Child Welfare in Alberta

Right now in Edmonton there is a forum taking place to talk about and problem solve around child welfare deaths in our province. (Follow Twitter hash tag #Abchild14)

I cannot imagine the pain that families feel that have a) led to their child being taken from their home b) that the system has let them down and are then grieving the loss of a child. I do not in any way want to discount or diminish those feelings, situations or the pain felt by the parents and the workers that deal with those families. Today I do want to change the focus of this a little bit and talk about another side of child welfare that does not get any consideration. So for the sake of this post I am going to hi jack the online conversation around child welfare and bring up an issue that many families deal with but that our child welfare system refuses to focus on or do anything about.

Here is the question: What if an endangered child is endangered because they have put themselves in harms way?

There are thousands of families (I have no statistics to back this up) in our province that  that are good families. The parent (s) are loving, they spend time with their kids and have a safe environment for their kids to thrive. These same families have teenagers that have decided not only to rebel, but rebel to the point that they have chosen to leave home and live high risk lifestyles.

I am aware of a situation recently where a family's  (who's peers would consider them "healthy, solid and the most loving family I have ever met" ) 14 year old child got involved in an older crowd and got addicted to drugs. The family nearly ruined themselves financially for private treatment, moved more than once to give their child a fresh start, engaged all the community resources available to them and their child chose to leave their home and live with an individual known to police for drug activity. Out of desperation (and based on a strong suggestion from a community resource) this family went to Child & Family Services as a last resort for help. After a month of this child being in this high risk situation with multiple phone messages being unanswered, they were finally told that this child and situation does not fit within the mandate of child services because the parents were not "neglecting or abusing" their child. And that they did not know where the parents would have got the impression that they could do anything anyway.  The parents took their case to their local MLA who advocated on their behalf to get something done. Ultimately the minimal involvement that reluctantly they offered did not help this child or family in resolving their situation.

Many years ago a Child Welfare system was created. That system was abused by adults in authority over children at risk. It was identified that children needed  to have a voice and advocate for themselves. The pendulum has swung too far. Children can now self advocate themselves out of help, support or accountability for their actions. There is absolutely no immediate, lifesaving recourse for parents who's kids fall off the rails.

What are we really teaching our kids when they can leave home at 14  and do whatever they want? They can quit school and live a high risk lifestyle and the adults in the community have no authority or recourse to assist these kids in working through their issues unless they break the law. Then there are consequences.  These are now the kids that are falling through the cracks. We need to change the legislation in this province to service and protect ALL CHILDREN not just those who's parents "neglect and abuse".

Oh The People You Will Meet!

I live in an interesting place. It's transient... remote and people will do crazy things to get here. Just yesterday I saw a Kijiji ad that stated someone was going to be walking here from Edmonton and was looking for a ride. (It's been -25 all week or colder... are you crazy?) People come here for so many different reasons and from all over the world. Yesterday I met a man we will call Chris as I have no idea what his name is. He is from Louisiana and if I didn't know that as soon as he started talking I had no doubt!

Chris came here to work as an ultrasound tech. He lived in Sask-at-chew-an (his pronunciation)  for 4 years prior to coming here so assured me he is used to the cold. He was very entertaining as he shared his life growing up playing football against Brad Pitt and in college dating Cheryl Crow. In his southern drawl he talked of being on the set of the movie "White House Down" as it was filmed 5 miles from his house and got a free lunch for being and extra. His larger than life persona was refreshing and did his job quickly, efficiently and had us out of the office quickly.

As we walked out of the River City Centre I felt like I had met an amazing story teller. There are so many different people in Fort McMurray and all with very interesting stories to tell... if given the opportunity.
As we prepare for the Christmas season, let's not forget the many people in our communities that have no family around to celebrate. I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, and invite someone in for a coffee, or meal and remember what Christmas is really about!

Feliz Navidad

Beth

Make a Life not a Living

Yesterday I went to the mall. I saw an old coworker there and asked her how she was doing. Her response was " Awful" Now this lady I have found is naturally a "glass is half empty" type of gal.

Knowing she just moved here in the summer I wanted to get to the bottom of awful. My response back was this " Let me guess, you work and go home and sit and stare at the walls at home"

I was 100% correct. After making some suggestions on how to get involved in the community and make friends (all suggestions and ideas were shot down) I left the store and pondered this.

