Wider Horizons - Spring 2009

Spring 2009

A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

&

High &

Mighty

We celebrate the centenary of the High Level Bridge

Shooting for Success P. 14 • Alumni Stars P. 18 • Buchanan Art P. 28

Dr. Tracy Edwards Lethbridge College President & CEO

We bridge eras, too It has stood as a Lethbridge landmark for a century, a symbol of excellence, strength and initiative: representative, really, of the spirit of our community. The High Level Bridge, profiled in this issue, is an enduring legacy to those who had the dream and those who placed the concrete and steel to withstand time, wear and changing purpose.

As you’ll read in our coverage, the wonder of the bridge is its adaptability to handle heavier, longer loads as future decades have dictated.

We at Lethbridge College see the High Level Bridge as a metaphor for our own legacy and future, a mission that has changed dramatically even as its vision has remained constant. We see bridges in much of what we do.

Lethbridge College serves as a bridge between the exuberance of high school and the enterprise of adulthood.

It serves as a bridge for those contemplating a career change, or pushed by circumstance to cross new streams.

As the High Level Bridge shortened the rail distance across the Oldman River Valley, we shorten the distance between dream and reality.

The research we undertake serves as a bridge between academic innovation and community industry, aligning ideas with goals.

And for our alumni, it serves as a way back to a milestone in their lives, be it one only recently passed, or one that marks the start of their journey to accomplishment and success.

Our college, too, is made of steel and concrete, much of it crafted to stand, for 51 years now, as a hallmark of construction, a bridge to an era of names such as Cousins and Andrews for whom they are named. We, too, span eras.

And, finally, we serve as a bridge that links the teachings of the past with the learnings of tomorrow while we serve the present. As those who designed the High Level Bridge did so with the knowledge its needs would be altered with the years, so, too, do we continue to build Lethbridge College to supply a route to those education needs perhaps not yet upon us but definitely glimpsed on the horizon.

Vol. 2, No. 3, Spring 2009

On Our Cover As it turns 100 this year, the High Level Bridge has lost none of its charisma as an engineering marvel.

A team of Lethbridge College engineering instructors explains why.

Wider Horizons is published three times a year by the Lethbridge College Advancement Office.

Through stories that celebrate the accomplishments of our students, employees and alumni, the magazine communicates Lethbridge College’s vision, mission and goals to its audiences.

We thank you for picking up this copy and hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to recommend story ideas for future issues or would like to find out more about our magazine, contact us.

Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 email: carmen.toth@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca

What’s Inside A world of knowledge...................................... 10

Instructor Sampath De Silva exemplifies Lethbridge College’s growing harvest of international expertise in its classrooms.

Student Perspectives....................................... 12 As the economy does a free fall, some students are padding the graduation impact with post-diploma studies.

Shooting for success....................................... 14 Nadine Adams put up a lot of shots during her time as a Kodiak. The end result: nothin’ but net.

Office Intrigue................................................. 16 We took our camera deep within the office of BTD Director Sean Miles. The varnished truth is revealed.

publisher: Steven Dyck manager: Carmen Toth chief writer: Peter Scott photographer: Gregory Thiessen designer: Jaylene Ulmer magazine staff: Imarú Baquero, Leeanne Conrad, Michelle Stegen In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all Lethbridge College alumni.

Alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the College by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website: lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni To share this issue with others, visit us at widerhorizons.ca

Alumni Stars.................................................... 18 Whether at home or around the world, Lethbridge College alumni find a route to success. We celebrate a sampling.

Buchanan Art................................................... 28 A unique friendship between a nationally recognized artist and a favourite city son has been picture perfect for Lethbridge College.

3

Imarú B Marke aquero ting C oordin at

or

Brent Skidmore, Lab Technician

The High Level Bridge has lured thousands of photographers during the last 100 years, among them Lethbridge College employees, some of whom show off their results above.

Aaron Roth, Academic Advisor

Set in steel: A rivet Anyone who has ever driven through, flown over or lived

The bridge was originally built, at a cost of $1.3 million,

more than six hours in Lethbridge has either seen or heard

to shorten the rail distance between Lethbridge and Fort

about the railroad bridge spanning the Oldman River Valley.

Macleod. As the late Lethbridge historian Alex Johnston

And while debate still occurs on just what world record(s) it

noted in one of his papers: “Up to this point, the bridges

holds, two facts are indisputable: the High Level Bridge is an

constructed in the west had been of wooden timbers. The

engineering and construction marvel and it turns 100 years

design chosen for this bridge was a steel viaduct consisting of

old this year.

44 plate girder spans 67 feet, 1 inch long, 22 plate girder spans

Bill Smienk, an instructor in Lethbridge College’s engineering design and drafting technology program, says the bridge still holds the record as the longest railroad trestle

98 feet, 10 inches long, and one riveted deck lattice truss span 167 feet long.”

The designers knew all about the winds of southern Alberta

bridge for its height (or perhaps it’s the highest bridge for

and the weight the structure would have to support. They

its length). Regardless, there is some superlative to which

designed it well beyond the specifications of the day, and the

we hold bragging rights. And we can point with pride at the

100-plus steelworkers who pieced it together on its massive

33 towers that transport more than 11,000 tonnes across 1.6

concrete bases did so with unerring accuracy and competence.

kilometres at a maximum height of 95.7 metres above the

When the bridge was surveyed some 25 years ago, it was

valley below.

discovered that, through the previous seven decades, it had

So intrusive a landmark is the bridge that some visitors believe the city’s second syllable must bear some reference

sunk – something less than three centimetres.

Smienk, a model-railroad enthusiast, agrees “although the

to it. They forget Lethbridge, in fact named for an English

steam locomotives of the early 1900s were actually heavier

financier who never came here, had been an official city for 24

than today’s modern diesel engines, what has increased in

years when the bridge opened in 1909. Since then, the bridge

weight is the cargo.

has been a symbol of economic might, a railroad romanticist’s

“They’re pulling longer, heavier rolling stock today,” says

daydream, a site of youthful derring-do and a tragic stepping-

Smienk. “That’s one thing they might not have anticipated in

off point for the despondent.

1909.”

4 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009/Cover Story

r

Nancy Biggers, Administrative Assistant

eting past Trestle bridges are most commonly used on railroads, primarily over rivers and across floodplains. Our bridge has experienced more than one flood; the detritus still caught in its lower limbs is the result of the last one in 1995.

The structure was designed in Montreal by the CPR’s bridge department; the steel was brought west from Walkerville, Ont. in 645 rail cars. Site preparation and footing work was begun in 1907; the steelwork began in August 1908 and was completed in June 1909; riveting was finished two months later. Erection “travelers” were specially built for the project, to venture out on the bridge as it proceeded from the eastern side and lower girders into place below.

The CPR’s goal of shortening its trip west from Lethbridge required a second Oldman River crossing at Monarch. That structure, visible from Highway 3, is about one-third the length of the High Level Bridge, and about half its height. The two structures fulfilled the CPR’s goal, eliminating additional bridges and easing the grade over which the tracks were laid.

While it still serves the transportation role for which it was built, the High Level Bridge has become more than a mere engineering feat. It is one of the best-known and mostphotographed sights in southern Alberta, a touchstone of our heritage.

ucto her, Ian Hep nal Studies Instr o ti c Corre

L o n g e s t , highest,

busiest

Even though bridge superlatives use varying measurement standards, a few truly stand out in their classes: Longest single span: Kashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Kobe, Japan. Centre span: 1,991 metres. Links Honshu with Awaji Island across the Akashi Strait.

