UNews - High River

Looking back at an amazing year at the U of L

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 17:16:55 +0000

It has been an incredibly busy year for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on a number of fronts. From groundbreaking research activities to hosting national events to serving as a shelter for the province’s greatest storm, the U of L has been front and centre.

As we wrap up 2013, we’ve compiled a sampling of some of the major activities that took place in and around the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ this past calendar year. This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor is it a ranking, rather it is simply a snapshot of the many ways in which the U of L impacts the world we know.

The Destination Project promises to shape the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for the next 50 years.

Government of Alberta dedicates $200 million to the Destination Project

In December, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ announced a $200-million investment from the Government of Alberta to the Destination Project. What promises to be a transformative project that will shape the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s future for the next 50 years, it will involve the construction of new science facilities, a new energy plant and the revitalization of the original ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall.

“I cannot overstate how momentous this day is to the future of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and southern Alberta as a whole,” said ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon. “This is the most significant development of our Lethbridge campus since ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall was completed in 1972.

“The Destination Project will contribute to Alberta’s ability to recruit the best and brightest scientific talent to our province, but it is more than a teaching and research space. Rather, it is a place for community engagement and outreach; a research incubator; a place where undergraduate and graduate research opportunities develop; where knowledge transfer and commercialization happen; a place where the next generation of researchers, scientists and scholars credit for the start of their science careers.”

Rowing for research

In January, a seemingly impossible journey began off the coast of Dakar, Senegal and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was well represented.

Adam Kreek, a Canadian Olympic rower, set off on a trek with three other distance rowers, Markus Pukonen, Pat Fleming and Jordan Hanssen, as they attempted to row unassisted for more than 3,700 nautical miles to Miami, Florida.

Along the way, researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, led by the late Dr. Rick Mrazek of the Faculty of Education, tracked their progress and collected data for a number of studies.

Followed by students in community classrooms, the trek received a massive amount of media interest. Unfortunately, the mission came to a dramatic conclusion in early April when the crew’s 29-foot boat was capsized by a massive wave off the coast of Puerto Rico. The crew members all survived the ordeal and the boat was eventually recovered.

We love our Canadian football

Dr. Reg Bibby (sociology) has always had an interest in Canadiana, and much of his research work involves tracking trends related to Canadian popular culture.

In advance of the November Grey Cup game, Bibby worked with Angus Reid Global to test Canadians on their sporting tastes. His findings, particularly in relation to the growth of football popularity, were featured in media across the nation.

Bibby specifically looked at not only whether Canadians loved football, but also drew a picture of our taste for both Canadian and American football and whether the National Football League could ever be welcomed in Canada. His conclusion was that the NFL could make a go, but only if the Canadian Football League would also remain strong, was a topic of interest throughout the country.

Herschel goes silent

Dr. David Naylor is at the forefront of the science of space imaging.

A pioneering space imaging mission that sent a scientific instrument co-developed by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. David Naylor on a 1.5 million kilometer trip to deep space came to its conclusion in March when the Herschel Space Observatory finally went dark.

Naylor and his team of researchers led Canada’s contribution to the Herschel project on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency. Their instrument, called the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), was one of three devices attached to Herschel. It was designed to pick up heat and chemical signals not visible by optical telescopes, and turn the data collected into amazing images and information used to learn more about the life and death of stars and galaxies.

Naylor and his cohorts are now busy in the five-year post operation phase of the project, where the data obtained is used to develop improved calibration algorithms to allow the most information to be extracted from the images.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ welcomes High River evacuees

When floodwaters began to rise in Central and southern Alberta in late June, nobody could have predicted the devastation that would eventually occur.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, although a long way from the flood zone, became a very important location to a number of flood victims as the summer wore on. With much of their town under water, High River residents were forced into a number of makeshift shelters as they waited for the floodwaters to subside. The U of L stepped up and made available its residence buildings throughout the month of July. Over the course of the month, anywhere from 200 to 400 evacuees called the U of L their temporary home, many of which were families with small children.

