The building towers over downtown Calgary, with its gaze extending towards the Rocky Mountains to the west and far over the prairies to the east — making a statement about the vast territory its tenants cover.

Officially seven years in the making, THE BOW is a symbol of the considerable impact and influence of not only its tenants (Encana Corp. and Cenovus Energy), but of the entire petroleum industry in Alberta. Long the economic driver for this province, oil and gas continue to dominate Alberta’s fortunes, even with periodic downturns.

But moving beyond the energy industry, THE BOW building has also been pegged as the great white hope of the East Village and symbol of change in the area.

City officials and developers note the $1.4-billion tower and its thousands of workers are kick-starting more development in the once-neglected east side.

At the time of planning, “no corporate building had been constructed east of Centre Street,” said Ald. Druh Farrell at the tower’s opening ceremony. “The site selected by Encana opened the gateway of east Calgary and also made the work you see in East Village possible. THE BOW ignited a discussion about architecture. . . Along with the changes to our skyline, it’s raised our expectations for all future downtown structures.”

THE BOW, the tallest building in the photo, dramatically changed the skyline of Calgary. Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald.

Bruce Graham, now the outgoing president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development, sees THE BOW as having national influence. “In the reflection of THE BOW’s gleaming steel and glass, we see Canada’s potential to be an energy superpower and we see Calgary’s growing position as a global business centre and economic leader.”

Lauded by architects and artists, municipal officials, and even ordinary citizens, THE BOW has cemented its place in Calgary. But where did this glass and steel wonder come from? Who had the lofty dream or vision in the first place? And how did it come to fruition?

The story of THE BOW begins with former Encana CEO Gwyn Morgan and a leadership team presiding over 3,000-plus employees who were scattered across five buildings in the city. (At the time, Encana and Cenovus were still operating as one under company under the Encana name.) Meetings that crossed divisions had to be carefully planned and there was a lack of cohesiveness that comes with integrating staff.

“It wasn’t optimal for communications and the teamwork of the company,” Morgan recalls. By the mid-2000s, senior executives felt the time was right to unite everyone under one roof.

As no existing office space was large enough to hold them all, the company went looking for a piece of land on which to build. After much analysis and debate, Encana chose a site the City was promoting as a way to stimulate the revitalization of East Village.

“That site was the most clear cut in terms of being able to assemble,” said Craig Reardon, who until recently was vice-president of administration for Encana and was also a key member of the group that found the site and recommended it to Morgan and other senior executives.
“It was the simplest to acquire and the least expensive to acquire by quite a bit,” Reardon said. “And it was also something we had been talking to the City about, in terms of its push to get something major going east of Centre Street.”

. . . Although the idea of a new office tower had been in the works for years, the official plans were unveiled in 2006. And it was no mere building, the plans revealed. The ambitious project would transform Calgary’s downtown, redefine the city’s skyline and not least of all, alleviate the squeeze on office space. Officials predicted more than one million square feet would be freed up once Encana moved out of existing offices.

At 247 metres and 59 storeys tall, it was to be the tallest office tower in Western Canada, and the second-largest development in Canada after Toronto’s First Canadian Place.

. . . Eventually, Encana — which had never intended to be a property developer and only wanted to kick-start the project — sold THE BOW and its assets to a subsidiary of H&R Real Estate Investment Trust. As part of the transaction, Encana signed a 25-year tenant lease agreement with H&R REIT for 100 per cent of the office tower at an initial rental rate of approximately $36 per square foot and received about $70 million, which largely represented Encana’s investment to date in the project. That helped Encana’s bottom line and the company announced record profits of $6.5 billion in February 2007.

One month later, the tower’s design was reduced by one storey. Encana felt it could tighten up the space needed, also helping to alleviate concerns over potential shading of the riverbank. Under city policy, no buildings are allowed to cast shadows on the river, Stephen Avenue Walk and civic parks.

. . . Perhaps the most significant event in the building of THE BOW was the breakup of the company it was being built for. In May 2008, Encana announced a plan to split the country’s largest energy firm into two corporations, both which would still rank among the six largest in the oilpatch. Encana Corp. would focus on natural gas, while the firm that was later named Cenovus Energy would be a fully integrated oil company.

A global economic downturn delayed that plan for a year and a half. The accompanying credit crunch also affected THE BOW and its owners, H&R Real Estate Investment Trust. . . However, things started to turn around by fall 2009 and shareholders approved the company’s split. But it wasn’t a move made just on paper. Creating two distinct and separate companies necessitated changes to the building’s design and security. Cenovus would now be housed on floors three to 28 and Encana on 29 to 55.

. . . The roller-coaster ride of 2008-’09 came to an end by the start of 2011. Also in 2011, THE BOW was honoured with an Alberta Steel Design Award of Excellence, a competition created to recognize innovation in steel design in the province. . . (And), creative use of art and light, along with the building’s innovative design, landed THE BOW on the list of the world’s most spectacular corporate buildings in 2013.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi takes a photo of THE BOW. Gavin Young/Calgary Herald.

. . . (On opening day) Mayor Naheed Nenshi praised the tower as a symbol of the city’s emergence as a place of power. “I want Calgarians to see a point in time. I want them to see . . . a city with its face turned firmly towards the future and I think this building is a beautiful symbol of that.”

Calgarians seem to agree. On any given day, you’ll see people with cameras capturing sunlight glinting off the tower; other people at the base of the tower bend backwards to peer all the way to the top; and, groups of children run in and out of the sculpture in front of the building.

. . . Former mayor Dave Bronconnier, who was a key player in discussions between the City and Encana’s team, added that THE BOW represented a “coming together, between the city, the province, the building owner, the building tenants, (and) many, many hands to make such a spectacular project that clearly has changed the skyline of Calgary for the better. And, it really is a grand beauty — 236 metres of absolute gorgeousness – drop-dead beautiful – that will stand the test of time.”

“It’s what I’ve always said about Calgary — put on your seatbelt and wait, because Calgary is a city that continues to grow,” Bronconnier said. “It really speaks to the maturity of Calgary. You’re seeing it in this building.”

* * *

To read the full story of THE BOW, you can check out a new ebook – Steel Resolve: The Building of THE BOW, by the Calgary Herald. The book tells the story of how the tallest office tower in Western Canada moved from concept to completion, becoming an architectural marvel and new icon of Calgary. Included in its pages are behind-the-scene stories, facts, figures and more than 250 photos, almost 200 of which were taken by Calgarians from all walks of life.

To purchase the fixed format of the ebook, go to https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/steel-resolve-building-bow/id945086877?mt=11

For a reflowable format of the ebook, check our your favourite online book seller (including Google, Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble), or go to https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/steel-resolve-building-bow/id945090109?mt=11

All proceeds from the book are being generously donated by Encana, Cenovus, Matthews Development and H & R REIT to the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, which raises money for local non-profit agencies every year.

A new eBook, Steel Resolve, tells the story of how THE BOW tower moved from concept to completion.

* * *

THE BOW: By the Numbers

There is no shortage of amazing facts, figures and data about THE BOW. Here is a look at THE BOW, by the numbers:

58: Number of storeys in THE BOW, including 53 office floors, four mechanical floors and retail space.

236: The height of the building in metres; that’s 774 feet.

158,000: The size of the building in square metres; in square feet, that would be 1.7 million.

48,000: Tonnes of steel used in the project, which became the largest steel project ever built in Canada.

3: The building is home to three sky gardens, which provide an indoor park environment, complete with vegetation, trees, natural light areas and comfortable seating.

1.4 billion: The cost, in dollars, of the building.

3^rd: The concrete pour for the foundation became the world’s third largest concrete pour. It involved 500 people and took three days.

