Special Features - Women Today 2015

TODAY2015 EDITION

Women

ALL OF YOUR

CUSTOM

ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL

HEALTH NEEDS

MEDICATION

NEEDS

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9-6 Sat. 9-5

RM 139 5201 - 43 Street, Red Deer Main fl oor - east corridor 403.342.1434

Over 35 Years of Fi ng Breast

Prosthesis

Arrange your custom Fi ng Today!

.

.

.

.

Your andHEALTH HORMONE SPECIALISTS

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Women Today, Red Deer Express 3

Need Healing?You’re Welcometo Join us!

is a 12-step program for those who are ready to embark on a journey of real and las ng change to address hurts, habits and hang-ups. As we change and grow we become free from our addic ve, compulsive and dysfunc onal behaviors. Join us on your journey to las ng change, spiritual growth and healing. Drop in Tuesday nights at 7:00pm in the Warehouse located in the parking lot of Living Stones Church at 2020-40th Avenue. Call Marianne at 403.347.7311 for more informa on. Free to a end.

are courses for adults and their children who nd themselves in various stages of separa on and/or divorce to nd hope, healing and forgiveness in a suppor ve environment with others who are facing separa on and/or divorce as well. Each session runs for 13 weeks. No pre-registra on required. For more informa on call Marianne at 403-347-7311. Cost is $15.00for the workbook.

Passion for God, Compassion for People.

BY ERIN FAWCETTRed Deer Express

The sixth annual Heart’s Desire fund-raiser in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation is set to take place in Red Deer next month. The event will take place May 7th at the Holiday Inn & Suites on Gasoline Alley. Cocktails are at 6:30 p.m. with appe-tizers and auctions beginning at 7:30 p.m.

“With the Heart and Stroke Foundation we have a campaign called ‘The Heart Truth’. It is designed to share the truth about heart disease and stroke in women’s heart health,” said Karen Jackman, Red Deer area manager and fund development coordinator for the Heart and Stroke Foun-dation. “The purpose of the event is to get together with your girlfriends, have a relax-ing night out, do some shopping, and take the time to treat yourself.”

This year the organizers have included a purse and shoe auction – the fi rst of its kind at a City fundraiser. There will be be-tween 100 and 150 shoes and purses up for grabs in a ‘rainbow style’ auction where

participants buy raffl e tickets and enter for the purse and shoes they would like to win. There will also be additional prizes to be won and entertainment throughout the evening as well.

“This year we are really excited be-cause being in its sixth year we decided to take a look at the fundraiser and re-vamp it so we can keep it new and excit-ing and also hopefully draw in some new people to the event,” said Jackman. “We are so excited about the show and purse auction.”

Jackman added heart disease and stroke is the number one killer among Canadian women, more than any other cancers com-bined. “With the Heart Truth campaign and with heart health, it’s one of those things that is neglected and women are not aware of the statistics. It used to be con-sidered a man’s disease but that is not the case anymore,” said Jackman. “We want the awareness to get out there and another thing we encourage – especially with this campaign – is for women to take the time for themselves and to realize that it is im-

portant that we all do things for ourselves fi rst. Sometimes as women we neglect our-selves and everything else comes fi rst and unfortunately that seems to take a toll on our society as women.”

Tickets for the event are $75 each, or $500 for a table of eight. Corporate tables are also available for $2,500.

Tickets are available at ATB Bower Mall Branch, or by calling 403-357-3026 or 403-342-4435. Also check out ‘Hearts De-sire gala’ on facebook.

[email protected]

Heart’s Desire – a fun night out Heart’s Desire – a fun night out while raising awarenesswhile raising awareness

4 Red Deer Express, Women Today Wednesday, April 29, 2015

BY MARK WEBERRed Deer Express

Red Deer’s Jeri Lynn Ing has been artistically enhancing the community for many years via the striking vibrancy of her gift for painting.

You can often fi nd her at Ing and Woolgar Studios at Gallery IS, just off of Red Deer’s down-town at 5123 - 48 St. It’s a space she shares with fellow artist Su-san Woolgar.

Ing, who was raised in Ed-monton, knew from an early age that art was indeed her pas-sion. “I think most artists are born with that desire to draw, create and replicate things – I used to make cartoon books for my friends,” she explains with a smile. “I always drew and I al-ways painted.”

Through her studies at the University of Alberta, she was focusing on anthropology, so-ciology and psychology. “But I was taking all of my options in the fi ne arts, and I thought I really should do this. I should become a painter because that’s really all I want to do.”

But after graduating from the U of A, she landed a job at the Royal Bank as she also earned a business diploma from Grant MacEwan University. And although she worked in mortgage development for a time, artistic pursuits were always in the picture. She later met her husband Gord, and the couple moved to Red Deer as that was his hometown. She continued to work in banking until they started their family.

“When my youngest started Kindergar-ten, I heard about an opportunity about some artists looking to start a co-op,” she recalls. It didn’t last a long time, but many strong friendships and connections were sparked during that time, including one with City artist Erika Schulz, with whom Jeri Lynn eventually established Gallery IS.

“I knew business, and I knew art. So I thought let’s do this – so the two of us took on a partnership.” Gallery IS continued downtown for several years as a success-ful commercial gallery. They later moved to the current location on 48th St. Schulz moved to other projects about three years ago, and Jeri Lynn operated out of the

premises on her own for about a year be-fore Woolgar joined her.

For Jeri Lynn, there is nothing that can compare with what the process of creating works of arts provides. “I think about it ev-eryday – it’s a passion. I ‘can’t not’ do it. It’s just who I am,” she adds. “It’s so integral to who you are and how you express yourself.

“It becomes part of who you are and how you see the world,” she said. “And no matter what I go through – the ups and downs of life – it’s a way to express my-self. It’s like breathing. I’m also interested in other artists, and what they are doing.”

To that end, Jeri Lynn, along with fellow local artists Woolgar, Larry Reese and Judy Sutter formed the Group of Four awhile back. The members spend time together painting, studying art in general and just learning and growing from the rich times spent in each other’s company.

Jeri Lynn fi nds she likes to create work in a series-type of format. “I’ve learned over the years not to let them go too soon because you do have times of growth during any period of time. So you’ll go back and see

that this element doesn’t relate to this other one so well now.” Eventually, the body of paint-ings will work together seam-lessly. “I’m not a perfectionist by any means, though. I can let go. Once they’re gone, I don’t even think about them.” But as long as they are taking shape – like a se-ries of fl owers she is working on now – she’s continually watch-ing to see how they fi t together; where the strengths in each one spring from, for example. “Paint-ings done in a series works great for me.”

Looking ahead, Jeri Lynn is also excited about a solo show at the White Gallery in Sun-works which opens June 5th and runs to the end of August.

“It will showcase my latest work - Flower Talk. They are the large fl ower paintings I have been working on over the past year.”

Also, two of her portrait paintings have been selected to be in a show at the VASA Gal-lery in St Albert.

The show is called ‘Women Portraying Women’ and is an ex-hibition of Alberta female artists and their expressions of women

experiencing everyday life. That exhibit runs June 1st through to June 30th.

These days, folks can fi nd Jeri Lynn at the studio, taking great joy in what brings her such a wonderful sense of fulfi llment. Her work is striking - Jeri Lynn aims to capture more than just what she’s has seen in a given piece – she wants viewers to know what she was feeling as well. “I try to keep that freshness there so the viewer can kind of connect on some level.” She once sold a visually-impaired woman a painting based on her own explanation of the sensibilities of it. “She said, ‘I can feel the place’. That was such an honour for me,” she said. “She really got what I had wanted to say.”

Colour is also a passion from project to project. “I see the world in colour. The brush marks you can make with paint also really intrigue me. When you put two co-lours together, and then maybe add a third – to me, that’s what it’s all about. It’s excit-ing to me. “The path I’ve been on has been very enriching and fulfi lling.”

[email protected]

GIFTED – Red Deer artist Jeri Lynn Ing poses amongst some of her vibrant paintings during a break at Gallery IS.

Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

Some of her works to be featured at St. Albert’s VASA Gallery

Jeri Lynn Ing one of City’s Jeri Lynn Ing one of City’s most talented artistsmost talented artists


BrittanyLost 90 lbsin 32 weeks

AfterBefore

LisaLost 65 lbsin 30 weeks

Before After

20 POUNDS FREE!*

0%Financing Available

*

Follow us across the web: www.uweightloss.com uweightloss.com/facebook twitter.com/uweightloss blog.uweightloss.com

104A 4315 - 55 AVENUECALL 403.340.0612

[email protected]

Best of Red DeerGOLD WINNER

2014 Readers’ Choice Awards

Weight Loss Clinic

Best of Red DeerGOLD WINNER

2013 Readers’ Choice Awards

Weight Loss Clinic

Call today for your FREE, NO-OBLIGATION consultation!*Conditions may apply. Valid to new clients only. 0% available O.A.C. See in-store for details.

U Weight Loss Clinics provide a simple, science-based program that:• Revs up your metabolism • Burns fat • Teaches you how to combine delicious

foods to balance your hormones and drop inches quickly!

Averageweight loss for the 1st week

just under

7 lbs!

Join today & get your fi rst

Before

It’s spring fever, that is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want, oh you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so. Would it be too cheeky to suggest Mark Twain was talking about shoes?