Longest continuous truss: Astoria Bridge, Oregon/ Washington. Length: 6.77 km. Links the two states across the Columbia River.

Highest: Millau Bridge, southern France. Roadway is more than 300 metres high. Links Paris with Barcelona.

Longest covered: Hartland Bridge, Hartland, N.B. Length: 391 metres.

Longest: Pontchartrain Bridge, New Orleans. Length: 38.6 km.

Spans Lake Pontchartrain.

Most expensive: Seto-Ohashi-Kojima Bridge, Japan. Cost: $8.3 billion, more than 6,200 times the cost of the High Level Bridge.

Busiest: Howrah Bridge, Calcutta. Carries 150,000 vehicles and four million pedestrians daily.

Highest road bed: Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado. Roadway is 321 metres above the river below.

Highest bungee-jumping bridge: Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa. Jumpers leap from 216 metres, more than twice the height of the High Level Bridge .

Longest in Canada: Confederation Bridge, 12.9 km. Links Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

5

Steel-drivin’ men Its majesty lies both in its size and its stability. The High Level Bridge is a testament to those who designed and built it, straddling the Oldman River Valley for 100 years as a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and enterprise. Wider Horizons sat down with four Lethbridge College engineering instructors to glean a sense of what was involved in bridging more than 1,600 metres (slightly more than one mile) of land and water using technique and technology now a century old, and how the feat might be accomplished in 2009.

Our panel included (at right, clockwise from top left, Doug May, highway and civil engineering; Andrew Bowen, surveying; Warren Salberg, municipal design engineering; and Mark Bohnert, structural engineering. Perhaps it was the pizza we plied them with, but the conversation was anything but dull. continued on next page

Crunching the Numbers 3: years it took to ship and rebuild London Bridge in Arizona.

63: covered bridges 11: people killed constructing the Golden Gate Bridge.

6 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009/Cover Story

in New Brunswick

664: age of the Ponte Vecchio

23,000: kilometres of wire in the

(Old Bridge) in Florence, Italy 400: bridges in Venice

cables of the Brooklyn Bridge 1,120: tonnes each opening wing of London’s Tower Bridge weighs

7

Hollywood bridge quiz

Bridges feature heavily in Hollywood film titles, from war epics to romantic tear jerkers. Match the following titles to their stars: (To break ties among friends, name the one which won the Best Picture Academy Award.)

A Bridge Too Far

The Bridges of Madison County

Mr. and Mrs. Bridge

8 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009/Cover Story

The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge at Ramagen

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Waterloo Bridge

Wider Horizons: Are you impressed with the feat?

Doug May: Built at such a high level with such low-grade technology, it’s amazing there has been so little deterioration in 100 years. The design is second to none.

Mark Bohnert: It was built with good quality materials. My dad was a CPR engineer who had to do inspections by hanging over the side of the bridge. It’s

May: Environmental concerns would be

employment forecasts for

with fish, sedimentation, pollution,

engineering grads today?

nesting birds; there would have to be a full-blown environmental assessment.

A discovery of native artifacts can also shut down a project today due to the significance of historical sites, and cottonwoods have to be protected. The impacts are almost infinite.

May: There is a real infrastructure deficit. It’s time to upgrade the infrastructure of the nation. Many bridges, in Quebec, for example, are well beyond their lifespan. I tell my students that’s likely where they will find work, in infrastructure upgrading.

Bowen: Governments have been so

well-built.

focused on growth, they’ve not been

WH: How would the design work be

maintaining what’s there. And they’ve

done differently in 2009?

scaled back on inspections.

Warren Salberg: Today, the project

WH: Would Lethbridge College

could be modeled out on a computer, built

engineering grads be required on a

as a straight graphic. A technologist could

High Level Bridge project today?

analyze wind loads, dynamic loads, etcetera.

May: Our grads could be involved in

May: They had to account for the

several areas. I tell my students they

subsurface, flooding, vibrations from trains,

have to be able to function in a team

these kinds of things. They didn’t have computers back then, so they had to overdesign it three or four times. You’re really pushing limits, for carpenters, iron workers.

Salberg: A location study could be done using GIS (geographic information system) to avoid unstable slopes and old coal mines.

Bohnert: I doubt they’d build it that high again. It could be dramatically lowered if they came across at Six-Mile Coulee. The bridge was not used for the same reasons as it is now; they’d likely just go straight north to Calgary.

Andrew Bowen: They achieved amazing accuracy using a surveyor’s transit and bubble and a Gunter’s chain to measure, which resists stretching. It was quality equipment and the skill set of those who did it was top notch. There is so much math involved, even with today’s equipment. For anything longer than 400 metres, you have

environment.

WH: Construction methods must have changed somewhat in 100 years.

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward

Salberg: They’d be involved in the structural design, under supervision, likely as part of a design team of

Bowen: Unlike highway bridges, a railway bridge has to be level. It’s much cheaper to move dirt today than it was back then. When the highway bridge over the river near Monarch was built, all the dirt was moved in a summer.

engineers and technicians.

Bowen: They’d be involved in location determination and suitability, environmental assessment, drafting, soil analysis, initial layout of the structure and checking its accuracy as

May: They probably diverted the river

work progresses, confirming qualities

with a coffer dam and used caissons

of material used and moved, checking

(watertight containers) to pour the

and confirming the quality of materials

concrete into the wooden forms. They

delivered to the site.

needed the river to stay open for the steamboats. Today, they’d push a steel shell into the soil.

Salberg: Students from all three of our engineering programs would be involved from beginning to end. Students from

Bowen: They’d likely not build it now.

other programs would have plenty of

To avoid a big coulee crossing, you have

opportunities as well, such as carpentry,

to go as far north as High River.

environmental science and more. It would be quite a project.

to account for the curvature of the Earth.

Robert Taylor, Vivien Leigh

WH: How strong are the

much greater today. There are concerns

Sean Connery, Robert Redford

William Holden, Grace Kelly

Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep

Ben Gazzara, George Segal

Alex Guinness, Jack Hawkins

Answers on the inside back cover.

9

A w rld of knowledge By now, Sampath De Silva likely knows better. Just a few months ago, the Sri Lankan engineering instructor decided to leave the University of Calgary for Lethbridge College for the “warmer” winters he and his family would

h

e,

fo r my c a re e r a n d m

Sampath De Silva

“

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10 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

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T h is w a s a v e ry w

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find farther south.

Lethbridge College Engineering instructor

So, Sampath, how’s that working out for you?

De Silva is part of Lethbridge College’s goal of fostering an international atmosphere, drawing to its campus top-notch instructors from around the world to glean their global expertise and learn from their cultures.

De Silva was a great catch: he has a doctorate in environmental engineering, a knowledge base tailored for the Engineering Design and Drafting Technology and Civil Engineering programs in which he teaches.

He has a wide range of industrial experience in the fields of road, geotechnical, hydraulics and coastal engineering. In addition, while working at the University of Ruhuna, he did a lot of consultancy work in the fields of health care waste management, water quality, and environmental impact assessments. At the University of Calgary, he researched work related to bio-cell technology to re-use areas under landfills.

But he also brings a global experience gained from world travel: after obtaining his civil engineering degree in Sri Lanka, De Silva added a master’s in hydraulics from Thailand and a doctorate in environmental engineering from the University of South Florida.

Immediately after returning to Sri Lanka with his Ph.D., De Silva started to work as a senior lecturer in the faculty of engineering at the University of Ruhuna in Galle, Sri Lanka, but it was a little difficult for his wife to find suitable employment in Galle.

