Summer Programs 2013

Join in the fun at the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s annual Summer Programs

Come out with your family and friends to make your Summer wishes come true.

All programs are free and drop-in only.

Programs will run July 2 to August 23.

Contact 780-881-2336 or

programs@woodbuffalo.ab.ca

For more information

www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/programs

Events Wood Buffalo Announces Volunteer Points Program

(Fort McMurray, AB, May 24, 2013) – Just in time for summer activities, Events Wood Buffalo is pleased to announce the launch of its new Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP). Effective June 1, the VIP program will allow all current and future EWB volunteers to collected points which can lead to free concert tickets, programs and much more. “Our volunteers work so hard to make our events the success that they are that we’d like to show them how much we appreciate their undeniable support,” says EWB executive director, David Whitelock.

The program will allow volunteers to collect EWB Points, which can be redeemable to select Events Wood Buffalo events throughout the year. The amount of hours a VIP member volunteers is directly correlated to the amount of points they are able to receive. Therefore, three volunteer hours = three EWB Points.

The Events Wood Buffalo team will monitor and maintain the program and ensure that each volunteer complies with the rules and regulations. There is no cash value attached to the EWB Points and they cannot be traded in for monetary compensation. Only volunteer hours accumulated after June 1, 2013 will be included in the EWB Points program.

Volunteers are now being accepted for this year’s weekend long YMM Canada Day celebrations. Festivities where volunteers will be needed include the Canada Day parade, children’s activities and the two-night CanadaROCKS concert. For more information on the VIP program and volunteer opportunities, please visit, http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4BA9AB2FAA8-ymmcanada. To view the YMM Canada Day festivities, visit, www.ymmcanadaday.com. 

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Media Contact:

Nadia Power 

Festivals and Events Manager, EWB

Office 780.791.1600

Cell 780.838.1179

npower@eventswoodbuffalo.com

MacDonald Island Community Art Gallery April 2013 Newsletter

For more information, please contact: anamaria.mendez@macdonaldisland.ca

Oil Sands Discovery Centre: April 2013 Discovery Lab - Light and Colour

For more information, contact:

780.743.7167

oilsandsdiscovery.com

Belly Dance 2013 Spring Session

BDAKS Studio 2013 Spring Session

9 Harris Crescent 

(Registration deposit required - places are limited)

Saturday April 6 2013

1:00PM to 2:00PM Beginner Class (10 week program) **New**

Saturday April 202013

11AM to 12AMBeginner 2Class (12 week program)

Monday April 8 2013Little Princess

6:00 to 6:45 (10 week program) $180

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

6:30PM to 7:30PM Beginner 2Class (12 week program)

Tuesday, April 9 2013

8:00PM to 9:00PM Cabaret (12 week program)

Wednesday March 27, 2013

6:30PM to 7:30PM Beginner Class (10 week program) **New**

Wednesday April 17 2013

8:00PM to 9:00PM Cabaret Intermediate (12 week program)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

6:30PM to 7:30PM Gypsy (12 week program)

8:00PM to 9:00PM Sword (12 week program)

**New**Beginner Classes is for 10 weeks once a week, program cost $210.00 including music CD and gst. Registration deposit ($50.00) is required classes space is limited.

All continuing classes run for 12 weeks once a week, program cost $250.00 including music CD and gst.

Registration deposit ($50.00) is required classes space is limited. Deposit can be made in person EMT or PayPal

Cost for Little Princess 6-12

Little princess class Belly Dance introduction is an 8 week program and the cost is$150 including taxes and Music CD used in class. Continuing classes are for10 weeks and the cost is $180

For more information please contact

Karen Savoie

780-747-0930

ka_savoie@hotmail.com

www.bdaks.com 

9 Harris Crescent

Fort McMurray AB T9H 1N3

Feel the Forces Discovery Lab 2013

Discover some of the different forces of the world through hands-on experiments. 

Measure friction with some familiar every-day objects, you may be surprised. 

The force of gravity is what creates weight on Earth. Test this forces and see the effect on a rubber band. 

Roller coasters stay in place because of centrifugal force. See this in action with a simple experiment using a spinning cup. 

