The Community Matt Program is in place again after it was nearly cut due to lack of funding from the provincial government.
Lola Strand, the coordinator for Family and Community Support Services, says now that Premier Jason Kenney has made the announcement for additional funding, the program will be going ahead.
Strand says normally the mat program is started earlier in the year. However, because they just received notification of the funding, they are hoping to have it start up by Christmas.
Originally, the mat program was started in 2015 and run by volunteers. In 2019 the program was run by staff, and it has continued that way since then. Currently, Strand says they are looking for Mat Program Supervisors so they can get the program operational.
Strand says because of the late start to the program, town council wanted to make it clear that if there were an emergency where temperatures dropped below a certain level, the program would open up temporarily.
Emily Hickman, the mat program manager, says she hopes this will be the last year they have to run the program as they are looking into other options for the future.
“We’re hoping to replace it with something more sustainable, just because relying on the whims of the provincial government to know whether or not we’re going to be able to provide this service is very stressful,” says Hickman.
Right now, she says she can’t give many details about the alternative project. Hickman says the project they are looking at isn’t a guarantee, but if it goes through it would rely less on government funding.
While the program has needed volunteers in the past, Hickman says that isn’t the case right now. They have staff to overlook the service.
What they do need are donations.
Sunday Worship Service 10:30am
- We meet every Sunday at 10:30 AM for a Scripturally-based message, worship, and fellowship. All are welcome!
More than 1,000 people came out to greet jolly old St. Nick at Santa’s Workshop last weekend.
The Community Parenting Coalition (CPC) has been hosting Santa’s Workshop for several years, giving families a chance to get into the Christmas Spirit with some fun activities.
“[The] Community Parenting Coalition is a committee of local agencies and volunteers that work collaboratively towards a common goal of coordinated planning, sharing resources, and assessing the community to meet the needs of children, youth, and their families,” said Krystle Kotyk, a program assistant with Family and Community Support Services, in an email interview.
Those agencies include Aim for Success, Dragonfly Family Day Home Agency, Family Resource Network, Brighter Futures, Kickstand Youth Hub and others, as well as some members at large.
“Families get a passport when they come in and every time they go to a station, they get a stamp,” says Susan Reich, the program manager for Aim for Success. “Once they get their stamps, then they come to the store to pick out gifts.”
Some of the stations included Fun with ECDC, writing a letter to Santa with the Drayton Valley Library, cookie decorating, a dance, decorating gift bags, and others. Meeting Santa also got children a stamp, and many stood in line to wait for their turn.
With the number of children in attendance, the cookie decorating station ran out of cookies. Santa will also be seeing a significant number of letters that came from the Workshop.
“The library had 500 kids write letters,” said Kotyk.
After families got their fill of pizza and filled out their passports, they got to visit Santa’s store to pick out gifts for loved ones, which were wrapped by volunteers.
Zoey Gallant, one of the children at the event, said she always enjoys coming to the Workshop with her mother, Sarah Gallant. This year, her favourite part of the visit was getting to pick out Christmas gifts.
“I got to go shopping at [Santa’s Store],” said Zoey. She said she picked out a gift for her dad, her grandma, and her grandpa once she had filled out her passport.
“It’s a fun way to start off the Christmas Season, I find,” said Sarah. “It’s the first little thing where they get to do the letters and go shopping for somebody other than themselves. It’s something we’ve really enjoyed since my oldest was a baby.”
Amanda Fynn, one of the mothers at the event, said it’s great to see events in the community that don’t cost families’ money to participate.
“It’s really nice to see organizations that are giving back,” said Fynn.
Fynn’s husband, councillor Ryan Fynn, says events like Santa’s Workshop are exactly what the community needs.
“This is what we need — the collaboration of organizations to put on events like this,” he said.
One of the Fynns’ sons, Bennett, said meeting Santa Claus was interesting.
“It just gives a giggle to your heart,” said Bennett.
Reich says the event wouldn’t be possible without the many volunteers that came forward from several organizations like the FMHS Warriors Rugby team, the Lin-Berry-Buck 4H Beef Club, ATB, members of Beehive Support Services, and other community members.
New lab will help with hands-on learning
Students, first responders, and hospital staff will now have hands-on training through the new eSIM Lab that opened last week.
The grand opening of the eSIM lab was held on November 7, with attendees from across the province coming to celebrate the event. This lab is the second of its kind in the province, with Sundre having an off-site eSIM lab. The Drayton Valley Hospital is the first to have the lab inside the hospital.
