FA L L 20 1 5 THINKING FAST IN MOTION PASSION & POWER
{ A PU B L ICAT ION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE }
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Editor’s message
I headed out on a bike ride in late spring
with my kids on a wonderful path that
different forms. There’s the movement it takes to build a state-
goes along the coulees behind Lethbridge
of-the-art facility, of course, and the motion of the courses and
College. After we passed by the Cullen
programs that will be taught in that new building. But you will
residences and the Garden Court Dining
also find stories about alumni whose jobs involve near constant
Room and looked ahead, my kids came to
motion – whether they are providing nursing care on a helicopter
an abrupt halt.
or driving an adaptive race car around a track. There’s even a
recipe where motion is integral to the outcome - tossing a pizza
“Where did that building come from?” one of my daughters
This issue of Wider Horizons celebrates motion in its many
asked. “What’s been happening here?” her twin sister said.
crust high in the air.
“Wow!” added my son.
opening 58 years ago. Two aspects have been firmly in place
Wow, indeed. Since last April, the south end of campus has
The college itself has been a whirlwind of activity since its
been a hub of motion. Trucks of all sizes, equipment of all kinds and
throughout all of the changes, however, and they are Lethbridge
skilled tradespeople by the hundreds (many of them Lethbridge
College’s commitment to student learning and pride in alumni
College alumni) have come to create a building that will house
achievements in all forms. We hope you enjoy this issue.
programs in the college’s Crooks School of Transportation. Their work has largely been done with little attention from the public
Cheers,
– my kids weren’t the first ones to ask where that building came from once they made their way to the back part of the campus.
The first phase of the building – with a roofline that mimics
Lethbridge’s gently rolling coulees – opened for its apprentices on Aug. 24 and the grand opening celebration is set for Sept.
Lisa Kozleski
30. When the second phase of the project is complete in 2017,
Editor
the new facility will add nearly three football fields worth of space to the campus and will make room for 2,300 students in
P.S. We are planning a special issue next fall on the many
eight trades and four technologies programs. And it’s all been
fabulous faculty and staff members at the college. If you know a
happening while most students, staff and community members
past or current Lethbridge College faculty or staff member whose
are unaware that the biggest building project in the college’s
story should be shared in the pages of this magazine, just email
history is rising right behind them.
WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. Thanks!
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{
President in action Campus in season From our kitchens
VOL. 9
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ISSUE 1
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FA L L 2 0 1 5
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Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’s community magazine, celebrating the successes and stories of its students, employees and alumni by promoting them throughout the community. This publication aims to educate its readers, engage stakeholders and recognize donors through compelling stories and images.
22 Office intrigue 24 Q&A 30 Where are they now?
34 36 42
We thank you for picking up this copy and we hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to suggest a story or find out more about our magazine, contact us.
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 emailing alumni@lethbridgecollege.ca or by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website:
Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca
It’s a family affair News and notes Noted online
lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni
Thinking fast
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Welding grad Rob Parsons created both an adaptive, 600-horsepower competitive drift machine from the ground up as well as a charitable organization to help others with disabilities develop a passion for motor sports — all from the seat of his wheelchair.
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In motion: Featuring stories of alumni whose work keeps them moving and stories of the college’s many motionfocused programs.
Power and passion: First phase of the college’s new trades and technologies facility ready and roaring to go.
Grads on our grounds: College grads put their hands-on learning to the test as skilled tradespeople constructing the new facility.
Publisher: Dr. Paula Burns Editor-in-chief: Carmen Toth Editor: Lisa Kozleski Designer: Dana Woodward Lethbridge College staff contributors: Megan Catalano, Leeanne Conrad, Elisabeth Morgan, Ron Ostepchuk, Diana Prakash, Shawn Salberg, Kasha Thurston
Cover photo: Luke Munnell Photographers: Rod Leland, Luke Munnell, Rob Olson, Jonathan Ruzek, Gregory Thiessen Contributors: Mark Campbell, Mia Cartwright, Belinda Crowson Proofreaders: Ginger Arthur Ciesla, Brenda Brandley, Joanne Briggs, Robert Chernish, Mary Ann Sorge, Linda Sprinkle
To share this issue with others or access even more content, visit us at widerhorizons.ca. 1
President in action
Dr. Paula Burns meets with the media following the July groundbreaking for year three of The College Home partnership between the Canadian Home Builders’ Association - Lethbridge Region (CHBA) and Lethbridge College. Along with local builders Daytona Homes Lethbridge and Signature Homes Ltd., the partners broke ground on the next two houses to be built by CHBA builder members, suppliers and tradespeople to benefit the college’s new trades and technologies facility.
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Dr. Burns says the college is thrilled to again be working with two outstanding Lethbridge builders. “We’re incredibly appreciative of the generosity and hard work of our industry partners. This collaboration with CHBA Lethbridge, Daytona Homes and Signature Homes will benefit the college’s new trades and technologies facility, and, by extension, the whole community by providing an exceptional place for future tradespeople, builders and industry leaders to learn.” Photo by Gregory Thiessen
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Campus in season
If you get the chance to stray just a bit off the beaten path this fall, you’ll be rewarded with phenomenal views from the college and some of the best trails in the city for biking, walking or running. That’s what Jonathan Friesen (Renewable Resource Management 2006 and Fish and Wildlife Technology 2007) did on his mountain bike on a perfect southern Alberta summer evening in June.
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Friesen, who works as an Environmental Science lab technician at the college, is a familiar body in motion in the community, where he is known to occasionally ride a unicycle to work as well as give great advice on hiking and camping destinations. To check out these trails, just head to the south side of campus, take a look at the incredible progress being made on the college’s new trades and technology facility, and then dive into the rolling coulees. It’s worth the effort. Photo by Gregory Thiessen
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THINKING
FAST. “A lot of people would give up for way simpler reasons. I had no intention of doing that though.” { Rob Parsons } Lethbridge College Welding alumnus Rob Parsons shows how to “ride the wall” during a drifting demonstration in Parsons’ adaptive race car at the track in Willow Springs, California, last spring.
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Lethbridge College grad creates adaptive, 600-horsepower competitive drift machine as well as a charitable organization to help others with disabilities develop a passion for motor sports – all from the seat of his wheelchair.
H
e welds. He invents. He teaches. He races. About the only thing that 2010 Lethbridge College welding alumnus Rob Parsons can’t do is walk. Parsons used to weld and invent and race and walk – all with an intensity and quickness that inspired (and occasionally overwhelmed) the people around him. He loved motorsports and raced and rode everything from dirtbikes to sportscars designed to drift. When he wasn’t working at KB Heating and Air Conditioning in Lethbridge, he was working on machines and riding them. “I had been racing cars for about 10 years,” says Parsons. “And I was always fabricating, welding and making stuff. I was good at problem solving. I could envision stuff and then put it together. I was always tinkering.” Then came the June day in 2011 when he was leisurely riding his motorcycle at Temple Hill in Raymond. “I was warming up, on the back section [of the] table top,” he recalls. “I came up short on a step up and landed stiff legged off the edge of the berm. I knew before I landed that I would never walk again.” The impact of the crash caused breaks to both of Parsons’ legs – tibias, fibias and femurs – and punctured his lungs. It also severed his spinal cord. Parsons’ instinct in the air after he lost control of his motorbike was right. “I spent six months in the hospital, including two weeks in the ICU after the accident and another week after I got an e-coli infection because of the hardware in my back,” he recalls. “I came home right before Christmas.” While Parsons was recovering, he was thinking – fast. He figured there had to be adaptive race car programs out there for people who didn’t have the use of their legs – that there had to be a way to, as he said, “make it work.” But there was nothing. So Parsons created what he was looking for, building both an adaptive, 600-horsepower competitive drift machine from the ground up as well as a charitable organization to help others with disabilities “develop a passion for motor sports and provide the adrenaline rush that so many people yearn to feel.” And he’s done it all from the seat of his wheelchair. “A lot of people would give up for way simpler reasons,” he says. “I had no intention of doing that though. I accepted the fact that I busted myself up pretty good. It was like
‘Alright, deal with it and move on. Don’t be a baby about it.’ And so I went looking for an opportunity [to participate in adaptive motor sports] but it just wasn’t out there.” Creating that opportunity – for himself and for others – seemed like the natural solution. “I just wanted to help other people who were in the same position, sitting there and thinking ‘I can’t do this anymore.’” Once he had recovered enough to start working, Parsons, with the help of some friends, spent more than 18 months building a car in his garage in Lethbridge. “I’ve built cars before, so I knew what to do,” Parsons says. “So I set out to build the best one around here and blow everyone away and show them it can be done.” Parsons started by stripping a 1991 Nissan 180SX to its bare shell and built a “rotisserie” to hold a sand-blasted chassis. He then built a roll cage, using some of the skills he learned as a welding apprentice at the college as well as his own personal and professional experiences. The biggest challenge of building the car, Parsons says, was creating an electronic clutch system that could
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“When Rob was a student, he wasn’t here just putting in his time. He saw ever ything as an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to get better. It was like you couldn’t put an obstacle in front of him that could stop him.” { Jeremy Lauzon } Parsons rebuilt his engine at the Vortech headquarters near Ventura, California, last year. Officials at Vortech, which manufactures superchargers and fuel system components, gave Parsons permission to work on his car and rebuild the engine in their shop.
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disengage the clutch as fast as someone clutch kicking the pedal could. “I set out to keep my hands within a box and have it so my hands cannot move and I could control everything with my left hand,” he remembers. “Then I also said that the clutch needs to be as fast if not faster than the human foot, which was a huge task to conquer. Well, it’s not difficult if you have a lot of money, but to make it affordable was a challenge.” Putting his tinkering instincts to work, Parsons engineered several prototypes and ended up with a system that has full disengagement in .2 seconds. Currently he is working on a system that will increase the speed of disengagement to .125 seconds. The hand control is truly one-of-a-kind – and the patent on it is pending. It allows a driver to use one hand to control the gas, the brakes, the clutch and shifting up and down, while the other hand controls the steering wheel. Once Parsons was satisfied with the hand control, he put on the suspension and body panels. And then about 18 months ago, he took his car out for its first test drive – a day he calls one of the best of his life. “The first time I drove it was unbelievable, but also very stressful,” he says. “There was so much going on. It was a crappy day out and it was snowing slightly and I didn’t have a windshield on the car yet. But I went outside and drove it around the block. I was like ‘Holy crap, it actually works!’” Parsons said the relief at this milestone is still memorable – as was taking it to a track for the first time. “It blew my mind,” he says. “Everything worked better than I expected and I just felt so at home in the car because everything worked so well.”
