Youth between the ages of 16 and 18 are being invited to learn about the Rotary Club’s International Youth Exchange program on October 14 at the Rotary House.
Elaine Tamboline, the chair of the youth services committee, says the Rotary Club has sent more than ten students to other countries with this program since it was founded in 1995. Each student lived with a family in another country for the duration of a school year, from the end of August to the beginning of July.
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She says the point of the program isn’t for the students to pass the grade in another country. The club understands it would be difficult for someone to travel to a foreign country and expect to pick up on the school work easily.
Instead, this is about students experiencing other cultures around the world.
“They have to be willing to learn about another culture and learn another language,” says Tamboline.
The student will get to live with four or five different hosts during their stay.
“We want them to be good representatives of the Rotary Club, Drayton Valley, their family, their communities and of Canada,” says Tamboline. She says the students need to give the experience their all. This includes volunteering, learning customs, trying food, and working hard in school.
Ah the 90’s. It’s hard not to get sentimental about that decade. We were on the cusp of computer technology and many things we did were still analog including camping overnight to get concert tickets. It isn’t very often that you get to partake in rituals like this anymore. In our digital dominated lives, there isn’t much that can’t be bought with just a click of a button. Or at least that’s what I thought.
A couple of weeks ago my aunt and I headed east to Toronto to watch a couple of Blue Jays games, and see Niagara Falls. Of course like a traditional east-west divide the weather was a balmy plus 24 here and a mere plus 10-15 there. I don’t think Chicago should be the only city named “The Windy City,” because Toronto was windy, and rainy.
However, whether the weather was better here or there wasn’t really the point of the trip. This was going to be the first time my aunt has ever gone to a Jays game. She has yelled at hundreds of them on the television but has never stepped foot in the stadium. Neither had I for that matter, however I am not sure I actually ever completely watched a Blue Jays game. It’s safe to say she’s the fan, I am a poser.
There was no greater reflection of our differences than when we finished brunch at the Sportsnet Grill, a restaurant connected to Rogers Center. My aunt had struck up a conversation with another super fan he informed her that if she expected to get a Jose’ Bautista and an Edwin Encarnacion bobblehead at tonight’s game she should be standing in line right now!
To be clear, “right now” was 11:00 AM and “tonight’s game” didn’t start until 7:00PM! The informant was one of a small group that had begun their door sitting vigil at 8:00AM that day.
They were rotating each other out in shifts so they could do bathroom breaks, and get food. They had coolers, lawn chairs, and blankets. All the things we did not have. I thought the whole scene was completely nuts.
My aunt on the other hand was seriously considering sticking out the rest of the day in line.
Why? Because. She’s a super fan and as I’ve come to understand the Blue Jay bobbleheads are a collectors item, they only make 15,000 of each and there are no repeat reproductions. “People sell them on Facebook for like $150,” said the super-informant. Not bad resale value but, no way Jose, I was outie.
We came back to Rogers Centre at 3:00PM, a mere four hours before game time and two hours before the doors opened and line ups there were. My aunt saw the lines and looked like someone just stole her dog. For the briefest of moments I felt an inkling of remorse. There was no way we were getting a bobblehead with these line ups.
But, a quick interrogation of some bobblehead vets, already in line, let us know that all hope wasn’t lost. Based on their historical data, and where we were in line we were guaranteed a bobblehead.
Things were looking up. Until these two people showed up behind us with empty Twisted Teas falling out of their lunch bags. “Oh, man”, I thought we are in for a loooong two hours.
As it turned out dad (65) was an accountant, and often went to ball games with his son (22), a new film school graduate who had an extensive bobblehead collection – 120 in total, were really quite nice and only half in the bag.
Our new friends shared their picnic blanket, showed us where the best bathrooms were, and the cheapest hotdogs.
My aunt talked shop about baseball, and hockey. The wind was cold, but our analog experience, waiting in line for something that couldn’t be bought online really set the tone for our first Jays experience. Not only did it make for an absolutely ridiculous story, there were many text messages that said, “Why the heck would you do that,” it also brought us into the Jays community. Not through a digital medium but in real life, with real people. It is with a sense of nostalgia that I am happy to know that there are still some analog experiences to be had, you just have to be crazy enough to do them.
