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Fall 2011

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WILDLIFE CSI FINDING THE CULPRITS

Xeriscaping Update – 10 • A Gift & A Memory – 16 • Connecting the Dots – 30

A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

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President’s message At Lethbridge College, you could say that we are our own self-contained small city. If we count credit and non-credit students, faculty and staff, our little metropolis exceeds 15,000 people. . . to give you a sense of size, we’re pretty much twice as big as Taber!

We are not, however, an insular constituency. Although we removed “community” from our name a number of years ago, I can attest that we are probably more active than ever in building bridges and creating partnerships with our local stakeholders. We all reap the benefits of working together to help our vibrant economy continue to grow and evolve.

And the reach of Lethbridge College is well beyond southern Alberta. You will find our alumni throughout the province and across Canada; we have grads all around the world making significant contributions in many different fields of study.

This issue of Wider Horizons has a number of stories about our contributions to various communities. Instructor Vicki Charge is a respected member of the National Fashion Board.

Our Environmental Science faculty hosted the first Canadian conference on forensics for North American conservation enforcement officers. We are proud of the accomplishments

of alumna Billy Jo Woitte (Early Childhood Education ‘99), a local First Nations, Métis and Inuit educator. There are just so many great stories we could tell about community contributions of our faculty, staff, students and alumni!

My grandmother used to say, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

As our people give to multiple communities, our contributions are recognized in many wonderful ways.

As you’ll read in this edition, the Lethbridge Auto Dealers Associations (LADA) pledged $1 million in support of the new Trades and Technology Renewal and Innovation Project so we can continue to use a state-of-the-art facility to train the technicians they hire.

The Lethbridge Regional Police Service (LRPS) is a valued member of our Centre for the Advancement of Community Justice (CACJ); Lethbridge College’s partnership with CACJ offers recruit training to LRPS, Medicine Hat and Taber police departments, supporting law enforcement needs in southern Alberta.

Chief Tom McKenzie (Criminal Justice ‘76) is a Distinguished Alumnus of Lethbridge College and one of our finest cheerleaders. Under his leadership, LRPS donated over $6,600 in support of Kodiak House, our newest student residence.

The people of Lethbridge College understand service to community. . . locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. We give without expectation of return and are honoured when our partners recognize us and show appreciation for our contributions.

Community is about collaboration . . . we all benefit through win-win partnerships and working together.

Dr. Tracy L. Edwards Lethbridge College President & CEO

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What’s inside Vol. 5, No. 1, Fall 2011

8 Bear Q&A Through a series of events, Lethbridge College receives another wildlife mount.

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Lethbridge Auto Dealers A substantial commitment bolsters the Trades and Technology building.

36 Summer Wind Camp Our future leaders focus on our local renewable resource.

On Our Cover

Officer Bryan Poll, a 2002 grad of Lethbridge College’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Conservation Enforcement program, examines a coyote carcass to determine time of death and reason. Conservation law enforcement officers now have additional tools to assist them in determining clues to lead to the culprits in wildlife poaching …………………………………………………………………4 Art Ferrari…………………………………………………………………………………………17 A long-time friend of Lethbridge College (and our community) passed away. He influenced many in his own special way.

Bon Appétit ………………………………………………………………………………………26 Our college students don’t learn everything in a classroom. In fact, our learners are engaged with hands-on experiences in all of our programs.

A chosen few visited Europe to hone their culinary skills.

Pop culture and sports ………………………………………………………………………32 Our society connects in many different ways. Sports events draw large crowds to view the games, but are they really seeing what they came for?

Filling in the blanks ……………………………………………………………………………34 As a young girl growing up, there was something missing in Billy Jo Woitte’s life. She now makes a daily effort to supply that to the young people she works with.

In a flash it was gone………………………………………………………………………42 After working for years to create a life, many lost their earthly possessions in a fire that swept Slave Lake last spring. But the human spirit is strong and there are those around to help.

In Every Issue

Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’s community magazine, celebrating the successes and accomplishments of its students, employees and alumni by promoting them throughout the community and around the world. This publication aims to educate its readers, engage stakeholders and recognize donors through compelling stories and images that relate to, and resonate with, its readers.

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

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

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

publisher: Dr. Tracy L. Edwards manager: Carmen Toth photographers: Gregory Thiessen, Rob Olson, Rod Leland designer: Christine Smith, Idezine magazine staff: Kasha Thurston, Gwen Wirth, Elisabeth Morgan, Gregory Thiessen, Shawn Salberg, Lisa Kozleski contributors: Megan Shapka, Kelly Morris, Elizabeth McLachlan, Peter Scott, Stephanie Poscente, Gwen Wirth

In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all Lethbridge College alumni. Alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the college by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website: lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni To share this issue with others, visit us at widerhorizons.ca

Q & A………………………………………………………………………………………………8 College kudos……………………………………………………………………………………13 My life……………………………………………………………………………………………20 My perspective…………………………………………………………………………………22 Office Intrigue…………………………………………………………………………………24 Campus in season……………………………………………………………………………40 Widen your horizon……………………………………………………………………………44 A word or two…………………………………………………………………………………45 Where are they now?………………………………………………………………………46

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Wildlife CSI: Canada

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In August, the first Wildlife Forensic Conference in Canada took place at Lethbridge College.

Participants gathered to hone their ‘who-dunnit’ skills.

by Megan Shapka A theme song by The Who blasts through the hallways. Are we in Las Vegas, Miami or New York? Lethbridge College actually, and there really isn’t a theme song, but this wildlife crime scene investigation seminar is certainly worthy of one.

For the first time in Canada, 25 fish and wildlife enforcement officers received training on wildlife field forensics: cuttingedge information that has never been available to them before. The value of this education for Canada’s fish and wildlife enforcement officers cannot be understated, and in August, Lethbridge College played host to the significant event.

Allan Orr, environmental science instructor at Lethbridge College, was responsible for bringing it to Canada. After witnessing the wildlife field forensics seminar firsthand in Montana last year, he knew he had to bring it here. “We are giving Canadian officers access to training that was never available before,” he says.

“I just felt the provincial officers, certainly ones in western Canada in particular, could use this training.

Having been one myself, I knew there was a need for it.”

What do officers actually do at wildlife crime scenes?

In the real world, it’s very similar to what police do when they investigate a murder. The officers are trying to connect a dead animal on the ground to the weapon used to kill it to the person who pulled the trigger. These three elements come together for a successful outcome or prosecution. Officers collect evidence and have experts in labs analyze it. They collect things like bullets, casings and cigarette butts, and they take castings of tire tracks.

Sending evidence to labs can be a time-consuming process.

Until recently this was just the way it was done. Orr says, contrary to most of the forensics training that exists, the wildlife field forensics training shows officers how to do things in the field, not the lab. “Right now there is such an ability gap between the field officers and the scientists

that we’re really just trying to close that gap a bit,” he says.

Wildlife officers can do a lot of forensics work themselves right in the field, but not to the point they’d be considered experts in court. “We want them to be experts in the field,” says Orr. For example, if a field officer finds a bullet, he can look at it with a simple 10-power handheld lens and compare it to a rifle. The officer can identify basic characteristics of commonality. He can use the information to start interviewing witnesses and potential suspects in hopes of getting a confession. Orr says, “We’re not looking at getting information that specifically convicts people or puts them in jail. We’re getting info that gives us reasonable and probable grounds to get a search warrant or to take a statement from somebody and then get further information to carry on with the investigation.”

The evidence is still sent to a lab because the experts will need to confirm the findings in court, but at least the field officer can keep the momentum of the investigation going. It’s more efficient and cost effective. Part of this conference trained officers to be better and more efficient at collecting evidence for submission to the labs. In most cases, this leads to better information being returned to the officer more quickly than in the past.

The forensics wildlife field training conference has been running in Montana for five years thanks to Carlene Gonder, founder and executive director of Wildlife Field Forensics. As a former law enforcement officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wyoming Game and Fish and National Park Service, she saw a huge need for field forensics training for officers. “I looked for this kind of training when I was an officer and it didn’t exist,” she says.

After completing graduate research focused on time of death in wildlife, a technique that assists officers in finding suspects and bringing culprits to justice, Gonder saw value in presenting her information to field officers. She teamed up with other experts in the area of wildlife forensics and the conference was born.

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The event has grown each year, and this past summer it came to Lethbridge thanks to a former Lethbridge College environmental science student. Rob Harmer, now a conservation officer in Nunavut, saw Gonder speak at a North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference in 2009. He was fascinated by her work. He learned of her field training seminar in Montana and invited Orr to attend with him in 2010. Orr became hooked on the idea and immediately started talking with Gonder about bringing the seminar to Lethbridge for Canadian officers.

It’s often difficult to find money in federal and provincial enforcement budgets to send officers for out-of-province training, let alone international training. Bringing this training to Canada is immensely beneficial.

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Enforcement officers from the following agencies came to Lethbridge: Parks Canada, Environment Canada, Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Saskatchewan Environment, Nunavut Department of Environment and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Parks Canada currently has 82 full-time enforcement officers; 10 of them attended the field forensics seminar in Lethbridge. Orr says that is a testament to how valuable the training is and how committed the federal department is to ensuring the best training for its employees. Orr says, “I feel this is the best handson field training I have seen in a long, long time.”

Terry Kowalchuk (Chair of the School

“Most people feel that we have an obligation to our future generations to ensure they have what we have. It’s part of who we are as Canadians and Albertans.”

and it will be beneficial to know why

- Allan Orr

Topics at the training session included firearms, fish time of death, decomposition analysis, forensic entomology, crime scene management and evidence collection. Orr says, “The information they are getting in some cases is very simple, but nobody has thought of it before. It makes sense to do it.”

Bryan Poll, an Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer stationed in Red Deer and environmental science alumnus from 2002, was excited for the opportunity to tweak his field and investigation skills. “This is the first time I’ve had this type of training,” he says. “We have courses that highlight these areas, but nothing that’s ever gone into this kind of detail with access to literature and the specialists that are here.”