Later in the spring of 2014, Parsons brought the car to Lethbridge College to take it through the paces on the Automotive department’s Dynometer, which measures the power output of an engine. Current automotive students gathered around and peppered Parsons with non-stop questions, while his former Welding instructors spoke warmly of the graduate. “My first thought when I heard about the accident was that if it was going to happen to someone who wouldn’t be slowed down, who would be okay, that would be Rob,” said Welding instructor Dave Heins. “He is meticulous, skilled, talented – and a perfectionist.” “When Rob was a student, he wasn’t here just putting in his time,” added Welding instructor Jeremy Lauzon. “He saw everything as an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to get better. It was like you couldn’t put an obstacle in front of him that could stop him.”
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Welding and Automotive staff are not just proud of their former student and his remarkable car. They are also impressed with the Chairslayers Foundation Parsons has created to give other disabled drivers a chance to feel the thrill of drifting – the driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner (the 2006 movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift features this style of racing). Ben Conolly, a teenager from England, was 17 when he became the first adaptive clinic attendee for the Chairslayers Foundation. Ben was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013 and lost all feeling from his chest down after a tumour had grown into his vertebrae crushing his spinal cord. “As you can imagine Benjamin initially had a few very dark days after he found out that he had been paralysed,” Suzanne Conolly, Ben’s mom, wrote on the Chairslayers website. “It had been his dream to drift Japanese cars, since his father had taken him to a drift meet at our local race circuit. His father and I in those early days bounced every negative comment back with a positive and then he started looking at the
internet for himself. First he found the wheelchair he wanted and then he found a gentleman who was paralysed in Canada, who had developed a way of drifting. It was Benjamin’s eureka moment – he now saw an opportunity to do what he had wanted to do for so many years.” So with a three-month-old driver’s license in his pocket, Ben took a seat behind a steering wheel for the first time with Parsons at his side – and they took the car on an incredible test drive which was captured in a six-minute story on the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet. “It’s crazy how easy the car is to get to grips with in so little time,” Ben said at the end of the video. “It’s amazing… best day of my life definitely.” Parsons wants to create more of these best days for other disabled drivers in the future and has planned clinics in North America where he can demonstrate his adaptive creation and give others a chance to experience it. To support that goal, he (and the car) moved to Long Beach, California, this year to be closer to the racing scene and some of his supporters and sponsors. He also had the chance this last spring to race the car competitively at a Formula D event, finishing in the top 16 out of 60. In the decades to come, Parsons expects he’ll be doing much of what he has been doing for all of his adult life – welding, inventing, teaching and racing. The inability to walk won’t keep him from his goals. And he’s always loved driving best anyway.
For more information about Parsons and the Chairslayers Foundation, go to chairslayer.com. To see the Discovery Channel video, go to learn.lc/chairslayer. And to learn more about Lethbridge College’s Welding or Automotive programs, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/programs. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Luke Munnell
“It’s crazy how easy the car is to get to grips with in so little time. It’s amazing…best day of my life definitely.” { Ben Conolly }
Parsons (above, with his hand out the window) cheers as Conolly, the first adaptive clinic attendee for the Chairslayers Foundation, does a few doughnuts at the Willow Springs track last spring. To the right, Parsons gives Conolly a few words of encouragement before the 17-year-old takes his first drive in the car that Parsons built from the ground up, including designing an electronic hand clutch system that disengages as quickly as a foot pedal clutch system can.
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CAR SPECS > 1991 Nissan 180sx chassis > Schwanke Engines 5.7L built shortblock > Vortech V1-Ti Supercharger with A&A Corvette supercharger bracket > Custom rollcage built by Parsons > Electro-Hydraulic clutch system invented by Parsons > T56 Magnum 6-speed transmission > Varrstoen 18Ă—10.5 and 18Ă—9.5 wheels > Custom TAKATA seats and custom TAKATA 7 point harnesses with leg restraints > Custom driveshaft from PATS driveline > KAAZ 2 way Diff > Custom chassis harness and turnkey innovations engine harness
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IN MOTION
College’s miner keeps watch over a campus that’s always moving and changing:
Campus in
MOTION Motion surrounds the miner whose gaze surveys Centre Core
at all times of day and night, every day of the year. Yet the bronze statue is resolutely steadfast. The statue, which was created by Cornelius Martens in recognition of the City of Lethbridge’s 1985 centennial, always keeps watch. He has seen buildings crop up from fields, a student body grow to more than 4,000, and programs develop in subject areas that were just a dream a generation ago. His familiar face will continue to focus on the future of the students who stride by him and the college that has been his home for three decades. The plaque at the base of the sculpture tells a little of his story: “Few things are more representative of southern Alberta than a coal miner. The coal industry established the city of Lethbridge and led to the introduction of Lethbridge College. Coal mining and Lethbridge College have been linked since 1957 when the college opened and began training people for academic and technical careers. One can imagine that if the college had been here in 1885, the first mine employees might have been trained at Lethbridge College.”
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The miner is solid. Everything around him moves. The campus – the community of students, staff, alumni and friends – is constantly in motion, constantly on the move. And some of those motion stories are captured in the next pages of Wider Horizons. To share your own story of movement (whether as an alumnus whose work keeps you moving or your experiences in one of the many motion-focused programs at the college), email WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rob Olson
Up in the
AIR
Nursing alumna devotes a quarter century to flying critically ill and injured patients to the care they need
Turbulence, motion sickness and flying into unknown situations
are all just part of the job for 1985 Lethbridge College Nursing alumna Carolyn Hogan. Hogan, who is approaching her 25th anniversary of working as a registered nurse for the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) at the STARS Calgary base, has made almost 600 flights in her career. “You never know what you’re going for until the radio goes off,” she explains. “It could be trauma, stroke, heart attack, neonatal intensive care and more.” But despite the challenge of not knowing what situation awaits them, Hogan says there is great value “working with such a close team. On every flight, there’s a nurse and a paramedic, and possibly a physician, who work in the back and two pilots up front. And that’s it. We have a lot of autonomy and great, great teamwork. ” Hogan, who also works part time in the intensive care unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, says she still draws on some of the basic nursing skills she learned as a student at the college in both of her jobs. “You always need to know your basic nursing assessment,” she explains. “Even when we are in the ICU, we are doing bed baths and skills we learned in basic nursing.” Flexibility, physical strength and the ability to work in a confined space are essential to her work with STARS. “Sometimes
we’re told a patient we are picking up has a certain condition, but when you get there you learn that’s not what it is,” she says. “The other night, we were getting the helicopter ready for one patient on the way down and shortly after we arrived, the hospital said there was another patient who needed to be flown instead. So you always have to be adaptable and not set in your ways.” The job is also physically demanding. “When we land in a field, we have to be able to get that stretcher to the patient and back to the helicopter – which is something you wouldn’t face in a hospital,” she adds. “And we work in a very confined space. It’s not for everyone.” The benefits of the job are many, including seeing the province from a perspective few get to see when the team doesn’t have a patient on board. But the best part of all is “seeing the people you have helped and knowing you made a difference in someone’s life,” says Hogan. “By being flown by STARS, we’ve given someone a chance to get the more advanced care they need.”
For more information about Lethbridge College Nursing programs, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/nursing or call 403.320.3348. For more information about the work STARS air ambulance does, go to stars.ca. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos courtesy of STARS and Carolyn Hogan
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IN MOTION
Question
TIME
> What is the velocity of detonation? > How is a methodical search for a bomb conducted? > Where would you set up a command post in a hostage/armed and barricaded subject situation?
Q
uestion after question, Lethbridge Regional Police Sgt. Christy Woods challenged her students in her Preliminary Response and Investigation course last spring. It may have been the last day of classes and a perfect, blue-sky afternoon, but Woods wanted her class to be ready for the final exam and, more importantly, ready to respond to some of the challenging situations police officers may face in their careers in criminal justice. > In a hostage situation, what are the three courses of action to keep in mind? > What are the three types of hostages? > True or false: Traumatic stress only occurs immediately after a traumatic event?
With a voice shaped by experience and filled with encouragement, Woods, a 1999 graduate of Lethbridge College’s Conservation Enforcement program, took her 17 students through a review of the semester-long class, one of many each year at the college that are taught by instructors who are actively working in their professions. “What does time give you?” she asked, nodding as the students offered their answers. “Time gives you a chance to think things through, to collect intelligence. If time is on your side, don’t rush. You want to preserve life, and if no one’s life is in danger, then don’t rush.”
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College alumna returns to Criminal Justice classroom to share insights and experiences of the real world of policing The students responded eagerly to her questions and appreciated the perspective she offered as she shared real-life stories of crime scenes and investigations she undertook in her work with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service. “You’re teaching us actual stuff we can use in the field,” says Barrett McMillan, a student in Woods’ first-year, second semester class in the Criminal Justice – Policing program. Woods spoke frankly to the students about mental health and stress facing police officers, reminding students that debriefing following a serious incident is essential. She also provided an honest perspective on keeping calm and detached when dealing with emotional people and situations. “Whoever angers you controls you,” she said. And she advised the students to keep their equilibrium and to not let their jobs consume them. “You’re a lot of other things – a friend, a neighbor, a spouse,” she told the class. “Make sure you have hobbies, family and friends to support you. It’s okay to say you are not okay [after leaving a difficult scene or event]. Stop and get help.” At the end of the class, when all of her questions were answered, the students stayed. They had a few questions of their own – and they wanted to pass along their thanks to her for providing a sense of what the real work they will soon be doing is like. Woods, who remembers well her days as a student, was happy to answer their questions. For more information about Lethbridge College’s Criminal Justice program, call 302-329-7246 or email infojustice@lethbridgecollege.ca. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rob Olson
Lights, camera
Multimedia grad is constantly in motion and working hard to pursue his passion
ACTION One of the main things I didn’t realize back when I was a
“
student was that I was always waiting,” says Colter Ripley, the founder of a small, full-service video production studio based out of Vancouver. “I was waiting to finish the program, waiting to do a better project, waiting to move to Vancouver, waiting to get a job.” Since those early days in his profession, he has come to realize that “how you do one thing is how you do everything. I should have done a better job on the projects and should have harbored, created and developed the skill of perseverance. Time teaches a lot of those lessons.” One of the other lessons the 2003 grad of Lethbridge College’s Multimedia program learned along the way is that it takes more than passion to achieve your goals. “The idea that a lot of people have when they go into art or design is that it’s all to do with passion,” Ripley says. “But the reality of what we do is that it starts out as a passion but becomes more like work. It’s still fun work, but it is work all the same.” For Ripley, work these days means focusing on systemization, accounting, team building and goal setting. With these tools, he and a couple of full-time staff members and more than 20 contractors create short-form, mixedmedia, commercial and viral content for clients including the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Crossfit Vancouver, Telus Active Living and the CBC.