“Canada was my first choice because of the health care and because it’s close to the United States, where our youngest was born,” says De Silva. “It’s beneficial for her to be in Canada.”

After serving four years at the University of Ruhuna, Sampath decided to emigrate to Canada to give his wife Roshanee, a doctor, a shot at becoming a consulting physician. After receiving permanent residency status, he applied to universities in Canada.

In July 2007, the family emigrated to Canada; De Silva accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Calgary. Within 10 months he was able to obtain his professional engineer designation from the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta.

When the one-year position expired – and after a Calgary winter – he figured Lethbridge would offer warmer climes.

The weather might not have lived up to his expectations, but Lethbridge College hasn’t disappointed.

“This was a very welcoming place,” says De Silva. “I want to stay here, for my career and my family.”

The De Silvas have two other children; all three attend Mike Mountain Horse Elementary, a school De Silva praises for its inclusiveness.

Roshanee is still jumping through the required hoops to become certified in Alberta, a province with a shortage of GPs. “Maybe I’m lucky, but I had no problem finding work here,” says De Silva. “But my wife is still trying for her residency.”

Courses offered by the Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Calgary helped De Silva improve his teaching and presentation skills to secure the position at Lethbridge College.

The couple faces no language barrier: English is taught in Sri Lanka from Grade 3 on. While the De Silvas have not found other Sri Lankan families in Lethbridge, they are far from homesick.

“We’re excited to have a person of Sampath’s calibre and international experience on our faculty,” says Dennis Sheppard, chair of engineering technologies. “He brings enhanced learning for our students as our first Ph.D.; he can better prepare them for employment outside of Canada; and he exposes our faculty to the possibilities of higher education.”

Sheppard notes the inclusion of a Ph. D. on the faculty allows Lethbridge College to plan for the day when it offers a bachelor of technology degree in the School of Engineering Technologies, and a degree in alternative energy management in the school of environmental sciences.

“I also believe our faculty and our learners benefit from being exposed to global cultures,” says Sheppard.

11

Wider Horizons asked these students: “Has the recent economic decline caused you to rethink your post-graduation plans?”

12 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Tara Green, 19 Criminal Justice: Policing Prince George, B.C. I’ve got my application in for the RCMP, and will be heading to training at Depot in Regina after graduation. The state of the economy has only reinforced my decision to become a police officer, because of the stability it offers. Often, more officers are needed in tough times.

You can’t get laid off, so that’s a bonus. And everybody is hiring right now because people are aging and there are a lot of retirements; departments are just taking people off the street. I wanted my diploma to be considered for promotions. I’m going to get my BA in criminal justice through Athabasca University. I did my first year of the diploma through distance learning, and I can get my degree while I’m on the job.

I’ve wanted to be an RCMP officer since I was 15. I asked several members and they said Lethbridge College was the place to be; the program is highly regarded. It will certainly make my training at Depot easier.

Joe Opper, 23 Business Administration: Accounting Toronto, ON You have to look at both the long term and short term in all of this. Short term, it’s causing a cash-flow problem for me because it’s difficult to find a job to pay for two more years of education. It’s also difficult to get credit because you have no established record. Fortunately, students can live fairly cheaply.

Long term, it opens your eyes to what could happen in the future because these things are cyclical. It encourages you to differentiate yourself so you won’t be the dispensable one the next time it happens. I’m working harder and longer now so I don’t have to work as hard in the future. I came to Lethbridge College because it had the academic atmosphere I wanted, but the 2+2 program option was the deciding factor. I’ll continue for two years at the University of Lethbridge, then it’s either grad school for an MBA or an accounting certification. I would recommend taking the extra two years for a degree to anyone.

Taylor Smith, 27 Civil Engineering Technology Lethbridge, AB I came into the Lethbridge College program with the understanding I’d transfer to a university program after graduation. The state of the economy now just further solidifies my choice. I think more students in the CET program are now looking at university, even as recently as February.

Some are considering staying at Lethbridge College to pick up an Engineering Design and Drafting Technology diploma, which they can get in one year.

I don’t think students are thinking they won’t find jobs, it just might not be this spring. I’ve been lucky going year to year with student loans and looking at further education as security. I think my choice was right. I plan to do a master’s degree afterwards, so hopefully I can ride it out.

I’m a little older than most students and I knew what I wanted when I came to Lethbridge College.

I loved the construction business and found an education that fit. There’s money to help pay for 13 school through Alberta Works.

It was hard at times, but I look at it as an opportunity to be a mom, a wife and a basketball player.

Nadine Adams, with husband Buddy and daughter Makena.

14 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Nadine Adams:

takes a long shot for success There were days during the 2008-09 Kodiaks basketball season on which Nadine Adams admits she questioned her sanity.

As co-captain of the women’s basketball team, ranked number one in Canada for almost the entire year and winner of the national bronze medal, Adams could have pretty much filled her time attending classes and practices, with maybe a little time for herself on the side.

But for a fantastic five-month period, she was a dynamic force of nature – General Studies student, basketball star, wife, mother, employee, role model - all at 21.

Recruited from Springbank Community High School near Calgary, Adams played two years for the Kodiaks (2005-07), took a year off to have a baby with husband Buddy LaRue, and returned to the hardwood for what she thought would be her last season as a Kodiak. But a change in family plans means she’ll suit up again this fall with her two biggest fans cheering her on: Buddy and daughter Makena, nine months old when mom was leading the Kodiaks to provincial gold this season past.

There were days, of course, when Adams wondered if she could shoulder all that was being asked of her.

She had set herself a daily schedule to keep on track for classes, study, practices, games at home and on the road, work at a mall two days a week and nursing an infant. Sometimes she slipped.

“Makena would be crying, my homework needed to be done: some days were harder than others,” says Adams.

“When that happened, I’d take a few moments to relax and remember why I’m here and why I wanted to do this.”

Buddy, an American Adams met while visiting her parents in Missouri several years ago, can’t work in Canada, so although he’d developed a small handyman business, he had the time to help out where needed.

He minded Makena when Adams needed time for academics and athletics and, bonus, enjoys cooking.

“He has supper ready, comes with Makena to all the practices and games and is a big help on the road,” says Adams, just before the team won the ACAC title in March. “Makena is still nursing, so she’s too young

for me to leave. My teammates are also support for my family.”

Sometimes during the season, those teammates were curious as to how Adams kept all the plates spinning; she had an answer.

“I told them it was hard at times, but I look at it as an opportunity to be a mom, a wife and a basketball player.

I believe I was there for the girls. I wanted to be a good example for them as captain.”

Adams, a shooting guard, showed up on the stats sheet as well as the court. Playing on a team with three South Division all-stars, she paid her own way: first in the conference in three-point shooting percentage; first in assist/turnover ratio; third in three-pointers made; seventh in assists and eighth in scoring and field-goal percentage.

“We earned our number-one ranking; we worked hard for it, set it as our goal” says Adams. “This year was a special opportunity. We had a lot of fun, hung out away from basketball. Everyone knew their role.

It was awesome to see the talent. All the girls brought something different to the team. You always had faith in your teammates; you knew if you gave them the ball, they could score.”

Adams also has praise for Lethbridge College Athletics, which has placed a priority on academic performance, something that was missing her first two years on the team. Now, all Kodiaks teams show up in the school library for two hours every Monday to catch up on assignments and assist one another with rough spots.

“It’s a great idea,” says Adams. “We can help each other out rather than just letting someone fail and fade away.”

