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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 programmer@albertasportshall.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 school boards required to meet new standards for school library materials with regard to sexual content

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Alberta’s government has introduced new standards to ensure school library materials are age-appropriate.

School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content. However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.

In response to these concerns, and informed by feedback from education partners and the public, Alberta’s government has created standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.

“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

The new standards set clear expectations for school library materials with regard to sexual content and require school boards to implement policies to support these standards.

Standards for school library materials

Under the new standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content. Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, provided it is age-appropriate.

“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense. LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”

Blaine Badiuk, education and LGBTQ advocate

School boards must also regularly review their school library collections, publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials. School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their school libraries by October 1.

School board policies and procedures

All school boards must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards for selecting and managing library materials by January 1, 2026. School boards can either create new policies or update existing ones to meet these requirements.

These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library. School boards are also required to clearly communicate these policies to employees, students and parents before January 2026.

“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well.”

Holly Bilton, trustee, Chinook’s Edge School Division

“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive. Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”

Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools

Quick facts

  • The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
  • The ministerial order does not apply to municipal libraries located within schools or materials selected for use by teachers as learning and teaching resources.
  • From May 26 to June 6, almost 80,000 people completed an online survey to provide feedback on the creation of consistent standards to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.

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Alberta

Fourteen regional advisory councils will shape health care planning and delivery in Alberta

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Regional health councils give Albertans a voice

Albertans want a health care system that reflects where they live and adapts to the unique needs of their communities. As part of the province’s health care refocus, Alberta’s government committed to strengthening community voices by providing more opportunities for Albertans to bring forward their local priorities and offer input on how to improve the system.

The regional advisory councils, made up of 150 members from 71 communities, will advise Alberta’s four health ministries and the newly refocused health agencies: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta and Recovery Alberta. Each council will explore solutions to local challenges and identify opportunities for the health system to better support community decision-making.

“By hearing first-hand community feedback directly, we can build a system that is more responsive, more inclusive and ultimately more effective for everyoneI am looking forward to hearing the councils’ insights, perspectives and solutions to improve health care in all corners of our province.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services

“Regional advisory councils will strengthen acute care by giving communities a direct voice. Their insights will help us address local needs, improve patient outcomes and ensure timely access to hospital services.”

Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services

“A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach does not address unique regional needs when it comes to mental health and addiction challenges. These councils will help us hear directly from communities, allowing us to tailor supports and services to meet the needs of Albertans where they are.”

Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

“Every community has unique needs, especially when it comes to seniors and vulnerable populations. These regional advisory councils will help us better understand those needs and ensure that assisted living services are shaped by the people who rely on them.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services

Members include Albertans from all walks of life, health care workers, community leaders, Indigenous and municipal representatives, and others with a strong tie to their region. About one-third of members work in health care, and more than half of the council chairs are health professionals. Almost one-quarter are elected municipal officials, including 10 serving as chairs or vice-chairs. Ten councils also include a representative from a local health foundation.

Council members will share local and regional perspectives on health care services, planning and priorities to help ensure decisions reflect the realities of their communities. By engaging with residents, providers and organizations, they will gather feedback, identify challenges and bring forward ideas that may not otherwise reach government.

Through collaboration and community-informed solutions, members will help make the health system more responsive, accessible and better able to meet the needs of Albertans across the province.

“As Primary Care Alberta works to improve access to primary health care services and programs across Alberta, we are grateful to have the opportunity to tap into a dedicated group of community leaders and representatives. These people know their communities and local needs, and we look forward to learning from their experiences and knowledge as we shape the future of primary care in Alberta.”

Kim Simmonds, CEO, Primary Care Alberta

“The regional advisory councils will help to bring forward the voices of patients, families and front-line providers from every corner of Alberta. Their insights will help us plan smarter and deliver care that’s timely, effective and truly local. We look forward to working closely with them to strengthen hospital and surgical services across the province.”

Dr. Chris Eagle, interim CEO, Acute Care Alberta

“Nobody understands the health care challenges unique to a community better than the people who live there. The regional health advisory councils are made up of those living and working on the front lines across the province, ensuring we are getting the perspective of Albertans most affected by our health care system.”

Dr. Sayeh Zielke, CEO, Assisted Living Alberta

“Alongside Recovery Alberta’s staff and physician team, these regional advisory councils will build upon the high standard of mental health, addiction and correctional health services delivered in Alberta.”

Kerry Bales, CEO, Recovery Alberta

Indigenous Advisory Council

Alberta’s government continues to work directly with Indigenous leaders across the province to establish the Indigenous Advisory Council to strengthen health care services for First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities.

With up to 22 members, including Indigenous health care workers, community leaders and individuals receiving health care services, the council will represent diverse perspectives across Alberta. Members will provide community perspectives about clinical service planning, capital projects, workforce development and cultural integration in health care.

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