UNews - London

Closing de Grandmaison

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:40:51 +0000

The Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions exhibit Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance takes place Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

Nicholas de Grandmaison travelled across the Canadian Prairies documenting history through the faces he painted. Recognized as one of the most significant portraitists of First Nations people in Canada, de Grandmaison's own story began across the Atlantic.

Nicholas de Grandmaison. Courtesy of U of L Archives.

Born in Russia in 1892, de Grandmaison's roots trace back to France and a great-grandfather who was rescued during the French Revolution. Because of his heritage, de Grandmaison's early years were privy to upper-class privileges his forefathers had been afforded by Catherine the Great a century earlier, including art lessons and learning about social graces as part of his schooling. After graduating from college, he attended a military school and was trained as an officer.

When the First World War broke out, de Grandmaison, who was in his early-20s, served as a soldier in East Prussia where his unit suffered a terrible defeat and he was sent to Germany as a prisoner of war. He spent a number years as a prisoner of war in Germany where he put his artistic talent to work, drawing his fellow prisoners and even some of the camp's officers.

Eventually, de Grandmaison regained his freedom, but his life was far from worry-free upon returning to Russia. As a monarchist, he ended up fleeing his civil war-ravaged homeland and escaping to Poland/Germany.

In time, de Grandmaison made his way to England. In London, with support from his friends, he attended St. John's Wood School of Art. That creative journey, however, did little to ease de Grandmaison's constant fear of deportation. So, using the winnings from a horse race wager, he set sail for Canada in 1923.

Upon disembarking in Quebec City, de Grandmaison connected with some harvesters who were headed to Manitoba. His career as a farm labourer, however, was not to be. After doing multiple odd jobs, de Grandmaison secured work at a large commercial art firm in Winnipeg. There, in addition to joining the Winnipeg Arts Club, he spent the next few years illustrating catalogues, painting portraits of chief justices, politicians and the children of local business leaders. But it wasn't until de Grandmaison ventured to northern Manitoba in 1930 that he found his true calling in life: capturing portraits of First Nations people.

He once wrote the First Nations people he saw inspired him "to forget the past and look forward to see and paint them all."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Wolf Tail (Apisoh'soyi), 1960. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Wanting to capture First Nations people in an authentic setting ultimately compelled the artist to move to Alberta where he set out to paint First Nations people who lived far away from cities and towns, and consequently had managed to retain their customs.

While in Alberta, de Grandmaison married Sophia (Sonia) Orest Dournovo, a talented sculptor in her own right, and together they went on to have five children – all of whom would grow up to become artists or work in some facet of the art world.

When the children were young, de Grandmaison worked on a number of commissions as a way of supporting his growing family. Despite these everyday responsibilities, he remained devoted to drawing First Nations people.

Specifically, de Grandmaison was fascinated with his subjects' faces. In them, as he once described, he saw "…all the sorrow, oppression and history…indelibly written. They have character, colour and history in their blood."

But a rich past wasn't the only thing that de Grandmaison saw in the subjects; he was also keenly aware that their cultural practices were under great pressure from assimilation.

In fact, when the artist had arrived in Canada, First Nations people had been moved onto reserves and were being taught how to farm. This dramatic shift, as de Grandmaison came to understand, posed a serious threat to First Nations people's traditional way of life. So while first-hand memories were still vibrant, de Grandmaison felt duty-bound to document the history of First Nations people.

He accomplished this goal in two ways: by recording First Nations people as they told stories in their own languages and by preserving their features in pastel drawings. Today, those recordings and works of art – many of which are housed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – serve as proof of de Grandmaison's unwavering loyalty to Canada's First Nations communities.

"There are not many paintings that actually depict First Nations people as individuals," says Josephine Mills, director/curator of the U of L's Art Gallery. "De Grandmaison's paintings focus on the honour, dignity and character of each person. He didn't see First Nations people in a stereotypical light; he tried to show their individual personalities and life stories."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Blackfoot Child, 1936. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Not only a technically skilled artist, Mills says, de Grandmaison possessed the exceptional ability to capture an individual's unique personality. Through careful colour selections, precise compositions and gentle lines, he was able to depict subjects' expressions as well as their character.

