UNews - Ivan Townshend

SpearChief-Morris embracing opportunity to affect change

trevor.kenney — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 18:59:46 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Julian SpearChief-Morris (BA’13) said he was headed for law school in a 2012 video feature he shot while a member of the Pronghorns men’s basketball team.

“After I finish at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge I hope to travel for a couple of years and hopefully go into law school,” he said at the time, almost matter-of-factly.

Julian SpearChief-Morris garnered plenty of attention for his on-court talents, while he was just as adept in the classroom.

Little did we know that the distinguished graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s urban and regional studies program would set his sights on the pre-eminent law school in North America – Harvard. Now in his second year at the venerable institution, SpearChief-Morris has made history as the first Indigenous student president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. The organization has been in existence for 104 years.

“It’s an incredible honour. I think it’s great whenever you see First Nations and other Indigenous people in higher education and in positions like this,” says SpearChief-Morris. “Being at Harvard is an incredible experience. It’s a big school and the campus is very impressive but overwhelmingly it’s a humbling experience. I think that’s what I’ll take away most from this, being surrounded by the most brilliant people in the world and constantly having to hold yourself up next to those people gives you some great perspective.”

The son of an African-American father from Los Angeles and Aboriginal mother (Wilma Spear Chief (BASc ’77)) from the southern Alberta Blood Tribe, SpearChief-Morris grew up in a unique household that groomed unique talents. A gifted athlete, he was a star in the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League and, after graduating from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, was recruited by national powerhouse ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria.

While he was universally respected for his ability to run a fast break and hit a three-point shot, there was a depth to SpearChief-Morris that went far beyond the hardcourt. It was apparent early on that the student aspect of student-athlete would always remain first and the sport would help facilitate much larger goals.

“That was a vision that Jules always had in his life. Basketball was great and basketball was another place for Julian to excel but he was never a hoop dreamer, he was a person who had a very clear vision and focus about what he wanted to do with his life,” says Dave Adams, current coach of the Pronghorns women’s basketball team and former coach of the men’s program that lured SpearChief-Morris back to Lethbridge in 2009.

Adams knew him well, having watched him grow up alongside his own daughter when both were enrolled at Montessori School as toddlers. The U of L lost SpearChief-Morris to Victoria out of high school but he says he was an awkward fit there, and after two years, with Adams now at the helm of the Horns, he returned.

“Think about the fortitude and the vision he had to leave a very successful program in Victoria and come to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which hadn’t made the playoffs in seven or eight years,” says Adams, who notes SpearChief-Morris then had to sit out the 2009-2010 season because of transfer regulations. “For him to do that speaks a lot to the character of the person and to who Julian is.”

Back on the floor for the 2010-11 season, SpearChief-Morris played just eight games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He endured a full 10 months of rehabilitation before he finally returned to the starting lineup the next fall. His first year back, he managed to play only 15 minutes per game as he regained strength and confidence in his surgically-repaired knee. It wasn’t until 2012-13, his final year of eligibility, that the Pronghorns saw a completely healthy SpearChief-Morris and he responded averaging 15.1 points per game, second in both team scoring and rebounds.

“I believe that all the adversity that was put in front of Julian to play and to be the successful player that he was, he channeled into other aspects of his life,” says Adams. “He always surrounded himself with excellence and it gave him tools to put in his toolbox for success in life.”

All the while, SpearChief-Morris threw himself into his studies and he prospered in a new environment.

“I had such a good experience at the U of L, the small class sizes were something I really appreciated,” he says. “I had the opportunity to meet and get to know so many of my professors, many I still keep in contact with today.”

One of those professors was Dr. Ivan Townshend, coordinator of the Urban and Regional Studies program in the Department of Geography. He paints a picture of a student who saw his studies as a way to facilitate a meaningful impact on society.

“One of the reasons he stood out was you could tell he had a real social conscience and a sincere willingness to help the disadvantaged,” says Townshend. “And it wasn’t so it would just look good on his resumé, he was intent on making a real difference.”

SpearChief-Morris worked for Townshend as a research assistant for a year and clearly was at the top of his class.

“From the point of view of the urban and regional studies students I’ve seen over the last 25 years, he’s certainly one of the top 1 to 2 per cent,” he says. “He was an exceptional student, mature beyond his years. He was very unique in that he was intellectually inquisitive and an exceptionally good researcher who really grasped the material on a deep level.”

SpearChief-Morris feels strongly connected to his family and his roots. He has never wavered in his desire to better the outlook for the Aboriginal community in southern Alberta.

