrict.ca for more information LEASING AND SALES Lorraine Bodnarek lorraine@landrex.com or 780-907-1262

2 T8Nmagazine.com

INTRODUCING THE URBAN DISTRICT

The Urban District transcends your average shopping centre. Reflecting the City of St. Albert’s active population, our vision is to create a vibrant multi-use development that boasts retail, hospitality, medical, professional and residential offerings all anchored by a naturally stunning, lush park space that transforms into an ice rink to be enjoyed throughout the winter months. In the Urban District, the stress of day-to-day errands and appointments dissolves against a backdrop of stimulating sights and exciting discoveries.

RETAIL/ COMMERCIAL 3

This dynamic development will effectively connect the community at every turn with thoughtful, multi-functional spaces that encourage interaction and activity through the seasons. Employing purposeful design, the District is pedestrianfriendly not only to inspire healthy living, but also to ensure visitors can take in the full host of offerings with ease, and convenient access directly from St. Albert trail.

September 2017

Contents CONVERSATIONS 8 Do You Mind the Gap?

Men earn more money than women do. Why is this still an issue?

ARTS & CULTURE 33 IN THE SPOTLIGHT Hygge The Scandinavian art of feeling cozy

CITY 34 THEN & NOW 17 Rexplex Canine Sport Facility Woodlands Then & Now

Teaching all dogs some new tricks 36 THE 8S

Gear Up for Fall 20 MEET YOU THERE

Going to work has St. Albert’s Community Gardens

Communities taking root

in St. Albert

23 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TRENDING 38 The Health Halo Effect

LIVING 25 FOOD & GATHERINGS

Mint Condition Summer’s garnish just got serious

30 TRULY DEEPLY MADLY

May We Suggest…

Beekeeping An ancient craft in your own backyard

ABOUT THE COVER Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.

– Orhan Pamuk IMAGE BY BRENDA LAKEMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

never looked better

The hidden language of food packaging

40 Fake News (n.)

Navigating a post-truth world

T8N September 2017  5

From the Editor

T8N MAGAZINE

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9 September 2017

IT’S HARD TO think about September without

CARMEN D. HRYNCHUK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

also thinking about school. All the new things to learn and the new ways to learn them—all the people who inspire lifelong learning. And since few things make us happier than sharing ideas and starting conversations, we’re dedicating this month’s issue to getting schooled. The first question we’re asking? How is it that men still earn more money than women do?

A second question on this issue’s lips: What exactly is fake news and, for that matter, a post-truth world? And speaking of buzzwords, have you heard of the “health halo effect?” Well, get ready to because we’re taking a look at the hidden language of food packaging. From ambiguous words that imply healthy benefits to ingredient lists that are less than forthcoming, there is no shortage of marketing tactics for making you think a product is healthier than it actually is.

What else are we learning about this month? Let’s see… we’re exploring beekeeping, community gardening, dog-agility training—ooh!—and a delightfully odd concept called hygge—the Scandinavian art of feeling cozy.

So, ready to start these conversations with us? We’re hoping so. As Albert Einstein said, “Learning is an experience. Everything else is just information.”

PUBLISHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Rob Lightfoot

Carmen D. Hrynchuk

ART DIRECTION

Carmen D. Hrynchuk, Brenda Lakeman PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT & DESIGN

Correna Saunders PHOTOGRAPHY

Brenda Lakeman FOOD STYLING

Little Fire Creative PROOFREADING

Amy Lightfoot CONTRIBUTORS

Jennie Drent, Markwell Lyon, Robert Michon, Leslie Vermeer OFFICE MANAGER

Janice Lightfoot CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Image page 8 ©jozefmicic/Adobe Stock Image page 12 © jozefmicic/Adobe Stock Image page 30 ©bernardbodo/Adobe Stock Image page 33 ©Sensay/Adobe Stock Image page 38 ©kraphix/Adobe Stock Image page 40 ©penwin/Adobe Stock

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.

Feature Writers

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rob Lightfoot rob@t8nmagazine.com 780 940 6212 or visit t8nmagazine.com

LESLIE VERMEER

Leslie is an Edmonton-based writer and editor who teaches at MacEwan University. She holds a PhD in the sociology of education.

ROBERT MICHON

Robert has a degree in History and English Literature from the University of Alberta and is pursuing a second degree in Communications from MacEwan University. Robert fills much of his free time reading, blogging or writing fiction. But when he doesn’t have a book in hand, he can usually be found outdoors, hiking or enjoying one of Edmonton’s many summer festivals.

T8N magazine is published 12 times a year by T8N Publishing Inc. Copyright ©2017 T8N Publishing Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.

Content marked by the Sponsored Content icon was produced in partnership between content producers and T8N magazine.

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Conversations

DO YOU MIND

THE GAP? Men earn more money than women do.

Why is this still an issue?

BY LESLIE VERMEER

IN MARCH 2017, Iceland made head-

lines as the first country in the world to require businesses to demonstrate they a re paying men a nd women equally. Then in July 2017, the BBC made headlines when published data revealed a large gap between male presenters’ salaries and female presenters’ salaries—and then again when the presenters demanded that the BBC address the disparity. In fact, the issue of the gender wage gap makes headlines regularly, yet most of us don’t really understand what it is or what it represents.

One of the most frustrating aspects to the gender wage gap is that, on paper, it shouldn’t exist. In Canada, it is illegal to discriminate in hiring on the basis of gender, marital status, age or other aspects of human difference; in law, women and men are equals in the workplace. Yet a demonstrable gap between men’s earnings and women’s persists.

What Is the Gender Wage Gap? At its most basic, the gender wage gap refers to the difference between what women are paid and what men are paid, based on average wages over time. That seems straightforward, right? But one reason the gender wage gap is so contested has to do with the way it is calculated.

If we compare the average hourly wage of women working full time to that of men working full time, in 2014 women made 8 T8Nmagazine.com 8 T8Nmagazine.com

$0.88 for every dollar men made. That figure, however, doesn’t reflect the complexity of women’s working lives. For instance, if we compare men’s full-time, full-year income to women’s full-time, full-year income, in 2014 women earned $0.74 for every dollar men earned. The larger gap reflects a specific factor about women’s participation in the workplace: that the average woman works fewer paid hours annually than the average man does. That’s because working women’s available time is limited by unpaid family responsibilities.

Full-time wage figures may be misleading, however, because a significant number of women work part time even though many of them would prefer to work full time (women are the majority of part-time employees as well as the majority of minimum-wage workers).

The Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF), a charitable organization dedicated to women’s social equality and participation, calculated that when part-time earnings are added to the mix, women fall back sharply: to $0.67 for every dollar men earned in 2011. And even this figure may leave our understanding incomplete because it doesn’t reflect when those hours are being worked—what time of day or day of the week—and whether the employer offers workers an incentive to work long or unusual hours. And since we’re talking in averages, it’s important to remember that every woman experiences the pay gap differently. The CWF notes that “Women who are racialized, Indigenous, living with a disability or newcomers to Canada earn even less.” By comparison, current U.S. statistics show that the average American woman

makes $0.80 for every dollar a man makes, but this figure changes from state to state and drops noticeably for women of colour.

Pay disparity between men and women is so commonplace in our social world that it can feel natural. Male actors earn more on television and in movies than their female co-stars do.

Male athletes earn much bigger salaries—and sign more valuable endorsement deals— than female athletes do. Even the average male writer earns 45 percent more than the average female writer does. No matter how we compare men’s and women’s wages, a gap exists, but its existence is not natural or accidental. The CWF estimates that, despite legislation, “10–15% of the wage gap is attributed to gender-based wage discrimination.” The root of this discrimination rests in social attitudes and beliefs.

An Attitude Problem If you have a conversation with friends about why women make less than men do, you may hear comments like “Women choose poorer-paying jobs” and “Women aren’t good at bargaining for the best salary.”

Such comments underscore a larger social conversation about the roles and rewards that are appropriate for women and men.

Because this discourse is so common and is reinforced so consistently and subtly in our conversations, our media and even our personal relationships, it can lead us to take for granted illogical ideas that don’t stand up to scrutiny. We might call these ideas myths.