Drayton Valley is one of a handful of municipalities that are partnering with Northern Lakes College to bring a Mobile Trades Unit to the community.
The unit is the newest educational opportunity that the town is putting forward for residents. After the success of the Health Care Aide and Grow Your Own RN programs, they wanted to offer something for the trades.
Corinne Friesen, the manager of economic development for the Town, says bringing the unit to town shows further evidence that the town’s approach to rural education is working.
Both high school students and adults will be able to take the courses.
“It’s a dual credit program,” says Friesen. “High school students can earn credits towards their high school diploma as well as credits towards their post-secondary institution.”
The tuition for the program will be about $5,000 to $7,000, but students will be able to apply for the Tuition Assistance Bursary (TAB) to cover some of the costs. Recent graduates may also be able to apply for some local community scholarships to help with the expense itself.
“We actually got a sponsorship for $10,000 towards those students as well, that we’ll use through TAB,” says Friesen. “Cenovus gave us $10,000 to support these specific students. That money will be going to TAB and will be allocated through TAB for these students.”
Those who enroll in the program won’t just get their feet wet trying out different trades. By the end of the course, they will be able to challenge the first period apprenticeship exam and finish as a registered apprentice.
The setting for the learning will be a little different from what a student would normally expect. Classroom work will take place in the public works building; hands-on training will be offered by the mobile unit.
Friesen says it is basically a 50 foot long transport trailer that opens up vertically and horizontally to create a lab space of 1,500 square feet — enough room to train 8 to 10 students at a time.
Friesen says there are five specific programs they can offer in the space, and the Town chose carpentry and electrical to start with. In the future, they may offer welding, heavy equipment technician, and industrial mechanics depending on the success of this first year.
“It’s a pre-employment trades programming,” says Friesen. “It’s a 16-week program that they register through Northern Lakes College with.”
She says there will be two semesters this time. If they are successful at finding enough local instructors and can prove there is good community enrollment, they will be able to keep the truck for a longer period of time.
Friesen says the mobile trades unit will offer benefits to the community as a whole, not just the students who enroll in the program.
“It’s been in the works a long time, so it is kind of a milestone in terms of our relationship with Northern Lakes College. We’ve evolved it to the point that they’re willing to bring this,” she says.
By bringing in educational opportunities for students, the town is increasing access to hands-on training without requiring people to leave the community. It allows the municipality to attract and retain talent while enhancing collaboration between municipalities, post-secondary institutions, and industry.
“We all need to be working toward the same goals,” she says. “I think this just supports that, too.”
The college has also expressed interest in offering community programs at either end of the cohort’s training. If there is enough interest, they may offer one-day workshops to give potential students a try at carpentry or one of the other courses they offer.
“They want to utilize the lab for more than just these two programs and capitalize on it,” says Friesen.
They also want local instructors to teach the students, says Friesen. If they are able to offer camps and workshops, they can extend the employment period for those instructors as well.
Registration for the program opens on June 11. Interested applicants can reach out to the town at 780-514-2200 to find out how to apply.
I have seen the future and it’s slightly disappointing
I come from a generation that thought the microwave oven was the pinnacle of human achievement. And as for the fax machine? Oh, Lordy, what a time to be alive!
But now, a mere five and a bit decades later, the machines are on the rise. Artificial Intelligence is here. The robots are coming!
AI can do a lot of things. Those things include writing. And writing is what I do too.
I’ve steered well clear of using AI in my work, because, frankly, using it as a journalist feels fundamentally dishonest. It’s like getting your mom to do your homework.
But I have an enquiring mind. I want to know. So I decided to take a peek at what the machine mind could come up with.
There’s a tempting little button at the bottom of the page on which I create my weekly quota of wit, wisdom, and whimsy. I clicked on it, and it came back with a cheerful invitation: ‘Describe any changes you want to make.’
Well, with a half finished document and a deadline approaching, you don’t have to ask me twice.
Make this longer,’ I typed. ‘And funnier.’
