Wider Horizons - Special 60th Anniversary Edition

1 957 – 2 0 17 THE IDEAS THE PEOPLE THE PLACES

{ S P E C I A L 6 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y E D I T I O N }

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60 TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

There is nothing quite like the first day of classes each fall at Lethbridge College.You can almost feel the excitement and energy (and maybe a few nerves) in the air. As I walked around campus on the first day earlier this month, I thought back to 1957 and wondered what it would have been like to be on the campus of what was then called Lethbridge Junior College during its first day 60 years ago.

There were only 38 students enrolled in a handful of one-year programs back then. Courses were held in borrowed classrooms at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. Students were allowed to smoke and were called Mr. and Miss.

Today, we have more than 6,500 enrolled in more than 50 certificate, diploma, applied degree and apprenticeship programs that range in length from several months to several years. Courses are held in classrooms and labs in 10 buildings on our beautiful coulee-view campus – as well as online, in practicums and in the field. Smoking is no longer allowed in campus buildings. And first names are the norm for students as well as employees.

But I am sure there was the same excitement and the same energy – and probably even more nerves in the hearts and minds of students, staff and faculty on campus during that opening day. For the students, there was a certain element of risk attending the new college. Would it give them the training and hands-on learning opportunities they needed? Would they be able to leverage their education into the kind of work that makes a difference and shapes communities? (Thankfully, I can tell you that the answer to both those questions turned out to be a resounding “yes” – then and now.)

And for the founders and first faculty and staff members, there was so much at stake. The people of southern Alberta had come together to create Canada’s first publicly-funded community college with an incredible vision, an admirable amount of tenacity and a kind of boldness that we are proud to have as our legacy today.

But would it work? Would their efforts succeed? It did – and does. These founders and leaders – just like today – knew that there was real value in providing education to our young people right here in Lethbridge.

It has been our true pleasure to celebrate the story of our founding and the growth of the college during this past 60th anniversary year. And we are pleased to mark our 60th in one final way – with this keepsake edition of Wider Horizons, which contains the stories of 60 great Lethbridge College people, places and ideas.

I like to think those founders and early leaders and first students would be pleased to see all that has been accomplished these past six decades, and how their little college has grown. I am confident they would be proud of the students who have walked through our doors and all they have gone on to accomplish. I know I am.

Happy anniversary, Lethbridge College, and thanks to all who have made you the great place you are today.

{ 60 T H ANNIV ERSARY EDITIO N }

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What’s the big idea? Read all about six great ideas that are foundational to Lethbridge College, and 54 additional fun facts and stats about the institution and its people, programs, quirks, curiosities and sources of pride.

People make the place: Whether they were founders, builders, alumni, faculty, staff or students, it is the people who made Lethbridge College what it has been for the last six decades, and it is people who make it what it is today and what it will be for decades to come.

The places that define Lethbridge College: Starting with the first building constructed on campus and moving through time and space, Wider Horizons is proud to present our list of the 60 best Lethbridge College places.

{ S P E C I A L 6 0 TH A N N I V E R S A RY E D I T I O N } 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.

We thank you for picking up this special 60th anniversary edition and we hope you enjoy the read.

If you would like to suggest a story or find out more about our magazine, contact us.

Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 Email: WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca

Publisher: Dr. Paula Burns Editor-in-chief: Gwen Wirth Editor: Lisa Kozleski Design: Dana Woodward Cover image: Shawn Salberg Photographers: Rod Leland, Rob Olson, Gregory Thiessen Illustrator: Brent Bates

60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? Ideas are essential to the life and legacy of Lethbridge College. Ideas illuminate. Ideas lead to innovation. They come from ever ything.

And our capacity to create and understand them is part of what makes us human.

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Ideas are central to the purpose and people who are tied to Lethbridge College, an institution rooted in an inspiring history of embracing big ideas and committed to a future of fostering new and innovative ones.

This issue of Wider Horizons is dedicated to the ideas – both large and small – that have been launched from, discovered at or embraced by Lethbridge College, in its past, present and future. Earlier in this anniversary year, Wider Horizons 2017 featured 60 meaningful Lethbridge College places and 60 memorable Lethbridge College people. The following pages contain a discussion of 60 Lethbridge College ideas – in-depth discussion of six “big ideas,” followed by 54 lesser-known aspects of the college’s story. These insights and bits of inspiration are a diverse mix of thoughts, facts, concepts, plans, purposes and philosophies that have distinguished the college in the past and set it on its course for the future.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

60 ideas • 60 years Sixty ideas – large and small – to celebrate Lethbridge College’s 60 years of leading and transforming education in Alberta

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60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? 1

{ with Dean W.J. “Jim” Cousins }

“Ex Disciplina Docti” or learning can only be achieved by discipline and hard work.

Dean W.J. “Jim” Cousins, Lethbridge College’s first chief executive, was asked to bring several school mottos to the first Board of Governors during the college’s inaugural academic year, 1957-58. The board directed him to include the words “doctus” in its meaning of “learning.” He found several mottos, and the one the students selected was the motto above, which, roughly translated, means “through discipline learning.” The spirit of this motto echoes throughout the pages of an oral history about Cousins conducted in 1975

by Charles Ursenbach.

Interview by Charles Ursenbach 1975 | Photos supplied

You must have been influenced by a good many teachers. Have you a particular teacher who influenced you?

There are a number of them. But there was one in particular and I think it’s partly due to him that I’m in the history profession. This man, Mr. Hughes, … had a marvelous knack of telling stories. So all the history he taught me I can remember almost word for word. I can remember the expression on his face when he said it. … I think it has something to do with the fact that I’m a Welshman. We’re very musical.

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Was this music a vital part of [your] school training?

I took a very broad pattern. They wanted breadth in those days… so I had French, I had music, calculus, chemistry, and every one of those was useful in teaching history, because a historian has to know a little bit about medicine, chemistry, science and everything that went with it. All the courses that I had gave me a great breadth, because I wanted to know this and that and the other thing. You can find that today when I’m talking that I can draw illustrations from so many different places.

It appears to me this great urge you have for learning must be quite a gift.

It must be that I have a general intelligence. I used to take all these subjects in university thinking “Now I’ll be a genius in one of them,” but I never was. I was good in a whole bunch of them. …From the time I was 2½ years until I was 60, my life had been a constant one of studying and learning. I never had a chance to stop learning and appreciate doing nothing. Even now my conscience bothers me if I’m not over there with microfilm digging stuff out.

Were your summer school activities very demanding?

At the University of Alberta, you had to prepare 25 to 30 per cent of your work before you went there. I always had it done. It was done and I could write the exam on the first day. While a lot of teachers said they didn’t have the time, I used to say “Well, you make the time.” Because I had to make it. I had to garden, I had to teach my students, I had to put on concerts and I had to study, even if it was after eleven o’clock some nights. So I was never caught flat-footed, and on the first test I always made a good mark.

And the rest of the term I would work very hard.

You have been involved in education here in the city, particularly in the junior college and also in the University of Lethbridge. Would you like to tell us about the growth of those two?

Once we got started in 1957, after the University [of Alberta] accepted the idea, we decided that we were going to open a junior college. …So we opened with some university courses, first-year arts and science and first-year education, and with a course in business. …We had one student in motor mechanics…[and] a couple of rooms in LCI. When we started that year then, we had almost as big a staff as we had students.

The students of the first year [at Lethbridge Junior College] did very well when they went to the university the next year. …I think the city owes a lot to the junior college. …When Lawrence Bussard asked me in 1957 if I thought the thing would succeed, I said I thought it would but he wondered where the students would come from. One is the community college and the other is the University of Lethbridge, but they were both Lethbridge Junior College and that’s where it started and that’s what it is.

I was never caught flat-footed, and on the first test I always made a good mark. And the rest of the term I would work ver y hard.

What has been the great impact upon your family in Lethbridge?

I think it was my association with the junior college, because when that institution came, the college was a new idea. It’s a movement now, but I had to sell the idea.

I had help from a lot of people like Lorne Blackbourne and Lawrence Bussard and so on. But I was a speaker, and as a speaker I went around to all the schools and to graduations and all sorts of places. I think I’ve been in every school from the boundary down to Medicine Hat. …

That college got me started as a speaker, and I think that is what I’ve been doing ever since. I think that is the biggest impact in Lethbridge.

W. J. “Jim” Cousins, a Welsh-born history teacher at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, was 45-years-old when he was the first person hired to work at the college – to teach history – and later named the college’s first chief executive officer. He served in this role until 1963, when he returned to teaching history full-time at the college, and he was one of the inaugural faculty members when the new University of Lethbridge opened in 1967. He retired in 1975, shortly before this interview was conducted, and died in Lethbridge in 1996 at the age of 88.

Special thanks are given to Bob Cousins, the grand-nephew of Jim Cousins, and his wife Lois Romney, for alerting Lethbridge College to this oral history and sharing the book with us.

EX DISCIPLINA DOCTI 5

60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

Roy Weasel Fat’s grandparents, Henry and Louise Standing Alone, were one of the first families on the Blood Reserve to farm and ranch. Weasel Fat and his sons still carry on that legacy today.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? { with Roy Weasel Fat }

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“New Buffalo” Education is the “new buffalo,” and the work done at post-secondar y institutions is essential to ensuring a strong and prosperous future, especially for Indigenous peoples.

Interview by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rob Olson Story by Dave McMurray

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What is this idea all about?

Our Elders call education the new buffalo. You know how in our traditional culture the buffalo used to provide almost everything a person needed – food, shelter, clothing? That is how they view education now.

They keep encouraging everyone to get an education – much like my parents did for me.

How have you seen this idea in action in your life?

For me, growing up on my dad’s farm on the reserve, south of Standoff, I worked, farmed and ranched, and basically it was more of my parents’ push for me to go to college. They told us kids to get an education – they said we’d be better off for it. It was what they wanted for us.

Their own schooling was limited. They were at boarding [residential] schools, and my mother only went through grade eight and my father through grade six. They saw education as a value and they wanted me to try college.

NEW BUFFALO I went to Lethbridge College to study Vocational Agriculture.

There were two three-month semesters that coincided with harvest and spring seeding. I was one of very few from the reserve to go on to post-secondary education. When I got there, there were a handful of students from here, including one in the ag program with me.

[After graduating from the college, Weasel Fat worked at the Lethbridge Research Centre and then in various ag-related jobs on the Blood Reserve. In 1987, he returned to the world of post-secondary education, attending Mount Royal University for upgrading, the University of Calgary where he earned a Bachelor of Education degree in 1992 and Gonzaga University where he earned a Masters of Arts in Educational Counselling in 1997. He is currently working on his doctoral degree focusing on Blackfoot cultural philosophy.]

It was during a practicum experience at the U of C, that’s the time I started to know that mainstream people didn’t know much about the First Nations people. I was working in a school southeast of Calgary – and that class, they were the best group of kids. Those kids were really hungry for First Nations teachings, for learning about our Blackfoot ways. My dad loaned me his buckskin outfit and I wore it one day, and showed them my dad’s headdress. It was remarkable to see these kids wanted to know more – they just wanted to learn.

How do you see this idea in action in your work?

I began my career at Red Crow Community College in January 1994 by developing an adult literacy course and instructed there to 1996. In 1997, I was appointed the adult education coordinator, and in 2002, the vice president academic. In the fall of 2013, I became President of Red Crow College. As president, I enjoy being able to promote the college. My work here is trying to get our community members educated.