De Grandmaison's attention to detail was evident in every aspect of his work. For example, he recognized the importance of portraying First Nations people in their real clothing. It was a commitment to authenticity that stood de Grandmaison apart from other portraitists who chose to dress First Nations people in ornate and often culturally inaccurate costumes.

Instead, de Grandmaison was deeply deferential toward First Nations people, and this approach did not go unnoticed by First Nations communities. In fact, as a symbol of the respect and affection that First Nations people felt for de Grandmaison, he was named Chief Little Plume, honorary chief of the Piikani Nation. When de Grandmaison died in 1978, he was laid to rest on the Brocket Reserve in southern Alberta.

Thirty-five years later, the gestural, unfinished qualities of de Grandmaison's drawings continue to intrigue viewers and tell an important part of the Canadian story. And thanks to a recent gift to the U of L, even more people will now be able to appreciate the late artist's work.

In February 2013, the BMO Financial Group donated 67 original pastel portraits by de Grandmaison to the U of L's Art Gallery, along with $50,000 to care for and create access to the works. The collection, which is valued at more than $1.6 million, spans a period of more than 30 years and traces the development of de Grandmaison's talent and facility as one of the most important painters and portraitists of western First Nations people in Canada.

The donated portraits are part of a portfolio of works by de Grandmaison that were purchased by BMO in 1978 from the artist's family following his death. To that end, the collection now has an ideal home at the U of L, says Robert Hayes, senior vice president, prairies division of BMO Bank of Montreal.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ already owns one of the most comprehensive collections of artworks and artifacts by this important Canadian portraitist. We are excited to enhance this collection with a gift that will allow it to continue to serve as a resource for students, faculty and independent scholars," says Hayes.

This gift of works from BMO Financial Group joins over 170 drawings, paintings and personal archival items (most of which have been deemed to be of outstanding significance and national importance) already housed by the U of L Art Collection and Archives, which the de Grandmaison family previously donated to the U of L.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ takes seriously what it means to be entrusted with these cultural treasures," says Mahon. "These pieces hold special meaning for the U of L as most of de Grandmaison's work was created in this area. I find it fascinating that the communities Nicholas de Grandmaison was passionate about are the same communities the university remains passionate about today."

Being chosen as the keeper of the additional portraits is a testament to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's overall approach to art.

One of the most significant art collections in Canada, the U of L's Art Gallery's holdings number over 14,000 objects from Canada, America and Europe – and those works are not simply kept in storage on campus. "The gallery does a great deal with its works," says Mills. "We exhibit them, send them on tours, loan them to other galleries and use them to generate research."

In addition to using the works as teaching and research tool for faculty and students across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, there are plans to initiate an oral history project that will collect stories from anyone who knew de Grandmaison and any of the subjects in his portraits. Mills has also commissioned First Nations artists, such as Jeffrey Thomas, to create new works in response to de Grandmaison's artwork, and there are future plans to loan the collection to other museums and create a touring exhibition.

"This generous gift will significantly enhance our collection, exhibitions, and public programs and thus be an excellent resource for our community," says Mills.

Most importantly, the gift preserves a part of the past.

"While we tend to understand history as big events, this piece of Canada's history focuses on the individuals and their stories," says Mills. "If we didn't have these paintings, we would be missing an important part of our Western heritage."

Editor's note: This article references Drawn From The Past – Nicholas de Grandmaison by Gordron Synder, Introduction by Joan Murray, as a factual resource.

The faces of history

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:12:40 +0000

The Nicholas de Grandmaison: Recent Acquisitions exhibit Closing Reception and Hoop Dance Performance takes place Tuesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

Nicholas de Grandmaison. Courtesy of U of L Archives.

He once wrote the First Nations people he saw inspired him "to forget the past and look forward to see and paint them all."

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Wolf Tail (Apisoh'soyi), 1960. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

But a rich past wasn't the only thing that de Grandmaison saw in the subjects; he was also keenly aware that their cultural practices were under great pressure from assimilation.

Nicholas de Grandmaison, Blackfoot Child, 1936. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of BMO Financial Group, 2012.

