Relaxation During the Hustle and Bustle

The holiday season can be so busy, you may get caught up in the bustle and bustle.  It is important to take time for yourself so you don’t feel overwhelmed.  Enjoy the small things.

Put together a holiday playlist with some of your favourite tunes.  Music is a great way to help you relax. A quote by Plato really captures the power of music, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, and life to everything.”  Take time to enjoy some music over the holidays.

Maybe a family colouring night is in the books this year.  Colouring is a great way to de-stress and bring out your creativity.  There are colouring books in numerous styles, making it easier to find one that suits each member of the family.  As well, there are many sites which offer free printable pages such as: http://www.crayola.ca/free-coloring-pages/ ; http://www.supercoloring.com/ ; and http://www.canadianfamily.ca/colouring-pages/ .  Dig out some pencil crayons, crayons or markers and have some fun colouring!

It might be a good time to start reading a new book.  Reading a well-written book can help by taking you away from the busyness of life.  According to Readers Digest, the following are the best new books for December 2016: 

• 99: Stories of the Game by Wayne Gretzky
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
• Canada by Mike Myers
• The Whistler by John Grisham
• Appetites by Anthony Bourdain
• A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition by George R. R. Martin
• Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
• Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
• Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling.  

You can find a brief description of each novel here. If one of these sparks your interest, why not visit the Wood Buffalo Regional Library and check one out? For those exceptionally cold nights, reading is a great way to pass the time! 

Find some time to relax.  Enjoy the festive lights. Reward yourself with time just for you.

Reserve Your Booth for the Multicultural Expo

Did you know that people come to Wood Buffalo from all over Canada and all over the world? The Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo (MCA) is a great first contact for new residents, especially those coming from other cultures. 

The MCA offers a variety of programs, workshops and services to help people who are new to Canada learn more about living in our region. By strengthening our cross-cultural understandings, the MCA also helps to foster a more compassionate and unified community. 

One of the many events that the MCA hosts that truly brings the cultures of Wood Buffalo together is their flagship event: the Multicultural EXPO. 

The Annual Multicultural EXPO is a celebrated event that educates and engages citizens and visitors alike. Showcasing a plethora of vibrant customs including dance, fashion, and culinary delicacies, patrons are always delighted to explore the cultures of the world…right here in Wood Buffalo!

If you are interested in sharing the splendours of your culture, then register to host a booth at the EXPO. At a booth you are welcome to display information, offer activities, sell and/or teach traditional crafts, sell customary foods and more! 

Click here to register for your booth. Act fast as the application deadline is January 16th, 2017! 

The 2017 Multicultural EXPO will be taking place at MacDonald Island Park on February 18, 2017 from 11:00am – 8:00pm. Entrance fee is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for children of 5 years and younger.
More information can be acquired by visiting www.multiculturefm.org or, contact Rodas Ardres, Events and Volunteer Coordinator of the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo at events@multiculturefm.org or call the office and speak with Rodas at 780-791-5186


Photos courtesy of Greg Halinda.

Recreation Culture Calls

If you want to know about what's going on around town, then check out Recreation Culture Calls!

This electronic newsletter showcases local recreation and cultural events, job postings, as well as volunteer and funding opportunities, and much more.

If you would like to have your email added or removed from this list, or would like to submit information about an upcoming opportunity please send your request to recreationandculture@rmwb.ca. 

To find out what's going on this weekend, please visit the Recreation Culture Calls page on the Municipal website or click here

Winter Solstice and Winter Fun!

Winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs every year on December 21 or 22, also marking the first day of winter. 

Winter solstice will take place in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 3:44 am. This marks the precise time when earth is the most inclined away from the sun. 

Since we still have a few months of winter left, let's embrace it!  Visit the following links for activities to get you active and warm in the sub zero temperatures.

Ptarmigan Nordic Ski Club 

The Ptarmigan Nordic Ski Club is the official cross country ski club in Fort McMurray. Based out of the Doug Barnes Cabin, next to the ever popular Birchwood Trails, the ski club offers programming for various age groups and levels of experience. Visit www.ptarmigannordic.org/programs for more information. 

Vista Ridge Ski Hill

The Vista Ridge Ski Hill offers various trails and various activities for families to enjoy. Whether it’s going skiing/snowboarding/skating, relaxing in the chalet, or taking a fun run in the tube park, this place has options for everyone! Visit www.visitaridge.ab.ca for more information on their hours of operation.

Nominate your Neighbour Winter Lights Displays and Decorations 

If wintery sports aren’t your thing, enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family by visiting the festively decorated homes throughout the Wood Buffalo neighbourhoods. The Wood Buffalo Communities in Bloom committee has revealed their annual self-guided tour of recognized homes in the annual Nominate your Neighbour program. The map highlights the best of the best holiday lit homes selected by the residents of Wood Buffalo. To view the map, visit www.rmwb.ca/nyn. 

Recreation Culture Calls

If you want to know about what's going on around town, then check out Recreation Culture Calls!

This electronic newsletter showcases local recreation and cultural events, job postings, as well as volunteer and funding opportunities, and much more.

If you would like to have your email added or removed from this list, or would like to submit information about an upcoming opportunity please send your request to recreationandculture@rmwb.ca. 

To find out what's going on this weekend, please visit the Recreation Culture Calls page on the Municipal website or click here

Community Calendars

September is the most exciting month for anyone with a passion for stationary and office supplies (some adults are just as passionate about those “back-to-school” sales as the students are) .  However, December presents another opportunity for anyone that craves the freshness of crisp blank pages and the excitement of selecting design: buying a new calendar for the year ahead.

As you start to fill your calendar with appointments and meetings, you could consider looking ahead at local events to ensure you don’t miss anything in the months ahead!

There are a few local organizations that provide lists of upcoming community events.  

Arts Council Wood Buffalo: http://www.artscouncilwb.ca/calendar/
This is a listing of events within the arts community, and is colour coded by discipline (ie; performing arts, literary arts, etc)

McMurray All Connected: http://mcmurrayallconnected.ca/calendar/
This community calendar includes a variety of broad, searchable categories (ie; business, seniors, etc)

The Hub: http://www.thehubfrc.ca/index.php/hub-calendar
Have little ones?  Keep them busy all year by finding out what events are taking place at The Hub!

Wood Buffalo Regional Library: http://wbrl.ca/events
The library is not just for books anymore!  Library events include ESL Conversation and craft classes – all free of charge!

RMWB Community Calendar: http://www.rmwb.ca/living/Events-and-Festivals/Community-Calendar.htm#/?i=1

Fort McMurray Tourism: http://www.fortmcmurraytourism.com/things-to-do/events
A wide variety of events are listed in this calendar, along with website links.

Get Your Copy of the 2017 Heritage Calendar

As 2016 draws to a close, many of us have begun to think of our hopes, plans and resolutions for the New Year. What better way to keep yourself on track than with a new calendar?

Each year, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo publishes a Heritage Calendar to recognize and celebrate the important history of our region. The calendars feature local photos and each month includes interesting "On This Day" facts. You can view the pdf version of the latest calendar here.

The theme of this year's calendar is "Festivals and Events in Wood Buffalo". Created in collaboration with the Fort McMurray Heritage Society and the Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum, the Heritage Calendar is a great resource to learn more about our local history. 

You can also purchase copies of the calendar by donation at the Heritage Village Gift Shop. 

Visit www.rmwb.ca/heritagecalendars for more information. 

Recreation Culture Calls

If you want to know about what's going on around town, then check out Recreation Culture Calls!

This electronic newsletter showcases local recreation and cultural events, job postings, as well as volunteer and funding opportunities, and much more.

If you would like to have your email added or removed from this list, or would like to submit information about an upcoming opportunity please send your request to recreationandculture@rmwb.ca. 

To find out what's going on this weekend, please visit the Recreation Culture Calls page on the Municipal website or click here

Dust Off Your Western Boots and Show Your Country Roots

A multitude of great country artists are coming to Fort McMurray in 2017. 

You can kick off your new year with a special concert on New Year’s Eve at Club NV.  Dance the night away with entertainment from the James Barker Band, Alee, Shantelle Davidson, and Craig Moritz.  General admission is $50 or $100 for dinner and admission.  Funds raised will help the Fort McMurray SPCA. Visit http://www.country933.com/events/new-years-country-bash/ for more details. 

On January 11, 2017 Tim Hicks and Chad Brownlee will rock the Nexen Fieldhouse with their Shake These Walls / Hearts On Fire Tour.  Both artists are Juno Award nominees and Canadian Country Music Associaion (CCMA) Award winners.  Fort McMurray is one of eight locations where they will be sharing the stage.  To purchase VIP tickets, please visit: http://www.fanxportal.com/timhickschadbrownleevip/. To purchase floor or club seats visit: http://www.rrcwb.ca/. 

On May 20, 2017 you can kick up your heels at Dean Brody’s Beautiful Freakshow Tour at SMS Equipment Stadium.  The past year saw Brody take home a JUNO Award for Country Album of the Year, along with 4 CCMA Awards for the top selling digital Canadian country single of all-time, “Bring Down the House”.  Dean will be joined by George Canyon, Aaron Pritchett, Madeline Merlo and the James Barker Band.  To purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.rrcwb.ca/. 

Toby Keith will be here to provide an entertaining night on July 13, 2017 at SMS Equipment Stadium.  His albums have sold more than 40 million copies, ranking him among the top-selling all-genre artists on Billboard's Top 200 Artists of the Decade. Keith is also Billboard's No. 1 Country Artist of the Decade and No. 1 Country Songwriter of the Decade.  To purchase tickets, you can visit: http://www.rrcwb.ca/. 

World Human Rights Day

December 10th is World Human Rights Day. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an international document that states the basic rights and fundamental freedoms to which all humans are entitled. You can check out the Declaration here

World Human Rights Day is a reminder that we can all be champions of basic human rights. This year, the United Nations invites you to stand up for someone’s rights and post it to social media using the hashtag #Standup4HumanRights. For more information on Human Rights Day 2016, visit http://www.standup4humanrights.org/en/ or http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/ 

Locally, you are invited to participate in the Human Rights Day conference hosted by The Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo in collaboration with Keyano College. This conference will bring together Service Providers, Social Profit Organizations, Businesses, and Community members to promote human rights and to encourage reflection and dialogue. The goal is to enhance the public’s understanding of human rights in general and, more specifically, the rights of immigrants and refugees.

Human Rights Day conference on “Immigrants and Refugee Rights” will be hosted on Saturday, December 10, 2016, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at Doug Schmit Lecture Theatre, Keyano College with keynote speaker Ms. Sushila Samy, Diversity Specialist from the Human Rights Commission. Admission is free and also includes a networking lunch.  For further information about the event visit here. 

To contact the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, visit http://multiculturefm.org or call 780-791-5186.

2016 Santa Claus Parade and Lights of Christmas

Holiday anticipation!!  In my years of experience being on the Santa Claus Parade and Lights of Christmas planning team, I’ve never seen/felt as much excitement as I do for this event.  This may be the most excited I’ve ever been for a parade.  It’s the biggest one yet!  Growing up in a tiny Acadian fishing village in Cape Breton, we had to drive three hours to Halifax if we wanted to see a holiday parade.  For me, this is a BIG DEAL.

Fort McMurray really does do it Texas style.  Bigger, better, brighter.  People are going to be blown away by the light show we have planned for Jubilee Plaza.

One of my favorite things about being on the event team is seeing the photos and posts from spectators and participants after the event.  No doubt, I’ll spend the rest of my evening trolling Facebook and Instagram crying over the happiness of the children on the parade route as they anticipate the ‘big guy’ at the end of the parade.  This event screams ‘Canadian’ to me.  People braving the elements and bundling their babies up because they couldn’t dream of missing out on the action.  I’m so proud to be a part of this.  It truly is the beginning of the holiday season.

See you all there!

Recreation Culture Calls

If you want to know about what's going on around town, then check out Recreation Culture Calls!

This electronic newsletter showcases local recreation and cultural events, job postings, as well as volunteer and funding opportunities, and much more.

If you would like to have your email added or removed from this list, or would like to submit information about an upcoming opportunity please send your request to recreationandculture@rmwb.ca. 

To find out what's going on this weekend, please visit the Recreation Culture Calls page on the Municipal website or click here

Shop Local!

 You've heard it before: "Shop local!". But have you ever wondered why? Let's highlight the reasons why shopping locally is beneficial to our community.

• It encourages entrepreneurship
• It generates various jobs
• It builds sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods
• It keeps dollars in the local economy
• It supports locally made products
• And last, but not least, it creates personal relationships with the business and the customer. 

As we continue to rebuild our community, we encourage you to consider making your holiday purchases from local vendors and get to know your fellow neighbours. 

As an extra incentive to shopping local, the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce is hosting their second annual Shop Local Holiday Passport Program for a chance to win 1 of 3 McMurray Money Prize packages. 

From now until December 10, you can collect a passport stamp for every $10 spent at a participating business. All it takes is 10 stamps to fill a passport, with a max of four entries per person. Once your passport is complete, drop it off at a participating store, or at the Business Innovation Centre (#105, 9912 Franklin Avenue) to be entered into the draw to win one of the following McMurray Money Prize packages: 

1st Place - $1000
2nd Place - $500
3rd Place - $250 

The prize money can then be spent at the participating local businesses. Start collecting your stamps today! Visit www.fortmcmurraychamber.ca to see the complete list of participating vendors. 

Happy shopping!