CoChrane - Mackays ICE CREAM

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PREMIER EDITION
•
fall 2008
Connects
Cochrane
living it
•
working it
•
loving it
Meet the
Neighbours!
love
Why do families
this town?
Doing business
in Cochrane
Local success stories
the people, the places, the events!
handy builder, developer and community profiles
Discover Cochrane’s western heart
Find your new home
cochraneconnects.com
•
•
vol. 1, no. 1 • display until february 2009
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Get to know your neighbours
BOB RUNDLE
Bob is a gemini vegetarian and loves long
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Connects
COCHRANE
living it • working it • loving it
vol. 1, no. 1 • fall 2008
contents
18
loving it
8 The Main Events!
Relive exciting moments from Cochrane’s
big Labour Day weekend
11 What’s Happening?
Community events listings
12 Martha’s Dream Ride
How one Cochrane woman brought Canadians together to make wishes
come true for sick kids
14 Serving the Community
with Style
The Cochrane Activettes celebrate
30 years!
16 Shopping Around
See what’s new for fall at several
downtown retailers
18 A Tale of Two Families
Meet the Lappins and the Jenkins—
two active families who are loving it
in Cochrane
36
living it
24 Cochrane Town Map
27 Growing Bigger means
Living Closer
Housing market news
28 Cochrane Community
Profiles
Explore Cochrane’s neighbourhoods—
location, amenities and pricing
32 At Home in Cochrane
Kingsmith Homes takes huge pride
in remaining small and local
34 Living it in Sunset Ridge
Take a look inside the new showhomes
in this hilltop community
36 In Love with the Land at
Jumping Pound Ridge
Calgary’s Arcus Developments is glad
to be in Cochrane
22 About the Town
Town and community listings
ON THE COVER:
Kimberly Delves of Red Shed Graphic Design is loving operating a home-based business in Cochrane
(see story page 45). Photographed here by Caroline Connolly of Mud River Photography
40
working it
38 Building Business
in Cochrane
The Town Economic Development
office shares its plans
39 Strengthening Cochrane’s
Business Community
The Cochrane Chamber celebrates
30 years!
40 Cowboy Up, Cochrane!
Two of the area’s favourite western
retailers find success in good oldfashioned down-home service
42 Cooking up a Recipe
for Success
At home in the kitchen with
Sandi and Ron Richard
44 Print Runs in the Family
Old-fashioned quality and craft meet
high-tech excellence at Satellite Printing
45 The Little Shed that Could
With critical startup support from
Community Futures Centre West,
Kimberly Delves is realizing her dream
of integrating work and home life
46 Ice Cream Sunday
Our roving reporter goes sleuthing
to find MacKay’s recipe for 60 years
of success
contributors
6 CochraneConnects • fall 2008
Patricia Alderson is an accomplished facilitator, speaker and coach, who also writes, paints
and falls off horses when not busy helping entrepreneurs in her role as self-employment manager
at Community Futures Centre West in Cochrane. She has a master’s degree with a specialty in Art
History, a son, a horse, a dog and a goldfish called Sushi.
Caroline Connolly is a self-taught portrait photographer who lives somewhere on a windy hill in
Cochrane. When not stealing souls, she is a rock-and-roll mama singing in her band, The Lovebullies.
Her passions include acting as drill sergeant to a family of five and herding cats. Caroline can be
found most days either hanging around the local wine markets or having a bath. Please don’t call
before the happy hour. www.mudriverphotography.com
Sarah Junkin is a columnist, reporter and freelance journalist who emigrated to Canada from
Scotland in 1982 and now lives in Cochrane with her husband Dan and three sons. She has worked
for the Cochrane Eagle newspaper since 2000, and is a regular contributor to several magazines
and radio programs. She recently completed her first novel, Stuffed.
Patrick Price is a freelance photographer who’s worked for the Calgary Sun, the Calgary Herald,
the Cochrane Eagle, United Press, Reuters, and numerous other newspapers as well as magazines
nationally and internationally. Over the years, he’s forged a reputation as a sports photographer,
having shot many Stanley Cup, Grey Cup and World Cup games. For Pat, photography is a passport to meeting people. He has lived in the Cochrane area since 1990 with his wife and two daughters, and loves documenting the life and the people here, telling stories with his camera.
Alex Frazer-Harrison is a freelance journalist and editor whose work has appeared in the
Calgary Herald, Avenue, the Edmonton Journal, AirdrieLIFE and several U.S. and U.K. publications.
He’s also a regular contributor to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame website. He is proud to be one of the
select few never to have seen High School Musical.
Stacey Carefoot is an Airdrie-based freelance writer and photographer. Her stories have appeared
in publications across the country, though she’s still not rich or famous. She believes everyone has an
interesting story to tell and loves digging deep to find it. Her interests include learning about aboriginal history and traditions, golf, swimming and, of course, her family. Stacey is mother to two terrific
preteens who she and her husband Dan spoil, dote over and cave in to far too often.
Mike Borody, broker of record for Homelife Country Realty, has been serving the Cochrane
area for more than 30 years. His real estate team includes his wife Beverley, daughters Jennifer and
Cheryl, brother Patrick and two associates, Gerry and Karen. Together we are the ‘Borody Bunch’—
our family helping your family to make your home purchase a comfortable, stress-free experience.
www.theborodybunch.com
Connects
COCHRANE
living it • working it • loving it
EDITOR DESIGN MANAGER CONTRIBUTORS COPY EDITOR PUBLISHER
Marketing Manager ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
PRINTING Brandi Dickman
Kim Williams
Patricia Alderson, Mike Borody,
Stacey Carefoot, Caroline
Connolly, Alex Frazer-Harrison,
Sarah Junkin, Patrick Price
Audra Gorgiev
Sherry Shaw-Froggatt
Hello Cochrane! We are so pleased
Angela Burford
to be part of the exciting things going on in
this town! Cochranites are living it, working it, loving it—and we’re here to share it
with you.
In putting together this first issue, we’ve
been very excited by the response from the
community.
We’re delighted and grateful for the support we’ve received from our partners—the
Town of Cochrane, the Cochrane & District
Chamber of Commerce and Community
Futures Centre West. We are also indebted
to the many local organizations, groups and
individuals we’ve relied on to ensure accurate
and timely coverage, to the Cochrane Eagle
for support in bringing this magazine to your
doorstep, and to all those in the business community who showed faith in our endeavour
by advertising in this first issue.
Local writers Sarah Junkin and Patricia
Alderson, and photographers Caroline Connolly of Mud River Photography and Pat
Price, deserve special mention for the tremendous job they’ve done bringing you an issue
full of great stories and images. And of course
we’re indebted to all the wonderful Cochranites who wholeheartedly embraced our vision
by allowing us to share their tales.
And what tales! Beginning on page 8 we
bring you stories of folks who are loving it in
Cochrane!
We’re pleased to help the Cochrane
Activettes—a group that needs no introduction in this town—celebrate their 30th
anniversary, with some reflections on three
decades of community service.
Revisit Martha Birkett’s inspirational
journey to raise money and awareness for sick
kids, and Cochrane’s big Labour Day week-
Wendy Potter-Duhaime
Jeff Cummings
Teldon Print Media
Where to find us
COCHRANEConnects is distributed fall and spring to homes
and businesses in Cochrane and area and is available at more
than 50 locations in Calgary.
Additional copies are available at the Cochrane RancheHouse,
101 RancheHouse Road.
Read COCHRANEConnects online at www.cochraneconnects.com
How to reach us
Feedback/Editorial [email protected]
Advertising [email protected]
403.969.5190
COCHRANEConnects is published twice yearly by Frog Inc.
with the co-operation of the Town of Cochrane, the Cochrane
& District Chamber of Commerce, and Community Futures
Centre West.
Maggie Armstrong, 403-851-2502
Gerri Polis, 403-932-0320
Patti-Jay Callaghan, 403-932-0317
vol. 1, no. 1 • fall 2008 note
editor’s
ISSN 1918-2503
Contents copyright 2008 by Frog Inc. May not be reproduced
without permission.
The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the
contents of any advertisement, and all representations of
warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser
and not of the publisher.
COCHRANEConnects does not accept unsolicited submissions.
Freelance writers and photographers interested in assignments
are asked to send an inquiry, with samples from at least three
published magazine articles, to [email protected]
XXX-XXX-000
end. Publisher Sherry Shaw-Froggatt visits
with two active families who call Cochrane
home and are happy to tell you why. Plus see
what’s new for fall at some favourite downtown shops, find a wealth of information on
local groups, service organizations and the
Town, and keep abreast of upcoming community events.
Those looking to buy a new home in
Cochrane or who just want to keep tabs on
the town’s fantastic residential growth will
enjoy our Living It section, starting on page
27—from our housing market update, to
community profiles of every neighbourhood
with recent pricing, and profiles of some of
the builders and developers at the centre of
Cochrane’s burgeoning real estate market.
Get to know some of the local business
people who find Cochrane a terrific place to
live and work—family businesses, homebased businesses, new businesses, local legends. In Working It, starting on page 38, we
profile several Cochrane enterprises, including local FoodNetwork television celebrity
Sandi Richard, and we bring you a roundup
of the businesses at the centre of Cochrane’s
cowboy culture. We also have news and
business development information from the
Town’s economic development office, the Cochrane Chamber (also celebrating 30 years!)
and Community Futures Centre West.
As we head now into our second issue
for next spring, we welcome your feedback.
Send letters and story ideas to brandi@
cochraneconnects.com. Let’s connect!
Brandi Dickman, Editor
[email protected]
CochraneConnects • fall 2008 7
loving it • Labour Day in Cochrane
The Pots ’n Peppers team is always among the best-looking in the Great Western
Outhouse Races, seen here labouring to make a turn around the pylons Saturday.
You can see the other team they’re racing, on the right, heading down the stretch,
but the Peppers ain’t out to win, as they truly mirror the spirit of the outhouse races.
Below: Joe Carbury calls his last Great Western Outhouse race, as the Big Hill Lodge
rig—dedicated to Joe for his retirement—rolls by
The
Main Events!
Exciting moments from the Labour Day weekend
STORY SARAH JUNKIN • PHOTOS PATRICK PRICE
T
here’s truly no better place to be during the Labour Day long weekend
than Cochrane, where every minute
is packed with events that are exciting, stimulating and, to be honest, just a little bit odd.
The Great Western Outhouse Races
Case in point. There aren’t many communities
where outhouse races take place right down
the centre of the main street.
The Great Western Outhouse Races were
the brainchild of a former business owner,
Donna Koper, who first sponsored the event
in 2000. Her store was Heavenly Outhouse,
stocking anything and everything you could
possibly need for the smallest room in your
house.
That year more than 20 teams dressed in
outlandish outfits—diapers, carefully constructed toilet paper dresses—dashed down
the street dragging or pushing outhouses of
various descriptions. The unusual spectacle
was an immediate hit, attracting national attention and becoming the subject of an episode of
the Life Channel’s Weird Wheels show.
On July 1, 2008, the Heavenly Outhouse
was sold to new owners Karrie Peace and her
daughter Natasha Cawston, who purchased
the business in part, Peace says, because of the
outhouse races. “Totally, absolutely one of the
reasons I bought it,” she says, explaining: “I’m
a former social studies teacher, so I believe in
not just having a business for the sake of having a business, but in having a business that can
change for the better a little piece of the world.”
Thirteen outhouses registered for the
2008 race, including one that was a tribute to
Joe Carbury, who this year called his last Calgary Stampede chuckwagon race, and this
Labour Day weekend in Cochrane, his last
Great Western Outhouse race.
In keeping with tradition, Peace donated
all $1,300 of the proceeds from registrations
to the Cochrane Activettes’ Share Your Christmas hamper project.
competition, when local pro riders go headto-head against the winners of the amateur
competition.
“The purse is about $30,000 total, which
isn’t a lot for those professionals like Billy Richards,” says Parker. “But these guys come because
they live around here, and they’ve been part of
this hometown rodeo their whole lives.”
For 41 years the local Lions Club has run
the concession and beer gardens, but as the
event has grown, so has the need for extra volunteers. Parker says reinforcements from Lions
clubs as far away as Strathmore typically lend a
hand, as well.
This year’s weather was less than dazzling,
which Parker says meant sales of beer were
down, while coffee sales were way up.
Lions Labour Day Rodeo
Labour Day Parade
Anchoring the whole weekend was one of
Cochrane’s longest-running events—the Lions Labour Day Rodeo, a fixture in town every
Labour Day weekend since 1968.
“This is cattle country,” says Reg Parker,
one of the organizers.“This is what we do here,
and I have to say we do it pretty well.”
Traditionally an amateur-only rodeo, it
remains that way except for the final day of
The 2008 Labour Day parade, another timehonoured tradition saw 115 entries meander
through downtown on a cloudy Monday
morning.
If the parade seems remarkably slick for a
small-town event, that could be because parade
chair Ivan Davies has been part of the Calgary
Stampede parade committee for the past 20
years, and he’s been sharing that expertise with
Rodeo successes, and hard falls (clockwise from top): Bryan Labelle of Morley shows how it’s
done in Saturday’s steer wrestling event; bullfighter Trooper Whitney only looked away for
an instant—just long enough to find himself launched mid-air by a bull that had just bucked
its rider; Cochrane’s Wyatt Anton kneels in the mud after being bucked by a horse in the
saddle bronc event Sunday—a tough weekend all round for Anton, who ate a substantial
amount of mud on three different occasions on Sunday and Monday
folks on the Cochrane parade committee for
the past five.