As much as we love our boots in Central Alberta, the time has come to lighten the shoe mood. If I could only use one word to defi ne footwear trends for spring 2015, it would be; options. From chic fl ats, to sky high platforms, classic pumps to lace up oxfords at every heel height, there is a shoe or if you’re like most of us, shoes for every personal style. Women are refusing to wear uncomfortable shoes, but also demand great style. Fortunate-ly we live in a time where it is possible to have both.

Ladies are not giving up their fl ats anytime soon. The good news is that the choices are endless. Fashion forward run-

ning shoes, man tailored wing tips, classic loafers, ballet, the list is lengthy. Colour abounds along with materials for ev-ery taste, buttery soft leathers, suedes, woven textiles, canvas, printed and plain.

Heel heights vary and again, something being offered for every personal style. Probably the biggest trend is a chunkier heel which many woman fi nd easier to wear. Spring booties are again popular and work with many clothing styles, from jeans to pencil skirts to maxi dresses. Many of our European companies offer beautiful hand painted fl orals on soft neutral

backgrounds or leathers of-fering blended neutrals which pair well with spring clothing colours. Even the more rugged industrial looks become softer when offered in Lucite green.

Speaking of pumps, you do have a pair, right? Chris-tian Louboutin has compared a good pump to a fi ne wine. Always a good choice. There is no better way to fl atter and lengthen your legs than wear-ing a pump. It improves your posture which of course makes you look slimmer. If you have larger calves and thighs, bypass the stilettos and opt for a stur-dier heel which will be more proportionate with your lower half. Pumps really are the mag-ic shoe and there is a toe style, heel height or shape to suit ev-eryone. Be sure to have a nude pair in the closet as well. They look great with every colour of clothing and they add inches to your legs.

Spring 2015, the colour ex-perts at the Pantone Institute

suggest a move toward a softer and cooler side of the spec-trum. Multi-coloured fl orals and shades of romantic neu-trals pair nicely to create an overall soothing effect. Stylists are suggesting we are all too caught up in our busy worlds so we should look to fashion to calm us. If neutrals don’t excite you though, do not despair as bold colours like classic blue, tangerine and marsala appear as well which are offset by the neutrals - the best of both worlds. Colour is a good way to stay current with your ward-robe. That being said, white is very important this season. An outfi t in tip to toe white is au courant.

If you’re experiencing spring fever, your local shoe shop would be happy to ease that ache. Remember the average woman falls in love seven times a year, six are with shoes.

Bev Krausher is a local fash-ionista and the owner of Great Strides Fine Shoes in Red Deer.

It’s time to lighten the shoe mood this springIt’s time to lighten the shoe mood this spring

Bev

K R A U S H E R


EURO-MODECLOTHING STORE

The only fashion service centre you’ll ever need!

• Ladies Wear & Accessories• Custom Sewing & Alterations• Image Consulting• Felicja’s Fashions

Felicja Szurka

ph/fax 403.342.2744UNIT 6, 4921 49 STREET RED DEER, ALBERTA

BY KALISHA MENDONSARed Deer Express

Candice Meyer had never aspired to de-sign or make jewellery, but that’s what she does now after learning she had an apti-tude and interest for metal chain work and creating one-of-a-kind pieces.

Meyer is a Red Deer resident and has been designing and composing her unique jewellery for a number of years now. She happened upon her talent in a roundabout way, and hasn’t looked back since.

“My daughter moved to Calgary some years ago with her husband and was bored one day, so she called me. She lives near a bead store so I told her to go wander in and fi nd out about taking a course or something like that. She said no, and when I got off the phone, I realized I might like to do something like that if I lived in the city,” Meyer said.

“I was 30 miles out of town, so I ordered a magazine instead. I fl ipped through it and ended up ordering a bunch of beads from eBay. I saw a chainmaille project and thought it was weird but I kept going back to the page. I ended up going out to the barn, grabbing some copper wire, wrap-ping it around a nail and that was how I got started.”

Meyer laughed as she admitted that she never thought herself to be particularly artistic or patient – two things a jewellery maker must be. However, she and her fam-ily learned that she had a lot of tenacity when it came to creating jewellery.

“The kids always say that this is the one thing I have patience for. I will work on something, and re-do it until I get it the way I want it. I think that in doing art, you re-ally fi nd out a lot about yourself. I thought I was one person, but I’m not just that per-son – I’m something totally different than I thought,” Meyer said.

“I would get so caught up in my work that my husband would come home and ask if I had a plan for supper and I’d say,

‘Uh, no, not really.’ On the farm, when he was working and I was home by myself, I’d work until late at night. If I couldn’t sleep I’d get up and start doing something. You just obsess. I always say that it’s something that I have to do. I’ve learned that I can walk away when it’s not going how I want it to, but at the same time; it’s hard to stop.”

The kind of pieces that Meyer creates are composed of hand-made metal rings, created by wrapping, cutting and soldering wires together with specifi ed thicknesses and radiuses. She then weaves the circular pieces together, sometimes with thousands of individual rings in a single piece. For one necklace, roughly just under a centi-metre in diameter and 16” in length, it took Meyer 25 hours to complete the process.

She said that composing the jewellery is something of a puzzle because she has to reconcile the image in her mind’s eye with the actual metal on her workbench.

“I’ve generally got an idea of what I want in my head, but when you’re thinking

about something, everything fi ts together. Everything is balanced and everything looks great. Then you lay it out and start to work on it, and sometimes you fi nd that pieces don’t fi t, or it’s too heavy in certain spots. So I have all of these pieces and then it’s like a puzzle, because you see how something fi ts, and move things around to make it work. It just all sort of comes to-gether in balance,” she said.

Meyer uses a variety of techniques in her designs to create necklaces, earrings, bracelets for men and women, brooches and even cuffl inks. She said that sometimes she will fi nd pieces of stone or minerals and it can take years to come up with a fi nal concept for construction.

Each portion of every piece of jewellery is handcrafted in Meyer’s home, unless a special clasp or addition is noted. She ded-icates hours to forming the metal hoops and arranging them in intricate details to produce her work.

[email protected]

DETAILS, DETAILS – Candice Meyer carefully arranges her latest piece, a neck-lace and matching earrings of chainmaille and corrugated metal, in her home studio display. Kalisha Mendonsa/Red Deer Express

City jeweller spends time honing her craftCity jeweller spends time honing her craft

20% OFF20% OFFFirst Tuesday of the month.

Also off ering by appointment:European Iridologist & Massage Th erapist

oos ues ayy o e

Call Holly your Natural Choice advisor

403.314.1401

#10B 7110 50th Ave. (next to Ricky’s North)

Holly’s Vitamin Shopwww.hollysvitaminshop.ca


TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.onlywomensrd.ca

www.womensoutreach.caemail: [email protected]

Someone who once said to me, “Never has it been harder to be a woman than it is today in the 21st century.” For a long time I believed this and per-haps in certain ways it is true.

However, as time progresses I see the scales begin to tip the other way.

Being a woman in 2015 means choosing whether or not you want to have children or pursue a career. It means be-ing bombarded by mainstream media telling you how to look, think and act.

Being a woman in the year 2015 means we must fi ght for our places in boardrooms and fi ght to have our views and opin-ions heard around the world. On the other hand, being a woman in this day and age means we at least have the choice whether or not we want to have children, as opposed to a time where we were simply asked when.

It means most women will have a choice in how we dress, think, act – and most impor-

tantly what we say. For the fi rst time in history

- the 21st century has allowed women the ability to have seats in these boardrooms and we are seeing more women at the head of these tables as well as-springing up at the heads of all major issues from the energy sector to parliament.

From the dawn of humanity women have been dragged back to caves. In the centuries to fol-low, women were continuously oppressed - only prevailing when hereditarily placed on a throne due to lineage or in the case of Joan of Arc – chosen by God.

Women were beaten, bro-ken and born to be submissive

to men for centuries. They were left without a choice of whether or not she wanted to marry or who she wanted to marry. She would be sent into a loveless, often abusive marriage where she was not given sexual free-dom and usually oppressed. Some women in developing countries still risk being dragged to wherever the man doing the dragging happens to want her to be. The world is still one where women’s genitalia are mutilated at birth – one where all women still do not have the right to vote, drive, or learn to read and write.

Sure, it’s hard to be a 21st century woman living in a fi rst world country. We are plagued with these unrealistic notions of beauty and women are still fi ghting everyday to be heard, and the battle for global gender equality is far from won.

Feminism has become a de-rogatory term. It once was used to describe those in the wom-en’s suffrage movement – it has since come to include the en-

tirety of issues women face and tends to carry a negative con-notation by those who don’t self describe as a feminist.

Rebecca West, (1892-1983) a British author and journalist once said, “I myself have never been able to fi nd out precisely what a feminist is. I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” This is the struggle faced by many women today.

It is the struggle to fi nd our places in an ever-changing world. No longer is there any-thing a woman is ‘supposed to do’. This is the beauty of the 21st century for those living in liberated nations. For the fi rst time women have the ability to do whatever they please and it doesn’t make her a ‘feminist’ when she chooses to do it.

It wasn’t easy getting to this point in the equal rights move-ment we are at, and it won’t be easy to obtain global equality. [email protected]


403.341.3333

Look this

Mon/Wed/Fri 9am – 6pm • Tues/Thurs 9am - 7pm • Sat 8am – 4pm

Spring!

Gift Certifi cates Available!

