st. albert leader jan 16, 2014

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When you register your children withSt. Albert Public Schools, you’ll start them on apath of adventure, learning and creativity that willlast a lifetime. Opportunities in academics, sports,fine and performing arts, community serviceprojects, extracurricular activities and more awaityour children at our schools.

Choose from our English, French Immersion,Logos Christian Education or Cogitoprogramming for your children – each programprepares students for Grade 1 and provides thefoundation for success.

We also offer different scheduling options toaccommodate your family’s lifestyle – choosefrom our regular half-day Kindergarten programs,our full-day every-day programs, or our full-day,alternating day programs.

Please join us for our open housesand school tours, or call yourneighbourhood school to arrangea visit any time.

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District Administration Office, 60 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue780.460.3712 � www.spschools.org

INFORMATION EVENINGS & OPEN HOUSESElmer S. Gish School75 Akins Drive 780.459.7766Kindergarten Information Evening/Open House/Cogitoand Global Programs: February 13, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Keenooshayo School40 Woodlands Road 780.459.3114Open House: February 4, 6:30 p.m.

Leo Nickerson Elementary SchoolÉcole Elémentaire Leo Nickerson10 Sycamore Avenue 780.459.4426English, French Immersion & Logos Christian programs available.Kindergarten Information Evening/Open House: February 5, 6:30–8:00 p.m.

Muriel Martin Elementary SchoolÉcole Elémentaire Muriel Martin110 Deer Ridge Drive 780.458.0205English and French Immersion programs available.Kindergarten Parent Information Evening: January 30, 6:30 p.m.

Robert Rundle School50A Grosvenor Boulevard 780.459.4475Kindergarten Parent Meeting: January 30, 6:30 p.m.

Ronald Harvey School15 Langley Avenue 780.459.5541Kindergarten Parent Information Evening: February 12, 7:00 p.m.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie School61 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue 780.459.4467Kindergarten Information Session: February 12, 6:30–8:00 p.m. (Library)

Wild Rose School58 Grenfell Avenue 780.460.3737Kindergarten Information Evening/Open House: February 11, 6:30–7:30 p.m.Please note: As Alberta Education funds only the regular program, families must pay extra for the full-day every-day option.*pending sufficient registrations

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That’s how many kilometres are between Goulburn, Australia — the hometown of exchange teacher Amanda Cooper — and her new posting at Leo Nickerson Elementary School in St. Albert. See story, page 4.

People from all over the world have been coming to St. Albert lately, like the Japanese students who visited Paul Kane High School (page 3), the Australian teacher who is on a year-long exchange program (page 4) or the bantam hockey teams from all over the world competing in the John Reid tournament (page 7).

Students from Japan got a little taste of Canada — and its winter weather — last week as they were hosted at a local high school.

Students from Paul Kane High School played host to 22 students from Takamizu High School in Iwakuni City, Japan, from Thursday, Jan. 9, to Saturday, Jan. 11, fulfilling their end of an exchange that saw the same number of Paul Kane students visit Japan for 10 days back in May. The exchange was part of the Kakehashi Project, which is sponsored by the Japanese government.

Laura Allen, the Japanese

teacher at Paul Kane, said the exchange is more than just a chance to practice a new language.

“They’re making international friendships and they’re realizing people are people everywhere you go in the world,” Allen said. “And they’re practicing their communication skills with people who communicate a little more indirectly than they do.”

Meanwhile, Grade 11 student Emma Shandro said the experience of the exchange has

been incredibly valuable.“I’ve learned so much about

the world, just by being there and having them come here.

… It’s been ridiculously fun,” she said. “It’s been culturally extravagant — I can’t even begin to explain it. I’ve loved every minute of it.”

The three days hosted by Paul Kane students were only part of the 10 total days the Japanese students spent in Alberta. The Japanese students are sharing the homes of the Paul Kane students.

“The homestay part is my

favourite part. I love meeting everyone,” Shandro said. “I love to hear all their stories. Having them here and sharing that with them, I think that’s wonderful.”

There were a host of activities planned for the Japanese students, ranging from art projects, cultural presentations and English classes to dodgeball tournaments, potluck lunches and skiing lessons.

Students from both countries have kept in touch between their visits, Allen added, either through email or social media.

“They knew what they were doing before we knew,” Allen said with a laugh. “They’re like, ‘Oh, they’re coming on this day,’ and we didn’t have any idea.”

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert Leader

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From Down Under to the Great White North, a teacher at a St. Albert elementary school has travelled halfway around the world to better herself as an educator.

Until the end of 2014, Amanda Cooper will be teaching at Leo Nickerson Elementary School in St. Albert. That’s a far cry from her usual posting at Wollondilly Public School in Goulburn, Australia, more than 13,000 kilometres away.

Even after just a couple of weeks, Cooper is settling in very well at Leo Nickerson, although the biggest adjustment may just be the weather, leaving the sweltering Australian summer for a cold Alberta winter.

“But we’re just loving it. This morning, when we got up to get ready to come to work, my husband said, ‘Oh, we got snow overnight!’ And I said, ‘How much?’” said Cooper, who is taking charge of a Grade 4 class in the school’s Logos Christian program. “The teachers at school say they only like the snow because it makes me happy.”

Goulburn is a city of 21,484 people located along Australia’s east coast, about a two-hour drive

from Sydney and one hour from the country’s capital, Canberra. Cooper and her husband arrived in St. Albert on Dec. 30, and she has been teaching since kids

returned from Christmas holidays on Jan. 7.

LNES teacher Thom Sherwin headed the other way and will be teaching in Goulburn

until December 2014.State governments

throughout Australia sponsor teacher exchanges, with Canada, the United Kingdom and the United

States as possible destinations. The

participants are in touch well beforehand and lots of time to prepare

things for their

counterpart. They also swap houses

during the year-long exchange.

Cooper had Canada at the top of her list, though, for many

reasons, including the

quality of educational research coming out of the country.

“There are quite a few similarities in curriculum, but there are quite a few differences depending on which province you go to … I thought it was the most similar in some ways, so that you’re not working totally in a different system, but there are

enough interesting things that are different,” she said.

While she says that schools in Australia feel more institutional, the biggest difference is how far ahead Canadian schools are in terms of curriculum.

“The curriculum Alberta is doing has been here since about 2005 or 2006, and we’re actually starting a lot of that content in 2014 in New South Wales,” said Cooper, who is an assistant principal at Wollondilly.

“I’ve been leading the introduction of that back home, so it’s a difference, but for me, I’m quite familiar with it,” she added. “While I’ve been working at teaching my staff the new syllabus, I’ve been looking at the similarities with the Alberta syllabus.”

Outside of the education system, though, Cooper said one of the

biggest difference she’s noticed is the “vast variety” of goods available.

“I’m not sure if that’s a Canadian comparison or living in a large community. … The amazing array of fresh produce that you can get in the middle of winter really surprises us,” she said. “And we feel the price of things is really good. We’ve added lots to the Canadian economy already.”