He says one of the things that sets
Cochrane’s parade apart from others is that
spectators are so close to the action. “It’s pretty
close and personal,” says Davies. “We have a big
budget for street entertainers who interact with
people and get them going.”
This year’s performers included clowns,
magicians, an Austin Powers impersonator
and an astonishingly agile acrobat on stilts.
This year’s parade marshall was Cochrane’s
sweetheart Martha Birkett, who made national headlines this summer riding on horseback
home from Ottawa to raise funds and aware-
ness for the Children’s Wish Foundation (see
story page 12). “We were thrilled to get her,”
says Davies.
A last minute addition to the celebrity lineup was Tracy Cameron, the lightweight women’s double skulls rowing bronze medallist, who
recently returned from the Olympic Games in
Beijing. Cameron’s parents live in Cochrane
and she says their home will be her“hub” for the
next few months.
Though she admitted to being “a tiny bit
jetlagged,” and fighting off a cold, Cameron said
she was excited to be part of the parade. “I’ve
been in a few little parades growing up as a kid,”
she says,“but never as a celebrity!”
The best part about returning to
Cochrane after Beijing? “Breathing the Alberta air!” Cameron laughs. “Wow! That first
breath felt fabulous.”
Cochrane residents also enjoyed two pancake breakfasts, a cowboy church service, a
skateboarding competition called Zero Gravity 2008, and a dance hosted by the Cochrane
Generals hockey team.
New business owner Karrie Peace probably
speaks for a lot of Cochranites when she sums
up her first Cochrane Labour Day weekend:
“When you get everyone out and involved like
this, there’s this amazing energy and that’s when
you realize you’re among good people.” cc
Celebrity guests Martha Birkett, parade marshall (right); and Olympian Tracy Cameron (below)—
just back from Beijing and living for awhile with her parents in Cochrane—showing off the
bronze medal she won in the lightweight women’s double skulls rowing event
Proudly serving Airdrie, Cochrane
and the MD of Rocky View!
Turn your radio dial to 106.1 FM in Airdrie and 95.3 FM in Cochrane.
www.therangeonline.ca
Office: 403-217-1061 Contest Line: 403-212-1061
159 B East Lake Blvd, Airdrie, AB, T4A 2G2
loving it • community events
what’s
Happening?
september 2008–march 2009
Keep
us posted on upcoming events!
..................................................
E-mail [email protected]
20
Women in Business Seminar, co-sponsored by
the Cochrane & District Chamber of Commerce and
Community Futures Centre West, in conjunction with
Small Business Week. For more information call
403-932-0320 or visit www.cochranechamber.ca
22
Annual Community Awards Ceremony, 11:30 a.m.
at the Tin Cup Café, in conjunction with Small Business
Week. Nominations are being accepted in five categories.
For nomination forms, visit the Chamber’s website
(www.cochranechamber.ca) or office (#6, 205-1 St. E.).
For tickets, visit the website or call 403-932-0320
Latigo
Trail’s End 2008
Join Latigo for a high-spirited weekend of cowboy
culture: music, poetry, storytelling and art honouring
the history and tradition of the West—a great family
event!
Sept. 26–28 at the Cochrane RancheHouse
september
....................................
26–28 The Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association presents
Trail’s End 2008, a gathering of cowboy poets and storytellers, musicians, artists and enthusiasts from Alberta,
B.C. and the U.S. Cochrane RancheHouse, 10 a.m.–
10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Cowboy Church at 10 a.m.
Sunday. For more information visit www.albertacowboy
poetry.com. For tickets contact Perry Jacobsen,
403-851-0851, [email protected]
october
....................................
2–4 Copper West, a western-inspired home and gift
show. One-stop shopping for all your western lifestyle
needs at the Big Four Building, Stampede Park. Admission $10 (one free entry per person with Stampede
parking stub). www.copperwest.ca
10
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club presents Roxanne
Potvin and Wil at the Cochrane RancheHouse at 8 p.m.
www.cochranefolkclub.com
16
The Chinook Film Group will screen its second
film of the 08/09 season, TBA, 7 p.m. at the Cochrane
Movie House. The group brings independent and
alternative films to Cochrane the third Wednesday of
each month, September to May. To get involved,
or for information on upcoming films, contact
[email protected]
18
Nakoda Cochrane Pickin’ Party Music Jam Society
presents its 4th annual festival, a community-building
venture between Morley and Cochrane celebrating the
talents of the many excellent musicians in the two communities. 2 p.m.–10 p.m. at the Cochrane RancheHouse.
Featuring bands from the Nakoda Stoney Nation and
Cochrane, as well as art displays by Stoney and other local artists. Refreshments will be available during the day.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more
information contact Andy Marshall, [email protected]
19–25 Small Business Week. For more information
about scheduled events, contact the Cochrane &
District Chamber of Commerce, 403-932-0320,
www.cochranechamber.ca
23
Your Cochrane Uncovered is an annual party
to welcome newcomers to Cochrane and give them a
chance to connect with local groups, service organizations and their neighbours. Cochrane RancheHouse,
6:30–8:30 p.m. For more information call 403-851-2250
25
Toxic Roundup. For one day only, household
toxic waste will be accepted at the Town of Cochrane
Protective Services Centre. Bring any household chemicals, paint, propane tanks, aerosols and other hazardous
waste or containers to 20 Grande Blvd., 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
For more information call 403-851-2540
Your Cochrane Uncovered
Attention newcomers: Come on out and meet the
neighbours and the local organizations that help
make Cochrane a great place to live. Refreshments, entertainment, children’s activities, door
prizes—fun for the whole family! 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.,
Oct. 23 at the Cochrane RancheHouse
18
Fireman’s Ball, Cochrane RancheHouse. For more
information call 403-932-7501
22
Cochrane Lioness Club Christmas Craft Fair,
St. Andrew’s United Church, 10 a.m–4p.m. To book a
table, call Sue at 403-855-1207
29
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club presents Maria
Dunn with Shannon Johnson at the Cochrane RancheHouse at 8 p.m. www.cochranefolkclub.com
TBA Christmas Light Up. For information contact the
Town of Cochrane, 403-851-2500
december
....................................
13
Cochrane & Area Humane Society Home for
the Holidays Christmas Party Open House, 62 Griffin
Industrial Point, 1–4 p.m. Come to our Christmas party
for the animals! Shop at our shelter store for a gift from
our Shelter Animal Wish List at www.cochranehumane.
ca and find out why the holiday season can be a great
time to adopt a new companion from an animal shelter!
Our calendars make wonderful gifts—only $10; 100% of
proceeds go to help shelter animals. Get yours today!
For more information visit www.cochranehumane.ca or
call 403-932-2072
january
....................................
31
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club presents the
Borderlanders—Sylvia Tyson, Ron Hynes, Gretchen Peters
and Graham Isaacson—at the Cochrane RancheHouse
at 8 p.m. www.cochranefolkclub.com
29
Lean Workshop, hosted by the Town of Cochrane
Economic Development, the Cochrane & District Chamber
of Commerce and Community Futures Centre West, together with the Calgary Regional Partnership and Alberta
Finance and Enterprise. A five-hour workshop exposing
participants to the Principles of Lean through hands-on,
interactive and simple simulations of both traditional
and lean processes for manufacturing, office or serviceoriented operations. Cochrane RancheHouse, 7 a.m.–
1 p.m. Continental breakfast and working lunch
provided. For more information call 403-851-2502 or
visit www.cochrane.ca
november
....................................
2
Foothills Art Club Show & Sale, Cochrane Curling
Arena, 10 a.m–4 p.m. For more information call Spence
or Sue at 403-932-7629
2, 9 Perrenoud Ranche Winter Craft Fair, Perrenoud
Ranche on Weedon Trail. For more information call
403-851-0549
6–9, Vision Theatre Players Guild presents Blithe Spirit
14–16 by Noel Coward at the Bearspaw Lifestyle Centre.
Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7 p.m.; Sunday matineés 1 p.m.;
dinner theatre Nov. 8. For more information call JoAnne
Ayotte at 403-932-7372
7
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club presents Tom
Taylor, Shari Ulrich and Barney Bentall at the Cochrane
RancheHouse at 8 p.m. www.cochranefolkclub.com
8
Cochrane Art Club Miniature Christmas Sale, Frank
Willis Memorial Hall, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information
contact A.J. Pearson at 403-948-5334, [email protected]
Ponies by Sue Milledge
Foothills Art Club Show & Sale
Art enthusiasts, come see what your talented neighbours
are up to, and perhaps find a gift for someone special!
Nov. 9, 10 a.m.– 4 p.m., Cochrane Curling Arena
february
....................................
19-22 Vision Theatre Players Guild presents Tally’s Folly
by Langford Wilson. Tentative scheduling, location TBA. For
more information call JoAnne Ayotte at 403-932-7372
march
....................................
6
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club presents Lennie
Gallant at the Cochrane RancheHouse at 8 p.m.
31
The Cochrane Valley Folk Club, TBA, Cochrane
RancheHouse at 8 p.m. www.cochranefolkclub.com
loving it • Giddyup for wishes
Martha’s
dream
ride
How one Cochrane
woman brought
Canadians together
to make wishes come
true for sick kids
STORY SARAH JUNKIN • PHOTOS PATRICK PRICE
W
hen a local horsewoman made the
decision to spend four months riding from Ontario back to her home
in Cochrane, she was well prepared for the physical
challenge of the 3500-kilometre journey. She was
less prepared for the emotional impact her sojourn
would have.
“It changed me in more ways than I would ever
have believed possible,” says Martha Birkett, a mother
of five and grandmother of three who this spring rode
four of her horses alongside busy highways through
four provinces to raise funds and awareness for the
Children’s Wish Foundation. The organization
grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children.
“By the end of the journey it felt like it was my prayers,
my wishes that had been answered,” she says.
It all began when Birkett, feeling restless after
her last child moved out, felt a strong desire to do
something important, though it would take some
time and soul-searching to fully articulate just what
that might be. “I knew I wanted to help children,” she
says.“I knew I wanted to spend time with my horses
and I knew I wanted to ride a long distance.”
But just as she was starting to put those pieces
together, Birkett says fate, or “something stronger,”
intervened. “My husband Ken brought me a book
by Barbara Kingscote called Ride the Rising Wind,”
explains Birkett, referring to an account written by a
woman who rode on horseback from her home in
Quebec to the West Coast in 1949.
“My heart skipped a beat because Ken didn’t
yet know what I was planning,” Birkett says. “At that
time I was wondering how many miles I could cover
in a day, and when I opened the book my eyes went
to a page where Barbara explains her horse consistently took her 30 miles, and on some days as many
as 50. I started to realize I couldn’t stop this—there
were just too many coincidences.”
After months of planning, and supported by
Ken and her close friend Lona Louden who headed
up the so-called Giddy Up for Wishes committee,
Birkett drove to Ottawa with horses Champagne,
Coco, Rapper and Daisy. On March 31 she finally
began her journey on a cold, rainy morning amidst
a send-off hosted by students at Algonquin College,
Reunited with her happy, healthy grandson Avery,
Martha says she will never forget the Wish children
she met along the way.
“Some had such strength.
It was humbling”
hoping to arrive home in time for Canada Day
and the start of the Calgary Stampede.
“I was really, really pumped,” says Birkett,
smiling at the memory. “I was so done with the
planning part and I’d said my goodbyes—that
was hard—so I just wanted to get at it.”
What followed were four months of the
greatest hospitality Birkett says she has ever
encountered. The Bearspaw Lions Club had
contacted other Lions Clubs across the country, and almost every night she, her volunteer
drivers and her horses were fed and watered by
locals who had heard about her project.
(
“This project reminds us of what is so essential to our humanness,” he says. “Hearing
stories of people coming together to sell pies
solely for these kids—it reminds each of us
how we’re all connected to one another.”
The momentum continued to build as
Birkett wound her way across Ontario, with
more and more media outlets taking notice of
the Children’s Wish Foundation ambassador,
and donations began to pour in.
Her efforts attracted the attention of
Equine Canada, an association that promotes
the equine community with regards to educa-
came home and learned Birkett was coming to
town, his dog had given birth to another litter of
puppies, one of which he presented to his hero.
“I was so touched that I named him Chance,”
says Birkett of her new furry little friend.
Finally, on July 1 Birkett rode into Mitford
Park where she was greeted by community
members and supporters at the annual Canada
Day outdoor concert.
And the following day members of 13
Lions Clubs in the province hosted a homecoming celebration at the Bearspaw Community
Hall where she crossed an official finish line
“This project reminds us of what is so essential to our humanness.
Hearing stories of people coming together . . . solely for these kids—
it reminds each of us how we’re all connected to one another”
“I never ate so much in my life,” chuckles
Birkett. “The Lions hooked us up with other
Lions, or horse people who knew other horse
people. It was fabulous.”