While at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, evacuees had access to all the U of L amenities, including the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre, the fitness centre, cafeteria and so on. Many children took part in summer camps and for a brief window of time, some normalcy and routine was returned to their lives.

Survival of the fabulous: Vasey research on the Nature of Things

Dr. Paul Vasey's research has been featured by a number of media sources.

Psychology professor Dr. Paul Vasey was all over the newswire in November when his research on the Samoan fa’afafine went mainstream with a spot on David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things.

Vasey’s research into the ‘third gender’ biological males who live as women, was a key ingredient of the program and brought to light the evolutionary debate about why homosexuality survives despite it being a trait that seems to prevent reproduction.

Alumnus takes a stand against bullying

Manwar Khan, a 37-year-old IT professional, saw his life change in an instant when he witnessed a brutal beating on an Edmonton LRT train. Powerless to stop the attack, he struggled coming to terms with the victim’s eventual death and decided to take action.

In April, Khan staged the first of three anti-bullying rallies he would hold across the province. His first, in Edmonton, attracted city officials, concerned citizens and multiple media outlets.

“I want to encourage people to stand up against bullying, not just stand by,” said Khan.

With support from the U of L, the proud alumnus would go on to host rallies in both Calgary and Lethbridge, furthering the community-minded attributes he acquired during his time as a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student.

Protocol handbook a guide for FNMI inclusion

What began as an exercise in process turned into a major leap forward for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit community at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The creation of the FNMI Protocol Handbook has initiated a unique way of sharing knowledge between the FNMI community and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ensured that the significance of FNMI traditional activities will endure at the U of L.

The subject of a CBC television and radio feature story, the handbook received a great deal of media attention when it was released.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA) ’72, DASc ’04), professor of Native American Studies and the FNMI Advisor to the President, says the handbook is more than a simple document, rather it is a living text that will continue to evolve as does the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its relationship with the FNMI community.

“I was recently telling my class that one of the most profound ways that humans learn is through exchange with other humans and exchanges of ideas and experiences,” says Little Bear. “Not much learning occurs in a vacuum. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has developed and continues to foster these relationships, and I am very pleased to have had a role in developing this resource, which provides a foundation for ongoing exchange that we hope enriches the educational experience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.”

Nurturing the next generation of scientists

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ hosted one of the largest events it has ever staged in May when it opened its doors to more than 1,100 students, chaperones, judges and sponsors at the 2013 Canada-Wide Science Fair.

The venue was perfect for the fledgling scientists as they had the opportunity to take part in Discovery Day, a chance to learn about the exciting multidisciplinary research activities that take place on a daily basis at the u of L.

The amazing event went off without a hitch and close to $1 million in cash, prizes and scholarships were handed out to the best student presentations.

All the while, the southern Alberta community was treated to some incredible science from the next generation of researchers.

Rankings tell us what we already know

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has never been about defining itself through external ranking devices but when the rankings consistently show the institution as one of the country’s best, it’s hard not to take it as a feather in the cap.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continues to pride itself in providing the best educational atmosphere for its students.

This past year, the U of L maintained top-three national rankings in both Maclean’s and Research Infosource. But rather than the ranking, it was the way in which the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ achieved its lofty status that pleased President Mike Mahon.

“We’re very pleased that the ranking indicators reflect many of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s fundamental priorities, notably our philosophy of creating a supportive atmosphere for our students in a setting that fosters academic excellence and engaging research opportunities,” said Mahon. “All of this would not be possible without the contributions of our faculty and staff who have embraced the U of L’s vision and made the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ a destination of choice for our students.”

At the end of the day, it is all about creating opportunities for success for our students and the U of L will continue with that as its guiding principle for years to come.

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

Factoring the ‘people equation’ into future flood hazard planning key to helping communities recover

trevor.kenney — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 21:25:05 +0000

- community input necessary to help with future flood reduction strategies
- flood hazard mapping needs to be updated as communities and river systems change
- majority of flood hazard studies are now up to two decades old

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge geography researcher is suggesting that flood mitigation and future planning processes involve people in the communities most affected – to help cities and towns look ahead and reduce some of the challenges faced across the province by recent flooding.