No one failed, no one faded away. The team photo is proof that the 2008-09 Kodiaks were a united force on and off the floor. It shows that Adams fulfilled her dream as captain in her last basketball season. And it will be a keepsake for Makena when she is old enough to appreciate her mother’s accomplishments.

15

Office Intrigue: Framed Alberta Venture magazine (I was featured in the July 2008 issue)

Antique book collection.

Leather-bound encyclopedia from 1922

2008 Alberta Economic Developer of the year Award

Text books, etc., from my current MBA studies Stuffed bear and wooden figurine from Helsinki, Finland from daughter’s team’s ringette tour I attended in January 09

16 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

My wife and I in the Mayan Riviera

1999 Hockey News collector’s edition featuring Wayne Gretzky’s retirement

Sean Miles, program administrator for Lethbridge College’s Business Training and Development Institute, is the new face behind the College’s commitment to growing strong, innovative and productive businesses in southern Alberta.

He opened the Cheesecake Cafe here in 2000 (he has since sold his shares), was recently named 2008 Alberta Economic Developer of the Year while at Economic Development Lethbridge, and is completing his MBA through Royal Roads University, Victoria.

BTD offers open-enrolment and customized workforce training to strengthen businesses, employees, the community and the local economy, raising productivity and the area’s standard of living.

sean.miles@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca Sports Illustrated Wayne Gretzky Retirement issue and framed Wayne Gretzky rookie and all star cards which I found in my collection from when I was a kid

Daughter Ashley-Raye’s Bantam hockey picture in a Vancouver Canucks hockey frame

Me completing the Calgary Marathon

QA &

with CTV’s creative mind Rick Lewchuk graduated from Lethbridge College in 1979 with a diploma in Communication Arts. The North Battleford, Sask., native is now senior vice-president of Creative Agency and Brand Strategy for CTV. Wider Horizons tuned in with him about his success in branding the network.

WH: Nice title; what does it mean?

RL: We have upwards of 30 channels to market and promote.

Your brand is strategic to your position in the marketplace. I remember a former manager at Coca-Cola said, when asked if he had his choice between the secret Coke formula or the brand, he’d take the brand; it’s worth 80 per cent of the company’s value.

Your brand is hugely important, especially in TV. We take care of ours at CTV. I have about 200 people handling all design, production and media buying.

WH: And how’s that process going for you?

RL: CTV hasn’t been easy. Prior to the present owner buying the network, it was run like a co-op,

one in which many independent stations played down their CTV affiliation. When Baton got control of the network in 1996, we had a serious look at it. It was in such bad shape we questioned whether it was worth keeping.

We made a decision, after eight months of research, that we could rejuvenate the brand. But it’s not been an overnight thing: it’s taken 12 years.

WH: Are you pleased with the situation now?

RL: We’re happy with the recognition at this stage. We continually study and track that to gauge the public’s perception of us. As I say, in the mid-1990s, it was not a strong brand. A lot of that came from the network structure. People in southern

18 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Alberta, for instance, would have had a much stronger affinity for CFCN [the Calgary network affiliate] than CTV. It was a much stronger brand than CTV. That’s changed now; most people in southern Alberta wouldn’t think all that much about CFCN as a separate brand; it’s CTV. WH: How is CBC doing with its brand management?

RL: CBC has a strong brand identity, but it’s not always one you want to have. It works well in some parts of the country, not so well in others. CBC’s brand is not as strong in southern Alberta, for instance, as it is in Ontario; people in southern Alberta think of it as a centrist network. We work well in all areas of the country.

WH: But that hasn’t always been so.

RL: When we started, we were strongest in Saskatchewan and the Maritimes, and weakest in B.C. That’s mainly because the affiliate there hid its CTV ownership as frequently as it could. There’s been much more growth in B.C. now.

WH: How strong is your Canadian identity? Does it tend to get buried by American networks and programs?

RL: I think people identify with us as a Canadian network. One of our competitors – I won’t tell you who it is – has a real identity problem because most people think it’s American. On a day-today basis, it has a problem with

its identity. We don’t project ourselves as strictly Canadian, though, because a lot of our more popular programs are American.

WH: Does that hold for your other properties?

RL: No. TSN, for instance, would be considered Canadian; it’s strongest programming is Canadian. Discovery Channel would be hard to qualify as either Canadian or American; it’s more international in scope.

WH: You’ve done well with some homegrown programs such as Corner Gas. RL: Corner Gas, and Flashpoint has been another solid production for us. It allows for creative flexibility when you can work on a project yourself.

We’ve been out to Saskatchewan every summer to see Brent [Butt, creator and star of Corner Gas]; it’s been great to work with him and his team. And Flashpoint is filmed in Toronto, but is now airing on CBS in the States. It’s kinda cool when you can do that.

WH: Is there potential for growth there?

RL: It will grow. It’s driven by economics. American networks used to have scads of money to throw around and didn’t really need us, but with smaller budgets now, they’re looking to work with us. CBS sent a crew up to Toronto to produce their own promotions for Flashpoint, but they used our talent. They’re beginning to recognize our creative abilities. Last June at the

Promax/BDA Awards [a global, non-profit association supporting the role and effectiveness of entertainment and information content marketing, promotion and design professionals] CTV’s creative agency took more awards than anyone else in the world. We were competing with CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox and we beat them hands down.

WH: How did your education at Lethbridge College prepare you for your work in television?

RL: I came to Lethbridge College at 16, so I was pretty young. By 21, I was already a manager at a station in Regina. I got a huge head start at Lethbridge College so I didn’t have to learn on the job. The academic portion

was pretty strict: only six of us passed. There was such a desire in the industry to have people with education, so getting a job was easy. We split our course time 50-50 between academics and hands-on work. Everyone had to take a shift on the college radio station [CRLC The Kodiak].

In my last semester, I was coming to school at 5:30 a.m. to select the music for my 6 a.m. shift, taking classes all day and then putting in a full shift at CFAC [now Global TV] until midnight.

It’s where I discovered chocolatecovered coffee beans. But I was 19 and I could handle it in those days.

19

Five-Star Alumni At Lethbridge College, our customers are also our product and our best advertisement. The students we serve on campus go through a metamorphosis during their time with us, graduating as alumni with a new-found confidence in themselves.

We believe our alumni are living proof of the value of a post-secondary education. When they shine in their careers, we shine in ours. Each year, the Alumni Relations office honours those who have demonstrated the traits that make us most proud to call them ours.

“ ”

We are proud to present our 2009 recipients:

I am very honoured to be associated with Lethbridge College and the many great people and opportunities that have touched my life as a result of this involvement.

Distinguished Alumni Award

Greg Schmidt

Child and Youth Care 1993, Communication Arts (Ad/PR) 1986

For his commitment to the child- and youth-care profession, Greg Schmidt, co-ordinator of Family Ties Association, is chosen by Lethbridge College as its Distinguished Alumnus for 2009.

After obtaining a Communication Arts diploma from Lethbridge College in 1986, Schmidt returned to Lethbridge College where he quickly distinguished himself with the Child and Youth Care faculty for his leadership skills, commitment, vision, sense of humour and advocacy.

Since his graduation, Schmidt has employed those virtues in his field. He was hired by his practicum agency, Sifton Family and Youth Services, before taking on his position at Family Ties and later the post of executive director.

“As I look back, what permeates my view is the commitment, dedication and loyalty of all those involved in ensuring students are able to immediately step into a position after graduation,” says Schmidt. “I felt very prepared and ready to start work and feel the same of students that join us at Family Ties Association.”