SpearChief-Morris is keen on bringing his knowledge and experience back to southern Alberta and doing what he can to better the fortunes of the disadvantaged.

“I grew up in a household where it was an expectation that we’d attend some form of higher education and I was lucky to have had two parents who were there, who cared, who supported me, and who believed in me. That’s not something that a lot of Aboriginal kids have the privilege of and that privilege is not lost on me. I feel very fortunate to have had that upbringing and that’s part of the reason why I do what I do – to give back,” says SpearChief-Morris.

Upon graduating from the U of L, SpearChief-Morris spent a year as an educational assistant and guidance counsellor who specifically worked with Aboriginal children.

“That was a great experience. I saw a lot of success stories but I also felt frustrated a lot of the time because I always felt I was dealing with symptoms of a greater issue that I really didn’t have the power to address in that role,” he says. “That’s when I cemented my decision to go to law school.”

He admits he never expected to end up at Harvard but after excelling on his LSAT exam, it opened the door for him to apply. At the tail end of his first year in Boston, he was eligible to apply to one of the three historic honour societies at Harvard Law School and earned acceptance into the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, the oldest student-run law firm in the United States.

Thanks to a specific statute in the State of Massachusetts, the bureau is allowed to practice as students in court under the supervision of instructors but as lead attorneys and attorneys of record.

“We provide pro bono legal aid to folks in the greater Boston area who couldn’t otherwise afford those services,” says SpearChief-Morris. “The Bureau is a remarkable organization. When we take on a client, we take on responsibility for the most important thing in that client’s life, and I think that forces our students to grow up a lot. You have to answer that phone call and that email, even if it’s on Christmas morning, you have to be on time, you have to be present and you have to take it seriously because it’s real.”

He will graduate in May 2018 and in the meantime, he’ll spend his second consecutive summer working for a law firm in Washington, D.C. as part of the Native American Practice Group. They represent Native American tribes in complex litigation matters, and act as government relations and economic development consultants.

And while the big cities are honing his legal skills today, a return to his hometown is the ultimate goal – continuing the work and fulfilling the promise he began years ago.

“As a second-year student I don’t have it all figured out yet but I’ve really enjoyed the work I’ve been doing in the summer and I’d like to do that moving forward, at least in the short term,” he says. “Long term, my goal has always been to go back to southern Alberta and put the experience I hope to have gained along the way to use back home.”

Kulig and wildfire group are community focussed

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:47:59 +0000

Recently published research from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Dr. Judith Kulig and the Rural Wildfire Study Group suggests that communities affected by significant traumatic events invest in recovery efforts that focus on the community as a whole, and not just those who experienced losses as a result of the event.

Kulig has spent considerable time researching rural health issues and community resiliency, particularly in communities that have experienced wildfire events.

In a paper just published in the Journal of Community Psychology, Kulig and co-authors Dr. Ivan Townshend (geography, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge), Dr. Dana Edge (nursing, Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ), Dr. William Reimer (sociology, Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) and Dr. Nancy Lightfoot (rural and northern health, Laurentian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) suggest that a community’s ability to recover from a wildfire event is impacted by many factors, but that it is imperative that all members of the community receive timely access to recovery services, whether or not they were evacuated during the event or experienced a tangible loss.

Dr. Judith Kulig and the Rural Wildfire Study Group offer key recommendations for community rebuilding after disaster.

“While our study reflects the experiences of those in a wildfire event, the results are relatable to similar traumatic community events, such as the recent flooding in High River and the urban communities in Calgary,” says Kulig.

The Rural Wildfire Study Group conducted a series of qualitative interviews with community members who experienced wildfire events in Barriere, B.C. (2003) and LaRonge, Sask. (1999) to answer the question, “Does the severity level of wildfires based on loss make a difference to the experience of individual and community impacts?”

The results of those interviews suggest that residents in both communities, whether or not they experienced loss, were significantly impacted by the event.

Further, in order to facilitate the social rebuilding of these communities, it was important that community resources be made available to all members of the community to mitigate lingering negative effects of the event.

“There is an expectation that those who were evacuated from the community or who experienced the loss of physical property as a result of the event are in need of and will receive community support and resources,” says Kulig. “But our research shows that there is often a long-term emotional impact felt throughout the community and that these resources must be available on a much wider scale to help the community heal.”

In the end, tragic events have the capability of bringing communities together in a cohesive and supportive manner.

Through continued gathering of information about the varying responses of community residents who have experienced traumatic community events, Kulig and her group hope to better understand the impact and duration of the effects and determine appropriate disaster recovery protocols.

