St. Albert Leader - March 29, 2012

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Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leader

As a member of the Go Auto family, Northstar also has access to a hugeinventory of quality pre-owned vehicles. The purchasing power of Go Autoenables them to pass bigger savings to all their customers, and belonging toa group of 26 dealerships with multiple domestic, import, and luxury brandsmeans they can offer better value for all trade-ins.

In addition building a reputation for earning repeat and referral business,Bullock is proud of the efforts Go Auto and Northstar Hyundai make tobe pillars of the community. As a member of the St. Albert Chamber ofCommerce, Northstar looks forward to an increased role in the community.

“Many of us grew up and live in this area, and we appreciatethe opportunity to support local charitable organizations and

to participate in community events.”

Sales or service, new or pre-owned, Northstar Hyundai is committed toearning your business as a customer for life. You can visit Bob, Dan and theNorthstar team at 13634 St. Albert Trail, or check them out online atwww.northstarhyundai.com.

Northstar Hyundai has been proud member of theSt. Albert community for several years, but Vice PresidentBob Bullock, General Sales Manager Dan Hoskins and the Northstar teamhave made a commitment to take involvement to the next level.

“We are proud to be part of the community.We are extremely grateful for their help in making us

the #1 dealer in Western Canada and helping us win thePresident’s Award of Merit from Hyundai Canada for 2011. Itis with gratitude and excitement that we announce our new

partnership with Servus Credit Union Place.”

Northstar has sponsored many local sports teams and community events soa partnership with Servus Place was a natural fit. In addition to communityinitiatives, the arena formally called the Performance Arena will now becalled Northstar Hyundai Arena.

Northstar Hyundai is St. Albert’s Hyundai retailer, and their facility on theSt. Albert Trail will redefine your expectations of the dealership experience.Their friendly, knowledgeable staff will help ease the stress of purchasing anew vehicle, while their heated drive-thru, state-of-the-art equipment, andcertified technicians will help keep you and your car safely on the road.

The past three years have been an exciting time for Hyundai. “NewThinking, New Possibilities” is the mantra that guides the development ofeach and every Hyundai model. It’s this philosophy that drives best-in-classfuel economy, safety, and feature content no matter the category of vehicle.Best of all, each Hyundai model is backed by one of the best warrantiesin the industry. Here is a recent sample of some of the more prestigiousawards Hyundai has received:

ElantraAJAC 2012

North AmericanCar of the Year

2012 HyundaiVelosterAJAC 2012

Best New Sports Car(under $50K)

2012 HyundaiAccent

Best NewSmall Car

(under $21K)

awards Hyundai has received:awards Hyundai has received:awards Hyundai has received:

2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai 2012 Hyundai

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Leadthe

COVER

INDEXNews . . . . . . . . . 3Opinion . . . . . . . . 8Health . . . . . . . . 11Lifestyle . . . . . . . . 14Homes . . . . . . . 17Entertainment . . . . . 18Business . . . . . . 22stalbertjobs.com . . . 23

FUN WITH NUMBERS

923That’s how

many days Tiger Woods went in between PGA Tour victories. Woods ended the streak by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational Sunday at Bay Hill.

RCMP tracking dog Arctic, a four-year-old German shepherd, and his handler, Sgt. Leon Fiedler, were special guests at the RCMP Youth Academy at St. Albert Catholic High School on Tuesday. See story, P. 6.

THIS DAY IN HISTORYMARCH 29, 1993

Catherine Callbeck becomes the first elected female premier in Canada, as her Liberal party wins 31 of the 32 seats in the Prince Edward Island legislature. Rita Johnson became premier of B.C. in 1991, but she replaced retiring Bill Vander Zalm mid-term.

Trust big issue as writ dropped

Arena naming rights sold

GLENN COOKSt. Albert Leader

After weeks of speculation, the provincial writ was officially dropped on Monday morning, with Premier Alison Redford sending Albertans to the polls on Monday, April 23.

As the four-week campaign unfolds, Grant MacEwan University political science chair Chaldeans Mensah expects the most important platform point to shift — from health care to the environment to electricity prices to social issues — but one fundamental question should remain the same.

“Which leader do you trust to keep the economic gains we’ve made in the province, and to move the province ahead in terms of a vision that people can embrace?” Mensah said. “I think trust is going to be a major item in this campaign.”

The timing is right, Mensah added, for everyone involved.

“The parties are raring to go; we’ve had an intensity of exchanges by the parties. The legislature has been humming with activity,” he said. “I think the electorate is ready to go.”

Four weeks may seem short, but with the Progressive Conservative leadership race — which Redford eventually won — spanning most of 2011 and speculation on the next provincial vote starting up immediately afterward, Mensah said Alberta has been in “election mode” for some time now.

But he doesn’t think that will translate into burned-out voters and lower turnout figures at the polls.

“What is interesting this time around is the fact we have competition,” he said. “The typical reaction of disgruntled conservatives has been to stay at home. We’ve had situations where voter turnout is suppressed because disenchanted

conservatives would express their discontent by not showing up at the polls. But this time, there is an alternative for them. The very fact that the Wildrose Party is in the game will spread interest.”

In fact, he thinks the Wildrose Party could stand to make the biggest gains in terms of the popular vote. Whether that translates into more seats in the Legislative Assembly, though, remains to be seen.

“They will garner a lot of votes, but the danger is that our electoral system may prevent them from gaining seats,” he said. “The first-past-the-post system is very tough. They will likely improve their vote total, but the problem will be how that translates into seats.”

Meanwhile, Mensah said the Tories are heading into the election in a “defensive mode,” but still have a strong foothold throughout the province.

“The PCs’ strength is in the rural ridings. There are 30-plus ridings that they tend to do very well in. This time, they will have competition from the Wildrose, but I really don’t think the Wildrose will be able to do any major damage to that base,” he said. “The battle is going to be in the big cities; the big cities are going to be very competitive, especially in Edmonton. I think all the parties will have a say in the outcome.”

The newcomers in this election are the Alberta Party, having been reorganized from various previous forms in 2010. But Mensah said their chances are “limited.”

There are 87 seats up for grabs in this election, up from 83 in March 2008. At dissolution, the PCs held 66 of the 83 seats; the Alberta Liberals held eight; the Wildrose Party held four; the NDP held two; the Alberta Party held one; and one was held by an independent.

Photo: glenn cook, St. Albert leaderCanadian fiddle champion Daniel Gervais draws back his bow during the Centralta Tourism Society’s Celebration of the Voyageurs Saturday night at the St. Albert Commuity Hall.

Fiddling around


The main attraction at Servus Credit Union Place will soon have a new name.

The facility and Edmonton auto dealer Northstar Hyundai have reached a 10-year agreement on the naming rights to what was previously known as the Performance Arena, which can hold more than 2,000 people and is the current home of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s St. Albert Steel.

The rink will become known as Northstar Hyundai Arena when the agreement takes effect May 1.

“We are truly pleased to have Northstar Hyundai be the first

naming sponsor of the Performance Arena,” said Servus Place business and marketing manager Mark Edwards in a press release. “This is one of our most significant sponsorships and the 10-year commitment to our community shows the value and emphasis they place on healthy living.”

This is the first time since Servus Place opened in 2006 that the Performance Arena has had a naming rights sponsor. The arena has hosted several high-profile events, including the Edmonton Oil Kings’ preseason tournament, the 2011 Continental Cup of Curling, the 2011 Esso Cup and the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Special Olympics National Winter Games.

NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGMonday, April 2, 3:00 p.m.Council ChambersSt. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

Agenda Highlights:

The complete agenda and agenda packageare posted to www.stalbert.ca

• Banque d’Hochelaga/St. Albert ArtGallery Renovations and Addition

• Amendment to Schedule 3,Administrative Charges, of Policy C-FS-16- Municipal Fees & Charges

• Hemingway Centre Lease Agreement• Options for Ray Gibbon Drive Walkway• Bylaw 9/2012 – Bylaw to Amend

the Business License Bylaw & Bylaw10/2012 – Bylaw to Amend the TobaccoRetail Licensing Bylaw

You can address Council on these or anyother issues. Public appointments are heardat the beginning and end of each Councilmeeting. Call 780-459-1500 to register.

Council meetings are televised on SHAWTV Channel 10 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.,webcast live and archived: stalbert.ca

COMMUNITY SERVICESADVISORY BOARDTuesday, April 3, 6:30 p.m.East Boardroom, Third FloorSt. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

YOURCOUNCIL

READYSET GO/StA_Recreation/StARecreation

FOUNTAIN PARKRECREATION CENTREw: stalbert.ca/fountain-park-recreation-centrep: 780-459-1553

Easter Long Weekend Swim TimesApril 6, 2012 (Good Friday)Lane Swim 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Family Swim9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Public Swim 1 p.m. to8 p.m.

April 7, 2012Lane Swim 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Family Swim9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Public Swim 1 p.m. to5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

April 8, 2012 (Easter Sunday)Lane Swim 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Family Swim11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Public Swim 1 p.m. to5 p.m.

April 9, 2012 (Easter Monday)Lane Swim 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Family Swim9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Public Swim 1 p.m. to8 p.m.

PROGRAMS& SERVICES

CIVC VOLUNTEER INCOMETAX SERVICEw: stalbertcivc.comp: 780-459-6666

The Community Volunteer Income TaxProgram helps people with low income,seniors and people with disabilitiescomplete income tax forms at no charge.This service is provided in partnership withCanada Revenue Agency to eligibleSt. Albert residents.

GRANTSFCSS SPRING GRANT PROGRAMw: stalbert.ca/fcss-grant-informationp: 780-459-1507

Grants of up to $5,700 are availablefor local non-profit organizations forpreventative social services that enrich andstrengthen family and community life. Thefunds may support new initiatives or specialprojects, and may be seed funding for along-term project. For information aboutspecific criteria, deadlines and applicationrequirements, please contact:

Leanne MacMillan,Manager of Community StrategyEmail: [email protected]

ONLINE | APRIL 2-27www.stalbert.ca/censusThe City of St. Albert’s 2012 Census begins onApril 2, 2012.