Being chosen as the keeper of the additional portraits is a testament to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's overall approach to art.

"This generous gift will significantly enhance our collection, exhibitions, and public programs and thus be an excellent resource for our community," says Mills.

Most importantly, the gift preserves a part of the past.

Editor's note: This article references Drawn From The Past – Nicholas de Grandmaison by Gordron Synder, Introduction by Joan Murray, as a factual resource.

Calgary alumni dinner hosts Bremmer

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:14:40 +0000

He appears regularly on CNBC, has published articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times and Newsweek, all while presiding over the leading global political risk research and consulting firm. Ian Bremmer, the president of Eurasia Group, is the guest speaker for the 2013 Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner, Tuesday, Apr. 9 at The Fairmont Palliser.

"He is definitely one of the world's leading authorities on how political developments move markets," says Anil Tahiliani (BMgt '90), Chair of the Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner. "His insight on global macro political trends and the emerging markets they influence is especially relevant for our Calgary audience, many of whom are influenced daily by the changing political climate throughout the world and its effect on the markets with which they interact."

Bremmer founded Eurasia Group in 1998 with an initial investment of just $25,000. Today, the company has offices in New York, Washington and London, as well as a network of experts and resources around the world. He created Wall Street's first global political risk index, has authored several books, writes 'The Call' blog on ForeignPolicy.com and regularly appears on national television and radio programs as an acclaimed expert in his field.

"When we first introduced the Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner, our goal was to create an evening that would not only bring our alumni together in fellowship, but to give attendees a compelling and engaging speaker that reflects the values and goals of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge," says U of L President, Dr. Mike Mahon. "Ian Bremmer is representative of the U of L's ever-growing international reputation as well as its continued emergence as a comprehensive research university."

Tickets for the Apr. 9 event are priced at $175 per plate and are available online at www.uleth.ca/conreg/calgarydinner or by calling ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement toll-free at 1-866-552-2582 or e-mailing advancement.events@uleth.ca.

5 Questions with Dr. Carly Adams

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:38:04 +0000

Dr. Carly Adams joined the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in July 2007. Adams is a social and cultural historian working at the intersections of sport history and sport sociology. Her research interests lie in the study of 20th century Canadian sport, gender, regional and local history, oral history and women's sport governance. She is particularly drawn to research methods that allow her to talk to people about their sport and leisure experiences of the past and ask them how they make sense of and remember their experiences within the context of their lives and the world around them.

Most recently, Adams has received funding (with Dr. Hart Cantelon) through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Sport Participation Research Initiative to explore issues of community revitalization and rural survival in southern Alberta through a case study of the Warner Hockey School in Warner, Alta. This project looks at the social determinants that led to the establishment of the school, its purposes, both imagined and actual, and the underlying role that high performance sport might play in rural community survival. She will present her findings at a Women Scholars Speaker Series event on Mar. 25, 12 to 2 p.m. in Andy's Place (AH100).

Adams received her PhD in Sport History at The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario in 2007. A paper from her dissertation won the North American Society for Sport History Graduate Student Essay Award.

Dr. Carly Adams delves into the history of sport and has done a great deal of work on the history of women's hockey.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

I have always loved history and learning about the past. During my undergraduate studies in human kinetics and sport management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Windsor, several influential professors piqued my interest in social history, oral history and the relevance of sport, leisure and recreation to our understanding of the past. However, I was also surprised by how few sport historians researched and wrote about gender and women's sport/recreation experiences. In 2000, I was chosen to participate in a one-semester exchange to Deakin ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Melbourne, Australia. While in Melbourne I interned with the Melbourne Football Club. The Aussie club had a full time sport historian on staff dedicated to the team – and from there I was hooked! I attended my first North American Society for Sport History conference in 2001 and discovered that there was a group of scholars dedicated to this type of research and I knew that this is what I wanted to do. My PhD dissertation project was largely based on oral histories with women who played industrial, recreational and playground sports in London, Ont. during the 1920s, 30s and 40s. As soon as I completed my first oral history interview, I knew how important memory and voice were going to be to how I wanted to "do" history.

How is your research applicable in "the real world"?