Enforcement officers in Canada do an important job. There is a lot of intrinsic value to having wildlife run free. Orr believes most Canadians care a great deal about our fish and wildlife. “Most people feel that we have an obligation to our future generations to ensure they have what we have,” he says. This is why our governments have hired a specific group of enforcement officers to protect our fish and wildlife. Our society puts so much value on our environment and the critters that live in it. “It’s part of who we are as Canadians and Albertans. We want things protected,” he says.

Officers take pride in their roles and actively seek training to be the best they can be. The wildlife field forensics training program is exactly what they need. Orr looks forward to offering it for many years to come. In fact, he’s already started planning for next year.

of Environmental Studies) and Tom

Graham (instructor in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences) are working on a long-term multi-

disciplinary research project on cougar DNA and population ecology. Alberta

Fish and Wildlife has been dealing with problem cougars across the province

the cats are acting up. Problem cats are the ones that tend to cause trouble for humans, such as killing livestock and pets and threatening public safety.

Kowalchuk says, “When populations grow, new individuals must find

territories in which to live. Young and

inexperienced, and old post-prime cats

are forced out of the best territories by dominant individuals. They settle in

territories that often include humans and livestock.”

The animals will be brought to the

college over a 10-year period where Graham will conduct DNA research.

Once a sufficient database is

established, Kowalchuk will plot the

location of each cougar on a map to get a sense of the relatedness of the cats

that are distributed across the province.

By studying topics of population

dynamics and carrying capacity, the

researchers are hoping to pinpoint why cougars are misbehaving in their territories.

For more info go to WiderHorizons.ca Fall ‘09 page 6.

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Q&A

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Q&A

tranquilized ll with two Jim Mitche

bear cubs.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife recently donated a unique mount displaying two bears, a grizzly and a black bear, to Lethbridge College. Jim Mitchell (Renewable Resource Management ‘80), superintendent of Fish and Wildlife, Enforcement Field Services, Prairie Area - Lethbridge and Lethbridge College alumnus, explains how the bear mount found its way to the college and shares stories about his exciting career.

Wider Horizons: You lead a life that many young people envy. Can you explain what you do and how you came to this profession?

Mitchell: My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman who had a healthy respect for fishery and wildlife laws. This respect carried over to me, and when the time came in school to decide on a career, this was the obvious choice.

I enrolled in the Environmental Sciences Law Enforcement option at the college in the winter of 1978.

WH: If you were to pick one great story of your career, what would it be?

Mitchell: One of the toughest involved a fatality a couple years back in Sundre where a hunter was mauled and killed by a grizzly bear.

The investigation of the scene, subsequent capture attempts, DNA testing and dealing with the politics of the situation was very demanding and lasted several months. The greatest part of the story was the strength of the family and how they dealt with this tragic event. On the lighter side, I have direct experience of getting the skunk smell off me after

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trying to get a skunk that was caught in a gopher trap out from under a trailer... I was young in my career and have gained some wisdom since this incident.

WH: Can you tell us about the history of the grizzly and black bear mount and how Alberta Fish and Wildlife obtained it?

WH: What is the best part of your job?

Mitchell: From what I understand, this grizzly bear was legally shot. But the bear mount came into our possession as a result of an illegal trafficking investigation, which makes the entire mount illegal.

Mitchell: The people.

Ninety-eight per cent of the resource users we deal with are law-abiding sportsmen who have the same love of the resources as I do. I also enjoy working with my fellow officers as they have the same desire to protect the resources as I have.

WH: What is trafficking and why is trafficking this mount an illegal act?

Mitchell: Trafficking means to sell, buy, barter or trade,

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or offer to do so. Trafficking in wildlife in Alberta is generally illegal, although certain animals are exempt from this law or certain pieces of wildlife have to be registered with Fish and Wildlife before attempting sale.

WH: How did this particular investigation start?

Mitchell: In August 2009, an undercover officer located an advertisement on Kijiji offering a "Stuffed Grizzly Bear" for sale for $10,000.

The officer contacted three individuals representing a Calgary business, Beaver Moving & Storage, and

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confirmed that they were actively and knowingly attempting to illegally sell the bear mount. They confirmed that the bear mount was from Alaska and that one of their clients had abandoned it at their storage facility. In June 2010, the company pled guilty to one count of trafficking in wildlife and was sentenced to a $10,000 fine.

The bear mount was forfeited to the Crown.

WH: So what usually happens to mounts like this one?

Mitchell: A seizure can be disposed of in a number of ways. We distribute seized

meat to needy families and fishing rods to organizations that encourage youth fishing.

A mount can be kept at local Fish and Wildlife offices for display or given to an educational institution or organization for the betterment of its students. In this case, Lethbridge College was a perfect candidate to receive this very impressive display.

WH: What purpose did you see the mount serving on campus?

Mitchell: Lethbridge College is viewed as an exceptional training institution dealing with Fish

and Wildlife education. The college personnel can use the mount as they see fit within the college.

WH: What’s the biggest thing that has helped you with your career?

Mitchell: One of my biggest pieces of advice is to have a mentor who you can go to for advice – someone who will give you solid, unbiased advice and someone you trust. I’ve had three of these people over my career – two fellow officers and my wife, Joyanne. She has always given me very good advice and for that I am deeply appreciative.

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eriscaping update

The last warm Friday in October 2010, some 30 students and instructors turned out to plant Lethbridge College’s first xeriscape garden. Led by Steve MacRae, environmental science instructor, and Paula Collins, Eco-Collective student club founder, native plants were put in the ground east of the Cousins Science Centre.

Now a year later, the garden is flourishing, as expected.

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Xeriscape (from the Greek word xeric, which means dry)

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1. A spike of meadow blazing star pops against a stunning background of brown-eyed Susans. The meadow blazing star is a hardy plant which stores extra food and water in its roots to endure during dry conditions if necessary. The brown-eyed Susan is a member of the sunflower family and has many uses in traditional herbal medicine, such as a poultice for snake bites.

2. Peter Rabbit? Nope, just a young resident cottontail rabbit who loves the garden for its covering of grasses and dense brush.

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3. The xeriscape garden is strewn with different types of rocks found in southern Alberta including schist, a rock not native to Alberta, but transported here by glacier from the Canadian Shield; blairmorite, one of the rarest rocks in the world found only in Alberta and West Africa; and chloritized pillow basalt, volcanic rock that has been formed under water and filled in with a green mineral called chlorite.

4. The “Living Lab and Theatre� was created with the support of the Wal-Mart & Evergreen Green Grant, Blocks & Rocks Landscaping Centre, and the Chinook Waters Fly Fishing Club.

5. Purple showy aster flowers late into summer, providing colour when other flowers are done. The leaves turn bright to deep purple in the fall, and the flower is known to attract birds and butterflies.

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Celebrating Friendship:) College friendships often fade with time, but this group has weathered two decades.

by Megan Shapka With sun, sand and cold beverages, the Mayan Riviera was the perfect spot for Lana Ulbricht-Miller, Richard Miller, David O’Callaghan, Adrien Chartier and Bruce Cole to celebrate two decades of friendship. They soaked up every last ray of sunshine as they reminisced about the 20 plus years that had passed since they left Lethbridge College proudly holding their Environmental Science diplomas. They could have gone their separate ways as they pursued their careers; instead, in January 2011 they were toasting their continuing friendship.

One of the best things about his college experience was meeting like-minded people.

The Millers (yes Lana and Richard are college sweethearts), O’Callaghan, Cole and Chartier make up a core group of Environmental Science alumni from 1990 and 1991 who keep in touch on a regular basis. Spread out from Calgary to Whitecourt, the friends see each other at least once a year.

Ulbricht-Miller says it’s easy for them to keep in touch and Cole agrees. He says, “We've been lucky enough as a group to enjoy moose hunting camps and weekend deer hunting trips in the fall, camping trips, parties, formal get-togethers, and most recently, a fishing trip to the Yukon this past June.”

Cole says one of the best things about his college experience was meeting like-minded people: people who enjoy hunting, fishing and the outdoors with pragmatic views on the environment, development, the economy and conservation of natural resources. “We simply just hit it off in college,” he says. “Lana does a great job of wrangling this motley crew and making sure we all appreciate how far we've come.”

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College kudos

her Stelmach for - Premier Ed en r. th D . m s) fro te itu gnition l Inst and Technica received reco n of Colleges , who recently tio ds ia ar oc w ss Ed A .

L. ta 11 y 20 (Alber ns to Dr. Trac s from 2009 to nts for AACTI Congratulatio nical institute ncil of Preside ch te ou d C e an th s of ge ir lle time as Cha group of 17 co this provincial Edwards led

Congratulations to ou r staff who completed the 50 km Lost Souls Marathon in September. They inc lude Bill Ward 11:20, Jade Coslo vi 8:58, Evan Peat 9:1 9, Darren Eveleigh 8:14, Dean Johnson 7:05. s published hard Stevenson who ha Congratulations to Ric dered by h four more being consi five books this year, wit publishing houses.

Yolanda Dekreek, a nursing instructor, compl eted the entire 100 km in 22:21. r in Criminal Don Lee, an instructo in km Justice, completed 50 Ultra.

10:54. This is his 10th

Kudos to our 10 new resident assi stants at the college. These 10 (Am y, Audrey, Brent, Caitlin, Carmen, Christina, Courtney, James, Tani s and Val) are helping our students in residence become a commun Thanks for your enthusiasm and ity. energy.

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Everyone Wins

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Competitors working together seems like a foreign concept, but, in this case, everyone wins

]

By Stephanie Poscente On April 27, 2011, the Lethbridge and District Auto Dealers Association (LADA) unveiled a donation plan that would generate $1 million in support of the new Trades and Technology Renewal and Innovation Project, a component of Lethbridge College's campus developmental plan.

