summer 2010 (1up)

a rural hip lifestyle magazine

Summer 2010

A rural hip lifestyle magazine designed for the Foothills region, including:Black Diamond, High River, Longview, Nanton, Okotoks, Turner Valley. PM 41979554

2Great RecipesGnocchi di PatateSavoury Summer Salad

HISTORY

The Cowboy Trail

The Art & Soul of

Paul Rasporich

7 Great Wonders RIGHT HERE IN ALBERTA

For more information please call 403-652-3644Or access our website at www.highwoodgolf.com

27 Hole Golf Course with Full Practice Facilities / Open to the Public Golf Memberships Available / CPGA Lessons Available Fully Stocked Pro Shop / Tournaments Large or Small

Golf and Event Experts / Full Service Restaurant and Lounge

routesmagazine.ca summer 2010

3


Summer 2010

A rural hip lifestyle magazine designed for the Foothills region, including:Black Diamond, High River, Longview, Nanton, Okotoks, Turner Valley. PM 41979554

2Great RecipesGnocchi di PatateSavoury Summer Salad

HISTORY

The Cowboy Trail

The Art & Soul of

Paul Rasporich

7 Great Wonders RIGHT HERE IN ALBERTA

Departments

8 Finding Roots: High RiverThe fourth feature in the series of exploring rural hip towns in southern Alberta.

10 AdventureExperiencing the zen of fly-fishing.

20 Arts and EntertainmentRodeos and beyond! Fun filled selection of summer activities for the whole family. Poetry, festivals and a whole lot of live music.

24 ShoppingThe Farmers’ Market: so many markets – so much fresh, local food.

26 Professionally SpeakingTo Your Health: The filp side of sun exposure.Golf Tips: Getting your game up to par.

30 FoodAn authentic Italian gnocchi recipe from the Wild Thyme Café, Nanton.Fresh and easy basil, chevre salad from Cafe Divine, Okotoks

32 FamilyFather’s Day tributesNew! Column: The Motherload

38 DetoursRoutes guest writer learns a lot about herself as she develops friendships with a Hutterite community.

On the Cover: Paul Rasporich photographed in his home, Okotoks.By Neville Palmer

Features

Cattle Rustling 12Peter Worden takes a little-hearted

approach to the serious matter of modern day cattle rustling.

Fire in the Belly: 14 Paul Rasporich

From visions to visionary – the passion and drive of an

Okotoks painter and teacher.

Cowboy Trail 18Cow trails to tourism highway:

an historic look at The Cowboy Trail.

143230 24

contentsSummer 2010

For more information please call 403-652-3644Or access our website at www.highwoodgolf.com

27 Hole Golf Course with Full Practice Facilities / Open to the Public Golf Memberships Available / CPGA Lessons Available Fully Stocked Pro Shop / Tournaments Large or Small

Golf and Event Experts / Full Service Restaurant and Lounge


4

Each issue I gather as many of our contributors as I can for a photoshoot. I do this for a reason – I think it’s nice to

be able to put a face to a writer. Also, I hope it will encourage you to send me an e-mail and comment on the styles and stories in Routes.

For this issue, the Routes team photo illustrates an upcoming event that I am keen to be participating in. It’s the Ride to Conquer Cancer – a two-day, 200 km bike ride in the Rockies, benefitting the Alberta Cancer Foundation. I am excited to help make a difference in the fight against cancer, and lucky to have my Routes team cheering me on!

For the editorial this issue, Paul Rasporich is our cover story, a feature artist on his own special mission to help change the world. Read about his passion for art, youth, and the First Nations life and traditions.

New with this issue is a column called, The Motherload, introducing Pat Fream. Pat has been writing for the magazine for the past year but will contribute each issue in this column with her witty, and all too familiar slice of life stories gleaned from the daily happenings of her own family and friends.

Like the story on the Cowboy Trail in this issue, there is so much history in this area. Enjoy this glimpse of how this area came to be settled. This theme is also reflected in the series, Finding Roots, about High River.

Finally, be sure to give your fathers a special bit of love this June. Two of our readers share a favourite father memory on the family page.

I welcome your story suggestions and event listings and even corrections! This is your guide to the foothills, so let it reflect what you know to be happening in your area.

Ed

ito

r’s

No

te

From Our Readers

“”

Get updates on these stories and events or leave us a comment at the Routes blog site at www.routesmagazine.ca

I absolutely love this publication!

Right from the first issue I received from my subscription over a year ago, I have really valued the Routes Magazine. It is really beautiful to look at (great images!), love the feel of it in my hands, has a lot of information that is well laid out for easy access and keeps me aware of what is going on in the area.

The ‘what’s happening in your town’ are some of my favorite sections – I keep the latest issue of Routes handy so I can easily refer to it and plan my entertainment accordingly.

And, because of the feature story in the spring 2010 issue, the response to my Alberta Whisky Cakes has been enormous.

Thank you Sandra and Routes Magazine - this opportunity to connect with so many of your readers is much appreciated.

You have a distinctive magazine – attractive, useful, inspiring, entertaining and always classy!Kamla McGonigal

Congratulations to our subscribers who are the winners of an Alberta Whisky Cake:Dr. Glenn Garlock, High RiverCheryl Hoffner, Okotoks

I was born to fly/I was born to touch the sky/I was born to fly/with these

great wings of mine.

To make a donation to the Ride to Conquer Cancer and to help me reach my goal. The donation link on the Routes website at www.routesmagazine.ca

Sandra WiebeExecutive Editor/Publisher

-Spirit, song lyrics by Grade 2 students at Calgary Arts Academy

Let our Tributes to Dads inspire you to share a new memory (pg 32). One Father’s DayI really had my father-in-law at my mercy!

My friend Cris and I, cycling to raise money to help others.

Getting dressed up with the girls! Gone fishing (see page 10).

Entrepreneurial Support For Women

-Interior Decorating-Advice on Renos-Colour Consults-Home Staging-

...remember to decorate your life...

403.601.2077403.585.8398

[email protected]

Sheila Sepkowski Photography

Homes that think ahead.

Box 5173 High River, AB T1V 1M4

403.201.5210farrellyhomes.com

For Your New Home or

Renovation Needs

“making millions of impressions”

Catherine R. Van Gaalen515-1St SW, High River AB

p.403-652-3101f.403-652-3143

[email protected]

Printing, Bindery, Art Set-up, Color and Black & White Copiers, Architectural Renderings printed in color or

black and white, Secretarial Services, Laminating, Shipping Agent for UPS/CanPar and more!

4, 28 - 12 Ave SE High River, Alberta

Reliable Service, Experience that Counts!

“Serving The Foothills Since 1989”

RE/MAX Southern Realty(403) 652-4020

Lorraine Boulton

(403) 601-6671 (direct line)

[email protected]

Realtor

www.lorraineboulton.ca

Use a Mortgage Professional to find the best mortgage deal that fits your financial needs.

�Refinance�Home Equity�1st and 2nd mortgages�Self-Employed�Renewals�Rental Properties

Feeling the Economic Squeeze?

The Mortgage Group Alberta Ltd.

DAR OlmsteadTelephone: 403-601-4845

Toll Free Phone: 1-866-712-7704Fax: 403-462-5754

Email: [email protected]

”


6

Summer 2010

Publisher:Routes Media Inc.

Executive Editor:Sandra Wiebe

Art Director:Sharon Syverson

Photographer:Neville Palmer

Copy Editor:Pat Fream

Contributing Photographers:Jane Russell

Sheila Sepkowski

Contributing Graphic Design:Jane RussellAdele Malo

Contributors:Mary SavagePat Fream

Sheila SepkowskiPeter WordenAlison LaycraftRob Larocque

Advertising:[email protected]

Routes Magazine541-7 St SW

High River, AB T1V 1B7Ph: 403.880.4784

[email protected]

Subscriptions:1 year: $142 years: $243 years: $36

(Prices do not include GST)

Routes magazine is published seasonally, four times per year. We print 10,000 full colour, full glossy

copies. They are distributed through-out the foothills region of southern

Alberta by Canada Post admail, local retailers and subscription.

We want to hear from you. Please post a comment on the weblog at

www.routesmagazine.ca

Printing by Sundog Printing

For permission to reprint articles, excerpts, or photographs please email

[email protected]

Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved

Co

ntr

ibu

tors

Peter Worden considers himself like one of the Hardy Brothers, only he doesn’t spell or pronounce his name the same. He regularly investigates bogus and unsubstantiated claims – in this case the modern nature of cattle rustling in Alberta. This is Peter’s third appearance in Routes maga-zine. He currently lives in Calgary.

Pat Fream is a freelance writer who has been writing for various Alberta businesses and publications for more than 18 years. In addition to her penchant for words, Pat is passionate about fitness, travel and all things related to her husband and three kids. Although work and activities often take her to the city, Pat enjoys acreage living in the DeWinton area, where soaring hawks, rolling hills and the distant Rockies are a constant source of awe and inspiration.

Sheila Sepkowski is a freelance writer and photographer. She has writ-ten for weekly and daily newspapers across Alberta. Sheila enjoys being behind the camera creating portraits and landscape images. She has lived in High River with her husband, two children and two dogs for the past 10 years.

Mary Savage has been observing, talking to and writing about people, places and things in southern Alberta for 25 years. She has always been one to look at the world with a slightly different skew and she would rather create the trail than follow behind. Mary holds a degree in journalism and visual communications. She resides in Turner Valley with her husband and two cats, and never tires of watching the nighttime sky.