The eSIM lab will not only help first responders with recertifications and training, but it will also work hand-in-hand with the Grow Your Own RN initiative that the Town has in place. For the first year of their education, the nursing students take classes at the Community Education and Training Centre. In the second year, they have a practicum at the hospital.
The lab has room for two beds and mannequin patients who can interact with students. The equipment for the lab was provided by the University of Calgary.
“I have had the privilege of being part of the project from its early days,” said Jason Laberge, the Provincial Director of eSIM for Alberta Health Services. “I’m delighted to see the SIM lab in use, helping to develop the skills of our RNs of tomorrow.”
Laberge said that the lab will also benefit current hospital staff as they will get to practice as a team, which he says will improve their effectiveness on the floor.
“eSIM stands for Educate, Simulate, Innovate, Motivate,” said MLA Andrew Boitchenko. “But I’m sure there’s no one here in the room that needs an explanation of that. Everybody knows what it means, and it’s a pleasure to have this now here in Drayton Valley.”
Boitchenko said the lab is a commitment to practical, hands-on-learning that enhances the safety and quality of care of patients.
“This innovative program simulates real life medical scenarios, helping teams refine their skill before they ever reach a patient,” said Boitchenko. “By practicing in a realistic, safe setting, health care professionals can build confidence, strengthen collaboration, and improve outcomes for patients.”
While the Town of Drayton Valley, AHS, and the University of Calgary provided backing for the project, the funds were raised by the Drayton Valley Community Health Foundation and the Drayton Valley Healthcare Auxiliary.
Carol Vowk, the chair of the board for the Drayton Valley Community Health Foundation, said when they first heard about the opportunity for the eSIM lab, they were in the middle of a project for a room in palliative care. She said the foundation decided to table the idea, keeping it in mind for the future once they had completed the renovations.
However, when the Town initiated the Grow Your Own program, they decided to go for it.
“The future came upon us really, really quickly,” said Vowk.
While they were planning for the eSIM lab, they completed their renovations for the palliative care room. The space now includes a wheelchair accessible shower, which they didn’t have previously.
“We can accomplish great things when our community comes together,” said Vowk.
Following the speeches and ribbon cutting, attendees were able to watch a demonstration of the lab put on by RN students and hospital staff.
Legion steps in to help veteran
While many think of the Royal Canadian Legion as a place to remember the fallen and thank veterans for their service, one local veteran credits the local legion with saving his life.
Many people are aware that the funds raised during the Poppy Campaign go to the legion and are then distributed to projects that support veterans, or in some cases directly to the veterans themselves. Each legion across the country has to put its funds in a trust account, but the individual Legions get to distribute the funds raised by their branches on a local level.
However, along with allocating the funds from their Poppy Trust, the legion also has service managers who will liaise with Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans. Their purpose is to help veterans navigate the paperwork and the requirements that must be met to make a claim.
For Roy Silver, a local veteran, the legion came to his aid by keeping him connected and helping him get his claims processed.
Silver served in the Canadian military from 1959 to 1964 as an electrician in the armoured division at Fort Garry Horse in Winnipeg. During his time in service, Silver was injured and hospitalized for a short time.
“He injured his knee moving some equipment around, spent three days in the hospital. When he got out, the doctor that clears him for release says, ‘He can walk and talk and he’s got a pulse; he’s good to go,’” says Bill Cavanagh, a member of the legion for 50 years and now the District Commander for District 8 of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Over the years, Silver developed arthritis in his knees due to his injury. He also developed hearing loss during his time on the base.
For years, Silver lived his life with his wife without any compensation from Veterans Affairs aside from his pension. At one point, he did attempt to get coverage for hearing aids, but he was denied because he was an electrician. After finding out he didn’t qualify, Silver went without.
Cavanagh says Silver had kept in touch with legion members over the years, usually when it was time to renew his membership and a couple of other times throughout the year. For the most part, though, Silver didn’t spend a lot of time in the legion.
Things took a turn for the worse when Silver’s wife became ill. He put all of his time and money into looking after her. When she passed in the fall of 2024, Silver had nothing left.
“After Anne died, I was destitute. I’d sold everything I had to take care of her,” says Silver. “Basically, I was ready to end it all.”
However, members of the legion kept checking in with him and encouraging him to come and reconnect. Cavanagh’s wife, Mary, told Silver to come in more often, and when he told her he doesn’t drink anymore, she told him to come, anyway. When Silver came into the Legion, he tried to sit at one of the far tables but was told to come join everyone else and visit.
“The first while, I was just going to be here until I made the decision one way or the other,” he says.