Randy Dunlop, owner of Dunlop Ford, was at the forefront of the movement, spearheading a concept with the goal of involving each of the 14 dealers in a large scale donation effort. One of his biggest challenges was devising a payment plan well-suited to each of the dealers involved in the LADA. "If I could get all the dealers in Lethbridge to collectively set up a formula and try to get it down to a manageable number," he explains, "they could make the long-term commitment to

it. We are going for a larger amount, but over a longer period of time."

While breaking up the lump sum into monthly payments over the course of a few years seems logical enough, Barry Dubnyk, president of the LADA and owner of Milestone Mazda, was one of the few who expressed enthusiasm when the idea was first laid on the table. "The biggest decision was a long-term funding commitment," he says. "Could everybody see their way to making the investment and supporting the investment?

It's not something that you can write a cheque for and forget about tomorrow."

Thankfully, each of the participants involved in the donation understood the necessity of an up-to-date and working trades

Lethbridge Auto Dealers Association presents $1,000,000 commitment to Dr. Tracy L. Edwards, President & CEO of Lethbridge College.

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building and, after a bit of negotiation, settled on a plan that worked best for all parties. "The dealers appreciate the local support," says Dubnyk. "Where there is an opportunity to give back, they are positive about it."

"In the long run," Dunlop explains, "it's a plus for the city, a plus for the college and a plus for the dealers. To make a commitment for an eight-year term and get a 40-year payback on it means we will still be benefiting from the contribution 20 years from now."

Having an association that was willing to pull together, despite its competitive industry, in order to support the college played a huge role in the outcome of the planning process. According to Dubnyk, each of the dealers kept the bigger picture in mind when making the final decision.

"We all know it's important to have a very strong trades program locally," he says, "not only for the local economy, but for the overall economics of southern Alberta. We need good tradespeople. If you don't have local training, you're going to get local kids leaving and sometimes when they leave, they don't come back."

With the long-term gains of their contribution in sight, Randy Dunlop is confident about his decision; he is fully aware that

without the co-operation of his fellow dealers, his goal would not have been achievable. Despite the initial struggle to sell the idea to his competition, Dunlop is proud to have gained their trust and encouragement while keeping in mind the reason behind his efforts.

"In the long run, it's a plus for the city, a plus for the college and a plus for the dealers�. –Randy Dunlop

"It's a long-term commitment for the dealers, but it's a long-term gain for the people of Lethbridge," he says. "We need our young people here; they are the future of our city. If we didn't have the college, we wouldn't be anywhere near as successful."

LADA comprises Bridge City Chrysler, College Ford Lincoln, Davis GMC Buick, Dunlop Ford, Integrity Hyundai, Lethbridge Toyota, Lethbridge Volkswagen, McDonald Nissan, McFadden Honda, Milestone Mazda, Murray Chevrolet Cadillac, Northside Lethbridge Dodge, Scougall Motors and Subaru of Lethbridge.

Randy Dunlop accepts acknowledgement from audience.

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A Giftand aMemory

By Megan Shapka

The Lethbridge Regional Police Service (LRPS) has made a $6,640 donation to Lethbridge College’s Kodiak House. Chief Tom McKenzie (Criminal Justice ‘76) says the LRPS had started down the road of making a donation some time ago, but after the death of Constable Sheldon Twigg, the monetary gift became a priority – the perfect way to honour the memory of a great policeman. Constable Twigg was in a head-on collision on November 5, 2010. His wife, daughter and granddaughter were also in the vehicle. None of the Twiggs survived. Chief McKenzie says, “Naming a door in Kodiak House in his memory was fitting to recognize his valued contribution to our communities and our service as police officers.”

A donation to Kodiak House was chosen for many reasons.

Chief McKenzie says the gift supports a community partner and recognizes a valued project – Kodiak House. The new residence building has the potential to assist and benefit students. Chief McKenzie notes that some of the students living in the residence may well be future employees of the LRPS. He says the relationship between the LRPS and Lethbridge College is a partnership, particularly when it comes to the Advisory Board of the Criminal Justice program.

[

The perfect way to honour the memory of a great policeman.

]

“The college is great at reaching out to get feedback and suggestions, to ensure their program content is current and meets the needs of the industries they serve. The college delivers a great justice program and we get a great employee,” Chief McKenzie says.

Lethbridge College is also a partner in the Centre for the Advancement of Criminal Justice along with Lethbridge Regional Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service and Taber Police Service. This recruit training program has used residence space at Lethbridge College in the past.

Chief McKenzie says our community is made stronger by the presence of the college and its many programs. “Education creates opportunities, awareness, personal and professional growth, and it provides for greater understanding. We all benefit from this be it personally, as part of a community or society as a whole.”

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By Gwen Wirth

When asked to describe Lethbridge resident Art Ferrari, friends don’t hesitate to say he

was a charismatic and proud north-side Italian Catholic who made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.

Ferrari, 63, passed away July 30 at his home in Lethbridge.

A principal at Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects, Art began his post-secondary education at Lethbridge College, graduating in 1968 with a diploma in Merchandising Administration before earning a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. After several years in the business community, he returned to school, obtaining a degree in architecture from the University of British Columbia.

In his role as an architect, Ferrari’s firm has helped shape the community through creations such as St. Martha’s Church, Lethbridge Regional Police headquarters, numerous award winning schools and Lethbridge City Hall. The firm also recently completed the new City of Lethbridge Fire Headquarters as well as the new Community Arts Centre, which is currently under construction.

Ferrari and his colleagues were prime consultants for Kodiak House, the newly opened residence on the Lethbridge College campus. The firm is also a key developer of the college’s Campus Development Plan, a vision of the school for the next 30 years.

Dr. Tracy Edwards, Lethbridge College president and CEO, remembers him as an immensely positive and accomplished professional who gave so much back to Lethbridge College and the community. Ferrari was incredibly proud to be “a local boy who contributed to the city through his buildings.”

He was an immensely positive and accomplished professional who gave so much back.

In 2007, Ferrari was humbled to be honoured as Lethbridge College’s 50th Distinguished Alumnus by the Office of Alumni Relations. To date, the event honouring Ferrari remains the largest ever held. To demonstrate their commitment to Lethbridge College and to Art’s industry, he and his wife, Sharon, established the Art Ferrari Award, an entrance scholarship for a first year Engineering Design and Drafting Technology student.

Moments after saying grace at the 2008 Distinguished Alumni event honouring his friend, Lethbridge Regional Police Chief Tom McKenzie, Ferrari announced the birth of his first grandchild, Connor, which had occurred only minutes earlier. A proud father to three daughters–Carla, Nicole and Sarah–Ferrari missed the birth of his second grandchild, Isabella, by one day. With another granddaughter, Emma, on the way, there will be many family and community stories to share with his grandchildren about the remarkable man their grandfather was.

Art Ferrari

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Thank you to all 2010-11 Lethbridge College donors.

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. –Khalil Gibran

1115247 Alberta Inc. 1359935 Alberta Ltd. 1410077 Alberta Ltd. 1442150 Alberta Ltd. 4 Seasons Home Comfort 929198 Alberta Ltd. A & B Farms Ltd. A & C Stinnissen Enterprises Ltd. Access to the Future Tom & Deb Ackerman Advanced Water Technologies Inc. Agape Kindergarten Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd. Alan Poytress Professional Corp Alberta Agriculture and Rural Dev. - Wheat Board Monies Trust Alberta Blue Cross Alberta Branch, Canadian Seed Growers Association Alberta Conservation Association Alberta Irrigation Projects Association Alberta Land Surveyors' Association Alberta Milk Alberta Ready Mixed Concrete Association Alberta Real Estate Foundation Alberta Society of Surveying & Mapping Technologies Alberta Therapeutic Recreation Association Southern Chapter Alberta Workplace Solutions Inc. Alberta/NWT Regional Council of Carpenters & Allied Workers Craig & Sharleen Albrecht Don Allen Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge Alpine Stables Ltd. Alta Aluminum Inc. AltaLink Management Ltd. Alan Andron Anonymous* Joanne Anson Anthony Matlashewski Charitable Foundation Lorne & Colleen Armstrong Armstrong Management Lawyers John & Wendy Arnold Astro Insurance 1000 Inc. ATB Financial - Edmonton ATB Financial - Lethbridge ATCO Gas Atlantis Financial Corp.

AUPE Local 71 Chapter 001 Avison Young Lethbridge Inc. Avonlea Master Builder B.W. Construction Products Ltd. B.W. Inglis Professional Corporation Christopher & Jen Babits Kyle Baines Bankers Commercial Real Estate Terry Basaraba Kenneth & Lorna Bateman Craig Behiel Mike & Diane Bennett Herb & Heather Beswick Beta Sigma Phi City Council BFC Management Ltd. Nancy Biggers* Black Velvet Distilling Company Marta Blicharz* Peter Blokpoel Karen Blue¨ BMO Bank of Montreal

Mark Boh Andrea L. Boras* Darren Boras Bortolon Chiropractic Center Botting & Associates Alberta Ltd. Janice Braden Brent C. Bluekens Professional Corporation Brickburn Asset Management Bridge City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ltd.© Brown Okamura & Associates Ltd. Bryan Murray Professional Corporation Crystal Budzich Ian & Wendie Cameron* Ron Campbell Campbell Associates (Lethbridge) Ltd. Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers Canadian Home Builders Association Lethbridge Region Canadian National Cardston Dairy Queen Carline Muffler Switzer Automotive Laura & Andy Carlson* George Carscadden¨ Colin T. Catonio*¨ Centre for Applied Management Faculty & Staff Challenger Building Supplies Ltd. Changing Patterns Construction Ltd. Vicki & Dic Charge Charlton & Hill Ltd. Victoria Chester Child & Youth Care Association of Alberta Dennis & Sylvia Chinner Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation Chinook Respiratory Care Chinook Waters Fly Fishing Club CIBC CIBC Private Investment Counsel CIBC Wood Gundy City of Lethbridge Don & Cathy Clark Clear Sky Radio Inc. Coco Pazzo Italian Cafe College Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd.© Communications Group Lethbridge Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta Cornerstone Funeral Home & Crematorium Dawna Coslovi Brent Cottle Country 95/B 93 FM County of Lethbridge #26 Cox Financial Group Ltd. Art and Mary Jane Crooks CTLI/College & University Preparation Jean Culler Cummins Western Canada D & D Machine Works Ltd. D. L. Mulroy Professional Corporation D.A. Building Systems Ltd. D.A. Electric Ltd. Richard & Maria Daley W. C. Richard & Denise Davidson Davidson & Williams LLP Bart & Cynthia Davies Davies Park & Associates (Calgary) Inc. Davis Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd.© Sharon Dawson Dawson Wallace Construction Ltd. Phyllis Day Chief Nathan Dennis

18 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2011

Robert Derochie Devon R. Kutsch Professional Corporation DL Winn & Associates Rajko and Amy Dodic Ross Doenz Henry Doeve Doeve's Dairy Marlene Doram Douglas L. Myhre Professional Corp.