Now this can be said for any place in the whole world Paris, Auckland, New York... not just Fort McMurray. If all you do is work and sit at home YOU WILL BE MISERABLE. I will say that living here does require some creativity and thought however dissing a community and saying it sucks is an unfair statement if you have not yet really experienced it.

I have moved a lot in my life. There are communities I prefer over others strictly based on layout, amenities, location in the province etc. However, more so I love a place because of the people. The feel of a place is determined by your sense of belonging to it and your feel of connection to other humans in friendship, hobbies, and interests.

Last weekend we went back to Red Deer for a much needed getaway. I was completely overwhelmed at the love we were shown by people we had not seen 5 months. People are what make life rich. It is common for people to come to Fort McMurray to work and make some big bucks. It is harder here to establish and maintain friendships because of shift work and peoples priorities to make money. It's not impossible make friends but can be a challenge.

At the end of your life it is not going to be said on anyone's deathbed, I wish I had made an extra $50,000 this year. I challenge you to make the time to invest in relationships... people....organizations.... hobbies.... faith.. Things that will bring a depth and richness that cannot be bought.

Back in Fort Mac

Wow.. it really happened. I moved to the last place in the whole world I thought I would ever end up. When I wrote last we were attempting to transition from Red Deer to a farm in Olds, AB and as the stomach turns and life gets stranger than fiction, we ended up back in our old stomping grounds.

This is not necessarily a bad thing either. After 5 years of painful commuting, our family is back together again full time. So that is a plus. The downside as is the lifecycle of Fort McMurray, 80% of my friends that resided here before are now gone and relocated down south. I am grateful however that I kept up on other relationships through Facebook and Christmas cards. Atleast there is a little bit of familiar.

We were able to move back into our place here that we had been renting out while we were away so that was a seemless transition although going from 2400 sq. feet to 1400 sq. feet is a bit of a shock to the system and we have spent a considerable amount of energy downsizing our life and belongings. Strangely, this process has been quite freeing. 

I will admit it is a struggle to make new friends and we dearly miss our rock start support system we had in Central Alberta.. but things take time and I am confident that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

Love, Peace & Chicken Grease

Beth

City vs Country

Well its been a really long while since I looked at my blog... my life has been entirely too chaotic with so many major life decisions and changes that I have felt like my head has been spinning for the last 6 months. Without getting into the "why" of it all, I can say that enough was enough and it was time for a change.

Some people who know me thought the idea absurd that I of all people would ever desire or be able to function in a rural setting. After all I am an avid cyclist (of course I support bike lanes), love the feel of downtown,  and am big on urban agriculture (community gardens). I also love the idea of local food and even more than that, knowing where my food comes from and how it is handled before I consume it. In saying all that,wouldn't the next logical step for me to start my own small scale hobby farm?

I have loved all of the "benefits" of city living. We have been in Red Deer for almost 5 years and it has been good to us. I have made it my home... I have built some incredible, once in a lifetime relationships (many of them from Twitter if you believe it) and have actively contributed to making Red Deer a better place. But in saying that sometimes we are faced with a crossroad, pinnacle moment where we need to make a really tough decision...... regardless of our personal feelings, regardless of what we "want" and give all that up to do what we NEED to do to better our families and and perhaps those we have not met yet. I feel so strongly about this.... we need to recognize that our purpose is greater than saving for retirement or another trip to Mexico and focus our time investing in people that really need it.

I have felt for a while that my time in Red Deer was coming to a close, not because I wanted it to but because I felt I had fulfilled the reason for moving to Red Deer.... Our life here has been hard and wonderful and I am grateful for it but what I am going to in Olds needs more than an occasional visit. Call me hokey, illogical or whatever but this is something I NEED to do. Am I grieving the loss of my life now?? sure am... but this too will pass.

In saying all this... today was a rough day of transition. We have moved onto our friends farm for the next few months until our house sells,  25 minutes from town and my day to day life is now drastically different. No more... "\let's see how the day goes".... no more spontaneous coffee dates with friends. Today was my first real day living this new reality. Lots of sitting around... doing my friends dishes ... a little bit of work and then what?? AND... THEN... WHAT.... by the afternoon I came out of my room and being in tears told my husband that I needed to get a routine. I need to find "normal" again... whatever that may be... but just hanging around the house and spending a few hours doing some work is not going to cut it... So if you have an suggestions that can make an urban to rural transition a little easier I would love to hear your suggestions.