Participate by completing the census online –it is easy, convenient, secure and confidential.

Watch for your letter containingyour Unique Access Code whichyou need to access the onlinecensus questionnaire. Householdsthat do not complete the censusonline will be visited by anenumerator starting May 7.

Census data is valuable forplanning community programsand services, and ensures that

St. Albert receives maximumgovernment funding.

MONEY AND WATER.For information: visit www.stalbert.ca/toiletrebateSAVE REBATES FOR LOW-FLUSH/DUAL-FLUSH TOILETS

$50 AND $75TOILET ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE PROGRAM

SUBDIVISION & DEVELOPMENTAPPEAL BOARDWednesday, April 4, 6:00 p.m.Council ChambersSt. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street

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Province pays up for first two stages of Ray Gibbon DriveGLENN COOKSt. Albert Leader

The Alberta government is back on even terms with the City of St. Albert when it comes to paying for the first two stages of Ray Gibbon Drive.

The City announced on Thursday that it had received $1.22 million from the province, which pays off the amount owed to the City related to the extension of Ray Gibbon Drive to Giroux Road.

“The province has and continues to show their commitment to the transportation

infrastructure in St. Albert, and we are pleased that the funds have come through this year,” Mayor Nolan Crouse said in a press release.

The first two stages of the western bypass road cost $45.8 million, of which the City’s share is $26.25 million and the province’s portion is $19.55 million. Half the City’s portion will be collected back from land developers in the area through offsite levies.

Construction has already started on the third stage of Ray Gibbon Drive, from Giroux Road to Villeneuve Road. The total

cost of the stage is $34.2 million — $17 million to purchase land and $17.2 million for project and construction costs. The province will contribute approximately $18.1 million to the project, while the City’s portion of $15.89 million will be funded through borrowing.

“The province is following through on its commitment to the City of St. Albert. This segment of road is part of ensuring Albertans have the roadway network they need to get home safely, to get to work and school on time, and to get our products to market,” said Transportation Minister Ray

Danyluk in a press release. “In addition to supporting the needs of area residents today, our investment is also protecting the right-of-way for future growth.”

The provincial government is hoping to make Ray Gibbon Drive part of the new Highway 2 alignment in the near future; thus, it is being planned and built to support an eventual conversion to provincial highway standards. The province is reimbursing the City for the costs associated with the upgrade from arterial to freeway standard, including additional land purchases and planning studies.

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Students get taste of life in the RCMP


While some of their peers may be taking one last ski trip to the mountains or soaking up sun rays on a beach, a select group of St. Albert teens are instead spending their spring break getting a taste of life in the RCMP.

Twenty Grade 11 and 12 students from St. Albert area high schools are participating in the RCMP Youth Academy this week at St. Albert Catholic High School, learning the basics of what it takes to make it in the national police force, along with getting a chance to check out some of the perks of the job.

“I’ve always been interested in the law and enforcement, whether it be corrections or RCMP,” said Mackenzie Stata, a Grade 11 student from Paul Kane High School. “I just thought this would be an excellent opportunity for myself and 19 other kids to get the experience, get a taste of what depot would be like.”

The academy started on Friday afternoon, and after a troop run every morning, they have breakfast and go straight into classroom training and physical training. In the evenings, they do drills and get a chance to put their classroom work into practice in different scenarios.

Const. T.J. Matlock of the St. Albert RCMP detachment said this is the first time an academy like this has been held in Alberta, but they have a successful track record in British Columbia.

“I was stationed in Prince George, B.C., where I was involved in the youth academy there, and they’re going on their 10th year

now this year,” he said. “It’s been a success there, where they actually get a full troop of 32 students.”

Academy participants can earn a high school credit through their work experience program. Participants are chosen after going through a rigorous application and screening process.

Aside from drills and classroom time, academy participants also get to experience some other parts of police life, like the first-hand look at the Alberta RCMP helicopter that they got on Sunday afternoon.

“I never knew the RCMP was equipped with equipment like this,” Stata said. “It was actually very fascinating to see how it works and all the different things it’s used for.”

They also got a chance to meet Arctic, an RCMP tracking and drug-detecting dog, on Tuesday morning, and other guest speakers are scheduled throughout the week. Graduation is set for Friday morning.

Of the 20 participants, six are female, including Stata.

“It’s good to see it’s not only a male-dominated career, that some women are interested in it,” she said.

Police work runs in Stata’s blood, as her father is a correctional officer at the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre.

“I’ve always been interested in the law aspect of careers,” she said.

Matlock was also encouraged by the number of women interested in a career in policing.

“Law enforcement is generally dominated by the male population, so it’s good to see females wanting to get in to that career,” he said. “We’re always looking for females.”

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert LeaderPilot Steve Smith gives Youth Academy members a tour of the RCMP helicopter Sunday at SACHS.

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No worries over MoneySense slip SCAN TO READ

‘Seniors get one-stop shop at expo’

stalbertleader.com


St. Albert has slipped down another ranking determined by a national magazine, but city councillors say it’s nothing to worry about.

After tumbling down to 59th on Maclean’s magazine’s Safest Cities in Canada ranking late last year, St. Albert slipped to 12th on MoneySense magazine’s index of the Best Places to Live in Canada released last week, down from fifth the year before.

But city councillors said that, with the ranking being out of 190 Canadian municipalities, 12th place was still nothing to sneeze at.

“From year to year, things occur and perceptions of how things appear may change, but the reality of it is that St. Albert is still in the top 12 out of 190, so I think the MoneySense review of St. Albert ... is still a positive reflection on the city itself,” Coun. Wes Brodhead said.

“No alarm at all. ... When I read this one, it doesn’t give me any concern at all,” Coun. Malcolm Parker said. “When you look at the number of communities they survey and we’re still in the top 15, that’s still pretty good.”

Coun. Roger Lemieux said such a drastic swing for St. Albert undermines the whole ranking’s credibility.

“There seem to be some drastic contrasts from last year, and we haven’t changed as a community,

so I question the validity of the survey,” he said. “I’m proud of it in one way, but how can we go from fifth to 12th when we haven’t done anything wrong?”

MoneySense ranked the cities by allotting a certain number of points to each one depending on the importance of the category. Employment statistics, for example, were worth 10 points, and the city with the lowest unemployment rate (Estevan, Sask.) was awarded the full 10, while the next best was given 9.95 points, all the way down the worst unemployment rate (Bay Roberts, N.L.), which got 0.53 points.

In some categories, points were assigned based on the variance higher or lower from an ideal value — for example, precipitation of 700 millimetres a year or population growth of 7.9 per cent. Bonus points could also be awarded based on the percentage of people employed in arts, culture, recreation and sports.

This year’s MoneySense survey also included ranking of Canada’s Best Places to Retire, Best Places to Raise Kids and Best Places to Find Jobs, on which St. Albert placed 47th, fifth and third respectively.

While the latter two are something the city can hang its hat on, councillors were worried about the retirement ranking, especially with the population continuing to age.

“We want to focus on the community as a family-oriented place to live, because of all the

things it offers. And aging and seniors, in a sense, that’s going to happen; people are going to get older, and there’s nothing you can do about that,” Parker said, noting that St. Albert ranked 46th in doctors per 1,000 population, something city council is actively trying to fix. “We certainly have to pay attention to seniors and make sure we look after them as well.”

Affordable housing — a category in which St. Albert placed 125th in 2011 and 154th in 2012 — plays into that, Lemieux added.

“Fifteen per cent of our population is seniors, and that’s probably going to be 20 per cent in five years, maybe less, with baby boomers turning 65. And we don’t have places for them. ... We’re OK in Alberta with taxes and so on, but the cost of real estate in this province, it’s really tough,” he said.

St. Albert also placed 49th in culture, which surprised Brodhead.

“We celebrate [our history] with the Founders’ Walk, with the grain elevators, our museum, our art gallery, all of those things. We celebrate that in our community; most communities don’t have the long history we have,” he said. “The fact MoneySense didn’t put us higher was a bit of a disappointment.”

Brodhead also thought the survey didn’t really reflect the spirit of volunteerism and quality of life that he felt makes St. Albert a great place to live.

The full ranking can be found on line at www.moneysense.ca.


We welcome to our community our new city manager, Patrick

Draper, on April 23 and our new RCMP Inspector, Kevin Murray, on April 10.

I would like to cover off here some of the new activities and projects St. Albertans can look forward to in 2012.

On the capital list, the key initiatives that residents will see include the Riel Park soccer and rugby fields remediation beginning fall 2012; removing the fields and clay capping them. Key road work includes the LeClair Way expansion, which will connect Ray Gibbon Drive to Sir Winston Churchill Avenue and 137 Avenue. Veness Road will be upgraded and right-of-way clearing on Stage 3 of Ray Gibbon Drive has begun for a planned opening in 2012. Two dog parks will open and a

third will be designated.Grit separation installation

on Sturgeon River inlets (stormwater outfalls) will continue, with at least two more completed in 2012.

Assuming that some land matters in the Henday corridor can be addressed, we will see a new Park-and-Ride agreement in place with the province, Edmonton and St. Albert with a 2013 construction. This Park-and-Ride is located where the old Newman College once was.

While there will be progress in economic development on several fronts, a key decision will be the determination in

April of another business/industrial park location.

Council has approved an aggressive replacement of fruit trees, as well as dead, missing and stunted trees. Work will continue on St. Albert Trail improvements in safety, appearance and foliage.

Approval is being sought from several organizations for train whistle cessation changes at the McKenney Avenue crossing. A major rebuild of some of Mission Avenue is also scheduled and bus stops will be upgraded throughout the city.