But the members were persistent in their efforts to make him feel welcome and part of a whole.
“People treated me so great. I come in here and felt nothing but love,” he says. “That’s what the legion is all about.”
From there, Mary asked Cavanagh to talk to Silver about looking into what he was due from Veterans Affairs.
“When we advocate for a veteran, they sign a piece of paper saying we have carte blanche; we have access to all their files so we can review, make an assessment, and figure out what may or may not be done for them,” says Cavanagh.
Cavanagh learned that Silver went to Veterans Affairs to get compensation for hearing aids, but was turned down because he was only an electrician.
Once Cavanagh started reading Silver’s file, he saw that it clearly showed in the file that Silver met the criteria.
What Veterans Affairs had failed to consider when Silver first approached them was what was happening at Fort Garry Horse. Silver says soldiers were firing 105 howitzers, 155 mm howitzers, 0.50 calibre machine guns, and rockets on a regular basis as they trained on the equipment.
“We had no hearing protection at all,” says Silver. “They said if you want to protect your hearing, stick your fingers in your ears. That was it.”
While Silver had been turned down, Cavanagh was able to get Veterans Affairs looking into the matter right away. They started the process in March 2025, and by April 2025, Silver was getting a hearing test done. The results confirmed what everyone already knew — Silver needed hearing aids.
Not only did Silver get hearing aids, he also got a significant disability pension payout from Veterans Affairs.
“I didn’t really think that we were going to get anything,” he says.
He says he wants other veterans to know that there is assistance available through their legion wherever they are in Canada.
“So many people don’t know about it,” says Silver. “But the assistance is there. It’s so wonderful to know that Veterans Affairs will help you with the proper prodding from the legion.”
Silver says the legion will always have the veterans’ backs and there is nothing they won’t do. If they can’t tackle a problem, they will find someone who can.
“We’ve helped veterans that are going to have their power and their gas shut off; they’re going to lose their homes because their mortgage payments aren’t up to date,” says Cavanagh.
He says Veterans Affairs doesn’t just deny people who need the assistance. They go through each file and not only ensure the candidate qualifies for certain things, they also look to see if a veteran is or can get support from other programs like assured income for the severely handicapped (AISH).
“Logistically, it makes sense, but it’s not a quick process,” says Cavanagh.
Silver says he agrees that Veterans Affairs does care about helping veterans, just not enough to actively reach out to veterans who have records like his own.
“I’ve talked to probably a dozen guys about this already that have no idea that stuff like this is available for them,” says Silver. “And they have injuries a lot more serious than mine.”
He says it’s important for people to go to their legions, participate in social activities and learn about what can be offered.
Cavanagh says the legion doesn’t charge for its services; instead, they hope that if they help a veteran, that person will be able to help others down the line and pay it forward.
For more information about what services the Royal Canadian Legion offers or to find a branch, visit www.legion.ca.
Forever Canada Bus hits town
A former Progressive Conservative Deputy Premier stopped in Drayton Valley last week to thank the local volunteers for their efforts to collect signatures for the Forever Canada petition.
Over the past two months, local volunteers have been out and about in the community collecting signatures for the petition put forward by Thomas Lukaszuk in June. Last Thursday, Lukaszuk made a stop in Drayton Valley with his Unity Bus to personally meet the volunteers.
Dawn Hook, the first canvasser in the area, says Lukaszuk was calm and professional when speaking about his reasoning for the petition and the current political climate in the province.
She says he expressed that in a democracy everyone should be heard.
“He had his opinion, and he had what he felt was his duty, and went through and did the best that he could do,” says Hook. “And I’m glad that he did.”
Lukaszuk and his family immigrated to Canada when he was 12. He says that when they arrived in Canada, everyone was welcoming, and he says he loves the country as a whole.
As a former MLA, Lukaszuk was aware of the political discourse surrounding the Elections Statute Amendment Act (ESAA) last spring.
“It became abundantly obvious to me that Premier Danielle Smith amended the Citizens Initiative Act to roll out the red carpet to the separatists,” says Lukaszuk. “She lowered the number of signatures, extended the time period, and really liberated fundraising rules where they could actually raise money anywhere in the world without the limitations.”
When he learned that a separatist group was planning to apply for a petition on the same day the Province was putting the act into effect, Lukaszuk wanted to work fast.
He applied for a petition at the beginning of June and was given the go-ahead at the end of June, just a few days before the ESAA was put into place. Wishing to turn the conversation on its head, Lukaszuk decided to ask, “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” for the petition.