A historical understanding is relevant to all of us – past practices in any situation are valuable and important. It doesn't matter what career one is in, understanding experiences and happenings of the past will guide, shape and challenge how we think about the present and make decisions about the future. I have been fortunate to collaborate with various public institutions such as sports halls of fame and I have also recently published a book, aimed at ages 12 and up, about the Preston Rivulettes, a women's hockey team that competed in the 1930s. I am committed to disseminating my research beyond the borders of academia.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

Every time I have an article accepted for publication, or I am asked to consult with a public institution (for example the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and The National Commemoration Board of Parks Canada), or receive a research grant – it is an honour.

How important are students to your research endeavours?

Students are central to my research. I have had many student research assistants work closely with me on various projects. I also believe it is very important that we bring our research to the classroom. My greatest challenge as an educator is to encourage students to think critically about the world around them, to ask questions and express different perspectives. I use many examples from my research in class and encourage students to discuss and critically engage with the projects I am working on. Some of my favourite teaching moments have been listening to students discuss and challenge something I've written or offer a different perspective that challenges me to rethink the direction of a project.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

If I had unlimited funds, I would invest in ALL areas of research! Related to my own field, I would invest in regional, local and oral history in rural communities. These histories tend not to get much academic attention, and we risk forgetting these important ties to our past.

Each month, the Legend will present 5 Questions With . . . one of our researchers. For a look at the entire catalog of 5 Questions With . . . features, check out the Office of Research and Innovation Services website at www.uleth.ca/research_profiles. If you'd like to be profiled, contact Penny Pickles at pickpj@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the March 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

5 Questions With Dr. Henning Bjornlund

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:53:12 +0000

Dr. Henning Bjornlund is a Canada Research Chair in Water Policy and Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and a professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of South Australia. He has researched water policy and management issues in Australia since 1993 and in Canada since 2005. He recently served on the Ministers Advisory Group on Water Allocation and Management in Alberta, and has written widely about water policy and management issues with more than 275 publications and presentations.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

Prior to starting my first academic degree in 1990, I was the managing director for a company operating tropical plantations in South and Central America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. As part of this work, I bought properties and negotiated access rights to water to grow bananas, citrus, rice and other tropical crops highly dependent on water.

While studying for my bachelor's degree I had to do a third-year research project and chose to concentrate on the impact of water policy on rural land values. This required a careful study of the literature on water markets and water rights. I continued this theme through both my master's and PhD studies.

Dr. Henning Bjornlund is one of the foremost experts in water policy and management issues.

How is your research applicable in "the real world"?

Water is probably the most important and valuable resource in the world. All human activity depends on it in one form or another. It is available in a finite quantity and has a finite ability to assimilate waste. Most human and economic activity in some way impacts on water quality and the availability of water. Human activities have had a serious impact on water bodies and the ecosystems dependent on them. Policy makers around the world are trying to come to terms with how to reverse this trend of environmental degradation, how to continue our human activities while minimizing our impact on the environment, how to use less water and be more efficient, how to produce more from less and how to share our limited resources. All of these issues are central to my research.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

The greatest honour and privilege that I can receive as an academic is an invitation to contribute to policy making, the development of professional standards or to public debate and awareness. Hence, invitations to serve on entities such as the Ministers Advisory Group on a new Water Management and Allocation framework for Alberta, to produce a policy commentary to contribute to the debate on water management and policy in Alberta, or help write a policy document for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in London on the implications of changing water policies for property professionals are among the greatest honours I have received.

How important are students to your research endeavours?

Student participation is an integral part of my research program. I currently have seven PhD students and five master's students in Canada and Australia working on various issues related to water policy and management. Apart from answering pressing questions about how to resolve the world's growing water problems, a very important task is the building of human capacity to deal with these issues. Student training in this area is very important.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

How to share limited resources is one of the most challenging issues facing policy makers and water managers. This is a very complicated issue in that those who currently have the right to use water have invested a lot of time and money to be able to do so. Hence, any change in the way water is allocated can potentially have significant socio-economic impact on the current generation of water users, not the least of which are irrigators and the communities that currently depend on water use as the economic engine of their community. If I had unlimited funds I would like to conduct a Canada wide investigation of how people perceive a reallocation should take place, how such perception varies across Canada and what causes the variation. Such insight would assist the development of a national water plan or policy, as well as the development of provincial water policy plans.