Socially, we should expect continual reduction in crime and improved safety as a result of community programs and traffic safety initiatives. We will see further development of initiatives to engage, support and acknowledge youth in our community. We will experience

an expanded Canada Day celebration, the return of the August picnic and the soapbox derby. We expect to be even more aggressive with neighbourhood development initiatives, such as tree planting, river cleanup, block parties, graffiti elimination, vandalism reduction and arts activities.

We are hopeful Alberta Education will announce a francophone high school for St. Albert. As well, council must bring clarity to the requirements for new RCMP space and plans for a new community centre that includes youth, seniors and agencies.

The artist-run studio at the Hemingway Centre will likely open, pending negotiations.

Finally, residents will see housing construction in Erin Ridge North, North Ridge and Lacombe Park.

Lots of activities, projects ready for 2012

Some intrigue in local racesWell, here we are — officially into a

provincial election. We all knew we would get here eventually, but we

were never sure exactly when it would be.But now that the writ has dropped,

candidates, parties and leaders have exactly four weeks to tell us why they are the best choice to mark an X beside their name come April 23.

In the riding of St. Albert, things should be very interesting. It has often been a swing riding, with the Alberta Liberals breaking up Progressive Conservative dominance for a couple of terms.

With PC incumbent Ken Allred retiring, it is anyone’s game. Prominent local businessman Stephen Khan has the Tory flag in his hands to fly; what he does with it remains to be seen. His biggest challenge may come not from the Liberals, who seemed slow out of the gate in nominating a candidate, but from the Wildrose Party, with whom a lot of public sentiment seems to have landed lately, and who have a well-known community member in former city councillor James Burrows carrying their banner.

If the PCs perceive a major threat in the St. Albert riding, you will be able to tell right away; Alison Redford will start making appearances at Rotary meetings and other community events to prop Khan up, just as then-premier Ed Stelmach did in 2008 for Allred, tipping the Tories’ hand as to how badly they wanted the seat back.

In Spruce Grove-St. Albert, by contrast, things are likely to be far less intriguing. It’s true that the riding — redrawn last year on the recommendation of the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission — has also swung between the PCs and Liberals in the past, but any challenger this time around will be hard-pressed to dethrone incumbent Tory Doug Horner, especially given his cabinet posts as deputy premier and president of the treasury board.

Four weeks may not seem like a long time for an election campaign, but it should be plenty of time to hear from all sides and make a decision. Then, on April 23, we’ll all be able to see where the chips land.

EDITORIALby Glenn Cook

OPINION

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NolanCROUSESt. Albert Mayor

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Doug Horner

Alberta is facing another majoreconomic boom.We need to preparenow, more than ever, for thisopportunity. Albertans not onlyexpect first rate schools, hospitals,and infrastructure, but we also needto invest in our province so that wecan accommodate tens ofthousands of new Albertans eachyear. Our own constituency needs anew urgent care centre in SpruceGrove and we must expand theSturgeon Hospital. As a provincewe need to work collaboratively withthe federal government to achieveimmigration outcomes that makesense for Albertans.

I have served this constituencysince 2001. In that time I havelearned a lot about the needs of myfellow community members andworked hard to deliver results. Iwould be honoured to represent youagain and to help lead our provinceto Alberta’s bright future. Doug

Hornerhorner.votepc.ca

Vote April 23For voting locations call our campaign office

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StAT launches Google TransitGLENN COOKSt. Albert Leader

St. Albert Transit has added one more weapon to its arsenal of tools to help riders get the most out of their public transportation trips.

Last week, StAT launched Google Transit, which allows commuters to plan transit trips between St. Albert and Edmonton with ease.

“It is exciting. It’s another step in the continuum of trying to improve customer service and ultimately transit service for our customers,” said StAT director Bob McDonald. “It’s a great thing.”

Last May, StAT launched the NextBus system, but McDonald said there’s a big difference between that and Google Transit.

“One of them [Google Transit] is for planning your trip based on schedules. You’re in St. Albert and you want to go to some other place in St. Albert — Servus Place or St. Albert Centre — it’ll tell you, at different times of the day, what bus you should take from what stop. It’ll even give you walking directions to the bus stop,” he said. “And if you want to go to some place in Edmonton, some place that’s not directly on our routes — Grey Nuns Hospital or Rexall Place — you can plan ahead and it’ll tell you what bus to get on when and where to transfer, where to get off and where to walk to at the end of it. It’s pretty

comprehensive.“When you’ve decided on that, NextBus

will tell you in real time when that bus is coming to your stop.”

The implementation of Google Transit should take some of the burden off StAT customer service representatives, who spend a good amount of time on the phone with riders planning out trips.

“Either they’re not familiar with our service in general or they’re not familiar with a specific trip. And if you don’t have both Edmonton’s schedules and our schedules, it’s hard to plan. So they phone our staff and they do the trip planning, and explain it to people, what their options are,” McDonald said. “So we know there’s a demand; we get those calls every day. This now provides an option for people to do the planning themselves.”

And eventually McDonald would like to see Strathcona County get on board with Google Transit, allowing riders to plan trips throughout the Capital Region with just a few mouse clicks.

“Strathcona County are close; they have the same scheduling software as we do. It’s just a question of them doing what we did, to work the data and get it into the format that Google’s asking for,” he said. “It’s certainly possible.”

Other cities in Alberta currently offering Google Transit services include Calgary and Banff.

Photo suppliedStudents from Vincent J. Maloney Junior High School pose in front of a statue of John Harvard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. The students are currently on a week-long tour of the Boston area organized by art teacher Kelly Montpetit.

Harvard bound

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Heavenly Rollers set to shineGLENN COOKSt. Albert Leader

The St. Albert Heavenly Rollers are ready to hit the track for their second season.

The local roller derby squad opens their home season on Saturday, April 7, at Servus Credit Union Place as their new travelling team, the Arch Angels, take on the Calgary Cut Throat Car Hops.

Celeste Thiesen — who goes by the name “Petra Phi” on the track — said the ladies from down south should pose a serious challenge.

“We expect it battle it out, for sure. There will be no cakewalk,” she said. “Their team is very seasoned; they’ve been around a long time and they certainly know the game of roller derby. We expect a really close game and for it to be a complete battle.”

In roller derby, teams put five members on the track for each two-minute “jam”: one jammer and four blockers. The goal is to get the jammer through the pack — helped by your own blockers and hindered by your opponents — at least once, after which your team scores points for each blocker the jammer passes.

The team whose jammer makes it through the first earns what is known as

the “lead jam,” and can call off the jam at any point before the two minutes are up.

Thiesen said that those unfamiliar with the sport can expect a great time if they check it out.

“They can expect athleticism, some really hard hits, spectacular crashes and girls just playing their hearts out,” she said.

Last season was the first for the Heavenly Rollers, and while they had more losses than wins, Thiesen said there were a lot of positives to build on.

“We’re looking to keep our travel team, and we’re almost ready to have two house teams within our league,” she said. “That’s generally how leagues are set up; they have the travel team that plays other leagues, and then there’s some home games where the house teams play each other. We’re pretty excited that we’ve expanded enough to set that up.”

After a break over Christmas, the team got back together in January, and added about 15 new skaters to their ranks. The Arch Angels travelling team — who are off to Prince George, B.C., for a match this weekend — is mostly players who were with the team last year, but Thiesen said there are a few rookies who are stepping up.

“We have a few new faces, though, that

you’ll see, and a few more new girls who are doing really well, so we expect to see them on the travel team rather quickly,” she said.

After struggling last year to find practice and game space, the Heavenly Rollers were thrilled to have Servus Place open their doors to them. They held a number of home matches in the Performance Arena last year, although they’ll be in the Pizza 73 fieldhouse for their home opener.

“I’m not going to lie — that is probably one of the best venues in Alberta for roller derby teams,” Thiesen said. “Every time we bring a team in, they’re absolutely, totally blown away.”

Also on hand will be former Edmonton Oilers anthem singer Paul Lorieau to kick things off by singing “O Canada.”

While Lorieau is known for wearing a tuxedo when singing, Thiesen hinted that the Heavenly Rollers might some special attire for him.

“We always bring him a little surprise,” she said slyly.

Tickets for the bout are $10 in advance or $15 at the door (kids under 10 get in free) and are available through Heavenly Rollers members or www.brownpapertickets.com.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesBif Booi of the St. Albert Heavenly Rollers (left) checks a member of Rage N Fyre out of Grande Prairie during a roller derby bout last season.

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HEALTHFeeling ill? There’s an app for that

MARILYN LINTONSun Media News Services

Can your smartphone replace your doctor? Probably not, but they can make his or her job a whole lot easier. And make you healthier, too.

According to Research2Guidance.com, there are approximately 15,000 consumer health apps available today, 25 per cent of which are free. The consulting firm predicts as many as 500 million people will be using health care mobile apps by 2015.

That sounds about right to Dr. Eric Topol, a California cardiologist who, in his new book, The Creative Destruction of Medicine, writes we will soon be checking our vital signs on our phones.

This revolution in medicine, he said in a phone interview, is about “rebooting medicine” so patients will finally be able to take charge of their health.

“Now we have these new tools including sensors that can talk to your phone and measure any metric that makes you tick,”

Topol says. “We have all these new tools that can basically lay out the whole story of an individual, from what they’re at risk for, what medications might work, what will cause side effects.”

Topol tells the story of one 83-year-old patient who, using his smartphone and a few choice apps, gets regular outputs of his

blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen level — each measurement taken three or four times daily. Though his patient is an unusually diligent data gatherer, Topol believes most of us can make similar use of medical apps and smartphones

and keep track of our own health issues “seamlessly and continuously.”

These new tools, which allow for the self-management of chronic diseases, represent a category known as m-health, but in Topol’s view they won’t move medicine until consumers are fully activated.

“It won’t happen through the medical community because they are ossified, resistant to change,” he says. And maybe a little threatened.