Hook was the first local volunteer to sign up as a canvasser, but she was soon joined by five others, and three volunteers who helped out.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” says Hook. “I’ve never ever gotten involved in politics.”
She says she had been hearing about some of the claims the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) was making in favour of separation and she didn’t think it was a good idea or that it would end well.
“When I saw that [Lukaszuk] had started this petition, I thought, ‘Enough being angry; now I can actually do something,’” says Hook.
Once his petition was accepted, the APP had to wait until he’d had the opportunity to gather his signatures before they could submit their own petition on the same subject. If successful and the petition goes before the legislature or forces a referendum, the APP will have to wait five years before they can file another petition about separation.
While there were benefits to Lukaszuk’s move, there were also risks. Lukaszuk got the jump on the APP filing, but his petition falls under the rules that were in place prior to the Election Statutes Amendment Act (ESAA). Forever Canadian needed to have 300,000 signatures gathered in 90 days. When the count was completed on October 28, the total number of signatures was in excess of 456,000.
The subject of separation is a polarizing issue, so Hook’s friends came to sit with her when she first started. However, Hook set up her table many times in the community, as did other canvassers when they joined, and she says there was only one individual who was agitated when they spoke.
“We had a lot of people that didn’t want to sign, for their own reasons, and we did have a few discussions with people who absolutely want to separate,” says Hook. “But I never felt that they were threatening in any way.”
She says she heard that some other communities did report threatening behaviour from some, but that was not their experience in the Drayton Valley area.
Hook says that the five canvassers, along with help from the three volunteers, in the area gathered 600 signatures for the petition.
If successful, Lukaszuk says the Province can put the question to a vote in the legislature rather than hold a referendum, which is what he hopes they will do.
“Referenda are very divisive, and this province is already divided,” says Lukaszuk. “And they’re very expensive as well.”
Initiative supports young entrepreneurs
Three Breton High School students spent last summer starting and running their own business.
The Young Entrepreneurs Training Initiative describes itself as a “how-to business initiative for independent teens” and offers training and support for teens looking to start a business.
YETI is offered through Community Futures Wild Rose and is aimed at helping students develop the skills needed to start a business. Three applicants from Breton High School were selected last June to take part in the program.
Dylan Sheaves, grade 11, Zoey Bryanton, grade 12, and Nathan Savard, grade 12, all received a crash course in starting and running a business as well as $500 in start-up capital to get their businesses off the ground and running.
Bryanton, who chose a business of selling broke ponies, says it was a lot of work running a business, especially since she also held a full-time job.
Those selected for the program not only had to take a course, but they also had to attend weekly meetings. Bryanton says it was a challenge to balance her job and her business, but she did learn a lot from the program.
She says she has been breaking horses since she was little and felt that turning it into a business could work for her. Rather than horses, though, she purchased ponies and spent time training them before selling them.
While Bryanton ended up losing money on her ponies in the end, she did learn valuable lessons about how she could approach it differently. She says if she had to do it again, she wouldn’t focus on ponies, but rather stick with horses.
Sheaves also focused on a business that she was already familiar with for the YETI program.
Growing up, Sheaves spent a lot of time with her grandpa and her dad around show cars. She remembers her dad using and storing a lot of products for the car shows and for his own personal vehicle.
“About three years ago, I kind of started doing it with my dad,” she says. “After that, my dad was like, ‘Now you know what to do, so you can do it.’”
Sheaves also has a sister who took part in the YETI program before her. When her sister went through the program, Sheaves began thinking about possibly starting a car detailing business.
“They taught us everything from marketing, to how to set our prices, to help us make our logos, to pretty much everything you could think of,” says Sheaves. “They really just gave us a jumpstart on how to start our business.”
She says she found the weekly meetings helpful and supportive.
“It honestly just made it so much easier, because when you’re younger and thinking of a great business idea, you don’t know the steps of how to get it running,” says Sheaves.
Both Sheaves and Bryanton say they would recommend the program to others.
“They have programs for people who are older than us, younger than us,” says Sheaves. “They also have programs for YETI alumni. They have so many different programs that they offer. It’s amazing.”
Those looking for more information about the YETI program can visit https://wildrose.albertacf.com/wildrose-programs/yeti or email wildroseinfo@albertacf.com.
“If somebody wants to help the program out, we do take financial donations which can be made payable through the Town of Drayton Valley,” she says.