Dr. Tom Johnston, who studies human dimensions of natural hazards, said that as much as the recently-announced flood mitigation plan and other measures, such as an expert panel on flood issues, are important and timely steps forward, the processes by which people and the environment engage is what concerns him as flood reduction planning begins.

"With many thousands of people displaced over a short period of time, entire communities affected by flooding and the dramatic change that has brought to how people live, work and interact with each other, the critical element to planning for the future is community engagement."

Johnston says that structural responses – constructing flood-control dams, or physically changing or dredging parts of a river to better manage water flow -- need to be matched with non-structural or policy-based responses, such as incorporating the latest and best available flood hazard information into community and land-use planning, and even prohibiting development in high-risk places.

"It is extremely important that in addition to scientists and engineers that we have community involvement in any land-use planning process, not only to ensure that the challenge of flooding is minimized, but also to have the community members be aware of, and fully involved in, the future of their community."

Johnston adds that social scientists, such as human geographers and other behavioural scientists also need to be included in the discussion because their expertise would complement the expertise of hydrologists and engineers. "One would be foolish to consult a cardiologist about a hip replacement, so why would we rely on experts trained in disciplines that don't deal with understanding human behaviour for advice on human dimensions of hazard management?"

Johnston says that it's stating the obvious that no one wishes to go through another flood season like this. "Regardless of how affected a particular community is – from severe to moderate -- it would be prudent to get people more directly involved and looking ahead not only to next year, but 30 or more years in the future, so they could say they helped to solve a big problem for the next generation of residents. This year's flooding in the Bow River Basin was extreme. The chances of a flood of that magnitude occurring in any given year are very low — probably less than one per cent — but we need to remember that includes next year."

The Government of Alberta recently rolled out a Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan, which Johnston says will be helpful to increase public awareness about flood-affected areas of the province.

"A central feature of the plan is a web-based interactive map that highlights "Flood Hazard Areas" down to the local scale. The GIS-based system is operator friendly, and if you have used interactive mapping software on your smart phone or some other device, you can easily navigate this system," Johnston says. http://environment.alberta.ca/01655.html

The hazard maps will be useful for home buyers, and should be helpful in guiding flood-proofing efforts and for land-use planning, Johnston adds, but in order for the system to achieve anything close to its full potential, two conditions must be satisfied.

"First, the studies used to delineate flood hazard areas should be as current as possible. Second, local and regional authorities charged with the responsibility for land-use planning must be willing to use the system to guide their decision making, even though this could involve constraining the range of residential location choices available to citizens."

Johnston says that as of June, 2013, more than 50 flood hazard studies had been completed for the provincial government.

"The most recent studies in and around the communities experiencing severe flooding in June were completed after February, 1996, or 17 years ago." (http://environment.alberta.ca/01656.html )

"Many were completed under the Canada-Alberta Flood Damage Reduction Program, a program which began in 1989, but lapsed in 1999. The studies covered most of the province, including all of the heavily populated ones. A majority of the studies -- approximately 60 per cent -- are now up to two decades old. During that time, communities have changed, and the physical geography of entire regions have changed as residential and commercial developments increased."

Given the recent flood events, future hazard zone mapping should be more consistent, Johnston says.

"We are dealing with dynamic systems, many of which are under increasing pressure from a variety of human activities, so it is prudent to make sure they are done regularly."

When a panel chaired by George Groeneveld, then the Alberta MLA for the constituency of Highwood (encompassing High River and surrounding areas) submitted its report following the 2005 floods (website link below) Johnston says it included in its recommendations that Alberta Environment develop a maintenance program to ensure that the flood risk maps are updated when appropriate. "This is a recommendation that many in the flood mitigation and hazard response communities would like to see acted upon sooner rather than later."

As well, Johnston says that any future planning process should also include a review of legislation surrounding land development to require that the level of flood hazard must be taken into account in the course of land development decisions.