“We need patients to say to their doctors, ‘I have high blood pressure. Why isn’t it being monitored around the clock on my phone rather than not knowing if it is being controlled?’” Topol says. “Today, we have sensors to prevent heart failure, prevent asthma, monitor skin lesions, and get diabetes under better control.”

Topol is especially critical of the stethoscope — 200 years old and totally outdated, he says.

“I haven’t used a stethoscope to listen to a heart in two years, because I have a pocket ultrasound device which I use as an echocardiogram and part of every physical exam,” he says. “Then, in real time, I can show the patient: ‘See your heart, how the valves are working, the strength of its muscle.’ In a minute or two — the same time it takes to listen to a heart — I have the entire scene.”

The m-health revolution has taken root in Canada where Dr. Bin Hu, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded researcher has developed The Gait Reminder, an app with the sensing technology of iPod Touch that uses music to help Parkinson’s patients to walk properly.

At Baycrest, researchers have shown that a smartphone training program for those with

moderate-to-severe memory impairment can result in “robust” improvements. Diabetes educators now recommend Track3 Carb Counter, an app that helps you look up nutrition info, and manage what you eat. And dieters like the app from MyFitnessPal.com with its free calorie counter, diet and exercise journal.

“It’s inevitable that this digital infrastructure invades medicine’s cocoon,” Topol says. “But we have to work together to get it moving forward.”

What’s m-health? It means the practice of

medicine and public health as supported by mobile devices. According to Berg Insight, a European market analysis firm, the global market for m-health was worth $10 billion in 2010.

so smart By 2013, we’ll have about six

billion mobile phones, and the number of smartphones in the world will exceed the number of personal computers, not counting tablets.

“We have to work together to get it moving forward.”

Dr. eric topolCardiologist

The St. Albert Leader is excited to announce thatMichelle Barstad has joined our team in the role of ClientServices. Michelle looks forward to working with ourreaders, advertisers and the great community of St. Albert.

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CARY CASTAGNASun Media News Services

She’s among the top female CrossFit competitors in Canada.

Her burgeoning sport of choice is physically punishing, requiring elite-level strength and conditioning.

But Alicia Connors, 22, says the real secret to her seemingly meteoric ascent to the top of the CrossFit heap is mental toughness.

“It’s very challenging mentally,” she tells Sun Media at a recent promotional CrossFit event hosted by Reebok.

“It looks physically challenging, but I think there’s a lot of people that don’t think of the mental side of it. At a competitive level, it’s 90 per cent mental. It’s hugely mental.”

The smiley, down-to-earth Victoria native admits that even she feels like hitting the showers early during some particularly gruelling workouts.

“You want to quit,” she reveals. “Or there’s negative mind talk. You’re doubting yourself. There’s a WOD (workout of the day) that comes up and you’re like, ‘I don’t really like that one.’ ”

But Connors silences the nagging doubts in her mind by pushing through the pain.

“You do it and when you’re done, it’s so rewarding,” she says.

“You push yourself and you work on your weaknesses. That’s what drives you to continue to come back. It’s always varied. It’s always new and exciting.”

Indeed, variety is one of the sport’s strong points, notes Connors, who lists CrossFit under “religious views” on her Facebook page.

“It’s a new workout every day,” she explains. “You’ll re-do some over months and just hit benchmark ones to see where you’ve improved.

“That’s what keeps it interesting for a lot of people. It’s not your redundant five sets of five reps every day going to the gym.”

Connors discovered CrossFit

shortly after graduating from high school, where she excelled in a variety of team sports.

The blue-eyed powerhouse longed for the competition and camaraderie of high school athletics.

That void was easily filled when she signed up three years ago at CrossFit Taranis in Victoria.

“It’s a team atmosphere,” she says. “You thrive off each other. You push each other. That’s what keeps me coming back anyways.”

Connors, who’s looking to qualify for the Reebok CrossFit Games this summer for the third consecutive year, credits her newfound passion with whipping her into the best shape of her life.

“I’ve done things I never thought I could do,” she says.

Her healthy outlook extends to her diet.

Although she battled anorexia and bulimia in her teens, Connors now views food simply as fuel.

“I try and keep it based on performance,” she says. “Instead of, ‘I shouldn’t eat this, I shouldn’t eat that,’ it’s like, ‘What’s going to fuel me best for my WODs?’ ”

It’s easy to see that the unassuming blonde, who exudes a healthful glow, is at home and in her element when she’s throwing around a loaded barbell in a CrossFit box.

Based on her own positive experiences, Connors now encourages others to drink the CrossFit Kool-Aid.

“Anybody can do it because you can scale it to whatever your needs are,” she urges. “Grab the bull by the horns and do it because you’ll never look back. You’ll do things you never thought you could accomplish and you’ll surprise yourself every day.”

Mental toughness key for Crossfit competitorWhat is CrossFit?

• CrossFit is “a core strength and conditioning program that, once committed to, will improve your athletic performance, no matter what your sport of choice.”

• CrossFit “tests your intestinal fortitude, pushes you beyond your preconceived limits and outside your comfort zone, breaks all the rules and prepares you for superior performance in game, mission and life.”

— www.crossfitvic.com

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesAlicia Connors began CrossFit training three years ago, after excelling in high school sports.

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Local researchers to conduct stroke study

Proteins linked to baldness

CATHERINE GRIWKOWSKYSun Media News Services

Researchers are hoping to find why obese children are more prone to a “double whammy” of blood clots.

Lesley Mitchell, a researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, says blood clots in obese people take longer to dissolve.

She said strokes in children are very rare, but obesity creates risk throughout a lifetime.

“A healthy child has a very, very low risk for thrombosis and stroke,” she said.

“It’s becoming a very recognized clinical entity. Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t think about blood clots and strokes in

children, but now we do.”Childhood obesity is a risk for blood

clots and stroke in early adulthood.Blood flows to maintain oxygen to

tissues, she said. Clots are necessary to prevent bleeding from cuts.

Her team is looking to see if diet, exercise and lifestyle changes can cut stroke risk.

“Lots of people get very frustrated — children included — trying to lose weight as a main goal,” she said.

“But if we have a more sensitive marker of risk for cardiovascular disease, we can modulate this marker and have a much more sensitive way of determining effective different interventions.”

Currently, there is no definitive data on prevalence of stroke in children.

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – An “abnormal” amount of a protein causes male pattern baldness, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered.

The protein, called prostaglandin D2, is found in the bald spots of the scalp of men who are losing their hair and inhibits hair growth.

The researchers at

the Perelman School of Medicine said knowing what causes male pattern baldness could lead to new treatments.

The study says male pattern baldness affects 80 per cent of men under 70 years old.

Prostaglandins play roles in other bodily functions, such as controlling cell growth and constricting

and dilating smooth muscle tissue. A different prostaglandin, F2alpha, is known to increase hair growth.

The researchers now want to see if stopping the protein will reverse the effects.

The school released the study Wednesday. It was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Eight out of 10 Canadians are getting medical procedures in a timely manner — but that still falls short of the 90 per cent target set by the provinces in 2004, according to a report released Thursday.

“Examination of wait-time trends over the last three years reveals limited improvement toward benchmarks,” the Canadian Institute for Health Information said in its report.

Nationally, of the seven procedures identified as priority, radiation is the only one that nearly all patients (97 per cent) receive within the medically recommended time frame of four weeks, the CIHI said. Hip replacements and cataract surgery are performed within their respective time frames 82 per cent of the time; hip fracture repair 79 per cent of the time.

Knee replacements have the longest wait times: 75 per cent of patients receive them within the benchmark time frame.

Two provinces reduced their wait times for certain procedures: Saskatchewan for hip and knee replacements, and Nova Scotia for hip replacement and radiation

therapy.But British Columbia, New Brunswick

and Prince Edward Island now have longer waits for knee replacement. P.E.I. also has longer waits for hip replacement and cataract surgery.

“Across provinces, there has been little change in wait times for priority procedures since 2009,” CIHI spokesman Jeremy Veillard said. “These results may seem generally positive, but some patients are still waiting too long for care relative to benchmarks.”

The CIHI noted that meeting targets 100 per cent of the time is not realistic because some patients develop other illnesses or complications while they wait, and some delay surgery for various reasons. But it said the improvements in wait times seen just after the start of the first ministers’ 10-year plan in 2004 have waned in recent years, and in some instances declined.

Data for the two other priority areas is not available: no benchmark has been established for diagnostic imaging, and there is inconsistency in how cardiac surgery is reported across the country.

Wait times still falling short

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LIFESTYLE

Love your locks this springHEATHER TOSKANSun Media News Services

Spring’s here and if you’ve not yet welcomed the new season with a new hairstyle, why not take inspiration from the styles shown at recent fashion weeks, such as last week’s MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, or from your favourite celebrity on the recent awards ceremony circuit.

Although the most recent catwalk styles technically offer a glimpse ahead at next fall and winter, you can get the jump on fashion by adopting one of the many runway hairstyles that seem especially well suited to here and now.

“While some of the runway styles we create at the (fashion week) shows are deliberately theatrical and dramatic, many of the new hair looks are extremely relevant to spring and transition easily from the runway to the street,” says Jorge Joao, a Redken 5th Avenue hair artist and the lead stylist last week at Toronto’s fashion week.

“Long natural flowing hair like Jennifer Aniston’s remains both stylish and wearable for many women, as does

simple twisted and braided hairstyles,” says Joao. “Sleek hair pulled back into low ponytails with a little extra height at the crown is another look that’s stylish no matter the season.”

According to many hair experts, short hair, bouffant and asymmetrically shaped bobs also top the current spring trends list.

“Very short hair, such as the style worn by Emma Watson, is the biggest trend for spring,” says Montreal-based hairstylist Denis Binet, who led the Proctor & Gamble team of hairstylists in creating the hair at Montreal Fashion Week in February. “It ties into the androgynous look that we’re seeing on some runways, yet also looks very gamine and feminine.”