Additional information about Kulig’s research, and recommendations for community rebuilding after a disaster, can be found at the following website: www.ruralwildfire.ca

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes faculty excellence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:21:16 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge honoured faculty and postdoctoral fellows across campus who received academic research awards of distinction, secured research funding or published their research findings in the last year at Thursday's Celebrating Research Reception in Markin Hall.

The U of L also recognized those who had books published within the last calendar year.

Below is a list of the awards presented.

Research Awards: External

Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation (ASTech) Award: Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness
Kristy Burke | Conference & Event Services

American Oil Chemists' Society Timothy L. Mounts Award
Roman Przybylski | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP) Chairs
Chris Hopkinson | Geography, Terrestrial Ecosystems Remote Sensing
Greg Pyle | Biological Sciences, Aquatic Health

Canada Research Chairs
Louise Barrett | Psychology, Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour, Tier 1
Stacey Wetmore | Chemistry & Biochemistry, Computational Chemistry, Tier 2

Canadian Insolvency Foundation Lloyd Houlden Research Fellowship
Gordon Hunter | Management

Confederation of Alberta Faculty Association (CAFA) Distinguished Academic Award
Trudy Govier | Philosophy

Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal
Reginald Bibby | Sociology
Peter McCormick | Political Science
Richard Mrazek | Education

World Council for Curriculum & Instruction Distinguished Leadership Award
Peter Heffernan | Education

Research Awards: Internal

Ingrid Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Performance
Joseph Rasmussen | Biological Sciences

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair

Igor Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Sergio Pellis | Neuroscience

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Scholars
Janice Rahn | Education
Peter Visentin | Music
Judith Whitehead | Anthropology

Research Grants: External

Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies Grant
Noella Piquette | Education
Jennifer Thannhauser | Education

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Wei Xu | Geography

Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research Grant
(2) Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Taras Polataiko | Art
Janice Rahn/Michael Campbell | Education/Art Co-Principal Investigators

Alberta Gaming Research Institute Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Gabriela Novotna | Addictions Counselling
Claudia Steinke | Nursing

Alberta Inflammatory Bowel Disease Grant
Sameer Despande | Management

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-Director

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Sustainability Funds
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy
Paul Vasey | Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) Grant
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Leanne Elias | New Media
Carmen Mombourquette | Education
Monique Sedgwick | Nursing
David Slomp | Education
(2) Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies

Alzheimer Society of Canada Grant
Shannon Spenceley | Nursing

American Cancer Society Grant
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health

ATB Financial
Gordon Hunter/Dan Kazakoff | Management

Canada Council for the Arts Grant
Mary Kavanagh | Art
Maria Ng | English

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Grant
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences
Olga Kovalchuk | Biological Sciences, Co-applicant

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Nadia Rochdi/Karl Staenz | Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre/Geography

Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund Grant
Aaron Gruber | Neuroscience
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Andrew Iwaniuk | Neuroscience
Hans-Joachim Wieden | Chemistry & Biochemistry

CIHR Emerging Team Grant
Gabriela Novotna | Health Sciences

CIHR Café Scientifique Grant
Penny D'Agnone | Office of Research & Innovation Services

CIHR Operating Grant
Sameer Deshpande | Management, Co-applicant
Judith Kulig | Nursing

CIHR Research Planning Grant
Sameer Desphande | Management, Co-applicant

Canadian Space Agency Contract
Karl Staenz | Geography
(2) David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy

Canadian Wildlife Federation
Richard Mrazek | Education

Department of Defense Contract
Albert Cross | Neuroscience

European Union FP7 Grant
David Naylor | Physics & Astronomy, Co-applicant

Grand Challenges in Global Health Grant
Gerlinde Metz | Neuroscience, Co-applicant

Health Canada Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences, Co-applicant

Heritage Canada Grant for Aid to Scholarly Publication
Peter Heffernan | Education

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction Grant
Judith Kulig | Health Sciences

Max Bell Foundation Award
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant

Monieson Centre, Queen's Business School
Gordon Hunter | Management

National Science Foundation
Jennifer Mather | Psychology, Collaborating Consultant

NSERC Collaborative Research & Training Experience (CREATE) Grant
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience

NSERC Discovery Grant
Louise Barrett | Psychology
Sarah Boon | Geography
Howard Cheng | Mathematics & Computer Science
Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Jon Doan | Kinesiology & Physical Education
Cam Goater | Biological Sciences
Bruce McNaughton | Neuroscience
Jackie Rice | Mathematics & Computer Science
Elizabeth Schultz | Biological Sciences
Robert Sutherland | Neuroscience
Soroosh Yazdani | Mathematics & Computer Science

NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grant
Amir Akbary | Mathematics & Computer Science
Paul Hazendonk | Chemistry & Biochemistry

Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Shahadat Hossain | Mathematics & Computer Science

SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals Grant
Peter Heffernan | Education
Edward Jurkowski | Music

SSHRC Insight Development Grant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant

SSHRC Insight Grant
Harold Jansen | Political Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Noella Piquette | Education, Co-applicant
Paul Vasey | Psychology

SSHRC Partnership Grant
Yale Belanger | Native American Studies, Co-applicant
Henning Bjornlund | Economics, Co-applicant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies, Co-applicant
Abdie Kazemipur | Sociology, Co-applicant
Richard Mueller | Economics, Co-applicant
Ivan Townshend | Geography, Co-applicant
Wei Xu | Geography, Co-applicant

SSHRC Public Outreach Grant
Debra Basil | Management

TECTERRA
Wei Xu/Karl Staenz | Geography

Research Grants: Internal

Emmy Droog Research Awards in Health Sciences Grant
Cheryl Currie | Public Health
Ruth Grant Kalischuk | Nursing

Interdisciplinary Research Development Fund Grant
Leanne Elias | New Media
Team: John Usher (Management), Janice Rahn (Education), Michael Campbell (Art) and Cheryl Meheden (Management)
Roy Golsteyn | Biological Sciences
Team: Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) and David Naylor (Physics & Astronomy)
Josephine Mills | Art
Team: Louise Barrett (Psychology), Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Drama), Emily Luce (New Media), Bruce MacKay (Liberal Education Program) and Tiffany Muller Myrdahl (Women & Gender Studies)
Nicole Rosen | Modern Languages
Team: Inge Genee (Modern Languages), Robbin Gibb (Neuroscience), Claudia Gonzalez (Kinesiology & Physical Education), Fangfang Li (Psychology) and Noella Piquette (Education)
Carol Williams | Women & Gender Studies
Team: Glenda Bonifacio (Women & Gender Studies), Bonnie Lee (Health Sciences), Linda ManyGuns (Native American Studies) and Patrick Wilson (Anthropology)

Parkland Institute Faculty Research Grant
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) Grant
Jerimy Cunningham | Anthropology
Claudia Malacrida | Sociology
Janay Nugent | History
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal
Artistic/Creative Grant
Michael Campbell | Art
Dagmar Dahl | Art
Mary Kavanagh | Art

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Internal SSHRC Grant
Michelle Hogue | First Nations' Transition Program
Janay Nugent | History
Kent Peacock | Philosophy
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Dissemination Grant
Glenda Bonifacio | Women & Gender Studies
Inge Genee | Modern Languages
Catherine Kingfisher | Anthropology
Janice Newberry | Anthropology
Hillary Rodrigues/John Harding | Religious Studies
Arlan Schultz | Music
Amy Shaw | History

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Research Fund Grant
Vishaal Baulkaran/Ebenezer Asem | Finance
Sarah Boon | Geography
Shawn Bubel | Geography
Michael Campbell | Art
Arundhati Dasgupta | Physics & Astronomy
Larry Flanagan | Biological Sciences
Claudia Gonzales/Fangfang Li | Kinesiology & Physical Education/Psychology
Ute Wieden-Kothe | Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jason Laurendeau | Sociology
Raphael Lencucha | Public Health
Hua Li | Mathematics & Computer Science
Heidi MacDonald | History
Kimberly Mair | Sociology
Steve Patitsas/Saurya Das | Physics & Astronomy
Adriana Predoi-Cross | Physics & Astronomy
Drew Rendall | Psychology
Shelley Scott | Theatre & Drama
David Siminovitch/Tony Montina | Physics & Astronomy
D. Andrew Stewart | Music
Mark Walton | Physics & Astronomy
John Zhang | Mathematics & Computer Science

Post-Doctoral Fellow Awards Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Postgraduate Fellowship
Ben Clark | Neuroscience
Corinne Montes-Rodriquez | Neuroscience
Jake Ormond | Neuroscience
Ivan Skelin | Neuroscience
Aaron Wilber | Neuroscience

Canadian Space Agency Space Science Enhancement Award Postdoctoral Fellowship
Matthijs Van Der Wiel | Physics & Astronomy

CIHR Fellowship
Hendrik Steenland | Neuroscience

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Research Support Allowance (Short-Term) for North American and European Researchers
Noelle Gunst | Psychology