20 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Career Virtuoso Award •

Pat Asplund (Automotives 1970)

For his exceptional mentorship of students and fellow faculty, Pat Asplund, instructor and chair of Lethbridge College’s Automotives program, is chosen the Career Virtuoso recipient for 2009.

Through 30 years as an instructor, Asplund demonstrates his leadership daily, including his unwavering integrity and fairness. He continually updates his technical knowledge and teaching skills to ensure student success. He has represented the college provincially and nationally with

Community Leader Award •

professionalism, dedication and distinction, demonstrating these traits in all he does.

Co-workers speak of his ability to challenge other instructors to look at issues from a student perspective, and of his skills in the classroom.

“It would be an understatement to say this has been a rewarding and fulfilling career,” says Asplund. “Any credit for the success I’ve enjoyed really belongs to the great community of people I’ve worked with.”

Brad Bustard (Civil Engineering Technology 1990)

For contribution to his community, its heritage, and his stewardship of the environment, Brad Bustard of Pincher Creek is chosen as co-recipient of the Community Leader Award for 2009.

“The education I received at Lethbridge College provided me with a broad and solid foundation which has enabled me to flourish and succeed in my life experiences.

Following several years with Atco in Calgary, Bustard returned home in 1998. A rancher, he wrote and published Pincher Creek – the Water, the Land, the People, a history of the area, a national award winner.

He helped form the Pincher Creek Watershed Group, and spends many hours coaching children’s sports.

“I am greatly honoured to be recognized with this award and somewhat humbled because there is much more I would like to accomplish. This award will help inspire and motivate me to continue my efforts.”

Community Leader Award •

Maureen Perlich (Agricultural Technology 1995)

For her unswerving confidence in agriculture and dedication to charitable groups in the Lethbridge area, Maureen Perlich, of Perlich Bros. Auction, is chosen as co-recipient of the Community Leader Award for 2009.

During the BSE crisis, which threatened the beef industry a few years ago, Perlich, as chair of Lethbridge College’s Agricultural Technology Advisory Committee, rallied the community

Rising Star Award • Cory

with the Harvest Hoedown, an annual event that celebrates agriculture’s successes. The event, which she chairs, has raised considerable money for Lethbridge College scholarships.

Perlich is also a supporter of the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association, Wounded Warriors, Ducks Unlimited, YWCA Harbour House, the Lethbridge Boys’ and Girls’ Club and several 4-H clubs.

Medd (Business Administration 2000)

For his immediate success in business and zest for marketing and innovation, Cory Medd is chosen winner of the Rising Star Award for 2009.

After studying business marketing at Lethbridge College, Medd burst on the city’s fast-food scene in 2002 with Two Guys and a Pizza Place; by 2008, he was named Chef of the Year and his product chosen as best in Canada in a Las Vegas competition.

Medd quickly combined business smarts with personal charisma to rocket to the top of the pizza industry. His attachment to the college continues to be vital. He has relied on advice from his college instructors long after graduation and, in return, serves on the Business Administration Advisory Board.

“Over the years, I have never hesitated to help the college,” says Medd. “I enjoy giving back to an institution that has given so much to me.”

21

Culture in the cuisine cuisine The clock is moments away from a wintry 8 a.m. as day breaks and the sun begins to rise, making shadows disappear and letting light flood into the windows of the Abyssinian Restaurant.

It’s a quaint little space, the walls adorned with exotic pictures from a faraway land that catch the eye of all who make an entrance here.

While nothing seems to stir at this hour, somewhere in this unique landscape Aberra Jote is preparing to open the doors to another world, and your eyes, to Ethiopian culture and cuisine.

22 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Jote opened the The Abyssinian, located at 313 Fifth St. S. in Lethbridge, in 2007 and, with wife Mary, has made it a success.

“A pleasant surprise,” says Jote, born and raised in Ethiopia. “The exposure to the restaurant has been powerful from such a small community, and when you see that coming out in this city, that’s something I look forward to.”

The couple met during travels to West Berlin in the early 1980s; Mary was originally from Red Deer, and the two eventually decided to move back to Canada due to the size of the country and the opportunities available. Married for nearly 24 years, they have two sons, Solomon and Nathaniel.

Jote enrolled in Lethbridge College’s Business Administration program in 1987 to foster his interest in marketing, graduating with a two-year diploma.

“Part of [my reason for attending the college] was my background,” says Jote, who used to be a bookkeeper in Ethiopia. “I found taking the program reinforced a lot of what I had already learned. All I had to do was determine what area of focus I was going to enjoy.”

Jote worked many jobs after graduation, attempting to determine what was right for him. After honing his bookkeeping at a building supply chain, he concluded his marketing skills would be perfect for opening a restaurant.

“The idea of having my own business was reinforced when I went to the college and got my business diploma,” he says. “[The restaurant] was an idea that hadn’t been fermented yet. When this place became open for rent, the puzzle started to fit together. It was also a way to provide some culture to the local community.

“At the beginning, I had a little bit of convincing to do because I knew what it would take to run this business; it

takes a lot of time and dedication,” says Jote.

Jote believes taking the time to explain etiquette to customers is vital.

Getting started wasn’t easy, but Jote had overwhelming support, including from Mary who was a substitute teacher in Coaldale.

“When there are new people at the table, we go through presentation and how the food is to be consumed, and what type of food could work for them,” he says. “So, taking the time to walk the customers through the process is an important part of what I do.”

“The time came when I needed her, and she simply said ‘this is your dream’ and agreed to give me a hand.”

The two handle all facets of their business alone: cooking, serving, cleaning and bookkeeping. Due to the immensity of these tasks, they often face 14-hour days.

“The work consists of long hours, but my energy comes from my motivation and not taking what’s going on lightly,” says Jote. “The feedback we get every day. . . motivates you to improve what you can improve upon, and continue to hope things improve naturally in the future.”

Promoting Ethiopian food in an area not exactly brimming with ethnic cuisine was an obvious risk, even more so considering it’s not eaten with utensils.

“How well that would be received was a concern; I just hoped people would like it along with the dedication and good work,” says Jote. “Most people support or understand an idea based on give and take; food is an intimate part of an individual, and I knew what kind of role I would play in providing and meeting that expectation.”

Jote notes this interaction provides an opportunity to see where his business is headed.

“It’s an opportunity to see the results of what you have started and where you are going,” he says. “You want to be involved as much as you can, to see your focus and how much you’re moving towards your goal.”

Jote has developed a unique business practice: if a customer has eaten a meal, and isn’t full when finished, he provides a free second helping.

“It’s just the right thing to do,” he says. “People argue that you lose money, but I don’t see it that way; it’s about give and take, and it’s up to me to go beyond the expected service.”

Jote believes bringing Ethiopian cuisine to the city is a cultural exchange rather than merely a way to make money. Because of this, he believes competition, such as a recently opened Indian restaurant, is positive because it furthers cultural understanding.

Jote says Lethbridge College taught him to understand the unique relationship between the customer and the service provider. He notes establishing and maintaining that relationship is especially crucial when you run a restaurant serving Ethiopian food.

“Another addition to Lethbridge will only increase our restaurant market in terms of ethnic groups. This will only help us grow together, and in the end, people will decide where they want to go. In that sense, it’s a very supportive element in breaking into southern Alberta to give people more variety.”

“That relationship can only come when you present yourself as you are, and presenting what you have as a product,” says Jote. “At the end, you can actually get a picture of what (customers) want to see in terms of food.”