The Real Growth Retreat

Last weekend I had the honor of emceeing an event for a dear friend of mine. My friend Shelley Streit is an author  (Beyond the Rear View Mirror) and has run her own business for over 8 years. Last fall she shared with me her frustration with high end business conferences that while are really flashy and high profile, did not really meet the needs of the attendees. She shared that most of the speakers are usually American and are sure to end their keynote with a sell or pitch.

So the Real Growth Retreat was an "un-conference" for women small business owners IN ALBERTA. The speakers were all Canadian and the cool thing was that they spent the whole weekend participating in each of the sessions and hanging out with all of the attendees. We got to get to know the speakers, pick their brains and just be inspired in one of the most beautiful locations in all of Canada. (Nakoda on the Lake). Ali Pain helped us to better understand ourselves and our weaknesses to help us grow and Jennifer Belanger did an intro to social media .... (she knew things about facebook that I had no idea of). Kim Page Gluckie helped our ladies do Marketing Mapping and putting all of those brilliant marketing ideas into a plan of attack. Patricia Simoneau talked on Branding and the importance of knowing who you are as part of your brand. These are only a few of the speakers that inspired me over the weekend.

The best part of the retreat for me was meeting and getting to know 25 ladies who are just like me...highly motivated, Type A personalities who are driven and are trying to make a difference through their businesses.

The Real Growth Retreat is not just for small business owners. Women who have jobs can also benefit from the personal development and sessions around branding and marketing. I HIGHLY recommend this unique event to any lady that wants to take her business to the next level but isn't quite sure how to do it. You will come away with a clear picture of what needs to happen next and grow your network with quality women who want you to succeed as much as you  do. I feel connected with all the ladies that attended the retreat and am hoping to be invited back again next year.

So save the dates!! April 18-20 2013. Keep checking www.realgrowthretreat.com for pre registration info. The details should be up in the next few weeks. Hope to see you there

Community Gardens

Today was a big day. And by big I mean tiring. Today a dream of mine became reality thanks to the City of Red Deer and a group of dedicated and extremely hard working volunteers from Alberta Transportation.

A many of you know I get pretty excited about things that help create a more sustainable community. So parking my car for the summer and riding the only object I have ever named (my dear Townie bike named Eleanor) is one of those things... the other is local food. We love to say that we have our own massage therapists, or realtors, or lawyers or even our own personal trainers but we don't consider or care enough to think about what is in our food or where it came from. That needs to change. I believe we are doing our children a HUGE disservice by not correcting our kids thinking that cucumbers come on Styrofoam trays wrapped in plastic wrap or that potatoes come in bags already to clean... or that lettuce just magically appears cut, washed and ready to use. What we put into our bodies determines what we get out of them. (end rant)

Back to the gardens.... When I think about living in Red Deer I think about the kind of Red Deer I want my kids and maybe even grand kids to live in. We live in such an individualistic society and we have to try to create "a sense of" community because it no longer exists on its own as a societal norm. Well I'm trying to change that. I want to leave a legacy in my neighborhood.

With the help of Rene Michalak I discovered that my pipe dream of having community gardens could not only be a reality but that there was seed money through the city to pay for all the supplies... SAY WHAT!!?? So awesome. I applied as soon as I could and within a few weeks I had heard that our project was approved! Very cool. But now what?

I started to advertise the beds immediately and before construction even started we already had 10 of 12 beds spoken for by our neighbors. I should mention that I have reserved 2 beds to grow vegetables to be used in food hampers that are given out on an almost daily basis at my work.

So it was at 8 am today that a truck load of supplies showed up and the volunteers showed up and made the magic happen. Today would not have happened if not for the generous help of the 11 engineers from Alberta Transportation, Our facility maintenance manager Omar, Volunteers from Living Stones Church (Milt & Kevin) and The City of Red Deer! I am so full of gratitude and appreciation for so many that caught my vision and ran with it! THANK YOU!!

If anyone else is interested in starting a community garden I would love to share what I have learned with you... you can contact me via twitter @centralabbeth or email beth.anthony@telus.net

Education in Alberta

The more I deal with my kids education, the more I see how broken the system is. I can't complain about the quality of education my kids get in the Catholic system in Red Deer, however I do have an issue with the relevance of curriculum and the methods that many older teachers embrace. This post is not about my kids school but that of another school that I visited today.

