A Wood Buffalo Narrative

The Legacy Children's Foundation

Since 2006, The Legacy Children’s Foundation has been working hard to create all-inclusive music programming in Alberta that engages financially challenged families and at risk children and youth. Through music programs such as The Instruments of Change mentoring program in Wood Buffalo, The Legacy Children’s Foundation has witnessed the powerful draw that music has for young people and how significant this type of programming has been in shaping the lives of this community's most vulnerable populations.

Instruments of Change provides musical instruments to under privileged children and youth while also supplying them the financial resources to pay for lessons from local, first-rate musicians, and various music-related workshops that introduce them to the many career options available to them through the music industry.

"I like that song!"

That is what Morgan, a student at Anzac school said with a big smile, when we learned Phyllis Sinclair’s song "Minoh Awasis" this fall. Phyllis is a songwriter and writes in Cree, and Morgan has connected with this song which has traditional aboriginal percussion.

We adapted Phyllis' song to guitar, using a percussive style on a simple Chord progression. The student is taking Cree in school and is pleased to hear songs can include Cree. 

 

Morgan has a one half hour lesson per week with her mentor.  Morgan sets up her music space with enthusiasm and focuses intently on the frets and always wants to know the next step. Morgan keeps her own notes.

Morgan was referred to Instruments of Change Wood Buffalo by her music teacher Kelli Northrop at Anzac School. Morgan has expressed her joy in music, playing ukulele and some guitar with Grandfather in the past.

Students in Wood Buffalo experience success in so many ways, and now through the Music Arts!

If you would like to support The Legacy Children’s Foundation, Instruments of Change program please make a donation today. They accept gently used and new instruments and place them into the hands of local children.  Donations can be dropped off at Campbell's Music, 10011 Franklin Avenue or at Timberlea School, 107 Brett Drive.

If you have any questions or would like more information on the Instruments of Change program please contact Instruments of Change Coordinator, Dave Martin at dave@legacyfoundation, twitter: @instrumentsof, or phone 780-881-6869. 

WinterPLAY Guest Blog – Christina Traverse of Mush McMurray

Anyone who has encountered a true Northern winter season will tell you it is typically like a deep freeze. There are days you may not want to even leave your house because it’s -40—without the wind-chill! Soon you start to realize that the residents in northern communities, especially Fort McMurray, deal with winter differently. First there are the snow birds or migrators. They leave with the Canada geese and follow them down South in the fall and come back when the temperatures are above zero. Then you have the residents that stick it out. Some days they curse Mother Nature and the blistering cold, other days are not too bad. They go about their lives and day to day routines. Lastly you have the people that embrace the cold, snow and everything about winter, because it is their favorite season. You may refer to these people as crazy, mentally unstable, or insane, all of which I’ve been called!

As a born and raised Fort McMurray resident, I quickly learned to accept the cold snowy weather and find different things to do. That is one of the many reasons I own 25 Alaskan Huskies. I train and race sled dogs in various competitions anywhere from Montana to Alaska every year. It all started about 14 years ago, I thought it was a good idea to hook up my little brother to a GT snow racer and get him to pull me around the neighborhood. It worked out well, until my mother found out what I was up to and that was the end of that! Shortly after I taught our German Shepherd, Cheyenne, to pull me around and I was hooked!

In 2011, I finally got my first sled dog and a real dog sled. It wasn’t too long before I had my own team and entered my first race here in Fort McMurray, the 3 Forts Sled Dog Race that was part of the 2011 Syncrude Regional WinterPLAY Carnival. The race route was 176 miles from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan on the Athabasca River. Since then I have competed in several different races, some were quite easy and others were really difficult. There are periods of time where I spend three or four nights alone in the wilderness with just my dogs. Once you go winter camping once, you quickly learn what NOT to forget for the next time.

A lot of people ask me the same question: “Why do you love winter so much?” My response is always the same: I spend almost every day outside in the winter, but I am spending the days with my dogs. We explore different parts of North American by dog sled, places most people haven’t even seen before. At night you are surrounded by the Northern Lights, and when you are out in the woods away from the city lights the show is spectacular. You don’t have to have a team of huskies to enjoy the winter months, there are a lot of other great things to do! So get out of the house and find something you enjoy doing, it will make the winter season feel shorter and a lot more fun!

Fourth Edition of the Wood Buffalo Timeraiser

 

Open Call for original: 2D and 3D artworks

Fourth Edition of the Wood Buffalo Timeraiser

Calling all emerging artists: Get paid and generate volunteer hours!

FORT MCMURRAY, ALBERTA- We are thrilled to announce that the Call to Artists for the fourth edition of the Wood Buffalo Timeraiser is now open. We are looking to purchase artwork from local, emerging artists to help inspire participants in Wood Buffalo to donate their time in support of great causes. Artwork will be chosen by a selection committee from the Wood Buffalo Art Community.

There is no submission fee associated with this call.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 4:30 p.m.

To apply, please submit the following to hello@fusesocial.ca:

·         High Resolution digital copy/picture of your submission

·         All pieces must be original, no copies or prints are allowed

·         Artists Statement (max 250 words)

·         Brief Bio (max 250 words)

·         Photo of yourself (optional)

·         Price of each submitted piece (max. 5 pieces per artists)

·         Title and dimension (inches) of each artwork

·         Medium (e.g. acrylic on canvas)

Note: Pieces selected in previous years, may not be submitted again

What is the Wood Buffalo Timeraiser?

The Timeraiser is a silent art auction with a twist. Instead of bidding money, participants bid volunteer time to agencies that need their skills and energy. We purchase all artwork locally at fair market value and auction it off on the night of the event. The Wood Buffalo Timeraiser will be held on April 16th, 2015. Successful auction bidders have 12 months to complete their volunteer pledge to organizations in the Wood Buffalo Region.

Last year 40 pieces of art were purchased for the Timeraiser. The artwork purchased put approximately $20,000 into the Wood Buffalo Art community. The combined 40 pieces raised over 3,800 volunteer hours in the Wood Buffalo region.

Submission Guidelines:

·         Must be a resident of the Wood Buffalo Area

·         Emerging or mid-career artists will be given preference

·         Artist sets the price of the artwork submitted, up to $1,500

·         Successful artists will be notified via email by March 10, 2015

·         Delivery date for the selected art pieces will be determined and announced in the new year; all successful artists will be contacted with dates and times for drop-off

·         All artwork must be dry and ready to hang (wire setting 1/3 from the top of the artwork)

·         All pieces must be framed and signed (stretched canvas on a frame is acceptable if it has finished edges)

·         Exhibition of the artwork will commence mid-March and will end the evening of the Wood Buffalo Timeraiser- April 16, 2015.

For more information, visit www.fusesocial.ca and please circulate this notice to your friends and colleagues in the art community.

About FuseSocial

FuseSocial is the Volunteer Centre for Wood Buffalo.  Our service to community is focused on supporting local social profit organizations in fulfilling their missions.  Through our work, we seek to provide leadership, advocacy and support to the social profit sector through the promotion of volunteerism, professional development, and research and knowledge exchange.

Contact:

Stephanie Pilgrim

Analyst, Volunteer Resource Management

FuseSocial

780-791-9333

stephanie.pilgrim@fusesocial.ca