Alison Laycraft is DecorDiva. When Alison is not hunting down great finds for the shopping pages, she offers design consults for your home or office with her unique blend of expertise and customer service. She is also mom to two beautiful, energetic daughters and lives in High River.

(From left to right) Alison Laycraft, Sharon Syverson,

Sandra Wiebe, Pat Fream, Sheila Sepkowski, Peter Worden

Special Thanks to Holly, Eugene & Family and A.C. Tetachuk Trucking LTD. from Cayley AB. For the use of the garage yard.

AfricAn GAllery & imports

2110 - 17th streetNanton, AB

403-646-2425

HeartwoodHeartwood“Showing a unique array of

art, gifts and decor.”

Attractive Teak Patio FurnitureUmbrellas, Cantilevers and Unique Accessories

6107 Centre Street SW | Calgary, AB403.640.3700 | www.patioline.ca

Summer Better than Others


7


SidesaddleThe McLean Ladies Proudly

Preserve this Fine Art

Summer 2009

PRAIRIE BISON

MORE than MEATS the EYE

THE JAVA ROUTE

coffee to crullers: a tasty tour

The MacKay Place

CASUAL FINE DINING

in a rustic ranch house setting

A complimentary magazine featuring the foothills region including:

Black Diamond, High River, Longview, Nanton, Okotoks, Turner Valley.


Fall 2009



Ph: [email protected]

1 year: $142 years: $243 years: $36

(Prices do not include GST)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY


Winter 2009



LISA SZABONNanton’s Olympic hopeful

pushes for Gold

food featureRoute 40 Soup Company

THE HALIFAX PROJECT

PRESERVING CANADA’S MILITARY HISTORY

Jazz, Blues and Country

on the BEAT ROUTE


8

High RiverDriving through the streets, enor-

mous cottonwood trees stand guard around heritage homes

and businesses that have stood the test of time. Joe Clark and W.O. Mitchell called some of these places home. There is an enduring western vibe in this town that plays host to the North American

Chuckwagon Championships, along with the (Calgary Stampede founder) Guy Weadick Rodeo. In fact, High River is one of few towns in the province where agricultural equipment dealerships still seem to flourish.

In dated black and white photographs of the Town of High River, grain eleva-tors line the railway tracks, where hopeful farmers watch their treasure being loaded onto waiting trains. Other people wait on the train station platform while old cars and trucks dot the streets.

A few decades later, the old eleva-tors are gone, the train station is now the town’s museum (for now) and 12th avenue will soon expand to accommo-date four lanes of traffic and a forward thinking traffic circle. But most of what makes the town so attractive is still stand-ing. High River’s western heritage and

old-world charm is not gone and most certainly not forgotten.

The success and growth of the town may be attributable to its ability to mix the ideal combination of the old with the new.

Throughout his 68 years as a resident, Bill Holmes is witness to the town’s evolu-tion. A third generation native of High River, Holmes’ grandparents arrived in 1886 to run Gibb and Holmes General Store. His parents met there and settled down to raise Bill, along with his three

older sisters. While his siblings moved away, Bill stayed, drawn to the town’s location, friendly people and his ties to the town’s history.

“I’ve done some traveling. I went away to university, and worked summer jobs. But I never found a place that appealed to me more than High River,” Holmes

says. “I figured it was a good place to raise kids.”

Holmes also recognized a common bond among the locals that would keep him in the quiet town. “The people the town seems to attract are the kind of people I enjoy being with. They like the recreation, cultural activities and scenery to the west and wide open spaces to the east.”

His connection to the people has been the constant factor for Holmes as he watched High River change and grow from

Fin

din

g R

oo

ts

By Sheila SepkowskiPhoto by Neville Palmer

Poised for growth, this town is embracing change and diversity while remaining deeply rooted it is western heritage.

“

”

There is a degree of politeness

and sincerity that makes living here

special.

ph 403-603-3364

www.signaturesmilesdentistry.ca

201 - 103 3 Avenue SW, High River, AB T1V 1M5

Dr. Vicki McMullen Dr. Wade Foster

PROGRESSIVE FAMILY DENTISTRY

NEW PATIENTSWELCOME

InvisalignZoom WhiteningDigital x-raysCrowns/bridgesWhite fillingsBonding & veneersImplantsRoot CanalsConscious Sedation

Evening and Saturday appointments available

Maryanne Jespersen /Artist Fine Art, Impressionist Style, Bold Color

Maryanne’s EdenThe Art and Garden Gallery109 Center Ave. East Black Diamond AB. T0L 0H0403-933-5524www.maryanneseden.com [email protected]


9

a town almost totally dependent on ranch-ing and farming, to an economy aimed at serving the needs of a diverse population.

The quaint downtown area is filled with unique shops, restaurants and galler-ies along with a movie theatre built in 1927 and named to honour Edward, Prince of Wales.

On the east side, hotels and more res-taurants have sprung up, along with newly minted communities like Montrose and the Hamptons.

This is good news for Marilyn MacAr-thur, business and tourism development manager for the Town of High River. With a growing population of over 12,000, com-panies are starting to take notice. “We are averaging four to six (business) inquiries per week. High River is poised for growth.”

The town also boasts six schools, some-thing that continues to draw families.

One of those new arrivals is Pat Minor, who moved from Medicine Hat with her family three and a half years ago when her husband was transferred to the area. The Minors took their time finding a place, looking at Cochrane, Bragg Creek and Okotoks. However, High River seemed to hold their attention.

“As a kid, I showed horses here and I liked that it was a nice western town,” she said.

Minor also liked the small community atmosphere that offered French immer-sion for her kids in a school district she finds progressive and forward thinking. As well, access to sports for the entire family was important. “Anything we wanted was right here,” she said.

The family found friends with similar values. “There is a degree of politeness and sincerity that makes living here special. There is a lot of interesting people here, and that lends diversity to the town.”

As the former Community Liaison Coordinator for Foothills Community Immigrant Services, Minor was able to witness first hand that High River’s west-ern roots were diverging with multicultural influences.

“Within the High River area, we had a list of over 50 spoken languages within the first year,” she says. “I think that is amazing.”

High River’s past continues to blend with the new. The town’s character is evi-dent in more than just interesting buildings, but in the people who call this community home.

”


10

Ad

ven

ture

Featu

re

I like to think of myself as a wannabe adrenalin junkie. My bucket list is peppered with words like skydiv-ing, bungee jumping and the lofty

ascents of famous mountains.That is why when I found myself

standing in the Bow River, thigh-high in water just barely thawed, I wondered if fly-fishing was something subconsciously scribbled at the bottom of that list.

I was there with Routes editor/pub-lisher, Sandra Wiebe, and the magazine’s graphic design wizard, Sharon Syver-son, to try fly-fishing for the first time. Of course, this excursion would not have been possible without some much-needed help. Our guide, Jason Baxter, owner and operator of Headwater Fly-Fishing based out of Turner Valley, found the perfect location, which, much to my surprise, turned out to be in the middle of Calgary in beautiful Fish Creek Provincial Park.

While Jason’s clientele is largely male, he believes women are extremely com-petent because of their more gentle and patient ways. “There are a lot of women starting to fly-fish,” he said. “It does not require (physical) strength and women are more willing and open-minded in the sense that they have no preconceived ideas of how it should be done.”

After we struggled into the fashionable hip-waders, (and yes, there are pockets for lip-gloss) complete with attached rubber

Story and Photos By Sheila Sepkowski

Flies, Fish and the Art of Deception

Like the saying goes, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime... but teach a woman to fish and she might never get back to the kitchen to make dinner! Taking on the sport of fly-fish-ing turns out to be as therapeutic as a spa day.

“”

It’s more about communing with nature, meeting people and helping them to connect

with the outdoors...


11

Story and Photos By Sheila Sepkowski

Fishing the Bow• The Bow River is considered

one of North America’s top fly-fishing rivers, with over 2,000 fish per km from the city of Calgary weir south to Carseland.

• The trout that inhabit the Bow are larger on average, and prolific insect populations make it an angler’s dream.

• The Bow is a catch and release fishery and anglers are required to use barbless hooks. However, rules state that fisherman can keep one trout under 35 cm, and five whitefish over 30 cm.

• Anglers can expect to find rainbow, brown, cutthroat, bull trout, and whitefish in the Bow River.

• The Highwood and Sheep Rivers are open for sport fishing annually from June 16 to Octo-ber 31. For more information, see the Alberta Sport Fishing Regulations for 2010.

boots, Jason gave us a quick lesson in casting, along with instructions on how to fasten a fly on the end of our lines. Admittedly, we did get some odd looks from passersby who sized up the three women holding fishing rods, clumping down the path in heavy, oversized menswear in mid April.

Like many, my only knowledge of fly-fishing I gathered from watching the movie A River Runs Through It. From that rather limited education, I imagined something along the lines of immediately being able to expertly toss my line through the air where it would sail across the water and suc-cessfully secure a shimmering lengthy fish. I would then fight valiantly to keep it on the line and later stand tall and grin triumphantly for the inevi-table photo.

That vision was a little off, but after talking with Jason about his phi-losophy on fly-fishing, I was not disappointed. He believes it is not all about landing a fish.

“It’s more about communing with nature, meeting people and helping them to connect with the outdoors,” he said. His passion for the sport was evident given his 25 years of dedication to fly-fishing, the previous seven of that as a guide.

