New 2SLGBTQIA+ exhibit, ‘True to You in Sport’, unveiled in Hall of Fame Gallery
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is thrilled to unveil our newest exhibit, “True to You in Sport”, which examines the journeys and challenges faced by four of our Honoured Members who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
Honoured Member Mark Tewksbury and his partner, Rob Mabee, were on hand on July 9th to help us officially unveil the display.
The exhibit features artifacts and stories from Mark as well as fellow Honoured Members Danielle Peers, Keely Brown, and Kessie Stefayk.
“Every person should have the ability to pursue their dreams without fear of discrimination or prejudice based on age, race, religion, gender, or sexual identity. Unfortunately, this is not the case,” says Breanna Suk, Collections and Exhibit Coordinator. “Many athletes have faced, and many still do, discrimination from sport organizations, team management, coaches and even fellow athletes for things they have no control over.”
Located in the Hall of Fame Gallery, “True to You in Sport” is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm on weekends and select holidays.
Look who recently stopped by the Hall
Legendary Medicine Hat Tigers announcer Bob Ridley swung by the Hall on July 9 to drop off two mini banners celebrating his call of the 4,000 Tigers game of his career.
One will be added to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame’s collection, while the other will go to Hockey Alberta’s Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame collection.
Greg Korbutt, son of Alberta Sports Hall of Fame visionary Orest Korbutt, was also by on July 9 to tour the Hall for the first time. Thanks for visiting, Greg!
Save the Date: Induction Banquet now scheduled for October 22 at RDC’s Arts Centre
We are excited to announce that the 2020 Induction Banquet, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, is now scheduled for Friday, October 22 at Red Deer College’s Arts Centre.
More details will be shared in the coming months.
Nominations are also now being accepted for next year’s class of inductees. The deadline for applications is October 29, 2021.
Exciting changes on Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce some
exciting changes to our Board of Directors following the Annual General Meeting held on June 29.
We would like to welcome new Board Chair Dale Henwood and new Vice-Chair Leslie Sproule to their new positions. Don Oszli remains Treasurer, and Jack Neumann is staying on as Secretary.
Also joining the Board are Calgary’s Jasen Pratt and Innisfail’s Desmond Bouteiller. Both men come from an extensive sports background, including high development sports coaching.
This newsletter is sponsored by the Peavey Mart.
Honoured Member in Focus: Donald Lovo
Donald Lovo won several Provincial and National Archery Championships.
From 1962 to 1965, he was a member of Canada’s Elite International level team. He served as both Vice President and President of the Federation of Canadian Archers.
In 1968, Donald Lovo became the first Canadian to be recognized as an International Judge of Archery.
He has been awarded the Federation Internationale Target Archers gold and silver plaquettes and was honoured as Air Canada’s Official of the Year in 1984.
Provincial Sport Organization: Archery Alberta
Archery Alberta is the source for target, field, and 3D archery in Alberta.
Archery Alberta, the trade name of the ATAA (Alberta Target Archers Association), is the recognized Provincial Sports Association representing archery in Alberta.
Archery Alberta facilitates the development of the sport of archery by providing accessible opportunities for clubs and archers to participate in a broad range of programs across multiple disciplines to whatever level they choose.
The Olympic Flames light a fire in athletes
The tradition of the Olympic Flame is one that connects the modern Games with their ancient Greek heritage.
The ancient gift of the flame was said to give humanity a start towards civilization.
In the modern Olympic Games, it signifies of that same myth, an ode to the growth of civilization, and the ancient traditions of the Games.
The modern Olympic Flame tradition as we know it today dates to the 1928 Olympic Games when the first Olympic flame was lit.
Honoured Member Keely Brown joins Ringette Canada’s Junior National Team as assistant coach
Honoured Member Keely Brown is moving on up!
Ringette Canada announced on July 6 that Keely was joining the Junior National Team as an assistant coach working with the goalies.
Keely was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 as a ringette athlete. She played goal with Team Canada from 2000 – 2012 and is the longest-serving goaltender in the team’s history.
Congratulations, Keely!
Are you ready to take your dates to a whole, new level?
Our new Date Night Out Monthly Charity Auction officially gets underway tomorrow.