Hairstylists take their cues from varied venues to create the latest trends.

“We search, study and analyze the global runways for inspiration and then strive to create looks that are adaptable to real life ... Spring and summer will bring cropped bobs, fullness and waves. Medium- to longer-length hair will be curled and set for a more defined style,” says Khoury Suhail, artistic director at the Eveline Charles Salon, Spa and Beauty MD Academy in Edmonton.

Many hairstylists also look to stars for inspiration with many hair trends being set by celebs during the Hollywood awards ceremony circuit. Awards ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards are particularly influential in determining current and future trends.

“While long, flowing hair and glamorous waves are certainly stylish, celebs on the red carpet as well as women in real life are increasingly opting for fashionably short hairstyles,” says Alain Larriviere, a Montreal-based hairstylist and spokesperson for

the John Frieda line of hair products. “Celebs such as Rose Byrne, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz recently went from lobs (long bobs) to shorter bobs, as we saw at the Oscars. Others, such as Michelle Williams and Viola Davis, also looked outstanding with even shorter hair.”

According to Larriviere, although shorter hairstyles may be influenced by 20s-inspired movies such as The Artist and the remake of The Great Gatsby, short hair may also indicate confidence.

“It seems that women are showing confidence and feeling empowered when they cut their hair,” adds Larriviere. “It’s during historical periods such as the 1920s, when many women first cut their hair and started claiming their place in the world outside of the home that we tend to see shorter hairstyles come into vogue. Spring’s short hairstyles are very feminine with lots of volume at the roots and a soft finish.”

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesHairstylist Jorge Joao coaxes a model’s hair into a low, sleek ponytail, updated by backcombing at the crown.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesA short, feminine haircut with a strong fringe is on trend this spring.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesA short look inspired by the styles of the 1920s is in vogue for spring.

Early bird tickets $25 plus GST or $30 plus GST at the door.Visit enjoycentre.ca for tickets or call 780 419 6800, option 3.

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Going gaga for gadgetsTHIEN HUYNHSt. Albert Leader

Anytime between now and the next three weeks, my wife and I are expecting our baby boy to be born. As a first-time daddy, I’m not even close to being mentally prepared for parenthood — “What do you mean you want me in the delivery room? Aren’t I just supposed to get the cigars ready?” — but at least I’m ready in terms of buying all the baby essentials (crib, car seat, diapers and Batman nightlight from Pottery Barn Kids).

Here are some other cool baby gadgets that will help welcome Luke Optimus Skywalker Huynh into the world:

Britax B-READY StrollerPrice: $499.99Where: britax.caAs a new dad, I’m most excited about

picking out a baby stroller — which is the closest thing to test-driving a new car. In this case, I consider the Britax B-READY the Cadillac Escalade of baby strollers, because it comes fully loaded with features designed to make your baby’s ride as comfortable as possible. The multi-purpose B-READY can be used as bassinet, infant car seat and 14 different seat configurations. My favourite feature of the stroller is its ability to transform and fold up into the trunk of any car in one quick snap.

The stroller’s large under-seat storage will come in handy not just for baby gear but also for shopping bags. My wife and I took the stroller for a test drive in a supermarket and didn’t even need a grocery cart. The B-READY has agile handling and its four-point suspension offers a comfortable ride — at least that’s what I think the test-pilot baby tried to babble to me as I was racing down the aisles.

FLAT-D Odour Removing Face MaskPrice: $17.95Where: flat-d.comI have to admit, there’s a fatherly chore

I’m not looking forward to and that’s the duty of having to deal with doody. Fortunately, there’s a company called FLAT-D Innovations that has a slogan which boasts: “Flatulence

Odor Control — Products For Those Who Care!”

FLAT-D offers the Odour Control Face Mask — a smell neutralizer

that uses charcoal-filtered cloth to deodorize

unpleasant smells.My only

complaint is it would make me

look and sound like Darth Vader when

I’m changing my baby. There should be a line of

cute-looking masks so you don’t freak out your kid. But

considering my son will be named Luke, he might as

well get used to my Vader-like breathing.

Aroma Home’s Knitted Animal HottiesPrice: $30

Where: aromahome.comAroma Home’s Knitted Animal

Hotties will come in handy when my baby’s a bit older and has trouble getting to sleep. These stuffed animals aren’t just

cute and soft, they also come with a removable wheat insert that is heated in the microwave; releasing a calming blend of lavender and chamomile to help kids sleep. I wish they also made an adult-sized version that smelled like chardonnay.

NoseFrida the SnotsuckerPrice: $15Where: fridababy.comWhen I told my dad that my

wife was pregnant, he congratulated me, but then he quickly reminded me

that, when I was a baby back in Vietnam, he would have to suck mucous out of my nose whenever I was sick. Thanks Dad —

for grossing me out. When it’s my turn to get my son out of a sticky situation, I can at least use NoseFrida’s Snotsucker, which does exactly what its name suggests. I might get my dad to test it out first though, since he seems to nose what he’s doing in this regard.

Lorene LecavaLier780-458-9399Direct [email protected]

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HOMES

Big style for small spacesCHERYLL GILLESPIESt. Albert Leader

Just because you’ve downsized or live in a less than spacious home does not mean that you need to live with small style. Grand and fabulous style comes in packages of all size.

Let me share with you some of the design secrets we use when creating fabulous smaller spaces for our clients:

1. In a small room, we work with fewer colours, but that doesn’t mean we use no colour or only neutrals. Dark, deep hues actually recede and can make a space look larger as long as the furniture you are using does not create a strong contrast with the walls or the floor — black walls and beige furniture equals contrast! Minimize contrast to visually enlarge a space. Monochromatic palettes work exceptionally well in a small space.

2. Think big when it comes to furniture. We actually use larger

pieces to help create the illusion of a larger space. For example, in a living room we may use a pair of love seats and an oversized armoire; in a bedroom, a vertically oversized headboard, a dresser and a full size chair.

We are always conscientious of the floor space and design the room to leave as much visible floor area as possible using wall-mounted pieces including end tables, nightstands or even book shelves. This trick can be used through out the home. For example, mount a wall-mounted shelf-like table in the foyer to give you a base for a mirror and a stylish place to drop your keys.

3. Keeping it off the floor continues into our lighting and accessory design. Instead of a floor lamp, use wall-mounted lamps. It’s important to ensure you have enough light in any space and it’s always better to over-light than to under-light. One key trick for ensuring smaller spaces seem larger is to keep your horizontal surfaces clean. We do not over-

accessorize tabletops and mantels. A few well-selected, high quality pieces do the trick for making the room fabulous.

This can be challenging and will require constant editing, but try rotating your beloved treasures in out of the room by season. Keep throw cushions on the furniture to a minimum as well. Clutter will make any space seem smaller.

4. Art is a key element in all of our rooms and, as impassioned art lovers, we like to make bold statements with our art. Look for high -mpact display options for small spaces and install one or two oversized pieces on the wall.

5. Magicians know the trick of using mirrors in their illusions, so do designers. We often mirror an entire wall or hang a fabulous large mirror over the mantel or above a bureau to help reflect light and enlarge a space.

6. Keep your window treatments simple and in low contrast to the wall colour. Consider wall-to-wall drapery panels — they are true miracle workers.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesDon’t think small when it comes to furniture for small spaces. Bigger furniture gives the illusion of a larger space.

Amp up curb appealLINDA WHITESun Media News Services

Before long, ‘For Sale’ signs will be sprouting up on front lawns like spring daffodils and tulips.

Investing in basic exterior improvements now can dramatically increase the visual appeal and value of your property, improving the chances of prospective buyers falling in love with your house at first sight.

It’s called curb appeal and it’s all about making the first impression of your home as inviting and appealing as possible.

“Simply put, curb appeal is about whether people like your house,” says Ron Sowden, of Dekora Home Staging in Vancouver, B.C. “Is there something about it that will turn them off or is it a home that has an attractive presentation?

“Some homes are beautifully kept, well maintained and obviously loved.”

Others may be obscured by overgrown vegetation and shutters may be hanging from their hinges. “Does your house look like you care and like somebody else ought to care?” says Sowden.

Too often, homeowners focus their attention on their home’s interior and overlook its exterior. “The best way to take a critical look at your home’s curb appeal is through impartial eyes,” Sowden says.

An objective third party may notice things you’ve grown accustomed to, such as peeling paint. “A realtor is a good

person to offer you tactful, critical advice.”

Take a picture of your house. “What does it tell you? Sometimes you’ll notice something you don’t see when standing in front of your house,” says Sowden. Remember, how your house presents in photography is crucial. “About 85% of homebuyers do their initial searching online. How your home presents online will determine their level of interest,” he says.

Improving your home’s curb appeal begins with a little elbow grease. “Here in Vancouver, our wet, damp winters leave green mould, black mildew and green slime all over things. You need to wash that clean,” Sowden says. “In a lot of places in the country, winter damage and deterioration is revealed when the snow melts.”

Power wash windows, siding, window casings and the front door. Clean any debris from the roof. Put away abandoned bikes and toys. Pay attention to such features as your house numbers.

“They should be prominent, tasteful and not tarnished or faded,” says Sowden. If faded, give them a fresh coat of spray paint. Replace a dated mailbox and worn out doormat.

Update your front door with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware. “The hardware should be solid and the right size and scale,” says Christine Rae, president of Canadian Certified Staging Professionals and author of Home Staging for Dummies.

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A world of fun is coming to St. Albert for this year’s International Children’s Festival.

The 31st annual edition of the festival — and the 18th time it has been held in St. Albert — will feature performers from Australia, Iceland, Russia and Ukraine, as well the United States and Canada, delighted kids of all ages from May 29 to June 2.

“It’s not easy to wow the average kid, but we know how,” said festival director Nancy Abrahamson.