After almost two years in business, Jote hopes to remain in his present locale to create an intimate, communal dining experience.

“At the level I am now, if I can sustain myself, if I can feel happy doing what I do, I think money will be secondary.”

Christina Boese Communication Arts (Print Journalism) ’08

23

A taste of Ethiopia Injera (Ethiopian flatbread) It’s not easy to make the perfect injera on the first attempt. Several factors can alter the quality: the temperature of the grill, the type of grill, the mixing of the dough. You might need to alter and experiment different ways considering the above factors.

Ingredients: Sourdough yeast and 1 kg of self-rising flour 1/2 gallon water (start slowly; keep adding and mixing until runny) Preparation Method: Add flour, 4 cups of water and sourdough in a large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Add the rest of the water slowly until runny. Let it ferment overnight (24 hours) at room temperature. Heat a flat round or square grill (mitad) to 400 F. Remix the dough. Pour about 1½ cups of dough on grill in rotating motion. Let cook between 30 and 60 seconds. Remove by grabbing one end with both hands. Let cool to room temperature, stacking the pieces. If you see the “eyes” in the cooked bread and it feels spongy, you’ve made it properly.

24 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Kik Wot (Red Lentil Stew) Ingredients: 2 cups of split lentils 1 large onion finely chopped ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tsp minced or powdered garlic ½ tsp authentic Ethiopian Berbere ½ tsp salt (as needed) 1 cup of water (or as needed) Preparation Method: In large pot, simmer onion, garlic, and Berbere with vegetable oil. Wash lentils. Add lentils and water.

Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes at low heat, stirring occasionally until they are fully cooked. Serve hot with Injera.

Finding Balance Grad dad discovers life, education mix well

Just a handful of years ago, single father Scott Fisher, now a Lethbridge College grad, navigated the campus of the University of Lethbridge, guiding middle daughter Christie through the process of registration and sorting out her financial affairs. Though the purpose of the outing was to launch Christie on her post-secondary journey, Fisher found the university atmosphere appealing and was struck by a sense of possibility for his own life.

On the drive home, Fisher turned to his daughter and asked, “What would you think if dad decided to go to school again?

Would you be a student with dad at the same time?”

Her response was quick and unequivocal, “No way are you coming to university with me! Go somewhere else; you’re going to cramp my style.”

“I thought a little bit about it,” says Fisher, a Calgarian. “I thought, ‘yeah, that might be a little awkward. First year of university and you’re starting to meet people and around the corner comes dad with his backpack on.’”

Fisher initially began his higher education at the University of Calgary, but says he lacked the personal drive to stick with it.

He later enrolled at Mount Royal College but, after one year, made the decision to discontinue that program as well in order to seek employment and provide for his new wife and first daughter, Carmen.

“Basically, I decided at that point, I’ve got to support my family. I’ve got to go out – I’ve gotta work.”

Fisher took a position as a computer operator, but after several successful years, he injured his back.

After a year on medical leave, he returned to work, but continued to suffer

back problems and was compelled to consider alternative employment.

Additionally, Fisher and his wife were experiencing a growing sense of dissatisfaction with life in the big city.

“I probably could have found work in Calgary easier in the computer field, but I couldn’t stand the place any longer.”

After lengthy consideration, Fisher and his wife made the decision to move to her hometown of Lethbridge and he took a position with an electronic retailer.

Though he initially found the work rewarding, he says the sales objectives of incoming management began to conflict with his own personal ideas about the type of service he wanted to provide for his customers. Fisher and his wife were experiencing marital difficulties, eventually split, and Fisher ended up with custody of his three daughters.

“I went through the devastation of a separation and divorce, trying to juggle and keep the kids going, and trying to keep me going at work.”

Fisher had worked with several students earning their tuition for college or university and was motivated by their example.

Despite his eldest daughter’s initial protestations, the family supported his decision to return to school at Lethbridge College, and even helped him cram for entrance exams.

“They pulled out all their math books and English books and sat down with dad.

I went into the test and I did OK, but I’ll tell ya, I was a nervous wreck.”

Fisher gained admission to the college’s Computer Information Technology program. He was able to secure a student loan through the provincial government but the money fell short of necessity.

“I had the three kids to take care of;

I had all their stuff to do with them. It was a struggle getting through it and the first year was very tight. We enjoyed some Kraft Dinner and things of that nature. Mom and dad did help out a great deal. They were very supportive of my endeavours. Without their help we wouldn’t have gotten through it.”

Fisher also received support and encouragement from his instructors at Lethbridge College.

“A lot of them knew the situation I was in. They were understanding. They never bent the rules for me – an assignment’s due when an assignment’s due – but if I was five minutes late for a class they weren’t going to have a heart attack.

There was a lot of flexibility there.”

Fisher’s instructors recognized his considerable challenges in raising a family and being a successful student and made efforts to help him ease the load.

“Marty Boogaart was very kind and nominated me for an award that really took a lot of the financial burden off the second year.”

Fisher won a $5,000 cash and merchandise award from the Microsoft corporation.

“It’s based on desire, based on need, based on academic grades…it’s more focused on someone who desires to be in the field and has a need for some additional funding.

I just appreciated Marty even thinking of me and making me the nominee for the College. That’s an honour in itself.”

Zyna Taylor Communication Arts (Print Journalism) ’08

25

Essex: an essence of excellence Adam Essex is one of the best chefs in the province. He’s been cited as such by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board, which gave him its highest award for chefs. He was also a member of Team Alberta, gold medal winner at the World Culinary Olympics in Germany last fall.

He’s taken his skills to a unique locale: the retail operations of the Chinook Regional Hospital, including the cafeteria, coffee shop and catering, which offers fare to hospital staff, patients and visitors.

Born in Saskatchewan but a southern Albertan for the last 15 years, Essex graduated from Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers program through the apprenticeship route in May 2008. That allowed him to work as a cook five days a week and spend one day in classes. That’s quite a load for someone with a wife and two children.

“I was able to immediately apply the skills I was learning at the college to my work and that helped a lot,” says Essex, who worked at Ric’s Grill and The View. “I had no problem keeping my mind on school. My family was my motivation to succeed.”

Essex began cooking at Smitty’s while still in high school, drawn, he says, to the fast-paced environment of a commercial kitchen.

“The job satisfaction was also high,” he says. “I drew it from seeing customers pleased with my work. I truly love cooking and knowing people are enjoying what I’ve produced for them.”

From Smitty’s to the World Culinary Olympics is a bit of a jump, but Essex downplays his supporting role.

“I joked once that I had such duties as equipment packer and mover, meal cook for the team and even the glamorous job of team dishwasher,” he says.

“But looking back, even though I wasn’t in the limelight, I had an important position none the less.”

Everyone on the team made sacrifices for Team Alberta, putting in long days of practice until the product was perfect.

“For a team to win and succeed every member must put aside their personal differences and work together,” says Essex.

As a chef, Essex likes to try new concepts and flavours, reinventing the traditional to create different experiences for his diners.

“You need basic skills and knowledge plus creativity,” he says. “You also need an absolute passion for food and a love of cooking and be willing to do it for the love, not the money.”

One day, Essex hopes to turn the management skills he’s learning at the hospital into a unique private business: personal chef to southern Alberta.

That means creating personalized menus and producing the resulting meals, which customers can store and reheat at leisure. He’d also like to try teaching in-home classes with a focus on ethnic cuisine (his favourite: East Indian) and managing dinner parties.

The knowledge he gained at Lethbridge College has well served Essex since his graduation.