"The current regulations state that local authorities 'may' require developers to stipulate "…if the land subject to the application is located in a potential flood plain.' The province may wish to raise the bar in light of recent events." http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2002_043.pdf

Additional Resources:

"Provincial Flood Mitigation Report: Consultation and Recommendations" http://www.aema.alberta.ca/images/News/Provincial_Flood_Mitigation_Report.pdf

The State of Flood Plain Mapping in Ontario (a report prepared for the Catastrophic Loss Reduction Institute of Canada): http://www.iclr.org/images/2007_June_ICLRPRESFloodMapping.pdf

Flood Plain Mapping (overview of BC program): http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/data_searches/fpm/

FEMA Flood Plain Map Service Center: https://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1

-- 30 --

Contact:

Dr. Tom Johnston, Department of Geography
(403) 329-2534 office
(403) 915-5805 cell
johnston@uleth.ca

Dr. Johnston will be away from the office on August 19, 20 and 21, but can be available via cellphone and e-mail

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ encourages donations be made to Red Cross/Salvation Army

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:14:25 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is encouraging those interested in helping evacuees who are temporarily housed in campus residences to make cash donations to organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

In recent days, a few well-meaning residents have dropped off physical donations on campus.

As the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is not set up to receive and process these items, unsolicited donations become an additional challenge for staff members who are working daily to make our High River guests comfortable at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"The willingness to give demonstrated by Lethbridge and area residents is truly extraordinary," says Erin Crane, manager of Conference Services and Events. "Unfortunately, unsolicited donations at our campus, especially if received in bulk, can be an unnecessary distraction for our staff and volunteers. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is receiving the additional support it requires through organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army."

Monetary donations can be made to the Red Cross through their website at http://www.redcross.ca and to the Salvation Army at http://www.salvationarmy.ca

Gift launches Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage

trevor.kenney — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:17:36 +0000

Jim Coutts, a southern Alberta-based art collector, political advisor and philanthropist, has formally turned over his homestead property and a significant portion of his art collection to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

On Thursday, June 30, the U of L will formally recognize Coutts for his gift, and launch the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage, located on the more than 100-year-old property that once belonged to Coutts's grandfather.

Jim Coutts shares his homestead property with southern Albertans.

The gift, valued at more than $2 million, is comprised of a quarter section of land, the original homestead, extensive gardens and restored outbuildings, as well as more than 200 items from his personal art collection.

Coutts, whose homestead is located just east of Nanton, Alta., is the former secretary and advisor to two Canadian prime ministers (Pearson and Trudeau). He has travelled extensively and acquired art from around the world, with a large portion of his collection showing a clear western Canadian theme.

He purchased the homestead property in 1988 and has since rebuilt it with extensive gardens, restored farm buildings and plots of native grasses and other plants as a tribute to his family and their struggles as pioneers in a harsh prairie environment.

A noted art collector, Coutts gifted many of his most prized pieces to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

"When you look at the place now with the gardens, grasses and trees and the beauty depicted in the photographs and paintings, that's one thing," says Coutts. "But for many years, for those who came first, it was a very difficult and painful place to live."

Follow this link to a flickr gallery of photos of the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage. Watch the video below as Coutts describes his connection to the land and his vision for the Coutts Centre.

The property is very much an expression of Coutts himself. The buildings are scattered across the land and include the original homestead; a chicken house, now a guest suite; a barn; and an old ice house and granary, moved from Coutts's mother's neighbouring property, and which are now used as artists' sanctuaries. Additionally, the landscaping and gardens are structured to welcome visitors and encourage exploration.

"Gardens really don't belong to you," Coutts says of his decision to donate the property to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. "You may as well make it a public place where people can come, freely wander around and experience it. It's your garden, but in fact, nobody really owns their garden. You create a garden, but it is there for everybody."

Coutts was born in nearby High River, but grew up in Nanton. "When you grow up someplace, part of you stays there and part of that place goes with you wherever you are," says Coutts. "Wherever I travelled I always thought of Nanton because it was where I was raised, and I always thought of the land, the prairies, the foothills and so I wanted to have some connection with it and that's why I came back."