Every Saturday and Sunday in March, 10 am to 4 pm. 

Discovery Lab is self-guided and requires adult supervision. 

Discovery Lab is included with admission.

Diana Moser BA, MA, MMSt 

Acting Facility Supervisor 

Oil Sands Discovery Centre 

515 MacKenzie Blvd 

Fort McMurray, AB T9H 4X3 

780-743-7167, ext. 231 

www.oilsandsdiscovery.com

Amazing Astronomy at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre

www.oilsandsdiscovery.com

Festivals of Light at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre

Discover how different countries and cultures celebrate holidays around the winter solstice and New Year, all in one afternoon! Learn about traditions and celebrations from Denmark, China, England, Ukraine, Ireland, India, Japan and Canada.
The Discovery Lab is included with admission.

Highway 63 and MacKenzie Blvd | phone 780-743-7167phone 780-743-7167

www.oilsandsdiscovery.com

Oil Sands Discovery Centre - November Discovery Lab

For more information, please call 780-743-7167 or visit www.oilsandsdiscovery.com

HUB Family Resource Centre Fall 2012 Programs

The HUB Family Resource Centre implementing new Fall 2012 Programs and Resource Guide to incorporate more programming and education

Starting October 1, 2012 The HUB will be implementing their new FALL 2012 Programs and Resource Guide (October to December). The new guide shall include program calendars for Franklin HUB, Timberlea HUB and Hub on Wheels (HOW) and a variety of tips and resources for families of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

The HUB is excited to announce the implementation of new programs, including weekly parenting education (with child minding available),‘ Sign a Little’ and ‘Bend and Bond’. Due to popular demand, The HUB will be offering ‘First Things First’, a program designed especially for the inquisitive first time expecting parent(s). The hours of operation for both HUB locations will remain 10:00am to 4:00pm from Monday to Friday. Families are welcome to bring their lunches from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, with full access to kitchen facilities.

For more information regarding programming, please contact Luanne Murphy at 780.743.9225 or l.murphy@thehubfrc.ca.

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Media Contact: Jillian Smith, Director of Community Development

Phone: 780.791.7110 extension 1

E-mail: j.smith@thehubfrc.ca

Fort McMurray Public Library Children's Summer Reading Incentive Program

Children's Summer Reading Incentive Program- Imagine!

Registration is still open for 6-12 year old readers. The registration fee is $5 and each craft and activity is $2. Each participant has the opportunity to win weekly prizes for reading just 90 minutes each week! Participants can begin recording their reading minutes starting July 2. Participants can enter 1 ballot per week online or at the Children's Help Desk. Keep track of your total reading minutes to enter the grand prize draw for most books read!

New this year: Little Dragons Summer Reading Club for 0-5 year olds!

SRIP is made possible in the Wood Buffalo region with presenting sponsorship from:




and supported by:

 

Get Up and Go Wood Buffalo - Exhibitor Registration

Exciting opportunity for local singers: Edmonton Opera

This Saturday June 2nd: 2:30-3:30 pm - Edmonton Opera Vocal Masterclass - 4 members of the Edmonton Opera will be at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts working with local vocal students. Everyone is welcome and it'll be a great opportunity to see the work involved in being a professional singer. 


This event is FREE OF CHARGE, thanks to the Edmonton Opera Outreach Program.

Arts Council Wood Buffalo

We are very proud to announce the formation of Arts Council Wood Buffalo. This is a
community-based non-profit corporation set up by the arts community at the request
of her Worship, Mayor Melissa Blake, to work with regional arts organizations to
strengthen and promote the arts in the region.


An Interim Board of Directors has been established to guide the organization through
its initial stages with a fully representational Board being elected in September 2012.
Interim Board members include Chair, Ken Chapman with the Oil Sands Developers
Group, David Whitelock with Events Wood Buffalo, Ana Maria Mendez, Cultural
Coordinator with MacDonald Island Park, artist and President, Wood Buffalo Artists
Forum, Jenny Berube, Accountant and art lover, Christine Burton, community
advocate and artist, Bryan Jackson, artist and Suncor manager.