Cooper and her husband were in Canada for a vacation over the summer, visiting Vancouver and the Rocky Mountains. But she hopes to see much more of the country over the coming year.

“We want to get across to Niagara Falls,” she said, “and we would love nothing better than to go to Churchill (Man.) and see the polar bears. Whether we can

venture that far, we’ll have to see.”But, as far as her education

career goes, Cooper hopes to come away from Canada with a wide range of new experiences. In fact, at the end of the exchange, she is required to write a research paper, and while she initially hoped to write on evaluating teacher performance, after just a couple of weeks, she has already changed her mind to write on the role of schools in building communities.

“The purpose of the exchange is really to further your information, to challenge yourself, to work outside your comfort zone — which are all things I really love to do — and to go back with ideas that you can exchange and build on,” she said. “For me, it’s all about best practice. How can I be the very best teacher I can be, regardless of the country I’m in?”


5

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The City of St. Albert is on the lookout for residents who make our city a better place to live.

Last week, the City put out the call for nominations for its Community Recognition Awards, which recognize citizens in categories such as sports, arts and culture, citizenship, professional achievement and past era businesses.

“St. Albert is an outstanding community because of the calibre of our residents,” Mayor Nolan Crouse said in a press release. “Every day I see shining examples of people who go above and beyond to make our city a better place to live, and who enhance the image of our community to others through their actions.”

The St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce also hands out its complementary

Pillar of Business Award during Small Business Week every October as part of its Small Business Awards of Distinction program.

Winners will have their name permanently included on an art installation in a green space on the northwest corner of Sir Winston Churchill Avenue and Perron Street, in downtown St. Albert.

Nominations for this year’s Community Recognition Awards are open until Feb. 15. They will then be reviewed by the City’s Community Services Advisory Board during the month of March, and recommendations on recipients will be made to city council in April. A presentation will be made to the winners in June or July.

For information on the various categories or to download a nomination form, visit www.stalbert.ca/community-recognition-program.

St. Albert firefighters are used to rescuing people and pets. Now, they’re rescuing the city’s Family Day festivities.

The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2130, which represents St. Albert Fire Services employees, has taken over the planning of festivities for the long weekend in February, and will present the Family Day Fire and Ice Festival on Monday, Feb. 17, at Lacombe Lake Park.

IAFF Local 2130 president Warren Gresik said that the festival is a great way for firefighters to reach out to the community.

“When the City (of St. Albert) did approach us to ask if there was any interest, it was kind of a no-brainer,” Gresik said. “The fire department ties into the community and the ‘fire and ice’ aspect, and we thought this was kind of an opportunity to give back to the community as well.”

Family Day festivities started in St. Albert in 2011 as part of the city’s 150th anniversary celebrations. In 2012 and 2013, they were organized

by the Spirit of St. Albert Society, which was formed to carry forward some of the events created for the 150th anniversary.

But, with SOSA regrouping and focusing on other events in 2014, the firefighters have stepped up to take over Family Day.

Gresik is hoping to bring out about 5,000 people to the festival, and so far, there are lots of events planned, including pond hockey games, coffee can curling, family skating, sleigh rides and even fire artist performances.

“We’re trying to get as many activities as we possibly can,” he said. “I’m confident that, when Feb. 17 does roll around, it’ll be a great event.”

The Fire and Ice Festival will also raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, which is a favourite charity of firefighters across the country.

While the firefighters have only had about two weeks to plan the festival so far, Gresik said the

response from the community has been great.

“Our guys are pretty resilient; we’re going to do our best to make it a wonderful event, and I’m confident we’ll succeed,” he said. “So far, it’s positive feedback from the sponsors

we have heard from. We think we exemplify that community

spirit, and there are a lot of businesses in town that feel the

same way.”Last year,

Lacombe Lake Park was

unavailable for Family Day festivities

after a hole was cut in the ice on the

lake, making it unsafe for skating. SOSA moved the event to

Lions Park, but attendance suffered.Gresik said they’re relieved and

excited to have Lacombe Lake Park back in shape.

“It’s such a great family area,” he said. “With the fire department, we assist public works with checking the ice levels and stuff, and just looking around there, what a beautiful area it is.”

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Annual GeneralMeeting

Election of Board of Directors and Executive of the Association

Saturday, January 25, 2014Grandin Room - St. Albert Inn, 156 St. Albert Road

2:30 p.m. Registration 3:00 p.m. Meeting4:00 p.m. Post Meeting Social (cash bar)

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The president of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce should butt out of regional politics, says St. Albert’s mayor.

The debate around amalgamation of Capital Region municipalities was sparked once again on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president James Cumming spoke to the Realtors Association of Edmonton conference at the Edmonton Expo Centre, saying that so many jurisdictions leads to soaring taxes and public service costs, and some municipalities aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to regional infrastructure projects.

But St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse — who also serves as chair of the Capital Region Board — said that amalgamation is not on his or the CRB’s radar.

“The way I look at it, the Chamber president should work on something else, quite frankly,” Crouse said. “This

isn’t something that’s going to be going anywhere, and he’s wasting his time.”

“From a regional point of view, there’s nothing within our plans,” he added. “There’s nothing in the Capital Region Board’s mandate, there’s nothing within

our strategic plan for the Captial Region Board to do any amalgamation. There’s no member of any council or any mayor of the 24 municipalities that has talked about this.”

The Edmonton Chamber has also made a request to the Alberta government that it start looking into the costs and implications of amalgamation.

“The province has already mandated otherwise, so the province is not going to work on

it,” Crouse said. Crouse added that Cumming’s remarks

came as a surprise.“I wasn’t aware that the Chamber was

working on this,” he said, also wondering aloud if the chambers of commerce around the region would lead by example by amalgamating themselves first.

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The bantam AAA St. Albert Sabres are hoping to ride a recent hot streak all the way to victory against competition from all over the world this weekend.

The Sabres are the host team in the 36th annual John Reid Memorial Tournament, which starts today (Thursday) and runs until Sunday at the Mark Messier, Troy Murray and Northstar Hyundai arenas, all in Servus Credit Union Place.

The Sabres have been on a roll lately, going 7-1-1 in their last nine Alberta Bantam Hockey League games, and head coach T.J. Woodward said he wants to keep the momentum going.

“At the beginning of the year, I looked at this tournament as a measuring stick, to see where we’re at right now in the season, see how we match up against the top teams,” he said. “But the way we’ve been rolling since the beginning of December, I assure you we’re not looking at it that way. … I want to play the best,

and I want to beat the best.”But it won’t be easy, as the John

Reid tournament attracts some of the best bantam hockey teams from across North America and even the world. This year, the field is stacked, including the defending champions from the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver, B.C., as well as teams from Winnipeg, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas and even HC Kometa from Brno, Czech Republic.