Accessibility is number one and it’s important that we have it right here in the community, that we are one of the five First Nations colleges in Alberta.

My tenure here at Red Crow was the right place for me as far as education is concerned. For us here, we are teaching our younger generation about their culture. A lot of them don’t really know about the culture – even the language – and that’s a critical area. At the foundation, we want our kids to know who they are, to be self-confident and not underestimate themselves.

One of our main advantages as a First Nations college is that we have direct access to our community Elders and the traditional way of knowledge. We have had an Elders Advisory Council for more than two decades. They help our students connect with their culture and with our Blackfoot ways of living

and being, how we come together as a Blackfoot community, how to continue the practices of teaching this culture to our community. Elders are very important to our community. They can help members of our community think more about their Blackfoot identity.

Some of the questions our Elders ask our younger people as they start their journey of learning about their culture are: “Do you have a Blackfoot name? Who gave you that name? If you don’t have one, do you want one?” If so, the Elders will go about getting the student a Blackfoot name, because that’s part of the self-identity. They also ask “What clan are you from?”

There are about 17 clans and it is another way students can connect to their community and history.

What we do here at Red Crow Community College is make it so anyone can come and learn about Blackfoot ways if they choose to come here. Once people return back into the culture it has a transformative effect. People change once they know.

And for me, success is when a member of our community experiences success in education and in life. It is my obligation to pass on this knowledge of success to our students and other members of the community, so that they may enjoy the benefits of a post-secondary education and lead a better life – so they may benefit from the “new buffalo” as our ancestors benefitted from the buffalo. That’s what I want for our students.

Roy M. Weasel Fat is the president of Mikai’sto/Red Crow Community College and a 1974 graduate of Lethbridge College’s Vocational Agriculture program.

As a leader, he has demonstrated vision and innovation, and he is responsible for the infusion of Blackfoot culture and values in every sector and level of education, including adult literacy, adult upgrading, trades, health and general studies, at the Standoff college.

Red Crow Community College was established in 1986 as a First Nations educational institute and initially offered upgrading and college prep courses. In the late 1990s, the college formed the Kainai Studies Department, which incorporated uniquely-designed courses built upon Blackfoot and Kainai worldviews. In its 31-year span, the college has evolved into a complete post-secondary institution offering diploma and degree programs in partnerships with many post-secondary institutions, including Lethbridge College.

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60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? { with Jaclyn Doherty }

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Learning Experience Design Imagine if a learner was a learner at Lethbridge College, and all students, staff and faculty had equal access to interdisciplinar y learning opportunities… all the time. This is an idea that can happen thanks to Learning Experience Design.

Interview by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rob Olson

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Why is this an important idea to consider?

Learning isn’t only about delivering content. It is about how we experience, process, reflect and contribute to fulfilling outcomes and become competent in something. At its core, the learning journey should be enjoyable, engaging, relevant, informative and tangible.

Lethbridge College, much like most other post-secondary institutions, is under significant pressure to build on learner success within the context of transition. This means establishing and implementing breakthrough teaching and learning models, innovative and collaborative learning partnerships, and creative uses of technology, all while respecting increased accountability and the need for a return on stakeholder investment. In our various roles at the college, we are obliged to do as much as possible to improve what we have while simultaneously building the conditions for new possibilities and solutions to emerge. We have a variety of thoughtful plans to guide us in this work. They provide the necessary frameworks for programs to build on existing research, knowledge and practice while creating a foundation for new course models, innovative learning space designs and assessments of academic progress while enhancing individual strengths and capabilities through the development of our faculty, staff and students.

That all sounds great. But how do you actually pull it off? How do you move from plans to action?

Fortunately, we don’t need to look far to find the answers. As learning experience designers, we work with most departments at the college and get to see incredible examples of teaching and learning happening every day across our campus, and not just the kind of learning you see in a classroom (although there are many great examples of that too!). All you have to do is look behind walls and over cubicles to see students, staff and faculty creating and nurturing a culture of learning within their discipline areas. They are already successfully operationalizing certain aspects of our current vision of leading and transforming education in Alberta. All across campus, you can see a full spectrum of students, faculty and staff learning and sharing knowledge and developing new skills. So in many ways, this is already happening!

Unfortunately, all too often it is occurring behind closed doors. I often wonder, what would happen if we exposed it all – if we truly removed the barriers and deliberately took down the silos, opening the door to more interdisciplinary opportunities?

What if we responded to existing policy, strategic plans and our provincial mandate by making those who are already doing great things more visible? What if we identified everyone as a learner and endorsed a mindset that fosters experimentation, encourages new ways of thinking and, most importantly, translates plans into action? What would this look like?

One aspect of learning experience design is putting theory into practice. Can you give an example of how that can happen on campus?

To get a glimpse of some of these creative learning space designs that already exist on campus, as well as to see students putting theory into practice, just look into the Early Childhood Education lab. The classroom there transforms day after day to meet the needs of the students and different children who attend each week.

One day it will be set up as a traditional classroom for students to learn the theory of their discipline. On another day, that space is transformed into an Infant Observation Lab. The environmental design for the infant class is completely different and must be very sensitive to the infants’ unique stage of development. Exposure to infant, play-based curriculum is very limited, so the ability to create it in the lab is a rare opportunity for students to observe, record and understand concepts related to infant early learning and care.

And during the same week, that same classroom can be converted again for the Parent Preschool Program, which serves as a practicum site for students. With the instructors’ ability to flex this space, the students, with their practicum instructor and the children, have the opportunity to co-construct their practicum experience. They literally build the curriculum in the lab, which creates exceptional experiential learning.

In all three formations, the physical environment sends a big message to those who are in it about how they should feel and interact with each other, the furniture and the space.

What if this was what learning looked like across campus?

Imagine a place that provided transparent out-of-the-box professional development experiences and new learning technologies – a place that was designed for executing innovative work and openly sharing scholarly activity – a place that would inspire all people to cultivate and participate in interdisciplinary peer networks all the time. What if this type of learning design was not only contained in our classrooms and libraries? What if it spilled into our hallways, meeting rooms, offices and outdoor spaces?

Imagine an incubator for transformative teaching practices – a place that fosters teaching and learning excellence by providing a safe and supportive environment to experiment with breakthrough teaching and learning models, participate in innovative partnerships and contribute to institutional strategic transformation. Imagine all of this, which comes with the long-term benefit of informing institutional practices, improving retention and strengthening our reputation within the community and beyond.

The Early Childhood Education lab transforms daily from a traditional classroom to an infant lab to a preschool setting, always meeting the needs of the college students and children who attend.

Imagine if there were more opportunities to create internal partnerships between programs and departments.

These partnerships could create capacity for higherquality multidisciplinary programming, more meaningful consultation, more efficiencies in our services and provide more opportunities to work closely with a broader range of educators, learners, entrepreneurs, researchers and other multi-disciplinary groups to tackle complex sets of challenges while designing, developing and implementing high-quality and engaging learning opportunities for the future.

Imagine if by adopting a curious mindset for what others are doing (and perhaps not doing), we could influence how we think about and deliver education and spark innovative thinking and the ideas that shape our world. Imagine if…

Jaclyn Doherty is the manager of Curriculum Development and Renewal in the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation at Lethbridge College. In that role, she collaborates with program chairs, deans, faculty and community partners to design and develop programs and teaching and learning initiatives.

Doherty has a broad and interdisciplinary academic background in educational and strategic leadership, curriculum development, technology and art as well as extensive educational development experience. She has a strong interest in design research, leading with positive change, people development and facilitation. Doherty earned a B.A./B.Ed. in Education and Technology at the University of Lethbridge and a Master’s degree in Educational Research, with a special focus in educational technology, from the University of Calgary.

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60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? 4

{ with Knud Peterson }

Teamwork Fostering a team spirit, camaraderie and the idea of pulling for one another are all key to a favourable outcome in any group, institution, organization or business.

Interview by Paul Kingsmith | Photo (bottom right) by Ian Martens, courtesy of The Lethbridge Herald, (above right) by Gregory Thiessen

Why should we value teamwork?

Teamwork at its best can be described as people working together successfully for a common cause. On sports teams for instance, it is particularly important that teammates work together with determination. Such desire can often overcome lack of skills within the team and make them successful against more talented but less motivated teams.

There are numerous examples of “underdog” teams pulling off seemingly impossible feats in the world of sports.

In fact, teams with the best players do not necessarily win championships.

Management and coaching are really important and valuable parts of any type of teamwork in terms of bringing out the best in people. Recognizing strength, weakness and leadership skills among team members along with providing individual encouragement can make everyone feel valuable and part of the team, even if some people fill lesser roles.

Coaching can also help instill passion and determination, two important ingredients for success in all phases of life.

People with leadership skills are an important component of successful teamwork whether it involves sport teams or other types of teams. Leadership qualities, however, may manifest themselves in many different forms – from brilliant skills to extra hard work and from strong ethics to keeping everyone motivated. These types of skills are often discovered while working together and are good reasons why we should value teamwork.

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How do you see teamwork in action?

It is difficult for me to assess all aspects of teamwork at Lethbridge College, but in general it appears quite focused.

After almost 25 years of involvement with Kodiaks Athletics, I’ve seen firsthand how important teamwork is - not only among teams, athletes, coaches and Kodiaks administration, but also between students, instructors, managers, administrative teams and indeed all the way up the stairs to the Lethbridge College administration.

Certainly, in my mind at least, information sharing has by and large been adequate at the college. In our fast changing world, such info sharing is likely challenging at times, but nevertheless, successful teamwork depends on it. Things like “here’s what you have to work with, these are the limiting parameters and here’s what we expect” are facts people and teams need to know and discuss before realistic goals can be set. As managers, coaches and teams change, it’s often difficult to maintain equal success rates.

Teamwork is key to a favourable outcome in any institution, organization or business and inevitably most, if not all, have had struggles along the way. My experience with the college has been a real eye-opener, positive in most ways, in terms of how teamwork is able to function in a much larger environment than in my former business, a potato farm with only one or two layers of decision-making power. It blows me away to see how well the college manages to maintain a teamwork atmosphere through numerous layers of management and priorities.

TEAMWORK How do the values of teamwork translate to the outside world?

My opinion is that a college education involving teamwork, among other things, often leads to graduates becoming more readily employable. Many employers like to hire college graduates who have participated in competitive sports or other teamwork experiences that enhance leadership skills. Except for the many students in trades, moving from a college setting to the outside world can still be a daunting task even for the most well-rounded graduates unless they have prior work-related experiences.

Many students at Lethbridge College are getting ready to further their education at the university level and for them it’s equally important to have a good sense of what teamwork is about. I personally know of students making the jump from college to university who are thankful to Lethbridge College for a smooth transition. As well, it can be said that the many teamwork activities students organize with assistance from the Lethbridge College Students’ Association (LCSA) are of lasting benefit.

Additionally, the LCSA helps foster the importance of teamwork in the democratic process by facilitating the annual students’ association election campaign. For many students, it is also their first real chance to vote on issues directly affecting themselves and often students who do cast a vote end up becoming life-long voters in municipal, provincial and federal elections.

Knud Petersen, along with ACAC hall of famer Alvin Tietz, founded the Lethbridge College women’s soccer program in 1994. The team went undefeated in its inaugural 1994 season, winning both the ACAC conference championship and the CCAA national title. Petersen continued to help coach and manage the team for two more years, through the 1996 season, and also helped to finance the women’s soccer program through its early years, working with well-known entertainment promoter Ron Sakamoto to keep the team financially stable.