"At this point, the Arts Council needs to focus on reaching out to all regional arts
organizations, understanding their needs, and developing a strategic plan to support
and develop the arts in our community," explains Chair, Ken Chapman. "We have had
to hit the ground running, however." states Chapman, "We have a number of projects
on the table already. These include starting discussions with Keyano College to explore collaboration opportunities for learning and the arts, working with the Fort McMurray Airport Authority to include art in the new airport terminal, working with Social Prosperity on understanding the needs of arts organizations and developing a public art policy for presentation to Regional Council." "Our project list shows how critical it is to have an organization that can represent and advocate for the arts and arts organizations in our community", says Chapman.


Board member, Christine Burton states "it is a good time to form an Arts Council. We
have a vibrant and growing visual and performing arts community that needs to be
supported and promoted. By bringing all arts organizations together, we are creating
a powerful voice for the arts. We know from examples around the world that support
for the arts creates communities people want to live in. That is what we want to do
here - imagine the possibilities and then make them real."


For media inquiries, please contact:


Ken Chapman
Arts Council Wood Buffalo, Chair
780-790-1979 (office)
1-780-990-8559 (cell)

Volunteer with Write Break Adult Literacy Program

Write Break Adult Literacy Program is recruiting volunteers from the community to work with adults learners.  The learners are working on basic literacy skills; reading, writing, English as another language. Pairs are asked to commit to 2 hours per week and they meet at Holy Trinity Community School, Keyano College or the Public Library. Training, materials and tutor support are provided for the volunteers.  There is no cost to the learner.

To volunteer or for more information please contact 780-791-8943.

Notification about Keyano's Operational Changes

As many of you may have heard Keyano College has announced some significant changes. Below is an open letter from the Keyano website about the recent changes. At the bottom of this post are several other links to local, provincial and national outlets that are covering this piece of local news.

The below letter was taken from the Keyano 'news' page: http://keyano.ca/news/open-letter-editor

An open letter to the editor:

On Friday, May 4, 2012, Keyano College made a series of operational changes that involved layoffs of a number of faculty and staff. Instructors and staff in a number of areas were affected. The timing of these changes, made in advance of a budget expected to be approved by the Keyano College Board of Governors on Friday, May 25, was intentional, primarily so that impacted Keyano faculty would be able to seek alternate employment in time for the fall 2012 semester. A number of other affected staff members were given opportunities to transition into existing positions within the college while an on-going process to place affected faculty and staff in other administrative and program areas, including contract teaching of VPA courses through Continuing Education, has been put in place by the college.

While rumors have led some to believe that Keyano College has cut all fine arts programming, this is not the case. “We will still be delivering a wide variety of fine arts courses as we had done previously. These will include certificate and other credentialed programs that are up-to-date and transferable to other academic institutions across Alberta. This is a positive improvement that the current group of VPA programs has struggled with in the past,” said Ann Everatt, Vice President, Academic. “We have a very fine Conservatory program that is strongly utilized by the community-at-large and as a result, is growing. Looking to the future, we see an expansion of the Conservatory program as the best possible opportunity to serve students from our region who may be interested in pursuing fine arts courses at the post-secondary level. So, our commitment to fine arts programs has not weakened. In fact, we are looking to expand the variety of fine arts programming that we have currently through a demand-based mode of delivery as our ethnically-diverse community in Wood Buffalo grows.”

“To say that we are abandoning VPA programming at Keyano is simply not the case,” said Dr. Kevin Nagel, President & CEO, Keyano College. “However, we also realize that the way current VPA programming is delivered has become ineffective over time since enrolments have been in decline for the past decade. It is not a secret that enrolments in these courses have been extremely weak. Our Vice President Academic is reminded by Advance Education and Technology each and every year that low enrolment programs, which include these courses, must be proactively managed. In fact, the VPA programs that have been identified as requiring improvements, are averaging less than 8 students per course and their retention rates are less than 50% which means that they are producing, on average, about 4 graduates per year. And, transferability has been an issue. By post-secondary standards, these numbers are not sustainable and make the costs associated with delivering VPA courses, as they are currently being delivered, on a per student or per graduate basis, prohibitively high”.