We went to a local public school in an older neighborhood for a basketball game and what I saw and smelt totally appalled me. This school was probably built in the 60's and has not had much attention since. The school was dingy and had a very old smell... but the icing on the cake was the smell of urine in the gym. The gym surface was so worn you could hardly see the lines in places and was dirty. An overwhelming feeling of pity came over me as I tried to imagine myself being a student in a school like this.

It is very difficult to embrace learning and take pride in your community when the walls around you are dirty, dingy and smelly.

We need to instill pride of ownership in our kids and an environment like this I would find it hard to be excited about my school and my community. Our provincial government is creating ghetto's in our older neighborhoods with decrepit schools. There is no pride of ownership and the money is not there apparently to do minor upgrades like paint. What a difference even a coat of paint would make.

I feel sorry for these kids, I really do. We live in one of the most prosperous provinces in the best country in the world and I have seen 3rd world countries with better schools then the one I saw today. This is seriously messed up. Where is the forward thinking to see that if we do not invest in our kids now we will be paying later when these kids are behind bars or drop outs? We need to invest in education... into schools and not just when it's convenient to do so...... It needs to be a priority for our provincial government. The system is so broken... who is going to step up to the plate and put their money where their mouth is and actually fix it?? Lots of people talk... I have yet to see very few that walk that talk.

Gifts for Grandparents

I have just gotten back from driving around in the dark with my friend Kristi delivering some gifts for grandparents with Family Services of Central Alberta. For the last 4 years Family Services of Central Alberta (FSCA) has collected donations for gift hampers for those people in our community that may not otherwise get a Christmas gift. Some are grandparents yes, others are disabled or unable to work and shut in. Tonight we delivered 5 hampers to some deserving people. Last year FSCA had only 6 volunteers to deliver hampers and tonight there was 65 volunteers. WOW! This is a great experience for anyone. Take a couple of hours and be reminded of how blessed you really are. There are so many people that are lonely and hurting right here in Red Deer. Not just at Christmas but all year round. Although it can be difficult, it is important to be reminded that although we all have challenges, there are those close by that are not so well off.

Merry Christmas!!

What's your score?

A few weeks back I got an invite from someone to find out what my "Klout" score was. My first thought was "What the heck is a klout?" It didn't sound good. Was it an illness? Klout sounds like Gout and my grandpa almost lost his foot to that so klout, no thanks. Was it to score my sanity? Goodness knows that would be a bad idea. (sorry for the foolish rabbit trail)

Back to klout. Klout turns out to be an answer to my prayers. I am forever being harassed, teased and picked on by my family and friends because I spend so much "wasted time" on things like twitter, linkedin and (not so much anymore) facebook. I have pleaded my case trying to explain the importance of credibility and reputation on these sites and the benefits but sadly it gets me no where.

Now I have some backing. I have linked all of my social media accounts to klout and it has given me a score. This score measures how effective I am with social media and how much of an influence I am with my network of people. The score can be easy to increase at first (like from a 20 - 25 score) but it is a lot harder to move up (say from a 70-75 score) The Klout website says that the score is based on a 1-100 point system and that the average score is about 20.

So that my friends is Kout in a nutshell. I encourage you to use this tool to increase your credibility even if only to get you loved ones off your back for wasting time online.

Stay warm out there!

I'm No Artist

My job has taken me all over Central Alberta the past few weeks. I've been to Stettler, Lacombe (3 times), Sylvan Lake, Olds and somewhere between Olds & Didsbury at a sulphur plant. With all this driving I have seen many trains and lots and lots of graffiti. Every time I see graffiti I am in complete awe at the talent of these artists. I get totally inspired. Weird right? It makes me want to buy an expensive camera and go out and shoot all these trains and graffiti and make some sort of gallery display exploring graffiti... and I'm not even an artist.

Now the majority of people (local citizens, council, businesses, police) HATE graffiti. "It's vandalism" they say.

Graffiti is an art form. The people that create these amazing tags on buildings are artists and don't get any recognition for their art. Now I need to clarify here, I do not in any way support anyone spray painting other people's property. But what I would say is that there is a time and place for everything.

Let's look at this a different way for a moment.