4^th: Emporis, a global provider of building data, named it the world’s fourth most spectacular corporate head office.

82,500: The number of square metres of glass panels used in THE BOW; that’s almost 900,000 square feet.

22: The number of trades involved in constructing the building; more than 100 sub-trades were also involved.

1,000,000: The number of conduit runs for electricity.

2: The number of city blocks the building and area covers.

20,000: Number of fire alarm devices in the building.

80: Kilometres of sprinkler pipe installed.

30,000: Number of sprinkler heads in the building, along with 560 sprinkler hose valves.

1,390: The underground parking structure is six levels and holds 1,390 vehicles.

420: The number of bicycles that can be parked into the underground parking structure.

1.9 million: The square feet of rentable space in THE BOW.

Sources: www.the-bow.com, Matthews Southwest (matthewssouthwest.com), Encana, Cenovus, Tyco SimplexGrinnell.

THE BOW (far left) adds sparkle to the nighttime skyline. Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald.

They say one man’s waste is another man’s art and the city is taking that to heart.

Instead of quietly flushing away, the city is putting the spotlight on a new wastewater station in the northeast. Calgarians are invited to the Saturday night opening (7-8:30 p.m.) of the Forest Lawn Lift Station which houses a new piece of public art.

The station near the intersection of 19th Avenue and 26th Street S.E. provides enough sanitary capacity for the growing east side of Calgary for the next 75-plus years. There are more than 40 stations in the city which lift wastewater from low-lying areas to higher areas.

“Despite their vital role … few people notice these usually nondescript buildings or understand their importance,” says Chris Huston, manager of field services for the city’s water department.

A collaboration between architects, artists and engineers, the new station features an exact, to-scale map of the underground pipes connected to the station. The map uses LED lighting and live data to show, in real time, the water travelling though the system on its way to the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant. As the lights change colour, they show what is happening underground.

The station is a project of the city’s Watershed+ program which embeds artists with the Utilities and Environmental Protection (UEP) department. The work is one of several in the city created by Sans facon, a Glasgow-based collective.

We’ve been industrial, we’ve been progressive. We’ve even been the home of fat steers. Now we’re going to be energetic. But when all is said and done, nothing can compare to being phenomenal.

That was how the city was branded back in 1912 in a book simply called Calgary.

While it was never adopted as an official slogan, it would seem a pretty great way to describe a place to live.

Some experts say city signs and slogans can do a lot to create unity or showcase a recognizable identity.

“Slogans are inspirational. They’re meant to inspire people and they can help to bring them together. If they’re good, they can represent everything about you,” says Ed Roach, an Ontario-based branding strategist.

Conversely, a bad slogan can leave people questioning how much was wasted on it.

Baltimore paid $500,000 in 2006 to come up with “Get In On It.” Seattle spent 16 months and $200,000 to come up with “Metronatural.” Sweden spent $250,000 on “Visit Sweden.”

Closer to home, the town of Okotoks used the following tagline in a summer tourism campaign, “There are a number of things to do in Okotoks.” It was quickly mocked on social media with tweets such as “Okotoks: Twice as OK as the Okanagan.”

This week, Calgary installed a sign on the south city limits emblazoned with its newest slogan: Be Part of the Energy. Created in 2010 by Calgary Economic Development, it is also being used by Calgary Tourism to attract business and workers to the city.

A new sign with a new logo greets drivers coming into Calgary at the southern Macleod Trail city limits Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015.

The phrase replaces the former slogan, Heart of the New West, which was adopted in 2000. Calgary Economic Development wants to move the city beyond the western stereotype and highlight the economic significance of its energy industry.

Roach likes the idea.

“You could read it internationally, or locally. The word energy could represent a whole plethora of things whether it’s energy in the ground, energy of the people.”

However, a renowned branding expert says it won’t change anything.

“Cities and towns try to be cute and clever and it doesn’t make any difference. Logos and slogans only make up two per cent of a brand,” says Roger Brooks, also known as the “Dr. Phil of tourism.”

“It’s way overblown. That slogan won’t convince me to move there or do business there. There’s too much energy, there’s your pun, spent on slogans.”

Brooks also believes it’s a mistake for Calgary to move away from what he sees as a globally recognized symbol.

“You go with what put you on the map. The Stampede and rodeo put Calgary on the map. Being Part of the Energy doesn’t say anything about Calgary. It’s like saying we have something for everyone. It won’t change people’s perception one iota.”

Calgarians seem to agree.

An Internet survey conducted by Leger Marketing in 2012 when the slogan was being considered showed that 44 per cent of residents preferred Heart of the New West. About 21 per cent of respondents were in favour of Be Part of the Energy and 25 per cent wanted a different tag line altogether.

At least the energy slogan is short and to the point. One of the city’s earliest mottoes was quite a mouthful. A 1906 book published by the Calgary Board of Trade heralded Calgary as The Land of Golden Wheat, Fat Steers, Industrial Opportunities and Unequalled Climate.

A 1940s sign plays up Calgary’s cowboy roots.

Special signs were hoisted in 1955 marking the Golden Jubilee year.

Over the years there have been a number of slogans and catchphrases to describe Calgary, including:

1918: Canada’s Most Progressive City (a book published by the Calgary Board of Trade)

1921: City of the Foothills

1925: Calgary: Gateway to the Rockies

1946: City of Industrial Opportunity (a book by the Chamber of Commerce)

A 1951 City of Calgary promotion booklet called Calgary The City with Everything Under the Sun.

1951: The City With Everything Under the Sun (a city promotional booklet)

1955: Stampede City, to mark Calgary’s Golden Jubilee year

1961: The White Hat City

In addition, the city has occasionally tacked on various slogans to its entrance signs. One heralded the World Petroleum Congress in 2000 and anyone living here in 1988 will remember the Olympic mascot Howdy adorning the Welcome to Calgary signs.

The object of a social media smack down last week, the Town of Okotoks is working with an internationally renowned branding expert on its tagline.

Ads bearing the line “There are a number of things to do in Okotoks” were spotted on Calgary C-Trains recently and were quickly mocked in Facebook posts and on Twitter. Tongue-in-cheek memes expanded on the sentiment: “Okotoks: We’ve got a Costco” and “Okotoks is just nine kilometres from a big rock.”

“We’re working with them to fix that,” said Roger Brooks, author of Your Town: A Destination. In Okotoks on Tuesday for a conference, he is also helping the town rebrand its downtown and determine its unique selling points.

Brooks, who in marketing circles is called the “Dr. Phil of Tourism,” said the town received thousands of tweets after the marketing campaign launched and that, in itself, is success.

“Although people made fun of Okotoks, now they’ve heard of it. In that sense, the campaign worked. Now we need to change it to positive attention.”

The hashtag #thingstodoinOkotoks took off on Twitter with 187,000 impressions and even Laureen Harper, the Prime Minister’s wife, retweeted it. The town’s Facebook page saw a 267 per cent increase in impressions, 412 per cent increase in Likes and 312 per cent increase in Shares.

Shane Olson, economic development manager of Okotoks outside a commercial property.

Taking it in stride, town officials last week pointed out that the seemingly bland phrase is just one part of a marketing campaign.

“Remember when we were in school and we played with those origami fortune tellers?” said Shane Olson, economic development manager for the town. “Within the origami fortune teller there are numbers, and the (line is prompting you) to unfold your flap to see what’s behind that window.”

“The actual slogan was ‘Let your summer unfold.’”

Olson said town officials have since discussed the ad and the ensuing media storm to see what lessons can be learned and how to spin it further to the town’s advantage.