Back (Left to right): Tanya (2 1/2 years), Kristie (9 years),

Jennifer (Owner - 12 years), Danielle (2 1/2 years)

Front (Left to right): Britney (7 years), Darilynn (6 years), Allison (3 years)

• Colors• Perms • Foils• Cuts – Women,

Men & Kids

• Updos • Full Waxing

• Hair Extensions

#4 88 Howarth St. (Highland Green Plaza) Red Deerwww.sharperimagehairdesign.cawww.sharperimagehairdesign.ca

Empowering women in the 21st century Empowering women in the 21st century

Jenna

S W A N

BY JENNA SWANRed Deer Express

It wasn’t until Leah Kootz, star outside hitter for the Red Deer College Queens’ vol-leyball team, was holding the Most Valuable Player trophy in her hands that she fully real-ized the extent volleyball has had on her life.

The announcement came during a post-tournament awards ceremony at the Cana-dian Collegiate Athletics Asso-ciation (CCAA) National Cham-pionships in Quebec after the Queens had conquered on the court to become back-to-back CCAA national champions.

“I heard the announcement over the speaker ‘From Red Deer College, number 10, Leah Kootz’ - I didn’t even react I just ran up and grabbed it and it hadn’t sunk in,” said Kootz, 19. “Then when I was stand-ing back in the line up with my team holding the award it hit me. I can’t even begin to de-scribe the feeling I had when it fi nally did, it was incredible.”

It wasn’t an easy road that led Kootz to a national MVP title, but rather one she has been working for her entire life. It was a road fi lled with blood, sweat and tears.

Kootz’s volleyball career began at an early age. She describes her earliest memo-ries as ones watching her sib-lings from the sidelines as they smashed, blocked and dug be-fore her eyes.

“They were my idols,” said Kootz of her two older sisters and older brother. “That pushed me to play because I wanted to be just like them. Then when I ended up being so tall it gave me an edge.

“I just remember that each time I played, my love for the game grew larger.”

Standing at 5’11”, Kootz height surely did give her an advantage throughout her middle school and high school athletics career in which she played a multitude of sports in-cluding basketball, badminton, track and fi eld, as well as cross-country running.

It wasn’t until Kootz was 13

that she truly understood the edge she held over the compe-tition as she begun playing club volleyball at Olds College.

She said being part of a U18 team at only 13 gave her the opportunity to play at a much higher level and play against more experienced teams allow-ing her to hone in on her skills at an early age.

Her time at Olds led her to be scouted by the U18 Uni-versity of Calgary Dinos club team, where she said her true passion for the sport began to emerge. Prior to her graduation from William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Kootz was discussing post secondary op-tions when her mom brought up Red Deer College. The more the option was mentioned, the more her curiosity grew. Even-tually her club’s coaches caught wind of Kootz’s curiosity and proceeded to contact Queens’ volleyball Head Coach Talbot Walton who agreed to have her try out for the team.

She added that upon join-ing the Queens she could have never dreamt she would have had the opportunity to be a part of back-to-back national championship winning teams, let alone be named tournament MVP in her second year as a collegiate athlete.

“It stills seems so surreal,” said Kootz. “When you start out at the beginning of every season the end goal is always nationals and we work every practice to be able to achieve

that and to be at that level - but it’s another thing entirely to actually come home with that medal.”

Kootz said she has been taught from a young age by her parents that hard work will take you places, but she adds her career as a Queen taught her more about life than she ever could’ve imagined.

“Coming to RDC to play vol-leyball has honestly been the best experience I’ve ever had,” she said. “It taught me so much about determination, work eth-ic, motivation and commitment and has helped me to transfer those skills into my life.”

As many athletes have de-scribed team dynamic can make or break a season - de-spite the skill level present – but for the 2014/2015 Queens volleyball team this was never an issue. “I’ve been part of a lot of teams in my life,” said Kootz. “But this team has really held true to the saying, ‘Once a Queen always a Queen’ and

until I was part of this team I never understood the full im-pact of that. “We really were like a family this year.”

Following her season with the Queens Kootz plans to fi n-ish her second year of kinesi-ology studies at RDC, but will be transferring to Edmonton come September. “Volleyball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she stated. “I’ve always been known as ‘the volleyball play-er’ – so it’s going to be hard to shed that label.”

Kootz hopes to one day work as a physiotherapist, adding that during her volleyball career it was thanks to physiotherapists she was able to overcome mul-tiple knee and shoulder injuries and be able to play at the level she did this year.

“They’ve helped me get through my career and now I want to be able to turn around and help other athletes through theirs.”

[email protected]


Walk in.Float out.

Full Service Spa & MassageHair & Beauty

Steam Baths | WaxingSpa Packages | Gift Certi cates

#2 6200 67A St.403.314.1933

#2 2119 50 Ave.403.314.1933

Opening May 2015!

totallyrefreshedsteamandspa.com

t.

LEAH KOOTZ

Top RDC female athlete thankful for experienceTop RDC female athlete thankful for experience



Currently serving the second year of her fi rst term as mayor, Tara Veer is relishing all that the position offers.

“In the day-to-day business of being mayor it feels natural – my nine years on council really prepared me well and I have had a life-long love of politics,” she said. “On the other hand it is also very sur-real particularly when I see the position through other people’s eyes. Since becom-ing mayor there has been a real interest in local government from kids and youth in a new way. When I see the holding of mayor through the eyes of a child that comes into the offi ce to be ‘mayor for a day’ and when they sit in the mayor’s chair, it feels surreal for me.”

Born and raised in Red Deer, Veer, who has served as councillor since 2004 and then was elected as mayor in 2013, found a love for politics early on.“Ever since I was quite young – about four or fi ve – I had a strong sense of justice,” said Veer. “Even as a little girl if there was something I didn’t agree with at school or in our household, I certainly made my opinions known.

“I kind of laugh because I can see that I had an interest in politics very young. If there was something that I wanted or if there was a change I wanted to bring about in our household I would campaign and I had all kinds of picket signs, or I would do a survey and show the percentage of what people wanted.”

Veer also recalls when she was in Grade 4 being able to stay up late with her dad to watch the federal election results come in on television. “I didn’t really have an un-derstanding of political parties at that time, but there was something about the whole political process and democracy that in-spired me even that young,” she said with a laugh. “I remember going to school the next day and talking about the election and I remember kids kind of looking at me say-ing how boring that was.”

Veer’s fi rst job in the political scene was working as a constituency assistant for for-mer Red Deer MP Bob Mills. “I worked for him for about three years and it was an amazing experience,” she said.

“The job gave me my fi rst taste of serv-ing as an advocate for people who didn’t necessarily have a voice for themselves. We would handle the letters and phone calls that came in and we would speak on behalf of those constituents to the federal government. It gave me a sense of how you can help people.”

While working for Mills, Veer also got to be involved with a couple of election cam-

paigns. “I learned how to run a campaign and it was a very valuable experience,” she said.

In the fall of 2004 a municipal election was held. Veer thought she would wait un-til 2007 to run for council but as campaign signs began to pop up around Red Deer, she had a change of heart. “I just knew I needed to run and it was literally a quick decision,” she said. “I didn’t have a cam-paign planned or money to fund that cam-paign. I talked to close friends and family

and told them I felt I needed to do this and I needed their support because I certainly couldn’t do it alone. And then I ran!”

There were 25 candidates who were vy-ing for a spot on council that election. Veer spent the election night at home listening to the results come in over the radio with her family. “They were naming the top 12 candidates and my name wasn’t on there,” said Veer.

“I remember kind of being disappointed because I had felt the campaign had gone better. I remember my dad telling me not to worry and maybe I was number 13. “I remember driving to City Hall that night to go and congratulate people that had won. I had my cry on the way down and I remem-ber thinking that I knew I was supposed to run but that I guess I would fi nd other ways to make Red Deer a better place to live. I resolved that in my heart.”

When Veer arrived at City Hall, her dad was right and she was in 13th spot. At the

end of the evening, Veer fi nished in sev-enth position.

After serving nine years on council, in 2013 Veer made the decision to run for the mayor’s chair.

“I had served on council for three terms and I knew that I was committed to serving the people of Red Deer in one capacity or another. But I reached a point on council where I felt that I had done all that I could do as a councillor and that I was more than ready for a new challenge,” said Veer. “I weighed that decision heavily because it was a risk. I knew that it was a calculated risk that I would have regretted not going for more than I would have regretted had I pursued it and not been successful.

“I believe that in leadership you should stay long enough to make a difference, but not grow stale in your capacity. I had reached a point as a councillor where I knew I needed a new challenge and a new mandate from the people of Red Deer.”

She added the road that led her to where she is now was informed by many people along the way.

“It’s become so evident to me that well-timed words of encouragement, people believing in me and supporting me served as catalysts to bring it about. Often those individuals may not have known what the power of their words had at a critical deci-sion-making juncture.”

For Veer, one aspect for her and what her role as mayor has helped her do is to make a positive difference in the lives of today’s youth. In fact, it is a goal of Veer’s during her fi rst term as mayor to visit every Red Deer school.

“One of the foundations of democracy and government in an elected capacity is that you represent everyone – not just those who can vote for you. I feel strong about in-fl uencing and being a role model for young people because I had an interest in politics from such a young age. To me it’s my way of endeavoring to inspire kids to follow their dreams no matter what they are,” she said. “Essentially I am living the dream that I had since I was very young.”

Today, Veer is grateful for her experience on City council and in her role as mayor and is looking forward to achieving more.