“Every day I rely on my education in some way,” he says. “I am constantly applying my learning to my career.”

26 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life • my life •

Journalist under fire Abhishek (Abhi) Choudhari (Print Journalism 2002) is the editor at ITN, a fledgling news channel in Mumbai, India. For three days last November, Choudhari directed a staff of some 20 journalists in covering the terrorist attacks in Mumba, which killed or injured nearly 500. He was stationed for several days in a hotel near the epicentre of the attacks. We asked him his views on journalism.

Journalism is probably one of the very few professions in the world where every day is new. Monday could be a press briefing with the prime minister, Tuesday a tête-à-tête with a movie celebrity, Wednesday an exclusive breaking news interview with a mafia don while Thursday can find you sipping coffee with business honchos at a conference.

I always say “being there” is the biggest high of journalism.

You get to witness and interpret events that will be talked about for years to come, maybe centuries to come. You get to know the newsmakers on a personal basis, and understand what makes them click. You

meet the powerful men and women whose writ runs large on their fiefdoms, and learn what makes them stand apart from other human beings. While millions will see the world and its newsmakers through the mass media, you are there with them in flesh and blood, sometimes shaping public opinion through your coverage.

Journalism in India has changed dramatically. When I started off 10 years ago with a newspaper, it was still a slowpaced 12-to-9 job. But after I returned from Canada in 2005, a boom in the news sector meant a minister getting a flu shot was now breaking news. With dozens of news channels trying to fill 24

hours of air time, the definition of what is news has undergone a drastic change. Sometimes working seven days a week, 15 hours a day is just part of the job.

Personally, journalism has been a very enriching experience for me. It took me to Canada where I studied and worked, giving me a chance to learn about a wonderful culture and a world I had known only through books and TV. On my return I have travelled extensively in India, going to places of which I had never heard, getting to know life through first-person accounts: rags-to-riches, survivors against all odds, tyrants and gods alike.

Journalism has taught me that

the world is full of ironies. It sometimes makes me wonder if good guys ever finish first: where a mafia don is living happily in his 70s, while innocent people fall prey to terrorists’ bullets. A world where a religious belief is threatening the entire world’s security, while billions in the world find peace in God’s name.

And as the Bard put; it is a stage, one where the finest of actors play, the best of scripts direct and most eloquent of dialogues are spoken. And I look forward to being backstage, getting to know them before and after the show, where there are no pretensions, no masks and no make-up. I look forward to “being there.”

Close to the ‘Finnish’ Line Kelli Larson (Business Administration: Marketing 2004) completed the student exchange to Kajaani, Finland for one semester. She went on the exchange for a new experience while continuing her education. She splits her time between Canada and Europe, and is working on her master’s degree. We asked her about her decision to mix travel and study. I wanted to study but at the same time meet new people and travel and this was the best way to do both.

The Kajaani exchange was great. I learned a lot about the world, about new cultures and about myself. Going on an exchange alone forces you to meet people; there many other international students studying, so you immediately have something in common and something to talk about. I networked with other international students and travelled to many countries.

Study-abroad experiences help students in so many ways, including finding another way of communicating by learning a language and understanding that people think differently in other countries. You also get a different perspective on your own country.

Being away from home makes you realize how important and unique

your own culture and customs are. You become grateful for how you live and not take it for granted. You also grow as a person. Overseas study helps people become more independent and develop more self-discipline. It was a very positive experience and something that I will remember forever. I am very fortunate to have had the chance to experience something like that and have it be part of my college education.

I think it’s fantastic to have a study-abroad experience because not only will you gain valuable academic and personal experiences, but you will learn so much more than you ever could by just staying in the classroom at home. It’s one thing to go travelling to a different country, but it is different again to live and study in a country for several months and be part of the culture, speak their language and really immerse yourself entirely.

The student exchange at Lethbridge College encouraged my interest in other cultures, people, languages and global business.

I went on to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in international business.

27

ART CONNECTION The bodies are pressed against one another, a mass of form and texture, scarcely a breath of air between them. They are every hue and shape and size, but united in common purpose, arms outstretched to embrace the sun.

The scene may give the impression of a crowded beach or a peace march, but this is actually a journey into the artwork of acclaimed Canadian artist Gerald Trottier. However you choose

Two friends, One legacy

to interpret it, there is no denying that the strong lines and bold colours favoured by Trottier in many of his works portray the depth of a man passionate about his craft.

The Buchanan Library at Lethbridge College recently acquired a Trottier work entitled, “Refugees,” a lithograph of nuns portrayed in muted tones and sharp angles.

The piece was donated to the library last September by Trottier’s widow Irma, now 84, who felt it represented some of his best work. The choice of Lethbridge College as a recipient for the generous gift came through a remarkable coincidence.

In the 1960s, Donald Buchanan (for whom the College library is named) was assistant director at the National Gallery in Ottawa where he became acquainted with Gerald Trottier. Buchanan was a talented photographer who travelled extensively in Europe, chronicling his journeys on film. He was also a connoisseur of fine wines and, while in France, discovered vineyards where he could purchase cases of wine and have them shipped home to Ottawa.

Irma shares the story of the developing friendship between Buchanan and Trottier.

“When the cases would arrive, Donald would invite Gerald to his abode to sample this wine and talk about art and view the photographs

28 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

he had taken while in Europe. As a result, they exchanged works.”

amazed to see that A.Y. Jackson had spent some time in the area.”

Buchanan subsequently submitted one of Trottier’s pieces, “The Field” (1959), to Lethbridge College. After Trottier’s death in 2004, his family began the process of archiving his life’s work. One of the family members wrote to the college to request a photo reprint of “The Field” and was taken aback when the reply came from the Buchanan Library.

Irma feels the display will be an asset to the Lethbridge College collection, and would have met with her late husband’s approval.

“I inquired whether that was the same Donald Buchanan who had been employed at the National Gallery,” says Irma. “Of course it was, and that is when I asked if they would accept three of Donald’s photographs to go along with Gerald’s oeuvre (work).”

She offered the “Refugees” (1953), along with a sketch entitled “Francis Bacon” to complement the sole piece already in the library.

Irma visited Lethbridge College and the Buchanan Library for the first time last year; she says she was “very impressed” with the exhibit.

“It was very well housed and in good condition. I thought it was great. . . I was

“I think he would have been very pleased, especially knowing that it was housed in the Don Buchanan library. He and Don were very good friends.”

For the first time in 25 years, Lethbridge College put the Buchanan Gift on public display during its Homecoming ’08 celebration last May. The Buchanan Gift was given to Lethbridge College in 1963 by Donald and Hugh Buchanan as a tribute to their parents, the Hon. W. A. Buchanan and Alma Buchanan.

Normally kept vaulted for protection, the entire collection will be available for viewing 1-5 p.m. Saturday, May 17 in the Buchanan Library on campus.

Though not an artist herself, Irma claims a love of art and culture and a “penchant for history and philosophy.”

“To be present, to be near someone who created a work of art, to me is a true

‘refugees’ Gerald & Irma Trottier

revelation,” she says. “When I marveled at a work of Gerald’s, he always reminded me that I, too, was creative. When he saw me kneading the bread and saw the end result, he called it a work of art.

“I always had a great love of the beauty around me. A peaceful joy and tranquility surrounds me when I’m viewing art and architecture. As a child, I had an awareness of the hand-made crafts in our home. Both my parents and my grandparents were very gifted people.”

Irma Tremblay Trottier was one of six children reared in the pastoral setting of Grand Calumet Island, Que. The offspring of a prosperous farmer and a teacher, the Tremblay clan attended primary school in the isolated community on the Ottawa River.