Dr. Ian B. Hurdle Dr. T. Smith-Windsor Medical Prof. Corp.

Draffin's Pharmasave Terry Dreaddy DSB Food Services Limited Ducan Industries Inc. Jeremy Duchan Ducks Unlimited Vincent Duckworth Keith Dudley Max Dufour Marc & Sandra Dufresne Clint Dunford & Gwen Green Randy & Louise Dunlop Dunlop Ford Sales Ltd.© Steven Dyck & Callie Craven Keith & Ellie Dys Janine Ecklund* Edmonton Community Foundation Tracy Edwards & Lee Ostrowski EECOL Electric Inc. Irene Elcombe Paul & Kelly Elser* Enercon Water Treatment Ltd. The Engineering Technology Scholarship Foundation of Alberta Cathy Esser Donald Evans Evergreen Driving Range Inc. Exakt Services Executive Women International - Lethbridge Chapter Extendicare Fort Macleod Joyce Fairbairn Fairfield Appliance Service Ltd. Family Ties Social Club Bruce Faulkner Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects David Findlay¨ James G. Fisher* D'Arcy Foder Audra C. Foggin* Foster & Sons Jewellers Ltd. Fountain Tire South Galko Homes Ltd. George Gallant James Gallant Gallery Dental Professional Corporation Bruce Galts Gas King Oil Co. Ltd. Geldart Consulting Group Inc. Gentlemen II Investments Ltd. Gentlemen Three Menswear Herbert & Lois Gerwing John Getkate Anup Ghai Michelle Gilbertson Anne Gillin* Robin Goates Gold & Gold Productions Dwayne Graham Grandview Cattle Feeders Ltd.

Green Acres Foundation Keith Greeno Grenville Management and Printing Rob M. Gunderson* H & R Transport Ltd. H-5 Holdings Ltd. Haig Clinic Andrew & Linda Hakin Ken A. Hanna Hansen's Family Foods Derek Harding Karen Harker Brian H. Harmatiuk* Elaine Harrison Ruth Hart Budd Bradley K. Hembroff Henry's Eavestroughing Ian Hepher Hidi Rae Consulting Engineers Inc. Marko Hilgersom James D. Hill Robert K. Hirano Norris & Brenda Hironaka Hironaka Employee Benefits Inc. Gayle Hiscocks Kirk* & Barbara Hofman* Kenneth W. Hogan*¨ Gloria Holberton¨ Holy Spirit School Division No. 4 Honkers Pub & Eatery Allan Horvat Allen & Bev Hosack Matt Huber Hungarian Canadian Old Timers Society of Lethbridge Brenda Hyland HyTech Production Ltd. IAAP Lethbridge Chapter Insite Construction Surveys Inc. Instream Water Control Projects Ltd.* Integrity Hyundai© International Eastside Soccer Club David Irving Dianne Isaak J. H. Holloway Scholarship Foundation LillAnne Jackson John & Debi Jacobson Ronald & Mariette Jacobson* Darcie A. James*¨ Janzen Home Renovation Jerry Arnold Gallery John J Memorial Golf Fund John Talerico Financial Services Ltd. Brett & Michelle Johnson Rick Johnson Cardine L. Jones* Jong & Company Chartered Accountants Kainai Board of Education Tosh & Kaz Kanashiro Ryan Kasko D'Arcy Kavanagh Kevin J. Kindley Professional Corporation Bill King Brian & Ruth King Jack & Ellen King Mike King* Kinnear Financial Limited Dwayne Kirchner Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge Gladys Kochei Larry & Lisa Konopski

s.

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Koz Work Inc. KPMG LLP Wayne & Rhonda Kwan Brian Lachance Lafarge Canada Inc. Elise Lakwanki Ming & Joyce Lam Lantic Inc. Lawrence Lavkulik Rusty Lawrence¨ LCSA Office Administrative Assistant Club Peter N. Leclaire* Mark Lencucha Leon's Furniture Lethbridge & District Exhibition Lethbridge and District Auto Dealers Association Lethbridge Caterers Ltd. Lethbridge Centennial Quilt Guild Lethbridge College Faculty Association Lethbridge College Massage Therapy Program Lethbridge College Office of Alumni Relations Lethbridge College Students' Association Lethbridge Construction Association Lethbridge Crime Stoppers Lethbridge East Riding Lethbridge Iron Works Company Limited Lethbridge Lakeview Lions Club Lethbridge Medical Clinic Lethbridge Police Veterans Association¨ Lethbridge Real Estate Board Co-Op Ltd. Lethbridge Regional Police Service Lethbridge Toyota© Lethbridge Volkswagen© Lethbridge West Riding Margaret H. Lewis Lions Club of Winnipeg Deane Little Logos Embroidery Sherryl Loman* George & Shannon Lomas Long & McQuade's Music Education Centre John Lowry* M. S. MacLean Livestock Ltd. Bruce Macdonald MacDonald & Company Brandi Mackenzie MacLachlan McNab Hembroff John Maegaard Miriam J. Mahnic* Michael Mahon Michael Maier* & Elinda Leung-Maier Main Street Corporation Camron & Carla Mandel* R. Gordon Manery Barbara Mantello Marsh Canada Limited Bruce Martens Colleen Martin Dale & Carleen Martin Martin Bros. Funeral Chapels Ltd. Gary Massier Val & Flora Matteotti Maximum Return Investment Inc. John & Pat McAlister* Doug & Rita McArthur Sonja McDonald* McDonald Nissan© McFadden Honda Suzanne McIntosh* McIntyre Ranching Co. Ltd. Tom & Karen McKenzie* Wayne & Juanita McKenzie McKillop United Church Trust Fund Patricia A. McMillan & Myron Currie Guy & Tracy McNab Larry & Jackie McNamara Martin McSween Diana Meeks Melcor Developments Ltd.

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Melling Estate & Financial Services Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. Mid-West Pump (90) Ltd. Midwest Surveys Inc. Mike Spencer Geometrics Ltd. John Milder* Milestone Mazda© Jim* & Joyanne Mitchell MNP Colinda Molenkamp Reina Molenkamp-de Graaf Molson Coors Moose Jaw Ford Sales Ltd. Moriyama & Co. Chartered Accountants Mulberry's Design House Sloane Muldoon Girardin Murray Chevrolet Cadillac© Doug Myhre National Bank Financial National Salvage Ltd. Christian & Deanna Nelson Mark Nelson Neu Lite Electric Inc. Rick Neudorf Neudorf Plumbing Systems & Solutions Gary Newbert Rose Niedermier Ronda L. Nielsen* Earl Nilsson Northern Food Service Northside Lethbridge Dodge© Nutri-Source Inc. Karen & David O'Dwyer Lilly & Yoshiyuki Oishi Edith Olson Dayn Opel Bruce Orpin Georgia Otway Overhead Door Company of Lethbridge P & H Milling Group Pahulje Enterprises Ltd. Palko Energy Ltd. Trevor Panczak Craig Parascak Ann Parks* Rick & Joanne Pasemko Paskal Cattle Company Dan Paskuski*¨ Bridget A. Pastoor* Patricia A. McMillan Professional Corporation Andy Pawson Pay It Forward Krista & Tim Pearson Ralph Pelzmann Pengrowth Energy Trust Chris Perry Scott Perry Knud Petersen Sheila Peterson Paul Pharo Robert Pike Pillar to Post Prof. Home Inspection Pinetree Supply Ltd. Bill Plomp¨ Plum Jim Poriz Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc. Praxair Distribution - A Division of Praxair Canada Inc. Precon Precast Products Frazer Lee Prindle Print Partners Purely Inspired Debra & William Ramage Anne Raslask Jennifer Rasmussen RBC Financial Group RBC Foundation Terry & Judy Reardon* Troy Reeb* & Janet Lambert Regent Restaurant

Kevin & Cathy Reiter* Louise Reiter Reiter Computer Associates Relics Basketball Club Respiratory Homecare Solutions Dr. Robert Rice Hugh Richards Kenneth E. Riley Ring Container Canada ULC Cathy Rivers RKH Architecture Ltd. Robert F. Bain Exp. Keith & Jean Robin John & Heather Roest Roest Acoustics Ltd. Rogers Communications Inc. Timothy Rollingson Dennis Ronon Joan Ross¨ Ross W. Marsh & Associates Inc. Rotary Club of Lethbridge (Downtown) Aaron Roth Royal Canadian Legion Royal Canadian Legion, Alta /NWT Command Trent Runge Rural Alberta Development Fund Tiel J. Ryant* Kevin Sassa Chris Saunders Ken Sauter* Kimberly Schatz Bernie Schell¨ Lisa Scheurer Cameron Schmaltz Ted & Debbie Scholten* Rod Schultz¨ Scotia Securities Scotiabank Scougall Motors© Glenn C. Secretan Security Management Services Greg Seely Wade Seeman Servicemaster of Lethbridge Servus Credit Union Ltd. Servus Credit Union, Uplands Branch Dennis Sheppard Silver Automotive (Lethbridge) Ltd. Robert Simmons Simpson Plumbing Mark Smallbones*¨ Dwayne C. Smith*¨ Jeffrey J. Smith Shirley C. Smith Southern Alberta Newspapers Southern Sign and Graphics Ltd. Southwest Oil & Gas Services Ltd. Carolyn Speakman Frank & Alberta St. Amand St. Michael's Alumnae Jennifer Stark Stebnicki & Partners David Stewart Ramona Stewart* Stranville Group Streatside Eatery Stringam Denecky, Barristers & Solicitors Douglas & Cheryl Stroh Dr. Dennis Strong Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. Subaru of Lethbridge© Wendy Sulzle Summit Motors Ltd. Sean M. Swift Mark & Lea Switzer Sysco Food Services of Calgary Taber Diesel Service Ltd. TAC Mobility Bruce & Donna Tait Gordon & Jodi Tait Cathy Takeda

Gert Talbot Ken Taylor Kimberly & Don Taylor TD Asset Management TD Bank Financial Group (Wellington) TD Canada Trust TECTERRA Inc. Howard & Sharon Tennant Terry Clark Financial & Estate Planning Textile Surface Design Guild Tim Rollingson Professional Corp.

