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News Advertiser
DECEMBER 11, 2019
www.NewsAdvertiser.com
Third Annual Nativity Festival
Derek Selinger’s Gift of Magic’s Reunion in Vegreville
Nativity scenes from around the world (Rosanne Fortier/photo)
Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Vegreville really wanted the community to enjoy a meaningful event when they presented their Third Annual Nativity Festival on November 29, 30 and December 1.
This festival educated people about how people from other countries celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ as it featured more than 100 nativities collections by parishioners from around the world. At this festival, there was also a bake sale and a collection box where people could donate to Vegreville Food Bank.
Master Magician and Illusionist, Derek Selinger grew up in Vegreville and returned to perform magic. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)
Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent There was a night full of gasping, whistles, and enthusiastic cheers when Master Magician and Illusionist, Derek Selinger, who grew up in Vegreville, returned to perform his show ‘The Gift’ to a full hall of citizens at Vegreville Social Centre on November 30. Derek used objects in an eye-opening way that most people are familiar with. Cards were often used to perform tricks as Derek stated that a deck of cards to a magician is like a piano to a musician. One trick which really wowed the crowd was when Derek showed Card Ninja which is similar to kung fu where unbelievable stunts demonstrating strength are done with cards. Audience participation was featured throughout the event. Derek once asked a couple to go to the stage where he requested the husband give his wife’s three honest compliments while Derek gave each a certain amount of cards. When doing so, the wife landed up with her husband’s cards magically appearing in her hands. When I asked Amanda Tymchuk her impression of the show, she said it was very good; she was especially surprised the way a person always thinks they are going to catch on to how a magician does his magic yet with Derek, she wasn’t able to do this. When I did a bit of research into Derek’s background I dis-
covered Derek’s former piano teacher, Mrs. Viola Braun-Fox taught him piano lessons from the age of four until he was 17. “Derek had a very curious and inquisitive mind. He was always very respectful of other people. I felt whatever Derek was going to do in life, he was going to do it well,” Viola explained. Derek was a child of the 80’s and he attended St. Martin’s and St. Mary’s School. His former teacher and basketball coach, Mr. Peter Varga remembers the year Derek helped his team win at the Provincial Championships. “That was around 20 years ago and I see a lot of the basketball players are here to watch Derek’s show. Derek was a very personable person. Both of his parents were awesome. He was a good athlete and an honor student,” Varga recalled. In Derek’s biography, it was written, Derek started public speaking to audiences of up to a thousand people when he was only 15. When Derek attended college he continued to play college basketball and when he graduated and became a basketball coach, he was instrumental in making his teams win. Derek is now the winner of six international awards. However he remains humble as he expresses at his shows magicians aren’t better than other people as we are all just people and he just wants to share the gift he has been given with others.
