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Alberta

Olympic Champion Mark Tewksbury unveils new exhibit at Alberta Sports Hall of Fame – The Halftime Report

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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.

Visit https://www.albertasportshall.ca/nominate for more information.

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.

Head to https://trellis.org/monthly-date-night-auction for this month’s auction item, and check back regularly for new, exciting date options.

Golfers wanted!

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.

Call (403) 341-8614 or email [email protected]ca for more information.

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.

Donate

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.

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Alberta

Alberta Sheriffs receiving additional officers and more powers with new funding

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Mike Ellis shakes hands with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith after being sworn into cabinet as minister of public safety in Edmonton, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. Alberta sheriffs will have expanded powers and play a bigger role in combating rural crime with new funding, the provincial government said Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

St. Paul, Alberta

The Alberta Sheriffs Branch will have expanded powers and play a bigger role in combating rural crime with new funding, the provincial government said Friday.

Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said $27.3 million will go to new positions and for rural crime initiatives, including two plain clothes teams that will help RCMP with criminal surveillance.

The announcement comes as Alberta continues to mull over whether to create a provincial police service to replace the RCMP.

“There has been some misleading commentary about this investment in the Alberta sheriffs, namely that it’s the way of laying the groundwork for establishing a provincial police service by some other means,” Ellis said Friday in St. Paul, Alta., 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

“I’d like to remind people that the provincial government hasn’t made any decision about an Alberta police service.”

Ellis said although the RCMP has its own surveillance teams, most of the efforts are focused on major investigations. He said the new sheriff teams will fill a gap by helping the RCMP detachments with local investigations.

“I’ve heard countless stories about home invasions being committed by prolific offenders or thefts from farms. Every property owner has the right to feel safe in their home and the right not to wake up and find their equipment gone or fuel siphoned from vehicles,” he said.

“These really are the type of cases that keep Albertans up at night.”

The sheriffs will also get funding to add 20 investigators to the Safer Communities and Neighbourhood unit, which uses civil enforcement to target problem properties where illegal activities take place.

There is also money for the Sheriff Highway Patrol to train and equip its members to help RCMP with emergencies and high-priority calls.

“We will provide all members of the Alberta sheriffs with full powers to arrest under the Criminal Code,” Ellis said.

“Some members of the sheriffs already have Criminal Code authorities, but we believe the public will be better served with consistency throughout this province.”

The head of the Alberta RCMP said he welcomes the additional help from the sheriffs.

“These additional resources for the Alberta Sheriffs will improve our combined ability to suppress criminal activity in rural Alberta,” said Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki in a statement.

Farooq Sheikh, the chief of Alberta Sheriffs, called it a proud day.

“While our members have a visible presence in many functions they perform such as highway patrol, fish and wildlife enforcement, security in our provincial courts … the sheriffs perform a lot of important work to keep communities safe that’s outside of the public eye.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.

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Alberta

Finance Minister Travis Toews, Environment Minister Sonya Savage say won’t run again

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Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews delivers the budget, in Edmonton, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Toews says he will not run in the upcoming provincial election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

By Dean Bennett in Edmonton

Two Alberta government cabinet ministers announced Friday that they will not be seeking re-election.

Travis Toews, the province’s finance minister and the runner-up to Premier Danielle Smith in last fall’s United Conservative Party leadership race, is exiting politics. Environment Minister Sonya Savage also said she will not run in the expected May 29 provincial vote.

Toews, the legislature member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti in northwestern Alberta, ended months of speculation with his announcement. He said it was a recent decision and a difficult one for him and his wife, Kim.

“(There were) personal considerations, certainly family considerations and some business considerations,” Toews said in an interview. “When we added all of them up this seemed like the right decision for us. That was the impetus for it.”

He dismissed suggestions the decision was tied to his loss to Smith or to the party’s further shift to the right under her leadership.

“We have a big tent party. This United Conservative Party has a lot of diversity. All groups are very important,” he said.

“I’m fully committed to the party, to the movement, committed to the premier and committed to an election win this May.”

Toews was elected in 2019 for the UCP and was finance minister for all but a few months when he ran to replace former premier Jason Kenney as party leader, coming in second to Smith.

Savage, the member for Calgary North-West, announced her decision to quit provincial politics with a statement on Twitter, saying she wants to spend more time with her family. She said she looks forward to remaining a party member and wished the premier and her UCP colleagues success in the upcoming election.

In a statement, Smith said Toews has been “one of the strongest finance ministers in Alberta’s history and leaves a legacy of strong fiscal management that I will continue to uphold as premier.”

“I greatly respect his decision to spend more time on the ranch and with his family,” Smith said. “There will be big boots to fill in Grande Prairie-Wapiti, and I wish him, Kim and the family nothing but the very best.”

Smith said Savage will be greatly missed.

“Minister Sonya Savage’s dedication and commitment to furthering Alberta’s energy interests and developing a Made-in-Alberta approach to responsible environmental stewardship of our natural resources will benefit Albertans for decades,” she said in a statement.

Toews had refused to discuss his future in recent weeks, saying he was focused on passing the budget, which featured a projected $2.4-billion surplus along with increased spending across the board.

The decision comes a little over a month from when the writ is expected to drop.

Smith said that given the short window, she will work with the party and the local constituency association to appoint a candidate “so that the new candidate can hit the ground running and ensure a UCP victory in this constituency.”

Toews was the early favourite to replace Kenney as leader last year – with half of the caucus members supporting him — but fell short in the end as Smith galvanized party anger with the federal government and COVID-19 health restrictions.

He locked horns with Smith during the campaign. He criticized her for past advocacy of a provincial sales tax and said her proposed — and since passed — sovereignty act would scare off investment with its promise to ignore federal laws in areas of perceived provincial jurisdiction.

As finance minister, the rancher and accountant oversaw the best and worst of Alberta’s turbulent oil-and-gas-powered economy, with massive deficits, negative oil prices and eye-popping surpluses.

He looked born to the parts of outdoorsman and number cruncher: close-cropped hair, eyeglasses and well-worn cowboy boots with a trademark monotone speaking style occasionally punctuated by high-decibel, finger-pointing attacks on the NDP Opposition during question period.

He stickhandled many controversial files, including de-indexing personal income tax, arguing for wage cuts to nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and lifting the rate cap on auto insurance.

He was also the point person on long-running deliberations to pull Alberta out of the Canada Pension Plan in favour of a provincial one. The government has yet to release research on the merits and drawbacks of such a plan, despite promising two years ago that the release of a report was imminent.

Toews was also among those who were surreptitiously photographed in 2021 at a drinks-and-dinner get-together with Kenney on a rooftop patio on the legislature grounds in contravention of COVID-19 gathering rules.

In a statement, Opposition NDP finance critic Shannon Phillips said she admires Toew’s record.

“He conducts himself with decency and is mostly grounded in reality, unlike the new crop of Smith candidates.”

Toews said his proudest achievement is leaving the province in a better place financially than when he found it, noting the new budget also includes commitments to keeping spending under control while repaying debt and investing in long-term savings.

“We’re leading the nation in job creation,” Toews said.

“All of that tied together certainly brings some satisfaction to these last four years, which have certainly been a bit of a roller-coaster.”

He said the difficult part was long nights of no-win decisions during the COVID-19 crisis, balancing public health with personal freedoms with no clear cut black-and-white answers.

“Those were some of the hardest hours of my life serving on that COVID cabinet committee,” he said.

“(They were) impossible decisions, and knowing those decisions were going to impact Albertans directly. We certainly didn’t get it all right.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.

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