Hickman says they can also take some items, though their space for storage is limited. Some of that includes winter gear, such as gently used coats, waterproof gloves, toques, or scarves. She says some items, like crocheted afghans, are too bulky for their clients to carry around, so while the thought is appreciated, they would prefer blankets that can provide adequate warmth while being compact.
Sunday Worship Service 10:30am
- We meet every Sunday at 10:30 AM for a Scripturally-based message, worship, and fellowship. All are welcome!
More than 1,000 people came out to greet jolly old St. Nick at Santa’s Workshop last weekend.
The Community Parenting Coalition (CPC) has been hosting Santa’s Workshop for several years, giving families a chance to get into the Christmas Spirit with some fun activities.
“[The] Community Parenting Coalition is a committee of local agencies and volunteers that work collaboratively towards a common goal of coordinated planning, sharing resources, and assessing the community to meet the needs of children, youth, and their families,” said Krystle Kotyk, a program assistant with Family and Community Support Services, in an email interview.
Those agencies include Aim for Success, Dragonfly Family Day Home Agency, Family Resource Network, Brighter Futures, Kickstand Youth Hub and others, as well as some members at large.
“Families get a passport when they come in and every time they go to a station, they get a stamp,” says Susan Reich, the program manager for Aim for Success. “Once they get their stamps, then they come to the store to pick out gifts.”
Some of the stations included Fun with ECDC, writing a letter to Santa with the Drayton Valley Library, cookie decorating, a dance, decorating gift bags, and others. Meeting Santa also got children a stamp, and many stood in line to wait for their turn.
With the number of children in attendance, the cookie decorating station ran out of cookies. Santa will also be seeing a significant number of letters that came from the Workshop.
“The library had 500 kids write letters,” said Kotyk.
After families got their fill of pizza and filled out their passports, they got to visit Santa’s store to pick out gifts for loved ones, which were wrapped by volunteers.
Zoey Gallant, one of the children at the event, said she always enjoys coming to the Workshop with her mother, Sarah Gallant. This year, her favourite part of the visit was getting to pick out Christmas gifts.
“I got to go shopping at [Santa’s Store],” said Zoey. She said she picked out a gift for her dad, her grandma, and her grandpa once she had filled out her passport.
“It’s a fun way to start off the Christmas Season, I find,” said Sarah. “It’s the first little thing where they get to do the letters and go shopping for somebody other than themselves. It’s something we’ve really enjoyed since my oldest was a baby.”
Amanda Fynn, one of the mothers at the event, said it’s great to see events in the community that don’t cost families’ money to participate.
“It’s really nice to see organizations that are giving back,” said Fynn.
Fynn’s husband, councillor Ryan Fynn, says events like Santa’s Workshop are exactly what the community needs.
“This is what we need — the collaboration of organizations to put on events like this,” he said.
One of the Fynns’ sons, Bennett, said meeting Santa Claus was interesting.
“It just gives a giggle to your heart,” said Bennett.
Reich says the event wouldn’t be possible without the many volunteers that came forward from several organizations like the FMHS Warriors Rugby team, the Lin-Berry-Buck 4H Beef Club, ATB, members of Beehive Support Services, and other community members.
Students, first responders, and hospital staff will now have hands-on training through the new eSIM Lab that opened last week.
The grand opening of the eSIM lab was held on November 7, with attendees from across the province coming to celebrate the event. This lab is the second of its kind in the province, with Sundre having an off-site eSIM lab. The Drayton Valley Hospital is the first to have the lab inside the hospital.
The eSIM lab will not only help first responders with recertifications and training, but it will also work hand-in-hand with the Grow Your Own RN initiative that the Town has in place. For the first year of their education, the nursing students take classes at the Community Education and Training Centre. In the second year, they have a practicum at the hospital.
The lab has room for two beds and mannequin patients who can interact with students. The equipment for the lab was provided by the University of Calgary.
“I have had the privilege of being part of the project from its early days,” said Jason Laberge, the Provincial Director of eSIM for Alberta Health Services. “I’m delighted to see the SIM lab in use, helping to develop the skills of our RNs of tomorrow.”
Laberge said that the lab will also benefit current hospital staff as they will get to practice as a team, which he says will improve their effectiveness on the floor.
“eSIM stands for Educate, Simulate, Innovate, Motivate,” said MLA Andrew Boitchenko. “But I’m sure there’s no one here in the room that needs an explanation of that. Everybody knows what it means, and it’s a pleasure to have this now here in Drayton Valley.”
Boitchenko said the lab is a commitment to practical, hands-on-learning that enhances the safety and quality of care of patients.