“I absolutely love the democratic pro-cess. I really believe we live in the best City, in the best province, in the best coun-try in the world. I believe that Red Deer is great, but I believe we can make it an even better place,” she said.

“My hope would be to run for offi ce as long as the people feel like I am serving them well and as long as I have a vision for our City.”

[email protected]

Mayor reflects on political journeyMayor reflects on political journey

DYNAMIC – Mayor Tara Veer takes a break from her busy schedule at City Hall.



The fourth annual Only Women’s Fitness Fun Run is set for May 9th at River Bend Golf & Recreation Area in support of Women’s Outreach.

Organizers describe it as, “A perfect way to celebrate Moth-er’s Day weekend with the spe-cial women in your lives.”

There are more than $10,000 in prizes, plus food, a Women’s Expo, chip timing, kids activi-ties, music and a Mother’s Day Weekend Brunch.

Val Jensen spearheaded the event, and is passionate about getting as many women and girls from across the region in-volved as much as possible.

“I had Dance Magic for 20 years, and I’m a big believer in girls and women being ac-tive,” she said. “So when I sold the studio, I thought what am I going to do in my volunteer-ing and retired life. I had spent a lot of time with Woody’s Tri-athlon as a tri-athlete and race director, and had helped build that event. But that event sells out every year in about one month.” Jensen felt there was a real need in the community for a way to help local girls of all ages be more active.

She decided to launch a run. “I went to Only Women’s Fit-ness and said, would you spon-sor a run? They were very excit-ed because that’s what they’re all about,” she said, indicating the organization’s overall goals to promoting activity.

Jensen then teamed up with

Family Services as the local benefi tting charity over the span of three years. “So the fi rst three years it was Family Services, and now I’m excited to partner with Women’s Out-reach for the next three years.”

The Only Women’s Fit-ness Run is of course held the Mother’s Day weekend. “That’s what I want to do on Mother’s Day, is to play outside with my children – and they’re 30 years old,” she adds with a laugh. “That’s what I want other wom-en to do, too.”

At the inaugural run, about 250 participants signed up. “And last year, we had almost 900.” She said there are several different races during the day - participants can walk or run 10km, 5km, 3km or 1km. There is also the 500m Little Ladies Race and 100m Diaper Dash.

“Our youngest was seven months old wearing a race shirt

and a race number, and our oldest participant last year was 83 and she pushed her great-grandchildren in an umbrella stroller for three km. She’s al-ready registered for this year.

“We also had lots of elderly people walk in the four genera-tion group, too. A lot of people had no idea of the beautiful

trails that are down there at River Bend as well.”

Other activities include face painting, obstacles courses, games, a family brunch and an extensive health expo. Repre-sentatives with various agen-cies and organizations will also be onhand to chat about their services to the community.

This year there is also the Subway School Challenge, where the school with the high-est percentage of girls taking part in the event will be recog-nized as the Most Active Girls in School. The school with the highest percentage of girls par-ticipating will win a Subway lunch for their racers.

Online registration closes May 7th at midnight, although registration will be open on site right up until the race start on May 9th.

To register visit www.only-womenrd.ca or www.wom-ensoutreach.ca or email [email protected]. [email protected]


Please come see our ‘Mobile Store’Please come see our ‘Mobile Store’at one of these locations.at one of these locations.

• Red Deer Farmer’s Market every Saturday • Red Deer Farmer’s Market every Saturday May long weekend to Oct Long weekendMay long weekend to Oct Long weekendfrom 8am-12noon.from 8am-12noon.

• Sylvan Lake Farmer’s Market July and August, • Sylvan Lake Farmer’s Market July and August, Friday from 4:00-7:30 Friday from 4:00-7:30

• Bentley Farmer’s Market Saturdays• Bentley Farmer’s Market Saturdaysfrom 1:30-3:30 from 1:30-3:30

Or join our group on Facebook!Or join our group on Facebook!

Central ABGarment District

LadiesFashions,Jewelery,Scarves

and more!

FAMILY FUN - Nancy West and her daughter Ivy enjoyed the Only Women’s Fitness Fun Run last year. photo submitted

Annual Fun Run is set for May 9th in CityAnnual Fun Run is set for May 9th in City


72%?

MOTHERS. YOURS MAY BE PART OF THE 72%.72% of all Canadians with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Take a moment. Learn the 10 warning signs.

403-342-0448

www.alzheimer.ca/ab

I’ve been in the fi tness in-dustry for many years and have seen a lot of trends come and go. New trends in fi tness evolve out of three main ideas. One reason for new fi tness ideas is time. We live in a fast-paced busy culture where time to exercise is limited.

The second factor people take into consideration are re-sults. The last important consid-eration that motivates today’s fi tness trends is lifestyles.

Within the fi tness industry the four big trends are body-weight training, functional fi t-ness, HIIT and yoga. Each of these trends are linked to the motivations listed above.

Bodyweight training is an economical and timesaving op-tion because the moves can be done anywhere. Squats while you brush your teeth? Sure! Plank while you’re waiting for water to boil? The old-school exercise trend goes back to the basics - pushups, planks, lunges, squats, and pull-ups.

Since these moves require no workout equipment, they can be done just about anywhere, making bodyweight exercises a great pick for everyone.

One of the great things about being physically fi t is how easy everyday activities that used to seem diffi cult feel when you have more muscle and less fat. That’s where functional fi tness comes in - training that will make your life easier. Func-tional fi tness links directly to our lifestyles as Canadians. It includes natural body move-ments that help us prepare for our daily life – things like shov-eling snow, carrying groceries or lifting your children.

Super-effi cient HIIT is the ideal workout for a busy sched-ule. The concept behind HIIT is simple - exercise as hard as you can for a few minutes, re-cover just long enough to stop sucking wind, and repeat. This spikes your metabolism and builds muscle quickly. And un-like those leisurely treadmill sessions, it burns calories both during a workout and (here’s the beautiful part) for up to 24 hours afterward. This is not a workout you can do while reading a magazine or chatting with your friend. Because it’s so short, you will be working hard the whole time. The trade-off is this format offers seasoned ex-ercisers a challenge and new exercisers a way to see results. You may be sucking wind, but you defi nitely won’t be bored!

Most yoga studios and local gyms offer yoga classes that are open to all ages and fi tness lev-els. It is great to witness teens, athletes, middle-aged moms, men, seniors and even fi tness

buffs and body builders. Every-one can feel accepted and in-cluded and, unlike other sports or classes that focus on niche clients, yoga tends to have open arms.

The most exciting part about the direction of the fi tness in-dustry is that it is fi nally an environment where all are wel-come. Gone are the days where you needed to be an elite ath-lete to be physically active. The types of training mentioned in this article allow everyone to participate regardless of their level of athleticism.

As you continue your fi tness journey you will be able to in-crease your own results. The results you get will depend on your level of commitment and your level of intensity. These are two factors that you can control making your fi tness level your own. Fitness is a journey not a destination!

Char Andrew is a certifi ed group fi tness instructor at Only Women’s Fitness in Red Deer.

The ever-changing industry that is fitnessThe ever-changing industry that is fitness

Char

A N D R E W

Electrician enjoElectrician enjoys success of trades careers success of trades careerBY ERIN FAWCETTRed Deer Express

For one Red Deer College electrical instructor, overcoming obstacles of being successful in a career that was for the most part male dominant has been reward-ing.

Joanne Greene has been an electrical instructor at Red Deer College for the past two years.

“After I had done a couple years of university in New-foundland where I am from, I wanted to do a little bit of soul searching and to travel the country a little bit. I moved to Vancouver and after a couple of years I thought it was time to get some type of a career,” she said. “I considered going back to uni-versity but then I looked at the costs of going back. I had origi-nally wanted to be a teacher but I would have had to pay almost $200,000.”

Greene’s father is a millwright and he suggested that she get a trade.

“I decided to actually listen to him for the fi rst time in my life,” laughed Greene. “I enrolled in a pre-employment program which included a little bit of a sampler – I was able to try a couple of different trades, not just electrical. I did some welding and pipefi tting. After I did that I was convinced electrical was the trade for me.”

Greene moved to Alberta in 2002 because of the opportunities in the oil and gas sector. “I found work as soon as I came here.”

Greene said when she went to school to become an electrician, it was not the norm to see females in trades.

“There is at least one girl now in every class and you’re seeing a lot more women in fourth year or getting ready to do their Red Seal exam,” she said. “We hear of a lot of success stories and a lot of women venturing into a lot more non-traditional electrical work.

“When I started female electricians did basically residential work like house wirings. Now there is a lot more versatility. Wom-en are doing more industrial and construction-commercial.”

She added she believes the shift is due to women being success-ful in the fi eld.

“I truly feel that myself and some of my mates – the pioneers – we worked really hard to get where we were and I think it was noticed,” she said. “We bring our own strengths to the job. Women are multi-taskers, we have small hands that can fi t into small plac-es that big hands can’t – we have our own strengths.”

Greene’s success did not come without challenges – especially with her entering a male-dominated industry.

“A lot of work for electricians is out of town so you can be in a camp-type style. Being female there’s an obstacle there being that they need to accommodate you for the fact that you are female,” she said. “I’ve had some of my biggest obstacles be men, but I’ve also had men be some of my biggest supporters too. Now I think because it has become so much more familiar that youth are not seeing it as a difference as much.”

She added the physical demands that come with being an elec-trician can be tough as well.