Gerard Timmer Veryl Todd Shaun & Lisa Tomlin Tony Roma's Top Notch Taxidermy Ken Torry Torry Lewis Abells LLP, Lawyers Carmen & Jim Toth Barbara Tremel¨ Triple L Trucking Gerald Truscott Tumbleweeds Grill Ltd. Veronica & John Turcotte* Suzie Turcotte Smith* Robert J. Twa University of Lethbridge The UPS Store Jim Urasaki Urban Insight Development Group Limited Will Van Horne Jason P. Vandenhoek* Varsteel Ltd. Glenn & Janice Varzari* Helen Vaselenak Vestas Canadian Wind Technology Virco Holdings Ltd. VitalAire Healthcare Eleanor Vogt Grant Vogt Terry Vogt* WA Environmental Services Ltd. Denise C. Wall* Wallace D. Smart Professional Corporation Lana M. Walsh* Frank & Donna Walton Ward Bros. Construction Ltd. Waterproofing Roofing Ltd. Craig Watson Bill & Susan Waugh Wayne L. McKenzie Professional Corporation Gayle S. Weeks* Wesbridge Construction Ltd. Western Canada Welding Products Ltd. Western Financial Group (Olds) Western Tractor Company Ltd. Dan Westwood & Karen Westwood Norm Whelpley¨ Bill Whitelaw Wilbur-Ellis Company of Canada Limited Brenda Wilkins William E. Reddick Professional Corporation Peter Wilson & Jan Wilson Don Winn Winnipeg Technical College Wolseley Canada Women's Soccer Association of Lethbridge Cyrus Yagan Anne C. Yanchyshyn Megan Yanosik Young Parkyn McNab LLP Johannes Zabel Leonard Zammit Zero Gravity Cranes & Rigging Inc. * Alumni ¨ Gift directed through the Lethbridge Regional Police Service ©Gift directed through the Lethbridge and District Auto Dealers Association

19

POINTED in the Right Direction

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My life

Students make their way to post-secondary by various routes.

Caleb Jones crossed the country to achieve his goals.

By Elizabeth McLachlan “I saw javelin for the first time in 2007 and I won the under-17 Canadians in 2008,” says Lethbridge College student Caleb Jones. “I’ve been lucky. I’ve come into it pretty quickly.” That’s an understatement. Jones advanced so rapidly in the track and field spear throwing event that three years later he’s training for the 2016 Olympics.

“I wake up at five, go to practice for a couple of hours, go to school all day, go back to practice.” –Caleb Jones By the time he graduated from high school in St. John, New Brunswick, Jones had placed in numerous national and international meets and was seeking status as a carded athlete from Athletics Canada, the national association for track and field. Carded athletes receive financial support through the federal Athlete Assistance Program. “You have to move to a centre and they have to see you with a full-time coach, really going after it, before they’ll fund you,” says Jones. Of the two Canadian throwing centres, Jones chose Lethbridge as the best. He moved from the Maritimes to work with acclaimed coach Larry Steinke. Within months Athletics Canada named him to its 2016 Olympic Development Program.

Despite his focus on javelin and the Olympics, Jones is a realist.

“I believe I should be doing something along with my athletics.”

20 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2011

While he admits he’ll always be involved in sports, Jones dreams of becoming a top-notch chef. Shortly after arriving, he enrolled in Culinary Careers at Lethbridge College.

“It’s a very demanding program,” he says. “The chefs make you move. I mean, you are moving, but I really enjoy it. The chefs are awesome.”

Jones’s days are gruelling. “I wake up at five, go to practice for a couple of hours, go to school all day, go back to practice. By the time practice is over I go home, I cook supper, I might talk to my family on Skype a little bit, and then off to bed.

“It’s a lot of work but I’m happy with the balance it gives me.

If I don’t have the best practice I go to school and cook and have fun; if I have a rough day at school I go and throw for a couple of hours.”

His first goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. “After that it all depends on how my body is reacting. If I’m still in one piece, maybe I’ll go to the 2020 Olympics. After that I’d love to have my own restaurant back in New Brunswick. That’s the end goal.”

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My perspective

Wider Horizons asked: The 2011 NISOD Teaching Excellence winners who work at Lethbridge College ‘What does it take to be a great teacher?’

By Kelly Morris

Here’s their perspective.

D’Arcy Kavanagh nagh a v a K y c r D’A

Communication Arts 2011 LCFA/SA Teaching Excellence Award

I have an interest in sharing enthusiasm. I’ve never had an individual class that I didn’t want to walk into, was excited to walk into.

Every day you go in you owe it to your students to bring the passion. Every instructor should feel excited and nervous. If it’s the same old, same old it’s time to quit.

An inspiration to me was a professor named Walter Gage. I was never enrolled in his classes but would sneak in to see him teach because he made lectures fun. He was a performer, like an older Robin Williams. I try to take that into my classroom. I tell true stories, share real life experiences. I couldn’t make up the stories I tell, they’re so bizarre. But stories are only relevant if they teach a point.

I know I’ve been successful as a teacher if my students feel a degree of passion at the end of the course. If they fall in love with something I taught – that’s my success.

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Keith Dudley

General Studies – Social Sciences 2011 LCFA/SA Teaching Excellence Award I’ve had some great professors over the years, and some of the ones I just loved; students could tell they liked to be there. One sociology professor at the U of L, George Mann, was also in community theatre and it was like he was on stage every day.

He was on fire and excited and he knew who you were.

When I go in to the classroom I try to get into the minds of my students. Is there a way to teach a certain topic in a way that gets them excited? What hooks them? I ask questions to get them thinking, make them curious. We often store information with something that is intriguing or has some emotional connection. For some reason it sticks with you better. If I asked you about the last time you burnt something in the oven, you remember it in pictures, in smells and sounds. I try to get them to store education the same way.

Keith Dudley

The greatest success in teaching is watching the students go on and reach their goals.

When I get that email saying, “I’ve made it and you helped me get here,” that’s what it’s all about.

Dic Charge

General Studies – Biology NISOD Excellence in Learning Award Being a good teacher is about having passion. I have fun and I try to make it fun. I have a passion for what I do. I can’t help but love the topic area and the fact that I get to teach it. And you just can’t fake that around students. I’m genuinely interested in what I’m doing and I think other people should be too and the students can see that in the classroom. I think it’s fun, I think it’s cool, I think it’s fascinating. I think that shines through my lectures and students pay attention when you’re genuinely interested in what you’re teaching.

Dic Charge

I don’t do anything. I show them the way, I invite them. I try to make it fun and entertaining, try to give them ways of understanding it, but I don’t do anything. They do the work. When they succeed they’ve done it. But it’s neat to be involved in that. I’m part of a process. Somewhere down the road maybe they achieve something that I couldn’t even dream of, and I was a part of that.

23

Office Intrigue:

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Furry frame made by the same guy who made the fuzzy lamp - also received in staff gift exchange

Big Brothers Big Sisters poster - Tanya is the Marketing Chair Fuzzy lamp made out of bath mat, was a present from staff gift exchange

Rosie the Riveter figurine a strong marketing piece from WWII

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Throwback poster from the mumps outbreak way back - a marketing piece that targets the college population

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Just like her office, Tanya Weder is bright and full of life. Tanya is an Instructional Assistant and casual instructor for the Multimedia Production program, the same program that she graduated from in 2002. She is passionate about volunteerism and lends her time to a number of organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, P.A.W. and Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild. Born in Camrose, this Albertan has lived all over the province and has called Lethbridge home for the past 11 years. Tanya is a self-proclaimed crafter and enjoys quilting, canning, knitting and spending time with her two cats, two dogs and her family. tanya.weder@lethbridgecollege.ca

Electronic basketball game - Sears brand

Fortune sticks with fortunes that rhyme–Tanya says they have to be true if they rhyme

Nerdy comics that relate to the computer/internet community One Book Campaign must read: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

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AN AUSTRIAN RECIPE FOR KNOWLEDGE A new business owner - and recent grad of the Lethbridge College culinary program - was part of a select group that traveled to Europe to learn firsthand about the delicacies created there.

By Megan Shapka

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T

he kitchen at the Panhans Hotel in Semmering, Austria, is a flurry of activity. Mitchell D’Agnone’s attention is keenly focused on Chef Alfred as he expertly guides his new pupils through a series of remarkable cooking maneuvers. With his cliché kitchen personality (loud, obnoxious and strangely charming), the seasoned chef has enough stories to entertain for years and enough experience to make the best in the world look like amateurs. D’Agnone can’t believe his luck. He’s caught up in the moment with one of the best chefs he’s ever had the privilege to work beside.

D’Agnone, Lethbridge College culinary program alumnus from 2011, along with Daicya Quinn, Taylor Iwaasa and Kaitlyn Fisher, travelled to Austria in June 2011 with Chef Mark Dieser and Chef Stephen Klassen (Culinary Careers ‘01) to participate in a month-long workplace exchange in hotels and restaurants in Semmering. It was the experience of a lifetime for the group of students and alumni, and D’Agnone was thrilled when he made it through the rigorous application process. He knew the skills he would learn would really benefit his new business at home in Lethbridge.