Each month, the Legend will present 5 Questions With . . . one of our researchers. For a look at the entire catalog of 5 Questions With . . . features, check out the Office of Research and Innovation Services website at www.uleth.ca/research/research_profiles. If you'd like to be profiled, contact Penny Pickles at pickpj@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the October 2012 issue of the Legend. To see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Peers bringing message to campus

trevor.kenney — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:52:18 +0000

One of the highlight speaking events of the fall semester will take place Monday, Oct. 1 when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ welcomes Danielle Peers to campus for her talk entitled Interrogating Disability: The De-Composition of a Recovering Paralympian.

Co-sponsored by the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Office of the President and numerous departments and organizations on campus, this event promises to have wide appeal, as Peers's work is provocative, interdisciplinary and creative.

Peers is a Trudeau and Vanier scholar who studies the relationship between disability, sport and social justice movements in Canada. The timing of her talk could not be better, coming on the heels of the Paralympic Games in London, Eng.

Danielle Peers is a Trudeau and Vanier Scholar.

Bringing Peers to the U of L is a coup for organizers. An activist filmmaker, performance artist, former Paralympic athlete, wheelchair basketball coach and community organizer, Peers is a sought-after speaker. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, and has been involved in research projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Sport Science Association of Alberta. Her academic writings have appeared in such scholarly venues as Disability and Society, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, and Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. Several U of L faculty members teach Peers's work in their classes on campus.

In her talk, Peers will weave personal stories, creative writing and critical disability theory to explore how the daily questioning and storytelling about disability serve to create certain kinds of disabled (and able-bodied) subjects. She will revisit her own experiences of diagnosis, Paralympic classification, basketball games, media interviews, conversations and internal struggles to consider how she has been composed, and has decomposed herself as a disabled Paralympian.

The event provides a valuable forum for intellectual discussion and it is an important opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff, to hear a provocative and engaging speaker who will challenge us all to think about the ways in which particular bodies are constructed as the "Other."

Organizers of the event include Drs. Carly Adams (kinesiology and physical education), Jason Laurendeau (sociology) and Suzanne Lenon (women and gender studies).

The event is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. in the SU Ballroom and is free and open to the public. Following Peers's talk, there will be a reception with light refreshments. Peers will also meet with interested graduate students at a luncheon earlier on Oct. 1 as well as speak to undergraduate classes on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

This story first appeared in the September 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

London Games a change in focus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:22:57 +0000

This was supposed to be Jim Steacy's Olympics. It was supposed to be his time to strive for the podium, until debilitating foot and ankle injuries took away nearly two years of his training.

But you won't hear any complaints coming from Steacy (BASc '09), who will be competing in his second Olympic Games in London. Instead, you'll get the perspective of an athlete who knows just how fortunate he is to have the chance to perform on the Olympic stage.

"I really feel grateful going in," says Steacy, the eight-time national hammer throw champion, Canadian record holder and Horns Athletics product. "There's 45 athletes on the track team and only seven of us who have been on the team before, so to have the opportunity again is a blessing and not something I take for granted."

Horns alumnus Jim Steacy still sees himself as a medal contender if he can earn his way into the finals in London.

Injuries have not made Steacy bitter; rather they have reinforced his will and put into perspective just what it means to be an Olympian.

"After the injuries that I had in 2010 and 2011, it was seriously in question as to whether or not I'd make the Olympic team again or even if I would compete again," he says.

"It's been a rough four years but it's taught me to appreciate things a lot more and to take things for granted a lot less. Getting to do what I do is something that one percent of one percent of people get to do, so I'm definitely proud and honoured to be a part of the team again."

Competing in Beijing in 2008, Steacy qualified for the Olympic final and managed a respectable 12^th-place finish. For a 24-year-old in a sport where age and experience play huge roles, he was seen to be on the fast track to a podium performance in London. A broken foot and torn ankle ligaments have changed the expectation level.