We took Jason’s lead and eased ourselves into a spot in the river. The chilly water against my hip-waders was like a cold gel pack wrapping itself around my legs. After stabilizing ourselves against the current, we put our newly learned casting lesson to use. Overcoming our initial anxiety of being caught by our own flies, or attaching our hooks to someone else, we fell into a comfortable rhythm, where the only sounds were the flowing water, the occasional helpful hint from our guide, and the sound of lines zipping from reel to water. I quickly learned however, that there is much more to fly-fishing than tossing a line into the water. It’s a study in the art of deception. Every fly is made to imitate the fat little insects the fish hunger for. The skill comes in as soon as the line hits the water; at this moment the line is meant to land in such a way as to allow the fly to float along gingerly, just like its real counterparts.

The feeling of relaxation was unexpected, given we were in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Canada. But the nicest surprise came from the realization that I could reap the same reward I get from climbing to the top of a mountain: peace.

In the end, although there were no glorious shouts of victory, there were a few nibbles, lots of smiles, shrugs and good conversation.


12

Featu

re

Cattle rustling, to most of us, may be something that happens only in old westerns or the stuff of science fiction. But to cattlemen and ranchers in southern Alberta, it is has always been part of real life.

A STRANGE CASEBy Peter Worden

Photo by Neville Palmer

UNSOLVED

Rural legends come farther-fetched than their urban coun-terparts, and usually have to do with cows. Take, for example,

unexplained mutilations of cattle, unsub-stantiated claims of abductions by aliens for dissection, and not-so disturbing, yet equally mysterious, boasts of cow tipping – the artful yet unproven lore of pushing over a sleeping animal.

This particular rural legend is no exception.

No doubt like countless tales, it orig-inates from (or is at least perpetuated by) an ex-rancher on his seventh-or-so Busch Light, and is, therefore, as cred-ible as one prefers to give credit. It is: That somewhere in the unpatrolled vast-ness of southern Alberta’s ranchland, an organized cattle rustling ring operates a makeshift abattoir – a refrigerated RV – no longer making off with live cattle but boldly butchering them there on the spot.

Like something out of Hardy Boys series, a little classic sleuth work was needed to investigate this new form of cattle rustling, which itself is as old and familiar as barbed wire on the Prairies.

“It’s so easy nowadays,” said Dan Nelson, a rancher near Mountain View.

In his opinion there is more rustling than ever. “In places it is going on more – small calves especially.”

Nelson has had cattle certifiably rus-tled in the past. One year with 300 head, four had disappeared.

Missing cattle often remain an

unsolved mystery considering the threat of bears,

wolves, cougars and a well-known bovine propensity to simply

not come home (whether on their

own or as a result of unknown causes).

But in this case, one of Dan’s calves came through the sale ring a year later.

“You sort of read between the lines,” he said. “Some ranchers if they’re not too trustworthy will pick cattle off another herd and add it to theirs before branding.”

Ryan Royea works for T&L Cattle, a 1,000-head operation in Nanton. “It is very likely when you’ve got land all over the place,” he said on the likelihood

the couple of cattle he loses every year are thanks to rustlers. “How easy is it – there’s no one to stop you.”

Even branded cattle are fair game for a rustler who’s only after the meat.

“They’ll shoot them late at night,” said Nelson, “that’s done quite often. Sometimes you find just a head and a gut pile. You get someone who’s good at butchering and they can have an animal shot and dressed in 15 minutes.”

Cattle disappearances are the stuff of rural legends. A single set of tire tracks backing on to a field. A full-grown animal is worth $1,500, and with upwards of


13

14 years in prison under the Criminal Code (if caught) cattle rustling is akin to grand theft auto in scale. There are, in fact, legal, inspected, mobile abattoirs in Alberta. Perhaps this is how the rural legend of a refrigerated RV rustling con-traption managed to take hold. A much trustier source however, basic rationale, shows this claim (while not impossible) not feasible either. A contraption of such a sort would be clumsy and easy to find. The traceability and the risk of jail along with the financial margin having to jus-tify such an elaborate setup, makes it highly improbable. The RCMP has never

encountered such a thing. Plus, who is buying all this uninspected, unmarked meat?

So back at square one, the big ques-tion remains, are Alberta cattle stocked and stolen while unlucky ranchers take their hats off for the night?

“The short answer is ‘no’,” said David Moss, an inspector with Livestock Inves-tigation Services (LIS) refuting both the RV myth and that there’s more cattle rustling than ever. “More in a sense of volume? No. Dollar amounts maybe.”

Moss says he deals more with high-value scenarios (in the millions of dollars)

such as the trading of fraudulent ‘paper cattle’ at auctions and feedlots.

“Cattle rustling is no longer this guy with a bandana riding a horse. It is agri-crime.”

To combat new tech-savvy rustling tactics LIS has a database with 100 mil-lion records and 100 inspectors across Alberta at all major hubs of activity. These measures might make the half-drunken ramblings of an ex-rancher that much less believable, but it doesn’t make cattle rustling any less prevalent nowa-days, or any less weird.


14

Co

ver

Sto

ry

FIRE IN THE BELLY: Paul Rasporich

If Fire in the Belly is what I was looking for when I interviewed Okotoks artist Paul Rasporich, Fire in the soul is what he delivered. This artist’s

story is indeed a tale of passion – fiery passion with a mystic twist.

By Pat FreamPhotos by Neville Palmer


15

An artistic type since the tender age of five, Paul Rasporich has painted hundreds of people; some common, some

famous. In the big name category, he’s painted prima ballerina Karen Kain, Field of Dreams author W.P. Kinsella, and most recently, Alberta musician Ian Tyson. He’s been shortlisted to paint seven prime ministers, and this spring, he was asked to submit samples of his work for consideration to paint the Queen’s portrait to mark her Dia-mond Jubilee. In the common category is Paul’s favourite painting, a blue-tinged portrait of his great-grandfather.

“”

An artist creates meaning – makes things sacred. If an artist creates something that is meaningful to him, it will be meaningful to others

– it will come across.-Paul Rasporich


16

Co

ver

Sto

ryHis big name work is the stuff of a great story; a talented artist in our midst. But

fame and popularity is not Paul’s thing. He doesn’t get fired up until he gets to the part about his affinity for First Nations people – a detour in his life journey that began with an extraordinary vision he experienced over ten years ago. Here’s the story as Paul told it to me...

“I was in my early thirties and I was at home painting and looking after my two boys. Suddenly I got extremely tired, and my body felt heavy, so I lay down. I had this strange dream; only it wasn’t a dream – it felt like an out-of-body experience. I felt a loud drumbeat, or thunderclap, and I was an eagle, flying over ridges toward a mountain where there was an enormous tree with two aboriginal men, one on each side of the tree. I didn’t know these men but they knew me, and they wanted me to remember what I was seeing and what they were saying to me, although words were not necessary where I was. There was this huge red cliff behind the tree and it was full of holes. They said the holes represented youth who had not realized their potential – I understood they were referring to youth who had committed suicide. They told me ‘you know what to do about this; you can help eliminate this barrier’. Then I was back, and I didn’t know what to make of the experience. It was completely real. Later, I did research and found out that the two men were holy First Nations men from the 1800s: Black Elk, a Sioux visionary, and Walking Buf-falo (George McLean) a former Chief of the Nakoda First Nation.”

Soon after that profound experience, Paul turned his career in a new direction. Feel-ing that he couldn’t properly support his family on an artist’s wage, he went back to school and supplemented his fine arts degree with a degree in education. His first teach-ing job was as a Native Liaison at the Cochrane High School. There, he got to know the Nakoda people and their culture, and he began to devote his art, both painting and sculpture, to scenes that depicted First Nations life and traditions.

“

”

I felt at home with these people. I owe a lot of what

I know about our connection to

nature and animals to my adoptive grandfather...


17

Paul has always felt connected to birds and nature. When he met ‘Spirit’, a Golden Eagle that lost its sight when it was shot, he decided his school should help the Alberta Bird’s of Prey Foundation with the financial burden of caring for the wounded raptor. Paul took the story to his Grade 1 & 2 students at Calgary Arts Academy and the young students opted to have a bake sale to raise funds. They also wrote a song to cheer up the bird. TV crews were on scene when the young students sang their special song to ‘Spirit’. By all accounts, there was not a dry eye in the house. Since then, the song has been recorded by legendary Alberta singer/songwriter Ian Tyson, along with the students of Calgary Arts Academy. A portion of any funds generated from the song will go to building the new school. (View the song lyrics online at www.routesmagazine.ca)

“I felt at home with these people. I owe a lot of what I know about our connec-tion to nature and animals to my adop-tive grandfather, the late John Stevens, a medicine person who is famous for bring-ing a peaceful outcome to the Gustafsen Lake conflict in 1995,” said Paul.

Compelled by his calling to help youth at risk, Paul began to dream about a school that would more effectively engage and include the aboriginal perspective. He envisioned a cross-cultural school that would teach kids through art. As his idea began to take shape, a Charter School, Calgary Arts Academy, opened in Cal-gary. Its mandate - “Arts Immersion” - to teach the Alberta curriculum through the five art forms: visual art, music, drama, dance, and the literary arts. Paul took a job at the school, teaching Grades 1 and 2. This was four years ago, and today the school is quickly outgrowing its tempo-rary sites and is in the process of raising

Paul Rasporich paints people with such extraordinary clarity, if you gaze at them too long, you feel like you are intruding on a private moment that isn’t your own. In his painting of his wife and small son, the affection is as visible as the blinding sheen of the boy’s blonde hair. In his painting of the Dalai Lama praying with an eagle feather, the sanctity is palpable. In his giant portrait of a young aboriginal teen rising out of a hill to grasp a tail feather from a golden eagle in flight, you glimpse the understanding that stokes the fire of an artist on a sacred mission.

funds to build a K-12 facility, possibly on the Calgary Stampede grounds.Paul’s goal is to see the school built and teeming with kids of diverse cultures who

flourish in an environment that lets them learn through their creative instincts. If he has his way, a school will be designed by Alberta architect, Douglas Cardinal – an accom-plished visionary and First Nations artist. “I have corresponded for years with Mr. Cardi-nal about such a school; he is the right person to design it,” said Paul.