“The whole thing cost us $4,340. We’re leveraging that to half-a-million dollars. Marketing professionals are saying we should be capitalizing on this. That’s what we’re doing.”

Olson believes the town has a year in which to bank on the publicity and are considering everything from a T-shirt contest with high school students to creating an experiential video showcasing the list of things to do.

“We’re brainstorming how we can maybe play on this further.”

mjarvie@calgaryherald.com

twitter.com/michele_jarvie

Parents and education advocates reacted with dismay to news Tuesday that school construction in the province is behind schedule.

“If there are major delays, you have to look at the project managers and ask why,” said Lisa Davis, president of the Calgary Association of Parent and School Councils.

Education Minister David Eggen announced Tuesday that the government has asked the Auditor General to look into major delays in school construction and funding related to the former government’s promise to build new schools and modernize existing ones.

“As the new minister responsible, and as a parent, I’m extremely disappointed to learn that many of the schools our province desperately needs will not open on time.” Eggen said the delays came to light as the NDP government developed a school capital plan.

Out of 232 Alberta school construction and modernization projects, 101 will be delayed and more than 70 per cent are a year behind schedule. In Calgary, 16 have been pushed back from September 2016 openings to either January or September 2017. Another seven have been delayed to 2018.

“What needs to be clarified is are the school boards who are the managers of these projects part of the review?” said Davis. “If the minister is calling for a full and transparent review, like he says, then it must include the project managers as well.”

In January 2014, the Calgary Board of Education asked to take over managing public school construction in the city from Alberta Infrastructure because it felt it could build schools faster and more efficiently and be more reactive to community needs. But Davis notes that the CBE asked for four starter schools that already had provincial funding to be changed into full schools. All four are on Tuesday’s list of delayed projects.

“The CBE requested to do full builds there instead. As early as January of this year, they were adamant they could get them done on time.”

Two of those four schools are on the west side of Calgary — one of the areas most affected by delays. Aspen Woods is waiting for two elementary schools while West Springs has a middle school on the list released by the minister Tuesday.

Jan Nicholson fought hard for a new school in West Springs and hopes construction delays won’t push its opening past January 2017.

“I feel a little calmer now that construction has started. Our school was scheduled for September 2016 and now it’s January 2017. As long as it’s within that 2016-’17 timeline, it means we won’t be busing our kids to a school,” said Jan Nicholson, one of the founders of the West Springs School Advocacy Group.

“But it’s not a one school problem. We need all three in this area. All of our schools up here are at capacity.”

“Each area of the city is in the same situation,” said Nicholson. There are tons of new communities and no new schools. There’s nowhere for the kids to go.”

That was a concern for Mark and Deb Sawdon who two years ago questioned whether a school would be built in Mahogany in time for their then 18-month-old son Niko. They left the city and have just moved back — but not to Mahogany. The K-6 school planned for that neighbourhood has been delayed to 2018.

“We thought about going back there but said ‘Do we really want our son to to go on the bus to Riverbend? said Deb. “It’s really hard when you’re in the outside communities and there aren’t enough schools.”

Their new neighbourhood of McKenzie Towne also has a school on the list — a new middle school is postponed several months to January 2017.

Nicholson approves of the decision to investigate delays in construction, but says serious questions remain about the political promises that were made by the former government.

“Should they be investigating why schools like Aspen haven’t even been started? We need to ask why those promises were broken. Were they unrealistic in the first place? Were they just campaign promises?”

The CBE’s greatest needs are in the south and central north, with the board targeting an 80 per cent average utilization rate for its schools. Right now the average is 85 per cent, though some schools are well above the 100 per cent mark.

Hot spots for future Catholic school development includes Calgary’s deep south, where construction of a high school was planned for the new community of Legacy this fall, with completion expected for the 2017-18 school year. Tuesday’s announcement pushes it to September 2018. A new K-6 school in Mahogany is also delayed a year to 2018. Middle schools in McKenzie Towne, New Brighton and Cranston are delayed to January 2017.

There is also ongoing need in north Calgary, where the Calgary Catholic School District has a 102 per cent utilization rate in schools. An elementary/junior high in Skyview Ranch is experiencing permit delays and won’t open until September 2017. A K-9 school planned for Sherwood in the northwest is delayed a year and a K-9 in Evanston will be delayed several months.

Grammy-winning country group The Band Perry headlines a music-heavy lineup at this year’s inspirational WE Day event.

The Alabama siblings with three No. 1 hit songs know a thing or two about creating harmony — an underlying theme of the annual non-profit initiative.

“The WE Day audience is one of the most inspiring and moving crowds we’ve ever performed for,” said Kimberly Perry, who has been to other WE Day events with her brothers Reid and Neil. “We’re honoured to perform for a stadium full of young people who have earned their tickets — their dedication and passion is incredible.”

WE Day is a series of educational events that combine concerts with authors and speakers to inspire and celebrate youth who have created change in their communities and around the world. With 14 stadium-sized events in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, WE Day is one of the largest registered non-profit initiatives on social media, with five million followers.

Rapper Kardinal Offishall

Hip hop artist SonReal

Approximately 16,000 youth will be on hand at the Calgary event on Oct. 27 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. They’ll hear from musicians and athletes along with motivational speakers and pop culture icons.

The lineup announced Wednesday includes WE Day founders Marc and Craig Kielburger, along with Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, hip hop artist SonReal, actress Marlee Matlin, actor Henry Winkler, who played ‘Fonzie’ on TV sitcom Happy Days, Free the Children speaker Spencer West, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro despite not having legs, Olympic rower Silken Laumann, Much Music hosts Liz Trinnear and Tyrone Edwards, and the Kenyan Boys Choir, which sang at U.S. President Obama’s inauguration.

The long list of performers also includes several locals: illFX, a Calgary-based dance group; Rameez Virgi, a 22-year-old inventor who developed the world’s first vaccine pill for protein-based viruses; and Airdrie anti-bullying advocate Mackenzie Murphy.

WE Day organizers say the movement has a positive impact on communities, with more than 26,330 Alberta students volunteering 560,800 hours in the past year. Youth earn tickets to WE Day by taking part in ongoing WE Schools programs and by getting involved in local and global causes.

What is Uber?

Uber is a variety of transportation services including uberX for ride-sharing, uberTAXI and uberBLACK, a high-end luxury sedan service.

How does uberX work?

Customers sign up for the service and input their credit card information. Using the uber app on a smart phone, riders request a ride and enter their destination. A driver responds and the app shows his photo, name, drivers’ licence number and riders can track the ride through GPS. Payment is automatic through members’ credit card.

Who created it?

Uber was co-founded by a Calgarian, Garrett Camp.

How is safety for both the driver and passenger addressed?

Potential drivers have to go through background checks with local police and RCMP, which look at criminal history and driving records. No one with a criminal record is permitted and only two minor driving infractions in the past three years are allowed.

“Our rules are often tougher than the taxi industry,” said Xavier Van Chau, Uber Canada communications lead. ” In Edmonton, there were seven taxi drivers who wanted to drive with us who didn’t pass the criteria we have.”

Drivers and passengers can also rate each other through the app.

“The lack of anonymity does create incentives for good behaviour,” said Ramit Kar, general manager of Uber Alberta.

Passengers use the Uber app on a smartphone to buy rides from drivers who do not have taxi permits.

Who drives with Uber?

Approximately half of uberX drivers are part time, driving less than 10 hours per week. They typically complete one to 2.5 trips per hour.

“It’s a representation of your city. So it’s teachers, it’s nurses, men, women, all age demographics,” said Van Chau.