"A medal opportunity is definitely a possibility in 2016 if he continues to throw. Making the final this year would be a good stepping stone in that direction," says his coach Larry Steinke. "He had 18 to 20 months where he wasn't able to train, period, and there's no shortcut to getting back to the top level. It's simply a matter of time, getting the volume of throws in and getting the timing back – it takes time."

Steacy echoes the words of his coach and is fully committed to being ready to attack the podium in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

"I'm not going to be at my peak performance or at my prime in London, so for me, a successful experience is making it into the final," he says. "I'll try and claw my way in, throw a season's best and if I do that, it'll be a tremendously successful experience. So the shift in focus is to four years from now in Rio. If I can stay healthy and do things right in training and rehab, there's no reason I shouldn't be on the podium."

Steacy eyes Rio 2016 as his next target, hoping for an injury free future.

Steacy is grateful for the support he's been shown over the years, and especially during the struggles of the past two years.

"Being an athlete and trying to get to this level is not an individual thing. You have to rely so much on your family and friends, coaches, your physio teams to get there," he says, giving a nod to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community that came out to support the athletes at an Olympic Send-off Celebration before the group jetted to London.

"Knowing you have the support of the community behind you, you wan to do well for them. They took the time out of their day to come wish us well and we want to thank them and perform well for them."

Competition Schedule

Hammer Throw Qualifying – Friday, Aug. 3 at 11:20 a.m. GMT (5:20 a.m. MDT)

Hammer Throw Final – Sunday, Aug. 5 at 8:20 p.m. GMT (2:20 p.m. MDT)

Bursting onto a new stage

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:16:15 +0000

Heather Steacy is a performance artist who has seen the stage as an elite athlete and musician. She's acutely aware that the stage she's about to enter is grander than anything she's ever seen before.

Steacy will join her brother Jim Steacy (BASc '09) as a hammer thrower, representing Canada at the London Olympic Games this month. While the Horns Athletics product has already represented her country at the World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Games and the IAAF World Track Championships, the Olympics are on another level.

"I honestly don't know what to expect," says the 24-year-old Canadian champion. "Everyone who has been to the Olympics that I've talked to says that they can't describe it, it really is something you have to experience for yourself and I'm excited about that."

Heather Steacy is the two-time Canadian champion in hammer throw.

Steacy is on virtually the same schedule as her older brother, who experienced his first Olympics at age 24. The goal for him then, and her now, was to soak in the atmosphere, try and make it out of qualifying and build for a medal run in four years.

"I would love to make it to the finals and seeing Jim have that success in 2008 is very encouraging because I see that it as a possibility," says Steacy. "I think that's the main goal, hopefully throw a personal best and anything beyond that, I'm just really excited for the experience."

Steacy is peaking at the right time. She threw her personal best of 72.16 metres and achieved the Olympic A-Plus Standard in her first meet of this season, allowing her to focus her summer on training and gaining strength, rather than grinding to qualify for the Olympic team.

"It was a huge relief to meet that standard the first meet of the season," she says. "It's allowed me to train towards London instead of train towards getting that standard."

Steacy has an obvious mentor in brother Jim but says she hasn't sat down and discussed specifics about performing on the Olympic stage.

"Having spent all of my time training with him and living with him I think I've just learned by osmosis," she says. "He's also really good at letting me learn my own way and not just imposing his way of thinking on me. But it definitely takes some of the pressure off knowing I'll have somebody there who I'm comfortable with."

Her first Olympic experience is seen as a stepping stone to the future.

Jim is excited to relive the innocence of his first Olympic experience through his sister.

"That's going to be so much fun. Having gone through it already, it's going to be cool to watch her do it too and see how much it throws her," he says. "It's a whole different animal than watching it on TV – a shocking experience."

She says she plans to feed off the local support shown at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Olympic Send-off Celebration held before the team headed off to London.

"It's really cool and really encouraging to have so many people from the community come out for something like this and show their support," she says. "We know, in the backs of our minds that it's there, but to have them come out like this – it's really nice."