In addition to his ongoing support of the Kodiaks, Petersen has been an active volunteer at a host of community organizations, including the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, environmental groups, University of Lethbridge athletics and more. In 2013, he was awarded the college’s highest honour, receiving an honorary degree, and this spring, he was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame.

Rob Kossuth (second from right), chair of the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, speaks with inductee Knud Petersen and Kinsmen Sports Persons of the Year Zack McAllister and Ashley Steacy.

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60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? { with Kristin Ailsby }

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Diversity The big idea that I think is so cool at the college right now is that we can actually transform education - but we can’t do this if we don’t have an eye on diversity, including gender diversity.

Interview by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Gregory Thiessen

What is this idea all about?

Whether we’re talking about the law or post-secondary institutions, it’s important to have diverse voices – women’s voices, Indigenous voices, immigrant voices, LGBTQ voices, all kinds of voices – at the table, because those voices say important things. They are a part of and connect us to the community we serve. How can we expect to serve a community that we don’t understand or know? If we expect to do exceptional work for the people we want to serve, we need the people we serve at the table for conversations. In the context of the college, our learners need to know that the best ideas the college has had and ever will have arose as a result of a commitment to push the kind of boundaries previous thinkers didn’t accept or even acknowledge.

My own experiences include working in a traditional male-dominated profession and being the first woman to become partner at Alberta’s oldest law firm, so I can speak passionately about the question of why we want to have women’s voices at every decision-making level. And my favourite answer to that question is simple: Historically, women have been good at asking the question “why not?”

Why not have the biggest trades training facility south of Calgary? Why not make excellence our standard?

Why can’t we respond proactively to a changing economy?

Another reason why I think we need women in educational leadership is because we are acutely aware of how education transformed our own approach to the things that matter.

Kristin Ailsby and Dr. Paula Burns present the honorary degree to the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada, at the 2017 Convocation.

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“Lethbridge College has a long and proud histor y of women in leadership roles. Women have ser ved as president for 27 of the college’s 60 years, and as board chair for 15 of those 60 years, starting with the first chair, Kate Andrews.”

How do you see this gender diversity in action at the college – whether in its history or in the present?

Lethbridge College has a long and proud history of women in leadership roles. Women have served as president for 27 of the college’s 60 years, and as board chair for 15 of those 60 years, starting with the first chair, Kate Andrews. Everything I’ve learned about Kate causes me to adore her. I am just so impressed with her commitment to education. And I loved too how silent the issue of gender is in Kate’s historical ground-breaking work. Kate was in charge because Kate had exceptional skill and ability; she didn’t acquire her position because she was a woman. Her gender was absent from formal discussions, but so very present in every decision she made. She had compelling arguments, exceptional commitment and a practical approach. People felt compelled to listen to her ideas, and ultimately support the college in so many aspects. In retrospect, 50 years later, we look back and say she was an amazing woman, and so much of her amazingness came from her social location as a woman.

What is your take on the state of gender diversity in the legal community?

I was the first woman partner at Davidson and Williams, which is Alberta’s oldest law firm. When I became a partner in 2007, it never occurred to me that it represented a significant change. My partners were my colleagues and advisors whom I respected and felt privileged with whom to work. The gender dynamics, as between me and my partners, were not difficult because of our personal connections to each other.

But our industry has been male-dominated in every respect – all the way from a firm’s internal organization to historical jurisprudence. The gender imbalance can sometimes feel difficult to manage. As an industry, we are experiencing large problems as a result. Women are leaving the profession at a disproportionately higher rate than men and we’re seeing women moving toward certain kinds of law and not others because of the gender differences. At the national level, the Canadian Bar Association and our various provincial law societies are tackling the problem and ironically, they’ve come up with a relatively universal and simple solution: that is, “Why don’t we just be nicer to each other overall and ask women what they need from and think about their work?” During the last five years or so, I’ve had the privilege of seeing and being a part of a lot more local and regional initiatives like formal mentorship programs to combat the gendered experiences we want to eliminate.

So that’s the larger context in which gender is placed in the industry of law, and I would love to see my profession continue to head in that direction.

Kristin Ailsby is the recently-named chair of the Lethbridge College Board of Governors. She is the owner of Clarity Law in Lethbridge and is a collaborative lawyer, an experienced litigator and actively involved in the southern Alberta community. A past president of Executive Women’s International, Ailsby was presented a Women of Distinction Award by the Lethbridge YWCA in 2013, was named “volunteer lawyer of the year” in 2014, and until very recently chaired the Southern Alberta Art Gallery’s Live Art Love SAAG capital campaign.

Ailsby was inducted into the University of Lethbridge Alumni Honour Society in 2017 in recognition of her appreciation and celebration of the community she serves and the strengths she creates from engagement with diverse groups and interests. She also was recognized for her belief that education can transform communities by empowering people to achieve their goals, and for making all of her contributions to the community with grace, confidence and a solid dose of humour.

DIVERSITY

13

60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

Police service dog Robby with his handler, Cst. Andrew Firby.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? 6

{ with Andrew Firby }

Love what you do Work hard at something you love, and work for the team’s success not just your own.

Interview by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Gregory Thiessen

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| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

What is this idea all about?

My parents instilled in me the value of hard work. I grew up on a cattle farm in Manitoba, and I think the backbone for me going through college and getting this job was just hard work. I don’t consider myself to be the smartest guy out there, but I will try to be the hardest-working guy that I can be, and I think that’s what’s gotten me to where I am today. As far as working at something you love – I truly love policing and the work I do in the K9 unit. I think you can’t do something for the rest of your life unless you genuinely enjoy it. You want to go home at the end of the day feeling a sense of accomplishment.

And I love working as part of a bigger team. Each patrol team is made up of a certain number of members, and everyone has their role. I’m the dog handler for one team,

but we also have different roles on that team. Everyone has a place in an investigation. When we go out on a call, there’s a lot of decisions that have to be made very, very quickly.

One of the things I like about policing is that you can break it down and know what you are prioritizing, and what you can get done now and what can wait. It takes the entire team to accomplish the investigation. You learn so much from different people. Everyone brings a specific skill and everyone is good at something, whether it’s the person who knows every law inside and out, or another person with a silver tongue who can talk to anyone. It takes all types of people and personalities to come together, to bounce ideas off each other and just to be successful. There’s no way I can be successful with the dog unless my team is helping me out. I can only accomplish so much on my own. But it’s a team effort – not just to make me successful but to make everyone successful.

How have you seen this idea in action during your time as a student at the college?

When I was a student, I worked at least two jobs while attending classes. I did security for two companies, and I also did suicide interventions for Canadian Mental Health for the last two years of my degree. I lived in residence for three years, which was a great part of going to college. It let me build my community and friendships and network and helped me to meet people and have new experiences. And it was convenient – my family lives 10 hours away, so it wasn’t easy to come out to look for an apartment for the weekend.

I found the college program was very interactive, which I loved. There was the original crisis intervention class, with a lot of interactive stuff that brought me out of my shell and helped me learn to speak to people and interact with them.

I really liked learning things practically rather than learning from a book. I usually learn stuff best by doing it – which is another reason I like being on the street as a police officer, so I can do as much as I can.

How have you seen this idea in action during your time with the Lethbridge Police Service?

Here’s a small example. We had a report of a B and E (breaking and entering) recently, and after some of what my staff sergeant called good old-fashioned police work canvassing the neighbourhood, we were able to arrest two suspects with a bunch of evidence on them within a couple

“I think you can’t do something for the rest of your life unless you genuinely enjoy it. You want to go home at the end of the day feeling accomplished.” of hours. Now this is small scale; it’s one break and enter.

If we hadn’t solved it, it’s not like it would be the end of the world. But to the business owner – it was a big deal. It was a broken window, a violation of privacy and money gone. For me, it’s satisfying to know that [the arrest] would make his day, and that the team worked together to make it happen.

I’m going to do everything I can to help out with this kind of stuff. It doesn’t always work out like that, but when it does, it’s a very accomplished feeling. I love this work. I like being on the street and going call to call. I can help out as much as I can. Often, my role is working with Robby to help find people, and that’s what I love to do, which makes my job easier because I’m enjoying it.

Constable Andrew Firby is a 2010 graduate of Lethbridge College’s Criminal Justice program and a 2012 graduate of Athabasca University.

In the fall of 2011, he applied for a job with the Lethbridge Police Service, where he was hired and started working six days after graduation. Firby spent five years working in patrol before applying last year to be part of the department’s K9 Unit. He and Robby, a Belgian Malinois, completed 16 weeks of training that included tracking, obedience, agility, building searches, compound and area searches, evidence searches, criminal apprehension and drug detection. He now works with fellow Lethbridge College alumnus Rick Semenuik (Criminal Justice 2000) and his Belgian Malinois, Ymos, as well as two other K9 teams to provide all of the tracking, searching, apprehending and drug detection needed by the department.

LOVE YOUR WORK 15

60 IDEAS • 60 YEARS

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

14. was the first educational institution in Canada to use a

15. has sporting teams that have won 57 ACAC

There are lots of big ideas tied to the college, including the six shared on the previous pages, and even more that are smaller but still meaningful. Some of these ideas have changed lives. Some of them make us smile. Some of them just

17. …and 49 students have been named CCAA Academic

All Canadians.

18. has the only BMO machine in Canada that gives out

$10 bills (this may be a campus myth – but have YOU seen any other BMO machines that only give out tens?).

19. is focused on leading and transforming education

in Alberta.

20. hosts the annual Tiffin Conference which brings together

some of the greatest minds in agriculture.

welcomes international students from more than 50 countries.

21.

Lethbridge College...

33

championship titles...

16. … and 12 CCAA national championship titles...

might change the world.

23

computer to facilitate administrative decisions in April 1972.

22. has formal exchanges with post-secondary institutions

in France, Finland and Korea.

23. is home to a realistic-looking courtroom complete with 45

wood panelled walls, a leather-lined judge’s bench and a witness stand, which is used by Criminal Justice students for scenario-based training.

24. used to have a roller rink in the building now known as

The Barn.

25. relies on industry members on advisory committees to

help shape curriculum.

26. sends students out to real-world workplaces for

practicums, internships and applied research projects.

27. raises fish and vegetables on campus in the Aquaculture 7. is situated on traditional Blackfoot territory.

8. was founded as an extension of the University of Alberta.

Centre of Excellence.

28. has a functional aquaponics operation in the basement

of the Cousins building.

9. was the first publicly-funded community college in Canada.

29. hosts a “mock disaster” each spring for students in the

10. is the birthplace of the University of Lethbridge

(and happy 50th to our friends across the river!).

11. has hosted a vibrant New Student Orientation for 20 years.

12. celebrated the 40th anniversary of its LEO club this year,

a volunteer organization comprised of Criminal Justice students who work to give back to the community.

offers 56 different certificate, diploma, apprenticeship and applied degree programs.

13.

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| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

Criminal Justice, Health, and Digital Communications and Media programs to learn in a real-life crisis.

30. starts its Convocation ceremony with bagpipes and drums

and ends it with music selected by graduating students.

31. introduced its first Honour Song, written and performed

by Julius and Troy Delaney, during the 2017 Convocation.

32. relies on its staff members to bring in friendly dogs for

students to visit during finals in the “Doggy De-Stress Room”.

33. is home to one of Canada’s largest collections of full-body

taxidermy mammals, most of which are native to Alberta, in the Hubbard Collection.