“What we expect to see in Alberta and what we’ve seen in Edmonton is a lot of people have been laid off with the oilpatch. They need something to get them by so they’ll become Uber drivers, at least for the short term. They won’t necessarily be doing it for a long time or full time but are doing it now to make ends meet,” added Kar.

Kar and Van Chau say there’s been a lot of interest in Calgary from both potential drivers and riders. Over 10,000 have opened the app since September, and they are located in all parts of the city, including the suburbs.

How are drivers paid and how much?

Uber drivers in Toronto earn $23.40 in gross hourly wages. A technology fee of 20 to 25 per cent per trip goes to Uber, with the driver getting the rest.

“In a city like Toronto, we have almost 15,000 driver-partners. An individual there might be making $35,000 to $40,000 a year. Now with Uber, they’re jumping to $50 or $65,000 a year and that’s changing their life,” said Van Chau.

Where does it operate?

Uber operates in 60 countries; 340-plus cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Halifax in Canada; it has more than one million driver-partners; millions of rides per day.

With a record-breaking $64-million prize up for grabs on Saturday, lotto fever has hit Calgary. Lineups started early Friday morning and sales have been brisk at 6/49 kiosks across the city.

Statistics professor Richard Lockhart says you’ve got a better chance of dying in an airplane crash or getting killed by lightning than you do of winning the big prize from a single lottery ticket. The odds of matching all six winning numbers on a single ticket are 1 in 13,983,816. But that didn’t stop him from ponying up.

“I certainly have a ticket this week,” Lockhart said. “I make it a rule only to buy when the jackpots are more than 10 million times the cost of entering.”

With that in mind, here’s five things to know about Lotto 6/49.

1. The biggest 6/49 win in Alberta was in October 2005 when 17 co-workers at the Viking Energy gas plant won $54.3 million. This was the largest-ever 6/49 group win in Alberta.
2. The largest 6/49 win in Calgary was an early Christmas present for three men who had been friends since grade school. Wing Gee, Terry Johnston and Ken Brown, all 32 years old, won the $10-million prize on Dec. 23, 1989. Brown planned to retire but Gee and Johnston said they’d keep working. No word whether they did.
3. Since the launch of 6/49 in 1982 (up to April 2015), there have been 166.9 million winners in the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) area which covers Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The total value of prizes won is $3.9 billion.
4. There have been four repeat winners of big prizes in the western region. In Alberta, a couple won $1 million twice on Super 7, while another Albertan won $1 million on Western 6/49 and also on Super 7.
5. Many lottery winners share with family and some even give away a portion to charity. One gave away the entire amount. Tom Crist, the wealthiest lottery winner in Calgary history, gave away the entire $40 million won in May 2013 on Lotto Max. He began the very next day, delivering a $1.2-million cheque to the Alberta Cancer Foundation which collects donations for Calgary’s Tom Baker Cancer Centre, where Crist‘s wife of 33 years, Jan, was treated before her death in early 2012.

Walker. Britton Walker.

His hero might well be 007 but Britton’s number is more like 008 — as in eight years old.

The Calgary boy is flying high today, both literally and figuratively, as he travels back home after a whirlwind four days that involved all things Bond.

The young spy expert, a Grade 3 student at Royal Oak, was flown to Mexico City to meet his idol, spending one-on-one time with Daniel Craig before the premiere of the latest Bond flick, Spectre, on Monday.

Eight-year-old Britton Walker of Calgary on the red carpet at the Mexico City premiere of the latest Bond film, Spectre.

“I thought he was amazing. He did lots of fun things with me. He taught me how to do some stunts and we made apple juice martinis,” said a starry-eyed Britton.

Sony Pictures rented a suite in a hotel so Craig and Britton and his family — dad Jeff, mom Michelle and older brother Rhys, 14, also a Bond fan — could hang out for a bit.

“I gotta say, Daniel Craig is an amazing guy. He had nothing but time for Britton. He treated him so well,” said Jeff Walker.

The star treatment continued that afternoon as Britton took his spot on the red carpet as a “correspondent” for the Ellen DeGeneres Show. It was a real extravaganza as The Spectre premiere featured more than 140 costumed dancers and all the show’s stars. Britton interviewed each actor, met Sam Smith who recorded the movie’s theme song, and even got a “smoochie” as he calls it from leading lady Monica Bellucci. Then Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, Spectre’s villain, turned the tables and interviewed Britton.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They were all so nice,” said Jeff.

The family then flew to Los Angeles to tape an episode of Ellen on Wednesday, Britton’s second appearance on the talk show. He was a guest last year when the amiable host found out about Britton’s passion for the Bond character and his remarkable knowledge of all the films.

Britton Walker, second from left, with dad Jeff, brother Rhys, 14, and mom Michelle on the set of the Ellen DeGeneres show. Courtesy Jeff Walker

He received some souvenirs from the trip to bring home, such as a Spectre T-shirt and some James Bond cuff links to wear with the tuxedo Ellen gave him last year. There was also one other gift that’s a secret.

“I got a gift from Daniel Craig but I can’t tell you,” said Britton. The “amazing” present will be revealed when Ellen airs today.

While dad is a lifelong Bond fan, Britton got hooked two years ago by playing a game on his iPad that had a Bond category.

“The next thing you know he says “Look Dad, I’m No. 1 in Canada. Then he’s in the top 10 in the world,” says Jeff.

“It’s truly amazing. Every fact, every thing he’s read has stuck in his head.”

Britton has seen 20 of the 25 Bond films and his favourite is the latest. And, as suave as Sean Connery and Roger Moore were, no one holds a candle to Craig.

“He’s so cool. And he’s the best.”

One of the most famous Canadian images of the Second World War could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood promo photo. But instead of Clark Gable, the sombre soldier decked out in specialized sniper gear is actually a Calgary Highlander.

Harold Alexander Marshall, a handsome 26-year-old sergeant, was immortalized by the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit when it photographed a scout and sniper platoon in September 1944. The images were shot by renowned war photographer Ken Bell near Fort Brasschaat in Belgium. Bell was noted for his photos taken on D-Day at Juno Beach.

One of the most famous Canadian images from the Second World War is of Calgary Highlander Harold Marshall.

“The photographers found Lt. G. Sellar, Sniper-Sgt. H. Marshall and Scout J. J. Levesque very photogenic,” reads an entry in the battalion’s War Diary on Oct. 6, 1944. “The ‘I’ section had a “quickie” screen test when the I.O. appeared briefly with his Sgt.’s map board in a “briefing” shot. The entire Scout platoon had a group picture and in all, the Army photographers were very satisfied with their visit.”

The Calgary Highlanders is an army infantry reserve unit which traces its roots to 1910. It sent soldiers to fight in both world wars and contributed soldiers to peacekeeping and NATO missions around the world, including Cyprus, Egypt, Golan Heights, Croatia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Kosovo, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, and Sudan. Calgary Highlanders have also served on NATO missions in Afghanistan. Members of the regiment today are part-time “citizen-soldiers”, who spend one night a week and one weekend a month training to operate as dismounted light infantry.

Harold Marshall was one of the original Calgary Highlanders who sailed for the United Kingdom on S.S. Pasteur in 1940. Four years later, he was part of an elite platoon of scouts and snipers. Specially equipped and trained in stealth and camouflage, they were the forerunners of today’s reconnaissance troops. It was a dangerous job as scouts advanced ahead of troops and snipers were often exposed to enemy fire.

Sgt. Marshall cleans his rifle Oct. 6, 1944.

Marshall was in fact wounded in action on Dec. 15, 1944, but unlike many of his compatriots who didn’t survive, was able to return home.

“He was shot in the leg, that ended his service,” said his daughter Judy Marshall. “He lived with shrapnel in his leg all his life. They wanted to amputate but he said no. He said, “I came with two legs, I’m going home with two.”