Main stage performances include:• AGA-BOOM, a Russia/Ukraine/U.S.

co-production created by veteran Cirque du Soleil performer Dimitri Bogatirev;

• Alice in Wonderland, reimagined by Quebec’s Théâtre Tout à Truc and performed in both English and French;

• Breakdance for Solo Cello, from Montreal-based Solid State Breakdance;

• Dinosaur Petting Zoo, featuring

prehistoric creatures brought to life by Australia’s Erth Physical and Visual Theatre;

• Metamorphosis, a puppet show making the trek all the way from Iceland;

• Monkey Bunch, a Canadian rock band that gets kids going bananas;

• The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, performed by hometown favourites, the St. Albert Children’s Theatre;

• The Ugly Duckling/The Tortoise and the Hare, in which Lightwire Theatre and Corbain Visual Arts and Dance, both out of the U.S., use black light puppetry and technology to put their own spin on two classic fairy tales.

“We strive to make artistic and cultural program accessible for every child,” Abrahamson said.

New to this year’s festival are Telus Toddler’s Town, a gated “festival within a festival,” as Abrahamson put it, that features music, magic, storytelling and activities for kids under four, plus nursing and diaper change areas; and Fun Friday and Super Saturday wristbands, which, for one low price, allow those who purchase them into any site activity and into any main stage show if there are seats available after pre-purchased tickets are accounted for.

But many favourites are returning from years past, including the Global Television Canadian Heritage Trail, roving site

performers, storyteller Grandma Willow, painter Lewis Lavoie and his Pubble People murals, and percussionist Bob Fenske at the Moo-vin’ to the Rhythm tent, sponsored by Alberta Milk.

1 Combat Engineer Regiment from Canadian Forces Base Edmonton will also

be back on site this year with their Sapper’s Bridge across the Sturgeon River, giving festivalgoers a shortcut from the activities at St. Albert Place to École Father Jan.

Provincial Culture and Community Services Minister

Heather Klimchuk added that, in an age when children have access to so much information over the Internet, festivals like this one really bring worldly experiences home.

“It’s even more important than ever to expose our children to real people doing amazing things right in front of their eyes,” Klimchuk said.

Meanwhile, deputy mayor Wes Brodhead marvelled at how 60,000 people — nearly the entire population of St. Albert — took in at least part of the festival last year.

“These people experienced high-quality, innovative and exciting arts and cultural offerings by some of the most talented individuals and groups of our time,” he said.

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster or the Arden Theatre box office. For more information on the festival, check out www.childfest.com.

ENTERTAINMENTInternational Children’s Festival to bring a world of fun to St. Albert

“It’s not easy to wow the average kid, but

we know how.”Nancy Abrahamson

Festival director

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert LeaderMembers of the St. Albert Children’s Theatre give a sneak peek of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.

Photo: GLENN COOK, St. Albert LeaderDancer and storyteller Amanda Woodward drums at the Kids’ Fest media launch.

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With gardening season just around the corner, the Enjoy Centre is getting gardeners’ green thumbs in gear with a visit from a very special guest.

On Saturday, the Enjoy Centre is welcoming Jamie Durie, author and the host of HGTV’s Outdoor Room and several other shows, to talk about his concept of “The Human Garden.”

“He really explores why we do things in our outdoor environment,” said Jim Hole, co-owner of the Enjoy Centre. “That really addresses the fundamental question of, ‘Where do you begin?’ Even in landscaping, you think that you just begin your landscaping with a few plants that you like, and that’s fine. But what [Durie] is addressing is why — what is it you’re trying to achieve out there? What is it you really want when you go in your backyard? I think what it boils down to is basic human psychology.”

Hole is excited to bring a speaker

with Durie’s pedigree in to share his knowledge with local gardeners.

“It’s really exciting, and I think what he brings to the event is the emotional side of the backyard and design considerations that address that,” he said.

Born in Australia, Durie is not only a landscape designer and television host, but an environmentalist as well, serving

as an ambassador for various causes like PLAN International, the Children’s Cancer Institute, Planet Ark, National Tree Day, the Forest Stewardship Council and Earth Hour. Earlier this year, he was awarded

a Medal of the Order of Australia for his community service work, his support of environmental organizations and his landscape design work. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show beginning in 2006.

Hole is also excited to have the chance to show off the Enjoy Centre to Durie.

“He’s been around to quite a number of places, so I think it’s really exciting for him to see what we have in St. Albert,” Hole said. “To be honest, I think he’ll

be surprised by what we have to offer in our part of the world. It’s quite easy to look at places like California and even Australia, with the milder climates, and go, ‘Yeah, this is what it’s all about.’ But I think we’ve got a lot to be proud of in our part of the world. We have a lot of advantages here too in the summertime with our longer days and our typically — not always, but typically — sunnier conditions.”

In fact, Hole also hopes that this will be the start of good things in terms of bringing in more high-calibre speakers to share their expertise, be it horticultural or otherwise.

“The Enjoy Centre is really building up nicely; it’s becoming the place to come for education and educational sessions for gardening and beyond,” he said. “I think, in the future, we’re going to build to a lot of gardening events, but definitely some events that aren’t related to gardening.”

Jamie Durie will be at the Enjoy Centre (101 Riel Dr.) on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, although Hole says participants who reigster in advance will include a gift bag worth more than the price of the ticket. For more information, call 780-418-6800 and choose option 3.

Gear up green thumbs with HGTV’s Durie

“What it all boils down to is basic

human psychology.”Jim Hole

Enjoy Centre

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesHGTV host and renowned landscape designer Jamie Durie will visit the Enjoy Centre on Saturday afternoon.


SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Post-apocalyptic action movie The Hunger Games opened with a staggering $155 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices, beating Hollywood’s lofty expectations and making history as the third-highest domestic film opening.

Internationally, the Lions Gate Entertainment drama about an oppressive society’s teen death match added $59.3 million from 67 markets for a global haul of $214.3 million.

The massive U.S. and Canadian debut for the film ranked behind only last summer’s Harry Potter finale and 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight, Lions Gate said.

The movie’s success brings the first blockbuster franchise to Lions Gate, a smaller Hollywood studio best known previously for the Saw horror series and comedian Tyler Perry’s films.

Hunger Games set records for highest opening of a non-sequel film and biggest debut outside the summer blockbuster season.

“The first movie in a franchise, to post a number like this, is really insane. There is no other word for it,” said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com.

“Harry Potter had seven movies before it got to that point, and Dark Knight had years and years of building the Batman brand. This movie comes and hangs with them in the same

league,” Contrino said.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 opened with

$169.2 million domestically over its opening weekend, while Dark Knight took in $158.4 million, according to Hollywood.com.

Hunger Games is an action-filled survival drama based on the first of three best-selling young adult novels by Suzanne Collins. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a teen girl who fights in a televised battle-to-the-death ordered by her society’s rulers. Everdeen becomes a beacon of hope for freedom against the totalitarian government.

Lions Gate executives got a sense of the huge appetite for Hunger Games when they ventured with director Gary Ross and producer Nina Jacobson to the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood late Thursday ahead of the first screenings just after midnight.

Fans packed the lobby for showings on multiple screens, with many of the book’s devotees dressed as characters. Similar scenes occurred across the country. By Saturday evening, executives went to bed thinking the film would finish the weekend with about $140 million domestically. But sales held up stronger than expected from Friday night to Saturday night, dropping just 25 per cent instead of the typical 40 per cent or more.

Hunger Games rakes in $155M

Rocker Kravitz feeling right at home on Hunger Games setJIM SLOTEKSun Media News Services

The Capitol. In The Hunger Games, it represents decadence in a post-apocalyptic America called Panem — its citizenry adorned in glitter, blue hair, kewpie-doll makeup and colours not found in nature.

It would be Lenny Kravitz’s kind of place. Wouldn’t you know he’d turn out to be the most conservatively-dressed character there?

“I was, like, ‘Wow! A regular shirt and pants, that’s a switch.’ I felt like I was actually dressing down,” says Kravitz. He plays Cinna, a fashion maven who’s given the job of creating a “look” for the “Tributes” — the young people who fight to the death to entertain the masses in this best-selling trilogy of dystopian young adult novels.

The movie, by director Gary Ross, hit theatres last week. Cinna’s master stroke is to create a “fire dress” that brings a young archer named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) to the attention of the nation.

The rocker, who caught Ross’s own attention with his debut film role as Nurse John in Precious, says Cinna’s look was a bit of a curveball.

“I had meetings with Gary and we decided we should pull Cinna back, make him more like Yves St. Laurent or Tom Ford, a designer who dresses more classically as opposed to a John Galliano or somebody who’s got a more outrageous persona.”

As for this acting thing, Kravitz is

committed to making it work, up to and including a sequel, Catching Fire, which is expected to begin filming in the fall.

“It means I’ll have no free time. I’m in the middle of a world tour right now,” Kravitz says of the expected Hunger Games encore. “Even when I was making this film, I was rehearsing for a tour. So I’d be filming for however many hours a day, and then I’d go to an arena for a night, depending on the schedule. So y’know, I’m booked now for the next year, but there are a couple of slots where I can fit them (the filmmakers) in,” he says with a chuckle.

Like most involved in the movie, Kravitz has his fingers crossed when he hears about The Hunger Games’ expected box office. “It hasn’t come out yet, but yeah, it smells, feels, tastes like a huge hit,” he says.

“They’re coming to the show already. People in the arena bring signs. I’m starting to see Cinna signs, and I’m starting to sign Hunger Games posters and things besides my own programs.”

His Twitter following is also up, he says. “I can’t tell how much is because of The Hunger Games, but there are people listening to my music for the first time — a lot of exposure to kids much younger who don’t necessarily know me.

“If it sells and it’s huge, that’s great. But the experience of doing it has got to be fulfilling. And that’s what (The Hunger Games) was for me — no drama, nothing but good vibes. There were a lot of friendships that were forged.”