The AI dutifully spat out its revised text. I read it and it made me sad. I suppose achieving one out of two isn’t bad for a machine. It certainly made it longer. But the language was all wrong and the humour was about as funny as a rectal exam from a leper.
In my work as a columnist I always aim for that sweet spot on the dividing line between ‘smartassed’ and ‘snarky.’ The trick is to try to sound like you don’t care who you offend while simultaneously being very, very careful not to actually offend anyone at all.
AI’s contribution certainly succeeded in adding length. The tone was also close to spot-on. It sounded like a man in late middle age trying to get things done in a hurry so he can head off to the pub.
But AI’s composition included very little wit and hardly any whimsy at all. And while the words sort of made sense, it almost looked like something that had been written in another language and then translated into English by someone with his mind on other things.
It’s not that my own work is any kind of masterpiece. Most weeks, if I manage to come up with something I’d rate as a six out of ten I’m happy. I’m not sure I’ve ever written anything that deserves more than an eight. But AI’s efforts looked more than a little garbled and, where it did make sense, it was more than a little cliched. And as a journalist, I avoid cliches like the plague.
So my plan to spend the remaining time between now and retirement sitting on a beach, occasionally instructing my computer to write 500 words complaining about potholes/taxes/the weather is on hold for now. AI may be the future, but it’s got a long way to go before it can match the miracle of the microwave.
Local ballplayer moving up
Local baseball player, Caedyn Colford, has recently started his summer baseball season playing in front of thousands of Edmonton Riverhawks fans.
Colford has been playing baseball since he was three-years-old. He has been playing college-level baseball in the United States for a few years. Two years ago, he decided to move closer to home. Now he plays baseball year-round between two different teams.
“It was pretty cool, a little nerve-wracking,” says Colford. “I’ve never played in front of 6,000 fans. It was a really cool experience, and being able to do it in front of friends and family made it that much better.”
Since the fall of 2023, Colford has been playing for the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks, which runs under the Canadian College Baseball Conference, during the school year, and the Edmonton Riverhawks in the West Coast League over the summer. During the 2026 season, Colford set a new record for single-season home runs with 15 home runs, and the team took silver at the finals in Lethbridge May 21-24.
Jake Lanferman, the head coach for both the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks and the Edmonton Riverhawks, says he was impressed by Colford’s performance.
“He had 12 [home runs] in the regular season, and three in the playoffs,” says Lanferman. “He had a really strong year.”
The ERH play in the West Coast League, says Lanferman, and by playing for the Riverhawks, Colford will be performing in front of scouts for Major League Baseball.
“He’s always had power in his bat,” says Lanferman. “This year he really showcased that well. He led the team in multiple categories, but he also led the team as a leader off the field.”
Lanferman says as coach for the Hawks and the Riverhawks, he gets to see the local talent and tries to bring on as many of them as he can for the Riverhawks, though there are players from other areas as well.
“He’s got a strong glove; he’s a power hitter; he changes approaches here, so he hits for more contact and more average, too,” says Lanferman. “He’s done a really good job of promoting himself and playing good baseball.”
Colford says playing for the league can be tough, but he tries to stay humble and not let his success go to his head.
One of the main reasons he decided to stay in Edmonton was that he wanted to attend the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Currently, he’s enrolled in their electrical program and works a job while playing baseball.
Colford’s mother, Krista, says the family loves having him close to home.
“There’s nothing better than watching your kids play a sport that they love and succeed,” she says.
Krista says the dream of these players is to just continue playing baseball. Having them in their own backyard allows them to play the sport they love without having to be away from the support of loved ones.
“The skill level and quality of baseball that these kids are playing here is equivalent to playing junior college baseball in the States,” says Krista.
The next home game for the Riverhawks is on June 9. Tickets can be purchased on their website, www.riverhawksbaseball.com.
Interesting times in Alberta
Here we go then. In October we’ll be heading to the polls to vote on the future of this province with respect to its role in Canada.
Sort of.
This is not a referendum on whether Alberta should leave Canada. This is a referendum on whether Alberta should have a different, separate referendum on whether Alberta should leave Canada at some indefinite point in the future.
Hmmm.