“That’s just fun. That takes me back a little bit to when I was a little guy myself and it was Canada vs. Russia,” Woodward said.

But many of the Sabres are relishing the chance to put their skills up against international competition.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” said forward Aidan Steinke. “We play the Czech Republic in the late game Thursday, 8 o’clock, and that’ll be pretty fun. The whole town will be out, probably.”

“It’s going to be a test … it’ll be a good experience,” added fellow

forward Ryan Cooper.HC Kometa played an

exhibition game Tuesday evening at Servus Place against Edmonton’s Canadian Athletic Club.

While the players are trying to focus on games, though, it’s hard not to keep an eye in the stands, as numerous Western Hockey League scouts make the trip to St. Albert every year to evaluate talent ahead of the league’s bantam draft, which will take place in May.

“I’m just trying to focus on the game and not who’s up in the crowd,” Steinke said.

Overall, it’s an exciting time of the year for both players and coaches.

“Being a St. Albert kid, this is the one tournament they all look forward to,” Woodward said. “They’re talking about it from day one. As soon as they make the team, that’s one thing they’re excited about, that they get to play in the John Reid.”

For more information on the John Reid Memorial Tournament, visit johnreidmemorial.com.


8

n Jan. 8, I attended the Realtors Association of Edmonton

Housing Forecast and heard Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president James Cummings drop the A-bomb: amalgamation.

The resulting uproar and conversation in the region has been interesting and somewhat amusing. The use of such a controversial word needs to carefully considered and the definition understood.

Amalgamation is the combination of two or more municipal entities into a single entity. This is much different from annexation, which is acquisition of land, but does not merge the municipal governments. If the main goal of an amalgamation is to reduce the size and number of governments and the associated

costs, we cannot assume that amalgamation is the answer.

Let’s look at Toronto. While the number of municipalities went from 850 to 445 and elected positions went down 23 per cent, there are now more people than ever working in Ontario’s local governments. The negative effect is not only the loss of identity, culture and historic significance, but also less representation of constituents. If St. Albert was amalgamated with Edmonton, we would most likely have one councillor representing our city instead of seven.

Regionalizing services does

not always mean better or cheaper. Consider fire services in the region. Many counties still use volunteer departments. Amalgamation would mean full-time fire departments everywhere, which would be a huge increase in cost. As well, regionalization of ambulance service may be cheaper, but the level of service in St. Albert has dropped significantly.

I can’t imagine Edmonton wanting St. Albert. We are a highly residential municipality that would cost Edmonton more than they would gain. What Edmonton wants and needs is raw land to develop for the wave of growth this region is going to experience.

Regional co-operation is the preferred route to achieve economies of scale. We already see this working well with the Alberta Capital Region

Waste Water Commission. The Capital Region Board (CRB) can be and should be the tool to succeed with more regional co-operation. Mr. Cummings began his speech by stating that the “top priorities for municipal leaders should be infrastructure and regional co-operation.” The conversation needs to begin with a clear understanding of the difference between a rural and urban.

The CRB is working. Productive planning is occurring in the region in conformance to a growth plan approved by the province. It may stifle growth in some areas, but the intention is to prevent urban sprawl and preserve valuable agricultural land. Hopefully the spirit of co-operation is alive and thriving, especially with some of the young and newly elected.

in-win situations can be hard to come by in municipal politics. Often, it is difficult to make a decision that

doesn’t leave someone feeling hard done by.But St. Albert city councillors made the

right decision on Monday when they voted to continue a municipal property tax assistance grant program for seniors, which is a win-win for everyone involved.

At their Standing Committee on Finance meeting on Monday, councillors voted to continue the program — which gives $100 to low-income seniors who own their homes outright and are receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit — despite the fact that changes within the provincial government meant the City of St. Albert would have to administer the program itself at a cost of around $10,000.

But by funding that cost through new assessment growth, there won’t be any impact on any other taxpayers in the city. All in all, it’s a novel solution that makes sure that some of our most vulnerable citizens continue to be taken care of, albeit in a small way.

There were a couple of votes to scrap the program Monday, though, one coming from Coun. Cam MacKay, who felt the City needed to be looking after seniors who rent as well.

While that is true, taking away the grant program from homeowners doesn’t solve renters’ problems. Renters aren’t the ones sidled with massive tax bills each year — at least not directly. If MacKay wants to help seniors who rent, then he should bring forward plans for a rent subsidy program or something to that effect, but without taking away from homeowners who still benefit from that small amount of tax relief each year.

Now, the most important thing for the City to do is to advertise the changes to the program. When the provincial government was administering it, the grant was automatically handed out to those who qualified. But the City doesn’t have the access to the same information as the province does, so they will likely require seniors in need to apply for the grant somehow. That’s something that needs to be communicated to those affected so that they don’t miss out.

That way, we all continue to win.

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Residents still have a chance to let the City of St. Albert know what they think of the latest plans for a mountain bike skills park.

The City is hosting two open houses on the project. The first was held Wednesday at Sir George Simpson Junior High School, but people still have a chance to have their say on Saturday at the Grandin Clubhouse (5 Grenfell Ave.) starting at 1 p.m.

Like Wednesday, Saturday’s event will be a traditional open house, with residents having the opportunity to ask questions to experts on the subject matter and express their opinions.

“This is the perfect opportunity to clarify any myths that may be involved in the selection of these locations,” said general manager of community and protective services Chris Jardine in a press release issued Tuesday. “The Mountain Bike Skills Park will provide our city with an

additional free and spontaneous recreational opportunity and we want residents to have their say in the process.”

The City is looking at two sites for the park: 43 R Riel Dr. and Gloucester Park. These sites were chosen through an extensive process that took into consideration criteria like location, environmental factors, security and safety, parking and accessibility, and community support.

The final design of the park will be completed once a site is chosen.

In 2013, City staff proposed both Liberton Park and Seven Hills as possible sites for the park. Seven Hills was eliminated due to the historical significance of the site, and Liberton Park didn’t go ahead after nearby residents expressed their opposition to city council.

Feedback collected through the open houses and through email and phone calls to St. Albert Place will be compiled and included in a report to city council on Monday, March 24.

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Figures provided by the Alberta government paint a rosy picture of St. Albert’s finances, but a couple of city councillors think the smell isn’t so sweet.

On Monday afternoon, City of St. Albert staff gave a presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance — which is made up of all seven city councillors and chaired by Coun. Wes Brodhead — on financial indicators for 2012 provided by the province’s municipal affairs department.

On the surface, those figures seemed to show that St. Albert is running a tight ship financially.

“These trends provide evidence that St. Albert operates a very lean and efficient organization,” said Brenda Barkley, the City’s manager of financial operations and reporting. “Overall, from all these indicators, the City’s financial position is very strong.”

But Coun. Sheena Hughes and Coun. Cam MacKay disagreed with that assessment.