“I applied because the one thing that defines me as a person is a hunger to learn and I saw an opportunity to learn, and learn a lot,” he says.

D’Agnone, along with his fiancé, Amanda Jacques, operate Lethbridge Personal Chefs (www.lethbridgecatering.com), a catering business focused on bringing fine dining into your home. Working for small, intimate groups of people, the concept kicks the traditional dinner party up a notch.

D’Agnone says, “We are a pair of chefs who come into your home and cook food in your kitchen for you and your guests.”

No stranger to a variety of cooking techniques, D’Agnone was excited to add more knowledge about European cuisine to his repertoire. In Austria he learned a lot about cold foods, which are staples in Austrian and French cuisine. He says it’s a style of dining that has largely been ignored in North America. “It’s the kind of thing I only got to read about in textbooks and never actually see in the real world.”

A lot of the foods people eat in Austria are the same as in Canada, but the techniques used to prepare them vary greatly. Two particular items that stood out for D’Agnone are pâtés and terrines; both are cold meat dishes prepared with gelatin and a careful hand. These are just a couple of

the dishes he incorporated into his catering menu as soon as he got back to work. He accumulated countless recipes and techniques of unimaginable value while studying in Austria.

D’Agnone didn’t always want to be a chef. In fact, he fell into the trade by chance. He was working at a restaurant in Taber to earn some cash. It turned out he had a knack for cooking. When his employer offered to pay for him to attend culinary school as his apprentice, he jumped at the opportunity.

His time at Lethbridge College was invaluable. “It taught me a lot of things, but it was certainly a very humbling experience. As a chef who specializes in Italian cuisine, going to culinary school to learn classic French cuisine was a tad bit difficult at times.”

And that’s why exchanges like the one with Semmering Tourism School are so valuable. Chef Dieser watched proudly as his students grew and expanded their knowledge. “When they are first there they are proud of their work and what they are doing and they’re doing a great job, but after a while they start to learn different things and how to do things in ways we can’t teach them; being in that environment and immersed in that culture they develop more skills.”

“It taught me a lot of things, but it was certainly a very humbling experience.”

–Mitchell D’Agnone

The students had the opportunity to test their skills in front of distinguished guests. They prepared a beef tasting at the Canadian Ambassador’s residence and hosted the Canadian Dinner at the Semmering Tourism School where they cooked Canadian-style food for 140 local dignitaries and members of the school. At both events they worked with Canada Gold Beef.

This exchange was and continues to be a huge opportunity for the culinary program at Lethbridge College. They partnered with NAIT on the trip and have already started planning for next summer when Semmering students and

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chefs will spend a month in Lethbridge.

Chef Dieser says the exchange elevates the culinary program’s status even higher on the world stage. “It’s an opportunity for future students to say, ‘Oh wow, this school obviously is a leader in culinary because they are tying in with Europe, they are teaming with other schools, and other schools want to work with them.’”

Chef Dieser is looking forward to giving the Austrian students and chefs a real taste of southern Alberta life and cuisine. When they arrive, the learning experience for the Lethbridge students will come full circle. Perhaps the Austrian students will even have a chance to work with D’Agnone at Lethbridge Personal Chefs.

e Mitchell D’Agnon

Back (L-R): Jasneet She rgill (NAIT), Miranda Bax ter (NAIT), Chef David (Executive Chef for Dr. Wadman John Barrett). Middle: Daicya Quinn (Lethbridg College), Kaitlyn Fischer e (Lethbridge College), Mitchell D’Agnone (Let College Alumnus). Fro hbridge nt: Chef Troy Lymburner (NAIT), Dr. John Barrett (Canadian Ambassador to the Republic of Aus tria), Chef Mark Dieser (Lethbridge College).

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By Megan Shapka

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connectingthe d ts Life has its twists and turns, and for the most part, things come together as they should – if we only put the pieces together.

Decked out in Lethbridge College garb, Vicki Charge prepares to board the last connecting flight from Calgary to Lethbridge. After another successful meeting, she’s eager to share news on what’s trending in the fashion world with her colleagues and students. Suddenly, the college President and VP Academic join her line and ask “So, where were you this time?”

Charge, chair of the School of Media and Design, is always on the go. She brings passion and a wealth of experience to her leadership role. When she left her career as a classical musician to pursue an education in fashion design and production, she took her idea – her vision – and turned it into a beautiful work of art. A designer takes a simple idea and turns it into something great.

Charge started her fashion career immediately upon graduation from Collège LaSalle in Montreal. With her credential, Technique en Design de Mode, in hand, her career took off at lightning speed. She landed her first job as an assistant designer and production manager in Calgary in a serendipitous way. Long story short, she learned the value of networking right off the bat.

“You never know how something you say to someone is going to turn into them saying something to someone else, and then the dots start to connect. The next thing you know it could be a wonderful project that gets launched and is successful,” she says.

Charge believes networking is a critical component to success. As a result, she maintains valuable industry contacts through participation in influential groups. She sits on the executive of the board for the Apparel Human Resources Council and is on the coordinating committee for the Apparel Affinity Group. She’s a respected leader in both of these national, government-supported groups. Her connections bring incredible value to the School of Media and Design.

“It allows me to bring back news and information to our College so that our fashion program can stay up to date,” she says.

The fashion program is keeping pace with trends and producing successful grads. Brittney Wright, alumna from 2006, is working for Erin Kleinberg Inc., a Canadian clothing designer, and The Coveteur, a website showcasing the closets of all the amazing people in the fashion industry.

Wright says Charge played a key role in her success. In fact, she was the one who introduced her to the program before she applied. “She was so humble and full of such great advice that I knew I would be crazy not to sign up for the program. She guided me

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throughout the two-year program, especially when it came to picking classes for the second year.”

Wright adds, “She continues to keep tabs on me and I know if I ever needed any advice or guidance she would be there to help, which is so unbelievably comforting in this type of industry.”

You never know how something you say to someone is going to turn into them saying something to someone else, and then the dots start to connect.”–Vicki Charge

“

Charge says, “With any graduate, my goal is to prepare them as best I can to succeed in this very fast-paced and competitive industry. Graduates who are able to combine strong technical skills, creativity and a healthy work ethic will see their careers blossom.”

Charge is a visionary, a designer, a leader. She’s learned a lot about herself over the course of her career. She has worked at the college since 1998 in a variety of roles and has enjoyed every minute of it. She says she was hooked from the moment she started teaching her first class part-time, while still working fulltime in the fashion industry. Now she leads not only the fashion department but Communication Arts and Multimedia as well.

So what does the future hold? This coming year, she’s starting her Masters of Arts in Leadership at Royal Roads University. It’s exciting to think of the skills she’ll be adding to her repertoire through her studies and how she will translate that into success at Lethbridge College.

“I enjoy looking to the future, seeing the potential in something and trying to see how it can be capitalized upon or how it might help us place ourselves best as a program or a school.”

The School of Media and Design encompasses four programs: Communication Arts, Fashion Design and Marketing, Interior Design, and Multimedia Production.

The programs share commonality in developing creativity and entrepreneurial success. The synergy between the four programs shines during Collide-O-Scope, an annual showcase where students display their talents and capstone projects. It’s a chance for the School of Media and Design to show what its grads can do.

And there is no shortage of talent and skill.

Employers tell Charge that Lethbridge College gives its students the education they need to be successful in industry.

Many students find jobs with their practicum placements.

“We find that once an employer can see what they are capable of and how they can contribute their skills and knowledge to an existing business, they are often hired.”

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Lo st in Translation

Media brings us the world. We see places, things and events we couldn’t hope to visit in our own lifetime. It gives us a broader, more accurate vision – or does it?

By Stephanie Poscente Picture this: You're at a football game.

understand. You don't see it all because you pay so much attention to the screen."

The lights are blaring overhead, the crowd is chanting and cheering around you. The ball is in play, soaring through the air in a perfect spiral. The wide receiver is in position, ready to seize the ball and run. You watch with bated breath.

Despite the high-definition quality of the images being presented onscreen, Cottle believes they may not be the most accurate representations of the violence endured by the athletes; he argues that the images are viewed more as entertainment than reality.

As the leather of the ball meets the tips of the player's outstretched fingers, the man in front of you jumps up, blocking the game from view. The crowd goes wild but you're unable to see why. The solution? Huge screen LCDs, slow motion instant replay and descriptive play-by-play screaming from speakers overhead.

This is clearly a logical response to a nagging problem. Or is it?

Brent Cottle, PhD and instructor of Pop Culture, Film and Literature at Lethbridge College, is doing his best to discover the effects of technological interference on the culture of football, particularly in the NFL. His theory is that the broadcast representation of the game disassociates fans from its inherent and somewhat increasing levels of violence.

"I'm looking at the ways football is represented at games," he says, "as well as how it is represented in various other media.

In the [pop culture] classes I teach, there's a lot of stuff about music, TV and movies, but there's not much about sports. It seemed strange to me because sports is such a huge part of contemporary culture."

His research included packing up and heading to various highprofile games, including a game at the Dallas Cowboys stadium, where a 9,000 square-foot double-sided screen gives sports fans an unblocked and highly detailed view of the game from wherever they are seated. With his locker room pass in hand, Cottle visited the athletes afterward, gaining insight into their perception of how technological advances have affected the game itself as well as the fans' interpretation of the images.

"They don't think fans understand how physical the game is, in part because they see so much of it on screens," he explains.

"Fans react to the screen; they develop an intimacy with it.

When watching it that way, you take it as reality but when you see it live there's a lot more going on in the game than you

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"I think the media image itself is detailed and violent," he explains of the distortion between the image and the actual game, "but it still remains a screen image. People see it as being violent, but they don't understand fully what the violence is."

“They [players] don’t think fans understand how physical the game is, in part because they see so much of it on screens.” –Brent Cottle Cottle has taken his theory international, presenting at the Image Conference at UCLA in December of 2010 and, most recently, at the London Film and Media Conference in July.