“I have spent days digging trenches or pulling big pipes and big wires. There are days I have been both physically and mentally exhausted and I have wondered why am I doing this? This is hardly glamorous,” said Greene. “But with work comes reward because now I am instructing and some of my fellow peers have advanced in their careers as well. I’m proud of my trade and I’m proud to represent all electricians, not only female electricians.”

Being an instructor Greene said she enjoys teaching all of her students, but there is a sense of personal gratifi cation when it comes to seeing fe-male students in her class.

“To see them at such a young age be so determined and take control of their des-tiny at such a young age is re-ally so great to see. They know they can be a trades person and be successful and they don’t doubt themselves at all.”

[email protected]


#4 4804 - 50 Ave. Downtown Red Deerwww.fi neshoes.ca • 403.352.2200

A Fabulous Spring Awaits...A Fabulous Spring Awaits...

#4 480004 50 Ave Dow484##4 48#4 480004 50 A D84##4

Fashion FootwearFashion FootwearAccessories • Hand BagsAccessories • Hand Bags

ROLE MODEL – Joanne Greene, an electrical instructor at Red Deer College, encourages young women to give the trades a try.


14 Red Deer Express, Women Today Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Women Today, Red Deer Express 15

camroseresortcasino.com

3201-48 Ave Camrose, AB1-888-784-8441

Like us on Facebook and visit our website to sign upfor our e-newsletter.

Exclusive Offers • NewsContests • Special Events

’’



When she was a little girl people were always telling Barbara (BJ) Tumanut she was ‘bossy’.

In fact, once all of the kids in her Kan-sas City, Missouri neighbourhood where she grew up formed a coalition to tell her that if she didn’t stop being so bossy, they wouldn’t be playing with her anymore.

It wouldn’t be until much later in life that she would realize her ‘bossiness’ was in fact a natural born ability to lead.

Today Tumanut leads her team of dedi-cated staff as owner of Red Deer’s Choco-lates by Bernard Callebaut after purchasing the store in 2011. As of July 1st she will also lead Red Deer Rotary Club – Sunrise as acting president and sits on the board of the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce.

She explained she moved to Red Deer from Edmonton, following her decision to purchase the Red Deer store.

“I moved to Canada from Kansas City, Missouri in 1997,” explained Tumanut, who studied communications at the Uni-versity of Missouri. “And my fi rst career af-ter studying was in the fi ne wine business - if you’re talking about women in a non-traditional career, that was me then.

“In the classes, tastings, and business meetings I was often the only female - it’s much differ-ent now and I would say it’s now predominantly women but it wasn’t like that then.”

As much as she enjoyed the day-to-day happenings of the fi ne wine business, life had more in store for Tumanut.

“I was put in a position where I had to do something else,” she told of how she came to be in the chocolate business. “My boyfriend and his family owned the three Chocolates by Bernard Callebaut in Edmonton and I was really at a crossroads with no idea what I was going to do.

“So he asked if I wanted to come work for him - just for the Christmas season – maybe two or three months and in January when I was back on my feet I could look for something that I really loved doing.”

Little did she know, that those three months would turn into eight years.

“The shelf life of working for your partner is maybe two to three years,” she explained. “We had pushed that another fi ve – so I felt it was time to move onto something different.”

Tumanut began to examine her natural skill set. She asked herself what she was

truly good at? What did she want out of life? What skills had she gained from life experiences?

“I was curious, I was a hard worker and I really, really enjoyed people - which I felt was one of my strengths,” said Tumanut. “All through university and even afterwards I worked retail, primarily customer service because that was my real strength.

“I knew in the back of my head I had these skills but I didn’t know how to trans-

fer that into a career.”That’s when she began to think

of starting her own business. Although she grew up in a neighbourhood with few local-ly-owned businesses, she had understood from a young age

the importance they held to the economy. “My fi rst job I worked for a man who

owned two pharmacies – both of those put together were probably the size of a decent walk-in closet,” she tells of her early em-ployment. “When he interviewed me he also interviewed my mom and dad.”

Although she credits her parents as well, she says it was here she truly learned how to respect people, how to thank people, and how to give back.

“He started these pharmacies from scratch and it was the fi rst time I had ever been exposed to entrepreneurship.”

Seeds of the importance of entrepreneur-ial skills had been planted in the back of Tumanut’s mind. These seeds were merely waiting for the right idea to help them bloom later in her life.

“I had a few ideas I was entertaining but when I put it down on paper it just wasn’t a viable option,” she explained. “I just al-

ways found myself back at square one. But when you’ve done something for so long and you’re good at it, you’ll end up gravitating back towards it and for me it was chocolate.”

That’s when she heard the Red Deer store location was for sale, and set her sights on the shop.

She says the four years she has owned the store haven’t been easy, but added if it were easy to own your own business ev-eryone would.

“It was hard for me to make friends in Red Deer at fi rst,” said Tumanut who moved to Red Deer alone to take over the store. “I went from having all of these friends around me to eating dinner alone in the dark every night and it hurt a bit.

“Here I was pouring everything I had into this business and no one to share it with on a friendship basis.”

It didn’t take Tumanut long to get back on her feet saying she has since developed lasting life-long friends in the City which she accredits to the Chamber of Com-merce, her Rotary Club, and to her own surprise – Twitter.

“I knew I couldn’t do it on my own,” she said. “But I never did think and never will think that I know everything there is to know and that’s where your friends, your family, your mentors, and your role models come into play.

“Since I’ve moved here I have met some of the brightest and most creative people in my entire life - I have friends and mentors here that I can learn so much from.

“You can’t ask people for help without giving back, whether it’s a professional, ro-mantic, or business relationship.”

[email protected]

BUSINESS LESSONS FROM BJ – Owner of Chocolates by Bernard Callebaut, Barbara (BJ) Tumanut explains what it means to be a good business owner and what she has learned from her time as an entrepreneur. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

Local chocolatier finds success in Local chocolatier finds success in the business worldthe business world

To many women, it is a dream that is developed over the span of years.

It could be built while watching happy endings in childhood movies like Disney’s The Little Mermaid or Cinder-ella. Dreams are made from listening to music knowing in their hearts they just heard the song they must walk down the aisle to. Through the inspiration boards, colour palettes, and magazine articles this has all created a picture that will be unfolded in all its beauty within hours or days of arriving to her chosen destination.

The defi nition of destination weddings can pertain to any venue located outside your town of residence. A more mainstream defi nition of desti-nation weddings would be de-fi ned as a southern location in countries like the United States, Mexico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman or Aruba.

When choosing the destina-tion, the following are a few things to consider: budget/pric-ing, legalities for marriage and resort. Choosing a destination and fi guring out your wed-ding can seem daunting. Many venues are becoming more fi -nancially pleasing to the bride/groom’s budget requirements.

Over time, resorts have de-veloped a better understand-ing of their demographics. Al-though it can be fun to narrow it down, keep in mind the bud-get. For example, fl ying from Vancouver to Aruba may re-quire a moderate budget based on a per person basis even in the off season.

Limited venues and avail-ability in Aruba can drive pricing up. Aruba should be planned over a year in advance to acquire desired fl ight times and allow guests to have time

to coordinate funds. However, on the fl ip-side, Calgary to Cabo San Lucas, Cancun or Las Vegas can be done on a small-er budget. Short fl ight times and high rates of weddings in these areas call for lower rates for competition. Peak wedding time for these areas are the months of November and May.

Will our marriage be rec-ognized in Canada? Can I get married on a ship? How do I get married in Mexico - these are all common questions.

The answer is complex and varies with each country.

Ships mandate marriage requirements in the country where she is registered.

With Mexico, it is more complicated with its marriage requirements. Here’s an exam-ple. Based on a civil service, non-catholic, Spanish-speaking minister, in the State of Jalisco, at the RIU in Puerto Vallarta, Mexican law and hotel policy dictate the arrival of bride and groom and four witnesses with-in four business days before the wedding. Both bride and groom must take a prenuptial course at a government offi ce, have blood tests taken (at the resort) which produce the med-ical certifi cates that are neces-sary to move forward.

They must also produce no-tarized and translated birth cer-tifi cates. If that is not your cup of tea, then take off to Jamaica!

Arrive two business days be-fore your organized wedding with some notarized docu-ments in hand, and you have yourself a legal wedding!

Ahhh - the cherished resort. Not all resorts offer the same

things. Wedding packages vary with fees attached to all en-hancements, or complimentary packages to maximize the bud-get. Resorts are also different when it comes to accommoda-tion. The resort must have what she deems important. Make a list and start short-listing the resorts.

Can the resort blend cultures through the food, music, and ceremony? Can they produce a photographer that can capture the dress photo-op in a manner that portrays beauty?

Whichever is important to

the bride, others should know this is her dream. This dream leads to an emotional journey that will ultimately lead to one of the most memorable days in

her life. Perfection is necessary. Rachel Tripp is a destination

wedding specialist and travel consultant with Expedia Cruise-ShipCenters in Red Deer.


Do you havea passionfor travel? JOIN OUR

TEAMDiscover the fl exibility & fun ofselling dream vacations

HANGE YOUR LIFE

403-341-01775250-22nd St. Red Deer

Locally owned & operated

www.joinecsc.com/en-CA/REDDEER

BLISSFUL – Planning a destination wedding doesn’t have be complicated. photo submitted

Planning a dream destination weddingPlanning a dream destination wedding

Rachel

T R I P P


Thursday May 7, 2015HOLIDAY INN & SUITES

- GASOLINE ALLEY

COCKTAILS: 6:30pmAPPETIZERS & AUCTION: 7:30pm - 10:30pm

6th Annual

Red Deer’s premier ‘Ladies Only’ cocktail party featuring a shoe

and purse auction, entertainment and more!