If Premier Danielle Smith called the vote in order to take the wind from the sails of separatists within her own party, there’s an obvious and not terribly promising comparison in recent history.
That obvious comparison is with the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. Prime Minister David Cameron decided to call a referendum on the issue in order to quiet a noisy section of his party. Cameron campaigned to stay in the EU, as did both the major opposition parties. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything. The vote was lost. Cameron had to quit. And then: turmoil. The aftermath was reminiscent of that scene from the Simpsons where Sideshow Bob repeatedly steps on a series of rakes, each one of which hits him squarely in the face. It’s hilarious when it happens to someone else, but if it’s your face getting the rake handle treatment, you might not like it so much.
Since then the UK has stumbled along in a manner that makes headless chickens look like they’ve really got it together. And they’ve gone through a series of prime ministers none of whom have done much to impress. That list includes, at the absolute lowest point, a woman by the name of Liz Truss who did a pretty good job of tanking the economy in spite of only being in charge for about 20 minutes.
So not great then.
But enough of laughing at other people’s misfortunes. What does this all mean for Alberta, or for Canada, or for both?
What the Brexit experience teaches us that seismic events have repercussion upon repression upon repercussion.
If the separatist side loses the vote they are unlikely to just go away. Two lost referendums in the the late 20th Century did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Parti Quebecois. Quebec and Alberta are very different places but there’s no reason to believe that the outcome of a defeat here will be any different than it was for our friends to the east. A loss would see the separatist side withdraw and regroup before attempting to start the whole process again using what they’ve learned the first time around as a spring board.
And if the separatist side wins and we vote to have that second referendum then, well, all bets are off.
In the meantime we have several months of uncertainty that will only serve to weaken Canada’s hand in negotiations with the United States, or anyone else for that matter. Meanwhile here in Alberta we can expect increasingly shrill rhetoric and mounting conflict between now and October, culminating in a vote that, either way, is going to leave some people extremely unhappy.
Doesn’t sound great, does it?
Event supports school in Ghana
The Awaso Canadian Academy Foundation had another successful fundraiser to support a school in Ghana last weekend.
Anne Murphy, one of the volunteer organizers and master of ceremonies for the event, says it was such a success because the community came together to make it possible.
“There were a lot of volunteers on board. We want to thank the very generous donors who contributed from the community in live and silent auction items,” says Murphy. “There were many volunteers who were available and really helped to get the event organized.”
During the evening there was a silent auction, a live auction, a game of Deal or No Deal, and student sponsorship packages available. They also had four more people sign up to sponsor a student for a year.
“It’s a one-time payment of $400, and students get what they need,” says Murphy. “That includes daily meals, supplies, and school uniforms.”
Murphy says every penny raised goes to the school. Volunteers who travel to Ghana to volunteer there pay their own way, and the entire organization is composed of volunteers.
“We have no overhead costs and any of the trips, including the very last group which went in January of 2025, all of our travel expenses from our committee end has always been done on our own, independently,” she says.
Emphasizing that all the money goes to the school is important, says Murphy, and she says that’s not common with non-profit organizations. She says many solid sponsorships have come on board due to the fact that ACAF keeps none of the money.
The academy in Awaso, Ghana was the dream of Father Paul Mensah, the priest for the St. Anthony Catholic Church, in 2000. He shared stories about his hometown, Awaso, with his parishioners, and they made his dream a reality.
The first visit to Awaso was in 2007, and by 2010 they had built two classrooms for girls in the community. Since then, they have been adding pieces to the school.
Over the years, there have been many additions to the building and many student success stories.
“Since adding a junior high, the students graduating from Grade 9 have graduated with distinction, giving them all the opportunity to move to a good high school in the larger cities and do extremely well academically,” says Murphy. “Now the school is seeing the fruits of its labour, as alumni are returning to encourage the students to reach their potential.”
Since their last fundraiser in 2024, the ACAF has funded two major updates regarding the academy. One was an upgrade to the water filtration system to provide safe drinking water to the students and the staff. They also drilled a new well that has purification equipment.
They also provided safe drinking water to the entire community.