“Based on these graphs and the limited amount of information we’re actually getting from them, for us to postulate those types of statements doesn’t make sense to me,” Hughes said.

“I’m not comfortable lending my name to something that states St. Albert is operating in a lean and mean fashion,” MacKay added. “The data is fine, but I wouldn’t come to the same conclusions reached by this report.”

The figures provided by the province compare St. Albert to similar

municipalities across the province — including Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Airdrie, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Okotoks, Fort Saskatchewan, Cochrane and Camrose

— in areas like equalized tax rates, percentage of debt limit used, revenue sources and major expenditures.

Barkley admitted that St. Albert is more dependent on property taxes for revenue than other municipalities in its comparator group.

“(St. Albert) relies heavily on property taxes, at 45 per cent compared to the group median of 34 per cent,” she said. “Other municipalities focus more on user fees, franchise fees and other alternate sources of revenue; that could include grants as well.”

But, on the other hand, corporate expenditures were below the group median, both overall and in specific areas like general government, protective services and environment.

St. Albert was slightly above the group median for expenses in transportation and recreation.

The rest of the committee was satisfied with the figures provided by the province, although they could see some room for improvement in areas.

“We have to remember these are provincial municipal affairs numbers and they need to be taken with a grain of salt,” said Coun. Cathy Heron.

“St. Albert has taken the position to rely heavily on property taxes,” she added, “but we as a council, entering into a new term, should be open to having some discussions on generating revenue from other sources.”

12

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A transgender teacher who was fired in 2008 will have his discrimination complaint heard by an Alberta human rights tribunal, thanks to a recent ruling by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sheila Greckol.

Jan Buterman was fired from his substitute teaching job after he informed Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools about his sex change. The gender switch was deemed unacceptable by the school district.

The following year, Buterman filed an appeal but the school district successfully challenged the motion before the human rights commission, who dubbed the appeal without merit.

That decision was overturned by the chief of commission, who felt the case should indeed go before a tribunal. The school district countered by filing for a judicial review, and the case has been in limbo ever since.

“I am very happy that this decision went this way,” said Buterman. “These are complex issues with lots of layers and lots of things that are not easily evident — it’s all very multi-layered and complex.”

Buterman is now working on his master’s degree in policy studies at the University of Alberta. He says there is no exact date on when a tribunal will be held but says the hearing itself could take as along as 15 to 20 days.

“I don’t anticipate that I will be having a tribunal in just a few days. I expect it will probably be many, many weeks perhaps many

months,” said Buterman.Buterman admits he

doesn’t have the resources to pay for a lawyer to represent him at the tribunal. Luckily, he is getting some help from a friend who has agreed to represent him, however, this means the tribunal will most likely be split up over a

long period to give the lawyer the time needed to work the case.

“The legal help I’m getting is from someone who has been kind enough to choose to fight this with me,” said Buterman. “The help I’ve gotten has been because someone else has chosen to care about these issues and believes it’s important regardless of remuneration.”

In 2011, Buterman was offered a $78,000 settlement but the offer was deemed insensible, says Buterman.

“There was stuff in there like I would no longer speak of this in any way shape or form,

that I would no longer refer to me having ever been fired, or that I would be responsible for anyone else who would ever speak about this,” said Buterman. “Ultimately it comes down to me not being comfortable agreeing to be silenced.”

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Members of the Baha’i faith in St. Albert are once again looking for remarkable women in St. Albert and Sturgeon County.

The Baha’is of St. Albert are hosting their annual Celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2014, but they have already put out the call for nominations for the awards that will be handed out that evening.

“Women’s issues are humanity issues,” said Elaine Tahririha of the St. Albert Baha’is. “Just because, in St. Albert, women and girls can achieve whatever they set their hearts to doesn’t mean that happens in the rest of the world.”

Categories under which women can be nominated include arts, business, community service education, health, literacy, mentorship, motherhood, peace, youth, First Nations initiatives or science.

Tahririha said it’s always a treat to see the nominations roll in and see what kinds of contributions women are making to their communities.

“It’s very hard to choose,” she said. “There are so many people that do so many worthwhile things. That’s why we decided to [honour] five instead of just one. That way, we can honour different categories — we can honour a youth, we can honour a senior volunteer, or someone in the arts or someone in business. It looks at women in all walks of life.”

Last year, Paul Kane High School student Katie Fitzgerald was honoured by the Baha’is, and then went on to a Stars of Alberta volunteer award. In 2012, Violet Oko was an International Women’s Day award recipient, and then she was named co-Volunteer Citizen of the Year with Helen Kieran for that same year.

Tahririha said that its rewarding

to see the women the Baha’is have recognized go on to win more awards.

“In our first year, we recognized Lois Hole, and look what happened, where she went,” Tahririha said with a laugh, referring to the former lieutenant-governor of Alberta who hailed from St. Albert.

“The interesting thing about it is that most of them don’t really think they’re doing anything,” she added. “They’re just doing their normal life, and they’re surprised when their friends or co-workers take the time to fill out a nomination for them.”

This is the 18th year for the International Women’s Day celebration. This year’s celebration will take place at the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club, and Tahririha said they’re venturing out into getting sponsors for the event.

“It’s gone from a little event that no one knew about to an event that a lot of people know about, and we’re getting it more and more well-known,” she said, adding that about 120 to 140 people attend each year.

The deadline for nominations is Feb. 8. Nomination forms are available at www.stalbertbahai.org.

14

Hundreds of soldiers from across western Canada gathered at CFB Edmonton Monday for the Exercise Strong Contender competition.

The five-day tourney is a brigade-driven event that brings together over 1,000 soldiers — in the name of promoting physical fitness and to boost morale.

Teams are made up of soldiers from specific units, competing in sports like ice hockey, ball hockey, indoor soccer, volleyball, cross fit, and even curling.

The tournament culminates with gold medal games and an award ceremony that will take place on Saturday.

Major Ian

Miedema says the soldiers train hard for the tourney all year, and competition between the units is “strong.”

As for what’s at stake for these competitors, Miedema says there’s something much more coveted than the medal that’s hung around the necks of the winners.

“Pride, absolutely. They play for the medal at the end of the day, but honestly it’s bragging rights at the bar when they can sit down and say that they were the best,” he said.

“They take it extremely seriously.”The tournament runs

until Friday.

The City of St. Albert will continue to help low-income seniors with their property tax bills, but the way they do it will be changing.

On Monday afternoon, the City’s Standing Committee on Finance — which is made up of all seven city councillors and chaired by Coun. Wes Brodhead — voted to keep the program, which has been running since 2009, in place, despite the fact that the Alberta government is no longer handling the administration of it.

“While this program didn’t come in during my term on council, the intent was to help out seniors who are struggling with

property taxes. And I don’t see anything that’s dramatically changed that would suggest they don’t need that assistance anymore,” said Coun. Tim Osborne.

The program knocked $100 off the tax bills for low-income seniors who own their homes outright and received the Alberta Seniors Benefit; a total of 605 properties were included in the program in 2012.