“This innovative program simulates real life medical scenarios, helping teams refine their skill before they ever reach a patient,” said Boitchenko. “By practicing in a realistic, safe setting, health care professionals can build confidence, strengthen collaboration, and improve outcomes for patients.”
While the Town of Drayton Valley, AHS, and the University of Calgary provided backing for the project, the funds were raised by the Drayton Valley Community Health Foundation and the Drayton Valley Healthcare Auxiliary.
Carol Vowk, the chair of the board for the Drayton Valley Community Health Foundation, said when they first heard about the opportunity for the eSIM lab, they were in the middle of a project for a room in palliative care. She said the foundation decided to table the idea, keeping it in mind for the future once they had completed the renovations.
However, when the Town initiated the Grow Your Own program, they decided to go for it.
“The future came upon us really, really quickly,” said Vowk.
While they were planning for the eSIM lab, they completed their renovations for the palliative care room. The space now includes a wheelchair accessible shower, which they didn’t have previously.
“We can accomplish great things when our community comes together,” said Vowk.
Following the speeches and ribbon cutting, attendees were able to watch a demonstration of the lab put on by RN students and hospital staff.
While many think of the Royal Canadian Legion as a place to remember the fallen and thank veterans for their service, one local veteran credits the local legion with saving his life.
Many people are aware that the funds raised during the Poppy Campaign go to the legion and are then distributed to projects that support veterans, or in some cases directly to the veterans themselves. Each legion across the country has to put its funds in a trust account, but the individual Legions get to distribute the funds raised by their branches on a local level.
However, along with allocating the funds from their Poppy Trust, the legion also has service managers who will liaise with Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans. Their purpose is to help veterans navigate the paperwork and the requirements that must be met to make a claim.
For Roy Silver, a local veteran, the legion came to his aid by keeping him connected and helping him get his claims processed.
Silver served in the Canadian military from 1959 to 1964 as an electrician in the armoured division at Fort Garry Horse in Winnipeg. During his time in service, Silver was injured and hospitalized for a short time.
“He injured his knee moving some equipment around, spent three days in the hospital. When he got out, the doctor that clears him for release says, ‘He can walk and talk and he’s got a pulse; he’s good to go,’” says Bill Cavanagh, a member of the legion for 50 years and now the District Commander for District 8 of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Over the years, Silver developed arthritis in his knees due to his injury. He also developed hearing loss during his time on the base.
For years, Silver lived his life with his wife without any compensation from Veterans Affairs aside from his pension. At one point, he did attempt to get coverage for hearing aids, but he was denied because he was an electrician. After finding out he didn’t qualify, Silver went without.
Cavanagh says Silver had kept in touch with legion members over the years, usually when it was time to renew his membership and a couple of other times throughout the year. For the most part, though, Silver didn’t spend a lot of time in the legion.
Things took a turn for the worse when Silver’s wife became ill. He put all of his time and money into looking after her. When she passed in the fall of 2024, Silver had nothing left.
“After Anne died, I was destitute. I’d sold everything I had to take care of her,” says Silver. “Basically, I was ready to end it all.”
However, members of the legion kept checking in with him and encouraging him to come and reconnect. Cavanagh’s wife, Mary, told Silver to come in more often, and when he told her he doesn’t drink anymore, she told him to come, anyway. When Silver came into the Legion, he tried to sit at one of the far tables but was told to come join everyone else and visit.
“The first while, I was just going to be here until I made the decision one way or the other,” he says.
But the members were persistent in their efforts to make him feel welcome and part of a whole.
“People treated me so great. I come in here and felt nothing but love,” he says. “That’s what the legion is all about.”
From there, Mary asked Cavanagh to talk to Silver about looking into what he was due from Veterans Affairs.
“When we advocate for a veteran, they sign a piece of paper saying we have carte blanche; we have access to all their files so we can review, make an assessment, and figure out what may or may not be done for them,” says Cavanagh.
Cavanagh learned that Silver went to Veterans Affairs to get compensation for hearing aids, but was turned down because he was only an electrician.
Once Cavanagh started reading Silver’s file, he saw that it clearly showed in the file that Silver met the criteria.
What Veterans Affairs had failed to consider when Silver first approached them was what was happening at Fort Garry Horse. Silver says soldiers were firing 105 howitzers, 155 mm howitzers, 0.50 calibre machine guns, and rockets on a regular basis as they trained on the equipment.
“We had no hearing protection at all,” says Silver. “They said if you want to protect your hearing, stick your fingers in your ears. That was it.”