For now the path of this artist/teacher is a slow and steady trek; a soulful journey that appears to have been carved out by late enlightened spirits, still shining for their people.

“I’ll never forget that experience on the mountainside,” says Paul. “I think about it every day of my life.”

On the Right:Paul seen here in his sweat

lodge with his dog, Tala. The painting of his great

grandfather hangs overhead.


18

His

tory

Featu

re

For anyone who has traveled along Highway 22, you can’t help but notice the iconic orange and black road signs that read: The

Cowboy Trail. Many folks say the Trail is not so much a place as it is a feeling that comes from the mixed forests and rolling grasslands that are nestled along the east-ern slopes on the Rockies. From Cardston to Mayerthorpe, the Cowboy Trail offers about 700 kilometers of history that dates back to the late 1800s where commerce included everything from fur trading and ranching to prospecting. For the ranch-ers, it was a time when cowboys drove cattle north, leaving Texas or Oklahoma in the springtime, and headed north to make the Canadian border by fall.

Some say The Cowboy Trail origi-nated in Fort Benton, Montana, where the headwaters of paddle wheeler trans-portation provided much needed sup-plies to the growing population from about 1874 to 1885. At the time, a signifi-cant component was the North Western Mounted Police (NWMP) in conjunction with the growth of the railway - making

river and bull-train transport obsolete. From Fort Benton, many folks headed north to Fort Macleod.

“People would sign up to drive the herds from the southern states and as they approached their destination, they would fork off,” says Neil MacLaine, president, Cowboy Trail Tourism Association.

“Other people argue the main trail, from which early pioneers split from, went to Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Back then, the land wasn’t carved up with fences and roads, so they were driv-ing the herds from waterhole to water-hole - where ever they could find grass and water to sustain their cattle.”

From mavericks and pioneers, the rustic landscape started to take shape and gave rise to the matted grassland corridors that were created and used by everyone en route. As more and more people traveled north, campsites became settlements, which in turn became com-munities. “Over time, an Indian trail is overlaid by a cowboy trail that eventu-ally is overlaid with gravel, then pave-ment and becomes a highway,” adds

MacLaine. “To some extent, you will find an irony in the evolution of the Trail. The very things that established it even-tually were excluded from using it. Once the road became a major truck route, they started introducing laws requiring 24 hours notice before you could drive cattle along or across it.”

Fast-forward 100 years to find further irony with respect to how the landscape has changed the communities that reside along the Trail. “It was much easier to travel from ranch to ranch back then. You had a higher density of rural residency and every route was prepped for horse travel,” adds MacLaine. “The landscape is much less populated now than it was 100 years ago: it started swelling in 1874 when the Mounties first showed up, and the pace of rural growth really took off a decade later when the railroad came through. The rise of ranching and home-steading meant the rural population reached its peak before the Dirty Thir-ties, and has in general, been declining ever since.” In the late 1990s, the rural communities along Highway 22 came

From wagon wheels to 18-wheelers, from Montana to Central Alberta, the Cowboy Trail leaves deep ruts of historic relevance reflected in the towns which now line highways once graced by Mounties and cattle drivers on horseback.

Above:Two horse drawn wagons homeward bound after spring round-up,

Mosquito Creek. Phil Weinard driving rear wagon, 1892.Museum of the Highwood collection.

On the Right:Cowboy’s ponies belonging to the Bar U round-up, c.1900.

Museum of the Highwood collection.

A Tale of One Trail

“

By Mary Savage


19

together looking for a unifying theme to promote and preserve the region’s his-tory. “Around 1999, a robust meeting took place to start talking about how to promote and preserve these communities. Initially the group included only com-munities as far north as Rocky Moun-tain House,” says MacLaine. “There were lots of iconic attractions along the trail that tied into the aboriginal and cowboy history of the province. Since then, the Cowboy Trail has expanded and become synonymous with Highway 22. It includes communities as far north as Mayerthrope.”

Today, The Cowboy Trail is home to over 60 tourism partners and about 180 events in 30 different towns, villages and hamlets. It also plays host to a wealth of activities to keep the communities con-nected, the tourists engaged, and the folk-lore alive. Although it is possible to drive the entire Trail in one day, most travelers break it up over a few days, enjoying the scenery and stories. From guest ranches and rodeos to historical sites and antiques shops, there is an abundance of things to see and do.

As for the original tracks laid by the Indians and settlers, all is not lost if you’ve got an afternoon to go exploring. In certain places, the ruts are still visible and yours to discover. “There are still places along the road where you’ll see a trail bed or an abandoned bridge or you will see ruts that have been reclaimed by nature, but you have to look for it,” said MacLaine. “And when you do find them, it makes your detective work more rewarding because you will likely feel a strange connection – this is what hap-pened here once upon a time,” he adds with a twinkle in his eye.

Guy Weadick Memorial Rodeo

SADDLE BRONC SPONSORED BY:

BUDWEISERBARE BACK

SPONSORED BY:

TEAM ROPINGSPONSORED BY:

BULL RIDINGSPONSORED BY:

STEER WRESTLINGSPONSORED BY:

TIE DOWN ROPINGSPONSORED BY:

BARREL RACINGSPONSORED BY:

DODGE - COUNTRY CHRYSLER

Thursday, June 24 - Family Night Business Man’s Cash Scramble• Rodeo and Chuckwagons, 6:00pm • Performance #1

Friday, June 25 - Ladies Night Stock Dogs Show• Rodeo and Chuckwagons, 6:00pm • Performance #2Business Man’s Cash Scramble• Live Entertainment - Beer Gardens•

Saturday, June 26 Rodeo Slack, 7:00am• Pancake Breakfast 9:00am• Open Stage Jam Session 12:00pm• Business Man’s Cash Scramble• Rodeo and Chuckwagons, 6:00pm • Performance #3Rodeo Dance 9:00pm•

Sunday, June 27 Westjet Ticket Giveaway• Rodeo and Chuckwagons, 2:00pm • Performance #4Business Man’s Cash Scramble Final• Awards Presentation•

June 24 - 27, 2010

“

”

Over time, an Indian trail is overlaid by a cowboy trail that eventually is overlaid withgravel, then pavement and becomes a highway.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the High River Culture Centre at 403.652.4668

Enter Victorian London's underworld in the Charles Dickens classic about a young orphan forced from workhouse to street pickpocket to home - all of it filled with music that delights and inspires.

OLiverAugust 14, 20101:30 PMRosebud TheaterTickets: $85 incl. GST

Ticket price includes meal and transportation.

Calgary StampedeChuckwagon & Grandstand Show

July 15, 20107:00 PM

Tickets: $70 incl. GST

Ticket price includes transportation.

GREAT CANADIAN BARN DANCE

Photo courtesy of Jason Glass

July 31, 20105:00 PM

Tickets: $75 incl. GST

Ticket price includes meal and transportation.

Start with a western roast beef dinner with all the trimmings, then sit back

and enjoy the live stage show, and finish the evening by kicking up your heels on the dance floor.

Transportation provided by the High River Bus Company


20

Spruce Meadows Continental TournamentJune 17 - 20Spruce Meadowswww.sprucemeadows.com [CY]

The Gathering – Cowboy PoetryJune 17 - 20The Horseshoe PavilionThe best in the West gather around the campfire for the annual poetry reading weekend, featuring stories, music, danc-ing, barbeques, horse competitions and demonstrations. www.pinchercreekagsociety.com [PC]

Southern Alberta Arts DaysJune 18 – 20Black Diamondwww.town.blackdiamond.ab.ca [BD]

The Artstrong EnsembleJune 20, 7:30 pm Carlson’s on MacleodFeaturing Olivia Ritchey and Sara Hahn.www.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Father’s Day Buffet and Train DaysJune 19 - 20Aspen Crossing, MossleighBrunch buffet takes place in an old-fashioned dining car and in a greenhouse with live entertainment and a display by the Rocky Mountain Model Railroad Society with train rides and more. Res-ervations are required for the dining car. 1.866.440.3500 or www.aspencrossing.com [MS]

Skyliner TournamentJune 23Spruce Meadowswww.sprucemeadows.com [CY]

Hamiltone TrioJune 26, 8:30 pm Carlson’s on MacleodFeaturing Dave Hamilton, Mel Wilson and Julian Kerr. www.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Art

s &

En

tert

ain

men

t

in your town

happening

June

July

Lorna MacLachlanJune 5, 8 pm (tickets $15)Carlson’s on MacleodLorna MacLachlan on vocals and piano, accompanied by Rich Harding on saxo-phone, John Hyde on bass, Robin Tufts on drums and Keith Smith on guitar. www.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Spiritus A Cappella ChoirJune 6High River United ChurchSpiritus Chamber choir provides high quality concerts in Calgary and surround-ings. Lead by artistic director, Timothy Shantz, the choir has received accolades for their stirringly beautiful sound. www.spirituschamberchoir.ca [HR]

Annual Soap Box DerbyJune 5Okotokswww.okotoks.ca [OK]

Diamond Valley Discovery Days and ParadeJune 5 – 7A variety of events held throughout Turner Valley, Black Diamond.www.diamondvalleychamber.com [DV]

Gary Fjellgaard with friends Darrel de La Ronde and SaskiaJune 12, 8:30 pm (tickets $20)Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Tim WilliamsJune 18, 8:30 pm (tickets $20)Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

The Vintage Chicks Spring FairJune 12 -13 (tickets $3)Priddis Community HallThis fair is brimming with charming handmade collectibles, curiosities and vintage finds. $1 of each admission ticket goes to a local charity. 403.922.6888 or [email protected] [PD]

Chuckwagon Beef Stew Cookoff June 13Bar U RanchIt’s time again for the Bar U Cook Off ! Test the competitors’ versions of beef stew and biscuits cooked over an open campfire just as it was done on the open range.www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

what’sAspen Crossing, Mossleigh

Foothil ls Highland Games

August 28, 2010

Visit www.foothil lshighlandgames.caOkotoks Foothil ls Composite High School

Come just for the Spirit of it !