The experience seems to have been equally
satisfying for members of the Bearspaw Lions
Club who bore the brunt of the organizing. Del
Borggard is treasurer and third vice-president
of the Bearspaw Lions Club.“From my point of
view, that was the most fascinating part,” he says
of contacting Lions’ members across the country.
“It was an unusual venture, but it made sense, and
you should be able to do more of that—work
together on projects for the common good.”
At a homecoming party on July 2, Borggard
says representatives from 13 area clubs came
out to welcome Birkett back. “There were 300
people there,” he says. “That’s a bigger turnout
than we have at some of our conventions!”
Hopeton Louden, a municipal district of
Rocky View councillor and Lions Club member, goes even further, suggesting Birkett’s ride
will have a long-lasting impact on many of the
smaller communities she visited along the way.
tion, safety and the health and welfare of horses. Equine Canada officials named Birkett their
official spokesperson for Horse Week 2008, in
part due to her emphasis on wearing a helmet,
and her general care of the horses.
“Wearing the helmet was huge for them,”
says Birkett. “They said I was a good role
model.” Her picture will appear on the group’s
brochures and other promotional material
throughout the year.
But it was the generosity of strangers that
most affected Birkett on her long ride home.
“The Wish children I met along the way I’ll
never forget,” she says.“Some had such strength.
It was humbling.”
In Manitoba she met a 13-year-old boy
named Chance who had been very ill for most
of his young life. Though he didn’t have much
strength, he’d been trying to raise money for
the foundation that had granted his own wish
to go to Disneyland, by selling a litter of his
dog’s puppies.
Later Chance suffered a massive stroke and
spent 144 days in the hospital. By the time he
)
accompanied by nephew Matthew D’Addario,
a hemophiliac from Ontario whose wish was to
be with his aunt at the end of her sojourn.
At press time, with donations still
trickling in, Birkett had raised approximately $183,000—to the amazement of the
Children’s Wish Foundation.
“She is always so charismatic and well
spoken,” says Children’s Wish fundraising coordinator Trevor Eagles. “What really stands
out is the amount of attention she raised not
only across the four provinces, but across the
country. We’re super pleased with what she did
for us.”
So what’s next for this dynamic horsewoman? “I want to spend some time at home with my
grandkids and husband and friends,” she says.
“But I’ve always been a dreamer. I don’t know
what’s next, but I know it’ll come to me.” cc
To read more about Martha’s journey, visit
www.storesonline.com/site/987284
To get involved with or donate to the
Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada,
visit wwwchildrenswish.ca
style
loving it • celebrating volunteerism
Serving the
community with
The Cochrane Activettes celebrate 30 years!
T
Activettes from front to back:
Sandy McDonald, Heather Fennell, Audrey
Butchko, Jennifer Foy, Marcia Gilbertson,
Louise Clozza, Margaret Sletten
“
We just pick up
the phone and
things happen.
We don’t need to
reach very far to
find people and
organizations
willing to help out
”
STORY PATRICIA ALDERSON • PHOTO CAROLINE CONNOLLY
hirty years ago, a small group of Cochrane women came together with a mission to help those less fortunate. Three decades on, the Cochrane Activettes, a
chartered not-for-profit service organization, are a major force in the community—owners and operators of their own business plus the food bank, expert fund-raisers
through events of their own and on behalf of other worthy causes, frontline volunteers at
key community events, and many-time award winners for their boundless goodwill and
good works.
The Activettes’ spirit of “working together, forgetting ourselves” has drawn many
Cochrane-area women into their fold over the years with a singular purpose—to make
Cochrane a better place. You’ll find these ladies at their second-hand store, the Clothesline,
or stocking the food bank they run out of a building they purchased last year, or catering
events to raise funds for their programs. You’ll find them packing and delivering hampers
at Christmas time, flipping pancakes at the Labour Day Pancake Breakfast, doling out
refreshments at Footstock or judging in the Great Western Outhouse Race. And you’ll
find them hosting blood donor clinics, baking cookies for cancer patients, delivering Meals
to Go and packing school lunches.
Betty Goodsell, one of the original Activettes, is very familiar with the challenges and
rewards of building a successful service organization from the ground up. She recalls the
early days of the Clothesline: “We took it over in 1994 when it was in a little space on River
Avenue. We joke it was the best kept secret in town back then because of the struggle
to keep it going. In 1998 we made the decision to move downtown and give it six more
months. Now it’s 2008 and the store is still going strong.”
Behind all the Activettes’ successful programs is a story of hard work and dedication.
Betty, a recipient of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian award, remembers when
the Activettes launched their Share Your Christmas program in 1982. “We needed to
blaze all sorts of trails to get it up and running,” she recalls. “We worked from a makeshift location and hauled cans of food up and down stairs. It was quite a job.” She notes,
with a tinge of regret in her voice, “We looked after fewer families back then than we do
now.” Today they co-ordinate Christmas for more than a hundred local families a year,
providing a month’s supply of food plus clothing and gifts.
In 2000, the Activettes energetically supported the Hooves of History Cattle Drive
and Rodeo. “Our job was to make lunches for the riders out on the trail,” Betty says, “lots
of lunches—2,000 a day for four days, to be exact! We had an assembly line of people at
the Legion hall making sandwiches and packing juice and granola bars into bags.”
The Activettes is a women’s group, but Betty points out that spouses and significant
Cochrane
and area residents
connect with
Advertise
spring 2009
Call Wendy now
403-969-5190
others are very much part of the team, helping with everything from flipping pancakes
to hauling food donations—whatever needs
to be done. And don’t tell the kids, but Betty’s
husband Denis has been Santa at the Christmas Light Up for years.
Former mayor and current Family and
Community Support Services (FCSS) board
member Lydia Graham is a longtime admirer
of the Activettes. “There is no way of putting
a measurement on what they do,” she says.
“They are a tremendous service to the community, and people often don’t realize the
extent of their involvement and the time commitment members make. The community
would be at a total loss without them.”
I asked Betty and Marcia Gilbertson,
another director, what wish the Activettes
would like granted, if possible. Both hesitated,
and the true spirit of this group became evident in their answers.“We’ve been pretty darn
fortunate over the years,” says Betty. “We’ve
been recognized by the community over and
over, and now that we have a location for the
Food Bank, our biggest need has been met.”
Approximately 40 families depend on the
Cochrane Food Bank every month, which is
supported by schools, churches and hockey
team food drives.
Marcia concurs.“A year ago we still needed a building, and now we have a home and
lots of volunteers from the community to
help run it,” she says.
Both women hint that a location for the
annual Christmas project is next on the wish
list but are quick to say the support they receive from the community is already tremendous. “We just pick up the phone and things
happen,” says Marcia.“We don’t need to reach
very far to find people and organizations willing to help out. Even newcomers and new
businesses dig deep.”
Marcia’s description of the Activettes
and their work says it all: “We are an organization of like-minded individuals, all here for
the same purpose, and because of that we get
things done.” The Activettes’ goal during this
30th anniversary year is to raise $30,000 for
continued good works in the Cochrane area.
You go, girls! cc
To find out more about the Cochrane
Activettes, visit www.cochraneactivettes.com
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loving it • Shopping in Cochrane
Earth-toned
mountains, blue sky
and water—
the regional landscape is serenely portrayed in this raku wall plate available at
Old and Crafty. Perfect for that lover of
the West who has everything
What little one wouldn’t
sleep like a baby
in this adorable panel crib from Ashwoods Home Décor?
Available in more than 20 colours; mattress and bedding
sold separately
As a gift for a
special someone or
a treat for yourself,
this unique cross necklace from Just for You
Flowers & More makes a
chic, elegant statement
shopping
around
Downtown
STACEY CAREFOOT
Delight a youngster
or add some charm to your home with
this old-fashioned rocking horse from
Cochrane Toy Box
Live the cushy life—
add a little charm to a sofa or loveseat
with this lovely throw cushion from
Ashwoods Home Décor
This slate-topped wood table
from Old and Crafty is
a natural
conversation piece
in any corner of your home
Find this
charming
hanging
candle
lantern
and others like it at
Panda Flowers
A lovely little
plant stand, or
a child’s bedside
table?
This large designer accent
plate from Just for You
Flowers & More will add
Quaint old pieces abound at
Ashwoods Home Décor
just the right amount
of colour to a space
Sit a spell on this
soft leather and
cowhide bench,
Brighten the
rainiest day
with this cheerful
umbrella from
Cochrane Toy Box
the focal
point of
any room,
available at Just for
You Flowers & More
Who doesn’t
love an
old-fashioned
sock monkey?
Available at Cochrane Toy Box
arrive
right on the dot
Take your time or
with this charming polka
dot clock from Ashwoods
Home Décor
loving it • meet the neighbours
Meet the Jenkins family on page 20
A Tale of Two Families
The Lappin and the Jenkins families both love their lives in Cochrane—
for many of the same reasons, and for different ones, too.
Meet two very active families who call Cochrane home
STORY SHERRY SHAW-FROGGATT • PHOTOS CAROLINE CONNOLLY
Meet the Lappins, left to right, Kyle, Lucky, Shannon, Brett, Steve and Kade
S
teve and Shannon Lappin are on the run. Getting this interview done means catching
Shannon fixing a quick bite for the three boys, aged 8 to 13, before they head to the arena.
“Who’s going to run the dog?” she calls out. All three boys scramble into the kitchen:“I will,
I will!” No couch potatoes here. Steve comes home from the office in Calgary as the boys run by
with a “Hey, Dad, we gotta go to [inline] hockey in half an hour.” It’s a typical night in the Lappin
home and Steve and Shannon couldn’t be happier.
Both raised in smaller communities, Shannon and Steve enjoyed the big city in their first few
married years, but as the boys came along to fill out their family, their longing for small-town life
became paramount. Living in the west end of Calgary meant all of their recreational pastimes
were in Cochrane, and every weekend involved a trip to the town for family activities—biking,
swimming, church. Early on in their Cochrane weekends, Steve and Shannon began researching
each distinct neighbourhood, looking for the right one for them. They had a few criteria, beginning with a fairly large square footage—“We’re a family of five!”—and a large yard. Proximity to
the river and walking paths, and a quiet, family-friendly cul-de-sac were key. They found what
{
Laps around the rink and the park
Lappins:
Shannon and Steve are
all smiles listening to
the boys rattle off
what they like about
Cochrane. Notably,
the boys find nothing
negative to say
The Lappins
loving it • meet the neighbours
they were looking for in Riverview Greens and
patiently waited until a house on their favourite street went on the market. In the spring of
2004, the Lappins signed the paperwork on
their new home and their new life.
Today the boys—Brett, 13, Kade, 11, and
Kyle, 8—bike to school and spend every waking minute at the arena year-round (ice hockey
in the winter, inline in the summer), and each
boy has a long list of positives about their
community. For Kyle, it’s “MacKay’s ice cream
(cotton candy is his flavour), the Cochrane
candy store, his friends and the statue of the
man on the horse.” Kade took the time to make
a written list: “There’s lots of space, the arena,
Spray Lakes Recreational Centre, the bike
trails . . .”—his list is two pages long.
Brett is just as enthused about being a “rink
rat”. He is the youngest referee in the hockey
program and bought his own membership at
the Cochrane Golf Club in his neighbourhood
this year with his earnings. Shannon and Steve
are all smiles listening to the boys rattle off their
list of likes. Notably, the boys find nothing
negative to say.
Loading the van with inline gear for the
nightly trek to the arena, Steve says his daily
commute to Calgary averages half an hour,
giving him ample time to be a hands-on dad,
coach hockey and play on the “worst but most
fun adult hockey team in town.”
Shannon has embraced Cochrane’s vibe, establishing the family routines, getting involved
in causes that are close to her heart. She’s passionate about the Seniors for Kids Society, a
program where local seniors spend one-on-one
time with elementary, middle and high-school
students to share experiences, ground the kids
in compassion and encourage intergenerational
friendships. She also volunteers at the Bethany.
Four years later the novelty of small-town
life has not worn off. “It’s ranchy,” Kade quips.
Everyone chuckles—they know what he means.
The rural roots are strong in this community,
and so now are the Lappins’ roots, too.
A creative approach
to life in Cochrane
T
he Jenkins family is hanging out at
home this weekend, a rarity with all
of their creative and recreational pursuits. Steffanie, 16, an enthusiastic high-school
basketball player, and sister Melissa, 14, who
is taking a break from three nights a week at
the dance studio and two times a week playing
ringette, take turns on the piano. Mom Karen
is sizing up another oil painting project and dad
William is strumming his guitar. They’ve got
plans to have dinner at their favourite Vietnamese restaurant, Tony’s Noodle House, where
the owner always stops to chat with the family. Later, William and Karen plan to walk up
to the Rockyview Hotel—the Old Hotel to
locals—to check out a live band and two-step
around the dance floor. Life is good for the Jenkins clan.
William’s work in the oil and gas sector
brought them to Calgary from Slave Lake in
1999. House hunting around Calgary, William
and Karen frankly didn’t like what they saw.
Friends who already lived in Cochrane encouraged them to drive out, and the couple were immediately smitten.“We looked at the opportunities for the girls first—both were dancing at the
time—and the schools,” says William. Also high
on the list of priorities was a strong sense of community, something William and Karen had both
experienced growing up in smaller centres.
