Can industry and the environment thrive side by side?  There’s an amazing park just west of Red Deer where industry and nature have combined to create something precious… The Ellis Bird Farm.

40 years ago, Union Carbide.. a huge multinational company was looking for a new home in Central Alberta.  Union Carbide wanted to set up an ethylene glycol plant along the Red Deer River, right smack in the middle of some of the best agricultural land in the country.

The last person many would expect to deal with the company was a slight and aging farmer, a bird lover named Charlie Ellis.   In the years after their parents died, Charlie and his sister Winnie stayed on the Ellis farm and cultivated their passion for nature.  Charlie started innocently enough with a few birdhouses, and a strong urge to protect native birds… tree swallows, chickadees, purple martins, flickers, and especially Mountain Bluebirds.  The birds flocked in record numbers to Winnie’s orchards and flower gardens as well as Charlie’s growing number of birdhouses stretching acre after acre.   When an agent of Union Carbide came for a visit.. to everyone’s surprise, Charlie proposed a deal.  If the company was willing to take care of his birds, if they’d promise to keep up what Charlie had built up… well then Charlie would sell his land to the company.   That was the beginning of Ellis Bird Farm.

Sponsored by DOW Chemical Canada and Ellis Bird Farm, Todayville is proud to present a series of features on the history of Central Alberta’s incredible prairie oasis and nature preserve… The Ellis Bird Farm.  In this video we hear from Jean-Yves Vanier of Dow Canada.

More than 23,000 donors across Canada needed by July 2

Canadian Blood Services is urging Canadians to help meet patients’ needs this summer by donating blood and by encouraging others to roll up their sleeves as well. With people away or busy with other activities, there tend to be fewer donations, making summer one of the most challenging times for Canada’s blood system.

More than 23,000 donors are urgently needed by July 2 to ensure patients continue to have access to the blood and blood products they need.

“The summer is a time for family to relax and enjoy themselves. Yet, the need for blood and blood products is constant. The need for blood does not take a holiday,” says Rick Prinzen, Canadian Blood Services’ chief supply chain officer and vice-president of donor relations

Kiran Benet from Brampton, ON is grateful to blood donors for the critical support they provided to her 15-year-old daughter, Cierra, who required 28 blood transfusions, in addition to a life-altering stem cell transplant.

“At age 10, Cierra was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder in which the bone marrow fails to make enough viable blood cells,” says Kiran. “Life turned upside down for a couple of years until a genetically matched volunteer stem cell donor was found. Today, Cierra is preparing for her Grade 9 exams and recently celebrated her birthday. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of donors willing to help people like us.”

Currently, the national blood inventory continues to meet patients’ needs but a boost in donations by Canada Day will ensure demand is met throughout the summer. New donors are urged to get involved.

Canadians who are unable to give blood can encourage others in their networks to give blood on their behalf. Making an appointment to donate has never been easier.

Visit blood.ca, download our GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2-DONATE to find a nearby donation site. Walk in appointments are also available at all locations.Ur