34. gives out cheques for more than $1,400 each month

53. celebrates some of its inspiring alumni and the honorary

(and sets the same amount aside for Student Awards) as part of its Pay It Forward 50-50 draw.

35. received a historical $2.5 million donation from Cor Van Raay in 2015 that, with a matched gift to the University of

Lethbridge, established the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta

Agribusiness Program.

degree recipient each year at the Honouring Excellence event held the night before Convocation.

54. designed its new, state-of-the-art trades and technologies

facility with sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality in mind.

36. used funds from a record-setting $3.1 million legacy gift

55. received 47 pieces of art, including 12 Group of Seven

from Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller to establish the Mueller Irrigation Science program…

37. …as well as to establish the college’s Mueller Applied

Research Chair in Irrigation Science (Dr. Willemijn Appels was named to that post in 2016).

38. has students work with applied research chair Dr. Faron

Ellis in the Citizen Society Research Lab to provide polling and research services to various partners.

39. is home to the International Wind Energy Academy and

has a full-size wind turbine on campus.

40. receives decommissioned wind turbines so students can

simulate and learn from turbine conditions similar to what they’ll find in the field.

41. sees employees flock to the Val Matteotti Gym during

the academic year for lunchtime floor hockey and basketball.

42. celebrates employees who regularly bring home medals

in the annual Lethbridge Dragonboat Festival.

43. has its own dragonboat for training, named the Horizon.

44. celebrates the community involvement of its students,

staff and alumni.

45. has its own tipi, which is raised for different important

events throughout the year.

46. showcases in Centre Core a sculpture called The Miner,

which was created by Cornelius Martens in recognition of the City of Lethbridge’s 1985 centennial.

47. invites students, staff and fans to vote on the Kodis athletic

of Technology in Japan for more than 20 years.

49. unveiled a stunning painting titled Blackfoot Spaces,

56. opened its newest residence, Kodiak House, in 2010,

a building that uses solar and wind power to sustain the building and 40 per cent less water than an average building its size.

57. is focused on providing relevant, high-quality education

in a changing world.

58. is working to promote a healthy learning and work

environment that nurtures the health and well-being of all students and employees.

59. is

dedicated to improving the lives of learners and communities through the recognition and respect for the distinct cultures, languages, histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous people and Indigenous-centred education.

60. is committed to inspiring and facilitating learning

and innovation to meet economic and social needs.

Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Gregory Thiessen

awards each spring.

48. has been welcoming students from the Nippon Institute

paintings and the works of other key Canadian artists, after Donald and Hugh Buchanan donated the collection on behalf of their parents, Senator and Mrs. W.A. Buchanan.

created by Delia Cross Child, in 2012 and proudly displays it in Centre Core.

54

50. offers more than 350 courses in its Corporate and

Continuing Education program designed to train, entertain and enlighten.

51. celebrates some of its many outstanding instructors

with teaching awards at Convocation.

52. celebrates some of its talented staff members and

those with service anniversaries at its Employee Excellence Awards evening each February.

17

60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

PEOPLE MAKE Whether they were founders, builders, alumni, faculty, staff or students, it is people who made Lethbridge College what it has been for the last six decades, and it is people who make it what it is today and what it will be in the decades to come.

Unless otherwise noted, stories by Lisa Kozleski | Illustrations by Brent Bates

A SAMPLING OF 60

I

f you gathered up the 4,000 students, 35,000 alumni and thousands of people who have worked at Lethbridge College over the years, a couple of things would happen. First, you’d likely have a VERY good party. And second, the story swapping that would occur would be nonstop.

There would be stories about the early days, of the hard work and dedication called on to establish Canada’s first publicly-funded community college. There would be tales of what it took to build

the programs that the college is known for today. There would be different accounts of sporting successes over the decades – of overtime wins and banners brought back to the Val Matteotti Gymnasium – and likely lots of laughter about times spent together after class (most often in The Barn).

There would be talk of teachers who made a difference, and colleagues who helped shape careers. There would be reports on rising stars, and inspiring accounts of the current students who are sure to be the leaders of tomorrow.

There would be stories for, from and about each of tens of thousands of people who have a connection to the college, stories that would illustrate how people truly make a place. The following pages offer just a sampling.

We encourage you to share your Lethbridge College stories by emailing WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca or posting it on social media using the hashtag #LC1957.

We can’t wait to hear them all.

Stories for, from and about people who made and make the college what it is.

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THE PLACE

19

60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Kate Andrews Founder, first board chair { 1957-1967 }

V

an Christou, one of the founders of the University of Lethbridge, vividly remembers the first time he met Kate Andrews, one of the founders of Lethbridge College, in person.

“She had called me to have a meeting with her at her office,” says Christou, who was working as an orthodontist at that time in 1960 and was the chair of the education committee for the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. “She was sitting in her chair, smoking with her long cigarette holder, behind her desk in a cloud of smoke. She had me sit down and started telling me about how the college kept getting turned down for further accreditation because they didn’t have a good enough library.

And she asked if I would do a fundraiser.”

Although he was quite busy at home, at work and in the community, Christou said yes. On his way back to his office, he

stopped by about a half dozen businesses to ask for help to support the new college. Within three days, he returned to Andrews’ office with $48,000 in his pocket. “Kate nearly fell out of her chair,” says Christou with a smile. “She thought it would take a year to raise $40,000.” After that, Christou says, “we became very close friends, very rapidly.”

This interaction between two of the city’s most important advocates for education summarizes much about the college and its formidable founder in those early days: Andrews never hesitated to ask for what was needed for the college; the community provided incredible support for the college as it began to plant roots in the city; and few could say no to her requests.

Christou did say no to her – once – a few years later.

They were on a plane ride to Edmonton where Andrews planned to make a case to the Premier for a university to be added to the college. “We were on this plane, and she was smoking her cigarettes. Kate was a great talker, and she talked almost the whole way up about this plan. Somewhere over Red Deer, she paused and I said ‘Kate, don’t you think we’re barking up the wrong tree?’”

Christou, who had been serving on the Senate of the newlyformed University of Calgary, knew the University Act would make Andrews’ plan to add a university to the college nearly impossible to achieve. Andrews was furious with him for not supporting her plan. But in the end, Christou’s assessment proved right, and the provincial government, led by Premier Manning, created two separate, distinct institutions in the city.

FOUNDERS & BUILDERS

Gilbert Paterson { Founder }

Gilbert Paterson was at the heart of the movement to establish a college in Lethbridge. He saw the community college as the great educational institution of the future.

“An institution as complex as a junior college, particularly the first public one in Alberta and under some 20

| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

James Twa definitions in Canada, one which would have to be developed over largely unchartered paths, can never be built by one man,” former Lethbridge College Communications instructor Georgia Fooks wrote in the 1978 History of the Lethbridge Community College. “But this one… began as the dream of a single man. Not only did he envision a college, but he helped bring it into reality.”

{ First Director of Vocational Education }

A great deal of credit for the broad course offerings at Lethbridge Junior College in its early days went to James Twa. When Twa was hired in 1962, he was expected to do everything that was going to be done in technical and vocational education at the college.

No one was sure what this would be.

“It was a real turning point in the history of the college and university,” says Christou. “It would have taken so long to change the University Act,” and if delayed, establishing a university in southern Alberta may never have happened.

“Both the college and university are better off for it – the city of Lethbridge is better for it,” says Christou of the events that unfolded on that smoky plane.

“When we first saw the stakes driven into the ground on the site of the present college, Dr. Andrews said to me, ‘Isn’t it thrilling?’”

“Kate was a very strong, very powerful woman,” says Christou.

“She was a great leader for the college.” And she never stopped advocating for the college. “When we first saw the stakes driven into the ground on the site of the present college, Dr. Andrews said to me, ‘Isn’t it thrilling?’” the college’s first dean, Jim Cousins, wrote after her death on Jan. 9, 1967, just nine days after the University of Lethbridge came into being. “It was – and as long as the institution stands, Kate Andrews’ contribution will be remembered.”

Or, as Jerome Robbins, the board chair who succeeded her, had placed under her photo in the college’s board room, “Without her this would not have been.”

Buck Cunningham The only thing they knew was that the federal government had announced funding for technical-vocational programs. Twa accepted the challenge, although he later said if he had truly understood the task, he would have said it was impossible.

Twa was praised for inventing and innovating as he helped build the vocational program.

{ “Godfather” of the college’s Environmental Sciences program }

Buck Cunningham built the college’s widely-respected Environmental Sciences program. Kerry Edwards (Renewable Resource Management 1983), a Conservation Enforcement/Natural Resource Compliance instructor, recalls meeting Cunningham when he first came

to campus as a student. “He interviewed every student who came in the door,” Edwards says. “He wanted to make sure the student was the right fit for the program. And he had hired an amazing staff. They were all well-educated and experts in their fields. He had a vision to have this be the best Environmental Sciences program in the country. He definitely laid the foundation for a very strong program.”

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

W. J.‘‘Jim’’ Cousins Lethbridge Community College Dean { 1957-1963 }

“There are people who dream and there are those who catch a vision and are able to breathe life into it.”

COLLEGE PRESIDENTS

22

Carl B. Johnson

Dr. Charles D. Stewart

Donald W. Anderson

{ Principal, 1963-1967 }

{ 1967-1975 }

{ 1976-1979 }

Carl Johnson led the school during the time that the University of Lethbridge came into being. While initially a time of turmoil, as founders had a vision of having both a university and a community college as part of the same institution, in the end, the splitting of the college and university ushered in a new era in educational opportunities that perhaps could never have existed within the old structure.

Dr. Charles Stewart was praised for his ability to galvanize people and for convincing them that the college was important, and he was known as a good financial manager who was not only able to eliminate the deficit the college had acquired in its early years but create a surplus without shortchanging the quality of education.

Donald Anderson came to Lethbridge after serving 38 years as Principal of the Kingston campus of the St. Lawrence College of Applied Arts and Technology. During his tenure, long-term institutional plans were developed, architectural reports were drawn up, and funding was in place for the trades and technologies wing, as well as the second phase of residences.

| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

T

“

here are people who dream and there are those who catch a vision and are able to breathe life into it. William James “Jim” Cousins, the first person to hold the position of chief executive officer at Lethbridge College, was one of the latter.”

So starts the history of Lethbridge College presidents written to celebrate the college’s 35th anniversary. Cousins, a Welsh-born history teacher at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, was the first person hired to work at the college – to teach history – and was later named the college’s first chief executive officer.

Cousins accepted the position with no release time for administration and no extra salary. In fact, since he was on the same salary grid as the other teachers and had less experience than some of them, he made less money than three of the teachers who worked for him. According to the college’s history, “The Board felt the honour of the position was sufficient payment for the job.”

“My work mostly was public accountability,” Cousins would later say. “I had to tell them what the college was about. I had to sound as if I knew a lot of things even if I didn’t. ‘We were the first that ever burst into that silent sea’ because we didn’t know where to start or what to do.”

G. Les Talbot { 1979-1990 }

Les Talbot’s leadership provided direction during an era of facility and educational expansion. During his time as president, the campus developed from a series of unrelated buildings into an attractive and unified campus, and the academic programs expanded to meet the needs of the community.

Dr. Donna J. Allan { 1990-2005 }

Dr. Donna Allan was the first woman to hold the position of President at Lethbridge College, and the second woman in the province of Alberta

“The Board felt the honour of the position was sufficient payment for the job.”