While Silver had been turned down, Cavanagh was able to get Veterans Affairs looking into the matter right away. They started the process in March 2025, and by April 2025, Silver was getting a hearing test done. The results confirmed what everyone already knew — Silver needed hearing aids.
Not only did Silver get hearing aids, he also got a significant disability pension payout from Veterans Affairs.
“I didn’t really think that we were going to get anything,” he says.
He says he wants other veterans to know that there is assistance available through their legion wherever they are in Canada.
“So many people don’t know about it,” says Silver. “But the assistance is there. It’s so wonderful to know that Veterans Affairs will help you with the proper prodding from the legion.”
Silver says the legion will always have the veterans’ backs and there is nothing they won’t do. If they can’t tackle a problem, they will find someone who can.
“We’ve helped veterans that are going to have their power and their gas shut off; they’re going to lose their homes because their mortgage payments aren’t up to date,” says Cavanagh.
He says Veterans Affairs doesn’t just deny people who need the assistance. They go through each file and not only ensure the candidate qualifies for certain things, they also look to see if a veteran is or can get support from other programs like assured income for the severely handicapped (AISH).
“Logistically, it makes sense, but it’s not a quick process,” says Cavanagh.
Silver says he agrees that Veterans Affairs does care about helping veterans, just not enough to actively reach out to veterans who have records like his own.
“I’ve talked to probably a dozen guys about this already that have no idea that stuff like this is available for them,” says Silver. “And they have injuries a lot more serious than mine.”
He says it’s important for people to go to their legions, participate in social activities and learn about what can be offered.
Cavanagh says the legion doesn’t charge for its services; instead, they hope that if they help a veteran, that person will be able to help others down the line and pay it forward.
For more information about what services the Royal Canadian Legion offers or to find a branch, visit www.legion.ca.
A former Progressive Conservative Deputy Premier stopped in Drayton Valley last week to thank the local volunteers for their efforts to collect signatures for the Forever Canada petition.
Over the past two months, local volunteers have been out and about in the community collecting signatures for the petition put forward by Thomas Lukaszuk in June. Last Thursday, Lukaszuk made a stop in Drayton Valley with his Unity Bus to personally meet the volunteers.
Dawn Hook, the first canvasser in the area, says Lukaszuk was calm and professional when speaking about his reasoning for the petition and the current political climate in the province.
She says he expressed that in a democracy everyone should be heard.
“He had his opinion, and he had what he felt was his duty, and went through and did the best that he could do,” says Hook. “And I’m glad that he did.”
Lukaszuk and his family immigrated to Canada when he was 12. He says that when they arrived in Canada, everyone was welcoming, and he says he loves the country as a whole.
As a former MLA, Lukaszuk was aware of the political discourse surrounding the Elections Statute Amendment Act (ESAA) last spring.
“It became abundantly obvious to me that Premier Danielle Smith amended the Citizens Initiative Act to roll out the red carpet to the separatists,” says Lukaszuk. “She lowered the number of signatures, extended the time period, and really liberated fundraising rules where they could actually raise money anywhere in the world without the limitations.”
When he learned that a separatist group was planning to apply for a petition on the same day the Province was putting the act into effect, Lukaszuk wanted to work fast.
He applied for a petition at the beginning of June and was given the go-ahead at the end of June, just a few days before the ESAA was put into place. Wishing to turn the conversation on its head, Lukaszuk decided to ask, “Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?” for the petition.
Hook was the first local volunteer to sign up as a canvasser, but she was soon joined by five others, and three volunteers who helped out.
“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” says Hook. “I’ve never ever gotten involved in politics.”
She says she had been hearing about some of the claims the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP) was making in favour of separation and she didn’t think it was a good idea or that it would end well.
“When I saw that [Lukaszuk] had started this petition, I thought, ‘Enough being angry; now I can actually do something,’” says Hook.
Once his petition was accepted, the APP had to wait until he’d had the opportunity to gather his signatures before they could submit their own petition on the same subject. If successful and the petition goes before the legislature or forces a referendum, the APP will have to wait five years before they can file another petition about separation.
While there were benefits to Lukaszuk’s move, there were also risks. Lukaszuk got the jump on the APP filing, but his petition falls under the rules that were in place prior to the Election Statutes Amendment Act (ESAA). Forever Canadian needed to have 300,000 signatures gathered in 90 days. When the count was completed on October 28, the total number of signatures was in excess of 456,000.
The subject of separation is a polarizing issue, so Hook’s friends came to sit with her when she first started. However, Hook set up her table many times in the community, as did other canvassers when they joined, and she says there was only one individual who was agitated when they spoke.