Presents a monthly film selection from the Toronto Film Festival at the Historic Wales Theatre, High River.

Foothills Films

Watch for details coming soon...


21

WPCA Races and Guy Weadick Memorial RodeoJune 24 - 27High River Rodeo GroundsFeaturing bull riding under the lights and rodeo dance Saturday night with a live band. Also featuring the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour with nine exciting heats of racing for home. Friday is family night. 403.652.3336 or www.hrchamber.com [HR]

Cultivation of Art Show and SaleJune 25 - 27, 9 am - 5:30 pmVales GreenhouseArtist reception on Saturday, 1 - 4 pm. 403.933.4814 or www.valesgreenshouse.com [BD]

Tribute to the Percheron HorseJuly 1, 11 am - 4 pm (free)Bar U RanchVenture south to an official flag raising ceremony, tour the ranch and take part in the family activities. Featuring a special tribute to the Percheron horse - “the gentle giants of ranching.” The Bar U was once renowned for having the largest herd of Percherons in the world. www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

2nd Annual Turner Valley Triathlon July 1, 9 amTurner ValleyTake part in the 500 m pool swim, 20 km bike ride, and 5 km run on the Friendship Trail. Also offering Kids of Steel – a special program for kids ages 3-17. www.turnervalleytriathlon.ca [TV]

The NWMP Mounted Patrol Musical RideJuly 1 - September 6Fort MacLeodwww.nwmpmuseum.com [FM]

July

High River HomecomingJuly 2 - 4High River Memorial CentreFor all past and current High River resi-dents - a weekend long event including Saturday night banquet and dance. Must register by June 11. 403.652.7575 or www.highriverhomecoming.ca [HR]

Willow Creek Cowboy Music and PoetryJuly 9 - 11 (weekend pass - $50 - presale until June 30)Stavely ArenaA family event with musicians from across Canada and the U.S., Event includes free on site camping, evening campfires, cowboy breakfast and church, and roast beef dinner Saturday night. Friday evening is family time featuring young rising star performers and venders. 403.549.2453 or www.albertacowboypoetry.com [SV]

5th Annual Foothills Charity TriathlonJuly 10Crystal Shores Lake (start)A volunteer fundraising event to support children’s charities in the foothills and abroad. 403.938.6682 or www.foothillscharitytriathlon.com. [OK]

Painting Demo with Maryanne JespersenJuly 16, 7 pm (tickets $20)Diamond Willow Artisan RetreatVisit the foothills’ newest luxury retreat and enjoy a glass of wine while watching this award winning local artist bring life to the canvas. 403.933.5755 [BD]

Doug Andrew and the Circus in FlamesJuly 17Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Ladies Only Garden Party July 22, 7:30 pm (advance tickets $15.00)Aspen Crossing, MossleighLadies only night! Enjoy guest speakers, entertainment, chocolate fountains and more. 1.866.440.3500 or www.aspen-crossing.com [MS]

[PC] Pincher Creek[CH] Claresholm[FM] Fort MacLeod[TV] Turner Valley[BC] Bragg Creek[DV] Diamond Valley[BD] Black Diamond

[OK] Okotoks[SV] Stavely[PD] Priddis[CY] Calgary[LV] Longview[VN] Vulcan[MS] Mossleigh[HR] High River

For event submissions email to: [email protected]

Love l i e sGoodThe November 26, 20107:00 PM

Tickets: $10 + GSTNotre Dame Collegiate

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the High River Culture Centre at 403.652.4668

Sponsored by:

photos courtesy of godlovelies.com

"They sparkled, and like enjoying fine champagne the audience drank them in."

Dean Verger, Owner of Rasputin's Cafe, Ottawa


22

Legends of the Bar U RanchAugust 1, 1 pmBar U RanchHead to the Roundup Camp for an after-noon of storytelling, featuring some of the legends who have passed through the ranch gates, including John Ware, Harry Longabaugh, (The Sundance Kid), and Edward, Prince of Wales. www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

Summer MarketAugust 6 - 7Aspen Crossing, MossleighFeatures locally grown fruits and vegeta-bles, homemade jewelry, accessories, and more! All day buffet in the Dining Car (reservations required). Friday’s special is prime rib , Saturday come for the brunch buffet. 1.866.440.3500 or www.aspencrossing.com [MS]

Claresholm Fair DaysAugust 6 - 8www.townofclaresholm.com [CH]

Annual Trail RideAugust 7Bar U RanchSupport the Friends of the Bar U Historic Ranch Association on their annual day ride into original Bar U grazing lands. Ride your own horse or take a seat on a horse-drawn wagon. 403.395.3330 or 403.395.3879 or www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

Fort Macleod Heritage Festival and Quilt ShowAugust 7 - 8NWMP and First Nations Inter-pretive Centrewww.nwmpmuseum.com [FM]

JR ShoreAugust 11, 8 pm (tickets $10)Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Art

s &

En

tert

ain

men

t

7th Annual Family Music FestivalJuly 23 - 25 (tickets $40 - adult, $30 - youth, $12.50)Great Canadian Barn Dance, HillspringThree days of incredible music in the Barn, on an outdoor stage, in the parking lots, and around the campfire. Tickets include roast beef buffet. Camping avail-able. 1.866.626.3407 or www.gcbd.ca [HS]

Motorcycle Poker RallyJuly 24, 10:30 am - 4 pmGruvstone LoungeA fundraiser for Foothills Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings (SNAPS) 403.603.3232 or www.foothillss-naps.com or [email protected] [HR]

Strawberry FestivalJuly 24, 10 am - 5 pmKayben FarmsIt’s all about strawberries! Pick, taste, learn and enjoy the fresh taste of summer at our first ever Strawberry Festival. www.kayben.com [OK]

Polo at the Bar UJuly 25, 1 pmBar U RanchThe “Sport of Kings” has been played around the world for centuries. Experi-ence the Bar U’s polo history as local cowboys play traditional players on the original Bar U polo field. www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

Nanton DaysJuly 31 - August 2www.lancastermuseum.ca [NT]

3rd Annual “Dead Elvis Day” with Steve Pineo and bandAugust 13, 8:30 pm (tickets $20)Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Festival of Arts, Crafts & MusicAugust 14Turner Valleywww.turnervalley.ca [TV]

Old Time Ranch RodeoAugust 15, 1 pmBar U RanchA rodeo competition demonstrating tra-ditional ranching skills of broke horse racing, team sorting, branding and doc-toring, and wild cow milking. Teams of working cowboys from southern Alberta ranches compete for silver Bar U belt buckles, and bragging rights! www.friendsofthebaru.ca [LV]

Salute to Flight InstructorsAugust 20 - 21Nanton Lancaster Society Air MuseumA full day of activities including a pancake breakfast, engine start-ups, luncheon with “Living Historians,” an afternoon program honouring the flight instructors, a big band dance and a field trip to the former site of No. 2 Flying Instructor School. www.lancastermu-seum.ca [NT]

Mark DeJong and Simon Fisk with Hal SchrenAugust 21Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

Bruce Innes and the Original Caste August 24Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

August

morehappenings

Cappuccino, Original Art, Good Food, Coffee, New Full Service Outdoor Patio,

Fine Wine, Single Malts, Premium Beers, Live Music, Premier Performance Venue,

Special Events and Private Functions

“If you haven’t been to Carlson’s you haven’t been to High River”

129 3rd Avenue SW High River, AB www.carlsonsonmacleod.ca

Heidelberg Youth Chamber OrchestraFri Sept 3, 2010 7:30 pm

Jacqueline Serpas, soprano, & Michael Angell, pianoSun Oct 3, 2010 2:30 pm

Heather Henderson, Musical Theatre and Opera/Operetta Sat Nov 6, 2010 2:30 pm Master-class Sat Nov 6, 2010 7:30 pm Concert

Trio LajoieSun Jan 30, 2011 2:30 pm

Georgy Tchaidze, PianistSat April 2, 2011 7:30 pm

Calgary Girls ChoirMay 2011 Details TBA

Gift of MusicConcert Series

2010/2011 SEASON TICKETS Now Available

Providing access to musical arts

programming in High River and

surrounding area.