Research finds three consistent points about the gender wage gap: • women are over-represented in low-paying jobs and under-represented in high-paying jobs; • woman-dominated occupations tend to be poorer paid than man-dominated occupations, even when they involve comparable levels of skill and training; • even when women are paid the same hourly rate as men, women earn less money annually than men do.

These findings tell us the gender wage gap is real. Most people who work or have worked outside the home have opinions—sometimes very strong opinions—about what’s real and what’s myth. Let’s take a look at how myths and facts interact for working women.

It’s a Man’s World One of our society’s most resilient myths is that working men must be paid more than women are because men are the major earners in their families and have the primary careers in the home. There’s a certain circularity to this notion—the significance of the job justifies the compensation, and the compensation justifies the significance—and it goes hand in hand with the myth that women’s jobs are less important, that women work for supplemental money or to get out of the house.

The idea that women are less serious about work produces many negative outcomes for working women. Because some supervisors believe it, many women find themselves stuck in part-time work when they want full-time work, or stuck in low-level positions when their aspirations and abilities are greater. The issue may be compounded when women take maternity leave. Dr. Fiona Angus, a professor of Sociology at MacEwan University in Edmonton, says, “This is known as the ‘mommy track.’ When women return to work, they often experience being passed over for promotions or have their hours cut back. Many women end up quitting their jobs out of frustration.” Though understandable, quitting may reinforce beliefs about women’s commitment and may leave a woman dependent on her partner’s income, thereby reinforcing the idea that men need to earn a “family wage.”

Dilemmas & Bad Choices Over decades, women workers have tended to cluster in what researcher Melissa Moyser

calls “the 5 Cs”: caring, clerical, catering, cashiering and cleaning. Many jobs in these fields are low-paying and insecure. Women’s concentration in these jobs has given rise to another myth: that women choose to work in lower-paid jobs.

Let’s be realistic. No one willingly chooses to earn less than other people do. When people make such “choices,” they generally do so because their situation is constrained.

For instance, many women face a choice between working for a lower wage and not working at all. Not much of a choice if your household depends on your wage, is it?

Fiona Angus remarks, “The issue of choice is complex. It is almost impossible for a family to manage without two incomes. Therefore, women are more likely to put up with discriminatory treatment in the workplace because of economic need.”

Statistics show that men’s wages are higher than women’s within every professional category, even if that category is dominated by women workers. This finding is commonly explained by the notion that men are better negotiators than women are, or that women are socialized to accept what they’re offered.

Complicating matters further, female-dominated fields may be career-limiting for workers.

Some of these jobs offer few steps for advancement and few opportunities for transition to other, related fields. Retraining is generally needed for the worker to move into a role with greater responsibility and better pay.

Time lost to retraining puts women further behind in experience and earnings.

Several studies have found that when women enter a profession in significant numbers, that profession loses status and becomes less well paid. Men who continue to work in the field tend to concentrate in the higher-paid, higher-status ranks. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a body that oversees international trade and economic progress, offers the example of doctors: today there are many female general practitioners, but most medical specialists—surgeons and neurologists, for example—are male. So maybe the issue isn’t women’s choices as much as the market’s reaction to those choices.

Education as an Escalator That women can educate themselves out of the wage gap is another common myth. This invokes the human capital argument. Human capital

refers to how people invest in themselves to become economically valuable—their knowledge, skills, personal qualities and social networks. Postsecondary education is one of the most important ways women invest in themselves; more women currently participate in postsecondary education than men do, and when men and women first graduate, their wages are similar. Over time, however, men receive more opportunities to excel and are promoted more rapidly regardless of their education.

American economist Claudia Goldin has argued that men’s willingness to work unconventional hours, versus the need of many women—particularly those raising families—for more conventionally structured hours (to accommodate childcare, school hours, out-of-school activities and other family commitments), enables men to leap ahead of women rapidly. Goldin and her colleagues found that the gap is more significant for workers with university degrees than for those without and is much more significant for married women than for single women.

Women’s investment in their human capital is sometimes used against them. Economics scholars Jill Rubery and Damian Grimshaw refer to “human capital decay,” employers’ perception that education or training grows stale if it’s not used sufficiently through employment. Rubery and Grimshaw’s findings suggest that only full-time employment prevents the “decay” of a worker’s credentials.

Women tend to have more interrupted work histories—due to maternity leave, personal leave to care for family members, part-time employment and prolonged under-employment —and thus are more likely to experience “decay” in their credentials, making advancing in a field more difficult or requiring them to pursue further training or education to protect their human capital investment. This experience is part of a larger issue called the part-time penalty.

Precarious Balance Trying to balance work and family commitments is challenging for many women because the burden of unpaid work—meal preparation, housework, childcare and so on—still falls disproportionately on women. For this reason, part-time, contract and temporary work may be attractive despite drawbacks like lower hourly wages, high risk of job loss and few or no benefits. But because of the fields in which women tend to work—the health T8N September 2017 9

sector, retail sales, the public sector and other service jobs—women are also disproportionately vulnerable to cutbacks and layoffs.

Managing the balance means that some women turn down promotions because a new position can interfere with family responsibilities. For similar reasons, many women turn down overtime hours because they simply can’t afford the intangible costs.

Many men never face these kinds of decisions.

But the unequal distribution of unpaid labour restricts women’s incomes and career advancement.

Penalty for Being Female

The mommy track and the part-time penalty interact with a factor dubbed presenteeism, which refers to being generally visible in the workplace. It is demonstrated when workers show up early and work late, work

Images supplied by: Nanc Price

There is a clear relationship between women’s unpaid work at home and their undervaluing in the workplace. Researchers

argue that one of the reasons women’s work outside the home is undervalued is that so many women work in fields similar to or related to the unpaid work women do at home: cooking, cleaning and caring for others.

When a child is sick or a family member must be taken to a medical appointment, it is far more likely the female head of the family who stays with the child or accompanies the relative. Statistics Canada data reveals that women lose more work days annually than men do (2.1 versus 1.3 respectively) to caring for others.

unpleasant hours (e.g., late nights, weekends) and take little or no time off due to illness (their own or a family member’s). It may also involve spending time where higher-ups are and being seen at work-related events such as after-work drinks, sports tournaments and industry mixers. Presenteeism can keep women with children from advancing because of their family commitments, which may require them to leave work at a fixed time every day, to say no to overtime and not to participate in external networking. When supervisors perceive women’s absence, they may be reluctant to assign them to either long-term projects or short-term, high-intensity projects; again, supervisors may feel women are insufficiently committed, regardless of a woman’s actual commitment, knowledge or abilities.

There is a lot of power in sharing a meal together. It’s a bonding experience that brings us closer together. But when work becomes a priority, as it so often does, one of the first casualties always seems to be family dinnertime.

Even if you leave yourself time to cook after a busy day at work, there is still the meal planning, the shopping and the prep work that needs to come first—not to mention all the cleaning that follows. Just thinking about it can be enough to make you want to reach for the takeout menu again. But that takeout is expensive, not always healthy and never quite as satisfying as you’d hoped. If only there were a way to combine the convenience of takeout with the benefits of a home-cooked meal. That’s where Dinner Factory comes in. This meal-assembly service makes family dinners not only achievable but also something to look forward to.

One visit to Dinner Factory, and your family will fall back into the habit of sharing a nutritious home cooked meal like Grandma used to make!

A NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE DINNER Dinner Factory owners Edward and Kim Wanat are no strangers to the hustle and bustle of the modern working world. After years of balancing their careers with the challenges of being full-time parents, they came to understand the struggles that many face when trying to balance the needs of work and a home life. They decided to run their business with a simple goal in mind: To reacquaint their customers with the joy of healthy, home-cooked meals, all with a convenience factor that will leave them with time to relax after a busy day at work.

Making Dinner

Simple Again A look at the wonder of Dinner Factory 10 T8Nmagazine.com

One of the things that really sets Dinner Factory apart from other dinner services is the quality of the food. While other meal services can leave you wondering about the nutritional value, Edward and Kim plan all the Dinner Factory meals themselves and take great pride in the quality and freshness of their ingredients. If they wouldn’t feel comfortable serving the meals to their own family, they wouldn’t expect their customers to either. The ingredients are locally sourced, preservatives-free and, above all, delicious.