Meet the Jenkins family, left to right, Steffanie, Karen, William and Melissa;
also pictured on page 18 with their dog Dan
{
Jenkins:
“On one of our first
visits, our friends
took us to the Old
Hotel and we got that
great sense of
rural country roots—
it felt like home”
“On one of our first visits, our friends took
us to the Old Hotel and we got that great sense
of rural country roots—it felt like home,” William says. (The Rockyview, a local watering
hole for cowboys and ranchers since 1904, is
now a great venue for live acts and a chance
to two-step on a Saturday night.) The rural/
country feel of the town was balanced by easy
access in and out of Calgary for William’s demanding job.
They built their West Terrace home and
have watched their neighbourhood grow
and their family blossom within Cochrane.
Karen and the girls got right into the arts
scene—both girls have danced tap, jazz, lyrical and ballet, and taken piano lessons. Karen
became “the super volunteer,” in William’s
words. She continues to be active in the girls’
schools and extracurricular activities, and is a
constant volunteer and canvassing captain for
several national health foundations. “It was a
great way to get to know my neighbourhood,”
Karen says. She also took up oil painting
through local art classes and has become an
accomplished painter. William plays guitar
and has now picked up the mandolin with
the help of buddy Mike, another Cochranite.
William jokes that he’s now “average enough
to jam with friends in their garages on Sunday mornings.”
Between dance competitions, piano recitals, and ringette and basketball tournaments, the Jenkins crew finds time to enjoy
the Cochrane lifestyle. The whole family is
enamoured of Cochrane’s character, from
the “gorgeous river” to the local restaurant
scene. “We love the whole arts and culture
scene available—it’s an active community for
the arts.” They also love the annual Labour
Day rodeo. “We’ve never missed a year. It’s an
old-school rodeo—great entertainment and
a great family activity,” William says. With
Cochrane’s growth, Karen says she can do 99
per cent of her shopping locally—a real treat
since she can be anywhere in five minutes and
the stores’ staff are always friendly.
Cochrane has character, William and
Karen like to say, and if the true character of
a town is in its people, then the Jenkins family
has added a real spark of creativity, talent and
generosity of spirit to the community. These
folks are loving it in Cochrane. cc
loving it • About the town
town and community
Listings
support
. . . . . . . . services
............................
Alberta Mentor Foundation for Youth
Providing adult mentors for students in
Grades 5–12. 403-851-2250
Bethany Cochrane
Offering a full complement of services to seniors.
403-932-6422
Big Hill Lodge
Home for senior citizens with 24-hour staffing.
403-932-3355
Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane
Providing a safe environment to facilitate the development of skills and values through the use of innovative
programs, empowering youth to lead successful lives.
403-932-4747
The Clothesline
Owned and operated by the Cochrane Activettes,
providing good used clothing for reasonable prices.
403-932-5984
Cochrane & Area Victim Services Society
Provides support and information for victims of
crime and tragedy. 403-932-5242 or
1-888-932-5242
Cochrane Community Care Program/
Calgary Health Region Home Care
403-932-8709
Cochrane Community Health Centre
403-932-8700
Have
we got you covered?
..................................................
To have your Cochrane organization listed here
e-mail [email protected]
Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS)
A non-profit weight support group. 403-932-4662
Cochrane Adult Tennis Club
403-932-1979, 403-932-3552, 403-932-8854
Tapestry of Women
Women from Cochrane, Morley and surrounding
area working together to better their communities
and themselves. 403-932-6383
Cochrane Archery Club
Derek Smith, 403-932-4143
service
. . . . . . . .organizations
............................
Cochrane BMX Association
www.cochranebmx.ab.ca
Army Cadets 2512 KOCR RCACC
403-851-5125
Bow View Rebekah Lodge #125
403-932-3483
Cochrane Activettes
Jan Tracy, 403-851-4609
Cochrane and Area Humane Society
403-932-2072
Cochrane Branches and Banks
Environmental Foundation
Tim, 403-932-5640
Cochrane Citizens on Patrol
[email protected]
Cochrane & District Agricultural Society
403-932-3250
Cochrane & District Youth Justice Committee
Cheryl Adams, 403-949-3535,
[email protected]
Cochrane Badminton Club
Kevin Shier, 403-932-6910
Cochrane Coelacanths Masters Swim Club
Sheila, 403-932-5095
Cochrane Comets Swim Club
Donna Matthezing, 403-932-6084
Cochrane Curling Club
403-932-2077
Cochrane Hiking Program
403-851-2534
Cochrane Horseshoe Club
Henry, 403-932-2097
Cochrane Kayak Club
403-932-8940
Cochrane Ladies Hockey
Dawn, 403-932-1857
Cochrane Ladies Soccer
Patti, 403-932-8940
Cochrane Ecological Institute
403-932-5632
Cochrane Men’s Walking Group
403-851-2534
Cochrane Environmental Action Committee
403-851-0562
Cochrane Minor Ball
[email protected]
Cochrane Family and Community
Support Services
Helping to strengthen, enhance and stabilize
family and community life. 403-851-2250
Cochrane First Scouting
Helen, 403-932-5670
Cochrane Minor Basketball
Francine Wieliczko, 403-932-4089
Cochrane Lioness Club
Laura Negard, 403-932-7588
Cochrane Minor Hockey Association
Gord, 403-851-2000
Cochrane Home Treasures
Operated by the Cochrane Home Essentials Society,
providing household goods and used furniture
at reasonable prices. 403-851-9974
Cochrane Lions Club
Keith, 403-932-2977
Cochrane Minor Soccer Association
403-932-KICK (5425)
Cochrane Search and Rescue
403-205-0197
Cochrane Piranhas Swim Club
Jennifer Rooney, 403-932-6817
Girl Guides of Canada
Wendy, 403-932-5056
Cochrane Pony Club
Anne, 403-932-6158
Cochrane Pregnancy Care Centre
Providing free and confidential service for
Cochrane women and their families needing
support through crisis pregnancies. 403-932-2900
King Solomon Lodge
403-932-5843
Cochrane Rangers Soccer Club
403-932-8940
Rotary Club of Cochrane
Scott, 403-804-6044
Cochrane Red Rock Runners
www.redrockrunners.com
Cochrane Society for Housing Options
Committed to the development of a
continuum of housing choices. 403-851-2261
Royal Canadian Legion
403-932-2011
Cochrane Ringette
Fina, 403-932-3975
Royal Canadian Legion #15 Ladies Auxiliary
403-932-3976
Cochrane Skating Club
Linda Mackay, 403-932-9665
Zenith Chapter #85
403-932-2788
Cochrane Skateboard Club
Ruth, 403-932-6393
sports
. . . . . . .&. .recreation
...........................
Cochrane Volleyball Club
403-851-8858
Cochrane Employment Services
Providing labour market information, job postings,
career education programs and more. 403-709-0010
Cochrane Mental Health Clinic
Providing accessible mental health service in Cochrane
and the district community. 403-932-3455
Community Therapy Associates
Providing occupational therapy for individuals
with sensory integration, processing and motor
challenges. 403-932-6517
Evergreen Manor
Apartment building accommodations for seniors who
are self-sufficient. 403-932-6489
Family and Community Resource Centre
Providing free and low-cost services to families and
children. 403-851-2250
Big Hill Leisure Pool
Info line: 403-932-2674, 403-932-2774
Public swim times and lessons: 403-851-2299
Cochrane AB Darts Association
403-932-2011
Cochrane Women’s Walking Club
403-851-2534
Men’s Slow-Pitch
Ken, 403-932-9083
Valley Echo Toastmasters Club
403-589-1530, 403-932-1038
Mixed Slow-Pitch
Dani, 403-932-4702
Rocky Mountain Big Wheels Association
Cheryl, 403-851-1077
town
. . . . . . services
..............................
www.cochrane.ca
Town of Cochrane
Main Switchboard
403-851-2500
Rockyview Lacrosse Association
Kathie, 403-932-6790
Spray Lake Sawmills Sports Centre
403-932-1635
Taoist Tai Chi Society
Brent, 403-932-9289
Accounts Payable
403-851-2519
arts,
. . . . . culture
. . . . . . .&
. . heritage
......................
Accounts Receivable
403-851-2520
Big Hill Country Dancers
Marg and Warren, 403-932-6250, 403-932-0836
Animal Control Services
403-851-2272
Ceilidh Revue
Elaine, 403-851-5151
Building & Inspection
Building permits and inspections: 403-932-5513
Cochrane & Area Heritage Association
403-932-5504
Chief Administrative Officer
403-851-2504
Cochrane Community Arts and
Culture Council
Sandy, 403-851-2535
Cochrane RancheHouse Facility Manager
403-851-2565
Cochrane Historical & Archival
Preservation Society (CHAPS)
Gordon, 403-932-2295
Communication/Public Relations
403-851-2503
Community & Protective Services
403-851-2531
Cochrane Music Society
Jane Kaczmer, 403-932-3005
Community Peace Officer
Bylaw/traffic: 403-851-2532
Cemetery: 403-851-2590
Cochrane Ranche Historic Site
Open May long weekend to Labour Day weekend.
403-932-4705
Economic Development
403-851-2502
Cochrane Valley Folk Club
Family & Community Support Services
Resource Centre, Parent Link Centre:
403-851-2250
Foothills Art Club
Spence or Sue, 403-932-7629
Men of Vision Pipes and Drums
Association of Cochrane
Leslie Deans, 403-932-7446
Fire/EMS Administration
403-851-2540
Nan Boothby Memorial Library
403-932-4353
Human Resources
403-851-2517
Stockmen’s Memorial Foundation
Library & Archives
403-932-3782
Mayor & Council
403-851-2505
Dr. Jolann Benson
Dr. Tristan Ziegenhagel
A dental team
who treats our
patients like
family!
Please call
403-932-2477
to book your complete
dental exam
Extended Hours Available
Parks & Maintenance
403-851-2590
Vision Theatre Players Guild
403-932-7411
hobby
. . . . . . .&
. . leisure
...........................
Parks Rainout Line/Rink Status
403-851-2552
Big Hill Quilters
Cindy, 403-932-3872
Planning & Engineering Services
403-851-2570
Big Hill Senior Citizens Activity Society
403-932-8981, 403-803-9618
Property Taxes
403-851-2522
Cochrane Big Hill Needle Arts Guild
403-851-0317
Recreation & Culture Programs
403-851-2534
Cochrane Camera Club
Scott Winter, 403-932-6787
Recycle Depot
403-932-2742
Cochrane Ladies Time Out
Ruth, 403-932-4018
Road Transport
Signage, potholes, crosswalks, snow removal:
403-851-2590
Ladies Time Out
Linda Fairfield, 403-851-6549
Dr. Garry Ziegenhagel
Business Licensing
403-851-2573
Cochrane Art Club 50
Shirley Edge, 403-932-5715
50 & Over Club
403-932-6002
Now Accepting
New Patients
Utilities
Sewer, water, sanitation: 403-851-2590
Billing and payment: 403-851-2523
emergency
. . . . . . . . . . . services
. . . . . . . .and
. . . .after-hours
. . . . . . . . . . numbers
.........................................
Police/Fire/Ambulance
9-1-1
Roads Transport
Emergency only, follow the prompts: 403-851-2590
Parks & Facilities
Emergency only: 403-851-2599
Water/Wastewater
Emergency only, pager/phone: 403-213-0541
#8 – 201 Grand Blvd,
Cochrane
(just east of ATB Financial
beside Guy’s Bakery)
advertorial
Blunston Dental Group
“If you want a Hollywood smile,
you don’t have to go to
Hollywood to get it”
A gentle silence and muted tones on the wall greet clients
entering the Blunston Dental Group office. A splash of
green on the walls, with metal and glass sculptures, adds
a funky modern feel.
“If you want a Hollywood smile, you don’t have to
go to Hollywood to get it,” laughs Thayne Blunston. “It’s
available here.”
Underneath the polished veneer is a group of caring
professionals who make their clients feel like more than
just another appointment.
In 2000, Blunston, who graduated from Dalhousie
University 12 years ago, started the Westsyde Dental
Clinic in Airdrie. After a few years, he decided to move
in a new direction.
After extensive training at the Las Vegas Institute of
Advanced Dental Studies, Blunston started focusing on
cosmetic and neuromuscular dentistry. From smile makeovers, to full-mouth rehabilitation, to restorative/general
dentistry, Blunston Dental Group works with the client to
achieve both oral and overall health and wellness.
“We are a comprehensive dental office,” stresses
Blunston. “Everyone gets a thorough exam, but then the
treatment is individualized based on what we find.”
With advanced technology, Blunston Dental Group offers solutions that focus on long-term health and client
convenience.
With the Velscope, a non-invasive oral cancer detection system, Blunston emits a light into the mouth that
measures the fluorescence of the tissue. Healthy and
abnormal tissue fluoresces differently. Blunston is able
to assess the results immediately, so any treatment can
start quickly.
Blunston also uses digital 3D imaging x-ray technology to look at bone, jaw joint, airway and sinus structure.
He can assess posture and bite problems. In keeping with
their overall health strategy, Blunston can give his patients a strategy to deal with potential long-term issues.