For season tickets or

more information,

please call 403-652-3168


23

Chris Gheran August 28Carlson’s on Macleodwww.carlsonsonmacleod.com [HR]

5th Annual Harvest FestivalAugust 28, 10 am - 5 pmActivities held at Kayben Farms, Chinook Honey farm and the Leighton Art Centre. www.flavoursofthefoothills.com

Foothills Highland GamesAugust 28www.okotoks.ca [OK]

First Nations DayAugust 29, 1 pmBar U RanchCommemorating the contributions of Aboriginal people to ranching life. Stony Nakoda elders, drummers, artists and speakers gather at Roundup Camp to tell the stories of their forebears. [LV]

[PC] Pincher Creek[CH] Claresholm[FM] Fort MacLeod[TV] Turner Valley[BC] Bragg Creek[DV] Diamond Valley[BD] Black Diamond

[OK] Okotoks[SV] Stavely[PD] Priddis[CY] Calgary[LV] Longview[VN] Vulcan[MS] Mossleigh[HR] High River

For event submissions email to: [email protected]

Prepare to Meet your MakerThe foothills region abounds with many farmers’ markets to enjoy from spring through fall. Many of the vendors are Alberta-based direct producers, thus giving us the opportunity to personally meet thegrower/producer of the product. From honey, jams and pickles to fresh flowers and produce we can stock our kitchens, enhance our gardens and decorate our homes. Take the time this season to see what your local farmers’ market has to offer.

Claresholm Wednesdays, 3 pm to 6 pmJuly 8 to September 9

Fort Macleod Thursdays, 3 pm to 6 pmJuly 16 to September 17

High RiverBob Snodgrass Recreation ComplexThursdays, 4 pm to 7 pmJune to September

MillarvilleMillarville Race TrackSaturdays, 8 am to noonJune to OctoberNo dogs allowed. $2 parking

MossleighAspen Crossing GreenhouseFriday August 6, 3 pm to 9 pmSaturday August 7, 9 am to 5 pm

NantonUnited Church Parking Lot on Highway #2 South Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pmJuly to September

Okotoks Country Living, sw corner of Hwy 7and Southridge Drive Fridays, 4 pm to 7 pmJuly to end of September

By Alison Laycraft • Photos by Jane Russell

at your local farmers’ markets

routes summer 10 layout 4/19/10 8:48 AM Page 1


24

Sh

op

pin

g

Prepare to Meet your MakerThe foothills region abounds with many farmers’ markets to enjoy from spring through fall. Many of the vendors are Alberta-based direct producers, thus giving us the opportunity to personally meet thegrower/producer of the product. From honey, jams and pickles to fresh flowers and produce we can stock our kitchens, enhance our gardens and decorate our homes. Take the time this season to see what your local farmers’ market has to offer.

Claresholm Wednesdays, 3 pm to 6 pmJuly 8 to September 9

Fort Macleod Thursdays, 3 pm to 6 pmJuly 16 to September 17

High RiverBob Snodgrass Recreation ComplexThursdays, 4 pm to 7 pmJune to September

MillarvilleMillarville Race TrackSaturdays, 8 am to noonJune to OctoberNo dogs allowed. $2 parking

MossleighAspen Crossing GreenhouseFriday August 6, 3 pm to 9 pmSaturday August 7, 9 am to 5 pm

NantonUnited Church Parking Lot on Highway #2 South Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pmJuly to September

Okotoks Country Living, sw corner of Hwy 7and Southridge Drive Fridays, 4 pm to 7 pmJuly to end of September

By Alison Laycraft • Photos by Jane Russell

at your local farmers’ markets

routes summer 10 layout 4/19/10 8:48 AM Page 1


25


26

Pro

fess

ion

ally

Sp

eakin

g

Thumbs up to UVVitamin D: UV from the sun helps the body stimulate production of vitamin D.

Available only in limited foods, vitamin D is vital to our bodies for bone health, immune function and disease prevention.

Mood elevation: Research supports the theory that the sun can make you happy! Sunlight stimulates a gland in the brain which in turn produces mood elevating chemi-cals such as serotonin. Lacking serotonin is linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a common condition affecting people during the winter months and in places where sunlight is limited.

Improve sleep: Around 15 minutes of daily sun exposure (preferably in the morning) helps your body maintain more regular circadian rhythms, which promotes better sleep-ing habits. Essentially, the sunlight turns off your brain’s production of melatonin, which is the hormone that makes you feel drowsy. Curbing this hormone during the daylight hours helps it to kick in appropriately at nightfall.

Natural disinfectant/sterilizer: Look to the sun to eliminate viruses and bacteria. UV rays kill microorganisms by penetrating cell membranes and destroying the DNA – thus halting multiplication and cell reproduction. This is a common known fact among ath-letes who regularly spread their sports gear out in the sun for a sterilizing effect.

Treat skin conditions: UV is used as a treatment aid for some skin conditions, such as acne and psoriasis.

Reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms: A recent study in the Journal of the American Medi-cal Association shows that elderly Alzheimer’s patients exposed to daily sunlight lost less function, experienced less depression, and scored better on mental tests, than patients kept out of the sun.

To Sun or not to SunAs the sun gains intensity, putting the colour back in our world and rejuvenating our winter-weathered spirits; some can’t resist the urge to bask in it.

Rather than take a harsh stance on the perils of sun exposure, Routes chose a softer approach – perhaps a cop-out because we too have a craving for the insatiable warmth of the summer rays. Here is a quick look at the pros

and cons of sun exposure. As always, moderation wins the day.

Thumbs down to UVSun causes skin cancer: UV is a known

human carcinogen, and the most promi-nent cancer-causing agent in our environ-ment. Research shows that UV exposure causes 90 percent of skin cancers.

Sunburn: Ouch, it hurts. Also, it can lead to melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.

Compromised immune system: Research shows that too much UV exposure can suppress the effects of the immune system. The immune system is critical to health as it defends the body against viruses, bacteria, toxins, etc.

Premature aging: UV destroys col-lagen as well as the connective tissue just under the top layer of the skin, thus speeding up the aging of the skin.

Eye damage: Studies show that pro-longed exposure to natural UV rays, or to the kind of intense UV found in tanning beds, can burn the surface of the eyeball, causing a condition called snow blind-ness. Even low amounts of sunlight can increase the risk of eye damage, such as cataracts.

So how much is sun exposure keeps us in the thumbs up zone? Most experts say 10 to 15 minutes a day before 10 am or after 4 pm. Any more than that, and they recommend you wear shades and slather on the sun screen.

Sources: Mayo Clinic website, the World Health Organization (WHO) website, and Science Learning.

By Pat Fream

124 Centre AveWest Black Diamond • Locally Owned and Operated 403-933-7979

Black Diamond

Natural Health Products

HerbalsHomeopathic Remedies

Vitamin andMineral SupplementsHerbal Teas

Bach Flower RemediesAromatherapy

Information Kiosk – Complimentary Alive magazines

Open Sundays & Late onWeekdays

It’s a Destination...Garden Centre Dining Campground

www.aspencrossing.com1(866)440-3500Located on HWY #24, 1 km west of Mossleigh


27

6Tips for a CLEAN,HEALTHY HOME Minus the harsh chemicals1. To clean your shower door, tile and tub, first put on a pair of exfoliating gloves. Spray area with an all-purpose cleaner, sprinkle baking soda on gloves, and start scrubbing from the top of the shower down to that ring around the tub. Then rinse. The exfoliating gloves are great for getting into the creases of the tile, where the grout can collect and stain.

2. Instead of using bleach to whiten clothes, try adding a cup of vinegar to your wash. Vinegar is safe for colour and will not yellow whites over time like bleach. It is a healthier alternative for our waterways.

3. For calcium build-up in kettles and humidifiers, add enough vinegar to cover, and then let it sit for about an hour before rinsing.

4. Cleaning your oven is less of a chore if you fill your roasting pan with boiling water, heat the oven to 350ºC, and let sit for a couple hours. Then take a sponge and baking soda, and a bottle of straight vinegar. Spray and gently remove with the sponge.

5. To shine brass or copper pots and pans, combine equal parts of salt, flour, and vinegar, then rub with a soft cloth. Let the item sit for about an hour, then wipe and buff with a clean soft cloth.

6. To help prevent the spread of germs, use a water/vinegar solution to wipe off cell phones, land phones, remote controls, light fixtures and doorknobs.

Charlotte Lomenda, Chem Free Cleaning Ltd. & One Three Tree Essential Cleaning Products Inc.

Your Day... Your Way!

call 403-949-4277 email: [email protected]


28

Pro

fess

ion

ally

Sp

eakin

g

If golf is your summer passion, but you don’t always get the results you’re hoping for, here are a few tips that might enhance your game.

<<< Bye-Bye Bogies... Hello >> Birdies

By Rob Larocque, Head Professional, River’s Edge Golf Club, Okotoks

First, unlearn the old adage ‘keep your eye on the ball’. In the game of golf, the ball is not the target; the target is the fairway or the green in the distance. Many golfers make the mistake of being too focused on

the ball, when in fact a big picture view is what it takes to get on the greens.For some athletes, the ball is the target. A batter focuses on the baseball

as it heads toward the plate. A receiver’s eyes zero in on the football before he makes a catch. Tennis players have to intently watch the ball coming at them in order to hit it. Golfers though, are a different kind of player. They function more like a quarterback or a pitcher who must look toward their intended targets in order to execute a play. Instead of focusing on the ball, they project to their target and trust their skills.

Golfers getting ready to hit their next ball can’t always see the target, so they must rely on their swing to carry them through. Again, they don’t have to see the to swing effectively, they just have to project in the right direction and focus on making a nice, free-flowing swing.

The secret to having a successful swing is, first and foremost, about stay-ing in balance. Balance is a must in order to create centrifugal force, which results in accuracy as well as distance. Allowing the body to rotate around a steady head (not a still head) or around the spine, propels the club head in a true swing arc.

Regardless of the sport, all great athletes must have good balance in order to execute particular moves. What robs most people of their balance is tension, especially in tight situations when an important shot or putt is needed. Once you are stressed, you start having too many moving parts in your swing and this throws you out of balance.

On your next trip to the practice range, hit some balls with your feet together. When you maintain proper balance, you will be surprised at how far and how straight the ball travels. Then try it with feet together and your eyes closed - to take your focus off the ball. This will give you a greater sense of how important it is to maintain your balance and project to your target with your mind’s eye, not your physical eye.

o p p o r t u n i t y c o m m u n i t y

l i f e s t y l e

www.highrivertourism.caDowntown retail therapy with Allison 9:00 AM

Meet the girls for lunch

Tee off at 2:00 (18 holes)

Dinner and live music at 7:00 PM

ALL DAY GET–AWAY “TO DO” LIST:

Ph: 615-2479 • Fx: 601-2953 • Email: [email protected]

Web: www.joansbookkeeping.com

Joan’s Bookkeeping ServiceJoan McLean

A small business taking care of small businesses! #101, 416 Centre St SE, High River403-652-7771 | [email protected]

hwnfAdNewPic.indd 1 4/29/10 7:15:41 PM


29

BUSINESSES IN Your High River business advertised here. Call for special pricing.403.880.4784

Get Found. Get Noticed...Advertise!!

High River


30

Ingredients: Serves: 6

2 heads of butter leaf lettuce - individual leaves

18 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 leaves of fresh basil - chiffonade

(cut into thin strips)

½ cup creamy chevre (goat cheese)

½ cup balsamic vinegar reduced to half*

½ cup cold pressed canola oil

Maldon sea salt for sprinkling

With: Summer Salad Serve: Danie de Wet 2009 Chardonnay sur lie, Robertson, South Africa$16.95 Danie de Wet was one of the first to pioneer the noble white varieties of Europe in South Africa. He specializes in superior white wines, most notably, Chardon-nay. This un-wooded Chardonnay was selected from specific clones and matured on the lees producing fresh, lemony flavours with a grapefruit, yeasty nutty aftertaste.

Wine pairings provided by sommelier Karen Paterson, The Wine Stop, Okotoks.

Foo

d

With: GnocciServe: Poggio

Morino 2007 Rosso Maremma,

Toscana, Italy$15.95

This simple but delicious pasta

wine is made from Sangiovese, Syrah and a bit of Alicante.

Expect aromas of cherries, leather, earth, cigar box, fine spice and

hints of dried flowers. The palate is smooth, fresh cherry/red berry flavours are supported by mocha;

spice box and sun-baked earthy tones. The finish lingers with

flavours of toasted oak and spice.

By Darren Nixon, chef and owner of Divine restaurant, Okotoks

Photo by Steve Bennett

Method: • Place lettuce on a serving platter then add tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle evenly

with chevre. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and canola oil. Garnish with a tiny bit of Maldon sea salt.

• Serve with grilled halibut or pork tenderloin, and roast potato for a simple, healthy but elegant patio dinner.

*Bring vinegar to a boil. Simmer, watching carefully and lowering the heat if necessary, until it is a little thinner than you want it – it will keep reducing when you take it off the heat. It should only take 2-4 minutes.

S a v o u r y Summer Salad

Got Food? Add Wine! Pairing Suggestions

Darren Nixon, owner and chef at Divine has been passionate about food his entire life. Darren's focus for Divine has always been local and fresh ingredients since 1996 when the business began. Because of his long term commitment to slow food, he and Adrienne (his sous chef) were nominated for Terra Madre - the Slow Food movement's biannual conference for foodies - in Italy this October. Divine is now Italy-bound.


31

By Mike Perrotta, Wild Thyme Café, NantonPhoto by Neville Palmer

Ingredients:Serves: 6

4 ½ pounds russet potatoes

salt

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 egg yolks

melted butter

grated parmesan cheese

Gnocchi di Patate (Potato Gnocchi Roman Style)

Method:

• Wash but do not peel the potatoes. Cook them in boiling salted water until soft.

• Remove potatoes from pan, peel and mash them in a large bowl until quite smooth

• Add the flour and salt to taste.

• Beat in the egg yolks and mix to a firm dough.

• Break dough into pieces and shape these into long rolls, about the thickness of your finger.

• Cut the rolls into pieces about 1 inch long.

• Press each piece against a lightly floured cheese grater to make a sickle shape then

spread out on to a pastry board or table to dry.

• Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi a few at a time.

• Using a slotted spoon, remove gnocchi as they rise to the surface, drain well.

• Put them directly onto a hot dish and dress with melted butter and Parmesan cheese.

Italian born Mike Perrotta worked in Switzer-land for 10 years, where he trained as a chef, before coming to Canada in 1976. He operated two restaurants in Calgary, Pinocchio Pizzeria and De Michelangelo. In 2006 he made life-style choice and moved to Nanton where he opened The Wild Thyme Café, and has not looked back.

Alternative: Gnocchi can be dressed with either meat gravy or your favourite tomato sauce.

Gnocchi is best served right away or within a couple of hours. They can be frozen. Don’t refrigerate fresh gnocchi for more than two or three hours, as they may become soggy.


32

Fam

ily

Earnest (if not Handy) DAD

My dad (not the least bit handy) had a fetish for tools and was

especially proud of his ‘As Seen on TV’ power tool collection. One morn-ing while my wife and I were home for a visit, dad got up early, inserted a brand new tungsten carbide blade in his power saw, and set out to cut some 2x4s for a patio they were having built. Hearing the foreign sound of a saw, I slipped out of bed, got a coffee, and went out to the garage to check out the noise. When I arrived on the scene, I was alarmed to see dad fully engulfed in flying sparks as he strained to force the blade through what appeared to be dense uncooperative material. When he finished the task, dad noticed me in the corner, and he stepped back with a gesture as to invite acknowledgement of his success. At that exact moment, the entire work site collapsed, leaving the two of us stunned and covered in sawdust. Tenuously wading forward to inspect the damage, we knew instantly what dad had achieved… he had sawed clear through the metal frame of his Workmate™ bench.

AdrenaloveIt’s not one specific moment, but all of the moments of fun that make me smile and think

‘I have an awesome dad’.Shopping in Mountain Equipment Co-op is a common outing my dad and I take before

every camping trip. Each time we walk into the building, it’s like a new experience; like we’ve never been there before. We love the thrill of new camping tools, and the excitement of getting all of the gear packed up to head out into the wilderness with a heavy pack slung over our shoulders. It’s these kinds of moments that I remember most with my dad. These little moments find a more permanent place in your heart than those that are big.

It is not always the activity you do, but the reason and thought that was put into it. My dad is the kind of person who takes me camping, rock climbing or hiking because he cares and wants me to experience the love he has for the outdoors and the adrenaline of these wonderful activities. I still have memories of seeing the tall trees and beautiful landscape from my perch on my dad’s back in the child carrier.

My dad and I have a special bond because of the time and energy he spends helping me discover who I am. Through his influence, every day I grow in my experience and love for nature and in my appreciation for what the world has to offer us.

By Linea Miller (age 14)

By Dave Fream (age 45)

Father’s Day Tributes Two of our readers share a favourite memory of their father.

Ticket Hotline403.262.DAWG

One more makes Four.One more makes Four.

Come catch a game at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks. See our website for the complete game schedule and planned events.

www.dawgsbaseball.ca

Dawgs_1more4_quarter2010.indd 1 10-04-27 9:37 AM

HigH RiveR Agency

#5, 28 – 12th Avenue SE High River, AlbertaPh: 403-652-1426

Monday – Friday:10:00 am – 3:30 pm


33

6Great Alberta Campsites to Explore this Summer

Aspen Crossing$20 - $45Mossleigh1887 Pullman Dining Car, garden centre, train station museum, short distance to Vulcan Trek Station. www.aspencrossing.com

Great Canadian Barn Dance$23 - $33HillspringLarge Pavillion - great for group camp-ing, bed and breakfast facilities, sign up for a dance lesson or join in on a music event. www.gcbd.ca

Chain Lakes Provincial Park $18 - $2440km south of LongviewOpen year-roundGreat for fishing

Dinosaur Provincial Park$10PatriciaThis UNESCO World Heritage site is open year-round, visitor centre, walking trails, sites on the Red Deer River, two outdoor fossil exhibits.1-877-577-2737

Little Bow Provincial Park$23 - $29VulcanOpen April 1 - October 13Ideal setting for camping, picnicking and boating.

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park $21 - $27Milk RiverOpen year-roundPetroglyphs (carvings) and pictographs (paintings) of the Blackfoot people cover the park’s sheer sandstone cliffs. Located on the Milk River and situated beside a backcountry hiking zone and an archeo-logical reserve site.