Competition Schedule

Hammer Throw Qualifying – Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. MDT)

Hammer Throw Final – Friday, Aug. 10 at 7:35 p.m. GMT (1:35 p.m. MDT)

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ becoming hub for elite athletes

trevor.kenney — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 22:09:08 +0000

With three Olympians and another athlete headed to the Paralympics, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will be extremely well represented in London. And rather than this occurrence being a blip on the radar, Horns Athletics track coach Larry Steinke (BA '94) says it is an emerging trend.

"We're a small community and I think in some ways that gives us a lot of positives in being able to support the athletes that are here," says Steinke, the Athletics Canada Throws coach who will also attend the London Olympics. "You don't get lost in the masses here as you would in some of the larger centres."

Jim Steacy and Heather Steacy will represent the U of L and Canada at the London Olympic Games.

The 1^st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, coupled with the Community Sports Stadium and a developing sports medicine clinic make the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ a very attractive destination for aspiring athletes.

"We're a very unique facility, especially for the throwing events, where you just don't have this capability in the rest of Canada. Every day I have to remind our athletes that this is not able to be done everywhere else," he says, referring to individual training sessions twice per day and access to both indoor and outdoor facilities. "It really is becoming a destination place."

Jim (BASc '09) and Heather Steacy did not have to go far to access the U of L, they are Lethbridge products, but they understand how lucky they are to have the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as their home base and Steinke as their coach.

"I can guarantee you I wouldn't be here if not for him," says Jim. "I would have tried to play basketball and been done university in five years and out in the work world by now. There is no way Heather and I would be here without him, he's hands down the best technical coach in North America for the throwing events."

His sister Heather echoes that sentiment, saying she was offered opportunities to train elsewhere but never wavered in her commitment to stay home.

"I never considered going to the United States for school because I wanted to stay with Larry and I couldn't have made a better choice," she says. "I have a lot of friends who took that route and trained with people who didn't have the knowledge base he has. I couldn't take that chance and I'm really grateful he's as patient as he is and willing to put in the hours he does, it's fantastic and I'm really excited he gets to come to London with us."

Steinke says that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has attracted a number of graduate athletes from DePaul ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, another from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Washington and still more from the Canadian Olympic Development Team. Liz Gleadle, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia javelin thrower, took a year off from her studies to come to the U of L and train with Steinke.

"I needed to go somewhere with a more focused environment and a coach that could spend time with me full time," she says in advance of her first Olympic appearance. "I knew I wanted to make it to the Olympics and that I could make it happen here."

Chance to wish our Olympians well

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:10:35 +0000

The Lethbridge Sport Council and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have partnered to host a community send-off for a group of athletes who are participating in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics which take place July 27 – Aug. 12 and Aug. 29 - Sept. 9 in London, England.

Paralympic swimmer Zach McAllister has been named to the Canadian team to compete in London this summer, while hammer throwers Jim Steacy and Heather Steacy, and javelin thrower Liz Gleadle are participating in Track and Field events.

Larry Steinke, Track Coach with Pronghorn Athletics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, will be attending the 2012 London Olympics after being selected as Throws Coach by Athletics Canada.

The community is invited to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Upper Track of the 1st Cloice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness on Monday, July 16 at 12:30 p.m. for a brief send-off ceremony.

A large Canadian flag will be available for signing, and will travel with the athletes to London.

Meet the athletes and wish them good luck on their journey!

The dates and times of the athletes' appearances on TV (local/mountain time in brackets) are listed below, along with brief biographies.

Athlete bios

James Steacy (men's hammer)

Competing: Qualifying – Aug. 3 at 11:20 a.m. GMT (5:20 a.m. MDT)
Finals – Aug. 5 at 8:20 p.m. GMT (2:20 p.m. MDT)

Steacy (28) (BASc '09), a Lethbridge, Alta. and Winston Churchill High School product, is one of the most decorated athletes in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) history. During his time as a Pronghorn track athlete, Steacy was undefeated in the weight throw, winning five Canada West and five CIS titles. He also captured three Canada West shot put titles and won three gold medals and one silver medal in shot at the CIS level. He last competed for the Horns in 2009.

The Canadian record holder in the men's hammer throw at 79.13m, Steacy set the mark at the 2008 Chinook Throws Gala. That season also marked his first Olympic appearance where he qualified for the Olympic final in Beijing, China and finished 10th overall.