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesThe Hunger Games isn’t the first movie role for rock singer Lenny Kravitz, but it certainly it giving his music a lot of exposure to younger fans who may not have heard of him before.

Birds want to swim, fish want to fly, movie stars want to be rockers and rockers want to act. Case in the latter point, Lenny Kravitz, who plays a futuristic fashionista in The Hunger Games. Herewith, five iconic rockers who’ve tried their hand at acting:

David Bowie: He made a convincing alien in The Man Who Fell To Earth, aging vampire in The Hunger and even electro-pioneer Nicola Tesla in The Prestige. One he’d probably rather forget — Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

Mick Jagger: Australians still have a standing arrest warrant for his portrayal of the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly. Wasn’t bad in Nicholas Roeg’s 1969 Performance. One he’d probably rather forget — the 1992 sci-fi film Freejack.

Sting: Here’s a Brit rocker who did have some screen mojo. Had a chilling debut as a

sinister drifter in 1982’s Brimstone & Treacle. Was convincing as a bar owner in both Stormy Mondays and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. One he’d probably rather forget — Dune.

Meat Loaf: Not a huge surprise, considering the extent to which his concerts are big, fun, cheesy rock operas. He was the best thing in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Loved him in Roadie, Crazy In Alabama and Fight Club. One he’d probably rather forget — Spice World: The Movie.

Elvis Presley: What a lost opportunity. After the promise of Love Me Tender, King Creole and Jailhouse Rock, Col. Parker’s cheesy taste and Elvis’s acquiescence led to a deluge of silly stuff. One to forget — So much to choose from. I’m going to go Change Of Habit with Mary Tyler Moore.

— JIM SLOTEK

Rock ’n’ rollers hit the silver screen


Country star Bamford’s work is never doneDARRYL STERDANSun Media News Services

Gord Bamford’s work is never done.Unlike many musicians, the rural Alberta singer-

songwriter’s day doesn’t begin and end with his performance.“You nailed it right on the head,” laughs Bamford from —

fittingly enough — a tour stop out east. “After the show, I’m the guy that’s loading the trailer. I’m the guy that’s getting the bus ready to go.”

Welcome to the glamourous life of a Canadian country artist. But for the 35-year-old Bamford, it’s a labour of love — and the embodiment of the way he was raised.

“We grew up on a family farm in a small community where you had to earn what you got. This is no different. You’ve got to work hard to get places in life.”

After more than a decade of writing, recording and touring, the Australian-born artist’s hard work is finally paying dividends. His 2010 album Day Job earned him a slew of CCMA awards, while the single “My Daughter’s Father” was the most-played song on Canadian country radio last year. All of which helped make his aptly titled fifth album Is It Friday Yet? his most high-profile disc to date, thanks to a new partnership with Sony Music Canada.

Q: Working-man songs are a staple of country music. But for a lot of artists, that’s just a pose. That doesn’t seem to be the case with you.

A: No, that’s just who I am. It’s the way I was brought up. And that’s what my songs reflect. It’s pretty meat-and-potatoes stuff. What you see is what you get.

Q: Are you hands-on in every aspect of your career?A: Every aspect. We’ve built this from the ground floor

up. It’s kind of the Garth Brooks approach to things, I guess you could say. I’ve been reading his book and it seems we’re trying to do a lot of the same things he did.

Q: What kinds of things are you talking about?

A: Well, Garth always had a hand in everything, always made his own decisions. But he was also very smart about listening to the people he surrounded himself with.

Q: Unlike a lot of country artists, you co-write nearly all your songs. Why?

A: It’s really not been by design. I just think it’s important to have great songs.

And I’ve been fortunate to be able to write with arguably some of the greatest songwriters in the world when it comes to country music. If I didn’t have those songs, I’d be looking for them.

Q: Being a Canadian country musician seems like a tough gig. It’s not a huge national market in comparison to the U.S.

A: It’s about what you want in life. Do you want to have a career and a job you love that enables you to make a good living, or do you want to be away 300 days a year in search of making millions? I have three kids at home and we’re doing fine. We’ve got a roof over our head.

“It’s pretty meat-and-

potatoes stuff.”Gord BamfordCountry singer

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesDespite numerous awards and hit singles, singer Gord Bamford has managed to keep his work ethic.

Director Cameron hits bottom — of the oceanSUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Returning from humankind’s first solo dive to the deepest spot in the ocean, filmmaker James Cameron said he saw no obvious signs of life that might inspire creatures in his next Avatar movie but was awestruck by the “complete isolation.”

The Oscar-winning director and undersea explorer said his record-setting expedition to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, 11 kilometres beneath the surface of the western Pacific, not only capped seven years of painstaking preparation but was the “culmination of a lifelong dream.”

Cameron, 57, spoke to reporters in a telephone conference call on Monday from a yacht en route back to shore from the dive site hours after returning safely to the surface from his voyage to the floor of the immense undersea canyon at a point some 480 kilometres southwest of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

He described a flat, desolate landscape, 50 times larger than the Grand Canyon, “devoid of sunlight, devoid of any heat, any warmth,” where the pressure was so great that it squeezed the height of his submersible vehicle by several inches.

He looked out on the sea floor, illuminated by the lights on his submarine, through a small window.

“When I got to the bottom ... it was

completely featureless and uniform,” he said. “My feeling was one of complete isolation from all of humanity. ... More than anything, (it’s) realizing how tiny you are down in this big, vast, black, unknown and unexplored place.”

The only free-swimming creatures he saw near the bottom were tiny shrimp-like arthropods, but little else in the way of life was immediately visible. Cameron said further exploration would be required to discern what other organisms might dwell there.

Asked if he encountered anything he might use in his next feature film, he replied, “I can’t answer that question right now.” But he said, “Anything that I’ve ever seen underwater goes into the hopper of imagination that gets refracted out into the things that I write.”

He also recounted the discomfort of his seven-hour journey into the ocean depths and back, wedged into a cramped, cold capsule at the bottom of a specially designed vehicle that stands seven metres tall and descends upright and rotating at the speed of about 150 metres per minute.

The craft functioned flawlessly, he said, except for an unexplained failure of the hydraulic system that idled the vehicle’s robot arm and prevented Cameron from collecting most of the biological and geologic samples he had hoped to retrieve.

Better known as the director of such

blockbuster films as Titanic, Aliens and Avatar, Cameron made history on Monday as the first person to venture alone to the so-called Challenger Deep, the lowest-known point of the Earth’s crust, nearly 10,970 metres beneath the ocean surface.

He also was the first individual to make

that journey since 1960, when the only other explorers to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench — U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and the late Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard — spent 20 minutes there together in the submersible craft Trieste.

Cameron said he was inspired as a boy by the original feat of Piccard and Walsh — a mentor and part of his support team at the surface — and by the adventures of French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, to take up diving at age 16, even though he lived “in a small, landlocked village in rural Canada.”

“Most people probably know me as a filmmaker, but really the ocean and the idea of exploration has been the stronger driver in my life,” he said.

By his count, Cameron has made 72 ocean dives in various submersible crafts over the years, including 12 trips during the making of Titanic to the famed shipwreck in the North Atlantic.

Still, Cameron insisted he had no plans to give up his movie career, saying, “I’m going to be turning my attention to Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 as soon as I finish up with this expedition.”

His venture to the Challenger Deep is being chronicled for a 3-D film set for theatrical release and for subsequent broadcast on the National Geographic Channel.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesJames Cameron emerges from his submersible after his successful solo dive to the deepest-known point on Earth, reaching the bottom of Marianas Trench near Guam.

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Lululemon profits up, outlook down

Sluggish retail sales add to economic gloom

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Lululemon Athletica Inc offered a disappointing full-year profit outlook for its chain of trendy yogawear shops last week, offsetting a surge in quarterly earnings and sales, and leaving its shares little changed.

The Vancouver-based retailer’s profit in the three months ended Jan. 29 climbed 34 per cent, slightly more than expected, while sales in established stores rose 26 per cent.

The results were slightly ahead of a revised forecast the company had given in January after a stronger-than-expected holiday shopping season.

Even so, gross profit margin tightened to 56.3 from 58.5 per cent a year earlier, due to higher raw material costs and discounting to reduce stocks of unsold merchandise. Inventory at the end of the quarter stood at $104.1 million, up from $57.5 million a year earlier.

“Lululemon needed to just blow the earnings results out of the way, which was going to be hard” given January’s forecast, said Brian Sozzi, chief equities analyst at NBG Productions, explaining the market’s lukewarm response.

Lululemon, one of Canada’s most successful retailing exports, has expanded rapidly in the United States. Its clothing and gear, ubiquitous in Canada and increasingly popular south of the border, inspires fierce brand loyalty, with bloggers breathlessly documenting every product launch.

The typically volatile stock was up 0.5 per cent at C$73.91 in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday, March 22. The stock has risen more than 50 per cent this year and, in recent quarters, any sign that the company’s growth might slow has spooked investors.

The market appears to have picked up such a signal when Lululemon announced a new full-year earnings forecast $1.50 to $1.57 a share. That fell short of the $1.61 that analysts had forecast.

Lulu also forecast full-year revenue of $1.3 billion to $1.325 billion, in line with analysts’ earlier estimate of $1.308 billion.

Sozzi said the inventory growth over and above sales at established stores — or same-store sales — would likely raise concerns that margins could deteriorate further in the first half of the year.

The decline in margins reversed a trend that prevailed for much of 2011, when inventories were low.

Last year, Lulu’s premium yoga pants and other products sold faster than it could restock, which meant most products were sold at full price, but also held back overall sales.

The company has said several times that its now-higher inventory would help it better meet demand.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Tal Woolley said inventory was high, but noted it was still boosting sales.

“We believe this build is allowing (Lululemon) to maximize its business, play ‘catch-up’ less with product, and focus more on product development and innovation,” he said in a note to clients.