“This necessitated the improvement of road access, the upgrading of the existing generator, and additional equipment and tanks, as well as the purchase of recyclable water bottles and dispensers so the community can come get their water there,” she says.
The second update is that the school is now offering a music program thanks to a generous donation.
“Last year, the academy purchased new instruments for the academy to form a band,” says Murphy. “That’s been really exciting for them.”
The ACAF is currently looking for volunteers for the foundation, as the board still consists of many original members. Murphy says they would like to have younger people involved so the academy can still be successful for years to come.
Those looking for more information, how to volunteer, or a way to donate to the cause can visit www.awasoacademy.ca and receive a charitable receipt. The ACAF can also reach out to the organization at admin@awasoacademy.ca.
Currently, the Drayton Valley club has a student in Austria. The club has also brought in a student from Belgium, who is currently attending the Holy Trinity Academy for Grade 12.
“We are recruiting for the 2023/2024 school year,” she says. There will only be one student who gets to participate in the program, says Tamboline.
The information session, held on Friday at 6 p.m., will give families a better idea of how the program works, says Tamboline.
“Interested students and their parents must attend together,” she says. “Applications will be available at the session and there will be a closing deadline of October 21. The students who get their applications the earliest are more likely to get the country of their choice.”
She says there are many things for students and parents to consider before committing to the program.
In the age where there’s a constant drive for more and more content, coming up with ideas of how to promote your business can become a full time job on its own and although that platform is free your time isn’t.
I mean – you signed up to be a business owner right? Not a videographer, copywriter, or graphic designer. The good news is newspaper advertising works differently from the social platforms that have you constantly chasing the next batch of likes and shares.
Grow Your Marketing Team
Print advertising with the Drayton Valley and District Free Press gets you off the hamster wheel and connects you with a copywriter, graphic designer, and an ad planner who are actually interested in learning the ins and outs of your business.
This person or people will work with you to generate creative ideas within your marketing budget. With their help you can get your creative juices flowing again and find ways to not just push content but to craft mindful creative content that will be seen and prompts action.
By advertising with your local newspaper you don’t just get an ad, you expand your marketing team exponentially. You get access to our professionals and we help you to figure out the direction you are looking to go with your business.
Stop The Disruption
Print ads are consumed like fine wine. Readers look at print ads longer and deeper than they do the disruptive advertising found on other media platforms. Tell me in the last time that you’ve binge scrolled your social media feeds – How many ads do you actually remember seeing? I am betting, not many.
Print ads are non-disruptive content for newspaper readers and therefore get the attention they truly deserve. They have a longer lasting impact for readers due to their longer shelf life, and after all, deepening the relationship with customers is really what you are looking to do.
So here are some ways you can position your local business with rural newspaper advertising:
- Thought leadership: Be a thought leader in the regional landscape of your industry. Use an ad space for how-to content, data presentation on regional trends. Newspaper readers are readers and so are more likely to read long form advertisements with interesting information. You can reuse this information on your website blogs, social platforms, podcasts and the like.
- Be action oriented: Ads are there to move the needle forward. A call to action can be as simple as moving an interested person from the print ad to “click to redeem in store coupon” – print to digital is easy to do in both the print and e-edition formats of your local newspaper. Using click through options and QR codes to specific URLs makes the cross over from print to digital platforms seamless.
- Event marketing: Discovering local events in the community newspaper is one of the top interest points for local readers. But don’t just churn out a generic “Come to our event”. Remember our readers enjoy spending time with the paper. Capitalize on that. When you advertise an event in the newspaper you have an opportunity to make an intimate connection so don’t treat it like a fly by night ad. Make it engaging, personal, and relevant. Call out the reader specifically “Calling all Free Press newspaper readers.” You can niche the demographic based on the action you assume they are doing when they are reading your ad.
- Coupons and promotions: If you are a retailer or a restaurant that has deals and promotions, newspaper readers take notice! Not only does the use of coupons help you track the effectiveness of your ad it also gets people in the door. Your business isn’t an online hop on and hop off bus ride, you need foot traffic and this is one way to do it.