But the provincial government is instituting a new seniors property tax deferral program for the 2013 tax year, and thus has told municipalities that it would no longer administer such rebate programs on their behalf.

This program replaces an education tax deferral program previously in place at the provincial level. In 2013, 49 St. Albert

seniors took advantage of that program. While the recommendation from

City staff was to scrap the municipal assistance grant program altogether due to the associated extra administrative and advertising expenses, councillors voted to keep it on at a price tag of an extra $10,000, which will be paid for out of new assessment growth funds.

“Taking $100 out of their pockets makes a dramatic difference,” said Coun. Sheena Hughes. “For many people in St. Albert, $100 is just throwaway money. But when we’re talking about people in this income bracket who currently live in St. Albert — (600) of these families — this is a huge difference to them, and we need to recognize that.”

Coun. Cam MacKay, however, voted to scrap the program because he felt it didn’t address the needs of seniors who rent their homes and thus are more vulnerable than those who own.

“Everybody in St. Albert has trouble paying their taxes. The issue is not age, but income. … I think we should looking at reducing the tax burden for all St. Albertans,” said MacKay, who joined the meeting via telephone.

City staff will now work on amendments to the grant program’s policy document to allow for it to be administered internally and to prevent people from applying for both it and the provincial tax deferral program. Those amendments should be back to the committee by the end of March.

Photo: DAVID BLOOM, Sun Media News Services

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18

Jack Bauer doesn’t get nervous. Does he?

Well, maybe not. But for the actor who plays Jack Bauer, Canadian Kiefer Sutherland, it’s a different story.

“I’m terrified,” admitted Sutherland, who was at the Television Critics Association tour to promote the upcoming 12-hour series 24: Live Another Day, which debuts with a two-hour episode May 5 on Fox and Global.

“It was nine years (over eight seasons that he played Jack Bauer) and I’m terrified. I used to get terrified between each season. I’m very nervous. Without patting ourselves on the back too hard, we made eight very strong years. We always would look back every season and wish something had been better, but I was very proud.

“So to make 12 more episodes, and not make them the best 12 we’ve ever made, I’m terrified, I won’t lie to you. Until we start shooting, I’m about as anxious and wound up as I’ve been in a long time.”

We all knew Jack Bauer would be back at some point after having left the air in 2010. But many thought it would be in movie form. Sutherland and the producers indicated that the movie is still

a possibility, but that 24: Live Another Day is a separate story that has nothing to do with the script of the proposed film.

“The film is an ongoing situation,” Sutherland said. “There’s always an opportunity to do that. But Howard (Gordon, executive producer) came up with this and this was the opportunity that came to us first.

“This is what we’re primarily focused on. So if this ends up rebooting the show or leading to a movie, so be it, but we’re very focused on this right now.”

Sutherland added, though, that his comments don’t necessarily mean he’s committed to more TV time for Jack Bauer following 24: Live Another Day. “When I said reboot, I never said I was a part of it,” said Sutherland, prompting laughter.

24: Live Another Day will be shot and set in London and filming will begin in a couple of weeks.

“I was born in England and I’ve spent big chunks of my life there,

but I’m anxious about (shooting in London),” Sutherland said. “Traffic there is very difficult. We plan to be shooting outside. I’m sure we’ll be hated by a large portion of London for snarling up their traffic, and for that I apologize in advance.”

Story-wise, things pick up four years later, and Jack remains a fugitive. One interesting element is that as the new season begins, Jack and his trusted former sidekick Chloe, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, will be working against each other.

Sutherland and the producers insisted that 24: Live Another Day will be both rewarding for devotees and also completely accessible to anyone who never saw the first eight seasons.

“The benefit of coming back four years later is four years need to be explained,” Sutherland said. “So it is a justifiable moment for characters to be catching up.”

Sutherland, 47, was asked about the physical demands of returning to Jack Bauer.

“I started working out about five months ago,” Sutherland said. “I’m not getting any younger.

“I’m not taking any supplements. But I’m probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life.”

So to sum up, Kiefer Sutherland is nervous, but in great shape. Wrapping that into Jack Bauer should be explosive.


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Will 13 be a lucky number for this year’s winner of American Idol?

After way more misses than hits over a dozen years, in terms of winners going on to have major music careers, the 13th season of American Idol kicked off with a two-night, four-hour premiere Wednesday and Thursday.

Here’s my biased take on some of the past winners of American Idol, ranking the most successful to least.

Idol’s biggest earner, with 16 million in album sales, 20 million in single sales plus $100 million in

tour revenues, has also taken home six Grammys and become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. But Season 4’s winner is currently riding a wave of criticism over her December appearance in a live-TV production of The Sound of Music. Her tweeted response: “Mean people need Jesus,” did her no favours.

After the ill-fated movie From Justin to Kelly, Season 1’s winner — a

Texas belter with major chuztpah too (she stood up to Clive Davis) — has proven to be the one to beat after Underwood with over 20 million albums sold since her 2002 victory. She’s also won three Grammys, appeared as a judge on the TV reality singing competition Duets, just released a Christmas album with accompanying TV special, got married, and is expecting her first child.

The sweet-voiced Season 6 winner saw her debut album sell two million copies and get her a Grammy nod but it’s been awhile since her 2009 second album with her branching out into movies, including in the

ill-fated Sparkle opposite Whitney Houston in her last role before she died, and into a real-life romance with fellow singer Jason Derulo.

This Dave Matthews soundalike and Season 11 winner had the most successful

coronation song with “Home,” which went on to sell over four million copies. All this despite eight different procedures to deal with kidney stones while he was on the show and eventual kidney surgery. He also landed an opening slot for John Mayer on his 2013 comeback tour.

This Season 10 winner and country crooner with a deep voice that seems beyond his youth

saw his 2011 album make history, becoming the first country debut to bow at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. He also won the Best New Artist award at the ACM Awards.

This grey-haired leader of the Soul Patrol won Season 5, but he was eventually eclipsed

by fellow contestant, rocker Chris Daughtry. Record sales for Hicks, the contest’s oldest winner at 29, were dismal and he was dropped by Arista after one album. However, he also became the first Idol to get a long-term Vegas residency, first at Bally’s,

and now Paris.

The Season 3 winner has been up and down professionally and personally since

her victory which was eclipsed by fellow contestant and Oscar and Grammy

winner Jennifer Hudson. In addition to releasing three albums, the third

of which led to a Grammy award for the single, “Bittersweet,”

she appeared on Broadway in The Colour Purple, and released a New York Times bestseller, Life is Not A Fairytale, in which she

revealed she’s functionally illiterate. One of her homes also

went into foreclosure, and she was hospitalized for a drug overdose.

Is new judge Harry Connick Jr. a sign of a return to sanity as American Idol enters its 13th season? Or will he be a bore?