Ripley, his colleagues and his business are constantly in motion. Clients come to them looking for a video to help them achieve a marketing outcome. The company proposes a strategy and design to help achieve that goal, and then they dig in with research of brands, trends and viewers before developing the concept, script and storyboards. Next they perform the video shoots, illustrations or visual effects before setting up editing, coloring and sound. Finally, they integrate the video with the client’s website and work to promote it to the right people. “We have this whole thing systemized,” he explains. “It’s a repeatable process that gets high-end results.” While Ripley, who studied at the Art Institute of Vancouver after earning his diploma at the college, would like to see his business expand in the coming years, he would love to challenge himself in new ways as well, possibly by creating feature-length documentaries. He plans to pursue that goal as well – because he has learned there’s no need to wait. Lethbridge College’s Multimedia Production program will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.
For more information about the program, call 403-320-3267 or go to lethbridgecollege.ca/program/multimedia-production. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo courtesy Red Ripley Inc.
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IN MOTION
Bird, plane,
DRONE? Geomatics students take part in pilotless aircraft technology demo
What is that soaring above the coulees? It’s clearly no bird.
And it’s definitely not a plane. That soaring object in the sky, in fact, is an Unmanned Aerial System, or UAS. Students in the Geomatics Engineering Technology program at Lethbridge College were treated to a hands-on demonstration of these sophisticated pilotless aircraft above the coulees near the college last spring. While it is tempting to call these flying objects drones, drones use simpler technology primarily for tracking and target practice, while a UAS makes use of more complex technology that allows it to operate autonomously. The open-air demonstration was led by the company that owns and flies the UAS, Ventus Geospatial Inc. According to Owen Brown, Chief Operations Officer at Ventus Geospatial, UAS technology is becoming more widely used to gather geographical data for different types of public and private sector organizations. During the demonstration at the college, the UAS captured information which was later shared in a presentation to students explaining how the techniques and data are used to benefit clients including surveyors, engineers, foresters and agricultural producers. The students also participated in capturing the data and were able to use the data for a project similar to what they would experience in the field.
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Geomatics Engineering Technology students learn about surveying and mapping using the latest data collection techniques and technologies during their two-year diploma program at the college. “The demonstration opportunity for our Geomatics Engineering Technology students was invaluable,” says Bill Smienk, chair, School of Engineering Technologies. “This new technology is essential to engineering-related projects and our students are fortunate to work with a local company to gain exposure to state-of-the-art data capture techniques.” The UAS used in the demonstration is military grade, worth approximately $140,000 and travels at a speed of about 35 kilometres per hour for mapping purposes and can fly as high as 150 meters. Designed for use in Lethbridge and southern Alberta, the UAS can operate in winds around 60 kilometres per hour and withstand gusts up to 90 kilometres per hour. To learn more about the Engineering Technologies programs at Lethbridge College, call 403-320-3468 or email engineeringtech@lethbridgecollege.ca. Story by Megan Catalano | Photos by Rod Leland
Hardcourt
HISTORY The headlines capture the thrill of the 1966-67 basketball season for the then-Lethbridge Junior College Kodiaks
I
t starts with “Impressive Opener for Kodiaks.” That is followed by “Kodiaks Hit Hot Lick in Sweeping Hoop Set,” “Locals Triumph,” and “Kodiaks Breeze Again In College Hoop Play.” Then there was “117-Point Spread in Kodiak Victory” and “Kodiaks Lay Home Streak On Line Against Calgary.” The outcome of that game is shared in “Kodiaks Take Thriller, Still Unbeaten At Home” and the season ends with “Alberta Sweep For Lethbridge: Junior College Hoops Squads Capture Conference Laurels.” The remarkable 18-1 season came just four years after a team of six men (two of whom were Lethbridge Collegiate Institute students who didn’t make the cut on their high school team and were “loaned” to the college) first took to the hardcourt in Kodiaks jerseys and “hardly won a game but had a lot of fun,” according to then-coach Dr. Gary Bowie. Under Bowie’s direction, that men’s team – alongside the successful women’s basketball team who competed as the Koalas – established the foundation for what has been more than a half century of outstanding hoops play at Lethbridge College. For their efforts in that golden 1966-67 season, the men’s team was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame during the special 30th annual ceremony in May. “I think it was a very positive force in our community to have the college and an athletics program here,” says Bowie, who was one of the founders of the Western Inter-college Conference, which is now known as the Alberta College Athletic Conference. “When I first came in 1962, the college’s athletics programs were hardly noticed. But we started building it up as a source of
pride for the college. Eventually, the college started taking over the sports pages of the newspaper. People started seeing there was something to this whole thing.” Bowie adds that the 1966-67 season also marked the first time the college was able to recruit students right out of high school to look to the college, rather than the University of Calgary or the University of Alberta. “It marked the moment when we realized a sports program would be a draw, and that we were able to compete with Calgary and Edmonton,” he recalls. The 1966-67 team was a diverse group. It included players from Lethbridge and the surrounding small towns and farming communities, players fresh from high school as well as those who had been working for a few years before returning to school, and players from the trades, college and university-prep programs. “They worked so well together,” says Bowie. “It was an extreme pleasure to work with them. There were no barriers to that group,” which included Wes Balderson, Buddy Belle, Marvin Bolokoski, Blaine Burbank, Myron Eaves, Bob Herget, Bruce Hirsche, Brian Leavitt, Ron Low, Jerry Nyklew, Vern Sommerfeldt and Gary Young, as well as team manager Grant Miller and assistant manager and statistician Clayne Steed. The team will be recognized at a home basketball game this fall. Check out gokodiaks.ca for more details which will be announced closer to the start of the season. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos courtesy Galt Museum and Archives
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IN MOTION
WHIRLWIND For 16 action-packed days this spring, new Business grad
Mia Cartwright and her classmates got to learn about global business practices in the best setting possible – from business owners and leaders in France, Italy and Spain. The students were part of an annual international study tour that helps students improve their awareness of these cultures and gain a greater knowledge of international business in the global marketplace. Cartwright, who grew up in Calgary, kept a journal during her time on the road and agreed to share the stories of what she saw during this innovative class experience. April 25: Departure day! I feel like it’s finally acceptable for me to be excited about this. Having exams, graduation, and moving back to Calgary all within a week has been extremely stressful. . . . It’s time to board! Ah I am so excited. Bon voyage!! April 27: Paris This morning we went to the Canadian Embassy. It was great being able to apply my teachings from my International Business classes to the conversation. The culture in France is very different from Canada, which made the meeting quite intriguing. April 29: Depart Paris, winery, arrive in Lyon Today we took what seemed like a 20-hour bus ride from Paris to Lyon! Before we got to Lyon, we stopped at Mannon’s family winery. (Mannon is a student who attended the Lethbridge College exchange program). This stop has been the highlight of my trip so far! April 30: Lyon We took the metro to the university where we sat in on a class and critiqued their final projects. It was really fun being in a classroom full of students our age and hanging out with them for an afternoon. Props to our instructors for setting that up!
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International study tour takes students from the new world to the old, with plenty of business and life lessons along the way
May 6: Rome After our tour of the Roman Coliseum, we continued on to learn of the Roman Forum and its importance to the financial centre of Rome. By the time we finished this part of the tour it was so hot out, we were all desperately in need of a lunch break. Did someone say Italian pizza? To date that was the BEST pizza I have had in my entire life.
May 7: Florence BEST day of the trip so far. We got to Florence around 10 a.m. and found the bike shop where we were getting our tour. . . . We toured through tiny alleys and across quaint bridges . . . Florence is gorgeous. May 9: Palma Majorca Today we met with the cruise director as a business portion of our trip. I wish he were able to answer more questions regarding marketing and advertising of the ship. I find it interesting aboard that there are so many young people yet, I see no advertising anywhere I go for this specific company . . . I hope I can come back and do this all over again with more time. This trip has been so amazing to come to with classmates, and leave with friends! I wouldn’t change any of it. Cartwright’s complete journal can be found at widerhorizons.ca/2015/09/01/whirlwind. To learn more about the spring 2016 international study tour, email j.russell@lethbridgecollege.ca. Story and photos by Mia Cartwright
FANCY FOOTWORK With his feet flashing and flying to the sounds of beating drums, Marvin Calf Robe Jr. moved through Centre Core with stamina, strength and a strong connection to history.
C
alf Robe, a student in Lethbridge College’s Automotive Services program in 2013 and 2014, is especially skilled in the men’s fancy dance, one of the most popular contemporary pow wow dances. The highly athletic dance requires the dancer to keep his regalia moving with him to the beat. He is constantly in motion in one of the most demanding of all First Nations dances; its movement is faster than that of any other dance. Wearing a twin bustle decorated with a colourful fringe that is said to represent the Rainbow Spirit, as well as several loom-beaded pieces, Calf Robe and other men’s fancy dancers perform either a simple step while dancing around the drum or a “contest” step with fast and intricate footwork. Each year, students, staff and community members are treated to demonstrations of this dance and dozens of other athletic, artistic and cultural performances and events during Lethbridge College’s annual FNMI Days. The event, which celebrates the pride, history and knowledge of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students, staff, alumni and friends of the college, will be held this year on Oct. 28 and 29. “Our FNMI Days present a great occasion for our whole college and surrounding community to experience the social
side of our First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures,” says Marcia Black Water, the college’s FNMI Student Advisor. “Through the fun and excitement, this event provides new learning experiences for some and a coming together of community. We’ve been fortunate to have dancers such as Marvin Calf Robe Jr. as students here at the college. Marvin’s style of dancing, the fancy dance, is an exciting one to watch as the dancer has to put in a lot of effort to keep up with the very quick beat. You can’t help but cheer at the end.” This year’s event will feature a special evening performance on Oct. 29 by Tomson Highway, the internationally renowned playwright, novelist, songwriter and pianist. Highway is best known for his play The Rez Sisters and, for many years, he ran Canada’s premiere Native theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts based in Toronto. Other activities planned for this year’s FNMI Days include a tipi raising and smudging, musical performances, drumming and dancing, recognition of the college’s Métis Scholar Award winners, Métis cultural dancing, traditional games, a hand drum contest, great food offerings, arts, crafts and community displays. The community is welcome to attend. For more information about FNMI Days or FNMI programs and services at Lethbridge College, check out lethbridgecollege.ca/ fnmi or call Black Water at 403-320-3202 ext. 5731. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rod Leland
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From our kitchens
{ Recipe by Chef Doug Overes }
Homemade pizza As the seasons shift to shorter days and cooler nights, it’s
the perfect time to heat up the kitchen and try a savoury pizza created by Lethbridge College’s Chef Doug Overes,
chair of the college’s Culinary Careers program and 2014
winner of the Chef of the Year title by the Canadian Culinary
Federation. Overes and his colleagues will teach a new cohort of apprentices and student chefs the skills of their trades this fall, including the fine art of making pizza crust and choosing
the best local ingredients to bring extra pizzazz to your pizza. To sample some of the delicious creations from student chefs at Lethbridge College, book a table in the Garden Court Dining Room by calling 403-382-6999. And to see a video of this recipe being prepared by Chef Doug Overes, go to widerhorizons.ca.