The Lethbridge Herald praised his appointment to the position: “The work of the chief executive officer of an established college or university is probably about 75 per cent administration and 25 per cent public relations – all of it, of course, within an academic framework. In a new institution, especially a community college, good public relations are probably even more essential.

“The personality of the chief officer, the enthusiasm he shows toward his task, and his ability to win the respect of the students, the loyalty of staff and board members, and the cooperation of the public will have a great deal to do with the success or failure of the college. For these reasons, we applaud the nomination of Mr. W.J. Cousins as acting dean of the new Lethbridge Junior College.”

to hold that position at technical institutes, universities and community colleges. She was a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, as she continued to further her formal education throughout her life and encouraged others to do the same.

Dr. Tracy L. Edwards { 2005-2012 }

Dr. Tracy Edwards left a legacy of advocacy and innovation after her seven years as president, an era which saw the college renamed and rebranded, the Cousins Building renovated, the environmentally-friendly Kodiak House opened, and community and industry support of the college expanded.

In addition, she helped lay the groundwork for the launch of the muchneeded new trades and technologies facility, which will open this fall.

Dr. Paula Burns { 2013-present }

Dr. Paula Burns is known as a collaborative leader who invests her commitment, passion and energy to advance education and to support and create a safe and respectful learning environment for all students and staff.

Like others who held the position, she is a lifelong learner and appreciates the many opportunities she has to interact with students, employees, industry partners and the community at large.

23

60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Buster Burke

{ Accounting faculty member, 1983 to 2001 }

“Buster Burke was one of my favourite teachers when I came through college,” says James Reimer (Business Administration 1990), Accounting and Business instructor. “After I graduated and started teaching some accounting classes part-time, Buster became my mentor. He did everything he could, literally, to help me be successful as an instructor. It was his influence that created the passion in me to become the business instructor I am today.”

Elio Girardi

{ Electronics Technician 1976, Audio-Visual coordinator, 1989 to 2016 }

“In my time as both a student and employee at Lethbridge College, I found Elio to be the most supportive person on campus,” says Ryan Robinson (Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism 2006), Audio-Visual technologist. “He was always willing to lend a helping hand even if it wasn’t his area of expertise.”

Joan Smith

{ Development officer, 1984 to 2006 }

“I had the privilege of working with Joan since I started at the college in 1989, and we worked on the wine festival and the dinner dance for years.

She has such a great personality, always was so elegant – with beautiful high heels – and has a laugh that is contagious,” says Betty Van der Lee, Food Services supervisor.

FACULTY AND STAFF (RETIRED)

D’Arcy Kavanagh

Communication Arts faculty member { 1984 to 2012 }

W

hen I retired in 2012, I decided to make it a complete break from the college. I’d move on to new experiences and leave the college behind. And I did. But the college, as it turned out, didn’t leave me.

On a daily basis as I run errands, play musical gigs, do book signings or walk my dog, I encounter former college students, ex-instructors and current staff. We exchange updates about our lives and swap tales about the college. We’re not family but it almost seems that way.

One day in particular shows how connected college people are. The 2016 Tour of Alberta bike race was in town and I went early to the Galt Gardens to explore the vendors’ tents and see the competitors before they raced.

I had barely arrived when former student Jessica DeCoste (Communication Arts – Advertising and Public Relations 2012), spotted me and sprinted over to say hello. We hugged, she asked about my latest book – she had bought the first two, I believe

24

| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

– and then she told me how much she loved her new job as a recruitment officer for the college. Then she jogged back to her table where she was promoting college programs. A few minutes later, I bumped into a former instructor and good friend, Ian Hepher. Later I encountered Fred Neale, another instructor and friend. Then I visited with a couple of other college grads. I went to the beer gardens. More familiar faces from the college.

My wife Lynda, (Communication Arts – Advertising and Public Relations 1988), a college grad and former Distinguished Alumna, joined me. It was like old home week.

Some people say our high school days create the strongest bonds. I think our college days have a more profound influence because that’s when students face fears and create futures, and when instructors and staff likely have the most memorable working experiences of their lives.

You can leave the college for sure. But the college definitely never leaves you.

Al Rudolph

{ Criminal Justice team leader, 1981 to 2004 }

“You always knew where you stood with Al; there was no misunderstanding or room for interpretation when it came to Al. He had a very gruff exterior but those of us lucky enough to see another side knew a very different person. He left a lasting impression in my life when he hired me, a young

30-something woman, to come and teach in the Correctional Studies program,” says Barb Mantello, chair of the School of Justice Studies.

Jim Manis

{ Multimedia Production faculty member, 1996 to 2015 }

“Jim Manis was a champion of students and their creative ability,” says former college instructor Leanne

Elias (Multimedia Production 1998), who now teaches at the University of Lethbridge. “As someone interested in linguistics, he approached every new programming environment as a challenge and would work tirelessly to help students troubleshoot and create stellar projects. As a colleague, he kept us laughing! Never one to take himself too seriously, he hid his outstanding intelligence behind a veneer of self-deprecation.”

“Some people say our high school days create the strongest bonds.

I think our college days have a more profound influence because that’s when students face fears and create futures, and when instructors and staff likely have the most memorable working experiences of their lives.”

Story by D’Arcy Kavanagh

25

60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Dave McMurray General Studies instructor; researcher/writer in the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation

At our brainstorming session for this special issue last year, employees, students and alumni suggested the names of nearly 60 current faculty and staff members (as well as many whole departments and teams).

The enthusiasm for the people who work at Lethbridge College is clear, and it was difficult to choose who to feature. In the end, we opted to celebrate the faculty and staff who were honoured at the annual college employee recognition event in February, although we know that whole issues of the magazine could be – and have been – devoted to the talented employees at the college.

Story by Dave McMurray

FACULTY AND STAFF (CURRENT)

Erin Howard

Erica Cormack

Linda Dalton

{ Curriculum and Instructional Design specialist }

{ School of Public Safety program administrator }

{ Admissions specialist }

Erica Cormack’s Lifelong Learning Award notes that she inspires others and demonstrates a passion and enthusiasm for lifelong learning.

“She has impressed me with her work, compassion, ethical behaviour, knowledge, managerial and person skills, and her commitment to lifelong learning. Her professional interest and belief in … lifelong learning make her an outstanding Competency-Based Education program manager.”

Linda Dalton’s Service and Innovation Award cites her efforts to make each applicant experience a positive one.

“Linda enjoys working with applicants and is excited to see them arrive on campus and eventually cross the stage at convocation.” She creatively creates accommodations for students who need unique support and streamlines the admissions process by learning details about each of the programs she supports.

Erin Howard was nominated for the Above and Beyond Award because of her knack for collaborating with work groups to look into a problem or issue being encountered, seeking further understanding in a thoughtful and respectful way, and introducing a potential solution that is brilliant. “When Erin talks, everyone listens! We listen because we appreciate her creativity, intelligence and courage in taking risks.”

Above and Beyond 2017

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| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

Lifelong Learning award 2017

Service and Innovation 2017

T

he sun’s not even up and I’m pedaling my bike towards the college. It’s early January and the air bites at the exposed skin on my face. I’m on my way to teach an 8 a.m. history class on Western Civilization and I couldn’t be happier.

Arriving at the college, I carry my bike up three flights of stairs to my office. I quickly unpack before heading to class. I love chatting with students while I get set up and I’m always amazed at the diversity of backgrounds, interests and experiences they bring. To actively engage with them about the past pushes me to keep learning, to keep asking questions.

After class, I walk to the food court to grab a coffee. On the way, I encounter Cardine and Ryan who make sure that the campus is kept running and in tip-top shape. We stop for a few minutes to chat and I usually end up laughing.

When I arrive at the food court, I’m greeted by Steph, Peg, Tisa and Jody, who are some of the hardest working people that I know. Not only do they serve hundreds in a day, but they do it with grace and efficiency. I walk away richer, having learned more about gardening or grandkids.

I’ll teach one more class of 60 before heading back to my office. When I arrived earlier in the day, no one was here,

Murray Bartley

{ Criminal Justice instructor }

Murray Bartley’s Leadership and Creating Community Award cites the appreciation others have for his philosophy that “everyone is a leader. Not only does he encourage his students and peers to adopt this mindset, he clearly demonstrates this during his interactions with others. Murray is a compassionate, loyal and trustworthy individual. He is not afraid to do what is right.”

Leadership and Creating Community award 2017

Wendy Weninger { Chair, School of Human Services }

Wendy Weninger, winner of a Leadership and Creating Community Award,

but now things are bustling. Jackie, Andy and the rest of the Educational Enhancement and Educational Technologies teams exude creativity, humour and passion. In my short time with them, I’ve been pushed to think outside of the box and today is no exception.

Later, I leave my office and walk down a floor to the Liberal Arts hallway. Between Brad, Marda, Shaylene and others, I’m drawn into deep conversations about history, politics, literature and religion. I need this.

As I ride home, I think about the day’s countless other conversations and encounters. For me, the college is a learning community and everyone who I met has given something of themselves to me. I hope that I’ve done the same.

Winner of the 2016 NISOD Excellence Award.

“For me, the college is a learning community and ever yone who I met has given something of themselves to me.”

was praised for being committed to creating community within her area.

“She is approachable, trustworthy and diligent. She has initiated activities that have brought people together, such as soup days. Wendy is technically very competent but of key importance, she cares. She cares about her programs, faculty, staff, students, industry partners and Lethbridge College.”

Leadership and Creating Community award 2017

Sherry Divins { Human Resource specialist }

Sherry Divins, who won an Above and Beyond Award, is described as always being warm, cheerful and knowledgeable, and was praised for taking the time to assist students in their learning by providing solutions when unpredictable

changes occur. “The excellent service Sherry provides is definitely a reflection of not only her personality but also her work environment. It is a pleasure working with Sherry!”

Above and Beyond 2017

Janet Yorke

{ Nursing 2004, Practical Nursing instructor, Centre for Health and Wellness }

Janet Yorke, who also won an Above and Beyond Award, is described as someone of great integrity who took a risk in accepting the temporary role of assistant dean because it was an opportunity to learn more about the centre and college in general. Her colleagues say she is innovative in her research and works collaboratively with college departments to better serve the students.

Above and Beyond 2017

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Knud Petersen & Alvin Tietz { Founders of Lethbridge College’s women’s soccer program }

In 1994, Knud Petersen and Al Tietz volunteered to establish the college’s first women’s soccer team with help from athletic director Tim Tollestrup.

They financed the program themselves the first few years with help from Ron Sakamoto, a friend and multiple Grammy winner. During its first year, the team was undefeated and finished the season as national champions.

Rachel McKenzie

Tim Tollestrup

{ Nursing 2017, women’s cross country and indoor track }

{ Long-time athletic director }

In 2017, Rachel McKenzie won gold at every cross country conference race she competed in, including provincials, and she finished her Kodiaks career with 12 provincial and national medals for her two sports. Her coaches call her a true champion and ambassador of Lethbridge College who excels in the classroom as well as on the race course or track.

KODIAKS

Charlton Weasel Head General Studies 1999 Community Leader Award 2017

“I would recommend any young athlete coming out of high school to go to college first.”

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Tim Tollestrup developed from local basketball playing legend (including a stint on the national team) to the Kodiaks men’s basketball coach to Director of Athletics. During his 20 years in that role, he turned the Kodiaks program into one of the ACAC’s best, winning CCAA national championships in basketball, soccer and cross country running.