"People say you can't go back -- you leave someplace, you really can't go back," says Coutts. "You can visit your parents or you can visit your friends but I've just been blessed because I've been able to come back, I've been able to be a part of the community and be here. I feel I belong here and this is part of me."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has asked Coutts to stay involved and to help in the future development of the property.

"The idea is it would be a centre for the visual arts, a centre for horticulture, a centre for prairie restoration and a centre for rural community development," says Coutts. "The development has been a partnership: a partnership with the gardeners, a partnership with the carpenters and the men and women who helped with the restoration, and it's a partnership with my neighbours."

Coutts had been pondering what might happen to the property in the future and, like the many relationships he has developed to create the property, wanted to find a suitable partner to help carry on the work he started.

"The people from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge were prepared to do exactly what I wanted," says Coutts. "They were prepared to keep it going. It was a continuum of what I started, what I was doing and what I wanted to see in the future."

The property enables the U of L to enhance the student experience in ways relevant to the goals and values described within the framework of a liberal education. "Treating the Coutts Centre as a living classroom, students, faculty and visitors will make use of the natural setting to study the history, artwork, ecosystems and geography associated with the area," says U of L President Mike Mahon.

"We are honoured to be entrusted with this incredible property and more than 200 works of art depicting the beauty of the prairie landscape," says Mahon. "As southern Alberta's university, we recognize the great responsibility we have to all those who call the prairies home."

Some of the artwork donated by Coutts has been displayed through curated exhibitions and publications, and objects from the collection have already been made available to students and faculty during the course of their study.

"We are very grateful to have Jim Coutts as a partner as we establish the Coutts Centre for Western Canadian Heritage, which will preserve and celebrate the diverse culture that is central to the spirit of the west," says Mahon.

"The opportunities this presents for our students, faculty and the southern Alberta community are extensive, and I know many people will look forward to learning in this remarkable location."

Jim Coutts explores "home pain" and his artistic mission

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:42:07 +0000

When collectors are honest with themselves, they admit that there is neither rhyme nor reason to what they do. In fact they seldom think of themselves as collectors. From time to time they acquire paintings that appeal to them. When they have a few artworks they start to think – what is all this about?

It is only in retrospect that they manage to identify themes that prompted them to acquire in the first place – this is certainly my experience.

There is a German expression, "Heimweh," which translates as "home pain." It is more than home-sickness – it is the profound and lasting longing in the stranger to be home – a feeling that over the years gave much substance to works of art and song.

Margaret Shelton, Farm, 1981 Watercolour on paper | From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

Part of the landscape you know as a youth travels with you – and part of you always remains in your home landscape. That was my experience of southwest Alberta – especially the Porcupine Hills. Fortunately I have now been able to return here.

The works that I've collected along the way usually reflect my "home pain." One day I lunched with a collector friend in Toronto who said, "There is a painting at the Godard Gallery you should see." I went to see it, liked it (in fact was haunted by it) and eventually bought it.

When I got the painting home I looked on the back of the canvas and saw the title – "Sanfois West of Nanton" by Barbara Ballachey. It was Timber Ridge in the Porcupine Hills – a scene I had seen a hundred times! It is a fine painting but it was the home pain that captured me.

I was fortunate to grow up in the 1950s in Nanton, Alta., with a mentor dedicated to art. Dorothy Dowhan culturally adopted me, and from the age of 12 dragged me along to art shows and concerts in Calgary. Those evening events were often held at the Coste House, a Calgary centre for graphic and performing arts. Later she gave me a small 1958 painting of West Dover, N.S., by John Cook. Soon, armed with that one possession and numerous mental images from years of having looked and looked, I slowly and hesitantly began to acquire art on my own.

I began to meet western artists like Joe Fafard and Janet Mitchell. Janet and I became friends. After acquiring several of her works, I talked her into letting me be her agent, because she found it impossible to set prices on her works – which were getting better and better, while she was selling them for less and less. I soon found myself befriending a number of Canadian dealers who educated and coached me on Canadian art history.