SUN MEDIA NEWS SERVICES – Canadian retail sales rose by much less than expected in January, adding to recent gloomy economic data that signals the economy may have contracted at the start of the year.

Retail sales increased by 0.5 per cent in January and would have fallen had it not been for a healthy auto sector, according to Statistics Canada data on Thursday. This was much less than the 1.7 per cent month-on-month rise that market operators had expected.

The data — which helped push the Canadian dollar down to a two-week low

— follows figures that showed a 1.0 per cent drop in wholesale trade in January and a 0.9 per cent decrease in factory sales.

“Outside of the spirited gain in auto sales (a pace which cannot last long), Canadian retail sales continue to lose momentum. High household debt levels and weak employment growth suggest this trend will persist through early 2012,” said Benjamin Reitzes of BMO Capital Markets Economics.

“With the final piece of January’s GDP puzzle in place ... it looks as though the Canadian economy contracted slightly to

start the year.”Sales at motor-vehicle and parts dealers

were up by 3.7 per cent, thanks to a 4.6 per cent rise in sales at new car dealers. Excluding the autos subsector, retail sales declined by 0.5 per cent in January.

The Canadian dollar slipped to break even with the U.S. dollar at $1.000, its lowest level since March 7. It was at C$0.9974 versus the U.S. dollar, or $1.0026, immediately before the release.

Statscan reported gains in just five of the 11 subsectors it tracks, representing 52 per cent of total retail sales. In volume terms, sales grew by 0.3 per cent.

Photo: Sun Media News ServicesThings appear to be slowing down for Vancouver-based yoga retail chain Lululemon, with disappointing profit projections.

ST. ALBERT, EDMONTON, SHERWOOD PARKWe are seeking personable, team oriented

individuals to join us:

SERVICE ADVISORAUTO DETAILER

ASSISTANT MANAGERSNo experience necessary, we train!

Drivers Licence is an assetFull time positions, open 8am – 5pm

Submit your resume to [email protected]

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Are you looking for a unique opportunity to grow yourcareer in a place where people care?

Our employees take pride in providing more than 60,000 residents with high-quality programs and services. A wide array of opportunities are available to suityour passion and experience. You can cultivate your career in a place where staffnot only care about the work they do but also the people they work alongside.

We have the following employment opportunities available:

• General Manager, Economic Development• Automotive Technician• Boot Camp Instructor• Census Enumerators• Community Project Coordinator• Database Support Analyst• Divisional Controller• Engineering Summer Students (May-August)• Fitness Instructors• Municipal Enforcement Officer (Community Peace Officer 1)• Night Shift Caretakers• Pilates Instructors• Professional Programming Presenter• Recreation Leader 1• Senior Business Analyst• Senior Long Range Planner• Senior Planner• Starbucks Baristas & Shift Supervisors• Team Lead, Utility Representative• Utility Project Coordinator• Zumbatomic Instructor

For information on these and other current opportunities availableat the City of St. Albert please visit our website at www.stalbert.ca/employment or drop by our Human Resources department.

Human ResourcesThe City of St. Albert216, 7 St. Anne StreetSt. Albert, Alberta T8N 2X4Fax: (780) 459-1729

Online applications: www.stalbert.ca/employment

We wish to express our appreciation to all applicants for theirinterest and effort in applying for this position but only candidatesselected for interviews will be contacted.

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Become our newest Team MemberBusiness is good…so why not work for us!

Are you friendly and energetic?Are you enthusiastic about providing great Customer Service?Do you have a passion for food?Are you available to work during the day, evenings or weekends?Do you have a can do attitude?

If the answer is yes then you’re the one we want!

We offer: Training, Flexible hours, Competitive wages,Great work environment, Employee discount on food.

Interested applicants should bring their resume to either store location.

2 Hebert Rd.

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is currently recruiting

Mature Caring stafffor St.Albert and Edmonton

You have your own vehicle, current,clean criminal record check and cell phone.

Casual positions 4-24 hours.You enjoy spending time

with Seniors and the disabled.

HCA’s companions, caregivers,light housekeepers are welcome

to email resumes to;[email protected]

Phone 780-487-4256 or fax 780-443-2324

www.seniorhomecarebyangels.ca

OPPORTUNITYAWAITS YOU.

ADULT CARRIERSWEEKLY DELIVERIES

The St.Albert Leader is currently looking for adultcarriers to deliver newspapers and flyers packsdoor to door once a week. Deliveries are flexibleon Thursdays prior to 9pm.

Earn over $400 per month only working a flexible4-5hours,everyThursdaydelivering theSt.AlbertLeader to various routes though-out St. Albert.

If you are interested please email:

[email protected] call 780.468.0384

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STALBERTJOBS.COM

LINDA WHITESt. Albert Leader

When Heather McMillan returned to school to pursue a certificate in public administration, she already had a university degree and a college diploma under her belt. Still, she recognized the benefits of sharpening her skills through a variety of online courses, including how to study, do research and write.

“I thought returning to school would be fun and would help me pursue my dream of one day getting into politics,” says McMillan, 43, a student at Ryerson University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education in Toronto.

After taking the first course, the Oshawa resident realized that to be successful, she would need to first take the time to

ensure that she was learning, writing and expressing herself to the best of her ability.

The courses she completed through Ryerson’s Learning Success Centre paid off: McMillan was the recent recipient of a Leaders in Learning award from The Chang School for academic excellence. The courses also helped her prepare her for the evolution in learning that has taken place since she was last in a classroom — including online learning.

“The benefit of online is that I can access it anytime, anywhere,” says McMillan, executive director of the Durham Region Local Training Board, a mother of three and active volunteer. “Technology has changed so much that you don’t feel like you’re in the wilderness. It feels almost like you’re sitting in the classroom.”

Post-secondary schools like Ryerson

recognize the importance of readying continuing education students for success.

“It’s important for continuing education students to recognize they’re not in it alone,” says dean Gervan Fearon. Some have previously attended college or university while others have not.

Ryerson’s Learning Success Centre offers a variety of online and in-class workshops on such topics as time management, test prep and writing exams, learning styles and delivering effective presentations. It also offers free drop-in tutoring.

“We offer math assistance for students in programs involving math or statistics,” Fearon says. “A lot of students are writing essays and group papers so we have a writing centre that provides assistance on everything from writing skills and grammar to rules and considerations regarding

references.”The school takes pride in its offerings.

“Our institution has the distinction of being the largest university provider of adult education in Canada,” Fearon says. “We try to earn that with every single student in supporting them to achieve those dreams and aspirations.”

The University of British Columbia’s school of continuing studies offers courses in everything from language instruction and wine tasting to professional courses. Its services include career counselling.

“Through career counselling, we offer services to ensure a student’s plans are aligned with the job market and their own motivation,” says Deena Boeck, senior program leader for life and career programs. “We offer a number of assessments to see what direction is best for a student.”

Mature students, universities team up to succeed

Peace-of-MindMaintenance Service

$6995Service includes:

• Up to 5 litres of 5W20 or 5w30 Mopar Oil• Mopar Oil Filter

• Rotation of 4 tires• Peace-of-Mind Inspection of cooling

system, all fluid levels, electronic battery test,front and rear brake systems,

exhaust system and suspension system• Written report on findings

• Manufacturer’s check

Additional charges may be applied for diesel, V10s, HEMI, V8’s, fluid disposal.Environmental handling charges may apply.

Our ValuedCustomers

LUBE, OIL & FILTERUpto 5 Lt. House Oil & Mopar OilExcludes import vehicles. Expires April 30/12*Some exceptions may apply* No Cash Value

$3995

COOLING SYSTEM SERVICESDrain & Fill CoolantUp to 12 L. AntifreezeExpires May 31,12

$8995

A/C PERFORMANCE CHECKIncludes Check OperationCheck Freon LevelCheck Outlet Temperature Expires May 31,12

$4995 TIRES STARTING ATCALL FOR APPOINTMENTPresent Coupon at time write up

$8995

FREE PEACE OF MINDINSPECTIONExpires May 31/12No Cash Value

$4995

(Reg. Price$89.95)

10% OFF ALL PARTS &SERVICE

PURCHASES

AT YOUR SERVICE...St. Albert Dodge Valet Service-Drop Off and Pick Up ServiceAs of March 28th, we are going to be proud tointroduce Valet Service (drop 0ff and pick up)here at St. Albert Dodge. Introductory price for theprogram is $69.95 per visit.

This service is provided for our Dodge Chrysler Jeepcustomers who require the following services:

• Schedule Maintenance•Warranty Repairs• Brake Replacement• Suspension or Drivetrain Repairs• Alignments

Pick up & Delivery Call 780.458.8600book your service today!

St. Albert Dodge will...1. Come to your work or home.

(Edmonton, St. Albert, Northwest & North East)

2. Pick up your vehicle and leave you acourtesy vehicle for the day.If it is deemed that the repairs or service isrequired to keep your vehicle overnight,the customer will be entitled to keepour vehicle until everything is completed.

3. Courtesy exterior wash performedon the vehicle.

4. Return your vehicle when completed

stalbertdodge.com

Monday to FridayFrom 8:30am to 3:00pm

Valet Service must bescheduled in advance

Pick up and drop offmust be done at thesame location

St. Albert DodgeSSSSSSttt AStSSSSSSttttThe New

St. Albert DodgeThe New We make it simple Open Mon - Thurs 8:30-9:00,

Fri & Sat 8:30-6:00, Sun 11:00-4:00We Deliver

Anywhere in Alberta!Serving Alberta for over 30 Years!

Local & Long Distance

1•877•570•8784

184 St.Albert Trail15 minutes north of West Edmonton Mall on 170st.

Disclaimer: Prices do not include taxes and fees if applicable. Vehicle images may not be exactly as shown. Please see dealer for details.

Expires April 30/12. Cannot use in conjunction with any other discounts/coupons.

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St. Albert Leader - March 29, 2012

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