Recipe by Chef Doug Overes | Photo by Jonathan Ruzek
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Ingredients FOR THE PIZZA CRUST 1 ¼ cups .........................................................................................warm water ¼ tsp. ....................................................................................................... sugar 1 ½ tsp.................................................................................................dry yeast 1 ½ tsp. .........................................................................................................salt 2 ¾ cups...........................................................................................bread flour FOR THE TOPPINGS 20 ................................................................................ dried figs, thinly sliced splash ...............................................................................extra virgin olive oil 6 ..................................................................................... small shallots, sliced 2 ...................................................................................... garlic cloves, minced splash ................................................................................... balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. .................................................................... dried basil and dried thyme to taste....................................................sea salt and freshly ground pepper ¼ cup....................................................................................pine nuts, toasted ½ cup......................................................................................dried cranberries 8 oz. ...................................................................crumbled gorgonzola cheese 2 cups.................................................................................................... arugula
TOPPED WITH FIGS, GORGONZOLA AND ARUGULA Method FOR THE PIZZA CRUST 1. Preheat oven to 450F. 2. Pour warm water into large bowl. Add sugar. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the water and stir to blend. Let stand until the yeast dissolves and the mixture looks foamy – about 10 minutes. 3. Mix in the salt and flour. Stir until a slightly sticky dough forms. 4. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and roll out the dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, adding more flour if it is too sticky. 5. Dust the dough all over with flour and place it in a large bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm area until it has doubled in volume, about 1½ hours. 6. Push the dough down. Dust the work area lightly with flour. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and place them on the work surface. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. 7. Working with one dough piece at a time, stretch the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 9- to 10-inch round. Add toppings, transfer to baking sheets and bake until bubbly.
FOR THE TOPPINGS 1. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat a little olive oil on medium heat and add the shallots. Cook the shallots, stirring occasionally, for about 10-15 minutes until they are browned, softened and caramelized. 2. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more, until fragrant. Add the figs and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Remove the pan from heat and let cool slightly. 3. Salt and pepper the rolled out pizza crusts and then add basil and thyme. Add ½ the cheese. Then add the shallots, garlic and figs, and then remaining cheese. 4. Bake until bubbly. 5. Remove from oven, then immediately top with arugula, dried cranberries and pine nuts. Enjoy!
Makes four individual, two medium or one large pizza.
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Office intrigue
Cheryl Ritzen, who has worked as a fitness centre trainer for five years, spots Laura and gives suggestions on her workout.
Laura Morden, the occupational health and safety coordinator at the college for just under a year, practices some squats.
Free weights to challenge all levels of strength.
Klaus Jericho, a community member and experienced rower, has been working out at the college since the PE Building opened in 1990.
{ Office Intrigue }
Instructor and Kodiaks’ cross country and indoor track coach Simon Schaerz works on a bench with free weights.
The Fitness Centre at Lethbridge College T
he one thing Ada Larson wishes people knew about Lethbridge College’s PE facilities is that they are for everyone - not just students. Larson, who graduated from the college’s Exercise Science program in 2013 and has worked as coordinator of Athletics and Recreation Services for three 22
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years, is a passionate advocate for fitness in general and the college’s fitness facilities in particular. “We have a beautiful facility with equipment to suit the needs of everyone,” said Larson, who has taught fitness classes at the college for seven years. “Our squash and racquetball courts are bright and well
The PE Building has four courts, two of which convert to squash or racquetball dimensions. Available to members or non-members and for rent.
A variety of cardiovascular equipment is available including treadmills, ellipticals, bicycles and a rowing machine.
Jade Coslovi, a senior analyst who has worked at the college for 25 years, gets in some bicep curls.
taken care of, and we have personal trainers and a squash instructor to cater to all fitness and ability levels.” Larson and the facility’s staff welcome community members, colleagues, athletes of all ages and students to look to Lethbridge College’s PE Building for a great workout.
For more information about fitness, nutrition and wellness programs at Lethbridge College, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/pebuilding, call 403-382-6903 or email weightroom@lethbridgecollge.ca. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rob Olson
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Q&A Q&A
{ with Melanie Kalischuk } Say what you will about southern Alberta’s (in)famous chinooks, but they are helping Lethbridge College Environmental Sciences instructor Dr. Melanie Kalischuk keep the province’s potato crops free of the devastating disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine. The prevailing winds allow Kalischuk to accurately monitor and measure hot spots of Phytophthora infestans, or “late blight,” and other air-borne pathogens that harm potato crops. For her work on developing advance-warning systems to prevent the spread of late blight, Kalischuk has received grants of nearly $200,000. With the help of her forecasting system, Alberta obtained “late blight free status” this year. In June, she took a break from setting up the monitors in local potato fields to talk about her research and work.
Wider Horizons: Why is this important research to undertake? Melanie Kalischuk: If growers have early warning that the late blight pathogen is imminent – with probable emergence from gardens or compost piles – then they can work to eliminate the contamination before it spreads. If we can again eliminate late blight in Alberta, growers can reduce the amount of fungicide they need to apply – which is estimated to cost up to $1.5 million in Alberta every two weeks. It also guarantees a superior crop and product. WH: What are your goals for the project, and how will you work to achieve them?
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MK: My main goal is to reduce, eliminate and eradicate late blight from Alberta. The funding will allow us to develop an expanded network of traps that monitor the late blight pathogen, to provide advanced warning and data on the pathogen in a timely manner, to provide information to reduce the use of fungicides, and to help develop action plans for growers and the public to minimize the risk of late blight. WH: Why are pathogens like late blight a concern?
MK: Pathogens are a natural component of a healthy ecosystem. However, with
the combination of a susceptible host and the optimal conditions for the pathogen, the amount of the pathogen in an area can become abundant and can drastically reduce crop yields. The Phytophthora infestans network of Alberta is an example of a proactive pest management strategy that detects the pathogen weeks before it becomes a serious problem. WH: Is this a long-time problem in the province, or something that has emerged more recently?
MK: At one time, Alberta was designated as being free from late blight. However, as the spores move by water and wind,
the pathogen returned to Alberta in 2012 and devastated many crops. Precision monitoring and improved sensitive detection will allow the potato industry to identify the source of the pathogen earlier than previously possible, ultimately leading to reducing or eliminating it from Alberta crops. WH: Will any students be involved in this work?
MK: Yes, this is an important component of the project. Students will help in the detection and characterization of the pathogen, providing them with a hands-on unique research experience.
WH: Why has this infamous disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine emerged as a major problem over the last few years? MK: The pathogen has evolved to produce new strains that have allowed the disease to cause unacceptable losses worldwide, estimated at $50 billion per year. WH: What sort of pathogen changes have emerged that make the disease so challenging to control?
MK: The new strains love tomato but also infect potato. These strains also tolerate drier and warmer conditions. Gardeners play a major role in the control of this
disease and are encouraged to monitor their tomato plants for signs of disease and to contact us to have samples examined. WH: We have to ask‌ what’s your favorite way to eat potatoes? MK: Well I always have a baked potato with my steak and French fries with a hamburger. However, my favorite may be mashed potatoes with a little seasoning. For more information about applied research opportunities at Lethbridge College, call 403-320-3202 ext. 5787 or email appliedresearch@lethbridgecollege.ca. Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rob Olson
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First phase of the new trades and technologies facility ready and roaring to go
POWER &
PASSION
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For 15 months, a strict dress code was
required to hang out in Lethbridge College’s newest building. That dress code wasn’t black tie or the creative fabrications of the college’s Fashion Design and Sustainable Production students, however. Rather, visitors to the new facility on the south side of campus needed to get fully decked out in hard hats, steel-toed boots, bright orange vests and protective eyewear as they took guided tours of a facility that would house programs in the Crooks School of Transportation.
That safety-first dress code was set aside in late August, when classes started for a new group of apprentices and the doors to the first phase of the new trades and technologies facility opened to the public. The building will officially open on Sept. 30 at a special celebration that will give guests a chance to kick some tires, rev a few engines and witness the power of the automotives programming at Lethbridge College. “Our students are at the core of this new building we’re constructing ,” said Lethbridge College President and CEO
“All of our work is focused on increasing their access to postsecondary education and to provide an opportunity to those who want to build their futures.” { Dr. Paula Burns }
Among the hundreds of skilled trades people and professionals who worked on the new trades and technologies building were scores of Lethbridge College alumni, including 2009 Electrical apprentice grad Mark Crabb (bottom) and 2011 Carpentry apprentice grad Lee Slobodan (top).
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“So many have given their support to this project – government, individuals, students, staff and industr y partners.” { Randy Jespersen }
Dr. Paula Burns at the groundbreaking in April 2014. “All of our work is focused on increasing their access to post-secondary education and to provide an opportunity to those who want to build their futures. Our students are looking to the solid reputation of Lethbridge College to ignite their passion for a career that will showcase their strengths and talents. This new trades and technologies facility will provide the innovative and flexible space for our students to grow and learn as individuals and teams of learners alongside leaders in their industries.”
In just 15 short months the first phase of the new trades and technologies building at Lethbridge College emerged from the fields and lots on the south end of campus. The groundbreaking (top left) brought out a host of students, alumni, staff and friends of the college – many of whom will be in attendance at the official grand opening of the new facility on Sept. 30.