Alberta has 78 campgrounds in its Provincial and National Parks, with a total of over 4,000 campsites. Website for all provincial parks: www.albertaparks.ca


34

Fam

ily

7Great Wonders Right here in Alberta! World’s Largest PincersPincher Creek

Giant Wind GaugeLethbridge

World’s Largest Piggy BankColeman

Large replica of the Star Trek starship USS EnterpriseVulcan

World’s Tallest TeepeeMedicine Hat

One of Canada’s Largest TelescopesRothney Astrophysical ObservatoryHwy 22, north of Millarville

World’s Largest Dinosaur: Tyrannosaurus Rex Royal Tyrell MuseumDrumheller

If you have experience with martial arts; or if you parent young boys; or if you ARE a boy, you probably know

the term: tap out. As my teenage son explained it to me, it means ‘I submit’, and its application is actually physical – a tap-tap of the hand to let your opponent know you surrender.

I didn’t fully appreciate what it is to tap out, until the other day, when my boys (13 and 16) asked me about an old sport we played in our family growing up, that involved leg wrestling. I don’t know if it actually qualifies as a sport – for us, it was more like entertainment for my dad. He would summon us kids down to the floor

one by one, and with a single flick of his leg, he’d send us flying over backward in a summersault. Apparently the manoeuvre is still around.

Now let me say, I’m rather strong in my 5’2” frame, and proud of the fact that at forty-something, I can still beat all three of my kids in a 200-yard-dash, and up until recently, I could take down all of them in an arm wrestle. Put to a physi-cal challenge with my kids, I get a rush of adrenaline, perhaps because they all now dwarf me in size, and know more than me in certain topics, i.e. math, science, and Canadian history. Dominance is rap-idly slipping away.

So when I was reminded of the good old leg wrestling match, a combative spark shot through me. Down to the floor we went – first with my 13-year-old. I showed him the position for the wrestling match. We lay side by side, heads at oppo-site ends, arms linked. One, two, then on the third kick we linked legs, and over he went over like a weightless tumbleweed. I

sat up and whooped... dizzy with victory.Next up, my 16-year-old son. He’s

strong, my husband warned. Yes but I’m stronger.

One, two, over he went, equally weightless. I am undefeatable.

But this kid is slightly more tenacious, and far more competitive. He argued he didn’t fully appreciate how to position his 5’11” body. I accepted a rematch. Why wouldn’t I? I am king.

One, two... this time resistance. Lots of resistance. Owe – my neck. Tap-tap-tap-tap.

My husband had little sympathy for me the next day, as I alternated hot and cold compresses on my jarred neck. I submit, surrender, capitulate, tap out. I have no choice but to face it, my kids are bigger, and stronger, and sometimes they can teach me a thing or two.

I’m going to stop with all the physi-cal nonsense now. Take down the chin-up bar in my closet. I’m old enough to know; strength is in the character.

QUARTERLY COLUMN:

The Motherload

Tap Out

By Pat Fream

**

Phone: 403.652.3944Fax: [email protected] - 3rd Avenue W. High River AB

Get away... embrace the day!

3 km North of Okotoks, AB www.kayben.com Ph. 403-938-2857

JoJo’s CafeU-Pick Prairie FruitSunshine Adventure Park

at Kayben Farms

ove isn’t aone size fitsall experience,Buying yourdiamondshouldn’t beeither.

L

For your personalized diamond buying experience & more!403.601.3559 www.sarini.ca 106 - 2 ave. South, Vulcan

Let our jewellery tell your story

Located in downtown High Riverin the former CPR station

**FREE ADMISSION**403-652-7156

Blaze a trail


35

Family HonorBy Robert B. Parker (1999)

Family Honor is a fun, quick summer read featuring a leading lady

who sports a gun and takes you on a unique adventure. Sexy, petite Sunny Randall is a private eye with a mind of her own and joint custody of Rosie, an English bull terrier. Sunny is hired to

locate Millicent, a 15-year-old runaway from a very affluent family. The facts presented by Millicent’s parents don’t quite add up for Sunny so she must get the answers in her own way. With the help of her ex-husband, the mob, and a motley crew of friends, Sunny attempts to solve the case while staying alive.

This is the first book in the Sunny Randall series.

Robert B. Parker is famous for his Spenser series of books, which were developed into the 1985 TV series “Spenser for Hire.” Robert B. Parker passed away January 18, 2010.

Submitted by Fay Reid, Back to Basics Quality Used Books, Okotoks.

The HelpWritten by Kathryn Stockett (2009)

For a fabulous summer read turn on some Bob Dylan tunes and delve into Jackson Mississippi in the 1960s in the new novel titled The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

You’ll be instantly hooked when you meet adorable Mae Mobley and her nanny Aibileen, a beautiful character who takes loving care of the children of her white employer.

Stockett does a wonderful job of examining relationships between friends, husbands and wives, children and their parents, and of course between families and their hired help.

The Help will tug on your heartstrings, have you laughing out loud and will keep you completely hooked from beginning to end.Submitted by Lisa Siggelkow, Pixie Hollow Bookshop, Coffehouse and Fudgery, High River.

BOOK Reviews

Foothills Concierge Service

www.foothillsconcierge.com

Wedding/Event Planning

Personal Shopping

House Checking

Renovation Consulting

403.603.8666

Pixie summer book suggestion

PixieHollow

417 1st Street W High River


36

officeInkMagic International Ltd. Affordable, compatible inkjet cartridges. Use ‘RoutesMag’ coupon to save 10%.

Ph: 403-602-0166 www.inkmagic.com

Hillbilly Arms Gunsmith ServicesRepair & refurbish firearms. Sell, supply and mount scopes and accessories.

Call Dan: 403-646-2509

www.hillbillyarms.com

wellness

Bu

sin

ess

Dir

ect

ory

Serenity Bear Contracting Decks, garages, basement development, millwork, cabinet building.

Call Heather:403-601-6967

[email protected]

Nikken Wellness - Products that address daily health concerns. A business that will change your life.

403-862-0724 www.mynikken.net/options4everyone

Norwex Clean with Microfiber Improv-ing Quality of Life - clean without chemicals www.norwex.ca.

Call Brenda:403-652-5254

[email protected]

home

sports

Ph:403.880.4784 [email protected]

building

Business Directory Advertising:$75 per issue

$225 for one year

On a Lark... Rede nedA collection of luxurious products that refl ect the true essence of you and

your home.

Where the past and the future meet in the present.

403-995-0352Find us again at

18 North Railway StreetMon - Sat 10 am to 5 pm

Sun 12 pm to 4 pm#4 Elma Street E, Okotoks

403-938-6168 www.deavabeadz.ca

Open: Thursday to

Saturday 12-5

Distintive Jewellery

Big Rock Animal ClinicDr. Doyle A. Mullaney5 North Railway Street, Okotoks

403-938-4171

www.bigrockanimalclinic.com

-Laser Surgery-Equine Dentistry-Equine Ambulatory-Companion Animal Surgery-Companion Animal Dental Service


37

BUSINESSES IN

Okotoks


38

Deto

urs

When I was about 10 years old, I went with my school class on a field trip to a local Hutterite Colony. I

remember being fascinated by the people, the smell of fresh bread in the kitchen, and the smell in the pig barn too! I didn’t really understand why we were there and what I was supposed to walk away with – but I was happy to be out of the class-room for the day.

Fast forward about 20 years or so, and I once again found myself at a colony, only this time I was being embraced into a family, not just a young tourist on a day pass from school.

I was nervous about this visit. My husband had met a few members at the colony while documenting Alberta in its Centennial Year. I can remember blast-ing him with questions, like. “What do I wear? Can I put on makeup? Jewelry? What will we be eating? Do we take wine?

White or red?” Oh the stress of it all!We did not dine in the colony kitchen

that day, but rather around a small table in the home of Jerry and Magdelenea Stahl and their three children, Amanda, Jeffery and Jerald. In that afternoon, I was introduced to the colony, their beliefs, the communal approach they have to living, farming, eating and caring for one another.

That meal forged a friendship, not only with Jerry and Magdelenea, but also with the entire colony. We have since been privileged to be included in a number of wedding celebrations, met several new additions (both human and animal), and spent countless afternoons enjoying coffee, cake and laughter.

Recently, I spent an afternoon with Magdelenea and Amanda in Bragg Creek. It was the first time in several years of friendship that we were out on the town, instead of in one our homes

drinking coffee. When Magdelenea got out of the car, she adjusted her heads-carf and asked if she embarrassed me. I was shocked by the question because I don’t think of Magdelenea as a Hutterite – she is simply my friend who happens to be a Hutterite. She could be purple with yellow polka dots and I would feel no differently.

People are funny. We fear things that are different, or things we don’t under-stand. But Hutterites are not a compli-cated puzzle. They choose to live simply and work for the good of the whole colony instead of for their own individual gain. This philosophy gives each member a sense of purpose, a feeling of belong-ing and a peace that is only the stuff of dreams for most of us.

This experience with my dear friends reminds me of something Mother Teresa once said: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

Coffee, Cake and FriendshipBy M.L. Cofell

Photo by Neville Palmer

There are people and places in life, that when visited, make you feel alive. You walk away with a sense of melancholy because you really don’t want to leave. You want time to slow down and linger just a little bit longer, to savour every moment.

escapethecity.ca

Come fall in love with Montrose in historic High River,

where the pace of life gears down to a less hectic way of living

with beautiful mountain views and lush parks along the river.

Visit Elegant Showhomes

Routes mag.indd 1 1/14/10 1:42:21 PM

summer 2010 (1up)

Documents

small golf

golf tips

cowboy trail

hole golf course

rural hip towns

great recipesgnocchi

event experts

okotoks painter