The Lakeland Society for Truth and Reconciliation held activities in Bonnyville last weekend to mark the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The first event Saturday morning was a teepee raising, led by Melvin John of Kehewin Cree Nation. John gathered the volunteer crew together before the work started and explained the process while teaching […]
Concert Preview There might be some extra energy on stage when blues star Sue Foley performs at Bonnyville Strathcona Performing Arts Centre Saturday night. Foley and her trio will be finishing a Canadian leg of their extensive touring schedule. They started in Vancouver September 26, and they’ve been playing in a different city every night […]
(and a smooch from Harold Ballard’s missus) “Hello out there, we’re on the air, it’s hockey night tonight…” Despite never charting, The Hockey Song is among Stompin’ Tom Connors’ most recognizable songs. It was released on the 1973 album Stompin’ Tom and the Hockey Song. Tom had a difficult childhood, born essentially fatherless into a […]
Autumn is upon us. “When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,” to quote James Whitcomb Riley, is many people’s favourite time of year. The cooler weather, the changing colours, and the annual harvest—for better or worse—are cause for gratitude. There are fall activities throughout the region for families to […]
After many years of planning and two years of construction, the new Stepping Stones Crisis Centre is officially open in Cold Lake. The centre has emergency shelter capacity for 63 women and family members, and second-stage housing and support for a dozen families. As impressive as the physical space is, speakers at the grand opening […]
Farmers market stalls, vendor tables, food, music, and the thunder of hooves made for an exciting Fall Fair at the Bonnyville Rodeo Grounds September 6 and 7. Most of the vendor activity was on the Saturday, with vendors and exhibitors reporting brisk sales. The Indian Relay races, presented in cooperation with Kehewin Cree Nation, provided […]
Fifty-one competitors from Northeastern Alberta reached the podium at the Alberta 55 Plus Games in Leduc August 21-24. More than 100 athletes from the northeast zone (Zone 7) qualified to participate at the Games. Zone 7 fielded competitors in 15 of the 23 sports. The biggest Zone 7 representation was in pickleball. Alberta 55 Plus […]
NRA Finals Rodeo Week in St. Paul is a perfect celebration for the end of summer. Saturday was a full day with all kinds of festivities and two rodeo competitons.
Some autumns ago, I learned September Song from Willie Nelson’s highly acclaimed ‘Stardust’ record, possibly his finest work. My crackling thrift shop discovery has been spun many times on my old turntable. The imperfections on the record are somehow befitting. Willie gave one of the best concerts I ever saw back in 2014. Prolific then […]
“The hawk is aerial brother of the wave which he sails over and surveys” – Henry David Thoreau An early morning drive to a quiet rural birding location, as the sun pokes its brightness onto the horizon, surely heals the soul. So it was as Elaine and I drove to the north end of Dalmead […]