"In London, England, I presented on slow motion replay and how that affects people's perception of the game," he says.

"It's a unique situation, because coaches can actually use the replays to challenge calls. It's becoming even more predominant than the game itself. After every play, everyone is waiting for the replay, like it's programmed into us."

As for his research, Cottle says his ultimate goal is to have it published while continuing to examine the theory in depth.

"I want to continue to develop the dialogue about media and how it affects our understanding of confrontations like this," he says. "I would like people to understand that it changes how we perceive the world. That media representation divorces us from physical reality is an interesting concept and sports is a good arena to view that in."

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. r children u o f o s e liv ool day. ce in the h n c e s r e y f r f e i v d ye he n make t ce to man a n c e r n e o f s f i r e d r One p makes he e t t i o W Billy Jo n Shapka

By Mega

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The young crowd at St. Francis Junior High wiggles in their seats. There is a lull between performers at the school talent show as the next act sets up. Soon, the captivating sound of the Aboriginal drumming club fills the air. The students soak in the music, intrigued. As the drummers finish their song, the crowd erupts into ecstatic cheers. Billy Jo Woitte grins with pride. This–this is what she does it for.

Billy Jo Woitte grew up in the only First Nations family in a small, rural town in southern Alberta. With the support of her family, she left to pursue early childhood education studies at Lethbridge College. She admits her family felt segregated from their community. At the time, it seemed people had little interest in learning about their First Nations culture and making them feel welcome, especially at school. When she arrived at the college she discovered there were other people who appreciated her culture. Lethbridge College changed her outlook. She had new confidence in herself.

Today, she is the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FMNI) worker at St. Francis Junior High. She works directly with FNMI students, helping them succeed in their studies and encouraging them to take pride in their culture. She truly appreciates the value of her role thanks to her own background.

“I strive to give First Nations students what I wish I had had in a school setting and what I feel I missed out on: the support and guidance I could have used as a First Nations student myself.”

A proud alumna from the class of 2000, she draws on her education at Lethbridge College for inspiration. Her instructors in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program taught her that making a difference with one person makes a difference in the world. She says she always carries that message with her, proof that Lethbridge College leaves a lasting impression on its students beyond a useful diploma.

“If I can make a difference to one student then I’ve made a difference, but my goal is to make a difference with all of the students I work with in some way.”

At St. Francis, Woitte has a classroom dedicated to FNMI education. It’s full of resources and a place for gatherings. She hosts a breakfast club, native beading and the very popular drumming club. The FNMI room is a place to celebrate the students’ successes and encourage them to pursue excellence.

Her classroom isn’t just for the 89 declared FNMI students at St. Francis. The doors are always open to everyone in the school. Woitte recognizes the importance of integration and focuses on bringing cultures together. She says many nonFirst Nations students and staff take part in their activities.

“We need to have people come in and be with us so they learn about us and feel comfortable with us. That’s the way we are going to get our culture out there.”

Another big component of her job is encouraging good

attendance, and this stems back to communication with parents.

She encourages FNMI families to take part in school events and keeps them in the loop about what’s happening at the school.

While her title says she’s the FNMI Worker, Woitte says she works with the whole student population. She doesn’t believe there is a difference between student groups. She strives to break down stereotypes and create a welcoming environment for everyone.

“I strive to give First Nations students what I wish I had had in a school setting and what I feel I missed out on: the support and guidance I could have used as a First Nations student myself.” –Billy Jo Woitte

“All students need a person they can count on and trust. So no matter who I am working with and what I’m doing, I focus on the individual.”

Woitte is an educator with a passion for changing lives. She says the students change her life too, teaching her just as much as she teaches them, and they create lasting bonds. She says, “Once you cross paths, you’ll always be part of their lives.” About this, she couldn’t be happier.

Lethbridge College is located on traditional Blackfoot territory and has a mandate to support Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners in achieving their career and personal goals. With Lethbridge College’s assistance, many First Nations, Métis and Inuit students are achieving success on and off campus.

There are many support services for FNMI students at Lethbridge College, including the Piita Pawanii Learning Centre, which is an Aboriginal student lounge and study area, the FNMI Student Club and the FNMI Cultural Support Program that provides Elder services. Students also have access to career counselling to ensure their programs suit them and their career goals. There are also numerous funding, scholarship and bursary opportunities for FNMI students. Students can begin their search for aboriginal-specific awards on the college’s Student Awards website: www.lethbridgecollege.ca/awards.

As well, Aboriginal Awareness Days and other events throughout the year share FNMI culture with the college and the community.

For more information contact: Robin Little Bear FNMI Manager Phone: 403.320.3202 ext. 3242 Email: robin.little_bear@lethbridgecollege.ca

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Wind?

Is Our Answer Blowing in the

By Megan Shapka

We are shaping our future every day. A day camp this summer showed some of our young future leaders how to generate power with our natural resource – wind.

“We want the kids to know that they can do their part in bettering the Earth, no matter how young or old they are.”

– Kendra Gawletz

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Members of the International Wind Energy Academy (IWEA) at Lethbridge College stand in front of a group of eager children. Eight college instructors are brimming with enthusiasm as they prepare to share their passion for wind energy with their young pupils.

It’s the first year for the IWEA Wind Energy Youth Camp and it’s hard to tell who’s more excited – the kids or the teachers.

Lethbridge College hosted the IWEA Wind Energy Youth Camp on August 18. Twelve “eco-

conscious” kids took part in a day full of learning, interaction and games, all with a focus on wind energy and the environment.

Kendra Gawletz (Comm. Arts ‘05), camp coordinator, says the kids learned about how wind energy is created and why it’s an important natural resource to southern Alberta and the world.

Through hands-on wind experiments, even building their own turbines, the kids learned about renewable resources and

?

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A group exp lore a cut-o ut of a wind turbine blad e.

a

Matthew Wright savours a moment alone.

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what they can do in their own homes, schools and neighbourhoods to improve the environment.

“We want the kids to know that they can do their part in bettering the Earth, no matter how young or old they are,” she says. “We want to empower children to think for themselves and be creative when it comes to being eco-friendly.”

Gawletz says that wind turbines are a part of our landscape and it’s important that kids understand their significance in providing us with a clean, unlimited energy source. She says kids can be passionate about the environment but often need help

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getting started. “I think environmental issues, the better sometimes they feel that they can off we will all be. Gawletz says, do very little, because “We essentially want to leave a they are young, and they don’t have their own money, but we want to teach them that there are things they can do and that every little bit helps.”

She says kids can learn how to set an example for their peers, Timothy J orgensen creates h teachers and families. is own win d turbine model.

“Kids can inspire a ton of change; they just need to be empowered.” lasting impression with these children so that they can grow Kids are our future. Camps like into informed, educated, ecothese are important because the savvy adults.” more kids know about

Terrance Pohl, Riley Luccasen and Gillian Huppee explore the interior of a tower base with Ras Takac looking on.

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The group waves to the instructor atop the Lethbridge College wind tower erected in the summer of 2010.

Wind Turbine Technicians learn rappelling and safety measures on this structure.

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Campus in season

Lethbridge College’s campus is not just buildings and parking lots. It extends through our magical coulees and across prairie plateaus. A noon-hour walk can take you out of the city quickly, into the serenity of nature.

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Rebuilding a Lifetime Your world can change in a moment. This spring some of our alumni experienced that as Slave Lake was devastated by fire. This story was written during the summer.

Next year we will bring you an update on the power of human spirit as they rebuild a town.

By Stephanie Poscente

In the early morning hours of May 15, 2011, as the fires raged through the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, no one could have predicted the devastation and destruction those flames would leave behind.

Nor could they have foreseen the overwhelming strength of human spirit that would rise up in support during those darkest of hours.

In the days that followed, residents of over 400 homes were being relocated to the care of friends, relatives and even strangers to remedy their sudden homelessness. The surrounding cities of Westlock, Athabasca and Edmonton were flooded with victims, all seeking shelter. School gyms and community halls were used as bunkers, hotels opened their doors free of charge and surrounding communities began to ship food, clothing and various other necessities as early as the morning of May 16.

"The support was amazing," says Tara Villeneuve (Fashion Design and Merchandising ‘07). "You can't really describe it. It's like, we've never met, we will probably never meet, and they still want to give to us."

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While she resided in Calgary at the time of the fire, her parents were among the over 700 residents who lost their homes during those fateful days. Those who had no homes to return to after the evacuation call was lifted were forced to search for alternate options.

"Most people depended on relatives nearby," says Villeneuve, describing how her parents had found shelter with family in Edmonton as they waited for permission to re-enter their town. It was over a week before the crews had cleared away enough of the destruction to allow residents to begin filtering back into town.

"You can't really describe it. It's like, we've never met, we will probably never meet, and they still want to give to us." –Tara Villeneuve When Villeneuve's parents returned, immediate accommodations were established for them by the town officials. Because of her mother's job at the local college, the resident housing was opened up to them without question.

"They were set up in a hotel for about a week," says Villeneuve, "and then moved to the college, where my mom works, after that."

During the week of clean-up, crews worked tirelessly to remove debris, creating safe spaces for the remaining residents and providing aid to the town in any way possible. Despite their continuing efforts, the devastation was too much to bear for some residents and they could not face returning and rebuilding the lives they had lost.

"Many people chose to leave," says Villeneuve. "There were a few families who had just moved there and they had no ties. I think it's a lot different for us. It's the kind of place that you grow up in and you don't really leave. There are generations of families there."

According to Kara Sinclair, a 2010 graduate of Multimedia Production whose home survived the disaster, the sight of the fire-ravaged parts of town is almost unbearable.

"It's weird seeing it now," she says. "It's like, that's my town.

It would be like driving from Lethbridge College to the west side and having it be completely destroyed."

Sinclair, along with members of her family, braved the fires in an attempt to document the disaster with video footage, hoping they could bring the severity of the fires to the public eye. With the help of friends and family, Sinclair is now selling copies of the DVD to raise funds and awareness for the continuing and extensive rebuilding process, which could take years to complete.