Presented by:

Ladies’ Fundraising Gala

Tickets available at the ATB Bower Mall location

$75 per ticket (or $500 for a table of 8)

For more information: 403-357-3026

www.facebook.com/heartsdesiregala

an Event with Heart!

Th is ad sponsored by:


For Theresa ‘Corky’ Larsen Jonasson, the honour of be-ing recognized as an Elder has come at a younger age than most, but she is eager to fi ll the role her community has nomi-nated her for.

“Number one, you don’t call yourself an Elder. Your com-munity recognizes you as that when they begin asking you to do things like pray, or sit with people or lead in ceremony,” Jonasson said. “I’m fairly young to be an Elder – I’m only 55 – but I’m getting asked. I think I can hide away or pretend that nobody needs my help - or the help of Elders - or I can try my best. And that’s what I do. I try my best to do work in the com-munity.”

Jonasson, or ‘Corky’ as the community knows her, began to notice the young women in her community were looking for a role model and someone to relate to about their prob-lems. She said that her husband Lynn was her biggest support and source of encouragement in moving into the role of Elder.

“As an elder, you park your ego. There is no ego – there is humility and doing what is asked of you in a good way. You don’t expect anything in return – you just try your best,” Corky said.

“I fi nd that especially with our young women, they need someone and that’s where my heart lies – the youth. That’s what I focus on. They are the ones that are really searching – especially the ones who have been in care or have been sep-arated from their families over historical events.”

Corky said Lynn taught her to hone the patience it takes to guide youths. She said one has to be invested in the youth, get-ting to know them over time, before they begin to make an impact in the youth’s lives. She has many ‘special children’, which is the title that she gives to those she unoffi cially adopts into her life as family.

“I see a lot of anxiety and de-pression in our youth now and

I think the trick is to channel that towards using your voice more, and to empowerment. Everybody wants to be part of a community or a family. Ev-erybody wants to know where they came from, where they belong and they want to be a part of something,” she said.

She added, “This is why we respect our elders so much - they have lived a long time, they have learned life lessons, they have made mistakes and learned from them. They’ve seen the good things and they’ve seen the bad things. To share that with the youth, it’s important for one-on-one face time to happen, which takes a lot of time. It takes someone who is really patient and will-ing to teach.”

Corky is a community leader for several reasons. She leads ceremonies, guides community conversations around impor-tant issues, engages the youth in her life and takes on several mentorship roles. Aside from that, she is constantly trying to build community relationships and build up those around her.

“The most important work we can do is community work. I want to keep building rela-tionships and keep the healing going. We need people to stop buying into the stereotypical ‘First Nations’ perspective,” she said, speaking about an issue very close to her heart.

“We hear about things that go wrong on reserves, and it seems to make the news all the time. The drug addictions, the killing and the money – it’s all in

Red Deer too. We see it all the time. What people don’t talk about are the people who are trying hard to make their lives better. We don’t hear about the people who are on reserves do-ing good work, supporting their youths and Elders and tying the community together. We don’t hear about that.”

Over the past several months Corky has poured her heart into sharing information, awareness and leading discussions per-taining to the hundreds of miss-ing and murdered indigenous women across Canada through ‘Walking With Our Sisters’.

‘Walking With Our Sisters’ is a traveling art commemoration that is moving across Canada. Beaded moccasin tops, known as ‘vamps’ are collected and are left unfi nished to represent the lives of the women being honoured.

Community conversations are led by Corky each month that allow people a space to

share thoughts, ideas and emo-tions pertaining to the subject.

“There were just a few at that fi rst conversation, and it came up that not only can we do it, but we need to do it. Just watching people from all parts of the City coming to sit in these conversation circles is amazing. It’s really something beautiful and I’m very hon-oured to be a part of it. I was asked to be lead Elder for it,” she said.

She added after the install-ment reaches Red Deer, the conversations will continue and the information and ideas will continue to fl ow.

Corky was adamant to thank the Elders that have guided her, as well as members of City council, and former mayor Morris Flewwelling for their guidance and efforts in build-ing relationships and strength in the Red Deer First Nations community.

[email protected]


Monday - Friday 9:30am to 7:00pm

Saturday 9:30am to 6:00 pm

403-314-3442

Conveniently located

in Bower Place

Shopping Centre by the Food Court

Local Elder making a difference with youthLocal Elder making a difference with youth

THERESA ‘CORKY’ LARSEN JONASSON


Some people succumb when they are witness to loss, pain and strife – not Marlene Pan-nenbecker, 2014’s ‘Mom of the Year’ fi nalist and winner – she said that every day she makes the conscious choice to be strong. Pannenbecker is a resident in Lacombe but her warmth and strength reach far beyond the small City. She has become known throughout La-combe and Red Deer as an in-credibly selfl ess woman and as a synonymous representation of a strong woman.

However, before anything else, she said she is fi rst and foremost a mother.

“I am, fi rst of all, a mom. I’m also a strong woman but I am a mom fi rst and I love being a mom,” she said. “To me, being a good mom means showing my children that you can do anything that you want to do,

anything you set out to do, as long as you do it correctly. It’s my job to set an example to be kind as much as you can. Kids learn by what they watch, and by what they see. They watch how you react to things, and how you don’t react to things. I think that it always has been one of the most important things.”

Pannenbecker said she feels like she’s on the right path, be-cause she feels the strength and character of her children as ac-complishments that truly bring pride to her heart.

The Pannenbecker family was thrust into the public eye after the death of young Dami-an Pannenbecker, who was 19 at the time, after he lost his life in a vehicle accident. This was a time of tremendous struggle for the close family. The loss of Damian impacted many com-munity members, and led to a noticeable and understandable drive in Marlene to not give

into her sorrow. “I remember saying in my

head that if I wasn’t strong, I was going to go crazy and that was the decision I had to make. My kids needed me, my hus-band needed me and they had to see me make that choice,” she said. “I think that I’ve always made that choice since. I have made the choice to be strong as much as I can. I have my days of crying, or anger or freak-outs. I truly believe that you don’t know what it means to be strong until you have no other choice – so that’s what I chose.”

Marlene said with her several adopted children and then with the loss of her son, some people have branded her a ‘Mother Te-resa type’ – something that she does not agree with. She said she has been told she is an inspiration to other women and people, and that it took her a long time to get used to that idea. Between losing her son, dealing with the aftermath of loss in her family, and receiving the title of ‘Mom of the Year’, it was all a bit much for her.

Marlene worked through the spotlight and used the title to support a cause that made her family very happy, and would have meant a lot to her son Damian. As ‘Mom of the Year’, Marlene was awarded $10,000 for herself and $10,000 that would be donated to a charity of her choice. She and her fam-ily chose a program called Do-minican Feed the Kids, which is operated by her sister and brother-in-law in the Domini-can Republic.

This is where she met four of her seven children.

This donation slightly edged Marlene’s reputation closer to that of a ‘do-gooder’ and an in-spiration. She said although she eventually warmed up to those titles, it doesn’t truly represent who she feels she is.

“My friends told me to say thank you and be proud of

myself. They said that I had to understand that people are inspired by my strength – so I needed to basically just be okay with it,” she said.

“I’m okay with it because I think it brought attention to the fact that despite all the bad things that can happen in life, if you choose to be happy, you can be, even with the hard times. It’s okay to have those hard times, but the key thing is choosing to be happy.”

Marlene also played a cru-cial role in organizing and fa-cilitating a project called Line of Hope – Red Deer Style. She, along with a number of friends and community members in the Lacombe/Red Deer area, organize a weekly dinner each Sunday at Potter’s Hands Min-istries.

There are a number of rea-sons that Marlene has become a beacon in her community – mainly, her strength, com-passion and drive to do good things for people.

She said although she has these qualities, she would like to remind people that she is a regular person and only does what she does for her family. [email protected]


Summer Camps

CCall 4033--33422--44940 or email info elta.ca or vvisit www.exelta.c

Exelta Gymnas cs Club o ers a variety elta Gymnas cs Club o ers a varietof Summer Camps for all ages!

tyriet! !

Our camps include a variety of ac vi es including swimming, rock climbing, cra s, outdoor games, gymnas cs and so much more!

• Gymnastics Only Camps• Hour Long Camps for ages 2-3• Half Day Camps for age 4 & up• Full Day Camps for ages 5 & up

We offer:We offer:

Local woman a beacon in communityLocal woman a beacon in community

MARLENE PANNENBECKER


We’re Bursting with Blooms

Ornamental TreesFruit TreesShrubs

Our Greenhouse is stuffed to the

rafters with an amazing

selection.

Hanging Baskets

Trees

Perfect

for Mother’s

Day gift ideas

Landscape & DesignServices

Wedding IslandCustom Planters

•Stone Walls •Steps •Fire Pits •Walkways •Tree Spade

The Perfect setting for A Garden Wedding

Call for details and to book your date!

Bring us your containers & we’ll

customize them for you

Hours: Monday thru Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturdays: 9am - 5pm Sunday: 11am - 4pmServing Central Alberta since 1985

Join us June 6/7 for 30th

Anniversary celebration!