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When the project is complete in 2017, students in eight skills trades and four technologies programs will benefit from learning at what will be the largest trades and technologies training facility south of Calgary. The new facility will measure more than 15,000 square metres, providing nearly three football fields’ worth of space. It will accommodate an additional 880 students, increasing overall capacity to 2,300 students who will get hands-on experience in skilled trades, as well as in existing and emerging technologies.
The new trades and technologies facility will house Electrical, Welding, Agricultural Equipment, Automotive Service, Parts and Heavy Equipment skilled apprentices as well as Wind Turbine Technology, Engineering Design, Interior Design, Geomatics and Civil Engineering students. All of these fields are linked to careers that are in high demand in the region, province and country. The building itself has been thoughtfully designed by Diamond
Schmitt Architects in association with Sahuri + Partners Architecture with function, flexibility and sustainability considered in all decisions. Stuart Olson Dominion has served as construction manager for the duration of the project. “So many have given their support to this project – government, individuals, students, staff and industry partners – and the effects of their generosity will ripple out through Lethbridge and beyond for generations to come,” said Randy Jespersen (Business
Administration 1973), Chair of the Lethbridge College Board of Governors, at the groundbreaking. “The students who walk into these doors will be hired by companies needing their skills – and one day, perhaps, become leaders of their own industries.”
For more information about the new facility or its official opening, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/ttrip.
Story by Lisa Kozleski Photos by Rod Leland and Gregory Thiessen
The new trades and technologies facility was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in association with Sahuri + Partners, while Stuart Olson has served as construction manager for the duration of the project. The building will house students and staff involved in the college’s Crooks School of Transportation, which includes all automotives, parts and heavy-duty equipment training.
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Where are they now?
Where are they now? ON THE MARK: with Tony Dimnik
Radio Arts
Mark Campbell (Communication Arts, ’75) shares the stories of fellow Lethbridge College alumni
Dr. Tony Dimnik recently retired from
Queens University in Kingston where he earned the reputation of being one of the best management educators in Canada. Becoming an authority on strategic control systems and Open Book Management wasn’t the first thing on Tony’s mind after he graduated from Catholic Central High School in Lethbridge, though. Instead he was looking at a career in media. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his idol Bill Matheson, a dynamic TV weatherman and radio talk-show personality in Lethbridge. Tony took Radio Arts at the college in 1973 and looks back fondly on the two-year program and wonderful instructors like Ian Mandin. After graduating in 1975, Tony’s first job was as the morning DJ at CKBR in Brooks where he also wrote commercials and read the news as two different people – Tony Wade, country and western DJ, in the morning, and Luke Walker for the afternoon news. After moving to Saskatchewan to work at CKKR in Rosetown and then briefly as an information officer with the Saskatchewan government, Tony, as he described it, made a “Hail Mary pass” and convinced management at CKCK TV in Regina to give him a job doing TV weather. He later became host of a radio call-in show, Action Line on CKCK radio. While he thoroughly enjoyed this work, an inability to censor himself, as he explains it, led to him being fired. This unexpected turn, however, paved the way for a new journey. Tony and his wife hatched a 10-year plan and Tony went back to school and took accounting, eventually earning his Master’s degree and PhD. “On the day I got my degree,” Tony said, “I not only felt good, I felt vindicated. And I learned that as long as you have a basic intellectual, physical and emotional foundation, you can achieve ‘impossible’ goals if you focus and work hard and smart.” His accounting PhD made it possible to work with dozens of international companies and teach all over the world. He’s also travelled across Canada for
both academic and business purposes many times. I asked Tony if he would have changed anything about his career path. He says maybe he would have gone for his PhD earlier - but then he would have missed some of the fun of a media career. To read more about Tony’s life and work, check out learn.lc/tonydimnik. To read more interviews by Mark, visit his blog greetergrammer1.wordpress.com.
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2015
Jolayne Prus Business Administration – Management Jolayne was one of two Alberta students to win a full scholarship to attend Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies in the Czech Republic. The scholarship is sponsored by the Governments of Alberta and the Czech Republic as a new initiative to foster greater academic, research and cultural collaboration between Alberta and the Czech Republic. During the summer, universities in the Czech Republic host Summer Schools of Slavonic (Czech) Studies to provide opportunities for international students from partner countries to study Czech language, literature, culture and history as well as visit landmarks and attend cultural events. We will check in with Jolayne after she returns to hear about her experiences during this exciting exchange.
Dallas Walker
Massage Therapy Fort Macleod’s Dallas Walker broke two provincial records and earned two gold medals and nine silver medals at the Edmonton Open Provincial Lifesaving Championships in late March. She earned a medal in every event in which she competed. According to an April article in the Prairie Post, Dallas began taking part in lifesaving competitions in 2013 and has been on a winning streak since she started. Since Walker’s first competition in Montreal in 2013, she has earned many medals and is excelling in the sport. She has competed locally and provincially as well as in Ontario, Nova Scotia, France and Australia.
2014
Angie Nelson Civil Engineering Technology Angie wrote to her engineering instructors this spring with the following update: “Just thought I’d check in and let everyone know that what each and every one of the instructors taught me during my time at Lethbridge College is being put to good use. In September 2014, I began working for
Celebrating the successes of our alumni in their careers and throughout their lives.
2013
Corne Mans
Daytona Homes in Lethbridge as their estimator/architectural technician. I recently found out that Daytona Homes is a partner in the 2015 College Home project. At first I wasn’t sure what that meant - I was too busy doing homework in the last couple of years to notice what was going on in the outside world! After researching the project, I can proudly say that I am so very honoured to not only be a recent honours graduate of the Civil Engineering diploma program at Lethbridge College, but to also have the privilege of being the estimator/architectural technician in the building of this College Home in Copperwood. Plus, the fact that this home is raising funds for the new trades and technologies facility at Lethbridge College has me absolutely thrilled!”
“Plus, the fact that this home is raising funds for the new trades and technologies facility at Lethbridge College has me absolutely thrilled!” { Angie Nelson }
Business Administration – Management Corne was featured in the April issue of Country Guide magazine, Canada’s oldest farm publication. The article highlighted the 22-year-old Mans’ business partnership with the 74-year-old Rudy Knitel. The article describes how the two met when Knitel was making the rounds for his business, called Galimax Trading. “I was buying milk,” recalls Knitel, explaining that Corne is the son of one of his suppliers. The two have been working together for four years at Galimax, which focuses on providing fruit, vegetables, dairy products and eggs, with some specialty items such as vinegar, to Calgary restaurants.
2011
Ted Andrew Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism A May article in the Oyen Echo featured Ted’s work as a reporter at My Prince George Now and his recent decision to spend 10 months in Ireland with NET Ministries. In mid-August, Ted will join 30 young adults from around the world for a five-week course on evangelization. They will then be placed with different local teams to head out to communities across Ireland and perhaps Scotland to speak face-to-face Catholic youth about embracing the life of the church.
Cara Hull
Multimedia Production Cara sent this update to an instructor in the Multimedia department: “I am still with the [Saskatchewan Rough] Riders and I absolutely love my job. I honestly don’t consider what I get to do a job. I’m in charge of the official website (Riderville.com) and all official social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Periscope). I also help out with a lot of the graphic design, photography and video editing. There’s never a dull moment in the office.”
Rylee Osadczuk Conservation Enforcement Rylee joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada in 2014 as a natural area manager for the Castle Crown, Crowsnest Pass and Southern Foothills regions in Alberta. After earning her applied degree from the college, she went on to earn a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Lethbridge. Raised on a ranch in southern Alberta, Rylee got involved in the environmental field several years ago. She first worked as a wildlife researcher throughout Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and abroad in South Africa. She also worked throughout Canada as an environmental consultant for pipeline, transmission line, well and coal mine projects.
Keaton Wlaz
Criminal Justice – Policing Keaton is the newest member of the Estevan Police Service and was featured in a June article in Estevan Lifestyles. He is currently a member of the general patrols and says he has always wanted to work in law enforcement. He had worked with the Ministry of Highways and as a corrections officer with the Regional Correctional Centre before starting work with the Estevan Police Service.
2010
Allan Hazle Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism Allan shared this update about his exciting career in media: “Upon graduating I spent a year working with Astral Media as a station operator for CJAY 92, 98.5 Virgin Radio and Classic Country AM 1060. During that year I also volunteered for an AJHL hockey team in Calgary where I was the play-byplay announcer for their game webcasts. I decided to expand on my video production skills and enrolled into the Film and Video Production program at SAIT. Following graduation, I worked as a production assistant on the motion picture Interstellar and on The Amazing Race Canada. In the summer of 2014, I began work at a Toyota dealership where I plan, shoot and edit videos for the dealership. I also continue to do film projects on the side.” 31
Where are they now? New baby? New job? New hometown? Tell your classmates all about it at lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni/update. Be sure to include your name, your area of study, the year you completed your program and a little bit about what you have been doing since you left Lethbridge College.
Jessica Kremenik
Business Administration – Management
2009
Jessica wrote into Wider Horizons with this
update: “I had always enjoyed the Human Resources aspect of my Management classes, and I wanted to work in my field to see if I enjoyed it before I pursued ongoing education. Needless to say, I found my perfect fit and I haven’t looked back. I started my first position for Alberta Health Services (AHS) - Chinook Hospital Human Resources office shortly upon my graduation from the Lethbridge College.
. . . Today I am working in Lethbridge on a provincial team as a provincial
coordinator for the Calgary region and southern Alberta, for the team Health Professions Strategy and Practice. This role has given me a chance to really spread my wings. I have had amazing opportunities to work with post-secondary institutes across Alberta and Canada and internationally. . . . I am happy to have found a good fit in a large organization. I am forever grateful for my wonderful experience attending the Lethbridge College. The instructors were amazing and great to work with, I had such a good time in my courses and the opportunities that were presented to me at Lethbridge College are what have helped to model and mould my passions and provide the tools to propel me into my current and ongoing career. Onward and upward for greater horizons!”
Adrian Orynik Criminal Justice - Policing Adrian went to work for a year with the Ministry of Social Services in child protection after graduation and has been working as a correctional officer at the maximum security unit at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert since then.
2008 Chris Davis
Business Administration – Accounting Chris contacted his college instructors with this update, and he said they could share it with readers of Wider Horizons. Chris wrote that he always tells people his time at college “was the happiest time of my life. I recommend to anyone who pursues a degree to start with a college first as I believe that the college offers greater resources to students than a lecture environment as found within universities. At the college I was taught how to learn, listen 32
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and apply my skill sets. I was always able to access the staff and felt that the instructors all went out of their way to genuinely ensure the success of each student. I was taught not only the academics but etiquette as well; namely, to not email teachers in all capital letters. One of the greatest things about the program is that you learn not only the accounting aspect but business writing, communication skills, and are exposed to real life simulations such as the mock industry you participate in managing your own company against other teams. Teaching how to listen and communicate with proper etiquette may sound like it is just a filler course but it may have been one of the greatest skills that contribute to my success. I felt confident going into university and know many students in the university that still would lean on their instructors from the college. This speaks so highly of such instructors who took their role as a teacher to a lifetime commitment.”
2007
Matthew Tyler Joseph Derricott Business Administration – Management After graduation, Matthew went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lethbridge and a JD/MBA from the University of Toronto. He was called to the bar of Ontario in 2014 and recently began working as Senior Strategy Analyst for Rogers Communications.
2002
Dave Tomlinson Engineering Design and Drafting Technology Dave, a PGA of Canada club professional, is the new general manager at River Bend Golf and Recreation Area in Red Deer. After rising through the ranks to General Manager of the Carstairs Community Golf Club, and holding that post for the last 10 years, Dave has stepped up to oversee as many as 125 staff and 27 holes across two courses, as well as the trails, retail facilities, lakes and parks that comprise the recreation area. He’ll be joined in Red Deer by his wife, Jackie, and their three children Ethan, 11, Sabastien, 6, and Chloe, 5.
Kip Kangogo General Studies student Kenya-born Kip came to Lethbridge College on an athletics scholarship in 2001 and became a Canadian citizen in 2014. Recently he won the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon in record time and placed third in the BMO Vancouver Marathon. He was also selected as one of the 2015 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary recipients receiving $5,000 to help with training and expenses related to competition. Kangogo represented Canada in the Pan Am Games in Toronto in July and finished ninth overall.
2000
Mark Yawney Business Administration – Marketing Lethbridge College instructor David Orr ran into Mark last year at a conference in Banff. Mark is a partner at Banff Airporter, which offers scheduled and private transportation between Calgary Airport and Banff and has integrated a maintenance shop into its operations and provides fleet maintenance for several businesses. Wider Horizons checked in with Mark, who said “My main passions in Banff are mountain biking, road biking, snowboarding and cross-country skiing. My hands-on instruction at Lethbridge College has played an integral role in my career and also in the success of Banff Airporter. I have been very impressed with how well Lethbridge College prepared me for realworld business scenarios like determining pricing strategies, succeeding in a competitive environment and capital purchase planning.” Mark’s former instructor David Orr was impressed with his former student and added: “He is definitely a man in motion.”
a Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award for best costume design for her work on Macbeth. Her work has adorned the actors and provided the backdrop for numerous Persephone Theatre and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan productions. Carla’s work is also an integral part of the university’s Greystone Theatre, both as a hands-on teaching environment and foundation of theatre productions for the public to enjoy. It is also the basis for her very popular classes; she received a Teaching Excellence Award from the USSU last year, something she viewed as an honour. Carla grew up on a farm near Prud’homme, northeast of Saskatoon. After earning her diploma from the college, she returned to Saskatoon with the hope of opening a store selling her creations. When this proved unfeasible, she found herself staging fashion shows for other designers, essentially doing theatre design. It was a career track she formalized with studies first at the University of Saskatchewan and then at the University of Victoria, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree. Photo by Debra Marshall, courtesy of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.
Fashion Design and Merchandising Carla, a theatre designer and assistant professor in the Department of Drama at the University of Saskatchewan, received
Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism Lisa, station manager/news director for Global Saskatoon, received an RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award in April, one of the highest honours bestowed by RTDNA Canada to honour individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their career in broadcast journalism. The award is for lifetime achievement rather than for a single contribution. Nominees must have a minimum of 30 years of distinguished service to broadcast journalism. Lisa began her career in journalism in 1984, at a local radio station in Swift Current after graduating from Lethbridge College. While there, she covered everything from crime and courts to human interest stories before heading to Red Deer. She went on to work in Saskatoon in a variety of positions before becoming news director in 1991, where she was often the only woman sitting at the board room table for editorial meetings. Lisa considers herself privileged to have mentored many journalists throughout her career, many of whom are now seen on national news broadcasts. She has been married to her husband Bill for 30 years and together they have two sons.
Vernon Oickle
Troy Reeb
Carla Orosz
Lisa Ford
1982 1988
1997
1984
Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism Troy received the RTDNA’s President’s Award in May, the highest honour presented by The Association of Electronic Journalists. Troy, who is Senior Vice President of News for all Shaw Media properties, including Global TV, was recognized for bringing distinction and excellence to the association and for making a positive and significant impact on Canadian broadcast and digital journalism and the industry as a whole.
Communications Arts - Journalism Vernon was chosen as the recipient of the Lethbridge College 2015 Honouring Excellence Alumni Community Leader Award. His storied 30-year career has seen him win numerous national awards, write for many well-known newspapers, and publish more than 20 books. Vernon is currently the Editor at Lighthouse Media Group and he continues to write for newspapers like the South Shore Breaker in Nova Scotia. He wrote a moving column in the newspaper about his experiences returning to his old stomping grounds, which can be read at learn.lc/oickleupdate. 33
Where are they now?
1981
Rick Dewsbery Criminal Justice - Policing Rick has worked in policing since graduation, including work in several different locations with the RCMP. He is now based in Lethbridge.
1979
Fred Crittenden Criminal Justice - Policing After nearly 35 years at the Medicine Hat Police Service, including the last 20 years as supervisor of bylaw enforcement, Fred took a job in 2014 as manager of bylaw services at the City of Prince George, B.C.
ALUMNI IN THIS ISSUE 19 18 26 4 9 13 29 22 6 20 15 22 26 44 14
Marvin Calf Robe Jr. (Automotive student 2013-14) Mia Cartwright (Business Administration – Marketing 2015) Mark Crabb (Electrical Apprentice 2009) Jonathan Friesen (Renewable Resource Management 2006 and Wildlife Technology 2007) Dave Heins (Agriculture and Heavy Equipment Technician 1992) Carolyn Hogan (Nursing 1985) Randy Jespersen (Business Administration 1973) Ada Larson (Exercise Science 2013) Rob Parsons (Welding 2010) Doug Overes (Professional Cooking 1997, 1992 Distinguished Alumnus) Colter Ripley (Multimedia Production 2003) Cheryl Ritzen (Exercise Science 2007) Lee Slobodan (Carpentry Apprentice 2011) Dominique Tousignant (Welding 2015) Christy Woods (Bachelor of Applied Conservation Enforcement 1999)
We have received so many great updates from our alumni as well as more and more articles from newspaper and magazine clippings featuring Lethbridge College grads. In fact, we have more updates than we have space to print (which is a wonderful problem to have!). We will be devoting more pages to the Where Are They Now section in future issues of Wider Horizons, and we continue to welcome your submissions. Alumni updates are published online at learn.lc/fall2015watn. To submit your update, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni/update.
To support the new trades and technologies facility, visit
lethbridgecollege.ca/give.
PAE WH News and Notes ad.indd 1
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| FALL 2015
2015-08-11 12:46
Are you a multi-generational Lethbridge College family? If at least three members across one or more generations attended Lethbridge College, let us know by emailing WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. We’d love to profile you in It’s a family affair.
It’s a family affair:
THE HOCHSTEIN FAMILY The Hochstein family knows the value of strong, local roots. Theirs go back five generations
The Hochsteins Doris Hochstein Secretarial Science 1961 Retired but still running the family ranch
Terence Hochstein
Agriculture Technology 1985 Executive Director of the Potato Growers of Alberta
Shelby Hochstein
Business Administration – Management 2012 Human Resources Advisor - Employee Relations, Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Several other members of the Hochstein family have attended Lethbridge College, including Terence’s wife Lynnette Collin Hochstein (Business Administration 1984), as well as his three siblings, Murray (Heavy Duty Mechanic 1987), Blaine (completed first year of Agriculture) and Renee (Information Specialist 1994). In addition, Murray’s daughter Morgan Hochstein DeLisle (Unit Clerk 2009) is also a Lethbridge College graduate. Story by Bob Cooney and Lisa Kozleski
to the family ranch near Pincher Creek and a 100-year-old, 23-room Victorian home ordered from the Eaton’s Catalogue for the princely sum of $1,800. But the family’s roots extend well beyond that, travelling (among other places) all the way to Lethbridge College, where eight members of the family across three generations have studied. Doris Therriault Hochstein enrolled in the Medical-Dental Secretarial program at what was then Lethbridge Junior College in 1960 and 1961, just three years after the college first opened and when classes were still held at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. She lived at the YWCA with another girl from Pincher Creek and they walked the 10 blocks to and from school – and home for lunch – every day. Doris remembers making some lifelong friends during her time at the college, and learning a lot from Mrs. Fisher, who was very strict but prepared the students well for their future work. For Doris, that meant working as a secretary at a Pincher Creek lawyer’s office as well as raising four children and running the ranch. All four of those children attended the college, including Terence Hochstein. After graduation, he worked first as a loan officer for what is now ATB Financial before spending 19 years on the family ranch full time where he and his wife raised their family. He then went on to work for Agricore United (now Viterra) as a retail manager/agronomist. Today, he works as the executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta. “What I am doing today is a direct reflection of work I did at the college,” he says. “I had an opportunity to sit on the Board of Governors for a year as a student representative because I was the student council president. That aspect – even after a significant amount of time passed – is connected to this role.” Terence met his wife Lynnette at the college, and their daughter Shelby, who earned a Business Administration diploma at the college and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at the University of Lethbridge in the 2+2 program, chose to wear the blue and green as well. “Lethbridge College put me on the path to where I am in my career today,” says Shelby, who now works in human resources for Syncrude Canada. She adds that she – like so many of her family members – had very positive experiences at the college. “The small class sizes allowed for better interaction with my amazing instructors,” she says. “Many of the instructors I had while at the college were the best I have had. Nothing compares to learning from someone who has real-world experience in the field they are teaching, and not just academic experience.”