As Janet shared her ideas about art, I began looking at landscape differently and so many of the pieces I collected over the following 50 years were done by Prairie artists, struggling to capture space and light and the wonderful detail of the Canadian Prairies.

Ivan Eyre, Valley River, 2007 Acrylic on canvas | From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

Janet's landscapes were sometimes called squiggles on a board – but were in fact highly imaginative and she got the prairies exactly right.

Business and politics would keep me travelling for decades. But along the way I made a wonderful discovery. Virtually every village in the world has at least one person drawing, painting, carving – sometimes you have to look hard, but they are there. While travelling I often visited them and began collecting works by local blacksmiths, carpenters, painters, sketchers and sculptors. And in recent years I've come home to discover first-class artists in Nanton, Cayley, Fort Macleod, High River and Claresholm.

So there it is. My "artistic mission" has been a modest but deeply satisfying one: just poking around, meeting some wonderful people and occasionally acquiring artworks I liked. The theme of place clearly seemed to arise again and again in works I acquired, as I tried to deal with the home pain I felt. As a near-neighbour of the U of L I suspect my home pain will be a little less intense now, knowing that these works will be right "at home" here in the Art Gallery of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

A sense of place

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:04:36 +0000

Born and raised in southern Alberta, Jim Coutts has been collecting art since he was 17. As the former secretary to two prime ministers, Coutts travelled extensively and looked at art around the world, but his collection has a clear western Canadian theme.

After recently donating more than 200 pieces to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection, Coutts paints his own picture of life on the Prairies.

Jim Coutts eyes the long, ruler-straight road approaching his Nanton property with a discerning gaze – analysing the qualities of available light, interpreting the natural contrast between the earth and the sky, and considering composition of the image in his mind's eye.

Jim Coutts, photo by Jaime Vedres.

"The grass blows a little in the wind, giving some movement to a hill in the distance, and the land just keeps drawing you out to it," says Coutts, describing an image from memory. "I find this space absolutely enchanting. Some people think it's boring because you drive and drive for hours and they feel there's nothing there, but there's a great deal there and it's the vastness and simplicity that makes it so hauntingly beautiful."

Born in High River and raised in Nanton, 80 kilometres south of Calgary, Coutts is as much a product of southern Alberta as the grasses that blanket the Porcupine Hills. Growing up in a rural community, Coutts remembers endlessly long summer days spent racing bicycles down the streets of his hometown.

"During the summer, I always had stuff to do. I was very busy – in my own mind at least," says Coutts, allowing nostalgia to creep in. "The thing about memory is that it improves over time, and events get better and better the more you remember them."

But the memory of his grandfather, W.H. (Bill) Allan, looking longingly at a homestead he'd given up, remained unchanged.

"As a young boy, I would go into his field with him in the summers," says Coutts. "We would walk over to the old homestead from that field, which was just across the road. He always told me he never should have given up that property and, although I didn't understand it, I could tell that it was a painful memory for him."

Allan was one of many settlers who, searching for a better life, travelled thousands of miles across Canada in the early years of the last century. He farmed a quarter section of land near Nanton before losing the property during the 1920s and moving his family into town. Visiting the property as a child resonated with Coutts, who felt an attachment to the land he couldn't explain at the time. He now believes the homestead provides him with a sense of place but is also symbolic of the difficulties of prairie life.

"We look at beautiful things and we see only the good," says Coutts. "We forget that our ancestors and our forebears stumbled and fell and picked themselves up and kept going. Part of our history is the history of struggle."

While crops sometimes failed, the prairie soil proved fertile ground for art and culture. At the age of 12, Coutts caught the attention of Dorothy Dowhan, a local newspaper editor with friends in the artistic community, and started visiting art galleries, theatres and even gardens as her guest.

"Dorothy took a great interest in young people and would spot individuals who were showing interest in wider subjects," says Coutts of the woman he describes as a mentor. "She had a lot of friends, and I met some very interesting people through her."