After the war, Marshall lived a quiet life, working for the City of Calgary Electric System from 1946 until 1975. He married (Catherine) and together they had three children. He remained in the city until his death shortly before his 95th birthday in 2013.

“I found out about the famous photo on the Internet. Dad never talked to to us about it,” said Judy. “He had (post-traumatic stress disorder) from the war. At home, when planes flew over the house, Dad would hide under the bed.”

Judy has several photos of her father as a young soldier and her brother has a copy of the famous picture which was presented to the family by the military years ago. The photo was also reconstructed in a 1995 painting by Alberta artist Ron Volstad.

“He never talked about it but we’re very proud of him,” said Judy.

Lieut.-Colonel D.G. MacLauchlan, left, speaks with scouts Cpl. S. Kormendy and Sgt. H.A. Marshall, right, at Kapellen, Belgium, Oct. 6,1944.

While special for the Marshall family, the Army News photos are historically important as well. They illustrate some of the specialized gear snipers needed to do the job and stay alive in the process.

In the portrait photo, Marshall holds a Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 (T) rifle fitted with a scope for sharp shooting. He also carries a kukri (a knife with a curved blade) and a Mills grenade. The binoculars would have been used by his spotter.

Marshall’s jacket was called a Denison smock, which was originally issued to paratroopers, but its was adopted by snipers because of its camouflage pattern. He’s also wearing a face veil, which was provide to all Canadian soldiers. They could wear it around the neck for warmth, or over the head (Marshall is shown doing both).  It was made of a wide mesh so soldiers could still see through it if it covered their face.

Almost 30 years after the images were taken, photographer and subject met again. Bell included Marshall in his 1973 commemorative book Not in Vain, a collection of photographs taken partly during the war, and partly 25 years later when he returned to the same locations in France, Belgium and Holland.

As the years tick on, remembering the sacrifices and exploits of Canada’s world war soldiers falls to sons and daughters and grandchildren.

More than one million Canadians served during the Second World War but only 75,000 veterans from that conflict are still living today, with their average age being 91.

So the responsibility of keeping their history alive has been passed on to younger generations, such as Mark Ruppe.

The Calgary man proudly displays a scrapbook full of old Calgary Herald newspaper clippings, flight records, black and white photos of a bygone era, and even a laminated citation from U.S. President Harry S. Truman. These are the stories of his father, Capt. Herbert Kramer Ruppe, who miraculously flew and survived 46 B-24 Liberator bomber missions for the U.S. Air Force.

Lieut. Herbert Kramer Ruppe of Strathmore, a U.S. bomber pilot.

“There was little fighter plane opposition on any of our raids, although the ack-ack fire was heavy,” a then 25-year-old Ruppe recounted in a Herald article Feb. 22, 1945. He was home to visit family in Strathmore and recounted his missions in Germany, Italy, and most famously, in Romania.

The Ploesti oil refineries in Romania were the second-most heavily defended target in Europe and Ruppe was part of an epic mission in 1943 to destroy them. The pilots flew at an altitude of six kilometres in severe sub-zero temperatures. A total of 177 planes went out: 54 were lost and 532 airmen were reported dead or captured.

“My dad’s main concern was completing the mission and then getting his crew back alive,” said Mark Ruppe, who notes his father had more than a few close encounters during the war.

A 1945 Calgary Herald newspaper clipping recounts the heroics of Lieut. Ruppe.

He once had to ditch his plane in Switzerland for repairs and then flew back alone, with no cover. On another mission, flak took off his propeller and he flew his plane with two engines out of four.

Ruppe was awarded a European theatre ribbon with three battle stars, the U.S. Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. The young lieutenant was promoted to captain in 1946.

After the war, Ruppe had a job offer to fly commercial planes for Pan-Am Airlines but when his father fell ill, he gave up a flying career to come back to Canada to run the family farm.

“That was the character gentleman he was,” Mark Ruppe said.

A graduate of Western Canada High School and Mount Royal College, the elder Ruppe had three brothers who also served in the military or defense.

He died in 1978 at age 59

In 1991, Calgary Herald employees began the Christmas Fund as a result of the grave issues they saw within the community. The purpose of the Christmas Fund is to raise awareness around critical social issues including hunger, homelessness, addiction, abuse and violence.

The goal of the campaign is to raise the profile of some of the city’s social agencies and provide an opportunity for Calgarians to respond to these needs. Agencies continue to be selected based on these original criteria. To date, over $22.9 million has been raised thanks to the wonderful generosity and caring spirit of Calgarians.

All of the administration costs associated with the Christmas Fund are absorbed by the Calgary Herald. One hundred per cent of all funds donated go to the recipient agencies.

Typically, the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund launches in late November and runs throughout the month of December with front-page awareness stories on each of the recipient agencies and their clientele.

The Selection Process:

Each year, a committee of Calgary Herald staff members assembles and reviews applications from local agencies that have applied to be a part of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund. The final list of recipients includes local not-for-profit organizations that will benefit from the funds raised.

During the summer review process, Calgary Herald representatives may arrange a meeting or site visit to discuss the organization and/or programs offered. When the review process is complete, the representatives will make a recommendation to the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund Committee. You will be contacted about the outcome of your application, regardless of the decision, by late October 2015.

Eligibility:

To be considered for the 2016 Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, an organization’s purpose must be consistent with the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund objectives of raising awareness around critical social issues including but not limited to; hunger, homelessness, addiction, abuse and violence and meet the following criteria:

• Hold charitable status
• Have a commitment to assisting families, men, women and children in need
• Use the funds in Calgary or surrounding areas
• Exhibit professionalism and credibility
• If your organization received funds from the 2015 Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, you are not eligible to apply for funds in the 2016 Christmas Fund Campaign.

Please note these requests specifically exclude:

• Individuals requesting sponsorship
• Organizations that are exclusive to certain groups on the basis of race, religion or politics
• Political lobbying activities

Application process is now closed, please check back in May 2016 for your opportunity for next year! Thank you!

25

number of years the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund has operated

$22.9 million

the amount the fund has raised since its start

82

number of community agencies which have benefited

7

number of Olympians who have written guest columns; 23 athletes in total

3,349

number of students treated on the Alex Dental Health Bus between November 2013 and May 2014

86

percentage of people staying at the Calgary Drop-In Shelter who move out within two months

39 to 83

age of participants in Hospice Calgary’s Living with Cancer program for patients and family

14,430

number of regular users of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary Food and Nutrition at School program in 2013, which added up to about 560,000 plates of food

3,531

number of people in emergency shelters, short-term supportive housing, hospitals and sleeping rough in October 2014

74

percentage of Albertans who say they personally know someone who has been a victim of physical or sexual violence

75

percentage of clients at Sheriff King House who have a gross annual income below $25,000

132,469

number of people who used the Calgary Food Bank in 2014

Calgary Herald articles detailing the pain and hardship experienced by clients of Christmas Fund recipient agencies touch many, including community leaders who give their time to write guest columns encouraging citizens to give. There have been many guest writers in the past 25 years, from all walks of life:

POLITICIANS

Josipa Petrunic

Dave Bronconnier

Teresa Woo-Paw

Naheed Nenshi

Ric McIver

Sandford Big Plume

Norman Kwong

Alison Redford

Jim Prentice

SPORTS

Lanny McDonald — Flames

Ken Read — downhill skiing

Bruce Hart — wrestler

Mark McLoughlin — Stampeders

Dan Blackburn —  NHL

Jamie Crysdale — Stampeders

Henry Burris — Stampeders

John Forzani —Stampeders

Cassie Campbell — women’s hockey

Cory Sarich — Flames

Hayley Wickenheiser — women’s hockey

Rhett Warrener — Flames

Sandro DeAngelis — Stampeders

David Moss — Flames

Michelle Cameron — synchronized swimming

Mark Tewksbury — swimmer

Randy Chevrier —Stampeders

Lyle Bauer — president and chief operating officer of the Calgary Stampeders

Craig Conroy — Flames

Les Gramantik — Olympic coach for track and field

Will Gadd — adventurer, champion ice climber and paraglider

Jamie Gregg —  long-track speed skater

Andrew McBride — Calgary Roughnecks

ARTS & CULTURE

Jann Arden — singer

Billy Klippert — semi-finalist on Canadian Idol

Paul Brandt — singer

Terri Clark — singer

Wil — singer-songwriter

Kalan Porter — 2004 Canadian Idol winner

Denise Clarke — theatre

Michele Stanners — arts strategist

Dennis Garnhum — theatre

Mark Bellamy — theatre

Stephen Hair – theatre

Will Ferguson — author

Kirstin Evenden — Glenbow CEO (now executive director,  Lougheed House Conservation Society)

Rev. Bruce Sheasby — Rev. Elvis, ordained minister

Jennifer Martin — president and CEO, Telus World of Science

Jean Grand-Maitre — Alberta Ballet

Vanessa Porteous — theatre

Roberto Minczuk — music director, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Maud Salvi — executive director, Sled Island

Rebecca Northan — writer-in-residence, Alberta Theatre Projects

Terry Rock — founding president and CEO, Calgary Arts Development Authority (now university lecturer, Telus Calgary Community Board)

Fred Stenson — author

ENTREPRENEURS/BUSINESS

Gwyn Morgan — former CEO Encana, board director

Linda Hohol — former TSX Venture Exchange president, board director

Jim Gray — oilpatch veteran, Canadian Petroleum Hall of Fame

Hatim Zaghloul — executive chairman, Wi-LAN Inc.

Clive Mather — then president of CEO, Shell Canada

Art Smith — war hero, entrepreneur and former politician

Harley Hotchkiss — business leader, Flames owner, philanthropist

Clive Beddoe — Westjet

Randy Eresman — then Encana CEO

Annie MacInnis — executive director Kensington Business Revitalization Zone

Tim Hearn — chairman, president and chief executive officer of Imperial Oil Ltd.

Sean Durfy — then president Westjet

Brian & Stephanie Felesky — corporate tax law; community work/philanthropists

Bill Locke — president, Capacity Builders, a Calgary-based consulting company

Joni Avram — owner, Cause & Effect Marketing

Arlene Dickinson — venture capitalist, PR, formerly on Dragon’s Den

Brett Wilson — energy investment, philanthropist, formerly on Dragon’s Den

Dean Collinson — then CEO of Calgary Co-op

Lois Mitchell — businesswoman, philanthropist, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta

Ken King — former publisher, Flames president

Greg Saretsky — Westjet

Kirk Lamb — Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

Jeff McCaig — Trimac Transportation

Jim Gillespie — executive manager, Calgary Motor Dealers Association

Wayne Chiu — president and CEO, Trico Homes

Brian Ferguson — president and CEO, Cenovus Energy

Al Monaco — president and CEO, Enbridge

Nancy Southern — president Atco Ltd.

Sam Kolias — chairman and CEO, Boardwalk Real Estate Investment

SOCIAL NETWORKS/RELIGION

Syed Soharwardy, imam

Nomi Whalen — former city councillor, marriage commissioner

Ray Matheson — pastor of First Alliance Church

Clyde Glass — pastor, Southview Alliance Church

Alaa Elsayed — imam,  youth adviser, Muslim Council of Calgary

Bishop Fred Henry

Kathleen Gilhooly — pastor, Cornerstone Christian Assembly/King of Glory Lutheran Church

Brent Trask — pastor, RockPointe Church, president, Calgary Evangelical Ministerial Association

Rabbi Shaul Osadchey

John Van Sloten — pastor, New Hope Christian Reformed Church

Gordon Dirks — executive pastor, Centre Street Church

MEDIA

Nirmala Naidoo — former TV host

Jack Tennant — columnist, publisher

Linda Olsen — TV host

Bonnie Elgie — public relations

Gord Gillies — TV host

Beesley — morning co-host on 97.7 FM

Julie van Rosendaal — food writer

Leslie Stein — morning show host at Up 97.7

Lori Gibbs — radio host, Up 97.7

Jay Donovan — morning show host, Up 97.7

OFFICIALS

Jack Beaton – then police chief

Wayne Morris — then fire chief

Christine Silverberg — former police chief

Rick Hanson — then police chief

Tom Sampson —   EMS, Calgary zone

Bruce Burrell — fire chief

Darren Sandbeck —  EMS, Calgary zone

Sue Tomney — YWCA CEO

Trevor Daroux — deputy chief police

 Murray Smith — director, TELUS Calgary Community Board

Nick Thain — executive director, Alberta Health Services EMS Calgary Zone

OTHER

2002 Stampede Queen Karen Collins, Princesses Natalie Havens and June-Marie Innes

Colleen Klein — wife of Ralph Klein

Vern Berard — resident at the Mustard Seed

Eugene Stickland — playwright

Laureen Harper — wife of then PM Stephen Harper

Donna Zarowny-Roth — local family helped by Christmas Fund

Catherine Caldwell — food writer

David Finch — historian

Amelia Crowshoe — 2012 Calgary Stampede Centennial Indian princess

Ann McCaig — community advocate / philanthropist

**positions indicated when column published or past involvement

Christmas Fund — About Us

The Calgary Herald Christmas Fund was created in 1991 by Calgary Herald employees to provide Herald readers with the opportunity to respond to the needs of the city’s social agencies. Today, the Christmas Fund provides funding to local charities that address the critical needs that thousands of Calgarians face everyday, including hunger, homelessness, addiction and abuse.

Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Calgarians, the Christmas Fund has raised nearly $23 million dollars for local charities since 1991 and last year alone raised over $1.1 million dollars. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund making a difference in the community.

Every Christmas season, this city has shown a wondrous depth of soul and generosity of spirit. The Christmas Fund campaign has grown substantially over the years but the Calgary Herald’s commitment to helping those in urgent need has not wavered.

The Calgary Herald is proud to cover all administrative costs so that one hundred per cent of all dollars raised can be shared equally amongst the selected recipients.

This year, the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund launches on Friday, Nov. 20 and runs until midnight on Dec. 31, 2015. During the six-week campaign, Calgary Herald reporters and videographers will share the stories of the clients who now have hope and have experienced change in their lives thanks in part to the services provided by the selected charities. There will also be guest columns from some of Calgary’s key leaders as well as special weekend reads that will highlight the clients and programs being funded. These clients present stories of courage and hope that remind the rest of us to be thankful for what we have and encourage us to give to those who have not.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE:

DONATE NOW on our secure server at 

<b><a href=”https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=184064″>

CALL in your donation

to 403-235-7481, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday

MAIL in your donation

cheque or money order) to: Calgary Herald Christmas Fund, PO Box 2400 Station M, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0W8

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Are donors able to make a donation to a specific agency? No. The Christmas Fund is set up as one large fund and the dollars raised are divided equally among the selected charities.

2. What are the administrative costs of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund? All administrative costs are absorbed by the Calgary Herald. This is one of the ways that the Herald contributes to the Fund. Therefore, one hundred per cent of your donation goes directly to the selected charities.

3. I would like to donate clothes, furniture, toys, etc. to one of the agencies. How do I go about doing this? It would be best if you contact the agencies directly to make these arrangements.