Incredible Variety

Selection of Sizes

• Annuals• Perennials• Herbs• Roses • Grasses• Proven

Winners®

403-782-5729Lacombe, AB (8 km East)

www.wolfsbotanical.com


A fun and unique fundraiser that will benefi t a local cause is set to take place in Central Alberta next month.

Shimmy Mob, a ‘fl ash mob’ type event, is the largest event of its kind by the num-ber of geographical territory covered in one day, creating awareness and raising funds for women’s and children’s shelters in participating communities.

Now in its fi fth year, Shimmy Mob is an international event with more than 2,200 dancers in 181 cities participating this year.

The Central Alberta event will run at the AG Foods on Main St. in Delburne on May 9th. This also happens to be World Belly Dance Day as well.

Delburne SAFE Families will be hosting a barbecue and bake sale and dancers will be performing the Shimmy Mob choreography and other dances during the noon hour.

“Our primary objective is to raise dona-tions and awareness for women and chil-dren’s shelters throughout the world. Our secondary purpose is to share the beauty of belly dance in a fun, fl ash mob-type event on World Belly Dance Day,” said Kathleen Ennis, team leader for Delburne and who

also teaches at Shadow Dancer Studio in the Town. “We all wear the same t-shirt and perform the same choreography. We have quite a large group of dancers this year. I do hope that it expands, and based on the growth of the event every year, I’m sure it will. It’s a great chance for people who haven’t taken belly dancing to give it a try.”

Ennis added her team is raising money to support Delburne SAFE Families, a lo-cal committee that was formed in 2010. The acronym stands for ‘Stop Abuse for Family Empowerment’. Their mission is to assist women in crisis and educate people of all ages about domestic violence and the many services that are available. Aside from raising money old cell phones, per-sonal hygiene items and gently-used cloth-ing for women and children will also be collected. There will be drop-off spots at Ladina’s Massage, Mane Street Salon and the Village Offi ce, and all donations are greatly appreciated.

Last year Ennis and her team donated nearly $900 to SAFE Families from fund-raising, and combined with the barbecue and bake sale almost $1,700 was raised for them at the event.

Ennis encourages participants in this year’s event as she said her and her team

are not only fundraising for a worthy cause but are raising awareness as well.

“I think that supporting a group (Del-burne SAFE Families) that is working to educate people and help women and chil-dren in abusive situations is an important thing to do,” she said. “So there are many ways people can participate – through their donations, by coming out to the event and having a barbecue lunch, buying some bake sale or craft items, and generally pro-viding moral support.

“Whether or not we wish to face it, we probably all know somebody who has been in an abusive relationship. The more we talk about this subject and the more light we can shine on it, the more we can do to stop it and the better the chance that women who are victims of any type of abuse will realize that there is help out there for them, to not be afraid, and ask for that help. It’s also important for men and young people to join the conversation so we can collectively take a stand, and put an end to abuse. Abuse thrives in silence – if we end the silence we may be able to stop the violence.”

For more information, visit http://www.shimmymob.com.

[email protected]

Area women set to ‘shimmy’ for good causeArea women set to ‘shimmy’ for good cause


Walk a Mile

in herShoes

The Outreach CentreHome of

ThursdayJune 4th, 2015

Registration at 11 AMWalk starts at 12 PM

4101-54 Ave

JOIN US FOR

THE INTERNATIONAL

MEN’S

MARCHTO STOP

DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE

To Register or for more information. go to our

website at womensoutreach.ca/events

[email protected] or (403)347-2480

A SpecialThanks

to our Sponsors!

Most Money Raised in 2014CWC Well Services


As uncommon as might seem to fi nd a woman supervi-sor or executive in the oil and gas sector, it isn’t unheard of.

Terri Mackenzie has continu-ously proven herself in a fi eld of sexism, crude comments and negativity to become an assem-bly, maintenance and overhaul (AMO) supervisor with Baker Hughes in Red Deer.

During her career of 23 years in the oil patch, Mackenzie said she has had to deal with being called every derogatory name in the book. She has had to prove her knowledge, skill and ability over that time and luckily, she has received some recognition of her strengths. “A girl can do any job she sets her mind to. The challenge is deal-ing with the people you work with. Yeah, that means putting on a suit of armor and taking all the negativity that they throw at you. It’s got to be like water off a duck’s back. Girls in trades can’t let it get to you – and if it does, do not show it.”

She has kept her head down, learned her trade and worked her way up from a boiler hand over two decades. Currently, she supervises a shop full of people as they manufacture, take down and re-build tools for the oil patch.

“Number one, the boys here respect me because I’ve earned my stripes. And they know I’ll clean their clock if I have to. It’s helped me in ways. I want to teach them, but you have to discipline them. I have to be reminding them to read tech units and things. I fi nd I’m more motherly when I’m in the shop than in the fi eld.

“Being a supervisor with compassion, you’ve got to monitor it. When do you show your compassion, and when don’t you? At times, that’s hard. We’ve had some pretty diffi cult times here - I’ve had to go for a walk. That’s really the only way to deal with things, especially if you’ve been working with someone for years. You can’t just blow up.”

Mackenzie said the reason

she got into the patch was be-cause her husband left her and she was left with bills and a house to maintain.

“I wasn’t making enough money. All of my friends worked in the fi eld, and told me to go get a boiler ticket and fi re a boiler in the winter. So that’s what I did,” she said.

After fi ve years, Mackenzie made the transition to work with tubing and casings for oil well construction. That lasted for seven years before she ap-plied for Baker Hughes.

She became a tool hand, which meant that she spent a lot of time in camps, working alongside men in installing rigs, operating the machinery and then rigging out with the rest of the crew. She said growing up on a farm helped her feel com-fortable pulling her weight, and she had no hesitations in doing the exact jobs that the men did.

“I was treated like any oth-er roughneck. If they got in trenches, I got in trenches. If you didn’t, you were gone. I couldn’t quit, or say I’m done because I had to keep my house. I didn’t have anyone to support me, so I toughened up and supported myself.”

Mackenzie said the fi rst real recognition she got of her abil-ity was about seven years after being in the fi eld. She said she was about to rig in with the rest of the crew, but was told that she had done it enough and the younger guys would rig her in.

“It felt good to get that pat on the back, but at the same time I felt useless,” she said.

One of the biggest challeng-

es that lie with women work-ing in the oil patch is the lack of standard equipment made for women. Mackenzie does not have access to fi re-proof, standard safety gloves that fi t, because they are all made for men. She has also never had a pair of coveralls that weren’t made for a man.

She said she had similar is-sues fi nding work boots be-

cause she has small feet and getting them custom made was a hefty price. Finally, Macken-zie said one of the biggest an-noyances is knowing there is still a very different pay scale for women than there is for men. “Our wages have to be-come more equal. Yes, I under-stand that there is a pay grade. We all start down and can ad-vance up, but it doesn’t matter if a male engineer or a female engineer goes to the same school, they are still two differ-ent wages. That is still a huge issue in this industry,” she said.

“As a woman supervisor, you need to fi nd that outside voice and you use it, and you use it with authority. You’ve got to show what you know – show your authority, your confi dence and your knowledge. As soon as they see that you know your job inside and out, you have that knowledge, men will start to look at you differently.”

[email protected]


Awaken...to your true essence

Channeling • Reiki • YogaKyle Garnett

403.598.2292 www.onespiritwellness.com

ACCOMPLISHMENT - AMO supervisor Terri Mackenzie relax-es for a moment in the shop that she supervises at a Baker Hughes facility in Red Deer. Kalisha Mendonsa/Red Deer Express

Being a woman in today’s oil industryBeing a woman in today’s oil industry



Local singer Randi Boulton continues to make her mark musically as she ex-plores artistic vistas while continuing to share her tunes with a broader audience.

She’s really always on the go – always sharing her superb tunes with audiences across Central Alberta and beyond. Her mu-sic is rich, exciting and powered by her amazing voice – as witnessed on her CDs Sometimes Life and last year’s Randi With an ‘I’ – a project which boldly features more of the profound artistry Boulton is known for while being energized by tunes exuding a more light-hearted na-ture.

Last June, she held a CD release concert for Randi With An ‘I’ at the College Arts Centre, and there was pal-pable excitement; few would have left that evening with any doubts that this woman is indeed on her way.

As the months have passed, opportuni-ties continue to unfold.

“My friend just secured sponsorship for us to go to the CCMAs (Canadian Country Music Awards) in Halifax this September,” she said. “That’s going to be huge. It’s how Jason Blaine got his start – at the CCMAs.”

It’s going to be a full week of not just showcasing her music but also connect-ing with key contacts who could very well help her along in her career as well.

“I’ll meet a tonne of people when I’m out there, and that’s fantastic because half the battle is just networking and getting to know more people,” she explains.

As for the CCMAs, there is indeed much to look forward to.

“You’re putting together a whole bunch of musicians – they’ll jam in the hallways, they’ll jam in the bathrooms, they’ll jam outside. It’s so funny. It’s just a different

lifestyle. People let their guards down; they leave their comfort zones.”

Boulton attended the ACMAs this year (the Association of Country Music in Al-berta) and enjoyed every minute of it, too.

“My producer asked me if I was going country! About 10 years ago I would have said no way, but honestly, country music isn’t country music anymore. They are kind of cramming into my genre now, whatever that was,” she laughs. Boulton has been asked where she fi ts categorically but truth be told, her engaging, wonderfully-crafted tunes don’t adhere to a strict labeling code. “I don’t really think I can be put into a box because there are aspects of country in it. There are also aspects of pop, so how do you put it all into a box when (that box) doesn’t exist?”