We’re looking for sponsors and golfers for the Annual Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Golf Tournament, which tees off on Tuesday, September 14 at the Innisfail Golf Course. This season, we will be partnering with the Innisfail Eagles Hockey Team.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to support the preservation of Alberta sports by playing at one of the province’s crown jewels.
Looking for fun and engaging programs for your kids this summer?
We will be hosting two camps this summer:July 19-23, 2021 & August 16-20, 2021. The sessions run from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame will be hosting two week-long summer camps with daily themed programming ranging from Healthy Active Living to All About Art and everything in between.
Register for a day or the whole week!
$30/ day or $125/week per child, Ages 6-12yrs.
Call 403-341-3814 to register your child today- Space is limited.
**Our decision-making process is based on directives given by the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services. As the COVID-19 situation progress over the next two months, so will our plans.**
Leave a legacy
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame needs your support to continue the ongoing preservation of Alberta’s sports history and the development of museum exhibits. We are grateful and appreciative of the generosity of our supporters and friends. We would be happy to assist you in choosing how your personal legacy will be fulfilled and the many options available. Here is some information on donating shares to ASHFM and the benefits to you as a donor.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame provides a family-friendly, interactive experience. You will be surprised by what you discover inside! Have fun, laugh, play and discover Alberta sports heroes together. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta's sporting history.
Our over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a multisport area with virtual baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer; an adaptive sports area, including a 200 meter wheelchair challenge; a Treadwall climbing wall; the Orest Korbutt Theatre; the Hall of Fame Gallery; an art gallery displaying works by provincial artists, and much more.
Our venue boasts a collection of over 17,000 artefacts of Alberta sports history and showcases many of these items in a number of displays.
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame also offers an education program, group activities, and a unique environment to rent for your birthday party, special event, corporate reception or meetings.
Alberta’s government will develop a Passenger Rail Master Plan as the foundation to advancing passenger rail in the province.
Since the early days of Alberta’s development, the province has been shaped by the iron rails that crisscross its landscape. The arrival of the transcontinental railway in the late 19th century brought about profound changes to the way of life, facilitating trade, settlement, and economic prosperity. Towns and cities sprung up along the tracks, serving as vital hubs for commerce and transportation.
Today, the legacy of rail continues to shape Alberta and the rest of Canada. While the modes of transportation may have evolved, the spirit of innovation and connectivity remains as strong as ever. As Alberta experiences record population growth and evolving transportation needs, advancing passenger rail infrastructure is essential for enhancing accessibility, efficiency, and connectivity across the province.
Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan will look forward decades and identify concrete actions that can be taken now as well as in the future to build the optimal passenger rail system for the province. The Master Plan will assess the feasibility of passenger rail in the province, including regional (inter-city), commuter and high-speed services.
“A large and efficient passenger rail network stretching across the province has incredible potential. It represents a forward-looking vision and is a mobility solution for our rapidly growing province and I’m excited to watch this plan take shape and bring us into the future. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m confident that we will build the network Albertans need to improve daily life and work, boost the economy and take away the stress of long-distance travel.”
“Alberta already has significant public mass transit systems in Calgary and Edmonton for the provincial passenger rail system to build upon. The Master Plan will be a vital tool to guide the province on the next steps in advancing passenger rail. It will provide certainty to the rail sector and ensure the most effective use of tax dollars and government authorities. We look forward to hearing from Albertans and working with municipalities, Indigenous communities and the private sector in advancing passenger rail in the province.”
Passenger rail services connected to urban mass transit shapes and strengthens regional transportation systems, connects communities, supports jobs and the economy and improves access to housing.
“Canada’s railways appreciate the Alberta government’s efforts to conduct a fact-based study on the potential for passenger rail service that recognizes the essential need to protect current and future freight rail capacity. Any proposal to co-locate passenger service in freight corridors must demonstrate the ability to preserve the freight rail capacity required to move goods in support of the province’s economy, today and tomorrow. Rail is the greenest mode of ground transportation for both people and goods.”