After last year’s stunt-like diva drama between judges Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, the New Orleans big band-jazz crooner, actor and married father of three may not exactly be the guy you’d think could save Idol from its two-year dramatic ratings slump.

Idol’s peak years were all the way back in 2006-2007 when it drew 30 million viewers to the finale. Last season, the series sunk to a new low of 14.2 million.

But Connick proved to be a sharp, wise-cracking and intelligent mentor on last year’s season (and 2010’s before that) which is maybe how he got the upgrade to judge Season 13 alongside returning judges Keith Urban (on his second year) and Jennifer Lopez (back after taking last year off). The show’s last remaining original judge, Randy Jackson, has been demoted to mentor this year.

Connick is, after all, the son of a judge, so tough but fair?

“I think this year might bring everybody back into the fold,” is what Connick told USA Today about Idol’s upcoming season.

He could only be talking about the Minaj and Carey’s not-so-subtle and immediate

dislike of each other with the outspoken hip-hop upstart refusing to bow down to the R&B queen.

Conversely, Connick is a slick sounding southerner with manners but unafraid to speak his mind at the same time, very similar to Urban, a straight-

talking but funny country singer who hails from Australia but lives in Nashville.

They could be future besties.

“Keith’s a really bright guy, a genuine guy,” Connick told USA Today. “I love being on the panel with him, because he says things I don’t

think of.”Now, of course, the ratings

gurus will tell you that nobody will tune in to watch two grown men get along on television.

But they didn’t exactly show up in droves for Minaj-Carey arguing either now did they?

I also didn’t watch Idol the year Lopez debuted but you would only assume the Bronx-raised singer-actress would have a distinctly different point of view from her southern male judges.

“That’s what you want: three people who have experience, who can come at it from three different angles,” said Connick.

We can only hope.Connick is also married to

former Victoria’s Secret model Jill Goodacre so perhaps an occasional cameo by her too will make for a ratings bump?

Well, it can’t hurt.

20

Tatiana Maslany must realize that after Orphan Black, every single acting job she gets for the rest of her life is going to feel like the easiest thing in the world.

In the sci-fi drama Orphan Black, Maslany has to play seven clones — and counting — with completely different looks and personalities. Give her merely one part in a TV show or movie? Easy-peasy, right?

“No, my God, no,” the Canadian actress said at the Television Critics Association tour.

“This challenge is in itself crazy, but it becomes just sort of the thing that you’re doing, right? For me, the scary next thing might be working in a small independent project where I don’t have the control that I have on this. Maybe it’s a supporting character. That in itself can be frightening or a challenge.

“I don’t think there ever has been a role that I’ve taken that I haven’t worked my ass off for, you know what I mean? It’s just all relative.”

So what you’re saying is, even Orphan Black seems normal to you now?

“This is normal,” Maslany said with a laugh. “It’s like a cakewalk.”

Orphan Black returns for its second season

April 19 on Space. Maslany’s work in the first season of the innovative series earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe award for best actress in a TV drama on Sunday night.

Many people were shocked that Maslany wasn’t

nominated for an Emmy Award last fall, although she did win a Television Critics Association award and a Critics Choice award. But she says awards are “icing” and not the reason she does what she does.

“I’ve been grounded a lot by the acting teachers I’ve worked with and also

my family is just like, from Regina, this doesn’t make sense to us,” Maslany said. “I think after the Critics Choice Awards, I called my parents and my mom was like, ‘That’s great … so, we found a baby bird in the backyard and we nursed it back to health!’ And they were so excited. And I was like, ‘That’s awesome.’ My family is amazing.

“We were completely blown away — or I was, at least — by the critical response we’ve received. We’re a niche, odd little show that could have fallen under the radar. It’s wild to sort of be seen differently or have more visibility, but it’s rewarding. I’m an actor, and I like having attention, I guess. There’s a reason I like being on stage. There’s a reason I like being in front of a camera. It’s that interaction.”

With all those characters in her head, though, Maslany admitted she isn’t the soundest sleeper.

“There’s a lot of stimulus and my brain is kind of processing a lot of different arcs and personalities,” she said. “I don’t sleep. I don’t (calm down). Eventually I’ll pass out. But for the six months we’re shooting it’s kind of running on adrenalin.”

Of course, one of the clones could try singing the others a lullaby. If you got ’em, use ’em, Tatiana Maslany.


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24

Retired Trinidadian track star Ato Boldon isn’t particularly fond of gyms these days.

“To be quite honest, I hate gyms,” he says in a candid phone interview from South Florida.

But it’s not the facilities themselves that are the focus of Boldon’s ire.

Rather, it’s the self-indulgent patrons.

“Gyms have become such a haven for posers,” he explains. “It’s like more people are busy taking pictures of themselves working out than actually working out. It’s brutal.”

The four-time Olympic medallist, however, has found a workable solution.

“I belong to a 24-hour gym around the corner from my house. So I can go at two in the morning when I’m guaranteed nobody’s gonna be there,” he adds with a chuckle.

Boldon, who picked up silver and bronze medals in the 100- and 200-metre dashes respectively at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, now serves as partner and speed trainer with S3 Sports Academy in Miami.

When he’s not putting NFL hopefuls through their paces, the 40-year-old resident of Miramar, Fla., works as NBC Sports Group’s lead track and field television analyst. He’s slated to be at next month’s Winter Games in Sochi to offer insights and commentary on various events.

Indeed, Boldon’s a busy guy, which brings up another pet peeve of his: People who tell him they’re

too busy to work out.“I’m like, ‘You’re not busier than

I am. And if I can find a way, you can find a way,’” he says. “When I’m home, I’m on the track just about every day.”

Boldon’s track workouts start with the exact same warm-up he used during his career. He walks the turns of the track and strides (not quite sprinting) the straights of the track for eight laps.

“So that’s two miles,” he adds. “Most people who join me find that that’s enough of a workout. But that’s just my warm-up.”

From there, Boldon will do a combination of sprints, anywhere from 150 to 300 metres, depending on what day it is.

“(Running) intervals, that’s the only way I know how to do it,” he notes. “That’s the one thing I know my body responds to.”

It’s an intense workout that lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

When he’s travelling, Boldon will hit the gym in his hotel and perform a series of classic exercises that build power and strength in multiple muscle groups, including cleans, squats, deadlifts and snatches.

“Ten years after my career, weights are not my focal point, but I understand that they are the best way to burn calories in a workout,”

he explains. “If you want to get strong, you get that bar and you put those weights on and you get on that platform and you move that bar.”

Boldon, who earned a bronze medal in the 100m and a silver in the 4x400m relay at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, has also been known to hit the soccer pitch on occasion.

“On a day like today, where all it’s done is rain, I will pick up that ball, put some air in it and just go out and move for 30 minutes straight with the soccer ball, back and forth, up and down the pitch,” he says.

Variety, after all, is among the keys to an effective workout regimen, according to Boldon.