HOW IT WORKS If you’ve never heard of meal-assembly services before, don’t fret. They’re incredibly simple to figure out. You start by booking a meal assembly session or pickup time online at the Dinner Factory website and selecting the meals that you want (they come in full-size, serving 4-6 people,

Many women know they are being treated unfairly but are afraid to speak up. They’ve been told this is the way business works.

Employers cut the corners they can. If women are willing to work for less than men accept, then the market will take advantage. Responding to this implied threat with silence and conformity allows bias and discrimination to continue unchecked.

The Outcomes Matter The interaction of our myths and the facts has real consequences for working women.

One of the biggest consequences is the threat of poverty. The less a woman earns, and the fewer hours a woman works for pay, the greater her risk of living near or in poverty. Poverty may be less of an issue for

dual-earner households, but for single women and single mothers, it’s an everyday threat.

Poverty is also a risk for women as they age. When women make less than men do, they must work much longer—a decade or more—before they can afford to retire comfortably (neither in luxury nor in need).

They must also save a greater portion of their income for retirement: one expert calculated that, due to women’s discontinuous work histories, women need to invest 18 percent of their earnings for retirement. Separation, divorce or the untimely death of a spouse can lead to hardship.

Fear of poverty constrains women’s independence and their choices—in the workplace and at home—in ways that men do not

experience and may not even perceive.

The consequences of the wage gap reach far beyond individual women and affect our communities, our cities, even our national well-being.

What Can I Do? We’re not helpless in this situation. In fact, there’s plenty we can do, both as individuals and as communities.

First, we can work toward making workplaces sustainable. We need to expand workplace benefits for women and men, including flexible hours within a secure employment framework, the option of working from home and affordable, accessible childcare.

Fiona Angus says, “Employers need to have family-friendly workplace policies, ones that

LOVE TO COOK?

…BUT HATE THE TIME IT TAKES TO PLAN, SHOP, CHOP AND CLEANUP? AVOID FOOD WASTE AND ENJOY DELICIOUS NEW MEAL CHOICES. YOU’LL FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ON A COOKING SHOW WITH ALL THE INGREDIENTS MEASURED AND AT YOUR FINGERTIPS! or down-size, serving 2-3 or single servings, ideal for seniors). The Dinner factory menus change monthly, so there is no need to worry about food fatigue. While customer favourites do come back into the rotation, every meal can be an exciting new experience.

When you arrive, the ingredients and the prep tools will be waiting, and you’ll be ready to start preparing your meals. The recipes and staff will guide you through the prep process, and of course, you’re free to customize your meals to meet your family’s specific dietary needs.

Depending on how much time you have, you can prep a single meal within minutes, or as many as 12 meals in the span of only a couple of hours.

Once your meals are prepped, packaged and ready to go, so are you. No cleanup required.

Just take them home, stick them in the fridge or freezer and pull them out to cook after a long day at work. In one afternoon, Dinner Factory allows you to make two weeks worth of whole, real food for your family. Without all the dreaded shopping and chopping.

A RISING TREND

In less than two hours, the time it typically takes to plan, shop, prepare and cleanup after one meal, you could leave the DINNER FACTORY with 12 fabulous meals!

SO MANY OPTIONS You’re always welcome to book a prep session at Dinner Factory, no matter the occasion. Whether it’s a wedding shower, date night, girls’ night, family night or just a slow weekend afternoon, it’s never a bad time to stop by. In fact, Dinner Factory’s location on Hebert Drive makes it the perfect stopping point on your drive home from work. After a quick after-work prep session, you’ll have a full meal in your hands that took virtually no time at all. And if you’re really busy, just call ahead, and Edward and Kim will have a meal prepped and ready for pickup,

no assembly required. They’ll even deliver.

The full dinnertime experience has never been easier to achieve. Dinner Factory is happy to find a way to accommodate your needs. Simply call and see the possibilities. For more information, and to book your first session today, visit www.dinnerfactory.ca.

111–1 Hebert Road, St. Albert Call 780 470-3463

This sponsored content was produced in partnership between Dinner Factory and T8N magazine.

T8N September 2017 11

also need workplace opportunities to shape policy and to lead; unionized environments are notably strong in this respect. Women’s groups also offer outstanding opportunities and support for women to develop leadership and network building.

recognize that all employees have domestic responsibilities and should not be punished for them. On-site daycares are invaluable, as is recognition of both maternity and paternity leave.”

Women can work together to make change.

Social attitudes around the gender wage gap tend to make individual women feel uniquely responsible for their decisions, but individual choices are made in the context of powerful social forces. It helps to understand that women share this problem with others, regardless of their age, level of education or

12 T8Nmagazine.com

marital status. Conversation is important: we need to overcome our reluctance to talk about our wages, ask questions and share information so women aren’t pitted against one another to make bad decisions. We also need courage, and encouragement, to push back when we’re being exploited.

Our workplace pioneers can be role models and mentors to the women coming up behind them. This is particularly important for women in well-paid positions such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) professionals and tenured academics. Women

Finally, we can push for social change in our homes, schools and communities. We must encourage boys and men to participate equally in the unpaid work of living, and work to dismantle myths of masculinity that restrict people to gender-stereotyped roles.

Fiona Angus affirms, “Nothing will change until there is widespread cultural knowledge that all human beings are capable of a wide variety of skills and knowledge. We need to disrupt the belief that what men do is more important, and deserving of higher pay, than what women do.”

The problem is not women. The problem is not men. The problem is a system that rewards people unequally for their work— that in some cases rewards a woman for depending on a male partner rather than asserting her own independence and agency.

Changing our policies, actions and workplaces to be sustainable and fair will make work better for women, men and society overall. t8n

NUTRITION FOR YOUR EYES T

he old adage “you are what you eat,” stretches back hundreds of years, yet seems more relevant today than ever. Thanks to our busy lifestyles and easy access to processed foods, genetically modified ingredients, additives, pesticides and foods shipped the world over, eating a healthy, balanced diet on a regular basis can be challenging.

When discussing diet and eye health (and for that matter, health in general), it is important to understand that in most cases, both nature (your genetics) and nurture (your environment; i.e. the foods you eat) are important to consider. Take for example that many people who develop lung cancer are smokers, but that not all smokers get lung cancer. And not everyone who overeats develops diabetes, yet they are likely increasing their risk by doing so. To help visualize the relationship, think of a continuum that’s established by your genetics, and that where you land on that continuum can, in many cases, be influenced by what we expose our bodies to. So although not all health problems will be influenced by our diet, many studies suggest that making smart diet and lifestyle choices can help influence many health outcomes.

For many of my patients the extension of the concept of their diet’s affect on general health to include their diet’s influence on their eye health is difficult. This was the impetus for the article since studies clearly indicate only about 25% of us are meeting our fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, feasibly tipping the nature/nurture continuum in the wrong direction. With rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes continuing to raise in combination with our aging population it is thought that rates of low vision and blindness might double by 2030. Making healthy

14 T8Nmagazine.com

choices such as changing our diet can help to guard us against disease. The good news in terms of eye nutrition is that many of the choices that are good for the rest of the body are also wise choices for our eyes.

Supplements can fill dietary gaps when necessary, but nutrients from food are most important. Real food sources provide nutrients in a wider variety and in combinations that can work synergistically together. For your eyes, the vitamins A, C and E, the mineral zinc, the cartenoids lutein and zeaxanthin and omega 3 fatty acids are some of the most important. It is also critical to realize that although an abundance of these vitamins in a balanced diet is good, there is such a thing as too much, especially in supplement form. Although there is plenty of evidence that eating high-antioxidant foods that contain beta-carotene is good for your health, a clear study from the US of more than 18,000 smokers given beta carotene supplements over four years (the CARET study) found a 28 percent higher risk of lung cancer than those that received a placebo (a fake supplement).

The important message here is that there are benefits to getting vitamins in foods that don’t necessarily occur in supplement form.