The government’s vision is for an Alberta passenger rail system that includes public, private or hybrid passenger rail, including:
a commuter rail system for the Calgary area that connects surrounding communities and the Calgary International Airport to downtown;
a commuter rail system for the Edmonton area that connects surrounding communities and the Edmonton International Airport to downtown;
regional rail lines from Calgary and Edmonton to the Rocky Mountain parks;
a regional rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a local transit hub in Red Deer;
municipal-led LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton that integrate with the provincial passenger rail system; and
rail hubs serving the major cities that would provide linkages between a commuter rail system, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems.
The vision includes a province-led “Metrolinx-like” Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations, fare collection/booking systems, system maintenance, and planning for future system expansion.
“At VIA Rail our vision for integrated mobility means dreaming of a future where a passenger can easily switch between commuter rail, light transit, transit buses, and regional trains in an agile and simple way. We’ve already initiated a number of exchanges with partners, and we intend to step up the pace in the coming months and years. I can assure you that as integrated mobility becomes an increasingly important topic of conversation in Alberta, VIA Rail will be there to play a unifying role.”
Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan will ensure government has the required information to make decisions based on where passenger rail delivers the best return on investment. The plan will provide a cost-benefit analysis and define what is required by government, including a governance and delivery model, legislation, funding, and staging to implement passenger rail in Alberta. This work will include a 15-year delivery plan that will prioritize and sequence investments.
“We are excited to see the province taking the next step in committing to regional and intercity rail. This Passenger Rail Master Plan aims to set out a vision for a comprehensive rail network in our province that’s long overdue. We are thrilled to see this process move forward.”
The Master Plan will take into account future growth, planning for the growing provincial population and considering the use of hydrogen-powered trains to ensure a robust and effective passenger rail system to serve Albertans for years to come.
Development of the Master Plan will include engagement with Albertans to gain their perspectives for the future of passenger rail in Alberta.
Alberta’s government has released a Request for Expression of Interest to seek world-class knowledge and consultant services as a first step toward the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan for Alberta. Following this process, a Request for Proposal will be issued to select a consultant to develop the Passenger Rail Master Plan. The Master Plan is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
Quick facts
Passenger rail includes:
Commuter rail – passenger rail that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or surrounding commuter towns, and is often traditional heavy-rail
Regional rail – passenger rail that operates beyond the limits of urban areas and provides inter-city passenger rail transport services and can be traditional heavy-rail or high-speed rail
Light-rail transit (LRT) – urban passenger rail transit that typically operates small, frequent train service in an urban area. Calgary and Edmonton use LRT as part of their mass transit systems
Passenger rail in Alberta is currently limited to two tourism-focused services, VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer, and LRT in Calgary and Edmonton.
Budget 2024 includes $9 million to support the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan this year.
News release from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT)
ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit has searched and closed three Calgary massage parlours. A year-long investigation has linked the businesses and its owner to suspected human trafficking.
ALERT arrested Hai (Anna) Yan Ye on April 16, 2024 and charged the 48-year-old with advertising sexual services, drug offences and firearms offences. The investigation remains ongoing and further charges are being contemplated.
Ye was linked to three commercial properties and two homes that were allegedly being used for illegal sexual activities and services. The massage parlours were closed following search warrant executions carried out by ALERT, the Calgary Police Service, and the RCMP:
Seagull Massage at 1034 8 Avenue SW;
128 Massage at 1935 37 Street SW; and
The One Massage Centre at 1919 31 Street SE.
1100-block of Hidden Valley Drive; and
3100-block of 12 Avenue SW.
As result of the search warrants, ALERT also seized:
$15,000 in suspected proceeds of crime;
Shotgun with ammunition; and
Various amounts of drugs.
“We believe that these were immigrants being exploited into the sex trade. This has been a common trend that takes advantage of their unfamiliarity and vulnerability,” said Staff Sergeant Gord MacDonald, ALERT Human Trafficking.
Four suspected victims were identified and provided resources by ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators.
ALERT’s investigation dates back to February 2023 when a tip was received about suspicious activity taking place at the since-closed Moonlight Massage. That location was closed during the investigation, in December 2023, when the landlord identified illegal suites on the premises.
The investigation involved the close cooperation with City of Calgary Emergency Management and Community Safety, Alberta’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) team, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the RCMP.
Ye was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions.
Anyone with information about this investigation, or any case involving suspected human trafficking offences, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.