“Many of the instructors I had while at the college were the best I have had. Nothing compares to learning from someone who has real-world experience in the field they are teaching, and not just academic experience.” { Shelby Hochstein }
35
News and notes
News and notes
LCSA gives $200,000 for new trades and technologies facility Lethbridge College students and staff celebrated the Lethbridge College Students’ Association’s (LCSA) donation of $200,000 toward a multi-use student space to be called the LCSA South Commons in the new trades and technologies facility during an event in Centre Core in April. “The LCSA is pleased to be able to give back to the college in a meaningful way,” said then-LCSA President Michael Doughty. “This new space will be created for and defined by future generations of Lethbridge College students and we thank all of the current students who shared our vision and voted to make this gift a reality.”
“This new space will be created for and defined by future generations of Lethbridge College students and we thank all of the current students who shared our vision and voted to make this gift a reality.” { Michael Doughty }
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| FALL 2015
The LCSA held a referendum along with its student elections in early March to determine support for the gift following a unanimous endorsement from the LCSA executive. The LCSA South Commons will be located within the new trades and technologies facility and will increase the existing designated student study areas and meeting areas on campus, which the LCSA identified as a priority. “We’re incredibly grateful that the LCSA and our students choose to support our new trades and technologies facility,” said Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns. “Using these funds to create more collaborative space for students is one of the ways we can continue to offer accessibility to our learners.” The college broke ground on the new trades and technologies facility in April 2014 and the first phase, which will host programs within the Crooks School of Transportation such as Automotive Service Technician, Parts Technician, Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician, opened in late August. The second phase of the new facility, including the LCSA South Commons, will open in September 2017. The college has raised more than $22.8 million of the $25 million goal for the Possibilities are Endless campaign. More information on the new trades and technologies facility is available at lethbridgecollege.ca/ttrip.
Want to keep up on all of your Lethbridge College news between issues of Wider Horizons? Check out our news and events webpage (lethbridgecollege.ca/news) for the latest stories and all of the college news you need. And don’t forget, you can read past issues of Wider Horizons at widerhorizons.ca.
DONATIONS AND GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Agriculture Business Risk Management program receives funding boost Lethbridge College’s new Agriculture Business Risk
Management program is set to receive $215,570 from the
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), the two organizations announced in June. The funding follows an announcement in
January from the college and the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association
(ACFA), which are collaborating to develop the program as the first initiative under the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. The program curriculum is being designed for those
working and studying in the livestock, grain and oilseed industry
who would benefit from increased skills and knowledge in the area of business risk management. The program will be exceptionally
College receives $2.1 million in applied research funding Lethbridge College will receive $2.1 million over five years to support its applied research program in Integrated Fish and Plant Systems (IFPS) thanks to a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Only eight institutions in Canada received College and Community Innovation – Innovation Enhancement (CCI-IE) funding over $2 million in this year’s grant competition, with Lethbridge College being the only institution west of Ontario to receive CCI-IE funding on this scale. Staff and students at Lethbridge College have spent more than 12 years building and improving integrated fish and plant systems research in the college’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence. The college became eligible to apply for national NSERC funding in 2011 and received its first grant in 2013, a two-year Innovation Enhancement Grant of $200,000 that has been used to optimize and expand commercial aquaponics systems. Students and staff from a variety of programs and backgrounds, including Aquaponics, Aquaculture, Agriculture Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Business Administration and Culinary, will be engaged.
Only eight institutions in Canada received College and Community Innovation – Innovation Enhancement funding over $2 million in this year’s grant competition.
flexible, with students able to customize their courses in a modular learning experience format. Specifically, students will be able to
take modules or parts of courses that they need for their work or interests, and they will also be able to bundle them into courses
that could be used for future college credit. The program will be
offered online in the fall of 2015. In the future, students will have options of enrolling in face-to-face, online or blended delivery courses for credit.
Avonlea and Stranville donate $193,000 in proceeds from The College Home to college Avonlea Homes Master Builder and Stranville Living Ltd.,
along with their building teams, announced a $193,000 donation to Lethbridge College as part of The College Home partnership in June. The donation is the second of its kind generated from
the unique partnership between the Canadian Home Builders’
Association Lethbridge Region (CHBA) and the college. In 2013, CHBA and Lethbridge College announced a unique partnership,
The College Home. This partnership involves two CHBA builders each year who work with their suppliers and tradespeople and
commit to building two homes per year over a five-year period;
each builder then makes a donation from the proceeds of the sales toward the new trades and technologies facility at Lethbridge
College. More than 44 different suppliers and tradespeople were involved in the building of these two homes. Both homes were
unveiled at the Parade of Homes last fall and have since been sold to local families. The first year of The College Home exceeded
the original goal for year one of the partnership with more than
$233,000 raised by the sale of the first two homes built by Ashcroft Master Builder and Galko Master Builder. The second year of The College Home has also exceeded the original year two goal, and
builders for the third year of the project have been working on their homes all summer (see pp. 2-3).
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News and notes
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
College student is ‘best of the best’ in Heavy Equipment Service Nathaniel deWilde, a student in Lethbridge College’s Heavy Equipment Technician apprenticeship program, won a gold medal in June in the Skills Canada National Competition in Saskatoon, Sask., in the category of Heavy Equipment Service. DeWilde, who is from the Monarch area and is in the process of completing his four-year apprenticeship at Lethbridge College, has competed in Skills Canada competitions for five years. He won gold medals at regional and provincial competitions throughout the years, including a bronze medal at last year’s provincial competition in the heavy equipment service category, and the gold medal and safety award at this year’s provincial competition in May.
Wider Horizons wins gold award for second year running in international competition Lethbridge College’s magazine, Wider Horizons, has been named the best community college magazine in North America for the second year in a row in the CASE Circle of Excellence award competition. The magazine received the gold award for the winter, spring and fall 2014 issues. The judges’ report noted that “great use of photography, seamless design and cohesive editorial make this magazine the top overall publication in this year’s competition.” Named in the award are executive editor Carmen Toth and editor Lisa Kozleski, both of the college’s Marketing and Communications office, and designer Dana Woodward of Three Legged Dog Graphic Design of Lethbridge. The magazine’s highly-praised photography was provided by three members of the marketing and communications team - Rod Leland, Jonathan Ruzek and Gregory Thiessen - and freelance photographer Rob Olson. This is the second time the college has received an award in the international CASE competition.
COLLEGE NEWS AND UPDATES
Teaching Excellence Award winners announced
Congratulations go out to Brad Wolcott, General Studies; Chris DeLisle, Wind Turbine; and Cheryl Meheden, Business Administration, who received the college’s Teaching Excellence Awards this year. These instructors were selected based on criteria which reflected teaching excellence, professional responsibilities and interpersonal skills and ethics. Congratulations also go out to Simon Schawrz, General Studies, the Rookie of the Year award recipient. Simon’s selection was based on guidelines that included instructional strategies and enthusiasm for teaching, among other attributes.
PBA Dawgs win fifth consecutive title
The Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs beat the Vancouver Island Baseball Institute Mariners at Spitz Stadium in May, wrapping up another Canadian College Baseball Conference championship and finishing the tournament undefeated. Players must attend either Lethbridge College or the University of Lethbridge and then move on after two years. Three cheers go out to the PBA Dawgs Lethbridge College students. 38
| FALL 2015
New cadet training opportunity through partnership with Medicine Hat Police Service A group of police cadets received their training this summer as a result of a new collaborative partnership between Medicine Hat Police Service and Lethbridge College which was announced by the two organizations in May. The 17-week training program started in May and involved cadets recruited by the Medicine Hat Police Service and the CP Police Service. The cadets acquired knowledge through competency-based teaching and assessment to ensure they can demonstrate their knowledge and skills before they are guaranteed a policing position. While the classroom still played an important role, much of the learning and assessment took place in real-life settings throughout the community.
New Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecosystem Management applied degree Students who are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree have a new option for their studies at Lethbridge College. The new Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecosystem Management degree
was approved by the Ministry of Innovation and Advanced Education in the spring and will welcome the first students in the program this fall.
The new degree is delivered in partnership with Athabasca University (AU) and prepares students to work in the areas of environmental management and restoration, and fish and wildlife management.
Students will take one online course with AU per semester and will
receive a Lethbridge College degree. The applied degree was designed with ongoing input from environmental industry partners and will
integrate applied field and lab skills with theoretical studies. The new degree in Ecosystem Management is the first applied degree from an Alberta Comprehensive Community Institution to be vetted by the
Campus Alberta Quality Council and is unique because it’s the first
Bachelor of Applied Science degree to be granted with an applied focus that doesn’t have a directed field study.
College will offer new Plumbing Apprenticeship in January 2016 For the first time in its 58 year history, Lethbridge College will offer a Plumbing Apprenticeship program within its School of Construction Trades beginning in 2016. Registration for the first intake began
in June. A Plumbing Apprenticeship is four years long including a
Students honoured at 58th annual Convocation Lethbridge College hosted the 58th annual Convocation on April 24
at the Enmax Centre. Of the more than 1,600 eligible graduates from
the 2014-15 academic year, nearly 800 participated in the ceremony.
This was the largest Convocation in the college’s history and the first time in more than 20 years that the ceremony was held off campus. Convocation was a great success thanks to the many hard-working staff members and volunteers.
minimum of 1,500 on-the-job training hours and eight weeks of
Students perform well at Business Case Competition in Calgary
will then alternate successive training periods over the next three
students who competed well at the 10th annual Alberta Deans of
technical training each year. Lethbridge College will offer the first
eight-week period of technical training starting in January 2016 and years to ultimately provide local apprentices an opportunity for
completing all four years of required technical training at the college.
Two Open Houses scheduled in 2015-16
Prospective students, their families and the community are invited to experience all that Lethbridge College has to offer during two of the
college’s Open Houses this upcoming academic year. The first one will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in the Val Matteotti
Gymnasium; the second one is set for Saturday, Feb. 6. The campus will be filled with staff members who can provide information on financial aid, residence, academic programs and services, and tours of campus. In addition, those who attend will have a chance to win a $1,500
tuition credit. Stop by to experience the hands-on environment that gives students the leading edge in industry. More details to come at lethbridgecollege.ca/openhouse.
Congratulations go out to Lethbridge College’s team of business
Business Case Competition at Bow Valley College this past spring, as
well as their instructors who helped them prepare for the event. The team was comprised of students Georgiana Ellis, Ryan Kurtz, Rylan Greeno, Sarah Ferrari and Michael Doughty and faculty advisors
David Orr and Rita Halma. While the students did not place this year, they gained valuable experience and great memories. Lethbridge
College has sent a team to the competition each of the last 10 years.