Grady Taylor

Pierce Van Gaalen

{ Criminal Justice student, men’s basketball }

{ Engineering student, men’s basketball }

During the 2014-15 season, Grady Taylor made his way onto the Kodiaks’ roster, his first full campaign as a student athlete, and he did not disappoint. During the playoff run to the ACAC championship and the CCAA bronze medal, he was instrumental to the team’s success. He is a consistent shooter and the ACAC profiled him this spring, calling him the “Daddy of Dunk.”

Pierce Van Gaalen walked onto the men’s basketball team in the fall of 2013 and was a key part of talented teams that earned an ACAC bronze in 2014 and gold in 2015, as well as the CCAA bronze that same season. Van Gaalen’s coaches say he is a versatile athlete who can play multiple positions, is a great defender, and plays a consistent style that coaches look for.

W

hile he was still playing basketball for Kainai High School, coaches at a half dozen colleges tried to recruit Charlton Weasel Head to play for their teams, but the athlete chose to stay closer to home. “While I was here, Lethbridge College gave me the opportunity to be a positive ambassador for athletics and for First Nations students,” Weasel Head said. “My community and the surrounding area could come and see me play, and having their support was huge for me.”

Weasel Head says he could not have done it any other way. “Starting at Lethbridge College gave me the chance to build more values in my life, to have more chances to improve teamwork, to understand who I was, to communicate and show respect. I would recommend any young athlete coming out of high school to go to college first.”

For his work as a role model who continually finds ways to better his community, Weasel Head, who is currently the acting principal at Kainai High School on the Blood Reserve as well as athletic director and coach of the Kainai Warriors basketball team, has received this year’s Lethbridge College Community Leader Award.

During his three years at the college, Weasel Head was well-known for his prowess on the basketball court, including being named a three-time ACAC all-star and earning allCanadian honours in 1998. He also had an all-star career during two seasons at Brandon University and was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. After earning his diploma, Weasel Head went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree from Brandon University and his Bachelor and Master of Education degrees from the University of Lethbridge.

The 2016-17 women’s basketball team made its own history by finishing with a remarkable 27-0 record and a national championship.

Read more about their accomplishments on pages 6 and 7.

“Charlton’s success in college and university basketball has inspired many youth from our community to complete their high school studies,” wrote Annette Bruised Head (Renewable Research Management 1998), acting deputy superintendent of the Kainai Board of Education. “In his role of teacher, Charlton’s journey of triumph has been a great source of pride for the Kainai community as a whole.”

Weasel Head’s family has many connections to the college.

His wife, Stacey, graduated from the college’s Business Administration program and is currently taking continuing education classes in accounting. Several of their children have been students here, and one more will be starting this fall.

“I love what I do as an educator and supporting students, but time with my family is the priority.”

“Family is extremely important to me,” he said. “I love what I do as an educator and supporting students, but time with my family is the priority. My parents attended residential schools, I went to a residential school for two years,” he added, and providing the support to help heal some of the intergenerational effects of residential schools is a priority. “If not for family, there’s no way I or my kids would be able to do what we do. Family supports us as we work to accomplish our goals. They help us stay grounded and humble and continue down that path of education.”

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Wayne Anderson

First class of Lethbridge Junior College “We were the first basketball team – me and Jim Giacchetta and Leslie Lavkulich and Fiori D’Andrea – we played teams all around the south.”

GREAT GRADS 1957-58

Fiori D’Andrea Fiori D’Andrea was the first president of the students’ union at Lethbridge Junior College. Student union fees were nominal – just $2 a year – but activities were abundant and included a student newspaper called The Torch. Although D’Andrea planned to study medicine, he ended up earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Film and Television 30

| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

Production from Montana State College and a Master of Arts in Education from San Jose State University. From 1971 to 1987 he brought his knowledge and skills home to work at Lethbridge College.

Elizabeth Day

Elizabeth Day was the valedictorian of the first graduating class. At the ceremony, she said: “We want to thank

those who worked so hard to bring the junior college into being, and for planning such a fine school… Some day we shall be doctors, school teachers, optometrists, engineers, economists, dental secretaries, diesel engineers and experts in the field of commerce.

Wherever we came from, whatever we are, and whatever we shall do in the future, we shall always be proud to say we attended the first year of the Lethbridge Junior College.”

W

ayne Anderson recalls his Lethbridge Junior College student ID number as easily now as he did nearly 60 years ago.

The number – 570001 – reflects the year he started and the fact that as his last name came early in the alphabet, he was the first student listed on the official rolls.

Like many students in the first class to attend Lethbridge College, Anderson came to the new school with plans of becoming a teacher and the support of his local school district.

“My family didn’t have a lot of money, and the bursary helped pay for the tuition,” he says. “I originally wanted to be a phys ed teacher. I had played on the basketball team in high school and loved it.”

Anderson ended up playing on the first college basketball team as well – which was a highlight of his year at the thenjunior college.

“It was, to me, a good starting point,” he says. “I ended up having a good time and playing basketball with the fellas. We were the first basketball team – me and Jim Giacchetta and Leslie Lavkulich and Fiori D’Andrea – we played teams all around the south.”

Anderson admits that despite the good times, in the end he “blew things” at the college. Instead of continuing his studies, he went to work in the soil sciences and came back to the college in 1966 to continue and eventually completed his education. By the time he finished, the college and university had split and he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Science and Geography degree from the new University of Lethbridge.

Jim Giacchetta Jim Giacchetta was the only student who came to the college during the first year to take a vocational course; he was enrolled in automotives. Even though he took Automotives 20, 30 and 40, the college was not able to certify him. College founder Gilbert Paterson had assumed that if the college wanted to offer a course and if there were people to teach it and take it, it could be done. However, the Apprenticeship

“...he ended up designating myself and two other students to develop a coat of arms for the college. He ended up choosing my design.”

“My mother was quite disappointed when I didn’t make that first year at the college,” Anderson says. “I wanted to complete it and go back and make amends for what I had blown.”

He went on to a successful career working at the research station until he retired. Anderson says he remains grateful to his wife, Rita, who helped him through some challenging times over the years, and he was pleased when both of his daughters, Carolyn and Taunya, attended Lethbridge College. Today he works with the Commissionaires in Lethbridge.

Anderson fondly remembers his year at the college, including interactions with the Dean of the college, Jim Cousins. “Dean Cousins was great,” Anderson said. “He was really interested in the students, and he ended up designating myself and two other students to develop a coat of arms for the college. He ended up choosing my design” and it could be found on doors and documents for years.

Anderson says if he had to give advice to students starting college 60 years after he did, it would be simple. “Don’t do it my way!” he says with a laugh. “That’s the tough way.

Perseverance was the main driving force in my case.”

Board had firm control in the province and was reluctant to certify students in new programs. It wasn’t until the college moved to its permanent campus in 1962 that the vocational program started to grow.

Dr. L. M. (Leslie) Lavkulich

Leslie Lavkulich was the first graduate from Lethbridge College to receive a PhD. He had attended McNally School, came to the college and went

on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Alberta, a Master’s degree and finally a doctoral degree from Cornell University in New York. At the college’s 10 year anniversary, he was working as a professor of soil science at the University of British Columbia and was invited back to speak at convocation.

He told the 300 students and guests that they were “celebrating the 10th anniversary of a dream come true.”

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Scott Barton Recreation Management Administration 1985 Lethbridge College Career Virtuoso Award 2017

“One of Scott Barton’s great gifts is that of mentorship, and he does it in a humble and unassuming way.”

S

cott Barton is the kind of mentor who is happy to share his knowledge and experience with his team.

“One of Scott Barton’s great gifts is that of mentorship, and he does it in a humble and unassuming way,” wrote Kurtis Pratt, director of legislative services for the Town of Raymond in his letter nominating Barton for this year’s alumni awards.

“All who have had the pleasure of associating with him would attest to the wealth of knowledge that he freely shares to help others find success in providing the best support to local government officials and in turn, their citizens.”

For the past 24 years, Barton has served as chief administrative officer for the Town of Raymond and has also added the same job title for the Improvement District #4 Waterton Lakes National Park. After receiving his Lethbridge College diploma, Barton went on to earn his certificate in Local Government in Municipal Administration from the University of Alberta and his Master’s of Business Administration from Athabasca University.

An advocate for regional administrative cooperation in southern Alberta, Barton has contributed to the formation of policy and legislation at the local, provincial and federal levels.

His excellence in his field has been recognized repeatedly as he has received the Alberta Centennial Medal, the 30 Year Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Governor General of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

GREAT GRADS 1958-86

Barbara Duckworth { Journalism 1974 }

Barbara Duckworth has been working for newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia ever since she graduated from the college. “I moved to Calgary in 1976 and worked for a community weekly, for communications at the University of Calgary and later for beef magazines.

I have been an agricultural journalist 32

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since 1977 and joined the Western Producer in 1988. I eventually became the national correspondent in charge of livestock reporting. The Western Producer gig has taken me across North America, Australia and Europe covering all aspects of the livestock trade. Most recently I received an award with the International Association of Farm Journalists for a series about farming practices in the Netherlands. This

summer I am heading to the British Isles on a fact-finding tour about the impacts of BREXIT and agriculture trade.”

Karla Guyn

{ Renewable Resource Management 1986, Distinguished Alumnus 2006 }

Karla Guyn was recently named the CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada, the first woman to hold the position in the

While he has had the opportunity to move and expand his career, Barton remains committed to Raymond, helping to grow the community and its amenities through a variety of infrastructure and development projects. He is also devoted to mentoring the next generation, working with the Province of Alberta’s Municipal Internship program and maintaining close ties with the college where he has twice worked as an instructor in a variety of programs.

“He sees potential in others that isn’t always evident to themselves and then fosters that potential in an environment where it might be realized.”

“Scott has had a profound impact on my life and career like very few others have,” wrote Ethan Gorner, Raymond’s director of planning and development. “He sees potential in others that isn’t always evident to themselves and then fosters that potential in an environment where it might be realized. …Scott mentored and taught me everything about municipal administration. …He would often say that in spite of the various rules, policies and programs, which all have their important place, that the most important thing to remember is that it’s all about the people – the folks we serve every day.”

organization’s nearly 80-year history.

Earlier this year, she wrote for the organization: “I was one of those lucky kids who knew what they wanted to do from a very young age. I knew I wanted to be a biologist my entire life, and I never deviated from that.

Wildlife, conservation and the outdoors had captured my imagination. …[A]s I assume the role of CEO, I accept it with great humility and responsibility. For 78 years Ducks Unlimited Canada has

sent a message to the world that we are an organization that leads by example.

That provides solutions. That marches steadily forward… We have what it takes, and I couldn’t be more proud to help uphold this legacy.”

Barry Jewett { Nursing 1974 }

Barry told the Alumni office “I started nursing in renal dialysis, did some

ICU/CCU, some general nursing, but the most challenging and rewarding was the 31 years spent in emergency. I did a lot of preceptoring of nursing students, paramedics and EMTs and worked as an army medic before being deployed to Afghanistan. Now I have been retired for the past four years. I have never regretted the time at Lethbridge or the Nursing program.”