Respectful of its history, the new Coutts homestead faces west to the Porcupine Hills, foothills of the Canadian Rockies, which are often topped in snow even as the gardens bloom. The original buildings scattered across this sweep of prairie represent a coming home for this southern Alberta boy.

It was Dorothy who gave a then 17-year-old Coutts his first piece of art.

"Dorothy gave me a little oil by John Cook – who's still around and still painting – when I went to university," says Coutts, who hung the picture in his dorm room while completing a law degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

Armed with a single painting and an appreciation developed over years and years of looking, Coutts began buying art on his own.

"I'd been going to galleries for 10 years and I just kept looking," explains Coutts. "Toward the end of my university days I would splurge and buy a print for $50. Gradually I became a bit of a pack rat."

Collector is more accurate. Hesitant at first, Coutts soon began collecting with determination and ferocity, qualities he would demonstrate in his professional life as well.

"I studied law because I thought I could get a job when I finished," admits Coutts. "I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I was very interested in public life."

Admiring the progressive politics of provincial Liberal leader, Harper Prowse, Coutts entered the political scene in 1953 with a desire to affect change. Ten years later, Coutts was made secretary to Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and was on the front lines of Canadian politics.

"I enjoyed being in the fray," says Coutts, who worked with Pearson for three years before going to Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to complete his MBA. "Politics is always drama. There's always something happening and it seemed important but it was also a kind of entertainment."

Canadians saw profound change in those three short years: medicare, the pension plan, old-age security, the National Economic Council and the new Canadian flag were all introduced.

"It was a very short period when a great deal of good was done for this country," says Coutts proudly.

After completing his MBA, Coutts started a consulting firm where he was working when Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau appointed him principal secretary in 1975. He worked with Trudeau for six years before leaving to run in a byelection, which he lost by 200 votes.

Homestead photos by Andy Hakin.

Through it all, Coutts diligently continued collecting art.

"You get to like things and think you need things," says Coutts. "You also train your eye so that while once in a while you buy a bad picture, generally, you buy things that you like and most are really good. In the beginning I didn't believe there was any theme to it, but over the years I acquired a good deal of western Canadian art."

The art in the Coutts collection is united by its subject matter: endless skies over empty fields, faded grain elevators contrasted against brilliant sunsets, soaring birds floating in wild winds, all depicting the variety of the southern Alberta landscape.

Understanding that the images in his collection represented more than an affinity for prairie scenery, Coutts returned to southern Alberta in 1988 and reclaimed his grandfather's homestead. With a keen eye for detail, Coutts set to work, turning the soil once broken by his grandfather into a prairie garden and bringing his own vision for the property to life.

"It seems to me the more attractive and exciting and imaginative and creative a place is in your mind, the more painful it is to be away from it," says Coutts, who is grateful for the opportunity to return each summer to the community he knew as a child.

The new homestead is very much an expression of Coutts himself. Set on the vast, flat canvas of the Prairies, buildings are scattered across the land – the original homestead; a chicken house, now a guest suite; a barn; and an old ice house and granary, moved from Coutts's mother's neighbouring property. Each structure provides a seemingly effortless organization to the landscape where gardens flourish, and the plots and paths are carefully carved in such a way to welcome visitors and encourage exploration.

His approach has been bold and the transformation remarkable, but Coutts has not forgotten the struggles of life on the Prairies.

"When you look at the place now with the gardens, grasses and trees and the beauty depicted in the photographs and paintings, that's one thing," says Coutts. "But for many years, for those who came first, it was a very difficult and painful place to live."

Respectful of its history, the new Coutts homestead faces west to the Porcupine Hills, foothills of the Canadian Rockies, which are often topped in snow even as the gardens bloom. The original buildings scattered across this sweep of prairie represent a coming home for this southern Alberta boy.

"A piece of you will always stay wherever it is that you came from, and you also carry a piece of that landscape with you," explains Coutts. "Fortunately, I've been able to return to the place that means so much to me."

This story first appeared in SAM Magazine. For a look at SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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