“I know that a lot of people get stuck in ruts and they feel like they plateau because they do the same thing,” he explains. “What happens is the body adapts. The body’s like, ‘Oh this. We can do this all day.’”

That’s why Boldon, a fit 190 pounds at five-foot-nine (15 pounds heavier than in his sprinting heyday), also recommends progressively increasing workout intensity. “If you’re comfortable with every workout that you do, you probably need to be doing it a little bit more intensely or more of it.”

Consistency is crucial, too.“My thing is just to move every

day,” he advises.“To me, anything you do on a

daily basis that gets your heart rate up is a good thing.”

But to those guilty of taking shameless gym selfies, Boldon would appreciate if you just leave your cellphone in your gym bag.


Most people around the world are optimistic that 2014 will be better than last year and that the global economy will be stronger, according to a poll.

Seventy-six per cent of people in 23 countries questioned by the global research company Ipsos said they had high hopes for the new year, slightly more than in 2013. About half said last year was not great for them and their families.

“People are excited for the new year. I think they still have a bad taste left in their

mouths from 2013, with the slim majority saying it was a bad year for them and their families and people a bit worried about the economy,” Keren Gottfried, a senior research manager for Ipsos said in an interview last week.

But the overall optimism, she added, “shows people want to look at the world with the glass half-full.”

The poll, which was released on Friday, determined that 53 per cent of

people around the world believe the global economy will be more robust in 2014,

with the sentiment strongest in India, China and Indonesia and

weakest in Sweden, France and Italy.

Spaniards, Argentineans, Hungarians and Mexicans were the most likely to say last

year was disappointing, while the numbers were the lowest in

Australia, Indonesia and Sweden, where 42 per cent or fewer people had a

lousy 2013.The poll showed personal New Year’s

resolutions were popular in most countries, particularly Indonesia, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa where 90 per cent or more people made them, compared with 56 per cent in Hungary and 38 per cent in Sweden.

Gottfried views the numbers as an indication that people are making resolutions because they want to make things better and are starting the year with excitement.

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26

Two weeks into 2014, the adrenaline has worn off and the surge in exercise has caught up to aching bodies.

Brett Kirkland, co-owner of Blitz Conditioning, says the second week of January is when resolution-makers start to drop off at the gym.

The good news for people who hang in another week — habits are made or broken in about 21 days, he said.

“After those first three weeks is when it starts to get easier, for sure,” he said, adding shows like The Biggest Loser offer a warped perception of fitness progress.

“Setting high goals is great, but people expect to see huge results,” he said.

Before plunging to resolution ruin, celebrate the small victories and realize weight loss and fitness is a process.

To keep the momentum going, make

fitness social for positive support and accountability.

“Finding someone to go to the gym with you, or getting a trainer, or getting to go to a health-driven community where there are group classes, you’re surrounded by people with like-minded goals — that’s where people tend to succeed the most,”

he said.He added people

who haven’t worked out for five or ten years shouldn’t expect to be at the gym seven days a week.

“If you’re able to get up and go for a walk for 15 or 20 minutes, that’s a

huge change and a huge step,” he said.Personal finances is the runner-up

resolution with 36 per cent of Canadians pledging to do better with their money, according to a study conducted by the Bank of Montreal. Money goals had a greater success rate with 60 per cent of those who set financial resolutions sticking to the plan.


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ERIN RIDGE

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A wave of suicides, called “a national tragedy” by a Member of Parliament, has prompted a group of veterans to set up a new hotline to help fellow soldiers in crisis.

“Once again, our veterans are stepping up to the plate,” MP Jim Karygiannis, Liberal veterans affairs critic, said Saturday. “They are volunteering to answer telephone calls from their brothers- and sisters-in-arms who are in crisis.”

The vets launched the toll-free help line,

1-855-373-8387, last week to provide a support system for current and former military personnel battling post-traumatic stress disorder and other operational stress injuries.

Karygiannis helped the group of veterans establish the crisis line independent of the military.

“Losing one soldier or veteran to suicide is one too many,” Karygiannis said. “Losing (six) within two months is a national tragedy.”

The six suicides since the middle of November are all thought to be PTSD-related.

“Soldiers and veterans who are suffering from PTSD and other operational stress

injuries are carrying a dreadful burden,” Karygiannis said. “All of us must work to remove the stigma of PTSD and other mental health issues.”

Many military personnel have complained about the lack of help for PTSD, some even claim to have been punished for going public with mental health problems.

The new crisis line is staffed by veterans 24 hours a day, and callers can remain anonymous.

There is also a social media effort, started by two vets of Afghanistan, that enables soldiers to help each other.

The Facebook campaign is dubbed Send Up The Count.

Late last year, four Canadian soldiers committed suicide within a week.

Master Cpl. William Elliott was found dead Nov. 25 near the Canadian Forces base in Shilo, Man. And Master Bombardier Travis Halmrast, who also worked at CFB Shilo, took his life that same day.

Warrant Officer Michael McNeil died Nov. 27 at CFB Petawawa in Ontario.

And Master Cpl. Sylvain Lelievre, 46, was found dead Dec. 2 near CFB Valcartier in Quebec.

28

# 1 0 , 2 0 C i r c l e D r i v e , S t A l b e r t � T e l . 7 8 0 . 4 5 8 . 0 0 0 9 � S o u l F i t n e s s S t u d i o s . c a

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ACROSS

1 High, pricewise6 Clothed

12 Saharan sight14 Pertaining to

flight technology16 Insatiable greed17 Non-spiritual18 Tiny amount19 Carpenter's tool21 Oklahoma tribe22 Cold-shoulder24 Send payment26 Drops the ball27 Open, as a

bottle29 ____ as rain31 Hood's weapon32 Spanish rice

dish34 Something to

prove, in math36 Lacking, in Lyon38 Fork feature39 Continent carver 7 Hail, to Caesar 45 Weathered 53 Plastered42 Public standing 8 Puerto ____ away 56 Blow the 46 Mined find 9 Haul with tackle 46 Playful swimmer whistle on47 Kind of address 10 Supersize, say 48 ____ and 58 Boxer Spinks49 Brake part 11 Floor plan, e.g. bounds 61 Tetley product50 Pond dweller 12 Diner bottle 51 Wrangler 63 Seafood 52 Wrapped up 13 Emphatic refusal material delicacy54 Mambo king 15 Colgate

Puente alternative55 Turnstile feeder 20 Give off57 June birthstone 23 Modeler's wood59 Young fellow 25 1992 film, "A 60 Flow out League of ____62 Childish Own"64 Treatment plan 28 Come in second65 Nodded off 30 Office supply66 Humiliate 33 Japanese 67 Struck with a cartoons

patella 35 Transplant a plant

37 "Milk" starDOWN 39 Ready for the

1 African plain dog show2 Slander 40 Pipe problem3 Place for a plug 41 Carnival 4 Sermon subject attraction5 Indiana hoopster 43 Draw on6 Old street 44 Ready for the

fixture junkyard

The Weekly Crossword by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15

16 17

18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35

36 37 38

39 40 41 42 43 44 45

46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53 54

55 56 57 58 59

60 61 62 63

64 65

66 67

E P I C A R T S D E L F TA U R A D E E P O P E R AS L I P D E E R R I G O RT E S T B E D E P I T O M E

A I R H A R S HR E M I T J U D I D E N C HI R O N C A M S A T I R EP O T P A G E B O Y T E AE D I T O R R U N H E E DN E F A R I O U S J E R K Y