Thirteen teams participated from colleges across Alberta and worked on a case involving an actual Calgary company – PEL Recycling. The winning teams this year were NAIT, Bow Valley and Olds. The event is organized each year by the deans of the business programs in
all Alberta colleges and supported by the primary sponsor CPA –
Chartered Professional Accountants as well as the additional sponsors, BMO, RBC and Talisman Energy. Congratulations to the business students and their instructors on their excellent work this year.
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News and notes
Two new members appointed to Board of Governors Brenda Brindle and Richard Stamp have been appointed to Lethbridge College’s Board of Governors. They will serve through Feb. 25, 2018. With an extensive background in agriculture, Brindle has recently retired from working as an Executive Director with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Previously, she held the position of General Manager of the Alberta Grain Commission. Stamp is a first-generation, award-winning farmer (Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer ’98) who owns and operates Stamp Farms and Stamp Seeds which he established with his wife, Marian, in 1978. Lethbridge College also extends a tremendous thank you to outgoing board members Vice Chair John Jacobson and Dawna Coslovi for their service during their six-year terms on the board.
Collide-O-Scope fundraiser a success
Lethbridge College’s Media and Design students hosted the CollideO-Scope fundraiser on April 11 in the Garden Court Dining Room at Lethbridge College. This year’s theme was “Connectivity” and attendees enjoyed the work of communications, fashion, interior design and multimedia students. All proceeds from Collide-O-Scope support student awards for Media and Design students at Lethbridge College.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Honour Night
FNMI Honour Night followed the Convocation ceremony on April 24 and allowed Lethbridge College FNMI convocates the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with fellow FNMI classmates. As students embark on their pursuit of further academic and career goals, this evening also gave an opportunity to express thanks to their families as well as to the services and agencies that have assisted in their educational journey.
Culinary students and staff return from Austria exchange
Lethbridge College’s Culinary students and staff returned from their third exchange trip to Semmering, Austria, in June. The college began its relationship with Tourismusschulen Semmering in 2011 and travelled to Austria to study and learn with their colleagues in 2011, 2013 and 2015 while hosting them here in Lethbridge in 2012 and 2014. Seven students and three instructors spent almost two weeks travelling and learning about the culinary industry in Austria. The students and staff prepared a 120-plate Canadian meal for the tourism school in Semmering which was very well received.
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COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN
Now is the time to give With the support of local and regional industry partners, alumni, staff and friends of the institution, Lethbridge College has almost achieved its goal of raising $25 million to support the construction of this new building and other projects. The college is grateful for these gifts that support the value of the work of post-secondary education, and is now looking to the community for one last push to achieve its goal. Giving to Lethbridge College can make a real difference in the lives of real students. This year’s LCSA President Emmerson Reyes says, “Lethbridge College is a great institution where students can learn everything they need in preparation for their future careers. Students here learn not just from books but significantly from the hands-on experience and guidance of great instructors that this institution offers.” It’s easy to give. Go online to lethbridgecollege.ca/give; mail a gift to Lethbridge College Development Office, 3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB, T1K 1L6; or stop by campus and come to the Development Office in CE2323. Every donation will be used to foster innovation and collaboration in the new trades and technologies facility. This 165,000-square-foot, environmentally-friendly building will allow students and staff to engage in applied research, becoming a driving force in Alberta’s knowledge economy. The programs offered within its walls will match quality with quantity, giving Alberta the builders and technicians whose skills will lead the province forward.
“Lethbridge College is a great institution where students can learn everything they need in preparation for their future careers.” { Emmerson Reyes }
Lethbridge College legacies: As soon as cars were invented, drivers wanted to go faster and race against each other.
In the 1920s, Lethbridge City Police Chief Joseph Gillespie
complained about drivers and the Herald highlighted his reasons: “There is too much ‘joy riding’ going on in the city and that is probably the reason Chief Gillespie wants the speed limit reduced… The younger element of drivers is chiefly responsible for all the kicks that have been heard about the manner in which motor cars are being driven… If the younger men, who so often desire to show their lady friends what wonderful stunts they can pull with their cars would bear this fact in mind there would be less of the sensational and careless driving going on.” Whether it was a continued desire to show off to their “lady friends” or simply a desire to test themselves and their cars, many car aficionados looked for decades for appropriate places (other than the streets) to race cars in Lethbridge. Over the years, several temporary sites have served as local race tracks, including Lethbridge Exhibition, but drivers have long searched for something more permanent. In the 1950s, it seemed the need was answered. J.N. “Bus” Murdoch was building the Fort Whoop-Up Guest Ranch on the location where the college stands today. One feature of the plans was a stock car racing facility with a quarter mile track. This track did operate for a time at the current site of the college, but it was only a short-term solution and the race track eventually closed. (The guest ranch, which had ambitious plans in its early years, was also home for a time to a roller rink – the building now known as The Barn.) In the 1980s, several groups were looking for places to race. One group, the High Country Raceway, worked with the City of Lethbridge and set up a drag racing course at 9th Avenue and 43rd Street North. That same decade the Street Wheelers were also looking for a location for their 100-foot dash held during the Street Machine Weekend. The parking lots of Lethbridge College were one of the locations used for a few years.
There were also other types of racing at the college in the 1980s involving racing through circuits throughout the parking lots. There are two wonderful vintage videos on YouTube showing a 1984 gymkhana through the college’s roads. Volvos, Corvettes, Datsuns and more can be seen blazing down the familiar roads around campus (check them out learn.lc/1984race1 and learn.lc/1984race2.) But, seriously, who hasn’t seen all of those connected roads and parking lots at the college and thought about racing there? (Maybe that’s a thought I should keep to myself.)
Fast cars (indeed all cars) will always have a place at Lethbridge College – especially this fall as students start work in the new state-of-the-art automotives and heavy equipment labs at Lethbridge College, where they’re picking up the skills to fine tune any engine. Story by Belinda Crowson, Galt Museum and Archives Stills courtesy of Canada Motor Sports
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Noted online
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Stasia Campbell { campbell1886 } My cat son, #Docks wanted to congratulate me on getting my #journeyman ticket! #lc #Lethbridgecollege #4thyear #finallyfinished #electrician #blackcat #bowtie #catsofinstagram August 7
Colby Mckee { colbymckee }
Anyday that free money is sent to you is a fantastic day! Incredibly honored to receive a $500 scholarship from the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and Country 95.5 FM! Thank you guys so much! Also thanks to Lethbridge College in general! None of this would have been possible without completing my diploma at an excellent institution #lethbridgecollege #broadcastjournalism #scholarship #500bucks #nicesurprise July 6
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mgirl900234 { mgirl900234 }
Got #acceptedtoLC #lethbridgecollege so excited :D June 1
Sandra Johnson { flutter73 }
Future graduate #cutie #kodiaks #lethbridgecollege May 9
Scott Greer { @KiltTilter }
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@LethCollege Got my #alumni magazine today. It found me in #China!! Nice to see it..and the College again! #expat #LivingInChina #Lethbridge May 6
ULethbridge FineArts { @UofL_FineArts } Looking forward to the new partnership between @UofL_FineArts and @LethCollege FASHION! April 30
Leslie Cochrane { lushlie27 }
I #graduated from college 20 years ago and today I get to see my #babygirl graduate from #LethbridgeCollege #proudmomma #timeflies April 24
Ashley Nelson { ashleynicnelson } 2 years later #lethbridgecollege
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April 24
@LethCollege has been supporting Classroom Ag Program for over 8 years with student volunteers. Kudos to you! #ageducation May 20 Agriculture for Life { @4AgForLife }
Here are a few highlights from Twitter and Instagram that we’ve seen online these last few months. Stay connected to Lethbridge College all year long by following us online.
Follow us at: /LethbridgeCollege @lethcollege @lethcollege
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Grads on our grounds
{ with Dominique Tousignant } D
ominique Tousignant, who is surrounded by sparks, splatters, fizz and buzz every day in his work as a journeyman welder, was one of many Lethbridge College grads who went straight from their apprenticeship or program into full-time work. The Lethbridge resident started working for Gilmar Crane Services last January right after finishing the college’s Welding apprenticeship training program. “The work I do is related to my apprenticeship,” says Tousignant, who was on campus working on the new trades and technologies building this summer. “I am doing structural welding on the steel structure of the building” using skills learned as a student at the college. While Tousignant has been working in commercial construction, other welding grads find jobs in vessel or structural steel assembly, steel fabrication and heavy equipment repair, pipeline construction and industrial construction.
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| FALL 2015
Tousignant says he truly likes his job. “I enjoy the feeling of knowing that my work will be seen and admired for years to come,” he says of his work on the facility which, once complete, will be the largest in the college’s history. “And I like knowing that one day my daughter and perhaps grandchildren may walk through the doors that I welded in place.” Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rod Leland
“I enjoy the feeling of knowing that my work will be seen and admired for years to come.” { Dominique Tousignant }
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2015–16 Kodiaks home game schedule
Soccer
W
M
Sept.12 Sept. 20 Sept. 26 Sept. 27 Oct. 17
Medicine Hat SAIT Lakeland Red Deer Olds
1 PM 1 PM 12 PM 12 PM 12 PM
3 PM 3 PM 2 PM 2 PM 2 PM
Oct. 17 Oct. 23 Oct. 24 Oct. 30 Nov.21 Nov.27 Nov.28 Jan. 15 Jan. 23 Jan. 28 Feb. 12 Feb. 13
Ambrose Olds Olds Medicine Hat SAIT Red Deer Red Deer Ambrose Medicine Hat SAIT Briercrest Briercrest
6 PM 6 PM 1 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 1 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 1 PM
8 PM 8 PM 3 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 3 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 3 PM
Volleyball
W
M
Cross country running Sept. 26 Oct. 31
Lethbridge ACAC Championship
Oct. 24 Oct. 29 Nov. 6 Nov. 28 Jan. 16 Jan. 22 Jan. 23 Feb. 5 Feb. 6 Feb. 20 Feb. 27
St. Mary’s Ambrose Briercrest Medicine Hat St. Mary’s Red Deer Red Deer Olds Olds SAIT Ambrose
Jan.16
Grand Prix #1
Basketball
Indoor track
Stock up in September! Show this magazine to receive 25 per W
M
6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM 1 PM 6 PM 1 PM 6 PM 6 PM
8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 8 PM 3 PM 8 PM 3 PM 8 PM 8 PM
Free admission with Lethbridge College student ID This schedule is subject to change. For up-to-date game times, visit:
gokodiaks.ca
cent off all Lethbridge College gear during the month of September at the Lethbridge College Bookstore.