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Shelly Hall { Communication Arts – Advertising/Public Relations 1993 }

Shelly Hall has worked in Communications in Edmonton since graduation. She has worked in both the private and non-profit sectors, everywhere from the world’s largest mall to North America’s largest Fringe Festival. Shelly made the decision to leave corporate marketing in 2006 when she accepted a marketing and

event coordinator contract with the Old Strathcona Foundation. While working on Whyte Avenue, Hall discovered a local microbrewery. Within a short few weeks of discovering Amber’s Brewing company, Hall had another marketing and events contract and her love affair with craft beer began. Her journey in craft beer continues with the Yukon Brewing Company, and in 2016, she started Stilettos ‘N Beer, a craft beer consultation and event specialist company.

Lowa Beebe { Information Specialist (Administrative Assistant) 1996 }

Lowa Beebe is from the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta. She currently works as the public relations liaison with Assembly of First Nations, Alberta Regional Office, and handles all the PR for the Alberta Regional Chief Craig Mackinaw. She had previously worked as the finance operations manager

GREAT GRADS 1987-06

Miles Grove

Renewable Resource Management 1989 and Conservation Enforcement 1990 Lethbridge College Distinguished Alumnus 2017

M

iles Grove has accomplished a great deal during his decadeslong career in conservation enforcement – rising through the ranks to his current position as superintendent of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement branch within the Ministry of Justice for Alberta.

But Grove never forgot where it all started, and he has continued to give back to Lethbridge College and its students in countless ways over the years. For his professional success and for serving as a mentor for youth considering this career path as an outstanding ambassador of the college, he was named this year’s Distinguished Alumnus.

“Always willing to share his experience with our students, Miles has provided insight into the profession,” wrote Terry Kowalchuk in his letter nominating Grove for an alumni award.

“He has also worked closely with college faculty to ensure effective linkages are in place between our programs and officer recruit training. His commitment to our students and programs is tremendously appreciated.”

After leaving the college, Grove began his career as a Fish and Wildlife officer in 1991. Among his many career 34

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accomplishments is helping to develop and then serving as steering committee chair for the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy, which is the recruit training program for all new resource law enforcement officers in western Canada and is the first of its kind across the country.

Now living in Edmonton, Grove has maintained close ties to the college, including chairing the Conservation Enforcement Advisory Council, working with faculty to ensure effective connections are in place between the curriculum being offered at the college and the officer recruit training program, and participating in Open Houses, as he actively advocates for the college and the School of Environmental Sciences.

“Miles is a strong proponent of the value that education plays in a student’s career path,” says Kerry Edwards (Renewable Resource Management 1983), an Environmental Assessment and Restoration instructor, in his letter of support.

“He always has the best interest of the student in mind and continually goes above and beyond to promote the Lethbridge College experience.”

for Eagle Law Group, a First Nations owned law firm. Beebe is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and writer on topics ranging from social media to spirituality to indigenous issues, including the inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women. She says her Blackfoot heritage taught her early in her life that volunteering is not chosen; it is a way of life.

Laurie Hockridge { Recreation Management 1996 }

Laurie Ann Hockridge was one of the most dominant post players in ACAC women’s basketball history during her Lethbridge College playing career.

Standing an imposing 6’7”, Hockridge led the ACAC in scoring during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons, earning her ACAC first team all-star selection in

both years as well as CCAA All-Canadian status in 1988-89. She was the CCAA National Championships MVP in both the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons as she led the Kodiaks to consecutive CCAA National Championship titles. Hockridge established many ACAC records during her career, including the single season shooting percentage mark, which still stands today, and the single season scoring record, which has since been eclipsed.

“Miles is a strong proponent of the value that education plays in a student’s career path.

He always has the best interest of the student in mind and continually goes above and beyond to promote the Lethbridge College experience.”

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Mary Majoni Nursing Education in Southern Alberta (NESA) 2016

W

hen Mary Majoni got a summer job in 2015 working at a large correctional facility, she initially wondered what in the world she had said yes to, and she didn’t think she could do the job.

“I never thought about how nurses must be there to provide care in correctional facilities, and I quickly learned a jail is really a jail,” says Majoni, who came to the college from Toronto for the nursing program. “At first I thought, how could someone do something like this and expect

“The best part of my work is just being able to help patients out.”

someone else to be nice to them? But in the first few weeks, I would tell myself, I said ‘Mary, you provide health care services. That’s all you do. You are not there to judge a person.’ Once you get to a point where you know how to separate your job and not be judgmental, you don’t have any issues providing care.”

Majoni returned to work full time at the correctional facility after graduation, and she has been loving the challenge and satisfaction of the work ever since.

“The best part of my work is just being able to help patients out,” she says. “At times you might get a patient who might be going through some stuff. I can listen, tell them it’s OK, let them know if they need someone to talk to, we can call someone to talk to. If there is anything I can do in my power – if there are people who are wanting to kill

GREAT GRADS 2007-16

Jessica Walker { Early Childhood Education 2012 }

Jessica Walker received a provincial award for her passionate and dedicated approach to the care and development of children in December. She was one of three individuals from a field of 31 to receive the award. Walker operates a day home in Cochrane and received the Child Development Professional Award of Excellence. “Seeing a child accomplish a goal they were working so hard to 36

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achieve brings me so much joy, the child’s face lights up and their excitement and enthusiasm is contagious, I cannot get enough of that feeling,” she said in an article in the Cochrane Eagle.

Zach Palmarin

{ Business Administration 2012 }

Zach Palmarin opened Tranquility Float Centre, Lethbridge’s first flotation therapy business, in March. He created the centre with a vision to bring more peace and

balance to others, and to aid people in their journey to be stronger and happier.

“Floating is a very simple yet powerful practice for healing the mind, body and spirit,” he says. “The float tanks are filled with 1,100 pounds of Epsom salt, and the water is heated to skin temperature. The tanks are sound-proof and light-proof, making for little-to-no external sensory input. This unique environment allows for deep relaxation and can have tremendous benefits,” including stress and pain relief, improved athletic performance and more.

themselves – and I can get to a person first, I go home feeling like I totally saved a life today.”

Her day-to-day work involves distributing medications and working in the infirmary, dealing with patients who are injured or ill, and also those dealing with pregnancy, mental health issues, addiction or overdose.

Majoni adds that the NESA program, which involves students taking their first two years at Lethbridge College and their second two years at the University of Lethbridge, provided a great foundation for her career.

“When I started, it was so difficult and I wanted to drop out,” she says. “Everyone says nursing is so tough, and it is. But really, once you start, the support you get from the different instructors and the people you meet is really amazing.”

Jennifer Cearns { Cook Apprenticeship 2016)

The Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board named Jennifer Cearns the 2016 Top Cooks Apprentice. “In addition to working full-time and taking care of her young family, Jennifer was a student in the Weekly Apprentice Training for Cooks program at the college,” says her instructor, Chef Rob Sonnenberg. “Jennifer was extremely hard-working. She would come to the college two hours before her class started to study (often

encouraging others in the course to join her). She was driven to understand the science behind cooking and always wanted to know all the answers.” Cearns works for the Good Samaritans Society at Linden View in Taber.

Emily Ritchie { Agriculture Technology – Animal Science 2015 }

Emily Ritchie won the inaugural Young Speakers for Agriculture Contest at the 2016 Calgary Stampede and was

asked to speak at the Royal Winter Fair in November in Toronto about the successes and struggles facing those in the agriculture industry. “I spoke on what the next generation of farmers and ranchers brings to the table in agriculture,” she said in an article in Western Wheel. “I spoke about the enthusiasm and the passion that I see in young producers right now – just seeing the different challenges we are up against.” Ritchie works for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association as the youth leadership co-ordinator in Calgary.

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60 PEOPLE • 60 YEARS

Tiana Weasel Moccasin

First year, Early Childhood Education “I want to show them that I care and how far I’ll go to show them that I value our culture and histor y.”

SOON-TO-BE-GRADS

38

Mallory Kristjanson

Sarah Phillips

Justine Schmidt

{ General Studies 2017 }

{ Business Administration 2017 }

{ Child and Youth Care 2017 }

Mallory Kristjanson is a single mother who earned academic honours while working as a part-time paid employee and completing extra research work for the Citizens Society Research Lab. She also conducted research on FNMI issues for the college’s Institutional Planning and Reporting team.

Sarah Phillips spent a number of years working before deciding to come to the college and left a good job with growing responsibility to open doors for her future. Her instructors appreciated that she often shares her experiences in class for the benefit of all.

Justine Schmidt overcame many challenges before finding the CYC program. She says she appreciated that her instructors genuinely care about students as individuals, and that her classmates were like-minded, compassionate people who want to make a difference.

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F

or one week in March, Tiana Weasel Moccasin got a glimpse of what her future may hold – on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Weasel Moccasin was joined by 337 other young women between the ages of 18 and 23 from coast to coast to coast to represent her federal riding and communicate her vision for Canada at a historic national initiative called Daughters of the Vote.

The initiative was organized by Equal Voice, a national, bilingual, multi-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office in Canada. The event overlapped with International Women’s Day (March 8) and was designed to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s formal political engagement in 2016 along with Canada’s 150th birthday this year.

Weasel Moccasin is a Kainai High School graduate, powwow dancer and was the 2016 Miss Blackfoot Canada. She says she was thrilled at the opportunities she had in Ottawa, including talking about the three issues she discussed in her application – the fentanyl crisis on First Nations reserves, the need for expanded FNMI education in all schools, and missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

“We got the chance to speak with female leaders from the House of Commons, talk about your three main issues, learn how to run for office, find your courage, learn about indigenous rights and so much more,” she says.

The young women also learned about Canada’s political

Nina Knight { Health Care Aide 2017 }

Nina Knight was a mature student and juggled school and parenting with grace. Her instructors said her drive, personality and passion for the course put her at the top of the class.

Amy Russell

{ Ecosystems Management Bachelor of Applied Science 2017 }

After earning a BSc in Biology, Amy Russell came to the college to enhance

institutions and those women and men serving in them, with the goal of becoming equipped and inspired to participate in the formal political sphere in the years and decades to come.

“I really wanted to show my people that I care and that I want the issues to be heard and their voices to be heard,” says Weasel Moccasin. “I want to show them that I care and how far I’ll go to show them that I value our culture and history.”

Weasel Moccasin speaks passionately about the fentanyl crisis and the need to advocate for effective support systems to help children and youth in unstable environments. “There are children who are orphans now because of this drug,” she says.

“Families have been torn apart because of it.”

She also advocates for the expansion of teaching Aboriginal history in all Canadian schools. “I feel it’s important for Aboriginal history to be recognized,” she says. “I don’t want people who are a minority to feel they don’t have a voice.”

The issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women is the final topic she would like to see addressed. “This is something we face on a daily basis,” she says. “I worry for families who aren’t able to find their loved one out there, and I want to help address this.”

“I don’t want people who are a minority to feel they don’t have a voice.”

her hands-on skills with this new applied degree program. She developed her senior project from a college NSERC-funded grant on the aquatic impacts of the EnviroSpan Modular Culvert system.

Danielle Crawford

{ Ecosystems Management Bachelor of Applied Science 2017 }

Danielle Crawford is one of the first two graduates of the Environmental Management and Restoration stream of this new program. She came to the college as a mature student and earned

her Environmental Assessment and Restoration diploma in 2015.

Aurora Eggert

{ Agriculture Science 2017 }

Francoise Fabre { Culinary Careers 2017 }

Aurora Eggert is the first recipient of the Meszaros International Scholarship and took an extra semester so she could go through Convocation with her mom, Francoise Fabre, who came to the college from France to enrol in the Culinary program.

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

Sixty spectacular, sentimental and significant spots on campus

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We all have them – favourite places where we live, work and study. They might not be the best known or have the most famous views and vistas, but they have meaning to us.