- Minimize or maximize. When people book a print ad they tend to want to throw everything into it. This creates a cluttered, hard to read ad. Instead take the space to promote your one product or service that tends to get people in the door, then cross promote once you are in contact with your prospective customer. Alternatively you can also use the space to create an organized product catalogue, or flier page that showcases a number of products but in an organized and thematic fashion.
I said it before and it’s worth mentioning again. Forming a relationship with your local rural newspaper helps you expand your marketing team, and frees you to do what you actually set out to do – run a business set on building real relationships with your customers.
Drayton Valley/Brazeau County Fire Services spent 12 hours fighting a fire at the Drayton Valley landfill on Monday.
Crews responded to the fire at 2:10 a.m. Monday morning and were able to extinguish the flames by 2:30 p.m. The fire resulted in the closure of the landfill for part of the day on Monday. By 3 p.m., the public drop-off area was open. However, larger loads that would be offloaded into the landfill were still not permitted as of the Free Press publication deadline.
Jennifer Stone, the interim CAO for Drayton Valley, says they weren’t sure of the cause of the fire.
“We have not been able to determine the cause of the fire; it’s inconclusive,” says Stone. “It was in the middle of the night; nobody saw anything.”
She says the garbage fire was located on one of the landfill cells at the top end of the landfill site. There are a number of things in a dump site that can cause fire. One of the more common issues is lithium batteries that get thrown into household garbage.
“It could have been batteries,” says Stone. “It could have been anything.”
A dozer was brought in to build a firebreak, and the crews were able to successfully contain the fire. As of end-of-day Monday, there was still heavy equipment out at the site addressing hot spots.
“We will have an overnight crew there just to monitor for hotspots and to ensure the flames don’t reignite or anything like that,” Stone says.
Here’s an important question. Will you have enough money to live comfortably when it’s time to retire? Actually, scratch that. Here’s an even more important question. Will I have enough money to live comfortably when it’s time to retire?
It’s a question that’s worth asking, especially if, like me, you are haplessly stumbling toward your mid-sixties with no clear goals and no plan for the future whatsoever other than the half-formed notion that you’d like to make it to the pub on Friday if possible. And oh yeah, wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to spend the rest of your life collecting carts at the grocery store?
Retiring is expensive. You need money. Quite a lot of money. The gravity of the situation was brought home to me last week while I was slogging my way through my 2025 tax return (oh, the memories!) It turns out I have enough unused contribution room on my RRSP to fund the purchase of a mid-sized airline. But sadly I have so little money that I can’t even, well, I can’t even afford to pay someone else to do my tax return.
There’s always the Canada Pension Plan. I’m a big fan of the CPP, but even there I have a problem. What you get out is determined by what you put in. I didn’t start making contributions until I was 24 on the not unreasonable grounds that I didn’t live in Canada. There’s another gap in my contribution history from the five years I spent at university while I was in my thirties. Hey, it was a tough course and I didn’t want to rush things. Anyway, after that I got a job as a junior reporter with wages so low that my CPP contributions were virtually zero anyway … I think the thrill of getting my photograph in the paper every week was supposed to be reward enough for my efforts. After all that … you get the picture, and as pictures go, it ain’t particularly pretty.
So, what’s a boy to do?
It’s not that I don’t like working. OK, well maybe it is a bit. But it’s more that I’m starting to feel, if not actually old, then rather less young than I used to. I’ve still got some working years left in me, but I can see a time when I’ll be ready to spend my days sitting on the deck composing long and frequently incoherent letters to my Member of Parliament on a variety of issues, none of which I fully understand, before hiking my pants up somewhere in the direction of my armpits and heading off for my evening meal at 4 p.m.
So how do I get there? How do I put away sufficient dosh over the next couple of years to be able to keep myself and the current Mrs. Long in the necessities of life (Preparation H, gin and Maalox as I understand it) through our declining years? It is, as I said earlier, a question worth asking. And, if I had to do things over again, it’s a question I would probably have asked myself before things went quite this far.
There is a little bit of a stereotype around newspapers. Some people think that the only people who read them are seniors. Our data shows otherwise. Typically as soon as you own property or enter the family phase of life you get more involved in the community. And that includes reading the newspaper. So our range of avid readers tends to be 34 plus, not 65 plus. But, regardless, many business owners will decline to advertise in the paper because, “It’s only read by seniors.”
Even if that was the case, I am writing today to say; don’t write off seniors.
Seniors make up about 17.5 percent of the Drayton Valley population according to the 2021 census. Census data states that in 2021 our community has a population of 6,970, and 1,040 of that is 65+. So why is this important information to know?
Boomers’ spending power is stuff of legend. In September 2025, McLean’s Magazine featured a long form article titled “The Jackpot Generation.” The article explored the wealth transfer of $1 trillion from boomer parents to their children or grandchildren that is expected over the next 10-15 years.
Drayton Valley has typically been considered a young community with the bulk of our population being well under 65. However, as community founders, and boomers who moved here in the early days of the oil boom age in this community we are lucky to have a portion of our population who have strong community ties, some disposable income, and still favour the traditional ways of doing commerce – face to face.
While this population is on the rise in our community, I am not so sure our businesses have grown to include this demographic in their marketing mix.
Last Wednesday at 2:30 pm I went grocery shopping, and I was amazed at how packed the parking lot was. It was seniors’ discount day, and so on top of your regular shoppers you are now seeing an influx of seniors who are discount savvy and are looking to experience the community while doing so. This got me thinking. Why didn’t other retail locations piggy back on the success of the grocery store with a Wednesday seniors’ discount day? Or where are the early bird dinner specials to fill up the slow 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm time slots in the restaurants?
Seniors in 2026, are not shut-ins. They are active in the community, and in life. They have disposable income, and they still believe in traditional business transactions. If you think the newspaper is “only read by seniors,” you’re wrong. But even if it was, then choosing not to advertise because of this fact may mean that you are not reaching a critical demographic in this community and you are leaving money on the table.
Looking forward to a nice relaxing summer? Not so fast. As we (finally!) approach the nice bit of 2026, I thought it would be useful to put together a list of the things I am currently worried about. And if I’m going to worry about them, so should you.
I’m worried about the way our provincial government is extending its own powers. The UCP is attempting to broaden its authority in areas that have traditionally been under federal jurisdiction. At the same time they are limiting the powers of municipalities and school boards to act without provincial approval. If all this comes to pass we are going to have one honking big (and powerful) government in Edmonton. That should give every one the collywobbles. If the NDP had tried something like this while they were in power we’d have been screaming to the high heavens.
I’m worried about our friends to the south. Every time you think America can’t get any more dystopian they find a way to prove you wrong. And the noise! It’s like living next door to a frat house.
I’m worried about retirement. The Canada Pension Plan works just fine. I’m looking forward to collecting my CPP in a year or two. Brand name beer here I come! The thought of ditching the CPP for a new and untried Alberta Pension Plan makes me more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. And yet that’s what the provincial government seems intent on doing. I’m sorry, I’m sure Danielle and the gang have nothing but good intentions, but I don’t trust them not to make a complete and utter mess of things. If they feel like gambling I wish they’d do it with their own money.
I’m worried about the amount of ill-informed bile I see on social media and elsewhere directed at immigrants and refugees. This stuff invariably comes from people who claim to be acting to protect Canadian values. Clearly we have a different view on exactly what Canadian values are.
I’m worried that our thoughts and prayers don’t seem to be doing enough to prevent school shootings, public transit attacks or any of a raft of other atrocities. And I’m worried that I seem to have lost count of the number of those atrocities that have happened already this year. Perhaps we should all try thinking and praying harder?
I’m worried that we seem to spend more time focussing on the things that divide us than on the things that unite us.
I’m worried that these days, when you come across something that doesn’t match your own narrow world view, you’re free to select your own set of alternative facts to back up whatever bonkers theory you’re supporting. And if someone points out that your set of facts aren’t actually very, umm, factual, you’re able to label him as a stooge of big government who’s too blind to see that the Earth really is flat, 9/11 was the work of the Illuminati, the Kremlin is controlled by Disney etc. etc. etc.
I’m worried about inflation. I’m worried about Iran. I’m worried about the Blue Jays’ pitching. I’m worried about gas prices and I’m worried about property tax.
There. I’m glad that’s off my chest. Now It’s time to get out and enjoy that sunshine!
Three degrees with a chance of flurries? I did not see that coming. Dammit!
The Hearts and Hands Quilters’ Guild did more than just draw winners for their annual quilt raffle last week. They also presented 14 quilts to All Are Daughters for use at their women’s rehabilitation facility.
The guild boasts 28 members from the community, and all of them work to build quilts that can be donated to people in need. Each year, they hold a raffle fundraiser for three quilts, and the proceeds are then split between three different organizations.
This year they raised about $700 for their guild, the Kickstand Youth Hub, and STARS, along with their donation of quilts to All Are Daughters.
Trina Beckett, the vice president of All Are Daughters, was on hand at their meeting to accept the donation.
“About a year-and-a-half ago, a group of us women got together to start working on this dream of so many of us to open this recovery centre for women,” says Beckett.
She says there are members of the board who have gone through addiction and have been in recovery for years. Beckett is the mother of an addict, and her experience helping her daughter get through the first few months of recovery made her want to help others going through something similar.
“As a parent, you do anything to help your child because you know they’re in there somewhere,” she says.
Beckett says her daughter was involved with the centre before she passed away last summer. Despite the loss of her daughter, Beckett still wants to see the centre completed.
Right now, the facility is ready to go, but they don’t have an open date just yet. The organization is currently waiting for funding from the Province to cover operating costs, as well as getting licensing in order.
“We do have all our rooms spoken for as sponsor rooms right now,” she says. “We are just waiting for the go-ahead to get open.”
She says there aren’t any recovery centres for women in rural communities. Having both a men’s and a women’s centre is a positive thing, she says.
“We thank you guys for your support as well,” she told the guild. “Without the support of the community, we wouldn’t be able to do so far what we’ve done.”
The winners of this year’s raffles were Mel Sibley from Warburg, who took home Wolves on the Prowl; Pam Baker, who won Winter’s Day; and Wendy Nordell received One Up One Down.
The guild is always looking for new members, and they meet on the third Thursday of each month at the Beehive Support Services Building, but don’t meet in July or August. They also have regular sewing days on Wednesdays.
Those eligible for the trip must be aged 16 to 18 while they are away. They cannot go if they are still 15 in August 2023, and they can’t go if they will be turning 19.
The age requirements are for safety reasons, says Tamboline. In some countries, 19-year-olds are considered adults, and the laws could be different for adults.
Students also have to complete Grade 9 before they can apply. They also have to have the full support of parents and the school. This may mean having higher marks, so the student doesn’t struggle as much when they come back.
There are also some costs associated with the trip. Tamboline says the Rotary Club splits the costs with the parents. She says there are several things for families to consider besides the costs of flights.
This includes insurance, passports, visa, and special events in the other country. The Rotary Club covers the cost of language lessons, which can cost $800 for two weeks, and the hosting family will provide food, and housing. The hosting Rotary Club gives an allowance to the student to cover costs like cell phones and other incidentals.
Tamboline says there are always emergency plans in place should anything arise. The club also chooses the countries to travel to closer to the departure date so they don’t send students to an unstable country.
“The students should know by April which country they were going to,” she says.
Anyone who is looking for more information before the information session can contact Tamboline at 780-514-4509 or by email at btandes@telus.net.
It seems like yesterday, but it was not
On a bright sunny day in mid May of 1986 I landed at Calgary airport, ready to build a new life in the Great White North. I had a full head of hair, a heart full of dreams and a full set of teeth. The world lay at my feet.
Upgraded van gives Beehive extra options
After fundraising for a year, the Beehive has been able to purchase a new van, which will help them to better accommodate their clients.
Talking taxation blues
Early May is a special time of year. The snow has gone. The birds are back. There’s finally a touch of summer in the air, but still no sign of wasps or mosquitoes.
Rodeo weekend “sensational”
Organizers for the Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo are happy to say this year was a success.
Gus Pietsch says tickets were sold out for Saturday, with both Friday and Sunday also close to capacity.