Book Awards 2013 recipients

M. Gordon Hunter & Dan Kazakoff (authors): Small Business: Journey to Success

Shawn Bubel, James McMurchy & Duncan Lloyd (authors): Record In Stone: Familiar Projectile Points From Alberta

Jean-Baptiste Leca, Michael A. Huffman & Paul Vasey (editors): The Monkeys of Smokey Mountain

Sarah Glassford & Amy Shaw (editors): A Sisterhood of Suffering and Service: Women and Girls of Canada and Newfoundland during the First World War

Geoffrey Hale (author): So Near Yet So Far: The Public and Hidden Worlds of Canada-U.S. Relations

Aaron Taylor (editor): Theorizing Film Acting

Marc R. Roussel (author): A Life Scientist's Guide to Physical Chemistry

Glena Tibe Bonifacio (editor): Feminism and Migration: Cross-cultural Engagements

Robert J. Williams, Robert T. Wood & Jonathan Parke (editors): The Routledge International Handbook of Internet Gambling

Arundhati Dasgupta (editor): Recent Research in Quantum Gravity

John S. Harding (editor): Studying Buddhism in Practice

Yale D. Belanger (editor): First Nations Gaming in Canada

Yongjian Bao & Wenlong Yuan (authors): The Contrarian Way of Crisis Management

Keith Roscoe & Rick Mrazek (authors): Developing Scientific Literacy: Ideas and Strategies for Planning, Assessment, and Instruction

Blythe Shepard & Lorna Martin (authors): Supervision of Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Handbook for Canadian Certified Supervisors and Applicants

Margaret A. Winzer & Kas Mazurek (editors): International Practices in Special Education: Debates and Challenges

Judith C. Kulig & Allison M. Williams (editors): Health in Rural Canada

Olga Kovalchuk & Igor Kovalchuk (authors) Epigenetics in Health and Disease

Kulig study a blueprint for recovery

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:14:40 +0000

The recent fire in Slave Lake, Alta. has left many people wondering how the community will rebuild and, most importantly, cope with the aftermath of a devastating event that destroyed approximately one third of the community, including homes, the library, town government offices, businesses and much more.

The answer to that lies in the overall health and resiliency of the community itself – and there is strong evidence to back that statement from researchers like Dr. Judith Kulig (health sciences) who, with several colleagues, has spent the past decade examining what happens in smaller communities when disaster strikes, and how the overall health of the community is reflected in its ability to recover from disaster.

Dr. Judith Kulig researches community resiliency after tragedies such as wildfire events.

Over the past decade, wildfires in Canada have forced nearly 700,000 people to be evacuated from more than 250 communities. This has caused massive amounts of financial, environmental and personal damage, including job losses, the loss of residents in a community, as well as lingering health and emotional challenges.

The research team, which includes
Dr. Ivan Townshend (geography) and members from universities in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and Australia, has studied fires in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and has found that there are common elements that can contribute to increasing a sense of community resiliency in the face of large-scale disasters, such as wildfires.

Disaster Preparedness

· Develop memorandums of understanding with relevant agencies to ensure that during and after the disaster, arising issues are addressed and that lines of communication and authority are in place.

· Develop public education and disaster awareness that is appropriate for the community (e.g., having a livestock evacuation plan).

· Create an updated community disaster plan, which identifies a back-up community that could assist, and transportation plans for evacuations (e.g., use of school busses).

· Maintain up-to-date maps to locate all individuals that may need evacuation.

· Establish policies to determine if large gatherings planned for the time period of an evacuation or evacuation alert should be cancelled.

During the Disaster

· Develop communication strategies so that the evacuees are updated about the condition of their homes and community during the wildfire.

· Create effective coordination of all relevant agencies.

· Ensure adequate safety and surveillance procedures are in place for vacated property.

After the Disaster

· Collect economic, social and health data in communities that experience wild-fires for 5 years after the wildfire and then every 10 years for 3 more decades.

· Develop temporary programs for the school-aged population to help them deal with the ongoing issues associated with the wildfire.

· Provide long-term mental health/community change facilitation for all community members.

· Provide financial counseling for families.

Fostering Community Resiliency

· Providing opportunities for local residents to gather and reflect on the disaster experience thereby building their networks and developing
opportunities for interaction.

· Organize celebrations to provide avenues for social support while also creating a sense of belonging and community.

· Provide support for local leaders and develop mechanisms to create the next generation of leaders within the community.

Complete study results are available on the rural wildfire website (www.ruralwildfire.ca).

Donations are still being accepted for the Slave Lake recovery process through the Canadian Red Cross (www.redcross.ca).

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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