“These courses should have been addressed when they began to become an issue, since low enrolments affect both student interest and the student learning experience which in turn, affects the quality of education being delivered. The low enrolments in these courses over the past five years speak for themselves in this respect. As a result, we are shifting to address improvements in these courses as a priority this year which includes delivering them in accordance with demand. Similar public investments in other courses are resulting in quality education being delivered to cohorts of 15 to20 students at Keyano. This is our ultimate goal for the VPA courses as well. I think that the improvement strategy that has been put in place is sound. It will enable input by residents as to content, make these programs available to the entire community rather than just a limited number of students, and, will be resourced by the college as needed to evolve and grow. As long as there is adequate community interest in these courses, we will support them. If there is no, or weak interest, we won’t.”

“When resources are scarce the way they are this year, every decision about delivering one program has implications for not delivering another. So if we left the VPA courses as they were, declining low enrolments would eventually continue to all-time low levels, our theatre and arts related assets would continue to be under-utilized while concurrently, we would not be able to deliver the new engineering technology programs or the 4-year business degree program that we are planning to introduce this coming September. We don’t have the resources to do both, so hard choices had to be made.”

“With respect to decision-making as it relates to program mix, we must remember that it is not the Board of Governors, the President, executive or the faculty that choose what programs will be delivered. It is our students who support programs with their registrations. Bringing the students to the center of what we are trying to do at Keyano College is what our Vice President Academic has been trying to do now for the past two years. It is a college value and priority and our Vice President Academic certainly has my full support and that of the Board in managing this important transition.”

“In addition to improving the enrolments related to VPA courses, we also need to enhance public use of our arts, culture and recreation facilities. The Sport & Wellness Center and our Recital Theatre, as examples, while being great assets for Keyano College, are under-utilized from a community perspective. We need to develop innovative programs and solutions with community groups across the region to enhance utilization of these assets in order to generate value for both students and residents. Public access to these facilities should not be restricted because they are being reserved for the delivery of low enrolment programs. That is not an effective or sustainable strategy and I believe that we can do much better than that. Consequently, we are working with a number of community groups now to meaningfully address these issues and opportunities.”

“This transition involved a lot of good people, many of whom I have come to value as colleagues,” said Ann Everatt. “While it was widely reported on social media that staff were being escorted off the site by security personnel, that was not the case. In only one instance was security asked to assist in escorting a faculty member off the premises and that was only because the human resource manager involved had another appointment to tend to. To say that they were all escorted off the premises by security personnel is categorically untrue.”

“We did our best to deal with every affected faculty and staff member in a way that was respectful, fair, and focused on giving them a generous severance, that in some cases also involved full or partial retirement benefits. In addition, all of the affected qualified faculty can teach through Continuing Education in the future which, in turn, will enable them to continue to teach at Keyano if they wish. Furthermore, these affected faculty and staff will be given preferential treatment with respect to filling future positions that may become available. These changes are never easy for those involved or the college and we thank these talented and passionate professionals for their past and present service.”

I am a supporter of the arts community and everyone who knows me can attest to that. I have put this letter together with the help of our President, Dr. Nagel and Vice President Academic, Ann Everatt, to correct the public record with respect to what has happened over the past two days. Details about Keyano College’s budget will be released in the coming weeks prior to the public board meeting on May 25th. We believe that the budget is very positive for both Wood Buffalo and Keyano College as it will enable the college, in collaboration with other post-secondary institutions across Alberta, to begin to address the very serious skill shortage that has been identified by the government, region and industry as a threat to Alberta’s and our country’s economic well-being, while at the same time, continue to deliver programs that serve the broader interest of the community.

Russell Thomas

Director, Marketing &Communications, Keyano College

Here are a few other links to what bloggers and the media are saying about the recent changes at Keyano:

• As The Whorl Spins 
• BackoftheBook.ca 
• Fort McMurray Today, letter to the editor 
• McMurray Musings
• Post Pacific Post.com 
• Russell Thomas, personal blog post on the arts at Keyano
• Save the Arts in Fort McMurray: A facebook page

Community Clean Up 2012

Community Clean Up

Spring Clean Up – April 18 to May 13

Take pride, Wood Buffalo! The community and the environment needs your help to maintain the beauty of our region. Citizens, businesses, property owners and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo are encouraged to work together to promote a litter-free environment. Volunteer to clean up a park, greenspace, block, trail or roadway. Yellow Pitch-In bags, gloves and litter picking sticks are supplied.

Click Here to register for Community Clean Up, or call 780.788.1489 for more information.

Pick and Click Photo Contest
Register with Spring Community Clean Up and enter your fun-filled photos in the 3rd annual Pick and Click Photo Contest. Winning submissions will win a prize package valued at $400. 

Adopt-A-Trail / Adopt-A-Roadway Program

Adopt a section of trail or greenspace along municipal roadways. A honorarium of $100/km(Trail) or $250/km(Roadway) will be issued after the minimum requirements of FOUR litter picking sessions from May to September have been completed and reported.

Bags, gloves and picker sticks are supplied. Safety vests are available upon request.

Click Here to register your group for the Adopt-A-Trail / Adopt-A-Roadway program, or call 780.788.1489 for more information.

Highway Clean Up Event

Get Involved with the Highway 69/63 Clean Up event on May 11 and 12 and help keep our region beautiful. Clean up supplies, a safety presentation, and shuttle service to and from the designation locations will be provided. Volunteer as a group or individual; participants must be 18 years or older.

Click Here to register for the Highway Clean Up event, or call 780.799.8643 for more information.

Mayor's Business Block Challenge  

The 5th Annual Block Challenge program encourages neighbouring businesses to "Pitch In" and take on a 20-minute spring cleaning challenge around their properties and throughout their neighbourhoods.

Take the challenge on May 2!

Click here to register your business and receive a free clean up kit. Please register by April 27, 2012.

Tips For Conducting a Safe Clean Up

• Visit your site and assess it for possible hazards. What can you do to minimize any dangers?
• Wear gloves during your clean up. Free bags, gloves and picker sticks are provided by calling 780.788.1489.
• Volunteers are discouraged from cleaning along all highways.
• Do not pick up any dangerous items including broken glass and discarded needles.
• Be very careful around parked cars and driveways.
• Call 780.788.1489 to arrange for the pick up of bags.
• Wash hands thoroughly when completed.

Words in Motion Launch

At the Fort McMurray Public Library, April 2

In partnership with the Fort McMurray Public Library and the Fort McMurray Public and Catholic School boards, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is pleased to launch Words in Motion. This pilot program celebrates National Poetry Month during April by promoting literacy in our region.  New and existing writers, armature and professional of all ages, submitted poetry for a chance to have their poems transferred onto bus panels and placed inside public transit for the month of April.  Local schools and the public got involved and a total of 50 panels were created. 

The Launch for Words in Motion takes place at the Fort McMurray Public Library on April 2, at 6:30pm.  The Mayor will be giving a speech, followed by two readings of poems by their authors.  A WOOSH bus, showcasing poetry panels, will be parked outside the Suncor Community Leisure Centre for all to view.  Snacks and refreshments will be available. We invite you to attend the launch of Words in Motion to support our local poets and celebrate National Poetry Month.

Fort McMurray Public Library Book Clubs

Fort McMurray Book Club is cancelled indefinitely due to poor attendance. We're looking at options to rejuvenate the program in the future. In the meantime, please look forward to participating in the Adult Summer Reading Program.

Teen Book Club is held the first Sunday afternoon of the month from 2-3pm. At the April 1 meeting we will be discussing Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.

Contact our Adult Help Desk at 780-743-7073 for more information about either book club.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Fort McMurray

Media Launch

Join us Thursday, March 29 at Lots O' Tots for the Media Launch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Mayor Blake will be present to read the first book you receive with Imagination Library The Little Engine That Could. The rest of the program will also be based on The Little Engine That Could.


Fort McMurray Launch
When: Sunday, April 1 from 1-4
Where: Suncor Community Leisure Centre on MacDonald Island Field House
What: Kiosks to register your child in the program (newborn-5 years), bouncy castles, reading zones, mascots, face painting, baby play area, craft stations and snacks!




Once registered with Imagination Library, children will receive a book FREE once a month until they turn 5. The first book to be received is "The Little Engine that could", the last book to be received is "Look out Kindergarten, here I come".