Using the new E4D milling system, same-day dentistry
for crowns has arrived. By using a high-speed laser scanner, multiple images are taken of the affected tooth. A
computer-aided model helps produce a perfect restoration from high-quality ceramic or composite materials
in a short period of time. Blunston fits the crown in the
same visit.
One of the most exciting dental options at Blunston is
the Pure Power Mouthguard, which is used by high-level
and weekend athletes for protection as well as improved
performance.
“When the jaw is in the optimal relaxed position, it
allows the rest of the body to achieve its potential,” explains Blunston, who has fitted an Olympic swimmer and
other elite athletes. After relaxing the patient’s facial and
jaw muscles, Blunston fits the mouthguard accordingly.
Athletes are always looking for an edge, and the Pure
Power Mouthguard can greatly improve their abilities.
“To see people become more outgoing and at ease
with themselves after dental work is a really rewarding
part of dentistry,” states Blunston. “We want everyone
to achieve their full oral health potential; we want you
to be your best.”
Smile, and feel your best.
New patients welcome, call 403-912-9378 to book your appointment.
#1 - 620 1st Avenue NW, Airdrie www.blunstondentalgroup.com
Restorative • Cosmetic • Neuromuscular (TMJ) • Visit us online to learn more.
Dr. Thayne Blunston, LVI Fellow
Be your best.
BLUNSTONairdrieLIFEhalfPAGE.indd 1
8/27/08 12:36:19 PM
living it • housing market news
HOMELIFE
REALTY INC
Growing
biggermeans living closer
Condominium development leads the way in Cochrane’s
burgeoning new housing market
N
MIKE
BORODY
CHERYL
VANDERWATER
JENNIFER
CUMMINGS
KAREN
BUCKLEY
GERRY
MUELLER
PATRICK
BORODY
403-932-4119
[email protected]
www.theborodybunch.com
ew home starts in Cochrane in
the first half of 2008 took a giant
leap over 2007 figures, and new
condominium developments are a big part
of the boom.
The first six months of 2008 saw 314
housing starts in Cochrane, up from just 121
in that period the year before—a 159 per cent
jump, compared to Calgary’s 14 per cent increase in that time, reports Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corp.
Single-family starts were up only slightly
from January to June 2008, to 110 from 107
in 2007.
“It’s been primarily condos,” says CMHC
senior market analyst Lai Sing Louie, noting
there were 174 condo starts during the period, where there were none in that period in
2007.“More attention is being paid to building
apartment-condo styles; they’re a little more affordable and we’re starting to see that happen.”
Growth in the condo market fits with the
Town of Cochrane’s interest in densification.
In planning for a burgeoning population while
maintaining the small-town, big-country character that brings people here, the Town in last
spring’s Municipal Development Plan committed to increasing housing densities.
Cochrane has reached a critical mass
where condos are becoming a desired option, says Jim Moir, executive vice-president
of housing for Jayman, whose Aspire Condo
Living division has development underway
in Sunset Ridge. “The northwest end of
Calgary is pretty much built out now,” Moir
notes, “so it’s a great alternative for them to
go to Cochrane. It still has that hominess,” he
adds, “that hometown feeling that people are
looking for. And it’s a family-oriented community.” As Moir sees it: “People want to be
close by the city . . . but they don’t want to live
in the city.”
Mayor Truper McBride agrees the Cochrane lifestyle and landscape remain its biggest draws. “Cochrane has the best of both
worlds—the big city is within striking distance, and so are the mountains,” says McBride.
He says the community continues to develop
employment and business opportunities to attract investment and residents here.
“There’s been a conscious choice by this
council to develop a more complete community, and not just be a suburb of Calgary or a
bedroom community,” he says. “We’re working
on setting aside land for industry, light industry,
commercial . . . probably within the next couple
of years we’ll see quite a bit more [of this sort of
development].”
Average home prices in Cochrane have increased as in other areas of Alberta, but remain
slightly more affordable than Calgary, says
CMHC’s Louie. In June 2007, the average
absorbed price of a single detached unit was
$493,450; in June 2008, it was $571,294, up
just under 16 per cent. cc
ALEX FRAZER-HARRISON
living it • community profiles
West Pointe
MonTerra on Cochrane Lakes COURTESY MGM DEVELOPMENTS
COURTESY medallion development corp.
Cochrane
Community Profiles
fall 2008
Sunterra Ridge
COURTESY LAMONT LAND INC.
GlenEagles
COURTESY ECCO DEVELOPMENT CORP.
MIKE BORODY
T
remendous growth has spurred
some major changes in the town of
Cochrane over the past 10 years.
There are many more choices for housing now
as new subdivisions have sprung up in every
quadrant to meet the needs of all our newcomers. These new neighbours are coming from all
over the world, drawn to Alberta by profession
and situation, and to Cochrane by choice.
On the west edge of Calgary, we are on
the “old highway,” 1A—now the Bow Valley
Parkway, a continuance of Crowchild Trail—
a commute of mere minutes to the C-train or
university, with easy access via Country Hills
Boulevard to the airport. Many Cochranites
catch the commuter bus every day to downtown Calgary. Others take Hwy. 22 south to
the TransCanada to the heart of Calgary. Still
others are drawn west, to the amenities of Canmore, Banff and the mountains, less than an
hour away.
Single family homes start in the low
$300,000s—mostly attached homes and
townhouses in this range—then escalate
through the mid-$400,000s to $500,000s,
and well beyond to the million-dollar range depending on size and subdivision.
There are numerous choices for condominium living, from one- and two-bedroom
apartments starting at under $200,000 to the
mid-$400,000s. A typical two-bedroom with
underground parking in a new building will
vary from $230,000 to $300,000, depending
on floor placement. Several buildings are age
restricted (plus 50, for example).
In 2007, 288 single family homes listed on
MLS were sold at an average price of $479,961.
In the same period, 106 condominium listings
were sold at an average price of $282,687. The
average time it took to sell a home was the same
for both single family and condo listings in
2007: 47 days on the market.
Sales remained vigorous through the second
quarter of 2008, though homes were sitting a
little longer on the market at 56 days. Single family homes sales January–June 2008 totalled 160,
with an average sale price of $470,927, and 39
condominiums sold averaging $314,959.
Typical July 2008 sales
• A 2,077-square-foot two-storey with
developed basement and attached double
garage, just five years old, for $424,500.
• A 1,200-square-foot bungalow, nicely
developed down, with attached double
garage for $410,000.
• A two-storey on a prime river lot with more
than 2,200 square feet of living space plus
unfinished basement for $620,000.
There are several new subdivisions underway in Cochrane for which community
profiles, housing types and price ranges are just
being determined. There is a good selection of
condominium, starter and retirement homes
among the executive and high-end homes offered—something for everyone!
Get to know Cochrane’s fine neighbourhoods! Here’s the lowdown on location,
amenities and average prices for single
family homes (SFH) and condos sold in
2007 and the first half of 2008.
Bow Meadows
On the south side of the river off George Fox Trail,
a naturally private community of detached single
family homes, featuring large, flat lots. Bow Meadows Drive leads in and out of this creek and riverside community. Quiet and top end.
SFH 2007: $502,118 • 2008 YTD: $475,775
Bow Ridge
To the west of Bow Meadows, Bow Ridge has many
condominium townhouses and duplexes adjacent
to good-sized detached family homes backing onto
parks and the Bow River escarpment. Views are
expansive over the town and river valley. Lots of
parks and walking paths to the river and Jumping
Pound Creek.
SFH 2007: $440,685 • 2008 YTD: $426,715
CONDO 2007: $342,380 • 2008 YTD: $466,500
Cochrane Heights
Home to the local elementary, junior high and high
schools, and the old arena. A well-established, comfortable neighbourhood of detached family homes.
SFH 2007: $431,313 • 2008 YTD: $422,200
East End
(Old town Cochrane)
The quiet side of town, a short walk to all amenities. A blend of old and new with redevelopment
affecting many locations. There is a good selection
of older (some historic) sites, infills, multi-family
and duplexes amidst parks and playgrounds, tennis
courts and the outdoor rink.
SFH 2007: $380,809 • 2008 YTD: $366,580
CONDO 2007: $279,192 • 2008 YTD: $265,133
living it • community profiles
Cathy Falcione, AMP
Mortgage Specialist
Cochrane, Airdrie
& Surrounding Areas
tel 403-703-1358
fax 403-547-1358
[email protected]
mdm.scotiabank.com/cfalcione
Jumping Pound Ridge
Glenbow
Closest to the downtown area, Glenbow boasts the
“Big Hill Creek” park system running through it from
end to end, with some really nice locations connecting to parks, tennis courts and playgrounds.
SFH 2007: $344,484 • 2008 YTD: $379,413
CONDO 2007: $222,600 • 2008 YTD: $255,271
GlenEagles
A high-end community featuring villas and executive mansions, all backing onto green space, the golf
course or the fantastic Bow Valley/Rocky Mountain
view overlooking Cochrane from the east.
SFH 2007: $604,717 • 2008 YTD: $580,810
CONDO 2007: $447,133 • 2008 YTD: $470,000
Heritage Hills NEW!
Situated at the northwest edge of town, with
mountain views and abundant green spaces.
Evoking the traditional style of established family
neighbourhoods, character homes will feature all
modern conveniences and family-friendly pricing.
Starting from $665,000
incl. Lot & GST
Zero down and assumables available
In Cochrane - Pay 4.6% NOT 6.14% in taxes
Lots sizes starting at 80’ wide and 140’ long
Close to amenities including new Balzac Mall
Lake community with 180 acre lake
Choose from our popular floorplans
Fully serviced (water & sewer)
Come visit our showhome
Contact our sales department 403.981.6268 ext 202
MONTERRA - 2007 FINALIST FOR COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR (SAM AWARDS)
FREE Gasoline for your vehicle for the next 2 years for the first 3 clients to buy a home from Modena Homes Inc.
Jumping Pound Ridge NEW!
Skirted by a winding creek and a protected natural
reserve, south of the Bow River and Bow Ridge
neighbourhood, architectural guidelines emphasize the use of natural materials and a consistent
Craftsman style through this planned mixed community of single family homes, villas and low-rise
condominiums.
Monterra on Cochrane Lakes
An estate community just north of town, featuring
natural lakes and wetlands and sweeping views of
the mountains and rolling hills of the countryside.
A wide range of high-end homes, with lot sizes
starting at a quarter acre.
Home sites start at $225,000
Riverview Greens
Bordered by the river and home to the local golf
course, this community features a lot of privacy
and green space. There is a new condominium
townhouse project underway on the golf course
that promises to be a beauty.
SFH 2007: $508,556 • 2008 YTD: $489,444
CONDO 2007: $437,450 • 2008 YTD: $469,803
COURTESY ARCUS DEVELOPMENTS INC.
Sunset Ridge
A new development north of the Town offices off
Hwy. 22, boasting a new separate school, parks
and great views. A wide selection of new homes
of every size and style, with several condominium
projects underway as well.
SFH 2007: $487,721 • 2008 YTD: $530,410
Sunterra Ridge
Above the town and private, this community offers a high-end environment with views and end
destination address.
SFH 2007: $559,450 • 2008 YTD: $558,750
CONDO 2007: $286,900 • 2008 YTD $323,500
TRC Ranch NEW!
(The Ranch of Cochrane)
A planned self-contained community on the west
edge of town, with a mix of single family and
multi-family homes, plus 30 acres of commercial
space, linear parks and open spaces.
West Pointe
A move-up community at the far west end of
Cochrane, with some duplexes and larger single
family homes, plus estate homes backing onto the
Bow River.
SFH 2007: $215,000 • 2008 YTD: $377,975
West Terrace
A little newer subdivision, with duplexes and
smaller homes on the north side of Quigley Drive,
leading to executive homes on the river lots on the
south side. A preferred location, for sure.
SFH 2007: $420,377 • 2008 YTD: $504,230
West Valley
A great starter neighbourhood close to everything,
with a variety of detached, duplex and multifamily homes. Close to schools, trout ponds and
lots of parks.
Cellular Mike Data
High Speed Internet Accessories
SFH 2007: $421,786 • 2008 YTD: $404,840
CONDO 2007: $264,950 • 2008 YTD: $360,000
Mike Borody, broker of record for Homelife Country Realty, has been serving the
Cochrane area for more than 30 years
Airdrie
Strathmore
#3, 2145 Summerfield Blvd. #8, 55 Wheatland Trail.
403-934-4010
403-912-0512
Cochrane
#4, 201 Grand Blvd.
403-932-5335
living it • builder profile
Kern and Karen Kingsmith,
Kingsmith homes
At home in
Cochrane
Kingsmith Homes takes huge pride in
remaining small and local
STORY ALEX FRAZER-HARRISON • PHOTO CAROLINE CONNOLLY
K
ern Kingsmith jokes he’s been involved in the construction industry
since he learned to walk. OK, so
maybe he didn’t exactly exchange his rattle for
a hammer quite that early, but the Kingsmith
name has been a notable part of the Cochrane
home-building scene since 1977, and Kern
himself has been part of the family business
since going to work for his father as a general
contractor in 1980.
Now owner and president of Kingsmith
Homes, which he founded in 1985, Kern
Kingsmith says, when asked what keeps him in
the town,“Cochrane is just an absolutely lovely
community.” Even with changes over the years,
he says,“It still has that small-town feel. There’s
always demand for homes out here, and we’ve
stuck with it through good times and bad.”