WHAT IF? We as a community set boundaries and gave a venue for graffiti? Do you think it would still happen everywhere else?

WHAT IF? We allowed the street culture to express themselves at the local skate park with spray cans?

WHAT IF? By doing these things we were able to engage a segment of the population that is seen as negative and delinquent and gave them a sense of belonging to the community?

WHAT IF? Some downtown businesses that were all located beside each other allowed people to tag the back of their buildings and every month would repaint over it all so they could start again?

WHAT IF? This became an accepted art medium that the community could come together and enjoy and photograph?

What I am trying to get at is that if we want to be proactive about crime prevention, crime reduction, community engagement and the like, we have to start thinking differently about how we get to the end result.

Change is much more likely to happen with positive reinforcement than with negative criticism.

Just a thought.

Thanks Matthew

I have just come back from my 3rd funeral in 3 months. That's a whole lot of perspective in a short period of time. From each funeral there was a theme. Intentional of not, a theme emerged.I shared with you in a previous post about the first.

This most recent passing was a very dear friends' brother. Matthew was the youngest of 5 children and the only boy. He was killed by an erratic driver in the Crowsnest Pass last Saturday. He was 27.

Matthew's life was not easy by any means. He suffered with chronic pain and migraines from a previous car accident. In spite of that he lived his life in a way as to have no regrets. He loved the people around him whole heartedly. He forgave immediately. Everyone in his life didn't have to guess his feelings because he told them all. Even his young nephews spoke at his funeral because in their words "Uncle Matthew would want me to tell people how I feel." His young nephews told me "We know that uncle Matthew loved us more than anything" WOW. It is unfortunate that it usually takes a tragic event for people to have their "wake up call".

I have been called many things in my life... including lame and cheesy because I have affirmed and told people how I feel about them. I also have lived my life making friends and family my top priority before work, volunteering or any thing else. The bottom line is that I would rather you know how I feel about you now while you are alive then say nice things as you lay in a casket. If that makes me cheesy then so be it.

So to Matthew's family, thanks for raising a son that was such an example to so many. As spoken at the service, his legacy will go on with each person that knew him that outwardly show more love and feeling to those in their lives.

A life taken too soon. Rest in Peace Matthew!

Cool Beans!

So it has happened again... my favorite Red Deer coffee shop was broken into and vandalized over night. This is the 3rd time since opening this summer that Traptow's Cool Beans has been broken into. Small businesses are what make a community unique. Without them we become generic and boring. The spirit of community is evident in our downtown with small businesses like Cool Beans, places like Sunworks and City Centre Stage & The Scott Block theater.

Owning a business is no easy task. I saw a tweet from @reactionmike yesterday that said "an entrepreneur is a self-employed person working 16 hours a day to avoid working 8 hours a day for someone else." So True Mike.

Kevin & Becky and their family work so hard 7 days a week to keep Cool Beans open. I know they are feeling tired and a little let down by this latest vandalism.

So this is a call to action. Tomorrow, Saturday 17.. I want everyone who lives in Central Alberta to send a message to Kevin and Becky. I want you to kick it old school and when you go to Cool Beans tomorrow (yes.. I want you to physically go there and order a coffee and maybe some chocolate root beer cake) and bring along a card or poster or something that tells them that we as a community appreciate them and their contribution to making our downtown unique!

Then I want you to tweet with... I love @Coolbeansbus because... (and give your reason).

We cannot as a community be successful unless everyone in the community feels supported.

Show your love! I will be a Cool Beans at noon to show my love... hope to see you there!!

Beth

A Life Lesson

I had an interesting day yesterday. A close friend of my husbands family passed away a few weeks ago. As they were from Newfoundland there were lots of people that came to pay respects to our friend Randy. We loaned his wife and family our holiday trailer for family to stay in so they could all be together.

Yesterday we went to pick up our trailer and as we sat with Randy's wife Marilyn she said some very big things that I think we all need to consider as we walk through life.

Randy and Marilyn were married 48 years. Quite an accomplishment these days. They did absolutely everything together. They very rarely left their farm without each other and spent every day being and doing things together. It is a beautiful story really, the love they had for each other right until the day Randy died. It was like the honeymoon lasted all those years. They respected each other and never overlooked an opportunity for a hug, or a squeeze and a "You know I love you right?"