They are the spots we think of when someone mentions a place – and Lethbridge College is brimming with them. { Lethbridge College at 60 }

In preparation for the college’s 60

anniversary, Wider Horizons asked students, alumni and staff to let us know the places on campus that meant the most to them. We know creating a definitive list of the 60 best Lethbridge College places is an impossible task, so consider this article as a start, and let us know the places that say “Lethbridge College” to you. Share your story on social media using the hashtag #lc1957, or send us an email at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

And so without further delay, starting with the first building constructed on campus and moving through time and space, Wider Horizons is proud to present our (very unscientific and completely, unabashedly enthusiastically-gathered) list of the 60 best Lethbridge College places. th

Stories by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rod Leland, Gregory Thiessen, Rob Olson, college archives and submitted

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

{ Andrews Building 1962 }

1

1

The courtroom

This classroom, which lies at the end of the winding walk through the Andrews’ wing, contains a realistic looking courtroom complete with wood panelled walls, a leather-lined judge’s bench, a witness stand, a well-worn Bible and leather-lined tables and podiums for the prosecutor and defence.

For students in the college’s Criminal Justice program, this is the setting of one of their most memorable learning experiences: the scenario-based training that gives students a sense of what real-world policing is like. The classroom, which is furnished with discarded furnishings from a Calgary courthouse, allows students to experience the roles of lawyer, accused, witness and police officer.

2 The pin collection from police

departments in the Andrews wing

3 The Garden Court restaurant

(and view)

4 The food court and the great

people who work there

5 The FNMI student lounge One of the ways the college connects to its proud Blackfoot culture is by providing a space in the heart of campus for students from all backgrounds to come together to socialize, study and find support in their student life. { Cousins Building 1967 }

6 The Hubbard Collection 7 The Fish Bowl 8 Underground tunnels

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The Hubbard Collection The Hubbard Collection, located on the first floor of the Cousins Building, contains one of Canada’s largest collections of full-body taxidermy mammals, and wildlife biologist and instructor Shane Roersma is one of the best people on campus to show you around. The collection of more than 100 specimens – grizzly, cougar, bison, bobcat, pronghorn, mountain goat, deer, wolf, black bear, badger, silver fox, lynx, several birds of prey and more – was a gift from the family of Alf Hubbard to the college in 2007. The unique collection is available for public viewing and also can be experienced online at lcvirtualwildlife.ca.

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9 { Paterson Building 1970 }

9 Watching daycare kids playing from the office windows 10 The Bookstore

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The Lethbridge College Bookstore ordered more than 32,000 textbooks for students and scanned 81,840 items through its registers last year. In addition, in that same period, the bookstore sold 7,722 pieces of clothing and 17,663 snacks and treats to students, staff, visitors and friends of the college.

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

{ The D.A. Electric Barn 1975 }

11 Everything

about the Barn

The D.A. Electric Barn was originally known as the Round-Up Room and was one of the first buildings constructed for part of a planned destination dude ranch located in the south end of Lethbridge. While the dude ranch never materialized, the Round-Up Room was an active social space in the city. Newspaper accounts list the Round-Up Room as the site of Lethbridge’s first rock-and-roll concert, where more than 2,000 people clapped, whistled and danced on June 23, 1956, as “Bill Haley and His Comets” played “Rock Around the Clock” and other favourites.

The building was also used for roller skating in the 1950s and 1960s. It was later converted into a much-loved student and staff hangout, and it is currently home to students in the electrical and wind turbine programs and their equipment while the new trades and technologies facility is under construction.

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{ Cullen 1977 }

12 The view from the Cullen residences { Trades 1981 }

13 Criminal Justice labs

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14 The carpentry classrooms in the trades building are some of the

best smelling places on campus { Technologies 1983 }

15 Third floor of the tech wing

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– a favourite of Chelsey Voeller and Aaron Haugen

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“Up here there are big tall windows in every room providing a heartwarming view of the rest of campus and into the coulees.

That’s not all! Not only do you get a scenic view, but it’s the Technology Wing! There are loads of high-end computers with limitless design and editing software, virtual reality headsets, a green screen studio, the CRLC The Kodiak Radio room, the Endeavour lab and it’s where a lot of the tech-people hang out including the A/V guys and the Educational Enhancement Team.

Plus, the creative minds on the third floor always have friendly faces and are happy to share their space and knowledge. ” { Chelsey Voeller, Multimedia Production 2011 }

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16 All of the glass on the Technologies building 17 The hands-on labs (SPHERE, etc) { Centre Core 1985 }

18 The Den

“Those old, well-worn leather couches are perfect for a coffee and to put your feet up – and the tables are great for sharing lunches with colleagues.” { Rika Snip }

19 Walking under the flags in Centre Core

Students, staff and visitors to campus can see these flags fluttering in Centre Core, representing the incredibly diverse backgrounds of Lethbridge College students. Students from 39 countries around the world are enrolled in classes at the college this year.

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

The Miner in Centre Core The statue, which was created by Cornelius Martens in recognition of the city of Lethbridge’s 1985 centennial, keeps watch over Centre Core and the thousands of students, staff and visitors who pass it daily during the school year. 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.”

20 21 The Boardroom

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| 60 TH ANNIVERSARY

22 Games in the Cave

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23 Talking in the Tim’s line 24 Buchanan Library

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25 The Scholarships and Awards desk “It was a huge overwhelming moment as I learned that I won the Meszaros International Scholarship. So the first place I went to when I arrived at the college was the Student Awards office of Linda Sprinkle.

Linda made me feel very welcomed and did support me throughout my four semesters. Together we met with Steve Meszaros and talked about my future dreams and plans to stay here in Canada. I am very grateful to have met Linda, her colleagues and Lesley Wood. The money I won made it way easier for me to finance my international student loans and the people I met because of that scholarship were so enriching for my life!” { Aurora Eggert }

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26 The Learning Café “Perhaps I’m a bit biased (since it’s been my ‘place’ at the college for the last 27+ years), but the Learning Café is truly one of my favourite spots on campus. Its beautiful wide-open spaces, bright natural light, and spectacular mountain views make it an excellent place to be, and the beauty of the physical space gets even better when students and staff from all walks of life fill the space with their energy and enthusiasm for learning! I love seeing people learning and growing alongside one another each and every day.” { Lynda Duval, Engineering Design and Drafting 1986 }

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27 The front office desk of the LCSA office “Fav spot on campus is @LC_SA office front reception desk. So many great times leaning on it bugging Angela!” { Dillon Hargreaves, Business Administration 2013 }

28 The windows of the Buchanan Library

“ I e njoy mar ki n g in fron t o f a window. I fou n d a sweet (a nd co mfort ab le) s p ot i n t h e Buchan an Lib rar y wi th a coule e vi ew! It wi l l b e eve n be tter on c e th e n ew t ra de s a n d tec h n ologi es fa cility is c omp l et e.” { Martina Emard, Communication Arts - Print Journalism 1993 }

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

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29 The Health Centre – just the place to go when you need to feel better 30 The nice people in Testing Services { Val Matteotti Gymnasium and PE Building 1990 }

31 Bear at the entrance of the PE Building 32 Sunshine coming in windows of the fitness studio on the second floor 33 A FULL Val Matteotti Gymnasium for a Kodiaks game 34 Panoramic view from top of Val Matteotti Gymnasium looking south

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{ 30th Avenue Residences 2001 }

35 The Residence Activity Centre and its great fireplace { Instructional Building 2002 }

36 Walking by the vines on the Instructional Building (IB) 37 IB (glass) 38 IB Commons/hangout for Bus Admin students

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{ Kodiak House 2010 }

39 Panoramic view from top of Kodiak House lounge { First phase of new trades and technologies building 2015 }

40 The heavy equipment area with the shiny machines

and the Big Ass fans

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41 The main electrical room in the new trades and technologies facility* “Just noticed the call for people’s favourite places on campus – one of mine is the main electrical room in the new building. The view is awesome and looks out to the coulee. Perfect spot to take a quiet break and enjoy the prairie view….if only I could get there without the help of Francis Rankin!” { Lesley Wood } *Read more about the grads who work in this room on p. 52

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

42 { Second phase of new trades and technologies building 2017 }

42 All the great wood used in the new building 43 Sunny entrance of new building/building under construction

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{ College grounds }

44 Owls outside of Cousins

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45 Tennis courts – and the wildlife that comes out to watch

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46 The front entrance 47 The water fountain at the entrance 48 The new soccer fields 49 The wind turbine training tower

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50 The grass part of the courtyard between the two Andrews wings

—outside of the cafeteria patio. That’s where the bunnies are.

51 TRX bar

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“The fountain when the water is running. I love having lunch sitting on the ledge, listening to the water.� { Rika Snip }

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60 PLACES • 60 YEARS

Bhutanese garden/LCSA collaboration On the south end of campus, with an inspiring view of the coulees on one side and the gently sloping roof of the new trades and technologies facility on the other, lies the Lethbridge College Students’ Association Community Garden. For the last three years, the garden has been tended by some of the 70 or so volunteers involved with the Lethbridge Bhutanese Seniors group.

This past fall, volunteers came to the annual Harvest Celebration to work the prairie soil and harvest hundreds of pounds of potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and more, most of which they then donated to local food banks, including the LCSA Food Bank.

“They were farmers in Bhutan,” interpreter Gita Mishra said as Mon Maya Khati spoke. “The energy is there to enjoy the farming. They received a lot of donations from different agencies when they first came to Lethbridge and they wanted to give back.” Lethbridge is home to the largest Bhutanese community in Canada, numbering more than 1,300.

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53 WIllow trees

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54 Fall colors

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55 Back courtyard

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56 Proximity to coulees

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57 The tipi in front of the college for NSO and FNMI Days 58 The shale path “I walk on my lunch hour on the shale path that runs from the old residences atop the coulee behind the new trades building. It is so beautiful.” { Donna Linn, Computer Information Technology 1999 }

59 The obstacle course

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“Over the last few years, I’ve developed a passion for obstacle course racing, so my favourite place on campus is the police training obstacle course behind the college. What better way to train for an obstacle course race than on an actual obstacle course? The fact that it’s outdoors with beautiful coulee and mountain views makes it that much better.” { Cam Reimer }

60 The coulee trail

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“The coulee trail is the best place by far.

It is peaceful, beautiful and the best way to stretch my legs and incorporate a little exercise into my workday.” { Jennifer Davis }

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60 YEARS • THANK YOU

THANK YOU They are small words, but they need to be said.

Thanks to all who saw the need for a post-secondary educational option in southern Alberta more than 60 years ago and who worked to make that dream a reality.

Thanks to all who have supported Lethbridge College in a variety of ways these past six decades and who helped shape and share the institution’s story.

Thanks to those who are dedicated to the college today and committed to its success in the decades to come. We are counting on you to help us continue carrying on our proud vision of leading and transforming education in Alberta.

We hope this anniversary year has offered you the opportunity to reflect on your own connections to the college, and that you’ve enjoyed the memories and stories that have been shared. And, as we tell students each year at Convocation, don’t forget to come back to campus from time to time. Whether it’s to check out the new Founders’ Square, to catch a Kodiaks game, or to say hello to a friend or former instructor or colleague, we always love seeing you.

Thank you.

1 957 – 2 0 17 THE IDEAS THE PEOPLE THE PLACES

{ S P E C I A L 6 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y E D I T I O N }

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