Staying true to its original vision and
strengths has been key to the company’s longevity and success, says sales manager David
Boutin. “We’re a small custom home builder;
we’re interested in quality, not quantity,” Boutin
says. While some builders might aim for doz-
ens or hundreds of homes a year, Boutin says
Kingsmith is happy building 30 to 35 homes.
New Kingsmith Homes can be found in
several of Cochrane’s developing communities,
including West Pointe, Sunset Ridge and the
recently launched Jumping Pound Ridge.
“The whole industry has evolved over the
last three or four years,” says Kingsmith. Before
that,“it was mostly locally owned builders here,
and for various reasons they’ve moved on and
we’re last man standing as locals,” he says. “We
pride ourselves on being able to say we live
here.”
Although the company does occasional
work in rural areas from Bragg Creek to Cremona, Boutin says there’s no desire to compete
with the big companies in Calgary. He welcomes the challenges involved in maintaining
an excellent reputation locally. “In Calgary,” he
says,“people might talk [negatively] about your
work, but you just advertise more. That doesn’t
work out here—word of mouth is extremely
important.”
Kingsmith concurs: “If people want to
check us out, all they have to do is go to a coffee shop and spread the name around. Fortunately, they won’t hear anything bad.”
There’s a good chance those folks might
also run into someone who has worked on a
Kingsmith project. The company has a fulltime staff of only seven, but employs local
contractors and suppliers whenever possible.
“In fact,” Kingsmith says, “a lot of the people
who have worked with us started out based in
Calgary, and have moved out here!”
Boutin says Kingsmith’s own experience
as a contractor (“He could build a whole
house himself,” Boutin says) gives him an edge
when it comes to quality control. Contractors
“know what he expects and deliver what he
expects,” Boutin says.
Kingsmith says the biggest change in the
home-building industry today is the focus on
energy-efficient construction and design. Still,
he notes, the prime mantra of real estate remains the same—location, location, location.
“The different [communities] provide
different amenities, of course, but the biggest draw to Cochrane is the natural beauty,”
Kingsmith says. “There’s more choice than
ever with so many new developments in town.
There’s really something for everyone.”
Kingsmith has built homes across the
price spectrum—from the high $300,000s
to $1.5 million, Kingsmith says. But it’s not
just homes that he takes pride in building. He
continues to build his company’s ties to the
community by supporting local organizations
and programs. Most notably, with contributions from suppliers and trades, his company
is building a sports field house for Bow Valley
High School. “We take a lot of pride in being
responsible corporate citizens, and it’s just inherent in the spirit of this town.”
Kingsmith, whose wife Karen also works
for the business, says it’s too early to tell if
either of his two children will follow in his
footsteps. He does know he wants to keep
things local and personal. “We have no plans
to expand outside of Cochrane,” he says. “It’s
been our bread and butter and we enjoy
working here.” cc
Kingsmith Homes, 403-932-2339,
www.kingsmithhomes.ca
Coming
Welcome To Blue Grass.
We’re Down to Earth.
spring 2009
connect with the
Culture
connect with the
Heritage
Explore the Cowboy Trail, and the
wealth of history in Cochrane’s street
names and historical buildings.
connect with the
Great outdoors
Find out where to go in town for all
your gardening and outdoor décor
needs. Get ready to get active: learn
about the outdoor adventure companies operating in the area.
connect with the
Neighbours
Each issue we meet individuals and
families who are loving it in Cochrane
and are happy to tell you why!
connect with
Local businesses
Innovators, entrepreneurs and risktakers are changing the business landscape in Cochrane and their contributions to our vibrant community will
be shared in each issue. You’ll find
profiles of commercial, industrial and
home-based businesses—new businesses and local legends. Plus watch
for regular features and economic
outlooks from Cochrane Economic
Development, Community Futures
Centre West and the Cochrane Chamber—key sources of information about
Cochrane business issues.
For three generations, Blue Grass
has been providing Albertans with
all their landscaping needs from
sod to sunflower seeds, we pride
ourselves on bringing you the very
best to make your backyard a
rewarding and relaxing extension of
your home.
We invite you to join us
year ‘round and discover our
expanded facilities and
expert staff ready to help
your dreams grow!
Year round fun
Non toxic and safe
Installation available
Modular and expandable
Redwood & Cedar construction
Looks great in your yard
We carry the
complete line!
Sod, Trees, Shrubs, Mulch,
Firewood, Rock, Soil,
Perennials, Annuals
Garden Accents & Ornaments
Architectural Artifacts
Garden Tools & Accessories
Pond Equipment &
Supplies
Supporting
the Alberta
Children's Hospital,
and it's Fun for the
whole family!
Join us for our Annual Pumpkin
Festival October 11, 11 - 3 pm
Airdrie
Balzac
#566
2
Calgary
Service Road
From music and the theatre to the
fine arts, we celebrate the culture of
the area. We’ll talk to the Cochrane
Art Club, now celebrating 50 years,
and take a look at the work of several
Cochrane artists. Plus we’ll meet some
exceptional young local musicians who
are taking the music world by storm!
From Hwy 566
go 2 kms South
on Service Road
(RR 294)
to Blue Grass
Country Hills Blvd. NE
403-226-0468
www.bluegrassnursery.com
living it • Showhome parade
Inside and out, the views
Living it in Sunset
from Sunset Ridge are gorgeous.
Here’s a sneak peek inside several new
showhomes from Sunset Ridge builders
Calbridge Fine Homes, Janssen Homes,
Jayman MasterBuilt, Lupi Custom
Developments and Cochrane’s own
Kingsmith Homes.
Kingsmith’s Bristol boasts a large pillored archway to
the great room featuring floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace
with oak bookshelves
The large
kitchen in the
Lupi Equinox
features cherry
nutmeg cabinetry with granite
countertops and
detailed ceramic
backsplash
Kingsmith
A pillored archway is a welcoming
entrance to the intimate dining
room in Kingsmith’s Bristol
Lupi’s Equinox offers a stunning open
den off the front entrance, with prefinished hardwood flooring
The large kitchen in Kingsmith’s Bristol features a
raised eating bar, walk-in pantry and generous nook
The Aspen by Janssen features a stacked
stone fireplace in the family room and
prefinished walnut hardwood flooring
This gorgeous ensuite from Lupi’s Equinox features
double sinks with granite countertops and corner
soaker tub
Janssen’s Aspen kitchen boasts oil-rubbed bronze
pull-out kitchen tap, crown mouldings, slate tile flooring, single-edge granite countertops and 45° angle
on kitchen backsplash
Ridge
The open-to-above front entryway in Jayman MasterBuilt’s
Kennedy II adds to the home’s
spacious feel
Jayman
Jayman MasterBuilt’s Kennedy II boasts large windows
and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace in the great room, with
hand-scraped Mayan oak hardwood flooring throughout
the main floor
Lupi
Calbridge’s Laredo II great room features large windows
and cultured stone fireplace facing with maple mantle
The Laredo II from Calbridge
boasts a large dining nook with
slate tile and sliding glass patio
door access to the rear deck
The great room
in Calbridge’s
Abilene
features a
cultured stone
fireplace facing
with maple
mantle and
full window
surround
The Nordlund
gourmet kitchen
in Jayman MasterBuilt’s Kennedy II
features granite
tops on counters
and island, and
Winfield Maple
Cappuccino
cabinetry
The prefinished
walnut hardwood
flooring in
Janssen’s Aspen
is complemented
in the front foyer
with a stunning
oak inlay and
built-in deacon’s
bench
Janssen
Calbridge
living it • Developer Profile
“When we found the land,
we fell in love with it”
—Arcus Developments Inc., developer of Jumping Pound Ridge
Calgary’s Arcus Developments is glad to be in Cochrane
ALEX FRAZER-HARRISON
I
n Latin, arcus means “the archer,” and the
folks behind Calgary-based Arcus Developments Inc. think they’ve scored a bull’s eye
with a new residential community in Cochrane.
Located just off George Fox Trail in the
town’s southwest, Jumping Pound Ridge has
launched its first phase—90 lots, of a total 170
lots planned. It’s the first Cochrane development
by Arcus, which currently has projects underway
in places as diverse as
Calgary and Belize.
“I’ve always been
good with my hands,”
says Al Coulter, one
of the Arcus founding
partners. He means what he says—in 1984
and 1992, Coulter was a member of Canada’s
Olympic volleyball team. “When I was with
the National Team, we practised all the time,”
he says,“and when I wasn’t practising I was out
renovating basements and kitchens, and had
six guys on the team working, too.”
“After Barcelona, I started bigger renovations and apartment buildings, and got into
home building and the land side,” Coulter says.
In 2004, Coulter partnered with Gerry
Mendyk (Arcus president), Johannas van
Leenen and Brent Bailey to form Arcus.
“We develop in commercial, residential
and resort communities,” explains Caren Crisp,
manager of communications. “We pride ourselves on being visionaries with attention to
detail. Our partners are all from Alberta, and
“
have a history in home building, oil and gas,
and finance and development.”
Some of Arcus’s projects include the
Astoria on 10th condo tower in Calgary,
Southbrook in Edmonton, and Cape Amber
in Belize.
“When Arcus started looking for raw land
to develop, they found out about Cochrane
and WestView Builders, both of Calgary, and
Cochrane’s own Kingsmith Homes.
“We wanted to include a local builder—a
builder known in the town with a good reputation,” notes Crisp.
Crisp describes Jumping Pound Ridge as a
“boutique community”; a move-up neighbourhood,“gated by nature,” she says, noting the area
will be primarily single
family homes, though
some multi-family development is planned up
the hill.
Crisp says the Town
of Cochrane has been
very supportive in helping Arcus establish its first project in the town.
Coulter concurs: “When you’re dealing
with a big city like Calgary, you can have a new
person every time. It’s quite nice to go into a
smaller town where you deal with the same
people . . . I’ve been very impressed with how
things get done here.”
Both Crisp and Coulter say they hope this
is just the first of many Cochrane developments for Arcus.
“We have been looking at some other possibilities,” Coulter says. “The only challenge is
determining where this market is going. We’ve
chatted with the mayor and had some good
talks. . . . There are a lot of interesting things
in the rumour mill that we are keeping a good
eye on.” cc
www.jumpingpoundridge.com
It’s quite nice to go into a smaller town where
you deal with the same people . . . I’ve been very
impressed with how things get done here
being one of the fastest-growing communities
in Alberta,” says Crisp. “Arcus looked at the
area and was fortunate to come across a piece
of land along Jumping Pound Creek. There
were also other factors—proximity to Calgary,
proximity to the mountains and the TransCanada. There were a lot of great things about
Cochrane.”
Coulter says he’s always enjoyed visiting
the town—he reminisces about MacKay’s Ice
Cream—but he really fell in love with the place
when he saw the development site.
“The first time we were standing there,
there were deer running through—those are
nice neighbours to have,” he says. “When we
found the land, we fell in love with it.”
Homebuilders chosen for the first phase
of Jumping Pound Ridge are Baywest Homes
”
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working it • town economic development
Building Business in Cochrane
The Town’s Economic Development Office shares its plans
as it works to attract, retain and develop business
W
PHOTO Stacey Carefoot
hat is it about our town that attracts new business
and why do we have such a solid base of companies
that have chosen to make Cochrane their home
for decades?
Cochrane has long been considered an attractive location for
a wide range of businesses. Our Economic Development office works to bring new ventures to our area and to help existing businesses grow and develop. By May 2008 Cochrane had
experienced a 78 per cent increase in the number of development permits issued over the entire previous year. By the end of
June we had already surpassed the 1,254 total business licenses
approved the year before.
Cochrane’s diverse business community includes leading industrial technology firms, brand-name national retailers and franchises, natural resource manufacturers and processors, and many
independent product and service providers—all have chosen our
town as the place to do business.
Our location is ideal, with easy access to excellent transportation routes. We are home to an affluent, educated community
of approximately 14,000—proud of our heritage and active in
community affairs. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in
Cochrane and we support numerous home-based operations,
web-based businesses and telecommuters.
Economic Development activities in Cochrane are centred
around four key areas: business and investment attraction; business
retention and expansion; small business and home-based business
start-ups; and tourism. Our mission is to build a community of
choice for present and future generations.
This fall we will create a business attraction and retention strategy to identify trends in specific Cochrane business sectors and
examine barriers to business growth or continued existence in our
town. New models are being explored to meet challenges concerning limited industrial land in our immediate area. We plan to look
at other communities and incorporate best practices into our own
approach to meet future needs.
We are also in the process of creating community profiles,
to be used to present a clear picture of Cochrane to businesses
considering relocating here. Support and education for our existing businesses is instrumental to continued growth and we’re
offering a Lean workshop on October 29. This opportunity
will assist our community businesses—from manufacturing to
service industries—to develop strategies towards improved
efficiencies and profitability.
Town of Cochrane Economic Development, 101 RancheHouse
Road, 403-851-2502, www.cochrane.ca
working it • business development
Strengthening Cochrane’ s
business community
The Cochrane Chamber celebrates 30 years!