“We had a lot of people that didn’t want to sign, for their own reasons, and we did have a few discussions with people who absolutely want to separate,” says Hook. “But I never felt that they were threatening in any way.”
She says she heard that some other communities did report threatening behaviour from some, but that was not their experience in the Drayton Valley area.
Hook says that the five canvassers, along with help from the three volunteers, in the area gathered 600 signatures for the petition.
If successful, Lukaszuk says the Province can put the question to a vote in the legislature rather than hold a referendum, which is what he hopes they will do.
“Referenda are very divisive, and this province is already divided,” says Lukaszuk. “And they’re very expensive as well.”
Three Breton High School students spent last summer starting and running their own business.
The Young Entrepreneurs Training Initiative describes itself as a “how-to business initiative for independent teens” and offers training and support for teens looking to start a business.
YETI is offered through Community Futures Wild Rose and is aimed at helping students develop the skills needed to start a business. Three applicants from Breton High School were selected last June to take part in the program.
Dylan Sheaves, grade 11, Zoey Bryanton, grade 12, and Nathan Savard, grade 12, all received a crash course in starting and running a business as well as $500 in start-up capital to get their businesses off the ground and running.
Bryanton, who chose a business of selling broke ponies, says it was a lot of work running a business, especially since she also held a full-time job.
Those selected for the program not only had to take a course, but they also had to attend weekly meetings. Bryanton says it was a challenge to balance her job and her business, but she did learn a lot from the program.
She says she has been breaking horses since she was little and felt that turning it into a business could work for her. Rather than horses, though, she purchased ponies and spent time training them before selling them.
While Bryanton ended up losing money on her ponies in the end, she did learn valuable lessons about how she could approach it differently. She says if she had to do it again, she wouldn’t focus on ponies, but rather stick with horses.
Sheaves also focused on a business that she was already familiar with for the YETI program.
Growing up, Sheaves spent a lot of time with her grandpa and her dad around show cars. She remembers her dad using and storing a lot of products for the car shows and for his own personal vehicle.
“About three years ago, I kind of started doing it with my dad,” she says. “After that, my dad was like, ‘Now you know what to do, so you can do it.’”
Sheaves also has a sister who took part in the YETI program before her. When her sister went through the program, Sheaves began thinking about possibly starting a car detailing business.
“They taught us everything from marketing, to how to set our prices, to help us make our logos, to pretty much everything you could think of,” says Sheaves. “They really just gave us a jumpstart on how to start our business.”
She says she found the weekly meetings helpful and supportive.
“It honestly just made it so much easier, because when you’re younger and thinking of a great business idea, you don’t know the steps of how to get it running,” says Sheaves.
Both Sheaves and Bryanton say they would recommend the program to others.
“They have programs for people who are older than us, younger than us,” says Sheaves. “They also have programs for YETI alumni. They have so many different programs that they offer. It’s amazing.”
Those looking for more information about the YETI program can visit https://wildrose.albertacf.com/wildrose-programs/yeti or email wildroseinfo@albertacf.com.
She says they have noticed that some people have donated clothing items by leaving them in a park for someone to find. But she says this isn’t a very practical way to get the items to those who need them. “All it takes is a snowfall or rainfall and those items get wet and frozen and are no good to anyone,” she says. The preference is to have the items donated to them so they can see them properly distributed.
In the past, clients were able to cook some food for themselves when they used the mat service. However, Covid has made that difficult, and right now the clients are not allowed to use the kitchen. Hickman says donations of home cooked meals or baked goods also can’t be accepted because of government policies.
What they do instead of the meals, says Hickman, is put together a bag of snacks for their clients. This might include fruit cups, granola bars, puddings, hardy fruit like apples or oranges, and other similar items. She says if someone would like to donate those types of food, they would be able to use them.
Hickman says other items to consider are things like laundry soap, feminine hygiene products, and thermos’ with a good seal on them.
That was the year that was
That’s just about a wrap for 2025. With the end in sight, it’s time to look back and reflect on the good and bad of the last 12 months.
High demand for food bank
Hamper requests at the Drayton Valley, Alberta Food Bank have increased this year, but not at the same rate as last year.
Opinion: Please let’s drop the double standards
One of the Crown-given rights of Canadians is the right to complain ad nauseam about anything that mildly irritates them. All Canadians exercise this right at some point or another to varying degrees.
Coach Colwell reflects on championship season
The Breton Cougars have made their community proud after winning the Alberta Bowl Provincial Championship for 6 A Side Team Football.