Two of the best antioxidants for your eyes are lutein and zeaxanthin. The body cannot make either, so they have to be eaten. They are found both in your retina (the light sensing tissue at the back of your eye) and in the intraocular lens (a biological lens in your eye that helps with focusing light). Dietary intake of these compounds has been shown to improve the pigment density in the important areas of your retina, helping to protect these delicate tissues from damaging UV, blue light and free radicals that we get exposed

to every day. Dark, leafy greens such as kale and spinach are two great sources, but you’ll find lutein and zeaxanthin in most fruits and vegetables, especially those that are yellow or orange. In a lovely example of the above mentioned synergy, fats improve their absorption from our diet, making salads with an oil-based dressing or a side of fatty fish the perfect autumn prescription.

Omega-3 fatty acids also play a significant role in eye health and have to be obtained from food or supplement sources. Although all the fatty acids are important for general health, the beneficial effects of added omega-3 in our diets seems to be more critical, at least in Western society. It is thought that human beings evolved on a diet with an almost even ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, yet present day average Western diets have ratios in the range of 15/1. Although the evidence is far from clear, there is mounting evidence that the imbalanced ratio fosters inflammation and chronic health concerns and that increasing our omega-3 intake can help to reverse some of these problems. Research and my personal clinical experience clearly indicate omega-3 supplementation has a role in the treatment of dry eye. Although dry eye is complex and usually multifactorial, it almost always involves increased inflammation, which the omega-3 supplementation can help to reduce. Another place we see omega-3 fatty acids in high concentrations in our retina helping to optimize both integrity and function and protect from inflammation and neurotoxicity. Great sources of omega-3 fatty acids are salmon and other coldwater fish, walnuts and flax seeds or oils.

The mineral zinc is highly concentrated in the eye, mostly in the retina and choroid (the vascular tissue layer under the retina). It plays a vital role in bringing vitamin A to the retina in order to produce melanin, a protective pigment in the eyes. The human body does not produce the zinc it needs, so daily intake of zinc through diet or nutritional supplements is important for the maintenance of good eye health. Red meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, mixed nuts, tofu and beans are all good sources of zinc. The most recent research clearly indicates zinc supplementation has a role to play in slowing the progression of advanced age related macular degeneration (AMD) and may benefit those at risk or in the early stages of the disease.

Vitamin A also plays an important role.

In order to see properly, your eyes require vitamin A to produce certain pigments in your photo sensing cells in your retina. It is also needed to keep the clear covering on your eyes lubricated so you can see properly.

Current research indicates it also can help slow the progression of advanced AMD when combined with other antioxidants and minerals.

Vitamin A can be found in many foods, including leafy green vegetables, orange vegetables and eggs.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables. Scientific evidence suggests vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts. Risk factors for cataracts include smoking, diabetes and steroid use, which

deplete the eye’s lens of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps promote healthy blood vessels and iron absorption and has been proven to be beneficial for AMD also. Good sources of vitamin C include broccoli, brussels sprouts, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, red peppers and strawberries.

Finally, but as important, we have vitamin E. Vitamin E can be found in foods like almonds, broccoli and spinach. It can also protect the cells of the eye from damaging free radicals.

If left unchecked, the free radicals can break down healthy cells and increase the risk for AMD and cataracts. Studies clearly show that vitamin E has a role to play in both slowing cataract development and in slowing the progression of AMD.

So clearly having adequate intake of these nutrients makes sense from an eye-health standpoint, but how much do we need for prevention or treatment? In my clinic, I approach this question first by understanding each patient’s eye health and what risks he or she might have for future problems prior to discussing options for diet or supplementation. Specific eye conditions such as AMD have research-based supplementation, but more general concerns are not as clear-cut.

If you are interested in discussing diet and supplementation options specific to your needs, I would be happy to help.

Hope you had a great summer. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Peter Roed

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X E L P X RE T R O P S E N I N CA CILIT Y FA l l a g n i Teach

m o s s g o d

s k c i r t e new

AN AKEM NDA L E R B ICHON Y BY BERT M GRAPH O O R T Y O B PH S WORD

IF YOU AND your dog are getting a little bored of the standard walk around the block, Rexplex

Canine Sport Facility might be the place for both of you. Located in the heart of Sturgeon County, Rexplex has become a regular destination for dog-lovers from all over the region. It is a place where no matter the skill level of either the dog or owner, you and your canine pal can take classes to work on agility together, keep in shape or just do a bit of bonding. Now going into its third year, Rexplex continues to grow and gather a community of like-minded pet owners to celebrate the joy and possibilities of canine companionship. Think you or your dog might have a new trick in you? Our visit certainly left us inspired. Take a look.

T8N September 2017  17

Alanna St Jean, owner of Rexplex, has been around dogs her whole life. Until recently though, she wouldn’t have considered herself very knowledgeable when it came to dog training. “I had been renting out our old horse-training space to a dog trainer for several years,” she says. “But it wasn’t until two years ago that I really decided to embrace the concept of a dog-training environment.” From there, Alanna contacted a few more trainers and coaches in the area, and Rexplex was born. It was small at first, a dirt-floor warehouse with a few training obstacles, but word-of-mouth quickly caught on, and Rexplex has been growing ever since.

“Training really helps owners connect with their dogs. Shy dogs gain a lot of confidence, and more exuberant dogs get a nice outlet. There are just so many advantages to agility training, for both pets and owners.”

–Alanna St Jean 18 T8Nmagazine.com

Many dog owners arrive at Rexplex wanting to take classes from professional trainers, but they use the skills they’ve learned in class to practice exercises with their dogs one-on-one. Apart from the indoor agility-training area that Rexplex is known for, the facility also offers obedience training and will soon expand to include retrieval training, as well as an entirely separate puppy-training building. As Alanna explains, the dogs aren’t the only ones benefiting. “The dog is running the exercises, and the owners run alongside them, so they get quite the workout, too. It’s a two-for-one deal,” Alanna laughs.

Think you might want to give it a try? Signing up is as easy as visiting the website and contacting one of the trainers. And if you’re not sure that your dog is a good fit (or fit enough!), Alanna is always happy to recommend an appropriate training session. “Even older and younger dogs can benefit from training. There are modified lessons for puppies that can teach them some foundational skills, and older dogs can do all the standard exercises too, just at a slower speed.” Alanna has even had owners bring in dogs with injuries, limited mobility or missing legs. “You just have to be aware of your dog’s capabilities and give them an appropriate challenge. You might be surprised at what they can accomplish.”

SUMMER CAMPS Rexplex offers summer camps for adults as well as children. At the children’s camps, kids learn valuable skills alongside their dogs, while the adult camps bring in professional trainers from all over the world to train together and exchange knowledge.

While Alanna still sneaks in to see the master-level dogs at work, the success stories of beginner dogs have become so regular that she barely takes notice anymore. “It’s just shown me how easy it is for dogs to learn these skills,” she says. “What I still love to see is the excitement that the owners have when they watch their dogs succeed. The enthusiasm motivates the dog, which in turn motivates the owner. I love watching them become closer as time goes on.” One run around the Rexplex agility course and you and your dog will both understand what that walk around the block has been missing. t8n T8N September 2017 19

Meet You There

ST. ALBERT’S COMMUNITY GARDENS

Communities taking root in St. Albert WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS their

garden, you might assume they mean the one they have at home. But it’s just as likely these days that they’re talking about a community garden.

In St. Albert and elsewhere, community gardening is bringing more and more people out of their backyards and into spaces where they can pursue their hobby together.

In fact, this social aspect is one of the biggest draws of community gardening, with fellow gardeners sharing and interacting with one another as they tend their plots. “Community gardens are a place to bring people together, a place to learn new skills, to see a project to fruition,” says Sandy Jamison of the St. Albert Community Garden (SACG).

“Everyone brings a unique skill set, ability or resource that can be channelled into a project. We learn as much about ourselves as we do the people we meet at the garden.”

A member of the SACG since 2012, and currently serving as chair of its executive, Jamison describes that garden’s members 20 T8Nmagazine.com

VICTORY GARDENS Despite the recent surge in community gardening, the basic concept isn’t exactly new.

So-called “Victory Gardens” were popular in Canada and elsewhere during both world wars, as civilians used their backyards to raise food to supplement rations and help the war effort. as a diverse cross-section of young and old, with some families represented by multiple generations. They pay $15 per season for each of the garden’s 45 plots, where they grow almost every kind of vegetable possible—with the exception of potatoes.

The SACG has had a “no potato” policy in effect for some time now, due to potato beetle infestations. “This is a common issue in the St. Albert area,” Jamison notes.

There’s more to community gardening than simply looking after a strip of earth, however.

At a typical community garden, members are also responsible for the overall upkeep of the space. This is often done through periodic “work bees” that members are expected to volunteer for. Together, they see to a variety of chores: organizing tool sheds, maintaining paths and flower beds, looking after compost piles and water barrels, distributing planting materials and so on. It might sound like a lot

of extra work, but it keeps gardens looking great and ensures that all members get the most out of their experience there. It seems to be working, too, as many community gardens have lengthy wait lists of would-be gardeners hoping for a plot to open up.

These gardens also foster a strong sense of stewardship. In the case of the SACG, the site on the Sturgeon River flood plain that it has occupied since 2001 also happens to be a designated environmental reserve. The City of St. Albert owns the land but licenses it to the St. Albert Community Garden Association. Other gardens may have different arrangements, but the sense of responsibility is consistent across the board. No surprise, then, that many community gardens tend to promote sustainable growing practices. That means no chemical pesticides or fertilizers and watering must be done by hand.

The result is a delicious and sustainable haul of organic food. SACG members are encouraged to donate part of their harvests to the St. Albert Food Bank, as a way of giving back to the community that has made their garden possible. “We are our own community within the larger community,” Jamison says. “We help each other, rely on each other and work toward a common goal.”

If all this sounds like your bag of mulch, there are a number of ways to get gardening in St. Albert. While the St. Albert Community Garden is the oldest, it is just one of five community gardens in the city. More information can be found at the website of the St. Albert & District Garden Club, at www.stalbertgardenclub.info. And if the wait lists are too long in St. Albert, dozens of garden sites are scattered throughout the Capital Region. A run-down can be found at www.sustainablefoodedmonton.org. t8n

ST. ALBERT’S COMMUNITY GARDENS AT A GLANCE Gate Avenue Neighbourhood Garden: Located by the Christian Reformed Church on Gate Avenue.

Meadowview Lane Community Plots: Located across from the St. Albert Grain Elevator Park on Meadowview Road.

St. Albert Botanic Park Volunteer Rows: Located in the park and set aside as a reward for park volunteers after they’ve worked a certain number of hours there.

St. Albert Community Garden: Located to the north of Riel Drive, between Westcon Precast and LBH Timber Mart. Founded in 1999 and originally located in Riel Park.

St. Albert Parish Heritage Garden: Located behind the St. Albert Catholic Parish church on St. Vital Avenue. Founded to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the parish.

T8N September 2017 21

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COMMUNITY

CALENDAR Things to do, watch, hear and see this September.

EVENT

Batting Against Cancer Join or cheer on teams at the 14th Annual Batting Against Cancer. This fundraiser is an all-weekend, round robin, slo-pitch tournament with the final being played on Sunday. Funds will be allocated to breast cancer research and support programs.

Date: September 8 to 10 Location: Meadowview Ball Diamonds, 1 Meadowview Drive For more info: visit cbcf.org/central/Get/ Involved/Events/Batting-Against-Breast-Cancer/Pages/default.aspx EVENT

EXHIBIT

English Contra Dancing Lessons

The Michel Band

Sabrina’s Dance Instruction is hosting a three-week dance course for those who want to learn English Contra Dancing—the same dancing done at the Regency Encounters Pride & Prejudice Ball held on September 30. This course is also open to anyone who just wants to learn.

This exhibit is curated by members of the Michel Band Council. Objects have been donated by band members, and there are pieces from the Museum’s archives as well. The exhibit will tell stories of strength, injustice challenges and perseverance of the Michel Band.

Date: Sept 11, 18, 25

Location: Musée Héritage Museum, 5 St. Anne Street

Location: St. Albert United Church, 20 Green Grove Drive For more info: visit sabrinadance.ca and regencyencounters.com EVENT

TCB Rock & Roll Legends

Date: September 19 to January 7

For more info: visit museeheritage.ca/ whats-on/exhibitions EXHIBIT

The Prairies, The Maritimes and a Few Lakes

The ultimate tribute artists to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton come to St. Albert. Wendy Engler has been performing as Dolly Parton for over 10 years, and Marty Edwards has performed as Kenny Rogers all over the world.

They’ll sing a variety of each country superstar’s hits, as well as their duets.

Grande Prairie artist Ken HouseGo exhibits his mixed-media art project focusing on all the places he’s called home. This project has spanned many years of his experiences, achievements and memories. Opening reception is September 7; walk-through tour is September 21.

Date: September 16 Location: Arden Theatre, 5 St. Anne Street

Location: Art Gallery of St. Albert, 19 Perron Street

For more info: visit stalbert.ca/exp/arden/ events

For more info: visit artgalleryofstalbert.ca/ exhibitions-events/exhibitions

Date: September 7 to 21

T8N September 2017 23

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Food & Gatherings

Mint Condition Summer’s garnish just got serious

AT LAST! MINT is getting its delicious and rightful dues. No longer relegated to “pretty garnish” or

“breath-freshener” status, mint is rising and shining in the culinary spotlight. And since nothing brings out its best features more than summer, we’ve paired this classic herb with the season’s best: fresh berries and ricotta cheese, honey and rum, ripe tomatoes and basmati rice—and did we mention honey and rum? Your recipes (and mojitos) await. Happy harvest.

T8N September 2017 25

Black-and-Blueberry Ricotta Bruschetta If a glass of white wine with some nibbles is your thing, meet your new, favourite appetizer.

7 slices of ciabatta bread, grilled to your liking 1 cup ricotta cheese 17 large mint leaves, julienned 1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup fresh blackberries Honey, for drizzling

In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, mint, lemon juice, salt, pepper and lemon zest until smooth.

Spread the mixture onto the grilled bread, top with berries and drizzle with honey. Delicious!

Mint Chocolate Ricotta Mousse Pots When your craving for chocolate mousse calls, answer with this one-bowl wonder.

Yummy!

2 cups ricotta cheese 1 cup Nutella 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 cup Oreo baking crumbs Mint sprigs, to garnish

Place the ricotta, Nutella and peppermint extract in a medium-sized bowl, and mix them together until smooth and combined. Pipe the mousse into small glasses (we used glass votive holders), cover them with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. When it’s serving time, garnish each mousse pot with a tablespoon of Oreo crumbs and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve and enjoy!

Moroccan Mint Rice Looking to jazz up your rice game? This recipe is all that.

1 teabag mint tea 1 teabag green tea 2 cups boiled water 1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 small yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup golden raisins 1 cup freshly diced tomatoes 1/2 cup freshly chopped mint 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

Steep the teabags in the boiled water for 10 minutes; then discard the bags. Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot; then add the onions, and cook them over medium-high heat until tender (about 3 minutes). Next, add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika and salt. Stir to combine, and then add the rice. Stir to combine again; then add the steeped tea and raisins, and bring the mixture to a boil. Place the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook the rice until all the liquid has been absorbed.

When the rice is cooked, stir in the tomatoes, mint and parsley, and serve.

Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette 1/4 cup Mandarin orange syrup from a prepared can or jar of orange segments 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp freshly chopped mint 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a Mason jar, secure the lid and shake until combined. Drizzle over your favourite salad, and serve.

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Mint Chimichurri There are few things this chimichurri doesn’t make better.

Top it on fish, chicken, steak, pasta and, of course, lamb.

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until smooth. Adjust the salt and lime to your liking, and serve.

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Mandarin & Mint Goodbye, kale. Hello, beets! For a refreshing twist on healthy and tasty, give this yummy salad a try.

3 large handfuls spiralled raw beets (we bought ours prepackaged) 1 jar Mandarin orange slices in light syrup

1/2 cup chopped mint 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

To a salad bowl, add the spiralled beets, 1 cup of Mandarin oranges (strained), the chopped mint and the crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle with Ginger Orange Dressing (see recipe), and toss to coat.

Ginger Orange Salad Dressing 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a Mason jar, secure the lid and shake until combined. Use immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

T8N September 2017  27

Mint & Watermelon Salad with Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette Part salad, part dessert, all delicious. The perfect take-with for a backyard barbeque.

6 cups cubed watermelon 1 cup fresh blueberries 2 cups mandarin orange slices (the canned or jarred kind)

1 cup chopped mint 3/4 cup cubed feta cheese 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized serving bowl, and gently toss to combine. Drizzle the salad with Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette (see recipe), and serve. t8n

Kiwi & Blueberry Mojito Looking for a new take on a classic rum mojito? It’s kiwis to the rescue.

2 1/2 oz rum 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp white sugar 12 mint leaves, torn into pieces 2 kiwis, peeled and quartered

1/3 cup blueberries 1 tbsp honey Club soda, to taste 4 kiwi slices (to garnish) 2 tbsp blueberries (to garnish)

Place the quartered kiwis, blueberries, mint and white sugar in a cocktail shaker, and muddle them until pulverized. Then, place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of a tall glass, followed by ice cubes, kiwi slices and blueberries.

Next, fill a cocktail shaker half-full of ice, and add the rum, lime juice and honey. Secure the lid, and shake until chilled. Strain the mixture into the prepared glass, and top with club soda to taste.

Stir and enjoy.

28 T8Nmagazine.com

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Truly, Deeply, Madly

BEEKEEPING An ancient craft in your own backyard

ONE OF OUR oldest professions, the

ancient practice of beekeeping, is experiencing something of a renaissance. In 2015, a record number of colonies—just over 721,000 —were in operation across Canada, with almost 300,000 of those in Alberta alone. When you look at the big picture, it’s no wonder. Besides producing honey and beeswax, bee colonies bring many other benefits, both to the people who care for them and to the communities where they are located.

Cheap & Easy As far as hobbies go, keeping a backyard hive (or two) is neither exhausting nor expensive. Much of what you’ll need to spend, in time and money, will come early on as you’re getting into it. For starters, you’ll need to do some research. Find out what bylaws regulate beekeeping in your area and how to register your hives. Figure out what equipment you’ll need and how to use and maintain it. Also, learn about the different kinds of bees so that you can choose one that’s appropriate for you (subtle hint: don’t 30 T8Nmagazine.com

start with an aggressive strain). You’ll also need to buy a few things: hives, hive stands, protective clothing, smokers, feed, other tools and supplies, and, of course, bees—all of which will probably set you back a few hundred dollars.

Once your beehive is up and running, the rest will be fairly straightforward. It’ll take a year before you can start harvesting honey, but rest assured, your bees will do all the hard work—which they’re sort of known for—meaning all that’s expected of you is some regular maintenance and, eventually, a honey harvest.

A Little Pocket Money For many, beekeeping is a labour of love. But it doesn’t hurt if your hobby can provide you with extra pocket money. Once your first hive is a success, you can set up additional hives (provided you have the room). Extra honey means extra honey you can sell, perhaps at farmers’ markets, from your home or in local stores. You’ll also have excess beeswax that can be made into candles, lip balm, hand lotion and so on. There’s even a viable market for renting out bee colonies to farms to help pollinate crops. In Alberta, thousands of hives are rented each year just

for this purpose. According to the Canadian Honey Council, the average rental fee for a hive is $120, depending on the crop that needs to be pollinated.

Stress? What Stress?

Urban beekeepers often talk about the stress-busting power of beekeeping. Like bird watching, gardening or watching cat videos, there’s something calming about keeping

FUN FACT When it’s properly sealed, honey may be the only food that never spoils in its edible form.

This is due to unique antibacterial properties, such as high acidity and an absence of water, which prevent many microorganisms from growing in it. Archaeologists have found (and apparently tasted!) preserved, millennia-old pots of honey while excavating Egyptian royal tombs.

bees. Plus, there’s a whole social aspect to apiculture. As the activity spreads across the country, many cities and towns now have beekeeping clubs. Newbies can easily join a passionate community of fellow beekeepers, where they can get advice and start new friendships.

Better Gardens Even if they’re not actively beekeeping themselves, urban gardeners benefit from having bees in the neighbourhood. The reason is simple: most flowering plants reproduce through cross-pollination. This requires an animal pollinator to move pollen from one flower to another, and bees are the best known and most efficient pollinators nature has to offer. Bees visit flowers to gather nectar and pollen, their main sources of energy, fat and protein. As they move about, they inevitably carry pollen grains to the flowers they visit, allowing cross-fertilization to happen. So, the benefit is mutual—gardens feed bees, and bees help gardens thrive, promoting biodiversity and ecological stability in urban areas.

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Saving Bees As you likely know, beekeeping may actually contribute to helping save the world’s bee populations, which have been in decline for some time now. In Canada, a combination of pesticide use, habitat loss, poor nutrition, disease, mites and severe winters has been blamed for colony losses. The good news? The rate of loss has slowed over the last decade, according to data from the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists. At the same time, the number of honeybee colonies across the country has increased by 22.4 percent. t8n

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TIPS FOR GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED

A healthy lunch doesn’t mean nixing the treats, either. Our Bakery Department offers treats such as muffins, mini doughnuts and bombe donuts. As for drinks, you can’t go wrong with the huge selection of juice boxes, but if you peruse the front cooler by the deli department, you’ll find organic drinks including juices and pop. We also have a broad range of granola-type bars, crackers, popcorn and many come in Halloween-treat sizes.

If you’re a parent of a child who has an allergy to wheat, peanuts or even meat, making a nutritious lunch that doesn’t taste like cardboard can be frustrating. Laura in the Wellbeing Department can give you a variety of options to help make a tasty and fully nutritious lunch. And St. Albert Sobeys has the largest gluten-free selection north of Red Deer, as well as the largest dairy-free section in the Edmonton area.

• Have your kids help make treats such as squares, brownies or muffins that can be frozen and taken out when needed for lunches.

• Have your kids make their school lunches the night before, which can be the leftovers from dinner.

It’s hard to think of school lunches when summer holidays are still in full swing, but back to school is coming. If you’re dreading the cycle of “what to make for my child’s lunch?” this new school year, we at St. Albert Sobeys want to help you and your kids make it easier. So, if you’re still stuck for ideas, our staff will be more than happy to offer suggestions that will have your kids “eating better, feeling better, doing better.”

SOBEYS & BACK TO SCHOOL What do you have in your lunch?

It’s September, and this means the kids are back at school. For parents, however, September means school lunches and how to get your kids to eat them. The staple school lunch—a sandwich, a couple of cookies, a piece of fruit and a juice box—becomes boring very quickly, and too much of it ends up in the garbage.

So how do you make a healthy lunch that your child will eat in its entirety? We at St. Albert Sobeys can give you a helping hand with a whole grocery store of choices and expert advice to go along with them.

We know that one of the best ways to get kids to eat their lunches is to get them involved in making them. This can be as easy as asking your kids to choose among three choices of lunchmeat or fruit. Better yet, you can have them make their lunches. Also, take your kids grocery shopping with you. If they have a say in what goes in their lunches—or any meal—they’re more likely to eat everything.

Time is usually a factor when it comes to making school lunches because it’s usually done at the last minute. We carry pre-cut

fruit and vegetable trays, plus a variety of pre-packaged individual snacks such as chips and guacamole, hummus and flatbread, and mini cheeses just to name a few. These snacks are also good to have on hand when your kids have sports practice after school. And, in our “À La Carte” section by the Deli Department, choose from Asian cuisine, Ukrainian food, daily-made sandwiches, sausage rolls and more.

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T8Nmagazine.com 32 T8Nmagazine.com

Happiest People on Earth

HYGGE The Scandinavian art of feeling cozy

Speaking of contentment, Denmark finished second in the UN’s 2017 World Happiness Report and consistently ranks near the top in other happiness measures. As the VisitDenmark website puts it, “hygge helps illuminate the Danish soul.” Besides being a great hook, what’s not to love about the idea of a tiny country figuring out a shortcut to zen-like happiness?

Add a Little Hygge to Your Life So how does one create hygge? Well, it might actually be easier than trying to translate or define it. The tourism touts at VisitDenmark recommend “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.” It’s an oddly specific but vague answer, yes? Alas, where definitions fail, books often succeed, and there is certainly no lack of titles on the subject. Here are some to consider: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, by Meik Wiking

AS FAR AS buzzwords go, hygge is a bit of an oddball. Not

Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness, by Marie Tourell Søderberg

many people can easily tell you what this Danish word means, and fewer can pronounce it properly. In English, it’s usually defined as “coziness” or “conviviality,” but that doesn’t fully get to the heart of hygge. So let’s try defining it with an image: Picture yourself on a cold winter’s night, in your favourite cozy sweater, drinking mulled wine with loved ones in front of a blazing fireplace. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? That’s hygge. Sort of…

How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life, by Signe Johansen t8n

Say That Again?

From the moment hygge started trending in the UK a few years ago, mispronunciations abounded. Everything from “higgy” to “huggy” to “hugger” was bandied about. Part of the problem is the Danish “y.” We don’t really have this vowel sound in English, at least not one that can be spelled with a single letter. It’s somewhere between “ew” and “yew.” Drop an “h” in front, and you have a word that sounds like “HEW-gah” or “HYEW-gah.” Or, better yet, look it up on YouTube and listen to an honest-to-goodness Dane say it aloud.

THERE’S A WORD FOR THAT? Here are some other fun Nordic words: Forelsket (Norwegian): The euphoria of falling in love Kura skymning (Swedish): Sitting quietly at dusk and doing nothing Lagom (Swedish): Not too much or too little; just the right amount Sólarfrí (Icelandic): Time given off from work to enjoy unexpected good weather

A Short History of Hygge Though hygge is a Danish word, there are two schools of thought regarding where it got its start. According to The Little Book of Hygge

by Meik Wiking (a Dane), hygge is a Norwegian loanword meaning “well-being” that came into written Danish 200 years ago. Collins English Dictionary, on the other hand, says that it comes from the Old Norse word hugga, meaning “to comfort.” Right or wrong, both origin stories help define hygge. It’s all about having a good time with, and feeling close to, the people around you. It’s that warm and fuzzy contentment you get from wearing a cashmere sweater on a dark and chilly night.

In 2016, hygge was named a word-of-the-year finalist by both the Oxford and Collins dictionaries. It lost out in both cases, to post-truth and Brexit, respectively. The funny thing is, those word-of-the-year shortlists might give some clue to hygge’s sudden popularity. In a year that gave us alternative facts, divisive elections and one celebrity death after another, hygge was a pleasant break from a lot of ugliness.

T8N September 2017 33

Then & Now

WOODLANDS THEN & NOW IF YOU SPENT any time in Woodlands this summer, it was

probably in the company of friends and family. Whether you were cooling down in the spray park with your kids or catching a recital at the Sturgeon Valley Baptist Church, you’ll likely have noticed that Woodlands takes community

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very seriously. But the Woodlands we know today has a more controversial past than many people realize. In fact, during its planning stages, many hoped Woodlands would never come to be. Why? Here’s a glimpse back at its history.

DID YOU KNOW? Woodlands was the first residential development in St. Albert to make use of the concept of “show homes” or as it was known back then, a “home parade.” It was a sales experiment inspired by homebuilders in California, and needless to say, it was a success.

1970s The Woodlands development was planned during the early 1970s to accommodate St. Albert’s steady population growth during the 50s and 60s. Some residents, however, as well as some members of city council, believed that the city’s population was at what they described as “a tipping point,” meaning “hello, big city problems.” To allow the construction of Woodlands, they argued, would be the beginning of the end for our quiet city.

One councillor warned that the construction of Woodlands would “open a Pandora’s Box of troubles” for St. Albert, as he and many of his constituents feared that the resulting population increase would lead to unfixable traffic problems, an over-taxed social-services department and an increase in crime due to the overburdened police force.

After nearly a decade of arguments and a few compromises later, the two sides came together and agreed to go forward with the new development. Woodlands’ first residents moved into their homes on September 19, 1979.

1980s One of the compromises made in the Woodlands agreement was to expand Boudreau Road to alleviate the anticipated traffic problem.

As construction on the development continued into the 80s, roadwork continued alongside it. Whether or not Boudreau Road was truly overburdened in the 1970s was a matter of long public debates, but we do have the Woodlands controversy to thank for the construction of the familiar, four-lane traffic artery that many of us rely on today.

The anticipated increase in crime and shortages to social services never came to Woodlands, either. Instead, St. Albert got a

quiet neighbourhood full of thriving families.

Keenooshayo School and Neil M. Ross Catholic School both opened their doors in 1981, giving the children of Woodlands schools close to home. In 1983, Sturgeon Valley Baptist Church opened its doors for the first time. The congregation had been meeting in school gymnasiums since 1976, and once they got their own building to call home, they returned the kindness they had been shown by offering their church as a meeting place for groups of churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike, including the Sturgeon Valley Music School, one of St. Albert’s longest-running schools for young musicians.

Image Credit: Musée Héritage Museum Woodlands Outline Plan

FUN FACT When Woodlands was first proposed, it was set to cover the area that is now occupied by Woodlands, Pineview and Kingswood, which would have increased the area of St. Albert by over 25%.

1990s By the 90s, the development of Woodlands was more or less complete, but there was a strip of green space along the Sturgeon River that still sat vacant. In 1992, the St. Albert Botanic Park opened, giving residents a public space to practice their botanical skills, or just to enjoy the peaceful nature of the gardens.

In 1995, Woodlands Water Play Park opened to the public and was the first park of its kind in Western Canada. The park was innovative in its design, its pumping technology and in its safety protocols. It was so successful in fact, that it became the model for other communities in Alberta looking to build splash parks of their own.

For the athletes of St. Albert, the 90s also saw the opening of Legion Memorial Ballpark and the St. Albert Skate Park, both of which would become popular public meeting spaces on sunny afternoons.

Today Woodlands never did become the tipping point that was predicted during its development. In fact, instead of tearing the city apart with traffic and crime, Woodlands has brought the people of St. Albert closer together through the many community gathering spaces that the area has become known for. t8n

CATHY HERON FOR MAYOR www.CathyHeron.com

#ImWithCathy

T8N September 2017 35

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THE HEALTH HALO EFFECT The hidden language of food packaging

BY ROBERT MICHON

SELLING FOOD IS a business. And

Misleading Buzzwords

just as with any other business, the competition between food companies is fierce, and they want you to leave the grocery store with their products in hand, not those of their competitors. That end goal has led to some creative marketing tactics that use visual connotations and buzzwords to suggest that what you’re buying is healthier than it actually is. This tactic is known as the Health Halo Effect, and it’s something you can learn to recognize so that you are able to make informed, consumer-savvy decisions about which foods are right for you.

One of the most common tools used to create the Health Halo Effect are misleading buzzwords. You’ve probably seen most of them on grocery store shelves or restaurant menus, but have you ever thought about what they actually mean? The following definitions might surprise you:

What Is the Health Halo Effect?

Although food labels and packaging are regulated by the laws of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the federal government isn’t able to keep tabs on all of the subtle ways that marketers use language and psychology to convince us that their products "are the best choice for our health. The Health Halo Effect occurs in these areas of ambiguity in which words can be interpreted to mean many different things. Because of that ambiguity, these companies aren’t technically lying or printing false information; they’re merely being vague and allowing you to draw your own conclusions.

38 T8Nmagazine.com

Organic, Natural & GMO-Free Words like organic, natural and GMO-free conjure images of health and wellness. After all, if something comes naturally from the earth, how bad could it be? It turns out the bar is set quite low for products that are able to use these words. Ingredients such as potatoes, salt and vegetable oil can all come to us naturally from the earth without chemical additives or biological manipulation, but organic potato chips are still potato chips and wouldn’t count as a healthy food option among many nutritionists, as they lack significant nutritional value. The truth is that natural and healthy aren’t always synonymous.

Whole Grain & Real Fruit When something is labelled with words like “whole grain” or “real fruit,” pay attention to whether or not the package lists the percentages of those ingredients. The product may contain only a small amount of whole grains or real fruit to justify the label, while the bulk of the ingredients are low-cost, low-nutrition additives. Look for the 100% next to the claim

(or whatever percentage you’re comfortable with) to make sure you’re choosing the product you actually want.

FUN FACT Canada is one of the only western nations that doesn’t require GMO foods to be labelled as such. This is because all genetically modified foods in Canada must go through a testing and approval process before they are deemed safe to eat.

Low-Fat & Fat-Free Low-fat or fat-free foods are incredibly popular for those looking to cut calories. But fat isn’t the only high-calorie aspect of food.

Just because something is labelled as low-fat doesn’t mean that the sugar and carbohydrate content is low, too. In fact, some low-fat foods have increased sugar content to compensate for the flavour lost when reducing the fats. Always remember that calories come in many different forms.

Free-Range, Artisanal & Local Newcomers to buzzword labelling include terms like free-range, artisanal and local. By

now, you might be able to tell why these words can trick you. They all sound positive, but they have little in the way of actual informational value. Free-range livestock are thought to produce better, more ethically produced meat. But the term free-range says nothing about how long the animal spent outdoors or about any other conditions under which it was raised. Artisanal simply means that the product was made by a professional. Similarly, the term local indicates that the product was made nearby, but not under what conditions.

influence you into thinking that a green box means healthier contents.

making it seem like sugar isn’t a primary ingredient at all.

The same is true of colourful statistics and diagrams on the front of the package.

Companies aren’t required to put this information on their products, but the mere act of including a chart, regardless of whether or not you know how to read it, can convince customers of its health value. Often, these charts will contain only positive information and leave the negative information out.

Also pay attention to the serving size. It might sound like an incredible stroke of luck to find a box of cookies that contains only one gram of fat, but that usually means one gram of fat per serving. The box might list a serving to be as small as a single cookie, meaning you’ll have to do some math if you want to know the truth about what you’re eating. t8n

The presence of these buzzwords on your food doesn’t guarantee that the product is either healthy or unhealthy, so always do your research and use your judgement to determine whether you’re buying the product with the right nutritional options for you.

Canadian law requires all food packaging to contain a list of ingredients, but this list can be manipulated in surprising ways. By law, ingredients are listed in order of quantity and should be transparent to the consumer.

But there are ways to recast the information to the marketer’s advantage.

Deceptive Packaging Ever noticed how many health foods come in green packaging? Well, it’s not an accident.

There is a link in our minds between the colour green and the idea of health. Since marketers know this, they can subtly

Ingredient Lists

For example, instead of listing “sugar” once as a single ingredient, you might find it listed multiple times in its different forms, perhaps as sucrose, maltose and corn syrup. All of these ingredients are different kinds of sugar, but by splitting them up, the manufacturer is able to put them lower down on the list,

DID YOU KNOW? While nutritional ingredients must be listed on food packaging, information about fertilizer, pesticides and other “incidental ingredients” does not. The Government of Canada regulates and monitors the use of these ingredients to ensure consumer safety.

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T8N September 2017 39

FAKE•NEWS (n.)

Navigating a post-truth world IT’S A CRINGE-WORTHY question that

you might be a little sick of hearing: Who can be trusted in the era of fake news? Thankfully, it’s also a question with an answer: Trust yourself. To do that, however, requires some media literacy on your part—a.k.a., learning how to identify fake news, how to avoid getting fooled by it and how not to inadvertently perpetuate it.

The Rise of Fake News Publishing lies and propaganda certainly isn’t anything new; historians have records of fake news campaigns going back to ancient Rome and beyond. But as the case with every media tool du jour, the Internet has been leveraged to allow fake news to take on an entirely new life and cultural significance. Of course, the 2016 American presidential election is easy to point to for bringing the online fake news industry to the forefront of popular culture.

DID YOU KNOW? The earliest use of the phrase “fake news” goes back to 1890, where it was used to describe various newspaper hoaxes of the day.

The “us versus them” mentality common to election season created an audience that manufacturers of fake news could target with sensational links about the candidates. Social media users could then strategically spread that news like wildfire. These users shared fake links to discredit their opponents, while fake news manufacturers earned advertising revenue for every click that their false stories generated.

Usage & Definitions Most terms get manipulated at least a little to suit each user’s purposes, but in general, it’s 40 T8Nmagazine.com

agreed that “fake news” refers to one of three things: 1. The “news that is incorrectly reported” definition. There is a lot more to being a journalist than just writing a story. Good journalists fact check, verify their sources and do their best to leave personal opinions and biases out of the article.

Some journalists and media organizations can forget this though, in the rush to meet a deadline. This “lazy journalism” might not be malicious, but it still leads many to label such organizations as manufacturers of fake news.

2. The “news I don’t agree with” definition. This example describes news or information that runs contrary to one’s goals or world view. In this use of the term, the factual merit of the news is irrelevant to the person, so he or she labels it as “fake” as a way to strategically dismiss it out of hand.

3. The “manufactured misinformation” definition. This definition includes news that is purposefully created to mislead the masses, usually to confuse readers, create controversy or further a political agenda.

One such example came during the 2016 American presidential election, when it was falsely claimed that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump as his candidate of choice.

Detecting Fake News The best defense against fake news is to learn how to detect it. Here are five tips to help you navigate the information highway: 1. Always follow the headline to the original source of the article.

Once there, do some investigating into both the publisher and the author if one is listed. Ask yourself if

they are reputable, and if they use reputable sources. Do a quick Internet search of the publication’s name if you aren’t sure.

2. Ask yourself if any organization or political party might benefit from the circulation of the news story. Conversely, ask who might be harmed by it. If the article seems to have no purpose other than to praise or slander someone, it might not be real news.

3. Check to see if other news organizations are writing about the story. The more discussion there is, and the more diverse that discussion is, the more likely the story is to be real. Opinions and commentary can vary. Just make sure that the factual information is consistent.

4. Read before you share. While social media allows us to share news like never before, nearly 60 percent of users who share online stories don’t actually read the body of the article beforehand. This practice of “headline sharing” helps perpetuate the perfect environment for the growth of fake news.

5. If in doubt, ask around. With so many sources at our fingertips, few will blame you for questioning the authenticity of information you’re given online. t8n

FUN FACT The last year has led to a renewed interest in dystopian novels that predict the breakdown of the media. Almost 70 years after its publication, George Orwell’s 1984 rose to the top of many bestseller lists in 2017.

ST. ALBERT PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS

M. G. Vassanji

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hosted by Laurie Greenwood

hosted by Pamela Willoughby

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Tuesday, Oct. 10. 7pm

Elizabeth Hay

Trevor Cole & Emily Schultz

Friday, Oct. 20. 7pm

Saturday, Oct. 21. 7pm

hosted by Diana Davidson

in the Library

Terry O’Reilly

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Thursday, Oct. 12. 7:30pm Arden Theatre

Eden Robinson

Steven Price

hosted by Thomas Trofimuk

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in the Library

Saturday, Oct. 14. 7pm

Roberta Rich

hosted by Paula Simons

hosted by Richard Van Camp

hosted by Caterina Edwards

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Arden Theatre

in the Library

Monday, Oct. 23. 7pm

Angie Abdou

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Wednesday, Oct. 25. 7pm

Wednesday, Oct. 18. 7pm

Bill Richardson

Friday, Oct. 27. 7pm in the Library

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Cea Sunrise Person

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Monday, Nov. 6. 7pm

Saturday, Oct. 28. 7pm

hosted by Miji Campbell

in the Library

hosted by Peter Brown

Kinsmen Banquet Centre

Tickets available at ST. ALBERT PUBLIC LIBRARY, 5 St. Anne Street, St. Albert CALL (780) 459-1530 or online through www.STARFest.ca

T8N September 2017 41

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