Steacy, coached by Larry Steinke of the Chinook Track and Field Club, is the eight-time defending national champion in hammer throw.

Heather Steacy (women's hammer)

Competing: Qualifying - Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. MDT)
Finals – Aug. 10 at 7:35 p.m. GMT (1:35 p.m. MDT)

Steacy (24), a Lethbridge, Alta. and Winston Churchill High School product, heads to her first Olympics after dominating the competition at the Canada West and CIS levels in recent years. Steacy has won four Canada West weight throw titles to go along with two CIS gold, one silver and one bronze medal. She last competed for the Horns in 2011 when she was the Canada West gold medalist and CIS silver medalist.

Steacy won her second consecutive Canadian Track and Field Championship hammer throw title this spring with a throw of 70.48 metres and achieved her personal best of 72.16m at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, AZ earlier this year.
Steacy is coached by Larry Steinke of the Chinook Track and Field Club.

+++++

Elizabeth Gleadle (women's javelin)

Competing: Qualifying – Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. GMT (4 a.m. MDT)
Finals – Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. MDT)

Gleadle (23), originally from Vancouver, came to Lethbridge to train with throws coach Larry Steinke this past year, taking time away from her kinesiology studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia. She won gold at the 2012 Canadian Track and Field Trials with a throw of 60.13 metres, establishing a new meet record. Her personal best of 61.15 metres was set earlier this year at a National Track League event in Burnaby, B.C. It also stands as the Canadian record.

"I took this year off so I could make London," she told the Calgary Herald. "I took time off school, I moved cities; I did everything I was supposed to do. I napped, ate, slept some more, trained really hard, everything I was told to do by my coach (Larry Steinke). I trust him completely and it really paid off."

She'll be the first Canadian woman to compete in javelin at the Olympics since Seoul 1988, ironically, the year of her birth.

+++++

Zachary McAllister (men's swimming 400m freestyle S8)

Competing: Qualifying – Aug. 31 at 9:30 a.m. GMT (3:30 a.m. MDT)
Finals – Aug. 31 at 5:30 p.m. GMT (11:30 a.m. MDT)

McAllister (18), a Lethbridge native and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute product, has come up through the Lethbridge Amateur Swim Club (LASC). He will be representing Canada at the Paralympic Games, Aug. 29 to Sept. 9 in London.

The Canadian record holder in the men's S8 400-metre freestyle event, McAllister earned his spot on the Paralympic Games team by swimming his personal best and Canadian record time of four minutes, 49 seconds at the Olympic Trials in Montreal this spring.

McAllister represented Canada at the Para Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mex. in fall 2011, and after enrolling at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in January 2012, attended meets in Los Angeles, Colorado and Sheffield, England. McAllister's disability is a condition by which he has too many bones in his limbs, thereby restricting growth and range of motion in both his arms and legs.

+++++

Coach -- Larry Steinke (BA '94)

Steinke has been running the most prominent throws program in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) for years and has been consistently involved with Canada's elite athletes at the international level.

He began his national team affiliation as part of the 2007 Pan Am Games coaching staff and has since been to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Junior Track Championships, the 2010 Commonwealth Games and each of the 2009 and 2011 World Track & Field Championships.

He currently coaches three Olympians in Jim Steacy, Heather Steacy and Liz Gleadle and is a proud alumnus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and head coach of the Horns track program.

UNews - London

Closing de Grandmaison

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

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The faces of history

Each face, with its deep lines, juxtaposing colours and gentle strokes, tells a story – a story of honour, dignity and character; joy and sorrow; life and death – a story of a people in the midst of transition.

By capturing the faces of Canada's First Nations people, painter Nicholas de Grandmaison (1892 – 1978) left a deeply personal record of history.

A Russian aristocrat forced out of his homeland, a prisoner of war and eventually an immigrant to Canada, de Grandmaison felt an intimate connection to the First Nations people and empathized with the massive cultural changes they were forced to endure during the mid-20th century.

From the 1930s up until his death, de Grandmaison was struck with an urgency to paint the Plains Indians because he believed their way of life was quickly disappearing.

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