Marilyn explained that loosing a spouse is different for everyone. People with jobs, friends, hobbies all have those things after the death of a spouse. They have support and things to continue to do. Marilyn didn't have those things. She retired to a farm near Ponoka and didn't make friends. Who needs friends when you have such a wonderful husband right?? Wrong. Marilyn feels like she has nothing. Everyone can go on living and the center of her world is gone. Her advice to us was make friends, find hobbies and interests outside of your spouse. Create a life so that when your kids leave home or you loose your special someone you still have pieces of the puzzle that can still be intact while you work through the emotions of loosing a big piece of your puzzle.

Another thing to consider in this balancing act called life.

When Pigs Fly

I have a friend who will remain nameless. He has been encouraging me to make my blog posts more personal so here is one for ya.

I have a confession to make. I HATE animals. There I said it.Don't JUDGE ME. I have hated animals for 15 years. So considering that I am not 15 years old clearly at one point I DID like animals. But then something happened. Something so horrible that somewhere inside without even realizing it I made an unconscious decision that I would never care for an animal again.

Here is the story....

When I was 17 my boyfriend at the time got me a puppy. This puppy was a golden lab cross. I named him Snoop Dog. I loved Snoop more than anything and just a few weeks after I got him I came home from work and he came running down the stairs to greet me and I ran him over with the truck.... Wow.. that was even hard to type. Ya, I ran him over. I was DEVASTATED! I cried for days and it was horrible. It still hurts just as much as it did back then... ok I'm crying now.. thanks ...

Fast forward to this month. I met some friends through my hubby that breed long haired chihuahuas. They have like 4 or more dogs in the house and the first time I was there I was NOT comfortable.. (Remember I hate animals) After going out there a couple of times and holding the new puppies (cause seriously I'm not an ice princess and who can resist a cute puppy... it's like holding a baby and then giving it back to it's sleep deprived mother and getting a good nights sleep.) I started to like them. But I wouldn't tell anyone.. not even my husband... I mean I have an image to uphold right?

Anyway... since last weekend all I have thought of is if I could see myself with a dog... and not just any dog... the dog that I had named at the farm. I named him Bean. (as in coffee bean). But when I facebooked my friend to see if he was sold she told me that a lady from Calgary wanted him. Funny enough I sat in front of my computer and wept for Bean. The puppy that had softened my heart after so many years. He was going to someone else. Our friend said that a new litter of dogs had just been born and I could pick one of those if I wanted...

Here's the thing.. it's not about getting A puppy... it was about getting Bean..... and if I can't have Bean then I don't want a dog.

So here is my news.... I am getting a puppy. And his name is Bean. And I love him...

But you will never hear me say it out loud... so don't ask.

Old Boy's Club

On the weekend I went snow shoeing and out for dinner with a large group of ladies. (Smart, educated, passionate, movers and shakers shall we say.) During dinner we got into an interesting conversation about politics in Alberta. Although we all come from different political backgrounds, the consensus was the same. We rant and rave about voter turnout. We blog and talk about why it is so important to vote and wonder where this apathy comes from when it comes to electing our leaders.

Everyone at our end of the table agreed, that people are apathetic to the "Old Boy's Club" that IS politics. The majority of our leaders fit most or all of this criteria
1. Male
2. Over weight
3. Balding
4. Over 45

What is sexy and glamorous about that?? People want to be inspired. Talk is cheap. We don't want a health minister (or any other minister for that matter) telling us to be healthy or preaching a message that they, themselves personally don't follow. We live in an age of people worshiping people (celebrities) and when we think about our leaders, having the brains to do the job isn't cutting it anymore.

The conversation during dinner then turned to Wildrose Alliance leader Danielle Smith. Nobody could dispute that a young, healthy, female under the age of 45 wasn't the best choice for a party leader. Although most of the ladies didn't agree with policies of the party, their selection in a leader says something. They are more engaged with a younger demographic.

People want leaders they can relate to. They want leaders that are engaging and they want to feel like their opinion matters. Look at Nenshi in Calgary or Melissa Blake in Wood Buffalo.

When Ed announced last week that he was stepping down my first though was to an author and MLA Doug Griffiths. He's a small town guy making ripples with his speech and book "13 Ways to Kill Your Community". I blogged about his book a couple of months ago. Here is a guy, under 40, takes care of himself, uses social media to engage with younger people and clearly has his heart in the right place. He is the kind of guy that you are naturally drawn to and WANT to follow because he inspires people. I may not agree with all that the Conservative Party has to offer, but Doug makes me WANT to follow him. He has that charisma and energy that is rare.