T R E S S M A XB A P T I S M D O W A G E RA C R I D I B I S G A V ET H O N G U R G E O M E NH E D G E M A S S N E R D

Copyright 2014 by The Puzzle Syndicate

The modern marathon is modeled on a run by a Greek soldier in 490 B.C. from Marathon to Athens (about 25

miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. (discovery.com)

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Photo: DAVID BLOOM, Sun Media News Services

29

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When it comes to pitching your business to investors, there’s perhaps no one more qualified to give pointers than people who have stared down Dragons.

The City of St. Albert’s economic development is hosting a half-day seminar called Power Pitch on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

And who better to give those tips on pitching than two St. Albert entrepreneurs who have appeared on the current season of Dragons’ Den on CBC — Michelle Whitehead from Untamed Feast and Nora Furber from Monjeloco Jeans.

Whitehead said that this presentation won’t be quite as nerve-racking as facing the Dragons was.

“This feels more like a repeat of (Dragons’ Den),” she said. “I’ll summarize a bit and talk about my experience. It’ll be right around a year since we auditioned, so it’ll be a trip down memory lane.”

Furber appeared on the season premiere of Dragons’ Den in October, and while she didn’t walk out of the den with a deal, she had strong interest from all five investors.

Meanwhile, Whitehead appeared on the show in November with husband Eric, pitching their line of gourmet wild mushroom products. They struck a deal with Arlene Dickinson, getting $65,000 for 20 per cent of their company.

“We’re new to the community, so we’re keen and excited to get involved in the business community,” Whitehead said. “And it just so happened that we aired shortly after Monjeloco, so it’s natural that a community

of this size would want to highlight some of that exposure.”

The Power Pitch event will also feature a session on crowdsourcing with representatives from Alberta BoostR, Sublime Swim and Sunwear and Poppy Barley.

Harold Pacheco, marketing specialist with the City’s economic development department, said the idea came out of the department’s mandate to help businesses already established in the city as well as attract new ones.

“As St. Albert continues to grow, we feel businesses here should grow as well,” he said.

The art of pitching to investors, he added, is something entrepreneurs often overlook.

“There are so many things to think about when running your own business. You might be really good at numbers, you might be really good at the product or service you’re putting out there, but some people might be introverts or aren’t really used to talking or how to sell themselves properly,” Pacheco said. “But in order to grow, you need to have financing, you need capital.”

In the end, though, Whitehead hopes attendees come away with some new weapons in their arsenal to go out and get the money they need to take their businesses to the next level.

“I hope, even if it’s just one or two people, that they get the confidence and the inspiration to go ahead and do it. What do you have to lose?” Whitehead added.

Admission to the Power Pitch seminar is $25 per person, and you can sign up online at www.cultivatebusiness.ca.

The Alberta government signed a “historic agreement” in India on Monday that will see the province increase trade in dairy production and swine genetics technology with the rapidly growing nation.

Alberta Human Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar inked the agreement with the State Government of Punjab Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia as a part of Premier Alison Redford’s $120,000 trade mission to build ties with India.

Majithia praised Alberta’s reputation for high-quality food, reported The Times of India.

“Both Punjab and Alberta being agro-based economies can prosper by sharing innovative agriculture and food-processing technologies and experience,” he said.

Under the agreement, the Alberta and Punjab governments will establish an

agricultural working group and work together to explore opportunities for scheduling joint-exchange programs for scientists to share their knowledge.

The government said the agreement will enhance trade and investment. On average, more than $102 million worth of products and services are exported from Alberta to India each year.

“Alberta has strong economic and cultural ties with Punjab and today’s agreement will build on those ties and strengthen our agricultural sectors,” said Redford.

The agreement follows a similar one made Jan. 11 with the State of Meghalaya that will support an immediate increase in Alberta’s livestock genetics sales to that region as well as bolster trade on products like canola and agriculture machinery.

The government will officially open the Alberta India trade office during the 15-day mission from Jan. 9 to Jan. 24., which ends with Redford’s participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Leader file photo

31

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Two hundred and forty wallets were “lost” in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently, but surprisingly almost half were returned to their “owners” with some categories achieving a return rate of almost 90 per cent!

What accounted for the high rate of good citizenship in returning a lost item? Evolutionary psychology!

Richard Wiseman is a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. In an experiment, he and his team dropped 240 wallets on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. The wallets contained normal items such as receipts and membership cards, but none of them contained cash.

The primary difference was what was contained in the clear plastic window when you opened the wallet.

There were six categories of what you might find:

However, the return rates of these lost wallets was dramatic:

Wiseman believes that evolutionary psychology has programmed people to be compassionate to vulnerable infants, and this triggers a higher altruistic state in the people that found the

This experiment demonstrates

that your audience’s mind can be primed to be receptive to a preferred

in deep instincts like love, affection, fear, greed, etc. How can you use this concept in your marketing?

imagery to show what they can expect.

beautiful photographs of vibrantly colored produce as you enter their stores.

you will alleviate, and the happiness that will result from a contribution.

driving, in addition to the vehicle itself.

be receptive to your message before you pitch.

Kurian Tharakan is a sales and marketing consultant, speaker and

facilitator, and a senior member of the business strategy firm Acton

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ned/leasedbytheeligiblecustom

erandregisteredintheirnam

eon

orbeforeJanuary7,2014.Proofofow

nership/lease

agreem

entwillberequired.Additionaleligiblecustom

ersincludelicensedtradesmen

andthoseworkingtowardsSkilledTradecertification.Som

econditionsapply.See

yourdealerforcompletedetails.±Best-sellingbasedon

R.L.

PolkCanada,Inc.2014CYnew

vehicleregistrationsforretailsalesoflargeHeavy

Duty/SuperDuty

≈pickups.≈H

eavy

Duty/SuperDutyvehiclesinclude:2500/3500SeriesRam

Trucks,2500and3500SeriesforGMCandChevroletTrucks,F250/F350andF450series

forFordTrucks.¥Basedon

longevityofentireRam

largepickupsegmentcompared

toallcom

petitivelarge

pickupson

theroad

since

1988.Longevitybased

onR.L.PolkCanada,Inc.CanadianVehiclesinOperationdataas

ofNovem

ber1,2013formodelyears1988-2013foralllargepickupssoldandavailableinCanadaoverthelast25years.≤B

asedon

2013AutomotiveNe

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