“After that, we had to leave home and attend boarding school. I was sent to Montebello, in Quebec. Others in the family chose to go to Montreal and one went to Ottawa. What joyous memories I have of our return to the family for the holiday season.”

After high school, Irma relocated to Ottawa to further her education and it was there that

‘francis bacon’

she first encountered Gerald Trottier.

“We met here in Ottawa while he was attending the Ottawa Technical School. I was at a business school in 1943; we were both 18.”

Gerald served briefly in the armed forces, after which he was awarded a post-discharge grant that he used to further his study of art. The couple married in 1949 and, in 1953, Gerald received a scholarship to study in Europe. He went to France to learn lithography and participated in a three-day pilgrimage from Notre Dame to Chartres Cathedral. This journey would come to have a significant influence on his work.

The Trottiers had three children: Denise, Francois and Marc. In 1962, Gerald received a Canada Council fellowship and the family returned to Grand Calumet Island. With the help of Irma’s father, Gerald was able to build a studio in the farmhouse the couple bought.

After some time, however, the two became concerned about the lack of educational and cultural opportunities for the children, and missed the direct involvement with the arts community in the city.

“There was no music, no libraries. You don’t realize that [you’ll miss it until] you’re away from it. We just couldn’t stay there.”

Their chance to return to a more metropolitan environment came in 1965, when Gerald was invited to study at the University of Western Ontario in London.

In the years following, Gerald re-established his connection with the artistic community and forged a reputation as a creative talent. Though he always worked full time at “regular” jobs (most notably, a total of 17 years as a design director for the CBC), Trottier was a prolific artist whose work was showcased in countless exhibitions here and abroad.

He accepted many important commissions, including six Canadian postage stamps, a ceremonial mace for York University in Toronto, a cover for Canadian Art Magazine and a phenomenal, 10’ x 168’ mosaic mural for Carleton University in Ottawa.

Trottier was also well known for creating religious artwork and liturgical appointments for numerous churches throughout Quebec and Ontario. One project, a life-sized “corpus” continued

29

(image of Christ on a crucifix) was commissioned for Blessed Sacrament Church in Ottawa, and later became part of an exhibition of religious art.

Since her husband’s death, Irma continues to promote his work by providing information and assistance to exhibitors and biographical writers. One of the most comprehensive publications on his work is a catalogue by Sandra Dyck, Carleton University Art Gallery curator, entitled, “A Pilgrim’s Progress: The Life and Art of Gerald Trottier.”

“

Irma acknowledges the assistance of her extended family.

“With the help of my family, I have established the archives of all of Gerald’s life’s work. I don’t do this alone,” she says, “I’m going to be 84 this year so it’s getting a little harder to get around.”

Son Marc Trottier and his wife Wendy Vance have played an important role in the projects as well.

”

My reward is to have my grandchildren made aware of their grandfather’s talents and recognition in the art world.

“Both are honour graduates of Irma Trottier the Theory and History of Fine Art program from the University of Ottawa,” Irma says. “They have contributed to organizing the archives of Gerald’s work. Marc has lectured on his father’s work at the National Gallery.”

Irma contacts Canadian galleries to inquire as to whether they would be interested in acquiring more of his work. All, of course, are pleased to be the beneficiaries of the Trottier pieces. His work is included among the collections of the National Gallery, Carleton University, the University of Western Ontario, Memorial University in St. John’s, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and galleries in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Winnipeg and London, Ont., among others.

When asked about the personal satisfaction of carrying on the work, Irma says, “My reward is to have my grandchildren made aware of their grandfather’s talents and recognition in the art world. He contributed so much in the many facets of the art world.”

As for her own legacy to her children and grandchildren, “I hope people would remember me as a devoted wife…a loving wife to my husband and a loving mother to my children.”

Zyna Taylor Communication Arts (Print Journalism) ’08

For more information about Gerald Trottier, refer to “A Pilgrim’s Progress: The Life and Art of Gerald Trottier”, available at the Buchanan Library. The three Trottier works and photos

by Don Buchanan are also available for viewing at the library.

Irma Trottier (R) and daughter Denise at the Lethbridge College presentation.

30 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2009

Jeremy Scott of Whitehorse (Business Administration 1997) displays his January issue in the Yukon capital.

Show us your Wider Horizons, we’ll show you green. our green.

As befits our name, we deliver Wider Horizons to Lethbridge College alumni around the world.

We’d like to show readers the far-flung locales our magazine reaches. Have yourself snapped holding your Wider Horizons with a background you call home. We’ll print the best entries in our September issue, your postcards to fellow alums.

And we’ll choose one as winner of $100.

Entries must be e-mailed as highresolution JPEGs and received at WHMagazine@gmail.com by July 5, 2009.

Please indicate your name, Lethbridge College program and year of graduation, and a brief description of the photo.

Where are they now?

Keep us updated on your successes. Drop us a note at alumni@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca Marilee Allerdings Nursing 1981 Marilee and her husband Erwin live in Victoria. She works for the Canadian Institute for Health Information as manager of research and analytical projects for Western Canada.

Steven Lamden Renewable Resource Management 1978 Steven was employed as a park ranger from 1979 to 1997 and is employed as an environmental technician in the municipality of Dewberry, Alta.

Lisa Greenwood Licensed Practical Nurse 2005 Lisa works at the Peace River Associate Medical Clinic.

Matthew Wright Broadcast Journalism 2005 Matthew is a writer/producer/director for ZOOM Communications in Calgary. He creates commercials, corporate videos, websites and consults companies on getting involved in web video integration. “The education I received at the college has been the base I have built my career on. Not only did I receive top-notch guidance from the faculty, I have built life-long relationships with them, too.”

Rebecca Hastings Nursing 1996 Rebecca works in Reno, Nevada, as a clinical RN. She married DuLynn in 2002 and has two sons: Tom, 4, and Alex, 3.

Corynn Hubick Advertising and Public Relations 2008 Corynn works as communications co-ordinator for Volunteer Lethbridge.

Jennifer Justinick Criminal Justice 2000 Jennifer works at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lethbridge as a program caseworker. She previously worked as co-ordinator with a company that cares for people with disabilities. She worked at a homeless shelter in Calgary as a client service worker for some five years. “I enjoyed being part of a group of people with common interests in college. We had some great instructors that really put a lot of effort into getting us ready for the world. I did not end up being a peace officer, but I do use skills I learned every day as a social worker.”

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Peace River Victoria

Lethbridge College Events Lethbridge College Foundation Spaghetti Western • June 5th Kodiaks Summer Sports Camps • July and August

Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Racquet Sport Camps for grades 1-12.

All Camps are a week long. Contact Ian Bennett at 320-3202 ext. 5457.

College Life 101: Orientation for new students • Sept. 8 lethbridgecollege.ca/go/collegelife 101 Lethbridge College Foundation Golf Tournament • Sept. 9th

Hollywood bridge quiz A Bridge Too Far - Sean Connery, Robert Redford • The Bridges of Madison County - Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep • Mr. and Mrs. Bridge - Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward • The Bridge on the River Kwai - Alex Guinness, Jack Hawkins • The Bridge at Ramagen - Ben Gazzara, George Segal • The Bridges at Toko-Ri - William Holden, Grace Kelly • Waterloo Bridge - Robert Taylor, Vivien Leigh Tie-breaker: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1958)

31

Your career can have a higher

purpose

Explore a rewarding career with us.

www.higher-purpose.ca