Who knows what the next year or two holds for Alberta and politics. All I know is that unless the "Old Boy's Club" transforms itself ... we will be complaining about the same things 10 years from now and that gets old and boring really fast.

Do me a favour and encourage more women and younger, passionate male leaders to get involved and change our political landscape.

Out of the Tap

Yesterday I attended (for the first time) a community workshop put on by the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance. When I got the invite through a friend on facebook my first thought was "That's odd.. why would THEY invite ME to a meeting about water? " Mine was a last minute decision to attend and I am sure glad I did. I was a little nervous however, wondering what kind of people attend these sort of things.

Water is a very complex issue I have learned. We all use it and we all expect it to be there when we need it. A banner at the event read " A healthy watershed provides the triple benefits of human, ecological and economic health" Once I considered those three things I realized that this goes way further than what my knowledge base was on the subject.

After some brain storming of challenges that we face in regards to water the group of 70 or 80 that were in attendance broke up into smaller groups to brainstorm further. I joined the Agriculture, Forestry and Oil & Gas group. In my past I have lived and worked on a farm, worked for a pulp mill (my dad is also a forester) and we benefit through my husbands job in the oil and gas sector. So although I am not an expert in any of these areas I felt I could relate better to this group then the others.

Here are a few common threads that came out of this workshop

1. Decisions today are being made based on 30 year old data. New data is required to manage our watershed.
2. Guidelines for conservation need to be the same for everyone (urban, rural, industry)
3. We need to stop finger pointing, blaming and deflecting who's responsible for use and pollution and begin to work together (individuals, corporations and governments) to implement solutions.


One thing that came through loud and clear is that people are tired of attending community workshops and public consultations with predetermined outcomes that they feel end up going no where. The best case scenario is that the end report will go forward as suggestions to our government but unfortunately they are under no obligation to read, listen or even begin to make changes. I can appreciate the frustration of those in attendance. Nothing is worse than sharing input, only feel that it is being heard by def ears.

I have to believe that by donating my time to this and other initiatives that ask for public input that some how, someway, I am making a difference to my community.

Thanks for the invite Rene. You have opened my eyes to this complex thing we call water.

Changing My Mind

I have just finished reading Margaret Trudeau's Autobiography titled "Changing My Mind". It was recommended to me by my pal Kim Berube and without much thought I picked it up.
As I chatted with my dad one evening I mentioned that I was reading this book and got to listen to a 5 minute rant on why Pierre Trudeau was bad for Canada and bad for Alberta. Breath dad... it's just a book.

Now considering I am in my early 30's I do not have a memory of the years that Pierre governed Canada and whether good or bad I think we need to learn from the past and from others in order to improve our country and ourselves. Back to the book.

It was not what I had expected (pleasantly). I need to say that I now have a lot of respect for Margaret for sharing her journey of mental illness and I have compassion for her children for what they went to over the years.


10 things about Margaret that are worth mentioning

1. Born and raised in Vancouver
2. Was a "drama queen to say the least"
3.Her life's motto was "Passion over Reason" Pierre's was "Reason over Passion"
4. She was a flower child in every sense of the word - sex, drugs & rock and roll
5. She has battled bi polar disorder her whole adult life
6. Was crucified by the media
7. Margaret was 28 years younger than her first husband Pierre
8. She was the mother of 5 children
9. Her son Michel passed away tragically in an avalanche in November 1998
10. She now works with WaterCan. A registered charity dedicated to providing clean water to the worlds poorest people.

These are just a few highlights of the book. I encourage you (regardless of political party preference) to have a read and open your mind to the idea of mental illness and what it means for the person living it everyday. For those that suffer everyday with bi polar disorder and your families, I hope that this book can be a source of inspiration and strength as you continue with your journey .

13 Ways to Kill Your Community

I have just finished a most incredible book. It is not very often I get really "excited" about a book, but this one really got me stoked.
Quite a few months ago my friend Jon Tupper emailed a copy of Doug Griffiths "13 Ways to Kill Your Community" speech. I was elated to know that there are people that still exist that are truly passionate about community. I felt like someone finally "got it" when it comes to making a community better.