But these days, as she indicated, the lines have blurred. The classic country of decades past doesn’t sound like the coun-try of today – which sits just fi ne with the hordes of fans who tune into country-pop stations globally. She said that sometimes,

she’s introduced as a country artist.

“A lot of people will say after my shows, ‘Well, you’re not really country – you kind of do everything’.” She also points out that there’s a tendency for listeners to try and defi ne musicians sty-listically. “My whole life I’ve been fi ghting being put into a box. Maybe it’s just my rebel state of mind, but I want to break into some rock music and sing that for my fans. Then I want to break into some coun-try, and sing that. I’ve always tried to keep those borders away so I can do what I want and have that free-dom.”

Speaking of coun-try ties, Boulton has also worked with lo-cal country star Gord Bamford as of late as well. “He hired me to play for his golf tour-

nament last year,” she said. “Well I’m play-ing, Jason Blaine jumps up and we start do-ing a duet together – all these people there for me to sing in front of, it was like the biggest showcase ever.”

Looking back, music – no matter what genre may be refl ected at any given time - has always been a passion. She started gar-nering attention at 12 years of age, when she landed fi rst prize in a talent show with her mom. Boulton later won a songwriting contest at 14. That led into being selected to play for Showcase ‘98 in Edmonton.

Along with her talent, Boulton has been blessed with a charming, warm personality to match. She has a great sense of humour, and she’s a delight to watch on stage – not just for her vocal abilities but for how she connects with audiences.

“I’m trying to network – to get to know people because you never know when you are going to meet up with someone who can help you out, or you can help them out. It’s important to do that.”

[email protected]

GIFTED – Singer/songwriter Randi Boulton continues to establish herself on the music scene. photo submitted

Randi Boulton’s artistic journey Randi Boulton’s artistic journey continues to unfoldcontinues to unfold

She is headed to the Canadian Country Music Awards later this fall


The pinnacle of Cara Lee’s more than a decade of coach-ing happened for her during a routine visit to a surgeon’s of-fi ce where she was conducting a clinic. A physiotherapist, Lee noticed in the waiting room of the offi ce one of her former team members – one from her early days as a coach.

“We both recognized each other right away,” remembers

Lee. “She started crying and said to me, ‘I remember when I fi rst started playing I was the worst player on the team, but you made me feel like the team could not go on without me.’”

Moments like this are what being a coach is all about. Before she began her career within Red Deer’s minor sports

scene, Lee had played sports including a high level of rin-gette, softball, and basketball. She said she more remembers the coaches of her youth, as opposed to other role models at the time. “I recognized later in life the huge impacts they had on me, so eventually that led me to have a strong desire to be involved with my own chil-dren’s athletics,” she explained. “I have seen in my own life how much confi dence sport has given me, and I just want

that for my own kids as well.”

When her chil-dren were young, Lee was on her own raising daughters Jade, 17, and Tyla, 15. This meant after working all day, she wanted to be able to spend as much time with them as possible and this led her to start coaching their Tim-bits soccer team.

She has since coached her daughters in soc-cer, hockey, soft-ball, ringette and

inline hockey. She admits, at fi rst she was fairly nervous, but thanks to support from Red Deer Minor Hockey coaching mentorship and certifi cation programs she has developed a strong core of coaching philos-ophies, adding that one of her biggest mentors was Tom Bast – head coach of the Midget ‘AAA’ Sutter Fund Chiefs. Her

time spent coaching tells her that while there is a difference in how male and female coach-es approach each sport, they aren’t as different as you might think, and that a misconception she has seen is women are the only ones who get emotional when coaching.

“When I was coaching younger kids and I would see one score their fi rst goal I would be crying on the bench I’d be so excited,” she ex-plained. “I know I can get ex-tremely emotionally involved, but I’ve also coached alongside men who have had more pas-sion and emotion for the sport than anyone I’ve ever seen – male or female.”

She added the benefi ts of having a son or daughter coached by a female can be seen in the fact it is one more positive female role model. “We see different things in the athlete’s attitudes and even have different ways of looking at the technical side of things -

so there are benefi ts to having both male and female coach-es.”

Currently, Cara can be spot-ted in the dugout of the U-18 ‘A’ Red Deer Rage Softball Club for the 2015 season, where daughter Jade will be playing her last season before heading to the Alberta Summer Games and onto playing softball for the Iowa Western College Reiv-ers.

Cara explained that while she wouldn’t attribute her daughter’s skill to the fact she that was usually her coach, it didn’t hurt to have a supportive parent at home.

“I wouldn’t say it fostered her skill, because you tend to be born with those natural abili-ties,” said Cara.

“But what I think having your parents coach you does is help to foster wellness and develop the reiteration of the things you need to do in order to play at that high of a level.”

[email protected]


Picture Life

Without the Pain

Walk-ins Welcome

We treat:Pregnancy • MaternityChildren • HeadachesJoint, Neck & Back Pain

Carpal Tunnel • Fibromyalgiaand more...

B3450 50 Ave., Red Deer, AB403.986.6260www.southgaetzchiro.com

will publish June 3rd

Limited space is available so call now if you would like to be included

403.346.3356

Healthy Family Livingincluding

Summer AdventuresCARA LEE

Local coach enjoys making a differenceLocal coach enjoys making a difference


Dress For Success supports the economic independence of disadvantaged women in Central Alberta by providing professional attire.

Dress For Success Central Alberta

Come join us for our annual fundraising luncheon

Sunday, May 31 at the Black Knight Inn

Doors open at 12:30, luncheon served at 1:30

Tickets are only $60

Please call Leann 403-342-2471 or Dagmar 403-302-7777

Girls just want to have fun!Girls just want to have fun!• Comedian • Silent Auction • Raf les

Fundraising LuncheonFundraising Luncheon

CENTRAL ALBERTA

There are things which you need to know to make yourselves a fi nancial Won-der Woman.

1. Have credit. You need to have credit just to get utilities or a cell phone let alone to buy a car, a home or book a vacation. You need to have two types of credit report-ing on your behalf. One of them must be a credit card and the other can be a car loan or other fi xed payment type product. Keep in mind that when this loan is paid off you need to get a new secondary credit.

Things you should know:• If you have a secondary credit card

from your partner’s account chances are it is not reporting to your credit bureau. Make sure you have your own credit card or else ensure that the card you have cho-sen reports for both of you.

• Cell phones and mortgages now re-ported to the credit bureaus so keep those up to date.

• It is your responsibility to make all your payments on time so set a reminder in your phone if you need to but don’t be late.

• If your life sees you moving frequently then opt for electronic bill notifi cation to ensure that nothing gets missed.

• Do not exceed 50% of the available

credit limit as it is can be seen as an indica-tion of poor credit management

2. Be on the mortgage. If you are pur-chasing a home with anyone else you need to make sure you are on the mortgage. Even if you are not currently employed outside of the home you should be on there. It will allow you to phone the lender in case you have a question or need to catch up on a payment. It will also ensure that if the worst case occurs that your home seamlessly transitions to you so you are not trying to deal with that on top of everything else.

3. Know where everything is. Say your partner takes care of all fi nancial matters in your relationship. Or say that as a single lady you have not yet organized all that an-noying paperwork. Do yourselves a favour and do so now. Experts say you should be able to put your hands on all documenta-tion within two minutes of needing it. De-cide on a system and get organized. Here

are a few of the things you should have on hand. These include tax information, insur-ance policies, investment, RRSP’s and oth-er savings (including passwords) and proof of debt repayment.

4. Have suffi cient insurance. Another necessity of life is adequate insurance. The younger you are when you put these in place the cheaper it will be and a quali-fi ed insurance professional will make sure you are well protected. It’s a good idea to have coverage outside of your employer as few of us stay with the same company in-defi nitely. Here are the types of insurance you should have - life insurance , disability insurance and critical care.

5. Save some money. I get that saving your money does not seem like fun but trust me, your 65-year-old self would tell you to get going on this now! Consider setting up an automatic savings plan. The money comes out each month without you having to make a decision between saving or that fabulous new purse.

There you have it ladies. It’s time to be-come a fi nancial superstar!

Pam Pikkert is a mortgage broker with Dominion Lending Centre - Regional Mort-gage Group in Red Deer.

Tips for today’s financially savvy lady Tips for today’s financially savvy lady

Pam

P I K K E R T

Introducing the re-designed2015 FORD EDGE

Gasoline Alley • Red Deer County403.343.FORD(3673) • 1.888.308.9457

www.camclarkfordreddeer.com

*Available 2015 Edge SEL Base. #15T7264 2015 Edge SEL AWD, MSRP $44,989. Price does not include applicable tax, freight/PDI/air & tire tax or doc fee. Vehicle may not be exactly as shown. See dealer for details.

Starting at

$30,249*

THE

Firsti s r e a l i z i n g y o u c a n a c t u a l l y

one.

Don’t take chances with your family’s

health.Life is unpredictable, but with affordable

coverage from Alberta Blue Cross, you can rest easy knowing you have

the practical benefits you need to maintain

your family’s health and wellbeing.

dental • prescription drugs • vision • travel • massage • chiropractic • ambulance and more

If you’re without employer-sponsored health benefits, contact us today for your free information package.

Toll free 1-800-394-1965

ABC

833

09 2

015/

04www.ab.bluecross.ca

Special Features - Women Today 2015

Documents

Transcript of Special Features - Women Today 2015