4. I have made a donation but have not seen my name in the paper yet. Did you receive my donation? Once we have received your donation, it usually takes seven to 10 days until your name appears in the paper. Donor thank-you ads appear every Wednesday during the campaign.

5. Will I receive a tax receipt? Yes. Tax receipts are issued for all donations over $10. Tax receipts are generated and will be e-mailed by the end of January. Your tax receipt will come from one of the selected charities but is e-mailed and generated by the Calgary Herald. The Calgary Herald is not a registered charity and therefore cannot directly issue receipts for tax purposes. If you do not receive your tax receipt by the middle of February, then please contact ChristmasFund@calgaryherald.com

If you have any questions on the Christmas Fund, please call the Christmas Fund Donations Administrator at (403) 235-7481 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For information on the Christmas Fund, and or to submit a proposal for the 2016 campaign, please watch this site for updates. The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2016 campaign is June 1, 2016.

Each year, a Calgary Herald committee would select a number of agencies to receive funds from that year’s campaign. Since its inception in 1991, these are the organizations which have benefited from Calgary’s generosity:

Accessible Housing Society

Alberta Safe House

Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured

Awo Taan Calgary Native Women’s Shelter

Bowmont Senior Assistance Association

Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary

Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids

Calgary Alpha House Society

Calgary Association of Self-Help

Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth

Calgary Catholic Immigration Society

Calgary Children’s Cottage

Calgary Children’s Milk Fund

Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse

Calgary Community Support for Young Parents

Calgary Dream Centre

Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre

Calgary Family Services Bureau

Calgary Immigrant Aid Society Mossaic Centre

Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank

Calgary Meals on Wheels

Calgary Native Women’s Shelter

Calgary Outlink: Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity

Calgary Seniors Resource Centre

Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS)

Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter

Canadian Centre for Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Canadian Mental Health Association, Calgary Region

Children’s Cottage

Closer to Home Community Services

Community Alternatives*

Community Kitchen

Connection Housing*

Discovery House

Distress Centre

Elizabeth House

Enviros Society

EvenStart For Children’s Society of Calgary

Family and Community Services Association

Foothills Community Alternatives*

Fresh Start Recovery Centre

HERA

HomeFront

Hospice Calgary Society

Inn from the Cold Society

Jewish Family Service Calgary

Kerby Rotary House

Louise Dean Centre

Made by Momma

McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association

Mustard Seed Street Ministry

NeighbourLink Calgary

Parent Support Association of Calgary Project Safe Haven

Pastoral Institute

Recovery Acres Society

Servants Anonymous Society

Simon House Residence Society

Sonshine Community Services and Women’s Centre of Calgary

Street Teams/Safe House Society*

The Alex Community Health Centre (The Alex Dental Health Bus)

The Back Door

The Calgary Foundation

The Community Crisis Society

William Roper Hull Child and Family Services

Women In Need Society

Women’s Centre of Calgary

Wood’s Homes (Eastside Family Centre, EXIT Outreach)

Youville Recovery Residence for Women

YWCA  (Support Centre, Mary Dover House, Sheriff King House)

*no longer operating

It was a tumultuous year. There was the blockbuster hockey trade Flames fans still moan about today; the contentious debate that erupted when then Mayor Al Duerr proclaimed the first Gay Pride Parade; and the nightly shenanigans on Electric Avenue which devolved into something darker, leaving a man in a wheelchair for life.

In 1991, Calgary was home to 708,000 people, up 117,000 from a decade earlier. People were lured here by the promise of jobs aplenty and money to be made in the oilpatch. But it wasn’t good times for all, and former Calgary Herald columnist Tom Keyser often chronicled the sad stories of those left behind: tales of family violence, suicide and most heartbreaking of all — the children with no where to sleep and no food to eat.

It was those particular stories — such as a six-year-old girl named Christie wolfing down four bowls of Cheerios and four glasses of juice at a school breakfast program because supper the night before had been a cracker; and of kids, teenage moms and immigrant families getting milk to drink they otherwise wouldn’t have — that is the genesis of the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund.

Former Herald writer Tom Keyser helped initiate the Christmas Fund in 1991.

“I wrote this touchy-feely little story. I wrote as good a piece as I could and I kind of got under the skin (of a colleague),” said Keyser, who is semi-retired and now lives in Kelowna, B.C.

That colleague was hardbitten business writer Barry Nelson who was shocked to learn kids were going hungry in the city. Together they called social agencies to determine the need in the community, and along with political columnist Don Martin, approached managing editor Crosbie Cotton with the unique idea to start a Herald-run charity campaign.

The Christmas Fund was born.

Six charities were chosen that year: Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, whose Food and Nutrition at School program provided the Cheerios for Christie; the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank; the Milk Fund; Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter; Discovery House and the YWCA Calgary, which operated the Sheriff King Home Emergency Shelter.

Herald publisher Kevin Peterson got the ball rolling in a front-page story on Nov. 21, 1991, with a pledge of $5,000 from the paper and a request that “Calgarians do something, too.”

They did. Driven by the compelling stories of need, 4,428 people donated during the six-week campaign, raising almost $400,000.

Grade 1 student Dante Jamie Gomez smiles with his milk moustache while his sister, Lesly, giggles during breakfast at St. Henry Elementary on Nov. 19, 2015. The Boys and Girls Club has been running its Food and Nutrition at School program for 28 years.

Everyone got involved, from junior reporters to experienced storytellers.

“It was good for cynical old reporters, some who’d never written a feature,” said Keyser. “You’d get some thick-skinned cop reporter writing about a kid who doesn’t get enough milk to drink. They came up with some really powerful stuff.”

The agencies were ecstatic — both with the money and the exposure.

“The fund has really personalized the issue. It has provided a level of understanding like we have never had before, ” Fran Smith, director of family violence programs for the YWCA Sheriff King Home said in January 1992 when the final tally was in. “It has given our shelters users a voice they have never had before.”

Flash-forward 25 years, and with the exception of the Milk Fund, which was absorbed into the Calgary Food Bank, the original agencies are still helping Calgarians. All have been repeat beneficiaries of the Herald Christmas Fund which has raised $22.9 million since inception.

“We were at the infancy stages. But the minute the fund supported us, that profile and that recognition of need started everything for us,” said Boys and Girls Clubs executive director Cheryl Doherty. The club’s school food program began in four schools. It now operates in 160 schools and provides 500,000 servings of food a year.

“The fund helped us grow and allowed others to come forward also. It’s been a wonderful successful example of a partnership in community.”

The Herald Christmas Fund was also a catalyst for donations to the food bank, but more importantly for executive director James McAra, for starting a conversation about bringing an end to poverty, homelessness and hunger.

“We’re all trying to be part of the solution and the Herald and the fund actually leveraged that conversation. It’s been front and centre in the transformation of a city.”

Along with the need in the city, the campaign has grown exponentially in the past quarter century. Last year, 2,915 donors gave $1.12 million which was split by 12 agencies.

There have been many milestones along the way.

Arlene Adamson with the YWCA Sheriff King Home wipes away tears in 2007 after learning an anonymous oilman matched the Herald Christmas Fund donations, bringing the total to $2.4 million.

The fund shattered its own record in 2007, hitting the $1-million mark with four days to go in that year’s campaign. A month later, an anonymous donor matched the amount raised, bringing the total to $2.4 million.

In 2008, facing a bleak economic outlook, the Herald set an ambitious fundraising goal of $1.25 million — as a nod to the newspaper’s 125th anniversary that year. Another $200,000 anonymous donation helped the campaign meet its goal.