GERRI POLIS
T
he Big 3-0. For many people, reaching 30 is a milestone. It signifies the
end of early adulthood, a time when
we are expected to be in a stable job, a stable
relationship, perhaps have children and some
money in the bank. Many joke that they are
“29 and holding”; others don’t give it a thought.
After 30 years, though, you have some experience; life may have given you a hill or two to
surmount, and you can anticipate many good
years to come.
In business, 30 years isn’t always recognized as a milestone. The pillars of
Canadian society have been around for more
than a hundred years now; even Cochrane
itself is past its centennial. Still, it is truly an
accomplishment to be in business 30 years
from one’s start. According to Alberta First,
50 per cent of businesses fail in their first year,
and another 27 per cent fail within five years.
Those that continue on have met and addressed many challenges that will help them
thrive for many years to come.
The Cochrane & District Chamber of
Commerce marks its 30th anniversary in
2008. Formed by 30 local businesses in 1978
to ensure that strong economic supports were
in place for their joint interests and improvement, their goal was to aid in the development
and promotion of Cochrane businesses.
The business environment was very different in 1978: deals were still made with a
handshake and, with a population of only
1,761, most Cochranites knew one another
on a first-name basis. The first oil boom was
underway, though Cochrane was still largely
an agricultural town. The 30 founding members of the Chamber recognized the potential
for growth, and the benefits of supporting
each other.
Over the past 30 years, the Chamber has
grown with Cochrane. Membership now approaches 300 local business owners and managers, including many home-based businesses.
While events and activities have evolved, the
Chamber’s focus remains squarely on promoting and enhancing business in Cochrane.
It exists to support and nurture a strong business community, and offers many services for
its members, including group health benefits
for small businesses and discounts on fuel and
services from local members and merchants.
As well, the Chamber supports many different opportunities for business people to network and promote their businesses.
As we reflect on 30 years, we are thrilled to
have been part of the tremendous growth and
success of Cochrane’s business community. We
look forward enthusiastically to the next 30 years.
Gerri Polis is manager of the Cochrane &
District Chamber of Commerce, 403-932-0320,
www.cochranechamber.ca
working it • western retail
Cowboy Up,
Cochrane!
Two of the area’s
favourite western
outfitters find success
in good old-fashioned
down-home service
STORY PATRICIA ALDERSON • PHOTOS CAROLINE CONNOLLY
Denise Dalziel,
Grand Saddlery & Western Wear
R
odeo season’s been and gone in Cochrane, but the town’s rich western
heritage thrives all year long downtown at two neighbourhood businesses. Both
are family legacies offering residents and
visitors a variety of western-style threads and
treads. One of them also specializes in outfitting trusty steeds.
The right tack
Denise Dalziel, owner of the Grand Saddlery
& Western Wear Ltd., has been involved in
the western mercantile business since she was
a youngster. She remembers sleeping under a
table as a child at the Calgary Stampede while
her parents, Bert and Joyce Strandberg, sold
their popular western goods. In 1986, Denise’s
parents helped her set up her own business,
now a popular destination for local acreage
owners and visitors alike. Denise is proud to
continue the family tradition as a regular vendor at the Stampede.
Her store is located in an old house on 5th
Avenue, complete with a front porch where
she displays some of her unique western décor
items. The house is hard to miss, as Geronimo,
a full-sized replica white horse, keeps lookout
from the roof. Rooms are filled with all things
western—clothes, hats, boots, artwork, home
and personal accessories. Dishes designed by
Canadian artist Bernie Brown are featured,
along with hard-to-find western motif rugs.
The smell of leather is thick as you enter
the saddle room, full of all sizes and types of
saddles and tack. Denise’s saddle fitter, Dick
Veldhuis, will measure your horse to ensure a
proper fit. “This is a very popular service not
offered everywhere,” she explains. “It can make
Mike Elain,
Tony’s Work and Western Wear
a big difference for riders with hard-to-fit horses.” Not all inquiries have been of an equine nature over the years, however. Denise laughs as
she recalls being asked once if she had a camel
saddle in stock.
Clients live mostly on acreages in the area,
though riders from Strathmore and Medicine
Hat also count as regular customers. Denise has
had her share of celebrity buyers and recalls actor
Sam Elliot’s regular visits while filming in Alberta.
Hotels and tour operators in Banff sometimes
drive guests to her store to shop her selection of
cowboy mementos and adult-sized western gear.
Spurring on the
boot trade
For those looking to outfit a junior cowpoke,
Tony’s Work and Western Wear on 1st Street
is the place to go. Mike Elain, manager of the
The
store and son of owner Tony, gets great joy
fitting small fry with their first pair of boots.
“We see them grow up,” he says. “We offer
boots from size 2 all the way to 13 EEE.”
Mike comes by his interest and expertise in
footwear naturally. His father Tony Elain, long
respected in the shoe repair trade, made sure
Mike got a good start. “Since Grade 4, he had
me shining his shoes,” Mike says with a grin.
Mike is certified in custom orthotic fitting and
says a professional boot fit is his specialty.
That’s a service many local ranchers and
their families have come to rely on. When
they buy a pair of boots, Mike explains, they
expect them to last: “Ranchers wear their
boots down to the last stitch, so quality is imperative and I only carry top brands.”
Mike even makes sure customers who
attend Cowboy Church at the Cochrane
RancheHouse don’t see their choice of shirt in
every pew. Sharing his secret, Mike says:“I only
buy one shirt in each size of a particular design,
so you don’t see that same shirt everywhere.”
Mike has definite ideas for those new to
western wear. “The biggest mistake is wearing a hat the wrong way,” he says.“You want it
just above your eyebrows and ears and tipped
forward, not back. The length of your jeans is
also important. They should hang over your
boot heels so they’re not short when you sit
on your horse. Get a good leather belt—not
synthetic—one with snaps so you can add a
big Montana Silver buckle,” he adds. As you
might expect, he stocks the store with a wide
selection of belts, buckles, clothing, hats, bandanas and silver jewelry.
Both the Grand Saddlery and Tony’s
offer customers something of a rarity—
selection combined with excellent service
and a home-town feel. “I’m not interested in
competing with the big western chain stores
in Calgary,” says Denise.“We like to be different here.” cc
• Grand Saddlery & Western Wear Ltd.,
115 5th Avenue West, 403-932-6686
www.grandsaddlery.com
• Tony’s Work and Western Wear,
407 1st Street West, 403-932-3110
Trading Post
The western experience means business in
Cochrane, some of it pretty creative. Here’s a
roundup of a few more locals catering to the
spirit of the West.
Visit Dry-Cleaning by Dave to get a Texas
Crease in your Sunday, go-to-meeting jeans.
403-851-5096
• Westlands Bookstore offers a selection of western theme books. Identify your horse’s personality
with Is Your Horse a Rock Star? by Dessa Hockley.
Find a great local trail in Alberta Backcountry
Equestrian: One Day Trail Guide by Cochrane-area
author Pam Asheton. 403-932-7810
• Need a special treat for your favourite horse?
Order some Whoa Horse Cookies from
Brenda Spanier at Glendale Ranch Inc.
www.whoahorsecookies.ca
• Go on a guided trail ride at Cinch Trail Riding
Ltd., just west of town. No need to have your
own horse, they’ll supply one with instructions.
www.cinchtrailriding.ca
• If your horse throws a shoe, David Blouin, local
Cochrane-area farrier, will soon have you back in
the saddle. 403-660-4624
• Don’t have your own spread and need a special
place to board your trusty steed? Call Patty
Martin at Twin Springs Ranch & Equestrian
Centre. 403-801-8921
•
PATRICIA ALDERSON
working it • at home in the kitchen
Cooking
up a
recipe
for
success
With equal zest for
meal plans, business
plans and each other,
Sandi and Ron Richard
find personal and
professional satisfaction
in a home-based media
enterprise that helps
bring families together
STORY SARAH JUNKIN
PHOTO CAROLINE CONNOLLY
T
he career of prolific cookbook
author and television show host Sandi
Richard is hotter than the jalapenos
she throws in her Tex-Mex chicken.
With a new television series in the works
and her fifth book set to hit bookstores this
fall, the Cochrane-area mom and grandmother
says if she ever begins to feel tired, she just takes
a look at the hundreds of weekly e-mails she receives from parents thanking her for returning
the family dinner to their lives.
After four seasons as host of Fixing
Dinner—a Food Network Canada series
where Richard goes into the homes of stressedout families to help them organize their kitchens, simplify their meal plans and ensure that
everyone in the family participates in creating
dinner—she’s now in the process of creating
her second show, Double Duty Dinner.
“I get e-mails from people talking about
taking their entire weekend to work on dinners
for the upcoming week, but that’s just wrong!”
she says emphatically. Double Duty Dinner’s
format will focus on Richard in her own kitchen, perhaps with an interview format segment,
and will be filled with tips and strategies for
making dinnertime more manageable for busy,
hard-working families.
“For example, when cutting an onion, buy
an extra big one,” she says.“Take that extra half
minute to cut it and store half of it in the fridge
to use later in the week.”
A winner of multiple Alberta Film and
Television awards for best female host (nonnews), Richard says she became all too aware
of families’ lack of time while working on her
first series, Fixing Dinner.
“As we worked with the families, we
noticed their desperation, but I can show them
recipe
that with spending literally five more minutes during after-dinner clean up, you can
have tomorrow night’s meal well underway,” Richard says. “It’s the opposite of giving up time—I’m giving you back years of
your life.”
Sandi and her husband Ron married 14
years ago, blending together their respective
children to create a family of nine.
Dinnertime with seven children to
feed was challenging, but around that time,
Richard says, she was sitting in her doctor’s
office and read a magazine article claiming
supper was the most stressful time of day.
She began thinking about this and gradually came to realize that perhaps if we plan
supper first, then we’d know how to eat
throughout the rest of the day.
“I thought, could it really be as easy as
eating forward?” she says. “And, you know, it
really is that simple.”
Thus Richard’s meal-planning system
was born. She spent the next five years researching and testing for her first book in
the “Cooking for the Rushed” series— Life’s
on Fire, which quickly became a bestseller.
Richard’s easy, chatty writing style seemed to
appeal to families all over North America.
Three more books and the first television series, Fixing Dinner, soon followed.
“I really wanted to help families,” Richard
says. “I’m a woman and I know what they’re
going through.”
Cochrane became home to the Richards
in 2000—they love the advantages of living
in a quiet, small town with character, with all
the benefits of the big city next door. And
they love recognizing local business people
and feeling part of a caring community.
Sandi is still shocked and humbled by her local celebrity status.
Several Cochrane-area families have had
the pleasure of appearing on Richard’s show.
Cochrane resident and single mom Carol
Reid, and her teenage sons Brady and Tyler,
agreed to be portrayed on the show after
meeting Richard at a Cochrane church.
Carol had been going through a difficult
time in her life, and says being part of the
show was good for her self-esteem. “I was
proud of the boys for doing it with me, and it
did empower me,” she says.
Tyler, who at first was ambivalent about
being on television, said later he enjoyed
working with Richard. “She was really nice
and taught me to make beer-battered fish,”
he says.
Fiercely opposed to endorsing products
for the sake of extra income, Richard is
adamant that she and Ron remain true to
their core beliefs.“I turn down endorsement
offers all the time. I know that might seem
diva-ish,” she says,“but you have to be true to
yourself and if I don’t believe in the product,
I won’t endorse it. I give the straight goods to
people who trust me.”
She also makes no secret of the fact that
her long-term goal is to do battle with fast
food companies and the over-packaged convenience food industry, and she says she believes the way to educate families is through
children.
“I want to do with food what Ron [a
former teacher] did with recycling and nonsmoking campaigns 30 years ago,” Richard
says. “I want kids to get why it’s wrong to
drink soda pop. If we can get kids on side, we
can have them educating others. I’m going
to get more in people’s faces than I’ve ever
been.”
Pair Sandi’s passion and creativity with
Ron’s business sense as her publisher and
manager and it’s hardly surprising the two
are taking the cooking and indie media
worlds by storm.
With production of Double Duty Dinner and the release of a new cookbook set
for fall 2008, the couple took a much-needed
break this summer, which Sandi says is important to keep her grounded.
“Every time I go in front of a crowd I try
to go back to my roots and constantly remind myself that what I’m here for is to help
people, that it’s not about me,” Richard says.
“We take time twice a year to really evaluate
how our work is helping people. We don’t
ever want to lose sight of that.” cc
For more information about Sandi Richard’s
cookbooks or television shows, visit
www.cookingfortherushed.com
Sweet Soy Chicken with
Rice and Broccoli
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups water
10-12 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
(1 3/4 lbs or 800 g)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced-sodium)
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh ginger (from a jar)
1 Tbsp fresh garlic (from a jar)
1 lb or 450 g broccoli florets
water
1 tsp butter (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine rice and water in a large ovensafe casserole with lid. Cover and place in preheated oven. Set timer for 60 minutes.
3. Unravel chicken thighs and place in a large
lasagna or cake pan. You may need to squish
them together to fit. Combine brown sugar,
vinegar, soy sauce, water, ginger and garlic in
a small mixing bowl. Drizzle evenly over chicken. Place chicken in oven next to rice (chicken
actually cooks for 40-45 minutes).