For those that are not aware, 13 Ways was co-written by Wainwright MLA Doug Griffiths and newsman Kelly Clemmer. Together they have written a community changing manual that I think all town councils in Alberta NEED TO READ.

As I read through the book my mind continually drifted to my parents community. They live in the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass. It is a delightful group of towns in south western Alberta close to the BC border. A real gem of a place, I can't help but look forward to each and every visit. Unlike Canmore or Banff, the Crowsnest Pass is full of history and a hike starts at your front door. They have great little shops and very few box type stores. No matter where you go the scenery is breathtaking and there is no shortage of quaint coffee shops. There are all sorts of tours available in the summer at VERY reasonable prices.

The reason my thoughts would continually land here while reading this book is that as a community they have caused death to their community through negative attitudes. They have so much potential to turn themselves into a wonderful place but I strongly feel that the fear of turning into another "Canmore" prevents them from being successful.

To briefly sum up the book here are the 13 ways in a nut shell that you can kill your community.

1. Don't Have Quality Water
2. Don't Attract Business
3. Ignore your Youth
4. Deceive Yourself About Your Real Needs or Values
5. Shop Elsewhere
6. Don't Paint
7. Don't Cooperate
8. Live in the Past
9. Ignore Your Seniors
10. Reject Everything New
11. Ignore Outsiders
12. Become Complacent
13. Don't Take Responsibility

13 Ways to Kill your Community is on Facebook and Twitter. Doug Griffiths travels all over Alberta giving his 13 Way speech. Every way you can kill your community stems from a negative attitude. The whole premise of the book revolves around a community attitude change.
Something we all can use I think. No matter how great your think your community is, there are always ways to make it better. There will always be people that need an attitude change. The beginning of that attitude change begins with you.

If I had to highlight 1 specific community that has ROCKED the positive attitude it would for sure be Fort McMurray. I have NEVER in my whole life met a group of people that work so hard to highlight all of the great things that there community has. It doesn't take long for negativity to bog you down. Think about living in a place that all you ever hear is bashing from outside communities.... only the negative ever makes the news outside of that community.... that's what community members deal with every day in Fort McMurray. I love reading blogs, tweets, facebook updates about Fort McMurray because they are always full of pride and community spirit. Way to go!!! If you want a top notch example of community pride you need to make the trek up north and experience the "Energy" that is Fort McMurray.

I picked up my copy of 13 Ways at Sunworks in downtown Red Deer. I think I'm going to go buy a bunch and mail them to a few mayor and councils of communities that need some help. And why not?? We all want to be proud to call our place of residence home.

Now go get your copy!!

Do You Feel Safe?

We have had an interesting day. After school my daughter got a call from her friend. Clearly distraught, she told my daughter that someone had broken into her house and they were still there. After calming her down and staying on the phone until her mother arrived we called 911. (we couldn't confirm whether or not the mother had already called).

After having a sick day at home I quickly got some jeans on and took my daughter to be with her friend while the RCMP investigated. As I listened to interviews being conducted and neighbors asking what happened it was interesting to me that even in a real emergency situation, both my daughters friend and her older brother did not think or know to call 911 FIRST before calling the parents.

After the investigation was finished we brought the friend over to our house to spend the night. The little girls dad was grateful that her daughter could go somewhere to take her mind off of what has just happened.

While chatting with one of the officers , the officer said something that really stuck with me. He said that although it sucks that there were things stolen out of the house, the worst part is that this family no longer feels safe in a place that is supposed to be safe.

When you think about where you live.. the street... your living room... maybe even your bedroom... it is a place that is supposed to be your haven.. your place of rest from the outside world. When that place has been invaded.. the trust you have in your home to keep you safe... how do you get that back? Can this family ever have peace again or are they always going to wonder if something worse is going to happen?

As my daughter and I were chatting on the way home we both concluded that the fear that her friend must have felt walking into a house that still had the thief inside would be more than terrifying. It really makes me think about my own personal safety. I have to remind myself that something like this is always possible but that I cannot and will not live in fear.

If you or someone you know is interested in crime prevention strategies both for your home and neighborhood there are a few resources out there that can help. There is Neighborhood Watch in Red Deer. Also a friend of mine (Steve) does security consulting. You can visit his website at www.targetcrime.ca.