The response to her efforts has been positive and enlightening for those affected and those in surrounding areas.

"You see the pictures in the paper," says Sinclair, "but you don't get the full impact until you see it in real life."

Despite the rise in support for those affected, some funding may be running out for the residents left in temporary housing.

"Everyone was treated equally in the beginning," says Sinclair, "but it was just in a different way. Now, the people who lost their homes are just waiting on the builders to decide what to do."

For a close friend, the comforts of home are severely lacking.

"It's hard for them," Sinclair describes of her friend's situation. "They were used to going home and relaxing, but now the only place they have is a hotel room. I have a hard time seeing them like that."

Modular homes are in demand by the town to provide

more long-term living solutions for those who have been displaced, though they are not expected to be available until late this year. The entire process of rebuilding the southeast neighbourhood destroyed by the fires is expected to take at least two years to complete.

For Sinclair, the reality of what her friends and neighbours are struggling through brings a deep sense of gratitude.

"Everyone is so positive and focused on rebuilding," she says.

"I feel pretty lucky."

For more information on how to donate to the Slave Lake disaster, you can contact the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800565-4483 or go to www.redcross.ca.

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Widen your horizon

By Peter Scott

At first, finding good child care might seem more daunting than pregnancy and childbirth itself – but it doesn’t have to be. Tobi Horon, manager of the Lethbridge College Daycare and grad of Early Childhood Education ‘99, says there are a few things you can do to make the task easier – and then rest easier knowing your little one is in good hands.

misbehave? Are responses consistent and appropriate?

Take a good look at the rhythms and routines of each day. Does the facility limit the use of television? Is there time each day devoted to quiet activities as well as noisy, active ones? Do the caregivers encourage children to take part in basic life skills such as washing hands, hanging up clothes and zipping up coats?

First, don’t wait until the week before you head back to work to make your plans. Start your search early and learn about your options. You can choose a daycare, home-based care (a dayhome), pre-school, or out-ofschool programs. Give yourself enough time to make a good decision.

Once you make your decision, stay involved with the facility. Talk regularly with your child and the caregivers about their days and experiences. Let the facility know about any changes in your child’s life. And most of all, remember that while you are working in partnership with the childcare provider – you will always have the main responsibility for your child’s care.

Start your search by checking out facilities at child.alberta.ca/childcare. The providers listed here have been approved by the Alberta Childcare Accreditation Program and provide a level of excellence in childcare beyond the basic provincial regulatory requirements. You can also turn to family and friends for referrals – their real life experiences can point your search in a good direction.

Once you have your eye on a few facilities, go and visit them. Is there room both inside and out for children of different ages to play? Are there soft, cozy places to snuggle up with a book? Are there other spots where children can make a mess with water or paint? Are there a variety of activities for boys and girls to choose from?

Make sure you spend some time observing the people caring for the children. Does the caregiver call children by name? What happens when a child asks the caregiver a question? Does the caregiver respond with interest and encourage problem-solving? What happens when children

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A word or two

Wider Horizons asked alumna Tonya Woolford (Communication Arts- Broadcast Journalism ’06), Executive Director of the Lethbridge Food Bank, to share a word or two on life.

French Cut Green Beans!! YUM! What’s the best part of your job? My staff is amazing!

What’s the last book you read? A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Lots of fruits and veggies What’s your favourite band? I LOVE Adele lately What’s your favourite outfit to wear to work? Nice shoes What does the world need more of? Positivity Team Edward or Team Jacob? Team Edward

What type of food is most needed at the Lethbridge Food Bank at any given time?

Any staple food

What’s your favourite canned food?

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Where are they now?

Celebrating successes of our alumni in their careers and throughout their lives.

2011

Breanne Campbell Criminal Justice-Policing 2009, and Correctional Studies – Applied Degree lives in DeWinton, AB, and works as a probation officer.

2010

Jordan Bass Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism found work right after graduation at Rock 97.7 in Grande Prairie doing the on-air weekend show.

He is still at it but has added a one-hour heavy metal show that airs in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

Joshua Ludvigson Engineering Design and Drafting Technology writes: “I was lucky enough to land a summer job at Gas Liquids Engineering between my first and second year at Lethbridge College. … I have my dream job in Calgary at one of the best companies in the world as a junior piping designer. I owe my success to hard work and dedication, my peers and the wonderful staff and instructors at the college.”

2009

Robert Hlatky General Studies is working as a graduate assistant while he completes his MA in Sociology at the University of Alberta, specializing in social structure and policy.

2008

Jen Sandau-Loveless Communication Arts-Advertising and Public Relations worked at a newspaper in Lloydminster, AB/SK, as a graphic designer for three years following graduation. She now works for a metal roofing and siding company in Nisku, AB, as its marketing manager.

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Kirby Sarvas Criminal Justice-Policing is working as a funeral director/embalmer in Biggar, SK. After completing one year of the Bachelor of Applied Arts in Correctional Studies, she was accepted into the Funeral Director/Embalmer program through the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. She finished her schooling in December 2010 and is currently working on her one-year internship with the Funeral and Cremation Council of Saskatchewan.

2007

Vanessa Ferreira Communication Arts-Advertising and Public Relations completed a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree at the University of Calgary. She works for the University of Alberta, Calgary Center, as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Her portfolio involves community relations, alumni and donor engagement, and media relations.

2006

Patrick Ingoldsby Environmental Assessment and Restoration lives in Red Deer, AB, and works for an engineering firm mitigating environmental impacts from construction projects.

Tonya Woolford Communications Arts-Broadcast Journalism is currently the executive director of the Lethbridge Food Bank.

After graduation, she worked for Rogers Broadcasting as the promotions director for Rock 106 and 107.7 The River. She went on to work for Clear Sky Radio (CJOC Lethbridge and CJCY Medicine Hat) where she worked in promotions, sales, marketing and web design prior to moving to the Lethbridge Food Bank in March 2011.

2005

Jordan Dekens Professional Golf Management is a sales executive with the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge.

2004

Chris Bennion Computer Information Technology lives in Calgary where he is a sales associate with Coast Wholesale Appliances as well as working in the computer technician field….his second true love (after his wife!).

2002

Kevin Turner Business AdministrationManagement is currently a realtor in Lethbridge. He has been a licenced associate since 2005 and currently owns and operates TurnProf Renovations Ltd. and works with RE/MAX Lethbridge’s commercial division. He has also partnered with a Calgary firm, offering unique opportunities to real estate investors and offering a rent-to-own program for those wanting to become home owners.

1998

Darren Birrell Criminal Justice-Policing works as a police officer with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service.

1997

Kelly Bond Bachelor of Applied Conservation Enforcement found great success since his graduation, with two immediate offers in resource enforcement and two in policing. After working for Manitoba Natural Resources, he has now been with the Ontario Provincial Police for over 14 years, serving in Kenora, Ontario on a Special Highway Patrol Unit. “Lethbridge College was a big part of my future employment and career opportunities.”

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1995

Scott Yakiwchuk Communication Arts-Advertising and Public Relations is a program facilitator with Portage College in St. Paul, AB. The majority of his work is with Aboriginal communities and the government to provide training programs on reserves and settlements.

1994

Neil Fraser Communication Arts-Broadcast Journalism has put his Lethbridge College education to good use in a number of industries: broadcasting, retail, customer service, training and account management. All this has led to his dream job of working for a hockey team. In January 2011 he joined the Lethbridge Hurricanes where he is the Sales Director.

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running in 2009 and has now completed three marathons, six halfmarathons and numerous 10Ks. He hopes his time in a marathon in San Antonio, Texas, will qualify him for the marathon of all marathons – The Boston. Blake’s competitions have taken him to Hawaii, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Bahamas, Mexico, Aruba and throughout the U.S.

Darlene Derksen (nee Gormley) Communication Arts-Advertising and Public Relations set up a research library at the Youth Employment Center and worked at Southern Stationers in shipping/receiving and in the desktop publishing department. She has been a legal assistant since 1999.

1989

Linda Jean Munroe-Philbrick Nursing has completed both her Bachelor of Nursing (Athabasca University) and a Master’s of Science in Nursing as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner at the University of South Alabama. She currently works as a Hospitalist with Inpatient Consultants of Florida.

1981

1992

Blake Eves

Blake Eves Criminal Justice-Policing 1986, Business Administration 1992 spent four years with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service as a dispatcher after graduation. After working in human resources for four years, he took a job in San Ramon, California, installing computer software. For 14 years, he has travelled the U.S. doing this type of work. A former Kodiak runner and coach, Blake returned to

Michael Ward Conservation Enforcement currently lives in Winnipeg and works for the Springfield Police Service. After graduation, he worked for the Department of Natural Resources for 15 years before moving into policing (and being the second oldest recruit at the time). He spent 13 years with the Winnipeg Police Service before moving on to the rural municipality of Springfield.

1980

Sharon (Luney) Smit Environmental Assessment and Restoration writes: “The program at Lethbridge College has offered a lot of opportunities for me to work for the provincial and federal governments as well as private industry. I started with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and worked in an arctic research station (Fresh Water Institute) in Winnipeg.

I’ve worked for the Department of Natural Resources and the Canadian Wildlife Service. I’ve also worked as a private consultant to environmental consulting companies. For the last 10 years, I have worked for environmental analytical labs.”

1975

Arthur Anderson Conservation Enforcement is a Sergeant with Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Lethbridge District. After graduation, he worked in a number of provincial parks before moving to Transportation in 1987. He and his wife Gloria have seven children and he fills his time with woodworking and cooking.

Sheryll (Batty) Ortiz Nursing left Alberta in 1979 to work as an RN in California. She currently works as an RN in Rancho Mirage where she is working on her Master of Science– Nursing degree with hopes of teaching.

1972

Ken Benson Business Administration worked as an accountant and then joined the Lethbridge Regional Police Service, where he worked for 28 years before retiring in 2006. He was elected to the Lethbridge County Council in 2010.

Submit your alumni update online at greenalumni.ca

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