When timer rings for rice and chicken, turn
oven off.
4. Rinse broccoli in colander or steamer basket. Place a small amount of water in the bottom of a stove-top pot and bring to a full boil
with the broccoli in the basket above. Cover
and set timer for 3 minutes, or microwave at
high for 3 minutes. Add butter if you must.
The sauce from the chicken is great drizzled
over the rice.
Reprinted with permission from Sandi Richard’s
latest release in the “Cooking for the Rushed” series,
Dinner Survival
Print Runs in the family
working it • Family business
Old-fashioned quality and craft meet high-tech excellence at Satellite Printing
Q
Stefan and Margaret Kessler,
Alf and Marlise Kessler with their
vintage Heidelberg Platen press
“
Customers think
there’s something
in the air when they
come in because we’re
always smiling
”
uick—where do you go in Cochrane
for a friendly welcome, superb customer service and assurance that
close attention is paid to every job?
Satellite Printing Ltd. on 2nd Avenue East,
now in its third decade of operation, prides
itself on high standards. This business truly
keeps it all in the family, with four Kesslers
spanning two generations working together to
meet Cochrane’s printing needs.
Alf Kessler started his business 24 years ago
in his garage. He’d just left a long career at Burnand Printing in Calgary and felt the time was
right for his own operation. He chuckles about
the challenges of being plant superintendent at
Burnand and his decision to go it alone:“I figured
if I could deal with all those headaches, why not
have them for myself?” Over the next year he
collected the equipment he needed, found a location closer to home and started up his Satellite
Printing presses in 1985.
Twenty-three years later, Satellite Printing
Ltd. has earned a reputation for excellence.
Winner of several awards, including a prestigious international Gallery of Superb Printing award, this family-run business attracts
customers from as far away as Wyoming. The
company offers a full range of printing services, from digital work to offset printing. Alf,
CEO and president, discusses the difference:
“Digital printing makes small orders affordable and has opened up a broad spectrum of
quick colour reproduction,” he says. “It makes
printing accessible to smaller businesses.”
The company is also known for more labourintensive offset print work, some of it still done
on a 1968 Heidelberg Platen press located
in their immaculate shop. Satellite Printing
produces 1.25 million impressions digitally a
year and another million on their main offset
machines.
Alf is proud of the craftsmanship it takes
to produce excellent work and comments on
the desktop publishing approach now taken
by many smaller operations. “It’s easy to rely
on software, but what you see on the screen
isn’t always what comes out of your printer.”
He adds, “You need to build up knowledge in
order to understand problems and answer
customers’ questions.”
Alf apprenticed as a typesetter from the
age of 14 in West Germany. Alf ’s son, operations manager Stefan Kessler, studied his craft
at NAIT, the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology. The importance of continuous
education to this family is evident. “Never
stop learning,” says Alf; “this industry changes
monthly, so keep up with the technology.” His
son nods as Alf continues, “I can’t say enough
about how important it is to remember the old
technology and integrate it with the new. If you
know how to achieve quality the old-fashioned
way, it helps you obtain the same results using
the new technology.”
The Kessler family works as a unit to get
the job done. Alf ’s wife Marlise is secretarytreasurer and daughter-in-law Margaret is the
company designer and CFO. In addition to
their formal responsibilities, the four Kesslers
all have hands-on roles in the business, and pull
together to complete an order. Marlise jokes,
“A lot of people don’t know we are all family
because we get along—that surprises people.”
She adds, “Customers think there’s something
in the air when they come in because we’re always smiling.”
At one time, Satellite employed outside
help, but it was always to supplement the core
group, Alf explains. “We know each others’
qualities, skills and expectations,” he says. “We
know what can be done and there are a lot less
headaches working with just family.”
“You’re welcome, Dad,” says Stefan.
“You can leave now,” says Alf.
Watch for Satellite’s car around town—just
look for the licence plate that says“Printer.” cc
Satellite Printing Ltd., 403-932-6010,
[email protected]
working it • Business Development
The little
Shed that
Could
With determination, positive thinking and access to
critical start-up support, Kimberly Delves is realizing her
dream of integrating work and home life
T
ucked away in a corner of Kimberly
Delves’ charming garden is her red
shed—inspiration for her thriving
graphic design business. Kimberly’s dream of
starting her own business seemed highly unlikely only a few years ago. After four recurrences of cancer in six years, she decided it was
time to make a life, not just a living. Leveraging
her graphic design and fine arts background,
Kimberly launched Red Shed Graphic Design.
“You can wait for the perfect time to start a business,” she says,“but we all know life isn’t perfect,
so just pick a day and start.” She adds, “If you’re
fortunate enough to have your health, then
there aren’t too many good reasons to put the
kind of life you really want on hold.”
In searching for the support she needed
to take the plunge into self-employment,
Kimberly found Community Futures Centre
West. She joined their Self-Employment Program and was soon on her way to creating a
business plan and learning the skills she needed
to succeed. “When I walked into Community
Futures Centre West, it was the first time I
heard someone say, ‘We can help you with
that’—and they did.”
With the support she received and her own
dedication, Red Shed Graphic Design was born.
Kimberly is building a reputation as an active and
visible business owner in Cochrane. “I choose to
live here—not just exist here. I like walking my
dog and meeting a client, stopping to visit neighbours along the way and being involved in the
community. It’s very grounding,” she says.
She enjoys working with a broad range of
clients and is amazed at the diversity of businesses and ideas in the area. “I get to contribute
to the success of a wide variety of Cochrane
and area businesses. I particularly like working with smaller businesses, organizations and
rural producers—it’s a chance to combine my
passion with theirs.”
Kimberly offers this advice to anyone considering the leap to self-employment: “You’ve
faced scarier things in your life than owning
your own business. Take what you know, learn
what you don’t and take it steady. Before you
realize it, you’ll be doing it—not just talking
about it.”
Kimberly Delves is a fine Cochrane example of the spirit and determination it takes to
succeed. cc
Red Shed Graphic Design, 403-851-0919,
www.theredshed.net
Your
Cochrane
business
resource
What’s the best kept secret for
new and established businesses
in the Cochrane area? Community Futures Centre West—your
local non-profit business resource.
Community Futures Centre
West is a federally funded organization mandated to expand
the Cochrane-area economy by
offering innovative approaches
to business and community
development. We are here to
help with your business needs by
providing access to resources and
financial assistance. We offer:
Business counselling and training
• Business plan assistance and
assessment
• Strategic planning
• Market research
• Financial projections
• Program and resources
information
Business development programs
and financing
• Start-up and expansion loans
• Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
Program
• Summer Student Loan Program
• Self-Employment Program
• Partner co-loans and programs
• Youth Entrepreneur Program
• Alberta Youth
Entrepreneurship Camp
Most of our services are made
possible at little or no charge
through our funder, Western
Economic Diversification. We also
partner with local organizations
to increase the opportunities
available to you for additional
training and information
designed to better your business.
We welcome you to contact us
to find out how we can help your
business grow.
Community Futures Centre West,
#6, 205 1st Street East,
403-932-5220, www.cfcwest.com
working it • THE sweet taste of success
Ice Cream
Sunday
Our roving reporter
goes sleuthing to find
MacKay’s recipe for
60 years of success
B
eing a longtime ice cream fan, I melted at
the chance to get the scoop on the 60th
anniversary of MacKay’s Cochrane
Ice Cream Ltd. I decided to go undercover to
investigate the legendary establishment. Local
folklore says ice cream probably flows through
the family veins. Was this the key to six decades
of success? I needed to find out.
Before I ventured into their old-fashioned
shoppe on 1st Street, I did some behind-thescenes sleuthing for clues to the luxurious taste
of MacKay’s ice cream. Apparently, they use
Alberta cream and only Alberta cream. And
not the fat-reduced kind, either—17 per cent
butterfat to be exact, compared to the 10 per
cent butterfat used by most commercial ice
cream makers. They keep their operation local
and churn out product in a factory around the
corner. You can buy MacKay’s ice cream at selected stores outside town, but not at any major
supermarkets. A call to company headquarters
explained this: “We align ourselves with other
independents; we are the little guy and we are
craft,” said Carolyn Horwitz in marketing and
sales. The MacKays are proud of their Cochrane roots and have helped make the town a
destination for visitors from all over the world.
Some scientific researchers say eating ice
cream lifts the spirits. It’s been reported that
people who enjoy ice cream are more likely to
be happy and relaxed than stressed—perhaps
because the ingredients trigger the brain chemical serotonin. While it’s unlikely James and
Christina MacKay knew much about serotonin
in 1948 when they decided to offer ice cream at
their general store, they were onto something.
Something big.
By the mid-seventies, the general store
shelves were cleared and the MacKays focused on catering to the soaring demand for
their top quality, locally produced ice cream. In
1983, two of the MacKay children, Rhona and
Robyn took over the family business. They experimented with new and unusual flavours, just
as their father had and, to date, more than 300
flavours have been enjoyed—one lick at a time.
Facts are fine, but I needed to experience
MacKay’s first-hand. I found the joint easily
enough—hard to miss the ribbon of people
winding out the door and down the sidewalk.
Listening to the chatter about the 50-plus flavours available inside helped pass the time.
Descriptions of the velvety smoothness of anticipated cones made my mouth water. Adults
shared memories of their own childhood family
trips to Cochrane for an ice cream in years gone
by. Something suddenly clicked.
As I stood in line that investigative Sunday,
I realized I didn’t need to look any further than
the frosty tubs of ice cream on one side of the
counter and eager faces on the other. There is
no mystery, no secret to the success of this longtime family business. Every day is a great day for
ice cream, and the MacKay family has worked
hard over the last 60 years to give an extraordinary home-made taste sensation to all who enter their doors. Robyn MacKay says,“We want
to keep people happy by producing the most
blissful treat on the planet.”
I had a double: Pralines and Cream topped
with Rum and Raisin. Blissful, indeed. cc
www.mackaysicecream.com
Tasty Tidbits about MacKay’s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
First flavours: Vanilla, followed by Chocolate,
Maple Walnut, then Strawberry
Best-sellers today: Chocolate, followed by
Vanilla, then Strawberry
Cost of a cone in 1948: 10¢
Famous coneheads who’ve stopped by:
Brad Pitt, Christopher Reeves, Jane Seymour,
Larry Hagman
Most unusual ice cream request: a wedding
cake—the couple was married right outside
the store
Some specialty flavours: White Cheddar (for
apple pie), Thai Chili (coconut & peanut butter),
Purple Yam, Chai Tea, Mayan Chocolate (with
chili and cinnamon), Limoncello sorbet
Number of scoops served in 60 years: 15 million
PATRICIA ALDERSON
Phase 2 Now
Selling
Starting in
the Low
$700s
House + Lot
MonTerra on Cochrane Lakes is proud to be part
of Cochrane Connects inaugural issue!
Phase 2
size to paste into ps file!
Living in MonTerra is more than just
a lifestyle, it’s a way of life. It’s waking up to
the soft chirps of passing birds, or a peaceful
walk along the winding paths. It’s the feeling
you get after a strenuous canoe ride on the
lake, and enjoying the sun set below the
majestic mountain backdrop. These are simple
pleasures, where life comes naturally.
Now Available
CUSTOM HOMES
Custom Homes
Dream it. Build it. Own it.
MonTerra on Cochrane lakes is located 5kms north of Cochrane on
highway 22 on your left. Visit our 5 NEW Showhomes during our
recently extended hours, sales centres are now open:
Monday - Thursday
Friday
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays
2pm - 8pm
Closed
Noon to 5pm
www.cochranelakes.com | [email protected]
Airdrie
Big Hill Springs Road
Cochrane
HW
Y1
HWY 22
STORIA
Welcome to MonTerra on
Cochrane Lakes.
A
Bearspaw
SpringbankK
HWY 8
Calgary
N
o
w
T
homes Opening Th
w
o
h
S
is
ew
TRC RANCH OF COCHRANE
Fall
!
The newest west side community of Cochrane
is inspired by the past to create an atmosphere
that enhances values and brings people
CREATIONS BY SHANE HOMES
together again. A main feature within the
community will be the grand boulevard that will
run through the centre of the community with
walking paths that will connect the boulevard to
the green space throughout. The main walking
Two Storey Single Family Homes
with a Front Veranda
FROM THE LOW $300’s
SHANE HOMES
Two Storey Single Family Homes
with an Attached Garage
FROM THE MID $400’s
path will be converted to a skating path in the
winter to provide enjoyment all season long.
Builder of quality family homes since 1979.
TRC RANCH OF COCHRANE
Horse
Creek Rd
SALES CENTRE OPENING IN OCTOBER!
1A
0
Tow
n s hip Rd 2 6
1A
Crow
c
hild T
r NW
George Fox Trail
CALL OUR AREA MANAGER TODAY!
Area Manager: Claude Smith
Ra
ng
Phone: 403-536-2379
d
eR
42
1
TRANS CANADA HWY
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
OUR SPECIAL OFFERS
AND AREA PROMOTIONS!
Email: [email protected]
22
1
To Calgary
Register online at: shanehomes.com or creationsbyshane.com
creationsbyshane.com | shanehomes.com

CoChrane - Mackays ICE CREAM

Transcription

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