Joining Calgary Herald publisher Guy Huntingford, right, at the Herald Christmas Fund 2011 closing celebrations are philanthropists Allan Markin (left) and Sam Switzer.

But the biggest news was still to come. In 2011, the Herald Christmas Fund raised a remarkable $3.3 million when two local businessmen stepped up. Retired oilman and Flames part-owner Allan Markin first doubled the donations and then tripled it for those agencies willing to go through an outcome analysis audit. That spurred Sam Switzer to add $200,000 to his earlier donation of $50,000.

The fund’s remarkable success has earned the Herald both local and international kudos. In 2012 it was recognized with the Generosity of Spirit Award and, a year later, The Association of Fundraising Professionals honoured the paper with the 2013 Award for Outstanding Corporation.

“I’m very proud to have been associated with the Herald Christmas Fund,” said Keyser. “I think it’s the one important contribution I made in 20 years at the Herald. It’s fantastic that it’s carried on this long and done so much good.”

When the fund began 25 years ago, the needs were immediate: 2,900 meals a week for students coming to school hungry; more than 17,000 food hampers to 45,000 people; milk for 800 people a day; and beds and counselling for battered women.

A street outreach worker with the Canadian Mental Health Associations tries to help a homeless man found lying in a doorway.

Thousands of Calgarians have been set on the path to success by Herald Christmas Fund agencies:

“Before I had my child, I didn’t care about myself,” said Ashley in 2009, a Discovery House client.

“After having my child, I realized that I didn’t want him to see the abuse. I was scared of being independent, and to have to deal with everything on my own, but I found myself at Discovery House. I discovered who I am and what I need to do. I earned inner confidence and learned that I can do it.”

Another mother, DeAnne, made the decision to leave her abusive husband after receiving a note from her six-year-old daughter Emma that said, “I’ll miss you when you die and go up to heaven.”

Once DeAnne’s family fled to YWCA Sheriff King Home, she attended group therapy and received counselling and her children had play therapy.

“In those three weeks at the shelter, we created a whole new life. My needs had never been taken into account until I went to the shelter. Suddenly it was, ‘what do you need? What do your kids need?’ It was a complete change of focus.”

In 1991, a street smart 16-year-old girl got a chance at a better life through Avenue 15, a shelter run by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary.

“My mother thinks I’ve become like every other tramp on the streets,” ‘Sally’ told the Herald. “She’s an alky and so’s my stepfather. He usually just screams at me and scares me, but my mom calls me dirty names and bashes me in the head.

“I ran away from home and on the streets we’d steal for food…. It’s no big deal to get caught because you’re going to a place where you can keep warm and have food. You’re locked up, but you have basically everything you need.”

“I want to go back to school and go live somewhere where I can be happy and not worry about not being good enough for them. And I want to tell the kids out there this is a place you can go and they will help you, no matter how much you think they won’t. They’ve helped me.”

Olivia Oar is a former client of Wood’s Homes Exit Community Outreach but is now volunteering with the charity.

But despite the hard work of Calgary agencies, social problems are not a quick fix. You can give a child breakfast or a bed for the night but that doesn’t solve the ongoing issue of poverty. Counselling for a battered woman won’t end family violence. While providing those immediate, front-line services, Calgary’s social agencies also have to look long term.

And that frustrates McAra, the food bank’s executive director.

“As Calgary has grown, the demand is beyond any one agency’s ability to respond. Twenty-five years later, what has changed?

“We’re not seeing our political leaders taking action …. The agencies can’t write policy …. We’re just as challenged in how to bring this to a conclusion.”

Andy is an example of why agencies have to focus on long-term success.

At 25, he’s been homeless for seven years. His parents’ divorce years ago left the family in turmoil. His mom died and his brother is in a mental-health centre. He is estranged from his father. He came to Calgary and found himself alone, confused and struggling. To survive, he busks, couch-surfs and occasionally sleeps inside the downtown Plus-15 at night.

But Andy also gets help from Wood’s Homes’ EXIT Community Outreach program. He’s made huge strides in his life, although he’s still in transition.

“It’s all about fear,” he admits.

Andy is not alone in his struggle for a better life.

“Our clinical model assesses these youth on readiness; he’s just not ready to make a permanent change,” said Sylvia MacIver, communications manager for Wood’s Homes. She says research shows it typically takes seven years for people at risk of homelessness to make real life changes.

When asked why he comes to EXIT, Andy said: “This is a place where I feel safe. They never say no.”

That is a goal of every agency the Herald Christmas Fund supports. It was what the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Women’s Emergency Shelter and the food bank were trying to do 25 years ago. And it’s what this year’s agencies, and the Herald, hope to achieve in the years going forward.

mjarvie@calgaryherald.com

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In Memory of Dennis Cook — Marie Cook $100

Challenge

With protests and anger emanating from Alberta’s rural regions, the NDP government is amending legislation aimed at making farms safer.

Much of the anger over Bill 6 is the belief it means children or neighbours can no longer help out on the farm. On Tuesday, Premier Rachel Notley said her government was moving forward to pass the bill and would make amendments to allow for traditional family help.

What does it mean for Alberta’s farmers?

Will Workers’ Compensation be mandatory for all farm workers, including family members?

Bill 6 would make Workers’ Compensation Board coverage mandatory for paid workers on Alberta farms and ranches as of Jan. 1. Workers include any people working on the farm who are not business owners, e.g., full-time and part-time employees and any subcontractors who do not have their own WCB coverage. There will be an option for farmers to extend coverage to unpaid workers such as family members, neighbours and friends.

An amendment expected to be introduced within a day or two will clarify that Workers’ Compensation Board coverage and occupational health and safety regulations will apply only to wage earners and the farms and ranches where they work. Family members on a family farm will be exempt from WCB coverage and safety and employment standards if there are no paid employees.

The proposed amendments announced Tuesday also make clear that Occupational Health and Safety standards apply to farms with one or more paid employees. These farms must comply with labour rules, such as vacation pay and minimum wage.

This change to the legislation also means safety inspectors and investigators can’t enter a farming property to inspect a serious injury or death if there are no paid workers there.

How much will WCB coverage cost farmers?

The Workers’ Compensation Board sets premiums every year based on risk and actual claims experience. There are different rates for different industries, based on the risk of injury. Industry rates for 2016 range from $1.70 to $2.97 per $100 of insurable earnings (workers’ gross earnings before deductions) depending on the industry.

If insurable earnings are $50,000 per year, the cost of coverage would be:

• $850 a year for greenhouses and market gardens;

• $875 per year for hog producers, poultry/egg producers, goat/sheep producers, fishing/fish or fur farms, and apiaries.

• $1,125 per year for hay/grain/crop farming, harvesting/baling-custom, forage, and peat moss processing;

• $1,485 per year for beef producers, feed lots, livestock auctions/stockyards, dairy farms, elk/bison producers, llama/alpaca producers, and riding academies/horse stables.

How is it handled in other provinces?

In Manitoba, the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation applies to every employer, worker and self-employed person. The Manitoba Workers Compensation Act was made mandatory for farm labourers in 2009, but family members were exempted.

In Saskatchewan, employers must provide safe working environments and ensure workers know they can refuse unsafe work. That province also allows kids to help out on the farm with the exception of driving farm equipment.

In B.C., farm workers are covered under the province’s Employment Standards Act with some exceptions regarding wages, overtime and statutory holidays.

How safe are farms?

There have been 11 farm deaths in the province so far in 2015, four of them children, according to the Alberta Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Sixteen adults and one person under 18 were killed in farm incidents last year.

There were 2,317 deaths on Canadian farms between 1992 and 2012, with 272 of those being children under the age of 15, according to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting.