After coming close to closure last year Drayton Valley’s Toastmasters group is enjoying a new lease of life.
“I am happy to report we are alive, actively recruiting new Toastmasters and recently received two awards,” says Leah Sanderson, past president of the Derrick Toastmasters.
The first of those awards is for public relations, the second is for Toastmaster of the Year, which was won by Sanderson herself.
Valley Worship Assembly
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Living Spirit United Church
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Emmaus Lutheran Church
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Drayton Valley Alliance Church
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“The Toastmaster of the Year Award is presented to recognize and honour that Toastmaster in District 99 who achieves and maintains the highest standard of excellence as a member of Toastmasters International,” said Kathy Pors, Division A Director. “Sanderson’s dedication, resiliency, integrity, perseverance and communication achievements are but some of the reasons she is receiving the Toastmaster of the Year Award for 2021-2022.”
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication, public speaking and leadership. The Derrick Toastmasters have been active in Drayton Valley for 32 years. Last year declining membership left the group’s future in doubt, however Sanderson says things have since improved dramatically.
“Developing leadership skills is not an easy road. What I initially thought was the end of a 32-year charter was actually the beginning,” she says. “I faced and overcame perceived and actual obstacles. As a leader I learned to use being uncomfortable, overwhelmed, at times deflated and defeated to bust through and beyond to that one next step…Each foot forward meant another step towards saving our club and its 32 year charter.”
The term empty nester has been around for about 110 years and is used to describe the lonely feeling parents have when their children grow up and leave the house.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the years thinking about what it would be like to be on my own. I have never lived by myself. When I was a single mom, there were definitely moments when it felt that way, but most of my choices were made with my children in mind. I didn’t feel free to just do whatever I wanted.
Having been a parent since I turned 20, I always kind of dreamed about what it would be like once my kids were grown. I would only have to clean up after myself. I didn’t have to listen to YouTubers screaming about video games anymore or listen to Ariana Grande’s voice in Sam and Cat.
No more parent-teacher interviews. No more non-urgent emergencies that I have to drop everything and attend to just in case. No more refereeing and enduring my children’s consequences when their electronics were taken away.
I love my children more than anything else, but I have to say, it honestly sounded fantastic.
Well, that day has come, and I’m afraid all the hobbies that I have developed in preparation for this day might not be enough.
There was a point when my kids were little and my parents lived a flight away, and sometimes they would go stay with my parents for a few weeks. I would be excited to clean their rooms and put everything away. After it was cleaned, I would close the door because it was weird to see the room so clean.
I imagine it’s going to be like that again. I will keep myself occupied, of course. I still have my work, I still have my dogs, and I have friends and family that I will spend time with. It will just be weird to come home and not be able to interact with another person.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m comfortable being by myself, and sometimes I really need it to recover from having my time occupied with social events. It’s my way of recharging my battery.
I also know that people who avoid any socialization have a 30-60 percent higher chance of developing dementia. So as much as spending time with others can exhaust me, it’s a matter of health and well-being.
But let’s be clear.. I’m not only spending time with people so that I don’t have cognitive issues in the future. I really enjoy spending time with the people I love, and I’m often excited to do so. I just need some recovery.
With the kids gone, every day will be my recovery period, and I think I’m going to be spending more time out and about just to get that fix. Getting that human interaction will be very important for me health wise and for my sanity.
I think I’m going to have to change my perspective on the term empty-nester. It’s not necessarily something to dread or be sad about. It’s an opportunity to create a unique, peaceful space that you can rest in after a day of spreading your wings and learning who you are in this next part of your life.
The new CAO for Drayton Valley brings with him experience in a municipal leadership role. He also brings many years of military experience to the position.
Troy Grant was appointed CAO at a special council meeting held on July 8. On a municipal level, Grant worked at Sturgeon County as the General Manager of Public Services.
During his time with the military, Grant earned the Canadian Forces’ Decoration for his years of service.
He originally started at the Town in March 2026, acting as the Town Services Manager. Getting a promotion this early on was not something he had anticipated.
“I didn’t come to the town anticipating becoming anything more than the general manager of town services,” says Grant.
Now that he has stepped into the new role, Grant says he’s excited to work with the staff he’s come to know.
“This is an opportunity that lends itself nicely to my classic training through the military… I’m super excited about it.”
One of the skills needed for the position of CAO is leadership, which is something he developed as a logistics officer in the military. Grant was responsible for organizing supply chains, personnel, finances, and transportation to ensure Canadian troops around the world had what they needed to operate smoothly.
“The CAO ultimately needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their team and then employ those things with reinforcing those strengths and weaknesses to achieve the objectives that council and the people of Drayton Valley need,” says Grant. “That’s exactly what army leaders do.”
One of the first things Grant wants to handle is the Town’s organizational chart, with the goal of making it more clear to staff, council, and the public. Council will also have the opportunity to give feedback, says Grant, because he plans to run it by them before making it official.
He says he’s really enjoyed working with council over the past few months.
“Our current council is so open to innovation and creativity,” says Grant. “I think something we all need to wrap our heads around is that we have a new council. They’ve been in place for less than a year, but they’ve already demonstrated flexibility of thought, creativity, and aggressive policy changes.”
Another project that they have been working on is reviewing the way they handle contracting. Grant says he wants to be sure that it’s being done properly and is beneficial to the community, rather than costly or a hindrance.
At the end of the day, this position is about service for Grant, which is something he’s proud of.
“I’m fundamentally a service guy. I’m about serving people; serving Canadians. My whole career has been that. I guess for me, it’s the next chapter in service to Canadians, so I’m excited about that,” says Grant.
Another area that excites him is “moving the yardsticks progressively” for Drayton Valley.
“Being part of figuring out the path forward in a meaningful way, in a leadership way, with this council and the team that we have,” he says.
He says he would like the municipality to be seen as a place where people want to work. Where they are respected and know that the work they do matters.
One of the questions council had for Grant was how long he imagined he could stay in his role as CAO. Given the turnover of the past ten years, one of their concerns was the stability of the role.
Grant says he plans to stick around as long as they will have him. He will eventually retire, though, and he says he will be putting together a succession plan with the hope that the next CAO can come fully qualified from in-house.
“It’s a real privilege to be able to support the town and become the leader of a team that I already believe in,” he says.
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.
These are a few of my favourite things
What do I like? Thanks for asking. I like loads of things.
I like beer. I like wine, especially if there’s some fresh bread and a nice piece of cheese to go with it. I like playing golf. I like holidays somewhere sunny.
One feature those things have in common is that they cost a bit. So one of the things I like the most is money, because it makes all the other stuff possible.
And this ought to be a good time for folks like me, because as of now (yes, right now) the provincial government is giving a $100 energy rebate to each and every Albertan who meets some fairly loose criteria. I tick all the boxes. You probably do too.
Over 18 (check)
Alberta resident (check)
Filed taxes in 2025 (check)
Annual income less than $225,000 (you’re kidding, right?)
So far so good. But that’s the easy part. You have to have one of those MyAlberta online accounts to apply. I do have an account, but I have no idea whatsoever what the password might be. And as for my user name? Well, if I could remember stuff like that I’d probably be working in a circus somewhere as Mysterio the Memory-Man. On top of that, so far there have been reports of a number of hiccups in the application process, so that things are neither tickety nor boo. I mean, I can probably figure something out, but it starts to feel like quite a lot of work for not much reward.
Now I don’t want to complain about free money. Because free money is the best kind of money there is. Back when I was a lad you could feed a family of eleven on steak and lobster every day for a week on a hundred bucks and still have enough left to buy a small airline.
But those days are gone. It feels like $100 doesn’t go that far these days, because it doesn’t. Just yesterday I filled up with gas (we have a fairly small car) and then bought a couple of bottles of wine and bam! Just like that, 200 bucks gone. So that was the rebate for my wife and I taken care of before it even hit our bank account.
Don’t get me wrong. Getting an extra hundred bucks is a lot better than not getting an extra hundred bucks. And it’s orders of magnitude better than, for example, losing a hundred bucks. Still, as cash bonanzas go, this one feels like a bit of an anticlimax. You cannot make $100 into a huge pile and roll around in it naked. And if you try you’ll probably look pretty stupid.
This is all a bit of a downer, but hope springs eternal. And happily there are things that I like that don’t cost money. Things like sitting on the deck in the sunshine or going for a walk, both of which I have already done today.
Perhaps I should focus on things like that for the next little while. At least until I can remember that damn password.
Donation leads to arena upgrades
Change is on the way to Drayton Valley’s arena.
The facility, which was rebranded as the Team Auctions Centre last year, will see upgrades valued at $1 million thanks to a contribution from an anonymous donor.
In recognition of the funding, the Total Works Gym will be renamed as the Thunder High Performance Centre.
Changes within the building will see the installation of new safety glass around the main ice surface and the addition of a four-panel digital video board. Additional upgrades will include drillable net pegs to improve safety and Alberta Junior Hockey League standards compliance, removal of side netting to enhance sight lines and improve the fan experience, an upgraded camera system to support game presentation and broadcasting and replacement dasher boards, coordinated alongside planned board repairs.
The upgrades were announced last week in a joint statement from the Drayton Valley Thunder, the Town of Drayton Valley and the Drayton Valley Community Foundation.
“The Team Auction Centre is where our community comes together,” said Kevin Young, President of the Thunder. “This project reflects what we can accomplish through partnership. These upgrades will create better opportunities for our athletes and fans and a stronger experience for everyone who walks through these doors.”
Mayor Nancy Dodds said that the $1 million contribution, along with the renaming of the gym, would leave a lasting legacy in the community.
“The much-needed upgrades to the facility will not only enhance opportunities for residents and visitors, but also strengthen a space that brings our community together. We are incredibly proud to stand alongside the Drayton Valley Thunder and the Drayton Community Foundation in recognizing this transformative moment.”
In the high and far-off times
Nothing in the last 50 years has quite matched the feeling I got waking up one July morning in 1976 and realizing I wouldn’t have to so much as think about simultaneous equations for the next six weeks.
Life’s had its ups and downs since then, but I’ve never quite recaptured that burst of excitement you get when school’s out for summer and, with the entire holidays ahead of you, it feels as if it might as well be out forever.
All this week I’ve been watching kids walk down our street making their way between the twin attractions of the skatepark and 7/Eleven. Some are tall, some are short. Some are in groups, others in pairs or alone. The main thing they have in common is that they all seem pretty happy.
And they should be. But I wonder if they realize this is as good as it gets. They’re young, they’re healthy, it’s the first week of summer vacation. It’s all downhill from here.
What with bullying, the pressure to conform and the potential horrors of social media, it would be foolish to assume that teens don’t have problems of their own, because some of them quite obviously do. But for the happy majority it’s a question of perspective. It’s not that your teenage years are completely carefree. I know this because I am a former teenager. When I was that age my main concerns were wondering if I’d have enough money to buy the new ABBA album when it came out, trying to catalog my stamp collection and wishing I could figure out how to talk to girls without sounding like an absolute numpty. I’m still working on that last one as it happens. Meanwhile my brother, who’s a couple of years older than I am, spent most of the mid-1970s in front of the mirror trying to make sure his hair was perfect and becoming increasingly furious when it failed to remain exactly in place. It’s all fallen out now, so the joke’s on him.
So anyway, I want to wish all the kids who are off school a long and happy summer. I hope they have the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime. It’s a horrible cliche to say that your school days are the happiest days of your life. And like most cliches, it’s not always accurate. But as Ferris Bueller once said, life moves pretty fast. So it’s important to make the most of things right now, before they are gone forever.
I never did get that ABBA album. My stamp collection is still stuffed haphazardly into a couple of fading envelopes. My school days are the best part of half a century behind me. If I was to tell one of those kids who walk past our house how quickly the time has gone they’d think I was delusional, or bonkers, or both. But it’s no exaggeration to say that sometimes 1976 seems like yesterday. And yet here we are. Half a century later and I’m still not entirely sure what you’re supposed to do with simultaneous equations.
Have a great summer kids, and take time to enjoy the ride.
E-dirtbikes raise safety concerns
Off-highway vehicles are not allowed on public municipal property in Drayton Valley, whether they are electric or not.
Cody Rossing, the senior manager of community safety for the Town, says that there have been some complaints about e-dirt bikes being used in town and he wants to educate the public about the legislation surrounding electric micro-mobility devices.
“At the end of the day, these e-dirt bikes are considered by the Province of Alberta to be an off-highway vehicle,” says Rossing.
Like other OHVs, owners have to follow the regulations around ownership and use of the vehicle, and the rules don’t change if the vehicle happens to be electric.
“There is a minimum age of 14 to operate any off-highway vehicles. You need registration and you need insurance if you are operating on roadways,” says Rossing. “You do need a helmet if you are on the roadways as well.”
Along with provincial legislation, residents are required to follow the Town’s bylaws. Like many municipalities, OHVs are not permitted to be used within Drayton Valley’s public areas. This includes roads, sidewalks, walking trails, green spaces, and any other publicly accessible areas. The only exception is if it is being used on private property, such as an acreage within town limits.
Rossing says that while many people are only learning about e-dirt bikes now, the Province has had legislation in place for more than 15 years.
“It’s not something that all of a sudden the provincial government or the municipal government has come up with in the last couple of months. It has been very well established several years ago,” he says.
One issue that has come up when these micro vehicles are used in town is the lack of noise. E-dirt bikes and other micro vehicles don’t make a lot of noise, so residents don’t hear them coming. While this might happen with regular bicycles or scooters if someone isn’t paying attention, the real danger lies in how fast the vehicles can go.
Most e-dirt bikes have a top speed that ranges from 50 kph to 130 kph. It’s dangerous enough to have an accident with an e-bicycle, which can get up to speeds between 32 kph and 45 kph, but an accident with an e-dirt bike could be deadly.
“There are huge safety issues that come with that,” says Rossing. “It’s one of those things where we want adults and we want kids to have fun, but it’s got to be done safely.”
He says that enforcement services have been responding to complaints and have spoken to a few individuals about the rules, and they will continue to do so.
Rossing says those who are not happy with the legislation surrounding OHVs can either write to the Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, the Honourable Steve MacKinnon, or their local MLA.
A large part of the turnaround is attributed to a public relations program spearheaded by Sanderson and fellow toastmaster Don Stuike. At the time Stuike was the group’s vice-president of education. He has since taken on the role of president.
The pair’s public relations achievements include recruiting and inducting new members, promoting the club within the community and conducting a number of outreach activities.
“These two model what it takes to promote a Toastmasters Club,” says Pors.
Drayton Valley’s Derrick Toastmasters meets regularly every second and fourth Wednesday at 6:45 pm to 9:15 pm using the Zoom platform. Sanderson says new members don’t need any particular skill set. Club members learn by attending free training, taking on roles within the club. There are also a number of free resources offering information, training and guidance.
How do you spend a two week holiday when the weather is crappy? With visitors from Scotland in tow, my wife and I set out to find the answer to that question earlier this month.
After being rained out of Drayton Valley we headed west in search of a break in the clouds. A friend had told me about the Beaver Boardwalk in Hinton. We decided to give it a go and it was actually really good. Basically it’s a long bridge sort of thing that winds its way through an area of wetland. Not only is there lots of wildlife, there’s something weirdly enjoyable about walking on a pathway of wooden planks. It felt a bit like being on one of those old sailing ships, but without the scurvy or the looming threat of a keel hauling.
And the wildlife did come through for us. Hinton provided muskrats along with the aforementioned beaver. When we headed into the national park we had a very good bear sighting (it was good for us, I’m not sure how the bear felt about it) along with elk, a coyote, rabbits and bighorn sheep. And there were lots of deer, although curiously, here at home the little herd of whitetails who are fond of eating my wife’s flowers and defecating on my front lawn were nowhere to be seen.
And talking of wildlife, we were chased away from a rest stop near Obed by a rampaging horde of caterpillars.
One of the good things about the Miette Hotsprings is that it’s really quite pleasant even if it’s raining. The other positive thing about the weather in Jasper was that the waterfalls were in full swing and as spectacular as you could reasonably hope for, even if you did get wet feet trying to get a closer look.
But you can only spend so long trying to see a mountain through a rain spotted windshield. Back in Drayton we found ourselves eating out a lot. I’ve always been a fan of the number and variety of restaurants we have in this community and they did not let us down. However, it will be some time before I can look at a french fry with anything close to enthusiasm again.
During one late lunch we watched Canada play Bosnia Herzegovina at the World Cup. And we splashed out of a TV subscription so we could see Scotland juuussst manage to beat Haiti after 90 minutes of largely ineffectual huffing and puffing.
With sports in mind, our other trip out of town involved a visit to the rodeo in Rocky Mountain House. They have a really nice set up and for once the weather was not completely horrible, so that was a definite bonus.
But the bulk of our time was spent right here at home, and you know what, it was just fine. We shared a few laughs, did a lot of catching up and spent time visiting with my wife’s extremely large family. (When I say “extremely large” I mean there’s a lot of them, not that they’re particularly big as individuals. Most of them aren’t much over five feet.)
So all in all we had a very nice time and I’m looking forward to doing it all again sometime in the not too distant future.
Hopefully when the weather is better.
With Phase II of the development of the Eleanor Pickup Arts Centre underway, the board’s fundraising committee is seeking permission from the Town and County to have a sponsor for the naming rights of the building.
Last week, both the Town and Brazeau County heard a request from the EPAC board to allow Tom and Sheila McGee to start approaching companies about naming rights for the facility. The name of the theatre wouldn’t replace Eleanor Pickup’s name, but would be something like Naming Sponsor Eleanor Pickup Arts Centre.
By giving out the naming rights, the board believes it would be able to raise a significant portion of the costs of the expansion.
The expansion is expected to cost around $4 million. The goal is to cover most of the costs through grants and fundraising, but the McGees think people should focus less on the dollar signs and more on the benefits a larger facility can provide.
The fundraising committee co-chairs are expected to kick off the fundraising at about the same time as the July 17 Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by the Town and County.
They say they have taken on the project because they feel that it’s important that there be opportunities available for people, especially children, who lean more toward the arts than sports.
“I think it’s a big part of our community that we don’t know,” says Tom McGee.
He says there are many talented people in our community who haven’t been able to show off their skills. While the children who play sports have their place, McGee says he believes it’s just as important to invest in a space for other interests.
For him, watching the kids get ready for a performance and then nail their lines on stage is awesome.
“When you see those kids on stage, remembering their lines and doing their work, you just think, ‘Oh my goodness. How brilliant is that?’” says McGee.
Right now, it’s difficult to hold full productions at the EPAC due to a lack of space. There is no green room, which means that cast members don’t have a lot of room to change their costumes or do their makeup. In some cases, trailers have been parked behind the theatre to provide space for the cast to wait until they’re needed on stage.
There are also no washrooms for the cast to use or any space for set storage during a production.
McGee says that when he was on town council in the past, there was some reluctance to close off the walking space between Main Street and the parking lot behind the EPAC. However, his thought on the matter is that it’s not a long walk to go around the buildings rather than through that space.
He also says the expansion would allow for additional revenue, which could help offset some of the costs of the building. Currently, there is a suite above the theatre that gets rented out. With the proposed expansion, there would be room for an additional two suites.
“The argument could be made that it’s sustainable,” says McGee. “It sort of pays for itself.”
He says they will also be approaching the Minister of Tourism and Sport, MLA Andrew Bointchenko, about any possible tourism grants that might be available for the project.
As Graduation is in the air I was inspired to write something for us who haven’t seen the halls of high school for oh…24 years. I felt that maybe it was time for us to hear a hopeful message of our own, just so life doesn’t completely kick the crap out of us.
When I left town after high school I promised never to return. Well here comes the first life lesson: things change.
Things change
We are 24 years beyond grad and are now a generation of adults and parents, who are ushering the next generation through to adulthood. We also are seeing the first signs that our parents are in fact aging and a life lived is more fleeting than we ever understood as a graduate. Some of you have buried parents, grandparents, peers, and children and just as hope was a part of our graduation swan song, reality had made a home in our middle aged lives.
With over two decades of adulting under our belts we know that things do change. We make monumental life changes for jobs, for family, for our children. Mine brought me back to Drayton Valley, yours may have taken you away.
Also you may have come to the conclusion that you are not going to be the first female “insert accomplishment”, or pop star or movie star or whatever predictions your high school year book had made back in 2002. What you did learn is lesson number two; “success” is really hard.
Success is really hard
Not only is being successful tough, it also requires you to make a lot of tough decisions. Do you miss your kid’s baseball game to go to that client meeting? Do you uproot your family to take that management position?
Being successful, however you define it, comes with payoffs and payments. These get more complicated when you are not just considering yourself. This doesn’t mean to quit striving but, it does mean that sometimes giving up old dreams is the right choice Lesson three: collect new dreams.
Collecting new dreams
As you eek your way through mid life you maybe kicking yourself for not backpacking your way through Europe or taking that internship in some far away land. Flog yourself if you must but, after you do that find a way to – just let go. Life is fluid, and so are your dreams and aspirations. Don’t be that monkey who is so focused on holding on to what was, that you never reach for what could be. You are 40, not 40 feet under. Sign yourself up for a sport this fall, take a class, or travel Europe as the sophisticated adult that you are- with some cash in your pocket.
Speaking of cash, there is much said about retirement saving and not much talk about retirement doing. Lesson four; think about your retirement.
Think about retirement
You have been working now for at least 20 ish years and thoughts of retirement planning may be beginning to swirl. I don’t know much about being retired but I do know having a retirement plan is more than just putting some money away.
What the heck are you going to do with all that free time? This will be the most free time you’ve had since…well forever. Start collecting hobbies, friends, and interests that will carry you through into an amazing retirement. Whatever you do, don’t just sit. Lesson five: move your body.
Finally as you are solidly into your forties, maybe you’ve had a couple of kids, been sitting too long at the computer. Your bones may sound crunchy, your muscles saggy and you can see youth and beauty is giving way to wisdom and peri-menopause.
Do not resign yourself to being old, or getting old, not yet my friends! Instead push aside the career dominated goals of high school and move you body. Whenever you get a chance, walk, dance, whatever it takes just move you body, enjoy your body. Your body is not only the greatest instrument you will ever own, keeping it healthy is the greatest gift you can give.
The greatest gift
The greatest gift you can give your kids is not that RESP, you so carefully put away. What you can give them is far more cheaper than that. It’s to be a healthy aging adult- one who can keep up with the grandkids or even live long enough to meet the grandkids, who can go for long walks and talks, and who can do coffee visits not hospital visits.
It is not the responsibility of our kids to make sure our aging behinds stay healthy. That responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders and will be the best gift we can give our kids as we continue to age.
We are 24 years out of high school and with so much life lived and so much life ahead of us. Class of 2002 now is the time to embrace adulthood and enjoy the summer of our lives.
The Drayton Valley Museum is also operating as a Visitor Centre this year thanks to funding from the Drayton Valley Hospitality and Tourism Authority (DVHTA).
Alyssa Kotyk, the Drayton Valley Museum and Visitor Centre supervisor for this season, says the Drayton Valley Historical Society and the DVHTA are hoping that having a visitor centre at the museum will not only bring tourists to the museum but also to the remainder of the community.
Along with the local artifacts and historical buildings, Kotyk says one of the best features of the museum is that there is no cost to tour the space. They would just like a donation if they would like to.
Kotyk and two other summer students will be the main people running the museum, but the Historical Society has numerous volunteers who look after the museum and its archives during the summer and throughout the months that it is closed.
“I think the volunteers deserve a shout-out. They’re amazing,” she says.
She says the area is perfect for picnics, with lots of green space available as well. The town will also be installing public washrooms on the museum grounds so families can stay as long as they would like.
One item that Kotyk is excited about is a planned interactive display put together by Eagle Points Blue Rapids Parks Council.
“They have been in and out the past couple of weeks planning, dropping stuff off, talking through ideas. So we are super excited to see the finished product of what they’ve come up with,” she says.
She believes the display will help engage younger children when they go through the space, helping them to learn and retain the information.
Since the museum also houses the archives for community newspapers and organizations, Kotyk says they would welcome people coming in for research. However, anyone who wishes to use them will have to speak to a volunteer to ensure they are using the right precautions to avoid damaging some of the older books.
Kotyk will also stay on top of community events this summer and will have that information ready for any tourists who come in.
“I have a nice little booklet of a bunch of flyers for different events going on around town, so if you just are wondering what’s going on in town… come look here,” says Kotyk.
She says that along with events, she also has maps for Brazeau County and Drayton Valley that highlight different parks in the area and have some ideas for fun activities.
“I can plan an entire day, an entire little weekend of different stops, different restaurants, just your one-stop shop about Drayton Valley,” she says.
Last week, the visitor centre officially opened, and its hours of operation are Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum tours will be open from July 2 until August 24, though the centre will remain open until September 7.
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.
“What I find most rewarding about this organization is that it delivers. Toastmasters tagline is Where Leaders are Made. This past year has brought home to me that if one does the work and overcomes perceived and actual obstacles you definitely become a confident, communicative leader,” she says.
In the high and far-off times
Nothing in the last 50 years has quite matched the feeling I got waking up one July morning in 1976 and realizing I wouldn’t have to so much as think about simultaneous equations for the next six weeks.
E-dirtbikes raise safety concerns
Off-highway vehicles are not allowed on public municipal property in Drayton Valley, whether they are electric or not.
Fourteen days of steady rain
How do you spend a two week holiday when the weather is crappy? With visitors from Scotland in tow, my wife and I set out to find the answer to that question earlier this month.
EPAC expansion fundraising in the works
With Phase II of the development of the Eleanor Pickup Arts Centre underway, the board’s fundraising committee is seeking permission from the Town and County to have a sponsor for the naming rights of the building.
